Nothing much to say this time around…except the usual disclaimer that Toy Story and Disney World don't belong to me. If they did, I'd have an unlimited Fast Pass for Toy Story Mania so I wouldn't have to wait in those crazy long lines. ;) And thanks yet again to my Beta Reader Reeves3! :) Enjoy! Please leave a review!
Chapter 9 – Disagreements
Brighter. Closer. Bonnie's toys were well aware of the danger they were in as their shadows on the track became more defined, the Monorail's headlight seemingly right on their heels. They ran as swiftly as their little legs would allow, even though keeping their balance became increasingly difficult as the rail vibrated with the weight and force of the fast-approaching vehicle.
Fortunately, only a few yards stood between the toys and the Magic Kingdom station, which they recognized from earlier that night. When the entrance to the platform came into view, Woody shouted instructions to the others.
"There's the station! As soon as we're close enough, jump!"
Once they had cleared the railing along the outer edge, the five friends hurled themselves with all their might onto the concrete platform and through an open gate. They tumbled into the shadows mere seconds before the Monorail coasted into the station and came to a halt. The toys sat up and looked around them, making sure they were all still in one piece.
"Is everyone present and accounted for?" Buzz questioned as he stood and brushed himself off. He noticed Dolly wasn't next to Bullseye. "Where's Dolly?"
"Over here!" The rag doll emerged from behind a column, unharmed. "I got thrown. That's the last time I go horseback riding."
Reassured that no one had been injured, the group raced down the exit ramp and followed the same pathway back to the Contemporary Resort that they had traveled before. The sun was rising in the early morning sky, and each one hoped that they weren't already too late.
The toys quickly ascended the hair dryer cord that still hung from the balcony railing, and panicked when they reached the top and heard the shrill beeping of the Andersons' alarm clock going off through the bedroom door. Jessie scrambled to open the door handle, while Buzz and Woody yanked the cord free from the railing and hastily stashed the hair dryer back behind the curtain before shutting the door. The five friends hurdled onto the bed and fell motionless next to Bonnie, just as Mrs. Anderson shuffled sleepily into the kitchen to brew her morning coffee and rouse her daughter. Although the toys were relieved to have made it back safely, they knew all too well that it had been a dangerously close call.
The moment they settled into the places Bonnie had left them in the night before, the toys fell asleep. Not even the commotion of the Anderson family's morning preparations managed to disturb them; they only heard the occasional distant mumblings about maps and parks and tickets as they drifted in and out of consciousness. The exhausted toys slept long after Bonnie and her family left, completely spent from their traumatizing experience, both emotionally and physically. When they finally wakened in the late afternoon, it was with a sense of dread, knowing that a confrontation about the previous night's events was imminent.
Woody was the first to rise. The cowboy was too livid to sleep any longer. He sat on the bed, arms crossed, scowling down at the couple sleeping soundly next to him, waiting for any sign that they were stirring. He didn't miss when his sister's eyes opened just a slit, then closed again in a vain attempt to feign sleep.
"Oh, no you don't," he snapped at her. "You're getting up and we're talking about this, NOW. Both of you." He nudged Buzz's shoulder and the Space Ranger sat up groggily. Jessie sat up as well and stared nervously down at the bed sheets, before reaching for her braid and tugging at it instinctively.
"Buzz, Jessie, what were you thinking? No – you weren't thinking, that's the problem!" The cowboy waved his arms furiously as he reprimanded the couple. Awakened by the outburst, Dolly and Bullseye looked on warily at the quarrel erupting in front of them.
"I expect this sort of thing from you," Woody pointed accusingly at Jessie, and her jaw dropped before her face twisted into an expression of disgust. "But you, Buzz, you're supposed to be the responsible one! We almost didn't make it back in time. We almost ruined EVERYTHING! How could you let yourself get carried away when so much was at stake?"
"Woody, let me explain!" Buzz argued. "It's not Jessie's fault. It was the music – the Spanish –"
The cowboy quickly interrupted his friend. "No, Buzz! You should have known better than to let something like that happen, Spanish Mode or not. Jessie, you had no business taking foolish chances and doing I-don't-wanna-know-what with Buzz when we were so short on time already. You could have gotten us all killed with your carelessness!"
"I coulda got us all killed? It was YOU who wanted to walk on the rail!" she countered.
"I didn't WANT to, but you didn't give us much of a choice, did you?! I was the only one making sure we got back in time, but you just had to keep running off when I told you not to. You put all of us in danger – especially Bullseye. It was far riskier for him to run on that rail than the rest of us. What if we hadn't made it back and Bonnie didn't have her toys? What then, Jessie? What you did was irresponsible and… and SELFISH!"
At that final insult, the defiant fire in Jessie's eyes dimmed and her countenance fell in defeat. Buzz saw his cowgirl's pained appearance and intervened.
"Now hold on a minute, Woody, there's no need to be so hard on Jessie. It was an accident. She never intended for us to ride the boat twice."
"Accident or not, it was a stupid mistake that should never have happened, and it can't happen again. So, that's it." Woody's arms sliced through the air in a gesture of finality. "Nobody is going anywhere else for the rest of the vacation."
Faces around the cowboy filled with shock, and Jessie pleaded with her brother. "B-but what about Hollywood Studios? We were gonna go there tonight—"
"NO!" He cut her off, her pleas falling on deaf ears. "No Hollywood Studios. No more parks at all. NOTHING but staying at our own resort where we belong."
"That ain't fair, Woody!" she cried desperately. "We're only here two more nights! We may never get back here! Are you sayin' you're gonna keep us locked up against our will?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. It's for your own good. You obviously can't be trusted."
Jessie's eyes widened in disbelief that her brother would be so unforgiving. She could feel the sorrow and hopelessness welling up inside of her, choking her. Before she could give Woody the satisfaction of witnessing her break down as a result of his tirade, she scooted to the edge of the bed and jumped down.
"Jessie, wait!" Buzz called after his girlfriend, but she just wanted to be alone. She stormed off towards the balcony, opened the door, and slammed it behind her.
Once outside, away from the view of her friends, the cowgirl burst into tears, completely inconsolable. She climbed up to sit on one of the patio chairs and pulled her legs tightly to her chest, burying her face in her knees to muffle her sobs.
Buzz looked after Jessie sadly, before turning to Woody.
"She feels bad enough about what happened, you know."
"She sure didn't act like it," the cowboy muttered.
"Of course she didn't with the way you went after her. What was that all about, Woody? Sure, it was a close call, but we're fine. You didn't have to be so harsh."
"Yes, I did, Buzz. Jessie doesn't understand the severity of what she did. What if Bonnie had lost all her toys? What if we—"
"What if we lost each other?" Buzz asked gently. He saw the ire in his friend's eyes start to fade. "Woody, we've all been through a lot, we both know that. But sometimes you have to take some chances and live a little. This trip has been something most toys never get to experience. You can't stop enjoying life for fear of what you might lose."
"Come on Potsie, can't you reconsider?" Dolly interjected cautiously. "You know we'll all be extra careful from here on out."
"I'm sorry, Dolly, I can't," replied Woody regretfully, but still holding his ground.
Buzz sighed. He realized that there was no use in trying to get Woody to change his mind, at least not for now. The Space Ranger leapt down off the bed and walked to the balcony door to find Jessie sitting on the big patio chair, still hugging her knees, staring blankly in the direction of the Magic Kingdom in the distance. He watched her pensively, wishing there was some way he could ease her disappointment and heartbreak. Suddenly, he spotted Bonnie's maps balancing on the edge of the ottoman where she'd left them that morning.
Thoughts began swirling through Buzz's mind. Woody had said no more parks; but there were other resorts close by, and he had said nothing about avoiding those. The Space Ranger reached up for the maps and started leafing through them, setting aside the park maps until he uncovered the one he needed. He studied the locales that surrounded Seven Seas Lagoon, and soon found the one he had noticed back at the Andersons' home, before they even left for their vacation. The one that seemed to jump out at him every time he opened the maps. The one that had given him ideas so crazy he didn't know if there was any way he could possibly make them happen in two nights' time. Despite how much of a long shot his scheme was, Buzz realized that this was the perfect way to turn the vacation around for Jessie, to make it something she'd never forget, just like she wanted. But if he was ever going to make it work, he'd need all the help he could get. And he'd have to get Woody out of his bad mood first.
The Space Ranger scanned the room and saw that Woody was still on Bonnie's bed, lounging and watching television with Dolly and Bullseye. He took a deep breath, approached the bed, and scaled the side of the frame.
"Woody, can we talk?" he asked with trepidation, not sure if his friend's anger had cooled.
The cowboy sat up, visibly calmer now that he had said his piece. "Sure."
"Look, I can't tell you how sorry I am about what happened," the space toy began. "But I feel terrible for Jessie too. This vacation – being here – it means so much to her. I hate to see her so disappointed—"
Woody interrupted. "I meant what I said about no more parks, Buzz."
"I know, and I wasn't going to ask about the parks. I wasn't even going to ask about tonight. But the other resorts, along the Monorail path? I'd like to take her there, tomorrow night. I swear that we will be back before Bonnie wakes up."
"I dunno. I still think it would be best if we all stayed put."
"I will take her out to enjoy one more night here without your permission if I have to," the Space Ranger stated matter-of-factly. "But I'd rather have your blessing. And I really could use your help. Please, Woody, as a friend, and a brother? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"I just don't see what's so important. Why on earth would you want to go to a different resort? What's there that you can't do here?"
"I'll show you." Buzz hopped off the bed and retrieved the resort map from the stack on the floor. He returned to join the others and show them exactly what he had discovered.
"I want to take her here, to the Grand Floridian," he pointed. "It's only two Monorail stops away. But there's more. Dolly, I'd like you to see this too. We have to speak quietly – I want it to be a surprise, and I don't know if Jessie can hear us."
The rag doll sat up and moved over to join Buzz and Woody. Buzz indicated the places on the map where he wanted to take Jessie, and explained what his plan entailed.
"So, will you help me?" he asked earnestly, his eyes full of hope. "It would mean the world to me – and to Jessie too, I'm sure."
"I'm in!" Dolly enthusiastically agreed.
Woody looked up and smiled. "Of course I will. But we'll have to make her think I'm still mad, otherwise it'll never work."
The light shining through the picture window was growing red with the setting sun, and the toys knew there was little time to prepare before Bonnie and her family would be back from the parks. Woody noticed Buzz glimpse yet again in the direction of the door.
"Go, take care of Jessie," he told his friend. "Dolly and I will handle things from here."
Buzz leapt down from the bed and walked to the balcony door, then jumped up to grasp the handle and nudged it open before descending to the floor. Out on the balcony, Jessie still sat forlornly on the patio chair, knees drawn up, chin on knees, her gaze fixed on the castle.
"Hey, cowgirl," he called out softly.
She glanced over at him briefly, then turned back to her view. He climbed up onto the chair with her and settled in, opening his arms widely. "C'mere," he invited her into his embrace.
Jessie flung herself into her boyfriend's arms and buried her face in his chest, releasing the emotions that were on the surface in heaving sobs. Buzz alternated between smoothing her hair and caressing her back soothingly, allowing her to cry it out.
"Oh, Buzz. It's all ruined! Only two more days, an' we'll probably never get back here again! There was so much more I wanted to see, and now we'll be cooped up in this hotel room. I never meant for anythin' to go wrong, or to put anyone in danger, 'specially Bullseye! This trip was s'posed to be somethin' special that we'd never forget, and now it's over. And it's all my fault!"
"None of this is your fault, Jess," he asserted, "so don't you worry any more about that. And we've had a great vacation so far, haven't we?" Buzz rested his chin lightly against her head. "It's not too late, we can make the most of the time we have left. Woody might calm down by tomorrow, and we've got one more night after tonight."
As much as she wanted to be, the cowgirl wasn't convinced. "There ain't no changin' Woody's mind," she replied bitterly. "He's too stubborn – he's the selfish one."
"Don't give up hope yet, Jessie. Let's see what tomorrow brings. I'll do everything I can to turn things around." He kissed her forehead. "I'll make it all better."
The cowgirl looked up at her boyfriend and couldn't help but smile, albeit weakly, when she saw the love in his eyes. She repositioned herself with her legs across his lap and her head on his shoulder, and he encircled his arms tightly around her. The couple sat there in the silence, as the skies became darker and Jessie's sniffles quieted to more regular breathing.
Before long, the first colorful sparks of the Magic Kingdom fireworks lit up the sky. While Buzz and Jessie sat and watched the show, still snuggled together, the Space Ranger's focus shifted from the sky to the cowgirl doll sitting next to him. He reached a hand up and placed it on Jessie's cheek to turn her head towards him tenderly. Her eyes brightened when she realized what Buzz was going to do and she quickly closed the gap. Their lips met in a slow, sweet kiss and Jessie put an arm around Buzz's neck to bring them closer.
The conclusion of the fireworks signaled that the Andersons would soon return. Buzz and Jessie dropped down from the patio chair and went back inside, heading straight for Bonnie's bed, where Woody, Dolly, and Bullseye were waiting for them.
"I'm sorry, Jessie," Woody apologized, as they settled in for the night. "I hope you'll understand that my decision is for the best."
At the sound of her brother's voice, the anguish from their earlier disagreement was renewed for the cowgirl. "I'm sorry too, Woody," she responded dejectedly. "But I just wanna go to sleep now."
Soon a very tired Anderson family arrived at their suite and rushed through their bedtime routine. Bonnie was dressed in her nightgown and tucked into bed, and her parents turned out the lights and shut their bedroom door.
Jessie had been the first to drift off to sleep, drained from her upsetting day. Once they were sure the family was asleep as well, Buzz, Woody, and Dolly slid stealthily down from the bed and slipped out the balcony door. Buzz helped Woody anchor the hair dryer and climbed up on a chair to make sure his friends had a safe landing. When they reached the ground, Woody looked up and gave Buzz a thumbs up, and the Space Ranger watched the cowboy and rag doll run off into the darkness to set his plan in motion.
With nothing left to do but wait, Buzz went back to bed. Jessie, sensing his presence next to her, cuddled against him in her slumber. Bullseye, who had curled up next to the cowgirl, wanting to help comfort her in any way he could, now slept beside her, his legs twitching in a dream. Buzz, on the other hand, lay awake and restless, unable to fall asleep. After a while, the space toy wriggled free of his girlfriend's embrace and walked over to the picture window, in an attempt to calm his jitters. He hopped up onto the windowsill and looked out at the bright lights of the Magic Kingdom, wondering how Woody and Dolly were doing in carrying out his scheme. What he had in mind was far more daring than anything else they had attempted their entire vacation, but Buzz was determined. He wasn't going to let this chance pass him by.
Hours later, Buzz was roused from dozing on the bed by the click of a turning handle and the faint creak of an opening door.
Woody summoned him from the doorway. "Psst, hey Buzz, can you help me get this dryer back in?"
The Space Ranger deftly slipped his arm free from underneath a sleeping Jessie, and silently went to help the cowboy with his task. Once they were back inside, Buzz looked at his best friend anxiously, almost afraid to ask how the night had gone.
"Well?"
Woody recognized Buzz's concern and smiled sympathetically. "You're good to go, buddy," he answered, patting him on the shoulder.
Buzz grinned widely and exhaled in relief. His plan was well underway, and now his mission was to contain his excitement so the fantastic surprise wouldn't be spoiled for Jessie. Nothing was going to stop him from making their trip the most memorable ever.
Hmmm, what could Buzz possibly have planned? Sneaky Space Ranger. ;) Watch for an update soon!
