When talking about Nero the Great, this chapter gives reference to one of my previous fanfics, The Big Bully.
Bonnie took Rex and Trixie with her to Sunnyside a few days later, as she was learning about dinosaurs at daycare. All of Bonnie's other toys back at home were busily occupied, except Jessie. She was in a mischievous mood, and to her disappointment, her new little partner in crime Katan the cub wasn't anywhere to be seen-unless Bobby took him somewhere for the day, ever since they'd met Katan managed to sneak in and visit at Bonnie's house, usually to play around and steal Woody's hat-today. Jessie looked around for someone to pick on, but wasn't finding any suitable prospects...until she saw Mitsy. Aha! The princess was sitting on the edge of Bonnie's bed reading a book. There was just something about her quietly reading that often made Jessie want to annoy her. The cowgirl climbed up on the hamper at the foot of the bed. "Mitsy! Mitsy, look out!" Jessie shouted behind her five minutes later.
"What? What is it?" Mitsy asked in alarm, dropping the book.
"There's...there's green little creatures…ugh! Bugs! Crawling...crawling in your hair!" Jessie exclaimed, holding her face in her hands.
"Aahh!" Mitsy shrieked and tumbled to the floor. She abhorred bugs in her long, curly hair...and Jessie knew that. Some of the other toys heard the commotion and came to see what was wrong.
"Oh! Ooo," Jessie grimaced in disgust. If the princess hadn't been freaking out, she would've noticed that usually tough Jessie who liked to catch bugs herself when they frightened other toys, was acting odd.
"Eeee!" Mitsy squealed. She was twirling around, her eyes wild, frantically digging and clawing at her hair. "Where are they? Where are they?!" She asked in panic. "Get them out!"
"Oh, they're crawling up to your head!" Jessie continued, pointing frantically.
"OH! Get them off of me! Someone please get them off!" Mitsy screamed, jumping and flailing herself. She ran up to the other toys for help. "Please! Get them off!"
"Uh, Mitsy..." Slinky tried to speak.
"Calm down," Jack said calmly.
"Jack, please!" Mitsy begged, wagging her head. Buttercup, Hamm, and Buzz were laughing. They couldn't help it. Jack glared at them. He knew how much she couldn't stand creepy things in her hair, but after looking again, he at least smiled. Even Woody was laughing. "Please! Please," She begged, but then she noticed her friends. "Why are you guys laughing?" She asked hurtfully. She looked like she was going to cry.
"Honey, just look behind you," Jack chuckled. Mitsy turned around but didn't see anything. "There are no bugs in your hair."
"There...there aren't?" Mitsy asked skeptically, and started carefully examining her hair with her fingers. She heard giggling little voices, and they were almost right in her ear.
"Ooo! That tickles," one of the voices laughed.
"Wait a minute." Mitsy said in an annoyed tone, which made everybody laugh even more. She placed her hands on her hips when her eyes fell on the culprit. Jessie!" Mitsy huffed. Jessie was laughing her head off. The peas dropped to the floor and started jumping. "You? You guys?!" Mitsy gasped. "Was that you in my hair?"
"That was fun," Peanelope said.
"Ha, ha, ha, very funny." Mitsy smirked, embarrassed at her foolish reaction. Jessie laughed so hard that she doubled over, clutching her stomach, pleased with herself at the success of her prank.
"There you are!" Mrs. Potato Head's shrill voice painfully echoed in the toys' ears. She waddled up to the peas. "Why aren't you in your pod? I told you three to take your nap." She scolded with her hands on her hips.
"A nap?" Peanelope whined.
"We're too big for that!" Her brother chided. "We don't take naps." With that, they giggled cheekily and quickly popped away with the lady spud right after them.
"That was the most hilarious thing I ever saw!" Buttercup laughed. "She thought they were bugs. You should've seen yourself, You Highness. Boy, did you look silly."
"Aw, come on, guys. Now this wasn't very nice." Mitsy protested.
"This was better than Woody freaking out for his lost hat!" Hamm announced. "Hey, where's Pricklepants? We should make Jessie do it all over again, and then our Shakespeare friend can sell tickets. Only this time we use gel bugs."
"All right, that's enough, you two," Buzz scolded. Slinky rolled his eyes at them.
Ordinarily, Mitsy would've laughed it off like everyone else, but this time that wasn't so. Usually she took her friends' teasing easily, but this time they'd gone too far. This whole joke had been centered on a sore spot with her, not liking bugs to crawl through her hair. It was something she couldn't help disliking. The two smart aleks' wise cracks actually hurt her feelings this time and she cringed at them contemplating making a sideshow of a sensitive area. Her eyes fell on the snickering cowgirl, the troublemaker who started this whole thing. Half angry, half sad, half cunning, she squinted a glare and grinned sneakily.
"So, you think it's funny, do you?" She asked Jessie, Hamm, and Buttercup with her fingers using Sign Language so they couldn't understand. "Oh yeah?" She spoke. "I'll show you!" She took off running and with Jessie rolling flat on her back and kicking her boots in the hair, Mitsy snatched the cowgirl's hat and scurried away with it.
"Uh-oh," Woody chuckled. "Bad move."
"Hey!" Jessie yelled in surprise, jumping to her feet.
"Oh, boy. Here we go." Buzz snickered.
"You can't do that to me!" Jessie huffed, and ran after the laughing princess who hopped around holding Jessie's hat in the air. "Give that back! Come back here, you! I'll get you for this, you little rascal!"
"Anyone who steals that cowgirl's hat is really asking for it," Buttercup commented.
"I didn't know she had the fight in her to do something like that." Slinky said nervously. Woody shook his head, chuckling and decided to go do something else, as did the others.
"Over here!" Mitsy called out to Jessie from behind the tea table. Jessie pounced over there but missed. She looked around huffing and puffing.
"Where are ya? Where are ya?!" She growled. She heard a whistle and Mitsy waved to her from behind Bullseye. Jessie charged like a bull.
"Oh no," Mitsy giggled and she ran around the other toys. Jessie didn't care who was in her way as she shoved, pushed, and tripped over whichever toy was in her path as she dashed after her precious hat.
"Give it to me!" Jessie demanded. "That's mine!"
"Oh?" Mitsy giggled, holding the hat back. She'd lost count of how many times the cowgirl through the years had pulled this on Woody, and Mitsy was enjoying turning the boot on the other foot for once. "You want it, you gotta come get it." Jessie chased her back and forth around Woody. They looked like two wild little girls getting on each other's nerves.
"Hey, I'm not a maypole barricade for you two," Woody said, half annoyed, half amused. Mitsy finally ran away somewhere else. Jessie darted in pursuit, making Woody spin in circles as she did. He collapsed dizzily. "Ugh, why does everybody always pick on me?" He asked wearily. "Why am I always the guinea pig?"
"I guess everyone just likes you, cowboy," Buttercup remarked. Woody rolled his eyes.
"Yoohoo! Come and get it," Mitsy sneered, on top of the clothes hamper, dangling the hat above Jessie. The frustrated cowgirl jumped to grab her hat, but the princess lifted it higher and jumped off.
"That's it!" Jessie snapped. Mitsy stood still near the door as Jessie ran straight toward her. She just reached the princess when Mitsy tossed the hat in the air. Buzz caught it with his hands and kept it safe. Jessie glared at the princess. "You stay right here." She ordered, then walked to her space ranger.
"Here's your hat, cowgirl," Buzz grinned playfully, handing it to her. Jessie angrily pulled it on her head, then stomped to Mitsy. The fellows backed away to find other activities. "Well, that was fun." He remarked sarcastically.
"Fun to watch," Woody corrected. "Jessie surely can come up with some whoppers."
"I still think selling tickets would've been a good idea." Hamm chuckled.
"Oh, please." Woody groaned.
"What were you thinking?" Jessie huffed at Mitsy.
"Jessie, I wouldn't hurt your hat, and I was going to give it back," Mitsy grinned. "I hardly ever just take it like that."
"You pushed my buttons just too far, Your Highness. You know how I feel when people take my hat."
"You know how I feel about creepy creatures inching their way through my hair. I don't like it."
Jessie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Okay, you've got me there."
"I would've accepted it as a funny joke," Mitsy said, "but it ticked me off when the two wise guys talked about putting me on display to be scoffed at...when I can do that myself."
"Yeah." Jessie said. "I hope you understand that I'd never let anyone put real bugs in your hair."
"Thanks." Mitsy smiled. "So? Forgiven?"
"How about even?" Jessie smiled back.
"That works for me." Mitsy said. They gave a high-five then went their separate ways. But Jessie wasn't through with her mischievous spirit for the day just yet!
"Come on, Sheriff! Tell him!" Hamm barked at Woody as he waddled up with Buttercup, Pricklepants, and Potato Head. Woody glanced back at them.
"What is it now?" He asked with a sigh. The four male toys began talking at once. "Eh," Woody smacked his face. He whistled. "What is the problem? One at a time!'
"Tell Baron Bonn Playwright here that you cannot..."
"Fellows, the play business is your business." Buzz said.
"But you can't serve a play without refreshments." Buttercup said.
"Hey, you get out the butter and popcorn and the humans will know what's up!" Potato Head grumbled.
"I was thinking more along the lines of wienies and peanuts." Hamm said.
"Much too untidy." Pricklepants argued.
Seriously? "Oh, for pity's sake." Woody grumbled. "Figure it out yourselves. You've got noodles, fix it. Just don't leave the place a mess or use peanut and jelly, okay?"
"Heraagghh!" A sudden but gradually becoming familiar roar echoed from behind Woody and he was knocked to the floor.
"Easy there, cadet." Buzz chuckled.
"Don't you ever give warnings?" Woody moaned on his back.
"So I scared you?" Katan asked, standing on top of him.
"Well," Woody chided.
"Ha, ha, I did it!" Katan bounced on Woody's chest.
"Congrats," Woody muttered and sat up. "Why do you always pick on me?" He asked as he stood up.
"You're fun to pounce on." Katan cocked his head.
"All right, Katan. Settle down." Matthew spoke from the window sill.
"Hello, Matt." Buzz waved.
"He wouldn't wait for us when I told him we were coming over." Matt shook his head grinning.
"It's okay, he's very welcome." Buzz said. Katan raced away to find someone to play with. "So, what brings you here, soldier?"
"Sheriff, and Buzz? Could you guys come up here?" Matthew asked. The cowboy and the space ranger climbed up. "Woody, I talked to Fal about what you said, but I thought it would be a better idea if you heard it from him. He's down there in the grass waiting for us." Woody and Buzz exchanged a questioning glance with creased eyebrows. Should they?
"Come on, Sheriff." Buzz said confidently. "You're the law around here, so you should be the one to talk with him."
"You come with me, Buzz." Woody said. So they hopped down from the window with Matthew then approached the fowl. "You wanted to speak to me?" Woody asked gruffly.
"Yes." Fal nodded. He still had fierce looking eyes-he was a falcon after all-, but his voice didn't sound threatening. "I'll come right to the point, Sheriff. You blokes sent us to the flea market, remember?"
"Mmm." Buzz grunted.
"Well, I was bought within a week from arriving." Fal continued. "At first, all of us were furious and disgusted at the concept of being owned and played with. Kids would dig into our bin as they browsed for new toys. At first, I really detested it, being touched and made to do things without my own say so. But then, one day Bobby came. When he picked me out, he liked me. He said that I was really cool but his mom told him that they would have to come the next day because she didn't have the money. Bobby was disappointed, but he told me he'd come back for me. Through the night, I kept telling myself that I didn't want to be owned by a little kid. But, I found myself hoping for him to return. And he did the next day. He was very excited to take me home. And that's when I saw this brave soldier again."
Buzz and Woody listened but their faces didn't change. They glanced at Matthew. "Yep, that's the day he came." Matthew nodded.
"You see, when I was with Spike, he kept telling all of us that we'd be really cool and powerful if he showed toys who was boss." Fal said. "And I thought it was true, because when...well, you saw for yourselves, when we hurt other toys, they would fear us. We had the upper hand, and that's what Spike said real power felt like. I have to admit, it felt superior when others were too scared to disobey us. But when Bobby bought me and played with me, plus being shunned by Matt and his band, it felt different. I was under someone's says so again, only this person liked me for me, and didn't try to make me be like him! I felt a sense of...freedom that I never had before. I was able to be myself, and someone else thought it was neat. But it took a lot of cold shoulder and slow trust from Matt here to teach me that being a bully wasn't the real answer to being something in life."
"Take my word for that!" Matthew agreed.
"Well," Buzz cleared his throat, "we appreciate you sharing your story with us, but you still will have to earn our trust before you're welcome here." Fal nodded.
"What about the others?" Woody asked quickly before the conversation died. "Your other ruffians. Do you know what happened to them? Have they contacted you at all since then?"
"Well, Sniper was bought by a different little boy who thought he was cool," Fal said. "As for the others? I don't know how they fared. They were all still at the flea market when I was bought. And no, they have not contacted me! I don't know where they are or what they're doing. I give you my word!" Woody raised his eyebrows. He was still suspicious, as was Buzz, but Matthew wouldn't put his friends in danger.
"Well, I suppose I ought to thank you." Woody said. "Thank you for being forthright with us."
"Certainly." Fal smiled. "If there's anything else I can do for you, please don't be afraid to ask."
"Humph." Woody snickered.
"After all, it was you all who exposed our ring of bandits. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be who I am now. Th-th-thank you, Sheriff." Fal said fondly.
"Y-you're...welcome?" Woody stammered.
"Well, we'll be going now." Matthew said. "I just wanted you guys to hear it for yourselves."
"That was a wise decision, Matt." Buzz smiled in approval. "Good work, soldier."
"Oh, do you guys mind if Katan hangs around for a while?" Matthew asked sheepishly. "He just wouldn't calm down till he I brought him here."
"It's fine." Buzz grinned, nudging Woody.
"Sure." Woody said. He and Buzz went back inside as Matthew and Falcon went back home to Bobby's.
"What do you think, Woody?" Buzz finally asked.
"Oh, I'm tired of being asked that question." Woody shook his head. "He sure acts sincere, and I'd like to believe him. But I still can't forget the horrible things he did, Buzz."
"I don't think it's meant for us to forget about those things, Woody." Buzz said thoughtfully. "And I don't think we ever will. But, that was then. This is now. Things can change, for the better. Don't forget Nero the Great. Remember?" Woody stared at him. Oh, he remembered Nero. How could he forget the unruly toy house guest who had bullied all the toys in the house and even hurt a few of them, among them Bo Peep! Woody remembered how furious he had been when he'd found out Nero had treated Bo roughly, to the point that she could've been broken! They'd had to take the wolf in hand, together as a group, and confront him about his terrible actions. It had borne fruit and he'd made efforts to change and be a real friend. Woody, Buzz, and their friends still cringed whenever they remembered how Nero had first treated them, but they remembered fully that his time at Andy's had been a wake up call and that after that, he truly did change.
"You think I'm being too rough on him?" Woody asked.
"No! No, I don't." Buzz shook his head. "If that we're the case, you wouldn't have even spoken to him."
"Thanks." Woody said with relief. The two friends rejoined their family inside the house. Jessie was on the bed, kicking up her heels and playing around with Woody's guitar. "Jessie?" He spoke with his arms crossed. His sister was having fun, and she was a good dancer. She was a cowgirl after all. But still, she hadn't asked permission.
"Howdy, boys!" She cheered, waving and hopped down on the floor.
"Jessie, careful please!" Woody begged. He didn't want anything to happen to the guitar.
"Aw, quit your whining, bro. I'm not hurt anything." Jessie smirked, then hopped around the room strumming and singing an old country tune. Then she yodeled. Bullseye bounced up to her and she perched herself on top of his saddle, yodeling again. "Jessie, careful!" Buzz warned. Jessie shook her head and continued to dance and sing. Jessie's voice trailed off as she scurried through the house singing extra loud. But several of the other toys were clapping and tapping their feet...er, paws.
"She sure is something." Woody snickered.
"Yep." Buzz agreed with admiration.
Katan was having a blast chasing and playing Hide-and-Seek with the peas and aliens. Then he got tired of that and prowled around the house, looking for someone to play mischief on. Slinky and Jack were tussling like puppies while Rex and Trixie were playing one of their video games on the laptop. Mitsy was sitting there with them, watching. Katan cocked his head, trying to decide who would be better to play with. He loved wrestling, but playing pranks on people and taking them by surprise was more satisfying. "What do you say, lil partner?" Jessie asked. She was sitting astride Bullseye.
"I have nothing to do." Katan pretended to whine, with his paws under his chin.
"Oh?" Jessie asked curiously, raising her eyebrows. "Hmm."
"Woody! Woody!" Jessie called, rushing up to her big brother.
"Jess, what is it?" Woody stared at her. She sounded frantic.
"Oh, Woody. The cub was exploring in the hallway and decided to climb the bookcase. Now the poor little fella is stuck at the top and is afraid to come down!" Jessie explained.
"Katan," Woody gritted his teeth.
"Oh, Woody. Please do something!" Jessie begged, tugging on his arm.
"I'll get him down." Buzz said, his protective mode filling up and he began to march forward.
"NO!" Jessie blurted out, a little too quickly. Her husband and brother stared at her quizzically. Jessie bit her lip nervously. "I-I mean...Buzz, it'll be safer if Woody did. The kitten's stuck at the very top, and...I hate to think what would happen if Buzz fell from that height, being built like he is." In that statement, she wasn't entirely pretending.
"So you'll just let me fall from that height, huh?" Woody squinted.
"Really." Jessie insisted. "You're made softer, Woody. Please, for Buzz's safety?"
"All right, all right." Woody threw up his arms. He marched out into the hall with Jessie and Buzz following behind. Some of the other toys decided to witness the rescue. "Didn't you try to stop him?"
"He's stubborn." Jessie groaned. They came to the bookcase and looked up. Katan was at the very top, peering frightfully over the edge. "There he is!"
"Katan, what are you doing up there?" Woody asked with his hands on his hips.
"I was just looking around." Katan whined.
"Katan, why don't you jump down?" Buzz suggested. "Don't worry. I promise you won't hurt yourself."
"No! I'm scared!" Katan meowed pitifully.
"Jess, you're the one who likes to rescue critters. Why don't you go up and get him? I'll help ya." Slinky offered.
"No girl is gonna save me!" Katan protested.
"Cat stuck in a tree. Oldest trick in the book." Hamm snorted.
Woody slapped his face. "Oh, for crying out loud." He muttered. "Okay, I'll get him. Katan? You stay right there where I can see you! Understand?"
"Mmm-hmm." Katan whimpered with his ears lowered. Woody shook his head as he cautiously clambered up the bookcase. By now he had an audience.
"You all right, lil' partner?" Woody asked as he came nearer.
"No!" Katan cried. "Not till I get down from here."
"Okay, okay. Calm down." Woody said soothingly. He finally reached the top. "Okay, little bud. I'm here. Just climb on my shoulders and hang on tight."
"I'm scared." Katan refused.
"It'll be all right. I promise." Woody smiled. Katan gulped doubtfully then sprang onto the cowboy's back. With a quick flick of his paw, he sent Woody's precious hat sailing down to the group on the floor.
"Ha, ha. Thanks, Sheriff!" Katan laughed, then jumped into midair.
"Wha..." Woody gaped, confused at first then looked behind him. "HEY!" He hollered.
"Whooo!" Katan cheered with his legs spread apart. He landed with his feet on Bullseye then pounced onto Buzz's head, then flung himself safely on the floor, all without a scratch. The other toys' jaws dropped. "Cats always land on their feet." Katan cocked his head proudly.
"Why you little varmint!" Woody hollered.
"If you were Mufasa's kid..." Potato Head began.
"I wouldn't be Mufasa's kid." Katan interjected. "I would be Mufasa!" Jessie was holding Woody's hat. Katan grabbed it between his teeth and he with the cowgirl ran off laughing.
"Jessie! Ugh. A little help?" Woody pursed his lips. Bullseye and Jack dragged a pillow from the living room to the floor beneath Woody.
"Jump, Woody!" Buzz called. Woody rolled his eyes then let go. He landed comfortably on the cushion. "You all right, cowboy?" Buzz asked, trying to keep from laughing.
"Not till I get my hands on that crazy sister of mine!" Woody smiled with sweet revenge.
Hope you like it.
