Chapter *2* A Romantic Event

Woody's toy heart beat so loudly that he was surprised that it didn't wake Andy up. The tiny boy was sleeping soundlessly regardless of the fact that his cloth cowboy was wide awake next to him. Guilt had overcome the cloth doll and mind was beginning to play out all the things that he could have done to save Bo instead of standing in front of her.
He could have moved Bo Peep out of the way. He should have told his galwhat he had wanted her to know in Molly's room. His shy nature had messed everything up once again. Oh, to live everything over! Woody's temples hurt and he placed a large plastic hand on them to help keep his thoughts straight.
Jessie, Buzz, and even Bullseye had tried to comfort the sheriff with guilty apologies, worried glances, and even a few licks on the cheek(The latter coming from his horse) But nothing seemed to help his agony and worry.
Suddenly Woody, overcome with an instant panic to see Bo Peep, bolted up in bed. It didn't matter who he woke up now. He wanted to see her. To hold her. To be with her as she sat in her box. He couldn't stand the mental pictures his mind was giving him.
The cloth cowboy zoomed down the stairs as fast as his stuffed legs would carry him. Where was she? In his mind, he feared that Mrs. Davis had already placed the shepherdess into the mini-van, all ready for the trip to the doll shop the next morning. *Oh well, that won't matter,*Woody thought truthfully. *I'll go get the keys and unlock the door myself if I have too. I have GOT to see her.*
But to the Sheriff's relief, Bo was not in the van. The small white box that Andy's Mother had placed the broken doll into was sitting on the kitchen table. It was closed and the room was dark with night.
Woody warily approached the dinner table, his senses all on high alert. A storm had begun to brew up outside and the gentle pitter-pattering of raindrops on the roof over head could be heard. With a gentle sigh, Sheriff Woody had scrambled up and onto one of kitchen chairs. Then he slowly pulled himself up and onto the table.
Woody didn't know why he felt compelled to be cautious on his visit to Bo but even as he was approaching the little white box, he was doing it on the tippy-toes of his boots.
Suddenly a streak of lightning shook the household and made the sheriff jump almost 8 inches into the air. Darn it! Why was he so jumpy? His breathing suddenly difficult, Woody placed his hands on the edge of the lid and slowly raised it.
A small figure was wrapped tightly in tissue paper and seemed to be shaking sharply.
"B-Bo?" said Woody softly as he peeked into the cardboard box, "Its me...Woody. Can...Can you hear me?"
The figure in the box didn't move at all, but a small voice whispered quietly, "yes."
Woody visibly flinched. She didn't sound like herself. Not at all. "Bo, can you sit up?"
"I don't want to sit up," came the reply but in a voice that was cracked and sorrowful.
The sheriff lifted one leg high into the air and stepped over the edge of the cardboard. Then the next leg. He watched carefully for any broken limbs that might have been on the flooring of the box as he gently sat down beside Bo Peep.
"Come on Bo," whispered Woody, "I want to see you. Please. How....how bad is it?"
"I'm ugly. Worthless and ugly."
The cloth cowboy's big brown eyes widened slightly, "No you are not!" he said amazed, "Why, Bo no matter how bad your broken, I'll always think your the most beautiful porcelain doll that I've ever met. Because you are. And I've always thought it. You can even ask Buzz! Buzz knows! ...Please....let me see."
From the figure beside Woody, a small girlish sniffle escaped weakly.
Determined to cheer Bo up, the rag doll stood up in the box and placed his hands on his tiny hips, "All right Bo," he said in a rather irritated voice, "You've given me no choice. You've pushed me way too far. I wouldn't do this to cheer just anybody up but I'm gonna make you feel better whether you want me to or not!" He took off his hat and held it against his chest.
The cloth cowboy then smiled and in a voice not fit at all for singing and a little off-key, began to softly swoon.
"Why do birds suddenly appear....overtime...you are near? Just like me, they long to be, close to you. Why do stars twinkle in the sky...everytime....you walk by? Just like me, they long to be, close to you."
The figure in the tissue paper stopped sniffling.
Smiling gratefully, Woody continued, "On the day that you born, the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true. So they sprinkled moondust in your hair and golden sunlight in your eyes so blue......thats why, all the guys in town..follow you...all around. Just like me, they long to be, close to you."
Bo Peep slowly sat up in the box and carefully removed the tissue paper away from her face. Her eyes were downcast sadly.
He hadn't meant to do it. It had just come out. Woody gasped.
A large crack, starting from the lower half Bo Peep's back went all the way up around her bosom and stretched up until it stopped right under her left eye.
Woody closed his eyes tightly to hold back his feelings and said weakly,"Bo, thats not so bad. Not bad at all." The cloth doll's brown eyes slowly opened again and he noticed that Bo was also missing her right arm.
The shepherdess whispered softly, "I have a crack in my knee too."
Falling to his skinny knees to embrace Bo Peep, Woody lovingly pressed her head against his shoulder. He had never seen her so depressed and sad before. Usually it was HE who had to be consoled to such a degree. HE was the one who over-reacted and lost all hope. Not his girl. Woody didn't feel prepared at all for this. But he understood. To a porcelain doll, breaking was the end of everything. No, Sheriff Woody wasn't going to let his shepherdess feel lost. He held her all the more tight.I'm am so sorry, honey," he whispered, not even noticing what he had called the porcelain doll, "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have taken you out of Molly's room," Woody's big brown eyes filled with tears. "Look at you.....oh Bo."
"Its not you fault, sweety," sighed Bo Peep, "Don't blame yourself." Her voice was cracked, sounding as if she were about to cry.
"Mom said that your going to be okay. Your going to the shop in the morning. She said so!"
The shepherdess, who seemed not to be herself at all, sigh unhappily,"She tells him that every time a toy breaks." The doll rolled over sadly, "Just leave me alone."
Woody's mouth dropped. He had never seen Bo Peep like that before. She was a completely different person. The sheriff knew that deep down, the porcelain doll's exterior wasn't the only thing broken. He tightened his hold on the Bo, "I wouldn't let that happen. I love you too much."
Bo turned over and faced Woody, a shocked expression on her cracked face, "You what?"
Woody smiled and kissed Bo's forehead gently. He had said it. "I love you."
"Oh Woody," the porcelain doll's face softened tremendously and tenderness filled her eyes,"I love you too."
The cloth cowboy, beaming, leaned over the shepherdess and kissed her as hard as he could.
When he reluctantly pulled away, the rag doll was out of breath. "Hey, I have an idea," he smiled, "Why don't I come and visit you at the repair shop?"
Bo's pretty mouth dropped open, "Oh Woody, I..I don't know."
"Oh come on, it'll be fine. Just to show you that there isn't anything to be scared of." Woody seemed to have changed too. Usually he wouldn't dream of doing anything so outragous, but as we all know, love blinds you. He only saw Bo Peep for the moment and not the danger.
The shepherdess yawned and settled herself in the box against a tuft of tissue paper, "I'm not scared honey. Not when I know I'm loved." She closed her eyes and soon, silent breathy snores were coming from her mouth.
Woody watched as the doll slept. Well, what do ya know? She loved him. He loved her. It was as if a big bright light had entered into Woody's toy heart. Who knew that he could feel this way? The cloth rag doll smiled, yes he would come to visit her. Buzz and Jessie would come with him. He would make them. After all, Woody thought frowning, it was their fault that his love was broken anyway. Tomorrow, they would head out tomorrow.