Comfort Item

Summary: "With Bonnie, Dolly had explained hours after Andy had given him and the others to her, a comfort item was a little different."In a universe where Bonnie is autistic, September is Woody's turn to be her comfort item. Kindergarten unfortunately makes that harder that what it should.

Author note: Toy Story was my childhood and the fourth one made me cry. However with headcanons of Bonnie being autistic around tumblr, I thought why not change things up a bit.

Chapter One

Woody knew what a comfort item was. A cuddly toy to calm a young Andy as he journeyed to a doctors appointment for the first time or a soft, chewed on, spit on pink baby blanket to calm a toddler Molly before she would make a scene in public that would embarrass Mom more than Andy.

But Andy and Molly outgrew their comfort items as they aged which was considered normal and to some toys something that would've happened eventually.

With Bonnie it was different.

With Bonnie, Dolly had explained hours after Andy had given him and the others to her, a comfort item was a little different.

Even if you weren't Bonnie's comfort item of the month, you were still played with or she needed you for nap time or bedtime.

Woody was both for to Bonnie, he was her cowboy. It was better than being in the closet with her teething ring, old dollhouse, and whatever else was gathering dust.

Though he didn't mind waiting to be her comfort item of the month. Bonnie had an interest in Buzz from June to July, which the other toys had to hide their snickers if the space toy came back sticky with popsicle juice.

In August Bonnie's interest had shifted to Jessie, being more careful with her than she had with Buzz.

Woody and the others knew why. Bonnie's mom had a talk with her daughter where, after a few minutes of processing the information which was often difficult for Bonnie, she understood that he, Jessie, and Bullseye were old toys. Toys of value that couldn't be ruined with juice or drawn on with washable markers which Bonnie took literally.

But that was to be expected. Bonnie's mind worked differently from Andy or Molly's. She was bright during playtime but around adults, her eye contact was poor.

Woody and the other toys considered that to be normal as August went on and ended with Bonnie preparing for kindergarten.

Kindergarten with other children with special needs. Bonnie's mom didn't want her uncomfortable as Jessie had heard her say while detailing Bonnie's time there to Bonnie's dad over the phone.

Now August was over and Woody knew the routine well.

You stayed still as Bonnie picked you. If she placed you down, that didn't mean she didn't love you. She still does. You were probably the previous toy of the month or she was waiting for a different month for you to be her comfort item.

If you were picked up and Bonnie hugged you, you were gently played with, taken everywhere except for bath time, and calmed her down while she was in a meltdown which all the toys dreaded.

Or at least the toys that weren't around during one of Molly's temper tantrums that were like meltdowns only Molly wasn't triggered by bright lights or mad for no reason.

It didn't matter how much they were played with, what mattered was being there for Bonnie when she needed them.

And Woody knew that as Bonnie picked him up from the toy chest, she had a habit of organizing her toys by genre so naturally he was with Jessie and Bullseye, and hugged him.

If the cowboy could move his lips, he'd be smiling bigger than ever.

"You're my favorite deputy!"

Bonnie liked that line as she pulled Woody's pull string very carefully.

Kindergarten was making her nervous. She had already met Miss Emily while she was with Mommy for meet the teacher day and while she was nice, it was the other kids that made her jumpy.

So Bonnie needed a friend. Woody she thought was perfect for being her friend. Even if Mommy and Daddy tried their hardest to have her make a human friend.

Bonnie didn't like that, holding Woody in one arm and twirling her necklace with the other. Twirling, rocking, and hand flaps calmed her down just like her toys did.

"There you are!" Mommy smiled, taking her hand. "You got everything?" She paused and laughed softly, seeing Woody in Bonnie's arms. "Well howdy sheriff! I reckon you'll help Bonnie around these parts won't ya?"

Bonnie giggled. Mommy was just so silly sometimes with her toys.

Her smile faded as Daddy kissed her forehead and she was placed in her car seat, watching her house until it faded to the road and trees.

Even though Mommy had put on her favorite music, Bonnie was fidgety at the thought of kindergarten, pulling Woody's pull string in the hopes of getting something comforting.

"Somebody's poisoned the waterhole!"

She hated that line.

Just replace waterhole with kindergarten and it was nothing but poison.

To Bonnie at least.