It's amazing what you can come up with on the spot. I don't know if the "psychological" bits of this story are overshadowing the main plot too much. They are very important when it comes to the characters, but I just want to know if I'm doing too much.

I personally want to thank all of the people who have reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story. Do not think your generosity goes unnoticed. I appreciate it very much. ^^ Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER/SPOILERS: See chapter 1

The Box

Panting, Buzz pressed himself as flat as possible against the brick wall behind him, the paths of the prison spotlights barely missing him and instead falling upon the enormous bushes clouding his location. Sighing in relief, he glanced around the perimeter. Guards combed most of the prison's grounds, either searching with–or what looked like–flashlights and trucks with bright headlights. The ranger pressed his lips together. He had underestimated this older branch of Star Command.

His mission, so far, proved to be quite difficult. The Caterpillar Room's hallway door remained unlocked from when the ranger first entered the main detainment room and captured the so-called prisoners. However, vehicles patrolled the hallways every few minutes. Luckily, the library was positioned just across the hall. Commander Lotso had given him instructions on where to find essential objects and tools to make his guarding process easier, which included a universal key which opened all the doors in the prison building. All he needed to do was ask The Bookworm.

The small caterpillar creature grumbled about the time and the disturbance of his beauty sleep when Buzz approached him, not caring much about why the space ranger wanted the key. That had been the easiest task. Getting out of the building, on the other hand, became the major obstacle. The only door he could exit from without causing a major conflict was the back door, right next to the Butterfly Room.

Buzz soon realized that, despite Commander Lotso's personal intentions, whether good or bad, the bear knew how to set up an advanced security system. The door to the Butterfly Room was open a crack and just beyond it, several toys slept, unconsciously awaiting an alarm or noise from the hallway. The ranger had glanced inside from a distance, noticing Commander Lotso sleeping on a recliner.

That's when he saw it. In his peripherals, Buzz detected a small, bright red light shining from the ceiling. A security camera. The ranger froze as he stared at it, looking closely for any sort of movement. Nothing happened, at least, not to his knowledge. He knew he was being watched, though. Buzz soon remembered the toys guarding the prison still considered him an authoritative figure. Thinking quickly, he carefully held up the key he clutched in his left hand and waved it at the camera. See, he had permission to leave…well, sort of.

Even after he ventured outside, Buzz decided to remain hidden in a few bushes beside the door. He hid the key under a large rock, knowing he would probably lose it as he continued his mission. After avoiding another spotlight, he moved along the line of bushes carefully until he spotted a silhouetted rectangle against the moonlight, The Box. He only had to figure out how to reach his destination without getting caught.

Cameras observed the outside areas as well, designated by their tiny red lights. Buzz took a moment to calculate their trajectories. Luckily, only one seemed to solely focus on The Box, the one above his head. After analyzing and determining the best routes to take, he began phase two of his mission, reach The Box undetected.

Buzz hustled toward the cinderblock walls surrounding the perimeter of the prison. Twice he had to avoid the spotlights and did so skillfully by ducking behind random objects. Once he dove into the hedges lining the edge of the walls, he quietly and vigilantly ran within them until he positioned himself directly behind The Box. The camera would not see him approach.

As he began to step out from the safety of the hedges, he hesitated. Suddenly, everything seemed wrong. Doubt began to eat away at his resolve and soon fear replaced it. If he proceeded with the mission, he would be betraying his commanding officer, betraying Star Command. He gawked at the thought, realizing all those years of service would go down the drain in a simple flush. Who exactly was he doing this for anyway? The prisoners? They could very well have lied about everything. Himself? He barely knew the cowgirl no longer…felt anything for her like Mrs. Potato Head claimed. Every one of Buzz's nerves screamed at him to end the stupid charade he had so foolishly jumped into. He backed away from the edge of the hedges and turned to head back toward the prison. Rage began to consume him as he heavily marched forward. He had had enough.

White-hot pain immediately erupted in his head. The ranger fell to his knees, pressing his hands against his temples and shutting his eyes tightly. Nothing he did eased the throbbing that racked his toy brain. In his heart, a battle ensued, Space Ranger versus toy. They fought each other in, what he presumed, was a familiar clash. Weakness spread throughout him and he shuddered inwardly, begging for the agony and the turmoil to stop. Just as he felt he would black out, his mind began to relay a slideshow of memories long forgotten.

He recognized all of them. Each prisoner…no…toy appeared to him as clear as a cloudless day. Names matched the faces, but that was all he could recall. Nevertheless, every vision slowly lessened the pain in his head and the confusion in his heart. Instinctively, he reached further into his memory, searching for a particular countenance and soon enough, all he saw was Jessie. Just like that, his aches ceased completely and his heart beat slowed. He could breathe easy again.

Reluctantly opening his eyes, Buzz found himself leaning against a wooden wall of The Box. He did not allow himself to think. Pressing his hands underneath a lip of the lid, he pushed with all his might until it opened several inches. Peering inside, he saw nothing but mounds of sand and darkness.

"Jessie?" He shouted in a whisper.

Nothing happened. He could not make out any noise or any movement. His stomach lurched uneasily.

"Jessie." Buzz tried again, calling just above a whisper.

At first, he thought he was imagining things, but after a moment or two, he caught sight of a silhouetted figure just beyond the beam of moonlight which shined into the sandbox.

"Come on, Jessie." He encouraged gently. "I'm going to get you out of here."

She sat still for a moment before gradually crawling into the light. He frowned heavily at the sight of her. All the color had drained from her face, the pasty white shade plaguing her features intensifying in the moonlight. Her emerald eyes were clouded and dull and her thin frame shook sporadically. Her expression remained somewhat distant as she looked up to him, but it quickly shifted toward disbelief.

Buzz bit his lip slightly. She did not trust him, probably convinced he would hurt her again. He felt utterly ashamed of himself, but the ranger knew he had to try to make amends. He would never forgive himself if he didn't. Hefting the lid onto one arm, he held his other out to her.

"I promise you," He tried to sound as sincere as possible, "I won't hurt you, not again. Please."

The cowgirl watched him warily for a moment before reaching out and taking his hand. Elated, he quickly grasped her hand tightly and began to pull her over the side. Jessie let him guide her, whether because she began trusting him again or because she just wanted to get out of The Box, he didn't know. Once she was clear of the lid, he carefully closed up the sandbox.

When Buzz turned to face Jessie, he noticed she had fallen to her knees. Worried, he kneeled by her side, cautiously placing a hand on her back. She trembled terribly, her fears still influencing her stability and state of mind. The space ranger could see she would not be able to hold her own just yet. They were pushing time, though; the night would not last forever.

"I-is it ok if I c-carry you?" He asked Jessie quietly. Whoa, since when did he have a stuttering problem?

She glanced at her surroundings, noticing the spotlights and the trucks continuously patrolling the playground. Turning to him, she eventually nodded her head. Buzz picked her up and cradled her bridal-style, making sure he had a strong hold on her before nimbly heading toward the hedges once again.

Jessie firmly wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. Buzz stiffened and a blush swiftly crept onto his cheeks. He never had a female figure so close to him before. It felt so bizarre. What unnerved him the most, however, was the fact that he enjoyed the closeness. Mrs. Potato Head's words replayed in his head.

'I always hoped your love for her would be absolute…'

Buzz glanced down to the cowgirl in his arms, relieved to see a bit of color returning to her face. He had to admit, her appearance did display a rare loveliness and she backed it up too with her fiery personality. He nearly jumped when the fluttering sensation in his stomach returned. Honestly, he had no idea what to do about the new emotion he felt. He had conquered fear, pain, and grief, but love was an untouched territory. He wanted to believe all he felt was admiration for Jessie, but he knew something else occupied his heart. That something began to scare him.

The two eventually managed to reach the bushes just outside the door Buzz used earlier. He carefully set the cowgirl onto her feet to grab the hidden key. As he prepared to open the door, he urged Jessie to come closer so he could whisper instructions to her.

"We're going to have to quickly run inside, toward the left, to avoid the security camera as much as possible." The space ranger explained. "We can get past the Butterfly Room easily, but we'll have to be quiet. Are you ready?"

"No."

Buzz stumbled mid-jump. Startled, he quickly twisted toward Jessie. She kept her eyes on the ground, her shoulders slumped, and her arms limp, but her face donned a steady, dismal frown. She hissed her first word of the night with a quiet anger, an emotion that happened to reveal itself then and there. Balling her plastic hands into fists, Jessie snapped her head up, her emerald irises flaring dangerously at the ranger.

"I won't ever be ready to go anywhere with you."