Crap. It's been about 5-6 months since I updated this! Apologies for the delay. Real life keeps getting in the way!

Chapter Nine – Worthless Alone

Both toys froze on the spot. There was an elongated silence in which they both stared at Lizzie, and she stared back at them.

"Now I know," Lizzie began, "That I don't own a Buzz Lightyear, let alone a very dusty, dirty one." She reached down and pressed the purple button on the side of Buzz's helmet. The helmet swished shut, and a cloud of dust emitted from Buzz's direction, making Jessie cough and take a step back.

Lizzie raised her eyebrows and sat back, surveying the two toys.

"Wait." Jessie looked up at her new owner with surprise. "You catch two toys in the middle of a conversation, when you know toys aren't supposed to move and talk independently - and the first thing you realise is that Buzz is dusty?"

Lizzie shrugged. "Not the first time I've had a conversation with a toy."

Buzz swished his helmet back open, another cloud of dust emitting from him again, and another cough or two emitting from his girlfriend beside him. "It's not?" He stared up at the young woman on the bed. She was much, much taller than him, but curled up under her blankets like that she looked surprisingly small. She had bright green eyes, just like Jessie's, and her almost raven hair tumbled around her shoulders.

"Not when you work in your old man's shop and see it most days, it isn't," Lizzie said matter of factly.

"Shop?" Jessie felt it safe to step back near to Buzz, tilting her head to one side.

"Sure. My old man, he works in antiques everyday. Got a few toys there, they come to life in the shop. First time I caught them was when Dad was working late one night – fixing some clock or whatever."

Jessie and Buzz regarded each other for a moment, then looked back at Lizzie.

"So….these antique toys," Jessie started.

"Oh, not necessarily antiques, all of them. Some are rare. Some I just like," Lizzie grinned. She gestured around her room at the various keepsakes and knick knacks littering every surface.

"So the toys in your room?"

"Some I keep. You wouldn't believe the rare stuff my Dad gets through the shop. He taught me how to fix and repair stuff."

Jessie fingered the brand new elastic holding her hat on. "You fixed me…" she started again.

"Sure I did. That yard sale. Hoo boy, you guys were in some state apparently, especially according to the state you were in, little miss."

Lizzie reached down and grasped Buzz firmly around the middle, lifting him up to her level. "Can't have you looking like that with your little friend here looking so well besides you." Lizzie commented as she grabbed a towel from her laundry basket and set Buzz down on it. "Word has it that Amanda has big plans for you, little guy."

"What do you mean, big plans?" Buzz asked, nervously, looking down at Jessie on the floor below them. The cowgirl doll had stepped closer to the bed, looking up with wistful eyes at them both.

"Didn't you know? You're all supposed to be gifts. You, the cowgirl, and whoever else she picked up at that sale." Lizzie said, retrieving a package of wipes and some cotton buds, along with a small bottle. She settled down next to Buzz on the bed.

She paused and then laughed, making quotation marks in the air with her fingers. "Well this is going to be unusual. I've never cleaned an "awake, living" toy before."

Buzz fidgeted, and stole another glance at Jessie. "Nothing to worry about," Lizzie said, not realising her words were having an adverse effect on both toys. "I'm just going to clean you up some." She took the corner of the towel, flipped Buzz's helmet shut again, and began her work.

oOoOo

Half an hour later, Buzz was sparkling clean. His helmet now no longer made a cloud of dust when it was opened and closed. His buttons had been wiped clean, including the crevices surrounding them. His breast plate was back to green and grey instead of a dirty brown. His joints had been oiled with a special gel and they moved like they should. The black part around his middle no longer harboured the grime and filth. Lizzie had even found a suitable replacement sticker to put inside the little flip compartment on his left arm, where Buzz himself had peeled off the original all those years ago in Sid's room.

He stood up and Jessie, who had long since climbed up onto the bed, threw herself on him in glee. "Buzz!" She squealed, as he caught her. "You look….I mean you smell amazing!" She laughed as he hugged her, and then released her to look down at himself.

"Not a bad job at all…" He started, and looked up at Lizzie's amused face. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Lizzie started to put her cleaning implements away and then turned back to the two toys, who by now were resuming their hug.

"Question."

"What's that?" Buzz asked, looking up at the girl who was so kind to him and his beloved Jessie.

"Is there something going on here I should know about." Lizzie grinned.

"How do you mean?" Buzz blushed.

"I mean…you two. I never saw such an unusual…friendship."

"Oh." Buzz blushed deeper and Lizzie laughed.

"That's a yes, then."

Buzz nodded, as Lizzie finished her tidying and slid back under the covers. She regarded them for a moment.

"So who else did Amanda buy at this yard sale?"

"Two of our friends. One of them was Jessie's brother." Buzz said softly and Jessie gasped, remembering.

"Woody."

"Woody?" Lizzie blinked for a moment. She sat up suddenly. "Wait. I knew I had seen you someplace." She looked Jessie over, then jumped out of the bed and ran across to her bookcase, rooting through and pulling out a book from the back. She carried it back over, a big, brown covered, heavy hardback, which she sat on her lap and opened it. Curious, Buzz and Jessie wandered over to stare over at Lizzie's lap.

Lizzie flipped several pages, searching for something, and then ran her finger down the page. "Here." She said, showing the page to the surprised toys, who read slowly what the paragraph said.

Woody's round up Dolls

1950's production. Rare. Set comprises Woody Sheriff, Jessie Cowgirl, Bullseye Steed, Pete Prospector. Woody and Jessie have pull strings with voice activated boxes. Value varied on condition. Single pieces worthless.

Jessie's eyes grew round as Buzz slipped an arm around her for comfort.

"You actually know the whereabouts of a Woody doll?" Lizzie said, softly. "I've never even seen one."

Jessie nodded slowly. She'd always needed Woody, to be part of a complete set, but to see it in black and white that she was worthless alone…..she looked up at Buzz.

"We have to go back for him."