Chapter 12 – Sweet Spaceman

"I have to go. I'm sure Woody will be wondering what's happened to me." Buzz murmured into Jessie's hair.

It was early afternoon after their little tour around Lizzie's house, and Buzz had decided – against his own better judgement – to leave Jessie's side at last to go and fetch Woody and Bullseye. They were saying goodbye on the windowsill of Lizzie's room. She was minding her own business, and had told the other toys to do the same. She seemed to realise the nature of their intimacy and gave the privacy she would have given anyone else in their position, human or otherwise.

"Right now?" Jessie asked sadly. Her head was lying on his shoulder, her arms around his neck.

"You know I'll be back for you." Buzz whispered. "I said to Woody I needed to see you, to make sure you were okay. But I have to get Woody and Bullseye out of Amanda's and bring him here so we can all be together."

Jessie nodded, pulling back. "I understand." She dropped her gaze, and Buzz lifted her chin with a finger.

"Don't be sad. I'll be back before you know it."

"I know you will." Jessie suddenly threw her arms back around him. "I miss you already. But…." She pulled back a second time and eyed Buzz. "Wont Amanda be a bit mystified if she sees you all clean?"

Buzz glanced down. His whole body glistened where Lizzie had cleaned him the night before. "Heh. I guess she will. I don't think Lizzie realised I would be leaving again."

There was a movement from behind them as Lizzie shifted to look over her shoulder. "Did I hear my name?"

"Oh!" Jessie whipped around to look at the young woman. "We were just saying….Buzz is all clean; he was dirty before and he has to go back to Amanda's now….."

"Ah. I see." Lizzie agreed, following Jessie's train of thought even though she hadn't been listening in. "She'll be suspicious, you think? Well, Buzz, use some of the soil from the flowerbed outside if you like. It hasn't rained in a while so it should be quite dry. It'll be darker, but it'll give the effect of dust."

Buzz nodded, giving Lizzie a little salute of thanks, which she returned with a grin before going back to what she was doing. He turned back to Jessie.

"So. "I…uh…should go." Buzz looked awkward as he took both of her hands in his. They gazed at each other for another long moment before Jessie leaned in. Her kiss dropped onto his cheek as she whispered in his ear.

"Bye, my sweet spaceman."

"There you are!" Woody exclaimed as Buzz hopped in the window later that afternoon. "What on earth were you up to?" He grimaced, seeing the dirt all over Buzz. He looked ten times worse than when he left. "And what is that all over you?"

"Oh, it's soil from the garden." Buzz brushed himself off a little and sneezed.

"Like a little camouflage is going to help anything." Woody snorted derisively and glanced about behind Buzz, then walked to the open window and peered out. He turned back to look at the spaceman.

"Where's Jessie? I thought you were going to get her out of that house before Lizzie got hold of her."

"No…Woody, I've come back to get you." Buzz said brightly. "I saw Jessie, Woody. I spoke to her, and I held her, and she's fine. Lizzie took…"

"Lizzie? You saw Lizzie?!" Woody asked, "Lizzie took Jessie out of that house?" 'It would explain why Buzz was gone so long,' he thought.

"No…Woody." Buzz sighed and rubbed a hand over his cheek to wipe some of the dirt from it. "Lizzie is that girl we saw, the one who was cleaning and fixing Jessie up. Lizzie's the one taking care of her."

"But….she's so…" Woody began, thinking of the older girl they had seen. "She must be close to mid twenties."

"Yes, but she's nice." Buzz commented. Woody raised a brow.

"Buzz Lightyear. What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing." Buzz stumbled. "I just…she might have caught me and Jessie talking, that's all…."

"What?!" Woody hollered, and then stopped. Both of them tensed, waiting for an indication that they might have been heard by Amanda or anyone else in the vicinity of the house.

Nothing stirred. Woody looked back at Buzz. "You mean to tell me you and Jessie got caught outside of toy mode?"

Buzz nodded. "Y…yeah…"

"Are you crazy? You know we're not supposed to break that law."

"Why not? You did, once." Buzz frowned, and Woody recounted the run in with Sid.

"That was an extreme circumstance. You, on the other hand….oh, why do I even bother?!" Woody muttered loudly enough for Buzz to hear.

"Well, she caught us. And she was fine with it, unlike Sid!"

"That's not the point. You know our non-toy selves aren't supposed to be shown."

"But she's seen other toys come to life." Buzz argued.

"I don't car-wait…what?" Woody was flabbergasted, even if it was only for two seconds.

"She told us that the ones in her Dad's antique shop come to life, and the ones in her room do to, whether or not she's even there." Buzz explained.

"And she's….fine with it?" Woody furrowed his brow. He'd never heard of such a thing.

"She seems to be really well adjusted to it." Buzz agreed.

Woody pushed his hat back and folded his arms sternly. "That is not the point, Buzz, and you know it. You've left Jessie alone with that girl? How do you know she's not going to sell her while you're gone?"

"She w-w-wouldn't." Buzz faltered, although he remembered Lizzie with the big book on her lap the night before, looking up the Woody's Roundup Gang before declaring them rare and sought after.

"I only hope you're right, Buzz. Because if you've put Jessie in danger…" Woody began, just as footsteps in the hallway started up.

"Quick!" Woody hissed. "Back up on the shelf!"

Lizzie swung around on the bed and looked over at the windowsill. Jessie stood there, her hand on the pane as she pressed her face up to the glass.

"Jessie?" Lizzie asked. The poor doll looked so sad, she thought to herself.

"Yeah?"

"I was going to go and get some ice cream. Since Mom's out….maybe you want to join me? And perhaps we can watch a movie, too?"

Jessie turned, a pretty smile gracing her features. "I'd like that." She glanced over her shoulder at the open window. "But only for a couple of hours. Buzz will be back soon."

Meanwhile at Amanda's, the three toys had managed to scramble into place in time, just as the bedroom door opened and Amanda hurried in. She hopped up on the bed and reached for the three toys on the shelf, setting them on the bed before sitting down besides them.

She mused for a moment, readjusting Woody's hat, standing Bullseye upright on all four hooves, and then touching Buzz's laser button briefly. As it fired the red beam, she smiled to herself before picking Woody up in one hand and Bullseye in the other.

"You'll do just fine, "Amanda commented, with a glance at Buzz. She got back up on the bed, replacing Woody and Bullseye on the shelf. She hopped down, grabbed hold of Buzz, and walked from the room.

Woody came out of toy mode as Amanda disappeared with his friend. Where was she taking Buzz?

He didn't have to wonder for long. Half an hour later, from the window, he saw Amanda go out to her car and climb into the driver's side. On the passenger seat she laid a bright navy blue box, with a large yellow ribbon around it. Woody pressed his hand to the window. There was only one thing that could be in there.

Buzz.