Chapter 13 – Here Soon

"He'll be here soon." Jessie thought eagerly.

It was two weeks since Buzz had left her side, and she had sat on the end of the bed in Lizzie's room everyday, waiting and watching the window. She curled her knees up into her chest and stared at the azure sky, with the soft clouds floating by on the breeze. It was a reasonable sort of day, and Jessie's eyes were bright with hope.

From the nightstand, a pair of eyes watched the cowgirl kindly, as they had done every morning and every evening since the space toy's departure.

"Jessie?"

"Firefly?" Jessie never took her eyes off the sill and the open window.

"What are you doing today?" The toy pony whinnied.

"Why do you ask?"

"I thought you might like to play. We could do something f-"

"Oh no, Firefly, not today." Jessie finally took her eyes off the window long enough to glance across. "I have to wait for Buzz, remember?"

"You know, the other toys say that's all you do."

"What's all I do?"

"You wait and watch for that action figure guy to come back."

Jessie huffed in an annoyed fashion. "He's a space ranger."

"Either way, you've been sitting there for days on end."

"So? He'll be here soon."

Firefly cast a sorrowful glance at the cowgirl, and then looked at Ted, who was sitting on the top of the wicker toy chest not too far away.

"It's been two weeks, Jessie." The bear intoned, and Jessie nodded.

"I know. Not much longer to wait."

The scent of the box stifled him. He was trapped, and had been for a long time; although he didn't know how long exactly. Owing to the dark colour of the box surrounding him, the dark pressed in on him more than it probably should have done, and he was constantly thankful for his glow in the dark ability. It was the only tool he possessed to keep him sane; there was nothing else to do but glow.

He longed to stretch his wings out, but he couldn't. He had tried to wrestle around, but it was impossible to roll anywhere, and if he dislodged the box he might fall, and onto what he didn't know. So he stayed put, on his back, and waited. Wondering where he had ended up.

Of course, it didn't go without saying that he didn't think of her. Every other minute she was there, invading his thought process.. Most of all, he remembered her words to him in the car, right back when they had first left the yard sale – he could only guess it had been many weeks ago now - and they haunted him.

"Sometimes you don't get that chance…"

He thanked his lucky stars that he and Jessie had gotten the chance to say goodbye.

Lizzie wandered upstairs to her room. She pulled back the covers before realising Jessie was not in her usual place at the end of the bed. That was strange - she had been every day and every evening now for as long as Lizzie cared to remember.

"Jessie?" She asked the room, looking around wildly for the doll. She cast a glance at the nightstand, where Firefly came to life and indicated in the direction of the window with the tip of her wing. Turning, Lizzie gave a wan smile. There, curled up in a ball against the windowpane, was the redheaded cowgirl.

"He's not here yet then?" Lizzie asked softly, pacing over to the window. Jessie looked up. Her eyes were red, and Lizzie realised with a start the doll had been crying. "Oh….goodness!" She whisked a tissue from the box on the dresser, and helped Jessie carefully dry her eyes. Jessie snuffled a little as Lizzie picked her up and cuddled her.

"Its been seven weeks, Lizzie!" Jessie sobbed miserably. "He could be anywhere, he could be hurt, or….broken...or worse…"

"There, there…" Lizzie soothed, placing Jessie on the bed and hopping up beside her. She drew the covers over them both and Jessie snuggled into the human girl for warmth. "I'm sure Buzz, being the superhero toy, will be, and is, absolutely fine."

"But why…why isn't he here?" Jessie sniffled. "He said he'd come back."

"And he will." Lizzie enthused. "He'll get here when you've all but given up, and surprise you, I bet."

"But he only went to fetch Woody." Jessie said, with a tremor in her voice.

"I only wish there was something I could do." Lizzie sighed. "But it would look a bit strange if I was to turn up at Amanda's and ask her to turn over the space toy and the cowboy doll to me."

"And my horse." Jessie added, remembering her precious Bullseye.

They lay in silence for a few moments before Lizzie asked a question that she had been wondering the answer to.

"How did you two meet?"

"Well…..my partner Woody, he kind of, rescued me." Jessie wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "We were going to go to a museum in Japan but….well, we decided to get out of there, when Buzz and some other toys came to look for him."

"We were owned by Andy, he was Buzz's first owner and mine was….P-P- I mean, E-E-Emily. But I became Andy's when Woody and Buzz rescued me and Bullseye, and we spent so many long happy years with him. Then we got donated to Bonnie who loved us all the same until she got older."

"You and Buzz stayed together all that time?"

"Yessirree…" Jessie whispered, fondly remembering. "He would never make a move on me before we got together, and I was a little shy." Before she could stop herself, Jessie had recounted the entire episode of her time with Buzz, beginning with the ten years she had been with Andy, the varying situations they found themselves in, their time at day-care, the horror of the incinerator, and finally Buzz's Spanish mode and subsequent time at Bonnie's, including their first kiss.

"And after Bonnie?" Lizzie asked with a faint smile on her lips at Jessie's openness.

"We went to a little girl called Amber," Jessie responded, softly.

"What was Amber like?" Lizzie shifted in the bed, watching the little doll talk with fascination.

"She was a wilful child – she was abused as a little 'un…but she kept us until she got older. I guess she just forgot about us, and we were neglected. She moved out to…Nebraska with her Mom. I was so excited about seeing the West; I didn't even think she'd abandon us. She cleared out her room, and put us out for that yard sale and Amanda picked us up…and here I am." Jessie explained, her thoughts running wild as she remembered.

"I see. So you used to dance with Buzz?" Lizzie couldn't hide her amusement at that particular early chapter of Jessie's story.

"Yeah. We did the Spanish Paso Doble..." Jessie giggled.

"He's a good dancer?"

"Yes." Jessie smiled at the memory of Buzz's arms around her when he'd twirled and dipped her.

"You know….I have a thought." Lizzie whispered sleepily. "You remember the film we watched last night? You could give him a surprise when he gets here."

"You mean…copy the moves from the dance? Lizzie…" Jessie yawned a little, "…I'm not as good as the lady in the movie."

"I don't know, Jessie," Lizzie responded, also with a yawn. "Anyone who can execute a Spanish dance can master what's going on in that. Why don't we try tomorrow…?"

"Mmm," Jessie mumbled, pulling the covers up to her chin. "I'd like that..."

"Okay…then..." Lizzie murmured, taking off Jessie's hat so the doll would be more comfortable. "Sleep well, Jessie."