Sorry it's taken me so long to wrap this story up! Blame a combination of writer's block and my busy life. I've known exactly where I wanted it to go, just lacked the motivation to put it into words. But thanks to a rainy day at home, and some inspiration from my recent Disney World trip and the upcoming TS Christmas special, I'm happy to finally finish it!
As always, I don't own Toy Story. Enjoy, and please leave a review! :)
Sundays were lazy days for Bonnie's toys. Every week they could count on Bonnie and her family going to church in the morning, then spending the afternoon at her grandmother's house on the other side of town. Knowing they were free to do as they pleased for the better part of the day, game tournaments and movie marathons had become a weekly tradition; so as soon as their owner had left, the toys scattered throughout the house at various pursuits. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head had claimed the living room television for some family time with their alien boys, with Mr. Pricklepants adding uninvited commentary. Slinky had roped Chuckles into checkers in the kitchen. And back in Bonnie's room, Rex and Trixie were busy at their usual gaming on the little girl's laptop; Totoro was playing with the three peas-in-a-pod; and Hamm and Buttercup had begun a heated match of Battleship.
Unfortunately, all this free time didn't bode well for Buzz and Jessie and their problems dealing with Zurg. Since every attempt to socialize with the menacing space toy had only met with disaster, the couple had decided it would be in their best interests to stay away from him completely on what they hoped was his final day there. Knowing his prior persistence, however, they feared it would be easier said than done. In an effort to fend Zurg off for as long a time as possible, Buzz and Jessie immediately snatched Woody and Dolly for a game of Monopoly, and the quartet worked together to hoist the game box and themselves up onto Bonnie's bed and out of the elder space toy's reach. Maybe, they thought, that would manage to keep the emperor at bay for a least a few hours.
Their plan worked. Four hours later, Jessie had amassed an empire, and their game had been successfully uninterrupted. The cowgirl grinned as she counted her cash and waited for the other players to take their turns. Woody, who was in last place as the game reached its conclusion, slumped as he sat facing his sister, his face contorted in aggravation. Buzz looked across the board and shared a smirk with Dolly, amused by the competitive siblings; then he rolled the dice and proceeded to make his next move.
On the floor below, the room was full of activity. By the closet, Rex and Trixie sat at Bonnie's computer; the two dinosaurs alternating between exclamations of frustration and intense silence as they focused on defeating a particularly challenging level of their video game. Near them, next to the bedroom door, Totoro stood juggling the peas, who giggled mirthfully as they bounced up and down in his plush hands. On the opposite side of the room, Hamm and Buttercup attempted to concentrate on their Battleship strategy, but were growing increasingly impatient as Zurg hovered over them, loudly giving away their locations.
"We did it! Haha! We actually did it!"
Shouts of joy resonated from the corner by the closet, as Rex and Trixie celebrated their video game victory. Caught up in the excitement of the moment, Rex spun around carelessly, completely oblivious of the other toys nearby. Without warning, the dinosaur's tail struck Totoro with force, throwing the plush off balance. Totoro lunged forward and was unable to gain control of the peas, who were still in mid-toss. Peanelope and Peatrice dropped to the floor, but Peatey was sent flying.
At the sound of a childlike scream, Jessie glanced up to see Peatey come hurtling high over the wicker basket at the foot of Bonnie's bed, landing in a painted mug on the top shelf of the adjacent built-in bookcase.
The cowgirl gasped. "Oh, no! Peatey!"
Jessie leapt into action. Looking for something that would work as a lasso, she found a skein of thick yarn in Bonnie's craft bin and pulled out enough length to reach the top shelf. Effortlessly she anchored it on a sturdy bookend near where the little plush pea was trapped, and after making sure it was secure, she scaled the rope rapidly. At the same time, Buzz pushed one of Bonnie's small chairs over to the shelf and jumped on top of it, standing ready should either of them fall or need assistance.
Once at the summit of the built-in shelving, she rushed to Peatey's aid. He was lodged tightly in the mug, but Jessie's slim hands freed him with ease, and she scooped him up in a comforting embrace. The little toy was crying and shaking, still fraught with fear.
"Shh, it's okay, lil' fella, Jessie's got ya." The cowgirl hugged the plush pea child and wiped the tears from his eyes. "You're safe now. But I hafta toss you down to Buzz, so I can get down too." Once again she saw panic fill the toy's eyes, and she kissed the top of his head. "Don't worry. He won't let ya fall, I promise."
On the chair below, Buzz extended his arms in preparation. Jessie called out the countdown.
"Ready? One, two, three—"
Peatey closed his eyes tightly, and in an instant the space ranger had caught him. Jessie untied her lasso from the bookend and dropped it to the floor, then cautiously lowered herself shelf by shelf. When she reached the bottom, she hurried over to her boyfriend and gently took the pea from his arms with a smile of thanks. Buzz set to work recoiling the used length of yarn and putting it away.
The cowgirl cradled the traumatized young toy in her arms, rocking gently back and forth. Soon, his sobs calmed to sniffles.
Buzz knelt down beside her and grinned warmly, his hand on the small of her back. "How are we doing over here? All better?" He kissed Jessie on the cheek, and patted Peatey on the head.
The toys who had gathered around the dramatic scene began to disperse and return to their previous activities. Zurg had kept his distance during the action; however, his eyes remained fixed on the familial tableau unfolding a short distance away.
'Athletic prowess, roping skills, and maternal instinct?' he thought. Perhaps he hadn't given the cowgirl a fair chance.
The emperor slowly made his way over to where Buzz and Jessie now sat together, playing with all three peas, a concerned Peanelope and Peatrice having come to check on their brother. The child had completely recovered from his ordeal, and he laughed as the couple rolled him and his sisters back and forth. However, when Buzz and Jessie felt Zurg's shadow hovering over them, they sent the little triplets on their way.
"You run along now," Buzz nudged them, firmly but kindly, not wanting the children to witness a likely confrontation.
Peatey hopped up in Jessie's lap. She lifted him, and he nuzzled her cheek affectionately.
"Thank you for rescuing me."
"Aww, anytime, squirt." The cowgirl wrapped him in a warm hug, then set him down and patted him on the back. "Now, scoot."
Once the peas had left the area, Buzz approached Zurg and spoke with formality. "Is there something we can help you with?"
"That was impressive, how you saved that… green sphere," Zurg complimented her.
"Thanks," Jessie replied flatly, still cut deeply by his harsh words the day before and unwilling to trust him.
"I mean it," the emperor continued, turning to Buzz. "Son, I believe I may have been too rash in my judgment of the cowgirl. I can see now why you are taken by her. She may be a worthy match after all."
The couple looked on in astonishment at what had been said, but had no chance to respond. Suddenly, the toys who had been in other locations throughout the house returned to Bonnie's room, with the announcement that the Andersons had just pulled up. Everyone scrambled to clean up their activities and fell inanimate as the family bustled through the front door.
There was much commotion as Mrs. Anderson and Bonnie made their first-day-of-school preparations for the kindergartener. From picking out the perfect outfit and accessories, to making sure that her bag was filled with all required supplies, everything was done to ensure that the morning would run as smoothly as possible. Once everything was finished in Bonnie's room, they headed for the kitchen to pack her lunch and eat a light supper to supplement the large meal they had eaten at her grandmother's. After a short while, mother and daughter entered the bedroom again, to the sounds of the little girl's complaints.
"But Moooom, I haven't played with my toys all day!"
"I know, sweetie, but you have to get a bath and go right to bed. You have your first day of school tomorrow! Don't forget to put the toy you borrowed in your bag, so we can take it back to Sunnyside."
Bonnie bathed and dressed in her pajamas, then walked around the room hugging her toys goodnight. When she came to Zurg she stashed him in her already-full bag, then grabbed Dolly, Buttercup, and Woody to tuck into bed with her. Following goodnight hugs and kisses from her parents, the little girl was tucked in and the room's lights were extinguished, the only illumination coming from the starry nightlight beside her bed. Before long, she was fast asleep.
Once they were certain the house was quiet and the coast was clear, Buzz and Jessie roused and crept towards the bedroom door, the living room their intended destination. As they passed Bonnie's backpack leaning against the wall, however, a slow zzzzzzip caught their attention.
Zurg's glowing face popped up above the arched top of the backpack. "Where do you two think you're going at this hour?"
"N-nowhere," Buzz rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he searched for a suitable excuse for his father.
"I'm sorry, what was I thinking?" Zurg apologized, and Buzz sighed in relief. "You're a grown man. Besides, how am I supposed to ever expect any grandbabies if you two don't get any time alone together?"
This time it was Jessie's turn for her jaw to drop in disbelief at what she was hearing.
"Uh… D-dad… we're toys. I think grandch-ch-children are highly unlikely."
"I have you, don't I?" The couple could have sworn that they saw one of the emperor's sinister red eyes wink mischievously, before he waved his hands to usher them away. "Now, never you mind, off with you two. Nighty night."
As Buzz and Jessie strolled down the hall to the living room, the cowgirl broke their silence.
"He ain't for real, is he? I mean... we can't... right?"
Buzz paused, pondering. "I don't think so… should we ask Woody, before we—"
"NO!" Jessie exclaimed, not wanting to involve her brother in such personal matters. "I guess we'll just hafta take our chances."
The following morning, Buzz awoke on the sofa to the beeping of the Andersons' alarm clock down the hall. He looked to the cowgirl sleeping soundly alongside him, her head nestled against his chest, and kissed her lovingly on the forehead. He then gently rubbed the arm that was draped across his middle, trying to rouse her.
"Jess, wake up, we have to get back to Bonnie's room," he whispered.
As they tiptoed back into the little girl's room, they heart a 'psst!' sounding from the backpack leaning against the wall.
"Buzzie!" Zurg called out in a loud whisper. "Did you have a nice night?" The suggestive tone of the Emperor's voice made Buzz cringe. "I wanted to say goodbye before I return to Sunnyside today. It's been great catching up with you, son." He extended his pointy hand, which Buzz cautiously shook. "And Jessie?" the paternal space toy turned to the wary cowgirl, "it's been an honor meeting you. I see how happy you make my Buzzie, and that's all that really matters. Welcome to the family." He held his hand out to her this time, as a peace offering, and her features softened as she grasped it and shook enthusiastically.
"Will you come back?" Buzz asked, a tinge of hopefulness in his voice.
The corners of Zurg's villainous mouth turned up ever so slightly at the unexpected invitation. "Do you want me to?"
Buzz returned the smile. "Sure, that would be nice." Jessie nodded in agreement.
Zurg slapped Buzz on the back with force, causing the space ranger to stumble. "Well, then, I'll be back to visit soon, son," he chuckled heartily. "And you better invite me to the wedding."