Toy Story: A Friend In Need
A/N: Ok, so here's the first chapter ! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed me so far :) As always, I don't own Toy Story. Please continue to let me know what you think, and if I'm giving too much away too soon etc etc ... All suggestions are welcome ! Flames are not ;) Hope you enjoy the first chapter ... I'm very tired so please excuse any spelling / grammar mistakes haha, thanks :)
Chapter 1: Something Wrong
"Alright everyone – Rosie's coming up the drive!" Hamm cried down from the window ledge.
Woody turned to the rest of the toys, one hand firmly twisting his cowboy hat onto his head with an air of authority.
"You know what that means guys – positions! Now!"
Jessie jumped off Bullseye, flicking her long red braid over one shoulder to give him a mischievous wink before racing him to the bed, Buzz and Woody in hot pursuit. As Woody accepted a hand up from Buzz, he turned to face the other toys frantically running about the small room. Dolly was hastily helping Chuckles climb up the cabinet to return to their spots on the shelving above, while Rex, Trixie and the Potato Heads – Aliens in tow – were settling into the large pink basket commonly known as Rosie's substitute for an actual Toy Chest. Hamm hopped off the windowsill and slid down onto the wooden desk, trotting over to where Rosie had left him. Slinky deftly placed his paws against the bookshelf, allowing Bullseye to canter up the length of his body to perch on the top of the row of books, Slinky soon following suit. The peas quickly jumped back into their pod and zipped themselves up. Finally, Mr Pricklepants, Totoro and Buttercup hopped onto the girl's desk just as Larry crawled up the bed sheets to rest on Rosie's pillow.
Larry was a tiny toy lamb, not much bigger than the size of Rosie's hand. Although his worn body had darkened from a fresh cream to dirty grey and his wool had became hard and rough with age and use, Rosie loved him. And everyone was sure she always would – her mother and father had bought him for her before she was even born, and he had been with her since her birth. Before she'd moved to America with her father, before he married Angela, and before she realised the world was not such a nice place…
"Now listen up everyone," Woody called out to the rest of the toys in the room. The peas unzipped their pod slightly so they could hear – "We all know Rosie's been going through a tough time lately -"
Mr Potato Head rolled his eyes. "When has she ever not been going through a rough time?" He muttered to his wife, though not unkindly.
Woody shot him a glare, and he held up a hand in apology.
"So remember -" Woody continued – "Be there for her. It doesn't matter if she doesn't play with us again today – what matters is that we do whatever we can to help her. We may not know what is wrong, but -"
Suddenly muffled yells were heard from behind the door. Woody froze, and his head snapped round to see Jessie and Buzz exchange a look, then fall limp. He could faintly hear the sound of the peas zipping their pod back up. Throwing a quick glance back towards the door and seeing it creak open, he too collapsed against the pillows.
"I don't friggin' care, ok?"
A teenage girl flung open the door and slammed it shut behind her, hastily dumping her bag on the polished wood floor and locking her door. For a few moments longer, there was a pounding on the other side and a male voice shouting comments no one could quite understand through it, and the teenager stood facing the door, fists clenched, until it finally stopped. Relaxing her body and slowly uncurling her fists, she turned to her bed and sighed. All traces of the aggressiveness and anger she had openly displayed just moments before had vanished and instead, she seemed weary, exhausted almost…
Her skinny arms reached up for her long hair, and she tied the thin wavy strands up in a bun. She lay down on her bed, the vivid yellow and orange sheets clashing awkwardly with her red hair and pale skin.
"God, I wish he'd bloody leave me alone… Can't stop their arguing for one minute…" She cursed under her breath, and Woody somehow knew the only reason she wasn't screaming it through the door was because she was afraid of her father or step-mother actually hearing her. All the toys knew the consequences of Rosie's backchat, and it was not something they found particularly easy to watch…
Reaching behind her, her hand snagged Larry Lamb and plucked at his small arm. She brought him to her chest, bestowing a quick kiss upon his forehead, before stroking him once more and gently placing him next to her.
As her arm fell back to her side, her fingers brushed Jessie. She glanced over and picked her up, holding the toy cowgirl over her head and allowed her to hover above her face for a few moments. One delicate finger came up to trace the doll's features, and Woody could almost feel the joy and energy radiating from his partner at this unusual attention.
"I don't understand it," Rosie whispered softly, studying the cowgirl intently – "You have red hair and fair skin too, but I bet if you were real, no one would make fun of you…"
Turning the doll over and over in her hands, a frown formed across the girl's face.
"What's so different?" She muttered under her breath.
Woody felt a clenching in his chest, not unlike the ones he had experienced when Andy or Bonnie had been upset. How could she compare herself to anyone – or toy – else? She was lovely as she was, just like both of his previous owners… Risking a glance at Buzz, he saw that his best friend too had a look of concern across his features. Their eyes met, and Woody knew he was just as worried for Rosie as he was. For some time now they had noticed Rosie was growing more and more insecure about her appearance and her whole sense of being – once, he, Jessie and Buzz had even attempted to stage an intervention by trying to read her diary, but failed to even get the darned thing to open. Sure, Bonnie had gone through a stage where she questioned herself and her appearance – but it had only lasted a few weeks. Rosie had been so unhappy with herself for months now, and Woody couldn't help but feel that this was different, somehow. He often wondered if her behaviour had anything to do with her constantly warring parents or her father's violent attitude, but couldn't quite put his finger on the connection.
He was shaken abruptly from his thoughts by Rosie suddenly shifting to an upright position on the bed, now facing himself and Buzz.
"Maybe… maybe because you're so pretty," She murmured at the cowgirl. Realisation suddenly lit up her face, her blue eyes widening in sudden comprehension.
"Of course! How could I not have known before…" Standing and striding towards the mirror, Woody, Jessie and Buzz's eyes watched her go with nervous energy.
She stared at herself in the full length mirror, turning from side to side and studying herself from all angles, plucking at her hair, poking at her face and pinching at her body as she had done many times before. Nevertheless once again, there was something inside Woody telling him this wasn't like any other time. This was different, and not in a good way.
But Rosie was different to any kid he had ever belonged to before. Oh, sure – he had only belonged to two other kids, and of course each one was different. But Rosie still played with them from time to time, even though she was fourteen. And although she had grown up in America, her voice still retained that clipped English accent she had started out with all those years ago. Her father insisted she stayed true to her heritage, despite the fact she had never returned since the age of two. However, this was the one detail Woody actually preferred her father to enforce on her – although her accent had enveloped a slight twinge of American, her British persona still stood strong and proud – unique.
Rosie's hands settled on her waist, her fingers desperately trying to reach around her middle and touch each other in vain. Woody struggled not to frown – why would she be doing that?
"Alright, it's simple," She said quietly, tucking a stray strawberry strand that had come loose from her bun behind one ear – "Loose weight and wear more make-up. It won't take much… Just a little willpower and I'll… I'll be happy," She finished firmly, turning back towards the bed. Grabbing her bag, she whipped out a pen and a scrap of paper, and sat eagerly at her desk, scribbling something Woody could not see.
Woody felt confused and afraid for his owner – neither Andy nor Bonnie had ever seemed that obsessed with how they looked… and they had certainly never mentioned anything about changing themselves to be happy. What in the name of John Wayne could that girl be writing? He wondered – It certainly ain't homework!
"Rosie!" A female voice drifted up from downstairs – "Rosie, Amanda's on the phone for you!"
Hastily jotting down a couple more sentences, the teenager threw down her pen and flew out of the room.
Silence.
He waited a moment, and another, and another – before he could hear Rosie on the phone downstairs and was certain she would not return to her room for at least a few more minutes.
Slowly sitting up on the bed, Woody exchanged glances with Buzz and Jessie, his mind still reeling from what they had overheard.
"Something's wrong," Jessie spoke quietly, voicing Woody's thoughts.
His eyes drifted from Jessie right up to the desk holding Rosie's recent scribblings. He jumped down from the bed, watching from the corner of his eye as Buzz strode over to touch the cowgirl's shoulder, and began his ascent up the chair and onto the desk…