Woody hadn't been able to sleep. Mostly because the couch was so damn uncomfortable. It wasn't getting any softer, and it had been over three weeks now he'd been sleeping there. It really needed a good restuffing, Woody thought as he sat up, morning sun pouring through the window and rousing him. He always woke with a heavy heart these days, ever since that day the eviction notice had been posted.

Bo had kicked him out of the bedroom that night after Buzz and Jessie had left for their respective homes. Of course it didn't take long for them to notice, Woody was sure, but as his employees they gracefully avoided the subject and never mentioned the pillows and linen strewn in the main room.

In any case, Bo was still furious at him. She really knew how to bear a grudge, Woody thought. She hated that he had omitted the truth from her, and her words to him from that night still haunted him every waking moment. He could still hear her voice in his head, mocking him – "Mr Hayward wouldn't be proud of you."

It was early morning now though, and the icy spell from the past few autumn months had been and gone. Woody stirred, his joints aching as he dressed, throwing on his jeans and a brown sweater Bo had tossed at him the previous evening.

Yawning, Woody wandered into the kitchen, just as the front door of the farmhouse flew open. Spinning on his heel, Woody saw it was Jessie standing just inside it. He shouldn't have been shocked really – for the past three weeks she had run into the house for the same reason every morning.

The same question spilled off her lips. "Any news?" She asked breathlessly.

"For the twenty second time, Jessie….there is no news on raising enough money to pay all outstanding debts and bills." Woody replied curtly, turning to walk into the kitchen.

"I don't know why you're getting sore with me! It's your fault I'm going to lose my job in just over five months. When I do, and you and Bo are on the street, you'll go asking me for you cottage back," Jessie cried out, following him into the kitchen. She hated to lose her rag in front of her boss, but her little cottage was her pride and joy, and had been ever since Woody had kindly let her have it after he and Bo moved in together the year previous.

"Relax." Woody's tone softened but remained firm. "We'll figure something out."

"Oh really? And how are you coming to that conclusion? You owe me and Buzz three months wages, you spent all that money on a new barn, refurbished the old one and the stables, hired men to help with the work –"

"I paid those men in full," Woody argued back.

Jessie paused. "Okay, that one you can have as a success. But you have to admit the outgoing have been more than the incomings for a while now."

Woody sighed. Damn Jessie. For some reason she could get to him worse than Bo. "I admit things don't look good," he started.

"Pssht." Jessie made a low noise of contempt under her breath. "You don't say."

Woody turned away from her, trying to control his anger. Behind them the front door banged open and hurried footsteps started towards them. Looking over his shoulder, Woody now laid his eyes on Buzz. To his abject horror, Buzz was waving another flyer at them.

"Not more notices from the creditors." Woody groaned, not noticing the smile on Buzz's face.

"No!" Buzz sounded excited, Woody now realised. "I found it. I found how we can get the money!"

"Isn't this a bit like a get-rich-quick scheme or something?" Jessie asked, giving the flyer another glance.

"It sure looks like one," Woody commented between sips of coffee.

The three of them were discussing what Buzz had found round the big table in the farmhouse kitchen. It felt strange to Woody to be sitting there, worrying about money in the same place that he had enjoyed a lavish dinner at, less than twelve hours earlier.

"Its not, don't you see?" Is not just a sideshow, it's a whole proper event." Buzz jabbed at the bottom of the flyer. "Proper prizes too. Look."

"I know but that amount wont even cover three quarters of what we need," Woody fretted aloud.

"But its three quarters," Buzz said loudly.

"What's three quarters?"

The three of them looked round, unaware they had been talking so loud that Bo had walked in and heard them.

"Shouldn't you be out in the fields, or did they take the land while I was sleeping?" Her tone was bitter and clipped, and she refused to even glance at Woody.

"Buzz had some harebrained scheme to get the farm back on its feet." Jessie slouched in her chair, waving the flyer just off the table.

"I say go for it. Can't be any worse than anything Woody might have planned." Bo's scathing remark hung the air as she walked in the kitchen.

Woody's mouth formed a line and he stated straight ahead for a moment. "Do it." He finally muttered, seizing his cup and pushing back his chair. "Just do it, anything to get her in a better mood with me. Whatever it takes, Buzz, just get us into the contest."

He started towards the kitchen as Buzz stared after him. When he looked back around, he found Jessie looking directly at him. He swallowed and glanced down at the flyer for a moment.

"It's nice to have the support from both of them," Buzz commented, smoothing out the now crumpled flyer, "But it's not really them I need to agree."

"Well it is their farm, Buzz," Jessie pointed out. Buzz shook his head.

"They're the ones in trouble sure, but its you I need to agree."

"Me? Why me?" Jessie raised a brow.

"Well in case you hadn't read it and realised, Jessie," Buzz flipped the flyer up and around to show her again. "It is a equestrian show jumping contest, after all."