After an eventful evening, the attendants slept considerably well the next morning. Especially Jessie.
"Jessie," Woody called out, standing in her bedroom's doorway. The slumbering female only let out a small grunt and tussled in the linen sheets that wrapped around her body. "Jessie," he repeated.
"Mfff…what?" she replied, flipping onto her stomach and burying her face into the pillow.
"Get dressed. We've got things to do." She turned her head so that her cheek rested on the pillow.
"Why do you gotta wake me up so early in the mornin' for things that can wait. What do you want me to do anyway?"
"Well, if you're gonna complain, I'll just have to leave you here and Buzz can come with me to town." Woody's edges of his mouth turned upward as realization showed on her face.
"Woody?" she asked, pushing herself to a sitting position, "I'm gonna go to the town with y'all? You mean it?"
"You heard me," he stated, calling over his shoulder as he walked out the room. Jessie beamed as she clawed her way through her clothes in the closet.
"So, is she joining us?" Buzz questioned Woody when he entered the room. The cowboy decided that his tone was too eager.
"Yeah, she's joining us," Woody announced, rubbing the back of his neck. He walked up to the heir until they were eye-to-eye. "Listen," Woody started, his voice low, "If you try to pull anything with my sister, you're gonna be sorry. She's already had enough pain in her life. I don't want some rich, twenty-something year old breaking her heart and hurting her in anyway." Buzz was taken back by Woody's harsh approach.
"I-I won't. I would want to hurt your sister at all. She doesn't deserve it."
"Damn right she doesn't."
…...
"There it is," Buzz mumbled to himself as he rode Buttercup, following the Prides, "There's the town."
"So as soon as we enter the streets, Mr. Lightyear," clarified Woody, "You're gonna take us straight to the mayor's office."
"I would think you have to notify him first," spat out Buzz nervously.
"We're changing up the rules, son," Woody concluded with a smirk. Riding into the town, the three visitors gained a collective stare from its citizens. Jessie made levity of the situation and joked that they were staring as it they were riding a horse-less carriage. Jessie and Woody, both who were on Bullseye, paused and waited for Buzz to direct them.
Finally reaching the mayor's building, the three of them got of the horses that they sat on.
"Jessie, I want you to stay at the side of the building," instructed Woody, "You need to keep an eye out." Jessie's bottom lip stuck out as she pouted.
"But Woody!" she complained, "I want to-"
"Shh!" he cut off, bringing his finger to his lip.
"Woody-"
"Shh!"
"Can't you just-"
"Shh!"
"Alright Baron Von Shush!" Jessie gave up, flinging her arms into the air and crossed them, "I'll wait out here."
Woody flashed her a pleased smile. "Wish me luck," he joked, pulling her hat down to cover her face.
"Just go!" she demanded while watching Woody and Buzz entering into the building. She crossed her arms and huffed. "What're you lookin' at?" she impatiently asked after a bystander walked passed her and gave her a look of bewilderment.
The two men quietly steeped down the hallways and pulled their bodies closer into the area where they hear talking.
"Look, I'm sorry Mr. Lightyear," comforted an elderly voice, "But we haven't gotten any reports of finding your son. We pinned some posters throughout town and we are in the process of printing more. My officers and I are desperately trying to find him."
"They are talking about me," Buzz whispered as both him and Woody peeked from the corner. "C'mon." Strolling in, they caused Zurg Lightyear to drop the posters in his hands from shock and immediately ran over to hug his son.
"You're still alive…" he breathed, tears rolling down his face, "I didn't know what happened to you…" Buzz rubbed his back in a consoling manner.
"I'm here now," Buzz finally pronounced, pulling away, And I need to ask Mayor Pete questions that have concerned me since I was gone." The young man walked up to Pete's desk and motioned Woody to stand by his side.
"Who is this?" Pete questioned Buzz, squinting his eyes in hopes of recognizing the seemingly familiar face that stood before him.
"I have been informed that you use to hold an alliance with a couple known as the Davises after they found gold in the forty-niner days," Buzz stated, ignoring Pete's question.
"Well, yes," he answered, "Yes I did."
"I have also been informed that their gold mysteriously disappeared the day you left their residence permanently."
"I don't know where you heard such propaganda," Pete argued, stiffening his posture slightly in his chair.
"This is not propaganda. You stole money from your business partners. You shunned a young mother and her family. You ruined the lives of their grandchildren."
"I did not ruin their lives. They ruined their own lives!"
"You had their mother arrested and live the life of a runaway family."
"They stole from my town!" Pete declared, slamming his fists down on his desk.
"You stole from them!" Buzz shot back. "Is this why you want to name us as business partners? You want to pull your stunt again with my father's company?"
"And who is this?" Pete asked, pointing to Woody.
"The name's Woody Pride," the cowboy finally spoke.
"Buzz," called out Zurg, remembering the name, "What are you doing with him?" He gave his son a look with a mixture of confusion and concern.
"Father I spent the night with the Prides and they have opened my eyes to this situation. This man cannot be trusted."
"Why do you think Woody Pride is an honest man?" interjected Pete.
"Why did you spend the night at their house?" inquired Zurg. Buzz looked at Woody and back to the questioning men.
"I…forced him to," Woody admitted, his eyes looking down. It was the first time that Buzz saw Woody physically being anxious.
"Forced?" responded Zurg, "H-how?"
"I am here safe and sound," Buzz reminded him, holding and caressing his father's hand in easement.
"I want this man arrested," Pete sneered, glaring at Woody, "Now! I want him out of my office and in jail!" Suddenly, two policemen came running down the hallways and violently grabbed Woody's wrists, resulting them to be trapped in handcuffs. Woody struggled to writher from their grasps as Buzz pleaded to let him free. The other policeman tightly clasped his hand on the back of Woody's neck and slammed the side of his cheek on Pete's desk. The angered mayor placed his bearded chin on his desk and glowered at the fraught cowboy.
"Where's the girl?" the prospector grilled, narrowing his eyes in disgust.
Oh no, Jessie thought Buzz nervously. Hastily, he ran out to warn her.
"Get him!" commanded Pete to one of the policemen, "Treason! Treason!"
"Git yer han's off-uh me!" yelled Woody as one of the officers pushed his hand even harder on his face.
"Not until you tell me where your sister is," Pete informed through his clenched teeth. Woody stayed silence. "Won't talk?" asked the mayor, crossing his arms, "Fine. Take him away." Watching the officer aggressively haul Woody away, Pete rapidly opened his drawers and rummaged through them noisily.
"Mr Lightyear," he exclaimed to Zurg, holding the papers that were signed a day ago, "As of now, your son has ruined your opportunity of being business partners." Using all his strength, Zurg sauntered over and snatched the papers from his hands and ripped them.
"Good. Seeing the man that you are, it doesn't bother me one bit," finished the industrialists, throwing the shreds up in the air and storming off.
"Where are you going?" yelled Pete.
"To my company building!" Pete watched the elderly man storm off down the hallway. The down was wide open from Buzz opening it to escape, Zurg's silhouette grew smaller and smaller with distance. Pete's mouth twitched.
"Not if I can help it…."