"Buzz?" Jessie knocked on the doorframe of the office they shared. The small room had passed from her Grandfather, to Woody, and now to her as the owner of Round Up Ranch. Buzz, being over as often as he want, had slowly migrated into the room as well, having to keep up with the numerous Star Command reports that accompanied his job.
It was one of these reports he was reading. "Hmmm?" He did not look up from the sheaf of paper in front of him.
"Can you come help me? I'm tryin' to get the mattress flipped, but I don't think I can manage it all by myself."
"Mmm-hmm," he nodded slightly.
"Thanks!" Jessie headed back upstairs to her bedroom. She shifted the sheets she had pulled from the bed so that they would not be in the way. A few minutes had passed and Buzz had not yet come up. She walked back down and found him exactly as she had left him. "Buzz?"
"Yeah?" his reply was absent.
"You comin' to help me or what?"
He nodded again, "Just a second." He flipped to a fresh page in the report.
She shrugged and went back upstairs. After several minutes spent in solitude, she once again sought Buzz in the office. He sat hunched over, studying the papers he had spread out over the desk. Oh, forget it, Jessie thought, I'll jus' do it myself. With a frustrated sigh, she returned to her bedroom and began to wrestle with the mattress. It was heavy and unwieldy and Jessie toppled to the side as she lost her grip.
Buzz's attention was arrested by the sound of glass smashing. He thundered up the stairs and into Jessie's room. He stopped just inside the door. The mattress was slumped against the wall and the shattered remains of the bedside lamp littered the floor. He looked at Jessie, "Are you all right? What happened?"
"I was tryin' to flip the mattress but lost my hold on it."
"Why didn't you ask me to help you? You could have hurt yourself!"
Jessie stared at Buzz, "I did ask you for help!"
His brow furrowed, "No, you didn't."
"Yes, I did. But you were too busy reading over those reports t' be bothered, so I just fended for myself."
"Jess, I think I'd remember you asking me for help. Why do you have to do everything the hard way?"
Her hands flew to her hips and her voice raised, "'Scuse me? I asked you, twice to help me. And you said 'just a sec'. But I guess your reports are too important. Guess I know my place," she made a face.
"Now wait just a minute; those reports are part of my job. I have a duty, a responsibility to Star Command-"
"Oh but not to me or to this place, is that it? I see. Well, don't let me keep you from your responsibilities, Captain." She scowled as she took the mattress in her hands.
"Here, let me help."
"I can do it myself," she spat out the words, not meeting his eye. "Just go'way; I'm sure your blasted reports are waiting for you."
Buzz threw his hands up in the air, "Fine!" He stomped down the stairs, but instead of going back to the office, he took a turn through the kitchen and strode outside; his concentration was broken by his anger and he knew it would be useless to try and get any more work done. He rounded the corner of the barn and stopped short; Woody was leaning up against the side, a long piece of straw extending from his mouth.
The sheriff's brown eyes were dark with brooding and he let out a humorless chuckle when he saw Buzz's face, "You, too, huh?"
"How did you-?"
Woody nodded his head towards the house, "Heard the shouts."
Buzz sighed, "So why are you out here?"
"There was an incident at work. We were responding to a bank robbery and there was a shoot out. I didn't get hit," he added quickly, seeing the look of concern on his friend's face, "I was positioned behind the door to the cruiser. It took the bullet instead. I didn't tell Bo, because I didn't want to worry her. She found out anyway."
"How?"
He made a face, "Mrs. Potanski, the old busy-body. I'm sure she meant well, but when she heard about it, she called Bo all in a panic about whether I was all right. Bo gets real quiet when she's mad and let me tell ya, you could've heard a pin drop. She was down right irate with me for not telling her. But what was I supposed to tell her? Nothing happened, I didn't get hurt…why should I cause her undue stress over nothing! She doesn't need to be coddled, but honestly…and she won't tell me how I should handle it… at least she could throw me a bone!"
Buzz chuckled, "Nice choice of phrase, since we're both in the proverbial dog house."
"What'd you do to get there?"
He told Woody about the mattress and the lamp. "Jessie swears she asked me for help, but I honestly don't remember. And she accused me of not taking responsibility here, but part of the reason I work so hard at Star Command is because I do have responsibilities here, and to her. Then, when I tried to help, she yelled at me that she didn't need it." He sighed, "I do feel bad, if she did ask for help, that I didn't help her. I know she's been working so hard ever since she took over the place, and half the time she really needs help but she just won't ask for it; that stubborn streak of hers. I still think I was right…but so was she."
It was Woody's turn to chuckle, "I remember, at our wedding reception, Sarge came up and congratulated me. And he said 'Son, let me give you the most important piece of advice you can have as a married mad: even when you're not wrong…you are.' Guess this must be what he meant."
"Yeah, but how does that help me? I'm not married, yet," Buzz laughed.
"Please," Woody scoffed, "You and Jessie have been married for years; you just haven't made it legal."
Buzz smiled, "Well, I think I'll take his advice anyways. Better go try to make amends." As he started to walk away, Bo came around the corner. He waved to her, "I'm just leaving." He found Jessie in the bedroom; the mattress had been flipped, the bed remade, and the broken lamp cleaned up. She was sitting on the edge and looked up with a start as he walked in.
"Sure you got all of your reports read?" she asked; her tone was scornful, but to a far lesser degree than earlier.
Buzz held up his hands, "I come in peace, all right? Please, Jessie; we need to talk about it." He sat on the bed near her. "Look, you said you asked me for help, and I'm sorry if you did; I honestly don't remember it. But what you said, about not taking responsibility…I don't think that's fair. I know you don't need me to take care of you, but I want to do right by Star Command so that I can fulfill my duties here, to you and to the ranch."
She sighed and looked down at her lap, "I shouldn've said that. It ain't true, and I knew it. I was just so…so… frustrated, I could barely see straight."
"Well, I think I have a solution," he offered, "I will try and be better about not getting so engrossed in my work. But if I do, and you need me, come in and tap me on the shoulder to get my attention."
"An' if that doesn't work?" she smiled.
"I guess you'll just have to think of something else to try. I have a few suggestions," Buzz grinned.
Jessie raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah? Such as?"
The question went unanswered as Woody stuck his head through the door, "Is it safe?"
Both Jessie and Buzz laughed and she nodded, "Yeah. What's up?"
Woody and Bo entered the room, both visibly relaxed. "Bo thought we should get out of the house for a night; go grab some dinner and catch a movie at the drive-in. You guys in?"
With a look at Jessie, Buzz nodded, "Sounds great. We'll be down in a second." Once he and Jessie were alone in the room, he pulled her into a kiss.
"What was that for?"
"A suggestion."
"What… oh!" confusion was quickly replaced by understanding. "I like that one. Have any others?"
"Several," he smirked, "but nothing we have time to discuss now. Unless you want to drive separately."
Jessie laughed, swatting Buzz's arm lightly, "We're a little old to be 'necking' in the back seat, doncha think?"
"Maybe it wasn't 'necking' I had in mind," he pulled her to a standing position.
"Hey!" Woody's voice floated from the foyer, "You guys coming or what?"
"Be right down!" Jessie yelled. She quickly planted a kiss on Buzz's lips. "Come on, before we both end up in the dog house, you for the second time today."
"I might not mind it if you're my company," he winked and took her hand as they hurried downstairs.