CHAPTER 12 – The Garden on North Ave

It took several hours for Woody and Buttercup to reach the house where Mrs Windermere lived, even though Buttercup was more than happy for Woody to ride on his back for most, if not all of the way. The journey was mostly silent, except for when Woody spoke an instruction to the unicorn. They needed to draw as little attention to themselves as possible given that it was daylight when they left.

By the time they reached North Avenue, however, they were both exhausted. Woody jumped off of Buttercup's back prior to the house, and the little unicorn laid down in the shade of the bushes. Woody crouched in the undergrowth besides him, peeking through at the house...or what he could see of the house. The garden, unlike at Bonnie's house, was surrounded by a sturdy, slatted white fence, with a gate that clicked annoyingly due to a loose hinge.

Woody sat back trying to work out a plan for rescuing Buzz, but the journey had sapped his energy levels, and he was forced to lay back to rest himself.

He awoke with a start to Buttercup licking his face and whinnying softly, impatiently. Woody muttered, sitting up and retrieving his hat, which had become dislodged during his slumber. He gazed around trying to figure out where he was. The light had faded substantially and the streetlights nearby shone bright yellowy-orange light onto the ground.

"Bullseye," he muttered, as Buttercup licked him again.

"No." He drew back, "Buttercup," as if he needed reminding.

"Oh!" Woody suddenly came back to Earth. "Sorry. Did I fall asleep?" He picked himself off, not seeing Buttercup's reply nod.

"Ok, back to the matter in hand," the sheriff doll confirmed, more for himself than for any other purpose. "Rescuing Buzz Lightyear." He turned to look at Buttercup, who was sitting back on his haunches on the ground, observing him. "I say we just go straight in." He gestured to the gate. "We can slip through where the broken hinge is."

Buttercup nodded and rose, "That's the plan?" He asked, as they tiptoed towards the gate. "I thought it would involve something more daring?"

Woody considered this with a smile. "I need to bring Buzz back home in one piece, or I don't think I'll ever hear the end of it from Jessie."

"You do know she's incredibly fond of Buzz, right?" Buttercup whispered back, and Woody looked at him for a moment, before turning his attention back to the hinge side of the gate.

"Yes. She's told me, in not so many words. And I think, for the record, it's reciprocated where Buzz is concerned, although his head is literally too far up in the clouds for him to ever consider actually telling her."

Buttercup giggled. "I do love romance." He neighed. "It's so exciting, so...unknown, so many challenges!"

"A bit like this adventure in the dark," Woody pointed out, and Buttercup laughed a second time.

"You know, you're right. That's very true. Excitement and intrigue in an unknown territory, all in the name of helping romance," He exclaimed passionately, and Woody shushed him as he slipped his slim frame through the gate opening next to the hinge.

"Come on, your turn," he whispered to the unicorn, and he put the front part of his body through the gap. Woody took his front hooves and helped him through the rest of the way.

"Now remember," he said in a low voice, "We just need to look for the-" he turned and his eyes widened. In front of them was an outside space not unlike that of The Secret Garden. Pansies bloomed from the flowerbeds, daffodils bobbed over the side of rockeries. Clematis wound itself around trellis, roses and ivy climbed up the walls of the house. There was even a little pond with lily pads and reeds growing in and around it.

And around the garden, stood several dozen enormous plant pots, all housing shrubs of various sizes, colours, and species.

"Shrub." Woody finished his sentence, and gulped.

Something told him this was –not- going to be as easy as he'd hoped.