Just Remember
Fandom - Toy Story
Length - Oneshot
Characters/Pairing - Woody, WoodyxBo
Rating - K+
Summary - Takes a look at Woody's reasons for choosing Bonnie, the effects of that choice and how the cause and effect reflects his feelings for Bo Peep.
Author Notes - Created for usamichan13 in disney_uberland's Fic Request challenge. The prompt was the final stanza of "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City (but I kinda considered other parts of the song when writing this). Spoilers for Toy Story 3 and mention of an event from Toy Story 2.
Just Remember
I like it. Makes you look tough. Woody could still hear Bo Peep’s voice as he looked at his right arm. The extra stuffing Andy once put there had deflated back to its normal size long ago, but his desire to be tough had remained. Woody had always been the leader of Andy’s toys, certainly, but with it came an emotional blockage in his toy heart.
He had cared for all of the toys he’d shared Andy’s room with over the years, but he had only loved one in a way that could have been rivaled with his love for Andy. Yet, he had always been the levelheaded one. He looked at things logically. Woody knew he was a toy and toys come and go. He was Andy’s toy and whatever Andy wanted was what Woody wanted. Nothing could change that.
At least, he thought nothing could change that. But when he overheard Andy’s conversation with his mom the day he left for college, Woody’s tough exterior cracked and logic failed him. He loved Andy, but Andy wasn’t a kid anymore. Suddenly, Woody realized he wanted more than anything to be with his friends. He still loved Andy, but he couldn’t lose his best friends.
He couldn’t lose them the way he lost Bo.
As Woody looked around Bonnie’s room, he knew that -in part- it was the memory of losing Bo, and the uncertainty he’d felt for so long without her, that prompted him to choose the safety of a new kid. He’d spent too many years trying to hide the hurt he felt in losing her. Often he’d longed for Bo’s company during the long drought of Andy’s affections, but he tried hard to not let the others know. Whenever someone mentioned Bo, he pretended like it was just a part of the process. Going to college with Andy and the others to the Davis' attic was part of the process too, he had originally reasoned.
Woody told Buzz that his going to college with Andy wouldn’t be a goodbye. Yet, as he sat all alone in Andy’s box, thinking about Andy and Mrs. Davis’ conversation and remembering Bo, Woody realized there was no knowing if he would be right. After all, he never had the chance to tell Bo goodbye, but it had been a goodbye nonetheless. So, what if he never got to say goodbye to Buzz and the others and had never seen them again either? The fact of the matter was, as a toy, goodbyes would always be a looming threat. In that, Lottso had been right. So, in those few critical moments, he had a choice to make and he went against years of what he'd always believed in. Woody would always be Andy’s toy, but the time had come for them both to go on new adventures.
Thus, it had been a new beginning for the toy sheriff. It had even been a sort of freedom. No longer did he have to be Andy’s favorite or even the leader of the pack. Everything was different than it had been before. As a few months went by, Woody slowly forgot all of the years of being forgotten by Andy. He even began to forget the many years he had been loved by Andy. Or, at least, he only fondly remembered them from time to time. Woody was happy in Bonnie’s room. He was happy with his friends. Yes, for the time being, everything about his former life was nothing but a mostly pleasant memory that echoed in the hollows of his mind.
Excepting, he couldn’t forget Bo Peep. As the vivid details of his life with Andy faded to memory nothing about Bo did until, at last, she was nearly the sole proprietor of his thoughts. The years of denial and emotional blockage finally caught up with him and there was no escape. Almost every night, Woody would stare at the sky and think about her. As he considered his new life, he knew he would only change one thing if he could. Bo would be by his side again. Then, there would be no more regrets for the “I love you’s” he never dared to speak or for the heroic deed of finding her and bringing her back he never attempted. There would only be sheriff and shepherdess, standing together in the twilight. But, of course, there was no way to change the past.
Bo would always be the one thing missing from his former life and the one thing Woody would never forget.
The End
Length - Oneshot
Characters/Pairing - Woody, WoodyxBo
Rating - K+
Summary - Takes a look at Woody's reasons for choosing Bonnie, the effects of that choice and how the cause and effect reflects his feelings for Bo Peep.
Author Notes - Created for usamichan13 in disney_uberland's Fic Request challenge. The prompt was the final stanza of "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City (but I kinda considered other parts of the song when writing this). Spoilers for Toy Story 3 and mention of an event from Toy Story 2.
Just Remember
I like it. Makes you look tough. Woody could still hear Bo Peep’s voice as he looked at his right arm. The extra stuffing Andy once put there had deflated back to its normal size long ago, but his desire to be tough had remained. Woody had always been the leader of Andy’s toys, certainly, but with it came an emotional blockage in his toy heart.
He had cared for all of the toys he’d shared Andy’s room with over the years, but he had only loved one in a way that could have been rivaled with his love for Andy. Yet, he had always been the levelheaded one. He looked at things logically. Woody knew he was a toy and toys come and go. He was Andy’s toy and whatever Andy wanted was what Woody wanted. Nothing could change that.
At least, he thought nothing could change that. But when he overheard Andy’s conversation with his mom the day he left for college, Woody’s tough exterior cracked and logic failed him. He loved Andy, but Andy wasn’t a kid anymore. Suddenly, Woody realized he wanted more than anything to be with his friends. He still loved Andy, but he couldn’t lose his best friends.
He couldn’t lose them the way he lost Bo.
As Woody looked around Bonnie’s room, he knew that -in part- it was the memory of losing Bo, and the uncertainty he’d felt for so long without her, that prompted him to choose the safety of a new kid. He’d spent too many years trying to hide the hurt he felt in losing her. Often he’d longed for Bo’s company during the long drought of Andy’s affections, but he tried hard to not let the others know. Whenever someone mentioned Bo, he pretended like it was just a part of the process. Going to college with Andy and the others to the Davis' attic was part of the process too, he had originally reasoned.
Woody told Buzz that his going to college with Andy wouldn’t be a goodbye. Yet, as he sat all alone in Andy’s box, thinking about Andy and Mrs. Davis’ conversation and remembering Bo, Woody realized there was no knowing if he would be right. After all, he never had the chance to tell Bo goodbye, but it had been a goodbye nonetheless. So, what if he never got to say goodbye to Buzz and the others and had never seen them again either? The fact of the matter was, as a toy, goodbyes would always be a looming threat. In that, Lottso had been right. So, in those few critical moments, he had a choice to make and he went against years of what he'd always believed in. Woody would always be Andy’s toy, but the time had come for them both to go on new adventures.
Thus, it had been a new beginning for the toy sheriff. It had even been a sort of freedom. No longer did he have to be Andy’s favorite or even the leader of the pack. Everything was different than it had been before. As a few months went by, Woody slowly forgot all of the years of being forgotten by Andy. He even began to forget the many years he had been loved by Andy. Or, at least, he only fondly remembered them from time to time. Woody was happy in Bonnie’s room. He was happy with his friends. Yes, for the time being, everything about his former life was nothing but a mostly pleasant memory that echoed in the hollows of his mind.
Excepting, he couldn’t forget Bo Peep. As the vivid details of his life with Andy faded to memory nothing about Bo did until, at last, she was nearly the sole proprietor of his thoughts. The years of denial and emotional blockage finally caught up with him and there was no escape. Almost every night, Woody would stare at the sky and think about her. As he considered his new life, he knew he would only change one thing if he could. Bo would be by his side again. Then, there would be no more regrets for the “I love you’s” he never dared to speak or for the heroic deed of finding her and bringing her back he never attempted. There would only be sheriff and shepherdess, standing together in the twilight. But, of course, there was no way to change the past.
Bo would always be the one thing missing from his former life and the one thing Woody would never forget.
The End