Lost Boys and Lost Toys

🧸Made For Love💘

"I'm just saying, a toy needs love. That's the most important thing for a toy. How is a Lost Toy supposed to get it when he's alone?"

"Let's not go into it."

Woody woke up feeling like his head was full of air. He glanced around. He didn't remember a blasted thing. What had happened? Had he hit his head?

He'd gone to deep into his thoughts, that's what happened. He was sick and tired of that. It caused trouble for him and the toys around him.

A paw landed on his shoulder. "Well, howdy Sheriff!" The voice was cheerful, familiar, and...

"LOTSO!!!" Woody jumped back, pointing at him accusedly. "What are you doing here? Where am I? Did you bring me here?" Lotso watched him, unimpressed. He figured that would happened. His eyes half-lidded, his mouth in a somber frown. "Now, Sheriff, that's no way to br. You're safe now, and look! You're frightening the little ones!" He gestured with his new cane toward a bunch of small toys, hiding under the bed. A  rocking horse, who had been the one to speak earlier with Lotso, looked at Woody with a curious, thoughtful eye. "This is a toy who could certainly use some love. Come on out, little ones." This toy was clearly the oldest on in the room.

"Sheriff, I realize you've been through a lot. Look at the state of you! A Lost Toy no less." He shook his head in sympathy. Woody slowly put his hand down. "What's going on?"

"What's going on? We've got a family now! That old garbage man, he gives any good toy he can find to his poor girl." He pointed at a picture on the wall. It showed a pretty girl with red hair, pigtails, glasses, and freckles. Woody thought she was beautiful, and the man behind her was the garbage man who had found him and Lotso!

Lotso continued. "See, I forgot what it was like to be loved, but I have it back now! It's a powerful thing, Sheriff." He chuckled warmly. "And now, you're safe. Being a Lost Toy must've been horrible." He put his paw back on Woody's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Uhm, thank you." Woody still didn't look quite convinced. Suddenly, the picture of Bo, smashed and shattered on the ground, flew through his mind. It was all he could think about for the last...however long he'd been here. He shrugged off Lotso's paw, and headed for the windowsill. He had to get out.

Lotso watched him leave, sadness clear in his features. The old rocking horse rocked thoughtfully back and forth. "I'll talk to him." He decided at last.

Woody curled up on the sill, his arms wrapped around his knees. He heard the faint creaking of the rocking horse coming closer, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was at another child's place! Bo would be so disappointed in him.

The sun shone brightly outside. He wanted to leave, to resume his lost toy life. What was the point of belonging to a kid, anyway?

"Because that's what you were made for." Woody jumped a little, and turned to see the rocking horse behind him. "Oh, sorry." The cowboy mumbled. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Listen, son. I've been around. And I've never met a single toy who wasn't made to help. That's our purpose. We help kids. And we help each other. I've never met a single toy who wasn't built for love."

Woody sighed. "Yeah, well...now it's gone. I've had almost a decade to think about this."

"think about what, son?"

"What's the point of it all? You lose, you gain, you lose again." He sighed. "I'm just tired."

"Yes, Lotso told us you've been through a lot."

"Being a Lost Toy...it was the only time I was truly happy. Helping other toys...it made me feel like I was doing something right. It was where I belonged in life."

"Now, son, if you spend all your time worrying about stuff like that, you'll never get anywhere in your life." The rocking horse rocked closer. "Go on."

Woody needed to tell someone. Or he would go crazy. Someone had to understand, if anything just so he could get out of here. So he spilled his story. His beginning, his time with Andy's family, his time with Bonnie...

"And now, I've been thinking about this for years, and I'm thinking, what kind of toy am I? I get jealous, I get lonely, I make mistakes."

"All toys do that."

"...and I keep getting everyone else in danger. I've made horrible choices. I wanted to go to Japan just so I wouldn't have to watch Andy grow up. I left by myself just to convince myself the only important thing in life was being there for Andy. And I've gotten others to believe that too. What if I'm selfish? Instead of caring about their feelings, I left them alone at that horrible daycare. I wanted to leave them behind because of my own fears. I've made all these bad choices, selfish choices...why would they still want me as their leader? I've left them behind so many times." He chortled disgustedly at himself. "I never leave a toy behind, that's what I used to say. Maybe I'm,..." he sighed, "Maybe after all that's happened, I'm not meant to be a KID'S toy, you know?"

The rocking horse nodded thoughtfully. "Listen, son, I've been around, and I know that whatever a toy does with his life, he's still a toy. It's your decision where it goes from their. I know you don't want to disappoint your peeping friend, but let's try and focus on now. If she were your friend, she would've wanted you happy, right?" The horse turned, and started to leave. Woody thought about that. Hadn't it been Bo who was mad at him for trying to do what he felt was right? Hadn't it been Bo who gave up and left him because she thought he was selfish?

And now he was believing that.

"Hey." The rocking horse turned around. Woody sat up a little. "I never got your name."

"It's Sunday. Now, I think you should give Lotso a second chance. I know when I'm right, and I'm right when I say every toy needs love. He's a new bear Sheriff." Woody watched him rock away, and took in his new world from the perspective of the window sill. Lotso was a good kind leader...or at least, he had it in him.

Woody could use that right now. No more leading for him.

Besides, what would his old friends want with a selfish, indecisive toy like him?

Lotso was gently guiding a group of Classic Disney dolls out from under the bed when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Woody, looking like one of those newcomers at Sunnyside daycare.

"Well now," Lotso smiled. He knew how to handle newcomers. "Looks like you're ready for a tour." Lotso hugged Woody with one arm, and waved his cane in the air, getting the toys' attention. "Everyone! This is our new friend, Woody!"

Cheers. After watching them from the windowsill, Woody got the feeling that, maybe he'd finally landed in a good home.

Buzz stretched his arms above his head, listening intently for his friend's nearby humming. Jessie had such a sweet voice.

Sure enough, there she was, humming as she polished her badge. Buzz smiled sadly. It had been years since Woody had left them, but he took comfort in the fact that he was doing alright.

Jessie felt Buzz putting a hand on her shoulder, and she placed hers on top of it. "I miss him."

"I know. We all do."

The door opened, and the couple watched from behind the toy chest as Bonnie's youngest sister, Belle, skipped happily into the room. Belle was a sweet girl, with such a huge imagination, and so shy she only had a few choice friends. But the toys loved her. How could they not? They knew they were lucky Bonnie had two younger siblings to ply with them after she got too old. She was sixteen now, but still nice and kind, and readying her movie career. Buzz knew Woody would have been proud.

If only he were here to see this.