Chapter

Hidden inside a golf bag, Woody was loaded onto the plane, too. Once inside the cargo hold, he unzipped the golf bag, spilling golf balls everywhere. A gigantic pile of luggage surrounded him. He soon spotted Al’s case and ran over to open it. Inside, he found a frightened Jessie, curled up in a ball on top of the foam.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” said Woody, “but I believe you’re on the wrong flight.”

“Woody!” said Jessie with relief.

“Come on, Jess. It’s time to take you home.” Woody helped Jessie out of the case and gave her a hug.

“But what if Andy doesn’t like me?” asked Jessie.

“Nonsense,” said Woody. “Andy will love you. Besides, he’s got a little sister.”

“He does?” exclaimed Jessie. “Why didn’t you say so? Let’s go!”

Woody and Jessie ran behind a suitcase, hiding from the baggage handler. Woody decided to make a move. “Okay, on three. One…two—” But before they could escape, the door closed!

“This is bad,” said Woody.

“How are we gonna get out of here?” asked Jessie.

“Over there! Come on!” Woody pointed to a stream of light leaking in from the other end of the cargo hold. They ran over and peered through a hatch on the bottom of the plane. They popped open the hatch and looked down at the plane’s landing gear below. The plane was already moving quickly down the runway.

“You sure about this?” asked Jessie.

“No! Let’s go!” shouted Woody. Together, they climbed down the landing gear toward the plane’s wheels. Woody slipped, but luckily Jessie grabbed his hand in the nick of time.

“Hold on, Woody!” she cried. Under the strain of dangling from Jessie’s hand, Woody’s arm began to tear. He looked at the ground rushing below him. His hat flew off his head and down the runway…before someone grabbed it. It was Buzz!

“What’s a cowboy without his hat?” Buzz called as he rode up beside the plane on Bullseye.

“Buzz!” shouted Woody. Then he had an idea. “Buzz, get behind the tires!”

Woody grabbed hold of his pull string. Using it like a lasso, he threw it around a bolt on the plane’s landing gear.

“Jessie! Let go of the plane!” he shouted.

“What, are you crazy?” exclaimed Jessie.

“Just pretend it’s the final episode of Woody’s Roundup!” called Woody.

“But it was canceled!” replied Jessie. “We never saw if you made it!”

“Well, then, let’s find out together!” said Woody.

Jessie let go of the landing gear, and she and Woody both let out a scream as Woody’s pull string swung them both down between the plane’s huge wheels. The pull string slipped off the bolt just in time, and Woody and Jessie landed on Bullseye’s back, right behind Buzz!

Bullseye slowed to a stop, and the group watched as the plane took off.

“We did it!” yelled Jessie. She leaped off Bullseye and pulled Woody with her, then jumped onto Woody’s back.

Buzz climbed down from Bullseye as well. “Nice ropin’, cowboy,” he said to Woody.

“That was definitely Woody’s finest hour!” cried Jessie.

“Your hat, partner,” said Buzz as he handed Woody his cowboy hat. Woody twirled it with a laugh.

Suddenly, a plane whooshed over their heads, and the four startled toys looked up in fear. “Let’s go home,” Woody said.

The Davis van pulled up to the house and stopped. Andy jumped out and ran toward the front door. He burst into his bedroom and began searching his shelf for Woody. But all he could find were some dusty old books.

Disappointed, he turned and looked around the room. On his bed sat Etch, with the words WELCOME HOME, ANDY spelled out on his screen. Surrounding Etch were all of Andy’s toys, plus Jessie and Bullseye. Overjoyed, Andy picked up Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye. “Oh, wow! New toys. Thanks, Mom!”

Below Andy’s window, the luggage cart from the airport was parked haphazardly in the street.

The next day, Andy repaired Woody’s torn arm and gave it a tug. It was as good as new.

“Andy,” Mrs. Davis called as she stepped into Andy’s room. “Come on, hon, it’s time to go.” Then she spotted Woody. “Hey, you fixed Woody!”

“Yeah. I’m glad I decided not to take him to camp,” said Andy, setting Woody down on his desk. “His whole arm might have come off.”

After Andy had left the room with his mom, Woody sat up and looked at his arm with delight. He realized that Andy hadn’t taken him to Cowboy Camp because he had wanted to protect him—not get rid of him.

From across the room came a raucous “Yeehaw!” On Andy’s bed, Jessie jumped up and held her boot out to show Bullseye the ANDY that was now scrawled on the sole. “Oh, Bullseye, we’re part of a family again!” she exclaimed.

Sitting down, Bullseye lifted his hooves to show Jessie the four letters—A, N, D, and Y—that had been written on each one.

“Ma’am?” Buzz said, approaching Jessie. “I, uh, well, I just want to say you’re a bright young woman with a beautiful yarn full of hair…hair full of yarn…It’s a…Oh, um…I must go.”

He started to walk away in embarrassment, but Jessie grabbed him.

“Well, aren’t you the sweetest space toy I ever met!” she declared.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of a dog barking. Buster was standing near the door, scratching to get out.

“Bark-bark?” asked Slinky, responding to Buster. Buster continued to whine. “This feller says he needs to go out back for a little private time,” Slinky told the toys.

“That critter needs help!” exclaimed Jessie. She ran over to Andy’s racetrack and jumped on top of a car, riding it down the ramp like a skateboard. She rounded the loop, bounced on a rubber ball, and went flying toward the doorknob, opening the door to let Buster out. “Yo-de-lay-he-hoo!” she cried.

Buzz just stared at her in awe.

Meanwhile, Hamm was playing the Zurg video game. “Hey, Rex, I could use a hand over here,” he said.

“I don’t need to play. I’ve lived it,” answered Rex with a smug smile.

Hamm pushed frantically on the controller. “No, no, no! Ah, nuts!” he cried as he lost the game.

Suddenly, the screen switched over to a TV channel, and the commercial for Al’s Toy Barn appeared.

“Welcome to Al’s Toy Barn,” said the on-screen Al in a dejected voice. “We’ve got the lowest prices in town. Everything for a buck, buck, buck.” On the last buck, he broke down and began to sob.

Hamm and Rex exchanged a look. “Well, I guess crime doesn’t pay!” said Hamm.

Nearby, Woody was showing Bo Peep his newly repaired arm. “Andy did a great job, huh? Nice and strong!” He flexed his arm like a bodybuilder.

“I like it,” replied Bo. “It makes you look tough.”

Squeak! Squeak! They looked up to see Wheezy hopping over.

“Wheezy! You’re fixed!” cried Woody.

“Oh, yeah, Mr. Shark looked in the toy box and found me an extra squeaker,” said Wheezy, his voice fully restored.

“And?” asked Woody. “How do you feel?”

“Oh, I feel swell,” said Wheezy. “In fact, I think I feel a song coming on!” He grabbed Mike’s microphone and began to croon a lively tune. Several toys began dancing.

Woody went over to the windowsill and watched as Andy’s sister toddled from Andy to his mom on the driveway below. She was learning to walk.

After a moment, Buzz came over and joined him. “You still worried?” he asked.

“About Andy? Nah,” Woody replied. “It’ll be fun while it lasts.”

“I’m proud of you, cowboy,” said Buzz with a smile.

“Besides,” said Woody, “when it all ends, I’ll have old Buzz Lightyear to keep me company.” He gave Buzz a pat on the back. “For infinity…and beyond.”