10/20/19
Woody's expression tightened as he watched the man head over to the vehicle at the front of the line of cargo crates. His fists clenched slightly and his eyes narrowed. "I'm not letting this happen." He growled to himself with determination, firmly adjusting his hat. "Not to her."
He gave a sharp whistle with his fingers and Bullseye came galloping over. The cowboy immediately leaped onto the saddle. "Come on, Buzz." He called. Once the Space Ranger was secure, Woody let out a firm, "Hyah!" and Bullseye went sliding down the ramp.
"Ride like the wind, Bullseye!" He declared as the toy horse dashed with all of his might, desperately trying to match the speed of the vehicle. "Hey howdy hey! Giddy-up!" Woody could feel his immense determination filling his entire body, his thoughts on nothing other than saving his dearest friend.
"Come on, Bullseye! Hyah!" The cowboy tried to encourage the little horse, seeing as how they were starting to get very close to a point where Woody would be able to grab on. His fingers tightly gripped the saddle, his anxiousness and hidden doubts starting to take their toll.
Bullseye eventually got close enough to the line of cargo wagons. "Buzz, give me a boost!" Woody demanded shortly. The Space Ranger juggled with keeping himself on Bullseye while also helping the cowboy lift off the saddle. Once Woody had a firm hold, the horse began to lose his pace and Woody was left all alone, barely holding on.
"Woody!" Buzz called out.
The cowboy felt his fingers slipping, but as thoughts of you entered his mind once more, he quickly rose up to the challenge. He climbed to the top of the cargo bins, looking ahead to see the green suitcase sitting at the top of a pile at the very front bin.
Taking a deep breath, Woody began to run across the tops of the crates, the large gaps between each one not discouraging him in the slightest. He wasn't going to be bested by fairly large gaps. When it came to you, he refused to stop at any cost. There was no quitting if you were in the picture.
Woody powered through and made his way to the very front. He leaped into the bin and climbed to the top towards the green suitcase. He went to unlatch it, but the driver slowly pulled to a stop by a plane where workers were looking on. With a frustrated grunt, Woody kept hidden but waited to see what they were doing.
As the driver began to unload the bags and cases to send them up into the plane, Woody watched as he soon took the green suitcase and sent it up the ramp. The cowboy looked through the bin he was in, searching for a case that one, he could open freely without a code or lock, and two, he would be able to fit in. And soon enough, he found the one.
The man continued to send the baggage up the ramp, including the peculiar golf case that Woody had chosen to hide in. Once it was so carelessly tossed way off to the side, the cowboy unzipped the zipper of the bag and scrambled out. He desperately looked around, soon laying his sights on the green suitcase that was resting at the very top of the pile at the far end of the plane.
He felt his heart race as he neared the case; he couldn't explain why his heart had just fluttered the way it did. Was it the fact that he was about to see your face once more? Or could it be the fact that he would never be so relieved to have you in his arms again than he did now after being so close to losing you forever?
Woody quickly undid the latches and lifted up the top to the green suitcase. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I believe you're on the wrong flight." He smiled, but it nearly faded when he saw how panicked and terrified you were. Your eyes wide as you cradled yourself, laying on your side. How history retreats itself is astounding; you were in the exact same position as when the cowboy first laid eyes in you. The only difference was your expression, which now held much more liveliness and emotion although filled with utter fear.
You quickly looked up at the sound of Woody's voice. "Woody!" You exclaimed, your voice cracking. He swiftly lifted you out of the suitcase and pulled you into a tight hug. You clung to him as if your life depended on it, still rattled from your fears and very much in need of comfort. Woody hugged you just as tight, making sure you knew you were safe in his arms and that everything would be alright as he rested his chin on top of your head.
"Come on, (Y/N)." He whispered, stroking your back. "It's time to take you home."
"Good." You smiled weakly. "Let's just hope we don't get strapped to a rocket this time."
He chuckled, gently caressing your cheek that had been cracked by Pete earlier. He let his fingers linger along the crack line longer than he should've. Although small, he couldn't help but feel very upset by the new hole in your cheek. You took notice of his lingering touch and pulled away, now feeling very self-conscious as you raised your hand to your cheek in attempt to hide the gap left by the missing chip.
"Let's hurry up before it's too late." You murmured. Woody easily agreed as you both knew that this conversation was inevitably going to continue later. You both slowly crept closer and closer to the door where the men were standing as they collected the oncoming bags.
"Hold it! There's a couple more bags coming from the terminal!" One of the men shouted, moving away from the open door more.
"Okay. On three." Woody began quietly. "One, two..."
"Too late!" Woody was interrupted by both one of the men's voices and the loud crash of the plane door slamming shut. "Put 'em on the next flight!"
"This is bad." The cowboy stated.
"How are we gonna get outta here?" You asked him, praying he would have a plan.
Woody scanned the area before eventually locking his eyes on something. "Over there! Come on!" He grabbed your hand and helped pull you over to a spot on the plane where a faint light was glowing. Getting closer, you realized the lightbulbs were surrounding some sort of small emergency hatch.
You helped him open it, the hiss of the rushing wind pounding at your ears for a second. When you and Woody looked to see how dangerous the path was, you both became visibly panicked and distressed. "You sure about this?" You asked him shakily.
"No!" He said over the roar of the plane's engine and the rushing winds. However, the look he gave you was a slightly promising one, one you chose to trust. "Let's go!"
The cowboy went first down the steep descent from the metal bars that connected to the front set of tires. You carefully followed after him, trying to mimic his every move as to stay safe, upright, and alive. However, as you got closer to the tires, Woody slipped. He let out a scream, but you managed to catch him by the arm just before he fell completely.
You were laying on the metal, bar completely at this point, hugging it tightly in attempt to stay on. "Hold on, Woody!" You cried as he made a sharp movement in attempt to catch his hat that had went flying off his head.
"What's a cowboy without his hat?" You heard Buzz's voice boom from below. You and Woody looked to see him still on Bullseye down below, Woody's hat in his hand.
"Buzz!" You both exclaimed in unison.
"Buzz! Buzz, get behind the tires!" Woody quickly instructed, and Buzz obeyed as he pulled Bullseye back behind the tires of the plane. You watched Woody pull out his pull-string as far as it would go. He swung it like a lasso before throwing it, watching the plastic ring land perfectly around a large, round bolt on a small section of the plan.
"(Y/N), let go of the plane!" Woody told you.
The rushing winds began to pick up speed as the plane started to roll faster down the runway. "What? Are you crazy?" You shrieked.
"Just do it!" He told you, his eyes sending you a confident yet pleasing look.
The entire began to whine louder and the wheels began to jump, indicating the plane was getting ready to leave land. "Are you sure about this? We got lucky surviving the rocket. What if we don't get so lucky this time?"
"Just trust me, (Y/N)!" He shouted, looking deep into your eyes. The sheer amount of confidence in his eyes calmed you and you firmly held his gaze. "Do you trust me?"
You stayed silent for a moment, your eyes never moving away from Woody's for a second. You felt your heart soar as you looked intensely at the cowboy. When he sent you a loving smile, your heart knew exactly what to do, so you clenched your eyes shut and let go of the plane.
Your body crashed into Woody's as you clung on to him and he pulled you into his side. The two of you went flying down towards the ground seamlessly before curving back up in the air. Woody's pull-string unhooked from the plane just as you both landed safely on Bullseye's saddle right behind Buzz.
The tired horse quickly slowed to a stop, the four of you looking onward at the plane that finally left the ground and took to the skies. "We did it!" You whispered quietly, still unable to believe that you and Woody did, in fact, make it. Woody turned to look at you the second you turned towards him. You both smiled brightly as you exclaimed louder, "We did it! We did it!"
Woody hopped off of Bullseye. He reached his arms out towards you, but what surprised you most was how he didn't offer his hand to help you off. Instead, his hands met your waist as he lifted you off of Bullseye, spinning you around in celebration.
"Nice ropin', cowboy." Buzz said over the sound of your laughs.
"That was definitely your finest hour!" You told the cowboy as he set you back on the ground, his hands never leaving your waist.
"Your hat, partner." Buzz came over with Woody's hat in his hands. Woody went to grab it, but you grabbed it first. You sent the cowboy and affectionate gaze and a warm smile before placing his hat on his head yourself.
Woody smirked at you, pulling you forward and closer to him. You both locked eyes, and you noticed him glance down towards your lips for a split second before looking back up into your eyes. Before anything could happen for sure, though, a plane zoomed by just overhead, scaring all four of you.
"Let's....go home." Woody smiled.