usami-chan13

Down the hall the grandfather clock began to chime the hour, interrupting the conversation between the two still seated on the couch. Even muffled by the walls, they easily heard the timepiece tell the hour. The bells rang twelve times, and in her surprise she looked towards the digital clock across the room to confirm the time. "I didn't realize how late it was," she murmured. Her family had gone to bed hours ago, having much to do the next morning. Turning to her companion, she said, "You should probably get to bed. You have to work early tomorrow, right?" He made a noncommittal noise, his eyes on the clock. Then he looked at her with a s

Somehow, Ken found himself falling more in love. Even as Barbie left him tied to a paddle ball, he couldn't help being captivated by her courage. When Lotso first arrived at Sunnyside and took over, no one dared stand up to him. Even he joined the bear because he was afraid of what would happen if he didn't. But Barbie wasn't like that… wasn't like him. She didn't care that she was risking a lot to save her friend, and her bravery made her even more beautiful. And he found that, no matter what, he just had to help her.

All he ever wanted was to stay by Woody's side. He was Woody's horse, after all; the brave cowboy's loyal steed. Even though he'd known Jessie longer, he was made for Woody. That's why he followed Woody, even though all the others wanted to stay at Sunnyside. No matter how much he wanted to be played with, he wanted to be with Woody more. He never realized that he'd be alone in the attic. But Woody did. And though it saddened him when Woody made him stay behind, he did as Woody told him. That's what he was made for.

Woody could understand how Lotso felt. If Andy had replaced him after all those times he spent trying to get back, it'd hurt more than he could bear. And he knew what the others were going through. He experienced how tempting it was to hide your heart, to stay safe rather than love someone who might leave. But wasn't it Buzz who reminded him how life wasn't worth living unless they were being loved? And love wasn't always fair. You love someone no matter what, whether they appreciated you or not. And that's why Woody was going back for them.

Suddenly, all the time Woody spent with Bo Peep just wasn't enough. They both knew it could happen someday; as toys, there was always a chance of being separated. But the day came all too soon, when Molly decided to get rid of Bo. And Woody felt then just how short time really was. The night before was their only chance to say goodbye, but Woody realized that it wasn't enough. That evening, the playtimes they shared… all those years together suddenly weren't enough. It wasn't enough for him to have to spend the rest of his life without her.

Looking back on things now, Rapunzel wasn't sure how to feel. She knew her Mother – or the woman she called mother – had used her; had locked her up to keep her power away from the world. But she was sure that she had loved her too. That, somewhere in her selfishness, that woman had really wanted to protect her. And maybe she was right about one thing. Rapunzel knew she wouldn't have survived the world on her own. But she never wanted to do it alone. Having her mother's support would have helped face everything the world had to offer.

Flynn had to admit, he was finding her very enchanting. Of course he knew it was partly because Rapunzel had never been anywhere outside her tower, but watching her in town, seeing her so fascinated by everything… Just the way she loved such simple pleasures was truly a sight to behold. He could see why her mother could be so overprotective… and not just because of her magic hair, either. Her wonderful innocence, her unlimited creativity, her genuine desire for new experiences, and the beauty and grace in everything she did… He realized just how much she was worth protecting.

To be honest, Flynn never wanted to be a thief. Sure he was good at it, but he didn't enjoy stealing things. Yet he had been willing to sacrifice anything to have enough money… so he would never be left with nothing again. Anything…except this. Hey… it's gonna be all right. He wanted to believe her, but he couldn't see how. If Rapunzel healed him, she would live with that witch forever, and never live her own life. And he couldn't stand the thought of taking away her only chance of freedom. Flynn would rather die than let that happen.

It's funny how one dream can help others come true. After all, if Rapunzel hadn't gone to see the lanterns, who knows if those other dreams would've happened? Sure, there were the dreams of the Snuggly Duckling men. But there's also the dream of a man to be with the woman he loved; the dream of a thief who wanted to be famous so he'd never be forgotten; or even the dream of an orphan child, who only ever wanted a family of his own. And because of Rapunzel's courage to follow her dream, all of Flynn's finally came true.

Relationships were complicated. After all, Stacie knew what it was like to have a crush. And as Candace's best friend, she supported her going after the guy. But she had meant it when she said that she missed spending time with Candace… that she missed hanging out and not just talking about Jeremy. Yet she had also meant it when she said she'd forgiven Candace. Because while Stacie knew about Jeremy the whole time, she appreciated that Candace was willing to do that to her boyfriend just to keep her promise. Because it reminded her that Candace did still care.