The day was not unlike any other within the household shared by Despayre and his father Synn. The day had been spent in relative calm as Synn busied himself with work while taking the random moments of distraction from his son who had the endearing habit of simply bursting into his father's business office. Despayre had taken to playing outside on their huge patio, taking great care as warned by Synn himself, Theresa as well as Angel to not go near the now-empty pool. It did not sit well with Despayre that he was unable to go swimming until the weather warmed up but he had no desire to get sick. He had even less desire to see Angel go down that road, as his bestie was prone to jump in the sparkling water right along with him. What was it about swimming that teddy bears found so darned irresistible? Well anyway, the bottom line was that for such a skilled healer, Angel himself made a simply dreadful patient, and it just broke Despayre's heart to see his buddy laying there, moaning about hi runny nose or upset tummy. So whatever rules that Despayre had to follow in regard to the pool, he made sure that Angel had to follow them just as closely -- if not closer. (Teddy bears didn't take to instructions very well you know.)
The week had been a great one. Gabriel was back! Sort of. He wasn't ready to wrestle yet but when he was, Despayre couldn't wait until his 'big brother' set foot inside of the ring. Hey! Maybe he could even have a chance to finally regain his Heavyweight Championship! Angel had pointed out to him that Gabriel had never been granted the obligatory return match that all other champions received. That wasn't very fair though, now was it? Boy! Can you imagine? If Gabriel were to win the big one, and Bernie and himself were led to the tag titles? They'd be 'golden' all over again!
Oo! Oo! Hey! Maybe they could even team together in one of those six man tag team matches! (Although nobody had ever been able to explain to Despayre with any form of satisfaction why they were called six-man tag teams when they only had three men on each side.
Despite himself, Despayre was actually looking forward to his first 'official' match with 'Bernie' as his tag team partner. At least he was until who he was told the opponents were going to be. It was bad enough having to face him again, but having to go up against that spooky guy who hides in closets and under beds? No thank you! Despayre was adamant he did not want to set foot inside of the ring with the Bogeyman himself, and so far no words of reassurance from Synn nor the rest of the team could dissuade his fears. Of course, that's when his plush little buddy opted to take matters into his own hands, er, paws and intervene on Despayre's behalf with a little suggestion...
Inside of the household's kitchen, Theresa was taking a brief break from her duties as 'woman of the house', which basically consisted of taking care of the men who have risen to become like family to an otherwise simple live-in housekeeper. She sat at the island counter in the center of the kitchen, holding a cup of tea as Synn sat opposite her, with coffee in his own. He would have preferred Scotch but tonight could prove unpredictable - what night couldn't with a son like Despayre? He didn't see himself getting much sleep any way. Insomnia aside, Synn knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would be up all night, concerned with the mental well being of his only child, and checking on him, hopefully without the boy's knowledge.
"How is he doing?" Theresa asked simply as she took a nibble of a wheat cracker from the plate in front of her and washed it down with what would prove to be her first of many cups of tea before bed. "Is he still frightened over his match?"
"More so than he cares to admit." Synn sighed as he set his own mug down and rested his forearms on the edge of the marble counter. "Goth has always been something of a specter to him, ever since their altercations in the AWA, but I had hoped the days I saw them competing against each other were done. This little twist was not a welcome one."
Theresa shook her head and finished the contents of her cup before she said, "I watch when I can. That way I'll know well enough what your boy is chattering about when he comes to tell me how he did when you get home. The other one? Chico, he'd creep me out."
"Don't tell Joshua that." Synn smirked. "He believes you fear nothing."
The housekeeper rose from her stool in front of the counter and moves to the stove to replenish her tea. As she poured the steaming water into the mug, Theresa said absently, "Will this little idea of his help?"
Synn smiled as he reached over toward her plate and picked up a cracker for himself. After pausing to take a bite, he contemplated before he answered, "It might. If anything can, it could very well be this. We've laid the ground work for him. Bernard and he have done well for themselves so far but this is their first 'official' match together. Nick and Tony took them to the limit. Starr and Hardy? Well, the Surf Boys could best that pairing. But this one?"
Synn shook his head.
"I'm not sure what the bookers were thinking making them go against such a combination so early in their careers together. Goth and Grimm are one of the more formidable combinations SCW has going for it currently. Rage, Shane, Gabriel and I? We've all tried talking to him and have planted the seeds. I begin to think when his teddy bear proceeds to 'take over', then things might work themselves out."
"Oof!" Despayre said as he gave the sleeping bag a mighty tug and his grip loosened and he fell on his bottom. With a huff of indignation, he turned to spot the familiar form of Angel seated, watching the flickering lights of thee television screen and the latest edition of 'Top Model'. He said, "You know, you could help! This was your idea, after all."
Nothing. When Angel had his eyes on the pretty girls on 'Top Model', not even a dish of purple Skittles could tear his gaze away.
"Fine." Despayre huffed as he proceeded to unroll the sleeping bag so he could get it set up in the 'fort'. At least Angel deigned to assist him with that. Okay, so Angel did the vast majority of the work. Despayre had never made one before, and it seemed to be in a teddy bear's nature to build a good and sturdy one.
Synn had assisted in rearranging the living room furniture for this one evening. He had pulled the sofa away from the wall and turned the two largest chairs around to face it. Then with a little help from Despayre and Angel, they had draped a sheet and blanket over the structure in the form of a tent, or as the name implied, a 'fort'. Despayre had them pulled in his big body pillow into thee fort, and dumped as many pillows as he could beg, borrow, or steal from the household. Might as well be comfortable, right?
It was nice that Synn and Theresa allowed him to make it for tonight. Angel had suggested they have a camp out, just the two if them, so they could talk. But the weather was being unpredictable so dad wouldn't agree to him putting up a tent in the back yard, so this would have to do. It would serve it's purpose, and it looked fun! Plus there were no creepy crawlies threatening your toes inside of the house like there might be outside!
The sleeping bag was pulled inside and in the process of being unrolled, when he heard a voice emanate from outside of his 'fort', "Here you go, Joshua."
Despayre's head poked out from under the blanket dangling over the top of the joined sofa and chairs and glanced up to see Synn holding a large bowl of popcorn, enough to feed an entire family! Or at the very least, a very hungry teddy bear with some left over for himself.
"Thanks!" Despayre scrambled out and accepted the bowl with eager hands. With the other hand, Synn sat down a small cooler, presumably filled with cold cans of Cherry Coke. Despayre sat the bowl down with a ginger care and lifted the cooler's lid to inspect - yep! Just as expected! Woo hoo! Despayre pulled the cooler closer and the bowl of popcorn by the fort's edge. "Does it have lots of butter?"
"The Coke?"
"No, silly!" Despayre laughed. His dad had the funniest sense of humor. "The popcorn!"
Synn nodded and replied, "About as much as Theresa could put on it without turning it into soup." Synn started to turn away to leave his boy to his night alone with Angel, but paused and glanced back to him. "You'll be alright?"
"Uh huh!" Despayre nodded. "Angel just wants to talk to me, you know, man to bear."
"Alright, so long as you call me if you need anything." Synn then proceeded to leave his boy to his devices, and called after him, "Theresa also said your hamburgers would be ready soon as well."
"Yay!"
"You're still worried about your match, aren't you?"
"No, not really."
"Don't you fib to me. I can always tell when you're telling a fib. I taught you most of thee good ones, you know. It's alright if you are worried. Goth was never a very nice guy anyway. That other one though..."
"I don't want to wrestle the Bogeyman! He scares me!"
"I know. He scares a lot of people. Most of them don't admit it, but at least you're brave enough to."
"It's not brave to admit to being frightened."
"Oh yes it is. There is nothing wrong with being afraid Joshua. The key is to face what's making you afraid, and overcoming it."
"Easier said than done. This is the Bogeyman we're talking about!"
"I know. It won't be easy like all your other matches. It'll even be trickier than facing Goth alone. That guy was crafty and mean, but the Bogeyman is all that and a lot more. It's not like facing other little 'boogeymen' in the night. This is the Bogeyman!"
"Gee, this pep talk is doing me a world of good, Angel!"
"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to explain what you're in for, so I can help you overcome it."
"Easy for you to say. You're not afraid of anything."
"Really? Is that what you think?"
Despayre nodded, averting the gaze of his buddy.
"Well then, I have news for you buddy boy. I'm going to tell you a little story."
Because what's a camp out without a scary little tale to share between friends around a campfire? Or a flashlight as a simple substitute?
"Have I ever told you about the first evening we spent together?"
Despayre answered by simply shaking his head in the negative.
"Well then! Gather around the light as I have a tale to tell!"
Despayre eagerly scrambled closer to the flashlight and Angel, the plain hamburger patty still between his fingers...
"Now you'll have to understand that under most circumstances, I wouldn't be doing this. Discussing monster hunts and the like is usually strictly forbidden, except under the gravest of circumstances. This is mostly because the entire point of having a protector is to better allow you to sleep easy at night, without having a fear of anything that might be lying in the shadows. I don't know of any type of bestie or spook that can get past a teddy bear protector who is determined to protect his charge from monsters. But like I said; special circumstances, which I consider this."
"You know while I was in that Build-A-Bear, waiting, I got to know a number of other protectors. And yes, many of them were girl bears as well. Girl teddy bears make some of the most vicious defenders you know! So many spooky things take them lightly because they're girls and they don't live to regret it, if you know what I mean!"
"Well! We were swapping boot camp stories when in you walked, and I knew right away that you were going to be my charge. Teddy bears? We always know who we're meant for once we lay eyes on them. Plus, I knew you needed more than just a protector. You also needed a friend. I was eager to be both. When you picked me up and hugged me, that sealed the bond between us. It always does. I was ready for my new home."
"So many teddy bears just see themselves as protectors. They wait by their charge's bed all day, every day. Some of them don't travel or sit at the table for meals. I get to because what we have is more than the usual teddy bear/human bond. I can't quite explain it, aside from simply saying that we're buddies. You know, real pals. I'm not the only one who gets these special privileges. Other teddy bears do too, but not enough go that extra mile in my humble opinion. They simply go to do their duty and that's it. The fact that the first thing you did after bringing me out of the Mall of America was treat me to a Happy Meal at McDonalds told me all I needed to know; You were ... are a very special friend and I would protect you until the end of time."
"Ironically, my first chance came that very night."
"Beasties don't waste any time, you see. I know most of the time before that you spent the nights with your dad, because you felt safer with him -- even though you didn't know he was your dad at the time. I did, however. Teddy bars always know. You stayed in his room because you felt safer and protected, but now that you had me, you were ready to have your own room during tours."
"I remember the night was a little arm and humid, and you were just a little bit stinky. No offense. It happens. Your dad left the window open, so you could have fresh air and a cool breeze. You were on the third floor so it was safe. I was sitting beside you while you slept, hugging you as you were hugging me. I couldn't help but look at you. The moon was full that night, which should have warned me that it would be an eventful night. The light shined in from the windows and onto your face. You were so relaxed, it didn't even wake you. Aww! You just seemed like a little angel, if you'll pardon the expression."
"But that's when I heard it. A sound that seemed a cross between a growl and a gurgling noise that a nasty ickle throat makes. Sort of like the sound your dad made when he had bronchitis."
"My senses were sharpened, honed by much training and teddy bear instinct. I turned to look at the one closet door and saw it creak open and a shadow slithered out. That was all I needed to see. I slipped from your grip without waking you -- another of my many talents, and dropped to the floor. There wasn't much in the vicinity that I could use as a weapon. That was your dad's doing I assume, the better that you don't hurt yourself, but I understood. Plus, I wasn't picky. Teddy bears can do enough damage with our teeth and claws, we don't really need weapons. I just have a fondness for them myself."
"I picked up the broom that the maid had accidentally forgotten and walked to the closet just as the door opened fully. I pulled the end off and twirled that pole around like a baton! The beastie in the closet lunged out, and I met that lunge with one of my own! Xena's friend Gabrielle herself would have been proud of how I twirled that staff like a pro!"
"The beastie jumped in the air and I stuck the end of the pole right in its belly and sent that sucker flying had over heels, er, claws! We didn't make any noise, you see. Battles between monsters and teddy bars are strangely silent, no matter the circumstances. It righted itself after a moment, and I got a running start and used that pole to vault up into the air and I creamed it! Sent that nasty flying backwards and into a wall!"
"It was a fighter though, I give it that! It was right back up and came for me because it knew that if it wanted you, it had to go through me. There was no other option. It ran for me but I swung that pole and whipped the beastie around and back across the room, right by that open closet door. That was the key, you see. We teddy bears don't have to kill the monsters. Oh we prefer to, but I wanted this one to live. Why, you might ask? because I wanted it to go back to the shadows it calls home with all the other monsters so it could deliver to them a message."
"No monster messes with my Joshua!"
"By then, the beastie's fight was about taken out of it. It knew it bit off more than it could chew with me! I gave it another good konk up side of the head and it went down. I then casually put the broom and back on and just swept it's carcass back into the closet and shut the door. Then the door to your hotel slipped open and boy did I give that pole a swing and heard the crack as it met the beastie's ankle! I knew it had to have been a good hit because I shouldn't have heard it! The beastie cried out and fell back into the hallway and I shut the door behind him."
(The odd thing was Gabriel was limping the following morning at breakfast and kept giving me the stink eye!)
"I checked under the bed for good measure, but no shadows were creeping out as a portal for a new monster to arrive. I put the broom back where I got it and crawled back up into the bed with you where I could keep the best watch on the room while you slept. No more beasties came that night. They didn't come for a fair few nights after."
"The message was sent.</color>
"Wow. I never knew you went though that much trouble for me so soon."
"It was no trouble. It was my job. besides, I liked you then. I love you now. You're my best friend Joshua, and you know I'm not going to let you get hurt by those two goobers Sunday."
"But you won't be in the ring with me. Bernie will be, and I don't want him to get hurt either."
"Is that what this is all about? You're worried they'll hurt Bernie, aren't you?"
"Uh huh. I heard dad say Bernie's not trained as much as I am, so he might not know how to fight monsters like you and I can. Goth and Grimm might try to use that against him and I don't want him hurt by monsters either."
"He won't be. Bernie is big and strong. He can take care of himself, and remember. I'll be right there."
"You won't be in the ring with us."
"No, but I will be in your corner. Just like always. You and Bernie are going to be just fine."
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart!"
"Thank you Angel."
The night had passed by comfortably enough for all inside, and surprisingly so, for the two 'campers' in the front room. It was now early the following morning. The sun had not even fully risen in the sky. the sunrise still colored the sky and clouds in hues of blues, reds and oranges as the day moved to become its full maturity.
As was the norm, Theresa was the first to rise. Part habit, and part because she saw it as her job to get everything ready for the men of the house to start their day. She stepped out into the foyer of the house, freshly showered and dressed in hr uniform, and paused en route to the kitchen to glance into the front room and the 'camp site' as it were.
The front of the 'fort' was disheveled through the night, as the blanket covering it was set aside and she could see the tattered remains of the hamburger patties on the plate on the floor. Despayre had specifically asked for no buns, and no ketchup. He and Angel were 'roughing it' after all. She walked in and picked up the plate, and glanced into the fort just long enough to see the sleeping form of the boy inside, curling hi arm around the teddy bear and pulling it closer against his slim chest.
