Teddy's Story

Teddy's Story

A Supernatural story by Carla @curlybean1

A new entry in the second wave of the #SPNWishList fic and art challenge! Please welcome Carla, a new author, responding to the prompt: "A fic from the POV of the cashier in the store near the bunker, Teddy, with psoriasis." This story does exactly what I want fan fiction to do: It tells a rich, deep story from the beautiful universe that SPN has created for us, but has given us only the barest glimpse of. I loved it so much and couldn't wait to bring it to you!  -- Jennie

The first time Teddy saw them walk into the Kwik Trip, he hated them. 

From the way they dressed, to the car they drove, to the way they walked -- as if they weren’t afraid of anything and didn’t care what anyone else thought of them -- he hated them.

Especially the shorter one.

His first interaction with the man -- whom he later learned was named Dean -- made him feel like he was back in high school. The man sauntered in with his collar flipped up, twirling the keys to the awesome muscle car that was parked out front, and talking on his phone. He barely looked up at Teddy as he walked straight back to the refrigerator section and grabbed a six-pack of beer.

Teddy could hear him arguing with someone, his voice gruff and demanding. He tried not to listen to what the man was saying, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. The man’s voice carried through the empty store, and Teddy could tell that he was annoyed with whoever he was talking to.

Teddy could also tell that the man would most likely be scary as hell when he was truly pissed off.

On second glance, the taller guy was a different story. He walked in and immediately looked over at Teddy, offering him a small smile. He was dressed almost exactly like the other man -- worn jeans, flannel shirt, army surplus jacket, and boots. His hair was on the longer side, and Teddy noticed that he frequently pushed it away from his face. Both men had a fair bit of scruff on their faces, but it seemed like a well-groomed scruff.

As the shorter man moved over to the rack of potato chips, the taller man walked over to the small section of fresh fruits and vegetables. Teddy watched as he picked up a head of lettuce and looked it over before putting it in his basket. By the time he was done, he’d filled up the basket with several different greens and fruit.

By the time the two men met back at the checkout counter, Teddy had surmised that the tall one was a decent fellow and the shorter one was a jerk. He nearly choked on the coffee he was drinking when the tall one verbally confirmed his own thoughts a few seconds later.

“Dean! C’mon, man…. You’re supposed to be helping Walt. Quit being a jerk.”

“Walt’s being an idiot,” the other man growled before returning to his phone conversation.

The tall man looked over at Teddy. “Sorry about that. Work stuff gets him a little worked up sometimes.”

Teddy spent a few minutes making small talk with the man, his eyes darting over to the angry, shorter one every few seconds. He couldn’t help but be a little intrigued by both of them.

__________________________________________________________________________

The next time they came in wasn’t much different, at first. The shorter one -- Dean -- went straight back to the beer section and loaded his arms up with as much as he could carry. Teddy still didn’t know the name of the other one, so he was still referring to him as “the tall one” in his mind. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait too long to find out.

“Sammy, look! They have licorice!”

Teddy was surprised to see the look on the man’s face as he held up the package of candy.  The cheesy grin completely changed him, making him look less like a mass murderer and more like a happy 5-year-old.

And Teddy had learned that the tall one’s name was Sammy.  Or Sam, as the man quickly informed Dean. Teddy could tell by the exasperation in his voice that it was a conversation they’d had many times.

Teddy still didn’t know much about them, and wasn’t sure what their relationship was, but there had been several rumors floating around the small town of Lebanon, Kansas. No one really knew where they lived, but their classic car had been seen multiple times heading out of town and turning down some semi-deserted road. The townspeople knew that there was an old abandoned power plant down that road, but the fact that there wasn’t any electricity or running water probably meant that it held little interest for the two men.

Some people thought that they were brothers, while others said they were lovers. Some even thought that they were partners in some secret government operation. Teddy’s thoughts on the two men were more in line with the whole brother thing, especially after seeing the way they talked to each other. Teddy had an older brother of his own, so he recognized the love and frustration that flowed between them.

The third time he encountered them was different. The tall one -- Sam -- came into the store at a run, frantically asking Teddy where their first aid supplies were. Teddy pointed him in the direction of the small pharmacy area where they carried the typical over-the-counter medications and a few Ace wraps and bandages. He was surprised when Sam dumped most of the bandages into a basket, threw a hundred-dollar bill down onto the counter, and ran back out the door.

Teddy called out to him, but Sam never looked back. As he opened the car door, Teddy was able to get a quick glimpse inside. Shock filled him when he saw Dean slumped over in the front seat, his face covered in blood, his clothes torn. What the hell happened to him?

Teddy watched as the car raced off. He wondered if he’d ever see Dean again.

____________________________________________________________________________

It was almost a week and a half before he saw either Sam or Dean again, and he really had been wondering if Dean had survived the grievous injuries he’d seen through the car’s door.

When they walked through the door this time, Teddy watched the way Dean moved, noticing that his movements were a little less graceful and less fluid than normal. Teddy could tell that the man was uncomfortable and in pain. Instead of standing straight up, Dean was leaning over to the right just a little, and Teddy didn’t miss the way the man’s left hand hovered over his rib cage.

The cuts on Dean’s face had mostly healed, but there were still faint shadows of bruising on his chin, right cheek, and forehead. Teddy also noted a long scratch that extended from Dean’s right ear down to his neck, disappearing into the collar of his jacket.

As Teddy watched the men, he noticed how Sam’s eyes darted back to Dean every few seconds, as if he was afraid to let the man out of his sight. Teddy tried not to make it obvious that he was watching them, so he was relieved when another customer walked up to the counter to be checked out. He was counting out the man’s change when he heard a loud thump, followed by Sam calling out.

“Dean!”

Everyone in the small store stopped what they were doing and watched as Sam ran over to Dean, who had fallen to his knees and was leaning against one of the refrigerated cases.  Teddy could see that Dean’s face was pale and sweaty and that his hands were noticeably shaking.  He could also hear the painful gasps that were coming from the man as he tried to catch his breath.

“Do you need me to call an ambulance?” Teddy asked as he stepped over to them.

Sam was kneeling next to Dean, one hand resting on Dean’s chest, and the other rubbing his back slowly. Dean grunted, and Sam turned to look at Teddy. “We’re OK, Teddy. Just give us a minute.”

Teddy took a step back, but kept his eye on the two of them. He had been surprised that Sam had known his name, but he figured that they were in there enough that they’d probably heard someone say it. A few seconds later, he realized what an idiot he was being, since he was currently sporting a big, bold name tag.

After a few minutes, Dean’s breathing was under control, and Sam was able to help him back to his feet. Teddy grabbed the basket that Sam had dropped. “Are you still wanting to buy these?” he asked as Sam started walking Dean toward the door.

“Yeah. Let me get him out to the car, and I’ll be right back.”

“It’s OK. You can just take it now and pay for it the next time you come in.” Teddy was surprised to hear himself say that, wondering how it was that he trusted Sam enough to offer such a thing.  He supposed it wasn’t that big of a deal, since there were only a few items in the basket, but it was still a little out of character for him.

He was pleased, though, when Sam took the offered basket with a small smile and a soft “thanks.” When Teddy opened the store the next morning, he found an envelope of money that had been slid under the door. The note inside said simply, “Thanks.”

____________________________________________________________________________

In the following months, Teddy learned a lot more about Sam and Dean. He finally learned that the two actually were brothers and that their last name was Campbell. He noticed that Sam usually tried to eat healthy food and that Dean loved pie and beer. He learned that their jobs often took them away from Lebanon for weeks at a time. And he also learned that various injuries and accidents were par for the course.

Sam was the friendlier of the two, and Dean was definitely the more intimidating one. If Teddy hadn’t been witness to some of the brotherly interactions between the two, he would have found Dean even scarier than he actually was.

All that changed, though, one afternoon in November.

___________________________________________________________________________

Teddy had grown up in Lebanon, graduating from the small high school, and immediately going to work in his uncle’s store. Despite the fact that Lebanon had a total population of less than 300 people, his high school years had been a complete and total hell for him.

He’d never really been popular, but up until his freshman year, he had at least fit in a little bit.  The summer before his freshman year, though, everything fell apart.

His best friend moved to California, his parents got a divorce, and he had his first episode of psoriasis. By the time school started that year, his face, neck, and arms were covered in the typical patches of red, inflamed skin that sometimes cracked and bled. This, of course, made him prime fodder for the bullying that happened in every high school across the country.

The bullying never stopped, either. Even as an adult, Teddy’s life was made miserable by some of the young men and women he’d gone to school with. It didn’t help that he never had the chance to leave Lebanon. He’d had dreams of leaving for college like the other kids in his graduating class, but the untimely death of his Uncle Darren had necessitated him staying behind to help his mom take over the store.

On that particular afternoon in November, his psoriasis was at an all-time high. He had large patches on his face and neck, and the backs of his hands were just one big blotch of itchy, red skin. He noticed how every customer that came into the store looked at him either in disgust or pity, and he really wished that he could just close up and go home.

By the time 4 o’clock rolled around, he was more than ready for his shift to be over. He only had another 30 minutes before Sue was scheduled to come in and, much to his relief, things had been relatively slow for the last few hours.

He was sitting behind the counter, reading a magazine, when the bell above the door rang, signaling a customer coming in. Teddy looked up, and his stomach immediately dropped when he saw Hank and Scott walk in the store.

Hank and Scott had been the two classmates who had made his life the most miserable in high school. He hated them. On their own, they were tolerable, but anytime they got together, things were bad. For Teddy, at least.

He watched as they stepped into the store and looked around. He could tell the exact second they realized who was behind the counter, and he tried to prepare himself for what was to come.  He knew he was fighting a losing battle, though.

Both men walked towards him, and Teddy could feel himself shrinking in their presence.

“Look who it is, Hank! Remember Scaly Teddy? Looks like things haven’t changed much for you, Ted. Still leaving a trail of flaky skin everywhere you go?”

Teddy tried to ignore them, but they didn’t want to be ignored.

“How’s life treating you, Teddy? Still working this dead-end job, I see.” This time it was Hank who was talking to him. Teddy could see the smirks on his tormentors’ faces and, not for the first time, he wished that he could either stand up for himself or just disappear into the ground.

The two of them kept on with their remarks, and Teddy was so embarrassed that he didn’t even hear the door open again. It wasn’t until Hank made some awful remark about the fact that Teddy was still a virgin because no girl would ever get too close to him that he realized who had come in.
“Hey, Teddy.  Everything OK in here?”

Teddy looked up in surprise. He couldn’t help the surge of relief that shot through him when he saw Dean standing several feet away.

Hank and Scott both looked over at Dean and quickly surmised that he was the type to join in on their little act. After all, Dean was obviously the type of guy who didn’t ever have to worry about being picked on.

Scott took a step closer to Dean, smiling at him like they were kindred spirits. “Oh, he’s fine.  Don’t worry about Teddy. He’s got thick skin. Ain’t that right, Teddy?”

Hank burst out laughing, and Teddy could feel his face turning beet red.

“Teddy?” Dean watched Teddy closely, not surprised when the young man wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“He’s not much of a talker,” Scott continued. “Usually just stands there looking like a fool.”

Teddy lifted his eyes long enough to see Dean’s eyes narrow and his face harden. He suddenly looked 10 times more intimidating and scary, but Teddy didn’t feel threatened at all. In fact, he somehow knew that Dean was there to help him.

When Hank and Scott continued to exchange insulting comments aimed at Teddy, Dean’s face grew darker and darker. Eventually, he stepped towards the two men, straightening up to his full height and pushing his shoulders back. Teddy wondered if he was doing that on purpose or if that was just something he did naturally.

“I think the two of you need to leave,” Dean growled, taking both Hank and Scott by surprise.  When neither of them moved, he took another step closer and barked: “Now!”

“Who the hell are you to tell us what to do?” Scott said as he looked Dean up and down.  He had at least two inches and 30 pounds on Dean, but Teddy was pretty sure that that didn’t matter. In fact, he didn’t even think it mattered that there were two of them and only one of Dean.

Unfortunately, Hank and Scott didn’t realize that fact until it was too late.  After exchanging several more comments and threats, Dean finally decided to take matters into his own hands and end the situation. Before Teddy even knew what was happening, both Hank and Scott were on the floor, flat on their backs, gasping for air. Dean’s punches had landed so quickly that neither of them were even aware they’d been hit until they were on the ground.

Dean leaned over the two men and said something to them so quietly that Teddy couldn’t hear it. Whatever he’d said, though, had both Hank and Scott scrambling to their feet and heading out the door without another word.

Once the door was closed behind them, Dean turned to look at Teddy. “I don’t think they’ll be back anytime soon.  Are you OK?”

Teddy assured Dean that he was OK, and then tried to thank him for what he’d done. Teddy’s face was flushed red, and he could already feel new itchy spots surfacing on his arms, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of shock he felt when he thought about what had just happened.

“Hey, listen,” Dean said. “You can’t let jerks treat you like that. You gotta learn to stand up to them, OK?”

Teddy nodded, but he knew that he wasn’t the type to stand up for himself like that. Dean looked at him as if he knew exactly what he was thinking. “I mean it, Teddy. You’re a good guy. You deserve better.”

From that point on, Teddy’s impression of Dean Campbell changed. Yes, the man was big, imposing, and intimidating, but Teddy suddenly realized that he was somewhat of a hero.  His brother was, too. It suddenly seemed more plausible that Sam and Dean really were working for some secret agency that worked to keep the world a safer place.

He realized that they were just the type of guys to save the world. And he was glad to be a little part of their story.