We're not calling it Babe 13/?
Chapter 13
For a small town fair this one was huge. The closer to the fairground they got, the thicker the crowd became. By the time they reached the first attractions in the outskirts of the whole thing they could barely move. It was a pushing and a shoving and Dean was just glad that Sam had turned out so big. If Sam had stopped growing at a normal size Dean would have lost him within seconds, but this way he just followed the floppy mop of hair that bobbed over all the others like a buoy on the ocean.
Dean took in everything. The cotton candy and the candy apples and everything else with candy in its name. The games and rides and he really hoped they would have time for that roller coaster, that thing looked awesome.
He noticed many places where one could win a stuffed animal but so far no giant teddy bears. He did see a giant stuffed unicorn and he just knew it was up to something.
"Sam, haven't you seen those eyes?" Dean protested when Sam dragged him away from that stand. "I'm telling you, that bitch is up to something."
"You can get your unicorn when we've dealt with the teddy bears." Sam promised and actually tried to sooth him with ice cream like he was some five-year-old.
"That thing is evil." Dean insisted but took the ice cream. "If it's coming for you tonight, I'm not going to rescue you."
They bantered over the ice cream and it felt good. If Dean was honest, he was having fun. Which came as a surprise. This many people around him, the noises, the lights, even the smell, he had expected it would bother him more. But so far the only urges he felt were for that roller coaster and for whatever food they were passing at the moment.
Odd, Dean thought but didn't want to dwell on it for too long. Instead he just enjoyed the moment.
They had been searching the place for over an hour, and had hardly covered a quarter of the place, but hadn't found what they were looking for.
They should have asked the kids where their aunt had won the teddy bear but Dean doubted a description would help them out. Besides, they hadn't know about the bears when they had talked to the kids.
So far Dean hadn't seen anybody walking around with a giant bear either and that was good, right?
On the other hand, if he saw somebody with a teddy he could just asked where he got that damn thing. And they would know who the next victim would be.
Who was he kidding? In this crowd there could be a whole teddy bear parade without him noticing. Dean sighed.
"Time for a break." He decided and grabbed Sam's sleeve before his brother could disappear on him. Sam gave him a questioning look but Dean just pointed at the next place that sold food.
"Funnel cake." Dean had to raise his voice over the sounds from the near by bumper cars.
Sam didn't look happy about the break and probably said something along the line that they just had ice cream but Dean was already on his way to the stand.
"This is good." Sam admitted, licking his fingers. Dean just grinned at him, his own mouth stuffed with sweet, greasy goodness.
They ate in silence for a moment, both of them watching the crowd.
"We should split up." Sam said around a mouth full of funnel cake. It was too muffled and too low for Dean to actually understand the words but he didn't need to. Sam had suggested it more often than once over the last hour.
Usually he would be right, cover more ground and all that, but finding each other again in this crowd was next to impossible. Getting to the other one in time would be the next problem and Dean highly doubted that he would even understand Sam's SOS call with all this background noises.
And let's face it, Sam would be the one getting in trouble, Dean just knew it.
So Dean just pretended he hadn't heard Sam's suggestion and why was he talking with his mouth full anyway? Hypocrite.
Still grinning Dean finished his cake and dusted off his hands. With a tilt of his head he asked Sam if he was ready and then they jumped back into the stream of people passing by.
It wasn't easy to search the place and keep an eye on his brother at the same time and Dean almost wanted to grab his hand so the kid wouldn't get lost.
"Should have borrowed Mac's harness for him." Dean muttered while he parkoured his way around a family of four to keep up with Sam.
They had their eyes on shooting games, they knew that at least Melissa had won her teddy bear there, but those seemed to be popular around here. But finally, it had to be the sixth or seventh they had checked out, Dean spotted one giant teddy bear in the middle of smaller stuffed animals and cheap plastic toys. Almost innocently it sat there, waiting for somebody to take it home.
As far as Dean could tell, this was the only bear this size. Which either meant that there were only three or that they were too late.
However, with his target in clear view, the Mark started to itch again. So far it hadn't bothered him much but the sight of the bear and the toy rifles in front of it … Dean shifted so he felt the weight of his own gun in his waistband. Just to make sure it was there.
"Keep an eye on that thing." Sam said close to his ear. "I'll talk to the owner."
Dean nodded in agreement. He was pretty sure that he had himself under control but someone had to keep an eye on this and Sam was the better talker anyway. So they both pretend that this had nothing to do with the Mark.
Dean watched Sam leave and then just stood there, fingers flexing and anticipation building. He let out a sigh and wished he had taken Mac with him.
Just to keep his hands busy, and to not stand around like a creeper, Dean turned to the next stand which turned out to sell cotton candy. And not just ordinary cotton candy. They had a list of flavors that read more like a menu of a cocktail bar than anything else. Caipirinha. Mojito. Pina Colada. Dean scanned the list, more amused than interested, but then his eyes fell on "Whiskey". They had whiskey flavored cotton candy!
He helped himself to the biggest size they had and then found a spot at the side where he could eat his candy without standing in the way and from where he had a good view on the shooting game.
Dean took his first bite and could only hope that his pornographic moan was lost in the noise around him.
The shooting stand was manned by two people so while Sam was talking to one of them in the back, the other one kept the games running. And the games were running. The five toy rifles never lay on the counter for longer than a few seconds.
The first rush of adrenalin had died down, with the help of some awesome cotton candy, and now Dean was in observing hunter mood, calm and calculating, the Mark a faint humming in the back of his mind.
Eating his candy Dean watched.
This was a game, not a shooting range. The accuracy of the rifles were as crappy as expected. #2 was pulling to the left and with #3 it seemed to be a complete game of chance where the bullet went. #1, #4 and #5 seemed okay but if he had to choose, Dean would settle for #4.
He had just finished his candy and was considering another one, just a small one because, c'mon, whiskey flavored, when his phone buzzed.
A text from Sam: 3TB. Donated. Condition: Highest score to win.
Dean stared at the text for a moment, wondering if he read this right. Only three bears was good news. But the rest? Did you have to actually win the teddy to trigger its evilness? That might explain why the guys running the stand were still alive. If they weren't the ones behind all this.
Donor? He texted back, knowing that Sam was already asking the right questions.
Gonna get the teddy now. Dean sent out another text before he put the phone away.
"So, you're the last one." Dean said under his breath, already on his way to the game. He waited a moment until #4 was free and then stepped in.
"What do I have to do to get the big one?" He put some money on the counter.
"Be the best." The man said with an honest smile, pointing at a list with points and prizes.
Dean had to complete the most difficult range with perfect score to win the teddy. That explained why the third one was still here. You had to be really good at shooting and you had to be lucky with the rifles. Dean was both.
"For you, darling." Dean tried to pass the teddy on to Sam when they met a few minutes later. Sam hurried to raise his hands in a stay away from me manner. Looked like Dean was stuck with creepy Mr. Teddy.
So far the teddy hadn't done anything creepy except for being big and fluffy but Dean really didn't feel comfortable with hugging this thing.
They took the fasted route back to the motel.
Sam waited until they were out of the thickest crowd before he started to fill Dean in.
"I don't think these guys are responsible for this." He started. That much Dean had figured out from the text and the fact that they were just leaving without breaking some skulls first. He made an impatient gesture with his hand and then had to re-adjust his grip on the damn teddy. Great.
Maybe he should just drag it along in a choke-hold.
"Before the fair opened a woman approached them." Sam continued, deliberately not helping him with the teddy which probably was for the better. Remembering Mac's reaction to just poking one of these things, Dean didn't want to risk both of them becoming targets. It was enough if he played bait.
"She donated the teddies to them under the condition to give them out only to somebody who's worthy." He even made air marks.
"Anything about this woman?"
"A vague description." Sam shook his head. "Could be anybody. She didn't give a name and Chris, the guy I spoke to, didn't know her and hasn't seen her since."
"So we're looking for the mysterious woman now? Awesome." Dean grit his teeth and upped his step when their motel came into view. The sooner he could let go of this teddy the better. And not only because of the whole murderous teddy thing. People were staring at him. Two guys and one teddy bear, he couldn't even blame anybody for jumping to conclusions this time.
Sam held the door open for him and Dean actually managed to get far enough into the room to notice that Mac was sitting on his bed just like they had left him.
Then there was a high pitched squealing and the next second Dean was tackled to the floor. Next thing he knew was that he was in a tug of war for the teddy with Mac.
For a pig his size Mac was strong. He had his little teeth buried in one of the teddy's legs, determined to get the bear away from Dean.
Sitting on the floor and not really sure how he got there, Dean held on to the teddy's head more out of reflex than anything else.
With a tearing sound something suddenly gave and Dean fell on his back, the teddy's head still clutched at his chest. Mac dragged the rest of the bear away from him.
"Dean, you okay?" Sam crouched next to him, more amused than worried.
"Super."
Sam's eyes traveled down to the fluffy head on his chest. With a frown he plucked something out of the torn fabric. A small branch?
"Is that?" Sam took a sniff and his eyes went wide.
"What is it?" Dean propped himself up on one elbow to have a better look, not caring when Mac dragged the head away as well. The leaves looked familiar.
"Meadowsweet." They said in unison.
Chapter 14
Masterpost