entranceway | [Video to Sam] (closed)

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marvel: teddy altman

[Video to Sam] (closed)

[Teddy had done his best to ignore the strange memories. It had been easy on Saturday. He had more important things to preoccupy his mind with but, now that Billy's birthday was over he found himself with his thoughts and the strangeness of the mansion more and more.

It wasn't just the zombies that concerned Teddy. It was the intense emotions that poured through them. The horror and sorrow of discovering his family had been violated and turned into something evil and grotesque. The utter elation and relief of knowing that at least one of the non-flesh craving villains had ceased to become a problem. But the worst was the vacant, glazed over and wide mirthless grin of someone he had trusted, someone he loved. It made him feel sick and he couldn't tear his mind from them as he puzzled over what they could mean and where they had come from.

It wasn't until Monday that Teddy began to piece things together. Maybe it was the memory he had of Simon - a traitor which just didn't mesh up with the person he'd met here in Wonderland. Or perhaps it was the name given to the person with the grin: Number Five. Whatever it was, the puzzle clicked into place and Teddy was at once relieved to know whose memories these belonged to and saddened to share them. He almost didn't want to give them back if it would save Sam from feeling these memories again. Yet, if he had Sam's memories then it stood to reason that someone had his own. What they were, he couldn't say, but he wanted them back.

He was sure Sam would feel the same way.

Teddy pulled up a video chat and closed it to Sam. This was private. This was personal.]

Hey, Sam. I think we need to talk.

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[If there was anything that would get Sam's attention, it was those words. They filled his gut with dread, made him feel a little sick. He was terrified of what Teddy might want to talk about.

Along with everything else, he feels exhausted. He nearly didn't reply. But it was Teddy and he deserved that much respect, even if Sam was nervous.

He manages a weak smile. He knows he looks exhausted, but he can try to make it less obvious.]

Hey Teddy. Sure. What do you want to talk about?

[Teddy frowns. Of course he notices the fact that Sam looks as though he hasn't slept in weeks. Memories can wait - this was more important.]

It's hard to explain...

Hey, are you alright? You look a bit raccoonish with those dark circles.

Maybe we should do this in person. Are you free?

[Sam shrugs, rubbing at his eyes when Teddy mentions it.]

Yeah I'm just... just tired. And sure. I'm always free for you. Do you want to come over? Or we could go to the bar?

Why don't I come over to your room? What we need to discuss is a bit... private.

Okay. That isn't ominous at all.

[He smiles when he says it but it does sound a little intimidating.]

My room is fine. Managed to avoid becoming part of Silent Hill.

[Teddy smiles.]

Good. I'm glad I don't have to fight Pyramid head to get to you. All bets are off then - hate that guy. I'll be there in a bit.

[Teddy turned off the device and headed down to Sam, doing his best to avoid as many insane floors as he could. He didn't want to get wrapped up in Wonderland's craziness anymore than he had to be. He knocked on Sam's door, trying to come up with a way to explain what he thought was true - his memories weren't his. That they really belonged to Sam.

It sounded crazy! But, at least they had the benefit of living in Wonderland to explain all the insanity away.]

It's me. Teddy. Definitely not Pyramid Head, in case you're wondering.

[Sam grins when he hears Teddy's voice and heads to the door.]

Oh yeah? That's just what Pyramid Head would say!

[Or y'know, he'd just smash the door down. That too. He pulled the door open and smiled.]

Hey. Come on it. It's a bit of a mess.

[But Five is there immediately, all doggy glee at seeing Teddy.]

[Teddy kneels down, letting Five jump up and lick his face. He grins until the realization of who the pup is named after hits him hard. It's like a punch in the gut and it's a struggle to hide the pain. He gives Five one last pat before he stands up, not really sure how he should start the conversation.]

So, um, this is going to sound odd, but, did you notice anything missing? Or maybe some memories that... that just don't seem to belong?

[There's an odd look on Teddy's face when he stands up, one that Sam can't really place. He frowns a little when Teddy speaks, but gives an aborted little nod.]

Yeah. I mean... I'm pretty sure we don't actually have Ents in my world, but I definitely remember a talking tree. Also I was much shorter and...

I remember getting tortured. Maybe that one's actually real.

[Teddy frowned. It sounded like Sam was talking about Lord of the Rings but why would Sam have memories of Middle Earth? Maybe he was wrong - maybe the memories were his own and there was something else causing them to feel... pasted on.]

I... have memories of people and places I've never been. Of emotions that I don't remember having before and... zombies. Everywhere. I remember my parents and... and I know that has to be impossible because I never met my biological parents. Well, I met my father - sort of, but I know he wasn't turned and my mother... the woman I knew as my mother... she didn't turn into a mindless, dead monster. She... she was a Skrull and died before I could even know the truth from her.

[Teddy takes a deep breath.]

I guess, what I'm trying to say is, that I have these memories of things that I'm sure never happened to me. But I think... I think they may have happened to you.

[Unfortunately, Sam is pretty sure that Lord of the Rings didn't happen with spaceships, although if anyone wanted to make that it would be awesome.

He blanches when Teddy mentions zombies, and gives him a sympathetic look.]

I'm sorry. My parents... [He pauses, because he can't actually remember what happened to his parents. He knows that they're not with him at Abel. That he misses them like crazy sometimes.] They- I lost them, I guess. Maybe they went to find my sister.

[That doesn't feel right though. Why would they abandon him?

And then Teddy says that and Sam gives him a sharp, wide-eyed look.]

What? What kind of memories? I mean, there are other people here who come from zombie worlds.

[Sam was right. There were others, but somehow, the memories felt like Sam. Teddy couldn't explain it. He just had a feeling he was right.]

I have this memory of waking up and going to look for my parents only to find that they're zombies. I've already said how that can't be possible. My biological mother died on Skrull, my father died here on Earth and my mother was killed but not by zombies. There's more, too - I remembered it when I saw Five.

[Teddy looked down at the pup and shuddered.]

There's a person in my memories - Runner Five. But something is wrong - the way she looks at me... her eyes are so white and her face... And then she comes at me, attacking me and I can't... I can't fight back. Because she's in there somewhere and I...

[Teddy breaks off, feeling shakey. The memory is intense, not to mention the emotions. How he feels about Five is close to how he feels about Billy.]

I could be crazy. It's a possibility that I'll entertain but does any of that ring a bell?

[The hurt hits him like a fresh wound. It clamps down on his chest, tightens around his heart, sucks the strength from his limbs. He staggers back and sits down heavily on the edge of the bed, staring up at Teddy, his eyes wide and hurt and vulnerable.]

They... dad got bitten. It was early enough so we thought it was nothing. And they were there in the kitchen and I couldn't do anything to help them.

[All he'd been able to do was react, and that had meant killing them. And he hated how easily it had seemed to come to him. Did that make him a monster? Was that it? Surviving made you do awful things.

The next memory makes him gasp. Five, oh god, how could he have forgotten?]

Five is... [His eyes are stinging at that memory as it comes flooding back.]

Five was mind controlled. They didn't mean it. I think they were fighting it as much as they could. They could have killed me with that axe. They didn't. Five was- It was horrible.

[Teddy followed Sam to the bed, kneeling down in front of him. The moment Sam spoke it felt like a weight had lifted off of his shoulders. The memories are gone and all he's left with is the faint sensation of having known something so intimate, sharing emotions with another person. He reaches out and puts his hands on Sam's knee, sliding his thumb against his leg in soothing circles.

He gets it - better than anyone, at this point.]

I'm sorry, Sam. I am. I wish they were happier memories...

[Teddy takes a deep breath.]

There's one more but this one I don't really understand. Something explodes and I'm happy - happy that he's gone. I don't know who he is but he's horrible. He can't hurt us anymore, even though the damage has been done.

[It's raw and awful the pain that's he's feeling, things that he'd thought had started to scab over made fresh again. He sucks in a deep sobbing breathe and reaches up to scrub at his eyes. His mum and dad and they hadn't even recognised him. He hadn't had chance to say goodbye. He'd never had chance to make his dad proud, or stop his mum looking sad when another bad report came through from university.

He takes hold of Teddy's hand, squeezing it like it's a lifeline.

The last memory though, it makes him smile. It's a bitter, twisted smile, but he can remember that day so clearly. The elations they'd felt, the fierce, angry joy of it.]

He was called Van Ark. He- he tried to kill us all. He blew up the town, send hundreds of mind controlled zoms to kill us. He tortured Five. He had a spy and was going to have them poison our water supply.

And then Five blew him up.

[Teddy sat next to Sam and put his arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a warm, half-hug. To go through all of that and still come out a good person on the other end was hard for most people. Sam had been through hell and only had more of it to look forward to. If only there was a way Teddy could prevent it from happening he would gladly take Sam back to his universe. It wasn't without it's share of troubles but at least there were moments when life was blissfully uneventful.]

[Teddy held Sam close before kissing him on his temple, using his actions instead of words to convey his feelings. Billy was always so much better with knowing exactly the right thing to say. Teddy could express the same sentiments with a look, a touch or an embrace.]

[Sam let out a shuddering breath and just seemed to slump when Teddy wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. He curled against Teddy's side and he was reassuringly warm and solid, a comforting presence. Sam was shaking, the memories that had come back full force leaving him drained and exhausted.

The kiss was met with a sweet smile, tired but painfully grateful.]

Thanks. I'm- I'm sorry you had to remember that.

Don't be. In a way, I'm sort of glad. I understand so much more now. It's only a small portion of what you've been through, but, it feels as though I've lived it with you.

[Teddy squeezed Sam's shoulders, wanting to chase the worse of the shock away.]

[Sam looked up at him, still smiling tiredly.]

Those two, they were some of the worst parts honestly. I mean, among other very awful parts. And some very embarrassing parts too.

[Teddy returned Sam's smile with a brighter one of his own. He couldn't stand seeing Sam hurt from memories of the past. You were supposed to learn from them, grow but dwell on happier times.]

Tell me a memory that is one of your best. A happy memory.

[He pauses at that, chewing on his lip as he thinks. Everything recently has been so awful. There's not been much chance for good things.]

Well, the exploding chickens were pretty funny.

[But that's not really what Teddy wants to hear.]

I- I remember one time, it was pretty soon after Runner Five arrived. They- they got caught outside after dark. Stupid mission. And I- I thought I'd never see them again. The zoms, they're more dangerous after dark, more active. I was just talking to dead air I thought. Waiting. We were gonna have to close the gates. But just before we did, they came back. Five always comes back. I knew it then.

[He takes a breath.]

And- and I'm gonna be a dad.

[Teddy could empathize with Sam. He knew that feeling of not being good enough but clinging to hope until finally, that person arrived out of danger. The relief was always so overwhelming.

But it was what Sam said last that threw Teddy for a loop.]

You're going to be a father? Sam, thats incredible! Congratulations! When is the baby due? Who is the mother? Do you have names picked out?

[The sudden questions made it all seem very real suddenly. Oh god, he was going to be a dad. Sort of.]

It's... it's kind of complicated. We still have to work out details. It's- it's for Maxine. And for her girlfriend Paula. Me and Maxine talked and she wants me to be the dad.

[The smile never left Teddy's facee as he pulled Sam into a giant bear hug. Kids were something he wanted with Billy in the future but he hadn't given much thought to the whys or hows of it. It had to be confusing, especially since emotions were involved and given Sam's apocalyptic world, there was little doubt that sex was involved as opposed to other means. Teddy was too polite to ask. Whatever Sam, Maxine and Paula decided it would be the best for all of them.

Teddy would offer as much support as he could, no matter what Wonderland had in store for them.]

Whatever you three decide, I'm sure it will be the right decision. I'm very happy for you, you know? I... I never knew my father. My mom was always single and her relationships never lasted longer than a few dates. So being someone's Dad - that's an amazing role to play. You're going to be great.

[Sam startles a little but smiles in relief and hugs Teddy back. It's nice that someone knows. Nice that he can tell someone and have them support him even if it's all a mess and if they can't really do anything until they get home.]

I hope so. I mean, I never thought about being a dad. I'm just a kid myself really. But it's for Maxine and Paula and... I think it'd be nice.

You'll know. I think all parents worry about doing the right things. But, you're someone who puts others first. That's something a good parent does right. My Mom wasn't my biological mother and yet, I couldn't ask for a better person.

[Teddy smiled warmly at Sam.]

You'll be great.

I hope so. I really really want to be a good dad. It's a bit terrifying. [And they hadn't even done anything yet. Still waiting for Maxine to get back from London.]

Thanks. I'm glad you think so.

[Teddy shifted on the bed and put his arm warmly around Sam's shoulders.]

You're welcome. Well, I think those are all the memories I have. Does anything else seem to be missing?

[Sam leaned against him gratefully.]

No. Not that I think I'd know if there was. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

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