The first time Bearbert had come to life was when she was nine. It had been after she had watched both the movie Toy Story and Christmas dinner come to life that year. She couldn't decide if she should be terrified or elated. Because she knew, she knew it couldn't have been happy movie magic making him come to life. It had to be ectoplasm.
Some ectoplasm had spilled on him when she'd been holding him while grabbing something from the fridge. She thought she could just wash him off and he'd be fine. She didn't want to bother her parents because they were always working down in the lab. She could clean him off just fine on her own.
She woke up one night, not expecting anyone to be watching her. But when she lifted her groggy eyes up she could see him sitting up and staring at her.
She scrambled up and fell backwards off of her bed. They continued staring at each other for a few seconds before he waved at her.
Eyes wide, Jazz waved back.
Beartbert danced excitedly back and forth on his feet, clapping his hands.
She smiled at him and crawled up to her bed and stared at him. He didn't look much different than he usually did. He just had the tiniest green glow. He still looked like the stuffed animal she'd had all her life.
For the next two weeks, Bearbert became her playmate. Danny didn't want to play with her. All he wanted to do was play video games and make rocket ships, so Bearbert finally gave her some much needed company.
She'd never really had any close friends before, but she imagined that's what Bearbert was. She felt extra secure at night now knowing she had someone who'd protect her from all the monsters in the shadows.
One morning she woke up and the bed next to her was empty. Looking around she couldn't find Bearbert anywhere. He wasn't wrapped in the bedsheets, he wasn't on the floor, he wasn't even on her desk drawing something for her.
She walked downstairs and into the kitchen where she saw her mom making breakfast at the stove.
"Mom? Have you seen Bearbert?" She asked groggily.
Maddie flipped a pancake. "I found him when I came to wake you up today. I took him down to the lab to decontaminate him, he's waiting for you at your seat at the table!"
Jazz's heart dropped into her stomach and she walked up to the table to see him sitting on her placemat. He didn't have an ectoplasmic glow anymore and he sat so horrifyingly still. Her lip wobbled but she didn't let the tears fall. She just took a deep breath and pulled him to her chest.
The next time he had come alive was when she was in middle school. She found out earlier in the day that Spike was in the hospital because he was hurting. It broke her heart and she wished she could've done something to help him. She wouldn't get to see him for a couple weeks and she already missed him so much.
She didn't know how it happened. Bearbert had been sitting on one of her shelves for a couple years now. She didn't sleep with him at night anymore, so there wasn't any risk of ectoplasm spilling on him.
But while she was crying, someone had tapped her arm and when she looked over Bearbert was standing there looking at her, his ectoplasmic glow so very faint. He waved at her.
More tears filled her eyes and she grabbed onto him and pulled him into a hug. She doesn't know how long she sat there crying, but when she pulled Bearbert away he was a regular, limp stuffed animal again.
She doesn't know how he did it. He must've absorbed enough ambient ectoplasm to come alive long enough to comfort her.
She started sleeping with him at night again.
This last time it had happened was when Jazz was coming home from school. She opened the door to her room and found an ecto-gun laying on the floor, ectoplasm leaking out of it. She wrinkled her nose at it. The seal must not have been tight enough on it. She'd have to tell her parents.
It looked like there were little drops leading underneath her bed, which didn't make sense if the gun was just leaking. She dropped to her knees and looked under the bed and her eyes widened.
Sitting there looking at her was Bearbert. The last place she left him was on her bed near her pillow. He must've fallen off into the puddle of ectoplasm. He waved at her.
She waved back at him and opened her arms for a hug.
He ran out to her and jumped into her arms and she pulled him to her chest. After a moment, he pulled back and pointed at the door.
A confused look crossed her face and she looked at it.
He pointed at the door again and then pointed at a picture of her and Danny that was sitting on her night stand. Her eyes widened.
"You want to meet Danny?"
Bearbert nodded. Jazz just stared at him. He'd never been interested in playing with Danny during those two weeks as a kid. She wonders what-
"Oh." She whispered. "I get it."
She stood up, holding Bearbert. Opening her door, she looked both ways before crossing the hall and knocking on Danny's door. She heard a mumbled come in.
She opened the door and walked in, closing it behind her.
"What do you want, Jazz? I'm trying to take a nap before a ghost decides to interrupt me."
She held Bearbert out in front of her. "I had someone who wanted to meet you."
"What are you talking about? That's just-" His eyes widened when Bearbert waved at him. "What the hell? Jazz! Put that down!" An ectoblast appeared in Danny's hand.
"Danny! No!" She pulled Bearbert back to her chest. "He's not evil!"
"How do you know that?"
"Because this isn't the first time this has happened! He used to play with me."
"How-"
"Whenever he gets ectoplasm on him or soaks up enough ambient ectoplasm he comes to life." She furrowed her brows. "Or, unlife, I guess. But he wanted to meet you."
She set Bearbert on the bed and he waddled over to where Danny sat.
"Why though? I literally tore his stuffing out a month ago."
"I think he knows what happened." Jazz said quietly.
Bearbert wrapped his arms around Danny and nodded. Danny looked stunned before placing a hand on Bearbert's head.
"Why does he care?"
Jazz shrugged. "He likes comforting people I think."
She watched as Danny leaned back against his headboard again, petting Bearbert's hair.
"I'm gonna go do homework for a little while. I can come pick him up later."
She got up and went back across the hall to her room. She did homework for about an hour before deciding to wake Danny up in time for dinner.
When she peaked in his door again, Danny was laying on his side holding Bearbert in his arms. Bearbert looked at her and waved.
She smiled and waved back.