Disclaimer: I don't own Coraline or anything related to it. This collection of stories is made up entirely of oneshots and drabbles based on the book and/or the movie. Neither of which are mine.

Stings

"No. Absolutely not."

"Aww, come on, Mel. Why not? She's wanted to explore the wasteland for such a long time."

"People dump their trash there, Charlie! There's broken glass and rusty metal! What if she cuts herself? She could get tetanus!"

"That's why I'll go with her. I can make sure she doesn't touch any sharp things or get hurt. Come on, Mel, don't you trust me?"

There was a pause, then a sigh. "All right, fine. Just make her wear sturdy shoes and gloves."

Behind the bedroom door, five year old Coraline Jones balled her fists together and bit her lip to keep from cheering. He did it! He really did it! Daddy promised he'd convince Mom, and he did it!

That afternoon the two of them walked hand in hand to the wilderness behind their home. It was chilly and the trees were bare, but the sky was blue and sunny. She blew out a long plume of white steam and giggled. "Look, Daddy! I have dragon breath!"

He grinned down at her through foggy glasses. "You sure do! You could scare a real dragon away with smoke like that!"

"Do you think there's dragons living in the ravine, Daddy?"

Her father shrugged. "Who knows? There could be all kinds of weird critters out there. That's why Mom was afraid to let you go. She thinks they'll eat you up or something."

Coraline clutched his hand tighter. "You won't let them eat me, will you, Daddy?"

"Never! I'd slay any dragon that tried to lay a claw on my princess!"

The way he said it was funny, but Coraline knew it was the truth. Her father was her hero. He could do anything. He chased away monsters from her closet and under her bed, and sang songs to her when she couldn't sleep. He was the bravest father in the world.

Shortly they arrived at the gully. The place was a treasure trove of junk. There were old empty dressers and vanity tables, rusted bed frames and mattresses with springs poking out, and even broken toys and bicycles. There were plants, too. Weeds and vines and wildflowers growing in, on and around anything they could reach. It was wonderful.

Coraline's father led her down the hill and allowed her to wander but was never very far from her side. She picked up everything she could get her hands on and showed him what she found. He would comment on the objects as though her were an antique expert and even said it was alright to keep some. She took a cracked pocket watch with a rusty chain, a tarnished bed knob, a few scraps of cloth from a tattered quilt and some old coins. Her bag was soon clinking with her treasures.

Suddenly her father spoke. His voice was tight and urgent. "Coraline … Run away. Up the hill. Now!"

From the look on his face, Coraline was sure he'd seen a dragon somewhere. So she ran as fast as she could, back up the hill the way she'd come. Something hot and sharp hurt the back of her arm, but she kept on running. When she reached the top of the hill she heard a terrible thundering noise. She turned around, fearing the dragon had gotten her father and was coming after her. But it was her father charging up the hill. His glasses were gone. As soon as he reached her he scooped her up in his arms and kept on running.

When he finally stopped and put her down again he was puffing and panting. Coraline was also gasping for breath. "D-Daddy," she wheezed. "Wh-what happened?"

Her father was still trying to catch his breath, so he pointed back at the gully instead. Coraline looked. There was no dragon. Instead there was a swarm of yellow wasps buzzing angrily in the air. "We…" her father panted. "We must've stepped … on their nest … Did you get stung?"

Coraline remembered the pain on her arm. It still hurt when she touched it. "Yes."

"Then we better get you home so Mom can fix it." He clutched her hand and started to walk briskly, all but dragging her across the cold ground.

"Daddy, what happened to your glasses?" Coraline asked.

Her father sighed. She didn't ask anything else.

By the time they got home, Coraline's father had bright red welts appearing all over his body. Her mother had to take him in the bathroom and rub him down with ointment. Coraline peered through the crack in the door and counted the stings she could see. She put her hand over the single hot sting on her arm. Her father must be burning all over.

When her mother was done, her father put his clothes back on and came out of the bathroom. Coraline hid behind the door, but she wasn't fast enough. He looked down at her and smiled. "You okay, kiddo?" She looked at the floor and nodded. He ruffled her short brown hair. "Good. I'm going back to find my glasses now. Don't let Mom worry too much."

Coraline looked up at him with wide eyes. "But what about the wasps?"

He nodded. "Maybe. But I need those glasses. They're the only pair I've got. If I leave them another day I won't remember where they are."

Coraline wanted to protest more, but he was already leaving. She started to follow him. Her mother came up and put her hands on her shoulders. "Let him go. Don't worry. Your Daddy's a very brave man."

Sure enough, later that afternoon, her father came home wearing his glasses. Coraline ran to meet him and hugged him. When he groaned in pain she pulled back. She'd been so glad to have him back that she'd forgotten all about his stings. "Are you okay, Daddy? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

He smiled down at her warmly. "It's okay, princess. I'll survive."

"I can't believe you did that!" Coraline said. "Weren't you scared of the wasps?"

"Sure I was. When I went back, that is." He knelt down to her level and looked her in the eye. His glasses were smudged with dirt. "The first time I wasn't scared, because I saw you running away. I knew they couldn't hurt you then. "

"You were really brave, Daddy."

He shook his head. "No, that wasn't being brave. I wasn't scared then. Giving you time to run was the only thing I could do. But going back for my glasses when I knew the wasps were there, that was really brave."

Coraline tilted her head, feeling very confused.

"See, Coraline," her father continued. "Being brave doesn't mean you aren't scared. It means doing what you have to do, even when you are scared. Does that make sense?"

She thought for a moment. Then she shook her head.

Her father shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. "Well, I tried. Maybe you'll get it when you're older." He stood up, taking her small hand in his. "Come on, we're both dirty. Let's take a bath and count my stings. Mom said she saw thirty-nine of them."

Coraline's eyes grew wide. Her father was the bravest father in the world.

The End