A/N: Well, this one has taken a while. I'm definitely not as fast with these oneshots as some other people are.

I've been noticing lately that the 100 Theme Challenge has been very popular lately. :D That's cool. When I started doing it, only Numbuh 212, December'sRose and Musicgirl101 were doing it. Now so many people are.

Well anyway. This is number 61 of the 100TC and I really like it a lot. But that's just me.

Fairy Tale

I never could stand those silly, mushy fairy tales. Every single story was about a girl needed to be rescued by her Prince Charming. And usually that Prince Charming is wearing tights, something that should be banned.

Of course she loves them. Lugging around that huge, 500 page book with just about every fairy tale on its pages.

I will never forgive Hoagie, Abby and Nigel for pitching together and buying a book that probably cost 50 dollars. It's a hard back, first edition for Pete's sake. What's wrong with a cheap, second-hand copy?

Now all she does is skip around the tree house humming songs from those Disney princess movies – something almost as scary as Rainbow dorkies – with that big, fat book clutched to her chest.

Whenever I say something, though, Abby says to leave her alone. "She's 11. Pretty soon she'll outgrow fairy tales and leave that book somewhere to collect dust."

"Why would you even buy her the book if it would sit rotting on a shelf someday?"

Abby shakes her head and leaves.

Am I the only one in this tree house to see that sitting on a couch all day, immersed in fake stories that teach you 'lessons' – which is a lot of bogus anyway, how does not eating apples help you? Or leaving a shoe that probably would have cost a lot of money stranded on a stair? – might be a bad thing?

Hoagie tells me to get a life. "It's not like she's making you read the fairy tales."

"Well no duh, Hoagie, I already know every story completely by heart, what with her reading them aloud in the living room. And don't try to deny anything! I saw you slip earplugs on under your cap."

As soon as I say that, though, Hoagie's glancing over at her and high-tailing it out of the room.

Nigel and Abby smile over at me from behind their respective magazines as if they know something. I can't help but notice the smiles slip a little bit as she starts reading Rapunzel aloud for the 5th or 6th time. Seems like they're starting to regret buying the book for her as well.

Not that they'd ever admit it. Or ask her to read it silently. They're too nice to do that. Funny how they didn't think about being nice to me, when they gave a girl with a weakness for mushiness, a book filled with 'true love's kisses.'

It's been a week since the evil book has been in possession of the girl-with-a-weakness-for-mushiness and so far the tree house has heard Rapunzel six times, Cinderella three times, Sleeping Beauty nine times, The Little Mermaid five times and Snow White – which for some reason she doesn't like all that much- only once.

I'm considering suicide.

It's not like you can just get up and run away. Not if you're alone with only her in the room anyway. Cause if you get up and leave, she'll just follow you.

The others and I have a shift going. Only one of us has to listen to the stories at a time. The others can go do what they want. But then if she starts another story it's someone else's turn. She hasn't seemed to notice much yet. She just wants to read to an audience. Nigel heard her reading 'Puss in Boots' to the hamsters before we started the shift and had taken to hiding in our rooms.

It's amazingly quiet. She's gone to visit her family – and no doubt bother them with the darn fairy tales – for the day. It's the first time in over a week where everyone's free to roam the hallways without worrying about a reread of The Princess and the Pea. I have to say it is nice to be able to watch wrestling without her reading – loudly – in the corner.

I sigh and stuff another handful of popcorn in my mouth.

A sudden crash makes me jump and choke on the popcorn. As I'm hacking – a lung, it feels like – she rushes in, book clenched in her arms just as always. There goes my relaxing day.

As I stop choking, I notice it's not just as always. Her purple eyes are filled to the brim with tears.

I almost start choking again.

I hate seeing her cry. I hate seeing anyone cry, but most of all her.

"You ok?" I ask trying to make it seem like I'm not going to start freaking out if those tears spill over.

She sniffles and my resolve to no freaking out cracks a bit.

Be strong, Beetles, be strong.

She wipes her nose on her sleeve and looks at me. "I-I was at my h-home and reading Rapunzel to Mushi. I thought she'd like to hear it. A-As soon as I got to the 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair,' part Mushi started yelling. H-Her hands were clamped around her ears and she w-was jumping around y-yelling that she'd heard it a buhmillion times. M-My mom came and Mushi told her to s-stop the fairy tales. I d-didn't think that my mom would a-actually agree with her." She ended with a little sob.

I could practically feel my resolve flowing away. It wasn't that I didn't know what Mushi and the Sanban's felt like, no sometimes I just wanted to throw the book out the window, but I never would. And this was the reason, her crying around the house for who knows how long.

The girl in question fixed me with a watery gaze. "D-Do my fairy tales b-bother you too, Wally?" She looked like the wrong answer would send her bawling.

I bit my lip and swallowed every ounce of my fairy tale hating being – and by the end there wasn't very much left of my being, let me tell you – and said the words I knew I would regret, but also knew would make her happy again.

I put on a fake smile and said, "No way, Kuki! I love hearing the fairy tales. You read them so well! Do you want to read me the one about the half-fish again?"

My manliness winced and flinched but my conscience sighed with content as Kuki instantly brightened and wiped away her tears. She skipped over and plopped next to me and with a bright smile opened the well-used book.

I proceeded to half tune her out and glanced at her. A small smile crept its way onto my face as I saw her eyes sparkling once more and her mouth moving slowly.

I sat back into the cushions. I guess I could handle the half-fish story once more. After all there is a fight near the end.

The End

A/N: So? Good? Bad? Ok? Press the pretty bluish/purplish/gray button and let me know.