So this is going to be a series of outtakes from 101 Reasons- which you should all read if you haven't already. Mainly, they're stories that I've come up with, but won't fit into the story, either because I've already done the number, or because there isn't one for what I want.

This one in particular I've had in my head for a little while, and I finally decided to get it written down. Hope you enjoy it.

Ear Infection

As Clara opened her eyes, the first thing she was aware of was that her ears hurt. A lot. She laid in bed for a few minutes, trying to make the pain go away, but she eventually decided that this was a job for her parents.

So she carefully got out of her bed, making sure to bring Pooh Bear and her blanket with her. She stepped into the hallway and made her way to the stairs. She passed AJ's door and briefly considered waking her sister up to help her, but she was nearly 3 years old, and wanted to be a big girl.

When she got to the top of the stairs, Clara tossed Pooh Bear down, and as soon as she heard the thump of his landing, she began making her way slowly down the stairs, one step at a time. She held tightly to the railings, even as she held her blanket in the crook of her arm. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she spent a few minutes trying to locate Pooh, but once she'd done it, she held him tightly to her chest and walked slowly to her parent's bedroom.

Their room was dark, and Clara nearly tripped over the clothes strewn all over the floor. She knew her mom slept on the side of the bed away from the door, so she walked to the end of the bed and used her hand to make sure she knew when to turn. When she got to her mom's side of the bed, however, Clara realized she had another issue.

She wasn't big enough to actually get onto the bed.

Luckily, Kate's hand was hanging off the side of the bed, so Clara grabbed her fingers and tugged lightly. "Mumma." She said.

Kate felt something tugging on her hand, and at first, she thought Rick was trying to wake her up for another round, but then she heard the soft voice.

"Mumma."

Kate peeked her eye open, and from the light of the clock, she saw Clara standing by her bed. "Clara?" Kate asked, her voice rough from lack of use.

"Mumma?" Clara asked as she leaned in. "Mumma help?"

"What's wrong?" Kate asked.

"Clara up?"

Kate was about to agree when she remembered that both her and Rick were naked under the covers, and that wasn't something she needed her daughters to ever see.

"Hold on, Clara." Kate said before she rolled over to face Rick. "Rick, wake up."

"Huh?" Rick asked as his hand reached out and tugged Kate closer. "Already need more?" He asked as he peeked an eye open.

"Always do. But I don't really want Clara to see that."

"She's here?" Rick asked, instantly awake.

Kate nodded. "So pull some pants on and take her out into the kitchen so I can get dressed?" She asked softly.

Rick nodded, and Kate rolled back over to her daughter. She reached her hand out and tucked a lock of Clara's hair behind her ear. "Daddy's gonna take you to the kitchen, and I'll be there in a bit, ok?"

"Ears hurt." Clara said, flinching away from Kate's hand near her ear.

"Your ears hurt?" Kate asked, more concerned now.

Clara nodded. "Hurt lots." She whimpered

Rick came over to his daughter and pulled her into his arms. "Come on, Monkey. I'll get you some juice and then Mumma will come see us, ok?"

Clara tucked her head into the crook of Rick's head and nodded. "Kay."

Rick carried her from the room, and as soon as she was alone, Kate climbed out of bed and went to the closet. She pulled on a pair of cotton shorts and an old sweatshirt of Rick's before she pulled her hair into a loose braid and went to join her husband and daughter.

She walked into the kitchen as Clara held out Pooh to her dad. "Daddy kiss Mitter Pooh's head?"

Rick took the bear and looked at him. "What happened?"

"I frowed him down the stairs."

"Why?"

"Too hard ta carry him and Mitter Blanket."

Rick nodded and pressed a kiss to Pooh's head. "All better."

"Monkey, did you come all the way from your room by yourself?" Kate asked as she approached the two of them.

"I big girl. Didn't want Aa wake up."

Kate nodded. "Do your ears still hurt?"

"Yeah. They hurt an' they hot."

Kate brought the back of her hand up to Clara's forehead and held it there for a moment, before Clara grabbed it and dragged it to one of her ears. Instantly, Kate felt her daughter relax.

"Does that feel good?"

"Mumma hand cold." Clara said.

Kate nodded and withdrew her hand after a moment. She walked over to the freezer and grabbed one of the bean bags they kept in there. She brought it back to Clara and held it against her ear. "Is that better?"

Clara nodded. "It cold."

Kate held the bag to her ear for a moment longer before switching to the other ear. She continued switching ears until Clara had finished her juice and held her cup out to Rick. He took it and the bean bag and placed the cup in the dishwasher before exchanging the bean bag for another one.

Kate lifted Clara into her arms, and instantly the little girl gripped the sweatshirt tightly with one hand and locked her legs around Kate's waist.

"Come on, Monkey. You're gonna stay with Daddy and me tonight, and then we'll take you to the doctor in the morning, ok?"

"No docor." Clara said as she gripped her blanket tighter and buried her face in Kate's chest.

Kate laughed softly. "You need a doctor, Monkey. Or else you won't get better."

"No shots." Clara said, her voice muffled by the fabric.

"If I promise no shots, will you go?" Kate asked as they entered the bedroom.

"Yeah." Clara said.

"Ok. No shots."

"Kay."

Kate got to her side of the bed, and she tugged lightly on the blanket in Clara's hand until she let go and grasped the sweatshirt with her other hands. Kate tossed the blanket onto the bed and got under the covers. She kept one hand on Clara's back, even though both adults knew her grip was strong enough to keep herself in that position without any help from her parents. Her nickname wasn't Monkey for no reason after all.

Once Kate was settled, Clara unhooked her legs from Kate's waist and shifted so she was lying with her head on Kate's chest. Kate felt the bed shift, and when she turned her head, Rick was climbing into bed beside them. He had the bean bag in one hand and his computer in the other. He handed the bean bag to Kate and she had Clara lift her head so she could place it on her chest for Clara to lie on.

"I'm gonna write for a bit." Rick said in response to Kate's raised eyebrow. "And I'll grab another one when that's not cold anymore."

Kate nodded and reclined so she was laying down. Rick pulled the covers up to Kate's waist, and covered Clara with her blanket after he made sure she was holding Pooh Bear. Kate leaned her head down and kissed the top of her daughter's head.

"I love you, Monkey." She murmured. "We'll get you all better, ok?"

"Kay. Love you, Mumma." Clara replied. "Love you too, Daddy."

"I love you, Clara." Rick murmured as he leaned over and kissed his daughter's cheek and his wife's head.

It's been a while since I've had an ear infection, and the only thing I remember from it was that I was constantly pressing the cold part of my blanket to my ear because it was the only thing that made it stop hurting, at least until I got medicine. But I was way too stubborn and refused to take the meds. I was 3, and I basically told my mom that I didn't care that I would miss our trip to Disneyland if my ears weren't better. I wasn't about to take that nasty stuff.

Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)