Note:

[f/c] = favorite color

[f/f] = favorite flavor

Narrator's POV

Today is an exciting day for the 2p FACE family; today's the day little [name] starts her first day of elementary school.

"Poppet, do you have your lunch I packed you?"  Oliver asked.  [name] smiled up at her dad.

"Yep!"  She chirped cheerfully as she held up her [f/c] lunch box.  "Lunch and my snack too, Daddy!"

"What about your sweater?"  James asked.  "You might get cold in there, unless you got Kuma's fur."

"Yeah, it's right in my backpack Jamie."  [name] said to her older brother who smiled at the nickname.  If it had been anyone else, they probably would've gotten a hockey stick to the face instead.

"And don't forget your baseball bat."  Allen said as he brought down a smaller version of his own bat, nails and all.  [name] tilted her head as Oliver tsked.

"Allen dear, the poppet will not make friends if she brings something like that to school."  Oliver said.  James snickered as Allen got scolded.  Francois came downstairs, a cigarette in his mouth.

"So much noise,"  He muttered.  He then turned to [name].  "Ready to go chèrie?"  He asked.  She smiled up and nodded.

"Oui, I'm ready Papa!"  [name] said cheerfully.  Francois nodded and patted her head.

"Alright zhen, I'll take you to school."  Francois said as he grabbed the keys to his car.  [name] followed him out the door as Oliver stood by the door frame tearing up.

"Have fun poppet!"  Oliver said with a wave, watching as the car drove off.  He then took out his handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes.  "Oh they grow up so fast!"  He blubbered.  James awkwardly patted his back while Allen mumbled.

"Seriously, she's only 6, it's not like she's 21 and drinking and having s-"

"Allen,"  Oliver said in a sickly sweet voice.  "Don't you dare finish that sentence mister, or else you might find yourself baked into a delicious treat."  Though Oliver's face was smiling, his eyes held their own threatening glint.  Allen gulped and nodded.

"Good!"  Oliver said, returning to his less threatening self.  "Now you boys behave while I make a delicious batch of cupcakes for when our sweet poppet returns home!"  With that Oliver went off to the kitchen, humming a tune.

"... Now what?"  Allen asked.  James shrugged and grabbed his hockey stick from beside the door.

"Wanna go collect fees with me?"  James asked.  Allen grinned.

"Hell yeah!"  He yelled as he grabbed his bat.

"Allen!"  Oliver called from the kitchen.  He then stuck out the good old jar.  "Swear jar."  Allen grumbled but dropped a few coins in it before heading out with a snickering James.

Soon after they left, Francois returned and walked into the kitchen, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"'Ello love,"  Oliver said in a cheery voice as he turned from his ingredients.  Oliver skipped over to Francois and placed a quick peck on his cheek before returning to his cupcakes.  Francois took the cigarette and placed it in a nearby ashtray before coming up behind Oliver and holding him close.

"Our little poppet wasn't scared now was she?"  Oliver asked.  He received a shake.

"Non, she seemed excited."  Francois said, giving Oliver a tight squeeze.  Oliver giggled.

"That's good, but I must focus on my cupcakes Francois."  Oliver said.  Francois grunted and held Oliver tightly.  But before he could say anything, his cell phone started ringing.  After picking it up, Francois sighed.

"Work."  He said, taking a new cigarette out and lighting it before heading off.  Oliver just giggled and went back to work.

----------------------------------------

James, Allen, and Oliver were all home now, waiting for [name] to arrive back from school.  Oliver had just finished icing the last cupcake when he heard the front door open.

"Poppet, you're home!"  Oliver said, heading over to [name] and hugging her tightly.  "How was school?  Did you have fun?  Make any cute friends?  Did you-"

"Let her answer first before firing off questions."  Allen said as he entered with James.  They both tussled [name]'s hair before repeating questions that Oliver had already asked.

"It was alright,"  [name] said.  James and Allen nodded as Oliver went off to get some cupcakes.  He quickly returned with a yummy [f/f] cupcake and a glass of milk.

"I made you a yummy snack poppet!"  Oliver said.  [name] looked at the cupcake and shook her head.

"No thanks Daddy, I'm still full from lunch."  [name] said.  James and Allen both raised their eyebrows; [name] never refused cupcakes, usually they had to drag her away from them.  James crouched down onto her level and looked her in the eyes.

"Okay maple, what's wrong?"  James asked.  [name] fidgeted a bit and shook her head.

"N-nothing's w-wrong."  She insisted.

"Squirt, you only stutter like that when you're lying."  Allen said, looming over her.  [name] frantically shook her head.

"N-no I-I d-don't.  I-I'm f-fine!"  She yelled, surprising them all and running upstairs into her room, slamming the door shut.  Oliver placed the cupcake and milk down.

"What's wrong with my poppet?"  He asked worriedly.  The other two were unnerved as well.  They were all about to go upstairs when they heard the door open, revealing Francois.  Francois raised an eyebrow.

"What is going on 'ere?"  He asked.  Oliver flung himself at Francois, clinging to his chest with tears forming in his eyes.

"Something's wrong with our poppet and she won't tell us!"  Oliver wailed.  Francois deadpanned.

"What makes you think something is wrong?"  Francois asked.  Oliver started blubbering nonsense so Francois covered Oliver's mouth and turned to James and Allen.

"Well?"  Francois questioned.

"First she refused to eat her favorite snack,"  James said, surprising Francois a bit.

"And she began stuttering while she was telling us that she's fine,"  Allen continued.

"And finally she yelled at us and ran up to her room, slamming the door shut."  James said.  Francois took his cigarette out and placed it in a nearby ashtray.

"Alright, I'll go see what is wrong."  He said.  He then pried Oliver off and headed upstairs to [name]'s room.  Once outside the door, he listened as he heard soft sobbing, startling him, even if he didn't show it.  He knocked on the door

"Chèrie, open zhe door."  Francois said.  He heard no response, increasing his worry.  "Chèrie, I will give you to zhe count of trois [3] to open zhis door."  Still no response.

"Un [1]..."  No response.

"Deux [2]..."  Still nothing.

"Trois-"  The door opened and then slammed shut.  Francois raised an eyebrow, now getting a tad bit annoyed.  With a huff he tried opening the door, finding that it was locked.  Francois took a hair pin from his pocket and picked the lock.

"Chèrie,"  He said opening the door.  He walked into the dark room and closed the door behind him.  "What is wrong?"  Francois asked, worry ebbing away at him.  He walked over to the bed and sat beside the lump that was his daughter.

"I can not make things better unless I know what is wrong."  He said.  [name] just stayed under the covers.  Francois decided to be patient and waited...

... and waited... and waited... until finally [name] popped up from under the blankets.

Her hair was messy and her eyes red and puffy from crying.  Her cheeks flushed and covered in tear streaks.  Francois gently took her into his arms, hugging her close as she clung to him.  Francois rubbed her back as she calmed down.

After a few moments, Francois sat her down on his lap and wiped the tears away.

"Now, can you tell me what is wrong?"  Francois tiredly asked.  [name] just held her arms back up, signalling she wanted to be held.  Francois grunted but complied, bringing her back into his arms, her head resting on his shoulder.

"... Papa... am I fat?"  [name] asked, shocking Francois.  He never thought a 6 year old would be asking that question.

"Non,"  Francois said firmly.  He felt [name] snuggle into him.  "What gave you zhat idea?"

"... During lunch these 3 girls came up to me... And the biggest one who was I think 8 and had pretty curls and a pink dress took my cupcake from me..."

"Why did she do zhat?"  Francois asked as he began walking the room with [name].  [name] shifted a bit.

"She said that only pretty girls like her could eat cupcakes and that I was a fat piggie because I had two cupcakes during snack time."  [name] said, tearing up a bit.  Francois felt his blood boil; how dare these girls say things like that to [name] who was still young and didn't need to learn about these sorts of stupid fads yet.

"Non, you are not a pig for eating cupcakes,"  Francois said, holding [name] up so that their eyes met.  "You eat whatever you like because you are not a pig, nor are you ugly.  You are a beauty.  It is zhat curly 'aired who is ugly for being so mean."  [name]'s eyes lit up with hope.

"Really Papa?"

"Oui, if you had your 'air curled and zhe same exact dress, zhen she would 'ave to see zhat you are zhe prettier one."  Francois declared.  [name] smiled and cuddled back into Francois's chest as Francois kept walking around the room till [name] had fallen fast asleep.

'Now all I 'ave to do is tell zhe others.'  Francois thought with a groan as he headed out of the room and downstairs where Oliver was a blubbering mess while Allen and James were pacing.

When he entered, the others tried to say something but Francois pressed his finger to his lips, stopping them.  Francois then went over to his armchair and sat down, keeping [name] in his arms.  Oliver scampered over.

"Oh!"  Oliver whisper-yelled.  "My poor poppet's been crying!"  James and Allen came over and were not happy to see their baby sister's tear-stained face.

"What the heck happened?"  James asked, only half-expecting a full answer.  Francois sighed.

"[name] thinks she is fat."  Francois said, gaining gasps from the others.

"But our poppet is perfect!"  Oliver said in a slightly loud voice.  Allen and James nodded.

"Yeah,"  Allen said.  He then began cracking his knuckles.  "Who's the wise guy who's been saying otherwise?"  Allen asked, a dangerous glint present in his eyes.  Francois shifted [name] and placed a pair of noise-cancelling headphones on her ears.

"Some older girl in school took her cupcake away at lunch and said zhat [name] was a fat piggy who wasn't pretty enough to eat cupcakes."  Francois said.  Immediately the others exploded.

"My baby sister ain't an ugly pig!"  James roared.

"My poppet is perfect!  She just has baby chub, and is certainly not fat!"  Oliver said, red with fury.

"I say we teach this pretty b*tch a lesson!"  Allen yelled, taking up his bat.  James followed suit with his hockey stick as Oliver got his knives, not even caring that Allen had sworn.  Francois nodded.

"Oui, go on ahead, zhe girl was 8 and had curly hair and wore a pink dress."  Francois said.  The others nodded.

"Just watch my poppet for me Francois dearest."  Oliver said.  "And if she is hungry when she wakes up, I have a bunch of fresh cupcakes in the kitchen!"  Oliver yelled as he rushed out the door with Allen and James.

Silence overtook the house as Francois took off the headphones and carried [name] back to her room.  He gently laid her down on the bed and tucked her in, but before he could leave he felt a tug on his sleeve.  He looked down and saw [name] still holding onto his sleeve.

Francois let himself smile a bit and sat back down on the bed, running his fingers through [name]'s soft hair.  [name] shifted and smiled in her sleep, dreaming sweet cupcake filled dreams as the rest of her family was out to make sure that [name] would keep smiling.

~Fin~