AUTHOR'S NOTE: EmilyAnnMcGarrett-Winchester, SherryO, AshtynnAlba, megfurtado, Yasmin, roses, renee, LexieLou, Jani745, Loudel.11, Happygoddess2003, MariaKata, Pnygirlrinner25, spades4891, tamilyn313, wandamarie, SevenRuby, Ann Byrge, sjwmaw, Sarah, donna Aleksa, Marryzinha Black, sueturpen, Molli3, elliesamdeangirl, their baby sister, Isy123, Anna, Claire, merilarosa, totallynerdy, ann, Lillie1002, and guests, THANK YOU to all of you for taking the time to leave comments and reviews. It really does mean a LOT to me, and it makes me happy and excited when I see that I've got reviews. For those of you saying "I'll never say 'Can't wait for the next chapter!' again", I wasn't upset about that. What I was objecting to was when people leave a comment that just says "NEXT CHAPTER!" and that's it. And to re-iterate, I'm not trying to call people out, or embarrass anyone, or guilt people into leaving reviews. AND I'm not saying that I only write to get reviews, because I don't, but that acknowledgement from people is a good thing and all writers want it.

Thank you also to those of you who sent PMs of encouragement- I've been living with several chronic illnesses for over a decade, so I'll get used to it. Changing your whole diet is daunting, but I'm getting there.

I wanted to share how I write with you, so you could see the effort that goes into it. If you aren't interested, then skip ahead to the fic.

For the story arc in "Becoming a Winchester" with the changeling and Charlie in the hospital, I watched parts of the episode "The Kids Are Alright" over and over, so that I could get a good sense of certain characters and the action in the episode. I've done this with more than one fic, and more than one character, to help me get a handle on writing them. I read parts of the episode transcript over and over as well. I looked up lore on changelings, in different myths and in the show. I decided how I wanted to bring Ben and Lisa into the story, and what I wanted to do with the changeling and what would happen to Charlie.

Then I researched toxins and how the human body reacts to them. I researched different types of paralysis and how the different parts of the body can be affected. I used my own experiences with testing and physical therapy as a basis for those parts of the story. I even looked up the distance from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Cicero, Indiana, so I could give an accurate account of how long it would take them to drive from one place to the other.

THEN, I distilled all of this information into what I wanted to write, and I wrote everything out, then I corrected all of the punctuation and grammar mistakes, and then I published it. And while I was writing, I was excited about the action, and I was curious about how people were going to react, and that excited me too. So you see, reviews and comments do matter to writers, they are happy when they see responses to their new chapters. Again, thank you for all the reviews and comments, I enjoyed reading all of them! And they have kept the creative fires burning brightly!

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"And then, Mr. Ron had to bring a ladder outside and lean it up against the tree so that he could get Mark and Tim down!" I told Uncle Sam.

The weather had been warm for the past week and the neighborhood kids had been playing outside every day. We played in Franny's yard a lot, since she wasn't allowed to go running around that much. There were a couple of big trees in her backyard, and two boys had climbed one of them and then not been able to climb down.

Uncle Sam looked at me. "I don't want you trying to climb those trees," he said seriously.

I shook my head. "I won't."

"I'm glad that Franny's father was there to help out," Uncle Sam said.

"He and Ms. Lynne are nice!" Franny's parents were protective of her, because she had been so sick and in the hospital. They didn't let her go to other people's houses, and kids weren't allowed in their house either, because Franny could get sick really easily from other people's germs. But her mom would bring juice boxes and snacks outside for everyone that was playing in their yard.

"Yeah, they are," Uncle Sam agreed. We were shopping for birthday presents for Daddy, his birthday was before mine.

I stopped next to a display of men's t-shirts. "Look at this, Uncle Sam!" There was a shirt that had a Hello Kitty on it, but it was a man version, and he was holding a little girl Hello Kitty on his back. It said, "Hello Daddy" on it instead of "Hello Kitty".

I looked up at him. "I want to get it for Daddy, can we? Pleeese?"

"Well..." Uncle sam looked uncertain, and then he grinned. "Sure, go ahead. And we'll have to make sure he wears it out somewhere."

Uncle Sam found a couple of re-mastered versions of Led Zeppelin CDs, so he picked them up too. He placed them in the cart, and then I heard, "Charlie? Charlie Winchester?"

I turned. Imani, from when I had had physical therapy in the hospital, was standing there holding a small shopping basket.

Uncle Sam's face lit up. "Imani! What are you doing here?"

She smiled at us. "I could ask you the same thing!"

"We moved here to be near... our Uncle, more family, y'know," Uncle Sam said.

She nodded. "After my Nana passed, there were some...family disputes over money and property. It took some time, but it worked out. I got some money, and had to come here to deal with some land that's been in the family, my Nana's people are from this area. Then I found a job at an OT, and decided to stay."

"That's great!" Uncle Sam smiled at her.

"And how are you doing, Charlie?" she asked me.

"Fine," I said, "I got a bike for Christmas but I'm still learning to ride it."

"That's wonderful, I'm glad you're not having any problems! A bike can take some time to figure out, but I'm sure you'll do just fine. Are you going to school?"

"No, I'm still home-schooling her...for now."

"I don't wanna go to school!" I wrinkled my nose, and they laughed.

"Well, it was great to see you two. Tell your Dad and Grandfather I said hello!" Imani started to walk away.

Uncle Sam hesitated, and then followed her. He pulled out his phone, and then she pulled hers out. They typed into their phones, and then put them away. Uncle Sam's face was a little red when he came back over to me.

"What'd you do?" I asked.

"Oh, I, uh, I got—we exchanged phone numbers," he said, and his face got redder. "So we could, y'know, go out for coffee maybe."

"Wh—oh," I said, as I remembered that they had liked each other. "Are you gonna go on dates with her?"

"I don't know, Charlie. Let's go, all right?" He grabbed the cart and began to push it.

After we paid for our stuff and got in the car, Uncle Sam turned to me. "Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

"Not even for ice cream?"

I looked at him, and he grinned at me. "You're gonna take me for ice cream?" I asked.

"Sure, it's been a while since we've been out together. Want to?"

I bounced on the seat. "Well, yeah!" I grinned back at him, "I always have room for ice cream!"

We went to a Dairy Queen, and Uncle Sam parked and we went inside.

We both got cones, and then went to sit down at a table.

"Are we going to do something special for Daddy's birthday?" I asked.

"Probably not."

"Why not?"

He shifted. "Well...we've never...we're not too big on celebrating things."

"But why not?"

He looked uncomfortable. "We just...a lot of the time, we were busy hunting. So that was more important, you know?"

"Do you think he'll want to do something?"

"Well, if he knows it's important to you, then I think he'll want to," Uncle Sam smiled at me.

"I think it's important for him! Everyone should celebrate their birthday!"

Uncle Sam's phone buzzed, and he looked at it, and then began to text back.

"Is it Daddy?" I asked, leaning over.

"No, it's Imani," Uncle Sam said absently.

"Oh," I felt worried now. Was he going to start dating her, and get all involved? What if she had kids that we didn't know about?

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"You don't have a whole lot of toys," Aubrey said dismissively, "This is kinda boring. Let's go watch t.v."

I felt a little hurt that she said my room was boring, but I didn't show it. Daddy had suggested that I try having Addi and Aubrey over to our house instead of me going over there all the time.

"Okay," I agreed, and we went to the living room. I turned on the t.v. and flipped through the channels, trying to find one of my cooking contests. "I like to watch the Food Channel" I told them, "The cooking contests are fun."

"See if you can find College Town," Aubrey said to Addison. Addison took the remote from me and began to change the channels.

"Um, I'm not allowed to watch that," I said nervously. What would Uncle Sam say if he came in and saw me watching it?

"You're not allowed?" Aubrey rolled her eyes.

"How about 'Bachelors and Models'?" Addi looked over at me.

"What's it about?" I asked.

"A group of girl models live together in a big house, and they all work together and do modeling, and then there are these guys that come in and start to date all of them, it's really funny. The girls get all mean with each other," Aubrey explained with a mean smirk.

Uncle Sam came into the room at that moment, and looked at the tv. "What are you girls watching?"

"'Bachelors and Models'," Addi told him.

"It looks like a reality t.v. show, is it?" He asked.

"Well, kinda. It's cool," Aubrey said.

"Charlie's not allowed to watch those kinds of shows." Uncle Sam said.

"Uncle Sam!" I exclaimed, feeling embarrassed.

"Change the channel, please. Or turn the t.v. off. Would you like a snack?"

"Yes please!" Addi said, clicking the remote.

Aubrey rolled her eyes as Uncle Sam walked out of the room. "That's so dumb that you can't watch that show, it's great!" she muttered.

"Hey, 'Love and High School'!" Addi said, setting the remote down.

We watched for a few minutes, and Uncle Sam brought a couple of dishes out and set them on the coffee table. There were sliced apples, carrot sticks and dip on a plate, and a bowl of Goldfish crackers.

"Would you like lemonade, or water?" he asked.

"Do you have any Coke?" Aubrey asked, "I don't drink juice, it's for babies."

"No, we don't usually have soda," Uncle Sam replied.

"Do you have any popcorn?" Addi asked, "We usually eat that in the afternoon. Or potato chips, y'know."

"No, we don't have any popcorn or chips right now. What's that your watching?"

I looked at the t.v. Screen- two teens were laying on a sofa, kissing and rubbing their hands all over each other.

"It's called 'Love and High School'," Addi said.

"Well, I don't think it's appropriate for you girls."

"Our mom lets us watch it!" Addi said defensively.

"Uncle Sam, please?" I pleaded, "Just while they're here?"

"Do you have anything else to eat? We don't like carrots, and apple slices are- for preschoolers!" Aubrey huffed.

Uncle Sam raised his eyebrow. "No, this is what I've offered you for a snack. You can eat what's offered, or nothing."

Aubrey huffed again and crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's not very polite to go to someone's house and demand different food than what's offered," Uncle Sam said with a hint of steel in his voice.

"It's not very polite to offer your guests snacks that are boring and gross!" Aubrey snapped.

"Excuse me?" Uncle Sam's voice was harder now. "I think you can turn the t.v. off. And after you eat, you girls can go home."

"We should be able to watch what we want, we're the guests!" Addi said hotly.

Uncle Sam shook his head. "Not if the host's uncle says that the shows are inappropriate."

"Well that's just dumb!" Aubrey snapped, rolling her eyes.

"And you are being very rude," Uncle Sam said to her. "I think you and your sister should go home now."

"Uncle Sam, no! Hey, you guys want to go out back and play?" I asked Addi.

"We could-" Addi started to say, but Aubrey stood up. "I don't have to listen to this! You're the one that's rude!" she said to Uncle Sam, who gaped at her.

"C'mon, Addi, let's go. Charlie, you wanna come back to our house and hang out?" Aubrey tossed her head.

Addi stood up and beckoned me. "Yeah, c'mon, Charlie! We got some new nail polish yesterday!"

I stood up and looked over at Uncle Sam. "Can I-" I asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "No, Charlie."

"But why not?" I complained.

"Because I said so."

I stomped my foot, getting annoyed. "That's not fair!"

"That's not a reason!" Aubrey sneered. She turned and began to walk over to the front door, and Addi followed. Aubrey turned to me. "You coming?"

I walked around the sofa towards them.

"Young lady, you will not set one foot outside that door," Uncle Sam said to me.

"Uncle Saaaaammm," I whined.

"I said no, Charlie," he said sternly.

Aubrey opened the door, and she and Addi stepped out. "Bye, Charlie!" Addi called, and Aubrey chimed in, "Thanks for nothing!"

I turned to Uncle Sam as the door slammed shut. "You—you-that's not—why'd you have to be like that?" I snapped.

"Charlie, your friends were being very rude, and I'm not going to put up with that from anyone. I'm going to call their mother later and tell her about how they acted."

"No! You can't do that! They're my friends!" I yelled, clenching my fists. "You're just being—a-a-big jerk!"

"Excuse me? You want to re-think what you just said to me?"

Anger surged up in me. " I'm gonna go to my friend's house and stay there until dinner time!"

"Charlotte Anne, you are not going anywhere," Uncle Sam's voice was back to being hard again. "And if you want to keep sitting comfortably, you will watch how you speak to me."

I stomped my foot again. "You're not being fair! You're a big giant meany! I should be able to do what I want! You didn't have to give us these dumb snacks!" I walked over to the coffee table and shoved at the plate, but I shoved too hard, and it slid off the table onto the floor.

Uncle Sam glared at me, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. "All right, that's it. Go to your room," he pointed.

"I don't-"

He took a step towards me. "Young lady, you are in a lot of trouble, and you're going to be in even more if you don't do what I say! Now GO!" he shouted, and I ran. When Uncle Sam shouted, it was scary.

I slammed and locked my door, throwing myself down on my bed. This was so unfair! He was so mean to me! Why did he have to act like I was a baby all the time? I should be able to watch the shows I wanted!

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door, and the door knob jiggled.

"Go 'way!" I sniffled.

"Charlie, open this door right now," Uncle Sam called, "You're not supposed to be locking doors, remember?"

I sat up and wiped my face off with my hands. "And you're not s'posed to be mean to me!" I called.

"I was not being mean to you," he said, and the door knob rattled again. "Charlotte Anne, you have three seconds to unlock this door."

"So what!" I yelled.

"I'm going to get my lockpick. If I have to use it, you will lose your door." I heard footsteps walking away, and threw myself back down on my bed. He was such a meany!

A couple minutes later the doorknob jiggled again and then I heard a pop! And the door swung open.

I sat up and looked over. Uncle Sam took a screwdriver out of his back pocket and began to remove a screw on one of the hinges.

I got up and ran over to him. "Hey! You can't do that!" I pushed at him.

He kept removing the screw. "Cool it, young lady."

I kicked the door. "Why do you gotta be so mean?" I yelled.

Uncle Sam turned to me. "Charlotte Anne. Go stand in the corner until I'm ready to deal with you."

I clenched my fists and glared up at him. "NO!" I yelled. I ran around him into the hallway, right into Grandpa John. "What's all the shouting?" he asked.

"Charlie's due for a spanking, but she thinks she doesn't need to obey me and she can do what she wants," Uncle Sam told him.

Grandpa John raised his eyebrows. "Oh? What's she supposed to be doing?"

"Standing in the corner while I take her door off the hinges." Uncle Sam put a screw into his shirt pocket and began to remove another screw.

"I suggest you do what your uncle told you to do," Grandpa John said to me.

I tried to run around him too, and go downstairs, but he caught me. I kicked my feet and tried to hit his arms as he lifted me and began to carry me into the bedroom.

"Oh no you don't, little girl," he growled, and he picked me up and slung me under his arm, holding me against his hip. He spanked me a couple of times and I burst into tears.

He carried me over to the corner and set me on my feet, holding on to my arm. "You will not hit or kick me again," he rumbled, "and you will stay here until your uncle calls you out."

"He's being mean! He made my friends go home! He—he's takin' my door away!"

"I'm sure he has good reason to," he said, and I turned away from the corner.

"Do—not—move," he snapped, swatting my butt again. I gulped- I knew I was gonna get a spanking from Uncle Sam, but it wasn't fair that Grandpa John was spanking me too!

"Dad, the paddle is in Dean's room in the top drawer, could you get it and bring it in here?" Uncle Sam asked.

I covered my butt with my hands. "Nooo," I whimpered.

Uncle Sam glared at me. "Whether or not I end up using it is entirely up to you and your behavior in the next couple of minutes, young lady."

I turned towards the corner and stood there trying to rub the sting out and sniffling. Grandpa John's hand was as hard and almost as big as Uncle Sam's hand!

Grandpa John left the room for a minute, and then came back. "Where do you want to put this?" he asked.

"Put it in my room for now," Uncle Sam said, and I heard a scraping sound, and footstpes walking away.

I heard Uncle Sam sigh, and then the bedsprings creaked. "Come here, Charlotte Anne," he said.