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1.
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Charlie Matheson really hated Thanksgiving.
She didn't say that anymore though, not since last year when her mom admonished her and then proceeded to give her a long lecture about the Pilgrims and Indians and love and giving thanks and stuff.
Charlie, being 9 now, didn't really care. She just hated having to dress up (In a dress!) and eat turkey. Why couldn't they eat chicken? Or steak! Charlie loved steak.
The only thing Charlie liked about Thanksgiving was the fact that Uncle Miles visited. He was definitely Charlie's favorite uncle. Also her only uncle, but that's beside the point.
So she suffered, suffered through Dad making comments about football and Mom stressing out about the perfect turkey, she endured it all because she couldn't wait to see Miles.
When the doorbell rang, Charlie dashed out of her room –where she and Danny had been watching old X-Men cartoons on Netflix– and bounded down the stairs, swinging open the door before either Ben or Rachel could even get near it.
"You're not Uncle Miles," Charlie stated bluntly as she studied the curly haired guy who stood outside their door.
Mr. Curly Hair was about to answer when Miles came up from the driveway and gave Charlie a big grin.
Forgetting momentarily about the other guy, Charlie dashed out of the door and jumped into Miles' waiting arms.
Her parents got to the door and greeted both of their guests. Charlie was shocked to find that they knew the other guy, and also that he was Miles' best friend.
Also, she was being slightly neglected by her favorite uncle in favor of Mr. Monroe.
Uncle Miles and Sebastian both joined her father on the couch to finish watching football before dinner, and Charlie followed them.
However, she ended up retreating to the kitchen with a scowl on her face. Normally, Miles would sit next to her dad and then Charlie would plant herself on his other side and cuddle next to him. But this time, Sebastian was sitting on his other side.
Rachel just smiled and had Charlie help her with the mashed potatoes.
At dinner, Charlie would normally sit next to Miles who would be sitting next to Rachel, but no, this time Sebastian was on his other side.
So Charlie sat to Sebastian and gave him her best angry glare.
Unfortunately, everyone liked Sebastian.
Her parents talked to him and Miles about their military career and other boring grown-up things, and Charlie felt very left out. So she talked to Danny, which was almost as boring because he stayed silent the whole time.
After dinner, Charlie went to sulk on the couch. Miles was hanging out with the other adults in the kitchen, drinking apple cider. (Charlie couldn't have any because it had alcohol, which also sucked.)
She sighed heavily.
Charlie was almost ready to go to bed early from sheer boredom when Sebastian joined her on the couch.
"Hey," he said.
Charlie scowled and turned away.
"I kinda get the feeling you don't like me very much," Sebastian said conversationally.
Charlie hugged her knees.
"Why not?"
"Because you stole Uncle Miles!" Charlie blurted out with angry tears in her nine year old eyes.
Sebastian gave her a look, and Charlie couldn't tell if he was feeling sorry for her or trying not to laugh.
"I didn't mean to," he finally said. "I really like your uncle."
"So do I! But he barely talked to me today because he was staring at you the whole time," Charlie said with a frown.
Sebastian looked at her blankly. "Staring at me?"
"Yeah, he barely looked at me, but normally I'm his favorite person! I only see him like three times a year and I really miss him and now you've ruined it," Charlie said with a sniff, holding back tears.
"Hey, it's okay, Miles still loves you, you're his family," Sebastian said.
"Yeah, he likes you more," Charlie said, sounding bitter for being nine.
She then picked up the TV remote and put it on Netflix, resolving not to talk to Sebastian anymore.
She turned on the next episode of X-Men and crossed her arms stubbornly.
But Sebastian didn't stop talking to her, and she soon discovered that he loved X-Men, and he'd seen every episode.
Charlie ended up talking to him back, and soon discovered they both loved Wolverine.
And when Miles joined them on the couch and started a game of Mario Kart with the two of them, and Bass snuck her a drink of apple cider, Charlie decided that having two uncles was better than one. (Even if the apple cider tasted weird and she didn't like it much.)
"Uncle Miles, I like Uncle Bass, you can keep him," Charlie declared with a yawn as they were leaving that night.
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2.
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Eleven year old Charlie liked Easter a lot more than Thanksgiving.
There were Easter egg hunts and potato salad and she liked Easter service at church the best.
Miles and Bass were there too, and Charlie managed to convince them to take her and Danny to the park.
She and Danny were having an absolutely marvelous time.
They even met a boy named Jason who was Charlie's age. They really hit it off, and Charlie thought Jason was pretty cute. It turned out they went to the same school!
"I'm here with my mom and dad, where are your parents?" Jason asked.
Charlie smiled and pointed to a bench nearby. "Danny and I are here with my uncles."
Jason looked at them for a moment and then shrugged. "Cool."
They both didn't notice Jason's dad looking disdainfully at the bench Miles and Bass sat at.
About five minutes later, Bass walked up to the playground.
"Hey Charlie, we need to get back to your house. Get your brother, would you?" Bass smiled forcefully.
"Uncle Bass, where'd Uncle Miles go?" Danny asked.
"Oh, he already walked back."
Charlie didn't understand why her uncle was cradling a bloody and maybe broken nose when they got back, but from what she got out of Bass, he got in a fight with another guy after he called Miles and Bass a derogatory name.
Miles and Bass left after dinner, and they weren't speaking for some reason.
It made Charlie sad, she hoped they weren't mad at each other.
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3.
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Twelve year old Charlie couldn't wait to see Uncle Miles and Uncle Bass again. She hadn't seen them since Easter in April, and now it was November.
She liked Thanksgiving now, because last year, Uncle Bass introduced her to his mashed sweet potatoes, and Charlie thought they were simply amazing. He only brought them on Thanksgiving though, not Christmas or Easter, so Charlie looked forward to it now.
Danny and Charlie sat on the couch expectantly, waiting for their uncle and his best friend.
The doorbell rang and Charlie ran excitedly to answer.
She was stricken with sadness when she saw Uncle Miles and a woman instead of Uncle Bass.
"Where's Uncle Bass?" Charlie asked sadly.
"Hey Charlie," Miles greeted. "Bass couldn't come."
Charlie frowned.
Rachel and Ben came to the door and greeted them both, and introduced Charlie to Uncle Miles' girlfriend, Nora.
"Girlfriend?" Danny said, and made a face. Nora and Miles laughed at that.
Charlie didn't. She didn't dislike Nora, but why was she replacing Bass? And she liked Bass' laugh better.
At dinner, Charlie was doing pretty well with Nora, even if Bass wasn't there with his sweet potatoes. Charlie thought she could definitely deal without sweet potatoes if Bass could be there.
At dinner, Miles and Nora announced their engagement.
"What about Uncle Bass?" Charlie asked after dinner.
"He's got his own family, Charlie," Miles said, and he sounded sad.
"But we're his family!" Charlie protested.
"Charlie, Bass and I aren't really speaking right now," Miles replied.
"Why not?" Charlie demanded.
"We... had a falling out."
"Well, you should apologize, I bet he'll forgive you!" Charlie encouraged.
"Charlie, I-"
"I wish you were marrying Uncle Bass instead," Charlie cried and then ran to her room. She didn't speak to Uncle Miles the rest of the night.
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+1
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Charlie was thirteen now, and she finally was told what happened with Bass and Miles.
Miles had been dating Nora at Easter, and he thought he and Bass should spend some time apart because everyone thought they were a couple when they weren't.
Charlie didn't get why it was such a big deal. She thought Miles and Bass would make a great couple.
Miles didn't come out for Easter or Thanksgiving that year, he said he had issues to sort out.
Charlie hoped he and Nora canceled their engagement, but no one told her anything.
On Christmas Eve, Charlie hoped Miles would come, but Ben said he didn't know but that he was invited.
Charlie was staring at the fireplace when there was a knock at the door.
She let Rachel answer it.
But then Charlie heard a familiar voice and ran to the door.
"Uncle Bass! Uncle Miles!"
At dinner, Charlie sat at the table in between them.
After dinner, she asked Miles if he was getting married to anyone.
"No, Charlie, I'm not marrying anyone," he said.
"Are you dating anyone?"
"No...?"
"Okay!" Charlie grinned and leapt off the couch to find Bass.
"Whoa, slow down kid!" Miles yelled after her as she nearly ran into a door.
Charlie, after searching the whole house, resorted to looking outside for her 'uncle.'
"Uncle Bass, what're you doing?"
"Hey Charlie," Bass said, glancing at her from his spot on the swinging bench outside their door.
"I really missed you, and I know Uncle Miles did too," Charlie smiled.
Bass sighed.
"What's wrong?" Charlie asked. "C'mon, you can tell me anything."
"Funny, I remember a nine year old girl who hated me for stealing her favorite uncle," Bass grinned.
Charlie blushed. "Yeah, well I like you, and Uncle Miles is way happier now that you're back. Please tell me what's wrong."
Bass didn't answer.
"Y'know, I know you love him."
He turned his head and looked at her in surprise.
"I can tell, I'm smart. And I can tell he loves you too, he's just too stubborn to admit it," Charlie said.
"Charlie, your uncle-"
"Loves you too!" She insisted.
"Maybe like a brother," Bass said.
"Nope. I may be thirteen, but I'm not stupid. If you don't kiss him tonight, I'll have the absolute worst Christmas ever!" Charlie said, thinking in the aftermath that perhaps it was a bit childish.
"Okay," he replied.
"Please? I don't want you two to be miserable anymore."
Bass looked at her.
Suddenly, the door opened and Miles walked out.
Bass straightened up immediately and Charlie gave her uncle her most charming smile.
"Uncle Miles!" She greeted.
"Hey Charlie, your mom wants you," Miles said, but his eyes were fixed on Sebastian.
"Okay. Good night Uncle Bass, Uncle Miles," Charlie sighed.
She retreated indoors but leaned against the door. Unable to hear anything, she moved to the window and looked out at them.
She giggled in a very un-Charlie like manner when she saw them kissing heavily against the wall.
She only looked away when she heard Rachel calling her.
Needless to say, she had one of the best Christmases ever.
She was also the least surprised (But most excited.) when they were invited to their wedding three months later.
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