"Dean, I've been thinking." Sam approached the table where Dean and John were buried in books and papers.

"Now there's a dangerous activity." Dean said, flipping a page and smirking at his brother. Sam sat down and rolled his eyes.

"Dean, I'm being serious. Can you just try to be serious?" Sam gave him that parental look that Dean hated.

"Fine, just don't look at me that way."

"Dean, Sammie is four now. I think we need to consider swim lessons."

"Swim lessons, Sam? You mean like rich familiies do? What do you want me to do? Join a country club?" Dean looked at Sam like he had seven heads. John gave no

indication that he heard any of it.

"No, Dean, be serious. The local YMCA has lessons. I'll take her. They have a three hour class on Saturday that guarantees basic skills."

"I don't get why you are pushing this, Sam."

"Safety, Dean." It was John that answered. John's attention had shifted from his book and he was now looking at Dean. "Sam is right. Sammie needs to learn how to

swim, sooner rather than later. What if she fell in a lake or a river or a pool and we weren't there to save her?"

"Dad, one of us will always be with Sammie."

"Yeah, Dean, that is the plan but what happens when things don't go according to plan? She needs to learn survival skills and keeping your ass breathing in water over

your head is one of those skills." John turned to Sam. "Sign her up, Sam."

"Uh, Dad, not to be disrespectful but shouldn't I decide? I am Sammie's father." John gave Dean a look he was very familiar with. Dean may be Sammie's father but

John Winchester was still the alpha of this pack and Dean knew better than to argue when John was resolute on something.

"Looks like Sammie is going to learn to swim," Dean told his brother. Sam got up from the table smiling.

"I'll sign her up."

"I don't wanna learn to swim!" The three Winchester men were trying to convince Sammie to be happy about swimming lessons. John leaned his butt against the

dresser, Dean sat on the desk top, and Sam perched on the bed where she also sat admidst her Barbie dolls and their styling aids. Sammie had been engrossed in

cartoons when the Winchester men discussed the necessity of swim lessons.

"Sammie, we'll have fun. I'm going to be right there with you, okay?" Sam tried to make it sound appealing but Dean's mini-me wasn't having it.

"I said NO, Uncle Sam, and no means NO!" That was something Dean routinely said to her so her screaming it at Sam meant she understood Dean when he yelled it.

"You want your butt smacked, Samantha?" John asked her sharply. He had a zero percentage tolerance policy for children disrepecting adults. And while Dean was

handling Samantha's discipline now, John would still jump in when he thought Dean was lagging in response time.

"No, Poppa John." Her demeanor toward her grandfather was a 360 degree change from how she was speaking to Sam.

"Then apologize to your Uncle Sam for raising your voice." Sammie crossed her arms angrily. "Now!" John instructed pointing at Sam and taking a step toward her.

"Sorry, I talked bad, Uncle Sam, but I don't want to learn to swim." John rested his butt against the dresser again, satisfied with Sammie's apology.

"You know what, Sammie?" Dean said. "We're not continuing this discussion. We have already explained why this is necessary. You have to take swim lessons. There

will be no more discussion about it. Uncle Sam has been more than patient in explaining this to you, he is taking you tomorrow morning, and that is final!"

"NO!" Sammie screeched. Even though her anger was directed at Dean, Sammie kicked at Sam and connected hard with his stomach. Sam grabbed both of her legs and pinned them to the bed to avoid another kick. He stared wide-eyed at his niece.

"SAMANTHA MARY WINCHESTER!" John bellowed storming over to the bed. Sammie's tantrum stopped as abruptly as it started.

"It was an accident, Poppa John! I promise!"

"What did I tell you before when you kicked your Daddy in the face? What did I tell you would happen?"

"No, Poppa John. I didn't do it!"

"Don't lie, Samantha! I stood here and watched you do it! Do you want to get punished for lying too?"

"No, Poppa John, I don't want to get punished for anything!" Sammie scrambled back against the headboard of her bed and pulled the covers up over her head as if to

hide from her grandfather. John turned to Dean.

"Dean, I need a few alone with Sammie."

"Daddy, tell Poppa John NO! Just stay, Daddy!" Sammie screamed at Dean from under the sheets and blankets.

"Hey, Sammie!" Dean yelled back. "Stop screaming! That isn't going to do anything but make your situation worse." Then Dean turned to Sam. "Sam, let's go."

"I don't want Daddy and Uncle Sam to leave!" Sammie began to sob big theatrical sobs. John rolled his eyes and Sam shook his head.

"Sammie!" Dean said sharply, "You cooperate with Poppa John or you'll be in big trouble with me. You understand?"

"Daddy, no! Please, no, Daddy! Tell Poppa John NO!"

"One." When John counted, it meant he was about to lose his cool so he needed to reign the tantrum in.

"Don't count, Poppa John. I'll listen!"

"Okay, we're out. Sam, let's go." Sam got up and followed Dean but he could not resist turning and giving Sammie a sad smile before they left the room.

As soon as the door closed behind his sons, John turned back to his wayward granddaughter who was still buried under the covers sobbing. John sat down on the bed next to Sammie and that elicited a more dramatic round of crying. John scrubbed his hand over his face and turned to face Sammie.

"Sammie, c'mere." John instructed calmly.

"No!" The reponse was not unexpected.

"Sammie, you know better than to say 'no' to Poppa John. If I have to bring you to me, you're getting extra smacks for not obeying. Is that what you want?" He was

amazed at the calmness of his own voice.

"No! No extras!" The desperation in her voice broke his heart but he knew he needed to stay the course with Sammie. She was headstrong and fiercely assertive ... like her daddy. But neither of these traits boded well for her as a naughty child with the Winchester men in charge.

"Then sit your butt on my lap. Right now, Sammie." Sammie scrambled out from under the covers and crawled over to John's lap. She did as she was instructed but buried her face in John's shirt.

"Look at me, Sammie." Sammie looked up at John with a solemn look on her face, tears still continuing down her cheeks.

"What did Poppa John tell you would happen if you kicked someone again?" John was calm talking to Sammie.

"But Poppa John, I didn't mean to." Sammie sucked in a stuttery breath.

"What did I say would happen if you did it again?" This time John sounded more firm, his voice slightly raised.

"I would get a real spankin." Her lip quivered and John almost faltered.

"A real spanking over my knee on your bare butt." At the mention of it being bare bottomed, Sammie's crying renewed and she clung to her Poppa John trying to avoid the inevitable. Sammie's drama rivaled anything Sam did as a child. John decided to handle this in a no-nonsense fashion. He picked her up from his lap and stood her on the floor between his legs. He pulled her pants and panties down to her knees and she immediately tried to back away from John. He quickly grabbed her arm to prevent her from running. He lifted her and placed her over his knee. As soon as her little bottom was in position, panic seized her and she began to fight to get off his lap. John decided to make the justice swift and severe so he wouldn't need to do this ever again. He began to slap Sammie's bare behind. She shrieked with each stinging spank. Her skin colored quickly and after a dozen hard smacks, her backside was the color of pink lemonade and it was warm to the touch. John could see a few overlapped handprints in different hues of pink.

"Am I going to need to do this ever again, Samantha?"

"No, Poppa John! I sorry for being bad!" He lifted her from the face-down position and gathered her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed.

"Never again, Sammie. I better never hear of you kicking or hitting another adult ever again. If I do, you'll get it worse. You got me?" John held her tight and rubbed her bottom.

"There is nothing worse than a spankin' on your bare heinie, Poppa John!" She was indignant.

"Oh, yes there is." John informed her. "Just ask your dad and uncle. They got it worse many times."

"I don't want any more spankins, Poppa John." She cried into his neck, wiping her nose on the collar of his shirt.

"Good, because I don't want to have to give you any more spankings. Poppa John hates spanking you. Let's get your pants pulled up." John stood her back on the floor in front of him and pulled her panties up. Before he got her pants up, Sammie pushed her underwear back down and started to cry anew.

"What are you doing, Sammie?"

"My heinie hurts, Poppa John. I don't want my pants on."

"I don't think your daddy is going to let you go commando, kiddo." John smiled at her rubbing her butt furiously.

"What is commando?"

"Bare butt."

"Please, Poppa John?" John texted Dean to come back to the room.

"Your daddy is coming back in. You can ask him." Dean and Sam sauntered back through the door and Sammie dashed over to them.

"Daddy, can I go commando?"

"Can you go commando?" Dean looked at his half naked daughter and shook his head laughing. "No, Sammie, you can't run around like that. Put your pants on."

"I can't. My heinie stings. Look!" She turned so Dean and Sam could see her bright pink rear. She turned back around. "Please no pants, Daddy?"

"Tell you what. You can put on one of my t-shirts until your butt cools down, alright?"

"Thanks, Daddy!" Sammie ran over to the dresser and pulled out one of Dean's shirts. She pulled her shirt off and tugged Dean's on. It dragged on the floor.

"Daddy?" Sammie ran back over to Dean and reached for her dad. He picked her up.

"What, Sammie?"

"Poppa John said there is something worse than a bare heinie spankin and that you and Uncle Sam know what it is." Dean looked perplexed and then looked to Sam and shrugged.

"I know what Poppa John means." Sam said with a knowing smile. "Something your dad and I got more than we would have liked."

"I got nothing." Dean said shaking his head.

"A bare heinie spanking with a belt." Sam stated this as fact, using Sammie's words. Poppa John nodded and Dean laughed.

"Oh hell yeah, that is worse. Shit, a belt on boxers is worse than a bare-handed, bare butt spanking. Right, Sam?"

"It is when John Winchester is swinging the belt." Sam agreed. Now it was John's turn to laugh.

"So see, Sammie, Poppa John wasn't lying to you." John told his granddaughter. Sammie reached for John and John held her so they were face to face. Sammie grabbed John's face between her palms and squeezed making a fish-face on John. She leaned close and spoke to him between gritted teeth.

"You listen up, Poppa John. There will not be any smacks with a belt on my bare heinie. You got it?" Sam and Dean could not contain their laughter, watching Sammie channel John Winchester's bad-ass attitude complete with a 'You got it?' and no fear. John too was amused by Sammie's Winchester bravery. She spoke to him in a way that Dean nor Sam would have even dreamed of, let alone at age four. John pulled her hands from his face.

"I'll tell you what, let's go buy you a bathing suit for tomorrow and we'll drop all discussion about my belt. Deal?"

"Deal." Sammie laughed.

John dropped Dean and Sam off at the shooting range since neither was interested in shopping for a bathing suit for Sammie. Normally, John would have forced Dean to do it but he enjoyed spending one-on-one time with Sammie. Besides, Dean wasn't as patient with Sammie when it came to choosing. She tried on 14 bathing suits and some more than once before she found one she liked and that John deemed acceptable. At one point, Sammie was at the beginnings of a tantrum, but John just tugged her to him and whispered a reminder to her about what happens to little girls that have tantrums. John had no qualms about disciplining in public. He was oblivious to the angry looks from other parents whenever the need arose to swat Dean or Sam as kids, and his views hadn't changed any as a grandparent. Since Sammie's bottom was still sore from being spanked earlier, she was careful to avoid any additional punishment.

Sammie put her bathing suit up on the counter and smiled at the sales clerk.

"Did you pick this yourself?" She asked Sammie smiling.

"Ya-huh." Sammie wrapped her arm around John's leg and hugged.

"It is very pretty. Good choice!"

"Fank you." Sammie said shyly smiing at the sales clerk. John ruffled her hair and held Sammie against his leg.

"She is really adorable."

"Thanks. I think so too." John replied smiling.

"She yours?"

"Oh, she's mine alright." Sammie smiled up at John.

"You are mine too, right?" Sammie asked John.

"Only yours, Sammie, only yours." Sammie reached her arms up and John swung her up onto his hip. The sales clerk handed Sammie her bag and John carried the center of his universe out of the mall.

When they picked up Dean and Sam, Sammie was bouncing excited to show off her swimsuit to them. They made a fuss passing it around the Impala. Sammie was so proud of her purchase and bragged to her dad and uncle about how she picked it herself. John went through the McDonald's drive-thru at Sammie's request. They took the food back to the room. Sammie was still bubbling over her bathing suit while the Winchester men unwrapped the food.

"Daddy, can I try it on and show you and Uncle Sam?" Dean shook his head back and forth.

"Not right now. Later. Come over here and eat."

"But I want to show you how it looks!" Dean cringed at the whining.

"Sammie, what did I just tell you?" Dean put his hands on his hips and gave her his best no nonsense look.

"But Daddy, I just want-"

"Stop it, Sammie! Get your butt in that chair," Dean growled, pointing to an empty chair at the table, "And eat your dinner now!"

"Daddy, no! Just let me put it on!" John shook his head and took a bite out of his sandwich watching the battle of Winchester wills.

"One!"

"Don't count, Daddy!"

"Two! If I get to three, I'm gonna swat your ass good, Sammie!" John put his sandwich down, walked over to Sammie, scooped her up, and sat her in the chair.

"Eat, Samantha," he said sternly. Sammie pouted but picked up a chicken nugget and took a bite.

"Dad." John looked over at Dean. "I wanted her to listen to me. What you just did there, didn't help."

"Oh, so now you are the parenting expert, Dean?"

"She needs to obey orders without your help!" John stormed over to Dean and stopped inches from his face.

"Talk to me like that again and I will kick your ass. You got me, son?"

"Yes, sir." And Dean was instantly reduced to the humility of a scolded, little boy.

"Dean," John said, his voice soft again. "Sammie took a hard spanking from me earlier and you can bet she is still feeling it. She doesn't need any swats from you."

John went back to his dinner while Dean stood looking incredulous at his dad. John looked back at Dean and shrugged.

"What?"

"Get the holy water, Sam. Dad is possessed."

"Dean, stop. Okay?" John sounded annoyed again.

"Sorry, Dad, but I don't ever remember getting a get-out-of-jail-free-card from you just because you beat my ass earlier in the day." Dean turned to Sam. "You remember getting that royal treatment, Sam?" Sam shook his head to indicate not. Dean turned back to John.

"Sorry, Dad, no disrespect, but what household are you thinking of? Because it wasn't the John Winchester one we grew up in!"

"Jesus, Dean, man up! You whine like a little boy sometimes, you know that? If I beat your ass twice in the same day, believe me, you earned it!"

"And Samantha directly defying me isn't earning it?"

"Daddy, stop your yelling at Poppa John!" Sammie screeched so loud all three Winchester men winced. Dean started striding over to his daugher but John stepped in between him and his daughter.

"Stand down, Dean. You are out of line."

"I'm out of line? I'm out of line? My four year old has now disobeyed AND disrepected me in less than five minutes, and I am out of line? What am I missing here?" John handed Dean a double cheese burger.

"Dinner. Shut up and eat." Nothing more was mentioned about the incident.

The next morning, Sam rolled out of bed before the others woke up and brought back breakfast. At the smell of fresh coffee and sausage biscuits with egg, the Winchesters gradually woke up. First Dean, then Sammie, then John. There seemed to still be some tension between Dean and John but no one mentioned it.

"Sammie, stop playing around." Sam gently scolded. "You need to finish your breakfast so we're not late for your swimming lesson." Sammie had brought her little ponies to the table and was lost in play.

"But Uncle Sammie, I don't want to go."

"Sammie, we've been through this several times. You're going. End of story." Dean told his daughter.

"No, Daddy, I don't want to go!"

"Sammie!" John interjected. "Do not argue with your father or your uncle. That is disrespecful and you know that isn't tolerated in this family. Do you understand me?"

When he received no response, he leaned over and tilted Sammie's chin up to look at him. He had a serious, no-nonsense look on his face.

"I asked you a question, Samantha. I expect an answer."

"Yes, Poppa John." Sammie muttered pitifully in a defeated voice. Sammie went back to moving her little ponies around. Sam gathered them up in one swoop and depositied them across the room on the bed.

"Uncle Sam, I was playing with those!"

"And now you're not." Sam snapped his fingers and pointed to her biscuit and apple juice. "Eat, Samantha." Sammie started to get out of her chair when Dean clamped his hand on her leg.

"If your butt leaves that chair, you won't be able to sit for the rest of the day. You hear me?" Sammie started to cry but faced front again. She finally finished her breakfast and as soon as she did, Sam was ready to get her to her lesson.

"Okay, kiddo, go put on the new bathing suit that Poppa John bought you." This seemed to invigorate Sammie. She dashed from the table and started to strip. As soon as the suit was on, Sammie happily paraded in front of the Winchester men, swishing her butt with attitude showing off the bathing suit.

"I think I'm adorable." Sammie told them all.

"Well, there is no question whose kid she is." Sam said to John. John snorted with a laugh.

"Shut up, bitch." Dean glared at Sam.

"Sure thing ... jerk." Sam smiled and winked at his big brother.

As they filed out of the motel room, Sammie turned around and stopped.

"Poppa John?" John was packing salt bullets at the table.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Aren't you coming?"

"No, Poppa is getting some stuff ready for a job."

"I want you to come, Poppa John."

"Sammie, Daddy and Uncle Sam will be there the whole time. You'll be fine, okay?" Sammie ran over to John and pushed in front of him, standing between his legs.

Sammie buried her head in John's chest and started to cry.

"Oh, no, you're not starting that shit again." Dean strode back over from the doorway of the room and reached for Sammie but John's arms encircled her as he glared at Dean.

"Dad, you are unbelievable!" Dean planted his hands on his hips and let out an exasperated sigh. John stood with Sammie in the crook of his arm and walked toward the door.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

"Going to Sammie's swim lesson." John strode past Dean and Sam and then turned to them. "Well, don't just stand there, boys. Let's go!" John strode out of the room.

"Sam, something ain't right with that man. Didn't he just tell her he wasn't going? What happened to no means no?" Dean threw his hands up at Sam.

"Dean, John Winchester may be a bad-ass hunter and a strict disciplinarian but he definitely has a major weakness when it comes to your daughter." Sam smiled at Dean and shrugged.

"Let's go."

Sam stood in the water trying to coax Sammie over to the edge of the pool. John and Dean were not allowed on the pool deck since they were not swimming but they were able to watch from the bleachers.

"C'mon, Sammie. They are starting. You need to get in the water." Sammie stood just far enough from the edge that Sam couldn't grab her. She pushed out her bottom lip and shook her head no.

"Sammie, I'm not kidding, let's go." Sam began to sound impatient but still his niece didn't budge from her spot.

"Sammie, so help me, if I have to get out of this pool to get you, you will get a really hard swat in front of all of these people." Sammie looked around and decided that wasn't in her best interests. She walked to the edge of the pool. Sam held out his arms to her.

"Do you trust me, Sammie?" Sammie nodded at Sam.

"Jump to me." Sam stepped closer to the edge to close the gap between him and Sammie.

"Uncle Sam." The whining was starting.

"Sammie, I will never let anything bad happen to you. You know that. Jump." Sammie kept eye contact with Sam as she jumped from the side. Sam caught her easily and held her against him as the lesson began.

Dean and John watched as Sam and the instructor worked with a very engaged Sammie. The look on her face was nothing but pure focus and determination. At the end of the three hours session, Sammie was actually swimming the length of the pool on her own. When she would get from one side to the other, she'd look at Dean and John, wave, and smile. They did the same back to let her know that Daddy and Poppa John were watching. Sam looked proud as a peacock everytime she swam back to him.

Sam chalked this idea up to a huge success. They'd all sleep better knowing Sammie now had one more skill that could potentially save her life. And isn't that what

matters most in a family of hunters?

END