Okay, so I was having a LOT of trouble posting my fanfics and someone mentioned that it only seemed to be Supernatural stories, so I thought I might try something new. Since my new math teacher reminds me of Charlie, I thought I would start with Numb3rs.

This story has been a long time in the making since I kept coming up with tibits of things that could have happened during the Eppes brother's childhood, but none long enough to make a story about. So, I will post each one as a one shot following the alphabet. Fittingly, I am starting with a turning point in the boys' lives. Enjoy ...

DISCLAIMER: The day I own Numb3rs is the day Don becomes a peace loving monk and Charlie gives up math. In other words, they are not mine.

A is for Apples

May 19, 1978

Hoping off the school bus, Don raced up to his house as fast as his eight year old legs could carry him and pulled out his key. He couldn't wait for his parents to get home to show them his third gold star in spelling, but until then he would celebrate with a Popsicle a some cartoons. Shutting the door behind him and dropping his backpack on a chair, Don was surprised to see his parents were already home. Digging into his bag, grabbed his spelling test and rushed over to where they were talking quietly on the couch.

"Mom, Dad, I got another gold star!" He announced excitedly. "See?"

"That's great Donny." His mom gave him a small smile, but didn't look at the paper he held out to her. "Why don't you go get a snack in the kitchen. Okay?"

Glancing at his Dad, Don got the feeling that whatever they were talking about was grown up stuff. He hoped it wasn't something bad, but it was definitely serious.

"Um … okay." He answered quietly, turning to head into the kitchen.

He slowed his steps when he got near the door, straining to hear what his parents were talking about.

"Do you think he with understand?" His mom whispered.

"Don is a good kid." His Dad answered in the same hushed tone.

"I know, I just … I don't want this to come between them."

Who? Don couldn't help but wonder. He slipped passed the door where he wouldn't be seen, but not far enough that he wouldn't be able to hear.

"It's gonna be hard," Dad sighed, "but I think the boys will be okay. We'll just have to take this one step at a time."

Boys? As in him and Charlie?Was something wrong with his little brother? Don looked over his shoulder and saw said little brother sitting at the kitchen table. The three year old was resting his head in his hands and staring glumly at a bright red apple. That confirmed it, something was wrong. His brother was usually a bundle of energy, talking at the speed of light about anything and everything. The last time he was sitting like this was the day it rained and they were not able to go kite flying, except that time his parents were not acting like the world was ending. What was going on. Maybe Charlie knew.

"Hey buddy." Don said quietly, climbing up on the stool next to his brother.

"Hi Donny." He mumbled.

"What'cha doing?"

"Trying to connect the dots on the apple."

Don stifled a laugh and relaxed a little. That was SO Charlie. The only way anyone had ever got his to sit still was to give him some kind of puzzle to do. But if the little guy was okay, what was wrong with Mom and Dad?

"Donny?"

"Yeah?"

"Am I … am I weird?"

Though his first reaction was a firm yes, something told Don that pointing out the fact that Charlie would rather watch a beach-ball float away then play with it, as demonstrated by their last beach trip, might make the kid cry.

"Why? Did someone say something?"

Charlie nodded, taking his finger over the side on the apple. Now Don's relief turned to anger, as he imagined one of the other kids at the daycare picking on his little brother.

"Who was it?"

"Miss Amy."

Don blinked, wondering if he had heard him right. Why would the daycare teacher be telling Charlie he was weird?

"She said called Mommy and told her that I was helping with snack time."

"Charlie, that's not weird."

"Then why did she call Mommy?" Charlie turned his wide brown eyes away from the apple and towards don. "All I did was tell her how many cookies to hand out for everyone to get some."

"Wait … you counted the kids … what?"

"No." Charlie shook his head. "I told them they needed fifty-one cookies."

He turned back to the apple, tracing another picture that only he could see.

"There are nine kids are two and eight kids are three, that makes seventeen. Each of us gets three cookies, that makes fifty-one cookies."

Don was stunned. He had always knew Charlie could count, but this was HIS math. Did this mean that charlie was going to go to school with him? No, he was still too little. But maybe …

"I'll be right back."

Quietly tiptoeing back into the living room, Don grabbed his backpack from the chair and returned to the kitchen.

"Let's trade." He offered, pulling some papers out of his folder."

"Trade what?" Charlie asked, perking up a little.

"You share your apple with me and I will share my math with you."

"Okay." Charlie smiled looking over the sheet.

"Alright." Don pulled out his pencil. "What is nine times four?"

"What's that mean?"

"It means nine four times." Don explained. "You know nine plus nine plus nine plus nine."

"Oh, that's thirty-six."

Don grinned writing the answer under the first question.

"Okay … seven times four?"

"That's twenty-eight."

"And three times four?"

"Twelve."

Man, Don thought to himself as he soared thorough his math homework faster then he ever had before, he didn't know what his parents were so worried about. Having a brother who could do math was going to be awesome!

I WAS going to hend with Allan walking in to see his ol;dest exploiting his youngest, but i liked this better.

Let me know what you think and I will get started on "B". :)