"I remember two very tired, worn, beat up and bloody guys.  They never mention that part.  I think it makes them even better heroes."

I think it does, too.

This was a great way to tell an outsider's point of view. I loved the buildup of going through the mother's storytelling. And yay for Susie being a sucky babysitter - lol - allowing Brian to read the "Winchester Gospels" as Cass called them.

And how thrilling/scary was it for him to actually stumble across them for real, only to find them bruised, battered, and definitely not at their heroic best.

Or were they...

I'm glad Brian got a chance to tell the boys how he felt, and he was right - someone should have been able to thank them for what they did, the sacrifices they made.

Had to have a little chuckle over Brian's nervousness when he was asked to check on Sammy, and his image of Sam with flame-filled eyes warring with the reality of the battered, unconscious man hanging by his hands (OUCH!!!!!!) against the wall. Also loved Brian's reaction to the sheer force of nature that is Dean Winchester on a mission.

And of course, the last lines were just poetry. What an awesome way to cap off a sweet, very entertaining story.

Thank you for providing such excellent lunchtime reading for me today, Julie. I thoroughly enjoyed every line.

Jules

Author's Response: Thank you for reading, other Julie!  :)  Seriously, this was a challenge that I signed up for, knowing I was crazy for doing it.  It did NOT come easily.  I ended up starting over again twice on this story because things just weren't coming together.  By the time I got it finished, I had no confidence in the story at all.  It FELT like things had finally come together, but I couldn't tell anymore.  I have been SO grateful for the reviews, and so glad that people have liked it!  Thank you thank you!!!