Naggy beta, huh?  I just asked a simple question, but if you would like me to nag you ....... LOL!

Loved this story, with missing scenes from all the seasons, with the common theme of restocking the first aid kit and showing the subtle change in the boys relationship over the years, plus the different first aid/medical items they needed to purchase or purloin depending on their injuries.   Also liked the correlation that Dean mentioned a camping trip to the pharmacy assistant after your first missing scene for the Pilot/your fic Metamorphosis, when he and Sammy were back together again, and then the same camping story when he was again reunited with Sam after being raised from hell.

Each restocking fit perfectly with the corresponding episode - Kripke could have added them effortlessly and brought a little more to the show.

Loved the insight into the final scene, you got them both perfectly and so nice to see Sam needing his brother and letting him help him, something which was sadly lacking as a whole in Season 4 and Dean so needed to be the big brother again, even if it was just for a little while.  Spot on how Dean observed how much Sam was now like his father and loved this - Dean watched his brother, seeing the pain of too many losses flit briefly across Sam's expressive features. Is that why you changed, Sammy? Is that why you closed yourself off and became all uber-hunter? ‘Cos it hurt too much to keep feeling the way you did? Is that why you turned into Dad?

A really fantastic read sis, so in character with great attention to detail.  And I'm pretty sure that here you can buy burn gel over the counter too!

Great one shot sis.

Loved how you had Sam seeing Dean holding the cassette, triggering memories he had tried to bury deep within him.  The flashback to what happened to it was perfect - the cassette being the catalyst for Sam breaking down in the aftermath of Dean going to hell and the youngest Winchester not being able to find a way to get him out.  The flashback was so raw and emotional and it was so believable that such a small object could trigger the tears that Sam had kept at bay.

Great too the parallel that the CCR tape had triggered in Dean when he had found it in the cassette deck in the Impala after their dad had died.

Perfect that Dean found his little brother and told him the story of what he did to the CCR tape then offered for him to salt and burn the Bon Jovi one, giving him some sort of closure.

As usual you pitched the ending just right, Bobby coming out, demanding where they had been and Dean's smart comments triggering their banter.  And how nice for them to hear Sam's genuine laugh again.

So in character and totally believable - the tapes meant so much but ended up giving both boys painful memories which needed dealing with, and you dealt with them perfectly.

And yes, I have used triggering quite a few times but couldn't come up with a better alternative - you could beta my review hon!

Have a great weekend.

Sarah

Loved this.  Just knew Dean would get his revenge on Troy for Sam after his little brother had suffered again at the hands of the bully.  And just loved how he did it, humiliating the jerk!  Understandable that Sam would want to handle it himself but sometimes awesome big brothers just know what to do!  And could so imagine Dean saying all those things at the end of the chapter!

Great

Great little one shot.  Loved how you gave us how Dean's fear of flying started, but John knew just how to stop him going into outright panic, telling him it would scare Sammy!  Great how you wrote John, I always see him as loving his sons and doing what he thinks is best for them but often misses the big picture - they need love and affection - with his need to keep them safe.

Flying isn't my favourite passtime but did manage to do 24 hours straight, going to Australia on my own last year - and the return trip of course!

Great second chapter sis.

Dean is certainly very mixed up with Sam meeting his college buddies and them being involved in the hunt as well as all the bad memories from the Djinn's altered reality.  Usually he would have figured it was a revenant immediately and they wouldn't have had to salt and burn Aunt Maddie's bones.

And Sammy knows that something is up with his brother but getting Dean to talk about it could be like getting blood out of a stone.

Matt is a bit of a dark horse, he must be lying to the Winchesters if the revenant is after him as it only goes after the guilty.  And Felicia is so repulsive I don't even feel sorry that she has got caught up in it - making passes at Dean when she is going out with Matt is so not on.

Will our intrepid heroes get back to Aunt Maddie's place before the revenant kills again and save Matt and Felicia's backsides - can't wait to tune in next week to find out!

Have a great Christmas sis

Sarah

First of all, congratulations on your back-to-back Kripke wins, so well deserved sis, your writing is pure genius, so in character and you definitely have the talent to write for a living.

Fantastic epilogue you tied up everything brilliantly. If only Matt had been truthful with Sam from the get-go Sam's injuries would have been avoided as they would have known exactly what they were dealing with from the beginning.  And just loved how Sam put Matt right about Dean, but his college buddy not only misjudged Dean, he really didn't know Sam at all either.  

Great that Sam asked Matt to tell the truth, lies caused all the problems in the first place and Burt's family deserved to know exactly what happened.  And loved that Sam told Matt to ditch the Ice Queen, despite his flaws Matt deserved better than her!

Loved the brotherly moments between the boys at the end of the chapter and just spot on that touch was the key to Dean shedding the last lingering memories of the Djinn's world,  Perfect that as soon as Sam heard his big brother's words he leaned even more into his touch, reassuring him in the best way that this was his reality.

Another totally fantastic read sis, you rock.

Hope you had a great New Year's Eve and that 2010 is a fantastic year for you and Chris.

And congratulations to Chris on her Best Artist award, her banners for your stories are amazing and her creativity in that department second to none.

Sarah

First of all, thank you so much sis for your beautiful words in your story notes, they brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. You make my job easy, with only having to suggest the odd tweak, or putting Dean back where he came from!

Fantastic one-shot sis, you conveyed exactly what it was like in snow, it shows how creative your imagination is, only having seen the white stuff a couple of times in your life!  And even better because you imagined it whilst sitting in sweltering heat!

Loved frostbitten Sam and Dean, determined to protect his little brother from the Yoko Ono, sorry Yuki-Onna!  Just so Dean, changing her name!

And just had to comment on this part, so insightful -

But Dean knew better. He could see the devastation of his brother's soul mirrored in the expressive eyes whenever Sam let his guard down. He knew the younger man was absolutely gutted by what he'd been manipulated into doing, and the only thing keeping Sam on his feet and moving forward through all this was his burning desire to make it right - to find a solution and earn his redemption. It was all he had left.

Well, that and a brother who was struggling to find his own forgiveness for his part in breaking the first seal, Dean reminded himself, tightening his arm around Sam's waist. That same brother was also striving to move past the hurt and betrayal to repair the broken bond between himself and his younger sibling.

Perfect that you brought Bobby and Castiel into the story to rescue the boys from the cave, with their extended 'family' dwindling these two are crucial to them.

Great ending, safe back at Bobby's drinking spiced apple cider. and so Sam that he would voice how scared he is about what is coming up in the future. Perfect toast at the end - to family and to hope - they are all going to need both in bucketfuls.

Hope you had a fantastic Christmas sis and hope you have a wonderful New Year and hope 2010 brings you everything you wish for.

hugs Sarah

What an amazing piece of writing sis.  So original and well-crafted and perfect that you told it from Bobby‘s POV, putting a different spin on it.  You got the emotions of  them all perfectly in the aftermath of John’s death.  Loved how you had Bobby automatically assuming a parental responsibility for them, not forcibly, but just by being there for them when they most needed it.   Perfect how he took the initiative with selling John’s GMC, something both boys were not up to, although he had to take Sam with him to help him empty the vehicle when it came to the sale.  Glad you addressed this issue as it’s something Kripke never dealt with but it was something I’d always wondered about.

So believable both boys meltdowns, Bobby being the anchor both of them needed.  And could so imagine Dean silently witnessing Sam’s breakdown but being unable to bring himself to go to him because of  his grief and the weight of the secret he was keeping.  Liked the fact that you had Dean confess his dad’s words to Bobby, not totally meaning to but unable to keep them to himself any longer.

The ending fit so well, both how they are reacting to each other and Sam finding Ellen’s message on their dad’s mobile, which ties in neatly with ELAC.
You excelled yourself with this story sis, and just loved  the dedication to Chris,  she is an awesome person and having spent two weeks with you both feel she is my Auntie too, with a very small age gap!

Just fabulous.

First off I had to laugh at your comment about my red pen corrections, you made me sound like a teacher - but wait, aren't teachers not allowed to use red pen now as it may damage the child's psyche?  Hope my red doesn't damage yours, but in my defence I have to use a colour that is different from your typed words!

Just loved this sis.  I always had a problem with that particular scene, thinking it was sloppy writing and totally out of character for Dean to do that to his little brother, even if he was 100% sure of his hunch.  Your story made it explainable though.   You totally got across that in hindsight Dean would regret his action, realising how hurt his brother was, and totally got inside his head with the nightmares giving him various scenarios of his little brother dying from the prank - rather like Sam had in his reality in Mystery Spot.  Loved how you also brought Zachariah (the p*ick) and Castiel into his nightmares too, their reactions compounding Dean’s guilt.  Also loved the scene in the hospital, so like the situation Sam found himself with Dean in Faith and also Sam dying when Dean was about to go and get coffee, again a parallel to Sam finding their dad dead in In My Time Of Dying.

Perfect how things came to a head with Sam’s reaction to getting a faint zap from the buzzer when looking for a twenty in Dean’s jeans pocket, the older Winchester  seeing the hurt and betrayal in his little brother’s face and knowing he has to put things right.

Great the scene by the stream and their much needed talk, Sam opening up to Dean and Dean letting Sam know he regretted the action and that it wouldn’t happen again.  Their relationship may still have its cracks but they still have each other and  loved the image of them striding back towards town falling into easy banter.

An amazing story Jules, you took a scene I hated and gave me something plausible.

Sarah

Absolutely awesome tag Sonya.  You got the boys perfectly in this, true to character and totally believable.  Wish Kripke had actually included this in the episode.

You were totally inside Sam's head that he was scared Dean would be disappointed in him but needed his big brother anyway.  And you could really feel him going through withdrawal.  Not surprised he broke down when he realised Dean had had to clean him up but loved how Dean made Sam look him in the eye as he reassured him he didn't let him down.

Perfect that you had Sam tell Dean that famine was wrong, that Dean wasn't dead inside and Sam knew just where his heart was and that his question "I'm not empty?" turned to confirmation "I'm not empty." when he heard Sam's words "No Dean" "Far from it."

Couldn't fault this, wonderful.

Congratulations on your one year anniversary of posting and what a great fic you celebrated the occasion with.

Well you won't hear any spoilers from me for the 100th episode sis, I am staying spoiler free and just watching the episodes via streaming as they air!

Great start.  Was certain Zachariah manipulated the boys good memories in DSOTM in order to stop their relationship becoming more brotherly again, and what better way to do it that show Dean that Sam doesn't need him.  Though you only had to see young Sam's face in Dean's memory of the fireworks to know that wasn't so.  And just to put pressure on Dean to say yes he sets up a trap and kidnaps Sam to use as a bargaining tool and drops the bombshell that it was Cas who let Sam out of the panic room the night Lucifer was freed, to alienate him from the angel too.

Just hope that both boys have faith in each other and will hold out, Dean from saying yes to Michael and Sam from saying yes to Lucifer when Zachariah hands him over, as he is sure to do, as he's admitted himself that he's petty.  At least Cas has whisked Dean away from Zachariah and Bobby is on his way as I sense those two will be crucial in stopping Dean from saying yes, as that pr*ck of an angel puts pressure on Dean, yanking his chain.

Already eagerly looking forward to the next chapter.  And congratulations on posting your 50th fic sis.

Wow, another awesome chapter Jules with so much going on.  

Much as I can’t stand Lucifer I loved how he put that pr*ck Zachariah in his place and zapped him away, bet he’s not so pompous now!  All it needs now is for him to be taken out permanently!   And though Satan seems to be taking care of Sam it is only for his own ends, so however weak Sam is physically hope he can stay mentally strong.

Awesome idea having Cas go to Gabriel to try to get his help and although the archangel  couldn’t be persuaded at least he told Cas that Lucifer was in Detroit.  And good point - I’m sure Castiel was only allowed to pull Dean from hell after he had broken the first seal.  

Sam is really going through the mill here, first with Zach and now with Lucifer trying to convince him Dean hates him but all credit to him for staying strong.   Unfortunately Lucifer is now bringing out the big guns and is playing mind games, making Sam believe he is in a coffin, like when he buried Dean.

Surprised Bobby has not slapped Dean upside the head for his defeatist attitude but thank goodness the older Winchester finally got angry and slammed Sam’s duffle at the wall, spilling its contents and revealing the amulet which Sam rescued from the rubbish bin.  And it is a testament to how down Dean is that Bobby had to explain that to Sam the pendant meant Dean and that he also had to tell him just what his death at the hands of the hellhounds had done to his little brother and how the amulet was all he had to hang on to.  At least hearing that has now given Dean the determination not to give in to Michael and to find and rescue Sam.  Thank goodness Bobby’s idea to locate one of Lucifers minor demons worked,  which in turn gave them the exact location of the devil himself.

Dramatic end to the chapter as Lucifer is really upping the ante here as he has to resort to mental manipulation to try and break Sam, such is his determination not to give in and become his meat suit.   Just hope Dean, Bobby and Cas get there quick as Sam sounds like he is going through hell in his head.

Totally gripped by this story, and so looking forward to the next chapter.

Sarah






Author's Response:

Hey, sis,

Awww, thank you! Yes, I rather enjoyed Lucifer giving Zachariah sh*t. Pompous a-h. Taken out permanently? Working on it...

Yes, pulling Dean out of hell - remember when Petra emailed the group with her thoughts on that after the season 4 finale aired? I think she was right. I think Zachariah held the angels back until Dean broke, then sent them in to rescue him. Horrible thought, but...

Oh, Bobby would have slapped Dean, but the boys have been through so much he decided to go easy on him. This time - lol. 

And yep, Lucifer's in it to win. No matter what....

Jules