Not normally an AU fan and not normally one who waits to review until the third chapter, but YOU SUCKED ME IN!! I just had to force myself to stop reading long enough to leave a review...now I'm off to read more!

Author's Response: I'm really glad you're enjoying it!  I don't read AU that often either...  I just seem to keep writing it!!

Wow! What a cool way to tie everything together. And now they get another chance to take the YED out! And I loved the end note about the lashes - they're worthy of their own story! Looking forward to the next chapter.

Author's Response: Hah hah!  We ought to do a challenge - 100 words on the beauty of Jensen's eyelashes...  Jeez, I think I could write about 1000!!!

Well done. I especially liked that Lucy thought she recognized them. Interesting twist having a "substitue" big brother in the picture, too. This tag really captured the sacrifices Dean and Sam have had to make in order to do what they do. Normal, and all it entails, is out of the question.

So glad I finally got to pick this back up! I've been wanting to but life kind of has a way of getting in the way of the fun stuff sometimes. But here I am and it was definitely worth the wait. I can't write much 'cause I must get to the next chapter and find out what happens! So well written, as always. Loved the Zeppelin references and the Latin quote about fighting in the shadows. Off to read more... *rubs hands together gleefully*

That was so good! I loved the fact that Dean was able to "conjure" the Colt and the way the boys worked together to keep  the flames from destroying Dean. The satisfaction I felt reading about the demise of the YED was absolute. I'm hoping I'll have a sense of deja vu on Thursday!! A little birdie mentioned there were some incredible similarities between AHBL Part I and what you had written but I didn't know what exactly until now - great minds think alike, that's for sure! You've really brought this story to life and made it your own. My heart is already shattered after last week - now I have your Dean to worry about! Guh. Don't make me wait too long, pretty please! I don't know if I can take it!

Author's Response:

Thank you so much Freyja for the review!

I am hoping too that on Thursday we can see our boys, and I do mean our boys, plural, get what they've sought after for twenty-three years.

I will try not to make you wait long. Working on the epilogue now and it's so short compared to my last couple of chapters.

Take care, Frejya, and thanks again. :) 

-Sojourner 

Loved when Dean told Sammy he was thinking too loud and the snark about whiskey going to his head. Plenty of angst and intrigue, too. I'm anxious to read the next chapter and learn more about how Brenna's parents died. I've said it before and I'll say it again: not normally a fan of OFCs but I love me some Brenna! I also think you've done a great job with the Sam POV. I know that's not normally your forte but you nailed it. I think alternating POVs can be a great storytelling tactic. Type away, you! You're on a roll (as usual)!

Author's Response:

Thanks lady! I'm jazzed that you're diggin' this. And that you like Brenna. My hope is that she reveals more about our boy than he'd reveal about himself.

I'm hoping to have the next chapter next week. When you're rollin you don't want to stop -- hard to start again, right?

Cake. ;)

GS

I'm loving the flashbacks to IMTOD - it's always bothered me that Dean has no memory of that time and the way you've had it return in bits and pieces seems very real. The fire scene was so well done. I swear I could smell the smoke and feel the heat on my skin. The line about Dean's double standard was perfect, too. And now human "monsters" threatening Brenna while Dean's still recovering from the lingering effects of the wraith's attack and the fire...can't wait to read more! I also liked the conversation between Sam and Brenna when Sam says that just because she sees things in him doesn't mean she knows Dean. I've always found it interesting that the boys know each other so well and yet remain blinded to certain aspects of each other. And because Dean is not one to willingly open up, Brenna is a great tool for showing what's going on inside him without having him volunteer it; you manage to keep Dean true to character and yet still allow us a peek at the emotions under the surface. Well done, you. You get an extra slice of cake;)

Did not see that twist coming! Dean and Jack have history?! Dun-dun-dun... And that was quite a cliffie, even for you, my friend;) I'm interested to see how Dean manages to reclaim the piece of himself that was stolen by the wraith - what will it take for him to find it? Looking forward to the next chapter! Remember...writing is release - so use that stress and type away!!

Author's Response:

I am a hollow reed... trouble blows through me like the wind...

Nah, you're right. Writing the boys is a much better stress release. Thanks so much for the review. You know I look so forward to them. I'm glad I surprised you with the twist. :) I'd been planning it since the beginning and was afraid I'd been telegraphing it somehow, so YAY that it worked.

Chapter 7 will hopefully be up next week... all I need is for one thing to go my way, and you will see it. :)

Have some cake, my friend, and think of me.

GS

What can I say? That was a fantastic chapter from start to finish. The ending was perfect. When Dean said, "I'll always be damaged goods" and then questioned whether he'd ever be an old man I think I actually whimpered. And while I can't quite visualize Dean ever living a "normal" life, I thought the final scene between Dean and Brenna really resonated. Excellent song choices, too. How hot are Levee and Kashmir?! And love, Impala style? Good stuff;) There's a real, natural flow to your storytelling that just gets better and better. Much cake for you, my friend!!

Author's Response:

Heeeellllooo! So happy to see your review! Thanks for the comments on my storytelling. You know how to aim for the heart with a velvet-covered arrow, my friend. I love you for that.

I'm so glad that you liked the ending. I sweated over that, but in the end, I decided I had to write the movie in my mind and hope for the best. I'm with you -- "normal life" and "Dean" don't belong in the same sentence... But I wanted to do two things: give him an idea of the possibility of a future beyond hunting, and keep it open so Brenna could come back.

And with as much as we love that car... well, could there be a better place?

Eating my cake with pleasure.

That is some mighty fine HurtDean! Impaled on a friggin' tree limb?! Argh! And very nice foreshadowing with the odd glow in his eyes and the fact that he hasn't regained consciousness...theories are swirling around in my little brain and I'm so curious to see if any of them turn out to be accurate. I'm officially hooked!

Author's Response: Thank you, ma'am! One of the best compliments you could give me is to say I've written something that's got your curiosity up and making you generate ideas of your own...thank  you. :)

I literally teared up reading that. When the preacher said he used to be a carpenter and introduced himself as Immanuel I think I actually said, "Whoah" out loud. And the passage about his father's final request...wow. I love the idea of Dean, who I think struggles with the idea of faith, being touched by a higher power who recognizes the light in him. Excellent choice for the final quote, too. Well done.

Author's Response: Well, I literally teared up when I read these last two reviews. Oh, my gosh - thank you so much. I was very proud of this one for a number of reasons, not the least of which being able to marry up my faith and my fantasy. And I have been blown away by the response. Thank you, and bless you.

I like that you dealt with a least some of the aftermath of the Madison storyline in a way that the show chose not to. This was an interesting twist on what had that trailer a-rockin'! "Dean Winchester, Demon Slayer and Mouse Hunter Extraordinaire!" And thank you for acknowledging the freaky eyes on that Tara chick - they creeped me out, too. I fully expected her to be some sort of alien creature or something when she first came on the screen! This was a fun tag but also delved into how much work it is to be Strong Dean all the time. That mask must get pretty heavy, huh?

Author's Response:

It's a weight that few could carry, I'm thinking. But he does it with a bad-assed grace that just curls my toes. And dude no kidding those eyes of Tara's! Bizarre!

I kinda liked the thought that Dean might be a tiny bit creeped out by a mouse and yet will do a home-plate slide into a grave to spear a zombie to her coffin... sorry... where was I?

GS