Great Story, blown away by the telling of it. The way you depict the relationship between the brothers is both true to Kripe and gives the reader that little touch more that 40 minutes can't cover!

Especially loved the undercooked romantic theme - it added to the action whilst taking nothing away from the brother theme.

This is about the 5th time I have read this - that is how obsessive I am about your story. This is my all time favorite - it really is like a warm comforter - your skills are boundless!!!! Pls don't ever doubt that - and thanks again for sharing this!!!! Timeless magic!

Abi.

What an evil cliffie!!!!!! I am really impressed with this start and the direction you were brave enough to take this in. What if Sam had said No?!!!!!!! It is totally believable, and all the arguments you have the boys play out are reasonable. Sam went through a lot to get to Stanford - as single minded as Daddy?!!! :-)- so of course he would fight tooth and nail to stay there. Poor Dean caught in the fallout.

Speaking of Dean, I loved the way you built up his part in this. At first (when he meets Jess) he is recognisable , hunter mask firmly in place, then as he continues to try (and fail) to convince Sam that mask slips slowly, painfully away. After he got through with reasoning with Sam it just tore my heart how he exposed more of himself to his brother... sadly only making himself a bigger target. Loved this -so raw;

"Sammy…Please man. I haven’t bothered you in two years. I’m just asking a simple thing. It’ll be good for us. I miss hanging with you, kiddo"

Sam slamming the door in his face must have been devastating, and Dean (and I) yelled the same thing "You’re a selfish bastard you know that" !!! LOL.

But you do redeem Sam in the second half. Frankly he appears very human the way you write him. It's ok for us to judge Sam from the safety of our lives, but let's face it hunting is no picnic!!!!

Really good start, I love the refusal, it's a great 'what-if' but more than that, although you are pushing the boundaries of the brotherly bond here, you are maintaining the best parts - Dean is still an awesome brother (he doesn't get hurt by the fact that Sam calls him a coward, he reacts to the fact that Sam could believe he would want to cause him harm) and Sam is still the very human, sensitive sort, who will do the right thing eventually.

Great start - on to Ch 2! 

Again, your version of John has me misty eyed. So full of regret- wishing he had handled things differently, said something different... who hasn't been there? You depict it all so convincingly- like when he jokes about the acceptance letters "popping out of thin air" allover!!! Lol. But this summed it up beautifully for me;

"John didn’t see a point in reliving the fight between him and Sam, the fight that drove Sam away…the fight that smashed Dean’s dreams."

How typically Dean to not mention Jon's shaken state to Sam but to give it all up without complaint to ensure the safety of his family. How satisfying that your John sees and admits what the family owes his eldest son collectively... this had me remembering IMTOD after John strikes the deal. Loved this description of Dean;

"...his dreams…what he wants…when did that ever matter, it was never about him and he had accepted that fate from the day little Sammy was placed in his arms."

Bringing Caleb in to the mix... genius!!!! It was like he was voicing all the concerns and frustrations we have all had with the relationship between Dean and his obsessive family!!!! Liked the way Caleb sees Dean so clearly and knows that John's eavesdropping. Caleb voices his fears that something may happen and his warning to John are spot on and near prophetic;

“…I wasn’t talking about walking out John”

Exactly!!!!!

OMG Dean flat lining - your endings always draw the reader on... this must have been torture to read along with!!!! Lol!!!! *Relieved breath as goes on to next chapter eagerly!!!!*

Soo empathise with Sam and his lack of breath!!!!!  This chapter - especially Sam's final "odd" conversation with his dead brother is breathtaking! Truly touching Lib, no matter how long it is - concentrated awesomeness!!! ;-)

You start here, with a real gem of a statement, profoundly right and simply beautiful;

"They were one, they always had been, and there was no Sam without Dean and no Dean without Sam."

Sammy's fear driven desperation to save Dean, to give his brother what he had, had all his life .... an anchor, an unshakable guardian that fought for him no matter what the cost. Sam is heartbreaking here in his refusal to give up on Dean. The way he promises he will die right alongside his big brother had echo's of AHBL 2 - that Winchester bond is scary in it's intensity.

But that last paragraph.... stole the show. It's chaotic, clinging and so powerful in the raw need it reveals in Sam. His mind seems to be slipping in front of us even as he seems to be throwing in the towel... he is full of hope. Amazing writing, that twist was almost uncomfortable to read. I saw Sam the way I imagine Dean might see him, so young and fragile and so fearless in his surrender. When he wonders if they will meet their mother OMG!!!! I had to swallow the HUGE lump in my throat that this bought;

"We were our family, we lost dad when we lost mom, and all we had was each other....it’s always been okay when we were together. I love you big brother, you lead the way now, wherever you go I’ll follow."

Heartbreaking and right on the money!!! In a way this chapter is perfect size... any longer and I am not sure I could have taken it!!!!!

Ps. Thanks for the "Beep Beep Beep" LMAO!!!!

Ok - I am back, I've read and reviewed to the end, I know the flat line turned out Ok... how scary that I actually had to check!!!! LOL!

I found this chapter very touching (minus the TOD thing of course... that was just uncomfortable!) The fact that Sam had the flash back of Dean's life - nice touch. Each of the glimpses into their lives growing up actually topped the last one. It was so charming to see the trip from WeeChesters to the hunters they turned into. Sam's ever growing needs met by Dean's unshakable desire to look out for his brother. You also see so clearly, that as time goes on the sacrifices Dean makes become bigger and more costly. This spells out quite clearly where the depth of Sam's guilt comes from.... how could he turn his back on that kind of devotion? Of course he wasn't running from Dean but from that life, but when your brother is lying in a coma... I don't think the finer points matter. You really bring that point to the front, you write it simply, powerfully and in a way that brings a lump to the throat. Beautiful job, so very well done and such an original angle to it all.

Loved this whole story, you did an amazing job on it, capturing all three characters in a very different setting but in an all too real light.

Thanks for the read.

PS. This is my 100th review - where else would I use that ?!!!!! LOL!

Talk about your BIG debates!!! I think you took this one on with thought and care, I didn't find it offensive at all.

I think your version offered a deeper picture of why Sam believes and Dean can't believe. I loved the twists you put on both... you gave it your full attention and were not sidetracked by worries about being "flayed by a hooker from God" (Sorry couldn't help it, that line is GOLD!!!!). The way Dean tells Father Reynolds that it's a good thing he doesn't believe, has such an edge to it and a really strong image with your description of the "cruelest form of good".

But in your portrayal of Sam , you excelled!!!! That Sam wants to believe not just to save himself, but to protect Dean, was beautiful and the fact that Sam still has questions about God (like a lot of us) but his faith in Dean is beyond question - you ended me with that!!!!!

One of my favorite lines was;

" Dean knew though that if he even stole a glance at Sammy, the tears he was hiding behind his green eyes would come streaming down his face, and he wasn’t about to show any more weakness and fragility than was already being witnessed by his baby brother."

I LOVED the way Sam's heart broke when he fully realizes how much pain his brother is in, and who doesn't dig a Winchester "I love you" moment!!!!

Great one shot!!!

Firstly - your story rocks - the way you set up the tension between the brothers and the mystery over what is wrong with Dean is skillfully done!!!! Secondly I have to apologize as this story has been sitting in my favorites forever (back when I stopped being a lurker and stepped into the light-lol!) but I have not reviewed it.

It is amazing to read this again as it is actually better than I remembered it. Love Mother Hen Ellen!

Remember thinking this was a good twist when I first read it and the E-coli path was a good sidetrack. Like how you have given Ellen maternal scope here - Sam even trusts her to patch up Dean, and her support of Dean during the sewing up scene - how she didn't push or prod him  into 'sharing', was well written.

LOVING this story!

Great idea for storyline and (as it's unfolding inch by inch) I am not even sure where it's going yet!!!!

Intrigued to see how Anna's summary of everything the brothers keep hidden effects things. Will definately be along for the ride! Fantastic start author!!!!!!!

Why is Dean's pain and deamons so facinating.... certainly how you write it! More importantly - why is he screaming???!!!!!

Author's Response:

He has good reason, I promise :D

And I'm ignoring the psychology :D I know I'm disturbed, but I'm hoping it's in a good way ::grin::

Hoping to write more today.  Thanks for reading and posting feedback.

Nutty
(there will be breakfast and Supernatural, but after that?  Fic is everything.)

"He didn't have enough profanity in his vocabulary to express what he wanted to do to the bastards who did this" .... Dean running OUT of profanity?????!!!!!  This must be serious - still hanging on to the very edge of my seat, though Dean's red eyes are a worry.

Loved this. Dean and the "I'm fine" defense is such a familiar pattern now, you come to expect the response. This "I can take it" attitude might get annoying from another character, but because you know it's love and concern for Sam that fuels it, not ego, it's an endearing thing. He really is an awesome big brother!!!!  And I really am looking forward to seeing Sam looking out for Dean here, in what promises to be yet more hurt for Dean. Post soon PLS!