a wonderful and kind and sad story at the same time. thank you for her

I'm complaining this story gives too much smiles even Dean's megawatts. Now, go find other story. :p

When I read the part that Dean had to hunt even identity gone with Fed, Dean's life is so terrible. Honestly, I'm happy Supernatural did give him a moment of either one month or week without monsters in AU until one did show up. Had seen him happy. And one year with his beloved. Dean break many hearts. I don't blame Sam. *stare* What if there is another Dick Levithian (don't know how to spell and pun is not intended) If person can't work as Hunters but can pull down someone like him when spotted. I sorta can imagine they can work together as Sam being breadwinner- this is just what I imagine in my head actually. Dean do need Sam as they don't know much network.
Totally enjoy reading chapter.

This is beautiful. Love that you mix verses of Bible truth in with our boys' story.

Read this today which just happens to be Easter Sunday. Many Blessings to you & yours :)

Amen to that (God is so in tune to our needs). How right you are. Awesome story.

Amazing and deep story! Really awesome. :)

This is an excellent story. The brothers need much more exposure to the good supernatural.

You have a good feel for how the boys use jokes and insults to communicate what they really mean.

I so loved your story. Dean always there to help out the children. How the actions of Dean led him to Kyle. Most likely he was guided there. Little circumstances and "luck" like this happen all the time in life, and I love how you wove that in to this story in such a beautiful way. I truly believe things like this are not just "luck," but divinely guided. I loved how Dean instantly bonded with Kyle and the instant friendship they developed together. How Dean was there for Kyle and continued to be, and then how Sam came to be "there" for Dean. Loved the brotherly interaction between these two and the concern and love that Sam had for Dean. Great story. Definitely a favorite.

This was a great story! You portray Sam and Dean wonderfully. A great example of God's blessings, sending Dean for that little boy. And how things and people kept getting put in Dean and Sam's paths along the way. I enjoyed this very much! Thank you for sharing! :D

Wonderful as always! I've read this story before but I never started commenting on anything until recently, haha. So you might see some comments on some of your stories here in the future! Anyway. Excellent job! Very heart-felt.

Hi Cheryl,

yeah, well, I know... now that the lengthy review had to be split in two, the stuff is in the wrong order...

anyway, I hope it's not too bad.

Chapter 6:

Oh and I LOVED, LOVED how you interwove Dean's hope for himself and probably even for deliverance

with the Kyle and his influence on Dean. Loved how you made Dean admit to himself that he wanted

this moment to be special, that he wanted to be special in this boy's eyes:

More than anything, Dean knew, with rare self honesty, that he wanted to be special too. To a boy he didn't know, really, a boy that reminded him of Sam, of himself, of a childhood that he could have had. To a boy who was so vastly different than he was him, who believed there was good in the world, believed in Someone good, Someone that would send a Good Samaritan along in a snowstorm [...]

a door that led to a twelve year old, that seemed ominous, able to take him down, to make Dean Winchester, hunter extraordinaire, want to turn tail and run. Because, for once, he wanted something from the exchange, from the person he had rescued, something for himself, not for anyone else.

And I appreciate what you did with Sam's memory of his Dad. How he sees his fathers plight differently

after his death, how John gained *worth* in Sam's eyes by sacrificing himself *for Dean* - very touching!

Especially knowing that Sam defines just about everything by Dean... and I liked the thought with which

Sam finally forgave his father:

'You done good, Dad,' Sam lovingly thought, using one of his father's own phrases.

...and, finally, Chapter 7:

which ends the whole story on a lighter note, with some much needed brotherly banter thrown into the mix

and a whole lot of faith and belief. I liked the idea with the brass bookmark from Kyle's grandfather

that so much resembled Mary's handkerchief.

Once again, I loved how insightful your Sam is, how much he is tuned to what is going inside Dean:

He knew it was not his place to ask, to push, to demand something that was Dean's and Dean's alone; his memories, the facets of his relationship with their mother, his mother, it was hallowed ground, guarded, protected, revered, and hidden, and buried and unmercifully painful.

'Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.'

If anyone was weary, was burdened, Dean was. If anyone deserved rest, had earned a respite against the harshness of life, was worthy of shelter, Sam knew it was his brother, above anyone else he had ever known.

What a wonderful, powerful story! and beautifully done, too!

Thank you so much.

Please keep writing SN stories and - even more so - PLEASE keep sharing them with us!

Take care! Daniela

Hi Cheryl,

I guess you probably don't really need my rather inarticulate reviews given how wonderfully you tell your stories,

but well, I decided to leave one anyway. Since I don't want to repeat everything a thousand times, I should tell

you at first that I completely agree with all of bhoney's numerous comments. However, either I overread some of the

things she already pointed out, or I did find some other things that touched me deeply...

So, here are some of the lines/scenes that I just LOVED in this beautiful and very emotionally powerful story:

Chapter 2:

But the boy's first words to him ricocheted through his head, "I knew you'd come. That you'd save me," the boy's conviction, his trust had been like a five alarm fire amid the blizzard, searing into Dean's soul. [...then Dean's bitter self-loathing for not being able to save his Dad or not being able to give Sam the normal life he craved for...]

"Dean?" came Sam's trembling voice in his ear, jarring him from the condemnations that threatened to choke him. His little brother's voice sounded too scared, too similar to Kyle's tone as he pleadingly said his name as Dean pulled his hand free. Dean's response to the boy's fear had been automatic, instinctive. Putting his hand on Kyle's forehead, he had leaned close and promised, "Hey, you're going to be alright. Us tough guys always are, you know, 'cause we have a reputation to maintain."

Very powerful, how Kyle's faith, his conviction, that Dean could save him jarred Dean so much and how he kept

comparing Kyle to little Sam when he was hurt or wounded and needed his big brother to be there for him.

I just always like to see Dean interacting with children and this was so totally Dean - great!

and I loved Sam's reaction after "slipping his phone into his pocket":

Sam felt shredded apart. How was it possible, amid all the cuts, bruises, stitches, ice packs, Dad's death and Dean's guilt and his own undetermined fate that he had forgotten how much it killed him to hear his brother in pain? How useless, broken he felt, hearing Dean's strong voice falter, listening to his big brother speak words lacking in humor, in laughter, soaked with bitter, undeniable truth.

Chapter 3:

Scarring, pain, that Dean internalized, seemingly accepted as some warranted punishment, that chipped away at his vulnerable heart, which he could not or would not harden, or safeguard. Long ago, before Stanford, before Sam sought an escape from the Winchester way of life, before his father had ceased to be a hero in his youngest son's eyes, before anyone beyond their family of three held any interest to Sam, the younger brother had vowed to protect his older brother. To protect him where he was most vulnerable: In his heart.

A heart that bled in silence when their father's words struck a seemingly mortal blow, that locked away all the scars that hunting wrought, that remembered all the things Dean would never talk about, like Mom and praying before going to bed. That was irreparably damaged by the betrayal of his innocence, of a belief that the world was fair, that if you were good, good things would happen to you, that if you loved someone, they'd never leave you.

God, I LOVED this so much!

*sniffle and wiping away tears*

...and I also liked the little reference to Sam leaving Dean, there at the end of this paragraph, especially

because you start the next one with Sam praying for help to get to his brother, to be there for him. Nice!

Also liked how Dean keeps insisting he's fine... as usual:

Latching his hand around Sam's wrist, Dean pulled his brother's hand from his nearly frozen hair. "I'm fine, Sam," Dean reassured, seemingly oblivious to the way the words almost stammered from his suddenly chattering jaw, to the shiver that wracked his body again, to the coldness of his skin that nearly had the power to hurt Sam's fingers.

and how he indeed takes his injuries as punishment meted out for his perceived failures:

[...]didn't mean Dean wanted him to heal them. Pain was all cause and effect, was a punishment meted out to the foolish, to the weak, to screwups who failed at every turn. It was nothing short of what he deserved. 'And if Kyle doesn't make it'….he couldn't finish the thought, not if he wanted to keep it together, to not break in front of Sammy. Then his eyes scampered away from Sam's, fixing on the other occupants of the ER.

...and - oh god - I LOVED what you did with Sam's response to Dean's actions:

Because acceptance seemed too close to approving, to giving Dean the green light to disregard his own life, his own health. And that was something Sam would never condone, no matter whose life hung in the balance. 'Or had hung in the balance,' his thoughts on his father, on his father's sacrifice, a sacrifice Dean despised …and Sam treasured.

Especially the last three words!

Also loved Sam's thoughts and reaction to how Dean replied to his question about the hurt kid; how perceptive

Sam is and still he's also angry that Dean can open himself up to a stranger while at the same time shutting

Sam out. I think you really managed to crawl into Sam's head here.

Chapter 5:

Oh and this, where Dean contemplates his father *before* and *after* that fateful night after which hunting

became his only focus in life:

He both treasured and hated his memories of when his father's touch was a commonplace thing, when his father's big hand would tenderly ruffle his hair, when strong arms easily scooped him up into his father's arms, when his father's voice rang with love when he said his name, as if he mattered, not for the hunt, not because he was his partner but because he was his son.

Gez, what are you doing? The next paragraph just completely tore me up...

Tears threatened to spring to Dean's eyes as he sat there watching Kyle's father's tangible anguish. Because, in that moment, Dean knew in his heart that he would rather have been blessed with one of those rare tender crutches from his father a thousand times more than he wanted the 'gift' his father had bestowed on him. Would have rather had one of his father's strong calloused hands stroke his hair, to come to rest on his shoulder, more than he wanted to live while his father died, bartered his soul away for him. Would have gladly scarified the knowledge that his father was proud of him to hear his father's gruff voice say 'I love you'…just once.

And I loved the entire sequence where Sam realises that Dean didn't always embrace hunting, that he just

wanted to be with his Dad. How Sam hesitantly tries to ask his brother about his notion, but then realises

(essentially without Dean really having to answer his rather rethorical question) that 'yes, his brother

did not want to hunt. Not in the beginning.'

Oh, and this:

"Don't be," and there was ice in Dean's voice, the two words revealing more than a thousand words could about the burden it had been to be that "perfect son", to wear that mantle like a noose around his neck.

the wording, the metaphor - priceless! So beautifully written!

...and I LOVED how you let Sam's appreciation for and pride of his brother come through here:

"You could do something that makes you happy, keeps you safe, that didn't lead to you getting hurt, getting patched up in bathrooms instead of exam rooms," Sam said brokenly, trying to not let tears gather in his eyes. Dropping his voice lower, so it didn't carry further than Dean, he counter offered, "Or how about saving lives and getting the recognition for it, the gratitude, instead of it getting you a top billing on America's Most Wanted. I want more for you, Dean. I always have."

This tore me up again:

A sad bitter smile turned up Dean's lips and guilt poured from his eyes as he turned back to Sam, to the lost look his brother wore. "Yeah, yeah he did. And you know what I keep thinking…he said he was proud of me, that I took care of him, of you, that I had to save you…but he never said he loved me, never told me to save myself, not once. That's what I wished he had done, had said. Forget all the sacrificial lamb crap. I just wanted him to treat me like his son just one more time, Sam. And then he could have left me go and that would have been enough for me, more than enough."

I honestly have no idea how anyone can get through this fic without having to read with a blurry vision.

Oh and I'm a total sucker for *touched-Dean* or *embarassed-touched-Dean*

and you deliver so well on that, too:

Dean was touched and thrown off kilter by Kyle's words about him, about God, by the admiration in the doctor's eyes. Deeply honored by the hand that was being offered to him, Dean shook the doctor's hand. Finding that he couldn't help voice his gratitude for the doctor's own actions on the boy's behalf, he said, "Thanks for taking care of Kyle." [...]

Leaning back in his chair, Dean couldn't stop himself from sneaking a look at Sam, at being touched by his brother's compassion for him. "Sam.." he croaked out before he cleared his throat. "I… I appreciate what….thanks," he managed to get out.

Guess, I have to stop here, but will add the rest of what I had written in a secon comment...

Best, D.

I love it. Great job. This is one of my favourite verses...thanks for getting it into a SPN fic!

And let me tell you...on the show Dean really needs this verse. Just saw the new epi, 'My Bloody Valentine'...And the ending...he really needed a hug. Ugh.