Well-expressed and the shame is that if the show had - even occasionally - let the brothers get these things out, perhaps it would've been stronger for it.

Your fics are pieces of smth. really good in a huge sea of trash.

Cool. Catch ya on the flip side.

Perfect last line. You have such a knack for Sam.

Wow, another great story. Very angsty, but good. You did a good job of characterization with the boys during their argument, I could totally see and hear them in my head.

And Dean made an excellent point when he talked about how Sam certainly made choices (ie running off alone) that lead to him being in a situation where he had to use his powers. I hadn't thought of that. And Dean's whole talk about how he failed with Sam and his dad was just heartbreaking.

Liked Castiel's explanation about Sam using his powers, and how corrupting they are. Especially this: "You can not have the power without the cost. Are you willing to pay it?”

Especially liked how he talked about Sam praying for guidance, yet choosing to follow Ruby's advice over Dean's. I took his question about what Sam would do to save Dean from Hell not as a threat, but as a way of pointing out that if Sam ends up in Hell, Dean's sure to follow and try to save him, even if he himself is destroyed in the process. Liked Sam's realization: "Maybe my prayers had been answered but I hadn’t been listening. Maybe I should start making better choices or at least stick to the choices that I make."

But I loved this best of all: "But with angels on one side and demons on the other, I don’t think I have ever been more grateful for my brother’s steadfast devotion and infinite capacity to forgive." Lovely description of Dean. And abundantly true. Glad Sam sees and appreciates that in his brother.

Excellent portrayal of all three characters. A pleasure to read.

"Dean went to Hell for me. I hope I can keep from going to Hell for him."

That, right there? Made of gold! Love this piece :D

Extremely well done! You wrote all the characters clearly and it was a blast to read! Thanks so much for sharing :)!

I really enjoyed this story. Most of the time I don't like first person but this was really good. And I am glad you didn't make Castiel a bad angel. He was understanding of Sam even in his need to impress upon him how wrong using his powers are. And I agree with Dean in this story...Sam did make it impossible for himself to have any choice but to use his powers to defeat the demon.

weezie

Great fic! I sort of wish Castiel had confronted Sam instead of Uriel in the episode cause Uriel just made Sam more defensive and rebellious with his threats but then Supernatural never did do anything the easy way. Angst ahead. The way you portrayed Dean's worry and disappointment but continued steadfast loyalty made my heart warm. Thanks.

Now this one I liked. You got to the heart of the matter very well without casting either brother as the bad guy. And you summarized the problem with Sam using his powers clearly. Very well written and both guys were kept in character. Great job!

Your discription of the battle of Sam and Samhain's "forces" was very cool. I like the way you've written Sam's thought process during the first paragraph and how he felt when he realized Dean had seen his 'betrayal'.

Sam half expecting Dean to leave him is a great little point to make. I felt that way too while watching that moment.

Sam trying to explain himself is a little heartwrenching. He really didn't have a choice, but the constant question is at what cost? (Sam using his powers could ultimately lead him down a path that would make him become more terrible than Samhain. . .)

"Wasn't sure if he was talking or if I was imagining it. I often imagined Dean talking to me when he was... while he was gone." -This is a great little touch and really makes me feel for Sam.

Sam's desire to take on the demon and "test" his powers is very interesting. It's likely that he did just that, albeit subconsciously.

Dean's speech is written wonderfully. It's a moment that is desperate enough for Dean to reveal how he feels, but hiding his face in the dark was a great touch.

Castiel and Sam's conversation was great. You wrote Castiel very well. It can be difficult to catch that 'ordained by God' arrogance along with the undeniable 'goodness' within him.

"Dean went to Hell for me. I hope I can keep from going to Hell for him." -Awesome ending lines.

Great one shot! I love reading from Sam's POV and this was a wonderful read! Thanks for sharing! :)

-peace-

~ Salty Q

Oh, this was a fantastic tag! I love your logic for Sam running off to fight Samhain without Dean and Dean's reaction. It was just perfect. Nice touch with Castiel talking with Sam later. Wonderful job! :)

Nice. I really like your take on this. I hope that somehow, somewhere, Sam is actually thinking this! Really great characterization in this.

Very nicely done!

I so agree with the premise: I think Sam was looking for an opportunity to use the powers. His converstation with Dean beforehand didn't mention anything about "wht if everything else fails". He jumps straight in with the power issue. And Sanhaim was so lumberingly slow and half blind; it wouldn't have taken a lot to put on a Halloween mask, sneak up and stab him. But even when Castiel presents a logical argument, Sam is convinced of his own ethical correctness. At this point, John, Dean, the angels and God have all asked Sam to stop and he's not listening. Maybe Sam'll need to get right to the edge before he hopefully sees for himself.

Again, terrific job!