Aww, Miranda is adorable - I loved that she didn't really trust John (yeah, yeah remains of posession, but still :) )

Loved Bobby in this, and loved his analogy of pit bulls and rottweilers to the Winchesters

I really liked Dean putting his foot down and telling John 'No', and that Sam wasn't ready, and I still want to throw things at John's head!

this was, unequivocally, beautiful and there is honestly not a lot else I can say.

your treatment of the characters was perfect and you did not ruin the mood of the piece by making it too dramatic.

It was soft; heartbreaking and warming at the same time.

thank you.

TAFATT

Very quietly nice and intense; a solid story. Thanks!

Oh, wow! What an interesting idea to read (now) as an AU. Loved how Dean and Sam just (finally!) learned to cling to each other and John realized that it was partly because of his own actions. The brotherly interaction at the end was spot on, too. Great job.

"Dean had torn himself in two between the two of them, more times than he could count, but in nearly the same position Sam had chosen easily, almost instantly. Had chosen Dean"
I'm a SammyGirl through and through and I had never looked at it this way. I like it. You gave me things to ponder. Thanks.

E! Sam+Dean= happiness
Hawaii... :)

Awesome. But Bobby's dog's name is Rumsfeld. Great job though. Catch ya on the flilp side.

God that makes me want to punch John.
Great fic

Lovely job. My herat broke for the boys, especially Dean, but I love how you tied up the end.

"Value… to be determined." I like the measured feel of that sentence. Nicely done.

Cheers,
Tails

Fanfic doesn't normally make me mist up, but this one did. Sterling work, with subtle nuggets of beauty and genius peppered throughout:

="Besides, hiding what really mattered was first instinct and second nature to a Winchester."

-“Value… to be determined."

-"And old fools."

-"Sit. Stay. Beg."

-The vindictive suicide line, of course.

-"Hunt with me, Dean, and I will love and approve of you. Learn to kill with ease and skill, Dean, and you’ll never be alone.

No more.

John had broken the deal, leaving Dean alone. John had broken everything, demanding Sammy shoot him." (Those few lines killed me three separate times!)

-"It didn’t really matter what his father was trying to say, but couldn’t. It would always be ‘me, too’." (I died again.)

You captured Bobby perfectly.

-Sam and the bed and the propped book: so natural.

-"Oh, Sammy, forgive me, I sent him away. “He took it with him.”" I think this is where I really started getting misty, and then this sealed my fate:

-"‘I want Dean to have a home.’

Already there, Dad."

Dang it, now I'm misty all over again! I'm so glad I found this story, Janice--beautiful work!

I dug the analogy of pit bulls and rottweilers to the Winchesters. When Bobby said Dean was pure Rottie through and through that just made me go "Aw!" Great job!

TG

Love it!

Hands up in confession mode I read this story awhile back and flagged it for review but RL took over, and so too many days passed and well - well now I have it back afresh in mind as I've just reread this lovely piece, so now I have the chance to tell you what a damned fine one off you pulled out of the hat here. John's intransigience might have torn the brothers apart but Dean finally found the strength to see beyond his father's will and the damage that went with it and found his own to remain by his brother's side. Thank you for such a deeply heartfelt and explority read.

aw, that was so sweet.

Love the juxtaposition of the ease of the boys' relationship now - the way Sam just automatically shifts the book when Dean sits down, the way that Dean will just automatically shift his whole life if Sam wants him too - against the harsh sameness of the relationship with their father. John hasn't changed, and yet - how, after everything, can he be expected to? His whole life is tunnel-visioned around one thing, even after almost losing his sons. But the boys can see beyond that, especially Dean, who has the current advantage of mobility. He may have followed orders almost all his life, but he's recognized that the whole field of battle has changed. At least there is hope for two of the Winchesters.

Absolutely fantastic writing.