What can I say? the story is amazing but your endings are memorable, he learnt from the best, sure he did, I love this determination in Sam...now I need to watch season 5 and find all thoese amazing things that you wrote in there

Now, the episode after this (aka the moment after your story ends) and Sam goes to the hotel where Dean is writing the letter - this is just the thing needed to prep the viewer on how Sam is feeling. I so related to him during those moments with Dean in the hotel and later in the panic room. Dealing with someone who was so far gone, didn't care anymore and having to show them that you cared enough for both of them.

Pretty nice work here, K. Great, great job!

Great tag as always. Loved those last two lines - truer words were never spoken. It really was sad that Dean, who never had any faith growing up, finally believed in God after Castiel arrived, only to feel abandoned by God when he needed his help most. It reminded me of what Layla said to him years ago: it's easy to have faith when you see the miracles; but real faith means believing when there are no miracles. So true. And poor Dean not only lost faith in God, but in Sam as well. :(

Thanks for sharing this with us. Until next time...

I liked this little insight in to Sam's state of mind here. BTW, wasn't Blue Earth also where Pastor Jim's church was? Wonder if they were the same church.

I could definitely use a little faith right now. Thanks for righting, and I can only hope the brothers find this bond again in the show.

I love that you explored what happened here. Some of my favorite character moments for Sam come in "Point of No Return" when he's the only one keeping the faith, trying to keep Team Free Will buoyed against the impending hurricane. This scene works so perfectly as the impetus for Sam to take charge there. I love watching Sam's thought process here, as Sam realizes what ends up saving both him and Dean-and their relationship-which is "faith in his brother." This Sam, the one who is sure and ready to take charge, is the Sam I love and you got him perfect for this scene.

One Solution

Wonderful tag to 99 Problems. Fantastic job with Cas in this; you really captured his attitude.

"So you're saying our only hope is each other." – Hell, yes. (And that’s what most of us in fandom have been saying for the past two seasons. *g* Glad to see the show writers have apparently (finally) twigged to that fact.

“Cas grimaced, eyes still closed. "It is still surrender."

"It's self-sacrifice," Sam said quietly. "Not the same thing." – You’ve nailed the essence of the Winchesters right here.

Great work; this is one scene I would’ve loved to have seen on screen.

Cheers, Sculls

Love your tags. They always make every episode better. I don't know what's wrong with the author alert but I'm not getting the updates when one of your fics come up. I'll just have to keep track of the completed SPN fics at least weekly. I've always believed that Dean would never give up on family or the world as long as he drew breath and this time at his lowest point I agree with you that he only gave up on himself, self sacrificing as usual. If he truly had given up on Sam and the world then he would have just gone to Las Vegas and lived it up as the end neared instead of literally committing suicide since angelic vessels don't tend to survive their possession by the heavenly host with their essence intact.

Beautiful story just in time to get us ready for Friday... Yay, soulful Sammy! Of course, I love soul-less Sam too except when he tried to kill Bobby and let Dean get turned. But, clap your hands was fab!

Thanks for posting again. I always love your brotherly interactions... but it is good to see Sam and Castiel too. We don't get enough of that in the show.

You bet he did! :D

Really liked this a lot. The Whore of Babylon really irritated me a lot and I was thrilled when she died...even more thrilled when Dean was able to use the angel sword.

You filled in the empty spot just beautifully. :)

lovely. thanks for sharing.

Awesome! I LOVE how you have put your spin on the episodes in your stories. They are so family-affirming and make me hope that what you're writing will come to fruition on the show or at least some semblance of it. I LOVE the strength you give to Sam in this story. It gives credence to his later actions when he confronts Dean about trusting him to make the right choice. WONDERFUL!

Fave. Parts:

Sam's legs disappeared under him and he sank down onto the nearest chair with stunned faintness. "So you're saying our only hope is each other." And that Dean would, yet again, die to save Sam…or that Dean simply believed he was beyond saving now. Sam slumped lower under the weight of the thought.

Castiel's eyes pinched shut. He didn't look divine anymore, just a sad, tired, lonely human just like the rest of them. "I am saying…if there is any hope left—and I have no reason to believe there is—it will be because of what made you two uniquely suited for heaven's purposes in the first place: your devotion to each other. But if Dean has given up…"

"Not like you think," Sam said slowly, shoulders slowly rising again as he thought out loud. He'd heard the Whore say Dean was going to just sit back and let the end of the world happen, but that wasn't his brother. "He's not quitting. He's trying, in his own misguided, moronic way, to go down fighting the only way he thinks will work now. If he says yes to Michael…"

- a great interpretation of Sam's understanding of his brother and it makes perfect sense.

Really enjoyed this!

Bonjour ma chérie,

Merci pour cette excellente histoire. Les 5 derniers paragraphes sont des joyaux finement ciselés : splendides!

J'en profite pour te souhaiter (mieux vaut tard que jamais) une merveilleuse année 2011 avec beaucoup d'amour et de santé.

Bises et soleil!

Monique

Great story! Sam and Cas were very well-written. I like the idea of Sam trying to have enough faith for everyone. Nice job with this!

You did so much here in so few words! You really filled this missing scene so accurately.

And I think it's an important and valid point to make that at this point in time Dean was fighting in the only way he knew how; self sacrifice. And I loved how it was Sam who recognised it, knowing that Dean has lost faith in him but that he can have enough for the both of them.

Also nice job linking this back to season 3 and Sam's promise to save his brother. Very neatly done and something that I guess I've never thought before, not at this point anyway.

I always admire how in your writing, no matter how dire the circumstances you seem to find hope and strength in a failing relationship between the boys. Because they do seem to take it in turns to hold each other up when one is down.

Beautifully done and as always I look forward to more fics for you. Take care, Abbi