*cries* Oh, how much it hurts for Dean to let Sam leave him once more...

This is a good one, I am glad you found it again,

Excellent, really, I'm speechless! I do not know how to express the amount of feelings and emotions that I spent reading this. Great job!

Very good. :)

Very well done, as usual. I wish this could have been Dean's rationale at the time instead of what we were given in the show.
Thanks for reposting this.
TG

I really liked this. This made it fit so much with what Dean could have been thinking in terms of that scene. Realizing what Sam was going through and letting him leave because it was his way of helping him.

I love the fact he called his brother "Sammy" at the very end! Dean's right, that's bound to bring a bright smile to Sam's face, no matter how sad and heart-breaking this good-bye is for both of them.

And the older Winchester is also right about not being able to protect his brother the way he did when they were younger; the rules of hunting have changed so much since then - and while the boys have too, they still have a lot of coping to do in order to stay on top of things and not drown.

It's so typical for Dean to let Sammy go for his safety and well-being although it's certainly what he himself needs last.

Very well done, Clair!
And thanks for the repost; this story and the character study within would have been sorely missed.

Oh Claire this was so good. Sad, very sad but progressive in that the statement you made about parenting is so true.. It's time I went back through all your stories and read them again. You have such depth and emotion when you write about the Winchesters. Most of the time I get my "fix" if you will from your stories that I don't or that we don't get from the show. Thank you for the story. It really translates so much into real life.

Agghhhhh... the angst! I think I have blocked that scene out of my mind after I had seen it. Heehee. I'm not sure how much more of the brothers I can take with them fighting each other or leaving. Too much anxiety, right? Hopefully the show will have them acting like brothers again soon, keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Thanks for sharing! : )

Thanks so much for this. Although it gives me ulcers every time I think of S5 this was one of the most heartbreaking scenes between the two of them. Loved hearing it from Dean's point of view. Sam loves Dean like no other and I wish Dean would realize it. You did an amazing job and I loved it. Every word.

Very nice, I'm glad you found this.

Wonderful!
Though it seems strange to say that when heartbreaking too. Especially when I can picture Dean thinking along this line. 'Who am I kidding? With me to protect him, Sam lost his mother, his father, his fiancée, his childhood, his innocence, his safety, and very nearly his soul.'
You did a great job capturing Dean's thoughts as he let Sam leave.
Thanks for sharing another story with us.
Take care.

Hi! So I've recently started watching SPN and reading through your work. I always love your Stargate stories, and I love the grasp you have on SPN as well! :) This broke my heart. Just broke it. What a beautiful exploration of what was going through Dean's head during this moment. You always get into the character's heads so well. This was beautiful and horrible and soul-crushing all at the same time. Just like Supernatural. Thanks for sharing!

Good one.

Lovely!

:)