I really enjoyed Hogan's change of careers as it were. And his postwar interactions with all his foils.

So kind of Hogan, to try to save Unser General money.

Very well done. AU history has always fascinated me. So without their maniacal leader the Germans won the war. What a depressing thought! Poor Hogan, I just can't imagine being forced to serve an enemy I risked my life to fight for two years. What an awful situation to be in! Honestly, I don't know if it would be better than dying or not. Thought provoking and excellently written. Thank you for sharing this.

Worth re-reading.

What a truly well written story. I like how you've alter history with the removal of Hilter and his ideals and having America not join in the war. These changes and others you have indicated in the story could very easily changed the outcome of the war in Europe. The interaction between General Mannheim and Hogan is fantastic. You did a very good job with Hogan when it was time to confess knowing he and his men where caught red handed. I like how you brought out the honor in both the Germans and Hogan as This could of been a blood bath with many of Hogans men shot or hung for their war crimes.

General Mannheim is a very good person to handle Hogan. As many have said Hogan will honor his bond but his humor and stubbornness will not just go away but I think you have shown Mannheim will be able to control Hogan if need be but will use his traits to his needs.

I haven't looked to see if you have wrote other stories to continue this relationship but I hope you have so I can enjoy more of this well written story.

Thank you for the very different approach of Hogan's life as well as the out come of Europe.

I forget if this is the 3rd time I've reread this or the 4th, but it only improves upon better acquaintance. This is my favorite chapter of "A Papa Bear of His Very Own." Hogan's trial, his refusal to be forsworn, Mannheim's belief that it would be a sin to destroy genius, the post-trial interrogation and demanding of parole ... This chapter encapsulates the one factor that makes this AU work: honor. Although some soldiers (mostly the hardcore Nazis) put expediency before honor, enough officers and gentlemen on both sides took honorable behavior for granted that Bondsmen could be trusted, once their gave their parole.

Jordre, would you mind doing me a teeny-tiny favor? Would you mind buying a winning lottery ticket so you could quit your day job and spend more time writing the other stories in this series? I want to see more of Frau Anna and die Kinder. I want to see what happens to LeBeau and Kinch and Carter. Bitte?

"Legitimately illegal" - "his most polite worst" - lovely gift of phrasing. Nice use of Burkhalter, by the way.

Mannheim and Weber remind me of what my father told me of the German navy and Rommel's men: patriots who fought for their country, but weren't Nazis. Good development of OCs - so many fanfic writers make OCs either cardboard cyphers or else Mary Sues. You haven't.

Damn, Jake, you can WRITE! This is wonderful.

Interesting beginning.

I had this story saved to my computer for ages. It looked so interesting, but somehow I never found the time to read it.

I did now. And boy, was it worth it!

It takes some real genius to turn so many things around (even though its actually not that many, but the consequences are gigantic!) and you managed that perfectly and very believable.

The fear, the uncertainty when they didnt know what Mannheim was going to do with all these prisoners - very well written!

I liked the way Hogan didnt squirm to get out of the accusations made against him. Once he realized it was over, and had done all he could to save his men, he faced the charges openly and honestly. Somehow, I cant picture him doing it any other way.

I loved the part when he and Weber went into town. He has to stay in his new character there, and still shows some real Hoganesque behaviour there. And still you dont forget to mention how people react to him! Very nicely done how Weber is actually "befriending" him, uncertain as he is to how their relation should be. Nice touch with Burkhalter showing up by the way!

Still, Im left with a few questions, and I hope to find answers to those in the sequels. First of all of course: will Hogan keep his word and keep up this new role? Will he be ABLE to, or is he going to explode one day? Or will he somehow try to escape or something anyway?

Secondly of course, what happened to the other men. Especially the Americans... (Gee, I cant imagine any state declaring its citizens for outlaws just because they wanted to help fight a known madman... That may be the only detail I really had some trouble digesting in this story.)

All in all, a wonderfully detailed story, very well written, with believable character development in an unbelievable overall scenario. And some likable new characters as well. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend this story to others! Well done!

I simply cannot believe this story has not garnered more reviews - that fact seems somehow criminal to me. This fic is in one word, fantastic! What an incredibly original concept, and obviously extremely well thought out. It is the rarest of rarities for me - a thoroughly A/U story that still rings perfectly true. It is not in the least bit surprising to me that if someone had actually managed to kill Hitler among all the attempts, that the outcome of the war would have been quite different without his bumbling attempts at military leadership. Attacking Russia was a fatal move for Germany, and your concept of *Russia* having to fight on two fronts - and thereby keeping the U.S. out of the war - is likewise both brilliant and logical.

I was drawn in by your A/U concept, but what really had me speechless was Hogan's portrayal in this story. It felt so completely believable to me. While honor and duty are two of his hallmarks, you've also managed to keep his stubbornness and wicked sense of humor intact through what must be a harrowing experience for him. Your OC's are very well fleshed out, and I think that Mannheim and Hogan would have a very long and *interesting* relationship over the years. I almost feel sorry for Mannheim, as I believe even now he doesn't quite know what he's gotten himself into, but at the same time, I think he's quite capable of handling Hogan the way he needs to be handled. Hogan is both extremely intelligent and intensely proud, and he's never going to be completely "tamed", but I expect that Mannheim is quite aware of that fact.

As much as I love Hogan's character, I've always wondered if he wasn't a tad *too* cocky given his precarious position, but I figured he'd never run into anyone who would be able to take him down a notch. I see I was wrong on that count, lol!

And I've always had a weakness for Burkhalter's character, so having him interact with Hogan in the story was just perfect for me.

I see to my great sadness that this story is labeled "complete", but I do hope you see fit to write a sequel someday. It would be a shame to waste such an intriguing concept. Brilliant, positively brilliant work, and my hearty congratulations on a most enjoyable story!

Wow! (sorry it's my first thought)

I really appreciate the invite to read this - it caught me totally off guard. A storyline I had never considered possible. This is very well done. I lost myself in "seeing" the background, totally immersed in the story. I ended up reading it twice in a row. I would never have imagined Hogan accepting an indentureship, but in the circumstances of your storyline: yes he would do so, especially to protect "his men." I will clarify and repeat myself here, this was very well thought-through storyline, and one of the best I have had the pleasure of reading.

Thank you,

Lyn

This story contradicts itself. How can Hogan joke around with, and at the same time, resent the man who captured him and now holds his bond and his men? My previous questions are answered. Humorous, yet depressingly sad at the same time.

I can sum up my review of this story in one word: Brilliant!

Seriously, Jake, this is an absolutely first-rate piece of work. It's quite simple, yet extremely complex at the same time. The whole ending portion-which was really just a simple shopping trip-allowed us to see, feel, experience the AU scenario with lovely detail, and the character/life transformation taking place. Wonderfully done, and an excellent choice of things to show to fulfill the storyline-a non sequitor choice in that it wasn't a big, dramatic event, yet it entirely worked, and worked because it was a more mundane event.

The whole AU scenario was richly well thought out. I fell the encompassing whole of the created world without being drowned in details.

Much of the story was rather distant and cool in the telling, yet it also gave vivid character insights. Again, beautifully well done. Strangely, I can totally believe Hogan accepting the quasi-slavery, as well as the change in allegiance to Germany. I'm not sure how, but you made it work rather subtly. I'm very impressed by how very, very well you sold that.

I would dearly love to see this become novel-length. HHs, if you wish, but I could also see this tale and AU scenario become a non-fanfic commercial novel with some delicate surgery to remove the HH characters and scenarios.