Heartbreaking.

I wish the show talked about Dean’s neglect.

This is one of those stories, so good and true to canon that I've decided it's part of my personal version of their lives. I come back to it when I want a guaranteed good story. Thanks!

This was such a great explanation of why Dean hates rats! And, I thought your writing was really good. One of my favorite parts was when Dean is describing the room walls as buttcheeks letting out farts. It just seemed so vivid, and especially in character for a six-year old.

Awwwwww, Dean! Just lying there, holding his brother...jesus! He is awesome, this was awesome! Loved it :D

Very good, I especially liked the ending where Sam ponders all the other quirks Dean has.

This is a good explanation of Dean's hatred of rats. They are dangerous to small children and the helpless. Getting drunk in a rat infested hotel could be very serious if not fatal.

i love this story so much! i actually read it on and loved it so much i came on here to fave it so i can read it again!

Poor little Dean! /

That's a pretty good explanation as to why he hates rats so badly D

Well, see you around

Rosetta

oh! poor Dean! i think anyone would be terrified of rats after something like that.

great Fic. I loved the bit where john told Sam his set had better be gone by the time Dean got back. little examples like that show that he cared.

loved it. think I'm addicted to your stuff.

Excellent as always. Poor Dean. This would make an excellent series explaining the back story to each of the boys' "quirks". I'm sure you'll make my heart hurt with each one and I'll thank your for it too.

Wow - I hate rats and mice too (the tail... ick makes me shudder) - but your story was just so cringe worthy! I got shivers.

Thanks though. I like that you make us wonder what is behind Dean's behavior.

Wow. Brought me to tears. Few stories do. So good. Your writing is gorgeous. I pulled out some outstanding beats ...

this: It didn’t happen often, but whenever it did, that look never failed to shake Sam right down to his core. He couldn’t quite describe it, but it was something in between fierce determination and such fragility that the only thing that came to Sam’s mind was the image of a crystal surface, on the brink of shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.

- Absolute truth and just perfect

this: Which was why it pissed him off to no end that he was back on the road, being drilled with questions from his brother, and the frigging rat was back in their room, probably rolling on its back, laughing its creepy ass off.

- Spot on Dean voice

this: Making sure that the boys were safe and that that disgusting animal hadn’t bitten them, John rested a calming hand over Dean’s hair. The kid was trembling all over, tiny arms clenched around his brother.

- Heartwrenching

Thanks for sharing this!

This was really well done..I had read another story awhile back about why Dean was afraid of rats, this I think was a new take on it. I especially liked the conclusions that Sam came to at the end. Nice job!

This was great! I liked the genesis of Sam's analysis of Dean's compulsion (wow, that's kind of an twisted sentence), about how he used to think it was a kind of treasure hunt, then a monster hunt, then an OCD thing. I just love me some vulnerable Dean :) And I liked the set-up as well, that it was a pretty straightforward 'present-flashback-present,' rather than a whole bunch of back-and-forth, which can be a little tricky to follow.

With what the poor kid went through, I can see why Dean's so anti-rat. Question, though: I've seen a few fanfics (not a ton, but a couple) that have referenced Dean's fear of rats, but I don't remember it ever coming up in the show-was there an episode, or a scene or something that made some mention of this fear, or is this just one of those things that popped up in fanfic and somehow became canon? I'm just curious-love it either way.

Bonus points for Good-Dad John! I thought you got his character just right-he's not perfect (as evidenced by the whole 'leaving-his-kids-in-the-seedy-rathouse' thing), but he so obviously cares. I see a lot of stories where John is just a maniacal tyrant, but from what we saw of him on the show, I've never been able to buy into that interpretation. It was always pretty clear that he loved the crap out of his boys.

Sorry to go on and on-I'll wrap it up now-I loved this! Wonderful job, and I look forward to more from you!