Exactly right!

I was just thinking that Fort McHenry would be a great setting for a Supernatural fanfic. Maybe down in one of those underground rooms ...

Love your take on Dean post Hell and after he began remembering everything. The way this unfolds and Sam realizes that his brother is still scared, scared of something again, and tries to figure out how best to work through it. The way he got to the root of the problem and offered up a reprieve from their life- something he'd always wanted but couldn't do now even though he was willing to do it for Dean... it was great. So many great lines and moments in this one.

I love codas to Yellow Fever and this was a great one. I love Sam and Dean in this, you really captured Dean's manic repression of fear and Sam's quiet and thoughtful observation of his brother. It really brought to mind that scene in Yellow Fever where Dean is hallucinating Lilith and she tells him he's going back to Hell and just the sheer terror he felt. It's like that's when the floodgates blew open, and of course in the aftermath he would be frantically trying to hold it back-with beer and steak and pie and hot waitresses.

Great one-shot. I think that Dean really was scared - that he could never make up for what he did in Hell - the very worse form of PTSD. Loved your little side of Dean setting aside money for Sam after he was "gone". Too bad Dean nixed the idea, things would have turned out so much better for both of them. :(

Thanks for sharing this with us. A very belated Happy Birthday! My mother had the same day - always around Thanksgiving. Until next time...

Thanks for sharing this great story with us! I hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Awwww. I hope you had a happy birthday! Really missed you in Chicago!

Great fic! I loved how Sam handled Dean in this. Very patient. LOVED the 'nest egg' not being touched, too, and Sam's reason for not touching it...it was the last thing on his mind after Dean died. :(

A hint of the darkness to come showing through made it very real, too.

Nice one. :)

Aww. I would have liked to see a scene like that in the show at that point.

Belated happy birthday!

"Man, you seriously think I was thinking about moneywhile you were gone?" - They barely think about money when everyone's alive and semi-well let alone when one of them's in hell. Sometimes (often, really) I seriously worry about how warped Dean's perception of Sam is... Odd that he can know him so well and still not get it.

Like law?" Dean asked pointedly.

Sam huffed. "Yeah, I think that ship's sailed." - I think so, too. He's legally dead like three times over. And actually died 5 times, but that's less relevant. ;)

I love that you highlighted Sam wanting to take care of Dean. He's been trying hard to do that from the end of season 2 until now. Dean makes it an SOB to do, though (we wouldn't expect anything less from a stubborn Winchester). I think it's interesting that Sam's gotten more subtle about it as the seasons go on. It's interesting to see.

I like this. It's sweet and it also makes me sad, because I doubt they'll ever get out of the game before they die (again). And poor Sam will later feel like he yanked Dean out of his normal life with Lisa and Ben. I don't know how the pair of them take the guilt.

Great fic!

"In hobbit tradition, you give gifts to others when it's your birthday. So here is my gift to you" - I didn't know that about hobbits...

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you! ~balloons, streamers, party horns!~

Good story.

Happy birthday! What a sweet little story! Even in something as small as this story you are all in the details. I appreciate all the research and editing that goes on in each one of your fics. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Firstly, happy belated birthday, I hope you had a lovely day and thank you for your gift, I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

I loved seeing this quiet but poignant moment between the boys, seeing how deep their understanding of each other truly is. I think it's sometimes easier to see Dean doing something like this, sacrificing his own wishes for his brother so it was refreshing to be reminded that it goes both ways.

And what a treat to see that Dean had saved money for Sam, I really liked the idea it felt true and again an example of how these boys are always thinking of each other.

Wonderful stuff and thanks so much for sharing. Take care, Abbi

Bon anniversaire, belle dame. I wish you beauty around you, love in your heart and health all over. Merci pour toute la joie que tu m'apportes par ton talent et tes écrits. Mille bises.

Monique

This is classic KHK. Well characterised, wistful, bitter-sweet, and finished off with a little humour. Content never over-stated and always in perfect balance.

Many thanks for this. It's your fics that help restore a little faith in season 4 and remind us that things weren't all bad between the bros.

Many happy returns, by the way. Thank you so much for this gift. And in return, I hope you have a smashing day and get lots of wonderful prezzies.

My black lab Nelson has just licked my laptop screen so I think that's his way of sendin a little puppy-dog birthday kiss to you. I second that with a big virtual birthday hug!

Cheers hon.

Lot's of love,

ST xxx

Dean is the ultimate fake it til you make it guy. That extra cake might give him a few hours sleep.

He might have given up hunting if he could see the future of Sam letting Lucifer out of hell or he might have chosen to go ahead and try and stop the angels from setting up some other pair of brothers for the end of the world fight. Dean just can't stop trying to save people.