Notes: First of all I want to start with my thanks and appreciation to roselani24 a wonderfully talented artist, who not only provided me with the amazing art you see in the fic. But she also gave me help and encouragement as I wrote this story.

Then of course there is bigj52, a beta without equal, to whom odes should be written, and statues erected for her amazing work turning my scribbles into English. Especially in light of the fact the poor woman should have been relaxing on a beach in Fiji, and she only got the last part on Monday, but she bravely continued to battle with my mangled prose.

Heartfelt thanks also go to my long suffering Flist, who put up with whingeing, stropping, and me just gibbering in corners. And I promise to go back to every fic I put on hold, to attempt my very first multi-chaptered (and possibly last *G*) Supernatural story.

Thanks also go to reapertownusa, for all her hard work and letting me play along.

Finally here is the tale of how this little *ahem* story came into being. Many moons ago, I read a Magnificent 7 fan fiction, called ‘The Measure of a Man’. It involved the Trial I used in this story. I contacted the author for permission to use that part of her story, as I felt it was something that Dean would put himself through to protect others. She kindly agreed to let me use it, and I am very grateful for her kindness in allowing me to use her idea.  The rest of it (And dear god is there a lot of it) is totally my own invention, and gentle readers I'm so bloody sorry for how long it is.