What should have been a normal hunting trip goes horribly wrong, leaving Dean with a congested, squeaky bundle of . . . four-year-old Sam. Or at least, twenty-four-year old Sam in a four-year-old body. Obviously, the first place to go with this adorable and unexpected turn of events is Bobby’s. Bobby always knows what to do. Suddenly, Dean’s world of monsters and rock-salt-loaded shotguns becomes filled with Fruit Loops, 4T shirts with cute sayings on the front, and screams of childish laughter as Sam’s consciousness begins vacillating between his adult self and his childhood self. Unnerving for all concerned, to say the least. Even moreso when it becomes clear that Sammy is sick, possibly dying even, and they have no way to fix it–especially considering that Dean only has a few months of life left himself, what with that demon deal and all. But whatever these two have to face, they’ll handle it together, no matter what stands in their way.

I think I just have a weakness for cute de-aged character stories; they’re adorable! But seriously, Goodnight, Moon is a great story, and not just for the cuteness factor (although that’s definitely present). There’s a solid plot, with plenty of tension, suspense, and angst–enough so that it fits the Supernatural build quite solidly. But there’s enough humor, familial affection, and cuteness to balance the darkness out well. The writing is a pleasure to read, with a nice flow and a good balance of dialogue and description. I really liked that the author chose a third-person POV; it worked well for this story, especially since we sometimes switched from one person’s perspective to another’s. I think the characterizations were one of the best parts of this story–they were true to character and completely credible, but at the same time, they show a softer side of the characters than we see sometimes. It’s a side that most of the fandom loves, and it’s beautiful to see it fully displayed like this. Dean’s all in big-brother mode, falling back into the role with practiced ease. Sam/Sammy is equally himself, and the interplay between the older and younger sides of his personality is both interesting and well written. And I loved the involvement of both Bobby and Missouri in this story; they’re both great characters! John’s involvement was unexpected, and I kind of have mixed feeling about it. Because it was perfect and cathartic, and it kind of made me hate him less, and he’s one of those characters that I maybe love to hate. . . . But still, like I said, it works with the story and provides a nice cathartic resolution. I would definitely recommend Goodnight, Moon to anyone who loves a good Supernatural fic with lots of brotherly love and humor. ( )