My love for this story grows and grows. I am fascinated by your Dean, letting personal things slip and startling his brother, attracting bizarre attention from strangers, getting freaked out and holding it together with Sam's help. This chapter is amazing for all the between-the-lines stuff going on etween Sam and Dean. Their fondness and closeness is so endearing:

They stood out there and looked at each other with hair and lashes beaded with the faintest mist of rain, too close to see the forest or the trees any longer.

Ach.

Dean sighed. "That's nice." When Sam didn't take the bait, he added, "It's never been right where the ridge is, though. There's too much basalt and glacial till left, so no river's ever run through there. That was ocean floor the last time it saw water. I mean, if that's what you're getting at."

Smart!Dean!!! w00t!

"There's pretty much nowhere left on earth that you can't find a Starbucks," Sam said, face raised to the sky to keep tears at bay. The wind let the rain-mist hit them sideways.

Yeah, I am also saddened by the proliferance of corporate coffee across America, drowning out local entrepreneurs by the hundreds. *ahem* Sorry, couldn't resist. This was actually a really touching part. =D

Loving this so much. Can't wait for your next chapter.