The third part of Wolfpack is from Dean's POV. I don't know if it's less or more feral.

I realized that the problem I had with the Dean/Jess stories I've read is that either Sam steps aside far too easily, in an "okay Dean, you have some too" type of manner, or Dean meets her first and decides that he's not ready to settle down/she's not quite his type but hey, she'd be great for his geeky little brother, and he kind of hands her off to Sam. Either way it seems that the authors can't let Sam have one part of his life that is separate from the Winchester collective. Or maybe I'm projecting again.

I found the Wolfpack verse interesting, because I can see how the boys could have turned out feral if their world had been turned a few degrees sideways. paxlux’s Howl!verse, on the other hand… I finally had to stop reading that, because the blood and violence and their sheer glee in it was way too much for me.

The Dean/Jess Sam/Jess I linked to upthread, Dean sees Jess when he passes through town, and she's seeing other men. One of those other men gets serious, so she breaks it off with Dean, and it turns out to be Sam who hasn't mentioned his brother. And Dean has said even less about his family.

Then there's an explosion to resolve. That's pretty much how both the one I read went--one ended in a Wincest blow job and some back buttoning, and the other with Jess on the ceiling, but not dying the fire and they ride off together. Awkward.

It makes sense to me that God wanted Sam to learn more about who his brother is--that it helped bolster Sam's resolve to makes things right for his brother, if for no one else. Plus, I just think there had to be a point to "God wants you to remember."

I like this, Marcia, and really does make sense of a lot of things.

I was about to wonder then about Dean's greatest hits, but remembered that Sam wasn't witness to them.

New brain-vid song: Brandi Carlisle's "Again Today" [link]

Starts with "The End" Dean, Sam, and Cas and the group photo, and then goes through all the despairing, the sacrifice leading to the apocalypse. And when the song jams out, Lucifer's beatdown of Dean in Swan Song interspersed with all the other hunters, Jo, Ellen, Bobby, etc. Ends with their photo that burns and Dean at Lisa's.

lyrics:

Broken sticks and broken stones

Will turn to dust just like our bones

It's words that hurt the most now isn't it

Are you sad inside, are you home alone

If I could just pick up the phone

Maybe you could see a better day

And you won't waste away

under my watchful eye

Because I'm your hero and you're my weakness

Who's gonna break my fall

When the spinning starts

The colors bleed together, and faith,

Was it ever there at all

Or have I lost my way

The path of least resistance

Is catching up with me again today

I'm broken down, not good enough

The broken promises add up

To twice their weight in tears which I have caused

I'm afraid to sink, I'm afraid to swim

I'm sad to say I miss my friends

I know that I'm supposed to step away

But they need me to stay and keep a watchful eye

On all my heroes and all their demons

Aw. In terms of favorite one-time characters, I forgot about Croatoan. Both Sarge and the doctor were great.

There are so many great one off characters. I might have to do this exercise by season. ::contemplates creating a spreadsheet a la ita::

New death match?

How many episodes did Becky appear in? Three? Or two?

Also..I did like the editor chick.

I was just random LJ skimming (looking for D/C authors--it's a continual quest) and I bumped into someone opining that Sam does not love Dean, not like Dean loves Sam.

Now, first off, I'm not sure if I want to read her fic, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

Sam? Not love Dean? How much are we asking of these fictional constructs? Dean obviously loves Sam with the fiery and dysfunctional rage of a very messed up boy, but just because Sam seems to be a wee bit more balanced doesn't mean he doesn't love him back...

What's he supposed to have been doing this whole time?

Mystery Spot he went off the rails. S4 he's gone off the rails because of his death and because he thought his brother was too broken to do what needed to be done and had to be protected from even trying.

He split up from him in S5, but got rebuffed when he suggested they reunite. Sure, he had heaven memories about leaving, but I believed him when he said it wasn't about leaving Dean. It was about leaving the life. And it broke his heart to see what that news did to his brother.

As did the discarding of the amulet.

And then he loved and trusted his brother enough to will him away from saying yes to Michael.

The yellow crayon Impala of brotherly love can't work one way! Sam has to feel the love for his brother as well as of his brother to snap back into control long enough to make the sacrifice.

And asking Dean to go live with Lisa, although supremely wrongheaded, was because he wanted a loved one to be happy.

Okay, not supremely wrongheaded. I suppose he couldn't ask him to chill on his own or with Bobby and not come rescue him. He had to give him something to do and hold onto. But Sam believes this is what Dean wants and deserves, and wants it for him, because he loves him, dammit.

Hmmph.

Oh, and spreadsheets for all!

Okay, spreadsheet constructed and I have my favorite one-off characters by season.

Season 1

• Haley (Wendigo)
• Andrea Barr (Dead in the Water)
• Layla (Faith)
• Officer Kathleen (The Benders)
• Sarah (Provenance)

Season 2

• Detective Ballard (The Usual Suspects)
• Sarge (Croatoan)
• Sherwin (Playthings)
• Tiny (Folsom Prison Blues)
• Carmen (What Is and What Should Never Be)

Season 3

• Tamara (The Magnificent Seven)
• Katie (The Kids Are Alright)
• Katie’s Mom (The Kids Are Alright)
• Casey (Sin City)
• Nancy (Jus in Bello) I wanted to pick The Carrigans but they’re two and I couldn’t pick just one.

Season 4

• Jamie (Monster Movie)
• Dracula (Monster Movie)
• Audrey (Wishful Thinking)
• Cara Roberts (Sex and Violence)
• Nick Munroe (Sex and Violence)

Season 5

• Jesse (I Believe the Children Are Our Future)
• Demian (The Real Ghostbusters)
• Barnes (The Real Ghostbusters)
• Kali (Hammer of the Gods)
• Death (Two Minutes to Midnight)

That's an awesome spreadsheet, ehab. I love Nancy. Aw, and Sherwin and Tiny!

Sam? Not love Dean?

This is one of those "Are we watching the same show?" moments. Sam is not as broken -- or maybe he is, but in very different ways -- as Dean, so I don't think his love appears to be as dysfunctional and sometimes desperate as Dean's, but it's been clear since S1 that he loves Dean more than anything else in his life, after Jessica is gone. More than his dad, even.

Just because he had a chance to live a different, more conventional life does not mean he doesn't love Dean just as much as Dean loves him. Sam was actually doing what children are *supposed* to do as they grow up, separating, claiming independence. It didn't work, but even if it had, I firmly believe he would have come running, tie flapping and legal briefs in the backseat, if Dean had ever needed him.