i see Dean crashing on her couch for weeks and months, and maybe somewhere in there is the rebound/comfort/mercy fuck. Which could make for a great fic, with all it's emotional resonance.

Isn't that half the post-finale D/C fics, though? Some spend more time with it than others, but the one you didn't like spent a lot of time on why Dean and Lisa didn't work.

It feels like most fans liked Ellen mostly because they didn't see her as someone either Sam or Dean would sleep with, whereas they did with Jo, and they were vocal about not liking her. I *loved* Jo. And I loved the idea of Bela, although I thought they didn't do enough with her character, or do it right. I even liked Ruby -- not *like* liked, but she served a purpose and she was spunky and a good source of conflict.

Man, I loved the idea of Dean/Ellen. Oddly, I got a maternal vibe with she and Sam, so no sexin' there. But Dean? Awesome.

I hated Bela. And I hate that I feel like I have to justify it or explain that I don't hate it because she was a girl and pretty. I hate it because she was a horrible character that was horribly written. Plus she shot Sam. I don't forgive the hurting of Sam and I don't think Dean does either.

Ruby? I loved Katie's Ruby. Her snark and love of fried potatoes, especially. Gen's Ruby only redemption for me was her "recycling" line.

I don't forgive the hurting of Sam and I don't think Dean does either.

Except they were all relatively pally pally and being worked over by her next time she showed up. At least as my memory serves, she conned them continuously. I have read people saying that it's nice when Dean amd Sam aren't always the smartest people in the room, but come on! They get fucked over and make dumb decisions all the time.

I do like to think that they can learn from some of their mistakes, and hold sensible grudges. But that didn't seem to take place with Bela around.

Oh, I love Dean/Ellen. Hell, I've written it a couple times. But I don't think a lot of fandom saw them as a possible couple.

I hate it because she was a horrible character that was horribly written.

I liked the *idea* of the character, I guess. Someone as deep into the supernatural as they were, but strictly for her own gain, rather than to save anyone. A woman with (potential) agency and motives outside of hero! But they did misuse her, and they totally fucked up her backstory.

What I hate most of all, I think, is that my feeling is that they freaked when fans hated her and backed off rather than doing something better, or having, you know, the courage of their intentions, if not convictions.

I liked the *idea* of the character, I guess. Someone as deep into the supernatural as they were, but strictly for her own gain, rather than to save anyone. A woman with (potential) agency and motives outside of hero! But they did misuse her, and they totally fucked up her backstory.

See, that version of Bela would of been fantastic. Pity they didn't do that.

I do like to think that they can learn from some of their mistakes, and hold sensible grudges. But that didn't seem to take place with Bela around.

Precisely.

See, that version of Bela would of been fantastic. Pity they didn't do that.

Ditto.

In this, I blame the writers. The character was cool in theory (very Lilah-esque, actually, without the context of the evilest law firm), and Lauren Cohan struck me as a good actress. But the lobotomy ray the writers felt compelled to hit Sam and Dean with whenever she was involved made me dread her every reappearance.

I've read Dean/Carmen that was far hotter than any Dean/Lisa I've read. Which is ironic, considering Carmen is usually regarded as Lisa's avatar in Dean's djinn-hallucination. I like Carmen better than Lisa, frankly. I like the chemistry Michelle Borth had with JA far better than watching him with the Lisa actress.

Carmen was sweet, but I could never get too excited about her since she was just a fantasy. I don't think I've ever read a Dean/Carmen story.

If you want to see tight art and a pretty interesting HS AU, check out the AU story in the deancasbigbang It's Always The End Of The World Somewhere (sorry, link's on another machine). GREAT art--I can't even imagine the amount of effort she went to, and the story is quite cool, although shallowly I prefer when Dean comes out and stays on the football team. But that's a totally trivial HS AU preference.

I like what she does with Cas's personality--I like the whole "angel" family (she goes four deep, siblingwise). Sam's cute, and Dean...I wanted more, dammit.

eta:

I don't think I've ever read a Dean/Carmen story.

I read a completely depressing "Dean continues to hallucinate Carmen" series. I didn't buy it, because Dean wouldn't want that much of the alternate history to be true, but I kept reading so the writer would fix it. Harrumph.