she also has friendship

I think they have not disliking each other, but they've spent precious little time together, and probably not much of that time talking. I'd be hesitant to call it an actual friendship.

I don't think it implausible. I think it unwise.

*I* would work out a way to get to know him without inserting him so immediately into both my life and Ben's. Gratitude is nice, and empathy is great, but he brings great danger.

It just occurred to me that Bobby died in "Swan Song" while under the terms of the deal with Crowley, so being immediately resurrected by Castiel via his newly minted archangel-ish authority in all likelihood trumps any obligations of said deal.

*I* would work out a way to get to know him without inserting him so immediately into both my life and Ben's. Gratitude is nice, and empathy is great, but he brings great danger.

Intellectually I get what you are saying. However, when I think about Dean showing up at my door with the smell of whiskey on his breath---there isn't a lot of couch time. Dean is THE DEAN. Even to Lisa, she was a Deangirl from the beginning. As much as she tried to get him to stay intead of going to Stull, I can totally see her opening her house to him and trying to heal him.

I'm actually more worried about Lisa not standing up for herself and being codependent to Dean's alcoholism.

I dunno. I just hope the writers tred lightly, let Lisa be a good woman, let her be a strong woman, and let her survive.

being immediately resurrected by Castiel via his newly minted archangel-ish authority in all likelihood trumps any obligations of said deal

Balanced against the easy way to get Mark Sheppard back on your show? I bet cash money we haven't seen the last of him, or the deal. If angels could fix soul deals, they could have made it so Dean didn't have to go to Hell in the first place, and then that seal would have been safe.

Theresa, I think a big part of me is scared they'll actually have Dean healed by Lisa. I'm not interested in him healed while the show is going on. Either Sam coming back breaks him again, or it doesn't, and neither of those is good to me.

And if he's broken all this time...I shake my head.

I guess I'm thinking that Dean is only a shell, going through the motions. I don't think he can be healed without Sam. But then I haven't checked to see length of time either. Basically I'm scared of all possibilities going into the opener. I really need to care about this show less. I'll work on that this season. *cough*

I don't think he can be healed without Sam

I have to hold onto this. It's like the premise, right? I just need to have faith.

And, yeah, I need to care less too. Or, at the very least, be mad at something that's actually happened, not something I'm making up.

If angels could fix soul deals, they could have made it so Dean didn't have to go to Hell in the first place, and then that seal would have been safe.

But the higher-ups secretly wanted the seals broken, and only sent Castiel and his fellows to retrieve Dean so he could serve as Michael's vessel after Lucifer's return was set in motion. We've been shown proof that Dean's resurrection freed him from any further debt on the score of his own crossroads deal, what with "Dark Side of the Moon." (And John's apparent escape in AHBL pt.2 seems to indicate divine intervention isn't even necessary; apparently infernal bargains only mandate that you go to Hell, but don't necessarily ensure staying forever once you're there.)

But the higher-ups secretly wanted the seals broken

That's true.

Still, I bet meta gets Sheppard back, and it would be weird to have Crowley and no soul deal.

Question is, did Bobby go to Hell? That would be interesting, if he had a few minutes of hellfire, to acquaint him to what all the male Winchesters have gone through now.

but don't necessarily ensure staying forever once you're there.)

Which makes me hopeful, 'cause chances are I'm going. I'm just happy its canon that I can be proactive and start planning my escape.

if he had a few minutes of hellfire

Which, with the time difference would be a few weeks at least.

start planning my escape

So far everyone who got out made a deal to get down there, so you'd best get right on that.