SPN thinky parts question, try #2

[sailorhathor]

I posed this question on my journal sometime back in July and I didn't get any response because I didn't have all these new SPN friends then. But now that I do, maybe I'll get some response this time! ^__

Comments

[dreamsofspike]

Assuming that we're talking about an actual CHILD, like, when they're still in their childhood and not adult and capable of taking care of themselves - Dean would choose his child, I believe.

I base this on the choice Dean made in season one, "The Benders". He was asked to choose between Sam and the lady sheriff, which one they would hunt and which one they would let go - and he chose for them to hunt Sam. And I believe his reasoning was that he knew Sam was CAPABLE and strong and trained to fight, well enough that he could beat the Benders - while he wasn't so sure about the sheriff.

In that case, he chose the one he felt needed defending the most. So I could see him making that same choice and choosing his child, trusting that Sam would be competent/capable enough to take care of himself. :P

[sailorhathor]

That's a good point! The age of the child and his/her ability to protect themselves would make a big difference in who Dean chose. The situation would also make a difference.

I was thinking of what happened with Emma the Amazon and wondering if Dean had had a chance to stop Sam from shooting her, would he have taken it? Or did he know deep down that there was no hope for her? Sam obviously thought that Dean would rather die than kill her and did what had to be done. But I really wonder if Dean would have allowed her to kill him rather than shoot her. I honestly just don't know. I know he would have kept trying to convince her to turn good and that she didn't have to kill him just because her mother was an Amazon, but if Emma had charged him with the knife, what would he have done?

[dreamsofspike]

I don't think that Dean could have killed her to save his own life. :/ I think if Sam hadn't showed up, she'd have ultimately killed Dean because I don't think he could have brought himself to do it. :(

However.

If Emma had turned her weapon on Sam, and Sam had been unarmed, I think Dean would have killed her to save Sam - like if his and Sam's positions had been reversed. And that's a little different. She's his child, but he hasn't raised her, he doesn't really know her, she IS technically a monster, and she's coming after Sammy - and the foundation of his entire character is always "take care of Sammy". :/

But there's a big difference, in my opinion, between what Dean will do to save Sam, and what he'll do to save himself. :(

[sailorhathor]

Yeah, I agree with everything you said here. Dean probably wouldn't have been able to defend himself against Emma. He wanted her to think he would, and that's why he pulled the gun, but if she'd charged at him, he probably would have tried to wrestle the knife out of her hand. But shooting her? Unlikely.

Adam is another good example. He's not Dean's full blood brother, but he is his half-brother, and he's younger and more vulnerable against evil than Sam is, but when Death gave Dean the choice between saving Sam's soul or Adam, he chose Sam's soul. I wonder what choice Dean would have made if he'd been raised with Adam. Things being the way they are, it was an easy choice.

[dreamsofspike]

Yeah, and I have to point out that the difference here is that in the Cage, both Adam and Sam were equally powerless. Sam stood NO CHANCE of defending himself/escaping on his own. And in those circumstances, I think Dean will choose to save Sam every time.

If it was like, Sam and Adam and Dean in the middle of a fight on earth with some kind of monster, Sam and Dean having their current skills - chances are that Dean would protect Adam. In my opinion. :P Because he has enough confidence in Sam's abilities to think that Sam would be able to hold his own.

Also interesting, in the Green Room when Zachariah had injured both Adam and Sam and Michael was coming, Dean chose to support/carry SAM out, instead of Adam. :P

I think if he thinks Sam has a fighting chance, he'll help the more vulnerable person. If they're equally vulnerable/Sam can't defend himself?

Sam. Every time.

[sailorhathor]

Yes, I agree that unless the circumstances give Sam some kind of upper hand where Sam can defend himself, Dean will always choose to save Sam over others, especially himself.