The Bridge from Lawrence to Rockford

[blueiris08]

Title: The Bridge from Lawrence to Rockford
Category: Gen
Characters: Sam, Dean, and Sam’s angst.
Word Count: 5300
Summary: Let us return, gentle reader, to simpler days. Let us return to the days when Sam, though adorable, was a touch bitchy and Dean, though endearing, was a bit overbearing; to the days when the other Special Children were as yet

Comments

[coell]

Good story!

[blueiris08]

Thanks!

[muffaletta]

Terrific job capturing the tension between the brothers in those early days. I haven't read too many fics where it's so palpable: usually Sam is just quiet and Dean worried. Personally, I'd imagine the relationship more as you've written. Dean is still worried, because he's, well, Dean. But Sam is more volatile: angry and grieving and resentful but still underneath it, loving Dean. Two things especially in this fic just slayed me dead. The part about Sam freaking out about finding Dean's gray hair seemed so real, so represenatative of Sam's anger towards their father. And the line about Dean being a symbol of the man Sam didn't want to be was just heartbreaking. I know Sam changes his mind later but that he would ever think that....*sniffles*

[blueiris08]

Thanks for commenting. I think "Asylum" did a really compelling, plausible exploration of how frustrated Sam would be when Dean, who had been treating Sam like a partner (albeit the junior partner), suddenly reverted to John's "no questions asked" command style. But the jump from where they were in "Home" was a little abrupt. This was meant to, well, bridge the gap. ;-)

[muffaletta]

Yeah, I totally agree. It did seem that it was an abrupt jump. IMO, the other huge transition was between Asylum and Scarecrow, where Sam started out badmouthing Dean but in the end, chose him over searching for John. I think that's why I really like Season 1-it was such a season of exploring the brothers' relationship.

Thanks for the great fic!

[musesfool]

This is heartbreaking and true.

[blueiris08]

Thank you!

[alphabet26]

Oh, man. This is just perfect.

“You think that’s what this is? A grudge?” he snarled. Long-suppressed rage and hurt boiled to the surface, filling Dean’s silence. “He threw me out. I was his son, Dean, and I wasn’t what he wanted, so he threw me out.” Sam forced himself to stop before he said something he couldn’t take back. Dad didn’t want me anymore. He threw me away, and you watched.

“Don’t you ever say that.” Dean’s voice plummeted to the lowest pitch in his register, and he bit out each word as if he were chipping ice. “You are his son, Sammy. Don’t you ever say ‘were,’ because you know damn well that’s not what he meant. And it’d damn well better not be what you want.”That was exactly right. I love what you showed about Sam and Dean and their relationship with each other and their relationships with John here. Sam really believed John didn't want him and that Dean supported him in that. Dean really believed that John didn't mean it and he can't conceive of Sam actually believing those words. Just like that, you portrayed

[blueiris08]

That was exactly right. I love what you showed about Sam and Dean and their relationship with each other and their relationships with John here. Sam really believed John didn't want him and that Dean supported him in that. Dean really believed that John didn't mean it and he can't conceive of Sam actually believing those words. Just like that, you portrayed such a complex relationship.

I wish they'd explored that dimension of the relationship a little bit more. I think Sam probably recognized (though never expressed) that he bore some fault in his rift with John, but I didn't get the sense that Dean understood how fully Sam believed that John had totally rejected him, and how incredibly hurtful and damaging that would be. This isn't a criticism of Dean: it just seemed that since he knew the truth from John's side, he never really thought through what Sam believed was the truth.

It was spot on, no, "as you know, Bob," Or the "Supernatural" classics like: "So. Tell me again why we're here..." ;-) I'm glad the background was enough

[scribblesinink]

Oh, yes, there was so much left unsaid in S1, wasn't there? You captured that spirit perfectly. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

[blueiris08]

A whole lot left unsaid. Thanks for reading: it was hard to judge whether anyone would still be interested in Season One era fic.