Oh... this was just lovely. It hit all my 'awwwwwww' buttons but was still sad enough to make my heart hurt for this family. It's hard to imagine just how hard it would have been for both Dean and John adjusting to this new life, and you've captured it so well.
Thanks for reading... I'm glad it worked for you. The Wee!chester period is by far my favorite for this fandom, because yes, there are so many little things that must have added up to what we get in the series. And I need to spread the John!love, because honestly? That man gets a lot of crap, when he was really trying to do his best.
It's probably my favorite period as well; it was actually what drew me into reading SPN fic in the first place. There's so much potential for all those unexplored years. I agree about John-- while part of me can feel the anger and horror at what he sometimes inadvertently put the boys through, at heart he's just a man who's lost the love of his life, and is trying to protect his boys the best way he can-- he's just taking a bit of a long view with it.
Aww, I really liked this. Love the negotiating between John and Dean nad Dean's quiet acceptance of it at the end. Even at five, he gets it and wants it. John may have given Dean too much responsibility and extreme codependency issues, but he also gave him a purpose and focus, no matter how messed up it was. John couldn't be there all the time so he had to do something. My favorite parts:
“Burger,” Dean said. (“Urg,” said Sam.)
“You had a burger yesterday, kiddo. Try again. Meatloaf or chicken patty.”
“Chicken patty. Fries.” (“Aye,” said Sam.)
“And green beans.” (“Ee.”)
“Corn.” (“Bor.”)
Lol, I love how you've translated into Sammy's language. And it's very realistic too. Babies just beginning to talk do seem to parrot a lot of what's said around them. Plus, Baby Sam is too cute for words, stinky diapers and all.
Dean turned around and looked accusingly at his father. “He’s fussy ’cause you’re callin’ it ‘din-din,’ lady,” he muttered.
Thanks so much for your detailed comments! You make me squee with joy.
John may have given Dean too much responsibility and extreme codependency issues, but he also gave him a purpose and focus, no matter how messed up it was.
Oh, I absolutely agree. Have you read dosger_winslow>'s go now. Read. She makes a wonderful observation about how he consciously chose to give Dean responsibility for Sam because it was the only thing that made Dean feel like he had any control over their situation. I think Dean really did bond with Sam in a paternal way and that "giving" him Sam to take care of anchored him in a way that even learning to hunt did not necessarily do.
“You had a burger yesterday, kiddo. Try again. Meatloaf or chicken patty.”
One of my favorite bits, too! I figure Dean's right at that age where he's pushing boundaries, and especially with the changes in their environment, there's so much for him to explore. Dean has always struck me as the "what can I get away with?" type.
Oh, dodger_winslow's stuff is amazing. I've read Parental Instincts a couple of times and it's so good. Same with "Stay," god, it amazes me how people in this fandom can write soo well. I love reading Wee!chester stories and I think dodger_winslow and eloise_bright are my favorite authors in that regard.
And I definitely agree that Dean needed Sam as an anchor. He needed some sort of stability in his life and Sam was it. That's why I think Sam leaving for Stanford and then dying was so devastating for him. Because of that, Dean's deal makes total sense to me
( ... )
It was rare for Dad to ask him, rather than tell him, but he recognized that there was really no difference. Ask could easily become tell, if he refused, and then he wouldn’t - couldn’t - refuse.
but he didn’t dare say anything about it to Dad, couldn’t figure out the right words to express the irony.
Well expressed.
And I agree with you about the diaper thing. I was helping change diapers at 3, and both of my parents were still alive. So it's not absolutely impossible, even if it would be, in normal circumstances, vastly improbable.
Thanks - I was a little worried about that, because Dean's too young to know the word "irony," even though he groks the concept, which is what I was trying to get at, but it's hard to *say* that without using the term...so it was a bit of a vicious circle.
And yeah, I think people underestimate the capability of young kids, even as young as 4-5. I myself was also a precocious thing, and didn't have the excuse of a younger sibling to take care of - or a life lived under extraordinary circumstances.
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I loved it, great job!
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Thanks for reading... I'm glad it worked for you. The Wee!chester period is by far my favorite for this fandom, because yes, there are so many little things that must have added up to what we get in the series. And I need to spread the John!love, because honestly? That man gets a lot of crap, when he was really trying to do his best.
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It's probably my favorite period as well; it was actually what drew me into reading SPN fic in the first place. There's so much potential for all those unexplored years. I agree about John-- while part of me can feel the anger and horror at what he sometimes inadvertently put the boys through, at heart he's just a man who's lost the love of his life, and is trying to protect his boys the best way he can-- he's just taking a bit of a long view with it.
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“Burger,” Dean said. (“Urg,” said Sam.)
“You had a burger yesterday, kiddo. Try again. Meatloaf or chicken patty.”
“Chicken patty. Fries.” (“Aye,” said Sam.)
“And green beans.” (“Ee.”)
“Corn.” (“Bor.”)
Lol, I love how you've translated into Sammy's language. And it's very realistic too. Babies just beginning to talk do seem to parrot a lot of what's said around them. Plus, Baby Sam is too cute for words, stinky diapers and all.
Dean turned around and looked accusingly at his father. “He’s fussy ’cause you’re callin’ it ‘din-din,’ lady,” he muttered.
Dean's a smart ass even at five. I love it!
Dean thought. These past months, the ( ... )
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John may have given Dean too much responsibility and extreme codependency issues, but he also gave him a purpose and focus, no matter how messed up it was.
Oh, I absolutely agree. Have you read dosger_winslow>'s go now. Read. She makes a wonderful observation about how he consciously chose to give Dean responsibility for Sam because it was the only thing that made Dean feel like he had any control over their situation. I think Dean really did bond with Sam in a paternal way and that "giving" him Sam to take care of anchored him in a way that even learning to hunt did not necessarily do.
“You had a burger yesterday, kiddo. Try again. Meatloaf or chicken patty.”
One of my favorite bits, too! I figure Dean's right at that age where he's pushing boundaries, and especially with the changes in their environment, there's so much for him to explore. Dean has always struck me as the "what can I get away with?" type.
Dean's a smart ass even at five.
Damn straight.
His fear of being ( ... )
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And I definitely agree that Dean needed Sam as an anchor. He needed some sort of stability in his life and Sam was it. That's why I think Sam leaving for Stanford and then dying was so devastating for him. Because of that, Dean's deal makes total sense to me ( ... )
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but he didn’t dare say anything about it to Dad, couldn’t figure out the right words to express the irony.
Well expressed.
And I agree with you about the diaper thing. I was helping change diapers at 3, and both of my parents were still alive. So it's not absolutely impossible, even if it would be, in normal circumstances, vastly improbable.
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And yeah, I think people underestimate the capability of young kids, even as young as 4-5. I myself was also a precocious thing, and didn't have the excuse of a younger sibling to take care of - or a life lived under extraordinary circumstances.
Glad you enjoyed.
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