Your story turned up in a search request on LJ's SPN Storyfinders. All I have to say is wow. What an absolute and utter gem. John sounds just so...John, driven, desperate, and so in love with Mary and with her sons. And Dean, this is the most plausible explanation I've seen for the different reactions of the boys to John's parenting style, and why he adopted it in the first place. Readers may not agree with him (I don't), but he did what he felt he had to, and it's very in character for both John and Dean as I've seen them in the show.

The show couldn't do any better than to just adopt this story as their own canon.

that was a beautiful story...

Poor Dean. Excellent chapter though. That was a really good ending & now I feel the need to find that Death Cab for Cutie song. Great story. More Supernatural please. So good.

Fantastic chapter. I love the way you used the episode and then twisted it with Dean playing piano and John's lack of knowledge about the boys.

The tough love had me feeling so sorry for Dean. Another great chapter. This is so good. I was going to write fun & then realised it wasn't really fun, more enjoyable. Different but still great.

I adore the idea of exchanging Sam for a golden retriever puppy - it would, in several respects, more closely resemble Dean. So many good lines in this. You're developing the characters wonderfully.

"Therefore, like a spawning salmon, he attempted to return to the place of his conception, i.e. the back seat of a 1967 Chevy Impala lovingly restored to mint condition by his father" was a brilliant line. I loved the last one too. Another excellent chapter.

That was brilliant. I love the idea of it being Mary's house. Such a cute chapter. Loved Dean's protection charm too.

Fantastic last line. I feel more and more sorry for John. Excellent chapter. I love the way you imagine the way they were.

Intriguing beginning. I like the way you envision their first meeting especially - the way he's so sure she can't be interested in him.

Make me cry, why don't you?

That was beautiful, and heart rending, and gorgeous, and Dean broke my heart.

Holy. "Tough Love" is not the proper word for it. "Abuse" sounds better. Poor Little Dean. I love this chapter. Im going to read the next one now.

Ah, well there you have it. A beautiful ending - though I can't help but wish that you had carried on with a little speculation as to what everything will mean. That you would have given us John's death through his POV - the ultimate trade of his life for Dean's. I wonder if Dean understands the sacrifice his father made - and that he made it for him? Still, you've done a remarkable job with this story, and I can't thank you enough for putting it out there for us to enjoy. You are a spectacular, emotional writer and I adored every minute of this. Fantastic job!

This story is absolutely incredible. You have brought such depth and emotion to the backstory of John and Mary - helping us to finally feel the full extent of John's pain for Mary's death. You've created new characters in Mary's parents and you've brought them to life. The way that you seamlessly jump back and forth in time, artfully building the story and tying so many of the loose pieces together. Through you and this story we see how John truly entered the Hunt, the steps that were taken, the exact time and place when John fully made that transformation from the loving father we saw in the Pilot into the one that is hinted at as the season continues. I hope that this wasn't the final chapter, for all that remains is to finally see how everything ends - to tie this in with John's death.

Well done, my friend. Very, very well done.

aww man, dude brilliant :) bittersweet ending to a very melancholic (but so damn good) fic