Chapter Eight – Through a Brother's Eyes
Dean always saw the good in Dad.
Unrealistic hero worship.
I hated how he took his side.
Defending him.
Idolizing him.
Now I wish Dean could.
It hurts to see my brother in pain.
Hurts to see him hopeless and down.
It took a lot for him to admit Dad wasn't a Superhero.
To understand he was simply a man.
As scared and broken as the rest of us.
And yet…Dean can't accept.
Can't forgive his sins.
He needs to.
Not for Dad, but for him.
Maybe then he can forgive himself.
For not living up to those unreasonable demands.
The End
bjxmas
August 2012
All standard disclaimers apply.
One of the things I love the most about Supernatural is how perceptions don't always line up with reality. How each brother, while knowing the other so well in many ways, discovered new truths about their brother during the course of their journey. How what they thought they knew sometimes shifted and they saw new reasons b-e-h-i-n-d the behavior. It gives Sam and Dean their depth, that they are constantly evolving while their core personalities remain true. With a Winchester, it's best to never assume. They are far too complicated for casual observance and simple answers. Even knowing them as well as we do, after seven years of reveals, they are still able to surprise us and give us a deeper and oftentimes darker glimpse inside.
And I really love seeing Dean through others' eyes, because he is too harsh on himself, too unforgiving and demanding, either because of inordinate pressure from his dad in his formative years or simply his own need to protect his family and ignore danger in the wake of his traumatic childhood. So it's nice to think that Sam or Bobby or even John really did appreciate him, even if the message sometimes got lost between intent and how it was received.
Thanks for reading, discussion and comments are most welcome.
Later, B.J.
