I'm glad I picked it up too, because it's just as fun as I remembered, plus, nice comments like this are very encouraging, so thank you for that.

And yeah, while Sam and John might never get along and there will be no happy ending to the summer, I figured it wouldn't be realistic if he didn't grow at least a little bit. And he adores Dean, so that made it an easy direction for it to take. (Plus in height, one thinks. I'll have to get out that height chart I came across once.)

I don't believe in St. Dean. I believe that the brothers are human and while Dean would (and has) made the ultimate sacrifice for Sammy, in the meantime, he's as liable to give him a wet willie as to pass him the salt. That's what brothers do! (And yes the need to please John is as healthy as all get out!)

As for John, he's almost the most fun of the three, because he can't show kindness, even if he is kind and does love his boys. It's been interesting coming up with ways for him to demonstrate fatherly affection without it being jarring or ruining his gruff demeanor.

Thank you for your kind comments and encouragement!