Gen Stories

Through A Glass Darkly by azewewish
(Gen, Crossover, The Crow) Very cool idea for a crossover, juxtaposing the emotional tones of The Crow with Sam and Dean around the time of "Everybody Loves a Clown." The story is told largely through dialogue, and has a rhythm I really enjoyed.

Pulling Wool by buffyaddict13
(Gen) Wonderful, creepy insertion into season 3 that makes sense of a bunch of dangling threads.

one night in the park by medie
(Gen, Crossover, Star Trek: TOS) Of course I loved this. Adorable intersection of Winchesters and a displaced starship crew on the hunt for a couple of humpback whales.

Things That Go Boom by krisomniac
(Gen) Poignant story in which Sam and Dean get a taste of Americana on the Fourth of July, but as usual, it comes along with a healthy dose of their brand of weird. Set after Dean's deal (but written before season 3) and therefore bittersweet.

Those Three Days You Were Dead by sightofland
(Gen) Sam in the first few days at Stanford, trying to come to terms with who he might be without his family. It was the epilogue that really got to me.

Always Some Door Open by dotfic
(Gen) Bodyswap!fic! With Henrickson, for the win! I thought this was really well done. It would be excellent if it happened on the show.

History of the Peloponnesian War by sevenfists
(Gen) Another short, painful juxtaposition between the life Sam lives at Stanford and the reality of his life as a Winchester. Obviously, I'm into this theme. I love how she says so much with small details.

First Hour by merryish
(Gen) And hey, look! It's another Stanford story. Heh. This one's sweeter and warmer, full of the brotherly love, but still with that poignant ache all Stanford stories require.

untitled (a stanford fic) by moveablehistory
(Gen) Even though this one's subtitled "a stanford fic," it isn't what it sounds like. Written before season 2, it's a future much happier than subsequent storylines allude to, but I still really enjoy this one.

Code of the Boys by Dodger Winslow
(Gen) This piece is so insightful and affecting, I could just read it over and over. John reflects on his youngest son and reconnects with his oldest after Sam leaves for Stanford. It's like everything Winchester, cooked down to its purest essence. Beautiful.

Things Past by dotfic
(Gen) Post-"Bad Day at Black Rock," the boys spend a little more time in John's storage locker, reconnecting with their dad. So much love.

Dwellers in Silence by dwarfankylosaur [NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Gen) Incredibly well-constructed, chillingly terrifying future possibility. Genius.

expiration date by eighth_horizon
(Gen) Nothing but giggles for this one. Oh, boys! Dean gets to see how the other half...er, lives.

Goblin Market by esohpe
(Gen...ish) She says this is "ambiguously sexual," and I'd say that's accurate. It's also tense and delicious, kind of literally.

Love Lies Bleeding by faye_dartmouth
(Gen) Lovely hurt/comfort follow-up to "Bad Day at Black Rock," in which Sam's bad luck isn't quite over yet. I loved it for the brotherly worry, but what really wowed me about it was the insight she gives us about where Dean's head is at.

Wishing Only Wounds the Heart by ficwriter1966
(Gen) Interesting future-fic in which Sam has a son and an unexpected family, but is still paying the cost for who he is.

Tomorrow We Go to Oakland by ficwriter1966
(Gen) S3 interlude in which the boys get a respite by a pool and reconnect in their oblique, Winchestery way.

Straying From the Beaten Path by angstslashhope
(Gen) A rarely-written period in the boys' childhood, when Dean's on the cusp of growing up and Sam's still got a long way to go. John and the boys go camping, and all the ties between them shift a little, but hold strong.

Picture Perfect by kellifer_fic
(Gen) Fascinating and oddly creepy-yet-sweet story about a magic camera, what Dean sees with it, and what it reveals about him.

Where Roads Meet by kellifer_fic
(Gen) Bobby Singer meets the Winchesters for the first time. It must have happened pretty much exactly like this.

Mustard Seed by kimonkey7
(Gen) Dean sees a flyer that he can't quite resist. I love the way she ties the Crossroads Demon deal storyline back to the events and themes of "Faith."

After All These Years by kroki_refur
(Gen) The Impala, and its connections to all the Winchesters. It really is more than a car to them, and this is why.

They Do Things Differently There by kroki_refur
(Gen) This hurts the brain a little to think about, but only in the best way. Fascinating idea of what might happen to Sam if one day he started having visions and more or less never stopped, and how Dean would deal with it.

Volvo Non Volvet by kroki_refur
(Gen) Charming and delightful. Dean and the Impala switch places, more or less. Poor Sam. His life is really weird, you know?

But for the Grace by kroki_refur
(Gen) Wonderfully long, satisfying story in which Dean wakes up one day and finds the whole world has changed, in one crucial respect: Sam's brother Dean died in a house fire in 1983. One to keep and read again many times.

All My Words Come Back to Me by luzdeestrellas
(Gen) Sam and Dean have a Christmas tradition of telling stories, and all of them make your heart warm and hurty at the same time, because this is the Winchesters we're talking about.

Somewhere from Ashes by pixel_0 [NOT BONE-SAFE, possibly NOT MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Gen) Dean and Sam's version of The Time Traveler's Wife. Sweet and painful, but somehow comforting at the same time.

Red Thread After by pixel_0
(Gen) Sam, Dean, and Jo, after the Apocalypse. Spare and bitter, but also hopeful, and the dialogue rings true.

Dancing the Line by stele3
(Gen) Sam needs a break, and Dean takes him to meet his quirky, possibly crazy, semi-adoptive family. The idea of the boys having a place and a family like this to go to is kind of addictive. Excellent comfort food reading.

Carry That Weight by superbadgirl
(Gen) Good casefile story, set circa early season 2, in which the boys relearn how to work as a team. A little heartbreaking, but big on the brotherness.

five birthdays by t_fic
(Gen) A celebration of five of Dean's birthdays. Warm and sweet.

This Bloody Road by trollprincess [NOT MAYGRA-SAFE, NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Gen) Short, spare, intriguing story about one Winchester brother going on without the other. Sort of.

Don't Look Back (A New Day is Breaking) by tiana
(Gen) Funny and sweet story in which Dean drinks too much tequila and ends up with a tattoo. Lovely for when you need something just this side of schmoop.

Lightning fast and all alone by vanzetti
(Gen, Crossover, Highlander) First she paired John and Amanda, and now John meets Duncan? I'm in heaven. I love how she captures all the potential danger in a meeting between these two.

Five things that make John Winchester so proud his throat chokes up. by t_fic
(Gen) The title pretty much says it all. Loved this to bits. (The second Five Things on the page is also fun; the last one is a bit Wincesty.)

Verbal by big pink
(Gen...ish) A while back, I said I had a huge thing for stories where Sam can read Dean's thoughts, or Dean can't lie, so this pretty much made me ecstatic. It's funny, until it's really, really not. Surprisingly heartbreaking, painful, even horrifying story, but I mean that as the highest compliment.

They Say It's Your Birthday by buffyaddict13
(Gen) Beautiful, sweet and bittersweet snapshots of Sam's birthdays through the years.

Under the Wide and Starry Sky by buffyaddict13
(Gen, Sam-centric) After AHBL, Sam really gets that whole "what's dead should stay dead" concept. This is creepy and painfully sad, but it's something I've been thinking about a lot, and she does it justice and makes it convincing.

Wheel in the Sky Keeps on Turning by buffyaddict13
(Gen) I've read a number of post-AHBL "countdown" stories, but this one made me especially happy. Full of beautiful lines, heart-crampingly tense, and big with the Sam&Dean love.

Time's a'Comin' by Maygra
(Gen) Part of the Salvation storyline. This one's a bit more heartbreaking, the end of the story instead of the beginning. But not quite.

One Winchester, Colt in Hand by derry667
(Gen) Post-AHBL. One chilling version of the path Sam might take when Dean's payment comes due.

The Difference Between Night and Dark by Dodger Winslow
(Gen, John/Ellen) I've maybe sort of been waiting for this author to write this exact story before I read any other versions, and now I know why.

Hide Too Well Away by dotfic
(Gen) I adored this case story about John and the boys just before Sam goes to Stanford. It couldn't have been better timed, either -- I desperately needed some emotional closure between John and his boys (and John and Sam in particular) after AHBL, and this story delivers in a big way. Lovely, vivid writing, too.

Younger by Carol Davis
(Gen) Dodger Winslow recommended this, and I've seen it echoed elsewhere. Count me among those who found this refreshing and emotionally satisfying. I love Sam's POV, and of course, Sam being protective of Dean? There can never be enough.

A Thousand Words Unspoken by geminigrl11
(Gen) Dean trying to deal with his family, pre-series. I could absolutely see it being like this. (plus, growing pains!)

Whither Thou Goest by indysaur
(Gen) What is it about sin-eaters, that they make for the most awesome stories? I enjoyed the hell out of this. Creepy and suspenseful, and Sam-tastic.

What I Meant to Say by geminigrl11 & kalyw
(Gen) A lovely, hurty and satisfying tag for "Everybody Loves a Clown." It does a beautiful job of capturing how grief isn't something you can share, no matter how much it seems like you should be able to.

Larger Than Life by katikat
(Gen) Post-AHBL. Another among many worthwhile versions of how Sam keeps what's his, a year after Dean makes his deal.

Of All The Floors I've Slept On by kellifer_fic
(Gen) Protective big brothers are right up there with kittens and caramel sauce, for me. No bad there.

The Road Less Travelled by kellifer_fic
(Gen) Another of the "snapshots" style of story that this author does so well. Sam's never had a problem expressing himself.

The Air In Between by kellifer_fic
(Gen) Yes! Together with the first two parts of this saga, this story is one of my two favorite, definitive wingfic tales. (The other is eighth horizon's.)

Running Around And Falling Off Things by kellifer_fic
(Gen) More wonderful snapshots on a theme. This time it's the hurt/comfort variety.

On Warm Summer Nights by lyra_wing
(Gen, John/Mary) This should be required reading for all Supernatural fans. Seriously. It should be an episode. And between this story and dotfic's family secret story, I feel like fans have healed all the John angst I had after AHBL.

Drive Until You Lose the Road by musesfool
(Gen) The title is a good description of the story. Sam and Dean on the road with no place in particular to be. Just a pure pleasure to read.

Tag by onelittlesleep
(Gen) A Stanford story wherein Sam and Dean play their own unique brand of phone tag. Adorable.

fides by plutogirl10
(Gen) Sam has a vision that runs him and Dean smack up against something very old, and Dean has two minutes to figure out what he believes in. A surprising little piece, powerfully effective.

Secure the Blessing by Rahmi
(Gen) This was written before "What Is..." and "All Hell Breaks Loose," and offers an absolutely fascinating alternate version of Sam and Dean's final face-off with the demon, as well as a different kind of wish-verse. It could use a bit of a line edit, but it's creative and cool and well worth a read.

The Hyacinth Garden by sanyin
(Gen) A companion piece to The Vanishing Glow. Sam's perspective on normal, and on Dean, drawn with breathtaking beauty and not much mercy. Gorgeous writing.

Waiting Game by shoiryu
(Gen, Dean/OFCs) Oh, I really dig this. The focus is on Dean in the months before he finally goes to get Sam at Stanford, and it rings absolutely true. One of the best versions of this I've read.

Farther down the line by stalkingwinter
(Gen) Post-Folsom Prison Blues. A few small details of this pinged me, but the insights and the rhythm of it more than overcame that. The ending is a killer, and it shines subtle light on a lot of aspects of that episode.

Commedia by sweetestdrain
(Gen) Fantastic, cracktastic vision of the way I really honestly wish things had gone after AHBL, Part 1. I would have paid money.

Cast Stones At Dragons by trollprincess
(Gen) A chillingly wonderful, Stephen King-like scenario. Ten years after Dean's contract comes due, Sam finds out that sometimes, they come back.

A ribbon at a time by ultraviolet9a
(Gen) Stark, realistic, and at times sharply funny scenario of how the year after AHBL might go.

The Extinguished Flame by untrue_accounts
(Gen) In the aftermath of AHBL, Part 1, Sam isn't ready to move on. I think this might be exactly how it happened, and I kind of wish we'd gotten to see it.

Yesterday, and Days Before by xaara
(Gen) Moving, rather poetic little piece about Dean in the years before the pilot. Interesting way of looking at Dean's sense of self and identity from unexpected angles.

Muscle Memory by ygrawn
(Gen) Dean takes care of Sam. Unglamorous, schmoopy, and unrepentantly so, which is yay.

Cross-country by zillah_fic
(Gen) Dean and John, pre-series. I'm not sure how to describe this without spoiling it, but it's compelling, and reads like a very real possibility.

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades by geminigrl11
(Gen) I am so very much a sucker for Sam in peril and Dean worried sick but still holding it together. Wonderful, tense little story.

In Memoriam: June 1988 by angstslashhope
(Gen) This is such a fantastic series, but this one in particular fills me with joy and love for all three Winchesters. Beautiful, tender, bittersweet.

Never Summer by ignipes
(Gen) Absolutely incredible case file story -- destined for many, many re-reads, I predict. Reading this was enough to put me off writing for a while, because, damn. This could be an episode, like, now, please.

Learning To Fly by kellifer-fic
(Gen, wing!fic) Awesome follow-up to Forgetting to Fall, and it doesn't seem possible, but this one is even better than the first one.

The Second Tragedy by kroki refur
(Gen) Set immediately after the pilot. It reads like canon, and therefore, it hurts. Nothing comes without a price.

Childish Things by kroki refur
(Gen) One of the many awesomely cool things about Refur is that she can write Sam's grief and Dean's helplessness over it with such concise, unvarnished clarity, and then turn around and write something as cracktastic, hilarious, and adorable as this story. Sam's suddenly... a lot shorter. Other than that, not much has changed.

Messing Around With Slim by kroki refur
(Gen) Tightly constructed, creepy little story from an outsider's perspective.

World enough and time by lyra wing
(Gen) Sam starts to let go of Jess, and it's not easy. I love Dean in this story, more than words can say, and reading it is like being inside Sam's head. Awesome writing.

Photo manip by mkitty03
(Gen) This is the first time I've linked to artwork, I think. There's such a story in this piece, and it's wonderful for whatever ails you.

Not A favorable Wind by smilla02 [rated NOT BONE-SAFE, NOT ELYN-SAFE]
(Gen) Dean and Sam do the hardest job they've ever had to do. There are no ghosts involved. Gah, this thing broke me. I wish I could cry, but it hurt too much.

Living Things by K Hanna Korossy
(Gen) A fantastic coda to "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things." I think I would have paid large sums of money (and possibly a piece of my soul) to see this on my TV.

Lifetime Guarantee by K Hanna Korossy
(Gen) Written before "Heart," this story goes to the same kind of heartbreaking place, but in this one, it's Dean who's bitten. And we already know how likely it is that Sam will give up when it comes to his brother.

Rumors of my Death by K Hanna Korossy
(Gen) A story I have a feeling I'll be re-reading many times. Aside from the fact that it's a great, well-written story, and perfectly in character, there's a lot of hugging in here, and it's awesome.

Freak by zillah-fic
(Gen) I read this because I liked the title, and was really glad that I did. I have a (previously disclosed) huge thing for Sam and Dean in high school stories, and I don't think I ever read one where I believed so completely in the characterization as I did while reading this.

Summer of ’93 by a-fallen-sister
(Gen) A seldom-written time period in the Winchester's lives. Sam is 10, Dean is 14 -- and pretty much the most important thing in Sam's whole world. Felt true to me, and I love the glimpses of John and Pastor Jim.

Accidents Will Happen by holli
(Gen) Freaking hilarious genius, that's all. The Winchesters meet their match.

Twelve Minutes by dotfic
(Gen) Oh, man. She's amazing. I love how she takes an unremarkable, relatively common kind of crisis in the Winchester's lives and makes it completely gripping, in character, and emotionally true.

loved and put aside by eighth horizon [rated NOT BONE-SAFE, probably NOT SISABET-SAFE]
(Gen, HORROR) I think this is the most horrifying story I've read yet in this fandom, maybe in any fandom. If that's your thing, as it is mine, don't miss it.

Blue day. by elohvee
(Gen) Sam and Jo, after the events of Born Under a Bad Sign. It's exactly as painful and sharp-edged as it should be.

As Butterflies is Cargo by 1hionlife
(Gen) This is like a surreal, painful version of Sam and Dean as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. See why I loved it?

A Different Shade Of Normal by azewewish
(Gen) That cool story where the Marine recruiter comes to see Dean at breakfast. You know the one, because I'm sure you've read it already, but I wanted to keep the link.

And the Next Day Would Be Christmas by brynnmck
(Gen) Dean just wants his family together for Christmas. I love John in this, so much it hurts.

For the Good Times by coiledsoul
(Gen) That cool Dia de los Muertos vignette that I liked because I love Jess, and Sam/Jess, and this made me happy.

Frayed by buffyaddict13 [rated NOT BONE- or MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Gen) This story is absolutely horrifying, and sickeningly possible, and I loved it. Not for the faint of heart, but, gah. Really good.

Sanguine by tabaqui
(Gen) I am a huge, huge sucker for a little big brother hero worship on Sam's part, and this is short but sweet, right up until it isn't.

Degrees of Grace by Destina
(Gen) I cannot think of how a Thanksgiving Sam and Dean story could be more perfect than this. Sweet and heartwarming, but still totally them.

The Constancy of Pain by dodger_winslow
(Gen) Nobody writes wee!Dean and John like she does. This story just killed me. John isn't doing the greatest job of keeping himself in one piece, and Dean's had enough. Bonus points for an awesome Pastor Jim.

The Thing About Clowns by dodger_winslow
(Gen) More awesome wee!Dean and John, with funny-yet-hurty Sam and Dean banter to make it that much better.

Four Times John Thought It Was Over and Once He Realized It Was Only Just Beginning by dodger_winslow
(John/Mary, Dean) You getting the idea I love her stuff? Yeah, pretty much.

The Farther You Run by dotfic
(Gen) I liked this for how different it was, as well as for her usual storytelling skill and deft touch with the characters. There aren't many stories about Dean and Sam at this age (sixteen and twenty-one), and I loved that Sam got to play hero for once.

Sneeze Three Times by dotfic
(Gen) On the other hand, I love it when Dean gets to be the hero, more than words can say. Heffalumps! *loves incoherently*

pillow talk by eighth_horizon
(Gen) Oh, god, so funny. And so sweet, but still, absolutely, a hundred percent them. I said a while back, "screw that fighting evil crap, all I want them to do is cuddle," and she delivered. I adore this woman I've never met.

In Another Time by embroiderama
(Gen) Totally cool story about John in Vietnam and Sam and Dean in the present, and the connection between the two. Neat idea.

Beach Blanket Poltergeist by hansbekhart
(Gen) Did I seriously not rec this before? Well, that's wrong. This is like the movie version of an episode of Supernatural, if the writers and the director and all the cast and crew were at the absolute top of their game.

Oranges by hossgal
(Gen) I liked a lot of things about this, most especially that it's Dean taking care of Sam when he's in pain (yay!), but also, I love how she captured the hyperawareness of post-migraine surreality, and how it amps up your sense of smell, and how you feel in the aftermath. Dead-on accurate.

Trinity Acts by ignipes
(Gen) Oh, boys. What more is there to say?

Before You Come in Here With Some Kinda Attitude, You Better Read the House Rules by ignipes
(Gen) Prepare to grin your face off. "You don't even know what the word 'soliloquy' means." "It means you're bitching but nobody cares." Like that.

But for the Grace by kroki_refur
(Gen) Dean slips into an alternate reality, and all he wants is to get back to his Sam, but pretty soon things aren't that simple any more. Cool concept, very well done. Wonderfully satisfying conclusion.

Christmas Past by kroki_refur
(Gen) Oh, this story hurts, and I love how she tells it, in non-linear bits and pieces. A different take on events pre-series, and very interesting to think about the idea that it might have happened something like this.

Memento Mori by kroki_refur [rated NOT BONE- or MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Gen) Ow, ow, ow. I kinda wish she didn't have a warning on this. I didn't see the warning when I read it, and that made it better, I think. But it's great, regardless.

Leave Your Door Open by lyra wing
(Gen) The kind of Mary Sue I can totally get behind. Don't let that put you off -- it's just lovely and sweet.

The Last of the Weary World by lyra wing
(Gen) "Croatoan" definitely needed some more scenes we didn't get to see, and this one fits perfectly.

Play Dead by mandysbitch
(Gen) I love this story to pieces. It makes me so happy -- Sam gets whomped, Dean gets to be smart and protective, there's cuddling, and funny banter, and it's just cool.

Menologia by mandysbitch
(Gen) Dean, pre-series, not doing such a great job of coping. This story is harsh and bitter, but it has a delicious center and I love the way she writes Dean.

Light of Day, Dark of Moon by Maygra
(Gen) Oh, so much adoration for this clever retelling of a familiar tale.

Reap the Wild Wind by Maygra
(Gen) The first story in her Reaper series, which I adore, because it's different and creepy and imaginative and hurts so good.

It's My Birthday, Too, Yeah by musesfool
(Gen, Sam/Jess) This is just awesome, because of course, it could have happened exactly like this. Dean meets Jessica Moore and chooses a totally Dean-like method of finding out what he needs to know.

The Atheist Christmas Carol by musesfool
(Gen) Sam takes Dean somewhere he's been wanting to go. Beautiful respite for the boys, and again with my kink for Sam taking care of Dean.

Three X's for the Stone by nilchance and beanside
(Gen) Lum and I have been nonstop talking about how badly we want Dean to go into Hell and get John back. But never in a million years could I have dreamed up a story that did it this perfectly. I want this to be on the show now, immediately, exactly like this. Fucking awesome. (Part 2 here.)

Weaver by superbadgirl
(Gen) Excellent, scary, looong case story, with Black Dogs and cowbells and tons of love between the boys--it's all good.

Sing to the Sea by xaara
(Gen) Very cool case story, with a fascinating mystery and resolution, protective big brother vibes, and lovely interaction between Sam and Dean.

Down the highway by zelost_mind
(Gen, a touch of Dean/OFC) I really loved this outsider perspective on Sam and Dean, and am totally fascinated by the character she created.

One More Cup of Coffee (For the Road) by hansbekhart
(Gen) John and Dean learn to get by without Sam. I loved John in this, and its painful starkness.

The Great Pumpkin Respects Sincerity by dotfic
(Gen) Wonderfully sweet, poignant small!Winchesters Halloween tale. She never fails to make me happy.

Two for Flinching and One for the Road by kimonkey7
(Gen) Brotherly Halloween cameraderie and closeness, but because they're Winchesters, it's not all Jack Daniels and trick-or-treat. No big, dramatic storyline, but it tells so much about them between the lines.

Looking For What You Knew by brynnmck
(Gen) Several people wrote excellent tags for "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things," and this is one of my favorites. Sam knows exactly how to deal with Dean, and handles him so well, it breaks my heart. A game of Bullshit, two bottles of Jack Daniels, and more love than either of them will ever say.

Let's Play Two by brynnmck
(Gen) She knows the way unerringly to my heart. A smart, scarily intuitive Sam who takes care of his big brother when he needs it? I am so there. (Note to self: the one with the baseball game, dude.)

Occasions of Sin by hiyacynth
(Gen) Really excellent, poignant, sometimes sweet and sometimes sharply painful story about the Winchesters and Pastor Jim over the years. So needed to be written.

Protest Song by lanthano
(Gen) Insightful, authentic John character study, with a teenaged Sam and Dean.

But I Never Could Sharpen No Blade, Quite the Way He Say by onelittlesleep
(Gen) Two brothers on a road trip. Sounds familiar, right? Only, this time it's different. I love, love how understated and delicate and note-perfect this is, and that last step is a killer.

Latitude and Longitude by minkmix
(Gen) Awesome John and wee!Chesters. This is just so real, and there's a bit in here that makes me laugh out loud just to think about it.

Push Me Over the Side by onelittlesleep
(Gen) Awesome week-in-the-life case story, pre-series, with John and teenaged boys. Sam is trying his best to find his place, but some days are better than others. She nails these guys like it's going out of style.

Vocabulary by innie_darling
(Gen) For a story so quiet and thoughtful, it's amazing how it tied me up in knots. Like the story above, this is about Sam trying to define himself, and every bit of it rings true.

Bargains by marinarusalka
(Gen) Ah, yeah! This is that story I was looking for. The one with the fae, and Sam getting abducted, and Dean making a deal, and, yeah. :D

Don't Ask, Don't Tell by dodger_winslow
(Gen) I think the word most commonly used in the feedback comments for this story was "perfect." I couldn't agree more. Dean asks John a question he should never have asked, and all three Winchesters get their moments to shine.

Lifeline by harrigan
(Gen) This was my other favorite "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" tag. So satisfying, and so perfectly them.

Three times the Winchesters grew older by angstslashhope
(Gen) She just never writes anything that isn't awesome. The third part of this is about Mary and John, and it killed me.

angstslashhope's fiction index
A sticky post for all this author's Supernatural creations. I've consistently liked or outright loved pretty much everything this author has done (with the exception of John slash with the boys, which I don't read. But, you know, if I did...) Particular recommendations:

little rattle stilt
(Gen) This thing just about made me climb up onto my desk, I was so upset and worried for Sammy. Absolutely horrible to read -- in that amazingly good way.

Widdershins
(Gen) This one is John-centric, with wee!boys, and just unbelievably good. It's one of those stories where you start reading and the world just goes away.

Sand dollar
(Gen) A vignette that leaves me kind of breathless and aching.

Sooner rather than later
(Gen) Wow, she is just so good with the wee!chesters.

Cirque de Céline by big_pink
(Gen, but with Dean/OFC) Damn, big_pink is fucking good. I read most of this with my hand pressed to my mouth because it was so angsty and amazing and heart-wrenchingly good. Loooong and plotty and emotional and incredibly satisfying. Also, incidentally, seriously hot.

The Woods Are Lonely, Dark and Deep by blueiris
(Gen, Sam and Dean) Kind of a case story with a twist and a different feel to it. Memorable, and I liked the fact that it made the hair stand up on my arms.

The Wheels on the Bus (Go 'Round and 'Round) by cathybites
(Gen) This isn't a long story, but it says so much, it feels like it's longer. The brothers Winchester -- real and sweet and wonderful.

Dealing with Life (the Winchester way) by clex_monkie [rated NOT BONE-SAFE, NOT ELYN-SAFE]
(Gen, post-In My Time of Dying) This is raw and maybe even melodramatic, but it was exactly what I needed to read after IMToD. The stark shape of grief and how it can jump up and kick you in the ass when you're not expecting it.

Little Green by glamorous-nymph
(Gen) Dean is pretty much the awesomest big brother of all time. I think we and Sam are all agreed on that. Reading this story is like a hug from Dean and a big soft warm blanket and cocoa. Also, it has a wonderful Stanford interlude that really made me happy in a very subtle and surprising way.

Day in the Life by tabaqui
(Gen) John, Dean, and Sam, when the boys are young but not wee! any more, and the personalities of all three Winchesters just shine off the page. Sweet, makes me really happy. (Warning, Destina -- puppy within.)

Tired and Emotional by kroki_refur
(Gen, Sam and Dean) This story hits a lot of my (nonsexual) kinks, like Sam's powers and Dean worrying about him/protecting him a lot. If that doesn't immediately turn you off, the writing and characterization in this is excellent, and I could completely see this happening on the show exactly this way. (Follow-up to Sensory Deprivation.)

The Night Country by Destina [rated NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Gen, but demon!John/Dean noncon) I must admit I'm so severely squicked by John slash with either of his sons, I probably wouldn't have read this if I hadn't trusted the author implicitly. That trust was not misplaced. This is a tough read, but the love between Sam and Dean is so strong, it's worth it.

Bless Me Father by dodger_winslow
(Gen, post-ELoC) A surreal, painful, and chilling view of the inside of Dean's head. Awesome writing, fascinating stuff.

dotfic's Supernatural Fanfic tagged entries
This writer consistently writes some of the best, most enjoyable gen in the fandom. I don't know that I've ever read a single story of hers I didn't at least like a whole lot. She writes awesome Sam, Dean, and John, and always has cool ideas. Some particularly wonderful pieces:

Looking for Salt by dotfic
(Gen, Crossover, Supernatural/X-Files) Oh, I am so glad I bookmarked this! I've been trying to remember who wrote it. This is everything wonderful about crossovers, right here. Another one that should be considered an instant classic, in my opinion. Sam, Dean, Scully and Mulder trapped in an abandoned diner with... zombies. This story rules.

Recoil, Ricochet, and Reload by dotfic
(Gen) Very few people bring the characterization and the flawless dialogue and the funny and the snappy pacing like she does. This is sort of a rambling case story, or a series of snapshots that give an amazingly cohesive picture of the Winchester family and what they do.

I Am Not Now, Nor Have I Ever Been by dotfic
(Gen, with puppy-love het) Note to self: this is that great story where Sam is in 5th grade and Dean is in 8th and they're at the same school and Dean makes up the rule that they have to pretend they're not related. Yes, that one, the one you really loved.

Prosecution and Immunity by dotfic
(Gen, John and Dean) Companion pieces about a hunt where John takes Dean and everything goes wrong. Wonderful look at the bond between these two characters. I love that she writes the boys at this age, and does it so well.

The Certain Knot by dotfic
(Gen, Sam and Dean) Set between Bloody Mary and Skin. Sam struggles with the aftermath of finally facing the truth about Jessica's death. He and Dean are perfectly, wonderfully themselves as they get on with the business of hunting and remembering how to work as a team.

Stopping for Pancakes by dotfic
(Gen, Crossover, Supernatural/X-Files) A short piece with a great punchline.

There is no Heavenly Father; there are no Sons of God by drvsilla
(Gen, John meditation, post-IMToD) This is a short piece, and it slayed me. I cried so hard reading it. Says everything there is to say about John and his boys.

Cookbook for Boys and Girls by embroiderama
(Gen, John, Sam and Dean) Oh, so sweet. I love this story to bits. John hurts. Sammy and Dean help. Killa bawls her eyes out, in the good way.

This Lowdown Feelin' by embroiderama
(Gen, John, Sam and Dean) Kind of the same theme as the story above, but more painful. There's a scene in here with Dean and John that kills me.

We, Who Are the Merciful by fryadvocate
(Gen, Sam and Dean) A case story, one of those terrific, "this is how it is with them" stories, but with a painful, sharp edge because it's about trust and about forgiveness and how hard it can be to wait for them when you only have one person in your life and there's no getting away from it.

Night of the Zombie PC by Guede Mazaka
(Gen, humor) This is exactly what the title says, and it really makes me giggle like a loon. I could totally see this happening on the show, and I think it would be puppet!Angel all over again.

Happy Whatever. Maybe. by HalfshellVenus
(Gen, Sam and Dean) A really wonderful little story about Sam trying to find a birthday present for Dean. One of those that says so much in a small space.

Ever Forward by Angela Gabriel [rated NOT BONE-SAFE, probably NOT ELYN-SAFE]
(Gen, post-ELaC) Absolutely devastating, unvarnished, and stark account of Sam and Dean in the immediate aftermath. Characterization rings like crystal.

Superhero by ignipes
(Gen, Sam and Dean) Funny, but with a side of gut-wrenching brotherly love. How could I not love it? (Note to self: this is that story where Sam's powers have the unfortunate side effect of making him really popular...)

The Face of Fear by ignipes
(Gen, Sam and Dean) She does good with the funny. Dialogue-only piece about Dean's secret fear. Totally makes me laugh.

King of All the Wild Things by ignipes
(Gen, Sam and Dean) This is... okay, between this story and Lady Jaida's "And the First Two Don't Count," just the thought of Sam and Dean and a laundry room is enough to make me happy. I adore this piece. It ties me all up in knots, but they're all the good kind. I love every word individually and all of them together.

The Language of This Foreign Country by ignipes
(Gen, Sam and Dean and John) Another for my "instant classics" list. The language the Winchesters speak is difficult and thorny, but Sam's learning. Inspired, eloquent, and recced everywhere for a reason.

Happy Thoughts by Emily Brunson
(Gen, Sam and Dean) Okay, there's just something really irresistible about Dean when Sam's driving him absolutely nuts.

Tiny A's All in a Row by Wynn
(Gen, Dean and Sam) I'm going to call this gen because the love is so pure, it doesn't matter what you call it. Could be slash if you prefer, I suppose. Whatever you call it, it just goes right to the heart of the whole thing.

Tired Most Of The Time, Exhausted The Rest by kellifer_fic
(Gen, Sam and Dean) A year in the life of the Winchester brothers, catalogued by the damage done. By turns funny and painful.

The Father We Never Found by Epigone [rated NOT BONE-SAFE, probably NOT ELYN-SAFE]
(Gen, post-ELaC) The hard reality of the aftermath. I can't say I enjoyed reading this story, but it's good.

Violent World Our Fathers Bought by Epigone
(Gen) This is an interesting case story, set post-Shadow. I really dig how it skips around in time, and it feels like a very intimate and insightful portrait of Dean. Nice, long, satisfying read, and a bit of a love letter to Dean. Definitely will be re-reading this one.

Slow Songs in Fast Times by lyra_wing
(Gen) Oh, there so should be more fun stories set when Sam's in high school. Sam and Dean giving each other shit in Latin? Priceless.

You can only come to the morning through the shadows by lyra_wing
(Gen) Absolutely flawless day-in-the-life piece. This is the essential Sam-and-Dean, perfectly drawn and note-true.

Communication by marinarusalka
(Gen) a short post-Asylum piece that really hits it right for me.

Cars by marinarusalka
(Gen) I really have a thing for stories set when one or both of the boys are in high school. This one feels like canon to me. Dean gets his driver's license and Sam tries to figure out if he was found under a cabbage leaf.

Maygra's Musings
If Maygra wrote it, I recommend it, and that's pretty much how that goes. Not every single thing she writes totally pings for me (I'm a tough sell on Sarah, for one thing) but I would never miss a word of it, because she always, without fail, creates something amazing. As with eighth_horizon, it's tough to narrow down specific recs, but these are some that stand out for me:

Scrapbook - a family album : Page 4 - Lay Down Your Burden by Maygra
(Gen, Dean, Sam/Sarah) This series riffs off of eigth_horizon's Salvation universe. In this particular installment, Dean's marriage has fallen apart and Sam and his family are there for him. I pretty much love everything Maygra and eighth_horizon write, but this particular piece really hit me hard. I think there's a part of me that wants nothing more than to read endless pages of Sam and Dean -- particularly Dean -- finding peace and comfort, and this story is incredibly satisfying in that regard.

The Family Ways series by Maygra
(NC17 in parts for rape and issues of consent) Gutsy, amazingly well-done series of stories from the point of view of the Benders. Yep, you read that right. This is a terrifying story, because she makes you get them.

Out of This Darkness by Maygra
(Futurefic, horror, Gen) This was one of the first (maybe the first?) Supernatural story I read, and I can honestly say it's still the single story that sticks with me the most. Considering that she wrote it before Shadow, it's rather eerily prophetic, too. But most of all, this is deep, rich, engrossing mythology that stays with you. Magnificent piece of work.

Maybe It Started Here by miss_begonia
(Gen) A short, emotionally sweet and achy piece about Dean figuring out his own definition of normal.

Keep Me from Drowning Again (Five Ways) by poisontaster
(Gen) Dean and all the ways there are for him to drown. Incredibly powerful and evocative for 500 little words.

We Walk the Same Line by poisontaster
(Gen) If you're looking for beautifully written hurt/comfort with great characterization and edge-of-your-seat suspense, look no further. (sisabet -- it's a cave story!)

No Such Thing As Normal by scribblinlenore
(Gen) In the immediate aftermath of the pilot, Dean remembers a run-in Sam had with a predator of the human variety when they were young. Protective big-brother Dean is the best.

Certainty by stillane
(Gen) Sam knows the hour of his own death, and he's okay with that. I love how this is written, and I love it because the alternative is one I can't bear thinking about, so I'm right there with Sam on this one.

let us now praise famous men by cee
(Gen, John and wee!boys) Sequel to the previous story. John and his war buddies. Incredibly evocative short piece, also canon in my head.

After The Night And The Music Die Will I Have You? by tremblings
(Gen) Behind and between the scenes of the pilot. Winchester issues; good stuff.

Memories listing for fanfic by trollprincess
Another author I strongly recommend across the board. Some of the best:

Interesting Times by trollprincess
(Gen) A curse creates an infinite variety of Sams, but Dean just wants his back. Sounds awesome to me, and it pretty much is.

Brother, What a Fight It Really Was by trollprincess
(Gen, post-Devil's Trap AU) If it had happened this way on the show, I'd be about the happiest woman alive.

A Little White Lie Here And There Never Hurt Anybody by trollprincess
(Sam/Jess) I love Jess, and this story is twenty little slices of why.

Killing Time in Detention by trollprincess
(Gen) I did mention how much I love reading about them in high school, right? This is a whole lot of awesome in a small space.

Some Sounds You'll Sleep Through by trollprincess
(Gen) A funny and heartbreaking Stanford story. Dean gets an imaginary dog (or is it?) and names it Sammy. That right there should tell you how wonderful this is.

now jerk that pistol and go to work by trollprincess
(Gen) She's kind of a genius, you know? Sam and Dean stumble into an unexpected solution to the FBI problem.

Paradise Lost by Tiana
(Gen) Pre-series, Sam goes to his first drinking party and gets hammered. It's not a good night for it, and Dean has to come get him. I rather love this -- it feels exactly true and makes my heart ache for all the Winchesters.

high hopes. by wheebubbles
(Gen) An intriguing series of vignettes, sort of the Winchester-eye-view on fairy tales. And I love where she goes with it.

Decomposure by paperbkryter [rated NOT BONE- or MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Gen) ...on fanfiction.net. I found it thanks to marinarusalka. And I fucking loved this story. By my usual reading standards, this story is restrained. It doesn't go deeply into the emotional reactions of the characters -- instead, it draws them in stark, spare lines. But they cut. And the story is just tight, tight, tight, and scary, and, wow. Keep in mind, my definition of good encompasses stories that rip my heart out and throw it on the ground and stomp on it a lot, so be warned!

Old Rebel Yeller by BigPink
(Gen) ...also on fanfiction.net. Also found via marinarusalka. A very cool, long, detailed, extremely well-researched case story. Civil War history re-enactment ghost story with fantastic attention to detail, an intriguing mystery, and lots of time spent on character development and emotional plot along with the mystery.

When They Stop Building Roads by Xaara
(Gen) Still really a sucker for Sam and Dean in high school stories. This one pleased me on a lot of levels. Sam's insightful and thoughtful and Dean is totally Dean.

When I Wake Up a Second Time (Gorgeousness) by unamaga
(Gen) I wish this had been longer, but only because I loved the emotion in it and didn't want it to end.

How cold the vacancy by Melymbrosia
(Gen) Absolutely wonderful "Born Under a Bad Sign" tag. I would probably have emptied my checking account, and possibly sold some blood, to see this on the show.

Dust and Air by Vanzetti
(Gen) I love it when someone writes something I didn't even know I wanted until it's right there in front of me. Wonderful backstory for Missouri Mosely.

Crash by Maygra
(Gen) Post-Devil's Trap AU. One way things could have gone; I still love this story.

The Heart Where I Have Roots by musesfool
(Gen) Post-"Nightshifter". Very satisfying, simultaneously comforting and still tense with the reality of the episode. Evocative imagery.

Couldn't Stand the Weather by musesfool
(Gen) One of my favorite "Born Under a Bad Sign" tags. Jo and Dean. This completely could have happened in the episode, and I choose to imagine it did.

untitled by pandoraiam
(Gen...ish) I'm not even sure the author meant to post this as an entire story, but I loved what's here. Sam's started picking up Dean's thoughts, but he hasn't quite managed to tell him, yet.

This Street, That Man, This Life by buffyaddict13
(Gen) So many things made me happy about this. Excellent Sam-whumpage, but also unexpected layers and a beautifully emotional resolution.

Reverent, Clean, Thrifty and Wise by dodger_winslow
(Gen) I love this author's work (obviously, since I rec it all the time), but she doesn't often focus on Sam, so it's a special treat for me when she does. I adore the relationship between John and Sam, here.

Everyday Heroes by geminigrl11
(Gen) A cool look at the Winchesters from the perspective of those whose lives they touch.

Marks by hesychasm
(Gen) An excellent tag for "Born Under a Bad Sign." True to character, and wonderfully sensual, and tense, and intimate.

Forgetting To Fall by kellifer_fic
(Gen) Gah, awesome, awesome wingfic, with a wonderful resolution. I adored this.

Blood and Wine are Red by kroki_refur
(Gen) Kind of a spinoff to geminigirll11's Everyday Heroes. Cool outside perspective, fascinating variation on how things might play out.

Roadtrippin' With My Brother by liptonrm_fic
(Gen) Man, I am such a huge sucker for any story where Sam and Dean get to have fun together, and catch a break now and then. I love the snark.

When the Summer Comes Along by luzdeestrellas
(Gen) There are so not enough stories like this. Sam, and everything Dean's been to him growing up.

Plastic Winchester Theater by anteka
(Unclassifiable) Seriously, is there anyone watching Supernatural who hasn't seen this? If yes, GO RIGHT NOW.

No one you can save who can't be saved by Black Regalia
(Gen) (11,900 words) This is a bit of an alternate take on season 3 thus far, in which the Winchester brothers come to terms with Dean's deal in their own way -- and it's not what Dean expected. She has such an amazing way of capturing the essence of Dean that rings absolutely true to me. Just amazing.

He Ain't No Prince by blue_soaring
(Gen) (4,500 words) This story and the one that precedes it (A Nice Day to Start Again) skate the edge of crack-o-licious good times, but she completely sells it with the combination of great characterization and a wonderfully refined sense of the ludicrous. Dean is fucking adorable, Sam is his dry, wonderful self, and the result is straight up hilarious.

Little Brother by sazzlette
(Gen) (1,000 words) Part of her Twelve Fics of Christmas series. Dean and Sam are staying at Bobby's, and he's somehow managed not to kill them. Yet. A gorgeous and unexpectedly poignant glimpse into Bobby's past, and why he understands the Winchesters as well as he does.

The Cure For Anything by concernedlily
(Gen) (11,688 words) The boys return to Lake Manitoc ("Dead in the Water"). This story is everything I hoped it would be, full of bittersweet moments and undercurrents, and a case file with people I really cared about and was glad to see again. Achy, but in the good way.

Strange's Country by concernedlily
(Gen, Crossover, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell) (52,598 words) A fantastic read. Brilliant crossover, completely engrossing. Possibly my favorite "Dean's deal" story to date, and that is saying something. One of those stories that only fanfic could tell -- not an easy read, but oh, so worth it. (I don't honestly think you have to have read Jonathan Strange to enjoy it, though that just makes it better.)

Follow Through by cupiscent
(Gen) High-school age Sam deals with a bully. The ending is particularly apt, given certain dialogue in "Malleus Maelficarum." Stories about Sam coping with his family make me happy.

Double-edged by dotfic
(Gen) (5,700 words) More of the wonderful flashbacks from "A Very Supernatural Christmas." John comes home, and things have changed. Subtle, comforting, both sad and sweet.

The November Guests by dotfic
(Gen) (19,000 words) I don't often get into stories about John and Dean hunting without Sam, but this one is special. It brings back Jerry from "Phantom Traveler," and tells the story of the first time John helped him out. I love the dynamic between Dean and John, and the way Sam is still so much a part of them, even when he's gone.

Treasures by ficwriter1966
(Gen) (3,974 words) Christmas, 1989. Sam's planned a surprise for Dean, but things don't work out the way he hoped. Dean makes it okay, as usual.

What Child Is This by ficwriter1966
(Gen) (2,910 words) The first Christmas after Mary's death, and the last ones before. Ow, ow, ow. I cried all through this. It's pretty much why I can forgive John Winchester almost anything.

And I Won't Sympathise Anymore by fleshflutter
(Gen) (1,500 words) Sam's in a bar in Palo Alto when he gets a cryptic phone call from his brother. Great little snapshot of two young men whose lives have seemingly taken drastically different paths, but who remain one another's greatest weakness.

Aftermath by innie_darling
(Gen) (1,000 words) An amazing mirror view of the events of "Faith," seen through John's eyes. She tells so much story in so few words.

why glass is not like ice by i_speak_tongue
(Gen) (2,100 words) Sam gets caught shoplifting. The reveal is really well done, and you have to love Sam in this. Best little brother ever.

Corner Of The Eye by kellifer_fic
(Gen) (2,150 words) Sam starts... seeing things. The problem is, they're really there. I love the way her imagination works.

Hunter's Moon by kellifer_fic
(Gen) (5,323 words) Part of her awesome wingfic verse. Throw in Henrickson and a pair of meddlesome hunters, and things just get more interesting all the time.

American Gothic by kestrelsan
(Gen) (3,906 words) Wonderful day-in-the-life vignette, of the kind I can never have too much. They do laundry. I just... I really love stories where they do laundry.

But the Children Know by kimonkey7
(Gen) I always suspected Frosty the Snowman was kind of evil. Dean tells Sam a story of a (slightly demented) hunt he went on with John. It's so them.

Their Appointed Rounds by kimonkey7
(Gen, Sam/Jess) Oh, I've so wanted to see a story like this. Something goes wrong with the mail at Stanford, and Sam gets a year's worth of mail from Dean all at once. Intriguing, achy, wonderful story. The postcards are genius.

Lies and Roller Skates by leonidaslion
(Gen) (3,062 words) A great follow-up to the flashbacks from "A Very Supernatural Christmas." John finds out that Sam knows. I love that it doesn't forgive John, but it makes his situation so painfully real.

Small Conspiracies by luzdeestrellas
(Gen) (4,928 words) Straight up, pure, brotherly-sniping goodness. Dean's hurt, and he's a pain in the ass, and Sam never meant to make things so hard. What else is new? Plus, yum, shaving. *hums happily*

To Catch a Thief by lyra_wing
(Gen) (8,600 words) Part of her FBI universe, an AU that splits off from canon before the end of season 2, and that started with Paradigm Shift. I hadn't really gotten into this series until she posted this one, which is a prequel that establishes how Sam and Dean end up working for the FBI. What can I say, I'm painfully linear, especially when it comes to AUs. It's a wonderful spin-off, though, and the awesome Andy, Ash, and Jo appearances just make it that much better.

The Things We Do by medie
(Gen, Crossover with Highlander) (1,047 words) John Winchester, meet Adam Pierson. Just, please, don't kill him. A pure delight.

Head's Up by minkmix
(Gen) Oh, god. Um... Sam finds something under the front seat that both he and Dean really, really wish he hadn't. This story made me laugh so hard.

The Long Silence of All That Lies Behind by musesfool
(Gen) (5,738 words) Very cool, atmospheric ghost story set in Queens. It's kind of splintery and hurty because it's set during season 3, but I loved it.

100,000 Airplanes by musesfool
(Gen) (1,700 words) Man, this little story just broke me in about half a dozen ways. Technically Bone-safe, but, ow. Paper cuts right to the heart.

Gimme Shelter by nilchance
(Gen) A what-if, in which John's partner at the garage did call Child Protective Services. God, this was awful, in the so-real-it-hurts kind of way. If anyone ever wondered whether Sam and Dean would have been better off without John, after reading this story, I'm thinking no. And I'm going to say, [NOT BONE-SAFE, possibly NOT SISABET-SAFE].

Keep Me From Drowning Again (Five Ways) by poisontaster
(Gen) (500 words) Five ways Dean could have drowned. And five of the many, many ways Dean Winchester can break you into little tiny pieces.

Co-Conspiracies by poisontaster
(Gen) (550 words) A painful and real little snapshot of John and Dean on the road after Sam leaves. Dean's inner voice rings vividly true.

You Would Cry Too, If It Happened To You by superbadgirl
(Gen) (12,100 words) I have to say it: I laughed so hard I cried. Okay, maybe not literally, but still. Pretty damned funny.

Tricks are for Kids by vee_fic
(Gen) Sam and Dean filter the world and their fucked-up lives through the somewhat skewed lens of children's cartoons and the cereal commercials that come with them. This story is kind of brilliant, and hilarious, but flinty and bitter underneath -- right up until the end, when it all comes home unexpectedly. Awesome.

Don't Pay the Ferryman by Maygra
(Gen) A completely absorbing read that takes the themes of sacrifice and soul debts one step further, and enriches the mythology in a way that feels completely organic to the show.

Someone's Gotta Give by K Hanna Korossy
(Gen) After "Playthings," Sam and Dean investigate a case where something's killing twenty-three-year-olds. The brotherly love is great here, and her writing's particularly sharp in this one.

A Mask to Come Undone by purpleposi [NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Gen) Oh, ow. This tore me up. Sam has to remember, because no one else will.


Wincest

If You Answered Mostly C by apreludetoanend
(pre-Sam/Dean-ish) Sweetly adorable-yet-angsty Dean stream-of-consciousness thingy as he sits in the hospital waiting room. Reading Cosmo.

Sumer is icumen in by astolat
(Sam/Dean) This seems to happen on a fairly regular basis in this fandom: I fantasize idly about a story I'd like to read (in this case, one where Dean and Sam find out that Sam really is a changeling, not Dean's brother, and they find that it changes everything in ways they never thought it would) and then someone writes it, like, two days later. More often than not, it's done beautifully, as this is. (AU for AHBL and after.)

We Keep Driving by aynslee
(Sam/Dean) Um, yeah. If I had my way, this pretty much would have been the season 3 opener. Sue me.

Here is where you'll stay by belyste
(Sam/Dean) Sam and Dean and a haunted hayride! This story is a pure delight, full of affection and sweetness but still very much the boys.

Two Queens by belyste
(Sam/Dean) The show wrapped up this simple trope and presented it to us with a bow: everybody continues to assume Sam and Dean are gay, and sooner or later, the inevitable happens. This story does lovely, painful and funny things with it, and the end left me grinning.

Seldom a Straight Line by black_regalia
(Sam/Dean) Sam and Dean live happily ever after -- well, ever after, anyway. Fascinating theory on where Sam's true talent lies, and what he does with it. This story is quirky, funny, tense, and painful by turns. Fittingly, it's told in nonlinear fashion, too.

all i wanna do is make a mess out of you by blue_soaring
(Sam/Dean) Lush, amazing description and hothot tension as Dean shotguns Sam, they get incredibly high, and things go from there. I used to find stories about Sam and Dean doing drugs to be out of character, but I think the show has proven me wrong on that count, and this one is scorching and vivid.

(Not) Right in the Head by blue_soaring
(Sam/Dean) Seriously one of the hottest Sam/Dean stories ever written, in my book. It's pre-series, Sam is maybe 13, and she does an amazing job capturing the sexual desperation of being a teenage boy. What also worked really well for me is that she conveys quite well that Sam's just old enough to know what he wants, and that he's mature enough, emotionally, to be able to handle it. Skates the edge, but in a way that just makes it that much hotter.

Further North by blue_soaring
(Sam/Dean) Kind of a different take on things than I've seen in many Sam/Dean stories. I like the approach it takes, with Dean being the one whose sexuality is most flexible, and I like the difficult, prickly way Sam reacts when he finds out how Dean feels. She's got a gift for seriously hot sexual awakenings, and this time it's Dean's POV we get to see.

I’m the king of what could have been by buttoneddown [NOT BONE-SAFE, probably NOT MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) Dean finds out that the afterlife isn't quite what he expected. There's a lot of filing, for one thing. This story hits just the right balance between irony and tragedy, for me.

Balisong, no murmur. by maygra
(Sam/Dean) Knife-play and blood really aren't my kink at all, but this is really well done.

Almost Heaven by girlguidejones
(Sam/Dean) This one has a kink in it that is even more not my thing. Like, big time. But I have to admit, I loved the story so much I was willing to go there. It's an original and satisfying variation on how Sam and Dean decide to spend Dean's last year, with shamelessly dirty sex and a cool case story mixed in.

One King and a Colt by apetslife
(Sam/Dean) Rendered AU by now, I think, but this take on how Sam saves Dean from the deal has some cool ideas and some nicely hot sex mixed in with strong characterization.

Kokomo by destina
(Sam/Dean) Delicious, indulgent, and good for the spirit. Sam and Dean take a real vacation, complete with a beach house, ice cream, shorts, and suntan lotion. What I love best about it is how it's Sam taking care of Dean, and Dean letting him.

stop this train by yourperiphery
(Sam/Dean) A Dean's-last-year story that's memorable for the quiet desperation hiding under the writer's light touch with words.

In Thee by dreamlittleyo
(Sam/Dean) I love the tension of this, and I love where it ends. One-sided UST. Mmm, UST.

Masqueraded as a cold pillow. by elohvee
(Sam/Dean/Jess) Stories where Jess lives never really get old, for me. This one is told in glimpses, and its charm lies in Jess's POV on Sam and Dean and how they fit together.

company with honesty by flambeau
(Sam/Dean) Smoking hot story that will cure what ails ya. Sam and Dean holed up in a cabin, very pointedly not dealing, and then dealing, with the truth between them a recent case has brought to light.

Mr Willis Of Ohio by flawedamythyst
(Sam/Dean) An intriguing outsider perspective on all three Winchester men. Pre-Stanford.

The Firefly that Loved Metallica by fleshflutter
(Sam/Dean) This story is one of those where you can't stop reading, or at least, I couldn't. Sam saved Dean's soul, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's saved Dean. Features a wonderfully vivid Ellen, Jo, and Bobby, and aside from the heartbreakingly wonderful story of Sam's love for his brother, I adored the feeling of family she creates among all the characters. Charming and lighthearted and yet it makes you hurt. The best combination.

and the night is enormous by guns_and_butter [NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) A la llorona case story, set in the desert when Dean's year is winding down. Dean's POV is authentic and to the point, and I think that's what I liked best about this story. The structure is interesting, and the dialogue rings true. Mostly sad and painful, but not without warmth and hope.

The Knuckles of Skinnybone Tree by hansbekhart
(Sam/Dean, slight touch of Dean/John) One of my favorite big bang stories. Long and satisfying tale of Sam and Dean meeting a young John Winchester in the desert. I love the touches of real horror, and the thorniness of the relationships. The small bit of Dean/John doesn't freak me out too much because-- well, because.

Cold by jasmasson
(pre-Sam/Dean) I love stories set when Sam's in high school, I really do. This one is sweet and almost innocent, and Sam's difficult but not so much so that Dean doesn't love him like air. (note to self: the field trip to the lake :)

Changes in Topography by javajunkie13
(Sam/Dean) The last month before Dean's deadline. I like it because you can really feel how scared they both are, and because this is exactly the kind of story I'll never get tired of reading about them.

Imprinted by kestrelsan
(Sam/Dean, Sam/OFC, Dean/OFC) Dean is 19; Sam is 14. They're staying at a place that has a beach, but not for long. This story unfolds at the perfect pace, winding all the unfairness and love in the Winchester family around the reader with careful perfection.

Be Gone With It by lazy daze
(Sam/Dean/Bela) I'm not sold on Bela on the show, but it's hard to resist a really hot Sam/Dean threesome story. This one is.

Chasing the Equator by liath
(Sam/Jess, Sam/Dean) Season 1. This story is brittle and messy, because Sam is brittle and messy in it. He slowly finds his way back to Dean after Jess, and it's not the same, but it's something.

Tales of the Wild Country by lyra_wing
(Sam/Dean) Sam and Dean are roaming a different landscape, but otherwise, not much has changed. Like all this writer's work, everything falls into place.

By Any Definition by mickeym
(Sam/Jess, implied Sam/Dean) A realization as sweet and comforting for the reader as it is for Sam.

Quicker Than Greyhounds and Swifter Than Light by musesfool
(Sam/Dean/Jess) This story really hurts to read, but it's a revelation for the same reason: it's fascinating how she shows the difference a female presence makes in the way Sam and Dean allow themselves to relate to each other. Jess's assertive personality is well-drawn and rings true. Plus, hot!

The Calendar Hung Itself by musesfool
(Sam/Dean, Dean/Ellen, Dean/OFC) Dean marks the months of his last year with scraps of his surreal life. This is one of my favorite "Dean's last year" stories, because it flows with wonderful emotional continuity, it's hot and satisfying with moments of funny, and it weaves Ellen, Jo, original characters and different settings into the fabric of Dean and Sam's day to day lives.

For Thine Is the Kingdom by musesfool
(Sam/Dean) Rather delicious, simple story about desire realized and acted upon. Excellent comfort reading.

The Trouble with You Is the Trouble with Me by musesfool
(Sam/Dean) From Dean's POV this time, the incremental closing of the distance between until there isn't any. Love the quiet desperation and Dean's internal voice in this one. Set after AHBL.

Shifting Sands by nomelon
(Sam/Dean) Yummy beach story, the kind that makes you smell salt and sand and suntan lotion, and mixed in I get my favorite "Dean's cursed to tell the truth" trope, and "Sam left for Stanford partly because things were too intense between him and Dean" which is just a double bonus on top of all the goodness.

there's a devil in a looking-glass by oxoniensis
(Sam/Dean) This is such a cool, amazingly well-done story, with a fascinating idea about mirrors and the world behind them at the heart of it. Immediately follows AHBL2.

Hunger of Old Mouths by plutogirl10
(Sam/Dean) The highest compliment I could think of is that it reminded me of something eighth_horizon would write at the top of her game, and I haven't even yet managed to formulate proper feedback for it. This story scared the crap out of me, and it's amazingly atmospheric and surreal and saturated in the details, while flowing effortlessly and showing me a Sam and Dean who are so real and so true to themselves that I completely forgot the world existed while I was reading this. It's also one of those slash-notslash stories, in that outside circumstances push the issue in a way that completely and totally works for me. It's like a have your cake and eat it too kind of story, and so satisfying in that regard, particularly for someone like me who loves the Wincest like burning, but also desperately needs to have it flow out of the characters as we see them on the show.

Tied You With Your Flaxen Hair by sanyin
(Sam/Dean) Wish!Verse Sam and Dean, and all their scars. Wonderful, fascinating take on how things were for them growing up, and how they are after the djinn.

Highway 101 by setissma
(Sam/Dean) Sam and Dean, holding on as tight as they possibly can. In a perfect world, it plays out just like this, delayed gratification and all.

Landslide by setissma
(Sam/Dean) Yeah, I have kind of a thing for Sam having migraines and freaky mind-powers and Dean taking care of him. What? It's even better when migraines lead to wingfic. My love for this story is totally self-indulgent and shameless.

Swing Low by sevenfists [NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) The Crossroads Demon said Dean had a year. She didn't promise it would be painless. Sam, however, also wasn't kidding about that whole "there's nothing I wouldn't do for you" thing. There's something about Dean being sick (and Sam being wrong) that's really, seriously scary, and this story made me tense and worried as anything. Excellent and creepy.

Nobody Told You When to Run by sneaky_sena
(Sam/Dean) This story hit all the right notes for me, in terms of Dean's emotional reactions and how he's dealing with the deal he made. (Remix of Now's a bad a time as any by kashmir1)

This is How it Works by sneaky_sena
(Sam/Jess, Sam/Dean) An AU for how Dean might have first come to Stanford. This is one of my favorite takes on the Sam, Dean, Jess dynamic, and it's a wonderfully satisfying read.

The Epic Love Story of Sam and Dean by stele3
(Sam/Dean) It takes years for Dean and Sam to figure out this thing between them, and the journey is worth it.

The World's a Small Child in the Dark by stele3
(Sam/Dean) Fantastic "Dean's last year" story, in which Dean has a list. The list changes, and so does everything else. Erotic, emotional, desperate -- everything I could ask for in a Sam/Dean story.

Square in a Round by stephanometra
(Sam/Jess, Sam/Dean) Jess gives Sam what he needs. Oh, so hot, and more than a little heartbreaking, too.

Jaws of Life by subterrain [NOT MAYGRA-SAFE, NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) Gah. This story left me kind of speechless and devastated. It's also one of those where I was wishing for a very particular story, and then someone came along and wrote it more perfectly than I could have imagined. Post-AHBL.

Avalanche by subterrain
(Sam/Dean) An outtake from "Jaws of Life." This is one of the most intense first-times I've ever read for Sam and Dean, and the first kiss is out of this world.

Swear By All Flowers by sweetestdrain
(Sam/Dean) This made me so, so happy in so many ways. I've been dying for a Baba Yaga story anyway, and this one hit so many of my happy places that I felt like the rat with the pleasure button by the time I was done. (*waves to Dean and his magic fingers*) It even had John, used in a way that literally made me squeak with happiness. But what really blows me away about the way she writes Sam and Dean is how messy they are, and how vulnerable and human and true to the way I see them on the show. She makes them feel so real, and translates them from screen to words in a way that just awes me. There's not a word of this that didn't make my heart glad.

Chiz's by t_fic
(Sam/Dean) Sam and Dean settle down (more or less) and run a bar. A little happily ever after does a soul good.

The Descent of Innana by vaingirlfic
(Sam/OFC, Sam/Dean) Sam goes to extreme lengths to get Dean out of his deal, and there are consequences, big time. I love the themes in this.

undertow by whereupon
(Sam/Dean) Long, immensely satisfying casefile and first time story that falls after "Born Under a Bad Sign," when the boys are still dealing with the emotional aftermath and the uncertainty about John's last words to Dean. This part of season 2 was so intense, and the story captures that with powerful authenticity.

Battering Ram by astolat
(Sam/Dean) A Postman-esque, post-apocalyptic possible future for the Winchesters, in which I actually got choked up over the Impala. Pretty sure that's a first. It's a particularly vivid and mythically rich version of this story, more bittersweet than hers usually are, but still full of hope.

Unasked by astolat
(Sam/Dean) Much-recced and deservedly so, and I put it here for ease of clicking. A long, wonderfully satisfying AU version of how the final fight with the yellow-eyed demon might have gone.

Loud and Clear by astolat
(Sam/Dean) ...and then again, you might like to read a kinder, gentler, Wincestier, but no less lovely version of the same scenario. I know I did!

Worth It to See Most of Me by yourperiphery
(Sam/Dean) First time, and a tag for "What Is and What Should Never Be." This author zings Sam's sarcastic, dry humor so well, and I love that. Sam and Dean hole up, get stoned, and otherwise hide fron the world. This story is full of awkward little very real moments, brotherly closeness and kvetching, unexpected moments of revelation, and all sorts of good things.

lower your head, take it into your body by ephemerall [rated NOT BONE- or MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) This actually reads as AU to me, in terms of season 2 as it actually played out, but if I'd read it around the time of "Born Under a Bad Sign"? Yeah, totally. I was thinking almost exactly this at the time.

the other desert by torch
(Sam/Dean, nonexplicit) Another one I've seen recced several times. Badass!Sam fights his own battles while Dean watches, in a surreal and awesomely visualized landscape.

the boy who didn't by flipmontigirl
(Sam/others, Sam/Jess, Sam/Dean) Companion piece to the boy who fell. Snapshots of the who and the when of Sam's heart.

we are meant for chains by flipmontigirl
(Sam/Dean, Sam/OFC) Oh, I adored this story. Sam runs, and finds he can't get away from himself. Or Dean. It's fucked and it's messy and, gah, it's beautifully sharp and splintery.

It Doesn't Mean You Can Explain The Ocean by rageprufrock
(Sam/Dean, nonexplicit) Fascinating, twisty and beautiful story that asks more questions than it answers, but is wonderfully satisfying nonetheless. Dean and Sam go to Savannah, meet three sisters, and learn more than they wanted to.

Every Little Thing You Do by jewels667
(Sam/Dean) First time. One of those lovely, throwback-type slash stories, but fresh and Winchester-true. Sam's coming to the slow realization that he's pretty much fucked, when it comes to Dean.

The Chemicals Between Us (Oxygen Remix) by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) A remix of Samson, by clex monkie. The tension unfolds beautifully here, intense, dangerously emotional and irresistibly hot.

Through the Racks of Your History and All the Crossed Lives by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) Luzdeestrellas has become one of my very favorite Supernatural writers, and the one I go to more and more these days for emotional, deeply satisfying Sam/Dean. This one takes place after "What Is and What Should Never Be," and like all her stories, it illustrates beautifully why Sam and Dean are so fragile without each other, and so indestructible together.

Between the Essence and the Descent by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) Post-AHBL. Pure comfort of the best kind. What I love best is how she lets the snark balance the love, so it always feels true.

We Are Here and It Is Now by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) Post-AHBL. This time the comfort is for Sam as much as Dean.

From the Fire Roads to the Interstate by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) Set mid-season 2, when Sam can't stop thinking about Dean and all the reasons he's not sorry their dad did what he did. Wonderful dialogue.

Tin Soldiers by lyra_wing
(Sam/Dean) A coda for "All Hell Breaks Loose." I liked that Sam's still selfish, and not perfect (but, of course, still awesome). Refreshing amount of levity and joy between them in this one, too, considering.

Ten Strangers by Mandy's Bitch [rated NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) Sam's hunting on his own. He meets a lot of interesting people along the way, but they aren't making things any better. Not entirely without hope, but it's a painful read, and painfully good.

Rest stop. Near Leland, Mississippi by merryish
(Sam/Dean) First kiss. Funny, sweet, and so, so meltingly hot.

trying on my heart just like a crown by musesfool
(Sam/Dean) A quirky case story, great dialogue, and a healthy dose of spot-on character insights make this a memorable and extremely plausible view of how things might be.

lost invisible here by Signe
(Sam/Dean) I did have a few small issues with characterization on this one, but it's a very good, satisfying read. Dean's invisible, and it's both as fun and as awful as you'd think.

Fear is the Heart of Love by Raina
(Sam/Dean) This was recced all over the place, and justly so. A beautiful, tightly-written post-apocalyptic piece, atmospheric and memorable, with fun guest appearances and intense love between the boys.

This New Condition of Living by sevenfists
(Sam/OFCs, Sam/Jess, Sam/Dean) Dean teaches Sam everything he needs to know about sex. He's a hands-on kind of teacher. Porny and hot. ;)

Life As We Know It by sevenfists
(Sam/Dean) Come on, seriously, does anyone not love this story beyond reason? If so, you're an alien. I link for purely selfish reasons.

Flood of Water by sevenfists
(Sam/Dean) If I'm going to read a story where one of the guys gets turned into a girl, this is the way I want it to be. Fantastic characterization, and it's not funny, not even a little bit.

The Cure for a Bolt Action Heart by subterrain
(Firefly crossover, River/Simon and Sam/Dean implied) I continue to find Supernatural and Firefly an odd crossover combination, but... I'm being persuaded.

Read Us the Book of the Names of the Dead by tabaqui
(Sam/Dean) Outstanding, long, scary case story with dead-on characterization, pacing, and dialogue. It also happens to be hot and incredibly satisfying, emotionally speaking. The ending is gorgeous and cathartic. I can't praise this highly enough. (What is it about sin-eaters and awesome stories?)

Council for the Defense by teand
(Sam/Dean, nonexplicit) The crossroad demon's on her way, but Sam's about to pull a Denny Crane. This just made me giggle like a loon.

Demons Made Me Spill My Guts Like a Girl by walkawayslowly [rated NOT BONE-SAFE, possibly NOT MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) First time. A demon possesses Dean and torments Sam by slaughtering their friends and leaving a trail of bodies. The first part is harrowing and brutal, but then there's the long, lovely, satisfying aftermath.

Reminders of Echoes by Maygra
(Sam/Dean, nonexplicit) This story is completely magical. One of my absolute favorites of hers.

quick as dogs and truly dead were we by flipmontigirl
(Sam/Dean, Sam/Dean/Jo) Between femmenerd's Madison stories and this one, I am seriously jonesing for more het on the show. This is another example of how it could be done without touching the sanctity of SamandDean. I sort of love this story beyond reason.

and by all that I have done wrong by flipmontigirl
(Sam/Dean) I am seriously without words on this one. And in awe. One of my favorite Wincest stories of all time, and I am just completely without the ability to be rational about it. Achy, sexy, heartbreakingly beautiful, and completely real.

There's No Afterglow For Something That Officially Never Happened by halfshellvenus
(Sam/Dean) A follow-up to eigth horizon's brilliant Pillow Talk. I hardly ever read "happy" or funny Sam/Dean. It just doesn't... well, it's hard for me to make myself go there with them, and very seldom can I really believe it. But this is just so brilliant, hilarious, and hot.

Through the Whiskey Glass by improperlydone
(Sam/Dean-ish, nonexplicit) Adorable, cuddly, drunk!Sammy is love!

Binding by astolat
(Sam/Dean) I love her writing in general, but this one in particular really spoke to me. Sam and Dean's relationship is changed against their will, and they're left to deal with the fallout.

Cherry (or, The Things You Learn About A Guy) and Chocolate (or, The Things You Gotta Do To Get Laid) by lyra wing
(Sam/Dean) Again with the sweet (pardon the pun) and funny Sam/Dean! Unusual for me. But she's just so good, I'll go wherever she takes me, and I'm never sorry. I love where this ends up.

Blood and Bone by mona1347
(Sam/Dean) An intense, heartwrenching, sexy-as-hell gut punch of a story, with an ending that just melted me.

The Forces Ranged Within Us and Against Us by musesfool
(Sam/Dean) The structure is brilliant and each little slice is delicious perfection. Dean is so well-drawn, he leaps off the page, and I love the open-endedness of it.

two colors in his head by oxoniensis
(Sam/Madison, Sam/Dean) I've been searching for good "Heart" follow-ups for obvious reasons, and there've been just a few that really hit it for me. This one made me happy because it shows why Sam was so drawn to Madison, and it also gives him some comfort, which, yeah.

The Smallest Version of Paraguay by sevenfists [rated NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean, nonexplicit) Style and concept are in perfect harmony, here. This story cuts deep, and aches all the way through.

After The Fire Burns Out by teand
(Sam/Dean, nonexplicit) Follow-up to There Was Close. It's second person, and I didn't care, I loved it that much. Sweet and delicious and absolutely, believably them.

Everything You Ever Do (Will Never Clean Up The Mess We've Made) by thepurpleswitch [rated NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) This story completely ate my brain. I love the twistiness of the narrative, and it's shot through with this awful tension, and at the end you find out why.

And On the Seventh Day by tiana
(Sam/Dean) A magnificently wonderful coda to "Heart." I think between this one and the ones oxionensis and femmenerd wrote, I can finally live with this episode without wanting to sob.

ours the armada by travesty
(Sam/Dean) For such a tiny story, there's so much story here. I feel like I should print this on a tiny little piece of paper and carry it around folded up in my pocket, so I can read it at odd moments and be made happy all over again.

This Call Cannot be Completed as Dialed by albydarned
(Sam/Dean) Um... phone sex, really well done. I'm pretty easy for that concept (quelle surprise), but the way she does it is even hotter and more convincing than I could have hoped.

Until It Sleeps by cloudsurfing
(Sam/Dean) The shapeshifter in "Skin" brings a certain knowledge to light, and Sam can't unknow it. This is the story that I think that episode cried out for, and it's done in a way that completely works for me. Very hot, and much with the wrong and doing it anyway.

Comparative Morality by cupiscent
(Sam/Dean) This isn't exactly my Sam and Dean, but I really liked it for the straightforwardness of it and the not talking. Big on the realism and the masculinity and the hot.

No Need of Dreams by Destina
(Sam/Dean) I'm hardly objective, since this is a Stanford story written exactly (perfectly) for me, but it's wonderful. So hot, so easy to see it being absolutely the way it happened.

beyond the cursory by eighth_horizon
(Sam/Dean, nonexplicit) This is part of the Salvation universe she's writing with Maygra. I read most of the stories in this universe, but connect more deeply with some than others, and this one really made me happy. Allie's the kid I connect with the most, so I liked her getting some screen time, and I loved how she touched back to the original stories in this timeline in this one. And of course, Sam driven to taking what he needs, and Dean giving it to him without a single thing held back -- yeah, I'm there.

The Miner’s Lamp by hansbekhart
(Sam/Dean) Like pretty much everything this author writes, it's been recced a lot, so just add me to the list. What I liked best about this story is that it's kind of a throwback to old-fashioned slash, in a way, but it's done in a fresh and Winchester-true fashion. Ruddy with the Light is the sequel, just as bittersweet and good.

If God Compel by impertinence
(Sam/Dean) A coda to "Hunted," and it was the desperation that got me, of course.

Skinning Schrodinger's Cat by lyra wing
(Sam/Dean) This story could not more perfectly hit all of my fictional kinks if it tried. I adore it beyond reason. One of my very favorites, and I predict that unlikely to change.

Tremolo and Staccato by lyra wing
(Sam/Dean) The story of how it got to where it is with them, and Dean's epiphany in this kills me with its simplicity.

Dusted Kaleidoscope by pixel_0
(Sam/Dean) Post-IMToD, and just extraordinary. I felt so many things click into place when I read this. I kinda wish I could believe it happened like this.

Five Times Something Happened by plutogirl
(Sam/Dean) I especially liked the post-"Shadow" part of this. It's an episode I wish got more attention.

Not The Only One by poisontaster
(Sam/Dean) Set in the Heartverse timeline. Sweet, sweet, but with a heart-in-your-throat feeling that makes it better than chocolate.

To the Open Arms of the Sea by Kajikia
(Sam/Jess/Dean) Write this combination well, and I'll love it, it's that simple, but this is something special.

Hakatai by sevenfists
(Sam/Dean, nonexplicit) The post-"Croatoan" Grand Canyon story that so desperately needed to be written. Thank God.

No Sweeping Exits or Offstage Lines by sneaky_sena
(Sam/Dean UST) Oh, I am so glad someone finally wrote this. It's how I first could envision the Wincest, exactly, and how I first tried to write it (with a miserable lack of success).

any which way you can by cee
(Sam/Dean) If words can cut, she'll leave you a sliced up mess, and you'll be happy about it. Sharp, sharp, and so good. This Sam and Dean aren't exactly the way I see them, but it hardly signifies.

Sam’s Hands by profcricket
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) An atmospheric, short, dreamy piece that slips back and forth between memories and reality in the dark.

Threads by Juicephine
(Sam/Dean) This is pretty close to that Sam/Dean story I've been wanting to read for months. The one where it's fucked up and wrong and the guys are not on the same page at all and there's no real answer because they love each other so goddamned much.

Dust On My Shoes, Nothing But Teardrops by ignipes
(Sam/Dean) Painful, painful story, in which Sam has to live with the fact that he can't fix... anything, really.

Highway Survivalists' Roadmap: 1; 35; 78; 92; 154 by Drvsilla
(Sam/Dean) Um... yeah. This is actually a kind of Sam/Dean story that doesn't (usually) work for me, which is to say nothing about the story, just that it's a me thing, but... it is really hot, and, uh, yeah. And I think the sequel's better still.

St. Peter's Bones by Lyn
(Sam/Dean) It's bitter and it hurts and I'm sure everyone's read it, but I need a link where I can find it.

Four Wall Rule by eighth_horizon
(Sam/Dean...ish) Eee! She wrote a sequel to Three Point Landing. It's Wingcest, baby! And of the very best kind.

Thou born to match the gale, (thou art all wings) by tabaqui
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) Very, very cool, well-paced and mysterious tale with brothers in peril, scary forces at work, and sharp, concise writing. Also, one of those rare established relationship Sam/Dean stories that works for me -- probably because it's not really the focus.

All things bright and beautiful by angstlashhope
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) Magnificent and sweetly painful series of vignettes told from the perspective of... well, just read it. Seriously, one of my favorite pieces of Supernatural fiction yet.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Black Regalia and Calico Kat [rated NOT BONE- or MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean, post-Devil's Trap AU) This story has a great, long, slow build to the relationship, and it's one of the very few stories like that I've come across in Supernatural fandom. There are parts that I've read over a number of times because they hit my emotional buttons so hard, I'm like the proverbial rat with the proverbial lever -- and not the one that gives food, either. I love how they get to the slash, and the parts with John absolutely rip my heart out. So good. It could really use a line edit, but the story's so engrossing and so emotionally satisfying that I pretty much don't care.

Give us love in the time that we have. by glamorous-nymph
(Sam/Dean) Okay, in general, I have a hard time with wincest stories that assume a sexual relationship. I sort of need to have things spelled out for me. That said, I think I went along with this one because the characterization is so strong I could hear the guys' voices plain as day, and it just felt like exactly the same dynamic as on the show, so... yeah. Good stuff.

Survival by black_dahlia [rated NOT BONE- or MAYGRA-SAFE]
(WORK IN PROGRESS, Sam/Dean, post-Devil's Trap AU) Um... and this would be where I have a huge thing for a particular kind of death story. Yeah, I won't reveal more than that, but this WIP is kind of a guilty pleasure for me, and I'm looking forward to more of this (if one can say that about something that hurts to read).

In Jerusalem Next Year by Lyn
(Sam/Dean, Sam/Jess) Man, but I love a good Stanford story, and this one is about as good as they come. It's also pretty much exactly how the wincest makes the most sense in my head, and I have no problem at all believing every word of this is true. If a fandom barely a year and a half old can be said to have classics, this should be one.

Higher Learning by Destina
(Sam/Dean, Sam/Dean/OFC) Everything I just said about the previous story? Word for word. Also, seriously, I thought she could not top "Life Among the Dead" for hottest moment ever, but this story has one that tops it.

Life Among the Dead by Destina
(Sam/Dean) So, so very beautiful. I keep kept resisting the Wincest, but it seems every day that passes passed, this woman does did (because who am I kidding at this point?) something to weaken my resolve yet further. I swear, though, if I never had another Sam/Dean story to read, ever, I would be good with that, as long as I had Destina's story. (That part's still true.) It is that good. So, yes.

Three Point Landing by eight_horizon
(Sam/Dean-ish, wingfic) The crack just does not get any better than this.

...and seriously, the only reason I don't have every one of eighth_horizon's stories bookmarked is... then I'd have to bookmark every one of them, and since she is possibly my favorite writer in a fandom full of absolutely incredible writers, that just seems silly. Go read everything she's ever written. Start with The Month of Open Doors and Immutable Law (Sam/Dean) and Crossing the Line.

Signs and symptoms by emma_daisy
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) Um... I think possibly, even though emma_daisy has no clue who I am? She wrote this for me. Sam and Dean and Sam's visions and a road they can't escape. This story makes me feel bruised but so, so happy.

Triple Dog Dare by estrella30
(Sam/Dean) If there is anyone reading Sam/Dean who hasn't read this story... why, in God's name? (Oh, shit, I'm doubly going to hell for that, aren't I?) This is the story. You know, that story. The one that we all needed so very much after Hell House. The one where it always escalates. So, so hot, and one of the very few explicit Sam/Dean stories that completely works for me.

Private Language by ethrosdemon
(Sam/Dean) Okay, one? Any story with Dean singing to Sam -- huge, huge bonus points. And two: this story is so sharp and so in your face with the Sam-and-Deanness, and then all of a sudden, it's so gentle you can't breathe. Pretty magnificent little piece of writing.

On What Wings by groaty
(Sam/Dean) I'm a sucker for a good wingfic. This one is.

Walking a Line by groaty
(Crossover) It's Supernatural/Boondock Saints, and omfg is it good. Totally and completely does justice to that crossover, and tears my heart out to read, which is just my favorite thing ever. This story kicks the ass of crossovers everywhere. (For those as care, it's Connor/Murphy, and it's exactly, perfectly as much (or as little) Dean/Sam as I love best. Which is to say, hovering around the edges.)

The City of Angels (and Demons and Lawyers) by Joyfulgirl
(Crossover, SPN/Angel, Sam/Dean) Genderswap is not necessarily my cup of tea, usually, but for some reason I am all too glad to go for the crackfic in this fandom. And the way she mixes girl!Sam with Lilah, Lindsey, Angel, Cordelia and the rest of the A.I. crew is just genius. Plus, um... really hot. Apparently, my wariness of explicit Sam/Dean does not extend to Sam being a girl. Go figure.

What A Brother Wouldn't Do by kellifer_fic
(vamp!Sam/Dean implied) Vampire stories were never my favorite thing in other fandoms, either, but... yeah, we're seeing a trend here, aren't we? Dean's on the run with a Sam who's not himself, being hunted by their own father. Chilling, nicely understated.

Five Times Dean Winchester Tries To Leave by kellifer_fic
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) The first three are wee!Dean, and suitably adorable. The last two are grown-up Dean, and they hurt. One of the best of this genre I've read.

Lady Jaida's fic
Link is to the Supernatural memories in her journal. She's consistently written some of my very favorite Supernatural fiction.

And the First Two Don't Count by LadyJaida
(Sam/Dean) This was the very first Wincest story I read where I totally and completely bought it, and was glad I did. I've since read a few more (heh), but this one is still the one I'm always going to remember as the one that convinced me, that made it make sense in my head. It's just so good, and so Sam, and, yeah. Like that.

Shelburne Falls by LadyJaida
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) A case story, with undercurrents. And I love, love, love the ending of this.

do nothing for the dead by LadyJaida [rated NOT BONE- or MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit, post-Devil's Trap AU) If there's one story in SPN I wish I could have written, this is it.

People Living in Competition by LadyJaida
(Sam/Dean) This is another one of those awesome stories where it always escalates. Because it's Lady Jaida, it's damn near perfect. Except it should be a lot longer.

Stitches by littlewings04
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) Um... yes. Sam stitches Dean up and... what can I say. It's a gorgeous little interlude, and just the right amount of wincest for me, and of course it makes sense that this fandom would make me like hurt/comfort right along with all the other things I never liked before...

through the static and distance by littlewings04
(Sam/Dean, post-Devil's Trap AU) This is like In My Time of Dying through a mirror, darkly, and I love it. She wrote this before S2 started, and it's pretty wild how prophetic it is, but with a twist -- Sam's the one who's in a coma and wandering the hospital. And it says a lot that I love this every bit as much, if not more, than what happened on the show.

In Miles, In Laughter, In Strife by lyra_wing
(Sam/Dean) As much as "day in the life" stories, I love a great "year in the life" story, and this fandom has a few gorgeous ones. This one is pretty much perfect. Also one of those rare semi-explicit wincest stories that totally works for me.

The Eight Hard Ways by lyra_wing
(Sam/Dean) Incredibly hot sparring porn with emotional issues and great dialogue and anger and laughter and, yeah.

Second Sight series by Maygra
(Sam/Dean, futurefic) This series starts with All That Is Good in Thy Sight. Sam has lost one form of sight, even as he gains skill at seeing things a different way. Sam and Dean make a life together, even if it's not what either of them ever envisioned. I absolutely adore this series, and it could go on forever and ever as far as I'm concerned. John's appearances are extremely well-done, too. This is a gentle series, though not without sadness, but I think of it as a warm place to come home to often. Make known to me the path of life is one of my particular favorite installments, but the whole series is just wonderful.

Give & Take by plutogirl10
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) The author's summary says: "Set after 'benders', and Dean's all protective of his Sam. Yes, I know it's been done, but nothing melts me more than Dean being big brotherly." And that right there says pretty much everything about why I loved it.

poisontaster's Definitive SPN Fic List
Another author by whom I would recommend just about anything. The future fic parts of the Every Broken Thing/'Heartverse are how I most hope things will turn out for the Winchester boys, and I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling that way. I'm still working my way through her impressive collection of stories, but these are just a few of the bits I've particularly loved:

This Is How We Do It, Baby by poisontaster
(Sam/Jess/Dean, AU) I do love this idea, and it makes me insanely happy to think of Sam getting to have Dean without having to lose Jess to do it. I pretty much wish this was the show, sometimes, to tell you the truth.

How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head? by poisontaster
(Sam/Dean) Dean + freckles + sunscreen + Sam's hands = pure delicious happiness.

Unspoken by Raina
(Sam/Dean) Satisfying, long, first-time story based around a werewolf case. Strong characterization, nice emotional build and pacing.

Miles to Go by Raina
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit, post-IMToD) This is really similar to a story I was trying (and failing) to write, about John's death pushing the boys apart, and Dean seeing it happening but being unable to stop it. A lovely, if painful, vision of how things might go.

Fundamental Image by rei-c
(Sam/Dean) If psychic Sam is your thing, which he totally is mine, this author's work is fascinating and complex and really hits the jones. This is probably my favorite of her stories. Sam and Dean go to New Orleans to face a voodoo witch and their own inner demons. She has a curious writerly tick of not separating dialogue by paragraphs, but I like her stories enough to get used to it.

Factum Amoris by scribblinlenore
(Sam/Dean) An incantation gone wrong and a house that doesn't like to let people go. This is a cool take on aliens made us do it, basically, and it's a lovely variation on that theme.

Someone Else's Blood by sevenfists
(Sam/Dean) Deliberate fun with cliches. Somehow or other, Dean makes a habit of pretending he and Sam are... not brothers. Say something often enough... Great brotherly sniping makes this whole thing work.

Landmarks (Wonders Bright and Rivers Remix) by sevenfists
(Sam/Dean) Evil!Cat! (That's for me, so I remember.) Again, what I love best about this author's stories is that she totally nails the brotherly sniping and can keep it going endlessly, making me love them more with each snarky line.

I Wish I Was the Moon by sneaky_sena
(Sam/Dean) It's kind of funny, but in some ways, I'm an easier sell on the wincest when it happens pre-Stanford. Maybe because we don't really know what they were like, then, and I'm more willing to go with it. Sam's 16 in this, which is the age at which I can easily see it happening, and I found myself really taken by the way she writes him at that age -- scared and awkward but demanding and bossy, too.

Seventy-Six Trombones Played Gloria Gayner by teand
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) There's certainly enough angst in SPN fandom to keep me more than happy. This story is not that. This story is absolutely hilarious, sexy crack of the best kind. I think the title says it all -- and a story would have to be really something to live up to a title like that. It does.

The Night You Came Into My Life, Well, It Took The Bones Of Me by tremblings
(Sam/Dean) Homophobia in the suburbs, a case of wrong assumptions, a case of Dean's allergies, jealous!Dean, and it's all good. It includes a couple of SPN slash tropes that would bother me more in another story, but this is just so much fun, and doesn't take itself too seriously, so it works.

Once We Were Lovers by tremblings
(One-sided Sam/Dean) This is a short piece, but really memorable and emotionally true for me. I love this realistic picture of how it might be for Dean, so much.

Always/Never by Tiana
(Sam/Dean, post-Bloodlust) I sort of really needed to read this after the early episodes of S2. Protective!Sam is possibly now added to my list of bullet-proof kinks.

Pay As You Go by trollprincess
(Sam/Dean) Sam tells Dean stories about the people whose identities they steal. This story felt inexplicably sad to me despite the funny, and then when I got to the end, I knew why. It's beautiful, though, in a completely unromantic way.

Close by vylit
(Sam/Dean, non-explicit) I read this story carefully, feeling like it (or they) might break apart if I didn't. Sam's fragile and sinking deeper into his visions, and Dean's trying to keep them on an even keel.

It Never Ends by vylit
(Sam/Dean) I love how she writes Sam and their relationship with this quiet kind of desperation and fear of knowing what's at risk. In this one, you can feel danger on their heels, and when they spar, it's so sexy and they need so much that it hurts.

The Thousand Ways To Bleed by LithiumDoll
(Sam/Dean non-explicit) The word that comes to mind to describe this is oppressive. She layers on the foreshadowing and the tension until you can't breathe, and even so, you're not ready for where the story takes you. Chilling, compelling.

Frost by zionsstarfish
(Sam/Dean non-explicit) Really cool case story where Sam and Dean go to Nunavut and investigate mysterious deaths on the Road to Nowhere. Rather magnificent and wonderfully satisfying.

361 by plutogirl10
(Sam/Dean) A satisfying, short little piece post-"Houses of the Holy." I wish there'd been more tags for this one.

Absolution by raina_at
(Sam/Dean) Another very good "Born Under a Bad Sign" tag. This touched on some of the things I wanted to see resolved after the episode, and provided much-needed comfort.

Honestly OK by sneaky_sena
(Sam/Dean) Post-"Nightshifter," Sam tries to make Dean understand how it is. Really good, bittersweet comfortfic.

anywhere except the mouth by sweetestdrain
(Sam/Dean) Short but sweet, and I love it for the boyness of it, and also for the Dean POV, and how he doesn't look at things straight on. Sexy as hell, and very true to character.

A Cat Without Whiskers by tremblings
(Sam/Dean) Okay, if it isn't obvious yet, I have a huge thing for stories where a) Dean can't lie, or b) Sam can read Dean's thoughts. Um, yeah, I'm predictable. But this one is kinda special even amidst that happy-making genre, and I really loved it. Funny, adorable, and sexy.
Hiding in Plain Sight by antiship
(Sam/Dean, girl!Sam/Dean) A beautiful gender-swap tale, bittersweet and kind of heart-clenching. Also, hot. Num.

Road to Shambala by astolat
(Sam/Dean) This was a great surprise -- a first-time, first story from one of my favorite authors. The hotness of Sam, Dean's on-target reactions, and some unexpected, emotionally true surprises make this one stand out.

Under Hill by astolat
(Sam/Dean) There are some terrific emotional (and funny as hell) moments in this story, and I loved it for how just-barely OTT it is -- reading this is sort of like eating something really, really delicious and bad for you. Chocolate Gran Marnier soufflé.

Frozen. by amber d.
(Sam/Dean) Lovely, a little sad, post-CSPwDT. This worked quite well for me, and I love the ending.

Bottle Green & Promise by amber d.
(Sam/Dean) I liked this one even more than her first one. Post-Nightshifter, the boys hole up and deal. It could use a copyedit, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the hell out of the story, and I love how she touches on a lot of issues that I think the show has skimped on a bit.

A Warning For A Promise by yourperiphery
(Sam/Dean) A cool, plotty story that pleased me with the creativity of the vivid setting, but even more with the palpable tension and intimacy between the boys. Takes place after "Playthings," and follows the mood of that episode wonderfully.

Tango til they're sore. by elohvee
(Sam/Jo/Dean) Mmm, if this threesome is gonna get written, this is the way to do it. I remember how much I hated the idea of Jo tagging along with them everywhere when she first came on the show, and... yeah. Have so changed my mind.

But the engine doesn't turn. by elohvee [rated NOT BONE- or MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Dean/Jo, implied Sam/Dean) This pretty much broke me. Gah. Heed warnings.

the life between heaven and hell by estrella30
(Sam/Dean) Wonderful, wonderful tag to Nightshifter. Achy, lovely, and true.

Six Feet Under by eighth_horizon
(Sam/Dean...ish) Another wonderful wingfic story that follows Three Point Landing. Part of the Turn of the Wheel series. This storyline just gets better all the time.

A Thousand Miles From Nowhere by ignipes
(Sam/Dean) The description reads, "The many ways the boys say "I love you" to one another." For a relatively short piece, this is amazingly insightful, true, and satisfying.

The Sudden Stop by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) Dean's falling, and falling apart in slow motion, and the way she writes it is gorgeous.

Some Answer to This Fire by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) Absolutely gorgeous tag for "Born Under a Bad Sign." This was so much what I needed after that episode, I cried reading it.

Where I'll Be Tomorrow by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) Sam takes the first step. I loved this far, far more than the mere 500 words it is.

Ink by makesmewannadie
(Sam/Dean) Um... heh. This is tattoo-kink fic, and it's so hot and so well done, I think something in my brain melted while reading it.

The Near Occasion of Sin by musesfool
(Sam/Dean/(OFCs)) Very hot little story in which Dean is resisting, but Sam is determined to get what he wants.

7A WF 83429 by azephirin
(Sam/Dean) (5,800 words) If you find, as I have more than once, that you really need a break from all the claustrophobic, angsty, awful (in an awesome way) stories about The Year of Dean's Crossroads Deal, this story might be just the thing. It's about the Winchesters and it's in character, so of course it's got a touch of bitter and achy to the sweet, but it takes place in a future where the road's wide open. Effortless pacing and writing make it especially awesome. Oh, so good for what ails ya. And now, there's a sequel, just as awesome: Wilderness Board.

Fine Wonderful Things by balefully
(Sam/Dean) (14,436 words) In the aftermath of Cold Oak, Sam and Dean go to the Grand Canyon, then find themselves working a case that involves two brothers. Thoughtful, gritty, a little surreal, this story takes its time and meanders between beautifully vivid scenes of the boys' slow return to themselves. Refreshing and completely absorbing, emotionally delicious, and mind-meltingly hot.

American Myth by Candle Beck
(Sam/Dean) (11,529 words) The two things you really, really don't want to do are mess with Dean's car, and mess with his family. Awesome brotherly sniping, and then even more awesome brotherly teamwork, and under it all runs the tension they've been avoiding -- until they don't any more. The ending is perfection.

Not With a Leap, but a Series of Staggers by thenyxie
(Sam/Dean) (around 29,000 words) A different version of how things might have gone after "Everybody Loves a Clown." Told first from Sam's point of view, then Dean's, this story blends elements of seasons 1 and 2 with some fascinating what-ifs in a compelling way. Very emotional, good reading for a rainy day.

Free and Clear by Merry
(Sam/Dean) (6,641 words) Sam and Dean, after the deal is broken, and they're not. I might have been, though. Just a little, in the good way.

OPEC Blues by girlguidejones
(Sam/Dean) (1,000 words) Awesome way to turn something that's a bit of an SPN-fic cliche into something wonderfully true, vivid, and sexy. A great little vignette.

And So Awakens Devils by concernedlily
(Sam/Dean) (59,268 words) "Dean gets out of hell at about eleven in the morning, three weeks after the end of the world." A long and imaginative story that won me over despite my general dislike of the idea that Sam would ever really turn. It drew me in with its pacing and attention to detail and, oddly enough, a great Bela Talbot characterization.

Stopped At the Crossroads by dark_reaction
(Sam/Dean, AU) "What would Sam and Dean be like in a world without demons?" This story fascinated me, because it's not at all how I would imagine things would be between Sam and Dean had they not grown up the way they did. Yet it's so beautifully drawn, it starts to make a perfect kind of sense. Then there's the ending, which is all kinds of awesome.

this november life by yourperiphery
(Sam/Dean) (33,457 words) Recced everywhere for a reason. I felt like crying through most of this, and in a perfect world, it would have been season 3.

Subrogate (Stepping In) by dreamlittleyo
(Sam/Dean) (7,468 words) She did something really cool with the characterization in this story that completely works for me, but I can't reveal it without spoiling it. Hurty and hot and good. I love her determined Sam, too.

Six Million Miles of Maybe by dreamlittleyo
(Sam/Dean) (4,556 words) Sequel to Subrogate (Stepping In).

This Place is Haunted by ebolacrisis
(Sam/Dean) I actually hesitated about reccing this one, not because it isn't good, because it is. But it portrays the Winchesters -- Dean and John in particular -- in a way I'm not really comfortable with. However, it's quite compelling, and thought-provoking. I rec it with a caution that it borders on abuse, in my opinion. If that isn't something that hits your triggers, check it out. Fascinating story.

open circuit by eighth horizon
(Sam/Dean) (3,500 words) Mmm, mind meld kink. Part of the Open Doors series. Sam's afraid Dean's leaving a blood trail of soulstuff; he needs to be sure, so Dean lets him in. I love this series so much, getting more is the best kind of present.

To the End by esohpe
(Sam/Dean) (23,000 words) I was actually kind of fascinated by how much I ended up enjoying this story. It's a tough read. It's also evil!Sam, which still, not really my thing. But I loved where she went with it, and the ultimate theme is one that I can completely get behind. Plus, even though it's about the love between Sam and Dean and their absolute devotion to each other, it's really far more about the love of family and the ways in which the Winchesters break all the rules than it is about sex, and that's the place where the Sam/Dean makes the most sense to me.

Sinking Toward a Deeper Blue by esorlehcar
(Sam/Dean) (4,452 words) A sequel to and the complications you could do without by ygrawn. Gorgeous, sexy, a little hurty, just the right touch of schmoop. Kissing for the win.

Suspended in my Silver Cage by fleshflutter
(Sam/Dean) (2,619 words) Sam has a friend his freshman year of high school. She and Sam have a lot in common. I love how the author tells the story by reflecting it in a mirror.

Moths on the Mirror by fleshflutter
(Dean/OMC, Sam/Dean) (18,978 words) Seriously, who doesn't love a good amnesia asylum story? It's a fanfic tradition for a reason.

In the valley of the shadow by fleshflutter [NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Sam/Jess/Madison/Dean) (1,012 words) Sam's very good at getting what he wants. No matter how wrong and creepy it might be.

Galatea's Becoming by gradiva
(Dean/OFC, Sam/OFC, Sam/Dean) (15,600 words) Beautiful, contemporary interpretation of one of my favorite (creepy) myths. I love it when an author wraps together a first-time Sam/Dean with a great case file.

Misunderestimate by gretazreta
(Dean/OFC, Sam/Dean) (3,400 words) A violent, angry season 1 story, not easy to read but full of moments of truth, and the reprieve is wonderful when it comes.

high fantastical by guns_and_butter
(Sam/Dean) (8,844 words) Not only bodyswap, but Twelfth Night bodyswap. This story made me laugh so much I kept losing my place.

Leader of the Pack by astolat
(Sam/Dean) (14,904 words) I suspect nearly everyone's read it, but this story is too much fun not to rec. Awesome, one of her best.

Vegas by astolat
(Sam/Dean) (2,981 words) Um... yeah. You put Sam and Dean in Vegas in a gay porn movie, and make it work? Oh, so very much recced.

Winter by astolat
(Sam/Dean) (1,876 words) Schmoop, love, and hotness in a cabin in the snow, after all the shouting's over. Is there anything better?

Worth the Wait by astolat
(Sam/Dean) (4,458 words) I have a particular weakness for pre-Stanford Sam/Dean, especially if Sam is a little desperate and tied up in adolescent, hero-worshipping knots over Dean. This story hits all of that perfectly, and then spins it out into something even more wonderful.

Changes in Topography by javajunkie13
(Sam/Dean) (2,355 words) The very, very best kind of comfortfic, as far as I'm concerned. Dean doesn't quite know what to do after it's over, but Sam does.

Eppur Si Muove by javajunkie13
(Sam/Dean) (1,527 words) The beauty of this piece is the quiet flow of the words. Dean's year is half gone, and Sam doesn't know how to fix it, but he's starting to get an idea of the direction he's supposed to go.

Earthquake Weather by javajunkie13
(Sam/Dean) (12,699 words) Set toward the end of season 2. This story hooked me right from the start, with Sam's careful and skilled handling of his brother in the way that only he knows how. Then it turned into a great Jersey Devil hunt, and a good first-time story besides.

But If You Ask Me Who (It's Always Been You) by lazy_daze
(Sam/Dean) (1,600 words) The opening paragraphs of this story are just... gah, amazing. They kind of gutted me. I love it when an author hits the perfect balance between wonderful and awful in describing the fallout of brothers who become more than brothers, and this is one of the best examples of that I think I've read.

The Night Will Fall And You Will Crawl Inside by lazy_daze
(Sam/Dean) (1,400 words) The author writes, "I needed a schmoopy/angsty Fresh Blood coda with crying and handjobs." She was not alone.

Unless Continents Collide by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) (1,433 words) She's still the place I go when I feel the need for Sam and Dean to find their way home. This is short and sweet but oh, so good for the soul.

The Wake Up Call by luzdeestrellas
(Sam/Dean) (5,578 words) If you feel the need for some physical affection between the brothers Winchester, this is so the story to read.

This Wasteland of Open Sky by lyra_wing
(Sam/Dean) (8,800 words) Dean takes Sam on a road trip the summer before Sam's sophomore year of high school. The author does an amazing job of translating the Winchesters into a magical realism-style narrative, and the result is gorgeous and memorable.

All Is Bright by lyra_wing
(Sam/Dean) (1,800 words) Kinda reduced me to incoherence. Mind-fryingly hot, sweet tag to "A Very Supernatural Christmas."

A Medley of Extemporanea by mickeym
(Sam/Dean) (13,385 words) A lovely, long, established relationship futurefic story, in which Sam and Dean hole up in a cabin in Kentucky to recuperate. Hurt/comfort, heavy on the comfort, hot sex, and emotional goodness.

And If My Heart Be Scarred and Burned by mickeym
(Sam/Dean) (1,800 words) An awkward, delicious coda to "A Very Supernatural Christmas."

Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts by musesfool
(Sam/Dean) (8,120 words) Self-billed as a tribute to the Buffy episode "Some Assembly Required." I thought it was a great homage to that ep, but also a wonderful story in its own right. I've been craving stories set after this year is up, because I just have to believe there will be more to their story. I love the reappearance of Becky, and all Dean's issues with going back to revisit Sam's old haunts. And I love that even though the pressure of the deal is off, the FBI's still after them, and they're still out there doing their jobs.

Make the Yuletide Gay by nomelon
(Sam/Dean) (5,400 words) I don't think I can describe it any better than the author does: coda to "A Very Supernatural Christmas." First time fic. 5,400 words of angsty, teasing, shaving, porny Winchesters. If that doesn't make you want to read it, I think you're on the wrong rec page.

Waiting Games by nutkin
(Sam/Dean) (14,466 words) Kinda silly to rec this, since it has (holy cow!) eight pages of comments, but you know. I gotta be able to find stuff. Of course I loved this, just like everyone else. Sam's having visions of himself and Dean... doing that.

driving down the darkness by nutkin
(Sam/Dean) (40,000 words) A coda to season one. Like so many others, I was blown away by this story. The incisive, deep understanding and expression of what makes these characters tick is just breathtaking. It's stories like this that make me feel certain there's no point to my attempting to write these characters. Just, so good.

What Comfort it Brings by nutkin
(Sam/Dean) (4,700 words) It's amazing to me that after all the "Dean's last year" stories I've read, they can still feel fresh to me, as this one did. Sam's thoughts about Dean in this one kind of broke me.

stirring of birds between my arms by oxoniensis
(Sam/Dean) (1,355 words) There was a time not so long ago when I was all, yay, unhappy endings and things being fucked up and wrong. And then somewhere along the line, that changed, and this story kind of sums up why in a way I couldn't express.

Coast On Through by philalethia
(Sam/Dean) (7,857 words) ...and then again? Fucked up and wrong can be really, really hot. Wow, this story should come with a brain-melt warning. The fact that it's so dirty-bad-wrong is made all the more awesome by the resoundingly true characterization.

Happy Holidays by poisontaster
(Sam/Dean) (1,000 words) Part of the endlessly wonderful Heartverse series. Dean convinces Sam to take a day off, using every means at his disposal.

The Importance of Body Language by poisontaster
(Sam/Dean) (989 words) Also part of the Heartverse series. Delicious, hot little interlude in the swimming pool. This vision of their future together never fails to make me happy.

Long Lay The World by setissma
(Sam/Dean) (5,300 words) Awesome, porny, in-character, first-time curtainfic. Woot!

Motel 6 by setissma
(Sam/Dean) (1,850 words) Sigh, yeah. I'm big on happy endings for them right now.

The Art of Manly Hugging by sevenfists
(Sam/Dean) (1,700 words) Is it really too much to ask that Dean get a fucking hug now and then? I don't think so, and neither does the author, god bless her.

and something to hunt. by stellabelle [NOT BONE-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) Extraordinarily beautiful and painful story about Sam's refusal to let go, and Dean's implacable demand that he do so. Really amazing, and I don't think I can do it justice.

little pink houses for you and me by traveller
(Sam/Dean) (2,300 words) I love the threads that tie this together. The claustrophobic-yet-comforting closeness of the car is such an apt metaphor, and it does that, pre-Stanford/post-Stanford thing that I pretty much always love.

Happily Ever After by vaingirlfic [NOT MAYGRA-SAFE]
(Sam/Dean) A remix of katjad's The Last Fifty Miles. Sam's problem was that he was not dead. That was only his first problem. His second was that no one would let him solve the first problem. This is the kind of evil!Sam story I can really get behind. It's dark and painful, but not without hope.

And To All A Good Night by veronamay
(pre-Sam/Dean) (1,100 words) Pretty darned close to the ending I really, really wanted for "A Very Supernatural Christmas."

Lament of Lost Souls by plutogirl10
(Sam/Dean) Sequel to Hunger of Old Mouths. This writer hits the themes I love best so dead-on. I adored the first story beyond reason, and could hardly have had higher expectations for this one, but she exceeded them. The hunt in this story is completely creepy and memorable, and that's just the start of everything that's awesome about it. One of my favorite stories, period, in any fandom.


Het Stories

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust by angel_grace
(Sam/Veronica, Crossover, Veronica Mars) Absolutely delightful, spot-on encounter, with both characters perfectly drawn and yummily sparky together.

Deep In Between by Brinny
(Sam/Jo, Dean/Jo) Fascinating dynamics between the three of them. It reads like a real possibility.

Egg and Spoon Racing by zelost_mind
(Dean/OFC, a little Sam/OFC) I'm such a sucker for her writing, she made me cry over a kitten with a cockroach. Seriously. I just adore this piece. (pre-series)

Consenting Adults by femmenerd
(Sam/Buffy, Crossover, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Yeah, they pretty much belong together.

Patchwork by femmenerd
(Sam/OFC) Sam might have a chance at the apple pie life, but he's not sure -- he's too busy freaking out. Luckily, Dean is there and Meghan is woman enough to handle the Winchester craziness. I'd love to believe in this future for him.

Mockingbird by hiyacynth
(Sam/OFC) One of my new all-time favorite stories in the fandom. Bleak, and a difficult read, but so full of love and hope and wonderful original characters, not to mention excellent pacing and brilliantly spot-on Winchesters. Sam isn't himself, but Dean's working on that. He has help.

No Fortress is So Strong by kimonkey7
(Dean/OFC) Wonderful case story (involving brothers, no less), with an extremely well-drawn and lovable OFC, who suits Dean to a T. Problem is, there's that whole year-left-to-live thing. I'd wanted to read something just like this, and couldn't have asked for a better or more believable Dean/f pairing than this one.

Straight On 'Til Morning by trollprincess
(John/Mary) Mary survives the fire, but the Winchesters still learn to hunt. Wow, this is an awesome AU.

My Sorrows Learned to Swim by coffee_in_bed
(Sam/Ellen) This is such a beautiful, evocative picture of Ellen. I love how it slowly shuffles in all the people in her life in faded shades of blue, and then Sam comes in and brings all the unexpected warm colors.

Scrapbook: Page 7, Honey and the Moon by Maygra
(Sam/Sarah) Part of the Salvation storyline. Absolutely wonderful chapter in this excellent series. Sarah is drawn beautifully and Maygra fits her into the Winchester dynamic like it's easy.

Keep Your Hands Off My Girl by kellifer_fic
(Sam/Jess, mild Sam/Dean) Dean swaps bodies with Jess, and tries not to let Sam know. This story is actually awesome enough to live up to its premise, amazingly.

Ride It Out (All Nine Times Around) by lissa-bear
(Dean/Jo, Sam/Dean implied) A hurty and bittersweet little story, in which he doesn't love her, and nobody's under any illusions about that fact.

Liquid Eyeliner and Wood Heat by femmenerd
(Sam/OFC) I swear, I know this woman. She's everyone I knew in New Hampshire, and this story is a wonderful kind of respite for Sam, unglamorous and warm and real.

Full Cycle by femmenerd
(Sam/Madison) Why, why did this not happen on the show?? Gah, this story. It completely broke me, in the good way. Also, scorching hot, and a wonderful Dean besides.

The question was a formality by femmenerd
(Sam/Madison) A porny (yay!), fantastic outtake from "Full Cycle."

Indelible by Destina
(Gen, mostly, some Dean/f) A series of memories of the Winchesters over the years, all wonderful in their own ways, brought together thematically with insights that make this a very satisfying read.

count the headlights on the highway by elohvee
(Sam/Jo) This is a tiny little story that I loved. For this line, if for nothing else, I would have loved it: On a Sunday, Dean and Ellen go shopping for ammo in the afternoon... Sam/Jo is maybe a little more of a stretch for me than Sam/Ellen, but I really like how she did it.

church bells all were broken. by wheebubbles
(Sam/Jess) Short and painful and achy.

in our summer skin by flipmontigirl
(Dean/OFC) I have to rec this for the fact that she kept me reading avidly until the end, even though Dean/f is close to the bottom of my list of things I seek out in Supernatural fiction. I adore the character she created, and her Dean totally breaks my heart.

Swell by innie darling
(Sam/Jess) Oh, so achy and erotic and good. I love the dreamy quality of it.

Ghost Wiring by onelittlesleep
(Sam/OFC) Huge, huge love for this story, and for all her original characters. This story all on its own could be responsible for my turnaround on how much I now love the Roadhouse characters and want to see more of them. It rocks.

All the hurt geography I own by oxoniensis
(Sam/Ellen) Oh, boy, yes, a million times, yes. I was already halfway down the road toward this pairing, but damn, yes.

vicarious atonement by cee & danny
(Sam/OFC) I love it because it's hot, but more for the fact that it's Sam and that means it can't mean nothing, even if it doesn't change anything that matters.

Oíche na sprideanna by cee
(Sam/Jess) Oh, god, this sorta broke me a little.

and my heart the shape of a begging bowl by flipmontigirl
(Sam/Ellen) If this pairing were ever to happen, it could happen exactly like this. Sam is wonderfully himself, and the dynamic is fascinating and believable.

Sunshine State by innie-darling
(Sam/OFCs, Sam/OMC, Sam/Jess) As Stanford stories go, this one pretty much is the One Ring to rule them all. It's wonderful, and it's awful, and her original characters could break your heart all on their own, but the real Sam is practically bleeding all over this story, and it's easy to imagine it happened exactly like this. (Thank you to Destina for the rec!)

Wildcat by mona1347
(Crossover, SPN/Buffyverse, Sam/Dean/Faith) Um... however hot you thought this threesome might be? This is hotter than that. Thank you to Maygra for the rec.

Bloodlust Interlude by scribblinlenore
(Sam/Lenore) Oh, this made me so happy. What happens when Sam goes to take Lenore safely out of Gordon's reach. It's really well done, and emotionally rich. Feels like it happened.

In the Company of Demons by stele3
(Sam/OFC, Dean/OFC, Sam/Dean/OFC) Okay, I was so, so wary of this story. I saw the words "succubus" and "OFC" and just... was afraid. Wow, I'm so glad I paid attention when Maygra recced it. This is one of the most remarkable pieces of fanfiction I've ever read, and absolutely one of the most memorable original characters. More than that, the OFC is used to illuminate the canon characters in deep and startling ways. I can't praise this highly enough.

someday (never comes) by cee
(John/Mary) This is absolutely my canon of how it happened, now. Heartbreaking story.

Blind-sided Highway by Vanzetti
(Crossover, SPN/HL, John/Amanda) Anyone who knows me knows there's no way in hell I didn't love this to bits. John/Amanda by a fantastic writer, sexy and tender and perfect.

A different Hole by zelost_mind
(Dean/OFC) I am just thrilled to pieces that she's continuing to expand the storyline she started in Down the Highway. This OFC is fascinating and memorable, and her perspective on Dean during the Stanford years is terrific. I'm kind of addicted to this series, now, and I think it's at least partly because she captures Dean exactly the way he gets to me most -- with his underlying sweetness and vulnerability intact, but all his wonderful layers woven over the top.

Drifting and Magic Fingers by Zoë Rayne
(Sam/OFC and Dean/OFCs) Companion stories that capture both guys so well, I adored every word. What Dean and Sam do when they get snowed in. Really excellent.

Whatever Gets You Through the Night by fabu
(Sam/OFC, but more than a touch of Sam/Dean UST) This one falls under the heading of "bulletproof kink" for me. Sam gets laid and Dean listens in. Hooray for this!

Java Chat by girlguidejones
(Sam/Sarah) Part of the Salvationverse. This is the series I read whenever I feel the need for John to get a happy ending, too, so it made me incredibly happy that girlguidejones decided to write another Sarah & John story. Just pure happiness.

Negative Space by angstslashhope
(Dean/Cassie, John/OFC) A remix of innie-darling's wonderful Lacuna. It's not how I imagine things falling out between Dean and Cassie, but the way she writes John completely captivated me.

Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes by vaingirlfic
(Sam/Jess, Sam/Dean overtones) This story rocked my socks with how much life it breathed into Jess Moore. Fascinating, watching her peel back Sam's layers, and knowing she'll never really get to see most of them. Also, tres hot.

The War Widow by vinylroad
(Sam/Ellen) (1,399 words) Wow, I really love this pairing. Have I mentioned that I love this pairing? They're all wrong for each other, but so good together, and this story captures that perfectly.

Under Darkening Skies by rivkat
(Crossover with Buffy, Sam/Buffy, Dean/Willow) This was a fantastic read. Completely enjoyable, and she does a beautiful job of fitting Sam and Dean into the Buffy universe. The characters really sing off the page.

Don't like what you're kickin', son. zelost_mind
(Dean/OFC) This is one writer whose Dean het I will read until the world ends, pretty much. Which seems an apt way of putting it, given this story. It's hot and it's imaginative and vivid and it's full of the brotherly love and, as always, her Dean is a force of nature in every way. I adore the way her mind works.

barn swallow vinylroad
(Sam/OFC) (2,593 words) Mmm, yum. Sam, Dean, and John pay a visit to Caleb and his daughter one summer. Heady, adolescent sweetness.

Slash (other)

untitled by black_regalia
(Sam/Sarah) This is actually femslash, as Sam is sort of temporarily a girl. Scorching hot and so much fun. The voices are dead-on.

Hit Me, Baby by albydarned
(Sam/Andy) I'm kind of like, unable to express my joy at this pairing written well.

On the Road Again by dsudis
(Andy/Ash -- score!!) Oh, wow. And talk about stories that heal what ails ya after AHBL, this one is pure, utter perfection.

Lifting the Veil (Halloween in Gotham) by ethrosdemon
(Sam/Tim Drake, Crossover, Supernatural/Batman) The kind of crossover for which the word "awesomecakes" was invented.

Charm City by Hth
(Crossover, SPN/Homicide: LotS, Sam/Tim, Dean) I've never seen a single episode of H:LotS, but I'll read anything Hth writes, and this is just amazingly good. I have to admit, the pairing, from what little I know, makes a bizarrely strange kind of perfect sense. And what she does with it is magic. No surprise there, really.

Sunshine State by innie-darling
(Sam/OFCs, Sam/OMC, Sam/Jess) As Stanford stories go, this one pretty much is the One Ring to rule them all. It's wonderful, and it's awful, and her original characters could break your heart all on their own, but the real Sam is practically bleeding all over this story, and it's easy to imagine it happened exactly like this. (Thank you to Destina for the rec!)

Synchoresis by rei-c
(Sam, Dean/OMC) I really dig this author's work a lot, and she does awesome things with the mythology of various North American cultures. This particular story focuses more on Dean than some of her other pieces, and I love the backstory she creates for him with her original character. Psychic Sam, wonderful intimacy between the brothers, and a chilling hunt. All the stories in this series are linked here.

RPS

Freefall by Destina
(Jared/Jensen) Sweet, intense, and lovely. Her Jensen breaks my heart, and her Jared owns it, so that works out.

The Jared Padalecki Untitled Project by esohpe
(Jared/Jensen) I doubt too many fans of J2 missed this one, but it's a fascinating (and emotionally demanding) read. One of the few long J2 stories that's really held together for me and kept me engaged.

Clean by feldspar2
(Jared/Jeff) Oh, my god, seriously? I was starting to think no one would ever write one of these that would work for me. I was wrong.

Truth by estrella30
(Jared/Jensen) Despite my fervent little passion for the idea of J2, I very rarely read RPS of any kind. Usually, I bail after a paragraph or two. Then there are those rare stories where everything just clicks, and this is one of those.

Bottoms Up by azewewish
(Jensen/Jared) ...and possibly? The hottest story ever written. Okay, so that's totally a matter of opinion, but mine hasn't changed since the first time I read it.

Breaking Status Quo or How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Friendship in Five Steps or Less by Raina
(Jensen/Jared) ...Jensen goes home to Texas with Jared on hiatus, and finds it strangely difficult to leave. Um... this story popped my RPS cherry. She got me with one of my bullet-proof kinks -- JP going solo while Jensen secretly watches. It was a really good way to go, I gotta say.

Sweet Talk by Destina
(Jensen/Jared) Utterly adorable Valentine's Day story. The image of Jensen at the end is one that's so wonderful, words fail me.

Follow Where It Leads by jenadamson
(Jared/Jensen) Oh, hey! I ventured into J2 for the first time in a while, and was lucky enough to find this story. Things start up pretty much from the moment they meet, and from there it's all lazy heat and gravity. Then Jensen quietly freaks and does his best to fuck it up -- not all at once, but a little at a time, until Jared pushes the issue. I love the pacing of this, and how true it felt.

Costarfucking: An Idiot's Guide to What Not to Do by katjad
(Jared/Jensen) (16,000 words) I kind of knew from the title that this was going to be my favorite kind of J2 story. I'm so impressed when writers not only capture what their day to day lives might be like, but also the pure guy-ness of them, right down to the dorktastic joy that is Jared and the easygoing enigma that is Jensen and the juvenile awesomeness of prank-calling Kripke. Then I got to the bulletproof kink part of the story (where Jensen realizes just how fucked he really is) and it was even better than I'd hoped. (bonus: Chris Kane!)


Vids

Kiss Off by Skeezerbeans
Hilarious compilation of brotherly bitching from the show.

Winchestercon 2007 Vid Show links compiled by morgandawn
I seem to lack energy to write all these up individually, but I really adored this show, and nearly all the vids are ones that I was either grateful to have or went begging for. Thanks to Morgan for gathering them together in one post.

The Way We Get By and Protege Moi by Charmax
One of my favorite vidders of all time. The first is more fun than should be allowed; the second is pure hotbadwrongness of the best kind.

Bricks by Luminosity
Oh, jesusgod, yes. This vid makes me incoherent. It also makes me do other things (waves to Kady Mae) that we won't talk about.

What's It Feel Like to Be a Ghost? by astartexx
What can I say except, holy fuck. Best. Video. I have EVER. Seen. Seriously, I mean that. Subjective as hell, but there you go.

God Says Nothing Back by Morgan Dawn
From the start, this vid had a lot of things going for it in my eyes, not least of which that Sam's story and all the things he learns in the first season is a huge part of why I'm watching. I thought this was a great song choice for telling that particular story, and seemed really appropriate for the spiritual elements of the show and the isolation of the main characters.

Ghost Song by Greensilver
The slow, hypnotic cello music juxtaposed against the sudden jerky cuts and intermittent violent motion really nails home how unsettling Sam's visions must feel, and how scary it can be inside his head. Yay, for telling an emotional story that makes use of some of the best, creepiest moments of the show, and an episode I love (Nightmare)

Evening on the Ground by Lithium Doll
The relentless pace of this and the half-whispered lyrics captured the urgency and obsession that I feel about this brand new shiny fandom, and also the desperation in the show and my own desperation for the new season to start.

Seems Like a Long Time by Barkley
This song worked so well for me for this kind of vid, because my embarrassing and shameless love for Rod Stewart is exactly on par with, and seems to occupy the same sublevels of my brain as, my embarrassing and shameless love for this show. The 70s associations of Rod Stewart work really well, too, for obvious reasons, but most of all, what I loved about it was that Rod Stewart has always appealed to me in this sort of dichotomous, sentimental-yet-gritty way. Which is, yeah, just so Dean, it was a perfect fit for me. She had me from the moment she showed Sam's huge grin on "the other side of daytime."

Too Sick to Pray by Lithium Doll
Papa Winchester, how is it possible that you are so hot? It's honestly a little hard for me to get past that to comment intelligently on this vid -- not that I'm capable of much objectivity where this show is concerned, I know. I love this vid for telling John's side of the story, especially the sequence for "I'm in a crowded place" (with John's anguish at hearing his boys call out for help and being unable to answer them) -- yeah, that's just inspired, and I was with her from that point, no question.

Come on Angel by fabella
Ooh, I really enjoyed this one, and was so happy to find it when I got home. I haven't really seen vids from Dean's POV about Sam, and this song really works for me, in that yes-I-am-so-your-bitch-Ms.-Vidder way. The rest of her excellent vids are here. I love the Jared/Jensen ones more than is probably healthy.

Ode to a Bitchface by monkiedude
I sort of hate to link to anything on YouTube just on general principles, but this is just absolutely adorable and hilarious.

Turn You Inside Out by sisabet
There really aren't words for how much this sends me over the moon. Kinda makes me want to get down on the ground and kiss it in thanks for my fandom being so awesome.

Shuffle by Luminosity
This vid bridges the middle of Season 2 in such a tense, narratively rich way. It condenses all the thread of the story arc into one tightly woven, (sexually) charged gut-punch of a story, and it makes me want to have years and years of canon to realize everything she alludes to.

Two Step by Luminosity
It's not easy to make a vid that does this song justice, but she did it. This vid is love, no holds barred, in every sense.

Under Pressure by way2busymom
(Vid rec) Despite the fact that this vid is about all the hard stuff the Winchesters have to deal with, it just fills me with an absolutely heart-swelling joy and incoherent love for my show that makes me want to grab people off the street and go, "Look! Look at our boys! Look at our awesome show and FEEL THE LOVE!"



Links to Other People's Recs:
Unfit for Society recs
nomelon's recs
esorlechar's recs: A-L | M-Z | recs on del.icio.us
astolat's recs
Barkley's recs
monkiedude's recs
violetsmiles' recs
fugitivehound's del.icio.us tags
Destina's recs
dotfic's recs
ignipes' Pimptastic Extravaganza recs
liptonrm's recs
Maygra's recs
more Maygra's recs: The critter set | on del.icio.us
Janissa11's recs on del.icio.us
marinarusalka's recs
Morgan Dawn's recs | recs on del.icio.us
angstslashhope's recs
smilla02's recs


Silly Ratings Key:
NOT ELYN-SAFE = John dies or is dead.
NOT MAYGRA-SAFE = Someone dies. Especially if it's Sam.
NOT BONE-SAFE = Someone has a bad day. (i.e., is permanently maimed, killed, or otherwise damaged, physically or emotionally)
NOT SISABET-SAFE = Cruelty and/or harm to dogs or kids or other innocents.