oh. WOW. I just caught this in a roundtable rec, and GOD. It's. Perfect. It's heartbreaking, absolutely and completely HEARTBREAKING, but perfect. I've read a few 'Sam drops the Stanford bomb' stories, and this just shines SO true, it's already canon in my head. Because you're so right - Dean, he would've done something to defuse the situation, wouldn't have let it get out of hand as it did... this is perfect characterization, plot, explanation, dialogue. And, dear heaven, your Dean is sheer beauty and pain (especially loved that description of his soul, being battered and bruised because he's absorbed so many of sam and john's blow-outs). Sam's final words were perfect and soooo painful, too (and the reflection of winchester men NOT saying love, but jumping in front of werewolves rang more true than ever, considering s3 finale).
I don't know what else to say except thank you, and your writing is stunning.
Hugs,
Arlad