Who the heck do I think I am?

Title: Trost und Freude (Comfort and Joy) (Chapter 17/17)
Author: gwendolyngrace
Recipient: celtic_cookie
Request terms: Sam and Dean of course, and I love John: Lots of John! A Pre-series Christmas Story! Familial bonding, maybe a holiday-themed hunt?
Summary: Saginaw, Michigan, 1990: Going holiday shopping may hold more hazards than just the insane crowds and parents hell-bent on the buying the latest toy. John goes undercover to look into a series of accidents at the local mall. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam respond to Christmas-season festivities at school with unexpected results.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Wordcount (this chapter): about 6,860
Wordcount (total): 75,100
Spoilers: All three seasons through 3x08, may or may not be Origins-compliant
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, not mine, just my fantasy.
Author’s Notes: Done! Done, done, done! I think the only person who’s happier than I am is my beta of awesomesauce. (Seriously, gang, she did a little happy dance in her comments on the last chapter: “la, la, la,” I was told. But she still re-read this chapter about six times to fix all the things that were nagging at her.) So here it is, complete and DONE. Now I can concentrate on my Big Bang fic. Oy!

Oh, and a little warning: there’s an image in this file that may not be friendly to dial-up users. My undying gratitude to etakyma for the use of her digital camera. Please don’t overanalyze the handwriting! It’s not very good.

From the Top

Then

( Now: Dean waited up for Sam so they could compare notes, but after Dad left, Sam asked so many questions that Dean had been tempted to duct tape his mouth shut. )


~*Fin*~

Title: Trost und Freude (Comfort and Joy) (Chapter 15/17)
Author: gwendolyngrace
Recipient: celtic_cookie
Request terms: Sam and Dean of course, and I love John: Lots of John! A Pre-series Christmas Story! Familial bonding, maybe a holiday-themed hunt?
Summary: Saginaw, Michigan, 1990: Going holiday shopping may hold more hazards than just the insane crowds and parents hell-bent on the buying the latest toy. John goes undercover to look into a series of accidents at the local mall. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam respond to Christmas-season festivities at school with unexpected results.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Wordcount (this chapter): about 3,645
Spoilers: All three seasons through 3x08, may or may not be Origins-compliant
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, not mine, just my fantasy.
Author’s Notes: So, if there were any doubt about this week’s “Monday Meta” over at wee_chesters, I hope that this chapter settles it: April Fool’s, gang. Not about this chapter—about that meta. No, I don’t really hate John. I try to portray him in a fair and balanced way. He’s far from perfect, but he did love Dean and Sam and he tried to bring them up the best way he could think to do. Which included some decidedly weird decisions. ;^D Also, I’ll be representing the anti-John side of the debate at EyeCon this weekend, so I have been needing to let my “John Hate” come out a little more than usual. But no, I really do generally like John, I just want to smack him occasionally. Luckily, I’m not alone, as Ellen and Bobby will prove during this chapter. Oh, and by the way? If the previous chapter was sparse before the beta got it? This one? Was almost pure dialogue. Yay for the beta, because she reminds me that in fictional narrative, stage directions and line readings are Good Things ™. Thanks, etakyma!

From the Top

Then

( Now: John turned the corner, out of sight of the apartment door, and slammed the heel of his hand against the steering wheel. )

Title: Trost und Freude (Comfort and Joy) (Chapter 13/17)
Author: gwendolyngrace
Recipient: celtic_cookie
Request terms: Sam and Dean of course, and I love John: Lots of John! A Pre-series Christmas Story! Familial bonding, maybe a holiday-themed hunt?
Summary: Saginaw, Michigan, 1990: Going holiday shopping may hold more hazards than just the insane crowds and parents hell-bent on the buying the latest toy. John goes undercover to look into a series of accidents at the local mall. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam respond to Christmas-season festivities at school with unexpected results.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Wordcount (this chapter): about 4,605
Spoilers: All three seasons through 3x08, may or may not be Origins-compliant
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, not mine, just my fantasy.
Author’s Notes: Four chapters to go! I hope to get at least two more out for y’all this weekend and then post the last couple early next week. What a ride!

From the Top

Then

( Now: John wasn’t supposed to wear his wristwatch, but he did anyway, and checked it about a hundred times during the shift. )


Continue to Chapter Fourteen

Title: Trost und Freude (Comfort and Joy) (Chapter 11/17)
Author: gwendolyngrace
Recipient: celtic_cookie
Request terms: Sam and Dean of course, and I love John: Lots of John! A Pre-series Christmas Story! Familial bonding, maybe a holiday-themed hunt?
Summary: Saginaw, Michigan, 1990: Going holiday shopping may hold more hazards than just the insane crowds and parents hell-bent on the buying the latest toy. John goes undercover to look into a series of accidents at the local mall. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam respond to Christmas-season festivities at school with unexpected results.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Wordcount (this chapter): about 4,550
Spoilers: All three seasons through 3x08, may or may not be Origins-compliant
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, not mine, just my fantasy.
Author’s Notes: No, really, I do plan to finish posting this before Eyecon. As some of you know, I’m also an actor, and I’m in a production that opened this weekend. We had tech week all last week and four shows in three days. So it’s been a little hectic. Thanks to everyone who responded to the poll – it helps to know that overall the fic seems to work and that most of you are pleasantly in the dark about what’s really going on. This chapter ought to shed some light on things for you. Enjoy!

From the Top

Then

( Now: Lyle Olohan would be working late tonight. )


Continue to Chapter 12

Title: Trost und Freude (Comfort and Joy) (Chapter 9/17)
Author: gwendolyngrace
Recipient: celtic_cookie
Request terms: Sam and Dean of course, and I love John: Lots of John! A Pre-series Christmas Story! Familial bonding, maybe a holiday-themed hunt?
Summary: Saginaw, Michigan, 1990: Going holiday shopping may hold more hazards than just the insane crowds and parents hell-bent on the buying the latest toy. John goes undercover to look into a series of accidents at the local mall. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam respond to Christmas-season festivities at school with unexpected results.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Wordcount (this chapter): about 3,440
Spoilers: All three seasons through 3x08, may or may not be Origins-compliant
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, not mine, just my fantasy.
Author’s Notes: Trucking along now, I know! Two posts in one week. Possibly a third if I get my act together this weekend. Thanks to everyone who keeps reviewing - it lets me know you're there! And as always, thanks to etakyma, without whom, etc.

From the Top

Then

( Now: Dad drove them to school Friday morning, like he told Sammy he would. )

Continue to Chapter Ten

Title: Trost und Freude (Comfort and Joy) (Chapter 7/16)
Author: gwendolyngrace
Recipient: celtic_cookie
Request terms: Sam and Dean of course, and I love John: Lots of John! A Pre-series Christmas Story! Familial bonding, maybe a holiday-themed hunt?
Summary: Saginaw, Michigan, 1990: Going holiday shopping may hold more hazards than just the insane crowds and parents hell-bent on the buying the latest toy. John goes undercover to look into a series of accidents at the local mall. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam respond to Christmas-season festivities at school with unexpected results.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Wordcount (this chapter): about 4,240
Spoilers: All three seasons through 3x08, may or may not be Origins-compliant
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, not mine, just my fantasy.
Author’s Notes: As you may have guessed from the definitive /16 up there, the rough draft is complete and it’s just a matter of typing in the last two chapters, cleaning it up, and getting it to (and back from) the betas. Speaking of which, etakyma gets the nod for this chapter. Sorry it took so long, but she is the bestest beta anyone could have and I had to wait for her. She won’t let me post anything too embarrassing.

From the Top


Then

( Now: Dean assured him he’d be fine alone, and since he hadn’t lost his breakfast like his last three meals, John acquiesced and rushed to make his Macy’s shift at 9:00. )

Continue to Chapter 8

Title: Trost und Freude (Comfort and Joy) (Chapter 5/at least 15)
Author: gwendolyngrace
Recipient: celtic_cookie
Request terms: Sam and Dean of course, and I love John: Lots of John! A Pre-series Christmas Story! Familial bonding, maybe a holiday-themed hunt?
Summary: Saginaw, Michigan, 1990: Going holiday shopping may hold more hazards than just the insane crowds and parents hell-bent on the buying the latest toy. John goes undercover to look into a series of accidents at the local mall. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam respond to Christmas-season festivities at school with unexpected results.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Wordcount (this chapter): about 3,885
Spoilers: All three seasons through 3x08, may or may not be Origins-compliant
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, not mine, just my fantasy.
Author’s Notes: So obviously, this will not be completely posted by January 31. But I’ll keep going until it’s done, if y’all will keep reading! Many thanks to etakyma the most insightful beta, who after leaving me hanging for so long on the last chapter, got forced to read 5 and 6 this weekend while I had her in my evil clutches…. And thus the continuity between this chapter and chapter 6 is much better than it was when it was just me. So you get them both at once! And even though there's more Sam in this chapter, and more Dean in the next one, we'll just dedicate them both to our birthday boy, 29 years young today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAN!

From the Top

Then

( Now: It took a little finessing to convince Gina Tupelo, office manager for the Holiday Happenings regional office, that he was not hunting around on behalf of a lawsuit. )


Continue to Chapter 6

Title: Trost und Freude (Comfort and Joy) (Chapter 3/?)
Author: gwendolyngrace
Recipient: celtic_cookie
Request terms: Sam and Dean of course, and I love John: Lots of John! A Pre-series Christmas Story! Familial bonding, maybe a holiday-themed hunt?
Summary: Saginaw, Michigan, 1990: Going holiday shopping may hold more hazards than just the insane crowds and parents hell-bent on the buying the latest toy. John goes undercover to look into a series of accidents at the local mall. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam respond to Christmas-season festivities at school with unexpected results.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Wordcount (this chapter): about 4,770
Spoilers: All three seasons through 3x08, may or may not be Origins-compliant
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, not mine, just my fantasy.
Author’s Notes: I'm thinking this will probably wind up being about 12-14 chapters altogether. Thanks as always to etakyma, beta extraordinaire.

Then

( Now: Dean sulked through the rest of the morning. )

Continue to Chapter 4

Title: Trost und Freude (Comfort and Joy) (Chapter 1/17)
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Author: gwendolyngrace
Recipient: celtic_cookie
Request terms: Sam and Dean of course, and I love John: Lots of John! A Pre-series Christmas Story! Familial bonding, maybe a holiday-themed hunt?
Summary: Saginaw, Michigan, 1990: Going holiday shopping may hold more hazards than just the insane crowds and parents hell-bent on the buying the latest toy. John goes undercover to look into a series of accidents at the local mall. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam respond to Christmas-season festivities at school with unexpected results.
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen
Wordcount (this chapter): about 5,140
Spoilers: All three seasons through 3x08, may or may not be Origins-compliant
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, not mine, just my fantasy.
Author’s Notes: As luck would have it, 1990’s Thanksgiving and Christmas fell on the same dates – and days of the week – as this year’s. Helpful! This fic started as a small casefile and it’s grown like whoa, so look for additional chapters between now and the January 31 deadline. But I wanted to at least *begin* posting in time for the holiday. So:

Happy Christmas, celtic_cookie!

( Wade Ellis’s boot treads squeaked slightly with every step he took down the wide, central mall corridor. )

To Chapter 2