Yes, exactly. You've hit the nail on the head right there about why I've been struggling with what going AU means... as in, I know that I have to go at least partially AU, but the question is how much - how slippery is that slope? Do I just change the beginning of S8 and then synch things back up again, or do I change more so that I can actually fit in the story that I want to write?
But yes, you are dead on with why I pretty much HAVE to go AU for at least the "catch up" portion of the story... but what exact form that AU will take is still up for debate. I COULD have Harry get involved, fail to locate Dean, leave Sam in Texas, and then Dean could still be pissed off when he gets back that Sam didn't look for Kevin (perhaps Sam doesn't even tell Harry about Kevin for some weird reason like my headcanon of Sam actually having a psychotic break) and Dean could still be upset that Sam didn't seem to be obsessing about Dean's death like usual... and not much would change in the long run. Or having Harry around to help could change everything - they could find Kevin sooner, before Dean comes back, for instance, and the Dean wouldn't really have anything to be angry about (besides his usual PTSD) and the is Sam still fine with dying on the third trial? Does he still feel like he failed Dean and needs to be redeemed?
I don't know, it's a hard thing to juggle... and do I want to bother if I'm not even leading them to a cool future story set in S9, since I can't for the life of me think of a good plot for one past the opening?
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But yes, you are dead on with why I pretty much HAVE to go AU for at least the "catch up" portion of the story... but what exact form that AU will take is still up for debate. I COULD have Harry get involved, fail to locate Dean, leave Sam in Texas, and then Dean could still be pissed off when he gets back that Sam didn't look for Kevin (perhaps Sam doesn't even tell Harry about Kevin for some weird reason like my headcanon of Sam actually having a psychotic break) and Dean could still be upset that Sam didn't seem to be obsessing about Dean's death like usual... and not much would change in the long run. Or having Harry around to help could change everything - they could find Kevin sooner, before Dean comes back, for instance, and the Dean wouldn't really have anything to be angry about (besides his usual PTSD) and the is Sam still fine with dying on the third trial? Does he still feel like he failed Dean and needs to be redeemed?
I don't know, it's a hard thing to juggle... and do I want to bother if I'm not even leading them to a cool future story set in S9, since I can't for the life of me think of a good plot for one past the opening?