A Thanks and a Little Something I Stole . . .

[raeschae]

My mother used to say that Mondays are an important part of the week because they help us appreciate all of the other days that don't suck so much. If that's the case, the rest of this week is going to be awesome.

Anyway - first, and most important, thanks to kiwiana and plastacine_star for the squirrels. They're either in love, or fighting and about to break each other's heart, but either way, it's wicked cool to know y'all were thinkin' of me, so thanks!

And one last thing, since I'm a total thief sometimes . . . I'm stealing this from kiwiana (I hope she doesn't press charges):

Ask me a question about one of my stories. It can be absolutely anything in any fic and I will tell you the honest-to-god answer. Don’t hold back. Ask about my plans for future parts of a current series if you want to, but keep in mind that I may not have anything firm/definite in the works. Anything. Whatever you ask, I will try my best to answer.

I try not to talk too much about the creation of my stories, because I usually figure "who cares why I do what I do, let's just read the finished product!" But I'm feeling like gabbing about something, so this seems interesting.

Hope y'all have a great day!

Comments

[batman-mcghee.livejournal.com]

i'd really love to know if you ever see disclaimer!jensen making an appearance on jared's reality tv show?

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

I really have considered it. From just about every angle, I think. I've toyed, for awhile, with the idea of writing a fic in the style of a Slinging Ink episode, and having it be the one and only time you actually see Jensen on the show.

The trick, for me, has always been coming up with a plot that seems reasonable enough, like Jensen would actually be okay with it, but that Jared is also okay with. Because, if you look at the other stories, he's pretty adamant about keeping his personal life separate from the show. So it can't be anything too dramatic and huge, because not only would Jensen avoid being on the show, but Jared wouldn't let them film it.

The idea that keeps coming back to me is to have it center around planning Brayden's Sweet Sixteen, sort of a mesh between MTV's My Super Sweet Sixteen and a Bravo reality show about tattoo artists planning the damn thing. I've just never gotten around to writing it because other ideas usually seem to take precedence over it.

Some day, it just might happen, though. I never say never.

[kubis.livejournal.com]

I'm asking more than one question, but you can choose, if you don't want to answer them all.

They're all about Disclaimer!boys.
1. Will Brayden get more tattoos and if yes, what they will be?
2. Does Brayden ever talk about his father with Js or not? (After he lives with them for good, that is)
3. What are you going to write next in this verse?

Thank you in advance. :)

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

You can ask as many questions as you want!

1. Brayden will most definitely get more tattoos once he hits eighteen. I'm not exactly sure what they'll be yet, but you'll know when I write his big love story somewhere down the road. He won't be quite as inked as Jay, but probably more than Jensen. And you can bet that he's learned the importance of picking things that mean something.

2. Brayden doesn't really talk about his father with anyone. I think he knows that the guys would be right there to listen if he wanted to, but that's a part of him that he would rather keep to himself. His relationship with his dad is complicated, and I think he has a lot of conflicting feelings that will never really be resolved in regards to Rick. He holds on to those as his own thing, and the guys let him.

3. I wish I knew what I was going to write next. I have a few ideas for them, but no stories that are jumping out as 'must tell' topics right now. As soon as I think of what they're going to do next, I'll write something new for them. Promise.

[witchy78.livejournal.com]

Everyone is asking you about the disclaimer!verse and they're soooo right ;o) But ou know I hate that verse so I won't ask about it ;o))))
So I'd like to ask about "Creative control" that I was supposed to start a few days ago but still didn't...
Is your Jensen in this verse the "weak" one ? Is there any hurt!jensen or sick!jensen in it ? (it's always a good motivation for me to know such things and to start a new fic).

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

To answer your question in one word: No.

Creative Control Jensen is not weak, though he does comes across, I suppose, as the more "damaged" one through a lot of the fic. He is not injured in it, and the only sickness is a cold that Jared gets toward the end of the first story.

It's more a battle of wills and a story of embracing your limitations and finding someone who compliments them with their strengths. At least, that's what it is for me.

[witchy78.livejournal.com]

Well even if the answer is no I still want to read that fic, cause I love yoru style, and THAT is enough to make me want to read it ;o))

[nightporters.livejournal.com]

Creative Control - because that's the one that intrigues me the most.

What does Jensen give/offer to Jared that makes it a partnership?

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

The most blatantly obvious answer to that question, at least for me, is that he willingly fulfills Jared need for being the one in control. Jared's personality is full-on Type A and things need to be his way.

Jensen isn't particular about a lot of things. He really could care less about the details, so he's not fighting Jared on those things. He can have things the way he wants them because Jensen really doesn't care one way or the other.

Jensen works sixty hours a week, or more, and covers every one of his own expenses. Does Jared care more about Jensen's well-being than Jensen cares about his own? Yeah, he does. But that doesn't mean that Jensen doesn't care about Jared's well-being, or do everything he can to ensure that.

I will be the first to agree that it's not a traditional relationship. But Jensen is not a useless human being, nor is he a leech who just sucks the life out of Jared without ever giving anything back in return. He loves Jared, which is why he places his trust in Jared in a way that he's never trusted anyone before. He's a funny guy, sarcastic, and they like doing a lot of the same things. They have fun together.

There's going to be a story coming up that will explain a little bit more about Jared, and will maybe help shed some more light on this dynamic for you.

[nightporters.livejournal.com]

Looking forward to it.

[(Anonymous)]

hi:) just a few questions..

1. did you base 'Slingin Ink' on the show 'Miami Ink' on the discovery channel (with Ami and Kat - she is kinda like Sophia with the portrait tats)?
2. will Brayden ever go visit his father in prison? (i saw your previous comment about his relationship with his dad - was just wandering)
3. would you consider doing another oneshot from Bray's point of view about his life with the guys? (kinda like I'm just a Kid). oh, and the sweet sixteen idea sounds awesome!
4. Do you think you could convince Jared and Jensen to turn this verse into a TV show after Supernatural ends?:)

[kubis.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) Aaand I have one more question:
At the beginning of this verse you wrote that they switch when having sex and it's close to 50/50 between them (or maybe I remember it wrong?), but lately, somewhere, you wrote that Jensen usually tops. And in most sex scenes in this verse, it's indeed Jensen who is in control.
My question is - is that something that changed between them or maybe you changed your mind?

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Awesome questions:

1. Slinging Ink is definitely based on Miami Ink in a lot of ways. It's also heavily based on Work out and Million Dollar Listing on the Bravo network. When I was considering where Jared's career would go outside of the shop, wanting to expand his world kind of like Jensen's, that seemed like the most obvious choice for me. And shows like Miami Ink and LA Ink have proven that there's a market for that.

2. If you remember back to "I'm Just a Kid," Brayden visited his dad in rehab without ever telling the guys about it. I think if he ever goes again, it's going to be like that. He won't tell anyone - he'll just go. Brayden has a lot of underlying issues, things that he's never really fully dealt with, and eventually, they'll come to a head, I think. You can only cover the anger and pain with so much snark and sex before it stops numbing the hurt anymore. So I think he will have to face Rick again - I just don't know when that's going to be.

3. Another OneShot from Brayden's POV is definitely possible. When I did the first one, it was kind of a character study for myself. I wasn't even sure I was going to post it. And when I did decide to put it up there, I was pretty sure no one was going to read it. I can honestly say that Brayden has been accepted into this verse in a way that I've never really seen an OFC accepted. That means a lot to me.

Even when it seems like the story is about him, the whole 'verse has never really been about him for me. The boys love that kid like he was their own, but when I write, it's always from the perspective of their lives and their relationship and how Brayden shows them things about themselves. I try to remember that, to not let the kid take over the whole 'verse, but maybe it's time to show you what he's thinking again. There's certainly a lot of material that I could use. ;)

4. Ha! Would that I could! I can't tell you how much I would love to see the boys all tatted and madly in love with each other. That would be awesome!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Damn, now I'm gonna have to go back and look. A lot of things have grown and evolved between them in my mind as the 'verse has grown. I've always thought of Jensen as the top in that relationship, and if I had to break it down by percentages now, I'd say it's probably about 70/30.

It's not something they ever discuss. It just happens how it happens, I think. In the first story, they'd been together for three years. In Getaway (where I declare Jensen the top), it's been eight. Over time, I think they've found a rhythm that works for them and a flow that they're both comfortable with.

Ultimately, I'd like to say that it's something that has changed between them, but it's probably more just the shift in my understanding of them that dictates their positions over time.

[plasticine-star.livejournal.com]

Hee! they are bad ass squirrels of love. ;)

Mmm, questions...

1- Will anyone from Disclaimer!Jared's past ever show up? I mean he's famous and I'm sure there are some people from his past that have seen his show.

2- Will the Disclaimer boys ever go back to Texas?

3- Does Creative Control Jensen work for a specific studio/director?

[(Anonymous)]

ya, it does seem that Brayden is maybe using sex as a way to deal..i mean, i guess he is a seventeen year old boy that would do that anyway but there definitely seems to be more to it.

your characters are all so realistic that its hard not to be interested in all of them, Brayden included.

Just one more thing - I recently went back to read part of the first story ..chapter 5..where Jared tells Jensen he loves him.. it's honestly one of my favourite parts, simply because they don't say it all that often so when they do say it, it means that much more - because even though they know that they love one another - i think everybody needs to hear it out loud sometimes, and we all probably wish we had said it more often to the people we do love, so we know they know. I'm thinking maybe the first time Jared said it to Jensen was the first time he's ever said it to anyone? coz he didn't seem to have anyone else in his life that he did love (except for Chad maybe:)) Did he stay with any foster parents for a long period of time or was he constantly moved from place to place? who raised him when he was just a baby, and why did they then give him up? (sorry, I'm really curious about Jared!)
He seems quite well adjusted now, despite what he's been through. Though I'm sure maybe he has issues he also still needs to deal with..?

anyway, I'll stop now:) thanks for the reply.

[kubis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought that it could be their relationship changing over the years, they found a way that works best for them.
I liked the fragment in Getaway when you wrote that Jared, who most of the time is in control of his life, his bussiness and his family, gives up that control to Jensen easily. And how it turns Jensen on (and probably makes him proud, too).

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Well, if I'm going to receive virtual squirrels, I want them to be bad-ass squirrels of love, obviously!

1.) No. Jared's past is his past, and I made the decision back in the first story that Brayden will never meet his mother, and Jared will never know his parents. Fosters? I don't know - It's not something I've ever really thought about before. But as far as his biological parents, you'll never see them and he will never meet them.

2.) Someone else just asked me about sending the Disclaimer boys back to Texas. Jensen has been there, for X-Games in the past, but since he's reconciled with his parents, he hasn't. I would love to take them back, have them head to Dallas and maybe show Brayden around the park where Jensen started skating. I just have to come up with a reason to get them there. ;)

3.) Jensen does not work for a specific studio or director. Though, after twelve years in the business, he's made a lot of contacts and good impressions. There are directors that he works with a lot, and even producers, studios, and networks with whom he has an open invitation - but he's not contracted to one specific place. In the past, he's worked on specific television shows for entire seasons, but at the present time, he's a free agent.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

There's really only one person in the world that kid has ever fully trusted, implicitly and completely, and that's Jensen. It's nothing for him to surrender because that's the one person he knows is only going to do what works for both of them. *sigh* Now I kinda wannna write them again.

[plasticine-star.livejournal.com]

Oh, man I really hope you eventually have them back in Dallas for something. Having Jensen go back to the park where he discovered his love of skating and showing it to Bray and Jared would be so cool. Hee! with how much Jared loves to sit back and watch him skate that would really be a treat. ;)

I had a feeling that Creative Control Jensen was in demand with how professional he is and how serious he takes his job.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

I love that you have questions about Jared's past. Simply for the reason that he prefers it stay there, in the past, until he has no choice but to address it, I leave it there. That's not to say you won't ever see it come back again. Especially if I find a reason to drag the boys back to Texas one of these days.

To answer your questions, though, Jared spent a lot of time getting bounced around the system. The first home he was in was good, but then his foster mom got pregnant with a baby of her own and couldn't keep him anymore. There were some good families who did their best by him, but sometimes their own finances dictated that they couldn't take care of him anymore, or other issues arose that made it difficult to keep a child that wasn't theirs in the house.

He was in a couple of abusive situations, but that wasn't the majority. And a lot of times, especially after he turned eleven or twelve, it wasn't really the family's fault that they didn't keep him. He was acting out a lot - angry and lost. He picked a lot of fights, and partied pretty hard. He was, in short, a handful.

He had a couple of families that probably would have kept him - one in particular that I mention in that section of the first story when he tells Jensen that he loves him. I think they were good to him, and the story says that it's one of the few times Jared regrets he messed a situation up. By that time, he'd grown uncomfortable around people who really did care about him, and was uncertain as to who he could trust and who was going to turn on him later.

Overall, he was a talented kid who just didn't fit in the world he was forced to live in. There was no place for him, no family that felt like his own. Sometimes people ask me why Jared is the one who adopted Brayden - why not Jensen, when Jared had such a distant reaction to him in the beginning. It's because Jared remembers too well what it's like not to belong anywhere, and not to have anything. He spent a lot of years being told by the State that there was nobody that wanted him, that there was no family that wanted him at the time. Adopting Brayden is his way of turning around and saying 'Fuck all y'all.' He fights to give that kid everything he wished somebody gave him, everything they didn't even know he wanted.

And yeah, to answer your question, Jensen was not only the first person that Jared ever said he loved, but he was also the first person who said it to Jared. At least, the first person he ever really heard and believed when they said it.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Creative Control Jensen might be known around Hollywood for his recreational activities in some circles, but he's also known for being a hell of a PA. He doesn't have to worry about job security any time soon.

And yeah, it would be good - I thought about Jensen's parents renewing their wedding vows or something and inviting the boys back to Texas for it. Or possibly just waiting until Christmas next year to send them back. I don't want to hospitalize anyone else.

[plasticine-star.livejournal.com]

LOL! I suddenly got this mental picture of annoyed Jensen having to endure his mom and Jared bonding over a mountain of embarrassing pics/home movies of Wee!Jensen.
Ack! no more hospitals in this verse.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

My sentiment exactly! I'll be happy to never hospitalize another one of these boys ever again. There's a small contingency that seems to think it's unfair that Jared has been unhurt thus far, but if he does get injured in some way, it won't hospitalize him. That's been overdone in this 'verse.

And oh lord, the ammo that Bray and Jay will have for mocking Jensen until the end of time . . . fun fun fun!

[kubis.livejournal.com]

A character who doesn't trust easily or doesn't trust at all is one of my favourite things in fiction, actually. Maybe that's why Jared is my favourite? Well, it's more than that, but still, a good reason. ;)

Now I kinda wannna write them again
\o/ YES, please!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Well, that's good to know. 'Cause let me tell ya - if you like this non-trusting Disclaimer Jared, you're gonna love the new Jared I'm working on. He barely trusts himself, let alone anyone else.

[kubis.livejournal.com]

There's a small contingency that seems to think it's unfair that Jared has been unhurt thus far
Maybe not unfair, but I admit, I'm curious about what would happen if something happened to Jared, but only because I'd love to see Jensen's (and Brayden's) reaction to it, not because I want to see Jared hurt. It doesn't have to be physical injury or something that would put him in hospital.

[kubis.livejournal.com]

That sounds interesting! :>

And I just wanted to say - I LOVE this post! There are so many great things about Disclaimer!verse. :D

[taintedlove.livejournal.com]

Just found this! YAY!

1. In the lastest Bray story you said something about the boys paying for Bray to go to college. Are you planning on sending him to college?

2. Who is the kid you use for pictures of Brayden? Not that I'm going to stalk him and kiss him silly or anything.

3. Indigo is one of my FAVORITES. Any plans on more of that?

4. What happened to Sandy in the Disclaimer verse? She sort of fell off the planet (much like Sandy in real life) AND I NEED CLOSURE, DAMN IT.

5. Have you ever thought about writing in other fandoms?

[shotofjack.livejournal.com]

I love Disclaimer so very much. A question re: the Js and Bray. Any child who has gone through what Bray has would have trust issues and the Js have helped him so much. Yet, the Js don't tell Bray they love him, not out loud. I know they show it but many kids grow up with the complaint of never hearing it said. Does Bray feel this way or is he the kind of kid where knowing is sufficient?
Again, love it and thanks!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Excellent questions:

1.) Brayden's college decision will be revealed in an upcoming OneShot, and I don't want to give anything away, but there will be an argument. He's not going to go the direction you might expect him to go.

2.) The inspiration for Brayden is Dylan Michael Patton. He was a child model, did some Disney(?)-style stuff, and is currently playing Will Horton on Days of Our Lives (where we all know the hottest boys get their start, right?). In the future, his twenty-five-year-old self is based on Taylor Kitsch (but that's super-inside info, so don't tell anybody, k?)

3.) We have actually toyed with the idea of doing an Indigo sequel, but Vamp and I have spent the better part of the beginning of this year working on our own stuff, so I don't know when we'll ever get around to it.

4.) Sandy, in the Disclaimer Verse, is probably the least-developed of all of my characters. I wrote her in before I fell in love with Genevieve and Katie in that story, and they kind of took over her place as Jared's go-to chick. Um . . . this is the worst possible answer that an author can give, but most of the time? I forget about her until I've finished yet another story and she's nowhere to be seen.

So let me pose a question back to you - what would you like to see Disclaimer Sandy do? I'll see what I can do about writing her into something more prominently if you have something that you want to see.

And finally,

5.) I actually spent about four and a half years writing over 50 stories in another fandom, but in the end, I got kinda burned and burnt out. I'm not very good at the multi-tasking, and I kind of obsess over one thing and lose track of everything else. Is there a fandom you'd like to see me write in?

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

It's a good question, and one that I kind of address in the newest Disclaimer story - 'Look at Me Now' - it's from Brayden's POV, and it was posted about three hours ago.

The answer, though, is that the boys barely say it to each other, let alone him. But they show it so loudly, and so clearly, that it's kind of impossible to deny. That, for Brayden, is enough for the most part.

[kskitten.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, I think I would like to find out a little about how the group came together, how people met, I mean we got the fantastic meeting of Jensen and Jared (which I just "re-experienced" with podfic, yay!) but I'd like to know how the merging of the whole group got along. And I guess that's really more of a prompt-idea than a question...

I'll try again:
Did Jensen and Jared go on more dates than just the one when they met? Did they fall into an instant already-dating-joined-at-the-hip-and-just-being-together or was there careful planning and maybe a little bit unsureness?

Sorry, late and a little brain-dead!

[kskitten.livejournal.com]

Yeah, brain-dead. This was obviously about the Disclaimer!verse... And dammit, can't even edit as long as I don't get my damn account renewed! Grrr.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

First of all, I LOVE THAT ICON!

Okay, with that out of the way - it's an excellent prompt idea, and I just might write it up one of these days . . . Or, at the very least, write a very lengthy explanation . . . Hm . . . I know when and how they all came together, but I've only really alluded to bits and pieces of it in various fics. The only idea that keeps jumping into my head is, were you a Firefly fan? Remember the episode where Mal is dying on Serenity, and he's thinking about how his team was assembled?

Obviously I'm not going to kill someone, but . . . OH! I have an idea . . . You might have just sparked the next Disclaimer plot bunny, bb!

Anyway, to answer your question about the Js . . . they dated, I guess. The night after that first one, Jared took Jensen to a party in the Hills. The next night, maybe they stayed in and talked. They're not the most structured guys in the world, so there wasn't an itinerary or anything, but Jared showed Jensen around Santa Monica and LA. Jensen probably picked up the tab for dinner more than a couple of times.

In the first story, I say that they woke up together the morning after their first date and pretty much every morning after that. Obviously, they take business trips and everything, so they're not together every day, but they've kind of been a 'thing' since the day they met. It was instant and immediate for them. Nobody else that they really wanted to spend time with more.

Before Brayden came along, they partied A LOT, but I think they also spent a lot of time alone, just getting to know each other. They were fascinated with each other, and there was chemistry there that neither of them had ever experienced before. Like they had to know each other and be together as much as was possible.

But there was never a doubt - as far as being unsure - that they wanted to be together. And I don't think either of them really doubted that the other wanted to be there, either. It just was. They both knew it, and neither wanted to fight it.

I know - it's too easy and 'meant-to-be' but I'm a firm believer that once in a million times, it can actually be that easy. For them, it was.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

No worries - I figured it out. ;)

[kskitten.livejournal.com]

I am totally on board with them clicking right away and being together that fast! Was just wondering. With them maybe being weary of what they could be. But this works out! Thanks.

And yes, I loooooove Firefly. I am a Joss girl, through and through. He influenced my viewing and character preferences a lot. And I like the Mal dream sequence, I liked even better that they just dove right into the story and delivered an exposition without it really being one a lot later. Just what you are doing, huh? I'd love to see what you are doing with that now!

And I agree, it's a cool icon. eyesthatslay is my go-to icon maker.

[henriettaholden.livejournal.com]

This was an awesome post. It's really fascinating how each author sees their character to how each reader interprets the story.
I know I'm a little late to the game but I always wondered just what were Jensen's Element colleagues thought of Jared, and did Jensen become good friends with any of them.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Your icon made me giggle. Loudly.

And thanks! I love talking about my boys, but I never wanna force more information on people than they want to know, but I figure if you ask, I can tell you. So thanks for asking!

Jensen's Element colleagues probably didn't think much about Jared. They're all laid-back skater/surfer kids who kinda live by the whole 'Do you your way and we're all good' mantra.

And yeah, he stayed friends with one of them. In fact, he dragged him over to handle his business - he met Tom at Element.

[hyperiongirl.livejournal.com]

I think this would be awesome

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's definitely a possibility. I'm going to have to watch some reality television to get the format in my head and then I might see what I can do.

[taintedlove.livejournal.com]

1. Yay!! College!Bray is AWESOME!!

2. He's so cute! Though no matter what I ever see him in, he will always be Bray. ALWAYS. Also, there is not an emoticon to capture my face when you said that secret. BECAUSE THAT MEANS... YEAH. And that was my happy place for the whole rest of the day.

4. Well, in real life Sandy is a member of Mensa, which pretty much means she's a legit genius. So it might be cool to see her helping out Brock with college? Also, I sort of had this idea, but I don't know if it really fits in with the feel of Disclaimer... Hmmm. Let me develop it more in my head and I'll see what you think.

5. Oh! What fandom was it? Do I want to know? ;)
BIG BANG THEORY. I've never read anything good out of it, but if anyone can write AWESOME Leonard/Penny, it's YOU.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

2. He's kind of always gonna be Bray to me, too, though I have to admit that I tuned in to Days to check him out in action, and his hair is way darker now. He's not the blond, SoCal boy that he is in those pictures I'm using of him. And yeah, the future means that . . . there are a lot of secrets in store for the big bad love story I have in my pocket for Brayden.

4. You want Sandy to help Brock to study for college? You let me know what you want her to do, and I'll make it happen!

5. My previous fandom was not one that most people around here would be all that interested in. I wrote ninety percent het in the wrestling fandom. But it's funny that you mention TBBT because I was just watching earlier today and falling in love with Sheldon all over again.

[spilled-coffee.livejournal.com]

Um... is this thread still open?

I have a question about the disclaimer boys.

Why did you choose to give Jared custody of Brayden and not Jensen or both of them together?
(I seriously don't know anything about how this works, so maybe that wouldn't even be allowed or whatever)

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

No, it's absolutely still open.

This is a question that I get asked a lot, actually, and the answer (at least for me) has always been obviously Jared. I know a lot of people don't understand that, so I'll try to explain it this way:

First of all, I couldn't give it to both of them because they are a.) a homosexual couple, and b.) not married. The court would not have granted joint custody to the pair of them.

Jensen seems to be the obvious choice in most people's minds because he comes across a little more 'maternal,' I think (though that's certainly never been my goal). He's the one who wanted the kid in the first place, but remember back to the first story - Jensen didn't want Brayden. Jensen just wanted to help Chris. He didn't really want a kid - he just knew his friend needed help. Granted, he grew to love the kid, and by the tie they were ready to make this decision, and take this step, he was right there on board.

I will never write this into a story, so I'm giving insider info that only I know, but Jensen is the one who pushed for Jared to be Brayden's legal guardian. Jared would never admit to wanting it as badly as he did, but Jensen knew it meant the world to him, so he insisted that Jared be the one to sign the papers.

Which brings me to Jared, and why it's always been my contention that Brayden has to be legally his. Jared grew up in the system, and while all of his experiences weren't bad, a lot of them weren't great. He spent a lot of time getting bounced around, and a lot of time in group homes when nobody wanted him. He never knew what it was like to have a family of his own, one that he wasn't just dropping in on for awhile.
His adopting Brayden isn't just about making sure that Brayden has a place to know that he's loved and safe, but it's also about making sure that Jared knows that he has a legal family that can't be taken away from him.

He's got Jensen, and that's infinitely important to him, but Brayden represents everything Jared always thought he was never allowed to have. The fact that he's got this insane kid who's awesome and loves him and that he loves is kind of the ultimate 'fuck you' to the world for Jared. To everyone who says he can't because he's gay, or because he's a high school drop out, or because his parents didn't want him. It's the ultimate validation for him, for his own psyche, though he will never, ever admit that out loud. Ever.

[spilled-coffee.livejournal.com]

Wow, love the explanation. Especially the part where you say that Brayden is Jared's legal family. Never thought about it that way.

And I never thought Jensen was the more obvious choice because he was more "maternal" (I guess Jared will either laugh his ass off or kill us, if we talk about Jensen being maternal), but because he grew up in a regular family. Because he knows what family should be like.

BTW You Can't Run Forever made me think you should totally write something about the early stage of their relationship. If my boyfriend was freaking out and punching cabinets like Jared did in that one, I'd be pretty scared. So I wondered what it was like for Jensen, learning these things about him.