Not really a fully formed idea, just something thats been bouncing around in my head for a little while.

That in the very beginning of the series it is John who shows up at Stanford to find Sam because Dean, not their father, has gone missing.

John tells Sam that Dean has been missing for over a month and the trail has gone cold. Sam is angry that John did not tell him long before now, but he agrees to leave school to help him find his brother.

When they finally find Dean... that is where my idea kinda runs out lol. Something is definitely different or wrong with him, but haven't decided exactly what yet. Probablly something bad, because I just love angst

Anyone want to help flesh out this plot bunny a little, let me know.

Thanks for the ideas you gave me an idea to combine this plot bunny with my other werewolf idea

I think the two together will work VERY nicely, especially since John will still be alive as well to add to the angst potential.

Two plot bunnies are better than one hehe. New and improved plot bunny to follow...

Two years after Sam has left his family, and the hunt, forever John Winchester shows up at Stanford one night out of the blue asking Sam to come with him to help him find his brother who has been missing for six months. Sam is torn, he has no wish to return to the hunt, especially not with his father, but he would never abandon Dean, so he agrees. Jess can be a factor, or not, depends how it goes.

When they finally find Dean, they discover he is a prisoner of a pack of werewolves, the leader of which has bitten Dean, turned him, in hopes that he would become her new mate. John and Sam do not realize he is turned at first, until after they rescue Dean and he begs them to kill him. He can't remember the time he's spent as a werewolf, but he knows he has killed innocent people, and doesn't want to risk killing anyone else, especially his father or brother.

Here, either John can agree to kill him and Sam stops him, takes Dean and runs, trying to find a cure. Or John refuses and helps Sam try to keep Dean from killing himself, and attacking people while he is turned, while they both search for a cure. Either way is good for me.

As if that weren't enough problems to deal with, the pack is still after Dean, and Dean begins to realize his feelings for Sam have changed drastically, and it is the reason why he never succumbed to the pack leader's advances. Wolves mate for life, and he has already chosen his. Sam.