Somewhere to Begin MASTERPOST (NC-17/R)

[blue_bells]

» Title: Somewhere to Begin (read on: PDF | AO3 | LJ)
» Author: _bluebells
» Artist: chosenfire28
» Beta: ladyknightanka, mishaphappens
» Genre: Supernatural Other Slash
» Pairing(s)/Character(s): Michael/Adam, Dean/Castiel, Lucifer/Sam/Gabriel, Raphael/Balthazar, Bobby
» Warnings: NC-17/R for violence, torture, gore, dub-con, angelcest, language, alcohol, and character death
» Spoilers: All seasons, AU from Season 5 finale
» Word Count: 96,000w
» Summary: Adam Milligan was just another casualty of the engine of the Apocalypse. After Michael breaks them out of the Cage, Adam is accidentally thrown into the future where peace has finally settled by strange circumstances. With his memories sealed to protect his sanity, Adam learns the censored, Apocalypse-free version of the life he's forged with a suite of archangels, a crabby adopted Uncle, and brothers he never knew he had, but this has all happened before and will happen again.



Art by the wonderful and gifted chosenfire28 | ART MASTERPOST


Somewhere to Begin

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10

DOWNLOAD as PDF (updated 19-09-2011)

Timestamp: Genesis 1:31 (Michael/Adam, PG-13)


»Notes, thanks, and acknowledgments
Firstly, eternal thanks to my betas (mishaphappens and ladyknightanka) who did not use my spine to pick their teeth when I sent this to them so late in the game. I adore you both and appreciated your help more than you'll ever know.

This story would not exist without my cheerleader, beta, and amazing friend ladyknightanka. This story would not have started, sustained, or had a hope of finishing without her tireless enthusiasm and encouragement. She is also the reason I was first exposed to the idea of Adam and Michael as a couple and it was through such delightful crack, I was hooked. But then my overanalytical brain challenged me to attempt it seriously. So, I did. Then I was challenged to make it happy. Oh, dear God.

And so you find yourselves here, weary travelers, at the door to my sprawling adventure. I would love you dearly if you let me know how you thought it went, but above all, I hope you enjoy the ride!

This story could have easily been three times this length for all the explaining and screwing up these two (and their families) would have to barrel through to get it right, but fortunately we have deadlines to make sure things actually get delivered. Timestamp fic is always a prospect for the future.

Secondly, I have to shout out to my amazing artist, chosenfire28, who continued inspiring me with her gorgeous art for this brainchild I dreamed up one night in a hotel the morning of a friend's wedding. I really lucked out with her not only for her talent, but her patience and experience as a seasoned Big Bang mod to navigate me through these waters as a first-timer. It has been an absolute blast working with you (and I can't wait to do it again on xmenbigbang, for lulz)!

Finally, I have to thank my cheerleaders, wordwar and plotting buddies on the tweetverse who helped me slog through the words when they refused to commit themselves to keyboard: zekkass, synnerxx, theinsaneeraser, grlkat2, thedreamisreal, and morganoconner.

This story is for all of you. ♥


» Somewhere to Begin, a brief rationale or 'Why, oh why, would anyone ever want to do this? And who is this Adam kid, anyway?'
A year ago, I couldn't tell you much about Adam Milligan and I certainly didn't care who he was. He was that writer's ploy first introduced in the Season 4 episode aptly named 'Jump the Shark' (4x19) where Sam and Dean's binary orbit was upset with the introduction of a younger brother they never knew they had. As this story will show you, I love families, but I couldn't see why the show thought it needed another blood relative (half though he was).

Like many characters that pass through the stage of Supernatural, Adam was a plot device. He came and went as he was needed, no less and no more than three times across the screen, before he was put into indefinite storage: Jump the Shark (4x19), Point of No Return (5x18), and Swan Song (5x22). In only ONE of these episodes do you see Adam for Adam and all indications show he might have been a good fit in TFW at least for a little while.

So, why write an entire Big Bang about this minor character?

Supernatural totes itself as the paradigm of all that is great and terrible about putting family first all the time, every time, at the ultimate risk and expense of everything else. This includes, friends, allies, and even romantic interests (refer: every woman that Sam or Dean has ever become involved in). Let's not even get into the implications for longterm mental and emotional wellbeing. Adam didn't grow up with Sam, Dean, and John, but when he was dragged into their violent and horrifying lifestyle, they tried to integrate him, he was briefed, thrown into the fray, and written off as another unfortunate casualty when he fell down a deep hole and couldn't climb out.

This is the Sam and Dean Show (with Cas and Bobby for refreshments), make no mistake. However, I found the show's writing incredibly sloppy and counterintuitive for Sam and Dean to move on with as little on-screen guilt as they did for condemning their estranged brother to an eternity in the Cage with two of the worst angels of Judeo-Christian texts: Michael and Lucifer. In case you've been living under a rock in isolation since the beginning of time, that's the Devil and The Brother Who Kicked Him Out of Heaven.

Adam was a victim of circumstance. So, this is the story about how he climbs out of that hole (he had a little help on the way).



»Somewhere to Begin: the FANMIX
A lot of us write to music for inspiration and while my inspirational soundtrack owes credit to Hans Zimmer, Bear McReary, and occasionally even a cover song from Glee, there was a primary tracklist of over twenty songs that formed the theme of this story for me. Here are the ten I found the most relevant in lyric and sound, I hope you enjoy them!

(And can I get a hell yeah for chosenfire28 who, a week before the posting date, turned around without hesitation when I mentioned this and said, "Fanmix? I would LOVE to do art for your fanmix". And so she did. She is amazing, peoplefolk.)


[DOWNLOAD] Somewhere to Begin: the Fanmix


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[DOWNLOAD] Somewhere to Begin: the Fanmix

1. My people // The Presets
I’m here with all of my people
Shut down with all of my people
So let me hear you scream if you’re with me

Still the celebration haunts
Today I
Heard it on the radio
You’ve gone and found a way to get me out from this place


2. Futurism // Muse
Ignorance pulls
Apostasy and apathy still rules...
Just suck and see
A future turn us into silent gods
And I won't miss you at all


3. Human beings // Seal
It is only love I feel
That will give us peace of heart
In my hour of desperate need, I

Feel closer to the one, oh, but why...
Please, human being
If you bleed they will say it was destined


4. Those Thieving Birds (Part 1) / Strange Behaviour / Those Thieving Birds (Part 2) // Silverchair
This is tearing me apart
If the sun won't shine
Forever will never be fine
Underneath the hollow ground
Lies a night time sky
For only a desperate eye


5. The sky is falling // Lifehouse
I'm alive but tell me am I free
I got eyes but tell me can I see
The sky is falling and no one knows

It shouldn't be hard to believe
Shouldn't be this difficult to breathe
The sky is falling and no one knows


6. Please read the letter // Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Too late, too late
A fool could read the signs
Maybe, baby,
You'd better check between the lines

Please read the letter, I
Wrote it in my sleep
With help and consultation from
The angels of the deep


7. Sight // Takeshi Kobayashi
Instrumental


8. Across the universe // Rufus Wainwright
Sounds of laughter, shades of earth are ringing
Through my open ears inciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns and calls me on and on
Across the universe

Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world


9. I’m yours (from the Casa Nova sessions) // Jason Mraz
Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing, we're just one big family
It's our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved

So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours



10. Somewhere only we know // Keane
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh simple thing where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin