*skids to stop* Is it too late for me to jump in on all this?? I completely agree with the GUT of Dean as presented by ignipes. It's something I've explored before (though not in this fandom) and written about; the idea of someone who is a complete misfit in ordinary circumstances, primarily because what they're good at is geared towards more extraordinary circumstances (which generally happen in the course of the story). Dean IS damn good at what he does, whatever Sam thinks about it, and while its not a "normal" life (or one with a lot of longevity), it's a pretty good life as far as it goes.

My theory is the "mom isn't what she seemed/seems to be" theory at the moment, also based on her apology in "Home". I think she might have either been a supernatural creature herself or something like a witch or psychic. And Dean's more like John, but she passed it on to Sam, which explains why Sam's such a magnet for that sort of thing and Dean isn't. I don't think John's dead (although I did have that thought), but I do think he's found out there was more to Mary than met the eye, and he's afraid that the boys might have 'it', whatever 'it' is, and thus is keeping his distance. Firstly because he's afraid he might have to kill them, if they turn out to be somehow inherently evil, and secondly because he does love them and his sense of betrayal would extend to them as well as Mary.