It's true, though -- I wouldn't think of the happy-ending ficfolk as guardian angels, precisely, but they do help us to deal with, well, not only the mistreatment of characters but also our own RL issues. I find writing Remus to be very cathartic for me; instead of whining about my life, which in some ways is very similar to his, I can write about his life and work through my need for self-pity that way :) So you definitely are on to something there.