I haven't finished reading the whole thing yet, but I just had to interrupt myself to say: This:

One way to look at the regular cast of a TV show is that they are a family, biological or of choice. But another way to look at it is that they are splintered parts of the protagonist, or alternative visions of the protagonist, who have the potential to join together like the Uber-Buffy to repair the gaps in the protagonist’s soul.

explains everything I love about the pairings I read and write. Thank you.