The Joys of Being a Winchester

Chapter 1

It was a peaceful day in Concord, New Hampshire. The birds were tweeting despite the bitter cold, the sun shone down on the cheerful residents and there was nothing in sight that could've ruined Jayde Thomas's day. A normal day in her now normal life, something that she was both thankful for and something she regretted choosing. She never wanted to leave her two brothers and the life of a hunter behind but had no choice in the end; her deranged father had taken it too far. Jayde hated thinking about her old life but couldn't help it, it only happened about 2 years ago, when she was 14 years old.

Jayde had ideas about escaping the Winchesters for many years previous but never left, because even with her abusive father and certain trauma she had her two brothers Sam and Dean to care for her, to love her. All of that changed when the family were staying at a small shack and Jayde hid in the bathroom to try hide her tears, the screams being exchanged between Sam and John painful to hear. Then the door slammed, and without thinking, Jayde jumped out the window to run around and meet Sam in the front yard.

"Sammy? What happened?"

He turned to see Jayde's tear stained face, his angry eyes transforming into the soft and gentle gaze Jayde felt so safe with. He sighed and collected himself: serious Sam.

"Don't worry Jay, I'm going to help people. Just not how we help people. I'm going to Stanford."

And he left Jayde standing in there, tears silently streaming down her face. She watched him reconsider for a moment, take a glance back at the Impala and house but shrugged it off, turning to walk down the long stretch of road before him. That was the worse night of her life, and it wasn't even the end of it.

The plan to escape was set only two days after Sam leaving and was executed perfectly; Jayde first making sure she stole enough food and money to last her a week or two until she settled down somewhere. She left a small envelope on the table containing her fake suicide note, describing how despite everything she couldn't handle the life, she loved everyone but had to do this blah blah blah. Some truth was in those words but never would Jayde really give up that easily. Sneaking through the back window Jayde crawled through the overgrown shrubs that hid a stolen bicycle, her getaway vehicle. She made sure the backpack was strapped on tight and turned to look back at the house. She felt her eyes begin to water but didn't care; she was just escaping abuse in reality. Then she rode. She let the bike take her wherever, turning at whatever turn and stopping wherever she wanted to stop. It may have been little but Jayde's first taste of freedom was beautiful, and nothing would stop her from having that feeling again. She rode for a few days until reaching New Hampshire, finally finding a place that her brother and father would hardly visit if ever. Jayde adjusted within a day, finding a motel to crash at for a bit before getting a job and earning money to rent a small flat. In just a few months her life was good for the first time since she was six months old.

Now after changing her last name and becoming someone completely new, Jayde lived the normal life of any 16 year old girl. She hadn't been able to go to school but had a well paying job, a nice flat and friends; an apple pie life.

On this peaceful day Jayde had woken up to hear the postman dropping off the newspaper like every other Sunday. Bleary eyed, she rolled out of her small bed to land on the hardwood floor, the entire place moaning slightly as she got up. Stumbling out of her room to the small kitchen and living room connect Jayde turned on the cheap coffee machine and looked around the small space, impressed by the way she had styled it so. The white walls were clean and complemented the dark wood below. Little furniture took up the room, a small couch and armchair wrapped in grey fabric splattered with coloured cushions took up most of the space, a small space having just enough room the fit a cheap glass table seating four. The white of the kitchen cabinetry combined with the neutral living room so perfectly that Jayde couldn't help but be proud of her work; it had really become a home. The scent of coffee wafted throughout the entire flat as she went to pick it up the paper, skimming the headlines. A celebrity divorce, an over-achieving student, a new fashion trend; nothing exciting, nothing odd.