Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural

Chapter One: Girl

She's the kind of girl you want so much

It makes you sorry

Still you don't regret a single day

September 29, 1990

It was a warm and sunny morning. Though there was a breeze, it merely carried the heat of the sun. It was the kind of day that most people would have loved to spend outside—the kind of day where laying around in the grass and staring up at the clouds would have been appropriate to do. And most people did just that.

Except for two young boys.

"How long are we gonna be here for this time?" The eldest Winchester son sat in the backseat beside his younger brother—who was immersed with a book he'd been reading since they had left their motel room.

"Just for a few weeks."

"What are you hunting this time?" Dean inquired as he looked from the window and met his father's gaze through the rear view mirror. The man, with his five o'clock shadow and the bags under his eyes, stared at his son for a moment before his gaze flittered back to the road.

"Something scarier than anything I've ever hunted before." And that was all he said on the matter. Dean didn't bother questioning his father. Being only eleven and having done nothing but follow his father around for these last few years, the boy figured he had everything under control as he always did.

The rest of the car ride was quiet, Dean's eyes fluttering shut as he leaned his head against the window. Sam read for a few more hours before he, too, fell fast asleep—leaving John to think to himself about his life, his kids and the choices that brought him to this moments.

"Hey, boys." Dean was the first to open his eyes, his father's deep voice rousing him from his heavy slumber. He blinked several times, his green eyes gleaming as he quickly reached out for his younger brother and shook him by his shoulder. Sam whined at first, but when the shaking continued, he forced his eyes open and looked at Dean first before his gaze fell on his father.

It was dark now. The stars littered the night sky, the warmth now gone and a cool breeze sweeping in through the cracked-open windows. The atmosphere was different in comparison to the day; the afternoon had been relaxing and weightless, and now things were thick and tense.

"We're here," John said with a nod towards the house they were parked in front of. Sam and Dean gazed out the window together before they glanced at each other. Then, the younger boy was opening the door and piling out of the car with his backpack while Dean followed. John watched his sons before his gaze softened. He was quick to follow them, his long strides easily bringing him in front of the two before they were stopped in front of the door.

Two knocks were all it took before the door swung open, a familiar man standing in the doorway, a baseball cap sitting happily on his head. Having expected the visit, the man didn't seem put-off by the intrusion. He merely nodded at John before he looked down at the two boys and smiled. Sam smiled back while Dean nodded, too tired to deal with the pleasantries.

"Good to see you still kickin'."

"Bobby." A small, friendly smile spread across John's lips as he held his hand out and gave his hunting accomplice a firm handshake. "I appreciate this."

"Yeah, well, just be lucky I don't mind the idjits so much." That cracked a smile on Dean's face.

"Boys," John said pointedly.

"Thanks, Bobby," the two Winchesters said in unison. Bobby chuckled before he nodded his head towards the hall.

"You two go ahead and head up stairs. It's late, and the last thing I wanna hear is anyone whinin' tomorrow morning about bein' tired."

"Yeah, Sam."

"Shut up!" The two boys gave their father a goodbye hug, the man smiling slightly as he watched his kids go. Bobby waited until the two were out of ear shot before he turned to John, his friendly expression gone.

"What the hell's goin' on?" John let out a sigh before he headed inside; he could spare some time to explain himself.

"...Let me tell you about Kate."

By the time the sun had rose for the next day, John was long gone. The boys had slept in—for the first time in what felt like years—and when they had woken up, the only person who was there to greet them was Bobby. Still, the two liked their father's friend quite a bit. They had already been left in his care several times before; their rapport with the man was extremely good.

"Mornin', you two." Bobby was at his counter, pouring the kids some cereal and milk; had he known earlier that they were coming, he would have tried to get them some food they could enjoy.

"Morning, Bobby," Dean said while Sam yawned, covering his mouth.

"Morning."

Taking a seat at the table, the Winchesters waited before their current babysitter set bowls in front of them with spoons. "Eat."

"Thanks!" Sam called out before he began to dig in, happy to fill in the void which was his stomach. Dean merely nodded at the man before he started to eat, but as he went for his fourth bite, a sudden banging on the front door of the hunter's home caught everyone's attention.

"What the hell?" Bobby muttered to himself as he adjusted the cap on his head while quickly making his way to the door. He reached for the handgun that was tucked into the back of his pants while he held tightly to the door handle.

"Bobby?!" The three were startled by a young girl's voice. "Bobby, mom—help!" Without another word, Bobby swiftly opened his front door, Dean and Sam now right behind the man out of concern and curiosity.

"Jayne, where's your mom?" Bobby asked urgently while the little girl pointed to the truck that was parked sloppily in front of his house. He didn't bother waiting, sprinting over to the running truck. He tugged the door open, eyes widening when he found a woman leaning unconscious against her steering wheel.

"Balls!" Looking over his shoulder, Bobby waved Dean and Sam away—meaning that this was something Sam was not ready to see. The 11-year-old quickly grabbed his younger brother by his elbow, pulling him away from the door.

"Wait, let go, Dean!" Sam snapped as he looked back at Bobby with a worried look on his face. His eyes landed on the girl standing at the doorway, her eyes not having left the truck once. "We should—"

"—Let Bobby deal with this," Dean finished before his eyes fell on the little girl. His gaze softened as she stood at the door with her arms at her side and her hands balled into tight fists. Her bottom lip was jutted out and her brows were furrowed inward from fear and concern.

"Sammy, just go back inside and finish eating."

"But—"

"Just go eat!" Dean barked before the 7-year-old glared; he did as his brother ordered, though.

Watching Sam trudge away, the older Winchester waited until his brother was in the kitchen before he turned his attention to the little girl. He took a deep breath and knelt down beside her. His presence went completely unnoticed by her, her eyes watching closely as Bobby carefully scooped the woman into his arms and began to carry her towards the house. And even as Bobby rushed past them, the girl remained where she stood, not once changing her stance. Dean remained there for several seconds, not sure as to what he was supposed to do.

"Uh...Hey, you okay?" The girl didn't answer initially. She merely stared at the truck, a tiny trail of blood left in her mother's wake. Dean frowned as he looked over his shoulder hoping, in his mind, that Bobby would appear and deal with the girl himself; he wasn't so lucky.

"...My name's Dean." Finally, the girl turned to look at him, but he was shocked at the cold glare he got from her. She then narrowed her eyes at him before she brushed past him, running into the house and following after Bobby—who had scurried into his sitting room, shutting the doors to the kitchen to keep things private; more so, to keep Sam out. Dean stood to his feet and looked after the girl, his effort of looking uninterested failing. But after realizing he would be no help to either Bobby or the girl, the boy sighed and returned to his spot across from Sam, the two begrudgingly finishing their food.

"How is she, Bobby?" Said man looked up at the two boys as he entered the kitchen, now in a set of clean clothes; his old pair had bloodstains on them.

"She's doing just fine," the hunter said reassuringly.

"Who was that?" Sam asked, the concern laced in every word he spoke. Bobby glanced at Dean, who merely stared at him, wondering the same thing.

"Just a friend of mine. She got herself into some trouble and needed some help," It wasn't a complete lie.

"What about the girl?" Dean asked curiously while the older man sighed.

"She should be alright. She wasn't hurt, thankfully." He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle something like that.

"You boys mind doin' me a favor?"

"What?" the two asked at the same time.

"That girl—her name's Jayne. Could you two keep her busy for me while I talk to her mom. Might help her keep her mind off of things." Sam immediately agreed, always quick to help, while Dean hesitantly nodded. Bobby smiled at the two, relieved to have their help with this; he was glad to know John's kids were alright. "Wait here while I get her." The Winchesters nodded, watching Bobby go.

"...Great." Dean let out a heavy sigh while Sam merely gave his brother a dirty look.

Walking into his living room, Bobby smiled, the young girl sitting at her mother's side and her hands clutching to the sleeping woman's. "Hey, Jaynie." Looking up at the sound of her nickname, Jayne watched as Bobby approached her. "Go ahead and play outside with the boys. I'll sit with your mama." The apprehension was obvious in the way she looked at Bobby.

"Don't worry, they're good kids. They'll watch out for you," the hunter stated evenly; his confidence was enough to convince Jayne. She stood up trudged over to the sliding doors, opening them just enough so she could slip through before she shut them behind her. Bobby sighed, letting his shoulders sag but jumping when Jayne's mother spoke with a raspy voice.

"Thank you, Bobby."

"Damn it, Tracy. What the hell happened?" The woman shook her head, slowly sitting up.

"We were ambushed by demons."

"Shit. What happened?"

"It all happened so quickly. I'm not even sure."

"You send those sonsofabitches back to hell?" Tracy's eyes hardened as she shook her head.

"No, I didn't. But...someone else—someone else came and then...Bobby, I don't know what the hell happened...but he kept Jayne safe." That had explained why the girl had come out of the situation completely unscathed.

"Who came?" Tracy sighed, shaking her head.

"He called himself Castiel."

Sam and Dean had introduced themselves to Jayne, but she seemed completely disconnected from them. Still, Bobby had asked them to keep an eye on her, so that was what they planned on doing. The two convinced the girl to come outside with them, the sun beaming down and creating an inviting warmth. At first, the 5-year-old was apprehensive of playing with Sam. She was silent and hadn't spoken the entire time, but the 7-year-old was determined. He suggested playing pretend-something, hide-and-seek, racing around Bobby's house—nothing seemed to interest the girl.

"How about tag?" Dean suggested; shockingly, that seemed to gain Jayne's interest.

The three ran around the open area just near the entrance of the Bobby's junk yard. Sam had been it first, and strategically, he had been planning on targeting Jayne first; she was the youngest of them all, and he had thought she'd be the slowest. But upon playing the game, he realized that the girl was extremely quick—almost faster than Dean. So, he opted for his brother and eventually got him.

"Jeez...Jayne, you...you're fast," Dean panted at the end, while Sam sat beside him with his legs stretched out and his head leaned back so he was staring at the sky and catching his breath. The girl giggled, panting as well. She grinned at the boys before she shrugged.

"Mommy said I always need to be the fastest one." Dean's expression softened for a split-second as he glanced to Sam, who let the comment roll off his shoulders; if only he knew what this girl was probably going through.

Reaching out, the 11-year-old pat the girl's head, her wide-eyed stare almost adorable to him. "Yeah, well, I bet you make your mom proud, Sonic." Dean smiled at the way the girl laughed.

"Jaynie." Looking up at her name, the child's grin widened as she found her mother standing in the doorway. The woman smiled happily, relieved to see her girl was doing just fine. "Say goodbye to your friends. It's time to go."

"Awe man, already?" Sam whined quietly as he stood up. "Now I'm stuck with him." Dean rolled his eyes, elbowing his brother in the side playfully while the younger boy snorted.

"Thanks for playing with me!" Jayne said as the brothers nodded.

"Maybe we'll see you again! We come here sometimes when our dad works long jobs," Sam said as Dean glanced to his brother before looking at the girl. She merely nodded before throwing a wave over her shoulder and sprinting up to her mother; she was seriously quick.

Sam and Dean remained outside for a few minutes, enjoying the rest of the early afternoon. It wasn't until Bobby came out that they stopped what they were doing. "You boys doin' alright?"

"Yeah," Sam said as Dean nodded.

"Hey, Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"Do Jayne and her mom come here a lot?" Sam asked, catching Bobby off guard.

"Uh, not a lot, but they make sure to stop by every once in a while."

"Good," the younger Winchester stated. "Playing with her was fun, and she even got Dean to play tag with us." That surprised Bobby. He looked over at the 11-year-old, who avoided his gaze and looked over to the side with his arms crossed. The older man stared for a few seconds more before he chuckled, patting the kid on the back.

"Thanks, buddy."

"Whatever." Dean's aloof demeanor was solid, but Bobby knew better.

Because, the truth was, Dean had just been wanting to help the girl. Her mother was obviously a hunter, and being that young and traveling with her and doing whatever with her—he knew it couldn't be easy. So he wanted her to have fun. He wanted her to play like a 5-year-old should. And along the way, he found himself doing the same thing; he played like an 11-year-old needed to. So, in some bizarre way, Jayne had ended up helping him too.

August 23, 1994

"Hey, Uncle Bobby!"

"Good seein' you, Jaynie." The 9-year-old grinned as she hugged the man, Bobby chuckling before he hugged her back. He glanced up and watched as Tracy approached them with their bags. She smiled at him and nodded, the male hunter standing up and motioning for the pair to come inside.

"How's it been?"

"It's been well enough," Tracy said as she glanced down at Jayne. "We're still in one piece." And that was what mattered.

"Good." Bobby continued leading the way, heading towards the kitchen. Jayne frowned as she noticed the door shut; something wasn't right.

"C'mon, kid," the man in the baseball cap called out. The 9-year-old hesitantly did as told, her mother quietly chuckling before Bobby opened the door.

A gasp filled the air from Jayne as her brown eyes widened. She stiffened like a board, two boys jumping out at her and scaring the daylights out of her. "Surprise!" they hollered obnoxiously, Sam laughing at Jayne's reaction while Dean smirked widely.

"Sa—Sam? Dean?"

"Happy birthday, Jaynie!"

Jayne's mother had told her that after their last hunt, she needed a break. She was tired and ready to sleep somewhere that wasn't a musty motel; although Bobby's place was a bit musty, it was so much more like home than anywhere else. And so, Tracy had told her daughter that they would be staying at Bobby's for a day to regroup and recharge—and the girl had no problem with that. She loved spending time at Bobby's.

And every once in a while, she would get to hang out with her two friends.

Recovering from the initial shock, Jayne grinned as she hugged the boys individually. "Sam! Dean!" They returned the girl's hug, Dean patting the top of her head like he usually did. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We've been here for a few days. Dad dropped us off for a hunt he needed to do solo," he explained while Sam nodded.

"Bobby told us you were gonna stop by for your birthday!"

"Sammy, here, thought of this whole thing." Jayne grinned widely before she hugged Sam once more.

"You're the best! Both of you!" And then she turned to Bobby and her mother. "Thank you!" Tracy chuckled as she nodded.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"Come on, let's eat some cake." And with that, everyone piled in to the kitchen.

"Do you see it now?"

"Wait...oh, there! Right?"

"Yep! The big and little dipper."

"Jesus, could you be any more of a nerd?"

The three kids sat outside while Bobby and Tracy sat at the kitchen table, drinking beers and chatting quietly to themselves. The day had gone by quickly for everyone—what, with all the fun the three had been having. The entire day was filled with laughter and smiles, which was rather uncommon for a hunter's life. But even hunters deserved breaks, and even hunters deserved to celebrate birthdays.

Cake had been eaten, presents had been opened, and although the group was small and there wasn't much to open in the first place, Jayne was grateful beyond words. By the end of the day, the girl's cheeks had been aching from all the smiling she had been doing; it was rare to see her this happy.

"Sam! Come wash these dishes up!" Bobby hollered as the 11-year-old groaned.

"What about—"

"Don't bring me into this. I did them this morning," Dean snapped while his younger brother rolled his eyes, huffing before he stood up and dragged himself back inside to do his chore.

"Sammy, if you want I can—"

"Oh, no," the 15-year-old intervened while shaking his head. "Rule's are rules. Birthday girl doesn't do any work."

"Since when?"

"Since always." Jayne threw her head back and laughed at Dean's logic, the boy watching her with a fond gleam in his green eyes. He was glad to see the birthday girl smile; it meant that hunters could live this life and still have something to look forward to.

"Oh, before I forget." Digging into the pocket of his jacket, Dean pulled out a sloppily wrapped object, catching the black haired girl off guard.

"I thought you said you didn't get me a present."

"I just told Sammy that. He made me promise that if I got you something, I wouldn't use the five-finger-discount." Jayne gave her friend an exasperated stare while he held his hand up and wiggled his fingers. She, then, began unwrapping the gift, and all the while Dean watched anxiously; he wasn't much of a present-giver, especially to chicks.

Jayne laughed as she held up a tiny box, a Sonic the Hedgehog figurine inside of it. She looked to Dean as he smiled at the object, leaning forward a bit to get a better look at it his present he got for the girl. "It's not much, but I saw it and thought of you."

"It's awesome!" Jayne exclaimed before she opened her arms and wrapped them around Dean. "Thank you!" The brunet chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his side.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

October 6, 1999

The road was covered in a veil of fog, the gray clouds blocking the sun. The air was cold and stiff, the tension merely growing as the minutes went by. No one dared to speak, unsure of what to say to make the moment pass or to lessen the pain of what was to come. Still, although no one had the words to say, they were all thinking the same exact thing.

Shit.

John glanced back at Sam, the 16-year-old gazing intently out the window while his right leg moved up and down rapidly; he needed some way to release all the excess energy he had bottled up. The father then looked to Dean, who was seated silently in the passenger's seat with an aimless glare. Their father tried to think of some way to comfort his boys—after all, even though he wasn't the best at being a father, it was still his job to make sure that they were alright; he just had no clue how to do that when it came to emotions.

"There!" Dean suddenly chirped, pointing to the shadow sitting at the side of the road. "She's right there!" John barely had time to pull the car over before Sam and Dean were jumping out, running over to the silhouette. The man's eyes softened as he let out a tired sigh, shaking his head; at least his kids had turned out to be caring.

"Jaynie!" Dean was the first to approach the 14-year-old's side, kneeling down and carefully grabbing her by her shoulders. Her gaze was elsewhere, her eyes glazed over and the usual, bubbly aura around her completely gone. Her jaw was slacked and her skin cold to Dean's touch; it almost made him shiver. "Jaynie? Jaynie, look at me." Finally, the girl responded, her brown eyes meeting his green ones. He sighed, relieved that she finally answered him, before looking up at Sam—who had been standing beside his brother with a concerned expression on his face.

Neither of them addressed the blood that stained her clothes and body.

"Jayne." Looking up at the deep voice, said girl watched silently as John slowly approached her with a knowing look. She said nothing—merely pointed in the direction of the woods behind her. The man nodded as he looked to Dean and Sam, giving directions with his eyes. Without having to say a word, they already knew what they were supposed to do.

"...I'm sorry..." Dean and Sam blinked, their father disappearing into the woods; Jayne's words had surprised them. "I...I didn't have anyone else to call...I tried Bobby but..." The 14-year-old lost her voice, suddenly trembling in Dean's grasp. The young man grimaced while he looked at Sam, who nodded and ran back to the car.

"Hey, we're glad you called us," Dean assured, making his voice sound as gentle as he physically could. "We'll take care of this."

She had been on a hunt with her mother. It had sounded so simple at the time, but upon executing the actual plan, things had gone awry. Everything had happened so quickly, and by the time Jayne had realized what had happened, it was too late; her mother had died in her arms.

Barely managing to escape with her own life, Jayne dragged her mother's body across the forest, lost in her agony and completely disoriented. By the time she reached a safe distance from where she had come, tears were pouring down her face, and she was muttering incoherently to herself. For the first few minutes, she paced back and forth, avoiding her mother's lifeless body. Then she began to sob, holding the woman close and begging her to come back. When she realized that her mother would never answer her, she began to hazardously call for help. She called Bobby's number three times, but the man's voicemail had been the only answer. She thought helplessly for a few moments, unsure of who to call next.

Until a name in her contacts list caught her attention.

It had been a year-and-a-half since she had last seen Dean and Sam. They had accidentally bumped into each other on a hunt, and after Tracy and John discussed the situation, they decided to work together. The three kids assisted as much as they could, though John and Tracy made sure to keep them out of the hunt as much as possible; too many people on one hunt sometimes hurt more than helped. The three of them didn't mind though; they merely spent time together and laughed and smiled as they normally did when they were united. And then, when the job was finished, they regretfully parted ways with hugs and goodbyes.

Thinking back on the memory, Jayne had found herself already dialing Dean's number, her hands quivering as she raised the phone up to her ears. She was relieved that her friend had answered only after two rings. "Jaynie?" The sound of his voice made her crack; she was weeping uncontrollably.

After that, it only took the Winchesters a few hours to find Jayne.

"Here." Sam returned to the pair, Dean's leather jacket that had been given to him by his father now draped over Jayne's shoulders. She nodded a thanks to Sam, though she didn't meet his gaze, and she pulled the jacket on tighter, feeling colder than ever before.

Looking up at the sky, Dean and Sam could make out black smoke faintly through the fog. They exchanged glances but made sure not to say much else, letting Jayne have her moment. They sat with her quietly until their father returned, the man wearing a sympathetic expression on his face. Slowly, he approached the three before he stopped behind the 14-year-old and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"...I'm sorry, Jayne." Said girl didn't reply. She sat silently, staring off into the distance, her brows furrowed. Dean raised a brow at that as he looked over his shoulder in the direction that his friend was looking; he frowned when he saw nothing but the cornfield. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you in the car." Whatever signs that Jayne and Tracy had left—John had taken care of it all.

Helping her to her feet, Sam and Dean remained by the girl's side while John led them back to the impala. Jayne's jaw clenched as her eyes drifted back to the cornfield, but when Sam and Dean looked towards what she had been glaring at, they found nothing; no one dared to question her at that moment, though.

The three slipped into the back of the car while John started the ignition. He glanced back at the three and quietly sighed; Jayne's head was leaned against Dean's shoulder while she held tightly to Sam's hand.

He was happy that the three of them had each other.

June 22, 2001

"Shit!" Jayne winced as she quickly stuck her index finger into her mouth, sucking lightly on the cut she had given herself while chopping some vegetables. She shook her head, setting the knife down and rolling her eyes.

"Jaynie?"

"I'm okay!" the 16-year-old hollered while she quickly stuck her finger under the faucet and ran cold water over it. She looked over her shoulder when she heard heavy footsteps against the wooden floor, and she smiled as Bobby peered into the kitchen with a puzzled look on his face.

"What the hell're you doin' to yourself, girl?"

"Cooking. And if you ever did it yourself maybe you'd know how difficult this is," she stated bitterly, though there was a smile spread across her face. Bobby scoffed before he walked into the kitchen and pulled out a beer from the fridge.

"This," he said as he popped the top off of his bottle. "Is the closest way I get to cookin'." That made Jayne laugh.

And then the sound of her ringing cell phone interrupted whatever else Bobby was going to say.

"You mind handing me my phone, Bobby?"

"Here." The man held it out to her, Jayne wiping her hand dry and examining her finger while she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"He left. Sam fucking left." Jayne blinked, surprised to hear the familiar voice from the other end of the line. She quickly glanced at the caller i.d. before she placed the phone back to her ear, looking at Bobby before she nodded towards the front door. He raised a brow at her but nodded, letting her pass.

"Start over, Dean."

"Sam and Dad—they got into it, and now he's gone."

"What were they fighting about?"

"Sammy, he got a full-ride to Stanford." For a second, Jayne forgot the original reason why her friend called.

"Holy shit! That's amazing!"

"Yeah, it is. But dad didn't think so." The black haired girl frowned at that.

"What did he say?"

"Said that it was stupid of him to leave—that he needed to stick with the family and keep hunting. But Sam, he couldn't let it go. And before I could do anything about it, they were shouting and shoving and..." Dean's heavy breath made Jayne drag her hand over her jawline.

"Where are you guys?"

"No where close." Dean knew Jayne's immediate reaction would be to come to him.

"...Now, he's gone." Jayne frowned as she took a seat on the steps leading to Bobby's front door. "...He fucking left me here with dad!" Dean exclaimed angrily; Jayne heard the faint sound of glass breaking.

"Dean—"

"How could he do that? Just grab his things and go? And let me tell you, he jumped at the chance to get the hell out—like he'd been waiting for dad to tell him to leave all his damn life!"

"Dean, you know that's not true," Jayne said quietly with a forlorn look on her face. "Sammy would never want to just leave you behind."

"But he did! He left me here to go live some fake, black-and-white, boring-ass life!" And although the 22-year-old came off like he was angry he had been deserted by his brother, Jayne knew the truth; Dean was angry because his brother was able to live the life he could never have.

"...How many have you had to drink?" Dean didn't answer her question at first. "Dean."

"Nine." The young girl sighed.

"Stop. You've had enough. Don't bother driving back to the motel from wherever you. Just sleep in the impala." She assumed he had taken his father's car to escape. "Drink water, sleep, and let this go."

"...I can't just let it go, Jaynie." His voice was weak and defeated, and Jayne wanted nothing more than to hold him and rub his back until he felt better. "What the hell am I supposed to do without him?" The girl's brown eyes softened before she took a deep breath, deciding to give her friend some tough-love.

"You keep doing what you're doing, Dean. Because, guess what? You sitting here and wallowing in your pity isn't going to bring him back." The 22-year-old remained silent.

"Truth is, if you really wanted him to stay and you really wanted him back, you would go after him and stop him—because you know you can. If anyone can talk him into doing anything, it's you." Jayne didn't miss a beat as she continued. "But deep down, that's not what you really want. You want him to live the life that he's always wanted. And you want Sammy to be happy. The real reason why you're mad is because now you feel like you don't have a choice. Now you have to stay with John and live this life. And you're pissed because deep down, you want the choice of staying or leaving."

"I—"

"Shut up." Dean sighed, but did just that.

"It's your life. When it comes down to it, you can do whatever you want. You could hunt, you could not, you could go and live a regular life like I know you want to. But you won't. And that's not Sam's fault or your dad's fault. That's on you. So don't be mad at Sam for being brave enough to do the thing you're too afraid to do." Jayne was trembling, afraid of what her words would do to her closest friend; she was always honest with him.

"...I've got my reasons." Dean defended bitterly.

"I know you do. But, Dean, you can't sit here and be mad at Sam if this is the life you choose. It doesn't matter what your reasons are. If you're choosing to stay with your dad and do this, then that's your choice. If Sam's choosing not to and wants to go to school—that's his choice. But you have to respect that and be happy about it, whether it sucks or not." Dean didn't reply for several minutes. Jayne let him stew in her words, afraid that if she said anything else, he might snap and take his anger out on her. The silence dragged on for so long, she had thought he had hung up on her, but when she finally heard him sigh, she relaxed.

"I just want us to be together." He wanted them to find happiness together.

Jayne's eyes softened as she sighed, the vulnerability in Dean's voice rare and heart-breaking. "I know. But sometimes you have to find what makes you happy on your own."

"...This sucks ass." The young woman laughed at that.

"Yeah, it does."

"I'll call you tomorrow." Jayne was relieved to hear the faint screech of the impala door opening in the background.

"Sounds good."

"Night, Jaynie."

"Night, Dean."

"...And thanks." That made the girl smile.

Ending the call, Jayne let out a heavy sigh. She stared out at the day, the sun smiling down at her. And although she wanted nothing more than to embrace the warmth of the spring day, she had something important she needed to do.

Opening up her phone once more, the 16-year-old dialed a number and waited. She listened to the line ring three times before her call was answered, a familiar voice greeting her. "Jaynie! Glad you called!" Jayne smiled softly.

"Hey, Sammy."

October 28, 2005

"I told you not to underestimate that damn poltergeist."

"I didn't! I just...okay, maybe I did, but it all worked out in the end."

"Idjit."

Jayne yawned while she wrapped her forearm, the gash she had received from her recently-finished hunt now clean and managed. Her body was sore, but she was relieved that she hadn't suffered from any major damage; the last thing she needed to deal with was a hospital trip.

"You planning on coming back home now?"

"Yeah. I'll head over tomorrow morn—" Before she could finish her statement, a knocking on her motel door caught her attention. The 20-year-old blinked before her brown eyes narrowed; she wasn't expecting any guests.

"Who the hell's that?"

"Not sure," Jayne replied back quietly. She quickly reached for her Beretta sitting on her nightstand, undoing the safety and holding her gun behind her back. Cautiously, the hunter approached her door, slowly reaching for the handle and leaning her head against the wood. She remained silent, trying to listen to whoever was on the other side.

"Jaynie, open the door. It's just me." That made the woman blink.

"Uh, Bobby. I'll have to call you back."

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good. But, just to let you know, I may not be coming home for a bit." And with that, she ended the call.

Pulling the door open, the black haired woman stood in her room with her hip jutted out, her hand resting on her hip; she was still holding her gun. "What are you doing here, Dean? And how the hell'd you find me?" Said man was wearing a cheeky smile across his face as he took a moment to examine his friend.

A whole two years had flown by since Dean and Jayne had last met. The man had stopped by Bobby's without his father—the two men having had a major fall out years back. The Winchesters had been in the area and had also just finished up a hunt, so Dean had decided to stop by to see his friend. He was glad to see that she was doing well, and he was even more happy to see that she and Bobby were making things work together; she'd been staying there ever since her mother passed.

Although time had gone by, Dean still made sure to keep in contact with her. They talked frequently on the phone—sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for just a few seconds. Either way, hearing her voice after a long day brought him a sense of comfort; seeing her in person made him feel a few other things.

She had grown up. Her black hair had lengthened and was now down to the middle of her back, and her brown eyes were as bright as ever. She had grown into her figure, owning the fact that although she was lean, she still had an hour-glass kind of shape to her body; Dean could appreciate that. Not only had she grown into her body, but her face had also filled in and thinned out. She was still short, much shorter than the 26-year-old. And although he gave her shit for it any time he saw her, he didn't mind the difference.

"Nice to see you too, Jaynie." The girl grinned before she nearly jumped into her friend's arms, the man chuckling as he hugged her back, lifting her from the ground slightly. After a moment, he set her back down, placing a hand on the top of her head—as he had done when they were kids.

"Here, come in." Stepping aside, Jayne watched as Dean strolled in, his eyes roaming the room before they roamed her body one last time.

"What brings you to Salt Lake City?" the woman asked as she watched her fellow hunter take a seat on her bed. He sighed before cracking his neck, realizing just how tense his body was from driving for so long.

"I need your help."

"My help?" That caught Jayne off guard. "Help with a hunt?" Dean sighed once more before he looked up with Jayne, giving her a solemn stare.

"I need help finding my dad."

Hello, whoever is reading! After a long time of contemplating, I decided to post this story online! I came up with the idea a bit ago, having binged-watched the series and loving it the minute I started. I'm completely caught up now, which my friend warned me that I would just fall in love with the show, and now, here we are!

Supernatural is the kind of show that's action-filled, yet still funny and also suspenseful all at once. Obviously, whoever is reading this knows that already. So, with that being said, I wrote this story because I'm honestly so tired of seeing the guys go through so much shit! It's almost just unfair as to how their lives turned out, so I decided to write a story in which the apocalypse is avoided. This story will follow the plot up until a certain point, and then from there it will branch off into its own thing. So, this is a warning to readers who are more interested in stories that follow the plot! Sorry if you do not like the idea of branching off! There's still going to be a dark element to this story and a serious element, and this is by no means a story about finding complete happiness. I just wanted to be able to write a story where Dean and Sam aren't always miserable and giving so much just to be kicked in the ass again LOL Also, as another warning, this story is rated "M" for violence, sexual content and language. I figured that I should just get all the warnings out on this first chapter now before whoever is reading goes into this any further. There will be a few more OC's other than the first one that has been mentioned, Jayne. Of course, there will also still be the same characters that we love that will make an entrance! So don't worry about that! They're too good not to write :D

Well, now that I've placed all warnings in this chapter, please read and enjoy! If there is anything I can work on or anything that is missing, please let me know! I'm very open to criticism, just as long as it's presented in a polite fashion :) I hope to keep all characters in-character, so if that seems amiss, definitely inform me so I can correct the mistake right away! Otherwise, please read and I truly hope you like this! I've put a lot of thought and effort into writing this, so hopefully it shows.

Thank you!