hutch winchester. d10m [fin]

Winchester.

A name built out of infamy and fame; legends wrapped around it's ten lettered connection. The name's lasted for more than a century; with a number of men and women carrying the name to modern day, but this legend, this tale starts in the dead of morning. A calm time where the dew on the little grass in Ten has barely settled into the morning air. The vast scenery of a mostly recovered district, surrounded in vast lands covered in leftover dangers from a war only a number of them remember. The sound of hooves against dirt echoing outwards to the homes on the very outskirts of Ten's reaches.

A dust cloud following the rider until he yanks on the reigns to have the horse stop near one of the homes that resembles more of a shack now. The young man with dust covering his jeans, button up open as the white henley shirt is coated in sweat and dust. The smile on the young man's face as the large brimmed hat used by a number of the citizens from the outskirts of ten is lifted off for a second as he pats a beautiful brown horse on the neck, whispering sweet nothings to her.

"Good job, Lady. You're the sweetest y'know." The words travel with a soft tone as he smiles, letting his hand go from her neck, along her mane until he reaches into the packs attached at her side. Reaching inside, he pulls out letters and packaging from others around ten who've lived on opposite ends for a number of years before even the war itself. Isn't it irony that their family had decided to find a business for their small number of wild horses they'd tamed during the war? A family known for their war efforts on the rebel side, explorers of areas unknown in Panem, trudging forth paths unknown to the capitol. His own father having been a scout out in the ranks of Ten's rebel units, leading many difficult excursions that he had never heard of.

Too young to be involved in a war. It's been a number of years grasping the concept of losing almost everyone he loved to a war he never truly was apart of other than hiding away in his uncle's house on the outskirts of ten. Grimacing at the memories of explosions and the eerie silence of not knowing when the hovercraft would come across, he sets to heading towards the door. Hat off, smile plastered to his lips, and a letter tucked under his arm as he knocks on the door. Straightening up his posture, he watches the older woman come to the door, her eyes smiling as a tray of sugar cookies resides in her hands. "Oh Hutch, you're always such a dear. Come on in." Holding his hands out with a comfortable friendly energy, he furrows his brows.

"Oh Miss Clarkson, y'know I can't come inside. Against the job's policy and all. I appreciate the hospitality though." Trying to give a friendly smile, he watches her come forward, grabbing the letter and wrapping a hand around his arms before continuing. His hands already going to grab the tray to not let it fall down.

"Oh shush, I won't tell sweetheart. Please come in. Let me tell you about my love granddaughter. You two should meet." Hutch finally feels his heart sink a little as he grimaces, while also trying to hide his face. Pulling back and escaping her grasp, he shakes his head and laughs a little. He wasn't looking for anyone at the moment. Buck and Kit, his brothers, were looking for love, but not Hutch. Deliveries needed to continue to happen and he was far more happier just staying on his horse and traversing the fields littered with old war junk that's clearly unsafe for deliveries. It was a job he enjoyed.

"I'm sorry Miss Clarkson, but I have a job to do. I'll gladly take a cookie. That should be good enough right?" She gives him a sad sigh as he smiles. Reaching out and taking one of the sugar cookies that's too crumbly and clearly was going to melt in his bag, he makes sure to smile to Miss Clarkson before continuing to back away now. She smiles back and waves him off as he starts to devour the cookie, even though it wasn't meant for travel, it was one of the softest cookies he's had in a number of years.

Once he's off heading to the next homestead, the same sort of situations happen. Hospitality is apart of Ten and everyone wants to see Hutch fed on this day. Did he not eat enough? Were they just trying to get him to date their daughters? He really didn't know, but he politely declined them all as he continues along his path. Lady giving her all, only snorting after the first hour or so. When they got back home, he'd have to make sure to feed her one of Granny's apples from her tree. Patting her mane is all he can do as they ride off into the wastelands of ten's outskirts.

Rubble litters the earthen ground as a small stream runs through this part, his eyes scanning the area for any sort of movement. It's not fairly often, but on occasion, he's had to take Lady away from areas where strange creatures seem to have been left behind. Most of these wastelands were dangerous for the mines and bombs that never fired off. He'd seen Buck take some shrapnel for one of those on his second trip out, luckily the bomb had only went off when they were at the edge of the blast so Buck was able to heal it off, but it had been the scariest year of his life. Hutch had almost not gotten on a horse after that. If it wasn't for Lady's complaints in their small pasture where they kept their small amount of riding horses, he wouldn't have ridden another horse again.

Patting Lady's neck at the memories, she neighs out quietly letting him know to stick to the stream. He nods, his voice coming out calmly. "Whatever you say, Lady. I trust your instincts more than my own." Hutch had always been more attached to Lady than the other horses his siblings ride. The five of them all had a horse, raised during the war times in case of a quick escape from their home, but they never had to escape from their uncle's house. Due to it being on one of the outskirts of ten, they'd been relatively safe other than the occasional peacekeeper unit checking homes. None of them had known where their parents and older siblings had gone. Only their uncle and grandparents had known. Buck and Kit were told what happened at his age, but Hutch didn't really want to know where his ma and pa went.

He had been happy to just stay around his brothers, or well his cousins really. Only Kit and Buck were actual siblings, but Hutch had been treated like a sibling to his older brothers and his two younger brothers too. A bit of a hodgepodge family they've got, but the war had left them like this. It's still his family and he loves them so. After the games having been shown everywhere, his uncle claims one of them will be in one day. Hutch just hopes that his uncle is an outright liar. They'd done nothing wrong. Only deliver letters and packages to the old folks out in the edges of ten. They've provided a happiness in a place people have not had much of it.

As he comes home, there's the calm sound of Granny cooking dinner. Uncle Jim and Gramps sitting out by a radio as the words play of some old story that's been long since overread a thousand times. Buck and Kit haven't gotten back from their routes yet, but Clayton and Gage were there seemingly playing with animal toys resembling farm animals. As he steps inside, He learns it's a zoo when logs have been put up around the animals as he smiles, ruffling Gage's hair to his dismay. He walks into the kitchen giving Granny a kiss on the cheek as he rolls up his henley and button up's arms as he asks.

"Need any help?" Granny just smiles at him, pinching his cheek as she lets him help her cook some sort of stew. He's mostly chopping vegetables. Especially after last time when he burnt his hand, she doesn't let him do much else any more. A calm silence sets in as he sets about helping her. He's always been a kind boy, treating his grandparents and uncle with respect and always more of the reliable one to help around the home. Buck and Kit used to, but ever since they've reached the drinking age, they spend more time at the pubs than they do bac at home. Usually trying to pick up a gal or a lad, he's not really sure.

Once dinner is broiling, he sets back out to the living area where uncle and gramps have seem to left. Clayton and Gage sound as if they're playing upstairs. Setting himself down onto a nice comfy chair in the corner with his notebook out, he starts to mark down the visits he's done into his little notebook. Looking up to the sound of the door opening, Kit and Buck come inside. Both of which are much more rowdier than him. They shove at one another and he just smiles as they come inside. Buck's voice echoing along the walls where pictures of them as kids reside now. "Hutch! Just the man I was needing, tell KitKat over here that he can't catch one of those rodents down in the basement." Hutch rolls his eyes and just looks back to his notebook as Kit starts to laugh. Kit's voice popping up too. "I told you! Bucky Boy, I obviously can catch one of those rats down there! Even Hutch believes I can. See!"

"I never said you could or couldn't. I think Gage has you both beat. Probably has the rat in some cage upstairs." The two look at him with wide eyes, almost comically so. Hutch only just shrugs as he continues. "What? I'm not their dad. I'm not taking it away from him. Remember that last time Bucky Boy did?" A groan follows from Buck as he slaps Hutch on the back as the three of them start laughing.

Winchesters laughing together in a home built off of safety, they'd spun many many tales before. Hutch was the first one to be spun, a story of a broken family united by bonds, by love, and by care.

Hutch would miss that night. The single night of laughter, of family, of everything he loved about his home.

How lucky he would be to have one last night of freedom and of joy.