Another Harvest Moon story! This one centers around another OC, Patricia and her younger brother; Damian when they come to Mineral Town for reasons that shall not be discussed as of yet. Enjoy! Not part of the HMU, totally different!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon but I do own the plot, Patricia and her brother...

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Prologue

It was the Christmas holidays. All over the world people of all religions returned home to spend time with their families; let it be for Christmas or Hanukah or even Kwanza. It was definitely a magical time; when the trees were bare and the world covered by a blanket of white cotton…

The mood was infectious too. Even the grouchiest people came home happy, bearing gifts and smiles on their faces.

Homes were cozy and adorned with hot chocolate and coffee mugs, fireplaces crackling, heaters working overtime in the infinite cold.

It was Winter 24th, known to the world as Christmas Eve.

If it had not been for that reason, Patricia wouldn't find herself in a taxi heading for her parents' house. In fact, if it had not been for her little brother and elderly grandparents, she would not be heading home at all; Christmas Eve or not.

The taxi stopped in front of a nice looking house you expect to see on the cover of a nice novel about romance and family bonds; right out of the American Dream. This wasn't even America and it still looked pretty damn like the Partridge Family's house.

Two stories, finely landscaped yard, three cars pulled up in the driveway, double doors leading into a no doubt perfectly decorated psycho mom's pride and joy…

Pat paid the driver and retrieved her suit case and poorly wrapped presents from the trunk, the taxi driver too lazy to actually help the young lady himself.

"Yup," Pat murmured as she slung more gift bangs over her shoulder, "Chivalry is definitely dead…"

The driver drove off quicker than you could say 'cold', leaving Pat alone of the empty street, staring at the house that had been her prison for the first eighteen years of her life.

You could practically hear the Christmas songs emanating from the entire block, and Pat trudged over to the front door, kicking it hard as her hands were full of her luggage and such. She smirked when the songs from inside the house stopped abruptly. Just a little fun before she was perpetually tortured by the Christmas cheer.

The door opened and a slim woman in an apron answered the door, an artificial smile on her perfect housewife face.

"Hello mother…" Pat muttered.

"Look whose home from college!" she exclaimed, hugging Pat despite all the bags she was holding. Pat stiffened, hoping it would be over soon. After what seemed like an eternity her mother let go and ushered her in, calling out the names of the house's inhabitants in a merry voice.

The house was warm, definitely cozy… but something about it made Pat shudder involuntarily as the memories of the seemingly perfect existence she'd lived out returned to her.

Her little brother was the first in the living room, a big smile on his face as he ran in, throwing himself on Pat who dropped the bags just in time to hug him back.

"Hi Patty! Merry Christmas!" her younger brother Damian said happily, making her smile briefly, "You're late!" he added after pulling away and inspecting the gifts that now lay on the floor, looking for the one that said 'Damian' on it.

"I know I know…" Pat muttered as she picked the gifts back up, "But the plane was delayed because of a snowstorm back in the states and it took me forever to get a cab…"

Her mother smiled, bending over to help her with picking up the packages. "What matters is that you're here now!" she said, handing some packages over to her, getting up, "Where is that father of yours? Donald? Donald! Your daughter is here!"

"I know Gladys," a gruff voice said, making Pat shudder when she looked up and saw him, "Hello, Patricia. How's school going? Better be good considering how much I'm paying for it…"

His tall frame towered over her; something she always found unnerving. His face, frowning, only made Pat angrier. And what terrified her the most was the glass off whiskey he held at his side.

Not even bothering with a smile, Pat acknowledged him by looking at him and placed the gifts under the tree, all the while Damian asking her how school was, what she was doing, is she had any boyfriends.

"School is fine, nice and far away. As you already know I'm studying Comparative Literature; doing good in it actually. My professor's pretty cool… Damian, you know I don't date much…" she added with a sigh.

"C'mon Patty!" Damian whined, "I want nephews and nieces already!"

"I'm 21 Damian! Don't you think that's a bit young to have kids, let alone get married?" Pat said.

"Stop bickering you too!" their mother called from the dining room, "Dinner's ready! Come and get it!"

Pat grudgingly did so, looking at the no doubt impressive dinner her mother had made for them. Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn… the works. Pat ate lightly, provoking a few remarks from her mother and brother. Both she and her father stayed silent, the tension mounting and mounting… about ready to explode any moment.

Thankfully, dinner finished before it exploded and Damian took his sister's hand in his own and led her upstairs to her old room; exactly as she had left it.

"Better get to bed soon," Damian said, heading for the door, "Santa is coming and you don't want him to see you awake, do you?"

Pat smiled. Damian was ten and still believed in Santa Claus. Really cute, but soon he'd find out the truth and it would maybe hurt him…

Damian headed for the door but Pat walked over to him and grabbed his arm loosely, he winced. Pat didn't notice and hugged him tight. "Forgetting a hug, mister?" she asked, forgetting how long it had been since she'd hugged her little brother.

Too long… not since summer…

Damian flinched and pulled away, making Pat freeze. "G-goodnight Pat…" he muttered, heading for the door.

Again Pat stopped him, grabbing his wrist. Damian pulled only to find that his sister's grasp was too strong. After trying to escape for a few minutes, he finally gave up. "Show me your arms," she commanded.

"Patty no-,"

"I said show them to me!" she hissed, pulling up his sleeves-,

Bruises… fresh too…

"Patty I fell-," Damian started, voice breaking.

"Like hell you did!" Pat yelled, suddenly overcome with rage, "I told you to call me if this happened!" as she yelled she pulled his sleeve further back, revealing more and more bruises, "Since when has this been happening!?"

Damian finally sobbed, defeated. He looked up at Pat tearfully, pleading with her to let it go… Her glare made him tell her; that glare meant she wouldn't drop it until he talked. "S-since you left…"

Pat opened her mouth, overcome with shock and disbelief. Every time she'd come she'd checked; just to make sure…. Just to make sure that her brother wasn't getting what she had gotten all her life. He was… she hadn't been thorough enough… and now he'd paid for it.

It was her fault… If she hadn't run away from him to go to college he would be fine. She hated herself for it… "Come," she commanded, grabbing his wrist and leading him to his room, "Get your stuff."

"Pat-," he cried.

"Now!" she commanded, pushing him in and locking the door, running off to her own room to do the same, picking up her thankfully packed suitcase and taking it back into the hallway, where she opened Damian's room to find that he was just standing there.

She heard the TV blaring; they had only a little time, but not that much. Pat frantically grabbed a suitcase from his closet and just started throwing clothes in randomly. When she could fit no more in, she took his hand and ran down the stairs, taking care to cover Damian's mouth and making sure both suitcases didn't hit the stairs.

"What are you doing up-," her mothers started, eyes widening in terror as she saw Pat holding her brother's hand, two suitcases in hand, "Patricia, no!" she gasped.

"Get outside," Pat commanded, throwing both her brother and his suitcase out into the cold, eyes locked on her mother's.

"Donald! Donald!" her mother was screaming.

"How long have you known about this!?" Pat was screaming, "How long did you just sit and watch that monster tear your son up too!?"

She heard her father's footsteps and she ran outside, picking up both her brother's suitcase and him, running over to the cars. Pulling out a key from her pocket, she stuck it in one wheel of each car just as her father tore the door open, eyes filled with fury.

Pat ran, dragging her brother with her just as the taxi she'd called arrived in front of the gates.

She heard her mother's frantic screams and her brother's cries of protest, buts he couldn't care less. Throwing open the door she threw her brother and both suitcases in, looking at the cabby.

"I'll pay you a hundred extra if you don't stop for anything!" she cried, throwing a wad of crumpled twenties at the man, who stepped on the gas and sped down the street as her father came out onto the street after him.

"Pat-," Damian began.

"Get me to Diamond City Port!" Pat commanded.

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Hours later they were on a ferry, her brother asleep in the run-down seat next to her.

When she'd first arrived at college she'd haired a dorm with a black-haired artist; a junior. Over time, they'd bonded and she'd shared stories about the town she'd come from.

"It's the boonies," she explained one night, "No one knows it exists and is just a short ferry ride away from Diamond City. Small town. Everyone knows each other and stuff like that. Really isolated… It's called-,"

"Mineral Town…" Pat repeated as the island came into view.

They'd start new here. Her parents would never be able to find her and she'd be able to keep Damian safe here.

A new beginning…

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This is just the sad prologue setting the stage for what is to come. Wait and you'll find romance, friendship, rivalry, and drama. Reviews are greatly appreciated so R&R!