Seasons of Jack
Chapter 1 - Drinking With Friends

AN : Obviously I need myself a legal disclaimer, so here we go. My story will be based on the incredible RPG game series called Harvest Moon which is owned by Natsume. I did not create any of these characters, most of them is from Harvest Moon : Back To Nature for PlayStation. My story will be a mix of all the HM series because I just adore them all. Once again, Natsume recieves all the credit for this incredible game.
Now since that's taken care of, this story is about Jack. Jack's from the city, but when he was a child, he visited his grandfather's farm in a very small village of the coast of the main land. Years after that visit his grandfather passed away and leaves him the farm. Jack was faced with the decision to either sell the farm or continue it and trying to cultivate the land to become prosporous once again. Not only is he trying to start things over on the farm, he is also getting to know the other villagers and maybe even getting into a love life himself. His friendship with the people in the village grow more and more everyday, and everyday building a stronger bond with them. I hope you like it. Enjoy.


A hyper sun gently heats up Jack's shoulders causing him to sweat slightly more than he already is. It was nearing the end of spring, and even though it was nearly 5PM, the sun didn't seem to want to set. Summer was just around the corner. The farm that Jack was feverishly working on was filled with dried out plants. Jack was currently hacking away some of the crops he had planted earlier in the season. He sat down on a boulder taking a break and placed his large sickle down next to his feet. A rather small dirty brown puppy came scurrying next to hissickle and found its way to his pant leg. The puppy tugged at his pants and Jack laughed at him. "Hiro, stop. I can't play right now. I've got to get this done before going to see Ann tonight." Ann was this local girl that Jack seemed to have fallen for. Hiro growled at him. "Oh, come on. I've been working hard all day, might as well let me have a good time tonight. She's not horrible." Jack said trying to convince Hiro to let him go. Hiro ended up turning back to his doghouse and disappearing inside of it.

Ann was a girl with radiant orange hair, bright blue eyes, and an incredibly beautiful face. When Jack had first heard of his grandfather's death, and how he wanted Jack to take over the farm, he didn't want to at first. He just planned on just visiting the farm and collecting some of his grandfather's belongings. Jack ended up getting charmed by the friendly townsfolk in Mineral Town and decided to stay. After just a few days in the village he ended up taking up the farm as his own and got started right away. Ann was the first girl he met. Jack stayed at the Inn for those first days in Mineral Town. His grandfather's house was still cluttered with things he eventually finished sorting out and storing away. At the Inn, where Ann works and lives, Jack spent most of his time talking with Ann and helping her clean up whenever he wasn't at the farm doing his own cleaning. While Jack would be working at the farm, pulling weeds or cleaning out his grandfather's house (which is now his house), Ann would come by at around lunch time to give him lunch. Ann always made Jack's lunches and every week it would be something different. She was a great cook considering her father, who owns the Inn, is also the chef. The talent seems to run in the family.

"Hey there, Jack! How's the sickle-work goin' for ya?" A very buff and tanned man came waltzing up behind Jack. Jack took off his hat and stood up smiling at the man.

"Hi, Zack. It's been --- Er --- fun." Jack replied with a smirk.

"I see you're planning to plant yourself some tomatoes and corn." Zack motioned toward a basket filled with bags of seeds with pictures of Tomatoes or Corn on them.

"Oh, Yeah. Basil said to try planting on the first of Summer to get a head start on everything. Considering how he's totally head over heels for plants, I took his word for it." Jack shoved his hands into his pockets. Basil was another local who lived in Mineral Town.

"Yep, sure is getting hot. Well, I'll take the shipment for today and leave you to see Ann." Zack said putting on gloves.

"Yeah sure --- wait ! How'd you know ---"

"As if it isn't obvious that you two are, dare I say, getting to know each other." Zack winked at him. "Plus, you were talking to Hiro over there about dropping by to visit her, were you not?" Jack just nodded.

"Yeah. Right. Well just take the stupid shipment." Jack grinned slinging the sickle over his shoulder.

Zack chuckled as he walked away to the shipping bin. Jack went into his, rather small, house and placed the sickle inside his toolbox. He walked over to his sink to wash his hands and face. He fixed his ponytail and placed his hat backwards on his head. Jack stared at the mirror that hung over the sink. He was slightly shocked at what he saw. When he lived in the city he was nothing close to muscular. He was just an eighteen-year-old with headphones permanently attatched to his skull. Now as he stares at himself and who has become, he smiled. His smile made his already handsome face glow. He was well built now that he's been working on the farm for a while now. Jack's hair used to be short and clean cut. Now his hair was kind of long and always in his face if it wasn't tied back. His hands were strong and rough, not as soft as it used to be. He stopped staring at himself and walked over to his dresser where he changed his shirt. Jack inspected himself again and headed towards the Inn.

The sun had finally gone down and the stars were slowly coming out. The streets of Mineral Town were slightly deserted. Everyone was either eating dinner or already in bed. Most of the men, young and old, would be drinking at the bar at the Inn later on that night. Hanging around there was one of his favorite things to do right before heading to bed. Having a few bottles right before having a good night's rest.

Jack was just about to turn out of sight from his farm when he saw someone farther down the street in front of him. Jack squinted and smiled when he recognized who it was.

"Rick! Hey Rick!" Jack called out. The man in front, known as Rick, turned around and smiled.

"Hey there, Jack! Headin' for the Inn, eh?" Rick asked as Jack got closer to him. Rick had orange hair and rather large glasses. He looked a bit like a nerd.

"Yep. You goin' too? Or is Karen the reason why you're going." Jack said while slinging an arm around Rick's neck. Karen was Rick's girlfriend.

"Eh --- a little bit of both acutally. But, what am I saying? Are you going to the Inn for a certain red-head? Or for some other reason that I haven't figured out yet?" Rick laughed.

"Got me there." They both reached the Inn and Jack pushed the door open.

There was a gust of wind as the heavy oak door moved in. The clanking of glass rang throughout the Inn. Laughter from the men filled the room. The first floor of the Inn had many tables decorated with simple red and white checkered table cloths with condiments and a single candle for each table. The chairs had matching red cushions on them. There were about ten other men inside the bar. The only two females spottedat the Inn were Ann and Karen. Karen sat at the table in the center of the Inn where a small group of men were gathered, covering any view of what was going on. Ann was behind the bar putting the newly washed cups on the shelf. Rick called out to Karen and pushed his way through the crowd. A voice called out to Rick, "In a minute, Rick. She's about to win." It was obvious that Karen was in the middle of one of her drinking games. Jack smiled and walked over to the bar taking a seat.

Jack banged hard on the counter. "Gimme booze, woman!"

"Oh --- Geez! It's just you, Jack." Ann said, startled. She rolled her eyes and turned back to her cups.

"What do you mean --- It's JUST you, Jack !" Jack said slightly leaning over the counter. The counter wasn't that large, it was a pretty small counter. When Jack leaned over he was already within inches from Ann.

"I meant that it was just some guy demanding for a drink from a girl whom he doesn't seem to know how to treat." Ann said, still with her back turned, smiling.

"Ouch." Jack hissed through his teeth. "Mind if I try again?" He said without waiting for her answer. He got up and sat down again. "Excuse me, Ma'am. I would like to have a drink please, if it isn't too much trouble."

"Sure thing, sweetheart." Ann said with a hint of sarcasm. She turned around, her face an inch away from Jack's face. Her voice fell down to a whisper. "Oh, and if you ever speak to me like that again. I'll punch you so hard in the face your pony-tail will fall off." She smiled. Jack felt the sudden urge to kiss her but she pulled away getting the drink for him.

Ann is a tom-boyish kind of girl. She doesn't really wear anything girly. In fact, she just wears plain jean overalls and a yellow shirt. Ann had really long orange hair that was usually braided. It didn't matter to Jack really. She was fun to be with. She never complained about getting dirty whenever she helped Jack with the farm. They went out together once to get some wood to build a fence. They had a race to see who can chop more lumber. Jack won but not by much. Ann was just two logs away by the time Gotz came out to yell at them for causing such a racket. Ann also tried teaching Jack how to cook one night he came by the Inn. It didnt' go so well considering Jack couldn't cook at all. Ann was perfect to him. And he was perfect to her.

"Well, aren't you two the cutest damn things you've ever seen?" A voice called from behind Jack. Jack turned around.

"Hey Karen." Jack said sitting up. "Did you win?" He asked peering back at the table to see Duke, a man who owns the winery near his farm, on the floor red in the face.

"Of course I did, hun." Karen said sitting next to Jack and leaned on him a bit. Rick stood right behind her.

"Yeah, Jack. You shoulda seen it. Karen was leading by about half a pint. Duke didn't even finish." Rick said with a laugh.

"That's my Karen." Ann laughed handing Jack his drink. Jack looked up at her and winked a 'thank you' and drank it all up at once.

"Whoa there cowboy." Karen said watching Jack chug down his beer. She put her hand on his cup and pushed it so that it spilled slightly on his shirt. "Don't get any ideas, I'll beat you so bad you'd skip getting drunk and just go straight to a hangover from hell."

The four of them laughed and Ann just passed out more drinks to them. They sat at the bar and drank for a while. What seemed to just be a little drinking turned into a long night of chatting. It was nearly 11PM when they all finally decided to call it quits. Everyone, except Karen that is. Rick had to go back to the Poultry Farm where he lived and worked, and also to take care of Lillia since Popuri seemed to have been ignoring Lillia and Rick all together. Lillia is Rick's mother and Popuri is Rick's sister. Ann had to close up the Inn and take out the trash before getting ready for bed. Karen was the only one who protested.

"You guys can't be serious. It's only 11PM, the night is young. Jack, you can't be tired. You and I stood up way later than this." Her words were crystal clear. Her heavy drinking didn't even affect her.

"Karen ... Hic I ... home ... take you." Rick realized his words didn't make sense so he tried again.. "Karen's Hic ... Mom wouldn't like ... Karen ... Not walked home --- " Rick quickly shut his mouth and his eyes shot wide open.

"What?" Karen said coldly. Just staring straight ahead. "What did you say?" She said slightly yelling.

"Hic Nothing." Rick said, still petrified. Jack and Ann exchanged looks. Karen's parents were always worried about Karen and her drinking. Karen's mother, Sasha, was usually more angry than worried. Karen's father, Jeff, was just scared that it'd make her sick like he constantly is.

Karen blew up on Rick, taking out her anger on him. It was between her mother needing to realize she isn't a child and her father needing to take more control of her mother where Jack decided to help Ann take out the trash. Ann heaved a bag at Jack and they both snuck out the back of the Inn.

"Geez, Karen's crazy when she gets angry." Jack said chucking the trash into the dumpster.

"Yeah, but everyone has experienced her bad side at least once." Ann replied as she threw her bag away.

"She's never blown up at me." Jack said.

"Well maybe she likes you." Ann tried to joke but she found herself having a hard time smiling with it. It was true, Karen usually hates new people. Ann remebered when Karen first saw Jack she just didn't acknowledge him until she saw him playing with May, the grandaughter of Barley Yodel who owned the only livestock farm in Mineral Town. Karen immidietly took a liking to Jack and became friends faster than anyone has ever seen. "I mean she really has taken a liking to you."

"Either that or she hates me." Jack replied not really noticing Ann's mood change.

"She doesn't hate you." She shrugged it off and started walking back inside. "Karen just hasn't found a reason to. But, I'll give her plenty. Don't worry." Ann put her hand on the door knob and Jack reached out and held her arm. She turned to look at him.

"Do you really have that many reasons to hate me?" Jack smiled at her. He grew taller since he moved to the village too, so he looked down at Ann which he didn't seem to have a problem with.

"What? Oh! No --- No I was just kidding. I-I-I mean you know, I might have some reasons b-but not really hate." She kind of stuttered and blurted it out which revealed that she was slightly nervous.

"Really? Hm. I thought you always had at least one reason why you hated me. That's why you act the way you do" Jack said leaning against the door. He could smell the shampoo in her hair. The smell made him weak in the knees. He wasn't so smooth with girls, yet something about Ann made him feel slightly more confident.

"What do you mean by that?" Ann asked with a frown.

"It just seems like it. I mean, all those teasings and threats kind of give me reason to speculate." Jack said in a slight whisper.

"Well, maybe that one reason why I hate you --- isn't really hate at all." Ann blushed slightly.

"Is it loathe?"

"No! Are you serious?" Ann laughed playfully hitting Jack in the arm. "You know exactly what it is." Jack did know, but he wanted to hear it from her. Before he can reply there was a loud noise that came from inside. They both rushed inside and was surprised to see Rick on the floor and a broken chair under him.

Karen was laughing and leaning on the counter. Rick scurried to get up. It seemed that Rick was slightly drunk and probably tripped over the chair. Karen was still laughing which caused Jack and Ann to laugh as well. Jack was a bit upset that he didn't get anything out of Ann but he decided that tonight was more than enough to confirm that Ann did have some sort of feelings for him. Karen calmed down a bit and brushed her hair back. Karen had extraordianry brown hair and two strands of blonde hair that hung in front of her gorgeous green eyes. There was no doubt that Karen was beautiful. And something about her personality had a dark mystery to it that drew a lot of guys to her. Not to mention that she also is mature, which drew some older men to have crushes on her. The best thing about her, which Jack seems to love about her, is that she always knows how to have a fun time even though it's something you can get in trouble doing. Jack was just lucky that Karen and him were rather close. In a brotherly sort of way, he's found the same care and affection for her as she does for him. Why she chose Rick over any guy that she could have, that was something Jack would never know the answer to. Jack helped Rick up and Karen helped Ann pick up the chair pieces. Ann still giggled as Rick spit out an apology. Karen straightened up and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Well, I'll take him home. My fault he drank so much anyway." Karen tried to take Rick off of Jack.

"No, it's all right. I'll take him home." Jack shifted his position to get more comfortable under Rick.

"No ... Hic ... I'll walk ... Karen ... take home. 'Coz --- 'Coz I'm the boyfriend. Hic Take home boyfriend, Rick." Jack stared at Rick who seemed to have slurred those words right out of him. Ann giggled again and Karen suddenly took Rick onto her shoulder.

"Thank you, Rick. You're such a gentleman." She smiled. "Seriously, Jack. I'll take him home. No problem."

"How about Rick walks you home and I walk him home? There's no way I'm letting you walk home alone, with Rick attatched to your arm." Jack offered.

"Yeah, sounds good. I'll see you outside then." Karen carried Rick out of the Inn and left Ann and Jack alone. Jack turned to Ann and sighed.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." He shoved his hands in his pockets standing close to Ann again.

"Yessir. Tomorrow it is." Ann winked moving closer to him.

"What's for lunch tomorrow?" Jack asked with a grin.

"Whatever it is we threw out in the back. I'll dig something up for ya." Ann smiled and turned around to walk to the back room where her room was.

"Sounds great. I'll look forward to it." And with that, Jack walked out of the Inn and saw Karen struggling to keep Rick standing up.

"Did you kiss her?" Karen asked with a sly smile. Jack helped her carry Rick and playfully kicked her on the behind.

They walked down the street and Karen's house was nearby. Jack placed Rick down on the bench outside of Karen's house, which was also the supermarket. Karen searched for the key in her pockets. She finally had to end up using her hair pin and picked at the lock waiting for it to open. Jack made small talk about the drinking game earlier and if her mother would be mad at her for coming home late. While Karen was explaining how idiotic she thinks her mother is the lock clicked and the door opened. Karen got up to walk inside and stopped at the doorway. She turned around and stared at Jack.

"Hey, Thanks for helping my boyfriend walk me home." Karen smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Give that to him when he gets home." She laughed and closed the door.

Jack wasn't the least bit shocked. Karen and Jack had gotten close like Ann had. Karen has hugged him a lot and gave him small kisses here and there. Nobody really cared much about it because they all saw Jack as a big brother figure to Karen. Jack took Rick back to his house where he stumbled inside, and from what Jack guessed, he fell asleep on the floor the second the door closed. Jack walked back to his farm and quietly tiptoed past Hiro's doghouse. The last thing he needed to end the night was a paranoid dog asking where he had been. Jack quietly went into his house and took off his hat and shirt. He lay on his bed shirtless and sighed. This is just what Jack loved. Having a few drinks with a few friends right before a good nights sleep.