A/N: Another story in the "Come Awake" series, this one is based on Dia Frampton's song "Billy the Kid". Enjoy!

Happy reading,

angellwings

In My Sights

By angellwings

The sheriff knocked on the door of a pretty girl
Tipped his hat, said, "We gotta have a look around.
We'll give you cash if you tip off the fugitive."

Caitlyn's beat up Jeep pulled up outside of the venue and Jason smiled as he spotted it out of one of the windows. She was here and she'd brought Ella.

"Nate!" Jason shouted down the large corridor.

"Are they here?" Nate called back eagerly from his spot by the venue's back door.

Jason nodded. "Jeep just pulled up."

"Good," Nate said as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Jason grinned at his youngest brother and then nodded. "This was a good idea, by the way, Nate. You did a good thing."

Nate looked nervous as he sighed and ran a hand through his curls. "I hope so because the only other outcome is that I've just screwed up Ella's life forever."

The doors burst open and Caitlyn and Ella briskly marched through them. Ella immediately wrapped her arms around Nate in a grateful hug. Jason smiled softly at the two of them as Ella held him tightly and closed her eyes. There's no way he'd ruined Ella's life. He'd saved her, and she knew it. Her parents didn't deserve her and Ella was better off starting from scratch and finding her own way in the world. Jason wouldn't normally support running away but it seemed to be the best option in this situation. Caitlyn came to stand beside of him and watched Ella and Nate with a level of warm affection on her face that he'd never seen before.

"Caity?" Jason asked her in concern. "You okay?"

She smiled peacefully at him and nodded. "I'm fine. Just happy that my friend is happy. She deserves it, you know?"

Jason nodded with an affectionate smile and reached over to take Caitlyn's hand. She gave him a surprised look but smiled shyly at him and relaxed. Things with Caitlyn were complicated at best. He knew she had feelings for him and she knew he had feelings for her, and Jason knew what he should do about it. It was a scary thing though. Caitlyn had admitted to him that she wasn't the easiest person to love and that her dating history wasn't really a shining example of commitment. He knew these things about her and those were the things that terrified him. What if he gave her his whole heart and…she left? He wasn't a terribly exciting or intelligent guy. He was a slightly above average guitarist who happened to have super talented song writing brothers.

It was entirely possible she would become bored and leave him to find someone more exciting. He didn't think he could handle that.

"She's gonna be okay, right Jase?" Caitlyn asked as they watched Ella continue to cling to Nate with her eyes shut tight.

"Yeah, I think so. She's got us to get her through it. She's not alone," Jason said with a nod.

"That's what I love about all of us," Caitlyn said with a contented sigh. "None of us are ever alone."

"Ever?" He asked Caitlyn with a curious glance.

She smiled at him and nodded. "Anytime you need me, Jase. I'm there. Just call me."

He squeezed her hand and smiled hopefully at her. "Promise?"

She nodded. "Promise."

He may not have been the most ambitious, the most talented, or the most attractive of men in the world, but he was one of the few who could say that Caitlyn Gellar truly had his back and that made him one of the luckiest. She was fiercely loyal, stubborn, and a fighter. If she was on your side then you were guaranteed a victory. Jason beamed at her and kissed the back of her hand quickly. "Thank you, Caity."

She blushed and smiled brightly. "No, thank you."

"Are you going to stay for a while?" Jason asked anxiously.

She stared at the hand he'd just kissed for a moment before she answered. "Um, you know, I think I will. I mean, it's summer, right? What the hell else am I gonna do?"

She bit her lip, she was in love and acted clueless.
He grabbed her arm and said, "We heard you been a harborin'.
Give him up, I give my word I'll keep your name clean."

She steered 'em clear of the cracks in the floorboards and
Said, "You'll never find him, you'll never find him!"

Later that night he and Caitlyn were sitting on his bed in his hotel room as they talked and watched late night television. Caitlyn suddenly muted the television and turned to face him nervously. "Have you, um, had a chance to think about what we talked about after Final Jam?"

He blushed and gulped. "Caitlyn, I…"

She sighed sadly. "Must be bad news. You called me Caitlyn."

"I'm just not sure we're ready for that yet," Jason said slowly.

Caitlyn bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "No, I am, Jase. The question is…are you?"

He let out a frustrated groan and ran a hand through his curls. "What if you get sick of me and leave? What would I do then, Caitlyn? I'm just…not quite there yet."

She nodded solemnly and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "You don't trust me yet."

"No, I do! I trust you!"

"Just not with your heart, right?" Caitlyn asked sadly.

"I want to," Jason said softly. "I really want to."

Caitlyn smiled softly at him and nodded. "I get it, Jase. No worries, I can wait."

"Wait for what?" Jason asked in confusion.

"I can wait until I've proved to you that I'm not going to hurt you," Caitlyn said as she continued to nod slowly. "And I will prove that to you, Jason."

He grinned slightly and nodded. "I believe you."

And he really did. She was determined and he could see the fire in her eyes.

She took a deep breath and unmated the television before she asked him one last question. "So, are we okay?"

Jason reached over and squeezed her hand. "We're great."

"Good," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "I wouldn't want my being rejected to make things awkward between us."

Jason chuckled and shook his head. "Not rejected. Just…postponed."

"Can you promise me something, Jason?" Caitlyn asked with a pleading glance.

"Anything, Caity," Jason said as he kept a tight hold on her hand.

"If you ever change your mind and...you decide I'm not the kind of girl you want," She took a deep breath and when she continued her voice was full of emotion. "Will you tell me? So I can move on, please?"

Jason closed his eyes and kissed the back of her hand. He hated himself for this. She may seem fine but he was hurting her. He could tell, and he couldn't stand that he was the boy about to make her cry. "For what it's worth I don't think I'll be changing my mind."

"Jason, can you promise me that or not? I—I've been led on before and I'd rather not have that happen again. Just tell me if you find someone else? Or if you decide you just can't see a future with me. I'd like you to be honest."

"Caity…"

"Promise me, Jason," Caitlyn begged.

"I promise," Jason said after a moment of hesitation.

"Thank you," Caitlyn said before she slowly stretched out across his bed. "That's all I want."

Jason watched her closely as she closed her eyes and yawned. Earlier he'd been worried about her hurting him but now…now he was worried about him hurting her too. Caitlyn pretended to be strong but he knew better. He knew how fragile she really was, and the thought that he might hurt her somehow killed him.

"Caity," Jason said quietly. She opened her eyes and sniffled before she turned to look at him expectantly. "I don't want to hurt you either. I hope you know that."

She smiled slightly and nodded. "I do. I know that."

"Good," Jason said as he breathed a sigh of relief and lay down next to her. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

I've had you in my sights, my arms for so long.
Where did you go? I didn't know.
I've been around here waiting for so long, so long
And I'll wait for you.

Caitlyn decided to stay with the tour for two weeks and then she needed to be in California to get settled into her apartment and start her internship. She'd been very attentive since they'd talked the other night. Attentive and yet not clingy. She'd been, in a word, perfect. He left sound check and made his way down the corridor to the wardrobe room where Ella and Caitlyn spent most of their time and as he rounded a corner he overheard Caitlyn talking with a crew member. He looked up and noticed the guy that was talking to her. He was tall and broad shouldered and wearing a very snug t-shirt and jeans. Jason could tell by his body language and his expression that he was interested in Caitlyn.

Jason huffed and turned to leave. It was over. This guy was going to charm Caitlyn and then she'd be gone. He'd lose his chance.

"So, um, you'll be here for tomorrow's show right?"

"Mmhmm," Caitlyn said with a sigh. "I'm here for two weeks, Chad. Remember?"

"Uh, right," Chad said with a nervous laugh. "So, would you like to go to dinner with me after the show tomorrow then?"

"Oh," Caitlyn said in a shocked tone.

Jason ducked around the corner and decided to watch. He shouldn't but, he needed to hear her answer. He needed to hear her say yes so he could accept it.

"Oh, Chad," Caitlyn said in a strange tone. "I'm sorry. You're a really nice guy, but…no. I'm sort of involved with someone."

Jason grinned slowly. She'd turned him down. She'd turned Chad down for him. Chad huffed and then spoke up after a moment. "Jason, right? I figured. Can't blame a guy for trying can you?"

He heard Caitlyn chuckle as she patted Chad's shoulder sympathetically. "No, you can't. I'll see you later, buddy, okay?"

Chad nodded and Caitlyn turned headed in Jason's direction. Jason gulped and hurriedly ducked into the green room. He cleared his throat and then casually stepped back out the door as if he were just headed down the hall. Caitlyn spotted him and smiled brightly.

"Hey, Jase! Shouldn't you be getting ready for sound check?" Caitlyn asked as she approached him.

"Just left it actually," He told her with a bright smile. "We moved it up. What are you up to?"

"Exploring," Caitlyn said honestly. "Finding ways to entertain myse—"

Jason suddenly pulled her against his chest and kissed her quickly. Caitlyn made a muffled surprised sound and didn't have time to react before Jason pulled away. Her eyes stayed closed and she gulped nervously. Jason grinned at her and slowly kissed her forehead. "Caity?"

"I—you…you kissed me," Caitlyn said as she slowly opened her eyes.

Jason blushed and nodded. It had been a knee jerk reaction. He'd been so happy that he hadn't lost her that he'd just gone with his instincts. "You turned down Chad."

Caitlyn smiled at him. "You heard that?"

He nodded and ran a nervous hand through his curls. "I did. You could have said yes, you know. There's not really anything stopping you. And Chad, well, I'm sure he's a great guy…"

Caitlyn wrapped her arms around his neck and shook her head. "Jason, seriously, you're going to have to stop being so modest."

"I just don't get it, Caity," Jason said with a soft sigh. "You're Caitlyn and you could do so much better than—"

"Don't you dare say it," Caitlyn said with a stern glare. "There's no one better than you, Jason. Trust me. I've seen what else is out there and you're definitely the best."

"I'm not the most talented or attractive or the best at anything really so I don't see how that's possible," Jason said bashfully as he looked down at the floor. "You'll get bored of me someday. I know it."

Caitlyn's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. "Is that why you didn't want to start anything with us? Was that your reason?"

She tightened her arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to hers and kissed him slowly. Jason's hands slinked around her waist and he pulled her flush against him again. Caitlyn stood up on her tip toes and deepened the kiss. Her toes just barely touched the ground as Jason somehow held her even tighter and backed them into the green room. He shut the door with his foot once they were inside and freed one hand so he could lock the door.

Caitlyn was a very eager kisser. She'd parted her lips almost as soon as they started kissing and who was Jason to refuse an offer like that? His hand crept under the hem of her shirt and Caitlyn sucked in a sharp breath. His fingers lightly ran across the skin on her stomach and his hand slowly made its way upward. Caitlyn pushed against his shoulders and grinned as she pulled away from him.

"God, Jase," She said with a chuckle. "Are you trying to kill me?"

He groaned and rested his head against the curve of her neck before he looked up at her again and responded. "You started it. I can't help that you're addictive."

"And you said you weren't the best at anything," Caitlyn said as she took several deep breaths to calm herself. "You're definitely the best at that."

"Caitlyn," Jason said with a nervous gulp.

"Yes?" She asked.

"We shouldn't have done this…"

"Why not?" Caitlyn asked with a furrowed brow. "Because you don't think you're good enough? Jason, you are. You're the only person I want and I'm starting to think you're the only person I'll ever want. You're amazing and you don't even see it which makes you even more amazing. You're the most caring man I've ever met, you're insanely talented—disagree all you want but no one shreds like you while spinning and jumping and just generally rocking out—yet you have no idea, and you have the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen. You're beautiful all around, Jase. Everyone sees that but you. You deserve to be happy, and as soon as you decide we're ready to take the next step we can both be happy. Just give me a chance, Jason. I won't let you down."

Jason opened his mouth to respond when a loud obnoxious bang on the door sounded. He tried to ignore it but the knocking grew more insistent and wouldn't stop. Jason grabbed Caitlyn's hand and walked over to the door. He unlocked it and yanked it open to find Shane on the other side. Jason huffed and glared at him.

"What?" Jason snapped.

Shane smirked at their disheveled appearances. Caitlyn's hair was frizzy and sticking out at odd angles and her shirt had ridden up while Jason's clothes were rumpled and lips looked slightly pink and puffy. Shane cleared his throat and chuckled. "It looks like you guys have been rather busy."

Jason let go of Caitlyn's hand and smiled warmly at her as he put an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. She blushed and smirked and slipped her hand in his back pants pocket before looking up at Shane and waving.

"Yes, we have, Shane," Jason said with a bright smile. "Is that a problem?"

Shane blinked at them for a moment as Jason leaned down and placed lingering kiss on Caitlyn's temple. "Um, no, no problem."

"Good," Caitlyn said with a bright beaming smile. "Now go away." Caitlyn slammed the door in Shane's face and locked it quickly before turning to Jason excitedly. "What did you just do?"

"I just let Shane know who I'm interested in. That's all," Jason said with an affectionate smile. "Is that okay?"

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Caitlyn asked as she put her arms around his neck again.

Jason slowly backed Caitlyn toward the closed door until her back was pressed against it and then placed his hands on her hips. "If you think it means you've waited long enough and I'm ready to give you what you want…then yes."

Caitlyn's eyes were watering and she beamed at him. "Really?"

Jason nodded and pressed his forehead to hers. "I've known you forever, Caity. You shouldn't need to prove yourself to me. You already have. I trust you with my life so why shouldn't I trust you with my heart? I don't want to miss out on anything because I'm scared. I don't want my fears to hurt you. I won't let them anymore. Promise."

"Oh God," Caitlyn said as she made a sound that was a mix between a whine and a moan. "Just kiss me already, Rock Star. Now."

Jason smirked and nodded before he dipped his lips to Caitlyn's and pressed her further against the door. She moaned and tilted her chin upward for a better angle and then slipped her hands into his curls. Jason's hands went under the hem of her shirt again only this time no one pulled away.

The wait was over. Caitlyn had finally gotten her man, and she didn't plan on wasting any more time.