Version 3

"What instrument do you two need for your songs?" Ellen asked.

"Umm I actually have a karaoke version of the song I would like to sing that I mixed on my iPod if that works. If not I can play a song on the piano." Mitchie said timidly.

"The iPod is perfect. What about you Nate?' Ellen said.

"Umm…Mitchie do you still have my playlist on your iPod?" Nate said when Mitchie nodded he turned back to Ellen and said, "I can just use her iPod as well."

"Alright well let's have you come over to the performance area and get you two set up behind a microphone and check the iPod in the speaker system before commercial ends." Mitchie immediately pulled out her iPod and selected the song she was going to sing. She handed the iPod to Nate so he could find his song. When she looked up Mitchie Saw a big grand piano sitting in front of her. Mitchie practically ran to the piano visibly relaxing. Shane hadn't been exaggerating when he said that Mitchie began teaching herself piano when she was four and she has always been extremely musically talented. She was even good on the music production and recording side. She actually helped the producer of the Connect 3 newest album mix and record the tracks on the cd.

After a quick sound check there was about 3 minutes left until the commercial was over. They had decided that to make things interesting they were going to flip a coin after the break to see who was going first. Mitchie sat behind the piano and closed her eyes as she played the very recognizable and beautiful classical piano song "Clair de Lune" by Debussy. As she played the tune was amplified over the audience members who immediately quieted and looked over. Mitchie was so lost in the music that it seemed that she didn't even remember there were people around to hear her. She kept her eyes shut and put so much emotion into the song and played it so beautifully that even just watching her play it was beautiful. Driven by the emotion Mitchie put into the song some people in the audience even began to cry. Nobody noticed when the 'On Air' light went on except the people controlling the cameras in the tech box, they focused the camera on Mitchie as she played and occasionally moved the cameras around to show the mesmerized audience, Connect 3, Ellen, even crew members as a partial form of explanation as to why nothing was happening. When the song ended, everyone erupted into a loud round of applause and even gave her a standing ovation. Mitchie blushed uncontrollably remembering where she was.

Ellen and the crew snapped out of it "Oh my God! I'm sorry we are back on the air. Sorry about that people on the couch. Mitchie surprised us with an amazing performance of "Clair de Lune" by Debussy and we all just forgot where we were. But anyway, we are about to start the sing-off competition that was instigated before the brake by none other than Nate Grey who knows just what to say to get his fake twin sister to agree to any challenge. Even when she doesn't want to. These boys haven't heard Mitchie sing or play in six years and finally managed to trick Mitchie into playing and left her no way out. Therefore, to decide who goes first we are going to flip a coin. Tails for Nate and heads for Mitchie." Ellen flipped the coin and caught it in her hand before flipping it onto her wrist. "And it's heads! Mitchie first!"

Mitchie smiled still in the calm haze induced from her world of music and got up to walk behind the microphone stand that had been set up for her. She said, "Okay, well I wrote this song a few years ago and just finished mixing the music for the song last week so I'm going to basically sing karaoke here since I obviously can't play all the instruments at the same time. Anyway, when I wrote this the boys had just hit the big times and I was now a secret. When they left however, I didn't have any other real friends to fall back on and it didn't feel like I fit anywhere. I had always been the awkward, clumsy, weird girl that only had three friends so I wrote this song to help me feel better." Mitchie looked up at the sound guy and nodded. Almost immediately, a simple melody came on and Mitchie nodded her head and tapped her foot to the beat before looking up with her big expressive blue eyes and singing the song. Immediately everyone was captivated by her voice. It just blew them all away. The lyrics were so pure and emotional that everyone could relate to them on some level. It was amazing the effect Mitchie's music had on everybody, even when the tempo picked up into an upbeat song. Mitchie stood up there belting it out, swaying, dancing, and being an amazing performer leaving no doubt in anyone's minds that she was meant to be on that stage singing her heart out on live television.

Spin away the combination for the last time
Say goodbye to this year
I wish I could avoid the empty summer days that await me.
They'll fake a smile goodbye
celebrating their new freedom
I sit alone on the couch
Wondering why
I wonder what its like to have it all
To never be afraid that I would fall
But I don't think I've ever known a time
That I was part of the in crowd

Here we go another day another disgrace
Fall flat on my face
I wish I had a bunch of money
Catch a plane head out west
They'll run and play around
All full of the fans and freedom
I sit alone on the couch
Wondering why
I wonder what it's like to have it all
To never be afraid that I would fall
But I don't think I've ever known a time
That I was part of the in crowd

Doesn't anyone here live an original life
or did you surrender to be on the inside,
When you disappear they won't remember your name
And you'll fade away when someone takes your place.
Take your place
In the in crowd

Spin away the combination for the last time
Say goodbye to this year
I wish I could avoid the empty summer days that await me
they'll fake a small goodbye
Celebrating their new freedom
I sit alone on the couch
But I'm ready to fly
I wonder what it's like to have it all
To never be afraid that I would fall
But I don't think I've ever known the time
I wonder what it's like to have it all
To never be afraid that I would fall
But I don't think I've ever known a time
That I was part of the in crowd.

Of the in crowd
In the in crowd

I don't need anything that I can't find in me
All my life I have been out of line at the end
waiting for something more
something new to begin
waiting for something more
some way to fit in

In the in crowd
In the in crowd

There was a long moment of silence after the song. Mitchie stood there in the silence staring straight into nothingness breathing heavily while a single tear rolled down her cheek completely oblivious once again that people were around her and staring intently at her. Suddenly a member of the audience stood up and began clapping which brought everyone back to reality where they quickly rose and joined in the applause. Mitchie jumped when the clapping started and then seemed to take a moment to remember where she was. When she did, she blushed a bit but looked at Nate and said, "Beat that little brother!"

Nate shook his head and said "There is no way in the world I could ever beat you in music. You have always and will always be more talented than me and I knew that when I challenged you. You are amazing and your music is freakishly hypnotic. You just needed the push to start sharing your music again. That is what I gave you with this. Thousands of people just heard how amazing you are including several people that are high up in the music industry that we texted and told them to watch. And now that you have opened up and shared your music again the three of us aren't going to hesitate in offering you recording contract with our label even though I am very positive that you will be receiving calls from several companies all over the world."

It seemed like Mitchie didn't know what to say to that so in a small voice she said "You can't forfeit, rules are you have to see the challenge to the end."

Nate smiled lovingly at her and said "And I would never break the rules of our 'super-secret-superhero twins club' I mean we have had them since we were in kindergarten, I don't even want to think about what would happen if I broke them."

Mitchie smiled back before running into his arms "I love you twin."

"I love you too twin." Nate said before pulling away slightly and saying, "Now I know I can't forfeit but how about the two of us sing that duet we wrote when we were 12 that I know you made an amazing mix to because I hijacked it off your computer." Nate smiled at her when she slapped his chest playfully for breaking into her computer. "Come on I know we can do this duet even if we haven't practiced it together in years."

Mitchie smiled at him while still being tucked under one of his arms and said "Yeah, that will be fun." Ellen started to talk to the boys more about their tour while another microphone was set up and Mitchie ran to the sound guy to find the song on her iPod. About 3 minutes later Nate and Mitchie were standing next to each other in front of the microphones and the song was started. Nate started out speaking to the beat just being weird and making Mitchie laugh. "Mic Check 1 2 1 2 Alright it's working
Yo, welcome to the best collaboration of all time ever made Mitchie Torres, Nate Grey and BT on the track word!" He pulled the microphone off the stand and turned to Mitchie singing to her and dancing around causing her to laugh and take the microphone out of the stand as well. The two of them were dancing around just having fun and singing. They even had a choreographed dance that they still remembered for the little dance break in the middle of the song that the two performed while still singing and smiling at each other. The whole performance was amazing and Shane, Jason, Nate, and Mitchie knew that the song and performance would be incorporated into their world tour now. The whole audience was up, dancing and having fun with them but there was also no doubt that the two sang well together and that blood couldn't make the familial bond any stronger between the two of them. They would always be close and always mean a lot to each other but not once was there ever a romantic vibe between them even though the lyrics could be construed that way as well.

Nate Grey:

If I were a rich man
With a million or two
I'd live in a penthouse
In a room with a view
And if I were handsome
Well it could happen
Those dreams do come true
I wouldn't have nothin' if I didn't have you
I wouldn't have nothin' if I didn't have you
I wouldn't have nothin' if I didn't have
I wouldn't have nothin'

Mitchie Torres (Nate Grey):
For years I have envied
Your grace and your charm
Everyone loves you you know
(Yes I know, I know, I know)
But I must admit it
(Go on admit it)
Big guy you always come through
(Yes I do, I do, I do)
I wouldn't have nothin' if I didn't have you

Mitchie Torres:
You and me together
That's how it should always be
One without the other
Don't mean nothin' to me, nothin' to me

Nate Grey:
Yeah I wouldn't be nothin'
If I didn't have you to serve
Just a punky little eyeball
And a funky optic nerve
Word

Mitchie Torres:
Hey I never told you this but uh
Sometimes I get a little blue
But I wouldn't have nothin if I didn't have you
(Yes you are you're a star)

Both:
Let's dance
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh whoa oh whoa oh

Nate Grey:
I wouldn't have nothin
If I didn't have you
Wouldn't know where to go no no
Or know what to do

Both:
I don't have to say it
Cause we both know it's true
I wouldn't have nothin if I didn't have you
I wouldn't have nothin if I didn't have you
I wouldn't have nothin if I didn't have
I wouldn't have nothin if I didn't have you

At the end, the two laughed and hugged tightly smiling while the audience went wild. It seemed like the two didn't want to let go of each other. "I'm nothing without you twin." Nate whispered just loud enough for his mic to pick up softly.

"I love you so much twin and I always will." Mitchie whispered back as they were still hugging.

Allowing the two to have their moment Ellen spoke to the Jason and Shane "So what do our two judges think? Who won?"

"Awe… come on why are we judges? I would be a bad big brother no matter which one I pick!" Jason said.

Shane laughed "Yea! Are you seriously asking me to pick between my baby brother and my girlfriend? Either way we answer we are screwed."

"Ohhh…I've got an idea that will let us pick and not have to pick between them!" Jason told Shane excited.

Shane looked hopeful "What?"

Jason turned to Ellen and said "I think they are both amazing and love both equally therefore I pick both!"

Everyone laughed and Shane threw his hands up and cheered "whoo… I agree! It is a tie! You both win and at the same time you both lose and have to do the punishments previously agreed upon."

"You know I'm actually really excited for the number of cookies Nate is going to make Mitchie bake." Jason said to Shane.

"Who wouldn't be?! They are amazing and she only makes them like once every 5 months and those only last like 2 days, even when she makes 2 batches." Shane said

Mitchie and Nate were now standing next to them and Nate said "Speaking of which I want cookies tonight." Smiling at Mitchie.

"Fine then I want Rocky Road ice cream tonight." Mitchie said as she slid her arm around Shane's waist. Shane placed his arm around her and held her close to his side with his hand gripping her hip.

Ellen laughed and said, "Well we are out of time now unfortunately. I hope you enjoy my most off topic, least structured and most entertaining show. I'll see you next week. Stay tuned for a new episode of NCIS."

The show finished and everyone went backstage to take the microphones off. Shane immediately informed Ellen of the creepy microphone guy and she said she would take care of it. Because Shane scared all the tech guys off none of them dared to touch Mitchie to take her microphone off. Shane smiled before going over and doing it himself seeing as Mitchie couldn't. When all of the tape was removed from Mitchie's lower back, there was a bright red angry mark on her skin from having the tape ripped off, no matter how gently Shane tried to be. Sighing Shane leaned down and placed a quick chaste kiss in the middle of the mark before pulling her shirt back down. After they gave the microphones back, Shane and Mitchie walked off with their arms wrapped around each other.