Author's note: I'm so sorry it took me almost a week to get this chapter up! I made it longer than all the others to make up for it, so I hope you guys like it! Unfortunately there's only one chapter left after this, but I do have an idea for my next story in mind, and I'm trying to come up with a one-shot as well. Please subscribe to me as an author if you haven't already so that you can keep up with everything I post, and please send me your reviews! Thanks so much!

Chapter Nine

The minutes seemed to drag like hours as Mitchie sat alone in the waiting room. The stark, bare walls offered her no distraction, leaving her no choice but to face the many questions racing through her mind. What were they talking about in the other room? Was Shane right about what he'd said earlier? Why couldn't the school bother to turn the heat on in the dead of winter? She couldn't calm the thoughts swirling around in her head, and as the door swung open she became even more overwhelmed. Although she'd really had no part in the fight she was certain she was about the face the same fat as her friends, suffer the same consequences.

"Wow, Mitch, you're still here? You're more honest than I am; if they would've left me alone, I would've ran!" Mitchie was confused; she was watching the three boys file out of the room, and they weren't in any sort of custody. In fact, she thought she could actually see a hint of a smile on Travis' face as he spoke.

"What's going on?" Mitchie whispered as she stood up, trying to keep her voice low so that only Travis heard her.

"We're all free to go," Jason explained, and that was all Mitchie needed to hear. She quickly made a beeline for the exit, breathing a sigh of relief as she burst outside. The afternoon sky was dark and dreary, a welcome change from the Security Station's blinding white walls.

"Whoa, Mitchie, slow down!" Jason called out, jogging to catch up to Mitchie. She was too enthralled by the sound of her sneakers pounding against the pavement to respond, forcing him to reach out and grab her by the arm.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Home? I don't know; I just couldn't stand that room anymore," Mitchie huffed, looking at Jason's hand where it rested on her arm, "I just need a second to breathe." It seemed the world had been spinning out of control for the past week, and her body was begging her for a break.

"Well, I have a question for you before you go." Mitchie let out a little sigh and looked off into the distance. She had no idea what Jason could possibly ask of her now, but she knew she owed him the courtesy of listening.

"The band and I," Jason continued, accepting Mitchie's silence as his okay to pose the question, "well, we were invited to a Christmas party tomorrow night. It's at the house of this family-"

"The Winchesters," Travis and Mitchie interrupted in unison.

"Oh, so you guys were invited, too?"

"No way," Mitchie scoffed, "we don't really get invited to things. It's an annual event, thought; it was the talk of the school last year." The Winchesters were the wealthiest family in town, and they threw huge parties to celebrate every holiday imaginable. As far as Mitchie knew a couple of the family's children attended the university, but she had never even encountered them.

"I think you two should come," Jason said as he eyed Mitchie and Travis, "it'll be fun-a good distraction from all of this drama." Mitchie shook her head fiercely; there was no way she would step foot in that party.

"I'm always down for a party!" Travis exclaimed, ignoring the silent protests of his friend.

"That's the spirit! Come on, Mitchie, it wont' be a party to me if you aren't there." Jason held his hands up as if he were begging, twisting his face into a pout.

"Is Shane going to be there?"

"He's part of the band, so yeah."

"Well, forget about me going, then." Mitchie was going to hold her ground, feeling particularly stubborn that afternoon.

"It's not like anyone is asking you to spend the party handcuffed to Shane," Jason joked, "I think you could manage to avoid him; I heard the house is huge. Still, it wouldn't kill you to have one conversation with him."

"Why do you keep pushing that?" Mitchie demanded, "Do you really think that's at the top of my 'to-do' list?" She didn't know why Jason was being so involved with the matter. It was clear he felt caught in the middle, destined to be their mediator, but she wished he would just give it a rest.

"I was trying to let you figure it out for yourself, Mitchie, but at this point maybe I just need to be blunt: you need to talk to him. You owe him that much." Jason turned to look at Shane, who was lingering several yards back at the building's entrance. "He saved our butts back there."

"What?"

"Shane is the reason we're walking out of here with no problem."

"And I bet he bribed the security guards! What was it, money or concert tickets? I'm aware of Shane's idea of 'problem solving.'" Mitchie was getting upset again, certain she had the scene all figured out.

"No, Mitch, he just told the truth," Travis interjected.

"He offered to take all the blame to get the rest of us out of there. He was very specific that you had nothing to do with the fight; he made sure you didn't even have to go in that office with us." Mitchie felt her heart sink a little as Jason's words set in, guilt washing over her. If what her friends were saying was true, she had no choice but to go to the party and face Shane.

"Fine, fine, I'll be there," Mitchie groaned, rolling her eyes as the two boys in front of her traded high-fives in rejoice.

The following night's sky was illuminated by the thousands of twinkling lights that were carefully strung around the outside of the Winchester home. The large house was nestled at the end of a ritzy street Mitchie had never before ventured down, and she walked down the long, snowy driveway with caution.

"I'm going to stand out like a sore thumb in there, Travis! It's not too late to go home, watch a DVD?" Mitchie stared at the expensive cars littering the front of the house. She was intimidated and afraid it showed; after all, there was a reason why she had never been invited to such an event.

"Oh, don't' be like that!" Travis slipped Mitchie's hand into his own, giving it a friendly squeeze. "This will be an adventure. So, um, do we ring the doorbell or just walk right in?" The pair laughed together at their inexperience, their voices drowned out by music as the approached the front door. They party was apparently already in full-swing, so they slipped inside without bother to ask for permission.

Bodies were scattered all throughout the spacious first floor of the house, the rooms a jumbled mess of people struggling to have conversations over the stereo system. Mitchie scanned the room for any familiar faces, but only found a tray of precisely filled glasses being presented to her.

"They have waiters at their house party; who does that?" Travis snatched two drinks from the tray and handed one to Mitchie before they continued their lap around the party, settling on an unoccupied corner.

"There are a million people here, but I haven't seen a single person I've ever talked to; where do you think Jason and Nate are hiding?" Mitchie scanned the room nervously, unaware all three band members had her in their sights.

"She's looking for us," Nate said, faintly audible over the roar of the party.

"She's looking for Jason," Shane corrected, "you've barely seen her all week, and she wouldn't be caught dead around me." The words were painful to speak, scraping past his tongue like razorblades. He watched Mitchie very carefully from the other side of the room, studying every element of her appearance. She looked gorgeous, her slim face framed by waves of hair she had gently pinned back. Her dark eyes were pained a smoky orange-brown, making him smile as he realized how much the shade resembled the sunsets they had shared together at camp. He watched her lips move swiftly as she spoke to Travis, noticing they were stained a soft rose, thanks to the wine she was sipping. Her words drew a hearty laugh from her companion, and Shane would've given anything to be in on the joke.

"Stop staring and go talk to her." Nate smirked, amused by the lovesick expression his friend's face.

"It's not that easy; what would I say? 'Hey, sorry I broke up with you. Sorry I punched your new boyfriend.' Is Jason even her boyfriend? He said no, he told me to fix things with her, but who knows what she thinks about it all. I don't even know where to start; this is way too heavy for me." Shane's eyes stayed locked on Mitchie as he lamented. Her current outfit was much more put together than the workout clothes she'd worn the previous day, but she looked far more casual than she had at the benefit. Her forest green, strapless party dress hit just about the knee, and he wondered if she felt cold on such a wintry night.

"You're rambling, Shane! You're a twenty-two year old rock star, but you can't talk to your ex-girlfriend? Seriously, just get it over with; you're the reason she came to this party." Without warning, Nate gave his friend a push. Shane wanted to protest, but it seemed his feet had a mind of their own. They were carrying him swiftly in Mitchie's direction, and her shock was hard to miss.

"Shane," Mitchie murmured, causing Shane's heart to skip a beat. He realized it was all she was capable of saying whenever she first caught sight of him, and he wanted to know whether the cause was frustration or nerves.

"Hey." Shane gave a little nod to Travis before building the courage to look Mitchie in the eyes. "Do you think maybe we could talk? I know you said no, but five minutes of your time would mean a lot to me." Once he spoke he was on his toes, prepared to leave after being rejected.

"I can barely hear a word you're saying," Mitchie yelled over the music, hoping Shane might get her hint. He noticed the look of anticipation in her eyes, and it clicked.

"Do you want to go find somewhere more quiet?" Shane flashed a weak smile, afraid he sounded as if he were coming on to Mitchie. The thought apparently failed to cross her mind; instead, she searched Travis' face for his opinion. He gave her a look which begged for her to be careful, and then released her hand.

"I'm following you," Mitchie stated with a shrug. She was instantly flustered-he had no idea how to navigate the enormous house-but he wasn't about to blow what had to be his last chance. He pushed his way through the cluster of party-goers, making the decision to lead her up the winding staircase. The roar of the music began to dull as they traveled further and further up, both of them in awe of the hallway's lush decorations. The first door on the right was ajar, and Shane poked his head in curiously to discover it was a study.

"Is this okay?" Mitchie nodded, brushing past Shane to enter the room.

"So, what are we talking about?" Mitchie was fairly certain she could blame the bit of alcohol for her forward mood, and she didn't really mind. She dragged one hand across the full bookshelf that lined the entire wall, plucking a thin book from its resting place.

"Well, um, how have you been?" The question was so airy, so juvenile, and Shane wanted to kick himself as soon as it fell from his mouth.

"Not too shabby," Mitchie replied, "excluding the past week, of course." The book was now sprawled open in her palm, her eyes focused on its yellowing pages in an attempt to maintain her composure.

"That's good, I guess…" Shane used the now-shut door as a crutch, leaning against it as he found his next topic of conversation. "How are your parents?" He couldn't' believe how stupid his small talk sounded. Why was it so hard to get to the pint? Maybe she was too distracting, the way her hair fell effortlessly on her bare shoulders, the way the neckline of her dress fell just low enough for a peek of cleavage-

"They're okay," Mitchie said shortly, noticing Shane's wandering eye and commanding his attention upward once more. "I haven't seen them since summer; I don't have the money to fly home for holidays."

"Wow, I'm sorry; that's not right." A pang of guilt hit Shane. Why did Mitchie have to endure such hardships while he had everything? He knew enough to see that, compared to her, he certainly wasn't deserving.

"Yeah, well, life isn't fair, right?" Mitchie shrugged, slipping the book back into its place.

"Sometimes, no. Hey, you're not old enough to be drinking that." Shane motioned to the wine glass Mitchie was still tightly clutching.

"Oh, that never stopped you," Mitchie countered.

"You remember that?" Shane laughed nervously.

"I remember everything; Connect Three's after-show parties were legendary. But tell me, is that what you brought me up here to discuss?" Mitchie set her glass firmly on the nearby desk. Clearly, she was done with the chit-chat.

"You know that's not why," Shane said softly.

"Then what is it?" Mitchie demanded. Shane collected his courage and took the steps to close the gap between the two.

"Why do you still wear that?" The question was posed as Shane reached out, grabbing Mitchie's wrist just as he had the previous day. Her eyes drifted to her thin, silver bracelet, the proper response eluding her.

"Sydney, Australia," Shane continued, "Forty thousand screaming girls, but all I could think of was you." He reminisced about the day he had purchased the gift; it seemed like it all took place in a different lifetime, a million miles away from their current situation.

"If you remember that, if that meant anything to you, then why are we here? How did all of this happen? Why did you do this to me?" All of the questions Mitchie had been dwelling on for three years suddenly flew from her mouth. Her mind was in overdrive, her thoughts a jumbled mess-don't cry, don't cry, you can't let him see you cry-and it felt as if Shane's fingertips were burning marks into her skin.

"You are in such an amazing place, doing so well, and I don't think you would've mad it here with me dragging you down. I did what I did for your sake, and it just about killed me." Shane's words struck a chord deep within Mitchie, but he still hadn't answered her questions.

"I just don't get your logic. I spent months crying over you, did everything I could to make sure I never had to see you again; how did you think crushing my heart would work to my benefit?"

"You were so young…" Shane gave himself a moment to think. He was echoing the sentiments he'd tried to convey to Mitchie on that fall night three years ago.

"You had this endless potential in you," he continued, "and I couldn't be the reason you wasted it. When I was that age I was signing a record deal, and I became a selfish brat. It took meeting you for me to realize what a monster I'd become, and you would never deserve reaching that point. To be so pure, so innocent, is a gift; I didn't want to corrupt that."

"It was too hard to just trust me? Didn't you think I was smart enough to make the right choices myself?" Mitchie's pressing questions appeared never-ending.

"I didn't trust myself, Mitchie! You were this beautiful little creature I never expected to find, and I didn't' want to ruin you the way I ruined the rest of my life. I could see you loved me as much as I love you, and I couldn't stand to poison you." Mitchie picked up on the way Shane spoke of his love in the present tense, and she wondered if it was all too good to be true.

"Shane, you gave me the courage to find my voice and pursue my dreams. I love you for that, and I've always worn this bracelet as a reminder of what we were. It's not like I could forget, though; God knows I tried."

"Baby…" Shane murmured, and Mitchie had one split second to make a decision. Life was presenting her with its greatest choice, and she needed to make it quick. Could she let the past be the past and accept her obvious destiny? Was love really, truly worth it?

The answer was a big yes, one that exploded inside of her like fireworks as her lips crashed into Shane's. they were suddenly kissing each other like their lives depended on it, like the last three years had never happened. Shane had his arm around her waist, pulling her with him as he backed up slowly. His heels hit the front of the plush loveseat propped up against the wall, and he let himself fall back, pulling her down on top of him.

"So, does this mean you love me, too?" Shane asked with a smirk in between kisses.

"You think I love every guy I do this with?"

"Oh, shut up and just admit it!" They had fallen right back into their old relationship, the way their stubborn personalities butted heads. Despite the way they clashed, they were still so passionate about each other. Shane moved his attention to Mitchie's bare shoulders which had been tempting him, covering them with enough kisses to send her over the edge.

"I love you, Shane," Mitchie whispered, and she had never sounded more honest in her entire life.

"I knew it!" Shane said triumphantly, "It's always parties for us, isn't it?" He ran his fingertips up Mitchie's legs to find the hem of her dress, recalling a similar experience they'd shared at his nineteenth birthday party. It had been the first time the two had ever been so close to each other, and it was the first time they'd said "I love you."

"Yeah, but I'm not afraid this time," Mitchie said before pressing her lips to Shane's once more. She was older, more experienced, and expressed no hesitation as she reached to find the zipper of his tight, black pants. Shane's breath hitched in his throat, making Mitchie pull away slightly to laugh.

"Am I making you nervous?"

"N-no…maybe a little?" Shane looked deep in Mitchie's eyes, "I've just been waiting for this for so long."

"Let's get to it, then!" Mitchie let out a little giggle, and her voice was like music to Shane's ears. He took the initiative to move his hands the rest of the way up her skirt, finding the band of lace that sat on her small hips. With haste he pulled her panties down and off, gaining a moan of approval as he pulled her into his lap.

"Why did we wait so long?" Shane managed to ask as Mitchie's hips met his again and again he couldn't' believe it had taken so long for this to happen, and he was desperate to savor every second of it. He twirled his fingers in her impossibly soft hair and pulled her close, her heavy breathing in his ear giving him the ultimate feeling of satisfaction.

"I love you too, Mitchie." Shane held Mitchie tight as the two reached their ends, giving her a moment to catch her breath before helping her to her feet.

"We must look so obvious!" Mitchie exclaimed, trying to smooth Shane's messy hair as he helped to adjust her slightly wrinkled dress.

"Who cares! I'm not ashamed; I love you, and I hope everyone realizes what just happened. Come on," Shane said with a smile, "let's go find our friends." He took Mitchie's hand carefully in his, still afraid he might break such a fragile girl. She used her free hand to grasp his arm, allowing him to lead her out of the room. She was nervous to see the reactions of the rest of the party, but she chose to ignore her fears for one reason: she was finally, truly happy for the first time in three years.