Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock.

A/N: Just so you know, I hate this chapter. It wasn't what I wanted to write. I wanted unicorns and rainbows and friendship bracelets and hair-braiding. But for some reason, this is what I thought would actually happen. I struggled with it for three days in hopes that I could come up with a different way of doing it. It is the longest chapter I've ever written (and the longest, most pathetic author's note) because I wanted to get it over and done with. And Nate never makes it in for reasons that will be obvious. He is just going to have to be patient.

I'm pretty sure you'll all hate it along with me (especially the people who liked Mitchie's earlier maturity). So I apologize. And in reaction the next one will probably be super fluffy or I will need to write a few one-shots because I am done with conflict.

Dedication: Special thanks to Oo lovetoday oO (who used precious minutes of her stolen internet time to respond to my whining plea for help) and LittleRedOne (who also graciously took time out to send me her thoughts on how this could go). Neither is to blame for the following chapter, but they get oodles of credit for being helpful and supportive.

Caitlyn was so happy. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she felt like this. After breakfast, they had gone back to Shane's house, and he had played the song for her. It was even more beautiful than she had imagined when she read it, and he had even let her record him singing it to her using his equipment. It was one of the trickier production sessions she had ever had because she kept grinning at him instead of concentrating on the recording. She was fairly sure it was going to be playing in a loop for quite awhile because she didn't think she would ever get tired of hearing Shane sing a love song to her.

She was currently in her car on her way to see Mitchie, which was a sure sign of her love for her friend because she really wanted to be back at Shane's. Being near him was addicting. When she arrived at Mitchie's, she grabbed her purse and headed to the front door.

She greeted Mitchie with a hug.

"Someone's happy," Mitchie commented dryly. She tried not to think too much about what was making her best friend glow. Thinking about Caitlyn and Shane still made her uncomfortable.

"I am, thank you," Caitlyn retorted. "How are you doing? Anything new and exciting in your life?"

Mitchie made an exaggerated "thinking" face before saying, "I'm starting a new music video next week."

"Excellent! Did they let you pick the guy this time?" Caitlyn asked. The label picked Mitchie's last video love interest. He had been cookie-cutter cute, and the two had had very little chemistry.

"Yes. They learned their lesson," Mitchie laughed. Caitlyn grinned in response. She hoped Mitchie wouldn't have too much chemistry with the guy, or Nate would be devastated. Thinking about Nate reminded Caitlyn of why she was there.

"I found something at Shane's, and I wanted to show it to you," Caitlyn said as she walked into Mitchie's family room, not noticing how Mitchie's body tensed at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. Caitlyn pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it over to her friend. She had been so excited to show Mitchie the song, so sure that it would be helpful, so wrapped up in her own happiness that she hadn't planned out exactly how to give it to her. Her excitement faded into confusion as she watched her best friend.

Mitchie's faced paled and her jaw clenched as she took in the meaning of the song. Reading the words in Shane's handwriting brought back all the emotions she had spent years trying to forget: pain, betrayal, insecurity, and bitterness. They hit her so hard and so suddenly that she felt like she might need to throw up. It was like she was seventeen again, but it was worse because it was Caitlyn who had made her feel this way. Caitlyn, her supposed best friend.

"What the hell is this?" Mitchie asked angrily, tears flooding her eyes. The anger caught Caitlyn off guard. She was so shocked she couldn't think how to respond.

"I can't believe you!" Mitchie continued, her voice cold. "Coming in here happy and bouncy to show me what I lost. Are you trying to hurt me? Did you just want to rub it in my face that you have what I let get away?"

Caitlyn flinched at the words coming out of Mitchie's mouth. "What? No, Mitch…" she stammered.

"I don't want to hear it, Caitlyn. There's no excuse for this," Mitchie snapped. "You're either an idiot or a total bitch. Either way I want you out of my house."

Caitlyn stumbled, shell-shocked out of Mitchie's family room towards the front door. She almost went back when she heard a crash, but thought better of it when she heard Mitchie's sobs. She had done that, had broken her best friend. The sounds were unbearable.

As hurt as Caitlyn was, she couldn't leave Mitchie alone like that. Even though she wasn't sure what had just happened, she knew it was her fault. She had never seen Mitchie like that. Never heard her say such spiteful, mean things before. And she had been the one to cause it. Her brain still couldn't wrap itself around that.

She sat in her car with tears streaming down her face trying to think clearly. Who could she call? Normally, it was her job to help Mitchie; she'd never been the problem before. She needed someone sweet and loving and with no motivation other than being supportive. And there was only one person who fit that description. She reached into her purse and dialed.

"Hey, Caity. How are you?" Jason asked cheerfully.

Caitlyn wiped the tears off of her face and took a deep breath before saying shakily, "Jason can you do me a favor?"

"Are you okay? What do you need?" Jason said instantly, his voice full of concern.

"Mitch and I just had a fight. Do you think you can go over to her house and make sure she's okay?" Caitlyn said, holding in the sobs that were threatening to overtake her body. "Her door should be unlocked," she added.

There was a brief pause before Jason responded. "I have my keys in my hands, and I'll head over right now."

"Thanks, Jase."

"Caity, are you going to be alright? Do you need me to call someone for you?"

"No. Just take care of Mitchie," Caitlyn choked out. She couldn't believe how horribly everything had gone. She had just wanted to help, and somehow everything had spiraled out of control. What was she going to do without Mitchie? Because she honestly wasn't sure they were ever going to talk to each other again after what had just happened.

"Okay," Jason said seriously. She had almost forgotten he was still on the line. As Caitlyn started to hand up, she heard him add, "I love you, Cait."

She managed to mumble, "Love you, too."

At that point, Caitlyn wasn't sure it was safe for her to drive, but she didn't want to be sitting in her car weeping when Jason arrived. She hoped she could make it to Shane's house before she broke down. Her apartment was closer, but she needed him.

Pulling into Shane's driveway, she threw the car into park and shut it off. Slamming the door behind her, she stumbled towards the front door and knocked. It took Shane awhile to get there, and by the time he looked through the peep hole, there were so many tears streaming down her face she couldn't see clearly. He quickly opened the door, and as soon as she saw him, she sobbed, "You were right." She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest.

"Oh, Caity," he whispered as he pulled her inside the house. Usually he loved being right, but in this instance he would have given anything to be wrong. He wished for both of their sakes that showing Mitchie the song had been everything Caitlyn had hoped and imagined it would be; that it would have helped solve any remaining issues Mitchie still had and given Caitlyn a little more peace of mind regarding her relationship with him. But he had suspected that was wishful thinking on her part. He had warned her it might not go well.

Eventually he got her settled in his lap on the couch. He held her and stroked her hair, waiting for her to calm down and tell him what had happened. He worked out that Mitchie had taken it the wrong way and hadn't let Caitlyn explain. And there was something in there about Jason that he didn't understand.

"You told me it was a bad idea, and I didn't listen to you," Caitlyn finally choked out. She looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. "You must think I'm an idiot. I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me again because apparently I'm a horrible person." A fresh wave of tears hit after she finished this pronouncement.

Shane noted that she was not above a little melodrama when upset, but decided this wasn't the time to tease her about it. Instead he used the pad of his thumb to wipe away some of the tears on her cheek and leaned in to kiss her gently. "Cait, I don't think you're an idiot or a horrible person. I think you meant well, and it just didn't go as you planned." He gave her another kiss before continuing. "And while I can't promise we'll make it forever, I can assure you that nothing that happened today makes me not want to be with you."

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," he reassured her.

She sniffed before saying, "Okay." Then she gave him a watery smile and leaned back into his chest. He kissed the top of her head and just held her until she fell asleep, exhausted from all the crying. Once he was confident that she was asleep, he shifted her onto the couch, stood up and covered her with a blanket. He settled into an armchair nearby to watch over her and put the television on mute so he wouldn't wake her.

Several hours later, Shane was surprised by a knock on his front door. He looked through the peep hole and saw Mitchie and Jason standing on his front step. Frowning, he opened the door.

"Hey Jason," Shane said ignoring Mitchie's presence. "What are you doing here?"

Jason looked a little confused at the question. "I drove Mitchie here, so she could talk to Caitlyn," he explained.

"Oh, that's too bad because she can't talk to her," Shane said, still addressing Jason. Jason frowned and looked back towards Caitlyn's car in the driveway.

"Isn't she here?" Jason asked. "I thought that was her car."

Mitchie turned to Jason and explained. "She's here, Jason. Shane's just saying he's not going to let me see her."

Jason understood what Mitchie was saying, but it didn't make sense to him. Something was wrong and it needed to be fixed. He wrinkled his brow, "But Mitch, you need to talk to her. Why wouldn't he let you in?"

"Because I'm not letting her hurt Caitlyn again," Shane spat, surprising both Mitchie and Jason with his vehemence. Mitchie felt anger bubble up inside her, but she didn't get a chance to say anything.

"It's okay, Shane," Caitlyn said quietly from behind him, startling everyone. Shane turned away from the door, focusing only on Caitlyn.

"Are you sure? You don't have to see her," Shane said.

"I kinda do if I want to fix this," she said with a shrug.

He waited a moment before answering. He wanted to slam the door and protect her from any further pain, but he knew that Caitlyn would never be happy unless she was able to clear things up with Mitchie. He sighed before saying, "Okay. But Jason and I are going to be in the music room, so you get me if you need anything."

She smiled at him. "I promise."

Shane turned back towards the door and waved Jason and Mitchie inside. Mitchie had watched his interaction with her friend closely. Caitlyn had been very careful not to talk to Mitchie about her relationship with Shane after that initial phone call, so Mitchie hadn't known what to expect when she saw them together. Somehow she had not anticipated that Shane would be so protective and tender with Caitlyn. Mitchie was overwhelmed once again by a sense of loss. As if he read her thoughts, Jason reached out and placed his arm around her shoulder. She gave him a small smile to indicate that she was okay.

The four of them headed into the family room and stopped. Shane stood hovering behind Caitlyn glaring at Mitchie, and Jason still had his arm around Mitchie's shoulder. The atmosphere in the room was tense when Jason finally spoke up, "So the music room, Shane?"

Caitlyn turned and nodded to Shane. He leaned over and kissed her forehead before whispering, "Remember I'm right here." Then he turned and walked off, not waiting for Jason. Jason gave Mitchie one last squeeze and encouraged her, "Just remember what we talked about."

Mitchie smiled at Jason and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I will. Thank you again, Jason."

"You're welcome. I'm gonna go to the music room now." He looked at both girls before adding half-seriously, "Everyone behave."

Caitlyn and Mitchie stood awkwardly in Shane's family room, unsure where to start. Finally Mitchie sighed, looked down and pulled something out of her purse. She reached out and handed it to Caitlyn. "Here," she said hesitantly.

Caitlyn took the paper and saw that it was the song she had given Mitchie earlier that day. It looked like it had been torn to pieces and then carefully taped back together. She looked up at her friend questioningly.

"How about we try it again," Mitchie said gaining confidence as she spoke. When Caitlyn still looked confused, Mitchie continued, "Give me the song and tell me what it is."

Shaking her head, Caitlyn handed the paper back to Mitchie. "Mitchie, this is a song I found that Shane wrote after you two broke up."

Mitchie looked down at the song and pretended to read it, even though by now she had it memorized. She looked back up at Caitlyn and asked, "Why did you think I should see it?"

Caitlyn finally caught on to what Mitchie was doing. She was giving them a do-over to try and talk things out. She smiled at her friend and motioned for her to sit down on the couch. "Mitch, I know how much Shane hurt you when you broke up. You thought that he just walked away without a second thought," Caitlyn reached out towards her friend, and Mitchie met her half-way, grasping her hand. "You deserved better than that. You deserved to know that you and the relationship were important." Caitlyn took a deep breath before continuing, "And I think that because of how it ended, you've had trouble trusting guys. I just wanted you to be able to move on and be happy."

Mitchie sat quietly digesting what her friend had said. It was fairly close to what Jason had predicted, and deep down, it was what Mitchie had known Caitlyn had meant. She knew her friend would never try and hurt her, but the pain had been so strong, Mitchie had needed to hurt someone. And Shane, her preferred target, hadn't been there at the time.

During the silence, Caitlyn began to fear that her explanation wasn't helping. "I know it was a stupid idea," she said, her eyes welling up with tears again. "But I can't believe you thought I was trying to hurt you. I would never do that."

Mitchie gripped Caitlyn's hand tightly in response. "I know that Cait. Really, I do. I was just hurting, and I lashed out at you. All the pain and confusion just came back when I read the song. Everything I lost."

"I didn't mean for it to be like that," Caitlyn said honestly.

After a moment, both women blurted out, "I'm sorry."

They stared at each other before laughing. "I really am sorry, Cait. I still can't believe I said those things to you."

Caitlyn nodded. "I'm sorry, too, Mitch. I shouldn't have sprung something like that on you." They sat in uneasy silence until Caitlyn asked, "What made you decide I wasn't trying to hurt you?"

"Honestly?" Mitchie asked. "Sending me Jason. If you wanted to hurt me, you never would've sent me a big, lovable teddy bear to make sure I was okay."

Caitlyn laughed at her description of their friend. "I sort of wanted to keep him for myself, but I thought you needed him more."

"He showed up and hugged me until I stopped crying. Then he talked me through everything in that innocent way he has," Mitchie said.

Caitlyn interrupted, "Like he has no idea what's happening, but everything he says is dead on."

"Yes!" Mitchie exclaimed. "How does he manage to be so clueless and smart at the same time?"

Both of them paused to ponder the enigma that was Jason. "Speaking of the guys," Mitchie said. "We do need to address the Shane issue."

"I know," Caitlyn said looking down at the floor.

"Because from what I saw when I arrived, it doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon."

Caitlyn smiled a little. She hoped Mitchie was right. "Honestly, Mitchie, can we still be friends if I'm dating Shane? Is it always going to be weird and awkward until we just drift apart? Or Shane and I break up," she added as an afterthought.

"It probably is going to be weird and awkward for awhile, Cait. And I can't say that everything is going to go back to the way it was, but I am going to work on it. I promise," Mitchie said sincerely. "Talking with Jason I realized I really don't want Shane, but I do want to have a real relationship again with someone. I just need to figure a few things out first, so I can be ready."

"That's fair," Caitlyn said. "But Mitch, I really don't want to lose you."

Mitchie leaned over and gave Caitlyn a hug. "I don't want to lose you either."

The moment was interrupted by Jason's cheerful voice, "Everything fixed?"

The girls pulled apart to see Shane and Jason hovering in the hallway nervously. "It was really quiet, so we got worried," Shane explained.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes at him before saying to Jason, "I think all fixed is a bit optimistic."

"But it's better than it was," Mitchie added. "So we'll take it for now."