hey everyone! yesterday when i updated i had put up the wrong chapter, adn i after my co writers yelled at me (i was half asleep okay! dont get mad!) i finally put up the right chappie! ENJOY!

Nate was the first one to react. Speaking softly, in a low voice he's said "Get out. Now. And take your food and whatever with you."

Caitlyn stared at Nate, startled, but Nate didn't look at her. Instead, he took Caleb by the shoulder and gently pulled him back.

Mitchie stared, hurt, at Nate as well, then replied softly "I can see why you'd say that. I think it's unnecessary."

"Why are you here?" Nate snapped. "Why'd you follow Caitlyn?"

Mitchie sighed and looked down. "I really don't think you should be the one interrogating right now," she whispered. When she looked up, her eyes were full of anger, sadness and confusion. "I should be that one. I should be the one asking."

She took a step forward, and the three took a step backward.

"Like," Mitchie continued. "Why the heck did you leave? Where did you go? Why don't you want my help? How could you? You guys were my best friends!"

Caitlyn and Nate exchanged a glance. Finally, Caitlyn sighed.

"Why don't you stay for dinner," she said softly. "And then…"

"We'll talk." Nate concluded.

Callie fingered the ring on her finger. It was beautiful, with a large diamond in the very center.

"Jason, it's beautiful," she whispered. "I love it."

"Do you really?" Jason asked hopefully. "Really and truly?"

"Really and truly forever," Callie promised.

Jason smiled and kissed her. "That's…that's good," he finally said.

"Very," Callie agreed.

A few minutes later, when Callie was in the bathroom, Jason just about glided into Shane's suite. Shane ignored him for the most part as he sat in a chair, sadly strumming his guitar.

Jason collapsed on the bed and sighed. "I did it," he announced in an awed voice. "I asked Callie to marry me."

"And?" Shane didn't look up.

"She said yes!"

"Congrats."

"Thanks."

Shane sighed and looked out the window. Jason sat up and frowned at his younger band mate. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Something's wrong," Jason protested. "Your all sad and quiet and depressed and-"

"I get it, Jason," Shane snapped. "Shut up."

"Sheesh, okay," Jason said. "But, seriously, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, okay?" Shane snapped. Jason stared at him. Shane sighed again. "Mitchie broke up with me."

Jason gasped; he hadn't heard that. "Really?" Shane nodded sadly. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter," Shane snapped, glancing at the dresser, where a tiny black box containing a very pretty ring sat inside the sock drawer. "I don't care."

"Yes you do," Jason argued. "You're the one who was all happy a month ago, telling me you were going to ask Mitchie to-"

"Shut up!" Shane hissed. "I don't need you and your girlfriend-"

"Fiancée," Jason corrected.

"WHATEVER!" Shane said. "I don't need Callie hearing about that then going and telling Mitchie, thank you very much."

"Fine." Jason slid off the bed. "But if I were you, I'd try to fix things between you and Mitch, and fast."

"Why?"

"Well, see in my mind I pictured a double wedding—"

"GET OUT!"

After a very delicious dinner of Chef Boyardee Ravioli, the little family and Mitchie sat in the living room. After a very long silence, Caleb looked up at his father and asked

"Daddy, can we read Charlotte's Web some more?"

Nate sighed. "Okay. One chapter, deal?"

"Deal!" Caleb jumped off Nate's lap and ran to his closet-sized room.

Nate watched him after him and sighed. Mitchie watched him carefully.

"He's a good kid," Nate said softly, so Caleb couldn't hear. "I don't want him mixed up with all of that."

"But, Nate," Mitchie protested. "Do you have any idea what you did to your brothers? They went crazy trying to find you. The both of you," Mitchie added, glancing at Caitlyn, who was curled up in a blanket next to Nate. "And so did I."

"Nate's right," Caitlyn said. "He deserves a regular life."

They sat in silence until Mitchie asked "How does he go to school?"

"Homeschool," Nate answered. "Caitlyn teaches him most days when I'm not-"

CRASH!

Everyone jumped at the sound of a huge crash from Caleb's room, then a tiny wail of a little boy broke the second-long silence.

"CALEB!" Like a rocket, Nate was out of his seat and running to Caleb's room.

Caleb sat in the middle of a bunch of books and an over-turned little bookshelf, sobbing as blood dripped out of his mouth and down his chin.

Nate rescued his son from the wreckage and exclaimed "What happened?!"

"I…-sob- tried to…-gasp-…reach…-whimper-…the book and I…-sob- stood on the… -wail- …bookshelf and it…-whimper- fell down!" –sob, hiccup-

"It's okay," Nate said as he carried him to the bathroom. "You're okay. Shh, stop crying, Caleb, you'll be okay." He hugged him gently and Caleb cried against his shoulder, leaving a bloody stain on his shoulder.

Caitlyn jumped up and ran to them. "What happened?!"

"He fell," Nate whispered. "Trying to get the book. I've got it."

Mitchie watched as Nate opened the bathroom door and sat Caleb down on the counter. Caleb had reduced his sobs to whimpering, while Nate rummaged through the cabinet to find the first-aid kit. He stood back up and gave Caleb another hug.

"Don't worry," he said. "Remember what we do when you get hurt?"

"Fix it?" Caleb asked in a wavery voice. "With Mr. Fluffy and band-aids?"

Mitchie watched this fatherly moment with fascination.

"Yup!" Nate handed Caleb the worn out bear, which was immediately suffocated in Caleb's grip while Nate cleaned the blood from his face. He examined the wound and announced "You just banged your chin, I think, and bit your tongue. Here, we'll put a band-aid right here," he said as he put on under his chin. "And one here…" He put it on Caleb's nose. "And one here!" On his forehead.

'Caleb giggled and dropped the bear to hug Nate around the neck.

"Thanks, Daddy," he whispered. "You always make me feel better."

And, somehow, Mitchie could feel the truth in Caleb's words.