Disclaimer: See prologue chapter

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Chapter 9

Truths Are Painful

Two hours later, a determined Jason, followed by a decidedly reluctant Nate ("Jason, I'm sure Shane knows that you really want to talk to him if Mitchie is with him, why can't you just let it be for the moment!"), returned to find Shane and Mitchie sitting curled up together in the huge armchair that took up one corner of Shane's room.

His sister had her head on Shane's shoulder, eyes still closed but clearly awake from the quiet murmurings that Jason and Nate could hear as they approached the room.

With firm steps, Jason crossed the room, grabbed a second chair and moved it in front of them.

Nate on the other hand, grabbed a giant cushion that seemed to be a concurrent theme of the bedrooms and dropped it on the floor before literally falling into it. "I have so got to get some of these for the tour bus!" He almost groaned with pleasure as he squirmed about.

Shane looked at him in amusement, still absently running his hand down Mitchie's arm (her eyes were still closed too). "That was… so not you."

The younger boy shrugged, finally settling into his chosen seat. "Jase has gone all adult on us, so why not." He folded his arms across his chest and glared at the older boy. "So if no-one likes what is about to happen, you know where to put the blame."

As Nate spoke, Shane could feel Mitchie stiffen in his embrace and she opened her eyes, raising her head for a moment. Seeing her brother looking so determined opposite them, she promptly dropped it again, turning to hide in Shane's sweater.

"What didn't you tell me, Mitchie?" Jason asked simply. "It would have taken more than a few reporters to have parents pull their child out of school. Please Mitch, I'm not that boy any more who beat the boys up because they looked at you wrong or did something that made you cry; I can handle it."

Mitchie shook her head, her hold on Shane tightening. "No."

During one of their many sunset conversations while at Camp Rock, she had told him of the torment that she had been put through following the articles in the paper by the pupils of the school that she been attending at the time and she had almost fallen apart at having to tell him, the man that she loved with almost everything that she was.

As Jason went to speak again, Shane held up his hand and shook his head. "Jase, don't."

Jason subsided, glaring at him even as he did so (and even though the conversation was so serious, Nate had to quickly hide a smile; a glaring Jason was not something you saw every day).

Ignoring both of them (but reaching out to kick Nate, as he hadn't missed the smile and for some reason today, he was being particularly observant about his friends and loved ones), Shane bent his head to whisper in Mitchie's ear. "Sweetheart, I can do it for you but you know it has to come from you."

"How," Her muffled voice was full of suppressed pain (and it wasn't as muffled as she would have liked as both Nate and Jason tensed.) "Telling you; you know how hard it was for me, Shane; telling Jake, telling my brother is going to be a horse of a different colour."

"How can I tell the brother I love that I was hospitalised for a month after one particular session with the bullies of the school." Now that she had started, it was almost as if she had forgotten that Jason and Nate were even in the room with them. Her whole attention was fixed on Shane.

"That thanks to the reporter who had sneaked into my room while there..." Her voice cracked. "How can I tell him that he almost lost me forever because of the way they had interfered with my medical records and equipment to get their story?"

Jason went so pale at that revelation; Nate jumped up from the ground and moved to his side, pressing his hand to his friend's shoulder in quiet comfort. He only realised that he was shaking with shock himself when Jason looked up at him, eyes concerned for him as well.

Across from them, Mitchie actually thumped Shane's chest and he caught it quickly, pressing her hand to his lips in an expression of silent reassurance before she buried her face in his sweater again. It was only when Jason spoke; she suddenly remembered that he and Nate were there as well.

"Mitch…" Jason's voice was strangled.

"Oh no," Mitchie's voice broke as a sob made it through. "Oh Jake…"

She looked up and at the heart broken look in her brother's dark eyes; she pulled away from Shane and threw herself into her brother's arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms so tight around her, she actually squeaked.

"I should have been there." Jason moaned against her shoulder as he held her against him almost as he would never let her go. "If I had been there, it would never have happened. Mitchie…"

Without even thinking about it (and the most natural thing she would do), Mitchie actually cuffed him round the head, shouting. "NO!"

Mitchie pulled back and using both hands raised her brother's eyes to meet her own tear sparking set. "You will not blame yourself for what happened to me, Jason Richmond, I will not let you." She actually shook his head firmly. "I. Will. Not. Let. You!"

"Mitch…" He caught hold of her hands and pulled them away.

"No." She shot back; it was almost as if the need to convince her brother that he was not at fault had helped calm her as well. "The only people who are to blame are the people that have already been punished. You going on a guilt trip will not help anything."

Opposite them, Nate (who had quickly moved away from Jason when Mitchie had thrown herself into her brother's arms) leant down to Shane. "Is it me or has Mitchie moved from one end of the emotional spectrum just a little too quickly."

Shane, on the other hand, said nothing but there was a peculiar look in his eyes as he watched his Mitchie reprimand her brother. As she hit Jason again, he did reach out though and pull her away from her brother; if only to save Jason from the headache he was sure to get if she had been allowed to continue.

Realising where she was, Mitchie immediately curled up in his arms again, closing her eyes as she tried to stop the tears still wanting to fall from her eyes. "Can we leave this alone now, please?"

Shane at once pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Nate rested his hand on her head for a moment, the quiet business man back in place once more. "You know it may come up?"

"I know but I have you three to help if it does." She said simply and then a strange grin appeared. "Not that they can, I think it's still covered by the court order that Steve got at the time."

"Then we'll let it go for now." He returned to his cushion and sighed in glee again as he settled back in, this time earning grins from all three of them; albeit weak ones from Jason and Mitchie but grins nevertheless.

"On that note, I think we need to take up one of the television interviews we've been asked to do, as well as the press conference. On the same day too."

"YOU WHAT!" Three voices literally shouted in shock.

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And so was this chapter by the way, just so you all know.

I need help again. I need the names of potential real chat show hosts that a group like Connect 3 could be invited to appear on.
So my American friends, time to help out the English author ;0p

As always looking forward to seeing what you have to say