Disclaimer: See prologue chapter

Chapter 12

General Conversation

As conversations around the room quickly focused on what few plans they had to make, no-one noticed that all six younger members of the family had simply vanished from the living room. All that was left to show that they had gone was the open door to the garden.

"One of these days I am going to find out how exactly they manage to do that." Trevor Grey murmured to his brother-in-law. "Every single we together in one place, at one time or another, they just seem to slip away without anyone even noticing that they have gone."

Brown slapped his brother's shoulder. "Trevor, they work in a profession where it is almost a necessity to be able to slip away without anyone noticing them."

"Since when has that meant they use it on us." Nathan Howard asked as joined them.

"Maybe because they're as observant as some of the people that they have to deal with on a daily basis," Rob murmured in an aside to Sandy. The two big men looked at each other, grinning broadly.

"That and good training on Mitchie's part," The Scotsman added chuckling in the same low tone. "Did you know I actually came across them once when she was giving them a lesson in being sneaky soon after I met the group?"

"Sounds like our Mitchie." Rob grinned as well.

"Have you noticed how those two always seem to exude pride every time the younger generation manage to do something extremely sneaky?" Louise leaned over and poked Violet's arm to get her attention, nodding over to where Rob and Sandy were still grinning at each other.

"Do you blame them?" Violet replied a soft smile very much like her son's lighting up her face. "And at this present time, I really don't care. Mitchie's finally going to become a Grey."

"Darling, my granddaughter has been a Grey almost from the moment she met Shane." Elizabeth murmured as she leant over to join their conversation. "Even her own brother has slipped on occasion and just called her Mitchie Grey."

"True, very true." Connie slid over the sofa. "And you should see the smile that enters Mitchie's eyes when she hears herself referred as that."

The ladies were surprised as Alexander leant over them, hands on the back of the sofa. "Any other teenager would not be ready for marriage at eighteen. Mitchie, Caitlyn and Nate are; especially when you compare them to someone like Ella or even Peggy. Neither is Sandy or Baron."

"Yes, I see what you mean there," Louise agreed. "Our three eighteen year olds are slightly more mature because of the things that they have been through."

"But that doesn't mean we are going to be seeing Cait and Nate getting married any time soon. They're more like just going to enjoy being together for a long time, I think mainly even with all the good examples about her, Caitlyn will shy away from the state for a while." Connie said quietly as she leaned in to join them.

Louise sighed, "How unfortunately true."

RC-CS-EC

Out in the garden, Jason sat in the largest of the pillow cushions with Deanna in his lap, his chin resting on her shoulder. In front of them on two more of the giant cushions, Nate and Caitlyn had actually resorted to playing thumb wars. Both were on their stomachs and were resorting to making faces at each other to put them off.

As usual, Shane and Mitchie were on the swing seat. Shane had one foot on the floor, keeping it moving as Mitchie sat curled up beside him, arms around one of his as she played with his purity ring. She was watching Nate and Caitlyn, giggling quietly as Deanna reached forward to poke Nate in the back to put him off the current thumb bout.

Leaning her head against Shane, she looked across at her brother. "Jake?"

"Yes, Mitch." Jason looked up, hearing the worried note in her voice. "Mitchie..."

"You don't mind not walking me down the aisle do you?" She replied in a soft voice.

He immediately (but gently) put his wife to one side and rushed to her side, taking his sister in his arms. "No Mitchie I don't mind at all and let me tell you now, I didn't expect to either."

As she buried her head against him, Jason ran his hand through her hair. "Besides I always thought that Pops would be the one that walked you down the aisle and of course, you had to have Steve walk with you as well."

"Not surprised by it being at Camp Rock either, you might notice." Caitlyn sat up and somehow managed to manoeuvre her pillow closer to Nate's so that she could lean against him. "And please note that none of us are surprised by the fact that you two want your wedding by the lake at sunset either."

Mitchie giggled at that as she settled back between her brother and fiancé again. "Noted and registered."

Shane laughed himself; resting his head on Mitchie's for a moment. "Does anyone want to bet on when the elders pin us down to finalise details for it though."

"And there I'm putting my foot down there." Nate responded as he sat up slightly, pulling Caitlyn into a more comfortable position. "We do have the Chicago charity concert to get through first. They can pin you to the board after that."

"And there speaks our junior manager." Shane murmured to Mitchie and Jason, making them both chuckle again before he spoke out louder. "Yes Nate and you can be the one that tells the senior ladies of our family that exact fact."

"Oh you so can be sure of that, Shane." Caitlyn responded dryly. "This is Nate after all. He just about the only one who has the gumption to do so, especially if it means a concert is not interfered with."

Deanna actually snorted at that; the look on Nate's face had just been amazing. Up on the swing, Shane, Mitchie and Jason were leaning against each other, laughing at the youngest male's face as well.

From there, the evening from then descended in to the usual chaos that occurred when these five (with the welcome addition of Deanna of course) were left alone.

RC-CS-EC

Not as long as normal, I kept getting distracted, sorry.

Don't forget to keep voting in the poll. I'll keep it open for a bit longer,

As always looking forward to seeing what you have to say ;op