Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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Chapter 35

From Sister to Brother

Mitchie stood looking out of the window at the almost forlorn looking figure of her elder brother. Jason was currently walking down to the lake side, hands in his pockets, kicking at whatever innocent rock that got in his way.

"He's brooding." A familiar voice murmured in her ear as a pair of arms wound themselves around her waist and shoulders.

She reached up to hold the arm around her shoulders, leaning back against him. "He always did when he was younger and had a lot on his mind." She turned slightly in his embrace so that she could look up into his face. "Shane, we need to talk and we need to talk to him."

"Mitch..." He paused for a moment and then turned her completely, keeping his arms around her waist as she rested her hands on his chest. "You're not regretting what happened yesterday, are you?"

"No!" Mitchie reached up her hand and touched his cheek. "Next to getting Jason back, it's the most wonderful thing that has happened to me since I came to Camp Rock. It was perfect."

Shane smiled softly, leaning into her hand and turning his head to place a kiss in her palm. When he spoke next, he left his lips against it. "You know he's most probably brooding because he wants to talk to us about yesterday."

"So which conversations are we going to have, Shane, our one or his?" Mitchie looked up at him again through her eyelashes, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Something tells me that it will most probably be the same one." Shane kissed her palm again.

Mitchie sighed. "One kiss and all of a sudden, he becomes the all knowing all wise one."

She looked up at him, a mischievous look playing in her eyes as she freed herself from his embrace but not before brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"You will pay for that, Ms Torres-Richmond." Shane merely smiled calmly back at her, catching her hand again to press a kiss in her palm before letting her go.

"Yes, I'm sure I will."

As she started to pull away from him, he caught her hand once more. He felt strangely reluctant about what he was about to say but somehow knew that she would not appreciate it if he acted in any other way.

She paused, looking back up at him curiously. "Shane..."

"Why don't you go and talk to him by yourself for now, wave me over when you want me."

"Brother-sister moment before..." She paused, a strange look in her eyes. "Shane, what are we?"

He immediately pulled her back into his arms, her own going round his neck. "We..."

He bent down and pressed his lips to her forehead. "...are whatever you want us to be, Mitchie, as long as we are together."

"I don't have words, Shane." She looked up at him again, playing with the collar of his jean shirt.

"Then go speak to your brother," He kissed her forehead again and then freed her. "Something tells me that this may be one of those times when only Jason has the words that you need."

"Jason's not the only one with the words today, Shane." Mitchie reached up and kissed the corner of his lips before leaving the room.

Shane took her place in the window, eyes never leaving the slim frame of the one person that meant more to him than anyone else.

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Jason kicked what must have been the fifth rock to get in his way as he headed down to the Lake, definitely brooding as his sister and friend had described.

He had still not been able to talk to either Shane or Mitchie since yesterday's debacle at Beach Jam. Every time he had tried, something else had come up and his opportunity had been ruined.

"I just want to talk to them!" He said out loud. "Is that too much to ask?"

He promptly kicked another rock, listening to it land in the lake as he had just reached the edge of the dock.

"Jason..." A familiar and at this particular point in time, wanted voice called out to him and he swung round to find one of the two people he wanted to talk to running towards him.

Almost before he knew what was happening, he found himself opening out his arms so that he could catch his sister as she literally tumbled into him at full speed, crushing her to him in a huge hug.

A moment later, Jason (and it had to be said, reluctantly) allowed Mitchie to draw back so that he could look down into the eyes that were so like his own. Eyes he was only just getting used to looking in again.

"Mitch..."

"Jake..."

"We need to talk." They spoke simultaneously only to break into relieved laughter at having done so.

Mitchie drew back from her brother and took his hand, leading him to the lounge seats that had been left out. She sat down, curling her legs underneath herself and then pulled him down on the seat next to her, leaning against him.

She sighed as she felt his arms come round her and leant against his shoulder. "It's been a long time since I saw you brooding, Jake." Her voice was low.

"It's been a long time since I found anything worth being brood-worthy." He replied as he rested his head on hers, smiling as she giggled softly. "Are you happy, Mitch?"

It was unexpected yet at the same time it wasn't, so Mitchie gave the question the respect she felt her brother deserved. She freed herself, walking to the edge of the lake to look out over the water.

Sighing at first as she wrapped her arms around herself, she kept her eyes fixed on the scenery before her and laughed slightly. "Yes, Jake, for the first time in a long time, I think I can say that I am."

She turned to look at him. "That's not to say I haven't been happy during the last six years because at times I have been. Connie and Steve are the best parents I could ever have been given, Jake, and I don't really have to say that there wasn't much they had to do to be that, do I."

"No Mitch, there isn't." He agreed with a soft smile.

"But there was always something missing and deep in the heart of me, I think I've always known that."

"A big part of that was I was missing you, even if I didn't know." She smiled bashfully, knowing that she was about to touch the subject that her brother wanted to talk about. "I never knew what the other part was until Shane..."

"All of a sudden, there he was, a little lost and needing to find his way more than he knew but..." Mitchie looked her brother in the eyes. "There's been something between us almost from the very beginning, Jake, a connection that calls to each other."

"You're in love with him." Jason spoke softly, remembering the look in her eyes of the previous day, the same look that was softening her eyes now.

Mitchie looked startled but nodded slowly in agreement, looking back to the cabin where she knew Shane was watching them and found him closer than she had expected. He had clearly drawn closer to them as they had been talking. With a wave of her hand, she called him towards them.

"Yes, I think I am yet..." She looked at her brother once more. "It feels more than that somehow, Jake."

Jason smiled. "I can believe that. I saw the way you two were looking at each other yesterday."

Shane moved to her side, (having heard most of the conversation between brother and sister) and wrapped his arm around her waist again. Without thinking, Mitchie naturally curved into him, linking her fingers with the hand resting on her hip even as she blushed at her brother's last statement.

"Jake..." She sighed, looking from her brother to her boyfriend (as she still felt it wasn't a big enough word to describe what was between them). "You'll always be my brother but Shane, well Shane's..."

"He's your knight in shining armour," Jason suggested, "The prince that rescued you from the dragon hiding your memories."

"Except for the fact the princess had to rescue the prince from his dragons first." Shane murmured, smiling as he felt Mitchie start to giggle again.

Jason smiled as well and rose to his feet.

He held out his hands to Mitchie who immediately put her own into them, only to break in to full laughter as he swung her up onto his shoulder and began to walk away with her. "Well for now, this particular princess is needed back at the castle. She has to help her cook prepare dinner."

Shane could only shake his own head as he broke into laughter and followed them.

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And a rather long chapter for Jason, Mitchie and Shane

Next time around, we might even get round to the mysterious Richmond parents and Tess's punishment but so no surety on that ;0p

Looking forward to hearing what you think as always.