Disclaimer: See prologue chapter

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Chapter 36

Heroes

"Well, this is different." Deanna murmured as she set her tray down on one of the main camp's dining tabled and then pushing her husband over slightly, taking a seat, "And very noisy."

"And so much fun," Caitlyn replied as she put her own tray down. "Isn't it Mitchie?"

"I've know a couple of good times in here." Mitchie replied as she took her seat next to her brother. She looked up at Shane as he put his own tray down before bringing a chair over from another table so that he could sit on the end next to her.

"Rumour is there was a food fight that was stopped by Brown." Nate commented as he took the last place at the table.

Caitlyn laughed as Mitchie absently rubbed her head in quiet memory. "Oh there was and a pretty good one at that. We got 'punished'..." She raised her fingers for speech marks as she said 'punished' and then continued, "...with helping Connie in the kitchen; the other culprits got trash duty."

"I thought you helped out in the kitchen all the time anyway?" Jason asked genuinely puzzled, "Why would Brown punish you with... oh!"

"You do realise that we could almost see the light bulb go off just then, Jake." Mitchie sighed, resting her head on her brother's arm for a moment. "Hence the speech marks." She raised her head and then gently hit him. "Did you forget to start your brain this morning?"

"You are so rude." He retorted in mock outrage, sticking his tongue out at her as well.

"No difference there then," Shane murmured with a sly grin at Mitchie earning himself a thump in the arm, "So... ah hello?"

At his elbow two of the smallest campers they had ever seen stood looking eagerly at them.

"Hello!" The little girl of the pair chirped up, her red curls literally bouncing as she did so from eagerness. "I'm Davy."

"And I'm Danny." The small boy continued his red hair in short close cut curls but bouncing just as eagerly as his sister. "We're twins."

"As if you couldn't tell," Caitlyn murmured tongue in cheek to Nate, leaning over to speak in his ear so that she couldn't be heard.

"We've been to every one of your charity concerts." Danny continued as he moved round the table until he was next to Caitlyn to look up at her. "I want to do what you do too, I think you're wonderful."

"Look out Nate, I think someone's after your girl." Deanna murmured with a smile not only at the sheer cuteness of the twins but at the feint blush that invaded Caitlyn's cheek at the hero worship in the young boy's eyes.

"Shut up Dee!" Caitlyn growled, shifting a little uneasily in her seat as Danny continued to look at her.

"I want to be like Mitchie." Davy said abruptly, a slight scowl crossing her face as she realised how much attention her brother was receiving. "Mitchie is so... so... cool!" She literally clapped her hands in her glee and squealed.

The blush that graced Mitchie's cheeks at this would have done a sunset proud. "Thank you." She murmured a little shyly. "That's really sweet of you to say.

"No, not sweet," Davy moved round Shane and sat down on the bench next to Nate so that she could look across the table at Mitchie, "Just true. Me and Danny are going to be the next Mitchie and Jason." She continued out of the blue. "Everyone will love us too."

"Confident little thing isn't she." Shane leaned over to murmur in Mitchie's ear before speaking up in a slightly sarcastic tone. "Please sit down and join us."

"I thought I already had." Little Miss Confidence replied glaring at him slightly. "You really are not nice sometimes, Shane Grey."

"You know I've heard that some place before." Shane replied as he sat back in his chair (which he had moved nearer to Mitchie without anyone noticing) and put his arm around her, drawing her into his side.

Mitchie immediately stabbed her elbow into his ribs, whispering into his ear. "Be nice, Shane, she's just a kid who's a little too excited."

As Davy had promptly turned her big green eyes on a now rather startled Nate, their own childish response went unnoticed by the child. "I want to play the guitar like you too, Nate. You're cool too."

"You can never have too many guitarists." Nate replied with a grin, even as Deanna buried her head against her husband's side to hide her own.

Danny was still standing staring at Caitlyn (something she was beginning to feel a little weird-ed out by). "Do you want to sit down as well, Danny?" She finally asked him.

"Can we talk production programs?" He asked eagerly as he moved into the space that she had given him. "I want to know how you manage all those cool sounds you do."

Suddenly feeling on surer ground, Caitlyn promptly started to answer all his questions, her eyes lighting up as much as the little boy's as she realised that she had a kindred spirit next to her. Next to her, Nate found himself in a similar discussion but this time about the instruments that he played.

Across from them, the other four watched in amusement and then Jason turned to his sister. "For someone who stated she and her brother were going to be the next us, Davy and Danny are sure talking to us a lot."

"Oh hush, Jase." Deanna murmured as she rose to her feet. "I think they're adorable."

"Yes dear." He replied, sticking his tongue out at Shane and Mitchie as they covered their mouths to hide their laughter. As soon as his wife was out of hearing, he returned attention to his sister and her fiancé again.

"Food fight?" He asked with a grin.

"Not in this session!" Brown said unexpectedly from behind him, making Jason jumped and the other two almost hiccup in laughter at the shocked expression that crossed his face. The older man just grinned, a grin that grew broader as he looked across the table at the twins. "I see you've met Davy and Danny."

"You could say that." Shane replied as he glanced across at them as well before looking up at his uncle again. "They're a little young, Uncle Brown." He said in a low voice for their ears only. "I take it you've got a real good reason for having them here."

"I know." He leant down, pressing a quick fatherly kiss to Mitchie's head. "Their father was a really old friend and when I heard that he had passed away just after Christmas, I invited them to camp to give their mother a break. Since they've been here, the older girls have simply taken over caring for them but this is the happiest that I've seen them since they arrived."

"Then we're happy to help out, Brown," Mitchie replied as she sank into Shane's embrace a little more and reaching out for Jason's hand as well. "Well, Nate and Cait appear to be happy to help out," A small giggle escaped her. "Jake and I were just the worms to get them over here."

"And I'm just not nice." Shane shrugged as a broad grin appeared.

"No difference there then," Brown replied, joining Mitchie and Jason in laughing at the faked expression of shock on Shane's face.

RC-CS-EC

Thanks to the five of you that did leave a review the last chapter, I love you all. (coolkitten12, Dancingfool101,hpswst101, Angel of the Nightwatchers and Writer 200)

Again a simple request, please leave an 'I was here' message and a real review if you want to.

Ideas of what you would like me to revisit from RC also welcomed again (You especially hpswst101 and Writer200, I've been loving your suggestions and so have my fingers)

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