Disclaimer: See prologue chapter

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Chapter 37

Past Memories

"Connie...?" Mitchie opened the door of the kitchen in the parents' cabin and couldn't stop herself from grinning at what she saw.

Connie was literally dancing on the spot as she stirred a brown coloured mixture in one of the biggest mixing bowls Mitchie had ever seen. As the music happened to be one 'Play My Music' and be clearly from the album of their first charity concert, it had the younger woman in even bigger hysterics.

Leaning against the side of the door, arm wrapped around her waist to hold her aching sides, Mitchie just managed to get her phone out to text the others to join her. One by one they did, and still unsuspecting Connie continued to dance around the kitchen, oblivious to the attention that she was receiving.

Shane wrapped his arms around Mitchie's waist as he felt her start to sink to the ground, her legs barely holding her up from her restrained laughter. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he murmured in her ear. "No wonder she is baking the cake here rather than over at the dining hall. No-one would get anything to eat."

Mitchie promptly dug her elbow in his ribs, making him laugh out loud.

It was Shane's laugh that finally got Connie's attention and she turned to find them all in the doorway. A blush invaded her cheeks, and without second thought she resorted to childhood, picked up the flour that just happened to be right next to her on the table and threw it at them.

"Connie!" Mitchie exclaimed even as she and Shane ducked down, allowing it to land on Jason's head.

The look on his face was a picture and sent his own wife into hysterics, slipping down the wall to the floor.

Jason immediately dived forward and caught up more flour, turned and threw it at Nate – and if you're wondering why Nate and not his own sister, he just happened to be closer to him at the time.

Nate immediately grabbed the flour falling down his face and rubbed it to his laughing girlfriend's hair in retaliation. Caitlyn immediately joined Jason in the kitchen, where the ammunition happened to be and threw back at Nate – who ducked allowing the flour to fall in both Shane and Mitchie.

After that, it became a free for all, as alliances were made and dropped and the air turned completely white from the amount of the flour in the air.

"WHAT ON EARTH!" The shocked voice of Elizabeth Richmond broke through the giggles and chuckles as the seven involved in the fight turned to look at the elder woman standing in the doorway. Her hands were on her hips, her lips were pursed but her eyes were sparkling with suppressed laughter. "Are you children or adults?"

They looked at each other, shuffling sheepishly as they did so but then as one, turned back to her and replied in unison, "Children" before bursting into laughter again.

Elizabeth threw her hands up in the air and let her own laughter free. "I should have known. I'm not even going to ask who started it under the circumstances."

She shook her head and started to walk away but stopped, looking over her shoulder at them. "Just remember to clean everything up, oh and children..."

Again all seven replied, "Yes nana."

"You have flour in your hair; you may want to do something about it."

Again they replied in unison. "Yes nana," but even as she continued back to the living room, laughter broke out again in the kitchen and she just shook her head again.

"I really don't want to know." She murmured. "I really don't want to know."

RC-CS-EC

"Walk with me?" Jason asked Shane as he joined his sister's fiancé on the veranda, putting his arm around his shoulders.

Shane was standing leaning against an upright, watching the three girls playing as they indulged in some girl time. As always though, his eyes were fastened on Mitchie, smile playing on his lips.

"Sure Jase."

As he passed Mitchie, he caught her up for a second and pressed a kiss to her forehead, smiling at her "Be good." Especially as she then turned to her brother and told him exactly the same, adding. "No bloodshed."

In silence, the two young men walked across the camp until they reached the rocks where they had once spoken before. Sitting down, Shane turned to look at Jason. "What's up Jase?"

"Remember the talk we had here two years ago?" Jason asked as he put his hands in his pockets, glancing across at the spot where Caitlyn and Mitchie had been rehearsing that time.

"A little hard to forget, Jason," Shane laughed. "It was the first time that you ever threatened me if I did anything to hurt Mitch. I meant what I said back then and I mean it even more now."

"That's all I wanted to know." Jason sighed and sat down next to him. "You're all she wants and needs to be happy, Shane, you do know that don't you?"

"Seeing that I feel exactly the same, I'm not surprised." Shane replied and then seemed to make some sort of internal decision. "Jason, there are going to be times when we argue and argue badly, with tempers like ours, it's not really surprising but..." He reached out and touched his friend's arm. "Mitch and I, we love each other too much to ever let it get between us. It actually hurts when we argue."

"Good, good." Jason nodded falling silent for a moment before a slight blush invaded his cheeks. "And on you're wed..."

Shane actually threw a hand across his mouth, stopping Jason before he could complete what he was going to say. "I have a dad for that particular talk, thank you very much and there is no way in anything that I am going to talk my fiancée's brother about it."

Jason laughed out loud, a full blown belly laugh that shook his entire body. It took him quite some time before he could speak. "Actually, it wasn't that I wanted to talk to you about but thanks for the laugh. I wanted to know if you would mind if that you had the fourth dance of the night at the mini-reception."

"After her grandfather, foster father and you..." Shane shook his head. "No, not at all, it would make Mitch happy to dance with the men who were first in her life before she even met me."

"You're a good man Shane." Jason's smile was a little off.

"Am I?" Shane shook his head. "No. I don't think so. I think, no, I know that Mitchie brings out the best in me but think about it, Jase. You may have the first three dances of our married life but I'll have all the dances after that for the rest of our lives."

Jason put his head on one side and then nodded. "You've got a point there, Shane, a good point. I hadn't even thought of putting it that way and I wish I had now."

"Have you two finished your brotherly conversation?" Mitchie said suddenly as she came up behind them and put her arms around their shoulders, kiss first Jason and then Shane on the cheek. "I've been sent to get you by Deanna."

"We have," Jason replied looking up at her over his shoulder. "And why have you been sent as a messenger by Dee?"

"It's time to get ready for Final Jam." Mitchie wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. "Apparently our flour fights earlier means she needs to take a bit more time on our hair to get it ready, who would know it."

"And now you want a piggy back ride to the cabin." Shane grinned as in response to his question; Mitchie promptly clung to her brother's back like a monkey. "I think you can take that as a yes, Jase."

"That's fine with me." He replied as he made her more comfortable before rising to his feet. "Race you back!"

With that he started off at a steady jog, Mitchie encouraging him as Shane just shook his head in amusement before following them, murmuring as he did so. "And this is the man worried that my marriage to Mitchie is going to change their relationship. He's going to be giving her piggybacks when we have kids of our own."

RC-CS-EC

I sat down yesterday and couldn't think of a single thing to write, so rather than try and force something I just didn't bother.

I think part of the reason why is because I know that this story doesn't have much longer to go. Sorry people!

This is your early warning: The Connection Trilogy is coming to an end.

Tomorrow is Final Jam and perhaps decorating! Sunday could be the big day!

But who know!

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