A/N: Hey all! This is my longest chapter yet, it took me so long to write! But thanks for all the reviews, you guys are absolutely amazing! I love you all! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Disclaimer: I own Nothing. :(

Chapter 7

Caitlyn's eyes scanned the forest wildly.

Maybe they had all made some mistake. Maybe they had missed something.

But she knew they hadn't. There was nothing here.

Nothing.

No sign of either of them.

She sighed dejectedly and turned to walk in the other direction. There was no point in continuing any more.

They had combed the whole far side of the forest for Shane and Mitchie, but to no avail.

Caitlyn frowned in frustration.

Tess told Brown she heard voices over here, calling for help. So where were Shane and Mitchie?

It didn't make sense.

Suddenly, she had a horrible thought.

How do we know Shane and Mitchie were even here in the first place?

She tried to block out the annoying voice in her head, but it only increased in desperation; she couldn't ignore it.

All we have is Tess's word for it.

Caitlyn sighed. She knew this was true, but she still didn't want to believe it.

Why would Tess lie? What would she gain from getting us all away?

This was getting interesting.

She frowned, deep in thought.

Maybe she's just playing a prank on us, having a bit of a laugh.

Another idea crossed her mind.

Or maybe she wants to find Mitchie and Shane, and then take all the credit for it herself.

Caitlyn bit her lip.

But that couldn't be true. Tess hated Mitchie; She didn't give a damn about finding her, she had said so herself.

Her heart began to thump rapidly. An unpleasant sensation consumed her, making her stomach tingle.

Mitchie and Shane are in trouble.

She couldn't explain why she knew it, she just did. It was an instinctive feeling.

Caitlyn took a deep breath and ran as fast as her sore ankle would allow her.

She was oblivious to the puzzled shouts from behind her. Her mind was focused on finding Shane and Mitchie.

I've got to get to them before Tess does.

It gave her goose bumps just thinking about it. She had no idea what Tess was planning to do, but whatever it was, she knew it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"I'll give you a race, Nate!" Jason cried enthusiastically.

He grinned, skipping to keep up with Nate's pace.

"Hey, that rhymes! Race, Nate!" Jason giggled, and looked at Nate for approval.

Nate shook his head.

"No it doesn't," he replied in frustration. "And no, Jason, I'm not in the racing mood at the moment."

Jason looked crestfallen.

"Please, Nate? You promised!"

"No I didn't!"

Nate regretted his words when he saw Jason's hurt expression. He stopped walking and touched Jason's arm.

"Look, Jase, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so short with you, it's just.. Well.. I'm worried about Shane."

Jason brightened a bit.

"Don't worry, Nate! I know just what you need!"

Nate stared at his band mate with obvious confusion.

"What?"

"A hug!" Jason cried, throwing his arms around Nate and squeezing him tightly.

Nate looked surprised, but hugged him back nonetheless.

"Thanks, Jason," he said with a small smile when Jason finally released him.

"Can we race now?" Jason replied, bouncing up and down with excitement.

Nate sighed, and nodded reluctantly.

"I guess so. But only if-"

"GO!" Jason shouted merrily.

"Hey!" Nate called, as Jason sprinted off through the trees.

"Jason, wait!"

Caitlyn hobbled through the forest, mumbling under her breath.

How could they have been so stupid? This had all been a trick, a wild goose chase to stop Shane and Mitchie from being found.

Anger coursed through her veins.

What the hell was Tess playing at? Why did she lie to Brown about hearing voices on the far side of the forest?

It was obvious that we'd find out she wasn't telling the truth sooner or later.

A little voice in her mind spoke up.

But maybe it's already too late.

Caitlyn shook her head furiously. She didn't want to think about it. Her ankle was aching; she knew she should be resting, but she had to find Shane and Mitchie before Tess did.

As she rounded a tree, she spotted an approaching figure. But by then, it was already too late.

Wham!

The impact threw her backwards with such force that all the breath was knocked out of her.

She lay on the ground for a second, breathing hard.

Today is really not my day.

"Oh my God. Are you OK?"

Caitlyn opened her eyes. A boy of about her age was bending over her, touching her arm with concern. His curly brown hair fell over his eyes, but she could still feel his intense gaze.

She recognized him instantly.

"Nate?" She murmured in surprise.

Oh my God. Nate from Connect 3!

"What? What happened?"

Nate looked over at Jason sternly.

He helped Caitlyn up and they both watched as Jason picked himself up from the ground, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Oopsy, my bad. Me and Nate were having a race. I was going super fast, and I knocked into you when you came round that tree."

He gave Caitlyn a weak smile.

"Sorry. But hey, on the plus side, I think I won!"

Nate rolled his eyes, and looked over at Caitlyn.

"Are you OK? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Caitlyn gave a small smile and shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

A sharp jolt suddenly shot through her ankle. She winced, her face twisting in pain.

Nate touched her shoulder, worry plainly visible on his face.

"What's wrong?"

Caitlyn bit her lip.

"Nothing. It's just my ankle, I think I sprained it or something."

Jason's eyes widened.

"Oh no!" He cried, enveloping her in a giant bear hug. "I'm sorry!"

"Jason, get off her, she can't breathe!" Nate said in alarm, trying to tug Jason towards him.

Jason finally let go, his eyes wide with innocence.

Caitlyn laughed.

"You're a meanie Nate!" Jason told him grumpily. "It was just a hug! Hugs make everything better."

"Sorry," Nate whispered to Caitlyn. "He has a thing with hugs."

Caitlyn giggled.

"Hey, it's OK," she replied genuinely, turning to leave.

"Wait! I don't even know your name," Nate said, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him again.

"It's Caitlyn," She said with a smile.

"I'm Nate," he replied.

"I know."

Their eyes met. For a brief moment, they were drawn to each other, mesmerised, unable to look away.

"I'm Jason!" Jason shouted eagerly, shattering the special moment.

An awkward silence followed.

"Where are you going?" Nate finally asked Caitlyn.

Caitlyn groaned as she remembered.

Tess, she thought angrily. I've got to find Shane and Mitchie before Tess does.

The memories of that day stung her like a slap in the face.

Nate was watching her nervously.

She realized that she must look like a complete idiot, standing there with her mouth open.

She quickly closed it, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

"I've got to find Shane and Mitchie," she told him. "I've got to find them before Tess does!"

"Why? Is it like a competition, or something?"

"No, it's worse than that. Look, I'll explain on the way, alright?"

"Uh, OK.."

Nate paused for a moment, undecided.

Should he go with her?

His curiosity finally got the better of him.

He sighed and followed Caitlyn through the trees, with Jason frolicking close behind.

Shane walked rapidly through the forest, intent on finding the searchers as quickly as he could.

The sooner Mitchie gets help, the better, he thought grimly to himself, with a worried glance back over his shoulder.

Tess better be looking after her…

Tess looked around nervously as she entered the clearing. She didn't have much time.

A sly smile spread across her face when she spotted Mitchie. She was lying motionless on the ground.

Tess strutted over confidently, but her brashness melted when she noticed Mitchie's shallow breathing.

She froze, her eyes on Mitchie's face. It was deathly pale, and her entire body was shaking uncontrollably.

Tess frowned, her eyes narrowing.

She was silent for a moment, deep in thought.

So Mitchie's unconscious. Why didn't Shane tell me?

She twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger nervously.

What should I do?

A sudden noise made Tess jump. She cursed under her breath.

I've got to keep going, she told herself, glancing around uneasily. I've got this far; I can't stop now.

She had made up her mind. With a flick of her hair, she grabbed Mitchie's hands and began dragging her across the ground. The chill that ran down Tess's spine only made her pull harder.

I can't believe I'm doing this, she thought to herself. But it serves her right.

After what I'm about to do, Shane is going to regret ever having kissed Mitchie.

She smiled cruelly, her confidence building.

He was going to regret it big time.

"Hello?" Shane called loudly. "Is anyone there?"

Silence greeted him.

Great, he thought sarcastically to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets. Just great.

We're never going to get out of here.

A muffled sound interrupted his thoughts; Shane looked up sharply.

"Hello?" He yelled, squinting through the trees.

He could just make out a faint silhouette in the distance.

Come on, please be rescue, he prayed silently, running a nervous hand through his hair as he walked towards it.

"Shane!" A dim voice shouted.

Shane's eyes brightened.

Could it be?

Adrenalin rushed through him.

With long, loping strides, he raced towards the distant sound.

"Shane!" Nate yelled, watching the approaching figure intently.

Could it be?

"What!" Caitlyn said in disbelief. "Are you serious, Nate?"

She looked in the direction Nate was pointing in and uttered a small scream.

"Oh my God! It is!"

Jason began running through the tree's towards his band mate.

"Shaney!" He yelled with joy, leaping into Shane's surprised arms.

For a brief second, Caitlyn remained still, stunned at having found Shane at last.

When the shock wore off, she began jumping up and down with excitement, flinging her arms around Nate and clutching him tightly. Out of nowhere, silent tears began to stream down her face. Nate pulled away and looked at her in alarm.

"Hey, don't cry. It's OK, we found him, Caitlyn. We found him."

This only made Caitlyn cry harder.

"I'm sorry," she finally choked, trying to wipe away her tears. "I don't know what's come over me. I'm not usually like this. I guess.. it' s just that, this whole day has been so overwhelming.. I.. I dunno," She finished lamely, looking up at Nate with watery eyes.

He reached out and squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"It's alright, Caitlyn. Don't worry about it, OK?"

Nate brushed a stray tear from her cheek, making Caitlyn blush.

He smiled.

"Now, come on. Lets go see Shane."

He grabbed her hand and helped her limp over to join the happy reunion that was now taking place.

Shane watched Nate and Caitlyn as they came towards him.

They were holding hands, and Caitlyn was still limping. Shane could see that her face was streaked with tears, but he didn't ask; he just strolled over and enveloped both of them in a hug.

"Boy, am I glad to see you guys," he breathed happily.

"Aw, group hug!" Jason said gleefully, attempting to throw his arms around all of them at the same time, but not quite managing it.

They broke away laughing.

"We're glad to see you too," Caitlyn told Shane, speaking for all of them.

Nate nodded, and Shane grinned.

"Where's Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked.

Shane's smile quickly faded.

"Mitchie's back there with Tess," he answered quietly, pointing back over his shoulder. His tone was serious.

Caitlyn gasped.

"Oh no! Are you serious?"

Shane nodded slowly.

"Yeah, Tess found us. She said she was sick. I mean, she didn't look too bad to me, but she said she's been ill all night and that she didn't have any energy left, so I left her with Mitchie and came to get help."

"She told you she was sick?" Caitlyn spat, looking at Shane in disbelief.

Shane nodded.

"What?!"Caitlyn seethed, unable to believe what Shane had just told her.

Jason and Nate looked on in confusion.

"I don't know what she's up to, but she's not sick. She lied to you, Shane. I saw her this morning, and she's perfectly fine."

"But why would she lie?" Shane asked after a moment.

The female brain is one thing I'll never understand.

"How should I know?" Caitlyn shot back. "She hates Mitchie, she could be doing anything to her right now!"

She tried not to think about it, but she couldn't get the awful images out of her head.

"Caitlyn," Nate said soothingly. "I'm sure Mitchie can look after herself. She'll be fine."

An alarmed look passed over Shane's face. He uttered a few curses under his breath, and began walking hurriedly through the forest to the place where he had left Mitchie. The others followed, struggling to keep up with his pace.

"Shane, what's the rush? She'll be fine."

"No, she won't," Shane moaned. "Caitlyn, you're right. Mitchie's sick, she's unconscious, Tess could be doing anything to her right now."

Caitlyn looked up sharply.

"Mitchie's sick?"

Shane nodded sombrely, and began walking faster.

"I.. I don't know what's wrong with her. She's unconscious, she has been since I found her. Her breathing's getting really bad."

"Oh my God.." Caitlyn whispered, nearly tripping over a tree root.

"Asthma. Mitchie has asthma. Why didn't I think to bring her inhaler? You said she was unconscious? It must be really, really bad..."

Shane nodded, and they continued on in silence.

Nate held Caitlyn's hand firmly, giving it a comforting squeeze.

She managed a small smile, but inside, her stomach was in knots.

She had a feeling they were going to be too late.

Tess was breathing deeply. She stopped dragging Mitchie's body, and let it fall limply to the ground.

This was the place she had checked out earlier. She placed her hands on her hips and looked around confidently.

It was perfect.

They were a long way from camp now.

A steep cliff lay just ahead of them. It was an almost vertical drop, a hundred metres down into the valley below.

Tess walked forward, admiring the view.

A serene look crossed her face.

She didn't care any more.

She didn't care that she could be in a lot of trouble for what she was about to do.

She didn't care that she was about to harm an innocent life.

It didn't matter anyway.

Nothing mattered to her anymore. Her life was a mess; everything that she had ever cared about had lost all its meaning.

And if I can't have a perfect life, why should anyone else? Tess thought bitterly.

She thought of Mitchie's mother: with her cheerful optimism and loving smile. Kissing Mitchie goodbye, giving her a hug.

Tess almost felt guilty.

That was the last time Connie would ever see her daughter again.

Then she thought of her own mother, and the remorse vanished.

The busy schedules, never having enough time to spend with her daughter. The impatient looks, failing to show even the slightest sign of affection.

Tess glared coldly at Mitchie.

And then there was Shane. It looked as though he belonged to Mitchie now, too.

Life was so unfair.

But I know how to make it better.

She stood on the edge of the cliff top, reminiscing.

Sure, Mitchie might have everything, Tess thought with a nasty smile.

But bad things happen to people who have everything.

The light was beckoning.

Mitchie struggled to escape the dark pit of her unconscious.

Finally, with a strangled gasp, she broke free.

Her eyelids fluttered open.

Shane looked around the empty clearing.

They're gone, he thought anxiously.

"No!" Caitlyn cried angrily. "What has she done to her?"

Horrible images entered her head. She couldn't take it any more. This was too much.

She burst into tears. Nate held her tightly and she sobbed quietly into his shoulder, not wanting to believe that Mitchie was gone.

"It's OK," he whispered soothingly, stroking her hair. "We'll find her, it'll be OK."

Suddenly, an ear splitting scream echoed through the forest.

Shane looked up sharply.

"Mitchie!" He shouted, his stomach turning somersaults.

The four of them raced through the trees towards the sound.

But none of them were prepared for what they were about to see.

A/N: YAY CLIFFY! :) Haha, I hope you enjoyed that! Was there enough suspense? Was it too long?

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Kacee

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