A/N: Once again, I didn't get any e-mails telling me you guys reviewed but I checked manually everyday so I know that I got a lot of nice reviews! And sorry it took so long to update! I caught the flu so I was sick for a while. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! :]

Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock. Trust me, if I did, Shane would have made Mitchie's 'Camp Rock' a long time ago ;) haha...

Arizona

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Chapter Nine – Three Words

The Gray family's Thanksgiving had been pleasantly awkward to say the least. Initially it had started off great. Shane's mom was trying to make Mitchie feel like a welcomed guest, there was a lot of polite conversation going on between everyone at the table but all that ceased when Shane's dad, who had been quiet for most of the conversations, brought up the tour. Shane had told Mitchie before that his dad served at he and his brother's manager so she expected him to be a little upset about Shane leaving the tour. She didn't, however, expect all of the blame to be placed on her.

After dinner, Mitchie had volunteered to help Shane's mom with cleaning dishes while everyone else relaxed in the living room. She really wanted to stay attached to Shane but Mitchie saw this as a chance to talk to Shane's mom and maybe get her to convince her husband that she wasn't.

"So how did you and Shane meet?" Mrs. Gray asked Mitchie scrubbing a plate that was halfway submerged in soapy water. Mitchie thought carefully before answering.

"We just ran into each other a few years ago when he came in to town for a show. We kinda clicked but never exchanged numbers or anything so when he came back, he found me and the rest is history." Mitchie said vaguely. She wasn't about to let the older woman know that she met her son in a bar and he knocked her up. Some things are better left unsaid.

"Ah, I see. And are you two in love?" she asked her. Again, Mitchie thought carefully. This time, it wasn't because she was trying to decipher what details to leave out, it was because she honestly didn't know the answer. Sure, she loved Shane but was she wasn't sure she was in love with him.

"Well I really, really like your son but I don't say 'I love you' unless I mean it and it wouldn't be right of me to tell him that yet because I wouldn't really mean it," Mitchie said tentatively.

"Alright, I can respect that. At least you aren't like any of Shane's other girlfriends who were in love with him two hours into the relationship." The two women laughed at Mrs. Gray's joke. Mitchie noticed the older woman had stopped laughing and was now looking at her with a serious expression on her face. "What about Hayley?"

Mitchie looked down at her hands which were resting on the kitchen counter. Neither her or Shane had said anything about Hayley except for introducing her to everyone. She wasn't sure whether she said lie and say the little girl was her sister or just tell the truth.

"You know she looks just like Shane," Mrs. Gray spoke causing Mitchie to look away from her hands and up at her. "The minute I saw her I knew she was Shane's."

Mitchie felt her face go hot which probably meant she was turning bright red. She couldn't help it. She was a tad embarrassed. "I don't know what to say..." she said honestly.

"It's okay, sweetie. You don't have to say anything. Listen," Shane's mom dried her hands and rested one on Mitchie's shoulder. "I like you Mitchie. You seem like a really lovely girl and I can tell you make Shane really happy. Besides, its not my place to pass judgement on you."

A small smile formed on Mitchie's lips. "Thanks for being so understanding,"

"Oh its not big deal. I mean, you're probably gonna be my daughter-in-law so I have to be understanding, right?" Shane's mom said giving Mitchie a smile.

Just as Mitchie was about to speak, Shane's dad walked into the kitchen. The older Gray didn't even glance at Mitchie. He just brushed pass her and grabbed a can of soda out of the fridge.

"Uh, Mitchie, darling," Shane's mom placed a hand on Mitchie's shoulder, "Why don't you go relax in the living room for a while?"

Mitchie gave the older woman a warm smile before walking out of the kitchen and in to the living room. That left Mr. and Mrs. Gray all alone. Mr. Gray opened his can of soda and took a sip, leaning against the fridge.

"What?" he asked his wife who was glaring at him.

"Why are you behaving this way, Chris?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "That girl has done nothing wrong yet you're treating her as if she has."

"Jess, that girl is the reason Shane left the tour. Do you realize how much money we lost because he decided to do that? And the kid-"

"Her name is Hayley," Mrs. Gray interrupted.

"Yeah, Hayley. She's his isn't she?" Mr. Gray looked at his wife who nodded. He winced to himself and ran a hand over his face. "So when Shane goes back to L.A. he's not only going to have to explain a new girlfriend but a child too. That's just great."

The two parents turned their heads toward the kitchen door when they heard someone clear their throat. Shane stood in the doorway, his arms folded over his chest and a look of annoyance on his face. Before his father could speak, Shane held his hand up not wanting to hear it.

"I'm not a little kid anymore dad. I can handle my own problems, okay? You don't have to go deciding things for me behind my back." Shane spoke.

"Shane you're still my son which means I'm still gonna look out for you and this girl-"

"Her name is Mitchie, dad."

"All I'm saying is that it might have been fun to pretend like you and Mitchie and Hayley are some perfect little family for these past weeks but the reality is that you have to go back to Hollywood and you have to get back to your music and...I just don't want you to have a breakdown trying to juggle your career and those two."

Shane shook his head at his dad and scoffed. "Those two are my girlfriend and my daughter. We haven't been 'pretending' to be a family, we are one. Yes, my career is important to me but my priorities have changed."

"I just don't want to see you throw it all away for something that's not a sure thing."

"Oh because the music industry is such a solid business, right?" Shane asked sarcastically. "I could go back to L.A. right now and record a song that could tank on the charts and I'd be done. That doesn't really sound like a sure thing to me."

"Look Shane, I just don't want you to get hurt-" Shane jerked his shoulder away as his father reached up to touch it.

"No, you don't want your bank account to get hurt. I'm too old for this crap." Shane spat out at his father. He stomped back into the living room only to hear the front door slam and notice that the spot where he left Mitchie was now empty. He looked over to Nate who was sprawled out across the floor next to Hayley.

"She heard you guys. She's pretty upset, bro." Nate informed him. Shane sighed and ran out after her.

When he walked outside, he saw Mitchie leaned against his car, sniffling. He slowly walked over to her, preparing a speech in his head. When she saw him, she shook her head and stared down at the ground.

"I'm sorry." Shane said softly. "My dad is an idiot, okay? He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Yes he does Shane," Mitchie's tone and reply took him by surprise. "After this, things are going to end just like they did two years ago. You're gonna go back to being Mr. Rockstar and I'm going to go back to being a stupid bartender. Except this time I won't be the only one getting hurt. Hayley's gonna miss you like crazy and..."

Shane wrapped his arms around her as her words drifted off. "I'm never going to leave you like that again. Remember what I told you in Applebees? I will never hurt you or Hayley."

"But what about your music?" Mitchie asked softly, her head resting in his chest.

"I love my music but," Shane paused. He knew there were three words he could say and Mitchie would know he was sincere. "I love you."

Mitchie looked up at Shane with a look of disbelief. "You do?"

"Yeah, I guess I do." Shane replied letting a small chuckle escape from his lips.

Mitchie stared at him, looking into his dark eyes. She could tell he was serious. The look in his eyes wasn't the same look she saw when Ken had told her her loved her. He wasn't just saying that so she'd shut up, he actually meant it. Her mind instantly flashed to what she told his mom in their kitchen. She didn't want to say those three words to him unless she meant it but now that he had said it first, she felt almost pressured to say it back.

"I-I...um," Mitchie stuttered. Shane slid off the ring he was wearing on his middle finger and got down on one knee. Mitchie felt her heart drop down into her stomach. Was he really about to do what she thought he was about to do?

"Now that I've told you that I love you, how about another three-word phrase," Shane grabbed her hand and slid the oversized ring on the same finger that Ken's engagement ring used to occupy. "Marry me, Mitchie."

"Shane," she grabbed his hand and pulled him up off of his knee. "You can't propose, not like this."

"I know this isn't probably how you pictured it, in front of my parent's house with a ring that doesn't even fit you but-"

"No, not that. Its just...are you proposing because you want to or because you want to prove your dad wrong?" Shane's eyebrows furrowed. He exhaled a long breath and slid the ring back on his own finger.

"I guess you're right," Shane said running his fingers through his hair. "I mean, I do want to marry you one day but I guess I should ask you under better circumstances, huh?"

Mitchie nodded and gave him a tiny smile. She looked at Shane and thought about the past month or so of her life. Never would she have guessed that she'd be standing in Shane Gray's parent's driveway talking about marriage. Hell, she wouldn't have even guessed that she'd be in Shane's presence. At first, she didn't want anything to do with Shane. She couldn't think of him as anyone but the guy who left her alone in a hotel room after a late night tryst and, subsequently, knocked her up. But he had proved himself to her. He tried to let her know how sorry he was for leaving her, he actually showed that he cared about both her and Hayley and he was just an all-around good guy to her, which was a nice change after being engaged to Ken. And now that she was thinking about all these things, all that Shane had done for her, how much he cared for her, how could she not be in love with him?

"Well, I'm gonna go back inside, see if I can calmly talk to my dad," Shane said, walking back toward the front door of his parent's home.

"Shane," Mitchie called out to him.

"Yeah?" he answered, turning around to look at her.

"I love you, too."

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Aw, how cute! Haha. The next update may not be so quick because school hates me and wants to give me as much homework as possible, but I'll try to write whenever I can! Leave me some awesome reviews! :]

Thanks for reading!