Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. I also do not own the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Sorry for the slightly longer than usual wait. I had so much school work. It was insane.

Also, sorry for any mistakes. I am terribly sick right now. I can't stop coughing and I can barely talk. It's two a.m. where I am, and I've looked it over, but I doubt I caught everything. Please excuse mistakes. I'm not perfect.

"So…What are your plans for Thanksgiving?" Alex asked to break the uncomfortable silence she and Mitchie had been sitting in for nearly an hour. Ever since she and Justin had arrived that Tuesday morning, Mitchie avoided eye contact with her as if her life depended on it. Justin had left as soon as the lessons were over, and she had stayed behind to do homework with Mitchie.

Why had she stayed if Mitchie was being so standoffish (Alex was having flashbacks to the first day they met)? Well, because Mitchie had asked her to. But that was the last thing she'd said to Alex after they cracked open their textbooks. They worked in silence, each working on the same thing but not talking about it. Alex kept glancing over to Mitchie's work to see if she was doing hers right. She was getting most of it, thankfully.

"We're having Thanksgiving supper at nine," Mitchie said, not looking up from her paper, still writing out her math problem. She wanted to kick herself for it, too. She'd wanted to spend more time with Alex, so she'd asked her to stay, yet she was acting like this?

She just couldn't get over the awkwardness she now felt around the other girl. Knowing secrets is a powerful and overwhelming thing. Whenever she glanced at Alex, a little voice inside her head kept screaming She loves me! And then she would get all nervous again, her stomach doing flips while her face burned bright red.

"Nine?" Alex exclaimed, raising her eyebrows. Mitchie only nodded. Alex gaped at her. "Why so late?"

"Mom has to work all day, so she won't be in until seven. She just found out last night," Mitchie said, putting her pencil down and daring to look Alex in the face for the first time that day. Their eyes making contact sent a jolt of electricity through her. She'd missed those eyes. "I say nine, but we're lucky if it's that early."

"Your mom couldn't take off?" Alex questioned. "It is Thanksgiving, after all."

"That's why they need her. It's a really popular restaurant, and expensive too. Most people that can afford to eat there don't cook, so they celebrate by going out to eat. The majority of them book a table again for next year as they're walking out the door." She shrugged. "If she asked for the day off, it would look really bad since she just started. She could lose her job. Lots of chefs are dying for her position, so it's not like she'd be hard to replace."

"So you and your dad are just going to lounge around and wait for her all day?"

"Pretty much." Mitchie nodded. "We might watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade."

"The real thing?"

"No, the fake thing," Mitchie joked with a slight smirk. Things almost feel normal again, almost like she didn't know.

Alex's face went pink. "I meant if you were going to watch it on TV or in person."

"I know what you meant." Mitchie patted the other girl's arm, glad Alex had on a long sleeved shirt so their skin didn't come in contact. She didn't need goose bumps right now. "Probably on TV."

"Oh that's not nearly as cool!" Alex exclaimed, wishing Mitchie had kept her hand on her arm a little longer. "You have to see it in person!"

"Maybe some day I will, but for now, the small screen is good for me." Mitchie smiled averted her gaze to the tabletop.

Alex tore her eyes from Mitchie and stared at the wall, looking deep in thought. Mitchie looked back at her friend and could practically see the wheels spinning in her head. When deep in thought, Alex's tongue poked out the edge of her lips and her eyes clouded over. Mitchie couldn't help thinking how cute she was when she did this. She wanted nothing more than to just lean over and press her lips delicately to Alex's cheek, longed to do so actually. She longed so much it hurt. Now that she knew what Alex was feeling, she wasn't so torn apart about her own feelings.

"Come to my house for Thanksgiving," Alex said suddenly, drawing Mitchie out of her trance in which she'd been staring at Alex dreamily.

"Hmm?" Mitchie asked, blinking her eyes to focus them again.

"Come to my house for Thanksgiving," Alex repeated. "You and your dad. Just so you're not stuck in here all day. My family won't mind. We usually have Harper and her parents over, but this year they decided to visit Harper's grandmother, so it would actually be one less person that usual. And since we have our Thanksgiving meal at lunch, you and your dad could still eat with your mom for supper."

"I don't know, Alex…" Mitchie picked up her pencil again and intended to start on her homework once more.

Alex reached over and took the pencil from her hands. "Come on, please?" She gave Mitchie her best pout. "How can you go without seeing my face for five whole days?"

Alex mentally added, Because I know I won't get through five whole days without seeing yours.

Mitchie bit her lip and cursed Alex for being so cute. She was right. She couldn't bear the thought of not seeing her adorable face for nearly a week.

"I'll talk to my dad," Mitchie said finally.

"Yes!" Alex smiled brightly.

Mitchie smirked and shook her head. "May I have my pencil back now so I can continue my work? I don't want to have to do it over the break."

"Party pooper." Alex pouted but handed back Mitchie's writing utensil.

Another hour passed with the two girls working in silence. Neither could really concentrate, though.

Alex's thoughts weren't on her work because she was so excited that Mitchie might be coming to her house for Thanksgiving. She was doing her best not to fidget in her seat, showing her excitement. She was just so relieved that she had an excuse to see Mitchie over the break. Pretty much all the other days she'd be working in the sub shop. Her father wasn't making her work as much for punishment anymore, but she'd asked for more hours anyway. The reason? Christmas was coming up, and she wanted to get something really nice for Mitchie. But the question was− what?

Mitchie, on the other hand, had way too many things to think of at the moment. For one thing, she was still trying to process what she'd heard Alex say about being in love with her just the day before. Part of her was thrilled and wanted nothing more than to tell Alex that she knew, but that would mean she'd have to admit she'd been eavesdropping. Another part of her wanted Alex to make the first move, to cross that line even though she said she never would. And yet another part of her was completely terrified. What to do about this? At least before she knew, she could convince herself that nothing would ever happen and just move on. But to know something could happen was just so confusing. Was Alex what she really wanted? She was fairly certain, especially after that kiss with Caitlyn (Which she was still kicking herself for. That was terribly stupid!). But was Alex what she needed? Caitlyn argued yes, that it was a good possibility.

Should she risk trying to start dating Alex? What about the baby? What if she and Alex started dating, she had the baby, Alex was a huge part of its life, and then they broke up? He or she would be used to having Alex around, and then she would just disappear. She didn't want that for a child, especially since she didn't even know if the father was going to be part of its life yet.

But she was lonely. And she couldn't deny the fact that she wanted Alex. Wanted her badly, in fact, that it almost hurt, caused her actual, physical pain. She glanced up from her science book to see Alex staring off into space. She looked quite happy about something as she chewed on her eraser. Mitchie could only hope that Alex's head was swimming with thoughts of her. The idea made her heart flutter and her cheeks go red.

Yes, she wanted Alex. She was sure. But how to go about telling her? This was a crazy situation, after all. It was a risk, and it required a long, drawn out discussion where all possibilities were weighed and a mature decision was reached.

Mitchie just wanted to be happy. After the summer she'd had, she thought she deserved it. And she was fairly certain that nothing could make her happier than Alex. So, summoning her courage and ready to take that leap of faith, she set her pencil down on the table and folded her arms on top of her open science book.

As soon as she opened her mouth to speak, however, Alex stood up abruptly.

"Oh shit!" she said. "I'm late!" She started snatching all of her belongings off the table and shoving them into her bag.

"For what?" Mitchie asked dejectedly.

"Work," Alex said, sliding a folder into her bag. "I was supposed to be there nearly twenty minutes ago." She nodded her head towards the clock hanging on the wall in the living room while zipping her bag.

"You've never had to work this early before," Mitchie complained as Alex slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"I know, but I've been taking on extra hours so I can save up some money." Alex shrugged. "Just have some things I want to buy." She didn't mention that the things were for Mitchie.

"Alright." Mitchie pouted.

"Hey, don't look so sad." Alex smiled a little. "You're inflating my ego, ya know."

She went to pat Mitchie on the head, but Mitchie swatted her hand away playfully.

"Oh just go, you." She smirked at Alex.

"Fine." Alex grinned cheekily and pulled her wand from where she'd had it tucked in its special holder in the back of her pants. "Want to see me disappear?" she asked, twirling the slender stick in her fingers.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Mitchie muttered.

"Huh?" Alex asked, having not heard Mitchie.

"Nothing," she said quickly, shaking her head. "So, you're gonna disappear, eh? I don't know if that's a good idea. Last time I saw magic, I freaked out. I'm not sure about this."

"Come on. It'll be cool. Harper loves it." Alex went over to the center of the kitchen. "Just don't blink, okay? And don't forget to ask your dad about Thanksgiving!"

"I won't."

"Won't blink or won't forget?" Alex held her wand up, ready to cast the spell.

"Either," Mitchie said, turning her body towards Alex in her chair. "Now just get out of here before you get in trouble for being too late."

"Yes ma'am!"

Alex grinned. Then she started twirling her wand in a circle around her head. Mitchie watched, seeing no difference. Then, Alex began to fade. By the time Mitchie's jaw dropped, Alex was already gone. She stared, bewildered, at the spot she'd last seen her friend that was now empty. If she hadn't believed the wizard thing before (which she had), she definitely did now!

"You certainly are something special, Alex Russo," she said to herself once she got over the shock of seeing magic performed before her very eyes.

"Mitch, I'm home!" Steve Torres called as he opened the door that evening.

Mitchie exited her bedroom immediately after hearing her father. "Hi, Daddy," she said, smiling brightly. "Had a good day?"

"Yes. Long and tiring, but good." He wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulder. "And what did you do all day?"

"Oh you know…The usual." She smiled and leaned into her dad's affectionate embrace. "School, homework, songwriting."

"Oh, you've been writing again?" Steve asked, taking a step back to smile at Mitchie. "I thought you'd stopped."

"No, I haven't." Mitchie smirked. "I just write when no one's home so you don't hear me singing as I go."

"Well, I'd like to hear your new stuff some time." He went over to the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of lemonade, fixing himself a glass. "Mom isn't back yet?"

"Not yet." Mitchie shook her head. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about Thanksgiving."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, too," Steve said, looking uncomfortable.

"What?" Mitchie asked, slightly worried. Her father only ever looked uncomfortable when he was delivering bad news.

"A guy from work invited me over to watch the football game," he said. "I know we said we'd spend the day together, but this would be a great opportunity to meet some of the people I work with."

"That sounds great," Mitchie said, smiling a little. She was happy her father was going to get out and watch the game. He'd been complaining that he missed his friends back in Texas that he'd had since elementary school. "You should go."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, totally." Mitchie smiled again. "It's a good opportunity for you. Besides, Alex invited me over for lunch anyway. Well…She actually invited both of us, but since you already have plans, I'll just go by myself."

"Are you sure her parents don't mind?" he asked before taking a sip from his lemonade.

"She said they didn't."

"Alright then. Have fun." Steve smiled.

Mitchie returned it. "You too."

Alex sat down at the counter of the sub shop, letting her head drop on its top. She was exhausted, as she always was after a dinner rush. She'd been running back and forth so much that her feet felt like they were going to fall off. She hated Max at the moment because he was spending the night at a friend's, and Justin was off monster hunting again, so she hated him too, just because it meant she'd been left to fend for herself while her mother ran register and her father made sandwiches. She was just thankful that guy Gabe hadn't come in tonight. She didn't think she could have handled all of her customers and him, who would probably try to strike up a conversation with her again.

She'd been so busy that she hadn't been able to check the text she'd gotten while she was writing down table five's order. But now that she's stopped and remembered that she needed to check it, she pulled her phone from her pocket and flipped it open.

A huge smile spread across her face when she saw it was a text from Mitchie.

Talked to my dad. He has other plans, but I will definitely be there Thursday.

Her heart fluttered at the thought. It was over twenty-four hours away, but it was way better than five days.

Can't wait. Be here for nine, and dress warmly! She responded quickly.

She put her phone back in her pocket and walked around to the kitchen. Her father was in there, writing the amounts of items on his notepad, the one he used to take inventory.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, Alex?" He stopped counting the tomatoes and looked up at his daughter.

"Would it be okay if Mitchie joined us for Thanksgiving lunch?" She asked, batting her eyelashes at him. "You know we usually have Harper's family, but they won't be here this year, so we have room. And Mitchie's mom is working, and her dad has other plans. I don't want her to be alone on a holiday that celebrates being together." She was really laying it on thick for this one. But hey, she wanted him to say yes. She figured he would, since he loved Mitchie, she just wanted to make sure.

"Of course, Alex!" Jerry said, his heart reaching out for Mitchie. He usually hated sharing food if he didn't have to, but this was a special circumstance.

"Thank you!" She smiled, walked over, and wrapped her arms around her father's waist. "You're the best."

Jerry chuckled and patted his daughter's back. "What else do you want?"

Dang it. He knew her too well.

"I'm exhausted and I still have some school work I want to finish up." She pulled back so she was looking up at her father. "Could I go up and work on it instead of finishing my shift?"

"I guess so," Jerry said.

"Thanks, Dad!" Alex ran to the door of the kitchen, then turned back to face her dad. "Mitchie will be here about nine on Thursday."

Jerry was going to ask his daughter why she'd invited her friend so early if they were having lunch, but she'd run upstairs before he'd gotten the chance.

Thursday did not come quickly enough for either Alex or Mitchie. Bright and early, Mitchie made her way over to Alex's. She'd once again taken the subway, even though she was very uncomfortable with all the people on the subway that were in town for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was packed in between so many people, sweating under her huge coat because Alex had told her to "dress warmly." She still had no idea why since they were going to be inside, but whatever. The jacket, gloves, and hat came in handy out on the streets, where New York City's cold November weather could take a toll on you if you stayed out too long.

When she finally knocked on the Russo's door (Alex had told her where to enter from the street instead of the restaurant) she never wanted to go back onto the subway again. She'd nearly been trampled when she had to get off.

The door swung open the reveal Justin, his hair slicked up as usual. He was wearing a white button down shirt and a black tie.

"Mitchie?" He asked, surprised to see her. "Alex told us you were coming, but I didn't know it was this early." He checked his watch to see that it was a quarter after nine.

"She's late, too!" Alex called as she bounded down the stairs. She'd heard the knock on the door and rushed from her room. She had on a tan coat and gloves that matched her scarf (which was hanging, undone, over her shoulders) and the knit hat she had on her head. "I told you nine." She flashed Mitchie a sarcastic smile as Justin let her in.

"Sorry!" Mitchie said. "You try navigating the subway when it's this packed! I feel like every tourist in New York was on that thing with me."

"You should have walked." Alex chuckled, taking what Mitchie was holding from her hands. It was a tin pie tray with aluminum foil over the top. "What's this?" she asked, holding it up.

"Pumpkin pie, my mom's specialty. She made it last night for me to bring over." Mitchie looked past Alex and Justin and into the kitchen, where Alex's parents seemed to be working on preparing lunch. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Russo."

"Hi, Mitchie." Theresa smiled and waved. "Jerry, this is Mitchie," she said, nudging her husband in the ribs.

He looked up from the raw turkey he was preparing. "Oh," he said, rising his eyebrows. He removed his hands from inside the dead bird and walked over, wiping them on his apron. "Jerry Russo, pleased to meet you." He held out his hand for Mitchie to shake.

Mitchie looked from his germ-filled hand to Alex.

"You don't have to shake his hand," she told Mitchie, who breathed a sigh of relief. "Dad, your hands are gross. In the future, please wash them after you've taken them from the butt of a dead bird."

Jerry dropped his hand, greatly embarrassed. "I'm just going to go work on the turkey again. And maybe I won't let you have any, Alex," he threatened over his shoulder as he went back into the kitchen area.

"Yeah, we'll see." She smirked. "Well, you've met the whole family except Max now. And that's him, right there." She pointed to the young boy who was sitting on the couch, his eyes fixed on the TV set. He was wearing a fairly nice sweater that already had a big, orange-ish spot on the front from where he'd missed his mouth while trying to eat spray cheese straight from the can.

"Hi, Max," Mitchie said.

There was no response.

"Say hi, Max," Alex said loudly, trying to get his attention.

"Hi Max?" he asked, a confused look crossing his face as he addressed his sister. "Why would I say hi to myself?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "My brother," she said simply to Mitchie before she took the pie over to the counter and placed it next to the pecan pie her mother had bought from a little bakery down the street.

"Let me take your coat, Mitchie," Justin said.

"Thanks." She allowed Justin to begin helping her out of it.

"Leave your coat on, Mitch. You're going to need it," Alex said.

"Why? What are we doing?" she asked curiously.

"We're going somewhere." Alex buttoned up her coat.

"Where?" Justin asked.

"None of your business," Alex said, sticking her tongue out at her brother playfully. "We'll be back in time for lunch," she called over her shoulder to her parents. Then, she took Mitchie by the gloved hand and pulled her out the door before Justin could question them again.

"Unbelievable," Justin said, shaking his head. He looked at his parents. "Do you know where they're going?"

"Nope," Jerry said, shaking his head.

"Do we ever?" Theresa asked, chopping up some carrots for the salad.

"Well aren't you worried?" He exclaimed.

"She's with Mitchie," Theresa said, shrugging her shoulders. "It can't be that bad."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Justin threw his hands up in the air.

"Justin, stop worrying about it. I'm sure they're fine," Jerry said. "Now you and Max set the table."

Justin glared at the closed door. "What are you up to this time, Alex?" he muttered under his breath.

"So this is why you told me to be here so early?" Mitchie questioned as Alex led her onto the street.

"Yup," Alex said, glancing around. When she saw that the street was empty, she pulled Mitchie into the alleyway between her building and the one next to it.

"Alex, what are we doing?" Mitchie looked over her shoulder, a chill going through her. Alleyways creeped her out.

"Just trust me." She slipped her hand from Mitchie's and walked over to a set of three silver garbage cans. She bent down and picked something up from behind them. It was a rolled up old rug. She set it down on the pavement and gave it a little push, unrolling it. "Ta da," she said, standing and pointing at it, a bright smile on her face.

"You wanted to show me an old rug?" Mitchie quirked an eyebrow at her friend, thinking she'd lost her mind.

"This isn't just an old rug!" Alex said. "In fact, it's more like a carpet. And there's something special about it."

"What, does it fly?" Mitchie smirked, joking.

"Yes, actually, it does," Alex said.

Mitchie's expression turned into one of shock as her jaw dropped. Alex just laughed and put her hand under Mitchie's chin, closing her mouth for her.

"You're serious?" Mitchie asked, staring at the carpet.

"Yes, I am," Alex said, sitting on the magical object. "What do you say? Want to go for a spin?"

"I don't know…" Mitchie said nervously. "Isn't it a little dangerous?"

"Not at all!" Alex patted the spot beside her, motioning for Mitchie to sit. "Come on, I have my flying license."

"Flying license, huh?" Mitchie reluctantly sat next to Alex. "So you're Aladdin now? Do you have a magic genie too?"

"Don't ever joke about genies!" Alex said, her eyes wide as she remembered the time she'd almost lost Justin as her brother and turned him invisible. "They're tricky, underhanded, and not as nice as you'd think."

"Okay," Mitchie said, knowing she should probably believe her, no matter how crazy this all still seemed.

"Good," Alex said, taking hold of the edge of the carpet. "Now hang on. I'll try not to go too fast so we won't get too cold."

"Hang onto what?" Mitchie asked, looking around for a handle or something.

"Uh…" Alex looked around also, noticing there was really nothing to hold on to. "Sit behind me and wrap your arms around my waist."

Mitchie moved so that she was sitting like Alex had instructed. She wrapped her arms around Alex and no sooner had she done so, they were lifting into the air. Once they were high enough, Alex made them move forward. As they moved, the wind blew strands of Alex's hair into Mitchie's face, tickling her nose. She wasn't sure if it was the movement or being this close to Alex, but Mitchie's stomach was flipping.

Sometimes she felt sorry for her baby, having to feel her get nervous every time Alex came around her or to mind, which was a lot.

She looked over the edge as they flew, but quickly decided this was not too good of an idea. She never really liked heights. So, she rested her chin on Alex's shoulder and pressed herself closer to the other girl's body. When Alex noticed this, her breathing hitched and her heartbeats started coming faster. She could hear the blood in her ears over the roar of the wind. The beats seemed to make her entire body vibrate every time they pounded. She was certain Mitchie would tell.

"Where are we going exactly?" Mitchie asked in Alex's ear after about ten minutes, warming it with her breath.

Alex shivered pleasantly. "You'll see. We're actually landing in three…two…one…"

The carpet started to dip and their speed decreased. Before Mitchie knew it, Alex had landed them on top of what looked to be an empty roof top.

"Uh…This is…Nice?" Mitchie said, looking around.

Alex stood, going over to the edge of the roof, which had a railing. She looked over the edge and smirked. "Come see," she said to Mitchie, motioning her over.

Mitchie stood, going over and looking like Alex was. Below, there were people all over the place. Barricades were blocking off the street, police watching to make sure no one ran out into it. There were cameras set up, seeming to be ready.

"What are they all doing?" Mitchie asked curiously.

"Shh," Alex said, holding a finger to her lips. "Listen."

Mitchie strained her ears to hear. Faintly, she heard music. It gradually started getting louder and louder. She craned her neck and narrowed her eyes in the direction from where the music seemed to be coming. There were now people in the street; some looked to be marching in time to the music. Then, around the corner, came something massive floating in the air. It was a balloon!

"Alex!" Mitchie said excitedly, looking to her friend.

"Welcome to your first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade." She smiled warmly at Mitchie.

"But…How?" She asked, her eyes going back to the approaching parade.

"I came out here last night and scoped it out," Alex said. "This rooftop has no access. Neither do any of the surrounding buildings. We could get here safely without being seen with the direction we came from. And if anyone saw us, they'd just see a big rectangle in the sky and figure it was a runaway balloon…Or an alien spaceship or something if they're like Justin."

Mitchie tore her eyes from the parade again. "Alex, this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They locked eyes for a few moments before both leaning into each other and embracing tightly. They stayed like that until it had gotten quite obvious that the parade was directly below them because of the volume of the music.

They repositioned themselves so that their arms were still around each other, but they were able to face the parade and watch it. Mitchie's head rested on Alex's shoulder, Alex's head on top of hers. They didn't even realize they were standing like lovers. They were both too busy intently watching the show below them.

Neither spoke, too lost in their own little world. Finally, Alex lifted her head and looked down at Mitchie's content face. Mitchie then lifted her head as well, turning it to look at Alex. Two pairs of brown eyes locked together. Unconsciously, they turned towards each other, their bodies pressing together. It was then that they each realized how close their faces actually were. Mitchie could feel the quick gasps of Alex's breath against her lips. As if being pulled by some magnetic force, each started to lean her face in closer.

Mitchie's eyelids fluttered closed as Alex's lips brushed her own softly. When Mitchie didn't pull back, Alex closed her eyes and kissed Mitchie fully on the lips, tingles spreading through her entire body. She brought her hands up and cupped Mitchie's face, pressing their lips together a little harder. Mitchie melted at Alex's touch, her stomach feeling as if she had entire clan of butterflies living in there. She placed her hands on Alex's hips, the world completely disappearing around her.

It was as if they'd entered a cone of silence and the world slowed down. Their lips moved together as one, as if they'd been molded just to fit together like this. Mitchie had never felt anything so wonderful, even if the kiss was fairly simple. She emitted a soft moan of satisfaction as Alex sucked her upper lip gently. Alex, who had been lost in ecstasy, was flooded with heat at the sound of this moan.

Finally realizing what she was doing, Alex opened her eyes and pulled away, breaking the kiss. She removed her gloved hands from Mitchie's face, Mitchie's fingers slipping from her waist as she took a step back. Mitchie's eyes shot open. They both stared at each other, wide eyed and in shock as they tried to regain control of their breathing.

"I…" Alex gulped. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…The line…I promised I wouldn't…But I couldn't help it…" She trailed off, not being able to form a full sentence.

"Don't be sorry," Mitchie said, shaking her head. "I kissed you back."

"But I shouldn't have kissed you in the first place!" Alex snapped, angry with herself. She really blew it this time. She'd been falling for Mitchie, and now that she knew what she tasted like, it would be impossible to stop. And this would only cause pain.

"Alex, this isn't your fault!" Mitchie yelled. "I kissed you too!"

"I let my feelings get the better of me," Alex muttered, ignoring Mitchie.

"And those feelings are returned!" Mitchie yelled over the noise of the parade, which was still going in the street below.

"What?" Alex whipped her head around and looked at Mitchie. The sound of a drum was pounding in her head. Frustrated, she pulled her wand from its holder and gave it a wave. She and Mitchie were instantly placed in a real cone of silence, where the only sounds that could be heard were their voices when they chose to speak. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," Mitchie said. She looked over the edge of the roof, seeing that the parade hadn't disappeared and no one seemed to be confused that it was muted. "What did you do?" she asked Alex.

"Simple silencing spell. The people down there can hear the parade, but we can't," Alex said. "Now don't change the subject. What do you mean my feelings are returned?"

Mitchie fidgeted under Alex's gaze. "The other day, Monday, I went over to hang out with you. I kind of overheard you and Harper talking…"

"You listened in?" Alex exclaimed, not angry but embarrassed. "What did you hear?"

"The last thing was you saying you were falling in love with me…" Mitchie bit her lip.

"Well that's just great!" Alex kicked at the ground. "Look," she said, her eyes meeting Mitchie's, "you can't have feelings for me. It's probably just you needing someone because you're lonely because of the baby. And the fact that you know about my feelings doesn't help. You'll get over it." She sounded so bitter. All of her fears were surfacing. She was so scared of rejection, she'd push Mitchie away before either of them could get really hurt.

"That's not the reason!" Mitchie yelled, getting angry. "Don't brush my feelings off, Alex! You think just because I had sex with a guy that I can't be attracted to girls? There is such a thing as being bisexual, you know! And these feelings didn't just pop up randomly since you came out to me or in as little time as it has been since Monday night! These have been developing from the first moment I laid eyes on you! And don't go getting a big ego and thinking you 'turned' me, either, because there were plenty of girls I had crushes on before I met you! In fact, my pregnancy is a result of going too far to make a girl jealous!"

Alex stood there, speechless, her jaw hanging open slightly. She'd never seen Mitchie this angry before. But hurt and rejection were fueling this anger.

"You know, Tuesday, I was going to tell you about my feelings for you," Mitchie said a little quieter. "I was about to take this huge risk, and then you jumped up saying you had to leave! That afternoon I was so certain, so sure you were what I wanted. What I needed, even! But now, I'm not so sure."

"Mitchie…" Alex started to say.

"You don't get it, Alex," Mitchie said with a sigh. Alex's only response was to shut her mouth. Mitchie shook her head. "You just wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to!" Alex exclaimed. "I don't know what you're talking about! What don't I get? What wouldn't I understand?"

"Where I'm coming from! You don't know how it feels to be in my situation unless you've been in it, which you haven't!" Mitchie yelled. "I'm not just worried about me! I'm having a child! That means there is someone else's life I'm responsible for. My decisions can affect his or her life! Do you want to be in a relationship with me, Alex?"

"I think I might…"

"Well I come with a lot of baggage! I can't jump into something because you 'think' you want to move out of the friend zone! Being with me means taking on a lot of responsibility, Lex," she said the last part a little more gently. "And I don't know if you realize that. Personally, I want to be with you. I really do. Caitlyn says I should give you a chance to prove to me you can be what I and this baby need, but I don't know if that's a chance I can take. I can't just introduce you into this kid's life and then have you decide one day that it isn't what you want and leave, confusing the crap out of him or her and hurting me along the way."

"And how do you know I'd do that?" Alex asked, getting a little angry herself.

"I'm not saying you would," Mitchie said. "I'm just scared of getting hurt again. I can't help thinking that way."

"I wouldn't do that, Mitchie. I promise…"

"I wish I could believe that, Alex." Mitchie sighed. "But I just can't help thinking that…That… You aren't mature enough to deal with this."

"Yes I am!" Alex exclaimed, taking a step towards Mitchie so that she was standing right in front of her. "I'll prove it!"

"How? How can you do that?" Mitchie asked as Alex took her hands. "Asking you to be anything more than my friend is almost like asking you to be a parent."

"And how do you know I can't handle that?" Alex asked seriously. "Mitchie, why are you thinking so deeply about this? You're overanalyzing everything so much that this relationship is doomed before it even has a chance to start."

"That's how I am, Alex," Mitchie said. "I always have a plan. My plans got screwed up when I got pregnant. So I made a new one. And this wasn't part of it."

"You don't plan these things. They just happen, Mitch," Alex said, looking deep into Mitchie's eyes. "And sometimes you have to let them."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" She paused to think about what she wanted to say exactly. "That we're unconventional, yes, but you can't deny that there's something between us and there has been since the moment we met. We'd be stupid to fight it. So let's not. Let's just take it day by day and see what happens. We don't need to plan every single moment of every single day. Let's just live for now and try to be happy. And damn it, you make me happy! All I have to do is think about you and my mood is lifted!"

"Alex…" Mitchie shook her head. "What about my parents? How would I explain this to them?"

"By telling them what you told me: the truth," Alex said. "That you've always been attracted to girls."

Mitchie's eyes started filling with tears. "Don't hurt me, Russo."

"I don't plan on it," Alex said, letting go of one of Mitchie's hands and cupping her cheek. "I've been hurt before too. I know how it feels. I would never do that to you. I care about you."

"But what about my baby?" Mitchie leaned into Alex's touch without even noticing she was doing it. "Say we're together until he or she is five and then what? I can't just introduce you into his or her life as a big part and then you not be there anymore."

"Why are you thinking that far ahead?" Alex asked. "You're freaking yourself out over something that might happen. You can't stop yourself from being happy because of might's or maybe's."

"But there's so much to think about!" Mitchie said. "We…I…He…She…"

"Mitchie!" Alex placed her hand over Mitchie's mouth to quiet her rambling. "You need to take care of yourself as much as your baby right now. It can feel everything you feel. Joy, sadness, depression, all of it. You need to be happy. Do you think I could make you happy?" She removed her hand from Mitchie's mouth.

Mitchie was silent for a few seconds before saying, "You already do."

"Then it's quite simple. Don't think too hard about this, just give me the first answer that comes to your mind." Alex took hold of Mitchie's hands again. "Do you want to be with me?"

"Yes," Mitchie said without hesitation.

"Then I just have one more question for you. Once again, don't think about it. Just do what your heart tells you." Alex took a deep breath, bracing herself for rejection. "Mitchie, will you be my girlfriend?"

Not saying anything, Mitchie removed her hands from Alex's and grabbed the other girl's face, bringing it to her own. She kissed Alex soundly on the lips. Alex was shocked and surprised at first, but quickly recovered, wrapping her arms around Mitchie's waist and pulling her closer, their bodies pressed together. Mitchie's hands slid from Alex's face to her neck, around the back and into Alex's hair. Mitchie's entire body felt like it was on fire as Alex began to suck on her lip, like she'd done during their first kiss. She had to repress a moan. It just felt so good and (unlike her kiss with Caitlyn) right.

Mitchie pulled away after a few more moments, breathing heavily. Alex's eyes flashed open, a much darker brown than they normally were.

"That's what my heart told me to do," Mitchie said somewhat breathlessly. "And the answer to your question…Is yes."

Guys, I came out! Like, I didn't make a huge announcement, I just decided to not care anymore. So I don't. And I'm not going to hold my tongue or hide anymore. My dad doesn't know still, but if he finds out, he finds out. No big deal. It's an amazing feeling, it really is. And I am so happy.

Thank all of you for the reviews and support. I know what you're going to say: ABOUT TIME THEY GOT TOGETHER! Yeah, so there, I said it for you. Now you don't have to. So don't leave a review with just that ;) Give me something good!

REVIEW!