Mitchie knocked thrice on the door, calling out Shane's name.
"Shane? It's me, Mitchie."
She heard voices, one raised over Shane's and she sighed, opening the door anyway. She then spotted Ethan and Ruby, not looking impressed with Shane.
"Nate's with Cait so I came to check on you."
Shane gave her a small smile. "You didn't have to, Mitch."
She responded in kind. "I wanted to." She then turned to face the siblings. "Dinner's ready soon. I hope you are hungry?"
"No, thanks." Ethan spat out.
Ruby blushed. "I'm fine, thank you."
"The food's great here! My mother's the chef-"
"I don't care if it was the President's own personal chef! I do not wish to eat and as you can see, I am talking to my cousin." Ethan cut her off.
Shane's eyes flashed. "Excuse you! This is my friend, Mitchie and you have no right to talk to her like that!"
"No, Shane. It's fine. I'll see-"
"You're staying. And Ethan? You better hold your tongue otherwise my fist will be meeting with your cheek."
...
Connie playfully rolled her eyes for the tenth time that day and wiped her hands with her dish rag.
"Caitlyn, Nate, how about we finish up here and you go and get ready for dinner."
"Connie, let us help!" Caitlyn smiled, hitting Nate's hands from her waist.
Lola rolled her eyes. "The sexual tension is high in here. Get out, the both of you."
Caitlyn giggled and rolled her eyes, dragging Nate behind her through the door.
"Three guesses for what they're going to do." Ella joked.
Tess shook her head. "Dinner's in five and I doubt Nate's that quick."
"You'll be surprised! I've heard stories!" Peggy laughed, placing trays into their serving holes.
"Ladies, I do not wish to hear about anyone's sexual escapades, especially Caitlyn's!" Connie chuckled, making them all laugh.
Just then, a very tired Jason entered, yawning. "Hey, everyone!"
Connie hugged him and patted his back. "Hey, Jason. How are you?"
"Fine. I'm in charge for the time being but I have a feeling that Brown's son is going to have a say about that."
"You're a head manager, it's highly plausible and your cousin is a jerk," Lola told him.
Jason shrugged. "Well, I've stopped over by Shane's cabin and Ethan's a bit of a hot head. I wonder how that's going to work with Shane's issues."
"Shane has grown a lot. He'll be fine!" Ella assured the eldest Gray child.
"You're right. Now, who's sexual escapades were you talking about?"
The girls looked at each other, giggling. "Nate's."
"Oh! God! No!" Jason cringed, running out of the kitchen.
...
Nate sat Caitlyn down on his bed and gave her a sweet kiss. "Babe, I have something to tell you."
"Pray, tell," Caitlyn smiled.
"Basically, I got a call and I accepted the offer..."
Caitlyn frowned. "Offer to what, exactly?"
"A new tour. It's in Europe and I need backup dancers and a supporting act."
His girlfriend frowned even deeper as she stood up abruptly. "Nate! How could you agree to this! I don't even have songs to play or anything so supporting act is out of the question."
"But I want us to be together. That's why I did this!"
She sighed. "Why not Shane and his new band?"
"And you'll be my dancer?"
"I... I have to think about this because I kind of accepted an offer to go and judge on that dance show."
Nate frowned. "Oh yeah."
"Nate..., is this really what you want? Don't you want a break?"
"It is. And I thought that we could do it together. I've been apart from you for years and..."
"I know," Caitlyn whispered. "I'll think about it."
Nate tilted his head. "Will you really?"
Caitlyn shrugged. "Of course I will, Nate."
...
Mara sat beside Jason, dipping her boots into the lake below. "Hey."
"Hi, Mara."
"How are you?"
Jason smiled at her. "Fine, thank you. You?"
"I'm well. Look, I'm here if you need-"
She was met with a kiss and her hands immediately went around his neck, pulling him closer.
"I missed you."
"I missed you, too," she breathed out.
Jason sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'm getting a divorce... My uncle's in a coma... I'm a single father... I have no steady job..."
"Jase... It's fine, I'm here for you. And Kelly."
"You really still want me?"
"Of course, bird brain!" Mara smiled, kissing him. "I've always wanted you. I was scared to say so because I thought you were in love with Wendy."
"I'm not, I never was."
"Good."
...
"I've given them my cabin," Shane mumbled, meeting Mitchie outside.
She had gone to wait as the tension was too great for her to bear. "You can bunk with Nate."
"Seriously? The guy who sleeps with his girlfriend on every surface?" He joked.
Mitchie laughed. "You're right. Jase has a spare bed. Wendy left this afternoon."
"Where's Kelly?"
She smiled at his concern for his niece. "Dana's helping out with babysitting. Kelly's technically her son's cousin, so..."
"Yeah. Imagine your friend, Nat, helping out in that area."
"She wouldn't last!" Mitchie giggled.
"I'll bunk with Jase. It won't be for long, anyway."
Mitchie took his hand. "Shane?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm here."
He placed a kiss on her cheek and gave her a smile. "I-"
"Shane Gray?"
Shane and Mitchie turned to face the woman in question but it was Mitchie's eyes who widened the most.
"Lana?!"
...
Caitlyn sighed and turned to face Nate who was busy calling his agent. She loved him. She wanted to be with him. But it was too soon. She had to do something for her. Being Nate's backup dancer was not what she had in mind when she was thinking of stepping out from the shadows. And judging and choreographing on her favourite dance show, Dance Fusion sounded amazing!
When he finished the call he turned to her with a smile. "The tour's starting next year, February. It will be three days per week and ends in March."
"So, twelve shows?" Caitlyn asked.
"Yep."
Caitlyn nodded. "Well, Mitch and I have scheduled to hang out for these next four months and Dance Fusion starts in June... I can do it!"
"Can you, really?"
Caitlyn grinned. "Yeah. It'll be a blast!"
Knocking on the door stopped them from kissing.
"Come in!"
Mitchie entered, Shane behind her and a brunette woman behind them.
"Caitlyn..."
She looked up and smiled but frowned when she saw the woman. "Lana?"
"Hi." Lana waved meekly. "It's been too long."
Caitlyn swallowed hard as she tried to keep her tears in. "You're really here."
"I am. I... I'm here to inspire people who want to become singers in the future. I'm a guest speaker."
Lana Keegan had been singing since the age of sixteen and eight years later, she still looked a pretty sight.
"Jesse would have been proud..." Caitlyn mumbled.
Shane and Nate looked at each other. Who's Jesse?
"I remember the day he proposed." Lana smiled.
"I don't know you that well, Lana. I've seen pictures from Caitlyn of you and-and Jesse. You were both very happy." Mitchie said, softly.
Lana nodded. "We were. We were young and in love. He was my present and future."
"Who is Jesse, exactly?" Shane asked.
"Yeah, who's Jesse?"
Caitlyn sighed, closing her eyes. "Jesse was my twin brother."
"And my late fiancé..." Lana added.
Nate stared at Caitlyn. "You never told me about your brother."
"Because he was sick! He had cancer and... I didn't want to think about all of that when I was here, in my happy place!"
"I'm so sorry," Shane told Caitlyn and Lana. "Lana, when we... was that?"
Lana nodded. "It was a month after he died. Four years ago, this week."
"What happened between you?" Mitchie frowned.
"I helped her home after she was nearly raped..." Shane said.
Lana smiled sadly. "You saved my life. I was really drunk, in a bad place and Jesse had just died, the love of my life. Then I was attacked and Shane saved my life. I only lost contact with him last year."
"Sorry about that." Shane apologised.
"It's fine,"
Mitchie kissed his cheek. "You were someone's hero."
"Too bad, I couldn't save myself." He whispered to her.
Nate cut in. "Caity, Jesse... Jesse's a really big part in your life and you never told me."
"Because I loved you too much to help me." Caitlyn said. "You're a great guy but can you tell me that four years ago, you would have been the man I wanted you to be? Loving, caring? Have you forgotten that it was around the time you broke a reporter's iPad when he asked you a personal question? You were a jerk and I couldn't have put up with your bullshit."
"Was Mitchie there?"
Mitchie shook her head. "I was on tour. I let Caitlyn have a year off. And more."
"I..." Caitlyn took a deep breath. "A month after Jesse died, I cut my hair off and went travelling. I visited beautiful places such as Thailand, Cambodia, Kenya... I just went on a mission to find myself and I did. In England. I went to visit Jesse's doctor as we sent him to a private hospital in the UK. Unfortunately, I met the guy on his deathbed. He had cancer too and he was only ten years older than us. I was there with his wife and best friends when he died. I'm glad I found closure. But it still stings."
"I would have been there, no matter what." Nate told her, kissing the side of her head.
Lana took her hand. "And I would have."