Lana Keegan: 24, Caitlyn's sister-in-law-ish and Shane's old pal.
Antonio Delgado: 32, Mitchie, Mara and Caitlyn's bodyguard and good friend.
Steven McRollins: 38, Caitlyn's brother-in-law and Nahale, Mia, Lottie and Charlie's dad.
Nahele McRollins: 16, Caitlyn's nephew, Mia's 'twin', Steve's son and Mia, Lottie and Charlie's older brother.
Mia McRollins: 16, Caitlyn's niece, Nahele's 'twin', Steve's daughter and Nahele, Lottie and Charlie's sister.
Charlotte McRollins: 13, Caitlyn's niece, Charlie's twin, Steve's daughter and Nahele, Mia and Charlie's sister.
Charles McRollins: 13, Caitlyn's nephew, Lottie's twin, Steve's son and Nahele, Mia and Lottie's younger brother.
Updated Age:
Caitlyn Gellar: 24
Caitlyn breathed out, her hands reaching Steve's cheeks as she smiled brightly.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"Got the summer off, didn't I? Wanted to make some extra cash for the kids this Christmas so took this offer. It was Brown and Dee who contacted me through your mom." Steve replied, hugging her.
Caitlyn moved on to her nieces and nephews, kissing their cheeks and smiling brightly at them. "Hey, you guys look so grown up!"
She hadn't seen the younger three siblings as when the eldest's accident happened, he was in Florida which was closer to Caitlyn as she had been in Miami producing for a top artist.
"I'm so glad you're getting through everything, Nahlie." She commented, kissing his cheek again. "Guys, meet my brother-in-law, Steve and my nephews and nieces, Nahele, Mia, Charlotte and Charles."
Mitchie and Mara stood up to hug Caitlyn's family as their friends stayed back, waving genuinely.
"Wow, you have-"
"Prosthetics? Yeah, when I went holiday with my friends in Florida, we got into a non-ideal position." Nahele left it at that, smiling it off.
Caitlyn nodded, "It was hard for all of us but he's fine now."
Mitchie smiled, satisfied with their answer as she didn't want to press on the matter further in the case of any setbacks it might have on the family. After all, Steve was now a single father, raising four children with one who now had PTSD and used music to help scare his demons away. They didn't want to add any more stress to them.
Mia blushed when her eyes met Shane's. "I can't believe that I am in the presence of the former band, Connect 3. I also can't believe that my own aunt knows them." She quietly squealed, making the guys laugh.
"Nice to know that we still have true fans around."
Mia nodded eagerly. "Lottie and I are big fans. My friends stopped following but I never stopped. I have faith that all of you would be successful in your future endeavours." Mia told them honestly. "If you guys are successful, then that sets an example to many people around such as Nahlie and I. We want to be a sister-brother duo one day."
Nate smiled at Caitlyn with a twinkle in his eye. "Show us what you got, kids."
Nahele gasped. "Seriously? You legends want to hear us sing?"
Jason chuckled, nodding. "Yeah. But don't call us legends. Makes us sound old."
"That makes you sound old, Nate and I are fine." Shane joked.
"Well, I forgot my guitar so-"
Nahele was met with Mara thrusting Shane's guitar in his face.
"Go on, you two. Make your mama proud." She grinned.
Nahele and Mia turned to each other, before taking deep breaths and harmonising.
"If I told you this was only gonna hurt
If I warned you that the fire's gonna burn
Would you walk in?
Would you let me do it first?
Do it all in the name of love
Would you let me lead you even when you're blind?
In the darkness, in the middle of the night
In the silence, when there's no one by your side
Would you call in the name of love?
In the name of love, name of love
In the name of love, name of love..."
"That was... good."
They all turned to face Ethan and Ruby with impressed looks on their faces.
"You're going to go somewhere." Ethan smiled before walking off with his sister.
"Who were they?" Charles asked.
Jason smiled, ruffling his hair. "Our cousins."
Maybe there was the music shining for them too.
...
"Shane!"
Shane halted, his fists clenching and unclenching as Mitchie appeared in front of him.
"Yes?" He asked through gritted teeth.
Mitchie gave a bitter laugh. "You hate me. You hate me for not waiting around for you. You were the one who ended us, told me that there was no chance for us and now you hate me because I'm engaged to someone who treats me better than you do."
Shane gave her a dirty look before pointing a finger at her. "I don't hate you. I'm disappointed in you. We had a plan. We were going to do the long haul and next thing I know, you're jumping into Antonio the Italian's arms!"
"He's Spanish," she corrected with a glare. "And it makes sense to us. We've been more stable than you and I were."
"Don't you get it, Michelle?!" Shane yelled. "I love you! I always have and always will but you said yes. That means that we can't have what we used to have now. You're someone else's."
"I don't belong to anyone but myself, Shane." Mitchie whispered.
He let out a sob, his shoulders slacking. "You used to belong to me."
"But you set me free."
"And I regret that decision every day and will for the rest of my life. I won't condemn myself into being your side guy or anything."
Mitchie looked down. "I wasn't going to ask you to be that, my love."
"Don't call me that. Antonio's your lover now."
He left her, tears rolling down his cheeks as he vowed to himself to never trust a woman again.
...
Jason happily returned to his bedroom with his daughter in his arms sleeping. He hadn't spent much time with her and he was finally glad to relax for a little while as Ethan had now promised to step up and help since he was building bridges in their family.
When he got to his and Shane's shared cabin, he noticed the door was locked. He knocked, calling out for Shane.
"Shane, open the door. Kel's with me and we're cold out here."
He tried opening the door again, knocking frantically as his daughter started to wake.
"Shane?"
His heart flipped when he realised that something may be truly wrong. Spotting Mara walking by, he quickly handed her his daughter before promising to get her soon with a kiss. He then rushed back to his cabin and looked for an open window, spotting one at the back where the small kitchenette was.
Jason climbed in, avoiding the sink below the window as he placed his feet on the tiles and rushed to Shane's section of the cabin.
He found Shane with his head bowed and a small plastic bag in his hand containing three pills.
"Shay...?"
"I didn't. I couldn't." Shane mumbled, slightly slurred.
Jason then noticed a bottle of vodka half finished beside his younger brother and sighed, getting on his knees to hug him.
He took the pills and placed them inside the side drawer, humming a lullaby to send Shane to sleep. They were adults but still, they needed some childish comfort to help them with their demons.
"You're going to be okay."
...
Tess found Mitchie crying on the Final Jam stage and winced. She had wanted her to help with her issues, not deal with hers but weren't friends there for each other?
"Mitchie, what's wrong?" Tess asked gently, hugging her.
"Everything. I mess things up, Tess. What's wrong with me?"
Tess frowned. "Nothing is, sweetheart. You don't mess things up. When you do, you fix them with your heart and all."
"I wish I could fix Shane, then."
The blonde sighed. At times, she thought that he was a lost cause but she could see the struggles and improvements every single day she was around him.
"Mitchie, Shane needs to fix himself, not you. You can't carry his burdens."
"I think I owe him, though. I did this to him-"
"No! You didn't! Shane did that to himself, do not ever blame yourself!" Tess snapped, watching Mitchie's eyes dull even more. "You are not responsible for his mistakes nor his feel better process. He can't use you like that. Either he loves you or he is just using you."
Mitchie nodded. "You're right. So right. Now, let's help you."
"This isn't my moment. Let's sort you out before sorting my messed up life, okay?"
Mitchie smiled sadly. "Where's the Tess that was so bitchy."
Tess sighed, wondering herself. "She's dead and gone, Mitchie. But you now have a better Tess for you."
The pair hugged and Tess felt that she was truly finding herself again for the first time in years.