AN: Well, this chapter got bigger than I thought. Over 2.8k words and I took my time this time to edit the chapter, and it looks good. Hope you enjoy it.
And, many of you shared your opinions in the previous chapter. So, I think I'll make it clear: If you are expecting 100% perfect MC who can never do anything wrong and never lose in anything, or make mistakes, then that's not gonna happen.
----[3k words]> GIMME THOSE POWERSTONES. And yes, you'll get a bonus ch today.
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[Let's go back to the moment Jack met Dakota]
Mitchell and Cameron strolled along the winding path that curved around the edge of the park, hands linked loosely between them. The afternoon sun filtered through the trees in soft, dappled patches, and a light breeze carried the distant sound of children laughing on the swings. They had decided on a walk after brunch to burn off the extra pancakes Cameron had insisted on ordering, "for research purposes," as he had put it.
Mitchell adjusted his sunglasses and glanced sideways at Cameron. "So, we've narrowed it down to either China or Vietnam, right? Because Ethiopia is still on the table, but the paperwork sounds..."
"Daunting," Cameron finished for him, nodding seriously. "I know. But think about it, Mitchell. A little girl running around our house, calling you 'Daddy' and me 'Papi.' Or maybe 'Cam-Cam.' We'll figure out the nickname later."
Mitchell smiled despite himself. "I like the sound of that. A lot."
They rounded a bend near the playground, and Cameron slowed his step, squinting toward the swings.
"Wait a second," he said, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Is that Jack?"
"Looks like it," Mitchell said. "He must be meeting Haley here. Cute. Very high-school rom-com."
They both watched as Jack started walking deeper into the park, disappearing behind a cluster of trees.
Cameron tugged Mitchell's arm gently. "Come on. Let's just... peek. For a second. To make sure Haley's okay."
Mitchell gave him a look. "Cam."
"Just a peek! We're already here. It's practically our civic duty as concerned uncles."
Mitchell sighed but let himself be pulled forward a few steps. They edged closer to the low hedge that bordered the playground, crouching just enough to stay out of sight while still having a clear view of the swings.
And there she was.
Dakota Fanning. Sitting on one of the swings, phone in hand, smiling down at the screen. She looked up, spotted Jack, and her whole face lit up. She stood, brushed off her pink dress, and walked toward him with that easy, bright energy teenagers sometimes have when they're trying not to look too excited.
Jack smiled back. They started talking. Close enough that the conversation felt private. Comfortable.
Cameron's jaw dropped. He clutched Mitchell's arm so tightly that Mitchell winced.
"Is that Dakota Fanning?" Cameron hissed, voice rising half an octave. "Don't tell me... Don't you dare tell me that Haley's boyfriend is secretly meeting Dakota Fanning in a park."
Mitchell stared for a long second, processing. "They work together. On that movie set. It's probably just... friendly."
Cameron turned to him slowly, eyebrows practically touching his hairline. "Friends? Mitch. Look at her. She's wearing a cute pink dress. And she's smiling like she just won the lottery. And he's smiling back like he knows exactly why she's smiling. Something smells fishy. Very fishy."
Mitchell sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Cam, we don't know that. They could be rehearsing lines. Or talking about... ice cream. Or whatever normal people talk about. You're overreacting."
"Am I?" Cameron gestured toward the swings with an open palm. "Because from where I'm standing, that does not look like a casual 'hey, co-star, let's discuss blocking' conversation. That looks like a date. A sneaky, under-the-radar, possibly cheating date."
Mitchell rubbed his temple. "We don't know that."
They stayed crouched behind the bushes, silent for a moment, watching Jack and Dakota start walking together toward the park exit, chatting easily.
Cameron straightened up slightly, brushing a leaf off his shoulder. He looked at Mitchell with unusual seriousness. "I know sneaking around someone is bad. We can go our own way right now if that's what you want. Walk home, pretend we saw nothing, let the chips fall where they may."
Mitchell nodded once. "That would be the mature thing."
"But," Cameron continued, voice dropping, "if Jack is cheating on Haley... don't you think it's our duty to find out? To protect her? Haley is family. She's your niece. If something is going on, and we just turned a blind eye because we didn't want to get involved, how would we live with ourselves?"
Mitchell looked back toward the path where Jack and Dakota had disappeared around a bend. He exhaled slowly.
"You're really going to make me be the bad guy here, aren't you?"
Cameron gave him a small, hopeful smile. "I'm not making you do anything. I'm just saying... truth matters. And sometimes truth requires a little discreet observation."
Mitchell glanced around to make sure no one was watching them hide behind a bush like amateur detectives. "Discreet. Right. Because crouching in foliage is the very definition of discretion."
Cameron already started moving, staying low. "Come on. We can follow at a safe distance. Like professionals. We'll just... gather facts without jumping to conclusions. I mean, I could be right and you could be wrong."
...
//Confession time//
Cam and Mitchell sat side by side on their couch. Cam looked practically charged with energy, perched forward like he'd been waiting for permission to speak. Mitchell, by contrast, held himself together with careful calm.
"I just want to say," Cam began, lifting a hand as if delivering a public statement, "I take no pleasure in being right."
He paused.
"Okay, that's not true. I take a little pleasure. But only because my instincts are rarely wrong."
He leaned forward, eyes bright.
"We saw Haley's boyfriend, Jake..."
"Jack," Mitchell corrected quietly.
"...Jack. Whatever. Same strong jaw, different vowel." Cam waved it off and barreled on. "We saw him in a park. With Dakota Fanning in a pink dress, smiling. If that's not the beginning of a teen rom-com betrayal montage, I don't know what is."
Mitchell inhaled slowly. "Or," he said, keeping his voice gentle, "he was meeting a friend."
Cam stared at him. "A 'girl' friend."
"Yes," Mitchell replied calmly. "That is allowed."
"Mitch, please." Cam tilted his head, offended by the very idea. "I have watched enough reality television to know that when a boy meets a famous actress in a secluded park, it's not to discuss geometry homework."
"They work together," Mitchell said.
"And?"
"And sometimes," Mitchell continued patiently, "when you work with someone… you become friends."
Cam narrowed his eyes. "Girl friends."
Mitchell smiled at him, unfazed. "Yes, Cam. Girl friends."
All the drama rushed back into Cam's posture. "All I'm saying is, Haley is young and vulnerable. She cannot handle a scandal."
"And all I'm saying," Mitchell replied, still perfectly even, "is that Jack seems like a good person. Meeting someone doesn't mean they're dating. Or cheating. Or starring in a dramatic betrayal miniseries."
Cam squinted at him. "You're very calm about this."
"Because I trust him."
Cam leaned back and folded his arms. "Well. I trust my gut."
Mitchell's mouth curved into a small, knowing smile. "And your gut also once accused our mailman of espionage."
Cam lifted his chin defensively. "He was suspiciously punctual."
Mitchell only smiled toward the camera.
Cam stayed exactly where he was, unconvinced—though, for once, just a little less dramatic.
//Confession End//
...
Mitchell and Cameron stayed about twenty yards back, moving in what they hoped looked like a casual stroll. Cameron kept one hand on Mitchell's elbow, steering him like they were in a spy movie, while Mitchell tried to look anywhere except suspicious.
"See? Professionals," Cameron whispered. "We're just two men enjoying nature. Birds, trees... Betrayal."
Mitchell shot him a sideways glance. "Lower your voice. And stop saying betrayal."
They watched as Jack and Dakota crossed the street at the light, still talking, still laughing at something Jack said. Dakota's pink dress caught the sunlight every time she turned her head. Cameron made a small strangled noise.
"Look at that laugh," he said under his breath. "That's not a co-worker laugh. That's a 'you're charming and I like being near you' laugh."
Mitchell exhaled through his nose. "People laugh at co-workers, Cam."
"Not like that."
They crossed the street after the pair, keeping pace without closing the gap too much. The Baskin-Robbins sign came into view two blocks ahead, bright pink and white, with a line already forming outside.
Cameron slowed. "Ice cream. Of course. Classic date move. Neutral territory. Easy to escape if things get weird. Or stay if things get... less weird."
Mitchell rubbed his forehead. "Or it's just ice cream. On a warm day. With a friend."
Cameron gave him a long look. "You're really committed to this narrative, aren't you?"
"I'm committed to not jumping to conclusions," Mitchell said. "There's a difference."
They stopped across the street from the shop, pretending to study a window display of handmade jewelry while keeping Jack and Dakota in their peripheral vision. Inside the glass doors, the two teenagers were already at the counter, pointing at flavors and accepting tiny pink sample spoons like they had all the time in the world.
Cameron tilted his head. "They're tasting everything. That's at least twenty minutes of commitment right there. No one samples thirty-one flavors with someone they're not at least a little interested in."
Mitchell watched for a second. Jack said something that made Dakota cover her mouth and laugh so hard she had to lean against the counter. Jack grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
"Okay," Mitchell admitted quietly. "They're having fun."
"Fun," Cameron repeated. "That's one word for it."
...[After Jack and Dakota bought the ice cream and went to the park]...
Jack and Dakota returned to the same cluster of swings near the playground. They claimed a bench this time, close enough to the shade that the ice cream wouldn't melt too fast. Dakota kicked off her sneakers and tucked her feet under her on the bench. Jack sat beside her, one leg stretched out, the other bent so his foot rested on the lower rung.
They opened the pints and traded spoons like it was the most natural thing.
Dakota took a bite of the chocolate and closed her eyes. "Still elite."
Jack nodded around a spoonful of the ribbon flavor. "Told you. Layers."
She laughed. "You and your layers."
He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm deep."
Dakota raised an eyebrow. "Deep as an ocean?"
"Nah! Just a pothole," He said with a chuckle.
She giggled. "You're ridiculous."
They kept eating, conversation drifting easily. School, the movie set and how weird it was to go from memorizing lines to dodging defenders on a football field. Dakota asked about practice; Jack asked about the rest of the Harry Potter book she'd finished. She lit up as she described her favorite parts. He listened, nodding at the right moments, asking follow-up questions.
Across the park, behind a wide oak tree about thirty feet away, Mitchell and Cameron had found new cover.
Cameron crouched low, one hand braced on the trunk. "Look at them. Sharing spoons, sharing pints and sharing secrets, probably."
Mitchell stayed standing, arms crossed. "They're eating ice cream, Cam. Not signing marriage papers."
"Yet," Cameron muttered.
Dakota said something Jack didn't catch at first. He leaned in closer to hear her over the sound of kids shouting on the playground. She repeated it, then burst out laughing at her own joke before he could even respond.
Jack grinned. "That's terrible."
"It's brilliant," she insisted.
"Hell no. That's really bad."
She reached over and gave his arm a light punch, playful, barely enough to move him. "Shut up. You laughed."
"I did," he admitted. "Against my better judgment."
Dakota laughed again, louder this time, head tipping back. Jack watched her for a second, smile lingering, then took another bite of ice cream.
Cameron inhaled sharply. "Did you see that? The punch and the arm touch. That's physical contact. That's escalation."
Mitchell sighed. "It was a friendly punch."
"Friendly punches don't come with eye contact like that," Cameron said. "That was a 'we have chemistry' punch."
Mitchell glanced back at the bench. Jack was saying something now, gesturing with his spoon. Dakota listened, nodding, then laughed so hard she had to press a hand to her stomach.
Mitchell's shoulders loosened just a fraction. "They look... happy."
Cameron turned to him slowly. "Happy is dangerous when one of them has a girlfriend."
Mitchell didn't argue right away. He just kept watching.
After a minute, he spoke quietly. "We should go."
Cameron blinked. "What? Now? When things are getting good?"
"Because this isn't our business," Mitchell said. "If something's actually wrong, Haley will tell us and we'll be there for her. And just because they are meeting and having fun like friends doesn't mean they are dating."
Mitchell looked away from the bench and started walking slowly along the path, back toward the main exit of the park. Cameron hurried to catch up, still glancing over his shoulder every few steps.
"Wait, hold on," Cameron said, keeping his voice low but urgent. "What's going on with you? You've been defending Jack since the second we saw them. Like, full-on lawyer mode. 'They're just friends.' 'It's just ice cream.' 'People are allowed to have friends.' You sound like a public service announcement."
Mitchell kept walking, hands in his pockets now. He did not answer right away.
Cameron matched his pace and nudged him gently with an elbow. "Mitch. Talk to me. You've been weirdly calm about this whole thing, and calm is not usually your default setting when family drama is involved."
Mitchell stopped under the shade of a big tree. He took off his sunglasses, folded them carefully, and looked at Cameron for a long second.
"I had a crush on this guy in college," he said quietly. "His name was Ethan. We dated for almost a year. It was... nice. Really nice. Until I started getting jealous every time he hung out with his friends. Male friends. Just friends. Study groups, movie nights, and grabbing coffee after class. I kept asking questions. Where were you? Who else was there? Why didn't you text me back right away? I convinced myself something was going on because I was scared of losing him."
Cameron listened without interrupting. His usual dramatic energy had dialed way down.
Mitchell looked down at the ground for a moment. "One night we had a huge fight. I accused him of hiding things. He got tired of it. He said he could not keep proving he was faithful every single day. So he left. And he was right to leave. I ruined something good because I could not trust what was right in front of me."
He lifted his eyes again. "I don't want to do that again. If they're just friends hanging out, eating ice cream, laughing... then good for them. Haley deserves someone she can trust, and Jack deserves the same. I'm not going to be the reason their relationship gets torn apart over nothing."
Cameron stared at him. For once, he did not have a quick comeback. He just nodded slowly.
"Okay," he said after a beat. "I get it."
Mitchell gave a small, tired smile. "You still think something's going on?"
Cameron glanced back toward the bench one last time. Jack and Dakota were still there, heads close together over the melting pints, talking and smiling like the rest of the park did not exist.
"I think..." Cameron started, then stopped. He sighed. "I think my gut is loud, but maybe yours is quieter and smarter right now. If Haley needs us, we'll be there for her. Until then, maybe we let them have their ice cream."
Mitchell put his sunglasses back on. "Thank you."
Cameron linked their arms again, this time without the spy-movie grip. "You're welcome. But if it turns out I'm right and he's cheating, I get to say 'I told you so' for at least a month."
Mitchell laughed under his breath. "Deal."
They started walking again, side by side, leaving the swings and the pink dress and the two teenagers behind them.
...
//Mitch's Confession time//
Mitchell sat on the couch, legs crossed, looking more relaxed than he had all afternoon.
"I learned something today," he said. "Sometimes the past shows up to remind you not to make the same mistake twice. I spent a long time being the jealous guy who saw threats everywhere. It cost me someone I cared about. I won't let that happen to Haley. If Jack is a good guy, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. And if he's not... well, we'll deal with that when it comes. But right now? I'm choosing trust."
He gave a small shrug.
//Confession End//
...
//Cam's Confession time//
Cameron sat forward, elbows on his knees, still buzzing a little.
"I still think it looks suspicious," he said. "Pink dress, sharing spoons and laughing like that. C'mon."
He paused, then softened.
"But Mitch told me about Ethan. And yeah... You can tell it still stings. So if he's choosing to believe in Jack right now, I'm going to back him up. Mostly. Ninety percent. Eighty-five on a bad day."
He grinned.
"Family first. Even when family might be eating ice cream with a movie star behind their girlfriend's back. But hopefully not."
He leaned back.
"Fingers crossed."
//Confession End//
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