AN: This story was taken down due to guideline violations about it being interactive. I've fixed the problem, so I'm posting it again, formerly known as Birdhouse Begining... Now it's back, hopefully to stay.

Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock, or anything else you recognize from Disney, or at all. I own the original characters such as Ali, and the computer I'm writing on… that's about it.

The Birdhouse Encounter

It was the day after Final Jam and Connect 3 had decided to stay for the last day of camp. They had an extra week or so before the summer tour started up again and both Jason and Nate knew that there was almost no chance of dragging Shane away from Mitchie, especially since he found out that she was the girl behind the voice. Nate knew that Shane was sweet on Mitchie but now there would be physical damage if someone tried to get between them, he had seen it happen. It wasn't necessarily on purpose. Poor Jason had accidentally been caught in the middle of them that morning.

Shane had been rushing from his table at breakfast toward Mitchie and she had been rushing from the kitchen toward Shane. Jason had made the mistake of getting up for a second helping of french toast at just the wrong moment. As a result he was currently sitting at a picnic table, overlooking the lake, attempting to build a birdhouse with one hand, as his other one was in a sling. When it collapsed for the tenth time he looked out over the lake, hung his head, and sighed, a mixture of resignation and frustration.

"You can't build a birdhouse with one arm," a voice stated on his left. He looked over to see a camper approaching his table. She was wearing an over sized camp rock shirt and jeans with her brown hair pulled back in a pony-tail.

"Ya think?" Jason responded sarcastically. The girl looked down at her shoes.

"Sorry, that's quite the first impression. It's just, I had one thing that I wanted..."

"A birdhouse," she finished. He stared at her confused and curious. "What?" she asked, smirking, "I know things." He smiled.

"Hi, I'm Jason," he said extending his good arm.

"Ali," she countered shaking his hand, "you want some help?"

"Really?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I hadn't meant it." She responded, sitting down next to him, straddling the bench so she was facing him. "So what's the story behind that?" she asked motioning to the makeshift sling on his arm.

"Ah," he semi-sighed and shook the hair from in front of his face. "An unfortunate breakfast incident involving a second helping of french toast, a table, and a kitchen spoon."

"What? No banana peel?"

"Not this time."

"That makes it sound like that kind of thing happens a lot."

"Well it's usually not me."

"It's usually Shane isn't it?" Ali questioned. Jason raised his eyebrows

"So you do know who I am," he was surprised but kept talking anyway, looking down. "Yeah, Shane tends to be more danger prone. Nate is more the business man. Which leaves me to be the dumb one."

"I don't think you're dumb," she told him, looking him in the face, "maybe a little 'out there'."

He looked at her. "Well you are trying to build a birdhouse with your arm in a sling that resembles a table cloth." She added, grinning.

"It's not a table cloth, and it's only temporary. It's so my arm can heal before the tour starts up again."

"So the tour is back on?" There was an eagerness in her voice that he didn't expect.

"Do you have money on it or something?"

"What?" she was confused and it showed on her face. Jason smiled, shaking his head, shifting his hair to the side.

"Well you sound happy about the tour but you don't strike me as the fan girl type."

"Actually the concert was going to be the highlight of my summer. I cried when I found out it was canceled."

"Wow. You must have been in heaven then with Shane here all summer," he avoided her gaze. He knew that Shane was the favorite, and that he was at the bottom of the totem pole in that area. Usually he didn't mind too much, but Ali seemed really cool and he wished, just that once, that he wasn't just the guitarist/backup vocals.

"What do you mean?" Her voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Well, Shane Grey is every girl's dream isn't he?"

"Not me, I've never really gone for the leading man." Jason looked at her. She puzzled him, she didn't act like a fan, she wasn't drooling over Shane, "And before you say it Nate isn't my favorite either." Ali finished his thought.

"Is that so?"

"Camper's honor" she said holding her hand in a "rock on" sign.

"Hmm," he mumbled. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head."But that leaves," he paused double checking his thoughts, "me." She nodded in confirmation. "You are unique. Has anyone ever told you that?" she looked down. She'd been the odd one out for as long as she could remember. She didn't catch the fads or watch the "cool" TV shows, didn't wear the latest fashions. Jason saw her reaction and had to make amends, "I mean that in a good way. You're not afraid to be you."

"Well, not most days." She joked smiling up at him.

"So I'm your favorite member?" he couldn't get over it. "Why?"

"Why not?" She countered, frowning. Does he really think that little of himself?

"I don't know, most of the girls go crazy over Nate and Shane. Plus you really don't act like a fan."

"Would you rather I did?"

"No!" he replied quickly, "I just mean... most girls do the whole screaming thing. I like it better this way, and now I can brag to the guys that I have the sane fan." He smiled.

"I like to leave the marriage proposals to the more outgoing girls. They are more your type anyway. I've always wondered what it would be like to sit and have a conversation with you." she froze realizing how weird that sounded. Mortified her face began to redden, "Wow, now I'm one of those creepy fan girls, and embarrassed to boot." She started straightening the birdhouse pieces to keep herself occupied. She could feel his eyes on her.

"What?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Nothing," he grinned, "do you think you could give me a fan's perspective on Connect 3? And

does your birdhouse offer still stand?" He looked kind of nervous.

Does he actually think I'll say no? She thought to herself.

"No, I'm going to turn down the opportunity to hang out with my favorite rock star." You could cut the

sarcasm in her voice with a knife.

"Rock star?" Jason questioned, "But Connect 3 is a pop group."

"I know. The other two are pop stars. But I've seen you play guitar. You rock hard; therefore ranking 'rock star' status."

"I see. So you are helping me with the birdhouse." Ali just laughed and nodded.

They spent the next two hours building what Jason dubbed the "Most rocking birdhouse ever created." After that they headed for the kitchen, neither of them were really up for the lunch room itself. Jason because of his recent injury and Ali because she was afraid of the looks she would get because she was sitting with Connect 3. Instead they managed to pack themselves a picnic basket, with Connie's permission, and headed towards the lake.

"Where should we eat?" Jason asked, adjusting the picnic basket on his right arm. He refused to let Ali carry it.

"My vote goes to the dock; you can look at the lake and put your feet in without having to mess with the sand.

"Sounds good." On the walk down to the docks they talked about the dreams they had when they were little.

"Well, I always wanted to do the whole music thing. It just happened a little faster for me than with most artists. I have this place to thank for that." Jason motioned around him.

"Well, my dreams change a lot, from fashion designer to elementary school teacher, from recording artist to world traveler. All I know is that whatever I do I'll put music into it somehow."

"Have you given up on any of them?"

"Not completely. Is that silly? I mean I'm never going to design great stuff, but I do want to design my wedding dress. I have recorded in a studio on occasion with my choir. So I've managed some of it."

"Sounds like you've had quite the life already."

"Well you're one to talk" she nudged him gently, "Mr. accomplish all my dreams before I'm 25."

"That was never the plan, plus I have plenty more dreams." The conversation continued in that direction until they reached the dock and sat down for lunch. They sat in peaceful silence. Ali was thinking about how the day had gone so far and what would happen when it came to an end. She was looking out over the lake eating her sandwich, lost in thought when she heard what sounded something like a growl coming from Jason. She looked over to see him fighting with a banana. Apparently bananas are not sling friendly she thought as she watched him peel the blue sticker off and put it on his forehead.

"Why?" she asked, slightly amused but confused none-the-less. She couldn't think of a sane reason to do something like that. Not that it bothered her, she actually thought it was kind of cute, but still, he was putting a sticker from a banana on his forehead.

"Because it said so." He replied simply, pointing to the sticker. She leaned in to get a better look. Sure enough, he was right.

"Place sticker on forehead. Smile." She read aloud from the musician's head, "Oh."

"See," he smiled victoriously.

"I see what they mean by 'out there'" she joked. His smile faded and he move to take off the sticker. "No," she stopped his hand, "I like it." He grinned. They spent the afternoon wandering Camp Rock. Ali showed him some of the additions to the camp since his summer there. Most were simple, normal camp activities, like the birdhouse, which nobody really took advantage of. As a result there were plenty supplies to mess around with. She showed him how to tie patterns into friendship bracelets.

"My friends and I used to make these all the time," she said nimbly handling the thread, "your favorite color is green right?" He was caught off guard by that tidbit. "What? I told you I was a fan, plus it's my favorite too, well one of them." She pulled different shades of green out of the box and started measuring out the string.

"And Shane's" Jason commented. She nodded and started tying.

"That's what my friend Monique said. She's more of a Shane fan, so are Grace and Dawn."

"What you don't know any Nate fans?" he asked watching her hands as she looped the string, he could already see a pattern forming.

"That would be my sister Chrisy. She is convinced she will marry him." Ali rolled her eyes.

"Maybe I could arrange something," Jason smirked.

"That would make me the best sister in the history of the world, or at least until I refuse to drive her somewhere." Ali and Jason both laughed. They talked a little longer about their families and Ali finished up the bracelet she had been working on.

"It doesn't quite match your sling, but here. It's for you."

"Cool, thanks." He took it and tried to tie it on, a difficult task when you have two hands, "Could you help me?" he asked with a helpless sideways smile.

"Sure," she was slightly stunned that he didn't just stuff it in his pocket. She had just finished the bow when Jason got a text from Shane.

"Looks like Connect 3's stay at Camp Rock has come to an end." He looked disappointed, "Mitchie just left so Shane's ready to go."

"Oh," she looked down she wanted to tell him that just because Shane wants to leave doesn't mean he has to listen, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She just didn't want the day to end. It was the highlight of her summer and probably of her life.

"Walk up with me?" Jason asked, offering her his good arm.

"Sure." She forced a smile and linked her arm in his.

She grabbed the birdhouse on their way to the front of the camp. When they got to the limo she could see Nate and Shane already inside.

"Well I guess this is it," she said shrugging her shoulders and passing the birdhouse to him.

"You keep it." He said pushing it back into her hands.

"But you," she was cut off by Jason.

"Are you coming back next summer?"

"Probably."

"Then we can make mine next time."

She grinned from ear to ear, but the smile didn't really meet her eyes. Jason was still leaving. Before today she was just a quiet fan, but now she had an honest-to-goodness crush on her favorite musician. Seeing the sadness in Ali's eyes broke Jason's heart.

"Hang on. Shane, pass me that marker," Jason said putting out his hand. Once he had it he took the birdhouse from her hands and turned in upside down. Holding it with his left arm, sling and all, he started to write.

"This is my personal e-mail address. Write me sometime." He handed the marker back to Shane and the birdhouse back to Ali. She couldn't help it, she dropped the birdhouse and hugged Jason tightly around the neck, "Thank you so much Jason; for everything." After a few moments she pulled back. "Sorry, the fan girl in me finally got out. Is your shoulder alright?"

"Actually it feels a lot better," he smiled and looked directly into her eyes.

"I can't take this anymore," Nate said, emerging from the limo. He had been watching the whole thing from inside. "Can I please get a picture of the two of you together so we can leave? We are running late as it is." He glared at Shane who was staring at his phone until he felt Nate's heated stare.

"What?" Shane asked and returned to texting who everyone presumed was Mitchie. Nate rolled his eyes and turned back to the Ali and Jason. He pulled a camera from his jacket pocket. Jason put his arm around Ali's shoulder and she held up their birdhouse, both smiling whole heartedly. On the count of three Nate took the picture.

"Thank you, can we please go now?" with that Nate climbed back into the car and Jason turned to Ali. The smiled slid from her face.

"Thanks for your help, and today, and for being a fan. And guess what? You have a fan," he said motioning to himself. Ali smiled reluctantly, looking at her shoes.

"Seriously though, write to me," he put his hand under her chin and lifted her head so she was looking up at him, "It's always nice to hear from a friend." She smiled. He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and waved goodbye as the limo drove away. She stood there clutching the birdhouse like a little girl with her school books.

Once they were on the road Nate pulled out the camera and started to review the pictures to decide which ones would make it onto their website. He made notes on what pictures would need to be edited and what picture would be used. When he reached the last picture he examined it, there was a look in Jason's eyes that he wasn't familiar with. He leaned over to Shane.

"Looks like Connect 3 isn't the only thing that connected at Camp Rock." Nate motioned for Shane to look at their friend. Jason was staring out the window with the usual blank stare but Nate knew that for the first time in weeks he wasn't daydreaming about birdhouses.

AN: By the way, that banana sticker is real. I pulled out of my fruit bowl one morning and decided that I had to use it. Thank you so much for reading, and PLEASE REVIEW.