Fairy Tales
A/N: I DO NOT own any characters, I DO NOT own 'Hannah Montana', I DO NOT own the song/Michael Wong, therefore, DO NOT sue me. I dedicate this fan-fic to my best buddy, Hilary. I will heart you forever, Hilly!
Robby Ray Stewart was frustrated. He was busy downstairs in the basement of his Malibu home, sitting in front of the ancient piano he had just fixed. Playing the small tune he had written down just five minutes before, he paused, deep in thought.
"Need help, Daddy?" His daughter's voice rang from behind him. He turned to Miley, who was lying on a broken sofa. She got up and stood next to her father as her elegant fingers brushed against some keys. Finally, she press down on a few of them, creating a soft, but twinkling tune.
Robby Ray looked up at Miley and smiled. "Thank you, darlin'," he said in his deep southern accent. Miley sank back into the broken sofa, her arms behind her head and began to shake her right foot to the tempo of the song.
I've forgotten how long it has been
since I've last heard you
telling me your favorite story
I've thought for a long time
I'm starting to get worried
have I done something wrong again?
Later on that week, Robby Ray and Miley sat in their family room, watching 'A Walk To Remember'. Even though Robby Ray's face showed no emotion, Miley was bawling, grabbing tissue after tissue to wipe her eyes and to blow her nose. She cuddled next to her father, wrapping her arms around his arm for comfort. Robby Ray looked down at her and smirked, despite himself.
"How can you possibly cry over this, Mile? This stuff's cheesier than the whole state of Wisconsin," he remarked.
Miley gulped and looked up to see her father's smirk. "What are you looking at?" she cried, but playfully hit her father with the pillow that was next to her. He laughed, but it did not last for long; putting his arm around her, he noticed that blood was softly trickling down her upper lip from both nostrils. Grabbing a tissue, he said to Miley, "Mile, your nose is bleeding..."
"It is?" Miley wiped her nose, smearing blood across her ivory face and leaving stains on her hand.
You cried to me
Fairy tales are only lies
There's no way I'm your prince
Perhaps you don't understand
Since you said you loved me
The stars in my sky have started to twinkle
Robby Ray continued to grow more worried for Miley during the next two weeks. Miley's gym teacher called him on Tuesday and Friday to tell him she had suffered heavy nosebleeds while playing volleyball. Then, on Monday, Miley was sent home after throwing up in Science class. And on the weekends, all she did was sleep all day.
Robby Ray finally took her to the hospital three weeks after the first nosebleed. Her doctor did a few tests on her and finally diagnosed her with anemia, even though none of Miley's symptoms were not symptoms of the disease. She was prescribed iron pills and vitamin C. Even though she improved, she was still tired occasionally. Her nosebleeds however, did not go away.
I'm willing to change into
the angel you love in those fairy tales
I'll open my arms wide and turn them into wings to protect you
You must believe, believe that we'll be like a fairy tale
with "happily ever after" as the ending
On one of Miley's good days, Robby Ray took her and her older brother Jackson to the local arts stadium. He and his old band members were getting together to play for a couple of crowds. He did not trust his goofy son to be home alone with his sickly sister for a few hours, even though Jackson pleaded he wouldn't create mischief.
"Hey, Mile," he called to Miley as he sat in front of a piano. Miley turned, smiled, and walked to her father's side. He began to play the tune they made together in the basement long ago. Miley smiled and closed her eyes, remembering how heathy she had been back then. Opening her eyes, she saw that her vision was blurred and that she had begun to sway. Jackson watched her with his mouth open for a few moments, before her blueberry colored eyes rolled to the back of her head and she sunk onto the floor in a faint.
Robby Ray did not even notice that his daughter had passed out until he heard a sickening THUD from behind him. Turning around, he saw Miley lying lifeless in the middle of the stage, her chestnut-brown hair sprayed across her gray face.
"Mile?" Robby Ray hurried next to her, brushing her hair out of her face. "Mile, Miley, wake up!"
When he realized his daughter would not awaken on her own, he turned to Jackson and told him to call an ambulance.
I'm willing to change into
the angel you love in those fairy tales
I'll open my arms wide and turn them into wings to protect you
You must believe, believe that we'll be like a fairy tale
with "happily ever after" as the ending
The ride to the hospital was bleak for both father and son. They made phone calls to her school, her friends and her record company to tell them that Miley was going to be in the hospital for a long time. When they asked why, they would just choke, "We don't know yet."
Finally, a final diagnosis came, and it turned out Miley did not have anemia at all; she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Robby Ray was devastated; he had never seen the diagnosis coming. No one from his side of the family had ever had leukemia, nor from Miley's mother side. Besides, what if her diagnosis was wrong, like her diagnosis of anemia was? It could happen! It happens everyday, doesn't it?
And yet, he knew that Miley's diagnosis was accurate as he held her IV-ed hand, letting her cry on his shoulder.
Miley stayed in the hospital for about another two weeks. Before she left, she was given a dose of her chemo. Her doctor gave Robby Ray a schedule of Miley's appointments so that she receive her chemotherapy. He also gave her and Robby Ray a bunch of face masks to wear outside and to her appointments.
For about a week, Miley was bed-ridden, living off of chicken soup and ginger ale. Robby Ray stayed by her side to help her with all the homework she had missed when she was at the hospital. Lilly, Oliver, Rico and Jake visited everyday to bring her Milky Way bars to make her feel better and to tell her what was going on at school. Also, a bunch of kids from her school (some of them she didn't even know) came to her house to drop by cards, flowers and baked goods. One person even painted her a picture of a valley of Tuscany.
The night before Miley went back to school, Robby Ray tucked Miley to bed and kissed her forehead.
"Now, Mile, are you sure you want to go back to school tomorrow?" he asked her. "If you still feel a little queasy, I can still call you out."
She smiled. "It's all right, Daddy. I'll be fine."
"Okay then," he kissed her once again on the forehead. "Night, honey."
And he got up and made his way to the hallway. Then, he heard Miley say, "Daddy?"
He turned to his daughter. "What is it, Mile?"
Miley sat up. "Daddy, I think it's time the world got to know who Hannah Montana really is."
Robby Ray stared at her, slightly bewildered. "All-all right then, Mile," he said.
I'm willing to change into
the angel you love in those fairy tales
I'll open my arms wide and turn them into wings to protect you
You must believe, believe that we'll be like a fairy tale
with "happily ever after" as the ending
After countless days of doctor visits, appointments, missed school and the loss of Miley's beautiful, wavy brown hair, her health plummeted to an all-time low. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was being monitored closely. It also happened to the day when Robby Ray's concert was going be at the arts stadium.
"Daddy, please...go," Miley croaked. "I promise, I'll be okay."
Robby Ray looked at his daughter's now dull eyes and saw that they were pleading. He shook his head. "No, Mile. I can't," he said lowly.
Miley reached for her cell phone, which was lying on the night stand. "You go. Please...for me."
Robby Ray looked at her, then at her cell phone. Then, he understood.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Robbie Ray kissed her forehead and left the hospital.
At the stadium, Robby Ray pulled out his cell phone with his shaking hand. He checked if he got any service, dialed Miley's cell phone number and put it up to his ear to hear her voice. Finally, he heard Miley's ragged breathing.
"Mile?" he whispered.
"I'm here," she breathed. He smiled, told her to hang on, and walked out on stage, where he was greeted by thousands of fans. Placing his cell phone on the piano, he picked up his guitar and began playing one of the band's songs.
Finally, the end of the concert was coming to a close. Robby Ray put his guitar down and sat at the piano.
"I would like to dedicate this last song to my little girl. We made up this song a while ago, and I tweaked it a bit, just for her," he said into the microphone. "This one's for you, Miley."
And with that, he began playing the tune Miley and Robby Ray made up in the basement of their home, except the drummer and the guitarist began playing along. Miley smiled and closed her eyes as she heard her father's blurred voice sing, "You cried to me, Fairy tales are only lies, there's no way I'm your prince..."
Finally, the song ended, and the crowd erupted into cheers. RobbyRay grabbed his cell phone and hurried off the stage to talk to Miley and tell her he would be at the hospital soon; the connection between their cell phones was dead. Panicked, he turned it off and wandered into the parking lot, looking for his car. He was met there by Roxy, Miley's bodyguard.
"What's going on, Roxy?" he asked her. "Is Miley okay?"
Roxy shook her head, looking like she was going to break into tears.
"No," Robby Ray whispered, terrified.
Roxy nodded. "She's gone."
In a state of shock, he covered his face with his hands. No. This wasn't happening!
"Who was with her?" Robby Ray's voice was shaking.
"Me. And Jackson. And all of her friends." Roxy answered.
Robby Ray's eyes filled with tears. Everyone had been by her bedside except him.
"She muttered something before she..." Roxy added thickly.
"What was it?" he asked.
She bit her lip. "She said something like, 'Tell Dad he did a great job at the concert'."
Together, we'll write our own ending