A/N: Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews of my last story... I hope you like this sequel as well :) This one won't be a oneshot, though... I'm trying my hand at sending the ladies on a nice long trip this time :)
Standard legal stuff applies: I don't own Hannah Montana or anything remotely connected to it
P.S. To .-BBaLLChik4-. You're right, I forgot to put Oliver in my last story... guess I was so busy focusing on Miley & Lilly I forgot about Smokin Oken :) He's in this one though, and I tried to explain why he was missed before. Hope it helps :)
HANNAH MONTANA
"TWO FOR THE ROAD"
CHAPTER ONE
TOGETHER
It had been almost two weeks since her high school graduation, and Miley Stewart was the happiest she could ever remember being… and all because of her best friend, Lilly Truscott. Ironically, it had taken almost losing Lilly to make Miley realize just how much her best friend meant to her. Now, having finally admitted their true feelings for each other, they had embarked on a relationship together.
On a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon, they decided to finally share their happiness with their family and friends.
"Are you sure about this, Miles?" Lilly asked, as they walked back to the Stewart house after a day at the beach together. Miley nodded confidently.
"I'm sure, Lils; I want everyone to be happy for us."
"What if they're not?" Lilly asked quietly. Miley could hear the fear in her voice, and she reached out to take Lilly's hand in her own.
"They will be," she said confidently. "No matter what happens though, I'm never going to leave you, Lilly. I love you." Lilly smiled and blinked back a tear.
"I love you too, Miley." She swallowed.
"Who do you think we should tell first?" Lilly asked.
"Oliver," Miley said after a moment's thought.
"I guess that makes sense," Lilly said. "He's our best friend; he deserves to know first."
"Definitely," Miley agreed. She grinned. "I also see him sitting at the Surf Shop already." Lilly laughed and swatted Miley playfully on the arm.
"You could've just said that," she giggled.
"Sure," Miley said with a grin, "but where's the fun in that?" Lilly laughed again.
"You know my sense of humor's one of the things you love about me," Miley teased her.
"Yup," Lilly agreed, leaning over to kiss Miley quickly on the cheek. "That, and everything else." Miley felt herself starting to blush and squeezed Lilly's hand.
"Stop that," she whispered to her girlfriend, flashing a slightly embarrassed smile.
"For now," Lilly promised, "but only because I don't want to give Oliver a heart attack!" The two girls walked hand-in-hand over to Rico's Surf Shop, where Oliver was sitting having a drink a water… and trying unsuccessfully to get a cute girl's attention.
"Hey, Ollie!" Lilly greeted him. "How's summer school?" Oliver winced. He had not been able to graduate with everyone else because of an English class he'd failed, and was now stuck in summer school trying to earn the credits he needed to get his diploma.
"It's so painful, I don't even have a good comeback for that one," he muttered.
"Aw, it'll be all right Oliver," Miley said. "You'll be through it before you know it!" Oliver smiled weakly.
"Thanks, Miley; I sure hope so. So, what are you two lovely ladies up to today?" Oliver looked down and frowned slightly.
"And since when do you two hold hands so much?" he asked. Miley & Lilly exchanged an amused look.
"Um, Oliver… there's something we need to tell you," Miley began.
"Not here, though!" Lilly said, a bit more loudly than she'd intended. Oliver looked at his two best friends curiously.
"Okay… so we're leaving then?"
"Let's just go for a little walk," Miley suggested. "Come on, Oliver." The three friends stood and walked out onto the beach. Once they were past most of the sunbathers and swimmers, Oliver turned to look at Miley again.
"Okay, so what's the big secret you need to tell me?"
"Promise you won't freak out?" Lilly asked carefully.
"Why would I freak out? You guys are my best friends."
"You're our best friend too, Oliver," Miley said, hugging him gently. Lilly did the same. "It's just… well, Lilly and I… we aren't just friends anymore." Oliver looked at both his friends, his eyes wide.
"Um… are you trying to say what I think you're trying to say?" he managed. Lilly couldn't help but giggle.
"Yes, you doughnut… Miley and I are together now."
"Together? Like, together together?" Miley grinned and nodded.
"Yep… like girlfriends. Remember, you promised you wouldn't freak out!"
"I'm not gonna freak out!" Oliver protested. "You just caught me by surprise is all." He stopped and turned to look at his two best friends.
"I'm happy for you both, really. Actually, I'm surprised it took you this long." He grinned.
"What are you talking about?" Lilly asked.
"Come on, Lils… I've seen how close the two of you have become. I figured it was only a matter of time before you & Miley figured things out." Lilly laughed.
"Wish you would've told us," she teased.
"So you're really okay with this?" Miley pressed.
"My two best friends are happy… why wouldn't I be?" Oliver asked with a smile.
Miley and Lilly both hugged Oliver happily.
"You're the best, Oliver… we love you!"
"I love you guys, too," Oliver replied, fighting to keep from being embarrassed by the sudden show of emotions. He cleared his throat and stepped back.
"So… have you told your parents yet?"
"Not yet," Miley said softly. "We're going to today; we wanted you to be the first to know."
"Really?" Oliver asked
"Really," Lilly answered him. "We wanted you to be the first to congratulate us!" Oliver laughed.
"That's my Lilly, all right." He saw the sudden possessive look in Miley's eyes and held up his hands in mock surrender.
"You know what I meant," he said sheepishly.
"Just giving you a hard time," Miley said with a smile. Then she turned serious.
"Well, we better get going, Lils; we've still got our parents to talk to." Lilly nodded.
"Okay," Oliver replied. "Good luck; I'm sure you won't need it though." He smiled.
"Call me later and let me know how everything went, okay?"
"We will," Miley said, reaching out to hug him again. "Thanks for being such a great friend, Oliver."
"That's what us doughnuts do," he quipped.
The girls next decided to visit Lilly's mom and share their news with her… thanks in no small part to Miley's nervousness about talking to her father.
"I thought you said everyone was gonna be happy for us?" Lilly accused her playfully, as they walked up to the front door of her house.
Oh, sure!" Miley said, fidgeting slightly. "I just, you know… want your mom to be happy first!"
"Miles…"
"Okay, so I'm a little worried!" Miley exclaimed. "If… when… things go well with your mom, then I'll be a lot less worried about talking to my dad and Jackson, okay?" She made a sad puppy dog face. Lilly laughed and put her arms around Miley.
"You always get me with that," she said, shaking her head and grinning. "All right, Miles… if it'll make you feel better, I'll bite the bullet first."
"Thanks, Lils!" Miley hugged her girlfriend fiercely. "I'll make it up to you, I promise!" Lilly arched an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah? How?" she challenged. Miley leaned close to Lilly and whispered something in her ear. Lilly turned a polite shade of pink.
"Would that be okay?" Miley teased in a sultry voice. Lilly swallowed.
"Oh, yeah… Lilly likey!" she breathed. After taking a few moments to compose herself, Lilly forced herself to let Miley go – except for her hand, which she still held – and reached over to knock on the door. A few moments later, it opened to reveal Lilly's mother, wearing a dirty apron and looking slightly out of breath.
"Hi, mom!" Lilly greeted her. "Uh… what are you doing in there?"
"Hi, girls!" Heather Truscott replied, stepping aside so her daughter and Miley could enter. "Oh, just trying out a few of my cookbooks, Lilly. Why?" Lilly made a face. Try as she might, her mother had never been a good cook, but she never stopped trying… much to Lilly's stomach's dismay.
"Guess that explains the mess then," Lilly quipped, noticing the mass of bottles, bags, pots and bowls covering the kitchen counter. Heather Truscott ignored her daughter's comment and walked back into the kitchen to continue her cooking.
"So, to what do I owe the honor of your visit, Lilly? I thought you'd be at Miley's all day."
"Actually mom, we've got something to tell you," Lilly replied. She paused to look over at Miley, who smiled and squeezed her hand affectionately.
Come on Truscott, you can do this!
"Oh?" Heather Truscott asked, looking away from the pot she had been stirring. "What's that?" Lilly took a deep breath.
"You know Miley's my best friend and she'd never do anything to hurt me, right?" Lilly began quickly.
"Of course, dear; Miley's been a wonderful friend to you." Heather Truscott looked over at Miley with a friendly smile.
Wonder if she's still gonna be smiling in a moment? Miley thought to herself.
"Well, what if I told you… Miley's more than a best friend to me?" Lilly asked carefully. Heather Truscott looked at her daughter for a long moment, searching her face for some clue as to what she was talking about.
"What do you mean, honey?" she asked Lilly, turning back to her pot when she suddenly noticed it was about to boil over.
Why do you have to make this so hard, mom? Lilly griped silently to herself.
"Mom… Miley and I are, um…" Oh, just spit it out!
"We're in love with each other!" Lilly exclaimed in a rush. Heather Truscott nearly dropped her spoon.
"Wh-what?" She was positive she hadn't heard that right.
"I said Miley and I are in love with each other, mom." She squeezed Miley's hand as if to demonstrate what she was saying. "I guess we have been for the longest time, but it took until graduation for us to finally admit it."
"Lilly makes me really happy, Mrs. Truscott; and I swear I'll always take care of her," Miley added quickly, trying her best to support Lilly. Heather Truscott pulled herself over to the kitchen table and sat down, not saying anything for several long, tense moments. Miley felt Lilly tense against her, and looked over to see her furiously trying to blink away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
"Don't cry, Lils," Miley whispered softly to her. "It'll be all right, you'll see. I'm gonna be right here with you, okay?" Lilly nodded wordlessly and leaned her head against Miley's shoulder. Miley responded by resting her cheek against Lilly's forehead and gently stroking her long blonde hair. Watching the two of them together, Heather Truscott could see just how much they loved each other, and the depths of Miley's devotion to her little girl. That made up her mind.
"I'm sorry girls," she said after a moment. "I apologize for being so quiet. I wasn't sure what to think about all this at first, but now, after watching the two of you together… well, I can see how much you truly mean to each other." She got up and hugged both girls warmly.
"I'm really happy for you, Lilly-bear."
"Mo-om! Do you have to use the name?!" Lilly whined at the sound of her mother's childhood nickname for her. Heather Truscott just laughed.
"Miley, I expect you to take good care of my little girl," she said to Miley.
"I promise Mrs. Truscott, I will; as long as there's still a breath left in me."
After having lunch with Lilly's mom – though not any of the things she had been trying to cook, to Lilly's relief – the girls finally made their way to the Stewart house. They walked in through the back door, and Miley spotted her father, Robbie Ray, sitting on the couch watching television. When she didn't walk over to him right away, Lilly leaned in close and whispered to her.
"Come on, Miles… if I did it, you can do it!"
"Okay, okay…" Miley retorted, grinning sheepishly. "Walk over there with me?"
"Sure," Lilly said warmly, and together they strode into the living room.
"Hey, daddy!" Miley called out to her father.
"Hey, bud. Have fun at the beach?"
"Always do, when I'm with Lilly," Miley said happily as she sat down on the couch beside him.
"Daddy… there's something I need to tell you." Something in the tone of her voice got Robbie Ray's attention, and he turned to look at her.
"Everything ok, bud?" he asked.
"Oh yeah dad, everything's fine… it's really, really good news, I swear!" Robbie Ray arched an eyebrow.
"How come you sound nervous then?"
"I'm just… not sure how you're gonna react, daddy; I want you to be happy for me." Robbie Ray looked at his daughter carefully.
"Is this about you and Lilly?" he asked after a moment.
"Daddy say what?!" Miley gaped. Robbie Ray laughed.
"Miley, I'm not blind; I've seen how close the two of you have become since graduation. Besides…" He grinned. "Your Aunt Dolly might've mentioned a few things to me."
You're not… upset or anything?" Miley asked hesitantly.
"Why would I be upset?"
"I just thought… well, because Lilly & I are both girls, you might not…"
"I might not what? Accept that my little girl has fallen in love?" Smiling, he reached over to gently stroke his daughter's hair. "To someone who's always been there for her, and who's always been a great friend to her?" Behind them, Lilly found herself starting to cry.
"Bud, if Lilly's the one you've chosen, then I couldn't be happier for the both of you."
"Really?" Miley asked quietly, starting to cry herself now. Robbie Ray nodded.
"All fathers know there's going to come a day when their little girl has to grow up. We hate it, and we hate thinking about it, but we know we can't stop it. So, all a daddy can really ask for his little girl is that she finds someone who will love her and take care of her… and I know Lilly will do both of those things." Lilly grabbed Robbie Ray from behind in a fierce, tearful hug, and Miley did the same.
"Thank you, daddy," she managed. "I love you." Robbie Ray hugged his daughter tightly.
"I love you, too… both of you." He looked up at Lilly.
"You better take good care of my little girl, Lilly."
"I promise, Mr. Stewart… I'll always take care of her," Lilly said, wiping away tears. Robbie Ray smiled at her.
"I know you will, darlin'. Well, now that's settled… you can come sit down next to Miley now, Lilly," he laughed. "I promise I won't bite." Lilly did so, and Miley put her arms protectively around the woman she loved.
"Well, that went a lot better than I thought it would," Lilly said happily. Miley grinned.
"Told ya."
Later, up in Miley's room, the girls called Miley's older brother Jackson to share their news with him as well. To their surprise and delight, he was as happy for them as everyone else had been.
"You sure you're okay with this?" Miley had asked him.
"As long as I don't have to hear any details, I'm fine," Jackson joked. "Seriously Miles, you and Lilly will be good for each other."
You really think so?" Miley asked.
"Sure," Jackson replied with a grin. "Now I don't have to chase any more boys away!"
"Whatever, Jerkson… I love you."
"Love you too, sis; tell Lilly I said hi." After hanging up the phone, Miley & Lilly laid down on Miley's bed to relax. Eventually, they began to talk about their plans for the summer. Miley was already overjoyed that she was going to be able to spend it with Lilly after all, but now that they were girlfriends, she wanted it to be extra special… and she had a plan to make their summer just that.
"So what do you think?" Miley asked excitedly.
"Oh, that'd be awesome, Miles! What about Hannah though?" Lilly asked. Miley smiled.
"Hannah could use the break; and I wanna spend some time with you." She wrapped her arms around Lilly and gave her a quick kiss.
"We've got some lost time to make up for, too," she said softly. Lilly blushed.
"I'll have to ask my mom, though; and you still have to ask your dad."
"Ask her dad what?" Robbie Ray interrupted. Miley & Lilly shrieked and jumped off the bed, startled. Robbie Ray stood in the open doorway of Miley's room, smiling.
"Dad, jeez! Knock or something, will ya!" Miley gasped. Robbie Ray laughed.
"Sorry, bud. I was just comin' to see if you ladies might like to go out to dinner tonight."
"That sounds nice daddy, but what's the occasion?" Miley asked.
"Does a daddy need a reason to treat his daughter and her girlfriend?" Robbie Ray asked with a smile.
"Aw dad, that's sweet… that'd be great!" Miley rushed over to give him a big hug.
"So, what is it you were gonna ask me about?" Robbie Ray asked her, smiling again.
"Well, before you almost stopped my heart," Miley playfully complained, "Lilly and I were talking about going on a trip together."
"Oh? What kind of trip?" Miley & Lilly exchanged a quick look.
"A road trip, daddy," Miley said after a moment. "Lilly & I want to spend the summer driving through California together, just the two of us." A look of doubt flashed across Robbie Ray's face.
"Come on dad, you said you were okay with me and Lilly being together!"
"You know me better than that, bud." Robbie Ray said, sounding slightly disappointed. "I know you & Lilly love each other, and I can see it with my own eyes. I'm happy for you two, really."
"Then what?" Miley asked, confused.
"The rest of the world may not be so kind, bud," Robbie Ray said carefully. "I'm just worried about what might happen when you & Lilly get out there and everyone sees you two together. There are gonna be people out there who might not like what they see. I don't want to see you two get hurt."
"I know, daddy," she said gently. "I know there are gonna people who won't approve of Lilly & me, but I love her. I don't wanna hide what I feel for her, just because some narrow-minded people think it's wrong. What kinda life would that be, if we all lived the way other people told us to?" For a long moment, Robbie Ray didn't say anything.
When did you get so grown up? He wondered, staring in wonder at his teenage daughter. And how did I miss it? Your momma would be so proud of you…
"Dad, are you okay?" Miley asked, concerned. Then she noticed unshed tears shining in his eyes.
"Why are you crying? What's wrong?" Miley took one of his hands and squeezed it gently.
"I'm fine, bud, really… just got something in my eye…"
"Come on dad, I'm not ten anymore," Miley said. "I know you better than that."
"Tell me about it…" Robbie Ray whispered sadly to himself.
"What?"
"Nothing, bud; I'm just really proud of the wonderful young woman you've grown up to be." He gently kissed the top of Miley's head.
"Now you're trying to make me cry with you!" Miley teased. Robbie Ray laughed.
"You're right, you can't live your life bein' afraid of what other people think," he said after a moment. "You gotta do what makes you happy… and I know Lilly makes you happy." He looked over at Lilly at smiled.
"You wanna go on this trip, you go ahead; you got my blessing. Just be careful."
"Thanks, daddy!" Miley squealed joyfully and squeezed her father in another hug.
"You just better make sure you call me and let me know you're okay," he reminded his daughter playfully. Then he walked over to Lilly and hugged her as well.
"Just try not to have too much fun," he said with a gin.
"Daddy!!"
"So whose car do you think we should take?" Lilly asked later. They had called Lilly's mom after dinner and gotten her permission as well, now the two young lovers were engrossed in planning out their perfect trip.
"Let's take mine," Miley answered. "It's brand new, and we'll look really cool drivin' around California in it!" Lilly giggled. Miley's father had given her a beautiful brand new jet black BMW 745Li as a graduation present. Sometimes, having Hannah Montana's money could really come in handy.
"All right," Lilly laughed. "Where do you think we should go?" Miley walked over to her dressed, opened a drawer, and pulled out a map.
"You keep maps in there?" Lilly teased her. Miley laughed.
"I like to keep track of every place I've been as Hannah Montana," she replied. "Kind of my way of holding on to all the memories, you know?" Lilly smiled.
"That's sweet, Miles!" Miley plopped down on her bed beside Lilly and opened up the map in front of them.
"Anywhere in particular you want to go, Lils?" Miley asked her girlfriend. "Maybe someplace special you've always wanted to see?"
"Any place is special, as long as I'm with you," Lilly purred. She leaned in to gently kiss the side of Miley's neck.
"That's not helping!" Miley managed.
"You want me to stop then?" Lilly teased.
"Let's not talk crazy now," Miley replied. Lilly giggled.
"Didn't think so," she said with a smile. She kissed Miley again, and this time began to nibble the soft flesh between her neck and shoulder.
"How do you know how to do that so good?" Miley half-moaned.
"Wait until I get in some practice," Lilly promised, her voice practically a growl. Not even daring to let her thoughts go there, Miley gently pushed Lilly away.
"Much as like this – and believe me Lils, I LIKE this – daddy's just downstairs; and it's not getting us any closer to making our vacation plans, okay?" Lilly pouted.
"Oh no… the pout face isn't gonna help you this time!," Miley replied with a grin. "Later, though…" She slid a hand slowly along Lilly's side.
"You, Miss Stewart, play dirty!" Lilly complained. Miley wagged an eyebrow.
"I bet I won't be hearing you complain about that later," she teased, her voice low and soft. Lilly's eyes widened. She immediately jumped up into a sitting position beside Miley, keeping her eyes purposely focused on the map in front of them.
"O-kay! So, where were we?" Miley choked back a laugh.
"Any ideas now? About our vacation?" she was quick to add.
"Well… maybe one," Lilly offered.
"Well, speak up then Truscott!" Miley said with a giggle.
"Ever been here?" she asked Miley, pointing to a particular city on the map. Miley looked at where she was pointing.
"Actually, no," she said, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"Bet it'd be romantic," Lilly suggested with a grin.
"Bet it'd be cold too," Miley retorted.
"Maybe," Lilly admitted, "but that just gives me an excuse to keep you warm."
"All right-y then!" Miley said with a smile. "We can start there… and just work our way back south."
"Sounds like a plan," Lilly agreed. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Miley again, snuggling against her as she began to sing happily.
"San Fran-cisco, here we come…"