Thanks to everyone who reviewed; I'm glad there seems to be some interest in this story. And there's finally some Liley interaction in this scene...I didn't wanna make you all wait too long ;)


Chapter 2 – The Truth There Is

"Dang flabbit, Loreen, I know what you're trying to do here and it ain't gonna work," Robbie Ray Stewart said, shaking his head.

He sat at the kitchen table, across from a middle-aged woman in business slacks and a button down shirt who was looking at him with a sad smile on her face. Leaning against the sink was Robbie's wife, Susan, watching the interaction between the two expressionless.

"Ya can't blame me for tryin', Robbie. It's just a sad affair and I was hopin' for some good luck," Loreen said somberly and stacked the papers in front of her.

Robbie glanced at his wife with a sigh and looked back at Loreen, "We wish we could, Loreen. But we already got five kids in the house and just don't got the time and mind to handle two more; it'll be tough enough with just the one. And you know we're not qualified to handle special needs cases…it's just better this way."

Loreen nodded and suppressed a sigh. Sometimes she really hated her job. She had wanted to become a social worker to help people in need, not to split up already traumatized children. She stood, handing a folder to Robbie and stuffing the other papers into her bag. "I know, just thought I'd try. Why don't ya come with me, she oughta be here soon."

Robbie stood and followed her and though he knew Loreen didn't blame them, he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. Susan grabbed his arm as he walked by and squeezed and Robbie smiled at her. Robbie and Loreen stepped out onto the porch. A vast nothingness of grass and trees and fields spread out before them. He inhaled deeply, letting the fresh air calm his senses. A car pulled up in front of the house and Loreen walked up to it. Robbie followed her down the front steps, but stayed behind. Loreen opened the door to the backseat and after some coaxing, two brunette girls stepped out of the vehicle.

"Now Luann, this is where you'll be staying," she said cheerfully to the brunette climbing out of the car after her sister.

Luann glared at her, "What do you mean 'Luann'?"

Loreen frowned and looked between the two of them. They were identical, but not impossible to tell apart. Not only did Luann usually look pissed off about something, but she was also two or three inches taller and Miley was much paler. She thought she'd been able to tell them apart. "I'm sorry, did I get you mixed up?"

Luann threw her another look, "No, why didn't you say 'Luann and Miley, you'll be staying here'?"

The older woman took a deep breath, looking between the girls and then back at Robbie who stood at the bottom of the porch. Luann was throwing her a rather hostile look. "Girls, I told you it would be hard to find a place that could take both of you."

"You said you'd try," Miley said and Loreen was surprised to hear the smaller brunette speak. It was normally Luann who made comments.

"I did try. There aren't many homes that will take teenagers and no one that is willing to take a special needs child. I'm sorry." Luann made a rash movement and for a second Loreen thought she was about to get punched.

"Don't you call my sister special," Luann ground out, fists already balled.

Miley grabbed her arm and held her back, "Just let it go, Lu."

Luann turned to face her sister, angry, "No, this isn't fair. Mom fucks up our lives, gets herself arrested, again, and now we can't stay together."

"Luann, honey…" Loreen tried again, "this is the best option right now. We'll take Miley to a group home where someone is always there to make sure she's doing okay. You guys will still be able to see each other."

"I make sure Miley is doing okay, we don't need anyone else!" Luann yelled and cursed the tears stinging her eyes.

"Honey, you're still just kids, someone needs to take care of you, okay?"

Luann scoffed and for the first time noticed her surroundings. Some ranch house in the middle of nowhere. Fantastic. "Great, so I get stuck out here with a bunch of hillbillies and Miley's gotta bunk with the retards."

Loreen frowned; this girl was just so difficult. She glanced back at Robbie, who hadn't moved. She hoped he wouldn't change his mind on taking Luann now, too. "Now Luann, that's not very nice."

Luann just glared at her, "Don't treat me like I'm five. I know it's not nice, that's why I said it."

"Alright, that's enough. You're staying here, Luann and that's final. Miley, you're coming back with me to the city," Loreen ordered, voice stern. She didn't like separating siblings, but that was just the way it was. They didn't have to try and make it harder.

Luann bit her tongue. She knew there was nothing she could say or do to change their situation; she was merely lashing out. Everything was just going wrong for them. She felt Miley squeeze her arm again and turned towards her sister. Miley had tears in her eyes and Luann knew she did, too. She wrapped her arms around her sister.

"I'll come see you as often as I can okay? Even if I have to commandeer a horse and buggy to get there," Luann said and Miley laughed quietly.

Robbie watched them with a heavy heart. He could tell Loreen was getting frustrated with the girls, but he just saw two scared teenagers who were about to lose the only family they had left. He shook his head and sighed.

Inside the house, Susan watched the scene from the kitchen window, a grin on her face. She turned her head as someone walked into the kitchen and motioned with her hand, "Lilly, come here."

The blonde girl gave her mother a quizzical look. She was standing by the sink, craning her head to look out the window at the front porch. Lilly joined her, seeing an unfamiliar car and a bunch of strangers. She looked at her mother in confusion.

"Just watch, your dad's about to cave," Susan said, smiling.

"Uh, what?"

Susan shook her head and moved back from the window. She knew Robbie too well. "Better make room for two more."

Lilly watched her leave in confusion and looked back out the window at the scene.

Robbie watched quietly as the girls said their goodbyes. They were crying now and his heart broke. He heaved a sighed and walked over, pointing a finger at Loreen, "You did this on purpose."

The girls pulled away, staring at the man now standing next to their social worker. Loreen managed more or less successfully to hide her grin, but he still glared at her. Robbie shook his head and turned towards the girls. He smiled at them, "My name's Robbie Ray Stewart, you can call me Robbie, or Mr. Stewart, whichever you'd prefer. Now let's get you two inside before it gets dark." He turned towards Loreen, his expression a little less friendly, "Loreen, you owe me. Now get the heck off my property."

Loreen grinned that time. She handed Robbie another folder and went to unlock the trunk. He motioned at the twins, "Come on, get your stuff, I'm starting to grow roots out here."

Luann grabbed her backpack, confused. She wasn't sure what was going on, whether Miley was allowed to stay with her. Robbie grabbed the other backpack out of the trunk and shut it. He motioned towards the house and Luann walked past him without a word, though glanced back at her sister multiple times. Miley was walking much slower than usual.

Robbie waited until the car, and with it Loreen, had left and turned to walk back to the house. One of the twins was walking incredibly slowly and he caught up with her. She looked up at him and smiled, open and dazzling. "Thank you, Mr. Stewart."

He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, "You're welcome, darlin'." He knew he'd done the right thing. Now, he'd just have to find a way to explain it to his wife.

* * *

Susan threw a look at her husband as he closed the front door behind him and he smiled sheepishly. She turned to the girls who stood, shoulder by shoulder, looking completely uncomfortable. Though they didn't have that overwhelmed and terrified look of kids new to foster care and she realized they had probably been through this a few times before. The thought, as always, made her sad. Some of the kids came into foster care because their parents got sick or died and could no longer take care of them. But Susan had never understood those parents that made their children's lives miserable through drugs, alcohol, neglect and abuse. She and Robbie had tried for years to have children of their own, to no avail, and had eventually decided on fostering those children that needed homes the most.

She smiled at them, trying to put them at ease. She didn't want them to get the impression she was mad at them for Robbie deciding to take both of them in. "Hey girls, I'm Susan I'm the mom. We're gonna have dinner soon, but let's get you settled first, okay? I'm sure you two would like to share a room, right?"

They nodded and she led them into the living room. It was empty and Susan wondered where the rest of the children had gone off to. "Yeah, I figured. I asked the boys to put the bunks back together; we'll see how well that goes. You'll have to share a room with Lilly, too; we're really only set up for four or five kids, but we'll make it work."

She was just about to lead them up the stairs, when Lilly came bounding down, coming to a jerky stop at the bottom, "Mom, Jackson just put a huge hole in the wall in my bedroom! What are they doing up there?" She stopped and stared at the four people standing in the living room. She glanced from her mother to her father and then at the two girls in between them. She blinked. They were definitely gorgeous. She smiled, "Hi, I'm Lilly."

She'd thought they were identically gorgeous, but she had been wrong. The brunette to the right returned her smile and Lilly's heart caught in her throat. Her blue eyes were so warm and captivating, her smile breathtaking, whereas her sister by her side simply glared at the blonde. Lilly felt a silly smile creep onto her face as she locked eyes with the smiling brunette. She had to force herself out of her trance just to hear what the girl was saying.

"I'm Miley, that's Luann," the brunette said, pointing at her sister who looked anything but happy. The blonde, Lilly, smiled at her again, eyes sparkling. Miley didn't know what it meant. She looked away shyly, cursing the butterflies in her stomach.

"Lilly, Miley and Luann are gonna be sharing your room, okay? I asked Jackson and Tyler to put the bunks back together. Why don't you show them upstairs and I'll call you down for dinner in a bit?" Susan said, warily eyeing her daughter. She'd seen the silly smile on Lilly's face and it did not bode well.

Lilly just nodded and motioned towards the stairway. She smiled at Miley again, before ascending the stairs. Miley smiled to herself until she looked over and saw Luann's glare. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

Luann tapped her foot anxiously and looked down at her plate. She didn't want to be here. It wasn't that the family was bad; compared to some of the other ones they'd been with, they were pretty decent. She still had Miley with her, which was really the most important thing and they got to share a room, even if it was a tight squeeze. But Luann hated being thrust into these happy family units that attempted to just absorb them and expect them to play along. She glanced at her sister and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Miley and that blonde girl had been throwing each other these foolish smiles all evening.

"So, you're from Nashville? Which part?" one of the boys across from her asked. She hadn't really bothered to remember anyone's names. He was tall and skinny, with dark hair.

She glanced at Miley, who was poking around at her food. Luann frowned; the food was a definite improvement to whatever they could've scrounged up at home. She didn't want to call out her sister in front of everyone, though. Luann looked back at the guy and shrugged, "Cayce."

He grimaced, "That bites. I spent some time there while I was crashing at a friend's."

Luann nodded, not really feeling like small talk. He seemed alright though. She looked around the table. Including her and Miley, there were seven kids, plus the two parents. The blonde they were sharing a room with looked to be about their age. Same with the dark-haired boy and the blonde one shoveling insane amounts of food into his face. Then there were two younger girls, maybe eight or ten, who were busily discussing which Jonas brother was cuter. Everyone else was silent, either too busy eating or poking at their food.

"I don't know if you got a chance to really meet everyone," Susan spoke up. She didn't like uncomfortable silences. "You met Lilly, Jackson and Tyler, I believe. Thanks for putting the beds up, boys. This is Amanda and that's Jennifer. They're both here in foster care, as is Tyler, though he is planning to move out on his own soon. We adopted Jackson and Lilly when they were younger and had been with us for a little while."

Luann glanced at everyone again, pretty sure she still wouldn't remember the names. She looked at Susan, voice deadpan, "So, you only keep the blonde ones?"

Robbie nearly choked on his food and Susan simply stared at the girl. Miley kicked her under the table, but didn't look up. Luann wanted to roll her eyes again. One of the little girls suddenly spoke up.

"So why are you here?"

Luann gave her a look, "I don't see how that's any of your business." Miley kicked her again, harder this time, and Luann glared at her sister. The girl continued, nevertheless.

"I'm here because my mom got sick, but she's gonna be better soon and I'm going back home," the girl said smugly, as if taunting Luann.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, kid. Shit happens."

Susan shook her head and looked at her husband. He sighed. "We don't allow cursing in this house. And we generally don't try to discourage each other, either."

Luann narrowed her eyes, "So I'm stuck with the Brady Bunch and can't even express my feelings? Great!"

Miley kicked her again, hard enough to make Luann turn, "Stop it, Miles."

Her sister glared at her, trying to talk as quietly as possible, "If you stop being rude."

Luann put her silverware on her plate and stood up, looking at Susan and Robbie, "I gotta go to the bathroom." She turned back to Miley, "I'll stop being rude if you eat your da…ng food." She walked away, though she felt somewhat bad. She wasn't mad at Miley and hadn't meant to take it out on her, too.

There was silence at the table, all eyes on Miley. She looked up, nervous. Her sister had a tendency to lash out when she was hurting, whereas Miley just got more introverted. These people seemed nice enough and she didn't want them to send her and Luann back. They'd probably end up separated then. "I'm sorry about Luann, she's just…" Miley sighed. She didn't know what Luann was. "It's been a hard few days."

"We know, honey, it's alright. It's gonna take some time for you to get settled," Susan said softly, hoping to reassure the brunette. She hadn't yet gotten a chance to read their files and only remembered minimally what Loreen had told them earlier. She knew though there had been an incident at their home and their mother had been arrested in front of them. Susan figured it would take them a while to get comfortable enough to trust her and Robbie and she could tell especially Luann was very distant.

Miley nodded, but she couldn't help but worry. It had only been two days since the whole ordeal at their apartment and she felt like her world was just crashing down around her. The last few times they'd been in foster care they had been younger and thus CPS had found them foster homes in Nashville, allowing them to go to their normal school, see their friends and stay in a familiar place. This time they'd been carted out to the middle of nowhere, Crowley Corners, where they knew no one. Miley dreaded the thought of having to attend a new High School, with all new kids who would pick on her and push her around. All new kids to piss off Luann and make her get into fights and get suspended.

The brunette sighed, still poking at her food. She knew Luann would get mad at her about it later, but she really wasn't hungry. She just felt so tired and exhausted and for once she couldn't tell whether it was because of her crappy heart or because of everything that had happened. She glanced up and saw everyone looking at her, as if studying an interesting specimen. Miley shifted uncomfortably and lowered her head again. Why wasn't Luann coming back? She just wanted to get out of there.

"Mom," Lilly broke the silence, drawing all eyes to her, "can I take Miley out to the stables? I wanna show her the horses."

Susan looked at her daughter and then back at the brunette. She hesitated, thinking of all the reasons she should say no. It was already dark outside, everyone was still eating dinner, she didn't know how sick Miley was and how much she was allowed to do. But seeing the near desperate and hopeful look on the brunette girl's face she nodded slowly, "Sure, just be careful, okay? And don't stay out there too long; we still have to go over some things."

Lilly smiled and practically jumped up. She'd been watching the beautiful brunette basically all night and had noticed her become more and more uncomfortable throughout, especially after her totally rude sister had left. Lilly loved seeing the smile on Miley's face and she didn't like the sad look on it now. Walking around to the other side of the table, Lilly held out her hand to Miley with a smile. Miley hesitated at first, but the blonde's smile melted her insides and she gave in. Lilly wrapped her warm hand around Miley's cold one and led her outside.