CHAPTER TWO

CITY BY THE BAY

The alarm clock near Miley's bed announced the dawning of a new day with an obnoxious, ear-splitting buzzing sound. Startled by the sudden noise, Miley nearly jumped completely out of bed. Recovering, she groaned and reached over to shut the infernal thing off.

Whose idea was it to start this trip so darn early? She grumbled to herself. Then a familiar-looking arm wrapped itself around her from the other side of the bed, and Miley smiled as she felt the warmth of the woman she loved envelop her. Looking over at Lilly's slumbering form, Miley decided this was how she wanted to wake up for the rest of her life.

"Hey, sleepy-head," she called out gently, "Time to get up." Lilly's only response was to bury her head more deeply into her pillow and pull her arm more tightly around Miley. Grinning, Miley lay back down beside her and began to gently stroke her hair.

"Come on Lils," she said in a quiet voice. "The sooner we get up, the sooner we can start our trip… and the sooner we can do more of this." She lowered her head to gently kiss the side of Lilly's neck. Lilly moaned softly into her pillow, but still refused to budge.

"Don't make me come over there and wake you up, Truscott!" Miley whispered into Lilly's ear. Lilly's head shot up from her pillow, a deep red flush coloring her cheeks.

"You don't play fair," she complained playfully.

"I take after you," Miley retorted. Lilly laughed and reached out to grab her pillow, ready to defend her honor in a good old-fashioned pillow fight.

"Them's fightin' words," Lilly joked, trying to talk like a cowboy. Miley giggled.

"Take it easy, pardner," she replied, playing along. "We've got more important things to do."

"Like what?" Lilly asked, dropping her pillow and standing up.

"For starters… we need to take a shower," Miley answered. "To get clean," she added, seeing the look in Lilly's eyes.

"You're no fun," Lilly pouted. She and Miley had yet to do anything more than some fairly serious making out, but they loved to flirt as though there were more.

If the time ever does come, when we're both ready for more… I don't ever want it to be with anyone but you, Miley

Her thoughts were interrupted by a bra and a pair of panties smacking her in the face.

"You might need those," Miley quipped from across the room.

"Keep it up, Stewart," Lilly threatened playfully as she picked up the undergarments. "I might just decide not to wear any; then what?" It was Miley's turn to blush.

"I am so not answering that!" she said, turning away.

"You already did, sweety," Lilly said with a smile. She walked over to Miley and kissed her passionately, then walked into the bathroom.

"Try not to use all the hot water," Miley teased her. Lilly laughed and stuck her tongue out before closing the bathroom door behind her.

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After they had both showered and gotten dressed, Miley & Lilly headed downstairs to find a hearty breakfast of homemade pancakes and bacon waiting for them.

"Daddy!" Miley gaped, seeing her smiling father standing at the stove. "You didn't have to do all this!"

"Just wanted to make sure my girls had a good hot meal before they headed out on their big vacation," Robbie Ray said. It took Miley a second before she realized what her father had said.

My girls…

He was already beginning to treat Lilly like she was family, Miley thought, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She walked over and hugged her father tightly.

"Thank you, daddy; I love you."

"Love you too, baby girl." He kissed her gently on the top of her head. He looked over at Lilly.

"What are you standin' way over there for, darlin'?" he asked with a smile. "My arms aren't gonna reach that far." Swallowing back the lump in her throat, Lilly walked into the kitchen and hugged Robbie Ray as well.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" Robbie Ray asked.

"For being a wonderful dad… and raising a wonderful daughter," Lilly said, blinking back happy tears. Robbie Ray smiled and hugged her back.

"I try," he said lightly. "Now, let's get to eatin' before breakfast gets soggy from all these tears!"

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Once breakfast was done, and the car was loaded, the girls said goodbye to Robbie Ray – promising to call regularly to let him know where they were and that they were okay – and finally headed out onto the open road.

Miley chose to drive first. As they hit the freeway, Lilly reached over and gently laid her hand on Miley's leg.

"Just the two of us now," she said happily.

"Yup," Miley agreed, carefully reaching down and taking Lilly's hand in her own. "Just you and me… and whatever's out there."

"Sounds good to me," Lilly replied, smiling. "How long til we get to San Francisco?"

"Umm… about six hours, I think," Miley replied thoughtfully. "We don't have to drive all the way there, though; we can stop anywhere you want to." Lilly smiled.

"Just drive, Stewart; I'll provide the entertainment." Miley was about to open her mouth to say something when she saw Lilly reach into the glove box for some cds.

"Oh, that kind of entertainment!" she said, a bit louder than she had intended to. Lilly looked over at Miley, an amused expression on her face.

"What kind were you expecting?" she asked, eyes twinkling. Miley flushed and tried to swallow.

"Nothing we can do while driving," she muttered. Lilly laughed.

"You are bad, Miley Stewart!"

"Maybe," Miley smirked, "but you love me anyway."

"Got that right," Lilly replied, squeezing Miley's hand gently.

"So, you gonna play some tunes or not?" Miley asked with a grin.

"Comin' right up," Lilly answered. She freed her hand long enough to select a cd and slide it into the player, and turned the volume up. Her hand found Miley's again just as the opening words of 'Take It Easy' by The Eagles filled the car:

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Well I'm runnin' down the road

Tryin' to loosen my load

I got seven women on my mind

Four that wanna own me

Two that wanna stone me

One says she's a friend of mine…

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"Good song," Miley said, smiling.

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Take it easy

Take it easy

Don't let the sound of your own wheels

Drive you crazy

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"The only thing I let drive me crazy is you," Miley said with a grin, looking over at Lilly briefly.

"It's a good kind of crazy though," Lilly replied, bringing Miley's hand up to her lips for a gentle kiss.

"The best," Miley agreed.

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Lighten up

While you still can

Don't even try to understand

Just find a place

To make your stand

Take it easy!

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"Good advice," Lilly quipped. "Let's just… take it easy." She leaned back in her seat and stretched out her legs. Reaching over, she pressed the button to lower her window and let the rushing wind blow through her hair.

"Yup, definitely good advice," she sighed contentedly. Miley giggled.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself," she said with a grin.

"Just you and me, the open road and the wind in my face… what's not to enjoy?" Lilly asked with a wink.

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A little over six and a half hours later, Miley & Lilly found themselves driving over the Bay Bridge and into San Francisco.

"Miley, it looks so beautiful!" Lilly gushed, staring out at the sparkling waters of the bay. "Look, there's Alcatraz!"

"Alca-what?" Miley asked. Lilly laughed and looked over at her.

"Alcatraz," she repeated. "You know, The Rock? Where they locked up Al Capone?" Miley's clueless expression made Lilly laugh even more.

"What, didn't you pay any attention in history class?"

"Guess I was too busy staring at a certain beautiful blonde," Miley quipped. Lilly blushed.

"I'm more partial to brunettes myself," she said after a moment. "Especially with cute Southern accents…" Seeing the blush Miley was trying desperately to hide, Lilly couldn't help but giggle. She turned to look back out at the bay.

"So where should we go first?" she asked excitedly. "Maybe we could go shopping, or check out Alcatraz, or just get a boat and go out on the water…!"

"Relax, honey," Miley said with a grin. "First we need to find a hotel. Then we can do whatever you want."

"Are you tired, Miles? I know you've been driving a long time, we can rest first."

"That might be nice," Miley said thoughtfully, "As long as you promise not to burst if we don't start exploring the city right away." She smirked.

"Do I get to sleep in your arms?" Lilly asked, eyes sparkling. Miley reached out and took Lilly's hand in her own.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," she said softly.

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Not long after, Miley & Lilly found themselves checking into a nice small motel near the waterfront.

"I know it's not much," Miley said apologetically.

"Stop it," Lilly said, putting a gentle finger against Miley's lips. "We don't need to spend a lot of money. Besides, it has only thing I need anyway."

"What's that?" Miley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You," Lilly answered. She kissed Miley warmly. "Now, you go get some sleep and I'll call our parents."

"I thought you said you wanted to sleep in my arms?" Miley asked teasingly.

"Guess you'll just have to wait for me then," Lilly replied with a smile. She sat down on the bed in their room, Miley lying beside her, and reached for the phone. She dialed in Miley's home phone number, waited for the ring, and a few moments later heard Robbie Ray pick up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mr. Stewart!" Lilly greeted him.

"Hey, Lilly; how are you?" Robbie Ray answered happily. "You and Miley make it to the city all right?"

"Yup," Lilly answered happily. "All checked in to our motel room and everything. Miley's just resting a bit; driving all the way here wore her out." She felt Miley give her a playful shove.

"All right, darlin'," Robbie Ray said with a laugh. "Well, if you'll just give me the number when I can contact you, I'll let you two get some sleep."

"W-well, I never said I was tired…" Lilly stammered.

"Lilly, I know you better than that," Robbie Ray chuckled. "You don't ever have to be ashamed of loving my little girl, understand?" Lilly felt herself blush.

"Thanks, Mr. Stewart," she said with a small smile. Eager to avoid embarrassing herself any more, she quickly gave him the phone number for the motel and their room number, as he'd asked.

"Well, you two have fun," Robbie Ray said finally. "Tell Miley her daddy sends his love."

"I will," Lilly replied. "Bye, Mr. Stewart." She hung up the phone and turned back to Miley.

"Did I ever tell you how awesome your dad is?" she asked Miley with a grin.

"Maybe once or twice," Miley joked. "He is pretty cool though, most of the time. Now, enough about my daddy… come here."

"Miles, I still need to call my mom…" Lilly started to argue. Seeing the look on Miley's face though, Lilly knew it was hopeless: the loving adoration in Miley's eyes, even dimmed by her exhaustion, made Lilly's heart skip a beat. Grinning, she did as she was told and laid down beside Miley, wrapping her arms lovingly around her girlfriend.

"Much better," Miley said happily.

"Glad I could help," Lilly quipped. She kissed Miley gently on the cheek. "Now get some sleep, Miles. I'll be right here."

"Promise?" Miley asked with a sleepy smile.

"Always and forever," Lilly said quietly. "I'll always be right here with you, Miley."

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After a nice long nap, the girls changed and cleaned up and headed out into the city. Lilly was hungry, so their first stop was going to have to be a restaurant of some sort.

"What would like to eat?" Miley asked her.

"Oh, I like just about anything Miles, you know that." She made a face. "Except liver… yuck!" Miley giggled.

"I'm with you on that one, Lils. Tell you what – since we're in a city famous for its seafood, how about we try some?"

"Sounds good to me," Lilly said, trying unsuccessfully to hide the growling of her stomach. Rather than drive there themselves – they had both had enough of driving for one day - they caught a taxi to Fisherman's Wharf.

"We're looking to try some great San Francisco seafood," Miley told the driver. "Where would be a good place to go on the Wharf?" The driver, a slight, older-looking man, gave a friendly smile.

"Just leave it to me," he said. A few minutes later, they pulled up outside a huge building with a gleaming white tower on one side. Friendly lights shone out through the large paneled windows that covered most of the walls.

"Wow," Lilly whispered.

"Try the chowder in a sourdough bread bowl," the taxi driver said in a friendly voice. "You won't be disappointed."

"Thanks!" Miley replied, handing him his fare. He drove away and she and Miley walked up to the building hand in hand.

"Boudin Sourdough," Miley read from the side of the large white tower. "Is that French?"

"Forget the French, can you smell that Miles?" Lilly gasped.

"Can I?" Miley quipped. The mouth-watering aroma of fresh-baked bread filled the air. "I think we better go find some before I start drooling!" Together, they walked over to the front of the building and entered where they saw a sign that red 'Bistro Boudin'. They asked for and were given a nice table with a view of the bay, and sat down to wait for a waitress to come and take their order.

"Having fun yet, Lils?" Miley asked.

"Sure… I'm with you, aren't I?" Lilly replied with a smile. "I'll be even happier when I finally get something to eat though!" As if on cue, her stomach started to growl again.

"Try to control the beast a little longer," Miley said with a laugh. "Here comes our waitress." They both ordered the clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, like the taxi driver had suggested, and a few minutes later were rewarded with two savory, steaming bowls of goodness. Miley gently took her first taste, blowing on the spoonful to cool it down some.

"Oh, wow," she managed. "Lilly, this is great! Have you tried yours yet?" She looked up to see Lilly already digging into her meal with relish.

Never underestimate the appetite of Lillian Truscott, she thought with a laugh. Especially when she's really hungry!

"You gonna breath sometime soon?" Miley teased her.

"Sorry," Lilly managed, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "I'm hungry, and it's good!"

"Really good," Miley agreed. "That taxi driver sure knew what he was talkin' about."

"No kidding; maybe we should have asked where the best shopping around here is," Lilly quipped. "Now, less talk and more eating!" Giggling at her girlfriend's voracious appetite, Miley went back to enjoying her own delicious lunch.

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After finishing their lunch and paying the tab, the girls headed back outside to continue exploring Fisherman's Wharf. They walked down the street, passing by other, smaller restaurants with long kitchen-style counters, where fresh crab and shrimp and other seafood from the bay were being prepared and sold.

"Wow," Lilly commented. "Be hard to go hungry around here, wouldn't it Miles?"

"Don't tell me you're still hungry!" Miley said with a laugh. Lilly leaned close to Miley.

"Not for food," she growled playfully into Miley's ear.

"I'm probably more than you can handle," Miley whispered back seductively.

"Ooh… is that a challenge, Miles?" Lilly responded. She gently nipped at Miley's earlobe.

"Lilly!" Miley gasped. "We're in public!" She was sure her face had to be bright red. "Oh, you are so gonna get it when we get back to the motel!"

"Is that a promise?" Lilly teased, grinning ear to ear. They walked on, hand in hand, until they began to hear live music in the distance.

"Where's that coming from?" Lilly asked.

"Over there, I think" Miley said, pointing. Across the way, they could see a large group of buildings near the water; in front of the buildings, on a series of flagpoles, a group of blue and white flags waved in the breeze with the words 'Pier 39' emblazoned on them.

"C'mon," Lilly said, pulling Miley after her. "I wanna check this out… I sense shopping in our future!"

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Lilly was right; Pier 39 promised much shopping in the girls' future. After spending some time at a sports clothing store, where Lilly proudly bought herself a new baseball cap with the USC logo on it, they wandered down the pier, visiting all the interesting little shops and stores along the way.

At one point, Miley insisted they visit a jewelry store called 'Charms by the Bay'. She spent some time looking in all the display cases, then abruptly asked Lilly if she wouldn't mind waiting for her outside. Lilly opened her mouth to complain, but she saw the look in Miley's deep blue eyes, and ultimately did as she was asked. A few minutes later, Miley walked out of the store holding something behind her back.

"Watcha got there, Miles?" Lilly asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Close your eyes," Miley instructed gently.

"O-kay…" Lilly replied uncertainly, closing her eyes. She felt Miley's arms around her for a moment, and then something slightly cold was slipped around her neck.

"Okay, you can open them now," Miley said, stepping back. Lilly did so, and looked down. She saw she was now wearing a small silver chain around her neck, with a small round charm dangling at the end. The image of two hearts joined was carved into it, along with the words 'I Am Yours'. Blinking back tears, she looked up at Miley.

"Oh, Miley! It's beautiful!" she sobbed. She threw her arms around Miley in a fierce hug, tears streaming down her face.

"So are you," Miley whispered softly to her, stroking her hair. "Now the whole world can see how I feel about you." Lilly looked up her, an overjoyed expression on her tear-stained face.

"I'll never take it off," she promised, wiping away her tears. Miley smiled, and wasn't at all surprised to feel herself beginning to cry as well.

"Now you've got me crying too," she laughed softly.

"Just one more thing we do together," Lilly said happily. She gently pulled back from their hug and grabbed Miley's hand.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go drown our tears in something yummy!" Miley laughed.

"Sounds good to me."

They soon found a small eatery called the Crepe Café, and decided to try one of their dessert crepes, which was delicious.

"Well, I can see the food in San Francisco definitely agrees with you," Miley quipped. "Try not to overdo it, okay?" she asked with a smile.

"Don't worry," Lilly replied. "I'll work it off later." She wagged her eyebrows suggestively. Miley nearly choked on the bite of crepe she was eating.

"Warn me before you do that, will ya!" she gasped, laughing. Lilly lowered her head onto Miley's shoulder, laughing so hard her entire body shook. Miley gave her a playful shove.

"That's two I owe you," she whispered to the woman she loved. After Lilly recovered, they finished their snack and continued walking down the pier.

"What are all those people gathered over there for?" Lilly asked as they approached the end of the pier.

"Wait, Lils… do you hear that?" Miley asked. It sounded a lot like barking. Grinning, she gently began to pull Lilly in the direction of the gathering crowd, her ears already giving her a good idea of what they were going to see. Sure enough, as they reached the railing surrounding the edge of the pier, they saw dozens of sea lions reclining on the docks below, while the people surrounding them watched, pointed and took pictures.

"I've never seen so many seals in my life!" Lilly exclaimed.

"Sea lions, actually," a young woman standing nearby said. Miley & Lilly turned to look at her. She wore a volunteer badge on her dark grey jacket.

"What's the difference?" Lilly asked.

"True seals can't walk on land like sea lions can; they don't bark like them, either," the young woman replied.

"Oh," Lilly said thoughtfully.

"They sure must like it here," Miley said, looking out at the playful sea lions. The young woman smiled.

"They sure do," she responded cheerfully. "They can find plenty of food around here, and the protected environment of the marina here keeps them safe from predators."

"I think they like to sunbathe too," Lilly said with a giggle.

"Even sea lions gotta work on their tans, Lils," Miley said with a grin. They stood and watched the sea lions for a while, silently enjoying each other's company and the antics of the playful animals below them. Suddenly, Miley began to tug urgently on Lilly's shirt.

"What is it, Miles?"

"I see something I want to do with you… c'mon!"

"You sure it's something we can do in public?" Lilly joked. Miley laughed.

"Behave, Truscott," she whispered. "Besides, that's what I want to do with you." She pointed to a sparkling carousel occupying the far end of the pier.

"You wanna ride a merry-go-round?" Lilly asked doubtfully.

"Trust me," Miley replied softly. She paid for their rides and found a bench made to look like a swan where they could sit together. As the carousel started to move, Miley wrapped her arms around Lilly and pulled her close, gently nuzzling her cheek.

"Now how do you feel about riding a merry-go-round with me?" Miley asked softly. Lilly smiled.

"You should've asked sooner," she said lightly. Miley chuckled and leaned down to kiss Lilly gently on the lips.

"I love you, Lilly-bear." Lilly grimaced slightly at Miley using her mother's old childhood nickname for her, but the way Miley said it sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.

Okay, maybe it's not such a bad nickname after all… as long as Miley's the only one who calls me that! She snuggled against Miley contentedly.

"I love you too, Miley."