A/N: I promised a few of you that if things went well with the last chapter and...well, here's your bonus, special edition ;-)

As a reminder, I don't own HM or any of its characters, I just like to play with them a bit. And like everyone else posting here, I absolutely live for your reviews and comments.

Thanks and take care,

CX


Saturday, 16 May 2009

"Get that cute little keister in here and I'll pour you a glass of lemonade and you can tell me what you've been up to, kiddo," a tall and well-built redheaded woman yelled at Lilly with a wide smile as the blonde raked out the last bag of mulch around a grouping of large azaleas. They'd gotten an order from one of the two local bar and grill restaurants in Crowley Corners, a place that went by the simple name of Billie's.

Although, saying that Billie's long and low, dark wooden building is a restaurant would be pushing things just a tad since she made much more money on booze than she did on food. However it did boast to be the only place in town where you could regularly hear live bands playing country and country-pop. More than one then unknown but now famous face had graced her stage. Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Big and Rich, Lady Antebellum, and many others had at one time or another entertained the simple but joyful folks from Crowley Corners.

"Thanks, Billie," Lilly replied with a not so joyful smile of her own, her eyes still showing the pain of the past weekend. "The lemonade sounds good, but I don't think I'd be very good company today."

"You let me be the judge of that, young lady," the older woman replied with another smile even as she took in the disheartened posture of the teen. "If you're good I might even add a touch to that lemonade to make it hard." The smirk on the redhead's lips indicated that the play on words was intentional.

"Thanks, but not only am I too young, I have no interest in alcohol," Lilly shook her head, but her smile widened just a touch at Billie's attempt at humor.

While the two had continued talking, with Billie making the most noise, Lilly had put her tools away in the back of her truck. She'd been doing nothing but going to school and working every hour that she wasn't sleeping.

Today she'd offered to spread the mulch that Billie had ordered for a dollar a bag. The barkeep had jumped at the offer and Lilly had just made an additional forty dollars that she could use to help pay off her debt with Eli for her tires. Like lots of folks, Lilly buried her pain in work to the point where she fell into an exhausted sleep as soon as she finished her homework for the night.

It was only her dreams that betrayed her. Every morning for the past week she'd awoken to a pillow soaked with her own tears.

She hadn't picked up her guitar all week. Music, her usual solace, only made the pain worse. Neither had she said exchanged a word or even a glance with Miley all week at school. Her friends continued to surround her in the classroom and Miley was always the first out the door with nary a look behind her. Joannie and Oliver had been trying their best to cheer her up, but even they had realized that Miley's betrayal, whatever she'd done, was something that Lilly had to work through herself. They made sure, however, that Lilly knew that they would be there for her in whatever way she needed.

The worst part about it was that she couldn't tell everyone the whole story. All she could say was that the brunette had said something so hurtful that it could never be taken back. Even after what Miley had done to her Lilly couldn't bring herself to disclose the singer's secret. A broken heart didn't justify the destruction of someone's life and dreams. At least not to Lilly.

"So, welcome to my living room," Billie said with a grin and a wave to the rest of the table and booth covered barroom.

"Your living room?" Lilly asked with a befuddled look as a tall glass of lemonade was placed in front of her seat at the long bar.

"Yep," Billie grinned. "This is my living room," she pointed back through a pair of swinging doors, "that's my kitchen," she then pointed toward a hallway that led toward the bar's bathrooms, "and back there I have a small bedroom and private bath. This four thousand square foot house is everything a lady that loves to party needs to entertain her friends."

"I didn't know you actually lived here," Lilly said wide-eyed as she took a sip of the sweet and tangy lemonade. "Although I guess it doesn't surprise me," she quipped, but Billie noticed that the small smile still didn't reach those gorgeous green eyes.

"Talk to me girlie," the bartender ordered as she started wiping down the obviously sparkling clean bar with a damp rag. "Who pissed in your Wheaties, or," she tilted her head slightly to the side, "broke your heart?" she knowingly asked in a much softer and kinder voice.

That day Lilly learned just why it was so easy to tell your troubles to a bartender when you even had troubles talking to your friends. Every bit of the story came pouring out of her, at least everything but 'Hannah,' from the first time she'd met Miley, to Susan's death, to the Stewart's move to and then return from California. Everything about her and Jake, her dumping him and coming out of the closet, it all spilled out of her like a fire hose. It was as if some breaker had been thrown as the machinery of her life kicked into high gear and spit out every last shred of her pain and suffering, her love and her hate, her hopes and dreams and how they'd been crushed beyond redemption.

As she'd talked the two women had moved from the bar to a booth and then, somehow, back to Billie's bedroom where Lillie continued to vomit up her life story as it related to a certain blue-eyed girl, her ass of a boyfriend and his posse, their attempt to become friends and the crash and burn that had resulted. Throughout it all Billie had been sympathetic, wiped her tears, and held her as she cried herself out to the point where she eventually fell asleep in the woman's arms as they sat on her bed.

-oo-

Baby, you and me been getting along for way too long

Life's been a bed of roses and sweet, sweet song

I know I should not complain, this is gonna sound insane, but

Let's fight, let's cuss, get mad, throw stuff

Maybe call each other names

Slam doors, break glass, I'll leave, come back

And I'll take all the blame

Let's scream, let's shout

Make up, make out

Baby, just for tonight

Let's fight

Lilly awoke to the muted sounds and feeling of a heavy drumbeat and the twang of a steel guitar. Her crusty eyes hurt to the point where she knew that they'd be red and puffy from all of her crying.

"I can't believe I did that," she sighed to herself, but instead of getting up she decided to continue lying on top of Billie's bed and listen to the music coming through the walls from the bar.

You might think that I might think you've lost your mind

A love like the one we've got is so hard to find

But I miss those crazy nights too

I tend to agree with you

Let's fight, let's cuss, get mad, throw stuff

Maybe call each other names

Slam doors, break glass, I'll leave, come back

And I'll take all the blame

Let's scream, let's shout

Make up, make out

Baby, just for tonight

Let's fight, baby let's fight

Lilly couldn't help but giggle at the lyrics. The thought of an already happy couple wanting to fight was just too much.

Don't wanna do what we always do

Five o'clock dinner, six o'clock news

Baby, roll up your sleeves, and put up your dukes

"Ah! Now I get it," she mumbled to herself as she slowly slid out of the bed and made her way into the small attached bathroom. One look in the mirror after she turned on the light made her want turn right around and go back to the bed, pulling the sheets over her head. "Jeez, I look like shit," she moaned at her reflection. "Maybe I can get away with saying I've been in a fight," she chuckled to herself.

Let's fight

Baby, let's fight

Let's fight, let's cuss, get mad, throw stuff

Maybe call each other names

Slam doors, break glass, I'll leave, come back

And I'll take all the blame

Let's scream, let's shout

Make up, make out

Baby, just for tonight

Let's fight

"Whoever they are, they're good," she grinned after washing her face with cold water and using a hand towel to dry off. Once she felt at least a little bit human she returned to the bedroom and glanced at the alarm clock on the night stand. "Nine-thirty! Oh shit! Mom's gonna kill me," she moaned.

"No she's not," a feminine voice came from the bedroom door. Turning, Lilly saw Billie standing there leaning against the doorframe with a cheesy grin. "I called her and let her know that you would be staying here with me for a bit. Your mom thanked me and asked me to look after you. Said she's been worried about you."

"How did you know my number?" Lilly asked, but then rolled her eyes at the older woman's widening grin. "Forget I asked. Small towns are a just like that," she chuckled.

"That they are," Billie nodded with a grin. "You feeling any better?" she asked, this time with true concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for lending me your ear and shoulder…and your bed," she added embarrassedly.

"I'm just sorry I couldn't give you any advice other than to simply talk to the girl, but I've found that it's better to let people find their own paths. Best I can ever do is give 'em a little push to get started."

"No, just letting me vent helped a lot," Lilly smiled her thanks to the older woman.

"Then I'm glad I could help," Billie looked the younger girl over a bit before asking, "do you want to come out to listen to the band?"

"Can I?"

"Sure," the redhead grinned. "I promise nothing harder than cola, but at least the music's good."

"They are pretty good," Lilly agreed as the two moved down the hallway toward the restaurant's dining room. "Who are they?"

"They're a couple of kids out of Nashville trying to make it big," the forty-something year old woman grinned. "They call themselves Thompson Square." The duo had finished up their first song while the two of them had been talking and moved into their second song, a little ditty they said was called "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not."

Whether it was the music, the appreciative crowd, the constantly flowing "on-the-house" sodas or the long cry and nap, Lilly went home later that evening feeling better than she had in a long time.

"Thanks for everything, Billie," she warmly told the redhead as she was leaving around eleven after the band's last set of the evening. "I really appreciate it." Lilly then did something she rarely did, she took the slightly taller woman in her arms, gave her a big hug, and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Really, thank you."

"Anytime, sweetheart," Billie answered with a smile, her cheeks touched by a hint of red that had nothing to do with the rouge she'd put on earlier in the day. "Just remember what I said. It don't have to be tonight, or tomorrow, or even next month, but one of these days you're gonna have to talk to that girl and lay it on the line. You'll never get closure otherwise."

"I remember," Lilly replied with a small smile as she stepped back and then headed toward her truck. "Thanks again," she called loudly over her shoulder.

"And if that girl don't take you," Billie yelled back, "you just come right on back here and I'll teach you some things that'll have her begging you on her hands and knees," she cackled. Lilly just returned a laugh and a wave. "Damn, that's a fine ass," Billie smirked. "Too fine to let it go to waste. If Miley don't jump on that I may just have to do it myself. Mmm mmm."

Monday, 18 May 2009

"You do know just exactly how much of an idiot you are, don't you?" the dark haired boy said quietly as he sat across the cafeteria table from a seriously depressed brunette.

He and Miley had been sitting together at lunch every day pretty much since that awful Monday a week ago when Lilly had tuned her out of her life. The first day Oliver had simply sat down at her lonely table without saying a word. He hadn't berated her, he hadn't told her how stupid she was, he'd simply eaten his lunch without a word. Miley had accepted his presence and appreciated his silence. It wasn't uncomfortable at all. If anything she felt a bit relieved.

The second day had been a duplicate of the first, with neither of them talking but simply sharing the table and a touch of human warmth. On the third day she'd opened her mouth to ask why he was sitting with her, but she'd closed it again without uttering a sound. Still, Oliver had noticed and simply nodded his head and smiled at her. The rest of the lunch had remained silent, but just that nod of acknowledgement and smile had made her day.

On the fourth day Miley had finally gotten up the courage to ask why he was sitting with her.

"You looked like you could use a friend," he'd replied with a grin. "You also looked like you were hating yourself for whatever it was you said or did, so I figured I'd keep you company while you thought about what you're going to do."

"Do?"

"Just keep thinking," the boy had grinned again before attacking his lunch, the short discussion obviously over for the day. Even still, Miley felt a jolt of happiness rush through her. If Oliver, one of Lilly's only two friends in the world thought that there might be a chance of her and Lilly getting back together…

Getting back together? That almost sounds like I want to get back with my boyfriend…except that in this case it would be a…girlfriend?

The brunette shook her head to push those thoughts away. She knew enough gay people in Malibu and Nashville that they didn't faze her in the least. She liked Lilly so much even though she knew that the girl was gay that she didn't give it a second thought. Even after being told that Lilly was in love with her, romantically, the thought that she herself might be gay was something to think about another day. She had enough on her plate as it was.

When she heard a chuckle she glanced up to see Oliver smiling and shaking his head.

"You're getting there. Just keep thinking," he repeated with an even wider grin.

Friday was another quiet day, with neither of them saying much to the other, but once again it was a comfortable silence. Oliver didn't even ask if she'd been thinking even though she'd been doing not much else ever since that Saturday night.

Miley had done even more thinking over the weekend and had come to at least one major decision. She needed to talk to someone other than her father about what she'd done to Lilly. Her dad had been very nice about the whole thing and had very gently informed her that she'd fucked up royally, but he didn't have much to offer in the way of how to make up with a friend that wouldn't speak to you. "Just keep trying," was his best advice. "Otherwise you'll lose her completely."

She knew that. She might not be a rocket scientist, but even she could understand that there was no way that she could mend the break between her and Lilly without somehow speaking to the girl. The question was how, given that Lilly was constantly surrounded by her teammates and Joannie for the sole reason of preventing Miley from getting too close to their friend. There was one person, however, who had made himself available to her and she knew that she had to take a chance if she was ever going to fix this.

So Monday, near the end of lunch, when Oliver had gone to get up to put his trash away after another silent meal, Miley reached over the table to grab his wrist to keep him from leaving. The dark haired boy had looked at her, raised an eyebrow, smiled, and retaken his seat while the rest of the students and teachers left to head back to their classes.

Over the next hour Miley told him everything that had happened to her since she'd left for California when she was ten years old. He hadn't batted an eye when she'd told him about how she'd created the persona of Hannah Montana so that she could follow her dream of having a singing career while still maintaining a relatively normal school life. She told him about all of the frauds and fake friends that had gotten close to her only because of who her father was and what they thought he might be able to do for them. She told him about some of the people at the record label and at the concert venues that only wanted to steal some of the bright light that surrounded Hannah. She told him about all the times she'd been hurt by believing in so-called friends that had ended up only using her for their own desires.

Miley then told him about the night that Lilly had come over to deliver a load of feed for the horses and how, when she'd walked out of the house to see the blonde sitting in her truck that she'd suddenly become frightened for no reason at all.

"I don't know why just the sight of her frightened me, but it did. I mean right down to my toes! I couldn't move I was so scared. And then, in the next instant, that fear was gone and it was just Lilly sitting there wanting to deliver a load of feed."

"I don't know either Miley, but let's skip that for now. Let's also skip the next few weeks because, frankly, I watched how close the two of you became," Oliver said with a kind smile. "I could see how your eyes would light up when Lilly walked into the room. It was the same light that would shine in her eyes when you walked in," he grinned. "So instead, tell me what happened that night."

And she did. Through her tears and her sobs, she told him of how she'd so badly wronged a girl that, when she thought back on it, was simply trying to tell her that she loved her. That's when he asked her if she knew how much of an ass she was. Oliver had ignored her tears and her crying and told her what she needed to hear. All she could do was nod her head and continue to cry.

"So what are you going to do now?" he asked while handing her his handkerchief after her sobs had retreated to mere sniffles.

"I need to talk to her, to apologize and beg her to take me back, but she won't let me get close enough to do that."

"It's too bad you can't write a song and sing it for her," Oliver laughed jokingly.

"What? Wait! Why can't I?" Miley asked, suddenly excited, her tears forgotten as an idea formed in her mind. "Why can't I sing a song to her? That's a great idea, Oliver! I'll need your help, but if it's that…" the light shining in Miley's suddenly sparkling eyes should have been infectious, but Oliver just shook his head, this time with a hint of chagrin.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" he chuckled sadly.


"Let's Fight" by Thompson Square. Release Date: May 25, 2010 by Stoney Creek

Songwriters: Westin Davis, Kip Moore, Keifer Thompson