Author's Note: My sincere apologies for this chapter taking so long; I spent a week on the second chapter of "Broken Wings," and that left me with just a week to shift gears completely and write this chapter.

I want to take just a moment to address an important review that brought up a very real and serious subject of sexual abuse. I certainly didn't want to give the impression that Miley and Lilly would be so casual as to walk around naked in front of their young nieces. In fact, that would have mortified them. When they slept in their room at Ruthie's, Miley and Lilly always tried to lock the door before they went to bed, just in case any curious seven- or eight-year-olds decided to try to sneak in their room at night. Unfortunately, Peyton and Melody know how to pick the locks on the admittedly simple interior doors in Mamaw Ruthie's house, and that was how they slipped into bed with Miley and Lilly one night when the two older girls were sleeping nude. From that point on, Miley and Lilly always put on pajamas or nightclothes of some sort whenever Peyton and Melody were also sleeping over at Ruthie's house, just for the odd occasions when the two girls would get scared and crawl into bed with their aunts. Miley and Lilly would never do anything untoward or improper to any children, especially their nieces whom they love very much, and I sincerely hope no one thought that was the case. If I bothered anyone by not further clarifying in that last chapter, please accept my apologies.

Here are my standard disclaimers: I make no claims on any of Disney's, Miley Cyrus', Emily Osment's or Hannah Montana's trademarks or copyrights, and no infringement is intended on them or those of any other artist or publication mentioned. Be forewarned that this story most certainly will contain femslash. If love and affection between two consenting young adults of the same sex bothers you, I suggest you turn right around and find something else to read. Keep any flames to yourself and remember that what our world needs now is more love and acceptance, not more hate. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated!

We Got Nerve

by Jo P.

Chapter 11: Just Breathe

'Cause I can feel you breathe

It's washing over me

Suddenly I'm melting into you

There's nothing left to prove

Baby, all we need is just to be

Caught up in the touch

The slow and steady rush

Baby, isn't that the way love's supposed to be?

I can feel you breathe

Just breathe

--Faith Hill;"Breathe"

"Did you see me hit that one, Momma?"

Luanne took a second to realize she was in a clearing in the woods, facing what looked like a shooting range built in front of a large hill. She turned to look at the little boy who had just spoke, and as she looked at him she felt her chest swell with happiness. Somehow, she knew that this boy who couldn't be more than eight or nine was her son.

"Yes, baby, I saw that," she said happily. She saw that he was carefully holding a small .22 caliber rifle, keeping it pointed at the ground and his finger away from the trigger. She smiled as she looked at the electronic earmuffs covering his ears, and she reached up to feel a pair on her head as well. They amplified the wearer's hearing until a loud noise occurred, then they blocked it out, making it possible to carry on a conversation while wearing them without damaging the wearer's hearing.

She walked over to the little boy, who smiled up at her. "I'm gonna be the best rifle shot in the whole holler!" he said proudly. "Even better than my cousins!"

As Luanne realized who those cousins would be, she smirked. "You think you can shoot better than those girls, huh?" she asked, taking a glance down the range at where four plastic bottles still stood upright atop a long wooden plank twenty-five yards away.

"I know I can shoot better 'n those silly girls! Boys can always shoot better than girls, 'cause they're too busy playin' with their dolls!"

Luanne smiled and picked up the lever-action rifle lying on the shooting table next to them. She shouldered the rifle as she loaded and cocked it in one smooth motion, easily shooting the first bottle off the stand. Without removing the rifle from her shoulder, she smoothly worked the lever action, ejecting the empty casing, loading the next cartridge and cocking the gun again. She shot the second bottle off, then the third, then the fourth. When she was done she let the rifle drop to her side, keeping it pointed away from her son.

"Whoa," said the amazed boy. "I didn't know you could shoot like that, Momma!"

"Still think boys can shoot better than girls?" Luanne asked him.

He thought for a moment, then he grinned and nodded. "Yup, 'cause you're not a girl, you're my momma!"

Luanne laughed at his logic. His sandy blonde hair, even hidden beneath a toboggan, was most definitely Ron's, but his inquisitive expression and his cool blue eyes were definitely Luanne's. Even though they were the same color as those of his father's, there was something about the boy's eyes that just made Luanne know that they were from her. "Come on," she said as she bent over and picked up the four empty shells from her rifle. "Let's get this stuff picked up."

"Okay," the boy said. "Then can we go back to the house and make some hot chocolate?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, of course!" Luanne answered, nearly laughing at how he flew into picking up the plastic bottles and tossing them into the large rubber trash can next to the shooting bench. Luanne glanced into the trash bin and saw that everything in it was plastic, paper or cardboard, all easily recyclable. She took a moment to look around the woods, judging that they were in Tennessee from the varieties of trees she could see and steep hills surrounding them.

"Okay, I'm ready!" the boy said, handing his rifle to Luanne.

She checked it and saw that it was a single-shot bolt-action rifle. She opened the bolt and saw that it was indeed empty, so she closed the bolt and handed it back to him. "Keep it pointed away from anybody or anything, even if you know it's empty."

"Yes, ma'am." He took the rifle and held it against his shoulder as if he was marching in a parade, prompting Luanne to stifle a giggle at how cute he looked. She picked up the shooting bag and slung her own rifle over her shoulder by the shoulder strap.

Not quite sure as to where they were going, she let her son take the lead. He confidently took them through the woods, following a path that quickly became clear to Luanne as they walked. After a few minutes they emerged from the woods into a large field, bordered by a stream that ran out of the woods. Luanne continued to follow her son until she could see a large wooden house, a dark brown that looked very much at home next to the woods around it.

As they approached the house, Luanne realized that she had never seen this house, and she was sure that she knew every house in Misty Hollow. But before she could think any more about where exactly they might be, she felt little arms wrap around her legs.

"I love our house, Momma," he said, hugging Luanne tightly.

Luanne felt tears come to her eyes as she saw Ron waving at them from an upstairs window. She waved back with one hand as she hugged her son back with her free arm. "I love it too, baby. Just like I love you and your daddy."

As Luanne reentered the waking world, she smiled at how good it felt to have her husband holding her tightly. She had flown up to meet him in New York yesterday, and she was pleased at how good her sister and sister-in-law's advice had been. Seeing Ron again had lifted her spirits immensely, banishing much of the loneliness back to the shadows of her mind. But now this dream...

She carefully slid out from under the sheets, trying her best not to wake her husband as she fished through her purse for her phone.

"Where are you going?" Ron mumbled with a sleepy voice as Luanne finally found her silver cell phone.

"I was trying not to wake you," Luanne said as she bent down and kissed him on his forehead. "Just wanted to call Miley and Lilly real quick."

"What about?"

Luanne smiled. "I had a special dream," she said simply.

Ron blinked his eyes open. "And you have to share that with your sister and Lilly at... two in the morning?"

Luanne paused, then she nodded. "Pretty much, yeah." She smirked at him as she slipped into the bathroom of his hotel room, closing the door behind her. She loved her husband, but these dreams were something that were only shared between herself, Miley, and Lilly, and she had accepted that long ago.

As Miley closed her phone, Lilly reached up from where she was leaning against her wife's chest and ran her fingers through Hannah Montana's long blonde hair. "Everything okay?" Lilly asked Miley.

Miley nodded. "She had a dream."

Lilly's ears perked up at that statement. It was still rare for Luanne to have one of the mysterious dreams that the three of them shared, and Lilly couldn't help but wonder what her sister-in-law had dreamed about. She didn't have to ask, though, because Miley was already telling her.

"She saw a house, sweetheart. A house in the woods. And her and Ron's son. They were living there, and she said it felt so much like home that she couldn't believe it." Miley felt a tear run down her cheek, leaving her face where Lilly's lips were suddenly brushing against her chin tenderly, delicately sweeping away the lone tear. "She said that dream made things clearer for her. About what she needs to do."

Lilly sighed. "I'm gonna miss having her so close to us, but she needs to move back to Tennessee. She really does."

Miley nodded, taking a moment to look at where Peyton and Melody were asleep in their seats on the private jet. It was almost midnight their time, and all of them were tired following their busy day in Las Vegas. "She belongs at home," she said. "I just hope Ron will be okay with moving. You think she's told him yet?"

Lilly grinned. "I expect she's already started breaking the news to him," she said smugly. "After she softened him up first. But I don't think Ron's going to have any problem with moving. He never did like the beach or the ocean much."

"Probably because you loved them," said Miley, echoing what Lilly was already thinking.

"Probably," Lilly agreed, snuggling closer to her wife as she closed her eyes. "But Miles, you know that if you ever wanted to move back to Tennessee, I'd—"

"Shhh," Miley whispered against Lilly's head. "I know you would, baby, but we live out here now. Maybe one day things might change where we want to move to Tennessee, but for right now we belong in California. In our home."

"With our baby," added Lilly, resting her left hand on Miley's abdomen.

"Yep," whispered Miley, laying her own hand atop Lilly's as she closed her own eyes. "It's gonna be late when we land."

"S'ok," Lilly mumbled. "We can keep each other awake long enough to get back home. Then we can get some real sleep before the movie premiere tomorrow."

"Having the girls along is going to be crazy," Miley said softly. "But I think they'll do great. Don't you?"

Lilly smiled, her eyes still closed as she relished the sensation of feeling her wife's body heat seep into her face and chest. "Honey, I think they've done amazingly well. Although I think you splurged a bit too much on them in the shops at the Venetian."

"Me?" asked Miley, a hint of surprise in her voice. "Who had the entire staff at the Jimmy Choo store getting shoes for them to try on?"

Lilly squirmed slightly as she buried her face deeper against Miley's chest. "Couldn't have been me," she said, her voice muffled. "And besides, they needed something to wear with those other dresses you bought them at BCBG/Max Azria."

Now it was Miley's turn to squirm slightly, a fact that delighted Lilly. "Well, some of them looked adorable. And besides, it's always good to have options when it comes to dresses. And for shoes." Miley patted Lilly's head lightly, and the two of them both took in a deep breath and then blew it out together. "It feels nice to do something for people we love, doesn't it?"

Lilly nodded. She knew Miley could feel her actions, as close as they were. "We're very fortunate, sweetheart," she said, and she could feel Miley's agreement with that statement not with her body but with her heart. "And yes, it feels really good to do something for our girls. I just hope we don't spoil them."

"It'll be good practice for spoiling our baby," Miley whispered.

Lilly sat up, drawing a curious look from Miley. "We can't spoil our daughters, Miley," she whispered. "We have to be really careful to raise them out of the spotlight, so they grow up normally like we did. Kids that grow up as celebrities don't turn out well, usually."

Miley felt her heart swell with love for her Lilly and for their children yet to be born. She gently held her hand to Lilly's cheek, relishing how Lilly instinctively leaned into the tender contact between the two of them. "We will, baby," she said. "We'll take special care to give them as normal a life as we possibly can. I know that's important too. If they start to get out of line, then we'll bring them back. You've done that for me before, more than once."

Lilly smiled, a hint of wistfulness in that smile. "You just needed someone you love to remind you not to get so stuck-up," she said pleasantly. "I'm good at that."

Miley's cobalt eyes flickered with a mix of emotions as she said, "Among other things." She let just the tip of her tongue peek out of the side of her mouth, making Lilly's face blush slightly. She let herself laugh, enjoying at how it felt to let the happiness that filled her bubble up from deep inside and spill forth. She kissed Lilly on her glittering pink lips as she said, "I love you, sweetheart."

Lilly wrapped her arms around Miley's neck and kissed back deeply as she replied, "Mmm, love you too, baby."

After a good night's sleep and a quick morning swim, the four young ladies were in the back of a limousine, en route to the noon movie premiere at the Mann's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. "So you two think you're ready for the red carpet, huh?" asked Miley with a knowing grin. Nobody was ready for their first time.

Peyton nodded confidently. "Yeah, we're ready. If Mel doesn't pee on herself in the first minute."

Melody smacked her older sister on the arm, with a crisp smack ringing out. "Hey! I'm not the one who peed on the Tennessee Twister coaster at Dollywood!"

Unfazed, Peyton replied, "No, you just peed on the Slidewinder."

"That was a water ride, so it doesn't count," countered Mel, sticking her tongue out. "And you can't prove it, anyway."

Peyton slid across the seat to extract some sort of revenge on her little sister, only to be stopped by a rather impressive golden-hued shoe being planted between the two of them.

"Those dresses are each one-of-a-kind Kylee Dean originals," Lilly said, her voice squarely in the I'm not fooling around range. "I suggest you don't tear them wrestling around."

Melody's dress was a brilliant scarlet, contrasting with her short black hair and green eyes to an amazing effect. The shoulder straps were small but evident, and they played an important role in balancing the appearance of the dress with the knee-length skirt. Peyton's dress was slightly shorter and had spaghetti straps across the shoulders, but it followed the same basic style and cut as her sister's, differing mainly in its color. The royal blue silk picked up the strawberry highlights in her dark blonde hair, making her hazel eyes glow. Each girl was wearing a black pair of Jimmy Choos to round out the outfit, and both of them had elected to go without any jewelry whatsoever. Neither of them was big on that sort of thing, despite Miley's and Lilly's attempts to persuade them to wear some earrings or a particular necklace.

Lilly was wearing a burnished gold satin dress, hugging her body in a way that would have made her uncomfortable just a few years ago. But she spent a good amount of time keeping herself in shape, and now it was time to show it off... at least according to her wife. Lilly suspected that Miley really just wanted everyone to see how beautiful they were together, and she couldn't argue with that. She was wearing Lola's lavender wig tonight, with dark opal earrings that Miley had bought her for Christmas two years ago. The back of her dress was nonexistent, with only the strap wrapping around her neck holding up the top. The sides were fairly secure in their position, as they had been reinforced at the waist to keep the fabric from tenting and giving anyone behind her a chance to peek beneath the shimmering satin.

Miley would be quick to say that Lilly's back was one of her favorite parts of her wife's body, with its lean lines and taut muscles apparent to even a cursory look. Miley would often drift away watching Lilly's back move while they were in the shower, tracing the lovely lines of muscle and bones with her eyes and then with her fingers before giving into her desires for the woman she had sworn to love and protect. And now the cut of Lilly's dress was already making it hard for Miley to concentrate on anything other than how insanely sexy Lilly was, whether dressed up as Lola the actress or Lilly the skater girl. Both were equally attractive to Miley, because both personae made up the woman she loved.

Lilly understood that dual attraction completely. Even before she had ever met Miley Stewart, she had adored Hannah Montana. But Lilly was sure that it was Miley, not Hannah, that she had fallen in love with first. There had been times when Hannah had actually proved to be a challenge to their relationship, but Lilly had never seriously entertained thoughts of asking Miley to give up her music career. She loved the blonde singer just like she loved her brunette angel, and she never had any problem with getting the two of them confused. Hannah belonged to Lola, and Miley belonged to Lilly, and vice versa. That was that. The two couples coexisted peacefully, with the ease that came from years of practice. The dual relationships made the powerful bond between the two young women even stronger, and neither of them planned on giving that up.

As the limousine slowed to a stop at the front of the red carpet, Lilly took a longing look at Miley. Hannah was wearing a shimmering gown that started white at the top and slowly faded into a rosy pink as it reached the bottom of the calf-length skirt. Her back was nearly as exposed as Lilly's was, and Miley's chest was made more prominent by the open top of her dress. With Hannah's blonde hair and Miley's tan from days spent on the beach, the look was stunningly healthy, giving the pop star a glow that combined with her ever-present smile to make her look more radiant, more beautiful than ever before. Complementing that appearance were the mild prominence of her stomach and the slightly increased size of her breasts, both hints of the new life slowly growing inside the young woman.

Lilly rested her left hand on Miley's stomach, feeling the heat through the thin fabric of her gown. "You look amazing, Hannah," she said as she nuzzled Miley's neck, planting soft kisses along the way.

Miley's arms wrapped around her best friend, holding her securely as they felt the limousine shift into Park. "Then you look even better than amazing," Miley said with a loving smile as she looked into Lilly's eyes. "Because you're more beautiful than ever, sweetheart, and tonight is your night. It's time for everyone to see just what you're really capable of."

Lilly smiled as she looked into the blue eyes of her wife. While it was Lola on Hannah's lap, it was Lilly's voice that softly said to Miley, "Thank you for supporting me, and for bringing me into your life."

"Oh honey," Miley said as she ran a finger across Lola's glittering pink lips, "it was never just my life. You were always part of it from the day I was born, we just didn't know it yet. Just like you were always a part of me."

Lilly kissed Miley on the lips, giving as much of herself as she could through that burning contact. As the limousine door opened, they continued to kiss for several seconds, only stopping when the barrage of flashes finally broke their concentration. "Kinda got lost there, didn't we?" Lilly asked, a light-hearted grin on her face.

"Yeah, but it was a good lost," Miley whispered back. "Okay, time for you to walk your red carpet, hon. I'll be right behind you."

"No you won't," Lilly said, lightly pushing Miley out of the limousine ahead of her. She followed her wife out, taking her hand and stepping up next to her as the array of reporters, photographers and videographers began shouting at the two of them. Lilly smiled as she looked at Miley and said, "You belong beside me, not behind me, remember? Someone really smart said that to me once, you know."

Miley smiled as she stepped forward to stand beside her best friend. "You think I'm really smart?" she asked quietly.

Lilly turned to look at Miley, a sparkle in her eye as the wave of flashes washed across her face. "You have your moments," she replied playfully, drawing a matching gleam in Miley's eyes. She turned around to motion for Peyton and Melody to step out of the limousine.

As the two teenagers exited the black limousine, they found themselves the target of seemingly hundreds of camera flashes, all cascading upon them at once. At first they found themselves shielding their eyes, but after a few seconds they managed to compose themselves and adopted a more relaxed posture. Miley and Lilly stepped back to them, taking their hands as they guided the young girls into a position ahead of them, where they could more effectively keep anyone from cornering their nieces. Some of the reporters were quite good at separating the more naive celebrities from the pack, and the last thing Miley or Lilly wanted was for one of their sweet nieces to be picked apart by a hawkish journalist.

The four of them slowly made their way along the red carpet, stopping every few feet to pose for pictures and to wave to the crowd. Most of the questions shouted to them regarded how Lola felt about the new movie and about how Hannah's pregnancy was going, and they politely answered those questions when they could. The few questions asking who Peyton and Melody were and what they were doing there were deftly ignored by the quartet until they reached a reporter that Miley and Lilly both liked, one of Entertainer magazine's reporters named Alyssa Anderson.

Alyssa waved to the two young stars and their guests. She was one of the younger entertainment reporters, not much older than Miley and Lilly, which was one of the reasons why they liked her as much as they did. She was also intelligent and very polite, more good points as far as the Truscotts were concerned. "Lola, Hannah!" she called out as the four of them reached her.

"Hey, Alyssa!" said Lilly happily.

"Hi, Lola, Hannah! Oh, Lola! Your dress is so gorgeous!" Alyssa said, admiring how the fabric shimmered in the sunlight. "Do you mind to turn around so we can see the back?" As Lilly did so, cheers and whistles went up in the crowd next to them.

Miley stepped forward and said with a loud voice, "Hey, that's my woman you're whistlin' at, so just remember that," putting enough humor into her voice to draw laughs from the crowd.

As Lilly finished her turn, Alyssa asked, "So Lola, what in the world do you do to keep a figure like that? I mean, you're in amazing shape!" Before Lilly had a chance to answer, Alyssa turned to Miley and said, "And Hannah! Wow! You don't even look pregnant! How far along are you?"

"Eighteen weeks," Miley said pleasantly, "give or take. And thanks!" She took Lilly's hand and said, "Lola keeps me exercising. That's how I stay in shape, tryin' to keep up with her!"

Now Alyssa motioned for Peyton and Melody to step forward. "And who are you two?" she asked with a friendly voice. "Are you friends or relatives?"

Lilly put her arm around Peyton and said, "These are the winners of our Montanas' Movie Contest! They won the chance to fly out to California and come to the premiere of 'Above and Beyond' with us!"

"What are your names?" Alyssa asked, smiling as she pointed the microphone at the two teenagers.

"I'm Peyton," said the older Burns sister, smiling like she walked the red carpet every week.

"And I'm Melody," added the thirteen-year-old, shifting on her feet bashfully but also smiling happily.

"We're still kinda in shock from all this," Peyton added, waving her hand at all the hubbub surrounding them.

"Yeah, it can be a bit much," Miley helpfully said. "Took me a long time to get used to it." Suddenly someone shoved her from behind, and only Lilly tightening her grip on Miley's arm kept her from falling to the ground.

"Oops," said Mikayla, a thoroughly fake look of regret on her face. "I must not have seen you there. Sorry, Hannah."

Lilly helped Miley regain her footing, then she moved to block Mikayla's path as the dark-haired woman tried to walk away. "I swear," Lilly said quietly as she glared at Mikayla, "if we weren't on the middle of the red carpet, I'd smack the bitch right out of you."

Mikayla smirked as she replied, "You'd have to hit me pretty hard to do that."

Lilly smiled a cold smile as she said, "Oh, I was counting on it." The two of them locked gazes for long seconds, long enough for most of the cameras and reporters to turn their way. "Stay away from my wife, Mikayla," Lilly finally said.

Mikayla waited for a few seconds, then she said, "Aren't you going to threaten me?" as she stood there with her hands on her hips. "Like, how you're going to ruin my career or something?"

"You're doing just fine by yourself, as far as that goes," Lilly answered, a bit louder. "And I'm not going to give you free publicity by making threats or anything like that. You're the only one who thinks that you're some kind of rival for my wife. Everybody else knows that your career is never going to be close to Hannah's, just like your talent. We've tried to not let this obsession of yours with my wife become big news, but if you ever touch Hannah like that again, I'll turn your head around for you. No more warnings."

Mikayla held a neutral face, but she was shaking slightly on the inside. She knew that she might have gone too far with her little shove on Hannah, and while she had wanted to provoke a reaction, she didn't exactly want to gamble on a fight with Lola Montana. "Most celebrities hide behind their bodyguards," she said, trying to deflect Lola's last statement.

Lilly leaned in closer and said, "I don't need a bodyguard to kick your snotty ass into the ground."

Mikayla considered her options and opted for the safe out. "Whatever," she said, turning around and taking two steps before she heard a ripping sound and was nearly jerked off her feet. She caught herself with her hand on the ground before she fell; she turned around to see that one of the teenage girls with Hannah and Lola had her foot squarely on the hem of her emerald dress.

"Oops," said Peyton, with nearly the same tone of voice as Mikayla had used just a minute ago. "You should be more careful. That dress looked expensive."

Mikayla growled deep in her throat as she stood up, eyes blazing with rage, only to feel herself spun around by a firm grip on her arm. She found herself face to face with the steely blue eyes of Hannah Montana.

"That's enough," Miley said firmly. "You're done here." She pulled Mikayla along toward the approaching security.

"Not hiding behind your dyke girlfriend?" Mikayla sneered as she looked at the blonde leading her away.

Miley pushed Mikayla into the grip of the two security guards. "I don't hide behind anybody," she said as she regarded the dark-haired singer. "You're really not that bright, are you?" she asked disdainfully. "We defend and protect each other, Mikayla. And she's not just my girlfriend. She's also my best friend, my partner, my lover and my wife. She's who I'm spendin' the rest of my life with, and everything that comes after, too." Miley felt her anger start to ebb now that Mikayla was no longer an immediate threat to her family. "Maybe if you weren't so hateful, you might find somebody that cared about you. Stop wastin' your time on stupid games and start spendin' it on your own life, Mikayla. You'll be much happier in the long run."

As Hannah turned and walked away from her, Mikayla was so furious that she couldn't even form words. She seethed internally as the security personnel escorted her off the red carpet and away from the movie premiere, not so much angry at her humiliating exit as she was at how right Hannah Montana had been. So much of her life had already been lost, to either the pursuit of fame or to the repercussions of attaining it. How much more could she afford to waste on petty rivalries that would have been right at home in high school?

She turned to look over her shoulder as Hannah and Lola hugged briefly, then they resumed their walk down the red carpet as if nothing had happened. The surge of resentment instantly buried her thoughts of regret deep in her mind, once again focusing her thoughts on how to inflict damage on her sworn enemy—no, sworn enemies. They were definitely a couple, no doubt about it. Maybe she could use that closeness against them somehow, turning it into a liability rather than a strength. She'd have to get Margot on that as soon as she got the greasy hands of these security guards off of her. It might take some time to plan, but there had to be a way to hurt Hannah and Lola through each other. And she was going to find it.

Back inside the theater, the movie played to an extremely receptive audience. The surprise revelation of Hannah Montana playing the tragic figure of single mother and doomed lover to Lola's emotionally scarred veteran was met with cheers and laughter, but the on-screen chemistry between the two young women was blazing. Miley found herself sweating as they watched the two love scenes between their characters, with Lilly's heart pounding as well. The fact that they could feel each other's arousal made their desire for one another more intense, and they gripped each other's hand tightly as they stayed in their seats through sheer willpower. Though there was no nudity in the movie, the passion in each love scene left the audience feeling enthralled at the very obvious bond between the two women, transferring from their real life relationship to the movie's characters in a way that was not only believable but quite real.

At the end of the film, where Lola's character returned to her hometown after winning the court battle and adopting the surviving children of Hannah's character, the audience sat lost in the bittersweet moment where the young veteran introduced her new children to her parents, haunted by the loss of her true love but determined to raise their children with all the love they had shared in their time together. As the credits began to play, Lilly found herself shivering with trepidation as silence filled the theater. Then applause began, rapidly building in intensity and volume until the theater seats were shaking. Miley pulled Lilly close and hugged her tightly.

"Just breathe, hon," Miley said softly as she held Lilly. "Just breathe." She could still feel how tense her best friend was, like she had been tied into knots deep inside, so Miley carefully ran her left hand through Lola's hair, cradling Lilly's head in her loving grip while being careful to not dislodge the lavender wig. "I don't think I've ever been as proud of you as I am today, sweetheart," Miley whispered into Lilly's ear, blinking away tears as best as she could. "And I've been pretty darn proud of you over the years, let me tell ya."

Lilly had been holding herself together through the stress of the day, but as she found herself in the safest place in the world—held securely in her best friend's arms—she finally let go, allowing the emotions that had accumulated inside her to burst forth as she began to cry. She held onto Miley as she heard the cheers and applause continue, somehow both comforting and terrifying in their enthusiasm, and she tried to shut out everything but the love she felt between them as she simply took one deep breath after another.

Miley didn't have to ask Lilly why she was crying; she had felt the tension grow inside her wife as she stubbornly maintained control despite the powerful fears and anxiety accumulating deep inside. Now that they had watched the finished film and knew that it was going to be a success, Lilly could finally purge those worries and free herself of them once and for all. Miley simply held her wife and whispered her love to her time and time again, trying to give Lilly a familiar voice to focus on while her fears and worries poured forth. She looked over Lilly's shoulder and saw their nieces gazing at the two of them, tears trickling down their faces to run into the proud smiles beneath as they applauded. Miley could see how much the two of them wanted to hug their aunt and offer their support, but they maintained their distance to keep from seeming too familiar. They're trying so hard to not jeopardize our secret, Miley thought, and she was proud of them for their self-control.

Then she felt their arms wrap around Lilly's body, and she couldn't help but smile. Maybe it would be okay this one time if they showed some support for their hero Lola. It was dark in here anyway, and no one would think anything untoward about two special guests showing their appreciation to their hosts. And if they did, then Hannah Montana would simply tell them to buzz off.

"That was an amazing movie," Melody said as she hugged her Aunt Lilly.

"It was the best movie I've ever seen, Lola," added Peyton, her face buried against Lilly's back. She released her aunts from the hug as Melody followed suit.

Lilly finally opened her eyes as she began to return to normal now that the emotions pent up inside her had been released. She looked up into Miley's sparkling blue eyes wet with tears and softly said, "You know I couldn't have done any of this without you. Thank you." She kissed Miley tenderly, being careful not to let any other emotions inside her take charge.

As their lips separated, Miley looked back at Lilly and said, "You're never without me," smiling at how Lilly's eyes lit up at that truth they both knew.

"I better not be," Lilly replied, smiling as she hugged Miley again. She then turned to regard their nieces, looking as lovely as movie stars themselves in their gowns and shoes. "I'm really glad the two of you could be here for this," she said. "That makes it just about perfect."

"Just about?" asked Miley, not sure what else could add to the moment until she felt Lilly's hand gently press against her abdomen.

"She couldn't see it yet," Lilly said as she looked down at their child growing inside Miley. "But then she might not have liked the grown-up stuff in it." Suddenly she felt a soft thump against her hand, so faint she thought she might have imagined it. She looked up at Miley, seeing the look of surprise on her wife's face. "Was that—?"

A second thump interrupted Lilly, and Miley felt the fluttering deep inside her body. "She's kicking!" Miley said excitedly as she covered Lilly's hand with her own. "That's what it has to be!"

Lilly found herself stunned into silence as she felt the quivering kicks of their daughter for the first time, her mouth hanging open in a surprised grin. She barely noticed when Peyton and Melody put their hands besides hers and Miley's, joining in the joyous moment as they too felt the soft thumps of tiny feet kicking. As the credits to her first movie continued to roll, Lilly was oblivious to the ongoing applause and cheers surrounding her, lost instead to the reaction of the youngest moviegoer present.

"I think she likes your movie, sweetheart," Miley said happily.

"Then it's all been worth it," Lilly said, wiping away tears with the back of her hand in a most unladylike fashion. Motion down the aisle caught her eye, and she looked up to see Jen Kittrell waving at them, pointing at her watch.

"What is it?" Miley asked.

"Jen's discreetly reminding us that we need to make an appearance at the post-movie party," Lilly said. "But I really just want to go home and lie in the hammock with you and our baby." She put her head on Miley's shoulder, slowly becoming more difficult as Miley's stomach gradually enlarged, and took another deep breath. She held it in for long seconds before exhaling slowly, settling into Miley's embrace happily. "But I suppose being a celebrity has its price, right?"

Miley rolled her eyes. "As if," she said, getting a smack on her butt from Lilly. "Hey, you knew all about this celebrity stuff when you said yes to me seven years ago!"

"Yeah, I did," Lilly sighed. "So I guess I can't blame you for it, huh?"

"Nope," Miley said confidently. "This one's all yours, hon."

"Mmmm," Lilly mumbled as she closed her eyes and once again laid her head on her wife's shoulder. "Lucky me," she said happily.

Author's Afterword: Sorry again for how long it took to get this chapter up. I promise I'll try to do better next time. Remember to send your positive thoughts to Miley and Emily, too, whether they decide to maintain a strong friendship or to move beyond friendship into something more. We can all use more love, support and acceptance. I hope that my stories can bring some more happiness and smiles to all of you, too. See you as soon as the next chapter is ready!

-- Jo --