PART TWO

1 hour earlier

Miley starting pulling open drawers and throwing things on her bed, yanking clothes off coat hangers and adding them to the pile too.

"Miley, goddamn answer me! Are you seriously planning on going to Mexico?"

She ignored the question for the fifth time since she'd sprinted from the backdoor to her room upstairs, not waiting for Joe to catch up to her. Miley had purposely closed her door, so that it took Joe an extra 5 minutes to work his way through the hallway until he found her room.

Fed up with her behaviour, Joe grabbed Miley by the shoulders and forced her to stop.

"I asked you, are you really going to Mexico?"

Miley turned her head away from him, determined not to let him see how upset she was.

"For God's sake, Miley. Please, don't make me ask you again!"

"I CAN'T STAY HERE!"

Miley's shouting came so suddenly Joe almost jumped.

"It's just better for everyone if I disappear," Miley said bitterly. "It will make everyone's lives easier."

"Or will it make your life easier?" Joe muttered.

"My life? You think this is going to make my life easier? Nothing will make my life easier!"

"When did you give up?"

"What?" Joe's question took her by surprise.

"When?"

"I haven't."

"Yes, you have," Joe contested, taking a step back and releasing her from his grip, but she didn't move. "When did you let them win?"

"Maybe I can't fight anymore. Maybe it's too hard."

"Bullshit. After everything we've done for you, you're just going to decide it's too hard?"

"What would you do, Joe? I'm trying to protect you the way you would do anything to protect those who you cared about. This is the way I see it: I got to the cops, they can arrest me on suspicion of assisting my dad escape. I go to jail. Or, they put me into Child Services custody. They send me to a group home until I'm 18. Best case scenario, that's nearby and I get to stay. Or, I move away. Or, I get sent to live with some part of my family. But that's a million miles away from here, and I'd be a burden on them. Or, I leave. I disappear. No one gets in trouble. No one has to deal with this shit anymore. No one has to bother about caring. And I get some semblance of freedom."

"You think you'd be free if you run?"

"You think I'd be free if I stayed?"

"You don't know that you won't. You're not even willing to take that chance? See if everything works out?"

"I can't. I can't stay and just wait for the worst to happen."

"You're better than this Miley. I know you didn't ask for this, no one ever would… but you can't give in."

Joe sank onto her bed, sitting with his elbows resting on his knees and his head hanging down.

"Why do you care?" Miley whispered, scared of the answer. "My dad left, Demi bailed, Nick lied… why do you care?"

"I know I haven't known you that long, Miles. I know, okay? But you're like the little sister I never had, and I just want to look out for you," Joe shrugged. "You just have to trust me, and trust that I'm a good guy. And what do you mean Nick lied?"

Miley shook her head, brushing off his question.

"Look, Miley. I kind of owe you anyway, and I'm being a little bit selfish by trying to get you to stay. You gave me my brother back, Miley. Because of you, I got him back. I don't know whether he'll stay if you don't."

Miley looked at Joe's sad expression, a twinge spreading through her chest.

"I think he had us both fooled, Joe."

Miley took out her phone and clicked into the internet. She pulled up the latest on Hannah Montana, and showed Joe. His jaw dropped open when he saw the photos, his brow furrowing. He clearly had no idea either.

"There must be some other explanation…" Joe mumbled.

Miley just shrugged, and continued gathering clothes.

"The crazy thing is, because of him, I might not have left. Now, because of him, I really don't want to stay."

Nick cursed Joe for taking the car. He considered calling Lilly to get a lift, but decided against it because the less people involved the better. He pulled on his runners, and threw a black hoodie on and pulled it up over his head, and took off. Nick was sprinting, and had just reached the gates to his community when he saw a cab. Frantically waving, he flagged it down. Nick gave the driver directions to Miley's, but instructed him to drop him about 500 metres from Miley's driveway.

Nick turned the corner onto the sidewalk, and a car passed by. It was black, with dark tinting and Nick could only just make out 2 suited men in the front. Call it paranoia, but Nick couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, and he needed move faster. Nick pushed himself, and his aching muscles begged for him to stop. He couldn't though, not with the house in sight and knowing he might already be too late.

Half an hour earlier

Miley picked up the photo of her and her mom from her dresser. She ran her fingers across the glass, smiling softly as she remembered when it was taken. It was last summer; her dad had hired a yacht and taken them out for the day. Miley and her mom had spent hours trying to talk like pirates, much to the annoyance of her dad. An hour before the yacht had to be returned to its moorings, Miley had called Demi and Lilly, and they swum out from the beach they'd come ashore to, and enjoyed the last of the day with them. It had been perfect, and so easy and carefree. It seemed so far away to Miley now.

"Do you miss her?" Miley turned, watching as Joe tried to zip up a bag.

"Who?"

"Your mom."

"Yeah, I guess. I think being angry at her made it easier for a while, and now I've just accepted it."

Joe stopped what he was doing and walked over to where Miley was standing.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Sometimes I'm angry at her. For dying. If she had of just held on a bit longer, fought a bit harder… none of this would have happened."

"You can't blame your mom for getting sick-"

"I don't. I don't blame her, if anything, I blame myself," Miley interrupted. "But sometimes I wonder if she gave up. If it was too hard. And if she did, then it's no surprise my dad did too."

"And you?"

"Huh?" Miley looked at Joe with confusion.

"If you truly believe that, you don't have to make it into some kind of messed up legacy. You don't have to do what your father did. Your mom wouldn't have wanted to leave anyone behind. So whose footsteps are you going to follow?"

Miley remained silent, staring at the photo.

"Someday Miles, your going to find yourself in a place in your life. It's going to be better than where you've ever been. You're going to be happy, you're going to find real love, do everything you want to do. And I want that for you, but I don't know if you're going to get that if you run. But if you stay here, with the people that care about you… You don't have to let any of your yesterdays define you."

She opened her mouth to respond, baffled by the seemingly endless amounts of wisdom Joe had tucked away, but was distracted by the creaking sound of the front door being opened. Both their eyes opened wide, filled with fear.

"Miley?" Nick tried to half shout, half whisper. He'd reached the front door and found it unlocked, so he turned the handle and tried to open it quietly.

If Nick had watched any thriller movie, he should have none there was no way that door was going to open without a sound. He should have been suspicious when the door wasn't locked in the first place. He cringed as the deafening squeak echoed through the house, and knew if there was anyone here, they knew he was too.

"Miley!" Nick tried again. "Joe?"

"You scared the shit out of us you jackass!" scolded Miley, appearing at the top of the stairs. "Why the hell are you here?"

"Because you've got it all wrong! I came to apologise, okay?"

"Leave, Nick. Just leave."

"Miley, stop being as stubborn as Nick usually is. Just listen to him. I'll go finish packing your things," Joe instructed, ignoring the glare he received from the angry brunette.

15 minutes earlier

Miley descended the stairs, hovering on the bottom step.

"I don't know what you could possibly have left to say to me. You've made it pretty clear where you stand."

Nick sighed in exasperation.

"I shouldn't have said those things. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Miley still refused to look at him; she played with her hair instead and bit down on her bottom lip. Most people would have walked away a long time ago, but to Nick, she was his beautiful disaster.

"I'm sorry, Miley. I didn't mean what I said…"

"Yes, you did," her voice broke as she whispered to Nick.

"Then why am I standing here?"

Miley didn't say anything.

"I'm always the one doing the explaining… for once, can you just tell me what the hell is going on in your head?"

"I don't do talking, Nick. You know that. I'm not good at it!"

"Don't pull that shit with me! You just don't like doing it, it has nothing to do with being 'good' at it. But I think you at least owe me something! After me putting everything on the line, again and again, and everything I've done for you, you should at least tell me what's going on!"

"I never asked you to do or say anything!" Miley spat through her teeth.

"Still, I did them anyway! And where would you be if I hadn't? Just talk to me Miley! I need to know!"

"You want to know? You really want to know?" Miley's voice started to raise. "I don't know why you're here, Nick. I don't know why! And I don't know what you want from me!"

"Hell, Miley. Don't you know how hard it was to tell you how I felt about you? Then for you to reject me anyway? Then turn around and believe the worst in me because those stupid bitches as school set me up? They probably did that because the night of Demi's party I turned Mikayla down and she was pissed about it," Nick yelled back.

"You what?"

"Instead, I went after you. Because that's what I want from you… I just want you. And I was prepared to take on everything that meant, chaotic life and all," he shouted at her.

"You don't know what you're saying, Nick! You can't mean that!"

"Why can't you just trust me?"

"Because I can't trust anyone, Nick! Everyone leaves! Mom died, then Dad decided it was too hard, now Demi doesn't want anything to do with me. They are all people I've known my whole life and they left! And I don't blame them! So why the hell do you think I'm leaving first? Coz I can't take it Nick! I couldn't take it if you left me too, because that's what I'd be waiting for to happen if I stayed!"

Nick stood gobsmacked. He desperately wanted to move towards her, but she was still shaking with anger.

"And I can't do this to you, to Joe, Lilly, Oliver or anyone. I can't put you through this anymore than I already have!" Miley was still yelling.

"What exactly are we fighting about now?"

"I don't know, but it's serious!" Miley continued to yell.

"You're being ridiculous again."

"And you're being a jerk!"

"No, I'm not!" Nick hissed defensively. "I know what I said before was out of line. But I was mad, Mi. You were just going to leave without saying goodbye!"

"Well, I was mad too! But you didn't have to be such an asshole!"

They were less than a few feet away from each other now, trying to shout over the other as they spoke.

"I can't promise I won't get mad and act like an asshole sometimes!"

"Oh, that's so reassuring. I should definitely stay now, just risk everything because you're going to try and not be an asshole!"

"And I'm not risking everything by wanting to do whatever it takes to protect the crazy one woman circus?"

"You're a fuc-"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! My case in point. You make me so angry! But I don't care. I don't care that you annoy the shit out of me and you're a pain in the ass. But I'll take all that and more any day, because I want to be the guy I am, wh- when- when I'm with you…" Nick stumbled over the last sentence, unsure of whether to risk exposing his emotions again.

"You turn into a jackass when I'm around and you want to be that guy?"

"Stop being so goddamn literal, Miley. You know what I mean. We fight; we push each other's buttons. But you, Mi… you know who I am. You're the only one who's ever known exactly who I am, and who I'm not."

Nick looked at Miley, leaning against the stair railing, and could see she was torn. Her automatic defence mechanism was shutting him out, he knew that look. He'd worn it often enough himself. But just one more push, and her wall might come down.

"Maybe our plan will fail…" Nick started.

"See, even you don't think that-" Miley tried to interrupt.

"Let me finish," Nick held his hand up to silence Miley. "Maybe it will. But you don't know that. But you told me not that long ago that another couple's plan failed, their plan to be together despite the obstacles standing in their way. And you thought they were stupid for giving up and running away when it didn't work out for them. You thought they were pathetic for not fighting for their love."

The corner of Miley's mouths turned up a little, a hint of a smile as Nick relayed her words back to her. The tension was leaving the air, and each of them was calming down.

"I'm just asking you to fight now. Don't run away. Don't give up on yourself, on the people who are still here and will always care about you, don't give up on us."

"Give me one reason. Give me one reason why you care so much if I stay or not."

"I just-"

"No, you didn't," Miley argued, not giving to Nick's display just yet. "Juliet told Romeo to 'swear not by the moon'. Now I'm asking you to give me a reason that's worth risking everything to stay for. How do I know the others aren't going to turn the way Demi did? How do I know you're not going to get sick of me, that one day me and my life are just going to push you too far and you realise you don't want to like me anymore? Everything you've said sounds good on paper, but in reality, that can disappear just at quickly as it came. I can't stay for something that isn't going to last."

"You don't know that, and you can't know. I don't know either! I can't tell you that I'm going to be around forever, I can't promise you that. But I want to, and I want to promise you. Whatever this is-" Nick paused to point to them both. "I'm in. This is new, I get that. And it's scary. It's scary before you add in all the chaos. But you're not the only one with baggage. I know what I'm getting in to. And I don't care. Because one day, I think you're going to be the girl that I fall in love with."

Miley stood stunned. Her eyes grew wide at Nick's admission, her mouth agape.

"You've lost your mind…" she whispered.

"Probably a little bit, yeah," Nick sighed resignedly.

Miley couldn't help it. She couldn't stand there and watch Nick pour her heart out to him and not feel it. The tingle that started somewhere inside her that made her skin feel like it was on fire. The electricity between them lit up the air around Nick and Miley. She'd found it. She'd found the courage to take the leap of faith. Miley wanted Nick, she wanted him to know she felt the same way. This might not work out, she reasoned. They might not have a chance in hell. She felt giddy, it was almost impossible to believe she found this, found him. She knew she was lucky, but now that she'd found something worth fighting for, she was terrified she was going to lose it. But Miley didn't care. Right then, she decided she didn't care.

Miley practically tackled Nick, and he easily caught her. Their lips collided, desperation spurring them on. Nick sought out the sanctuary of the warm of her mouth quickly, their tongues dancing around each other. Nick gripped Miley, pulling her closer. He ran his hands around from her waist to cross over at her lower back, drawing her into him. Miley wrapped her arms around his neck, revelling in the familiarity. She'd missed this. In these few hours, she'd missed his touch, his smell. Miley knew then she didn't have a hope in hell of being able to leave him.

"Well, this is an unholy alliance. This is like two tornadoes combining. It's the apocalypse for us all."

Joe's taunts snapped them both out of their lust filled hypnosis, turning to see him standing with a smug smirk on his face.

"Hate to break up the fight, but we got to go. A car's been circling the block, and it just cruised past for the fifth time. We need to leave. Miley?"

Miley saw Joe's questioning expression.

"I'm coming with you."

Both Lucas' boys' faces broke into grins.

"I'll go get your bags; can you come up and check if we forgot anything? Nick, wait by the door and keep a look out. We'll sneak out the back together."

Before Miley followed Joe who'd already disappeared back down the hallway, she turned to face Nick.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "For everything."

She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her, to explain exactly what she was feeling. Miley's mouth opened and closed a few times, struggling to put it into words. Nick shook his head, silently telling Miley that it could wait, there would be time for that later because he understood what she was trying to say.

"Please just stay, that's all I need right now," he replied with a smirk.

Miley melted into his arms for another passionate kiss, truly overwhelmed by Nick. Breaking away from him, she took the stairs two at a time headed down the hall to her room. Miley was just pushing the door open when she heard the kitchen door slam shut. She turned around to see why Nick had gone left his post when she heard a sickening crack and a thud.

Miley sprinted to the top of the stairway and peered down. The lights were now off downstairs, but she could barely make out the silhouette of Nick lying on the ground, not moving. A shadow fell cross the hall, and Miley's eyes strained to make out what it was. A tall, hooded figure wrenched the front door open and fled, without Miley seeing their face. Their shoulders were broad and suggested it was it was a male, and he walked with a familiar gait. Before he exited the house, he discarded a something thick and solid in the entrance.

"No," cried Miley, running down the stairs. "No!"

She reached the bottom and had to grab onto the banister to stop herself from collapsing. Joe thundered down behind her, alerted to her location from her screams.

"What the hell, Miles!"

A sob tore through her chest as she rushed to Nick's side, clutching his shoulders and shaking him.

"Wake up, Nick. Wake up, come on!"

Joe sprinted to the other side of his brother, clawing at his phone, trying to dial 911. Joe looked towards the front door, and saw a large lump of timber sitting next to it, a dark liquid patch on one end.

"Miles, maybe you should go. I have to call for help," Joe suggested reluctantly, his voice wavering.

Miley refused to look at Joe, she just stroked Nick's cheek.

"No," she said. "No, I'm not leaving him. Call the paramedics, call the cops, and call in the National Guard. I don't care what they do to me, I'm won't leave him."