A/N: Data here again... and here's the last chapter. Heir and I worked together on this one, so I hope you all like it. A big thanks to everyone who read and reviewed our story. I'd also like to thank my talented co-writer, Miss V - it's been a blast, I've learned a lot and I hope we can do it again sometime :)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
With the ordeal of the last few days finally behind them, Miley and her friends could finally relax and just enjoy themselves at the Hannah Montana concert in Valletta. A Maltese band, Xtruppaw, was opening for her, so Miley had a few extra minutes to herself backstage before she performed.
After everything that had happened lately, and almost losing her best friend, Miley found herself grappling with feelings she never thought she'd feel for Lilly. She didn't know just when her feelings for Lilly had changed, or what caused her to develop those feelings in the first place, but she knew what she felt whenever Lilly was around, and when they were together. However it had happened, she knew she had fallen in love with her best friend… her female best friend.
"Lilly," she whispered. "How am I supposed to tell you all these things? How am I supposed to tell you how much you've come to mean to me?" A sudden thought occurred to her. Maybe, just maybe… there was a way…
A sudden knock on her dressing room door startled Miley out of her thoughts.
"Come in!" she called out. The door opened and Lilly, dressed as Lola Luftnagle, walked in with Vicky.
"Hey Hannah!" Lilly called out. "There's someone I'd like you to meet." She turned towards Vicky. "This is Vicky Zammit, your biggest fan in Malta!" Vicky blushed slightly.
"It's really an honor to meet you, Miss Montana," Vicky said politely. "I can't believe this is really happening! Oh man I wish my friends could have been here too! They adore you, Miss Montana!" Miley grinned.
"Call me Hannah," she replied. "It's nice to meet you, Vicky."
"It's nice to meet you too," Vicky said, smiling. "I hope you have a chance to visit our country while you're here."
"Oh, we have," Lilly responded. "We had a great tour guide." She shared a mischievous smile with her best friend. Vicky noticed the look passing between them, but didn't quite understand it.
"Um… okay; well, that's great."
"Actually, Vicky… there's something we want to tell you," Miley said quietly, looking over at Lilly. "You may not realize it, but we've met before."
"What?" Vicky replied, confused. "I'm sorry, Miss Montana, but I don't think…" Her jaw dropped when she saw 'Hannah' reach up and slowly pull off her long blonde wig, revealing Miley's familiar chestnut curls underneath.
"What the… Miley?!"
"Hey, Vicky," Miley said meekly. "Please don't be mad at me…"
"Miley, you're… you're Hannah Montana?!"
"Yeah," Miley replied quietly. "I really am. See, I always wanted to make sure I could be Hannah Montana, but still have a normal life… so my daddy and I came up with this." Vicky swallowed.
"Wait a minute… if you're Hannah, then that means Lola…!"
"Is me," Lilly finished for her, pulling off her bright blue wig. Vicky's eyes widened.
"Okay, this is… this is…"
"Here, sit down," Miley said, leading her Maltese friend to a small couch. "Just try to relax, Vicky."
"I'm okay, really," Vicky managed. "I just can't believe I've been friends with an international pop star all this time!"
"You haven't," Lilly corrected her with a smile. "You've been friends with Miley. Just because she puts on that wig when she performs doesn't change who she is inside."
"Good point," Vicky agreed with a smile of her own. "I'm sorry, Miley."
"Vicky, we shared our secret with you because we felt you deserved to know, especially after everything you've done for us the last few days, and because we trust you," Lilly told her honestly. "If anyone out there were to figure out that Miley and Hannah Montana are one and the same…" She left the last part unfinished, but Vicky immediately understood.
"I'll never say a word, I promise," Vicky responded, her voice quiet. "Your secret is safe with me, I swear. Thank you for trusting me with it." Miley smiled and took Vicky's hands in her own.
"Thank you for being my friend," she said with a smile. Impulsively, she wrapped her arms around Vicky and hugged her tightly. Vicky found herself blinking back tears.
"The pleasure's been mine," she whispered back. She looked over at Lilly. "You too, Lilly… I'm glad to have met you both."
"Get over here and give Vicky a hug before she busts," Miley teased her blonde haired best friend. Lilly grinned and happily did so, and for a long moment, the three friends just enjoyed a quiet moment of togetherness.
As soon as Xtruppaw had finished their last song, Diska Cool Għar-Radio, meaning 'A Song That's Cool for the Radio', Ira Losco, a twenty-five year old Maltese singer, took the stage. Vicky purposely dragged her friends to watch one of her favorite singers on stage, singing along with all the lyrics and throwing in some wild dance moves.
"It's a great honor to be playing up here tonight for one of the greatest teenage pop stars! Which is why, tonight, I'll be singing one of my favorite songs, which I'm sure you'll all recognize!" Ira Losco smiled down at the audience as she took the microphone tightly in her hands and began her next and probably last song, "Waking Up to the Light", a slow song.
You used to fall into a dream
Where I would drop into the middle of something
Beautiful and bright but it wasn't real life
It wasn't my life
You can sit in the dark for just so long
Before all the ice and chill is gone
Something is stirring I can't explain
It's the sound of your name
And I feel like the world is awakening
Something beyond me is happening
Like talking to god for the first time
What I saw in your eyes
Was the end of the darkest of the nights
Waking up to the light
It's a whisper I need to hear
The kind of things I haven't heard in years
Like we'll be ok, here in the sunlight and should the sun slip away
We'll glow in the dark into a fire
A blanket of stars to crawl behind
Starting to see this is the light I've been trying to find
And I feel like the world is awakening
Something beyond me is happening
Like talking to god for the first time
What I saw in your eyes
Was the end of the darkest of the nights
Waking up to the light
"Thank you! Now let's make some noise for Hannah Montana!"
Amid the thunderous applause, Hannah took the stage and introduced herself to her Maltese fans. Then she began to sing. She chose to start with her signature song, "The Best of Both Worlds", and followed it with "Nobody's Perfect", "Who Said" and "True Friend". Finally, it was time for her to sing the song she had prepared especially for Lilly, hoping the words would finally show Lilly how she felt about her.
"You've all been great!" 'Hannah' shouted out to all her excited fans. "I'd like to dedicate this next song to someone very special to me - my best friend. I don't know where I'd be without her. This one's for you, Lola!" Taking a deep breath, she started to sing…
--
Looks like we found ourselves
Up against a wall
In need of a little help
But no one wants to call
After all we've been through
Do we let our friendship end?
--
You need me and I need you
No, we will not break
Never break
But if we bend, it's
--
You and me together
I'm always on your side
No one, no one, no one can ever change it
C'mon let 'em try
Cause it's always you and me together now
--
Anyone can have a day
When their heart is on their sleeve
No one wants to see it our way
Can't agree to disagree
You'd think it'd be easier
But it feels like you just can't win
But somehow we'll make it work
Cause we deserve it, you know we're worth it
You can't give up on your friends
--
You and me together
I'm always on your side
No one, no one, no one can ever change it
C'mon let 'em try
Cause it's you and me together now…
--
When 'Hannah' finished singing, the entire auditorium erupted in cheers and applause. She snuck a quick look back stage, where she saw 'Lola' standing there looking stunned, tears streaming down her face. Managing her best smile, she turned back to the audience.
"I want to thank everyone for coming to see me tonight, you've been great! I can't wait 'til I can come back and sing for you all again… good night, Malta!" The audience cheered and clapped wildly as 'Hannah' hung up her microphone and slowly made her way backstage, waving to her fans as she did so.
"Miley?" Lilly asked weakly as he best friend drew near. "Was that… was that really all for me?" Miley nodded.
"I meant every word, Lils." She took Lilly's hands in her own. "Come on; let's go back to my dressing room for a minute. There's something I need to say." Lilly nodded numbly and together they walked back towards Miley's dressing room. Once the door was locked carefully behind them, Miley led Lilly over to the small couch in the room, where they sat down.
"Lilly… please don't hate me for this, but I need you to tell you something." Lilly couldn't help but smile.
"Miley, if you're gonna say what I think you're gonna say… I feel the same way." She grinned as she watched her best friend's eyes widen. "I love you, too."
"You… you do?" Miley stammered. Lilly nodded.
"Ever since that day in the museum… when you looked into my eyes the way you did." She swallowed. "You made me feel things no one has ever made me feel, and when I looked into your eyes… I knew I was falling in love with you." She blinked back more tears. Letting her emotions control her, Miley leaned forward and pressed her lips against Lilly's. It soon developed into a deep and loving kiss, as the two best friends finally gave in to their feelings for each other.
"I could really get used to that," Miley said with a smile, once they had parted.
"That makes two of us," Lilly replied, smiling as well. "So… what does this make us now, Miles?"
"What do you want us to be?" Miley asked her.
"Girlfriends?" Lilly replied coyly. Miley smiled again.
"I'd like that," she said. "Lilly Truscott, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Only if you'll be my girlfriend, Miley Stewart," Lilly replied softly. "How about we seal it with a kiss?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Don't have to ask me twice," Miley whispered, and she happily pulled Lilly to her once again…