Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.

Authors note: I decided to post this early, even without many reviews, because there was a cliff hanger at the end that people might have assumed was not what it was. So I wanted to elaborate that and keep the drama up. However, I would love some reviews to let me know people are reading this, and what they think of it :) Thanks!

PREVIOUSLY:

Miley's voice broke on the last line, and her hands froze on the strings. She looked down at Nick's peaceful face, and knew that she needed to tell him this, even if it wasn't guaranteed that he'd hear it.

"And since then I swore that
I'd never let myself forget.
And that was the day that I promised,
I'd never let anyone
Into my heart again.

But, baby.

You are the only exception."

Miley's shoulders slumped and she sung the last note, squeezing her eyes shut to stop the tears from overflowing. She almost fell off the bed though, when she finally reopened them. She stared, disbelieving.

"Miley?" came the whisper that sent Miley over the edge.

CHAPTER 2:

Miley didn't even respond, she just launched herself at the doorway, tossing her guitar aside. Miley tackled her to the ground, hearing a satisfying whoosh as the air was knocked forcefully from Mikayla's lungs.

"How dare you show up here? You almost killed him!" screamed Miley, trying to pin Mikayla's thrashing arms down.

"I wasn't trying to kill him!" she shouted back, trying to scratch at Miley's face.

"Security!" screeched Miley, planting her knee into Mikayla's abdomen. "Someone help me!"

Mikayla cried out in pain, as Miley struck her face with all the strength she could summon.

"Miley!" came Joe's familiar voice, fear and anger drenching it.

He seemed to appear from nowhere, streaking down the corridor to tear Miley off of Mikayla. He struggled to hold back the enraged girl, while Mikayla awkwardly sat up, clutching her cheek.

"Stop," commanded Joe, pushing Miley behind him.

Miley barely had time to regain her balance, before she saw Joe grab Mikayla by the shoulders and haul her to her feet. Miley could see him shaking with fury.

"Please, Joe," Mikayla begged.

"Save your breath, you crazy bitch."

"Joe," Miley's voice cut through his rage, trying to reach past the infuriation.

As much as she wanted to hurt Mikayla, and cause her pain like she had caused them, Miley knew she had to stop Joe from doing something he would regret. She placed a hand on his forearm, and he immediately lowered it.

Only then did Joe notice they were now surrounded. Doctors, nurses, visitors, other patients, as well as security; had formed an audience around them. He let Mikayla go and took a step back, and watched as she slumped against the wall.

Security moved forward and roughly grabbed Joe, taking him by surprise.

"Let him go," Miley demanded, trying to force her way between them. "I said. Let. Him. Go!"

Taken aback by the girl in front of them, the security loosened their grip of Joe.

"Take her. She tried to kill my boyfriend!"

"But miss, your boyfriend just had his hands around her throat," one of the guards questioned, still not releasing Joe.

"Rent-a-cop, stupid fu- " Miley cursed under her breath.

Joe smirked. Mikayla was trembling, her eyes as wide as saucers as she vacantly stared at Miley.

"Not him, you incompetent idiots. The one in the hospital bed. Behind me. The one who almost died because of her. And she's the one wanted for his attempted murder!" Miley yelled vehemently, pointing at Nick through the room's window.

Both guards mouths fell into a large 'O' shape, and dropped their hands immediately; suddenly recognising Mikayla from the photo that had been plastered over recent news broadcasts. Joe looked expectantly at them, finally having to point to Mikayla to snap them into action. They hesitantly grabbed Mikayla, who admittedly looked relatively unthreatening. The sudden touch of the strangers sent Mikayla into a frenzy.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, trying to escape their hold. "We were meant to be together. Let me see him!"

"You're not going anywhere near him ever again," warned Miley, with malice and threat lining her words. "Get her out of here."

The guards dragged Mikayla away from the crowd, and she began wailing.

"Are you okay?" Miley asked Joe, throwing her arms around him.

Joe rested his chin on the top of her head, wrapping his large arms all the way around her shoulders.

"Yes. No. I just can't believe she came here. Of all places," Joe breathed, astounded at Mikayla's audacity. "I was coming back to stay with you and Nick tonight. I couldn't sleep. I was just at the nurses' station trying to convince them to let me visit, when I heard you. I came running."

"It's lucky you did."

"You totally had her," he joked.

"Oh yeah, because brawling with a knife wielding maniac was the best idea I've had in a while," Miley replied incredulously.

"It was a good thing I suck at persuading people. Imagine if you had of come home with me earlier, and she turned up and no one was protecting Nick."

Miley shivered at the suggestion. A member of staff approached them, asking them for their accounts of what had just taken place. Joe and Miley were informed that the police were on their way, and a doctor just had to sedate Mikayla because she was out of control.

Miley tried not to break down while she was explaining to the nurse, and when she had finished, she immediately excused herself and went back to Nick's side. Joe followed shortly after, and entered the room to see Miley clutching Nick's hand, her head resting on the bed. When she didn't look up as Joe shut the door, and he noticed the rhythmic rise and fall of her upper body; he grabbed the spare blanket and draped it over her gently. He took position in the other chair, and leaned forward, holding his head in his hands.

It was too much for Joe to handle. His best friend was fighting for his life, metres away. Miley was barely holding herself together. He had been barely paying attention to Demi. And now he had to worry about the upcoming tour and the meeting he was meant to be having about it in a few hours. Joe sat up, closing his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck, the last couple of days catching up with him.

"Come on, Nick," he whispered. "Wake your lazy arse up. It's not time yet. It's not your time. It can't be…"

He didn't need to open his eyes to know Nick hadn't responded.

Miley squinted her eyes open. Joe was lounging awkwardly in a chair against the wall. The main lights outside the room were still dimmed, but she could see two police officers talking outside the door. She yawned loudly, not moving her head. She could feel pins and needles spread through her hand, and she tried to wiggle her fingers to relieve the pain. She felt her fingers move against palm like they were separated, and cringed at the strange sensation. She moved them again, and feeling came back to her hand. She cocked her head up, lifting it from its position on the bed. She traced her fingers against the surface of her hand again, but the feeling didn't match the one on her palm. Miley finally turned to look at her hand, and saw it covering Nick's, slightly intertwined.

She saw her fingers touching the back of Nick's hand, and his curled under the palm of hers. She felt the walls of her chest tighten as she cautiously tickled his hand. She saw and felt his fingers move beneath hers. Miley breathed in sharply, freezing in place.

"Nick?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, trouble?"

Miley turned her head towards the voice, and saw Nick leaning against the wall next to the window. He had a huge grin on his face, and he was only wearing the boardies he had on the first time she met him. She looked back to the other Nick, lying attached to machines.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Miley whimpered. "No, please. It seemed so real."

"Oh, quiet you. Get over here," he chuckled.

Miley stood up, reluctantly releasing Nick's hand from her grip. She shuffled towards the half naked Nick, who had his arms held out waiting for her.

"Why are you not wearing any clothes?" mumbled Miley, throwing her arms around his neck.

He laughed, and pulled her closer to him. Miley sweared she could feel the warmth of his bare skin as she touched him.

"Hey, I'm your imagination's version of me. You clearly think I'm hot and only want me for my body. And anyway, I'm kind of clothed. You, however; you're the one with all the clothes on. How is that fair to me?"

Miley sniggered, amazed at her subconscious nailing his affectionately arrogant mannerisms. I shouldn't let myself indulge in this; this is going to hurt so much more when I wake up.

"Don't worry about that," Nick soothed, reading her mind.

Which he obviously was, because that's where she conjured him up.

"I wish I could just stay here with you," Miley said wistfully.

"Miley," Nick said, suddenly serious. "You have to wake up."

"Just a little longer," she begged, craning her neck up to move her lips towards his.

"Miley," he repeated, his face so close to hers.

"Nick, I've been fighting this for a while. I haven't told anybody, but I guess this is me finally admitting it to myself. I don't know how I lived without you before. Please don't make me do it now. Not now that I know what it's like having you in my life."

Miley could feel Nick's lips turn up into a smile, even though she couldn't see them. She was too busy staring into his eyes, the eyes that could made her melt with one look. Miley hadn't seen them do that in a week, and here, now, the dream version of Nick was still making her weak at the knees.

"Miley, you have to wake up."

"Please, not yet," she whispered, finally pressing her mouth against his.

Miley could feel the electricity spread from her mouth right down to her toes, just as it had the first time she kissed him. His lips moulded to hers, and he let his hands roam over her body.

"Miley," Nick murmured, when he finally broke the kiss. "Now. You have to wake up now."

"I don't want to. You can't make me. It's my dream, and I'm staying here. You can't tell me what to do!" Miley argued, stomping her foot like a child.

"Did you just stomp your foot?" asked Nick, momentarily distracted.

"Maybe."

Nick shook his head, smirking a little. He looked past Miley, to the real version of him in the hospital bed.

"For me?" he pleaded.

"How is waking up going to help you?"

"I need you to be there."

"Be where?"

"You need to wake up. That's what you told me isn't it? Well, now I'm asking you to."

"What?"

"Please, listen to me. Just like I listened to you."

"No!" yelled Miley, pushing Nick away from her. "No, you didn't. Otherwise this would be real!"

"I did Miley, please trust me. Wake up now, and you'll see."