A/N:Hello everyone. In the next few chapters, we will see Miley and Theo go through the most trying of times, and finally Miley will be free. I don't want to tell you what's in store for Theo just yet (you have to read the story). But I can say that in this chapter I'm going to add a little supernatural to the mix .
Most of all in this chapter you will see why out of all the shows I could pick, I placed this in the world of Hannah Montana. I found the situation great, beside the secret identity thing.
All I can say now is that I gave it my all to give you a finale finish in these last few chapters.
Thank you all.
Master Bedroom Bath
Miley's Ranch House
Countdown: 35 hours 47 minutes
6:13 p.m.
The silence engulfing the room is shattered as through the darkness of the room reverberates the sound of a single gunshot. This noise had made its way throughout the whole second floor, but luckily for Theo, Miley was still napping in the living room on the first floor and surprisingly heard nothing.
And Theo did what he did.
He pointed the handgun at himself and fired a single round.
And all that was left was him standing, staring at…
…the shattered glass mirror in front of me.
He indeed shot himself. He shot the self that he saw mirror.
(A/N: I bet a lot of you are breathing a sigh of relief huh? LOL)
Theo's POV
If you thinking this is a futile exercise, it isn't. It has more meaning than anything I had ever done in my entire life.
I looked at what I represented. The evil and indifference to evil, which had brought me to the point I am now, and I shot it. I shot what I saw.
Some indigenous tribes believed that a mirror was something that stole your soul. This mirror did. With the soul, came out my darkest past and what I had done. After trapping it in a mirror, the bad in my life was destroyed with a single bullet shattering its only way out. And all that was left was the soul that…
…the soul that Miley gave back to me.
Not knowing what to do now, I sit back down on the edge of the bathtub and just breathe in and out.
I knew what was coming to me. Win, lose, or draw.
I resigned myself to death…it would be no different than life without Miley…
…both would involve ripping my soul out from inside me, only death would be merciful enough to take my life in the process, while the latter would show the ultimate cruelty- allowing me to live.
But Miley shouldn't die. She can't die.
The world is ugly enough as it is. We can't need to lose one more beautiful…
But as Theo was about to pace in contemplation some more, he slipped in the bathroom rug and landed on his butt. But he has no more strength to get up.
(10 minutes later)
My emotional exhaustion caused me to drift into a deep sleep, with my head resting on the side of the bathtub.
Yet I can't help but hear this approaching noise…
Coming closer and closer…louder and louder…
More distinct…
The moment I realize something's wrong…
Something's definitely wrong…
Yet when I try to do something.
FLASH
Despite having my eyes closed, an almost inhuman flash surrounds me and cause me to cringe and look away.
Yet it was over in an instant, a single flash lasting for a second quickly subsiding.
I open my eyes…
And am so shocked and frightened I can't find words to say and am nearly choking on my own amazement.
As soon, as Theo does recover from chocking he tries, in fear, to describe what he sees in front of him.
All I see is a woman surrounded by radiant light. The light is unexplainable, yet it is the presence and the appearance of the woman which causes the most awe.
Out of nowhere came this middle age, yet radiant woman. Even though she is irradiated by light, you could tell she was naturally quite beautiful.
I always thought that there was no such thing as ghosts. Hell I don't even know if this is true or just a figment of my subconscious. But right now, I don't even care.
But who was she?
"Don't fear, Theo" the woman's angelic voice called out to me.
I realize that her voice matched what she was. And I could hardly believe she wanted to talk to me.
And because she was an angel, she read my mind and answered my question.
"My name is Margaret Ann…Sheppard Stewart"
I look at her confused to why she would tell me who she was…
Then I realize it was the name from before she died…
And then as I focus my eyes towards her face I see something too familiar in her.
Her voice, her accent, her hair…
Her eyes.
"Stewart?" I ask myself out loud.
But my eyes widen as I notice her eyes again.
Crystal Blue.
Theo scrambles back in fear and shame and waits what fate would befall him next.
"I'm Miley's mother"
(Outside source: Brooke Shields as Miley's mother)
I put my face into my hands in surrender as she proved me right.
I didn't know what else to do anymore.
The fear, hurt, hate, and shame that she must have just for me and everything that I had done to her daughter.
Her little girl, so hurt by me…
I feel her presence coming closer and closer to me, but I still don't dare look up.
I'm too ashamed at what I had done.
"Theo…" she asked me in a serious tone.
I breathe a breath and look up.
"It's okay…" she continued.
I struggle with what I am to say next.
"M…M...Mrs. Stewart…"
She patiently waits for me.
"(clears throat)…Before you take me…"
I'm certain this is what she was here for…
"I don't ask for mercy or a second chance, because I deserve neither…I just ask that before you take me to be judged, you…"
She waits.
"…let me see Miley to tell her that I love her…one last time…and I beg of you deliver her…"
"…and before I am condemned for what my life had become, please…let me see my mother."
For Theo knew was certain what was going to happen to him. He didn't deny or prevaricate. He didn't even ask to be remembered or buried in any way. He only cared about Miley and seeing his mother.
She briefly smiled at me.
"It's not your time yet, Theo. Miley loves you. And Miley knows you love her, and I know that too…"
I sat dumbfounded. It takes a while before I fully accept that she isn't there to take me.
But then daringly there's something I have to ask her. Something that I have wanted to ask the Almighty since this began.
"But…Mrs. Stewart…why?"
She doesn't reply.
"Why?"
She still doesn't reply.
"Why Miley? Why all this? Miley never deserved any of this. She's been through too much…and how can you just keep going more and more…"
Theo's rambling in anger and desperation for an answer before Mrs. Stewart stops him.
"Theo, we don't get what we deserve?"
I refuse to accept this as an answer.
"Theo, if we really got what we deserve, I would have never have had Miley in my life. My life before Robbie Ray was one of sin and self destruction…like you Theo."
This hits me hard. She was right.
"Theo…what do you think would have happened if you hadn't taken Miley?"
That stops my mind dead in its tracks. She was right.
Jake Ryan for one
Secondly, Miley was supposed to die slowly, painfully, and horrifically three times. And all this time, I was thinking only about the girl gang in Gangland.
"Only you could've saved her…and only you…gave Miley her dignity and self respect back…her life back…no one else."
I sat there understanding to the point where I was ashamed that I questioned it so much in the beginning.
"Your heart is good, Theo. All this time, you beat yourself over for what your family did. You're not one of them Theo. You're a good man who is hurting because of the evil you saw throughout your life…and God feels your pain."
I lighten up.
"But it is not your time yet Theo. You needed Miley, and Miley needed you. She still needs you."
"She's the best thing that happened to my life" I tried.
"And you're the best thing that happened to her's…" she replied.
Yet I can't reconcile what I have been ordered to do…
"Do not worry Theo. It's not her time either…"
Then she tells me something. A hint really. Something important that will help me keep Miley safe. Something relevant.
"Theo, after all your family had done, why do you suppose they are afraid of 'Iris'?"
He remembers this as this would be vitally important later on.
I feel that it'll be soon time for her to leave so I say…
"Miley misses you," I tell her.
She smiles at me.
"And I miss Miley too, because I love her…just like your mother misses you too."
It just then hits me. She knows my mother.
"You're mother thinks it's wonderful that you finally found someone to call your own."
Now I'm a little embarrassed.
"Tell my mother I love her" I ask.
She nods.
"She knows, Theo."
And with that, I sit back down and close my eyes as the light fades away until there is darkness again.
I'm startled awake by my own body.
I quickly look around to meet the darkness that had enveloped me was still there.
All of that was a dream? Or was it real?
But even if that was a dream, Miley's mother came to me.
Yet I can relax no longer.
Not sure what to tell Miley. I keep it to myself. For now.
That's it…no more of this…I have to do something.
I walk out of the bathroom and quickly make my way to my room. I pull out a new disposable cell phone. After quickly activating it, I call Tom.
The time it takes for Tom to pick up is agonizing to me. After the eleventh ring…
"Wha…what?"
"Tom, it's me…"
"Oh"
Silence permeated the line. Tom didn't seem to have a problem ordering through a message, but upon hearing Theo's voice, Tom didn't seem to be man enough to confront Theo.
"Theo, what is it?"
Before I could reply…
"Did you do it? Do you need help?"
The fact that he seemed so enthusiastic about this and the fact that Miley was just something in the family's way to him enraged me like little else. Yet I have to keep my cool.
"I thought I had 36 hours,"
The fact that Tom had given a hard sigh enraged me even more. He was so devoid of any human decency that he couldn't understand what was taking me so long? Yet mom still loved him. Somehow.
"Tom, tell me, what's the deal with Iris," I asked.
"Iris?"
"Yeah, what is it with her that's gotten you and the family marching to her every beat."
Now as a representative of the family, Tom was offended for them that Theo would suggest that they were scared of someone, of anyone for that matter.
"Theo…"
"No, no, no, listen. I'm still a part of this family. And I want to know why Dad's so scared of this girl that he isn't trying to get her back for what she's done?"
"Theo, it's because we don't have any assets in Tennessee, remember…"
"Oh don't give me that bulls-t!" I started off yelling, "The whole premise of teaming up with those Skinhead bastards was that we could both make money. After what we did for them, all Dad would have to do is mention a name to them in an angry tone and they'll have anyone's head. So tell me, what's gotten Dad so scared that he won't order the death to whoever tried to kill his son, kill his ransom, and destroy his San Diego operation."
"It goes deeper than that!"Tom yelled back, but calmed down before going on, "the only thing Dad's afraid of…"
I take a minute to think and think…what was the only thing Dad was afraid of was…
"A shining light" I confirmed.
No, my Dad wasn't a vampire, even though he is seemingly without a soul. The only thing Dad was afraid of was…
"It'll attract way too much attention. This girl's status means that anything done to her, it'll come back to us."
I understood. You see Asian crime families are very different than the ones that America had seen throughout its history previous. Triad crime families in particular work in the shadows, using cultural shame and influence as powerful weapons. And nothing would destroy the very nature of the key element of their crime like exposure. Like cockroaches that get paralyzed or scatter when light is shone on them, any type of publicity was considered deadly to the family, and because of the nature of their work, it really was deadly to the business. This is the reason why organized Asian crime families rarely kill cops and are selective over who they deal with.
That's the reason why Miley, and not Hannah, was targeted by her family. Her Dad and the money would've been the same, but kidnapping Hannah would bring way too much publicity, with it never ending until all was exposed.
"Look, I know this is hard for you…"
"YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD ANY OF THIS HAS BEEN ON ME!" I yelled back.
"Don't you think that if Dad could kill her, he would already have? The extra money is just something that he could give you, his favourite son, but it's also compensation for this pride and ego. $2.5 mil is enough for him, especially if it means killing Iris. But he can't have her."
I realize then it must have been something really deep…
"Look, if you want answers, I'll give them to you…use your computer fax feature and print out this picture that I'll send you. We know exactlywho Iris is and we secretly took picture many times. It's too dangerous for me to give you her identity on the phone and you'll probably need the picture anyways.
10 Minutes Later:
After setting up my computer and colour printer, I push myself outside. The waiting game is killing me and I have to get some air. I walk back into the master bedroom and open the bedroom balcony window. I turn on the radio.
(A/N: The chorus for Umbrella by Rihanna)
It's pouring rain, mercilessly drenching everything in its path.
I feel as if I have to do something. To feel suffering. I deserved it.
I walk further and further onto the balcony, closer and closer to not being sheltered by the rain anymore by part of the roof.
As I walk forward I spread my arms and close my eyes while looking up.
I'm almost there…about to be hit by the welcoming rain.
Thwap.
But after the thwap behind me, I freeze. But what shocks me is that I'm now more than exposed to the rain, yet not feeling any.
I open my eyes to see green sheltering me.
An umbrella.
I don't have to turn around, as an arm reaches from behind me and wraps around my chest, while the warmth of my lover's body is presses me from behind.
Miley's POV:
Just in time, exactly when he is just about to be exposed, my Teddy doesn't get wet.
And I'm happy, because I want him dry and safe.
I know he's doing this to 'hurt' himself. And he can't.
He's wearing perfectly fitting jeans and an ever so soft, black cotton shirt.
As I hold him close, I grow addicted to how this super soft black cotton shirt feels on him, pressing against my face. The strong, muscular body fills it in perfectly and I'm loving every single minute of it.
After a short while I feel Teddy turn around and we look into each other's eyes. And before long…
We're so deep into each other, if lightning struck the both of us, we would dismiss is as simply a sign that we should go deeper and make love inside.
Miley had successfully crushed Theo's loneliness and despair. If only for now.
BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEP
That's all I heard, but it was that sound that ripped my Teddy away from me. So abruptly in fact, that you could hear my yelp and whimper in hurt as Teddy rushed inside, ignoring me and everything else.
"Is it me?" I ask myself.
But I understand as I go in. Teddy is watching his computer screen. And something's coming out of his printer.
Teddy raps his knuckles against his keyboard as he urges the printer to keep going.
"Teddy? Teddy hun, what is it?"
He ignores me.
"What's wrong," I try again.
But he just keeps focusing on it.
I stay silent waiting for him to respond.
The printer finishes.
I watch Teddy quickly flip over, whatever it was that he printed out.
The printer continues with more sheets, but this time its words instead of a picture.
All it took was one glance at it for Theo's face to fall.
And for his heart to drop and shatter.
Theo's POV
I don't know what to do now. Dad and Tom were right. We couldn't take on someone that was this public and this connected.
I don't know what to do now…other than try to somehow right this wrong as best as I could.
How was I going to stop her from harming Miley?
I look up and stare at Miley.
Miley's POV:
What scares me about the stare that Teddy gives me is not that it's scary, but that I can't tell what Teddy is feeling at all.
"What did you do?" Teddy growled.
I freeze.
"What?" I try.
"What did you do?" Teddy growled louder.
This growl wasn't particularly loud or nasty, but because it was him who was directing it at me, it hurt.
He hurt me like nothing else. I loved him. And I still love him.
Teddy walked up to me…
"Miley, ever since the beginning I've been put through hell and back, constantly jumping from one place to another, escaping death and making love…"
I fear for what he's about to say next.
"Yet I have to ask…what did you do to have someone try to kill you?"
I'm in disbelief.
"How much or how badly could you have wronged someone, that they now want your head?"
I can't stand it anymore. My disbelief has turned into anger.
"What have I done? What have I done? I…I…I was born that what I done. And all I remember, throughout my life, I was a victim. And I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
Miley ended with a scream.
"I have been molested, beaten, kidnapped, and treated like s-t my whole life…I'm not stupid Teddy" I spat out.
He looks at me.
"I know that I'm being held for ransom. I know my dad didn't hire you," I continued.
Theo's shocked but not entirely surprised. It was a long time before he could answer.
"Miley, you're angry.."
"Oh no, don't you gimme that s-t. Because I don't even care that I'm being held ransom. I do care because…I love you…I love you Teddy….I love you alright! You don't know that what scares me to death is that because of me…"
Miley starts to break down and sob…
"I'm gonna lose you, Teddy. You're not immortal. Soon enough, some b—tard's gonna be luckier than you and have a better shot and kill you…"
If only Miley knew of what his family had ordered him to do.
"…I'm never gonna be with you, again. Because of me,you're gonna die."
I couldn't help it anymore. I collapsed in tears into the most comforting place I knew- Theo's chest with his arms around me and that black cotton shirt enveloping me.
After a few minutes Miley let go of Theo…
Both Miley and Theo sobered up before Theo continued.
Theo's POV:
"Miley, I know who wants to kill you…I know who's been hiring goons to kill you…"
Miley looked up and sobered more as she prepared herself.
I gave her a look. When she was ready, she nodded.
I breathed.
…
…
…
"Hannah Montana wants you dead."
I look at Miley's reaction, she gives me this wide eyed look. Then the look of disbelief. Then the look of confusion. Then the look of not understanding.
"There, that's what I was getting at…" I continue.
"Th…th…that's impossible."
"Don't you get it Miley. She rich and powerful. And my family can't and will do nothing to stop her. They'd rather seeyou dead than have her exposethem."
"No, no…that really is impossible"
"Miley, you don't understand…for some reason…"
"There's no reason, that's just not possible…"
"Miley, my family has no reason to lie. In fact, I read the evidence and frankly it's true. Plus they can only gain from telling me the truth," I finished trying to convince Miley.
"Theo, that's impossible. Hannah Montana couldn't want me dead. She, literally,cannot be behind this."
I sigh.
"Miley, you can say what you want. You may have been 'sisters', but there isn't a reason on earth that you could give that could hold up to the truth that you're just trying to convince yourself."
But Miley insists…
"Is that a challenge?" Miley dared.
I looked at her and relented…
"Sure," I agreed not knowing where she was going, and unconvinced she had anything.
She breathed in and out. She say me down on the bed with her, and as she drew my face with a finger to my chin…
…
…
…
"Teddy"
I look at her and see her dead serious, yet compassionate. I listen bracing myself for whatever she could say.
"I'm Hannah Montana"
I'm expressionless. I don't know how to react. She never lied to me. And by now I could whether she lying or not. For the second time throughout this entire ordeal, I again have to go about her with the care of a bomb defuser.
I say no words.
But I pull out the picture that I had and raised it right besides Miley's head.
I couldn't really see it then, because in the picture she was wearing sunglasses and…and she was a blonde.
But as I lower the picture. I realize and remember.
The fact that it was never reconciled how Miley's father could be Hannah's father too. Miley had no sisters, so when it came to light that Hannah's manager was also her father… we assumed that it was from a different mother. Yet we found no evidence to that. The family didn't care and I thought that it'll just bring skeletons out of the closet. But never this…
But still needing convincing, Miley just continued to look at me, hoping that I would see the resemblance.
I then went forward some more and pulled my sunglasses out of my pocket. I put them on Miley's face for her, and then raised the picture up to her level again to compare.
I could see even more resemblance than before. And this time, it isn't just having same father aspect either. But a part of me was still hesitant. By now I knew I trusted Miley, but girls are more complex than guys.
Yet remember how Miley sang me to sleep and what her body looked like when I caught her dancing to Sean Kingston in Deagletown. They looked remarkably similar to a video of Hannah Montana I caught while being briefed for this ordeal. Almost too convincing to have been taught second hand by Hannah.
More and more convinced, I looked for one last thing to convince me.
I got up and walked to the dresser while taking the picture with me.
I found the cold and stale cup of coffee that I forgot to drink this morning and was now thankful that I could use it.
I dip three of my fingers into it and dab the coffee over Hannah's hair, bit by bit. The coffee, plain black, had its intended effect.
It shaded Hannah's hair browner and browner.
Before continuing to the rest of the hair, I take care not to spill too much coffee onto the other parts of the picture while darkening the regions I already dabbed, before moving on to new ones.
And before long, I was finished. I had turned Hannah into a brunette. I harshly pull the picture and walked to Miley, who was still patiently waiting on the bed, wearing my sunglasses.
I put the picture beside her, and after taking a look at it. Miley smiles at me, mimicking the picture's smile. But obviously being in no mood to smile, stopped after I realized the truth.
The reality threw my sense of reality for a spin and forever altered my perceptions. It was like I was hit by a Mack truck. I stumbled back rather comically after I jumped off the bed in fright.
I finally muster up strength again.
"Clark Kent as Superman, Bruce Wayne as Batman, Eminem as Slim Shady…"
"…and now Miley Stewart as Hannah Montana."
Miley nodded.
"A wig and sunglasses" she finished, "the best of both worlds"
Snapping myself out of this.
"Miley…how is this possible? Who would want you dead?"
"You're asking me?"
Yeah, dumb question.
"But Miley, the family went over this. This' solid intel,"
"A mask?"
"No, Miley, we used powerful sensory equipment. It's no mask. And we know its not you…"
Miley relented.
"Who else could've done it…you were Hannah and you convinced everyone, but you still had your face. A wig and glasses are easy but how is it your face?
THUD.
I snap back to Miley and saw her on her butt on the floor.
She just looked at me as if she had been told the meaning of life from God Himself.
"My…" Miley started but trailed off.
"What?"
"My twin…MY TWIN!"
I look at Miley.
"Miley, we have intel, you don't have a twin sister. You don't have any sisters."
Miley shook her head frantically.
"My twin cousin," Miley replied.
"Huh?"
"My twin cousin, Luanne…Luanne Stewart"
"Are you…" I began now not sure of her sanity anymore.
"Look, Teddy I have a twin cousin Luanne. All of our lives she's been jealous of me. She's been trying to ruin me. Trying to be Hannah, but because she couldn't sing, she could never really be Hannah. When I was a kid, she pushed me down a well, one time in Malibu, she tried to sabotage my career…"
I thought I was listening to some convoluted soap opera.
"She always wanted to be Hannah. And nowadays they don't care about lip syncing at all anymore, so she could still be Hannah…"
As I listen to the story that Miley told, I am more and more convinced. I also read the facts page that I was sent and found that everything fit.
It takes a lot for me to digest this.
"So you're Hannah Montana?"
Miley didn't answer. She wanted to show me. And she did.
Miley got up and walked backwards so I could see all of her.
She seductively ran her fingers up the tennis skirt she was wearing and when she found the right spot pulled down her panties.
The guy in me meant that my eyes couldn't look away as my eyes begged Miley to give me a peak of her luscious womanhood or her supple legs, but no dice.
Miley knew this was the case and agonized Theo by timing her movements, so that she crouched down further and further as she pulled her panties more and more down. Always so close to revealing yet actually not showing Theo anything. Not so much out of seduction, but out of revenge for Theo snapping at her like he did. Luckily for Theo, Miley was merciful enough to pull the panties off her shoes with a quick jump. Think a split second of Marilyn Monroe's wind up the skirt scene, but without any panties.
And with that mini performance over, she quietly took a nearby marker and after laying her white lace panties on a table began writing on the fabric part of the panty.
After she was done, she walked up to me and shoved the panties in my hand while kissing me on the cheek as I held her in my arms. She rested herself, coping with the awful truth of the situation. I inspect the panties.
It has two things…
First on the back Miley drew a heart and within that heart drew
MS loves Teddy 4ever.
And then on the front she…
My eyes widen as I realize what she meant by all this as I saw.
Hannah Montana's Autograph.
I burst into much needed desperate laughter, as the pain and sorrow of the situation mixed with the humor of the revelation.
Yet before we separate and leave the room, I walked over to a bag I was saving.
"I'm sorry I forgot to give this to you on your birthday…"
Teddy gave Miley a very appropriate present.
A stuffed Teddy Bear.
But not just any ol' teddy bear.
He gave her a stuffed Panda Bear Teddy bear.
Perfect for Miley.
A small stuffed Chinese Teddy Bear…from her Big Chinese "Teddy" Bear (Theo)
A/N: I'm really paranoid about my depiction of feelings using creative language, especially in the beginning, is it okay to you? With regards to the evil twin cousin truth, Walt Disney opened the door I'm just walking through it. This is one of the two main reasons why I chose Hannah Montana and went to great pains for the authenticity.
Please Review.
GFMarshall