Author's Note: Whoa, I love the great reviews! Thanks to everyone for reading and leaving me your feedback, and I'll do my best to answer your questions. Bladed Darkness, the modern Batwoman is indeed a lesbian, and her on- and off-again girlfriend has become the new Question (and one of my favorite characters). DC has always been pretty good about presenting gay relationships in a very realistic light, just like they do with straight relationships; some of them make it, and some of them don't. Batwoman's sexual orientation didn't have any effect on me picking her for Miley's costume; I just liked how Miley would look in that outfit, particularly her hair. Seraphinn, I honestly don't know what the two of them plan on doing with their double lives as they get older. One option that had come to mind would be keep the secret in their family until their deaths, then reveal it to the world (which would probably care a lot less by then and thus spare their descendants from the craziness). I suppose I'll just have to see what the characters want as they age through the stories. Redneckarcher, this is certainly not the last story. After this one is complete (and I think it's going to be a longer one), there are still two more stories I have planned in this septology. Grownup-Truscott, I love your idea! The concept of Hannah Montana on Logo is a very interesting one... But on a more serious note, I do find it really striking that Disney has steadfastly avoided any major gay characters on their shows. Usually the competition between them and Nick for television shows leads to quite a bit of copycat plots, but Disney has nothing to respond to South of Nowhere. I still think that they could spin HM into a more grown-up show, say with Miley and Lilly in college and building a relationship. Put it into a later time slot and it'd be a ratings monster, especially with SoN over. Stupid-Lollies, Sarah keeps me confused when it comes to her relationships. However, this one with Cassie seems to be quite serious. After a few dates Sarah realized that she just didn't have any real fire with Dani, much like Cassie realized the same with Mr. Corelli. Both of them left those relationships on friendly terms, then they slowly took their time growing closer to each other as friends before finally taking the plunge (quite literally, in Sarah's case) at the previous Halloween party. And Miley and Lilly haven't moved houses, they've moved bedrooms! Since Robbie Ray has moved in with Ruthie back in Misty Hollow for an indefinite period, Miley and Lilly decided to get a new bed and move themselves into what used to be his master bedroom. They realized that with a baby on the way they needed more room, so they're remaking their old bedroom into the baby's room currently. At this point in time Robbie Ray has already transferred the ownership of the house to them officially, too. However, do expect to see him back in Malibu before long. DataAndrd, my apologies for Sarah's tossing us a curve ball between stories, but she seems to be comfortable with her choice now. She took quite some time after deciding to just be friends with Dani, but she seems happy with Cassie. At this point the age difference between her and Cassie remains four years, but now it's the four years between twenty-six and twenty-two rather than the four years between twenty-two and eighteen. Big difference there. And you don't have to worry about the teacher/student conflict anymore, since Sarah frequently fills in at Seaview as a substitute teacher now. Oh, and if some of you are wondering whether or not Sarah went to college, she graduated a few months before this story begins with her Bachelor's of Science degree in Environmental Health. She took extra classes to graduate a year early, and she's currently working on her Master's degree. Coffeeandcommunity, you made me consider an interesting possibility that hadn't crossed my mind until I read your review: is it possible that some of Miley's antics in her increasingly diva-esque real life are staged, or at least planned out? I mean, the entire premise of the HM movie is that Miley Stewart gets entirely too swept up in Hannah's celebrity and the Hollywood lifestyle, necessitating a move back to Tennessee to rediscover who she truly is (and to hopefully realize that she and Lilly are in love and belong together for the rest of their lives!). The real hole in that theory is that pulling something of that scale off would require a huge amount of cooperation between dozens if not hundreds of people, as well as ongoing flawless performances from Miley and her family. Still, I think I'd prefer the whole deal with this manfriend of hers being faked, because if her parents are really letting the two of them "date" (read: fool around), well, then that's just icky. Oh, and about the sex of the baby... Genetically speaking, a child born from DNA contributed by Miley and Lilly will have to be female, since neither of them carries a Y sex chromosome needed to trigger male development in an embryo. The fertility doctors informed them of that fact early on, so they shared the information with all their family and friends way back then.

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. 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 4: World's Finest

Don't want to be treated differently

I want to keep it all inside

Half the time I've got my name in the lights

But I'm always by your side

--Hannah Montana, "Just Like You" (Lileyverse version)

As Miley and Lilly waited in the lobby just outside the recording studio on the fourteenth floor of the Dyseni Records building, they sat together on the sofa in the green room area outside the control room.

"We've spent a lot of time here, haven't we?" Miley asked as she idly played with a strand of Hannah's long blonde hair.

Lilly smiled from underneath Lola's bright green wig as she looked at her best friend. "Yeah, we have," she said. "Most of mine was spent either out here or in that control room, listening to you work your magic." She smiled at Miley and shifted to lean against the young woman she loved with all her body and soul.

Miley smiled as she put her arm around her wife and hugged her. "You worked your own magic those days, girlfriend. It was just on me."

"Aww, you're sweet, hon," Lilly said, closing her eyes as she snuggled into Miley's embrace.

The door abruptly bursting open signaled the arrival of their manager Jen Kittrell. "Sorry I'm a bit late," Jen said. "Lots more traffic than I was expecting coming out of L.A."

"You living in the big city?" asked Miley curiously. Hannah and Lola weren't supposed to know that Jen was from Malibu; that was Miley and Lilly who would know that particular information.

Jen nodded as she looked at one of her bosses. "Yeah, when my husband and I came back to the area we figured that would be easier, since my clients were most likely going to be living in Los Angeles, like you two."

Lilly smirked a bit. "Who said we lived in Los Angeles?" she asked smugly, getting a surprised look from Jen.

"Okay, let's head down to the garage so we can hit the road," Miley said, standing up quickly to forestall any other questions just yet.

As they stepped onto the elevator, Jen hit the button for the private garage level. "I figured that one of us would ride with you, Jen, just in case traffic separated us," Miley said.

"So I'll be driving, and you can just follow me," Lilly said, a twinkle in her eye. Something about her Lola persona made her feel rather mischievous, and that combined with her natural competitiveness contributed significantly to Lola's fun-loving personality. As soon as the elevator doors opened, the three young women started walking over to Hannah's electric blue Roadster, but Miley and Lilly kept walking past it, stopping at another Tesla Roadster, this one a glossy black. Lilly tapped in the code to open the door, reaching in and pulling out a black baseball cap which she promptly handed to Miley. "We like to keep a low profile, obviously," Lilly said, "so we try to switch out cars from coming in to when we leave. Never can tell when someone's following you, after all."

Jen nodded her head. She hadn't thought of that, but it made perfect sense. "Okay, let me get my car and I'll meet you right back here."

Within minutes they were on the road, Lilly leading the way in their obsidian Roadster and Jen and Miley following her in Jen's silver Acura NSX. As they left Los Angeles, Jen asked Miley, "So where do you two live? Since it's obviously not Los Angeles."

"Malibu," Miley said, keeping her expression neutral for the time being. "It's a heck of a lot calmer than the big city, and the press is nowhere near as aggressive. But we're still close enough to get our work done without too long of a drive."

"That's cool," Jen said, nodding. "I'm actually from Malibu myself." She gave Miley a glance, doing her best to smile and make it look normal. Miley knew Jen well enough to realize that smiling wasn't something Jen often did, but that only made her appreciate the effort even more.

"We really love it," Miley said. "We've lived there for several years now. It was the first place I'd ever lived outside of Tennessee."

Jen glanced at Miley out of the corner of her eye, then she turned her attention back to the road ahead of them. She stayed right behind Lilly's Roadster as they drove west, leaving the traffic of Los Angeles behind them. After not quite twenty-five minutes, they passed by Seaview High School as they drew near to the Truscott home.

"That's my old high school," Jen said, her voice showing neither happiness nor sadness as she spoke. "We won the district soccer championship my senior year."

"Yeah, I saw that on your resume. Didn't you go to Stanford on a soccer scholarship?"

Jen nodded her head. "That game really had a lot to do with me getting a scholarship and going to college."

"But it took more than just a soccer game," Miley added. "I mean, you obviously had to work in school and in college to make the grades and get your work done."

"I guess," Jen said, and now her voice betrayed just a touch of longing. "Sometimes I miss having teammates," she said softly. "People I could trust. Business is so full of assholes out for themselves first that you wind up not trusting much of anybody."

Miley had to keep from reaching out and touching Jen's hand, but she managed. "You can trust us," she said, "just like we're learning to trust you, Jen."

Jen smiled as she turned onto the street where Miley and Lilly lived. "Yeah," she said. "I guess I can live with that."

"It's right up here," Miley said, pointing at their house just as Lilly put on her turn signal and then turned into the driveway. Lilly pulled all the way into the carport, letting Jen fit most of her car in the carport as well.

As Lilly got out of her black Tesla Roadster and hurried to unlock the kitchen door, Jen asked Miley, "Your neighbors freak out much that you two live here?"

Miley got out and walked quickly to the door before she turned to say to Jen, "Well, um, they kinda... don't know." Seeing the look on Jen's face, Miley hurriedly added, "It's complicated." Lilly got the door open, letting all three women walk inside the kitchen.

Jen looked around. "Well, this is nice. Not to piss you two off or anything, but I expected something bigger and fancier."

"No offense taken," Lilly said as she tossed her and Miley's caps onto the table. She walked across the kitchen, leading Jen over to the couch. Lilly shared a nervous look with Miley. It was time.

"This house is always going to be special to us," Miley said, and Lilly felt a slight blush across her face as she realized what Miley was talking about. She reached over and took Miley's hand as they sat on the love seat, facing Jen where she sat on the couch. "Upstairs is where we made love for the very first time," Miley said softly, "so that by itself makes it special. But we've had lots and lots of good memories in this house, and we've still got lots more to make here."

Lilly smiled at her wife. "Softie." She looked at Jen and added, "Plus this place is enough to keep us busy taking care of it. I don't think we could handle anything bigger and still work and go to school."

Jen raised an eyebrow at that last phrase. "You two are in college? Where?"

"We go to USC," said Lilly, "but not as Hannah and Lola."

Miley leaned forward as she said, "Jen, we've just trusted you with a big secret, where we live. But now we're about to trust you with an even bigger secret, one that you might not believe. But it's true."

Jen leaned back on the couch and crossed her legs. She lifted an arm up and made a dismissive waving motion as she said, "Try me," with a smile. "And again, I swear I won't tell anyone any of your secrets."

Miley and Lilly looked at each other and swallowed. They always dreaded this moment more than anyone else could ever know, the moment when they revealed their true identities to someone close to them. The reactions could vary from hysterical happiness to screaming resentment, and simply not knowing what a particular person's reaction would be was what made this revelation so painful for Miley and Lilly both. It was, in a way, quite similar to coming out, those excruciating moments when someone's mouth feels numb from the words of truth that spill forth, anxiously awaiting a friend's or family's response. It was never easy for either of them, and that was part of why they continued to keep this secret from so many people close to them. "Okay, Jen," Lilly said. "It's time you know our secret." She and Miley released each other's hand, and as one they reached up and removed their wigs, shaking out their long natural hair once freed.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" Jen screamed, stumbling off the couch and nearly falling backwards as her heels slipped on the hardwood floor. "What the hell?" she yelled, pushing herself backwards along the couch as she couldn't tear her eyes off the sight of her friends Lilly and Miley fidgeting where they sat, holding Lola Montana's and Hannah Montana's wigs in their hands. Jen whipped her head around, looking around the room. "Is this some joke? Are there cameras in here or something?" she continued to yell, finally bumping against the armrest of the couch, able to scoot no farther away. "If this winds up on YouTube as some kind of prank, I'll—"

"There aren't any cameras, Jen," Miley said, her voice quiet but serious, "and this isn't a joke."

Lilly nodded as she got up. She tossed Lola's bright green wig onto the table and moved to sit down on the couch, taking the end opposite from Jen. "We're really Hannah and Lola, and we always have been," she said carefully, trying not to freak Jen out any more than she already was... and she was obviously registering rather high on the freak-out scale at the moment.

"Jen, calm down," Miley said, trying to avoid any sudden movements like she would with a wild animal. "This is where we live. Our neighbors don't know we're Hannah and Lola Montana, because we bust our butts to make sure no one catches us. And that's how we want it. We don't want people taking pictures of us with spy cameras, or waiting at the end of our driveway with news crews. We want to live as much of a normal life as we can, and using the Hannah and Lola identities lets us do that."

Lilly said, "But if the secret ever got out that Hannah and Lola were Miley and Lilly Truscott—"

"Or if someone even found out they were just disguises, not real people themselves," Miley cut in, looking at Jen pointedly.

"Right, because just knowing that would have everybody trying to figure out who they really were, which would make people start asking too many questions. So we let the world believe that Hannah and Lola are just really good at keeping themselves off the radar when they want to disappear."

Miley turned to look at Lilly with a smile. "We are pretty good, girlfriend."

Lilly returned Miley's smile, taking her hand as Miley moved to stand next to Lilly, who leaned against her hip and leg. "Years of practice," Lilly said quietly as she released Miley's hand and instead slipped her arm between Miley's legs to hold her best friend's left thigh. She turned to look at Jen, then she motioned for Jen sit back down next to them on the couch. "It's okay, Jen. C'mon, sit back down." Warily Jen complied. "So now you know the biggest secret Hannah and Lola have." Lilly reached over with her free hand and carefully took Jen's right hand. "We trust you."

Jen looked at Lilly's hand, Lola's bright, sparkly bracelets still snugly in place around her wrist. Finally she looked up, only to see two matching pairs of bright blue eyes watching her closely. "I'm not going to run off, if that's what you two are afraid of," Jen said.

"That's one thing," Miley said, keeping a straight face.

"And I'm sure as hell not going to tell anybody about where Hannah and Lola live... or who they really are."

Lilly and Miley felt their hearts slow their frantic beating, each girl knowing that the other's was keeping pace with her own. "And this is actually going to work out pretty well, because you can come over here for business stuff and people will just assume that we're hanging out because we're friends," Lilly said happily.

"Well, once we actually invite Jen and Lee over to see the house," Miley said. "Since neither of them has ever been here before, how would Jen know how to get here?"

"Who says that I've never been over here before?" Jen asked with a smile. "But if that was an offer to let you two cook us dinner one night, then I'll say yes for both Lee and me right now."

"Deal!" said Miley, reaching out to shake hands. "My Lilly makes the best cornbread outside'a Tennessee! We can do dinner for you two one night next week." As they shook, Lilly headed to the kitchen.

"I'll fix us something to drink," Lilly said. "What do you want, Jen?"

"Well, since we have these damn—"

"Language," said Miley with a smile, patting her stomach lightly.

Jen sighed loudly. "These darn contract offers to go over, I suppose I don't need to have a beer or anything."

"Well, that's good, because we don't keep anything like that in the house," Lilly called out as she retrieved glasses from the cabinets. "Neither Miley or I drink. We don't like the taste, and we don't want to send the message to our fans that it's cool to drink."

"Okay, then you have some juice or water or something?" Jen asked as she set her briefcase on the coffee table and opened the latches.

"Ummm, we have all three," Lilly said as she peered into the refrigerator. "Juice, water, and... something."

Jen looked at Miley, who was grinning. "She like that all the time?" Jen asked.

Miley nodded. "Pretty much. The sass is part of her charm."

"I heard that!" said Lilly, her voice coming from behind the refrigerator door.

"See?" Miley said, shrugging her shoulders. "But I love her," she said warmly, and the softening of her blue eyes gave a hint at just how deep of a hold Lilly had on Miley's heart.

Lilly carried two glasses of what looked like orange juice over to the coffee table, setting them down away from the briefcase and papers. "I love you too," Lilly said, bending over to place a kiss on top of Miley's head. "Let me get my glass, and then we can get started sorting through these contract offers for Hannah."

Now it was Jen's turn to smile. "Oh, we got a couple more offers yesterday evening," Jen said, "and I think one of them in particular deserves your consideration."

Four hours later Lilly and Miley waved goodbye to Jen as she backed out their driveway, on her way to meet with Hannah's attorney. Miley and Lilly had told Jen that they wanted to have three days to make a decision on whether or not to take the quite surprising contract offer, and Jen wanted to take advantage of that time to do just a bit more research on the contract's offers.

"This was a really good morning," Lilly said as she stood next to Miley, holding her wife with her left arm.

"I'll say," Miley said. "Now we need to check in with Ashley and Oliver and see if they need us to bring anything to the party tonight."

Lilly looked at the clock on the wall as they walked back inside. "Wow, the morning just went away fast, didn't it?"

"And part of the afternoon," Miley added. "You want to go down to Rico's and grab some lunch?"

Lilly smiled. "Greasy food? On the hot beach? With you?" After a pause, she eagerly said, "I am so there!" as she hopped up and down in place.

"It don't take much to excite ya, does it?" Miley said, drawling her words a bit more than usual.

"Nope!" said Lilly quickly. She grabbed Miley's hand and tugged her toward the back door. "Let's go, slowpoke!"

As Miley and Lilly took their late lunch, Jen Kittrell pulled into the parking space designated for her car in the upscale apartment complex she and her husband were living in. She grabbed her briefcase as she got out of her car, locking the doors as she swung hers closed. Her feet were screaming at her for wearing heels this long, and she promised herself that she'd find a more comfortable pair or two tomorrow. Hannah and Lola—or Miley and Lilly, for that matter—had given her the next day off while they thought about the contract offers, on the condition that Jen do nothing related to business and instead just enjoy a day with her husband.

As she climbed the stairs to the apartment they were living in for now, she allowed herself to smile. She had already decided that she liked her bosses, and finding out they were also her friends was just amazing. Still, she promised herself that when it was business hours, they were her bosses and not her friends. Professional relationships tended to last longer when they stayed professional. After working hours she could catch up with Miley and Lilly. She slid her key into the lock and opened the door, stepping into the cool apartment as soon as she could. "Lee, I'm home!" she yelled out. She had seen his car out front, so she knew he was here.

"Back in here," said his voice, coming from the second bedroom they had turned into a small office for now. "Looking at some houses."

Jen kicked her heels off, smiling thinly as they tumbled across the floor into the closet. "Hate you fuckers," she mumbled to the heels as they came to a rest against the back wall of the closet. She set her briefcase on the sofa, then she took her hairsticks out as she walked down the hallway. "Find anything good?" she asked her husband as she walked over to stand beside him where he was working at the computer.

"Yes and no," Lee Potson mumbled, more to himself than to his wife. Jen kicked him in the back of his leg, making him yell, "Ow!"

"Aw, did I hurt the big, strong man?" Jen said teasingly as she moved behind him to rub his shoulders. "How about if I do this, then?"

Lee leaned back into Jen's strong fingers and hands. "That makes up for it pretty damn good," he said.

"Good, then you can do it for me in a minute. Now tell me what you found before I smack you again."

Lee turned his attention back to the screen. "Well, I couldn't find anything in our price range here in L.A. But I found some stuff up the Pacific Coast Highway that looks good."

Jen leaned down to where she could whisper in Lee's ear. "How about... Malibu?" she purred into his ear before she kissed him on his neck.

Lee felt shivers go down his back. Apparently Jen was in an amorous mood this afternoon, which meant some pretty energetic sex was about to happen. "You trying to start something, Jen?" Lee asked with a grin.

"Maybe," Jen replied, her voice playful. "You think you can finish it for me?"

"I think I can manage for a woman as hot as you."

Jen kissed him on the other side of his neck, sending another surge of shivers down his back. "You sure as hell better," she whispered. "Because things have just been kick-ass today, and some passionate lovin' with my man is the last thing I have left to make it a perfect day."

Lee turned to where he could kiss his wife, but he was pleasantly surprised as she pulled him out of his seat and down to the floor on top of her as she began to undo the buttons on her shirt. "What prompted this?" he asked, hurriedly adding, "Not that I'm complaining!"

Jen let him lift up her bra as she went to work on his pants, pausing only to pull up her skirt. "Spending all that time around my bosses," she answered her husband. "They're so much in love and so hot for each other that it kinda rubs off on pretty much everyone around them."

"Do they let you work overtime?" Lee asked as he pulled her panties down, getting a deep, throaty laugh from his fiery wife who chose to reply in a very nonverbal manner.

As the sun began to set, casting a rosy sheen across the Malibu sky, Miley and Lilly pulled into Oliver and Ashley's driveway. Cars were parked along the road for quite a distance, but Miley and Lilly had permission to park in the driveway. Ashley learned two years ago to hire some security for parties this big, and the crew working tonight's party had already been told to expect the Truscotts and treat them like VIPs. As Lilly stopped just inside the driveway, the valet smiled at them. "Hey ladies," the young man with short, dark hair said with a smile. "Lilly and Miley Truscott, right?"

"Yep," said Lilly as she got out of the car, smoothing her rather short bright blue Supergirl skirt. She and Miley had paid to have their costumes custom made, and the brilliant blue fabric of Lilly's outfit shimmered as it caught the last of the daylight. "Once you get it parked, just hit the button there," Lilly said, pointing to the Engine Off switch on the dashboard. "And it'll lock itself when you close the door." She handed the teenager a twenty with a smile. "Park it next to Ashley's fleet," she said with a wink and a grin.

"Yes ma'am," he said, smiling as he slid into the driver's seat.

"And watch the acceleration! It takes off like a scalded dog!" Lilly yelled through the window, getting a nod from the valet and a laugh from her wife.

"Takes off like a scalded dog?" asked Miley, a wry grin on her face. She motioned for Lilly to turn around.

Lilly turned her back to Miley, who went to work attaching her long red cape. The cape fastened with magnetic clasps, allowing it to safely break away if it became snagged on anything. "I must be hanging out with you too much," Lilly said, rolling her eyes. "If I had a dime for every time I've heard you say that..."

"You'd be a few bucks richer but still married to me," replied Miley, smoothing the cape's fabric out. She stepped back as Lilly turned around, looking remarkably like the modern Supergirl down to the red leather boots, also custom made to match the costume perfectly. "Do me?" Miley asked, turning around as she handed Lilly her own cape.

Lilly stepped close and firmly gripped Miley's right buttock, squeezing it through the thin black material of Miley's Batwoman costume. The fabric was made of some blend of Lycra, Spandex and some other synthetic fabric, and it clung to Miley's stunning body like an inky second skin. Her curves looked amazing in the black outfit with red trim, and even the way the utility belt hung at an angle across her hips screamed sex appeal to all lookers. "You sure you want me to do you right here?" Lilly whispered in Miley's left ear as she slid her hand down the curve of her lover's buttocks toward more dangerous territory.

Miley leaned back against her wife, forcing herself to breath in and out slowly and deeply. "Not fair," she said with a pout in her voice. "You know I couldn't wear any panties under this costume without 'em showin', so don't get me too wet. Not yet."

Lilly smiled and patted her wife's butt. "Knowing you're not wearing anything underneath that costume turns me on sooo much, girlfriend," she said lovingly. "And I'll show you just how much later tonight." She attached Miley's long cape with the same magnetic clasps that were on her own costume, and as Miley wrapped the flowing cape around herself Lilly whistled softly. "Wow. You look picture perfect, Miles." Miley had even put on the mask that had come with the costume, completing the look nicely. "Now let's go tell Ashley to get this party rolling!"

The size of Ashley's party was enormous, forcing most of the party to be held outside in their sprawling backyard. Two tents were set up, one for refreshments and the other to house the band playing tonight. The majority of the house was off-limits to most guests, with the party goers being kept to the game room, the large den, the kitchen and a large sitting room. Televisions were playing something in the den and the sitting room as Miley and Lilly walked through them, collecting whistles and shouts of appreciation from the many guests in those rooms.

"I think we're gonna be popular tonight," Miley said with a smile. Her black lipstick made her face look a bit intimidating to most people, but to Lilly it just looked cute.

"Oooh, Triscuits!" Lilly said suddenly. "With that cream cheese and herb dip that Ashley's cook makes!" She turned and made a dash for the counter where several choices of appetizers were laid out. The speed with which Lilly closed in made the server standing there jump slightly, but he forced a smile as Lilly stopped, her fingers twitching with eagerness at the sight of the treats she liked so much. She looked at the server. "You have a plate, or should I just grab as many as I can carry?"

Miley almost laughed at the young man's expression, but her laughter stilled when she him flash Lilly a grin that he obviously intended to be charming. When he stole a glance at Lilly's bare stomach in her Supergirl costume, Miley slid in between the two of them. "I catch you sneakin' a peek at my woman again, and I make you regret it," she growled in a very intimidating voice as she wrapped her cape around herself like Oliver had showed her last week. He had assured her that it made her look rather mysterious, and judging from the look of fright on the server's face it appeared Oliver had been right on the money. Miley decided to play it a bit further. "Now cough up a plate. Supergirl's hungry." She continued to stare directly at him, holding his gaze with a steely glare until he turned and grabbed a plate. As soon as he turned, Miley stepped back and let Lilly step forward.

"Hi," Lilly said sweetly, giving him another start as he saw her standing there once again. She took the plate he offered, then she said, "You probably shouldn't try to look at my butt either. Or my legs. My wife gets really jealous." She somehow held a straight face as she filled the plate with Triscuits topped with a dollop of the cream cheese and herb spread. As she turned to leave, she noticed that the poor boy was staring anywhere but at her. Lilly leaned in and whispered, "But you might want to check out her butt if you can. It's terrific. Just remember, look but don't touch. Or have dirty thoughts. I am the Girl of Steel, you know." She turned around and took Miley's gloved hand as they walked out of the kitchen and into the back yard.

They soon spotted Ashley, dressed as Cleopatra and showing quite a bit of skin herself, standing near the pool. She was talking with two girls Miley and Lilly didn't know, but they figured they could remedy that. They walked over to a table near the pool where a drink bar was set up. "Two Sprites," said Miley as Lilly waved to Ashley, getting her attention. Ashley motioned for them to come over, so Miley handed Lilly her drink and they made their way over to the pool.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you two made it!" Ashley gushed as she hugged first Lilly, then Miley. "Wow, Miley, you look scary and sexy all at once. And Lilly, you just look insanely sexy."

"I think she looks amazing in that costume," Lilly said, taking the time to very obviously look her best friend up and down. "It really shows off her figure, and it's sexy as all get out."

Miley twirled around, swinging her cape behind her in a manner that was cute but not particularly intimidating. "Do I look like a superhero?" she asked playfully, holding the cape up to hide most of her body behind it.

"No," Lilly said as she slipped in between Miley's cape and her body and wrapped her arms and a leg around her lover, "you look like a goddess." She kissed Miley, softly at first but then deepening in intensity.

Before either young woman realized it, they had drawn a respectable crowd. When they finally broke for air, a round of applause greeted their return to reality, making both girls blush. However, Miley's mask hid most of hers, while Lilly's red face was quite evident. Lilly never let go of the woman she loved; instead she held more tightly to Miley, drawing strength from the warm body that felt so good, so comforting against her own. The figure that seemed to be sculpted to match her own exactly, allowing them to fit as closely, as perfectly, as two halves of a whole ever could. Lilly looked up into Miley's glittering blue eyes. "Am I still blushing?" she asked softly.

"Just a teensy bit," Miley answered, the smile on her face comforting rather than mirthful. "But it only makes you look more beautiful. More alive."

Lilly leaned her head against Miley's neck and shoulder. "You always know just what to say to make me feel better, Miles," she whispered, her lips dancing against Miley's soft skin, exposed just enough at the neck to let Lilly touch it directly. "Don't ever stop doing that, okay?"

Miley looked around at the people still staring at them, and just like that she tuned them out. Only Lilly mattered at this moment, and only Lilly would get her attention for the next few seconds. She focused on her best friend as she gently said, "I won't, I promise." As she felt Lilly's burst of anxiety dissipate, Miley allowed herself to relax as well, and the sights and sounds of the party came flooding back into her perception. "You better now?" she asked Lilly, who seemed to be a bit more steady on her feet and significantly less self-conscious. Miley released Lilly from her embrace, but she noticed Lilly smoothly took Miley's gloved hand in her own. She glanced over at Lilly, who jerked her head toward the mostly male crowd watching them and then looked back at Miley with a smile as she squeezed her hand. Aha. Marking your property, Lilly Bear? Miley smiled. I'm just fine with that.

In reply Lilly just smiled again and lightly tugged Miley forward, in the direction of Ashley and her two friends, who looked dumbstruck. "Hey Ash," Lilly said, her voice as cheery as ever. "Thanks for inviting us again this year."

Ashley looked stunned. "You're kidding, right?" she asked. "You two are my best friends. What kind of friend would I be to throw this totally rocking party and not invite the two women I love most in a non-sexual way?"

Miley smiled, her mouth hanging open slightly as Lilly giggled softly. "Hittin' the champagne a bit early, huh, Ash?" she asked with a grin.

Ashley grinned in return. "Nah. Just a glass. Getting falling down drunk isn't my idea of a good time." She turned to the two other women with her and said, "Mindie, Kate, these are my best friends Miley and Lilly."

"Oh, okay! Wow, you said that they were really in love, and you're right!" said one, a blonde just slightly taller than Ashley. She was apparently supposed to be a fairy princess of some sort judging from the wings on her back and her dress. "I'm Mindie. Ashley and I are lab partners in Chemistry this semester." She gestured at Miley and Lilly and said, "So, how long have you two been, um..."

"Married?" asked Lilly. Without waiting for a reply she said, "Five years, and we were together another year before that. And we were best friends for five years before that." She looked at Miley and said, "Wow, I never realized that."

Miley smiled at Lilly. "What?"

"We've been together half our lives now. That is so cool!"

Lilly was practically bouncing up and down in her boots at that observation, but before Miley could reply a shriek came from across the yard.

"No, Cass! Don't do it! I'll behave, I swear!" yelled Sarah Sweet as she ran through the crowd, skirting the edge of the pool nimbly in a Pocahontas costume, complete with a feather in her hair. A few steps behind her was Cassie Hughes, dressed in what had to be a Naughty Schoolgirl outfit, complete with white blouse, plaid miniskirt and black heels. For the size of her heels, Cassie was doing an excellent job of catching up to Sarah, who bolted through the crowd trying to get away from her girlfriend. Even from a distance Cassie's naughty grin was quite evident, and it looked like she was holding a water gun of some kind in her hand as she chased Sarah.

Miley turned to Ashley, who was covering her mouth with her hand. "Dang, I love your parties," she said with a happy smile.

Author's Afterword: Okay, I haven't forgotten you. See? I did get the chapter done! Sorry again that it's been taking so long recently, but I promise I'm doing my best to juggle everything. Lileyland seems to be in a bit of a dry spell in terms of authors and story updates recently, but I think that's going to change soon. Hope you enjoyed a bit more time for Jen, because you're going to be seeing more of her and Lee in the future of this story. We also need to get back to the party and see just what backfired on Sarah, as well as what Oliver is up to. And don't think that I've forgotten Luanne and Ron, because I definitely haven't. Next chapter up as soon as I can get it written and proofed. See you then!

-- Jo --