Author's Note: Glad everyone is enjoying the story so far. Consider yourselves warned, I think this is going to end up being my longest story yet. There's just so much I want to put into this story!
Okay, questions and comments. Portmanteau, thank you so much for the great review and for your sweet comments. I have no plans to stop writing, so you can relax. When I finish this septology, I think I might return to a few of the time periods and write some "in-between" stories, maybe picking back up on some threads that readers would like to explore further. For anyone who's e-mailed me and hasn't gotten a reply yet, it's just because I've been extremely busy for the last month. I promise I'll get back to you as soon as I possibly can. Again, thanks to everyone for continuing to read along and for your great feedback. Nice comments make my day brighter!
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 5: On Your Marks
Because we belong together now (yeah)
Forever united here somehow (yeah)
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you
--Kelly Clarkson, "My Life Would Suck Without You"
"Hide me!" Sarah Sweet yelled as she ran behind Oliver Oken, who had just stepped out of the house and into the backyard.
"Hey!" Oliver said loudly, then he sputtered as a squirt of cold water hit him in the face. "HEY!"
"Sorry!" said Cassie Hughes, covering her mouth with the hand that wasn't holding the water gun. She stepped forward and used the end of her shirt sleeve to wipe the water off his face. "I was aiming for Pocahontas back there," Cassie said. "You were just an innocent bystander." She watched Sarah run away again, this time heading over to where Ashley stood with Miley, Lilly and two other women their age.
As Sarah stopped in front of the five other young women, she grinned at them. "That was close," she said as she turned to Ashley. "Sorry about your husband getting squirted."
"No problem," Ashley said with a grin. "Glad he came in handy."
Sarah looked at Miley and Lilly and whistled loudly. "Wow," she said. "You two look terrific!"
Lilly was wiping what looked like dark smudges off her lips as she smiled and said, "Thanks, Sarah. You look great, too." Lilly wasn't exaggerating in the least; while Sarah's hair was a bit lighter than would be expected for Pocahontas, the fake deerskin top and miniskirt showed off quite a bit of Sarah's body. She had obviously been keeping in good shape, and the time spent working on the beach had darkened her skin about as far as her natural complexion would allow it to go.
"What did you get on your lips, Lilly?" Sarah asked, her curiosity piqued by the dark smudge on her friend's mouth.
Lilly grinned as she replied, "Miley's lipstick."
Miley smiled from behind her Batwoman mask and added, "Quite a bit of my lipstick, too."
"There's always room for more," Lilly said teasingly as she gave her wife a flirtatious look.
"Keep it in your skirt, Supergirl," Miley said, keeping a straight face, "or we'll really draw a crowd."
"Oh!" said Ashley suddenly. "I just realized the band's taking their break." She opened her small bag slung over her chest and pulled out a gold CD marked only with a few numbers and letters. "Time to show off how awesome my contacts inside the record companies are," she said, winking discretely at Miley and Lilly. She hurried over to the stage, hopping up onto the platform and walking to the microphone as the band was walking off.
"Hey everybody!" Ashley said into the microphone. "First, thanks for coming to our Halloween party! It might be a couple of days late, but today's the Day of the Dead, so we're still in the spirit!" Claps and whistles went up across the yard, and Ashley smiled as she waved for everyone to come closer. "Okay, while the band is taking a break I figured this would be a great time to let everyone dance, but I also have a surprise for you." She held up the CD and paused for a moment. "Thanks to some truly amazing sources inside one of the record companies, I have here two brand new Hannah Montana songs from her new album coming out in a few weeks!" The crowd seemed to pause for breath for a second before people started cheering. Ashley raised her voice to be heard over the crowd and said, "Remember, you heard it here first, at the coolest Halloween party on Earth!"
As Ashley put the CD into the player hooked up to the sound system, people made their way to the dance area near the pool, Miley and Lilly among them. As most of the crowd gathered into pairs and started dancing to the opening notes of "Rock Your Body," Lilly gave Miley a knowing smile as she took her girlfriend's hands. The two of them started dancing as Lilly leaned in and said, "You know I love this song."
Miley rolled her eyes and leaned in to reply, "You love all my songs. You're easy."
Lilly nodded, not in the least offended by that comment. "For you I am," she replied. "For everybody else, I'm impossible."
The next few hours seemed to pass by in a pleasant rush. Oliver was dressed as a Roman soldier, matching Ashley's Cleopatra costume, and he insisted on taking several pictures of Miley and Lilly, posing with them in several of them. It had been nearly two weeks since Miley and Lilly had seen him, and as the party began to wind down several hours later they made a point to catch up with him and Ashley.
As the four of them sat at a poolside table talking, Miley's cell phone beeped pleasantly from its pouch on her utility belt. She took it out and opened it as she put it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hey Miley. How's the party?"
"Hey Lu! Where are you? We thought you and Ron were coming to the party."
There was a sigh at the other end of the line before Luanne replied, "Ron's still at the studio. He's really nervous about next week, and I'm about to choke him."
"Aw, I'm sorry, Lu. Why didn't you come by yourself?"
"I guess I'm nervous for him. Hey, you mind if I stop by tomorrow sometime?"
Miley silently breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid that Luanne would want to come by tonight for some company, and Miley had plans for Lilly that didn't involve any company present. "Sure, tomorrow'd be terrific," she said, trying not to show how relieved she was.
"Bet you're happy I'm not wantin' to come over tonight, huh?"
Miley could hear the grin in Luanne's voice as she spoke. "Yup," she replied. "How'd you know?" Miley saw Lilly paying close attention to what she was saying, and by the expression on her face it seemed Lilly had put two and two together from what she had heard Miley say so far.
"Oh please, I don't have to be a genius—which I am—to know that after an evening of dancing, flirting, relaxing and just partying in general you and your wife are gonna be ready to jump each other in the first closet that you walk by. Throw in those sexy costumes you had made, and I bet you twenty bucks that you don't even make it home before you two go at it."
Miley nearly laughed. "You're on," she said. "I do have some self-control, you know."
"Not when it comes to the woman you love."
Miley started at her sister's comment, because she had in fact been staring at Lilly's face while Lilly laughed at something Oliver was telling her, thinking about how gorgeous her wife truly was. Miley smiled and simply said, "You got me there, Lu. I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?"
"Okay, secret sis. You two get some sleep and don't have sex all night, you hear me?"
"Good night, Lu." Miley grinned as she shut her phone and slipped it back into its pouch on her belt. "Lu's comin' by tomorrow for a bit. She said Ron's as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full a' rockin' chairs, and I think it's drivin' her up the wall."
Oliver sipped his drink as he leaned dangerously far back in his patio chair. "What's Ron so nervous about?" he asked.
Miley opened her mouth to speak, but Lilly quickly covered her hand with her own and said, "Let me tell them, Miles, please!"
Miley smiled, her black lips curling into a dangerous appearing smile. She nodded, giving Lilly her permission.
"Ron got a job!" Lilly said excitedly. "And not just any job..."
Oliver leaned forward, pausing for several seconds before he finally said, "Well? Spit it out! You've left me hanging here!"
Lilly said, "Well, thanks to a certain someone special," pausing to smile at Miley, "Ron's now one of the guitar players for Kelly Clarkson's upcoming tour!"
"Holy cow!" said Oliver loudly. "Are you serious?"
Lilly nodded as Ashley asked, "When did that happen?"
"He went in for the tryouts a few weeks ago, and they asked him back last week. After just playing a few of her songs, they offered him the spot. It's more of a rhythm guitar than anything else, but it's a start!"
Miley added, "Plus it's with someone that we know and trust. Kelly doesn't get out and go wild when she's on the road."
"That is so cool!" said Oliver, a huge grin on his face. "Just took a little word from a certain superstar to make it happen, huh?"
"Absolutely not!" said Lilly quickly, and the harshness of her tone suggested that this subject might have a tender spot inside it.
"All I did was ask them to let him audition for the part," Miley said, trying to project calm through her voice as she gently held Lilly's hand. "Ron had to learn a dozen songs in a two week period, then he had to play them well enough to earn that spot in her tour band. He did it himself."
"And how does Luanne feel about her husband being gone for several months at a time?" asked Ashley, her voice carrying clearly as the noises of the party subsided for a few seconds and then picked back up again.
There was no quick response from either Miley or Lilly this time, so Ashley said, "Ah. That bad, huh?"
"Not exactly," Miley said, and Lilly continued by saying, "We really aren't sure how she's taking it. One minute she's happy about him getting the job, the next she's talking about how much she's gonna miss him."
Left unspoken was the full extent concern that Miley and Lilly held for Miley's twin sister. The secret of their sisterhood had remained a closely guarded one, and Miley and Lilly were both fairly sure that Luanne would never reveal the truth of her birth to anyone else beyond those who already knew. Luanne and Ron would celebrate their third anniversary in a few months, and while the two of them had learned to live with each other quite well, there remained a bond between Luanne, Miley and Lilly that could never be entirely replaced by anyone else, even by the man Luanne loved. It went beyond a family bond, even beyond a sisterly bond. Instead it encompassed so many emotions and such deep understanding of each other that none of them would ever be capable of fully putting into words. And it was that same bond that Miley and Lilly were counting on to help Luanne make it through the months that Ron would be on the road.
"I'm really worried it's gonna be hard on her," Miley finally said, breaking the tense silence. "It took her a lot of work getting used to living with someone else, and now she's gonna be living alone again for a few months."
"Luanne's tough, Miles," Oliver said, offering what comfort he could. "And she's always liked her space. Heck, you yourself told me that a few years ago."
Miley looked across the patio, watching a group of boys and a few girls wrestling playfully in the grass. She didn't speak for long seconds, not until she felt the electric touch of Lilly's fingers rest on her thigh. "I hope so," Miley finally said. "I really, really hope so."
Lilly stretched, reaching up to the night sky as she lightly groaned. Miley turned in time to see Supergirl's halter top slip dangerously high up, the gold trim around it creeping quite high up her wife's chest and hinting at the bottom of her breasts. "I'm tired," Lilly said as she relaxed, bringing her arms down to settle them possessively around Miley's shoulders. "I think it's time for my sweet wife to take me home, if nobody minds," she said, giving a sly grin to Oliver and Ashley.
"You just want to go home and have sex," Ashley said with a fake pout, turning to look away from them as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Our party's not good enough for you."
Miley turned to look in Lilly's face as Lilly gently removed the Batwoman mask from Miley's face. Once the mask was off Lilly gave Miley a kiss, then she turned to Ashley and said, "Not compared to making love to my Miley, it's not. And stop acting you're all offended, Ash. Or I'll toss your butt in the pool."
Ashley fought hard to keep from laughing. She truly did. And she might have succeeded if Oliver hadn't reached over and held up his hand and loudly said, "High five, Truscott! That one was good!" At that point, Ashley gave in and sputtered with laughter, her entire body shaking as she stood, shaking her head.
"Thanks for coming," Ashley said, hugging Miley and Lilly both at once. "Your costumes were the best here, really."
"Thanks for inviting us," replied Lilly, still holding onto Miley from behind.
"Yeah, we enjoyed ourselves a lot," Miley added. "Oliver, you be careful out there, okay?"
"I will," he replied, and there was no trace of joking in his voice now. "That was the promise I made to Ash when we got married, and I'm planning on keeping it." He stepped over and hugged his friends, then he put his arm around his wife. "Be careful going home, okay?"
"We will," Miley said. She turned her head to look at Lilly's profile, and she couldn't resist placing a quick kiss on Lilly's soft cheek. "You ready, hon?" she asked, patting Lilly's arm.
"Yup," Lilly said with a smile. She released her grip on Miley to take her hand. "Night, you two!" Lilly said as she and Miley made their way back into the house. At this point the kitchen was considerably less crowded, with most of the remaining guests out back. As they walked past the stairway leading up to the second floor, Lilly suddenly grabbed Miley's arm and yanked her onto the stairs.
"Lilly!" Miley said, getting shushed for her protest. "Lilly!" she whispered loudly. "What're you doin'?"
"What do you think, silly?" Lilly whispered as they climbed the stairs. As they reached the second floor landing, one of Ashley's security personnel stopped them before she recognized them. Miley and Lilly recognized her as one of Oliver's friends on the police force, and they smiled as they waited on her to recognize them.
"Sorry ladies," she said with a smile. "Didn't recognize you two in the costumes at first. Oliver and Ashley said you two could have the run of the house, like always."
"Thanks," Lilly said cheerily. "Kate, right?" The tall, striking brunette nodded in acknowledgment. "We'll, uh, just be using the guest room for a bit," Lilly said as she continued to lead Miley down the hall, walking backwards as she spoke to Kate. While Lilly was talking Miley took the opportunity to slip past her, and then it was Miley yanking on Lilly's hand to spin her around and pull the blonde down the hall. As they opened the door to the guest room they had stayed in several times before, Miley wasted no time in pulling Lilly in, closing the door as soon as Lilly's red cape cleared the door.
"Ooooh," Lilly said teasingly as she sat on the bed. "Does my sweetie see something she wants?" she purred as she crossed her legs, bare except for the blue miniskirt and red boots, her skirt hiked teasingly high up her thigh.
"Yeah, but I can't see all of it yet," Miley said as she grasped the bottom hem of Lilly's halter top and began to pull it over her head, "but I'm workin' on it," she added with a positively naughty grin.
Roughly twenty minutes later both Miley and Lilly lay together on the now bare bed, entangled together in a tight embrace as they gently stroked each other's back with their fingernails. "Feel better now?" Miley mumbled as she kissed Lilly's now-sweaty head.
"Better believe it," Lilly said in reply, shivering as Miley hit a particularly sensitive spot in the small of her back. "You always make me shiver when you hit that spot."
"Do I?" Miley asked teasingly, getting a light tickle on her ribs in response. "Hey! No fair tickling!"
"All's fair in love and war, remember?"
Miley considered that but didn't speak just yet. As she felt Lilly's fingertips rest lightly on her ribs, she hastily added, "Okay, okay, I remember! But I'm still feelin' the love, girlfriend. So go light on—"
"Miles, you're always going to feel my love, so that doesn't exactly make it a No Tickle condition. Try again."
"Then maybe it's too soon after making love? That work?"
Now it was Lilly's turn to think for a minute. "I guess that works. But don't abuse it too often. I like the way you squeal when I tickle you. And the way you thrash around is pretty cute, too."
The two young women lay in silence for a bit longer until Miley suddenly slapped herself on the forehead. "What is it?" Lilly asked, surprised.
Miley sighed loudly. "I owe Luanne twenty bucks."
The next morning saw Miley wake up slowly, only gradually becoming aware of the smell of the ocean air and the cries of the seagulls outside the large bedroom window at their own house. Driving home from Ashley's party had been entertaining in its own right, as they drew several interested looks at their costumes from other drivers they met on the road, but they had finally arrived home without incident. Another round of playful lovemaking had occurred before they finally fell asleep, and Miley smiled wryly as she saw her Batwoman utility belt hanging from the corner bedpost. Resting next to the alarm clock was a folded-up piece of pink paper. Miley picked it up and unwrapped it, lying back in bed and holding the note up to read it.
Didn't want to wake you—you looked too cute. Last night was amazing! Thank you, for everything you do for me, little and big and everything in between. Went for an early morning surf. Feel free to join me if you get your lazy butt out of bed in time.
Lilly
Miley smiled as she saw how Lilly dotted the "i" in her name with a heart. Miley was the only person who warranted that special signature, and that was one of the little touches that she loved about her wife, how Lilly could turn something so tiny into something so touching. She kissed Lilly's name on the note, then she tossed it on the nightstand as she rolled out of bed and began searching for something to wear.
Lilly's legs had been a bit sore when she started surfing a little over an hour ago, but after a few minutes they had loosened up slightly. She was thinking about taking a break when she spied someone on the beach watching her. She blinked the salt water out of her eyes and floated up with the next wave instead of trying to ride it. She smiled as she realized it was indeed Miley standing there on the beach, then taking a seat on the towel Lilly had spread out on the hot sand. Lilly waved and then looked over her shoulder for the next wave. As she saw the wave forming behind her, she shifted into position and then began paddling as it drew near. As the wave began to crest, Lilly hopped nimbly onto her board and immediately found her balance, left foot forward and arms out to her sides as she crouched, keeping her center of gravity as low as she could.
As the roar of the wave breaking began to sound, Lilly felt like she was flying, soaring on something immensely powerful, a force that could easily overwhelm her and brutally pound her into the dark water if she were to slip, yet she showed no trace of fear. Instead she grinned harder and lost herself in the sheer joy of being a part of something so vast and uncontrollable as the ocean.
Just like the way I love her, Lilly thought as she expertly steered herself toward the young woman waiting for her on the beach. Miley had pulled her hair up and tied it back and a pair of sunglasses shielded her eyes from the early morning rays of the sun, but even the heather gray t-shirt and sweatpants she was wearing couldn't conceal the sheer beauty that Lilly could see in her.
"Hey," said Miley with a smile as she waded out into the light surf to greet Lilly as she glided in on her surfboard. When they were in ankle-deep water, Lilly hopped off her board and was greeted with Miley wrapping her arms around her. "Love you," Miley said as she hugged Lilly tightly.
"Love you too," Lilly answered, closing her eyes as she let herself be swept away in the current of their love, always drawing them closer to each other.
"You look amazing out there," Miley said. "As always. I love watching you do your thing."
"Just like I love watching you do yours. We just have different stages that we have fun on."
Lilly breathed in the scent of Miley-in-the-morning, secretly thrilled that Miley didn't bother to take a bath before coming down to greet her. The more obvious reason for Lilly's delight was that the two of them could take a bath together when they got back to the house, but a less obvious reason was that Lilly simply adored Miley's natural scent, especially of a morning. The combination of seeing Miley's stunning face and tousled hair, feeling the warmth of her body, and breathing in that natural scent was such a turn-on for Lilly that it had fueled quite a few of their "good morning lovemaking" sessions, as Lilly gleefully called them. "Miles, sweetheart, I love the way you smell first thing in the morning," Lilly said a bit hesitantly. "Is that weird?"
Miley grinned, biting back the first playful retort that came to mind. Instead she said, "Only if it's weird that I love the way you smell when you've been surfing, with that ocean smell in your hair and the salty taste on your skin."
Lilly boldly slipped a hand into the back of Miley's sweatpants as she replied, "Well, then we're both in trouble, because it looks like we're both complete weirdos." Hmm. No panties yet. Dirty, dirty Miley. And I love you for it!
"Tease!" Miley said, smacking Lilly's firm butt with her right hand through the wet bikini bottom. "Now get your surfer butt inside so we can get in the shower before Jen gets over here."
As Lilly grabbed her surfboard and tucked it under her arm, Miley gathered Lilly's few items and tossed her a clean towel.
"You forget your panties when you got dressed, Miley?" Lilly asked, casting a playful glance at her best friend. They weren't that many people on this stretch of beach at this time of day, and the few that were out weren't within earshot of the two of them.
Miley responded by swatting Lilly's sexy butt again. "I didn't forget anything. I just went with the minimal amount of effort needed to come down without making a scene."
"And the minimal amount of clothes?"
"Less to take off when we get back home."
Lilly couldn't argue with that logic, so she dropped the matter. "Did I mention that the way you smell in the morning really turns me on?"
Miley rolled her eyes and for about the millionth time thanked God that He made Lilly just the way He did.
"So do you surf too, Miley?" Jen Kittrell asked roughly two hours later as the three of them sat in the living room, flipping through papers as Miley and Lilly went over Jen's summary and analysis of the various recording contract offers that had been made to Hannah.
"HA!" laughed Lilly as Miley grinned a bit self-consciously.
"Not really," Miley said. "Lilly's tried to teach me for a long time, but I do good to get up on the board before the wave's gone." She shrugged. "Coordination isn't exactly my strong suit."
"She does pretty good roller skating, though," Lilly said as she put an arm around Miley.
Jen smiled. "Just be careful with her skating. Don't need anybody getting hurt this close to concerts." She handed a summary page to each of her clients, detailing the most promising offers for Hannah and comparing them along several points. "Oh, have you decided on a name for the new album yet, Miley?"
Miley smiled as Lilly hugged her a bit more tightly. "Yeah," she said, her expression dazzling. "I want to call it New Life." She rubbed her stomach briefly, then she added, "For a few reasons."
"You haven't seemed to be as nauseous lately, have you?" Lilly asked, out of the blue.
"Nope. Not for about a week or so."
"Good. Maybe she's finally giving you a break." Lilly leaned down and pressed her mouth to Miley's stomach through her shirt and said with her baby voice, "Are you giving your momma a break, little baby girl? I hope you are, because she needs it! Your momma and mommy love you, yes we do!"
Miley giggled as she patted Lilly's head. "That tickles," she said lightly. "You think she can hear you?"
Lilly shrugged as she sat up. "I don't know. But it's never too early to try."
Jen watched them interact for a minute, then she carefully asked, "Not to be to steer the conversation back on track or anything, but what do you think of the contract offers, Miley?"
Miley picked up one of the summary sheets and held it so Lilly could read it with her. They both went through a respectable number of facial expressions and grunts before they looked at each other.
"I kind of like the last one," Miley said.
"Yeah, it looks nice, but this one sounds like it might be fun, too," Lilly said, tapping the sheet.
"The third one?" Miley asked, looking at the sheet.
Lilly nodded her head, keeping her eyes locked on Miley's. "Yeah. Lots of risk in it, but if it works..."
Now Miley nodded. She looked up at Jen. "You think three smaller companies merging to form one big one would actually work? I mean, financially?"
Jen's expression was surprised as she said, "Are you kidding? With Hannah Montana as their headlining artist? You bet your sweet ass it'll work!" She saw Lilly hiding her laughter behind a hand, and Jen added, "Sorry."
"No no!" said Lilly, waving at Jen. "Her ass is sweet, and cute too!" She bent down to Miley's stomach and said, "Sorry baby, but Mommy just couldn't resist. You know how crazy Mommy is about Momma."
"Can we get off of talkin' about my butt and back to the contracts?" Miley growled, giving Lilly a small Look. As Lilly sat back up, again hiding her smile behind her hand, Miley said, "Thank you." She turned back to Jen, who had managed to not even crack a smile at Lilly's antics. "I like the thought of having the approach of a smaller company with the oomph of a bigger record company," she said. "And I like the chance to participate in some of the administrative stuff, but I'm just not sure if I'm ready for that big a jump yet. Right now all I want is to keep writin' songs and singin' 'em for my fans, and that's it."
"You want to take their offer of having your own imprint for your music? They're offering quite a bit more freedom with that imprint than most artists get. You can get your feet wet with helping manage just your music on the label for now, and you can always think about recruiting and signing others to your imprint later on."
Lilly turned to look at Miley. "You can do that? If they set up your own label under the bigger company, I mean?"
Miley nodded. "Yeah, that's part of what they're offering."
"You could sign Kelly," Lilly said with a smile. "And maybe even Hayley and Paramore."
"Well," said Jen, and now a faint smile began to spread across her face, "we don't have any names for the three companies listed on the merger proposal, but it just so happens that Paramore's label is one of the three." Lilly's arms shot up to the ceiling in a victory pose at Jen's words, while Miley leaned forward even more.
"Crazy manager girl say what?" Miley muttered, tilting her head to the side.
"Yeah, apparently Hayley Williams and Paramore pushed really hard for their record company to make you an offer. Their company didn't think it could make you a competitive offer by itself, so this person called that person and so on and so on until this merger proposal happened."
"Remind me to send that woman some cornbread," Miley said under her breath, more to herself than anyone else. In a stronger voice she asked, "But the proposal will work well for all those record companies too, right?"
"Assuming you can sell albums and concert tickets like you always have, yeah. It'll work damn well for everybody."
Miley and Lilly turned so they were facing each other on the couch, and they were both bouncing with excitement. "You like the sound of it?" asked Miley, grinning.
"Oh yeah," said Lilly softly as she put her arms on Miley's shoulders, lacing her fingers together behind her best friend's neck. She leaned in and kissed Miley softly on the lips. "I like it," she whispered as she broke the kiss, leaving both of them tingling. "But it's your decision, Miles. I'll support anything you want, you know that."
Miley smiled as she reached up and ran her fingers through Lilly's hair, blonde strands spilling across her hand like spun gold. "I know, and I love you so much for that, Lilly Bear. Thanks."
"Welcome," Lilly answered with a matching warm smile.
Miley turned to look at Jen. "Tell 'em they've got themselves a superstar," she said confidently as she picked up Lilly's slightly chewed pen.
Author's Afterword: These long periods between updates aggravate me as much as they must aggravate all of you, and I'm sorry for them. I'm trying as best as I can to get stuff done a bit earlier, but this is as fast as I can work for now. Hopefully things will streamline themselves in the very near future. Next chapter will bring back a character from the past that might surprise some of you at first. However, when you look back I think you'll agree that this character's return (and what will most certainly come with it) was bound to happen sometime.
See you soon!
-- Jo --