Author's Note: Welcome back! Hope everyone is doing well, and I'm glad you're back for this next chapter. By the way, is anybody else loving the show The United States of Tara? One of the best television shows I've seen in years, no question about it. If you get Showtime, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Thanks to everyone for the kind reviews, and my apologies for being slow answering my e-mails. My girls went back to school last week after their spring break, and we've been rather busy for the past three weeks. I promise I'll do better with staying on top of my mail in the future. I hope.
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 on them or those of any other artist mentioned. 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 6: Spellbound
Living on a lighted stage
Approaches the unreal
For those who think and feel
In touch with some reality
Beyond the gilded cage
Cast in this unlikely role
Ill-equipped to act
With insufficient tact
One must put up barriers
To keep one's self intact
--Rush, "Limelight"
"So, Hannah, anything you can share with us about tonight's concert? I mean, you're kicking off your new tour right here in Los Angeles tonight, right?" asked Mickey, one of the co-hosts of the Mack and Mickey In the Morning television show.
This was the seventh time Miley had appeared on the early morning talk show as Hannah, and every time Mickey's on-camera smile had been so intense that Miley doubted anything short of massive head trauma could rattle it. Miley smiled her bright Hannah smile and unconsciously took Lilly's hand as she considered what to say. Lola was sitting right next to Hannah in another director's chair like the co-hosts used, her lavender wig contrasting nicely with her orange jacket, green shirt, zebra-patterned skirt, fishnet tights and black combat boots. "Well, Mickey," Miley said, "fans tonight will get a chance to see two different sides of me. The first part of the show will be mostly my older songs, and it's for all my fans. The second part of the show will be aimed more for my teenage and adult fans, and I'll mainly be performing my newer songs during it."
"Yes, tell us more about some of those songs!" gushed Mack, playing the role of dim talking head to perfection, although Miley wasn't sure that it was entirely an act. "I mean, most of them sound very different from what we're used to hearing from you!"
Miley flashed her superstar grin, even though today hadn't been the best morning. Since Miley had been pregnant, Lilly's periods had reverted to their natural chaotic state, leaving her at their mercy. From the amount of discomfort that Miley could sense in her best friend, today's cramps must be horribly painful. However, other than being a bit less chatty than usual for Lola, there was no outward sign of the internal war roiling inside Lilly. She's learned to put on her game face, Miley thought, and for a moment she was bothered that Lilly had been forced to learn how to mask any troubles when she was in the spotlight's harsh glare. But it had been Lilly's choice, and she'd happily made it a long time ago. I didn't force anything on her.
Sensing that everyone was waiting for her to say something, Miley finally said, "Some of these songs I wrote two, maybe three years ago. But for several reasons the time was never right to release them." Please don't ask about Dyseni. Please please please.
"Sounds like there was some tension behind the scenes with you and your former record company, Dyseni Records!" chirped Mickey, her smile belying the hornets' nest her words were dangerously close to upsetting.
"Yeah," said Miley softly as she quickly regrouped. She had talked to Lilly and Jen about this very subject and what to do if it came up this morning, and she was prepared. "You know, I spent many good years at Dyseni, and we were very good to each other for a long time. But after Mr. Bruton, the label manager who was like a granddaddy to me, after he retired things... Well, they just changed."
"You're referring to the contract talks from a few weeks ago?" asked Mack, no sign of his preening humor now.
Miley nodded her head. "Those talks were definitely the deciding factor in my leaving Dyseni, but I don't think it'd be right for me to be too critical of them. They had an idea of where they were going, and I wasn't part of it for some reason."
"Their mistake," Lilly added, trying hard to not vent some of the resentment she still held toward Hannah's former record company.
"Like I said, I don't think it'd be right for me to talk about all that at this point," Miley said, drawing strength from Lilly's support as well as her very presence. "What's done is in the past, and the opportunity that Dreamworld Music has given me is amazing."
"Yes, three smaller record labels merged to form your new company, right?" asked Mickey. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "And they're taking a big risk on you being able to deliver like you always have in the past, it sounds like."
Miley nodded. "Only if you think betting on me is taking a risk," she said confidently, drawing knowing laughter and light applause from the studio audience, as well as a squeeze of her hand from Lilly.
You tell them, Miles. While Lilly's stomach was doing flip-flops inside her body and her uterus felt like it was trying to kick its way out of her pelvis, she held a smile on her face. Compared to the joy and happiness that came with Miley, pain didn't have a chance of keeping her down.
"And how about those rumors that you're already hitting up your friends to join you at Dreamworld?" asked Mack. "Kelly Clarkson, for instance?"
Miley grinned a guilty grin, but she managed to say, "Well, I'm not confirmin' or denyin' that one, Mack, but it would sure be nice to have some familiar faces join me, but only if they're not happy with where they are. I'm not out to poach anybody's musicians."
"Now we understand that you have a new manager, too," said Mickey. "What happened to your father being your manager? Did he threaten to take away your allowance one time too many?" Mickey laughed wildly at her own joke, and she was instantly joined by her co-host; however, only a few people in the audience seemed to join in the laughter.
Miley stared at Mickey and Mack for a moment, then she somberly said, "I haven't gotten an allowance in a long time." Lilly fought hard not to laugh at Miley's quietly stinging rebuke, and she managed to keep it limited to only a light snicker. After a few awkward seconds, Miley continued, "Daddy's helpin' with some family business back home in Tennessee for a while, and anyway I think he's earned a vacation. He's done a great job of not only managing Lola and me for a long time but also writin' songs for me and, oh, raising me. I think he's earned some respect." Now the audience politely applauded for several seconds until Miley acknowledged them by nodding her head and waving them down. "But our new manager is amazing, too. She's doin' a great job with everything that we can throw at her."
Offstage Jen smiled. She trusted her clients to handle themselves, but being at things like this interview was part of her job. Just in case some of those surprises that life tended to throw at people when they least expected it reared their ugly heads.
As the show went to commercial, Mickey signaled for the sound technician to kill the microphones for a moment. As she stood and walked over to Miley, Miley and Lilly both stood to meet her on equal terms. But instead of some witty barb or lightly veiled threat, the older woman instead extended her right hand to Miley. "I didn't mean to upset you by making that joke about your father," she said, her voice oddly serious. "Being a single parent can be hard, and I know that as well as anyone. Sorry if I ticked you off."
Miley took her hand and lightly shook it. "Apology accepted."
"Good, because it's been a while since the last one I offered to anybody!" Mickey said, and now her smile was back. "I hope things are okay for your family back in Tennessee."
"Thanks. They're goin' okay now." Miley stretched, reaching up to the ceiling. As she did so, Lilly began massaging her back as best as she could with Miley standing.
"Your muscles are all knotted up, sweetheart," Lilly said, concern plainly evident in her voice. "Everything okay?"
Miley put her arms back down at her sides as she turned to look at her lovely wife. "Yeah, I think I'm just feelin' some of your hurt this mornin'."
"Aww," said Lilly. "I'm sorry, sweetie."
"Not your fault."
"Well, actually, it kinda is, since it took both of us for you to get pregnant," Lilly said, her quirky grin making an appearance.
Miley couldn't help but feel her heart melt again at the sight of that grin she had fallen in love with so many years ago. Half her life ago. She took Lilly's hands in her own. "Can we talk about your movie after this commercial, Lola?" she asked.
"Hannah, I'm not sure if I really feel like it this morning..." Lilly and Miley both looked at Mickey, and it only took a few seconds for them to wordlessly convey what the problem was for the young actress this morning.
"I'll go easy on you," Mickey said, patting Lilly's right and Miley's left hands, joined together as they stood. "Think of it as a freebie. Your movie opens in what, three or four weeks?"
"Three," Lilly replied. She took a deep breath, then blew it out. "Okay," she finally answered, putting a brave smile on her face again. "Thanks for understanding."
Mickey smiled her bright toothy smile. "No problem. Me, I had a hysterectomy and had my doctor put me on hormone replacement five years ago. No more PMS for me!"
"Not really an option for me," Lilly said softly. "We're not stopping with this little girl here," she added as she took one hand and lovingly rubbed Miley's belly. "And I'm carrying the next one." She hastily added, "In a couple of years."
"Yeah, I think we're both gonna have our share of sleepless nights to recover from after this little girl's born," Miley said, but the eagerness in her voice suggested that the two of them were actually looking forward to those sleepless nights. "How much time do we have before the commercial's over?"
Mickey turned to look at Miley and cheerfully said, "Fifteen seconds!"
"Sweet niblets," muttered Miley. "Could'a used a bathroom break."
"Suck it up, superstar," Lilly said as she hopped back up into her seat.
"Tell that to your child," Miley replied as she also took her seat, being careful not to flash the audience as she carefully crossed her legs in her bright pink skirt. "She's sittin' on my bladder."
As Miley and Lilly teased each other, Mickey faced the camera and said, "Welcome back! We're talking to Hannah and Lola Montana, both of whom have new projects coming very soon. Hannah's new album releases in two weeks, and Lola's new movie hits theaters in three weeks." She turned to Miley and asked, "So, Hannah, we wish you only the best for your new album, but somehow I don't think you need any help to make this one another big hit for you!"
"Thanks!" replied Miley. "I'm lookin' forward to tonight's concert, and I hope to see lots of happy fans there tonight!"
"And Lola," said Mickey as she turned to look at Lilly, "anything you can share about your new movie hitting theaters in a few weeks?"
Lilly smiled as she leaned a bit closer to Miley, who took her hand and tenderly held it again. "I think the movie will surprise most people that see it, Mickey," Lilly said. "Everyone involved in this movie put everything we had into making it, and if just half of that passion comes across, there are going to be lots of happy people in the theaters."
Mickey glanced down at a sheet of paper someone had surreptitiously handed to her, and a funny expression crossed her face. She looked back up, her eyes twinkling. "What's the story about you demanding a certain person to play your love interest in the movie?" asked Mickey.
Lilly blushed. It was now unusual for her to react so strongly during interviews like this one, but she honestly had not been expecting that particular question. "Well..." she started before trailing off.
"Come on, tell us how that casting came about!" said Mack, his smile once again in full force.
"I think it's sweet," said Mickey, turning to look at her co-host.
"I think it's a smart idea!" Mack added. "I mean, you hear all the time about these affairs that start while filming a movie, don't you? Somebody was planning ahead!"
Mickey turned to face the audience as Lilly buried her head in Miley's lap, drawing a few good-hearted laughs from the studio audience. "For those of you who don't know," Mickey said loudly, "on her first day on the set of the movie, Lola refused to shoot a love scene with the actor that had been hired to play her love interest. And it caused quite a stir between you and the director, right Lola?"
Lilly raised her head back up. Her blush was easing off, but it was still present to a small degree. "Only if you call us getting ready to fight on the conference table a stir," she replied, getting several laughs this time. "And they hadn't exactly hired anyone to play that role yet."
"And why did you refuse to shoot that scene?" continued Mickey.
Lilly took Miley's hand again, needing the support now. "Because I didn't feel comfortable doing some of the things written in the script with anybody except my wife," she said, her voice regaining some of its strength as she drew comfort from contact with Miley. "And I told them that. So they came up with the idea to have Hannah play my love interest in the movie."
Mickey grinned dazzlingly at the two young women, now leaning against each other. "And I take it you were okay with that?" she asked, deadpan.
"Duh," Lilly answered, grinning the grin of someone completely, hopelessly in love.
As the audience cheered, clapped and laughed, Lilly gazed into Miley's eyes. "Love you," she whispered to her best friend.
"Love you too, softie," Miley said with a wink. She turned back to Mickey and said, "Now, am I still gonna have enough time to do one of my new songs for everybody this mornin'?"
The audience whistled and cheered loudly, and it took a few seconds for Mickey to calm them down enough to loudly say, "Of course!"
Miley slid out of her chair, easily standing as she walked forward to the mark taped to the floor between where the four of them were sitting and the audience. As she stepped on the mark, she turned to Mack and Mickey and said, "Now this song's a big longer than mine normally run. Just wanted to warn everybody." She peered over to the side of the set. "Ya'll think you could turn the lights down a bit?" she asked loudly. As the lights dimmed slightly, Miley said, "Just a bit more." As the lights complied, she held up her hand and said, "That's perfect!" She turned to face the audience and said, "This song's called 'Fallen Angel.' Like I said, it's a bit different than most of my songs, but I'll explain why once you hear it."
As the music started, Lilly smiled happily. The cramping pains in her abdomen and pelvis were easing slightly, and she knew that watching her girlfriend perform would only make her feel better. Plus she loved this new song. As Miley's unique voice began to weave its lyrical magic upon everyone listening, Lilly found herself shivering with emotion. Miley had this song written for Lilly as an early birthday present, and even after eleven years with her best friend Lilly still found herself amazed at what Miley could do for when she put her mind to it. She gave me a song, a living work of art, for my birthday. Lilly sighed softly as she gazed raptly at Miley, enjoying the sight of her beautiful wife performing for her audience. She had taken a chance with a song completely different from Hannah's usual catalog, just because she thought Lilly would like it. And she was right; I love it. Plus we both know it's going to be a hit.
After nearly eight minutes, Miley finished the song, holding the last notes solidly to the very end. When the music stopped just seconds after the lyrics, the audience erupted in applause. Miley waved to the audience and took several short bows, mindful of her short skirt. She finally turned and walked the short distance back to her chair, stopping for an enthusiastic hug from Lilly before she could sit down.
"That was..." Lilly searched her mind for the right word, finally spitting out the words, "Beautiful, wonderful, powerful..." She smiled. "Spellbinding," she finally said, smiling at how good it felt to have just the right word pop into her head when she needed it. "You had all of us in your spell with your singing." She gave Miley a quick kiss on the lips, not lingering simply because they had no need to turn a kiss of thanks into an unnecessary public display of affection. Not when their entire lives were a public display of affection for each other, both in thought and in deed.
As Miley and Lilly took their seats again, Mack and Mickey looked stunned. "My goodness..." said Mickey, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. "That was like a fairy tale story, all wrapped up in that song! How long was it again?"
"Right at eight minutes," Miley said, unable to restrain her thrilled grin at how good it had felt to sing that song. She had practiced it for weeks, experimenting with different cadences, different moves, different expressions in an attempt to bring the song to life. Today was the first time she had performed it in front of an audience, and she was giddy at how good it had felt while she was singing it. "I love how it tells an entire story, from how the two of them met to how they fell in love and how they finally get to be together forever."
"Did you write that song?" asked Mack. "There's something about it that reminds me of another song, I just can't think of it right now."
"Heck no, I didn't write that song," Miley said, shaking her head. "The art and vision in those lyrics are so far beyond what I can do that it ain't funny. That song was written by a friend of ours named Jim Steinman, who wrote a lot of music with Meatloaf over the years. We sorta met through a friend of a friend a while back, and I asked him if he could write me a song as a early birthday gift for Lola."
"And this is that song?" asked Mack.
"Yup," Miley said proudly. "One heck of a love song, huh?" She was still thrilled with how good a job he had done with the song, capturing the concept of a young angel falling in love with a young human and being cast out of Heaven as punishment, only to eventually track down the girl of her dreams and fall in love with her all over again. Their joy was short-lived, however, as they both sacrificed themselves rescuing others from a burning building, dying in each other's arms but knowing they had saved many other lives. As a final reward they were reborn as angels, allowed to spend the rest of eternity together, loving each other as they continued to protect mortals on Earth. That final reward was exactly what Miley had wanted the song to convey to Lilly, how their love would endure even after their time on Earth had passed away. As expected, Lilly had loved the song, and she had immediately understood what Miley was trying to say through the elegant, expressive lyrics.
Lilly leaned in closer to the co-hosts, pressing lightly against her girlfriend as she proudly said, "That song blew my mind the first time I heard it. Hannah knows I love Meatloaf's music, and knowing that Jim Steinman wrote that song for me still gives me goosebumps when I think about it!" She tilted her head to give Miley a loving gaze and softly said, "Lola likey," before she leaned her head against Miley's chest briefly, pausing just long enough for Miley to tenderly run her fingers through Lola's silky lavender hair, taking great care to not tug on the wig while doing so. Lilly then quickly sat back up, trying not to blush too much from the brief display of affection. "Sorry," she mumbled to Mickey, Mack and the audience. "I sort of get lost in how much I love her sometimes," she said nervously.
"I think it's sweet," Mickey quickly said, her energy evident in how fast she spoke. "How long have you two been married now?"
Without any pause, Miley and Lilly as one said, "Five years this month." They smiled at each other as several people in the audience chuckled.
"Well, you certainly sound like an old married couple!" said Mack loudly, drawing overt laughs from the audience.
Miley took Lilly's hand and kissed her knuckles softly. "Actually, we've been finishin' each other's sentences since long before we were married. We just understand each other."
A production assistant passed Mack a single sheet of paper, then he disappeared quickly as he scurried off the stage. Mack quickly read the paper, then he looked up and said, "Well, it looks we have a surprise guest who just arrived at the studio."
"Surprise guest?" asked Mickey as she turned to look at her co-host. "I didn't know we were having a surprise guest."
"Well, of course not, silly! It's a surprise!" joked Mack, but the humor seemed a touch forced to Miley and Lilly. "Hannah, joining us in the studio is who I've just been told will be assuming the top spot at Dyseni Records, the position you owned for over ten years. Everyone, let's give a warm welcome to..."
Miley and Lilly looked across the stage into the wings, the arrogant smirk on the bright red lips of the young woman standing there quite evident. Miley sighed. "Mikayla."
"Mikayla," muttered Lilly right after Miley, a note of irritation in her voice.
"MIKAYLA!" said Mack loudly, standing with Mickey as the Applause sign lit up. The audience politely stood and applauded as the tall dark-haired beauty walked across the stage. Wisely, someone set up a new chair beside Mack rather than try to seat the newcomer next to Lilly, putting Mack and Mickey between the three girls.
Truthfully, Miley and Lilly hadn't thought about Mikayla for nearly two years now. The pop starlet had never seemed to rise above the ranks of the second tier, and for the last four years little had been heard from Hannah's former rival. Over that same time Hannah's career had blossomed beautifully, and the happiness of their lives together left Miley and Lilly little time to think about a singer who had only briefly posed any real competition to Hannah Montana.
But today something was different about Mikayla. Maybe it was the confidence that came with a new record deal, or maybe she had spent her time away from the spotlight sharpening her singing or writing songs. Whatever was fueling her smugness today, it appeared that Mikayla was back on the music scene.
Behind them Miley and Lilly could hear Jen screaming at someone in the distance. "I wonder if she brought her old manager," whispered Lilly to her wife.
Miley considered the potential volatility of Mikayla's old overbearing manager Margot meeting Jen Kittrell. "I hope so," she whispered back to Lilly, causing both girls to snicker softly.
"So Mikayla," asked Mickey, her smile once again securely in place as she faced the newcomer, "what brought this surprise visit to our show today?"
"I heard that my record company's former star was on the air this morning, so I figured I'd stop by and wish her luck on her new album." After a pause, she added, "Since she's going to need it, now that she doesn't have Dyseni backing her up anymore."
Confusion was evident on Miley's face as she asked with an exasperated voice, "What are you talking about?"
Mikayla smiled, a thin-lipped smile that didn't even pretend to be friendly. "Just that now you can't bully radio stations into playing your songs, or force cities into hosting your concerts that nobody with any morals cares about."
"Hair extension girl say what?" said Miley, her voice rising. "For the record, I never 'bullied' anybody into playing my music or hosting my concerts, and neither did anyone else, including Dyseni Records. And there are still lots of Hannah's Fannahs out there who love and support not just me, but both of us."
"Exactly what I mean," Mikayla said with a smirk. "You're always throwing it in everyone's faces about how you two lesbians are all touchy-feely with each other, and it makes lots of us sick!"
"Jealous much?" said Lilly, her voice clear as it carried through the studio.
"NO!" Mikayla replied hastily, a little too quick in her reply. "I just think it's time that somebody knocked you off your little pedestal, Blondie."
There was a nervous pause for a few seconds before Miley said, "Mikayla, you stopped being a concern of mine years ago. Go on." Miley fixed her gaze squarely on the taller brunette. "Be a big star. Sell lots of records. Or flame out like you did before. We don't care either way. And you're not going to drag us down to your level by tryin' to jump us on live TV. We've got more class than that."
No one on the main stage noticed the red light wink out on the cameras, indicating that the show had gone to commercial. The show's director proved to be prescient, as just seconds after going to commercial, Mikayla yelled, "What the fuck is wrong with you two whores?!" She jumped to her feet and took two angry steps toward Lilly and Miley before Lilly was out of her chair and on her feet, Miley standing just seconds after her best friend.
It was rare these days to see Lilly Truscott angry. Life had treated her extremely well, giving her two parents who loved her, a brother who supported her, friends who cared for her and, above all else, life had given her Miley May Stewart Truscott. In turn, Miley was giving her a child, born of their immense love for each other. There was nothing on earth that Lilly wouldn't do to protect her wife and child; administering a sound thrashing to some smart-mouthed brat who talked to her gentle Miley like so much garbage and was now acting like she was about to get up in their faces would be a pleasure to the blonde who was still a tomboy at heart beneath her Lola disguise.
Mikayla came to a sudden halt as she saw Lola Montana step in between Hannah and Mikayla. She had always assumed that the overly silly neon-haired tramp was some spoiled friend of Hannah's who had wormed her way first into Hannah's bed and then into her bank account. But as she stared into the determined cobalt gaze of the young woman standing five feet away from her, Mikayla saw nothing soft whatsoever in that steely stare. She glanced down and saw Lola's manicured fingers curled into fists, the bright gold of fingernail polish on her thumbs standing in stark contrast to the very unladylike stance Lola had taken.
She knows how to fight. And she's pissed. REALLY pissed. At me. Suddenly this brilliant idea didn't seem quite so brilliant anymore.
"What's the matter?" Lilly asked, and now her smile wasn't forced. Getting a chance to stomp Mikayla into the ground had taken her mind off her cramps, plus it'd let her burn off some anger in a rather productive way by defending Miley. "If you think I'm letting you take a swing at my wife, you're as stupid as you act. Not that she needs me to protect her, 'cause she'd kick your butt on her own, but she's pregnant and doesn't need to be fighting right now." Lilly held Mikayla's stare until the taller woman relaxed and took a step back.
Security personnel stepped in between Mikayla and Lilly at that point. As Mikayla yelled, "You two are done in this town! I'm gonna be the one all the girls will be looking up to!"
"You're off to a great start," Miley said acidly, turning her back on Mikayla as she kissed Lilly on the lips briefly. "Thanks for defending me."
Lilly smiled back and placed her hands on her girlfriend's hips. "Who's your knight in shining armor?" she asked, her face bright with happiness.
"You are, of course," Miley said softly, unable to restrain the grin that stretched across her face. She could feel that Lilly's cramps were fading, and both girls could tell their moods were lightening because of that. "You always have been, from the day we first met," Miley whispered, looking deeply into Lilly's warm eyes.
"Hannah, Lola, we are so sorry about that... person walking in here like that!" Mickey said as she pushed her way through the crowd of assorted personnel standing on the set now. She glanced over at her director, who made a motion with her hand. "We're back on the air in fifteen, but you two go ahead. We'll make it up to you, I promise!" She hurried back to her chair as everyone scurried off the stage, making it back just in time.
Miley and Lilly walked away from the set of the television show, hand in hand. The path through the building meandered through different areas of activity, but Miley and Lilly only noticed the warmth of each other's hand as they clasped them together tightly. When they finally reached the exit they heard a voice behind them, yelling, "Hannah! Lola!"
They turned around to see Jen Kittrell, their manager, running toward them. "Hey Jen," Miley said nonchalantly. "You catch the fun in there?"
"I didn't see any fun," Jen said, her face guarded. "Fun would have been Lola knocking the shit out of that little bitch. What I saw was one messed-up girl with a serious anger issue for you." Jen ran her hand through her short blonde hair and blew out a deep breath. "Look, you two go on home and relax. I'll give you a call in a bit once I take of what just happened here. Try to rest up or whatever it is you do before a concert, okay?"
Miley leaned forward and hugged Jen quickly. "Thanks for doing a great job taking care of us, Jen," she said as she patted her manager's back.
As soon as Miley released Jen, Lilly swooped in and gave her a hug as well. "Thanks, teammate," she said at a voice just above a whisper.
"Go on, rest up," Jen said, playfully pushing Lilly away before she had a chance to tear up at the simple, heartfelt statement of Lilly's. She turned around and made her way back to the set of the morning show. Rather than walk directly there, she took a more circuitous route to avoid the press of onlookers and crew clogging up the pathways. As she rounded one corner, she clearly heard what sounded like two women arguing.
"That was incredibly stupid!" said the first voice.
"I don't care!" hissed back the second voice. "This is supposed to be my time, remember? Besides, you yourself are always saying that any press is good press!"
"Look, just because you've got lucky and have a big record company backing you now isn't a guarantee that your next album is going to be a big hit! If you want to take away her fans, you're going to have to do it by providing them with a more attractive option. Play up their being lesbians. Show yourself as a more traditional singer, one with cute but well-behaved boyfriends that will seem easier to tolerate for lots of parents. Hell, Mikayla, play up the religious angle! You're a Catholic, if not a very good one—"
"Watch it, Margot."
"Use that, dammit! The Catholic church is still officially against homosexuality, so use that to your advantage! We'll make sure to get some press coverage of you going to mass a few times; that'll play really well with families. Maybe find you a boyfriend to go with you."
There was a pause before the voice Jen now knew was Mikayla's said, "Seems a bit hypocritical of you, slamming them for being gay and playing up the religious angle."
There was a sound like shoes squeaking, with a sudden gasp before Jen heard, "Listen, you little bitch, that's none of your business! My job is to turn you from a second-string singer to a star again, and that's what I intend to do, whether you like it or not!" There was a pause, then a muffled noise that Jen couldn't identify at first. It was only after a few seconds that she recognized it as the sound of crying, muffled by something, probably a hand or hands. "Now do you think you can behave yourself for the rest of the day, or do I have to put somebody else watching your bratty ass today?"
Jen turned and silently walked away, taking the more crowded path back to the set this time. She stood at the periphery of the set, out of the range of the cameras or the audience as she stood concealed with the others in the shadows ringing the brightly-lit set. After a few moments she saw Mikayla stomping away from the set, her body language indicating her unhappiness. A few steps behind her was a heavyset older woman, glaring daggers at the back of the singer's head. Jen slipped away from the others and made her way along the perimeter of the shadows until she met the larger woman, away from any other observers. "Hi," Jen said, extending her hand for Margot to shake. "You're Mikayla's manager, right? Margot..."
Instantly the scowl that had previously been on the older woman's face was replaced by a friendly smile. "Margot Walters, yes, I'm Mikayla's manager. Have we met?"
Jen shook her head. "Not before now." She released Margot's hand and said, "I wanted to make sure and introduce myself. I'm Jen Kittrell, the manager for Hannah and Lola Montana." She locked gazes with Margot and continued, "Hannah's last manager was her father, who happens to be a very nice man. I, however, am none of the above." Jen leaned in, and despite the difference in their sizes, Margot shrunk back a step. "I suggest you keep your client away from mine, or you and I are going to have problems."
"Who do you think you are, talking—"
Jen's hand shot up, her index finger stopping just short of Margot's nose and stopping her rant before it had time to begin. "Who I am is a bigger bitch than you are, and I'll be more than happy to prove it to you any time you want. I'm not someone who's going to take the high road and prove that I'm better than you, like Hannah and Lola would do. I'm someone who's going tear you the fuck apart if you test me, and I don't care how I have to do it, whether it's in court or a parking lot somewhere. Stay. Away. From. My. Girls." Jen spun on her heels and walked away, not looking over her shoulder. In truth, she was hoping that Margot would react angrily and come after her, but she was expecting the older woman to be more intelligent than that.
After a few seconds had passed and she had reached the director's office, Jen sighed. Margot was a predator, and a smart one at that. That much was clear already. And now it was Jen's job to protect her friends from that predator. She smiled. Being a manager for two celebrities was going to be more fun than she had thought.
Back at their house a few hours later, Miley lay stretched out on the couch as Lilly toweled her hair dry. "A hot shower after playing at the beach always feels sooo good," Lilly said happily. "You have a good nap?"
Miley sat up and turned to look at her best friend, who stood there in a powder blue bra and panties set as she rubbed the white towel over her hair. "Yeah, had a great nap," Miley said, her voice still heavy with sleep. "Dreamed of you. How could it be anything but great?"
Lilly walked over and leaned down to kiss her best friend. "You're so good," she said as she kissed Miley, one short kiss after another.
"One of the reasons you love me," whispered Miley between the kisses, which she had no intention of interrupting. She put her arms around Lilly's neck and lightly tugged down. Lilly slid across the back of the couch until she was resting on Miley's body comfortably. They continued to kiss as the intensity slowly built between them. "I want you," Miley said, hungrily sucking in a breath after a prolonged kiss.
Lilly smiled and sat up. She reached behind her back and undid the clasp on her bra, sliding it off her shoulders as Miley grinned and hooked her fingers inside the top of Lilly's panties. She planted a light kiss directly over where she wanted to be, relishing the taste of soft, clean cotton mixed with the smell of her girlfriend's excitement. Lilly closed her eyes and smiled as she leaned backward until she was resting against the arm of the couch. She lifted her butt off the cushions to let Miley tug her panties off in one smooth motion, then Lilly spread her legs for her lover, hooking her left one over the couch's back and stretching her right leg out along the floor. No sooner had she gotten her left leg over the back of the couch than she felt Miley's warm, wet tongue touch her. "Yes, Miley," Lilly purred as she threw her head back and ran her fingers through her best friend's thick hair, pulling her face even closer, her gentle tongue even deeper. "I love you..."
Miley gripped Lilly's legs tightly, giving her right one a squeeze that meant I love you, too, a signal they had agreed upon long ago. Miley had every intention of going slow, teasing Lilly along, but she couldn't control herself as she began to lose herself in the cascade of arousal washing across her senses: Lilly's taste, Lilly's scent, Lilly's moaning and whimpering, Lilly's slick wetness, Lilly's arching up, urging Miley to go faster, go deeper until Lilly abruptly stiffened up and screamed. Not a simple cry like they both usually uttered when they reached orgasm, but a no-holds-barred scream that lasted long seconds and echoed through the house after Lilly collapsed back onto the couch.
Lilly found herself gasping for breath as she felt Miley climbing up her body. She looked up and saw Miley's grin, her face shiny with what Lilly knew was hers, marking the woman she loved. She gulped down two breaths before Miley kissed her intensely, the taste of Lilly's orgasm and Miley's mouth sending cold chills throughout the length of Lilly's body.
After several seconds of hungry kisses, Miley leaned back. "Wow," she said with a smile before Lilly suddenly sat up, shoving Miley backwards until she was now the one lying flat on the couch.
"No talk," Lilly said as she fell upon Miley, lifting up her shirt and bra in one fierce tug. "Sex," she growled as she sucked Miley's left breast, "not talk."
Miley squirmed underneath Lilly's spirited assault, tossing back and forth as she tried to pull her own panties off without dislodging her girlfriend's grip on her chest. "Need them... off..." she managed to get out as she lifted her hips off the couch. "Please..."
At hearing that word from her lover's lips, Lilly released her grip on Miley's right breast and gave her a look that set Miley's insides aflame with desire. Without words Lilly slid down Miley's stomach, pausing only to teasingly lick her belly button before yanking off Miley's lacy pink panties. She shoved Miley's legs apart and ran her tongue up and down her lover, making Miley cry out and jerk up into a sitting position.
Miley grabbed the back of Lilly's head with her right hand, holding her tight while Lilly made love to her best friend eagerly. Miley opened her mouth to speak but decided against it, instead reaching down with her left hand to move Lilly's hair to the side so she could watch her best friend bring her level of arousal higher and higher. As she could feel the breaking point hurtling toward her, Miley whispered, "I love you, Lil," before her entire body clenched and then explosively released. On some level of consciousness Miley knew she was screaming, but all she could hear was the sound of her blood rushing through her head, singing happily as Miley rode the warm wave of ecstasy. The world went black for a few seconds, leaving her with a feeling of tingling warmth throughout her body, but all too soon that feeling began to fade. As it did Miley became aware of Lilly's arms wrapped around her chest, holding her snugly as Miley shivered uncontrollably. As Miley blinked her eyes open, she saw Lilly watching her closely. Upon seeing her lover's eyes open, Lilly's face shifted from one of concern to one of joy, and she leaned down and kissed Miley wetly, sharing with her wife like Miley had shared with her.
As they broke the kiss, still staring into each other's eyes, Lilly whispered, "Holy cow, Miley, you tasted even more amazing today." She licked her lips as she saw Miley smile, still content lying in Lilly's embrace.
"Must be all the nervousness," Miley said as she shifted her body so that her legs were stretched out along the couch while she remained sitting up, leaning back in Lilly's arms. She looked back up and said, "Thank you for making love to me." She smiled and added, "Thank you for loving me."
Lilly kissed Miley's forehead. "You're welcome. And thank you for making love to me, and for loving me. And for making my eyeballs roll back in my head when I came that time."
Miley giggled. She loved Lilly's sense of humor, especially at moments like this one, a moment so pure and happy and right that she knew she'd remember it for the rest of her life. And maybe for longer after that. "You're welcome, lover," she said warmly as she reached up and flicked a lock of Lilly's blonde hair. "You kinda made me pass out, I came so hard."
Lilly wrinkled her nose slightly as she smiled down at Miley. "Yeah, I kinda noticed. Figured I'd hold you until you came back to me."
Miley shook her head. "I never went away, Lil," she said, her voice slightly huskier than usual. "When I leave here," she said as she tapped herself on the chest, "I go right... here," as she pressed her fingers against Lilly's chest, directly over her heart. "See? I never leave you, Lilly, not ever."
Lilly was surprised when she saw a tear splash against Miley's cheek. She hadn't realized she was crying until she saw a second tear strike her wife's face. "Sorry," she mumbled as she started to look away, but Miley's grip on her chin kept her from turning her head.
"Don't be sorry," Miley said. "I'm not."
Lilly smiled, tears and all, as she said, "Then I'm not sorry either."
"Good. Then stop crying."
Lilly laughed, then she kissed Miley again. "I think I'm more in love with you now than I ever have been, Mrs. Truscott."
Miley pulled Lilly down for another kiss as she said, "That makes two of us, Mrs. Truscott."
"Do you think the baby can feel it when we make love, Miles?"
Miley nodded. "I do. And I think she thinks it's like a roller coaster ride, all fun and exciting. And I know that she can feel how happy we are when we make love."
The ring of the telephone brought the two of them out of their private world. "Dang it," Miley said as she reluctantly sat up, grabbing her head as the room spun momentarily. "Lil, can you get that, please?"
"Sure," Lilly said as she stood up and walked to the end table. "Hello?" she said as she picked up the phone. "Oh, hey Jen." She listened for a moment, then she eagerly said, "Oh, we just got through making love on the couch."
"Lilly!" hissed Miley.
"What?" Lilly replied, giving Miley a look of confusion. "She does kinda know that we have sex, goofy!"
"That's true," Miley said, more to herself than to Lilly. "Anything happen at the set after we left?"
Lilly held up one finger, signaling for Miley to wait just a moment. "Jen said that she heard Mikayla and Margot arguing about something after we left, and that Margot was chewing her out."
"Go figure," Miley mumbled, looking at the clock on the wall. They needed to leave in forty minutes to beat the traffic into Los Angeles. Fortunately, they had already picked out their outfits for tonight right after they had gotten home.
"Oh, Jen says that Playboy upped their offer again. You're now up to seven million."
Miley grabbed a pillow and placed it under her head as she flopped back down on the couch, lying on her stomach as she faced Lilly. "How about for both of us?"
Lilly grinned as she repeated into the phone, "How about for both of us?" She sauntered back over to the couch and sat down in front of her best friend. "Wow, really?" She looked down at Miley, who had rolled over onto her back so she could look up at the woman she was completely, hopelessly in love with. "Twenty for us together."
"Sweet niblets," Miley said softly. She looked into Lilly's glistening blue eyes. "That's a lot of money for the Foundation, hon."
Lilly frowned as she looked at Miley. "Would you like to tell your Mamaw that we're going to be in Playboy?"
Miley sighed. "No," she admitted. "I like being alive."
Lilly patted Miley's belly. "Smart girl," she said proudly. "That'll be another 'Thanks but no,' Jen. Nice of them to keep trying, though." Miley pointed to the clock on the wall; Lilly looked at it and got the point. "We probably need to get dressed for tonight, Jen. See you there!" Lilly hung up after Jen had said goodbye, placing the phone down on the coffee table. "Okay, Miles. Time for Hannah to rock."
As they stood, Lilly said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you! I had Jen add something to the concert rider."
Miley turned to look at Lilly. She took great care to not ask for ridiculous things in Hannah's concert riders, instead just asking for simple things like a comfortable couch, some bottled water, fresh fruit and assorted drinks for her band and crew. Some artists could get quite absurd in their demands before and after concerts, so Miley had always tried to exercise restraint in what she asked for. "What did you have her add, Lil?" Miley asked.
Lilly bit her lip, a sure sign that she was up to something mischievous. "I told her you wanted a ficus in the dressing room. And two beside the stage."
Miley's jaw dropped. "Lilly!" She stopped before she said anything else, because her wife was practically bouncing up and down with glee. "Wow, I can't believe I fell for that," she said to herself.
"I can," Lilly said as she walked back over to Miley and put her arms around her. "Because you're crazy for me."
"You're right," Miley said as they kissed briefly. "But if we get started kissing again, we're gonna be late for the concert, because we'll get stuck in traffic."
Lilly sighed. "You're right," she grumbled.
Miley leaned in and whispered in her best friend's ear, "But I plan on getting you all good and worked up tonight during the show, girlfriend, so you can take me back here and make love to me all night."
Lilly grinned. "You don't need to do anything for me to make love to you all night," she said as she took Miley's hand and walked upstairs with her wife, "but feel free to do that 'getting me all worked up' thing. That sounds like fun."
"Honey, you have no idea what's in store for you tonight," said Miley as they walked down the hall to their bedroom.
Author's Afterword: Wow, that chapter went a bit longer than I was planning, but I thought Miley and Lilly deserved some intimate time after that ordeal at the television station, didn't you? Before any of you ask, yes, Mikayla did briefly date Jake Ryan in the Lileyverse, and she did meet Miley and Lilly as themselves. But they never really had a chance to be friends, because she and Jake broke up shortly afterwards. More on that will surface as the story unfolds, I assure you. Next chapter brings us the kick-off concert for Hannah's new album, as well as more juicy drama (is there any other kind, really?). And congratulations to Miley for her Kids' Choice Award! We love you and wish only the best for you and Emily Osment in your careers! I'm pretty sure Miley and Lilly also wish only the best for you two, since it took you both to bring them to life.
See you at the next chapter!
-- Jo --