Author's Note: Ooooh, I love to see everyone starting to talk about Mikayla's mysterious past! There have been some very good theories put forward, but obviously I can't verify or deny any of them at this point without spoiling the surprise that will come as you find out bits and pieces along the way. I will say that Chapter 14 probably had more clues about that past than any other single chapter, ranging from the very obvious to the extremely subtle. After reading it, I think going back and re-reading previous chapters might give new insight into some phrases and behaviors that might have not be notable at the time they were first read.
Now, I realize that this chapter took forever to post, but it's sort of a long one. I was trying to get it proofread and posted last night, but when I started to fall asleep while reading it I figured it would be best to finish proofing it today. And for those of you unfamiliar with the card game Rook, it's a card game played with two teams of two players each that shares similarities with both Hearts and Spades but ups the challenge with different cards and rules. It tends to become a vicious game among people in the South who take it seriously (sometimes too seriously). I've seen friends and even family members refuse to talk to each other for weeks after a particularly bitter game of Rook. That said, it's time to see what Christmas brings in this chapter!
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 or publication 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 15: Inside the Box
You can change your hair and you can change your clothes
You can change your mind, that's just the way it goes
You can say goodbye and you can say hello
But you'll always find your way back home
You can change your style, you can change your jeans
You can learn to fly and you can chase your dreams
You can laugh and cry but everybody knows
You'll always find your way back home
--Hannah Montana,"You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home"
Christmas Eve came upon the small community of Misty Hollow before anyone realized it. In the warm home of Ruthie Stewart, Miley and Lilly were watching the replay of Hannah Montana's press conference from the previous day. They had gone back to Knoxville to record the brief statement, with Miley not taking any questions from the reporters who had somehow gotten enough notice to gather at the local NBC affiliate.
"After appearin' on CNN's Nancy Grace a few days ago, I've become aware of some incidents occurrin' where fights have broken out between some of mine and Lola's fans and Mikayla's fans. I want all my fans and those who have supported me over the years to hear this loud and clear: I do not want any violence, hate, or anger out there on my behalf. Even if you disagree with the messages of intolerance and egotism being displayed by Mikayla—because that's what they are—please conduct yourselves with class and restraint. I don't want anybody fighting or getting hurt because of things being said about my wife or about me. We're both big girls, and we can ignore that kind of malarkey as well as anyone.
Would I like to apologize for losin' my temper the other night during that interview? Yeah, I would. I let slip some bad language that I'm really glad didn't make it out on the air, and I owe CNN a big one for catchin' that. But I never have and never will apologize for standin' up for my wife and my family, and I can fight back without droppin' myself to the level that Mikayla has carved out.
"To my fans, remember that the message I want you to take home is that love is the most important force in this whole world. It can heal and inspire like nothin' else, and love lets us forgive others as well as ourselves. I don't want any of you to push love aside to embrace hate or anger. It's okay to stand up for yourselves and for what you believe in, but don't act out of anger or retaliation. Like my Papaw always used to say, 'An eye for an eye just leaves everybody blind'."
"I think you hit the perfect tone," said Lilly, snuggled up beside her wife and resting her head on Miley's shoulder as they watched a replay of the brief press conference. "I mean, you clearly told all your fans to not be starting trouble with any of Mikayla's fans, but you also let them know that it was okay to stand up for themselves just like you were standing up for us."
Thankfully, there had only been a few isolated incidents of fights breaking out between groups of Hannah fans and Mikayla fans reported prior to Hannah's statement. Tensions between the two camps remained strong, however, and there was little sign of those tensions mitigating soon.
Lilly and Miley returned their attention to the television for the ending of Hannah's statement.
"This holiday season should be a time of happiness and celebration, not for fighting and name-calling. In my family, we celebrate Christmas in two days, but whatever holiday you recognize, please put forth extra effort to be kind, be patient, and be forgiving this holiday season. Life is too short to waste it on anger and hate. Instead, spend time with your loved ones and give thanks for all the blessings you've been given in this life. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!"
"Oh yeah," said Lilly, giving Miley a quick kiss on her cheek. "Perfect job. I'm proud of you."
"I'm sure somebody'll find something wrong with it," Miley said, still a bit depressed about losing her composure on the interview.
"Oh, hush," chided Lilly. "Who cares what anybody but your fans, friends and family think about it? Let 'em be goobers if they want to. We can just ignore them."
Miley looked curiously at her wife and ran her fingers through Lilly's recently straightened and shiny blonde hair.
"What?" asked Lilly, focused on Miley's expression.
"Well, I'd swear that this was blonde hair, but it sounds like there's a brain under them roots!" Lilly playfully pushed Miley's head back, getting a deep laugh from Miley that sent shivers up and then down her back.
"You have the sexiest laugh," Lilly said, her voice entirely serious as she looked into Miley's sparkling blue eyes. "It's so honest."
"Thank you," said Miley politely as she stared more into Lilly's own lovely eyes. "But what I'd honestly like to do right now is kick Mikayla's ass to the curb."
"I know you would, Miles, and that's why I'm even more proud of you for showing as much class as you did in your statement."
Miley leaned back on the couch, with Lilly following her down. "Well, any feud between me and her needs to stay between us. Nobody else, especially my fans, needs to get sucked down into this. And I don't want anybody else getting hurt like Mel did."
Lilly rested with her head on Miley's chest for a minute or two, listening to her best friend's heartbeat. "Does it bother you that they got into trouble for fighting to defend you?" she finally asked.
Miley thought before she answered, "Yeah, it does. I mean, Peyton was really just tryin' to defend her sister!"
"But their parents both said that they were only grounding them for a week because they had a good reason for getting in the fight, Miley. They didn't punish them as hard as they would have otherwise. And there have to be some consequences for getting into fights, right?"
"Most of the time, yeah," Miley carefully replied. "But sometimes fighting for something or someone you love is the right thing to do, and how can you punish someone for doin' the right thing?"
Lilly opened her mouth to reply, then she caught herself. She smiled, then she said, "You know, it sounds sort of like we're talking about our daughter instead of our nieces, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," Miley said, nodding. "Hope you realize that I'm right by the time she's old enough to be swingin' punches."
"Hey, are we getting in the big hot tub tonight like we had talked about?" Lilly suddenly asked, neatly changing the subject.
When Ruthie's doctor had first mentioned that warm water therapy might help with her rehabilitation following the surgery to repair her leg several months ago, Miley had decided to take the opportunity to do something nice for her grandmother. She and Lilly had carefully researched different brands and model of hot tubs, finally deciding to purchase two separate hot tubs, one a swim spa allowing endless swimming inside a twenty-foot long heated spa with wave jets, the other a luxurious state-of-the-art spa that looked like it could comfortably fit twelve or fourteen people.
The two of them had spent two weeks consulting with one of the country's premier spa companies, going so far as to fly them out to Tennessee twice, first to inspect the proposed area and then to really build the agreed-upon facility behind Ruthie's house. In addition to the swim spa and hot tub, Miley and Lilly had also paid for a small outbuilding, designed to match the farmhouse, with two bathrooms and changing rooms to service the hot tubs. The tubs themselves had canopies built over them with flexible walls that could be rolled up and tied out of the way when the weather was nice or pulled down to hold in the heat when the weather turned cold.
The tubs were being cleaned when the girls made it back to Misty Hollow a few days ago, and tonight would be the first night since they had returned that the two hot tubs would be filled and operational. To celebrate, they had asked Peyton and Melody, Jackson and Kaela, Luanne and Ron and their friends Amy Hearon and Dee Zaharias to join them. Since the Stewarts had always celebrated Christmas on Christmas morning, the night before had always been kept free to do whatever anyone felt like, and a hot tub party sounded like oodles of fun to both Miley and Lilly.
In response to Lilly's question, Miley nuzzled her wife's ear and whispered, "You bet your sweet butt that we're gettin' in that hot tub. I'm wantin' to see you in that new half-off pink bikini you got the other day."
Lilly looked confused. "Miles, it wasn't on sale, sweetie."
Miley shook her head. "Didn't say it was. I said it was half-off. As in, it's only got about half the fabric a bikini's supposed to have." Miley had been shocked when Lilly had held the tiny bikini up for her to see last month. It was much more daring than usual for Lilly; granted, her wife had the athletic body to pull off such a revealing outfit, but it had still given Miley quite a start to consider how Lilly would look in that particular bathing suit.
Lilly grinned. "Been saving it for the hot tub here, honey. The waves'd knock that top right off of me if I tried to surf in it. And probably the bottoms too."
"I might just knock the top and bottoms off of you myself," Miley mumbled under her breath.
"What was that, Miles?"
Miley smiled pleasantly. "Oh, just thinkin' to myself."
The look that Lilly gave her best friend indicated that she didn't buy that line for a second, but she wisely let it go. After all, she had a pretty good idea of Miley's train of thought at the moment, because she could feel her own body start to heat up deep inside her pelvis in tune with Miley's growing arousal. "Won't be long until tonight, lover girl," Lilly whispered back to Miley, brushing her lips over Miley's before getting up and stretching slowly.
"Shoot!" said Miley suddenly, sitting up and grabbing her cell phone off the table beside them. "Lunch with Mamaw and Daddy!"
Lilly bolted forward, running through the house and into their guest room. She grabbed the outfit that Miley had already picked out for the lunch they had planned with Ruthie and Robbie Ray earlier in the week. She tossed the dress to Miley as she came through the door, her shirt already off. "I am so sorry, Miley! I totally forgot about it!" Lilly said as she hurriedly stripped out of her own lounging around clothes.
"Not like I remembered any better'n you did, hon," Miley replied as she tugged her top down over her bra. "But we can still make it if we hurry."
"Better getting there late than getting there dead," Lilly said, casting a wary eye at Miley.
Miley stopped, still holding her shorts in her hands. "Obviously, you've never been late to one of my Mamaw's get-togethers. 'Cause let me tell you, for Mamaw us gettin' there late and us gettin' there dead ain't exactly mutually exclusive."
Lilly went back to work pulling on clothes, managing to squeeze out a bit more speed than before.
Eleven minutes Miley and Lilly had made it to the restaurant with exactly one minute to spare, but it took Miley driving and Lilly yelling at her to slow down most of the way to achieve that. By the time they got out of the car, both girls were a bit rattled.
"Can I stop looking for cops now?" Lilly asked softly, looking over her shoulder once again.
Miley forced herself to not look at her wife just yet. "You can stop once we're inside," she said, taking Lilly's hand as they hurried to the front door of Sullivan's Restaurant.
Located in a town close to Misty Hollow, the restaurant had been built in what was originally an old department store along the city's original Broadway. The years had been unkind to most of the buildings along this part of Broadway, but the restaurant had renovated this building entirely, keeping the unusual loft layout of the old store and even leaving the original brick walls uncovered. People both young and old enjoyed the restaurant for being a living link to the past while still offering the excellent food of an upscale restaurant.
By the time the meal was over, Lilly was quite content. Her belly was full, she had enjoyed seeing Ruthie back to her old self, and it was nice to see not only Robbie Ray but also Luanne's father Bobby Ray and her stepmother Noel. Ruthie had also told them about a special Christmas-themed church service the night after Christmas, consisting only of singing. The more Lilly pondered that, the more she wondered if Miley would sing if they went. For that matter, should Miley sing if they went? Would someone be able to recognize her voice as Hannah Montana's, even singing totally different songs?
The fact that the answer to that question didn't immediately come to mind troubled Lilly. Well, if she wasn't sure about the risk, then common sense said to not take the chance.
"What's on your mind, hon?" asked Miley as they were walking back to their Blazer.
"Hm?" Lilly said, looking up. "Oh, just thinking about that singing coming up at the church."
"Ah." After a pause, Miley said, "Thinkin' about us goin'?"
"Sort of. I was really thinking about if it would be smart for you to sing a song or two up there."
Miley frowned at that thought. "I'm not sure, Lil. Even singin' Christmas songs, there's a chance that someone could get suspicious about how much my voice sounds like Hannah's."
"Yeah, I know," said Lilly, leaning against Miley as they walked. "Your voice is one of a kind. I think that it'd be too big a risk for you to sing at a church special."
"Doesn't mean we can't go for a bit."
Lilly looked back up and over at her wife. "Really? You wouldn't mind going? Because, you know, I'd like to get to see some of the people at the church again. Some of them have been really nice to us."
Miley hugged her best friend closer. "I'd like to see some of 'em too, girlfriend. I think we could stop by for a few minutes."
"That works," said Lilly happily. "Thank you, Miles. For letting me be a part of your world, I mean."
"Aw, Lilly," said Miley, "you are my world. Everything else is lucky to get the chance to be around you."
"You're an awesome wife, Miley Truscott."
"Because I learned from the best, Lilly Truscott. And you teach me more about being a good wife every day."
Lilly put both arms around Miley and held her tightly as they continued their walk, slowly but happily. "Love you, Miles," she said, her voice slightly muffled by Miley's thick coat.
"Love you too, baby," Miley answered with a kiss to Lilly's toboggan-covered head.
After a trip to Knoxville for some shopping, the two young women were on their way back to Ruthie's house. They had split up long enough to do some shopping for each other, and the bags had been sorted carefully. Lilly's purchases were in the backseat, where Miley's couldn't see them since she was driving, while Miley's purchases were in the cargo space in the back of the Blazer, where Lilly couldn't turn around and peek at them.
As they neared Ruthie's house, they saw three cars parked at the house. They recognized one as Ruthie's, but the other two were new to them.
"Wonder who that is?" said Miley as she looked at the cars. "I mean, it's not really time for people to start gettin' here, is it?"
Lilly didn't take her eyes off the road. "Beats me."
"You're a lot of help."
"I try," Lilly said with a smile as she turned into the long driveway. As they pulled up to the house, they saw the front door swing open as a tall woman with long red hair burst out of the house, racing across the porch and down the steps as she ran to the cars.
Lilly quickly put the car into Park and turned off the engine, but Miley had already beaten her out of the car. "KAELA!" Miley squealed as she met her sister-in-law with a warm hug. "Oof, don't squish the baby!" she said quickly.
Kaela released Miley just in time for Lilly to grab her. "We were wondering when you were all coming in! How are Jackson and the kids?" she asked hurriedly.
"They're great," said Kaela as she examined Miley's belly. "Aw, I can't believe you're really pregnant!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. "I know you two are just beside yourselves; you've wanted to have kids with each other for so long, and now it's finally coming true!"
Lilly smiled as she put her arm around Miley. "It's more amazing every day, Kae, it really is. I mean, getting to share this with Miley, I just..." Lilly felt a tear form in her left eye. "It's hard to put it into words, sometimes. How much I love this."
Miley turned and wrapped her arms around Lilly, holding her tightly as she buried her face against Lilly's neck. "You don't have to put it into words, Lilly," she said softly, letting Lilly cry a few tears before she got herself under control. The emotions were coming with more intensity now, and at the oddest times for both of them. Miley's were still a bit more unpredictable than Lilly's, but sometimes Lilly would just be overcome with unexpected emotions. Miley knew her hormones were affecting Lilly through the connection they shared, and she just tried to be Lilly's support when a tidal wave of feelings came out of nowhere and crashed upon her. By now Miley had gotten used to it—mostly—but Lilly still didn't know exactly how to handle the surge of emotion just yet. Miley looked up to see Kaela watching them with an expression that seemed to combine amusement with nostalgia.
"Jeez, I've missed you two," Kaela said. "Now come inside, it's cold out here. Somebody said something about a hot tub, I think?"
"Oh yeah!" said Lilly, wiping her eyes with her left hand. "Hot tub party is ready to go!"
A little over an hour later, everything was set for the party. Robbie Ray and Ruthie had gone for a drive to look at the Christmas lights, and Miley had extracted a promise from her father that they'd be gone for at least three hours. In return, she and Lilly had promised to not let anyone tear up the house. In fact, they had already moved a cooler with different drinks out on the back porch, and a table with assorted snack foods had been set up beneath the covered part of the back porch. It was just a short distance between refreshments and the warm jacuzzi, but in the winter cold it was an exhilarating experience.
Miley and Lilly changed into their swimsuits inside the house, Miley going for a light blue bikini with a teak ring holding the front together. The odd wooden ring drew attention to her chest, and Miley was happy with it being that way tonight. Lilly had put on the barely-there bikini, its color somewhere between pink and red, and they both had thick robes on as they went out the back door. They saw that Jackson and Kaela were already in the hot tub, talking with Luanne and Ron.
"Hey, everybody!" called out Miley, waving as her brother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law and secret sister returned her greeting.
Lilly started to say something, then she stopped and pointed quickly. "I think we have a few more, Miles," she said with a smile.
Walking around the corner of the house were Peyton, Melody, Amy, Dee, and a boy and girl that Miley and Lilly didn't recognize. "Ya'll go change in the bathhouse over there," Miley said, raising her voice to be heard over the bubbling jets.
As the younger quartet went to the bathhouse, Amy and Dee continued walking to the back porch. "We got our suits on under our clothes," Amy said cheerily. "No point in wastin' time!"
Miley took off her robe, revealing her slightly distended abdomen to cheers and squeals from Kaela and Amy. "I'm not stayin' in too long," she said. "Don't want this little girl to get too hot."
"I so hate you," said Kaela, deadpan. "My stomach was already huge when I was four months pregnant with Jefferson."
Miley stopped just before getting into the jacuzzi. "That's a bunch a' bull!" she said. "Kaela, you're dang near six and a half feet tall or somethin' like that, and there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of your stomach bein' anywhere near as big as mine is at nineteen weeks!"
"Actually, it was pretty big for her height," Jackson added. "Even the doctor said—" His words were cut short by his face contorting in pain, his mouth open in a silent cry.
"I don't think they want to hear what my doctor said, sweetheart," said Kaela, a thin smile on her face as she leaned against her husband, her left hand and arm submerged beneath the foaming surface of the warm water. She slowly moved back to her previous position beside Jackson, and he finally gasped for breath as her left hand came above the surface of the water, resting on the wall of the jacuzzi beside her.
Miley couldn't help but laugh at her brother's obvious discomfort. In fact, it just felt right to have the chance to joke around with him and Kaela again. It had been too long since they had seen each other, close to six months now, and rarely Miley found herself missing the fun and even the aggravation that went along with living her brother—sometimes. But things change, and with time siblings in a house give way to spouses and children for most people, as the case had been with Miley and Jackson as well as with Lilly and Ron.
Lilly came back over to the hot tub. "Here you go, Miles," she said, holding out a cup of hot tea and a plate of potato chips. "Figured you'd want something to snack on while we relaxed."
"Oh, you are so good to me, darlin'," gushed Miley as she took the plate and cup of steaming tea, giving Lilly a lingering kiss on the lips in repayment. "Love you," she said as she stuffed a chip in her mouth. She noticed that Dee had come back over with Lilly; the soft-spoken girl with raven black hair carried two cups of hot tea over to where Amy had already climbed into the jacuzzi, handing her friend one as she set her own on the hot tub's wall beside Amy. Dee's gaze lingered on Amy just a second longer than would be expected before Amy turned to thank her, blowing a playful kiss in a way that might have been an opening flirt.
Well, that's interesting, thought Miley. She looked away before either Amy or Dee caught her looking at them, arranging her plate and cup where there would be enough room between them and Lilly's sure-to-follow plate and cup for them to lean their heads back without knocking anything off the jacuzzi—or into it.
When Peyton and Melody came back out, they introduced their guests to everyone. Monica was one of Melody's friends, almost exactly the same height as Melody but with ash brown hair and hazel eyes to contrast Melody's dark hair and green eyes. Peyton's guest was named Walt; they had become friends over the last year at school, and tonight was apparently—
"Your first date?!" shouted Miley with a squeal. "Your first date, and you got into a bikini for him?" She shifted to look at Walt. "Do you know how lucky you are, buster? I mean, a girl 'round here doesn't hop into a bikini for just anybody."
Peyton blushed slightly, but she recovered enough to say, "Aunt Miley, it's okay, really. We had talked about going out and doin' stuff right after school started, but we just never found the time to do anything."
"That's your Aunt Miley?" Walt said to Peyton, surprise evident on his face.
Peyton nodded. "Yeah, and that's my Aunt Lilly," she added, pointing to Lilly, who helpfully waved at the now quite self-conscious young man.
"I take it Peyton's talked about us before?" Lilly asked, more than slightly amused.
The young man nodded vigorously. "Yes ma'am," he said politely. "She said you two were drop-dead gorgeous, and I see that she wasn't exaggeratin'!"
Lilly turned to Miley and said, "I like him, I think."
Miley grinned at her wife. "He's off to a good start, that's for sure," she replied as she rested her head on Lilly's shoulder. Lilly responded by circling her arm around Miley's waist, pulling her wife close to her.
Melody's friend Monica turned to look at her. She leaned in and said just loud enough to be heard over the rushing jets, "I just now realized that this seems to be a couples thing. Is that right?"
Melody felt her heart skip several beats. She looked into her friend's eyes and summoned up the willpower to tell her the truth despite the gnawing fear of the possible reactions. "Yeah," she said. "Is... Is that okay with you?"
The other girl looked closely into Melody's eyes for several long seconds before Melody felt fingers tentatively, fumblingly grasp her hand beneath the steamy water. "I've known you since third grade, Mel," Monica said, leading Melody slightly away from the others now talking loudly over the noise of the hot tub. "I was one of the first people you told when you realized you were gay."
"And you were always okay with that," replied Melody. "With me."
Monica smiled, and Melody felt her heart leap at that sign. "And I'm always gonna be okay with you, Mel. Just like I'm okay with this bein' our first date." Beneath the cover of warm, bubbling water, two more hands found each other and grasped tightly, completing the circuit of contact between the two girls. "I'd been waitin' for you to ask me out for a while, you know."
"What?" said Melody, nearly yelling in her surprise. "And you made me sweat over this for months without sayin' anything to me about it?"
Monica shook her head, but her smile told her true feelings as she playfully said, "Well, at least now I won't have to hear any more about that girl you met out in California!" Melody laughed with Monica joining in. Finally they stopped laughing; Monica said, "C'mon, let's go sit back with the other couples. I mean, if that's okay with you," she added, playfully intoning her words quite like Mel had done just a minute earlier.
Mel smiled and squeezed Monica's hand. "I think I can handle that," she said.
Not quite twenty minutes later, Miley stretched. "Think I'm gettin' out before I get too hot," she said during a break in the conversation. Having a chance to talk face to face with so many of her family and friends had been wonderful, but Miley knew she needed to cool off a bit.
As Miley stood and turned to step out of the jacuzzi, Lilly watched her wife's dripping body before she dreamily said, "You never get too hot for me, Miles," prompting laughter and several playful comments from around the hot tub.
Miley looked over her shoulder, giving Lilly a look both teasing and loving before she grabbed her robe and pulled it on over her wet body. She walked back over to the tub and bent down to whisper something in Lilly's ear. Whatever she said made Lilly grin madly before she carefully grabbed Miley's head and kissed her warmly. After several seconds, Lilly said, "Be right in, hon."
Miley looked over at Kaela and Jackson with a loaded smile. "We can beat ya'll's butts at Rook, Jackson," she finally said.
"What did you say?" said Jackson, standing up before Kaela could pull him back down. "Kae, she just threw down the gauntlet on us! No, she picked it up and smacked us across the face with it!"
Seeing that she wasn't going to be able to defuse a long-standing rivalry between brother and sister, Kaela just rolled her eyes. She turned to look at Lilly and said, "I think our spouses just declared war on each other, Lilly."
Lilly nodded. "Yeah, and I don't really know to play Rook," she said with the voice of a woman resigned to her fate. She looked at Luanne. "Lu, you mind to help me learn?"
The smile that slid across Luanne's face was most definitely competitive. "I'd love to," she said with a cheerful voice. "You ready to get dried off, baby?" she asked Ron, who kissed her before gallantly climbing out of the hot tub to fetch his wife's towel and robe for her. "Thanks, babe," Luanne said as she rewarded her husband with a much warmer and prolonged kiss for his efforts.
Miley walked back over to where Peyton, Walt, Monica and Melody were gathered together in the hot tub, talking in slightly lower tones. "Hey, what time's your ride pickin' ya'll up?" she asked, directing her question mainly to Peyton.
Peyton checked her watch, which thankfully was waterproof. Or at least she hoped it was. "In about ten minutes," she said.
"Well, don't you think you need to get out so you can get dried off and changed back into regular clothes?" asked Miley.
Peyton started to protest, but the look she was getting from her aunt told her that she needed to comply. She smiled. "Okay, Aunt Miley." She looked down at her sister and their dates. "Let's go, guys. Don't want anybody waitin' on us."
Less than two minutes later, Amy looked around. Miley had gone inside with Kaela, Jackson, Luanne and Ron, and Lilly had apparently made off with the remaining potato chips and dip. "Well damn it, Dee," Amy said as she sat back down in the warm water, "It sure looks like everybody else's got up and left us alone out here."
Dee, who had been lying back trying to settle her jangling nerves, lifted her head up and rubbed her eyes; she was enjoying the warmth nearly as much as being close to her friend whom she had begun to dream of as much more than simply a friend. But she was hesitant to risk revealing her true feelings just yet. Sure, Amy seemed comfortable with Miley and Lilly being with each other, but how would she feel when it was her on the spot? Mentally, Dee winced. Now wasn't the time to take that risk. Maybe later. She sighed and said, "So, is it—" Her words stuck in her throat when she saw Amy hovering just inches in front of her face. "Amy?" she said, her words nearly a squeak.
"Hey," replied Amy, a smile that signified either fun, trouble, or both on her face. Amy slid her knees up, one on each side of Dee's thighs as she straddled her slightly built friend. "Come on, Dee," Amy said, her lips inching closer to Dee's as she spoke. "You know you want to kiss me. And I sure as hell want to kiss you." Amy's left hand gently pressed against Dee's flushed cheek as her right hand gripped Dee's ribs beneath the water, sending the currently magenta-haired skater girl's heart into overdrive. "Look up," Amy said, smiling even more broadly.
Dee lifted her gaze up the canopy covering the hot tub. I'll be damned. Mistletoe. She looked back into Amy's hazel eyes. "So I guess we have to kiss now, huh?" she asked, unable to keep from grinning like a fool.
"Uh huh," said Amy as she closed her eyes and leaned forward, their lips finally touching after months of secret fantasies and unbidden dreams of romance for each of them. As Amy lifted her right hand to grip Dee's head and pull them deeper into each other's kiss, Dee's hand moved of their own accord to Amy's butt, pulling the raven-haired girl's body tight against her own. Dee was only partially aware of how Amy began to slowly grind her body against her stomach, because she was swept up in the kiss that was growing to consume not only her entire world but also her very heart.
On the other side of the kiss, Amy's racing thoughts finally shut up and gave her peace now that she was acting on her desires that she had carefully kept bottled up for countless nights. As her brain screamed for air, she finally felt herself pull back just enough for them to breathe. "I've wondered what your lips would feel like for I don't know how long, Dee," Amy whispered as she opened her eyes to stare into Dee's.
"What did they taste like?" Dee asked, curious to know and eager to focus on anything to try and slow down her heart, which she was sure was about to rip out of her chest and run away. Amy smiled, and Dee realized that her heart wasn't going to get a chance to relax for a long, long time.
"They taste like my best friend... who I'm in love with." Suddenly, fear stole across Amy's face. "Oh my God, you are okay with this, aren't you? I mean, with you and me... I mean, I don't want to do anything to mess up our friendship, Dee, but I think we can..." Her voice trailed off as she felt Dee's fingers slip just beneath the fabric of her bikini bottoms, stopping after making firm contact with the bare skin of her buttocks. "Yeah, Dee..." she whispered, closing her eyes and savoring the electric sensation of her best friend's fingers on her bare skin.
Dee smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay with it," she said, trying to maintain a calm facade but not having much success. "Since I realized I loved you about six months ago and was just tryin' to work up the guts to tell you."
Amy smiled as she shifted more of her weight to rest on Dee's lap. "Well, looks like you worked up that nerve after all."
Dee took one hand out of Amy's bikini bottoms and used it to pull her friend against her body, letting them kiss once again for long seconds. When they parted for air, Dee whispered, "Merry Christmas, Amy."
"Mmm, Merry Christmas, Dee," Amy replied, giving another soft kiss to her new girlfriend. "You think Miley and Lilly'll mind if we skip out a bit early tonight?"
"I think they'll forgive us. And somebody had to put the mistletoe up there, after all. Who else'd do it if not the two of them?" Dee leaned back, and Amy went down with her, maintaining skin-to-skin contact between their upper bodies.
Amy sighed happily as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Then let's go. I want to unwrap my present early."
Dee looked a bit surprised at that statement. "Uh, I kinda... haven't got your gift wrapped yet, Amy," she hesitantly admitted.
Amy leaned back, then she stuck out her tongue at Dee briefly. "Damn, Dee, that's not what I meant!" she said with a laugh. "I meant, I want to unwrap this present tonight," she said, lightly tugging on the shoulder strap of Dee's black bikini.
Dee smiled up at her friend for ten years and her roommate for the last four. "Only if I get to unwrap my present too," she said as she shifted them into a standing position.
"Then let's get goin', before the high schoolers hit us up for a ride home so they don't have to ride with Peyton and Mel's mom. I'll call Miley once we get in your truck and let her know we'll talk to 'em tomorrow."
As blue eyes watched through the frost-limned window in the back porch door, Amy and Dee stood and quickly grabbed their robes and clothes, slipping on their boots and then running for the warmth of Dee's truck as they held hands. Once they were consumed by the night, Luanne turned and leaned against the back door, smiling at how successful her mistletoe had been. She wasn't entirely sure that she could ever repay Amy for all the terrors she had inflicted on the sweet girl during their childhood, but helping her find the courage to take a chance on love might be a good start. "Merry Christmas, Ames," she said softly to herself. "You deserve it." She turned and walked into the kitchen, ready to administer a beating to Jackson in Rook.
Christmas morning came before the sun peeked above the horizon, with Miley and Lilly both waking around seven. They had planned on sleeping in, but they were both too excited to stay in bed once Miley stirred, involuntarily waking Lilly from slumber as well. After a gentle session of early morning lovemaking, the two young women got in the shower, basking in the warm cascade as they took their time getting clean.
Not long after opening their own private presents to each other, the shouts and squeals of small children heralded the arrival of the first family to arrive at Ruthie's house. Jackson and Kaela and their two boys hurried inside, chased by the bitter cold blanketing the valley that morning. Miley and Lilly took turns holding their nephews Sam and Jefferson as they tore into their presents. Sam was now seven, turning eight in February, and Jefferson, at two, was just beginning to exhibit the same glee as his older brother when it came to tearing into presents.
It would be so easy to spoil them, thought Miley as she sat on the floor and watched Sam open his next present. But not only would it raise questions about Lilly and me, it wouldn't be fair to those kids. They need to grow up just like Lilly and I did, so they appreciate what they have. She felt strong legs against her hips before she saw Lilly's calves slip up on each side of her. As Lilly scooted in close behind Miley to hold her wife happily, Miley closed her eyes and leaned back as Jefferson stood on chubby legs and ran to his mother, who was holding his next present from "Papaw" Robbie Ray.
"Penny for your thoughts," Miley said, twirling a lock of her long dark brown hair as she rested her head against Lilly's shoulder.
"I was just enjoying how loved I feel here," Lilly said softly, emotion resonating beneath every word she carefully spoke.
Miley blinked her eyes twice, moisture abruptly present in each of them. "You are loved here, baby," she said, her voice's timbre shifting slightly higher.
"That's one of the best gifts I could ever get, Miles. It's only behind having you and having our baby, and there's nothing I appreciate more than you two." She kissed Miley on the temple. "Thank you again for asking me to be part of your life, Miles."
Miley leaned her head slightly to the left so that it was resting against Lilly's head rather than leaning back against her shoulder. "Honey, I didn't have to ask; you always were part of my life, whether we realized it or not. And you better know that by now, I tell you so dang much."
"Well, thanks for making it official, then, by marrying me," Lilly said, speaking softly due to her proximity to Miley's ear. "Otherwise your Mamaw wouldn't be letting me do the things I do to you when we're here." She ended her sentence with a light lick to Miley's upper ear, making her Tennessee bride shiver with excitement.
"You cold, Miley?" asked Kaela. "Need a blanket?" The slight smirk on her face told Miley that Kaela had apparently noticed Lilly's little love lick. Hopefully her dad and her mamaw had missed it.
"No thanks, Kae," Miley said, fighting to keep her voice composed despite the inner fires rising inside her. "Fire's plenty warm," she added, and that statement was true both for the fire warming the house as well as for the heat inside her. Miley debated with herself for a bit before reaching a decision. It's Christmas. They'll forgive us.
Miley stood, turning and holding out a hand to help Lilly up. Lilly smiled as she looked into her wife's eyes, taking the proffered hand and letting Miley help her to her feet. "We, uh, still have some presents to unwrap to each other," Miley said to no one in particular as she and Lilly made their way to the hallway, hand in hand as Lilly lightly tugged Miley along. "Won't be too long!"
"Says you," whispered Lilly from the safety of the hallway, a positively naughty grin on her face as she opened the bedroom door for her now literally blushing bride.
Not quite an hour later, Miley and Lilly began to stir in the mess of jumbled covers and sheets that their bed had become. They had brought two room deodorizers to help neutralize the musky smell of sex that could easily accumulate in the relatively small room, since it was insulated by quilts and winter made it too cold to keep the windows open for the room to air out. The two of them had never thought much about the scent of their excitement and lovemaking other than how it turned them on even more, but they had no desire to explain to any younger family members—or older family members, for that matter—exactly what that primal scent in their room was.
A knock on the door woke both young women from their peaceful rest. They hadn't so much fallen asleep as they had become content holding each other tightly, face to face as they cuddled beneath a single sheet, letting their considerable body heat keep them warm.
"Hey, get your butts out of bed!" came the voice of Peyton through the door.
"Or we'll come in there and drag you out!" added Melody.
Lilly giggled as she continued playing with Miley's hair, much of which was across her chest, concealing most of her breasts. Lilly twisted a few strands of her wife's hair into a soft brush, gently tickling Miley's right nipple with it until Miley finally couldn't resist the tickling any longer, twisting into and against Lilly with a fit of laughter.
"No fair," mumbled Miley from where she had buried her face between Lilly's breasts, placing soft kisses on each with infinite patience.
Lilly sighed dramatically. "Love and war, remember?" she said, kissing Miley on the crown of her head. "You know, even your scalp is cute."
Miley jerked her head up, nearly knocking Lilly in the nose. "My scalp?" she asked, disbelief written across her face. "Really? Really?"
With great seriousness, Lilly nodded slowly. "Cutest scalp I've ever seen," she said with a tiny smile.
Miley rolled her eyes and fell back on the bed. "It's official. Love's driven you completely nuts."
Lilly moved her left arm over Miley's chest, using her fingers to walk down to Miley's stomach, her lower lip lightly sticking out as she concentrated upon her target.
"Lilly, don't you dare tickle my belly button!"
Bingo.
"LILLY!"
After several minutes Miley and Lilly opened the door to their bedroom, now fully dressed. They saw Peyton standing directly in front of the door, but she quickly jerked her hands back behind her as soon as the door opened. Miley frowned. "Pickin' the lock, huh?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Well, we warned you ten minutes ago," Peyton said in weak protest. She turned around to face her sister, standing there with a massive plastic cup of some kind. "Might as well put the marbles up, Mel," she said, disappointment in her voice.
As Melody and Peyton dejectedly turned and walked down the hallway back toward the living room and kitchen, Lilly looked curiously at Miley. "Marbles? I thought she had cold water in that cup or something."
Miley shook her head. "Mamaw keeps a big cup full a' marbles in the freezer. Fastest way to break somebody from sleepin' in, dumpin' a bunch of ice cold marbles into bed with 'em." Miley involuntarily shivered. "Plus there's no mess to clean up from water or meltin' ice."
Lilly smiled as she put her arm around Miley's waist. "Sounds like my little pookie knows from experience."
Miley smiled herself now, the chilly memories no match for the sunny warmth of Lilly's presence. "I mighta had it done to me a time or two growin' up," she admitted.
As the two of them re-entered the living room, they noticed that the crowd of people had grown even more. Now the large living room was very nearly full, with several of the women seeking out seats in the slightly more peaceful kitchen. Ruthie was bustling back and forth, checking different dishes that were nearly ready for Christmas brunch, with Robbie Ray's wife Noel and Dolly helping prepare plates and drinks. As Miley and Lilly watched, Miley's aunt Vicky left the kitchen, tossing a potholder glove onto the counter as she turned and snatched up a camera as she went to the living room.
Miley and Lilly stopped just beyond the hallway, taking in the happy chaos that ensued from having so many children both big and small opening presents. Wrapping paper was everywhere, covering most of the floor and much of the chairs and couches, despite Robbie Ray and Jackson patrolling, each carrying a large black garbage bag and stuffing scraps of wrapping paper into them as soon as they picked them up. Most of the children were in front of the tree, including Jackson and Kaela's two sons, who were swarming over their mother as she tried to dole out presents to everyone quickly enough to placate the youngsters, ten-year-old Andy and twelve-year-old Heath Burns, first cousins to Melody and Peyton and second cousins to Miley, and Peyton and Melody themselves. Miley's cousins Paul and David Burns sat on the big couch with their wives, taking in the gleeful sight as Miley's Uncle Earl and his wife Pearl watched from the smaller couch on the other side of the living room.
"Wow," said Lilly. "No matter how many times I see this, it's still so amazing."
"It makes you appreciate your family, doesn't it?" said a voice from behind them, making both Miley and Lilly spin around.
"Lu!" said Miley, immediately pulling her sister into a hug with Lilly wrapping her arms around both of them. "Was wonderin' when you'd get here."
"We came in the back door," said Luanne, pointing to the door that Ron was just now closing. "Figured it'd be less like a combat zone that way."
"Good call," said Lilly, releasing her wife and sister-in-law to walk down the hall and hug her older brother. "Merry Christmas, Ron," she said, hugging Ron firmly enough that she began to squeeze the breath out of him.
"Lilly," Ron said, his voice squeaking slightly as his sister tightened her grip. Finally he got a hand free and gave her ribs a quick poke, making Lilly lightly squeal and jump back. "Brat," he said, not meaning it in the least.
Lilly's eyes sparkled with mischievousness as she looked at her brother; while older, there was still a streak of playfulness inside him, and Lilly doubted that would ever go away. She hoped it didn't, because she suspected that playfulness and ability to find happiness in so many different things was part of why Luanne had been attracted to him from the beginning. It only made sense, after all, for someone who had spent most of her life being unhappy to want to find as much happiness in everyday life as she possibly could. Suddenly Lilly surged forward again, but this time she didn't squeeze Ron too tightly. "Don't ever grow up, big brother," she whispered. "Not all the way."
Ron was frozen for a few seconds before he finally returned the genuine hug from his baby sister. It had been odd, watching Lilly go from annoying teenager to being in love and then married in just two years, but there was no doubt in Ron Truscott's mind that Lilly had found her perfect partner in Miley. "You do the same for me, Sweaty," he said, pulling out an old nickname that he hadn't used in years for his athletic sister. "We did good with our wives, huh?" he added, feeling himself tear up slightly.
Lilly nodded against his shoulder. "The best," she agreed.
Miley and Luanne watched as their spouses shared a touching hug. "That is so sweet," said Miley as Luanne nodded.
"Ron normally tries to keep that sentimental side hidden from everybody else," Luanne said. "But he couldn't hide it from me for too long," she added, a jaunty smile on her face.
Miley turned to regard her twin sister. "You and your puzzles," she said. "Never could find one you couldn't beat."
Luanne shrugged, and Miley noted that what would have once been cockiness, if not arrogance, had softened into a confident acceptance of herself. "I love 'em," she said with a honest smile. "Can't help it."
Now it was Miley's turn to smile smugly. "Then you're gonna love what Lilly and me got you!" she said, hurrying into the living room. Luanne, Lilly and Ron followed, stopping just a moment once inside the living room. Miley carefully knifed her way through the crowded room, being careful to not step on any new gifts or small children as she made her way to the large Christmas tree. She bent over to grab Luanne's gift, which she and Lilly had wrapped with a special paper so they could quickly identify it from the other presents. Victorious, she turned and repeated her careful but expedient walk through the living room. "Here," she said, handing it to her sister. "Bet you can't get your gift until tomorrow," she said, playfully challenging Luanne.
Luanne's blue eyes lifted up, locking with Miley's just long enough to let Miley know that the challenge had been accepted. "Knowing the two of you got it, I'm sure I'm going to love it," she said sincerely. She hugged Miley and Lilly both, the relatively light present still in her right hand as she subtly estimated its weight. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you too, Lu," said Miley as Lilly giggled at the rhyming in Miley's words.
"Sorry," Lilly said, "but that just sounded so cute the way you said it." She smiled. She loved it when Miley's accent strengthened slightly, as it always did when they came back to Tennessee for any length of time. "Guess we're just suckers for Southern ladies, huh, Ron?"
"You could say that," replied Ron, watching as his wife softly shook her gift, listening to the result. Luanne looked over at Ron, her eyes asking some silent question. "Go ahead," he said with a smile. "We both know you're not stopping until you figure out whatever it is."
"Love you, baby," Luanne said as she gave Ron a kiss on the lips, then she turned and hurried into the living room, claiming a seat on the periphery of the room as she tore into her gift.
"How long you think it'll take her to get it open?" asked Ron as Luanne pulled out a puzzle box a bit larger than a paperback book, examining it carefully.
"That one?" asked Miley, turning to look at her brother-in-law. "Probably ten, fifteen minutes."
Lilly grinned as she added, "The next box inside the first one is a bit harder. It'll take her a little longer to get that one open."
"Then there's the map..." said Miley, unable to contain her smile as she watched Ron's expression shift. "Hey, she'll love it, I promise you!"
Ron felt cold chills run down his spine suddenly. "It's not the keys to a car, is it?" he asked. "Please tell me you didn't buy her a car, because that would be tough to explain."
Lilly playfully pushed Ron backwards. "You big goober," she chided him softly. "It's not a car, or the keys to a car. You think we'd do something crazy like that?"
Ron looked back and forth at Miley and Lilly, arms around each other as they slightly leaned into each other. "Totally," he said.
"Busted you," Miley said, turning to tease her wife before she looked back at Ron. "But it really isn't a car, or the keys to a car, we promise."
Ron continued to eye them warily. "Okay," he said. "As long as it's not something too big that would be hard to explain." He looked over their shoulders. "And it looks like my wife is ahead of schedule," he added.
Miley and Lilly turned to see Luanne staring at them, a smile on her face as she popped open the puzzle box. Then she looked down, and the smile turned into a more serious expression as she looked at the smaller puzzle box that had been hidden inside the larger one. She looked back up and gave Miley and Lilly a light Look, crinkling her mouth and wrinkling her forehead as she glared at them.
Half a country away, Mikayla stood on a small front porch outside a house in rural Texas. Despite the cold penetrating her thick coat and jeans, she had been standing there for several minutes, battling herself internally about whether or not she could—or should—knock. The decision was made for her when the front door abruptly opened, revealing her brother Peter. "Madre de dios, Mickey!" he cried out, grabbing his chest. "You scared the devil out of me!"
"Merry Christmas, Petey," said Mikayla, a smile coming unbidden to her face. "Didn't want to spoil the surprise by telling you I was coming."
"I was plenty surprised, that's for sure," Peter replied, unable to contain his own smile at seeing his little sister again. "Come inside, Mickey, it's cold tonight for Texas. You're probably really cold, since you're used to California now." Peter hurried out to the curb, carrying a trash bag probably full of wrapping paper which he left at the side of the road, but when he turned he saw that his sister still hadn't moved. She had two large bags beside her, but she still made no move to pick them up as he walked back over to her.
"He's not in there, is he?" Mikayla asked, her voice pleading, almost frightened as Peter walked back to the house.
"No, Mickey," he answered, and the relief on her face was immense. "I haven't seen him in over a month now." He gestured at the bags, which he could now see contained presents wrapped in red and green paper and ribbons. "Need a hand?"
"Sure," she said, her smile once again present as she picked up one bag while her brother took the other, letting her walk into the house first.
As Mikayla walked into the relatively small but warm house, she looked around, taking in the pictures on every wall and covering seemingly every flat surface in the foyer and living room. "Merry Christmas, everybody!" she said, pleased when Peter's wife Mona gave her a smile that was welcoming and genuine. But it was the reaction of little Esmerelda that made Mikayla's heart do a little dance.
"AUNT MICKEY!" shouted the five-year-old girl as she ran forward and wrapped her arms around Mikayla's jean-clad leg. "You made it! I knew you'd be here!"
Mikayla set her bag of presents down and bent over to pick up the youngster. "Wow, you're getting so big!" she said, adding, "But you still don't weigh anything!" She clasped the little girl to her chest, enjoying the feeling of unconditional love radiating from the little girl. I could have had this feeling all the time. But I threw it away. A tear escaped from her left eye as she forced her thoughts back to happier things, such as the squirming little girl who had spotted the bags of presents.
"Put me down, Aunt Mickey! I see presents!"
Mikayla spent the rest of the morning catching up with her brother and sister-in-law while taking the time to play with Esmerelda and her new toys and books. There were the usual questions about how Mikayla's career was going, and she took the time to reassure Peter and Mona that things were going fairly well.
After a long silence, Mikayla finally said, "I haven't had anything to drink or done any..." She trailed off as she glanced at Esme, playing in a corner of the room with some of her new dolls and their horses that Mikayla had brought her. Satisfied that the girl was far enough away to not hear, she continued with a low voice, "...or done any drugs since I've been back. At all. I get tested at least once a week as part of my contract with the record company."
"Good," said Mona as Peter nodded. "Those things that are so readily available to you out there, Mickey, that's why Petey and I worry about you."
Mikayla picked at a fingernail as she said, "Yeah, well, I can promise all of you that I'm not ever going back to that. I'd rather die first." She looked over their shoulders into the next room of the house. "Some of the things I did, I don't think I can ever be forgiven for doing."
"God can forgive us for any trespass, Mickey," said Peter, "but you have to forgive yourself, too."
Mikayla snorted, a bitter laugh. "I can't," she said, looking first at Esme and then at Peter and Mona, the only three people in the world she called her family. "Some stuff I can forgive myself for. But not all of it."
"Mickey," said Mona as she moved to sit beside her sister-in-law. "You went through hell growing up. Those memories are part of what drove you do some of the self-destructive things you did. That you couldn't help."
Mikayla felt herself start to cry as she leaned against the fair-haired woman who had married her brother seven years ago. "I should have been stronger," she said, more to herself than to anyone else. "I knew better, but I did all that stupid shit anyway."
"But you've got a second chance now, Mickey," said Mona, her voice as soothing as she could make it. "And this time you can do it right. You can do it without all the drugs and alcohol and getting out of control."
"I am doing it that way," Mikayla said, sniffing. "I just wish I could get rid of Margot."
"You're still using that bitch as your manager?" said Peter angrily. "Damnit, Mickey, you're smarter than that! You should get as far away from her as you can. Instead of getting you help, she just kept covering up after your messes. She saw you killing yourself, and she didn't do a damn thing to help you!"
"Don't cuss in the house, Daddy," said Esme. Apparently this conversation had become more interesting than her new toys.
"Sorry, Esme," said Peter, slightly embarrassed.
"I think your Aunt Mickey could use a hug, Esme," said Mona, smiling as she got up from her seat. The little girl happily jumped up on the couch and wrapped her arms around Mikayla, who found herself smiling despite all the tears and emotions that had been stirred up by the conversation.
"A hug can make everything feel better," Esme said confidently.
"Thank you," replied Mikayla, returning the little girl's hug as warmly as she could.
After a few seconds, Esme said quietly, "I know why you were crying."
Mikayla looked up. Peter and Mona had quietly gone into another room of the house, and it was just the two of them in the living room. Curious, she asked, "Why?"
Esme hesitated for a moment, as if about to say something she knew she wasn't supposed to. Finally she said, "I bet you miss your mommy, don't you?"
Mikayla's tears ran down her cheeks as she nodded. "That's part of it, baby."
Esme looked down at her lap. "I miss my mommy, too. Not my Mommy Mona, because she's been the only mommy I can remember, but my first mommy before she died."
Mikayla pulled the girl into her lap, holding her tightly as she whispered, "We can miss them together, okay?" Esme nodded against Mikayla's chest as Mikayla began to softly sing a song from her childhood, rocking the little girl until they both fell asleep on the couch.
"YES!" said Luanne with a triumphant cry, startling nearly everybody in Ruthie's house. "Sorry," she said aloud as dozens of eyes gave her a look. She released the final clasp on the small puzzle box and opened it up with a soft creak of its hinges. Inside was a sealed envelope with her name written on it. She lifted the envelope, noting that something solid was inside, along with what felt like a folded-up paper. Carefully she tore the envelope open, shaking a small key out and into the felt-lined interior of the open puzzle box. She unfolded the paper and read the note written on it:
Merry Christmas, Luanne!
Obviously you've opened the second box, so now you can go get your present. It was a little too big to keep with us at Mamaw's, so we left it at a friend's house. The address is at the bottom of this letter. You'll figure out what to use the key for. Oh, you'll also need to remember this code: 1 2 2 1.
Hope you enjoy your present!
Miley and Lilly
Luanne picked up the key, turning it over to inspect it carefully. It wasn't big enough to be a car key or a house key, she didn't think, and honestly she had no idea what it was for. She could read the easily identifiable "Master" logo of Master Lock, but that didn't really help her much. She got up and grabbed her coat, catching Ron's eye and motioning for him to join her.
In the kitchen Miley and Lilly were watching closely. When Luanne and Ron went out the door, they turned to look at each other. "She's gonna freak," said Miley with a sneaky smile.
"I hope so," replied Lilly, a similarly sneaky smile on her face.
As she drove down a small road about two miles away from Ruthie's, Luanne couldn't slow her racing thoughts. What the hell did they get me? And why is there a key and some kind of code? She turned to Ron. "They didn't get me a car, did they?" she asked suddenly.
"They both promised me it wasn't a car," Ron reassured his wife. "But I honestly have no idea what they did get you."
Luanne hit the brakes quickly, sending Ron pitching forward against his now-taut seatbelt. "This is the address," Luanne said. She backed up slightly and turned the car onto a small gravel road, being careful to not hit the mailbox with the number matching the address on her mysterious note. They had only driven a few car lengths when Luanne spotted a metal gate across the road, reflective tape shining brightly where the sun shone through the tightly packed trees.
Luanne pulled closer to the gate before shifting the car into Park. She got out of the car, pulling the key out of her pocket as she walked forward. A quick inspection revealed a large padlock on the gate, set inside a recessed steel cage to prevent anyone from breaking it off with a sledgehammer or power tools. The key slid into the lock neatly, opening it with a crisp click as she turned the key. She unhooked the gate, walking across the road to open it. Ron drove the car through, letting Luanne close the gate behind them. After Luanne got back into the car, Ron resumed the drive down the driveway.
"This is really out of the way," Ron said. "I mean, even for Misty Hollow, huh?"
"Yeah," said Luanne, her mind still working on the short string of numbers in the letter. Even through the mental gymnastics her present had required, she found herself smiling. She really loved puzzles, and Miley and Lilly had put some time and effort into their gift to her.
As they finally pulled up into a circle that brought them in front of the large wooden house, Luanne got out and looked at the multilevel home. She had lived in this valley her entire childhood, but she had never been back here. Her daddy had always told her that this driveway was an old logging road that wasn't used anymore, and she had never gotten the urge to walk this far down this winding gravel road. She guessed they were probably half a mile from the main road through the valley by now, maybe a bit farther.
The house itself blended into the surrounding trees quite well, with a woody mix favoring evergreens such as pine and cedar over coniferous trees like maple and oak. The overall effect was lovely, as whoever had built the house had apparently taken the surroundings into consideration when choosing the style and materials for the house.
"Is anybody home?" Luanne called to Ron as he rang the doorbell.
"Hello!" Ron called out, ringing the doorbell again before knocking loudly on the door. He moved to peer in one of the windows. "Don't think anybody's home, Lu."
Lu, thought Luanne as she considered the diminutive version of her name that only Ron, Miley and Lilly called her. The letters L and U. L is the twelfth letter in the alphabet. U is the twenty-first. So in the most simple letter-number cipher, LU would be... "One-two-two-one," Luanne whispered to herself. "The code."
To say that Ron Truscott was afraid of being this far out in the woods of Tennessee on Christmas Day, pounding on someone's front door without getting a response, might have been a bit strong. But he was most certainly on edge. So when he turned to look at his wife and saw her break into a full run around the side of the house without warning, he nearly jumped out of his skin. "Luanne!" he yelled, leaping off the porch and chasing her around the house.
There was a slight downhill slope as he ran around the house, so by the time he reached the back of the house he saw his wife come to a stop about forty yards behind the house, staring at the house now that she had turned around. "Lu, honey, what's wrong?" Ron said as he came to a stop next to his wife. "Talk to me Luanne, please, you're scaring me!"
Tears trickled down Luanne's face, stinging her red cheeks as the bitter wind whipped across them. "It's the house from my dream," she whispered. Turning to look at Ron, she said more firmly, "It's the house from my dream!" She grabbed Ron's arm and awkwardly pushed him toward the house. "Check the door," she said, not trusting her legs to move. "Please."
Ron jogged back to the house, stopping at a ground level door beneath a large wooden porch. "There's some kind of box on the doorknob!" he yelled back to Luanne. "It has—"
"Numbers on it," she finished with him as he spoke. "Try hitting one, two, two, one. That should open it." LU. Amazing.
A distinct click could be heard as Ron unlocked the box. At that sound Luanne raced over to him, reaching his side as he turned around. "It's another key," he said, holding up the shiny object. He placed the key in Luanne's hand. "Please tell me Miley and Lilly didn't—"
"I think they did," Luanne said, scarcely able to believe the magnitude of what her sister and sister-in-law had done. She slid the key into the lock, turning it once to open the deadbolt. She turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. The house was pristine, and the smell of new wood and carpet was evident. Though finished, it appeared to be completely empty, ready for a family to move in at any time. She quickly spotted a piece of paper lying on the counter. She snatched it up and quickly read it.
Merry Christmas and welcome to your new home! We love you!
M & L.
"Oh my God, Ron, this is too much!" She turned around. "How are we gonna explain this to everybody?"
Ron put his arms around his wife, holding her close to him as she embraced him tightly. "Knowing the two of them, I bet they've already got something figured out, hon."
Luanne leaned back so she could look into Ron's eyes. "It's funny that we had decided to move to Tennessee just the other night, huh? Because it had to take at least a month to build this house, probably longer with the crazy weather up here." She paused and looked into her husband's eyes. "How did they know?"
As Ron shook his head, indicating he had no good answer to his wife's question, Luanne looked directly into his eyes. "This is the house in my dream the other night, Ron. This was our house. Us... and our son."
Luanne felt Ron stiffen in her embrace. "I'm going to be a father?" he stammered.
Luanne grinned. "Well, no, not just yet, goofy," she said, poking him in the chest. "I'm still on my birth control." Then she gave him a positively wicked grin that set his insides on fire. She shook off her coat, tossing it on the floor beside them. She popped the snap on her jeans and began to unzip the zipper. "You, uh, want to start working on that son, big boy?" she asked, smirking as she pushed her jeans to the ground. "Because that sounds like a really nice way to break in our new house."
"Why, Luanne Truscott," said Ron as his wife began working on his pants, the tip of her tongue protruding just slightly between her lips, "you are a very, very bad girl."
Luanne grinned as she replied, "Then it's a good thing Santa already passed through, huh?"
As they helped wash dishes after the brunch, Miley and Lilly found themselves content to work in silence, stealing little bumps of their hips together or quick kisses on the cheek as they scrubbed the dishes. While Ruthie's dishwasher worked just fine, sometimes it was easier to do large loads of dishes the old-fashioned way. And so Miley washed while Lilly rinsed, with Melody drying and Peyton putting clean dishes away in a neat assembly line.
The buzz of a text on her phone got Lilly's attention at the same time a chirp from Miley's signaled a message for her. Miley and Lilly looked at each, then Miley lifted an eyebrow and asked, "What are the odds?"
"When it comes to you two?" asked Peyton as she fished Miley's phone out of her front pocket with her clean, dry hands. "Pretty dang good." She checked the messages. "It's from Amy Hearon. She wants you and Lilly to come watch movies with her and Dee tonight."
"That sounds like fun," said Lilly. "I'll text her back in a minute once my hands are dry."
Peyton smiled as she relayed the rest of the message. "She also says that she and Dee have something to tell you two tonight," she said, raising an eyebrow in the classic Stewart pose.
Lilly thought before she said, "Well, that's interesting."
Miley removed the stopper from the drain, letting the sudsy water drain out from her side of the deep sink. "Man, sure am glad that's the last of those dishes," she said as she ran some cool water to wash her own hands. With a softer voice, Miley said to Lilly, "You think they did it? Last night?"
Lilly stopped rinsing the last plate and turned to look at her wife. "Don't be a doofus, Miles," she said just as softly. "What else would it be, other than them finally telling each other that they're nuts for each other? They've been dancing around it for at least a year."
"Amy and Dee?" asked Melody, finally catching enough of the nearly whispered conversation to piece it together.
"Shhh!" came from both Miley and Lilly at once. "Let them tell everybody at their own pace, if that is what they're wantin' to tell us," said Miley. "Not every couple is crazy enough to go from first kiss to first time to coming out to everybody in just a couple of days."
Lilly laughed. "No, just us, huh Miles?" she asked teasingly, getting a smack on her butt from her wife.
"You got it, Lil," Miley said as she put her arms around Lilly, who was starting to wash her own hands now that the water was draining out of her side of the sink. Miley slid her hand down in Lilly's front pocket, bypassing the phone in favor of digging around in that warm pocket for a few fun seconds.
"Mmm, better stop, Miles," cautioned Lilly as she closed her eyes and began to lean back against the woman she loved in every way. "Or you're gonna have some explaining to do when I start to moan."
As much as she wanted to keep teasing her wife, Miley knew Lilly was right. She sighed and made a show of withdrawing her hand, Lilly's phone in her grasp. She flipped through the messages, immediately spotting the newest one. "Looks like Lu and Ron found their Christmas present," she said cheerfully.
"What did you get them?" asked Melody, curiosity written all over her face.
"Don't be a nose, Mel," fussed Peyton, grabbing the last plate from her sister. "That's rude to ask what somebody got somebody else for Christmas." She turned to look at her aunts. "But since you've already asked and everything..."
"Uh uh," said Miley, holding out a hand to forestall any further inquiries. "You can ask them next time you see 'em."
Peyton whispered something to Melody that sounded worrisomely like "sex toys" to Miley, causing the brunette to give their two nieces a nasty look. "Be nice," she warned them. "After all, it is Christmas."
The sudden ringing of Lilly's phone startled Miley so badly that she nearly dropped it, sending Peyton and Melody into a laughing fit. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," said Miley. She turned to hand Lilly her phone only to find her best friend hiding what was obviously a grin as well as silent laughter behind a hand covering her mouth. "I swear, sometimes you're just as bad as they are," Miley said lightly as she answered the phone. "Lilly's phone."
"Merry Christmas. And you don't sound like Lilly."
"Hey Jen!" said Miley. "Merry Christmas to you and Lee! Ya'll havin' a good time someplace warm?"
"Hell yes. Just wanted to share some nice news with the two of you. I was waiting until I figured you'd be done opening presents."
Miley motioned for Lilly to go into the bedroom, ignoring the snickers from their nieces. Once they were safely inside the room with the door closed, Miley said, "Switchin' you over to speaker phone, Jen."
"Well, turn down the volume unless you want everybody in the room to hear."
Miley tapped the volume button several times until it was soft enough that she and Lilly had to lean in close to hear it. She placed the phone in the center of the bed, and she and Lilly stretched out on their stomachs, keeping their heads next to the phone.
"Ready, Jen," said Lilly. "What did you want to tell us?"
"She said it was good news," said Miley before Jen could speak.
"Cool, the last good news really rocked. Hey, are you still in Hawaii?"
There was a noticeable pause for a second or two, then Jen's voice said, "How are you two so fucking cheerful this early in the morning?"
"Jen, it's just after noon here," said Lilly. "What time is it there in Hawaii?"
"Oh, let me check the clock here... Let's see, it's— TOO FUCKING EARLY!"
Miley and Lilly both buried their heads in the covers, hoping that the blankets would muffle their laughing. "Okay, we're sorry," Miley finally said. "Really. Go ahead and tell us the news so you can get back to sleep."
There was an obvious yawn from their manager, then she said, "Oh, well, nothing big. Just, you know, Lola Montana's been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress."
Lilly turned a frightening shade of white, unable to believe her ears. "Did you just say that I, I mean her, I mean me, I mean... Huh?" she sputtered out.
Miley, on the other hand, had no confusion about what she had heard. "I told you!" she said, flipping Lilly over and moving to straddle her best friend. She bent down and lifted Lilly's head, meeting her for a volcanic kiss. "Congratulations, Lilly Bear," Miley said as she looked into her wife's eyes, glimmering a heavenly shade of blue at that very moment. "I told you that you could do it, sweetheart. I believed in you."
Lilly started to pull Miley down for another kiss when Jen's voice piped up again.
"Oh, gee, Jen, did 'Above and Beyond' get nominated for any other Academy Awards? Oh, well yes, Jen, it did! Let's see, nominated for Best Picture—that's a big one—and Best Screenplay, and Best Director, too. Hey, there's one more nomination. How about... Hannah Montana, nominated for Best Original Song In a Movie? How the hell does that sound?"
Now it was Miley's turn to feel lightheaded. Lilly instantly grabbed her wife, easing her down to the side and fanning her face as cool sweat beaded up on her forehead and neck. "C'mon, Miles, remember what you just told me, baby. Just breathe."
"Did she pass out?"
"Kinda," Lilly said. "Trying to wake her up now."
"Then I'll let you two celebrate. And seriously, Lilly, congratulations. For your first starring role, just getting an Oscar nomination is amazing. For Hannah, too." There was a long pause before Jen added, "I'm proud of you two. And I'm proud to call you not just my bosses, but my friends."
"Thanks for everything you do for us, Jen. You're really an awesome manager, and we both feel that way."
"Merry Christmas to both of you." Lilly could hear a distinct sniffle across the phone line before Jen said, "Okay, time for me to go. See you in a week or two."
"Merry Christmas," said Lilly, with Miley gathering her wits enough to join in and say, "Yeah, Merry Christmas, Jen!" before the call ended.
The two of them stared at each other for lingering seconds before finally succumbing to the joyful madness of bouncing up and down on the bed, laughing and clapping in celebration before curling up and drifting away into the sweet bliss of a Christmas afternoon nap, warm and safe in each other's arms.
Author's Afterword: Yeah, that was a long one. Now you see why it took so long to get this chapter finished. I'll start working on the next chapter soon, I promise. I do love seeing the theories that people have about Mikayla, and I'm sure this chapter will add to them in some way. I promise, her whole story will come to light, just not all at once. After all, working your way through a puzzle is at least half the fun. Just ask Luanne. See you next time!
-- Jo --