Author's Note: Welcome back! This chapter has really taken some perseverance to get it finished. I've got an idea for a new story banging around in my head, and sometime I'm going to have to get it written so it'll leave me alone. However, this story remains my top priority. I still think thirty chapters sounds about right for this one, but even though we're on the last third of the story, things could still change. I had planned to have the entire concert in this chapter, but I can tell that it's going to run far too long. Therefore, I decided to break the concert up and go ahead and post this chapter while I finish the rest of the concert. I mean, it's already been two weeks, and I don't want it to be another week or two before I get anything posted.
For any of you just joining this story who might be confused about the names for Miley's and Lilly's daughter, her real name is Brooke Truscott, but her stage name is Megan Montana. Please don't be confused by the different names; Miley and Lilly only refer to her as Megan when they're out as Hannah and Lola.
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 K.
Chapter 22: Tension
I'd walk the world for you babe
A thousand miles with you
I'd dry your tears of pain
A million times for you
I'd sell my soul for you babe
More money to burn with you
I'd give you all and have none babe
Just to have you here by me
-Billy Idol, "Rebel Yell"
"So Hannah, what can we expect from your performance tonight at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert in Cleveland?"
As Miley sat in her chair on the set of Mack and Mickey In the Morning, she considered the question before she answered. "Well," Miley said as she smiled coyly, "I think that you can expect a Hannah Montana performance that's gonna be like nothin' anybody's ever seen before."
"So you think that you're going to rock harder than your challenger, Mikayla?" asked Mack. "Even though it's been, what, nearly three months since you've performed on stage?"
"Not to mention having a baby just a few weeks ago!" added his co-host, Mickey. "And how is that going, Hannah? I mean, this is the first for you and Lola, right?"
Miley nodded, more than happy to talk about her precious daughter. "It's amazing, Mickey!" she said happily, and the smile that spread across her face was radiant as she spoke. "I mean, it's the biggest change of our lives, really, but it's so totally worth it. Every bit of it."
"I bet you weren't thinking that way during labor, were you?" jibed Mack, a bit too loudly for Miley's taste, but several members of the audience laughed at his joke.
"Well, actually..." Miley began, hesitating as she considered how much to reveal about Brooke's birth. "The delivery was the most painful thing I think I've ever felt, that's for sure. But I had the most wonderful wife on earth there with me, holdin' my hand the whole time, and Lola, bless her heart, she helped me get through it."
"Did the epidural not work right?" asked Mickey. Miley suddenly remembered that Mickey had been pregnant at least twice over the last ten years, so she obviously understand childbirth quite well.
"No, Megan came so fast that we didn't have time for them to do an epidural," Miley said. "I don't think they even had time to give me anything for the pain at all. I didn't have an IV or any medicine at all, I don't think. I mean, it all happened so fast!" She took a moment to focus, willing the tears linked to those terrifying moments to stay tamped down. "There was a lot of bleeding, and then the baby started having some problems so they had to get her out really fast. There were... some complications, and for several hours Lola and I were really scared that we were gonna lose our baby girl." Miley carefully dabbed at her eyes, taking great care to not smudge her eyeliner or mascara. She was going to have to change the subject to something more positive, soon.
"I'm so sorry, Hannah," said Mickey, the tone of her conveying true sincerity. "I—We had no idea that there had been any problems with the delivery."
"Thank you," said Miley, closing her eyes as she refocused her self-control. "We spent the rest of the night holdin' her," Miley finally said after several seconds. "And with lots of prayers and lots of tears, she pulled through. Now she's doin' great, and we've enjoyed spending these last few weeks learnin' how to be mothers."
"Awww!" said Mickey suddenly, nearly interrupting Miley. Miley turned to look behind her, only to see Lilly in Lola's bright green wig, zebra-striped leather miniskirt, red shirt with checkered suspenders, blue fishnet stockings and white boots walking out of the wings and onto the stage. In her arms was baby Brooke, blinking grumpily at the bright lights of the television set but looking adorable nonetheless in a white and pink striped outfit.
"I thought her momma might want to show her off to everybody," said Lilly with a smile. She stopped beside Miley's chair and carefully handed their daughter to her wife, placing a quick kiss first on Miley's forehead, then one on Brooke's. Lilly looked into Miley's eyes, seeing a look of gratitude reflected behind those deep blue eyes that she knew so well. Lilly had felt Miley's inner turmoil despite her attempt to suppress it, so she had brought Brooke out to reassure her wife that things were fine now.
"Thank you, honey," Miley said as she hugged Lilly as soon as Brooke was settled in the bend of her right arm. Her tiny blue eyes had already fluttered closed again, her little chest once again rising and falling peacefully as she settled into the grip of her other mother. Miley looked at Mickey and Mack and said, "I'm so lucky to have a wife like her," surprised when her tears threatened to spill forth at the simple admission of how much Lilly meant to her.
"Kill me right fucking now," muttered Mikayla in a not-so-soft voice as she watched the live television show in one of the conference rooms at Dyseni Records. As the studio audience spontaneously applauded the touching display of love between Hannah, Lola and Megan Montana, Mikayla made up one-fifth of a significantly less receptive audience sequestered in the room at Dyseni.
"One day someone'll take you up on that," replied Margot Walters, Mikayla's manager whose attitude was possibly even more abrasive than that of the young singer. "Especially since you haven't done much about that personality of yours."
"Look, Mikayla," said Lonnie Walters, Dyseni's recently-promoted Vice President of Artist Relations. "We've done everything we possibly could to stack this thing in your favor. We've timed it so her band's scattered around the world, she's just had a baby and is rusty when it comes to performing, and we've set you up with a band that covers the song 'Hell Yeah' regularly since you're convinced that's what she'll be singing tonight. But I'm still concerned because you're refusing to use a pre-recorded track and lip sync at your performance."
"Of course you are," said Mikayla sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"Comments like that are one of the reasons why the public still prefers a lesbian over you in terms of album sales," Lonnie sharply replied.
Mikayla leaned forward across the long table, its polished wood surface gleaming beneath the fluorescent lights. "And comments like that are why you couldn't make full VP by yourself," she coldly shot back. "It doesn't matter how much you stack the deck, Lonnie, I still have to be the one to play the hand. She's going to be singing live, so I am too. It's a matter of professionalism."
A loud smack on the table drew everyone's attention to Margot. "This just in from Hell," she said teasingly, "snow flurries forecast for the next week!" She smiled her typical cold smile as she fixed her eyes on Mikayla's increasingly defiant ones. "Since when did you care about being professional?" she asked.
Mikayla held Margot's glare for long seconds before finally saying, "Maybe I'm growing up a bit." She smiled as she added, "Why? Does that scare you?"
Margot leaned in slightly as she lowered her voice and answered, "If anyone in this room should be scared, little Missy, it's you. Particularly if you've suddenly found some integrity. It's a bit too late for that."
God, I hate her, thought Mikayla for about the millionth time. But Margot was right. She still held the means to destroy her entire career, to hurt not just Mikayla deeply but also the handful of people she still truly cared about. She crossed her arms and sat back in her seat, turning her head to stare out the window.
"Use the pre-recorded track," Margot said.
"NO!" Everyone once again turned to look at Mikayla, now standing. "I'm okay with all of this except the lip-syncing! If you don't believe me when I say that I have to sing this myself, then think about what'll happen if something goes wrong with the backing track! It's not just my career that'll die miserably; it'll take Dyseni down with it, too! I may be young, but I do know what happened with Milli Vanilli."
That was a strained silence in the room before Vera Blaike spoke up. While her exact position in the hierarchy at Dyseni Records remained nebulous, everyone knew it was significantly higher than anyone else in the room at present. "Mikayla is right, on both counts," Vera said calmly. "It's taking an unnecessary risk at tonight's concert to use pre-recorded vocals."
"Unnecessary? Have you heard her first few rehearsals?" spit Margot furiously.
"I think Mikayla deserves the chance—no, I think she's earned the right to sing for herself tonight. I've never been a big fan of the approach you and Margot have taken to promoting Mikayla here, Lonnie, but I've let you manage your artist as you chose."
"And it's worked," said Lonnie. "Her album just went double platinum, and every confrontation between her and Montana spikes the sales numbers again. Her follow-up album is already being projected to go platinum the first three weeks. You can't argue with results, Vera." An icy stare from his boss caused him to freeze. "Ms. Blaike, sorry."
"Thank you," Vera said dismissively before turning to Mikayla. "Mikayla, this is your show," she said to the young woman. "Win or lose, this company is putting its faith in you."
Mikayla felt her chest tighten slightly, something she wasn't expecting. "I won't screw this up, Ms. Blaike, I promise."
Two miles away, Miley and Lilly made their way off the stage as the morning show finally came to an end. Brooke had started to stir a few minutes ago, and Miley knew that she was going to be exceedingly hungry quite soon. "Okay, thanks again for havin' us on the show this morning!" she said pleasantly as Lilly gathered their diaper bag and purses. Roxy was back on duty, expertly handling the crowds that had gathered outside the television studio and making a lane for the two young mothers to walk to their limousine. Their suitcases were already in the trunk since they were going straight to the airport for their private flight to Cleveland, Ohio.
After everyone had gotten settled in the limousine and the long ebony vehicle had pulled away into the late morning Los Angeles traffic, Lilly began to feed Brooke a bottle while she talked to her daughter, coaxing a smile from her tiny mouth. Once she even let the bottle fall out of her mouth, she was grinning so widely. "You are just the cutest little thing, yes you are," Lilly cooed as Miley leaned over and watched. Despite the different hair colors, Brooke had no difficulty recognizing her mothers instantly, and Miley was rewarded with her own happy smile when Brooke's eyes fell on her face.
"She looks so much like you when she smiles like that," Miley said, reaching across the carseat to rub her wife's back until the soft chiming of her cell phone drew Miley's attention away from her family. The generic ring meant that this was either a number Miley didn't recognize or hadn't assigned a specific ring to yet. It was her personal phone, at least, not her Hannah phone, so there was a fairly long list of people who could be calling her. "Hello?" she said as she answered the phone.
"Hey Miley!" said a voice with a familiar Tennessee accent.
"Amy?" asked Miley, pleasantly surprised to hear from their friend back in Misty Hollow, Tennessee. "How are ya'll doin'? Takin' care of your girlfriend?" Miley's childhood friend Amy Hearon and her roommate (and girlfriend) Dee Zaharias had been unable to make it out to California for Brooke's birth due to commitments at their respective places of work and their college classes, and it had been several months since the four friends had seen each other.
Amy and Dee had both graduated from a small private school called Maryville College not that far away from Misty Hollow. They had moved into an apartment between the Hollow and school following their graduation; there they were careful to maintain appearances of sleeping in separate bedrooms due to frequent visits from both girls' parents. Dee was working part-time and taking graduate-level classes as she worked toward a Master's degree in adolescent psychology, while Amy was working full-time for a local business of some sort. Miley felt bad that she didn't remember exactly where either of them worked, but then things had been a bit hectic over the last year.
"Yeah, been tryin' to, at least. You know how big a job that can be."
Miley laughed softly. "Yep, those women can be a handful, let me tell ya," she said, winking at Lilly, who didn't seem the least bit offended at her wife's words.
"Actually, Dee and I were thinkin' about maybe comin' out there to see you two and the baby this week. That is, if the offer still stands, of course."
"Of course the offer still stands, Dee," Miley said, looking at Lilly. "When are you lookin' at comin' out here for a bit?"
"Ummm... how about tomorrow?"
"Wow, that's, uh, really soon," Miley said, running through what she and Lilly had scheduled to do tomorrow. An interview of some sort, a photo shoot for some magazine, maybe something else—but this was two of their friends, and from the undertone in Amy's voice, something was bothering her. "But I think we might be able to move some stuff around for the two of you," Miley said, trying carefully to not let any concern show through in her voice.
"Okay, thanks Miley," said Amy. "Dee and me kind of need some time for things to cool down here. Thanks much for lettin' us come out there for a few days."
"No problem, Amy. Send me a text with your flight info and when it'll be arrivin' so we can meet you two."
"Will do, Miley. See you soon!"
"Be careful, Amy. Say hi to Dee for us!" She hung up the phone, turning to look at her best friend.
"How soon are they talking about flying out?" asked Lilly, her face now neutral as she registered Miley's flash of concern.
"Tomorrow," said Miley with a calm voice.
"Whoa." Lilly sat back and thought, much like her wife had just done. "Geez, what else is gonna hit us this week?" Miley reached over to smack Lilly for tempting fate when Lilly's phone buzzed.
"Told you!" Miley hissed, pointing at her best friend.
"You didn't say anything!" Lilly replied, half teasing and half serious. She opened her phone and said, "Hello?" as she hoped that Fate wasn't about to flip her on the nose.
"I sure as hell hope you two are on your way."
"Hey, Jen," said Lilly with a smile. "Yeah, we're almost at the airport."
"Okay, good. Tell Hannah that we've got everything set up like she wanted, and that her band should be here in plenty of time for equipment check."
"Will do," replied Lilly. She looked over at her wife, who was giving her a playful look in return. "So, Jen, do you know what song my wife is singing tonight? Because she still won't tell me."
"I told you, I want it to be a surprise," said Miley, her voice slightly teasing.
Lilly continued to stare at Miley, who didn't seem ready to give an inch, before saying, "Okay, Jen, then I guess we'll see you later this evening."
"Okay, boss. Oh, and when you get here there's something I want to get your approval on before I do anything about it. Plus there's, shall we say, a unique opportunity for Hannah to get some prime-time TV exposure, but I'll probably need you to help me talk her into it."
That's interesting Two interestings, to be exact.. "Okay, sounds good," Lilly said. "See you in a couple of hours." She closed the connection and slipped her phone back into her purse. "You know I'm just wanting to have every reassurance possible that you're going to blow Mikayla away tonight, don't you, honey?" she asked Miley, running her fingers lightly through Hannah's long, straight blonde hair. Lilly could feel herself becoming excited once again at being able to touch Hannah Montana this way—along with several other very pleasurable ways—and a slight shiver made its way across her body, revealing her excitement in a very obvious way to her wife.
"Looks like somebody still gets turned on by making love to a celebrity," Miley teased as she stared into Lilly's deep cobalt eyes. "Just like I do," she added, "especially to the sexiest actress in Hollywood." She leaned across the carseat and met Lilly's lips with her own, lingering for several delicious seconds as they let themselves fall into each other's hearts again, each young woman trusting the other completely with not only her heart but her soul as well.
After her lips were tingling, Lilly carefully pulled away, dipping forward to place one more quick peck on Miley's soft lips, the sweet taste of her mango lip gloss dancing across her tongue. "Mm, that was nice," said Lilly, finally blinking her eyes open to stare into Miley's stunning heavy-lidded blue eyes. "But don't think that's going to distract me to where I stop asking you what song you're going to sing."
Miley playfully rolled her bright eyes and sighed dramatically. "Are you worried that I'm gonna pull one like when Avril sang Metallica's 'Fuel' at that MTV show a few years back?" she asked, the hint of an amused smile on her lips. She and Lilly clearly remembered the rather infamous event; with the help of the Internet, that mismatched performance would most likely live on forever, despite the singer's wishes otherwise.
"Well, I know you wouldn't screw up that badly—"
"Gee, thanks," said Miley with a sour face.
"—But yeah, I just want to make sure that you've got a good song that'll work well with you and your band." Lilly paused before adding, "Whomever that may be, since I haven't been let in on that secret, either."
"The band's a surprise too," said Miley. "And I've told you all this for the last two weeks, honey, just like I told you I want to see the happy look on your face as you watch me sing tonight." She took Lilly's right hand where she had rested it on the side of the carseat. "Sweetheart, you trust me, right?"
Lilly looked up and back into Miley's eyes. She could see that Miley was becoming troubled by keeping this secret from Lilly, even it she would appreciate the surprise once it was over. If I pushed just a bit more, she'd break down and tell me, I know it. And in the past I might have done just that. But we're not silly little girls anymore, or jealous teenagers. I trust Miley with my life and with my baby's life. The least I can do is play along with her surprise for me. With a smile, Lilly said, "Yes, Miles. I trust you. And I promise I'll quit pestering you about telling me what you're singing tonight."
"Or who my band is?"
"Or who your band is," Lilly agreed, nodding her head as she smiled. "I'll just relax and let you do all the hard work once we get there."
Miley smiled. "Good."
While Hannah and Lola boarded their private jet, on the other side of Los Angeles Mikayla haltingly got out of the back of her own limousine. She shivered despite the warm temperature; it was a reaction that she had developed to cemeteries several years ago. In fact, it was a reaction that had come about because of the very cemetery she was in. She knew that she could never forget the heartbreak of that funeral, not in a thousand years. For most of Los Angeles and the music industry as a whole, the death of the aspiring young singer Kasey Gomez was an event noticed by few and followed by pretty much no one. For her best friend since childhood, however, it was a tragedy that could never be forgotten... or forgiven.
"We don't much time, Miss," said the driver, his window rolled down slightly.
"I know," Mikayla replied, unable to take her eyes off the modest tombstone exactly ninety-seven steps away. She knew every step acutely, painfully, each one a silent accusation toward herself. She'd still be alive if you hadn't left her at that party. It's your fault, you selfish bitch, and nothing you do will ever bring your best friend back.
Mikayla shook her head tersely and began her walk forward. She carried a small bouquet of daisies, like she always did when she visited Kasey's grave. Well, she thought somberly, at least since I quit drinking. And drugs. Back then I'd generally have something else with me when I came here. She sped up her steps, moving from the asphalt to the soft grass. This cemetery always was well-maintained, something that she knew Kasey and her love for nature would have appreciated.
As she reached the small light gray tombstone, Mikayla knelt down onto her knees. She carefully laid the flowers on the grass just in front of the granite marker, leaning a few petals against the cool stone. She smiled sadly as she said, "I should come visit you more, Kase. I know I should. But lately I've been..." What had she been doing, exactly? "I guess I've been hiding from you, girlfriend," she admitted sadly.
She sighed as she idly pushed one of the daisies' stems slightly, moving back into position with its neighbors. "I don't think you'd have been too proud of what I've become, Kase. I mean, I did finally get off the drugs and booze. It took a few more years after you died, and it's been stupid hard to stay straight some times over this last two years. Sometimes there's not a damn thing I'd like better than to just get so fucking high that I don't know what world I'm in, but I'm not going back there. Not for you, not for me, not for Esme. You and her are the reasons why I'm staying clean, because all I really have left of either of you is what you think of me." Mikayla smiled softly. "You should see her, Kasey. She was out here not too long ago, but I couldn't bring her here to see your grave, not yet. But she's so smart that it's not funny, and she's got the biggest heart I've ever seen.
Mikayla stared at the daisies for a minute or two before she haltingly said, "I took her to see Hannah while she was out here. I figured that her record company would throw us out and make Es think that she and Lola were really bitches, but they took us right in. Hannah and Lola even gave her all this stuff that they signed for her, too. I couldn't believe it. I mean, they're stupid gullible, yeah, but they really are nice, I guess. Petey said that once she got back to Texas she wore the shirt Lola signed for her for three days straight before he finally took it off her while she was asleep."
Mikayla sucked in a breath as she remembered something else. "Jake called the other day," she said coolly. "The prick. I can't even believe he had the nerve to call and ask for me, not after what he did to... to us. But don't worry, I didn't talk to him. I left him a message at the number he left telling him to go fuck himself and that if he ever tried to call me again, I'd cut off his dick and watch him bleed to death." A tear slid from her left eye as she stared at the bundle of flowers on the grass, white and yellow contrasting with the dark green beneath the petals and stems. "Every time I think of him, I wish he had been the one killed in that car wreck instead of you, Kasey," she said with a tight voice. "And then... then I wish it had been me." She reached out to touch the stone, always cool to her touch. "You'd have been a great singer, Kase, I know it. I just got lucky and got my break before you did. But you'd have made it too, even if I'd had to blow everybody in the company to get you a contract." She laughed, and it wasn't as bitter as it could have been. "Hell, I guess we were too young back then to really pull something like that, but I would've done it for you, girlfriend. I promise."
Mikayla stood slowly, using the granite stone to balance herself as she did so. "I'm off to Cleveland tonight. I challenged Hannah to a hard rock showdown tonight, and she took the bait. I mean, there's got to be something the bitch can't sing, right?" She bent over and placed a kiss against the cold stone, bitter on her lips every time they touched the roughened top of the headstone. "Wish me luck, girl," she said softly. "I wish you were here, Kasey, so, so much. But since you're not, I'm gonna make it big for both of us. As big as we'd always dreamed, just like we promised each other." She ran her fingers across the rough surface on the top of the stone marker. "Goodbye, Kase," she said, then she turned and walked back to the waiting limousine, wiping at her eyes as she did so.
As the concert began that evening, Miley found herself once again checking that her stage had been set up appropriately. She didn't normally work much with pyrotechnics, but she wanted to make a statement tonight, and the performance she had planned out was designed to do just that. She grinned to herself as she let herself think about Lilly's curiosity, which had to be burning fiercely at the moment. Miley had kept not only the song and her band members secret from everyone, including her wife, but also her outfit and even the design of the stage itself. Miley walked down the long catwalk, lifting the thick drape wrapped around the tall structure at the mini-stage on the catwalk's end. She checked the structure, tugging on it to make sure it was securely in place. She smiled, then she replaced the drape carefully.
Yeah, tonight's performance is gonna open a few eyes. And probably piss more than a few people off, too. But I made sure that the producers would run that disclaimer suggesting that Hannah's fans under twelve not watch tonight's performance several times during the show—heck, the whole show's rated TV-14 anyway, and I'm not going on stage until after ten. That should be plenty late enough for most of 'em to be in bed, and their parents should take care of the rest. She peeked down at where Lilly would be sitting during her performance—another surprise for her wife—and nodded as she saw that the chair had been elevated enough to give Lilly a clear view of the entire performance. Perfect.
Miley turned and walked back along the elevated walkway to the main stage, checking her spots and the clearly marked pyro placements. She had practiced walking around them for two weeks in her secret studio back in Los Angeles, but her safety was worth checking them one more time. Finally satisfied, she walked back over to the backstage entrance and the two security guards posted there. "Make sure nobody gets back here without my approval," Miley said seriously.
"Even your wife?" asked one of the men.
Miley gave him a patient look. He was new, and he still hadn't figured out the way everything worked with Hannah and Lola. "My wife can go anywhere she wants," Miley said. "Absolutely nothing is off-limits to her, okay?"
"Yes ma'am."
Miley looked at the other security guard, one of longest-tenured members of Hannah's road crew. "Tony, you not got around to tellin' this new fella about Lola and me and how we do things?" she asked, patting the quite large man's arm playfully as he grinned in response. However, Miley's talk was cut short when she saw a most unwelcome brunette turn around a corner a hundred feet away. Miley's smile disappeared as she quickly strode toward Mikayla, intercepting her before her rival could get any closer.
"You lost, Mikayla?" Miley asked coldly. "Or just eager to get your beatin' over with?"
"No, I was just making sure that you weren't so badly out of shape that you couldn't go on," Mikayla said with a sniff. Shit. She looks really good. Oh well. I can at least take a shot at her and see what happens. "So, Hannah, are those new pants you're wearing? I don't remember them being so tight before."
Miley fought back the urge to smack the smirk off Mikayla's face, but just barely. "Nope, these fit me as well as they always have," she replied calmly. "In fact, I'm actually a few pounds lighter than I was before I got pregnant. Lola's gotten me into amazing shape." Miley let herself smile now. "You know, I suppose I could come up with some witty putdown for you, but that might give you the very incorrect impression that I cared about what you said."
The buzz of Miley's phone drew her attention away from Mikayla. "See you on stage," Miley said without even a hint of softness before striding past the sulking brunette. She read the text message from Lilly as she walked back to her dressing room, reaching the relative calm in just two minutes.
"Hey hon," she said cheerfully as she saw Lilly load a plate with smoked salmon. Tonight her wife was clad in a bright pink and black outfit that Lilly had described as "Lolita-Gothic" when she bought it three weeks ago. The frilly miniskirt with white ruffles did come down enough to cover her hips but not much else, showing off nearly all of her black stockings with pink swirls covering them. For her hair, she had chosen to go with Lola's bright white wig, completing the odd but rather attractive look for Lola tonight.
Lilly mumbled something happily as she saw Miley walk in, rolling her eyes as she realized just how garbled her speech was with her mouth full of food. "Sorry," she said after finally swallowing. "I said, these people know how to treat their performers! And their significant others, of course."
Miley crossed the dressing room, smaller than usual for Hannah but just fine for her needs. She stood in front of Lilly, leaning into her best friend but being careful to not dislodge the plate Lilly was firmly holding. "That good, huh?" Miley asked as she put her arms around her wife, resting her forehead against Lilly as they looked into each other's eyes.
"Pretty good," said Lilly with a nod of her head, "but I think I see something better." She set the plate down on the table beside them, wrapping her arms around Miley's waist as she pulled her wife even closer. "So, you got anything special planned for me tonight since we have a sitter for our baby girl?" she murmured as she began to gently kiss Miley's lovely neck.
"Could be," replied Miley, her voice dreamy in its distraction at Lilly's hands. "Did Jen really offer to watch her for us?"
"Yeah, but I think Roxy's taking her when it's bedtime, which is probably best for all of us. Now, as for planning something special for me... Is it anything that's going to make me want you even more than I do right now?"
Miley smiled, tipping her head further back to let Lilly's lips cover more of her soft skin. "Oh yeah," she said confidently. "In fact, I think you're gonna have trouble controllin' yourself until we get back to our hotel room."
"Who says I'm controlled right now?" whispered Lilly, her warm breath sending tingles around Miley's neck as she spoke. "Jen's watching our daughter in the next room. I seem to have you all to myself for a bit, Mrs. Montana." Lilly pulled her head back and firmly turned Miley around, pushing her next to the back wall of the dressing room as she slid one hand up Miley's shirt. She smiled at the soft exhalation she could feel as much as hear from her best friend, running the fingertips of her left hand up and down Miley's stomach and chest quickly before removing her hand. She undid the button on Miley's jeans before Miley could question why she had stopped, unzipping her wife's pants before sliding her right hand down into Miley's panties and allowing her left hand to resume its travels up and down Miley's chest.
"Are you hot for me, Hannah?" Lilly whispered, her own voice full of desire as she breathed the words against the back of Miley's neck. "Mmmm, you are, aren't you?" she added, licking her lips at the burning wetness her middle finger smoothly slid through before tenderly entering her Miley.
Miley's mouth opened in a silent gasp as her head and neck stiffened against the wall, her hips pushing back against Lilly as her legs spread wide of their own accord, trying to draw her lover in deeper. She snapped her mouth closed as Lilly began to work her finger back and forth deep inside her, alternating in and out, forward and back, round and round in all the patterns she knew Miley loved. Miley heard her breathing become faster but more shallow as the tightness inside her pelvis began to constrict even more, dancing in tune with the movements of her wife's fingers and hands.
"Yesss," Lilly hissed across Miley's ear, triggering an eruption of ecstasy throughout Miley's body. "Yeah, that's my Hannah," Lilly whispered as she held Miley's shaking body. "So wet, so sexy, aren't you, baby?" She felt Miley's free left hand grip her own hand through her tight leather pants, holding Lilly's finger where it nestled deep inside her wife. "And I love you with everything I have, honey," Lilly added with soft kisses against Miley's shoulders, triggering another spasm throughout her wife's quivering body.
Miley couldn't speak for several moments, so instead she just forcibly held Lilly's hand in her pants until she could breath sufficiently to speak again. Miley turned her upper body and head so that she could look at Lilly's face and say, "Have I told you lately how much I love you, Lola?"
Lilly snickered happily. She put a soft kiss on Miley's lips as she felt Miley's grip release her hand. She slid her fingers gently out of her best friend and then her hand from Miley's pants. "You don't have to tell me, honey, because I already know. But go ahead if you must," she added as she batted her long eyelashes at Miley.
Miley grinned, shaking her head. "I love you more than anything on this earth, Lola," she said, meaning every word. "So what brought on that very lovely surprise?"
Lilly looked into Miley's eyes as she said, "Because I could tell you were a teensy bit nervous about tonight, and I wanted to do something to get rid of any worries that you might have." Her expression grew more serious as she pulled Miley close to her again, staring deep into her eyes as she said, "Hannah, you are the most amazing singer and performer that I've ever seen. Just because you've been gone a month or two doesn't do anything to change that. You're gonna get out there on that stage and sing... whatever song you're gonna be singing tonight, since you won't tell me—"
Miley laughed, kissing Lilly as she continued.
"—And you're gonna blow everybody away again! Because that's what superstars like you do, honey." She smiled at the adoring look on Miley's face. "You feel more relaxed now?"
Miley nodded slowly. "Oh yeah," she said with a soft voice. "Getting some right before a concert always does the trick for this rock star," she added with a wry grin and a wink.
Lilly grinned widely. "Good thing I was here, then, huh?"
"Yup. A very good thing. Otherwise I'd've been all tense out there."
"Well, we can't have that," Lilly said, playing along as she shook her head grandly. "I probably ought to let you get dressed, shouldn't I?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah," replied Miley. "Go keep an eye on the pouty princess for me?"
"Of course," Lilly said, dipping her head slightly. "I'll send her all the dirty looks I can muster up."
"Careful, she might think you're flirtin' with her," teased Miley as she walked Lilly to the dressing room door.
"EW!" Lilly said, shaking her entire body in disgust. "No no no! The only person I let flirt with me is you, Hannah."
"Better be," Miley said, feeling her confidence build inside her. Lilly's little sexual interlude had most definitely rekindled the spark inside Hannah Montana, and Miley could feel that energy begin to swell, aching to be released on stage. "Love you, Lola," she said, taking Lilly into her arms for a deep kiss.
After nearly a minute, the two reluctantly stepped out of their embrace, still looking in each other's eyes. "You kick some ass for me tonight, sweetheart," said Lilly, holding up a fist in front of her face.
"Count on it," Miley said with a smile. "See you out there, lover."
Author's Afterword: Okay, the next chapter should be up faster than the intervals for the last three chapters. I hope. Sometime I'm going to have to get that other story idea written out, but I've promised a few people that I'll finish "Broken Wings" as soon as time permits. Sorry for the long delays for both that story's final chapter and for the last few chapters of this story, but life has a way of draining all that spare time you think you have. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible. See you soon!
Jo