A/N: Hope you're all still with me, 'cause this story's nowhere near done yet :) And bey, if you can guess where the song Miley sings later is from, you might get a prize! Well okay, not much of a prize, 'cause I can't afford much these days... but how does a mention in one of the chapters of this story sound? :)
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CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
FACE TO FACE
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"What are we gonna do, Miles?" Lilly whispered, a tremor of fear creeping into her voice.
"I don't know, Lils," Miley answered honestly. "Just try to relax, okay? We'll figure something out."
"Right," Lilly responded with a quick nod. She swallowed. "Okay, first things first… let's get out of this alley."
"Sounds like a plan," Miley replied with a small smile. "And Lilly?"
"Yeah Miles?"
"Thanks," Miley said softly. Lilly smiled and kissed Miley gently on the forehead.
"Whenever you need me, I'll always be there Miles," she said warmly. "I just wish I could've stopped that lunatic cousin of yours."
"There was nothing you could've done, Lils," Miley said gently. "You found me when I needed you… just like you always do." She closed her eyes and snuggled against the woman she loved, grateful they were still together. Lilly couldn't help whimpering softly. Arms wrapped around each other, the two young women carefully made their way out of the alley and out onto the darkened street beyond.
"The first thing we need is a ride," Lilly said after a moment.
"I'm open to suggestions," Miley quipped. "We sure could use a friend right now." Lilly didn't respond; she had absolutely no idea what she and Miley were going to do, but she refused to give in to despair. As long as they were together, there was nothing she and Miley couldn't do, no obstacle they couldn't overcome; she knew that beyond any shadow of a doubt. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a desperate idea seized her.
"We do have a friend Miles," she said quickly. She looked at the woman she loved. "Felicia!"
"Just one problem, Lils," Miley said quietly. "Felicia doesn't know who we really are, remember? She only knows us as Hannah and Lola!"
"Okay yeah, good point," Lilly muttered. "I don't know what else to do though, Miles."
"We could try calling daddy," Miley suggested softly.
"Your dad's practically allergic to technology, Miles," Lilly quipped. "I doubt he has a cell phone, much less knows how to use one!"
"You're right," Miley admitted sadly. "Remind me to give him a crash course when we get back!" She tried to smile, but the single tear trickling down her cheek betrayed her.
"Hey… It's gonna be okay, Miles, I promise," Lilly whispered, reaching up to gently wipe away her best friend's tears. "We're gonna get through this together…" Miley looked up at her, a weak smile on her face.
"Together?" she repeated.
"Together," Lilly promised. "But I think… I think we're gonna have to trust Felicia with our secret." Miley looked over at her best friend with an alarmed expression.
"Do you really think we can trust her?" she asked Lilly carefully.
"I don't think we have a choice," Lilly replied simply. "Honestly though, Felicia's always been a good friend. I think she can handle it." Miley sighed.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said after a moment, "and Felicia's never given us a reason not to trust her, after all." Miley felt Lilly tense slightly at her words, and she frowned. No one else would probably have noticed, but Miley knew Lilly better than anyone, and to her the action had been painfully obvious.
"What is it?" she asked her girlfriend carefully.
"Nothing," Lilly lied.
"Lilly," Miley said, her voice rising slightly with her concern. "You know I know you better than that, so just tell me what's wrong."
"I'm beginning to think you know me too well," Lilly said lightly, grinning slightly. "I just didn't want you to worry about it, okay? It's nothing, really… we already talked about it, and it's not gonna happen again." Miley frowned again.
"What did she do?" she asked, referring to Felicia. Lilly sighed; she knew Miley wasn't going to let it go.
"She tried to kiss me, all right?" Lilly finally admitted. She saw Miley's eyes go wide.
"But I stopped her!" the blonde tomboy said quickly. "And I told her I was with you, and nothing was gonna change that." She reached out and gently ran her fingers through Miley's long, silky chestnut hair.
"She didn't know, okay? Once I told her about us, she backed off. So you don't have anything to worry about."
"I'm sorry," Miley said softly, closing her eyes. "I know I overreact sometimes…"
"You're just really protective of the people you care about," Lilly said with a gentle smile. "I think it runs in your family…"
"Ya think?" Miley asked teasingly.
"It's one of the things I love most about you, Miles," Lilly said warmly. She grinned again. "Not to mention your beautiful eyes."
"Here I thought you were gonna try and say somethin' about my butt," Miley said with a grin of her own.
"Nothin' wrong with that, either," Lilly quipped. Miley giggled softly and rested her head on Lilly's shoulder.
"All right… go ahead and give Felicia a call," she said softly. "I just hope she can help us."
"Maybe we should go someplace more comfortable first," Lilly suggested. She took a moment to look around, carefully taking in their surroundings. Not far away, she could see a large restaurant. A sign on the front of the building spelled out 'The Cheesecake Factory' in big red neon letters.
"Let's head over there," Lilly said, pointing at the restaurant. "You can get some rest, and I'll call Felicia."
"Gettin' something to eat might not be a bad idea either," Miley said thoughtfully. "I haven't had anything since lunch."
"Oh Miles, you must be starving!" Lilly exclaimed. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Seemed like there were important things to worry about," Miley said lightly.
"Not anymore," Lilly said firmly. "Let's go… there's a big piece of cheesecake waiting over there with our names on it!" They slowed started to walk, Lilly's arm still wrapped protectively around her girlfriend. Miley was still fighting off the effects of the chloroform Luanne had used on her, and wasn't quite steady on her feet yet, but Lilly carefully guided her along.
"Just lean on me," Lilly offered sweetly. Miley just smiled.
"Thanks, Lils… you're the best."
"Only for you," Lilly said playfully. It took them almost fifteen minutes, but by the time the two young woman reached the restaurant, Miley was starting to feel much better. She stood up straight and confidently took Lilly's hand, silently telling her girlfriend that she felt capable of walking on her own again; Lilly smiled warmly.
They waited patiently to be seated, and were eventually led over to a small booth in a back corner. After a quick trip to the ladies' room to clean themselves up as best as they could, Lilly reached for her cell phone.
"If the waitress comes by again while I'm still on the phone, order me a hamburger and a big cup of coffee," she said to Miley. She glanced quickly at the menu.
"Maybe that caramel apple cheesecake too," she added. Miley grinned. Despite the seriousness of their situation, Lilly could still make her smile.
"Hey Lils?" Miley asked.
"Yeah?" Lilly replied, looking up from her phone.
"Don't ever change," Miley replied with a gentle smile of her own. Lilly smiled back, the warmth of Miley's love washing over her.
"I'm really glad your dad gave us this emergency credit card," Lilly said, reaching into her small wallet she always kept with her. "Cause if this doesn't qualify, I don't know what does!" She quickly dialed Felicia's cell phone number and waited anxiously for their red-headed friend to pick up.
"Hello?" a tired voice finally answered.
"Felicia?" Lilly replied. "It's Li… Lola!"
"L-Lola?" Felicia managed sleepily. "Girl, do you know how late it is?!"
"I know, and I'm really sorry to bother you, but Hannah and I really need your help!" Lilly told her.
"What's wrong?" Felicia asked, the tone of Lilly's voice sending a chill down her spine.
"It's a long story, but we're stranded in Dallas," Lilly tried to explain. "We need to catch up to the tour bus in Denver before it's too late!" She looked over at Miley for a moment, and the brunette nodded her head.
"I know this a lot to ask of you - of anyone - but you're our friend… and we didn't know who else to ask." Lilly swallowed. "And we… we need to tell you something."
"Guess there's no way I can say 'no' after all that, is there?" Felicia said lightly. "Besides, if my friends need me… then I'm there."
"Oh thank you, Felicia!" Lilly exclaimed. "You're awesome!"
"You can thank me later," Felicia quipped. "It's gonna take me a while to get there, though. Is there someplace you can stay for the night?"
"I think we can find a hotel around here," Lilly replied. "Just give us a call when you get close, and we'll be ready."
"All right, I'm on my way. Be careful you two."
"You, too," Lilly responded. "See you soon, Felicia… and thanks again."
Meanwhile, back on Hannah Montana's tour bus, all was not well. Luanne's attempt to pass herself off as Miley weren't fooling anyone… especially not Robbie Ray. He knew Miley far too well, and he was well aware that the dark, angry young woman pretending to be his daughter wasn't her at all. He waited for a quiet moment, then slipped into her private bedroom to confront her.
"You're not my daughter," he said simply. Luanne looked up at him from where was lying on 'her' bed and smiled sweetly.
"What are you talking about daddy?" she asked innocently.
"Save it," Robbie Ray growled. "You're not Miley, and we both know it." Luanne's smiled faded.
"You can't prove anything," she whispered.
"No?" Robbie Ray retorted. "Just how dumb do you think I am, Luanne?" He darted forward and grabbed Luanne's left arm, twisting it back to reveal a long scar running most of the way down her forearm.
"You got so overconfident, you didn't even bother trying to cover it up," Robbie Ray said. "You probably thought I forgot, didn't you?" He shook his head sadly.
"You got that when you refused to get off Blue Jeans, even after we all warned you he didn't take to strangers," Robbie Ray muttered. "You were too stubborn to listen, and you got bucked off for your trouble."
"Landed on a rock too, thanks to that stupid horse," Luanne spat, jerking her arm back.
"You always did blame everyone else for your own problems," Robbie Ray said in a pitying tone. "Now, what have you done with my girls?" Luanne's eyes narrowed.
"They're fine," she hissed. "As long as you keep quiet and let me be Hannah, they'll stay that way."
"I don't believe you," Robbie Ray said threateningly.
"Well there's nothing you can do about it," Luanne replied, refusing to be intimidated. "You try to say anything to anyone about me, and you'll never see them again." Robbie Ray swallowed. For a long moment he just stared at his niece, his eyes filled with a deep sadness and regret.
"What's happened to you, Luanne?" he asked softly.
"Like you care, uncle," Luanne muttered. "Now leave, and we'll just forget this little conversation ever took place." Robbie Ray sighed deeply and shook his head.
"This ain't over," he managed, and then he turned around and walked away. Luanne glared at his retreating back as he left the room, wishing silently she could find some way to shut him up. For the first time, she began to wish Travis was still around. She had abandoned him back in Dallas as well, after making him believe she was going to sneak him backstage as well so they could be together. Unfortunately for him, he had already outlived his usefulness, and Luanne simply didn't need him anymore. She had no doubt her former boyfriend would be heartbroken, angry or both, but she didn't particularly care. She had what she had always wanted – finally, she was the one everyone wanted to see, not Miley - and best of all she had hurt Miley herself in the process. Whatever it took, she wasn't going to let anything or anyone take it from her… even if it meant dragging everyone down with her.
Back in Dallas, Miley and Lilly managed to find a small motel where they could stay the night, thanks once again to their emergency credit card. It wasn't much, but then they didn't need much; just a bed, a shower, and a small television set. As Lilly put it, "just the essentials".
"What a night, huh?" Lilly said lightly as she and Miley finally laid down on the bed together.
"I'm just glad you're here with me, Lils," Miley whispered, closing her eyes and leaning in to Lilly's embrace.
"I'll always be with you, Miles," Lilly whispered. "That's what I promised, remember?" She snuggled against the young woman who held her heart.
"I love you…"
"I remember," Miley whispered back, smiling wearily, "and I love you too, Silly Lilly." She couldn't help yawning.
"Sorry," she apologized.
"It's okay, go to sleep," Lilly said softly. She kissed Miley softly on the top of her head. "It's gonna be a long day tomorrow, and you need your rest."
"Hold me?" Miley whispered, her eyes already beginning to close.
"You don't even have to ask," Lilly said with a smile. She reached over to switch off the lamp, then wrapped her arms around the woman she loved as she and Miley drifted off to sleep together…
--
"Is it gonna hurt momma?" six year old Susan Truscott-Stewart asked nervously.
"It'll be all right, sweetheart," Miley replied gently. "The doctor just needs to give you a little shot so you'll stay healthy at school."
"It's gonna hurt…" little Susan pouted. Her bottom lip began to tremble, and unshed tears sparkled in her sky blue eyes as she looked up at her two mothers.
"You'll probably just feel a little poke is all," Lilly said softly. "Tell you what – just turn your head away and close your eyes. Momma and I will stand right here with you and hold your hand, okay? It'll be over before you know it."
"I don't wanna…" Susan managed, and a single tear began to trickle down her cheek. "I'm scared!"
"Oh, doodlebug…" Lilly whispered, reaching up to gently brush the tear away. "Please don't cry. You're gonna make me and momma cry too!" Desperate to find a way to ease their daughter's fears, Lilly had a sudden flash of inspiration.
"How about if momma sings to you?" she suggested. Miley looked over at her wife, an almost amused expression on her face.
"You always were good at volunteerin' me for things," she said with a smile. She turned back to face their little girl. "Would you like that, sweetie? Do you want momma to sing to you?" Susan nodded quickly.
"All right," Miley said warmly. "Maybe mommy will help me," she added with a mischievous grin.
"We're trying not to scare her, remember?" Lilly whispered, and Miley couldn't help laughing. Only Lilly…
"Okay, baby girl," Miley said softly, reaching out to take her little girl's hand. Lilly did the same with Susan's other hand. "Now close your eyes…" Joining hands with Lilly as well, Miley began gently singing…
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I'll be your candle on the water
My love for you will always burn
I know you're lost and drifting
But the clouds are lifting
Don't give up
You have somewhere to turn
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I'll be your candle on the water
'Til every wave is warm and bright
My soul is there beside you
Let this candle guide you
Soon you'll see
A golden stream of light
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A cold and friendless tide has found you
Don't let the stormy darkness pull you down
I'll paint a ray of hope around you
Circling in the air
Lighted by a prayer
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I'll be your candle on the water
This flame inside of me will grow
Keep holding on, you'll make it
Here's my hand, so take it
Look for me
Reaching out to show
As sure as rivers flow
I'll never let you go
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I'll never let you go
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I'll never let you go…
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Lilly looked over at her wife, tears in her eyes. Something about Miley's gift of singing always managed to touch her deeply.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too, Lilly Bear," Miley whispered back, smiling warmly, the depths of her love and devotion to her wife shining clearly in the depths of her deep blue eyes. She turned back to their daughter, to see the doctor had already finished with the dreaded shot. Little Susan herself was still sitting calmly, her eyes closed.
"You can open your eyes now, sweetheart," Miley said happily. "It's all over."
"Really?" Susan asked, carefully opening her eyes. "It didn't even hurt at all!"
"Told ya," Lilly chimed in, smiling as well. "Momma's singing works miracles!"
"I don't know about that," Miley quipped, "but I think a certain brave little girl deserves some ice cream now!"
"Yay!!" Little Susan exclaimed happily. She jumped down off the exam table and wrapped her arms around both her mothers' legs in a joyful hug.
"How about some ice cream for mommy too?" Lilly asked teasingly. Miley laughed again.
"As long as there's some left over for the rest of us," she said with a grin. She reached down to pick up little Susan, then reached for Lilly with her free hand.
"Let's go," she said warmly, and as they turned to leave, Miley whispered another silent prayer to God, thanking Him once again for giving her the most wonderful family she could ever have imagined…
--
"Wow…" Miley whispered, opening her eyes. It had only been a dream, but her heart was still soaring with the warm feelings it had brought. She gently squeezed the blonde angel whose arms were still wrapped lovingly around her.
"You okay, Miles?" Lilly asked sleepily.
"Yeah," Miley replied. "I just had the best dream ever!"
"What was it about?" Lilly asked, still not opening her own eyes.
"Us," Miley answered simply. "It was about you and me… and our little girl." Lilly's eyes snapped open.
"W-what?" she gasped.
"I dreamed we had a little girl, Lilly," Miley said softly, her face lighting up with a radiant smile. "We named her Susan."
"Wow," Lilly whispered, echoing Miley's earlier sentiment.
"That's what I said," Miley quipped.
"Do you think… that's really gonna happen someday?" Lilly asked carefully. She was careful not to mention just how much she hoped it would; the thought of having a daughter with Miley was causing all kinds of wonderful feelings to blossom within her.
"I hope so," Miley said warmly. "You're gonna be an awesome mom some day, Lils."
"So are you," Lilly said softly. She pulled Miley to her and kissed her gently, Miley's sigh of pleasure sending chills down her spine. They parted after a few blissful moments, and Miley leaned back slightly so she could look Lilly in the eyes.
"What time is it?" she asked. Lilly turned around partially to glance at the small alarm clock in the room.
"3:45," she said softly. "I guess we should try to get back to sleep, huh?" Miley reached out and slid a free hand gently under the hem of Lilly's t-shirt, gently caressing the soft, warm skin she found there.
"Later," she whispered, her eyes sparkling with love and desire. "I wanna make love to my beautiful wife first." Her hand switched directions, gliding gently down underneath the waistband of Lilly's pajama bottoms and dipping inside the silky panties she wore. Lilly gasped softly.
"We're not… married yet… Miles…" she managed as Miley's gentle and loving ministrations all but took her breath away.
"Details," Miley said teasingly. "We already are, in our hearts… we're just gonna make it official soon." Miley's long, soft fingers began to move gently up and down over Lilly's center, causing the blonde tomboy's eyes to roll slowly back and close.
"Now, no more talk…" Miley whispered in a sultry voice, and Lilly gave herself over completely to Miley's tender loving care…
It was about ten o'clock the following morning when Felicia finally arrived from Nashville. Knowing their friend was expecting to see Hannah Montana and Lola Luftnagle, Miley and Lilly wrapped their heads in bath towels, as though they had just gotten out of the shower.
"Aren't you two ready yet?" Felicia asked them teasingly as she walked into their small motel room.
"Actually, there's something we need to tell you first," Lilly said carefully.
"Like what?" Felicia asked warily.
"Like… who we really are," Miley said softly. She looked over at Lilly and nodded. Together, they both removed the towels covering their hair.
"My real name is Miley Stewart… and this is my girlfriend, Lilly Truscott." Felicia opened her mouth to say something, but there just weren't any words to fit all the things she was suddenly experiencing, so her mouth just hung open. Then, as Miley and Lilly watched in stunned disbelief, Felicia's eyes rolled back in her head and she simply fainted, her senseless body collapsing on the bed near her.
"Oh, sweet niblets…"