A/N: I'm finally back with another chapter... and I can only hope at this point that I still have some readers left! I sincerely apologize for this story taking so long, but I would like to announce that this story will go on for another five chapters or so. I still have some things I'd like the ladies to experience before we say goodbye :) Also, I decided to re-edit & add to the last chapter, so if you want to check it out again, please do so :) All that said, I hope everyone's still with me, and that you're all still enjoying this story :)
CHAPTER THIRTY
LIFE GOES ON
- Three Years Later –
The morning sun rose slowly in the Tennessee sky, and shimmering rays of red and gold spilled over the mountain peaks, signaling the coming of dawn. Somewhere in the distance, a rooster crowed, and all around the small town of Pine Ridge, families began to start their day.
In the home of Miley & Lilly Truscott-Stewart, twenty two year old Miley slowly opened her eyes and smiled. She awoke to the same wonderful sight that had greeted her every day for the last three years: the peaceful sleeping face of her beautiful blonde-haired wife, Lilly. Smiling, Miley snuggled against her wife and gently kissed her on the lips. Then she carefully slipped out of their bed and made her way into the kitchen.
"Good morning, world!" she called out happily. "How are you today?" Grinning, Miley reached into the refrigerator and pulled out some bacon & eggs and began fixing breakfast for herself & her wife. She was just sliding two pieces of bread into the toaster as well when a familiar pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.
"Mmmm… morning Lilly Bear," Miley whispered. Lilly smiled and gently kissed Miley's neck, making her wife shiver.
"Couldn't sleep, huh?" Lilly greeted her warmly.
"I wanted to surprise you," Miley replied with a smile. Lilly grinned.
"You sure know the way to a woman's heart," she said appreciatively, the tantalizing aromas of breakfast teasing her nose.
"I do when she's my wife," Miley responded sweetly. "Everything'll be ready in just a few minutes."
"I'll set the table then," Lilly said softly, and kissed her wife gently on the lips before reluctantly letting her go. Miley reached out and caught her by the wrist.
"Let's eat outside," she said eagerly. Lilly grinned and nodded.
"That sounds great," she agreed. A few minutes later, the two young women were sitting at the small wooden on their back porch, enjoying their breakfast, each other's company, and the fresh mountain air.
After they finished eating, Lilly slid over next to Miley and kissed her gently on the cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered. "That was wonderful." She smiled.
"So how about you tell me what's going on now?" she asked her wife playfully.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Miley replied quickly. "Can't I just do something nice for my wife?"
"You do nice things for me all the time," Lilly said sweetly. "You are the kindest, sweetest, most wonderful wife anyone could ever ask for… but I know that look, Miles."
"What look?" Miley asked innocently, suddenly becoming very interested in the ground beneath her feet.
"Miley…" Lilly sighed and reached out and slid a finger carefully underneath her wife's chin, gently raising Miley's face towards her own. "You know I love you – so much it hurts sometimes – but you're absolutely terrible at keeping secrets from me, sweetheart. I know you too well… and I know when you're trying to keep something from me." She carefully brushed a few stray strands of hair away from Miley's face and gently squeezed her hand.
"Now… tell me whatever it is you think I'm not gonna like," Lilly said gently.
"I want you to sing with me," Miley whispered.
"That's it?" Lilly responded, sounding amazed. "That's why you did all this? To get me to sing a song with you?"
"On my new album," Miley added quickly. "I want you to sing a song with me on my new album." Lilly's eyes went wide. Miley had been working on her second album as Hannah Montana for the past few months, and she was still working on writing and recording the songs that were going to be on it.
"Crazy talented wife say what?" Lilly exclaimed, borrowing of her wife's signature phrases.
"I've been writing this new song for my album, and every time I read it or try to sing it, all I can do is think about you…" Miley explained softly. "I wanna sing it with you, Lilly… and I want everyone in the world to hear us singing it to each other."
"Miley, I…" Lilly found herself struggling for words, her wife's request having caught her completely by surprise. The intense, almost pleading expression on Miley's face wasn't exactly helping any. "Miles, you know I can't sing…"
"Yes you can," Miley replied with a smile. "You have a wonderful voice, Lilly Bear… you just don't like to sing, at least in front of other people."
"And this is different how?" Lilly asked her teasingly.
"The only people there will be the two of us, Mr. Lebeck, and maybe daddy," Miley promised. "He said he'd stay home if him being there made you uncomfortable though." Her grin grew wider.
"And besides, you're the one who got me into all this in the first place, remember?" she asked her wife playfully.
"I don't know, Miles," Lilly managed. "I'm beyond flattered you'd even ask, but…"
"Please, Lilly?" Miley pleaded with her. "For me? And if you decide you don't want to go through with it, I swear we'll come right back home and I'll never ask you for anything ever again…!"
"Yeah, right," Lilly said teasingly. "You wouldn't be Miley if you weren't always trying to talk me into one of your crazy plans…"
"All part of my charm," Miley quipped. Lilly laughed.
"I know," she said softly. She sighed. "All right, Miles… I'll try; for you." Miley squeaked happily and pulled her wife into a bone-crushing hug.
"It might help if I can breathe though!" Lilly gasped. Miley instantly relaxed her embrace, but she didn't release Lilly; Instead, she kissed her beloved wife gently on the lips and buried her face in Lilly's long golden curls.
"I love you so much…" she whispered. Lilly smiled contentedly.
"I love you too, my Smiley Miley…"
Sometime later, Miley and Lilly stood together in the recording booth in Mr. Lebeck's studio, ready to sing their song together. Lilly was as nervous as she could ever remember being, but Miley was so calm and confident it nearly took Lilly's breath away. If she'd ever had any doubts that Miley was meant to share her voice with the world, watching her wife doing just that, up close and personal, wiped all those doubts away.
"Are you two ready?" Robbie Ray's voice asked through the booth speakers. At Lilly's insistence, he had come to the studio with them, and the presence of the man she had always thought of as her second father seemed to help her feel more at ease.
"Ready when you are, daddy," Miley answered confidently.
"How about you, Lilly?" Robbie Ray asked her carefully. Lilly managed a smile.
"I'm as ready as I'm ever gonna be," she quipped. "Now let's get this thing stared before I come to my senses!" Robbie Ray laughed.
"All right darlin', here we go," He looked over at Mr. Lebeck and nodded. The older man switched on the recording equipment.
"Whenever you're ready, Miles…" Robbie Ray called out gently. Miley closed her eyes and took a deep breath, everything else falling away as she focused on the music. Then, as if on cue, she began to sing. Her angelic voice soon filled the small recording booth, and Lilly could only watch in awe.
"I gotta take a little time, a little time to think things over…" Miley sang softly. "I better read between the lines, in case I need it when I'm older. Now this mountain I must climb, feels like the world upon my shoulders…" She looked over at Lilly then, and smiled.
"Through the clouds I see love shine, it keeps me warm as life grows colder," Miley continued singing."In my life, there's been heart ache and pain, I don't know if I can face it again…" Miley's voice trembled slightly as she sang the words, but she stayed strong.
"I can't stop now, I've traveled so far... to change this lonely life…" At some point, Miley found Lilly's hand with her own, and she squeezed it gently just before the chorus was supposed to start. Lilly swallowed and forced herself to focus on Miley's eyes, and nothing else. Drawn into those eyes she loved so much, she felt the words of the song slip easily from her mouth. Voices raised, Lilly and Miley sang as one.
"I want to know what love is, I want you to show me… I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me…!" Lilly couldn't help smiling slightly. She still didn't think her singing was all that good, but there was something about singing with Miley…singing about their love for each other… that felt incredibly right. She met Miley's eyes with her own, and Lilly felt her smile grow into a wide grin. And as they gazed lovingly at each other, they raised their voices together in song once again.
"I want to know what love is, I want you to show me! I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me…!"
Lilly's smile grew, and as they continued to sing, she mouthed the words 'I love you' to her beautiful wife. Miley smiled as well and repeated the gesture, and their hearts soared together in happiness…
Much later, after the long recording session was finally over, Miley & Lilly decided to celebrate their first song together with a special dinner. They went to their favorite Mexican restaurant, a cozy little place called "Mi Corazon", and requested and were given a small table in the back. A dimly illuminated cut-out of a blazing sun cast comfortable shadows throughout the small room.
"Well, what do you feel like tonight Lils?" Miley asked her wife as they peered at their menus.
"I don't know," Miley replied, sweeping some of her long blonde hair away from her face. "I'm so hungry, it all sounds good!"
"I know what you mean," Miley said with a grin.
"Ooh, how about the Macho Nachos?" Lilly exclaimed, stabbing a finger at a particular selection on her menu. "They're supposed to be huge, so there'll be plenty for us to share!" Miley arched an amused eyebrow.
"Lilly, you know nachos always give you heartburn," she pointed out.
"I know," Lilly said gloomily. "But it'll be worth it! C'mon, Miles, they've got sour cream and guacamole! Guacamole, Miles!" Miley laughed.
"Besides, you always take care of me when I don't feel food," the blonde tomboy said softly, smiling innocently.
"And I always will," Miley said sweetly. She sighed dramatically.
"All right, all right, I surrender," she said playfully. "We can order the nachos… but if I'm gonna have to be up all night with you, I'm gonna need something stronger than iced tea!"
"How about the Mucho Margaritas?" Lilly suggested, looking at her menu again.
"You can order them by the pitcher…"
"Trying to get me drunk now?" Miley teased her. She shook her head and laughed good-naturedly. "Okay, nachos and margaritas it is."
"Thanks Miles, you're the best!" Lilly gushed.
"I know," Miley quipped. She grinned at Lilly over her menu. Lilly just laughed and stuck out her tongue at her wife. The waitress showed up a few minutes later and took their orders, and soon Miley & Lilly were relaxing with their margaritas, discussing their day in the recording studio.
"I still can't believe how much fun that was!" Lilly said happily. "Is it always like that for you?" Miley grinned and nodded.
"Every time," she replied. "I gotta say though, today was by far the best." She reached out and took Lilly's hand from across their table.
"Having you there with me Lilly, singing with me… everything just felt so right,' Miley whispered. "It's like… well, it's like it was meant to be…" Lilly smiled.
"Maybe it was," she said gently. "All I know is, I'm suddenly gonna be on a Hannah Montana album, and I'm nervous as heck!"
"Who knows, maybe Lola's gonna have her own fans following her around now," Miley said teasingly.
"I doubt it," Lilly said with a grin. "But whatever happens, it means a lot to me that you were willing to share that part of yourself with me." Miley smiled, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Then, she stood up and slid into the other side of the booth beside her beloved wife, pulling Lilly into her arms.
"None of this would have happened if it weren't for you, Lilly," Miley whispered. "Whatever I am, I'm all yours… always." She heard Lilly sniffle.
"No tears now," Miley said teasingly. Lilly laughed.
"I love you so much, Miley," Lilly whispered, snuggling into her wife. "I couldn't even begin to imagine my life without you in it…"
"I love you too, Lilly Bear… and I always will," Miley whispered back. She kissed Lilly gently, and the blonde tomboy hungrily returned the embrace. They were soon interrupted by a gentle coughing sound, however.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," the waitress said with a shy smile.
"Nope, we're done," Miley said with a giggle. "For now," she said to Lilly with a wink.
"Well, I've got a huge plate of nachos here that should keep you occupied for a while," the waitress said with a grin. She placed it on the table between Miley & Lilly and stepped away.
"Do you need anything else?" she asked, Miley & Lilly shook their heads and thanked the kind young waitress, and she turned and walked away. Once she was gone, Lilly tore into the nachos like there was no tomorrow.
"Hungry?" Miley asked her teasingly. She looked down at the huge plate of nachos, practically covered with melting cheese. Her stomach growled, reminding her of how hungry she was. Still, attempting to just reach over and grab a chip right now was a dangerous proposition at best.
"Can I have one too, or are you gonna eat them all?" Miley asked her wife sweetly. If there was one thing she knew, it was never to get between Lilly Truscott and her food; a person could lose a hand that way.
"Sorry," Lilly said apologetically. "I guess I was hungrier than I thought… c'mon Miles, dig in!" Miley smiled and reached for a chip, but she could feel Lilly's eyes following her. Grinning, she quickly dipped her finger into the sour cream and playfully dabbed some of it on the tip of Lilly's nose.
"Get your own," Miley said playfully.
"No you didn't!" Lilly gasped. "That's it Miley Truscott-Stewart, this means war!" She dipped her own finger into the sour cream as well and lunged at Miley, but the giggling brunette was able to dodge out of the way. Grinning, Lilly followed, chasing Miley's face with the dollop of sour cream still clinging to the tip of her finger.
"Come back here and take your medicine!" Lilly laughed out loud.
"Never!" Miley shouted dramatically, and she reached out to quickly tickle Lilly's ribs. Lilly shrieked with laughter, but she managed to grab one of Miley's hands and used it to pull Miley towards her.
"Gotcha!" Lilly cried out triumphantly. "And now…!" She reached out to try and smear the dollop of sour cream on Miley's face, but before she could do so, Miley captured Lilly's finger in her mouth and quickly licked it clean. Lilly's eyes nearly popped out of her head and she swallowed, her hand trembling slightly.
"That… wasn't fair…" she managed, Miley smirked at her – what Lilly liked to call her 'naughty smirk', something she only showed to her blonde-haired best friend – and Lilly felt her mouth go dry.
"What, didn't you like that?" Miley asked her teasingly.
"Oh, Lilly definitely likey…" Lilly whispered. Miley winked at her.
"Later," she said in a sultry voice. "Right now, let's just enjoy our dinner together, okay?" Lilly smiled.
"All right Miles," she said gently. "But later, your butt is mine!"
"And all the rest of me," Miley said warmly, her eyes sparkling. She picked up another chip – loaded with refried beans, seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese, sour cream & tomatoes – and offered it to Lilly, who smiled and gently bit into it. Once Lilly finished, she picked up another chip and gently fed it to Miley in turn.
"Maybe this'll keep you from flirting with me all night, so we can actually finish dinner!" Lilly said teasingly. Smiling warmly, Miley & Lilly continued to feed each other their dinner, and enjoyed the one thing they loved more than any other: each other…
Much later, back at home, Miley found herself doing exactly what she knew she'd be doing after dinner: tending to Lilly's heartburn.
"Here, take some of this," Miley told her wife, holding a familiar pink bottle of medicine near Lilly's lips. Lilly grudgingly did as she was asked, pressing her lips against the bottle as Miley gently tipped it forward. Lilly swallowed and grimaced.
"That stuff is nasty," she muttered.
"If it'll make you feel better, it's worth it," Miley replied as she screwed the top of the bottle back on and placed it on the nightstand nearby. "Now, lay down and get some rest."
"Yes, mother," Lilly retorted playfully, and she stretched out in the bed she and Miley shared. Miley switched off the lamp beside their bed and laid down beside Lilly, spooning her. She kissed Lilly gently on the back of her neck.
"Go to sleep," she whispered to her beloved wife.
"I'm tryin', but you're not makin' it easy when you kiss me like that," Lilly quipped. Miley grinned.
"I'll behave," Miley promised teasingly. "Now close your eyes…" Lilly did as she was told, and Miley snuggled gently against her. Lilly whimpered softly, and Miley responded by sliding her fingers underneath Lilly's nightshirt to gently caress her wife's well-toned stomach, her long, slender fingers moving in cool, comforting circles.
"I know it hurts," she whispered to her best friend. "It'll go away, I promise…" Lilly sighed contentedly.
"Thanks, Miles," she whispered.
"For what?" Miley asked her with an amused grin.
"For always taking care of me," Lilly replied, her voice thick with sleep and emotion. Miley smiled and gently kissed Lilly's shoulder from behind.
"Sweetheart, you've been takin' care of me since the very first day we met," she said warmly. "I'm glad I get to return the favor." Though Miley couldn't see her, Lilly smiled, and a single tear trickled down her cheek. She pulled Miley's arms tighter around her.
"Mine," Lilly whispered, still smiling. "I love you, Miles…"
"I love you too, Lilly Bear," Miley whispered back. "And I'll always be yours…"