Oh God, I totally suck and I'm sorry! I've struggled so badly linking up this bit and the next. It's a bit of a filler if I'm honest. As usual a big thanks to everyone who is still reading this! We're getting closer to the end! Which I actually have about 80% written! Shock! Horror! I've been writing the second story for this series – ideas have come pouring of my head recently. I'd like to try and finish this before Christmas. Anyho – enjoy peeps!

Within Temptation – The Middle Of The Night

You've been playing my mind through my wishes

You can feel that we're haunting the truth

Don't know I can't hold on always losing control.

"My bed!" Miley yelled as she dumped her bags on the floor and flew across the room at it. "God I've missed you."

Lilly smiled as she placed her things on the table. "Someone's happy."

"I've never been so grateful for Mamaw's wackiness." She stretched out across the bed, enjoying the musky smell of Lilly's scent mingled with her own. "No judgement, no strange looks. Freedom."

"Just a cousin who hates you and an Aunt who wants your money."

"Exactly, normality." Miley smiled. "Come here." Lilly took her sunglasses out of her hair before pulling the band out and shaking it. "You do realise how sexy that is?" She pulled Lilly in to her arms and breathed in to her ear.

"Me, shaking my greasy, unbrushed, in desperate need of a colour, hair?"

"I love the natural Lilly, nothing better than you covered in sweat and dirt."

Jackson, also back from his trip to his Grandma's always found himself in awkward situations. He seemed to be some sort of ionised devise for them and right now he really didn't need to see his little sister cuddled up with Lilly moaning in to her ear. "Hey guys!" He made sure his voice was raised so that maximum embarrassment could be achieved. "Next time you decide to get it on make sure you close the door and keep your voices down, people will know." He gave them a smug grin and waved before disappearing once more.

"I am going to kill him." Lilly looked deeply unimpressive with Jackson's interruption.

"Not before me." Miley let go of Lilly for a moment and rolled on to her back. "We weren't doing anything!" She yelled to the rest of the house.

Luanne laughed to herself as she watched her cousin and girlfriend together. Sure, she would have got something good if Jackson hadn't decided to disturb them, but this would make a nice little addition to her near complete project. She hoped against hopes that later on Lilly and Miley would get reacquainted again, she had one empty slot left and then it would be done. She knew Miley's Grandma Ruby and knew what she would have separated them for the duration of their stay, making their libidos triple, perfect. Their stay away also gave her just enough time to set up and sort out her final part of her plan.

"Still working hard then?" Lilly chortled as she flopped down in the chair.

"Always." Jackson didn't turn his head away from the screen but Lilly saw the smile on his face. She enjoyed the banter between the two of them, as much as Miley complained about Jackson she loved him. Underneath, he'd always had a good heart the intentions were there but the executions didn't always go to plan. Lilly observed Jackson quietly, the speed of his child like hands providing her some amusement, she let out a small snort of laughter.

"Alright Lilly?" Jackson turned his head for a split second.

"Yeah, it's just the speed of your hands." Before Jackson could answer the doorbell went, he glanced over at Lilly once more, puzzled as to who it could be, everyone else was out and would be for some time. "I'll get it shall I?" Lilly raised her eyebrows as Jackson didn't even move an eyelid. Heaving her tired body from the chair that had engulfed her she made her way to the door. Opening it she saw a tall, blonde haired man standing with a grin on his face. It took her a few moments to realise who this handsome young man was. "Travis?" She said in surprise.

"Hi..." He drawled out, desperately searching his mind as to who the person was. She looked familiar but for some reason he couldn't place her.

"Lilly." She offered, slightly insulted that he couldn't even remember her name; nevertheless she gave him a smile.

"That's right, sorry! You look different." He desperately tried to cover his tracks. "Is Ruthie about, I said I'd service her truck for her but it isn't in the garage."

"Miley's got it. Mamaw must have forgotten about it. She's been pretty busy."

"Darn it. I'll come back another time."

"Miles won't be long, she only popped in to town with her little cousin, would you like to have a cup of coffee and wait or have you got to get going?"

Travis checked his phone. "Na, I should be alright. Coffee would be great though."

"Come through to the kitchen." Lilly stepped out of the way of the door and allowed Travis in. "Jackson's working in the snug if you wanna say hi."

"I wouldn't want to disturb him."

"He's playing video games Travis. It's his job to test them."

"Really?" Travis looked amused as he followed Lilly through the house. He had never taken any interest in video games, he personally thought they were a waste of money and time but decided against voicing this opinion.

Forty five minutes later Lilly was grateful that she had so many guy friends; it made things like this so much easier. She hadn't really spoken to Travis last time she was here but somehow managed to have a decent conversation with him. Lilly had to admit he was a really nice guy who obviously knew what he wanted and acted on it, if she was still in to men then she would sure like Travis.

"You skateboard, snowboard and surf?" Travis couldn't believe this little blonde women in front of him. She was full of surprises.

"Why do you say it like that? I live in California, it's a surfing hotspot. Skateboarding and snowboarding are just the variations." She smiled with a shrug.

"I dunno, you just seem..." Travis sipped his second coffee.

"Be glad you didn't get to finish that sentence." Lilly warned with a grin as she heard the door go. "Miles is that you?"

"Yeah it's me."

"You alright, you sound a little stressed."

"Yeah." She called back. "Looking after children on your own is tiring. Whose truck is that on our driveway?" Miley hopped as she pulled off her boots from her sore feet. Next time she would be wearing sneakers, boots were not made for running after small children.

"Come in. Would you like a coffee?"

"I'd love one please. Molly, here's your bag."

"Thank you." The little girl squealed as she grabbed the bag and headed off to the playroom to set up her new ponies.

Miley watched her younger cousin run off at the speed of light, wondering how she had any energy left after the afternoon they had had. She turned and headed through to the kitchen where she found Lilly stirring her coffee. "Hey." She leant over and kissed Lilly on the corner of her mouth before taking the coffee and turning round. "Travis!" She exclaimed, thumping the mug down on the table and rushing to give him a hug. Travis stood up quickly and braced himself for a full force hug. "I have missed you. How have you been?"

"Hey Miley." He let her go and looked at her for the first time in two summers, she sure was pretty. He knocked this thought from his head; he had a steady girlfriend who would probably string him up for staring at his ex girlfriend.

"What are you doing here? It's so good to see you." She beamed as he sat down.

"I came to service the truck but someone had borrowed it." He said jokingly, raising his eyebrows.

"I didn't realise you worked for Mamaw too."

"I do a bit, mostly all the farm machinery and the occasional car. Speaking of which, I must get to it, I've got a few bits to do this afternoon. Thanks for the coffee Lilly."

"I thought we'd get more time to catch up." Miley looked disheartened.

"Sorry, I'm in demand these days." He gave Miley a cheeky wink.

"Well how about dinner tonight, it's nothing special but it would be nice to catch up with you."

"I don't see why not but my girlfriend is staying with me at the moment, would you mind if I brought her along."

"Of course not, say be here for 7?"

"See you then." Travis waved goodbye as he let himself out the back door.

Travis slowly slid himself out from under the truck, eyeing Miley and Lilly. Two years on and he finds that his ex girlfriend is now dating a girl was slightly odd. He wondered if Miley had stuck around whether they would have lasted. There was no question with her looks; she was hot, really hot. He shook his head, trying to throw the lustful thoughts out of it. It didn't help that Miley was sat on the large chestnut horse in a pair of impossibly small shorts that were riding up higher and higher.

"You do realise that Travis had been ogling you for the past 20 minutes?" Lilly said as she leant on the fence.

"I know, he's been sliding back and forth from under the truck, I don't think he's realised that the game is up." Miley threw her leg over the front of the saddle and dismounted. "Do you think that gave him a good enough view?"

"If I didn't know you any better I'd go as far to say you are flirting."

"Only a little bit, you know what I'm like."

"I hope not." Lilly raised her eyebrows with a mock expression.

"Come here." Miley looped her reins around the horn and left the horse standing. She threw an arm around Lilly's neck, pulling her closer before planting her lips on her girlfriend's. "You taste nice." Miley rubbed her lips together as she pulled away. "Is that my lip balm?" She asked. "It's vanilla."

"I lost mine." Lilly shrugged.

"Well I wouldn't mind a bit more." Miley said as she leaned back in for another kiss. She held on to the rail as she pulled Lilly once more, this time cheekily slipping her tongue in, much to Lilly's surprise.

Much to Miley's surprise Ginger had decided he had had enough and wandered over to Miley. The only way he could get her attention was to have a nibble; next thing Miley knew was Ginger had bitten her ass. She screamed, making the poor horse look bewildered and slightly scared.

"You little shit!" Miley rubbed the bare skin on her ass.

Lilly on the other hand was laughing so much that she had slipped off the fence and landed in a heap of cloud dust. "That'll teach you to be a tease." She stood back up and let herself in the pen. "I'm getting to like you more and more." She patted Ginger who looked, or what Miley thought, pleased with himself.

"Travis!" Miley greeted her ex with a hug, squashing the flowers he'd brought.

"Hey Miley." He wrapped his free arm around her. "You're squashing the flowers."

"Sorry." She smiled and let him go. "Hi, I'm Miley."

"Hi, I'm Jenny." She gave Miley the brightest smile, Miley swore if it was any brighter she would have become blind.

"Nice to meet you. Come in."

"Sorry we're running late, emergency chicken situation."

"That's alright; I think Mamaw's nearly ready to serve."

"Thank God, I'm starving."

"Travis!" Jenny slapped her boyfriend across the lower part of his back. "Have you got any manners?"

"Nice to see someone's keeping him in line." Miley winked at the girl, taking an immediate like to her. "Everyone Travis is here and this is his girlfriend Jenny."

"Hello darlin'." Mamaw came bustling through the various people strewn across the kitchen. "How are you?"

"Very well thank you, these are for you."

"Why thank you." Mamaw took the flowers from Travis. "I'll have to put these in some water."

"Hey Travis." Luanne finally shifted from her corner. Until then, Travis hadn't noticed her. "How are you?" She gave a hug which surprised him no end. "And how's your whore?" She grinned as she whispered in his ear. She let him go, smiling as she saw the look of anger on her face. She was sure she would make this evening as awkward as possible.

Mamaw looked up, noticing that Miley hadn't even offered Travis a drink, she shouted over the chatter in the kitchen. "Miley offer the poor boy some drinks, I'm sure he's parched."

"Follow me." Miley indicated with her head. Travis on the other hand kept one eye on Luanne, something was brewing.

Miley and Travis sat down on the porch, enjoying the final orange streaks in the sky before the darkness over came them. "What the hell is going on with you and my cousin? She's been sniping at you all evening."

"Oh. God, I was afraid you'd ask me that. It's a little bit awkward." Travis paused; he didn't know how to explain to his ex that he ended up sleeping with her cousin.

Fortunately for Travis Miley had already got there. "You didn't, did you? Please tell me you didn't."

"I liked you and after you told me it wasn't going to work Luanne started to pay me some attention."

"It doesn't mean you jump in to bed with her." Miley tried to curb the anger in her voice, she didn't mean to berate Travis but Luanne normally had an ulterior motive.

"I know but she's stunning, you can't deny how similar you two look. She reminded me of you." He shrugged. "I'm sorry."

"No it's fine." Miley placed her hand on Travis' knee. "Listen I'm sorry, what does it matter? I'm gay and you have a girlfriend, it's all in the past."

"Speaking of my girlfriend, I'd appreciate if we kept that between us. She knows that I used to have something with you and Luanne but the last thing she needs is the details as to why."

"No worries, I'm glad you found someone, she seems nice."

"She is. I'm a lucky guy." Travis gave Miley an award winning smile, behind it were still all his thoughts about Miley. "But she's not you." Travis kept that last part to himself. He was so tempted to lean right over and kiss Miley right now, those full luscious lips just taunting him. The tongue that darted in and out occasionally when she stumbled over her words, God she was hot. The move Travis made was one he'd regret for the rest of his life.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Miley shoved Travis hard in the chest before standing up to face him. "What the fuck Travis?" She wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

"I just..." He held his hands before slapping them down on his jeans.

"You what? Decided that you'd kiss me?"

"Miley, please, you're so pretty..."

"And gay and in a relationship. Get out Travis. Just go." Miley walked back in the door to the kitchen were Lilly and Travis' girlfriend stood, chatting idly while they dried up.

"Hey Jenny, Travis says he wants to go. He's waiting on the porch for you." Lilly turned round with a puzzled look on her face.

"Okay." The blonde smiled, oblivious to Miley icy exterior. "It was lovely to meet you Lilly." She smiled and kissed Lilly on each cheek before doing the same to Miley. "It was lovely to meet you both, thanks for dinner, I had a great time."

"What the fuck was that all about?" Lilly said as she wiped a plate dry. "What's got under your skin?"

"Travis, that's who." She crossed her arms.

"Crossed arms and a face like thunder, whatever he's done it's gotta be pretty bad."Lilly smiled at her girlfriend's pouting face.

"He kissed me."

Lilly caught the plate moments before it hit the floor. "He what?" She furrowed her blonde eyebrows. "That... that... that..." She simply couldn't find a suitable adjective for him.

"I pushed him away and told him to go. I was so mad."

"I'm gonna hit him." Lilly slammed the plate down, breaking it in the process. "Fuck." She moaned as she looked at her now bleeding hand. "I'm gonna flatten that cunt."

"Whoa, Lil, just steady." Miley placed her hands on Lilly's upper arms.

"I'm not a fucking horse Miley." She shook off her girlfriend's attempt to calm her down.

"I know you're not, but please, I've dealt with it. He's not coming near me again."

"I'll kill him if he comes with a 100 foot of you."

"I know you will. Now please, just let me look at your hand, you're dripping blood on the floor." Miley's hand hovered over Lilly's bleeding one, waiting for her girlfriend to let her.

"Fine." Lilly held her hand out.

"Hold it under the tap, let me see if there's anything in it." Miley twisted Lilly's hand to get the right light as the tap poured on to the wound.

"That really fucking hurts. Jesus! Fuck Miley!" She watched as Miley pulled open the wound. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Checking to see if there's anything in it. You're fine; let me stick a bandage on it." She pulled Lilly over to a cupboard which held the first aid. "Stay still." Lilly watched Miley silently as she wrapped her hand up. "All done." Miley said placing a kiss on the back of her hand.

"Thanks."

"Next time, don't try and defend my honour." Miley smiled. "You didn't even make it out the door."

"Screw you." Lilly grinned at Miley.

"Leave the washing up, you've done most of it. Mamaw won't mind if we finish tomorrow. Come on." Miley took Lilly's good hand and headed out the kitchen and towards the stairs.

"Hey, guys." Luanne caught Miley and Lilly; she wanted to implement the last part of her plan before the end of the night. "I've got something for both of you."

"Us?" Lilly and Miley said in unison as they stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah, I'd like to show you tomorrow night if that's okay with you?"

"Are you not going out for the barn dance?"

"Na, I go to enough of them through the year and this sounds like a oldies one." Luanne gave a shrug and a smile, damn, she should have become an actress, she could pull off just about anything. "I hope you like it; I've put a lot of work in to it." With one final smile Luanne walked up the stairs and headed to her room.