A/N: Hey, everyone! Muchas gracias for the reviews. :)

Warning: This chapter is unbelievably long. Sorry. I just couldn't stop myself. Lol.

"I can't believe I can't even stay in the same hotel as my wife", Joe complained. He and Nick were currently sitting at the back of a commerical airline with Myles, Jackson, and Cory. Ana was staying with Lilly's mother. The others were being flown in on a private jet. They were staying at different hotels because well, the one that Hannah and company had been arranged to stay at was the most expensive in all of New York City.

Nick had never considered that he wouldn't be able to be right there with Miley until show time. He wasn't sure how long after the show he would have to wait to see her. And without him there to keep her calm, he was slightly worried that her already-frayed nerves would get the best of her.

"She'll be okay", Jackson said, as if he was reading his thoughts. "She has dad and Lilly and Oliver."

"How come I can't go with mommy and Aunt Miley?", Myles asked. "Belle gets to!"

Joe groaned as he had answered this question at least a dozen times already. "Because me and your mom decided it would be better for us not to advertise you to the whole world, son."

Nick snorted. "You act like me and Miley are being bad parents here. Lots of celebrities have kids who grow up to be perfectly normal."

That comment earned an eye roll from his brother. "Whatever, man."

"Miley's smart", Jackson remarked. "She wouldn't let Belle out there in front of the cameras if she didn't think she could protect her."

"Thank you", Nick said gratefully.

Joe let out a defeated sigh. "Well, I really hope you guys are right. And you probably are. Maybe I'm just a little nervous about the whole damn thing. I mean, my wife's picture could be all over the place come morning."

Ha! Joe was worried about Lilly being all over the place? How did he think Nick felt? The younger brother displayed a calm exterior, as usual. But inside, he was beginning to panic. Things would never be the same after today. No matter how this thing turned out. Their lives were about to change big time. He wanted so much to be with Miley during these last few moments before the chaos began.

"Oh my God, Miley", Lilly said, watching her friend have a meltdown right before her eyes. "Calm down. Everything is going to be okay."

"You still want to do this. Don't you, darlin'?", Robbie Ray asked, concerned for his daughter.

Miley had been pacing the room for the past half hour, constantly second-guessing this idea. And frankly, she was wearing everyone out.

"Yeah, I want this like crazy", she answered. "But what if it's a bad idea? This double life thing has always been risky. But now, there's even more people involved and it would be so easy for something to go wrong. Maybe I should've just let Hannah stay dead. I mean, my life is wonderful! And here I am jeopardizing it like a complete idiot just because I want to sing again! I'm not satisfied singing in the shower like normal people. No, I have to go on national television and deal with the paparazzi and..."

"Miley", Oliver said, standing up and putting his hands on her shoulders. "You want to do this. You were telling us when we got on this plane about how much you missed performing and how excited you were. When you get out on that stage, that feeling is going to come back."

"And we're there with you", Lilly assured her.

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, and I had to give my wife some bogus business trip excuse to get away. So, you should be grateful."

Miley forced a hint of a smile. "I know. Thank you guys for being here with me." She looked around at each of them. "Do you really think I can do this?"

They all smiled back before her dad spoke. "Absolutely."

Before she knew it, she was standing backstage. They would be calling her up any minute. Her heart felt like it was going to beat through her chest, and her palms were sticky with sweat. She rubbed them against her tight blue jeans. She opted for a look that was more herself this time around. Just the jeans and an off-the-shoulder green blouse with sequins lining the top and bottom. It was comfortable, but it still had that Hannah look to it somehow.

Lilly was standing next to her, donning a short black wig and a blue mini-dress. "You're going to be great", she smiled.

Her dad had a proud look in his eyes. "Knock em' dead, baby doll."

"You got this", Oliver added for reassurance. She nodded as Belle hugged her waist for good luck. Then, she heard a booming male voice begin to speak.

"We are proud to bring you all a very special surprise! There is a lovely lady that has decided to start her long-awaited comeback right here! Right now! I'm sure you all remember her well. So, lets give a warm welcome to Miss Hannah Montana!"

With that, the crowd grew deafening. She looked back at her family, and then slowly walked onto the stage. There was a sea of cheering people to greet her. She allowed herself to scan the crowd, taking it all in. Then, she remembered to smile and wave. And the crowd grew even louder. There was an unmistakable chant of "HANNAH! HANNAH!"

Miley held on to the microphone stand for support. It all seemed so surreal. These people still cared about her. After all this time.

"Hello, New York!", she yelled into the microphone, garnering more cheers. Her heart was still racing, but it was more excitement now than nerves. How many times had she done this? And now, it was all coming back to her.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Nick. He was standing close to the front. Joe and Jackson were standing beside him, their sons perched on their shoulders. She grinned, and waved again in their direction.

Then, she turned back to the microphone. "So, I know it's been awhile since I've done this. And I might be kind of rusty, so I need you guys to bear with me here."

More applause came her way. She smiled as music began to play. This song wasn't nearly as "pop" as her fans would have remembered. Yeah, she wanted to have the kind of songs that people liked to sing along to in the car, but even more...she wanted songs that would make them feel something. On her cue, she began to sing.

I can almost see it

That dream I'm dreaming, but

There's a voice inside my head saying

You'll never reach it

Every step I'm takin'

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shakin'

But I, I gotta keep tryin'

Gotta keep my head held high

Nick smiled up at her, relieved that she was doing so great. Her voice was beautiful, and she didn't sound nervous in the least. He was so proud of her.

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side

It's the climb

By the time that song was over, the crowd was in a complete frenzy. She wasn't sure if the applause was ever going to end. And she loved it. She loved them. All these people who had supported her, never knowing how much they touched her life. She smiled and waved at them all before her gaze settled back on Nick. He was grinning and clapping wildly. She wished that she could introduce him to all these people.

When the crowd settled down a bit, she grabbed a hold of the microphone again. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much your support means to me. And now, there are some very important people backstage who I would like to come out here. First of all, my wonderful friends- Lola and Mike."

After a moment, Lilly and Oliver appeared onstage. Neither of them minded the attention in the least. They both were beaming and waving at the crowd.

"Now, my dad."

Robbie Ray reluctantly walked out, touching his mustache as he waved. Probably to make sure it didn't come off.

"You may recognize them, but I want you to meet someone you won't. My daughter, Vannah."

She heard a lot of gasps in the crowd as Belle walked out, smiling and waving like she had done this a thousand times. Miley reached her hand out for her daughter, who joined her next to the microphone.

"These are some of the most important people in my life. I owe so much of my happiness to them. There are also a few other special people in my life", she said, looking at Nick. "That don't want to be named. But just know that I wouldn't be up here right now if it weren't for you. And I love you so much...all of you."

Miley barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before she got to the interview. She had a feeling that this part would be even harder than the performance. Singing came natural to her. But she had been rehearsing possible interview responses for several days now. Especially the ones she had to lie about.

She sat in a cushy, white chair, trying to remain as calm as possible. The older blond woman was attempting to engage in a conversation with her, but she was too nervous to actually string rational thoughts together. And then they were live.

"Welcome. Today, we have the lovely Hannah Montana as our special guest", the woman said. Miley thought her name was Cheryl, but she wasn't concerned with that.

"Now, Hannah", she said, turning to her. "Everyone is dying to know. Where have you been? We just assumed you had disappeared from the face of the earth all those years ago. No one could find a trace of you."

She nodded. "Well, I decided to stop singing to focus on my personal life. And I didn't want to have paparazzi following me all the time, so I went to a place where I knew they wouldn't expect me to be. And eventually, they stopped looking. And I got to live like a normal person again."

"Any chance you could tell us where this place was?"

Miley gave the woman a charming smile. "No."

The woman laughed. "Isn't she lovely, folks? Now, Hannah. You were kind enough to let us meet your daughter. Vannah, I believe. Beautiful girl, she is."

"Thank you. I think so too."

"Yes. Now, how old is she?"

"She'll be turning seven soon", Miley replied.

"Oh, they grow up so fast", the woman gushed, her voice dripping with fakeness. "And how is mommyhood treating you?"

"It's great", she said with a genuine smile. "Vannah's my world. And I'm glad all of you could finally meet her."

The woman nodded. "Now, Hannah. The million dollar question that everyone is asking. "Where and who is Mr. Hannah Montana?"

She gave a polite smile before shaking her head. "I'm afraid there isn't one."

"Oh, I see. Any significant other? A boyfriend? Fiance, maybe?" This woman was clearly fishing for gossip. And at that moment, she was relieved that Nick wouldn't have to be involved in any of it.

Miley shook her head again. "Not at this time, no."

The woman looked disappointed, and decided to change gears. "Oh. Now, you've been out of the public eye for years now. What prompted you to come back?"

"I missed singing", she answered honestly. "I love my life, and I love all the people who I'm lucky enough to call my family. And this was kind of the only thing missing. Plus, I felt like I owed my fans an explanation. I didn't want them to think that I had died or something. Or that I didn't care about them. Because their support has always meant so much to me."

"How did it feel for you, being up there on stage again? After all this time?"

"It felt amazing", Miley replied with a smile. "Kind of like nothing had ever changed. But I know it has. A lot's changed. I'm not the same Hannah that my fans remember. I've been through a lot since then that's changed me. And I actually think that I can relate to my fans more now because of these experiences."

"And how is that?", the woman asked, her voice a bit softer now.

She looked down for a moment and then back at the woman. "I've gone through things that 'normal' people go through, you know. I've been hurt. I've gone through loss. I've gone through turmoil. I've connected with people. I've learned what it's like to really love someone. I've been happy. Just stuff that normal people go through. Life."

"Well, we all can't wait to see what you have in store for us", the woman said with a smile. "Thank you so much for being with us today. Hannah Montana, everyone!"

"Oh my God, Miley. You were amazing", Lilly gushed, practically the minute the hotel room door slammed shut. "Everyone was going crazy."

"Mommy, can I take the wig off now?", Belle asked.

"You can", Miley replied, helping to slip the red wig off of her daughter's head. She turned back to Lilly. "You really think they liked it?"

"Are you serious? I checked my phone like five minutes after you sung and Hannah Montana kept popping up everywhere. They loved you."

She grinned. "Wow. You think I did okay with the interview though? I thought I stuck to the script for the most part, but I kind of started to get away from it there at the end."

"You were wonderful", Lilly assured her with a smile.

"Thanks. Have you talked to Nick or Joe?", she asked. She wanted to see everyone as soon as possible, but she didn't want to be seen leaving the hotel so soon after Hannah was seen entering it. All it took was one person to make that connection.

"Yeah, they checked into the Royal a few hours ago. How convenient that their hotel just happens to be right across the street."

Miley laughed as she heard a knock at the door. "Uh, who is it?", she called. She was reluctant to open a hotel room door to just anyone. There had occasionally been paparazzi that found her that way.

"Smokin' Oken", she heard Oliver reply in a teasing tone. "Oh, and your dad." With a smile, she went to let them in. They had already changed out of their disguises.

"Darlin, I am so proud of you", Robbie Ray smiled as he hugged her. "You killed it out there."

"Yeah. You were great", Oliver agreed. "So, when do you think it'll be safe for us to leave the hotel?"

"Hey, we could see if we could sneak out of a back entrance or something", Lilly suggested, earning strange looks from everyone. "What? We'll just say that we are well-paying guests that don't feel like shoving through all those people to get out of here."

Miley gave her a reluctant nod. "Okay, we could do that. But they only need to see one of us. Oliver can do it. They aren't likely to piece him together with Mike Stanley."

"Um, Mike Stanley the third", Oliver corrected her. "And why do I have to do it? You know I can't act!"

"Oliver, there is no acting involved", Miley pointed out. "You just go to the desk and ask if there's a back entrance we can use, so we can avoid all the people out front."

"Uh, fine."

After all traces of Hannah, Lola, and Vannah were gone, they followed Oliver and Robbie Ray to the desk, being careful to avoid anyone that they thought might have a camera. Just in case.

Oliver walked up to the desk while the rest of them hung behind a wall a few feet away. Miley couldn't help but peer out at the front of the hotel. There were people with cameras everywhere, still hanging around. She knew that it wouldn't be like this for very long. Just while Hannah's return was still fresh in people's minds. She was sure things would die down in a couple weeks. Until then, she would just have to be super careful.

"This way", Oliver whispered loudly, pointing to the back entrance. They managed to sneak out undetected.

They arranged to meet the others at a local pizzeria. Miley grinned when she saw Nick, and ran to hug him.

"You were amazing", he whispered in her ear.

"Thank you", she said, pulling him in for a brief kiss.

A few minutes later, everyone had sat down at a large table near the back. "You know, I almost forgot how much I love New York", Miley remarked, taking a bite of her delicious slice of pepperoni pizza.

"Me too. I haven't been here in forever", Lilly commented.

"Daddy, can we go see the Statue of Liberty?", Myles asked as he tugged on Joe's shirt, trying to show him the giant statue in a brochure.

"Hey, that would be cool", Jackson agreed. "None of the kids have even seen it."

"Aw, I wish I could've brought Anthony", Oliver said. "He's always wanted to see it."

Miley frowned. She felt badly that Oliver couldn't bring his family. But she knew next to nothing about his wife. And she just couldn't afford to let the Hannah secret fall into someone's hands that she didn't absolutely trust.

"I'm sorry, Oliver", she said softly.

"Oh, it's fine. I understand."

"I wanna go see the Statue of Liberty too, daddy", Belle said, looking up at Nick.

He smiled and looked at everyone. "What do you guys think? Are we up for Lady Liberty?"

"Don't you have to reserve that like months in advance?", Lilly asked.

Miley and her dad shared a knowing smile before Robbie Ray decided to enlighten the rest of them. "Actually, we had that taken care of already. Of course, Hannah won't be there like they expect."

"She's understandably busy. So, she gave her tour to us", Miley finished with a grin.

Everyone cheered at that news. Miley never liked the idea of using Hannah for her own personal gain. However, there were times when it was worth it. She had been to the Statue of Liberty once before with her dad and Jackson. Way back. But the rest of them had never been, and she had a feeling that the idea would come up.

A couple hours and a million stairs later, everyone stood inside the majestic crown. Looking out at the incredible views. Taking tons of pictures. It was breathtaking.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like this", Lilly breathed in awe as she leaned against her husband.

"Me either", Myles said excitedly. The kid was looking around at everything, like he was terrified he was going to miss something important. Belle and Cory were doing pretty much the same thing.

Miley stood in front of Nick, his arms wrapped around her waist as they looked out at the view. Slowly, she turned to face him. "So, what do you think about Lady Liberty?"

"Oh, she's amazing", he admitted. "I'm glad I can finally say I've done this."

"Yeah. Personally, I think every American should get a chance to do this", she said, thinking how lucky she was to get to do all these amazing things. Then, she pulled him into a heated kiss.

"Ewww!", they heard kids giggle in the background while everyone else laughed.

"What was that for?", Nick asked as she drew back.

Miley shrugged. "How often do you get a chance to kiss the love of your life in the crown of the Statue of Liberty? I figured I'd take advantage."

He smiled, wrapping his arms around her again as they looked back at the New York skyline. She snuggled into his embrace, feeling grateful for this day. For this moment. It was perfect.

On the other side of the country, a pair of dark brown eyes stared at her computer screen in disbelief. Hannah Montana was back. She smirked to herself. How nice. The good news though, this could make her own job a lot easier. If she played her cards right.

"Oh my God. Hannah?" The girl turned to see her partner standing behind her with a stunned look on his face.

"Yep. Looks like our mutually beloved superstar has decided to make a comeback", she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not that I'm complaining. This could help us."

She was cautious though, as she watched a smile slowly creep onto his face. She probably didn't want to know about whatever bonehead scheme he was dreaming up this time. He had already proven that he was completely and totally inept when it came to using his brain. That was why she was here, after all.

Yes, they were going to do things her way this time. He would've done had his equally stupid girlfriend back if he had just listened to her to begin with. But no. That would be too easy. She didn't give a damn about either of them to be honest, though she despised Hannah back in the day. That bitch was as fake as they come, and she paraded around like she was so much better than everyone else. When as it turns out, she was really just some country bumpkin hiding behind a wig. She couldn't figure out why he wanted her back so badly to begin with. But her hatred for Hannah wasn't her main motive for doing this. Just a pleasant side effect. No, she was helping this moron because of the favor he had promised her in return. Revenge.

Yes, they were all going to be sorry for writing her off. They had no clue the hell that she was about to unleash on their perfect little family. She was going to get back what was rightfully hers and punish anyone that dared to stand in her way. Her lips twisted into a smile at the thought.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Wow. Somebody's got some major anger issues. Who do you think the mystery girl is, and what's she so angry about?

Let me know what you think! :)