A/N: Well, this is it - the final chapter. A HUGE thank you to everyone who read and reviewed my story, you guys are awesome :) In fact, I dedicate this chapter to all of you, for encouraging me to write the best I could. I hope you all enjoy it. And don't worry... Liley will return! :)
CHAPTER TEN
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
Miley and Lilley spent the rest of the day with Natalie Saroyan, telling her everything they had learned about Sammy and Nattie. After everything she had already experienced, Natalie believed their tales of her great-grandmothers without question. She was eager to learn about the two remarkable young women she was related to, and Miley and Lilly were happy to share everything they knew about them.
It was late at night when the stories finally came to an end, and Miley and Lilly reluctantly told Natalie it was time for them to leave.
"I understand," Natalie told them. "You both must be very tired."
"Drained is more like it," Lilly quipped. "I think I could sleep for a week."
"I bet I could keep you awake," Miley teased.
"Not in front of company, you won't!" Lilly laughed. "Just keep it in your pants, Stewart!" Miley laughed and stuck her tongue out.
"All right, you two," Natalie chuckled. She had grown somewhat accustomed to Miley and Lilly's teasing banter after spending a day with them, and even now it put a smile on her face. With an effort, she grew serious again.
"Thank you both, for everything," she said sincerely, as they walked to the front door. "This day has been… incredible."
"For us too," Miley answered honestly. "Now that Sammy & Nattie can finally rest in peace, everything seems… right." Natalie nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it does… it really does," They reached the front porch, and she shared a quick hug with Miley & Lilly.
"Take care of yourselves," she said warmly.
"You too, Natalie," Miley replied. "If you ever want to talk, just call us."
"Unless we're on a hot date or something," Lilly joked. "Then you can just leave a message!"
"I just might take you up on that," Natalie responded with a smile. "Now go get some rest, you two." She gave one last, friendly wave and turned back towards her house. Miley and Lilly climbed wearily back into their car, Miley choosing to drive this time. The day's events had left them physically and emotionally drained.
"I should have asked Natalie if there's a good hotel around here," Lilly said with a yawn.
"Honey, we're in Anaheim," Miley replied with a soft laugh. "There's more hotels around here than you can shake a stick at!"
Oh, right," Lilly responded sleepily. "We're in the House of the Mouse now, aren't we?" Her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Hey, can we go tomorrow?" she asked eagerly.
"Go where?" Miley asked, not quite understanding.
"Disneyland, silly!" Lilly exclaimed, bouncing up and down in her seat. "Come on, it'll be fun!" Miley smiled at the child-like enthusiasm in her girlfriend's voice, amazed at how quickly she had changed from exhausted to excited.
"Why not?" she said with a grin. "Some fun with the woman I love would be great, especially after the last few days. Two rules, though!" Lilly raised a curious eyebrow.
"First, we get to sleep in," Miley said firmly.
"No problems here," Lilly agreed. "What's the second?"
"No dragging me on Space Mountain right after breakfast!" Miley laughed.
"You're no fun," Lilly retorted, pretending to pout.
The girls ended up staying at the Desert Inn and Suites, directly across the street from Disneyland. Exhausted from the experiences of the day before, they slept in til almost eleven o'clock in the morning. Neither of them complained about the nice long sleep, or the opportunity to just lie in each other's arms. Finally though, Lilly climbed reluctantly out of bed.
"Come on, Miles," she called out playfully. "Time to get up… the Happiest Place on Earth is calling to us!" Miley gave a sleepy groan.
"Tell it to come back later," she muttered. Lilly laughed.
"Not this time, sleepyhead; you promised me some Mickey time!" Miley couldn't help but laugh a little at Lilly's insistence; once she set her mind on something, she didn't give up easily.
"All right, all right," Miley replied at last, "but I'm not leaving this hotel room until I've had a shower first!"
"That's agreeable to management," Lilly quipped, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "So long as you make it quick," she added with a smile.
"Yes, sir!" Miley gave a mock salute. "Permission for my shower buddy to accompany me? I need someone to help wash my hair." She made the request with a saucy grin.
"That could be arranged," Lilly said with a smile. "Now get a move on, private! We're wasting perfectly good 'coaster time!"
A little over an hour later, Miley and Lilly walked through the front gates of Disneyland hand in hand. Lilly was grinning ear-to-ear and bubbling with excited energy.
"So where to first?" she asked Miley eagerly. "Space Mountain? Big Thunder? The Mattherhorn?"
"You promised you'd take it easy on me first thing in the morning, Lils," Miley reminded her. "I thought we'd start with something a little slower; how about something in Fantasyland?"
"Peter Pan?" Lilly asked, eyes twinkling.
"Sounds good to me," Miley replied with a smile. "Never Land, here we come!" They began walking towards the entrance tunnels to Main Street, but Lilly stopped abruptly.
"What is it, Lils?"
"Stand over there," she commanded playfully, pointing to the iron fence surrounding the huge portrait of Mickey Mouse made entirely out of blooming flowers.
"Huh? What for?" Miley asked.
"I want to take a picture of you with Mickey," Lilly replied, smiling.
"Uh, Lils? You know he's made of flowers, right?"
"Of course I know that," Lilly responded, pretending to be insulting by the remark. "It'll be cute, okay? Now move it, Stewart!"
"You don't even have a camera!" Miley half-protested.
"Okay, good point," Lilly conceded, sounding defeated. She looked over at one of the nearby newsstands and her eyes lit up. "A problem soon to be corrected, however! You get over there, and I'll be right back!" Miley couldn't help but laugh as he girlfriend dashed away.
That's my Lilly… she thought with amusement. Lilly returned a minute later with a disposable camera in one hand and a receipt in the other.
"Now then, where were we?" she quipped, grinning.
"How come I have to be in the picture alone?" Milly pouted a little. "It'd be cuter with both of us in it, you know."
"Who'd take the picture then?" Lilly asked her, arching an eyebrow. "Mickey?" Miley laughed again.
"How about we ask a nice passerby?" she suggested. She caught site of a young woman dressed in the garb of a Disneyland tour guide and quickly got her attention.
"Excuse me! Could you take a picture of us?" Miley asked her. Lilly playfully stuck her tongue out, and Miley tried not to laugh.
"Sure, no problem," the tour guide replied with a friendly smile, walking over towards them. Lilly handed her the camera and jogged over to stand beside Miley. Smiling, she threw her arms around her girlfriend and rested her cheek on Miley's shoulder. Miley grinned and leaned into the embrace, putting her arms around Lilly as well.
"Adorable," the tour guide commented, smiling along with them. "All right, ready? One… two… three!" She pressed the button and the shutter clicked as the picture was taken.
"Perfect!" Miley said happily. "Thanks again."
"You're welcome," the tour guide responded, handing the camera back. "You two are too cute. Have a magical day!" She waved and walked away. Lilly quickly slipped the camera into her purse.
"One down, twenty three to go!" she exclaimed. "Now, on to Never Land!"
After their adventurous voyage to Never Land and back, Miley and Lilly chose to ride a few of the other rides in Fantasyland, including "Snow White's Scary Adventures" and "Pinocchio's Daring Journey". While they were passing through the 'dark forest' portion of the Snow White ride, Lilly couldn't resist teasing Miley with her own impression of one of the twisted trees.
"Sure you don't need me to hold you, Miles?" Lilly joked. "Those trees look pret-ty scary…" She held out her arms in an imitation of their gnarled, grasping branches and playfully swiped at Miley.
"Cut that out, Lils!" Miley laughed. "Besides, I think I should probably be more afraid of you, than any of the stuff in here!"
"Oh, really?" Lilly quipped.
"Yeah," Miley deadpanned. "Dopey isn't gonna try to cop a feel when I'm not looking…"
"Is that an invitation?" Lilly asked playfully.
"You're bad," Miley laughed again. "And no, it is not an invitation! There will be no groping of Miley in public!" Lilly pretended to be hurt.
"Meanie."
"How about after this we go on one of those fast rides you've been asking about?" Miley offered.
"Ooh, really?" Lilly responded, trying to reign in her renewed excitement.
"Sure," Miley told her, smiling. "If you're lucky, you might even get to hold me for real." She winked.
"Works for me," Lilly said happily. "When I'm done with you Miles, you're gonna be a lover of the 'coasters just like me!"
"Don't hold your breath," Miley chuckled.
Lilly wasted no time in taking Miley up on her offer – she practically dragged Miley straight to Space Mountain, in Tomorrowland, as soon as she could.
"No excuses now," Lilly said as they stood in line, noticing the slightly apprehensive look on Miley's face. "It's nowhere near breakfast time!"
"I know, Lils," Miley replied. "I'm just not a big fan of these kind of rides, you know that."
"You'll be fine," Lilly assured her. "You don't even have to look at the track, if you don't want to." Miley considered that.
"Well… that might not be too bad, then…"
"The whole ride's in the dark, so you can hardly see anything anyway," Lilly continued, smirking.
"What?!" Miley gasped, looking horrified.
"Relax, Miles," Lilly said with a grin. "You're gonna love this, trust me!"
"I better," Miley replied. She meant it as a joke, but her nervousness made the words come out harsher than she'd planned. She smiled wanly. "Sorry, Lils; I'm just nervous."
"It's gonna be great, Miles, really; once you ride this baby, you're gonna be addicted, just like me!"
"I already have an addiction, thank you," Miley quipped, giving Lilly a quick peck on the lips, "and I'm not giving her up for anything." Lilly grinned.
The line moved fairly quickly, and before long they were on the ride itself, roaring past swirling galaxies and distant stars. Lilly spent most of the ride holding her arms up and screaming joyfully; Miley, on the other hand, spent most of the ride screaming for her life and praying it would be over soon. Fortunately for her, it soon was, and the two made their way back outside.
"Wasn't that awesome?!" Lilly crowed.
"Not exactly," Miley muttered. She was walking slowly, an arm wrapped protectively around her stomach. Lilly look over at her and saw how pale she had become.
"You okay, Miles?" she asked in concern.
"Sure," Miley replied sarcastically. "The world is always leaning on me…" Lilly laughed a little.
"Come on, let's find you a place to sit down." The found a long bench just ahead, outside the 'Starcade' arcade, and sat down on it together.
"There, much better," Lilly said comfortingly. "Just relax and breathe, okay Miles?"
"I'm trying," Miley responded quietly. "I think I like rides where I can see where I'm going much better…"
"I'm sorry," Lilly said softly. "I thought you'd like it."
"I did," Miley told her ruefully. "Until it started to move…"
"Come here," Lilly said gently. She held out her arms and Miley slowly lowered herself into their warm embrace, closing her eyes and resting her head against Lilly's chest.
"No more fast rides, I promise," Lilly whispered to the love of her life, gently stroking her auburn curls. "Just lay here and rest, Miles; I'll take care of you." She kissed the top of Miley's head and carefully rested her cheek against Miley's forehead. Eyes still closed, Miley smiled.
"Thanks, Lilly. I love you."
"Not nearly as much as I love you, Miley," Lilly responded, smiling as well. Miley squeezed Lilly gently and let herself relax in the love of her life's comforting embrace. It made no difference that they were in the middle of a huge theme park, surrounded by hundreds of other people. All of that just faded away, until nothing was left but for Miley but the warmth and love of Lilly's gentle embrace.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to find the one who completes their soul… Sammy's haunting words echoed in Miley's mind, and for perhaps the first time, she realized just how true they were.
Lilly really is… the other half of my soul; I couldn't imagine my life without her… and I don't ever want to try. I always want her by my side…
Without realizing it, Miley began to smile again.
"Feeling better, Miles?" Lilly asked her, noticing her smile. Miley just nodded.
I want to tell Lilly to know just how much she means to me… and I think I know the perfect way to show her…
Once Miley's stomach recovered from its ordeal, she and Lilly had a bite to eat at the 'Village Haus' restaurant back in Fantasyland. Then, in the mood to spend some more relaxing time together, they decided to ride on the Mark Twain Riverboat on the Rivers of America, in Frontierland. As the glided along, Lilly whipped out her disposable camera again and snapped a quick picture of Miley standing near the railing, staring out at the tranquil waters.
"What was that for?" Miley asked with a laugh.
"Souvenirs," Lilly replied. "I want something to remember this trip by."
"You need pictures for that?" Miley asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not for the important things," Lilly said, smiling. "I just thought it might be nice to have something to hang on my wall when we get back; now, smile again." Miley couldn't help but laugh at Lilly's antics. Shaking her head, she draped an arm over the railing behind her and struck a pose.
"How's this?" she asked with a grin.
"Beautiful," Lilly responded, taking another picture. "Just like you." Miley blushed slightly.
"Not nearly as beautiful as the woman taking the pictures," she said softly. "What now? You gonna ask me to loosen a few buttons…?" she asked jokingly, reaching for her blouse.
"I said I wanted souvenirs, not free porn," Lilly quipped. Miley laughed out loud. Lilly slipped the camera back into her purse.
"Anyway, gotta save some room to take pictures of the fireworks tonight." She walked over to Miley and stood beside her.
"We can go see the fireworks tonight, right?" she asked pleadingly. Miley smiled and nodded.
"You bet. I love fireworks; especially over the castle… I bet it could be really romantic…" She stopped when she noticed Lilly looking at her.
"What?"
"I see that look on your face," Lilly replied, a cute but slightly suspicious expression on her face. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," Miley lied. "You know, I heard there are supposed to be some cute shops over in New Orleans Square. How about we go check them out?"
"It's a good thing you have all that Hannah money, as much as you like shopping," Lilly teased her.
"Hey, you like sports don't you?" Miley asked.
"Um, duh?" Lilly retorted with a laugh.
"Well, shopping is my sport, "Miley replied, trying to sound serious.
"Sure thing, Miles," Lilly chuckled. "By the way, I'd like to point out that some Disneyland souvenirs would look really killer in my room…" Miley smiled.
"I think we might be able to do something about that." Once the Mark Twain docked, they walked over to New Orleans Square together and began checking out the quaint little shops there. One shop specialized in merchandise from the Haunted Mansion and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Lilly found something she liked there right away.
"I've gotta have this!" she exclaimed, holding up a black hooded sweatshirt with Jack Skellington's grinning face on it.
"I didn't even know you liked that movie, Lils," Miley said to her.
"What's not to like about 'Sandy Claws' and his ghost dog reindeer?" Lilly replied with a grin.
"Well… it would look really cute on you…" Miley said appraisingly. Lilly's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Where's the cash register again?" she asked quickly, looking around. Miley laughed and pointed to it, and Lilly ran to pay for her treasure. Miley took a moment to look around at the other stores nearby. One in particular, called 'Jewel of Orleans', caught her eye.
I need to go check that place out… but I can't let Lilly know what I've got planned! At that moment, Lilly herself returned, already wearing her new sweatshirt.
"Like it?" she asked with a smile, turning around so Miley could see all of it. Miley whistled.
"Yup, I was right… it's you, Lils!" she replied with a grin of her own.
"Thanks," Lilly replied, trying not to blush. "Now could you hold my bag for a minute? I really gotta go to the bathroom!"
Perfect… Miley thought to herself.
"I think there's one back by the train station," Miley replied, taking the bag with the sweatshirt Lilly had been wearing inside. "I'll wait here for you."
"Are you sure?" Lilly asked uncertainly.
"Sure; I'll be fine. Now get going before you have an accident!" Lilly laughed and hurried off in the direction of the restrooms. Once she was out of sight, Miley made her way over to the jewelry store she'd seen before. By the time Lilly got back, nearly ten minutes later, Miley had already made the most important purchase of her life and hidden it safely in her purse.
"Sorry I took so long… you wouldn't believe the line in that place!"
"No problems, Lils; I found something to do."
"I bet," Lilly quipped. "How much did you spend?"
"Nothing," Miley lied.
"The Queen of Shopping, with nothing to do but shop, and you didn't buy anything?" Lilly asked incredulously.
"I window shopped, thank you very much," Miley replied, pretending to be insulted. "Now that you're back though, we can get on with the real thing!"
Later that night, after they returned to the hotel to rest for a bit, Miley and Lilly returned to the park to have some dinner and watch the fireworks show. They were early enough to be able to get a good seat, on a bench near Sleeping Beauty Castle, not far from the entrance to Tomorrowland, and settled down to wait for the show to begin.
"This is gonna be so cool!" Lilly said happily.
"I hope so," Miley replied nervously. Lilly frowned.
"You okay, Miles?" she asked
"Oh yeah, sure!" Miley said quickly. She didn't want Lilly to know what was really on her mind… not yet. "I just hope they're not too loud…" she added, trying to explain away her nervousness.
"Ah, they'll be fine," Lilly replied. "If you want though, you can hide in my arms again, okay?" Miley blushed.
"Thanks, Lilly; you're the best."
"Aren't you glad you have me?" Lilly said playfully, grinning.
"You have no idea," Miley whispered to herself.
Shortly afterwards, the first fireworks began to burst in the night sky above. Miley watched them for a little while, her hand idly patting the part of her purse where she'd hidden what she'd bought earlier. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she carefully reached into her purse and pulled it out, making sure Lilly couldn't see her. Then, hiding it in one hand, she tapped Lilly on the shoulder with the other.
"What is it, Miles?" she replied, eyes fixed on the sky above her. Her face was filled with child-like wonder and enthusiasm.
"Lilly…" she started. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she found it suddenly difficult to take a breath. "Lilly, I really need to ask you something…"
"Now?" Lilly asked, her eyes still on the sky above. "We'll miss the show!"
"Please, Lilly… it's really important…" With an effort, Lilly tore her eyes away from the show and turned to look at her girlfriend. Her jaw dropped when she saw Miley go down on one knee in front of her.
"I know this may seem a little sudden," Miley began carefully. "We've only been together a month after all, but I don't think this could ever feel more right." She took a deep breath.
"I love you Lilly, with all my heart. More than I've ever loved anyone. I know there'll never be anyone who makes me feel the way you do… and I'll never want anyone as much as I want you. You really are the other half of my soul, Lilly… and I want to spend the rest of my life with you beside me. Lillian Danielle Truscott… will you marry me?" She held out a small blue velvet box and flipped it open to reveal a glistening diamond ring.
Lilly blinked back tears, not quite able to believe what she was seeing and hearing. Her knees grew weak, her legs threatening to no longer support her, and she found herself suddenly kneeling beside Miley. She wanted to tell Miley how much she loved her, that she truly felt as though Miley was the other half of her soul, and that she never wanted them to be apart… but in the end, she realized she could do so with just one word.
"Yes!" she cried out, flinging her arms around Miley in a fierce hug as tears streamed freely down her cheeks. "Yes, I'll marry you! Oh my god!!" Miley hugged her back with all her love. Then, with trembling hands, she slowly and carefully took the diamond ring out of its box and slid it on Lilly's finger. For a long moment they remained that way, staring into one another's eyes, letting the happy tears flow freely. Finally, Miley stood up, making Lilly stand with her, and kissed her passionately as more fireworks flashed and roared overhead. They parted only when a lack of air gave them no other choice.
"I love you so much," Miley whispered to her fiancé, resting her head on Lilly's shoulder.
"I love you too, Miley," Lilly managed. "I swear, I'm gonna spend the rest of my life showing you just how much."
"Is that a promise?" Miley asked teasingly.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," Lilly whispered back.
"Not without me," Miley said lovingly. Then she pulled Lilly to her in another powerful hug, praying to whoever would listen that she would never have to let go…