“Trixie! You’re going to come to my hotel room, right?” Hannah asked. “So we can, uh, you know, discuss the tour and stuff.”

Trixie eyed Hannah momentarily. “Sure…just let me go back to mine and…freshen up….”

“I’m sure you’re fresh enough already,” Connor commented dryly, then looked over at his other sister. “We’ll be meeting you there, Hannah.”

“But what if….” Hannah trailed off, looking worried, as she cast a glance at Trixie.

“Hannah, you’re going to have to learn to trust me,” Connor replied. “We’ll be right behind you. I promise.”

“Okay,” Hannah nodded, as her and Robbie left the green room with their things.

“We’re at the Hilton, in room 858,” Robbie told them, poking his head back into the room. “Feel free to just come on up.”

Connor nodded, then turned to Trixie. “Before you say anything, you’re going.”

“But Jack-Connor!” Trixie cried. “How do we know this isn’t all just an act?”

“Why else would he finally decide to come after you? We know it wasn’t all Miles doing. She’s been trying for months now, and he wouldn’t budge,” Connor argued. “There’s no other logical explanation for him coming out here to find us at last.”

“But I’m not ready!” Trixie exclaimed. “I - ”

“You are ready,” Connor argued. “I’ve seen you writing, and I’ve heard you singing. I actually listen to the meaning behind your lyrics Trix. I know you. You are ready to go home and face the music.”

“But what about Oliver and Lily?” Trixie protested. “What if they hate me for not telling them the truth?”

“If they hate you for something that wasn’t entirely your fault, then they were never truly your friends to begin with,” Connor concluded. “Now, c’mon. I promised Hannah we’d be right behind them, and I don’t want her to worry anymore than she already has all this time. It’s been pretty hard on her too, you know.”

“I know,” Trixie sighed, as she allowed her brother to take hold of her hand and squeeze it.

“And remember,” Connor began, “no matter what happens, I’m always going to be right beside you.”

Trixie let go of his hand and hugged him tightly, feeling a little emotional. She knew this day would come sometime, and she was just glad to still have her brother on her side. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Kid,” Connor chuckled. “Now, let’s go grab some ice cream and catch up to them.”

Trixie’s eyes shone brightly. “I really love you!”

Connor laughed. “I bet you just love me because I mentioned ice cream.”

Trixie gave him an innocent smile, as they headed on out of the green room.

~~~~~

“Daddy, what if they aren’t coming?” Miley fretted, as she paced her hotel room. “I mean, what if that bonehead brother of mine was just blowing hot air, and they’re really catching the next flight out of here?”

“Miles, you’re just going to have to trust your brother,” Robbie replied, pausing a moment. “There’s something I never thought I’d hear myself say.”

“Don’t worry Daddy, that’s been happening to the best of us lately,” Miley stated, as she resumed her pacing. “I just – I can’t believe all this time she was here, and she wouldn’t even tell me.”

“I’ll take full blame for that Darlin’,” Robbie admitted. “She probably wouldn’t tell you, for fear of me finding out.”

“True, but still. I’m her sister! Does that not count for anything anymore?” Miley countered. “She’s always going on and on and on about how great Jackson is. Well, what about me, huh?”

“Miles, just relax will you,” Robbie answered. “Give them a chance to explain their side of it all.”

“Sure, now you take their side,” Miley remarked, throwing her hands up in the air just as someone knocked on the door. “That’d better be them!”

Robbie shook his head, as he opened the door, only to reveal Connor and Trixie Dixon. He smiled as he ushered them on inside. He sure hoped this all went well – otherwise, he’d never be able to forgive himself. Though, he wasn’t so sure he could even begin to forgive himself for what he’d done now.

“Well, I guess Jackson can be counted on,” Miley commented, soon as the door was closed behind them. “Who knew that he could keep a promise?”

“Yes, he can be,” Riley commented dryly. “And I knew.”

“Of course you knew,” Miley commented. “You’re all the boy even cares about.”

Riley rolled her eyes. “If we’re getting into this crap right off, then give me a moment to get this blasted wig off. I’m going to discuss things as me, Riley. And not as anyone else.”

Jackson smirked as he helped Riley get her long black wig off her head. “There you go Riles. God, it feels so good to be ourselves again.”

“Well, to be honest, I’m surprised Oprah didn’t remember your name being Jackson the first time she met you,” Riley laughed. “I was sure she was going to call us out on the fact your name suddenly changed to Connor.”

“Oprah’s a cool lady,” Jackson smiled. “Now, let’s get on with this, shall we?”

Both girls gave a collective sigh, as they each took a seat on opposite ends of the couch. They usually sat close to one another, but right now they both knew Miley was still a little peeved about being left behind.

“So how’re we going to do this?” Jackson asked, not sure who was supposed to start trying to fix things first. “I mean, whose side is going to be shared first?”

Riley looked a little nervous as she spoke. “If no one minds, I’d like to sing something before we start. So maybe people can hopefully understand me a little better.”

Robbie nodded silently, deciding he’d give the girl a chance to speak her mind through her music. He knew she wasn’t always good at speaking her thoughts, but she could sing them nicely – she always had; he’d just forced her to stop, as he wasn’t ready to listen back then. But he was ready now.

“Um…I need a guitar,” Riley said sheepishly. “I left mine back at the Motel.”

Miley wordlessly got up and fetched her red guitar, which she handed over to her sister. The last time she’d heard her sister sing in person, had been when she’d let her be Hannah for a night. The night that had ended in mayhem and caused her twin to run away. To say she was a little nervous about this now was an understatement. She just hoped this ended a whole letter better than their Hannah fiasco.

Riley cleared her throat, as she began to play, her hands strumming the right chords effortlessly.

Maybe it’s the things I say,
Maybe I should think before I speak
But I thought that I knew enough
To know myself, and do what’s right for me
And these walls I’m building now
You used to bring them down
The tears I’m crying out
You used to wipe away

She looked up and glanced at her sister for the chorus of her song. She hadn’t looked at anyone to start, as she was more nervous than she’d ever been.

I thought you said it was easy
Listening to your heart
I thought you said I’d be okay
So why am I breaking apart?
Don’t wanna be torn…
Don’t wanna be torn…
Don’t wanna be torn…
Don’t wanna be torn…

She gulped slightly, as she moved her eyes to land on her father. She’d written this song with him in mind, but parts of it could be for any of them really. She put her heart and soul into the next few lines. She needed him to not only see how she felt, but to feel it too.

Don’t make me have to choose between
What I want and what you think I need
‘Cause I’ll always be your little girl
But even little girls still got to dream
Now it all feels like a fight
You were always on my side
But lonely I’ve been now
You used to make it go away

She could tell by the look on her father’s face that he truly felt the emotion with the lyrics she’d just sung. Now, hopefully she could get through the rest of the song without crying or appearing too bitter.

I thought you said it was easy
Listening to your heart
I thought you said I’d be okay
So why am I breaking apart?
Don’t wanna be torn…

She dared to glance at her brother briefly, giving him a small smile. She didn’t know what she’d do if she didn’t have him. He was extremely important to her – her sister was too; mostly because of the twin thing – but her and Jackson just understood one another a little better at times. She trained her eyes back on her father once more, as she continued on with her song.

Why is this all so confusing, complicating, and consuming?
Why did all this make me angry?
I wanna go back to being happy
These tears I’m crying out
You used to wipe away

I thought you said it was easy
Listening to your heart
I thought you said I’d be okay
So why am I falling apart?
Don’t wanna be torn

Soon as she was done singing the chorus for the last time, she sat Miley’s guitar gently next to the couch. She coughed nervously, as she eyed her family warily; unsure of what they were currently thinking, and not entirely sure she wanted to know either.

“I guess I’ll start,” Robbie said finally, after an awkward silence had hung between them all. “Riles, I’m extremely sorry for how I’ve been treating you all these years. There aren’t enough words in the world for me to begin to describe just how sorry I am. I always knew it wasn’t your fault, Darlin’. I just needed someone to blame, and you just seemed like the most obvious choice.”

“And why the sudden change of heart?” Riley demanded, as she sat with her arms crossed over her chest. “I mean, after all these years. Suddenly out of nowhere you decide to love me again.”

“I can’t really explain it, though I wish I could,” Robbie began. “But I had some sense knocked into me recently, and realized just how bad I’ve been making you feel. I know it was out of your control; and I know no one here is to blame for what happened that day. Sometimes, people lose their way after a tragedy, and it takes them a long time to get back on track again.”

“You made me feel like I was a good-for-nothing, worthless piece of crap,” Riley spoke softly, hurt evident in her eyes. “You made me feel like I’d never amount to anything, and that I’d never be as good as Hannah Montana.”

Miley crossed her arms over her chest then, and eyed her sister warily. “Well, you made me feel like I didn’t even matter anymore! You ran off, and then Jackson ran off after you, and I was left here to deal with all the aftermath! Why am I not as important to you as Jackson!?”

“Miles, you are important to me,” Riley insisted. “More than you could ever know. But I couldn’t ever ask you to stop being Hannah Montana. I wouldn’t be a good sister if I asked that of you. And Jackson…well, Jackson knew how I felt; Hannah overshadowed him too, you know. And then I of all people overshadowed him, because I was constantly getting into trouble. So he really didn’t seem to matter to anyone.”

“To anyone but Riles,” Jackson cut in. “Riles has always made sure that I got some attention. Even if she was just coming to me to complain about things, or to express how she felt – she was still coming to me. I was important to someone. And in a sense, I knew how she felt. I knew how it felt to be left behind, and to watch someone else get all the attention.”

“I never meant for any of you to get left behind,” Robbie commented. “I wanted to love all of you, but my anger and pain overshadowed that.”

“Why didn’t it overshadow your love for Hannah?” Riley demanded. “Why was she allowed to be loved and everything? I mean, you loved Hannah more than anyone – even if it is Miley who is Hannah, you still love Hannah more.”

“Hannah was like an escape from the real world,” Robbie said after a long moment. “She was a way to get my mind off things I didn’t want to think about. I didn’t want to think about how much I miss your mother. Or how bad I knew I was hurting y’all by acting the way I was. I was sort of still in denial, and Hannah made it a little easier to keep on denying what I already knew.”

“Gee, thanks Daddy,” Miley grumbled, a frowned etched plainly on her face. “I thought it was just because you were happy I was getting to live out my dream.”

“I assure you, that also played a huge part in it, Darlin’,” Robbie placated. “But Hannah was also a way for me to distract myself in another world, so to speak.”

“And letting Hannah steal my song happened because….” Riley pressed.

“Jeez! What is with you and that song!?” Miley exclaimed. “You don’t seem to mind so much that we both wrote Best of Both Worlds, yet only Hannah’s named appeared in the credits.”

“That is different,” Riley stated. “And the other is supper important to me! I wrote it for Mom!”

“Well, it’s not my fault you left it out somewhere it shouldn’t’ve been!” Miley argued. “If you didn’t want for it to be used, you should’ve hidden it better.”

Riley eyed her twin sister exasperatedly. “Miles, how would you like it if you wrote a song, and showed it to me and then Trixie went and used it and never even gave you credit for it.”

“I didn’t think you’d mind so much,” Miley admitted quietly. “It was beautiful, and I wished I had written it for Mom. But I hadn’t, and I was jealous, okay? That is why I stole it, and let Daddy and everyone else believe it was mine.”

Riley looked surprised. “You were jealous of me? Really?”

“Yeah,” Miley sighed heavily. “I know it’s usually the other way around… But lyrics just seem to come so easy to you. You can pour your heart and soul into the lyrics and everything, and I always end up stumped.”

“But you write pretty neat stuff too,” Riley insisted. “I love the songs you write, and the way you play piano and make it look easy. You’ve mastered it and the guitar. I’ve only managed to get the guitar down pat.”

“Riles, you play the drums too,” Miley countered. “Don’t think I haven’t heard you banging away to Nick Carter songs.”

Riley snorted. “You’ve heard that?”

Miley nodded. “Oh, I have. I’d say he best watch out, because you’d give him a run for his money.”

Riley started to laugh. “God, I wish!”

“Can we get back to the situation at hand here, please,” Robbie interrupted. “I think I’ve had enough Nick Carter talk today, to last me a lifetime.”

Riley gave him an innocent grin, as she leaned over to tackle Miley in a bear hug. “I love you Miles. I’m so sorry I left you behind. I promise I won’t do it again.”

Miley hugged her twin in return. “I promise I won’t leave you behind anymore either. And I swear I won’t steal anymore of your songs without your permission.”

“I just got a brilliant idea for a song we could co-write!” Riley whispered to her excitedly. “Maybe we could even sing it together sometimes…if Daddy’ll let me sing.”

The two of them glanced over at their father then; both sporty puppy-dog look on their faces.

“Oh, not the twin puppy-dog looks!” Robbie groaned. “You know I can never resist those.”

Jackson laughed. “I haven’t seen those looks used on you in a long time, Dad. They usually only seem to be reserved for me.”

“Can I keep singing, Daddy? Please?” Riley pleaded softly, after an extremely long moment; her puppy-dog look gone. “I promise I won’t run away anymore.”

“Well, it’d seem a shame to make Miss Trixie disappear so quickly, after her break-out performance on Oprah,” Robbie concluded. “And Hannah did offer her a spot as the opening act for her tour…”

Riley’s eyes went wide. “You were serious about that!?”

“Well, of course Darlin’,” Robbie said. “We wouldn’t have asked you on Oprah if I wasn’t.”

Riley squealed and jumped up to tackle him – something she hadn’t done in forever.

“Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you!” She cried, hugging him tightly.

Robbie hugged his middle child – something he hadn’t done in years, and horribly regretted. He squeezed her a little closer to him, not wanting to let her go. Sure, they hadn’t resolved everything today; but these things did take time, and he’d all the time in the world.

“I love you Riley Mae,” he whispered softly in her ear, speaking her full name, for the first time in a long time, affectionately.

“I love you, Daddy,” Riley managed to choke out, as she held back a sob that wanted to escape. “I love you so much!”