DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hannah Montana, or any other proper/brand names I use in this story. I just own the idea.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to all who read and love this story. This chapter is pretty long. It starts out with a little Miley and Mr. Stewart conversation, but the end is a good one I assure you. I hope yout like and R&R.

Letting Go

CHAPTER 5:

Miley had gone back up stairs to take a shower and pack some things take to Oliver's house when Lilly had left. Robbie Ray was grilling steaks on the back porch when Miley came out side to see what he was up to.

"I saw the smoke from my bed room window and got scared." Miley said, as she stuck her head out the door to talk to her dad.

"You know I'm a good griller." Robbie Ray told Miley. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"Daddy, you set the smoke alarm off and the neighbors called the fire department last time." Miley reminded.

"Oh, darling, that was one time!" Mr. Stewart defended. "I've got it all figured out this time. But I could use your help."

"911 is already on sped dial on every phone in this house." Miley teased her dad.

"Thanks." Robbie Ray replied. "But what I was going to say is could you make the salad?"

"Sure thing." Miley said. She started to walk away, but then retuned to the porch. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and placed it on the table. "Speed dial number five, ok?" Robbie Ray didn't answer. He just nodded and smiled.

Miley went back into the kitchen gathered everything she needed for the salad. As she was about to start pulling lettuce leaves apart, she heard the door bell ring.

"I got it!" Miley shouted and dashed to the door. "It must be Lilly!."

"Long time, no see, huh?" Lilly asked seeing Miley open the door.

"Tell me about it." Miley played along and let Lilly in. "Just throw you stuff by the couch. I'm making the salad."

"In that case, I just became an anti-vegetarian!" Lilly said

"A what?" Miley asked, confused.

"Well, if vegetarians only eat vegetables, and you're making the salad...I better just eat the meat to be safe!" Lilly explained. "Unless your dad's making steak..."

"Dang Flabbit!" Miley and Lilly heard Robbie Ray's sharp voice. "Stupid grill!"

"Daddy!?" Miley called to her father. "Speed dial five?"

"I'm alright, bud!" He yelled back. "I like my steak rare. I can't tell the cow's blood from my own."

"Yuck!" Miley replied. She made the weirdest face that made Lilly crack up.

"And tell Lilly hers will be medium rare, just like she likes it." Robbie Ray said.

"Thank you, Mr. Stewart!" Lilly called out in between laughs. Then, she spoke to Miley. "You're dad's crazy."

"Yep." Miley replied. "Craziest daddy in all of Malibu."

The girls made the salad together. They had finished just as Robbie Ray was bring the steaks in from the grill. The three sat down and enjoyed a nice dinner, despite Mr. Stewart's minor injuries.

"Great steak, Mr. Stewart." Lilly said, after taking her last bite. "You should get a job at Jimmy's."

"Shucks." Robbie Ray blushed. "I'm not that good, am I?"

"Don't inflate his ego." Miley whispered to Lilly.

"You girls did a wonderful job on the salad." Robbie Ray complemented.

"There's nothing to it." Miley explained.

"But I scored the cucumber with a fork, so it'd make a pretty little design!" Lilly said proudly.

Miley patted her on the back. "You need to get a life."

"What? I thought it was cute!" Lilly said, getting up to take her plate to the sink. "Wasn't it cute?"

"The cutest darn thing I ever did see!" Mr. Stewart replied with a smile. He and Lilly both knew that this kind of talk and teasing would aggravate Miley, and they loved messing with her.

"So dad," Miley started, rinsing her plate off and putting it in the dishwasher. "Oliver asked if I could go hang out at his house tonight. Is that ok?"

"Fine by me." Robbie Ray replied. "You going too, Lilly?"

"Yes sir." Lilly answered. Mr. Stewart let out a small laugh when he heard Lilly call him 'sir'. He was very close with both Lilly and Oliver that the two could call him 'Uncle Robbie' and he wouldn't care. He wouldn't even mind 'dad' coming from Miley's two best friends.

"Oh, and daddy? One more thing." Miley started. She was a little scared to see how her dad would react, but she knew she had to tell him sooner or later. "Oliver said Lilly and I could...spend the night at his house, too..."

"Spend the night?" Robbie Ray repeated. Miley began to get nervous and nodded. "I don't know, Miley."

"Dad, it's Oliver!" Miley said. "I've known him a long time. It's safe for me to go."

"I know it's safe." Mr. Stewart replied. "I just don't think it's right."

"What do you mean? Miley asked.

"I don't think two youngins your age should be sleeping over each other houses. It might be ok when you're in kindergarten or something, but not teenagers."

"But it's Oliver!" Miley repeated herself. "And it's not like I'm staying alone. Lilly's coming, too."

"It's true." Lilly chimed in. She normally wouldn't join in such a conversation between Miley and her dad, because she would be afraid of saying the wrong thing, and it would get Miley in trouble.

"I do feel a little better now that I know you'll be with another girl." Robbie Ray said. "And this is cleared up with Oliver's parents?"

"They're fine with it, or they wouldn't let him." Miley explained. "So can I go? Please, dad!?"

Mr. Stewart was silent for a few moments, thinking this over. Meanwhile, Miley and Lilly were both down on their knees begging and making little sad puppy dog faces.

"Well...alright." Mr. Stewart finally gave in.

"Yes!" Miley and Lilly shouted and did their secret hand shake "Bam!"

"Don't get too excited and proud of yourselves." Robbie Ray warned. " It wasn't your little sad sap that made me say yes."

"Darn!" Lilly said, sounding disappointed. "And I thought I was doing pretty good!"

"So what was it?" Miley asked, just out of curiosity.

"I just thought about how responsible you are and how much I trust you." Mr. Stewart said, rubbing his hand on Miley's head like she was a puppy dog. "I know my little Miles will behave."

"I will, now will you stop doing that?" Miley said pulling away from her dad's reach.

"You ready to go?" Lilly asked Miley, looking at the clock.

"Yep!" Miley replied. "I'll give you a call tomorrow when I'm coming home, daddy."

"Alright now. You two kids have fun." Robbie Ray said. He started to clear off the table. "Behave, Miley Ray Stewart."

"I will." Miley repeated in a monotone voice.

Miley ran upstairs to get her things. Lilly picked hers up from beside the couch. Miley raced back down the stairs and the two started to the door; Miley in front.

"C'mon, Lills! I'm so excited to spend a night with out Jack-"

Miley had open the door to leave when there stood Jackson; his hand on the outside part of the door knob, ready to open it.

"Oh great!" The brother and sister thought" Just my luck!"

"Hey Lilly." Jackson tried to sound polite as he looked passed his little sister and greeted her friend.

"Hey... Jackson." Lilly replied, as Jackson pushed passed Miley to enter the house.

"Well, looky who's back." Robbie Ray spoke up from in the kitchen. "Where'd you go?"

"Where are you going tonight?" Jackson ignored his father's question and asked the girls one his own. He pointed at the duffle bag Miley was carrying.

"That's none of you business!" Miley gave Jackson a taste of his own medicine from the fight earlier.

"To Oliver's." Lilly spoke up, but she quickly covered her mouth with her hands. Miley glared at her.

"With all that junk you got there in your hands, it looks like you're moving. Jackson replied.

"Because I'm not so self-centered like you," Miley said. "I'll tell you what's going on. Lilly and I are spending the night at Oliver's."

"Spending the night?" Jackson didn't believe what his sister had said. " Miley's allowed to sleep over a teenage boy's house, yet I'm not allowed nor trusted enough to go to freaking Pitt!?"

" Jackson Rod Stewart!" Everyone in the house cringed when the heard Robbie Ray yelled at the top of his lungs scolding Jackson. "We don't talk like that in this house!"

"I said freaking!" Jackson yelled back. "And it's true!"

"I don't give a darn about what you think!" Robbie Ray continued. "I raised you not to talk like that, and I expect you to obey that rule!"

"Well I'm pretty darn sure you didn't raise us that it's okay to have co-ed sleep overs either!" Jackson replied.

"You're not just banned from going to Pitt," Robbie Ray started. "You're grounded for the rest of the weekend!"

"But dad, I-"

"No buts!" Mr. Stewart said firmly." No TV, no computer, no phone, no stereo." He pointed to the stairs. "Go."

"Can't I just-"

"I said, go! Now!"

Jackson took a heavy breath. He could feel the fiery hatred burning away inside him. His arms were at his side. A fist began to form, slowly. Jackson wanted nothing more than to raise it, but he knew if he did anything, his punishment would be even more severe. Instead, he clenched that fist very tight and made his away upstairs. Before he became impossible to see from the living room, Jackson spoke.

"Good night, jerk! Good night, daddy's little princess! Good night, uh...good night, skater chick?" He didn't have any mean nickname for Lilly. After all, she was never anything but nice to him.

"Good night, Jackson!" Lilly replied and waved.

Miley was so disgusted by everything that just occurred that she burst through the door and took off running.

"Miley? Hey, Miley! Wait up!" Lilly called as she ran after her.

Those two just can't keep the peace!This is a house hold turned upside down. Solutions are coming, but there's not telling when. Will Oliver and Lilly be able to put a smile back on Miley's face? What's Jackson going to do when he's home alone tonight? Chapter 6 is being editing and will probably be up some time tomorrow morning. (And sorry if the begining was a little cheesey. I couldn't just jump to Lilly's arriavl. I wanted this to be more realistic. Ahh, the irony of fanfic.) Keep reading!