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Author's Chapter Notes:
A.N.: Months later, inspiration has finally struck me out of nowhere once more! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Only own Riley Mae/Kylie Kay/Carly/Trixie Dixon, & story idea. Disney owns everything Hannah Montana. Thank-you!

A few more weeks later, Robbie and Miley were back home once more, Hannah’s tour having been pretty much wrapped up. The last two shows were being held not that far from home, and it was a nice break from Hannah’s tour bus. 

Robbie sat out on the back porch, playing his guitar, as he stared at a photo of the family from when his wife had still been alive. In it, the girls were six, and Jackson almost eight. They were all hugging and posing for the camera, their grins all a mile wide. 

He sighed heavily, as he picked the photo up. “We were so happy then,” he mused. “And now, look at what we’ve become.” 

He shook his head in disappointment. “Lord, if you could give me some sort of sign, as to what I’m supposed to do, it’d be very much appreciated.”  

He waited for a few moments for a response, and when he didn’t get one he stood angrily, tossing the photo down upon the chair he’d been sitting in previously. “Dagnabit! Will anyone ever listen to me around here?!” 

He stormed inside, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving the photo out on the deck. For once, he was actually glad that no one else was home. Riley and Jackson were God knows only where, and Miley was spending the night over at Lily’s.  

He made his way upstairs to his bedroom, where he got ready for bed and soon crawled in under the covers. He grumbled to himself, as he got settled, then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

“Robbie….” A voice called out softly. “Robbie….” 

Robbie sat up and looked around the room confused. That voice. He could’ve sworn…. but there was just no way….was there?  

“Robbie Ray! Why are you lying here in this bed when you have children out there who need you?!” The voice demanded, sounding rather angry with him.  

“Susan?” He whispered softly, finally spotting the source of the voice. She was sitting in the chair by the closet, watching him carefully. “Is that you?” 

“Of course it’s me, Robbie,” she replied. “Who else would care that our children are out there, who knows where, doing who knows what?!” 

“Well, wouldn’t you know what they were up too? Haven’t you been watching them at all?” Robbie countered. 

“That is not the point!” she argued. “Yes, I’ve been watching them – but I’ve also been watching you Robbie Ray! And the way you treat Riley and Jackson, and even Miley at times is just horrible! It’s totally uncalled for, and you know it! The Robbie Ray I knew, would never dream of blaming his children for something he knows isn’t their fault. The Robbie Ray I knew, would never have let Riley run off, without going to search for her himself!” 

“Yeah, well, the Robbie Ray you knew is long gone,” Robbie snapped irritably. “He died right along with you, and I doubt he’s ever coming back.” 

“I never thought you’d turn against our children,” she spoke softly. “I never thought you’d become a cold-hearted monster. I thought you loved them just as much as I did – as much as I still do.” 

“I do love our children!” Robbie argued. “I just don’t love when they refuse to listen.” 

“Maybe they aren’t listening, because you’re being unreasonable, and blaming one for something she had absolutely no control over,” she countered.  

“If she hadn’t have lied to us, then no one would’ve been at that stupid audition!” Robbie growled. “She’d no right trying to do both things at once!” 

“And yet, you’re not at all mad at Miley for going along with it – for helping her sister out, when asked to do so. Robbie, they were six-years-old. There was no way they could’ve known that pulling a switcheroo on us would end so badly. They used to switch places on us all the time, just for the fun of it. To them it was a great game they got to play, and no one else could join in, because they weren’t a twin.” 

“Well, it was a stupid thing to have done,” Robbie retorted. 

“Just like you making Riley hide the truth from her friends,” she pointed out. “Robbie, there’s no reason to make her be Kylie anymore. It’s not fair to her or anyone else for her to have to keep living a life she hates to live.” 

“Miley handles the secret life thing just fine.” 

“But Miley also gets to sing for the world, and then come home and be herself. Riley doesn’t get to be herself at all. You refuse to let her shine, and focus all of your attention on Hannah Montana. I’m sorry Robbie, but Hannah Montana isn’t important at all, if one of our children is unhappy.” 

“She’s an ungrateful little Brat!” Robbie snapped. 

Her eyes blazed with fury, and she was suddenly on her feet, her long white dress billowing in the wind that suddenly seemed to have appeared. “And just what is it that she has to be grateful for?” 

“Everything.” 

“Name one thing.” 

“The roof over her head, the food on her plate, the clothes on her back, the teachers who’re willing to put up with her!” 

She shook her disappointedly. “And not once did you mention, a father who loves her. You do still love her, don’t you?” 

Robbie paused a moment. “Of course I do.” 

“Then why don’t you show her that? Why don’t you make it be known, that she has that to be grateful for as well.” 

“If you seem to know what she’s so grateful for, then why don’t you just tell me?” 

“Her brother, her sister, her guitar, her music, her friends, and Simon.” 

“And just why am I not included in that there list?” Robbie demanded. 

“Have you done anything to make her include you in that list at all, since I passed, Robbie Ray? Because all I’ve seen you do, is put her down, and accuse her of things that are untrue. I’ve seen you be the cause of the majority on her unhappiness, and it sickens me to no end.” 

Robbie scowled. “And what do you want me to do? Be all peachy keen about the fact you were killed, because she wanted to go to an audition?” 

“No, I want you to forgive and forget. Don’t forget me, but let go of the fact that I died taking, who we thought was Riley, to an audition. They were just children Robbie; innocent little children, who looked up to you and adored you. Little children who wanted to be just like you when they grew up.” 

“Yeah, well, things change.” 

“No, you changed. They still have those dreams – Miley actually living her outs. Even Jackson has dreams that you just seemed to brush aside. And as much as I love Miley, what makes her so much more important than our other two children? Why do you always insist on casting them aside Robbie Ray? Why? 

“Because they were the last ones to see you, before you left the house!!” 

She sighed heavily, shaking her head sadly. “I know you’re mad at me for not staying home that day like you’d asked Robbie. But everything happens for a reason, Sweetheart. Not everything turns out the way we’ve planned. It was just my time to go. I’m sorry for brushing you off that morning, but you usually didn’t like the girls going to all these auditions, and I’d decided to finally put my foot down. It was important to them to go to these auditions, and you never seemed supportive of them half the time.” 

“Because I wanted them to be regular children! I wanted them to have a childhood, and for them to not grow up so fast! I wanted them to be at home, so I could spend time with them, before having to go back on tour again.” 

“So you’re admitting that part of you was just being selfish?” 

Robbie paused a moment, to think about it. “Yeah, I guess I am,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I never was really mad at Riles for it all. She was just there, and it was easier to place the blame….” 

“On someone who was there,” she finished for him. “I know. But, it was wrong to do Robbie. And I know you know that deep down in your heart, if you look deep enough. I know you want to make amends, and get your other little girl back.” 

“I was just so—so angry, that day,” he continued. “And she wouldn’t stop asking me all those questions. And then—then when she asked if it’d been her fault, I just snapped. I snapped and told her it was, and it wasn’t. I knew it then, and I know it now, but it hurt so bad, I just had to hurt someone else in return.” 

“And it just happened to be our one six-year-old child.” 

“Do you think it’s too late to apologize?” 

“It’s never too late to try,” she encouraged. “But I wouldn’t wait for too long to do so. She’s incredibly hurt, and upset, and feeling neglected. You’ve made things so bad that even Miley is starting to think being Hannah isn’t worth it anymore – not when her sister is so unhappy. She’s starting to blame her sister’s unhappiness on her being Hannah Montana. And we can’t have them blaming their dreams for each other’s unhappiness…” 

“When really it was me, who was making everyone so unhappy,” Robbie finished. “Come morning, I’m going to find those kids of ours, and bring them home! Well, soon as I’ve figured out where it is they’re at.” 

She nodded, relief washing over her. “Oprah.” 

“What?” 

“Oprah,” she repeated, as she began to fade away. 

“What about Oprah?” 

“You’ll figure it out,” she whispered, now only a voice in thin air. “But remember, Oprah…” 

Robbie bolted awake suddenly, sweat trickling down his face. He wiped it off with the sheet clutched in his one hand, as he looked around hopefully. Not finding his beloved anywhere in the room at all, he sighed heavily.  

“She’s right. I need to fix things, before it’s too late. And starting tomorrow, I’m going to do just that!” 

He made his way to the bathroom then, to wipe his face off with some cold water and a washcloth. He then headed on back to bed, pondering things over in his head, as he lie there trying to think of a way to make things right again.