I don't own anything, my first fic yadda yadda, here it is :)

Look out now, baby won't you take me away,
Sittin' here its gonna be a new day.
Gotta sing my song and I can't go wrong,
Gotta keep on roaming, gotta sing my song.

-Iron Maiden

Chasing Fire: Chapter 1

"Great concert tonight, bud. Why don't'cha take a few while I get the limo ready?" Miley Stewart aka Hannah Montana looked up from the couch in her dressing room at her dad and smiled weakly.

"Thanks daddy," she croaked out. The crowd in New York had been wild, and she'd done four encores. She was glad that she didn't have to go to school tomorrow, she probably wouldn't be able to move. Right now she was in a state of exhilarating euphoria, feeling relaxed and content as she always did directly after a concert. She looked up as the door opened again.

"Hey loser, heard you were in town."

"Jackson!" Miley jumped off the couch and ran to her brother, who was in college at NYU. Enveloping him in a giant hug, she took a step back to look at him- she hadn't seen him since he'd left for his second year of school. "You look the same-how's school?" Jackson grinned and motioned backwards with his head. Miley looked over his shoulder to see a pretty brunette twisting her hands together nervously.

"Hannah, this is my girlfriend, Nina. Nina, this is my friend Hannah Montana." Miley smiled politely as Nina jumped forward and grabbed her hand.

"Ohmygod, you're amazing and that was such an awesome concert and…you weren't lying when you said you knew her, Jackson! Ohmygod I'm meeting Hannah Montana! Huge Fan!" Jackson smirked at me and Miley rolled her eyes. Still up to his old tricks, using me to impress his dates. Whatever, Miley thought. She could deal because she almost never saw her brother.

"Yeah, Jackson and I basically grew up together…" Miley smirked, and added, "Too much of a spaz for me, though." Jackson glared.

"Aww…I think it's sooo cute!" Nina gushed, turning back to Jackson and grabbing his hand, and Miley raised her eyebrows. Didn't hear that one too often.

"Good for you, though, Jackson's a great guy." Miley smiled genuinely at her brother, wishing that she could just hang out with him and be herself.

"Is your voice okay?" Nina asked out of the blue.

"Oh, yeah, it happens after every concert. I get really caught up in the energy, you know?"

"Yeah, I know! I play violin with the symphony orchestra and sometimes the feeling sweeps me away…though that's not really the same thing," Nina added hurriedly.

"Hey, no. Whatever catches you, that's awesome," Miley said. Looking at her watch, she realized that her dad was probably waiting for her. "Anyway, I have a plane to catch, but maybe if I'm ever in New York again, the three of us could get lunch?"

"We'd love to, Hannah!" Nina answered quickly.

"It's a date, then! It was so nice meeting you Nina, Jackson, great to see you again." Miley grabbed him and gave him a tight hug, trying to convey how much she actually missed him.

"See ya, Miles." He whispered into his sister's ear so Nina wouldn't hear. After one last wave, they left. Miley turned and grabbed her coat and bag.

Sliding into the limo with her dad, she pushed her sunglasses on and said, "Did you meet Nina? She seemed nice."

"Sure did, bud. Jackson had her backstage during your whole show. She's some fan of yours, but I think she's good for him. Down to Earth. We got to talking during one of your breaks and turns out that she actually knew Jackson from Tennessee. Small world, eh?" Miley was surprised, but now that she thought about it, she did remember a girl by that name that used to be friends with Jackson before they moved to Malibu.

"Seems to be gettin' pretty serious, too. Never thought I'd see the day my boy'd buckle down to one lady." Miley giggled at her dad's old-fashioned southern lingo. Still smiling, she asked,

"So does Hannah have any appearances to make this week? It's Lilly's birthday and Oliver and I wanted to throw something for her." She looked at her dad, and he shook his head.

"Just that interview tomorrow night, then you're all clear till the Sunday show in Denver. I could talk to Ingrid and find out if you could use the house…" Miley hid her scrunched nose from her father. Ingrid had been dating Robbie Ray for two and a half years, and she absolutely despised Miley behind Robbie's back.

"We're planning it at Oliver's house," Miley said. Then she quickly added, "but our house can be a backup plan if you'd like to talk to her." She offered a weak smile in her dad's direction, and he smiled back at her. He was happy with Ingrid, so Miley kept up her façade because of him. She'd be going off to college soon, anyway.

They got to the airport with no troubles, boarded the plane and made it back to Malibu around three in the morning. Exhausted, Miley mumbled goodnight to her dad and collapsed in her bed, not even bothering to change

………….

"Miiiley….ooooh Miiiiiillleeey!" Miley groggily pulled her pillows over her face.

"No more buttered muffins," she mumbled. She heard a giggling and a snort and the world started to come into focus. "Go 'way, guys. 'm tired…" She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face into her mattress. Without warning, a harsh thump landed on her back.

"Ooof!" she said, the wind knocked out of her. Glaring, at the wall, she sat up and threw her other pillow at the culprit, her best friend, Lilly Truscott. Groaning, she lay back down, sore all over, and closed her eyes again.

"Come on, Miles, we're going to the beach, and you're coming with us!" Lilly said.

"Unless you didn't know, I had a long concert last night, I'm sore, and it's way to early for you to be so peppy!" Miley grumbled.

"Yeah, we caught it on H-Bo," came the voice of Oliver, their other friend. "Lots of dancing, but, hey, you're the one who wanted a normal life. So a normal life you get. Besides, it's one in the afternoon, how much sleep do you need?" Miley caved and rolled towards them, noticing something.

"I didn't even change outta my Hannah clothes last night….erg…gimme a minute, I'll meet you guys downstairs." Oliver left, but Lilly stood and made her way to Miley's dresser.

"I'll help you pick out your outfit- I think Gage is going to be there!" Miley ducked as a volley of clothes were sent her way. She grabbed a blue bakini and a pair of shorts and went to the bathroom. Pulling her long brown hair into a messy ponytail, she washed her face and donned the suit and shorts. Gathering her Hannah clothes, she walked through her room, past Lilly who was debating tops, and threw them into her Hannah closet. She heard Lilly gasp behind her.

"What?" Miley whirled around to find Lilly staring at her.

"Where did you get those bruises, Miley?" Miley looked at her blankly and then her torso. She did have some bruises showing-one on her collar bone, one just to the left of her belly button, and, she whirled around, one long, nasty looking one on her back.

"Oh wow, Lilly. I forgot about these. I fell down some stairs last night between sets, my changing rooms were a floor down. Didn't even realize it was gonna bruise at the time, I was so full of adrenaline. The crowd was awesome!" Lilly frowned at her, but dropped it.

"You need to wear this, then," she said, tossing her a thigh-length white tunic. Miley pulled it on and tied it together in front. "Ready to go, clumsy?" Lilly said, smirking. Miley laughed whole-heartedly and linked her arm with Lilly's, striding out of her room with her best friend in the world. Miley Stewart, she thought to herself, you are such a liar.