"So what all have you been up to while you've been gone, Riles?" Jackson asked her, as they sat in one of the many parks in Chicago on a windy day. They'd decided to go for a picnic, and had a blanket spread out and some sandwiches and chocolate bars.

"Not much," Riley shrugged. "Just traveling here and there."

"And how exactly did you travel without breaking into your bank account?"

"You don't want to know, Jackson," Riley admitted softly, looking down at the blue guitar currently in her lap. "Please, just let it go. I already know you're disappointed in me for doing it, and I feel bad enough about doing it as it is."

"So you either stowed away or hitch-hiked, am I correct?"

Riley nodded silently, still staring down at her guitar.

"Okay, other than doing things I wouldn't approve of because they're dangerous, what have you been up to all this time?"

"Writing and playing my guitar mostly," Riley replied, daring to glance up at him once more. She relaxed some when she saw him flash her a small, but genuine smile.

"Well, am I ever going to get to hear any of it?"

Riley smiled at him. "You're my biggest fan, so of course you're going to get to hear some of it."

"Well, then play something for me," Jackson encouraged. "I haven't had any private concerts in forever."

Riley gave a soft laugh, as she flipped open the notebook that was lying before her and began to go through it. "What do you want to hear?"

"Whatever one you think fits the most," he told her, taking a bite out of his ham and cheese sandwich. "You know I'll enjoy it, no matter what though."

Riley finally found one she thought would fit nicely, and began to strum her guitar after tuning it once more.

"I don't know what I want, so don't ask me, 'Cause I'm still trying to figure it out," she began to sing as she played. "Don't know what's down this road, I'm just walking, Trying to see through the rain coming down. Even though I'm not the only one, Who feels the way I do…"

She paused briefly, then continued on. "I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know. I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on. I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world."

Jackson clapped his hand to the beat on his leg, as he sat there listening to his kid sister sing.

"Got the radio on, my old blue jeans; And I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve. Feeling lucky today, got the sunshine. Could you tell me what more do I need? And tomorrow's just a mystery, oh, yeah, but that's okay…."

She paused again, then sang the chorus once more. "I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know. I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on. I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world."

Jackson kept her gaze as she looked up at him for the next part.

"Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission, But I'm ready to fly…."

They didn't notice the few people stopping to watch them, as she continued on to finish her song.

"I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know. Oh, I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on. Oh, I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know. Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world… Oh, I'm just a girl. Oh, I'm just a girl. Oh, oh. Oh, I'm just a girl…"

She was met with the sound of people whistling and applauding as she finished. She blushed some, ducking her head so no one could see her face.

Jackson smirked as he watched people throw decent tips into her guitar case, before walking off to mind their own business once more.

"So much for that being a private concert," Riley spoke softly. "I forgot I tend to draw attention, when I sing out in public."

"Hey, it was pretty neat, if you ask me," Jackson grinned at her proudly. "It shows I'm not the only one in this world anymore who knows my kid sister can sing."

"Correction, kid sisters," Riley stressed, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"Well, yeah, but you know what I meant," Jackson chuckled. "Everyone knows Miley can sing, though they don't exactly know it's Miley singing."

Riley shrugged, as she set her guitar aside and grabbed up her own ham and cheese sandwich, "Least now we got money for dinner," she commented.

"We had money for dinner to begin with," Jackson reminded her. "I was smart and brought a ton with me."

"Yeah, well, I'm used to singing for my supper on street corners," Riley shrugged. "Then, once I've some money, I pack up and hurry off far away to some other street a few blocks away to get food. I can't have people realizing that I'm you-know-who."

"You keep singing on street corners like that and they might," Jackson pointed out. "You have to be careful about that now, if you don't want your cover to be blown."

"Which is why, I'm not giving anymore private concerts unless it's a dire emergency," Riley replied, as she chewed a bite of her sandwich. "I can't risk it anymore. Not since I was on Oprah."

Jackson nodded his agreement, as the two of them sat there shooting the breeze and enjoying their lunch together. If her running away did anything, it ended up bringing them even closer together than before – and they'd already been pretty tight to begin with.

Meanwhile, back home, Miley sat at the breakfast nook eating an omelet she'd made for herself, when her father came down the stairs whistling.

"Well, what's got you so chipper this morning?" She asked, eying him warily, as he'd been pretty moody the past few days – so this was definitely a change of pace.

"Had a good dream, is all," Robbie replied, as he danced over to the refrigerator and took a couple eggs out for himself. "Finally realized your sister's been right about how I've been treating her all these years. I've decided I'm going to find her and bring her back home where she belongs; her and that crazy brother of yours."

Miley paused in mid bite of her omelet, some of it falling off her fork, and the rest of it falling from her mouth back onto her plate. She stared at him in shock for a moment, her jaw practically literally on the floor.

"Daddy-who's-been-blaming-my-twin-sister-for-stuff-since-forever say what?" She demanded, raising her eyebrows at him in surprise.

"You heard me, Miles," Robbie answered, as he cracked the two eggs he'd gotten from the fridge open. "It's high time this family pulled together and did things together like we used to. What fun is it in having a family, if you can't all be crazy together?"

"Daddy, are you sure you're feeling okay?" Miley wanted to know, still giving him a skeptical look. What in the world had brought upon this sudden change of heart? Since when did he care where her brother and sister were? They'd been gone for quite some time now, and this was the first time he'd ever mentioned going to find them.

"I'm fine, Miley," Robbie stated, as he scrambled the eggs. "I just had an epiphany, is all."

"Did you have loco hot cocoa before bed again?" Miley questioned, figuring that to be why he was suddenly talking crazy.

"Miley Rae, I am perfectly fine and did not drink any loco hot cocoa before bed last night," Robbie stated firmly, giving her a serious look. "I said we're going to find your brother and sister, and that is what we're going to do."

"What about Hannah Montana?" Miley asked curiously, knowing Hannah had some upcoming appearances.

"I'm afraid Hannah's just going to have to wait, Darlin'," Robbie said apologetically.

Miley's eyes went wide, as she jumped up, knocking her stool over, in her process to eagerly go over and hug her Daddy tightly. "That's the greatest thing you've ever said to me!"

"Miles, careful now girl!" Robbie exclaimed, as he used his one arm to pull her back from the stove. "You're going to burn yourself and get egg all over you."

"I don't care," Miley replied, still clinging to him, her head rested upon his chest. "You finally said what I've been waiting to hear all these months."

Robbie carefully turned the stove off once his eggs were done, and hugged his daughter tightly in return. "I'm sure your sister's been waiting years to hear me say that she was more important than Hannah."

"The fact you've finally said it will be enough for her," Miley assured him. "Well, that and some other things I think you really need to say. But her being more important than Hannah most of all."

"Let me eat my breakfast, then we'll pack some bags and go hunting for your sister, alright?"

"Consider me already packed!" Miley exclaimed, starting to run off. She paused though, turning to look at him once more. "You're sure we have to bring Jackson back though? I mean, he is rather stinky at times."

"Yes, now go!" Robbie stated, pointing towards the stairs. He shook his head watching her run off, as he placed his scrambled eggs on a plate. "That girl is going to be driving me even crazier now, I can just see it."