Vick's POV

I consumed myself with music. I performed party after party after party. The concerts became bigger and better and more spectacular. Events we played sold out in mere seconds and I didn't allow myself anytime to even think or breathe.

Wasn't it said that the best way to distract one's self from pain was to immerse them self in work?

It became so bad that throughout the month of November Sara and David made me swear not to book anymore gigs. Which worked to our advantage cause we became in such high demand that we were booked to do the biggest and most anticipated event of the year by our generation in December.

Sara, David, Kevin and I were scheduled to play the New Years Eve concert in Time Square. How crazy was that!? It was so sick!

If only I could get out of my head for 5 minutes to enjoy it!

The Fantastic Four and all other super heroes maintaining a distance from her...I hear the unwanted voice of Tony Stark stick in my head. On the day I woke up after my horrible call with Johnny I find a small recorder on my window sill, I genuinely did not want to listen to it at first cause of the note attached to it, but changed my mind later on.

The tape recorder revealed so much to me and confused me so much more than I ever thought possible. Who do I hate now? Who is to blame? I know I still had resentment towards the Fantastic Four but it was simmering down now. All I wanted was to have a word with Tony, get some answers straight from the source.

But it made sense that I was unable to contact him in any form, he was way too busy plus with the superhero ban on my head I couldn't reach anyone else in my place. I didn't want to contact the Baxter Building again and something also told me that I'd be unable to do so after Johnny's conversation with Tony.

I sat in my parents room, that I transformed into a make shift office to handle all the business stuff thrown my way. I held my head in my hands as I tried to keep my sanity in place.

More flashing images and bright lights kept invading my mind at the oddest of moments. I could be at the store buying milk and next thing I know I see my mom talking to a young Hank Pym. Why was that?

What was weird about everything wasn't that in the visions I'd see a young me hanging out with young Johnny and Sara and David, what was weird was that I was seeing everything in third person! Not from my personal point of view but, like, from someone else look in.

How is that possible?

"I need ice cream" I groan to myself.

"Your wish is my command" I hear David say from the door, he walks up to my desk holding a tube of chocolate strawberry ice cream. "As you wish," he drops it on my desk.

I look at the tube of ice cream he drops in front of me like it was humanity's salvation, "I love you so much right now." I drag the ice cream close to my face and smoother it, rubbing it against my cheek lovingly.

"I know," he whips out two spoons from behind him and passes me one.

I grab the spoon and hug the ice cream closer to me, "Who said anything about me sharing?"

"Oh, you sharing that ice cream." David says and we start the battle of the ages, Game Of Thrones has nothing on us.

20 minutes later and we had devoured more than half the tube, we still have ice cream smears on our faces and we were talking through hallowed cold breathes.

I laugh heartily, this was the most fun I've had in weeks...months even. "Oh, I cannot remember the last time I had ice cream. It should be a sin."

"Well, it did look like you needed some cheering up," he says, scoops up a big spoon full ice cream and stuffing it in his mouth.

"And I thank you for your help," I lick the back of my spoon. And in doing that David spent 2 minutes fighting to not let me put my spoon back in cause I licked it, to which I answer telling him that both our spoons already had spit on them.

"Can I ask you a question?" David asked me, getting serious out of the blues. I sit up straight in my chair, it's a rare event when you see Dave serious...really rare.

"Since when did you even have to ask?" I say jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Have you noticed Sara's been acting....differently?" he says.

"No, differently how?" I ask.

Our trio of friendship was really tight, if one of us were acting odd I, or someone else, would know about it. Although I haven't really been acting like myself recently so a rock could magically start talking and I'd never notice.

"Differently like..." he struggled to find the words.

"OMG!" We both hear Sara yell from the door. "I cannot believe you guys! You both have started and been hanging out without me! What kind of friends are you!" she looked to be fighting back tears and she ran down stairs.

"Like that." David says pointing after her. "I'm assuming this is way more than a monthly period thing?" he adds while running out of the room after her.

I get up from the desk to chase after both of them when my phone rings. I contemplated ignoring it, the only thing that gave me pause was that the number that rang through was one I didn't recognize.

"Hello?" I say impatiently.

"Good day, am I speaking with Victoria Howard?" A calm and articulate male voice spoke through the line.

"Yes, this is she" I reply.

"Hi, this is Ryan Seacrest speaking-"

Everything blanked out for me after that.

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"So can I count on you?" Ryan asked me.

"I cannot make any solid promises..." I was massaging my forehead, trying to smoothen the wrinkles that I know was there, that had been generated from this conversation. I was sooooo not happy about the arrangement.

"Well, I'm sorry to inform you but you will not be able to perform unless that crucial request is meet" he says sadly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know" I say hastily. "I'll try my best"

"Thank you for your time" Ryan says ever so politely.

"No. Thank you for the opportunity" I say to him and hang up the phone.

I walk out of the wannabe office and down my set of stairs, I turn through the living room and head into the kitchen where for some reason Sara and David were in a screaming match.

"YOU GUYS ARE SHUTTING ME OUT! ADMIT IT!" Sara screeches.

"NO WE ARE NOT! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL!" David yells back.

"WILL THE BOTH OF YOU SHUT UUUUUUP!!" I scream so loud I shake the lights in the kitchen.

They instantly silence up in absolute shock.

"I got a call from Ryan Seacrest," they both gasp in surprise, but I stop them from speaking. "He says we won't be able to, or more accurately, we won't be allowed to perform at the New Years Eve Times Square Ball Concerts unless we meet one of their requests"

"Okay, so what is their request?" David asked.

"That Johnny Storm perform with us"

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Author's Note

Why can I not end this story? C'mon, I've been saying I will but as soon as I intend to start the second to the last arch I chicken out and add little things to postpone it!

I had a scary though the other day of what if I died, no one else would be able to finish this story! You guys would just stop seeing updates from me and that made me sad...it also reminded me of the mortal terror and inevitability of death...but let's try and stay positive!

Please tell me what you all think! Anyone who can accurately guess what is wrong with Sara gets a dedication in the next chapter! Also remember to vote, comment and share!

I really wanna get to 100k reads, that would be so cool and awesome and I can see it happening!

Thanks again to everyone who stuck with me through all my madness and I really hope you enjoyed.

Me love you lots!

~Ya Gal Vicky<3*