Because Mom Wasn't Enough

I got something to tell you and it just can't wait

Vic's POV

"Ughhhhh!" I groaned. My head hurt so bad. Damn hangovers...

"HEY VIC!" Jaime screamed, I swear, as loud as he could.

"Fuck, Jaime, please." I begged covering my ears.

"Awww! Widdle Vicky got a widdle hangover?" He mocked in a childish voice. I didn't drink much and he mocked me every time I got hung over because I always made fun of him when the circumstances were flipped.

"Yessss," I hissed at him. My phone started ringing, and of course it was on full volume. "Ugh, hello?" I whined into the speaker.

"Vic Fuentes?"

"Yeah, you a fan?"

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry. Who is this?"

"Dr. Phillips from San Diego Hospital. Could you tell my how you know Ava Andrews?"

"Ava Andrews?" I asked. Ava Andrews. Ava... sounds familiar...ah! "Yeah, yeah I dated her for a few months in high school. She was nice, how is she?" Oh, right, hospital. "I'm going to guess not well."

"Unfortunately, no, she actually passed away last night. You are mentioned in her will. Would you be able to come down here today?"

"I was in her will? We haven't talked in years...But uh, yeah I can get over there."

"Alright, thank you!"

"Yeah, no problem." I hung up and went to the living room where the guys were gathered around the TV.

"What are you watching?" I asked.

"News," Mike answered. "The leaders of two of the badest gangs in the city were both found dead."

"Wow, did they kill each other?"

"No, there was another guy who shot one of them who was also dead. They think there was another shooter. The cops aren't too concerned though, they say at least if they're killing people, they're killing the public nuisance. But what was that call about?"

"Oh, right, so remember Ava Andrews? My high school ex?"

"Yeah, the one and only chic you banged until you were twenty?" Mike said. Everyone laughed. Thanks for bringing that up, Mike.

"...Shut up...but yeah, well she died and apparently I'm in her will so I have to go down to the hospital and pick up whatever she left me."

"I bet it's condoms!" Jaime yelled. Everyone laughed again.

"I want to come!" Tony yelled. Mike and Jaime agreed.

"Ugh!" I groaned as we left. I swear to god I'm raising three children.

--

I talked to the lady at the front desk about Ava, and I was directed into a small conference room where there was only the doctor a lawyer reading the will, and a young girl who I assumed was Ava's daughter. I wonder where she'll go now, I didn't see a father around. I stood at the doorway, not too enthusiastic to get in between that girl and the lawyer. She didn't look too happy, but not in mourning. More like she was pissed to be there. I was glad she didn't notice me yet...

"To my beautiful perfect daughter, Jodie, I leave all my possessions and my unconditional love." The lawyer started.

"Yeah, 'unconditional love' okay, great because I can live off of that." The girl said. Man, where was this girls father? He should be here, not me...wait...

"And should my daughter be under eighteen when I die, my wish is that full custody be turned over to her father, Victor Fuentes." He said motioning to me. My jaw dropped. I noticed the girl (Jodie, was it?) tense up, then everyone turned to me. I felt a hand come down on my shoulder.

"Hey, Vic, so what are you getting?" It was Tony. "Oh, hey, Jodie!" He said in his perky tone. Wait, he knows her? "Bro?" He asked.

I turned towards him. I pointed at her. "You know her?"

"Yeah, she tattooed me the other day. Why? Who is she?"

I didn't know how to answer him. "M-my d-daughter...?" I stuttered, unsure of how the word felt in my mouth. That's what the lawyer said right? He did call her my daughter? I looked to the lawyer and Jodie for confirmation but no one gave me anything to go on.

"Great, now you can give me more great tats!" Tony said, directed towards Jodie.

"Wait, sir, are you implying you did not know about your daughter?" I cringed as the doctor said "daughter"

"Do I look like someone who knew they had a daughter?" I asked her, a bit rudely.

"Well, you do have full custody now, sir." The lawyer said.

I looked to Jodie who still had said nothing and was just staring at the floor. The doctor tapped her shoulder.

"Vic Fuentes is my father? Oh my god." Oh, she's a fan. This will be interesting...

"And I guess you're going to be living with me now." I threw in trying to smile. By now the rest of the guys had shown up and Tony had filled them in on what's going on.

"What?" Jodie asked, seeming to be released from her trance.

"Yeah, I mean that's kind of how this whole custody thing works, right?" I asked.

"Oh, well then I'll pass," she said getting up. In a second she went from looking like she was in awe to not giving a fuck about me. "Thanks, Dr. Phillips. See you later, Mr. Hansen." Jodie pushed by me and started walking towards the door. We all exchanged looks and then ran after her.

"Wait, what do you mean you pass?" I asked as I held her shoulders so she would look at me.

"Look, my mom was enough of a parent for the both of you. So much so that I don't want any more of it, and I don't need it, I've lived on my own before and been fine. You guys are a famous band and you don't want or need me holding you back. If I don't live with you it's a win win."

"Who said I don't want you? Why wouldn't I? I didn't know about you, I didn't not want you! And honestly it looks like you could use a parent right now..." She was covered is bruises and cuts, she had a black eye and a bandage wrapped around her head that was stained with blood, and from the way she was limping, I assume something happened to her ankle. She scoffed at me.

"Are you kidding? My mother was the one who did this to me!" That surprised me, Ava always loved kids, and she was the sweetest girl I ever met. I was devastated when she dumped me.

The doctor came over to us. "Why don't we get Miss Andrews cleaned up and we can talk about this later? We need to get that cut on your head stitched up before you lose any more blood." We nodded and they took her away.

"At least think about it." I said.

We all had to wait in the conference room that we were originally in because the room Jodie was in was too small. One of her friends showed up and started fan girling for a while when she figured out what was going on, but then started talking about Jodie. I talked to the guys and we all decided it would be great to have Jodie come live with us. Soon the doctor came back in and told us she was ready to leave and I just had to sign release forms or something. But when we went back into the room to get her, she was gone.

"I don't know how this could have happened without somebody seeing or hearing her. She has a boot on that foot!" One of the doctors said.

We all started freaking out a little and worrying, except Cali who just laughed. "She's a tough one," she told me. "You'll have to get used to that."