Radiant Eclipse

"Are you going already?"

Ash mumbled to Mike, as she stirred awake and saw Mike getting dressed.

"I have to. Coach is going to be coming around to wake everyone up in like half an hour."

He replied, as he pulled his socks on. Ash reached for a shirt and a pair of underwear, so she could see Mike out.

"Hit me up next time you're in Toronto?"

"Only if you do the same when you're in LA?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Mike pressed his lips to hers, and ran his tongue along her bottom lip, deepening the kiss and prolonged his leaving.

"Alright, I really should go."

"I'll call a cab so it'll be there by the time you get downstairs."

Ash stood on her tiptoes, and pecked his lips one more time before they headed towards the door. As they crossed the living room, Johnny was just getting in from spending the night with whatever girl he had hooked up with the night before. Ash and Mike ignored him, with Mike pecking her lips one more time before Ash finally closed the door on him. While Johnny laid down on the couch, Ash called a cab for Mike, then headed back to the sunroom to tidy up the room and pack her things. As she moved about the sunroom, Johnny couldn't help but watch his ex-girlfriend, and wonder if the guys were right; and that he was lying to himself, and really wanted her back. There wasn't much time left for him to think, as everyone started to wake up and place all their bags and suitcases by the door.

"Do you guys realize that we all match?!"

Jess commented, as the girls were in the kitchen preparing a quick breakfast. Without any kind of prior planning, the girls all dressed in a Mickey and/or Minnie Mouse sweat or t-shirt. While they all enjoyed a breakfast of bacon, eggs, spinach, toast and fruit, Larry entered carrying five packages.

"Whatcha got there manager man?"

Mateja ask.

"A little something from the label for the five of you. I'll leave them here while you all finish eating."

While they ate, Larry had all their non-essential bags brought down to the vans that would take them to the airport. And while the guys got all the dishes washed and put away, the girls opened their packages. The penthouse was soon filled with excited screams and giggles, as the girls each uncovered their own Dooney & Bourke purse. The label had gotten them each the same purse, but in different colours. After they thanked Larry, and got their mess cleaned up, everyone got dressed and ready to come back to California.

"What's the schedule for when we get back to California?"

Matt asked, as the van headed towards the airport.

"You all have the rest of today to sit back and relax. Tomorrow Ash has an appointment with the doctor, and hopefully we'll be able to go into the studio. The day after that is the Jingle Ball. And before I forget, girls, Jingle Ball organizers were told to cut some time from the show, so they cut your set. Guys, you're still playing, but girls, they want to know if you'll still do an appearance and signing. Day after that, is hopefully some more studio time, before you girls go back to Toronto to pack up. It's Christmas after that, so you have a few days off. After that, is the video shoot for 'This Is What Rock And Roll Looks Like', Ash's birthday, studio time, then New Year's. Any objections?"

Everyone said no, and the girls told Larry that they would do the appearance and signing.

"Are we still allowed to sell merch there? Even though we're not performing?"

Ash asked.

"Should be able to. I'll double check with them when we get back stateside."

The rest of the ride was quiet, as everyone had fallen asleep. They trudged out of the vans when they reached the airport, and helped to get everything on carts and up to the check in counter. Once they were checked in, past security and customs, and on their way to the gate, they all made a beeline for the first Starbucks they could find. Once everyone had their drinks and snacks, and magazines from the nearby newsstand, they set up camp by the gate and waited for the boarding calls to start. Once they were on the plane and in their seats, everyone paid minimum attention to the safety demonstration, and as soon as they were in the air and the seatbelt sign was off, they either fell right asleep, or kept switching seats for the sole purpose of annoying Larry.

They kept it up until Larry threatened to make them work over Christmas. In the end, Zack sat with Ash, Jess with Matt, Jimmy with Corinne, Brian with Mateja and Johnny with Anne. The rest of the flight was spent with everyone in and out of sleep, mostly only waking for food and drinks. Once landed at LAX, and headed towards the luggage carousels, everyone conversed amongst themselves about the coming days.

"Seriously, why would you two wear those while flying? Why not be smart and wear comfy shoes?"

Jimmy asked Ash and Anne, who both wore a pair of Jeffrey Campbell Lita's.

"Because we wanted to and are you implying that we're not smart Sullivan?!"

Ash retorted, as the luggage started to appear. Once they were sure they had everything, they got their van out of long term parking, while Larry had a car service pick the guys up. Dan and the Berry brothers, dropped the girls off one by one, then headed home themselves. Jess and Ash laid down on the couch with Icky and Maj, and passed out not long after. After waking up in the middle of the night, and quick shower, Ash climbed into her bed, with Maj, who already made herself comfortable. The next morning, Ash woke up to Matt standing over her bed, as he had come to bring her to her doctor's appointment.

"Where's Larry at?"

"Had some business to take care of, so it's just you and I today. Anywhere you want to go after the appointment?"

Matt asked, as he stopped at a red light.

"The grocery store for some real food. Been eating so horribly lately."

Ash replied, as Matt made his turn and pulled into the plaza where her appointment was. Ash showed Matt the lyrics for "Freak Like Me" and they worked on it, until she was called into the office.

"So, Miss Enriquez, how are we today?"

"Tired, but pretty good. Going into the studio after this, so eager to find out if I can use my voice or not."

"I cannot guarantee anything, but let us see first. Have you been doing the exercises I gave you?"

"Yes sir."

"Alright then. Can you sing me a couple bars of whatever you want?"

Ash took a deep breath, before she sang a couple bars of "By Now" which she wrote with Matt, Danny and Corinne.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that you can go back to singing. However, I would like you to still refrain from screaming. When do you guys head out on tour again?"

"January 20th."

"Alright, set an appointment to see me before then and we'll see about the screaming. Until then, you're free to use your voice as you'd normally do, and sing cleanly."

"Thank you so much doctor!"

Ash and Matt both shook his hand, headed out to the receptionist to set her next appointment, and left to buy some food and then it was off to the studio.

"So what's the verdict?"

Anne asked, as Ash and Matt walked into the studio.

"Singing but no screaming."

"That's better than nothing! So what are we starting with?"

"Freak Like Me and Miss The Misery?"

Everyone agreed, and since they wanted to get everything perfect, they spent the next seven hours getting everything recorded and perfect.

"Yes! Larry said we can sell merch at the Jingle Ball tomorrow!"

Ash said, as she checked her voicemail.

"What are we going to wear tomorrow?"

"Ugly Christmas sweaters? And Santa Claus hats?"

Corinne suggested.

"All my ugly sweaters are in Canada though!"

Jess pouted.

"Why don't we just and go buy something? And see if we can get some Christmas shopping out of the way too. The mall is open for another hour and a half."

The girls looked at each other, before piling into the SUV they had been renting. Fifteen minutes into their shopping trip, they all found a sweater for themselves, and decided to get shoes, pants and a Santa Claus hat to match. Ash ended up with a sweater that had Rudolph and snowflakes on it; Anne a white sweater with a gift bow around it; Corinne a red sweater that read "all I got for Christmas was this ugly sweater"; Jess a grey one that read Santa's my homie and Mateja a black one with a gingerbread man on it. Ash, Anne and Corinne matched in the sense that they all had red leggings, and red converse. And Jess and Mateja matched in the sense that they both had green jeans and green converse to wear.

"OH MY GOD. THIS IS JUST WHAT WE NEED TO CAP OFF THE OUTFITS."

Jess shrieked, as she found five Santa Claus hats with Minnie Mouse ears on the front. Along with the hats, the girls browsed the store they were in, and picked up some joke gifts for the guys to go along with the real gifts they planned on getting for them.

"Man, we got shit done today!"

Mateja commented, as they all left the mall with their outfits for the next day, and most of their Christmas shopping done.

"What do you think the guys would give us?"

"Well knowing Zack, he'll give us something from VU. Matt would give us something that has to do with working out. Brian would give us money because he couldn't be fucked to actually buy something. Jimmy would give us alcohol. Or attempt to kidnap some stallion ducks in an effort to remind us of home. And Johnny … would give us each a box or two of Keebler cookies."

As they reached the SUV, the girls looked at each other and busted out in fits of giggles. Once calm, they put everything in the trunk, and headed home and to bed.

"I think we need more merch."

Ash told Jess, as they sorted through whatever merch they had left, after the Canadian tour.

"Well design more shit then! HEY ZACKYYYY!!!"

Jess yelled into the house. Zack appeared in the garage soon after, with Icky, whom he dressed in a reindeer costume, nipping at his ankles.

"What's up?"

"Do you know of any company in the area that can print stickers and/or make CDs very very fast? Like for the Jingle Ball later?"

"Stickers probably. CDs not so much. Do you guys have any sticker designs handy?"

"I have a few on my laptop."

Ash told him.

"Alright, send them to me, while I make a few phone calls."

Ash and Jess finished sorting everything, and getting it packed for the Jingle Ball, then went to send the designs to Zacky and put on their outfits for the day.

"ARE THOSE ELF EARS ON MAJ?!"

Both girls shrieked, as they entered the living room, to find Zacky dressed in an ugly Christmas sweater and Santa hat, Icky still in his reindeer costume, and Elf ears on Majesty. Just at that moment, Zack's brother dropped by to help them get everything to the Ball, so they got him to take a picture of all of them so they could put it on Twitter.

"@ashE_RE: @Jess_RE @vengenz1 Icky, Maj and I in our Christmas best XD pic.twitter.com/43829ffjisdf9"

"We need to get pictures of all us girls together when we're at the venue!"

"Matt can help you with that. He's going to be working the booth with you guys and running the signing and whatnot, and selling his bow ties and VU stuff at the same time."

Zack told them, as they loaded up the car. Matt assured theem that he would, and they all got in the car and were on their way.

"You girls planned all this didn't you?"

Larry asked, as everyone gathered around Avenged's bus, and he saw their outfits. They all nodded yes and started taking as many pictures as they could. After a quick run-through of the schedule, everyone headed inside so that they could get set up. The guys headed towards the back to their dressing room, while the girls and Matt Baker went to go find their booth.

"What do we even have left of our merch?"

Anne asked, as they started to open boxes.

"Quite a few hoodies and tees. Two and a half boxes of CDs, a fucek ton of pins, and a box of assorted stickers. And speaking of stickers, we sent designs off to the printer this morning for more stickers. They should be here soon. We also have Matt's bow ties and some VU stuff."

About forty five minutes before doors, the stickers were delivered to their booth. It was then that they found out Zack had surprised them, by having posters printed as well so they could have something to sign other than random pieces of paper, when they had their signing. Just before the doors opened, the girls ran to catering to get food for Matt and themselves, and to say hi to the guys.

"Y'all gonna come and watch us from sidestage later?"

Jimmy asked, before the girls headed back to the booth.

"Of course not."

Ash faked scoffed at him, as she then stuck out her tongue and walked away. The girls laughed as they could hear Jimmy whining about her reaction. As the afternoon passed, the girls spent most of the time either at the booth or walking the floor, and looking at the other booths that were there. Ash spent quite a bit of time at a booth that was selling various guitar and bass pedals, even making a purchase, before she had to rush back to their booth for the signing.

"Holy shit. That's a lot more people than I expected."

She told her bandmates as she passed the line outside the booth, and stashed her bag under the table. They sat in their chairs, and got situated with a few Sharpies each, before they told Matt to start the signing. An hour and a half passed, before they signed for everybody in the line and ran out of posters, before they had to rush backstage so they could watch Avenged's set. They stopped to take a few photos along the way, and literally had to be pulled away by Larry and security and pushed towards the stage.

"I know we're here for these guys, but what songs are we recording tomorrow?"

Corinne asked, while Matt talked to the crowd between songs.

"Are we going to do a cover this album?"

"I think if we do, we should stick to one though."

Ash suggested.

"Sounds like a plan."

"CAN WE PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD COVER BRAND NEW?"

Anne cried. Ever since the band got together, Anne had wanted to cover any Brand New song, but the girls could never agree on which one to do, so it never happened.

"Only if it's Sic Transit Gloria … Glory Fades. All in favour, raise their hands!"

Anne's hand shot up first, followed, by Ash and eventually the rest of the band. Anne smiled in victory, then they all turned their attention back to the set, as Matt was finishing his speech.

"Before we move onto this next song, I have one last thing to say. We weren't planning on playing this song tonight, but since their set got cut tonight, we're playing it for them. This is an oldie but goodie, and it's called 'Radiant Eclipse'."

The girls screamed and cheered, as the guys played their band's namesake song. Once the guys left the stage, but not before they led the whole crowd in a rendition of "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer", the girls went back to the booth to help Matt Baker pack up and load whatever was left in the car.

"Alright, I just want to congratulate everyone on a job well done tonight,"

Larry started as they all gathered on the bus.

"Guys, the organizers loved you like always. Especially the Rudolph sing-a-long, even with the usage of profanity. And girls, they now feel really bad for cutting your set tonight. The signing had amazing feedback, and I don't know if you saw, but you sold out of everything, except a handful of pins and stickers. Now, we have an early time at the studio so the girls can make their flight back to Toronto, so for the love of God, please do not stay out late tonight!"

"Can we at least grab a bite to eat before we go home?"

Jimmy asked.

"Fine. But I want you all to go straight home after that."

Everyone agreed, in order to placate Larry, and headed off the bus and into the vans Dan and Matt Baker had waiting.

"Let's go to the Carl's Jr on Fairfax, it's open 24 hours."

Jimmy yelled out the window of the van he was in with Mateja, Zack, Jess and Ash, to the other van with Corinne, Shads, Brian, and Anne. Once they had got their orders, they all piled back into the vans, and ate during the drive back to Huntington Beach. As everyone arrived home, they disposed of their garbage, washed up, and went straight to bed. The next morning, all girls woke a little earlier than planned, so they could pack a small bag for the trip back home. It was just before 7, when everyone showed up to Matt's place, to have breakfast as a group and then head to the studio together.

"What songs are you girls recording today?"

Brian asked, as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.

"Our one cover to go on the album, which is 'Sic Transit Gloria … Glory Fades' by Brand New, and By Now."

Anne answered, as she mixed some granola and fruit into her yogurt. Everyone piled into two cars and made the drive over to the studio, arriving a few minutes before they were scheduled to go in.

"Do we want to do the cover or the original first?"

Larry asked, as they walked into the studio, and found all of their things already set up.

"Cover, since we've played it before."

Jess answered, as she grabbed her guitar and started strumming a few bars. The girls took a few minutes to strum a few bars and warm up their instruments and voices, before they were ready to press record.

"The tickle, the taste of...
It used to be the reason I breathed but now it's choking me up.
Die young and save yourself!"

Corinne, Jess, and Ash sang into the mics, while Anne screamed the last line, and Matt called a wrap on the song, an hour after they first started.

"Do you girls want some time to practice 'By Now' before we start recording?"

"Yes please!"

They all chorused, and each retreated to somewhere in the studio or out in the hallway to get a handle on the song. While Ash sat in the hallway, practicing the song, and singing the lyrics to the beat they had come up with, Johnny walked in, but stopped short upon seeing her.

"I know that I remember you
I think that you remember me too
How can one of us still feel blessed when the other one's lost
I know you've got to feel the change
It just gets worse when it stays the same
How can one of us still feel blessed when the other one's so lost."

Ash sang quietly, as she kept playing the song until the end. Satisfied with where she was at, she got up and headed back into the studio, with Johnny following close after. After all the instruments had been recorded, Ash, Corinne and Jess got into the vocal booths, and readied themselves to finish the song and get back to the airport yet again. As they finished block by block of lyrics, Johnny couldn't seem to stop himself from staring at his ex.

"And that's a wrap! Great job girls."

Everyone clapped and cheered, as the girls left the vocal booth, and dug into the food that Larry had delivered to them.

"Do we want to leave now, so we don't miss our flight?"

Matt asked, as they packed up the sandwiches they didn't eat, and threw away the garbage.

"What do you mean we? Don't you mean us girls?"

Corinne eyed him suspiciously.

"Yeeaahhh, we may have forgotten to tell you that, we're coming with you."

Matt replied, as he gestured to himself and the rest of Avenged Sevenfold. While Larry assured them that their gear would be looked after, they climbed back into their cars and headed back to the airport. Making their usual Starbucks run, then sat at their gate and waited for their flight to be called. The flight was fairly uneventful, as everyone either napped, watched a movie, read a book or worked on some more lyrics and music.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS THE LAST NIGHT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND HERE."

The girls cried, as they pulled up to their house in Toronto.

"We should go to Sneaky Dee's! We haven't been there in awhile!"

Ash suggested, as they walked up to the front door.

"Sounds like a plan! Meet back out here in an hour?"

Zack asked. Everyone nodded their agreement, then headed off to their separate places. Mateja and Corinne upstairs, with Ash in the basement and Jess and Anne in the main floor. Johnny made himself comfortable in the living room in Jess' place, then hurried into the washroom for a quick shower. An hour later, everyone met just outside the front door, and the girls led the short walk over to Sneaky Dee's, where they were greeted like old friends. Due to the scheming between everyone but themselves, Ash and Johnny ended up sitting across from each other, at the same table as Jess and Zacky. They did however, surprise everyone but seeming not to care about the seating arrangement, and being civil when they did have to talk to each other.

"I'm excited to start a new life in Cali, but I am going to miss this so much."

Jess pouted, and shed a few tears, as they finally left Sneaky Dee's at 4:15; fifteen minutes after closing time.

"Yeah, but think about all the fun you're going to have as Mrs. Zacky Vengeance! And it's not like you can't come back and visit from time to time!"

Zacky assured her, as they started the drunken walk back to the house.

"Alright, everyone come down for breakfast in the morning, and then we start packing. If we get done fast enough, we'll have some more time to relax and enjoy the city before we leave."

Ash told everyone, after it took her three tries to get the key in the door.

"And someone make sure to lock that!"

Matt being at the back of the group, made sure each lock was on, before he followed Corinne upstairs. In no time, each apartment was dark and quiet, except for Johnny, who stared at the ceiling, doing anything he could to will himself to sleep.

"Fuck it."

He mumbled, as he pushed back the blanket and quietly let himself out of Jess' place. He headed downstairs and quietly knocked on the door. Finally, after the fifth knock, the door opened and Ash, clad only in her Mats Sundin jersey, opened the door.

"Johnny?"

"Can I come in?"