Disclaimer: I don't own the characters nor the rights for Vivo, those rights are owned by Sony and Netflix and a few others. I DO own a few characters in this fic, though.

A song of the heart

The joviality in the air was sucked right out after that agent woman had left and a full-on awkward ambiance had replaced what should have been pure joy.

Make no mistake, everyone was excited about the prospect of going to Las Vegas! It was an opportunity to see new things and have brand new experiences but it wasn't as thrilling when everyone was going to have to run around get some paid time off from work, call school to break off for summer holidays early, cancel appointments to meet friends, organise their things and pack bags.

From what the woman had told them before, though, the family didn't need to organise a hotel since that would already be sorted —according to the woman, they would be escorted to their hotel upon arrival and then they would prepare for the rest of the week until the night of the concert arrives at the weekend.

During their free time, though, Vivo and his family were permitted to do whatever they pleased.

Rosa also made absolutely sure to make a strict schedule to make sure that the entirety of this experience of this was not treated as some sort of vaccination and she made sure to have that conversation with Gabi and Esteban and put in a strict bedtime and homework routine as payback for agreeing to this trip.

Neither Gabi nor Vivo knew how to process all of this information at first but the former was practically bouncing off the walls excited about the prospect of going to one of the best countries in the United States. But then the duo had only ever used the plaza for their humble little stage shows so it was going to be an entirely new experience to perform in front of more than a thousand people…

After the discussion of whether or not they were going to Las Vegas for that massive concert, the family ate their dinner in an uncomfortable silence. Nothing really was uttered throughout the entire meal —not even when it came to the desserts— and, while Rosa tried to lay some stern ground rules to Gabi about the upcoming trip, all anyone could really think about was how big of a deal this was.

The family stayed up until 10:00 at night when Gabi was sent to bed while Rosa stayed up a bit later and packed up the remaining items for their venture.

Both the twelve-year-old girl and her Kinkajou partner got ready for bed by dressing in their pyjamas and brushing their teeth. Gabi dressed in a pink satin nightgown as she took out her hair bands, literally letting her long purple hair down, and she took off her glasses and placed them on her nightstand. In the meantime, Vivo took off his hat and neckerchief and put on a pair of shorts and a button-up jammie top which were navy blue in colour and were covered in little yellow crescent-moon patterns. His tail fit through the hole on the backend so his jammies fit perfectly.

Gabi was the one who drew her bedroom curtains closed, ran over to the door to flick the light switch on the wall beside it and called out to her mother out the door.

"Goodnight, mum!" She called out.

"Goodnight, Gabriella!" Rosa answered back, her voice distant and slightly muffled due to her being in a different room.

"…..Goodnight, Esteban….." Gabi's upbeat voice soured as she called out to her mother's boyfriend and the difference between how she treated her mother and Esteban were night and day —it was obvious that she disliked him, but why?

Esteban reluctantly responded, his voice rather sad but was hiding behind a forced upbeat tone.

"Goodnight, Gabi!"

The room was cast into darkness the second the light was flicked off and the only source of light was the beams of moonlight that shone through the veil that was the curtains covering the window and then hitting the carpeted floor below.

The room was just as tidy as Vivo had cleaned it earlier that same day with the exception of the odd stray instrument (the instruments belonging to Vivo were already packed away for the trip) or item that wasn't even worth acknowledging. The only noise present in the room was the sound of the wind outside blowing and rustling the back garden bushes and rocking the tree branches, creating a sound akin to that of wooden wind chimes —another noise consisted of the soft breathing that emanated from both Vivo and Gabi.

There was a soft and soothing ambiance as the occupants of said bedroom were beginning to settle down for sweet, sweet slumber to whisk them off into a land of dreams and void of fatigue.

Gabi and Vivo then slid under the covers of their respective beds —Gabi in her bed and Vivo in his suitcase bed on the floor beside it. They were both exhausted from all that had happened and had both predicted that sleep would wash over them in some sort of dark tidal wave, but it had turned out that sleep was going to be a bit harder to come tonight due to both the excitement and all the mixed feelings.

Minutes ticked by like seconds as both Gabi and Vivo closed their eyes and waited for sleep to come…but it wouldn't.

Gabi eventually turned to lay on her side and peered over the edge of the bed to stare down at the Kinkajou apparently sleeping in the suitcase. She hesitated in opening her mouth and almost rolled over again to resume her attempts in falling asleep but, after mulling her decision over, she decided to simply go for it as she whispered.

"Psst! Vivo?"

Vivo didn't stir or even move an inch.

"Hey, Vivo. Are you still awake?" Gabi whispered again to the Kinkajou.

Vivo finally opened his eyes and nodded his head regretfully.

"I never fell asleep." He bemoaned, although to Gabi it sounded more like frustrated squeaks.

Vivo lay on his back, staring up up Gabi who had sat up in her bed and swung her legs out to the side as she stared down at him with a troubled expression etched upon her face. Her posture was slouched and dismayed and she sighed as she sat on the foot of the bed, looking gloomy.

Vivo decided to be a listening ear.

He threw his blanket off of himself and scrambled to climb up Gabi's bed and sat on the mattress right beside her.

After all, he couldn't fall asleep right now and what else were friends for?

"We're gonna go to Las Vegas, isn't that exciting?"

Gabi did sound genuinely excited but that troubled tone in her voice anchored her upbeat tone a bit.

Vivo nodded his head in response to her question but he secretly couldn't help but be really nervous since he never performed in front of an audience consisting of thousands of people before. He hoped that he wouldn't get stage fright —he had only gotten stage fright once or twice during the first couple of performances both his and Andrés had back in Cuba and both of those occasions weren't great because he felt like a statue where he couldn't move no matter how hard he tried.

He shook his head quick.

Now wasn't the time to think about that!

Vivo looked over to Gabi sat beside him, his own concern rising as he looked to her. He could see that something was on her mind and she wanted to talk about it but was finding it difficult; he didn't want to get her to open up too quickly but he didn't know how to communicate that so just stayed silent and let her say what she wanted with the utmost patience.

Gabi hesitated for a lengthy few seconds…and then she spoke.

"Vivo…do you think I should be nicer to Esteban?"

The Kinkajou said nothing but continued listening, fully aware that that was a rhetorical question.

"I mean…I guess it's pretty obvious that I'm not his biggest fan. I dunno why but I can't stand him! He doesn't like music, he-he-he's too nice, he just seems to want to insert himself into everything that we do! I guess he's just…just…uuuugggghhh…."

The twelve-year-old girl groaned as she buried her face into her own face, grumbling and mumbling a bit after her rant. Her face had reddened considerably and she had smoke practically billowing and hissing straight out of her ears, it was easy to imagine the sound of a kettle whistling at a high-pitched frequency. The twelve-year-old blew off literal steam for a minute until she finally raised her head up again and blew a long exhale through her lips, calming herself.

Gabi was silent for a moment until she spoke up again, more calmer.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that mum has found someone! I mean it! But it feels like she doesn't love dad anymore…especially since he's gone…I mean, what if mum not only forgets all about dad but forgets about me too?"

Vivo felt an arrow of pain hit him right in the heart after hearing that question.

That was his very own thought process when he first heard Andrés talk about Marta and his plans to reunite with her right before he passed away, he feared that when Andrés and Marta reunited then he would have no place in their new life together —he wouldn't fit into the big picture anymore. It was only after realising that seeing Andrés happy was way more important then all of that that he'd have his change of heart.

The girl was going through a massive change and needed some support here.

Vivo's eyes softened as he proceeded to hop on to the 12-year-old's shoulder and give her some silent reassurance by placing a hand on her cheek.

"He doesn't want to take your dad's place, Gabi, he just wants to spend time with you." He suggested. "Maybe you should try and give him a chance?"

Gabi couldn't hold back a smile and proceeded to reach over and scratch Vivo's ear, eliciting some content purrs and chitters from the Kinkajou as he leaned into the strokes of affection whilst he remained perched atop her shoulder with his tail gently coil around her neck. He closed his eyes and smiled as he just enjoyed the loving scratches from his performance partner.

"Heheh…thanks, Vivo." She chucked and then yawned, sleepiness finally beginning to sink in.

Gabi lay back down on the mattress and practically fell asleep the instant her head hit the pillow. It was difficult to fathom that such an energetic and optimistic girl such as her would be the type of person to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Her eyes closed and her mouth hung open as she snored loudly, her snores sounding somewhat like the revving engine of a Ferrari.

Vivo shook his head and chuckled to himself, amused, and he proceeded to grab and then tuck the blankets securely around the now-slumbering Gabi.

The Kinkajou glanced over to look at the bedside clock which now read 12:00.

Midnight.

Vivo hopped off the bed and climbed back into his suitcase, sliding beneath the blanket once more, and trying to drift off to sleep much like Gabi had. He lay on his back and closed his eyes and breathed deeply…but sleep just wouldn't come, despite the exhaustion that the orange and purple mammal felt.

It was as if sleep was determined to pass over him.

Hours passed by like seconds but he just wouldn't fall asleep, no matter how much he wanted to.

It was annoying!

He eventually gave up on getting any sleep tonight and reopened his eyes to look at the clock again.

3:30.

Vivo gave a rigid mix of a yawn and a groan as he, for the final time for that night, climbed out of the suitcase bed. He tossed his blanket aside yet again and crawled over the edge, plopping down and lumbering across the floor with slow and slow-moving yet creaky muscles. He dragged himself across the carpet with the tip of his tail flickering back and forth on occasion.

The sleep-deprived Kinkajou made his way slowly towards the door, which was ajar, and made his exit through said door.

The house was very quiet and peaceful. Despite it being nighttime/early morning, there wasn't a single sound except for the quiet steps of a certain Kinkajou; the ambiance was soft and soothing and there was no tension whatsoever stifling the air of the house.

Vivo loved this peaceful silence.

It allowed for musical inspiration to spark to life within his mind.

The mere thought of basking in this quiet made him smile softly and feel a great deal of calm.

But that was when he stopped by the mirror once again and found himself staring directly at his reflection. He felt that very same heartache he felt earlier today hit him with the force of a crashing ocean wave and he started to wonder what it felt like to fall in love? What it felt like to stare at someone as if they were the most beautiful thing on the planet, to hold them in their arms and croon to them how much they loved them…?

"Gah! What's wrong with me…!?" He muttered frustratedly with himself.

Vivo clutched at his head dizzily as he continued to make his way through the house with a saddened look on his face. It wasn't before long until he sat in front of the picture frame of Andrés which was nestled right next to a picture frame of Carlos and sat in front of the mirror once more with a longing expression written plainly across his facial features.

That gnawing at his heart was stronger than ever now and it inspired a song from within —he started to sing softly yet quietly as to not awaken Gabi or anybody else but never kept his gaze off of his mirrored reflection. He moved closer to the mirror, watching as his reflection grew bigger the closer he got, and he sat at the very flat surface of said mirror.

"You and I were one of a kind.

Though we were on our own, we took it on the chin.

It was a fact that I always took in my stride,

but loneliness creeps in…"

The singing Kinkajou sat beside his "other self" and the two stared at one another with eyes full of emotional turmoil and self-pity. The male orange mammal hung his head and closed his eyes as he opened his mouth and just exhaled from the deepest depths of his lungs and kept singing softly and quietly with a solemn yet hollow rasp of a voice.

"I take a breath and close my eyes,

as I push those thoughts aside.

My heart is open wider than wide

but I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize."

Vivo reopened his eyes but only halfway so they were lidded, still staring at his reflection…but then his facial muscles pulled into a harsh glare and his eyes narrowed as an unexplainable frustration built up deep within his soul. He didn't know why he felt so lost right now of all times. He what a happy family with Gabi, Rosa and even Esteban and he lived happily in Florida! Even Marta came by on occasion to spend time with both Gabi and Vivo so he had a cherished friend in her.

He had been just fine for the passed two years, what changed? Why did he feel this strange yearning now of all times?

His mind started to shift from his internal dilemma to the trip he and his family were about to take.

He angrily moved away from the mirror and hopped off the desktop and made his way back towards the sitting room which was darkened due to the fact that the lights had been switched off. Nevertheless, the Kinkajou knew his way around and knew how to navigate his way through the darkness of the room.

As he stalked across the room, he kept singing.

"Tomorrow we leave for parts unknown,

It is time for the world to see me shine.

The music is deeply ingrained in my bones,

so perhaps my lucky stars will align."

The male Kinkajou kept scampering across the floor, making his way through the sitting room —heading to the window.

"Las Vegas…."

Vivo's expression shifted from frustrated and angry to determined.

"A new place, with new faces,

must cover my bases with emplaces."

Then he stopped dead in his tracks with his tail falling limp and his determination vanishing in an instant with his eyes wide and full of doubt. His heart felt heavy and like it was about to fall out of his chest and through the floor underneath his hands and feet.

"….But then why does my heart feel hollow and almost empty?"

Vivo sat down on the floor and looked down at his own fuzzy chest, holding the area where his heart was. He could feel his own heart throbbing and bumping the palm of his hand rhythmically as it pounded hard in his chest. Those feelings of loneliness began to seep back into his mind once more and his eyes started to widen in their sockets as if in some sort of stark realisation that had enough force that could forever change his life.

He didn't know any Kinkajous that could play music, actually, he didn't know any other Kinkajous period.

But wouldn't it be nice if he did?

"….Maybe I could meet someone like me?" He whispered.

Vivo looked back up and towards the window and saw how it was still dark outside, but there was remnants of the morning beginning to light up the skies; the sky was a dark blue/black hue but light pink clouds were starting to fade into the background to signify that morning was well and truly on its way. It was hard to explain but seeing those beginning of morning colours filled Vivo's heart with hope that maybe, just maybe, something could happen to soothe his woes.

His eyes lit up and he continued to sing, his words transitioning into a rap.

"Someone who I can share my world with,

someone to understand me.

I need someone to hold and someone to befriend,

depend, defend, interdepend!

To find someone to agree!"

Vivo's thoughts of maybe finding the yin to his yang, his other half that was undoubtedly out there and waiting for him; Andrés had met his other half in Marta and so had Rosa…twice…so maybe if they had found their true loves then maybe so can he!

"Someone I can share my songs with,

Someone to share my heart with,

Someone to share my memories with,

Someone to share my life with."

Vivo slapped his own forehead, his train of thought coming to an abrupt halt.

This was not the time to be daydreaming about this sort of thing! He needed to focus on that upcoming concert to Las Vegas! He couldn't afford to let his mind wander like this when he had to focus on his showman ship and Gabi, he needed her and she needed him.

No romantic delusions was allowed to intrude his thoughts right now.

"STOP!"

With that one shout, all thoughts of love and loneliness had retreated into the dark chasm that they had originated from. Vivo got off of from his seat on the floor, standing back up on all fours, and resumed his trek towards the window with a rekindled fire of determination blazing out of control in his honey-brown eyes. His mouth formed into a tight-lipped frown that was heavier than a huge sack of rocks and his little pink nose wrinkled at the bridge.

His song and fully divulged into rapping at this point.

"I need to focus,

no hocus pocus.

In the forefront of my mind must be

that concert,

must stay alert,

must assert,

matters inert!"

The pyjama-clad Kinkajou clapped both hands against his face, again reverting his attention towards his goals instead of his imaginary aims.

He stood straight on both feet, planting them firmly on the carpeted floor, and made the quickest strides he ever made until he finally reached the window. He reached up and hefted himself on to the windowsill, planting himself on it, and kept watching as the sun started to make a slow ascend into the sky and light up the darkness in the process with his face lighting up just as much as his gaze was fixed on the rising sun.

"C'mon Vivo! Pull it together!

With Gabi by my side,

we can ride out the weather.

I'm gonna be expected to perform for a crowd

and I'm gonna sing both loud an' proud!"

Vivo placed his palms right up against the surface of the window, his eyes growing wider and wider and more excited as the sun started to rise high into the sky and the backdrop started to shift from a dark navy blue to a peach/pink/orange colouration and the clouds were becoming more and more visible as the time went on.

He started to envision it:

The lights, the stage, the energetic and gratifying atmosphere, the roaring crowd, the cheers and the music.

The thought of both Gabi and himself performing in such a huge crowd made his heart pound with anticipation and excitement. Yes, he felt nervous, but he also felt his spine crawl in a grand tremor. His tear ducts start to tighten at the mere thought of both his partner and himself strutting their stuff out on the biggest stage they had ever performed upon.

He exhaled as he softened his voice into a lower volume and finished his song.

"Soon we leave for parts unknown,

It is time for the world to see me shine.

The music is deeply ingrained in my bones,

so perhaps my lucky stars will align..."

The Kinkajou closed his eyes and exhaled through his nostrils in contentment. He glanced back at the clock and it read 5:00 in the morning. It wouldn't be long now until everyone woke up and officially started to get ready to go Las Vegas; they were going to drive in the car and drive to the airport but not before getting a quick few vaccinations so he could safely head over there and get ready for travelling via airplane.

It would take 4 hours to fly from Florida to Las Vegas, apparently, so it wouldn't be too long before they reached their destination.

"…What a beautiful day to travel."

Vivo didn't know it but this trip would change his life in more ways than one.

A/N: Hi, guys. Here's a new chapter for you. Sorry this took awhile, writing the songs and raps are a bit difficult but I enjoy it. I write the songs and raps because I thought that it would be more "Vivo-ish" if I did it that way. Okay so the trip is going to start in the next chapter!

You guys are awesome and I sincerely hope you lot are enjoying reading this so far and please stay tuned for the next chapter!

-Chloemcg