Becky and Tommy came into the Lair, all excited.

"I think we've figured it out." Becky beamed.

"What?" Merton asked, nonplused.

"This singing stuff..." Tommy said patiently.

"Oh, right! Well...?"

"See, Tommy and I have been making-out for the past eight hours, and haven't sung at *all*---"

"You were busy making-out, point?" Lori interrupted.

"Well... the first time, we were singing... during?" Becky flushed, fidgeting slightly.

"Okay, ewwww, *bad* mental pictures there!" Merton exclaimed melodramatically.

"Uh, Merton, point *is* that we sort of... got our ya-yas out?"

"Hey! Could you at *least* watch the language there, Tommy? That *is* my baby sister..."

Becky rolled her eyes.

"Don't be a shmendrick, big brother..." she sighed, laying her head on his arm. "Don't you see? Once your deepest rooted feelings are dug out, I think it's over. You stop singing."

"But, yet, you didn't stop the stuff that seemed to come *with* the singing?"

"We're *mated*, Lori; get over it."

Tommy sighed and stepped between the girls warily.

"L-look... just... maybe Beckers is right, that's all... check on it, Merton?"

Merton nodded and grabbed a book, but, just as he did, the walls started to shake and Vince popped in.

He was stronger now; he'd already had his first two victims...

"VINCE!!!" Tommy, Lori, and Merton screamed.

"Kay... what's with Liborace?"

"Interesting choice of terms, sweet." Vince said, strolling towards her.

Tommy growled feraly and stepped in front of Becky, wolfed and his hair standing on end.

"Oooooooh, and his fangs are just dripping foam..." Vince smirked.

"You did this, didn't you, Vince?" Merton realized.

"Yes, Little Buddy, Vince did *all* of this--- he gave you what you wanted, didn't he? Excitement?" he crowed proudly, lifting his hands up and gesturing around the room. "In fact, the new job they gave Vince is just like what you used to believe, Little Buddy."

Merton eyed him warily.

"What do you mean?"

"People always telling the truth? Buddy used to believe that always, but when people get older they tend to forget it..."

"The truth is a wonderful thing, but... sometimes keeping part of it to yourself or having people to believe something otherwise is necssary?" Lori tried tenatively.

Vince shook his head.

"Well... this... truth-telling--- well, singing, actually--- what does it get you?" Becky wanted to know.

"Once people reach a certain point, Vince gets to feed..." he grinned wickedly.

Becky hopped back behind Tommy, wrapping her arms around his waist, and he put his hands over hers.

"Vince... how many people have you fed on?"

"Two..." he smiled, hopping up on the desk, looking pleased that Merton was showing interest.

"I can't let you go on killing people, Vince... Not that I'd even *want* to, but... see, it'd be my fault, because you originally stemmed from my mind?"

Becky scrunched her brow.

"Omigod! Vince! *Now* I remember! *You're* the one who used to hang my barbie-dolls in a tree?"

Vince clapped his hands happily.

"Little sister remembers!!!"

Becky started muttering in yiddish.

Lori whispered in her ear, "Distract him, 'little sister'; Merton's looking for the spell now."

Becky nodded furtively and eyed him warily, purposely keeping her glance away from Merton so's not to tip him off.

"Um.... is it true you can do tricks like Merton used to tell me about?"

"Yes, yes, Vince can do *many* things; Vince is *much* more accomplished than that hairy jock..."

Tommy growled again.

The next hour, Tommy and Becky were "distracting" Vince while Merton got everything ready. He felt guilty, in a way, because Vince *was* a creation of his imagination, and used to be there when he needed him...

Vince was having the time of his life, showing off and putting on a show for his captive audience...

Finally, Merton said a few words and blew powder on Vince, who disappeared!

"Okay, what happened?"

"It's over; Vince won't be making his own little live musicals anymore..."

Tommy put his arms around Becky and kissed her forehead, and she leant into him. They watched as Lori put an arm around Merton and he laid his head on her shoulder...

Tommy's end narrative: And, as for Vince... well, Merton felt guilty just "destroying" him, so he gave him a new job in a different realm altogether...

Vince is walking around this futuristic-looking city, when he runs into "The Tick"...

"Hi, where is Vince?"

Tick scrunches his brow at him, confused.

"Who's Vince?"

Vince looked aggravated and pounded his own chest with his palms.

"*Vince* is Vince!!!"

"Okay, come on, palie, we'll find your friend Vince..."

Vince had to jog to keep up behind him.

"But, Vince is Vince!!!"


~*Finis*~