A/N: Hey, people! We're going for something a little different this time around. I wanted to hang up the romance for this story and focus more on the friendship aspect. I felt I have been alienating a population of the Tori/Jade fanbase so no slash here but I hope the rest of you like it anyway! So, leave your reviews and tell me what you think.

Tori Vega, the princess of American pop, who just turned 28 two weeks ago, adjusts her lapel mike. She always felt nervous right before an interview or even as a guest on a talk show. Her best times were with Jimmy Fallon and Craig Ferguson, even if she didn't understand him half the time. This particular interview made her especially apprehensive because it was the first since…the incident.

Walter Gator, Tori's manager, advised her to do some damage control quickly before the blogosphere explodes. Then it would be televised news and finally the printed rags. Her reputation was on the line and she knew it. Tori wiped sweat from her brow and dried her hand on her jeans. She never hyperventilated before but she would kill for a brown paper bag right about now.

"Miss Vega?" an average height 24-year-old wearing a headset pokes his head into the greenroom.

She whips her head around in that flirtatious manner Gator taught her. "Yes?"

"You're on in six minutes from now. Wrapping up last segment and then commercial break and we come back to you."

"Gotcha!" Tori gives the thumbs up, dopey smile and click of the tongue. She wouldn't do all three like that simultaneously unless she was really trying to cover up her own insecurities. She turned back to her mirror. The hair and makeup personnel all did great, as usual. Tori sighs, staring down the frightened girl who was looking right back at her.

Tori gets up to step out toward where the interviewees enter the main stage. She grabs a water bottle from the craft service table on the way up. She could just imagine her throat drying up and not being able to speak. By the time the final commercial began, Tori downed the entire liter of water. She found her chair and mark in a nick of time. What a professional.

"We're back," the bubbly blonde woman not that much older than Tori said through a smile. "And with me is multi-Platinum recording artist Tori Vega. Hi Tori," extending her hand. "So nice to have you here."

Tori accepts the phony social gesture from the phony lady. "It's great to be here. Love the show; I really watch it for you." Ah, the old stroking of the ego. If you go easy on your interviewer, they will go easy on you.

"Well, Tori; let's cut right to the chase. We need to address the elephant in the room."

So much for going easy on her.

"For those of you that don't know," the host turning to B camera. "Last Friday, a teenage girl named Hailey Lemmings, was formally served and had to appear in court. The charge: twelve counts of illegally downloading music. The stolen goods in question actually make up the entirety of Tori Vega's latest album, Still Shining."

Tori mentally face palmed herself at the title. It sounded so much better on paper.

"When asked for comment, Gambit Records released this officially to the public," the talking head produced a piece of paper from her back pocket which surprised Tori because her outfit didn't look like it had any pockets. She unfolds the paper and reads it as Tori reads the words flashing on the big screen behind her to see what millions of Americans are seeing.

"We at Gambit take great offense to anyone trying to unlawfully obtain and/or distribute music properties that we rightfully own. Furthermore, such people are needed to be made examples of if we are ever going to solve that problem."

She turns to Tori. "So, do you believe that this 14-year-old girl, this child; should pay fines upward of $25,000 and face time in juvenile hall?"

Tori was caught off guard by the question. "Of course not! I would never advocate…"

"Funny thing you should say that," she cuts Tori off. "Because I have an internal memo from Gambit Records. Is this not your signature?"

Tori's stomach dropped but her blood began to boil. How in the fuck did she get that?

"This memo," the hostess continues. "Depicts your agreeing with the full prosecution of copyright infringers."

She couldn't remember that at all. She was signing a lot of litigation as well as autographs over the years.

In the limousine back to the hotel, Tori's mind raced with how that interview spun out of her control. The whole thing was an attack. They already decided their stance and just wanted a sound bite to make me look bad.

Tori pulled out her Pearphone X8 and did something her agent advised her not to do: check the web. It didn't look good.

On YouTube, a video rant about Hailey being angry that her favorite singer of all time would sue her. The comments below were even less encouraging:

"I can't believe Tori!"

"Suing her own fans?"

"Just like Metallica."

"Don't you have enough money?"

"Down With Vega!"

"I never liked her music anyway but I didn't HATE her. This changed that! :-("

"Anybody see her on TV today? She didn't seem sorry about it!"

"Awful."

"Great way to treat a fan!"

"I was going to go out tomorrow and get her album but I'm not anymore."

And those were the nicer ones. Tori just wanted to tell everybody that she had nothing to do with that. In fact, before she saw the news she didn't realize the suit. It was the record company kowtowing to the RIAA. Tori understood it's importance but always hated when it did thuggish things like bringing people to court over a couple of songs.

Tori's contract forbade her to speak out against the actions of her record company. So she just sat there and endured it. And with the incident causing several sponsors of the European leg of her world tour to disband, Tori had little else to do right now than read more online.

After weeks of blogs, message boards, video logs, and e-mails condemning your "actions" and calling you a bad person; it becomes hard to ignore them. Soon Tori starts to believe it and you can't ignore proof like iTunes sales dropping as well as sales from retailers around the country. Couple this with the virtual cancellation for the remainder of her tour; this was a slippery slope n her career.

Only one person has been helpful lately with trying to numb the pain. Her good friend Jack. Tori pulls out a half bottle of the famous whiskey and smiles at it.

"Hey, buddy. Another bad day."