Well, everyone ready to go car shopping? ;)

Mike: Yeah! :D

Peter: I am! :)

Micky: Me, too! :D

Davy: Sure, mates!

(We open with the guys, Lauren, Emma, the twins, and Katie in the Pad’s garage. Most of the garage is filled with tools and car parts of every size, shape, and description, though there are shelves of boxes, sports equipment, and other odds and ends. Though there's two motorcycles and another, smaller car in the garage, everyone's attention is on the cherry-red Pontiac GTO with extra back seats. A pair of slender, cowboy-booted legs stick out from under the front. Peter kneels beside them, occasionally handing tools to the hand that sticks out. Emma sits in the front seat with Katie, who is delighted to turn the key whenever a disembodied Texas accent asks her to and "drive" the car. ;) :D)

*Micky tinkers with something in the corner. Davy tries to look at it, but is elbowed away.* ;)

*The twins play with empty boxes, calling them fortresses.*

Mike: (From under the MonkeeMobile) Ok, Pete, hand me the wrench.

Peter: Which one?

Mike: The big one.

(Peter does so. There's the sound of more tinkering from under the car.)

Davy: Come on, Mick, let me see it! :P

Micky: Not yet! I'm not done.

Peter: (Looks over the car at Micky and Davy) What ARE you guys up to?

Micky: You'll find out. ;)

Emma: Micky, you've been working on that all day!

Lauren: *leans on the door next to where Emma and Katie sit* And he worked on it all last night, too. :P

Katie: Me drive! Vroom vroom! :D

(Katie makes car noises, turning her tiny hands around the wheel. :D)

Mike: (From under the car) Almost done!

Emma: Mike, why is this car such a big deal?

Peter: (Eyes widen) Em, this is OUR car!

Mike: Em, this car is special! It's the first thing we all made together that wasn't music or a mess! ;)

Emma: How long have you had it?

Mike: Um, I'm guessin' since 'bout '65 or thereabouts...

Peter: October 1965, to be exact. :)

Micky: October 14, 1965, to be even more exact. Around, oh, two in the afternoon. *Davy smacks the back of his head* :P ;)

Mike: (Finally comes out from under the car; he wears his green overalls from "Monkees Drive Again" and is covered with dirt and grease) How did you guys remember that?

Emma: You can't remember what you had for breakfast this morning. :p

Mike: Sure I can! It was...um...

Emma: We had oatmeal. :p

Mike: Yeah, we did.

Micky: *shrugs* It was a big moment. ;)

Katie: Car! Car fun! Vroom!

Mike: Yeah, when she wants to. ;) :p

Emma: Where did you get a car with double backseats, anyway?

Mike: It's kind of a long story, Em...

Katie: Stowy! Stowy! Tell stowy! :D

Mike: And I guess you're gonna be hearin' it.

Katie: (Claps) Yay!

Lauren: *turns to the twins* Would you two like to hear a story? ;)

*The twins run to Mike and plop themselves on the floor, looking up expectantly.* :D

Lauren: I'll take that as a yes. ;)

Mike: Well, I've told you guys 'bout that ol' Woody we used to have. I bought it, um, well, sixteenth-or-seventeenth-hand from a buddy of mine in Texas, and it never did run all that well. It finally gave up the ghost a few days after Vanessa Russell's sixteenth birthday party...

(Wavy screen fades out on the group in the garage and fades in on the front of the Pad in the early first season, after the pilot but before "Royal Flush." Micky sits in the Woody seen in "Here Comes the Monkees," steering as the other three push it in front of the house.)

Mike: (All four guys wear their original uniforms with the yellow shirts and vests; Mike wears his dark green wool hat and has short hair with thin sideburns) Whew! Thank god we made it.

Peter: That's the third time she gave out on us this week! :p

Micky: *turns around to face the others* Complain, complain, complain! :P

Davy: And the third time Mick's gotten out of pushin'. 'Ow does 'e rate? :P

Mike: (Looks up at Micky) How DID you get outta pushin' this time?

Micky: My back is acting up again, if you have to ask.

Davy: Again. For the third time. :P ;)

Mike: I thought it was your legs that weren't workin'.

Micky: They do feel a little tingly...

Mike: Look, the point is, maybe...(sighs)...maybe it's time we got a new car.

Peter: Mike, can we do that?

Mike: We made a lotta money off that Vanessa Russell gig, enough to pay the rent with some leftover. We could use that leftover and get us a replacement for the Woody, 'cause it's obvious she's dyin' a slow and painful death.

Peter: (Frowns and pats the Woody) Poor thing! :(

Mike: (Opens the hood; Micky joins him) Oh, man... (leans into the hood, followed by Micky)

Micky: "Oh man" is right! She's flooded! (Makes a face) Among other things. :P

Mike: (Pulls back - both he and Micky now have black goop on their faces, as the car squirted them) An' she thinks she's funny. :p

Micky: Gotta love a car with a sense of humor. :P

Peter: Well? How bad is it?

Mike: (Looks around) Real bad, Pete. The inside's a mess, and not just because she decided to display her talent for comedy. :p

Peter: I guess we have to get a new car, then. :(

Mike: Yup. The engine's shot to hell, the gas cap's cracked...

Micky: There's oil leaking all over the place, there's no coolant, and the block has a crack in it the size of the San Andreas Fault. :P ;)

Peter: We're getting a new car. :p

Mike: Anyone know a good place 'round here that sells cars dirt cheap and is reliable?

Micky: Well, there's Ernie's over on Elm.

Peter: We could try that! :)

Mike: Is he trustworthy?

Micky: I wouldn't suggest him if he wasn't.

Davy: Do we really want to take 'is word for it? ;) :P

Micky: C'mere, you little shrimp... *reaches for Davy, but he ducks away*

Mike: (As Peter gets between them) Cool it, you two. Kill each other AFTER we get a new car. :p

*Micky and Davy stick their tongues out at the other.*

Peter: Of course he's trustworthy! (Looks at Micky with his big eyes) He IS, right?

Micky: Hey! :P

Davy: I'm still not so sure. ;)

Mike: Mick, if we get gypped by this guy... (puts out his fist)

Micky: *puts his hands up* No worry! Remember that guy I told you about, Nyles? Ernie's his uncle.

Mike: (Groans) That's not reassurin'. You also said Nyles has been known to smoke anythin' he can get his hands on. :p

Micky: *sighs* Well, that may be true, but Ernie used to be in the Army until he was discharged due to injury.

Mike: All right, then. We'll try Ernie's first, see what we can find. (Looks at his now-greasy uniform) But first, we gotta get cleaned up.

Micky: *glances down at himself* Good idea. :P

(Mike shuts the hood of the woody, and the four boys walk into the Pad, shaking their heads.)

(Cut to the front of a car lot. The boys arrive with the huffing and puffing Woody, running but not well. A large, beaming older man with pale blonde hair and slightly sleepy-looking blue eyes hurry over to the boys from between long rows of used - some more than others - cars.)

Ernie: *slaps Micky on the back* Micky, good to see you again! These must be the other Monkees you told me about. :)

Micky: *straightens* Yeah. *points at each fella as he gives the name* That's Mike, Peter, and Davy.

Ernie: Nice to meet you, boys! What can I do ya for today? :)

Mike: We're lookin' for a car.

Peter: A nice car.

Mike: But not too expensive.

Davy: And one that runs.

Ernie: Runs? Oh, I don't know about that... *laughs at the looks on everyone's face, but Micky's* It's a joke, boys. ;)

Micky: What a kidder! ;)

Mike: (Crosses his arms) They'd BETTER run, pal, or we're takin' our business elsewhere.

Ernie: *turns to Micky* That boy really can't take a joke, can he?

Micky: Nope, but that's Mike for ya. :P ;)

Peter: I'm sure it'll be all right! (Runs to a nice car) Hey, look at this one!

Mike: (Kicks the tires) Kinda small for all of us an' the equipment.

Peter: It's such a nice blue color, like the sky!

Mike: Too small, an' I don't like the price. (Indicates the tag on the windshield)

Ernie: I'm sure we can work out the cost to a nice compromise, boys. I want to sell these cars, not keep them till they rust. ;)

Mike: Got anythin'... (looks and sees the remaining Monkees scattering in three directions, each off to inspect three different cars) Hey! Guys, come back! :p

("Mary Mary" begins as Mike takes off after his three bandmates, leaving Ernie standing in the middle of the car lot, confused.)

(Peter admires a huge van painted with flowers. Mike grabs him and indicates the price. They can afford something big, but not THAT big. He tugs the protesting Peter away.)

*Micky goes over to a red dune buggy and motions that they could put a trailer on it to carry the instruments.* :D

(Mike groans. They can't afford this AND a trailer...and it won't fit all four of them, not to mention it's also fairly expensive already. He and Peter tug Micky away. :p)

*Davy points out a convertible. It's large enough for all four of them and the instruments. He motions that Micky could sit in the trunk so they'd all fit.* ;)

*Micky shakes a fist at Davy.* :P ;)

(Peter chuckles. Mike separates Micky and Davy, then indicates the price again. It's WAY too expensive for their budget, and no one is sitting in the trunk!)

(The three run to a big tan Studebaker. Mike kicks the tires; suddenly the whole car just falls apart before their eyes. Mike makes a face and walks away.)

(Mike next comes up to a set of motorcyles as the others walk on. He sighs and runs his hands over one of the cycles. It's not what they need, much too small for their instruments, but he wants one. He finally shrugs and follows the others. Someday...)

(He follows the others to a bottle-green car as the music ends. He walks around the car...or what's left of it, frowning.)

Peter: Mike, isn't it awesome?

Mike: It's shit. :p

Peter: But we could really fix it up, Mike, and it's one of the cheapest cars in the lot!

Micky: The body really isn't it that bad of shape.

Mike: (Raises his eyebrows) I think I know why they're lettin' it go so cheap. Look at the back.

Peter: Extra seats! :o

Mike: Must be a factory reject or somethin'.

Micky: That's groovy! We can fit some friends in or use it for our instruments. ;)

Mike: (Opens the hood) Engine's intact, barely. Needs a LOT of internal work. (Motions to Micky to join him and check it out)

Peter: (Peers in the car) The seats seem to be ok. They're a little ripped, but nothing we can't fix or cover.

Davy: The dashboard looks okay, too.

Micky: *turns to Mike* I think it's doable, man. Whadaya say?

Mike: I say it's the only car of this size on this lot we're gonna be able to afford.

Peter: So we'll take it?

Mike: (Nods, walking around it again) Might not be so bad. Needs a new paint job. Guy who invented that puke-green color oughta be shot.

Micky: *nods* Repeatedly. ;P

Peter: So, Michael, are we buying it? :D

Mike: (Nods) Yeah.

*Micky whoops.* :D

Davy: Fantastic!

Peter: Wonderful!

Ernie: *rejoins them* Did I just hear a decision being made?

Mike: Yeah. (Indicates the green car) We want this one.

Ernie: *grins* An excellent choice, fellas!

Mike: Needs a lotta work, but we're willin' to give it a go.

Ernie: That's great, boys. I'll draw up the paper work for you. *motions toward his office, a very small trailer at one end of the lot*

Mike: (Raises his eyebrows at the trailer) What's with the trailer, Ernie? Need to make a quick getaway?

Ernie: No, but it was the only thing I could find where I don't get wet when it rains because my desk is sitting in the open lot. ;)

Mike: (Chuckles a little) Ok, let's get goin'. (They follow Ernie to the trailer.)