Ok, let's finish off this story. Everyone ready to wrap this up?

Mike: Yeah.

Peter: (Nods) I'm ready!

Lauren: Me, too!

Micky: You bet!

Davy: And me.

(We begin in Lauren, Micky, Davy, and Daphne's room at the Plaza Hotel. Mike, Micky, Emma, Davy, Lauren, and Peter sit around the room, talking.)

Bert: Hey, gang. How's it feel to be superspies? ;)

Mike: We ain't spies. Just musicians who keep gettin' caught up in weird shit. :p

Peter: It was really freaky! I don't know how Sean Connery and George Lazemby do it!

Micky: I could get used to it easily. ;)

Bob: Peter, how does it feel to be a hero?

(Peter blushes deeply.)

Peter: Lauren and Micky are bigger heroes than me! They, Emma, and Kimberly saved me, and Micky and Lauren started the pie fight that stopped Darwin from escaping!

Micky: It was nothing. ;)

Mike: Yeah, Pete, but YOU were the one whose fancy shootin’ stopped the laser and got Darwin on the floor long enough for Em and me to toss the net on him.

Peter: (Shrugs) I don't know where the shooting came from. I guess it's...ingrained.

Bob: Peter, how does it feel to be expecting? ;)

Peter: Well, I'm not the one doing the expecting, but Valerie and I are both really excited about the new child coming. Valerie's in town, talking with a bunch of people about the big project she's been working on. (Frowns) I wonder what that is, anyway? She's been going to these secret meetings in LA and Hollywood for months! :p

Mike: Probably some new business venture Val wants to capitalize.

Peter: She won't tell ME about it, though!

Lauren: Maybe she just wants it to be a surprise. :)

Davy:(Grins) Incidentally, Daphne went out shoppin' wit' the othah Abbies. ;)

Bert: So, how long have you had these two stories cooking?

Emma: The idea for the spy story dates back to last fall, when we were coming up with ideas for future story sets. Considering how big spies and anything espionage-related were in the 50s and 60s, there really weren't all that many spy-related episodes on the original "Monkees" show, and I wanted to do something with the Cold War and the political climate of the time.

Mike: If you’ve had the idea for that long, how come it’s only turnin’ up now?

Emma: It was simply backlogged. We had so many ideas percolating in the late fall and early winter, a lot of them kept getting pushed back.

Lauren: There were others we really wanted to get to quickly. ;)

Emma: (Nods) Right.

Bob: Where did you come up with Darwin?

Emma: (Holds up a slim, paperback book) From a book released during the height of the original 1966-68 Monkeemania, "Monkees Go Mod." (Makes a face) I don't recommend seeking it out unless you're a die-hard Monkees fan like Lauren and I are. Most of it is VERY much of its time and makes no sense whatsoever. However, it did give us two good ideas for stories; a trip to the zoo, and a villain named Darwin who is a master of disguise.

Davy: (Makes a face) We now know it were Eric Kendred who kept Micky and Lauren from crossin' the street and, along wit' 'is showgirls, followed us around the day aftah Petah bought the statue.

Emma: Darwin was probably the janitor who bumped Micky the morning after the Abbies’ debut at the Atlantica Club, too.

Mike: Yeah. Accordin’ to the CIS, Kendred was an actor and frustrated playwright before he turned to criticisim and learned how to make himself look like anythin'...and how to hide and blend into his surroundin's.

Micky: Oh man! I saw him when Pete was buying the statue! He was in that stupid trash can! :P

Mike: What?

Peter: He was in a trash can?

Emma: Bet he smelled nice. ;)

Micky: *shrugs* We just said he knows how to blend in with his surroundings. That was just how he was able to spy on us. He stole the rest of my milkshake, too! :P ;)

Peter: (Eyes widen) So THAT'S how he knew I bought the statue! He saw me do it! :o

Mike: He was probably waitin' for a subordinate to buy it, or maybe even intended to do it himself once he ditched the disguise. :p

Emma: And Peter bought it before he or someone from his organization could! (To the camera) While we're discussing the first part, there really IS an Eddie's Ice Cream Shoppe in New York, but it's in Queens, not Manhattan. Other than that, it looked almost exactly like I described it when I visited it with a couple of friends during a real-life New York trip in June 2001.

Lauren: And I was imagining Louie's Sweet Shop from the Bowery Boys movies for that scene. ;)

Mike: Speakin' of Kendred's subordinates, what DID happen to Lexi? She completely vanished. Dexi freaked out.

Davy: (Grins widely) The Abbies tortured 'er. ;)

Peter: They didn't hurt her, did they? :(

Davy: Not anythin' she won't eventually grow out or wash off. ;)

Emma: Lexi, Dexi, and Kitty Marmalade were inspired by the "Bond girls" in the real James Bond spy films. The jewel plot partially comes from one of the stranger Bond films, 1971's "Diamonds Are Forever."

Bert: Where did you get a name like "Kitty Marmalade?"

Micky: Good question. ;)

Emma: It's no worse than "Pussy Galore" or "Honey" or "Plenty O'Toole." James Bond creator Ian Fleming seemed to like women with unusual and obvious names. Even the main female character of his only children's book was Truly Scrumptious! ;)(Thoughtful) Now that I think of it, "Monkees Go Mod" isn't the only place the guys go up against an evil "Darwin." That’s also the name of the villian, more-or-less, of the original "33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee" special.

Bert: Where did the nightclub settings for this story come from?

Emma: Kendred/Darwin’s hide-out was a mansion in my original outline, but why on earth would a critic, even a prestigious one, live in some huge, opulent palace? I thought a nightclub made more sense...and I liked the name "The Blue Olive," which is the name of a real-life club in Wildwood. ;)

Lauren: That is a good name. ;)

Peter: Here's a good question. Why make Kendred a critic?

Mike: I know. I've heard Em rantin' 'bout the answer to that one. :p

Emma: I have...problems with many of the Broadway critics. They often thumb their noses at anything that doesn't relate to their perception of the Broadway musical, even...or especially...if the public embraces it. (Makes a face) Many of them are also resentful of rock and other recent styles of music and those who sing it. They believe many forms of modern music have no place in musicals or on the stage. X(

Mike: Em says a lot of Broadway and theater critics think rock and changin' times killed the musical. :p

Peter: (Sighs) Just like so many other people blame radical changes on rock.

Emma: Lauren also knows how many theater (and even some film) critics feel about things they don't understand or that they feel don't belong onstage or in movies. :p

Lauren: Yeah, unfortunately. They automatically stamp a grade of "F" on anything that they have trouble understanding and won't even attempt to try to understand. I've never liked critics of ANY type. All they're stating is THEIR opinion. I like to form my OWN opinions based on an unbiased summary, thank you.

Emma: I get the feeling that a lot of the theater critics are so caught up in their hoi-polli New York sophisticate lifestyle, they forget that not everyone is a fancy Manhattanite taking in the newest show with their buddies...and that theater prices have gone up with everything else. :p

Mike: Mick and I have heard the results of these discussions...and I've had several books on musicals thrown in my direction when some critic or the other pisses Em off. :p

Micky: No kidding. :P

Emma: I related this to the growing generation gap of the 1960s and early 70s. The situation on the Great White Way isn't nearly as dire in the early 21st century as it was in the 1960s and 70s, but there was a time when mounting prices, changing times and tastes, and degrading neighborhoods kept people out of Times Square.

Peter: Eric Kendred had the same problem as Jane Turner, Mendrek the Magician, and the circus people. He didn't understand all of the sudden changes in society and how rock seemed to suddenly supplant the older forms of music he loved...and his desire to revert to a quieter time and to punish those he saw as responsible for the changes he deemed unacceptable finally drove him off the deep end.

Bob: How about the bakery story? What was the genesis of that one?

Emma: That story and most of the recent and upcoming warm-ups were the result of the winter and early spring brainstorming chats that also produced the details for the New York/spy tale.

Mike: It was a nice idea to link the bakery story to Lauren's birthday. Gave that piece of fluff a point. :p

Lauren: *shrugs* The timing was perfect. :)

Emma: Those of you who are fans of the warm-ups will be happier with next month's short story. (Grins) Three of our boys are going on a road trip. ;)

Mike: As long as I don't get killed and no one tries to invade my brain, I'm all for it. ;)

Micky: Ditto that! ;) :D

Emma: I was inspired by a picture of three Monkees in Las Vegas...and I thought it was time we did a story with only three main characters, since we've had as many as ten involved in the last few stories.

Lauren: It's also intended to make up for the main story. ;)

Davy: Oh no. That don't sound good. :p

Micky: *groans* Oh, great. If Lauren says it, I'm in trouble! :P

Lauren: *grins* Mick's got it. ;) >:)

Peter: (Whimpers) Nothing's going to happen to me or Valerie while she's pregnant, will it? :(

Emma: (Grins) Not yet, Pete. The next main story is completely on Lauren. It was her idea. ;)

Mike: (Grins and nudges Micky) Have fun, ol' buddy. Nice knowin' ya. ;)

Lauren: *grin widens* I'm gonna have some *ahem* fun with the next one. ;)

Micky: *sighs* Why me? :P

Emma: We both get to have fun in August, as we'll be doing another warm-up with the Dolenz twins as main characters...and some more time traveling. ;) :D

Lauren: I can't wait to do the time traveling. ;)

Emma: That was another brilliant Lauren idea, and it's gonna be a blast. In fact, our story ideas are pretty much set for the rest of the year except for the December warm-up as of this writing. ;)

*Lauren grins widely.* :D

Bert: Anything coming up at the site?

Emma: I'm going to continue revising and editing the earlier stories, and the profiles will be going up sometime soon.

Mike: Em, don't you have more prose stories comin', too?

Emma: (Rolls her eyes) I'll get to them...one of these days. :p

Micky: Kinda like Lauren and the profiles. ;) :P

*Lauren sticks her tongue out at him.* :P

Emma: They'll be less coming from my quarter in particular, as I live in a summer resort area and this is my busy season. :p

Lauren: And, amazingly, I actually have several things going on coming up, beginning with this weekend, so it'll be a little while here, too.

Emma: I have a lot going on next week myself.

Peter: I'm sure our readers will be happy to read your stories whenever they can. :)

Mike: (Grins and puts a hand on Peter's shoulder) Pete, I'm sure glad you decided to stay with us. We woulda missed you, buddy.

Peter: I would have missed you guys, too. New York will always be my first home (beams at Mike), but you guys are my family. (Sighs) Anyway, I don't want to relocate Valerie. California's her home, and we want to raise our children there, near her father and sister.

Davy: Pete, did you really play folk music wit' Mama Cass and Stephan Stills and all them?

Peter: (Beams and nods) Sure did! Stephan Stills is a real-life 60s and 70s musician. Our readers probably know him better as part of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. He was the real Peter Tork's friend in the 60s and 70s, and they really did meet each other in New York's Grenwich Village.

Emma: (Nods) I thought we'd do more with the real-life people who were a part of the Monkees phenomenon, starting with this story.

Mike: I just hope we can have half the fame he does someday.

Emma: (Winks) Oh, I'm sure you guys will have your fifteen minutes soon enough. ;)

Lauren: I'm sure, too. ;)

Bert: What was your favorite part of either of the stories?

Emma: The look on Lauren's face when we brought out that cake. ;) :)

Lauren: Eating that cake! ;)

Peter: Being in Grenwich Village again and playing with Stephan Stills. :)

Micky: It's a toss up. Either playing with the gadgets or the pie fight. ;)

Davy: Walkin' all ovah Manhattan wit' the guys and the girls and the Abbies. :)

Mike: Flyin' the plane to New York. (Grins) I'm gonna be flyin' us back to California tomorrow, too. Hope you're all ready for another glorious flight. ;)

Micky: *eyes widen* Please, someone knock me out first! :P

Lauren: Careful what you wish for, Mick. ;)

Mike: (Reaches for Micky and pretends to hit him over the head) That can be arranged, Mick. ;)

Micky: Ahhhh! :P ;)

Emma: I was looking for another excuse to get him in the air.

Mike: I miss flyin'. I ain't been in the air since the whole deal in the toy store with Barnaby. :p

Emma: (Sighs and looks at her watch) We're gonna be late for the show. Peter, why don't you finish?

Peter: Sure! (To the camera) Thanks for reading, and we at Dream World hope you all have wonderful summer holidays...and be careful when you buy souveniers. ;) :)

Mike: Thanks, Pete. (Stands) Everyone ready to see a real Broadway musical?

Emma: Lauren Bacall is supposed to be excellent in "Applause!" :D

Peter: (Stands) I'm ready, and Val said she'd meet us at the theater.

Micky: I'm ready! ;) :D

Davy: Daph and the girls are gonna meet us in the lobby. We really owe those girls one. They were bloomin' 'eroines, all four of them. ;) :D

Lauen: *nods* I'm ready, too! :)

Mike: Ok, everyone, move 'em out! (As the kids leave, we once again hear the last few bars of the James Bond theme.)

(Cut to "Can You Dig It?" over the end credits. We see stills from both "productions" and the final still of the entire crew, including the twins and Katie Nesmith, under "A Raybert Production.")