Ok, now that I'm home and in one piece, everyone ready to do the Interview Tag Sequence?
Mike: Yup. I'm just glad to see this story finally end.
Micky: Me too!
Davy: And me.
Peter: Let's go!
Lauren: *rolls her eyes* You guys... ;-)
(We fade in on the Pad. Lauren lays on the psychiatrist's couch, her feet and head on soft pillows. The guys fuss around her. Peter plays her a song. Micky brings her ice packs. Davy's bringing her comic books.)
Peter: (As he finishes) How was that one, Lauren?
Bob: How are the kids coming, anyway? They ok?
Lauren: *smiles* Wonderful, Peter! *nods* The kids are fine, if a little fidgety.
Peter: (Beams) Thank you, Lauren! I thought it would help you get your mind off your aching body. :)
Davy: (As he enters with the comic books) Just like their da. (Hands her the stack) How's these, Lauren?
Lauren: *grins* Thanks, Dave! These oughtta keep me occupied for an hour. ;-)
Micky: *holds an ice pack like he's gonna throw it* Watch it, Dave, I got a weapon! ;-)
Lauren: You guys are too much.
Davy: (Chuckles) At least it ain't a daggah.
*Micky sticks his tongue out.*
Bob: Speaking of weapons...you guys got into some major action in this one. How did it feel to do the Arena and Attic Challenges?
Peter: Wild, man! That archery contest...I was so nervous!
Micky: *grins* Loved it!
Davy: (Grins) So did I. (Flexes his fingers) Got to show off me fencin' skills.
Bert: Hey, where are the newlyweds?
Davy: (Winks) Busy, Bert, busy.
Peter: Still on their honeymoon.
Micky: *grins wider* Where else?
Lauren: Mick...
Micky: *shrugs* What?
Peter: And after this story, they DESERVE it, both of them!
(There's a flash of blue light, a roar of a motorcycle, and we hear the door open off-camera. Emma and Mike walk back in, both looking happy and a tad dazed. Mike carries the suitcases)
Emma: Hi, guys! How's everything? (Sits by Lauren) How are you feeling, baby? (Puts her hands on Lauren's stomach) How's the little guys?
Lauren: They're great. *smiles* I'm being waited on hand and foot! *grins*
Peter: Hi, guys! How was the honeymoon?
Mike: (Plops down in a chair; Emma drags another chair next to his) It was great, guys. Cape May's a gorgeous town.
Emma: (Smiles) It's even prettier in the summertime.
Micky: You actually SAW the town? *smirks*
Mike: (Grins) Every now and then.
*Micky's smirk widens.*
Emma: Oh, don't worry, guys. We got our...(smiles)...special time in.
Mike: (Rolls his eyes) Some of us have our minds on other places BESIDES our crotches, Mick.
Micky: Really? How do you DO that? *chuckles*
(Everyone laughs. Micky gets a couple of pillows thrown in his direction.)
Micky: WHAT!? ;-)
Davy: Not that you'd know, Mick.
Bert: After everything that's happened, you two are probably just happy to be married at all.
Mike: (Makes a face) Man, you said it, Bert! I didn't think we'd EVER get to the wedding! (Frowns at Emma) Is THIS what you girls have been planning for two months?
Emma: (Sighs) Yes and no.
Lauren: Kinda sorta.
Bob: How did both these stories come about? They're different in tone than the previous stories, particuarly the second one in the Montgomery House.
Emma: Bob, these two stories were the result of the combination of three or four different ideas Lauren and I happened to have around the same time in mid-summer 2004.
Davy: You've 'ad this cooked up since mid-summah?
Lauren: We crammed them together, stirred the pot, and used a little improvisation. This was the result.
Emma: Like Lauren said, Dave, kinda-sorta. It was around mid-summer when we decided that we were really going to do more of these and started brainstorming future plotlines. Lauren came up with the haunted house idea, for instance, and I wanted to have another, longer go-around with Zero, one of the few villains from the original series who could be called formiable. (Grins) And then we started reading the "Davy's Secret" series and liked how they played Micky evil in a few stories, so we decided to do something with that.
*Micky "hmphs" and folds his arms, but a small smirk crosses his face.* ;-)
Emma: Some of the ideas didn't come until later, like playing up the ancestors mentioned briefly at the end of "Origins of the MonkeeMen" and bringing in Mr. Bennett. He's a kind of mentor to the Monkees in Mich and Enola Jones' "Secrets and Lies" series, and I thought he could perform a similar function here.
Lauren: And he did very well, too.
Mike: How 'bout Nyles and Tilly and everyone? How'd they get involved?
Lauren: We needed some comic relief.
Emma: That was one of several ideas I came up with at work. I wanted to do more with some of the one-shot neighbor characters from the original show, and at that point, the story was getting kind of heavy. The idea was inspired by the end of the 1987 movie "The 'Burbs," where Cory Feldman and a bunch of his buddies also end up holding an inadvertant party while helping out Tom Hanks and some of his neighbors. That movie also involved a house of horrors and a group of friends who end up over their heads.
Davy: 'Ow 'bout the challenges?
Micky: *quirks an eyebrows* Suitcases?
Emma: Another last-minute inspiration. I wanted a way to prolong the story - and the suspense - without making it too obvious, like we ended up doing in "Dream World."
Bob: Where did the back story with the ancestors come from?
Emma: (Frowns) I'm not quite sure. I wanted to do something explaining further how these guys got their powers in a way that hadn't been done before.
Lauren: It just came out.
Bert: The flashback. This one was a LOT different than the one in "Origins of the MonkeeMen." How did it feel to do such a dramatic scene?
Mike: I was scared shitless. That WASN'T acting!
Peter: Me too! I guess we just got caught up in the moment.
Mike: (Makes a face at Davy and Micky) Just remind me never to ask you guys to give me a haircut.
Micky: Hey... *makes a face* I dunno, I kinda had fun with that. *grins*
Lauren: Figures. ;-)
Davy: (Jerks a finger at Mike) I may nevah get to scare the shit outta 'im again. ;)
Mike: (Grumbles) Like HELL you won't.
Micky: Possible once in a lifetime opportunity. ;-)
Bert: There was talk a while back of changes to Micky's powers. What changes?
Mike: Ursula...Miss Crystal...said his powers changed when he came in contact with Shelia. He's a bit stronger than the rest of us now in certain things.
Lauren: *grins* We'll be seeing MORE of those powers.
Micky: *makes a face at Lauren* Yeah, there's little quirks, too. My light is darker, and I can still read souls.
Mike: Don't hurt when Micky does it now, though. Just sorta...tickles.
Lauren: It does tickle...oooh...
Emma: (Frowns at Mike) And how would you know that?
Micky: Aw, man... *groans*
Mike: (Shrugs) Let him read mine the morning of the weddin'.
Emma: (Grins) What did you find, Mick? Anything interesting?
Micky: *folds his arms* I'm not telling! It's Mike's soul! You'll have to ask him.
Emma: (Grins and puts her hand around Mike) I think I will, Mick.
Mike: (Grins, blushing) Awww, Em...
*Micky grins.*
Bob: Any changes to the stories again? What's going to be different between this story set and the next ones?
Emma: Lauren and I have discussed this for the past few nights. The major changes between story sets this time are going to be to how the stories are presented, not the stories themselves.
Mike: Yeah, you girls were discussin' somethin' 'bout givin' the sets their own place.
Lauren: Yup. Currently working on the formatting. ;-)
Emma: (Nods) As of this story set, the "Dream World" Monkees role-play series will have moved to its own site. Lauren and my regular, non-"Dream World" Monkees fic are staying on her fanfiction page, but "Dream World" has out-grown it. The new site will have character profiles of all six of us (the four Monkees plus Lauren and me), shorter profiles for ongoing characters, and better, less cluttered formatting and navigation. All of the story sets and the prose fanfiction in the "Dream World" series will be moved there.
Lauren: And some very NICE pictures. ;-)
Emma: (Sighs) I know the PERFECT picture for my White Knight. Laur, I'll send the link later.
Lauren: All right! I'll be looking for it!
Micky: Wait, babe you aren't gonna use THAT picture, are you?
*Lauren nods, grinning.*
(Emma giggles - she knows what picture Mick and Lauren mean.)
Mike: WHAT picture?
Emma: (Grins) I'll show you later, baby.
Micky: *frowns* It makes her turn into a MESS everytime she sees it. :-P
Lauren: Which is often. ;-)
(Emma almost falls off the chair laughing.)
Davy: Must be some pictah!
*Micky blushes.*
Emma: (Between gufaws) Yes, it is, Dave.
Micky: I'll be HIDING if anyone needs me. *tries to get away, but Lauren latches onto his poncho fringe; whines* Babe, lemme go!
(Now everyone's laughing.)
Lauren: Uh uh. I'm stuck here, so YOU'RE stuck here.
Bob: Any other changes?
Emma: We've agreed that the role-play stories were written as role-play stories and are going to remain as such. We've abandoned our plans on editing the stories into full-out fanfics.
Lauren: Besides, reformatting all of these stories would probably just turn out to be a pain, and they're just more fun this way
Emma: Not to mention we've got other stories we want to do in addition to the "Dream World" series. We will, however, continue to write short prose fanfics between the regular main stories - in fact, I have one I've been working on for a while that will debut with the new site.
Lauren: I've had a handful of ideas myself for non-roleplay stories, one of which I did finish last night!
Bob: Simple question. What was your favorite part of this story to do?
Mike: Toss-up between the last Challenge in the attic and gettin' married.
Emma: Same here. (Hugs Mike) I hope that bitch is a bunch of black sparkles in the universe somewhere for what she did to all of us...and our ancestors, too!
Mike: (Mutters) Don't be too sure 'bout that, Em. (Nods at Peter) And Pete, we ALL owe you one. You were the one who finally took Zero out...and using your bass during the Attic Challenges was brilliant, too!
Emma: (Smiles) Peter, this proves once and for all that you are NOT a dummy. You just see things differently than other people.
Peter: (Blushes) Awww, guys...
Micky: You were GREAT, Big Peter! *grins*
Peter: (Big city-lighting grin) When I played the harp in the courtroom, I did it because I love music...and love is the one thing Zero DOESN'T like. He fed on all the jealousy and negative vibes, so I gave him some good vibes.
Micky: Fighting Zero, man, that was groovy!
Lauren: Saving Micky. *grins as Micky blushes*
Emma: (Grins) We got some more ongoing characters out of this story, too, if nothing else. Tilly and her conspiracy theories are hilarious, and the bands and Nyles and Mr. Bennett were HUGE helps.
Bert: You guys HAVE said you wanted to do more with the neighborhood characters.
Emma: Whis was the first real opportunity we had to bring in everyone.
Lauren: Literally, too.
Davy: I 'ave to admit, the sight of Nyles and the Abbies and Ambah and all of them bustin' in the Attic door will remain in my mind for a long time.
Peter: (Gulps) I DIDN'T like almost having my soul taken, though!
Bob: Given the tone of this story, this may be a stupid question, but...what was your scariest part?
Emma: (Quietly; holds Mike hard) When that...(snarls)...BITCH Shelia had Mike in her arms, and I couldn't stop her.
Mike: (Mutters) Ow, watch the shoulder. Still tender...
Emma: (Sighs) Sorry, honey. I get PISSED remembering it!
Micky: *makes a face* Doing what I did to Mike, thanks to that bitch.
Mike: (Nods at Micky) Gettin' stuck in that crystal.
(Emma goes to Mike and puts her arms around him. The two embrace, looking gently into each other's eyes.)
Lauren: Seeing an evil Micky.
Davy: Bein' a blinded, paralyzed tigah cub was NOT fun.
Micky: It wasn't, Dave? ;-)
Davy: No way! I STILL cahn't remembah everythin' that 'appened! I know damn well she were controllin' me when I was like that! She were mad that I wasn't as easily corrupted as me ancestah.
Peter: When Zero was trying to rip out my soul.
Bob: Speaking of Shelia Saunders, where did she come from?
Emma: The next story.
Mike: Huh?
*Lauren chuckles.*
Emma: Let's just say Lauren and I were working out some more of our petty jealousies...or she was, anyway. (Emma winks at Lauren)
*Lauren returns the wink.*
Micky: Oh, man, can't I just leave NOW and come back when you have the twins, babe? *gives Lauren a pleading look*
Lauren: No.
Emma: Nope, we're going to need all hands on deck for the next story set! The warm-up in particular is going to be a doozy, and I'm sure Lauren has some interesting plans for the main story.
Mike: Should we ask what you girls got planned next, or would it scare us too much?
*Lauren nods. Micky's eyes widen.*
Emma: Guys, we've shown you that special, "33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee," right?
Micky: Oh no.
Mike: (eyes widen) I AM NOT WEARING A WHITE APE SUIT!!!!!!
Emma: (Holds up her hands) Whoa, boy! We ain't THAT evil! No white ape suits. I don't want to know WHAT your RL counterparts were involved in to convince them to get into those damn things, anyway.
Lauren: *jerks her thumb at Micky* His probably ASKED for the damn suits.
(That gets a good laugh from everyone.)
Micky: Yet ANOTHER shot at me, babe. I'm gonna have to get revenge on you, you know that. *grins widely*
*Lauren gives him a knowing smirk.*
Davy: (Frowns) Ain't that the special wit' the stacked pianahs and the fantasies and everything?
Emma: (Nods) Yes, that's the one.
Peter: (Frowns) And the (gulps) glass tubes?
Lauren: Yup.
Peter: (Gulps) Oh, man, are we in trouble...
Micky: I'm LEAVING! *Lauren grabs his poncho fringe again* Baaaabe!
Emma: (Grins; to the camera) Most people claim "33 1/3 Revolutions" is the true end of the Monkees phenomenon. We see it as a half-hour special with a kernel of a good idea but too much padding.
Lauren: Way too much padding.
Emma: So, we're going to trim the padding and concentrate on the main storyline and make it relate to the "Dream World" stories.
Lauren: And make it Micky's nightmare.
(Emma giggles.)
*Micky groans, hiding his face in his hands.*
Mike: (Raises his eyebrows) Given everything that's happened, that works.
Davy: (Elbows Micky) Come on, mate, you've 'ad worse nightmares.
Micky: *sighs* That's true. I have had some REAL doosies.
Emma: Call it a challenge of our own. I suggested using "33 1/3" as a storyline a while back on the Long-Title List, but no one really came up with much. We're going to show that you CAN turn a sow's ear into a silk purse...if you have the right KIND of silk.
Lauren: Along with good manipulation skills.
Mike: (Frowns) You girls sure this is a good idea? That special's pretty bizzare.
Emma: We're going to work on what can fit, what can't, and what needs to be added to turn it into a viable story. For instance, as much fun as they are, we may not be able to fit in the stacked pianos. A lot of the 50s segment is going to have to go, too.
Lauren: We'll see what happens when we start working on it.
Peter: What about the main story?
*Lauren grins.*
Emma: Lauren's gonna finally have her kids.
Mike: 'Bout time, too.
Davy: Why does that scah me? ;)
Micky: I don't know whether to jump for joy or faint.
Lauren: You guys are terrible. *grin widens.*
Mike: Wait until after we get through the warm-up, Mick, THEN decide.
*Micky nods, looking rather nervous.*
Lauren: Hey, I won't be evil.
Micky: Only to me.
Lauren: Picky, picky.
Emma: No, the next story set should be the reverse of this one; short action/fantasy drama, long main dramady.
Lauren: I have some plans lined up. :-)
Emma: I'm going to work on the warm-up more. We've also got to start brainstorming for the upcoming stories and more site additions.
Bob: Oh, yes, what else is coming up in your world?
Emma: As of this writing, we have story ideas planned through the February main story.
Mike: You guys were sayin' somethin' 'bout us bein' on TV for Christmas.
Emma: Sort of. I had a little generation-gap drama planned for the December warm-up.
Lauren: It'll be fun, guys!
Emma: We appear on a TV station whose staff just doesn't get us at all. I have nothing overtly evil planned for Christmas. The main story will be an action comedy on the lines of "Origins of the MonkeeMen."
Lauren: We'll hold off on the evilness for a little while. :-)
Mike: Yeah, this story set was enough for at least two or three years!
Micky: No kidding.
Emma: (Winks at Mike) I'm hoping to come up with some...interesting...stuff for January, though, including the return of a major villain.
Mike: (Groans) Oh, man, that ain't reassurin'.
Micky: Isn't there ANY story that involves evilness I could be GONE during? *looks hopeful*
*Lauren roll her eyes.*
Emma: No.
Mike: (Snaps his fingers) Darn!
Micky: Rats!
Peter: (Nods at Emma and Mike) What about you two? Are you ever going to have kids?
Micky: Yeah, man, I wanna stop gettin' picked on.
(Emma and Mike blush.)
Mike: Well...
Emma: SOMEday...
Mike: We'll see.
Emma: Maybe.
Mike: Man, Mick, we just got MARRIED! We ain't as fast as you two bunny rabbits!
*Lauren blushes, then pulls a pillow over her face.*
Micky: *sighs* I have no response to that.
Davy: Think you 'it a nerve, Mike.
Mike: I must have. Micky's speechless for the first time in his entire life.
*Lauren peeks out from under the pillow.*
Emma: Take a picture. That will NEVER happen again.
*Micky junst hmphs, sitting back, folding his arms AGAIN.*
Mike: (Grins) Aw, Mick, you know we all love you, even after all this.
Micky: You guys make me wonder sometimes.
Peter: Yeah, man, it could be worse. Remember what happened to the ancestors! (Shudders)
Micky: You guys have the right to do whatever you thinks necessary if THAT ever happens. *makes a face*
Lauren: But let me have a try at him first. ;-)
Mike: Yeah, man, whatever else happens, even after all this, we're all still friends...and still playin' music together. That's all those guys wanted, to play music again and be with their families.
Davy: My porh ancestah nevah even got to SEE 'is boy. Zero did them all up propah, 'e did.
Bert: The story of Sir Robert's betrayal ended up being surprisingly moving. It almost had Biblical overtones.
Lauren: It did, didn't it? *small smile*
Emma: I hadn't thought of that until later, after we'd done the flashback.
Mike: We just had to remind the guys that, even after five hundred years and everything Shelia and Zero did to them, they were still friends. Rob was scared to death, not that I blame him. I'll bet he had worse things done to him before we showed up and saved their souls.
Peter: My ancestor was angry that Robert couldn't save him, like he always had. He needed to understand that Robert COULDN'T save him, and that he'd done a good thing by trying to help...even if it cost him his soul.
Davy: (Nods at Micky) And ours just got bloody tricked.
Micky: *nods* That's for sure.
Emma: The women suffered, too. They felt their lovers' pain and missed them terribly...and their children were without fathers.
Mike: You know, I wonder if we can ALL do that. FEEL each other.
Lauren: Right.
Mike: Em, when Shelia read your soul, I felt this burnin' in my heart...the same I felt when Micky read mine earlier.
Emma: (nods) And I felt a funny burning in my heart the day before. I thought it was just heartburn, so I didn't mention it.
Lauren: Glad I wasn't the only one to think it was just heartburn.
Emma: (Frowns) You too, Laur?
Lauren: *nods* I didn't think anything of it, though. I didn't know there was anything wrong yet at that point.
Emma: I didn't, either.
Peter: I can...feel emotions, too, and Micky can read souls.
Emma: Peter, I think it's just your sensitivity.
Micky: COuld we NOT promote the soul reading? *makes a small face*
Bob: How about the first story? How did you all feel about working with young children?
Mike: That was cute.
*Micky grins.* ;-)
Emma: That was a total BLAST! Micky, why do you say your sisters are monsters? I had a great time with them!
Lauren: Good practice, that's for sure!
Micky: *sighs* Because they are monsters to ME! They pick on me worse than you guys do!
Davy: And considerin' 'ow bad WE are, that's pretty bad.
Micky: See?
Peter: (Winks) Suzy Parker had a crush on Mike.
(Mike blushes again.)
Emma: This is something else I didn't think of until later, but there's some interesting paralells between Suzy Parker's puppy-love crush on Mike and Shelia's feelings about him later.
Mike: (Mutters) You gotta bring that up, Em? She was tryin' to use me like some wind-up doll!
Emma: (Takes his hand gently and looks him in the eyes) Honey, I broke you out of that, didn't I?
Mike: Yeah, but...
Emma: Mike, listen to me. I will NEVER let that woman use you or anyone that way again. EVER. (Mutters) I should have hit her in a more prized spot when I had my hockey stick.
Bert: That was something else - the girls have stronger imagination powers.
Emma: (Shrugs) Compensation for not being able to fly or be strong, I guess. (Nods at the boys) Helps us keep THEM out of trouble.
Lauren: We need any help we can get in that department. ;-)
(Emma chuckles)
Micky: I resemble that remark!
Lauren: You sure do, Mick! *winks*
(Now everyone's laughing again.)
Micky: What!?
Mike: (Grins) It feels good to be able to laugh with you guys again, and not five hundred years after the fact.
Micky: Yeah, it even feels good to get ribbed BIG TIME.
Peter: I wonder if our ancestors ever found their soulmates again?
Emma: (Grins at Mike) Oh, I think they did, Pete.
Mike: Yeah, ol' buddy, I'd say they're all VERY happy right now.
Micky: *exchanges glances with Lauren* We think so, too.
Emma: (Nods at the group) Before we go, we'd like to wish you all out there in Internet Land a very safe and happy Halloween from all of us at the "Dream World" series.
Mike: Yeah, kids, trick-or-treatin' is fun, but follow all the standard saftey practices, stay with your folks or someone older, and don't go into any house of someone you don't know well.
Lauren: And be careful what you decide to be for Halloween! You might just BECOME it! *grins*
(Everyone chuckles again.)
Micky: *whines* Baaaabe!
Peter: (Gets up) Need anymore help, Lauren? Want another song?
Lauren: Thank you, Peter, but no, I'll be fine. I actually wouldn't mind spending some time alone with a certain someone. *grins at Micky* :-)
Micky: *looks around* Who? *winks*
Davy: (Winks) The one who 'elped 'er make the kids in the first place, I'll bet.
Mike: (Takes Emma's hand) Yeah, we've got to get settled in, too.
Emma: (Grins) REALLY settled.
Lauren: I'd smack him in the back of the head if I could REACH him from here! *grins*
*Micky grins.*
Mike: (Pulls Emma up) Come on, darlin'. Let the kiddies have their fun. Mama Bear and Papa Wolf gotta (nibbles the back of her neck lightly) let their animal instincts run wild. ;) :x
Emma: (Giggles) Oooohhhhh...
*Micky howls, grinning wider.* ;-)
Emma: (Rolls her eyes at Micky) I think we'll procreate in PRIVACY, thank you, honey. (Mike pulls her playfully downstairs to the basement room.)
Micky: Was it something I said?
Peter: No, something you howled.
Davy: It's nice to know they HAVE animal instincts.
Lauren: Only took long enough. ;-)
Peter: (Turns to Davy) How about you and me go get the Mother some ice cream instead?
Davy: Yeah, Laur, wot's the cravin' of the day?
Lauren: Lemme think. How about fudge ripple? Haven't had that one in a while. ;-)
Davy: Think we can do that, luv.
Peter: Have a nice time, guys!
(Davy and Peter head out.)
Lauren: Thought they'd never leave.
Micky: (Goes to Lauren and takes her hand) Babe, you sure you're all right? I know you're scared about these kids...I am, too. I know you're hurtin', 'cause I can feel it, too...
Lauren: Yeah, about as all right as I can be. *small smile* And it won't be MUCH longer. Hopefully.
Micky: Yeah, babe. Just a few more weeks. (Smiles) You're gonna be a great mom, babe.
Lauren: *smiles wider* And you're gonna be a great dad... even with your slightly evil tendencies... in more ways than one. *winks* ;-)
Micky: (Laughs) Thanks, babe. You know, I'm glad I got to come back to you. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't broken me out what that...(makes a face) devil woman did. I don't think I could have stood not seeing you or the kids for five hundred years.
Lauren: *shakes her head* I don't know what I would've done without you. Five hundred years is way too long a time.
Micky: (Grins) So let's make the best of the time we have. After all, it's only a few weeks. (Leans over and kisses her gently, making sure not to push on her stomach too hard. Eight lights dance happily in the window, unnoticed by Micky and Lauren, before floating away altogether and the camera fades out.)
(We cut to "Salesman" playing over stills from both productions, ending with the guys' head shots and "A Raybert Production.")