Everyone ready for a briefing with Desmond?

Valerie: Yes.

Lauren: Yeah.

Daphne: Me, too.

(We open with a stock shot of Rosemarie speeding down the highway to the high school from "A Wolf in Monkee's Clothing." Cut to the four women walking down the brightly-lit halls.)

Emma: Honeywell asked us to meet him here...and he isn't here.

Lauren: Not much of a surprise.

(Honeywell comes rushing over. The women all glare at him.)

Inspector Honeywell: Sorry I'm late, ladies. I ran into some truly awful traffic in LA.

Valerie: We need to tell you what we've found out at Blossom Lilyfair's home.

Inspector Honeywell: Tell me inside. Desmond and his new apprentice will keep secrets.

Daphne: New apprentice?

Inspector Honeywell: Desmond is passing on his teaching to one of our finest graduates. A real smart cookie. You'll meet her when we get in....(there's an explosion that rocks the school building, along with a volley of curses in what sound like a female voice and a male one)...there.

Emma: Good grief!

Lauren: *groans* I feel like I'm at home.

Valerie: Did you say "her?"

Inspector Honeywell: Let's just show you. She'll explain herself. (He pushes open what remains of the door to the labs. When the smoke clears, we can see that the labs aren't a whole lot different from what they looked like in "A Wolf in Monkee's Clothing"...only there's a small, plump, frizzy-haired female body in the room with the older male one.)

Woman: Des, I TOLD you not to put so much of that compound in there! (She opens a window and coughs) Damn it! That's the second time today that one blew!

Inspector Honeywell: Um, hello, Desmond. Things going well?

Desmond: (Groans) Not at all, boy. We're working on developing a new kind of concentrated gunpowder, but it keeps blowing up too soon.

Inspector Honeywell: Desmond, you may remember these ladies. We're briefing them on their newest mission.

Woman: The Blossom Lilyfair case?

Desmond: (Nods) I heard about that.

Valerie: (Pulls a jar of cream out of her purse) We brought a sample of the new Fountain of Youth Skin Cream she plans to market. I thought you might make something of it.

Desmond: (Takes the cream jar) Thank you, Miss.

Inspector Honeywell: Why don't you take the ladies around, and...

Desmond: (Shakes his head and pokes at the jar's contents) My boy, I wouldn't do such a thing! My new assistant is more than competent enough to show the women what they'll be using in the field. I want to inspect this remarkable object.

Woman: (Grins) Just don't blow it up, Des.

Desmond: (Rolls his eyes) I'll be careful, Maura. (He walks off; she turns to them)

Lila: Hello, ladies. I'm Dr. Maura Pennyton, and it looks like I'm going to show you what you'll be using...hey! (Grabs a pen from Honeywell) Sir, I must ask you not to play with that. It's a highly developed laser beam. Can cut any glass or metal up to 50 inches thick.

Inspector Honeywell: Dr. Pennyton, I know what I'm doing.

Maura: If you say so. (She turns to the ladies) Follow me. (Smiles and shows them a table that’s full of what looks like make-up) Here's what you'll be using.

Emma: (Picks up a compact) Could this kill me if I try to use it to powder my nose?

Maura: (Grins) No, it'll just make you drowsy and dopey for a while.

Valerie: (Unscrews a lipstick top...and the "lipstick" shoots out and hits the wall) Um, that wasn't really my color anyway.

Maura: That's a dart. I think you can guess what it's for.

Lauren: *chuckles* We're really good at guessing.

Maura: (Picks up a pair of sneakers) Before we hear any "Get Smart" jokes, no, these are not shoe phones. (She takes off her flat heels and puts on the shoes) Think like Dorothy. Click the heels (the shoes shoot up to the ceiling) and... (she hits the ceiling)...ow! (Rubs her head) I really need to work on how hard I do that.

Emma: (Looks up) Wow. I think you can come down now. I'm getting nosebleeds here!

Maura: Gotcha. (Clicks her heels - she comes down again) There you go.

Lauren: I like those.

Maura: I worked on them myself. I've always wanted to be taller.

Lauren: *nods* Completely understood.

Maura: (Holds up eye shadow case) This is a smoke bomb. Blow on it, and you'll have a colorful way of obscuring your entrance. (Takes a bit and pulls it across her eyes) And unlike the compact or lipstick, it can also be used as actual eye shadow. Comes in six different shades.

Inspector Honeywell: (Holds up a comb) What's with this? (He's about to use it on his hair when Maura grabs it from him)

Maura: Sir, don't do that! That may look dull, but it's made of steel and the tips are as sharp as broken glass! (Indicates a vase of flowers) These roses are larger versions of the lipstick dart. (Throws one; it sticks in the wall right next to Honeywell)

Daphne: (Leans over and sniffs the dart) And they smell good, too!

Maura: As close to a real rose as we can make it smell.

Daphne: *smiles* Nice!

Inspector Honeywell: (Turns to the women) You'll need these items at the Garden Fashion Show on Tuesday. We think whatever Miss Lilyfair is planning will occur there.

Emma: We managed to wrangle an invitation to her factory tomorrow morning. I still want my article.

Valerie: And we haven't found out what's happened to those missing women, though we have a good idea.

Desmond: Come over here, ladies! I think I've found something interesting!

(Everyone trots over to Desmond, who leans over a chemistry set.)

Maura: Careful, Des. You've already blown up one chemistry set today.

Desmond: You mentioned Miss Lilyfair was using the juice of some rare plant or flower for this new cream?

Valerie: (Nods and hands him a petal) Here it is, Desmond.

Desmond: (Opens the petal to reveal the juice) This juice creates a compound that can do more than remove wrinkles. (He places some of the juice on a very old, dry plant next to his chemistry set - the plant suddenly turns green and looks perkier) It would appear to be able to reverse time itself.

Emma: No wonder she's so keen on this stuff.

Desmond: However, it doesn't appear to last for very long. (The plant reverts to being dry and withered again as we watch)

Maura: Mixing it with the other items must make the effect last longer.

Valerie: Are there any side effects?

Desmond: Not in the plant. (Shows his hands - they're already looking a bit red) But look at my hands where I got some juice on them.

Maura: A rash.

Desmond: (Itches his hand) Very itchy and irritable. (Frowns as the plant begins to bend over) What's this?

(The plant looks even drier and more withered by the moment.)

Valerie: The poor thing looks like it's dying!

Maura: (She checks a huge computer) No, it's vital stats are fine.

Lauren: It just looks worse now than it did before the juice.

Desmond: I don't understand. It's not dying, and yet it would appear to be.

Valerie: That's what the juice does to your skin.

Emma: It nourishes you for a while, but then it damages it to the point of completely drying you out.

Maura: Unless you use more.

Valerie: (Looks at Daphne and Lauren) That must be why Blossom had 20 jars of this stuff in her room. She either uses it or ends up looking like this plant.

Desmond: We could learn even more if we knew what chemicals she was mixing with the juice and the ground pearl. We've seen what the juice does on it's own.

Inspector Honeywell: Which is where that factory trip comes in.

Emma: Right. Not to mention, I still need a major scoop for my story!

Valerie: (As Lillian gathers the items for the women) Thank you, Mr. Desmond. You've been most helpful.

Desmond: You're welcome, Mrs. Thorkleson. (Turns to Lauren) By the way, where is that Mr. Dolenz of yours? He was rather eager to see my work the last time he was here.

Lauren: *sighs* Unfortunately, he hasn't been feeling very well the last few days.

Desmond: Oh dear. Nothing serious, I hope.

Lauren: Nah, just the flu.

Desmond: Well, when he's feeling up to snuff again, tell him to come around. I have some new explosives he may be interested in.

Lauren: I will. *nods*

Inspector Honeywell: I'll be joining you in the factory as well. It may help to have a man around who knows about spying.

Maura: (Rolls her eyes; Desmond just sighs) Heaven help us.

Valerie: (Whispers to Daphne) Oh good, we get to save him again.

Daphne: *whispers to Valerie* Can't we ditch him somewhere?

Valerie: We'll figure something out. There's a lot of places to ditch a person in a factory.

Desmond: Don't make a mess of things like you usually do, Inspector. Please be careful.

Inspector Honeywell: Oh I will, Mr. Desmond. I didn't get to the top of this organization by not being careful! (He walks into a wall before finally making it out the door, followed by Valerie and Daphne; Emma turns to Lauren as they leave)

Emma: How DID he make it to the top of this organization?

Lauren: *considers a moment, then nods* Nepotism.

Emma: (Laughs) It's the only explanation. (And the girls keep laughing as they head out)