Everybody ready to begin our next story? ;)

Peter: Ready! :)

Micky: You betcha! :D

Mike: I'll be around later. I'm in the studio.

Davy: I'm ready, mates.

Micky: *grumbles* You and that damn studio...

*We open in the Dolenz house. Micky and Peter are in the living room, while Lauren watches the kids playing in the next room.*

Peter: (Plays what sounds like "Can You Dig It?" on his banjo; sighs) Darn it, that chord doesn't seem quite right...

Micky: *scratches his head* It needs something extra...

Peter: (Nods) Yeah, it does. After all (grins), it's for you. You'll be singing it on the movie and the album.

Micky: I really appreciate you writing this, Pete.

Peter: Thanks, Mick. I'm just glad I have the chance to do more writing. Music's my life (smiles gently), besides Val and Jordan.

(Peter grins as Jordan follows the twins around the Rainbow Room, where they chase each other.)

Peter: Jordan's getting faster. Look, he almost has Shelly! (Pause; then) I'm glad I've been able to spend more time with him in the last few weeks. He's growing up so fast...

(Jordan finally catches Shelly and tags her.)

Jordan: It! :D

Shelly: Aw, not again!

Micky: *chuckles* Poor Shelly got her mom's inability to run. ;)

Lauren: *calls out* I heard that, Mick! :P

Peter: (Chuckles; loud, so Lauren will hear) You're just jealous, Mick. You hit your head on low doors and ceilings.

Micky: *so Lauren can hear* Yeah, Pete, you're right. On the other hand, there's more of me to love!

*Lauren laughs from the other room.*

Peter: (Snorts, then switches to randomly plucking a tune) Hey Mick, what are you up to, now that the movie's done and we only have a few gigs coming up?

Micky: I'm pretty much at the radio station full time. They have me doing mid-day during the week and nights on the weekends.

Peter: Oh, you're back at the radio station! Groovy! I'll have to remember to keep you on. It would give Jordan such a kick to hear his uncle on the radio, and Val and I enjoyed listening to you when you worked there a few years ago.

Micky: Hey, I'll take all the listeners I can get.

Peter: Have you seen anyone else since the movie finished filming? I know Michael's been at the studio every day, usually because he's there either right before or right after me.

Micky: *rolls his eyes* I think Mike's living at the studio. Dave's been around here several times.

Peter: I wish Mike would tell me what he's doing. He says he's working on his songs for the soundtrack and some other new songs he wants us to try.

Micky: Does he grumble at you every time you ask him something?

Peter: No, he just grumbles. He seems tired. He's trying to get Emma to either expand the Pad or move into a larger house, too.

Micky: He just seems so distant.

Peter: He's not as much fun as he used to be. He doesn't want to do anything anymore but work.

Micky: We should do something...

Peter: We need to make him happy. He's been complaining about how people only see us as a TV band and how he wants us to be taken seriously. That's why he got Val to book us that big gig later in the week on the Mel Tanovan Program. It's the classiest, most popular variety show on the air!

Micky: What could possibly make him happy that we can do?

Peter: Something that will make us look really, really good, not like the Partridge Family or other TV bands that aren't real.(Raises his eyebrows when he sees Micky's evil grin) Uh-oh. I don't like that look.

Micky: I think I have an idea.

Peter: Just don't blow anything up!

Micky: No blowing up.

Peter: (He puts down his banjo and follows Micky to the garage) Then what are you doing?

(They head into the garage, which is more organized than we last saw it in "Incredible Shrinking Monkees" - as in, there's fewer cables on the floor, shelves on the wall full to bursting, and containers on the tables overflowing with beakers and bottles of chemicals. Micky immediately goes to his chemistry set.)

Micky: You remember the Magic Monkee Dust I came up with a while back?

Peter: Yeah...

Micky: Well, I tweaked it. It's now what I like to call a combination between disco balls and bubbles. It looks really great.

Peter: Oh, cool! Like Laurence Welk's Champagne Music!

("Shorty Blackwell" begins as Micky putters around his chemistry set and Peter explores the garage. He picks up a tube and looks in it, wondering what it does. It squirts blue goopy stuff on his face.)

(Peter wipes his face off, then takes another tube, inspecting it. His elbow hits a beaker full of bubbly green fluid.)

*As the beaker makes its way to the floor, Micky dives for it. He slides on the floor and stops perfectly below to catch the beaker. He's frozen on the floor, but does give Peter a wide-eyed look.*

(Peter steps away from the chemistry set, also wide-eyed. He almost backs into a shelf, which he does manage to keep from tumbling down.)

*Micky replaces the beaker, then puts an arm around Peter and gives him a "We need to be careful" look.*

(Peter nods and backs away again. He finds a mannequin wearing a white suit of clothes and gestures toward it, wondering what it's about.)

*Micky holds up an index finger. He snatches a lighter off the desk and flicks it. He holds the flame to the suit and grins at Peter, not paying attention to the suit and flame.*

(The suit smolders for a minute or two...then catches fire. Peter gasps and tries to fan it with a magazine.)

*Micky turns and gapes at the flames. He reaches pulls out a fire extinguisher and sprays the suit. Once the flames are out, he gives Peter a defeated look and shrugs.*

(Peter shrugs and turns back to the chemistry set as the music ends.)

Peter: Aw, don't worry, Mick! I'm sure your Magic Monkee Dust will be much better!

Micky: I hope so. I'll have to start from scratch with that suit now!

Peter: We'll all lend you a hand! I'm not a chemical genius, but I do know one ology from another.

Micky: You already have an edge over Dave and Mike. ;)

(Peter bursts into laughter as he and Micky return to the chemistry set.)

Peter: So...what do you need?

Micky: Actually, all that needs to be done is to pour a little of that bubbly green liquid into this machine. *pats the small machine that sits on the table*

Peter: Ok! (He takes the top) Why don't we both do it? You can take the bottom. It'll be the creation of the Magic Monkee Bubble Machine!

Micky: It's a team effort! *takes the bottom. They pour the liquid in, and Micky presses a button. The machine hums, but doesn't do anything.* Aw, come on, just one little thing work right... *slaps at the machine*

Peter: Is it set up right?

(He steps back to take a better view of the machine.)

Micky: I tested it earlier, and it worked fine with the regular bubble solution. *leans into the machine* Hey, Pete, grab me a screwdriver off the shelf over there...

Peter: Sure! (Grabs the screwdriver)

*Just as Peter starts to return with the screwdriver, the machine suddenly sparks. Micky mutters a four letter word as it smokes and spits, covering Micky with the green liquid he'd put in, along with something else that was already in the machine.*

Peter: (Drops the screwdriver) Micky! (Squeals and jumps up and down, even though the tool got nowhere near his foot)

*The machine coughs and stops spitting and humming. Micky stands, stunned and disgusted.*

Micky: Yuck. :P

Peter: Micky, are you all right? Other than being covered with green bubbly stuff?

Micky: Yeah, I'm okay, other than my pride is pretty banged up now.

Peter: (Frowns) Maybe we ought to take you around the back to the outdoor shower. That stuff might eat your skin or something.

Micky: Eat my skin. Man, you do know me too well, Pete. The shower's a good idea, though I doubt this'll eat my skin.

Micky:: *cocks his head to one side suddenly* One question. How did this happen?

Peter: You were leaning into the machine, and it sparked and spit out green stuff and something else.

Micky: Oh, right. What machine?

Peter: (Sputters, indicating the machine in the corner) M...Micky, THAT machine! The one we were just working on! The Magic Monkee Bubble machine!

Micky: We were working on a machine? Why?

Peter: For our gig later this week!

Micky: What gig?

Peter: We're appearing on the Mel Tanovan Program, remember? The big, classy variety show? Val wanted us to have a really good gig so we can get more respect and people don't just think we're a kids' TV band?

Micky: *blinks* We're a band? Who's we?

Peter: (Indicates the two of them) We! Us! You, me, Mike, and Davy! Our friends! We've been a band for eight years!

Micky: How long is eight years?

Peter: (Holds up eight fingers) THIS much!

Micky: *mouth forms an "O," but doesn't say anything; pauses* Why am I standing here, dripping on the floor? Let’s get me out to the shower, Pete.

Peter: Uh, yeah. Mick, are you SURE you're feeling ok? Maybe you ought to lie down or something after you take your shower.

Micky: Why? I only got sprayed by some goop. Are you okay, Pete? You're acting kinda weird.

Peter: Micky, for a moment, you didn't know who I was!

Micky: I didn't? Funny, last thing I remember is getting sprayed. *pauses a moment* I gotta get cleaned up. Can you grab me a towel and some clothes? I'll head out to the shower.

Peter: But...but... (But Micky takes off for the shower, leaving him sputtering protests.)