Everyone ready for some Musketeer action? ;)

Mike: Yeah.

Peter: All right! :D

Micky: Let’s do it! ;)

Davy: I'm ready!

(We open in the front courtyard. Alexander joins Sheila at the carriage. Sheila is red-faced and angry.)

Sheila: That damn old goat! Thinks she can turn my generous offer down...(frowns)...Alexander, where have you been? Did you find them?

Alexander: Actually, they found me, but I got away.

Sheila: The Musketeers. Damn it, we've GOT to get them out of the way, or we'll NEVER get the diamonds!

Alexander: Any ideas how to do that?

Sheila: We have to discredit or get them disbanded. Her Majesty thinks far too well of them. If she thought a bit less of them...perhaps if those diamonds, or even the entire treasury, slipped out under their noses, or if they were found to be plotting against the queen and king, or if their daughter vanished...

Alexander: *nods* An excellent idea, Milady.

(Another figure, the one in brown, slips over to them. She pulls off her hood, revealing Emma.)

Sheila: Good lord, girl, where have you been?

Emma: Following the queen and king, as you instructed. (Makes a face) And I told you not to call me "girl."

Sheila: Were you following the queen and king, or did something else hold your attention?

Emma: I followed their highnesses, as you ordered. (Pulls a sheet from under the folds of her cloak) I got the combination to their special safe, the one in their room. (Grins as evilly as her round face can) And I know where that safe is.

Sheila: Why didn't you get the diamonds?

Emma: (Made a face) I was interrupted by two of the Princess' handmaidens looking for jewelry to filch for the ball. :p

Sheila: Why did it take so long for you to get back?

Emma: I had to hide the whole time! Geez, you try being a spy in a swashbuckler spoof!

Sheila: You know, Emma, I'm wondering if you're the best person for this job.

Emma: This castle is huge! It has more secret passages than a mansion from a Gothic romance novel!

Sheila: I don't think your mind is on your work. (Smirks at Alexander) And I'll bet we both know where it HAS been.

Alexander: Wouldn't happen to be on one of those Musketeers, would it?

Emma: Security guards aren't my type.

Sheila: They used to be.

Emma: That's over.

Sheila: Is it?

Emma: (Slightly hesitant, but then) Yes.

Sheila: (Frowns) Very well. Get in the carriage. We'll continue this later.

(Emma and Sheila exchange glares, but Emma does as told. Sheila turns to Alex.)

Sheila: I don't trust her. I know she still has feelings for him.

Alexander: I don't trust her, either.

Sheila: We'll have to eliminate her. Discreetly, of course. She knows too much...and may still go to her dearly beloved former husband. She claims he doesn't know she's alive. (Looks at Alex) Come along. We have quite a bit of plotting to do.

Alexander: *grins* Yes, we do.

*Cut back to the prop room. Micky glares at Davy, clearly bored.*

(Katie yawns and nudges Jordan, who is half-asleep.)

Micky: So when do we get to the Inn and have some fun?

Jordan: Huh? (Looks around) Oh.

Davy: I'm getting there!

Mike: Mick, we gotta get some plot exposition out first.

Micky: Maybe in another decade or so. Let me take over!

Mike: Well..

Peter: Ok, Mick! Your turn! :)

Katie: Oooh!

Jordan: 'Kay!

Micky: We now go to the Cabot Inn...

(Fade out on the prop room; fade in on the Cabot Inn, and old-fashioned-looking Tudor-esque building. "Looking For the Good Times" blares out of what looks like a wooden jukebox in the set for the bar from "Dream World," "Wild West Monkees," "Fairy Tale Revisited," and "The Ghost of Kibbee Manor." Waitresses in simple peasant outfits and embroidered aprons walk around, taking orders from Musketeers and others in peasant outfits lifted from "Dream World," "Fairy Tale Revisited" and "Monkees In Wonderland." Babbitt, in a dark outfit with a huge leather apron with very, very deep pockets, stands behind the bar and takes money.)

*The main door opens. Micky leads the group inside, grinning.*

Micky: Here we are, home sweet home.

Peter: Place looks the same as always.

Mike: Yeah, loud.

Davy: It's very...interesting.

Mike: This is what it's always like after a really gruelin' Musketeer practice. This is our headquarters and our waterin' hole. (Grins) Not the album. ;)

Peter: Come on! (He ushers the boys over to a table that says "Reserved for Mike, Micky, and Peter") We're regulars.

Mike: (Takes the sign off and tosses it over his shoulder; we hear the sound of crashing. Mike yells over the noise) Hey, can we have some SERVICE over here?

Tilly: (She walks up in an oddly psychedelic-looking peasant gown and floral apron) Hi, guys, what'll it be?

Mike: Bourbon, straight up.

Peter: Green tea with organic honey.

Tilly: And what will you have, Mick? (Nods at Davy) You too, kid.

Micky: Rum and cola syrup.

Tilly: What about the shrimp?

Davy: *frowns* I'll have a... *mutters* club soda.

Tilly: Fine. Three usuals and a soda. (Grins) Hey, did you guys read the Belgravia Enquirer?

Mike: Not since...(mutters to himself, then, out loud)...well, not recently.

Peter: No, why?

Tilly: Did you hear about how Hades' government wants to invade Belgravia and turn us into a gravel pit? :o

Mike: (Snorts) Sure, Til. You've gotta stop readin' that stuff.

Micky: Give it a rest, would ya Til?

Peter: What if it's true? What if that's why Sheila came to Belgrave Castle today?

Mike: She came 'cause she felt like annoyin' someone and picked us.

Tilly: We'll all be annihilated! The aliens will get us next!

Peter: Really?

Mike: Tilly, go get our drinks.

Tilly: Spoil sport. (She flounces off)

Peter: (Smiles) Don't mind her. She's the town gossip.

Mike: And nothin' she hears is ever right. :p

Peter: (Nods at the dancing crowd) Why don't we go have some fun?

Mike: Could use some new music. This song is almost over.

Micky: Line 'em up! I feel like dancing! *whoops*

Peter: I could relax a bit myself. (He joins some of the male Musketeers at the bar and chats with them)

*Micky heads for the dance floor.*

(Mike remains where he is as Tilly brings their drinks. He sips his bourbon and stares into space.)

*"I'll Be Back Up On My Feet" begins. Micky begins to dance and soon pulls Davy onto the dance floor as well.*

(Peter joins them on the dance floor as decidedly un-1600s strobe lights start up. Several Musketeers and women in slightly nicer gowns than the waitresses also join them. Mike just continues to drink his bourbon.)

(Mike shakes his head and calls for another bourbon as Davy plops down across from him and the music continues.)

Mike: (Shakes his head) Get a load of that crowd, kid.

Davy: Amazing.

Mike: This happens whenever we have a really stressful practice. We'll come here and these guys'll let off steam, then Mick will wake up in the morning whining about how is head is pounding and he can't go to practice today.

Davy: *chuckles* Nice routine. ;)

Mike: Yeah. (Sighs) May not last much longer. If the Queen Bitch gets her way, we'll all be out of work (low mutter, so low we barely hear it) or in her bed.

Davy: That's just bloody rotten.

Mike: That's why we gotta do a good job at the ball. I just hope Sheila takes the bait. (Makes a face as Peter and Micky dance with some girls; Mick's is rather familiar)

Davy: *nods* Let’s hope. *pauses* Who're those girls the guys are dancing with?

Mike: The one Mick's with is his girlfriend, Lauren. The one Pete's with is an extra.

Davy: Ahhh. ;)

Mike: Mick's actually been tryin' to get her into the Musketeers for a while, but they ain't keen on havin' a chick security guard.

Davy: Just because she's a girl? If she's good with a sword, why not? *grins* The princess weren't too shabby with a sword, eithah. ;)

Mike: I don't care, but some of the guys ain't too crazy about it. (Shrugs and slugs his bourbon) Chicks are nothin' but trouble anyway. Lauren's not that bad, and she'd cut me to ribbons if I said she was, but most girls... (shrugs and slugs again)

Davy: Too bad. Would explain why the princess isn't a member.

Mike: Her mama and daddy would throw a fit if their precious little debutante tried to join their security guards!

Davy: Bloody thing, I bet she could teach some-a these othah guys a thing or two about sword fighting. ;)

Mike: I kinda think she could, too, but... (shrugs and slugs once more, then calls for yet another bourbon and nods at Davy) Want one?

Davy: No thanks, I'm fine.

Mike: I'm not. I'm going upstairs. You wanna come, or are you gonna stay down here?

Davy: I'm gonna stay. Think I might do some more dancing.

Mike: Suit yourself, kid. Have a nice time. Don't come up too drunk in the mornin'. We got practice.

(Mike throws down a few coins, then heads for a hallway. Peter boogies on over as the music ends. Micky and what we can now see is definitely Lauren in her "Fairy Tale Revisited" costume gather around the wooden jukebox, trying to decide what to play next.)

Peter: Hi, Davy. Having fun?

Davy: Yeah, I am. This is a great place. Thanks for bringing me.

Peter: You're welcome. You said you didn't have a place to stay, so we thought we'd offer you ours. We have plenty of room, and there's always something going on down here!

Davy: I can see that. *pauses* Mike went upstairs early. Does 'e usually do that?

Peter: (Nods) Yeah. He's not really much of a party person.

*The next song starts as Micky, with an arm wrapped around Lauren's shoulders, join them.*

Micky: Mike's a party pooper.

(Nyles walks through at this point, dressed in regular 70s clothing. He stops by Micky and Lauren and grabs a plate of chicken wings. Nyles waves, then walks out again, his mouth full.)

Peter: Um...should I ask?

Davy: Wot...

Micky: Don't.

Lauren: It wouldn't be a short answer.

Micky: Man, I'm rude. Davy, this is my girlfriend, Lauren. Lauren, this is Davy. He wants to become a member of the Musketeers.

Lauren: *to Micky* I'm sure he'll have better luck getting in than I did. *smiles at Davy* Nice to meet you.

Peter: (Nods excitedly) He's going to be staying with us for a while!

Peter: (Sighs) I wonder if someone ought to go upstairs and see if Mike's ok.

Micky: If you want to, Pete, go ahead. I ain't gonna do it. He might have taken my head off the last time I tried if I hadn’t been quick. :P

Peter: I'll do it. (Looks at Davy) Mike's had some...problems...in the last few years.

Davy: Wot kinda problems?

Peter: Woman problems. (Turns to Lauren) No offense.

Lauren: None taken.

Davy: Oh.

Peter: His wife caught him doing some things...well, some things he shouldn't have, or maybe that they both shouldn't have, and they...she left him, and she died in a carriage accident soon after. He hasn't been too happy with anything but our Musketeer work since. (Nods at the stairwell) I'm going to go up there now. You guys can come up when you're ready. (Smiles) Have a nice night.

(He heads for the stairwell)

John: (Lurches over to the boys) Hi, fellas. Where's ol' Mikey? Still sulkin' cause his wife died on him?

Micky: *nods* Yup, still sulking. Or brooding. Or both.

John: I've been tryin' to tell him he's gotta let that go.

Micky: The problem is he doesn't listen.

John: He just wants to play grumpy noble cowboy for the rest of his damn life.

Marcus: Aww, come on, forget Mike. Pete can handle him. He'll end up bawlin' on his shoulder and passin' out drunk, like he always does. Let's get down to some serious partying, before we lose our paychecks that allow us to seriously party.

Micky: Now you're talking! ;)

*Lauren rolls her eyes, but she's grinning.*

(They return to some "serious partying" as "Let's Dance On" begins, but Davy gives the stairwell one last glance before joining the crowd.)