Everybody ready to save Christmas?

Mike: If we knew what we were saving it FROM.

Peter: What happened to Ludlow? :o

Micky: Say what?

Davy: I don't like this one bit. :P

(We begin in the royal suites. All eight Monkees and ladies sit on various pieces of furniture. Wendy takes a comfortable chair as the others gather around her.)

Wendy: What we told you about our toy factories is true. Yes, one of our country's primary exports is toys, both manufacture and design. We're one of the largest toy manufacturers in Europe, or anywhere outside of Asia. What we didn't tell you was who buys our toys. (Takes a breath, then) We sell toys to St. Nicholas, otherwise known as Kris Bass or Santa Claus.

Mike: You sell toys to Santa?

Peter: That's so cool! :D

Wendy: Anything he and his people can't make themselves, they get from us.

Micky: That is so groovy.

Mike: So what does that have to do with anything?

Wendy: That's why we're here, Michael. We're meeting with toy manufacturers who want us to cut costs at our factories, shut several down, and more heavily computerize our facilities.

Mike: (Makes a face) We've seen what kind of toys computers make. There's a computerized toy company in LA.

Peter: Their computers didn't like me at all...AND they made rotten toys. (Grins at Micky) Anything that can't stand up to Micky can't be called truly durable.

Lauren: Don't give him anything that'll burn or go boom, because if it's possible, it will.

Micky: *grins* And to think that consumer toy testing place turned me down for a job.

Lauren: They said he was trying too hard.

Micky: I was only playing with the stuff.

Lauren: Three year olds are more careful with their toy, Mick.

Micky: Yeah, yeah.

(There's lots of snorts and chuckles around the room; even Wendy smiles.)

Wendy: The computers aren't bad for manufacture. It's the designing where they truly can't replace human imagination.

Mike: What does Santa have to do with this?

Wendy: Duke Cromwell wants to take over the toy factories...and I know he wants to oust Santa. He wants to be the ONLY Christmas toymaker.

Peter: What?

Valerie: Oust Santa?

Wendy: He wants to replace Santa as the only holiday gift-giver.

Mike: If there's a Santa at all.

Peter: Of course there is, Michael! We met him last year on a cruise.

Mike: That was just a nice old couple, Pete.

Peter: Remember the sack?

Emma: Mike, I thought we discussed this last year.

Valerie: Wendy, can't you talk to the toy manufacturers? You're queen...and, I believe the boys told me you studied business in school.

Wendy: I can only hold off for so long. Yes, I'm in charge, too, but sooner or later, they're going to want to talk to my husband.

Mike: Hey Dave, what do you know about toys?

Davy: What DON'T I know, thanks to 'im. *jerks a thumb at Micky, who grins*

Wendy: Davy, you'll have to help me talk to them.

Mike: Maybe someone better stay and keep an eye on things here, like last time.

Daphne: I'll stay.

Emma: What about Lizzie?

Wendy: Lizzie? (Looks at Davy) Is that your little girl?

Davy: That's 'er. :)

Mike: Maybe one of us can take her for a few days.

Peter: We'll take her. I've been home more often since we're not filming anymore, and Valerie will be going on her holiday break soon.

Valerie: She's adorable! We'd love to have her.

Wendy: She must be quite a handful, if she's anything like her father!

Mike: Where do you think the Duke would be keeping your husband?

Wendy: He lives above the shop where he works and makes many of his toys. If he's not here, he's there, or looking for new ideas in the area.

Mike: I guess the rest of us will head back to Malibu Beach, then.

Valerie: (Shakes her head) I'm going to do more research on his shop and his toy manufacturing business.

Emma: And I need to work on a story for the LA Times.

Mike: Ok, sounds like the rest of us are gonna head for the shop, then. We'll bring our kids as cover.

Peter: That's not the only reason! I really do need to get started on my Christmas shopping! Jordan wants that big teddy bear so badly.

Wendy: Please, remember, you must do this with the utmost secrecy. Santa prefers that people believe he's a myth. It makes it much easier to do his gift-giving.

Mike: (Mutters) I still think he's a myth. (Emma elbows him)

Valerie: Daph, you and I can go back to your house, so I can pick up Miss Lizzie.

Mike: The rest of us will meet at the Pad tomorrow and take the rugrats for a little walk back to the Toy Store.

Micky: And get some shopping done.

Valerie: I'll keep an eye on Lizzie and make some calls at the Montgomery House.

Mike: Right.

Wendy: Just be careful, everyone. Cromwell has his own men and his own spies, not to mention his own magic. He's a powerful magician. That's how he makes many of his toys.

Mike: Don't you worry, darlin'. We have some pretty powerful magic, too.

Emma: You'd be surprised what a couple of musicians can do.

Wendy: Well, alright. Just one more thing. (She gives Davy a kiss on his cheek, then says as she blushes) The maids will show you to your rooms. (She leaves)

Mike: (Looks at the others) We'll meet at the Pad as soon as we can. I wanna catch Cromy before he runs off this time.

Emma: I'll join you at Millie's later.

Mike: (Turns to Davy and Daphne) You two be careful. We don't know what this guy's doing, or what his powers may do when mixed with ours.

Davy: We will.

Peter: I just hope we can do this before Christmas! What about the kids...and all the kids who love to get gifts?

Mike: It'll be ok, Pete. (Mutters as they all leave) I hope.

(They all go in separate directions, leaving Daphne and Davy in the room.)

Davy: *sighs* Well...

Daphne: We wait, I guess.

(Fade out on Davy and Daphne; fade in the toy shop. Mike, Micky, Lauren, Peter, and all of the kids troop in. The kids are excited and happy, practically hopping up and down. The boys already juggle boxes and bags.)

Katie: "This is so much fun! I like Christmas shopping!"

(Jordan says nothing. He's too busy looking around the store with wide blue eyes.)

Mike: Ok, guys, we gotta find Cromy and see if we can ask him a few things.

Peter: (Pats Jordan) Now, don't you go getting lost. Stay together, ok?

Jordan: 'Kay, Daddy! :)

(Katie and Jordan run to the twins and Lizzie. Lauren has Leah in her stroller.)

Katie: "We're back in that cool shop again! Maybe we'll find the toys that move!"

Jordan: "Toys that move? Really?"

Katie: "Really! Mr. Will said so!" (Looks at the twins) "Right, guys?"

Little Mick: "That's right!"

Jordan: (Looks around) "I don't see any moving toys! They all look like normal toys to me!"

Katie: "Maybe they're hiding!"

Jordan: "Why would they hide?"

Katie: "Maybe they're scared of something."

Jordan: "Like what?"

Katie: "Like..." (She points to Duke Cromwell as he comes to the desk, wrinkling his nose as Mike continues to ring the bell; he takes it away from him and puts it on the counter) "Like him! He's ugly! He looks like Mr. Scrooge!"

Jordan: "Oooh!" (He ducks behind Katie) :o

Mike: (As Micky joins them) Hello, Duke Cromwell, sir.

Duke Bergier: Yes. How may I help you? (Squints) You look familiar.

Mike: Yes, sir, we played at the Christmas Ball at the Moravian Embassy in LA last night.

Duke Bergier: (Makes a face) Oh. (Sighs and continues) Well, how may I help you?

Mike: (Micky starts playing with the bell) We'd like to ask you a few questions.

(Bergier finally grabs the bell from Micky and shoves it under his desk, annoyed.)

*Micky frowns, making a face.*

Duke Bergier: Well, yes, go ahead.

(As Mike asks questions, the kids wander around the store. Jordan runs over to the twins with a teddy bear in his arms. The twins are looking at the massive castle again.)

Jordan: "Look what I found! Isn't he cute?" :D

(But the twins aren't paying attention. They're looking in the castle, enraptured.)

Jordan: "Hey, guys, what's going on?"

Katie: (Joins them; she holds a doll in a pretty green dress) "What's everyone lookin' at?"

Shelly: "We're looking at the castle!"

Katie: "Why? Are they having sword fights in there?"

Little Mick: "No, it's just a really cool castle!"

Katie: (Puts her doll down and joins them) "I wish I were small enough to go in that castle! Then I'd get to have sword fights with the knights and toy soldiers!"

Jordan: (Frowns) "Hey, what's that" (He points in the castle as movement is seen. A pretty jointed wood ballerina doll in a stiff, sequined tutu gets up and begins to dance around the "ball room." The toy soldiers stand, blowing trumpets and playing drums.)

Katie: "Will was telling the truth! The toys really ARE alive!"

(A small Nutcracker joins the soldiers, flourishing his sword, as a group of gingerbread men chase after them, brandishing hard candy swords!)

Little Mick: "Oh wow!" :D

(The gingerbread men advance on the ballerina doll and several dolls dressed as fairies and princesses as the "March of the Toy Soliders" from the real "Nutcracker" plays and we go into stop-motion animation. The ballerina doll hurries away, trying to protect the other dolls. One of the toy soldiers confronts the Gingerbread King, but a good whack from his hard candy sword sends him sprawling. The ballerina doll goes to his side and holds his stiff, metal body.)

(He's about to attack them again, but the Nutcracker doll runs in and defends them. The other Gingerbread Men fight with the remaining toy soldiers and dolls.)

Katie: "Oooh, we have to stop those mean gingerbread men! They're hurting the toys!"

Jordan: "Oh no!"

Little Mick: "We've gotta do something!"

Katie: (She looks at Lizzie in her stroller) "Lizzie, may I borrow your dolly's shoe?"

Jordan: "Oh, that's right! In the ballet we saw, the little girl Clara threw her shoe at the bad Rat King to make him go away!"

Katie: "Our shoes are too big, but a dolly's shoe might work!" (She takes the shoe off Lizzie's doll; the other kids take shoes off a rack of dolls near the castle)

(As the music ends, three Gingerbread Men grab the Nutcracker's sword. The Gingerbread King raises his sword to stab the Nutcracker!)

Katie: "Ok, on my count. One, two, THREE!"

(A barrage of stop-motion doll shoes assault the Gingerbread King, almost taking his head off! He rushes away, and his men retreat, as the song comes to it's end and the toys run to help their leader.)

Katie: (Hugs Jordan) "We did it! We saved the toys!"

Jordan: "Yay!" :D

(Micky, Lauren, and Peter stroll over as the kids cheer. Lauren has Leah.)

Peter: Hi, kids! What got you so excited?

Katie: We save toys! :D

Jordan: Yeah!

Little Mick: Yeah! We did good! :D

Shelly: We're heroes!

Peter: (Smiles and pats Jordan's head) I'm sure you did, guys.

(Micky is inspecting the toys.)

Katie: The toys move!

Peter: Well, if you wind them up or push buttons, yes, they do!

Jordan: Move!

Katie: We didn't push button!

(Micky inspects the toy soldiers and the Nutcracker.)

Peter: (Takes the ballerina out and shows it to Leah) Isn't she pretty? Look at that dress! Someone put a lot of work into that.

Katie: She dance, Unca Peter!

Peter: (Makes her "dance" for Leah) Why yes, she does!

Katie: They real! Will said so! (She hands Lauren a toy soldier) See?

Lauren: *smiles* I see.

Micky: Can I see? *takes the soldier from Lauren's hand; she shakes her head and sighs, grinning*

Duke Bergier: (As we cut back to Mike at the counter) No, young man, I don't know what happened to King Ludlow after last night! For all I know, he's at home with that little blond cupcake of his!

Mike: You looked awful suspicious last night.

Duke Bergier: I was giving the boy a friendly drink. Can't cousins do that for each other?

Mike: Ludlow said you were real interested in changin' the toy factories over to computers.

Duke Bergier: They're the wave of the future, and they'll triple our output. We'd be the biggest toy manufacturers in the world, even outselling China, but the boy won't listen to reason! We could be huge!

Mike: Bigger than Santa Claus?

Duke Bergier: (Brightens) Yes! (Eyes widen; he's said too much) Well, you can't be bigger than something that doesn't exist.

Mike: Million of kids think he does. I think it would be a shame to disappoint them.

(The others come up to the counter, all carrying toys.)

*Micky is seen handing over several currency bills for his purchases. He gets his bags, nods, and smiles at the cashier, then rejoins everyone else*

Peter: (Hands over bills with a smile; a bit of brown fur is seen peeking out of his huge bag) You sure have great toys, sir! They're so lifelike!

Katie: They move! Really!

Mike: Cowgirl, toys can't move.

(The Duke narrows his eyes for just a second, before Lauren returns with her purchases and he resumes his tight smile.)

Mike: Hey, where's that assistant chick who was in here the other day? I think she said her name's Molly. I wanna talk to her again. She's been to the palace. She knows what went on.

Duke Bergier: (Smile gets even tighter) Molly went home for Christmas. She won't be back until after the New Year.

Mike: Right. Well, I'll come back in to talk to her then.

Duke Bergier: We go on vacation for several months after that. It may be some time before she returns

Mike: Really? Oh, what a shame. Well, we'd better be headin' out.

(The three do head out after that, but the kids go first, all excited. Duke Bergier narrows his eyes as they leave, then goes to a phone behind the counter.)

Duke Bergier: (Picks up the receiver and dials a number) Hello? Yes, Stanley, this is me. I think they know. The tall boy they call Michael Nesmith was asking too many questions. We'll have to get our hands on her soon. (Makes a face) I don't care how your hinges feel! I'll grease them when I get back! I'm leaving the shop early. We need to do some work, before our Queen cupcake catches on. (He slams the phone down and storms behind the door.)

(Cut to the sidewalk, where the group heads back to the Pad.)

Mike: Well, that was useless. That boy is tighter-lipped than a Soviet agent.

Peter: Hey Mick, what did you buy? Something for the twins?

Micky: I bought A LOT of stuff. I think that goes without saying. ;)

Mike: Don't you have enough junk at your place?

Micky: *grins* No.

Peter: You can never have enough junk!

Katie: (She, Jordan, and the twins walk a little in front) "I KNOW I saw those toys move!"

Jordan: "I did too! I think."

Shelly: "So did we!"

Katie: "Papa doesn't believe me! He thinks we're nutty!"

Jordan: "I wish we could make the toys move again."

Katie: "I wish I knew how they moved in the first place! I guess it was magic."

Jordan: "Maybe the old man knows magic!"

Katie: (Looks at the twins) "We have to go back to that toy shop and find out how the toys move!"

Little Mick: "Yeah!"

Jordan: "Our parents won't let us go alone!"

Katie: "So we bring them along. They'll find something to do."

Shelly: "Daddy will go willingly." ;)

Jordan: "So will my daddy. He loves toys!"

Katie: "Papa won't. Not unless the toys are tools."

Jordan: "Maybe Unca Micky or Daddy could bring him!"

Katie: "I hope so! Papa likes sword fights, too. I bet he'd like the toy soldiers!"

Jordan: "I don't think Daddy would like the fights, but he might think the ballerina's pretty."

Katie: "I wish I could stand on my toes like that ballerina, or the ones in the Nutcracker!" (She tries to do so and only ends up tripping.)

Mike: Whoa, cowgirl! (He helps her up) You ok?

Katie: Yeah. I dance! (She tries again)

Mike: You're even less coordinated than me. Just be careful, cowgirl.

Katie: I will! (Dances down the street)

Mike: (Chuckles) That's my girl. She never gives up.

Peter: Michael, what did you find out?

Mike: Other than he ain't talkin', not a whole lot. He's up to something, that much I know. I saw a glimpse of somethin' bubblin' behind that door in the back of his shop.

Peter: How about you, Micky? Did you see anything?

Micky: I was a little too busy picking out stuff to buy.

Mike: We need to get back in that shop when he's not around and check things out.

Peter: You know, I smelled something when I was at the front of the store. It almost smelled like Micky's chemistry set.

Micky: I thought I smelled something familiar in there...

Mike: I guess he's makin' new toys.

Peter: (Eyes widen) Or working on magical potions!

Mike: She did say she thought he was a magician.

Peter: We should go back there!

Mike: Let's get a hold of Davy and Daph at the palace first and see how things are going with them, then talk to Valerie. We don't want to rush in there unprepared.

Peter: We'll go back to the Montgomery House. We can call Davy and Daphne and talk to Val to see what she's found out.

Mike: It's as good as anything. (Picks up Katie) Who's for a party at Uncle Peter's house?

Katie: Me! :D

Jordan: Wanna go home!

Peter: (Takes Mick and Jordan's hands) Come on, guys. You can play with your new toys there.

Jordan: Toys move!

Peter: (Smiles) Sure.