Everyone ready to finish out this year's Christmas story?
Mike: Sure.
Peter: I'll be around in a while. I need to pick up something important.
Micky: You bet!
Davy: I'm ready.
*We open at Lauren and Micky's house on Christmas Eve. The outside Christmas lights cheerfully blink on and off. Inside, Lauren, Micky, Davy, and Daphne relax in the living room while the kids play on the floor.*
(There's a loud knock at the door.)
Voice 1: Hey, Unca Micky! :D
Voice 2: Not so loud, Katie! You'll wake your brother!
Voice 3: Not to mention the neighborhood.
Micky: I got it. *opens the door and smiles* Hey, guys!
(Yes, it's Mike, Emma, Robbie, and Katie. Mike holds Robbie. Emma holds a foil-wrapped loaf and a large container of cookies. Katie goes right to Micky.)
Katie: Wanna hug, Unca Micky! :D
Mike: Hey, Mick. (He pushes in next)
Emma: Hi, guys. Lauren, where do you want the food?
Lauren: The kitchen is fine, thanks.
*Micky picks up Katie and gives her a piggyback ride into the living room.*
(Emma heads for the kitchen. Mike heads for the couch.)
Katie: Wheee! This is fun! I see everyone here! Thank you, Unca Micky!
Micky: You're welcome, Katie!
Mike: (Sits down with Robbie, who lays sleepily in his arms) Hi, guys. How's Lizzie? Excited about Christmas?
Emma: (Grins as she passes Mike on her way out of the kitchen) We may make a true believer out of him yet!
Mike: (Rolls his eyes) I still say you make too much of a fuss out of all this.
Emma: Then why did I catch you and Katie shaking presents under the tree this morning?
Mike: Wanted to see if any were tools.
Emma: You'll find out tomorrow, dear. (She sits on a chair near the tree)
Bob: So, how's everyone tonight?
Mike: Better, now that the whole deal with Ludlow and Wendy was sorted out.
Davy: That was just weird.
Mike: What was goin' on there?
Bert: Looked like "The Nutcracker" to me.
Emma: (Shrugs) We needed a holiday story that was a bit more Christmassy than last year.
Mike: THIS is Christmassy?
Emma: Hey, name the last time you saw Santa Claus in a duel!
Mike: I'm still not sure...
Bert: (Before Mike can continue) What happened with Ludlow and Wendy, anyway? Is the Duke in jail?
Emma: No, but he is awaiting trial on several counts of kidnapping, treason, and possession of illegal drugs.
Mike: He's technically an American citizen, so he's going to be tried here after the holidays.
Emma: Wendy and Ludlow will resume talks with toy manufacturers next month. Ludlow didn't sound too certain about keeping the people who want to full computerize his factories at bay.
Bert: Are they all right?
Bob: Yeah, what happened with the toy thing?
Bert: And more to the point, HOW did that happen?
Mike: Mick, you're the chemical genius. You were in Bergier's lab. See anything interestin'?
Micky: It'd be a shorter list to tell you what WASN'T interesting.
Bob: So, how DID the toys come to life?
Emma: It must have been that powdery stuff...
Mike: Magic, Bob.
(There's another knock at the door.)
Voice 1: Hellooo?
Voice 2: Jordan, they'll be here in a minute.
Micky: Got it! *opens the door*
(Valerie and Jordan stand behind the door. Valerie holds Jordan's hand with her right hand and has several trays of sandwiches on her left.)
Valerie: Hello, Mick. Merry Christmas.
Jordan: Hi, Unca Micky!
Katie: Jordan! (She runs to her friend) It's Christmas! Come see the tree!
Jordan: Ok! (He follows Katie to the other kids as Valerie comes in)
Valerie: Peter will be around a little later. He said he had one last present to wrap.
Bob: What's going to happen to Bergier's shop?
Valerie: It was claimed by the Moravian government. Ludlow currently owns it, but he may sell it to Molly Porter, who is a fine cashier and loves the store.
Mike: We're gonna go to a special kids' party at the Moravian Embassy later in the week. (Grins) It's a good-payin' gig, too. Apparently, the party is for the children of higher-ranking officials and embassadors, and Ludlow invited us partially to thank us and the twins for savin' him.
Valerie: Everyone who was turned into a toy is not only fine, but seem to have absolutely no memory whatsoever of how they were turned into playthings and back into humans.
Mike: Tell them what you told me about that powder, Mick.
Micky: Not only did it turn people into toys or food, it also caused them amnesia.
Valerie: In other words, they couldn't remember being humans...or anything else...when they were toys. We're still not sure why they came to life for the kids originally. Bergier must have been controlling them then, and the spell never wore off.
Bert: (Looks at the kids) Hey gang, how do you feel? You're pretty big heroes, since you got to help King Ludlow!
Katie: We here-os! :D
Jordan: Yay! :D
Shelly: Fun!
Little Mick: Heroes! Yay us!
Bert: You guys deserved it. You helped save the Basses, too. I hope Santa gives you everything on your list this year. :)
Katie: I wanna hockey stick, like Mama's!
(Emma blushes.)
Jordan: I want my big teddy again!
Lizzie: Nice dolly!
Little Mick: Want an ornament!
Shelly: Yeah!
Emma: (Pats Leah's head) And how about you, little miss Leah? :)
Leah: Stuff'd kitty! :D
Valerie: (Looks up at the sound of another knock at the door) I guess that's Peter. I'll get it.
(Valerie answers the door...but it isn't Peter. It's a young man in a Moravian uniform.)
Young Man: Special delivery from the Moravian Embassy! Do Miss Michelle Dolenz and Mr. George Dolenz the Third live here?
Micky: Huh?
Valerie: Yes, they do.
Young Man: I have a package for them.
Micky: *joins Valerie* I'll take it. I'm their dad.
Young Man: (Grins) They must be some lucky kids! (He hands them the small package wrapped in red and green Christmas paper and tips his hat) Have a nice holiday, everyone! (He leaves and Valerie and Micky go back in the house)
Mike: What was that about?
Micky: It's a package from the Embassey for the twins. *sets it on the coffee table*
Katie: Oooh! (Looks at Shelly and Mick) You so lucky! You got a present before the mornin'!
Lizzie: Nice!
Little Mick: Can we open, can we open?! :D
Micky: Maybe I should...
Lauren: Oh, Mick, let them open it. It's from the Embassy. It has to be okay.
Micky: Alright. :
Emma: I wonder what it could be?
*The twins immediately dive in. Paper flies EVERYWHERE.* :D
Mike: (Holds Robbie close to him) Whoa, cowpokes! Watch where you aim that stuff!
Katie: Yikes! (She and Jordan cover themselves with their arms)
*The paper stops flying. The twins show off their gift...the repaired gilded walnut ornament.*
Little Mick: Our walnut!
Shelly: They fixed it for us!
Katie: Lemme see!
Jordan: Me too!
Lizzie: Oooh! (Nods at Leah) Us too!
*The twins show off their walnut to everyone.* :D
Valerie: (She gently picks up the walnut - the two repaired halves now hang off a gold velvet ribbon, and the gold paint is shinier than ever) Wow, someone did a really nice job.
Emma: (Takes the Christmas Card that was in the box and hands it to Lauren) This was in there, too.
Lauren: *smiles* The Basses sent this. The card says they wanted to thank the twins for giving up the walnut and all of us for helping Ludlow. Mr. Bass would've delivered this himself, but he's busy today. He and Jessica hope we have a wonderful Christmas.
Valerie: Oh, that was so sweet of him! :)
Emma: He was right. Santa DOES always keep his promises.
Katie: Put it on tree!
*The twins go over to the tree together and hang their ornament.*
Emma: There you go, kids! You have your very own heirloom ornament!
Valerie: With QUITE a story attached to it!
Katie: That so cool!
Bert: Hey, so when did you come up with this idea?
Emma: Actually, I think we came up with the general idea of having Ludlow appear in a Christmas story last year, after we had to rush our last Christmas story due to holiday events. The Nutcracker and "Prisoner of Zenda" ideas came along a bit later.
Bob: What was your favorite part?
Mike: The big duel in the toy shop.
Emma: The ball was fun.
Katie: Seein' movin' toys!
Jordan: Teddy bear!
Lauren: I can't pick one.
Valerie: I'm going to say the Ball myself. I had a lovely time, and made quite a few Moravian contacts.
Davy: 'Elping out Ludlow.
Daphne: Spying.
Micky: One word: kaboom. ;)
Bob: Hey Mick, speaking of you and the lab...what happened to Charlie the Dummy, Bergier's buddy?
Micky: Umm, well... *nods his head towards the stack of presents under the tree*
Bert: Oh. ;)
Bob: What's up for after the holidays?
Emma: Like last year, we're going to start 2008 with a spoof. This time, we're heading into the shadowy realms of film noir and old-time private eye movies.
Mike: Who gets to be the private dick?
Emma: Micky and Davy.
Mike: Those two? They can't find their lost socks!
Micky: Hey!
Davy: I can too!
Emma: They'll be fine, Mike. It's something different to start the year. We've wanted to do this story since last summer, but something else has always bumped it off the schedule. We'll be working on that this week.
Mike: Maybe we'd better sign off, Em.
Emma: Right. (But as she turns to the camera, there's another knock at the door)
Valerie: NOW what?
Mike: This has been one busy night!
Jordan: (Runs to the window) I see Daddy! He gotta box!
Katie: (Joins Jordan at the window) Let me see!
Micky: I got it. *opens the door* Hey, Pete, whatcha got?
Peter: (He heads in) Hi, Mick! (Hands him the box) Here's your Christmas Eve gift. I couldn't wait until tomorrow to give it to you.
Valerie: He's been excited about this all day!
(Jordan runs to his father, who pulls him into his arms and gives him a hug.)
Micky: Oh, wow! *brings it back into the living room and sets it on the coffee table* You're sure you want me to open it now? I can wait until tomorrow.
Lauren: Who're you kidding, Mick?
Micky: I'm trying to be nice.
Peter: Please! I want you to open it now!
Valerie: I don't think he'll be able to sit still all night if you don't.
Mike: (Suspicious) What's in there?
Micky: *wide grin* Thank you! *tears into the package; his eyes widen* Pete...
Lauren: He's stunned. Wow. What's in there?
Mike: Pete, what did you get him?
Peter: You really like it, Mick?
Micky: Like it? *pulls out a flask and a beaker* I LOVE IT! :D
Lauren: *rolls her eyes, but she's smiling* A new chemistry set.
Mike: (Groans) Oh NO. Pete, you didn't get him another chemistry set!
Peter: It's only fair. I bought him the first one.
*Micky puts the items back in the box, then gives Peter a HUGE hug!*
Peter: (He and Jordan hug Micky back) Merry Christmas, Mick. You deserve it.
Micky: *pulls away; sniffs* Thanks, Big Peter.
Emma: And you know what, Mick? You can take us to this year’s "Riu Chiu" video, too. You really DO deserve it. We've given you such a rough year.
Micky: Okay. *to the camera* Merry Christmas, everyone, and we'll see you next year! :D
Everyone: (Waves) Merry Christmas!
(We cut to Micky and Lauren's house again, but this time, everyone's sitting around the tree. It's dark; there's no light but the tree lights, which cast an eerie glow over the group. Kids are sitting sleepily in their mothers' laps. The four Monkees hold candles and sing "Riu Chiu." As they finish, the lights fade out completely except for the tree lights and the candle flames, and we fade in on a "Happy Holidays From All Of Us At Dream World!" green font on a red background with a hollly border.)
(And we cut to "Riu Chiu" played over scenes from the "production." We end with a live scene of the entire cast and crew waving and wish a Merry Christmas as we cut to "A Raybert Production" in green font on the red holly-border background.)