Emma: I was thinking we could kick off with a "what-the-hell" romp tonight. Does Mick know the "JustUs" songs? :)
Lauren: *watches Micky nod excitedly* Oh, he sure does! ;-)
Emma: And Mike knows them, too, because ALL of the guys were involved with these. :D Sooo...how about we teach the guys about our adolesence in the 90s...to the tune of "Never Enough?" ;) Which, gentlemen, happens to be Lauren's favorite Monkees song. ;)
Micky: Of course it is! I sang it. ;-)
(We start in a darkened room as Emma clicks around online, while the other five lean over her shoulder. Lauren points to a link, and Emma clicks it...and the link kicks off the music, the "JustUs" song "Never Enough." Images from the 90s flash across Emma's computer screen - Bill Clinton, the Gulf War, OJ Simpson, the Backstreet Boys.)
(We see the boys standing on stage before hoardes of screaming girls, dancing ala NSync or The Backstreet Boys... before Emma and Lauren drag them away from the freaking masses and scold them.)
(Micky gently lifts Lauren, both in 1910s costume, onto the railing of a ship ala "Titanic"... but they both take one look at the swirling waters and run off the set, seasick.)
(Emma, clad in a blue peasant dress, dances amid animated teacups and clocks, while a glowering, furry Mike looks on. She finally pulls him into the dance, and they kiss while the animated characters make gagging noises.)
(Mike sits at a computer, trying to get it to turn on. He kicks it, smacks it, and yells at it... before Peter comes out, flips a switch, and the monitor flickers to life. Mike shoots his friend a look. Peter shrugs.)
(Micky and Lauren step into a booth that says "Make Your Own Digital Pictures." They put quarters in the slot. The pictures take, and they start mixing them up - Micky's face with Lauren's hair, Lauren's body with Micky's head, etc.)
(Davy chases several familiar blonde girls in skimpy clothing across a stage while the other boys just shake their heads.)
(Micky, Davy, and Peter attempt a bad imitation of rap singers, complete with oversized clothing and gigantic gold chains. Davy's gold chains almost knock him to the ground. The girls and Mike just shake their heads.)
(The romp ends with all six playing the song on an outdoor stage clad in flannel shirts, T-shirts, worker boots, and oversized pants...and fades back to a computer monitor as Emma clicks to another site.)
(As the romp fades out, we fade in on the pad. Emma sits on the bandstand, reading bridal magazines. Mike is playing his guitar. Peter is working on a song. Davy is doing his nails.)
Bob: Hey, kids, where's the proud parents?
Mike: (Smirks) Reading comic books, or so they said.
Bob: And hey, congratulations on your engagement, you two. When's the wedding?
Emma: (Sighs) No time soon, fellows.
Mike: And don't push us. Took me long enough to ask her.
Emma: (Makes a face) Or tell her. :p
Peter: (Puts up a hand) Oh, come on, guys, don't start! At least you're engaged, and you'll get married when you're ready! That's something!
Davy: It's about eight times bettah than you were, anyway. (Returns to his nails)
(Lauren and Micky walk in, comic books under their arms, laughing and grinning.)
Emma: Hi, guys!
Bert: Ah, the mom and dad. Congratulations to you guys, too, on the announcement of your twins.
Micky: Hey, guys! *waves a comic* Man, I've missed alot in the last few issues!
Lauren: Thanks. *swats Micky on the head with her comic*
Emma: Twins... (shakes her head) I can't believe you two are having twins!
Lauren: What, and you think I can believe it? ;-)
Micky: *grins* I told you I was good. ;-)
(That gets pillows from all over the room thrown at him as laughter errupts. ;) )
Lauren: So humble, too!
Bert: (Sighs) So, what did you think of your latest adventure?
Peter: I liked getting to save Valerie. :D
Micky: I can't believe that came out of my head!
Emma: I thought some of the sets were awesome, especially Avon-On-Calling, the docks, and the mansion.
Mike: Yeah, nice to see an increased budget on that fairy tale segment. No more bumping my elbow into cardboard carriages.
Davy: You know, it occured to me that this is the first story where I didn't get the girl. :p
Peter: (Grins) Well, it can't be you every story, Davy! ;)
Lauren: I don't like an evil Micky. There's just something so wrong about that... ;-)
*Micky cackles.*
Emma: (winks at Lauren) Oooh, are we gonna do some interesting things with that premise! ;)
Mike: What, Micky bein' evil? Ain't he evil enough? :p
*Lauren grins knowingly.*
Peter: When, so I can be out of town?
Micky: I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not.
Emma: Don't worry, fellows, that's not for another couple of months. ;)
Micky: *eyebrows raise* Won't that be around when... *glances at Lauren* Oh, good Lord, you ladies are evil!
Emma: Let's just say we have some interesting things planned for the end of Lauren's pregnancy. (Evil grin) And that doesn't count what Lauren has planned for the actual birth...that one's totally on her. ;)
Micky: *frowns* Tell me nothing will go wrong, atleast...
Peter: (Grins) Literally.
*Lauren just grins.*
Emma: You'll see.
Micky: *looks worried* Babe, you know I love you...
Lauren: *smiles* Love you, too, Mick, but we're still going with what we have planned. ;-)
Davy: Oh, god, what are you two plannin' for Lauren's birth? Like it's bad enough she's got two kids inside 'er!
Lauren: I'm not saying anything about it. My lips are sealed. ;-) O:-)
Bert: There was a lot of talk at the end of Micky's story about changes being made to the series. What kind of changes?
Emma: We've talked this over, and we've agreed that it's time to change the formula somewhat. You might call Micky's story a transistion from the pure fantasies we've been doing to stories that, while still fantasy to a degree, are set a bit closer to home.
Mike: Come on, it's been four story sets now, and we're still livin' in our imaginations? That formula is gettin' real stale.
Lauren: Now we'll be more into real life.
Bob: You mentioned getting jobs, buying the Pad...
Micky: We've gotta earn a living somehow.
Emma: Right. Though the stories, especially the longer ones, will probably always have that degree of fantasy, we're going to make it less obvious from here on in...and more tied in to reality.
Mike: We've got little Monkees comin'. We can't be jumpin' all over creation.
Lauren: Well, you guys could. *smiles* I'll be keeping my feet on the ground, thank you. ;-)
Bob: Someone mentioned exploring the Imagination power that started a lot of this more thoroughly, too.
Emma: Our next stories will both explore and de-emphasize the "Power of the Imagination," the blue light that allows us to travel from place to place easily and realizes many of our fantasies.
Bert: What do you mean by explore and de-emphasize?
Peter: Valerie has a point, Bert. We've used this power for four story sets now, and we have no idea where it came from or, really, what it is.
Micky: It was just kinda there!
Mike: All we know is that we think of somethin', there's this blue light, and there it is, or there we are, where we want to be. Don't that strike you as just the tiniest bit strange?
*Micky holds out a hand. There's a small blue light, and a sandwich appears.*
Davy: Exactly. Like that!
Lauren: *rolls her eyes* Abusing the privilege!
*Micky grins and munches on the sandwich.*
(Everyone laughs again.)
Bob: And the de-emphasising...
Emma: We're not going to "live" in our imaginations anymore, and no more traveling further than the southern California area for a long time.
Mike: At least until the kiddies are born, the stories are going to have a firmer grounding in reality.
Emma: I also want to explore other aspects of the world we've created, like the neighborhood the boys live in, or their (grins) other identities.
(The boys cough and suddenly look VERY interested in whatever they're doing.)
Lauren: Seems we've hit a nerve. ;-)
Emma: There's something I've been wondering for a while. (Looks at the guys) How did your secret identities come about?
Mike: (Frowns) Huh?
Peter: Why would our identities be secret?
Micky: What secret identities? *looks around warily*
Davy: What, do you think we're Superman or somethin'?
Lauren: Oh, come on, guys!
Emma: (Crosses her arms) Guys, we're not stupid. We know you've done the superhero thing before.
Lauren: So don't you guys play stupid.
Mike: Superheroes? Us?
Peter: We're musicians, not Batman or X-Men or anything!
*Lauren taps the "BATMAN" comic Micky's hiding behind.*
Davy: Would be a groovy way to meet chicks, though. ;)
Lauren: He's doing his homework, apparently. *grins*
*Micky lowers the comic to glare at her, then quickly goes back to reading.*
Davy: What are you doin' ovah there, Micky?
Micky: *from behind the comic* Just reading.
Mike: Look, we're not superheroes. We almost got killed solvin' mysteries in our maginations, for cryin' out loud!
Emma: Me thinketh the Texan doth protest too much. ;)
Micky: *mutters* Superheroes are pretty cool.
Emma: Oh, come on, guys, we know about the Monkeemen.
Bob: Ahh, yes, those secret identities.
*Micky rolls off the psychiatrist's couch.*
(Peter's jaw drops.)
(Davy drops his nail file.)
(Mike hits a sour note on Black Beauty and stares at the girls.)
Lauren: *laughs, taps Micky's head once he sits up again* Aw, did we guess your little secret? ;-)
Mike: How...
Emma: You guys aren't very good at hiding it. ;)
Lauren: A pair of glasses with no glass in them? Come on, Micky's real glasses provide more cover than those did!
Emma: (Nods) And the overalls with Bernard Class... (rolls her eyes)
Mike: Yeah, well, gotta keep an eye on the neighborhood somehow. Most of the people who live in our part of Malibu Beach are over 50, 'cept for a couple of other music groups, the Parkers on the corner, Nyles, and us.
Bert: Any other changes planned for the series?
Mike: Micky, you and Lauren are not going to be able to stay in that tiny apartment once the babies come.
Micky: *nods, sitting on the couch once again* I know that. I'm working on it. *gives Mike a look*
Emma: And, speaking of the neighborhood, I thought we'd investigate that a little more thoroughly, too, starting with this story.
Peter: And Valerie. I want to spend more time with Valerie.
Lauren: *quirks an eyebrow* You're planning something, Mick, I know it!
Mike: (Grins) Yeah, so do I.
Emma: Me, too. ;)
Davy: And me. ;)
Peter: (Scratches his head) Huh?
Micky: Don't worry about it, Pete. ;-)
Bert: So, what's on the docks for the next story? Monkeemen?
Emma: (Grins) Yup. Something I noticed when I was going over the Long Title archives... there have been stories with the guys as witches, X-Men-style superheroes with mutant powers, ninja-style superheroes, and fantasy characters... but, as far as either of us know, no one has ever explored the origins of the superheroes who actually did turn up on the show... the Monkeemen. Something completely different, and a nice change to the formula. Also something light, as the story I have planned for October will be very dark.
Lauren: Em is not kidding. ;-)
Mike: (Glares) How dark?
Peter: I don't like dark.
Emma: Very dark.
Micky: *raises a hand* I'm afraid of the dark.
Davy: Ok, how often are we going to be kidnapped, and who's gonna try to get in our pants?
Emma: (Smiles demurely) You'll see. ;) >:)
*Lauren just grins.* O:-)
Bob: How many stories do you have on dock?
Emma: As of this story, we have ideas planned through December, the end of the year. The December story will probably be a cute, light Christmas tale, as our minds will very likely be elsewhere by then. :)
Lauren: *nods* Just a nice little family story to top off the year.
Emma: As mentioned, October's long story will probably be the darkest we've ever done, as it deals with (coughs) the return of an old enemy.
Peter: (Gulps) Which one?
Mike: There's so many to choose from. :p
Micky: We just want to know how afraid we should be.
Emma: Very afraid. ;)
Micky: *gulps* Oh, crap.
Mike: (Makes a face) Oh, that afraid.
Bob: Any other changes planned?
Emma: While the format - short comic story, long action drama, and short epilogue - will remain the same, we're going to be trying some different things with the formula. We want to concentrate more on comedies, especially in the warm-up stories.
Mike: And, as mentioned, Em was talkin' about doin' more with the folks in the neighborhood, like Nyles, the Parkers, Millie and Larry, Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Filcheck, Mrs. Purdy, Babbitt, and the local cops.
Davy: Must we include Babbitt? He's a bloomin' jerk!
Emma: As of the next story, we're going to try to phase him out, hense us purchasing the Pad. You guys would probably own the damn place by now in real life. It's obvious you all love it.
Lauren: At least, we hope you'd own it by now.
Emma: The next stories will all have somewhat firmer groundings in reality while retaining at least some of the fantasy elements... and the November stories, about the birth of Lauren's kids, will probably de-emphasize the villain menace completely.
Lauren: Yeah, it's kinda weird having these villains interest in my pregnancy. *makes a face*
Mike: Twins ain't a normal thing, Lauren. Only happens to one outta hundred.
Lauren: George *Micky growls* was interested even before he found that out!
Peter: (Nods) Let's make the next villains not so scary...or so much like us!
Mike: That's something else. From here on in, could we drop the double thing, or at least de-emphasize it?
Micky: It was bad enough dealing with Baby Face! *frowns*
Peter: At least your double was American! Mine was a Russian ballet dancer! :p
Micky: But he and George were both gangster types!
Emma: For the most part, yes (whispers to Lauren) but I haven't completely given up doing a double story for Mike, since he's the only guy who didn't have a double in the main storyline on the show. Won't do that idea for a long time, though.
*Lauren nods, a small smile crossing her lips.*
Emma: (Sighs and nods at Mike) For now, yes, Mike, we'll drop the double thing. That's gotten a tad repetitious, too.
Bert: You mentioned changes to the formula. What "changes?"
Mike: Oh, come on, haven't you noticed in almost every story but Lauren's, we arrive in some weird place, run into a mystery we have no business being involved in, someone gets kidnapped, someone gets rescued, someone falls for someone they shouldn't, Davy chases chicks, and we all somehow defeat the bad guys and then move on to the next location?
Emma: There will be no more "moving to the next location" for a long time, for one thing.
Mike: The rape thing is gettin' real scary. (Mutters) I'm still havin' nightmares about that Lady Plaisir chick....
Micky: *cringes* Don't mention that name!
Lauren: I was waiting for... *glances at Micky* that gangster to try something.
Emma: The "Monkeemen" story will likely be pure comedy with a touch of slight drama, nothing like our imagination stories or what I have planned for October.
Davy: And the producah's do have a point. (Nods at Mike and Emma) You guys gotta get married sometime.
Emma: I thought we'd do it before Micky and Lauren's babies arrive. Maybe in a few months...
Mike: We'll see. We've gotta worry 'bout gettin' jobs and settlin' down first.
Bert: Any other "changes?"
Emma: A more regular roster of characters. The characters have been different in almost every other story. From Micky's story on in, you'll be seeing more familiar faces involved with the stories - not only the neighbors and Babbitt, but also the local cops, Valerie, various merchants in Malibu Beach, Micky's family, and the many other rock groups in the area.
Mike: Now that we're becomin' a family, we thought we'd give the series a homier tinge.
Micky: Yeah, mom's been bugging me about getting the entire family together. *pauses* Sounds more like a circus to me. ;-)
Lauren: *glares at Micky* That's too easy. ;-)
Davy: Circus? Try a bloomin' safari! ;)
Lauren: Well, he should know about circuses. *winks*
Micky: *blinks* There you go again with that.
Emma: I've had other ideas as well. (Emma whispers to Lauren) I was thinking we could do "33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee" as a warm-up story, maybe someone's nightmare? And of course, we'll do it our way, meaning no ape suits, and Julie Driscoll will not sing with Micky. ;)
Lauren: *nods, grinning* He can do the duet with someone else. ;-)
Mike: (Rolls his eyes) Man, Em showed me that special. Damn ape suits gave me nightmares. :p
Peter: I looked so out of it in that special! I must have really be meditating.
Lauren: *mutters* Or something else entirely.
Emma: There will be more short fanfiction between stories as well, ala "Peter's Peacock" and "Little Old Lady" revolving around events not covered in the main stories.
Micky: *grins* I read that. Glad I missed it. ;-)
Peter: I liked the peacock story. The peacock was fun.
Davy: That peacock was a noisy pain in the arse!
Mike: And a hungry one! He ate my damn breakfast!
Lauren: Besides, Mike, wasn't Micky the one who usually did that? *smirks*
Mike: Yeah, well, Micky usually asks before he eats other people's food. The peacock didn't ask. :p
Micky: Here we go with the food shots again. *rolls his eyes*
Mike: Hey, I was bein' nice! I said you have better manners than the peacock! ;)
Davy: That's not sayin' much. ;)
Peter: Hey! Don't make fun of Humphrey!
*Micky just grumbles something, which makes Lauren smirk.*
Bob: So, Emma and Mike, how does it feel to be engaged?
Mike: Different. I'm gonna do it right this time. No quickie weddin's.
Emma: Weird. I guess it really hasn't had the chance to sink in. I don't know what I'm going to tell my folks. They're so busy with my new nephew.
Mike: Aunt Kate's ok about it, but God only know how Mom will react.
Micky: *grins* You guys don't know about the grilling Lauren's dad put me through!
*Lauren chuckles.*
Emma: (Grins wickedly at Mike) And mine will be worse. He's a big Noow Yawka guy, and he's VERY protecitve of his little girls. ;)
Mike: (Mutters) Swell.
Micky: *grins* Welcome to the club, Mike. ;-)
Emma: (Swats his elbow) Aww, I'm teasing, honey. Don't mind Daddy. He's got a hot temper like yours, but he's really a pussy cat when you get down to it. You'll like my mom. She's a southern belle. Born in the hills of West Virginia. (Grins) And I'm a southern belle, too, in a way.
Mike: You are? I thought you were from New Jersey.
Emma: (Crosses her arms with a big grin) But I was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida...about as south as you can get. And Cape May, where I grew up, is technically under the Mason-Dixon Line. ;)
Davy: Mike, you're just jealous that you're not the only southerner anymore! ;)
Mike: (Shrugs) Nahh, different part of the south. (Puts Black Beauty aside, takes Emma, and kisses her. She kisses him back)
Micky: Awwww!
Davy: Hey, you two, get a room! ;)
Peter: At least they aren't trying to tear each other's heads off. ;)
Mike: Hey, Micky and Lauren can do it, why can't we?
Micky: *grins* Yeah! *pulls Lauren over gently into a kiss*
Bert: Emma and Mike, what are you two going to do after you get married?
Mike: The same thing we're doin' now, makin' music and writin'.
Emma: We've discussed that much. We're going to set the basement room up for us while the guys are still there. (Grins) Peter and Davy will finally get their own rooms.
Bob: You gonna have kids?
Mike: Maybe.
Emma: Probably not. We'll see.
*Micky and Lauren are still kissing.*
Emma: (Sighs) Oh, good grief...
Mike: Talk about "get a room!"
Davy: Don't you two have ENOUGH babies coming without making more?
Peter: I think they're sweet! :X
*They pull apart, Lauren's blushing and Micky's grinning.*
Micky: Oops, sorry, got a little carried away. ;-)
Emma: No kidding. ;)
Mike: Maybe we ought to leave the kiddies alone for a while.
Micky: *grins* We'll be over here if you need us. *winks*
Lauren: *laughs* Mick!
Emma: (Sighs) I'm gonna go get something to eat. Anyone want to come with me?
Mike: (Gets up) I could use a little grub.
Davy: I'm going to check the next script.
Peter: I'm ok.
*Micky and Lauren have gone back to kissing. Micky waves a hand.*
Davy: (Squeezes Micky's shoulder - he continues kissing Lauren) Congratulations, guys, on the tykes...and good luck. (Heads out)
Emma: (Puts her arm around Mike's waist) Come on, honey. Let's go do some celebrating of our own. ;)
Mike: Sounds good to me, darlin'! (She and Mike kiss as they head out the door)
Peter: (Sighs and takes his bass) I think you guys want some...private time. I'll go in the next room... (does so; Lauren and Micky continue kissing as the lights go out and the scene fades away...)
(...and fades into the credits, once again production stills, this time to "For Pete's Sake," ending with the headshots of the four guys and "A Raybert Production.")