Ok, so, ready to try to help the Basses?
Katie: Help Santa n' Mrs. Santa!
Jordan: Help! :(
Peter: Those poor people wouldn't steal! :(
Mike: Em, where's those seasickness pills again? :p
Micky: I'm ready!
Davy: Let’s 'elp them!
(We open later that day, once again in Chrissy and Jordan's stateroom. The kids lay on the beds, Jordan and Mick in one, Shelly and Katie in the other. All four seem to be asleep. After a few seconds, Katie opens an eye.)
Katie: (Sits up, streching) "Oooh, what a nap!" (She nudges Shelly) "Hey, Shel? You awake? We need to talk about how we're gonna help Santa!"
Shelly: *opens her eyes* "I'm awake." :)
Katie: "We're gonna need to get the boys up. Jordan's not that bad, but your brother..." :p
Shelly: "He could take a while." :P
Katie: "Psst! Jordan! Hey, Jordan, it's time to get up! We have to help Santa?"
Jordan: (Murmurs) "Huh? No, Mommy, just five more minutes..."
Katie: (A bit louder) "JORDAN!"
Jordan: (Shoots up) "Huh? Hello?" (Sees the girls) "Oh, hi. I thought you were Mommy!"
(Katie just sighs and shakes her head.)
Shelly: "Oh, dear."
Katie: "Do you think you could get Micky up? We're gonna need him!"
Jordan: "Well, ok." (He turns to Mick and shakes him) "Hey, Micky? It's time to wake up!"
*Mick snores.* I-)
Jordan: (Shakes him harder) "Mick, come on!"
*Mick rolls over the opposite way.*
Katie: "Mick, if we don't help Santa, there won't be any toys for Christmas! You won't get your hula hoop and I won't get my tricycle and Shelly won't get her drum set and Jordan won't get his guitar!"
Jordan: "And it's not fair Santa's in jail! He didn't steal your daddy's watch or my mommy's ring! :("
Mick: *sits up abruptly* "Did someone mention TOYS?!"
Jordan: "Mick, we won't GET any toys for Christmas if we don't help Santa! They're gonna put him jail, 'cause the grown-ups think he took everyone's jewels!"
Mick: "We gotta save Santa!"
Katie: "I don't think the grown-ups really think Santa took the jewels, even the police. They just don't know who DID. They need more sub-stan-ci-al ev-i-de-n-s, like Mama says."
(Chrissy enters at this point, a little annoyed. She smiles when she sees the kids are awake.)
Chrissy: Oh, hi guys! I'm glad to see you're all up.
Jordan: Hi, Chrissy! (Reaches for her) Hug! :D
Chrissy: Of course! (She sits on the bed, takes Jordan, and hugs him) Did you have a nice sleep?
Jordan: Yeah.
Chrissy: The grown-ups went to watch your dadddies rehearse. The three Abbies are here baby-sitting, but they're all passed out. I think they're either sea-sick or were up too late last night. They keep complaining about their heads and their stomachs and drinking lots and lots of coffee.
Katie: Seasick, like Papa.
Chrissy: Well, Kimberly did look a little green this morning...
Katie: (Whispers to Shelly) "Do you think we could ask Chrissy to help us save Santa? She doesn't really believe in Santa, but we're going to need someone bigger!"
Shelly: *nods* "I think we should ask."
Katie: Cwissy?
Chrissy: Yes, Katie?
Jordan: Help Santa!
Chrissy: Help Santa? What do you...(eyes brighten)...oh, I heard Peter tell Val. They took that nice old couple to the brig for questioning about the stolen jewelry, right?
Jordan: No toys!
Chrissy: But that's not really Santa! His name is Mr. Kris Bass. I don't think they'll keep him for long. They can't prove he stole anything.
Jordan: No! Santa!
Katie: That Santa.
Chrissy: Just because he wore a red suit for your party...
Katie: Sack!
Shelly: Yeah, the sack!
Chrissy: Girls, a lot of people have sacks.
Katie: Santa's magic sack!
Jordan: Sack!
Chrissy: What do you mean, his magic sack?
Katie: Not Santa sack!
Jordan: No!
Chrissy: What do you mean, not Santa's sack? How many sacks does Santa have?
Katie: (Turns to Shelly) "Did you see more than one red sack at the party? I think those people in the fancy outfits had one!"
Shelly: "I did see them with one!"
Katie: "I think there was another one, too! They must have gotten mixed up! We have to tell Chrissy!"
Mick: Chrissy! *tugs at her sleeve* We think Santa's sack was switched with someone else's!
Chrissy: But...how?
Katie: At pawty!
Chrissy: You think the sacks got switched at the party?
(Katie nods. Jordan nods, too, even though he doesn't quite understand what's going on.)
Chrissy: Then Mr. Bass got the real jewel robbers' sack! (Frowns) Then who got Mr. Bell's sack?
Katie: Dunno.
Jordan: Go! Help! (Points to the door)
Chrissy: But what about the grown-ups and the Abbies?
Katie: (Looks at Shelly) "Maybe the Abbie aunties could help us, too. Auntie Maxine did lose her ring, and they're pretty smart."
Shelly: "We could use all the help we can get!"
Katie: Aunties, too!
Chrissy: I don't know, they don't look very good...
Jordan: Aunties fun!
Katie: Aunties! :D
(The door opens at this point. Kimberly groans, her head in her hands. She wears loose pants, sandals, and a tank top.)
Kimberly: Could you guys keep it down? Some of us are dying here.
Jordan: Oh!
Katie: No, Jordan. :p
Jordan: Oh.
Maxine: (Joins them) What's all the ruckus about?
Chrissy: The kids are awake, and they want to help the Basses out of the brig.
Maxine: How are we gonna do that? Maybe they did take the jewels, for all we know.
Kimberly: Aw Maxie, they were nice people! They knew all our names! Besides, it's Christmas, and you can't throw Santa in the slammer at Christmas! I think it's illegal, or something. :p
Maxine: How do you guys know it's Santa, anyway?
Katie: Sack!
Jordan: Sack bye-bye!
Chrissy: They think Mr. Bass' sack got switched with the jewel thieves, and someone else may have got Santa's!
Kimberly: (Looks at the kids) But how do you know?
Katie: See (counts on fingers) three sack!
Jordan: Me too!
Shelly: There's three sacks! We saw them!
Maxine: And you want us to help you find the sacks and the people who have them, so we can save Mr. Bass.
Jordan: Santa! Get Santa!
Katie: Wan' tri’cycle!
Chrissy: But he's not...
Maxine: Whether he is or isn't Santa, he doesn't deserve to be in the brig. (Looks at the kids) Ok, squirts, we'll help Mr. Bass.
Katie: Yay! :D
Jordan: Yay! (Hugs Chrissy)
Shelly: Thank you!
Mick: Thanks! :D
Maxine: You're welcome, squirts.
Kimberly: I'm going to try to get Jenny up.
Maxine: I'll leave a note for your folks saying we took you for drinks and snacks in the dining room.
Chrissy: And I'll get this crowd together. (Chrissy puts Jordan on the floor and stands herself) Ok, gang, time to get moving. We have to save a nice old couple!
Jordan: Yay! Santa!
Chrissy: Let's get our shoes and socks and sandals and something to eat and get going! March, everyone!
Jordan: (Turns to Micky as they follow Chrissy out) "Mick, does this mean we're Guar...guar...super people, like our mommies and daddies, and we get to help everyone and turn into animals?"
Mick: "Well, let me put it this way, Jordan. We'll be helping people. That's what's important!" :)
Jordan: "Cool! :D"
(Cut to the main ballroom. The Monkees rehearse "Run, Run, Rudolph" in a performance number. Their wives sit at a table to one side, sipping drinks, chatting, and listning to the boys play. Mike still looks slightly green, but otherwise seems fine...and certainly plays fine. Peter beams, his grin ear-to-ear.)
(Mike sighs as Micky and Davy vie for the girls' attention, Micky playing louder and Davy dancing and shaking and winking.)
(Emma shakes her head at the boys' antics. Valerie giggles.)
(Mike takes Davy's tambourine and smacks him over the head, then does the same to Mick.)
*Both stick their tongues out at Mike.*
Mike: (As the music ends) I hope you two don't pull that shit at the gig tonight. We don't need you getting two more black eyes. :p
Davy and Micky: *glance at each other; in unison* Who? Us?
Valerie: As much as it amuses me, I'm afraid I agree with Mike. Please, refrain from outright fisticuffs during these performances. You're on a cruise ship, not in an arena filled with half-stoned rock fans. :p
Peter: Guys, don't kill each other! It's Christmas! What happened to peace on earth, goodwill towards men?
(There's clapping from the back. It's the couple in the cheap designer knock-offs. The woman practically has hearts in her eyes.)
Woman: That was wonderful! I thought I recognized you! You're the Monkees! You appear in those specials on NBC!
Man: And we own three of your albums. I liked the last one you put out. Very experimental.
Woman: (She goes and shakes Davy's hand) Oh, I'm Elaine Hampshire-Devonham, and this is my husband, Todd Hampshire-Devonham Esquire. (She just keeps shaking it) You're even more handsome in person, all of you!
Davy: *while being bounced* Th-thank y-you...
Todd: Actually, we were on our way to the lost and found, but along with our things, we seem to have lost our way.
Elaine: And we heard your music and thought we'd take a listen!
Todd: We're looking for a large red sack. We seem to have switched ours with another one.
Elaine: Yes! Ours was filled with...ow! (Todd elbows her) Well, we somehow got an empty sack. It looks like it's full, but there was nothing in it when we opened it. We shook it, turned it inside-out, and there was nothing. (Her eyes get big and sad) We don't know what we'll do if we don't find that bag! It's filled with everything we need for New York!
Peter: Wow, we'll help you!
Emma: (Thoughtful) And maybe...we could help each other.
Elaine: What do you mean?
Peter: A friend of ours, Mr. Bass, said his sack got mixed up with a jewel thief’s!
Mike: I believe that. I may not think the old guy is Santa, but I don't think he's into jewelry all that much, either. The cops weren't even that convinced.
Elaine: Mr. Bass didn't get our sack. We didn't have jewelry, either.
Todd: (Mutters) Too hard to steal, and MUCH too obvious. :p
Emma: (Looks at Lauren) If Mr. Bass didn't get your sack...
Lauren: Could there be another?
Peter: (Thoughtful) I think I saw another guy set a sack down in the room during the party, right next to Mr. Bass' sack. I thought it was the same one.
Emma: (Nods) I THOUGHT that's what I saw! There WAS more than one sack at the party!
Mike: (Groans) Now there’s three red sacks somewhere around this ship.
Valerie: Not three. The cops still have the one with the jewels.
Elaine: And we have the empty one.
Todd: Then the jewel thieves have OUR sack.
Mike: Yeah, that's the logical conclusion.
Elaine: Oh, I shudder to think what those horrible people would do to our things!
Todd: (Mutters again, but Micky, Mike, and Davy hear) I shudder to think what will happen when they turn our stolen goods over to the lost and found or the cops or both.
Mike: (Murmurs to Micky) Stolen goods?
Micky: Hmmm...
Mike: Sounds like there's more than one thief on this ship.
Peter: I wish there was a way we could help the Basses!
Valerie: What if we trapped the thieves ourselves?
Mike: Val, we're not cops!
Valerie: Mike, they could be all day questioning Mr. Bass!
Elaine: I want our sack back!
Mike: (Thinks) Lost and found...
Emma: But how are we going to lure the theives out of hiding?
Peter: With more jewels?
Elaine: I don't have any more jewels! Mine are in the jewel sack!
Emma: So's mine.
Mike: Maybe we don't need REAL jewels.
Peter: But they wouldn't want fake ones!
Emma: Not if they thought the jewels were real.
Mike: (Looks at Micky) Remember that huge costume jewelry pendant you were looking at for your mom for Christmas in the ship’s gift shop?
Micky: *nods* Yeah...
Mike: Wanna get it for her?
Micky: You bet!
Valerie: I saw those, too. They were really big...and the green ones almost looked real.
Mike: Real enough to attract the thieves' attention.
Valerie: We'll do it at the gig this evening while the Abbies take care of the kids.
Elaine: We'll have to look for someone with a red sack and very sticky fingers. :p
Peter: Maybe they had too much of that coconut pudding they had on the buffet last night?
Valerie: No, look for people who are brushing against other people or just near enough to grab jewelry or watches.
Peter: Oh.
Mike: (Turns back to Micky) Micky, did you bring that new camera Lauren got you for your birthday? The little one with the unobtrusive flash?
Micky: *nods* Of course I did. I've been practicing with it.
Valerie: Good idea. The flash on my camera isn't that bad, either. We could take pictures of the theives from two angles.
Emma: But we're going to need to stop them from leaving.
Mike: Jack and Nyles can take over from there. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to peacefully lead the thieves to the cops.
Valerie: I knew there’s a reason we keep bringing them along.
Peter: Yeah, they're stronger than we are.
Micky: Speak for yourselves. ;)
*Lauren snorts. Micky sticks his tongue out again.*
(Peter chuckles. Mike just rolls his eyes.)
*Davy snorts.*
Valerie: (Looks at her watch) Why don't we go out to the pool for some parents-only time? I told the Abbies we wouldn't be back until late. Maxine said they'd happily baby-sit all day.
Emma: I think they hit the bars a little too hard last night. None of them were looking all that grand when they finally emerged this afternoon.