Everyone ready to finish the story? :)

Mike: Not so loud... :p

Micky: You bet. ;)

Davy: Might as well. ;)

(We open in Micky and Lauren's kitchen. Everyone but Mike, Robbie, Valerie, Daphne, and the little girls are there, eating breakfast. Emma delivers ham, eggs, coffee, tea, and pancakes.)

Bert: Hey, gang. Happy New Year! Where's Mike?

Emma: (Makes a face) Still sleeping it off. (Delivers Micky his pancakes)

Lauren: The rest of us didn't end up so bad.

Bob: So, how was that party last night? We didn't see much of it.

Emma: We had a lot of fun, actually. It was good and noisy.

Bert: How long did it take you guys to get up after the kids came down?

Emma: (Grins) Let's put it this way. It's now one in the afternoon, and I'm making breakfast.

Katie: Yummy! Mama makes good pancakes!

Emma: (Grins) Want some more, sweetie?

Katie: Sure! I'll eat Papa's!

Emma: (She gives Katie another pancake) Your papa will be down soon. He's just more tired than the rest of us.

Katie: (Grins at the twins) We have breakfast at lunch! That's cool! :D

(Mike finally comes down, bleary-eyed and grumbling. He rubs his eyes and plops down next to Micky at the table.)

Emma: Coffee, dear?

(Mike just grunts.)

Bob: So, where did the idea for this one come from?

Emma: Bert, we came up with this story LAST winter. I thought it would make for a nice follow-up to "The Three Monkee-Teers." Those who read our site regularly know it's been twice bumped from the schedule, once in June and once in August, both times when we came up with ideas we thought had better plots.

(Emma delivers Mike his coffee, then sighs at Micky. His plate is already empty.)

Emma: More, Mick? (He nods with a wide grin, and she drops more pancakes on his plate.)

*Micky chows into his next serving.*

Mike: (As he sips his coffee) Val went home to watch Jordan. Daph's upstairs with Leah and Lizzie.

Katie: (She shakes her head at the twins, whose plates are almost empty) "Wow, you guys sure can eat!"

*The twins grin.*

(Emma gives the twins a little more ham.)

Bob: So, what was your favorite part?

Mike: The first bar brawl.

Emma: The food fight finale, and following Sheila all over 1940 LA.

Lauren: Becoming a partner with the private eyes.

Micky: Being a Private Mick.

Davy: The first brawl.

Bob: How come Peter wasn't in the story much?

Mike: 'Cause the jerk didn't show up.

Emma: Mike, be nice. It was his choice not to come to the party.

Bert: Is that why he was sort-of a bad guy, too?

Mike: If he wanted to be a good guy, he could show up.

Emma: We might as well say it here. We won't be seeing Peter again until the summer stories. We're going to be temporarily dropping him for a while.

Mike: So, he's quittin'.

Emma: I didn't say that.

Mike: He's the one dead-set on bein' in a group, and HE quits! What kinda sense does THAT make?

Emma: (As she clears dishes) You know he hasn't been really happy with any of the band's activities for a long time.

Mike: If he was HERE a little more often...

Bert: We've heard this argument about Peter before. Micky, how does it feel to be a hero?

Micky: I really enjoyed it. Not quite sure if it made up for being picked on a lot last year, but... *shrugs*

Emma: We thought it would make you feel a little better, especially given what we have planned for the next four months or so...heck, for the next YEAR.

Mike: (Suspicious) What DO you have planned for the stories this year?

Emma: Oh, so many things.

Lauren: Fun stuff.

Micky: I don't like the tones of their voices.

Mike: Me either. What are you two up to?

Emma: We've been working on the ideas for most of this year's stories since last summer!

Lauren: We had a serious brainstorm back when.

Mike: What did you brainstorm about?

Emma: Oh, a few confrontations with the devils, some changing sides, another car trip...

Mike: What?

Micky: I don't like the sound of that.

Emma: Lauren's in charge of the next four stories or so. They were all her ideas.

Mike: Nice knowin' ya, Mick.

Micky: *pales* Oh God...

Lauren: Actually, they really won't be THAT bad.

Emma: Except for maybe March.

Micky: They're concerning me, that's bad enough.

Lauren: Ehhh, maybe.

Mike: Damn, that's when we'll be on the Canada tour. Tell me ain't nothin's gonna go wrong with the Canada tour.

Lauren: The tour itself will be fine.

Mike: Tell me we ain't gonna lose anyone else!

Emma: Well...we're going to gain people for a little while, eventually...

Micky: What?

Lauren: You'll see soon, guys.

Mike: As long as it ain't anythin' damagin'. I'm not in the mood for goin' up against more livin' buildin's, especially since now we don't have Pete's aura-readin'.

Lauren: Nope, no more living buildings for the foreseeable future.

Mike: (Groans and holds his head) And no more parties for a while. Lauren, is there any aspirin around?

Lauren: In medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

Mike: Thanks. (He heads out; Emma turns to Lauren)

Emma: Remind me not to let him overdo it next month. He'll be muttering about his head for days.

Lauren: No problem.

Katie: Poor Papa.

Emma: Don't "Poor Papa" him, Katie. He shouldn't have drank as much liquor as he did.

Bob: So, Lauren, what DO you have planned for the next few months?

Emma: Well, we're going to have fun next month...and no Mick, beyond embarrassment, no one gets hurt.

Bert: Something for Valentine's Day? You didn't really do much for Valentine's Day last year.

Lauren: Um, yes and no.

Emma: It'll be funny and romantic, enough to make both the ladies and the gentlemen happy.

Micky: That sounds promising enough.

Emma: We're still working on April, which will be a little different.

Mike: (As he rejoins them) I don't like the sound of THAT.

Emma: Not damaging-different. We're trying something new with the non-villain stories.

Micky: Whew.

Emma: April will be quite magical.

Mike: As long as the magic don't land us in the hospital.

Emma: (Indicates the ham pan) Anyone want anymore?

Mike: I ain't hungry.

Katie: No more! I'm full!

*Both twins raise their hands.*

Lauren: No way! You two have had enough.

Micky: Can I have more?

Lauren: Like you're gonna listen to me if I say no.

Micky: I'll have more, Em.

Emma: I have an idea. (Emma sets slices of oranges on the twins and Micky's plates) There. Have some breakfast food that's good for you.

*The twins munch on theirs.*

Micky: This wasn't what I had in mind.

Lauren: Maybe not, but it's a much appreciated idea. Thanks, Em.

Emma: You're welcome. If they're going to overeat, they might as well overeat the stuff their bodies need.

Bob: When's the next album coming out?

Mike: Dunno. We're probably gonna start workin' on it next month, I think.

Emma: I have my hands full with two kids, one of them a newborn, and my writing career.

Micky: I'd say in the future sometime.

Bob: Are you ever going to make another movie?

Mike: No. Never. Not again.

Emma: Not now, and definitely not for Columbia.

Mike: I heard Val mention one final special in the spring for MGM, but no more movies.

Emma: (Mutters) And if you do ever try the movies again, write the script first, preferably not while stoned, and get a director who respects you and the material.

Mike: I'm gettin' sick of filmin', anyway. I'd rather work on my cars and write songs.

Emma: (Sighs) Considering how long we had to work on this one, I wish it had turned out better. Some of the romps were fun, but it all seemed rather...off.

Mike: Everyone can have an off-story, darlin'.

Lauren: Just like music, you have hits and misses. There's nothing wrong with that.

Emma: I thought doing an old-time mystery would be fun, but like a lot of real film noirs, it got too complicated.

Mike: How did you come up with the whole counterfeit money thing?

Emma: I saw it in a first season, World War II-set "Wonder Woman" episode. While the US didn't enter the war for over a year after this story is set, many Americans were concerned about Hitler and the Nazi takeover of Europe.

Mike: (Grins) And how do we thank you for killing off Babbitt?

*Lauren just laughs.*

Emma: That didn't come in until MUCH later as a way to get the plot rolling.

Mike: I kinda liked bein' a bandleader, even if you DID get me beaten to a pulp.

Emma: I thought it would add suspense to the second half!

Mike: Or another scar to my collection.

Micky: They love to see us injured.

Emma: Mike, it was just a story, anyway!

Bert: This is the second year in a row you've started off with one of these round-robin stories, isn't it?

Emma: Yeah, it is. (Grins at Lauren) We ought to do this every January.

Bob: Not a bad idea, at that. The round-robin stories allow for alternative-universe stories without looking strange,and they make a nice transition from the light Christmas stories to the plottier stuff you usually do in the spring.

Mike: My head's still poundin', so why don't we head out here?

Micky: Good idea. I wouldn't mind just kicking back and relaxing a bit.

Emma: Me too, after I finish the dishes. (Nods) Happy New Year to all our readers!

Micky: *waves* Bye everyone!

(And we go into "We Were Meant For Each Other" as the credits are seen over stills of the "production," ending with the shot of all the families and Ursula standing in rain gear in the circular driveway of the Cartwright Mansion from "The Rain, The Ark, And Other Things" under the words "A Raybert Production.")