Emma: (hands Lauren an armful of magazines about weddings and brides) Just to get you two started... ;)

Lauren: There's so much to look through! *begins to flip*

(Emma then goes to the computer and starts reading stuff about "Head" in preparation for the next "show." Mike reads over her shoulder. Micky joins Lauren and her stack of wedding magazines, Peter leans over a notebook, working on a new song, and Davy does his nails.)

Peter: How does this sound for a title, guys? "Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?"

Mike: Sounds kinda long, Pete...

Micky: Sounds redundant. *grins*

Peter: (Thoughtful) Long title...I like that! (Grins and starts writing again)

Bob: You kids ready...and congratulations on your engagement, Micky and Lauren. :)

Lauren: *looks up from the magazines* Thanks, Bob!

Micky: Look at this pile! It's making me kinda nervous.

Peter: (Looks up from his song) I think that's so sweet! :x

Bob: What were your reactions to Mick and Lauren's engagement at the end of the western story?

Mike: Total shock. I know he worships Lauren, but I didn't think they were this serious...

Lauren: Try "thud". *grins*

(Emma and Mike burst out laughing.)

Micky: Worship doesn't even begin to describe it. *winks*

Davy: (Looks up from his nails) I think it's groovy! You guys deserve it! (Grins at Micky) And I'm going to be your best man, of course! ;)

Micky: *blinks* Did I decide that?

Bert: When is the wedding?

*Lauren and Micky exchange glances.*

Micky: Soon?

Mike: Well, when did you kids decide?

Emma: I want to know when I'm going to need to have the cake ready! ;)

Lauren: There isn't an actual date yet, per say.

Micky: I did the tough part. I asked her. *shrugs*

Bert: Speaking of romances...Emma, did you and Mike ever have that long talk you mentioned during your talk with Lauren?

Emma: (She and Mike both nod) Yeah, we talked. (Sighs) No, we're not ready to get married yet.

Mike: (Shrugs) Neither of us want that kind of commitment yet, and there's still a lot of things that we need to work out.

Bert: Easy question for the group - where did the ideas for both the boardwalk story and the Wild West story come from?

Emma: (Giggles) The boardwalk story came from a simple thought - these guys loose in my home town. ;)

Lauren: A rather scary concept. *winks*

Emma: I thought the idea of letting these four loose on one of the biggest boardwalks in the world was hilarious...and it did turn out to be a lot of fun. ;)

Micky: Then there was Davy and his girl-chasing. *grins*

Davy: (Stops with his nails and sighs) You guys are NOT going to drop that, are you? I was just enjoying myself.

Mike: Your enjoying yourself almost got us killed in both stories.

Micky: You gotta tone it down, Dave, really.

Davy: (Sighs) You've got a point. Besides (winks and holds up a piece of paper) I still have Mary Louise's phone number. I may take her up on that invitation back to the boardwalk. ;)

Lauren: Well, there you go!

Emma: Davy, you're a sweet kid, but you really must stop chasing anything taller than you that has breasts.

*Micky laughs and tries to hide behind a magazine.*

Davy: I chase short girls, too!

Mike: And therein lays the problem. In our next story, we're going to find places that do NOT have opportunities for you to play Casanova at every turn. :p

Lauren: Like the Berkshires, where there's more trees than girls. *smiles*

Mike: And didn't someone say something about a factory?

Peter: (Looks up from his song) That sounds safe. I can't imagine there are many young, pretty girls at a factory!

Micky: At least not ones without lab coats.

Emma: (Blushes as she reads through the "Head" material) About that factory, guys...

Lauren: There's some weird stuff that goes on in that place!

Mike: (Reads over Emma's shoulder; his eyes widen) You're tellin' me! I don't think I understand about three fourths of it!

Lauren: That would be what Micky came up with then. *grins*

Emma: (Rolls her eyes) No, you wouldn't understand, Mike. I'll bet you don't even understand your OWN stuff. :p

Mike: What's that supposed to mean?

Micky: It means don't hurt your brain thinking about it.

Emma: It's called "Head" for a reason. /:)

Mike: Stop insinuatin'...

Bert: (Before Emma and Mike can start on each other) One of the major differences between the first two stories and these two is that they're both more structured, less chaotic, especially the first one. How did this come about?

Lauren: We went into these knowing what we wanted this time?

Emma: Exactly. The first time, we were just fooling around. This time, we knew what we were doing.

Mike: And what kind of a story we wanted to tell.

Micky: Wanted? I don't remember wanting to be shot at.

Bob: Speaking of being shot at, the Western story was very dark in parts, more so than the previous three stories. How and why did this happen?

Peter: (Shudders) I don't know, but I never want it to happen again! I'm tired of being a target!

Micky: And my arm still feels kinda sore. *feigns the injure*

Lauren: *rolls her eyes, slugs Micky in the "injured" shoulder* Oh, please!

Emma: (Makes a face) Ask Mr. Cowboy-with-the-dark-imagination over there (points at Mike). It was supposed to be his imagination.

Mike: Bob, have you ever seen "Gunsmoke" or "The Naked Spur" or "The Searchers?" The west wasn't all John Wayne and "Petticoat Junction." It had a very dark side, which I exploited in this story.

Micky: A little more onto certain others of us...

Davy: (Rolls his eyes and goes back to his nails) OVER-exploited if you asked me. Petah and I were barely in half the western story.

Mike: (Crosses his arms) Why did you ask to be Sheriff then, Mick?

Micky: *shrugs* I thought it'd be kinda fun. Tossing bad guys in jail... (Shrugs) Okay, so I never considered the possibility of being shot at.

Emma: (Grins at Mike) Why did you want to be the good-bad gunslinger, Mike?

Mike: (shrugs) Why did you want to be a reporter? (Points at Peter) Why did he want to be a pianist in a saloon? I dunno, I just like westerns. It seemed like a good way to spice up the story.

Peter: I do agree with Davy. I'd like to be more in on the next story...with less shooting in both. You guys know how I feel about violence.

Micky: I won't argue with that.

Mike: Peter, the Old West wasn't always a nice place. People did die, and they did get shot.

Emma: Mike, you've just seen "A Fistful of Dollars" one too many times. :p

Bob: Any plans for the next stories?

Davy: (Winks) We get to explore Lauren's and my imaginations next. ;)

Lauren: *hums the Twilight Zone theme* Heh heh!

Emma: Since we visited the central attraction of my hometown, we're going to head out to Lauren's next. We're going camping. ;)

Mike: I still say Micky gets his own tent. Bad enough I have to sleep next to him in our pad.

Micky: Hey!? I resemble that remark!

Davy: (Squints) Yeah, I'd say you do, Mick. ;)

Lauren: Actually, it won't be completely his own tent...

Emma: (Grins) That's right, the engaged couple!

Lauren: Yeah. Only when he's sleeping will it be his. I need to invest in earplugs first.

Micky: I do not snore!

(Everyone chuckles...except for Mike, who almost falls over Emma laughing.)

Mike: (Between guffaws) Have...(laughter)...you ever heard yourself? I'm lucky if I can sleep at night! ;)

Micky: Sure, laugh it up. *hmphs*

Emma: Hey, watch the computer!

Bob: What was this about a factory?

Davy: I've always dreamed of being a James Bond-action-hero-type, like in the serials I used to watch as a tyke in Manchestah.

Lauren: Will that also include all those beautiful girls?

Davy: (Winks) They'll have bikinis under their lab coats. ;)

Mike: Dave, you promised to cool it...

Micky: Oh, come on! *slumps down in his chair*

Davy: 'ey, this is my imagination!

Lauren: And it's sounding scarier than Micky's.

Davy: (Puts down his file) You guys have been busy savin' each other...but I think it's time Petah and I had a chance to save all of you. ;)

Peter: (Looks up from his notebook) Yeah!

Emma: We were discussing some scenes from (looks around at the guys and coughs) a movie we liked, and several of those scenes were set at a very sinister factory.

Bert: I also noticed there were fewer off-the-cuff references to fanfics, friends, and fantasy sequences in these stories, especially the Western. What happened there?

Mike: Both stories were more intense than either of the first stories and neither really had a lot of room for the silly stuff.

Lauren: And we didn't want to go through all that editing.

Bert: So these will eventually become fanfics, too?

Emma: (Shakes her head) No, it'll likely be the same as last time. The warm-up, sitcom-style story - in this case, "Boardwalk Ballyhoo" - is just for fun and will remain on Lauren's site. The western will probably be made into a full story...especially since it features Mick and Lauren's engagement announcement! :D

Micky: Naturally! ;-)

Bob: Like "Dream World," "Boardwalk Ballyhoo" and "Wild West Monkees" had a through-line - in this case, small-time people like Emma's neighbors and the townspeople vs big corporations and those who own them, like Zecekenbush and Lord. Where did this through-line come from?

Emma: (Sighs) From real-life, in the case of Wildwood, unfortuantly. They're not destroying whole city blocks yet, but many older and historic buildings have recently been replaced by modern condos, which is a major source of concern for much of the town. They're not only destroying Wildwood's past, they're also taking out cheaper places for people like me, my neighbors, and the families who make up the majority of Wildwood's vacationers to live or visit.

Mike: It just seemed natural to continue this in the Western, since many real Wild-West towns had a similar problem when trains started to come out west.

Bob: Easy question...what was your favorite moment from either story?

Lauren: Very easy: the proposal. :D

Emma: (Grins) On the boards, watching Micky win that monkey for Lauren. The look on his face was priceless. Out west, dolling the guys up to go "undercover." ;)

Mike: Savin' Em.

Emma: (Blushes) I'm still a little embarrassed about that... :">

Micky: Pushing Lauren out of the way of that bullet.

Davy: (Grins) The "Words" romp in the dark.

Peter: (Winks) Kissing Elizabeth under the table during the "Good Clean Fun" romp! ;)

Mike: "Good Clean Fun," my rear! Pete, what WERE you and Elizabeth doing under that table?

Peter: (Smirks) What, you don't think I know how to handle a girl, Michael? ;)

Mike: You just didn't strike me as the type who would...go for that.

Peter: (Quietly) There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Michael.

Bert: Mike, another through-line was you and Emma fighting over her being indepenant and you wanting to help her. What was with that?

Micky: Yeah, Mike, what was with that? ;-)

Emma: (Sighs) What Lauren said a while ago is right. I've spent most of my life being coddled by my family and others, and I value my independance.

Mike: (Shrugs) Em, I understand that. God only knows I'm the same way...but you can't do everything by yourself!

Emma: (Puts her hand on his) You can't, either, you know.

Mike: It doesn't hurt to be rescued every now and then, Em.

Lauren: I think they finally get it.

Emma: (Shakes her head) It just doesn't feel right...

Mike: I don't like it, either, but we're both a pair of strong hot-heads, and we just run into trouble naturally.

Micky: No kidding!

Peter: You're both fire signs. It comes with the territory. :)

Emma: (Mutters) Speak for yourself. I usually AVOID trouble!

Mike: Then why do you run off half-cocked at anyone who calls you a kid?

Emma: (Mutters) My defensiveness kicking in.

*Lauren and Micky pass magazines back and forth. Lauren sighs, shaking her head. Micky smirks.*

Davy: What ARE you two lookin' at?

Bob: Wedding magazines, I assume.

Lauren: Was that what we were supposed to be looking at? *holds up a couple comic books*

Peter: (Grabs a comic book) They're reading old "Batman" comics!

Micky: Careful, Peter! They're from my super secret file!

Davy: Got any Catwoman in there? (Grabs a comic book)

Mike: (Rolls his eyes) Oh, brother. (Jerks his thumb at the door) Why don't you and I leave the kiddies alone and go get something to eat?

Emma: (Nods) We can discuss ideas for our next stories (smiles) and other things.

Lauren: Oooooohh! *smirks*

Mike: (Grins at the others as he puts his arm around Emma's waist and the two head out) Don't wait up for us, chillun'! ;)

Micky: Who's he callin' children?

Peter: Well, Emma IS the oldest...

Micky: But we're *motions to himself and Lauren* the ones gettin' married.

(Emma and Mike can be heard in the hallway, laughing and slinging story ideas back and forth.)

Peter: (Thumbs through a comic book) Do you think Mike and Em will ever get married?

Lauren: They might. I wouldn't rule it out, but hey've got several things to work out first.

Davy: (Looks up from a comic) Neither of them seem too keen on the idea right now.

Peter: They've got to learn to compromise with each other.

Micky: Or be more like us. *drapes an arm over Lauren's shoulders*

Davy: (Winks) That's a scary thought. (Gets up) I'm going to call Mary Louise and see if she's free for dinnah. ;) (Heads out)

Micky: And they're dropping like flies.

*Lauren laughs.*

Peter: (Sighs) Guys, do you think I could ever be a hero, like Mike and you were in the last story? I'm tired of always being the one who gets in trouble!

Lauren: Sure you could, Peter!

Micky: Pete, I wasn't even trying. It just kinda happened.

Peter: Do you think I could be a hero in the factory? I've been reading some books on philosophy, and I really like some of the ideas. Maybe they could help!

Micky: Sure, Pete! I bet you'll do real well at the factory.

Peter: (City-lighting grin) Thanks, Mick. (Hugs him and Lauren) Seriously, congratulations to both of you, from me and from Mike. If any of you need any help, I'm more than willing to lend whatever I can. :)

Micky: Hey, thanks, Big Peter. That means a lot.

Peter: You're welcome. You two do wonders for each other, and I wish you all the happiness in the world! (Picks up his songwriting notebook) I'm going to finish my song and see if I can catch up with Em and Mike. Are you guys coming along later?

Micky: *with a small smirk* We'll be along in a bit, yeah.

Peter: See you later! I'm in desperate need of a veggie taco! (Walks out, leaving Lauren and Micky once again alone)

Lauren: Veggie taco?

Micky: *shrugs* That's Peter for you.

Lauren: So should we actually flip through some of those real wedding magazines over there?

Micky: I kinda had something better in mind. *whispers something in her ear*

Lauren: *her eyes widen, then she glares at him* Sorry, mister, but that's gonna wait! *grins, sticks her tongue out, jumps up, and runs out into the hall after the others*

Micky: *sighs and shrugs* A fella can try, right? *makes himself comfortable with the comic books*

(And the credits roll, this time to the tune of "What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round?". Same deal as before, with stills from both "productions," with the final shot being of the four guys' head shots with "A Raybert Production" over it.)

Onto "Camping Calamity!"
Go Back to Part 10!
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