Back at the studio the AD was coming into Mike's dressing room to tell him to go home but immediately turned around when he saw the scene with Mike and Ginger."Who was that?" Ginger stopped kissing Mike and looked up.
"No one," Mike mumbled. "Just the assistant director, no big deal."
"But he could want something!" Ginger stood up.
Mike rolled his eyes. "No he don't want anything, just c'mon where were we...?"
Ginger shook her head. "No, now I'm all paranoid!" She put her hands on her hips.
Mike sighed and rolled his eyes, huffing. He sat up, his legs wide apart as he leaned in. "He didn't want anything. He left. He woulda said somethin' if he did. Happy?"
"No," Ginger still protested.
Mike sighed again, dramatically. "Let's go for dinner and on the way out, we'll ask him if he wanted anything. For the sake of your career. Mine's not on probation."
Ginger mock punched his arm as he grabbed hers and headed out, closing his dressing room door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Peter and Steph were really getting into the movie they were watching. It was The Last Time I saw Paris with Elizabeth Taylor.
"You know," Peter said, as he ate some popcorn as the credits were rolling. "Micky's dad was in that movie."
"Really?!" asked Steph. She knew his father was an actor but didn't know all of the films he starred in.
"Yep, right there," Peter pointed to the screen. "George Dolenz."
"Wow," Steph stared at the screen. "That was a good movie, what do you think?" she asked him, getting a handful of popcorn herself.
"Yes I'd have to agree," said Peter. He looked at the clock. It was already one o'clock. "Well I think I should go, we have to be on the set at six..." he grumbled. As Steph got up to escort him to the door, he gently lifted her hand and kissed it softly, as to almost not have touched it at all. "G'night my dear," he smiled.
Steph almost wanted that week rule to go away as she said good night. He left and she closed the door, peeking through the peep hole as he walked down the hallway. She smiled to herself and went to get ready for bed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kari and Micky were walking towards Micky's car from the expensive, impressive resturaunt. It had chandeleirs floating over the tables, long, soft table clothes, and velvet chairs, complete with live classical music.
"Man, that place has the best chili and chocolate malts!" Micky said as they climbed in the car.
Kari nodded excitedly. "I wish I'd had a camera when you ordered. That waiter's expression was priceless."
"Yeah," Micky smiled fondly. "It's nice to get those looks on purpose for a change. I've learned a thing or two about that from Mike."
Kari laughed. "You're cute when you do it though."
Micky looked at her and smiled sincerely. "You're cute when you say I'm cute."
"You're so, so cute!"
Just when Kari thought they were going to kiss, Micky pulled out of the parking lot. "Hold on just a bit. I know where we're going now."
After driving for a while with chit chat about the local scenery, Micky stopped the car. Towering before the two of them was the famous "HOLLYWOOD" sign.
"Ooo..." Kari goggled over it even though she'd seen it plenty of times. There was just something about looking at it right before she was about to kiss Micky Dolenz. And looking at as she was falling in love with Micky Dolenz, as he was with her.
"Now, tell me more about how cute I am..." Micky slid his right arm seductively around Kari and pulled himself closer to her and she him with his left.
Kari placed her arms gently around his neck and grazed the ends of his hair that she loved so much. "Okay..."
With that, the couple kissed. And continued to so until at least midnight. After that, they sat holding each other tightly and looking dreamily out at the view.
Kari and Micky shared several good-bye kisses before Kari pulled out her key to unlock the apartment door.
The lights were off when she walked in and as she flicked them on, a voice asked, "Do you think we should get a cat?"
Kari jumped as Steph sat up on the couch.
"You scared the daylights out of me, Steph, can't sleep?"
Steph nodded. Whenever any of the three girls couldn't sleep, the couches in the living room proved to be a nice place to crash.
"I don't think I'll be able to either."
"Why, what happened?"
Kari just looked at Steph, off in another world.
"Ooooh..." Steph said immediately understanding, "Kari and Micky sitting in a tree..."
"Shut up."
Kari tackled Steph as she continued the little song.
"Hey, hey, hey! What is going on children?" Ginger asked as she walked into the apartment.
Steph, being mock choked by Kari, yelled, "Kari loves Micky and the two of them are going to get married and have lots of babies!"
Kari stopped "choking" Steph and turned around to tell Ginger what really happened, but froze when she saw that Mike was standing in the doorway, grinning.
She turned back to Steph, "I am going to kill you!"
Steph got up and ran around the living room with Kari close behind her. Ginger and Mike burst into laugher seeing Kari chase around Steph, who was in her nighty, not realizing that Mike was present... until she ran into him...
She screamed, horrified, which just made Mike laugh harder.
"Shhh!! Quiet!! We aren't the only people in this building," Ginger said, ushering Mike and the hysterical Steph forward so she could shut the door.
Mike took off his jacket and gave it to Steph, who numbly grabbed it and put it on.
"So what is this about babies?" he asked.
Kari grumpily said, "Steph was just being stupid."
"I was stating the obvious," Steph shot.
"Ok, both of you, calm down. Kari, she's right. Steph, shut up a put some clothes on."
"How about he leaves?" Steph asked, pointing at Mike.
"That sounds good. I'll see you three at the studio..." He gave a suggestive wink at Ginger before leaving.
"Wait! What about your jacket?" Steph asked running up to Mike in the hallway. Mike considered this for a moment. "Put it in my dressing room later. If you don't tell anyone I saw you in... that... I won't. It never happened."
"Agreed."
Steph walked back in the room to find Ginger and Kari rolling on the ground in laughter.
"I don't think any of us will get any sleep tonight," Steph sighed as she plopped back down on the couch.
"Oooh!! Sleep over in the living room!" Kari exclaimed.
Ginger and Kari quickly put on their pj's and met Steph back down in the living room.
"Kari, truth or dare?" Ginger asked once the three were settled in.
"Truth."
"Do you want to marry Micky and have lots of babies?"
"SHUT UP!" Kari screeched as she hit Ginger with her pillow, as well as Steph.
"No, really," Ginger laughed. She then got serious. "Do you?"
Kari got all flustered and shot back, "It's not like you and Mike we're making out in his dressing room!"
Steph fell back laughing like a hyena. It was Ginger's turn to get red as she defended herself. "We weren't doing anything like that!" she protested. "Besides how would you know?"
"Oh, I dunno," Kari casually played with her hair. "We saw the assistant director and his wife at the restraunt tonight..."
Steph laughed harder as the expression on Ginger's face became knowing.
"He said he walked in on a little scene..." Kari went on, enjoying teasing her friend, as she always did.
Steph could barely breathe because of her and Peter peeking in earlier, but the look on the AD face must've been priceless.
"Yep, yessiree." Kari laid back on one of the couches and sighed. All the sudden sleep just hit her in the face. She began to drift away and said something ununderstandable to the others and fell asleep, dreamig of tomorrow.
Steph and Ginger giggled, since it was rare for Kari to be the first one to fall asleep and soon settled in themeselves.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was three in the morning, and Micky was still up. He wondered if Mike was. 'He and Ginger must've done something, so he should be' and with that he decided to call him.
"Hello?" Mike answered in a sleep infused voice, but it sounded like he really wasn't dead tired.
"Hey Mike, it's Micky. Micky Dolenz. You know, from work?" Micky joked.
Mike chuckled. "Yeah I know," he said covering up the giggling and went to sarcasm. "It's three in the morning what do you want?"
"Oh I was wondering how you are... how your night went," Micky said, being rather cheeky.
Mike looked at the phone. "Don't I see you later? Like in four hours?"
Micky fell back on his couch. "Yeah, but I wanna know now," he pretended to whine.
Mike was about to answer, until he heard snoring. "Micky?" he called into the phone. A loud snore was his response. Mike looked deadpan at the phone again and hung up. He shook his head and proceeded to go back to sleep.
He didn't immediately fall back asleep, so after awhile he rolled over onto his right side, then to his stomach, and then to his back.
"I'm gonna kill him when I see him..." Mike muttered as he beat his pillow restlessly, pretending it was Micky's face.
He finally ended up back on his left side and was determined to go to sleep. He kept his eyes shut tight, but as he laid determined to not stir or think about Micky, his mind kept wandering back to the reason he was awake.
How had his night been? Great he answered himself. He smiled without noticing, thinking about dinner and the way Ginger laughed. She's even better when she's not trying to make my life hell... he thought with amusement. Thinking back fondly on how good her hair smelled and how soft her lips were at their "conference" in his dressing room, he fell asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As soon as she woke up in the living room, Ginger heard a knock at the door over Kari's incoherent mutters (which Ginger was sure contained the name "Micky" proceded by sleepy giggles) and Steph's tossing and turning.
She tossed her blanket off and went to the door in her nightie. After running her fingers through her hair, she swung the door open.
"NESMITH!" She slouched over and tried to make up for the sheerness of her clothes.
Mike smirked at her. Then he gave a nice long, meandering glance down her body. "You shouldn't run around like that. Company could just pop over unexpectedly," he said with his best serious voice.
Ginger had snatched her blanket and wrapped it around her like a towel. "What's going on?"
"I was cold."
Ginger just looked at him, knowing better than to say "What does that have to do with me?".
"Yeah, so I figured, when you're cold, ya got to put on more clothes. And Steph has my jacket."
Ginger rolled her eyes to cover any laughter. "Well, hold on and I'll get it."
"I really think you need it more than I do. Suddenly, I'm not that cold," he said as if puzzeld by the fact. "Put somethin' on. We'll get breakfast and I'll drive you to work."
Ginger smiled coyly. "You want to wait in here?"
"No," Mike said with the tone that it was a hard decision to make. "No. Believe I'll wait in the car. Hurry up, I'm starving..."
"Obviously..." Ginger closed the door before he could shoot anything back at that and tiptoed upstairs. She'd never taken a faster shower, nor put on her clothes so fast. Walking past Sleeping Giggly and Steph, she slipped Mike's coat on and went outside. She didn't expect to see what she saw.
Which was Mike waiting for her in an old '56 Chevy truck.
"About time," he said as she slid into the passenger seat. She cut him a look as she shut the door, and he smiled as he started up the truck. To Ginger's surprise, the motor sounded like a hotrod's.
"Pretty cool ride..." she mused casually.
Mike peeled out (waking Steph and Kari finally) and took off flying. "Yeah, I torqued it up myself. Are you being sarcastic? I can't tell sometimes..." He admitted the last part without meaning to.
"No, I like it. Somethin' about a man in a Chevy that does it for me..." Ginger said, rolling up the sleeves even more on Mike's blue jean jacket.
"Well then why are you sitting way over there? Haven't you ever had a boyfriend with a truck before? Any girl knows when she's in a truck with a guy she's supposed to slide over to the middle so he can put his arm around her."
Ginger eyed him.
Mike gave a snort. "Get over here."
Ginger slid over and Mike immediately placed his arm around her. "See? Now this is how it's supposed to be. Try an' remember for next time."
"I'll be sure to make myself a note..."
They rode pretty quietly to the resturaunt and listened to the radio. Ginger changed the channel whenever something like the Beach Boys would come until she found something like "Folsom Prison".
"Can't you decided what you like?" Mike finally asked her from his mind going from hearing Sgt. Pepper to hearing an old Hank Williams song.
"Yeah. Both," Ginger answered simply as she adjusted the reception of "Eight Miles High" by the Byrds.
Mike didn't say anything. He just smiled and restrained himself from stopping the truck and making out.
They got to resturaunt and Ginger slid out after Mike, Mike helping her hop down. They walked in together, and almost immediately, a girl's mouth dropped open, then so did four of her friends' with her at their table near the door.
Mike shook his head and made a "Shh"ing motion to the gang of teenage girls about to scream and attack him. They remained seated and watched after him. One got up some courage as Mike and Ginger walked past to ask "Where's Davy?"
"In makeup. He goes in an hour early for it," Mike said quietly as they walked past, and the girls began to gossip madly.
"I just thought of something," Ginger said to Mike after they'd ordered (both the same thing without consulting each other beforehand).
"Good job! Write it down so you don't forget." Mike took his plate from the waitress.
Ginger glared at him, but thought better of arguing and ignored him. "I bet those girls don't like this too much."
"Like what? Oh, us? Eh, who cares. They don't like me anyway. You're safe."
Ginger laughed and began eating. "Yeah. I mean you're no Davy Jones..." She waited for his reaction to her quoting of a Monkees episode.
He stopped eating for a moment and thought, like the phrase was familiar but he couldn't place it. Then he went, "Oh, very funny. But I do thank God for that every day..."
After a few more minuets, a man approached the table as the giggling teenagers left. "Excuse me, but you're a Monkee, aren't you?"
"No, I'm a giraffe. I'll stand up and show you as soon as we're finished here."
The man laughed polietly as Ginger fought not to. "And who are you?" the man asked Ginger.
"I'm a Monkee, do want an autograph?"
The man laughed the same way. "Are you two dating? Are you engaged? Are you married?"
"Look man," Mike finally said seriously. "I hate reporters. And you're a reporter, I gather. Yeah, we're married and have five kids back home. She hides with them in the closet during the day so you don't find out about them. Now will you go?"
The reporter nodded. "Okay, I understand..." he said as he walked away.
"Good, I wasn't sure you were going to latch on. That's five kids now, get that part right," Mike called as the reporter left and went back to breakfast like nothing had happened.
"You're used to this, huh?" Ginger asked.
"Well, I'm used to reporters. Not about romances because I haven't had any. And like I said, no girl cares if I should go off the market, so to speak. Does it scare you?"
"Nope, I found that rather amusing," Ginger said with a smile.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Where'd Ginger go?" Kari asked, rubbing her eyes trying to wake up.
"I have no idea." Steph looked around the room as if to find Ginger hiding somewhere, but instead found a particular item of clothing gone. "She's with Mike."
"How do you know?" Kari asked.
"Magic."
Kari made a face and threw a pillow at Steph.
It was at that time that the phone rang.
"I'll get it." Steph yelled as her and Kari raced over to the phone.
Kari won... but only because she stuck her leg out and tripped Steph on the way.
"Hello?" she asked brightly, hoping that it was Micky. Her mood darkened a bit when she found out that it wasn't. "Yes, she is. Hang on."
Steph took the hint and grabbed the phone, "Hello?...Yes...SHE IS??!...I'll be right there!"
Steph slammed the phone down and ran to her room, no time to shower. She pulled her hair back into a pony tail and slipped on the first article of clothing she could find. It was a pink sundress. She threw on some cheap perfume and ran out to find her purse.
"You mind telling me what's going on?" Kari asked calmly from the living room.
"Tell Peter that I'll be very late into work today. Lizzy is having her baby!"
Kari was shocked at this news. "Really? That is so cool! You're going to be an aunt!"
"I know!" Steph yelled putting on her shoes.
"Wait!" Kari said suddenly realizing something. "Who will drive me to work?"
Steph paused in her tracks, hand on the door knob.
"Well, I'll be taking the car so just call Micky and tell him what happened." After getting Kari's look she added. "Not about that... tell him that Ginger ran off with Mike, and I had a family emergency. There are no cars left so you can't drive to work."
Kari went up and hugged her friend. "Tell Lizzy that I am really happy for her."
"Will do."
And with that Steph was gone.
Kari sighed and sat back down on the couch. Then she reached into her purse and found the slip of paper that had Micky's number on it.
She picked up the phone and dialed. She couldn't help but be a little nervous as it rang as she hoped he hadn't left already.
"Hello?"
"Micky!" Kari sighed in relief.
"Hey Babe!" Micky immediately recognized her voice. "What's up?"
"Could you give me a ride to the studio today, please? Ginger went with Mike, somewhere and Steph left 'cause her sister's having a baby and..."
Micky laughed. "No problem. I'd love to. GAH!" Micky almost tipped over the bowl he was pouring juice into.
"What?!" Kari wondered if something was wrong.
"Nothing, I just almost spilled my bowl of orange juice," Micky replied.
"Bowl?" Kari asked with a curious tone.
"Yeah," Micky snickered. "I don't like milk so I eat my cereal with OJ."
Kari laughed. "Really? I'll have to try it somtime."
Micky took a spoonful of his breakfast. "It's good," he said with a mouthful and then immediately swallowed.
Kari giggled. "Well I've got to get ready. I'll see you around seven?"
"Yep," Micky replied, still eating.
"Bye."
"Bye darlin'." With that Micky hung up the phone, as Kari did. Kari had an evil grin on her face. 'He called me darlin,' she thought to herself. With a squeal, she ran to her room to get ready for another day.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mike and Ginger finished up breakfast and headed out to his truck.
"I love broccoli," Mike said. "Broccoli, broccoli, broccoli."
Ginger gave him a look. "Yeah... so..." she said climbing in to the truck. "You'd better take me to work now. My boss is real jerk and I don't want to get fired."
"I'll handle him," Mike said smoothly. "But you may have to, you know, turn it on for him a little..."
Ginger clicked her tounge dissapprovingly as she slid over a little closer to Mike. "How degrading... But, a job's a job..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Micky and Kari were sitting on the Pad set, chatting about nothing imparticular and laughing about it. Micky was trying to impress Kari by clowning around spastically.
"Whoa, settle down there, Shotgun, you'll put an eye out," Mike drawled as he and Ginger walked in.
Micky plopped down dramatically onto his back behind Kari on the chaise. "Why are you so late, Papa?"
"I had a business meeting," Mike said casually. "I took her with me to take notes."
Ginger let out a small laugh before returning her expression back to innocence.
"Yeah..." Kari said knowingly. "Riiight."
"Anyway," Ginger said, changing the subject, "where's Steph?"
"At the hospital having a baby," Micky answered.
Kari laughed instead of explaining. Mike and Ginger looked at Micky. "Well that happened awful fast. I guess we just don't Peter enough credit..." Mike said.
"Wait, I mean, her sister is," Micky corrected himself.
Just then Peter walked in. "Hey guys."
"Hey Peter," Mike said. "Your girlfriend's at the hospital in the maternity ward."
"What?! But we have a week long no-kissing rule! That's impossible!"
Kari, Ginger, and Micky were cracking up.
Peter quit playing dumb. "So where is she, really?" He was very disappointed that Steph wasn't there and hoped she was just late.
"That's really where she's at," Kari explained. "Her sister is having a baby."
"Aw, my Steph... an Aunt... what a beautiful day," Peter said dreamily, making the others laugh.
"MAKEUP!" came a loud voice across the studio.
"NO!" Mike answered it.
"You're just making it worse, let's get it over with... It's no ball for me, with that hairdresser..." Micky said, standing up. "Hey, could I just wear your hat?"
Mike gave him a sarcastic look, then said, "Actually, yeah, it's starting to get on my nerves. I'll just be sitting there and next thing I know, it's been shoved on me."
"See you girls later," Peter said as the three walked away.
"Oh," Mike stopped. "Ginger?"
She stood up. "I'll get your coffee..." she muttered. Kari went with Ginger to do the same for Micky and Peter, when they spotted Davy and Patty in their path.
"Oh God!" Kari said in a terrified whisper and jerked Ginger back. "We're taking the long way around!"
They did and remained unspotted by both Patty, who was going on to Davy about her dress matching her eyes, and Davy, who was listening intently and filing his nails.The two girls were pouring coffee when they were approached by a young woman, but older than them. She was obviously a reporter, her pad and pencil giving her away.
"Can I have a word with you girls for a moment?" she asked.
"Okay..." Kari said, unsure if that was the right desicion.
"Are you from Tiger Beat or something?" Ginger asked.
"No, no I'm from another magazine. Not a teeny bopper outfit like that. I wanted to ask you about your relationships with the boys... You're Kari Cranston, you're Ginger Barbour, right?" she said, pointing the eraser and each of the girls in turn.
They nodded.
"Well... I haven't been able to help but notice that you three seem very friendly with the boys. Both of you came with them to work today, and Peter was asking about Steph Oliver-McKnight and I overheard something about her being his girlfriend and kissing... right?"
"You mean you heard something while you were evesdropping," Ginger said sarcastically.
"Yeah, really," Kari agreed indignantly.
Before the reporter could prod further, Peter came over to save the girls. "Hey, um... I got a new hobby!" he said to the reporter. "It's, ah... making candles! Yeah!"
"Oh!" The reporter looked impressed and turned away from the girls. "I'd love to hear about it..." She turned back to the girls. "As soon as I'm finished with the new girlfriends here..."
"You are finished with them." Mike had come over. "Do you have a pass to be here as a reporter?"
"Yes, I do. Here." She handed him a little badge.
Mike took it and examined it lacklusterly. "This is no good. It's not for acess to the set. You gotta go."
The reporter looked taken aback. "Well... well... Fine, I know what you're playing at. I'll go, but I have what I need."
"Then use it," Mike tossed her pass back to her, "on your way out."
"Bye, bye," Micky joined in, and the reporter left.
"I don't think this is going to turn out well..." Kari mused.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Steph stood next to her brother, James, in the hallway outside the room where her sister and mother were in, currently birthing the baby.
The two siblings were a nervous wreck. James had just come back with coffee (tea for Steph) and they drank in silence. This had gone on for the past two hours.
The door opened and Mrs. McKnight stepped out.
"It's a boy!"
James and Steph ran and hugged their mother, Steph and Mrs. McKnight crying with joy.
The three walked in and saw Lizzy in the hospital bed holding a little tiny bundle in her arms.
"Say 'hello' to your new aunt and uncle," she whispered, tired from her ordeal.
Steph and James walked to her side and looked into the tiny blue eyes of the newest member of their family.
"What's his name?" Steph asked as James put an arm on her shoulder.
"Thomas Kyle," Lizzy mumbled.
"Here, you need your rest. We'll be waiting outside," James offered.
"Mmm, that sounds nice. Tell me when Ben gets here."
"Will do."
"I'll stay with her." Mrs. McKnight told her two other children. "You two go out and get some lunch."
They nodded and walked out of the room.
"Hey, I'm thinking about calling Shelly, is that ok if she tags along on for lunch?" James asked his little sister, the two walking side by side down the hallway.
"Yeah. Um...is it ok if I invite someone too?" Steph asked shyly.
James stopped walking.
"Oh? Who is this new mystery man?"
"Um..."
He noticed her reddening face and asked with intrigue, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Well, I was going to call you guys..."
"Who is it?"
"Peter Tork."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Peter Tork."
"I don't believe you."
"Well you will in few moments."
Steph walked off towards the pay phone, James close behind her.
"You're not serious, are you?"
"Yes, I am! I started to work with him and well... things happened..."
James shook his head, mumbling in disbelief.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
James, his girlfriend Shelly, and Steph were waiting in the hospital outside the nursery when Peter came walking in.
Steph, who had never been so happy to see anyone in her life, ran up to him and gave him a huge kiss on the lips.
"But what about the rule?" Peter asked, shocked but pleased.
"Rules were made to be broken."
They both grinned and, holding hands, headed back over to James and Shelly.
"Do you believe me now?" Steph asked.
The reporter, who had been kicked out of the studio, believed it.
She even had a photo of the two kissing. Now all she needed was to get pictures of the other two couples.
This story would get her promoted for sure.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kari was by the coffee, fiddling around while pouring herself a cup. That reporter really bugged her. She didn't even really notice when Micky came up behind her and grabbed her waist.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, turning her around so he could look at her.
"It's just... that reporter..." Kari rambled.
"Ah, don't worry about her. She's just another nosey person who thinks they'll get a really good story and then become chief or something." He played with her love beads around her neck.
"Yeah," Kari said, unsure. Davy and Patty walked over, Patty happy to finally see one of the girls.
"Hi Kari!" she squeaked. "Doesn't my dress just totally go with my eyes? Davy agrees!"
Kari looked at her, raised an eyebrow and turned away.
"Gee, ususally she has some smart reply," Davy muttered.
"I need to find Ginger," Kari whispered to Micky and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and Davy about protested when she ran off.
"I wonder what's wrong with her?" Patty asked. "Maybe I--"
"NO!" screamed Micky. "Um, I mean, she'll be okay." Micky nodded and pretended to shrugg it off. As he walked off he thought, 'I hope.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
James and Shelly laughed at Peter, he was a really funny guy as James found out. And seeing his sister so happy made him happy too.
Peter looked at his watch. "Oh geez, sorry guys, but I have to go. They'll need me back on the set in a few." He was about to get up when he looked at Steph. "Are you going to stay here?"
Steph was unsure and looked at James. "Go ahead," he smiled. "You'll be able to visit Lizzy later."
"Okay!" Steph bounced up and told her brother and Shelly goodbye and she and Peter headed off to his car.
As they drove off, they didn't notice that another car took off right behind them. The driver of which had already planned an entire spread dedicated to the girls. "The New Loves of the Monkees". She'd follow them until she had taken enough pictures to fill an entire book, even if it killed her.
"Oh, I'd better warn you, though I'm sure you knew this would happen," Peter said to Steph, interrupting their deep conversation as they cruised up the road. "There was a reporter hanging around the studio today. Mike told her that her pass was no good, when it actually was, to get rid of her. She was pouncing on Kari and Ginger about their relationships to Micky and Mike. I bet she's probably waiting on you, so just stay cool around her, okay?"
"Okay, but come on," Steph shrugged. "How much damage could one reporter do?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After looking all around the set for Ginger, Kari entered Mike's dressing room hoping to interrupt another "business meeting", but instead she found the two playing guitars.
"Aw, I'm disappointed," she shook her head. "Why don't you just move in here, Gingie?"
"We're shooting on location tomorrow in LA," Mike explained, "so we won't have a dressing room. We're making up for it."
"You'll have a trailer," Kari said, flinging herself upside-down on a chair and rearranging a stack of music Mike had laying on his desk, pretending to look at the notes critically as she did so.
"That's not the same. Make yourself at home. Don't bother to knock, just come on in," Mike added.
"I knocked!" Kari protested.
"What do you want?" Mike said, annoyed.
"Gingie."
"I'm not finsihed with her." He went back to playing the guitar.
"What do you want with me, Kar?" Ginger asked, rolling her eyes at Mike.
"Did that stupid reporter bother you?" Kari asked, looking at Ginger seriously though still upside-down.
Mike stopped playing. "Is she back? She must have figured out that was bull I told her about her pass..." He got up and locked the door.
Kari tisked. "Mike, you've got two girls in here and you lock the door. That's not going to look good in "Fave"..."
"Hush..."
"Anyway, no she's not back... Reporters just... make me nervous..." Kari told them.
"The press is evil." Mike was playing his guitar again. "They should go back to hell..."
Kari and Ginger laughed. "Yeah," Ginger agreed, "don't let her get to you. Even though I know why it does." Mike didn't get the same impact of that statement as Kari and Ginger did.
"She already knew my name," Kari pointed out in a nervous voice.
"Well that's not hard to..." Ginger stopped, glancing at Mike, the went back to sharing fevered looks with Kari . "She knew mine, too. Big deal. All she had to do was snoop a little bit around a studio office."
"I didn't want her to know my name, Gingie..."
"Change it," Mike interrupted before Ginger could respond.
"To what?" Kari played along, fully expecting the smart reply she got.
"How about something like an Indian name? Like Narcisawan, meaning "One who annoys the hell out of others"."
Ginger had to laugh out loud at that. Mike was a moron.
"Yeah, fine, okay, I can tell when I'm not wanted," Kari said standing up.
"Really? You should get into acting then..." Mike mused.
"Yeah a brick wall doesn't need to fall on me... You just have to tell me once... You won't have Kari Cranston to kick around anymore! Good day!" She slammed the door dramatically.
"And you live with her?" Mike asked Ginger.
Ginger gave Mike a look then followed Kari out the door. Mike sighed and walked out too.
The three walked over to the coffee table where Davy and Micky were at, talking. Patty had long since left to go "freshen up". The coffee table had now become their new hang out spot.
Moments later Steph came running in dragging Peter behind her.
"It's a boy!" she yelled happily, not caring about being too loud.
"Hey you here that, Mick? You have a son!" Mike said, slapping him on the back.
"Aww... sorry I couldn't be there sweetie," Micky said walking over to stand next to Steph.
Steph played along and let go of Peter's hand. Peter went to stand by Mike.
"I'll be there for the next one, I promise," he said slinking his arm around Steph waist.
"Ok, Shnuckums."
"Eskimo kiss!!" Micky suddenly yelled and he Steph rubbed noses making over exaggerated cooing noises.
"Ok, that's enough!" Peter said in mock anger and pulled the two apart.
"I agree," Kari... agreed.
Mike, Ginger, and Davy just stood there.
"Eskimo kiss!?!" Mike asked. "That's a new low, even for you."
"Try it, it's fun," Micky said. Steph nodded in agreement.
"I highly doubt it."
"Aww, come on 'Shnuckums'," Ginger said leaning close to his face.
Mike glared at her, but reluctantly rubbed his nose against hers.
No one heard the camera click until it was too late.
All seven of them looked over in the direction of where the reporter was standing, camera at the ready.
Kari screamed.
Steph just stood there confused on who this person was.
Ginger, however, was pissed.
The director hear Kari's scream and came over to the scene.
"What is going on here?" he asked, annoyed at the fact that they were still having some technical difficulties that was putting them behind schedule and now this.
"This is what's going on," Mike said, his temper rising. "This reporter has been bothering us all day."
The director sighed. This was the last thing he needed right now.
"Do you have a pass?" he asked, holding out his hand.
The reporter held hers out and the director looked it over.
"It's perfectly legitimate, but you'll have to wait to interview the boys. We need them on set right now."
"Oh, it's not the boys that I am interested in," the reporter said, giving the girls a look that could only be described as pure evil.
The director looked at the eight people, instantly feeling the tension rise between them.
"Ok, well, we'll leave you alone then."
"But we can't-" Mike began to protest.
"If you want to go home at a decent time tonight then you'll go and film now."
The four boys glared at the reporter before slowly walking towards the set, Mike uttering explicates under his breath.
"So, where were we?" the reporter asked cheerfully as soon as the boys were out of earshot.
"We haven't even been introduced," Steph said, trying not to sound too impolite.
"Of course, how rude of me. I am Veronica Wells."
"So it has a name," Ginger whispered to Kari.
Veronica looked sharply at Ginger, but kept talking to Steph. "You're Stephanie. Stephanie Oliver-McKnight."
"Yes, I am."
"Hmm... Oliver-McKnight is an unusual last name... or should I say last names?"
"Or should you say anything at all?" Ginger asked, tilting her head to the side wistfully.
"Please wait your turn," Veronica shot back before focusing her attention back on Steph. "So I gather it is the latter option, two last names."
"It is, but I don't know what this has to do with anything."
"And earlier Micky said that you were carrying his child."
"What? No! That's-"
"Peter's child then?"
"What?!? No! I'm not-"
"But you were at the hospital today, right? The maternity ward?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"And Micky said that you two have a son."
"Now wait just a minute, you can't just-"
"You've been awfully quiet," Veronica stated turning to Kari, leaving a rather pissed off Steph seething with a very pissed off Ginger.
"I'd rather not have my words twisted around by somebody like you, or would you just put words in my mouth?" Kari said.
Veronica smiled. "I'd do nothing of that kind. I only write what I hear. Say, didn't you say your name was Kari Harrison?"
Kari froze.
So did Ginger and Steph.
"Cranston. My last name is Cranston," Kari said, absolutely horrified.
"Really, I could have sworn I heard Harrison. It's funny cause that is the same of an old child star from back in the fifties... I wonder what ever happened to her..."
"I think we're done here," Ginger interrupted, defensively stepping in between Kari and Veronica.
"Say is this a half frame?" Steph asked curiously fiddling with the camera around Veronica's neck.
"Please don't touch that."
Steph continued to dink around with the camera until the back of it popped off and the film was suddenly exposed to the light.
"Oops," Steph said innocently, staring right into the reporter's eyes.
"I think this interview is over," Ginger stated flatly.
"You three have just made the biggest mistake of your lives," Veronica growled as she fixed her camera and stalked of towards the exit.
"We could say the same for you!" Ginger yelled after her, immediately getting shushed buy the crew members.
"Oh 'shush' yourselves!" she snapped back as she stormed away to the Black Box.
Kari and Steph followed.
Not too long after that, the boys getting the scene on the first take because they wanted to get back to the girls, the four entered the Black Box.
"Don't you guys have another scene?" Ginger asked.
Micky grinned. "No, it'll be awhile."
Mike elaborated on Micky's smile. "We rearranged some wires behind their backs and messed up some lights."
The girls laughed, though still obviously fuming. Kari looked very distrought, Steph looked mad and confused, and Ginger looked like she was debating on chasing the reporter down and beating her with her own camera.
"Man, did that reporter ever get mad at you, Steph!" Davy announced as the four sat down amongst the girls.
"Yeah," Peter agreed, rubbing Steph's back while he stood beside her. "You looked like she was pressing you pretty hard."
"And you look totatlly terrified..." Micky said with concern to Kari.
"Boy did you look pissed!" Mike laughed, pointing at Ginger. "I thought one of the grips was gonna march over there and strangle you for yellin'!"
Ginger glared at him. He laughed harder.
"She was accusing me of having Micky's kid, then Peter's!" Steph stormed.
"That'd be quite the trick..." Peter noted, which made everyone, especially Steph, laugh. Steph suddenly was much calmer.
"So... what did she say to get you so upset, Kari?" Micky asked, sitting down beside Kari and putting his hand on her knee.
"She... she..." Kari didn't want to spit it out. She looked at Ginger, who nodded.
"Yeah and I'll kill you in your sleep!" Mike laughed out imitating Ginger's rant on the reporter.
"Will you shut up?!" Ginger said in a sharp whisper, slapping his left boot off his right knee.
"She, she knows... a lot about me..." Kari continued.
"Like what?" Mike asked, not laughing now that Ginger had nearly broken his ankle.
"Like... my real name..."
"Your what?" Peter asked.
"My real name. It's not Kari Cranston... it's Kari Harrison. I had to change it a while back, but I don't know how she knew." Kari said resting her head on Micky's shoulder.
The four boys sat in silence digesting this before something clicked in Mike's mind.
"Wait, you're Kari Harrison?!?!" He asked leaning forward. At this moment something clicked with Micky as well. "Man I used to watch your show every Saturday! It was on about the same time as--"
"Circus Boy." Micky finished. "It was our rival show."
Kari blushed, looking up and her boyfriend.
"Man, you were Adeline?!!? I always thought she was the cutest little cowgirl," Mike said reminiscing.
Micky, Kari, and Ginger all looked at him sharply.
"What?! I was ten."
"Whatever, Papa," Micky said in a very cocky manor. "Girls dig guys with elephants anyway."
This made everyone laugh the girls' anger dissolving into relatively nothing.
"You do realize that this time tomorrow our cover will be blown?" Kari asked sighing.
"I for one, don't really care," Ginger snorted in a very Mike-like fashion. "If she dishes anything out, we'll serve it right back."
"Yep. She's going to wish she made her words sweeter cause we're going to make her eat them," Steph slowly drawled. She was beginning to fall asleep, the emotional events of the day finally taking their toll.
Peter took one of the pillows and put it on his lap, laying his already unconscious girlfriend down from her sitting position letting her head rest on the pillow.
The other six began to talk about stuff, completely forgetting about the whole reporter ordeal. Ginger, Mike, and Peter were debating about which types of guitars were the best, while Micky, Kari, and Davy talked about the Beatles' new single.
Some of the lights began to flash and the boys would leave when they were needed and the rest of the day passed relatively slow. It was about seven-o-clock when Steph woke up.
Everyone laughed when she appeared to be somewhat disoriented and confused on where she was.
"Finally!" Kari sighed glad that they could all now actually do something.
"Who's up for dinner?" Ginger asked.
Filming was now over and the six had the one last night to bask in their secret relationships.
What, oh, what where they going to do?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Veronica sat waiting in her car. She saw the six walk out of the studio and put her keys in the ignition and started the engine up.
She looked at the couples with a nasty grin on her face. All this time she had been waiting, she had written her article.
She could safely say that it was going to be the talk of the town, maybe the nation-- the teen nation, anyway.
Kari was an easy target. The whole child actor thing almost made it too easy. She'd let the fans take care of little Miss Harrison. Steph was innocent enough, but nobody was to be spared, plus she got some good gossip to spread around (it was payback for what she had done to her film). Ginger had pissed her off good. There wasn't much dirt on Ginger that she'd found out yet. But she'd get it. And add to it.
She chuckled to herself as she began to pull out of the parking lot and follow the line of cars. By this time tomorrow their three lives would never be the same. All Veronica had to do now was to get some pictures. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The six went to a little club near the outskirts of town called The Tahiti Condo. Mike's truck was the first to pull up and as soon as everyone got out of their cars they looked at the place and then him.
"What?! They have good drinks!"
Kari and Micky shook their heads and Peter and Steph shrugged. Ginger just looked at Mike. "Tahiti Condo?"
"Hey I didn't name it," Mike deadpanned.
They headed inside, followed soon and discretely by Veronica. They six headed into a booth and crammed inside, Micky and Peter taking advantage of being close to their chicks.
"Too perfect," Veronica muttered and got a snapshot of that.
"C'mon!" Ginger playfully tugged at Mike's arm. "Let's dance!"
"Do I hafta?" Mike looked unamused.
"Yes, or else," Ginger threatened.
"Or else what?" A sly smile slid across Mike's face. He got closer to her and she pulled him close for a sweet, tender kiss and continued doing so.
"They're making this too easy," Veronica said to herself and she caught that frame.
The guys got up and so did the girls to dance and Veronica lost sight of them for about three hours. But she waited. She was going to get something good out of her hard work. Just then she saw Micky and Kari headed out to the parking lot. She quickly got up and followed to see them outside giggling about something. Veronica couldn't hear what they were saying, but what Micky did explained it all. He pulled Kari very close and they kissed, Micky having one hand in her hair and one on her back.
Hearing something, Veronica quickly moved behind a plant and saw Steph and Peter making out. With a click of the button, her story would be complete.
Click.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The three boys all told their respective girl goodbye around the girls' apartment. Peter and Steph had more than a few goodbye kisses inside just behind the closed front door, Micky and Kari said goodbye on the other side of the door on the porch, Micky seeming to not want to say goodnight at all, and Mike and Ginger did away with the game of hard to get since they were in private as Mike did most of the kissing beside the driver's side of the car.
Once the guys had driven away very reluctantly, the girls all sort of just stood around the living room. The feeling of what was coming the next day was settleing in. They had just had their last precious private dates with their new famous boyfriends.
"Aw, c'mon..." Ginger snapped out of the haze. "What is she going to do? Incite an angry mob with pitchforks?"
Steph and Kari looked at her.
"Have you seen some of those teenyboppers? I'd say that pitchforks would be mild compared to what we'll get." Steph shook her head.
Kari nodded, then they fell silent again.
"Well... whatever that woman does to us, the guys are used to it... and we can fend off fans... I'm sure that some fans getting mad at them for dating wouldn't bother them enough to... dump us, and I don't think just because they have girlfriends that the fans would stop buying their albums or watching their show," Ginger said decisively.
"I don't think so either," Steph amended, "but I do think they'll tear at least Kari apart to get her away from their beloved... and more than likely, me too. You might be safe, they don't like Mike that much..."
"Hey!" Ginger protested.
"Let's try to go get some sleep. I think we'll need it..." Kari walked towards her room, uncharacteristically quiet.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~