Kari walked out the studio doors to the parking lot whistling "I'm A Believer" happily. She unlocked the door and saw her purse and grabbed it, locking the door again as she closed it.Just then a few girls walked up and saw her. Realizing who she was, they ran up to her as she was walking back to the doors.
"What the..." Kari stated as girls started to circle her. She was in trouble. As the girls whispered they began screaming. Kari tried to run for it, but the girls were practically faster than her and pulled her down, hitting her with their handbags and some spilled ink on her dress. The preteens were screaming and yelling obscene things, Kari wondered what kind of home life they had. She tried to curl up in a ball to protect herself, but the raging girls wouldn't let her. They pulled her hair and kept hitting her and poured water on her, and Kari was about to give up.
Suddenly, help was on the way. "KARI!" she heard Micky scream. The girls turned and saw Micky running out with a few security people. As the girls tried to mob Micky, he pushed them away and made his way towards his girl, as she was huddled with her hands over her head. "Kari." He helped her to stand. She was wet and dirty and hurt, not physically, but emotionally. Kari hugged herself as Micky hugged her, the girls about to go on a rampage again. Micky decided to go inside so nothing more would happen. He put his arm around her and fought his way through with the help of security and banged the studio door shut.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Kari! What happened?!" Ginger ran to her as she saw the two coming back in from outside.
Kari could barely speak as she was almost in tears. "Good thing the security people were there," Micky said, rather pissed off.
"What happened?" asked Peter.
Steph looked at Kari's clothes, wet and stained. "Was she..."
Micky nodded. Steph gasped and ran over to Kari, hugging her along with Ginger.
"People are retarted," Mike said once again. He was sick and tired of stupid little girls trying to kill the special people in their lives and not being able to have a private life. Micky and Peter were on the same boat.
Peter shook his head. "Nothing--and no one-- is safe anymore," he sighed. "Whatever happened to peace and love?"
The guys stood there pondering while the girls had gone to the Black Box, Kari crying.
"C'mon boys, shooting time!" the assisant director called.
"Gah," Micky said as they went to the set.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The girls were sitting in the Black Box as Kari let it all out. Ginger and Steph felt very sorry for her, since she was the one the fans hated the most.
"Aw, hon, don't," Ginger said as Kari became to partially blame herself.
"But-- they hate me --cause I'm with-- Micky!" she sobbed uncontrollably.
"And they're stupid cause they are too engrossed with other people's lives," Ginger said with Steph nodding to her statement.
"Here, I'll go get a towel," Steph said getting up, "and try to find a sewing kit if I can."
Ginger and Kari just sat there, Kari's head resting on Ginger's shoulder.
"So tell me about this pillow fight," Ginger said trying to lighten up the mood.
"Oh..." Kari said blushing. "I had a bad dream and Micky came in to see if I was ok, but he didn't have a shirt on."
"Ooooh..." Ginger said laughing. "Well, I saw Mike in only a towel today."
"What?!" Kari nearly screamed, startling Steph as she walked in.
"What? What happened?" Steph asked as she sat down giving Kari a big beach towel.
"I saw Mike in only a towel today," Ginger repeated blushing.
Steph's jaw dropped as Kari was laughing hysterically.
"And Kari saw Micky without a shirt on last night."
Steph shook her head laughing as she threaded a needle.
"What about you, Stephie?" Kari asked as she saw her friend start to mend a rip in her dress.
"Nah... I haven't seen Micky or Mike shirtless."
Ginger smacked Steph in the arm. "No, we mean Peter."
"I know, and no. I haven't, but you'll be the first to know when I do," Steph laughed, sowing.
"Where'd you get that?" Ginger asked curiously at the needle and thread.
"The costume people. They're very nice."
"Ah."
The three girls continued to chat about things (their guys mostly), so it was kind of shocking for the guys to come into the Box finding the girls laughing so hard they were crying. (Ginger had just told them about Mike's reaction to what he had found in the bathroom.)
"Ok... do we even want to know?" Mike asked cautiously.
The three girls shook their heads, laughing harder at the sight of him.
"That's pretty," Peter said sitting down next to Steph, seeing that she was stitching an odd little design on the hem of her skirt.
Steph just laughed leaning over and pressing her head against his shoulder.
Noting that Kari kept looking oddly at him, Mike asked Ginger, suddenly suspicious, "What did you tell them?"
"Noth... nothing..." Ginger giggled as Mike mock glared at her.
"Hey guys. We have something to tell you," Micky said excitedly plopping down next to Kari.
"What is it?" Kari asked as the girls started to settle down.
"How'd you all like to go to England?"
"England? You mean fly to England?!" Ginger said stupidly.
"Na, I thought we'd take the freeway," Mike drawled smartly.
Micky quickly explained, "Yeah! We just got news that we're set up to definately play a few concerts over there."
"And we thought it would be a nice get away from everything going on over here," Peter added. "I mean, we're big in England, but they don't have the same tabloids, so maybe..."
The three girls looked at each other.
"So, lemme get this figured right," Ginger said, "you all want us to go on tour with you in England?"
The three guys looked at each other.
"Yes, dear," Mike answered. "You know what England is don't you? It's a little country surrounded by water. It's foggy, we beat it in war fora little chunck of land, we're friends now, and the Beatles are there."
"You are the most synical man I've ever met," Ginger said calmly.
"So a little while off, some quiet time together, look at some exibits... and shop... Do you girls want to go?" Peter asked, being cheeky with the shopping part.
"YES!" they squealed at once.
"But no shopping," Ginger added.
"We'll talk about it later," Mike said. "I think you need some different clothes. Like that dress you're wearing now. It's entirely too long."
"Too long?! This is a micr-- Do you ever stop being sarcastic?"
Mike started to answer, then lowered his head to consider.
"Okay," Micky said. "We'll leave tomorrow morning. Maybe the girls won't be so savage and insane. How are you feeling, Babe?" he asked Kari.
"Fine. Much better now that you're here." Kari leaned on his shoulder.
"Aw that's sweet..." Peter said dopily.
Just then, the four lights flashed on to call the boys back to the set.
"AH! Slaves, man! We're slaves!" Micky bellowed dramatically as the boys left.
"Guess what?" Kari said after they'd closed the door.
"What?" Ginger and Steph answered.
"I'm going to England with Micky and I love him and he's so wonderful and so cute and we live together and I saw him shirtless last night and we had a pillow fight and I love Micky and I'm going to England with M--"
Ginger put her hand over Kari's mouth. "Sh..." she said quietly and seriously.
"If she sees him shirtless again, we'll never be able to contain her," Steph obvserved.
"We'll have to make sure she doesn't," Ginger agreed.
"But... Aw no fair! You get to see Mike!"
"That's different, I'm mature about it," Ginger dismissed her.
"You are not!" Steph laughed. "You looked completely rattled when you came downstairs!"
Ginger was trying not to blush. "Oh you liar."
"I meant to ask you, what did you think about him sleeping without a shirt on that first night?" Steph was still laughing. Any chance she or Kari got, they enjoyed teasing Ginger since she enjoyed being in control and so mature.
"Shut up. I didn't think anything of it."
"Right." Kari was laughing. "Oh Mahcael! Mah mah it certainly is warm in heya! Mercy!" She was going 'Gone With the Wind'.
"Kari?" Ginger said.
"What?" Kari laughed out."
"MICKY NUDE! Totally nude! No shirt, no pants! All nude! Just for you!"
Kari stopped laughing, blushed, then giggled like an idiot. "Shut up!"
"That was a cheap trick, Ginger," Steph said but laughing all the same.
"Yeah, well, any port'n a storm..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After filiming had concluded for the day without incident (except for Davy's usual accausting occurence), everyone decided it would be best to go home and get some sleep. They were all tired from settling into new living arrangements, death threats, beatings, and horrific memories.
Peter and Steph had elected to go to his place-- finally-- so Ginger and Mike could be alone.
"So," Peter said as he and Steph settled in on his couch with soft classical music playing in the background, "do you feel like running out the door?"
"Yeah," Steph admitted. She was enjoying being with Peter, but it all seemed so exclusive and definate. "But it's not your fault. I'm just psycho."
Peter laughed, looking intently on Steph. "No you're not. It's just who you are. How could I help you relax a little?"
Steph had no idea. Then, in a fleeting moment, she decided that as long as she'd taken the step to be alone with someone she cared about in his house, she might as well take another plunge.
"Let me try this," Steph said, acutally quite nervous.
"I don't think--" Peter began but was cut off by Steph kissing him.
"Don't move to fast, Steph. Take it slow. You don't want to get yourself upset. Believe me, I understand."
"I know you do," Steph said. "I love you for it." She smiled at telling him she loved him. "I think just that much is fine for now."
"Me too," Peter agreed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mike and Ginger were together in the living room but engaged in seperate activities. Mike was laying on his back on the couch reading a novel, and Ginger was toying with a song in a chair across the room.
After a while of them both quietly doing their own thing, Mike stopped reading, closed his book, sat up, and looked at Ginger. She was oblivious to this and continued picking her accustic guitar intently. At a break Mike interrupted her.
"I don't recognize that tune."
Ginger finally looked up like she'd just realized she wasn't alone. "Oh, well... it's one I wrote a good while back. Never got the chorus the way I wanted it."
He knew Ginger played the guitar, but he didn't know she was this involved. "It sounded great. What are the words?"
"I've got them written down, I'll show you later..."
"No I want you to sing," Mike said, but it wasn't like an order the way he did when he was kidding around with her, it was more like a plea.
"You've heard me sing." Ginger was picking at the guitar again.
"Not just you." Mike smiled. "C'mon, you've heard me."
Ginger opened her mouth to make an excuse to not sing, or, better yet, a smart reply, but she couldn't.
Mike leaned his elbows on his knees to listen. "You're not going to get out of it."
Ginger gave him a look. "All right, but if you so much as smile the wrong way..."
Mike was obviously smiling the right way because Ginger played and sang her song the entire way through.
"So? Too disjointed? I was flat, sorry."
"No, you sing beautifully. That was a great song. I had no idea you could write like that," Mike said, throughly enthralled.
"Yeah... well..." Ginger muttered. "Thank you..."
"Why are you my assisstant?"
Ginger was knocked a little off balance. "I... we just.."
"I mean why aren't you out looking for a deal?" Mike elaborated.
"I don't know. We were going to have a band. We've all taken some acting. Nothing ever happened. We got into the industry to write, direct, do photograpy after that. Then we got stuck with the Monkees..." She rolled her eyes but smiled.
Mike laughed. "I'd've killed myself. No really, you shouldn't have stopped. You don't have to, you know."
Ginger sat the guitar down. "I guess I do. I tried to make a break, but I didn't even cause a dent. Just wasn't meant to be, I guess."
"And I thought you were smart and different..." Mike shook his head.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ginger asked, setting the guitar down.
"I mean knowing you, I wouldn't think you'd stop til you could say the Beatles were old news."
"I'd never say that," Ginger corrected.
"You know what I mean."
Ginger sighed as she sat down beside Mike. "I guess you're right. Maybe we'll start up again. There's other things I want, too though."
"Like what?" Mike asked with curiousity.
Ginger hadn't meant to say that. Mike somehow sometimes managed to get her comforatable enough around him that she let things slip.
She couldn't think of a way to back up, so she just shrugged. "See England, meet the Beatles," she laughed.
Mike laughed but looked studiously at her for a moment. "You can tell me later what you really meant."
"Or not."
Mike shrugged. "You have more songs?"
She nodded.
"Can I see them?"
She shook her head.
"Why?" Mike asked. He honestly thought she'd share.
"I like to be difficult."
"Hmph." Mike got up, got two drinks, then sat back down, his arm around Ginger. "I have songs nobody's gonna see, too."
"Fine by me. If that's how you want it."
"If you didn't have the same thing, you'd not say that. But I'm glad you understand. Are you going to snoop for them?"
"Never," Ginger said honestly.
"Good," Mike said, leaning Ginger closer to him. He, however, was planning to look for Ginger's songs. He was sure she was keeping hers private for when she was sure that she had a record deal or someone else would record them. Maybe he could help overcome that little problem just like the Pierce one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Micky and Kari had just finished making popcorn at his apartment.
"I can't believe we're going to England," Kari said happily as they stood in the kitchen eating popcorn.
"You mean you've never been?" Micky asked, imitating a posh, stuck up, rich man.
Kari giggled. "No you dweeb."
"Dweeb? Is that my pet name?" Micky asked looking at her laughing.
"Don't like it? How about 'fuzzball'?"
"Ok, Dweeb it is."
Kari laughed eating more popcorn as Micky turned on the radio. He kept turning the dial trying to find a good station.
It finally ended up on an old classical station that was playing a slow jazzy tune.
"Shall we dance?" Micky said, still acting proper.
"We shall."
The truth was, neither of them really knew how to ballroom dance, but they didn't need to. Kari rested her head against Micky's shoulder, her left hand on his left shoulder and her right hand holding his left. Micky had his right arm wrapped around her waist and they just swayed back and forth, living in the moment.
It was then that Kari made a realization.
Those teenage girls could hit her with their handbags, pull her hair, tear her clothes, even break her bones, but she wouldn't let that stop her from being with Micky.
He was her future and she wasn't going to let him go.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Peter and Steph were lying together on the couch, Steph more comfortable with him then she ever had been before.
"Peter?" she said sleepily.
They both had fallen asleep.
"Hmmm...?" he asked his eyes still closed.
"I should probably go home and pack."
"Yeah, you should."
"Peter..."
"Yeah?"
"You're laying on my arm."
Peter opened his eyes smiling.
"Sorry," he said as Steph sat up composing her self.
"Awww... you look so cute when you wake up." Peter said with a dumb grin on his face.
"I wish I could say the same for you," Steph joked.
"You're going to pay for that," Peter said suddenly sitting up.
"What are you going to do?" Steph asked practically daring him.
"This!"
Peter began to tickle her as she screamed and started to run around his living room.
"Oh no you're not going to get away that easily!"
Peter chased her and quickly caught her.
"You make this too easy," he laughed as she was trying to get away.
At this rate, she was never going to get back home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The flight was to leave at ten o'clock from the Los Angeles International Airport. Mike, Ginger, Peter, and Steph were already there with their bags, the boys as eager as the girls. Mike sat in the waiting area drumming his fingers on a table.
"Where are they?!" he questioned. Kari and Micky were running late.
"Oh hush, it's only quarter after," Ginger scolded Mike for being way too loud. People were staring and that wasn't good. They could recognize the group. Luckily it was just an old couple passing by that heard him.
Mike, Ginger, Peter, and Steph heard a crash and looked to their left. Micky came running, dragging Kari with him and he plopped down next to Ginger. "Hi," he said dopily with a matching grin.
Ginger tried not to snicker as she eyed him. "Where have you been?" she asked.
"Getting ready," Kari replied from the floor. When Micky plopped down and pulled her too, she missed the targeted chair.
"Uh huh suuuure," grinned Peter. He was unusually cheeky, again. Only he saw Micky wink.
"Yeah, well... where's Davy?" Steph wondered.
"I'm right here." Steph looked up and saw the little man. "The flight's ready, are you coming or what?" he looked at the rest and then checked out his nails.
" 'Bout time," Mike grumbled. Ginger hit him on the arm.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They were on the private jet. It was a nice flight. "Only eleven and a half hours," Peter grinned.
"Don't remind me," Ginger said starting out the window. She looked over at Mike who was busy reading Car & Driver. He had more on his lap. "Gimmie one of those!" Ginger said. Mike threw one at her and she hit him again.
"So... Steph," Peter leaned closer to her, still grinning. "How are you on this fine day?" He put his arm around her and got closer.
"I'm... MOVE!" Steph leaped out of her chair and headed towards the restroom. They all cringed when they heard her gag and hurl up her breakfast.
"Well," Peter said, with a look on his face. "Guess it isn't such a fine day."
"This will be an interesting flight," Micky said, as if he was a flight attendant.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It'd been about six hours into the flight. Davy was getting some "beauty rest" just after he had fixed his nails. Mike and Ginger were talking after about an hour and a half of kissing, Micky and Kari commentating through the whole thing. Peter and Steph tried to talk but kept getting interrupted by Steph's running to the plane's comfort room.
Steph came back out for about the umpteenth time. Mike looked at her as she passed him. "Don't eat anymore snacks," he said, deadpan.
Steph walked over to him. "Who do you think you are telling me what to do?" she remarked. "I was hungry! And it's not like you weren't eating a whole pig."
"Atleast I'm not throwing it up every five minutes," Mike replied, still deadpan.
"Well you can just--" Steph was cut off mid sentence but another puking attack. This time she didn't make it to the bathroom... it ended up all over Mike's lap.
Everyone looked at Mike, Micky doing an overdone gasp, causing Kari to laugh.
Mike looked at his lap and then to Steph, who seemed to recover from the last blow. "Haha it's what you get," she sang and went to sit down again after she washed her mouth out.
Micky and Kari started to crack up, and Ginger couldn't help but giggle at Mike's misfortune. "You need to take those off and get new ones," Ginger said through giggling.
Mike looked at her. "How about you take them off and I'll get new ones?"
Ginger rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm. "Go change, NOW."
"Yes ma'am," Mike got up, curtsied, and went to change.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Steph tossed her food all over Mike, that seemed to be the last of her motion sickness. Which was good because a few hours later she and Peter were watching a movie, and Peter had fallen asleep in her arms.
"Hey Micky?" Kari stroked his neck for him to open his eyes.
"What?" Micky asked, half asleep.
"Can I braid your hair?"
"Sure..." Micky turned over. His eyes popped open and he immediately turned back. "What?! Braid it?!"
Kari surpressed a giggle. "Yeah!" She grabbed some of his wavy hair and began to twist it in a regular braid. She had a small rubber band to hold it into place. "There!" She beamed, admiring her work.
Micky held up the pieces of hair and turned his head trying to look at them. "Okay, happy?"
"I'm not done yet!" Kari protested and began to weave some more strands of hair.
As Kari braided more of Micky's hair without rubber bands, he fell back asleep in Kari's lap, which he'd found to be the best place he'd ever slept. Kari's head soon lolled back into a doze as soon as she'd finished her makeover.
Peter remained curled up in Steph's hug. Like Micky, he'd found his favorite bed. Steph had leaned her head over on top of Peter's and fallen asleep holding him.
Davy was obviously dreaming as he slept. "No... No girls... Don't rip my shirt!... Well, okay, go ahead..."
Neither Mike nor Ginger had fallen asleep. They were still talking.
"Yeah so because it has that weird filtration problem, I had to put in a different cooling system. Wasn't too expensive as they run, but it took some time to put in cos one of the parts on it I just couldn't get popped on. I had to do some welding and drilling, but I got it on there. It was also missin' a little, and I figured it just needed new sparks but I had to rework some of the engine. Runs even better now."
Ginger nodded as Mike concluded his tale about his GTO. "Cool. You took the engine out and everything?"
Mike nodded and tried not to look to pleased. "Yeah. Had to." He actually did look rather pleased, despite his efforts.
Ginger was about to speak again when a roadie came back to the passengers.
"We're landing. I'll let you two wake the others and tell them."
"Okay," Ginger said and turned to wake the others. "Guys..." she whispered.
"Oh please," Mike said.
"Please what?"
Mike gave her a look, a slick smile, then took a deep breath and "HEY GUYS WAKE UP WE'RE HERE!!!"
Ginger uncringed. "Nice lungs Michael."
"Why thank you. Vital for singin'. And it's what makes me such a great kisser. Well, part of what makes me such a great kisser."
The others were stirring and sitting up.
"Gr... I wish I could hurl on you again, Mike..." Steph said, none-to-happy about the way she'd just been called to conciousness.
The plane skidded to a stop in the foggy English night, and the roadie reappeared. "Okay guys. There's some press out here, but there's a limo right outside. Just get into it, shouldn't be any problems."
"Merciful Heavens... Micky what did you do to you hair?" Mike asked as they all stood up to leave the plane.
Micky looked perplexed for a moment, then it hit him as Kari began to laugh wildly, which set off everyone else into laughter.
"Kari you braided it all!!!" he said feeling the little clumps of hair wildly.
Mike was laughing his butt off at him. "It's an improvement!"
Micky glared at him. "I hope you go bald by the time you're forty."
Ginger now laughed at this in addition to Micky scrambling to undo his hair. "Mike? With no hair? Now that's funny. He's got hair all over him! His arms, his head, thick beard, on his chest and stomach--"
"And how do we know this?" Peter quipped.
"Peter, I liked you better before you got cheeky," Ginger spat sarcastically as the group moved to the door of the plane.
An approved photographer opened the door and the seven went down the stairs in couples to wildly flashing cameras. There weren't as many cameras as the girls had grown accustomed to, but there was still a good number.
"The British press is all tabloids, so it's not a big deal what they write. Not a big deal in America either, but you know," Mike whispered.
The group got into the limo after some waving and drove off. As they drove to the hotel with a small police escort, they did some sightseeing from the car and in practically no time they'd arrived. They all got out of the car to some more photographers and fans. All of the fans were screaming for Davy.
"Back home they love him 'cause he's British, here they love him, too. Makes no sense," Mike commented dryly as the all entered the lobby of the hotel.
"Aw, jealous?" Ginger asked mock-sympathetically.
"Yes. My self-esteem is shattered. I need to be shown a little love."
Micky and Peter immediately threw their arms around Mike from either side.
"Just what I needed..."
"You're rooms are all ready. It's an honor to have you all staying with us. We've closed off your floor so you won't be bothered. Here are your keys." A smiling girl that had come out from behind the front desk handed all seven of them keys. "Let us know if we can do anything for you."
They all said their thanks and went up to their private floor. Each other them went and surveyed their rooms. The girls were on one side, the boys on the other. Each room connected to the one beside it.
As the rest of them were meandering out into the hallway, Micky suddenly bolted out of his room.
"Kari! You've got to come see my room! It's got something so outasite in it!"
"All the rooms are the same Micky..." Steph said leery of what Micky was doing.
"No, mine's different! And I only wanna show Kari!"
"What's so great about it?" Ginger asked.
"We probably don't want to know..." Mike muttered.
"It's got a ME in it!" Micky ducked back inside the doorway.
The rest of the group moaned and rolled their eyes as Kari ran up the hall smiling. "Ooo! Lemme see! Lemme see!"
"That's love right there," Mike said as he and Ginger went into his room, and Steph and Peter went to each of their's across the hall. "They're just perfect for each other. Both of 'em are too crazy to realize the other one's insane."
Once inside Micky's room, Kari was bouncing. "Okay, okay, show me, show me, show me!"
"All right," Micky said grinning. "Close your eyes."
Kari covered her eyes with her hands as Micky got right up in her face.
"Okaaay... OPEN THEM!"
Kari opened her eyes and squealed. "Oh I love it! I want one in my room!!!"
"I dunno... One of a kind and all..." Micky said as he took Kari in his arms. He leaned in and they kissed.
"Yeah, I definately have to get one of these for my home. Oh wait!" Kari said, making Micky laugh before they kissed once more.
The luggage had just arrived and Steph was beginning to unpack when she heard a knock on the door. She set down her folded dress and went to go see who it was.
She opened the door to find Peter standing in the doorway, in fresh clothes... only he had a mustache...
"What on Earth...?" Steph started, but Peter cut her off.
"Would you care to join me in a walk around the town?" he said with a French accent that made Steph just want to melt.
"Well, I'd love to Mr..." she asked playfully.
"Thorkelson... Pier Thorkelson."
"Well, Pier, I'd be absolutely honored. Just let me get cleaned up a bit."
"Oui Oui... I shall be waiting for you in the hallway."
Steph shut the door and nearly screamed she was so happy.
She quickly grabbed the nearest article of clothing, which happened to be a pink sundress and threw it on. She brushed her hair excitedly, feeling like she did when she was in high school getting ready for a first date.
She walked out into the hallway, putting her room key in her purse and saw "Pier" waiting for her.
He held out his arm, which Steph took.
"Shall we?" he asked, his French accent still there.
Steph blushed and looked down, surpressing giggles.
"Si, dove ti piacerebbe andare?" Steph said in the best Italian accent she could muster.
"And what is your name, Ms...?"
"Oliviea...Rosalie Oliviea," Steph answered in her Italian accent.
"Woah, and where are you two going?" Mike asked as Peter and Steph headed towards the exit.
They turned around to see Ginger and Mike standing outside of Mike's door. Seeing Peter's mustache, Ginger burst into laughter.
Steph walked up to Mike and tilted her head as if she had just seen him for the first time.
"Lo non lo so," she said with a shrug. She turned to Ginger. "Arrivederci!"
Ginger smiled and waved. "A presto."
Steph bounced away and soon she and Peter were out of sight.
Ginger turned and looked at Mike, who was giving her a funny look.
"What?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"Since when do you speak... what language was that?" Mike asked trying to figure out what had just happened.
"Italian and I don't speak it. You just pick up a few things when you're around her."
"How'd she-"
"Long story. Ask her sometime. Meanwhile, what do you want to do about dinner?"
"Well, the room is mighty cozy. It's a shame we'd have to leave it so soon," Mike said playing with her hair.
"Who says we have to?" Ginger asked coyly.
Mike arched his eyebrows waiting for her to continue.
"Room service," she stated, grinning.
"There's a reason why I keep you around," Mike said, gently pushing her back into his room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Kari and Micky had long since discovered the existence of room service.
"Man, they have good food in England," Micky said, stuffing his face with turkey and potatoes.
Kari nodded. She was drinking sparkling cider. "Slow down Micky, it's not gonna run away!" she giggled.
"Yes it will!" Micky tickled her. "It'll run away into Mike's room, where he'll take it and throw it out the window because it's not spicy enough!"
"Why would he do that?" asked Kari laughing as he continued to tickle her.
"Cause Mike's really a Mexican woman in disguise!!!!" Micky practically screamed. Kari hollared with laughter.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In the next room, Mike and Ginger could hear two people scearming their heads of laughing.
"What are they doing?" Mike asked Ginger.
"Don't look at me!" Ginger threw her hands up. Just then Davy walked in.
"Don't you knock?" asked Mike, glaring at him.
"Why? Would you two be doing something hahaha..." Davy got to the point. "Mike, you stole my emery board.
"I what?!" Mike's head turned. "I stole your WHAT?!"
"My nail file! Give it back," Davy demanded.
"Davy... leave," Mike said looking at Davy as if he was looking at an insane man that had just happened to wander into his room.
Davy turned to go, but stopped and commented before he closed the door, "All righ', but I know you took it..."
As soon as the door closed, Mike started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Ginger asked, then sudden realization come upon her face. "Oh... Mike you didn't..."
Mike laughed hard and reached into his pocket. He pulled out Davy's emery board and held it up causing himself and Ginger to laugh nearly as hard as Kari and Micky.
Another knock was heard on the door of Mike's room, and he got up and flung the door open after putting Davy's nail file in the nightstand drawer.
"Davy, I told you you're loon crazy if-- Oh, hello." It was room service.
"Is all of that for us?" Ginger asked to no one imparticular as the waiter brought in the food.
"No, miss. Some of it is for next door. Actually most of it is," the waiter answered.
"Let me guess..." Mike surveyed the rolling table of food. "I bet the two cakes, the pie, the ice cream, the cheese whiz, the walnuts, the whipped cream, and the peanut butter are for next door."
The waiter nodded. "Yes sir. Just for my own curiousity, do you have any idea why he'd want all of this?"
Mike looked at the waiter while Ginger tried to mask giggles. He shook his head. "Nope. I could probably give you some theories, but I don't really think you'd want me to anymore'n I'd like to think of them..."
The waiter nodded as he backed out of the room. "And he also wanted me to drop this hair net, emery board, and dinner of liver off at Mr. Jones's room."
"That's a good idea," Mike agreed, tipping the man.
As Mike closed the door and sat down again with Ginger to a dinner of which everything consisted of at least five peppers, she asked, "Why are we so mean to Davy?"
Mike shrugged, pouring hot sauce on both of their plates. "It's fun."
"Ah."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Peter and Steph had been strolling the streets in the fog that sparkled in the street lamps. They'd stopped for some real English tea, never dropping their accents. They were at a cafe sipping their drinks, speaking in their respective languages.
"Rosalie?" 'Pier' asked with his French accent.
"Si?" she answered?
"Je vous aime," he said very heavily.
"L'amo anche," she said back, smiling.
They laughed and sipped their tea, looking out the window at the beautiful setting sky.
Just then an old fashioned horse drawn carriage passed by with a newly married, happy couple riding inside.
Steph just stared at it dreamily as Peter ran through something in his head.
They walked out of the cafe, holding hands and walked into a nice park.
Peter stopped walking taking both of Steph's hands in his.
"Steph, I've loved you since the first moment I saw you," he said looking into her eyes.
Steph sucked in her breath, butterflies flying around in her stomach.
"When I with you, nothing else in the world matters. You make me feel... I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life and I never want that feeling to go away. I never want you to go away. You complete me."
The wind began to blow as Peter bent down on one knee. Steph gasped.
"I... I don't want to rush things, and I don't have a ring or anything... but I love you so much that... I... I... will you marry me?"
Steph just stood there the wind blowing her hair around. She couldn't believe it. Was this really happening?
She closed her eyes as tears began to well up in her eyes.
Peter looked at her concerned for a moment before she looked at him, her answer ready.
"Yes," she whispered. She then looked up and the cloudy sky and yelled, "Yes!"
Peter stood and the two hugged and kissed, both about to burst with joy.
"It can be as long as an engagement as you want," Peter said as Steph pulled away shaking her head.
"No. I really want this. You really want this. Lets get married now."
"Now?" Peter asked a little bit shocked.
Steph nodded. "I mean, why not? I love you too much to go this far and not finish."
Peter grinned. "Let's go find a chapel."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~