"So darling..." Steph said as she changed from the office. Hers and Peter's relationship was just as mutual and caring as it ever was. "Are you sure you want to do this?"She was talking about the 30 year reunion that was being called for of the Monkees.
He sighed. "I guess so. Micky's doing it, Davy's all for it..."
"And You Know Who?"
Peter sighed again. "We're still trying to get in touch with him. I swear he must not have phone service on that ranch..."
Steph laughed. "Sure he does. How else would he get to play on the computer all the time?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kari was on the phone with Erika. The two got along better than any mother and daughter in law ever. The two talked on the phone a little longer, then Kari said, "Okay sweetie. Yes, the kids are fine. Alright, talk to you later. Bye bye."
Kari walked over to her husband. They were still as crazy about each other as the day they met (and just plain crazy in general). Micky was playing with their two grandchildren, Allison and Joshua, both from Erika and Micky Jr. "She said everyone in England is talking about the reunion..." The two kids were on vacation in England and Micky and Kari were babysitting, not to mention raising an eleven year old of their own.
"That's cool, isn't it Alli? Hmm?" He tickled the little girl.
Kari rolled her eyes and laughed. He loved playing with those kids. "So... Is it really going to be a reunion?"
Micky shrugged. "I talked to Mike. He didn't give an answer. I suppose he will soon enough."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"All right... Well tell the kids I love them. Later." Mike hung up the phone. He had been talking to Cole, who had made Mike the first Monkee the become a grandfather, and three times over. Cole and his wife were living in California where Cole was working as a studio musician and producing some things with Mike. Sean and his wife lived in Texas were Sean played with his band and visited California from time to time, as well as some other places. Jackson was single and had a job as a songwriter in California, and Dallas was engaged but still in school studying theater.
"How are they?" Ginger asked him as he came over and laid down beside her on their overstuffed chaise lounge.
"Great," Mike said.
Ginger waited a moment then asked, "Did he ask you about--"
"Yes he asked me about it," Mike snapped.
Ginger recoiled a little bit.
"I realize that you want me to do it so you can talk to Steph and Kari more, so just go ahead and ask me to. Everyone else has."
Ginger got up off of the chaise and slammed the back door behind her on the way out.
Mike sighed. He hadn't meant to be so hateful. Thinking about it, he realized over the years he'd taken a lot out on Ginger. And she'd never held it against him. As a matter of fact, he had no idea how he would have made it this far without her. Now it was getting so that it was just one Monkee question after another again. He had toyed with the idea of the reunion when it had come up, then the nagging from the media and "Monkee people" had started and the whole thing had started to annoy him.
But it really wouldn't be that bad. It would actually be sort of fun. He was fifty four. It wasn't like when a reunion had first been brought up to him in the seventies. Now he could enjoy it a little without the worry of having to make the charts or anything. And he'd certainly proved he could be an artist outside of the Monkees. He sat there a little longer and thought back to when he'd first made the group, then when the girls came into the picture. He got up and went outside the way Ginger had gone.
He sat down beside her in a chair at the wrought iron table. The wind blew her long dark hair back out of her face as she looked out at the surrounding landscape. She was just as pretty as the first time he'd seen her. She looked at him.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you," Mike said.
Ginger got up and moseyed around the table, like she was allowing the apology to heal her. "It's okay..." she said quietly. Then she smiled a little. "But I'll have to get even with you..."
Mike raised an eyebrow. "How?"
Ginger reached descreetly down beside her against the wall of the house. "Like this." She turned the water hose on Mike, drenching him.
Mike sat there stunned after she turned the water off, water dripping off his shirt and beard. Ginger was laughing hysterically at the look on his face. "Why you little..."
Mike stood up and ran after Ginger, but she ducked around the corner of the house. Mike chased her, but broke off and went into the garage. All was quiet to Ginger for a moment and she snuck inside the house. Mike came in behind her. He'd gone into the garage and gotten one of the kids old water guns and filled it up. He soaked his wife with it.
She yelled as she was drenched and ran back outside, Mike ever chasing her. He finally caught her by grabbing her arm as the water gun ran out. He lifted her arm so she fell to the ground, and he straddled her stomach to make sure she stayed there.
"I win?" Mike panted, water still dripping off of his beard, hitting Ginger in the face.
"You win," Ginger said. "I'm not letting you do the reunion. I'm gonna keep you here and torture you."
Mike grinned. "Is that a promise?"
Ginger tried to wriggle free from him.
"Come in here and help me write an episode of the Monkees. I thought we could film that as a televison special for the reunion," Mike said as he helped Ginger up.
"You are so fickled."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The concert finished and the four men did the Monkee walk across the stage and the lights went down to thousands of screams. They went off backstage and had a group hug. They were having a ton of fun together. It was like the television show version of the band had come to life.
The women greeted their husbands in a dressing room for the four of them as soon as they could leave their seats from the show.
"Guys that was the best show yet!" Kari enthused.
"Yeah, they loved the new songs," Ginger added.
All of the Monkees' children were also there for the show and had come in behind the girls.
"Cheyenne has a question for you, Dad," Cole said, trying not to laugh.
"What is it dollface?" Mike asked the little girl in his son's arms.
"Why do all of those girls "want you"?"
Everyone laughed but Mike, who rolled his eyes.
"Hey, they want me more, Cheyenne. Remember that," Davy told her.
"No, don't," Mike told his granddaughter.
"Pretty good show for a buch of old guys," Bryant told them.
"Hey, you're just 11. I can still punish you," Micky shot back to his son.
"It was a great show," Matthew said. "We're going to go ahead to the after-party."
"Like father like son..." Steph said with a laugh.
"Oh no," Peter said. "Don't blame that gene on only me..."
The kids left and the eight were alone.
"So," Kari said, "is it fun being the Monkees?"
"It's a pretty good living," Peter said with a dimpled grin.
"You know... I'm a big fan..." Steph said like a little girl admitting this to Peter.
"I'll give you an autograph," Peter told her smugly.
"I think she's a groupie..." Micky whispered to Peter.
"Even better," Peter said with a wicked grin.
"Okay that's enough of that..." Mike said in mock disgust.
"It's so fun to have Papa Nez around, isn't it?" Davy said sarcastically, but he meant it.
"Thank you, thank you. Good to be here..." Mike said holding up his hands in modesty like he was receiving applause.
"So how about it guys?" Kari said. "All set for the forty year reunion?"
They all laughed and the four Monkees looked at each other.
"How about Friday ten years from now? Is that good for you guys?" Micky said.
"Saturday will be better for me," Mike said.
"Saturday it is," Peter agreed.
Ginger laughed. "Haven't you guys had enough?"
"Na, it's never enough," Mike said with a little wink.
The End (?)