It took fifteen minutes to round up the gang, and head for Vegas. After Karen and Mike, and Brianna and Davy were mysteriously drawn to their old pad, Davy had said there was one thing they had to do before he would work on the Monkee reunion with the others.
"You and Karen have to get back together." He said to Mike as they drove back to Mickys house. They planned on getting Micky and Phoebe and Peter from Mickys studio.
"But in Vegas?" Mike said. "Isn’t that kinda sudden?"
"You don't fool me Nesmith." Davy said. "You been wanting to get back together with her since I don't know when. I don't think you've ever stopped caring for her."
"That’s true." Mike said. He looked at her as she talked with Brianna. "I want to be with her."
"So do something about it for gods sake!" Davy said. "Nothings ever stopped you from getting you what you want, nothing should stop you now." He encouraged.
Mike looked at Davy and nodded. He went over to Karen who just got herself a drink from the kitchen.
"Karen?" He asked.
"Yeah?" She said taking a sip.
"Will you marry me? Again?" He asked her.
"When?" She asked.
"In Vegas." Mike said. "Davy somehow thinks it might be a neat idea for a double wedding. Thats what he wants me to do before we can work on any reunion album." He added.
"I dunno, its little soon." She said.
"I know."
"We have been together only a week." She added. She took another sip of her drink and mulled this over. "Ok, I'll do it."
"You will?" He asked her.
"Sure, I don't think any other time would have been as good. So when we going to Vegas?"
"In a few minutes."
"Good." Karen said. "Oh by the way, I want to have a change."
"Change?" He asked.
"Yes. Karen Nesmith. Just Nesmith. No Galloway, no hyphen." She smiled. "Ok?"
"Ok!" He said. "Do you have something to wear?"
"Of course." She said. "Let me get it." She ran up the stairs into Cheas old room. She had a dress that Chea borrowed a long time ago. It seemed like a good time to get it back. She tried it on in front of the mirror. It was a strapless cream colored number that went down to just below her knee.
"Perfect." She smiled. She then ran to a mirror to quickly do her hair.
Later on
It took them most of the night to get to Las Vegas. They took two cars, Peter and Phoebes hummer and Mickys limo.
Going down the Vegas strip, Micky said to Brianna. "Man, we must be a sight!"
"I know." Brianna said. "I've never been here before, this is so cool."
"Yeah." Davy said. "Here we are."
They pulled into "Purty Little Weddin' Chapel". It was your typical wedding chapel, small and cute, and convenient. They piled out of their respective cars and looked around. Not many people were around, most were off gambling or having other types of fun.
"Well." Karen said to Mike who looked at her. "Shall we?"
"Yes." He said. He took her hand and led her in. Davy and Brianna and the others soon followed.
After paying the woman at the front desk for a double wedding, the guys went inside the chapel and waited. Except for Micky looked around a little wistfully. Karen went up to him.
"How are you doing?" She asked.
"It'll take a long time, but I'm already starting to feel a little better. I feel like shes with me right now." He smiled at her. I tell you one thing, she would have really died to seen you two get married again." He laughed.
"I know." Karen said.
"I'm gonna go inside." He said. "See you two in a few minutes. Come on Phoebe, Peter has a song to play for the entrance. He needs you."
"Coming." Phoebe hugged Karen and Brianna. "Good luck guys!"
"Thanks." Brianna smiled.
Phoebe waved and went into the chapel.
Karen picked up her bouquet. The chapel provided both her and Brianna with flower bouquets free of charge. "Are you ready?" She asked.
"Yeah." Brianna said. "We're not going anywhere, we might as well enjoy the rest of ur lives. And hey, it aint so bad, sure Chea is gone but at least we accomplished the reunion."
"I know." Karen said. "It'll be along time before we have a friend like her again."
"Yea." Brianna said. "She'll never be completely gone, cause shes with us always. Plus Micky has her beautiful daughter now."
"Thats true." Karen said. "Let's go."
Inside the organist was ready to strike up "Here comes the bride", Peter stopped her.
"We have a song we'd like to play." He told her. The elderly organ player shrugged and walked away. Peter and Phoebe picked up their guitars and sat down on a bench.
The door opened and Brianna and Karen walked through. Peter cued Phoebe and she started to play.
"Lady, when you're with me I'm smiling
Give me all your love
Your hands build me up when I'm sinking
Touch me and my troubles all fade
Lady, from the moment I saw you
Standing all alone
You gave all the love that I needed
So shy, like a child who has grown"
"'Cause you're my lady of the morning
Love shines in your eyes
Sparkling, clear, and lovely
You're my lady"
"Lady, turns me on when I'm lonely
Give me all your charm
Evenings when she lays down beside me
She takes me gently into her arms"
"Lady of the morning
Love shines in your eyes
Sparkling, clear, and lovely
You're my lady"
Peter and Phoebe stopped playing as Karen and Brianna reached the alter.
"Okay." The preacher said. He looked like Elvis.
"Brianna, he looks like Elvis." Karen muttered.
"Karen, that IS Elvis." Mike said. "Remember, he quit music and became a preacher."
"Oh yeah." Karen said. She looked at Brianna who looked like she was about to bust out laughing.
"We are gathered here today in this desert paradise to bring together Mike Nesmith and Karen Galloway-Nesmith and Brianna Lewis and Davy Jones." The preacher said. "Is there anyone here who has anything against this foursome getting married?" He asked. They looked at him. "Just following the script folks." They waited ten seconds. "Okay, the couples have their own vows?"
"Yes." Davy said. "Brianna, I have been waiting for this day for a very long time." He started. "Like another song by the band that wrote the song you came down the isle by, this will truly be the best of times."
"Davy." Brianna said. "I made you wait a very long time. Now I'm gonna make that wait well worth it."
The preacher looked at Mike, "Do you have something to say?"
"Karen I love you." He said simply. Karen smiled. When Mike spoke, his words were always chosen very carefully. His vows were very short but to her, they spoke volumes to her heart.
"I think he said it all." Karen said. She smiled at him.
"Okay." The preacher said. "Take each others hands." They did so. "Brianna, and Karen will you take these two men, good times and bad, yadda yadda yadda?"
They looked at Mike and Davy. "I do."
"Mike and Davy, same question, names reversed." He said.
Wow, the preacher was in a hurry, Karen thought. Must want to make the next buffet call. "I do." Mike and Davy said.
"By the State of Nevada, and all those within and without, I now pronounce you husbands and wives. You may kiss the brides." The preacher said.
Mike kissed Karen on the lips, and Davy kissed Brianna. Micky, Peter and Phoebe congratulated them.
"So now what?" Brianna asked. "What happens now?"
"Now the rest begins!" Karen said.
Two months later
They were in the studio celebrating. It was a day of celebrating in fact, the first album by all four Monkees in year. Courtesy of Chea, and the gangs lyrics they had a couple of sure fire number one hits on the album. They had a tremendous amount of help. John Lennon and Paul McCartney came in and hung out and did their part too.
Two months later, they had finished the last track, and were having a small party in Mickys studio.
Brianna and Davy were bringing in sandwiches from the kitchen. Karen took one of the tray as they passed it around.
"This is a great day in music history." Mike said speaking to the crowd. "Today we will be listening to the first Monkees album, in its entirety."
Everyone applauded.
"Out of tragedy, we have found our strength to sing again." Micky said. "Let's hear the tape. All I have to say is, Chea is up there somewhere with headphones on, waiting to hear us. So let's not let her down."
"I'll go get it." Brianna said. She went out one door of the studio. Davy walked over to the console to get it ready.
"Anyone else for a sandwich?" Karen asked. "Vegamite is surprisingly good." Everyone looked at her, and shook their head. "Great, more for me and Brianna." She said. "Where is she anyway?"
"She went through that door." Micky said. "She should have been back with that tape by now."
"I'll go see whats up." Karen said putting down the sandwich tray. She went to the door and opened it. It was completely dark inside.
"Oh I get it, a surprise party." Karen rolled her eyes. "Come on out, Brianna, I see youuuuu." Karen stepped through the door. All of a sudden something pulled her downward, like if she fell down a black hole. She could feel herself falling quickly. She looked all around her. All of a sudden she was reminded of a song she heard in the radio one day.
"One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you, don't do anything at all; Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall.
And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall....."
As she continued to fall she could see images around her, swirling like a colored tornado. It was everything that had happened since the gadget mishap. The wedding, the baby, the funeral. Karen could feel herself tearing up. Just as she was about to see what happened next, she hit the ground, hard.
She got up and brushed herself off. A light slowly lit up the room. She looked all around, there seemed to be no way in or out.
"Hello?" She called out. Her voice echoed through the room. "Anyone here?"
"Karen?" She heard a voice call. She looked around. She saw two people emerge out of the darkness. "Watch where you fall, you nearly crushed us!"
"Brianna?" Karen asked as she saw them come closer to her. The other person with her was obvious. "CHEA?????"
"Yeah!" Chea ran to her and hugged her.
"Chea! You're alive!" She said hugging her friend tightly. "And you're young! But how?"
"I don't know." Chea said. "I closed my eyes, and the next thing I knew I was here."
"I was walking out the studio door and ended up here." Brianna added.
"Where is here anyway?" Karen asked.
"The black box." Chea said.
"The what?" Brianna asked.
"The black box. From Head." Chea said.
"Excuse me, but suddenly I'm out of the loop again." Brianna said. "What is head?"
"I don't know either, Chea." Karen said.
"Head is the feature full length movie that they made when the show was just ending." Chea explained. "It bombed but it gained a huge cult following."
"Ah." Brianna said. "A little less confused."
"In the movie, which was one crazy trip, they kept ending up in it." Chea said. "No doors, windows, no way out."
"Are we stuck here?" Karen asked.
"I have no idea. I been looking around." Chea said.
"What can we do?" Brianna asked.
"Well..." Chea said as a light filled the room. "Look!"
The light moved fast towards them. They looked at it wide-eyed.
"Whatever that is, its coming for us." Karen said. "Quick, grab hands."
The trio grabbed each others hands and held onto each other tightly as the light swallowed them.
"Don't let go!" Karen yelled. She closed her eyes. It was the last thing they heard before the vanished.
Minutes later the light vanished. The girls opened their eyes and looked around.
"Oh my god!" Karen said.
"I hate that!" Brianna said as they let go. "Where are we?"
"Our apartment! In the real 2000!" Chea said. "Its as we left it." She laughed. She then sniffed. "Oooh is it ever as we left it. That trash we left when we did must be rank by now."
"How did we end up here?" Karen asked. She felt something bulky in her pocket. She took it out. "The time gadget backup." She said amazed. "But I thought..."
"Me too." Brianna said. "I thought you smashed it after Chea died."
"I did." Karen said. "Coming back to real time might have fixed that. This means nothing in alternate 2000 never happened."
"What did happen while I was gone?" Chea asked.
"We got married." Karen said. "Plus the reunion happened."
"They were getting ready to listen to the album when we went through the door." Brianna continued.
"Neat." Chea said. "What are we doing here anyway? It's been so long."
"Not really." Brianna said. "Look at the gadget, according to this we left the pad only THREE MINUTES AGO."
"This is weirder and weirder." Chea said.
"We were here to close up shop." Karen said.
"How do we do that?" Brianna asked. "Well its easier for me since I never really officially lived here. And I'm still packed." She guestered toward her bags and the newspaper which was still open to "Poseidan Adventure."
"I suggest we take all of our Monkees and Friends and anything else modern and sell it on Ebay." Chea said. "I have an account."
"That sounds like a plan." Karen said. "Let's pick what we're gonna bring back to 1967 with us."
"Ok." Chea said. "Let's have some music." She was about to put in her Monkees anthology when Brianna stopped her.
"We have all the time in the world to listen to these guys. I want to listen to something I like while we still have a chance." Brianna said grabbing a cd out of her bag. She popped it in. "And the song is appropriate somewhat." She said as Karen looked at the jewel case for the cd she had been thrown.
"Hmmm, Barenaked Ladies." Karen mused as "The old apartment" started.
It took them a week but they managed to sell all of the Monkee things, and everything else they decided they couldnt bring back with them. Someone named Tiffany bought up almost everything. It took a little longer to get the money. They ran their auctions exclusively so just the people close enough to them could buy the items. After another week they had enough money to return to the Monkee dimension, and afford to live for a long time.
The apartment was completely empty when they were done. They looked back on it.
"Wow, I can't believe we're leaving." Chea said. "I have had so much fun here." She laughed. "Remember when we tp'd OJ Simpsons house?"
"Yeah." Karen laughed. "We got one last thing to do before we go."
Karen knocked on the door of the landlord. The smelly stinky man that was the landlord came to the door. He opened it and looked at them.
"Hi." Karen said. Brianna and Chea pasted big cheesy smiles on their faces.
"Aren't you the girls who live in the apartment?" He asked. "Where you been?"
"What do you mean, where have we been? We been home all along." Chea said.
"Uh huh." The landlord said.
"Here is 1,500$ for back rent." Karen said. "We're so sorry."
"Apology accepted." The landlord said visibly drooling over the money, apparently forgetting that they WERE gone for months.
"We've moved out." Karen said. "It's nice doing business with you."
"Yeah, yeah." The landlord said walking back in his apartment, and closing the door.
"Now what?" Karen asked the girls as they walked down the street.
"We can get a hotel room. Maybe get some rest before we go back." Chea said.
"No way." Brianna said. "In the future one of the things I realized is that I never bonded with you two." she said. "We ought to hang out for one last night in 2000, say goodbye, then go back to 1967. But this time for good."
"Cool." Chea said. "Can we TP OJ Simpsons house again."
"No." Karen said. "He doesnt even live there anymore."
"I have a car." Brianna said. "A rental car, ok? But we can ride around and get one last look."
"Sounds good to me." Karen said. They found Briannas Sidekick and threw their bags into the back. Their last night in 2000 was going to memorable. They drove around all the streets, each sharing their own memories. They passed a video place.
"Hollywood video sucks!!!!" Brianna yelled out the window. Chea and Brianna looked at her. "I worked there for a while, I hated the vest uniform. I felt like a monkey, only without the guy to crank the music box."
Chea and Karen laughed at that. They parked on a hill to watch the sun go down.
"That was beautiful." Chea sighed.
"Yeah." Karen agreed. Brianna wiped a tear out of her eye.
"Sorry, sunsets really get me." She sighed.
"I think we're ready to go back now." Karen said. She got the gadget out of her bag. "Surprisingly now its fully functional."
"I know, like what gives." Chea agreed.
"Let's hope we don't get sent to the stone age." Brianna said as Karen punched in the coordinates. She pressed the big button and vanished from sight.
1967
They returned in a flash of light. Surprisingly the guys were there waiting for you.
"Where have you been?" Mike yelled at her. "We were scared to death!"
"I'm sorry!" Karen said. "I thought we left a note."
"It's gone." Chea said looking around. "Probably went out the window. We really need a paper weight."
"Where were you?" Micky asked.
"Long story." Chea said. They sat them down and told them what happened witht he gadget, the future and Chea dying. Micky squeezed Cheas hand as they talked about the sadder parts of the journey. Karen and Brianna took over for Chea once they got to the parts where she wasnt there. Peter smiled about the fact that he was with Phoebe again.
"We eventually found ourselves back in our own time." Karen said as they talked in the kitchen. "We packed up everything. We took some clothes of ours back with us along with a few momentos of where we were."
"Including my lucky boxer shorts." Chea said proudly.
"You girls have to be exhausted." Micky said.
"I am." Chea nodded.
"I am putting you to bed young lady." Micky said. "And no back talk." He added as he picked her up in a firemans carry. He lugged her upstairs.
"I'll see you guys later!" She called.
"I'm gonna go to sleep too." Brianna said and went to her room. Everyone else, except Mike and Karen said their various goodbyes and went back to their own pad. Mike looked at Karen.
"You went back." He said. "I can only imagine for once reason."
"Yes. To wrap up our former lives." Karen said. "My answer is yes."
"Yes?" Mike said. "After all that happened in our future?"
"The thing is that is only a possible future. Our real future is a blank page. It has to be written by us. I don't think what I saw in the future will be our future, though I do think Chea will have a serious talk with Micky about how many kids they will really have." Karen said. "I want to be with you. I want to be Karen Nesmith. No Galloway-Nesmith for me, I want to be your wife totally and completely."
"I been waiting for a while to hear that." Mike said and kissed her. "I am so happy to hear that."
"So when do we tell the others." Karen asked as they rose.
"Later, maybe tomorrow after you get some sleep. After all, tomorrow really is gonna another day." He said. They turned the lights off as they left the room.
