It was New Years Eve 1967, only half an hour till the
start of 1968. The gang had decorated the main Monkee
pad with crepe paper and banners and streamers in order
to look festive for the event. Chea and Micky went to
the store to get stuff for the festivities, including
food and noisemakers. Mike set up the small barbque
grill outside on the deck. They had hamburgers and hot
dogs for dinner. They sat and ate while they watched
the fireworks over the harbor. The show was spectacular,
but the gang had things on their mind. Davy in
particular. The woman he loved could not be there to
take part in the fun. After their last big adventure,
Brianna got a cold. She was in the other "pad" all
tucked in her bed. He went over just about every half
hour to check on her, or to sing to her. He had just
gotten back from delivering her food to her.
Peter also had something on his mind, Karen realized
but he was being tightlipped about it. It was so
unlike Peter not to talk about what was troubling him.
Usually he went to one of the girls for advice. She
looked at him with a worried eye and shook her head.
She turned and looked at Mike, he had noticed her
worried expression. He nodded, as if he understood
what she was thinking.
At the half hour before the countdown to the new year, Davy paid another trip to see his ailing sweetheart. He bounded the steps two at a time at the house and walked into Briannas room. There were two bedrooms at the girls pad, Brianna was lucky enough to have her own, which she loved. She was considering going back to college soon.
"How ya doing, me luv?" Davy asked.
"Sick, sick as a dog." Brianna said after a coughing fit. "The same I was at 11, and 10:30." He smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead. "I don't want you to catch my cold. I sound like a goose, in stereo because of my ears."
"I won't catch it. Us british men are tough SOB's." He said pointing to his chest. "It's been four hours. Time for more medicine."
"No, not if its any of that awful Buckleys cough medicine." Brianna shook her head.
"Oh come on." Davy said. "It may taste awful but its working." He said placing a hand on her forehead. "Your fever is going down. You're getting better."
Brianna sneezed and coughed. "Coulda fooled me. This is one of them times I wish I was in 2000. Or should I say 2001?" She asked remembering the night. "They make alka seltzer that tastes like grape!"
"Ah memories, of medicines yet to come!" Davy said. "But this is all we have. Come on now." He said filling the spoon. She clenched her mouth tightly. "What do I have to do to make you take this?"
"Well, nah its silly." She waved her hand.
"What?" He asked.
"Stop singing, The Day I Fall In Love, and I'll have the whole bottle." Brianna said.
Davy laughed. "Okay its a deal."
Davy put the spoon in her mouth and Brianna swallowed the mixture. She stuck her tongue out and make a weird noise, and uttered a nasty word.
"Hey." Davy said. "Will I have wash your tongue out with soap?"
"No! You have that awful looking lava soap." Brianna said. "I'll be good. Go join your friends. It's fifteen minutes till the drop of the ball."
"Till what?"
"Sorry, in our time Dick Clark hosts a show from New Yorks Time Square, they lower a ball from the top of a building." Brianna said. "It's a tradition."
"All right. Are you sure you will be Ok?"
"I won't be..." She said looking at him. "...if I don't get my midnight kiss." She smiled at him.
"You got a date, me luv." He blew a kiss from the door.
The "Pad"
Karen found Peter on the deck sitting on his old hammock. Since the girls had their own place now, he and Davy had been back sleeping in their own beds for months. Sometimes Peter slept in the hammock at night. He loved seeing the ocean, and watching natures beauty. He always woke to see the dawn.
But tonight Peter had something on his mind. Karen had been trying all night to get Peter to talk about it, but nothing doing. Maybe she would get another chance.
Before she got a chance to ask, Davy came over from her place.
"Are we ready for the new year?" He asked Peter. He nodded glumly. "Don't get too excited, you'll hurt yourself."
"All right everyone! Time for your hats and noisemakers." Micky said passing them out. "Chea tested them all herself this afternoon to make sure they work."
"Like I could forget." Mike said. "I'm sure Brianna heard every single one."
Peter took his hat and put it on. He tooted on his noisemaker. "Hey, we could write a song with this!" Everyone looked at him. "Just a thought."
"We could always try new things." Mike said. "We need something new, but I just can't put my finger on it."
"I know." Micky said. "Whoopi cushions!" Then he shook his head. "Thats worse than Peters idea."
"Five minutes till 1968." Chea said.
"I know. I never thought we would last a week here, let alone make it into the new year." Karen said.
"If everything goes well, maybe we can go to Woodstock." Chea said.
"Woodstock?" Davy asked.
"Whats that?" Mike asked.
Chea and Karen looked at each other. "You'll see." They said together.
"I know what we can do," Karen said. "We can get the original time gadget, and that will tell us how long we've been here."
"Good idea." Micky said.
"I'll be right back." Karen said running over to her place.
"What we can do while we wait is make our New Years resolutions." Mike said.
"I have one." Chea said. "I'm gonna finish that song I started writing way back when." She said looking at Peter. "And this time Peter, you can help!"
"Thanks!" Peter said.
Everyone came up with their resolutions. Mike had a pretty good one. Karen had come back in time to hear it.
"By June, if we dont make the big time, we all should get a part time job." He said.
Karen nodded. "That is a good one. Sensible too."
"I resolve to love you." Micky said to Chea. He gave her a heart shaped box.
"Oh my, I never expected a present! Its heavy." She said holding it with one hand.
She opened it. She looked at it in awe.
"I don't believe it." Chea said.
"Lemme see." Karen said. Chea passed it over. Karen got the same look of awe.
"What is it?" Davy asked.
"It's the heart of the ocean." Chea said. "The necklace from Titanic. It looks like the original."
"I hope this means you like it." Micky said. "And it is the original."
"Oh my god, thank you." Chea said. They kissed each other on the lips. The guys watched, and went "ahhhh."
"Two minutes left, and we havent heard Peters." Mike said.
"I know." Peter said taking a somber tone. "I've decided to end it with Phoebe."
"What?" Chea asked. "But why?"
"Its hard to explain." Peter said. "You hear all the time how a long distance relationship is hard to maintain? Imagine what its like someone in another world." He shook his head sadly. "She agreed with me. So we've moved on. I'm looking for someone new."
"We're so sorry Peter." Karen said.
"I know." He said wiping a stray tear. "But its for the best. It would have ended one way or another soon enough."
"It'll get better." Micky said. "And soon, I have a feeling that your real true love is right around the corner."
"I hope so Mick." Peter agreed.
"Speaking of around the corner....its time!" Karen said. She held the time gadget. According to this we've spent little over half a year here."
"Okay, count em down." Mike said. "Ten, nine, eight seven, six five four three two one!"
"Happy New Year!" They cried. Chea kissed Micky, Mike kissed Karen. Peter no longer had anyone to kiss, but Chea and Karen kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks guys."
"I've got to go give Brianna a kiss, and its time for my half hourly checkup on her." Davy said.
"All right." Karen said.
"Karen, whats wrong with the gadget?" Chea said looking at the gadget in her hand.
"Hmm?" Karen asked. It seemed to take on a life of its own. "Did we punch in anything?"
"No." Mike said. "The numbers are spinning." He pointed out. The gadget in itself seemed to take on an eerie glow. Davy came away from the door and joined the others while they watched it.
"Whats wrong?" Davy asked.
"I don't know." Karen said. "We didn't put anything in."
"Then why is it doing that?" Peter asked.
"This is more than a little scary." Micky said holding on to Cheas hand.
It stopped at a number. All of a sudden a burst of light surrounded them. They looked around around as the light practically blinded them.
And then they were gone.
