"What a long strange trip its been." Chea thought. She remembered reading the quote somewhere, Chea thought as she wrote in her journal. Because of one time gadget, she had gotten more adventure in her life than she could ever ask for. She got friends, lots of wonderful friends, and love. Oh lots of love. What would have even happened had never met Karen or the Monkees? She had no idea, she had been with them for so long it was hard to fathom what life would have been like otherwise. Who knows what the future would hold.
But at the moment all she could think about was getting her daughter back. Back in her own time. Since the "emergency" time gadgets batteries ran out of power, they had no contact with the past. They had no idea what was going on, and what Jonny and Bonny might have to do with it. While waiting for possible new news about what was going on, she jotted a few details down in her journal. The wait was almost unbearable. Brianna periodically checked on Mikes hand after getting that bizarre scar earlier on. He seemed to be all right. The injury already felt like old news to him. Meanwhile Peter, Livvie, Davy and Brianna played cards in the living room. Micky, trying his best, worked on the gadget briefly. He tried to make the battery recharge itself to its fully capacity as quickly as he could. After a few attempts to fix it, he gave up and announced they would just have to wait. It would ne a miracle if it worked at all anymore.
That was almost an hour ago. A nerve wracking hour at that. A sudden beeping noise woke the group out of its reverie. Micky had changed the beeper noise on the gadget so that it sounded like the phone on Batman.
"The gadget must be fully charged!" Micky said as he unplugged the gadget from a battery charger. He clicked the red button. The digital display changed into a view screen. Peter, of 1968, appeared on it.
"Thank god we contacted you." He said.
"What’s going on?" Chea asked as she moved into a position to see the screen on the gadget.
"Roark and Bethany attempted to make a trade off." Karen said as she appeared in Peters place. "They tried to pull a fast one on Jonny and Bonny."
"Lord, what did that boy of mine do?" Mike groaned.
"He tried to get them to believe that a ordinary car remote was one of the gadgets. They thought if they could get Mercy and get out of there they could just come home. It didn’t work." Karen sighed. "That's not the only bad news. The other involves Mercy."
"What?" Brianna said panicking. She grabbed the remote. "What about Mercy?"
"We couldn't tell from the last transmission we got from them, but they seemed to have changed Mercy into a completely different person. She’s got blonde hair and they refer to her as Ronny." Karen paused. "Brianna, honey, Mercy was Bonnys little girl before she gave them to you and Davy." She finished.
"Oh my god." Brianna said. "But why did they change her?"
"She was probably less than willing to help." Karen explained.
"I think I can understand why." Brianna said.
Livvie could be heard off the screen. "Peter has a brilliant idea on how to help get the gadget, our kids and Mercy back."
"What is it?" Mike asked.
"Tell them." Karen said holding the gadget while Peter came into view. The older Peter looked at his younger self, amazed at the difference.
"I think I know a way to get her back from the dark side. I think they changed only the surface Mercy. The real Mercy is still inside there somewhere. If we can get something to them, maybe we can use that to our advantage." Peter proposed.
"Who would be doing this?" Chea asked.
"I will." Davis said. "I want to be involved."
"Davis its too dangerous." Livvie said.
"I don't care. These are my friends. I want to help out. I think I can do it." Davis said. "Just tell me what you want to do and I will do it. Please let me do this." He said to his father.
Livvie and Peter thought about this for a long minute.
"Okay, Davis." Peter relented. "But be careful."
"I will dad. I won't let you down." Davis promised. Peter nodded. Livvie smiled though she could feel small tears brimming at the edge of her eyes.
"Hold on there shot gun." Mike said to Davis. "They still have to send us the thing."
"What’s the thing??" Brianna said waving her arms. They looked at her. "Well someone had to say it."
Karen turned to the gadget. "We need something of hers from the future to let her know who she really is. Do you have anything you can give us?"
Brianna thought for a long minute then snapped her fingers.
"I think I have it." She said. She ran to her daughters bag. "She doensnt own much and she only brought her tape player with her. We can try that. Her fave music is still in here." She said holding up the cassette player.
"Oh wait a minute luv." Davy of the future said. "That might work but heres something better." He went into his bag and brought out something. "What about this?"
He handed it to Brianna. she looked it over.
"It can't hurt to have backup." Brianna said. "This might help."
"We're gonna send you something." Karen told the gadget. Karen, on the other side of the screen nodded.
"Ok, we're ready and waiting. Just tell us what to do with it."
Pago Tibu
Roark and Bethany sat inside the bird card while they watched Jonny Bonny and Ronny/Mercy play a board game. It seemed strange to Bethany that they would pick now of all times to play scrabble. From the sounds of it, it sounded like Mercy was winning.
Bethany felt herself start to cry. Roark put his hand on her shoulder. She reached up and grabbed it. She squeezed it hard as he brushed a hair out of her face.
"We're never getting out of here, are we?" She asked softly.
"I'm sure they're thinking of something. My father my be the stubbornest SOB out there but he’s not stupid." He said.
"I hope so." Bethany said. "But just in case, I always wanted to tell you something."
"You don't have to tell me now, we'll get out of here. You will have time to tell me later." Roark said.
"No, I want to say it. I have it on my mind now, and I want to say what’s on my mind or I will make myself think that I will never say it." Bethany said. She sighed. "I don't even make sense right now."
"It's all right. This whole thing doesn’t make sense. The whole world made more sense a few days ago. I wish that we never found the gadget and played with it. If we waited for our folks to tell us, then we might be able to use it more responsibly." Roark said. He looked at Bethany. "What is it that you want to say?"
"I wanted to say that I've always had feelings for you." She said. "More than a crush. More than a big brother kind of thing." She said. "I think I've been in love with you for a long time, but I've never been able to say how you feel cause you might not feel the same way or you might be dating someone. Or worse that you would think badly of me if I were to gush all over you like some heartsick teenager. I don't know if this will change things between us. I'm hoping it will, for the better, and all that." Bethany said. "That’s it. All I want to say." She said. "If you feel like you see me in a bad light because of this, then I understand." She sighed. "I just wanted to get it off my chest."
"Can I talk now?" Roark asked.
"Yes." Bethany said as she winced, expecting the very worst.
"I feel the same way." Roark said.
Bethany opened up her eyes. She looked up into Roarks face. A wide smile started to play acros her face.
"So what happens now? Where are we going to?" She asked thinking of a song from a musical.
"Don't ask anymore." Roark said as he started to move in to kiss her on the forehead. Bethany felt herself close her eyes. She waited for a second expecting something wonderful. That kiss never came. She opened her eyes and found Roark staring at the front of the cage. Jonny, Bonny and Mercy looked at them.
"Oh for gods sake get a room." Jonny said.
"They're young, its ok." Bonny said to him. "We were like that once."
"Yeah, but do you think we have to sit through that? Yechh." Jonny moaned.
"Times almost up. Where are your friends?" Bonny asked.
"They'll be here. Don't get your panties in a bunch." Roark said.
"Well they better be here. We cant wait much longer." Jonny said.
"Whys that?" Bethany asked.
"Guiding Light is on in a few minutes. We never miss a minute of it." Bonny said. "Course its the old version so we wont hear anything about any new stories for a while."
"Ah." Bethany said.
A bright flash of light flashed in back of them. As the light in room dimmed, the person who the flash originated from could be seen. It was Davis.
"So, just in time." Bonny said.
"I have the gadgets, all of them." Davis said. He had in his hand a cassette player and a sheet of paper.
"Put them on the table." Bonny instructed.
"No." Davis said. "When you get Roark and Bethany out of that bird cage you can have the gadgets."
"Sonny boy, I don't think you are in a position to negotiate." Bonny said.
"I think I am." Davis said. "You can get the gadgets if you let them go. And Mercy too."
"There is no Mercy here." Bonny said freaking out. She ran her hands through her hair. "Can't you drum-sticks understand that? She’s my daughter! No one else's!"
Roark moved slowly to the front of the cage. He began pick at the lock.
"What are you doing?" Bethany asked. "We so do not have a key."
"I know but we can try to get out of here while Davis has their attention."
"Its not hard, its kinda like holding catnip in front of a bunch of kids." Bethany whispered. "Also they're not that bright."
"I think I almost got it." Roark said. "Give me a minute more. Cover me if you have to."
"Okay." Bethany said.
"I don't believe you have total control over Mercy." Davis said.
Mercy, you have to be in there somewhere. You have to fight whatever it is that they did to you. You're there somewhere in there. I know you are!"
"Will you stop it???" Bonny said. "There IS no Mercy. And there will be no Mercy if you dont hand over what we want!" She said her voice turning shrill.
"Mercy, remember this??" Davis pushed play on the cassette recorder. A song started to play. Davis turned the volume up. Bonny and Jonny put their hands over their ears.
"Mercy, honey don't listen! Its bad music." Bonny yelled.
Mercy listened for a couple of minutes. A change seemed to happen. Davis could see it in her eyes. A flicker of recognition.
"Violet." Mercy muttered. "That’s the song."
"Yes, Mercy. That’s what it is."
"But mommy and daddy told me that my other mommy and daddy dont love me." She said. Her eyes crossed in her head. "Its true right?"
"Yes, it is!" Bonny said.
"No its not." Davis said. "And this is the proof." Davis said as he strode up to Mercys’ side. Bonny tried to move to stop him but found she could not move her hands. She turned around at looked at the bird cage. The door was open, swinging on its hinges. She turned further to meet Bethany eye to eye. She tried to move her hands again but found that something or someone had bond her wrists behind her head.
"No, no, noooo." She moaned. She turned her head to look at Jonny but found him on the floor. Roark was sitting on his back tying his hands behind his back. He pulled the rope tight. Jonny cried like a little girl.
"But how?" Bonny asked as Bethany knocked her on the ground.
"Easy." Bethany said. "The cage is a piece of junk."
"Keep going Davis." Roark said. "You are getting through!"
Davis looked at Mercy. "This is proof that your mom and dad, the ones back home love you." He handed her the piece of paper. She looked it over.
"What does it mean?" She asked.
"This means that you are one signature away from being Davy and Briannas legal daughter. They wanted you for their very own. They were going to make it legal while they were over here for the graduation ceremonies." Davis said. "Mercy, they love you. They wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble if they didn’t. Bonny and Jonny may be your birth parents but they don’t love you half as much as these guys." Mercy said. "Am I making sense to you?"
Mercy slowly nodded. She seemed to undertake a huge transformation before his very eyes. Her eyes closed. Some tears flowed from underneath her eyelids and trailed down her face. She opened her eyes.
"Davis? Roark? Bethany?" Mercy asked. "Where am I? And why am I wearing such a goofy-ass outfit?" She asked looking down at her Hello kitty wardrobe.
"I think we got her back." Davis said proudly. He smiled and wrapped his arms around Mercy. She seemed to tense for a second, not sure what was going on, but she relaxed and hugged Davis back.
"Can we go home now?" Bethany asked.
"Sure. We just need a pitstop first." Roark said.
"Why?" Bethany asked.
"I kinda need my clothes back." Mercy said, still dazed.
"All right." Bethany said.
The Pad 1969
While Bethany, Chea and Brianna got Mercy her old clothes back, Karen called Agents Mulder and Scully to make sure they knew of Jonny and Bonnys location. They had locked them up in the same bird cage they had been trapped in earlier. Except this time, thanks to Davis's engineering skills, managed to make the cage escape proof.
"We got to go." Roark said as they all gathered in the living room.
"Did we learn anything here?" Micky asked.
Mercy thought for a moment. "Not a damn thing."
"Good enough." Micky replied.
"I learned that we can't pick our family. But sometimes our family will try to pick us." Mercy said after another minute. "I have to sign this in order for the adoption to be legal. " She said.
"You better do it at home. There is no way to tell what signing that paper here will do to the time continuum." Mike suggested.
"He's right." Roark said.
"All right." Mercy said. "Did any of you learn anything?"
"The next time our parents have a big secret, I'll wait till they are ready to tell us." Roark said.
"Knowing us, I think this is the only big secret." Chea laughed.
"You never know." Micky said.
"I didn’t learn anything." Davis said. "I didn’t know there was going to be a test."
Everyone laughed. "What?" Davis said. "I'm serious."
After the "kids" left, Karen and Mike sat on the porch. Micky and Chea went to bed. Peter went to the library with Livvie and Brianna and Davy watched TV inside. Karen and Mike looked out at the stars. Karen sighed. Mike looked at her.
"Now what?" He asked.
"I get the feeling this is not the last we've heard of the time gadget." Karen said. "course we've done everything so I don't think we'll never use it again."
"Yeah." Mike said. "But never say never. Let god decide where we are going next."
"That’s true." Karen said. They sat their for a few minutes more. "You know, Roark isn’t half a bad name for a boy."
