(authors note: The song please forgive me belongs to david gray)
As Roark and Bethany made it back to the house, they came upon the others coming back from downtown. They were with their folks, younger versions of course. Roark shook his head. Davy, Brianna, Peter and Livvie waved to them and quickly went to the house. They each carried a bag. Davis and Mercy were carrying a small hibachi grill and bags of their own.
"I guess I can see how far you guys got." Roark said.
"Hey, shut up, I don't see YOU any closer to a electronics store." Mercy snarked.
"Mercy come on." Davis said. "Shes just a little uh..."
"Mad that I had to carry a suddenly heavier grill all the way back." Mercy said putting it down. "My left arm is gonna be longer than the right one. I'll be fine. Just stop me if you think I'm about to get tempted to hurl it into the ocean."
"Plus we broke rule number one." Davis said. "I know there was no set in stone rules but you know."
"We ran into our folks at the store." Mercy said. "They're having a..."
"BBQ, then going to play a set at some club." Roark and Bethany finished for her.
"So you've heard." Davis said.
"Vaguely." Roark said.
"How did you meet?" Davis asked them.
"We were walking up the coast and we spotted my house...excuse me...what would BE my house and we decided to spy on them. We were doing fairly ok when Roark fell down over some stump. They discovered us."
"We wouldnt be very good spies." Roark said. "This part is important."
"Roarks dad asked why we were there, so we had to make up a back story." Bethany added. "So we said we were newlyweds looking for our first place."
"Oooohhh." Mercy intoned.
"Knock it off." Bethany said.
"Okay, MRS Nesmith." Mercy replied.
Bethany rolled her eyes. Mercy had always been implying that maybe there was more to her closer friendship with Roark that meets the eye. She had always denied it but after that kiss by the beach that morning, she started to wonder if what her frined had been saying all along had been true.
"Nah, Roarks my friend. He's almost like the brother I never had. Thats all." She reassured herself.
"Can we eat?" Davis said. "I think being in that food store affected out appetites more!"
The trio agreed, then went into the house.
Minutes later they were done eating. The band was preparing to get ready for the gig at the club. Mike sat on a stool tuning his guitar for the show. Their guests at the moment were washing up. They had bought enough barbque sauce for an army, and it all ended up on their outfits.
"What are we going to play tonight?" He asked.
"I knew I forgot something." Peter said. "I forgot to make a set list." He said slapping his forheard playfully.
"Its not your fault." Mike said. "I think it was Davys turn this week."
"Yeah, but try to get that boy to make a set list between his time with Brianna and the time he spends with the mirror." Micky laughed.
"What are we going to do?" Chea asked.
"What we usually do." Karen said. "But better. What if we did requests tonight?"
"Requests?" Mike asked.
"We most know all kinds of music." Karen said. "Plus it could be a good challenge."
"I like it." Brianna said.
"Me too." Livvie said.
"Its anonymous!" Peter said. They looked at him. "What?"
"He means unamous." Livvie nodded.
"Yeah, that." Peter said.
"Even better, why dont we ask our new friends what they want to hear? Karen asked. "They obviously heard of us before."
"Is that good or bad?" Chea said.
"Must be good, they came back right?" Micky responded.
The foursome came back into the main room. They were dressed in period correct clothing. Bethany had still been wearing her dress from the graduation party. They were all given clothes to wear till they got their clothes clean. Mercy wore a peasants shirt and a short skirt. It was obvious she wasnt happy with her clothing, but she decided not to complain. Things could be much worse. Davis and Roark wore bellbottom pants and button down shirts.
"Ah, our friends are back." Micky said.
"Good. I thought maybe you guys can help?" Mike asked slowly.
"With what?" Roark asked.
"Well.." Mike started. He had trouble saying the words. He always had trouble admitting he needed help with anything. Karen quickly noticed his trouble and stepped in.
"We need a setlist for the gig, but we need it fast. Can you help us with some songs?" Karen asked.
"I dunno many songs." Mercy said. Davis shook his head. "But Roark and Bethany, our crazy kooky couple might know a tune or two." She said walking up to them. She put her hands on their shoulders. "They could make a thousand setlits with what they know."
"Thats terrific. See problem solved. Happy!" Chea said.
"Do you know 'People are strange?" Roark asked. He stopped himself. They were from the future, he only knew songs from his time. He thought. "Nah, never mind, let's have more of an upbeat song." He looked at Mike. "Can I see that guitar?"
"Sorry." Mike said. Very few people used Mikes guitar. Roark remembered this from a peanut butter and jelly accident he had with it when he was five. "I just tuned it. Just let me know what key you want it in. If I don't know it, then I'll let you have it."
"D-minor." Roark said. As Mike moved to adjust the string, it broke in half and sliced slightly into hand.
"Gahh!" He said dropping his guitar. He grabbed his right hand.
"Ohmygod." Karen said running into the kitchen. She was followed by
Chea.
"Okay, get some bandaids, I'll get the uh disinfecting stuff..." Karen said as they both whisked around the kitchen. They ran out and tended to Mikes hand.
"God thats gotta suck." Davis said. "I closed my hand in the bedroom door once. It was swollen up for a week."
Mike held onto his injured hand and grimaced. "This is perfect, just perfect, what else can go wrong?" He asked.
"Will we have to cancel the gig?" Davy asked.
"I think we might." Karen said. "Mikes hurt bad, we might have to take him to a doctor or something."
"Wait." Bethany said. "Why not let Roark play?"
"Roark?" Karen asked.
"Yeah, all you have to do is show him how to do the songs, and maybe he can add one of his own to it." Bethany said looking at the group. "what do you think?"
"I dunno." Mike said.
"We need that money for rent." Micky said. "If we hold out any longer then Babbitt will have us booted quicker than you can say Sarasota."
"He's right." Chea said.
"What does everyone else think?" Davy asked looking at Mercy.
"Don't look at me,I don't live here." She said. Davy turned ot Brianna.
"We can give it a try." She said. Livvie nodded, agreeing with the sentiment.
"Mike?" Karen asked. "We havent heard from you yet."
"All right, but just this once. Maybe by the time we get another gig this will be all healed up."
"We gotta hurry. If we pack up now we can make it to the gig on time." Micky said. The gang ran off to pack up their instruments. Mike and Karen stayed behind with Bethany and Roark. Davis got Mercy to go help him help the others.
"Can you play this guitar son?" Mike cracked. Roarks eyes widened. Dose he know? A few seconds lapsed between them. Roark sighed, no he doesnt yet.
"Sure I can pops." Roark said adding an extra punch to "pops". "Don't worry, I'll go over the songs with the guys, and I'll tell them about the song I want to sing."
"Good enough." Mike said. He and Karen walked away toward the exit.
Roark looked at Bethany. "I thought he knew for a second."
"Me too. What song will you sing?" She asked her.
"I dunno. I got this cover song I been doing with the band. Its from 2001 so theres no way they can know about it."
"Good idea." Bethany said. They stared at each other for a second. We gotta go, we might get left behind."
"Oh right."
2001
Mike was sitting on the deck when he felt it. He jumped up and grabbed his hand. It felt like something dragged a jagged knife across his palm. He looked at it. Karen spotted him standing and came outside.
"Whats wrong?" She asked.
"I just got this sudden strange pain." He showing his hand. There was a cut in the middle of his palm. It bled little but still hurt. All of a sudden, a flash of white light surrounded it and turned it into scar tissue, then the light settled. All the was left was a faint trace fo scar tissue, as if the wound had been there all along.
"Oh my god, what did you hurt yourself on?" Karen asked.
"Nothing, I was just sitting." Mike said. He thought for a minute. "It was almost if I was cut with an invisble knife, but now the wound is all but gone except for the scar. Like its been there for...
"...thirty years." Karen said. "I hope those kids arent screwing up history back there."
"Me too, cause I don't think there would be a way to fix it if something bad happened."
Karen thought. "We gotta do something, and I think I know how, come on."
The first few songs went great. Bethany sat in the audience with Mercy and other girls, and of course Mike. The first song they played with Roark as the new lead guitarist was "Last train to clarksville." Micky showed him how to play all of their songs very briefly before the performance. Micky commented that Roark was a very quick learner, not knowing that Roark has known the songs all of his life."
"Dad played them when I was still in the womb." Roark whispered to Bethany. "I could probably play them the second I popped out."
Bethany laughed. "Wouldnt that be a laugh?"
"Absoultely hiliarous." Roark smiled at her, with a slight wink of his eye.
The setlist was also comprised of Papa genes blues, which Roark of course had to sing. Instead of the country ring it had, Roark injected a hard rock beat into it that shocked the crowd. They stopped to listen, and to figure out how to dance to it.
"He's all right." Mike grumbled from his seat.
"Are you kiddin, he's fabulous!" Bethany said half swooning.
"Must get it from his folks." Karen said.
"You have NO idea!" Bethany said. Karen looked at her. Bethany turned her attention back to the stage as Roark started a new song. From the music, she could tell it wasnt a Monkees tune.
"This is a song I know." Roark said quickly before moving to the piano, switching places with Peter. Peter in turn grabbed his guitar.
"Please forgive me if I act alittle strange. For I know not what I do.
Feels like lightning running through my veins Everytime I look at you
Everytime I look at you." Roark said looking up at Bethany. she smiled. This was one of her favorite songs. She looked at Chea, who seemed to be trying to pick out the name of the tune.
"I think I heard this before." Chea murmered to Brianna. Brianna shrugged.
"Help me out here ,all my words are falling short. And there's so much I want to say.Want to tell you just how good it feels. When you look at me that way. When you look at me that way."
Chea sighed. She gave up. If she knew the song, it wasnt coming to her mind. Bethany sighed with relief.
"Throw a stone and watch the ripples flow. Moving out across the bay
Like a stone I fall into your eyes. Deep into some mystery. Deep into that mystery."
"I got half a mind to scream out loud. I got half a mind to die
So I won't ever have to lose you girl. Won't ever have to say goodbye
I won't ever have to lie. Won't ever have to say goodbye."
"Yeah na na na na Yeah na na na na "
"Please forgive me. If I act a little strange. For I know not what I do
It's like my head is filled with lightning girl. Everytime I look at you. Everytime I look at you. Everytime I look at you. Everytime I look
at you."
Roark played the piano for a few more seconds then ended the song. The whole audience stood up and applauded for him. Roark stood up from the piano and bowed. Mike sat in the audience with his hand.
"I never got a standing O." He muttered.
"He's pretty good." Karen said. "And besides its his only time."
"You got that right." He said.
After the performance everyone cleaned up the club. It was part of the arrangement, they only found out after the gig, they agreed to clean up afterwards. Karen and Mike and Roark mopped. Chea and Micky washed dishes wiht Bethany, that is when they werent having sporadic make out sessions and water fights. Peter and Livvie and Davis packed up the car, while Davy, Brianna and Mercy drew garbage detail.
Mercy was bringing the last of the garbage out to the dumpster when she heard someone say "Psst!" She turned and saw two blonde haired people looking at her. They were the age of her parents, only taller.
"What do you want?" Mercy said. "That missions down that away." She pointed.
"Well, I we have something to tell you." The woman said.
"What?" Mercy asked.
"Uh..." She said. "My god whats that?" She pointed.
Mercy raised her eyebrows. The blonde woman pointed insistingly at the sky. She turned. "Now!" She cried and the man pulled out a sack and caught Mercy in the sack. Mercy shouted and yelled, but was mostly embarressed to get caught in a diversion tactic THAT obvious.
Davy and Brianna came out. They looked at the two blonde people trying to run off what look like Mercy in a sack. It took them a minute to figure out who they were.
"Oh my god, its Jonny and Bonny!" Davy called.
"Jonny and Bonny!" Brianna shouted loudly so the others could hear them inside. She stopped. "Who?"
"Long story, tell you shortly." Davy said as Bonny pulled out an object that looked like their time gadget. She pushed a button and they vanished. Davy and Brianna ran into the club. They found the rag tag bunch of reluctant janitors at a center table.
"Guys, we have bad news, your friend Mercy has been kidnapped." Davy said.
"Kidnapped?" Davis asked concern coming into his voice. "By who?"
"Jonny and Bonny."Davy said.
"Who?" Livvie asked.
"Well...Mike said looking at Karen. "We might as well tell them." Mike stopped himself. "But before we tell you, there is one question we should ask you."
"What?" Roark asked.
"Why would they want your friend?" Mike asked.
Roark looked at Bethany and Davis. She nodded. "Okay, but there is something we have to tell you first....dad." Roark said.
Mikes eyes widened. Karen gasped. Chea, passed out but Micky caught her. Peter and Livvie sat down while Davy gulped a glass of water Brianna gave her.
"You oughta sit down." Bethany said. "Theres more."
"More?" Chea said.
"Yeah." Bethany said. "There is more, lots more."
Castle Forrestor
Mercy awoken in your sterotypical dark and gloomy castle. She sat up quickly but felt dizzy. She laid back down.
"You're awake." A voice came. It must be this woman and the man who snatched her.
"I guess I am, this is some nightmare."
"It's not a nightmare." The woman said turning on a light. Mercy was obviously in a bedroom, lying on a bed.
"Who are you?" Mercy said. "What do you want with me?"
"Go back to sleep." The woman said softly. "I'll tell you about it in the morning."
"All right." Mercy said as she felt sleepy again.
"It is so nice to see you again." The woman said as she began to fall asleep. "To have my daughter back at long last." Mercy saw her smile at her through her sleepy haze. "Everythings gonna be fine, mommy will be sure of that."
With that Mercy fell asleep.
