As Karen was making her unhappy discovery, Chea and the other guys were up to other things.
The guys had a gig at the Sugar Shake Shack the night after Karen left. It was someones sweet sixteen party. Cake and everything, including a great buffet. The band played their gig, and got to stay for the festivities. Davy even got to go his customary three times up to the buffet table.
No one remembers how it happened, but one of the girls threw a roll at a girl across the room. She threw something back and inadverdantly hit Peter on the head. He fell quickly to the ground.
"Is he all right?" Mike asked as Micky picked him up.
"Mom, are we at grandmas yet?" A dazed Peter said. Micky accidentally let Peter slump back down.
"He'll be fine." Micky said. A yorkshire pudding almost hit Davy in head.
"Oh me hair!" He said. "What a waste of english food!" He picked up some salad and slung it. Right about then all heck broke loose. Everyone picked up something and started throwing it at each other. Chea ran for her life but got trapped in a corner.
"Help!" She yelled.
Micky, full of guts and pork chops jumped over Peter, still on the floor, and made his way toward where Chea was boxed in.
"I'll save you!" Micky hollered.
"Oh my hero!" Chea gushed, dodging another roll.
He threw the chops like a ninja would throw stars. It was almost a miracle he didn't get hit with anything. He grabbed Chea, hoisted her in a firemans carry and headed for the middle of the room where they others had gathered. Mike was holding Peter up. Davy was almost unrecognizable by the food smudged on his face.
"What do we do now? How can we stop these guys from fighting long?" Chea asked.
"They'll run out of food, of course." Mike said.
He, of course, spoke too soon. A man pushing a cart with a two tier Birthday cake emerged from the kitchen in the midst of the fight. He started to sing Happy Birthday.
The room stopped fighting and looked in his direction.
"Oh goody, cake." Peter said, somewhat recovered.
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Ashley! Happy Birthday to you!"
There was a moment of silence after he stopped. Mike took a deep breath. Maybe a cease fire?
Nope, wrong again, Nesmith!
"Get him!" The girl who could only be Ashley yelled. All the girls ran to the cake and ripped it apart like vultures. Cake and frosting flew everywhere.
"I think we split now." Peter said.
"You been reading me mind." Davy agreed.
"Now THATS frightening." Micky said.
They took off toward the exit. The father of Ashley was waiting there for them. The Monkees and Chea blew right them.
"Oh guys about the check...." He said. He seemingly didn't know about the food war yet.
"Send it in the mail!" Mike yelled back. "You got our address!" He never left without getting their money, but this time he could make an exception.
"Okay!" The man said. "What strange young men."
Mike wrote a note to himself on the message board.
"Clean out food from Monkeemobile."
Chea dried her hair. Cake was a lot more messy than she thought. She didn't think she would ever get the frosting out of her hair. She had to wait an hour for Davy to get out. He was the only one to almost get completely covered with food, and in his words it would take a major over haul to get himself back to normal. He finally left, happily, with an emery board tucked behind his ear.
A hour later a personal messenger came to the door with the payment from the disaster of a birthday party. Mike looked over the check.
"Its a miracle." Mike said. "Good news. They sent the whole thing."
"Great." Micky said as he helped Chea with her hair.
"Bad news: We can't play the Sugar Shake Shack" for a year."
"Thats not so terrible." Chea said. "We still got a lot of money from the contest left over. It's not like we're gonna be out of money for a while."
"She's right." Davy noted.
"I know but if we get enough gigs we can make the money stretch." Mike said.
"Good news guys." Peter said. "Yeah, more good news." He said after getting a look from Mike.
"What is it Petah?" Davy asked.
"Well I got a palm reading the day." Peter said. He was so into all things psychic lately. "It tells me that one of my friends will be very happy soon." He said. "And that will be good for us all."
Mike raise his eyebrows. "Peter how could a palm reading for you be good for all of us?"
"Beats me, I didn't read my palm!" Peter shrugged.
Chea was out by herself on the boardwalk. It had been a week since Karen left. It wasnt easy getting used to living there without her best friend but she reluctatnly got used to it. She wondered what she was doing in readl life. Or where ever she was.
"I wonder if I'll ever see her again." She mused out loud.
"Wonder no more." She heard a voice behind her. Chea spun arond quickly.
"Karen?"
"Uh huh!" Karen said.
"You're back! That is so great!" Chea said giving KAren a big hug. "But why?"
"Why ask why?" Karen said. "I missed you!"
"Then I'm glad you're back. But what happened?" Chea asked. "Didn't you do my suggestion? Go back to Chandler?"
Karens face quickly turned sad. "I did."
"And?" Chea asked carefully.
"Hes with Monica now." Karen sighed.
"Oh my god." Chea said.
"I walked in and they were like...well i don't have to describe it for you do it?" Karen said sadly.
"No, I don't." Chea said.
"What am I so upset about?" Karen asked. "It was inevitable whether we met or not." She said. "I would have come back right away but I stayed around for a few days, foolishlessly hoping it was a fluke. Its not. Oh they aere so happy, but I felt like crud. I came back to tell you about it."
"Are you planning on staying?" Chea asked.
"I dunno." Karen said. "I need some emotional release right now."
"Well the guys are hosting an open mike night at the house tonight." Chea said. "They got a machine and everything."
"Really?" Karen asked.
"Sure." Chea said. "I think it will be ok. I don't think Mike will be around, but they are giving out a coupon to a place Peter likes as a prize."
"I'll think about it." Karen said. "I need to fully rest from the time thing before I do."
"Ok." Chea said. "Did you get the other device?"
"I hid it in a safe place." Karen said.
"Cool." Chea said. "Come back when you're ready." Chea said while heading back to the house.
"Chea." Karen said. Chea stopped. "Don't tell the guys I'm back yet. I'm not sure I'm gonna go down yet."
"Will do." Chea said. "Oh and if Davy is preoccupied with his hair..."
"...and when is he not?" Karen said.
"...don't say anything about it." Chea said. "I'll tell you about it later."
Karen waved to Chea. She waved back and headed to the house.
Two performers had already been on when Chea had come back. So called performers anyway. They had sung terribly.
Mike came up on the stage when the last two left.
"That was Jonny and Bonny." He said. "Give them a hand."
"Give them a hand?" Micky moaned. "How about some talent?"
One or two people clapped in the audience, just they wouldnt look like they totally hated them.
"Great." Micky said. Chea sat down next to him. "These two will be on Ed Sullivan for sure."
"I thought Ed had better taste." Chea said.
"They'll open for the Beatles." Davy said. "NO ONE remembers who opens for The Beatles."
Chea laughed. Then she looked as someone entered through the back with a guitar case. She looked vaguely familiar. She had on a dark turtle neck and long brown hair. It looked somewhat like a wig. She shook her head. "Nah."
Mike looked in back of him. "Oh we have another artist here."
A virtual shudder when through the crowd.
"She looks like a perfomance artist." Peter observed.
"Whats she gonna do? Drag her nails across a chalkboard?" Micky asked.
"Anything is better than the caterwauling we just heard." Davy said.
"Whats your name dear?" Mike asked her.
The woman seemed to stumble. This made Chea more curious.
"Britney Spears." The woman said.
Chea laughed. Britney was a pop star in the 90's. The only person she knew who knew that was Karen.
"Oh my god." Chea said, suppressing a laugh.
"I know, who would be called Britney and not be british?" Davy wondered.
"You know I can't help not feeling I know that woman." Peter said.
"Right Peter." Micky said.
"At least he didn't own up to knowing those last two." Chea noted.
"I'm gonna sing I'll Stand By You." Britney/Karen said. "And its for a certain guy." She said trying hard not to look at Mike. He sat down and played with his hat. She sighed. She was worried about her hand, it was still slightly burned from the pan incident but she wanted to play. She just had to.
She picked up her guitar and moved to the microphone. She tapped on it a few times to test it, then she began to sing.
Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Don't be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
Cause I've seen the dark side too
When the night falls on you
You don't know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
So if you're mad, get mad
Don't hold it all inside
Come on and talk to me now
Hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry too
Well I'm a lot like you
When you're standing at the crossroads
And don't know which path to choose
Let me come along
'Cause even if you're wrong
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
And when
When the night falls on you, baby
You're feeling all alone
You won't be on your own
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
She stopped. There was a moment of silence.
Chea smiled at Karen from her seat. She knew this was one Karens favorite song, and to her there was no doubt who she had sung it to.
There was a sudden burst of applause. Everyone got up and clapped for her.
"I think we have our weiner." Micky said in a funny voice. Mike got the coupon and went up to give it to her.
Karen started to bow her head but she forgot about her wig and it slid off onto the floor. Everyone gasped.
Peter snapped his fingers. "THATS where I know her!"
"Britney Spears indeed. Such a fakey name!" Davy agreed.
Mike looked at Karen in shock.
"Karen?" He asked.
"Uh..." Karen uttered. Her face flushed bright red. She dropped her guitar and headed for the door. She swung it open and ran out.
Mike stared after her.
"What are you doing?" Micky yelled. "Go after her!"
As if he needed any encouragement. Mike ditched the coupon. "Jonny" picked it up and bolted from the room before anyone could stop him.
Karen had run halfway down the beach before Mike could catch up. He grabbed her arm.
"You're back?" He asked.
"I think thats pretty obvious now." Karen said.
"How come Chea didn't tell us." He asked. He let go of her arm.
"I made her." Karen said. "I wasnt even sure I was gonna even go to the pad today."
"I thought Chea said you were going back to that guy." Mike said.
"I did, but he moved on already." Karen said. "And I came to just see her." She sighed. "And I..."
"What?" Mike asked.
"I was hoping that you had moved on too." Karen said, she turned away from him.
"I havent." Mike said. "I can't get you out of my mind." He continued. "I think thats why you came back too. Chea just happened to be here."
Karen turned to him. She felt his eyes looking at her, almost pleading her to tell him what he wanted to hear.
"Ok, its true." Karen said. "I have all the world to go to but I can't stop thinking about this place and you." She sobbed. "I had a feeling Chandler had moved on before I even went, but I just had to see it for myself. Maybe a part of me wanted him to be with someone else so I would have an excuse to come back. I don't know." She said. "Well?" She asked a stone silent Mike. "Say something. Say anything!"
"I think its time to stop talking." Mike said and pulled her to him. "Words are not needed anymore." He said and kissed her. She almost instantly kissed him back. He wrapped his arms around her waist. It was like an explosion but of the really wonderful kind. She had wanted it so long, but never thought it would really happy. She never had this with anyone else.
Almost as soon as it started it ended. Karen had to catch her breath.
"Okay." She said. "I can see us doing this again."
Mike and Karen heard a noise. It was Chea.
"There you are." Chea said. "I hate to interuppt but someone wants to see us."
Karen looked at Chea. Who would want to see us, now?
