#monkees fics

It had been about a month since any traces of Aya or other mermaids. During that month, Micky had learned to almost completely let go of his merman obsession. He knew that this was foolish and selfish idea as well as being utterly dangerous to pursue. Also, during that month Mike could not get used to the fact that he became a merman every time he got wet. He had eventually reached the point he could admit that being a merman was actually pretty cool. It would be so much better if he could learn how to control it.

               As far as relationships went, Davy and Peter were open amongst friends, and happy to express their love for one another freely. Mike and Micky had since mended and rekindled their own relationship which had progressively moved beyond friendship during the course of the past month. Micky had also apologized to Trixie for everything that had happened on his part and convinced her to give Mike another chance at being friends.

                 One afternoon everyone spent time together on the beach. Much of the time they spent time hanging around a fire and having a cookout. But once the food was finished, everyone separated and went to different parts of the beach. Peter and Davy sat, cuddling together near the water. Micky and Trixie remained by the fire pit, relaxing and talking.

               Mike on the other hand was the only one unable to relax. He stood away from everyone else, pacing a little bit.  Every once in a while he would stop and focus on the water. He would stand like a statue, sometimes sniffing the air, and look sternly as though he was awaiting an attack. Though the others wondered about this odd behavior, nobody dared to ask him about it. They just let him be on his own, agreeing that he would alert any of them of all possible danger.

               Micky sniffed the air, thick with scents of the smoke and the food they had cooked. He leaned back full of happy satisfaction. Looking at Trixie with a slight grin, he casually mentioned how good the food that they had eaten was. She let out a small giggle and commented about his big appetite, and how all he seemed to think about was food. Micky merely snorted, but had no traces of denial about what she said. After a few moments of awkward silence, Micky looked over at her. He grinned slightly, though unsurely, as he attempted to speak what was on his mind right then.

               “So Trixie… is it hard?”

               She looked at him, her head tilted some. “Is what hard?”

               “You know… coming around here again. And being friends with Mike. Especially with him and me, um…. Well…”

               Trixie sighed and rubbed her belly as she looked away from him. “Well it is weird. Just being friends. And with the baby coming soon…” She sat quietly for a few seconds. “It’ll all take some time to get used to.”

               Micky watched her, drawing in his lower lip a little as she spoke. His eyes were serious and slightly saddened.

               “I’m really sorry. I mean I feel so responsible for everything that happened between you and Mike.”

               “To be honest… I often felt like he didn’t love me like he should have. I loved him more than he loved me. At least that’s how I felt.”

               Micky played in the sand as he contemplated her words. “Still. I was so stupid over everything. I am responsible for part of it.” He looked at her. “You’ll still let Mike see the baby when it’s born right?”

               “Of course. I’m not going to deny Mike of his child.”

               “Well that’s good then.” Micky leaned back placing his hands in the sand behind him. “I’m glad to see you both talking again.”

               She grinned a little and looked over at Mike. “It is nice.”

                 Right then, still with his eyes sternly focused on the water, Mike lurched forward. He took in a deep breath and then started running towards the water, reaching it right as something washed up on shore. Immediately, he dropped down in front of it, growing in concern. This drew the attention of the others as they gathered around him. Gasps were released and shock ran rampant throughout the group as they gazed down upon the body of a small boy.

               Mike gently scooped up the boy and cradled him across his lap. As he examined the boy, he relaxed and calmly said that he was breathing. The relief abruptly ended as confusion swept in over them. Mike frowned, almost upset, as he stared at the boy. But it wasn’t until the boy opened his eyes when they were all stunned silent. His features, especially his eyes, were strikingly similar to Mike’s features. All Mike could do was stare at him in disbelief.

               “Where’s mama?” The boy asked in a small voice.

               “Mama?” Davy looked up at everyone else.

               “Ah… Don’t worry, we’ll find your mama.” Mike gulped and gently sat him down. “Mick why don’t you help him warm up by the fire. I’ll uh, I’ll try to find something he can wear.”

               Micky nodded and helped the boy over to the fire. He then picked up their beach blanket and shook sand off it before wrapping it around the boy. Turning to the fire pit, Micky held his hands out in front of him and over the low burning coals. He tossed a little fire onto the logs to increase the flames. He grinned slightly and rubbed the boy’s back.

               “This should warm you up until we can get you some clothes.”

               The boy nodded, staring wide-eyed at the fire. It was as though he had never seen anything like this before.

               Meanwhile, Mike had hurried back into the house He went over to the couch and leaned against the back of it as he took in some deep breaths. Unaware that Peter had followed him, Mike jumped with a startled yell as Peter said his name. With a hand on his chest, Mike took a calming deep breath.

               “Don’t do that.”

               “Sorry.” Peter stepped closer to him. “Mike? Are you ok? You left in a hurry and I know it can’t be just because you wanted to find clothes.”

               Mike let out a frustrated sigh and then looked at Peter. “The boy looked just like me.”

               Peter nodded. “He did. Michael is that… I mean you and the mermaid… she told you that you fertilized her eggs. That was only a month ago.”

               “Peter I’m not sure what to think about this. He sorta showed up out of the water. If he is mine with that mermaid then these mermaids must do a whole hell of a lot of growing as soon as they’re hatched.”

               “I-I suppose…. But what other explanation is there? This boy shows up out of nowhere and he looks just like you. He came from the water Michael.”

               “I know that! What am I supposed to do about it?”

               “I don’t know.” Peter looked down. “But you’re going to have to do something. This isn’t something for you to avoid.”

               “I’m not about to avoid it. I just don’t know what to do.”

               “I understand. But you have all of us with you.”

               “I know.” Mike nodded slightly. “Thank you.”

               Back on the beach, the others quietly discussed their ideas about the boy. Nobody was able to deny the boy’s resemblance to Mike. It didn’t take much for them to put things together about him, but Trixie had a lot of questions. Questions that they weren’t sure how to answer without Mike being present. This only left her with more confusion than answers and she began wondering things about Mike. Mostly, she wondered about what happened before she met him that he had neglected to tell her.

               Realizing they were talking about him, the boy looked up at the adults. While gazing upon them, his dark eyes flashed. He inched closer towards Trixie and patted her on the arm to get her attention.

               “Are you mama?”

               Taken aback, she placed a hand on her chest and awkwardly grinned. “What? No sweetie I’m not your mama. But maybe we can help you find her.”

               The boy looked at the fire and sat quietly for a moment as though in reflection.

               “Mama sent me here to find my daddy and a new mama.”

               “Oh… oh um… sweetie I’m sorry. I wish I knew how to help you.”

               Trixie looked at Micky and Davy, her eyes slightly widened with concern. Before either of them could say anything, Mike and Peter returned. Mike went over to Trixie and pulled her aside. He then began explaining everything that happened with the mermaid. When everything was said and thoroughly explained, Trixie sank back into the sand and sat there in silence. She stared ahead at the water and remained a bit rigid in her spine. When Mike knelt to her level to attempt to comfort her, she dismissed it with a slow shake of her head.

               Mike moved back some to give her a little space for a moment. He studied her to try to figure out what could be on her mind. As he examined her body language, he realized she wasn’t necessarily upset over the news. She swallowed. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. After a moment, she ran her fingers through her hair and then gazed up at him.

               “Okay Michael.” She said quietly.

               “Okay, what?’

               “I believe you. And I believe you never meant for any of this to happen.”

               “Well I didn’t. I never would have.” He sat next to her and sighed a little. “If I could go back and change what happened, I would. But I can’t. And now there’s this little boy here and that mermaid is still lurking about probably waiting to strike. This boy could be a trap to lure us in to where she is. The boy is innocent in all this though. But we still have to be careful. Until Aya shows up, I think it’s best we protect him. Take care of him. He is, after all, a child.

               “You’re absolutely right, Michael.”

               His only response was to stand and offer her his hand. She smiled softly as she accepted it, letting him help her to her feet.

               Micky lay awake for the past couple hours. He twirled his thumbs and stared at the ceiling almost as though he were watching television. In a way, he was watching his own thoughts unfold before him like movie scenes. Everything had happened so fast and it was just now catching up to him.

               Looking over at Mike he saw that he was sound asleep. Normally when Micky had trouble sleeping this would have annoyed him. But this time he was strangely intrigued by it. He turned onto his side and inched a little closer to the edge of the bed so he could have a better view of Mike. He had a strange need to see him. All of him. Even though he knew Mike wasn’t in his merman form, Micky still had to see.

               That tail, those fins, even those gills were all so fascinating to him. Seeing Mike in this form seemed so magical. He was… beautiful. Micky couldn’t help but wonder what it was like. He closed his eyes and imagined himself swimming with a mermaid tail. How graceful he would be, swimming about, gliding through the water with ease. He probably could swim farther and faster than he ever could before. And with gills he would be able to stay under water much longer. He would be able to dive and explore the ocean scenery without the use of scuba gear.

               Suddenly his eyes popped open. He gasped a little and a smile spread across his lips. Right then he knew what he needed to do. He needed to become a merman just like Mike. The only problem was, he had no idea how to do this. There was no way that he’d go into the ocean looking for Aya. That would bring too much danger for himself and his friends. But perhaps there was a chance that Mike could help him out.

               Micky lay back and turned his eyes onto the ceiling. He started thinking about everything and knew that if he were going to become a merman he’d first have to convince Mike it was a good idea. This was going to take some strategizing.

…………

               The next day, Micky followed Mike around, overflowing with his new obsession. Question after question he asked Mike about everything that had to do with being a mermaid. Just as Mike was about to lose it, Micky asked him a question that completely stopped him in his tracks with bewilderment.

               “You want me to what?”

               “I want you to turn me, Mike.”

               “Turn you into what?”

               “Um… a merman. Please Mike?”

               “Mick I… “ he sighed with his shoulders slumped. He knew there would be no easy way out of this new obsession of Micky’s. “I don’t even have any idea where I would begin with this.”

               “Well what did Aya do to change you? Maybe you could try that.”

               “I barely remember what happened. She had me under a spell. Besides, even if I did know how she changed me, that doesn’t mean I can do the same for you.”

               “Please Mike?” Micky bounced eagerly. “Pleeeeeeeeeease? Just try something. I want to be like you.”

               “Mick… Please just let it go. Even if I could change you I have no idea of how to do it.”

               Micky sighed and looked down. “Okay. This was stupid any way.” Defeated, he walked away, leaving Mike unsure of what to do.

…………

               The rest of the day had not gone any better. In fact, Micky persisted in his annoyance towards Mike. No matter what, he just could not get the idea of becoming a merman off his mind. He could not focus on anything. Even eating was difficult because of his constant distraction from his food. Micky had become absolutely obsessed with the idea of becoming a merman, even though he knew there was no point in pursuing it.

               Mike certainly had no idea if or even how he would be able to change Micky, and finding Aya to change him was too dangerous. He was going to have to remain unfulfilled by his new obsession, unless he found something to satisfy it. There had to be something he could do. But the more he tried thinking of a solution, the worse it made his obsession. He had to try to find a way to get this off his mind, but at this point it was going to be impossible.

                 Mike stood back and looked at Micky, taking in his current state. Micky sat on the window bench seat, staring out the window as though sadly lost in his thoughts. With a small sigh, Mike knew he should do something to help Micky out of this. But with never really experiencing Micky in quite this state during one of his weird obsessions, Mike didn’t know what he could do to help him. All he knew was, he needed the real Micky back.

               Thinking for a moment, Mike tried to come up with something that would distract Micky for a little while. He wasn’t sure how he would do it but he realized he’d have to come up with some sort of gesture. He needed to do something to make Micky happy for a little while so that, hopefully, his mind could relax. Once Micky was able to relax, Mike would be able to do the same. In that moment, nothing in particular struck him. But he knew something could come to him once he was alone with Micky. With a slight grin, he walked over to Micky and began to gently coax his attention onto him.

               “Hey so, Mick.” He cleared his throat and Micky looked at him. “Mick, ah, what do you say you and I go out for a walk?”

               “Just us?”

               Mike grinned. “Yep. Thought it’d be nice for us. Maybe we could talk…. Maybe have a little fun.”

               Micky couldn’t help grinning. “Yeah? I’d love to.”

               He stood up and practically bounced over to the door. His rising excitement was a little hard to contain as he hopped in his place while waiting for Mike. When Mike got there, he chuckled and shook his head.

               “Micky you’re like a puppy excited for a walk.”

               This caused Micky to stick his tongue out and pant like a dog. Resisting to laugh at this proved to be difficult for Mike. He even played along and patted Micky on top of the head.

               “Too bad I don’t have a leash for you.” He chuckled.

               “Yeah yeah let’s go!”

               With a chuckle, Mike led him outside and down to the beach. When they started walking, neither of them were certain where they were going. All they knew was, they wanted to be away from the house. It had been a while since they were able to have privacy, some quiet time to be just Mike and Micky. So the further they went away from the house, the better it would be for both of them. They realized that this walk was much needed for them both.

               For a while they enjoyed the blissful silence between them. The quiet was soothing. Mike walked them over to a more secluded area and over to the water. As they walked there, they started talking about everything they needed to share. Mike figured that talk would be another good form of distraction for Micky. It was also much needed for both of them as there was so much that needed sorted out. This talk had been a long time coming and both of them felt relief from it.

               Pausing the conversation, Mike moved closer to the water. He knew this was a risky move as far as Micky’s obsession was concerned. But it was a risk he was willing to take up in that moment. There was something he had to do. Ignoring Micky’s question of what he was doing, Mike entered the water and transformed. He swam out to a deeper part of the water and dove downward. He stayed under water for several minutes before resurfacing. The entire time he was under the water, he pictured Micky standing on shore, pondering his actions and anticipating his return, nerves all racked up inside him. Which he very much was. When Mike returned, he swam up close to Micky, concealing something carefully in one hand. Once out of the water and back in human form, Mike brought this object to Micky.

               “I got this just for you.”

               “What is it?”

               Mike opened his hand, revealing a wriggling and quite colorful starfish. The starfish coiled partly and wrapped a couple of its limbs around Mike’s fingers. Micky’s eyes opened wider and a gasp escaped his lungs when he saw it. He reached out with one finger to touch it but it coiled back.

               “That’s for me?” He asked, amazed. “Wow. That’s really groovy.” He smiled and held his hands cupped together in front of him. He then held his breath as Mike carefully transported the starfish into Micky’s cupped hands.

               “Wow. Thank you so much.”

               “You’re welcome.” Mike grinned. “We’ll have to find something to put that in.”

               Micky nodded, not taking his eyes off the starfish. “What’s it like under the water? Is it pretty?”

               “Have you ever been snorkeling?” Micky confirmed with a nod. “Oh well it’s 100 times better than that. No goggles, no need for an oxygen tank. It’s… incredible.”

               “I bet.” Micky watched the starfish in is hands. His smile began to fade and his expression shifted to become much more forlorn.

               “Is something wrong Mick?” Mike asked with his head tilted.

               “I was just thinking about how… well… I still really want to be able to experience that. I wish you knew how to change me. You could at least try something.”

               Mike sighed, the good mood being zapped out of him. “Mick we’ve been over this. Even if I knew how to change you, I have no way of telling if I even have the power to change you. You don’t know, maybe… maybe not all mermaids can change people. You know? Maybe it’s a really rare thing for them to be able to do. I mean Aya changed me because she wanted me as her lover. Perhaps it was her only chance to change a person and she used it already.”

               “You don’t know all that. You’re just guessing.”

               “And you’re just assuming that I can change you. When, really, neither of us have any clue about how any of this mermaid stuff works.”

               “I just thought it wouldn’t hurt to try something. Guess I was wrong.”

      Mike quickly tossed the broad brimmed hat to Peter. “Here put this on!” He exclaimed in a hushed voice while rushing through changing his clothes.

          “Why do we have to wear these crazy clothes for?” Peter complained as he fumbled with the hat Mike had thrown at him.

          “Peter.” Mike picked up the hat and placed it firmly on top of Peter’s head. “We have to wear this stuff in order to blend in with everyone else. We don’t want to appear suspicious to anyone while we are here.”

          “Besides, Pete,” Micky chimed in, as he was in the middle of turning his shirt around the right way. “These clothes aren’t any crazier than what you normally wear.” He struggled against the shirt, getting stuck in it for just a second.

          “I don’t think they’re all that bad really.” Davy said, adjusting his clothes. “The hat’s a little big but not too bad. Just takes a little to get used to.”

          In response to this statement, Micky grabbed Davy’s oversized hat and pulled it down to cover half his face. Davy retaliated by snatching open the collar of Micky’s shirt, nearly pulling off a button. Mike rolled his eyes, not amused, and promptly urged the other three men to finish putting on their clothes and to compose themselves as mature adults. Though a little reluctant to end their childishness, they complied with Mike’s serious orders.

          When they were finished dressing in their proper period attire, the four men headed into the nearby town. As they took in the quaint sights and sounds of the small town, they fought their urges to appear as excited tourists. Not being completely amazed or even running around like children in a toy store was going to be incredibly difficult for them. Containing his own excitement, Mike managed to keep the other guys wrangled in and well behaved. He reminded them about the sheer importance of their mission and this was no time or place to act unruly.

          The town to which they traveled was constructed of wood and stone. The roads they walked on were dusty and not much more than worn walking paths. It seemed strange, seeing the people move about in their plain, almost uniform like clothing with broad brimmed hats and big buckles on leather shoes. These people were friendly towards one another but held an air of somberness and purity about them. None of these people seemed to notice as the four young outsiders quietly observed them as they passed by. It was such an incredible experience to take in the live scene which would have normally been artists’ renderings in history books. This experience, though, was short-lived once they reminded themselves of why they were there.

          “Where are we?” Peter asked. His voice was hushed but with a sense of wonder. “Are these the pilgrims?”

          Mike surveyed the area and thought for a moment before answering. “Close. I believe we are actually in Massachusetts. Salem to be exact.”

          “Oh wow.” Micky replied with a slight gasp. “So do you think we’ll see anyone… you know. Get burned at the stake?”

          “Actually, Micky, people were only burned at the stake over in Europe.” Davy said matter-of-factly. “Other means of execution were used in America.”

          “Well I stand corrected then. Thank you Mr. Historian.” Micky rolled his eyes.

          Davy shrugged his shoulders. “Well you did ask.” He yelped a little as Micky yanked his hat over his eyes again.

          Again, Mike tried to retain order of the group by ushering everybody ahead through the town. In order to best fit in, not draw attention to themselves, and complete the task at hand, they felt safest to follow Dr. Mendoza’s strict warnings not to interact with anybody. This meant that they would all have to work hard at not exploring, or taking time to witness history as it happened. This part was a bit of a disappointment, but they knew they had to do what was necessary in order to stay focused.

          “So Mike,” Micky said quietly. “What exactly are we looking for?”

          “It’s some type of paper.” Mike said with a nod. “Doc says it’s a special document.”

          “We came all the way to Salem during the 1600’s to find a piece of paper?” Davy asked confused and a little annoyed. “We could have just stayed home for that!”

          “Yeah I’ve got lots of scrap paper in my writing desk.” Peter added.

          “It’s part of some secret document that Dr. Mendoza needs. I remember him saying it will have his name written on the back.” Mike explained.

          “Well this paper must be pretty important since he sent us back in time to get it for him.” Micky replied. “But why didn’t he just get it himself?”

          “I don’t know, Mick. Maybe the ol’ doc doesn’t like traveling. But whatever the doc’s reasons for it, let’s just find this paper quick and go back home.”

          Not knowing exactly what the paper they were looking for looked like certainly was going to make locating it much more difficult. It didn’t appear that Salem was a large town, but they still felt they would have an easier time searching for the paper if they split up into teams of two. While Mike and Peter walked toward the schoolhouse, Micky and Davy decided to head towards the town blacksmith shop. The two buildings were within a short walking distance of one another, but the men figured these were still good grounds to cover at the start of their search.

          Davy complained the entire time he and Micky walked to the blacksmith shop. He was absolutely sure that this was the most ridiculous place to locate a piece of paper, thus seeing no point in being there. Micky tried to remain positive about their search, claiming that they wouldn’t know where the paper was unless they checked every place imaginable. This only momentarily eased Davy’s complaints, causing him to bite his tongue and trust Micky. He had to admit, though not out loud, that Micky did make sense with what he said about covering more ground would make their search better.

          When they reached the shop, Micky peeked in through the window. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the dark shop for traces of the blacksmith or any apprentices. He turned slightly and gave a signal to Davy to let him know all was clear. Keeping quiet and moving carefully, Micky and Davy entered the darkened shop. They moved about as best as they could with only natural sunlight and an orange glow of the coals in the furnace lighting the way for them. For just a few moments, as they let their eyes adjust to the dark, they wondered if this wasn’t such a wise choice for their search after all.

          Their eyes and ears were well aware of their surroundings as they kept on guard for approaching people. After a few moments of remaining frozen in their spots, their breath held steady and soft, they slowly began moving around the shop. Often one of them would stop suddenly due to the sounds their shoes made over the floor. When they felt safe enough to move, they did so with extra caution. They each felt great relief in certain areas where the wood floor became dirt, but they still moved around at a snail pace as to not draw attention from any passersby outside. As they moved on guard, they were both very aware of the fact that they blacksmith could enter the shop at any given moment. Though this caused them great anxiety as they searched the shop, they had to keep it under control in order to keep their search going steady. Luckily for them, the blacksmith and his apprentices were nowhere in sight, which allowed the two young men time to search in peace.

          Davy squinted as he looked up at a shelf above his head. He saw a few items hanging on hooks along the edge of the shelf, as well as a small iron box on top of the shelf. The box was pressed against a support beam. Tucked between the box and beam was a piece of paper. Only a small corner of the paper was visible, but Davy knew he had to see what this paper was. Unfortunately, it was just out of his reach. He held his breath, puffing out his cheeks for a few seconds and looked around for something that would aid him in reaching the paper. A metal bucket gleamed in the sunlight from the nearby window, and the sight of it delighted Davy. He tested his weight on the bucket before moving it over to just below the shelf. This was the perfect height needed for him to stand on and reach the shelf. However, it was on slightly uneven ground, causing the bucket to wobble as Davy reached for the paper.

  Steadying himself, Davy stood still on the bucket for a second. Once he was confident to move again, he reached for the paper on the shelf. He slid the box over just a little bit, freeing the paper from its spot. The paper wafted to the ground and the bucket wobbled, causing Davy to fall. Micky whipped his head up and he darted over to where Davy was and helped him up.

          “Careful!” Micky whispered

          “I’m okay.” Davy replied in a similarly hushed tone as he dusted himself off. “Where’d that paper go?”

          “What paper?”

          Micky narrowed his eyes and looked around the area. His face brightened a bit when he spied a piece of paper on the floor near their feet. He bent and snatched up the paper before examining it. The paper was ripped from a larger document and typewritten on the back was the name Doctor Mendoza. Micky’s eye widened and he let out an audible gasp. Davy slapped a hand over Micky’s mouth to smother the potential shouts of glee. After a shared, though hushed, excited celebration, Micky and Davy dashed out of the blacksmith’s shop to look for Mike and Peter.

          When Mike and Peter left, discouraged from the schoolhouse (and grumbling that they should have known better about students using chalk tablets instead of paper) they were stunned to see Micky and Davy running toward them. Micky waved a piece of paper in his hand as he ran, shouting that they got Mendoza’s paper. He ignored the baffled and somewhat offended expressions of the locals, as well as the rock in the road in front of him. When he hit the ground with a thud and an “oof!” the other three men rushed over to him. The helped Micky to his feet and dusted off his clothes. Micky held his hat in place as he eagerly showed Mike ad Peter the paper. Peter hopped in place within his excitement and clumsily bumped into Micky. This caused Micky to let go of the paper.

          A breeze picked up and caught the paper before either man was able to pick it up off the ground. They chased after it, but the breeze blew stronger to keep the paper out of their reach. Davy dove to try to catch the windblown paper, but missed it and bumped into the legs of a young woman. He stood and apologized to her but when he lay eyes on her face, he froze, stunned. At first, the other three men groaned in disappointment as it appeared like one of Davy’s typical love connections was in progress. They charged over to Davy and the girl but all stopped, equally stunned when they realized Davy was not in love but rather a state of shock.

          “FERN?!” The four men exclaimed in simultaneous surprise

          The girl, taken aback, blinked and placed a hand on her chest. She trembled a bit as she looked at them. “H-how do you know my name? Who are you?” her eyes were a bit wide to match the sheer nervousness in her voice. “Do I know you gentlemen?”

          All four Monkees stood quietly, trying to think of a good answer for her. They then stumbled over their words at the same time, before Micky took the initiative to speak for them.

          “Well, no, not quite. We heard somebody address you earlier today.” When he saw Fern appear satisfied with this answer, he continued. “See, we are visitors from a few towns over. Andover. We were running because we had lost a horse. It ran off. We thought we saw it come this way when we ran into you.”

          “Oh come now.” She said, not fully believing his story. “Well it seems there is neither horse nor traces of a horse running through here.” She grinned slightly, but there were traces of previously shed tears near her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. “It seems you spin yarns. Why must you fib?”

          This quieted Micky fast. Neither man knew how to explain things to Fern. Mike quietly reminded the other three guys not to interfere any more, but his words were ignored. Davy frowned slightly as he stepped forward, studying her face.

          “Excuse my staring, but were you crying?” he asked

          Fern turned and shielded the side of her face with her hand. “No, sir. I do not know what it is that you mean.”

          “Ah ha!” Davy laughed “Now who’s telling fibs?”

          Fern sighed and sadness filled her face. “Sorry, sir. I’m troubled, yes. My mother sits in jail as we speak. She’s been accused.” Tears came to her eyes. “There is nothing fair about it. People claim she is one with the devil and has been practicing witchcraft. I know ‘tis not true! I know she is innocent.”

          The other three guys knew that Davy was already taken in by her tale before she even continued. It already showed deeply on his face how sympathetic he was towards her and her problem, and how much he already wanted to help her. They knew the risks in letting Davy help her so they started trying to quietly pull him away from her. As important as Fern’s sob story sounded to them, they felt that their current task for Mendoza was more important.

                At first their attempts at pulling Davy away didn’t work. But once Davy joined them, his face expressed a world of mixed emotions. They spoke in private, trying to decide what they should do. They knew that due to all the risks involved they shouldn’t help her. At the same time they realized they couldn’t simply leave her helpless. She was desperate and they were already interfering simply just by talking to her. This seemed to be their biggest weakness; show them a pretty face and a troubling story and they’d play hero no matter what the cost. They always played hero. This time they felt wouldn’t be any different.

          Before they realized it, they had agreed to help Fern with her mother. They weren’t really sure how they were going to do it, or how long it would take but they felt that it would be better in the long run to help anyway they could. I was dangerous for many reasons but it was still something they felt they should do. They began talking quietly with Fern about the situation with her mother and what they could do. As they talked, they realized it would be impossible to simply clear her name of the accusations of witchcraft.

          It was concluded that the best thing for them to do was to break her out of jail and help her escape into a neighboring town. However, the only way something like this could work was to do it under the cover of night. This meant they’d have to stay longer in the 1690s than what was originally planned. This, of course, would pose an even bigger risk for The Monkees. But it was a risk they were willing to take, as crazy as it made them feel. Crazy and stupid. Thanks to Micky pointing out to them that “if risks weren’t a little but crazy and stupid then they wouldn’t be risks, and definitely not worth taking” the four of them agreed to give it a go. After all, they were used to taking these risks together, and they always got themselves out of whatever trouble that came along for them.

  …………

            The moon was the only light they had as they sat in the bushes just outside of the jailhouse. The five of them kept hidden and spoke in hushed voices as they moved around to the window which looked into Goodwife Badderly’s jail room. After a brief whispered discussion, Peter was nominated as the one who would get the attention of Goodwife Badderly. Peter gulped and moved closer to the window.

          “Mrs. Badderly!” he spoke just above a whisper. This caused the others to cringe and stifle their groans. “Mrs. Badderly!” he said again

          Mike nudged him hard in the side with his elbow. “Goody!”

          Confused, Peter looked at Mike “Thanks, Mike, but I haven’t even got her attention yet.” He looked at the window again, missing Mike’s eye roll. “Mrs. Badderly! Are you in there?”

          “Goody! Goody!” Mike corrected, sternly

          Peter clapped his hands together with a smile “Goody it worked!” his smile turned into a confused frown “But she’s not there.”

          Micky reached over and flicked the brim of Peter’s hat “No you dummy! Mike means you should address her as Goody, as in Goodwife!”

          “Oh why didn’t anyone tell me before?”

          Peter’s question resulted in groans and muttered comments of “oh Peter…” This brought the Goodwife Badderly over to the window and she peeked out with a tired, confused frown.

          “Who out there is making that racket?” she called, displeased

          Fern moved forward, still keeping hidden in the bushes. “Tis me, mother! And some new friends of mine!”

          “Oh Fern!” Goodwife Badderly peered further out the window. “So nice to see my daughter.” She looked at The Monkees “And who are these gentlemen you claim to be your friends? I have never seen them about Salem before.”

          “Of course not, mother. They are visitors from Andover. And they assure me they are trustworthy. Mother they’re here to help me get you out of jail!”

          Goodwife Badderly looked at The Monkees skeptically “How do you propose to do that?”

          “Do not worry Goodwife Badderly.” said Mike, failing to disguise his southern accent. “We have a plan. A very good plan. All you have to do is listen to what we tell you, and trust us.”

          “I’m listening.” She said with a tone of arrogance “This plan better be as good as you say it is, young sir.”

          “Oh it is!” Mike reassured with a nod “You can trust us.”

          Though still skeptical of them, she still listened to their plan. As they talked by the open window, a male prisoner in the jail room next door woke up and let it be known they got his attention. Coincidentally, this was perfect timing since their plan to break her out involved help from another prisoner. The Monkees promised the prisoner some gold coins in exchange for his cooperation. He eagerly agreed to help and sat to listen to their plan. He even pitched in an idea of his own which surely would help in their jailbreak being a successful one.

          According to the prisoner, there happened to be a loose block in the stone wall which separated the two jail rooms. When pulled away from the wall it made an opening large enough for a person to crawl through comfortably. Goodwife Badderly and the prisoner quickly switched places inside the rooms. Before putting the block back in place, they removed and exchanged clothing. Through the window the prisoner was handed a small pouch containing several promised gold coins, as his payment for helping them. Then, once the Goodwife was dressed in the male prisoner’s clothes, she was assisted through the window. The group with their escaped prisoner gave their final thanks to the male prisoner before heading off towards the town limits.

          Through the darkness, everybody hurried as best as they could while being as quiet as possible. It was crucial that they not draw the attention of any other townsfolk. Luckily for them all, everybody else was fast asleep in their homes and their jailbreak went unnoticed. They raced swiftly and tirelessly all the way to the town limits, not once stopping to rest. When they got there, Fern and her mother quickly gave their appreciation for all the help. After saying their goodbyes, The Monkees watched as Fern and the Goodwife Badderly quietly entered the next town to begin their new lives, officially as outlaws. For a little bit, though, the four guys followed them to be sure they got somewhere safe.

          By the time they returned to Salem, the first signs of the sun rising in the sky were seen. That was when they realized their original mission was not complete. Immediately upon realizing this they all scrambled, rushing back into town. They were in a panic as they started searching for the paper that they needed for Mendoza.

          The first place they went to was just down the street from the blacksmith’s shop where they first met with Fern. They stopped there only to catch their breath. Once everyone was rested enough they went on their way with hawk eyes in search for the paper. Searching high and low they were going to leave nothing unturned until they located it. After a few misses in their search, they were surprised when they spied the piece of paper sticking out of a nearby bush. Feeling responsible for being the one to lose it earlier that day, Micky dove head-first into the bush to retrieve the paper. After briefly wrestling into and getting overdramatically tangled in the bush, Micky grabbed the paper and waved it in the air. The other three excitedly rushed over to Micky and helped him to his feet. Then, each with a whoop of excitement, they each held onto the paper.

                Micky stared at the water with widened, fearful eyes. He rushed into the water and dove beneath the waves. Swimming as fast as he could, despite the water weakening his fire power, he pushed himself out towards where he saw Mike. He popped his head out of the water with a big gasp for air before he started swimming again. It was dark and water splashed in his eyes, making it impossible for him to search. But he was determined to find Mike before it was too late.

                Luckily, Mike wasn’t too far away so Micky pushed himself even further to reach him. He grabbed hold of Mike’s body and struggled to swim while pulling him back to shore. The waves hit him from either side and he began weakening even more, but he continued pushing forward. When he finally made it to shore, he dragged Mike’s body onto the sand and collapsed beside him. He panted for a few seconds before sitting up. Changing his position, he leaned down and began performing CPR on Mike.

                “Please Mike I need you.” He said with tears in his eyes.

                He pinched Mike’s nose closed and breathed into his mouth. Mike coughed and spat out a bunch of seawater. He coughed some more and wheezed a bit as he struggled for a moment to breathe normally. His breath began to steady and soon he cracked open his eyes. Everything seemed so fuzzy and Micky’s voice sounded echoed and far away as he spoke. Slowly, everything became clear. He stirred as Micky kissed his forehead while excitedly babbling about him being alive. It took him a little bit to make sense of anything and to bring himself to move. Once he managed it, he slowly sat up and looked at Micky.

                “What happened?” he croaked a little

                Tears began running down Micky’s face as he wrapped his arms around Mike. “You’re alive! I can’t believe it! You’re actually alive!”

                A bit stunned and very much confused, Mike awkwardly hugged him back. “What happened though?”

                “You… you tried to drown yourself. I thought I had lost you.”

                “What… what are you talking about?”

                “You were drowning, Mike.” He gave him a small squeeze, still not coming out of the hug. There was no way he was going to let Mike go.

                “You… you saved my life.” Mike sat quietly for a moment. “I still don’t understand what happened. I don’t even remember going into the water.”

                “Don’t worry. We’ll sort everything out.” Micky gave him another squeeze “I’m just… I’m so happy you’re alive.”

…………

                After some time passed, and there still was no trace of Mike or Micky, concern filled Davy. Davy paced a bit, growing nervous. He often stopped in front of the glass doors looking out at the balcony. Allowing his already low body temperature to lower some more, he flexed his fingers occasionally to release tiny ice sickles. He let the ice melt and raised his temperature before walking away from the glass doors. Shaking his head, he let out a sigh.

                “Something’s wrong.” He said

                Peter lifted his head and tried his best to show he was calm. “What makes you think that?”

                “They’re been out there for a while.” Davy looked to the balcony again. “I just have a bad feeling about something.”

                “Maybe they’re just talking.” Peter replied, trying to sound hopeful. The truth was, he was just as concerned as Davy was.

                Davy sighed “Maybe. I dunno.”

                Trying to relax, Davy sat down on the couch. He took an emery board from his pocket and began filing his nails. It wasn’t long before he stopped abruptly and looked towards the glass doors as they opened. Micky helped Mike into the house. Both of them were soaking wet with water dripping from them. Immediately, Peter and Davy rushed over to them and helped to bring Mike over to the couch. Peter got a couple bath towels and wrapped Mike in one and gave the other to Micky.

                “What happened?” Peter asked

                “Mike almost drowned.” Micky said “I went in to save him.”

                “What?” Peter asked, surprised “Michael you almost drowned? How did this happen?”

                Mike shook his head “I don’t know. I don’t even remember going into the water. It’s like I blacked out or something.”

                Davy frowned, a bit confused “What do you mean you blacked out?”

                “That’s just the thing.” Mike said “I don’t remember anything that happened between the time Peter left me and waking up on the beach with Micky.”

                “How could you not remember?” Peter asked “What could you have been doing that would make you not remember?”

                “I don’t know Peter.” Mike shook his head “It’s like… it’s like something came along and took control of my body. The last thing on my mind when I was out there was… how Micky was acting.”

                Micky looked away, tearing up a little. “I’m sorry, Mike, I wasn’t myself. I don’t remember being that way with you and it makes me feel awful. Peter and Davy told me everything that happened after Oraculo… I’m sorry this happened.”

                Mike looked at him sadly as he listened. His eyebrows pushed together and the corners of his mouth turned down as he began putting things together. “Wait… Mick you remember what happened with Oraculo?”

                Micky nodded “It all came back to me after you left. That was when I ran out after you. When I saw you in the water I thought you were trying to kill yourself because of me. It scared me to death.”

                “Sorry I scared you, Mick.” Mike mumbled

                “I’m sorry I did this to you. Mike, you almost died because of me.”

                “Mick you didn’t do this to me. Besides, I’m alive because of you.”

                Micky nodded and hugged him “But if it weren’t for me you wouldn’t have been out there.”

                He let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes “Well I suppose… I suppose I should get into some dry clothes.” He stood “Maybe get in bed.”

                Mike quietly went upstairs without any protest from the other three men. For the three remaining in the living room, everything fell silent for a few moments. It was apparent that Micky was feeling terribly for multiple reasons. He stood with his head hanging down. A pout was present on his lips and a sigh escaped, breaking the silence. Davy turned to look at him and felt his sadness. He placed a gentle hand on Micky’s shoulder, getting him to look up.

                “Hey, don’t fret.” Davy said “It’s just been a rough day for him.”

                “It’s my fault, though.” Micky swallowed his forming tears. “I gotta make it up to him.”

                Davy nodded “Sure.” He said, barely above a whisper.

                Micky sighed again and turned to look at the stairs. He hunched his shoulders before straightening his back. After a little hesitation, he walked up the stairs and to the bedroom. With a small frown, he stared at the closed door in front of him. His heart pounded and his mouth felt dry as he tried mentally talking himself into entering the room. He raised a fist to knock but lowered it again when he changed his mind. Instead, he slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door.

                When he looked into the room, he saw Mike sitting on his bed. Mike was half dressed and staring at something on the floor in front of him. Micky turned his eyes down to glance at the object and he saw that it was something that belonged to Trixie; something she left behind. Guilt riddled Micky, as soon as he saw this, and he looked away uncomfortably. For a moment he stood there, not wanting to look at Mike. He took in a deep breath and stepped closer to the bed. Unable to keep his thoughts inside any more, Micky opened his mouth and let out the first thought that came to mind.

                “Do you hate me?” he asked, moving to sit on the bed.

                Still staring at the object on the floor, Mike slightly shook his head “No.”

                “Are… are you sure?” Micky sat back against the wall and pulled his knees up to his chest. “I really fucked up.”

                “I don’t hate you.” Mike spoke quietly “It’s just… really emotional day.”

                “Is there any way I can make it up? Any way at all?”

                Mike sighed “I don’t know. I’m just… I’m sorta mixed up right now. A lot has happened today.”

                No words passed between them for a few minutes. In this time, Micky watched the side of Mike’s face and wondered what could be going on in his mind. Inching closer, Micky paused before deciding to reach out for Mike. At first, he opened his arms, inviting Mike in for a hug. When this fell flat, Micky put is arms down and placed his hands in his lap. He then moved even closer and rested his head on Mike’s shoulder. He could sense Mike relax and move into the gesture. It filled Micky with hope when Mike reached up with one hand and patted him on top of the head. He could tell that, as Mike smoothly stroked his curls, that this action comforted Mike as well.

                “I don’t want to leave you alone.” Micky said, abruptly ending the silence “You tried to kill yourself today.” He wrapped an arm across Mike’s chest. “I don’t wanna risk losing you…”

                “Mick…” Mike sighed “I didn’t try to kill myself. I almost drowned during circumstances beyond my control.”

                Micky nodded in understanding but he still didn’t want to let him go. Either way it happened, he still almost lost Mike that day. Just knowing this hurt Micky through his entire soul. As much as it hurt, though, and as many questions he was aching to ask Mike, he knew it was best to let all this go for the time being.

                When Mike stood, Micky turned his focus intently on him. He didn’t want Mike out of his sight for fear of something bad happening. Almost losing him shook him up so bad that he couldn’t stand the thought of anything else happening to them. He watched, with some concern, as Mike took clothes from the closet. As Mike began dressing, Micky let spill his, though somewhat mixed up, feelings. They left him in abrupt and almost nonsensical manner at first, but when Mike questioned him about it, Micky drew back to sort out his thoughts.

                “I don’t want you to hurt yourself, Mike. Please.” He swallowed a hard lump of forming tears. “I love you so much, Mike.”

                Not looking at him, Mike continued putting on his dry clothes. “Micky I’m not going to hurt myself.”

                Micky looked down “I understand.” He looked over at the empty bed across the room. His eyebrows narrowed in puzzlement. “Those aren’t my blankets… actually nothing in here is mine.”

                “Uh, no. You switched with Peter.”

                “Can I switch back?” Micky looked at him hopefully.

                “It wasn’t really my decision for you guys to switch in the first place.” Mike shrugged “I don’t see why you guys couldn’t switch back. ‘Spose just let Peter know before you move his stuff around.”

                “You don’t mind?” Micky asked, bouncing up onto his feet. “I don’t wanna be a burden to you.” He felt himself blush “Mike…”

                Mike looked at him “What?”

                Micky’s voice cracked a little when he spoke again. “I love you.”

                This statement seemed almost foreign in the few moments that it hung in the air. At first, Mike didn’t know what to do with it. He turned his eyes down and shoved his thumbs into his belt loops. His voice came out quiet and almost in a whisper when he spoke.

                “I love you too.” He sat on his bed and averted his eyes from Micky.

                Micky trembled all throughout his body. His throat hurt as he tried to swallow his tears. The trembling became full on shaking as his emotions threatened to cause him to explode if he held them in any longer. He burst into tears and rushed over to Mike, clinging to him as tightly as he could. This caused Mike to instantly feel awkward as he was taken by surprise. He didn’t know what to do with his arms at first, and then he patted Micky on the back uncomfortably.

                “God I love you so much, Mike!” Micky sobbed “I’m sorry I fucked up! I’ll do anything for you! Mike, please forgive me, please!”

                “Well I uh, Mick…” Mike stammered. “It’s not that I won’t forgive you, it’s just… with what happened with Trixie and the drugs… it’ll take time.”

                “Fuck I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to! I won’t do drugs, I promise okay? I’ll do anything Mike… anything.”

                “Will you apologize to Trixie?”

                Micky nodded and sniffed, burying his face in Mike’s chest. “Of course I will.”

                Mike relaxed and hugged Micky, rubbing his back. “Thank you.” He pulled away some and kissed Micky gently on the forehead.

                For a while they sat quietly as Mike held him. He rocked Micky gently and brushed his fingers through Micky’s curls. During this time, Micky continued to cry softly as Mike soothed him. After a little bit, once they pulled apart, they began talking to each other. They spoke about Micky’s drug use as well as the fate of Mike and Trixie’s relationship. The natural trust between them was beginning to strengthen the more that they talked about everything.

                Their talk lasted for so long and it stirred up a lot of emotions shared between the two of them. Some parts of their discussion became heated and sparked a near physical fight while other parts brought out more tears. (Even Mike managed to shed a few tears but he made Micky swear to never tell anyone about it.) In the end once they felt they had everything hashed out, they wound up together just how it began: sitting on the bed, embraced in a hug.

                When Micky pulled away from Mike, he smiled and told him how he was going to start gathering his things from the downstairs bedroom. Though he declined Mike’s offer to help, Micky was happy to know Mike was going to be there for him. He was happy that after everything they shared, Mike still wanted to be around him. As he started packing his belongings from the downstairs bedroom, he thought to himself that things could only get better from there.