Danielle: Dad, I'm sorry.
Bob: Dani, why did you even go look for him?
Danielle: Because I knew that he was missing from your life and that if you were going to die, you needed to die in peace. And there was no way you were going to die in peace without trying to make amends with him.
Bob: It aint gonna happen, Dani. He's as stubborn as his mother and if she won't forgive me, he won't forgive me. Thanks for trying, though.
Danielle: Yeah. (Danielle looked at the clock) I have to go tend to his wife. She's having their baby in the morning and she's going to need some looking after. If you need me, have mom come find me.
Bob: Tell her...never mind.
Elizabeth: Would you give Mike's wife something for me?
Danielle: Sure. (Elizabeth pulled out a small piece of cloth with Mike's name on it)
Bob (Seeing what it was): Liz, where'd you get that?
Elizabeth: I was going through some stuff in the closet when I came across a box of things you had locked up. I know I shouldn't have opened it but I did and found this with these pictures. (Elizabeth pulled out the pictures of Bob, Mike and Mike's mother. She handed them to her husband. Bob had a memory flash back)
Mike: Hey dad! Look what I got! (Mike showed him a big fish he'd caught in the stream) Can you cook him for me?
Bob: No! Go play somewhere and leave me alone!
Mike: But dad
Bob: GO BEFORE I TAN YOUR HIDE!! (Mike threw the fish down and ran off somewhere)"
Elizabeth: Bob? (Bob had tears fall down his face) Hey
Bob: I was never his dad, Liz. I was just a person in his life. He has every right in this world to hate me.
Elizabeth: Just what happened between you, his mother and Mike anyway?
Bob: I was an alcoholic cop. After my partner died, I felt like I'd lost the world. So instead of dealing with it like a man, I began drinking and taking my anger out on both Mike and his mother. She loved me, but I didn't love her back. Sure she gave me a son, but I didn't really want him. I only got her pregnant to keep me from having to go into war.
Elizabeth: No wonder he can't look at you.
Bob: If I could go back in time, I would have left his mother alone and then he wouldn't
Elizabeth: He wouldn't be here nor would he be famous. I mean after all, The Monkees wouldn't be The Monkees without a Davy Jones, a Micky Dolenz, a Peter Tork and a "Michael" Nesmith.
Bob: Could I be alone for a bit?
Elizabeth (Small smile): Sure honey. If you need me, I'll be in the lobby.
Bob: Thanks. (Elizabeth left the room which left Bob in deep thought. Mike saw Elizabeth leave and re-entered his father's room)
Mike (Still not looking at him): You may not have wanted me, but the fact is you helped create me which means you should have helped my mother take responsibility for me.
Bob: Do you think I don't know that? Getting your mom pregnant with you was what I wanted, but when you were born I wasn't ready for all the crying in the middle of the night. I couldn't handle it. I found myself trapped and just when I thought things were going good between your mom and I, they got worse. She would yell at me to help do things around the home and I would yell back at her for telling me what to do. I began putting my foot down and she hated it. As you were growing, I felt that the only way to handle my anger was to swing at you and your mom.
Mike: Why did you stick around so long, then?
Bob: I thought maybe things would change but your mom pointed out to me that if I didn't get help for my alcohol problem, it would never change; so I left.
Mike: When did you meet Liz?
Bob: How'd you know her name?
Mike: We talked in the café® She didn't tell me who you were. I guessed it by our conversation. She's a sweet woman but I'm upset because you went and married another woman and had four more kids with her.
Bob: Did you expect me to stay single the rest of my life?
Mike: I expected you to come back a changed man; but you never showed back up and you never attempted to contact me.
Bob: Oh yes I did! I tried to contact you when I became sober and got my life together. Your mother would make up excuses so I couldn't talk to you so I gave up after about two years. (Bob took notice that Mike was trying not to look at him) Mike, look at me!
Mike: I can't.
Bob: Please? (It took Mike a minute, but he finally managed to lay eyes on his father) Son, I can't change the past; and obviously I can't change my future either. But I don't wanna to die knowing that you hate me.
Mike: I can't just forgive you, dad. You left a lot of scars in your pathway that make it impossible to do.
Bob: I'm going to tell you something, son. It's something that I couldn't even tell your mother about and I'm only telling you because I think maybe you'll understand me a little better. (Mike leaned up against the wall to listen to his dad) When I was six years old, I watched my mom and dad get killed
Mike: How can that be? I saw them when I was growing up.
Bob: Those two were my aunt and uncle; whom after a while became my parents.
Mike: You saw your real parents get killed? What happened?
Bob: A robber broke into our home and when my dad tried to play `hero' he was shot and killed. And then the robber turned the gun on my mother. He didn't know about me because I was hidden in a closet. I was the only witness the cops had and I helped track him down. That's when I decided I wanted to be a cop. My aunt and uncle took me in and raised me and helped me get through that terrible time. After I got used to them, they adopted me and I began calling them `mom' and `dad.'
Mike: Didn't they have any kids of their own?
Bob: No. My aunt couldn't have kids so when my parents were killed; they volunteered to take me into their home. But it wasn't always the best home to be in. Like myself, my `dad' had a drinking problem and sometimes it made him really mean. By the time he was sobered up, I was a teenager and I had a lot of resentment toward him so my anger was dwelling inside of me. Then there was my best friend. We met in kindergarten and formed a brotherly bond. We went everywhere and did everything together. When we were near graduation, the war broke out and all our friends were being drafted. We kept our fingers crossed that we would be overlooked but it didn't happen. My best friend ended up in the middle of the war. I found out that he was killed and I began to put this barrier up around myself. I was trying to think of every way possible to keep myself away from being drafted.
Mike: Yeah, mom told me that part. She said you got your draft notice and that's when you begged her to take you back. She took you back because she loved you and you lead her to believe that you loved her back.
Bob: It's not that I didn't love Rosalee, it's just that we became two different people after our first break-up and that's what made it hard when we got back together.
Mike: How did you know that getting her pregnant with me would keep you from being drafted?
Bob: Back in that time era, they didn't want married men. I don't know why that was, but they didn't. I knew your mom wasn't going to just "marry" me so that's why I thought up the plan to get her pregnant first. I knew she'd marry me if she was pregnant and it worked.
Mike: That doesn't explain why you turned mean. (Bob sighed before going on)
Bob: I was only 19, Mike. I was 19, married with a child and a new cop. My partner and reminded me a lot of my old best friend so we hit it off rather well and were sent on several different assignments together. The one night while my partner and I were out on our routine check, we got called to a gang raid downtown Dallas. We were unaware just how bad the raid was `til we got out of the car and heard the shooting going on. The last thing they wanted around them was cops and when they saw us coming, they began firing at us. Just as one of the gang members pointed their gun at me, my partner jumped in the way as the gun was fired off and he was killed. The gangs split the scene knowing they'd killed a cop and left me there with my dead partner. A partner that saved my life and I never had a way of repaying him.
Mike: I guess I can see why your anger dwelt inside of you; but did you have to take it out on me and mama?
Bob: I guess it doesn't matter what I tell ya, it's never going to be a good enough reason or answer for you. (There was silence between the two of them. Mike didn't know what to think or say and Bob was trying to find a way to get Mike to forgive him) Mike, after I quit drinking and married Liz, I felt something missing from my life. For quite some time I didn't know what it was; `til I came across a picture in a small box of memories I keep around the house. It was you, Mike. I was missing you. And I swear to you that I tried to contact you but your mother wouldn't let me. She said she wanted to protect you from me and the bad memories. (There was more silence because Mike wasn't saying anything. Bob continued on) I'm sorry son. I'm sorry that I was a bad father and that I was never there for you. (His dad began to cough)
Mike: Dad, you okay?
Bob (Bringing himself under control and taking a sickly breath): Yeah. (It dawned on Mike that his father really meant the apology)
Mike: You really missed me?
Bob: Terribly. If I could have a little longer to live, I would find a way to make-up for the lost time. But since I don't have that long, I wanted you to know that your being here right now means everything to me. (Bob began to cough again)
Mike: Do you need me to get a doctor in here or something?
Bob: No. I've seen too much of them. Right now I wanna spend what time I have left with you and my family.
Mike: You, ahyou want me to go get Liz? (Bob nodded. Mike stood up and walked toward the door. He paused and looked back at his dad) Hey dad? (Bob looked over at Mike) II want you to know that I forgive you. As hard as it is for me to say it, I'm glad I was able to come here to see you. I, actually, feel better. This won't erase our past together, but maybe it will help me move forward. I've always been bitter, crabby and plain irritable toward anyone I ever met. Now that we had this conversation, I know why that is. Can you..can you forgive me too?
Bob: You have nothing to ask forgiveness for, Mike. None of this was ever your fault. No matter what you think, none of it was your fault. (Mike sighed a relieved sigh and smiled at his dad)
Mike: I'll be back with Liz. (Mike left his dad's room)