Sara turned to her two friends with tears in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry to get you both into this mess."
Ginny gave a small smile and put her hand on Sara's back.
"We're all guilty in one way or another." Jan said.
Mike came through the door, and the "What are you guys doing here" question was asked for what seemed the hundredth time that day.
Once again the girls explained what happened, and the other three Monkees added to it as well.
"How sneaky, conniving, underhanded can a body be?" Mike exclaimed.
"Gee, Mike, you should know!" Davy commented, crossing his arms.
"Oh, here we go again!" Mike said, rolling his eyes. "That was years ago, man. I can't believe you're still holding a grudge."
"You did just walk out on us!" Micky said. "I think we have a right. You're no better than these girls here."
ll I'm surprised to hear it even matters to you guys." Peter said. "Considering I was fired on the last tour."
You were going to quit anyway!" Micky waved him off.
At once all four of them began arguing with each other until it was impossible to understand what was being said or who was argueing with who.
"Oh dear, I think we may have started World War III," Sara said.
"You're right, and they're worse than before. I would hate to think we've caused the permanent end to the Monkees," Jan said.
"We've got to do something," Sara said. Ginny had been standing there holding her ears when she had finally had enough.
"QUIET!" She screamed till the room fell silent. Jan, Sara, and all four Monkees looked at her in amazement.
"Ok, did you have something to say? Is there more?" Micky said sarcastically. "In fact I do. I don't appreciate you four talking to my friends this way. Sure, we made a mistake and we admit to that. Of course you have a right to be angry, but just look at what all this bitterness is doing to everybody. It's not like you guys have never made mistakes," Ginny said."Don't you dare turn this on us missy. We aren't the ones that goofed up," Mike said as he pointed to her.
"Oh haven't you? Don't you think it's a big goof up that after forty years you guys haven't figured out how to get along?" Ginny said.
"Look, we'll make any amends that you demand, just don't send us to jail, and please don't fight in front of us anymore," Jan said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Look miss Boone, I admit we have made some mistakes. I've made plenty and tried to learn from them. It's just this, this is the most humiliating form of trickery I've ever seen. It really insults our intelligence," Mike said in a little bit calmer tone.
"Intelligence?!" Ginny laughed.
"Oh, she's completely flipped!" Sara said, putting her hand over her face.
"Ginny, dear, I think that's enough." Jan said through gritted teeth. "We're in enough trouble as it is."
"Considering how much trouble we're in right now, a little more won't make much of a difference." Ginny said. "As long as I've got these four, egotistical, stubborn men in front of me, I'm going to have my say."
"Good Lord, here she goes again!" Davy said, rolling his eyes. "Fellas, ignore her. She's not well."
"Oh, I see she's had that talk with you too, huh?" Mike asked.
Davy nodded.
"OK, since you guys are so 'intelligent' why haven't you found a way to make up after forty years?" Ginny asked.
"Avoiding each other is much easier." Micky said, and the other three nodded in agreement.
"Running away, you mean!" Ginny said.
"Yeah, maybe I do! What of it?" Micky asked. "It's none of your business anyway."
"She's right, you know." Sara boldy spoke up. "You've just been running away from each other all these years."
"Thinking of only yourselves and not each other." Ginny added.
"Guys, it's nobody's fault or it's everybody's fault." Jan shrugged. "If you listen to yourselves, you'll find that all four of you are equally to blame."
"If one of you would be a man about this whole thing, you'd apologize and make things better." Ginny said, not look at either one in particular.
"Like Jan and Ginny did with me." Sara explained. "It really was all my fault that this whole mess started, but they're sharing the responsibility and we're still friends."
"Let's see guys, egotistical and stubborn. I think that counts as slander," Davy said and the others nodded in agreement.
"Oh slander schmander! I don't want to hear it. Is that all you famous people do is sue people?" Jan shot back.
"Jan, they really have the power to sue us. Please step off any time now," Sara said in a high pitched voice.
"Come on guys, they're just kids that are angry. Let's not sue. They were trying to do a good thing, I guess," Mike said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"We are not kids!" Sara retorted.
"Yes we are, Sara, just kids," Ginny said, trying to get the guys to reason with Mike.
"How can you say that? Just look at the trouble they caused?" Peter asked.
"Well let's see, mistakes, I can think of several that were no better than what these girls did. Peter, you were thrown in jail for possession of drugs. Micky, you dumped a Coke on Don Kirshner's head and I slammed a fist through his hotel room. Davy, well, I don't have anything on you that I know of, but I'm sure you've done some stupid things. I did the dumbest thing of all and cheated on my wife and destroyed my family. I would've taken forgiveness in a heartbeat. Sure I'm mad, but these girls are scared to death you are going to make their lives miserable," Mike explained.
Davy gave a slight shrug. "I have done some stupid things, no....a LOT of stupid things, but still..."
"All right!" Peter said. "We won't sue. In fact, forget about paying me. I'd just rather pretend that none of this ever happened."
"Oh, what, Pete, you gonna 'run away' again?" Micky smirked.
"Not you too, Mick!" Peter rolled his eyes.
"Well, I have to admit, some of what they say makes sense." Micky said. "I've spent a lot of time being mad at you three. Guess I didn't really stop to think that I was acting just like an idiot as well." Then he did something that surprised every one of them. Micky stepped forward and held out his hand in Davy's direction.
"I'm sorry for all the things I've said to your face, behind your back, on air, off air and in print." Micky said.
The girls weren't sure if Davy hesitated because he didn't want to forgive Micky or if he was just in pure shock over the statement. Slowly Davy also reached out his hand and shook Micky's.
"I'm sorry for all those things too." he replied with a smile, then turned to Mike and Peter and said the same thing.
Before anyone knew what was happening, the four Monkees were shaking hands, making up, and...yes! Smiling!
"I don't believe what I'm seeing." Sara whispered.
"Don't say anything." Ginny whispered back. "I'm afraid of breaking the spell."