Wednesday, 18 February 2009

  • CIRCLE SKY #1: You Just May Be the One

    Davy Jones opened his eyes and looked around his bedroom. "What a weird dream," he said softly to himself. "I wonder if it was just that…or if it was…."

    He felt a familiar dull throbbing begin in his right temple. "A vision," he sighed. He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to get some aspirin from the medicine cabinet.

    The bathroom door was closed but the light was on. Davy groaned. "Rose, I need some aspirin, please."

    His younger sister Rosemarie had just finished taking a shower and was drying off. "Just a minute." She wrapped the towel around herself and opened the medicine cabinet. The aspirin bottle floated out into her hand. "Had another vision, did you?"

    "Yes." Davy rubbed his temple. "This power is so annoying sometimes."

    She opened the door slightly and tossed him the aspirin. Sticking her head out the door, she cast him a sympathetic look. "I know what you mean. My power sometimes gives me nosebleeds."

    "Well, at least they don't happen every time you use it," Davy said.

    "So what was the vision about?" Rose asked. Before he could answer, she interrupted. "No, wait, let me get dressed first, then you can tell me."

    "Okay," Davy agreed. "I'll meet you in the kitchen."

    He went to the kitchen, got a glass of water, and took two aspirin. Rose appeared in the doorway. "Okay, now you can tell me."

    They sat at the table, and Davy told her what he'd seen. "Wow," she said. "So we're going to be singing in a group? Wonder when that'll happen?"

    "I don't know, but I get the feeling it'll be soon," Davy replied.

    Rose looked thoughtful. "Do you suppose they could be in America?"

    "America?" Davy raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

    "Oh, I don't know," she replied. "It's just that we've been talking about moving there when we have the money saved up."

    Davy shrugged. "Well, I suppose it's possible."

    Rose smiled. "You said the sandy-haired one and I were exchanging some meaningful looks?"

    Davy grinned. "Yeah. Who knows, I might have just dreamed you up a boyfriend."

    She giggled. "See, your power does come in handy!"

    Davy shook his head and laughed at his sister. "I'm going back to bed."

    "I think I'll turn in, too," Rose said, stretching. "Goodnight."

    "'Night, Sis."

    ***

    Davy and Rose smiled as they finished their favorite Beatles song and the pub exploded with cheers. "Thank you!" Davy cried out. "You've been a great audience, good night!"

    They stepped off the stage and sat down at the nearest table.  Davy leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I'm sorry we had to work on your birthday, Rose."

    Rose laughed. "It's quite all right. I don't know anyone else I'd rather spend my birthday with than you." She raised her glass. "To you, dear brother, for keeping this poor girl's birthday from being a complete bloody drag!"

    "No, to you, Rose," Davy replied. "Happy birthday, and let's hope that next year I can afford to buy you something better than a soda and a song on the record machine."

    "Speaking of which," Rose said, "I'm going to pick one now."

    She got up and made her way through the crowd. She reached the jukebox just as it finished playing a selection. As she read the choices, trying to decide, a hand touched her shoulder. She jumped and turned around to find herself staring into the darkest brown eyes she had ever seen. They were almost as black as the wavy hair that framed his face.

    "I'm sorry," said the stranger. "Didn't mean to frighten you. It's just that...well...you're the most beautiful creature I've seen all evening, and I couldn't help but overhear that your date is in fact your brother, so...do you think he'd mind terribly if I asked you for a dance?"

    Davy smiled at her from across the room and waved dismissively.

    Rose flashed the stranger a flirtatious smile. "I'm sure he won't mind at all."

    The stranger took her hand and led her to the center of the floor. As "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" began to play, Rose dimly realized she hadn't put the coin into the machine or pressed the button. Then how...? That was the song she was going to choose, but she was pretty sure she hadn't touched the jukebox. Or had she? The colored lights in the room began to brighten, then blur together into nothing.

    ***

    Davy glanced up as the lights flickered slightly. Instantly he felt a twinge of sickness in the pit of his stomach. Rose? he thought. He couldn't see her in the crowd. The mysterious dark-haired stranger had disappeared too.

    Instinctively Davy knew something was terribly wrong. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Images flashed through his mind...a country road...an abandoned house...Rose lying unconscious on the floor....

    Davy fought his way through the crowd and rushed out the front door, straight to his car. He started it and floored the accelerator. "I'm coming, Sis! Just hang on!"

    ***

    Rose awoke to the sound of the stranger's voice. He sat on the floor, his back against the door, staring at her. The flickering of a solitary black candle reflected in his eyes.

    "Who are you?" Rose asked, frightened. "What have you done to me?"

    The stranger smirked. "My name is Brent Jameson, and I've done nothing, yet," he replied. "The fun's just beginning."

    "Wh-what do you want from me?" She stood up shakily.

    "I've been watching you and your brother for some time now, and I've seen what you can do. I've seen your power. And I've decided…I want that power. Now, let me tell you something, love. I always…get…what I…want."

    He stepped toward her, and her mind grew cloudy again. She fought against the numbness, but she could not resist his stare….

    Jameson smiled. "That's it. Now I want you to bring me that candle. Fly it to me. Use your power."

    She closed her eyes, trying to resist, but his power pushed into her mind. She opened her eyes and looked at the candle. It rose into the air and floated across the room into his hand.

    "Excellent," he said, setting the candle on a table. "Yes, this is perfect. Together, we can do anything we want. Have anything we want. With our powers combined…anything's possible."

    Rose blinked and shook her head. "No…I can't let you do this to me…I won't!"

    "Why resist me, Rosemarie?" He stared into her eyes again. "You know you can't. You're going to give me everything I want. And in return…."

    He grabbed her and kissed her hard on the lips. She tried to struggle, but his power overwhelmed her, and her arms began to embrace him.

    Just then the door burst open. Davy rushed in, yelling "LET HER GO!" He tackled Jameson and wrestled him to the floor. Rose struggled to her feet just as Jameson threw Davy across the room. His body hit the wall and crumpled to the floor.

    "NO!" Rose shrieked. "DAVY!"

    "So much for your brother playing the hero," Jameson sneered.

    Rose glared at her captor. Raising her arms, she sent out a mental shove. Jameson staggered from the surprise attack, but quickly regained his footing. "Ha! Is that the best you can do, little girl? You're not nearly as powerful as I thought, then."

    "Think again!" Rose cried out. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and raised her hands to the ceiling. The whole house began to shudder and sway. Pieces of the roof began to fall around them.

    "Ah, that's more like it!" Jameson shouted, lunging at her.

    "BACK OFF!" she screamed, and Jameson was flung backward into a growing pile of rubble.

    The house stopped shaking, and Rose rushed to Davy's side, clearing a path through the debris by waving her hands. She knelt next to him and grabbed his hand. "Davy?"

    He groaned and blinked. "What--Rose!" He sat up, instantly wide awake. "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

    She shook her head and smiled. "Thanks--"

    Davy interrupted her by waving his hand impatiently. "Come on, let's get out of here before he wakes up."

    ***

    Rose stared out the window as the rain poured down outside. "I don't feel safe here anymore, Davy. That man…oh God, that was the most frightening thing I've ever experienced…to have no control over my own body or my own mind…." She turned to face him. "What if he follows us to the United States?"

    "I won't let him hurt you again, I promise." Davy took his sister's hand.

    She sighed. "I appreciate your protective big brother routine, but I'm not sure it's going to be enough to protect either of us from him."

    Random images began to flash across Davy's mind. He shook his head, trying to clear it as his temple started to throb.

    "What's wrong?" Rose asked.

    "It's all jumbled," Davy replied. "New York City…Greenwich Village…." He gasped. "Him."

    "Him who?" Rose stared at him, confused.

    "That sandy-haired guy from that vision I had the other night. I saw him again. I saw where he lives!" He stared back at Rose. "I think we're supposed to find him."

    "What? Why?"

    "I'm not sure, but…I'm getting this weird feeling that he could help us stop that Jameson git."

    Suddenly Rose had the same feeling. "You could be right, Dave," she said softly. "I think we should go. Immediately."

    Davy smiled. "Let's go pack."

    ***

    They arrived in Greenwich Village in the middle of the night. They checked into the first available hotel and collapsed on their beds, exhausted from the trip.

    The next day, in the middle of sightseeing, Davy and Rose wandered into a local restaurant. They sat at the first empty table they could find and began looking at the menu. A sandy-haired waiter approached them, whipping out a notepad and pen.

    "Hi, my name is Peter and I'll be your waiter today. Would you like to hear about our special?"

    Davy's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes, of course," he said, casting a meaningful glance at Rose, who was trying her best not to stare at Peter.

    Peter proceeded to describe a grilled chicken dish that sounded very good to them. They both decided to order the special. Peter flashed a smile at Rose as he walked away.

    Davy leaned toward Rose and whispered, "That's him."

    Rose nodded. "I figured that. What are we going to do?"

    "We'll have to talk to him, of course," Davy whispered. "But not here, he seems pretty busy and we don't want to cause him trouble with his job."

    "Right." Rose smiled. "I've got it. I'll flirt with him and get him to ask me out. Then I can ask him what time he gets off work and offer to meet him at the park."

    Davy grinned. "Great idea, Sis, you're a genius."

    Several minutes later, Peter brought their food, apologizing for the wait. "You see, we had to catch more chickens," he joked. "The first ones escaped."

    Rose giggled and twisted a lock of her hair around her finger. Davy raised an eyebrow as she flashed a playful smile at both her brother and Peter.

    Peter smiled back. "You know, you two are the friendliest people I've seen all day today. It's nice to see a smiling face once in a while, especially when you work in a place like this."

    "I know the feeling," Rose said. "I once worked as a waitress myself."

    "Really?" Peter's brown eyes sparked with interest.

    Just then someone yelled out, "Order up!"

    Peter glanced in that direction and shrugged. "They're playing my song. Enjoy your meal, and let me know if you need anything."

    "Thanks," Davy said, and Rose nodded.

    A few minutes later, Rose made her move. Just as Peter passed a nearby table, she "accidentally" knocked over a glass of water. Immediately he rushed to her side. "Here, let me get that for you."

    "Thank you. I'm so sorry, that was so embarrassing," Rose said, flushing slightly.

    "Oh, it's nothing to be embarrassed about." Peter flashed her a smile. As he finished mopping up the water with a towel, he leaned toward her. "Nice plan, but all you have to do is ask me. My shift ends in thirty minutes."

    Rose looked surprised, then giggled. "Was I that obvious?"

    Peter shook his head and grinned. "Only to me. I'm guessing, then, that your companion here is…."

    "My brother," Rose replied with a smile. "My name's Rose, and this is my brother Davy."

    "I'll see you in the park." Peter winked as he walked away.

    Davy laughed. "Well done."

    Rose blushed. "Very funny, Davy."

    "Well, at least it worked."

    Rose fell silent as she realized something. She'd never mentioned the park to Peter! How did he know? Of course, it was just across the street, but….

    They finished their meal and left the diner. Crossing the street to the park, they saw Peter sitting on a nearby bench, strumming an acoustic guitar. He was singing softly to himself:

    "Lady's baby smiles and coos
    Takes away my lonely blues
    Baby's mother cooks my meal
    Warm and cool is really real
    Runnin' never was much fun
    All it did was bring me down
    Chasin' 'round isn't where it's at
    Tension puts you in the ground…."

    Davy and Rose listened in appreciation. When Peter finished, they both clapped. "That was really good," Davy said. "Did you write that?"

    Peter nodded. "Just finished it yesterday."

    "You should think about singing professionally."

    "I'd like to, actually," Peter said. "How about you? Do either of you sing?"

    "Yes, we both do," Rose replied. "We used to sing together all the time in this little pub back home."

    "Well, that's groovy. What kinds of music do you like?"

    "The Beatles!" Davy and Rose cried out in unison.

    "Oh man, me too!" Peter grinned and strummed his guitar, singing. "You say you will love me/If I have to go/You'll be thinking of me/Somehow I will know…."

    Davy joined in. "Someday when I'm lonely/Wishing you weren't so far away...."

    Rose joined in, harmonizing. "Then I will remember/Things we said today…."

    They sang the whole song, smiling at each other as they realized how great the three of them sounded together. When they finished, Peter said, "Wow. That was amazing!"

    Images from the vision suddenly flashed into Davy's head. He wasn't sure how to approach Peter with it. Will he think we're crazy?

    "No, I don't think you're crazy," Peter said, looking at Davy.

    He was stunned. "You…you heard that?"

    "What?" Rose looked equally stunned.

    Peter patted the bench. "Come on, sit down. Please?"

    They sat next to him, amazed.

    Peter looked at Davy. "You had a vision. I was in it, along with two other guys. We were all singing together."

    "You're reading his thoughts," Rose said softly.

    Peter nodded. "I'm telepathic. It's something I was born with."

    Davy shook his head. "This is incredible. Unbelievable. I…I think I get it now."

    "You came to find me?" Peter asked, continuing to read Davy's mind. "Because I have this power?"

    "Well, we weren't sure why at first. We just had this feeling we needed to find you. But now that we know this…well, perhaps I should explain. See, we were born with powers too. I can see visions, of course, and my sister can move objects with her mind. And there's this guy, Brent Jameson, who somehow has the ability to control another person's mind and make them do things against their will. He found out about our powers somehow and decided to kidnap Rose and try to use her power."

    "Davy rescued me from him," Rose added, "and we decided to come here."

    "To try to escape from Jameson," Peter stated.

    She shivered. "Yes."

    "And now you're afraid he's going to follow you here."

    Something about the way Peter was reading her mind comforted Rose.

    "Davy and I have a feeling you could help us, Peter. Do you think you can?"

    Peter stared into her eyes. "I'll damn sure try. I believe your brother's right. This feels like it was meant to be."

    Rose smiled, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Thank you."

    He decided to change the subject. "So, you already know my first name." He pointed at his name badge and grinned. "My last name's Thorkelson, but my boss couldn't spell that, so he's started calling me Tork."

    "Hey, that could be a great stage name, y'know," Rose said. "Peter Tork."

    "Yeah, I like that," Peter said. "Is your last name really Jones? Seriously, Davy Jones, as in Davy Jones's locker?"

    "Unfortunately," Davy replied with a wry smile and a shake of his head.

    "Ah, that's not so bad. At least Jones is easier to say than Thorkelson."

    The new friends laughed together. An image flashed through Davy's mind that stunned him. Jameson was boarding an airplane! "No," he whispered.

    Peter sobered instantly. "He's on his way here."

    Rose looked terrified. "Now? W-what are we going to do?"

    Peter looked at her. "Come stay with me. Together we can keep each other safe."

    Rose stared at him. Something stirred deep inside her, and she knew instinctively she could trust him. Glancing at Davy, she could tell he was feeling the same way.

    Davy nodded. "All right."

    Peter jumped to his feet. "Come on, I'll drive you to your hotel so you can get your things."

    They followed Peter to his car, a dusty yellow convertible. As they got in, Peter remarked, "Well, if we're destined to sing together like Davy's vision says, we're certainly on the right track. Do you guys play any instruments?"

    "I can play piano," Rose said. "And Davy's good with a tambourine and maracas, y'know, small percussion."

    "Plus I can play a little acoustic guitar," Davy added. "What do you play?"

    "A little of everything," Peter answered. "I have a bass, this acoustic, a banjo, and an electronic keyboard."

    "Wow, a one-man band. Why would you need us then?"

    Peter flashed them a warm smile. "Everyone needs friends."

    ***

    "Well, here we are," Peter said as he opened the door. "It's not much to look at, but it's home to me."

    Rose smiled as she looked around. "It's very nice." Davy smiled, too, as the instruments Peter had described earlier now caught his eye. The bass guitar and banjo were lined up on stands next to the window. The keyboard was strategically placed in between the living room and kitchen areas, with an old barstool behind it.

    Rose set her bags down and walked over to the keyboard. "May I?" she asked.

    "Sure, go ahead," Peter replied. "In fact, if you want to, we could try out a few songs. Are you up to it?"

    "Sure!" Davy and Rose agreed.

    Davy opened one of his suitcases and pulled out his tambourine. "Here's my main instrument!"

    "Nice," Peter commented. "So, what do we want to start with?"

    Rose stated that she wanted to try one she'd written called "Downtown."

    After that, they picked the Beatles' hit "Eight Days a Week."

    Finally, they rounded out the session with "Lady's Baby," Peter's new song.

    "Wow," Peter said when they finished. "That one sounds even better with you guys helping out."

    He decided to go ahead and show Davy and Rose the spare bedroom. They unpacked, then met Peter in the living room and the three swapped stories until bedtime.

    As Rose settled into her bed, she smiled at her brother. "I'm actually starting to feel safe again."

    Davy smiled back at her. "Me too."

    ***

    Three weeks passed. Peter helped Rose get a job at the restaurant where he worked; Davy found employment as a paperboy, delivering the morning newspaper to all the homes in the neighborhood. The friends quickly became inseperable.

    Meanwhile, Davy kept a mental vigil every waking moment, trying to keep track of Jameson's whereabouts so that none of them would be caught off-guard. The effort left him exhausted, but he refused to stop because he was more concerned for the safety of his sister and their new friend than he was for his own.

    One afternoon, Peter came home from work early to find Davy sleeping on the couch. "About time he took a nap," he remarked.

    Rose had not been scheduled to work that day. She was sitting at the keyboard, playing random notes. "I know. I practically had to beg him to do it. He's so exhausted."

    Peter sighed as he went to the kitchen and placed the bag of sandwiches he'd brought from work into the refrigerator. He returned to the living room to find Rose staring out the window, tears in her eyes.

    "Are you all right?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

    She sighed. "Oh, Peter. When we first met you and came to stay with you, I felt that we were safe. But now…I don't know if it's Davy or…I'm just so frightened. Jameson could attack any one of us at any time. What can we do?"

    "We'll just have to fight him any way we can," Peter replied softly.

    Rose stood up and looked into his eyes. "How? Peter, you have no idea how it feels to have your mind invaded like that. To be trapped inside your own body, unable to think or move on your own…how do you fight something like that?"

    He pulled her into an embrace. "I don't know, but I do know this…I'll die before I let anything happen to you."

    Rose let out a small sob and buried her face in Peter's chest. He held her silently as she cried. After a few minutes her tears subsided, and she looked into his eyes again.

    He stared back into hers. Slowly their lips touched.

    "You son of a bitch."

    Davy's voice startled them both. They broke apart and turned to face him. He was glaring at them, his hands curling into fists.

    "I can't believe I trusted you," Davy said angrily. "I thought you were trying to help us, and all this time you were just trying to get into my sister's pants!"

    "Davy, that's not true, I swear!" Peter shook his head in disbelief.

    "Davy, he was just comforting me, I was crying," Rose explained.

    "Yeah, you sure looked bloody comfortable to me!" Davy snapped.

    Rose was stunned. Davy had never spoken to her like this before.

    Peter tried to reason with him. "Look, man, just calm down, please? I'm sorry, okay? I have no intention of hurting you or your sister."

    "Don't you tell me to calm down, you bastard." He reached forward and grabbed Rose's hand, jerking her toward himself. "Come on Rose, we're leaving."

    "I will do no such thing!" Rose jerked her hand away and stepped back. "And neither should you. We're both safe here."

    "No, we're not. My vision was wrong."

    He turned around and headed for the door. He jerked it open, then looked back at them. "Last chance, Rose."

    She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

    His face turned red with anger. "I'll be back for my things later."

    The door slammed behind him with such force that a picture fell from the wall and the frame shattered.

    Peter and Rose stared at the door in stunned silence.

    ***

    As Davy walked out into the street, Jameson stepped in front of him. "Very well played, my friend. Let's take a walk, shall we?"

    Davy nodded, unable to resist, and began to walk with Jameson down the crowded street.

    ***

    Rose looked at the broken picture on the floor. The pieces lifted themselves up and floated over to the trash can in the kitchen, dropping in.

    Peter stared out the window. "Something's not right, I can feel it. Yesterday Davy was joking about us dating. He seemed happy for us. Why is he angry now?"

    "Perhaps he's just exhausted," Rose said shakily.

    "You don't believe that." Peter turned to her.

    She sighed. "You're right, I don't. Something is definitely wrong with him. I feel it too."

    Peter turned back to the window and looked down at the street. His eyes narrowed. "Who's that walking with Davy?"

    "What?" Rose ran to the window and looked down. She gasped. "Oh my God. No! That's Jameson!"

    She flung her arm toward the door and it burst open. Peter grabbed her hand and they raced out together.

    By the time they reached the street, Davy and Jameson were gone. Rose burst into tears and screamed her brother's name. Peter put his arm around her and pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry, we'll find them," he promised.

    ***

    Jameson led Davy into an abandoned building. As soon as they walked through the door, Jameson turned around and locked it, then swung his arm around and knocked Davy to the floor, then kicked him in the side. Davy coughed and gasped for air. Jameson reached down and jerked Davy to his feet. "You little shit," Jameson snarled. "Thought you and your lovely sister could run from me, did you? You should have known I was going to follow you. I will have your sister…and you too. And your friend." He let out an evil chuckle. "In fact, you are going to bring them to me. Now."

    "Go to hell," Davy whispered through gritted teeth.

    Jameson laughed and stared into Davy's eyes. Davy tried to shut them and turn away, but Jameson grabbed his chin and forced him to open his eyes again.

    "Now," Jameson said, his voice suddenly soft and oily. "I want you to send your friend Peter a message."

    ***

    Peter and Rose had walked up and down the block, asking everyone if they had seen Davy and Jameson. One man had seen them getting into a car, but he had not seen which way the car had gone. No one else could remember seeing them at all.

    As they reached the door of the apartment building, Peter suddenly froze. Jumbled images flashed through his mind, then he heard a faint voice.

    Help me.

    "Davy!" Peter looked at Rose. "He's hurt. He needs our help. We've gotta get to him fast!"

    They turned and ran to Peter's car. Just as they jumped in, Peter hit the steering wheel. "Shit! I forgot the keys, they're in the apartment!"

    Rose stared at the ignition switch. It turned and the engine roared to life.

    Peter grinned at her. "I love you."

    Rose smiled back. "Let's go save my brother."

    ***

    Davy lay on the floor, weakened by the beating from Jameson. In his mind, he could see Peter and Rose jumping out of the car and running toward the building. He tried desperately to send them a warning that they were walking into a trap, but Jameson's control was too strong to overcome.

    Peter stepped up to the door and turned the knob. "It's locked."

    Rose stared at it, mentally unlocking it. Peter opened the door. "Stay behind me," he whispered.

    "You must be joking," Rose whispered back. "I should be protecting you."

    Peter glanced at her. "We're protecting each other, okay?"

    Rose smiled. "Okay."

    They crept through the door. At the sight of Davy lying on the floor, Rose gasped and rushed forward, forgetting caution. Before Peter could react, Jameson jumped out of the shadows and grabbed Rose, holding a knife to her throat. "We meet again, my love," he said softly into her ear.

    "Let her go!" Peter demanded.

    "And what do you suppose you could do to make me?" Jameson taunted. "I have a pretty powerful weapon here. I really don't even need this knife, but I thought I'd carry a little insurance in case you boys got out of line." He pressed the knife against Rose's throat, causing her to gasp.

    Davy slowly struggled to his feet. Jameson was too busy taunting Peter to notice. Crouching, he sneaked up behind Jameson.

    Peter stepped forward. "Please, just let her go. Take me instead. Whatever you do, don't hurt her."

    "Awww, isn't that so noble and heroic." Jameson rolled his eyes. "How pathetic."

    His grip on the knife eased just a tiny bit--just enough for Rose to make a move. She grabbed his wrist and pulled it back. Looking at the knife, she sent it flying into a faraway wall. She jumped out of the way just as both Davy and Peter tackled Jameson and wrestled him to the floor.

    "Do you really think you can beat me that easily?" Jameson cried out. Staring at Davy, he tried to use his power again, but Davy responded with a hard right to the jaw.

    "We just did," Davy said grimly as Jameson went limp beneath them.

    Peter grinned as the two friends stood up. "Not bad."

    "You weren't so bad yourself," Davy said, but then he started to sway. Peter caught him.

    "Whoa, easy buddy. Let's get you to a hospital."

    "No, I'll be fine. I just need some rest."

    Rose walked up and put her arm around Davy, helping Peter support him.

    They had almost made it to the door when suddenly Peter cried out in pain and fell. He rolled over and pulled Jameson's knife out of his leg.

    Jameson laughed. "Don't you know it's rude to leave without saying goodbye?"

    Rose was enraged. She stared at the knife. It flew out of Peter's hand and whizzed toward Jameson like an arrow.

    Jameson reached up and caught the knife before it could strike him. "Nice try, love." He turned it around and flung it back at her.

    She waved her hand and sent it back into the wall. Looking around, she saw a metal desk in the corner of the room. With another wave, she lifted it and hurled it toward Jameson.

    He jumped out of the way and laughed. "You silly girl. Don't you think I can't anticipate your every move? I've had a taste of your power. And now…" He walked toward her, stretching out his hand. "I am hungry for more."

    "Eat this!" she cried out, flinging out her arm and sending him flying backward.

    But as he hit the floor, Jameson reached up and pointed both hands at Rose. She staggered as a wave of energy hit her. Her mind began to cloud. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

    Davy stepped between Jameson and Rose and grabbed her. "That's it, Rose. Fight it. Fight it with everything you've got."

    She looked into his eyes. "Help me," she pleaded.

    Davy watched in horror as his sister's eyes glazed over. She shoved him away and sent him flying into a wall. Slowly she began to walk toward Jameson, who had returned to his feet.

    Peter closed his eyes and concentrated with all his strength, pushing through the fog in Rose's mind, silently calling her name.

    Rose stopped as something stirred deep within her mind. Her body froze, but inside she began to struggle, fighting as hard as she could.

    Rose.

    Her heart gave a leap. Peter!

    Keep fighting, Rose. I'm here.

    Jameson's voice echoed through her head. It's useless to resist, Rosemarie. You are mine! You belong to ME!

    Don't listen to him! Peter pleaded. Keep fighting! I'm right here with you.

    Suddenly she felt a hand grasp her arm. She turned and saw Peter gazing into her eyes. "I love you," he whispered.

    Jameson's hold crumbled. She flung her arms around Peter, letting out a sob of relief. "I love you too!"

    "NOOOOOO!" Jameson's cry of rage echoed through the room.

    "Yes!" Rose cried out, picking up the desk again and flinging it at him. This time it hit Jameson, pinning him to the floor and knocking him unconscious.

    Peter limped toward Davy, Rose supporting him. At the same time, Davy began to stir. He sat up just as they reached him.

    "Are you all right?" Rose asked, touching the gash on Davy's forehead.

    "Just a little dizzy. What happened? How did you break free?"

    "Peter saved me." She smiled at Peter and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "He used his telepathy to break through to me. He told me to keep fighting and that…he loves me."

    Davy raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at Peter. He was smiling back at Rose. Davy grinned. "It's about time you fell for a decent guy."

    "Decent?" Peter laughed. "You don't know me as well as I thought you did."

    The friends laughed as they helped each other to their feet and slowly made their way out the door and to the car. Rose mentally started the ignition and, with Peter's directions, drove them to the nearest hospital.

    ***

    The hospital was quiet except for the occasional footsteps as the nurses made their rounds. Peter slept soundly in the bed near the window; Davy tossed and turned in the bed near the door. Rose sat in a chair between them, dozing.

    Random images were flashing through Davy's mind. They were blurring together, swirling around, fading…but then suddenly a clear vision emerged.

    It was the same vision Davy had seen weeks ago. Rose was playing a keyboard; in front of her, Peter rocked back and forth to the music, strumming his bass; Davy saw himself playing a tambourine and maracas. Behind him someone was playing the drums, but Davy couldn't see his face clearly.

    In the vision, Davy turned to his left and saw a tall man with wavy black hair, wearing a green wool hat. His long fingers flew over the twelve-string guitar, and his voice was clear and strong and resonated in Davy's head.

    "Davy?"

    Rose's voice startled him awake. He turned to look at her.

    "What were you singing?" she asked softly.

    "I had that vision again," Davy replied. "I must have been singing the song I was hearing." He described the tall singer to Rose. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

    "I think we're meant to find him next," Rose said softly. "I wonder where he is?"

    "Me too." Davy settled back on his pillow and drifted off to sleep again.

    A few minutes later, Davy sat up, wincing in pain. "Texas!" he cried out.

    "Wha?" Peter mumbled sleepily, opening his eyes.

    "I just had another vision. More like a flash. It was just a picture of the state of Texas."

    Rose gasped. "Perhaps that's where he is!"

    "Yeah, but where?" Davy asked. "Texas is one of your largest states, isn't it, Peter?"

    Peter nodded sleepily. "Maybe if you concentrate you can figure out exactly where we should go."

    "It's worth a try." Davy closed his eyes and began to concentrate. "Dallas," he said softly.

    "Man, that's a pretty big city," Peter said. "Are you sure?"

    "Yeah," Davy said, keeping his eyes closed. "But we wouldn't have to go into the city…I see a farmhouse…and I can see him, working in a field nearby. All we have to do is get there, and he'll find us!"

    "Well, the first thing we have to do is heal up enough to get out of this place." Peter grunted as he rolled over. "Let's go back to sleep."

    "Right," Davy said with a yawn.

    Rose nodded and settled into her chair. The three friends drifted off to sleep again.

    ***

    As soon as Peter and Davy were released from the hospital, Rose took them back to the apartment and the three immediately packed their belongings. Peter and Rose stopped at the diner to pick up one last paycheck and apologize to their boss for leaving without a notice. Then they began the long drive to Dallas, Texas.

    The radio rarely took a break during that trip. The songs that poured from the speakers kept their spirits up and helped take their minds off the danger they hoped to leave behind, but were sure was far from over.

    At last they reached Dallas. At the city limit sign, they turned onto a winding dirt road that led them deep into the countryside. Davy scanned the fields as they passed, looking for the tall man in his vision. He had been near a farmhouse….

    After what seemed like an eternity, Davy finally spotted a green wool hat. "There he is!" he cried out.

    At that moment, the car sputtered and died.

    Peter looked at the gas hand. "Damn. Talk about timing."

    Rose gasped. "He's coming this way."

    As the tall man approached them, he flashed them a warm smile. "Hey, y'all need any help?"

    "Just ran out of gas," Peter replied, smiling back. "I don't suppose you have any?"

    "Sorry," the young man replied. "But you're welcome to come back to the house and use the phone, I'm sure my Aunt Kate won't mind."

    "Thank you," Rose said as they got out of the car.

    "The name's Mike, by the way, Mike Nesmith." He held out his hand.

    They each shook his hand and introduced themselves. As they followed him to the farmhouse, Mike remarked, "Y'all seem to be a long way from home."

    "Actually, we're looking for a new home," Peter said. "It's a long story."

    "Long and kind of weird," Davy added.

    "Well, that's okay," Mike said. "I've always been a little on the weird side myself." It was then that he noticed Peter was limping. "Hey, are you all right?"

    "I was stabbed in the leg a couple of weeks ago," Peter replied. "Part of that long story."

    Mike glanced around. "Well, since nobody's around…can you guys keep a secret?"

    They nodded.

    He stopped in front of Peter. "Stand still a minute." He knelt down in front of Peter and placed his hands on the injured leg. He closed his eyes.

    They all gasped as they saw Mike's hands begin to glow. The glow spread to Peter's leg. Peter stared down in amazement as the pain in his leg vanished, replaced with a comforting warmth that spread through his entire body. "Wow."

    When Mike finally removed his hands, Peter could scarcely believe it. His leg was completely healed!

    "That's amazing!" Rose cried out.

    As Mike stood up, Peter said, "I don't know how to thank you."

    "You don't have to," Mike said, waving his hand dismissively. "I just hate to see people who are hurt, and I like to help when I can."

    "That's a wonderful gift," Davy said.

    Mike suddenly looked worried. "You still promise you're not gonna say anything, right? The only other person who knows about this is my Aunt Kate."

    "Don't worry," Davy replied. "You're secret's safe with us. In fact, I suppose you could say we have some secrets of our own."

    Mike grinned. "Well, believe me, I'm good at keeping secrets."

    The friends laughed.

    Davy looked at him. "I suppose we should let you know why we're really here. You see, we actually came looking for you. My, er, talent, or whatever you want to call it, is seeing visions, and I saw one of you, me, Peter, Rose, and one other person together, singing and playing as a group. When I first had this vision, I wasn't sure what it meant, but then this fellow named Jameson attacked my sister a couple of days later and it all started falling into place."

    "Attacked?" Mike looked at Rose. "What did he do?"

    Rose explained what had happened. Then she added, "We decided to come to America because we had a feeling that we were meant to find all of you here. And we were right. We found Peter, and we discovered he had a power too, but then Jameson found us and almost got me again. This time Peter saved me from him. But he got hurt, and so did Davy, so we spent a couple weeks in hospital. While we were there, Davy saw the vision again, and this time he saw you more clearly."

    "So you decided to come find me?" Mike asked. He cast a thoughtful glance at Davy. "Sounds like there's more to this vision of yours than just us singin' together."

    "Sure seems that way," Davy said. "Nothing in my vision indicated that you guys had any powers, but then we met Peter, and now you…and perhaps this other person has some type of power as well."

    Mike shook his head. "Wow. I always wondered if there was anybody else out there with special powers, and now I know." He looked at the sky. "Sun's startin' to set. Why don't y'all stay with us tonight? Aunt Kate won't mind, she loves company."

    "You're sure she won't mind?" Peter asked.

    "Why, sure I'm sure. Come on, let's go get your stuff outta your car."

    Rose held up her hand. "Hold on. No one's around, so there's no sense walking all the way back there." She turned and looked at the car, concentrating. The trunk opened and their suitcases floated out. They flew across the field and landed at the group's feet.

    Mike whistled. "So that's why that Jameson guy is after you. That's some power you got there!"

    Rose flashed a wry smile. "Thanks, but with all that's happened, I'm starting to wish I didn't have it."

    "Don't say that," Peter said, putting an arm around her.

    She snuggled close to him. "Well, I'm grateful for your power. It saved my life."

    "So, Peter, what is your power anyway?" Mike asked.

    Instead of answering, Peter looked into Mike's eyes. "No, I can't fly, although that would be kinda cool."

    Mike laughed. "You can read minds!"

    Peter grinned.

    "Groovy, man." He reached down and picked up one of the suitcases lying at his feet. "Well, come on. It gets dark pretty quick this time of year."

    ***

    "That was a great dinner, Ms. Nesmith," Peter said as he helped clear the table.

    "Oh please, call me Aunt Kate, everybody does." She smiled at Peter. "So, Michael tells me you kids can sing and play instruments. What kind of music do you do?"

    "Some rock and roll, some folk," Peter replied. "Whatever we're in the mood to sing at the time."

    Mike walked into the kitchen. "Hey, you in the mood to sing now? I'll go get my guitar and we can sing for Aunt Kate."

    "That's a wonderful idea," Kate said.

    "Sure." Peter grinned at Mike. "Know any Beatles?"

    "Not personally," Mike joked.

    They laughed as they finished clearing the table. Peter went to get his bass while Mike got his twelve-string. They set up the keyboard, which now belonged to Rose, in the living room.

    "What should we do first?" Rose asked.

    "How about 'You Really Got a Hold on Me?" said Davy. "You're really good at that one, Sis."

    "Hey, yeah, that's a good one," Mike said. "Let's do it."

    Rose hit the opening keyboard notes. Mike and Peter immediately joined in, admiring how well the guitar sounds blended. Davy kept a steady beat on an acoustic guitar.

    Rose and Davy began to sing. "I don't like you/But I love you/Seems that I'm always/Thinking of you/Though you treat me badly/I love you madly/You've really got a hold on me--"

    Mike and Peter joined in, singing backup. "You've really got a hold on me--" They looked at each other and smiled. They sounded great together!

    They continued the song, playing as if they'd played together all their lives. Their voices blended so well it amazed them all. Aunt Kate listened in awe. At the end of the song, she clapped. The friends smiled at each other, knowing something special had just happened.

    "Michael, why don't you sing one of the songs you wrote?" Aunt Kate suggested.

    "Well, okay, but it's more of a country song than it is rock," Mike said.

    "That's okay, we'd still love to hear it," Rose said with a smile.

    Mike smiled back. "Well, all right, if you insist." He put down the twelve-string and asked Davy for the acoustic, then sat down and tuned it. He cleared his throat, strummed a few notes, and began to sing.

    Mike had an excellent voice. Peter decided to join in on the bass and harmonize with him. He read Mike's mind to keep up with the lyrics. Mike smiled at him as they sang, admiring the sound.

    Davy, Rose, and Aunt Kate listened silently, nodding at each other, then clapped at the end.

    "You really like that?" Mike asked.

    "It's fantastic!" Peter replied. "Your songs sound better than mine."

    "You write songs too?"

    "Only a couple."

    Rose spoke up. "Now Peter, don't be so modest. Your songs are great."

    "Yeah!" Davy agreed. "Come on, why don't we play 'Lady's Baby'?"

    "Well…okay, I guess it's only fair since Mike shared one of his." Peter hit the opening riff on the bass and they launched into the song.

    As Mike listened, he found himself playing along on his twelve-string and singing along with the chorus. The others were amazed at how much better the song sounded.

    When they finished, Aunt Kate said, "Wow. You know, Michael, I think you and your new friends here were meant to find each other."

    Davy glanced at Mike, who cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, Aunt Kate, sure looks that way." He sat down next to her on the couch. "In fact, I'd say we were absolutely meant to find each other." He patted Aunt Kate's hand. "You know about my healing power, right?"

    Aunt Kate's eyes widened. "You told them, Michael?"

    "Don't worry, we can trust them, Aunt Kate. It turns out they each have a different power of their own. Rose here can move objects with her mind, Peter can read minds, and Davy sees visions. And that's how they came to find us. Davy had a vision of us together, and so they tracked me down."

    "But why?" Aunt Kate asked.

    Mike glanced at the others. "I think y'all can explain that better than I can."

    Rose nodded and explained the situation again. Aunt Kate listened with growing concern. "Oh my God. You mean that man could still be after you right now?"

    Davy spoke up. "It's possible. Look, Aunt Kate, we're sorry we dragged you into this. If you want us to leave, we'll understand."

    "You'll do no such thing!" Aunt Kate said firmly. "After what I've seen and heard, there's no way I'm going to let you kids out of my sight with that madman running loose. You'll stay with me and Michael till we can find a way to beat that bastard."

    "Aunt Kate's right," Mike said. "Davy, you had that vision for a reason, I believe that. You were meant to come here, and we're meant to find that other guy, and I think your instincts are right on the money, buddy. Don’t you worry about a thing."

    Rose sighed. "Thank you both. You're very kind."

    Aunt Kate smiled at her. "You look tired, sweetie. All of you do. I suggest we head to bed and worry about all this in the morning."

    They packed up the instruments and stacked them neatly in the living room, then went up the stairs. The house became quiet as everyone settled in for the night.

    ***

    A few weeks passed. The friends were growing closer than ever. Peter began to call Mike "Michael," at first teasingly because that was what Aunt Kate called him, but as their friendship strengthened, Mike ceased to be annoyed by it.

    Music further strengthened their bond. They played and sang together every night after dinner, much to Aunt Kate's delight. It was amazing how quickly they picked up on each other's cues during a song. It was as if they'd been together for years.

    Once again, Davy was keeping a constant vigil in his mind, alert for any sign or even a hint of Jameson's whereabouts. Now, however, he was more careful not to exhaust himself, for he remembered what had happened the last time he used his power too much.

    One night, after a jam session had dissolved into goofing off on the instruments and good-natured teasing, Aunt Kate announced that she was going to turn in early. As she went up the stairs, she called down to them, "Y'all don't stay up too late, y'hear?"

    "We won't," Mike answered. He winked at the others. "Just all night."

    They decided to have a late-night snack and headed to the kitchen. As they sat down at the table with sandwiches and sodas, Peter looked at Davy. "You're seeing the vision again."

    Davy chuckled. "It just flashed into my mind. Wow, your telepathy's getting really sharp. Can't even get a sentence out anymore without you catching it first."

    "Sorry, couldn't help it." Peter looked down at his sandwich.

    "It's alright. I'm starting to get used to it." Davy smiled at him.

    "Yeah, I think we all are," Mike remarked, also flashing Peter a smile.

    Peter looked up and smiled back.

    Davy stared across the room at the wall for a minute, the vision playing in his mind again like a movie. Now he was beginning to see the drummer's face…it was becoming clearer….

    "I can see him," Davy said softly.

    "The drummer?" Peter asked. Davy nodded.

    "Where is he, Davy?" Rose asked.

    "I don't know." He closed his eyes and concentrated. The vision expanded, showing more of the room the group was playing in. It was a room in a mansion; they were playing at a party. Suddenly the vision changed. Now they were all in a beach house, playing on a bandstand, singing a different song. This time the drummer was singing lead.

    Davy concentrated harder. Behind the bandstand, a glass door led out to the balcony overlooking the beach. Again, the vision changed. Now he saw a red convertible with everyone seated inside. His mind's eye traveled to the back of the car, to the license plate.

    "California!" Davy cried out.

    "What?" everyone cried in unison.

    Davy opened his eyes and looked around at everyone. "He's somewhere in California. He drives a red convertible with a California license plate."

    "Okay, well, we need to find out what city in California he's in," Mike said.

    Davy nodded. "Let me try again."

    He closed his eyes again and concentrated once more. The beach house flashed into his mind again, this time the front. "1334," Davy whispered. "That's the house number. But where is the city? It's on a beach, I can see that."

    "A beach?" Peter repeated. "That could be anywhere along the coast."

    "Keep trying," Rose encouraged.

    Davy's temple was throbbing, but he pressed on, determined to find the city. At last the name flashed into his mind.

    "Malibu." Davy opened his eyes and smiled.

    "Malibu?" Mike looked at him. "Are you sure?"

    "Positive. Malibu, California."

    Peter grinned. "This is great. We've found our missing link."

    Mike frowned. "Yeah, but how are we gonna get there to meet him? We don't have the money for that kind of trip."

    "Well, when we were on the road heading here, we made money by singing in nightclubs," Peter admitted.

    Mike looked thoughtful. "That's not a bad idea. But what about Aunt Kate? We can't just leave her here alone."

    A voice from the stairs startled them. "Yes you can, son."

    "Aunt Kate!" Mike looked up at her. "How much did you hear?"

    "Everything." She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Michael, you don’t have to worry about me. I will be just fine. You were meant to be with your friends, I can tell. I have this deep down gut feeling that this is all happening for a reason. So, I'm gonna help you get started on your trip."

    "No," Mike said firmly. "I will not have you dipping into your savings, you need that money for yourself!"

    "You need it more than I do at this point," Aunt Kate said. "This is too important, Michael, and you know it. You have to do this."

    "Aunt Kate--" Mike started to protest, but she held up her hand, interrupting him.

    "Robert Michael Nesmith, I am not going to argue with you about it. Now you're going and that's final."

    Mike chuckled. "Damn, she used my full name, now I know there's no changing her mind."

    "We'll talk about this more in the morning, kids," Aunt Kate said with a smile. "Goodnight."

    They bid her goodnight as she walked back up the stairs.

    As they cleared the table, a sudden uneasy feeling swept over all of them at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise.

    "Did you feel that?" Peter asked.

    "I did," Rose replied, trembling.

    "Me too," Davy said.

    Mike nodded silently.

    "Jameson's coming, isn't he?" Peter looked at Davy.

    "He must be, although I didn’t see anything," Davy replied.

    "What are we going to do?" Rose asked.

    Peter pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry, sweetheart. You know I won't let anything happen to you."

    "None of us will," Davy said, placing a hand on her arm.

    "That's right," Mike chimed in. "You got yourself your own personal team of bodyguards here, missy."

    Rose smiled at them. "Thanks, you guys."

    The uneasy feeling evaporated, replaced by a feeling of warmth. Rose snuggled close to Peter and kissed him. The warmth spread through her body, and she knew she was safe again.

    ***

    The next morning, they packed their things and loaded them in the trunk of Peter's car. Aunt Kate walked up to Mike and handed him an envelope. "There's three hundred dollars in there. That should help get you to California."

    "I still wish you wouldn't do this, Aunt Kate," Mike said. "I'd never forgive myself if you got in a bind because of me."

    "Michael, for the last time, don't worry about it. You are not putting me in a bind. Your ma and pa sent me this money to help take care of you, so it's technically yours anyway."

    Mike sighed. "Why didn't you tell me that?"

    "Because I know how you are about your ma and pa," Aunt Kate replied. "Look, just give me a hug and get goin'."

    Mike hugged her. "I love you, Aunt Kate. I'll call the minute we get to where we're going."

    "I know you will. You be careful out there." She looked around at the rest of them. "That goes for all of you. You look out for each other."

    Peter put his arm around Rose. "We've got that covered."

    Aunt Kate waved as they pulled out of the driveway and onto the dirt road. For a brief moment, she felt a twinge of panic at the thought that Jameson was out there somewhere, hunting them like animals. Then she smiled as she remembered what she'd seen over the past few weeks. "They'll be fine," she told herself aloud. "They've got each other, their music, and their powers. They'll be just fine."

    ***

    "Hey Dave, how'd you learn to drive an American car so fast?" Mike asked as they flew down the highway.

    "'Twasn't that hard," Davy replied. "Pete showed me the basics, and then from there it was lots of practice."

    "I'm more impressed with how quickly Rose learned," Peter said. "She pretty much just jumped in and took the wheel."

    "Well, I didn't have much of a choice, now did I?" Rose grinned. "At the time, neither of you were in any condition to drive."

    Peter chuckled. "Yeah, it's kinda hard to drive when your leg is pouring blood."

    "Or when you have a couple of broken ribs," Davy added.

    "Damn, that must have been one helluva fight," Mike said.

    "It was." Rose shivered and snuggled close to Peter. "It's one I'd rather forget."

    "Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." Mike leaned forward and turned the knob on the radio. "Let's see if we can find a song to cheer us up."

    A few seconds later, he found a song and cranked up the volume. They all immediately began to sing along.

    By the end of the song, Davy was beginning to feel tired. "Who's ready to take over?" he asked as he pulled into a rest stop.

    "I guess I will," Mike replied. "But first let's get out and stretch our legs a few minutes."

    They got out of the car and walked around. Rose announced that she needed to use the ladies' room. "Don't get lost," Davy joked.

    "I don't think that'll be a problem," Rose said, flashing a flirtatious smile at Peter.

    The ladies' restroom was deserted. She sang softly to herself as she freshened up in front of the mirror. A noise behind her startled her. Before she could react, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her and a hand covered her mouth, stifling her scream. She closed her eyes and tried to throw her attacker off with a mental shove, but her mind began to cloud.

    Peter!

    Peter jumped as he heard Rose's voice cry out in his head. "Rose!"

    They rushed toward the restroom, but stopped when Rose walked out calmly toward them.

    "Are you alright?" Davy asked her.

    "I'm fine, it was nothing," Rose replied. "I suppose I'm just a little jumpy, that's all."

    Peter looked into her eyes. They were glazed.

    "He's got her," he whispered.

    "Not again," Davy moaned.

    "What do we do?" Mike asked softly.

    Peter glanced at them, then looked back at her. "Leave it to me."

    He walked toward her and pulled her into an embrace. Without saying a word, he kissed her. She returned the kiss eagerly, and Peter could feel Rose's will stirring inside her, trying to fight.

    Suddenly they were forced apart by a mental shove from Rose. Peter staggered and shook his head. "No, Rose, fight it!" he cried out.

    Tears filled her eyes. "I'm trying," she sobbed. But even as she said this, her hand reached toward Peter. He grunted as he felt something squeezing in his chest. He dropped to his knees, gasping for breath.

    Rose watched in horror as Peter struggled to breathe. "No!" she screamed. "Don't make me do this, please!"

    Jameson stepped out and placed his hand on her shoulder. "They are standing in our way, Rosemarie. It's a shame; I could find their powers very useful as well as yours. However, you all keep resisting me. So I'm afraid I have no choice but to eliminate the roadblocks."

    Mike spoke up. "Wait a minute! There's no need to kill us. We…we'll come with you willingly."

    "Are you mad?" Davy asked, stunned.

    "Just trust me," Mike whispered. "I know what I'm doing."

    Jameson laughed. "So, you think you can save your friend by surrendering yourselves to me? Sorry, it's a little late for that."

    "Wait! You--you said so yourself, you could find our powers useful too. Why waste us when you could use us?"

    Jameson stared at Mike. A thoughful expression settled on his face. He released Rose's shoulder, and she fell to her knees, sobbing with relief that he had released his hold on her. Davy rushed to her side and helped her to her feet. They rushed back to Peter, who had collapsed on the ground and was lying still, barely breathing.

    Rose looked up at Mike, who was staring back at Jameson silently. "What's he doing?" she cried in alarm.

    Davy put his arm around her and whispered in her ear. "Just wait. I think he has a plan."

    Jameson spoke. "Just what is your power anyway? I never got the chance to see it before you all decided to run from me."

    "I'll show you," Mike said, walking over to Peter and kneeling next to him. Davy helped Mike turn Peter over onto his back. Mike placed his hands on Peter's chest and closed his eyes. A warm glow spread from Mike's hands throughout Peter's body. A minute passed. Peter suddenly gasped and sat up. He looked a little dazed.

    Mike looked into Peter's eyes. Peter, can you hear me? Don’t say anything out loud. Just talk to me like this.

    I can hear you, Michael, Peter replied silently.

    Tell Rose that when I give the signal, she's gonna hit Jameson with everything she's got. Okay?

    Got it, Peter said. He relayed the message to Rose, who acknowledged it silently.

    Jameson stepped toward them. "So, you can heal people. I must say that is very useful, Mr. Nesmith."

    "I thought you'd see it that way," Mike said, standing up and facing him. "Think about it. You get in a fight with somebody, you never have to worry about getting hurt. You could almost say you're invincible."

    "Invincible. I like that," Jameson said with an evil chuckle. He stared at Mike, not noticing that Davy and Rose had stood up and helped Peter to his feet.

    Mike glanced back at them. "There's just one catch, though."

    Jameson's eyes narrowed. "What's that?"

    "It'll be a cold day in hell before any of us works for your sorry ass! NOW, ROSE!"

    She flung out her arm and sent Jameson flying into a nearby tree. His head hit the trunk with a whack, and he fell to the ground unconcscious.

    "Come on, let's get the hell outta here!" Mike cried, and they all ran to the car. Mike jumped into the driver's seat, gunned the engine and floored the accelerator, and they left the rest stop in a cloud of dust.

    ***

    No one had spoken for several miles. Rose had had to mentally adjust the driver's seat for Mike since Davy had been the last one to drive. Now she hugged Peter tightly, her head lying on his chest. She was so grateful to hear his steady breathing and heartbeat. A tear slipped down her cheek.

    Peter stroked her hair. "Don't blame yourself," he said softly.

    "I can't help it," she said, choking up. "First Davy, now you…in Jameson's hands I'm a dangerous weapon. I can't do this anymore, Peter, I just can't. I can't bear to live if either of you dies by my hand. Or you, Mike. Anyone. I don't want to be a murderer."

    "You are not a murderer," Davy said, turning around to face his sister.

    "I'm as good as, if Jameson gets to me again. And it could happen at any time. All of you are in constant danger because of me."

    "Not because of you," Mike corrected. "Jameson is a dangerous man, period. If he wasn't after you, he'd be after one of us or somebody else that has a power he wants."

    "Yeah, we need to stop him before he hurts other people," Peter said.

    "I just don't see how." Rose burst into tears. "I wish I didn't have this power."

    "Don't say that." Peter touched her face and looked into her eyes. "Your power is part of who you are. It's a wonderful gift. Don't forget, it also saved our lives more than once."

    "He's right," Davy said. "Remember when Jameson kidnapped you? During that fight I got buried in the rubble, and you pulled me out."

    "Yes, but I caused that rubble in the first place!" Rose cried.

    "You were only defending yourself and me. And what about when you realized Jameson had me? You started the car without any keys. You hit Jameson with a desk!"

    "Yes, but I threw you into a wall! If Peter hadn't broken me free of Jameson's control, I might have ended up killing you then. And just now…back there…Peter, I almost killed you! I can't keep doing this! I can't keep putting you in danger!"

    "Stop thinking like that!" Peter looked hurt.

    "Stop reading my mind!" she shouted, holding her head in her hands. "Mike, stop the car!"

    "No, I am not stopping the car--" Mike started, but Rose screamed at him.

    "I SAID STOP THE CAR!"

    The car swerved off the road and stopped in front of a billboard. "Whoa!" the guys shouted.

    Rose jumped out of the car and began to run across a field. "Rose, STOP!" Peter yelled, running after her.

    Davy and Mike ran after Peter, calling Rose's name and begging her to stop. She refused, instead running faster. She looked up and saw a pond ahead.

    As Peter read her thoughts, he cried out in a panicked voice. "No, Rose, DON'T!"

    Davy saw a flash of Rose underwater, and he figured out what she was thinking. "NO!"

    But it was too late. She didn't stop, but ran straight into the water and disappeared under the surface.

    Peter dove in after her and grabbed her, trying to pull her to the surface. She shoved him away and swam downward. He followed her and grabbed her again.

    I won't let you do this! he thought.

    She looked into his eyes. Just let me die, Peter. You'll all be safe.

    No! He started to pull her up again.

    She shoved him away again, this time mentally pushing him all the way to the surface. He gasped for air, then looked down at his feet. He let out a cry of horror as he saw a trail of bubbles underneath him.

    Another image of Rose flashed into Davy's mind. He could see her eyes closing, her body sinking…"NO!" He ran into the water. "ROSE!"

    As Davy dove under, Peter followed him, and both of them swam toward her. They reached her at the same time. Each of them grabbed one of her arms and pulled her up to the surface. Together they towed the unconscious girl to the shore. They dragged her out of the water and lay her on dry ground.

    Peter put his ear to her chest. "She's not breathing!" he cried. "Mike!"

    Mike knelt down and placed his hands on her chest. Peter and Davy watched in silence, their hearts pounding, wondering if they were too late.

    At last Rose coughed and her eyes fluttered. She looked up at Mike, who smiled down at her. "Hey there shotgun," he said softly. "Now what'd you go and do a thing like that for?"

    She closed her eyes again. "You should have let me die," she whispered.

    "No way," Peter said, grasping her hand and kissing it.

    "Never." Davy grasped her other hand and brushed her hair from her eyes.

    "Not a chance in hell," Mike said, shaking his head.

    Tears welled up in Rose's eyes. "I just don't want to hurt anyone anymore."

    "I know." Peter caressed her face. "But sweetheart, don't you realize you'd hurt us more if you were dead?"

    "Peter's right," Davy said, choking up. "Rose, you can't give up. We are going to find a way to stop Jameson for good. I promise."

    "So do I," Peter whispered.

    "Me too," Mike added. Suddenly he swayed and sat down. "Whoa. That took a little more outta me than I thought." He lay on his back and closed his eyes.

    Rose sat up and looked at him. "Mike? Are you all right?"

    "I'll be okay," he sighed. "Just need to rest a minute."

    Rose glanced at the ground, then looked back at him. "I'm sorry. If I hadn't pulled this stupid stunt--"

    Mike waved his hand, interrupting her. "Rose, don't worry about it. As long as you're okay, that's all that matters."

    "Thank you," she whispered, fresh tears sparkling in her eyes.

    Peter spoke up. "Yeah Michael, thank you. You saved both our lives today."

    Mike glanced at them and chuckled. "No problem, good buddy."

    Davy leaned over and hugged Rose. "I'm just glad you're all right."

    She let out a small sob. "I'm so sorry, Davy. I never meant to hurt you."

    "I know, Sis. It's okay. You're frightened, I understand that." He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "You just have to hold on a little longer, okay? We're almost to California. Once we get there, I have a feeling that everything will be all right."

    "I believe you." She smiled at him.

    Peter touched her shoulder. She turned around and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, not saying a word.

    Slowly she pulled back and stared into his eyes. Then she kissed him gently. "You've saved me again," she whispered. "If not for you, I might not have come back. As Mike was healing me, I could feel you willing me back."

    "You did the same for me when he was healing me," Peter said softly.

    "I'm so sorry I did this. I just couldn't bear the thought of Jameson getting control of me again and trying to kill you."

    "He's never going to touch you again, I promise." Peter kissed her again.

    Davy sighed with relief as he watched them kissing. Somehow it gave him comfort and reinforced his gut feeling that things would continue to turn in their favor.

    As the couple finally broke apart, Mike stirred and slowly sat up. Davy spoke up. "Feel better, Mike?"

    Mike nodded. "Still a little woozy, but I'll be alright."

    "Guess it's my turn to drive?" Peter asked.

    As the friends began to walk toward the car, Rose spoke up. "I hope I didn't crash us into that billboard."

    Peter chuckled. "You didn't."

    She flashed him a smile and held onto his arm.

    When they reached the car, Davy's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey fellas, look! That's not just a billboard."

    WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA

    They all stared at the sign, scarcely believing their eyes. They had reached California and hadn't even realized it!

    Peter laughed. "Well, what do you say we hit the beach?"

    Everyone laughed as they got into the car.

    ***

    They drove almost nonstop until they reached Malibu. As the sun began to rise, they searched in earnest for the beach house in Davy's vision. It didn't take them very long to find it.

    The red convertible was in the driveway, and a pair of legs was sticking out from underneath the car. As the four friends got out of Peter's car and approached, they could hear singing.

    "Girl, I know the grass is greener
    Just around the bend
    Gotta say goodbye but don't you fear
    Though the road is broke and I might|
    Fail to find the end--"

    Suddenly the jack slipped and the car fell, pinning the young man to the ground. He cried out in pain--and promptly disappeared into thin air. He reappeared a second later, lying next to the car, clutching his ribs and letting out a string of curses.

    Mike rushed forward and knelt next to him. "Let me help you."

    The young man looked at him in surprise. "Wha--who are you?"

    "Shh." Mike placed a hand on the injured man's chest. It began to glow. The young man gasped as he felt the healing power rush through his body. In just a few seconds, he was completely healed. Mike helped him sit up.

    "Wow," said the young man. "Th-thanks. But…how did you…?"

    Mike chuckled. "Long story."

    The young man smiled back at him. "I'm Micky Dolenz."

    "Mike Nesmith." They shook hands.

    Micky looked up at the other three. "So…judging by the looks on your faces, I guess I won't have to worry too much about explaining how I got out from under the car." He stood up with a little help from Mike. "Why don't you come inside? I've got some lemonade. Then you can tell me that long story."

    They agreed and followed Micky into the house.

    As they walked through the doorway, Davy smiled. There was the bandstand he'd seen in his vision. Micky's drum kit was slightly worn, but it was obvious that he took very good care of it.

    Micky noticed Davy's stare. "You play too?"

    "Not drums, no," Davy replied. "But I do play small percussion."

    "Cool. You guys all play instruments?"

    When they each revealed which instruments they could play, Micky laughed. "Wow. We could form a band!"

    The friends cast each other meaningful looks. Micky raised an eyebrow. "I must be missing the in-joke here."

    "Well, it's not exactly a joke," Rose said. "Perhaps we should explain."

    "Sure. Have a seat, I'll get you some lemonade."

    Micky headed to the small kitchen and poured a glass of lemonade for each person, including himself. When everyone was settled, he asked, "So what's the story?"

    The friends took turns explaining the situation. Micky listened attentively. When they finished, he shook his head. "Wow. You guys have been through a lot together…and you came all the way out here just to find me, just because you saw me in your vision?"

    They nodded.

    "Amazing. It's like God or some other force has been guiding you all this time…well, guiding us. Because I suddenly feel like I'm a puzzle piece that just found where I'm supposed to fit."

    Rose spoke up. "So, Micky…do you think you can help us stop Jameson?"

    "I dunno, but I'm sure gonna try. I figure I was given this power for a reason; maybe it's to help you guys. But this Jameson guy sounds tricky."

    Peter scoffed. "Tricky doesn't even begin to describe it."

    "He's very dangerous," Rose said, shivering.

    Micky looked at her with concern. "I can tell you're pretty scared of him. I guess I would be too. But listen. Now that we're all together, I bet you anything we can defeat him somehow. If we all work together, anything's possible."

    Rose smiled at him.

    "Speaking of working together," Micky added, "why don't we go get your instruments and we could play together?"

    Everyone agreed. Ten minutes later, they had set up their instruments on the bandstand in front of Micky's drum set.

    "What should we try first?" Micky asked. Mike spoke up. "I had been working on a song before I met you guys. It's called 'Mary, Mary.' Could we try that?"

    "Sure, how does it go?" Peter asked.

    Mike sang the lyrics. Micky nodded his head and tapped along to the rhythm of the song. He began to sing along with Mike. Mike stopped singing and looked at Micky.

    "What?" Micky asked. "What's wrong?"

    "Nothin'," Mike replied with a grin. "Hey Mick, how'd you like to sing lead instead of me?"

    "Really?" Micky's face brightened. "Are you sure?"

    "Yeah." Mike pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. Unfolding it and smoothing it out, he handed it to Micky. "Here's the lyrics. You already got the gist of the tune. Think you can handle it?"

    "Sure," Micky replied. "Let's do it!"

    He counted off and started up a steady drumbeat. Davy immediately fell into the rhythm with his maracas. Mike played the opening riff on his guitar, and as Peter and Rose joined in with the bass and keyboard, Micky began to sing.

    As they played the song, Davy realized in amazement that this was one of the songs he'd heard in the vision that had helped them locate Micky. He beamed at Rose and Peter as he sang along with the chorus. When they finished, he told the others. They were equally amazed.

    They decided to try another song. "Hey, you guys like the Beatles?" Micky asked.

    Everyone looked at each other and laughed.

    "What's so funny?"

    Peter shook his head. "Man, we have been singing Beatles songs all the way across the country! I am not joking!"

    Micky laughed. "Well all right then! Which one should we try?"

    Davy spoke up. "How about 'Please Mr. Postman'?"

    Micky's eyes lit up. "Yeah. That one's got a great backbeat." They immediately launched into the song. Davy took the lead.

    They finished the song with a couple of happy whoops and shouts. "That was incredible!" Mike cried out.

    "We should keep going," Davy said. "Rose, why don't you try one next?"

    "Sure." Rose picked "My Love." She hit the opening notes on the keyboard and the guys fell into step with the music as she sang in a clear, strong voice.

    The song ended abruptly on a drumbeat. Peter put his arm around Rose. "That's my girl."

    Rose giggled and kissed Peter's cheek.

    Micky raised an eyebrow. "Ohh, we got some lovey-doveys going on here."

    Peter and Rose grinned at him.

    Mike spoke up. "You know, since it looks like we're officially a group now, why don't we come up with a name for ourselves?"

    "How about the Missing Links?" Micky blurted out. Everyone laughed. "Okay, no, that doesn't sound so great. How about, uh…." He trailed off as he looked around the room. A stuffed toy chimpanzee in the corner caught his eye. "Hey, I got it. How about the Monkees?"

    "Monkeys?" Peter asked, chuckling.

    "Yeah, but we could spell it with two e's, you know, misspell it on purpose like the Beatles. What do you think?"

    Everyone looked at each other. It had a ring to it…the Monkees.

    "I like it," Davy said simply.

    "Me too," Peter agreed.

    "Why not?" Rose said with a giggle.

    "So," Mike said. "The Monkees it is."

    "All right!" Micky played a quick drumroll. He started singing off the top of his head. "Here we come, walkin' down the street…."

    Mike hit a lick on his guitar. Peter joined in with the bass. Rose hit a note on the keyboard and Davy struck up a rhythm with the tambourine.

    As they followed Micky's lead, they smiled at each other. They were making the song up as they went, and it sounded fantastic! When they reached the bridge, Mike played a wild riff on the guitar and Rose followed suit on the keyboard. Micky was so impressed that he cried out, "Aw, get it girl!" Their voices blended into the chorus one last time with a joyous shout.

    As the last notes faded, Micky sighed. "Wow. I've never done that before, just made up a song off the top of my head like that."

    "That was pretty good," Mike said. "Have you ever written any songs?"

    "A few. You probably heard me singing one of them when you showed up. It's called 'I'll Be Back upon My Feet.'"

    "Let's do that one," Mike suggested.

    "Okay. One, two, three, four--"

    Micky closed his eyes as he sang, falling in love with the way his new friends' voices blended with his own on his song.

    Davy added a little flourish to the end of the song with an extra shake of his tambourine. He grinned. "I don't know about you fellas, but this is the most fun I've ever had."

    "Me too," Micky admitted. "Hey Davy, I got a song that I think would make a great duet for you and me. Wanna try it?"

    "Sure, what is it?" Davy asked.

    "It's called 'I Wanna Be Free.' Hang on a minute, let me go get the lyrics." He left the bandstand and went up the spiral staircase. A couple of minutes later he came back, waving a piece of paper. He handed it to Davy, who read the lyrics.

    "This is great, Micky. You're really good, y'know?"

    Micky smiled. "Thanks. Ready to try it?"

    "Yeah, let's do it."

    "Okay, here we go, one two, one two three four--"

    They launched into the song as if they had been together forever. Micky's and Davy's voices blended perfectly. Micky sang the bridge solo, but the remainder of the song he shared with Davy. Rose closed her eyes and let her fingers fly over the keyboard in a beautiful solo. The song ended and once again, the Monkees found themselves staring at each other and smiling.

    "Hey Mike, let's do another one of your songs," Peter suggested.

    "Okay, sure," Mike agreed. "Let's see…how about 'All the King's Horses'?"

    "Ooh, that's a good one," Peter replied. "You'll like this one, Micky."

    "Cool, let's do it then," Micky said. He played a drumroll. Mike and Peter looked at each other in awe as they fell into the beat. It was as if Micky already knew the song!

    As Mike sang, Micky began to harmonize with him. Mike grinned. The song sounded better now than it ever had. At the end, Mike stopped singing and let Micky sing the last line by himself. He grinned and finished the song with a flourish and a cymbal crash.

    Mike laughed. "How the hell do you do that, man?"

    "I dunno," Micky replied with a laugh. "Maybe it's magic."

    "I wouldn't doubt that, actually," Rose said. "I mean, look at us. How else can you explain how we came together?"

    The group fell silent for a minute, pondering this statement. Was it magic? It sure seemed that way…they each had a supernatural power, which could be called magical…and the way their voices blended together was pure magic.

    "It is pretty amazing when you think about it," Peter said softly. "From the moment I met each of you, it's like I've known you all my life. And I can tell you guys feel the same way."

    "Absolutely," Davy said. "So maybe that’s why we sound so good together. You think?"

    Rose nodded, as did Micky.

    Mike cleared his throat. "So, uh…y'all wanna do another one of my songs?"

    "Sure, why not?" Micky replied. "What have ya got?"

    Mike smiled at the little rhyme. "Let's try one called 'I Don't Think You Know Me.'"

    He played the opening guitar riff. Micky immediately found the beat. Rose added a long keyboard note. Peter added a flourish to the bass riff as Mike began to sing.

    As the song ended on one last long keyboard note from Rose, she sighed. "This is so wonderful. And to think I almost…." She trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes.

    Peter put down his bass and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, don’t start thinking like that. You don't have to feel guilty for anything."

    "Oh, but I do." Rose looked into Peter's eyes. "What if you hadn't been there to rescue me? What if Mike hadn't been able to heal me?"

    "But we were, and he did. Rose, don't worry about it. It's all over now. We're together, we're safe, and that's all that matters now." Peter hugged her even closer.

    Micky cleared his throat. "Say, uh, why don't we figure out the bedroom situation? I've got a spare bedroom down here and another one upstairs."

    After checking out the rooms, they decided that Mike would share Micky's bedroom and Peter and Davy would take the downstairs. This left Rose to take the spare bedroom upstairs. She loved it because that particular room had a breathtaking view of the ocean.

    They met in the living room again to discuss work next. Micky had been working odd jobs to pay the rent and was falling behind, so the group discussed the possibility of working as a band full-time.

    "Where could we get gigs around here?" Davy asked.

    "There's a club called the Vincent Van Gogh-Gogh," Micky replied. "I've made a little money there on amateur nights. I could call Vince and see if he's interested in hiring a house band."

    Micky picked up the phone and made the call. A few minutes later he hung up and turned to the others with a huge grin. "He wants us to audition for him tomorrow morning!"

    ***

    The club was empty except for the owner, Vince, who was sitting at one of the tables. He stood up as the group entered. "So, Dolenz, you finally went and found yourself a band to join? This is like a dream come true for you, isn't it?"

    "Sure is, Vince." Micky introduced the others.

    "So what do you guys call yourselves?" Vince asked. "What's the name of your group?"

    "The Monkees!" they answered in unison.

    Vince laughed. "Sounds good to me. Alright, Monkees, let's see what you can do."

    As they set up their instruments, they went over the set list they had prepared the night before. When they were ready, Mike cleared his throat.

    "Okay, this first song is called 'Last Train to Clarksville.'"

    Vince clapped as the song ended. "Very good, kids. You got any more?"

    "Sure!" Micky replied. "This next one's called 'The Kind of Girl I Could Love', and it was written by our very own Mike Nesmith."

    Mike grinned as he played the opening riff.

    Vince nodded at the end of the song. "Yeah, you kids are great! I'm just curious though--does your girl there ever sing lead? She's got a beautiful voice."

    Rose blushed. "Thank you."

    Peter looked at her. "Why don't you sing 'Downtown'?"

    "Yeah, that's a great one, Sis, go for it!" Davy encouraged.

    "Well, it wasn’t in the set, but all right," Rose agreed. She hit the opening notes on the keyboard.

    As she sang, Micky added a steady backbeat. Rose smiled, her voice soaring above the others. She added a fantastic keyboard solo. As they neared the end of the song, she closed her eyes and hit a stirring high note, then another, then one more. The guys glanced at each other. She was amazing!

    Vince was impressed. "All right, kids, you got the job. Let's go back to my office and draw up a contract."

    Rose jumped up and down and squealed. She threw her arms around Davy, who laughed out loud at his sister and hugged her back. Mike and Micky let out whoops of joy and high-fived each other. Peter set his bass down and grabbed Rose from behind. She whirled around in his arms and kissed him.

    They celebrated their new contract with Vince by going to a local restaurant for dinner. Davy, Rose, and Micky ordered salads; Mike ordered a cheeseburger; Peter decided on a patty melt with fries. When their order arrived, Micky dove into his salad hungrily. Davy glanced at Rose and winked, then said aloud to Micky, "Look at you! You're a pig!"

    Micky stopped mid-bite, a piece of lettuce dangling from his mouth. Peter and Mike snickered.

    Davy pretended to sneer at Micky. "Does nobody teach you Americans how to eat properly? Look, watch this." He proceeded to cut his salad into squares.

    Micky smirked at Davy, suspecting something was up. He glanced at Peter, who grinned back at him.

    Davy grinned at all of them, grabbed a huge handful of salad, and shoved it into his mouth, smearing ranch dressing all over his face. Everyone burst out laughing. Davy began to throw pieces of lettuce at Micky and Peter, and the laughter grew louder as a food fight broke out.

    A waitress came running up to the table. "Alright, all of you out! This is not a zoo!"

    "Sorry," Davy choked out between fits of laughter. "We'll clean this up."

    They cleaned up the mess and left, leaving an extra tip for the waitress as an apology.

    ***

    Christmas began to draw near. The Monkees were now as inseperable as if they'd grown up together. Their music flourished; they now played to sellout crowds at the Gogh-Gogh every weekend. To show their unity as a group, they began to dress in matching outfits when they performed, which consisted of gray slacks with double-buttoned shirts in red, blue, white, yellow, or green. Rose sometimes opted for a gray miniskirt instead of the pants.

    Word of their popularity was beginning to spread; this was both a blessing and a curse. Despite all their happiness, the Monkees worried that Jameson may get wind of their location and hunt them down. To combat this fear, they threw themselves into holiday preparations, deciding to take on a party gig for a local socialite in addition to their weekly stint at the Gogh-Gogh.

    Mike had been working on a new song. One day he announced that it was finished and wanted to "test-drive it," as he put it. The Monkees gathered together on the bandstand and picked up their instruments.

    "So what's it called?" Micky asked.

    "'You Just May Be the One'," Mike replied.

    Davy's mouth fell open in shock. "Wow," he said, shaking his head. "Déjà vu."

    "What do you mean?" Mike asked.

    "That's the song we were singing in that first vision I had of us together."

    Mike's eyes grew wide with surprise. "You're kidding me. Man, I just finished this song today. But you say you heard us singing it back then?"

    "Yeah!" Davy replied. "Isn't that weird?"

    Mike chuckled. "Déjà vu indeed."

    "Well, in that case, we should already know this one!" Peter said with a laugh.

    Mike laughed. "Good. Then let's do it!"

    Peter read Mike's mind and played the bass riff that Mike was about to instruct him to do. Mike grinned and joined in on the twelve-string. Micky and Davy started the percussion, and Rose joined in with the keyboard. Mike began to sing. He was pleasantly surprised as the group instantly began to harmonize with him.

    As the song progressed, Davy looked around and smiled at everyone. It was almost the same as he'd envisioned it; the only difference was, they were practicing at home, not playing at the party yet. Still, they sang as if they'd known the song forever. It was still their most amazing talent--the ability to play a new song together as if it were one of their oldest favorites.

    When the song ended, they grinned at each other. This was one of their best songs yet.

    "Okay, my turn," Micky said. "I've been working on a song too, and I think I have it finished. It's called 'I'm a Believer.' Wanna try it?"

    "Sure," Mike said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

    "Okay, here we go." Micky counted off. Rose hit the opening keyboard notes. Smiling, Micky began to sing.

    When they finished, Micky shook his head. "It still amazes me how we always do that, whatever song we're playing. It's like Peter's telepathy expands or something and we all get it."

    They decided to play one more song, "Love to Love," which had been written by Davy and Rose together during their days as singers in the pub in England.

    After that, they decided to take a break. Micky decided to clean his drum kit. Mike went upstairs to work on another song he was writing, while Davy decided to call one of the girls he'd met at the Gogh-Gogh last week after their performance.

    Peter looked at Rose. "Want to take a walk along the beach?"

    "Sure," she replied, smiling at him.

    "We'll be back," Peter told the others as they headed for the balcony door.

    "Don't wait up for us," Rose joked.

    ***

    The beach was deserted. Rose and Peter snuggled close as they walked together, stopping occasionally to kiss and stare into each other's eyes.

    Rose looked up and noticed they had wandered a good distance from their house. She felt a small twinge of worry. "Peter, shouldn't we be heading back?"

    He didn't answer. He was staring in the direction of the ocean.

    "Peter?" Rose grasped his arm. He didn't move. The worry quickly turned into panic as Rose looked into his eyes.

    They were glazed over.

    "NO!" Rose screamed. "Peter!"

    Jameson seemed to appear out of nowhere. "He was a tough one to crack, I'll admit, but I believe I have found his weakness--you."

    "You bastard," Rose said through gritted teeth. "Let him go! It's me you want, isn't it?"

    "Of course, love, but you see, in order to get to you I had to get him out of the way. His telepathy has proven to be most annoying when it's not under my control."

    Rose grabbed a handful of sand and tried to throw it in Jameson's face, but he sidestepped it.

    A weak voice inside her head made her freeze. It's no use. He's tapping into my power. He knows every move you're going to make.

    Tears welled up in Rose's eyes. Just keep fighting, Peter. You never gave up on me, so I'm not giving up on you.

    Jameson rolled his eyes. "Can we please dispense with the mushy theatrics, darling? Now, are you going to come quietly this time or am I going to be forced to use your power against your boyfriend again?"

    Rose shook her head, remembering the terror she'd felt when she'd almost killed Peter before.

    Jameson smirked. "That's better, love. Now, come with me, both of you." He turned away from them and began to walk across the beach.

    Rose took advantage of that moment, grabbing Peter's hand and pulling him toward her. Before Jameson could react, she locked her lips upon Peter's and threw her arms around him. Come on Peter, fight him! I know you can!

    Jameson's hold shattered. Peter wrapped his arms around Rose and returned the kiss with passion.

    Suddenly Rose stiffened in Peter's arms, her cry of pain half muffled by Peter's lips. Their eyes met briefly before hers slid closed and she collapsed.

    "No!" Peter cried out in horror as he fell to his knees, still holding her. A knife protruded from her side. As he grasped it to try to pull it out, he felt another knife plunge into his own side. He screamed in pain as he collapsed next to Rose.

    Jameson stood over them, shaking his head. "If only you hadn't resisted, Peter. Then you could have spared her all this pain."

    Peter glared up at him. "I swear, if I don't kill you, my friends will!"

    Jameson sneered. "Your powers are useless against me. I can control you all! And I will."

    Jameson's laughter echoed in Peter's ears as the world turned black.

    ***

    As he placed the phone receiver back in its cradle, Davy froze. A vision flashed up that was so intense he staggered as if he'd been struck. Rose and Peter were lying together in a pool of blood. Jameson was standing over them with a bloody knife in his hand.

    "NO!" Davy cried out as a severe migraine hit him full force, dropping him to his knees.

    Micky rushed over and knelt next to his friend. "Davy, what's wrong?"

    "R-Rose and P-Peter," Davy gasped, clutching his head. "Jameson…Micky, you have to take me to them! They've been stabbed!"

    Micky's eyes grew wide. "MIKE!" he yelled.

    Mike came running down the stairs. "What's goin' on?"

    "We gotta go, now. Peter and Rose have been hurt. Both of you, take my hands."

    Mike and Davy each grabbed a hand, and Micky closed his eyes. They all felt a sickening lurch as Micky teleported them to the beach.

    They landed in a tangled heap on the ground. "Sorry," Micky said as they helped each other to their feet. "Still haven't quite got the hang of this power. I don't use it very often."

    "It's okay," Davy said, brushing himself off. "As long as we're close to Rose and Peter, it's good enough." He looked around and spotted them a few feet away. Letting out a cry of anguish, he raced toward them, Micky and Mike at his heels.

    Davy hit his knees next to Rose, sobbing. Micky dropped next to Peter and cried out his name.

    Mike shook his head, his eyes filling with tears. "I've never healed two people at the same time before. I don't know if I can do it."

    "You have to try!" Davy cried desperately. "Please, Mike!"

    Micky looked up at Mike. "Just try, man. Maybe you can at least stop the bleeding, then I can teleport them to the hospital."

    Mike nodded. "Okay, both of you move."

    Micky and Davy stood up and backed away. Mike knelt in between the injured couple and placed a hand on each of them. "Please let this work," he whispered as he closed his eyes.

    The glow nearly blinded Davy and Micky. Still, they watched anxiously, looking for the tiniest sign of life from either Peter or Rose.

    Several minutes passed. Mike began to feel dizzy, but he refused to stop. Gritting his teeth and breathing hard, he pushed his power farther than he'd ever taken it before.

    The glow suddenly turned into a bright flash of light, then disappeared. Peter and Rose gasped at the same time and opened their eyes.

    Davy immediately rushed to his sister's side. Micky ran to Peter. They helped the couple sit up. Both Peter and Rose looked dazed.

    "You did it, Mike!" Davy cried, turning to him. "Thank y--MIKE!"

    Mike was extremely pale and swaying where he knelt. His eyes rolled back and he began to fall. Micky quickly caught him.

    "Is he all right?" Rose asked shakily.

    Micky felt Mike's chest rising and falling. "He's breathing okay. He must have just passed out."

    Silence fell over the group as they all stared at Mike. A few minutes passed. Just when they began to wonder if they should take him to the hospital, he opened his eyes.

    "You okay, Mike?" Micky asked.

    Mike blinked a couple of times and rubbed his forehead. "Ow. Got one helluva migraine." He looked up at Micky. "Are they…?"

    Peter spoke up. "We're fine, Michael. Thanks to you."

    Mike sighed with relief and smiled. "You're more than welcome."

    Davy shook his head. "You really had us worried there for a minute, Mike."

    "Yeah, man, the way you passed out like that?" Micky added. "We were just about to take you to the hospital. We thought you might have slipped into a coma or something."

    Mike frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to scare y'all. It just…took a lot out of me, I guess."

    Rose flashed him a small smile. "It's all right, Mike. We're just glad you're okay."

    He smiled back. "Well, I'm glad you're okay. That's what really matters."

    "Come on, Mike," Micky said, helping him sit up. "Let's go home. You probably need a good long rest."

    "Sounds good to me," Mike said. He grunted as Micky and Peter helped him to his feet.

    Davy spoke up. "Ey, instead of walking, Micky, why don't we, uh, take a shortcut, y'know?"

    Micky frowned. "Are you sure? I wouldn't wanna accidentally hurt anybody if I lost control at the last second."

    "Well, personally, I think you need the practice," Davy replied. "Don't you?"

    Micky looked thoughtful. "You got a point. I guess it proved pretty useful just now even if I did mess up a little. You never know if…." He shook his head. "Anyway, okay, everybody hold hands."

    They did as they were told. Micky closed his eyes and counted to three. The whole group disappeared.

    They landed in a heap in front of the bandstand. "Sorry!" Micky cried out. Everyone burst out laughing as they helped each other to their feet.

    Mike swayed a little where he stood. "Whoa. Guess I better go lie down."

    "Why don't you take our room?" Davy asked. "That way you don't have to climb the stairs."

    "Yeah, that's a good idea," Peter said. "Come on, Michael." He put his arm around his friend and walked with him into the downstairs bedroom.

    Rose stared at them as they walked away. She sighed. "I'm worried, Davy. The last time Mike healed me it made him weak. Now this…what if Jameson had struck again when he was trying to heal us? We would have all been vulnerable." She blinked back tears. "We're vulnerable anyway."

    "No we're not," Davy said softly, taking his sister's hand.

    "Davy's right," Micky said. "As long as we stick together, we can beat this guy."

    "You don’t understand," Rose whispered, her eyes filling with more tears. "Jameson got to Peter this time. And he admitted…." She shook her head. "He said that Peter had been 'a tough one to crack.' Do you realize what that means? Peter is stronger than the rest of us when it comes to resisting Jameson's power. If Jameson can get to him…what hope is there for the rest of us?"

    Peter stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door. Everyone turned to stare at him. He looked back at them, frowning. "You're right to worry. I'm worried too. He caught me off guard. If he can do that, then I'm putting us all in danger."

    Rose shook her head. "No, Peter. I'm the one who's put us all in danger. It's me he wants. Perhaps if I had just let him take me, none of this would have happened and you'd all be safe."

    "That's not true and you know it," Davy argued.

    Peter walked across the room and put his arm around Rose. "I hate to tell you this, but…when Jameson stabbed me, just before I passed out, he said, 'I can control you all, and I will.' He's not just after you, Rose. He wants all of us."

    Micky scowled. "Well, he's not gonna get us. We are gonna fight that bastard to the death if we have to! Right?"

    "Right," Davy said. "He has to be stopped. And we're the ones who have to stop him."

    "But how?" Rose cried. "How are we going to stop him?"

    "By working together," Davy replied. "It's what we were meant to do all along. Don't you see? Look at everything we've been through. We would never have survived if not for each other."

    Rose looked at Peter. "I suppose it's true. Look at how your telepathy has broken Jameson's hold on me, or at least weakened it."

    "And it goes both ways," Peter said with a smile. "You broke me free from Jameson by tapping into my telepathy yourself." He looked up at Davy. "All of you can do that, y'know. Michael did it that day we were at the rest stop. You know something? We should all practice that. It seems to be a skill that'll come in really handy in a situation with Jameson."

    "I suppose that does make sense," Davy said, staring at him. Peter, can you hear me?

    Yes, I can, Peter replied with a grin. Davy laughed.

    "Hey, let me try," Micky said. He stared at Peter. Yoo hoo, Big Peter! Hi!

    Hi! Peter laughed, as did Micky.

    They all practiced sending thought messages to Peter for a couple of minutes, then Davy decided to check on Mike.

    Mike was lying on Peter's bed. He opened his eyes when he heard Davy come in.

    "How are you feeling?" Davy asked.

    "Better. Headache's gone and the room's stopped spinnin'."

    "So you get headaches too?" Davy asked, walking over to him and sitting on the bed next to him.

    "Yeah, sometimes. You too?"

    Davy nodded. "I used to get one every time I had a vision, but they've not been so bad lately, except for today."

    "So we have more in common than just the same birthday," Mike chuckled.

    Davy grinned at him. "Yeah. Too bad we couldn't be the same height."

    "Ah, you wouldn't wanna be as tall as me," Mike said with a grin. "I don't think you'd get as many girls as you do now. They think you're a cute little Monkee!"

    They both laughed.

    Peter opened the door and stepped in. "Glad to see you're feeling better."

    Mike nodded. "Still a little tired, but other than that I'm okay."

    "Well, Rose wanted me to let you know that she's taking over your kitchen duty tonight. It's her way of saying thanks for…well, you know."

    Mike smiled. "That's very sweet of her. Tell her I said thank you."

    "Will do," Peter replied, smiling back. "And I just wanted to say thanks again. You brought me and the love of my life back from the brink of death more than once. That makes you a hero in my book."

    Mike closed his eyes and chuckled. "Thank you, good buddy."

    As Peter turned to leave, Davy stood up. "I'll let you rest some more." He followed Peter out the door, closing it behind him.

    Mike sighed. Looking up to the ceiling, he whispered, "Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't lived." As he closed his eyes again, a small tear trickled from the corner of his eye.

    ***

    As Christmas Day and the party drew nearer, the group went into overdrive. They practiced relentlessly--not just their music, but their powers as well. Micky could now teleport himself and others without losing balance; Davy's headaches had all but disappeared, and now his visions were clearer; and Rose's telekinesis was becoming deadly accurate. She could now lift Micky's entire drum kit, spin it around, and land it in the exact same position it had been. Mike practiced his power by healing plants and the occasional scraped knee or paper cut.

    Peter gained amazing control over his telepathy. He was now able to "turn off" his power, meaning he could consciously block someone from sending him a thought message. Everyone saw this as a major safety development; this meant that Jameson could no longer catch Peter off guard and control him. He was also able to relay messages from one person to another in an instant, which everyone felt could come in very handy in a crisis.

    At last Christmas arrived, and it was time for the party. They loaded their instruments into the "Monkeemobile," as Micky's car had been affectionately dubbed, and headed for the Cartwright mansion in high spirits. When they arrived, Miss Valerie Cartwright met them at the door. She laughed as she gave Rose a hug. "There's my lookalike!"

    Rose laughed as she returned the hug. "Good to see you again, Miss Cartwright."

    "Oh please, call me Valerie," the young woman said with a dismissive wave. "I hate being so formal. This is a Christmas party, it's supposed to be fun! Which is exactly why I hired you guys." As she led them into the ballroom, she continued, "Ronnie wanted to hire a string quartet. So boring. I don't know why I put up with him sometimes. Anyway, when I saw you playing at the Gogh-Gogh I knew I had to have you for this party. Well, here we are." She showed them to a stage in the corner of the room.

    The Monkees immediately got to work setting up the instruments. "We should do a sound check," Micky suggested, and everyone agreed. "So which one should we try out?"

    Davy grinned at Valerie. "How about the one I wrote for Miss Cartwright?" he said with a wink.

    "You wrote one for me?" Valerie asked.

    Davy nodded. "Let's do it."

    "Okay," Micky said. He counted off, and they did the song.

    Valerie listened, nodding her head to the music and beaming. She was thrilled. When the song ended, she clapped. "That was wonderful! Thank you, Davy, that was very sweet of you to write a song for me."

    "Well, I thought it was the best way we could show our appreciation for your hiring us for this party. We don't get many opportunities like this outside the Gogh-Gogh, y'know."

    "He's right," Mike said. "Thanks for giving us this chance."

    "No problem." Valerie smiled at them. "Why don't you have some refreshments before the party starts? Come on, I'll show you to the buffet."

    The guests began to arrive a few minutes later. Ronnie Farnsworth, Valerie's boyfriend, also arrived. Upon seeing Rose, he looked shocked. "Valerie, darling, what are you doing in that hideous outfit?"

    "I beg your pardon?" Rose cried, offended.

    Ronnie was taken aback when he realized the voice was not that of his girlfriend. "I-I'm so sorry," he said. "I thought you were--"

    "Me?" Valerie said as she approached them. She laughed. "Ronnie, this is Rosemarie Jones. She's one of the Monkees."

    "Oh, I see, the group you hired to play for us today." Ronnie plastered on a fake smile.

    "Rose, this is Ronnie Farnsworth. My soon-to-be ex-boyfriend if he doesn’t behave himself today. Would you excuse us, please?" She grasped Ronnie's arm and steered him away from Rose.

    Rose headed for the stage and turned on her keyboard. Peter noticed her frown. What's wrong, sweetheart?

    He called my outfit hideous, she replied, looking at him. That man is such a snob. I don't see what she sees in him myself.

    Me either, Peter thought. But it's none of our business, honey.

    You're right. Aloud she said, "Ready to play?"

    "We are if you are," Micky said, tapping the rim of his snare.

    Mike adjusted his guitar strap and cleared his throat. "Uh, hi, ladies and gentlemen. We're the Monkees, and for our first number we'd like to do a song called 'You May Just Be the One.'" He winced as he realized he'd gotten the name of his own song backwards. "Sorry, I mean 'You Just May Be the One.' Guess I'm a little nervous. Okay, anyway, here we go."

    Peter hit the bass riff, and they played the song.

    Davy experienced a wild feeling of déjà vu as his first vision was now vividly occuring in real life. Every detail was the same--the walls, the decorations--and the music was on perfect pitch. He flashed a smile at Peter as they sang into the same microphone. Peter smiled back, dancing around with his bass. Davy glanced back at Rose, who had closed her eyes and was dancing as well.

    As they finished the song, the audience clapped and cheered. The Monkees beamed and took a bow, then launched into the next song, "I'll Be Back Up On My Feet."

    After that, they played "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)."

    Then, Rose sang "Different Drum," a song Mike had written and was originally going to sing, but had been impressed when he overheard Rose singing it to herself one day.

    After that, they did "Words."

    At last they performed a Christmas song, "Riu Chiu," which Micky had adapted from a 16th century Spanish carol.

    After that, the group took a break. Valerie approached them and gave each of them a hug. "You guys are wonderful. This party is a huge success thanks to you. Listen, I have some great news. One of my father's friends was at this party, and he just happens to be a record producer. He's very interested in you and wants to know if you will meet with him after the holidays to discuss recording an album. Here's his card, he told me to give it to you." She handed it to Mike. "He couldn’t stay because he had to go to a family dinner, but he really wants to meet with you as soon as possible."

    Mike stared at the card, stunned. "A r-record producer?"

    "Wow," Rose breathed. She turned to Peter. "We're going to record an album! A Monkees album!" She hugged and kissed him.

    They all turned to each other, laughing and cheering, and began to jump up and down together. Then they pulled Valerie into a group hug.

    ***

    The Monkees were on stage again, singing the last song of their set, appropriately titled "Party."

    At the end of the song, as the audience was cheering, Peter stared at Rose. I love you.

    I love you too, she replied with a smile.

    Will you marry me?

    Rose stared at him, stunned. What?

    He put down his bass and stepped behind the keyboard next to her, taking her hand. Then he knelt in front of her and pulled a ring out of his pocket. Holding it up, he said aloud, "Rosemarie Elisabeth Jones, will you marry me?"

    Everyone turned to stare at the couple. The other Monkees smiled at each other. Rose was speechless. Tears of joy sprang to her eyes. She smiled and nodded. Yes!

    Peter slipped the ring onto her finger, and the ballroom erupted in cheers. He stood up, and she threw her arms around him. They kissed passionately, which made the audience go wild.

    As the couple finally broke apart, Davy hugged his sister. "That's some Christmas present you got, isn't it?" he said with a grin, looking at the ring.

    Rose flashed him a smile. "You knew about this, didn't you? All of you did."

    Peter spoke up. "I asked them not to say anything. I wanted it to be a surprise."

    "Well, it was!" Rose laughed and hugged Peter again.

    The party guests began to leave. Valerie approached the stage as the Monkees packed up their instruments. "That was a great party, fellas. I'd like you to come back next year if you can."

    "We will," Mike promised. "And thank you again for giving us that message from the record producer. We're dedicating our first album to you!"

    Valerie laughed. "Thanks." She hugged each of them and wished them a Merry Christmas, then they left.

    ***

    Chip Douglas listened appreciatively as the Monkees performed one of their favorite songs. When they finished, he flipped the switch on the microphone at the control panel, and his voice filled the room. "That was amazing. I've never seen anyone, and especially never a group, who could record song after song in just one take."

    They smiled at each other and thanked Chip for the compliment.

    "Well, gentlemen--and lady," he said, nodding at Rose. "This was a terrific session. I'd say we'll only need one or two more like that to fill the album. But for now, let's call it a day and meet back here tomorrow, say, nine AM."

    The group left the recording studio and headed for the Monkeemobile. Peter and Rose walked arm in arm, smiling at each other.

    "They must be having another private conversation," Micky remarked.

    Davy tried to sneak up behind his sister and tickle her, but she waved her hand and jerked his tambourine out of his hand, placing it on his head like a crown. Everyone laughed.

    "No fair, Peter," Davy chuckled as he took it off. "You told her I was coming!"

    "No he didn't," Rose said, grinning. "I could see you out of the corner of my eye."

    Davy shook his head and tickled her anyway. She squealed and giggled.

    Peter stepped between them and gently pushed Davy away. "Never fear, my darling, I'll protect you!"

    Mike, Micky, and Rose laughed as Davy and Peter pretended to square off and throw punches and kicks at each other.

    As Micky watched the play-fight, a fuzzy feeling began to creep into his mind. He shook his head and blinked.

    Rose glanced at him. "Micky, are you alright?"

    "Just felt funny for a second there," Micky replied.

    "Funny?" Rose was instantly concerned. She looked into Micky's eyes. They were just starting to glaze. She screamed. "Peter, he's getting to Micky!"

    Before anyone could react, Micky suddenly grabbed Rose and they both disappeared.

    "NO!" Peter yelled, reaching out a second too late. He looked around wildly, along with Mike and Davy. A scream from across the parking lot caught their attention.

    Micky was standing next to Brent Jameson, holding a struggling Rose. Jameson was holding a gun.

    Peter closed his eyes and tried to reach Micky's mind. Just then, a shot rang out. Peter opened his eyes and turned to see Mike falling to the ground. Then he felt a searing pain rush through his own shoulder. The force of the bullet knocked him to the ground.

    Jameson aimed at Davy and fired again, but Davy leaped out of the way, barely dodging the bullet. Thinking quickly, he lay still on the ground, pretending he'd also been hit.

    Jameson sneered. "Not so invincible without your healer, are you?"

    "NOOOOOOOO!" Rose screamed, struggling even harder to break free from Micky's grasp.

    A small tear appeared in the corner of Micky's eye. "You…son of a bitch!" he said through gritted teeth, fighting against Jameson's control.

    Jameson placed a hand on Micky's shoulder. The three of them disappeared.

    Davy sat up and looked over at his fallen friends. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Mike! Peter!"

    Peter moaned and tried to sit up. Davy rushed to his side and helped him. They both stared at Mike, who was motionless. Blood poured from his midsection.

    "We have to get to a hospital," Davy said, choking up.

    Peter shook his head. "There's no time. He's bleeding to death." He grasped one of Mike's hands. "I have an idea. Grab his other hand."

    Davy picked up Mike's limp hand. "You think he can…?"

    "Only one way to find out," Peter said grimly, placing Mike's hand on his stomach.

    Davy placed Mike's other hand on his stomach and looked at Mike's face. His eyes were closed and he was as pale as a ghost.

    Peter closed his eyes. Michael, can you hear me?

    Mike didn't respond.

    Fighting to remain calm, Peter tried again. Michael?

    A faint voice echoed in Peter's head. Pete?

    Peter sighed with relief. Michael, listen to me. You have to try to use your power.

    Can't…can't heal myself…besides…too weak.

    You have to try, Peter insisted.

    A faint glow appeared in Mike's hands. It spread to his stomach and brightened ever so slightly.

    "That's it," Peter said aloud. "Keep going."

    Davy smiled through his tears. "You can do it, Mike. Come on."

    Mike concentrated. The glow grew brighter. He gasped as the pain began to subside. He opened his eyes, and the glow faded.

    Peter and Davy released Mike's hands. Mike sat up slowly, wincing. "Couldn't heal completely."

    "It's all right," Davy said. "We can get you to the hospital now."

    Mike turned to Peter. "Your shoulder--"

    Peter shook his head. "Don’t risk it. Davy's right, we need to get to the hospital."

    Davy helped each of them into the car, then started the engine and tore out of the parking lot at top speed.

    ***

    Micky felt as if a drug were wearing off. He blinked and looked around groggily, trying to get his bearings. Why am I so dizzy? What the hell did that bastard do to me?

    He sat up slowly and took in his surroundings. He was in a prison cell. Across from him was another cell where Rose lay on the floor, unconscious. Dimly, Micky remembered delivering the blow that had knocked her out. Tears sprang to his eyes. He stood up slowly, closed his eyes and tried to teleport to her, but he suddenly felt the strong urge to vomit. He was forced to sit down again as the room spun around him. Shit, he must have me doped up with something.

    He took a few deep breaths and waited for the nausea to subside. Then, closing his eyes again, he silently called Peter's name.

    ***

    Peter awoke with a start at the sound of Micky's voice inside his head. He closed his eyes again. Micky! Where are you?

    Don't know, Micky replied. Some kind of prison somewhere.

    Peter opened his eyes and whispered, "Davy! Micky's awake! He says they're in some sort of prison."

    Davy nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating. Images flashed through his mind, but they were jumbled. He began to concentrate harder.

    Where are you guys? Micky asked.

    In the hospital, Peter replied. Michael was hurt pretty badly, but he managed to heal himself enough to get here. I wouldn't let him heal me because I didn't want to risk draining his energy.

    What about Davy? Is he okay?

    He's fine. He only pretended to get hit so he could help us. Peter clenched his fist slightly. Is Rose all right?

    She's knocked out. Jameson made me do it. I'm so sorry, Peter. You know I wouldn't--

    I know, Peter interrupted. That bastard's gonna pay for this big time. I'm guessing you can't teleport right now.

    Nope. I think he shot me full of drugs. I'm barely able to stand, let alone teleport.

    Peter sighed in frustration. Shit. Well, just hang in there, Mick. Davy's trying to use his power to find you, and as soon as he does we will be on our way to the rescue.

    Okay. Don't worry, Pete, I'll do my best to protect Rose if at all possible.

    Thanks, Micky. Peter opened his eyes, and tears rolled down his face.

    ***

    Mike lay still in his bed, his hand on his stomach. He forced himself to keep his breathing even as he worked on healing his own wound. It was going very slowly, but at least it would be faster than staying in the hospital.

    A knock on the door startled him. He quickly took his hand away and looked up.

    "It's just me, Mike," Davy said softly as he entered the room. "I have some good news. Micky contacted Peter a few minutes ago."

    "That's great!" Mike smiled, but then his face fell. "Wait a minute. That means he can't--"

    Davy shook his head. "He can't teleport. He thinks he may have been drugged. What's worse, Rose is unconscious. Jameson made him knock her out."

    "Bastard," Mike said through gritted teeth.

    "I've been trying to find them, but all I'm getting is a jumbled mess so far."

    "Well, keep tryin'. I'm tryin' to heal myself a little at a time so we can get the hell outta here and go get them."

    Davy nodded. "I'll be in Peter's room if you need me."

    As Davy walked out and closed the door, Mike placed his hand over his wound again and closed his eyes. The glow was faint but noticeable.

    ***

    Rose opened her eyes slowly. Her head throbbed. The memory of Micky hitting her brought tears to her eyes. She sat up and looked around.

    "Rose!"

    She turned to see Micky staring at her from across the room. "Micky! Are you all right?"

    "Me? I should be asking you." He frowned. "I'm sorry I hit you. I tried to fight him, but I guess he was just too strong."

    "It's all right." She flashed him a small smile. "You can't teleport, can you? Otherwise we wouldn't be here."

    Micky sighed. "I'm doped up. I tried to teleport but it made me sick."

    Rose fought back tears. "Have you heard from Peter?"

    "I talked to him a few minutes ago," Micky replied, tapping his temple. "Don't worry, he's okay and so is Davy. Davy didn't even get hit."

    Rose sighed. "Thank God. But…what about Mike?"

    "He's alright. He healed himself just enough so that they could get to the hospital."

    Just then a door to the left of them clanged open, and Jameson walked in. "Ah, Rosemarie, I see that you are awake. Just in time, I might add."

    "What do you mean?" she asked, glaring at him.

    Instead of answering, he unlocked the cell door, yanked it open, and stepped inside, grabbing Rose and pulling her to her feet. She screamed and tried to hit him, both physically and mentally, but Jameson forced her to look into his eyes, and she stopped struggling.

    "NO!" Micky slammed himself against the bars of his cell. "Let her go, you son of a bitch! ROSE! Fight him! ROSE!"

    Jameson ignored him as he led Rose away. Micky watched helplessly as the door clanged shut behind them. Yelling in frustration, Micky shook the bars and kicked them, then sat down, sobbing. Peter, he's got her! He's got Rose! You've gotta hurry up and get the hell outta there!

    ***

    "NO!" Peter cried aloud, sitting up in his bed. "Davy, he's got Rose! We have to do something!"

    Davy's eyes widened. "Shit! What can we do?" He stood up and began to pace around the room. "Try to reach her, see if you can break his hold. I'll keep trying to see where they are."

    Peter nodded and closed his eyes, calling out to Rose. She didn't answer. He concentrated with all his strength and kept trying.

    Meanwhile, Davy stared at the wall, concentrating as hard as he could. Images flashed in a blur. He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm as he continued to concentrate. At last a clear image emerged.

    "The park! It's a building in the park! It's made like a prison!"

    Mike suddenly appeared in the doorway, fully dressed. "Let's go!"

    "Mike, you're completely healed?" Davy asked.

    Mike nodded and crossed the room. Sitting on Peter's bed, he reached for his friend's injured shoulder. The glow filled the room. Within just a few seconds, Peter was also healed.

    Before Peter could say anything, Mike held up his hand. "I never got to thank you for saving my life for a change. Now, get dressed and let's get the fuck outta here so we can go save Rose and Micky!"

    Peter grinned as he jumped out of bed. Davy went to the closet and tossed Peter his clothes.

    The three friends slipped quietly into the hall, watching carefully for nurses. They sneaked down the corridor to a door marked STAIRS. Silently, Mike opened the door and motioned for the others to slip inside, then he followed.

    As they made their way down the stairs, Peter chuckled. "The nurses will probably go nuts when they see we're gone."

    "Yeah, we're really gonna fuck up their paperwork." Mike laughed.

    "Well, we can't exactly stick around, now can we?" Davy said. "Who knows what Jameson's doing to Rose as we speak. We can't afford to wait another second."

    They opened the door at the bottom of the stairs carefully. "We're in luck," Mike whispered. "This led us straight to the parking lot."

    The Monkeemobile glistened in the moonlight. The friends looked carefully to make sure they were not being watched, then raced to the car and jumped in. Peter took the wheel. He started the car, and they took off, heading to the park.

    ***

    Rose struggled to resist Jameson's power, but her strength was failing. He had made her run through all sorts of exercises with her power, from lifting heavy safes to turning on a light switch from across the building. Her nose was bleeding profusely and she was dizzy from the strain.

    Jameson seemed to be enjoying her pain. "One more, dear, and perhaps one more after that. We're having fun, aren't we? Just look at all the things my pretty Rosemarie can do. Yes, this is most excellent. No one to interrupt us, no one to stand in our way. Together we will accomplish everything I've always wanted."

    Rose closed her eyes, feeling faint. Peter, help me, she thought weakly.

    Jameson laughed cruelly. "Your boyfriend can't hear you now. He's dead. So are your brother and your friends. No one will ever take you away from me again."

    "Liar," she said, letting out a small sob. Inwardly she cried out to Peter again.

    ***

    The Monkeemobile swerved to a stop as Peter heard Rose's faint cry for help. He leaped from the car, followed by Mike and Davy. The three of them rushed into the woods, tearing along the path Davy had seen in his vision, until they reached a clearing and found the building.

    "It's an old fort," Mike said.

    "Looks like he's converted it into an evil lair," Davy said wryly.

    "Come on, you guys, Rose and Micky are in there," Peter whispered, walking carefully toward the building.

    Davy and Mike followed silently. They flattened themselves against the side of the building and crept toward the double doors.

    ***

    Micky stood up and held onto the bars of the cell. His head was slowly clearing. He took a couple of deep breaths and began to concentrate. At last he disappeared, reappearing outside the cell. He stumbled and fell to his knees. "Shit," he whispered. "Tried too soon."

    He waited until the room stopped spinning, then he slowly got to his feet again. His head finally clear, he began to walk along the corridor to the metal door. He peered through the window into the next room and saw Rose lifting a safe. She staggered and the safe crashed to the floor. "My God," he said softly. "He's killing her."

    Closing his eyes, he concentrated. A few seconds later he appeared next to Rose, catching her as she began to fall. She stared up at him. "Micky?"

    Jameson sneered at him. "So, you're awake. I suppose I didn't give you a strong enough dose. Oh well, no matter. I can remedy that." He stared at Micky.

    Micky averted his eyes and whispered in Rose's ear, "Hold on tight!" Closing his eyes, he teleported.

    They landed a few feet away from the building. Peter looked up at the sound and dashed toward them, followed by Mike and Davy. They dropped to their knees around Rose and Micky.

    Micky looked at Mike. "Jameson's gonna be busting through those doors any minute. We gotta get outta here."

    "No," Rose said weakly, startling them all.

    "What do you mean, no?" Peter cried. "Rose--"

    She placed a hand on his arm, interrupting him. "I'm not really hurt, just exhausted. It would probably only take a few seconds for Mike to heal me. Then we could all fight Jameson together. We need to stop him!"

    Peter brushed her hair from her eyes. "Are you sure?"

    She nodded.

    The others moved back and let Mike get close to Rose. He placed one hand on her forehead and another on her chest. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

    Just then the double doors burst open and Jameson ran out, brandishing a gun. "Aha! I knew you couldn't have gone far!" He fired a shot. Everyone ducked and the bullet whizzed over their heads.

    Thinking quickly, Micky closed his eyes and teleported again, appearing behind Jameson and tapping him on the shoulder. Jameson whirled around, and his jaw connected with Micky's fist. Staggering and shaking his head, Jameson growled and brought the gun around, but before he could fire, Micky disappeared again, reappearing in a tree. "Hey fuckface, looking for me?"

    Jameson whirled again and fired, hitting the tree, but Micky had already teleported again, this time grabbing Jameson from behind and wrenching the gun away from him. But Jameson aimed a kick at Micky's hand and sent the gun flying. They both dove after it and began to wrestle each other. Jameson pinned Micky to the ground and grabbed his chin, staring into his eyes.

    "Oh no you don't!"

    Peter slammed into Jameson, knocking him off Micky. They rolled on the ground, each trying to pin the other down.

    Davy rushed over and grabbed the gun, hurling it deep into the woods. Then he leaped onto Jameson's back and helped Peter pin him to the ground. But then Jameson kicked Davy in the groin, causing him to let go. Jameson threw Peter off and jumped to his feet.

    Suddenly Jameson was lifted several feet off the ground and suspended in midair. Everyone turned to see Rose standing, her arm outstretched, a grim smile playing on her lips. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't drop you on your head, you sorry asshole."

    "You don't have the guts, bitch," Jameson spat.

    She narrowed her eyes and waved her hand. Jameson spun until he was upside down.

    Davy grunted in pain as he got to his feet. "I wouldn't piss her off if I were you, Jameson. A fall from that far up could do a lot of damage."

    Mike looked at Micky. "There's some rope in the trunk of the car. Go get it and we'll tie him to a tree till the police can get him."

    Micky nodded and disappeared, reappearing with the rope in his hands. Rose lowered Jameson, then slammed him into the tree, knocking him out and pinning him there. Micky and Mike fastened the rope securely around him. When they were sure Jameson could not get away, Rose finally lowered her arm and sighed.

    Peter walked toward her. She rushed into his arms and they kissed.

    Micky laughed. "Typical. I save your ass and you go kissing him!"

    Rose broke away from Peter, laughing. "No offense, Micky, but kissing you would be like kissing Davy." She walked over and hugged him. "Will you settle for that?"

    "Sure," he replied, hugging her back.

    "Hey, don’t I get a hug too?" Mike asked with a grin.

    "Of course you do," Rose said, hugging him as well.

    "Better save a hug for your brother," Davy said, limping toward her.

    She grinned as she hugged him. "Don’t you think Mike should heal you, Dave?"

    Davy shook his head and laughed. "I don't think so. Too awkward, right Mike?"

    "Yeah," Mike said, laughing.

    Micky spoke up. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to get the hell outta here. Wanna ride to the car?" He stretched out his hands. They all held hands. Micky counted to three and teleported them to the Monkeemobile.

    ***

    Mike hung up the phone and shook his head. "Wow. That was Detective Burnside on the phone. He said that Jameson was wanted for murder in England, so they're extraditing him as we speak."

    "Good riddance," Davy and Rose said in unison, then laughed.

    Micky popped into the living room, a bag of groceries in his arms and the mail clutched in his hand. "One of you take this!" he said.

    Mike took the mail out of Micky's hand.

    "I meant the groceries, smartass."

    Mike grinned and handed the mail to Peter, then took the bag from Micky and headed to the kitchen.

    Peter sifted through the mail, glancing at the envelopes. "Bill…bill…hey, wait a minute." He stopped at a letter addressed to "THE MONKEES" in capital letters. He read the return address and he gasped in shock. "Guys, you're not gonna believe who this is from!" He waved it in front of Davy's and Rose's faces.

    "Lemme see that." Davy snatched the envelope and looked at it. His eyes grew wide. "No way. This has to be a joke!" He tore open the letter and unfolded it.

    "Dear Monkees,

    To congratulate you on your success with your first album, and to celebrate the upcoming wedding
    of your mates Peter Tork and Rosemarie Jones,we have decided to pay you a visit.
    We will be arriving two weeks from the date of this letter.
    Hope you are all well.

    On behalf of the Beatles,
    Sincerely,
    Paul McCartney"

    Micky began to stutter. "P-p-p-paul M-m-mcCartney?"

    "The Beatles," Mike said, stunned.

    Davy was equally stunned. "The Beatles are coming…to meet us."

    "Two weeks…." Rose gasped. "Oh my God! They'll be here for the wedding! Oh Peter! The Beatles are coming to our wedding!" She leaped from the couch and into Peter's arms, squealing with delight.

    ***

    Micky answered the knock on the door. "Coco!" he cried out, giving the young woman a hug. "You made it!"

    "Gosh, you're almost as happy as if this were your own wedding, bro," she said with a laugh, returning the hug. "So, where's the bride? I have maid of honor duties to attend to."

    "She's in her bedroom getting ready. Go through the kitchen and it's the door right next to the icebox. Mike's Aunt Kate is in there with her."

    "Okay. It's great to see you again, Mick."

    "Great to see you too. You know, you shouldn't be a stranger, kid. Why don't you visit more often?"

    "I will be," she said with a grin. "You know the house across the street?"

    Micky's eyes widened. "You didn't. You did? You bought that house?"

    Coco nodded. "My fiance and I bought it together."

    "Fiance?" Micky shook his head and grinned. "You brat! Why didn't you tell me you were engaged?"

    "I wanted to surprise you. Surprise!"

    Micky laughed. "So when do we get to meet the lucky guy?"

    "Probably next week. He couldn't come to the wedding because he had to work."

    "Okay." Micky hugged his sister. "Well, congratulations, sis."

    Just then the bedroom door opened and Rose peeked out. "Peter's not out there, is he?"

    "Nope, all clear," Micky replied.

    "Good." She came out and hugged Coco. "Congratulations. I couldn’t help but overhear you two talking."

    "Oh, that dress looks beautiful, Rose," Coco sighed.

    Rose blushed. "Thank you. Aunt Kate made it."

    "Wow. I may get her to make my wedding dress when the time comes!"

    The two young women laughed as they headed back into the bedroom.

    Another knock at the door startled Micky. Before he could answer it, Davy came flying down the stairs, crying out, "It's them! It's the Beatles! They're here!" Mike and Peter were right behind him.

    Micky gasped and started to reach for the door, but Davy beat him to it, flinging it open.

    John Lennon let out a small chuckle. "I barely knocked. You must have really good ears."

    "Guess you could say that," Davy said with a nervous smile.

    Micky shook his head. "Well, don’t just stand there, Dave, invite them in!" He pulled Davy out of the way and flashed John a sheepish grin. "You'll have to excuse my friend, he's a little nervous. Guess we all are."

    As the Beatles entered the living room, Paul McCartney spoke up. "Ah, there's no need to be nervous, mate. You're a fab group, y'know. We loved that album. How soon are you making another one?"

    Mike spoke up. "Um, we're planning on starting one after Peter and Rose have their honeymoon."

    "Ah yes, the young lovers," John said with a grin. Looking at Peter, he added, "I see we're just in time. The groom's already dressed." He shook Peter's hand and congratulated him.

    Ringo Starr chuckled. "Good thing we decided to go ahead and wear our suits."

    "Yeah," George Harrison added. "We weren't exactly sure if we'd arrive on time, so we went ahead and dressed up."

    Just then Rose peeked out the bedroom door. Gasping, she cried out, "Oh my God! They really are here!"

    Peter hid his eyes. "Okay, not looking, sweetie, you can come on out and meet them."

    Everyone laughed as Rose entered the room, followed by Coco and Aunt Kate. "Wow," Rose said breathlessly, "it's so wonderful to meet you."

    After much handshaking and congratulating, the bride and groom returned to the bedrooms to finish getting ready, while the guests headed out to the beach, where an arch covered in flowers had been set up, along with a small pulpit and rows of folding chairs for the guests.

    A few minutes later, Peter came down the stairs, followed by Mike, Micky, and Davy. He paused at the door leading to the balcony, peering out at the wedding area. "Wow."

    "Hard to believe this is all for you and Rose, isn't it buddy?" Micky patted Peter on the back.

    "I just can't believe it's finally happening," Peter whispered. He chuckled and wiped away a small tear. "I thought the bride was supposed to be the emotional one."

    "Nothing wrong with a little emotion now and again," Davy said gently. "Come on, mate. Your future awaits you."

    Mike opened the door, and the four friends walked down the stairs. Davy stopped at the bottom of the stairs to wait for Rose. The rest of them headed out to the beach, taking their positions under the arch.

    Rose opened the bedroom door and walked out. She too paused at the balcony door, looking out at the crowd. She smiled when she saw Peter standing under the arch, waiting for her.

    Coco fixed the crown of flowers in Rose's hair. "There you go. All set."

    "Ready sweetie?" Aunt Kate asked.

    Rose nodded, blinking back tears of joy.

    As she walked onto the balcony, Mike picked up his acoustic guitar and began to strum the "Wedding March." Rose seemed to float down the stairs, her head held high. When she stepped onto the sand, Davy took her arm and smiled at her.

    "You look beautiful, sis," he whispered.

    "Thanks," she whispered back.

    "I just wish Dad were here to do this instead of me."

    "He's with us in our hearts, Dave. Besides, there's no one else I'd rather have beside me at this moment but you."

    He squeezed his sister's arm gently and a tear rolled down his cheek as they approached the length of carpet that led to the arch.

    Peter stared at Rose, amazed by her beauty. She stared back at him as she walked slowly up the carpet aisle. As she reached the arch, Mike played the final notes, then set the guitar down.

    Davy patted Rose's hand, then looked at Peter as he placed her hand in his. Take care of her, mate, he thought with a wink.

    I will, I promise, Peter replied silently, smiling at him.

    Davy stepped back and took his place beside Mike and Micky as the preacher began the ceremony.

    "Peter and Rosemarie have decided to recite vows which they have written themselves. Peter, you may begin."

    Peter cleared his throat and stared into Rose's eyes. "This is the part where we usually say we're going to love, honor, and cherish each other as long as we both shall live. Well, I already started all that the moment I met you. So, I'm just going to promise to continue to love, honor, and cherish you, forever. No matter what happens. I am here for you, always. I love you, Rosemarie Elisabeth Jones, and I take you to be my wife." He slipped the wedding ring onto her finger.

    Tears spilled down Rose's cheeks as she spoke softly. "We've survived more in the past year than most people do in a lifetime, if that. To say it's a miracle is an understatement. But one thing has remained consistent through it all…my love for you. It's almost possible to say I loved you before we even met." She glanced at Davy and smiled, then looked back at Peter. "And now my love is stronger than ever before. I, too, promise to continue to love, honor, and cherish you forever, no matter what happens. I am here for you always as well. I love you, Peter Halsten Thorkelson, and I take you to be my husband." Her hands shook as she slipped the ring onto his finger.

    The preacher smiled. "By the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

    Peter gently brushed Rose's hair aside and kissed her.

    Davy, Mike, and Micky began to clap. The applause spread throughout the crowd, followed by cheering. It became louder as Peter and Rose wrapped their arms around each other and kissed even more passionately.

    Rose broke away for a second, looking into Peter's eyes and smiling. "We did it," she said softly.

    "Yes, we did," he whispered, and they kissed again.

    Micky spoke up. "Hey you two, save some of that for the honeymoon, willya?"

    Laughter filled the summer air.

    ***

    Back in the house, after the cake had been cut and everyone was sitting around talking, the Beatles gathered together on the Monkees' bandstand. They whispered and nodded to each other. Then Ringo walked over to Micky and whispered, "May we borrow your bandstand, and could I possibly borrow your drums for a moment?"

    Micky was surprised. "What? You're our guests, nobody's asking you to perform!"

    "It's our wedding gift for Rose and Peter. We want to surprise them."

    Micky beamed. "Well, sure, in that case, you're more than welcome to it."

    Ringo looked across the room at John and nodded. George and Paul smiled and slipped quietly out the door, returning a few minutes later with their guitars. John stepped over to Rose's keyboard and turned it on.

    Davy noticed and walked up to Micky. "What are they doing?"

    "Shh," Micky whispered. "It's a surprise."

    "Oh." Davy smiled at Rose and Peter. "I get it."

    Paul adjusted the strap on his bass and stepped up to the microphone that Davy usually used. Adjusting it to his height, he cleared his throat. "Excuse us, ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. Rose and Peter, as our wedding gift to you, we would like to sing you one of our new songs."

    As the couple looked on in surprise and delight, the Beatles began to play and sing.

    Peter looked at Rose. Taking her hand, he led her to the middle of the floor, and they slowly began to dance to the song. The crowd looked on admiringly. As the song ended, Peter dipped Rose, then as he pulled her back up, he kissed her. Cheers rang through the house.

    The Beatles stepped off the bandstand and walked over to the couple. "So, what do you think?" Paul asked with a grin.

    "It's beautiful," Rose said, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Thank you."

    "It'll never sell," Peter joked. "Just kidding. Thanks, you guys. It is a beautiful song."

    Micky, Mike, and Davy stepped up to them. "Now it's our turn," Micky said, looking at Peter and Rose. "We wrote one for you too. I think the Beatles stole our idea." He grinned as the Beatles laughed. Looking at John, Micky asked, "We'd be honored if you would play the keyboard on this one."

    "I'd be delighted," John replied, following them up to the bandstand.

    Davy readjusted his microphone. "All right folks, there's no way we can top the Beatles, but we have a song we'd like to present as our wedding gift as well. So, here it is." He picked up Peter's bass. "Hope you don't mind, Pete."

    "So that's why you asked me if you could practice with it, you sneak!" Peter laughed. "This ought to be good."

    Davy grinned. "I think you'll like it."

    He started a simple bass riff. Mike joined in with his twelve-string. John closed his eyes and played along, feeling the rhythm as Micky started up a soft drumbeat and began to sing.

    Everyone listened appreciatively. Peter and Rose began to dance again, and this time the whole room joined in. When the song ended, applause and cheers filled the house again.

    John smiled at Davy. "I'd say that was as good as ours."

    "Really?" Davy smiled back.

    "Wow, thanks, John," Mike said. "That really means a lot, coming from you."

    John stepped down and joined his fellow bandmates near the stairs. As the Monkees started to leave the bandstand, Peter held up his hand. "Hold it, guys."

    "What's wrong?" Davy asked.

    "Nothing. I just think we need to show our appreciation as well, right honey?" He glanced at Rose, who nodded silently. "We want to play a song with you."

    "Aw, come on Pete, it's your wedding day, you and Rose should take a break!" Micky said.

    "Well, we've had our break. Seriously, just one song." He stepped onto the bandstand and took the bass from Davy's hand. Looking over at Mike, he continued. "We want to play 'You Just May Be the One.' It's the song that brought us all together."

    Mike smiled at his friend. "You got it, good buddy."

    Rose stepped up to the keyboard. Peter hit the opening bass riff, and the Monkees' voices blended together in perfect harmony as usual.

Comments (3)

  • Celestial_Rose2002

    Testing to see if I killed the comment box!


    (edit) Ok, guess I didn't.  Well, LS, don't know what to tell ya then.  Maybe it was just a temporary glitch?
  • Blue_ButterflyBaby
    Awesome!

    This is really really really good!  I am so glad that you finally got off your ass and finished it.  Now, I am impatiently waiting for #2 so that we can post two and three.  or you can post them, sorry I dont have the patience!  Guess I really need to get to work on 4!  Im gonna be the one that gets behind if I dont!  lol.

  • WiseOrFool

    Okay, congratulations! That was the longest post I have EVER seen!

    I have to be honest, I can't read it all right now, it'll take me a while, and it'll have to be in small chunks.

    As a suggestion, when you have a long story to post, it would be easier for people if you post it bit by bit. Then again, I understand why you wouldn't.

    You did a great job with the HTML, I can see how it'd be a pain the the arse.

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