4

"So if you're from the future, what was that weird device you were carrying," asked Davy. Even though he trusted Mike's judgement, he was still a little skeptical of Mary.

"It's a cellphone," Mary replied, not bothering to explain further.

"A cell phone?" Micky flipped it over and over. It sure didn't look like a phone to him.

"Maybe if you untie me, I can show you how it works," Mary suggested.

"Oh, yeah." Peter went behind her and began trying to undo all the knots. It was a little difficult since he wasn't even sure how he tied them to begin with.

"Here, let me." Mike yanked the ropes from Peter's hands, irritated with the pace he was going at. Everything about this situation was bothering him. He didn't like being left in the dark about things like this.

"What I'd like to know is the reason why she has a weird glow to her skin," David said to no one in particular.

"I'm glowing?" Mary asked in disbelief, "How is that even possible?"

"It is sweetheart and frankly my eyes are hurtin' from it," Mike muttered behind her. "Micky can you possibly turn off that lamp and open the curtains."

Micky got up from the couch where he was sitting and went to the bay windows to open the curtains. "You know she'd be pretty useful around her. We could turn off all the lights and use her as a lamp." Micky snickered a little at his own joke. He looked around and saw that the others weren't as amused. "Well, I'm just trying to make light of things. Get it, make light of things." He looked around and still no one thought it was funny. He shrugged his shoulders and then pulled open the curtains. Even he couldn't break the somber tone in the room.

"Well, how're we suppose to get 'er back to where she belongs," Davy asked. His grumpy mood from earlier that morning had dissipated and was now replaced with that of worry.

"I think," Mike said as he undid the last knot,"that we should eat breakfast. No use worrying about something we can't fix now."

The three other Monkees nodded and then began turning on the lights in the apartment.

Mary got up from her chair after Mike was finished and began rubbing her wrists. Boy did they know how to tie ropes tight.

"You know, it is very peculiar. I'm going to have too research some things. Have you had any other odd side effects?" Micky asked Mary. Suddenly he was in a lab coat and was wearing his lens less glasses again.

"No, not really," she replied.

"It's strange though. It doesn't make sense. I've read about time travelling. I haven't read anywhere about glowing because of it."

"Maybe it's because no one has successfully performed it yet. Or even if they had successfully performed it, it hasn't been recorded," Mary scowled. She was getting a little bit irritated.

"Nobody has invented a time machine yet?" Micky was oddly surprised. He'd figured that they'd at least have made something like that, what, forty-nine years into the future.

"No. We have come pretty far, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. You have to be travelling at like the speed of light or something." Mary ran her hand through her hair.

"You're a scientific phenomenon. I'm really going to have to do some tests on you," Micky said excitedly as he began to approach her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm not a lab rat." Mary was backed up against a wall. She had no way to escape.

"Micky, got get dressed or somethin'. You can perform your scientific experiments later. You don't need to put this young lady through anymore then she has been right now." Mike gave Mary a small smile and then pulled Micky away.

After he had left the room, Mike led her to the kitchen table and handed her a plate of pancakes.

Mary shook her head and continued rubbing her wrists. They were awfully sore. It was at that moment that Mary noticed they were both alone. A lot had happened since the night before. Just thinking about it made her head spin. Yet, she was glad that the Texan fellow named Mike had come and picked her up from that curb.

"The other guys and me have been in a lot of scuffles," Mike said finally said aloud.

Mary nodded, suddenly feeling shy. Of course it was her natural demeanor, but something about Mike really brought it out.

"That's how come we can tie ropes so good. See we're always running into villains. It's quite comical." Mike smiled. But despite his efforts, Mary didn't seem any better.

"I guess I really can't understand what yer goin' through. I've never been uprooted from my generation and then thrown into another." Mike swallowed. Talking about feelings wasn't really his bag. That's where Peter usually came in.

"Well," Mary spoke up in a small voice, "It's very nice of you to be helpin' me. Where I'm from, nobody is very trustable. Nobody goes out of their way for another person. And even then it is very dangerous since there are people of the helpee end that can mean harm to the helper. But I'm jus' saying thanks."

Mary looked at Mike and their eyes locked. It almost was like time had stopped. Mike could see all the fear, and desperation that she was trying to desperately hide.

"We're always here to help, even if we happen to get hurt along the way." Mike grabbed ahold of Mary's hand across the table and patted it. It seemed like the right thing to do at a moment like this.

"Awh, aren't they the cutest," they heard Micky's voice ring out from the balcony up above.

Mary yanked her hand away and turned the brightest shade of red Mike had ever seen.

Micky slid down the bannister and took a seat next to Mary at the table. "You know Mike, if she wasn't decade younger then you, I'd say you'd make a great couple.

Mike scowled at Micky and turned to see Davy and Peter, cracking up in the corner of the kitchen.

"I was only tryin' ta make her feel better," Mike defended as he stood up and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Davy walked over to Mike and reached up to put a hand on Mike's shoulder. It was quite hard because of the height differences. "It's alright Mike. We all got girls that we are fond of."

"Well, you certainly have quite a few." Mike began walking away and headed up the spiral staircase to his bedroom to get dressed. He went over the day's agenda in his mind and remembered that they had a gig at Pop's that evening. Despite the situation that Mary was in, life for them still had to go on. They still had a job to do.