Revised: 1/28/17

Author's Note: I feel no one is reading my A/N's, I'm currently revising all of the old chapters BEFORE I update new chapters. I know I haven't updated in a very long time but when life is thrown at me it's hard to be able to do the things I enjoy like working on this story. I'm really sorry for the long delays and I'm sorry for making everyone wait. Again new chapters will be up soon once I'm done revising these old chapters. Thank you!


It was another sunny, bright day here in Malibu, California. People walked along the sidewalks, cars drove through the black asphalt streets, and teenagers took advantage of their summer freedom. The weather was warmer than usual, but nothing too extreme. Southern California always had the sunshine and warm temperatures, it hardly ever rains, making it the perfect getaway for anyone.

For the hundredth time, I stared outside the glass shop windows, watching the outside world pass me by. Business at the record store slowed down a bit during the day, so to pass the time, Mr. Herman kept himself busy in the stockroom. And I stayed behind the register, listening to music and making small talk with the few customers that entered the store.

Though recently, my mind has been in other places wandering like a lost traveler in an unknown world. All I thought about were my dearest friends, the Monkees.

Another week had gone by in this universe, the longest I went without seeing them. The last time was my second visit to the Vincent Van Go-Go, where they had another gig. Since then, I've been turning down their invites in person and over the phone.

I didn't want them to think I was avoiding them because I didn't like them or doing it out of spite. I'm not a mean person at all, but I couldn't tell them exactly why I've been declining their invitations.

For the past week, I've been cooped up in my townhouse, spending tireless hours fixing the pocket watch. When it stopped working, I just assumed the new battery short circuited as it transported me from my time to here, but I was wrong.

When I spent the first night working on it, the problem was one of the gears, it stopped rotating and was jammed. I didn't have a lot of experience in fixing watches, especially one that's a time machine. But, I knew I couldn't take it to the jewelry store down the street from the record shop. The very thought of explaining my watch is a time device would give them the assumption I was on drugs.

I came to the point, that I needed to fix it myself, Mr. Herman lend me his pocket watch tool kit after he heard how I wanted to fix my watch. Of course, without the extra details about it bringing me here from the future. He was impressed that a girl was determined to fix it herself, he liked that.

The amount of time I've been spending on the pocket watch, I had thoughts about home.

With two weeks gone, I knew I was probably fired from my waitressing job at Lucy's Diner, a 1950's themed restaurant. And it wasn't that great, honestly, especially when having to deal with obnoxious customers all day. The job was only temporary until I could find a better one, which I did, it was here at the record store. Only problem, it wasn't in my time period.

All of my friends were away lavishing in distant far off places this summer and I really wasn't worried about them. The one I did have concern was my dad. My dad and I have a close father-daughter bond, I would always call him and tell him what's been going on in my life and sometimes I would visit him at home in Del Mar when I'm not too busy. But, I haven't been able to do that for two weeks, my iPhone 4s was left behind in my bedroom and if I had it on me, it would be useless. Cellphones and cellphone towers were nonexistent in the 60's.

'Please, whenever I do get back, don't let there be a missing person's report filed in my name.' I thought to myself, hoping my dad wouldn't worry over me and go through desperate measures. Hopefully, I'm praying his hobbies and career as a Science Fiction writer are keeping him busy from noticing my absence.

As much as I want to return home, the small voice in my head grew louder, trying to persuade me to stay. It started after that night Mike and I spent time together on the beach. The very first time I felt we shared a connection.

"Oh, Mike..." I sighed softly, looking out the window again as I thought about him.

'I thought you didn't want to fall in love with someone from another time?' There goes my conscience again, always disturbing my thoughts.

'And I thought I told you to shut up!' I sighed again in frustration.

"I seriously need to stop having conversations with myself." I placed my hand against the side of my face, balancing my arm on the counter for support.

Truth is, my life felt better here. Everything in this time was so simple, people were nicer, things were cheaper and more affordable, and I even became good friends with my favorite rock band.

On the other hand, living here wasn't forever. I was supposedly here on "summer break", in a way I am, just not in this time. Whether I liked it or not, I belonged in 2012, my life was there and I had to get back if I want to avoid ruining time streams or creating new paradoxes.

'Just please let me come back here if it's possible.' My face looked away from the windows, glancing down at the pocket watch on the counter. The latch of the battery compartment was left opened, exposing the mechanics of the jewelry piece.

Music by the Happenings filled the store, helping me concentrate on my tireless work. Fixing this thing was a lot more complicated than I thought.

The soft sound of the bell above the closed entrance doors rang in my ears, telling me a customer walked in. I placed the small screw driver down on the counter, turning my attention at the customer.

My heart suddenly froze in a matter of seconds, seeing those dark chocolate eyes staring at me.

"Hi, Marilyn." His smooth Texan accent filled my ears with delight, greeting me with a bright grin.

"Hello, Mike." I softly spoke out, trying to contain myself from sounding overly excited.

My smile grew at his presence, as he walked up to the register.

"I'm really glad to see you again. It's been a long time." He kept his eyes on me, seeing a warm spark flickering inside.

"Yeah, it has, but I'm happy you're here, Mike. I'm sorry for not being available this whole week. I just been preoccupied dealing with some things at the moment, that it's taken so much time to finish." I apologized to him. I felt guilty for avoiding him and the rest of the guys, but I couldn't tell him the actual truth. Mike wouldn't understand.

He gave me a small understanding smirk, accepting my apology.

"It's all right, Marilyn. None of us expected to see you all the time, although it would be if I...uh, if we do. We know you're busy, so don't feel too bad, but um...I'm kind of curious with what you've been doing this past week?" Innocence filled his voice.

'What have I been doing this past week? Oh, well, you know, fixing this little time machine to take me back home...yeah, right.' That would've been an interesting conversation.

Instead, I told him some of the truth.

"Well, I've been saving up my money to decorate my place because I didn't want it to look empty when I have you and guys over." I began to explain, telling him the money I've earned went to adding some comfort to my townhouse.

Michael's mouth extended further, looking forward to coming over to my place and it easily made me blush.

"I'd like to see your place sometime." His eyes slowly moved towards my hands, seeing the time machine opened up to reveal its insides. "Did something happened to your pocket watch?" His eyes remained on the watch, as I followed his gaze.

"Yeah, it hasn't been working for a while now, which is another reason why I haven't been able to see you. One of the gears is stuck and I've been spending most of my time trying to get it to work again. Half the time, I'm not even sure what I'm doing." I looked at the pocket watch, feeling embarrassed at the fact I haven't figured out how to fix it yet.

"Oh. Well, why couldn't you take it to the jeweler's down the street? They always do a good job fixing my watch." I looked at the gold plated watch on his left wrist, trying to figure out why it wasn't a good idea.

'Why? Well, first off my pocket watch isn't an ordinary watch, it's a time machine. Second, if I take it to the jeweler's, there's a possible chance they could travel to 2012. And third, giving someone a time machine wasn't a good idea. This whole situation was too complicated.'

"Oh, I couldn't do that. It's better if I fix it myself, this necklace is very special to me." I looked at him with a smile, but his grin began to fade.

"Oh, I see..." The sound of disappointment filled his voice, slowly breaking my heart.

'Nice going, Mary. Now he thinks you got some boyfriend who gave it to you...' My conscience was unimpressed by my choice of words.

'Wait, no! That's not what I meant!'

"Michael, you don't understand. My dad gave me this watch as an early birthday present, that's why it's special to me." I lied to him again, knowing it was the only way.

If I'd told him I bought it, calling it special would lose its value. Plus, I wasn't entirely sure if girls could buy themselves jewelry. Women couldn't even apply for their own credit cards in this time. So, for now, I had to tell him the pocket watch was a gift from my dad.

"Really? That's groovy! Uh, I mean...It's real nice knowing your dad gave you such a pretty present...it looks good on you. By the way, when is your birthday, Marilyn?" Those dark eyes brighten up at the moment he heard the good news, his voice perking up excitedly as he tried to remain his cool.

I pushed the guilt further back into my mind, smiling at him in response.

"My birthday is August the twenty first. And thank you, I really like that wool hat of yours, too. I don't think anyone can wear a warm hat in the summer like you can, Mike." The butterflies flapped their wings in a rhythmic tune inside of me, catching his lovely white grin.

"Thanks, Marilyn. It keeps the hair out of my eyes..." Right as he said this, Mike did the unthinkable and used his powerful wink on me for the very first time.

Within seconds, my knees lost mobility as I leaned into the counter for support and saved myself from losing all balance. My chest tightened, feeling my heart skipping madly like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing with each other. And my smile quickly spread like wildfire from just that one wink.

There were several episodes on the show where he would sneak in his winks and every time I fell victim to it. I couldn't help it though, there was something about Mike that easily drew me to him. I fell in love with his character and the man who played him. Now, I'm falling for the man that was him.

'Does that even make any sense?' My mind was unable to find an answer.

Michael and I stared at each other, no one spoke a word or made a sound. The music in the store sounded like Paul Anka, but I was having a hard time paying attention to even make sure.

"Ma-Mar-Marilyn...?" Mike's voice suddenly cracked. He quickly cleared his throat, trying to cover it up by deepening his voice to sound more masculine.

"Yes, Mike?" I softly answered, seeing his dark eyes searching for the right words.

"I-I was wondering if you're busy tonight...?" His voice was normal again, seeing the nervous look in his eyes. There was a mixture of hope and pain, telling me he's been rejected before.

'You are busy, Mary. You need to finish fixing the pocket watch to get back!' My conscience screamed out, as I stared at the time machine.

'But, one night isn't going to kill me...I don't want to turn Mike away.' I argued back my thoughts, looking back at Mike. I wanted to know what was on his mind.

"No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?" A smile appeared on my face, curiosity filled my voice.

My heart decided that now was the best time to increase its beats per second. I was beginning to feel anxious.

Mike's hands rested on the counter, shaking nervously and clasping them together to control himself. He shifted his weight, leaning forward with his elbows to get comfortable. He opened his mouth but couldn't produce any sound, hesitating for several seconds until finally speaking.

"Well...I want to know if you would-"

"Marilyn, I need...Oh, hello, Mike! I didn't hear you come through the door. I'm sorry to interrupt, but there are some boxes I need help with, Marilyn." Just as Mike was about to tell me something, Mr. Herman stepped out of the stockroom asking for my help.

"Hi, Mr. Herman. No, it's okay. I'll wait until you get back." Mike's voice felt defeated and slightly disappointed. He removed his wool hat from his head, holding it in his hands.

"This won't take long, I promise." I gave him a soft grin before following my boss into the stockroom. I didn't want to leave him, but I had a job to fulfill and he understood.

'I wondered what Mike wanted to ask me?' I thought to myself, as I helped Mr. Herman with a new shipment of vinyls that arrived this morning.


Mike's P.O.V:

I pushed my legs along the hot concrete sidewalk, listening to the ugly sounds of the city in my ears. There was only one thought on my mind and her name is Marilyn. I needed to go down to the record store to hear her sweet voice, to see her lovely face, and her beautiful soul in my presence once more.

A whole week had gone by without her in my life, the only recent memory is the night she went to our gig at the Vincent for the second time. Seeing her in the audience made my heart soar like the highest height on a rollercoaster. Mary is a real groovy girl and I've been falling for her since the beginning.

My days without her distracted my ability to play guitar during rehearsals and at gigs almost costing us a few jobs. The guys knew it was because I missed Mary, they missed her too, but they didn't feel the same way I felt about her.

When Mary was around me, I felt I could do almost anything that no other girl could. Every time she looks at me with those bright brown eyes, my stomach will put on a show. When she looks at me with her lovely smile, my heart starts up like a car engine in a drag race. She made me feel comfortable to be myself, she never judged me like the others have done in the past. Because of her, my life changed for the better.

'I don't want this summer to end...' I felt a sudden twinge inside my heart, dreading the moment when the girl I liked will have to leave.

Mary wasn't from around here, she was only here for the summer and I couldn't make her stay. Even if I tried, she had one more year to finish college in San Diego.

'A whole year seems like an eternity...' I needed to ignore the gloomy thoughts and focus what was happening now.

My goal was to make this summer unforgettable for her and for me as well, so I've decided to do the unthinkable.

I was going to ask Marilyn out on a date.

The idea has been playing in my mind back and forth like an endless round of table tennis, my moment to finally tell her was now. Every step I took brought me closer to my destination, my nerves were jumping all over the place, I was anxious and excited at the same time.

'But, What if she doesn't say 'yes', Mike? What if she laughs in your face, instead? Are you willing to face that kind of rejection again...?' In the back of my mind, I heard a small voice telling me not to risk another broken heart.

Although, I had a flicker of hope Mary will go out with me. She set herself apart from the other girls the moment I met her and she was going to be mine.

'Man, what do you know? Mary isn't like that. She's a pretty groovy girl and I know she likes me.' I fought back with my conscience, acting like a fool for arguing with myself.

Finally, I stopped in front of the record store, looking through the clear glass and finding Mary at the register with her head down. She looked to be working on something, but I couldn't get a good look of the unknown object.

My entire body tensed up in hesitation, preventing me from entering the store.

"Come on, Mike. You can do this! Just go in there and tell her." I told myself, trying to gain confidence in asking her out. I looked at my reflection from the sunlight against the glass windows.

I adjusted myself, making sure I don't look like an idiot once confronting Marilyn. Starting with my hair, I combed it with my fingers and pushed it away from my eyes. Next, I fixed my dark green wool hat on my head, making sure my wavy long hair didn't fall over my eyes. And finally, I checked the rest of me, my black t-shirt was tucked into my old blue jeans, a black belt to hold them together, and my brown boots worn underneath.

Feeling good about my appearance, I took in a deep breath and made my way into the store. The sound of the bell from above the doors announced my arrival as Marilyn's warm coffee eyes looked up to meet me. Her lips formed a bright grin on her lovely face, causing me to grin ten times the average size as my heart pounded like the way Micky played drums.

The sight of her long wavy, light brown hair rested against her shoulders, wrapped with a sky blue ribbon and showing her pierced ears. My stomach became infested with butterflies, seeing her a few feet away as she made me feel something I couldn't describe. I felt really nervous now.

Taking another deep breath, I moved towards her in long strides and reached the register. Marilyn was even more beautiful up close, which only made it harder for me to ask her out. Instead, I eased my way to the question, having no problem speaking to her about last week. Mary felt bad about it, explaining to me that she's been busy decorating her townhouse, so she can invite the guys and I over. I'm really looking forward to it, I bet her place looks better than the dump we live in.

My eyes moved towards her hands, finding her pocket watch opened up from the backside and seeing all of the neat mechanics. I easily recognized it as Mary always wore it around her neck. I don't think I ever seen her without it just how I never leave the pad without my hat.

I asked her about it, seeing some tools on the counter. She spent her nights trying to fix it on her own, it was another reason why I haven't seen her. The problem was one of the gears was jamming up the whole watch to function properly. It didn't sound like it was big problem, but Mary admitted she had no knowledge what she was doing.

So, I asked her why she hasn't taken it to the jeweler's, knowing it would have been easier but she refused. Marilyn wanted to fix it herself because it was special to her.

My heart sank when she told me this, the pocket watch had to be a gift from a boyfriend back in San Diego. I should have known, a girl as great as her could never fall for a guy like me.

'Get a hold of yourself, Mike. Mary never mentioned she had a boyfriend! She wouldn't hurt you like that...' I tried to calm down my nerves, as she looked at me with worried eyes.

Marilyn then explained that the watch was an early birthday gift from her dad. Suddenly, a wave of relief washed over me, my voice filled with excitement. I told her how good the pocket watch looked on her before asking about her birthday, so I can do something nice for her. August the twenty first was her special day, I'll never forget it. Mary even told me how much she liked my green wool hat, telling me how no one else could wear one in the summer like I could and that made my heart rise on the rollercoaster again.

Something then came over me, I winked at her. I didn't know why I did it, but it happened and I felt really embarrassed. I looked at her though, seeing her smile turning into a large grin.

'She liked it! I should do this more often then.'

Suddenly, it became quiet between us with only the music surrounding our thoughts.

'This is it, Mike! Ask Mary out on a date, you might never get a chance to do it again. It's now or never!' I spoke in my head, encouraging myself to finally ask the question.

"Ma-Ma-Marilyn...?" Without a warning, my voice cracked. I cleared my throat to cure it, hiding my nerves by deepening my voice.

"Yes, Mike?" There she goes again, calling out my name in her sweet voice. I really dig the way she said my name, she drove me crazy. I tried to find the right words to tell her without making a fool out of myself.

"I-I was wondering if you're busy tonight...?" Heat rose on the back of my neck, my heart flapped like the wings of a seagull on the beach. I stared at her with hope in my eyes, praying she wouldn't turn me down.

"No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?" She looked at me with curiosity in her voice, my heart only pounded harder.

I rested my hands on the counter, shaking nervously and clasping them together as my palms started to sweat. I shifted my weight, leaning against the counter with my elbows to relax. My mouth opened to say something, but nothing happened just hesitation. I tried again and finally spoke.

"Well...I want to know if you would-"

"Marilyn, I need...Oh, hello, Mike! I didn't hear you come through the door. I'm sorry to interrupt, but there are some boxes I need help with, Marilyn." Mr. Herman appeared from the stockroom, needing her help just as I was about to ask her out. I couldn't blame him, though, I was too slow to tell her.

"Hi, Mr. Herman. No, it's okay. I'll wait until you get back." I let out softly, feeling disappointed that I miss my chance in asking Mary out. I took the wool hat off my head, grasping it in my hands.

"This won't take long, I promise." My eyes stared at Mary, who showed me a soft smile. She left the register and disappeared into the stockroom with Mr. Herman. To me, she didn't want to leave, but she had a job and I understood.

'Damn it...' I exhaled a breath of hot air, feeling completely defeated.

"It's okay, Mary. I just wanted to ask if you would go out with me..." I ran my hands down my face, hating myself for delaying my chance.

Looking down at my wool hat in my hands, my eyes caught sight of Mary's pocket watch. It meant a lot to her, she put so much time trying to fix it and I wanted to help her. I grabbed the watch and the small screw driver from the counter, tinkering with a few screws holding the jammed gear in place.

After a minute, the gear began to spin and the pocket watch was working again. A smile spread along my face, knowing Marilyn would be thrilled and she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

"You're welcome, Mr. Herman. I'm happy to help out!" As I heard Marilyn's voice coming from the stockroom, I quickly put everything back where they belonged. I put the wool hat back on my head, trying to look natural as Marilyn reappeared with a warm grin on her face.

End P.O.V.


Once I finished helping Mr. Herman in the stockroom, I walked back into the store and looked at Mike with a smile on my lips. His dark chocolate eyes met mine, returning the gesture with a bright smirk on his handsome face.

"I'm sorry, Mike." I reached the register, apologizing to him for leaving as he was in the middle of telling me something.

"Don't worry about it, I understand. Plus, I'm willing to wait for you, Marilyn." His mouth revealed his slightly crooked teeth as he smiled again. The butterflies inside fluttered freely in my stomach. Mike was very understanding and very sweet, too.

'He's willing to wait for you...I wonder if that applies to you being from the future in a different universe?' My conscience was beginning to annoy me.

"Thank you, Mike. You're very sweet. Oh, by the way, what was it you wanted to ask me?" Mike looked nervous, his eyes glancing down at his shoes for a few seconds before looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"Oh...uh, I-I...I want to ask if...if you would like to go on a date with me?" His voice had trouble saying the words, but he was able to do it and as he did, my heart exploded in a burst of confetti.

'Did he just...? Did Mike really asked me out? Mike Nesmith from the Monkees just asked me out! Oh, my gosh!' My face felt hot and most likely turned red from embarrassment. I didn't know what to say, I knew what to say, but the words were all scrambled in my brain to make sense.

Tell you the truth, I was completely taken back. The thought of him liking me more than a friend was something I've debated in my mind over and over. I only dreamt about it and now it came true. Then again, I didn't think my birthday present had the ability to take me to this alternate universe.

'If you agree to go out with him, you're only going to break his heart and yours in the end. Mary, you said it yourself that "love and time can't exist"...' Always in the perfect moment, my conscience had to find a way to ruin it. I couldn't argue because I did said that, but this was a chance of a lifetime. I'll probably never get an opportunity like this ever again.

'A summer romance? This was all it was going to be. There is a possibility I might never return, should I take the risk?' The thought lingered, Mike began to look nervous patiently waiting for my answer.

"Yes, I would love to go out with you, Mike." My smile grew by the second, telling him 'yes'.

His smile faded though, looking hurt as if I rejected him, but I didn't and he misheard me.

"Oh, okay. I get it..." He lowered his head, staring at the floor and turned his back towards me. He began to make his way to the door, but something registered in his head as he made a quick 180 degree turn to face me again.

"Wait! What did you say?" His voice perked up, running back to the register with a surprised look on his face.

"I would love to go out with you." I repeated my answer to him, his face was filled with happiness and it sent my heart flying.

"Groovy! I'll come back to pick you up after work! Bye, Marilyn!" His voice cheerfully sang in my ears, seeing the proud white, crooked grin on his handsome face.

Michael literally ran out of the store, holding onto his hat to keep it from falling off. He ran in the direction to the beach house to tell the others the good news.

'I might not be here for long, but I might as well make the best of it...I hope Mike will understand.' I thought to myself, staring out the shop windows again.

'He'll only understand once you tell him you're from another time...' My conscience told me suddenly, speaking the truth.

Looking away from the windows, I heard a faint ticking sound coming from the counter. My eyes looked down at my hands to where the pocket watch was and noticed the gears moving again.

'What?' I immediately grabbed the watch, turning it over to see the hunter case and found the hands ticking once more. The time device was finally fixed.

'Looks like now you can go back home...' The voice in my head let out, leaving a bittersweet taste in my mouth.

I felt happy to go home, but the idea of leaving this place so soon wasn't something I wanted to worry about for a while. I forced the thought in the deepest crevice of my mind, the only thing I wanted to focus on was my date with Mike tonight. I can stress out about time travel another day.