Chapter 26- Lamps, Hammocks, and Knives

Lizzy pulled away from the kiss, her face burning. Davy smiled and caressed her face. "You're beautiful." Lizzy only giggled. Davy pulled her in for another kiss. In the silence of the pad, the kiss said it all. They were in love.

CRASH!

Both Lizzy and Davy jumped, falling to the floor just a few inches from each other. "What was that?" Lizzy asked, her voice an octave higher than usual.

"I don't know." Davy replied, scanning the pad. Nothing seemed out of place. He stood and began looking around. Lizzy stood and did the same. After several minutes of nothing, Davy called from the upstairs bedroom, "Found it! Oh boy, Mike is not going to be happy about this."

"What is it?" Lizzy asked, running up to join him. Davy and Lizzy looked into the bedroom, finding a nightstand on its side, the lamp on top of it shattered across the floor. Lizzy quickly began to pick up the lamp pieces while Davy grabbed a trash can from the upstairs bathroom.

"How did this happen?" Lizzy asked when Davy returned with the trash can.

"I have no idea." Davy admitted, helping Lizzy pick up the pieces.

Once the shards were picked up and the nightstand returned to its proper position, Lizzy and Davy returned downstairs, ultimately finding themselves on the hammock, swinging mindlessly to the beat of love.

"So tell me," Davy began, "How did you hear about this weird case in the first place?"

The blonde giggled and slid a stray hair behind her ear. "I was in elementary school back in North Dakota. I was maybe nine years old. My class went to the public library to learn more about the library system and whatnot. We were given down time to browse and look at books. Already I was a history buff, so I went straight to the non-fiction, history section. That's when I found, The Recorded History of the Mind-Illness, the book I showed you and Micky when I first met the two of you. I fell in love with it. Oh, and when I saw that picture of Jacob Nelson and his family, I died! Oh Jacob Nelson is…"

Davy cocked an eyebrow. "Jacob is…"

"Dead." Lizzy finished, blushing. Davy gave her a great, Davy smile. She smiled back, her face scarlet.

"I love you, Lizzy." Davy said.

"I love you, Davy." Lizzy replied.

THUD.

Davy and Lizzy suddenly found themselves on the floor, the disconnected hammock underneath them. Davy looked up at the fried ropes in awe. He scrabbled to his feet, looking at the damage.

"How did that happen?" Lizzy asked, getting up as well.

"I don't know. We just replaced those ropes a couple weeks ago, too." Davy wiggled his fingers under the ends of the rope. "I don't get it."

"I don't either." Lizzy said. She looked at Davy with concern in her eyes. Davy shrugged, picking up the hammock and placing it on Micky's drums. However, as Davy moved to leave the bandstand…

BOING!

Out of nowhere, a knife whizzed past his head, lodging itself in the frame of one of the windows, wiggling side to side from the impact. Both Lizzy and Davy remained still, staring at the knife in shock.

"Why'd you do that?" Davy finally asked, looking at Lizzy.

"I d-didn't!" Lizzy exclaimed. "I would not try and hurt you!"

"I think we need to get out of here." Davy said cautiously.

"I second that motion." Lizzy said. Her and Davy quickly ran out of the pad, slamming the door shut behind them. They got in the car and drove away.

"And the four Monkees went home, never to see the gypsy or her daughter ever again." Arthur finished. Mike, Micky, and Peter had insisted that he tell some of the stories he told Mary and her sons.

"That is not how it happened!" Micky said when the story was finished.

"I'm glad that's not how it happened." Mike added, a smirk on his face.

"If it was, we would be in a lot of trouble." Micky added again. "I mean, I get that you had to modify it to satisfy the times, but having Fern and Davy perform for a German Nazi camp?"

"And Mike, Micky, and I saving the day by performing for the general of the camp?" Peter added, concerned.

"It makes for a far more interesting story, boys." Arthur laughed. "I couldn't make heads or tails of half of it when Mike told it."

"Sorry about that." Mike apologized. Suddenly Mike closed his eyes, his face twisting in pain.

"Mike!" Micky and Peter yelled, rushing to his side. "Are you okay?"

"Uh huh." Mike muttered, clutching his head. "My head hurts, that's all."

"Son, I think you've had enough visiting time for now. We should let you rest." Arthur declared, making to leave.

"No, no, no, I'm fine." Mike protested. "Don't go."

"Son, I don't think that's a good idea. I need to go to back to the center, anyway."

"I'll take you home, Mr. Dolenz." Peter offered, leading him out.

Mike screamed in pain. Arthur and Peter froze in their tracks, waiting for Mike to speak again. Micky stayed close, a hand on Mike's shoulder.

"Mike?" Micky asked.

"I'm fine." Mike mumbled again.

"Are you sure? I'm going to get someone." Micky sighed, standing.

"Okay." Mike mumbled, his eyes still shut and his hands on his head.

"I'm going now, Mike. I'll come back tomorrow." Arthur said, looking at Peter for support.

"We'll make sure he gets here, won't we Mick?" Peter said.

"Yeah," Micky said, sliding out of the room. However, Arthur took another step towards the door and Mike hollered again. Tears were now visibly clear on his face. As much as he hated to, Arthur made it through the door and out the door, Mike's signals of pain accompanying him all the way. Peter followed him, shutting the door behind him.

"What was that?" Peter asked as Mike let out another yell of pain from the room. Peter cringed at the sound.

"I'm not sure," Arthur admitted. "But I think Mike needs some rest. Come on, let's go." Arthur began to walk down the hallway at a quick speed, Peter right behind him.

They passed Micky and Maggie as they left. Peter noticed the worry on Maggie's face. In that moment he wondered how much of Mike's life he didn't know about. He wondered what kind of person Maggie was and what exactly happened to make her choose someone else over Mike.