Take: Three

Word Count: 1,176

There was a couple that worked together very well on this show. They had been married for five years, and had three kids. They were one of those rare relationships were no arguments were exchanged. Ever. They were a miracle couple.

And their names were Houshou Takigawa and Ayako Matsuzaki (she keeps her maiden name for the show-life). More normally known as Monk and Ayako.

"Mai!" Naru yelled from behind the door of his overly-bright office. "I'm thirsty!"

Sunglasses in place, Mai entered the eye-ball burning room. "And what would you like to quench your thirst, Boss?"

He put his chin in his hand, as if he was thinking deeply, which Mai doubted.

"Eggnog," he finally decided. "Step on it."

Mai was hoping that the last line had been a figure of speech, since she was pretty sure that he didn't want her to actually step on it.

In the kitchen, she expected to find eggnog in the fridge, as that was normally how it happened. But there was nothing there.

She ran back to Naru's office, putting the sunglasses on as she went.

"Naru," she said, "We don't have any eggnog."

He looked befuddled. "Well, why not?"

"Because it's not in season!"

"Mai," Naru said, his voice holding a tone of deadliness to it. "I want eggnog."

Without a further word, Mai exited the office.

"What do I do?" Mai said to herself, because that seemed like a good thing to do. "I've never made eggnog before."

On cue, the door opened, and Ayako waltzed in. She had her hair done up in a complicated way, and was wearing a knee-length gray skirt and white blouse.

The producers had decided that Ayako's character had become too generic, so to switch it up a bit, they were having Ayako playing different parts of her personality, trying to find something 'refreshing'.

Today, it was Mother Ayako.

"What is it, honey?" She said in a soothing voice, taking Mai into her arms when the younger girl ran up to her.

"It's terrible!" Mai said to her in sobbing tones. "I don't know how to make eggnog! I don't even know if you're supposed to cook it!"

"Well, no, Mai, sweetie. It would be more like custard if you were to cook it."

"Gah! You see? It is awful! I don't know how to make anything other than tea!" She buried her head in Mother Ayako's shirt. "I'll never make a good wife!"

Mother Ayako patted Mai's head. "Don't worry; just let me call my lovely husband. He'll be able to pick some up fo—"

"Ayako," Mai hissed from between her teeth. "He's not your husband on the show. Quit being sweetie with him all the time. It's creepy."

Mother Ayako pouted. "But how can I be mad at my lovely husband?"

And then, the 'lovely husband' Monk walked through the door. He had his hair slicked back, and all his earrings were gone. He was wearing a crisp black suit and white shirt, with a perfectly straight tie.

John entered with him, to compact as much as the producers could into the half-hour show. John was wearing all blue. Blue shirt, blue jeans, blue shoes, blue hair.

Mai raised her eyebrows at him. "I don't remember this being in the script."

"I'm John Blue," he said, rubbing his eyes with his fist, as if he had been crying. "Boohoo, hoo…"

Naru suddenly burst out of his office. "What are you all doing here? Is there some party that I wasn't invited to?"

"I don't party," Mister Monk said. He was very strict in everything he would do, and if he did something, there had to be a logical reason behind it. In fact, it sometimes drove Mai nuts to be around him too long.

John started to weep for no reason.

"Mother Ayako," Mai said, trying to snap Mother Ayako from her dreamy stares towards Mister Monk. "You need to teach me to cook, remember? I need to become a good wife."

"You? Wife?" Naru said. "I'm sorry, but you're not my type."

And then, just because the producers needed to put her in the show somewhere, Masako walked in. She was wearing short-shorts and a tight, dark blue tank top. She was chewing a big wad of gum, apparently to match the type of persona she was being.

"Wardrobe malfunction again?" Mister Monk asked. Masako nodded, looking not strong enough to speak. "I'll have to fix that," he continued, pulling out his cell phone.

Being the perfect business man he was, Mister Monk actually had, like, five cell phones on him, and a landline, somewhere. He was using a normal looking cell, today. It showed what type of agent he was for that person judging on the cell phone he used for them.

Naru pointed to Masako. "My type."

He leaned forward until he could whisper into Mai's ear. "And you want to know why? It's because her shirt matches my eyes."

Mai pushed Naru away.

And then, John burst into another round of loud sobs.

"What are you crying about?" Mister Monk said, irritated.

"I don't know," John said, "It is all just so sad…"

And then Lin walked in. "What going on? Who's having a dramatic scene? There's nothing good on TV."

Lin sat down on the couch, holding a bowl of sugar. He slowly ate it spoonful after spoonful.

John just kept crying.

"What are you doing?" Mother Ayako scoffed, "That is not good for you to eat for breakfast."

"But… but it helps calms my nerves."

"Where's your computer?" Mister Monk asked.

Lin dropped the bowl of sugar, the contents falling all around his feet in a puddle of white sand. He pulled out his handkerchief and started to blot at his eyes.

"Why does everybody always ask me that?" Lin said.

"I know, it makes me so sad for you," John said, the tears flowing freely.

"And I feel so sad that they keep messing up your name in the script!" Lin cried.

John sat down next to Lin on the couch, and they started to tell each other depressing story after depressing story. It was kind of… depressing.

"Mai, eggnog?" Naru said, folding his arms.

Mai took the opportunity to run to the kitchen. She shut and locked the door behind her, reveling in the silence.

She loved this kitchen. It held everything. Five marble counters, a beautiful stove, a huge refrigerator, and cabinets covered the walls. It was amazing that something like this fit into the little apartment that was called SPR.

She had locked Ayako, her only hope, on the other side of this door. How will she ever figure out how to make eggnog…?

Mai went to the fridge, looking for some comfort food.

And there in the fridge, was a little carton of eggnog, with a sticky-note attached to it: Sorry it's late.

Apparently Naru would get his eggnog after all.

Screw him, Mai thought, and she took the carton and started to drink from it.