"Hey, Mike, are you going to be okay?" Davy, a short cute Englishman, asked the tall skinny Texan.

"Ah, ya know I'll be alright," Mike put in his suitcase in the back of the red Monkeemobile and pushed down his green wool hat "I think the question is how are you going to cope? Micky and Peter can be quite a handful, and I feel guilty leaving you to look after them."

"Honestly, Mike, I think I know how to look after them, I've only been watching you do it for the last few years!" Davy replied sarcastically "But don't feel guilty about it man; you have to go and see your Aunt - it is her birthday and you'll be back tomorrow night."

"I suppose you're right, man," Mike turned and smiled slightly at Davy "Well, I'm about done now, so I'll be off. Where's Micky and Peter?"

Davy turned towards the pad to look for them, just as they came out. Micky came jumping out of the door, his dark brown curls bouncing and his tablecloth poncho swaying. Peter walked out more calmly, his innocent-looking face dimpled and his smile bright as he followed his energetic friend out the pad.

"Are you leaving now Mike?" Micky asked, as Mike nodded and sighed deeply.

"Yeah, I'll be leaving now," Mike answered "But, hey, you guys, try not to do anything silly, like get into trouble," he looked at Micky, who grinned "or fall in love", he looked at Davy, who started whistling and looked around innocently "or let Micky's teasing get the better of you" he looked at Peter, who didn't realise he meant him.

Just as Mike was about to get in the car [hoping for a quick escape] all three boys hugged him as he stood there, slightly awkwardly, but feeling like a Dad saying goodbye to his sons. 'Boy',  he thought, 'I sure am gonna miss them'. Finally, he got into the Monkeemobile and drove off as the other Monkees yelled 'Goodbye' to him, feeling a bit better about leaving them home alone. 'They'll be just fine,' he thought, trying to reassure himself 'They're three grown men, they can look after themselves without me'. But even as he thought it, he knew, deep down, it probably wasn't true. 

                           ***