Lori couldn't speak she just stood and stared at Ben opened mouthed. He was the last person she expected to see standing in her living room. Micky was looking very puzzled

"Who is this guy?" He asked. Lori ignored him and went over to Ben

"What are you doing here?" She asked him

"I live here, I moved to America a few weeks ago but it took a long time to track you down because I didn't realise you were still using your married name" Ben told her

"Her what!" Micky shouted. Again Lori ignored him, she hadn't realised what Ben had said

"You live here, why?" She asked Ben

"I got a job here and I couldn't come and not look up the wife could I" He replied smiling a little. Those words cut through Micky like a knife his eyes widened with shock

"You're married!" he shouted at Lori. Lori had frozen in her spot, that was not the way she had intended on Micky finding out

"Maybe we should go" Cait said to Mike

"Can you take Micky with you please?" Lori asked them

"No way I'm staying right here," Micky said

"Micky go home," Lori told him

"Not on you're life I am not going anywhere until some one explains what the hell is going on here" He shouted

"I'm not going to explain anything to you until you calm down so just go!" Lori shouted back

"Come on Mick Lori's right you need to calm down before you say somethin' you'll regret" Mike told him. Micky was about to protest again when Lori turned around to face him

"Please Micky just go" She pleaded. Micky had never been so angry in his life. He just turned around and walked out slamming the door behind him. Lori wanted to burst into tears she couldn't believe this was happening now, she and Micky had been so happy.

"I'll call you tomorrow Lolo" Mike told her he gave her a hug "Everythin' will be fine I promise I love you" He said and he and Cait left. Lori turned back around and looked at Ben

"Have I come at a bad time?" Ben asked. Lori sighed and rubbed her temples

"It's not your fault I should've told him about you" She said

"He's your boyfriend?" Ben asked and came over and took over rubbing her temples for her, and Lori nodded "And he didn't know you were married?"

"No I hadn't found the right time to tell him yet," Lori told him

"The guy in the hat knew who I was"

"Yeah I told Mike about you I told him about everything"

"Including Annie?"

"Yes including Annie, Mike is my best friend, apart from Lana, he got me to open up to him, he's very good at that. He's my best friend," she repeated

"Why didn't you tell er...what's his name?"

"Micky, his name is Micky. Why I didn't tell him is a little complicated and a very long story"

"Do you see me going anywhere? You know you can talk to me about anything baby girl"

"Yeah I know why don't we sit down" Lori told him.

Micky didn't say a word for the journey home. He sat at the very back of the Monkee mobile staring at the road rushing past.

"Is he gonna be ok?" Cait asked Mike, peering over her shoulder at Micky.

"I'm not really sure babe, it's probably come as a bit of a shock for him" Mike told her

"Lori told you about this Ben guy though didn't she? So why didn't she tell Micky?"

"What!" Came a shout from behind them, which made them both jump "You knew Lori is married?" Micky shouted. Mike could see him through the rear view mirror and Micky was looking at him with a glare that could melt metal

"WAS, not is, she WAS married, not any more and yes I did know. Remember that night Lori and I went to dinner and I stayed over with her? That was when she told me," Mike explained

"I can't believe you knew and didn't tell me! What sort of friend are you?" Micky shouted, he was so angry

"A good friend who doesn't go back on his word, I promised Lori I wouldn't tell anyone. She wasn't ready for the whole of America to hear about her personal life and she needed some one to talk to and she confided in me," Mike said in almost in a shout, he was using all the energy he could find to stay calm. They reached the Monkees pad, Micky jumped out of the car and stomped inside slamming the door just as Mike was about to enter. Luckily he was able to stop in time so avoided getting his nose squashed. He opened the door and let Cait in first then followed her inside just in time to hear Micky slam his bedroom door.

"What on earth is going on?" Davy asked peering up from the sofa

"Micky's not in a very good mood at the moment" Cait told him

"I though you guys were watching a movie at Lori's tonight?" Peter said from his spot on the bandstand

"There's been a change of plan," Mike said

"Is Micky ok?" Peter asked

"I don't think so he's not very happy with me or Lori at the moment" he turned to Cait "Wait here I'm gonna go try talk to him"

"You sure that's a good idea?" She asked

"Well I have to try" Mike relied

"Don't worry about Cait, Michael we'll look after her," Peter said. Cait joined Peter on the bandstand and Mike went upstairs. He knocked on the door.

"Shotgun, can I come in?"

"No!" came Micky's voice

"Well tough it's my bedroom too and I'm comin' in" Mike said he opened the door and came in the room. Micky had been lying on his bed and sat up when Mike came in, the drummer looked really angry and irritated.

"I really don't want to talk about it right now Mike ok" He said but Mike ignored him and sat on the edge of Micky's bed

"Look Mick, so she was married what's the big deal she's not any more she's with you now I don't get what the problem is"

"The problem is she didn't tell me, the two things thing I hate more then anything is dishonesty and secrets, you know that, I mean I understand why you didn't tell me and I'm sorry about the way I acted but I don't understand why she didn't tell me"

"She didn't tell you because she couldn't, there's more goin' on there then you know" Mike told him but Micky didn't reply to that so Mike continued "So what are you gonna do about it? Are you goin' to break up with her?"

"At the moment I have no idea" Micky said

"Well at least give her the chance to explain a few things before you make a final decision, she deserves that much" Mike said and Micky huffed.

"Look Mike I know you're only trying to help but I just need to be alone right now please" Micky told him. Mike was worried for his friends, they hadn't been together very long and now it looked as though they were on the verge of splitting up and he wished there was something he could do to stop that from happening but in this case he was powerless. There was nothing more he could think of to say to Micky and it looked as though his words were falling on deaf ears anyway so he got up and left the drummer alone closing the door behind him.

Lori had explained her situation to Ben. How it had taken her so long to get together with Micky because she was scared of falling in love again. They were sitting on the sofa.

"It took me along time to recover after losing Annie, as you know, and then you and I spilt up it hit me hard and I know it did you as well but I couldn't stay there any more I just wanted to start fresh and get on with my life and move on, which is why I had to come back to America I couldn't stay in England anymore everything reminded me of Annie and you and it was slowing down my recovery, too many painful memories"

"Is that why you told you're dad not to tell me where you were?"

"Yes, I know how stupid that was now I didn't want to hurt you and I didn't want you to feel like I never wanted to see you again because that wasn't the case I asked my dad not to tell anyone where I was because I needed time to settle down and as soon as I felt ready I was gonna call you I swear, I was gonna do it soon I promise. It had taken a long time but I was finally moving on"

"Until I showed up and ruined everything" Ben told her feeling a little disappointed.

"No not at all don't ever think that. I'm glad you're here I missed you so much"

"I missed you too, but for now you need to go and see Micky tell him what you just told me," Ben told her

"I don't think I can, I haven't got the strength to fight with him"

"You have to face him sooner or later and if he feels ten per cent for you as what he says he does then he should at least give you chance to explain"

"I wish I had your confidence in that" Lori said quietly

"Go and talk to him Lor you might be surprised," Ben told her. It took a bit more persuasion but finally Lori gave in and she left. She walked slowly to the Monkees pad trying out ways in her head to say sorry to Micky. She arrived at the pad and knocked on the door and was grateful to see Mike's smiling face when he opened it. They didn't say anything at first Mike just hugged her and she closed her eyes, silently thankful to have such a great friend in Mike. She held him tight and finally spoke

"Is he here?" She asked

"Yeah he's up stairs but I must warn you, he's not in a very happy mood at the moment" Mike told her as they let go of each other

"Well that doesn't matter he deserves to hear an explanation" Lori said. She came in and saw Peter, Davy and Cait watching her from the kitchen table

"Hi Lori" Peter said

"Hi Pete, hi guys" She replied with a weak smile

"Could you guys take Cait home I want to stay here in case Lori needs me," Mike asked Peter and Davy as Lori trooped slowly up the stairs

"Yeah of course" Davy said

"Call me tomorrow?" Cait said to Mike as she came over to him

"Of course I will, you don't mind about this do you I mean I know we were supposed to be having a night in together and everythin'"

"Hay don't worry I completely understand but just be careful ok don't get involved unless you really have too" she told him Mike kissed her and they hugged.

"I won't, I will make this up to you I promise" They kissed again then Mike turned his attention back to Peter and Davy "Don't come back straight away guys ok this could take awhile" The Texan told his band mates

"Ok Michael" Peter said. He and Davy were very confused as to what was going on, they knew Micky and Lori had had a pretty serious argument but they didn't know what about but they wanted them to make up as much as Mike did so they didn't argue. Peter Davy and Cait left and Mike looked up at the balcony and saw Lori take a few deep breaths and open the door.

Micky was lying on his bed, the lights were off and the curtains were closed. He sat up when he heard the door open the lights from the living room illuminated his face and it was obvious he had been crying. Lori wanted to die. She hated to see him that way.

"Hi" she said as she walked in and closed the door.

continued