The Monkees: Gold Rush

Take the Last Train to Clarksville

Mike brought June back to her house in the buggy. He helped her put her horse up in the stables then he walked with her to the door of her house. She smiled at him with her pretty smile. "I enjoyed myself," She said.
"Me too," Mike said.
June kissed Mike on the lips before going into her house. Mike stood outside of June's home. His fingers drifted to him lips before he walked back to the buggy. He drove the buggy back to the livery stable. He returned the buggy. He decided to stop at the saloon for a drink to help himself think better. Peter was still playing the piano.
Mike walked towards Peter. He sat next to him.
Peter looked over at Mike. "What had you out so late?" Peter asked.
"Nothing," Mike said.
"Nothing doesn't keep people out until ten," Peter said.
Mike looked over at Peter. "Okay, I was with a girl," He said.
"Who?"
"June Finch," Mike said.
Peter nodded as he began to play slowly on the piano. Mike gestured for Calphurnia to bring him a drink. She brought it over. He took it. Calphurnia leaned on the piano.
"Why are you in such a good mood?" She asked.
"He was with a girl," Peter said.
Mike shushed Peter. Calphurnia smiled. "Seems like everyone has somebody," She said.
"You're nobody 'til somebody loves you," Peter commented.
Calphurnia stared at him. "Where'd you hear that?" She asked.
Peter shrugged. "I don't know," He said. He continued to play the piano.
Mike smiled. "I don't know if it is serious, but she's a very sweet person," He said.
Calphurnia nodded her head slowly letting her false smile drift away. Peter reached over and touched Calphurnia's hand softly. Mike watched the two of them for a moment trying to figure out what was going on. He finished his drink.
The grandfather clock leaned against the wall said it was time for Mike to go back to his hotel room to catch a few hours of sleep. Calphurnia's eyes followed Mike's gaze. She looked back to Peter. "It might be a good time for you to go and get some sleep," She said.
Peter sighed. "One more song," He said.
Calphurnia smiled at him. "One more, but you'll have to leave after it," She said.
Peter began to play The Door Into Summer. Mike smiled and sang along with Peter's piano playing.

"With his fool's gold stacked up all around him
From a killing in the market on the war
The children left King Midas there, as they found him
In his counting house where nothing counts but more

And he thought he heard the echo of a penny whistle band
And the laughter from a distant caravan
And the brightly painted line of circus wagons in the sand
Fading through the door into summer

Well, it's travel onto "maybe next year" 's places
As a trade-in for a name upon the door
And he pays for every year he cannot buy back with his tears
As he finds out there's been no one keeping score

And he thought he heard the echo of a penny whistle band
And the laughter from a distant caravan
And the brightly painted line of circus wagons in the sand
Fading through the door into summer..."

Peter smiled slowly stopping his piano playing. Mike nudged his friend. "Come on, let's go back to the hotel," He said.
Peter gathered up his sheet music then followed after Mike out the door of the saloon. They walked to the hotel. Mike walked into his room first; he washed his face before going to sleep. Peter opened the door to his room, and he found Aponi asleep on a chair in the room. Peter smiled slightly. He walked over to the sleeping young woman and shook her gently. She opened her eyes slowly.
"What are you doing in here?" Peter asked sitting on the arm of the chair.
"I want to go home," Aponi said quietly.
"Home?"
"To my tribe," Aponi said. "I've been away from them for so long..."
Peter touched her hair and petted her. Aponi looked down at her hands. He felt selfish, but he was afraid that if he let her return he'd never see her again. He didn't want her to leave.
"Can you wait until Mike, Micky, Davy, and I buy the land?" Peter asked.
Aponi opened her mouth as if to say something, but she closed it and looked back down at her hands. She nodded her head slowly. Peter smiled and kept running his fingers through her hair. Aponi looked up at him almost in tears. She felt so torn. She wanted to stay with Peter, but she felt so out of place in his world. She was an outsider.
Peter looked at Aponi startled. "What's wrong?" He asked. He picked her up and sat in the chair and held her close to him. Aponi started to cry into his chest. He petted her hair to calm her, but Aponi couldn't stop crying.
Peter kissed the top of Aponi's head. She continued to cry into his shirt. Peter raised her chin gently so that he could see her face. It was starting to get puffy from her tears. Her eyes were red from crying. He leaned forward and softly kissed her on the lips. It was a quick kiss. The sincerity of it scared Aponi. She stopped crying.
"Peter... I... Why?" Aponi stuttered.
Peter tilted his head slightly. "I'm sorry," He said as his brow furrowed.
"No, I mean... I don't know what I mean..." Aponi said still stumbling over her words. Her hand went to her hair and brushed a strand back behind her ear.
Aponi was keenly aware of how close she was to Peter. She felt her hands make their way behind his neck. She leaned forwards and kissed Peter. His fingers made their way into her hair then one hand drifted down to her lower back. He squeezed her closer to him.
Slowly Aponi and Peter parted. Her hands slowly ran down his shoulders until one was resting on his shoulder and the other on his chest. Peter's hands were both around her waist. Neither of them knew what to say to the other. They both enjoyed the kiss, but now they were speechless.
Aponi leaned her head onto Peter's chest. "I don't ever want to leave you," She said quietly.
Peter kissed the top of her head. "Then don't," He said.
Aponi stood up slowly. Her hand lingers on Peter's shoulder until she was too far away from her fingertips to reach. She looked down at Peter. Her dark eyes looked sad and pained.
"I have to... I'm sorry," She said walking backwards slowly to the door.
Peter watched her leave the room, the wooden door closing softly behind her. He felt a pain in his chest. He was afraid that he had scared her away. Peter hit his leg angrily. It was all his fault.

(Whelp, I'm back. Another one of my cutesy romance scenes. I really am no good at these. Some more stuff is gonna happen in the next few chapters. Now I just need to get off their love lives for a little bit. I wonder how many sly song reference I put in here... Some of them are pretty subtle and I had to change some words, but there are a few. Speaking of trains, I wonder how many songs there are about trains there are.
Lonesome train, on a lonesome track! ~ Adde Away!)