FRANKIE COMES AGAIN

PREVIOUSLY:  Helen, the maid who cleans the Criminologist's office, continues the story where the criminologist had left off.  We've learned that Riff Raff and Magenta headed back to Transylvania (a trip that could take a year's time to complete).  Brad and Janet made love one time, which could have been a mistake: Janet found out a few months later that she was pregnant.  But this worried her: who was the father? Within a 24 hour period, she had slept with Brad, Frank and Rocky.  What would she do?  Would she tell anyone?  If she did, what would be the consequences?

    The scene switches to Brad's apartment.  Ralph has just left and Brad closes the door behind him.  Music starts, a soft and ambient feel, with light strokes on piano keys.  The air is filled with sadness and worry.  As he walks over to the window sill, we can hear a voice-over of Helen, the maid, speaking to us: "Knowing that Janet went to the doctor but had not told him, Brad felt alone.  What had happened to Janet and him?"
    Brad opened up the window and rested his palms on the sill, as he stared out into the city.  The sun was bright.  Below (his view from the second floor), he could see 2 children on the sidewalk, looking at a set of trading cards.  The children were laughing.  Brad forced a smile in response, but he obviously can't stop thinking about Janet and the fact that she has kept the doctor's appointment a secret.
    It is obvious that the bond between the two of them has loosened, and there is nothing he can do about it.  Brad was no longer the strong man that he used to be.
    The soft and beautiful music continues.  The song we are hearing is a new track, called "Somebody."
    Brad notices a pigeon landing on the brick ledge near his hands.  He doesn't react to it.  Instead, he stares off into the distance, and asks aloud: "Janet, what is going on with you?"
    The camera switches to show Janet seated in her car seat.  She is still in the parking garage at the doctor's office.  Her car is running, but she is not driving yet.  A close-up on her face reveals that she is crying.
    Helen tells us, in a voice-over: "Little does Brad know - Janet was faced with a terrible situation.  One which, regardless of how she acts on it, could and would destroy her life as she knew it."
    Janet puts her car gear into drive, and drives forward.  She leaves the garage and merges with traffic on the street.
    The camera switches back to Brad, still at his window sill.  The song is about to be sung, with the scenes alternating back and forth to Brad and Janet as necessary...

    Janet found herself stopped at a stop light.  She was the first car of several, lined up in a row, waiting for it to turn green.  As Janet waited, her eyes continued to let out a heavy stream of tears.  She found herself remembering a beautiful moment in her life: the sole time that she and Brad made love.  She remembered how gentle he was, caressing her as though she were a fragile doll.  He had shown a sign of a man who was trying to be strong and protective.  She yearned for that touch again, for a protective arm to wrap around her and say to her, "It's okay, Janet.  Everything's going to be alright."
    Unexpectedly, the real world surrounded her again, and she could hear the sounds of several motorcars honking their horns.  She was sitting still at an intersection.  She looked up, and saw that the light had turned green.
    "Okay!" she mumbled loudly, as she wiped tears off of her cheek.  She drove forward again, heading towards her home.
    Meanwhile Brad reached out a hand, in attempt to touch the pigeon.  Unfortunately, the startled bird flew away.

    Brad closed his window and sat down on the couch to pull his thoughts together.  He realized that for whatever reason Janet had, she wanted the doctor's visit to be a secret.  He understood that when she becomes ready to tell him, she will, and until then, he won't bring it up.

    Meanwhile, up in the darkness of outer space, the castle / spaceship floated towards Transylvania.  Inside, Riff was in the control room, seated in a chair.  He stared into the dark space through the bay window.  Magenta was in the dining room, setting the table for their next meal.
    "Magenta," Riff said, his image projected through the dining room television monitor, "I'm getting hungry.  How soon until we eat?"
    Magenta stared at him, and smiled, "Patience, my dear brother, patience.  It won't be long."
    Riff smiled back, "Patience is a virtue.  And it's also very important if we are to keep our sanity during a journey that should take us an entire year.  But, dear sister, I foresee a problem with our food rations."
    "Problem?" Magenta asked, knowing very well what her brother was about to say.
    He continued, "Yes, you need to find a way to keep your dogs out of the food pantry.  They're eating us blind."
    "I will find a way."
    Magenta looked away from her brother, and instantly his image vanished on the monitor.
    "Trouble is," Magenta mumbled, "I'm not sure my dogs are the ones eating all the food..."

    Janet sat in her mother's kitchen, talking to her about her "problem."  Janet's mother, Emily Weiss, poured them some coffee and sat down at the table as well.
    "Oh, thanks," Janet said.
    "So Janet, what are you going to do?  Have you thought about an abortion?"
    "No!  I could never do that!"
    "Well, you've got to do something quick.  Before long, you're going to start showing, and you won't be able to pass it off as fat.  And for heaven's sake, don't let your father find out you're pregnant.  He'll castrate Brad quicker than you can say aliens."
    This last statement made Janet think back for a brief second to Frank N. Furter.  Quickly, she shook the thought out of her head.
    Emily Weiss added, "You know when I told your father that you had been abducted by aliens, he thought I was referring to illegal aliens!  And you know how your father feels about Mexicans."
    Janet sipped her coffee and said, "Well, mom, I've got an idea, but you and dad are going to have to help me."
    Emily looked worried, but agreed, "Oh, baby, you know I'd do anything for you.  Just tell me."
    Janet explained her plan, "Okay, Daddy's leaving next week for Europe, right?"
    "Right..."
    Janet continued, "I'll just tell Brad that I have to go with Daddy to Europe, and that I'll be gone for several months.  That way Brad will never see me when the pregnancy starts to show.  He'll never find out."
    Emily jumped in, "But Janet, your father will find out!  And when he does, he'll go after Brad and then Brad will find out!"
    "Yes, mom, that's why Daddy will never know either!  You see, I won't really go to Europe with Daddy.  That's just what Brad'll think."
    Emily looked worried, "But where will you go?"
    "New York City," Janet answered.  Do you remember my high school friend, Neely Pritt?"
    "Oh, yes," Emily answered with a smile, "I remember her well.  Charming girl."
    "Yes," Janet said, "well, she moved to New York City to try to make it big as an actress."
    "An actress?  How lovely!  Has she been in any movies?"
    "No, mom.  Her only job so far is as a television new anchorwoman there in New York.  But she's unhappy, and considering moving back to Denton."
    Emily sipped her coffee some more, adding, "I'm sure we can find a job for her right here in town.  Perhaps she can be an anchorwoman for the Denton TV Studio?"
    Janet responded, "Yes, mom, eventually.  If she decides to move back.  In the meantime, she's agreed to let me stay with her in her New York apartment.  Brad - nor dad - will ever see me pregnant."
    "So what are you telling me, Janet?  You want me to cover for you while you go to New York and have this baby?  You don't even know who the father is."
    Janet suddenly looked sad, as he mind drifted back to Frank N Furter and Rocky.  Then she quickly reflected on the night she and Brad made love.
    "Janet?" Emily asked, waving her hand in front of Janet's blank expression, "Are you listening to me?"
    Janet snapped out of her trance, and apologized, "I'm sorry, mother.  What were you saying?"
    Emily said, "Once you have the baby in New York, what are you going to do with it?"
    Janet, still in a quiet reflective thought, mumbled, "I don't know."
    "Janet, it sounds as if you haven't thought this plan all the way through."
    Janet interrupted her mother, "No mom, I know what I'm going to do.  You see, it all will depend on the baby's hair color.
If the baby's hair is black, that means the baby's father is Frank.  And if it's blonde, then the baby's father is Rocky.  Brown hair means the baby's father is Brad."
    "Janet, I'm not sure it works that way."
    "It does," insisted Janet, as she stood up at the table, setting her nearly empty coffee cup down.  "And mom, if the baby's father is Frank or Rocky, I'll give it up for adoption.  And if it's Brad's baby....I'll take it home with me, and share the secret with Brad - and my father - at that time."
    Janet walked over to her mother, and bent to kiss her on the cheek.  "So mommy, you need to help me.  Keep my secret for me.  Please?"
    Emily looked worried.  She felt the plan had flaws in it and that it could come crashing down on Janet in the long run.  Emily looked into her daughter's eyes and saw the helplessness.  "Okay," she agreed, "I'll help you -- but there's still one small problem.  What if Brad and your father contact each other?  Or what if your father finds out about..."
    Janet already had the answer: "Tell Dad I need time away from Brad -- to think about the wedding and all.  Tell him that Brad thinks I'm with him -- and that he shouldn't blow it."
    Emily was nervous, but agreed to help her.

IN CHAPTER SIX:  Janet goes to New York and has her baby.  She looks at the baby's hair color to determine who the father is.  ALSO, Magenta and Riff get closer to home!