A Monday Return

The Count

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Okay, I'll worry when it's time to worry. *Waits for Jimmy to ambush the boss frog and hog.

Serious series, yes... But you have to admit, you gave us Accident before this, so the Henson Hex (that means six) might be a tad mift at you for putting Robin through this stuff.
:stick_out_tongue: On the other hand... Me likes CeCe as a new character, dunno if you'll go with her or that other girl frog mentioned in your DYAK oneshot whose name escapes me fright now. BTW: Does CeCe have hair or not? Just trying to imagine her in my mind's eye.
Oh, and sorry for posting so late, today seemed to be Fanfic Thursday concerning some fics I'm following over on that other fanfiction website. :zany:
 

WebMistressGina

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Okay, I'll worry when it's time to worry. *Waits for Jimmy to ambush the boss frog and hog.
Well....I wouldn't say worry, cause you already know the aftermath, but you'll see.

Serious series, yes... But you have to admit, you gave us Accident before this, so the Henson Hex (that means six) might be a tad mift at you for putting Robin through this stuff.
Yeah....well look, next story will be happier, kay? cause it involves a wedding :big_grin:

In fact, this morning, I planned out the rest of the fics I'll be doing here, so expect an update to Great Impostors and yes, I do plan on finishing Wedding Day Blues. Then we'll mosy on back to 2-Ball and...was it Monday Marriage? Yeah, think so. So...there. You got your happies and the sads, okay?


:stick_out_tongue: On the other hand... Me likes CeCe as a new character, dunno if you'll go with her or that other girl frog mentioned in your DYAK oneshot whose name escapes me fright now. BTW: Does CeCe have hair or not? Just trying to imagine her in my mind's eye.

Um....maybe. *shrugs* The night is young, so to speak, so...yeah.

All the womanly froggies and toadies have hair cause...women just don't look good bald. Very few, so yeah, they has hair. Hair as the eye can see...
 

WebMistressGina

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Happy Sunday! I got two new chapters for you guys this weekend! In this chapter, we see what Scooter and the rest of the guys are doing, while also seeing their plans for Sunday's show come together. And tomorrow's Monday will feature Leaper's funeral and the plans that are put forth in 5 ball! And if you're really good, I may have an Impostors update for you too!

Enjoy!




Chapter VI


Wednesday

Wednesday mornings were usually set aside for financial obligations for the Muppet Theatre. Normally, both Scooter and Kermit would sit down and go over the books most Wednesday mornings, but on this morning, it was all Scooter. While he knew he didn’t necessarily need to figure out the budget for the week, Scooter didn’t want to change his routine, especially now. Things were already out of flux and upsetting and the page didn’t think it would help his case any if he decided to go against the normal way things were handled, so on that Wednesday, he did what he normally did – headed out to the studios’ office row, headed into his office, and got down to work on the finances.

There was a unique way of doing business within the theater; while on the outside the world was just seeing the benefits of the fans’ love and the Muppets hard work, a lot went in to putting on a television in a theater, not to mention maintaining a studio lot, and most of that was done with the influx of money. Things were different now than they had been – back when the show and the group were just starting, the flow of cash was slow and sometimes non-existent; they had to work with what they had and sometimes they didn’t have anything other than what they could scrounge up backstage.

Now, they had the money they needed to purchase what they wanted, however it wasn’t to say that they went out of their way to be extravagant. They had gotten into that trap before, right before it all went downhill. Victims of their own success, they had told each other, that they had gone crazy when the cash came in; it made sense, when you thought about it. A lot of them, most of them, were just kids from the streets who – if not for their talents and the fortune of winding up in the Muppets – would’ve found themselves in some pretty low spots or worse, but now they had each other and that was really all that mattered.

Scooter hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Kermit or Robin since the power couple’s departure. He couldn’t imagine what Robin was going through, though even to himself, Scooter knew that was a lie. He had been a small child when his mother had died and he was placed with his father’s brother; despite all the harshness and ambivalence, the redhead had found himself devastated when his uncle had passed, leaving him everything that ever held the name Grosse on it. A death in the family always seemed worse when one was older, maybe because memories of that person had been formed and years had been dedicated in knowing of their presence.

That was how Scooter saw his father, a man he had never met and never known; a man who could easily be dead for all he knew and cared…you can’t miss someone you never knew.

But Robin did know his mother and he had the unfortunate pleasure of finding her body. And that was all Scooter knew, for the time being.

He didn’t want to get worried, but he couldn’t help it; Kermit was horrible at keeping in touch with his phone, but Piggy was very good about calling him or texting, so when he didn’t hear anything from either of them in the two days since they had left, it was starting to concern him. Maybe everything was just fine or maybe everything was in complete chaos, he didn’t know and that’s what bothered him.

So lost in his thoughts, Scooter had not only wasted a good twenty minutes staring at his Quickbooks program without actually doing anything, but he nearly missed the knock that came on his door before it opened to reveal Gonzo’s head peaking around it. “Figured I’d find you here,” the weirdo replied. “May I?”

“Uh…” Scooter stumbled, sitting upright in his chair and gesturing for the stuntman to come in. “Sure! Sure, Gonzo, you’re always welcomed, you know that.”

Gonzo nodded his thanks before walking in and closing the door behind him. It was rare for the weirdo to be in these parts of the studio lot; most of the time he was in the props department or special effects, making sure his unused canons got the love they needed or that someone somewhat sane was around in case the wrong people were blowing up things. Gonzo didn’t have an office or a dressing room to be honest, so he always liked looking around the ones he actually got to be in; Scooter’s was exactly as he might have pictured it – three monitors attached to one little computer, with other little computers sitting on the desk, a bookcase filled with comics and technology books, with his various coffee mugs decorating the top of the case.

“How can I help you?”

“Actually,” Gonzo replied, walking towards the desk and taking a seat in the chair that sat next to it. “I was in the neighborhood and wanted to know how I could help you.”

Scooter looked at him in confusion. “I don’t follow.”

“Today’s the day you normally do the books with Kermit, right?”

“Yeah,” the page said.

“Well,” Gonzo replied. “I came by to see if you wanted or needed any help with it.”

“Really?” Scooter asked. “You…you wanna help me go over the budget and financials?”

“Always the tone of surprise,” Gonzo clucked. “Why does everyone seem to forget that I ran a business, a multibillion dollar business I might add? One that I still have controlling ventures in, despite my blowing up the main office.”

“Huh,” Scooter began. “To be honest, I never pictured you as a finance kind of guy.” When Gonzo gave him a look, the redhead amended the statement with, “I mean, I always figured that Camilla was working bookkeeping and office management and you were, you know, the face of the company.”

“Well, yeah,” the weirdo chuckled. “At the end of it, when we got crazy busy and I had to actually conduct meetings and all that junk, but at the beginning, we totally grassrooted it; why do you think we tapped you for the office manager position before we left?”

That had been true; before Gonzo’s departure during their breakup, he had approached Scooter about going with him and his chicken to start their lives anew. Both Gonzo and Camilla knew Scooter was sweet on both Piggy and Kermit and the breakup of the power couple was probably the hardest on him. Imagine Gonzo’s surprise when Scooter not only turned him down, but announced that he was leaving to start his life anew, that with a lucrative internship with Google.

Scooter was smart enough to admit that he didn’t want to do this alone, especially when it was clear his mind was wondering and he wouldn’t get anything done unless someone was there with him. Nodding, he said, “Alright Slick, you got yourself a finance job. First deal of the day -”

Scooter handed over the latest balance sheet that he had pulled up on his tablet, giving Gonzo a moment to look things over while he quickly brought some of his other financial information on his desktop. “This the balance sheet for the quarter?” Gonzo asked, looking over the document.

“The most recent one,” Scooter replied. “Last two weeks, but you should be able to pull up the most current monthly. Uh, swipe to the left, I think.”

Gonzo did as instructed, bringing up another balance sheet, but this one covering the whole month. Squinting slightly, Gonzo reached into the front pocket of his shirt and pulled out the reading glasses he’d been required to use for the last couple of years. “Looking suave, Gonzolito,” Scooter said, seeing the movement from the corner of his eye, only sparring a glance before turning back to the work on the screens in front of him.

“You only say that cause you have to wear them,” the weirdo groused. “However, girls do love a man in glasses.”

“Word.”

Gonzo looked over the sheets, skimming over the one from the previous quarter to what they were looking at now. “We’re looking pretty steady heading into the summer,” he murmured.

“Well,” Scooter responded. “It’s the summer, which I think is a perfect time to get busy doing more than just the show.”

“Movie?”

“Haven’t decided,” he said. “May just be easier to do a tour, provided the big bosses let us out of the cage.”

Gonzo smirked. “From what I hear,” he started. “They’re totally involved with Star Wars and super heroes, so we could pretty much make our own movie about nothing and they’d green light it.”

“Don’t mock,” the redhead said. “They’re gunning for the super power position and we want to be as close to that as possible. That’s the owners’ equity column, which is a lot bigger than…the rest of the other columns.”

“Our insurance is pretty high,” Gonzo murmured, receiving a look from Scooter in return. “Hey, I’m covering mine, so this is totally not me. Who are we insuring?”

“Old buildings need tons of coverage,” Scooter said. “Maintenance, statue codes…” He trailed off and leaned towards Gonzo. “I’m thinking we can knock that down some. Grosse Industries has a couple of contractors and construction companies that would hook us up if we needed it, but I’m not sure if they work on old or renovated buildings. Know anyone?”

“Yeah, I got a couple of guys,” Gonzo said. “Let me give them a call and see what we can do. We’ve already got some of the renovations done with the movie proceeds, so structurally we should be sound, but I know a couple of hot spots we need taken care of before we get a surprise inspection.”

“I’ll make a note to Kermit.” Scooter picked up his phone, with the intention of sending the frog a text, but instead brought up Piggy’s name and number instead. There was hesitation though, as he thought over the reasons the lines of communication were slow in coming. “Have you heard from them?” he asked, quietly.

“Not since I called Piggy about two days ago,” Gonzo whispered.

“Yeah, me either,” Scooter sighed.

“Hey,” Gonzo prodded, seeing the obvious distress in his companion. “If something had happened, we would know about it. It’s a death in the family and you know how much Kermit loves his family, even the in-laws.”

“I don’t like not knowing what’s going on.”

Their man, through and through, Gonzo thought. They had never needed to question Scooter’s loyalty because the boy wonder had it in spades and regardless of how he may have felt about someone at a particular moment, he would always come through for them, because that’s who Scooter was. Scooter took such pride in his position as the stage manager, as the production assistant, and as personal assistant to the power couple that it literally irked and hurt him when he wasn’t in the loop.

“No news is good news, right?”

“Yeah, I guess,” the page sighed, taking another look at the phone.

“Look,” Gonzo said. “Why don’t we tackle the business stuff, then when you call Kermit – actually, when you call Piggy, cause she’ll answer the phone, especially if it’s from you – you can tell him you’ve been a good little boy.”

Scooter couldn’t help but smirk before nodding. “Alright,” he said, putting down the phone in his hand. “I’ll let the frog know once we’re done.”

The extra help actually did put them on schedule, which meant Scooter was ahead of schedule to meet with Rowlf to view acts for that week’s show. Within the hour, the two had gone over the budget and financials for the studios and theater, confirming that they were in the green in terms of money and any payments they may have owed. Once finished, the two stood and started to head out into the mid-morning sun, until Scooter stopped the weirdo before he walked out the door.

“Thanks Gonzo,” he whispered. “For everything, the help today, calling Piggy, and…”

“Hey,” Gonzo said, patting the redhead on the arm. “Don’t worry about it, buddy. Look, the guys and I know you can handle this stuff and we trust you to handle it, your way, but we’re here if you need us.”

Scooter nodded. “I know, Gonzo,” he said. “I just…I really appreciate it. And I know Kermit will appreciate it, too.”

“He’d better,” the weirdo chuckled. “We’re keeping the crazies away from him, which means we get to deal with them.”

The two laughed, before heading out in order to deal with those crazies.


[hr]


Thirty minutes later, Scooter was waiting for Rowlf in the auditorium, checking the list of acts they were planning on previewing that day. The list was actually longer than he had ever seen it before, making it seem as though the entire troupe had signed up to perform Sunday and while it warmed Scooter’s heart at the dedication, he knew he was gonna have to cut some acts or at least put them off until next weekend. That’s what he was actually hoping for, that all the acts were good enough to split into two weeks, which would cover that show and next and then they could worry any additional shows later, when the time came.

The redhead couldn’t lie though, he was still uneasy that he still hadn’t heard from either Piggy or Kermit in regards to the show or more importantly, how each was dealing with this recent event. He was trying not to worry, he really was, but he couldn’t help it; the power couple meant more to him than he would probably ever admit and their stresses and heartaches seemed to fuel his own until he was sucked in and became a part of it. He never liked not being a part of something, which was why when he ended up with the Muppets, he found their group too hard to resist; a group that accepted him for who he was, what he was, and everything in between.

The theater was already a hotbed of activity, thanks to this usually being a day when acts could come together and finalize whatever they were going to show the manager and producer come that Thursday. In many cases, Kermit and Scooter would’ve already seen at least a few of the upcoming acts, been jumped upon to be shown a few, and bombarded with ideas for others; moving it up a day only meant that the requests got more insist and more persistent, but that was how acts could sneak their way past the radar, as it was, as long as they were somewhat decent and good.

From the studios’ office row, Scooter took a leisurely stroll from his office up to the theater that sat atop and at the end of the studio tour that many fans partook in during the day. It was a Wednesday and they never expected a ton of people to show up, though during the summer, the studio tour got more popular, thanks to tourists and those who were able to take their summer vacations. It was a nice walk, that was to be sure, and Scooter took the moment to check the list of potential acts, cataloguing them in the best way to be featured on the show.

Rowlf was already sitting in his regular seat in the auditorium, just waiting for Scooter’s arrival. As promised, Rowlf had arrived at the theater earlier than he normally would, secretly keeping tabs on the acts that he knew wanted to be in that week’s show; he and the Mayhem had already been green lit to perform, the easiest of decisions that Scooter needed to make that week. While the group had assured Scooter they had his back, they had certainly met without him, reaffirming to each other that they work everyone if needed to make sure the younger Muppet didn’t have a lot on his plate, or at least more than he already would as the manager and assistant director.

Seeing the redhead enter, the pianist waved him over, nodding as the stage manager took a seat next to him. “Hey Rowlfie.”

“How’s it going, Red?” the dog asked, looking the young Muppet over. By unspoken agreement, the others had made it their duty to watch out for the redhead, though Rowlf had always managed to be the big brother to everyone, even Kermit. They may not have admitted it, but the pianist had always been the protector of the group, the person everyone could turn to for advice or counsel, something he gave willingly, freely, and as any older brother would.

“Full plate today?”

Scooter took a look at his tablet, his own personal and digital notebook, scanning the very long list of performers who wanted to be in Sunday’s show. “Full plate doesn’t begin to cover it,” the manager said, scrolling through the list. “It’s like everyone came out for the show, which is great, but…”

“Not everyone can be in one show,” Rowlf chuckled.

“Well,” Scooter begin, looking around before leaning closer to Rowlf. “Gonzo called Piggy earlier and she told him to get about three to four shows ready, just in case.”

Rowlf nodded. “So, we should have enough for about a month of shows,” he concluded. “That works in our advantage, for once.”

“Do you think…”

Rowlf looked at the manager, noting the slight anxious expression that his face held. “Don’t get jittery,” the dog whispered. “Kermit wouldn’t have trained you if he didn’t think you knew what needed to be done. You’ve done this before…”

“But with Kermit…”

“He’s got your back, kid,” Rowlf reassured him. “And so do we, so don’t worry. We wouldn’t put you in charge if we didn’t trust you to handle the inmates.”

“Hey Scooter!” Lew Zealand exclaimed from the stage, a bucket of fish sitting at his feet. “Are you ready for us yet?”

Getting a supportive nod from Rowlf, Scooter gave his dog companion a smile and a nod before turning towards the stage. “Yeah Lew,” he called out. “Show us what you got.”

Nearly two hours later, Rowlf and Scooter had seen just about every single act the troupe showcased, some good, some bad, some head scratching, and some they wouldn’t put on even if they were in Europe. Thankfully, there were more good acts than bad – quite a few actually, which made pushing some of the acts to the next show all the better and easier. Scooter couldn’t be happier – the good acts, even those that were so-so, were of high quality. It wasn’t to say that they normally didn’t put their all into their acts, because they did, but knowing that their leader wasn’t there seemed to give them the push they needed to make sure that, should Kermit and Piggy see the show, it was one that lived up to their normal show zaniness.

And speaking of zaniness, there was one last thing that they hadn’t covered and that was who was going to be their MC for that show and the upcoming ones. There were very few times in which Kermit had not been their master of ceremonies and in the cases where he wasn’t, he was still on hand to at least oversee the show. And just when Scooter and Rowlf, who had decided they were not about to volunteer for the job, and were out of options, Fozzie Bear came by with a very interesting proposal and a prop.

“What is that?” Scooter asked, seeing the prop Fozzie held proudly in his hands.

“It’s my idea for the backdrop stuff,” the comic replied. Fozzie began to describe his idea and while fanciful and a bit silly, it was comedic enough that it actually could make sense and explain Kermit’s absence at the same time. When he finished, Scooter and Rowlf looked at each other before looking back at Fozzie.


“That’s brilliant!” Scooter exclaimed. “And I think I have the perfect side story to go with that…”
 

WebMistressGina

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And as promised, here is your new and second chapter of the Mondays, here on a Monday.



Chapter VII


Thursday

The day had arrived.

And it was a day that would change everything.

It started when Robin couldn’t sleep, his mind preoccupied with the funeral of his mother arriving the next day; actually, to Robin at least, the issues seemed to all begin once his parents split up. Things hadn’t been the same since and they seemed to only grow worse and worse each passing day and this week was no exception. The tension between him and his father also seemed to heighten itself, worse than their argument a few days earlier, which went from angry taunts to complete silence; a difficult position when one was sharing a room.

After their visit to Dr. Criggett’s, Jimmy had stayed behind to discuss the funeral arrangements. It hurt him more than he could have ever known and realized, knowing that not only would he be unable to see Leaper beforehand, but because of the virus, the ceremony would need to be closed casket, meaning that he wouldn’t even be able to see her before she was put into the ground. If he hadn’t already been depressed before, that news had managed to sink him even further.

That night, he had returned home and revealed what he and Sam had discussed, how Leaper had to be buried, and how they would need to keep their distance from her, even from the coffin itself. It was clear the information did nothing but bring the already downing events lower than they were now; while Kermit had been nearly ecstatic knowing that his family and Piggy were safe from harm, Jimmy couldn’t help but be a little envious and jealous and that translated into a harshness that the younger frog had never held for his brother before.

If Kermit was aware of it, he didn’t show it; he was too busy celebrating the fact that he still had Piggy in his life. He had been scared, incredibly so, that the tests would come back with one or all of them carrying the virus that had killed Leaper and while Kermit was well aware that, should someone have it, there were treatments to counteract it, combat it, it still didn’t matter when the very idea alone was enough to put one on alert. And he had shown his appreciation of her not only surviving this trial, but that she had come with him in the first place.

Robin had absorbed the conversation, but kept quiet on the matter, feeling it better to keep to himself least he say something unkind again. For nearly two days, father and son tried to keep their distance from each other and after Tuesday, it seemed that while Kermit and Piggy had gotten closer, the frog brothers were drifting apart. And as Jimmy and Kermit drifted apart, the gulf that was apparent between Jimmy and Robin only deepened. Twice, Robin had snuck out of the house, making sure that everyone was asleep before he did so and only appearing again once everyone was waking up for breakfast.

To Jane and James and maybe even to Kermit, it may have seemed as though the teenager had just gotten an early start for the day, however to Jimmy and Piggy, it was clear that he had been out all night, doing who knew what. Jimmy had known, as soon as the boy had gotten up in the middle of the night, yet he couldn’t find the energy to stop him. Robin had always been a good boy and Jimmy felt he could still trust his son not to get up to too much trouble, at least not the kind one would expect for a frog his age. Piggy, while happy with the sudden amorous attention given to her by Kermit, could tell when something was bothering her frog and noting the similarities between Kermit and his family, she could clearly see that something was bothering both father and son.

It was Thursday now and the day of the funeral had arrived. Within their room, the power couple were getting dressed, ready to head out and pay their respects, while equally hoping to be the supportive presence father and son needed. Kermit was already dressed, well mostly, in a dark suit that was missing a tie, which he couldn’t seem to find at the moment. Two suitcases sat on the bed and he had gone through both religiously and still couldn’t find the tie he thought he had packed, though to be honest, he had been in such a daze after first hearing the news about Leaper, he couldn’t remember packing period.

Seeing Piggy enter the room, dressed in a black business suit and matching hat, Kermit once again was just awed by the sight. “Even when going to a funeral,” he began. “You still manage to be the most gorgeous thing in the room.”

“I bet you say that to all the pigs you share a room with,” she retorted.

“Only the sexy ones,” came his response. “Darlin’, you know where my tie is?”

Piggy easily reached into one of the suitcases and pulled out a black tie, holding it up for him to see. “Turn,” she commanded, causing him to turn and face her. Pointing to her neck, she replied, “Button.”

For a troupe that occasionally did black tie events and red carpet walks, there were only about seven people within the group that knew how to tie a tie, bow and straight, with Kermit and Piggy being two of them. Kermit had long knew how to tie his since he was a child, his parents instilling that he and his siblings always looked their best during certain types of dinner or on the occasion that they headed out to church on a Sunday; Piggy had been taught by her father, one of the last things he had instilled in her before his death, something at the time she didn’t understand why she had to learn.

With decades of tying ties under her belt, especially when it came to tying his, Piggy could’ve easily finished the task within seconds, however on this morning, the diva was well aware that this day weighed heavy on her frog’s mind and that if she was going to get anything out of him, it would be now.

“I hate funerals,” he muttered.

“I know you do, dearest.”

“Just…” he continued. “Just a sad occasion, to have to go to one. And it always reminds me of…” He let the sentence trail, his mind drifting to those friends and family that he had lost in his life and it seemed this day would continue the tradition, would continue the hollowness that was always left when someone disappeared from your life and could never return. “I hate funerals.”

Pulling the tie through its loop, Piggy looked at him. “I know,” she whispered. Smoothing out the lapels on his jacket, she said, “All set.”

“Well?” he asked, spreading his arms out. “Do I look presentable?”

Placing her hands against his chest, she said, “Dashingly handsome, as always.” As she went to pull away, Kermit grabbed one of her hands in his.

“You’ve been a brick,” he whispered. “Coming down here with me. I totally don’t deserve you.”

Smiling sweetly at him, Piggy caressed his cheek with the other hand. “I totally already know that,” she said. “But you have just the right amount of cuteness and snark that keeps me around.”

“Back at ya, darlin’,” he chuckled.

A knock on the door interrupted their moment, revealing Jimmy once the door was opened. “You ready?” he asked. The couple nodded, turning and following the grieving husband into the hallway.


[hr]


For many years, Leaper had been convinced that the Frogs saw her as little more than the poor girl who snagged one of the youngest, but on the day of her funeral she would’ve been surprised at how many of those had appeared, in respect to her, to Jimmy, and to Robin. It seemed as though all of Jimmy’s family was out that day, standing in a grassy knoll that was set slightly off from the normal ground offering of the Holy Oak Cemetery. Jimmy hadn’t been happy about having to put Leaper so far from the rest of the honored dead, however he understood the precaution.

Both inside and outside of the coffin had been lined in order to contain the virus that still waged within her body and the casket was closed and sealed, to prevent even an accidental exposure to anyone in the attendance. Several members of the family and friends had created a small memorial band, playing “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” as the pall bearers – those of the Reeces, a pair of identical crocodiles who had been neighbors to both Leaper and that of the Frogs – lead the procession from the Frogs’ home to that of Holy Oaks. Much like a funeral procession that may have been held in New Orleans, Leaper’s funeral was lively, the type of remembrance that was filled with happiness at the life the frog had, not the lives she left behind.

This had been Jimmy’s idea and one that he had almost decided against, knowing that Leaper would hate the very idea of celebrating the passing of a life, but Jimmy wanted to do something on his own this time, without his ex-wife’s disapproval on everything he did. As sad as it was, Jimmy’s mind wasn’t even on the funeral; his mind kept wondering to what he was going to do now and it was in a jumble with so many options and so many different ways in which things could go. They all stood, listening to the sermon being given, the summer sun had just started to hang in the sky, meaning that the heat would be coming soon, but hoping that the high tide would come when they were all inside.

He didn’t know what he was going to do. He was a father with a teenage son that he was practically estranged from and the love of his life was dead. Jimmy wasn’t sure where he was going, but he knew it was going to be a very long and winding road, one that perhaps he needed to undertake alone. Looking to his left, he saw Robin standing next to him, dressed in his best suit – one that his aunt Piggy had bought for him, no doubt – and Jimmy felt his heart clinch just a bit. He didn’t want to push his only child away and yet, the journey he needed to take seem to require that he would have to leave Robin behind, but how.

And with who?

Standing to his right was Kermit, his favorite older brother and most ardent confidant. If Jimmy was going to do this, if this was something he was really going to do, he knew Kermit would help him. Kermit had always helped him before and where it came to Robin, he knew the frog would be all in; the only person he wasn’t sure of was Piggy, who stood to his brother’s left. They had just gotten back together, perhaps…well, he didn’t know, but he knew he would have to approach both of them if he wanted a final answer.


[hr]


The service had been lovely, at least Kermit thought so. The last time he had been to a New Orleans type funeral like this had been when he had attended Jim’s, only a county away from where they were now. While he had felt, still felt, the loss of his friend deeply, Jim had not been the kind of person who had wanted people to be sad about his passing, instead he wanted people to remember him as he was, the kind of person he had been.

Kermit knew that’s what Jimmy had wanted for his former wife, even though they were both aware that she was no doubt turning in her grave by the very spectacle they had created with a musical procession down the street, followed by a rather raucous southern hoe down if one wanted to call it that, which was mainly an excuse for the family to be together in this trying time. Both Jimmy and Robin had taken the condolences with thanks and gratitude, nods to people for showing up and paying their respects, but out of everyone, they were the most somber as to be expected.

The Frogs’ home was again filled with laughter and amusement, though the majority of it came from the children who were told to get dressed up, but were allowed to run around and play. Once again, Kermit was amazed as just how well Piggy was suited to playing hostess and mistress of the house, helping his mother wrangle several hundred people that seemed to be coming and going through the house, plus he was sure she was keeping both an ear and an eye out for Robin, who was just milling about, getting apologies and sorrowful pats from his aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was amazing, she really was…

And it started Kermit on several thoughts he had been entertaining more and more in recent weeks and months.

“Kermit?”

The appearance of his brother startled him from his musings and Kermit could see that now was not the time to reveal what he had in mind, especially when the look on his brother’s face was clear that Jimmy needed to speak with him. Immediately.

“Yeah, Jimmy?”

“I need to speak to you,” he whispered. “And Piggy. You should…” The two equally turned to watch the diva as she interacted with their father, laughing with each other and patting little children on their heads as they went around them.

Kermit nodded. “Where?”

“My room,” Jimmy replied. “In about five minutes. Can you do that for me, big brother?”

“Anything,” he said. “Anything, you know that, Jimmy.”

His younger brother nodded, smiling sadly at him. “I’ll hold you to that,” he said, before patting his brother on the shoulder. He took a few steps back before turning around and heading for his room, hoping his brother would be behind him shortly.

Kermit watched his brother, a bit of sadness tearing at his heart, before he turned his head to look for Piggy. Just as he had hoped, her blue eyes met his, almost instinctively, and he inclined his head down the hall; Piggy may have seemed to the world of only being able to concentrate on one thing at a time, but it was a clever diversion. The diva always had her eyes and ears open – one had to when working in the theater with a bunch of lunatics – so she had easily seen Jimmy’s approach, their conversation, and had been just waiting for her frog to let her know he was going to speak with his brother.

The nod of her own head signaled she knew and understood Kermit’s indication, however she was not expecting for him to motion her over with his finger. Passing a word to Jane, Piggy left the elder frog’s side in order to join the side of the eldest son as he made his way down the hall.

“What’s going on, dearheart?” she asked.

“Haven’t the foggiest, darlin’,” came his response upon reaching the half closed door.

Jimmy was pacing back and forth across the floor, stopping only when his intended audience was present, his face a mask of anguish and resolve. It must have come across loud and clear to Kermit because once he and Piggy were inside, he immediately closed the door back to its half closed state. “Jimmy?” Piggy asked.

“Right,” Jimmy replied, taking in the sight of the couple. He was making the right decision, he thought, no, he was sure of it. “First of all,” he began. “Thanks, thank you both, for…for coming down here. I know you have stuff to do, I’m sure of it, but…it means a lot.”

“I told you,” Kermit reiterated. “Anything, Jimmy. You’re my brother.”

Jimmy chuckled, nodding slowly. He looked at Piggy. “Did you know Kermit is Robin’s godfather?” he asked.

Looking between the two in confusion, the diva nodded. “It would make sense, sure.”

Again, the younger frog let out a chuckle, this one utterly bitter. “Leaper was…was annoyed, to say the least,” he admitted, stunning them both.

“You never told me that,” whispered Kermit, aghast. Even from the beginning, Leaper had not been particular about her son’s interactions with him.

“Don’t you see?” Jimmy asked. “I didn’t care; you’re my favorite brother, you’re my big brother and you’ve always looked out for me. And I knew you’d look out for my boy. And you have. Leaper didn’t understand, couldn’t understand just how alike you and Robin are, the way he took to the stage the same way you did. But I understood, I got it, cause you’re my brother. And if I’m lucky, one day you’ll make Piggy my sister-in-law.”

Kermit and Piggy looked at each other and then back to Jimmy, unsure of where exactly this speech was leading them and quite frankly, they were starting to get a little concerned.

“You’re his favorite, you know?” Jimmy said, his attention now turned on the diva. “Robin, I mean. He loves you, Piggy, ever since he met you; you’re his favorite aunt, even when my brother was too stupid to see what he had in front of him.”

“Is…is this why you called us in here?” Kermit asked, growing a little perturbed. Just when he thought perhaps his brother was having an episode, he reveals a simple ploy to make his big brother propose to his girlfriend?

“No,” Jimmy sighed. “No, no, that’s…that wasn’t it.” Looking at Piggy again, Jimmy said, “I went behind Leaper’s back, you see. Probably the only time I ever did. I made you Robin’s godmother.”

Piggy was shocked, stunned, floored, and elated at the admission, to the point where she couldn’t get a thank you out if she tried and she did try. “Jimmy I…I don’t…I…”

“They kept talking about you,” he continued. “Kermit mostly, of course, but Robin too and even when I met you, I knew how you felt about my brother and I saw how you treated my son and somewhere I knew…I just knew…and now, I’m sure.”

“Sure of what?” Kermit asked.

“Sure of what I have to do now,” Jimmy whispered. “But I can’t…I can’t do what I need to unless I know, unless I know that you’d be there for Robin. That…that you’d take care of him if something ever happened to me.”

“What’re you talking about?” asked Kermit.

“What’s going to happen to you, Jimmy?” The power couple was not liking the way this conversation seemed to be going and it was getting just a little bit worrisome.

“I’m sorry for springing this on you,” the younger frog continued. “I should’ve asked, Piggy, and I’m sorry. I kinda just assumed that with Kermit as his godfather, you’d want to be Robin’s godmother and maybe I should’ve asked…”

“Stop,” Piggy commanded. “Stop right there. Robin has always and will always be welcomed in my house, regardless of my relationship with Kermit. Don’t ever forget that.”

Jimmy nodded, smiling as he did so. “See?” he whispered. “Then I know this is the right thing to do.”

“Jimmy,” Kermit stressed. “You’re starting to scare me and you’re starting to scare Piggy. What’re you talking about?”

“I need you, big brother,” Jimmy said. “I need you to be my hero one more time. See…I’m leaving, Kermit, I have to go away. And I want you – the both of you - to raise my son.”

The silence that stretched was a testament of just how floored the couple was, that both of their brains were having trouble trying to understand just what was going on.

“Jimmy…” Piggy said, slowly. “Where exactly would you be going that you would have to leave Robin with us?”

“Somewhere,” the frog muttered. “Somewhere away from here, away where…where I don’t have to be a burden...”

“Jimmy Ray,” Kermit grounded out. “You stop it. Now you stop it right now. I know this is hard, Jimmy, but whatever you’re thinking, you stop it. I am not burying my little brother, ever. So whatever sick, twisted idea you have in that head of yours…”

“What?”

“Jimmy, listen,” Piggy pleaded. “Just listen for a second. You can’t do this, you just can’t. Think about what you’re doing…”

“What’re you talking about?”

“What’re you talking about?” Kermit demanded. “On this side, it sounds like you just…you’re gonna…”

It took Jimmy a full minute to realize what his previous statements seemed to signify, causing his eyes to go wide. “Wait, what?” he exclaimed. “You guys think I’m gonna…gonna off myself or something?”

“Jimmy, you just stood there, going over a history of how you granted us permission to raise Robin in case something happened to you…”

“I’m not killing myself!” he cried. “Idiots! What’s wrong with you!?”

“What’s wrong with you!?” Kermit shouted. “I was about two seconds from turning around and getting Daddy in here to talk some sense into you! The way you’re talking…about…about leaving!”

“Because I am!” Jimmy exclaimed. “I’m leaving! From here, maybe even Mississippi as a whole! I can’t stay here anymore!”

“You’re leaving?”

That question didn’t come from anyone who had been in the room previously, but came from the new figure that had appeared at the now opened door.

“Robin,” Kermit breathed, startled by the sight of his nephew standing in the doorway.

“You’re leaving,” the teen repeated. “And just when were you going to tell me, Dad?”

“Robin, it’s not…” Piggy began, trying to come up with a viable excuse and falling very short, from the way the teen’s ire suddenly turned on her.

“Don’t,” he growled, pointing at her. “Don’t even try.” The teen took a step back, eyes staring daggers at the entire trio. “I’ll beat you to it; I’ll leave. And don’t follow me!” That last bit was sorely directed at Piggy, before he turned and stalked down the hall and out the door.

The adults in the room could only sigh, sigh at how what should’ve been a relatively simple discussion had led to this. Piggy checked her cell phone, noting a missed call and text from Scooter, before she checked the time. “I’ll give him about twenty minutes and then I’m out,” she said.

“To do what?” Kermit questioned.

“To follow him, duh!”

“But he said not to,” Jimmy supplied.


Piggy huffed. “Oh yeah,” she said, sarcastically. “Like I take directions from a fourteen year old. If I didn’t do it when Scooter was his age, I’m not gonna start now. Look, I’ll bring him back, but you -” She pointed straight at Jimmy. “Are going to explain everything to him, but first, you’re gonna explain everything to us.”
 

WebMistressGina

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In case none of you have seen a jazz funeral procession, here's a good version from the show Treme.


If any of you are American Horror Story fans, there was a really good one (it's actually the one I'm basing the above on) from the third season episode Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks.
 

Muppetfan44

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Moving this story back to the top of the list where it belongs :smile:

Please post more soon!
 

WebMistressGina

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So I came in to try and post something, but it said the forum was down :frown: But then it came back :big_grin:

But I only have half a chapter :frown: Not for lack of trying! But I will be out for the weekend, but back on Monday, so I should be able to give you the rest of it. Still have a lot cover - we have a Muppet Show to put on! But first - our diva finds our young teen frog and we (meaning you) learn what Jimmy's big plans are.



Chapter VII


Robin wasn’t sure where he was headed until he managed to get there – his spot, the little hideaway his uncle and father used to have when they were his age, a spot to go where they could be alone with nature and their thoughts. When he ended up in the spot, his mind was already in a jumble from the day’s events and then to walk in to what he had…

If losing his mother and having to attend her closed casket funeral wasn’t hard enough, Robin had walked in on a conversation that his father was basically going to completely abandon him, with no reason other than he just couldn’t stay in Mississippi any longer. And like Robin did! Of course he enjoyed being able to see his grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles whenever he could, but he had never felt at home there, despite it being his home.

Robin’s real home, if he had to guess and be honest with himself, was that of the stage and that stage was in California.

But the young teen had never complained, at least not openly, about the fact that he missed his home in Hollywood or that he missed being able to perform with the rest of the Muppets; he had made the mistake of mentioning it once while living with his mother, that he had missed a recent stage show and wished he had been there. His mother had been very clear on the fact that he needed to be concerning on the important stuff, things that mattered, like school and getting a job. And she had oh-so-very roughly stated that Kermit wasn’t his father and Piggy was most certainly not his mother, in case he had forgotten. He hadn’t forgotten and he totally didn’t understand why his mother seemed to hate his aunt and uncle the way she did, but after hearing what he had, he guessed he now understood.

Only, he really didn’t.

Why did his father want to leave? More importantly, what had Robin done that would make his father want to leave? Granted, he had been an ornery teenager of late, typical of the species, and while he had hoped everyone would just attribute most of that to grief, the young frog was afraid that maybe he had taken things way too far. Was that the reason his father had stayed away for so long as well? Maybe the teen was asking too much, wanting to live a life that any child would want, but that was it – he wasn’t a child anymore; he needed to think about life past his childhood, when he became an adult in a few years.

He may not have lived in Hollywood, but you had to live under a rock not to have heard the horror stories of those former child actors who went from being at the top of their lives, their careers, before it all came crashing down. He didn’t want that to happen to him and maybe that’s what his mother had foreseen, but…Robin was a good kid and he had good influences around him, so there could be no way that he would fall so far, so fast.

Maybe this was one of those life lessons he was supposed to learn, something that would make him a better person. He didn’t know; all he knew was that his mother was dead and his father wanted to be as far away from him as possible. He wasn’t sure what hurt more.
The approach of company made him sigh, though he wasn’t surprised someone came looking for him. Figuring he’d have about a ten second gap before his uncle, his father, or worse, his grandfather laid into him, Robin took a breath and held it, awaiting the worst. “You know,” responded the visitor. “This is a nice spot for looking at the sun going down, wouldn’t you agree?”

Not realizing just how long he’d been gone, Robin could clearly see the approach of sundown off in the distance that was spectacular and only truly achieved if you were this far out. If the time of day was surprising, it did nothing to replace the surprise he had at his companion.

“Did Uncle Kermit send you?” he asked, looking up at his aunt. “Tell you where I was?”

“No,” Piggy responded, leaning against a nearby tree. “Moi decided to go for a stroll and something said, ‘now, where would Mon Capitan go if he had just suddenly taken off?’ and the answer to that led me here.”

“Probably ruined your shoes coming out here.”

“Remember who you’re speaking to, dearheart,” the diva smirked. “As if Moi goes anywhere without being properly attired.” Raising a stylish, leather hiking boot, she continued with, “Got these when I was in Denver last year. They do know their hiking boot, let me tell you; they do not skimp.”

The two were silent for the moment, Piggy enjoying the Mississippi sunset, while Robin just waited for the yelling to begin. When it didn’t, he turned to look at her. “Are you gonna start yelling at me?”

“Should I be yelling at you?”

Shrugging, he said, “Probably. Been a bit of a jerk lately.” When he didn’t get any rebuttal, he stared at her.

“You said it, not me,” she said. “And yes, jerk would be the…nicer term to be calling you.”

Robin sighed, dropping his head to his chest and kicking a rock over into the little bit of marsh his log sat in. “I know,” he whispered. “But…I’ve already lost one parent and now the other one is ditching me, but completely this time.”

“I had almost forgotten how melodramatic teenagers were,” the diva replied, pushing herself off the tree she was leaning against in order to walk over and take a seat next to Robin on his log. “If you have bothered to eavesdrop some more, you would’ve found out he’s not ditching you.”

“Aunt Piggy,” the teen said, seriously. “He literally said he can no longer stay in the state.”

“This is true,” she admitted.

“And there you go!”

“You gonna put this Shakespearian act on hiatus or what?” she growled, staring down the frog, who conceded to her point. “Yes,” she continued. “Your father’s leaving but… -” Emphasizing both the word and holding up one finger to stop whatever protest Robin was about to make. “He’s made plans to make sure you’re taken care of, one of those being living with your uncle and I.”

Both Kermit and Piggy both had been shocked to hear about Jimmy’s plans and his reasoning – that he didn’t think he could raise Robin on his own, at least for the moment, so soon after Leaper’s passing. He admitted he hadn’t been there for Robin like he should have, that he should’ve put his foot down when Leaper started changing dates and times when he could see his own son, but he hadn’t and now Jimmy felt like perhaps he had lost both his wife and son this past week. The only recourse that Jimmy could think of was to find just who he was and that meant leaving Robin behind.

But not just living in a house by himself. The initial plan was to have Robin finish out the summer and his school year there in Mississippi, while staying with his grandparents, however when winter break came, Jimmy wanted to have Robin go live with them, effectively giving his son back the dream his wife had been so willing to take from him. Ultimately, Jimmy was giving over his parental rights to his brother and hopefully, future sister-in-law.

The most surprising reaction to all this came from Kermit, who was livid at the very suggestion.

“Are you kidding me!?” he exclaimed. “Robin thinks you’ve up and abandoned him, Jimmy! And now you want to just sign over your parental rights to us!?”

“What would you have me do?” the younger frog blurted back. “Huh? Put yourself in my shoes, Kermit! In fact, you’ve been doing that this entire time.”

“Jimmy…”

“You look me in the eye and tell me you haven’t been thinking it,” Jimmy spat. “I could see it on your face when Sam was here; what if this was Piggy and not Leaper? Admit it!”

The accusation stunned Piggy. “Jimmy, that’s not fair.”

“It is fair,” he growled. “And you know I’m right. If this had been you, Kermit would’ve fled Hollywood like a gator was after him and I know it’s true, cause that’s exactly what he did when you left him. He ran away.” Taking a moment, Jimmy continued staring at his brother. “Why do you get to run away and I can’t?”

“Because I don’t have a teenage son that needs me and depends on me,” Kermit stated.

“Don’t you?” Jimmy asked. “Oh, he’s not a teen now, I guess, but you do have plenty of people who need and depend on you, big brother. Least of all, me. It’s hurts, Kermit; it hurts too much right now to even look at him. It hurts to look at my son, because he reminds me of the frog I loved more than anything. I’m not saying I’m never coming back, but for now…for now, I have to find out what I’m gonna do and how I’ll be a better father for my son.
“Letting him live with you, giving him that dream that he wants, the one you once had…that’s the first step, I think.”

The conversation had been surprising, to everyone involved, and to the teen that was hearing that abridge version of it. “So…” he began. “I get to live with you guys? In Hollywood?”

“Well,” Piggy started. “Beverly Hills, to be exact, but yes. You haven’t even been to the house yet, have you? I’ve had a bedroom with your name on it for years.”

It was all still a revelation, but Robin couldn’t help but ask a very important question, even when he thought it completely inappropriate for what he had just learned. “Could…could I be a part of the Muppets again?”

For a second, the look on his face took Piggy back at least ten years, back when he was still a five year old; eager to learn more about this new world that his uncle had introduced him to. “First,” she said, matter of factly. “You have never not been a part of the Muppets, whether you’re here or there. Second, if you wanted to, then yes; I’m sure there’s no shortage of parts that you could strong arm your way into.”

Taking a deep breath, Piggy threw a comforting around her honorary nephew. “Your father loves you, Robbie,” she whispered. “More than you could probably know and understand. This whole thing is hard for him, too, I told you that.”

“I know, I know,” the teen whined. “I just don’t get why he doesn’t want me with him. I could help!”

“I know, sweetie,” she cooed. “But this is the best way Jimmy knows how to not only protect you, but give you what you want. He knows you want to be on stage with us, doing what we are, and he wants you to do that; and while you can put on the angsty, strong teen act for as long as you want, I know you’re hurting too.”

Robin nodded slightly. She was right, of course he was hurting, deeply, and he had been trying to keep up a strong front in order to help his father, never realizing that his father was a little too far gone than he may have realized. “Did it hurt for you?” he asked, quietly.

“When I lost my father?” Piggy questioned, a look of confusion on her face.

Shaking his head once, he amended the question with, “When you left Uncle Kermit. And the others.”

Talk about your fly ball out to right field! It took Piggy a moment for her brain to even wrap around the question and for a quick second, the idea of just brushing off the question with some flighty answer or avoiding it entirely crossed her mind, but instead – in light of the recent events – Piggy decided she’d be square with the younger frog.

“Robin, leaving your uncle and the Muppets was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she stated, plainly. “Coming back to them was only second to that.”

“So why did you?”

“Because I love Kermit more than I thought possible,” she said. “And don’t tell anyone, but I love those other idiots, too.”

Robin couldn’t help but giggle. “Everyone?” he asked, knowing there had be a joke in here somewhere.

“Yes, everyone,” the diva groused, though there was a bit of a smile on her face. “Rowlfie, Scooter, Fozzie…”

“Even Gonzo?”

“Especially Gonzo,” Piggy admitted. “That weirdo’s saved my bacon from the fire more than once. And I mean it when I say Moi will seriously hurt you if you tell anyone I said that.”

Again, Robin giggled, which put a smile on the diva’s face. Giving him a squeeze, she whispered, “Gonna be okay, kid. Whatever happens, you have a ton of people looking out for you, no matter what. Never forget that.”


“You either,” he spouted back, reminding of that very thing.

 

The Count

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Haven't posted a review here lately, but that's because I'm rully liking how the story's coming along. All the rawness of Robin letting his anger out while dealing with the death and ensueing funeral for his mom, such the opposite of how I handled my own emotions at that time. There is one thing I'm troubled about though, what happened between Cheesy's sister and that sandwich? And I also love how the pig and frog are handling the situation, their mature nurturing side is rully displayed well with how they're trying to handle the young teen amphibian.

Post more when possibles.
 

WebMistressGina

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Haven't posted a review here lately, but that's because I'm rully liking how the story's coming along. All the rawness of Robin letting his anger out while dealing with the death and ensueing funeral for his mom, such the opposite of how I handled my own emotions at that time. There is one thing I'm troubled about though, what happened between Cheesy's sister and that sandwich? And I also love how the pig and frog are handling the situation, their mature nurturing side is rully displayed well with how they're trying to handle the young teen amphibian.

Post more when possibles.
Glad you liked it! And there's more to come here, next actually!

But to answer your question - you'll have to be unresolved with Cheesy and the sandwich. I have no resolution to that.

And now, the chapter's conclusion! And next up, we speed into Sunday for the Muppet Show sans the power couple. What was Fozzie's idea that's gonna be the side saving backstage antics? Stay Tuned!



By the time Robin and Piggy had returned back to the Frogs’ home, most of the family had gone back home, though there were a few siblings and friends that lingered, a few of Robin’s were helping his grandmother in the kitchen clear up things, while some of his aunts and cousins were in the living room discussing whatever it was adults and young adults discussed with each other.

As soon as the two walked in, the talking in the room went down to a few murmurs; a few looks were thrown at Jimmy who also stood in the living, trying to throw off the fact that whatever argument that had caused the teen to flee had been at least partially heard from those in the vicinity. “You all act as though you haven’t seen Moi all week,” Piggy announced, drawing the majority of the attention where it belonged – on her. It did what she had hoped, diverted the attention from her young nephew and his father so they could at least meet near the hallway.

“Robbie…”

“Stop,” the teen interrupted. “We need to talk, Dad; maybe not now, but we need to talk.”

Jimmy nodded, relief washing over him, at least for the moment. Robin also nodded before taking a step back and heading into the kitchen for a late lunch, while Jimmy continued to watch before heading back to the previous conversation he had been having. Kermit saw Piggy immediately from his location near the kitchen, where he was pretending to help put away dishes and food; on her approach, he handed her the cell phone she usually kept on her person at all times.

“You’re a very popular lady.”

“I know this,” she replied, taking the phone and quickly looking at who had been calling or texting her. It turned out to be Scooter for both, which she figured was him trying to reach her and Kermit. “The Boy Wonder is calling, probably worried sick. I’ll give him a quick ring.” And with that, Piggy went to deliver a quick kiss to the frog’s lips, only to be surprised when he made it last longer than the second she had planned on. Not only had the sudden reversal stunned – but pleasantly surprised – her, it managed to surprise the others in the room who weren’t accustomed to seeing Kermit so unreserved.

With a saucy wink, Piggy headed down the hall in order to give the stage manager a call back.

Kermit’s brothers – Neil and Bobby Lee – also watched the pig go down the hall, the perfect excuse to pause in their dish washing, before turning to look at their older brother. “You’ve got one heck of a pig there, Kermit,” Bobby Lee replied, causing the oldest to turn and get back to his own kitchen chores.

“If I had a gal like that,” Neil piped up. “I’d never let her go.”

“And I don’t plan to,” retorted Kermit, sending both a knowing smile.

Back in their assigned bedroom, Piggy made quick work of hitting return call to the listed name of ‘Andy Westside’. She wasn’t that surprised when the red head answered on the first ring.

“Where’ve you been?”

“Hello Andrew,” Piggy replied, only slightly annoyed by the boy’s tone. “Moi is fine, merci for asking.”

The deep sigh was the signal she recognized as his knowing he’d cross the line with her. “Sorry,” he whispered. “Out of line, I know, but…”

“Yes, darling,” she said. “Mon Capitan and Moi have been remised in calling, I know, and I do apologize for not keeping in touch. Moi guesses everything is going well?”

“Actually,” Scooter replied. “That’s why I was calling. Everything is just fine; wanted to know if you and Kermit were going to watch this Sunday.”

“Of course! Why would we not?”

“Well…”

“The…funeral…was today.”

“Oh,” the manager whispered. “How…”

“Fine,” she interrupted. “I mean…it was a funeral after all. There was a little…actually, Scooter, I’m glad you called. Moi has a…research project for you.”

“A research project?” Scooter asked. “What type of research project?”

“Moi needs you to look up the high schools around the house.”

“High schools?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve always been under the impression you graduated high school…”

“Not for me,” Piggy sighed. “For Robin.”

“O…kay. Why?”

“Kermit and I will most likely discuss it with you once we’ve returned,” she said. “But you’ll do that for me, won’t you, dearheart?”

“Sure.”

“Take your time,” Piggy replied. “It’s not a huge rush for the moment, but do get that done for me before the late spring semester.”

“Will do,” he said. “And you’ll watch the show this weekend?”

“Yes, of course,” Piggy said. “What exactly is the show this week?”

“We got Ricky Gervais, as you know,” Scooter began. “And we came up with an idea to cover the back stage stuff.”

“Oh yeah? What?”

“Actually, it was Fozzie’s idea,” the red head said. “And it may actually turn out to be a good one. Hopefully.”

“Well, no worries, Andrew dear,” Piggy said. “Mon Capitan and Moi will watching on Sunday. As far as our return, you know that will be dependent on what Kermit decides.”

“Right on,” Scooter said, nodding though he knew Piggy couldn’t see it. “We’ve got plans for next week’s show, with the plan to go for another two more, just in case you know. So I take it everything’s…”

“Everything is…the way it would be if you were at a funeral and the aftermath of said funeral.”

Again, Scooter nodded, understanding that Piggy didn’t want to discuss this for the moment and they could easily catch up once they got together again. “I gotcha,” he said. “Well, let me know what I can do, even if I’m not there.”

Maybe it was the circumstances that brought her here or maybe it had been Jimmy’s declaration earlier, but Piggy was feeling nostalgic and a bit melancholy. “In case Moi’s never said it,” she began. “You’re a good boy, Scooter. Your parents would be so proud of you.” She could literally hear the blush that most likely colored his face at the moment.

“I’d like to think so.”

“And I meant the biological ones,” she continued. “However, your adopted ones are equally proud of you and love you, dearheart.”

In all the years Scooter had been a member of the Muppets, this was the first time Piggy or Kermit had acknowledged the very obvious relationship tie between them. Scooter had always felt the Muppets were his family and if he had to pick anyone to head that family, it was the power couple and while he knew they both loved him and that they most likely felt similar feelings of parentage to his prodigal son, neither of them had ever mentioned it, rather it be from embarrassment or perhaps they weren’t sure if the others felt the same.

It so stunned him, it took him a moment to come back with an actual statement. “I know,” he whispered. “I know that, you know I know that.”

“Yes, I do,” Piggy said. “But sometimes it bears repeating. Moi is still making the rounds and helping Jane, so until Sunday?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be sure the frog gives you a call too.”

“Let him know Gonzo and I got the financials done.”

“You and who now?”

“Gonzo.”

“You and Gonzo worked on our budgeting financials.”

“Not as bad as it sounds,” Scooter said. “Honest! He totally knows and understands budget sheets, I mean, he did own and run his own business for like several years.”

“He’s got you hocking it now?”

“In his defense only, of course.”


“Of course.”
 

The Count

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So ish there more story in store for us faithful readers of Robin's rankor over his mom's memorial?
:batty: Aliterative much today I take it.
 
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