Muppet Fanfic: Something worth waiting for

This chapter is dedicated to Lisa...

...'cause she totally deserves it! Hugs to all my new MSN buddies! And hugs to everyone who commented on the last chapter and the story in general! You make it all worthwhile!!

And now... mood swing.

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Piggy was trying to sleep… had been, off and on, since she’d arrived at the boarding house, hadn’t, since the drug-induced lullaby the hospital had forced on their hysterical patient. She’d surprised herself with her own relief at being back amongst the madness, though being cloistered away in her room wasn’t exactly the same as being among them, she could hear the everyday brouhaha all around her, and it made her feel better.

When they left for the theatre, at first in a slow trickle and finally en masse, they took the life of the place with them, leaving her alone, and pretending not to feel it. She snuggled deeper into her blankets and squeezed her eyes shut. Frustrated, Piggy began counting her slow breaths in order to distract herself from the knowledge that the show was going on without her.

It didn’t work.

Unwilling to surrender just yet, she turned and tossed and eventually turned on some music to drown out the silence of the empty rooms around her.

It didn’t work... very well.

With a sigh, she leaned over and pulled open the bottom drawer of her end table. Inside lay a sizable pink photo album, ornately decorated with ribbons and pearls and a lacy fringe around the sides. It was, in short, the girliest album she could find, and well suited to driving away any which one of the boys who might be tempted to violate her privacy. Having the book decorated so elaborately was kindness in itself anyway, acting in much the same way as the bright colours on a poisonous insect. If Piggy ever caught anyone going through her things without her express, and highly unlikely to be given consent, said adventurer would find themselves facing a painful lesson.

Absurdly elegant gold script announced it was “The Happy Memory Book” to the whole world in the same manner someone would announce the Queen of England. Piggy ran fingers lightly over the cover and enjoyed the softness of it. She’d started it after a particularly nasty argument on the set of The Great Muppet Caper and it had taken on a life of its own. The album was something of a project of hers, something to keep her hopes up, and something to distract her while she waited impatiently for her frog to realize he was her frog.

Miss Piggy opened the book and began lovingly leafing through the pages, each one of which had little notes, mementos and photos taking up every inch of space. It focused largely on Kermit, but there were items from the others as well. Here, for instance, was a photo of Robin playing a harmonica; he’d been so delighted with that gift. Beside it was a picture of the Frog Scouts, taken shortly after they’d finally managed to get him back after a terrifying run in with Doc Hopper. Kermit was in the picture too, standing in the background, beaming proudly, but with relief and anxiety warring in his expression; he refused to let Robin out of sight for a long time after that.

On another page, there was a tiny little plastic bag filled with sand. Tears, like those little droplets of tears that stop before they can escape, welled up instantly in her vibrant eyes at the sight of it. A souvenir of another intense argument she and Kermit had had, when she’d let him down by letting difficult circumstances get to her in a desert. She smiled tearfully touching the bag, feeling the little grains through the thin plastic.

“I should have been taking care of you that day,” she whispered sorrowfully, unheard.

Beside the sand was a picture of the two of them together, happy and relaxed, which Gonzo had snapped out of the blue. He’d retained a little bit of interest in cameras from their stint on a movie and occasionally liked to surprise people. It was one of the few pictures Piggy had of them together that wasn’t a publicity shot, and she was very grateful to Gonzo for silently handing it to her on a bad day. She’d put them together, as a reminder of their friendship, and his forgiveness. When things were rough, this page of her book always strengthened her resolve to be his backrest, and to be his staunch defender always in a world that was darker than she felt he understood.

There were only a few pages left, she noted, so she would soon need to start a new volume. The realization of it was more than a little disheartening. She had thought to be starting a wedding album for them long before finishing this one. Miss Piggy had been waiting for so very long for Kermit, and it wasn’t getting any easier.

What would he say, if he found out what happened? What if she kept scars, her body reminding her forever of the accident? They wouldn’t do her career any good, that much was certain… and that would, in turn, make things harder for Kermit. She could try to hide them; Piggy was good at hiding things, but it was easier to hide the scars that weren’t visible. Hollywood was not a forgiving place for those marked physically, but just about everyone in the industry was trying to keep darker memories out of the limelight.

Miss Piggy closed the album and slipped it back into the nook, thoroughly miserable from this last effort to escape into sleep.

It hadn’t worked… spectacularly.

Frustrated, Piggy decided to escape what now felt like a prison cell as much as the hospital room had. She dressed quickly and left her bedroom, closing the door behind her. With an unhappy mien she wandered through the house, which suddenly seemed so much larger than usual. A grandfather clock that looked like it had survived a war was ticking aggressively in the living room reminding her ceaselessly of the aggravating peace and quiet.

“Oh, please,” she muttered aloud to the empty room when the stillness got to be too much to endure. “Somebody blow something up.”

She didn’t get her wish, surprisingly enough; what she did get was, from Piggy’s point of view, much more interesting than an explosion.

The phone rang.

Not previously inclined to talk to anyone, she darted to the nearest receiver and snatched it up desperate to here another voice, even that of a perfect stranger. Piggy didn’t expect anyone interesting; everyone in their circle would know that it was Show Night, and the place to reach them was the theatre.

It therefore came as a perfect shock to hear the peaceably cheerful voice of her beloved.

“Heigh- ho! Hey, Piggy, is that you?”

Kermit sounded happy to hear her voice.

On any other occasion, she’d have been ecstatic to have a phone call from him all to herself. Today, however, she was horrified.

“Oh, uh, um… is it- oh, yes. Hello, Kermie, it is moi.” She pulled on a layer of self-possession like slipping on an old coat. “How-how are you doing dear on your,” she huffed primly, “grand adventure in Europe?”

Kermit hesitated for a second before responding. Piggy meanwhile was frantically trying to come up with constructed explanations as to why she was not at the show. Why is he even calling now?!

“Well, it’s been- fine, Piggy. Uh, listen, I didn’t get a chance to, uh, say goodbye when I left….” His froggy voice held a thread of awkwardness and Piggy could see his endearing expression with crystal clarity from thousands of miles away. If she wasn’t so flustered, she would have sighed. “We had that… discuss- argument.” He settled on the word honestly.

Piggy had completely forgotten about that. “We’ll, uh, these things happen, Kermie dear.” Now he wants to talk to me? Oh brother, what did I do to deserve this?!

The Kermit voice cheered up considerably at her response. “So you’re not mad anymore? I mean, everything’s okay between uh, us?” Some of the awkwardness in his voice surged forward towards the end of the phrase.

Piggy was too distracted to enjoy it.

“We’re fine, Kermie, we’re always fine. Vous know that, my love.” Don’t you need to be going somewhere?!

“Oh, good. So…um, you’re okay then?”

Piggy nearly dropped the phone.

Reeling she tried to recover, laughing nervously. “Of course, silly Kermie, why wouldn’t moi be fine?”

“Well, I thought it might bother you, at least a little bit, that we fought before I left. I mean, you wouldn’t even talk to me yesterday when I called.” He was starting to sound faintly disgruntled.

“Oh. Oh… yesterday. That was… only a trifle, Kermie.” I can’t handle this now!

Now Kermit was really irritated with Piggy’s airy reassurances “Hey, it wasn’t so little then… I mean you did, karate chop me!”

Piggy laughed again. “Oh honestly, you get flustered over the littlest things!” Somebody shoot me.

Kermit was quiet for a moment, frustration obvious in his breathing. Miss Piggy rubbed her head unhappily, wondering how they’d managed to start arguing again. She elected to change the subject.

Kermit had come to the same decision, and they spoke over each other.

“So why are vous calling?”
“So how was the show?”

There was a moment of confusion as they tried to rewind and figure out what they’d said.

“To see how the show went.” Kermit replied first, as Piggy tried to figure out what to say. It was still going!

“Um…” she began, as Kermit continued.

“I’m sure it went great and all. I have complete trust in you guys, I just want to know the details. How were your numbers? Let’s see that was the torch song and ‘Bahama Mama’ right?”

“Um…”

“Gee, it’s awfully quiet over. We’re usually on the roof by now.” There was a short pause as Kermit considered the lack of chaos in the background. When he spoke again, it was heavy with worry. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

Piggy had to say something. She had to say something fast or Kermit would just continue to fret. But what? What?!

“Piggy?”

“Everything’sfineIhavetogonowbyeKermie!”

And she hung up on up him.

Oh, my, Leyla... LEYLA!...

First of all, before my mind starts spinning too fast, the references! The photo album of references! Robin's harmonica, and, and the picture after the Doc Hopper thing, and, and the bag of sand OHH the bag of sand! And she's his backrest, and... Oh my gosh, Leyla! That's A Gift, that's Chasing Robin, that's Destination: Home, that's Swamp Call!!!!!!

And even if it wasn't jam-packed with references, I LOVE that album! And the comparison to a poisonous insect! And just the mere fact that it exists! I LOVE IT!

And then her frustration with the silence...

And KERMIT! Oh he's figuring something out... I knew he would... He got the time difference wrong, that's what did it, and... And he knows now, he's gotta know, that she's alone at the boarding house, and... Ohhhhhhhh and she hung up on him, oh he's gotta know something's wrong! And I love how he was trying to apologize for the argument that she had completely forgotten about... Funny how it's such a different perspective when you're not there living every second with everyone... ...Gosh, I've experienced that myself recently... OH, but KERMIT!!!!!!!

MORE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooh--kissy, kissy dear! Why oh why do I love it so much when the Frog has the tables turned on him? The surest way for Piggy to get a rise out of Kermit is to back up and evade--then he comes on like thunder. Do I feel sorry for him? Hmmm....I'll get back to you on that.
Also liked the fact that Kermit can't keep track of things without Scooter or Piggy or Gonzo to ride herd on him. Can't wait to find out if he realizes the mistake he made in the time difference.
And Piggy hanging up on Kermit? Priceless.
It's all good, honey--keep at it!

Lyela! Oh Leyla!! That was...Oh Leyla! The book!! That was...WOW!! And then she HUNG UP on him! Wha ha ha! Unexpected! LOVE IT! Cannot wait for more!

Hey! <laughs> I updated yesterday... doesn't that count as lately?

<watches muffin cannon warily>

As for my assignment, collection is porceeding nicely with the occasional snag.

Moonlighting

What assignment? You moon-lighting on us, dear?

Short answer... yes... but not so intensively as to abandon my writing, which I'm working on now.

To which your fan base says "Yea!!!" whiles waving their arms about their heads.

Feel like I'm doing a lousy job of pointing out the totally remarkable things you are doing with the language, but others are making many of my points for me. Sorry--will be more of a well-rounded human being once school starts.

Wow...Leyla, I just...ohhhh, man, this is EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE so great!! Now see what you've gone and done? You've left me speechless! Oh well..more please!

Whew, okay! Under threat of penguins and who knows what Lisa would have done to me, I've got another chapter up for you. Enjoy! <crosses fingers>

Green stuff: Thanks so much! Glad you liked it! I'm liking your story too!

Ed: Don't shoot, it's here!

Ruahnna: Oh, you! <<<<hugs>>> You've been nothing but kindness itself, so thanks very much. I hope you like this chapter... it's been a while since I've written the frog. I love turning the tables on him too... and he's so much fun when there's something under his collar... and Piggy spends a lot of effort getting under there.

Beau: <hugs back> Thanks so much, Mr. Regard. The muppets are the life, absolutely... I'm glad that reached you, especially since you were very much inspirational during that chapter. The photo album... will be back.

Prawnie: Thank you! <big cuddles>

Ed: I wouldn't count the album as revenge... more like therapy. So glad you liked it though, and the phone call as well. Kermit and Piggy haven't interacted nearly enough in this story... but I'm biased. I'll have to speak to the author.

Toga: <beams> Kermit is definately doing some serious thinking in this chapter, and he'll soon be a lot more involved than he has been so far... ah, well, you've got me talking again. You've got a knack for that! <giggles> Well, I'll go ahead and post now, as I wouldn't want to keep you waiting.
Oh, and glad you liked the references... I liked the stories!
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Kermit stood for a minute, holding the phone, listening to it buzz musically in what passed as his ear.

Piggy had hung up on him.

Long years of… er, association with the porcine diva had taught Kermit never to assume he understood what she had done, what she was doing, or what she was going to do next… but still!

He hadn’t really expected that…

…and he didn’t understand it.

The annoyance of it faded very quickly as he compared his years of experience of her demeanor with her demeanor during the few minutes of their phone call. Uneasy thoughts began spinning wildly in his head. Piggy hadn’t sounded like herself. At first, Kermit suspected she was merely angry about their earlier fight, which would have explained her being stand-offish and not wanting to talk to him the other day, but that theory didn’t hold water. Piggy had been nervous, not angry, and then she’d hung up on him.

Miss Piggy had actually hung up on him!

Another wave of astonishment hit him and faded down through irritation to anxiety. No, Kermit couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong back home.

And he was thousands of miles away from being able to help… or even to be able to just to go through it with them. His gentle heart sunk somewhere down near the vicinity of his flippers.

“No,” he declared firmly to the empty room, “This is important, and I’m not going to let her keep me out of this.”

Resolute, Kermit picked up the phone again, and steeled himself for some serious Piggy prying. A sudden thought gave him pause. He’d told them he trusted them to handle anything, Fozzie and Rowlf and Scooter, and if he just barged back in and tried to do a little long distance crisis management, he’d really be telling them that he didn’t actually trust them. Rowlf and Scooter might understand, but Fozzie was a nut of a different sort, and might take it personally.

Kermit did trust them after all.

All three of them had good hearts and good minds and, most importantly, they were together. The only one who was facing anything alone right now was him.

Kermit sighed… it was much better to face things together, and he wanted desperately to know what had Piggy so flustered.

Maybe it wasn’t anything serious. Maybe he was overreacting, trying a little too hard to read Piggy’s mind. Normally, he was sensible enough not to try.

Then again, Piggy rarely got flustered, unless she was out to fluster someone else, and Kermit knew well enough who her favorite target was.

Kermit sighed, wavering back and forth between two choices, his hand once again resting on the phone and his only physical connection with his family. “What to do, what to do…” Before he’d settled entirely on a course of action, or inaction, the hotel room clock sounded, surprising him.

“Oh!” Kermit moved quickly and shut it off. He had set it earlier with the help of a hotel employee to remind him of about when the show ended with the time difference. “Whoops, must have mixed up the time diff-”

Kermit’s mouth fell open as a lightning bolt of understanding started synapses sparking and flashing in his head.

That’s why it was so quiet.

Piggy was alone in the boarding house; alone, because everyone else was out at the theatre, where she herself should have been. The vague and nameless worry plaguing Kermit sharpened rapidly and skittered viciously along his nerves as uncertainty gave way to absolute clarity.

There was something wrong, something wrong with Piggy, and it was wrong enough to keep her off the stage. Kermit firmly swallowed back a wave of genuine fright. He also let go of the phone.

“Alright Piggy.” He whispered into the soullessly cheerful hotel room. “I’ll let you handle it your way, for now.” If she wanted to keep whatever was going on away from him right now, that was her prerogative... but he would be back home soon enough, and Kermit knew that real secrets were in short supply in their little family.

He decided he would not call back again that night. That decision made, Kermit prepared himself for bed, pausing only briefly to make a quick note for himself.

Tomorrow, he was going to do everything in his power to watch the show that he had missed.
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“What do you want?” the living symbol of American values demanded moodily as Gonzo tracked after him out of the theatre.

“Oh, c’mon Sam, just give me a chance here! I know that didn’t go very well, but it wasn’t my fault.” Gonzo considered Sam’s severe expression and reconsidered his approach. “That was my very first try at being completely dull on stage! You’ve had years of experience!”

Sam glared at him and walked a bit faster. The eagle preferred to walk home rather than hitch a ride with the gadabouts and weirdoes that swarmed the theatre and the boarding house. Gonzo was not about to let him escape this night.

“Please, Sam. I think… I think you’re right about all this safety-”

“-And dignity. Safety, and dignity. That’s the American way,” he said with no little bit of pride.

Gonzo let out a little whoop when he realized that he was getting through. Sam frowned at him again… well, in fact, the eagle had not stopped frowning since he had first approached him well before the show. Still, somehow Sam managed to emphasize his frown, making it particularly frowny.

The reformed, or rather, reforming daredevil stood up a little straighter and tried to look like a good American citizen. “Sorry. I love the American way, really! Those speeches you do are really-“

Now he really had Sam’s attention. “Inspirational?”

“Well, no…”

“Noble?”

“Not exactly…”

“Patriotic?” he asked, putting a particular lilt on the word.

“Hysterical!” Gonzo finished triumphantly.

If it were only possible, Sam’s face would have become even frownier. “I do not believe this.” He said quietly to himself, though it was easily loud enough for Gonzo to hear.

“Oh. Sam, I meant that as a compliment!”

“You would,” the eagle snapped contemptuously, before ducking into a payphone and firmly shutting the door.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Gonzo called, tapping the Plexiglas.

“I am calling a cab, you degenerate.” Sam informed him stiffly.

“Why would you call a cab “you degenerate?” the little blue fellow wondered, but the eagle had turned a rigid back to him. “But I need your help to make the Muppet Show safer! And have you seen where we live?”


Gonzo let out a melancholy little sigh. “I just wanted to undo some of the harm I caused.” Giving up on his hopes of recruiting a partner, he turned away to make his way back the boarding house.

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Well Leyla, you certainly deserve a nice detailed review... And I was just about to begin the quoting process... and I realized, I wanted to quote EVERYTHING... and I just don't have the energy... Especially with the alarm going off at 5:30 tomorrow morning...

So let's see. Diction is incredible, of course. "Buzz musically," "what passed as his ear..." Lovely lovely. Repitition of her hanging up on him. Like it. Kermit's entire thought process is beautiful. That lightening in brain thing you described... know the feleing. Er... the feeling. I don't know what a feleing is. And Kermit worrying about making Fozzie, Rowlf and Scooter think he doesn't trust them- especially Fozzie... very touching, very sweet, very true, very Kermit. Your description of his worry right after he figures out the time zone thing was incredible. And his genuine fright. And letting her do things her way- for now. Curious about the next phone call. And I'm wondering how much more he'll figure out when he sees the show tomorrow.

As for Gonzo and Sam, I love how Gonzo, with all his attempts to be safe, still completely clashes with Sam. I love your descriptions of how frowny Sam's frown was. That whole scene is pretty darned funny, until that last line, which of course hits extra hard because of the comedy before it. I love that.

MORE PLEASE!

Ahem--things that made my day brighter, by Ru:

"His gentle heart sunk somewhere down near the vicinity of his flippers." What a very nice and very apt description of Kermit.

"The only one who was facing anything alone right now was him."
Very often, people who are in crisis themselves think only of unburdening themselves so THEY feel better. It is a self-less and insightful person who thinks not only of what will make THEM feel better, but what is BEST for the loved one.

"He had set it earlier with the help of a hotel employee to remind him of about when the show ended with the time difference." (Thank goodness I'm not the only one who can't set a hotel clock. In fact, I just got the clock on my car changed back to the right time from daylight savings time--just in time for the next change coming up!)

"The vague and nameless worry plaguing Kermit sharpened rapidly and skittered viciously along his nerves as uncertainty gave way to absolute clarity."
Loved skittered.

"That was my very first try at being completely dull on stage! You’ve had years of experience!”
Ahh, yes. Gonzo must be a Sagittarius, no?

"Sam frowned at him again… well, in fact, the eagle had not stopped frowning since he had first approached him well before the show. Still, somehow Sam managed to emphasize his frown, making it particularly frowny."
Doncha just love Sam and his puritanical soul?

“Oh. Sam, I meant that as a compliment!”
“You would,” the eagle snapped contemptuously, before ducking into a payphone and firmly shutting the door.
Shades of Superman! (Leyla--does he come out wearing a big "S" on his chest?)

Wow! Leyla! You've done it again! This portion of the story most certainly needs a more detailed review, but unfortunately, I've lost a least half a pound today wasting away at this computer trying to polish chapter four of my own story...so i'll give you a great one tomorrow! Anyway, yaay! I have to say, you're really doing a great job here, and I'm really enjoying it. Looking forward to more!

Leyla, Leyla, Leyla, I'm here! I'm here!! LOVELY chapter! Sam with Gonzo is; to quote Gonzo; "Hysterical!" Hehe, I love it! Keep it up! (((HUGS)))

Thanks muchly everyone! <<<<<<HUGS>>>>> all around!

Hmm... okay, this is an official teddy alert. I think I can safely upgrade that, in fact, to a melodrama alert. There's really nothing of comedy here... so prepare yourselves before reading further.

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Piggy had been more than a little shaken up by Kermit’s unexpected phone call, and she wanted to steady her nerves before the mob returned. They would be even madder than usual, and she just wasn’t feeling up to them yet.

In times of stress, Piggy often turned to mindless, yet involving routine to distract her. Often, this meant fussing with her hair or her make up. Sometimes, when she primped publicly, it irritated those around her, particularly Kermit, who thought she wasn’t taking things seriously, but… there was something soothing about being able to control how she looked. Even if she could control nothing else, her hair was hers, and, with her extensive experience in modeling, television and movies, she could order it around to her exact demands.

Nothing else around her was so co-operative.

Piggy did return to her room and settled herself in front of her vanity. She stared into her own reflected eyes and frowned at her pale skin and listless expression. “If you think I’m going to let you get away with looking like something Animal dragged in, you don’t know Miss Piggy at all.” She spoke aloud, calling up some of her natural fire and nodding in muted approval at her reflection’s increased liveliness.

Satisfied with at least that little bit of progress, now Miss Piggy glared haughtily into the mirror, before adding, sweetly, “And it’s a good thing no one’s caught me talking to you or they’d haul me away.” She lowered her eyes and a wry smile curved her lips, “And then, they’d haul me straight back here when they couldn’t find anywhere crazier.” She shook her head and frowned at her reflection. “Don’t give me that look! Moi am not going crazy. In this place, if anything, moi am going stark, raving sane.”

Leaving go of her momentary lapse in sanity, she turned her attention to more serious matters. Pulling out a tiny pair of snipping scissors, Piggy carefully clipped away the bandage for the last time. She’d been told it could be removed after twenty-four hours, but she’d had more than enough of it to want to wait any longer. The bandage on her ear was best left on, or, barring that, re-covered with band-aids until the stitches could be removed, roughly in a week’s time. Piggy had already made an appointment to go in to her general practitioner.

She meant to be looking as close to normal as possible by the time Kermit came home.

It was with great satisfaction that the blonde let the bandages drop airily into her wastebasket before returning to her reparations. She frowned, with a clinical air, at the wreck they’d made of her head, studying it the way Steven Hawking looked over scientific formulae and Bunsen looked over plans for a wildly dangerous, Beaker-frazzling invention.

They had, at least, tried to spare as much as they could… the problem with those efforts was that the comb-over look was so not going to be the next fashion craze, even if a trendsetter like herself tried to get it working. Piggy was going to have to cut it short to even it out in the end… but perhaps she could pin it to hide the shaved spot until enough of it had grown out for her to style it short.

Giving a quick look over her various styling implements, Piggy selected a strong pick and began ruthlessly working the tangles out, tip to root in order to avoid damaging her locks. Tomorrow she would wash and condition it properly, but for now she settled for a few squirts of her favorite leave-in conditioner. It was soothing, the physical motion of the brush, the muscles working in her arm, and even the occasionally painful tug. It was a return to normalcy for Piggy and for the first time since the accident, she began to feel like herself.

Yes... she was fine.

With the worst of the tangles wrestled into submission, Piggy switched to a brush to tackle the fine little knots that had tried to evade her swift fingers. As she worked, her mind cast back over Kermit’s phone call, what he’d said, how he’d said it… looking as always for those subtle currents of caring burrowed in casual comments. It was good to hear that soulful voice again, so mellow and gentle and calm and… and Kermity.

Tears filled her eyes all of a sudden, catching her off guard as her heart gave a painful lurch. Piggy brushed faster as the drops tracked down her face and tickled her chin before falling away. She let them roll, unchecked.

There was no one to see.

How she missed Kermit! Piggy began to tremble and shake as grief took hold of her fully, soundless sobs seizing her as did thoughts of her frog. She clung tightly to her brush. He, she was sure, would have made things better; Kermie always did. Now, though, he was so far away and everything seemed to have fallen apart. She felt strangely separated from him in spirit, and it was by her badly kept secret, rather than by the meaningless numbers of miles. Part of her wished that he had been there, even to see the accident and what it had done to her.

At, least then, she would know.

There would be no reason for hiding things if he’d only had the decency to be there when that thing had come crashing down. She was lying on the floor like a rag doll while he had been off gallivanting around Europe, probably having the time of his life. How dare he?!

No… that wasn’t fair.

Piggy tried to stifle her unheard anguish with anger, but she just couldn’t work up enough to do it. She wanted her frog too badly at that moment to be angry at him, even if she’d had a legitimate reason. Perhaps, when he got home, it would be alright. Perhaps she could keep it from him, or maybe, if he did find out, perhaps Kermit wouldn’t see her weakness as yet another excuse to put distance between them.

He was her friend, after all… right?

Piggy raised her head and looked blearily into her own red-rimmed eyes. So much for her pep talk. Things hadn’t been going well for them, even before Kermit left, even before she’d had her head knocked in. They’d been arguing, more than usual, sometimes fiercely, and those treasured moments of tenderness that she lived for had been few and very far between of late.

Maybe this would be the last straw.

Maybe Kermit would finally get tired of her.

A terrible thought made its way out of her distraught mind, and as it hit, she threw down the brush and buried her head into her arms against the desk, weeping and trying desperately to regain control.

Maybe, it was time to finally let him go, before he could do it first.

Her stomach twisted with nausea at the thought, but it niggled and teased and tormented her, crawling over her skin and making her want to curl up into a ball. Piggy was frightened, trapped by her own blithe assurances that everything was alright, and her fight or flight reflexes were beginning to kick in, violently.

Perhaps it would be better… to let him go, before he had the chance to really say goodbye.
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