The Great Desire

OOH!!! A WHOLE NEW WORLD!! Phenominal!! I loved it!! Keep it up Java!

Ohhh, so much pain and so much good stuff too! I love the present day and then how you move back in time obviously showing us how we got to the point we're at now. The wedding day was beautiful. But the pain that Gonzo's in now....oy. More please!

Chapter 4

Pick up the toy. Press it. Listen for giggle. Press toy again. Listen for giggle. Place toy on box. Put box on conveyor belt to send to next station. Repeat. Whistle blows. Go to time clock and punch card. Remember not to stamp feathers.

Camilla stepped outside and walked slowly toward her apartment. She thought about stopping for some takeout but knew that she really should eat the leftovers in the refrigerator. Besides, the only good place to get a good birdseed milkshake was Hooper’s and she didn’t feel like going all the way to the other side of the city to get to Hensonville or going even further to Sesame Street. Besides, there was always the chance of running into people that she knew there. No, I’m much better staying here at home, she thought.

The first thing that caught her eye was the blinking red light. Probably just a hang up, she thought as she absently pressed the button and turned to the refrigerator to heat up supper.

“You have five new messages.”

Well, aren’t I the popular one today.

“Message one, Tuesday two fifteen pm,” the recorded voice ended and Janice’s voice filled the room. “Like, umm, hi Camilla. It’s been, wow, a rully, rully, long time since we’ve talked. Like, I’m supposed to be coming home this week and I was hoping we could see each other. So, yea, rully, give me a call. Beep.”

Oh no! It has been forever since I’ve talked to Janice. None of this was her fault. How could I have let the time get away from me like that? Camilla made a note to call Janice after work and poured her vegetable soup into the pot on the stove.

“Message two, Tuesday two fifty-six pm,” this time Kermit’s bubbly voice filled the room. “Hi-ho. It’s your friend Kermit here Camilla. We’re putting together a big special for the network and I was hopping you’d be a part of it. I really want as many of us professionals in it as possible to return to our roots. I hope you’ll think about it and I look forward to hearing back from you. You know you can always reach me at the theater. Take care Camilla, and I’ll talk to you later. Beep.”

Gee, I just don’t know. I… Camilla didn’t let herself finish the thought as she turned and got out the bread to go with the soup.

“Message three, Tuesday four ten pm,” Camilla waited patiently as there was a long pause on the machine, then a cough with a sob, and finally the phone being slammed down. Beep.

That’s happening almost everyday now. Maybe I should spend a little more money and get caller id. Camilla stood at the stove now, stirring her soup, patiently waiting for it to boil.

“Message four, Tuesday four twenty-eight pm,” now an unfamiliar voice filled the room. “Yes, this message is for Ms. Camilla the Great. Oh, I’m sorry there, I see I overlooked the name change in my files, this is for Ms. Camilla the Chicken. My name is Victor Sims and I would like to discuss the possibility of you taking a teaching position at my school of the arts. We have many students who would benefit from your talents. If you could give me a call back at 555-1762 I would like to set up a time to go over my offer with you. Again that is 555-1762 and I look forward to hearing from you. Have a good day. Beep.”

Oh my. Wow. It would certainly be more money than the tickle me Elmo factory. Camilla jotted down the number as her soup over boiled onto the stove.

“Message five, Tuesday five forty-two pm,” the machine announced and Scooter’s voice filled the room. “Camilla, when Kermit called earlier he forgot to mention that we’re having a surprise welcome home party for Janice at the boarding house on Friday. Give me a call on my cell phone and I’ll fill you in on the details. Talk to you soon and see you Friday. Beep.”

Just like Scooter to assume I’ll come. Camilla didn’t let her thoughts go further as she finished cleaning up the mess on the stove and sat down to eat the meal. Unable to stand the silence she turned on the tv for a little background noise. Unfortunately it didn’t work and her thoughts still drifted back to her home with Gonzo.

* * * * * * * * * *

Four and a half years earlier.

“Can someone please pass me the peas?” Robin’s voice called out from the far end of the table.

“I think we had a great rehearsal today. Don’t you, Kermit?” Fozzie picked up the peas and spooned them onto his plate before sliding the bowl down the table.

“Not nearly well enough in my opinion,” Sam spoke up. “If you changed to outstanding American classics you would find bad rehearsals would be a thing of the past.”

“Nice try Sam,” Scooter commended the eagle on his new slightly subtle approach to criticism and convincing them to change.

“I read somewhere that we are considered an American classic,” Camilla signed. All of her close friends had picked up the sign language easily making communications much easier than before.

“Hardly,” Sam puffed.

“Seems to me that usually good rehearsals mean a bad show,” Gonzo quipped.

“I think that’s the dress rehearsal’s Gonzo,” Kermit said, “and as long as you don’t knock yourself into a coma I think we’ll do just fine.”

“And Moi thinks that we should not be talking about work when we are guests in Camilla and Gonzo’s beautiful new home.”

“Your right, Piggy. I rully love what you’ve done with the place Camilla.”

“Kind of small for all of us man,” Floyd spoke up, teasing the new home owners.

“Too Small! Too Small! Too Small!” Animal banged on the table.

“Hey, Kermit? Have you heard anything from Bernie about the movie script?”

“No, not yet.”

Dinner continued in it’s merriment with talk about the shows, the next movie – Fozzie’s Angels, the house, the Electric Mayhem’s extra gigs, the Christmas at the Count’s, and everything else they had going on. Before they knew it midnight had come and their visitors were boarding the Electric Mayhem bus to get some rest before rehearsals the next day.

“That was nice,” Camilla said as she snuggled close to Gonzo.

“Yea, but sometimes it gets to be a lot.”

“I know, that’s why we bought the house. We don’t have to deal with it every night that way.”

“True, my little chic-a-de,” he said as he leaned in for a passionate kiss.

“I love you.” Camilla said before she kissed Gonzo again.

“I love you, too,” Gonzo replied, truly happy that they had the privacy now that the boarding house did not offer.

LOVE. HOOPER'S. Great casual reference, Java!

Is Kermit being sneaky, or honest?!

Awwwwww!

Camilla The Great! Best line in this story so far. LOVE again.

I can't even begin to tell you how often I let things boil over because I get distracted. It is a little touch, but it makes Camilla feel very human. Er ... chicken.

It IS just like Scooter. Well done!

Ah-hahahaha. Now THIS might be the best line yet. Tough call.

Cute line, and oh so true.

Hooray for small touches of Animal!

Hooray for everything about this story. I love it! LOVE.

I loved that chapter! I love how you let us look inside Camilla's head while she was listening to the messages. I also loved the dinner at Gonzo and Camilla's house when things were still happy. Saw some nod's to some other stories as well, Christmas at the Count's, etc. Very nice, there's so much sadness here, but also so much Muppety goodness. I just want to keep reading, but there's no more to read!

AH!!!!!!! REFERENCE! You referenced me!!! (((HUGS))) Lovely lovely lovely chapter!! I hug it too!

Yes, you got those references correct, but there's another reference in there that I didn't see mentioned. I'll give you a chance to find it as I work on the next chapter.

Yes, that's the reference. Unfortunately the next chapter will have to wait until later tonight.

Yes, Bernie. Now, for the next chapter...

Chapter 5

Clanking could be heard from the multiple exercise machines around the room. Each patient had a physical therapist working with them individually to get through the assigned days exercises.

“Come on Janice. Five more. Lift those legs up five more times and I’ll free you for your last occupational therapy session.”

“But Eva, this is, like, hard!” Janice’s voice rose above the clanks of the weights in protest.

“Yes, and you’ve gotten through this rehab for a second time. Since you had the surgery you’re much stronger and you will leave here this afternoon able rock with the Electric Mayhem for an entire show again.”

“Okay, man, only five more though. You promised.”

“And you’ve completed them already in the time it took you to complain.”

“Oh, Eva,” Janice turned on the bench to her physical therapist and now close confidant, “you’ve been such a help to me in getting through the accident. I almost don’t want to leave you.”

Eva sat down on a bench across from Janice.

“You haven’t heard from Camilla yet, huh?”

“No. And I’m like, rully scared that she blames me.”

“You didn’t cause that accident. Nor did you cause the divorce.”

Janice sighed and cast her look down towards the floor before speaking again. “It’s just going to be hard to go home, knowing she’s not there and not talking to us.”

“Give her time, she’ll come around. Now you better hurry up to your OT so that you can get home. I know there’s a house full of Muppets ready to have a party.”

“Totally, and can you believe they’re trying to hide it from me?”

Janice let her fears wash out of her as she played her guitar to work on the fine motor skills in her hands on her last visit of occupational therapy. The others in the room smiled as Janice played one of her personal anthems.

“I come home in the morning light
My mother says when you gonna live your life right
Oh mama dear we're not the fortunate ones
And girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun

The phone rings in the middle of the night
My father yells what you gonna do with your life
Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one
But girls they wanna have fun
Oh girls just wanna have--

That's all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Oh girls-- they wanna have fun
Oh girls just wanna have fun

Some boys take a beautiful girl
And hide her away from the rest of the world
I want to be the one to walk in the sun
Oh girls they wanna have fun
Oh girls just wanna have--

That's all they really want
Is some fun
When the working day is done
Oh girls--they wanna have fun
Oh girls just wanna have fun,

They just wanna, they just wanna,
They just wanna, they just wanna
Oh girls-- girls just wanna have fun

They just wanna, they just wanna,
They just wanna, they just wanna
Oh girls-- girls just wanna have fun

When the working-- when the working day is done
Oh, when the working day is done
Oh girls-- girls just wanna have fun

They just wanna, they just wanna,
They just wanna, they just wanna
Oh girls-- girls just wanna have fun

When the working-- when the working day is done
Oh, when the working day is done
Oh girls-- girls just wanna have fun”

“We should tell green stuff that’s a number you should perform when we get home babe. Are you ready to go?”

“Yea, man. Like, let’s get out of here.”

Floyd and Janice made it out of the rehab hospital in a little less than forty-five minutes. Not bad when you were leaving the people who you had sweat and shed blood and tears with to get better. There was nothing quite like the bonds you made in that situation. She would miss it, Janice thought, but it sure was good to get home to the normal weirdo’s in her life.

They were already spilling out into the yard in celebration as they pulled up into the driveway. Floyd dropped Janice’s luggage just inside the door as she made her way through the sea of creatures to get to the stage where the band had set up.

Dr. Teeth was anxious to have his band back together after this second absence embraced Janice and quickly launched his fingers into motion on the keyboard. “A little ditty for our lovely lady illuminating how we feel,” he said as he launched into The Beatles:

“What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends

What do I do when my love is away?
(Does it worry you to be alone?)
How do I feel by the end of the day?
(Are you sad because you're on your own?)
No I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends

(Do you need anybody?)
I need somebody to love
(Could it be anybody?)
I want somebody to love

(Would you believe in a love at first sight?)
Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time
(What do you see when you turn out the light?)
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Oh I'm going to try with a little help from my friends

(Do you need anybody?)
I just need somebody to love
(Could it be anybody?)
I want somebody to love

Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends
Oh I get high with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends
With a little help from my friends”

Camilla arrived at the party after the sun had faded and you could see the stars in the sky. She stood outside the gate, unable to bring herself to go in. After all, these were really Gonzo’s friends and she had been out of touch with them for a year.

I should go talk to Janice though, she thought, but she’s been through so much already. Even though Janice had called Camilla, she couldn’t bring herself to believe that Janice wanted to talk.

Camilla turned her attention from Janice on stage to find Gonzo. She had to know if he was as tortured as she was. She wanted to see that he meant what he had said at their meeting. He stood laughing among Pepe, Fozzie, Kermit, and Rizzo.

Typical, he’s able to laugh and have fun. Why can’t he understand that I just can’t do that? I can’t do this! Gently Camilla set down the gift basket she had brought for Janice and went started back to her apartment, unnoticed.

As she walked her mind drifted back to the moment that had set this distressing path down before her:

* * * * * * * * * *

First Wedding Anniversary
They sat in the back of an intimate Italian restaurant, the candlelight playing off of the sparkle in each of their eyes. Other diners smiled at the couple as the looked back, many wishing that they had that type of magic in their relationship after all the years.

“So, my sweet,” Gonzo said to her leaning closer across the table. “We’ve had one year alone together. How do you feel?”

“Bawwk, aww bawk bawk,” Camilla clucked as she signed, “I love you. I can not believe it has been a year already. It won’t take too much more to keep me happy for the rest of my life.”

“Really? What can I do that will keep you happy for the rest of your life?”

Camilla smiled as the waiter set their dinner in front of them. Distracted, the conversation moved on to the next Muppet projects in the works and the details of everyday life. Dinner finished nicely with cheesecake provided by the owner who was honored to have the couple dining.

It was as Gonzo and Camilla took a midnight stroll around the pond in the park that the question came up again.

“You didn’t tell me what we need to do to keep you happy for the rest of your life,” Gonzo said looking down at her.

Quickly, she led him over to a bench and hoped up on it. She patted the bench beside her and waited for him to sit down. He wasted no time and sat sideways on the bench so that he could give her his undivided attention.

“Oh, Gonzo, what would make me happy is to finally have my greatest desire.”

“I can’t make that come true for you if you don’t tell me what it is.”

“I’m scared that you don’t want the same thing that I do though. We’ve never discussed this and I don’t think we even thought of it as a possibility.”

“Camilla, you have to tell me what this great desire is.”

“Okay,” Camilla took a big sigh and paused a moment before continuing to sign, “I want to have a child, Gonzo. I think we should see about having a baby of our own.”

Gonzo smiled, expecting that was what she wanted. After all, he wanted it too. Slowly he leaned down to whisper, “what are we doing here than?”

Camilla’s eyes got brighter as she hugged Gonzo and looked up to him for her kiss. Then, as quickly as they could, they skipped off for home.

WHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! WHOA! Camilla! Like wow! And Janice, rully, like, wow! And like, a child? Fer sure, that's, like, a rull twist there. Like I can't wait for more! Fer sure! Rully!

Oh my...oh my oh my oh my....Janice, accident, Camilla, Gonzo, child....eek, I think my hunch is coming true. Oh, it's so heartwrenching and yet, like a train wreck or something I can't turn away. Instead I want more!

Chapter 6

Gonzo sat at the piano listening to Rowlf sing as the rest of the Muppets ran around the boarding house doing their usual muppety activities until the meeting was called to order.

“Just an old fashioned love song
Playing on the radio
And wrapped around the music
is the sound of someone promising they'll never go.”

Distant explosions could be heard from the basement as Bunsen and Beaker worked on the next Muppet labs project. Robin could be heard panting behind the couch as he carried something into the kitchen.

”You'll swear you've heard it before
As it slowly rambles on and on.
No need in bringing em back
Cause they've never really gone.

Just an old fashioned love song
One I'm sure they wrote for you and me,
Just an old fashioned love song
Coming down in three part harmony.”

“And if you don’t stay out of moi’s room…”

“Si, si, is going, is going!” Pepe cried out running from the demonstration of what would happen if he was caught snooping again.

”To weave our dreams upon and
Listen to each evening when the lights are low.
To underscore our love affair
With tenderness and feeling
That we've come to know.

You'll swear you've heard it before
As it slowly rambles on and on.
No need in bringing em back
Cause they've never really gone.”

Rowlf raised his voice at this point so Gonzo could hear above animal screaming “Woman! Woman!” in beat to his drums in the corner.


“Just an old fashioned love song
Coming down in three part harmony.
Just an old fashioned love song
One I'm sure they wrote for you and me.”

“Yea, Rowlf, I still say it’s just as haunting as when Paul sung it.”

“Haunting makes for good music too.”


“Say, do you still have that song from the Muppet Babies cartoon?”

“The one about Camilla?”

“Yea,” Gonzo stated simply slumping against the piano. Rowlf dug the music out from under his bench and played the first cords.

“You just don't know what it's like
When the bottom drops out of your life.
When your reason to be,
Disapears suddenly.
And your melody loses its song.”

Animal remembered the song and joined in, “bubbadie bubbadie bubbadie bubbadie”

“Camilla! Camilla
Woah-woah woah-woah
Camilla”

“Bubbadie bubbadie bubbadie bubbadie,” Animal chimed again with enthusiasm outweighing the tone of the song.

Slowly Muppets started to enter the room from all corners, windows, and vents listening to Gonzo’s lament.

“Our walks,(our walks) in the park (in the park)
Our talks in the dark
- wa-ooh!
Are just faded memories
Our times,(our times) all alone (all alone)
Are the best I've ever known
Now they're gone!(now they're gone!)
Now they're go-o-o-ne!
Woawoah”

“Camilla! Camilla”

Rowlf joined the song at this point as Fozzie hadn’t entered the room yet. " Camilla he needs you, each day and night,"
- Woah-woah woah-woah
"to make things go right. And if you don't came back to him"
-Camilla
" he'll never be the same"
Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!”

“And now what am I s'posed to do?
- Camilla! Camilla
When my every breath was for you?
- Woah-woah woah-woah
When each day was a song
With you singin' along.
Camilla? Camilla

Janice picked up the guitar interlude as the Mayhem set up to play in the rest of the song. Robin took his seat on the stairs, not quite at the bottom, not quite at the top, but somewhere halfway in between. Quietly he thought over his honorary uncle’s delima.

“You just don't know what it's like
- Camilla
When the bottom drops out of your life.
- Woah-woah woah-woah
When your reason to be,
Disapears suddenly.
Camilla! Camilla
Aaaaaahhhhhhh!”

“Uncle Kermit,” Robin whispered as the older frog took his seat beside his nephew to watch the rest of the Muppets offer the best support they knew how to Gonzo, “what can we do to make this right?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“I miss Camilla, too. Why doesn’t she come around?”

“That’s something I’m not sure about either,” Kermit responded and rested his head on his hand to listen to the remainder of the song.

“And now what am I s'posed to do?
- Camilla
When my every breath was for you?
- Woah-woah woah-woah
When each day was a song
With you singin' along.
Camilla? Camilla?”

Gonzo let the last Camilla’s slip silently out of his mouth and the band gently brought the sound down so that it seemed like the song had never happened. Robin hopped over to Gonzo for a hug and Kermit began trying to herd the group into the kitchen for dinner and the meeting.

Gonzo seemed to perk up at dinner time as each Muppet discussed their day, held intellectual debates about the not-so-upstanding morals of the groups entertainment, and tried to keep their food from escaping, blowing up, or otherwise causing harm. Soon enough the table was cleared, yet the conversation continued as they re-took their seats to wait for the meeting to come to order.

“Quiet,” Kermit started, wondering why he didn’t just go straight to yelling to get the groups attention after all these years.

“Quuuuuuuuuiet!!!”

“And so I said to the doctor I don’t care if it is for medical research…” Janice broke off herself and quickly looked around the room. “Sorry,” she started again into the laughter of the room.

“Oh, babe, have we ever missed you,” Floyd said with the a genuine smile on his face.

The meeting then proceeded with plans for the new special with only the usual hitches until the topic of Camilla came up.

“Like, I want to know if she has talked to any of you all? She totally hasn’t even contacted me.”

Gonzo looked away knowing that he wouldn’t have any of the answers for the group.

“Well, Camilla called me and said that she’d be at your party. I was sad that I didn’t see her. I was hoping that I had just been to busy to see her,” Scooter said.

The group seemed to all chime in at once with “She wasn’t here; I didn’t see her; That’s a shame;” as Robin gently tugged on Kermit’s hand.

“Not now Robin,” Kermit said wanting to bring the meeting back to order. “Well, the parts written for a chicken. We’ll try to contact her again but I hear that she has an offer to teach for Victor Sims at his school of arts.”

Everyone’s face fell as Kermit turned to look at Robin who was still insistently pulling on his hand.

“What is it Robin?”

“Camilla came to the party,” he whispered.

Just like that, everyone perked back up as they strained to hear more information from Robin.

“Robin,” Gonzo almost whined, “I never saw her and I watched for her all night. What do you mean she came.”

“She had to have come. Because she left that basket for Janice that I put on the counter.”

Janice sprung up from her seat to see the basket as Kermit tried to get to the bottom of the situation.

“Where did you find that, Robin?”

“It was outside the gate. Since it said from Camilla on the outside I assumed she had brought it to the party with her. I found it as I came home from frog scouts.”

“She must not have come in then, and I was standing to far away from the gate to see her.”

“Like, like…” Janice couldn’t seem to get into her sentence as she held the note that was attached to the basket.

Gonzo came up and slipped an arm around Janice as he read over her shoulder, “I don’t blame you at all Janice. It was my fault…” Quickly he turned away and ran outside trying to block the thoughts in his mind.

* * * * * * * * * *

Four months after anniversary

“And as we said before doctor,” Gonzo said reaching across the chairs to hold Camilla’s wing, “we know that most couples wait longer before finding help to have a child, but we weren’t sure if the fact that we’re different species makes a difference.”

“Yes, it can make a difference.”

“Aww,” Camilla gently clucked as she prepared herself for the worst.

“But,” the doctor continued, “I think we could allow you to have a child, albeit unconventionally. We’ve looked at all the science involved with this and it’s possible.”

Unable to control herself, Camilla started wiggling in her seat as Gonzo clasped her wind tighter.

“You just need a person who would be willing to be a surrogate mother for you.”

Gonzo and Camilla looked over to each other as she signed, “I know just the person.”

“Yea, I think so too,” he said quietly as he turned back to the doctor. “We just have to talk to her first.”

“Certainly. Get back in touch when the decision as been made.”

“Thank you so much, Dr. Sahlin. I’m sure we’ll be contacting you soon.”

Ooh, a surrogate mother....hmm...this is really getting interesting! I laughed so hard at Janice's line about the doctor! That was funny! It was also really cute the way you brought in that old Muppet Babies song. I really liked it. Great chapter, looking forward to more!

OOH! OOOOOOH!! I LOVE that Muppet Babies song!! My favorite of the series!! Awesomeness! Keep it up!