Four Ball Foxtrot

[The Count]

This was a definite treat to read through, all of it, the long and long of it.

But there are a coupla things I question.

"country friend steak and eggs"
Does that mean the beef and yolks will be invited to coffee at the diva's home next Sunday?

"want you want"
Me thinks you mean "w-h-at."
Brian: What.
Meg: W-h-at.
Brian: What.
Meg: W-h-at.
Brian: What.
Meg: Stop being w-h-eird Brian.
Brian: Oh come on, that doesn't even have an "h" in it!

Babs: I can't help myself.
Dennis Miller: You cwazy wabbit.

And the one thing I rully have to point out...
"The next morning, the sun began its slow decent into the sky, lighting the land and everything on it."
1 Do you mean "descent"?
2 If the above is true, then mayhaps you be stuck in Looking Glass Land listening to the Tweedles' recitation of The Walrus and The Carpenter.
The sun's descent (going down) and it being morning at the same time, can that be right?
Yes, and the moon was out as well, for you see it was the middle of the night.

Other than that, me <333 the chapter as a whole and hope for more when you're able to post it.
*Leaves some cheesecake squares to cheer up Gina on this off-on-again rainy day.

 

[WebMistressGina]

This was a definite treat to read through, all of it, the long and long of it.

Glad you liked it!

But there are a coupla things I question.

"country friend steak and eggs"
Does that mean the beef and yolks will be invited to coffee at the diva's home next Sunday?

Uh....sure. Why not?

"want you want"
Me thinks you mean "w-h-at."
Brian: What.
Meg: W-h-at.
Brian: What.
Meg: W-h-at.
Brian: What.
Meg: Stop being w-h-eird Brian.
Brian: Oh come on, that doesn't even have an "h" in it!

Babs: I can't help myself.
Dennis Miller: You cwazy wabbit.

I'm sure that's what I meant.

And the one thing I rully have to point out...
"The next morning, the sun began its slow decent into the sky, lighting the land and everything on it."
1 Do you mean "descent"?

No, I meant the opposite of that, ascent (?) Where the sun is going up, not down.

Other than that, me <333 the chapter as a whole and hope for more when you're able to post it.
*Leaves some cheesecake squares to cheer up Gina on this off-on-again rainy day.

Aw Counters, how did you know that's what I needed?

Heads up, kids! I start training at my new job Monday, so in the case that I don't post AoM on Sunday, the fic may be a day or week late. But we'll see, k?

 

[The Count]

'Kay. Like have a fabu weekend and some junk.
Thanks for posting what you did today, Richard would be happy one of his boy's getting the love he deserves and has from other fic authors. *Raises a glass of OJ in honoring toast to

 

[WebMistressGina]

So, I am having the crappiest four days ever. Firstly, I wanted to let you guys know that I might not be around for a little bit; you can thank the obnoxiousness of my roommate, which ended in a mass (and probably illegal) eviction of several people, including me.

Secondly, thanks to the power of my Android phone, I was able to write up the next chapter and actually had some of it posted here this morning. Unfortunately, being at the library meant that I had to share the computer, so everything that I wrote on here, that I thought saved when I saved it, is not here.

Which is really, really annoying because I have been waiting to get this particular computer back all day only to discover, nope. Story not here.

I really can't begin to tell you guys how very very very unhappy I am at this moment in time. Not sure when I'll be back, but as the song goes, "we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day!"

If I can post from my phone, you bet Imma try! Until then, I'll miss you guys like gangbusters! I WILL return one day!

 

[The Count]

*Leaves chocolate brownies to cheer Gina. We'll be here and ready to read when you get back.

 

[WebMistressGina]

*Leaves chocolate brownies to cheer Gina. We'll be here and ready to read when you get back.

Thanks, counter man! Well guys, I was able to recreate the stuff I had previously written and it looks like things might be looking up. I say that, but until I actually see it with my eyes, I can't honestly say things are great. I can say that this day isn't as dreary as the others.

And with that in mind, here is the latest for 4 ball. Still in transition, so Accident is up in the air for the moment, but lucky you, this is the last chapter before the epilogue for this. enjoy! (this keyboard has a horrible shift key!)



VIII.


It was a sunny day in sunny California, on a weekend that was perfect for getting the family together. Scooter stood on the porch of a little townhome that was nestled in the greenery of Northern Cal, a place he had found decades earlier when looking for something that would hold the obvious growing family he had.

There were a variety of red heads running around, little frogs and piglets who were chasing each other around the grass and the picnic table that had been set up for the event.

In all the years he had lived, Scooter Grosse never thought he’d be so lucky, in both life and love. Growing up, he had been convinced that he would be forever alone; he was a quirky kid with quirky habits and interests that confused and irritated his uncle to no end. And then it all changed one day when his uncle had agreed to lease out an old theater to a bunch of ‘hippies’ as he called them who wanted to put on some sort of television show within.

That’s when Scooter Grosse found his true calling.

He had gained true friendship and true family when he entered that theater, alliances that he still held today, as he watched his honorary nieces and nephews look on their own children, who played with his grandchildren.

Grandchildren!

The redhead, whose hair was more grey than red these days, had never in his life imagined he would have grandchildren. Oh, he had hoped that one day he’d find that special someone and settle down, but it had been a pipe dream that came and went in dreams long forgotten. But he must have struck gold when he met his wife, who loved him and the things he did, and had made him the happiest man in the universe when she agreed to marry him.

Forty years, three children, and eight grandchildren later, the elder Muppet now stood looking over the little family he had created and the one that had opened their arms to him and treated him like the son he had always wanted to be. It was such a great sight, he was happy to just stand there and watch. Slim arms wrapped themselves around his waist, giving him a slight squeeze, before putting their head on his shoulder. “You okay?”

Nodding, he replied, “Oh, I’m fine. Look at them, Mandy. Look what we created.”

Delivering a kiss to his cheek, Amanda Grosse smiled against his cheek, snuggling against him. “I remember the first time you said that to me,” she said.

“When our son was born,” Scooter whispered. “I said it to Kermit too.”

Amanda chuckled and was about to answer when that very son came up to them, his own little one following him. “Dad,” he asked. “Are you coming?”

“Are you gonna play, Grandpa?” asked the little boy. “Come play with us!”

“Okay, okay,” Scooter said, patting the arms around him and giving his wife a chaste kiss, which caused his grandson to groan in disgust. “You’ll change your mind about that when you’re older.”

“Don’t tell him,” his son replied. “His mother will never get over it.”

As dreams do, this one began to fade as soon as Scooter felt the heat from the sun coming through the window. He had pleasant dreams involving Amanda before, but this was the first one in which he could actively see a future with her, a faraway future that went past being intimate or what a potential date with her would be like. This dream, this dream was different.

He had children, grandchildren! And dare he think and hope that while those nieces and nephews of his weren’t technically little siblings?

The implications were astounding to him, that he was thinking of a future – a married with children and grandchildren future – with her was a little shocking, surprising, and incredibly pleasant. The thoughts and feelings he was having, the ones he had mentioned to Kermit yesterday, were starting to make sense; he wanted a future with her. And it was the first time that he had ever wanted a future with anyone.

But dreams were fleeting and often showed what someone wanted, not what they would get. Was Scooter even ready to get married? In reviewing the couples he spent much of his time around, only one was truly married, and even that had taken years to happen. Even the power couple, who had been with each other forever, still weren’t married, however in speaking with the frog yesterday, Scooter was starting to wonder if that was what had been on Kermit’s mind since Valentine’s.

And certainly, statistics stated that more and more people, especially around his age, were waiting to get married. Even his thoughts about asking Mandy to move in with him were hampered by reports that this was the last thing couples wanted to do. But Kermit and Piggy lived together, so did Gonzo and Camilla and they weren’t doomed from the start, well except that the first time the power couple moved in together, it had spelled doom for nearly everyone involved.

Even in sleep, Amanda must have felt Scooter’s unease because she turned over to give him a sleepy hug before drifting back to slumber. Scooter couldn’t help but smile, delivering a kiss to her forehead and nuzzling her hair. That was rewarded with a few kisses to his chin and neck.

“Not so asleep as I thought,” he murmured.

“I’m a light sleeper.”

“They’re gonna wonder why we’re arriving so late.”

“Right now, I’m a little more concentrated on you.”

With that, Scooter proceeded to thank the woman in his own way.


[hr]


The morning for the power couple began with an argument, as was their way.

In the aftermath, neither could remember what exactly the argument was, but in terms of length, it was actually pretty short. It only lasted for around five minutes and the solution came ultimately when Kermit kissed her; that was usually his solution for anything involving her anyway.

For her part, Piggy couldn’t say that she wasn’t enjoying herself. The start of day three was starting to look good, with her frog stating that he was taking her on a picnic in order to leave the first couple all to themselves in the cabin. She figured he was itching to get out into the great wide open that surrounded them, which suited her just fine. Dressed and ready to go, she waited until the frog was also ready before heading out into the living room.

Entering the living room, the couple was surprised not to see their hosts, usually the first ones and ready to start the day. "Think we should wait then?" Kermit asked, wondering what was keeping the younger couple. His companion, already knowing the exact reason said couple was being kept, instead grabbed pen and paper and proceeded to write a note, explaining their whereabouts for the day.

"Never you mind about the A couple," she chastised. "We are going to have ourselves a very nice picnic. Yes?"

Chuckling, Kermit replied, while heading to the kitchen "What the pig wants, the pig gets."

Rummaging through the fridge, the frog pulled out the beginnings of breakfast for Piggy to make while he set about getting food for this picnic they planned. The pig wasn't a bog fan of yogurt, however Scooter had of course thought ahead and had gotten her the favorite of key lime, which she happily added in with granola and some peach slices. The page had also managed to pick Kermit's favorite and special type of trail mix, which Piggy lovingly placed in the basket they were taking.

Kermit for his part made a couple of sandwiches with some pieces of the steak they had last night. Also, Amanda's tasty lobster salad had been the toast of the evening and the frog just had to snag some of that. With food basket packed, the two also made sure to take a blanket so they could sit and were out the door within thirty minutes.


[hr]


The path the power couple took was one that followed the lake and headed towards the boat rental shop. Kermit hadn't mentioned it yet, but he was truly interested in trying out a boat before they left. Ideally, he had wanted them as a group to try, but being out with Piggy gave him the perfect suggestion to try and spring it on her. In fact, without thought, he had continued to lead them towards a grassy knoll just near the boats that overlooked the lake.

There wasn't a lot of activity on the lake that morning, but they could a couple of Sooners and even a speed boat enjoying the peacefulness of the day; a few ducks and geese were also out, splashing and wadding into the water, causing waves and ripples to cascade through the surface and out towards the lake proper.

Spreading out the blanket, the two began a quick breakfast, all the while watching things going down below. The two enjoyed a comfortable silence, something they had only just began to appreciate with each other; Piggy glanced at him, noting that he had his head tilted back and eyes closed.

She was of course aware that reptiles enjoyed their basking and Kermit was certainly enjoying his. It was times like these Piggy loved him the most. "I feel a presence," he murmured comfortably.

"That presence had better be me."

Chuckling, Kermit replied, “I have often found that I tend to enjoy myself more in your presence.”

“Kermie, what a nice thing to say!”

“Well, I know flattery usually gets me places.”

“How right you are.”

The two went back to sitting and enjoying the scenery around them, until Kermit piped up, “Enjoying yourself, sweet pea?”

“Even Moi has to admit you did good,” was her quip.

“I’ll take that compliment,” he retorted. “However you intended it. But that does bring me to my next proposal.”

“Does it involve me saying yes?”

“Of course,” he said, giving her a look. He immediately realized the implications of his wording, so he quickly replied, “It doesn’t involve a ring. But it does involve a boat.”

“That’s gonna be hard to slip on my finger.”

“Well, if anyone could manage it, it would be you,” he quipped. “Let’s go get a boat.”

Piggy looked at him in mild confusion. While she had of course wanted to go out on the lake, she had been thinking of taking Scooter and Amanda with them, you know – someone who knew how to actually drive a boat. “Do you even know how to drive a boat?” she asked.

Shrugging, the frog said, “No. Do you?”

“No.”

“Oh well,” he said, standing and tossing their breakfast waste into the basket. “We’ll figure it out.” Seeing the look on her face that was more incredulous than excitement, he exclaimed, “Come on! It’ll be fun; I’ll let you be my first mate.”

“First mate, huh?”

“I knew that would get you,” he smirked, picking up the basket in one hand and holding out the other for her. “Grab the blanket and we’ll go get a boat.”

Still leery, but trusting her frog, Piggy none the less grabbed and folded the blanket and let Kermit escort her down to the boat rental place. The place itself was a bit small, but nicely done and always ready to do business. The proprietor for the day marked them as tourists and non-boating folks almost immediately, causing him to go over and give a ten minute crash course on boating do’s and don’ts, making sure both understood the process before he would even turn over the keys.

When he was satisfied, the seller lead them to the docks that were located right next to the shop and showed them the boat they would be taking. In hindsight, the two probably should’ve called Scooter to ask which boat belong to him so they could take that one, but in their haste to enjoy a moment together, neither of them thought about it, nor did they bother to bring their cell phones along; in Kermit’s case, that was a given, as he routinely forgot to take his phone or even answer his phone when it rang. Piggy forgetting hers was literally unthinkable and would be shocking, once she realized she didn’t have it.

With keys in hand, the two got in, started the boat and were off. Kermit drove them out expertly, getting the boat to the middle of the lake, where the view was just as spectacular as it was from the shoreline. The lake stretched out for several miles, surrounding itself with the trees and paths that they had come to discover while there; there were also other cabins around, slightly closer than Scooter’s was, giving them a splendid view of glistening waters and birds flocking to it.

The couple opted to stay for a bit, enjoying their lunch and time together before deciding it time to head back. Kermit, with the air of a certified captain, easily winked at his girlfriend before taking helm and preparing to head them back to shore. That confidence and self assurance is what attracted Piggy to the frog in the first place; despite being a reluctant leader, the frog had taken the reigns easily and had a presence about him that had told them long ago that this was a guy they wanted to follow and who wouldn’t lead them astray.

Certainly, there had been ups and downs – especially between them – but even when Kermit felt the wrong man for the job, he had none the less rose to take it anyway.

Surprised at how much she enjoyed herself and that Kermit had seemed to enjoy himself, she surprised him with a lustful kiss that promised more to come if he played his cards right, which he usually did. Nodding his understanding, Kermit hit the starter and waited for the boat to start up. And waited.

And waited.

“That’s not supposed to happen,” he murmured, hitting the starter again.

“Problems, Mon Capitaine?”

“Wha?” he asked, turning to look her slightly and doing his best to cover up the fact that he was presently pushing the starter repeatedly.

“Step aside,” she said, hip checking him out of the way. “Let the first mate handle this. Did you try the starter?”

“No, I thought I’d just will the boat to move,” he grumbled. “What do you think I’ve been doing?”

“Getting huffy with me isn’t going to help, so just simmah down there.”

“We’re stuck.”

“We are not.”

A beat later, the first mate replied, “Okay, we’re stuck. No worries, Captain, my Captain; first mate Piggy to the rescue.”

“For some reason, that doesn’t reassure me.”

“If you want a live captain when we get to shore, I suggest you shut it.” Reaching for the boat’s radio, Piggy checked the frequency it was tuned to and tried it. “Breaker, breaker, this is Hamhocks, do you read?”

“This is Cappy,” replied the voice on the other end. “What can I do you fer?”

“Cappy,” she replied, smoothly. “You wouldn’t have happened to have rented a boat to a frog and pig earlier, did you?”

“Sure did,” was his response. “Weird couple, but cute though. Shoulda seen the legs on that pig…”

“You’re too kind,” she murmured.

“A little too kind for my liking,” muttered Kermit.

“Well, Cappy, this is that pig,” she replied. “We’re out here in the middle of the lake and our boat won’t start.”

“Shoot,” the elder spat. “Did I give you guys the Plimpton? That girl’s always so finicky. No worries though, a patrol boat comes by for just this kinda emergency. They should be around in an hour; I’ll let ‘em know where you are.”

“Merci, Cappy.”

“Ah, it’s no mercy at all.”

“No, I meant…” Piggy stopped herself before taking a deep breath. “You have our thanks. Over and out.”

The frog nodded his thanks, though the look on his face clearly said that he would’ve like to have actually steered them back himself. “Just so you know,” she said, passing him to sit on one of the side benches. “This is what I thought this trip would be like.”


[hr]


After spending a relaxing morning cuddling and snuggling under the covers, both Scooter and Amanda awoke to find themselves seemingly alone in the cabin. This was confirmed when the Whatnot found the note Piggy had written, stating that she and Kermit were headed out for a picnic; at this news, the redhead had grabbed his girlfriend and kissed her madly.

As it was, the two were now snuggled on the couch, Scooter leaning against the back, while Amanda’s head rested in his lap. The stage manager couldn’t help but be reminded of the dream he had, the one where he watched the children and grandchildren that they would one day share and something inside of him just had to find out what she thought; it would certainly do no good if he wanted children one day and she didn’t.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Cutie,” she responded, caressing his cheek. “You can ask me anything.”

“Do you…do you ever think about, maybe…having kids one day?”

Smiling up at him, she countered his question with one of her own. “You mean do I ever think about having children with you one day?”

Surprised at the question, the red head stumbled for an answer. “It doesn’t…have to be with me,” he struggled. “Though the idea is much appreciated and certainly acceptable; I take it the thought of kids is…appealing?”

“Of course,” she said, keeping that same smile on her face. “You know what it’s like being an only child; it can be great at times, but sometimes you really wish you had a readymade playmate, you know? That’s why I’d want two, maybe three; then they wouldn’t be alone so much.”

Scooter didn’t bother to hide the surprise on his face. Amanda had just spouted back ideas he himself had had in the past; he hated being an only child and it was with that thought that he wanted to have several children so they wouldn’t go through that. He would have never imagined in a million years that Amanda would share those same dreams.

And that’s what their talk inevitably lead to – talk of dreams and the future they could contain. Scooter didn’t mention his dream he had earlier, but they had broached the subject of how each felt about marriage, children, their dream home, and more. And the more they talked about it, the more their ideals were on the same page. It was a bit scary, if the red head was truthful, but also insightful and very encouraging. He wouldn’t outright say he knew what the future would hold for them, but it did seem to back up the feelings and thoughts he had been having lately.

Talk of the future continued until the subject of technology and science reared their ugly heads and the two were involved in a lively discussion on the future of both. These types of talks were the ones that usually helped to lead to one thing or another and the thought was certainly on both their minds, when the pig and frog made their arrival, causing the younger couple to turn.

“Where’ve you been?” Scooter asked, worriedly. While he knew the two could take care of themselves, he hadn’t been happy to see Piggy’s phone looking so very abandoned on the kitchen counter earlier.

“We got your note,” Amanda replied. “But that was hours ago.”

Kermit and Piggy looked at each other. “Oh,” the frog began. “Here and there.”

“Did you guys have fun?” asked the Whatnot.

Again, the two looked at each other. Despite being stranded on a boat, in the middle of the lake for not the one Cappy had stated, but two hours, and then having the pleasure of being ‘rescued’ by the passing patrol boat, who were all fries and burger short of a Happy Meal, the two couldn’t say it wasn’t an adventure. And certainly, up until the boat failing them – and really while they awaited rescue – they actually did have fun.

“Yeah,” Piggy replied, sharing a secret smile with Kermit. “You could say that.”

 

[The Count]

*Leaves more brownies. This chapter made me warm and smile all over. You present both couples quite endearingly when it's just them alone or together at the cabin they're sharing.

Oh Kermit, didn't you know the boat would just give out like that? Just be thankful you're out in the middle of the lake with your pig girlfriend and not a scorpion.

Thanks for posting, I've rully come to like Mandy and her interaction with the geek genius of the Muppet troop. Hope you have a better day than yesterday.

 

[The Count]

Can we please have some "good" fanfic for a change? Sorry, you may think that's a shot of mean aimed at you Gina, but it's not, I'm just tired from having to flush away so much spammage in this section today.
*Leaves some brownies.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Can we please have some "good" fanfic for a change? Sorry, you may think that's a shot of mean aimed at you Gina, but it's not, I'm just tired from having to flush away so much spammage in this section today.
*Leaves some brownies.

Arooo?

I'm guessing that thar be spambots up in here this weekend?

Good news, everyone! I have arrived, safe and sound, and as you can see, I is back on the net. So guess what I'm gonna work on today? Actually...I'm not sure, but because tomorrow is Monday, I'm guessing you would all like a Monday update, wouldn't you?

I dunno...is it gonna be bad?

Um...again, don't know, but after the week I've had, I think I can see my way to making it a nice, happy, friendly, lovey chapter.

Oh good!

And then stuff and fluff will hit the fan.



I dunno, I haven't gotten that far yet. But we're going somewhere with this! And the epilogue of 4 Ball will probably take place this week too, so Mr. Count Down, you can do your thing when I do's it!

 

[The Count]

Yesh ma'am, I'll be adding this to the hall of fics fame you've got going when finished. So long as you post yer good fic, whether Accident or 4-Ball, that'll make 1 happy reader.

As for tha spambots, just a jerk who's insisted on posting in every fic thread over the past week and a half. And when I say "every" fic thread, I mean "every fic thread".