Motocross Mix-Up

[Misskermie]

Omg, more please!

 

[WebMistressGina]

Lo! So, I know I stated that I would be updating the diva's adventures on the weekend, but as I now have nothing else better to do with my time during the week, I've been working on this and that of MPP. And as I worked on this latest chapter, the longer it got, so I'm gonna split this up. Here's the first part and the next one will be on the weekend.

The 'stuff' as they say is about to hit the fan.



VIII.


Det. Day sat at his desk, early Monday morning, going over the little evidence they did have in regards to the museum robbery and the theft of the Rheingold Ruby. The blue Muppet always tried his best to be objective about the people he was investigating, however there were times in which the writing was clearly on the wall.

The Muppet detective wasn’t going to ignore the very clear signs that Muppet co-stars Gonzo the Great and Miss Piggy were hiding and nervous about something the last time he had seen them. Perhaps it was their presence, given the two’s history with the law, but he just couldn’t shake the possibility that they knew something that the police didn’t.

So to ease his mind, he asked one of his beat cops to find out what exactly those two were up to. And it wasn’t good.

Marky had reported to him on Saturday night that the two Muppets had been in one of the offices of the studios for about fifteen, twenty minutes. It certainly wasn’t anything to be worried about, however it was the report from Daniels yesterday that made him think something weird was going on.

Having two people who should have been completely unrelated to this particular crime, visit the very museum and exhibit where the gem had been stolen could have been a coincidence, if it wasn’t for the very mounting evidence that was clearly stating that it wasn’t.

As Monday turned to Tuesday then Wednesday, Day was starting to find more and more things that were turning this case around to a point even he hadn’t foreseen. Never wanting to just leave things as is, Day did his checking and checking and rechecking again and yet, things didn’t seem to be looking any different.

Thursday morning saw Day once again at his desk, looking up as his partner walked by and took a seat across him at his own desk.

“Got some new leads on this jewel heist,” Day began.

“Me too,” Chesney replied. “Just got word that the German officials aren’t too happy that we lost their ruby; they said they were calling in the feds if they didn’t see some results in the next couple of days.”

“Well, we’re in luck,” Day said, shoving two folders across to the younger Muppet. “I had Marky and Daniels trail our two Muppet racers over the weekend.”

“You put a tail on ‘em?”

“Something about the way they were acting when we first questioned them,” Day continued. “So I did some background checking. I mentioned before that these two aren’t strangers to Johnny Law, so I didn’t exactly put that against them. Check out the file on your left.”

Doing as he was told, Hollertz picked up the manila folder, one he easily identified as belonging to the Great Gonzo. It was a dossier on the blue creature, tracing some of the stunts he had pulled and even included some of his rap sheets.

“You remember when we checked out the museum?” Day asked, causing his partner to nod. “We were trying to figure out how the thieves got in, right? Laser rope on the floor and mid-range in the room should have allowed them to trip the alarm right?” Nodding towards the folder Chesney’s hands.

“Check out one of the stunts the Great Gonzo did in his early career.”

Chesney flipped through some of the papers, before reaching the listings of the stunts that the daredevil had done. His eyes widened when he got to the one Day must have been speaking of. “He once did a stunt where he juggled bowling balls, with a sword on his nose, on a tightrope, over laser security beams?!?”

Day nodded. “I’ve seen footage from his acts,” the detective replied. “He’s a pretty surefooted guy, agile, obviously doesn’t mind taking chances.”

Chesney looked at the elder officer. “You think he was involved?” he asked, conspiratorially. “But…but he’s like a big star! Why would he need to steal a ruby?”

“I thought about that,” Day said. Nodding again to the folder in the younger Muppet’s hand, he continued with, “Keep reading. So the Muppets break up in the early 2000s and Gonzo heads back to plumbing; he was actually so good, he managed to build a huge fortune on it. Unfortunately for him, when asked to return, he blows up his company.

“As in, he detonated it from ground to roof. There was nothing left.”

“So you think he stole the jewel in order to rebuild his plumbing company?”

“Not so extreme,” Day replied. “But I do think he lost tons of money in that explosion. While the Muppets are pretty big, it could take them years to make the kind of money Gonzo made as a plumber, especially when you consider that you’re splitting that with, what? A hundred, a thousand employees?

“I may not know the guy personally, but I do know that one of the top reasons for murder is that of money.”

“Whoa,” the officer whispered. “I can’t believe he would do that. He seems like such a nice guy. Crazy, but nice.”

“It’s a theory, Chez,” Day chuckled. “But a fairly good one. Let’s check out that show of theirs this Sunday; I’d like to bring him in for more questioning.”


[hr]


The start of the week was a rather normal one for the Muppets. The normal week for them usually started on Mondays, usually with the Monday morning meeting that featured the ‘heads’ of several departments. It was a chance to do an overview of the show from the previous night, along with coming up with additional ideas for acts in the upcoming show.

It was such a routine week that Kermit the Frog was lulled into a false sense of security.

The last two weeks had been a merry-go-round of legalese and technicalities that he was actually looking forward to the normalcy that a show afforded him. And in thinking that – that the Muppet Show was normal – he knew something was wrong with him. Kermit never liked having to get into a legal battle, especially when it was on behalf of the rest of the group.

He meant what he had told Piggy; he knew she and Gonzo held no malice in sticking up for each other at the end of that race and it was clear – to him anyways – that La Chance had clearly run into the daredevil on purpose. What bothered him was this whole jewel robbery thing that had seemingly marched its way into his office and mindset.

Now Kermit may have been from the South, but he was certainly far from being naïve. He had known both the diva and the stuntman for decades and in all that time, he knew two things for sure. One, they were not criminals in any sense of the word and two, they were hiding something from him. He had definitely picked up that the two weren’t saying something when they were being interviewed for the police and their mannerisms clearly screamed that as well.

And if Kermit had noticed it, he was almost sure the police had noticed it too.

He hoped, he really really hoped, that this was something minor, that perhaps they may have seen something suspicious or maybe they were told to keep silent, but he hoped that it wasn’t what was immediately coming to mind.

No.

No, no, they were definitely not involved in this.

Why? What insignificant reason could they have had to actually steal a gem?

Contrary to police belief, the Muppets were not destitute beings that could barely scrape by; they were actually doing pretty good, thanks in part to their latest movie and the return of the Muppet Show. As a group, they were okay. As for the particular individuals on his mind, oh, they were okay too.

Piggy may have been diva-ish, but she was smart about her money. If she hadn’t been, she wouldn’t have had the money to build them a house and then make her way to Paris. And while in Paris, she was the editor of one of the premium fashion magazines in the world. And added to that, she had not only made a name, but a little spare cash if you will by being a model.

No, Piggy certainly didn’t need the money.

Gonzo may have been crazy, toeing the line of insane and committable, but he’d always had a good head on his shoulders. The stuntman had always saved up money with his plumbing start-up and he continued to do so even as a regular cast member of the Muppets. And then when they had split up, he had gone on to be one of the richest plumbing magnates in the world.

And even if Gonzo was ever tempted to just, say, blow up his company that was worth over a billion dollars, his longtime girlfriend Camilla knew how to ensure that some of that money wasn’t lost.

No, Gonzo didn’t need the money either.

So why were they acting so suspiciously?

Could…could there be something going on between them?

As soon as he thought it, Kermit quickly wiped the idea away. Ridiculous! Piggy had made it known from the very beginning that she only had eyes and heart for him and even if Gonzo had fancied himself a potential suitor, the weirdo had also been aware that Piggy was a one-frog woman.

True, they certainly got along better than they had in the past, but they certainly wouldn’t…

Shaking his head again, Kermit pushed the thought from him. He trusted Piggy and he trusted Gonzo and he trusted the two of them to be together without worry. But even as he told himself there was nothing odd about their sudden interest in spending time and doing things together, his heart gave a little twinge of doubt.


[hr]


Sunday night was a new Muppet show and one that Det. Day and Office Hollertz wanted to see. Commercials for the show stated the return of Miss Piggy and the Great Gonzo back to the stage and Day would be lying if he wasn’t interested in what their acts would be.

Day carried with him the second folder he had shown to Chesney earlier in the week, with plans on showing it to the de facto leader and director. He didn’t like having to go this route, but they weren’t making it any easier. Inquiries into how their case against La Chance was going got road blocked and trying to get any information from their lawyers wasn’t working either.

He and Chesney bought their tickets like regular show goers, however they sat near the back so that they could make a quick exit. Day didn’t want to make things difficult, so he hadn’t bothered to call in back up; all he wanted was to inform Kermit the Frog what his plans were and then he was going to politely ask that the Great Gonzo come downtown with them.

He was fairly sure it would be routine and nothing would get crazy, but sometimes, you never knew.

For Chesney, this was actually a great treat for him, despite being on the job. He had never been to a live show before, certainly not one starring actual live celebrity performers; the closest he had ever gotten was seeing one on PBS through his grandmother’s small television set.

Both had of course seen the Muppet Show, on television, but never live. From what others had said, it was just as weird and wild in person as it appeared to be on TV, though the live audience couldn’t actually see what happened behind closed doors this time. The opening began as they were familiar with, with Kermit the Frog sticking his head out of the ‘O’ in the word ‘Show’ and announcing that week’s guest star.

The sign went up and four monsters walked out to signal the weekly procession through the white arches. The women of the Muppets came through from stage left, singing the first lines of their infamous theme song and then the men came in through stage right. They of course told the audience that it was time to get things started and the audience obediently answered back, “Why don’t you get things started?”

And things did indeed get started.

Kermit did the opening monologue and introduction before raising the curtain to a bunch of penguins who did a song and dance about the nightlife. It was followed by several acts, which ironically were entertaining, even if they made no sense what so ever. Finally, the very act that Day and Hollertz had come to see was on stage.

The Great Gonzo and Miss Piggy stood on stage, accepting the applause that was clearly welcoming them back after a two week hiatus. Gonzo was dressed smartly in a dark three piece suit, while Piggy was dressed handsomely in a feminine version of a ringleader’s attire, completed by the black top hat that sat stylishly on her head.

“Thank you,” Gonzo began. “Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, weirdoes and freaks of all ages…you’re probably wondering why I’m dressed like this and why the beautiful and talented Miss Piggy is assisting me tonight. It’s very simple – we lost a bet.

“But! Never let it be said that the Great Gonzo is impeded by such notions as inability, hindrance, or clothing!”

“This ain’t that kinda show,” Piggy muttered.

“I know that,” the daredevil insisted. “We’re not in Europe.” Back to the audience, he continued with, “For tonight’s feat, I will be riding this unicycle while juggling the very set of sharp and dangerous swords that Miss Piggy is showcasing to you now. But that’s not all!”

“It’s not?” asked one of the elderly gentlemen in the above balcony.

“You know Gonzo doesn’t do anything unless there’s a threat to his life,” replied the second gentleman. Looking down at the stage, he asked, “Is there a threat? Are you planning on dying?”

“I never plan on dying,” the weirdo huffed. “But look who my assistant is; my chances of dying have upped themselves 50%!” Once again, turning back to the audience at large, the daredevil signaled for the curtain behind them to be raised. Once it had, a strange obstacle course of sorts seemed to be set up behind them.

“Behind me, you’ll see a ramp that leads up to a high wire,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to juggle sharp and dangerous swords, while riding a unicycle, while simultaneously and at the same time ride my way up to the top and then to the other side of the high wire!”

The audience applauded as he got himself ready to get on the unicycle. “Oh,” he replied. “Did I mention that all of that stuff would also be on fire?”

That of course gave way to thunderous applause. “Thought that would get you.”

Gonzo walked over to Piggy, nodding to her. “Remember,” he whispered. “In the hand, nowhere else.”

“Just get on the cycle.”

In the audience, both Day and Chesney watched in horrified amusement. It was no secret that Gonzo held a no holds barred approach to doing any kind of stunt and looked as though the fans he acclaimed were either very enthused by his crazy stunts or they were the types of fans who would only be satisfied when he hurt himself.

They watched as the daredevil accepted sword after sword, juggling them high in air, all while riding a one wheeled transportation vehicle. True to his word, Gonzo maneuvered himself towards the first upwards ramp and started up. When he had gotten halfway, Miss Piggy did her assistant duty and lit it on fire.

She only needed to do it once, as the daredevil had planned ahead, making a long trail of gasoline up the ramps and the high wire.

It was a testament to either his incredibly daring or his incredible stupidity that he was able to keep ahead of the fire and actually managed to reach the other side, perfectly intact. The crowd was quite surprised and happy, as it was in rare form when Gonzo actually managed to finish an act and to do so without hurting himself.

“Wow!” Chesney exclaimed! “Did you see that? Whoa, that Gonzo, huh?”

“Yes,” Day nodded, clapping politely. “The guy has daring, I’ll definitely give him that. You stay here and enjoy the show, I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, boss?”

Patting the younger officer on the shoulder, he said, “Yeah. Enjoy your first theater performance. Meet me backstage when it’s over.”

Day went past his partner and headed towards the exit. Not wanting to really draw any attention to himself or the reason he was there, he went out normally through the front entrance, instead of taking a more direct route to the backstage area. Instead, he went outside and walked around the building until he reached the stage door.

 

[Misskermie]

Uh oh...

I think something's gonna happen, and it won't be nicey nicey...

 

[WebMistressGina]

TGIF party peeps! So things are looking up for your one and only WMG! I scored three phone interviews! Yay! Keep your fingers cross cause, I do not like not having money. And because I'm in such a good mood, here's more of Miss Piggy and Gonzo! This chapter was getting long, so I broke it up, but the bits are still gonna hit the fan, so you know...duck.


Earlier

Prepping for a show was always a test of patience, tolerance, and the control to stop oneself from calling the local mental hospital to come cart the crazies away. Kermit was in the unique position of being able to do that and had been doing it for several years, with an odd amount of success.

Sort of.

He was happy to say that he hadn’t committed anyone yet, though some could say the argument of Animal being in anger management therapy was a bit like committing him, but that was neither here or there. On this Sunday, Kermit couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

Underneath it all, he just really wanted to see Piggy. Their schedules pretty much aligned with each other, however they were also careful not to spend too much time together, lest they start getting on each other’s nerves. Again. But because of this latest episode of Miss Piggy’s Wild Adventures, they had both been trying to run interference and that meant he hadn’t seen her as much as he would’ve liked. As per usual, he of course managed to beat the diva to the theater, but he had noticed her come in earlier and almost immediately, Gonzo had spotted her first.

The frog wanted to be objective, wanted to be fair and just kept telling himself that there wasn’t anything unusual going on with the two of them and that it was perfectly normal for those two to be standing off to the side and handling swords. The sword part of course was a bit suspect – he couldn’t remember okaying that – but it was inconsequential to what his real feelings were.

He was jealous.

Oh, he had been jealous of Piggy’s flirtatious nature before, when he had tried to deny anything other than professionalism between them. And he could admit, secretly, that there had been times in their early days if there may have been something brewing between her and Rowlf and certainly Scooter’s infatuation with her hadn’t escaped his eye, but he had never really truly considered Gonzo a romantic threat.

Until recently.

He had made up his mind that morning that he was going to get to the bottom of this, once and for all and hopefully, go home with the girl that night. So he made his way up to her dressing room, the only one in the entire theater that actually had a star on it, conveniently denoting that it was, of course, the star of the leading lady.

Knocking on the door, he waited to hear her consent for him to enter. Opening and closing it behind him, Kermit wasn’t at all surprised to see Piggy dolling herself at her vanity. As a frog and a male one at that, he could and would never understand why it took a woman hours to get ready for something that would likely take thirty minutes to an hour to complete.

But being said frog and a male one at that, Kermit couldn’t state that he didn’t enjoy the end result.

“Bon jour, mon cher.”

“Good morning, Piggy,” he replied, taking his normal position of leaning against the side of her vanity.

In the past, he had tried to do his best in keeping a strict professional atmosphere between them when they were working, however it was also one of the reasons their relationship had been so strained. This time around, he did tend to let their personal lives into the theater; they weren’t exactly trying to keep this a secret, if the comments of marriage from just about everyone were to go on.

“Something I can do you for, Mon Capitane?”

Kermit shrugged. “Actually,” he began. “Wanted to know if there was anything new going on with you. Hadn’t seen you for a while.”

Piggy turned a devastating smile and a batting of her blue eyes on him before patting his leg. “Aw,” she cooed. “It seems like the frog cares.”

“I don’t care,” said frog huffed. “Just used to you is all.”

The diva chuckled. “Other than a small tussle in a race, Moi can sadly say that nothing of interest has been happening,” she replied. “What’s going on with vous?”

Again, the frog shrugged. “Nothing really,” he murmured. “Haven’t seen my girlfriend in a while. Sorta lame, really.”

“The frog really does care!” the diva giggled, standing and delivering a kiss to his green cheek, before wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“I might care a little,” he groused, though happily accepting the first and second kisses that grazed his cheek.

This was the little game they played, though now it really was more friendly than hostile. He was good at playing the reluctant boyfriend to her amorous admirer; it’s what made their on screen personas work well together and in all honesty, they were quite well trained at it.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her closer to gaze at her. They were performers, that part was most certainly true, however when they weren’t in front of a camera or an audience, they could just be regular people on the street. He had once written that Piggy could talk tough, but deep inside, she as sweet and vulnerable as she could pretend to be.

And no one knew that better than him.

Looking at her, he desperately wanted to believe that nothing was going on and that whatever the police wanted, they had found and wouldn’t need to be coming back. And he most certainly believed that there was nothing going on between Piggy and Gonzo other than friendship that had lasted for decades.

“If you had something to tell me,” he began. “You would, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course I would,” she chuckled. “Just like you’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”

Sending her a smile, he said, “Of course, darlin’. You know I would.”

“You sure everything’s okay?”

Seeing the worry etched in her face, he gave her a slight squeeze. “Just got a lot of things on my mind,” he said.

“Oh, I have a couple of things on my mind, too,” she smirked.

Kermit chuckled. “Hold that thought,” he said, matching her look. “We got a show to get through first. Later, however…”

Releasing him, she couldn’t help but chuckle once more, before taking a seat back in her chair. “Moi will keep that in mind.”

“You do that,” he said, heading towards the door. “I’ll see you later, darlin’.”


[hr]


Gonzo had gotten to the theater fairly early, much earlier than he would normally arrive on a Sunday, even when he had an act in the show. Like Kermit, not hearing anything from the police for nearly a week was starting to make him a bit paranoid. He had thought long and hard over the previous week, finding himself conflicted in what he should do next.

As promised, the only people who were aware of the ruby were himself, Piggy, and Dr. Teeth and to his knowledge, none of them had made any mention of it. He had been okay in trying to find out who might be trying to frame him, but at this point he was getting really nervous. His conversation with Piggy about there being more than one thief in this heist and that there was a very strong possibility that they might be thinking he had and knew about said ruby was starting to get to him.

He understood Piggy’s arguments, he really did! Being caught with that ruby by the police would spell more trouble than it was worth and he didn’t want that, not on himself, not on Camilla, and certainly not on Kermit and the rest of the Muppets. But on the flipside, being questioned by the police would be nothing if say the thieves knew he had the jewel. He didn’t want them to come finding him or worse, someone who had nothing to do with this and trying to break them into talking.

He didn’t want any of that to happen.

But tossing and turning around at night did nothing for him. He missed his little chick and with everything that had gone on with this race and this jewel theft, he hadn’t a chance to call and just listen to her talk, which was really all he wanted at the moment.

So he did what he normally did when he couldn’t sleep and that was head to the theater to get some work done. And in this case, it was working on his next act, one that would kill two birds with one stone. Luck was at least on his side that morning, as the very person he needed for this showed up in all her glory.

“Piggy!” he exclaimed, motioning her over to where he stood off to the side. “So glad you’re here, I need your help for a minute.”

“You need a lot more help that I can afford to give,” was her retort, but she said it as she walked over.

He already had his equipment set up on a small table, a medium sized case sat on it, while his unicycle was leaned up against the adjoining wall. “I’m hoping to settle that bet we had,” he continued.

“Neither of us won,” she said, confused. “Well, that is to say that clearly, Moi won, but obviously the judges were blind…”

“Exactly,” he said. “So I’d like to state this as a tie, meaning I will do my latest stunt…wearing a three piece suit.”

“Okay,” she murmured. “What am I doing?”

“Something simple,” he replied. “As my assistant for the evening, I’m going to need you to throw these at me.” Opening the case revealed a seven set of steel and possibly very sharp swords within. Piggy couldn’t help but reveal something of her own, that of a smile and a wicked gleam in her eyes.

“Into my hands,” the daredevil insisted, knowing exactly what the diva was thinking. “Please try to avoid throwing them at my head or heart. Or tire.”

“Spoilsport,” she quipped. “I assume this is all part of an act that is dangerous and incredibly stupid?”

“Of course,” he said, smirking. “Why else would I do it?”


[hr]


During the Sunday performance, there was always a bouncer of sorts that made sure people who were supposed to be backstage were actually backstage. Tonight’s greeter was that of one Robin the Frog. Robin was Kermit’s nephew and was certainly no stranger to working the show that helped to make his uncle and honorary aunt (and by association, other uncles) famous.

Robin, who was normally in Mississippi with his parents during this time of year, was for the undecided moment, currently living with his uncle and honorary aunt. He wasn’t the same five year old that had first come to the Muppet Show; ten years had passed and he was now an upbeat teenager, who found himself working for his uncle’s company once again.

“Hey there,” he greeted the officer. “Can I help you?”

“Det. Day of the Pasadena Police Department,” the officer replied, showing his badge to the young frog. “I’m looking for Kermit the Frog.”

“Oh!” Robin exclaimed, before taking a deep breath. You would’ve had to be under a rock not to have heard about what happened at the race Piggy and Gonzo were at. He could only assume that the detective was there for that, however he couldn’t really explain why he needed to speak to his uncle and not his aunt. “He…uh…he should be backstage somewhere,” he began. “Um…usually, if you can’t find him, you should snag Scooter.”

Day nodded. “His assistant, right?” he asked, pulling out a small notebook from his pocket. “Andrew Grosse?”

Robin nodded quickly. “That’s him.”

“Thanks, kid.”

Day continued on his way backstage, seeing that the chaos he and Chez had walked into a few weeks earlier was nothing compared to the chaos that was happening now. There were a few acts just hanging about – he heard, rather than saw the door to one of the upstairs dressing rooms close - while the daredevil was standing with a light brown bear – the comic, if Day remembered correctly – trying to access if his suit had gotten singed.

The assistant, Grosse, was speaking to a slim Muppet with a brighter shock of red hair than the manager had. Said manager appeared to be losing in this fight, as the taller red head kept shaking his head and making strange meep sounds in what seemed like a protest. Kermit for his part was speaking with a darker brown dog – the pianist – before seeing the detective.

“Detective Day,” he greeted. “This is a…pleasant surprise. Um, Rowlf, this is Det. Day; detective, Rowlf, our very own pianist.”

“Pleasure,” Day nodded. Turning to Kermit, he asked, “Could I speak with you? In your office?”

If there was one thing that police were trained to do, it was seeing and knowing when a person knew that the jig was up. To anyone else, it may have seemed that the frog didn’t seem to flinch, but Day saw it; to him, it almost looked as the very green tint of the frog’s coloring drained from his face.

“Of course,” he stumbled, before clearing his throat. To the dog he said, “Rowlf, why don’t you give Scooter a hand with Beaker and you know? Keep an eye on things as best as you can.”

“No problems, Kermit,” the pianist replied, giving his friend a pat on the back before heading towards the page and the beaker person.

Kermit motioned towards his office, allowing Day to head there before him, which allowed the frog to close the door behind him. Day took the same seat he had previously, while watching as Kermit took his own seat behind the desk. “How can I help?” he asked. “To be honest, I actually didn’t expect to see you again.”

“Well, Mr. The Frog,” the detective began. “I also didn’t think we’d be meeting like this, but sometimes…anyway, my partner and I have been working this on every angle and, we’ve come across a few things that led us back here.”

“I can’t imagine why,” the frog chuckled, a bit nervously. “What would we have to do with all this?”

“Well, now there lies the question, doesn’t it?” Day asked, opening the folder he had been holding all night long. “How much do you trust your wife, Mr. The Frog?”

It was a verification of Kermit’s stance in the matter that he not only answered the detective immediately, but he also didn’t make any correction on the officer’s assumption of his relationship with Piggy.

“Implicitly.”

“And your stuntman?” the detective continued. “Rumor has it he’s one of the Muppets’ founding members.”

“That’s right,” Kermit said. “Detective, are you going somewhere with this?”

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Day said.

He stood and dropped the open folder on Kermit’s desk, allowing for a few of the photos taken by Daniels to spill out. To Kermit, they were just pictures of Gonzo and Piggy seemingly having a good time, somewhere. Where, he didn’t know and he was frantically racking his brain in the last few days of where they could’ve been.

To Day, they could of course just be pictures of two people hanging out at a museum and he knew Daniels hadn’t manipulated the photos to make a bigger deal than it was, however by the look on the frog’s face, he must have been thinking the same thing the detective was implying.

“Sometimes,” Day whispered. “The people we trust the most can turn on us, betray us, lead us into things we might not want to do. I’m appealing to you as an upstanding citizen, a person who takes an interest in the education of our children, and who has done more for them than, well anyone I can think of.

“I’m appealing to your overall sense of justice, Mr. The Frog. I think it’s safe to say that we both know something is going on here between these two; now whether they’re in this robbery together or perhaps they’re being less of the friends you knew, there is something here. And it’s my job to find out what that might be.”

“What exactly are you suggesting?”

“I need to speak further with Gonzo,” Day stated. “I know neither of us wants there to be a scene, but that’s what needs to be done.”

Kermit, however reluctantly, nodded. “You won’t have any problems with Gonzo,” he said. “I’ll promise you that.”

“Thank you.”

Day gathered up the photos and placed them back in the folder before clutching it tightly under his arm. He nodded to Kermit before turning and heading for the door, preparing to leave, however Kermit’s tone – rather than his voice – was what stopped him. From all he knew about the undisputed leader of the Muppets, it was that Kermit kept his emotions under a tightly wounded coil that usually just needed a light to ignite.

However, from memory, Day couldn’t remember the frog being as serious as he was now.

“I trust Piggy,” he said. “And I trust Gonzo. And I trust that whatever you think is going on has a reasonable explanation.”

Nodding, Day replied, “For your sake and theirs, Kermit, I hope you’re right.”

 

[The Count]

*Appreciates the new ficness. *Needs to know what happens next after Det. Day's talk with Kermit. *Applauds the frog's conviction of his fellow Muppet founding five. Please, post more when possible.

 

[WebMistressGina]

*Appreciates the new ficness. *Needs to know what happens next after Det. Day's talk with Kermit. *Applauds the frog's conviction of his fellow Muppet founding five. Please, post more when possible.

What happens afterwards?

Well, don't wanna give away spoilers, but....

Kermit takes the fall for Gonzo, despite not knowing anything about the crime. Det Day, sympathetic to the frog's plight, takes pity on him during a high speed chase in an old, worn out resovoir.

Piggy and Gonzo are, of course, having an affair, which of course begs the question of how much did the two of them really know about the heist?

I am of course kidding. None of that happens. Seriously. None of it. However -

Will Gonzo come along peacefully?

Will Piggy finally fess up to Kermit?

Does Det. Day truly think the pig and the weirdo are having an affair?

Will La Chance get his chance and get the ruby back?

Did Chesney enjoy the show?

Is the ruby enjoying itself in Kermit's forbidden stash?

Will some of our audience get this television reference?

This and more on the next SOAP!

 

[Misskermie]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy boy!
More please!

 

[dwmckim]

Hee! Got the reference! One of my all time faves! Still giggle hysterically thinking of Bob in the refrigerator.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Happy post-Thanksgiving, everybody! Hope everyone enjoyed their Turkey day; I'm sure a good many of you are still suffering from turkey-itis, so here's a little Motocross to tied you over till lunch or dinner today!


IX.


The end of the show ended the present Sunday and while the rest of the troupe were all heading out, the end of another successful performance riding on with enthusiasm, there was also a heightened level of tension for some of those cast members.

Det. Day and Officer Hollertz had stopped by to watch the show, however there was an ulterior motive for them actually stopping by; they were there to take one of the Muppets into custody. Day didn’t want to state it that way, but that was exactly what they were there for. Perhaps it was for nothing, maybe they were jumping the gun and their guy had nothing to do with any of this.

But in order to rule out the possibility, they needed to him down to the station for further questioning.

And Day had gotten the go ahead from the boss.

There were of course a couple of Muppets wondered why the extra folks were backstage, but ultimately most of them hardly noticed; there were of course those who had seen the two before and were wondering why the fuzz was there, but ultimately, they figured they were there for the show and nothing else.

And then there were the Muppets who not only knew the officers, but knew the probable reasons as to why they were there.

Especially when you see one leaving your boss’ office.

Though Rowlf wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, he knew how to read people and he was reading a lot of stress. Scooter always managed to know and see more than the rest of them, even before he had been appointed as the boss’ assistant; perhaps it was borne through his days as a go-fer, where he had learned to be there just as someone needed him.

The page’s eyes had been turned on the detective almost as soon as the pianist had informed him that the police Muppet was there.

Gonzo, who had seemingly been unaware of the officer being there, had something akin to police radar because the dog could smell his anxiety from where he stood, a good ten feet away.

Piggy, who was coming down from her dressing room, turned a surprised eye towards the detective when she saw him. “Why, Det. Day,” she replied. “What a pleasant surprise! Did you see the show?”

“I did, Miss Piggy,” Day said, nodding in her direction. “A great performance.” Turning a side-glance towards the frog, he added, “A stellar performance, actually, and one that I’m sure you utilize quite well.”

Kermit turned a glare towards the Muppet and it wasn’t hard to see that the frog was not only agitated, but angry as well.

Rowlf had known the power couple for years, he had seen them make up, and break up more times than a child drops and glues a plate back together. Just as he could tell the frog wasn’t amused by the detective’s comments, he could easily tell that Piggy’s apprehension also seem to rise just as high as Gonzo’s did.

Gonzo already knew something was up the first time he had seen Det. Day walk through the back entrance, which was one reason why he had quickly snagged Fozzie to thoroughly compliment him on his stage act. He knew he probably should have been upfront with his best friend bear, but he had to admit that fear was controlling his actions.

It was only made worse when he had turned to see to Day leaving Kermit’s office, with the frog following in his wake, and the storm clouds were hanging heavy over the leader’s head. The stuntman couldn’t imagine the type of conversation that may have taken place, but the quick glance that Kermit had thrown his way pretty much summed it up.

He was in a lot of trouble.

“I’ll…I’ll catch up with you later, Foz,” he murmured, turning from the comic and heading for the storm he knew was about to take place. “Hi ho, Kermit,” he whispered, nodding to the officer. “Det. Day.”

“Mr. Gonzo,” the detective nodded. “I think you know why we’re here.”

Gonzo looked passed the detective to see his partner coming through the backstage just as Piggy came up on his right. Chuckling nervously, he said, “I’m sure we can talk about those parking tickets.”

“Yes sir, we can,” Day said, knowing a ploy when he saw one. He only hoped Gonzo was this in order to give the others a plausible reason as to why they were there and not because he was making a plan to run out on them.

“Don’t worry,” Kermit murmured. “We’ll clear this up.”

“Yeah.”

“You know I won’t let this stand,” Piggy whispered.

“I certainly hope not.”

“If you just come with us, Mr. Gonzo,” Hollertz said. “This won’t take long.”

“Only twenty-five to thirty,” the stuntman muttered, walking past both officers.

Whatever excitement the rest of the troupe was expecting petered out as soon as it began and those who had stopped quickly went back to doing whatever their plans included for the night.

“Silly Gonzo,” the diva huffed. “No one goes to prison for twenty-five years for robbery. Not unless it was armed of course.”

“Piggy…”

The diva started towards Kermit’s office, remembering that she had left one of her lipsticks in his desk. It was rare that Piggy was in this particular office, almost as rare as Kermit was, but in the times that she was in this office, it seemed she was always forgetting something in there.

It was also the perfect excuse for her to put some space between her, the still lingering cast, and the frog that was of course following her. “I seriously can’t believe this is happening,” she was saying.

“Piggy…”

And of course she couldn’t believe it and she had, unfortunately, called it. And she felt horrible about it. This case of theirs that she had insisted they take part in was going slower than a turtle trying to cross the road and that was the problem. She was still convinced that La Chance was somehow involved in this, but she was running out of time and stuff was starting to get real.

“You don’t believe this, do you?” she asked, turning around quickly and nearly causing Kermit to run into her. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, Moi would never willingly stick up for Gonzo, but…”

“Piggy,” he said, sternly, following her in the office and then closing the door behind him. He was barely holding on to his anger, confusion, and even hurt; he seriously did not want to believe this was happening and he needed to hear it from her that they weren’t involved.

“This is completely ridiculous!” the diva exclaimed, rummaging through the desk, but not finding her lipstick. Well, shoot. Maybe it was home after all. “Kermit, surely you can see…”

“PIGGY!”

Oh right, the frog. “There’s no reason to shout, Kermit,” she huffed. “I’m standing right here.”

“Piggy,” the frog stressed. “Look me in the eye, look me in the eye and tell me that you have nothing to do with this.”

“With what?” she asked. “With the museum robbery or knowing those two teenagers that were killed? May they rest in peace.”

“The fact that you have to actually separate them does nothing for my piece of mind.”

“Kermit,” Piggy replied. “I promise you that neither Gonzo nor I had anything to do with that.”

“And you have no idea where that ruby is?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Kermit gave her a look which clearly said he didn’t really believe her and that he wanted to know, right now, where that ruby was.

“I cannot say,” she answered his unasked question.

“Piggy Lee…”

“Really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “We’re going to go that route? Okay listen, do you trust me?”

Kermit just continued to glare at her.

“The slowness in your response is disconcerting.”

Sighing deeply, Kermit shook his head clear. Hadn’t he declared, with a bit of furiosity, to Det. Day that he trusted both Piggy and Gonzo implicitly? “Of course I trust you,” he whispered.

Walking over to him, she put a hand on his shoulder. “Then trust me to handle this,” she replied. “I promise that if I get into trouble, you can come riding in like the handsome green knight you are and you can save little ole Moi.”

Even as he looked at her, it couldn’t believe what he was about to do. Sighing again, he muttered, “This is a bad idea. Fine.” Piggy of course grabbed him in a tight hug, all the while managing to deliver several kisses to his face and cheek. “Stop,” he groused, though he did manage to wrap his arms around her middle.

“Stop it,” he continued. “Stop it, stop it. I’m going to regret this, I just know it; I never think rationally when you’re involved.”

“Aw Kermie,” she cooed. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me.”

“Just make sure it’s not the last thing I’ll ever say about you.” Kermit pulled back to look at her. “I mean it, Piggy,” he whispered. “This is such a bad idea that I can’t even believe I’m agreeing to it.”

“I know you’re worried,” she said. “But I got Gonzo into this mess and I have to get him out.”

Despite Piggy’s protests and denials, she was as loyal as any one to the others and if there was one thing that Kermit knew, it was that the diva always took responsibility for her actions.

“Promise you’ll take someone with you,” he pressed. “If you’re going to go all private eye on this, I’ll feel much better if you have someone with you.” Thinking on that statement, he amended with, “Maybe a group of someones. If I have to look at pictures like the ones Day showed me…”

He trailed off, not wanting to actually give that tidbit away, but the diva had none the less caught the sudden stop. “What pictures?” she asked.

The frog shook his head in annoyance. “Just…these pictures of you and Gonzo while you were out…somewhere…you know,” he stumbled, releasing her and heading towards the door. “Not important. I have to go to talk to Scooter, but whatever you need in here, don’t take too long, okay?”

“Sure,” she murmured.

Perhaps to anyone else, their entire conversation was finished and pretty much covered everything that needed to be said. However, if there was one thing Piggy knew, it was Kermit the Frog; she had spent decades learning and memorizing just about everything there was to know about the director of their show. Kermit may have been leader and crazy handler to their troupe, but he was also a terrific actor in his own right.

He may have fooled the police that had been here, but he could never fool her, especially at this point in their relationship.

“Kermit,” she said, stopping him from opening the door. Watching him turn, she could immediately see that his face was blank, but that frog could wear those emotions of his on the sleeves of the non-existent shirt he didn’t wear.

“Whatever you think is going on,” she continued. “Or whatever Det. Day may have suggested to you that might be going on between Gonzo and I isn’t true.”

Kermit chuckled nervously. “Piggy, I…I know that,” he said. “I know you two have nothing to do with this robbery.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

In times past, the frog may have denied whatever thought his girlfriend had, but he had come to realize that even when he had tried, she was probably the one person who could see through him like no one else. Perhaps he hadn’t been as transparent as he had thought.

“I told Det. Day that I trusted you and that I trusted Gonzo.”

“Don’t forget it,” she stressed, those baby blues of her flashing.

Kermit couldn’t help but smile at that. If he was easy to read by Piggy, she was easy to read by him. “Miss Piggy,” he said, with a smirk. “I can guarantee that should I ever forget that fact, you’ll be quick to remind me.”

Walking over, she leaned casually against the door jam, and battled those baby blues at him. “Count on it.”

 

[The Count]

Yay. Thank you for posting.
Gonzo go bye-bye?
Yeah man, the little blue dude's been carted a-waaay.
Like, shouldn't we do something to, like, you know, help?
Most indubitably. But the porcine pulcritudinousness already has us beat on that angle.
Then let's provide the chase with a little traveling music.

More please? And happy gobble-gobble to all you jive turkeys.