A Heart of Gold

[theprawncracker]

Ha...Wha...Hamana hamana hamana...Oh my...Kermit...He's...He's not Kermit...He's like...Wow...I don't wanna know what he is...Kermit...Robin...Fozzie...Wow...I just can't...Wow...Oh dear half/fiance THIS is why I love ya gal!! MORE PLEASE!!

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Four

She laid him face-up on his bed, curled up beside him, and gently rubbed his chest in a wide circle, careful not to disturb the sling. "Sh… Sh… Kermie... Kermie... It's okay now, Kermie... It's okay... you're safe now... you're home... you're right here... Sh… It's okay now, Kermie…"

His tears subsided, and he silently stared up at the ceiling, paying more attention to the soothing sound of her voice than the words she spoke. His good hand reached up and held her warm glove over his heart, and she fell silent. They were quiet for a moment.

"You're real," he whispered.

She relaxed. "Yes, Kermie," she assured him. She kissed his cheek. "Very real."

He thoughtfully held her hand, staring up at the ceiling. "Sometimes... I'd pretend you were with me... Just like this," he whispered. "...Sometimes it would help."

She snuggled close to him. "Mon Capitan," she murmured.

"Private First Class," he softly corrected.

"Private, shmivate," she growled as she reached her hand up to his cheek and turned his face towards her. "You're Mon Capitan." She tenderly kissed his lips.

He pulled away and turned his face down into the bed. "Don't," he whispered with a certain longing in his voice. "I don't deserve you at all."

Her face fell. She traced her hand down his cheek and neck, across his uniform, tracing every button. "Oh Kermie," she whispered, "What did they do to you?"

"Nothing," he said sharply, turning further towards the bed. "They didn't do anything to me."

Her fingers crossed to the medal on his chest. "Someone must have done something to you," she said. "Bullets don't just shoot themselves into shoulders!"

"Please don't remind me of it," he said, forcing his face down.

He would have said something more, but her glove was suddenly on his cheek again, and under his chin, turning his face up to meet her eyes... Those big blue eyes, so full of so many things that he could hardly comprehend at that moment... But he knew enough to trust them.

"How can I ever live with myself, Piggy?" he asked her weakly. "I... I hate myself!"

Her first answer was to kiss him.

He started to pull away again, but she held him. He did not continue to fight her, and after a moment, she allowed their lips to part.

"Remember this, Kermie," she whispered. "Moi could never hate you." She kissed his cheek. "And I'm not the only one." She nuzzled close to him.

He shook his head. "If you knew what I did-"

"It doesn't matter." She kissed his cheek again. "I love you, Kermie. No matter what. No matter anything. I love you."

His hand found hers again and gripped it tight. He shoved his face into her shoulder. "Stay here?" he begged.

"Of course." She felt him settle and slowly drift towards sleep. "Where else would I go, Mon Capitan?" she whispered. "Where else would I go..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

Fozzie peered into the room. "Is he okay?" he asked softly.

"He fell asleep," Miss Piggy said. She reluctantly turned to look at the bear, keeping a hand on Kermit's chest. "He's hurting so much inside," she whimpered.

Fozzie took his hat off. "I'm glad he's home," he said.

She nodded. "Could you... Could you keep the others away for now?" she said. "I think... he needs a little quiet."

Fozzie nodded.

They heard a dull explosion from the basement.

Kermit stiffened, started to sit up, and froze. After a moment, he sighed and sheepishly lay down. "Probably just... Crazy Harry or... Bunsen or... something," he mumbled. His hand searched until he was once again gripping Miss Piggy's glove. "No one hurt..." He drowsed off.

Fozzie watched him. "It'll take a lot of adjusting," he whispered.

Miss Piggy nodded. "A lot of healing," she whispered. She gently stroked her frog's cheek. "We'll help him."

Fozzie took one step in.

"How's Robin?" Miss Piggy asked, stopping him. She did not take her eyes off of Kermit.

"He's confused," Fozzie said. "I think... I think we all are."

Miss Piggy nodded. "Kermie most of all," she said softly. "He asked me if I was real."

Fozzie sighed. "This won't be easy," he said.

"No," Miss Piggy said. "But this will be worth the effort."

"Are you kidding?" Fozzie said softly. "It's worth all the effort in the world."

"And then much more," Miss Piggy agreed, and she kissed Kermit's cheek.

 

[theprawncracker]

Kermit stiffened, started to sit up, and froze. After a moment, he sighed and sheepishly lay down. "Probably just... Crazy Harry or... Bunsen or... something," he mumbled. His hand searched until he was once again gripping Miss Piggy's glove. "No one hurt..." He drowsed off.

No...Not my frog...Not our frog...Our frog couldn't have been...There...But...But he was...And it hurts to know that...But I love it Lisa...And I very reluctantly ask for more, please.

 

[redBoobergurl]

Ohhh gosh....poor poor Kermit. He's really messed up inside. And Piggy, man, I have a whole new respect for her and I see her in a totally different light. Wow. She cares for him so much and she's not being pushy she's just helping him. Being there for him. So out of character for her and yet at the same time so like her. Beautifully done, I can see they'll have a long road ahead and I'm sure you'll craft it wonderfully as you always do.

 

[The Count]

Just arriving in the library, unloading things to set down and write...
Grabbing a cup of cooled hot chocolate and a candy cane or bag of peppermints, sitting down to read through this wonderful story's latest chapter quietly. Graciously, I nod in agreement and hope more gets posted soon.

 

[Beauregard]

Heal Kermit...heal...

Rowlf: Never say heal to dogs.

Me: Sorry...I could't resist.

But seriously...this story, it hurts me inside...well done. And Piggy's tenderness! Aww...it reminds me of Beth C's stories.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Five

In his sleep, Kermit once again buried himself in Miss Piggy after Fozzie left. She was content to lie beside him, wrap her arm firmly around him, and just feel him there. She could feel his breath brushing across her neck, his good hand gripping the back of her glove onto his heart, the steady beating in his chest, the soft pressure of his body against hers... Every part of him seemed to seek her. Even with his right arm in a sling, his fingertips had found her waist to rest on. She tugged him closer and found herself frustrated with his uniform. She missed his collar.

Soft notes trailed up to her ears. Rowlf was playing piano.

Kermit turned to stare at the ceiling and pressed his cheek against her. He was listening. His eyes seemed to search for something within his own mind. He carefully took a slow, deep breath. "Long time," he whispered vaguely. "...A long time." He was quiet for a moment, and then, still gripping Miss Piggy's hand, he sat up, slid off the bed, and walked straight down stairs.

Miss Piggy stuck close to his side. Everyone watched as he went directly to the piano, hardly aware of how he was towing her around.

He stared at the piano, his eyes dancing over it again and again. He stretched his right fingers forward and touched it.

Rowlf looked up and smiled at him. "Bet you haven't heard that lately, huh?"

"Been a while," Kermit mumbled vaguely. "A long while." After another moment of listening, he lifted his eyes to the piano player. "Hi Rowlf," he whispered.

"Hey Kermit," Rowlf said. "Welcome home."

Kermit gave one nod and felt a furry paw rest lightly on the back of his weak shoulder. He flinched at the unintentional contact with his wound- he knew they would assume he'd been shot from the front- but he nodded again, because that furry paw was all he needed to know that his best friend was next to him.

Seeing Kermit by the piano was enough to draw a huge crowd of Muppets. They listened to the music and watched Kermit's face.

Rowlf knew this group pretty well. He knew that when they all gathered around the piano like this... there was only one thing to do. So he started up a new song. A song they knew.

A song they could sing.

And just to make sure they knew to sing, he sang, first.

"Life is a funny thing..."

"Sometimes you laugh and sing," he was instantly joined by Miss Piggy.

"Sometimes you grumble and cuss," Floyd jumped in.

Fozzie sang, "But either way, what do we care?"

"We got us!" they all sang except for Kermit. "We have our ups and downs, our shares of smiles and frowns, but through it all, we don't fuss."

"Cause we've got a special thing going!" Rowlf howled.

"We've got us!"

Gonzo sang alone. "Some people like to go through their life single, oh-"

"That wouldn't suit us at all," a great number of them sang.

"Yeah!" Gonzo cried. "Why sing a melody as a soliloquy when it's more fun to be-"

"HARMONIZING!" all but Kermit nearly shouted.

"Big finish, guys!" Rowlf announced.

"People they say we are, crazy the way we are, that we won't even discuss… 'Cause what we've got they can't smother! We trade our life for no other! They've only got one another, but we've… got… US!"

Every single one of them nodded, the way it just felt right to after a song.

Many pairs of eyes darted to Kermit's face. He was nodding right along with them, albeit a bit slower than most of them. They had never been able to grow accustomed to the absence of his voice, and they had noticed it now as well.

But something had changed. For the first time since he had come home, the tension in his face had eased to the point that it was hardly noticeable. His eyes, though still distant, were no longer vacant. And as the next song started up, his eyes began to move.

They happened to land on Pepe. Yes, he still had all of his arms, and he still had that silly little spray of red hair on his head, and he still had the same peculiar way of dancing, and he still had a surprisingly good singing voice... Yes, Pepe was still Pepe.

His eyes moved on to Scooter, who still had his own tuft of red hair, still wore the same jacket, still had glasses, and was still full of that youthful energy and eagerness to help. Yes, Scooter was still Scooter.

He then looked at Gonzo, who was... Well. He was Gonzo.

And Camilla was still Camilla, and Clifford was still Clifford, and Bunsen was still Bunsen, and Beaker still spoke with only meeps.

And Sam was still an American Eagle. He was still blue and bald and stiff and reluctant to be as supposedly foolhardy as the rest.

Kermit was still looking at the eagle when the song ended. Instead of feeling awkward, he simply acknowledged it. "Hi Sam," he said.

Sam nodded. "Kermit." He saluted.

"Hi Beaker."

"Mee-mo!"

"Hi Bunsen."

"Welcome home."

"Hi Clifford."

"Good to see ya, Kerm."

"Hi Camilla."

"Brawk..."

"Hi Gonzo."

"Hey Kermit!"

"Hi Scooter."

"Welcome home, Boss!"

"Hi Pepe."

"Hola, Kermin!"

There was a loud crash of drums. "MORE SONGS! MORE SONGS!"

Kermit scarcely flinched. "Hi Animal."

"MORE SONGS!"

They were happy to oblige.

Kermit still did not sing. He was too busy looking around. Animal was definitely still Animal.

A soulful note drew his attention to a saxophone- another instrument he hadn't heard for a while. Yes, Zoot was still Zoot. He heard guitars for the first time in too long. Floyd was still Floyd and Janice was still Janice. Dr. Teeth was still Dr. Teeth.

He greeted each of them when the song was done, examined more friends as the next song started... it was a nice little cycle.

Gonzo smiled at Rowlf who smiled at Scooter who smiled at Clifford who smiled at Rizzo who smiled at Pepe who smiled at anyone he could pass it on to. They couldn't help smiling when Kermit said hi.

And Kermit was also somewhere close to smiling as his eyes wandered over all the friends he had missed for so long and had been too numb to acknowledge earlier in the day.

 

[The Count]

And Lisa is still Lisa...
And this story is still this story, superb.
And us wanting more... Is... Well, just that... Us wanting more!

 

[Beauregard]

...his good hand gripping the back of her glove onto his heart...

This is beautifull...Piggy careing, and Kermit...well, you just reminded us how hurt he is by mentioning his "good hand" and, Toga, using "...the back of her hand..." was so textured

She missed his collar.

*sad swallow*

Soft notes trailed up to her ears. Rowlf was playing piano.

*soft smile*

Rowlf knows how it works then. Music is good for the sole.

He was listening. His eyes seemed to search for something within his own mind. He carefully took a slow, deep breath. "Long time," he whispered vaguely. "...A long time."

"...seemed to search for something..."

Maybe I analise things too much, but nice...

"Hi Rowlf," he whispered.

Mmmmmm...

...he knew they would assume he'd been shot from the front...

I wonder what this means...does it mean he was running away, or that he was helping someone move away, or that someone came from behind...what does it mean?

"Life is a funny thing..."

Perfect song choice...it's a song that always makes me tear up becuase of how perfect and family it is...and...wow...

"Hi Sam," he said.

Sam nodded. "Kermit."

*smiles*

"Hi Beaker."

"Mee-mo!"

*grins*

"Hi Bunsen."

"Welcome home."

*claps*

"Hi Clifford."

"Good to see ya, Kerm."

"Hi Camilla."

"Brawk..."

*applause!*

"Hi Gonzo."

"Hey Kermit!"

"Hi Scooter."

"Welcome home, Boss!"

"Hi Pepe."

"Hola, Kermin!"

There was a loud crash of drums. "MORE SONGS! MORE SONGS!"

Kermit scarcely flinched. "Hi Animal."

*APPLAUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!*

Me: *looks at Kermit* Hi Kermit...you are still Kermit.

 

[theprawncracker]

Zow!! Marvelous! Fantasticabulous(TM) even! I loooove it! Kermit is back! And it's like he never left! LOVE it! It's just SO good it's not even funny, but that's just it, it IS funny! So grand other half! And more please.