Chapter Fifty-Five
The Muppets whirled around, looking at Sweetums and Robin and Kermit and shooting questions around like penguins.
"Kermit, you're going
back?" was the resounding phrase.
He gulped. "I, um, I... Yeah. I- I am."
Miss Piggy wrapped her arms around him and tucked her face into his neck. The rest of them bit their lips and shifted their weight.
For a long, terrifying moment, no one said a single word.
Kermit opened his mouth to speak.
"Well Chief," Scooter said apprehensively, "If that's what you really think is best, then..." He looked around, uncertain, and then decided something. He stood up. "Then that's the decision I'll stand by!" he declared.
This settled briefly.
"Hey," Rizzo said, "If it's good enough for you-" He stood up. "It's good enough for me, too."
"Si, si," Pepe stood. "We'll support jour decision hokay Kermin."
They absorbed this.
"You're crazy, Kerm," Clifford said, standing up. "But we love ya for it. You got my support."
"Mine too," Johnny said, standing.
"Johnny Fiama supports your decision!" Sal announced. "And uh... so do I."
"Ditto," Bunsen said, standing.
"Mee mo!" Beaker stood and agreed.
"Schnüpendort, um de shur," the Swedish Chef stood.
"Absotively posolutely," Dr. Teeth stood.
"You got it, Green Stuff!" Floyd stood.
"Fer sure," Janice stood.
"FOR SURE! FOR SURE!" Animal chanted. He had all ready been standing.
"Yeah," Zoot stood.
"Brawk buck!" Camilla stood.
Gonzo gulped and stood beside her. "Me too," he said.
Sam stood up. "I'm proud to support your service to our country," he said.
"Kermit?" Rowlf slowly stood up. "I'm not sure I even know how
not to stick by you."
"Yeah!"
"We're with ya, Kermit!"
"Yeah!"
"Absolutely!"
"You know it!"
"All the way!"
They were all standing.
Kermit stared, caught more than a little off guard. "You- you mean it?" he said. "Really?"
"Well Kermit," Fozzie said, "Of
course we'll stand behind you- we
always do! And- and besides... we all ready tried to talk you out of it."
Kermit smiled and gave Fozzie a hug, a gesture made awkward by the fact that Miss Piggy was still holding her frog. "Thanks," he said quietly.
But all this time, Miss Piggy kept her face to Kermit's neck and her arms wrapped around him, not saying a word.
Kermit put his hand on her wrist and pressed his cheek against her. "Piggy?" he said quietly.
She was still and quiet for a long moment before she answered. "Mon Capitan," she whispered, "You know my answer."
Kermit wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "It'll be okay," he assured, addressing Miss Piggy but speaking to all of them. "It'll be tough, but... It'll work out okay."
They nodded uneasily and shifted their weight. Robin looked back and forth between his flippers and his uncle, and although Kermit sought it, he did not make eye contact.
Kermit gulped, and Miss Piggy felt it. "In the mean time," he said, sounding testy, "Here it is almost Christmas, we've got a tree and a wreath and everything, but I don't see a single smile in here, and if it stays that way one more second, something better explode!"
"Did somebody say EXPLODE?" Crazy Harry cackled, and promptly provided the requested explosion.
Some people laughed, some people groaned, and most people managed a smile.
"Well, that's a little better," Kermit said, grinning at the newest char mark on the wall. "Thanks, Harry!"
"Never thought you'd say that!" Crazy Harry cackled.
"Yeah," Kermit chuckled. "Well now we're smiling; where's our Christmas spirit?"
"I know where!" Rowlf strode straight to the piano bench, sat down, and began to play. "
It's in the singin' of a street-corner choir..."
Fozzie jumped in. "
It's goin' home and gettin' warm by the fire!"
"
It's true wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas!"
While the rest of the Muppets sang, Kermit tended to his fiancé, still held fast in his arms. He nuzzled close to her. "Hey," he murmured.
"Mon Capitan," she whispered.
"I love you," he murmured.
"I love you too."
He nuzzled closer. "Whaddaya say we find some mistletoe, hm?" he murmured. "My fiancé?" He kissed her cheek. "My future wife?" He ran a quick finger down the inside of her arm. "Mrs. the-Frog-to-be?"
She lifted her head with a tiny smile, and he rewarded her with a brief kiss.
"The love of my life," he murmured, "Should I keep going?"
"Yes," she said, and she let him lead her to the mistletoe hanging in the kitchen door.
He turned her back to the other room and wrapped his arms around her. "My one and only," he murmured, and he gave her a long, luxurious kiss. "The woman of my dreams..." He kissed her again, held her extra close, and whispered so softly she wasn't sure she heard it, "My Piggy."
"Mm!" She wrapped her arms tight around his shoulders.
He smiled and nuzzled against her cheek. "My Piggy," he murmured under his breath. "Nothing's better than your name." He kissed her neck.
She settled against him with a heavy sigh, and he knew what she was thinking about.
He stepped back to look at her. "Piggy? ...I'm
here now," he murmured. "Let's be happy."
She looked at him. "Kermie," she whispered, "The fact that you're going back isn't
all that's bothering you."
He stared at her, wondering how she could perceive such things. He nodded once. "We'll talk about it later," he whispered. "Let's be happy now."
She smiled. "Yes." She gave him a light kiss. "Let's." She took him by the hand and led him straight into the crowd to join in the singing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Robin curled into his blanket and watched as Kermit slowly sat on his bed, facing him.
Kermit kept a steady, apologetic gaze on his nephew. Robin fiddled with his blanket, looking at his uncle and looking away. They were quiet for a moment.
Kermit sighed and turned so that he was sitting
beside Robin, not across from him. He hugged his nephew. "Hi Robin," he said quietly.
Robin leaned against him. "Hi Uncle Kermit," he whispered.
They were quiet for a long moment.
"You didn't hear me, did you?" Robin whispered.
"This morning?" Kermit whispered. Robin nodded. Kermit sighed. "Well," he said, "...I heard you enough to wake up, I guess. But when... when I
was awake, I- probably couldn't."
Robin tugged at his blanket. "What were you doing?" he asked.
Kermit gulped lightly and took a deep breath, having spent a great deal of the day figuring out a way to explain this to his nephew. "Robin," he began, "...You know how- when you have a nightmare, you see things that aren't really there? ...And you
don’t see things that
are there?"
Robin frowned, but nodded, looking at the edge of the blanket.
"Well... it's kind of like that," Kermit explained. "Except that- instead of when I'm asleep... my nightmare comes when I wake up."
Robin processed this and slowly looked up at his uncle. "Every day?" he whispered.
Kermit bit his lip and nodded. "Every day," he whispered.
Robin gazed across the room and settled his head against his uncle's side. "Uncle Kermit?" he asked quietly. "Have you ever seen me have a nightmare?"
"Mm-hm," Kermit murmured.
Robin squeezed his blanket and looked at his uncle. "Was it scary?" he asked apprehensively.
Kermit nodded. "Yeah," he said softly.
Robin curled into his uncle's side and pulled the blanket closer. He was quiet for a moment. "Is that why you're going back?" he whispered. "To get away from the nightmares?"
Kermit sighed. "Well... that's part of it, I guess," he said quietly. "But not all of it. It… I guess it's pretty hard to explain..."
Robin looked up at him. "Uncle Kermit?" he whispered.
Kermit looked at him and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Yes, Robin?" he heard himself whisper, realizing how very little he wanted to let go.
Robin snuggled closer, reaching up to grip his uncle's collar. "You're gonna come home, right?" he whispered.
Kermit felt a lump rise in his throat as he nodded solemnly. "Yes, Robin," he whispered. "I'm coming home."
"And then you and Piggy are gonna get married, right?" Robin whispered.
"That's right," Kermit nodded.
Robin pressed against him. "I'm gonna miss you, Uncle Kermit," he whispered.
Kermit squeezed him tight. "I'm gonna miss you too, Robin," he whispered.
Robin slid down and curled into his uncle's lap. "Uncle Kermit?" he whispered. "Will you be okay
before you go, too?"
Kermit gulped. "I... I mostly
am okay, Robin," he whispered. "...But I think... I think I'll be better when I come home."
"And then the nightmares will be gone?"
Kermit squeezed his nephew. "I hope so," he whispered. "...I think so."
"I hope so, too," Robin mumbled drowsily. "...How long will you be gone?"
"Well, I... I don't know, really," Kermit confessed. He gulped. "But I'll come home."
Robin snuggled firmly into his uncle's lap. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," Kermit murmured.
For a long moment, they just sat there, Robin drifting off to sleep, and Kermit holding him protectively.
Kermit knew that he couldn't stay here all night, as much as he wanted to. He knew that he had to talk to Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and Rowlf, and he knew that they would probably be waiting for him.
He compromised by quietly humming an absent-minded lullaby until he was absolutely certain that Robin was sound asleep... and had been for quite some time. Then, and only then, could he convince himself to settle the young frog under his blankets, give him a kiss, turn out the light, and push himself out the door.
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