A Monday Return

[WebMistressGina]

Oookay... At least now the main Muppet gang knows about Kermit's whereabouts and they'll have to plan some shows on their own. The good thing is that Scooter is in control to rein in their creative freedoms a little.

Don't worry, Scooter's gonna get help from the friends, especially when he tells the rest of the gang what's happening and they get to do a show with the leading frog and pig. Came up with the best idea while taking a nap! And yes, I wrote it down!

Love what's taking place in the swamps and how you described Kermit's parents' home. Also... I feel that there's a connection between Darla Jean and Robin that mirrors The Santa Clause 2. Darla, as the younger cousin/sibling, with her innocent wisdom is able to get through to Robin, the older family member, in his moment of anger/sadness/frustration similar to that scene when Lucy talks to Charlie when he's outside shoveling snow out of the driveway.

Thanks for this, have a good day. *Leaves some choc chip brownies.

Never saw any of the Santa Clause movies, so have no idea about that, but yes, we're gonna take a look inside The Frog family proper. In fact, this next section is all about Jimmy and Leaper; in writing it, I kinda noticed that I'm not a Leaper fan, but as we all know you can't have all roses and rainbows in a relationship, so hopefully this is plausible.

I finally remembered what story it was that I read her in and I think it's the one by ToGa where Robin gets hit by a car? I remember reading that and thinking, 'geez, you're an hyperoveractive mother. No wonder Robin hangs out with Kermit', so as a character, I didn't like her, but obviously I liked the style behind her cause she now seems...complex.

Anyway, gonna work on this and I promise I will avoid pranking you guys

 

[WebMistressGina]

And here is your long and involved conclusion to the chapter above. This starts with a new section, but both are set back in down home Leland. Next Monday - Scooter makes the announcement to the group as whole as they try to cover for the host and leading lady, while in Leland, Leaper is put to rest.

Until then - enjoy!



James Raymond Frog was the middle son for his namesake and mother, with several sisters above and below him at birth. Jimmy Ray, as they had called him as a child, was more of his mother’s son than maybe his father; having much more of his mother’s shyness and personality, but having a sense of musicality that he had gotten from his father. Like his older brothers before him, Jimmy had sat before his father, wondering with the big thing with the lines was and how it made the pretty sounds that calmed him at night. When his older brother Kermit started playing, Jimmy was right there by his side, always asking the older frog what he was doing and never getting yelled at, like the other boys did when he started bothering him.

That was why Kermit was so popular with the younger frogs – his patience with the constant questions and restlessness that usually accompanied little children made him the favorite when it came to playing and learning various aspects of the world in which they lived. Jimmy credited Kermit with teaching him the alphabet and counting, as well as his growing love of different styles of music; their home was usually filled with music, thanks to their general area and that of their father, but it was Kermit who had introduced him to the very music that would make up the show he would go on to head. From the time he was a small child, his older brother had been a hero to him, the kind of frog Jimmy wanted to grow up to be.

Jimmy Ray couldn’t lie and say that he didn’t think about being famous, like his big brother. Kermit had seemed to open the door to a host of different opportunities that maybe none of them had thought about before, especially when it seemed that James and Kermit weren’t the only frogs that had stars in their eyes.

It wasn’t a dream the way Kermit’s had been, just a thought that seemed to follow Jimmy through childhood until he reached high school. It was in high school when Jimmy had met Leaper, during his junior year and for him, at least, it was love at first sight; no one ever understands why people end up together and for as long as he would live, he wouldn’t know why he fell for the slight green frog that passed by him in the hall, but ever since, Leaper had been the one for him.

Just as his parents had done, Jimmy and Leaper had gone through their courting rituals before Jimmy had asked his girl to be his forever. Things had been good, very good, for a long time that when things started to go sour, the frog had admittedly turned a blind eye. It started with Robin and it had always been about Robin and what Leaper saw as an affront to her mothering. There had always been a slight jealousy that Leaper held within her regarding the closeness that Jimmy held with his family, especially with Kermit. Jimmy thought nothing of appointing his big brother as Robin’s godfather in the case something should happen to either of them and he certainly had no issues with letting the older frog watch his young tadpole if he couldn’t.

As Robin got older, there was no doubt he was born to be the same type of star his uncle was and his grandfather had been; Jimmy couldn’t begin to state how proud he had been when the little frog had been the star of his class performance and he could tell his big brother had been impressed too. Like his father before him, Robin had idolized his uncle and had been so excited to visit that first time, when the Muppet Show had first started up and his uncle was making the transition from children show to mainstream audience.

It was all he talked about when he returned – how Uncle Kermit had introduced him to the cast and crew, how they had shown him around the stage area and the theater, how they had let watch the run through and Kermit had explained every aspect of what was going on. Pretty soon, the boy couldn’t wait to go back and Jimmy didn’t have it in his heart to tell his only son no; Kermit was always asking for them to come out and see the show, but knowing trying to get a thousand and some frogs on a plane from the east to the west coast would literally break the very small bank roll they had. But Kermit always made a point of coming home and sometimes, he’d even bring his friends with him.

Jimmy had first met Rowlf when the two were about to pitch Sesame Street and he had met Fozzie Bear when the two had been driving up to New York once. They were every bit as cordial and funny off screen as they were on, Rowlf enjoying the musical background of the family and their spontaneous ho-downs as they were, while Fozzie loved entertaining the kids with his jokes. Jimmy like these guys and it was clear that his big brother had found a home away from home and that’s what he had wanted for his baby boy. So he had no issues with sending Robin off every summer and more before school started.

Leaper, however, did have issues with the arrangement.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Jimmy’s family, but they always seemed to make her feel unwanted, inferior sometimes. His sisters were all so outspoken, his brothers were all so rowdy and carefree, and the family as a whole had more talent than she had fingers. Knowing that her little boy would inherit some of that talent didn’t bother her, no it was the constant traveling and insistence that he stay with his uncle, as though living there with them was beneath him now. Kermit may have said he was still a down home country boy, but he didn’t act like one, at least not that she could see. He was very much a Hollywood frog and he had proven it when he had brought home the pig for the first time.

Miss Piggy was everything Leaper thought and despised about those high and mighty folks on the west. High maintenance was too nice of a term to describe what Leaper though of the diva and when they had clashed, Piggy didn’t hold her tongue very tight in what she thought of Leaper. And the worst part was Jimmy couldn’t see it, so enamored by his brother and his lifestyle, her husband willingly let their son just gallivant across the coast and probably would’ve skipped Robin’s entire education if she hadn’t acted. Her son was going to grow up to be something and that something was certainly not going to be an actor in some bawdy theater in Hollywood.

And that was where the cracks started. Jimmy wanted his son to enjoy his life and his childhood and if that meant living with his uncle and girlfriend and being a member of the famed Muppets, that’s what he would let his son do. For all he knew, Robin would tire of the life and return home or he’d be the second star in the family, he didn’t know, but he was going to let him do what he wanted. Leaper wanted her son to be something and that meant he needed to go to school to learn and it didn’t matter if his great uncle had been a children’s entertainer, he was not a teacher and he did not live in a school. There was also the questionable nature of the people he was being exposed to – Rowlf was a little too laid back for her, Fozzie was as funny as a brick, Gonzo was utterly dangerous, and that Miss Piggy was a certified witch and not with the first letter in place either.

Oh, there had been harsh words between them, harsher than Jimmy would want to admit, but there had been disagreements and thankfully most of them had happened while Robin was gone, which of course led into arguments about the fact that the boy was gone in the first place. But Jimmy wanted to do right by his family, so when Leaper told him to leave, he did; he had stayed with one of his other brothers for a bit before getting a new place of his own, so he could still be close by for Robin and be near his family. Those were the worse times, as the small frog was now shuffled between three homes; the older he got, the more Leaper put pressure on him to go to school and get good grades.

The school year always seemed to occur when the Muppets did many of their shows and movies, so it meant Robin couldn’t be a contributing member as he once had been. It didn’t mean he stopped seeing his uncle and hopefully future aunt, but the trips weren’t as long and the frequency grew less and less until finally, it was only when Jimmy was able to have Robin that the teen was able to see his extended Hollywood family at all, unless they came down there. And then things had broken up down there as well – Kermit had come to visit and he wasn’t his usual happy, go lucky self. It took some prying from both parents and Jimmy himself to get the frog to admit that everything back in California had fallen apart.

The Muppets were done and so were he and Piggy.

That had been a blow to Robin, to all of them; they had liked Piggy and were just waiting for the day when Kermit would call up and invite them to an official wedding, but none such invitation came and from the looks and sounds of it, never would. It was the first time Jimmy had ever seen his hero so upset and probably the first time he had ever viewed Kermit as an adult versus that of his big brother, whom he could turn to in order to fix everything that was wrong with the world. Jimmy had hoped to get back with Leaper, to somehow make her see that Robin could have school and the theater at the same time, but if Kermit couldn’t hold on to his girl, how would Jimmy ever get his back?

Maybe it was a pipe dream, but even after all these years of being apart, Jimmy still held on to the hope that maybe – when Robin got older – that they could try again, fix some of the mistakes they had made and start anew. Kermit had done it, given the way he seemed to gaze at Piggy now and the fact that she was right here with him; heck, even Robin had called her first, knowing that she would get Kermit and she would do whatever it took to get them both down there. But that dream was over because while Kermit had Piggy, Jimmy had no one and the hole he had held in his heart had just exploded into nothingness.

[hr]

Monday morning

Kermit slept a lot later than he would have on a normal Monday morning. Having always been an early riser, today Kermit didn’t waken until nearly ten o’clock and it was only his stomach telling him that he hadn’t eaten yet that woke him. He’d had an awful night the night before, his brain unwilling and unrelenting at shutting itself down so he could go to sleep; after comforting his nephew, the two had walked home solemnly, before entering the house and just heading for bed – Robin and Jimmy in one spare room, he and Piggy in the other.

But while he could hear and see Piggy getting ready for bed, Kermit had stood looking out the window, his eyes not really seeing anything in front of him. He hadn’t even realized he’d been standing there for nearly an hour until Piggy asked him when or if he planned on coming to bed. Piggy. They hadn’t even gotten to the hump of this trip and already she had been a brick and if this didn’t show him just how much she loved him, he couldn’t think of anything that would. Maybe that’s what was troubling him – Leaper’s passing had brought up so many lingering thoughts he had been trying his very best to bury.

First and foremost, just looking at the way his brother and nephew seemed so lost pushed a point in Kermit that he couldn’t help but wonder what he would ever do if Piggy ever left him, completely, and with no hope of ever returning. Her leaving the first time had been hard enough and when they had left Paris, he had been convinced that it really was the last time he would ever see her again. Would he be so very lost, so hopeless, should something ever take her away from him?

And then…there was Jim.

Kermit would be a liar if he had said this didn’t trigger the same emotions he had felt upon learning that Jim Henson had died. Jim had been his supporter, mentor, father figure rolled into one great man and losing him had caused something deep within him to completely shatter and break. Piggy, bless her big diva heart, had been by his side, just as she was now and had tried her best to bring him through the darkness that he had sunk within; that had been the beginning of the end, as far as he was concerned. He had never really, truly gotten over that death and having Richard Hunt’s follow so quickly after had been the final nail in the proverbial coffin.

He was done. He didn’t have the strength to keep it going and went it all fell apart, in some ways he was glad; glad he didn’t need to keep this burden on his shoulders, glad to be out of the business, and glad to be on his own like he had wanted. And then those feelings dissipated when everyone left and he was stuck in a house full of memories.

And then his mind looped back around and wondered if that’s what Jimmy was feeling, if his brother also wanted to just get away and be alone to wallow in his sorrows and hurt. And when that thought came, Kermit vowed he couldn’t let that happen, to either his brother or his nephew and that meant he’d stay as long as it took to make sure it didn’t. Coming to that very conclusion, as well as his stomach, is what caused him to roll out of bed and stumble into the kitchen. It was just like when he was a child – his mother standing at the stove, making a delicious, country breakfast; his father sitting and reading the paper; the sounds of the occasional fight breaking out over the bathroom…

That last part didn’t seem to make any sense for reason, so Kermit turned as soon as he heard the argument come towards him.

“No, Dad.”

“Robin, it’s just one day,” Jimmy was saying, trailing the teenager.

The adults could tell Robin was already in a mood and it seemed like Jimmy wasn’t making it any better; the younger frog angrily pulled out a table chair and threw himself in it, earning him a look from his grandfather. “What’s got your panties in a twist?” asked Piggy, who sat next to the boy, reading her share of the morning paper.

Robin sent a glare, eerily similar to ones she had been on the receiving end from his uncle. “Really?” he asked, sarcastically.

That was Kermit’s cue to wake up and step in before things got to heady; Piggy’s response to unruly teenagers was the same she gave to unruly co-stars - she was not the kind of diva that put up with that kind of behavior and she never held back on letting someone know it. Scooter had gotten in her cross airs once, and only once, and while Kermit didn’t know what was said in that dressing room of his, as soon as they had entered, everyone had surrounded him – pleading and begging for him to go up there and save the boy.

James must have seen that things were about to get dicey too, because he lowered the paper and announced, “Enough.” Taking each person in turn, he finished with, “From all of you.”

“You know what this could use,” Jane spoke up, turning decidedly from the stove to look at those assembled in her kitchen. “A little bit of Collander’s special seasoning. Why don’t you boys go down and pick me up a batch?”

As though caught up in either the moment or his earlier reminiscings, Kermit turned stunned eyes on his mother and whined, “Why me?”

“Cause you’re standing in the kitchen.”

“Because I’m hungry!”

“Shoulda gotten up earlier,” Piggy ribbed, causing him to turn on her.

“Why can’t Jimmy go?”

“Why do I have to go?” the younger frog complained. “I’m just as hungry!”

“Kermit James and Jimmy Ray,” James interrupted, causing both sibling to stop their bickering instantly. “Now your mother wants you to go down to Collander’s and that’s what you’re both gonna do. And take Robin with you.”

“Why me?”

“Because I said so,” the elder frog said, sternly. “Now you boys git and don’t make me chase you out of here. You aren’t so grown to pick out your own sticks if I hear anymore complaints.”

All three mumbled, “yes sir” before making their way out the door, Jimmy grumbling when Kermit hit him, declaring that the situation was somehow his fault. Piggy couldn’t help the smirk that crossed her lips, as she gazed at James, who gave her a wink before going back to his paper.

“And that’s how you handle your boys.”

“I’m aiming for girls myself,” she retorted.

 

[The Count]

The Toga fic you're thinking of is titled Half of the Stairs are Missing (or HOTSAM) as it's affectionately refered to).

Absolutely love the character development taking place here. Looking forward to whatever's next when I get back from vacation next week. Good fright to all of you, whatever you are.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Hellobo! So, seeing as I'm scheduled to work tomorrow (I know, total bummer), I decided I'd give you an early taste of the next chapter. It's long and involved - Scooter tells the rest of the gang where the power couple is, while back in Leland, we find out what killed Leaper; and it's a real life disease that could affect the whole Frog family, as well as their friends!




Chapter IV

Monday afternoon


Despite having a day off, there was activity within the Muppet Theatre, though there was always activity in the theater. The only times the theater was ever quiet nowadays was if they were doing a movie shoot or everyone was off on a tour; it was the most unlikeliest of hangouts, but that’s where most of them headed, gathering in the theater proper or that of the cantina. This Monday had a little more activity than usual as many of them had been called in by stage manager, Scooter Grosse.

After leaving their unscheduled scheduled morning meeting, Scooter had gone back and forth on whether he needed to alert the rest of the Muppets about Kermit, the decision making itself known when the others had stated clearly that while one of their leading actors not being around wouldn’t be missed, having them both gone would launch into speculation and rumor and basically everything Scooter wanted to avoid while Kermit was gone. So Scooter had agreed that it was important to notify the others on the reason why both Kermit and Piggy were gone and hopefully it would spur them on to come up with good acts for the show and not crazy ones that couldn’t be justified.

So, he had made plans to start calling people on his cell and the office phone, when the other four made the decision for him –

“Red,” Rowlf replied. “We got it. Doc and I will take all the musicians, Gonzo, why don’t you get Cami and Rizzo to help you get all our union folks, and Fozzie, why don’t you call the monsters?”

“Do…do I have to call the monsters?” the bear asked, frightened.

“Fozzie, I’ll call the monsters,” Scooter commented. “Actually, you can help me get everyone else.”

He couldn’t begin to thank the others for helping him like this. He knew they were doing it for Kermit mostly, but having them in his corner had always been important to him, even now. So nearly two hours after gathering together the other four, Scooter sat in front of the nearly full theater auditorium to tell the others where their director and leading lady were. There were murmurs abound of course on why they had been called in on a supposed day off, but seeing as a good majority of them had been planning on being there in the first place, it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Initially Scooter had just been set on letting everyone know that Kermit and Piggy were gone for the week and that they’d be fine without the two of them for the moment, that is until Gonzo stopped him as he was making his way towards the stage –

“Been looking for you,” the weirdo whispered. “Just spoke to Piggy; we’ll need to come up with something for at least two shows.”

“Two shows!?”

“If you ask me, and you haven’t, we may want to think around three or four.”

Scooter just stared at him in shock, before realization dawned on him. “You think Kermit’s gonna stay?” he asked.

“I dunno,” Gonzo shrugged. “But come on – brother’s wife, nephew’s mom…it’s Kermit. And it’s Piggy.”

That pretty much summed everything up.

But it didn’t make things any easier for Scooter, who now had to make the announcement that they would be down two stars for two weeks and possibly longer. The page was fully expecting a riot at the news and it kept him nervous, as he watched everyone file in to the auditorium of the theater and take seats within the audience rows.

Normally, when making a huge Muppet wide announcement, Kermit stood at the stage proper and tried his best to get everyone to settle down in order to listen to him. In most cases, he’d have to turn to the Electric Mayhem’s drummer Animal to start yelling or Piggy to whistle out to calm everyone; in another case of the group just knowing each other well enough to anticipate their needs, seeing Scooter but no Kermit must have triggered something because everyone managed to get settled and all eyes were on Scooter within minutes.

Everyone was at attention and silence descended in the auditorium.

Opening his mouth to start the speech he had prepared, Scooter ended up sighing and just going with whatever his brain would push to his mouth. “So obviously,” he started. “I’m not Kermit and…that’s the reason why I called you guys in today. Kermit and Piggy are in Leland, they left yesterday and…may be there for a bit.”

Most of the Muppets, especially those from the very beginning, knew very well what that meant and it managed to send chills down some of their backs; for the curious few, like the new chorus girls or stagehands, the name meant nothing. “What’s a Leland?” asked one girl, who was quickly silenced by Wanda who sat near her.

“Why are they in Leland?” bassist Floyd Pepper asked and it was probably the most serious tone Scooter had ever heard from the older redhead.

Taking a deep breath, Scooter answered him. “Death in the family.” Just as when he had asked and when the others had questioned, Scooter could immediately see the effect those words had on everyone and he was quick to ease at least some of their concerns. “It’s not Robin,” he said. “But…yeah, that’s why they’re in Leland.”

“What does that mean?” Walter, their newest member, asked.

“It means we don’t have them for the show this upcoming week,” the manager continued. “And to be on the safe side, let’s plan for them not to be back the next few shows. We’ll plan out the next two weeks and we’ll…we’ll figure out everything after that. Look, we’re gonna run this the same way we would if Kermit was here, no exceptions. Rowlf and I are checking out acts this week, so if you got something, come see us. Any questions?”

Much of the activity seemed to be the discussion of the trouble in Leland, mixed with the prospect of not having either Kermit or Piggy for a number of shows; there was one lone hand that seemed to be waving from the front row though. “Yeah, Walter?”

“How’s Kermit?”

That question stopped all discussion, all noise, and all speculation. It was normal for them to get sidetracked on doing different things, so focused on getting their acts together, getting the shows together, that sometimes they tended to overlook some of the more important things in life. Hadn’t that been the reason they had broken apart in the first place? But with that one sentence, the atmosphere changed from their issues to Kermit’s issues. They had long acknowledged that the frog was the very backbone of their group, that without him, they floundered and failed and literally lost the very spark that kept them going.

They had several movies on that very subject!

But while they admitted they weren’t the same without Kermit, they were also pretty bad at letting him know how much he was appreciated and cared for. It wasn’t just Kermit; they had all been guilty at one time or another for ignoring each other, picking, insulting, chastising, etc for small or large infractions. But that’s what they did and who they were and ultimately, each and every time, they managed to remember how great everyone was and that they were needed, just like in any family.

“He’s…” Scooter began, noticing he was under a much bigger spot light this time around, as he tried to give the best answer to his ultimate knowledge. “Under the circumstances, he’s okay. Everything’s…everything’s gonna be okay.”

It wasn’t a Kermit worthy speech, but it was the best the redhead could do at the moment. And he believed it; they had gone through a lot of stuff and it had all worked out in the end, so if he believed was going to be okay, it would. It had to be.

[hr]

While Scooter was informing the rest of the Muppets of the leader and leading lady being in Leland, said leader had made his way back home with the spices that his mother wanted, all the while suffering between the very stifling tension that seemed to be between father and son. To be honest, he was quite surprised at the attitudes of both – he had wrongly assumed that the two of them wouldn’t want to be separated, would be consoling each other in the wake of their shared tragedy, but instead the duo didn’t seem to know how to react to one another.

Kermit would be lying if he said he wasn’t concerned, because he was very concerned. When Leaper had been alive, he had been the subject of debate for the family and it was twisting his heart to know that even with her death, he seemed to be a sore topic between the survivors.

The trio’s trip to the store had been mainly quiet, a complete turnaround from when they had done this in the past. He had tried engaging Robin in conversation, ranging everything from his school to what was going on at the theater; and he had tried getting his little brother to speak to him as well, but as with his son, the elder frog only managed to get grunts or one word syllables. It was probably the most uncomfortable time Kermit had ever had in his life and that was saying something considering the people he worked and hung out with.

The trip back seemed even worse, as he didn’t bother to try and start a conversation, which seemed fine for his companions because they weren’t offering up any suggestions either.

By the time they had arrived back, the house was a little livelier, thanks to a surprise arrival by Darla Jean and her mother, as well as Dr. Sampson Criggett. Darla Jean had already roped Piggy into having tea with her and had managed to get her mother and grandfather to sit down and at least pretend to be involved in the conversation; Sam, as the toad was known, was speaking quietly to Jane, but it was clear that the other adults in the room were listening.

“Hey, the rumors are true,” Jean chuckled, standing to give her brother a hug. “How are ya, city slicker?”

“I’m not as citified as you may think,” Kermit laughed.

“That’s not what your girl’s saying.”

Peering around his sister to give a mock glare to his girlfriend, Kermit asked, “You telling tales out of school?”

“Of course.”

“Robin!” Darla Jean shrieked, standing quickly and rushing over to her cousin. “I drew’d you a picture!”

“Is it another pony?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Cause you like ponies!”

“No, squirt,” he whispered, tousling her hair. “You like ponies. But…I like you, so I guess by default, I like ponies too.”

“Yay!” the little frog squealed, hugging her cousin tightly. It was an effort for Robin to be as gentle with her as he had always been, but something about the way she looked up at him, all smiles and happiness, made his heart clench worse than the day before.

“Show it to me later, munchkin,” he whispered. “Not feeling too good, so gonna lay down.”

“Robin, you play me?”

“Later, kay?”

“Kay!” With a promise that her cousin would play with her, Darla Jean was happy to go back and continue playing; the contrast of such a happy child in a room full of unhappy adults was not lost on any of them. Jean could easily see that a discussion needed to be had, so she quickly gathered up her daguther before giving both her brothers a hug – though she gave Jimmy a much tighter hug; Darla Jean of course said goodbye to everyone at least twice, yelling down the hall to Robin that she was leaving and was drawing him another picture when she got home.

Mother and daughter soon left, with Jean giving a significant look towards her mother, who obviously knew something the others didn’t. “Sam,” Jane whispered. “Why don’t…”

“Sure Janey,” the toad began, clearing his throat and bringing everyone’s attention to him. “Good to see you again, Kermit; shame it has to be under these circumstances.”

“Yeah.”

“So I’ve been able to take a look at Leaper,” he began. “As you know, Leaper had been sick for a while; I had of course advised her that perhaps there was something more going on, but…you know Leaper.” Jimmy nodded, sadly. “I hadn’t been sure what she had been suffering from, but…well, I know now.”

“And that was?” Piggy asked.

Sam sighed deeply. “Pretty sure if was chytridiomycosis,” he said. “Or at least some form of it.”

“Cryto-what?” the diva asked, sharing the looks of confusion the others had.

“Chytridiomycosis,” Sam replied. “It’s a virus, an infectious disease,that only affects amphibians. It’s a fungus, but a deadly one, especially without treatment. It’s been linked to the pop decline or even extinctions of the species, especially in the Americas; still learning about it, of course, but…it had been counted as a contributing factor to a global amphibian decline. It’s waterborne, but can easily get around from direct contact. Jimmy, Kermit, I’m gonna need to see you in my office tomorrow; Robin too. I’ve checked out everyone else, you three are the last ones.”

The full scope of what Sam was telling them hit them all hard; this wasn’t just a cold or flu that went dangerously wrong, this was something that could affect the whole family. The entire Frog family could be affected and that’s what alarmed Kermit even more – if this thing was spread through contact…glancing quickly at Piggy, he asked, “Sam, is it only…does it only affect amphibians?”

Sam nodded. “Just us, thankfully,” he said, before clearing his throat again. “Not that that’s particularly good, but it does mean it can’t spread to other species. Can you imagine the catastrophe that would cause?” Sam couldn’t help but think about the previous outbreak of the H5N1 virus, otherwise known as the virus that was originally identified as bird flu. Originally the virus had only thought to have been contained with the avian variety, but once it was discovered that the virus had jumped from birds to humans to other animals, a global panic had started.

Kermit’s mind had traveled along the same path, but he was more on the page that he was usually surrounded by a circus of Muppets and humans and birds and bears, etc. Glancing again at Piggy, the frog couldn’t help the image that he had a lot of contact with Piggy, probably more so than anyone else and he couldn’t get the idea out of his head that if he had this virus, she was in danger too.

“I hate to do this,” Sam continued. “But knowing what Leaper has…had…it might be better for everyone if we held a service for her immediately. Closed casket of course, just to be on the safe side.”

That news seemed to hit Jimmy even harder than finding out his beloved wife had died. It was bad enough that she was gone, but to discover that she had died from a disease that could very well kill him or worse, his only child or the rest of his family had nearly floored him and now…now, Jimmy had been holding on with the fact that this all seemed to be a dream, a horrible dream that he was going to wake up from. But a funeral would make things real, very real, and permanent and he had been trying his best to push that to the background.

Sam went to pat the frog on his shoulder, but stopped short. “I’m sorry to have to do this to you, Jimmy.”

Jimmy nodded.

“We can discuss this more tomorrow,” he whispered. Looking at Kermit, he continued with, “Why don’t you boys come round about ten tomorrow? I’ll clear out my schedule, that way…well, let me know what you all decide and I’ll get it arranged.”

“Thank you, Sam,” Jane whispered. “For everything.”

“Sure,” the toad replied, smiling slightly. Turning to Jimmy, he whispered, “I’m sorry about Leaper. I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”

Sam showed himself out, leaving the frogs and pig in the living to absorb the most recent news. James looked at his middle boy, knowing that the news had been devastating to him. “Jimmy Ray,” he said. “Why do you go take some air for little bit? Clear your head.”

“Yeah,” the frog whispered. “Yeah, good idea, Daddy.”

“Want me to go with?” Kermit asked.

“No.”

“Let him go on his own, son,” James whispered, watching as Jimmy quickly fled the scene to parts only he knew.

“I finished breakfast before you got back,” Jane said. “Either one of you want some?”

“Uh…” the eldest son began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Yeah, no, maybe…maybe later, Mom. I gotta…I gotta check on things back…I’m gonna call the guys.” Turning, Kermit began to head towards his bedroom, whispering a quiet, “Can I see you for a second?” as he passed Piggy.

“Of course, Mon Cher.” Piggy waited until he had reached the door before standing and following him. Reaching the room and closing the door behind her, Piggy watched as Kermit paced the floor, a sign that he was obviously distressed.

“So…so I was thinking we’d call the guys, see how things are coming along,” he said, passing her twice in his rotation.

“Kermit…”

“We also need to let them know…” here, he stopped his sentence, but not his pacing. “We’ll just let them know that we may not be back this week.”

“Kermit…”

“They’re gonna have to do the show without us. We’ll just…they’ll…I’m sure they’ll be fine…”

“Kermit J,” she interrupted, stopping his sixth pass. Taking his face in her hands, she continued with, “I’ve done that already. I talked to Gonzo earlier and told him to do the show without us this week and probably next week too. Which reminds me, do call Fozzie; he’s worried sick and he’ll only get more worried if you don’t call him sometime today.”

Kermit’s mind was already a jumble and it took a minute for him to completely understand what she was telling him. “Oh.”

“So you gonna tell me the real reason I’m in here?”

“What?”

“I know you didn’t call me in here just to discuss the show,” Piggy said. “Which Moi has already done. So what do you need?”

Kermit couldn’t stop the helpless giggle. “What do I need?” he asked. “I need this to be over, to go back to…there’s nothing I need, Piggy. I…” Shaking his head, he took a deep, unsteadying breathe. “You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”

It was a vague question, to anyone else, but to Piggy; she knew exactly what he meant and she responded in the positive. “I’ve seen it,” she whispered. “And that’s why I told Gonzo to get two shows ready; I know we aren’t leaving until Jimmy and Robbie are okay. More importantly, I’m not leaving until I know you’re okay.”

“Me?” he asked, incredulously. “I’m not the one who has the…” Suddenly, Kermit backed away from her. “Piggy, you shouldn’t…we can’t…you have to let Sam take a look at you.”

“Sam had no issue checking me out today,” she quipped.

The joke failed flat and didn’t get the jealous rise she had hoped for, instead it made Kermit more upset and more insistent. “Piggy Lee, I’m not joking.”

“I know you aren’t,” she whispered, reaching for his hand and grabbing it, even when he tried to pull away. “Kermit, I’m okay, I’m fine.”

“You don’t know that,” he insisted. “Piggy, we…we have a lot of contact with each other. A lot.”

The diva smirked at that, before running a gloved hand down the side of his face. “Yes we do,” she said. “And Sam said this…viral fungus thing only affects amphibians and isn’t transferable, you heard him. So I and all the other crazies that love you are okay and I’m sure you’re okay too.”

Kermit had no words, couldn’t think of any words to tell her just how scared he was – scared that he, his brother, or his nephew could have a potentially deadly virus that could kill them; scared that Sam was wrong and that this thing could be transmitted to other species, meaning that within the span of two days, he could’ve given it to her and she would suffer the same fate his sister in law had gone through; scared that his presence was causing the rift between his brother and nephew. Kermit James Frog was not a helpless lily, by any means, but there were times when even the weight of his world couldn’t stay on his shoulders, when his knees buckled and everything fell about him; that’s what made him feel helpless, made him feel that he couldn’t stand up on his own and there were times when he’d turn away the ready help that surrounded him, that were ready to battle the demons and evils that came after him.

“What if I’m not okay?” he whispered.

“If you’re trying to get rid of me, Frog,” she jibbed. “You know that never works.”

This time, he did chuckle, ducking his head in embarrassment. “Don’t I know it,” he said. Sighing loudly, Kermit leaned forward, pressing his forehead against her shoulder and Piggy took the cue and engulfed him in a hug.

“We’ll get through this, Kermie,” she whispered. “Just like we get through everything else and like always, I’m by your side.”

“And I love you more for it.”

“As you should.”

Lifting his head to look at her with watery eyes, he said, “I do. I do.”

Wiping the tears away, she whispered, “I’ll have Sam make sure I’m okay. I’m sure I am, but Moi has always strived to make you happy.”

“You do make me happy, Piggy,” he confessed. “You’ve always made me happy. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Nor I you, Mon Capitan,” she said. “And don’t forget it.”

“I never do,” he grinned. “Besides, you wouldn’t let me.”

 

[WebMistressGina]

OK, so I'm giving you two for one today, but only in halves. So here is the first half of this chapter and I'll give you a half of something I'm working on in One Shots. Deal? Awesome!




Chapter V

Since returning from the outing with his father and uncle, Robin had been sequestered within the room he was sharing with his father. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, well he did, but he just didn’t want to admit it. Yesterday, the young frog had discovered his mother dead, within their home, and things hadn’t been the same since; the only feeling he felt was numb, just a numbness that had spread all over his body.

Robin had always felt a little unnoticed, especially as a child, given his small nature and quiet personality. Since then – that is to say, since his association with his uncle’s famous troupe – he had grown into an exceptional young teen frog, though he sometimes still felt most confident on the stage than he did in the midst of others. With so many family members, the teen still felt unnoticed and that was mostly true when it came to his own family life; the rift between his parents had been weighing on him for years, until their ultimate split and even then, the discord that happened whenever they were together always hurt his heart.

Several times, Robin had compared his parents’ marriage to that of his uncle and his girlfriend; living with his uncle in Hollywood had shown him that some relationships couldn’t last and that some – like his uncle’s – could be explosive, but loving. Robin had never seen the kind of arguments the frog and pig had between other couples and he probably never would. They were completely different from the arguments that his parents had, but no less trying and heartbreaking. It had taken the teen many years to try and understand his uncle’s relationship, but until this day, he still didn’t understand the way his parents worked.

While Uncle Kermit and Miss Piggy could fight like literal cats and dogs, Robin had seen the love that existed underneath; even the way the two of them spoke of each other showed that, despite the anger that might be there, they were so deeply in love. He wasn’t sure that was true of his parents, at least his mother; his father, he was sure he loved his mother, he was sure of it; his mother, he didn’t know, but he didn’t think she loved his father as much as he loved her. And that’s where the problem resided in Robin. It was bad enough to have to watch the distance that had grown so far and so deep before his eyes, but he had to contend with that along with the hardships of being a teenager.

Robin already had issues being a teen, especially a teen with a famous uncle. It was a double edged sword – either kids were interested in his former life with the Muppets or they resented him for being a city slicker trying to be a country boy; he had managed to avoid a few altercations and thankfully it was the kids who appreciated his former co-stars, especially his uncle, that prevented what would have been a horrible beat down. What was worse, Robin didn’t have as much contact with his father nor his uncle that he wanted and needed at this stage; what his mother had against his father and uncle, he didn’t know, but it made life horrible for him and for that, he didn’t know if he could ever forgive her.

But now…now she was gone and he couldn’t find the answers he needed or wanted from her, not at this stage, and Robin wrestled with what this meant.

For now, he lay in bed, staring out the window and contemplating what his next move was supposed to be. Technically, his father had given his mother custody of him after their split, but where would he go now? It stood to reason that his father would look after him, but Robin wasn’t sure his father could look after himself, much less take care of a budding teenager. Robin was worried about his father, always had been, but he was feeling so many things at once and feeling nothing at the same time, letting the despair drag him down into a place he had tried to avoid.

Thinking he’d be left alone to his own devices, Robin wasn’t prepared for the knock that sounded on the closed door. “Yeah?” he called. Assuming it was his father or one of his grandparents, the teen hadn’t anticipated on his honorary aunt opening the door and leaning against the doorjamb.

“Hey kiddo.”

“Hey.”

“Missed breakfast.”

Robin shook his head. “Wasn’t hungry,” he replied.

“Well,” Piggy said. “You’re about to miss lunch, so…come on. There’s…there’s a couple of things your dad and uncle want to talk to you about.”

“About what?”

Piggy sighed, alerting Robin that something more was at play here; he wrecked his brain and tried to remember the last time he had ever seen Piggy nervous, as she was right then. “I might as well tell you one of them,” she started. “Sam – Dr. Criggett – wants to see us tomorrow.”

“Why?”

Again, Piggy hesitated. “Robin,” she whispered. “It’s better if Kermit or Jimmy let you know about this. I just didn’t want you to get caught unawares.”

Intrigued, Robin couldn’t help but sit up and look at his aunt, wondering what this big secret was and how it would impact him. Reluctantly, the teen swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, before silently following Piggy down the hall to the kitchen; waiting for them were the other Frogs – Jane, James, and Jimmy were sitting around the table, while Kermit stood near to his brother. Hearing the approach of his son, Jimmy looked up and sighed. “Robin…”

“Aunt Piggy said we’re seeing Doc Criggett tomorrow?” he asked.

“You told him?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Piggy huffed. “I wasn’t aware that we were just going to jump him from behind and drag him down there.”

“Piggy, simmer down,” Kermit chastised.

“No, of course not,” Jimmy sighed. Clearing his throat a few times, Jimmy began with, “Sam discovered what was making your mother sick and what ultimately…anyway, it’s something that…Sam just wants to make sure that we’re all okay. That’s why we’re seeing him tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Robin said, suspiciously.

“With that said,” Jimmy continued. “It’s important that…the illness that your mother suffered from doesn’t spread so…we…we’ve decided that it would be best to hold the funeral for her later this week, Thursday most likely.”

Rationally, the news may have stung, but would’ve been understood, however Robin the Frog hadn’t been in a rational state of mind since finding his mother. The news did sting – his mother hadn’t been dead for even a day and now they wanted to bury her? To top it, the very thing she may have had could be dangerous to others? When was enough going to be enough? At that point, for Robin, it was enough and he had had enough.

“Mom hasn’t been dead a day and you want to bury her at the end of the week?”

The accusation was as surprising as it was shocking and Robin heard his name uttered at least four times, all scandalized at his tone and demeanor. If the situation was bad for Robin, it was even worse for Jimmy; he was already feeling down about the death of the only woman he had ever loved and now his son seemed to be turning on him.

“Robin,” Jimmy huffed, exasperated by not only the circumstances involved, but by his only child. “This is hard on everyone, so it would be greatly appreciated if you thought about someone other than yourself.”

The shock that registered on the teen’s face was akin to the look of someone who had just been slapped and that was exactly how Robin felt. “Think…think of someone other than myself?” he repeated, incredulously, looking between those that were settled around him. “That’s rich,” he said, leveling a look on his father. “Coming from someone I haven’t seen in three months.”

“Robin!” Jane exclaimed, scandalized by the very way her grandson was speaking, something that was completely unlike him.

Jimmy could only stand so much and he couldn’t stand it from his own son. Standing quickly, Jimmy stared down his boy. “Stop it,” he growled, Kermit’s arm keeping him from approaching the teen. “You stop it right now.”

“If anyone needs to think beyond themselves…”

“Robin,” Kermit stressed, holding his brother back. “That’s enough!”

“You don’t get to talk to me like that!”

“I’ll talk to you however I like!”

“Robin, back off!”

“Listen here now, both of you…”

“Stay out of this, Daddy.”

“Now, I said enough,” James said, sternly, silencing both father and son. Like his eldest son, James didn’t have the southern accent that most associated with the region, but when he was upset or angry, his speech pattern did take on the drawl. “That is enough, James Ray; this ain’t the time to be turnin’ on each other. Now, we’re all sufferin’ here, all of us; it’s not what we wanna hear, but that’s it. Jimmy Ray, sit down.”

“Robin,” Piggy said, quietly. “I think it be best if you went to your room. Now.”

Never let it be said that Robin wasn’t his grandfather’s grandson or his uncle’s nephew because the same long fuse that run through most of the males and some of the females of the family ran through his veins. Reigning in the simmering anger he held, he turned to face Piggy. “I love you,” he said, plainly. “But you are not my mother.”

“You apologize to her,” Kermit growled. “Right now.”

“Let it go, Kermit,” Piggy whispered, her blue eyes never leaving those of his nephew.

“Piggy…”

“Let it go,” she repeated, firmer than she was probably feeling.

“You’re walking your way to a smack bottom,” James chastised. “Now you git to your room, boy, like she says or I will go out and get a switch and I know you don’t want to face my wrath.”


Diva and teen continued to stare down each other, before Robin turned away and headed back to the bedroom, missing another meal for the day. The tension that seemed to have started that morning wouldn’t dissipate until Kermit and Piggy returned home and it revealed the same tension had only been building for quite some time.

 

[The Count]

A death in the family can sometimes bring out the ugly little green monsters in all of us. And no, I don't mean monsters like those found on a certain sunny street in NYC.

Intensity, thy name be WMG. A lot going on here and I'm awaiting the other half of the chappy to see how things get defused between the entire Frog clan.
*Leaves some praline chocolate candies to calm down the anger of the authoress.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Happy Easter, Mupps! So I gots to work tomorrow so I figured I get this chapter all finished up for you today, so you'll have something to do before/after family dinner, yes? This section is kinda long, but continues the current chapter - here, Piggy and the Frogs head down to get tested, Robin gets snarky, and Piggy gets personal.

Enjoy!


EDIT - I've totally lied to you. This is much longer than I was thinking, so you're only getting another portion. Only one left though, so...you know. Hopefully I'll get it up and done for you tomorrow



Tuesday

Tuesdays were nothing special, just the second day of the work week, the third day in total if you counted Sunday as the start of the week. In the world of entertainment, it was just like any other day, where production was taking place for different television shows and movies or there may have been an interview or two going on; in the Muppet world, this was an official day off for the majority of those who were a part of the troupe. Many of them had a lot to think about, thanks to the announcement yesterday that their director and leading lady were in the leader’s home town due to a death in the family.

Those that were closest to the frog couldn’t image how devastated he might have been, considering they didn’t know who it was that had expired. All they knew was that it hadn’t been their youngest co-star, that of the frog’s nephew, and while that gave them some hope, it still left many a question as to the identity of the deceased. It also gave them the push they needed to make sure that the next couple of shows were up to Muppet standards and by that, it meant they had to be up to Kermit’s standards.

The Muppets had always held a bit of a chip on their shoulders, the underdogs that had to climb out of the rubble in order to show people just how talented they really were; the chips had been much bigger when they had first started and some would admit that, upon their return to the limelight, those same old insecurities had cropped up once more. But if there was one thing they had, had always had, it was determination and they were determined to give their fans and their leading couple the show they deserved to see while they were gone.

In Leland, Mississippi, Tuesdays were normally designated school days, but as this was the middle of summer, many of the school aged children didn’t need to bother getting up and getting ready for class. For a quartet in the home of James and Jane Frog, they were up and getting ready to head off to the local clinic; their doctor, Dr. Sampson Criggett, had stopped by yesterday to inform them of the cause of death that had taken their family member and the revelation was a shocking one. Leaper Sietz, formerly Frog, and now again using her maiden name, had been exposed to a very deadly virus, one that only affected amphibians but did a great deal of damage before causing death without treatment.

Leaper had been a stubborn frog, passing the feelings of illness off on a bug that she just hadn’t gotten a handle on; if she had listened to her doctor, she would’ve gotten the correct diagnosis and therefore, would’ve gotten the treatment she needed in order to save her life. Tragically, she did not seek treatment and while her death was still fresh in the minds of her son and former husband, to add insult to injury, the disease was spread through contract – her son had touched her in trying to wake her and who knew how many people he had come in contact with, including his father and his uncle.

His uncle had been extremely upset about the prospect of contact for the disease to spread and while Criggett had been convinced utterly that the disease was limited to just those of the amphibian population, Kermit was beside himself in thinking he may have spread the disease to his longtime girlfriend and partner; they didn’t know for sure and the uncertainty weighed heavy on all those involved. That Tuesday, all four – the three Frog males and the diva – were booked for doctor’s appointments to make sure they were alright; even if one of them had the virus, there were treatments that could cure them and hopefully, none of them would suffer the same fate as Leaper.

However, it still didn’t mean they weren’t taking precautions and one of those was to get Leaper far away from anyone that could come in contact with her and that meant burying her as soon as possible. That had struck a nerve and a cord and since yesterday afternoon, there had been tension in a house where there was hardly ever any problems. Piggy wasn’t a frog, either by species or by marriage, but she too had been caught up in the drama that seemed to catch all of them by surprise. Robin’s comment to her had stung, yes, but she had known him long enough to know it was grief and teen angst that he led him to say what he did, she knew that.

What disturbed her was the deterioration that seemed to have plagued the relationship he held with Jimmy; as much as Robin may have spoken about the Muppets and his uncle and even her, in California, they had always heard about Jimmy and how many things the frog had done with his son; many of Robin’s Frog Scout trips happened back home and Jimmy was right there with him on just about all of their camping trips. In fact, many of the badges Robin had worn were because of Jimmy’s teachings; Kermit may have been a country boy, but he sometimes enjoyed city life more and reserved his outdoor adventures when he was back home in familiar territory. Robin worshipped both male frogs, which was why it was so disheartening to see the change that had seemingly come over them both.

It was clear, from the scene yesterday afternoon, that the comments had been building inside of Robin for quite some time and worse, it wasn’t just the regular teen issues you would expect. If what the young frog had said was true, he hadn’t seen in his father in three months, which didn’t make much sense when the broken family lived within miles of each other. Piggy wasn’t nosy and tried her best to keep her snout out of other people’s business, but she couldn’t help but question why Leaper or Jimmy for that matter, would let such a long period of time elapse without seeing each other?

Did Leaper hate them that much?

Piggy wasn’t a fan of the frog and the feeling was definitely mutual. The diva could admit that sometimes, she didn’t rub people the right way – she was very outspoken, she didn’t take any guff, and her bluntness had sometimes been harsher than maybe she was hoping for. Piggy only help her tongue for harmony sake, but she had been very open about the fact that Leaper’s instance on keeping Robin from doing what he clearly loved to do was the dumbest thing she could do for her son; Leaper had countered that Piggy had no authority in the matter and whatever she or Kermit may think, Robin wasn’t their son and until they had children of their own, Miss Piggy – diva extraordinaire – could politely shut the front door.

Oh, there was no love lost between the two, at all.

The situation in the house wasn’t the friendly atmosphere that the diva was used to either. Oh, she was used to the zaniness and craziness that happened in the theater, with insults and comments flying faster than a Superman speeding bullet and while those were usually done in love, there have been times when an insult went wild and hit the heart and hurt more than intended. But ultimately, things calmed down and turned around and everyone was fine again; this didn’t seem to be the case. If there was one thing Piggy knew and understood completely, it was that of a situation getting personal.

And it was clear that this was personal between Robin and Jimmy.

Piggy’s Tuesday began with her usual morning ritual of making herself awesome, though she always did try to tone it down when she was in Leland. Not that she was slumming it while down home, but she also didn’t feel the need to class it up the way she would have if she was in Hollywood going to a premiere, for example. When Piggy went casual, she was still fashionable; for a hot summer day, she went with a pair of designer capris, a light cami that was covered with one of Kermit’s dress shirts that she had conveniently borrowed, along with a military cap that matched the pants.

With designer shades shielding her eyes from the glaring sun, Piggy was all set.

The diva had offered to drive the other three down to the small little hospital/clinic that Sam ran, the closest to those in the area that would treat minor injuries and issues. As was their custom, Jane and James were already up and having breakfast when Piggy and Kermit entered the kitchen, quickly being followed by Jimmy, who looked like he had the worst sleep ever. Robin was the last to show, taking his aunt’s fashion sense – for a teenager – and walked in wearing jeans and a t-shirt, his normal attire during the school year, though during summer he could be found to have replaced his jeans with shorts or swim trunks.

Conversation at the table was mostly carried by the women folk, though James jumped in on occasion while reading the paper. Robin did want many teens did when sitting at the table – kept his head down, shoveled food in his mouth, and gave one word mumbles when asked a question; Jimmy and Kermit kept relatively silent, also giving one word answers when asked anything. Piggy had shared several concerned looks with Jane, knowing the mother was hoping that the diva could do something to lessen the tension that only seemed to be rising.

The ride to the clinic was equally as quiet and tense filled as breakfast had been, with only Piggy’s annoyance putting an end to it by putting on the radio.

South Metro Medical Clinic was a medium sized facility that housed about five doctors and ten nurses that worked within the building. South Metro wasn’t a hospital, but it did have some of the equipment in case of something more serious that could be treated before sending it out to the local, larger hospital. For the most part, the clinic dealt with minor issues – colds/flus, broken bones, a few scrapes, and the occasional birth if it came to it; Sam Criggett was technically the head doctor in the clinic, but he never took the position that he alone ran the place, always giving credit to the phenomenal staff that worked with him.

The Frogs were well known in the clinic, thanks to the many members of the family who had come in for various issues. The clinic had been around for as long as Kermit could remember, with several of his brothers and sisters going through the facility for several reasons – Jimmy had been in a few times because of scrapes and a broken bone here and there; it was at the clinic that Jimmy – and many of his other siblings – had learned he was going to be a father and it was here that Robin himself had his sniffles and bruises looked at when he was younger.

There wasn’t that much activity on a Tuesday, as Piggy pulled the rental car into one of the parking spots outside. The quartet was once again silent as they left the car and headed inside, stopping by the lobby desk in order to sign in, where a young country frog sat behind the desk and smiled when they approached. “Kermit!” she exclaimed, seeing the leader in the group. “Heard a rumor you was back in town.”

“Yep, I am,” he said, smiling at her.

“Hey, Mr. Jimmy,” she continued, before turning a dazzling smile on Robin. “Hey Robbie.”

Nodding, the teen replied with, “Sup.”

“Oh uh, CeCe,” Kermit interrupted, nodding his head towards Piggy. “Have you met Miss Piggy?”

The young teen, aptly named CeCe, smiled widely with a gasp. “Oh!” she cried. “It’s a pleasure, Miss Piggy! I always watch you on the TV, you’re so glamorous!”

Smiling, Piggy removed the shades that she had worn inside. “The pleasure is all Moi’s,” she replied, smoothly. “Moi always enjoys meeting the fans.”

“Don’t inflate her ego any more than it is,” Kermit quipped. “She’s our ride home. Anyway, CeCe, we’ve got appointments with Sam today.”

“See it right now,” CeCe replied, marking them off on a clipboard. “Dr. Criggett has an earlier patient, but he should be out in a bit.” The office attendant pointed to the small waiting room that was behind them, but as the adults moved towards, CeCe stood from her seat in order to stop Robin. “I’m sorry about your mama,” she whispered. “I heard what happened.”

Whether Robin was distracted by being there or if he just wasn’t clued in on the fact that CeCe obviously had a crush on him, but the teen’s response was the same as his one word responses at breakfast; even when CeCe offered him her support by a show of placing her hand tenderly on his shoulder, Robin only nodded before slinking his way over to the chair furthest from the adults in the waiting area. It hadn’t taken long for Sam to finish up with his previous patient, that of elderly Miss Shirley Thompkins, who was a regular at the clinic. Chronic pains due to her age usually sent her in for a checkup, but she was still going strong at a the ripe young age of 97.

Seeing the elder toad, both Kermit and Jimmy stood in respect; Miss Shirley had been a babysitter to them when they had been younger, as she had to many of the adults and children in the area. “Mornin’ Miss Shirley,” they both called, causing the toad to look up and smile at them.

“Well,” she drawled, turning Sam towards those in the lobby. “It’s Kermit J and little Jimmy. How you boys today?”

“Fine, ma’am.”

“Your mama okay?”

“Yes ma’am,” Jimmy nodded. “She was just asking about you the other day.”

“Kermit, how you?”

“I’m fine, Miss Shirley,” Kermit replied. “I’m in for a few…weeks. Uh…Miss Shirley, I’d like to introduce you to Miss Piggy.”

Piggy stood and titled her head in recognition.

“I know you,” the elder toad said. “You’re on the TV with Kermit. You always do those nice, fancy numbers, from way back when I was a girl.”

“You mean yesterday?” Piggy asked, grinning. “You can’t be a day over twenty, twenty-five, right?”

Miss Shirley laughed, patting the diva on the arm. Though her eyesight was failing her, she was still able to make out the new arrival that appeared near her. “Is that little Robin?”

“Hey Miss Shirley,” the teen spoke, smiling shyly at the elder.

“Oh Robbie,” Shirley whispered, taking his hand in hers and patting them in sympathy. “I heard about yer mama and I’m so very sorry. She was a good woman.”

“Thank you.”

“Miss Shirley,” Sam interrupted. “Didn’t you say your sister would be coming by?”

“You’re right, Sammy,” the elder toad nodded. Gripping the arm of the doctor, the two began to turn but stopped when Miss Shirley gave one last pat to Piggy’s arm. “Piggy, honey, you like cornbread?”

“Of course!” the diva cried. “What self-respecting down home girl doesn’t? With real corn, just like my father used to make it.”

“I knew I liked you!” Shirley laughed. “I’ll bring you some cornbread. Boys, your mama won’t mind if I bring over some cornbread, would she?”

“Of course not, Miss Shirley,” the two frogs echoed.

“Mom loves your cornbread just as much as we do,” Jimmy replied.

“Good, good,” Shirley said, nodding quickly.

“Miss Shirley, I’ll see you in a week, darlin’,” Sam said, walking Shirley towards the door. “CeCe, think you can walk Miss Shirley to the door?”

“It would be a pleasure,” the teen said, hopping up and going over to the elder. “I wanna try and get some cornbread too!”

The group watched as the two headed out, before Sam turned to look at the quartet. “Y’all ready?” he asked. They all nodded. “Who’s first?”

By unanimous, unspoken decision, the three adults said, “Robin” which irked the teen.

“Not that I have a say, apparently,” he grumbled. “Let’s get this over with.”

Sighing and with the demeanor of someone walking to their execution, Robin followed the doctor towards the examining room. Robin wasn’t a stranger to this clinic, having been taken here when he had broken his arm one year and for the various other ailments he had gone through; in most cases, he had been feeling horrible or was in pain and was so happy to be seen, he’d do anything to just feel better. Today he didn’t seem to feel that anything could make him feel, not unless Dr. Criggett could bring people back to life.

“Why am I here?” he asked, once he had taken a seat on the bed.

“Did your father mention what happened?”

“He just said that some disease killed…” Robin stopped there, before clearing his throat. “That it was dangerous or something.”

Sam nodded, turning from his work area and facing his patient. His stethoscope hung around his neck and he was holding a syringe in his hand. “It’s not a disease, Robin,” the doctor began. “It’s a virus…”

Sam went over the same story he had told the adults the day before, how the virus was waterborne and that it could be contagious when in contact; Robin, though it was difficult to hear, asked all the questions he needed to make all of this make sense. He asked how long his mother had this virus, if he had been exposed, and what it would mean if someone else caught it. Sam reassured him that there were treatments for this…thing and that if Leaper had taken his suggestion on getting this bug she had checked out, she would still be alive. It was clear that Sam was irritated and disappointed in Leaper’s behavior, that a life had been loss because of stubbornness and just plain stupidity.

If Robin had thought learning the truth would make things better, would make things make sense, he was wrong. All the truth did was make things even more confusing and more troubling; his mother hadn’t been a poor victim of a malicious virus, she had completely disregarded not only her health, but the health of the others around her. Did she even care that, with him home for the summer, whatever she had would contaminate the house? That he could possibly catch whatever she had? That he could spread it through the family?

Robin wasn’t blind or stupid, he could see that his mother and father didn’t get along and he could see that his mother didn’t seem to get along with his father’s family. He never understood why – his grandparents were the best, his aunts and uncles were the greatest, he didn’t understand why his mother didn’t feel as though she was a part of the family. His Uncle Kermit was his hero, his mentor when it came to learning all there was to show business, both the show and the business side of it; he had been an eager student as a child, wanting to do what his uncle and friends did.

Make people happy.

And as a child, he hated that he couldn’t make his parents happy.

After getting the answers he needed, Robin was silent through the regular examination, Sam using the opportunity to do a quick physical on the teen. The last thing Sam did was take the blood sample, the one that would tell him whether or not Robin was affected. It didn’t take much time at all, maybe thirty minutes, just as long to get the general things out of the way and to get the test done. Sam told him it would take about an hour to analyze the blood and that he wanted to get everyone’s first and then do the test.

Once done, Sam led the teen back to the lobby to wait while he checked the other adults. Again, Kermit voiced the decision on the next person to get tested and that person was Piggy, who just rolled her eyes and interrupted Sam’s protests. “You’ll find Kermit to be as stubborn as a bull,” she said. “It’s just better to let him have his way.”

“The ironic thing,” Kermit quipped. “Is that’s what I’m usually telling people about her.”


[hr]


In total, the day’s examinations only took thirty minutes, but the quartet had decided to stay the hour it would take to discover the results of their tests. It should have been a relatively simple thing, if you knew how to occupy yourself, however it can sometimes only go so far, like say ten minutes. Kermit and Jimmy had opted to try and read the magazines that were sitting on the table, but they were bored within about five minutes; Piggy, who always had her cell phone on her, was using it as a video game player, playing a popular gaming app while sitting there.

Robin, who was usually patient, was even more restless than he had been earlier. In the end, the teen stood abruptly and decided pacing was slightly better than sitting and even that was just barely; finally, he couldn’t take it. “This is stupid,” he muttered.

“If you’re looking for something to do,” Piggy replied, distracted by trying to cut the rope on her game. “I’m sure Miss CeCe would enjoy your company.”

“What?” the teen asked. Glancing at the office assistant, he finally caught on to what his aunt was alluding to. “Oh,” he said. “Well, won’t really matter if I’m dead, will it?”

All three adults turned to glare at him, but it was only Piggy that called him on it. “Don’t be morbid,” she hissed.

“I’m being realistic.”

“-ly morbid, yes.”

Huffing in defiance, Robin headed for the door. “I’m going for a walk.”

“Be back in an hour.”

Robin knew he was toying with the line he was on, but he was a teenager and if there was one thing that teenagers were good at, it was seeing just how far he could go. And he wanted to test this theory on the person who would only give him as long of a leash in which to hang himself. Making a smart salute, he immediately replied, “Yes, commandant!” And just as he suspected, those baby boys narrowed on him, a sign that Piggy was not amused by his cheek. And apparently, neither were his father or uncle; but he didn’t care.

He just didn’t care at this point.

Stalking off, he ignored CeCe’s goodbye and headed out into the sunny Leland afternoon. Robin knew his way around town and he knew if he wanted to, he could easily disappear and not return; he knew he could do it and there was a tempting idea that he should, but his heart wasn’t entirely in that mode. It was strange – he had never had any issues expressing himself, even as a small child, he had always been able to state whether he was sad or confused in some way. His grandmother used to say he was very much like his father in that way, where he felt things very deeply and could be very empathetic with the plights of others.

But in his teen years, he had found himself internalizing more, keeping things to himself, and clamming up when issues of his feelings were threatened. Maybe it was because he didn’t see his father as much, someone who understood what was going on inside of him; maybe it was because he had but been denied seeing his favorite uncle, the person he could always turn to in his times of need, who understood the desire to want to please everyone and unable to do so. And when he got those feelings, they immediately turned on his mother, how shellfish she was being, how unfair, how utterly desperate she was to think she could mold and control him into a model of her choosing.

And his father! Why hadn’t he had more spine, more backbone to stand up and just take his son from the clutches of a frog who obviously was striving to stifle his creatively, his inner artist? Did his father not love him enough to stand up for him?

Why hadn’t Uncle Kermit stepped in? Why hadn’t Aunt Piggy or any of the other Muppets? If they loved him, why hadn’t they done the right thing and taken him from the verges of despair that he was clearly in?

Why did it feel like everyone had just thrown him in the deepest part of the swamp and left him to figure out how to swim?

Back inside, Jimmy and Kermit watched the teen slink his way out and past the large picture window they were both staring out of. “That boy’s headin’ straight for a smack bottom,” his father muttered.

Kermit huffed. “If Daddy has his way, he’ll be picking his own switch before the day is done.”

“Leave him alone,” Piggy whispered, her eyes glued to her cell phone’s screen. “He’s fifteen.”

“Going on five,” Kermit snarled. “He owes you an apology, more than one. I’m surprised you haven’t gotten on him about that.”

“Moi will speak to Robin when Moi is good and ready,” she said, throwing him a look that clearly told him to drop it. She was well aware that the younger frog was overstepping his bounds and yes, he was about to get on her last nerve, but she was giving him some credit – his mother had just died and it sounded as though he hadn’t seen his father in months. He was a teenager going through teen things, which was probably amplified with the changes that many go through when hitting puberty for the first time.

Pausing and saving the game, Piggy stood, stretched slightly and placed the phone back in her pocket. “Where you going?” asked Kermit, suspiciously.

Leveling another look at him, she replied, “Out.” As with Robin, she was giving Kermit a long leash too, but right now, he had already approached her last nerve and had driven right over it. Putting her shades on, she waved goodbye with a cheery, “Ciao!” before turning and heading out of the clinic’s door.

On the outset, it may have seemed like Piggy just needed to get away from Kermit, Jimmy, and the clinic, which she did, or that she was maybe going to try and follow Robin’s path to catch up with, which she was; in reality, Piggy just wanted to move around, stretch her legs, and be out in the summer air. While she had been to Leland before, she was still new to the area and knew she would no doubt get turned around unless she knew where she was headed. Walking down the sidewalk, she looked around at the little shops that littered on the block, waving to those that waved to her.

There were plenty of people out at this moment, despite it being a workday, it was still the summer holidays and she easily saw groups of children running around or sitting on patios eating late breakfasts or early lunches. Without the hovering and tension that she was currently surrounded with, Piggy was able to think on said situation and how she could help her future in-laws. Obviously the root of the issue was Leaper and the atmosphere that had been created between her, Jimmy, and their only child; home life didn’t sound as happy as she had originally thought it was and while she did her very best not to completely lay blame at the mother, Piggy could help but site that as a leading cause of the turmoil.

Absorbed in her own thoughts, Piggy nearly missed the lone figure that drudging down the sidewalk ahead of her before they turned a corner. Almost sure she’d lose the figure, she hoped that he hadn’t gotten further from her than she was expecting, but luckily when she reached the corner the figure had gone down, she was startled and happy that he had just stopped against the side of the building on the corner, moving a little ways in to lean against the brick and mortar.

Not wanting to surprise him, Piggy took a quick look before backing up and coming up loudly past. “Tag,” she said, passing the figure and continuing on her way.

Robin looked up from where he stood, watching as his aunt went by. “Are you following me?” he accused, annoyed that he couldn’t even be alone with his thoughts in the city without someone finding him.

“Nope.”

The teen wasn’t sure if he believed her or not, but the fact that she kept walking may had told him something. Piggy had always been sweet to him, though once he’d starting growing into a teen, she wasn’t as sickly sweet as she had been as a child. Not that she was mean or anything to him, just that she stopped treating him like a child, something that many of his family members still did, despite him being nearly a grown frog. He had always liked that about her – that and she always tended to let him get away with things, like getting candy – and he knew he had probably taken things too far with her as of late.

She was halfway down the next block before she heard a familiar, “Hey, wait up!” behind her, causing her to slow until the teenager was able to catch up. They continued walking, compatible silence between them, until broached an all too important subject.


“Know where a girl can get a bite around here?”

 

[WebMistressGina]

So it took three days, but here is the conclusion to the obviously and apparently long chapter that was chapter 5! We continue the chapter from where we left off, with Piggy and Robin getting a bite to eat, Robin spilling his guts, and Piggy revealing a past hurt.

Enjoy!



It didn’t take long for Robin to pinpoint a favorite hangout of his, a little bakery that not only served breakfast, but lunch and dinner as well, that was up the street before the two began to head in that direction. The walk continued in silence, though the teen was smart enough to know that if his aunt was gonna lay into him, she was going to wait until they were sitting down or back at home, where she’d have at least four other people to back her up.

The bakery was open and looked to be dwindling down from the late breakfast crowd, enabling the duo to get seats out on the patio. It was such a nice day, despite the events in the last few; it was looking to be a scorcher and Piggy was thankful she had gone with the cami/shirt combo in case she needed to ditch the outer wear. Five minutes of silence went by before Robin couldn’t take it anymore and asked, “Are we gonna do this here or are you waiting until we get home?”

“Do what, dear?”

“You caught up with me for a reason, didn’t you?”

“No,” Piggy replied, stirring the cream and sugar in her coffee. “I needed some air; your uncle’s driving me crazy with his over-protection. Cute as it may be, still annoying. Was out walking, saw you and continued on my way. It was you that caught up with Moi.”

That…made sense, he realized. He had told her to wait up and she did walk past him… “Yeah.”

“You are being a brat though,” she continued. “A real and royal P.I.T.A, if you know what I mean.” She sent him a look that clearly stated if he didn’t know, she would be more than happy to tell him.

Robin knew he was in the wrong, he knew it and had known it from the start, but he didn’t know what he should feeling. Sadness of course, but it was mixed in with anger and hurt and rebellion and curt words he just wanted to use as a sword in order to make his point. “How exactly am I supposed to act?” he asked, huffing the only way he could. “Hmm? I wake up on a perfectly normal morning to find my mother dead. Not even a day goes by before I discover that she’s been walking around this whole time with some…virus or something that one, could’ve been cured if she had just gone to the clinic and two, is spread through contact and – oh yeah – causes death if not treated. And three, I might have it, my dad might have it, my favorite uncle might have it, and my aunt might have it. And if that wasn’t enough, to top it, I get like three days to grieve before we bury her.

“So you’ll forgive me, Aunt Piggy, when I state that these last few days haven’t been peachy.”

If Piggy was surprised by the outburst, she didn’t show it. It was actually a testament of how much she not only cared about Robin, but understood the circumstances that he was under that she let the whole tirade go. She did pick up on one thing though –

“I’m your favorite aunt?” she asked, looking at him. “Really?”

He wasn’t sure if it was stress or just the hopeful way she looked at him, but Robin let out a cross between a giggle and a chuckle for her question. Shaking his head, he ran a flipper down his face. “I feel like I’m losing my mind,” he muttered.

“Thus is the burden of puberty,” she said. “I’d say it gets easier, but it doesn’t; at least not until you hit your twenties.”

“This is a bad dream,” whispered the teen. “I keep expecting to wake up and everything is okay again, but…it feels like I’m…I’m in this nightmare that won’t stop.” Taking a deep breath, Robin managed to stop the tears he could feel piling up behind his eyes. He hadn’t cried since Kermit had found him in the swamp and he was doing his best to keep up a strong front for everyone; he didn’t know why, especially when it seemed as though he was alone in all this.

“I can’t believe she’s gone,” he finished.

“The nightmare isn’t yours alone,” she whispered. “It’s one your father shares with you; don’t ever forget that.”

“I know,” he sighed. “It’s different when it’s your mom.”

A waiter came by to take their order and to refill their drinks and Piggy waited until he had gone to try and give some words of comfort to her young nephew by proxy. “The day my father died,” she started. “Was the worse day of my life, at the time. He was everything to me and then when he died, I had nothing.”

Realizing that this was a special moment that should be enjoyed, especially when it came to learning more about the person he did consider his favorite aunt, Robin asked, “What did you do?”

“Cried forever,” she said, chuckling slightly at the memory. “I was a…I was a child, a baby really, so it hurt even more because I didn’t understand what I had done to make him leave and never return. It broke my mother, I’m sure, and…things were never the same between us.” Turning to look at her lunch companion, Piggy stated, “I am a beauty queen because of my mother, but Moi is a star because of my father.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Very few do,” she replied. Rubbing his cheek with her hand, she said, “Don’t let the death of one parent tear you from the other. I know it sucks, especially in the midst of growing up, and I can tell you that you’ll always grieve for her, but your father is grieving too. Don’t forget that.”

Lunch was solemn, though not because Robin didn’t want to talk. He had a lot to think about and Piggy was nice enough to let him have his space while he did it; he knew his father was hurting, he did, he definitely knew that, but at the same time, Robin was hurt that he hadn’t spent as much time with the teen that he should’ve. To be honest, Robin was scared. Losing one parent was hard enough, what if he lost his father too? What if his father had this? Oh frog, what about Uncle Kermit? Or Piggy? Would this be their last meal together?

“You know, you’re just as bad as your uncle.”

“What?” he asked, taken from his thoughts.

“Stop. Worrying.” Piggy admonished. “Moi can hear it from here and the guy across the street was giving you funny looks, so he could probably hear it too.”

He must’ve been feeling better because Robin did not let that go to pass. “Maybe he was checking me out,” he joked. “Maybe he thought I was hot.”

“You telling me something?”

“Yeah, that I’m hot,” he repeated. “Look how cute I am.”

The diva smirked. Nodding to his empty plate, she asked, “You finished?”

“Working on it.”

“What, you gonna eat the plate too?”

“There’re crumbs left.”

“Hurry up,” she said. “We’re nearing the hour.”


[hr]


Piggy and Robin managed to walk inside the clinic and towards the lobby, just as Sam was turning from speaking with Jimmy and Kermit. “Oh good,” said the doctor. “You’re back. Thought you’d might like to know the results.”

“Of course,” Robin said.

“You’re fine,” he said, looking at each one in turn. “You’re all fine. Tests came back negative and you’re all in good shape, perfectly healthy individuals.”

“Really, Sam?” Jimmy whispered. “No foolin’?”

“No joke,” Sam said, smiling. “You’re all okay. As long as we’re here…” Sam looked around. “If y’all want to talk in my office, we can kinda discuss…what should happen later this week.”

“You guys can take off,” Jimmy said, squaring his shoulders. “I’ll talk to Sammy.”

“Jimmy…”

“Dad…”

“It’s okay,” the frog said. “I got this. You all go home.”

“If you’re sure, Jimmy,” Piggy said.


Jimmy nodded. The others nodded as well, Kermit and Piggy making their way towards the door, while Robin stood and watched his father, sadly, follow the toad doctor towards his office.

 

[The Count]

Now that the chapter's finished, I feel I can comment on tieing everything together.

Me likes the scene of Piggy and Robin, it reminds me as I mentioned privately of the little spots my friend and I stopped at to eat during our trip to NOLA earlier this month.
Also, I has to give you points because you're dealing with a subject I myself and others have maybe dealt with, the death/loss of a parent in such a manner that maybe makes us go ballistic in our own individual ways inside. Twas a sad time when my dad died, especially the manner and circumstances surrounding it.

Should we be worried at Jimmy going in to talk to Dr. Crigget alone?

Anyhew, loves the story, thanks for posting, we'll be here waiting for the next slice.
*Leaves some of that second batch of PB brownies made on Monday.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Now that the chapter's finished, I feel I can comment on tieing everything together.

Me likes the scene of Piggy and Robin, it reminds me as I mentioned privately of the little spots my friend and I stopped at to eat during our trip to NOLA earlier this month.
Also, I has to give you points because you're dealing with a subject I myself and others have maybe dealt with, the death/loss of a parent in such a manner that maybe makes us go ballistic in our own individual ways inside. Twas a sad time when my dad died, especially the manner and circumstances surrounding it.

Glad you're liking everything and glad that Robin's emotions are believable. It would be easy for us to think that of course a person would be sad at the loss of anyone, but hopefully I've shown that there's more than just sadness, especially in this - Leaper should've seen Sam or anyone once that 'bug' she had wouldn't go away. And for Robin, going through growing pains is hard enough without me throwing this in the mix.

: Yeah.

Oh come on! I told you this is my 'serious' series. Can't be funny all the time, okay? It's exhausting!

Should we be worried at Jimmy going in to talk to Dr. Crigget alone?

Anyhew, loves the story, thanks for posting, we'll be here waiting for the next slice.
*Leaves some of that second batch of PB brownies made on Monday.

Um....for that, no, as they are just kinda going over funeral stuff. However, I will tell you that you will need to be worried when Jimmy pulls over the power couple....