Fanfic - "We Need A Little Christmas"

[Vic Romano]

Not much longer, but I had an accident yesterday that had me skinning my left forarm terribly and it hurt like the dickens for most of the day.~Beth C

No X-mas pun intended, eh' Beth?

 

[Beauregard]

Oh, beth, much sorry to hear that.

Don't rush. We'll wait.

 

[CarburetorJane]

Cool cool story! Poor Gonzo! Update soon! But, no pressure you know.

 

[Beth C]

An update on the update

Cool cool story! Poor Gonzo! Update soon! But, no pressure you know.

I know I know. I got a bit more typed last night. I'm having company tonight but after this, I should be free to write the rest of the year! I want this story done by christmas as much as you all do! I'll try to put up what I have after the company leaves.

~Beth C

 

[Beth C]

Kinda short, but here is a part of the next part!

*****

“And that’s what happened, Kermit.” Rowlf said as he finished retelling the story.

Kermit had stopped pacing somewhere in the middle of the story and had taken a seat next to Piggy. He now sagged back into it, the shock of what had happened now settling in. He took a couple of deep breaths, closed his eyes and then slowly reopened them.

Piggy was watching him with concern. She knew already he wasn’t taking the news well. “Kermie?”

“This is so terrible.” He said with a voice that was just above a whisper. “Has anyone heard from Gonzo since?”

Both Rowlf and Piggy shook their heads no.

“Everyone was more worried about Fozzie, as you can imagine.” Rowlf explained as he shifted in his seat next to his friend. “We wanted to search for him, but,” he shrugged, unable to give a better explanation than that.

Kermit nodded. “It’s okay, I understand.” He let out a small sigh and stood up. “You did the right thing, Rowlf. No one would have expected anything less.”

“Where are you going?” Piggy questioned with a frown.

“To look for Gonzo. I need to know that he’s okay and to let him know Fozzie is okay.”

Rowlf stood up as well. “I’ll come with you.”

Kermit shook his head. “Thanks, Rowlf, but I’ll feel better if I knew you were here with Fozzie.” And before Piggy could say anything, he looked at her as well. “You too, Piggy. Please stay here. I need to do this alone.”

Piggy just touched Kermit’s arm gently and nodded.

Kermit patted her hand then turned and left the hospital.

*****

Gonzo sat in an empty railway car and stared out at the city that he once had called home. The sun was setting, covering the many buildings with red and gold highlights. Some of it even reflected off the new fallen snow making a very pretty picture indeed.

He pulled his lightweight jacket closer as he huddled into a ball, trying to protect himself from the frigid air that was blowing inside. He wanted to go back, but he felt that if he did, he wouldn’t be welcome. What kind of person was he to set his best friend’s theater on fire and injure another one of his friends?

He let out a small sigh and looked towards the darkening sky. “Please let Fozzie be okay. I didn’t mean for him to get hurt. I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt. You have to believe that.” Another anguished sigh followed the lament.

He was going to have to start his life over now. He hated to have to give up the only family he had ever known, all his friends and even Camilla would never forgive him now. He had no possessions to carry, and he had only been wearing his light coat at the time of the fire. He didn’t dare return to the boarding house to get anything, as he didn’t want to run into anyone. He was truly alone and penniless.

The wind blew inside again and he shivered slightly. He deserved to be cold, and miserable. He had ruined Christmas, and any chance of it being happy for anyone. Without the theater, the muppets would not even be able to put on the annual show.

All for a few candles.

With a last glance out at the city, he moved away from the door and into one of the corners of the boxcar. He picked up the scrap of burlap he had found on his trek towards the train yard and covered his body with it as he lay down on the cold floor. Maybe in the morning, he could find a way out of this city. He would walk if he had to, or hitchhike. Either way was preferable to staying here and chancing someone would find him.

His eyes closed as his body shivered again. Soon he was falling into troubled dreams.

*****

Kermit returned to the boarding house as darkness covered the city. His daylong search for Gonzo had proven fruitless. There had been no sign of the blue-nosed weirdo anywhere he had looked. No one had seen him, and he had left behind no clues.

Most of the muppets had returned to the boarding house as well, knowing Fozzie was going to be okay had lifted some of their sadness over the tragedy. Only a few had remained to keep him company, with Rowlf and Piggy being amongst those that had stayed.

Kermit now sat on the sofa and looked out the window at the freshly falling snow. He let out a sad sigh that caught the attention of Scooter who was walking nearby. “Is there anything I can do, Boss?” the gofer asked.

“Not really,” Kermit replied. “I just hope that wherever Gonzo is, he’s warm.”

Scooter took a seat on the couch and nodded. “No one blames him. It was an accident.”

Kermit’s head nodded slightly but his eyes didn’t move from the picture outside. “I wish we could tell him that. I’m sure the insurance we have on the theater will cover the damage, so it will be re-built.”

“Would you like us to organize a search party tomorrow to look for him? The more of us there are out there, the better our chances of finding him.” Scooter said, trying to convince Kermit to let him help.

“If you want to. Thank you.” Kermit finally pulled his eyes away from the window and looked at the other muppet. “I would appreciate it very much.”

“No problem, Boss. I’ll get them organized tonight and we will be out at first light.” He hopped off the couch and started to walk away.

“Scooter?” Kermit called after him.

“Yes?”

“Tell the others to dress warm. It’s supposed to be a record low tomorrow. I don’t want to find anyone hospitalized for frostbite.”

“Yes, Boss.” Scooter said with a mock salute. “We’ll find him.” He then turned and went to gather his troops.

Kermit watched his retreating back for a few moments, then got up to go to his room. He had to pass Gonzo’s room to get there and he sighed as he saw the door standing open, and the bed vacant. “Stay warm, Gonzo, wherever you are.”

*****



(A/N - This was all I had typed for now. I decided to post it rather than make you guys wait any longer. It gets better, I promise!)

The next part will introduce a new character to help Gonzo. (No, I'm not telling!)

It will also touch on something Kermit said. We all love those insurance people, right? They never give any hassles, right?

~Beth C

 

[Vic Romano]

Ahh... nice to get my "Beth-C-Fan-fic-Christmas-story" fix, I was starting to have serious withdrawl! Oh, and still great job, Beth. Will we get the end of the story before Christmas? Are you feeling alright since your accident? Hope so.

 

[Skeeter Muppet]

It will also touch on something Kermit said. We all love those insurance people, right? They never give any hassles, right?

~Beth C

*snorts* Ri-ight

This is a really enjoyable fic. Have you given any consideration to posting it in other places, like Fanfiction.Net? Getting a basic account is free, and it would be nice to see some good, quality fanfiction in the Muppet section for a change.

-Kim

 

[Beth C]

*snorts* Ri-ight

This is a really enjoyable fic. Have you given any consideration to posting it in other places, like Fanfiction.Net? Getting a basic account is free, and it would be nice to see some good, quality fanfiction in the Muppet section for a change.

-Kim

I got one.

Beth C at Fanfiction.net

I just haven't put my muppets fics up yet. I plan on fixing that soon.

Oh, and the next part will be up really soon, I worked all day on it!!! I'm so excited to be writing again. As to my accident and my arm, it's still sore, but I can type again without pain. On the other hand, yesterday I did something stupid to put a hole in the top of my foot! Am I clumsy this holiday or what? I had to hop into work!

~Beth C

 

[KermieBaby47]

OMG Beth C., you have the same luck as my wife! Hee-hee, sorry to hear that. Hope you're feeling better sooner rather than later.

I'm really, really enjoying this story Beth C.! It's so cool, I'm seeing it like a movie in my head, Muppets bobbing around, Kermit sighing and pushing himself to go on, Gonzo shivering in the cold (poor Gonzo!), and Rowlf, Piggy and the gang gathered around Fozzie at the Hospital (poor Fozzie too!). It's especially good to hear Rowlf again, wierd how we hear him in our heads huh everybody?

I too was chomping at the bit for the next part of the story to be posted. Can't wait for the next piece! You're a very talented writer!

 

[Beth C]

HOT off the press! The next part!

*****

Cold. It was bone-freezing, mind numbing, skin crawling cold. Every part of his body was touched by it as icy fingers of air blew into the boxcar and caressed every bit of his body not covered by the burlap and even through the burlap. Even in his sleep, his teeth chattered. He could feel them knocking together, yet he lacked the strength to stop them. The chilly breeze blew in again and this time lifted up a corner of the sack to caress his bare ankles that peeked above his soggy socks and damp shoes.

He was semi-conscious now, and he forced his frost-covered eyelashes open a bit to see that it was still night outside. He couldn’t have been asleep more than a few hours at most, more like about thirty minutes in reality. His mind advised him that it would be in his best interest to warm up, but he couldn’t and didn’t have the means able to accomplish it. His arms had frozen to his side and he was curled up in as small a ball as was possible. The only movement in his entire body was his clacking teeth.

It saddened him to think that this was how he was going to end his life, frozen inside an abandoned boxcar, but in a way it was fitting. The thought of the fire and the heat and the damage done to the theater and Fozzie still devastated him. It was only to be his fate that he would die the complete opposite.

He remained in this semi-conscious state for a while, unable to fall completely to sleep because of the arctic air drifting in every so often. He wasn’t able to wake fully for the same reason. He was caught in a limbo state where minutes crept by like snails on a summer jaunt. With every passing minute he began to wish for the end to come and take him out of his misery already, it was just too cold!

Something warm suddenly fell upon his body and he gasped lightly in surprise. It took him a few moments to revive enough to recognize the fact that the object was a very tattered and worn leather coat. It smelled of dirt and sweat, and something musty. Nevertheless, Gonzo was grateful for the warmth it provided. His cold addled brain was also picking up strains of words entering in on the wind. He was unable to make out whole sentences yet, but he did hear the distant words of, “too late… frozen…alone.”

He snuggled deeper into the warmth that the coat provided and allowed his body to thaw enough to be able to move his hands and arms a bit. He opened his eyes and looked out into the darkness and the small patch of light provided by moonlight spilling inside.

He could make out the silhouette of a man, squatting down and looking at him. The man was obviously a bum, for he was unshaven and dirty, yet he lacked the normal smell of a human that hadn’t bathed in a while. Gonzo didn’t dwell on this fact, he was just to surprised to see that he had company in the boxcar.

“Ah, you’re up.” The man said in a voice as soft as a feather pillow. He brushed one dirty hand on the side of his trousers and held it out to help Gonzo, who was struggling to sit up. “Are you warm enough? I know the jacket isn’t much, but it’s all I had and you were shivering frightfully so.”

Gonzo licked his lips with what saliva he could force into his mouth and pressed his frozen windpipe into giving voice to a few words. “Thank you, sir.”

The man had kind and sorrowful eyes that twinkled slightly in the meek light. His nose was a bit reddened and chapped from the cold and his lips were cracked in places. “Shh. Don’t talk. Stay warm.” He finally moved closer and took a seat next to Gonzo, and brought his legs up in a crouch. “Lean on me if you must. I’ve found that sharing body heat is a good way to stay warm if the weather outside is cold.”

Gonzo stared at the man and his tattered clothes. He briefly thought he might be intruding upon this poor man’s home, but decided that if the man wanted him out, he was more than able to throw the muppet out into the snow.

“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” He now said softly. “I only want to help you.”

Gonzo shrugged and slid closer to the man. He had nothing to lose at this point, so why not? He laid his head against the stranger’s arm and realized that it was indeed warmer than laying on the cold boxcar floor. “I’m Gonzo.” He said by way of an introduction.

“I’m Stanley Benton. You can just call me Stan.” He smiled down at Gonzo as he covered them both with the jacket. “Don’t worry about talking to me just yet, we have plenty of time for that tomorrow after the sun has risen.”

“Thank you, Stan.” Gonzo said as his tired and aching body finally gave in and allowed him to relax for the first time since the fire. It had only happened hours ago, but Gonzo felt like he had battled his demons for days. He was exhausted both mentally and physically at this point. His eyes slid closed as Stan mumbled a reply that he did not hear. The last thing he was conscious of was the fact that he felt warm and safe for now and that was all he needed to fall asleep.

*****


A/N - This was the rest of the part that was posted earlier. I just got it typed up and that's why it's short.

Ain't Stan wonderful? Someone just had to help poor cold Gonzo. Oh and I had to stand outside in 35 degree weather to get the proper feelings for the cold Gonzo had to deal with. The things we writers put ourselves through to make the story good!

Look for more really soon!

~Beth C