Four Ball Foxtrot

[WebMistressGina]

This is a Muppet News Flash!

Must be important.

We've even had reports that Californian pool hall poobah, Amanda Cosgrove screamed in fright when her boyfriend Andrew "Scooter" Grosse's performance of "Moves Like Jagger" was interrupted when pool sharks swam upstream for a cutthroat game of nineball.

That. Is. Un. Canny.

Why do you say that?

Because I happen to have that song on my Muppet playlist and...Scooter does sing in it.

Spookular.

We advise citizens to stock up on shark repellant and barrels of tartar sauce.

Where do we get such nonsense from...?
*Is suddenly chased offstage by a shark hiding inside his desk.

Announcer: We now return you to your regularly scheduled Pool Hall fic, desperately in need of updating.

Yes, yes, in fact today being a rather dark and stormy day has prompted me to work on it as we speak. Am aiming for a tomorrow premiere of the next chapter.

 

[The Count]

Oh good, I'll have to remember to make some popcorn, or maybe I'll skip it, didn't fare too well when prepping some for his popcorn shrimp recipe.

*Waiting to hear the trailer on MCR so I can enjoy what everyone else has. *Leaves some choc chip cuppycakes.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Okay...so I just saw the trailer for Muppets Most Wanted and again...Spookular.

I now have Moves Like Jagger stuck in my head and it now has penguins in it. I never thought to put in penguins and there they are.

 

[The Count]

*Tosses about.

I just adore 4-Ball, the number four me...
They just don't write them like that any more.
Nope, they only write songs like the new ones they write nowadays.
You call that a heckle?
Don't call me shirley.

explodes the thread.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Early bird catches the Muppet, as they say. The day is full, so I thought I'd post this little tidbit early. Just be aware - there's a lot of couple watching until the end and then it gets steamy...



VI.


Uncomfortable was not a word that usually described any Muppet, that is if you knew them well enough to be comfortable in their presence at any given time. Fortunately, most Muppets were comfortable with each other that despite any weirdness that might be playing out at any given time, it was easy to overlook.

And that’s how Kermit came to see it.

Still annoyed with himself on how this whole thing came about, he did take Piggy’s advice in thanking the stars that he was going to be spending a four day weekend with Scooter and not say, Gonzo or Crazy Harry or something. After the awkwardness of knowing that they were couples and were going to be prone to do what couples did while on vacation, the quartet managed to at least distract themselves with the food that Scooter and Amanda had brought up while standing in the kitchen.

Like a snap, the atmosphere changed and it was as though the four had planned the vacation with each other; there was joking, laughter, suggestions, and general discussion of just about all things. Kermit found himself engaged in a business conversation with Amanda, while Scooter and Piggy joked back and forth as they were likely to do in any other situation. In an odd way, the frog found this to be the beginning of a very enjoyable trip.

The plan for the rest of the evening, at least, was decided in that kitchen – Scooter had picked up some perfectly romantic dinners of lobsters and filet mignons to be shared between the group, with Amanda volunteering to make lobster pasta, a signature she enjoyed making and looked forward to sharing with others. With the extra tails, Scooter had suggested going the broiled or grilled route, if just to enjoy the country air. It was agreed, at least for the first two days there, of what was happening and what would – or wouldn’t – be happening.

Yes, it would be incredibly weird and very embarrassing should Kermit give in to whatever Piggy’s plans were of seducing him and he wouldn’t even entertain the thought of any seduce-like behavior between Scooter and Amanda, however it did give the frog a chance to look into the relationship he had only briefly seen and heard about. While Kermit knew the young Whatnot, he didn’t really know her; in many cases, dating one of the Muppets was usually done by one of the other Muppets. Not many could enter and stay within the tight circle they seemed to form around one another, but that was they approached any ‘outsider’ to their group.

This wasn’t the first girlfriend Kermit knew Scooter to have, however it was the first girlfriend in which the group wholeheartedly approved of and the first one who wasn’t trying to lure the young page down paths he didn’t or shouldn’t want to take. The director and leader was never one to concern himself with the affairs of the others, even if they were his friends and family; he of course took an interest if it seemed harm or danger would be involved and he would provide any assistance any of them needed, but he never liked to get involved when it came to relationship matters.

He already had enough of his own to deal with!

But he couldn’t lie and state that this new love in Scooter’s life wasn’t intriguing. Kermit had always been and probably would always be a people watcher; he enjoyed watching as others went through their daily routine, how they interacted with the people around, etc. Perhaps it was a product of his coming from a big family, as one of the oldest he always had to keep an eye open for the little ones, Kermit always tended to keep a watch on the folks around him. Certainly, as leader to the group he was with now, that was no exception; if Crazy Harry wasn’t trying to blow up something, Gonzo was trying to blow himself up, Piggy was throwing herself at him, both she and Scooter were scheming behind his back, and other calamities that his mind couldn’t really wrap around.

So it was quite interesting to watch his normally straight-laced assistant seemingly melt into a pile of goo whenever his girlfriend was around. Did he ever act that way around Piggy? Maybe once or twice, but certainly not to the level Scooter was.

The afternoon came and went, with lively conversation being enjoyed by all. Kermit was sure this was what Piggy had intended when she had first invited Amanda to dinner at the house and not the dinner + eight that the evening had eventually spawned into; but he had known what that whole spiel was about and that was to just sit and talk with the business manager. As dinner approached, Amanda had roped everyone in the vicinity into helping, though Scooter had more or less volunteered his presence before she had even asked. And that’s when Kermit’s couple watching began.

In terms of compatibility, Amanda really was well suited to his page; not that Kermit had any real pinpoint on the kind of girl Scooter was looking for, but he had known the younger Muppet for a long time and liked to think he knew the type of girl the red head would gravitate towards. Oh, he may have played the unknowing and oblivious frog on occasion, but you had to have been blind not to notice that Scooter once had his heart set on some of the women of the troupe.

Kermit knew Scooter had carried a torch for Piggy, Janice, Wanda, Clarice, Gretchen, Camilla…the pangs of puppy love hadn’t escaped the watchful eye of the director, which was one of the reasons he had never said anything, even when it sometimes seemed as though Piggy preferred Scooter’s company over his. Certainly, there were times when Kermit had to reign in his jealousy when it seemed that the two were closer than two co-workers should be, but then he reminded himself what exactly that relationship was and that it wasn’t a threat to his, with either one of them.

But if there was one thing the frog could see from Scooter’s romantic endeavors, it was that he was usually drawn to the strong, independent woman, who could hold herself high above the rest, but still lean on him when she needed to; the kind of woman who wasn’t intimidated by Scooter or his celebrity associations and could certainly handle them in more than one dose. Beauty and brains had always been a selling point for the page and if they were as funny and fierce as they were friendly, he’d be hooked.

And that was Amanda to a tee.

Just in his conversation with her that day, he learned about her degrees in business and finance, her intelligence, her go-getter attitude she seemed to have inherited from her father, and wicked humor streak that had him laughing out loud. Oh sure, he could’ve asked Piggy – who had probably found all of this out before their lunch together – but as with anything, even Kermit liked to do things for himself every now and then and he wanted to learn about Amanda without having the interference that usually came when he tried to do anything.

And while Kermit was busy learning about Amanda, the Whatnot was busy learning about him and Piggy.

Granted, Amanda had spent some time with the Muppets, mostly during their first initial show tie-in with the pool hall’s annual tournament, but the most time she spent with Scooter, the more she was exposed to seeing the others when she stopped by the theater. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that these were the most important people in her beau’s life and she ever saw a life together between the two of them, she knew she would have to make sure that she could at least tolerate those he loved.

Luckily for her, she enjoyed the antics of the others. She knew Scooter had been highly embarrassed when one of the others would accost her as soon as she walked in the door or that the same engagement dinner for four had ballooned to eight, but it had been and usually was the highlight of her days and weeks. Fozzie was always so earnest in his comedy and jokes that she couldn’t help but enjoy seeing him and Rowlf was always full of interesting tidbits about music and the history of music and Gonzo…well, Gonzo was probably certifiable, but he was hilariously certifiable.

And then there was the power couple of Kermit and Piggy.

If there were ever two more proud adoptive parents than those two, Amanda didn’t know. It was one thing when someone felt close enough to other person to believe them family and it was certainly one thing to have them feel the same, but along the lines of a parent and child relationship was a hard one to come by. Scooter talked about the power couple in such reverence at times, it had been clear to her at least that he loved them like they were his own parents.

And in one day, Amanda was convinced that Kermit and Piggy felt the same way about him.

It had been obvious in the way Piggy had done her best to make sure their dinner party had been restricted to the four of them, had invited her out ‘with the girls’, and why she had made a point to make sure Scooter made a good impression on her. And if what Scooter said was true, it explained why Kermit had put his foot down on whatever scheme Piggy planned on doing next. She had heard the stories about Scooter’s other girlfriends and how she had managed to outlast every single one of them; but it was simple and easy once you understood the dynamics of the group.

Scooter loved these people and if she truly loved him, and she did indeed love him, she would have to love the other side of him and the people who loved him too.

And in doing that, she would have to get to know those who were at the top of the food chain. From what she had heard about the power couple, one would be hard pressed to see how they could ever possibly be the right match for each other. Their fights were legendary and it could easily affect the entire troupe if it lasted longer than a few minutes; even when Scooter discussed it, it truly did sound like a huge divorce blowup had occurred and everyone, whether they liked it or not, had been caught up in the blast.

She was sure she hadn’t gotten the whole story from him about the breakup, but she could easily hear it in his voice and see it on his face that the whole thing had cut him like a knife. He may have denied it, but it had been very clear to Amanda that the whole thing felt like a horrid divorce and custody battle. Even before she had met the power couple, she had heard that their arguments could be vicious and cutting; she had been lucky enough to not have seen them argue – at least those types of arguments – and she was pretty sure she didn’t want to see one.

But here, in a little cabin in Northern California, she was gazing into what it was probably like in the home of one Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

Amanda didn’t get the chance to watch the two while in the kitchen as she prepared dinner for the evening and having Scooter there distract her by looking adorable, hot, and sexy didn’t help, but she did have a better look once dinner was done. Sometimes it paid to work in a place that also sold food; her mother had been the gourmet in the family, but her father had shown he could make incredible dishes out of the simplest of items.

Just as the day had been bright and sunny, the evening hours morphed into a crisp and cool night. The temperatures had cooled slightly, but nothing a long sleeved shirt or jacket couldn’t take care of; because of that, the quartet decided to eat on the porch at the table that had been set up outside. Dusk was approaching when they sat down, making it a beautiful backdrop on a romantic evening regardless.

The four talked, joked, and ate, enjoying the night air and each other’s company. Amanda couldn’t help but be struck at how very…couple-ish the frog and pig were, from engaging in couple jokes to compulsory stealing of food; even when they had broken off into separate conversations – Scooter and Kermit falling back on their head honcho routine, while she and Piggy were discussing Paris and other romantic cities to visit – the two managed to be highly attuned to each other, probably without even being aware of it.

Still in the midst of conversation, Piggy managed to dip her breadstick in some of the sauce that was still left on Kermit’s plate, holding it out until the frog noticed and took a bite, before she finished it off; Kermit’s arm routinely found itself on the back of Piggy’s chair or around her waist and almost by unspoken agreement, they both settled in or turned towards each other, never once breaking the conversation with the others.

They were moves that she and Scooter were still getting the habit and feel for, but never let it be said that they weren’t fast learners.

As the evening got darker, dinner disappeared, and the champagne bottle got lower, the quartet sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the sights and sounds of the night.

“Thinking about heading out to the lake tomorrow,” Scooter murmured.

“Can you go out in an actual boat?” asked Kermit.

“Sure,” the red head nodded. “I think my uncle still has one out by the docks; it’s pretty cool, nothing too big, like a little speed boat or something if I remember right.”

“A picnic would be nice too,” Amanda stated.

Turning to look at the frog, Piggy replied, “Mon Capitaine, aimeriez-vous passer du temps avec Moi?”

It took Kermit about three minutes to translate that in his head, but when he thought he had the right answer, he immediately answered with, “Oui.”

“Oh good,” said the diva, smiling at the younger couple. “Then we’ve got plans for tomorrow and possibly the rest of our weekend. And if I know my frog, he’ll want to be up, bright and fresh faced tomorrow, so perhaps we should call it a night.”

Kermit stopped the two from touching their plates. “You kids hit the sack,” he said. “Her royal highness and I will take care of the dishes.”

“You sure, Chief?”

“Bed, Andrew,” Piggy reiterated. “That’s where we’re sending you.”

“I think she means it,” Amanda quipped, smiling as she and Scooter stood. “We’ll just continue this adventure tomorrow then.”

“May angels sing you to your sleep,” Kermit replied, watching as Amanda headed in first, sending a look back to the second red head. It didn’t escape the frog’s notice that his assistant gulped slightly, walking slowly towards the door to follow.

Turning back, he asked, “Are you sure two…?” The power couple didn’t answer verbally, just pointed inside in the direction that Scooter should be heading. The page nodded, trying – and failing – and hiding a smile as he went in.

“I’ll wash, you dry.”

Piggy huffed, picking up two plates as she did. “You wash and I’ll dry,” she stated. “Your queen has spoken.”

Kermit sent her a look, following her lead and picking up some of the dishes. “When we get inside,” he said. “Your king’s gonna have words with you about back sass.”

“I’ll back sass you.”

“Like to see you try.”

“Those are fighting words, Frog.”

“Well, I know how much you like to fight.”


[hr]


Closing the door behind him, Scooter sighed in relief. He was still a bit miffed at this whole mix up, but dinner tonight had shown things weren’t as horrible as he may have believed them to be.

“I had a good time,” he began, watching as his girlfriend prepared herself for bed. “Did…did you have a good time?”

“Of course I did.”

“Mandy, I’m really sorry about this.”

“Scooter…”

“I mean it,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I wanna make this up to you.”

Smirking in a way he knew wasn’t entirely fair, she replied, “Oh you do, huh?”

“In more way than one, naturally,” he countered, holding her tighter.

“Scooter, don’t worry so much,” she said. “It’s not the end of the world and I’m having a good time.”

“So far.”

“Always,” she said. “Especially when I’m with you.”

“You are an amazing woman, Amanda Cosgrove.”

“Oh, I know.”

The page chuckled in spite of himself. “And modest too,” he said, brushing his lips across hers. “Modesty can offer rewards…”

Leaning back to look at him, Amanda couldn’t help but grin. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad trip after all. “Just want are you trying to say, Mr. Grosse?”

“Well…” Scooter began, clearing his throat a few times. “I know what I said earlier and I’m…sticking to that, but…it doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun while we’re here. Right?”

He didn’t want to push his luck with her, but he also didn’t want to waste the time that they could spend together either. Even this request seemed…a little embarrassing in the scheme of things, but Scooter was a grown man, who had invited his girlfriend up to a remote cabin for a little personal and private time together and he felt like he was letting her – and himself – down on that front.

Amanda must have known the direction he was going, because she smirked at him before pressing herself against him. “What kind of fun did you have in mind, Ensign?”


“Well Captain,” he said, walking the two of them towards the bed. “That’s solely at your discretion. As an ensign, I’m totally and completely under your control…”

 

[Misskermie]

*giggles*

(Don't worry, that's not all I'm gonna do this time! )


I love Kermit's couple watching, and all that relationship stuff, and OH!
I just love it to death.
And it's a good think Amanda is adapting to everyone.
Especially Scooter's "Parents".
But I really do agree on that. They might as well be his parents.

And yes. Piggy does like to fight.
A lot.
*coughifyouknowwhatImeancough*
(What's wrong with me? )

And that ending with Amanda and Scooter was sweet~!
(And Steamy as you had said. )


More please~!

 

[The Count]

Rully liked how you narrated Kermit's pride in watching Scooter and Amanda, both individually and as a couple, what how he used to be responsible for a large brood of siblings down in the Leland or Paradise Swamps—depending on which origin story you follow.

And then the mirror effect from the previous installments where one couple goes through the same thing the previous couple just went through shows up as Amanda's watching the frog and pig, individually at first and then as they interact themselves.

The ending with the page and poolhall princess rully helps drive the fic forward, hope to read more soon please.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Glad you all like it! There's a bit more steam at the beginning of the next chapter to and a plan is hatched??

 

[WebMistressGina]

TGI Friday, everyone. Here is our next installment of 4 Ball! As mentioned in the last chapter, this one holds some steam, but nothing too bad. And a plan of sorts is hatched...


VII.


The next morning, the sun began its slow decent into the sky, lighting the land and everything on it. Birds were starting to wake and come out to greet a brand new day, while in a city far away, many people were getting up for work or school, thankful that it was finally Friday.

In upstate California, in a cabin by the lake, two couples who had been thrown together unexpectedly slept. Well, one of the couples slept. In a bedroom to the west, the younger couple was cozied up together, nestled in each other’s arms and blissfully sleeping their morning away. It would only last for a few more moments, as one of these two was already awake, but content in just keeping his eyes closed and enjoying the warmth that came from his girlfriend.

Scooter tightened his arms around his fellow red head, dropping a kiss on her forehead, as he sighed contently. A small part of him still felt a bit weird for their actions the night before, but on a whole, he knew that the other occupants were well aware that he wasn’t a child anymore and with adulthood came adult things that adults did with other adults. It wasn’t to say that he was completely comfortable at carrying out the plans he had wanted to while up there, but trying to hold himself back from the beautiful Whatnot that had decided he was the one for her was too hard.

In a manner of speaking.

But with everything else, Amanda had surprised him once again by understanding his eternal love for the frog and pig and why he would probably always feel like a child in their presence. A few months ago, Scooter had been floored by the fact that he had fallen in love with the Whatnot, never truly feeling the way his heart seemed to pump faster when she was around or the notion that he had to be the best Muppet he could be to impress her, show her that he wasn’t the nerdy, geeky guy that everyone thought him to be.

In those months, Scooter had not only come to terms with the fact that he was in love for the first time in his life, but that these feelings were growing day by day, hour by hour, until…well, he was seriously thinking of things that went past just being boyfriend/girlfriend. The idea had growing within him for some time and he had hoped this trip would help him understand what exactly he was thinking and where that idea would lead him down the line.

He was definitely going to need some advice.

While a young Muppet was considering his next life step with the woman in bed next to him, in a bedroom to the east, the other couple had been up for some time. For the frog in this manner, he was usually awake this time of the morning, but his companion was not; however on this morning, she had surprised him by not only waking up before him, but…waking him up in the process.

“You…” he huffed, trying to catch his breath. “Are a very naughty girl.”

“I wasn’t hearing any complaints,” came the breathy retort.

Kermit chuckled. “That wasn’t exactly a complaint,” he said, looking over at her. His companion just smiled and as it always seemed, it managed to light up the room even better than the sun could.

There was something about Piggy that only those closest to her were aware of and Kermit liked to think no one was closer to her than he was; even Scooter – who the frog imagined was probably her bestest friend in the whole universe – didn’t know her the way the frog did or so he liked to think. Take the morning for instance – Kermit could easily state that he had seen Piggy in every notable way, in terms of facial expressions and mood swings.

He was well aware the look on her face when he was about to be flung into a wall somewhere, when she was about to flirt her way into a decision he would probably regret, or when she was completely happy with life, especially if he was in it.

Miss Piggy was a persona, something she needed to fend off the sharks and piranhas that lived and swam in Hollywood, the very wall that needed to be put up in order to get want you wanted without hurting yourself – or others – in the process.

Piggy Lee, on the other hand, was a farm girl with street smarts, with stars in her eyes but wisdom in her heart. As someone once said, you could take the girl out of the country, but never take the country out of the girl or something like that.

Miss Piggy was who he dealt with while in the theater or on the red carpet; Piggy Lee was who he got when he got home – eventually – and it was who greeted him in the morning.

And as much as he would have loved to have stayed in bed with Piggy Lee, he knew that he would never actually see the light of day if he did.

Sliding out of bed and ignoring the look she gave him as he did, he stated, “I am getting up for the day. Probably find the boy and have breakfast outside.”

“You would rather have breakfast with Scooter when you could stay here with this?”

“Darlin’,” he said, leaning over and delivering a kiss to her neck. “If I stay, I’ll never leave.”

“And that’s bad because…”

“Behave.”

Huffing in annoyance, Piggy nonetheless turned over to place her hands behind her head in defeat. “Fine.”

“If you’re a good girl,” the frog continued, walking around to the end of the bed, putting distance between him and the obvious distraction that would cut short his day. “And you behave yourself, the good fairy will reward you.”

“The good fairy already knows what I want,” she replied, cheekily.

“You know,” he joked. “It’s that kind of response that gives this relationship real spice.”

“I’ll show you spice.”

“You’re not behaving.”

“Maybe you need to come over here and make me behave.”

“Woman,” he said, sternly. “I am too weak to fend off your saucy attacks, therefore I’m leaving.”

“Yeah, you do that,” she retorted. “You’ll be back.”

“Always am,” he replied, walking out the door and into the living area proper. Heaving a sigh of relief, Kermit took stock of the actual cabin; after the mix up of the day before, he and Piggy hadn’t had the chance to get a tour and he was hoping to get one from Scooter later that day.

It was as nice as his assistant had described last week, with a cozy sitting area complete with fireplace staring back at him. He had noted the kitchen to be bright and airy when he was in it yesterday, pleased in the fact that Scooter had gone out of his way to ensure that both couples would have food for their stay there. And speaking of the kitchen and his page, the red head was coming out of said area, cereal bowl in hand and chomping happily.

The two smiled at each other, with Kermit moving his head in indication towards the porch outside; Scooter nodded and continued on his path towards the door, while Kermit passed him on the way to the kitchen. So many years of working together and being friends had seriously honed their skills at knowing and learning about each other and their habits. It was the reason Kermit and Piggy kept liquid creamer and cereal in the house, despite neither of them ever using those items.

It was also the same reason Scooter had thought to pick up bread, orange slices, and orange marmalade for the frog’s breakfast, while having the ingredients for country fried steak and eggs for Piggy.

Grabbing his breakfast, Kermit made the same path that Scooter had taken and met the page outside at the patio table. The two sat and enjoyed the sunrise in comfortable silence, something they were used to doing on a daily basis; it was just another sign at how much respect and friendship stood between them that they could sit in compatible silence.

“Looks like a nice day, doesn’t it?”

“Sure does.”

“What time do you think that place with the boats opens?”

“No clue, but I’m sure I could find out. I think the number’s in the kitchen.”

“Oh good,” Kermit nodded. “I think the pig wants to get out of the cabin for a bit.”

“Cooped up already?” Scooter asked. “It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours yet.”

“It’s not that,” Kermit sighed. “It’s the fact that she’s not cooped up with me. Scooter, I know I didn’t say it yesterday…”

“Kermit, it’s okay.”

“No it’s not and as your boss, I’m ordering you to listen to my apology,” the frog retorted. “I’m really sorry for showing up here like this. You have to believe me when I say that I didn’t mean it; I seriously thought my calendar was right. But, as I have always done and will always continue to do, I should have asked for you to check and then maybe…”

“When did you decide to move in with Piggy?”

“When she built a house.”

Again, their bounds of friendship was such that Kermit easily made the transition from heartfelt apology to random topic almost immediately. It didn’t stop him however from being a bit taken back by the question. “That was a weird segway,” he noted.

Scooter’s nervousness was clear, even to the frog that many thought was as observant as a rock, which is what made Kermit allow the younger Muppet to take stock of his thoughts and feelings before he proceeded.

“It’s just…” the page began. “You know how I feel about Amanda.”

“Yes we do.”

“And…and yeah, this little mix up put a wrinkle in the plan, for both of us, but…” Here, Scooter took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “This doesn’t change how I feel and…I’ve been feeling a lot of things all at once.”

“Tell me about it,” Kermit murmured.


And like that, the two were in-tunely aware that the other was thinking along the same lines of thought, the only difference being that one of them already had the girl of their dreams living with them and if things continued on, it would probably be a matter of time before they had a piece of paper making it legal.


[hr]


When Piggy decided to make her entrance for the morning, she did so to an empty room; at least, when she walked into the living room. She made a better appearance when she entered the kitchen, nodding when Amanda looked up from her search in the fridge when she heard someone approach. “Bon jour, Mon Cherie!”

“Morning, Piggy,” the Whatnot replied. “I was gonna make some steak and eggs, you hungry?”

“Yes,” the diva replied. “But only if you let me make you some country fried steak and eggs.”

The red head smiled and nodded, moving out of the way as the diva took the eggs and steak from her and picked out the makings for her own breakfast that Scooter had packed. Sitting down at the kitchen island that was set up in the middle of the room, Amanda watched in fascination as Piggy skillfully began to mix ingredients with the air of a natural born cook.

“You know,” she said. “You don’t seem like the kind of girl who would crave country friend steak and eggs.”

Piggy chuckled at that. “This was one of those very special treats in my house,” she said. “Down Iowa way, this is considered a delicacy.”

“Midwest farmer’s daughter, huh?”

“We make you feel alright,” the diva quipped. Finishing up the prep work for the steaks and putting them in a pan, Piggy turned to make light conversation. “So while I let that cook,” she began. “Let’s talk about the fact you want us gone.”

“What?” Amanda giggled. “Piggy….that…had been on my mind, yes.”

“Your candor has and most likely always will be appreciated,” the diva smiled. “We’re two young, beautiful, and alive women, right?”

“Right.”

“And I think it’s obvious that the reason for us being up here have been…displaced, wouldn’t you say?”

“I would say delayed,” Amanda replied. “But displaced works too.”

“So here’s the deal,” the pig started. “We have two Muppet men who are going to listen to their pride over their libidos. We can’t have that.”

“You gotta a plan?” the Whatnot asked. At Piggy’s look, she shook her head and said, “Stupid question. Of course you have a plan. What’s the action?”

“Well,” Piggy said. “Kermit and I haven’t really seen the place through and through, so I was thinking the two of us stay here and…explore. In the meantime, you and Andrew can go explore anywhere but here.”

“Divide and conquer,” Amanda murmured. “I gotcha and then we switch?”

“Exactly,” the diva said, turning to check on the steaks. “Your idea of a picnic was inspired.”

“What’s inspired?”

“Your girlfriend,” Piggy said, looking at the two as they walked in.

“She is at that,” Scooter replied, giving said girlfriend a kiss hello on her cheek.

“You made country fried steak without me?” groused Kermit.

“A girl’s gotta eat,” was the retort. “Besides, you were more than happy to leave me in bed, alone, this morning.”

“It was the boy,” Kermit said, pointing to Scooter.

“Hey, I know I’m awesome, but come on!”

Piggy wasn’t totally cruel – while she and Amanda enjoyed their breakfast, they did feel the need and love to share it with their perspective boyfriends. And in the midst of conversation, Amanda took the initiative to invite Scooter to show her around the grounds.

“Kermit and I were talking about taking the boats out,” the red head mentioned.

“You and Kermit will have plenty of time to play with boats before the weekend is over,” Piggy stated. “Mon Capitaine and I are going to show ourselves around, as we didn’t have the chance yesterday.”

“You sure you’ll be fine alone?” Scooter asked.

Kermit looked at Piggy, who looked at Scooter. The frog was well aware what that statement meant – could he fend off an amorous pig for the duration of whatever trip the two red heads would take. The answer was of course no, but it wouldn’t be for lack of trying, however Kermit wondered if he even wanted to try. The diva, on the other hand, took that statement to mean the opposite.

“Andrew,” she said. “I think Kermit and I are able to move around a cabin without blowing it up or torching it to the ground.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“It was implied.”

“Seriously,” the page retorted. “The two of you spend way too much time together. I’ve already mentioned this to the frog.”

“Did you.”


“I…don’t recall that conversation.”


[hr]


After breakfast, Scooter did what he was told and took Amanda on a sightseeing walk through the area. Whatever apprehension the page had about leaving the power couple in a cabin alone quickly evaporated as he and Amanda started to explore the grounds. They headed towards the boating area, which was to the east of the cabin, enjoying the nature of it all; birds were chirping happily in the trees, while a light breeze was making its way through the air.

The young couple walked in compatible silence, holding each other’s hands, and occasionally bumping shoulders playfully. The dirt and grassy path crunched under their shoes, but didn’t pick up dust that would aggravate their allergies or soil their clothing; the trees stood tall and managed to block out the beginnings of a hot day, if they had been in the city of course.

Scooter inhaled, taking the fresh air into his lungs, and looked around at the peace and tranquility the area had to offer. While this weekend had not gone off as he had planned, there was no doubt in his mind that he would bring Amanda back here again one day; those thoughts caused him to glance at her at his side. As he had been doing, she was looking all around, her lips slightly parted in wonderment at the sights and sounds around them; her green eyes held a brightness to them that he had become used to in the way she looked at him when she was happy.

Right then and there, the red head vowed that he would always do what he could to make her happy and that he couldn’t think of any other moment in time in which someone had brought him such joy.

It was a feeling he never wanted to lose.


[hr]


Back at the ranch, Kermit and Piggy were also enjoying the outdoors, by sitting at the table on the porch. It had taken them a bit to actually get out there, of course; getting dressed in the morning with the other around was never as quick and simple as they hoped, either devolving into some argument that had nothing to do with anything or evolving into naughty shenanigans that caused them to run late.

Thankfully, this morning was naughty shenanigans, ones that Kermit himself had instigated as payback for his…pleasant wake up call.

“Say what you will, Frog,” Piggy replied, taking a sip of her coffee. “You actually did a good thing.”

“There you go again,” he quipped. “Singing my praises. Keep this up and people are gonna start thinking you like me or something.”

“What a vicious lie.”

“As vicious as they come.”

Settling in to a comfortable silence, this couple also enjoyed the sounds of the nature around them, at least before the frog turned to his diva. “Those kids make a cute couple, yeah?”

“You’ve just now seen that?”

“No,” he protested. “I’ve seen it, I’m just acknowledging it is all.”

“I see.”

“Hey seriously,” he whispered, leaning towards her. “I think Scooter’s really serious about this.”

“Oh?” asked Piggy. “What exactly did you two talk about this morning?”

“This and that,” he said, pulling away from her. That was true, they did discuss several things that morning, least of all their girlfriends and where the next steps were heading. “But in not so many words, it…sounded like he was pretty serious about stuff.”

Piggy hummed in contemplation. Though it wasn’t exactly a surprise at hearing that, she had to admit it was still…interesting to hear. “That kid’s come a long way, hasn’t he?”

“Please,” the frog chuckled. “It’s Scooter; he still has the galaxy to conquer. He still has a long way to go before world domination.”

Smiling, Piggy looked at him and said, “Still.”

Kermit returned her gaze, lovingly. “Still.”

“You called Robbie yet?”

Kermit’s nephew Robin had both returned to their lives and that of the Muppet Show a few months ago, a decision having been made after the tragic death of his mother. His father, Kermit’s brother, had been so distraught, he had come to his older brother and his leading lady and asked if they could watch over his son for a time, an unspecified amount of time. Kermit had been amazed and deeply proud at the way Piggy hadn’t batted an eye with the intrusion of a teenage frog in their midst, in fact she had gone so far in stating that Robin would always be welcomed in their home regardless of the situation.

Because of the mix up, Robin had opted to be a stagehand with the Electric Mayhem has they kicked off a two week tour. If Kermit had been on the correct week, the younger frog would’ve been at a friend’s house, but Rowlf had been such a great guy and friend that he had volunteered to be Robin’s guardian for those two weeks (which worked well, as Robin considered the dog an honorary uncle).

“I’ll give him a shout a little later,” he said.


Piggy nodded her agreement before taking another sip of her coffee. Kermit had to turn away, least he be caught staring at her like a love sick puppy (or froggy), which he was. Sometimes he couldn’t believe the level of domesticity they had reached, especially at this point in time, and it had started to bug him on the point that he hadn’t done right by her and he probably still wasn’t doing right by her. The last few months however he had started to come to grips with the fact that he wanted to make this union official and soon.

 

[Misskermie]

*waves arms around in happiness*

I really really really really really love the way you make the dialouge.
My personal favorite--

"People are gonna start thinking you like me or something"
"What a vicious lie."

LOL

Needless to say, I loved this chapter.

More please!