(Piggy bustles through the door and shakes a little now from her hair, then turns and surveys the apartment. Kermit comes up and takes her coat, giving her a quick, perfunctory kiss on the cheek under the mistletoe. Piggy accepts it as her due, but her eyes are on the little kitchen.)
Piggy: Why is there a polar bear in our kitchen?
Kermit: (amused) Um, that's not a polar bear. Catherine is helping Fozzie bake gingerbears.
Piggy: Ah. (She smiles at Kermit as he hangs up her coat.) Any of them ready?
Kermit: I think a few have survived. Want to go cadge a few?
Piggy: I thought you'd never ask, Mon Capitan!
(At the stove, Catherine turned and gives them a smile. She does not look like a polar bear, but her Christmas sweater is liberally sprinkled with flour and something that might be ginger.)
Catherine: Hi Piggy! How was your exam?
Piggy: (shaking her hair back from her face) Piece of cake. Which sounds like a very good idea about now. Got any of those baked yet?
(Fozzie turned and smiled, proffering a battered tin.)
Fozzie: Eat 'em and weep!
(Kermit and Piggy each take one.)
Kermit: Will they...they won't really make us, um, cry, will they? (He looks to Catherine for confirmation that they are safe to eat. She nods microscopically.)
Fozzie: (proudly) No, silly. They're scrumptious!
(To prove his sincerity, Fozzie takes one too. For a moment, apartment 20 is filled with the sound of happy chewing.)
Kermit: Wow--those really ARE good, Fozzie. Thanks for sharing.
(Buoyed by the success of her final in "Buff or Bluff: Looking Fit Without Working Out Every Day," Piggy is magnanimus. She pats Fozzie fondly on the head.)
Piggy: Not bad, Fozzie. Those would go really great with--a Christmas movie! (She pulls a padded manilla envelope out of her jacket pocket and hold it up.)
Catherine: Sounds great, honey. (She checks the stove.) This last batch will be out in about four more minutes. What movie have you got there?
Piggy: (smugly) Mr. Gregorians Magic Empire.
Kermit: (surprised) Um, you mean, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium?
Piggy: Whatever.
Catherine: Oh! How nice!
Kermit: (baffled) Yeah, but--yeah, but that's still in theatres.
Piggy: And your point is...?
Kermit: (looking confused) But--that's not available on video yet.
Piggy: (kindly) I know Sweetie, but it will be in a few weeks. I had the studio send us an advance copy.
Kermit: An advance copy of the video? I didn't know--do they even DO that?
Piggy: (expression smug) They did for Moi.
Catherine: (ruefully) Yay for Moi!
Fozzie: Ooh! There's the buzzer for the last batch! Somebody start the video!
(Catherine has poured hot cocoa for everyone and she and Fozzie carry the gingerbears and mugs in on a tray. Catherine and Fozzie squash companionably into one of the lime tweed recliners and Kermit and Piggy settle into the other one, Kermit still muttering about how HE never got an advance copy of a movie before.)
Piggy: (gently) Shhh, Kermie. The movie is about to start, and I understand one of my favorite actors is in this movie.
Kermit: (blushing) Oh, well, um--
Catherine: (teasing) Me too--I just love Dustin Hoffman.
Piggy: Oh, I know--he's soooo cute!
Kermit: (irked) Hey!
Fozzie: Weren't you in a move with Dustin Hoffman once, Kermit? Ohh! Shh! The movie's starting!
(Kermit sighs and takes another gingerbear, which is very good after all. He slips his arm around Piggy's waist and leans over until their heads are touching. All in all, not a bad way to spend the evening.)