Sesame Street Fan-Fic: Street Smarts

[theprawncracker]

Three Chocolate Layered Chapters!

"La la la..." Big Bird sang as he packed away his many belongings. "Boy, I’m sure gonna miss Sesame Street."

"We all are, Big Bird," Bob said, moving around some of Big Bird’s things. "But are you sure you really need to keep all of these things? Most of this stuff is junk."

"Junk?" Big Bird asked in shock. "Bob, each of these things have a different memory attached to them."

"Big Bird, how can you remember so many different memories?" Bob packed away a train set.

Big Bird grabbed a rack of ties and threw them into a box. "I don’t remember."

Bob sighed and picked up the ties, folding them correctly. "Well, I must agree with you though, Big Bird, we have had a lot of memories here together."

"Yeah... it’s just too bad it’s over." Big Bird stuck his head inside a box.

"Oh, Big Bird," Bob placed his hand on Big Bird’s side. "We’ll still keep in touch. It’s not like we’re never going to hear from each other again."

Big Bird brought his head back out of the box, wearing earmuffs. "Sorry Bob, I didn’t hear you."

Bob smiled. "Big Bird, take off the earmuffs."

Big Bird did as he was told, and put the earmuffs back in the box. "Bob, how long do we have left on Sesame Street?"

"We told you this morning Big Bird. Alex Hooper gave us a week to pack our things and say goodbye," Bob said.

"Oh..." Big Bird sighed. "A week? But that’s not very long at all."

"No, it really isn’t, but Sesame Street belongs to him now, so he makes the rules." Bob patted Big Bird’s back.

"But why? Why does Sesame Street belong to him?" Big Bird asked.

Bob sighed. "Because Big Bird, he’s Mr. Hooper’s nephew, and, well, Mr. Hooper left the deed to Sesame Street to his closest living relative." Bob explained.

"But didn’t Mr. Dooper know that his nephew would turn Sesame Street into a parking lot?" Big Bird asked.

"Hooper, Big Bird, Hooper," Bob scolded gently. "But it was hard for Mr. Hooper to know. Alex was only a little boy when he passed away."

"Oh, I see." Big Bird nodded. "Then why did he leave Sesame Street to a little kid?"

Bob shook his head. "No, no Big Bird, he left it to his closest living relative, Mr. Hooper had no way of knowing who that would be."

"Why do grown-ups have to be so confusing?" Big Bird whined.

"I’m sorry Big Bird, this is hard on all of us." Bob sat down on the edge of Big Bird’s nest.

Maria knocked on the door to Big Bird’s home. "Bob, Luis needs some help clearing out the Fix-It Shop, could you help out when you get a minute?"

"Sure Maria," Bob told her. "Big Bird, will you be okay if I go help Maria and Luis for awhile?"

"I guess," Big Bird said.

"Tell you what," Bob said. "Why don’t you go off and play, and we’ll finish packing up your nest later, okay?"

"Oh boy! Now that sounds like fun!" Big Bird jumped up and down.

"Oh good." Bob smiled. "Take care Big Bird." Bob and Maria walked off towards the Fix-It Shop.

"Hmm, now who do I want to play with?" Big Bird pondered. "Snuffy had to go to dinner... everyone else is packing up... oh! I know! I’ll play with Kermit!" Big Bird declared. "I wonder what he’s doing..."

- ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ -

Kermit held out the first key on his key ring. Of the four keys he possessed, this one was the oldest by nearly a decade. He looked up at the door with a golden number 69 glistening in the sun on the front.

Kermit gulped. "Thanks for coming with me Grover."

"No problem Froggy baby," Grover said softly, placing a hand on Kermit’s back.

Kermit slipped the key into the hole and turned it slowly. He grabbed the doorknob and opened it up.

The dark home was silent, as were the frog and monster that stood outside it.

"I think we need to go in Froggy," Grover whispered.

Kermit nodded and stepped inside. He reached to the wall on his right and flipped on the light switch. "It should feel good to be home..."

"But it does not?" Grover asked.

"No, not when it’s the last time I’ll get to be here." Kermit sat his keys on the kitchen table.

Grover nodded. "I understand Froggy. But it has to be done you know."

"I know, I know," Kermit said. "But that won’t make me want to do it."

Grover walked to the center of the room. "Well, where shall we begin?"

"Let’s start in the bedroom, I guess," Kermit sighed.

Grover and Kermit made their way to Kermit’s bedroom. The bed was big enough for one, and had a dark green comforter spread out over it. In the center of the bed lay a tan trench coat folded neatly with a hat sitting on top of it.

Kermit fell on his bed. "I can’t do it Grover. I just can’t leave Sesame Street."

Grover sat next to his friend on the bed. "Sure you can, Froggy, you have been gone sporadically since 1976 you know."

Kermit looked up at Grover. "Where did you learn a word like ‘sporadically’?" he asked.

Grover shrugged. "It helps to read up on your diction every once in a while."
Kermit sighed. "It’s true that I haven’t really lived here in awhile... but still, it was always here for me to come back to, and now... it’s gone."

Grover nodded. "Trust me Froggy, I know what you mean. I have lived here for as long as my cute little monster mind can remember. And now I have to move away, from all of my friends and even my mommy!"

Kermit sat up. "Why do you have to leave your mommy?"

"Because Froggy, it is time for me to go out into the real world and be the greatest cute little monster I can be." Grover preached.

Kermit smiled. "Grover, as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been the greatest cute little monster you can be. And nothing will ever change that."

"Oh, thank you Froggy." Grover said proudly. "And you have always been the greatest green, flippery, scrawny little frog you can be. And the only thing that has changed that is Miss Piggy. But, please, do not tell her I said that."

Kermit scrunched up his face. "I promise." He got up off the bed and walked towards the closet. "But why has Miss Piggy made me less than the best frog I can be?"

Grover gulped and fidgeted nervously. "Uh, well... um, what’s that? My SU-per hearing thinks it hears the calling of my loving mommy!" He shot up off the bed. "Coming mommy!" Grover called, darting out of the house.

Kermit frowned and shook his head. "The things you learn on this Street." Kermit grabbed a box out of the closet. "Or... learned, I should say." The frog sighed.

Kermit returned to his seat on the bed, next to his reporter outfit. He dusted off the small box and opened it up.

"So many memories... so many friends... and now..." He gulped loudly.

Inside the box was a stack of thirty-eight pictures. Each one laminated and noted with a year on the top right corner. The first being 1969.

Kermit looked at the cast spread out on the stoop of 123 Sesame Street. As he flipped through the pictures, the cast grew and grew year by year. Many things changed, looks, voices, relationships, friends, in fact, one of the only things that didn’t change was the stoop.

Kermit looked at the cast photos from the last few years, and he noticed one distinctly green thing missing.

"Why haven’t I been here?" he asked himself. "Where have I been?"

He knew the answer all too well, and he wouldn’t trade his past years with his Muppet family for anything, but still, he felt as if he was neglecting his Sesame Street family.

A furry blue head poked its way through the doorway. "Um, Froggy, may I come back in?"

Kermit rubbed his eye before looking up at Grover. "Of course Grover, you’re always welcome."

Grover walked back in and sat back down next to Kermit. "What is wrong Froggy baby?"

Kermit smiled and handed Grover a picture from the middle of the stack. "Look there," Kermit pointed. "Remember Don Music?"

Grover nodded. "How could I forget? I get a headache just thinking about him."

Kermit laughed. "And look there, there’s me in my trench coat, and you in your cowboy gear."

"Oh, yes! Oh! Look at this one!" Grover grabbed the photo labeled "1989".

"Oh, hey, that was our twenty-year celebration," Kermit said.

"Yes, and look there, there I am! And there you are!" Grover pointed.

Kermit laughed again. "That was right before-" Kermit stopped himself, moving back in the time line, rather than forward. "Remember that first year?"

"How could I forget it?" Grover asked. "Remember Jim and Frank?"

Kermit put the pictures back in the box and nodded. "Now those are things I’ll never forget."

"They are not things Froggy, they are... wait, what did they do?" Grover asked.

"More than any of us will ever know, and then some." Kermit said. "But don’t ask specifics, that’s too risky."

"Oh, right, right," Grover said. "Hey, Froggy?"

"Yes, Grover?"

Grover grabbed the frog around his neck and pulled him in for a hug, resembling a little girl seeing Kermit for the first time. "I have missed you!"

Kermit gasped for air, choking out the words. "I-" he gulped. "I’ve missed you too, but, I miss air more right now."

Grover released the frog swiftly. "Oh, sorry," Grover blushed behind his blue fur.

Kermit adjusted his collar, then smiled at his old friend. "It’s okay Grover." He patted Grover’s back gently. "It’s okay."

"Now, Froggy baby, I have a question for you," Grover said.

"It never ends on this street..." Kermit muttered. "What is it Grover?" he asked the monster.

"Would you like to go to Charlie’s Restaurant for dinner while you are here?" Grover asked.

Kermit perked up. "Well, sure Grover, that sounds great!"

"Oh! Good! Because I am working a double-shift this week and-"

"Wait, you know what, on second thought, why don’t we invite the whole street?" Kermit asked. "My treat!"

"Well... okay, that would be good," Grover said. "But on one condition, Froggy."

"What’s that?"

"You let me add the thirty percent gratuity on to your bill."

 

[The Count]

Mmm, another numeric reference in the title. If this is what I can look forward to, then I guarantee your ears will be shattered by nightfall.

Loved everything, especially Kermit and Grover at froggy's apartment home.
So much detail and so worthy of lengthy review...
The photos of each year's cast... *Tears up a little.
And they're going to have dinner for the whole street at Charlie's... Well, I hope they enjoy their meal, it might just be their last. Unless they get a call from the governor at the last second.
You heard that Prawn! Post more please!

 

[Fragglemuppet]

Oh wow, this is powerful! It's great that this story should come now, because I'm feeling this huge surge of SS loyalty after just yesterday having finished the Old School set. I know. Took a long time, didn't it? Anyway, Kermit's been through much worse than this with the theater and all; he can't believe that there's nothing that can be done for Sesame Street?
Oh well, more please!

And is it just me, or is Grover sort of the Sesame Street counterpart of Fozzie in these fanfics?
Oh, and I also love your naming scheme for the chapters!

 

[The Count]

Trust me Kate, it's not late at all... Still haven't gone through all the Muppety DVD's I got for Christmas last year. And with my current workload, it looks like they'll have to wait till summer vacation. Oh well, something to look forward to I suppose.
And hey... We'd like some more story please.

 

[theprawncracker]

Four is the Legs on a Spotted Moo Cow, Four is the Chapter Right Now

Cookie Monster walked into Hooper’s Store, as he did ever day, and took a seat on a bar stool, also as he did every day. "Hello Alan," Cookie said to Alan, who was packing boxes. "Me have me usual, please."

Alan wiped his brow and stared at the blue monster. "Cookie, how can you eat cookies at a time like this? Shouldn’t you be packing?"

"Oh, no Alan. Nothing keep me from cookies. Not rain, nor sleet, nor apocalyptic lightning storm!" Cookie declared.

Alan shook his head, pulling a glass out of one of the boxes. "I hope you appreciate this." Alan grabbed the last carton of milk from the otherwise empty refrigerator. He poured it into the glass and handed it to Cookie Monster.

"Oh, of course me appreciate it!" Cookie smacked his lips as Alan retrieved a box of cookies from one of his larger boxes. "Me appreciate it every day!"

"I’m sure you do Cookie Monster." Alan grabbed the last three cookies from the box and put it on a plate. "Careful with this plate now, I just cleaned up in here."

"Don’t worry," Cookie swiftly grabbed up a cookie. "Me no eat plate, me not in mood for China food." He devoured the cookie in his usual manner, splattering crumbs everywhere.

Alan sighed. "Cookie Monster, please! Try not to make a mess, alright?"

Cookie nodded. "You got it, Alan." He gently picked up the next cookie, carefully lifting it off the plate.

"Thank you," Alan said.

The back door of Hooper’s Store opened and Miles stepped through, carrying an apron. "Hey Alan, hey Cookie Monster."

"Miles, hey, good timing. Do me a favor and run in the back and get the broom and dustpan?" Alan asked.

"What happened? Didn’t we just clean up?" Miles asked.

"Well, yeah, but then we had a surprise guest." Alan motioned to Cookie Monster, who daintily waved back, careful not to spill any crumbs.

Miles went into the back and came back with the broom and dustpan. He bent over underneath Cookie Monster’s barstool and began to sweep up.

Meanwhile, Cookie Monster was taking minuscule bites of his cookie. "Sorry about mess Miles, me being careful now, though, don’t worry."

Miles tossed the contents of the dustpan into the trash can. "Don’t worry about it Cookie Monster." He leaned the broom against the counter.

"So, Miles," Alan said, resuming his packing. "How’s the move going?"

"It’s good," Miles said, trying to tie his apron behind his back. "Mom and dad sure do have a lot of stuff though."

"A lot of memories," Alan said. "They’ve been here on Sesame Street for almost forty years, you know."

"Me know," Cookie Monster said between nibbles. "Me here almost that long too."

"Yeah, I know," Miles said, still fumbling with his apron. "And I’ve almost been here twenty."

"That also true," Cookie Monster said, now a quarter of the way through the cookie. "Me there for that too."

Alan smiled. "I wish I was, but I got here when you were just a little guy."

"Not too little," Miles smirked, growing agitated with the apron.

"What wrong with little?" Cookie asked.

"Well Cookie Monster, do you actually like those little bites you have to take?" Miles asked.

Cookie Monster looked from the cookie to Miles. "Not particularly."

"Well, that answers it then." Miles reached behind his back one more time, failing to tie the apron, finally groaning. "Alan, can you help me tie this thing?"

"I got it," came a cheerful voice from behind Miles’ back. Gabi stepped around Miles, holding her hands behind her back. "There ya go."

Miles smiled. "Thanks Gabi."

"No problem," Gabi blushed.

Alan and Cookie Monster looked at each other. "What do you make of that Cookie?" Alan asked, leaning on the counter, watching Miles and Gabi talk.

Cookie Monster nibbled on the cookie again. "Well Alan, take it from worldly monster," Cookie said. "Me think that Gabi the delicious chocolate chips to Miles’ scrumptious cookie. And together, they make one heck of good thing!"

Alan looked back at the two kids again. "You know Cookie, you may be on to something."

"No, not yet, me still on me second cookie. Not moved on to third yet." Cookie munched.

Alan smirked. "Cookie?"

"Yes Alan?"

"You can make a mess."

"Oh boy!" Cookie shouted, shoving the remainder of the second cookie into his mouth. "This so exciting!" The monster grabbed up the plate and let the third cookie slide into his mouth, then crunched down on the plate. He wiped his mouth with his hand and smiled at Alan.

Gabi and Miles were now staring at Cookie Monster too. "Finished?" Alan asked.

"Almost," Cookie Monster said. He let out a belch. "‘Scuse me," he said. "Now me finished."

Alan shook his head. "Miles, Gabi, could you-"

"I’m on it Alan," Miles said. "Don’t move Gabi." He rushed off to grab the broom.

Cookie Monster smacked his mouth around each of his fingers. "Told you," he told Alan between furry, blue appendages.

Alan laughed and went back to packing up Hooper’s Store.

-~-~-~-~-

Rubber Duckie squeaked as Ernie tried to get Bert to play with him. "Come on Bert, it’ll be fun!"

"No, Ernie, I don’t have time right now. I’ve got to get everything packed before the end of the week." Bert grumbled, carefully wrapping his bottlecap collection in bubble wrap.

"But Bert, watch," Ernie grabbed a sheet of bubble wrap and popped it, making Bert jump.

"Ernie! Stop that!" Bert shouted.

Ernie laughed. "Come on Bert, you know you thought it was funny."

"No, Ernie, I did not think it was funny. I thought it was childish, now if you want to help you can go get another roll of tape from the kitchen." Bert put his wrapped bottlecap collection into a box.

"Gee Bert, if you really need me too. Come on Rubber Duckie." Ernie and Rubber Duckie walked out of the room.

Bert sighed. "Sometimes he’s just too much."

"I found the tape Bert!" Ernie called.

"Good, bring it in here!" Bert called back.

Ernie came out carrying a video tape in his hand. "Here ya go Bert."

Bert lowered his eyebrow. "Ernie... this is a video tape. I wanted masking tape."

"I got the masking tape Bert, just read the title." Ernie pushed the video at Bert.

Bert swiped it from Ernie’s hand and read it. "‘Bert and Ernie’s Masquerade Party’." Bert groaned.

Ernie laughed again. "I told you I got the masking tape."

"Ernie, that is not funny!" Bert said.

"Maybe not." Ernie grabbed the tape back. "But our party sure was, come on, let’s watch it."

"Ernie, we don’t have-"

"Sure we do Bert!" Ernie grabbed Bert by the arm. "Our VCR is working just fine."

"But Ernie, we-"

"Yes we do Bert," Ernie said. "I made the popcorn already." He handed Bert a bowl of popcorn.

"But that’s not what I-"

"Oh yes it is Bert, old buddy, I made it just like you like it, with a pinch of garlic salt."

"Do you have a-"

"Response to everyone of your arguments? Yup."

Bert sighed. "Alright Ernie, you win."

"Oh good," Ernie said. "What made you change your mind?"

"Ernie..." Bert sighed.

Ernie laughed again. "Just kidding Bert." He pressed play on the VCR and took his seat in an armchair.

"Um, Ernie?"

"What is it Bert? The movie’s starting." Ernie whispered.

"You’re in my chair."

Ernie looked the chair up and down. "Oh, sorry Bert." He laughed, moving to his own chair.

Bert sat down with his bowl of popcorn and began to eat it, kernel by kernel, just like he had for nearly forty years. Silently, he wondered if they’d have popcorn with a pinch of garlic wherever they would end up.

Ernie laughed out loud as Grover came into their apartment on the home video. He was wearing an elephant mask. Bert let himself chuckle slightly.

"Hello Ernie, hello Bert," said the elephant-masked Grover. "I came prepared to spend the night, I even packed my trunk!"

Bert laughed, truly laughed, letting his cares disappear, if just for a moment.

"Don’t laugh too hard Bert," Ernie said. "You may get popcorn caught in your throat."

Bert smiled at his friend. "Now Ernie, have you ever known me to laugh too hard?"

"Well... no," Ernie scratched his chin. "But stranger things have happened."

"Yeah, most of them on this street," Bert said.

"And we’ve seen ‘em all, haven’t we buddy?" Ernie asked.

"We sure have Ernie, we sure have." Bert sighed. "Too bad we won’t get to see anymore."

Ernie nodded somberly. "Well, it could be worse Bert."

"How so?"

"We could have to live on the moon." Ernie smiled.

Bert nodded. "Well... ya know, I’d like to visit the moon. On a rocket ship, high in the air! Yes, I’d like to visit the moon." Bert sang the last sentence.

"But I don’t think I’d like to live there," Ernie sang.

"Well, I’d look to look down
At the Earth from above," Bert sang.

"But I’d miss all the places
And people I love
So although I might like it
For one afternoon
I don’t want to live on the moon." Ernie muted the television with the remote.

"I’d like to travel under the sea," Ernie sang.
"I could meet all the fish everywhere
Yes I’d travel under the sea
But I don’t think I’d like to live there."

"I might stay for a day there
If I had my wish," Bert sang.
"But there’s not much to do
When your friends are all fish."

"And an oyster and clam
Aren’t real family
So I don’t want to live in the sea," Ernie sang.

"I’d like to visit the jungle
Hear the lions roar
Go back in time
And meet a dinosaur," Bert sang, smiling at Ernie.

"There’s so many strange places
That I’d like to be-" Bert continued.

"But none of them permanently," Ernie finished.

"So if I should visit the moon
Well I’ll dance on a moon beam and then
I will make a wish on a star
And I’ll wish I was home once again," Bert sang.

"Though I’d like to look down
At the Earth from above
I would miss all the places and people I love," Ernie continued.

"So although I may go
I’ll be coming home soon," Bert held the note.

"‘Cause I don’t want to live on the moon," the two friends harmonized.

"No I don’t...
Want to live...
On the moon."

Bert nodded. "You’re right Ernie... it could be worse."

"Yup." Rubber Duckie began to squeak. "Rubber Duckie thinks so too." Ernie laughed.

Bert smiled. "Of course he does Ernie... of course."

"Ooh, it’s the part where Cookie Monster drinks all the punch!"

Bert turned back to the television. "Yeah! Right before he ate all my quiche!"

"Well... someone had to."

"Ernie!"

 

[The Count]

Good chapter. Me love Cookie Monster's role... And Bert and Ernie getting a scene of their own, about time.
But this chapter's intro... Confess, where does this reference about the spotted moo cow come from? Anyway, gotta run nd get ready to leave. Have fun.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Oh, PRAWNIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Did you HAVE to wrench my heart with "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon"? Did you? I mean, really, you're supposed to be the FUNNIER half, and I'M supposed to be the heart-wrencher! ...I kid, it fantastic writing. Oh gee, me talk like Cookie now. COOKIE!!!!!!!

MORE PLEASE!

 

[anytimepally]

Good chapter. Me love Cookie Monster's role... And Bert and Ernie getting a scene of their own, about time.
But this chapter's intro... Confess, where does this reference about the spotted moo cow come from? Anyway, gotta run nd get ready to leave. Have fun.

it's from the song "Four" by Little Jerry & the Monotones

 

[ISNorden]

Wow. cool fanfic so far! It'll be harder to find suitable song references, though, if this story runs past twelve chapters. Good luck!

 

[theprawncracker]

it's from the song "Four" by Little Jerry & the Monotones

Indeed, thanks Randall.

And thanks for reading everybody! Oh, and ISNorden, I think after twelve chapters I'll head into the alphabet. Not sure though.