Said the Alligator King to the Seventh Chapter, ‘My Chapter, You Win the Crown’
Kermit and Elmo had slipped out into the lobby of Charlie’s Restaurant while everyone else (especially Cookie Monster) enjoyed dessert.
"Okay, Elmo, what’s going on?" Kermit asked with a smile.
"Elmo saw hands!" Elmo shouted.
"Were they your hands?" Kermit smirked.
"No, no, no! They were not monster hands they were people hands!" Elmo said.
"Well, that’s extremely possible. We do have people here," Kermit said. "Now what was so special about these hands?"
Elmo looked around, then leaned in close to whisper. "They were touching."
Kermit slowly scrunched up his face. "I don’t believe this..."
"Oh it is true, green frog!" Elmo said. "Elmo can prove it to you!"
"Elmo, listen, hands touch all the time. I mean, when people clap, or scratch or-"
"But the hands belonged to two different people!" Elmo shouted.
"Stop shouting," Kermit said calmly. "Elmo, it’s normal for people who love each other to hold hands. Who was it? Susan and Gordon? Maria and Luis?"
"No." Elmo shook his head. "It was Miles and Gabi!"
Kermit was taken back. "Well that’s... something." He stood up to return to the table. "But it was probably just a misunderstanding."
"No, no, green frog. Elmo can prove it!" Elmo said.
"Oh? And how can you do-"
Before Kermit could finish, Elmo grabbed onto the frog’s wrist and pulled him underneath the table with him.
"Elmo, this is outrageous!" Kermit said, starting to get out.
"No!" Elmo pulled him back in. "Elmo can prove it!"
Kermit moaned. "Okay, just make it fast! Cookie Monster has probably already finished my dessert."
Elmo and Kermit crawled past the many feet once more. "At least from down here I can keep everyone in toe," Kermit said.
"Pst, green frog," Elmo whispered. "Look!"
Kermit looked up at the two clasped hands, and sure enough they belonged to Miles’ and Gabi’s wrists. "Well I’ll be hog-tied... on second thought, no I won’t."
"See? See green frog? Elmo told green frog that Miles and Gabi were holding hands." Elmo folded his arms confidently.
"Yes, you were right Elmo," Kermit said.
"Yay!" Elmo shouted. "Green frog said Elmo was right! Yay!"
"Shh, Elmo, you’ll-"
"Kermit? What are you doing down there?" Gordon asked, looking under the table. The two hands separated almost instantly.
Kermit frowned. "Uh, well, you see I... I lost my contact lens."
Grover popped up behind Kermit and Elmo, making them both jump. "But Froggy baby, you do not wear contacts."
"Grover?" the flabbergasted frog asked. "Uh, well, how do you know?"
"Because, Froggy, I tried to sell you glasses once, and you said you did not need them." Grover got out from under the table, and Kermit and Elmo did the same. Grover began dusting off Kermit.
Kermit scrunched up his face. "Grover, is there some reason you’re here?"
"Oh! Yes, yes there is." Grover stood proudly.
"What is it?" Kermit asked.
"I am here to give you the bill," Grover said.
"Okay, well hand it over." Kermit motioned.
Grover shrugged. "He asked for it." Grover reached behind him and pulled out an orange anything Muppet, handing him to Kermit, who collapsed under the weight.
"Sorry Kermit," the Muppet said, walking away.
"Don’t worry about it Bill," a squashed Kermit said.
"Oh, and here is your check," Grover handed Kermit the bill.
Kermit pulled out his wallet and opened up the bill. He reached for his credit card, but stopped when he saw the total. "Uh, Grover... this is just a blank piece of paper."
"Yup." Grover stood up straight, grinning.
"Did... did you grab the wrong bill?" Kermit asked.
"Nope."
"Oh no!" Telly cried. "He’s gonna make us wash dishes!"
"No Telly, I am not."
"Well... then how much do I owe?" Kermit asked.
"Nothing," Grover said. "I covered it."
"But- but Grover, I said I was gonna buy dinner for everyone," Kermit said.
"Do not worry about it Froggy baby, I wasn’t even scheduled to work tonight, and Charlie isn’t even here," Grover said.
"Then... who made the food?" Alan asked.
"Cute, furry, loveable Grover, of course," Grover said.
"Grover... you shouldn’t have." Kermit smiled.
"No, probably not," Grover said. "But I did. Whatcha gonna do?"
"This," Kermit said, pulling Grover in for a hug.
"Oh, Elmo too!" Elmo said, hugging both Kermit and Grover.
"Aww, this is so cute..." Grover said.
"C’mon everybody," Kermit said. "Group hug!"
Everyone hugged. Everyone laughed. Everyone shed a tear. Everyone knew what was coming the next morning.
-~-~-~-~-
Gordon woke, just as he had every morning for the past thirty-eight years. The same way, out of the same bed, into the same bathroom. The same.
Susan watched her husband get ready to greet the day out of the corner of her eye, just as she had done every morning for the past thirty-eight years. The same way, in the same bed, the same Gordon. The same.
Across the hall, in another apartment, Maria placed bread in a toaster that had never broken in thirty-eight years. Luis sat at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper the same way he did every morning, sports, comics, news. Not much had changed in nearly thirty-eight years.
Underneath Maria’s apartment, the sun peeked into Ernie and Bert’s bedroom. Ernie sat up in his bed and yawned, he hopped out of bed, putting on his slippers, then tip-toed out of the room, letting Bert sleep in. Just like every morning.
Outside the apartment building, Oscar slowly crept out of his can, checking for anyone who might here him. "Good morning world," he said, then quickly retreated back inside, just as he had done for thirty-eight years.
Next store to Oscar’s can, behind multi-colored doors, Big Bird pressed his ear against the door, listening to Oscar’s morning greeting. "Good morning Oscar," Big Bird whispered, just like he did every morning.
Super Grover flew across the new morning sky, patrolling, and trying not to crash into migrating birds, just like every morning (except for mornings when his Super Mommy couldn’t get his Super Suit to the dry cleaners).
Cookie Monster sat waiting outside Hooper’s Store, just as he did every morning. Alan opened up Hooper’s for Cookie Monster, just like every morning. Baby Bear came in for his already prepared bowl of porridge, just like every morning. Telly came in a bit later for some specially prepared toast triangles, just like every morning.
Elmo stretched out his arms to the shouting of his alarm clock, just like every morning. Prairie Dawn woke to the gentle hand of her mother on her shoulder, just like every morning. Zoe practiced her early morning dance routine, just like every morning. Rosita met her best friend Herry outside her home, just like every morning.
But unlike every morning, Kermit stood on his porch with a coffee cup. It was mostly for show however, the frog despised coffee. He stirred it around a bit, then tossed it out over his porch. He let out a long sigh, then retreated back into his home. He tossed the coffee mug into his suitcase. He closed it, and left his home, just like he had sporadically for the past thirty-eight years. But this time, he didn’t know when, or if he’d be back.
Also new this morning were Miles and Gabi sitting together on a fire escape outside 123 Sesame Street. "Well... we’ve got to tell them," Gabi said quietly.
"How?" Miles asked firmly. "How am I supposed to tell my mom and pop that I’m not going with them when we leave Sesame Street?"
Gabi sighed. "The same way I’m supposed to tell my mom and dad."
Miles stood up and paced around the fire escape. "Man, this would be so much easier if we didn’t have to leave."
"You think so?" Gabi asked. "Do you think they’d be anymore supportive if we were staying on Sesame Street?"
Miles sighed. "I can hope, can’t I?"
Gabi stood up and put her arms around Miles. "I don’t think you can stop hoping."
"C’mon," Miles said, grabbing Gabi’s hand in his. "I think we’ve got some news to drop."
The couple climbed down the fire escape and walked out of the alleyway, right into Kermit. "Oh, hi-ho guys," Kermit said cheerfully. Miles and Gabi quickly released their hands and looked awkwardly around the street. Kermit smirked. "You guys don’t need to hide anything from me," he said.
Miles and Gabi looked at each other. "How did you know?" Gabi asked.
Kermit shrugged. "According to most people here, there isn’t anything I don’t know."
Gabi giggled and Miles smiled. "Well... that’s what’s goin’ on right now Kerm," Miles said.
Kermit nodded. "I see. Anything I can do?"
"Not unless you can think of a way to tell our parents without completely throwing them for a loop," Gabi said.
Kermit looked down at his suitcase. "Well... I guess it wouldn’t hurt to bust out the old news gear one last time."
"What do you mean?" Miles asked.
"I’ve got an idea," Kermit said. "Give me fifteen minutes, then bring your parents, and anyone else you want to tell, to Hooper’s."
"Thank you Kermit!" Gabi hugged Kermit.
"Aw," Kermit patted Gabi’s back. "Anything for you kids. Now, uh, Miles, do you still have that video camera?"
"Sure I do, it’s in my backpack," Miles said.
"Oh good. I’m gonna send Telly by in a minute to grab it, alright?" Kermit asked.
Miles nodded. "Whatever it takes." Miles grinned.
"Great. See you in fifteen!" Kermit said, running off towards Hooper’s Store.
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Here's hoping everything works out for the cast we all know and love. This story would make one heckuva 40th anniversary special; it's a shame Sesame Workshop won't accept outsiders' work!