SST Fan Fic: The Search for Bert

[redBoobergurl]

Sorry everyone, I knew you were wondering! I've been a little busy with things at work (and being engaged and yadda, yadda, excuses, excuses....) but I have every intention of updating this thing this week. Possibly as soon as this afternoon or at the latest, tomorrow. I'm glad you all want more!

 

[redBoobergurl]

Finally, here is chapter six. Thanks for your paitience everyone!

Chapter Six:

Bert looked up at Amazing Al and started shaking. “Why did you do that?” he asked.

“Because you signed a contract and you belong to me now!” said Al.

“I made a mistake, I really just want to go home to Sesame Street!” said Bert.

“Well, that’s just not going to happen. We’re going to put on one show tonight and then we’re heading out of town,” said Al.

Bert didn’t dare tell him that his friends were on the way. He didn’t want Al to skip the show all together. Hopefully his friends would make it on time. But, he didn’t know how far they had to go. He didn’t know it would take them at least 8 hours to catch up with him. The hope of them finding him was enough to keep him going as he followed Amazing Al back across the street to the circus where he was due for afternoon Acrobat practice.

Back on Sesame Street all three search crews headed off to find Bert. Gordon’s crew was going to take the direct route down 61 in hopes that they would catch up to the circus. The Count’s crew was going to take a path that would take them a little bit east and then south so if the circus crew headed that way, they’d catch up to them. Oscar’s crew was doing the same thing, except they were heading west. The plan was for all of them to meet up in a town called Plantersville and re-evaluate where to go if they hadn’t found Bert yet.

“I sure hope he’s ok. What if they don’t let him eat or sleep?” worried Ernie in Gordon’s car.

“Don’t worry Ernie, everything is going to turn out fine,” said Gordon.

“You can have me last cookie. It make you feel better,” said Cookie Monster.

“Thanks Cookie,” said Ernie and quietly munched on the cookie. As soon as Bert came home he would make him some of his favorite Oatmeal cookies and not even eat any of them. He just wanted Bert back home again.

“One telephone pole….two telephone poles….three telephone poles….,” counted the Count as he drove along.

“Is he going to do that the whole time? Because I can come up with some much more fun games to play!” said Grover.

“Count, why don’t you count to yourself?” asked Olivia.

“Oh, ok!” said the Count.

“Let us play the most wonderful game of I Spy!” said Grover.

“Sure Grover, that sounds fine,” said Olivia and they began to play.

Meanwhile in Oscar’s car, Big Bird was chattering away. “This is so much fun! I’m sorry Bert is lost but I love road trips! I didn’t get to go on the road trip when you all went to look for me. Of course, I was the one that was lost, but still, I wish,” chattered Big Bird.

“Hey Turkey, shut your beak!” yelled Oscar.

“Oscar, be nice, he’s just trying to make the time pass faster,” said Maria.

“Well he could do it a little more quietly!!” said Oscar.

“I’m sorry Oscar, I’ll be quiet,” said Big Bird. It didn’t last long however as they passed a farm. “Look! There’s some cows and horses! I wonder what kind of farm that is? I wonder if there are kids there….,” rambled Big Bird.

Oscar just sighed and kept driving forward.

Back at the circus, it was time for dinner. Bert didn’t even bother to rush to the food line again because he knew he’d be shoved to the back of the line. He was walking with his head down and walked right into someone.

“Hey there, chin up little bugger!” said a blonde woman.

“Oh sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” said Bert.

“It’s ok. I’ve just never seen anyone with a long face like that. What’s troubling you?” she asked.

“I’m really homesick and I want to go home…but I can’t. I probably shouldn’t be talking to you about this!” exclaimed Bert.

“Oh it’s ok, trust me, I understand. I work for Al, but I don’t always like him,” she said.

“Oh, you work here too? What do you do?” asked Bert.

“A variety of things really. I walk the tightrope, but I’ve also become a mother around here. I help cook and sew costumes and stuff like that. It’s because I’m the only woman here,” she said.

“Boys can do that kind of stuff too,” said Bert.

“Believe me, I know that. Al is very old fashioned. Hey, what’s your name?” she asked.

“My name is Bert. I live on Sesame Street,” said Bert.

“Nice to meet you Bert. My name is Karen. If you need anything, you just let me know. I’ll help you around here. I’d like to help you get home, but unfortunately, I need this job,” said Karen.

“Thanks Karen. You’re really nice. You promise you won’t tell Al that we talked?” asked Bert.

“Nope, I don’t like talking to him,” she said.

“Well in that case, I have a secret,” said Bert.

“Why don’t you tell it to me over dinner?” she asked and together they walked to the food line. No one hassled him because he was with her. They sat together and Bert told her all about how his friends were coming to rescue him.

“What wonderful friends you have! Your secret is safe with me. In fact, maybe I’ll convince Al that we have to sleep here tonight to give your friends more time to catch up to us!” said Karen.

“Thanks Karen! I’m so glad I met you!” said Bert.

“You’d better hurry along and get ready for the show, he doesn’t like it when people are late for curtain call!” said Karen.

Bert rushed off feeling better than he had all day. Meanwhile the search parties continued to travel on hoping they would find Bert soon.

 

[TogetherAgain]

A light in the storm! Karen sounds nice!
So tell us more, please.... (if I sound like I'm begging it's just because I love it)

 

[TogetherAgain]

<still waiting for more.>
I will try to be patient. Really I will.

 

[redBoobergurl]

<still waiting for more.>
I will try to be patient. Really I will.

Lisa, I love you, you keep me on my toes! I'll try to get to it today or tomorrow I promise! It's so nice to have a fan!

 

[TogetherAgain]

glad to be of service

 

[Fragglemuppet]

Oh Beth, you have more than one fan out there. I didn't say anything before, because I was trying to be respectful, but part of doing that means if they ask for it, give it to 'em. So I can gladly join Lisa in bugging you.
I want more! I want more!

 

[redBoobergurl]

Here's chapter seven. It's another shorty, but at least I'm updating it!

Chapter Seven:

Bert hurried to the big tent where the circus would be performed. To his surprise, the mean Acrobatic guys actually gave him high fives and wished him luck.

“We’re sorry we’ve been so hard on you little guy,” said an Acrobat.

“Thanks!” exclaimed Bert. He still didn’t want to be there, but things were turning around. Meanwhile, Karen went over to the Amazing Al’s trailer to try to talk him into staying the night.

“Al, I was thinking, everyone is so tired after traveling all night, let’s just stay one more night,” said Karen.

“No! That little shrimp made a phone call and I’m sure the cops will be here any minute. We have to leave!” yelled Al.

“Al, if we stay tonight, I’ll make it worth your while,” said Karen.

“How?” asked Al.

“I’ll marry you like you asked me to,” said Karen sadly.

Karen had a very long, sad history that she hadn’t bothered to share with Bert. She had joined up with Al’s circus a couple of years ago with her boyfriend James. They did trapeze together and were a huge hit. However, Al saw Karen’s beauty and became very jealous. He set James up to look like he had been stealing money from the circus and he was arrested. James was now in jail and Al wanted Karen to marry him. He’d been blackmailing her for sometime with it saying she could end up just like James or worse, but she kept avoiding the topic. Now, she knew it was the one way she could save Bert’s life. She had never been one to think of herself, she always thought of others first.

“Well, maybe we can stay here one more night…” pondered Al.

Meanwhile, the Sesame Street search parties had all stopped off for dinner.

“Gordon, how much longer do you think it will be until we get there?” asked Ernie.

“Well, I think we could get there in another few hours, but we should probably stop to sleep,” said Gordon.

“Me tired, sleep good,” said Cookie Monster.

“I suppose you are right,” said Ernie.

“Don’t worry Ernie, we will find him,” said Gordon.

The Count decided he wouldn’t mind driving all night, since he preferred night time to day time anyway.

“Count, it is fine that you drive, but I, cute and furry Grover am going to go to sleep,” said Grover.

“Me too, promise me you’ll pull over if you get sleepy,” said Olivia.

“I vill, I vill, I’m going to silently count streetlights which will keep me awake for a long time,” said the Count.

Finally, Maria insisted that Oscar pull over so they could get some rest.

“I’m going to call Sesame Street first thing in the morning, because Gordon wanted everyone to check in,” said Maria.

Big Bird was already fast asleep.

“For once the turkey is silent,” muttered Oscar.

“Oscar?” said Maria.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Go to sleep!” barked Maria.

The circus performance finished up. The audience was incredibly small, there were only about 5 people. Bert actually did really well in his performance and was again regarded by his new peers. Karen came and found him when the performance was over.

“Good news, we’re staying here tonight!” she said excitedly.

“Oh! Thank you Karen!” said Bert and gave her a hug. “How did you make that work?” he asked.

“It’s not important,” she said with a far away look in her eyes, “Now hurry off to bed, get some rest while you can and we’ll do our best to stall him in the morning.”

Bert wandered away towards his tent but couldn’t help worrying about Karen. Something was wrong and he wanted to find out. He decided to go back and talk to her.

He found her sitting on a chair inside the circus tent.

“Karen?” he asked.
“Bert!? What are you doing up?” asked Karen.

“Please tell me what’s wrong, you’ve helped me, let me help you,” said Bert.

“I don’t think I should,” said Karen sadly.

“Really, you can trust me,” said Bert.

“Ok,” said Karen. She told him her entire sad story.

“How can you let him get away with this?” asked Bert.

“I signed a contract like you did and I don’t want to go to jail like James. I miss him so much though,” sighed Karen.

“We’re going to figure something out. Let’s get everyone together and turn this around on Al!” said Bert.

“I don’t know. I don’t think it will be that easy,” said Karen.

“Where I come from we work as a team, it’s called cooperation. We can get everyone to help!” said Bert.

“Ok, let’s do it!” said Karen. They ran off to find as many circus performers as they could while Al was sound asleep in his trailer.

Meanwhile, the police were closing in on the area around the circus, but were having difficulty finding it. It looked like it would be up to the gang from Sesame Street to find Bert first.

 

[TogetherAgain]

<gasp>
wow!
YAY FOR COOPERATION!
And Karen is sooooooooooooo nice, I mean, she.......
oh WOW!
Please excuse me while I attempt to find a way to vocalize what I'm thinking.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Ok, I think I'm collected now. Here's approximately what I was trying to say: Karen is absolutely awesome, and so insanely self-sacrificing, it's incredible. (insane is a good thing.) In fact, she reminds me of a character in my fan-fic...
voice inside my head: You have fan-fic?
well, I mean I don't have anything written down yet. I mean I'll post it eventually, but I kind of need to figure out how it starts first...
voice inside my head: Yeah, I guess that would come in handy.
Yeah. Anyway, I was saying- why are you staring at me? What, don't you talk to the voices in your head? What do you mean you don't have voices inside your head? Everybody has voices inside their head!
Anyway. Where was I? ... oh well.
More please.