Summer In The Theater

[Just J]

Oh no ... busted! But will Kermit be grateful or angry with his wee nephew, and with everyone else?

 

[theprawncracker]

Great Chapter Lisa! I loved the song and the rainbow! But if that figure sets foot inside that theatre I'll...I'll...I don't know what I'll do, but it won't be pretty!

 

[TogetherAgain]

Warning.
The following cliff-hanger is not for the faint of heart.
Before you read, remember that I do not know when I will be able to post the next chapter.
I do know it will take longer than a human being can go without breathing.
If you do not think you can handle this cliff-hanger, Do Not Read.
Wait until I have posted the next chapter.
If you think you can handle this cliff-hanger, be my guest.
But consider yourself warned.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter twenty-three

The room had fallen into complete silence. Rowlf had stopped playing the piano. Conversations had stopped mid-sentence. No one made a sound.

Robin shifted nervously under Kermit’s gaze, fighting himself with his thoughts. They had worked so hard to keep the money and the letter a secret. But how could he lie to his uncle? He looked at the other faces in the room, pleading for help with his eyes. But they couldn’t help him. They watched, wondering what he would do. The silence was growing unbearable for the young frog. Finally he turned and looked his uncle straight in the eyes.

“Yes, Uncle Kermit,” he said, sounding ashamed. “I wrote the letter.”

Kermit stared at his nephew, amazed. “But... then...” he struggled with his words. “... The money...”

Fozzie came and stood near Robin, fumbling with his hat. “That was all of us, Kermit,” he said.

Kermit looked around at all of his friends, baffled and amazed. “But... but...” he tried to say. “...How?”

“Well Boss,” Scooter said as he approached, “Remember those pay cuts you wouldn’t give us?”

“But...” Kermit said, “That wasn’t enough for five thousand dollars.” He turned to Miss Piggy. “Your ring...”

She nodded. “Moi pawned it.”

He stared at her for a moment before turning to Fozzie. “And your joke book...”

“We sold it in the yard sale,” Fozzie said.

“Yard sale?” Kermit repeated.

“When you went to see Officer Dakota,” Robin said.

“That wasn’t all, either,” Rowlf said.

Clifford came and leaned up against the piano. “That’s right,” he said. “We had a car wash, a bake sale, sold lemonade...”

“I did a new act on a street corner!” Gonzo said.

“Don’t remind me,” Rizzo muttered.

“Si, we all helped, okay,” Pepe said.

Kermit looked around. Of course, he thought. It’s OUR theater. This is their dream, too.

“Moi was wondering when vous would figure it out, Kermie,” Miss Piggy said.

“Yeah, we thought you’d have us in no time, man,” Floyd said.

“Fer sure,” Janice said. “I mean like, you know us, like, rully well, and we like, weren’t rully acting like us.”

“Yeah Kermit,” Gonzo said. “Didn’t you think it was kinda weird that none of us really tried to get you out of your room?”

“Well Gonzo look around,” Kermit said. “What here is not weird?”

A few of them chuckled.

“Seriously, Kermit,” Fozzie said. “We wouldn’t leave you like that. You know we wouldn’t.”

“That’s why we put all the money together,” Rowlf said.

“Mm-hm,” Miss Piggy said. “We needed to bring you back.”

Kermit was stunned. “You... you did all this, for... for me?” They nodded. He sat on the piano bench, perplexed.

Robin watched his uncle. He hopped off the piano. When Kermit was disappointed in Robin, he gave his nephew A Look. Now Robin gave his uncle that same Look, and shook his head. “Uncle Kermit,” he said. He climbed into his uncle’s lap and started to sing.

“If just one person
Believes in you,
Deep enough, and strong enough,
Believes in you,
Hard enough, and long enough,
Before you knew it
Someone else would say,
If he can do it, I can do it.”

Rowlf started to play the song on his piano as Fozzie joined in.

“Making it two whole people,
Who believe in you.
Deep enough, and strong enough,
Believe in you.
Hard enough, and long enough-
There’s bound to be some
Other person who believes
In making it a threesome.”

Miss Piggy joined the song.

“Making it three
People you can say,
Believe in me.”

Then Gonzo joined.

“And if three whole people,
Why not four?”

Scooter joined.

“And if four whole people,
Why not more?”

Clifford, Rowlf, and the Electric Mayhem sang along.

“And more?”

Johnny, Sal, Pepe, Rizzo, and all the rats and penguins joined in.

“And more!”

Then everyone but Kermit was singing.

“And when all those people
Believe in you
Deep enough, and strong enough,
Believe in you
Hard enough, and long enough,
It stands to reason-“

Kermit smiled and joined his family in song.

“You yourself will start to see
What everybody sees in you.
And maybe even you...
Can believe in you...
Too...!”

Rowlf played the final chords of the song and looked at the two frogs beside him. Kermit was smiling. He hugged his nephew and took a good look at everyone in the room. “Thank you,” he said. “All of you.”

Miss Piggy took her frog by the hand. Fozzie put his hand on his best friend’s back. Everyone was smiling.

A voice came from the back of the room. “Kermit?”

The crowd parted, and Kermit found himself looking straight at Uncle Deadly.

“About the robber,” the phantom said. “There is something that you need to see. Now.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

As soon as Uncle Deadly had opened the door to leave the room, they had been hit with the smell of lighter fluid. Kermit had stepped through the doorway and had immediately known that the floor was soaked with it, and the same was probably true with the walls.

He followed Uncle Deadly, not even realizing that he was running. He didn’t think at all. He didn’t notice that everyone was following them through the dark theater. But somehow, he knew they were beside him.

They ran through the backstage area, the empty audience, and found themselves at the doors to the lobby. Uncle Deadly spun around and motioned for silence. Kermit quietly opened the lobby door.

A dark figure of a person poured the remaining contents of a can of lighter fluid onto the carpet. It added the empty can to a huge stack of them in the corner. It walked to the front door, stopped, faced into the dark building. Then it lit a match.

“HEY!” Kermit shouted.

The figure looked up, startled, with its arm fully extended, holding the burning match out towards the source of the voice.

Kermit could feel the figure’s eyes, watching him.

The Muppets were horrified.

They were terrified.

They watched the figure.

It let go of the burning match.

 

[Skeeter Muppet]

...

...

...oh [CENSORED]!!!!


-Kim

 

[G-MAN]

(Just stands there, mouth agape with horror)

 

[TogetherAgain]

I warned you.

But don't worry. The next and last chapter, our happily ever after ending, is coming right up.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter twenty-four

The match fell.

Gonzo jumped through the air, his hands outstretched.

The figure turned to leave.

The monsters lunged towards the figure.

Someone turned on the lights.

Gonzo landed at the figure’s feet.

Sweetums grabbed hold of the figure.

The match landed in Gonzo’s open hand. He closed his fingers around it and was immediately on his feet.

“YEOWWWWWWWWW!” he shouted as the match scorched his hand. He caught his breath and opened his hand, looking at the now extinguished match as a little smoke rose from his burnt fur. He turned to Kermit, who was now standing beside him. “That was neat!” he said.

Kermit turned and looked at the person that Sweetums was restraining.

The figure had small, angry, brown eyes with black bushy eyebrows. Her thin mouth was pulled into a snarl. Her thick black hair was cut close to her head. Her muscles bulged through her black jumpsuit.

Kermit turned to the go-fer beside him. “Scooter?”

“I’m on it, Boss,” Scooter said, pushing through the crowd to find a phone.

Kermit looked back to the woman in black. “Who are you?” he asked.

She glared at him. “Jen Lyons,” she growled, struggling to get out of the monster’s grip. “Now let me go!”

Kermit took a step back, but she couldn’t free herself. “First tell me why,” Kermit said. “Why have you been doing this to us?”

“I had to stop it!” she shouted. “It keeps happening, every time, you, I, I had to, I...” she was crying. Sweetums wiped a tissue over her eyes. She jabbed at him with her elbow and glared at Kermit.

“Stop what?” Kermit asked.

She took a deep breath. “Everything,” she whispered. She cleared her throat. “The day that The Muppet Movie came out in theaters, my mother died in a car accident. The day The Great Muppet Caper came out, my father was murdered. With The Muppets take Manhattan, my oldest brother died of pneumonia. The Muppet Christmas Carol, my youngest brother fell and broke his neck. Muppet Treasure Island, my only other brother died of cancer. Muppets from Space, my sister committed suicide. It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, my pre-mature daughter died in my own arms. Muppet’s Wizard of Oz, my husband was killed in Iraq. You have to understand. All I have left is my son. I am not going to lose him.”

Kermit searched for the right words. “Well... well... Listen. I’m really sorry to hear about all of those things. But none of them are our fault. Those are just, really... bad coincidences. Your son is- he’s probably fine.”

In the distance, they could hear the sirens of an approaching team of squad cars.

Jen Lyons hung her head. “No,” she whispered. “He might be okay. But who would let him visit me in jail.”

Detective Keene led a dozen uniformed officers into the theater and looked around. “Looks like you folks did most of the dirty work for us,” he said. “Would you mind doing the paperwork, too?”

Sweetums gave Jen over to the police, who handcuffed her immediately.

“You are under arrest,” an officer said as he led her outside. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney...”

Detective Keene turned to Kermit. “We have to go through this place for evidence again,” he said. “And we’ll have to take a few of you down to the station. You’re not under arrest or anything, we just need to ask some of you a few questions. Namely, we need you, that big guy who was holding her, whoever called us... and a couple random people. The rest of you can go home.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

It was several long hours before Kermit finally found himself in the backseat of a cab, on the way home. He had been the last Muppet to leave the police station. The others had left at least an hour before him. He hadn’t expected it to take so long.

Finally the cab pulled up to the Muppet Boarding House. Kermit paid the driver and wearily made his way inside. It was well past midnight. After such a long day, the house was understandably dark and quiet. A single light came from the kitchen. Kermit made his way there.

Miss Piggy was sitting alone at the table with a cup of coffee. Kermit leaned against the door jam and sighed. She looked up and was pleased to see him there. “Hi Kermie,” she said quietly.

“Hi Piggy,” he said. He came and sat next to her. “Is Robin asleep?”

“Mm-hm,” she said. “He went straight to bed when we got home. I think everyone did.”

He nodded. “Good,” he said. “And Scooter and Sweetums and everyone got home alright?”

“Yes Kermie,” she said. “Everyone is home and probably fast asleep.”

“You’re still awake,” he pointed out.

She smiled a little and took his hand. “Moi thought vous could use a little company.”

He nodded. “It’s a good thing we were planning a two-week break,” he said. “It’ll probably take the police a week to go through for evidence, and then another week to clean up all the lighter fluid.” He sighed. “They want me to testify against her.”

“Will you?” she asked.

“Well... I don’t know if I can,” he said. “I mean, when she was saying those things... well, you saw her. I don’t know, Piggy. When I was at the station, I... I saw her son there, and...” He shook his head. “I don’t know, Piggy.”

“You’ll figure it out,” she said. “You always do.”

He looked her in the eyes. “Well, not always,” he said.

“You will, Kermie,” she said.

He nodded. “I hope so,” he said.

She leaned her head on his and sighed. He turned his head to her shoulder, letting himself be comforted by her presence for a moment. Then he shook his head a little, pulled himself away, and stood up. “I’m gonna go check on Robin,” he said as he pushed in his chair. “And them I’m going to bed.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “You should go to bed, too.”

“I will, Kermie,” she said.

He nodded. “Goodnight, Piggy.”

“Goodnight, Kermie.”

She watched him go upstairs, and looked at the coffee in front of her. It had been cold for a while now, and she never had actually drank any of it. Her head fell forward, and she was asleep before it hit the table.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

Kermit pushed the door to his nephew’s room open and quietly walked inside. The young frog was curled up below his window, fast asleep. Kermit knelt down and shook him gently. “Robin?” he whispered.

Robin rubbed his eyes. “Hi, Uncle Kermit,” he said.

“Robin, why aren’t you in your bed?” Kermit asked.

“Oh, because I wanted to show you,” Robin said as he stood up. “I think I found my star.”

Kermit smiled and wrapped his nephew’s hand around his. “Show me?”

Robin turned to the window and carefully guided his uncle’s hand.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You have a dream to follow. Find it, and follow it with all your heart. Don’t forget to share.​

 

[redBoobergurl]

WOW....what a great ending! I did not see that coming with the dark figure! I am in amazement! The part with Robin and Kermit at the end gave me chills, it was so beautiful! Another well written story Lisa, way to go! Can't wait for the next one!

 

[TogetherAgain]

Me either. Is it sad that I already have the preview planned out? I was planning on taking a little break from writing after this story, but now the next one is just BOILING inside of me, and it's saying LET ME OUT! GET ME ON PAPER ALREADY! So I'll have to do that before I explode or something.

Anyways, I'm glad you like this one! It sure has been a lot of fun to write. By the way, anyone want extras? Because if you'd like, I could go through, point out all the references (including the ones no one picked up on), maybe show you a couple deleted scenes... <shrug> Or I might just start on the next story. It's up to you folks.