A/N: I'll be at a family reunion this weekend, so I might be a little slow with this one and other sites, but read & review.
In the Fudo family attic...
"Sell, sell, sell, keep... Sell..." Jessica looked through her old things with Darla and put them in separate boxes.
"Are most of us going to be selling some stuff?" Darla asked.
"I outgrew most of these." Jessica said.
"Aw, come on, let me see if there's anything I'd like," Darla said as she looked at the sell pile. "Hey, there's an old band tank top in here. 'Mr. Universe'?"
"Ohh, that must have been Steven's dad's old one man band name." Jessica smiled.
"You saw that?" Darla asked.
"Yeah, you haven't heard?" Jessica replied as she decided to keep the top for nostalgia. "The Gems used to babysit me and Amethyst was my best friend."
"Sounds like you, Mom, and Dad had a lot of fun back in Beach City." Darla smiled back.
"We sure did." Jessica smiled.
"I wish I couldv'e seen it..." Darla sounded jealous.
"Aww..." Jessica cooed as she gently ruffled up her hair and laughed.
Darla then kept looking through the old stuff and took out a frog doll.
"KERMIT!" Jessica squeaked as she picked up the doll. "I thought I lost you forever~..." she then hugged the doll nice and tight.
"He must be very close to you." Darla said.
"You said it..." Jessica smiled.
Oddball came in and sniffed the frog doll curiously.
"This is Kermit the Frog." Jessica giggled.
"Kermit?" Oddball tilted her head, not knowing who that was.
"You've never heard about him?" Darla asked.
"I don't think so." Oddball replied.
"He's a Muppet." Jessica said.
"I thought he was a frog?" Oddball asked.
Jessica and Darla face-palmed.
"What?" Oddball asked.
Later on...
"Atticus, please tell me you've at least heard of the Muppets..." Jessica said to her younger brother as he was on the couch with Cherry, studying.
"Of course I have, who hasn't?" Atticus asked.
"Yeah, what do you think we are, idiots?" Cherry added.
Oddball whimpered slightly.
"What?" Cherry asked. "What'd I say?"
"Oddball's never heard of them." Jessica said.
Cherry chuckled nervously and buried her face in her book.
"Why don't we go to the Muppets Studio?" Atticus suggested.
"They still have that?" Jessica wondered.
"Yeah or at least I think." Atticus said.
Cherry put her book down and then picked up her laptop. "Muppet Studios..." she then muttered as she Googled it.
"I thought they closed it down?" Darla asked.
"We'll find out soon." Atticus said.
Cherry hummed as she found Muppets Studios. "Apparently it's closed."
"But why?" Oddball pouted.
"The Muppets broke up." Atticus said.
"Broke up!?" Oddball frowned.
"I'm having a hard time finding out why and how, but that's rather tragic." Cherry had to admit.
"I don't know why either." Atticus said.
"Well, there's only one solution," Darla said. "We go down to Muppet Studios and find out what happened."
"Or we could just mind our own business and just not get involved." Cherry replied.
The only response she got from that was the three of them looking at her, telling her otherwise.
"We're going anyway, aren't we?" Cherry asked weakly. "But how will we get there?"
"I can drive you know." Jessica defended.
"Yeah." Atticus nodded.
Cherry sighed slightly as she was in defeat.
"You can ride shotgun," Atticus offered as he texted Mo. "I don't mind riding in the back."
"So you can cuddle with Mo~" Cherry mocked.
"Maybe." Atticus blushed.
The others couldn't help but smirk to Atticus.
Patch came home through the doggy door and took a stretch. "I need a nap right-"
"HI!" Oddball tackled Patch with a goofy smile.
"Hello, Oddball." Patch chuckled.
"Are you coming with us?" Oddball smiled.
"Uh, where?" Patch replied.
"To Muppet Studios." Oddball grinned as her tail wagged out of excitement.
"Of course I am." Patch smiled.
"Yay!" Oddball cheered.
"Please get off." Patch chuckled.
"Oh, sorry, Uncle Patch." Oddball climbed off of her uncle.
"Now when are we going?" Patch asked.
"Probably later, I better tell Mom and Dad I'm taking you guys out." Jessica said to Atticus, Darla, Patch, and Oddball.
"Okay." Patch said.
Jessica then went to get her parents and Oddball followed her of course.
Cherry then told her mother what was happening and her mother sounded like she was crying. "Mom, are you okay?"
"I'm sorry, dear..." Michelle replied softly. "It just saddens me to know that the Muppets broke up... It really puts a damper on my inner child."
"Would you like to come then?" Cherry asked.
"Oh, you wouldn't want me to lug around your little adventure..." Michelle replied.
"Okay, too bad, bye, Mom." Cherry was about to hang up.
"But it would be great to see the Muppets Studio." Michelle said.
Cherry looked to the others and then sighed. "Well, all right, Mom, you can come, but I have to warn you, when I do something with Atticus, there's no such thing as ordinary anymore."
"I'll take my chances." Michelle said.
"All right, I'll give you the details when I come home later," Cherry then said and hung up on her mother. "Well, Mom's coming."
"I love your Mom's Christmas candy," Darla giggled. "I wish she made it more than once a year."
"If she did that, then they wouldn't be filled with love." Atticus said.
"I just love those truffles." Darla said.
"I know, aren't they great?" Cherry smiled back. "They're so sweet and creamy!"
"Not to mention delicious." Atticus said.
"Even I can have some." Patch agreed.
"Looks like Mom's gonna have a taste of adventure." Cherry then said.
"Yep." Atticus nodded.
"I'm so excited!" Oddball beamed. "I'm gonna meet the Muppets! Um... Can someone tell me more about them?"
"I'll take care of that." Patch decided.
"Thanks, Patch." Cherry said.
"No problem." Patch smiled.
Later on, Jessica talked with Patrick and Emily about the trip while Patch told Oddball all about the Muppets such as Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat, and even Miss Piggy with many of the others.
"They sound funny." Oddball giggled to her uncle's teaching.
"They are." Patch smiled.
"I'd love to meet them." Oddball smiled back.
"Well, let's hope for the best, kiddo." Patch gently patted her on the head.
Soon, Emily and Patrick approved them to go.
"Thanks, Mom, thanks, Dad." Jessica smiled.
"Oh, you kids and your lives." Emily ruffled up her daughter's brown hair.
"Mom!" Jessica laughed.
Emily giggled. "Sorry."
"You all better get going then." Patrick said.
"Thanks, Mom," Jessica hugged her parents. "Thanks, Dad, if Christopher comes by, tell him where we are."
"Will do, sweetie." Emily smiled.
Jessica soon went to tell the others.
"I'm surprised you know about the Muppets, Darla." Atticus said to his little sister.
"How could I not?" Darla smiled.
"I expect you to be on your best behavior for them." Atticus said.
"I will." Darla promised.
"So when can we leave?" Oddball asked.
"Whenever Jessica says." Atticus replied.
"I hope soon." Oddball said.
Jessica walked over. "Guys, the earliest we can go is 6:00 tomorrow morning."
"That sounds good." Atticus said.
"Be sure to get plenty of sleep," Jessica smiled. "To make sure of this, I've offered to make dinner tonight."
"Cool." Darla smiled back.
"I'll make whatever you guys want, what do you want?" Jessica also smiled.
"Steak and broccoli." Atticus said.
"Honey maple turkey." Darla pitched in.
"Roast beef!" Patch and Oddball cheered.
Jessica chuckled and then went to the kitchen.
"This meal is going to be delicious." Atticus said.
"I haven't been this excited since we tried to save summer vacation for Third Street School with that group of kids," Darla smiled, then looked thoughtful. "Do you think we'll ever see them again? We first met when Experiment 285 was loose."
"Maybe." Atticus said.
"Ooh, could we go for Halloween maybe?" Darla suggested.
"We'll see, kiddo," Atticus smiled to her. "Let's just focus on the Muppets for right now."
"Yeah." Patch nodded.
"Sorry, I guess I just got too excited about having my own adventures like you guys." Darla smiled sheepishly.
"It's okay." Atticus said.
Darla smiled up to him.
"Jessie, you don't have to cook, you're our guest." Emily told her college aged daughter.
"No, no, I insist." Jessica said.
"What did I do to deserve you?" Emily smiled as she kissed Jessica's cheek.
Jessica smiled back as she went to cooking.
"She has your cooking skills." Patrick smiled.
"She does me so proud," Emily sighed. "I'm so proud to have her."
"As am I." Patrick agreed.
Jessica continued to cook until she was finished. Cherry held her stomach as it started to growl.
"When was the last time you ate breakfast?" Atticus asked.
"Tuesday." Cherry replied.
Atticus narrowed his eyes. "Today's Tuesday."
"Oh, then I guess a week ago." Cherry shrugged.
"What?!" Atticus gasped.
"What what?" Cherry asked like it wasn't important.
"No wonder you're so miserable, you're just hungry!" Atticus rushed off and came back with a sandwich. "Here, eat this, it'll make you feel better."
"I'm fine, I don't need food." Cherry smiled sheepishly.
Atticus frowned to her.
Cherry gave a small frown back and suddenly ate the sandwich. "Oh, that was so good~" She then moaned with a smile.
Atticus stuck out his fingers and saw that he still had them since Cherry just chomped down on the sandwich.
"Still don't like we have to get up at 6:00 in the morning just to see Muppets." Cherry mumbled.
"You can sleep on the way?" Jessica suggested.
"I'll take what I can get." Cherry said.
"The important thing is that we get to go to the studio," Oddball beamed as her tail wagged. "I'm so excited!"
"We can tell." Jessica chuckled.
"Ooh, do you think they'll like me?" Oddball asked.
"The Muppets like everybody!" Cherry beamed before everyone stared at her from her excitement. "Erm... I-I mean... Don't worry about it, Dog, you'll be fine."
"You sure?" Oddball smiled.
"I'm sure of it," Cherry told the young Dalmatian. "...Though with Miss Piggy around, I'm not 100% sure..."
"Yeah, she can be a little critical." Atticus said.
Eventually, they had dinner which was cheeseburgers, potato chips, and mixed vegetables. Darla ate the food, but she didn't eat any vegetables.
"Darla, eat your veggies..." Atticus told his little sister.
"But I don't like them." Darla pouted.
"But veggies are exceptionally nutritious, you won't grow up big and strong if you don't eat them now." Atticus replied.
"But Cherry isn't eating hers either." Darla pouted as Cherry tried to put the vegetables into the garbage disposal without being noticed.
"Cherry!" Atticus scolded.
"Squealer." Cherry muttered towards Darla.
Darla simply shrugged.
"Why me?" Cherry groaned and she soon sat back down only to have another plate of vegetables. She then saw some spinach and picked it out since she hated it.
Darla pouted at her own vegetables and soon forced herself to eat some.
Oddball was soon going in the living room and sat on the floor, clicking the remote with her paw to turn the TV on. "Let's see what's on..." The puppy said to herself.
Patch soon laid down next to her.
Oddball clicked through many channels to find something good to watch before she stopped on what looked like a very old TV show. "What's this...?" she then wondered.
There was a border collie shown on TV who barked and seemed to spring into action like a hero to save a little boy who fell down a well.
"Ohh, this must be that old TV show named Lassie." Patch said.
"Who's Lassie?" Oddball asked her uncle.
Patch began to tell her who Lassie was. Oddball listened and looked a little inspired.
"Reminds me a lot of Thunderbolt." Patch smiled as they watched the show together.
"This must have been where they got the inspiration for his show." Oddball smiled back.
"Huh, never thought about that before..." Patch replied as they watched together.
Eventually, it was late, and everyone was getting ready for bed, but Oddball stayed with the TV as she grew to love Lassie.
"Come on, Oddball, time for bed." Jessica smiled.
"Five more minutes..." Oddball said.
"Come on, Oddball, you don't wanna be sleepy when we see The Muppets, do you?" Jessica asked.
"No... I guess not..." Oddball pouted.
"So then it's time for bed." Jessica said.
Oddball pouted, but soon yawned and stretched and soon fell asleep in her basket. Jessica smiled as she turned the TV off.