Hey! Before you read this chapter, I noticed that chapter 7 had an unnatural lack of views on it, (probably because I posted two chapter that day) and I don't want people to brush over anything and miss some stuff. So if you missed chapter 7, go read it! Enjoy!
Kermit looked at the document in front of him. He still sat at his desk, waiting for Scooter to come back with some of the others. Kermit had been thinking and overthinking a huge concept for a while, now. He thought over it so much, because it was a huge deal. But before he could move forward with it, he needed some others' approval.
Scooter then entered, with Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, and Rowlf following him.
"Here we are, chief." Scooter said.
"Kermie, is this important?" Piggy asked. "I have a hair appointment in twenty minutes."
"Well Piggy, you might need to reschedule." The frog said. "This could take a while. It actually is really important."
"What is it, Kermit?" Fozzie asked. Kermit cleared his throat.
"Everyone, take a seat." He said with seriousness in his voice. The few Muppets grabbed a seat and sat in front of Kermit's desk.
"Well gee, Kermit. Is there something wrong?" Rowlf asked.
"No, not exactly." Kermit started. "I asked you all to be here, because I trust your opinions. Also, what we are going to discuss needs to be on the down-low for a while. Until it is certain. That means only you guys know, and no one else."
"Did something happen?" Gonzo asked.
"No, nothing happened Gonzo." Kermit said. The frog leaned against his desk, looking at all of them. He lifted the paper and showed it them. They looked at it carefully, and realized what it was.
"Kermit, is that...?" Scooter started.
"Yes." The frog finished. He put the document down on his desk, again. "It's the contract I signed years ago, when The Muppet Show was being launched. Signing this, I agreed to be the leader of the Muppets, under the foundation that Jim Henson built for us. As well as submitting to an apprenticeship from Jim."
Rowlf walked over, and picked up the document. "Was there a leak in the contract, or something?"
"No, there wasn't a leak." Kermit reassured him. "Guys, I'm not gonna be around forever. And neither are any of you. Like you said Gonzo, no one is getting any younger."
His friends didn't say anything. They just continued to listen carefully.
"I know that we are still gonna be around for years. We're not going anywhere for a long, long time. But eventually, the Muppets are gonna need a new heir."
Kermit looked towards the picture of Jim. "As Jim would probably say, I'll eventually have to pass the torch to someone else. Someone younger, and a qualified leader."
Fozzie tilted his head. "Were you thinking of someone specific, Kermit?"
Kermit nodded. "Yes, Fozzie." The frog looked at them all, suspense on their faces. They were waiting for an answer.
The frog took a breath, before telling them. "I want Walter to be my apprentice."
Kermit's friends all gaped at him with surprise. Kermit was picking Walter as the future leader. That's a such a huge revelation, that they didn't even know how to react.
"Wow, Kermit..." Scooter spoke first, not knowing what else to say. "Did you ask him, yet?"
"No, I haven't." Kermit said. "That's why I gathered all of you."
Miss Piggy sat up in her seat. "We're listening, Kermie."
Kermit nodded, and continued. "Guys when I met Walter, I knew he was a true Muppet by heart. Not just from his amazing persona, but also his determination to keep the Muppets alive. And as we got to know him, I saw the real leader that he really is."
"Well, he was the one to figure out Constantine replaced you." Gonzo intervened.
"He helped save the telethon." Scooter said.
"And he's the whole reason we got back together in the first place." Kermit finished.
Rowlf nodded. "Jim would have liked Walter."
Kermit looked back the photo of Jim. "Yeah, he really would." The leader snapped back into their discussion.
"I've thought about this for a while, and now I'm certain." Kermit cleared his throat. "Walter is the future of the Muppets."
His friends all nodded, making Kermit feel relieved. He gathered them to make sure he was making the right decision. If they all agreed, he was sure Jim would, too.
"When I was Walter's age, Jim told me that one day I would have to pick an apprentice of my own." The frog explained. "To pass on the leading title to another generation. I wasn't sure how I would know who, but Jim assured me that I just would. He was right, because I do know."
Kermit hesitated for a second, before continuing to speak. "And when Jim got really sick..."
Everyone in the room tensed up.
"He told me to pass on what he had taught me and a lot more to the next heir." Kermit nodded, feeling a bit more determined. "And that's what I intend to do for Walter."
"I know that you can teach everything Jim taught you to Walter, but what did he mean by 'a lot more?'" Scooter asked.
Kermit shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think maybe giving Walter the apprenticeship in advance? When Jim hired me, I learned everything as the show went on. I'm giving the chance to let Walter be taught years in advance, before he is put in charge."
"So, what do you need us for...?" Gonzo asked, his voice sort of quiet.
"I don't plan on telling Walter this for a while. Not until we've planned it through, and have built a sturdy foundation. I chose to tell you five, because I trust your instincts."
His friends all nodded.
"I'm officially making this a committee. We'll call it...the Jim Henson Committee."
"JHC." Rowlf abbreviated.
"And until this is brought up with anyone else, we don't tell anyone." Kermit said, firmly. "None of the other Muppets, definitely no press, and no one tells Walter."
Gonzo looked towards Fozzie. "That means you, fury boy."
Fozzie looked at Gonzo. "What am I gonna do?"
"You spill secrets way too easily!" Piggy said. "Especially to the press."
"Yeah, remember when you told the paparazzi that shoplifting rumour about Miss Piggy?" Scooter said.
"I forgot about that!" Piggy said, starting to shake with anger.
"Guys, guys!" Kermit said, trying not to start a weird fight. "Can we please focus? Just, no one tell anyone about it. Especially Walter. This is all about him, anyway."
"Kermit?" Fozzie asked. "What about Lily?"
Kermit hesitated, he sort of forgot about her for a second. "What about her?"
"I mean none of us have really met her except you, but what if she..." Fozzie drifted off.
"What if she what, Fozzie?" Kermit asked. Fozzie looked back at the frog.
"Sorry, there was a fly. I got distracted. What was I just saying...?"
Kermit sighed, and shook his head."Don't worry, I don't think whatever it was about her would be a problem."
"I don't know, Kermit." Gonzo said. "I mean, Walter was so distracted with texting her and just being with her. Maybe she might distract him from wanting this job."
The frog looked at his friend, unconvinced. "Gonzo, that's ridiculous. They just started a relationship, of course they always want to see each other."
"But she use to live in New York, right?" The Muppet continued, "what if she moves back, and Walter wants to follow her?"
"Guys, don't worry." Kermit assured them. "Have you met Walter? I don't think he'd give up on the Muppets so easily. Also, Lily moved to L.A. for a reason. You really think she'd want to move back across the country, again?"
"Well, maybe not." Rowlf stepped in. "But if Walter really likes her, she'll probably be around a lot. If this is a huge thing for Walter to take on, you'll probably want his full-time attention, Kermit."
Kermit picked up the contract and slipped it into his desk drawer where Walter's photo of his dad still was. "Well Rowlf, that's not up for us to control. If Walter's happy with Lily, we shouldn't be concerned. I'm not worried, she's a nice girl."
His friends nodded, willingly listening to their leader.
"Okay, so what's next?" Scooter asked.
"I'll call a new meeting soon." Kermit said. "More importantly, I'm gonna get a new version of the contract made. One that's specified to Walter agreeing to an apprenticeship with me. When I have it, you guys can look it over and tell me if there's any concerns."
"Got it, Kermit." Rowlf said. The rest started to pile out of the office, but Miss Piggy stayed behind. She looked towards Kermit, his gaze dropped down to his note pad. He was distracted, writing some notes.
Miss Piggy walked up to is desk. "Kermie? Are you okay?"
Kermit looked up from his notes, and put his pen down. "Yeah, I'm okay Piggy..."
"Are you sure?"
Kermit tilted his head, uncertain. "I mean, this isn't too fast is it? Is it too much to put on Walter?"
Piggy sighed, not sure how to answer. "I don't know. But, you can always give him time to think..." She reached out and held Kermit's hand. Kermit smiled.
"Thanks, Piggy..." He held her hand back, and looked back at the photo of Jim. "I think Jim would agree that this is the right decision."
"That was when I fell off my bike." Walter said, looking through a photo album. Him and Lily sat on Lily's couch, in her apartment. They were looking through old photos from when they were kids.
"How old were you then?" Lily asked, looking at the album Walter was holding. She clasped her arm onto his, sitting closer to him.
"I think maybe eight. I remember, because this was a few weeks before I turned nine. I had that scab on my knee for a long time." Walter reminisced. Lily chuckled warmly, and leaned her head against Walter's. Walter accepted her affectionate action, and leaned his head too.
"Do you want more to drink?" Lily asked.
"Sure." Walter responded. Lily picked up their two glasses from the coffee table, and went to her kitchen. While she was in there, Walter continued to look through the album, seeing a bunch of old photos he recognized. He then felt his phone buzz in his back pocket, and he picked it up.
Guess who. The text wrote. It was from a unknown number. Walter looked at the text with uncertainty, and wrote back.
Sorry, I think you have the wrong number.
"Do you want more ice?" Lily called from her kitchen. Walter looked towards where she called down the hall, and back at his phone.
Actually, I don't. The unknown number said back.
"Walter? Do you want more ice...?" Lily continued to call.
"Uh...yes please, Lil!" Walter said, not taking his eyes off his phone.
Who is this? He texted, feeling worried. There was no response for a while. Walter kept shifting his head from his phone to the living room entrance, waiting for Lily to walk in. If she saw the frantic look on his face, she would know something was up.
Doesn't matter. See ya, kid. The unkown texted, just in time for Lily to come back.
"Everything okay?" She asked, setting their glasses down on the table. She sat next to Walter.
"Yup, just...texting Gary." Walter lied. He didn't know who or what those texts were. But, he wasn't gonna be concerned with it now. Him and Lily continued to talk, and just be happy.
Probably just a mistake. Walter thought to himself.
One of the evil escaped men from the Gulag put his phone in his back pocket. The two men were in a dark room of a cabin, waiting for what they ordered.
"Don't mess with the boy's head, too much." One of the men said, with a thick Russian accent. "We don't want him to expect us."
"Don't worry."The other reassured. "He couldn't even guess who I was."
Just then, the cabin door opened. Another shady looking man entered, wearing a trench coat. He didn't speak a word, and merely just walked up to the men. He gave them both a dirty look.
"Payment, first." He said. One of the men gave a snarl, and threw him the wad of cash and cigars.
"Now, our part of the bargain." One of the prisoners said, walking up to him. The man with the trench coat reached into his big pocket and pulled out an envelope.
"Fake IDs, Passports, and American money. Enough to get you where you want to go." He tossed the envelope at them, and they looked inside. Yep, it was all there.
"Perfect." One said. "Now get out of here before we take your payment, too." The man with the coat merely raised an eyebrow at the two men, and just walked out of the room. The men looked back at the envelope of goods. One of them grinned a disturbing smile.
"One step closer to eliminating that Muppet boy. That Walter..."