Chap. 7: A few days later, Lips and Zoot were alone in Lips' room in the Muppet Boarding House. Zoot had his hand on Lips' abdomen. He still couldn't believe that he got his boyfriend pregnant with his child. As shocking as it was, he couldn't wait for the baby to be born. Kermit explained the situation to the other Muppets about Lips being pregnant.
Some Muppets thought Kermit was joking, like Clifford, Fozzie, and Delores.
Some Muppets were really excited, not caring how it happened, like Robin the Frog, Annie Sue, and Spamela Hamderson.
Some were curious about how this happened and wanted to know how it did, mainly Bunsen Honeydew.
Some Muppets were shocked by this, knowing there was in no way it was possible, like Sam the Eagle, Zondra, and Pepe the King Prawn.
After a few days, everyone got used to the idea of a new baby coming to the theater, even if it was going to be born from a man.
"Well, this was a really exciting week," Lips stated.
"Yeah, crazy," Zoot agreed. "So…did you have any names in mind for the kid?"
"Well, it will be a while until we can learn the gender of our baby, but I don't see why we can't come up with names now," Lips said with a grin.
He went over to his desk and grabbed a notebook and pen. "Okay, who wants to come up with names first?" he asked.
"You can go first," Zoot said.
"Okay…Louis for a boy and Luanne for a girl," Lips suggested.
"Cool, let's see…Charlie for a boy and…Bessie for a girl," Zoot said.
"Bessie? As in Bessie Smith, that famous jazz lady? And Charlie as in Charlie Parker, I like them," Lips said.
"Well, you suggested Louis after Louis Armstrong, so I thought I'd come up with some names after famous people of jazz, but who's Luanne?" Zoot asked.
"Luanne Homzy, a musician my sister likes. She does classical, jazz, and world music on a violin," Lips explained.
"I'm not so keen on violinists most of the time, but if she performs jazz, I'm good with it," Zoot said. "You're turn."
"Okay, for a girl…Ella after Elle Fitzgerald and…Duke as in Duke Ellington for a boy," Lips said.
"Billie for a girl, after Billie Holiday, and King, after King Oliver," Zoot said.
"How about Fats after Fats Waller," Floyd suggested from outside the door.
"Or Dinah after, like, Dinah Washington," Janice's voice threw in.
"Or John, as in Dr. John," Dr. Teeth added.
"ART! ART BLAKEY!" Animal shouted.
"Have you been listening in?" Lips asked.
"The entire time, yes," Walter's voice admitted. "Name the kid Stevie after Stevie Wonder!"
"Or Ray after Ray Charles," Rowlf's voice said.
"Or Richard after Little Richard," Scooter suggested.
"Guys, we can come up with names on our own!" Zoot hollered.
"What was the one Scooter said? Richard?" Lips asked, writing down the other names.
"You're putting them on the list?" Zoot asked.
"Well yeah, they're not bad," Lips said. "Even you got to admit, some of those names are good!"
"…Yeah, I did like some of those names," Zoot admitted.
"I have one!" Annie Sue shouted.
"What is it?" Lips asked.
"Mari, after Mari McNeil. She's a jazz singer," Annie Sue stated.
"I like that one," Lips said, adding it to the list.
"Don't you guys have anything better to do?" Zoot asked, wanting him and Lips to be left alone.
Within moments, there were thousands of footsteps, and all the other Muppets had gone away from the door.
"Well, now they're gone. Got any more name ideas?" Zoot asked.
"I have one for a boy, but not for a girl," Lips said.
"And I have one for a girl," Zoot stated.
"Okay, we'll say it at the same time and we'll see if they're good," Lips said. "On count of three…one…two…three!"
Zoot said, "Ethel after Ethel Waters." And Lips said, "Zachariah after Zachariah Hickman."
Then, both men said, "We can't name the baby that" followed by a shocked "Why not?"
"Why can't we name the baby Zachariah if it's a boy? Is it because the musician I named him is a bassist?" Lips asked.
"No, the name's already taken in my family," Zoot explained.
"Really? Who is it?" Lips asked, curious since Zoot never mentioned his family before.
"I have an older brother named Zachariah," Zoot stated.
"I didn't know you have a brother," Lips said, surprised.
"Well, nobody knew you had a sister," Zoot said with a smirk. "Now tell me why we can't name the baby Ethel."
"Ethel's…my mother's name," Lips said softly.
"Oh, really? I didn't know that…wait, is she-?" Zoot started to ask when Lips cut him off saying, "She's alive, but the problem is that she knew I could get pregnant. She always told me to take birth control pills whenever I was dating someone, just in case the relationship got that far. Well, I'm worried that if she finds out, she'll blow up at me." Lips seemed to tremble a little and dropped his notebook and pen.
Zoot went over to him and hugged him. "Calm down, Lips. I don't think it'll be good for the baby," he said soothingly.
"Okay," Lips said.
A few weeks later, Lips was showing more. His bump wasn't very big, but it was visible. Zoot enjoyed rubbing his hand on it, because it reminded him that he was going to be a father soon. Janice and Lisa also put their hands on the bump, because they were also excited. Everything seemed calm in the theater until after a rehearsal of a song.
"Well, that's a wrap for today guys! We got the rest of the evening off," Kermit announced.
"Thank goodness, my fingers hurt from strumming my guitar so fast," Janice said, blowing on her sore fingertips.
"Do you think that was our best?" Walter asked, wanting to know.
"Well, I thought it was good, but that's only my opinion," a voice from above said.
"Thanks, whoever said that," Walter said, happily.
Then, he stopped in his tracks, looked around, trying to figure out who said that. After no luck of locating the person, the Muppet screamed in terror.
"Walter! What happened?" Lisa asked.
"There's a ghost in the theater!" Walter shouted.
"We've always been here," one of the Muppet ghosts said, laughing.
"No! Not you guys! It was someone else! I heard it from above!" Walter exclaimed.
"Well, it's not a ghost, but I think I know who it was," Clifford said.
"Who was it then?" Rizzo the Rat asked the Rastafarian.
Clifford outstretched his arms, looked up at the ceiling, and said dramatically, "God."
"Really!" Walter gasped, looking up at the ceiling.
"God watches our show! That could explain why I survive all my stunts!" Gonzo added.
"Do you think he likes my jokes?" Fozzie wondered out loud.
"I think Clifford was just joking," Delores snickered.
"You're not a believer!" Pepe snapped.
"Yeah, I just wanted to get a reaction from you guys," Clifford said, laughing. "But I am a believer. My old man was a preacher."
"Well, then who was it talking a few moments ago?" Kermit asked, looking around, trying to locate the source of the voice.
"Up here!" a voice hollered.
"He's on the stage. Where the ceiling lights are!" Skeeter exclaimed, pointing up at the stage.
All the Muppets looked where the girl pointed to see a man was up there. He had somewhat green skin, dark blue hair, and a yellow-green nose. He was wearing a tan jacket that was buttoned up, a yellow scarf, a gray hat, blue jeans, and white shoes. He also had brown frames sunglasses.
"Oh god…" Zoot muttered, sounding annoyed.
The stranger leapt down from the lights and landed perfectly on his feet.
"Hey Zoot, long time no see," the mystery man greeted the saxophonist.
"Zoot, you know this guy?" Rizzo asked the Muppet.
"Yeah…" Zoot said through gritted teeth.
"Of course he knows me, I'm his older brother, Zachariah," man said.
"You're Zachariah?" Lips asked. "Zoot mentioned you once."
"Really? He mentioned me? You mentioned me?" Zachariah asked Zoot.
Zoot nodded.
"So you're Zoot's brother, huh?" Kermit said, walking up to the new person. "What brings you to the Muppet Theater? Just so you know, if you intend to ask for free tickets for this week's show because you're related to Zoot, it won't happen. It wouldn't be fair to the rest of the audience."
"No, actually, I just quit my last job," Zachariah stated.
"Please don't ask what I think you're going to ask," Zoot prayed in his mind.
"Can I get a job here?" Zach asked.
"Darn," Zoot muttered.
"Well, there's the backstage crew, but unless you have any talents, you can't perform in the show," Kermit explained.
"I can play soprano saxophone," Zachariah stated.
"Looks like saxophones run in the family," Dr. Teeth said.
Zoot ignored the comment.
"Well, we already got a saxophonist," Kermit explained. "But we could use you for some performances, but until we do, you can do some odd jobs around the theater."
"You can start with helping me and Pepe with these boxes," Rizzo said as he and the King Prawn lifted a box of props and struggled to carry it off of the stage and into the prop room.
"Okay," Zachariah said, climbing onto the stage.
"Your brother's not so bad. Why did you act like you hate him?" Lips asked Zoot.
"You'll see probably," Zoot stated.
Onstage, Rizzo and Pepe found a box they could lift and started to walk away.
"So Zachariah, where did you work before?" Rizzo asked.
"Oh, I helped out in an old theater in the old part of Hollywood. I met some celebrities while there," Zach stated.
"Oh, well…one time, I slept on a hammock outside in the rain, okay," Pepe stated.
"…Why did you do that?" Zachariah asked.
"In case I ever heard a story like that and wanted to top it. Topped okay," Pepe stated. "Now give us a hand here."
"Okay," Zachariah said before clapping his hands, shouting, "Come on, Rizzo and Pepe! You can do it!"
Rizzo and Pepe stopped in their tracks and glared at him.
"We appreciate the moral support, but seriously! Help us with these boxes!" Rizzo snapped.
"I was just joking," Zachariah said, as he picked up some boxes. He glanced at Pepe before entering the prop room and said, "By the way, topped."
"See," Zoot said.
"Okay, so your brother is a little bit of a jerk," Lips said. "So?"
"Wait till you see him later," Zoot muttered.
"Hey, does he know about…us?" Lips whispered into the saxophonist's ear.
"No," Zoot said.
"Why not?" Lips asked.
"I never got around to it since the guy kept breaking his phone due to all those acrobatics he does," Zoot explained.
"Well, you can tell him now, I mean, he is going to be an uncle soon," Lips said.
Zoot became silent.
At the Muppet Boarding, Zachariah was going to stay in one of the attics for the night until the other Muppets can figure out where he'll stay. Zoot went up to see him trying to fix himself a bed.
"Hey Zoot. Come up to give me a proper hello?" Zachariah asked.
"No, I came to tell you some things," Zoot said.
"Really? Been a while since we've spoken about our lives. The last time we talked, you told me you were in a relationship with a gal named Janice," Zachariah stated.
Zoot twitched at the mention of that; he bragged to his brother about him getting a good looking girlfriend and about him getting a girlfriend before his brother did, and a week later, he and Janice split, which ruined the bragging to Zachariah.
"So, you still with her?" Zach asked, curious.
"Ye-no," Zoot admitted. "We broke up a week after I told you."
"Oh man! And after all that bragging you did to tick me off! It actually worked!" Zach laughed.
"Yeah, well, I have someone new now," Zoot said.
"You're lying!" Zach exclaimed.
"Yeah, we got together during season 5 of the Muppet and we've been taking it steady for a few years. I think this one might be the one," Zoot stated.
"Really? Who is it?" Zachariah wanted to know.
"Um…you know that trumpet guy with the blonde hair? And the goatee?" Zoot asked.
Zachariah looked at his brother, full of suspicion and confusion. "Yeeeeaaaahhhh, why?" he asked.
"Him." Zoot said.
"What?"
"Him, I'm with him," Zoot explained.
Zachariah looked at his brother, his face full of shock. "Zoot…what are you trying to tell me?" he asked flatly.
"I'm trying to tell you that I'm in love with a guy," Zoot explained.
"Zoot…are you gay?" Zach asked still talking flatly, full of shock and a tad bit of horror.
"Technically I'm bisexual, but I guess in a sense I am…why?" Zoot asked, worried about his brother's reaction.
Within seconds, Zoot was flung out of the attic and crashed into the floor onto his face, cracking his sunglasses in the process.
"Whoa! What happened up there?" Floyd asked, seeing everything. Zachariah shut the door to the attic.
"I told my brother about me and Lips…I don't think he liked it," Zoot explained.
"You don't say," Rizzo said, who had also witnessed the entire throwing scenario.
"Well, he'll understand one day," Dr. Teeth said. "Just give him time."
Zoot said nothing and went up to his room. "Man, he wrecked my shades," Zoot muttered.
He opened one of his drawers where there was a silver money box labeled "Spare Shades". He put the box on the dresser and opened it, revealing various pairs or sunglasses, all really similar. He searched through the box until he found a good pair and took them out. He set them on a nightstand, where he opened the drawer, revealing a small dark blue box and removed it from the drawer. He opened it revealing various glasses cases, each with a note on it. He grabbed a new glasses case from a shelf where he took off his broken shades and put them in the case.
Then he grabbed a notepad and wrote on it, "Broke when my brother, Zachariah, threw me out of the attic after I came out to him about me and Lips."He sighed stuck the note on it with a piece of tape.
"Hey, I heard what happened," Zoot heard Lips' voice say. He looked at the doorway to see the trumpeter standing there, watching him.
"What are you doing?" Lips asked as he walked into the room and shut the door.
"Oh, I'm just putting these busted sunglasses to rest," Zoot explained as he put the glasses case in the blue box, which he put back in the nightstand.
"Why don't you just throw them out?" Lips asked, confused.
Zoot shrugged, "I don't know. I keep them just in case they'll become valuable one day. That, and they're interesting memories on how each broke, like being flung from the attic my your older brother because he doesn't like the idea of you being gay or bi," Zoot explained. "It could be a good story to tell the kid."
Zoot smiled as he put his hand on Lips' abdomen, where he felt his slightly swollen tummy, and rubbed it affectionately. Lips smirked at his lover and put his hands over Zoot's. The couple then kissed for a few moments.
When they parted, Lips said, "You know…I've never seen you without your sunglasses before."
Zoot realized he hadn't put his new pair on yet and that his eyes were revealed. They were white with black pupils, just like any other Muppet, and they were half-open like Fozzie's, but he looked somewhat tired with them.
"You don't look bad without the shades," Lips stated with a smile.
"Well, there's a reason why I wear the shades," Zoot stated.
"What's that?" Lips had to know.
"My eyes always look like I'm about to fall asleep, even I'm not, and a lot of people I knew in the past thought that," Zoot explained.
"Ah," Lips said.
Zoot grabbed his new shades and put them on.
"Well, it's time we got some sleep, it's been a long day," Zoot stated.
"What about Zachariah?" Lips asked.
"Like Doc said, he'll understand one day, we just got to give him time," Zoot said. "So…do you plan on sleeping with me tonight or going back to your room?" Zoot asked.
Lips smirked at his boyfriend, "I think I'll stay with you tonight."
Zoot grinned.
Well, Zoot's brother, Zachariah is now in the Muppet crew, but he doesn't seem to like the idea of Zoot liking Lips. In the next chapter, another new character is going to come into the picture. Who will it be?
I own Lisa and Zachariah
Jim Henson owns Muppets
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