Two more months went by and Lips was officially 9 months pregnant. Zoot seemed a little nervous every day, mainly because he didn't know when the baby would come and he didn't want it to come at the worst possible time, but Lips kept telling him it was just a week from then and nothing would happen, but Rowlf warned the couple that it's rare that babies are born on the due date, but Lips still said it would be okay.

One evening in the dressing room before a show, Zoot was pacing around, and he looked nervous.

At one point, Lips entered. "Hey Zoot, you alright?" the trumpeter asked the saxophonist. "Never seen you so nervous about a show before."

"It's not about the show, it's about the baby. What if it does come early, and during the show?" Zoot asked.

"Zoot, I've told you at least a hundred times; don't worry about it. Everything will be okay," Lips said holding his husband's hand.

Zoot sighed, "Sorry, it's just that I'm worried is all."

"It's okay, man," Lips said hugging his husband. "It's okay."

Zoot hugged Lips for a few moments until both men felt something. Lips took a step back and felt the bump to feel the baby kicking.

"Mari's kicking," Lips giggled.

Zoot felt his abdomen to feel his daughter's kicks as well. "So she is," the Muppet said with a grin.

The couple kissed before leaving the dressing room.

Later, at least 10 minutes into the show, Lips began to feel some odd cramps in his abdomen, but he ignored them since they didn't bother him too much. Zoot seemed to notice and started to get nervous again. At one point during a performance with the guest star and the orchestra, Lips felt like he could barely stand, which has never happened before. Delores and Janice kept whispering to him if he was okay and he nodded, even though the girls could tell that he wasn't.

After the performance and the orchestra went backstage, Zoot went up to Lips. "Okay, something is definitely wrong," he told Lips.

"It's okay Zoot. I'll be fine. It's probably nothing," Lips assured his lover.

"Lips, I really do think we need to get you to a doctor," Zoot said. "I think you might be in labor."

"Zoot, if I was in labor, I would be in a lot more pain than this," Lips stated.

"Don't you think we should go just in ca-," Zoot started to say when Lips snapped, "I SAID I WAS FINE!"

"Whoa…" Zoot muttered, taking a step back.

Lips took a deep breath and said, "Sorry, I don't know where that came from. Anyway, the Electric Mayhem goes on next. I need to be here."

"…Okay," Zoot said reluctantly.

The band went onstage to perform and the cramps in Lips' abdomen have stopped. He was glad otherwise it'd distract him from playing the trumpet. The guest star [of some sort, I don't know who it is!] went onstage and started to sing a song.

Lips played the trumpet with ease until he felt something in his abdomen. He ignored it and kept playing until he felt water come out of him. Lips jumped and stopped playing his trumpet to see what happened.

Zoot stopped playing as well and looked at Lips with terrified eyes. The audience seemed to notice the panic from the trumpeter and saxophonist. Animal snuck offstage and pulled the lever that closed the curtains.

"What's going on?" the guest star asked the band.

"Nothing! Just go up to your dressing room," Zoot insisted, not wanting the star to get involved.

The guest did as told and went up to her dressing when Kermit entered backstage from the canteen.

"What happened? Why'd you stop the performance?" Kermit asked.

Lips leaned against a crate and groaned, "My water broke."

Zoot went over to his husband and gently rubbed his abdomen, trying to soothe the pain. "We got to get Lips to a hospital and fast!" he exclaimed as Lips groaned more.

"Kermit! We got a problem," Floyd said, as he and Janice ran in from outside.

"What is it?" the frog asked the bassist and guitarist.

"Well, we were like, starting the bus so we could take Lips to the hospital and it wouldn't, like, go!" Janice explained.

"Take Fozzie's Studebaker," Kermit suggested.

"We did! The engine was dead in that one too!" Floyd stated.

"This is bad! Lips is about to have the baby and there's no way to get to a hospital!" Zoot said.

"Take Lips to dressing room 3. Nobody is in there. Janice, Floyd, see if either of you can find Dr. Honeydew. We might need his help," Kermit stated.

Zoot nodded, picked Lips and carried him off to the dressing room. Janice and Floyd ran to find the scientist. A few minutes later, Zoot had gotten Lips comfortable on a sofa and was now holding his husband's hand. Very soon, Zoot was going to become a father and he was freaking out more than ever!

"Please let it all go well," he prayed.

At that point, Rowlf in his Dr. Bob uniform entered the room.

"Rowlf? What are you doing here?" Zoot asked.

"Helping people give birth wasn't part of Dr. Honeydew's field, but it is part of mine. I have a PhD. I can help you," the dog explained.

"Okay, but try to make a wisecrack through all this and I'll slap you! I'm not in the mood for jokes right now!" Lips snarled through the pain.

"Hey, that's animal abuse to threaten an animal. Anyway, I'll just help you get ready to give birth," Rowlf said.

Meanwhile onstage, Kermit was introducing the next act when Janice ran onstage.

"Janice, what is it? Can't it wait backstage?" Kermit asked the valley girl.

"Sorry Kermit, just came up here to warn you if the screams get, like, too loud," Janice explained.

"I doubt I'll be able to hear them," Kermit said.

Then, the frog, Janice and the audience heard Lips scream in agony.

"And I can hear them. Is the door shut?" Kermit asked.

"Yeah, but it's still a little loud," Janice said.

"Good grief," Kermit groaned.

Then another scream rang out, making everyone jump.

Backstage, Miss Piggy ran out of her dressing room and shouted, "Who's screaming!?"

"Lips is, he's giving birth," Scooter explained.

"Lips is in labor? Here? Why didn't he and Zoot go to a hospital like normal people?" Miss Piggy asked, annoyed.

"The vehicles wouldn't start," Scooter stated.

"Great, looks like we'll be stuck with those screams for the rest of the show. That brat had better come out of Lips soon!" Piggy snapped, storming into her dressing room.

In dressing room 3, Lips was gripping Zoot's hand as he tried to push their daughter out. It was very painful for him since it was the first time he ever bore a child.

"Zoot…the next time you want a kid…we're adopting!" Lips snapped.

"Sounds good," Zoot said, as he felt pain in his hand. He hoped he could still play saxophonist after this scenario.

Lisa was nearby, dabbing a towel on Lips's forehead and face, wiping off the sweat and tears Lips was shedding.

Zachariah was on the far side of the room and he muttered, "I'm never having kids."

Near the end of the show, the baby was very close to coming out.

"You're doing great, Lips. Only a few more pushes," Zoot said soothingly to his partner.

"G-good," Lips whimpered as he pushed for what seemed like the hundredth time that night.

Finally, after three more pushes, there was the cry of an infant.

"Congratulations, it's a girl!" Rowlf exclaimed.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Lips cried.

He released Zoot's hand, causing Zoot to collapse to the ground, due to the stress from earlier.

"Oh man…" he muttered.

"You should have had a boy, Lips," Zachariah said.

"Why's that?" Lips asked as Rowlf washed the crying infant in a metal tub Animal and Floyd brought up for him to use.

"Then there'd be at least one man in the family," Zachariah snickered, pointing at Zoot passed out on the floor.

"Oh come on, Lips was crushing his hand. It's a good reason to pass out," Lisa defended Zoot.

"Whatever you say. I am going to hold this over him for years," Zachariah said.

"You won't if you want to be in one piece later," Zoot said, struggling to his feet.

Rowlf wrapped the newborn in a blanket brought by Janice.

"Well, here she is," Rowlf said, handing the baby to Lips.

"Mari Kaori Simms," Lips said.

"Our little Mari," Zoot said softly.

Mari had tan skin like Lips and blue hair like Zoot. Her eyes were in a squint like Lips and she had a little green nose like Zoot.

"What do you think of her, Zoot?" Lips asked his husband.

"She's…perfect," Zoot said. He could feel himself crying from joy.

"Aw, she's so cute," Lisa cooed.

"Yeah," Lips said. "Hey Zoot, do you want to hold her?"

"Oh, um…I don't know. I've never held a baby before. What if I do something wrong?" Zoot asked. "What if she doesn't like me? What if-?"

Lips gently put the Mari Zoot's arms. Zoot started to panic a little until Mari looked up at her father and seemed to smile a little. "Heh," Zoot said, smirking a little.

Scooter then entered the room. "Anyone that was involved in the guest's performance needs to be onstage with the star for when Kermit closes the show," the go-fer said.

"Got it," Zoot said, running out of the room.

"Um…did Zoot take Mari with him?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah, I guess now the whole world is going to see her!" Lips laughed.

Onstage, Kermit was thanking the star for showing up when Zoot got onstage.

"It was groovy to perform with you," he stated.

"Thanks Zoot. Oh, and who's this little guy?" the star asked, pointing at Mari.

Zoot became pale a little when he realized he brought Mari onstage. "This is um…Mari…she was born recently," Zoot explained nervously.

"Well, she sure is cute," the star said.

"Thanks," Zoot said.

"Well, everyone, that's it for the Muppet Show!" Kermit shouted, ending the show.

"Good, I didn't want to talk about Mari anymore to the public," Zoot sighed.


Well, it's the chapter you've been wanting to read! Mari is born!

I own Lisa, Zachariah and Mari.

Jim Henson owns the Muppets

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