Kermit Griffin laid back on his cot and told himself that it was time to leave this pop stand. As if on cue, a lackey came in with food. *Ah. My ticket out of here.* Swinging his legs to the floor, Kermit stood up and sauntered to the front of his cell.

The hireling approached his boss' captive with nonchalance. "Here's your grub, Bub." quipped the man as he slid a food tray on the small food rail built into the prison bars and then turned his back on the cell to leave. He didn't get far.

Moving swiftly before the henchman could walk away from the cell, Kermit extended his arm through the bars and slid it around the startled henchmen's throat. Slamming the man's head back to the bars and tightening his grip on his victim, Kermit barked out his simple order. "The keys." While the slowly suffocating man reached into his pockets for the keys, Kermit relieved him of his gun.

Unlocking the cell door, Kermit stuck the gun to the lackey's head and asked, "Where are we?"

"Nowhere."

Kermit pressed his arm to the man's neck and started to lean forward. "Wrong answer. Try again."

"Really, man. We're on an privately owned island." Kermit eased his arm up slightly from the gasping man's neck but left the gun trained to his captive's head .

"It's not on any of the regular maps. You can only get here by boat. Nowhere, like I told you."

"Phone?" spoke Kermit in a clipped tone.

"George keeps the only phone on him at all times." Desperate to give this man with the dark clothes and red tie an answer he would like, the henchmen volunteered an alternative. 'There's a computer."

Kermit raised an eyebrow. "Tell me where I can find this computer."

After the henchman detailed the location of George's computer library, Kermit forced the man into the cell he had recently vacated and then delivered a vicious blow to the man's head with the gun, effectively silencing his captive for the time being.

"Thanks." Kermit remarked to the now unconscious henchman as he locked the cell door and slowly opened the outer door of the room.

Following his informant's directions, Kermit walked the hallways of what he how saw was a villa, making sure to stay in the shadows and avoid any patrols or guards. Reaching his destination, Kermit walked into the library and locked the door behind him. He flexed his fingers as he waited for the computer to boot up then accessed the HyperTerminal to call back to Karen's computer at the house. He hoped someone was still there to read his message.

**************************

While her intended was freeing himself from his cell, Karen Simms was trying to free herself of the worry and anger which Lo Si told her would impede the meditation to come. She wasn't sure she was succeeding but Lo Si nodded at her in satisfaction at her efforts. Placing her hands in her lap while she sat on the floor, she indicated to her readiness for the next step of their efforts with a question to the older master.

"How do we start, Lo Si?"

"All life is interconnected, but the tie between two entwined hearts is among the strongest of bonds. Peter and I will heighten your bond with Kermit and direct it to find your beloved. Once he has been found, he must be brought back. I will send Peter through the prism to Kermit and pull them back through the original conduit of his travel. The computer."

"The computer?" Karen said skeptically.

"Yes. The computer was the prism used by his enemy. It shall be the means of his escape." Turning to Peter who was preparing himself for the task ahead, he asked his charge, "Young Peter. You are ready?"

"Yes, Master."

"And you, young lady?"

Karen sighed. "I'm ready."

But before the three could link hands and begin, Karen noticed the computer beeping and the screen blinking. Running to the computer, she slid into the chair and read the message, 'Hey, anyone home?'

Furiously typing, 'Kermit, where are you?', Karen responded as she silently thanked God.

'Some private island. I'm not sure where. Could you trace the call?'

'We might have a faster solution. Hold on.' Looking over her shoulder at Lo Si and Peter, she asked, "We can still reach him the way we planned, can't we?"

Lo Si responded. "Yes. It will be easier with him already at the prism. Tell him to clear his mind and expect to hear your voice."

Karen turned back to the keyboard and resumed typing . 'Kermit, Lo Si says to clear your mind and wait for my voice.'

'More Shaolin magic, huh? Okay, sweetcakes. I'll stand by.' Kermit replied. The cursor of her computer blanked as it awaited her next command.

Karen took Lo Si's hand as he pulled her back to the floor. Peter took her other hand and squeezed it in reassurance.

"Now. We must join our chi's …. Concentrate …. Captain, reach out with your mind toward Kermit." Lo Si commanded.

Karen could feel the energy of the Shaolin priests flow into her. She felt her mind expand and begin to float above the room, through the roof. It was so strange. Was this what Peter felt all of the time? Amazing.

*Kermit? Kermit, answer me.*

*Karen??*

To Karen, he sounded shocked - like after all of these years he still was skeptical of his Shaolin friends.

*Are you alright, Kermit? Peter's going to follow our chi's to you and bring you back home.*

*You going Shaolin on me, sweetcakes? Go ahead, bring him on.*

Karen laughed as she reveled in the sensation of his mind in hers.
Peter who had been listening quietly and soaking up the feelings of love and laughter between his friends, released his grip on Karen and Lo Si's hands and whispered to Lo Si. "I'm ready when you are, Master."

With his free hand, Lo Si opened the Book of Shamballah which he had placed next to him the floor. Motioning with his head to Peter to stand in front of the computer, he held up the page with the water scene and commanded to his charge, "Go."

Peter felt the now familiar sensation of falling and flying at the same time as he traveled through the prism. Before he could count to five, he was standing beside Kermit who reeled back in his chair as his link with Karen was severed. Kermit lifted his eyes from the screen to look at his friend.

"Hey, Peter. Nice of you to show up."

"Wouldn't miss it."

******************************

Peter looked around the library where the prism had brought him. "So where's George?"

"By now, the guard who so graciously freed me will have sounded the alarm . My guess is that George's looking for me." Kermit looked at the door.

"Then we'll just have to let him find you." Peter grinned. "Blaisdell never forgave him for ruining Carolyn's reception." Peter clapped and rubbed his hands together. " So ... do we wait here for Mr. George Vladpalin, or whatever his name is, or do we go looking for him?"

"Wait. It'll give me time to investigate his computer. Find out what little gems he planted into the targets' systems. Then find the antidote programs. Maybe his Swiss bank account numbers." He pulled out a spare file decryption and duplication disk from his coat jacket and set down to work.

"Better let the captain in on it. She can have somebody ready back at home to take him in."

Kermit sent his message to Karen then started methodically exploring George's system. "Oh, yeah .... Beautiful. It's all here, Peter." He took out another disk, this time blank, and started copying files. He had gotten about halfway through when both men heard a noise from outside the door.

Peter walked to the blind side to the door, where the door swung in, while Kermit took the other side.

As the door opened slightly, they could hear George saying, "Find him. He can't have left the island. He must be on the grounds." He walked the rest of the way into the room and closed the door.

"Hello, George." Kermit said, walking out from his side into George's line of site. "Nice place you have here."

George reached for his gun but Peter came up behind him and gave him what Peter had always told his father was the Vulcan Neck Pinch. George slumped to the floor.

"You've got to teach me to do that." Kermit shook his head in amusement. Turning back to the computer, he checked the progress of his copy program. "It's done, Peter. Let's go." He retrieved his disks from the floppy drives and then looked at Peter expectantly.

Slinging George over his shoulder, Peter grabbed Kermit's hand.

"Does this mean we're going steady?" Kermit asked brightly.

"If it does, then where's my ring?" Peter quipped back. Touching the screen, he centered himself as he switched gears into Shaolin mode. "Now … look at the screen, Kermit. We will return through the prism through the eyes of our loved ones."

Before Kermit could say anything, the two men and their prisoner were already back in Karen's library.

****************************************

"That's better than the Concord." Kermit said to no one in particular as he approached Karen.

"But you don't get the in-flight movie." Karen replied as she crossed her arms in front of her.

"Or the pâté." Peter interjected as he set George's still limp form on the carpet.

Karen looked Kermit up and down, nonchalantly. "Have fun?"

"Much fun." Kermit reached into his pocket and held up his disks. "And the evidence on that computer extortion case."

"Then I can assume that this," Karen gestured with her hand towards Peter's burden, "is the infamous George."

Grinning, Peter looked up at her and responded first. "The one and only. You wouldn't happen to have a pair of handcuffs on you, would you Captain? I left my pair in my other life."

Karen smiled at that and faithfully produced a set from a desk drawer. "I've contacted Strenlich. He'll be here to pick him up." Looking at Lo Si who was standing next to her and walking away from Peter and Kermit, she reached behind the desk and unplugged the surge protector. "It wouldn't do to have any more unwanted visitors on Christmas."

"Very wise." Lo Si replied as he bowed slightly.

While Peter snapped the cuffs on George's wrists, the suspect in question started to stir from the neck pinch.

"Hello, George. Welcome back." Peter said as he lifted his still groggy prisoner to his feet. "Let's get you downstairs to Strenlich. I can't wait for you to tell me where you learned to use the prism." Marching George in front of him, Peter walked out of the door.

"I will accompany you, Peter." Lo Si interjected as he followed his charge out of the room. "I too am curious to learn of his instruction."

Karen watched the two Shaolin priests walk out of the room then turned to look at her wayward detective. Closing the distance between them, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I have only one question for you, Mr. Griffin."

Kermit slid his hands around her waist in response. "And what might that be, Ms. Simms."

She smiled at him seductively. "Where's my present?"

"You'll have to wait till next year."

Karen made a half-hearted attempt to push herself out his arms, all the while holding back a laugh. "You're never going to tell me where you go for Christmas, are you?"

Kermit tightened his grip on her waist and kissed her forehead. "Next year."

Nodding her head in clear disbelief, she retorted, "Why don't I believe you." She reached up with one hand to run her fingers on his lips. "Well then," replacing her fingers with her lips for a soft kiss, "what will you give me instead?"

Kermit took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply in reply.

"I'll take it. Merry Christmas, Kermit."

"Merry Christmas, Karen."

THE END

Next Story: The Wedding

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