Many thanks, as usual, to campy for his beta and proof work.
Write a review, get a response. Seriously.
If you saw it on KP, it belongs to Disney.
I.
The police van carrying Drakken, Shego, and the henchmen pulled away, leaving Ron and Kim alone in the drive leading to Bueno Nacho headquarters. The two teens looked at one another, smiling, soaking in the moment. They had just foiled Drakken's greatest plot ever, and just in the nick of time. The whole sitch had been a close-run thing. It even seemed at one point as if the blue-skinned mad scientist would finally succeed in taking over the world. But when it seemed that Drakken had won, when Kim had actually given up, Ron rallied her spirits – and began to confess his feelings for her. He'd been cut off by Rufus' untimely appearance, but Kim had heard enough to understand what Ron was suggesting. Neither was even sure what to say or do next. They didn't have much time to worry about that though; soon they were free of their bonds and on their way to putting an end to Drakken's scheme. Now, having triumphed over the villains once again, Kim and Ron stood beneath a starry spring sky, basking in one another's presence.
As Kim and Ron looked at each other, Rufus sat perched on his human's shoulder, surveying the scene. All seemed well to Rufus. Then, his little mole rat eyes almost bugged out.
Kim immediately noticed the surprised expression on the face of the smallest member of Team Possible. "What is it, Rufus?"
"Huh unh! Eric!" he squeaked.
"What?" Kim turned and, much to her surprise, saw Synthodrone 901 approaching her in the company of two police officers. But unlike when she last saw him, when he was wearing a red and black jump suit and shriveling up as goo gushed forth from his punctured foot, he was now healthy, if quite disheveled – his hair was mussed up, his tie undone, his shirt untucked, his white dinner jacket soiled.
Suddenly, Kim felt as if she was lost at sea.
II.
"Ms. Possible," one of the officers said to the stunned teen hero. "We found this young man bound and gagged in the basement of the headquarters building. He said he was your boyfriend."
Rufus growled.
"Kim?" Eric said diffidently. "Is it over?"
Kim looked into Eric's eyes, not sure what to believe anymore.
"KP, what's going on?" Ron asked, suddenly feeling very wary and uncomfortable.
Before anyone could say anything, Rufus scampered down to Eric's foot. Kim and Ron both watched as Rufus bit into Eric's shoe – and struck leather.
"Hey!" Eric yelped. "What's going on?"
"Eric … you're okay …" Kim said, dazed, surprised, and yes, elated. "What happened?"
Eric looked dazed.
"After you and Ron left the prom, this lady with glowing hands came and kidnapped me and brought me here. Then that blue take-over-the-world guy you're always fighting pointed a gun at me – it was really scary – and shot a red beam at me. Then he pointed it at this big faceless guy in a red and black suit – and all of a sudden he looked like me!"
"This cannot be happening," Ron muttered.
Kim, not hearing Ron, gazed into Eric's eyes, then threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, Eric, I'm so glad you're safe."
Eric returned the hug, burying his face in Kim's mane of auburn hair.
Ron, meanwhile, turned and began to walk away. This was now certifiably the worst day of his life.
III.
Kim and Eric embraced for what seemed an eternity before they finally pulled apart. And that was only because of the angry chittering Kim heard. She looked down to see an angry Rufus jumping up and down, flailing his little arms, and pointing in Ron's direction.
"Is everything okay, Kim?" Eric asked.
Kim looked at Rufus, then at Ron's back, then at Eric. She groaned. This has just become so the drama, she thought before she said to Eric, "No, it's not. I need to talk to Ron."
She jogged up to her best friend. But before she caught up to him, he spoke, his back still turned to her. "You two can take the scooter. Go to the prom. I'll get a ride with the cops."
To Kim, Ron's voice sounded hollow.
"Ron –" Kim began to say before she was cut off.
"It's okay, KP," he said, turning around to look at her. "Your BF's okay. Go enjoy yourselves. I'm tired. I, I just want to go home and go to sleep."
Kim felt as if a yawning, gaping chasm was opening between her and her best friend.
"Ron, about tonight …"
He held up a hand. "Don't say anything, 'kay? I'm happy for you, really."
Kim's heart was breaking. The sparkle she'd always seen in her best friend's eyes was now gone.
She hadn't seen any of this before. She'd been completely oblivious to how Ron felt, assuming his fit on television, his discomfort in the treehouse was fueled by his concern over their friendship. Now, there was no hiding from it, no hiding from how he truly felt about her. But she now had Eric … Eric, who was real.
"Ron …"
"Go. Now. Please," he said as he turned again. "You can leave the scooter at the treehouse. And, and tell your dad the rockets were badical."
Kim didn't know what to say or do as Ron walked away from her. She watched as he made his way to the cluster of police. Rufus, following behind his human, occasionally turned to shoot her a dirty look. Before she knew it, Ron and Rufus climbed into a cruiser and drove off.
IV.
When Kim and Eric walked into the Middleton High Gym, the entire student body – save Bonnie – exploded into rapturous applause. The assembled teens, teachers, and chaperones – and one janitor with a pocket TV – were delighted to welcome their hometown heroine; once again the local girl who could do anything had saved the day.
Kim had enjoyed the ride back to Middleton. She'd allowed worries about Ron to recede as she relaxed into Eric's back and wrapped her arms around his middle. She told herself that she and her longtime best friend would find a way to work through this awkward sitch, then began to think about the young man driving the scooter and what lay ahead for them. She was ready to relax and enjoy being with her boyfriend – her boyfriend who wasn't a synthodrone designed to play her but was actually a perfect guy with a great personality, a strong chin, and full dark hair.
Now they stood at the entrance to the gym. As she and Eric held hands, she smiled sheepishly at the crowd, then waved to everyone. Monique caught her eye and grinned, giving her best girl friend a big thumb's up.
The cheering over, things began to settle down and the students returned to the important business at hand: having a good time. It wasn't long before the DJ began playing music again.
As a slow song began to play, Eric led Kim to the middle of the dance floor. Everybody, even the royally tweaked Bonnie Rockwaller, already knew who was going to be elected prom king and queen and so it seemed especially appropriate for Kim and Eric to take center stage.
The chords began wafting across the room and Kim and Eric began to dance.
I know we've been friends forever
But now I think I'm feeling something totally new
And after all this time
I've opened up my eyes
Now I see you were always with me
The words hit Kim with the force of a tidal wave.
She thought of Ron and all he had said and done at Bueno Nacho earlier that evening, of how he was there with her in her darkest moment, of the words of encouragement he had spoken in the storeroom, of how he believed in her and of how when she most needed him, he was there to boost her spirits.
And then Kim thought of those four words, those four simple words that roared in her memory: Out there, in here.
Could it be you and I
Never imagined
Could it be, suddenly
I'm falling for you
Could it be? she asked herself. Kim realized she had actually been on the verge of asking Ron to the prom when Eric reappeared. She wondered whether she'd been about to invite Ron to the dance because she was rebounding and needed solace – or because she actually wanted to be at the prom with Ron, dancing with him, being held by him?
Could it be you were right here beside me
And I never knew
Could it be that it's true that it's you
Ron had been by her side for so many years. Sure, they'd had their moments, Kim thought. She wasn't sure she'd ever forget his abandoning her during the whole Prince Wally election fiasco or the time he'd made up stories about her and Brick for the school paper. But he'd always been there when it mattered most. The missions. Encouraging her to ask out Josh – and then forgiving her for locking him in a closet. He was there for her the Christmas he went after Drakken so she could be with the fam. And it was Ron who went to the Amazon to retrieve that orchid …
Kim found herself wondering if Eric would go to the Amazon for her – or even with her. She now recognized that Ron had just gone on a mission to save her boyfriend when he himself had been crushing on her. Kim reeled as she realized Ron cared so much about her that he set aside his own feelings; he just wanted her to be happy and if that meant going to save the guy she liked liked, then he would go and do what was necessary. She wondered if Eric, presented with the same sitch, would have done what Ron had done for her this very night.
Kim now knew she'd had visions of Food Chains and hotties dancing in her head when she considered what the perfect guy was like. But what, she wondered, if I was wrong? What if the guy for her was really a freckle-faced tow-headed goofball who squealed with joy when he found a new toy or spent hours in front of a TV watching cartoons – and was always ready to go into life-threatening situations with her even though he hated free-falling and no one ever gave him recognition or respect?
It's kind of funny you were always near
But who would ever have thought that we would end up here
And every time I've needed you
You've been there to pull me through
Now it's clear
I've been waiting for you
But where have we wound up? Kim asked herself. She thought everything had been cool with Ron in the days after she met Eric. But she now knew she was so wrong. She and Ron had actually been drifting apart ever since Eric showed up, indeed, ever since Bonnie began to play her about the prom. Kim felt awful as she admitted that she hadn't even noticed Ron was upset until she saw his meltdown on the news. She wondered if they could be 'just friends' after what happened that evening. She wondered if all of this confusion and remorse was part of growing up. She wondered if an ever-diminishing role for Ron in her life was the price she had to pay to be with Eric.
But what if I want Ron in my life, she asked herself. What if I need Ron? I can't do what I do without him, after all. I know I couldn't have done it tonight. I wouldn't have even done it the first time if he hadn't been there. I wouldn't be who am I without Ron by my side.
As the music continued to play, Kim was lost in her thoughts, unsure of what to do. In just a little over a year, she'd graduate from high school; what would she do then, she wondered. She and Ron would surely be parted when it came time to go to college. Kim knew Ron couldn't get into the schools she hoped to attend. Maybe it would be better for them to start going their separate ways now, she told herself. It would be hard, but maybe that, too, was part of growing up. They weren't kids anymore, after all.
But she was Kim Possible, wasn't she? Couldn't she do anything? Even find a way to make things work with her best friend? Who said they had to be in different cities when it came time for college? Couldn't they find a way to boost his grades? Or at least find a community college or a job for Ron near wherever she went to school? Couldn't she consider other educational opportunities?
Kim realized there were options. There were choices. And there were decisions to be made.
Then she heard the song's climactic words:
Today is the start of the rest of our lives
I can see it in your eyes
That it's real and it's true
And it's just me and you
Could it be that it's true
That it's you
Kim had seen the look in Ron's eyes. She knew what the first day of the rest of his life was like: it was lonely and sad. But earlier, just before Eric reappeared, she'd seen real joy and possibility in those familiar brown eyes. She recalled the pride in those eyes when she believed in him enough to investigate the Diablo threat. And she'd seen the affection, no, the love, when he said "Out there, in here … You know, someone like …"
And she'd turned away from that affection, that … love. For this guy she'd known for just a few days. Sure, Eric was nice and a real hottie and … well, perfect. Kim found herself looking at her boyfriend, who offered a gentle smile in return.
A special moment seemed to arrive. He pulled her close. Kim could tell what he was about to do. She had wanted this so bad.
Now, though …
"Eric, I'm so sorry," Kim said, pulling back, "but I have to go."
V.
She ran up the path to Ron's house and rang the bell.
Ron's mother opened the door. She was clearly surprised to see Kim standing in front of her wearing a blue party dress with a charred hem.
"Hi, Mrs. Stoppable," Kim said breathlessly. "I'm really sorry to stop by so late, but is Ron still up?"
"Up? He hasn't come home yet. I thought the two of you were still on your way back from your mission. Obviously, I'm missing something here, unless you've changed what you wear when you go into the field …" Mrs. Stoppable said, looking at Kim's dress – and her done-up hair.
Kim sighed. "It's a long story. Bottom line: Ron and I, uh, came home separately. Ron had me bring someone back on his scooter, which can go, uh, surprisingly fast, and he came back with the police. I thought Ron would be home by now. He said he was, uh, tired."
"Well, he's not here. Though I wish he were. You know, Kimberly, I have to tell you, I'm worried that one of these days he's going to get hurt on one of these missions of yours. He's just … Ronnie, after all."
Kim didn't want to say it, but she knew Mrs. Stoppable was right. Ron had been hurt – and badly – on this mission, only in a way that hurt more than broken bones or bruises. But Ron's mother was wrong about something very important, and Kim felt the need to correct a misconception. "Mrs. S, Ron can handle himself just fine out there. Believe me. I couldn't save the world without him."
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Kimberly," Ron's mother said with a smile that was both indulgent and skeptical. "Well, when Ronnie gets home I'll tell him you stopped by."
"Thanks, Mrs. Stoppable," Kim said. "And good night."
Kim so wasn't going to just wait for Ron to come home and maybe call her. She was going to find him. Now. She turned and ran back to the scooter. Before she climbed on the bike, she called Wade and had him patch her through to Officer Hobble.
"Kim Possible!" the genial policeman enthused. "That was fine work you did tonight!"
"Thanks, Officer Hobble. Do you know where Ron Stoppable – my sideki – my partner is? I think he came back to Middleton in one of the cruisers."
"Sorry, Kim. He did indeed come back in one of our cars. But he left the station a while ago. He seemed pretty quiet, a bit sad. He didn't get in the way tonight, did he?"
"What? No!" Kim protested. "If Ron hadn't been there Drakken would have won."
"That's nice of you to say, but we all know what really must have happened. Kim Possible saves the day again!"
Kim rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Can you call me if you hear anything about Ron?"
"Sure, Ms. Possible. Will do."
Then it occurred to her. She didn't need to be searching for Ron, hoping to run into him. She called Wade again.
"What up, Kim?" he asked before taking a sip of his Slurpster.
"Wade, where's Ron?" she demanded.
"I don't know," he said.
"You still have him chipped." It was a statement, not a question.
"Kim, we've talked about thi–" he countered.
"Not tonight, Wade. Ethical ramifications are so not my priority right now. Where's Ron?"
"Hold on," the young tech guru sighed. "The corner of Maple and Washington."
"Thanks, Wade. You rock," she said before signing off.
Kim put her helmet on and headed to the intersection where Wade said she'd find her best friend.
The address seemed familiar, though she couldn't say why.
VI.
Ron never recalled crying so hard. Well, there was the time that Evil Cousin Shawn had … And then there was that whole incident with the bullies and the whipped cream … And he didn't even want to think about his summer at Camp Wannaweep.
But none of that hurt the way this did.
It was over. It was finally, actually, over.
Twelve years of friendship. Done because he had to fall for his best friend – and his best friend had to fall for some new guy.
That was the worst part. Ron could live with the fact that Eric was smarter, better looking, more grown up. But Eric had just shown up a few days earlier. And Kim lost no time in just setting Ron Stoppable aside. Even with Josh Mankey, Ron's status as Kim Possible's Best Friend seemed rock solid. Now, especially after that talk in the tree house and the way she fell into Eric's arms at Bueno Nacho HQ, Ron felt like his status had been radically downgraded. Now he was simply just another person Kim knew. He wondered if she would dump him from the team. Missions seemed to be the only thing they might do together now and Eric, who drove a real motorcycle, not some piece-of-junk scooter, might have skills that would be useful to Kim in the field.
Kim didn't need him, didn't want him. That hurt. It hurt so much. Sure, she said they'd be tight, but he knew those were just pretty words. Moments after she said that, Eric had shown up and she'd left the treehouse to be with her BF rather than stay with her upset best friend.
Ron had allowed himself to hope that maybe, just maybe, he had a chance when she listened to him, and not Eric, earlier in the evening and gone to investigate what turned out to be Drakken's most dangerous scheme ever.
Oh, how it had hurt to see her throw herself into that phony's arms after he came down that escalator. But that didn't hurt as much seeing her be betrayed. And that not only hurt, that infuriated Ron, prompting him to charge the synthodrone, only to be taken down, and hard, by Shego.
Then Ron found himself tied up to that giant cactus. That really was one badical storeroom, he thought. Momentarily distracted from his woes, Ron wondered if he could convince Bueno Nacho, assuming it wasn't shut down permanently after the evening's disaster, to let him have one of those props for his room. A giant naco would be really cool.
But nacos made him think of Bueno Nacho. And when he thought of Bueno Nacho he thought of the booth. Their booth.
And so Ron's thoughts returned to Kim.
Of Kim tied up and defeated. He'd never seen her like that. Ever. That really got his goat. He was proud that he was able to rally her spirits, get her to fight back. And at the time, when he'd found the guts to venture into uncharted territory, to do what no man should ever have to do, he thought that, miracle of miracles, she might actually have been interested in him. He still recalled her saying "Really?" with a vulnerable, sweet smile on her beautiful, wonderful face when he gave his little speech implying he was the guy for her.
But that dream – that fantasy – was blown away when the real Eric appeared. All memories of the storeroom were left behind when Kim had her BF back.
And memories weren't the only things left behind. Now Ron was alone.
Ron sat under the nighttime sky with nothing but memories of the past and the prospect of a lonely future. Sure, he had Rufus, who even then was by his side. And he knew he had friends – there was Felix, there was Monique – and, of course, there was Yori. But none of them would ever be like Kim.
None of them would ever be his Best Friend.
Ron rested his head on his crossed arms and began to cry anew.
VII.
Of course she knew this intersection. It was where the preschool was located.
Kim parked the scooter by the fence and left her helmet in the basket. Then she made her way into the grounds. It seemed strange to be here in the dark and for the playground to be empty. In her mind, this was always supposed to be a sunny place filled with laughing children, including a pig-tailed, red-headed girl and a goofy little blond-haired boy with big ears and a giant imaginary friend named Rufus.
The schoolyard was illuminated by the full moon, making it easy for her to find her way. She found Ron sitting beneath the tree where they had first met. His head was bowed, resting on his arms.
"Hey," she said.
He looked up. "Kim?"
She could see he'd been crying.
"Can I sit down?"
Rufus, perched on Ron's shoulder, glared at Kim and growled.
"Amp down, little buddy," Ron said. "It'll be okay."
The naked mole rat shot Kim one last angry look, then sullenly retreated to Ron's cargo pants pocket.
Kim sat down on the grass next to her best friend.
"Aren't you worried about your dress?" he asked.
"No big," she said, brushing her bangs out of her face. "It's not like it hasn't already taken a few hits."
They sat in awkward silence.
"Ron, we need to talk," she said.
He laughed bitterly. "KP, you're supposed to say that when you break up with the guy. I never even got to date you. Unless," he said, his sarcasm suddenly replaced by trepidation, "you want to formally end our friendship." Ron was gripped by a feeling of dread as his worst nightmare seemed to be becoming reality. "Oh man, I should never have even started to say anything. I should have kept my big mouth shut. I can deal with you and Eric dating. Really –"
Ron began hyperventilating.
Kim placed a hand on Ron's forearm. "Dial down the drama, Ron. That's not why I'm here. Now just listen to me, please and thank you …"
She took a deep breath.
"… Ron, the most ferociously magical thing happened to me tonight."
"Yeah," he interrupted. "I'm sure learning that the guy of your dreams is real and not some bag of goo cooked up by your arch-foe is pretty cool."
Kim snorted and shook her head. "Well, okay, that would be pretty cool, but that's not what I'm talking about …"
Much to Ron's surprise, Kim took his hand and laced her fingers through his.
"… Tonight, for the first time in my life, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, someone who not only knows my rep as the girl who can do anything, as the head cheerleader, as the honor roll student, but who also knows I can be short-tempered, willing to pay ten times more for designer labels and, and …" Kim stopped as she began to sniffle … "can ignore my best friend in the world who may be weird but who has always been there for me just because I met some hottie, was going to tell me that he liked liked me, maybe even … loved me." She paused. "Am I right?"
Ron saw that Kim was looking at him with glistening eyes. He didn't know what was going on, but he hated seeing her upset. He wondered if he should lie. That would make it easier for her to go back to Eric and for them to remain friends. It was the best he could hope for; after all, it wasn't as if a guy like Ron Stoppable ever really had a chance with a girl like Kim Possible. Kim may have once scoffed, but Ron knew that The Rules really did rule.
But lying to Kim about his true feelings presented Ron with one insurmountable problem: he just couldn't play her, not like that, not now. He knew there was only one thing he could realistically do in this case: pretend he'd been hit by the Truth Ray and fess up like a man.
"Yeah, KP, you are," Ron answered softly. "I, I don't know that I would have had the guts to say it like that, but yeah, you're right."
Kim's lower lip began to quiver, then she started to cry.
"Aw, man, Kim, I'm sorry," Ron whined. He hated to see Kim cry; he still didn't know he was about the only person or thing in the world that could bring her to tears. "I didn't want to make you sad. I knew I should have kept quiet. Now I really have ruined our friendship."
Kim's head whipped up. "No! You haven't, Ron."
"Then why are you crying? I'm so confused …"
"You really don't get girls, do you?" she observed, a small smile on her face.
"I think that should be obvious by now," he said. "Girls, sideways eight thingies …"
"Ron," Kim said, gently cutting him off and shifting conversational gears, readying herself to utter the words that she now knew had to be given voice. "I don't even want to think of all the times I treated you badly."
"Then don't, KP. I've had my moments, too, you know."
"I know that," she said, "but that's not the point," she said, wiping her tears away. "I, I wanted a date, a stinkin' BF for the prom and Bonnie went on about the food chain and convinced me you weren't good enough …"
Ron winced and Kim, seeing his reaction, began to cry again.
"… and, and, I believed her and when I told my mom I'd be stuck going to the prom with you she said you were a very nice guy and I said you weren't a guy you were Ron and she said that I was saying you were friend material, not boyfriend material, and I said of course, you were a friend, my best friend, but that was different but don't you see I really wasn't a very good friend, let alone best friend, especially when Eric came along and I stopped spending as much time with you but I told you we'd still be tight …'
Ron was reeling, both from what Kim was saying and from the speed with which she said it. "So, I really never did have a chance with you …" he whispered.
"Yes! No! I mean yes, you did have a chance!" Kim said in a panic. "That's why this all hurts so much. You did have a chance. There really were fireworks after the moodulator kiss and it was fun to get all dressed up and go with you to your cousin's wedding and I was so jealing over Yori. Ron, I was interested, but I didn't really know if you were and then I let my head get turned by Bonnie and I'll admit some of your quirks were getting on my nerves and then Eric showed up and …"
Ron's eyes were tearing up now, too. "It's okay, Kim. Look, I understand. And I'll always be your best friend." He turned away from her, contemplating Kim's revelation: he'd actually had a chance – and he'd let it slip by.
"Ron Stoppable," Kim said through her own tears, "you are so dense sometimes. You were going to tell me you love me. And that's so incredibly scary. Be– because I think I may love you."
"What?" Ron said turning back to Kim.
"You heard me. I may love you. I don't know. You know, Ron, I'm not exactly experienced in this kind of thing. Crushing, yes. Real love, no. And it's a bit overwhelming. I know that we're just teenagers, but part of me wants to know right now that you'll always be right here beside me."
"KP, whatever happens, as long as you want that, you can count on that. That's a promise."
Kim looked into Ron's eyes. He was confused, but his eyes had regained their sparkle. And she knew Ron's words weren't idle. He really meant them.
He'd always had her back. And she knew he always would.
Then she remembered some words from the song she heard earlier that evening.
It's kind of funny you were always near
But who would ever have thought that we would end up here
And every time I've needed you
You've been there to pull me through
Now it's clear
I've been waiting for you
Kim smiled. More than twelve years earlier she and Ron had met beneath this very tree. Back then she couldn't have imagined she'd be back at that place with Ron sharing this moment. The two best friends touched foreheads, then gazed into one another's eyes. Then slowly, hesitantly, they brought their lips together.
And much to Kim's delight and relief, there were still fireworks there.
VIII.
"I'm so sorry, Ron," Kim said afterwards as she rested her head on his shoulder.
He tensed. He wondered if she was going to say the kiss hadn't done anything for her and that she'd been mistaken. "Why are you sorry?" he finally choked out.
"For being so stupid. For not seeing what I had right here beside me."
Ron, feeling immensely relieved, flashed her his familiar goofy grin. "No problemo, Kim. If I thought I might have a thing for me, I think I'd be pretty scared, too!"
Kim couldn't help but laugh. She reached up and mussed up the hair of her best friend-turned-boyfriend. "You know this is going to be ferociously awk-weird, don't you?"
"Yeah, but I bet it'll be worth it, KP," Ron said. "Because I really do love you."
She looked into his brown eyes, now alive and sparkling, at the familiar freckles on either cheek, at the big ears, and at the smile she had known since she was four. She had been right. She was young and she really didn't yet know what love was; she wasn't sure that Ron knew either – but in her heart she knew that she and her life-long best friend turned boyfriend would find out together.
Kim Possible then smiled – it was a silly little girl's smile, really – placed her hands on Ron Stoppable's face, and pulled him in for another of what she hoped, no, expected, to be many more fireworks-filled kisses.
The End.