Emily Possible's stomach was a hive of butterflies doing jumping jacks. Had she had the nerve to look anywhere but straight ahead, she would've seen her fraternal twin Zoe Possible, already of a pale complexion thanks to their Momma, looking pale even by THEIR standards. If the ceremony were to likely take any longer to get started, both Possible siblings would end up with the delicious lunch Momma packed for them suddenly appearing on their brand new sneakers. WHY was this taking so long? There they were, being stared at by almost twenty people. What was she, a slab of meat or something? Was this some kind of hazing ritual for the newbies or something?
Finally, Jr. Commissioner Melissa Pavlich approached the podium and signaled for the safety patrollers inhabiting the Middleton Middle School Auditorium to pipe down. If Emily was honest with herself, she was more than a little star struck by the 8th grader in front of her. Like Emily and Zoe's big sister Gracie, a Jr. Commissioner herself, Melissa Pavlich was a legend in the Middleton Middle School Safety Patrol. Skipped ahead from fifth to sixth grade, Melissa Pavlich had made over 30 collars her first year alone, one of only eight MMS Safety Patrol alumni to do so. It was said that the previous commissioner had said that despite Melissa Pavlich being a 7th grader at the time, there was no more qualified Jr. Commissioner to succeed him.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we're here to witness the induction of our two newest officers onto the force," Emily quivered at those opening lines. Jr. Commissioner Pavlich had one of those voices that just grabbed you by the ears and refused to let you go. Emily could tell right away that this was someone, like her parents, who fully expected to be obeyed and heard when she talked. "The Middleton Middle School Safety Patrol is an elite group; the very best and brightest that our school has to offer."
"Can I get an amen?" Somebody in the audience called out, generating a mild rumble of laughter from the rest of the group.
Jr. Commissioner Pavlich rolled her eyes but elected to continue with the ceremony. She motioned to Emily and Zoe. "Today, we add two more members to our ranks, sixth graders Emily and Zoe Possible." A round of respectful applause echoed through the room. "Both were first and second in their class at Middleton Elementary and we expect great things from the pair of them. Ladies, please raise your right hands and repeat after me."
And the Jr. Commissioner proceeded to walk them through their oath of office. Both girls swore to uphold the MMS Student Handbook and School Charter to the best of their abilities. They promised to at all times conduct themselves in a manner befitting the Safety Patrol and to be a model for all the student body to follow.
"Then by the power vest in me by the MMS Student Council and the office of Principal Barkin, I hereby deputize you Middleton Middle School Safety Patrollers; congratulations and the best of luck to you both."
A roaring cheer erupted from the crowd as two safety patrollers came onstage and draped and draped the orange belt on Emily and her sister. With the belt securely fastened in place, Emily reached out a trembling hand to accept the brass badge handed to her by the Commissioner and another equally trembling hand to accept the Commissioner's handshake.
With the ceremony concluded, Jr. Commissioner Pavlich returned to the podium. "I would like to thank you all for attending. I declare this induction ceremony concluded. You are all dismissed to your assigned duties."
The auditorium began to empty, leaving the newly deputized Emily and Zoe Possible to stew on what had just happened. They…they had DONE it! They were officially Safety Patrollers, just like Gracie before them and maybe just like Nicky after them. Thanks Goodness; with Gracie coming home from college for the weekend, Emily didn't think she'd have been able to face Big Sis if they hadn't been accepted. But…but that was irrelevant now. As the pair stepped out of the auditorium to wait for their ride home, Emily pulled her twin sis in close.
"We DID it," She sighed, patting the new badge clipped to her belt. "I can't WAIT to show everybody at home. 'Officer Emily Abigail Possible'; I SO like the sound of that. Let criminals hear that name and tremble!"
"I bet you REALLY can't wait to tell RONNIE," Zoe taunted, drawing out the name.
"ZOE," Emily squawked in indignation. "We're just…he and I are…"
"Oh puh-lease Em," Zoe cackled. "You two have been inseparable since we could walk. You SO love him."
The argument proceeded to go back and forth. Eventually Mom pulled up next to the school and the pair continued on in the car. Emily distinctly heard Mom sigh about the difficulties of raising twelve year olds and Emily instantly realized how lame the pair had to sound. Bickering used to go back and forth between Gracie and the twins about her boyfriend Billy. Pretty stupid when you got down to it; but Emily couldn't really let Zoe win, could she?"
EPZPEPZPEPZPEPZPEPZP
It was tradition for the nickel tour to be given by the Jr. Commissioner. Melissa Pavlich was genuinely surprised and quite pleased at the knowledge the rookies were coming in with. Little had changed since their older sister was on the force and the pair had probably pumped their sister for every scrap of information they could so that they could make a good first impression. When Melissa had just been starting out, Gracie Possible had been a role model, the end-all be-all star to reach for; but to actually be commanding the younger siblings of her idol? This…this was an indescribable honor. She'd see to it that these two would be the best officers on the Force. Within the bounds of professionalism of course; Gracie Possible would never do anything less.
With the tour concluded, Emily and Zoe were deposited at their new desks. "Your training officers should be here in a few minutes. They're just coming off a case. Keep your decorations tasteful and welcome aboard."
Emily took a seat at her desk…HER desk…and began taking out the framed pictures from home she'd brought, a photo of her on Gracie's back from the last time they went camping, one of her and Momma from the mother-daughter bake-off they'd entered last year, and of course…no, NO! Zoe would never let her live it down if she saw the picture of Ronnie so she elected to discretely place it in the center desk drawer below her computer, with her office supplies.
"So what do you hear about our TOs?" Zoe asked, stowing her emergency bag of Red Vines in the left drawer.
Gracie had explained about what the pair could expect in the next few days. Whenver new officers were sworn in, they underwen week probationary training period. Essentially Emily and Zoe would be mentored by a more senior partnership. And Gracie was suspiciously silent about what the pair could expect that to be like. The good news though was that after their probation was up, siblings or relatives were always given the opportunity to be permanently partnered together. Everybody said that would be Emily and Zoe in a nutshell. Some twins strove to be as different from each other as humanly possible. Emily tended to be more on the girly side, kind of "Momma's little princess", whereas Zoe was more like Mom, very active and athletic. But while each had their own personal style, they were partners in crime in the very truest sense of the word.
"Not a whole lot," Emily answered, leaning back in her chair. "Tommy Hildebrandt and Wendy Ortega have made some big arrests and…"
Without warning, the door to the HQ burst open, a crazed student being dragged in by what appeared to be the very pair the twins were to be following. "YOU PIGS CAN'T HOLD ME," the crazed student shouted, struggling to get free. "I'M THE RED SHARPIE KID! I'M THE RED SHARPIE KID!"
"I don't care if you're Da Vinci reincarnated," Wendy Ortega grunted, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and tossing him into the detention holding cell. "Sid down, zip your lip, and start thinking up a good way to explain to you Mom why the second floor boys room now looks like a Jackson Pollack painting."
"I'd say he's more reminiscent of the Modernist era," Tommy Hildebrandt taunted, sliding the door closed and locking it into place. "Sort of a Picasso-esque cubist flair to it."
"ONE of these days Tom," A slender finger was leveled squarely at the partner. "One of these days, I'm going to thump you so hard that your Aunt Shelia in Baton Rouge will feel it." Zoe gave a faint squeak as the pair approached, drawing the finger and glare to the two of them. "And who in the name of creation are you pups and why should I care?"
"Uhhhh…"
"Spit it out! Don't start wasting my time!"
"Uh…Probationary Officers Emily and Zoe Possible reporting for duty ma'am," Emily stammered out. Mom and Momma always said first impressions were important when starting a new job. She prayed that neither would botch this one.
"Oh GREAT," Wendy Ortega gasped, throwing her hands into the air and marching towards her own desk. "Just what I need, a pair of scrawny wet noses dogging my every move for the next 2 ½ weeks; the perfect flipping end to the perfect FLIPPING day!"
"Don't worry, you learn her pretty quick," Tommy Hildebrandt chuckled as his partner stomped towards her desk. "No bad habits, no vices…"
"WHERE IS MY BLASTED COCOA?" Officer Ortega shouted at the top of her lungs.
"…except for that one," Tommy Hildebrandt sighed, patting Zoe on the shoulder. "If I were you rookie, I'd start paying your dues…and get her some cocoa ASAP."
EPZPEPZPEPZPEPZPEPZP
"FREEZE; Middleton Middle School Safety patrol!"
The hall hustler's head darted in the direction of the voice. Emily caught his gaze. He's going to run! True to her gut instinct, the hustler took off down the hall, throwing the cardboard box he'd been scamming students at Magic Tale in their direction.
"Why do they always run?" Emily groaned, taking off at a run alongside Officer Hildebrandt. Emily quickly found her stride, outstretching her mentor. She once again had to utter a silent prayer at her parents' constant training in self-defense and conditioning. It was a common sight in the neighborhood to see the entire Possible family out for a morning run through the early morning mist. Now she had to put those skills to practical use. If she couldn't catch a two bit hood like this, she didn't belong on the Safety Patrol. "This is Patroller 22. I am in pursuit of a suspect evading arrest. Suspect is headed down hallway A2."
"Go get him Rookie," Officer Hildebrandt called as Emily darted around a corner.
Please Zoe; PLEASE be in position!
The hustler proved to go in the path that Emily had anticipated. At least there was that. Momma had always told them that a fleeing target always wanted to get to an open area. True to Momma's words of wisdom, the hustler made a dash for the nearest door outside. He paused to open the doors, looking back at his pursuer and…YES! Emily clearly saw the garden hose fly up, blocking the path and tripping him up short. Zoe and Officer Ortega leapt from their concealment and descended on the hustler like panthers on an antelope.
"Sticky Fingers Horton, you are under arrest!" Emily huffed, whipping out her handcuffs and slapping them on the suspect's wrists.
Author's Notes:
This is an Emily and Zoe story I've been sitting on since I first started writing Siblings back in October 2013. While growing up, I loved watching Kim Possible but I was also a big fan of the Disney cartoon Fillmore, a series about a middle school environment that resembled New York or Chicago and the safety patrol more resembled an NYPD-esque unit. Ever since I decided to have Kim and Shego have twins, I knew I wanted to combine the two tv series for another Triple Threat series. Hope you enjoy
Kim Possible and Fillmore are the copyrighted property of the Disney Corporation.