Author's Notes

Usual disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Kim Possible blah blah blah. Disney, what don't they own?

This is a little something I put together while sitting with my wife. She was playing games on the computer, and I thought this would be a good time to do something a little romantic in the fan fic.

Ron's Pandaroo Promise

This was so the worst day! Kim left the orthodontists office with her head hanging so low, she couldn't see any higher than her mother's knees. This couldn't be happening! Not to her! Try as she might, there was no escaping it. Kim Possible was going to need braces. She could hear the taunting of the other girls at Middleton Junior High already. "Metal mouth, Brace face."

"What was that, Kim?", Anne Possible asked, looking at the despondent look on her daughter's face. Kim hadn't realized she was speaking aloud. "Now dear, it's not so bad. You'll wear the braces for a couple of years and it'll all be over with. Think how pretty your smile will be in your school pictures then." Anne was always inclined to look on the bright side of things.

"Mom!", Kim cried in frustration. "I've never had a decent school picture in my life." It had been a sore spot ever since kindergarten, when her dress had gotten torn beating some bullies off of another little girl. From there, things had gone all downhill. "Oh no!", the red headed girl thought in dismay. "Class pictures are coming up, and Valentines Day. Just perfect!" Well it had been a nice social life, if rather short, since she had only just turned thirteen.

By the time the car had pulled into the drive, the dark cloud over Kim's head had grown to proportions that meant a flood of tears were coming. Even the twins didn't have the heart to tease their sister as she dragged her feet to the loft containing her bedroom. As she fell to the pillows, the floods came, soaking the stuffed bear that she was hugging to her chest. There she stayed until her mother came to bring her down for supper.

As Kim slipped into a vacant seat at the kitchen table, a gangly, freckled blond boy strolled in the back door. As usual, he didn't bother knocking. No door at the Possible home was locked to Ron Stoppable. It was as if he were a family member who just happened to live a couple of houses away. As the door closed behind him (quietly despite his being a teenager) he sniffed carefully at the air. It was probable the boy could figure out the meal's ingredients from the tiniest whiff.

"Smells great, Mrs. Dr. P.", Ron said appreciatively. He nodded to the twins. "Hi Mr. Dr. P. I just thought I'd drop in and see how Kim's appointment went." He looked at his best friend in the world, and his heart sank. "Oh, man! That bad, KP?"

Kim just looked down at her plate. Even Ron couldn't erase the sorrow from her young face. He sat down next to her and put a companionable arm over her shoulders. The twins were about to tease the pair when his brown eyes turned that way. The jeers died before Jim and Tim could even open their mouths. Ron was a nice guy, and easily considered a pushover, but even he wouldn't let them pester Kim when she was this low. He'd have challenged the doberman three blocks down if she asked him to.

A sixth plate appeared on the table in front of Ron. Anne assumed the boy could put away a large portion of the roast beef on the platter, even if his mother had just seen him polish off most of a four pound chicken. "He's a growing boy." she thought to herself absently. His latest growth spurt made him look even more like a scarecrow, and handsome, in a goofy kind of way.

"It's awful, Ron." This was the first time the girl had spoken since leaving the dentist's office. "I have to get braces. I'll be making sparks with my fork for three whole years. It's social death, Ron!" Kim looked like she was on the verge of tears again. Her eyes watered as she stabbed at the salad on her plate, not even able to look at it. The fork just slid from her fingers.

"KP, it's not that bad. You've survived nine years with me as your best friend, haven't you?" In a tough spot, the Stoppable sense of humor went into high gear. He gave his friend the most goofy grin possible, a weapon second only to the famous puppy-dog-pout for getting one's way. His only reward was a wan little half-smile.

For once, there were left overs at the Possible house that evening. It was Kim's turn to clean up the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Ron helped her with the chore and then followed her up to her room. He wasn't about to leave anyone feeling that blue.

James watched as his Kimmie-cub lead her good friend up the steep stairs. It was beginning to bother him a little bit that his baby girl was spending so much time in the company of a boy, any boy. But this was Ron, her best friend for nine years, he was like family. There was something else there too, something he couldn't put his finger on... "No, she's too young." Taking a second look, he knew that one day this young man was going to prove up and take his little girl away. "Well, not yet, Ronnie, but one day."

Kim flipped on her lights and sat down at her desk. Her friend flopped down on her bed, almost as if he owned it. He noted the tear soaked teddy among the Cuddle Buddies she had recently started to collect. This was not a good sign.

"When does it happen, KP?", Ron asked, projecting sincere sympathy.

"Next week.", Kim sighed. "Dr. Jensen had an opening, and Mom jumped on it. I'll be a metal mouth right before class pictures." "And Valentines Day.", she thought to herself. Who was going to want to be the Valentine of a freak? She stood up and shoved a few of the stuffed animals around, collapsing to lie next to her friend. For some reason, being close to Ron seemed to make things a little better.

"You're starting to get quite a few of these things, KP." Ron picked up one of the Cuddle Buddies. "I don't get it, what's the attraction? Mutant stuffed animals?" He studied the plush toys with an inquisitive look on his face. Well, at least now he had an idea of what to do for his favorite girl, the only one (besides his mother) that didn't give him the willies.

"They just combine some of the cutest part of two animals." For a few moments, Kim began to forget about her teeth. "They're pretty hard to get, some of them. They've only made ten Flamingoats." She got a far off look in her eyes. "I am just dying for a Pandaroo. They're cute,with a panda head and a kangaroo pouch. Can you imagine a real, live Cuddle Buddy?"

She had no idea what she was in for. DNAmy was still years from creating her monstrosities.

Ron got up from the bed. "Look, I have to get back home. Mom thinks I'm in my room studying." He rolled his eyes. It was so easy getting out for a while now and then. Still, he didn't want to push his luck. Rabbi Katz may have called him a man at his Bar-mitzvahs, but parents have a way of treating you like a child. Besides, he had to start a scavenger hunt, and he was going to have to dig deep.

For the next week, Kim saw very little of her best friend. Where he had usually waited for her after school, he hustled off as soon as the last bell rang. He was tired after homeroom, and Ron was known as a morning person, if somewhat laid back about it. The fridge at the Possible house was filled with left overs. Anne was seriously considering calling down to the Stoppable house to beg them to send Ron over.

That whole week saw Kim get more and more depressed. She went about the routine of school and chores like a machine. Her father tried to tease a smile from his little Kimmie-cub, but nothing seemed to work. Jim and Tim even failed to get a rise out of her when they attached model rocket engines to her backpack, launching her homework halfway across the neighborhood.

The fateful day arrived, and Kim spent the afternoon in a chair being fitted with the bane of kids everywhere. Looking in a mirror afterward, she had to admit that they weren't quite as bad as she had thought.. That lasted until she got to homeroom on the following Monday. She saw everyone staring at her and whispering among themselves. "Brace face!", one boy mouthed at her. "Metal mouth!", teased another.

Then, from behind her left shoulder came a low growl. Kim just had time to look in that direction before a blond blur passed her. "Leave her alone, guys, or the janitor earns his pay tonight!", Ron hissed at the two, who had the good sense to look scared. He then looked to see if the teacher had noticed, but she was grading papers at her desk.

"Whoa, Possible and Stoppable, sitting in a tree..." One glare put a quick end to the rhyme.

After lunch, all of the classes were called down, one at a time to the auditorium. Time for class pictures. Kim just hung her head and wished it would hurry and be over with. The line of relatively neat and tidy kids meandered slowly toward the front of the room. The class was being photographed in alphabetical order, so there were three other kids between her and Ron. Every now and then, she would glance back and feel strangely reassured.

When she sat on the stool, the guy behind the camera tried to get her to smile. The closest he came in three shots was a tired grimace. With a sigh, he waved her off and called for the next in line. "Such a pretty girl too.", the man thought. "Why won't she smile?"

As she went back to join the rest of the homeroom for the group picture, she felt a tug on her arm. Ron pulled her close and whispered to her. "KP, I want to see you after school today. Would it be okay if I stopped by your place?" He had an odd look in his eyes, something that she couldn't help but stare back at.

"Um, sure Ron." Since when had he ever had to ask permission? "Just come find me if I'm not downstairs." she added.

That evening, Kim picked at her dinner. Her teeth hurt, and she was learning how hard it could be to eat certain foods. Everything wanted to stick. She kept looking at the door, expecting Ron to walk in, sit down and inhale half of everything on the table. She actually had missed that for the past week. When supper was finished, she felt let down. Her friend still hadn't come. Kim cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher.

"Maybe he doesn't like me anymore." Kim thought to herself. "These braces make me look like some kind of nightmare." That made her pause for a second. Since when did her looks matter with Ron? He was her best friend, not some guy that she was crushing on. He'd seen her first thing in the morning, before shed had time to brush her teeth and put her hair up into its usual ponytail. "Get a grip on yourself, girl.", she thought sternly.

Just then there was a knock on her door. When it opened, a blond head filled with freckles poked in, a sheepish grin plastered all over it. "Can I come in, Kim?"

When she waved Ron in, she could see he was hiding something behind his back. He just wasn't very good at being sneaky. He strolled over to the bed and plunked the package down on the middle of it, proceeding to flop down as usual, though looking more tired than normal.

"Happy Valentines Day, KP.", Ron said, gesturing to the box. "I'm sorry I haven't been spending much time with you lately. I got a job after school at the Middleton Midtown Cafe washing dishes." Again he gestured at the package on the bed. "I went into my stash, but it wasn't enough. This had to be just right."

Kim walked over and kneeled on the other side of her bed, picking up the box. "But, I didn't get anything for you, Ron.", she objected. She looked into the chocolate brown eyes again, and started to blush a little.

"That's no big, KP. You ere down about... well, you know.", Ron said nervously. "This is to show you that I care about my best friend and want her to feel better." He might as well have told that he would always have her back, but that would come later.

Kim carefully opened the package, here eyes slipping between the wrapping paper and Ron's face. When she pulled the lid off of the box, she squealed. "A Pandaroo, Ron, you bought me a Pandaroo!" She picked the little black and white plush toy out of the box. That was when she saw just how hard he must have worked, and why he was so tired lately. On the animal's neck, just above its white belly, was a small golden star. "Ron, that a Star Pandaroo. Only three dozen of these exist. How... I mean..."

Kim flew over the other stuffed animals on her bed and landed on Ron, pinning him in the fiercest hug he had ever experienced. It was at that moment that James Possible opened the door to his daughter's room, having heard her shriek of delight from the living room and coming up to investigate.

Down in the garage, Kim's father lectured Ron about the perils facing any boy who took advantage of his Kimmie-cub. The discussion featured a one way trip through a man-made black hole. Ron took in every word.

Ten Years Later

Kim lay on the bed and stormed. Valentines Day, and Ron was in a kitchen halfway across town. So it was his restaurant. Why did she have to be alone so others could romance over Ron's excellent meals? He'd make it up to her, he had said, looking sorrowfully into her blazing green eyes. She had just yelled at him and thrown the first thing that came to hand. It had hit the wall next to the door as he walked out on her.

She tossed and turned as she waited for Ron to come home so that she could continue to scream horrid things at him. Eventually, she fell asleep, a deep frown on her face. Still, she was restless.

The the dream came. She was a girl who had just gotten braces, and her best friend had worn himself ragged to get the one thing that would cheer her up. Whenever she slept with her Pandaroo, she felt safe, protected. As she dreamed, she felt that way again, the frown disappeared, and she woke to find herself cuddling her Pandaroo, which she had thrown at Ron from her bedside table.

On the bed, next to the toy was a note.

Dear Kim,

I'm sorry I had to leave you earlier. We both have responsibilities, and sometimes they take us away from each other.

Ten year ago, I gave you this Cuddle Buddy, to remind you that we are best friends and that I love you. I couldn't say it when we were kids, but that's the truth, KP.

Please, come down to the dining room when you wake up.

Love,

Ron

Kim picked up her Pandaroo and made her way down the stairs. From the last step, she could smell what could only be Ron's best cooking. She pushed open the door to the dining room.

The table was set with their best china. A bottle of wine from their own cellar was chilling in a bucket of ice. Two candles added their glow to the dim lights of the sconces on either side of the door. Standing at the chair she normally occupied was Ron, dressed in a clean white shirt and black dress slacks. He pulled the chair out for her, and put the stuffed animal on the table at her elbow.

"Happy Valentines Day, Mrs. Stoppable.", he said, his brown eyes shining. "I love you, KP."