A/N: Disclaimer. This story is a work of fiction. Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable and other characters that you saw on the show are owned by the Disney Corporation and not me. Other parts are real live things, if you can call a B1 Lancer live. They are mostly owned by the United States Government. You'll notice them when they pop up. All persons actions and most places mentioned in this story are not real. Just for the record I don't make anything on this story, it just helps my ulcer feel better.

Thanks to CajunBear73 for his badical beta skills and encouragement. Also a great thanks to Spectre666 for his beta skills as well. His encouragement and humor have helped me stay on track and task. A big thanks to Jeriddian for his excellent punctuation guide that he cleverly disguised as the fantastic story "So the Drama: The Resolution" which I stole with his blessing for the purpose of helping me with my grammar and punctuation. Another thanks to him regarding the data on recovering from particular injuries.

Well I hope that I don't mess this up too bad.

And this is the re-write to make things come out more even. When I wrote it I didn't know that I was going to receive PM's asking for sequels and prequels.

ST 103

Once Again

Chapter 1

Middleton, Colorado:

She sat waiting for him, he agreed to meet her for dinner. She called him right after her mom told her he was back in town. She hadn't seen him in a little more than five years. Kim wondered what her best friend was like now. The last time she saw him was when they had broken up during the summer after their high school senior year, he had secrets that he couldn't share. He told that he couldn't because of a promise. For her, the teen hero even after the attempted invasion, things had gone the way she had expected them too after school except that Josh had come back into her life. He was smooth, very smooth. Soon he had her eating out of his hand. Just like the first time she fell for him. Then it was the tearful break up with her then boy friend. He said he understood and just walked away with his head down. He had looked defeated

While he had dropped out of sight she had gone to a good school. She married Josh while they were sophomores in college. She had been terrified of going to her best friend's house to visit his parents knowing how she must have caused them so much pain. She didn't invite him to the wedding since she didn't have the courage to ask for his address. The marriage didn't last, she finally saw what she had done, when her other best friend Monique asked her what happened to him. Kim found she didn't have to guts to tell her. Now five years later her old best friend was back. So much had changed. For a year after the divorce she had cried herself to sleep almost every night wondering what had happened to him, but now he was back maybe she could convince him to forgive her. She may not deserve it, but she felt she had to try.

---

Earlier in the day Kim's old best friend had called his mom and told her that her would be in town for a couple of days and asked if he could stay at home for that time. Barb Stoppable had been enjoying a cup coffee with her friend, Anne Possible, when she got the call. About a half hour later he showed up with a knock on the door. As she opened the door both women gasped at the change in him. He was taller, now over six foot and had put on nearly forty pounds since he was last home . He stood erect and proud in his Class A uniform. As he pulled off his beret he said, "hi mom, I'm home. I'm sorry it's been so long." She grabbed him in a bone crushing hug crying into his green jacket. "Ron," she started, "welcome home Ronnie! You caught us by surprise. Hanna is at school and Dean's out of town until tomorrow night, please come inside honey," as she drug her son into the house.

Ron looked up and saw Anne. She came up to him and gave him a warm hug, there were tears in her eyes too. She knew what her daughter had done in her quest for the 'perfect' man and what had that gotten her. Anne thought of her daughter as she held on to the young soldier, maybe there's time left to put their lives back together. The three talked for a while when Anne brought up that she thought that Kimmie would like to see him again. Ron had smiled and told her it would be fine. Anne also didn't tell him much about Kim, she thought that it would be best for Kim to let him in on that.

Barbara on the other hand, felt her son needed a little warning about what he was going to see while Anne was on the phone with her daughter. "Ronald, Kimberly is not the girl she was when you left. Remember how she was all out in love with you and then you had the breakup? Well I can't say exactly what happened, because for one thing it's confusing, but she still loves you with her whole heart. You didn't hear it from us, but they are not married anymore so act surprised...please? Whatever happened to your Kimberly is so confusing that Anne and Global Justice had to give her slightly different memories of what happened. When they had her under deep hypnosis they felt that she would shatter if she realized what happened. You must believe me that she began to feel comfortable again when she took a nap in your old bed while babysitting Hanna one day. So no matter what happens Ronald, remember she loves you.", she explained as Anne hung up the phone.

"I still love Kim with all my heart Mom and Mrs. P, it's just been so long and so much as happened.", he told the two mothers.

"Well don't be surprised at Kimmie's feelings for you Ronald. She's been saying prayers for you for a long time. If you have a place for her in your heart please let her back in. She cried for a very long time over you after she came home from her divorce. When she woke up from that bombing at the UN, the first thing she thought was that she was married to you and not to Josh. I had a lot of explaining to do to her and even had to show her pictures to convince her that it wasn't the case. Don't be surprised that she is wearing the promise ring.....she didn't throw it away. Somehow Monique, right after you left, asked her about why she was dating Josh when she was still wearing your ring. Josh removed it from Kimberly's hand to threw it to Monique. There's a lot of things going on here so don't be surprised. Just know that my daughter is truly and deeply in love with you.", Anne told him.

"She was in the bombing?", Ron asked, "She still has the ring?"

"Yes she may have been confused, or her true feelings may have come out. I just don't know Ron. Her mind was such a mess when she came back to us. We were so afraid that she might lose herself to her demons.", Anne told Kim's best friend, "As for the ring, all I can say is that she promised her devotion to you even if you never came back. She made that promise in front of both of our families."

"I'll try not to notice. I still love her Dr. Possible, I can't get her out of my heart. I just left because I had always dreaded that she would find another man. Then when it looked like she did, I just couldn't live here in Middleton anymore. The pain was so devastating I had to go and do something that would take my mind off of it. So I found a place that wanted me for me, a place that I could find my own way. That's why I'm dressed the way I am.", he explained.

---

Kim watched the door of the restaurant nervously. She kept looking at her watch, it was still fifteen minutes till he was supposed to arrive. The door opened, she saw him. God, was he different. Where he was cute before now he was handsome, he was taller and had more muscle. There was no fat on him. Her mom didn't tell her where he had been just that he was back for a bit. And he had his old smile for her. There could be only one like him. Ron Stoppable was the original. As he approached her she rose, she was shaking like a leaf. Kim walked up and gave her Ron the hardest hug that that she could give him. And to her surprise Kim got it back in return. Kim looked him over, he was dressed in khakis, a black polo shirt with an unusual emblem on the left breast, he was wearing a semi dress shoes, not the hockey jerseys and cargoes that he had worn most of his time during high school. At this point from his attire she had no idea what he had done with his life. She knew that he would never wear those hockey jerseys again.

"How have you been KP?", Ron asked her softly, "I have missed you so much over the years, sorry I haven't been around, but I have a job that keeps me pretty busy. I'm sorry that I couldn't attend the wedding, but I was out of the country at the time and really couldn't get away. This is the first time I've been home since high school. So, any way I apologize for not sending you guys anything. I was really busy and wasn't in a place where I could shop, so how's Josh doing and what's married life like?"

A waiter came up and asked for their drink order, Kim asked for a glass of wine and Ron asked for a beer. He told her, "might as well enjoy it while I can, I gotta head back out in a couple of days." Kim looked him over carefully, he had short, make that very short hair. His hands were calloused with various scars on them. He had a weathered, sun burned face, it already had age creases on it. He didn't look like a normal 23 year old man. He looked more like 35.

"Oh Ron, I really missed you. About the wedding. No big. Well I guess it was big at the time, but not now. For me I got the degree I wanted and went to work for GJ and now am one of their trainers. I'm not a field agent anymore since the accident," she told him.

"Accident, what accident KP, are you OK," he asked in a concerned voice.

"I was on a mission, when I was struck by shrapnel from a land mine. It cut a chunk out of the hamstring on my left leg. So I can't do the the acrobatic stuff I used to do, it's pretty hard to run fast now as well. As for married life, after I was hurt Josh left me. I didn't know that he had been seeing other women even before we got married. When he left he told me I was damaged goods anymore and didn't think I was as good a trophy wife as I should be," she was crying now. "God how he played me, I was so stupid," she continued, "I swear that I don't know anything about men, I just should have asked Monique first, but no not the I can do anything girl. I just screwed up every thing including you and me," she finished still crying.

Ron got up and came over and sat next to her. He held her while she cried into his shoulder. She had been holding back all this time and she was letting it loose. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"You know KP, I never did like monkey boy, but he hurt you. I ought go find him and kick his butt," he told her.

"No Ron don't get in trouble over me, he isn't worth it. I'm glad he's out of my life once and for all. I just wish that I knew ahead of time. Because I fell for him again like a butt head, I lost you from my life. I think even before I found out that he was cheating on me, I realized that I still loved you. I was getting ready to break it off with him when I found out. It just made it easier," she told him.

Ron told her, "KP I'm really sorry, is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah, there is Ronnie. Please forgive me for dropping you like that. You didn't deserve that and I should have known better. I left the guy who saved my life and loved me, what did I do, I turned my back on him. I was so stupid. I forgot the lessons that I had learned earlier," she sniffed.

The waiter returned with their drinks and he took their food order.

Ron lowered his voice, he put his arm around her, Kim looked at him with a sad smile on her face, "So where do you live now KP?"

"I had to move back in with mom and dad. Josh looted our savings and I almost had to start over again. It's been tough, but I'm about ready to move out on my own again, though the 'rents want me to stay for a while longer," she told him. "What about you. All this talk has been about me. What have you been doing all these years Ron? You never wrote to anyone. Mom said you this is the first time you've been home. Why did you leave anyway?", Kim asked afraid of the answer.

"Well KP, you didn't know it, but I saw Josh talking to you a couple weeks after graduation. I figured it out right then. So when we broke up, I already was about to go anyway. I enlisted in the Army on a six year deal. So, that's why I'm sorta hard to get a hold of. I never even told my mom until last year and I asked her to keep it quiet. I could just imagine what Bonnie would say, maybe something about 'Private Loser', or something like that. Anyway I've got a little less than a year to go and they want me to reenlist, but I think I've done my part this time. I want some peace and quiet for a change."

He thought grimly, 'What the hell? She said good riddance. It sounded like she wanted me gone. The Moms were right. Something is wrong. If anybody hurt her...if anybody hurt her, I'll make what happened to Warhok and Warmonga look like a Saturday afternoon romp in the playground.'

"To hell with what Bonnie thinks Ron, so why aren't you home for a whole month. I thought you guys get a month of leave every year," she asked.

"Well KP, I'm not on leave. I'm on escort duty," he told her.

"Escort duty, what kind of escort duty Ron?", she asked.

"Well KP, we always send a NCO home to make sure that the soldier gets home to his family, so I just got done and they're letting me have a couple extra days to see family. The kid I brought back was from Lowerton, his funeral was earlier today," he said sadly.

"Oh Ron," she cried, "I am so sorry."

"It's OK, he never felt anything, it happened so fast. I remembered him from when he played against me my senior year. He was a good guy. At least I know when it happens to me someone will bring me home too," he told her softly.

She asked, "Ron, what to do you do in the Army, it doesn't sound to me like you're a cook."

"I never said I was a cook KP, I'm a Ranger. We get all the good jobs. This is my third combat tour. We're pretty good at this, but sometimes we get unlucky," he told her.

"Is it dangerous," she asked.

"Sometimes," he answered evasively.

"I just hope you don't lose your pants like you used to, it wouldn't be very funny showing off your Fearless Ferret boxers in front of the enemy," she giggled, he had always made her feel wonderful.

"You never know where you're going to meet another Ferret Fan Club member KP, but I haven't have those kinds of wardrobe malfunctions in quite a while," he laughed.

As their dinner came, they relaxed and talked about old times and how they remembered them and each other. Ron for his part never lost his love for his KP. Kim realized that she hadn't lost her love for Ron either. Kim finally brought up her courage. "Ron," she asked.

"Yeah KP," he replied.

"Have you found you ever found someone," she asked in a small voice.

"KP, when you've dated and loved the best, you can never ever settle for the rest," he told her as he looked down into her emerald eyes, "so, no I have not been involved with anyone since we said goodbye those years ago."

"But why," she pleaded.

"Mostly because of the reason that I'm back this time. I won't leave a wife widowed or an orphaned child. I've done this mission twice. The first time the guy had a wife and a two year old kid. It almost tore me apart seeing that young woman there dressed in black with her child in her arms. How would she explain to her kid who his daddy was. All she had was movie, pictures and a folded flag," he told her softly.

"But you have to take a chance," she told him.

"KP, there was only one girl that I ever wanted?", he told her.

"Who was it?", she asked in her small soft voice.

"KP, there is only room in my heart for one true love. You are the one, the only one. Sorry about that KP, but I'd rather be a lonely old man, than be with someone that I didn't love with all my heart," he told her. "But I'd be a lonely old man if you didn't love me with all your heart too." He continued, " I would still just be happy to know that you are happy."

"Ronnie are you still sure that you're still interested in me, because I want to try again. I'm not the foolish I can do anything girl that I once was. I really want to try again. Maybe we can have something more maybe something that should have happened in the first place. The something that my mom saw in us, even daddy admitted to it.", she told him.

"KP, I love you, but I can't make a commitment to you like that. What happens if I get killed, where would that leave you?", he asked asked her.

"It would leave me better off than I am now being lonely, I would have had the chance to be with the man that I loved and shared my life with him, if only for a bit of time on earth. I am not afraid of raising your child Ron Stoppable, even if it's by myself. For who could say what God wants for our children." she finished as she showed him her left hand, "Yes Ron, I am wearing your ring. Even if I don't ever get the chance to walk down the aisle to you, I want you to know that there is no one else for me."

As they finished their meal they got up to leave, "Kim if you're sure."

"Ron, I am so sure, more than anything in my exciting life, I'm sure. I just need you," she assured him.

"OK, I'll follow you home, then we can talk in private OK," he asked..

Kim nodded in assent.

---

After talking for a while outside the Possible home, Kim and Ron went inside. Anne gave Ron a hug. James jumped up and gave him one too. James had gotten over the young Ron that he knew years before. He was glad that the soldier was back at least for a bit. Kim announced to them that they were going to be gone all night and not to worry. Ron called his mom and told her the same thing.

They left in Ron's rental car.

---

Much later that evening Kim looked at the chest of her now again boy friend. She moaned with joy at having found him again and kissed his chest and cuddled close. It was nearly daylight when she felt him tremble and shake. He was having a nightmare. Worrying she pulled him tighter, he calmed down with in a few moments. He opened his eyes, looking down he saw the green eyes looking at him. He said, "Sorry KP, sort of a gift from a mission."

She wondered, 'What kind of gift was that? Not a pleasant one for sure. I hope he's OK'. Rolling over on top of him she used him as her pillow as she listened to his heart as she closed her eyes again, 'Mmmm, it's so nice to feel him again.'

It seemed like only minutes, but he woke her softly speaking into her ear, "Darling let's get up, I'm going to order room service while you get dressed, OK?"

After they ate, and checked out they went for a little drive, Ron felt they needed to do some shopping and went to the mall. After lunch they stopped by the Stoppable home. Since it was Saturday everyone was home. Kim called her 'rents and asked them to come over. Kim and Ron explained the sitch to everyone. They told them that they Kim and Ron would take their parents out for dinner that night and make sure to dress nicely and bring Hanna and Rufus.

---

That night it all came together for the former members of Team Possible. During dessert Ron popped the question. Kim popped the answer. She held him tightly in his 'greens' that he had traveled home in.

After dinner their 'rents went home as the new couple drove off another way.

---

Kim gave him a hug as he made ready to check through security. He was dressed in his BDUs now, not the uniform that he wore at dinner when he asked he the question. He had packed everything else away. It would be nearly seven months before he would come home again, but Kim was content. Finally they had gotten back together now they had to be away from each other. She held him crying. "I'll email you everyday," she told him tearfully, "you just make sure that you come home safe. I'll be right here waiting." She pulled Ron into a deep kiss, trying to hold onto him until the last possible moment.

---

Good to her word Kim emailed everyday, Ron had a camera on his computer and they had a video feed on Mugbook. After ten weeks, Kim told Ron that she had news for him and to close his eyes. When he opened them he was looking at a pair of baby shoes. Kim was behind them nodding. "Which do you hope for honey, a girl or a boy," she asked her lover.

"A healthy baby KP, just a healthy one. I can tell she is going to be badical just like her mom.", he told her, adding, "It looks like I'd better get some paperwork done now. I'll get Dad to move some money around too."

Kim asked, "Honey what kind of paperwork?"

"Oh, insurance forms. I'm going to notify a change in life insurance and make some changes in my health insurance to take care of you and the baby. Tomorrow talk to my Dad, he'll fill you in about all the trust fund stuff and all.", he told her.

Ron contacted his dad to make the changes he needed to take care of his soon to be family. His Dad was proud of how Ron stepped up for Kim and the baby. Kim had already let it slip to them and Dean was waiting for Ron's correspondence.

---

Map reference, Victor Foxtrot 3633:

Two weeks later, the platoon landed after dark on the mountainside. They were searching for the enemy, trying to push him out of his lair where they had setup shop. They were very good fighters, but the Army Rangers were better fighters. To defeat the bad guys they had to fight them on their own turf. The whole mission had been a mess from the beginning. There were supposed to be two reinforced platoons not just one. The other platoon had been called on an emergency mission. This was a recipe for a big screw up. The fun started at about 3 AM local time.

Everybody dropped as the tell-tale popping sound of rounds going overhead got their attention. They could see the tracers coming towards them, from several directions at once. It was a trap. They had walked into an ambush and were on the receiving end of a murderous crossfire. Within minutes 6 men of the 52 went down. That was because enemies of the United States had begun supplying the enemy with advanced night vision devices. The Ranger Platoon was both outnumbered and outgunned. Both sides knew it.

Lieutenant Wallace called for air support. An AC-130 Specter Gunship known as Spooky 67 was orbiting the area, looking for some targets. The faces were grim in the converted C-130 as they took the call. Spooky was bristling with armament. Wallace got his call answered about 3 seconds before shrapnel from an RPG cut him down. SFC James took the radio and informed them of the location of the platoon. To make sure that he was recognized, James popped a white phosphorous flare known as Willie Pete. That caused the Specter gunship to turn into the fight. It had already contacted the local AWACS aircraft and gave it as much info as it could.

In the space of twenty minutes the platoon was down to half its original numbers. Men kept getting hit. Then the mortars started their barrage. It was a slaughter. Soon there was only three left. Sgt Ron Stoppable picked up the radio. "Spooky 67 this is Red Dog 32 Delta, you copy? There are three of us left, Leader, Alpha, Bravo, Echo and Charlie are down. I am senior that's left. We need an air strike now." he yelled over the din.

"Red Dog 32 we have assets ten minutes out, can you hold out and where do you want it," AWACS answered.

"We are down to two souls Spooky, drop it on top of us and 250 meters radius from our position. We need the drop ASAP as he dropped a chem stick knowing that the gunship's sensors would pick it up. Correction, Red Dog 32 Delta is the last soul," as Ron watched his last comrade fall to the ground as his helmet exploded.

Ron raised his head and was thrown back by what felt to be a sledgehammer blow into his chest. Ron keyed the mic, "Spooky 67 drop it on us, do you copy? Drop it on us. At least they can't strip the dead. See ya in hell buddy," he said as he fell back.

-

One hundred miles away, three very large aircraft were orbiting looking for someone to drop their loads on. Hearing the action brewing they turned as a single plane and pushed the throttles to the stops and turned off their navigation lights. Their wings began to move backwards as each bomber lit their afterburners on their four General Electric 101 turbofan engines. The lead plane's copilot called on the net, "Spooky 67 this is Dead Man 30, 31 and 32. We are inbound, supersonic and expediting. Move all friendly assets out of the area. We need targeting information on the stranded platoon. Dead Man 31 will release, Dead Man 32 will provide CAP, and Dead Man 30 will provided extra support.

Spooky responded, and gave some covering fire before moving away firing ten quick volleys with it's 105 mm howitzer and the new 30mm Mk-44 cannons. A flight of F/A 18's gained altitude to avoid the shock from the nearly half a million pound aircraft heading their way at over 900 miles per hour.

Sgt. Stoppable, coughing blood looked up, someone had grabbed him and was pulling him to his feet. The grinning insurgent had a knife and was beginning to cut his throat slowly. Ron passed out just as the sonic boom generated by a single B1 Lancer bomber flew by at over 900 miles per hour, at an altitude of less then 1000 feet above his head. The noise shook the earth with an enormous bang. Three seconds later while the ground still reverberated from the sudden shock, the bomber's load of 30 CBU 87's dispensed their sub munitions scattering over 6000 bomblets on the target area.

Creating hell on earth.