ilyiw, Boliver-style II: Thundersnow
Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Corporation. All other characters are the creation of the author and may not be used without his permission.
This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work…at this time.
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A/N Forward:
She gave him life.
He, in return, has taught her to live
Their year has been wonderful, together.
What can make it better?
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ilyiw, Boliver-style II: Thundersnow
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(Her)
I smiled as I drove out of the parking garage. Geoffrey, senior evening security on duty, waved me through and bade me good night. I waved at him and wished him a Happy New Year.
"Have fun at your party tonight," I smiled, and he grinned
"Methinks you will have more fun, Dr. Director," he winked, and I laughed and nodded as I drove past him and up the long tunnel to the surface.
I had been smiling a lot this past year...and, it was all HIS FAULT!
The gate lifted as I approached, and the laser defenses dropped as my identification was recognized. I drove through, and they came back up...and I was on the surface, turning onto the road that led me home.
I used to dread going home, alone every night...but I wasn't alone any more. He was there, and he made me smile. He might be at work, but he would always leave me a hot meal in the warmer if he was at work or out, taking care of business.
He made me smile, and I drove home singing to myself the entire way.
I was singing about rainbow connections…how strange was that?
(Him)
I had, with the help or Ronald once again, readied the apartment for the party tonight. Ron didn't mind: he was attending and cooking Beth's favorite dishes, and Kim was coming back from Oxford, after a seminar she had presented, for a New Year's sendoff, courtesy of Nakasumi-san.
It was going to be relatively small party: Beth and me, Kim and Ron, Justine and Mike, Felix and Tara, Monique and Wade, and Joss and, of all people, Will Du. How they had even co-existed on the same planet was a mystery to me, and how they had fallen in love was an even bigger shock to Kim. Ron told me that, after when she had finished her rant about Will, he looked at her, smiled, and reminded her. "Stranger things have happened, KP: just look at the two of us," he gave her his patented Ron goofy grin, and she was under its spell, once again.
I had had a wonderful year, and this party would be the culmination of it. We had not celebrated the New Year last year with friends, being content to spend time alone, together. We watched the ball drop in Denver, and she kissed me at 3. With that kiss, I could forgive her not being precise on her time; after all, she was only human...
...but, what a human!
We had spent almost all of a week of her vacation with each other, only leaving the apartment when we needed a change of scenery; specifically, she had a craving for the 'Fryer's Paradise' and a bottle of Red Tail White, so we went to the bar and enjoyed our meal, greeted by several regulars and my employees.
My employees: how strange that sounded, especially after receiving my gift from Beth last Christmas. I looked at them differently, the first day after I came back, and I made some changes that I know I would not have even considered making in the past.
They were not on my radar before but now I understood them better, and now they were even happier to work for me than before: it showed in the customer comments and their tips...and, my bottom line along with the lack of staff turnover.
Amazing what a little kindness could do for a person....
(Her)
I came home early one evening in late May and heard music coming from the apartment: the beautiful clarinet concerto by George Gershwin I assumed that he had found my recordings.
I was wrong.
I opened the door and stepped in, lacing my briefcase on the table as I closed the door, the music continuing. I took four steps into the living room, and there he was, playing the clarinet, his eyes closed and joy on his face that made me want to cry.
I sat down and watched him play the remainder of the first movement, and he then looked up and smiled.
I smiled back, stood, walked to him, and kissed his cheek.
He blushed. "What was that for?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining," he added with a smile.
"Because you play wonderfully, Oliver, that's why," I replied.
"Thank you," he replied, stopping the playback. "I knew that this was one of your favorite pieces, and I thought I might be able to learn it.:
"You've learned it, and you've," she leaned over and kissed his lips quickly, "earned," she kissed him again, this time a bit longer, "it," she kissed once again, this time holding it even longer.
"Thank you, Beth, but I did it for you," he explained as he stood and removed his mouthpiece from his clarinet, then removed the reed and carefully placed it in the case.
(Him)
Ronald, as usual, did his masterful job at cooking: there were appetizers galore, and an intimate sit-down dinner was waiting for the guest of honor to arrive. Luckily, there were no Pop-Pop porter's mini-corn dogs.
Ron had just checked the final wine bucket when I told them that she was pulling into the garage.
A few moments later, the magnetic lock popped, and Beth walked in. Ron kissed her cheek and handed her a champagne flute, already filled and waiting for her.
"Good evening, Dr. Director," Ron grinned, and Beth blushed and smiled.
(Her)
I got home and pulled into the garage, expecting to find a few people in the apartment. Oliver had told me that there would be a few folk for dinner and a New Year's Eve quiet party: a time to reminisce. I liked the idea: a small dinner party was what I needed after my weeks at the White House, Buckingham Palace, Parliament, and the Geneva offices of the UN, hammering out the deals we needed to be able to move forward with the next phases of the expansion and recovery programs.
I opened the door and was greeted by Ronald and a glass of champagne, and darn it! if Ronald hadn't gotten the information on my favorite maker and year. I blushed when Ronald kissed me on the cheek, grinned, and said "Good evening, Beth."
"Good evening, Ronald, and thank you."
"For what: the champagne?"
"And, the kiss: it isn't every day an old broad like me gets kissed by a young man like you," I replied, and it was his turn to blush.
"The rest of the guests are inbound, Beth, and will be here in the next 20 minutes," he told me, and he fed me an appetizer.
It, of course being a Ron creation, was to die for, and I whimpered as I chewed it, generating a laugh from Kim, coming from the kitchen with her chef's apron on.
"You like them, Dr. Director?"
"Kim. Don't tell me..." and she smiled.
"It is," she grinned, and Ron nodded.
""She got the recipe from one of her attendees at Oxford," he explained, "and she couldn't wait to try it out."
"It's wonderful," I stated, and Kim giggled.
"It's amazing what you can do with heart and kidney," she smiled sweetly, and I glared at her as she laughed at me.
(Him)
The doorbell rang, and Ronald opened it to a pair of smiling fools.
"Jocelyn, good evening; Will, glad you could come," Ron shook his hand and hugged Joss, not an easy feat in her condition.
"Ah hope you have somethin' non-alcoholic, Ron, 'cause the little ones," she rubbed her stomach, "don't take too well to the spirits."
"I have some sparkling grape juice, Joss: will that do?" Ron asked.
"Ah rekon," she smiled, but I could tell she was disappointed. She really wanted to kick off the New Year with her new husband in style, and here she was, three months pregnant.
"It's all right, Sweet Tea," Will grinned and squeezed her hand. "I still have the deal with my friends, and after the kids are born, we have a case of bubbly coming out way."
"Sweet Tea?" Ron grinned, and Joss blushed.
"Yes, Ron, I called her that the first time I kissed her, and she giggled," Will explained, "ever since, I do it just so I can see her smile," and Joss blushed.
"Will, I have to admit," Kim laughed. "I didn't think you had it in you."
"Oh, he has it, cuz," Joss grinned. "Boy, howdy, kin that buckaroo romp!"
Even I had to laugh at Joss' comment.
The doorbell rang again, and Ron opened it.
"Someone said that there was a party in here, baby boy," Monique Load laughed, and Ron grabbed at his heart as she pushed Ron aside and headed for the appetizers. Wade, Felix, Tara, Mike, and Justine all laughed as they came in behind Monique.
We had small talk, and Beth excused herself to change...and I couldn't wait to here her response to what was waiting for her on her bed...our bed, now.
(Her)
I stayed in the living room for a few minutes after the last of the guests arrived, and then I excused myself to go shower and change.
I opened the door to our bedroom, and I squealed with glee.
It was the dress I wanted to buy, but I'd had no time, and that man had bought it for me to wear tonight.
I quickly stripped and headed for the shower, washed the grime of rebuilding off of me, and came back in.
He was sitting in his chair, watching me enter, naked.
He surprised me, but he was smiling: that was no surprise.
"Oliver! Get out and let me change!"
"Yes, Beth, but I see no reason for you to change: you could come out like this, and I'm certain that the guys would not object," he grinned.
I pushed him out the door and slammed it shut.
'It was wonderful to have someone that cared so much and spent their time making certain that you knew you were loved,' I thought as I slipped on my underwear, stockings garter belt, and...the dress.
It fit...like, with him around, I would have expected any less.
(Him)
"Are you dressed?" My voice came from the other side of the door.
She whispered "yes," and I opened the door and stared at her. Now, I understood Ronald's comments about how he felt about Kim, and the jokes about "Mad Dog foams at the mouth!"
"Beth, you are a vision, and that dress..." I smiled.
"Thank you, Oliver," she stepped to me and threw her arms around my neck.
"Why? You picked it out, you tried it on, and you're wearing it."
"But, I wouldn't be if you hadn't picked it up for me while I was out of town," she explained just before she gave me a thank-you kiss that made me smile while she was attached to my lips.
"You're welcome, and I believe that Ronald has dinner ready," I said, crooking my arm. She took it, and we walked out of the bedroom to a now-silent living room.
(Her)
I should have known who would make the first comment.
"Dang, Betty, where have you been hiding that dress?" Dr. Wade Load grinned. Monique wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and she had his attention as she leaned her body into his back. Wade's grin, already big as he felt his wife's arms around him and her body against his, got even bigger when she whispered something into his ear.
"Ron, I think it's time to serve before Wade melts down...again," Kim laughed, and Ron nodded after he gave me an appreciative whistle that made me blush.
Justine and Mike walked by, and Justine stage-whispered, "I've got one like that at home, Betty: don't let him take it off too fast," and she giggled as she watched Mike blush with the pair heading for the table.
(Him)
Ron's dinner was divine:
He opened with a chilled mint and melon soup to cleanse the palates of the appetizers before brought out the big guns: serving family-style, he had prepared a family-sized seafood lasagna, with garlic bread and one monster salad bowl, overflowing with greens, carrots, onions, bell peppers, radish shavings...you name it.
We all attacked the bounty, and the conversation was almost as good as the food:
Will told the story about how he first met Joss and some of what happened when he tried to date her for the first time. We laughed at some of poor Will's attempts, but we knew how the story would end, so they were actually endearing.
Monique laughed and told us about Wade, the 'bun warmer', and what happened to her after she was off of it: she realized that she really liked Wade as a friend, and she went and talked to his parents to get their permission to spend time with him. "One thing led to another," she laughed, "and, the next thing I knew, I was falling head-over-heels for the good Doctor."
"Who?" I asked, and Beth hit me in the head while the rest laughed…at my joke or me, I wasn't certain.
Monique stuck out her tongue at me. "I told him, and he wasn't ready!" she exclaimed, and Wade laughed.
"How was I supposed to be ready for a goddess to come into my life after all the grief she'd given me?" he pouted, and she kissed him quiet.
Kim told us how her brothers were doing at CalTech ("I was worried about them on the West Coast: they could have sent Cali into the ocean." "And, that would be a problem, why?" Justine asked, and Mike 'shut her mouth' with a kiss), and how her parents were enjoying having the house to themselves.
Dessert was wonderful: mini-strawberry pizzas, with cream cheese and basil for the double-chocolate-chip cookie crust topping.
We sat, all looking and moaning like beached sea animals, and Ronald suggested…
(Her)
...Ron suggested a short walk in the park along the river behind our apartment before the ball dropped, and everyone liked the idea. I grabbed my clutch purse with my pistol, silencer, and shockwatch (hey, a woman can never be too prepared), and we all headed out.
I imagined that it must have been a sight to behold: Oliver and me, Ron and Kim. Mike and Justine, Felix and Tara, Wade and Monique, Will and a pregnant Joss: all spilling out of our apartment and heading for the riverside park. The snow had just barely begun to fall, and huge flakes, the size of oak leaves, were coming down gently.
We could hear the music from the downtown parties playing in the air, and we all snuggled in our pairs as we walked and sorta talked to the other pairs, but mostly to each other. We got to the path, and it was surprisingly quiet. No drunks: now, that was a surprise.
"Beth, I did not know that this year could beat last year, but it did," he said to me as we walked along the lit path. "Being with you has been the best thing that could have happened to me, and I love you for it." He stopped walking for a moment, a few feet from one of the lampposts, and then he turned me toward him and smiled. "And, I love you," he added and I smiled.
(Him)
"I know, silly, and you are the best thing that ever happened to this old broad in, like, forever," she replied, and I could hear Will Du giggle in the background and Joss telling him to shush.
"I mean it, Beth," I said, taking her hands in mine. "I love you so much that it hurts when I think about not having you in my life.
"So, whaddya say, Beth," I said in a joking tone as I knelt in front of her and pulled out a ring box, opening it to dead silence from all around us, "shall we tell the world how we feel about each other?" I pulled the ring from the box and placed it on her finger, and then I looked up in hope...
(Her)
...that big doofus had gone and done it!
He beat me to the punch, and he didn't even know what I had planned for tonight, when we got back.
He made me cry, and I started sobbing immediately.
The hope on his face turned immediately to fear, and he stood up and grabbed me into his arms.
"It's all right, Beth, we don't have to do it if you don't want to," he whispered, and I hit him with my clutch purse.
"Oliver," I said, laughing and crying at the same time, and Kim and Justine understood immediately, "I have something for you in here," and I opened my purse and pulled out a ring box for him, "and you had to go and spoil the surprise." I laughed and hugged him in the silence.
"Of course, I'll marry you," I whispered, and the applause broke out around us.
(Him)
We returned to the apartment, Beth by my side, wrapped in my coat, and the rest of our friends cheering us the entire way. We just barely got into the building before the skies opened up and started to dump massive quantities of snow. When we got inside, Ron whipped up some hot apple cider, and Wade turned on the television to the channel with the Denver ball drop.
We all stood and watched the last minutes of the Mountain Time old year, holding each other and smiling.
"Three!
"Two!
"One!
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" came from the announcer, but we were all busy.
"Welcome to the new year, Beth," I smiled, and she fingered her ring and looked up at me, tears pouring from her eye
"Thank you, Oliver, my darling, my love."
BOOM!
I walked with Beth to the window and opened the curtains that overlooked the pool and showed the mountains:
Lightening flashed across the sky in multiple colors, and the flakes were coming down like autumn leaves in a forest 20 miles square, filled with oaks and maples.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
"It's thundersnow," Wade explained, "but I've never seen it and the lightening show at the same time. That's really rare," he commented, and I kissed Beth's forehead.
"Like you," I whispered.
"booyah," came from Ron, and Kim giggled.
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Author's afterward:
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This is the last of my stories for the 2008. This is my late Christmas gift to several very special people in my life:
That, and you can blame the plot squirrel that came by my window this morning…
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Thanks for reading, and please review.
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