Hello, all. So, this is my first one shot story and my first Kim Possible fic, but hopefully not the only one of either category. This fic has a serious religious theme to it. I'm not a religious person by nature, but this is something that popped into my head one day and, of course, I just had to write it down.
I'd like to take this opportunity to dedicate this story to my friend's mother who past away recently. I understand and grieve for his loss and my thoughts are with him and his father.
Mrs. M: Feb. 18 1940 - Jan. 25, 2012 May you rest in peace.
Enjoy the story.
"There's one thing I've never been very good at: saying thank you."
- Batman. "This Little Piggy". Justice League Unlimited
PLEASE AND THANK YOU
"Goodbye, Ron."
"Bye, Kim."
The little four year old blond boy looked forlorn as he watched his new friend, the spunky little girl in red pigtails, as her parents picked her up from preschool. It had been such a great day. The two kids had played together, napped together and Ron had even risked a cootie infection and shared his juice with her at snack time. But now, all that was coming to an end. The freckle-faced boy looked so sad to be parted from Kim, even if it was just for a day. He also looked a little scared, as if he was worried that he'd never see Kim again once she was gone.
The little girl noticed the miserable look on her new friend's face. She didn't understand why he'd be so sad after all the fun they had. Breaking away from her parents, Kim went up to Ron and asked what the matter was.
Trying hard not to cry, Ron replied, "I-I'm just g-gonna miss you, Kim."
Kim smiled, shaking her head. He was so weird. "Ron, I'll see you when I come back tomorrow, okay?"
"You promise, Kim."
"Cross my heart," she said, mimicking the movement over her chest.
The sadness evaporated from Ron's face and was replaced by a huge grin. "Okay. See you tomorrow!"
The two children got into their respective cars with their parents, twisting around in their seats so they could see each other out the back windows until they were finally out of sight.
"Well, Ronnie, it seems like you had a good day today after all," said Mr. Stoppable. He knew that his son had been worried that his first day at preschool would be a total disaster and that he'd be shunned by all the other kids. Mr. Stoppable often wondered how a four year old gets ideas like that.
"Oh yeah, Daddy, it was the best." The smile never left Ron's face as he bounced in his seat, telling his parents all about the stuff he'd done with his coolest, most bestest friend ever – even if she was a girl. His mom and dad grinned at each other, happy that their boy was so excited.
Once the family got home, there was the usual routine of playtime, dinner, TV and then bed. Ron had just finished washing up and putting on his pajamas and was just about to get into bed when his mom said from the door of his bedroom, "Ronnie, don't forget to say your prayers."
"Oh, right. Thanks, Mommy." Ron knelt down, brought his hands together, bowed his head and said:
"Lord, please hear my prayer. Thank you for the day You've given me. It was so much fun. And thank You for sending me a new friend, like I asked. Kim is the best. I can't wait to see her again. I hope we get to play with the blocks tomorrow. Please bless Mommy and Daddy and my imaginary friend, Rufus, and Kim. Good night."
With that, Ron crawled into bed where his Mom tucked him tightly in and kissed him good night. The smile had never left his face.
"Ron, will you please ease up? I told you, I'm fine."
"But KP, you're still bleeding!"
The teenage duo was on a cargo plane flying back to Middleton after another successful world saving mission. Dr. Drakken had set up yet another island lair and had been experimenting with genetic mutations. He claimed he'd be able to give sharks the ability to breathe air and walk on land, turning them into his own invincible army for world conquest.
"Now I won't have to bother dropping my enemies into a shark tank," he had ranted. "I'll bring the sharks to them!"
Kim and Ron had been asked by Global Justice to stop Drakken's plan, which, of course, they had. Quite easily too. However, in the process, Shego had managed to land a powerful blow to Kim's left arm, creating a particularly nasty looking slash with her razor sharp nails. Ron had wrapped Kim's arm in a bandage before they left the lair and was now trying to get Kim to let him take another look at it.
The teen heroine tried to play off the injury. "So not the drama, Ron. It's just a scratch. It's no worse than I've gotten before." That was not entirely true and Kim knew it. The scar had been pretty deep and had run from her shoulder all the way to her elbow. It ached something fierce and would probably need to be stitched up. She didn't want Ron to know how much it was hurting her.
Too bad she couldn't fool her best friend. "Come on, KP, I can see in your eyes how much pain you're in. Besides, I need to change the bandage. Don't be such a baby."
Kim almost laughed out loud at the irony of that statement. Ron was known to burst into tears whenever he got a splinter. His arguments had failed to mollify Kim; she scooted across the wooden crates, away from Ron, but he moved right along with her until Kim was backed up against the wall of the plane, unable to escape.
"Fine, just be quick about it," the teen girl grumbled.
Smiling at his success, Ron carefully unwrapped the bandage around Kim's arm, hissing when he saw the wound. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the cut had not scabbed over yet. Every time Kim flinched in pain, the skin would part and small drops of blood would leak across her skin. As fast as he could, the boy took some antiseptic out of the first aid kit and gently dabbed at the gash.
Kim turned away, not wanting to see her own blood and held back the whimpers from the stinging medicine.
Once he was done applying the ointment, Ron took another bandage and carefully, but tightly wrapped it around the arm. He could feel Kim shaking as he worked and he whispered that it would be okay, to distract her from the pain.
Finally finished, Ron put away the first aid kit and watched as Kim bent and unbent her arm, working the muscles. "Feel better?"
"A little," she grudgingly replied. One look at Ron's goofy smile, though, and she couldn't stay mad. She leaned into him and Ron put an arm around her shoulders as they continued towards home.
It was very early in the morning by the time they arrived in Middleton. The sun was far from rising. Both teens were dead tired and said little more than a mumbled good night to each other before heading to their houses.
After a quick shower and change of clothes, Ron was almost ready for some well deserved rest. There was just one more thing he had to do. Kneeling down by his bed, he began to pray.
"Lord? It's me, Ron. But, I guess You know that, huh? Anyway, thank You for this day You've given me. Thank You for my family and my friends and thanks especially for Kim."
At this point, Ron hesitated. "She got hurt today, You know, from Shego. Not really bad, but worse than usual. It's my fault; I know it is. If I had just moved a little faster…If I was a better sidekick, Kim wouldn't be in pain right now. It could have been so much worse. Thank You for protecting her since I obviously can't. And please help me to be better, to be stronger for KP. Please help me to be the friend she deserves."
His prayers complete, Ron slipped silently into bed and promptly fell asleep, unaware of his mother watching him from the hallway.
"It's just a little rain, Ron."
"KP, there's more water coming down outside right now than there is at Niagra Falls."
The male high school senior may have been prone to greatly over exaggerate, but this time, he wasn't off by much. Despite a weather forecast of merely cloudy skies, it had started to downpour not long after Kim had arrived at Ron's house. No one was worried at first. Sudden powerful showers like this often didn't last more than fifteen minutes. But, as the evening progressed, the rain came down even harder. By the time dinner was done, flashes of lightning illuminated the neighborhood between crashes of thunder.
It was late at night now and Kim was getting ready to go home. In typical fashion, she wasn't about to let a little thing like a hurricane get in her way. Or her boyfriend.
"Ron, the Sloth is designed for driving in any kind of weather." Kim tried to remain patient, but her tolerance with what she saw as smothering on Ron's part was rapidly wearing thin. "I'll be fine once I reach the car."
"You could drown before you even reach the car, KP," reasoned Ron. "And the wind out there is strong enough to send you to Oz and back in record time."
"I'm afraid Ron's right, Kimberly," said Ron's mother, forestalling any further argument from Kim. "Why, you can barely see your car in the driveway." Kim had to admit that was true; the RL Sloth was just a hazy outline in the rain. "You can stay here in the guestroom tonight."
Hating to lose any argument, Kim tried one last time to get her way. "But it's not even a five minute drive, Mrs. Stoppable and…"
"…And five minutes is plenty of time for you to lose control of a car over a slippery road and fatally crash into a lamp post."
The combined might of Mrs. Stoppable's logic and the stricken look on her boyfriend's face at the thought of the scenario his mother had just suggested finally forced Kim to admit defeat. She was not going anywhere tonight.
After a quick call to her parents to explain the situation, Kim headed into the bathroom to wash up and change into the spare set of pajamas that she kept at Ron's house for nights when missions ran late.
Kim was heading down the hall to the guest bedroom which just happened to be right across from Ron's room. The teen girl smiled at the thought of quickly kissing her beau good night. Well, maybe not too quickly.
The teen heroine pushed the door to Ron's room open just a crack to see Ron kneeling down besides the bed with his back to her. That was odd. She wondered what Ron could be doing.
"Lord, it's Ron again. I hope you're not too busy. I want to thank You for another day of life and the blessings You've bestowed upon me. Thank You for my family, my friends, Rufus, Bueno Nacho…"
Kim drew back from the bedroom doorway with an embarrassed grimace. She hadn't meant to intrude on Ron praying; although, she hadn't known it was something he did. She'd just never given any thought to it. Not wanting to intrude on something so personal, Kim turned to go back to her bedroom.
"…and thanks especially for my most excellent girlfriend, Kim Possible."
The teenage girl stopped dead in her tracks when she heard her name mentioned.
"Kim's the most wonderful girl in the world," continued Ron. His voice was barely above a whisper, but the object of his praise heard every word. "She's smart, beautiful, strong, independent and the most selfless person I've ever known. You really broke the mold with her."
Redness crept up Kim's neck onto her cheeks and a small smile played on her lips as she listened to how Ron described her. She knew it was totally heartfelt and she felt the same way about Ron. However, that smile turned to a frown when she heard what came next.
"I love Kim; You know I do, but I can't help wondering why You let me be with her. I mean, she is perfect and I'm…well, me. Kim's a Double Chimarito Combo Platter Deluxe and I'm a dinky little Junior Taco from the kid's menu. I know I shouldn't question Your wisdom, but I can't help thinking that I'm not good enough for her."
Kim was actually halfway into Ron's room before she managed to stop herself. She had been about to rush in there and admonish Ron for thinking about himself that way, proclaiming that there could never be anyone more perfect for her than him. It was only by reminding herself that she really wasn't supposed to be listening to this in the first place and the fact that Ron would be utterly humiliated if she burst in now that kept her rooted in place.
"Anyway, I just wanted to thank You for sending Kim to me, even if I don't deserve her. Please protect Kim and keep her safe. And please help me to be the type of guy worthy to be with Kim."
Ron sighed in a kind of defeated way and stood up stiffly from the floor. Before he could turn around, Kim retreated several steps down the hall out of Ron's line of sight. She saw the bedroom light turn off and the door close and assumed that Ron had finally gone to bed.
Meanwhile, Kim hadn't moved from her perch in the hallway. She was still floored from Ron's unexpected revelations and was having trouble keeping her breathing steady. Her boyfriend just thanked God for her. That's not the sort of thing a teenager hears every day. Did Ron really consider her to be a gift from on high? As flattering as that was, it left Kim with an uncomfortable feeling she couldn't quite describe.
"Kimberly?"
Kim squeaked in surprise as she spun around and saw Ron's mother standing behind her in the hall. "M-Mrs. Stoppable. I-I thought you were in bed. Sorry if I woke you…"
"I assume you heard?"
"Heard?" asked Kim, vainly trying to look innocent. "I-I don't know what…"
"Ron's prayers." Mrs. Stoppable gave the teen hero a satisfied smirk. "Come now, Kimberly, I wasn't born yesterday. You're lurking outside Ron's room and you look like you've just been hit by a bus."
There was no use trying to fake it any longer. Kim lowered her eyes to the carpet as she said, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop on something so personal. I'm sorry."
" Oh, don't be. I do it all the time." Mrs. Stoppable waved her hand airily, dismissing the repentant teen's apology.
Kim looked up, somewhat shocked. "You do?"
"Of course," said Mrs. Stoppable. "At first, when Ron was a child, I listened in just to make sure he was performing his prayers, like his father and I taught him. But later, I kept listening more for the sake of curiosity."
"What were you curious about?"
Instead of answering, the older woman looked the younger straight in the eye and asked, "Do you pray at night, Kimberly?"
The inquiry caught Kim off guard. She sensed that her answer to this question was important, but she did not want to give the honest answer out of fear of what Mrs. Stoppable might think. "Well…I, uh…"
Mrs. Stoppable saw Kim's body tense up and sought to ease her son's girlfriend. "It's all right, Kimberly, I'm not judging you. I'd just like to know, that's all."
Kim was still reluctant, but decided to answer truthfully. "Well, no, I don't. I mean, not regularly. I used to when I was a kid and my family would go to church, but are lives can be so hectic and we fell out of the habit."
Ron's mother nodded, as if she expected that answer, but didn't comment on it. "You know, Ron has said his prayers every night, without fail, since he was four years old. Of course, I can't speak for when he was at summer camp or out on missions with you, but I have the feeling he still found the time."
Where was this conversation going? Kim thought. If Ron's mother was trying to make her feel guilty, it was starting to work.
"And in all that time," continued Mrs. Stoppable, "Ron has never failed to mention you in his prayers."
Kim was flabbergasted. "Really?" It was all she could think to say.
"Yes, indeed," said Mrs. Stoppable with a warm smile. "That day he met you in preschool he thanked God for you. At the time, I thought it was cute and appropriate since you were basically his first friend. What I didn't expect was for him to keep giving thanks which he has done every day since."
"Why…Why are you telling me this?"
Mrs. Stoppable gave Kim a piercing look. "I'm still not completely comfortable with your friendship, let alone relationship, with my son. Mainly because of the danger he gets into following you on those missions of yours."
Kim's anger flared at the older woman's accusing tone. "I never forced Ron to…"
Ron's mother held up a hand to silence Kim. "But, I cannot argue with the fact that you are the one his heart belongs to. You make him happy, Kimberly, and you've been a very positive influence on him. Ronnie, his father and myself are all grateful for that. I just wanted you to know." Without another word, Mrs. Stoppable headed back to her bedroom, leaving Kim alone in the hall again.
Kim sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room, thinking hard about everything that she had learned in just the last half hour. It was a lot to take in and for some reason that she could not put her finger on, it bothered her.
Of course she knew that Ron loved her, just as she loved Ron. They said as much to each other often enough. That had been no big surprise.
The gushing compliments had also been nothing she hadn't heard before; not to say that she didn't enjoy hearing them. What she enjoyed much less was her boyfriend's tendency to be insecure. Kim had thought that he'd gotten much better at believing in himself, what with improving his grades, making the football team and using his Monkey Kung Fu to really step up during missions.
Still, every once in awhile – mainly whenever a mission when south or a certain brunette schoolmate couldn't keep her mouth shut – Ron's confidence would falter and he would regress to thinking that maybe Kim should have someone better in her life. And apparently, this problem of being insecure was more widespread than Kim had ever thought possible if tonight was any indication of Ron's normal prayer routine.
The teen hero was really starting to get tweaked with her guy. How could Ron not know how wonderful he was? He was always there the encourage her. Keeping her competitiveness and overachieving attitude in check. Saving the day when she was in over her head. Didn't he know how much that meant to her? How grateful she was to have him in her life?
That's when it hit her and the realization of her folly left her feeling weak.
Maybe…maybe Ron didn't know how grateful Kim was. And that would be because…Kim never told him.
Unbidden, memories of all the things Ron had ever done for her sprang to mind and in not one instance could Kim recollect expressing her gratitude. Oh sure, she might have carelessly thrown a "thank you" his way that had seemed heartfelt at the time, but now those words sounded hollow and wholly inadequate.
The sudden urge to do something about this situation flared up in her and she once again had to stop herself from bursting right into Ron's room to tell him how much she depended on him. Several deep breaths later, she was once again sitting on the guest bed. She'd wait until morning and then the two of them could sit down and talk about the situation.
But wait, that wasn't going to work either. That would mean Kim would have to admit that she'd almost intruded into her boyfriend's personal prayers and she wasn't sure she could tell him that, at least not directly to his face. But, thinking back on Ron's conversation with God and how he had badmouthed himself, she knew she wouldn't be able to just let this go. Something had to be done.
One week after the storm and that night at Ron's house, Kim was ready to put her plan into motion. Kim had invited her best friend and boyfriend to sleep over her house that weekend just like they used to do when they were kids. Ron, always a child at heart, had readily agreed to the idea. The Possible house was a second home to him and he savored every moment he could spend there.
Getting permission for this little get-together was a little harder than it normally would be since Kim's brothers would be at their own sleep over at a friend's house and her parents had planned a weekend trip to a science convention in Denver. In other words, no parental supervision. After calming Mr. Possible down enough so that he wouldn't have a heart attack, Kim proceeded with the usual arguments: she and Ron were both eighteen, they were responsible, trustworthy people and considering how often they travelled the globe together alone, if what Mr. Possible was afraid of happening was going to happen, it would have happened already.
Finally, with much coaxing from Mrs. Possible, Kim's dad agreed to allow Ron over under the restriction that they sleep in separate bedrooms. (As children, they would usually share one room.) That was fine with Kim. She was ready to agree to anything as long as it got everybody else out of the house. It had taken all week to work up the courage to do this and Kim was sure that if anyone else but Ron was around, she'd lose her nerve in a heartbeat.
Their day together was fantastic. Kim and Ron had lunch at Bueno Nacho, went to the mall and spent the rest of the afternoon just lying on the beach. They headed back home where Ron cooked one of his delightful culinary creations. After dinner, they watched some television and partook in an intense tickle fight that quickly evolved into a heated make-out session.
Finally, the pair of love birds decided it was time for bed. Kim retreated to her bedroom loft, leaving Ron in the spare downstairs bedroom. Once he'd changed into his pajamas, washed up and brushed his teeth, Ron knelt down on the side of the bed in preparation for his nightly prayers. However, he had barely folded his hands together when he heard the bedroom door squeak open.
Ron turned his head and saw Kim leaning against the doorway, also in her pajamas. For a second, the teenage boy was struck dumb at how beautiful his girlfriend looked with her silky skin, radiant hair and an absolutely dazzling smile. She didn't say anything. She just continued to stand there, looking down on him with so much love, but maybe also a little bit of trepidation.
"What's up, KP?" Ron was feeling a little uneasy himself. He'd never shared his praying routine with his best friend and it occured to him that she might be wondering what he's doing.
Still not saying anything, Kim entered the room and knelt down right next to Ron. With clasped hands and closed eyes, she bowed her head and spoke thus:
"God? It's me, Kim Possible. I-I know I haven't spoken to You in a long time and I probably don't deserve to talk to You now. But, I do have something to say and it is way long overdue.
I just wanted to thank You for everything You've given me: my family, my friends… and the Tweebs, I guess. Thanks for a great home to live in; I know not everybody can say that. Thank You for any help You've given us on our missions. I'm sure You have; sometimes it's seems we only escape those sitches alive through Your grace. But mostly, God, I'd like to thank You for my best friend and boy friend, Ron Stoppable.
He's kind of nerdy, a little clumsy and comes up with some really whacked out ideas sometimes, but he's undoubtedly the perfect guy for me. He's cute and funny and has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. He's the kind of guy that will travel half way around the world to help out a friend, even when said friend doesn't always return the favor as often as she should.
Ron is truly one of a kind. I've yet to meet any other boy that can live up to his standard. I don't know how I ever managed to be worthy enough in Your eyes for You to send him to me, but whatever it was I did, I am very grateful for it and I promise to spend the rest of my life proving that to You and to Ron. Please watch over my partner, God. Please protect him and keep him safe. It might be selfish of me to say this, but…I just don't know what I'd do if he wasn't in my life. Amen."
When Kim finally opened her eyes, her vision was blurry. She realized she'd been crying, but didn't bother to wipe away the tears. Instead, she turned towards her best friend who was looking at her with a mixture of awe, disbelief and overwhelming love.
Ron's mouth opened and closeed a few times, struggling to say something. "KP…you…"
Kim never gave him the chance. She grabbed on to Ron, head on his chest, arms securely fastened around his waist and held on for dear life as if he might disappear at any second.
"I meant every word, Ron," Kim said as she sniffled and hiccupped into Ron's shirt. "You mean more to me than anything else in the world. And don't you dare think for a second that I'd trade you for anyone else."
Ron gently held the most wonderful person he'd even know as his own tears slipped under his eyelids. Together, they stayed that way for some time, neither one caring to move or wanting this moment to end.
"Thank you, KP," whispered Ron as he stroked her hair.
"No, thank you, Ron," said Kim with a happy smile. "Thank you."
I hope you all enjoyed my little story. I'm not sure if the way I had Ron praying was exactly according to Jewish custom, not being Jewish myself, so I'm sorry if I managed to offend anyone. I meant no harm. Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thank you.