I've been meaning to write this fic for a little over a year now, and since today is Groundhog Day, now's the time. Booyah! So, enjoy this dark (but not too dark) little mystery, and I should add, inspired by some of whitem's Twilight Zoney tales. And should you leave a review I promise a response, and maybe a hint of what's to come. Or perhaps whatever has already happened, as the case may be...

I.

Kim's clock radio clicked on, announcing yet another day. Normally she would have just set the alarm the night before, but snow had been forecast, and with the possibility of a snow day, she wanted to sleep in a bit if it all possible. So before retiring, she had set her radio on the local news channel.

"Good morning, Middleton!" the broadcaster cheerfully announced.

Kim expectantly sat up in bed, hoping to get the news she wanted so badly to hear.

"It's February 2nd, and in spite of the snow flurries we had last night, they were rather mild. So for all you kids out there expecting a snow day, better luck next time…"

She groaned, but resigned to her fate she got up and started getting ready for school.

The announcer continued, "And better luck next year for the residents of Punxutawney, Pennsylvania. We've just received word that Punxutawney Phil, the famous weather-prognosticating groundhog, has gone missing."

"Whoa! That's not very good news," she mused.

"The local authorities are mystified as the police noted no signs of a break-in, but are conducting a search of the surrounding area for any sign of the missing groundhog."

Beep-beep-bee-beep…

Her Kimmunicator signaled with its signature ringtone, and she had a strong feeling what Wade was calling about.

"What up, Wade?"

"Hey, Kim. Missing groundhog in Punxutawney. The local police chief would like you there asap."

She slowly wagged her head. "Sorry, Wade, but I've got an Advanced Placement English exam this morning. I was hoping for a spankin' snow day so I could have a chance to study a little more, but no such luck. But maybe first thing this afternoon if you can score a ride for me."

"Will do, Kim. I'll let you know."

II.

Ron was once again late for his first class, and decided to risk making a quick detour through Middleton High's D hall. He would instantly regret it, running right into a huge bully, even bigger than Tiny, so he wouldn't be getting around him easily.

"What's the hurry, Stoppable?" he snarled.

"Uh, late for class. Muy importante, so if you don't mind…"

"Oh, but I do mind, Stoppable," he chided. "So cough up your lunch money and we'll call it even. But just for today."

Ron checked his pockets, but they were empty, save for his pet naked mole rat, Rufus.

"Sorry," he answered with an apologetic shrug, "but I'm a little light today. I'll be happy to give you a raincheck, though." He added with a grin, "Or, considering the weather, how about a snowcheck?"

The bully smirked, "Oh, you think you're funny. Let me show you what I think about funny guys with no cash to pay the toll."

Ron tried to back away, "Listen, if you can cut me a break this time, I'll be sure to…"

But he was cut short as the bully picked him up and deposited the luckless teen into the nearest trash can.

"Oh, man," he groaned. "That smarts. Now I'm late and I smell like garbage…"

"Poor Ron," commiserated Rufus.

Ron dragged himself into class a few minutes later, hoping that Mr. Barkin would be busy at the chalkboard, but this was not to be.

"Stoppable!" he barked. "Late again? That makes it two days in a row, and the month's just started." His voice dropped to a growl. "One more time and we'll just be seeing you in detention, won't we?"

"Oh, man," he whined. "I've really got to get up earlier."

Kim whispered, "Ron, what happened?"

"Oh, just another run-in with a bully in D hall. Same old, same old."

"Yeah," she replied, plugging her nose. "Phew! And with the same result, getting dumped into a garbage can I see. Ron, you've really got to stand up for yourself more. You don't seem to have problems like this when we're on missions, do you?"

"Nah, but that's because I have you with me, KP. I always have a little more self-confidence when you're around."

This elicited a smile from Kim but a frown from Mr. Barkin. He cleared his throat for attention and announced, "If you two are quite finished, let's get on with today's subject matter, shall we?"

He flipped on the overhead projector, displaying a man in a top hat and tuxedo, holding a large, furry groundhog.

"In honor of Groundhog Day, we'll be reviewing the history of both the creature and the event, placing them in historical context. And yes, you will be tested on this."

The class groaned in unison at his announcement.

"Everyone should be familiar with the basics of the faux holiday: every year on February 2, Punxsutawney Phil, the country's most beloved seasonal prognosticator, sticks his head out of the ground after a long winter in hibernation. If he sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter will follow. But if he doesn't, we can all look forward to an early spring."

He smugly continued, "His track record, however, isn't very good. Sine the first American Groundhog Day in 1887, Punxsutawney Phil has only made a correct prediction 39% of the time. Not a very good average at all."

This brought a chuckle to the class. Ron whispered, "Hey Rufus, even you could do better than that just by flipping a coin!" To which the tiny rodent nodded in vigorous agreement.

Mr. Barkin continued, "Now, the origin of Groundhog Day actually goes back thousands of years and across many cultures, and originally badgers or hedgehogs were the animal of choice. Also, the celebration date of February 2 wasn't chosen arbitrarily: this date is astronomically significant as it's known as a 'cross-quarter day,' lying halfway between the winter solstice and vernal equinox, or the point at which days begin to grow noticeably longer, and was seen as an auspicious date in both ancient pagan and Christian European traditions. The Irish Celts, for example, celebrated it as Imbolc, the symbolic return of light after winter. The Celts are believed to have passed it on to the Romans during their occupation of the British Isles, who in turn passed it on to the Germanic tribes they came in contact with, who were the ancestors of Punxsutawney's original settlers, the Pennsylvania Dutch."

He broke out in an evil grin as he revealed his next tidbit of information. "And although the current day Punxsutawney Phil is treated as veritable royalty, the original Punxsutawney residents celebrated with a groundhog hunt followed by a delicious Groundhog Picnic at which the cuddly little rodents that were caught were then served up as the featured item on the menu."

This elicited a tiny scream from Rufus, who quickly dove back into Ron's pocket. Ron turned to Bonnie Rockwaller with a grin and suggested, "Hey, Bonnie? Maybe that's the secret ingredient in the cafeteria lady's mystery meat."

Instantly turning a lovely shade of green, she unsteadily got to her feet and made a dash out the door to the restroom.

Kim giggled, "You are evil, Ron Stoppable."

"Yeah," he agreed, "but only high school evil. I'd still have a long way to go before getting to the Drakken stage…"

III.

James Possible was literally on the edge of his seat. Due to a snow flurry that morning, the latest rocket launch had been delayed, but now all systems were green, and it was a go for launch.

"Finally. Good thing too, since the next launch window isn't until tomorrow."

The countdown began. "10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2..1... Liftoff!"

The rocket spewed out an intensely bright white flame and began to ascend. Faster and faster it climbed into the sky, until it was miles high and nearly out of sight. He continued to cross his fingers as the rocket disappeared into the morning sky.

Also viewing the spectacular launch with eager anticipation, his associate Dr. Robert Chen phoned in from the control tower.

"Congratulations, James! Telemetry just announced the rocket's flawless insertion into a perfect orbit. Magnificent job as always."

Mr. Dr. P let out a breath of deep satisfaction. "Thanks, Bob. Luck was with us today. And launch is on me, heh-heh."

Bob silently rolled his eyes at James' pun. "Roger that. Our usual place?"

"Absolutely. See you at noon sharp."

Half jokingly, he thought to himself, "And considering today's success, I think I'll forego sending poor hapless Ron into a black hole on the next launch. He really does have Kimmie Cub's best interests at heart..."

IV.

Outside the Middleton Medical Center, the marquee announced, "Ask For Our Specials." It had been a busy morning, but Dr. Ann Possible was still perky, buoyed by not one, but two completed and flawless brain operations.

Her adjutant heartily congratulated her. "Dr. Possible, I must say that you're certainly on a roll today, even more than usual. Everything went according to plan, and without a hitch. In all likelihood, another two patients will now live to their full life expectancy."

Ann acknowledged her gracious compliment. "Thanks for the props, Nurse Chapelle, but I've still got one more operation to perform this afternoon. But considering how the first two operations went, I think it's safe to be optimistic. I just hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying that. Kimmie looks up to me more than I think she realizes, and I've always promised myself I'll never let her down, and I'm not about to start now. Just like that wonderful Ron Stoppable, who's always had her back, and I hope always will."

She fondly thought, "Thank God for Ron, I really do hope they'll get together on a permanent basis someday. He'd make such a great son-in-law..."

V.

After lunch, Kim and Ron were winging their way at long last toward Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania in a supersonic US Naval transport.

Kim thanked the pilot. "We really appreciate the lift, Major Kronos, especially on such short notice."

"My pleasure, Kim. It's the least I could do after you repaired the Atomic Clock at the US Naval Observatory. Without that, the entire world's GPS systems could have been negatively affected."

"No problem, Major. Nothing that my microlaser lipstick and a bobby pin couldn't fix."

Ron smiled back at her. "Yeah, Kim, you really are the girl who can do anything. Oh, by the way, how do you think you did on your AP English test?"

Kim frowned. "Not as well as I hoped. I think I got my past and future tenses mixed up on a couple of questions. If I had it to do over I'm sure I would do a little better."

Ron tsked, "Kim, Kim, Kim. You're always so hard on yourself. I'm sure you did fine, so just chill out."

Suddenly her Kimmunicator beeped its characteristic tone, and a concerned Wade appeared on the tiny screen.

"Kim, better switch to the news. Sounds like the word on Phil's disappearance has gotten out."

A dark haired reporter appeared. "This is Tricia Lipowski reporting from Puxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The nation is in shock after learning that Puxsutawney Phil, the groundhog famous for his predictions of impending spring or continued winter, is missing. Our nation is in shock, and a few weather officials are suggesting we skip the season of spring entirely and declare an immediate summer."

Ron became as pale as a sheet and began babbling, "Kim! That would be a total disaster! That could knock the Earth completely out of orbit and plunge us all into the sun, causing universal Armageddon!"

Kim gave him a casual roll of her eyes and replied, "So not the disaster, Ron, so calm down, please? The declaration of a few weather scientists isn't going to cause the Earth to spin off into space. But we do need to get to the bottom of this before everyone really starts to panic."

Wade came back online. "Too late, Kim. Take a look at tonight's 'Investigative Discovery Channel' lineup."

Kim's mouth dropped open at the lurid title. "Suspicious Suspects: The Case of the Missing Groundhog. Wow, this is really bad, Wade."

Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'll say. No originality to that show at all. Just a blatant attempt to capitalize on the sensational aspect of the sitch, Kim."

"Uh, Ron, I actually meant that people in general might start to panic. But TV shows like this can't possibly help matters…"

VI.

After parachuting down, they made a pinpoint landing on Gobbler's Knob, the tiny hill where Puxsutawney Phil's annual weather prognostications were made public. And in spite of the disturbing news of Puxsutawney Phil's disappearance, at least a few thousand Groundhog's Day revelers still stuck around, hoping for the best. And even if not today, there was always tomorrow...

Anxiously waiting for Team Possible stood a dapper individual dressed in a top hat and tuxedo, who extended his hand in eager greeting.

"Thank you so much for coming, Kim. My name is Bill Deeley, and I'm the president of the Inner Circle."

"The Inner Circle?" she questioned.

Ron whispered to her, "A select group called the Inner Circle takes care of Phil year-round. They also plan the annual ceremony, at least according to Mr. Barkin's lecture today."

Without missing a beat, she replied, "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Deeley."

"So I suppose you'd like to start with the scene of the crime?" Mr. Deeley asked, motioning to his car. "The library where Phil and his friends live most of the year is just a few miles from here."

As they drove through town, Kim marveled at several huge statues of Puxsutawney Phil adorning the sidewalks and street corners. "Wow, that must have taken quite a lot of work to build those."

"Yes," answered Mr. Deeley. "There are thirty-two 6 foot high statues that we call the Phantastic Phils. We started erecting them in 2004, and they've been quite a tourist attraction ever since."

Upon entering the library, Kim took a careful look around at the large cage where Phil had lived. Only three groundhogs remained, including Phil's 'wife,' Phyllis. "So, what can you tell us, Mr. Deeley?"

"Well, not too much, actually. I arrived late last night to take Phil to Gobbler's Knob in anticipation of the annual show, but he was nowhere to be found, and the cage was still locked. We also found no signs of forced entry to either the library or the cage. I'm grateful that at least the others weren't taken."

Ron queried, "Uh, could he have tunneled out somehow?"

"No, we've found no tunnels of any sort. Besides, the floor is made of concrete, and none of the others escaped, which means he had to have been taken by someone. No fingerprints either, other than mine or those of the handler responsible for feeding and watering the critters and maintaining the cage."

Kim thought for a moment before posing the obvious question. "Pardon me for asking, but could this have possibly been an inside job?"

Mr. Deeley wagged his head. "Highly unlikely, Kim, as there's no discernible motive. None of the Inner Circle nor the caretaker would have had anything to gain, and a considerable amount to lose should Phil go missing."

"Well, kidnapping, perhaps?"

"At first we suspected that, but there was no ransom note, if that's what you mean. And if Phil was indeed kidnapped, there's been no phonecall yet demanding a ransom, so I seriously doubt that. But there was one clue left behind which I believe indicates a crime has been committed, and which I haven't revealed to the public."

He held up a flash card with the number 60 on it. The blood in Kim's veins froze. "Ron, does this look familiar to you?"

Ron fearfully looked over the card. "Yeah. And if it's who I'm thinking, this could be a bad thing. A very bad thing."

Kim immediately picked up her Kimmunicator. "Wade, we've got something. Please scan this flash card and tell me if you pick up anything unusual about it?"

"Right away, Kim."

A soft blue light from the Kimmunicator bathed the card in its glow for several seconds. Wade's sharp intake of breath revealed he had found something.

"Kim, I'm picking up residual traces of tachyons."

"Tachyons? What the heck are tachyons?"

"Time cooties, Kim."

Kim snorted. "There's no such thing as time cooties, Wade."

"Yeah, I know. Just pulling you leg. But there's little doubt now who the perp is."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "Yeah. The Mathter has returned."

TBC in one week... Promise!