Chapter 1:Shattered Lives
"Why are we down here again?" Ron asked, looking through boxes in the basement of the Possible home.
"I have to give a report on my history, Ron; you do too if you haven't forgotten." Kim teased, opening another cardboard box.
"Well, shouldn't you have asked your mom before you started digging through all her old things?" Ron asked, pulling out an old toga from a clothing box. "I hope this isn't some private marriage plaything …" Ron said, holding it up to the light.
"Hey, Ron, check this out! I found mom and dad's marriage certificate ..." Kim said before growing quiet, staring at the date.
"Cool," Ron said before noticing his best friend's sudden pale complexion. "What's wrong, KP?"
"Do you see the year on the certificate?" Kim asked, "How many years ago was that?"
"Geem KP, you know I suck at math … um … carry the … uh … um …" Ron narrowed his eyes in thought as he attempted to figure in his head.
"This year is 2006, Ron," Kim gritted her teeth, "The certificate date is 1992… fourteen years ago."
"And the importance of this is …" Ron blinked.
"I'm sixteen years old tomorrow …" Kim whispered so softly that Ron barely heard her.
"Oh … OH! …oh, snap …" Ron gaped, not sure what to say.
"Maybe they got the wrong date on the certificate," Ron said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Nobody's perfect; same thing happened with my Bar Mitzvah certificate, remember? It's probably no big, right?"
Kim said nothing; she just stared at the certificate.
"Don't worry too much, Kim; man, did your mom have a Roman Sex Slave fantasy or something?" Ron asked, lifting up a pair of winged sandals.
"But, Ron … what if this means they only got married because of me … or …" Kim took an audible gulp, "What if Daddy's not my real dad?"
"Kim, you're thinking too much again," Ron said as he gently gripped her arms and gave her a little shake. "If this is bugging you so much, why not ask your mom, huh? I'm sure she's got a real good explanation that'll make you feel real stupid for worrying."
Kim started to speak again when the familiar jingle of her Kimmunicator went off. "What's the sitch, Wade?" Kim answered the device.
"Hey, Kim, happy early birthday." Wade greeted, "Nothing really up, but I do have a reason for my call. Got you an early birthday present."
"Wade, you didn't have to …" Kim blushed slightly.
"Wasn't just me, Kim," her Computer Guru replied with a smile. "GJ gave me full funding, and I know you'll love it. You can check it out at the Middleton Airport. Just ask at the receptionist desk."
"Will do, Wade, thanks in advance," Kim smiled as Wade said his goodbye and the screen faded.
"Let's go see what he's up to…" Kim said, trying to get her mind off her worries.
WW
"Hanger eighty four …" Ron read the sign at the airport hanger, "This is where they said your present was …" Ron put his hand on the button to raise the door. "Drum roll, please." Ron said as Rufus popped out of his pocket and made an imitation of the sound of a drum roll.
Ron pressed the button and raised the door. Kim and Ron stood there in surprise at what they saw … an empty hanger. "Gotta be the wrong place …" Kim said pulling out her Kimmunicator. "Wade, there's nothing here."
"Yes, there is," Wade said in a singsong voice with a broad smile.
"Wade, dude, there's nothing here!" Ron said, walking quickly into the hanger. "See, there's nothing, OUCH!" he yelped when he hit solid, invisible steel and fell flat on his back.
"Press two, two, six, seven, enter on the Kimmunicator, Kim," Wade instructed, and Kim did as told. Both their jaws dropped when sparks of electricity began to appear in the center of the hanger, finally revealing a SR-71A Blackbird.
"Whoa …" Ron breathed looking up at the jet.
"Sweet, a Blackbird, I always wanted to fly another one," Kim beamed at the jet.
"Yup, that's why I had GJ let me have one to tweak up for your birthday. Now, you don't have to really worry about getting rides anymore!" Wade replied, smiling before getting his techno-guru look. "I'm sure you noticed the modifications. Like the full, optical camo system. It's undetectable now by not only radar but most visible scanning. I've also added VTOL engines on the underbelly. Also, I completely reworked the cockpit, so it'll hold up to five passengers, more if need be, but five's the comfort limit."
"You so rock Wade, thanks!" Kim beamed before cutting off the Kimmunicator. "Get up, Ron, we gotta check out the cockpit!"
"This is nice …" Ron said as he and Kim climbed into the large, roomy cockpit.
"That's a nice, comfy seat back there, obviously for resting between trips and missions …" Kim said, eyeballing the rear cloth bench.
"Yeah it is …" Ron said, just barely paying attention as he looked around the high tech cockpit.
"Perfect for making out," Kim added, crossing her arms and nodding.
"Yup, perfect for … what now?" Ron blinked in confusion
"Nothing," Kim said quickly before turning to check out the controls.
WW
"I can't wait to tell Daddy about the jet," Kim beamed as she and Ron returned to her home, totally forgetting what she found earlier in the morning. "He's going to flip!"
The two stopped when they heard a voice they didn't recognize in the living room. "Ron, was there another car in the driveway?" Kim asked as they approached the doorway stealthfully.
"Nope, maybe they walked …" Ron whispered, only to be shushed by Kim. He nodded, and they listened in.
"Her mother wants to see her," A woman with long, dark hair said, seated on the couch opposite of Kim's parents. "It's her right to see her daughter. It's Diana's right to know her mother and her homeland."
"Kim is perfectly happy where she is," Kim heard her mom say darkly, "She's happy here. We're happy here."
"You gave an oath, Anastasia," the woman shot back, "She deserves to know the truth about who she really is."
Kim unconsciously reached down, took Ron's hand in her own and squeezed it tightly.
Kim was shocked when Ron stepped away from the wall and pulled her into the living room. "I know eavesdropping isn't nice, but this whole truth thing concerning KP … I might be off, but shouldn't she be here when you're talking about all this?"
Kim's parents looked at her in pure horror while the woman just seemed to stare daggers at Ron. "Kimmie," Anne breathed.
"What's going on, mom?" Kim asked, reaching for all the courage she could find inside herself, though finding most of it from the hand she was clinging to. "Does this have to do with me being a year older than your marriage?"
"W-What? How did you find out about that?" Anne slipped before reaching for her husband's hand in almost the same manner Kim was clinging to Ron's.
"You must be the Princess," the woman said, kneeling before Kim. "I am Donna of Troy, servant to your mother, your true mother, Your Highness."
"What?" Kim blanched, staring at the woman. "Mom, what's going on?" She said, honestly confused and more than a little frightened.
"Kimmie, maybe you better sit down …" Anne suggested, "Ron … Kimmie'll call you later."
"No, I'm not going nowhere, Mrs. Dr. P." Ron stated, not even having to look at the pleading look in his best friend's eyes.
"How dare you …" Donna growled, reaching to grab Ron's collar, only to gasp when her wrist was gripped by James and thrown to the ground.
"Try to touch him again, and I don't care what you say or who you are…" Kim threatened with narrowed eyes as she stood between the woman and her father and best friend.
"Everyone, calm down!" Anne bellowed, and everyone, including Donna, bruised ego and all, sat down on the couches and chairs. "Ron, you can stay, then … ok, Kimmie, this is kind of a long story, but … I should have told you everything before … long before now … but … I'm not your mother, Kim… and James isn't your father …"
"This is some kind of joke, right?" Kim asked as she yet again gripped Ron's hand. "There's a camera hidden somewhere around here getting this all on one of those prank shows, isn't there?"
"No … I'm serious, Kimmie … I … I was charged with taking you away from our home and protecting you. I was your nursemaid, with you since the day you were given to us … your real name is Diana … and you're the Princess of Themyscira." Anne explained, proceeding to tell her of the war and of the Queen, her mother, requesting her to take her to Man's World for protection. "Then, I met your father… I wasn't ready for life outside our island, and we became close friends. Then, I fell in love with him, and he loved me… and he loved you. We became the family you needed, the family your mother wanted you to have."
"Now that you are about sixteen years old, the Queen would like to meet you; she wishes for you to see your homeland and let you learn of your heritage." Donna added, but by this time, Kim was trembling visibly. When she saw her parents' marriage certificate, she had assumed she was at least her mother's child … but this …
"This is too much … I … can't handle it …" she shook her head as she placed her face in her hands.
"Kimmie …" Anne said as she approached her, but just before her hand touched, Kim shot to her feet and backed away from the group.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kim yelled, tears streaking her cheeks. "I don't even know who you are! I don't even know who I AM!" She screamed, "I can't … I don't … I can… I have to go … I have to … I … I …" Kim finally broke into mumbles before running out of the living room and out the kitchen door.
"Kim!" James called, but Ron stepped in front, speaking for the first time since the conversation.
"Don't." Ron said in a tone of voice that ordered respect, showing the character that only Master Sensei, Yori, and occasionally Kim could see. "Just don't. You've all done enough already. How would you like it if someone up and told you that your whole life was a lie. Think it would feel good? For a rocket scientist and brain surgeon … I have never seen a bigger display of stupidity outside of TV in my life!"
"Look," He said, dropping his tone, "I'll go and talk to her and see if I can talk her down."
"Man-child," Donna spoke up addressing him, "What's your name?"
"Ron," he replied, showing almost no respect for the intruder.
"Ron …" Donna said, obviously struggling with how to approach him. "You care a great deal for her…" She said and continued when Ron nodded pointedly. "Tell her that the request for her return is to be on her terms. Whatever her wish may be to have her agree to come, the Queen said she would honor. Anything."
"Whatever, I'll pass it on, but no promises," Ron said, turning his back, but glancing back at the shamefaced Anne and James before he left. "I used to think I could trust you more than my own parents … can't trust anyone anymore …"
WW
Ron didn't have to look for her. He knew exactly where she'd go. It was almost programmed into their minds that whenever either had trouble with their parents, the Tree House was the place to go. To escape and cry where no one but each other would look to find.
He scaled the wooden planks and carefully entered the raggedy old tree house. He smiled sadly when he found Kim seated on the floor, curled in a ball and with her back to the entrance. "We may have to knock out a wall or maybe raise the roof a bit … getting a little small in here."
"Leave me alone …" Kim's trembling voice spoke through her arms.
"Not gonna happen, KP," Ron said, sitting down at her back and leaning against the old couch. "What kind of BF would I be if I did that?"
"Ron, my whole life, everything I thought about myself, everything I KNEW about myself is a lie. My whole life, everything, it's all fake; I have no idea who this Diana is, Ron," Kim sniffled, "Who am I supposed to be? What am I supposed to do? Everything I know is fake!"
"Not everything." Ron said simply.
"Oh? And what's not? Everything I know is based around what I know about myself. I know nothing anymore!" Kim ranted.
"I know who you are." Ron said softly. "I've known you my whole life, same as you know me. I don't care if your name's Kim Possible, or Diana, Princess of The Mascara, you are and always will be KP to me."
Kim turned to look at Ron for a moment, her bloodshot eyes studying him before she dove, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face into his chest. "This ain't fake, KP. Your heart's beating, and my heart's beating, and that's all that matters, got it?" He whispered into her hair as she wiggled to position herself fully into his lap and finally let her tears stream in full.
As her sobs started to die down, Ron started to hum into her hair before finally starting to half whisper half sing. "And it's just you and me, and all of the people … with nothing to do … nothing to lose … and it's just you and me and all of the people … and I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you …" Kim cries slowly turned to near silent sniffles. "And it's just you and me, and all of the people, with nothing to do, nothing to prove … and it's just you and me and all of the people … and I don't know why … I can't keep my eyes off of you …"
"Your singing voice sucks," Kim poked his ribs playfully. "Thanks, though …" she said, looking up into his eyes.
"Not a problem," Ron said, and to Kim's surprise, kissed her forehead softly.
"I don't know what'd happen to me if I didn't have you …" she whispered, hugging him tightly. Ron returned the hug and the sentiments.
WW
Several hours later, Kim and Ron returned to her home to find Donna still with her... no, the parents. Kim walked past her parents as if they weren't there and stared down at Donna for several moments. "Ok, Donna, was it?" Kim asked, and the dark haired beauty nodded. "Ok, here's the deal. I'll come and visit this... place... this, what did you call it?"
"Themyscira, Your Highness." Donna replied without raising her eyes.
"Right... Themyscira, but only on one condition." She said, narrowing her green eyes. "In five minutes, you have almost completely turned my life upside down. Almost everything I know has been pretty much shredded."
"Princess… you have to understand …" Donna said, looking regretful for the first time since her appearance. "It was never my or the Queen's intentions."
"No big," Kim said automatically, but almost immediately wished she hadn't, "well, yes, it is a big, but if I was in my … in the Queen's position, who's to say I wouldn't do the same thing?" Kim said, holding up her hands, "But, as I said, almost my whole life has been broken to pieces. You want me to come. I'm bringing the only real part of my life with me. Ron comes with."
"Princess … no men are allowed on the island." Donna stated.
"Oh." Kim glanced to the surprised Ron. "No deal, then."
"Wait …" Donna said, "I'll go back and talk to the Queen and see what we can work out. I'll return in one week with a reply to your request. If Ron is allowed to join you, will you come?"
"If Ron can come with me, then, yes, I'll be there." Kim nodded.
"I'll be on my way, then. I'll be back as soon as I can," Donna bowed to Kim, then bid Anne and Ron farewell before walking out of the home.
"Alright if I crash here tonight?" Ron asked, glancing to the Possibles. "This is been a pretty big slammer on Kimbo."
"Sure, of course …" Anne said softly, finally meeting Kim's eyes.
"I'm really tired myself." Kim said shortly, walking toward the stairs, pulling Ron along behind her by the hand. "Goodnight, Doctors." She said without looking back. Ron simply gave a small, apologetic look before disappearing up the stairs.
"I should have told her sooner …" Anne said as tears began to fill her blue eyes.
"We'll think of something to make it up to her," James said in a defeated tone. "I don't know what, but we'll think of something …"
To Be Continued …