Blue Eyes, Shining - Intermezzo

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the song quoted in this chapter and the music are the property of the respective author, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time….). This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

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Intermezzo 1

Story: Blue Eyes, Shining

Time stamp: this series of events occurred between chapters 6 and 7

When: at night, after Joss learned what happened to her mother.

- - - - - - -

Wade looked over at Joss, and she had the same grin on her face that Slim had before he kissed Betty.

"Wade, you didn't have to go thru this."

"Yes I did, Joss," Wade said. "I told you that I came up here to make sure, when you started, that you'd be safer than Kim and Ron were when they started. I promised you that, and I never break my promise."

"I know, Wade, but you didn't have to do it; you chose to do it," and Joss kissed him for the first time on the lips.

"And that's why you're my hero," and Joss blushed a deep red and took her dad's hand.

Slim just stood there, smiling. Betty had that Cheshire Cat grin on her face. Joss was smiling. Wade was thinking, 'I could use more of those smiles,' and standing there grinning like an idiot, contemplating that he should be careful what I wished for.

- - - - - - -

"I think that we all need to go to bed," Wade said after a few moments.

Betty grinned even bigger, Slim sputtered, and Joss turned even redder; then Wade mentally processed what he'd said, and -

"NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" and Betty grinned even bigger, and Slim grinned, and Joss just stared and captured Betty's Cheshire Cat look.

"What I meant was, none of us have had more than a four-hour nap since we started, and I think that we all could use a good night's sleep."

"You're right, Wade," Joss agreed with a smile.

Wade started his goodnights by first walking to Betty and hugging her, shaking hands with Slim, and then standing directly in front of Joss.

"Joss?"

"Yes?"

"You're my hero," and he hugged her and, when he let her go, he stole a kiss. "Good night, hero," he smirked, and then turned and walked towards the exit door.

- - - - - - -

The remaining people in the room watched Wade walk out.

"Betty, kin I keep 'em?" Joss asked with a smirk on her face.

"Honey, I think that it's way too late for that. You've already hooked him; all you have to do is reel him in," Betty replied, and Slim snorted.

Joss turned to Slim. "Daddy, is it all right if I marry Wade?"

Slim fell back onto the couch, and Betty laughed at him. "Remember Sheri Nicole's dad, and the look that he gave you when you asked him for her hand in marriage? Payback's a tough mistress, Slim: besides, you raised her, and you have no one to blame but yourself."

After a few moments to get his voice back, Slim was finally able to speak. "Sweet Tea," he croaked, but his voice got better as he spoke, "aren't you two a bit young to think about that?"

"Oh, Daddy," and Joss laughed at him, "I don't mean tonight. I mean, when we get old enough. That'll be after I get out of college."

"Well," Slim pondered her statement, "you've got to get into a college first, and at the rate you're going with your grades, you'll be hard-pressed to do that."

"Not any more, Daddy: I'm changing as of tonight. All of my grades will be A's next year. I have incentives now," she said, and thought 'and I have a really cute tutor lined up for anything that I don't understand.'

"Joss, do you know what you did to Wade tonight?" Betty asked, and Joss smiled an evil smile.

"I rocked his world, Betty," Joss replied with that same smile on her face, "and he liked it, too!" Betty looked shocked as Joss thought, "just like he rocked mine," and she smiled even bigger.

"Joss!" Betty exclaimed, and then laughed.

"You're definitely Sheri Nicole's daughter. I haven't seen that look since the first time that your mom kissed your dad after their first date," Betty chuckled.

"Oh, no," Slim said to no one in particular.

- - - - - - -

"Daddy, I'm worn out, but I need to wash all of my demons off me. I'm going to the hot tub." Joss walked over to her dad and hugged him, saying "I love you, Daddy," and then walking over to Betty and hugging her.

"'Thank You,' Betty" Joss said, "there's not much else I can say for the person who saved me and my Daddy and brought back my Momma, but, 'Thank You.' You've helped me lock up my demons tonight, at least for awhile."

"You're welcome, Andrea," and Joss looked up at her with wide eyes. "I know; you haven't wanted to be called that since right before you started day care at that new school in London, right before…" and Betty's voice trailed off.

"Betty, it's too soon," Joss replied with a tear running down her right cheek. "Maybe, in a few years, but not yet."

"All right, Joss: I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Betty. I'll cage that demon, as well," and she smirked at the thought. 'With Wade's help,' she thought to herself.

"Good night, Betty. Daddy, would you come out to the hot tub with me after you say goodnight to Betty?"

"I'll join you in a little bit," Slim responded, and Joss ran over and hugged him. "I love you, too," he said, and she released him and ran out the door.

- - - - - - -

"So, Betty," Slim smiled and hugged her, "just like Jocelyn said: 'Thank You.'"

"'Thank You,' Slim," and she kissed his cheek. "Your forgiving me helped me lock up some demons of my own, as well."

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Slim said, thinking back to his red-headed baby girl in her little blanket, in her mother's arms.

"You've done a fine job raising her, 'Dad,'" Betty replied. "She's already a fine young lady, and she's growing into an even better young woman."

"Why didn't we, Betty?" Slim asked, and she knew what the question was.

"You and I weren't ready, Slim," Betty replied.

"Are you leaving tonight?"

"Actually," Betty grinned, "all of this has generated a hunger. I'm going back to the kitchen and see if Ron stashed any of that trout back for a snack."

Slim laughed. "How you eat like you do and keep that glorious figure, I'll never know. I'm going to go soak for awhile and listen to my daughter. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yes, you will," and Betty squeezed his hand. "Good night, Slim," and she released his hand as they both walked to the exit, Betty separating and heading for the kitchen.

- - - - - - -

"Daddy, have you thought about ever getting married, again?" Joss asked Slim as he stepped into the huge hot tub. Joss had been in there for about 5 minutes.

"Jocelyn! You're gonna give your old man a heart attack!" and Slim slipped into his seat.

"No, and you're not an old man, Daddy," Joss shot back.

"I had to take care of you, Joss," Slim said softly. "You just lost your mother, and I just lost my wife: we needed to get away from London and back to the US where we had family, and I'd always wanted to have a spread far from the nuts.

"Besides, I know what you're thinkin': that would cause Kim a bit of a problem." Slim was successfully holding back a grin.

"Kim? Why?"

"Then, we'd have to invite Gemini and that rodent with the gland condition that he carries around to the wedding, and she'd be related to him," and he waited for Joss to get it. It didn't take long, and she grinned.

"That would make him her 'Uncle-Out-Law,' then, huh?" and they both laughed as Joss sprayed water on her dad.

"Thank you, Daddy," Joss smiled, "for taking care and loving me," and then she laughed as she added, "but, you didn't get far enough away from the nuts, did you? Drew found the ranch, didn't he?"

"That I did not do, darlin', that I did not do," and Slim joined her in another laugh.

"Daddy," Joss had calmed down after the laughter, "I have a real serious question to ask you."

"What is it, Sweet Tea?"

"Would you have a problem with Wade?"

"How can I have a problem with one of the brightest upcoming young physicists in the world, Sweet Tea?"

"No, Daddy, would you have a problem with Wade and me?"

Slim was silent for a few moments; he'd known that this question would come up, and he had already considered his answer over the last few days.

He looked up, thought 'Where are you when I really need you, Sheri Nicole,' took a deep breath, and finally responded to her question:

"When I was younger, Sweet Tea, I might have had a problem with mixed couples, but I didn't know any," Slim admitted. "Remember, the 60's and the race riots, and Squirt and I weren't exactly raised in a totally liberal household: your granddaddy, may he rest in peace, was slightly to the right of Attila the Hun," and Joss laughed at the mental image of the Southern Gentleman being compared to Attila, "and the world we grew up in was very different that the world we're in now. It's not perfect, now, but it's way better than it has a right to be.

"I'll be honest; I'd never considered this as something that might happen until Wade came up here, so I couldn't have guaranteed you what my reaction would have been before. Logically, it shouldn't make a difference: but logic and the world don't necessary stay in sync. Y'all could have some problems as your relationship grows because not everyone is ready for you two, but Wade would already be much more aware of that than I.

"I'll tell you what I think right now though, Jocelyn: If you and Wade do get together, I'd give you away proudly, because a young gentleman has won my daughter's heart," and Joss beamed.

"I may still need to borrow some of Squirt's deep space probes just in case," and Slim grinned as Joss groaned, "but I don't think I'll need to use them. Joss, he's a fine young man, and if he stays on this path and doesn't hurt you, I'll gladly place your hand in his."

"Thank you, Daddy," and Joss sloshed over and hugged Slim.

Joss yawned and stretched her arms above her head, and Slim grinned.

"Just don't let him see you in what you're wearing now, or he may be the one having the heart attack," Slim commented, and Joss laughed.

"This ol' thang?" and she pointed at her wet two-piece, looked down, and said, "Oh. I see what you mean."

"Thank you, for admitting that your old man still has a brain in his head," Slim responded.

"What brain in what head, Daddy?" Joss laughed and splashed water on her sputtering Dad.

"I'm gonna take a shower and go to bed," she said as she climbed out.

"Sweet dreams, hon."

"Oh, they will be extra special, tonight," Joss thought as she grinned and stepped out of the hot tub.

- - - - - - -

Joss went to her bathroom, closed the door, put on her Bonnie Tyler CD, switched over to her favorite song, cranked the volume up to 8 on the 10, and got ready for her shower.

She knew the song by heart, but she had been working on updated lyrics for a few weeks, and now she was sure that they were right. She stepped into the shower, turned the water on, grabbed her back scrubber like a microphone and started to sing:

Where have all the good men gone

And where are all the gods?

I have found my Hercules

And we will beat the odds.

- -

I've found a dark knight on his metal steed;

Now, I'll never toss and I'll never turn,

'cause I have found just what I need:

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I've found my hero!

I'm holding on to my hero past the end of the night.

He's already smart,

And he's already wise,

And together, we are oh, so, right!

- -

I have my hero!

I'm holding on to my hero for the rest of my life.

He's gonna be strong,

And he's gonna be great!

And we're gonna be husband and wife….

- -

She sang it over and over again.

- - - - - - -

Slim walked by and heard her new lyrics, and sighed.

'Wade,' he thought, 'I shore hope you're ready for another redhead in your life: this one's feistier than Kim, and I know this one thinks that she's in love with you.

'Good luck, son,' he thought. You're really gonna need it!' and he closed the door on his bedroom as the Hero song concert kept going.

- - - - - - -

Josh finished her concert tour in the bathroom and had gone to bed, but her head was still spinning from tonight's activities: what she had heard from Betty and Slim, what she'd heard from her talk with her Dad, what Wade had said to her, and from her kisses that she and Wade shared.

'I never considered that there would be problems with having a relationship with Wade,' she thought. 'I guess I've been living such a protected life, I just never thought of how anyone could be upset if it happened, if we just wanted to be together.

'But, since "anything is possible for a Possible,"' and she paused for a moment. 'I have to really decide if I really want this.

'I know Wade does, at least I think I know, right now,' she smiled as she thought of him. 'He's done all of these things for me, given up his time for me, put up with me, and stayed with me during all of tonight! Who wouldn't want someone like him by their side?' She lay still and thought for a few moments, and then made her decision.

'I love you, Wade Load. We'll make it work,' and she rolled over and fell asleep almost immediately, dreaming of tonight and her first kiss.

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Intermezzo 1 fin.