Ahoy, fans! Believe it or not, here, after just four months, is the third installment of Stoppable's Island. Enjoy!
Thanks to Comet Moon, ThetaGraphics, Ultimate Naco Topping, surforst, Brother Bludgeon, acosta perez jose ramiro, Pharoah Rutin Tutin, CajunBear73, Josh84, conan98002, Tormax, JeanieBeanie33, whitem, Yankee Bard, Seamus Dubh, Cylon One, daywalkr82, Molloy, Jasminevr, Ace Ian Combat, kim's 1 fan, Meca Vegeta, Sacred White Phoenix and raykoRavenclaw for reviewing and to everyone for reading.
As always, leave a review and a response will wash ashore.
Thanks to campy for proofreading this chapter.
If you saw it on KP, it belongs to Disney; Gilligan's Island is the property of CBS Television/United Artists.
I.
"Okay, people, since we're going to be here for the duration, we need to set up permanent quarters," Barkin explained to the castaways. "The most efficient thing would be to build one large bunkhouse, but in deference to the ladies, we'll build two."
"Hello!" Bonnie said snippily. "Movie star?"
"Your point being?" the Skipper asked.
"Some things just aren't done," the B-movie starlet explained. "You can't expect me, one of the stars of Exterminator IV: Random Violence, to bunk with some rabid fan girl!"
"You are so flawed, Bonnie," Kim snapped. "You so don't deserve your own place and I am not a rabid fan girl."
"I do not understand why you do not wish to admit your admiration for Ms. Rockwaller's amazing work and your envy for her incredible talents," Junior said.
Kim snorted. "And being eaten by a CGI cyborg panda takes talent how?"
"You saw E4?" an impressed Ron asked. "That's so cool!"
"So not the drama," Kim replied. "The Notebook was sold out and, to be honest, I thought there might be some good action sequences."
"So, you're all about the fight scenes?" an intrigued Ron observed.
"Well, I do know kung fu," Kim answered modestly.
"Badical!" Ron enthused.
"Are you into martial arts?" Kim asked, her own interest piqued.
"Well, I don't mean to brag, but I do have the mad fu skillz," Ron replied.
"In the galley," Barkin said derisively.
"Hey, you weren't all attitudey when I made Seven Layers of Heaven!" Ron protested.
Barkin's features softened. "Ah, Seven Layers of Heaven. It was like a cloud."
"Wow! You can cook?" Kim asked, clearly impressed.
"Yeah," Ron said. "I'm a regular warrior chef."
"Great. Then why don't you make us something to eat," Bonnie imperiously suggested. "I'm like famished."
"Well …" Ron said as he began rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay. You wanna help, Kim?"
"Me? Help you cook?" Kim stammered. "I'd so love to but, uh, I think the Skipper needs my help building … things. I'd really better go!"
Ron watched glumly as Kim hastily excused herself.
"Oh, and just so you know," Bonnie said, "I'm on a macrobiotic diet."
II.
"Father, what is this bunkhouse of which the captain's-hat-wearing man speaks? Will it have a swimming pool? And where will the servants live?"
Senor Senior, Senior sighed. "My son, I do not know how to tell you this, but there will be no mansion nor any servants."
"What? But where will I keep my hair care products?"
"The ones that were lost during the storm?"
"Aaiiieeee! I am without Le Goop! What will I do? The humidity will wreak havoc on my hair!"
The Skipper pulled Senor Senior aside. "Is he always like this?" Barkin asked.
Senor Senior sighed again and said with resignation, "Alas, yes, he is. I wish I could have done better as a father but I am but a simple billionaire." The debonair old man paused before looking at the Skipper hopefully. "Perhaps I could persuade you to build another hut?"
"Sorry, Mister Senior, but no can do."
"But it would mean so much to my son."
"I'm sure it would. And an end to global warming would mean a lot to the polar bears. But they're out of luck and so is your son. Sometimes life's just not fair."
"Perhaps you might reconsider if I were to tell you that when we are rescued I will buy you a new boat, one that is larger, faster, more powerful and luxurious than the one that was so tragically lost during the storm," Senor Senior, Senior said.
"You know, I think some father-son bonding time might be what's needed to man up your boy and a hut for the two of you might just do the trick – along with a few hundred laps of the crab walk," Barkin said as he extended a hand to his new benefactor.
"I knew you were a wise and reasonable man, Captain," the suave old tycoon said as he took the Skipper's hand and shook, sealing the deal.
III.
"Hey …"
Ron looked up from the cooking ingredients and implements set before him to see Kim.
"Oh, hi," he said woodenly. The exchange with Bonnie and Kim had left Ron feeling majorly bummed. While he was long past the delusions of his high school days when he thought a woman like the movie star might like him and so could easily roll with Bonnie's supercilious attitude, he was surprised that the seemingly friendly college woman had blown him off, too. Feeling dejected, he had retreated into one of the two activities from which he drew comfort: video games and cooking. The island apparently being a Zombie Mayhem-free locale, he decided to make a coconut stew.
"Sorry I flaked on you before," she said. "It's just that, well …"
"Hey, I know the score," Ron interjected bitterly. "Girls like you don't talk to guys like me."
"Riiiggght," Kim said before she sat down by Ron's side. "Now, just so I don't mess up in the future, who does a girl like me talk to?"
"Some golden boy with great teeth, a nice car, a straight-A average, and a six-figure salary waiting for him," he said dejectedly. "Not some loser like me."
"And you know this how?"
"It's in the Rules, Kim."
"Ron, there are no Rules."
"Of course there are," he responded. "And everybody knows The Rules rule."
"Then why am I talking with you right now?"
Ron paused. "The Escape Clause?"
"How about there are no Rules," Kim said. "You're a nice guy. Don't sell yourself short. Some girl will be lucky to get you."
"Thanks," Ron replied.
Kim and Ron looked into each other's eyes, suddenly experiencing a powerful connection – and an intense feeling of awkweirdness.
"So, uh, you wanna help?" he asked with a nervous chuckle.
"Help? About that … well, that's why I came to apologize," she said before pausing. "I, well, uh, it's like so the drama when I'm around the kitchen," she admitted before adding sheepishly, "I single-handedly destroyed the Home Ec room in high school."
The two sat quietly for a moment before Ron looked at Kim and flashed her a goofy grin. "Well, I guess it's a good thing we don't have a kitchen here," he said.
"I guess so," Kim said as she relaxed.
Ron looked at the food he was going to use to prepare the castaways' meal.
"You know what this is?" Ron said as he held up a coconut.
"It's a coconut," she said.
"See? You're already on your way to becoming a bon-diggity chef."
"What are you talking about?"
"The first step to defeating your enemy is to know him," Ron said sagely before adding casually, "You have successfully identified the enemy and are now ready to take him. You got game?"
Kim looked at Ron, then laughed. "Oh, I've got game, Warrior Chef," she said taking the coconut. "Bring it …"
IV.
"Good work on dinner, Stoppable," the Skipper said.
"Hey, it's what I do," Ron said. "Besides, I had a badical sous chef!"
Kim blushed at the compliment. "Oh, it was no big, really."
"Maybe the two of you could be the domestic help," Bonnie sniffed.
"Oh! Servants!" Junior said gleefully. "Now I will have someone to iron my socks!"
"So not happening," Kim said as she stared at Bonnie through narrowed eyes.
"Too bad, K. You should really go with your strengths."
For a moment Ron thought he saw steam coming from Kim's ears, but he quickly dismissed that notion; after all, it wasn't as if they were cartoon characters.
"She's right, KP," Ron said, much to Kim's surprise.
"Excuse me?" she said frostily. "Are you saying I should be the help?"
"Kim, Kim, Kim," Ron said. "All I'm saying is that Bon Bon knows what she's talking about, you know, going with your strengths …"
"Listen to the loser, Kim," Bonnie said smugly.
"… That's why she only takes movie parts that require no acting skills."
"Why you, you … " Bonnie sputtered.
Kim and Ron watched the starlet storm off.
"Thanks," Kim said.
"Hey, as a friend likes to say, 'no big!'"
"So, 'KP'?"
"Yeah, is that okay? I mean, I don't have to call you that …"
"No, no," Kim said. "It's just that I've never had a nickname before."
"Yeah?" Ron asked.
"Yeah," Kim said with a warm smile. "And to be honest, it's kind of spankin'."
V.
"I still can't believe that little computer nerd is getting his own hut!" Bonnie fumed.
"Dial down the outrage, Bonnie," Kim said as she slowly made her way through Spirit Squad Weekly, knowing she'd have to make this issue go a long way. "It's not as if the Professor is going to be living in the lap of luxury."
The Skipper had reluctantly concluded that the Minnow was beyond any hope of repair and announced after dinner that the vessel would be stripped clean of anything useful. When Wade suggested that the equipment and supplies salvaged from the boat should be kept in a specially designed storage hut, the Skipper agreed. And, much to the agoraphobic tech guru's relief, Barkin had no objection to his slinging a hammock with the gear. Bonnie, however, had not been pleased and had been complaining all evening.
"That's not the issue, K," Bonnie said dismissively. "There's a principle at stake."
"And that would be what?" she said as she looked up from her magazine.
"I'm a star! I deserve my own hut!" Bonnie exclaimed.
"Maybe you should get two, Bonnie," Kim observed, "One for you and one for your ego."
"Very funny, Possible," the starlet snarked. "Maybe when we get off this dump you can make a living as a comedian. You sure won't earn one as a model."
Kim could only sputter as Bonnie began walking away from her.
VI.
"Ooo! This will be the perfect place to perform my experiments," the heavy-set woman wearing an otter-fly cooed to her henchcreatures as her equipment-laden boat pulled into the secluded cove. "Now I'll be able to create real, live cuddle buddies to my heart's content!"
TBC …