Blue Eyes, Shining 3: Merry Christmas, Momma

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to songs referenced in this story 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.

A/N Forward:

The Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), and the beginnings of closure for Joss, Slim, Betty, and the rest….a major tissue requirement warning, next, in this chapter of Merry Christmas, Momma.

Thanks in advance for reading, and please review.

Chapter 4 – Begin Closure at Arlington

Rachel answered the knock on the door and faced -

"You must be Admiral Claudia Rose English," and Rachel extended her hand as she opened the door wider. "I'm Rachel Load, Wade's mom," she added as they shook hands.

"Dr. Load. Thank you. I'm a big fan of your work," Admiral English replied as the statuesque and voluptuous redheaded Admiral walked into the room, her hair flowing behind her, and she heard Slim:

"TEN-HUT!" and Slim, Ryan, Steve, Betty, and Charlie all stood, snapped to attention, and saluted.

The admiral returned their salutes and motioned for them to sit.

"I'm not here officially, gentlemen, ladies; I just wanted to meet-"

"Claudia Rose!" Wade shouted and ran toward her, but stopped after a few steps.

Joss, who had entered the room, caught up with him and stood next to him with a smile on her face and only one thought in her head:

'NOT ANOTHER REDHEAD!'

"Dr. Load; Wade: it's good to finally meet you in person," and Claudia Rose looked him over.

"You've lost even more weight, haven't you, Wade?" she asked, and Rachel laughed.

"Two sons: a mother knows," Claudia added, smiling at Rachel, and both women smiled the mother's smile.

"Yes, and she's the reason," he replied, pointing at Joss, who then stepped up to the Admiral and extended her hand.

"Admiral, I'm Jocelyn Possible. Thank you for everything you've done for us," she said.

"It's my pleasure, Miss Possible. We take care of our own," Claudia responded, smiling and shaking her hand. "Have you been to Arlington before?"

"No, ma'am," Joss replied, and she lowered her head, embarrassed.

"Admiral, with your permission," Slim stepped up to his daughter and smiled at Claudia, and she nodded and smiled back. "Mah daughter was three years old when she and mah wife were taken prisoner, held, and poisoned, and Joss was there when her mother died. She only this year learned the full story of what happened and actually remembered what happened to her," he finished, and Claudia smiled sadly.

"I've read all of the reports, Commander, and I'm very sorry for your loss.

"Jocelyn, I wasn't trying to imply anything by my question: I only wanted to know if you'd like some extra company. Arlington can be an intimidating place on your first visit, and I actually have some free time here before Christmas!" and she smiled at that thought.

"Thank you, Admiral. I would be honored if you came with us; I know Momma would be honored, as well."

"Good! I'll come in the morning with Commander Peterson and help with your tour, and I'll be back the next morning for our trip to Arlington.

"I hope you're enjoying your stay here in our Nation's capital," she turned and left the room. She pulled the door closed, and Joss whacked Wade on the back of the head

"Another redhead?" Claudia Rose heard Joss ask in a 'slightly' raised voice, and the resultant laughter from the room as Joss used a very bad accent:

"Wade, you got some 'spainin' to do!" and the roar of laughter grew as she walked further down the hall until her elevator door closed.

One laugh was hollow.

'I saw Slim smile at Claudia and I saw her returned smile: I don't stand a chance,' Betty thought, and her heart sank to new depths as her smile remained her facial façade to a heart ripped into pieces.

- - - - - - -

The morning trip to Arlington had been snowy and silent until Ron spoke.

"Kim, have you ever been here?" Ron asked softly.

"No, I haven't. Have you?"

"Once. I had an uncle who was in the Second World War; he was moved here in the early '60s. My parents brought me here when before I started Pre-K," and he smiled, remembering the start of his life with Kim.

The stretch Hummer was packed:

Ryan, Rachel, and Wade Load;

Slim, Jocelyn, and Kim Possible;

Ron Stoppable;

Admiral English;

Lt. Commander Peterson;

Steve Barkin; and

Charlie Brickle.

"Are you ready, Joss?" Wade quietly asked as they pulled into the gate.

"Thanks to you, Wade, I'm ready, now," and she kissed his cheek, squeezed his hand, and turned back to the windows and saw the dreamscape turned into reality.

"DADDY!" She yelled, and they all looked out and saw, through the falling snow…

- - - - - - -

…row after row of tombstones, as far as the eye could see, all of the graves covered in snow except for the spots where the green wreaths, wearing their big red ribbons, lay.

"It's beautiful, Daddy," Joss whispered, and she was so happy seeing the work of others that she forgot her own pain for a moment as they drove past more and more wreaths through the falling snow.

"That man who donates the wreaths every year deserves a medal every year," Joss announced, and Slim and Ryan both chuckled softly.

"And, so do those kids who come out here every year to put them down," she added as they pulled to a stop.

"Please be careful, Miss Possible," Commander Peterson cautioned as Joss jumped down and landed in the slush, but didn't fall. She had on a long coat, a long navy-blue wool skirt, and her tall boots; she was warm, but she still hugged Wade and tried to wrap herself around him after he left the Hummer.

Wade had no complaints.

Everyone left the vehicle, and Commander Peterson, guided by Slim and carrying a wrapped package, took them to the spot.

- - - - - - -

Wade stood behind her, giving her a measure of privacy and support, and everyone else stood behind him, silently as Joss read the words aloud from her mother's gravesite for the first time.

Sheri Nicole Possible

United States Navy

Lieutenant

July 3, 1965 – November 21, 1995

The snow had stopped falling.

"Hello, Momma," Joss started with such a clear and confident tone that even Wade was surprised.

"I made it, and it's all because of what you did.

"Thank you, Momma. Thank you for my life, thank you for having faith in me, and thank you for the backpack that you bought me the day before they took us: I never thanked you for it," and she grinned a hurt away, and Wade smiled behind her.

"I've grown, Momma. I've learned, and I promise I won't disappoint you any more.

"I'm gonna make you proud, Momma," her voice broke for a moment, and Wade touched her shoulder. "Wade and I will make you proud.

"Wade is Dr. Wade Load, Momma.

"He saved me.

"He's my hero, just like you are."

"Aunt Anne and Cousin Kim were right: 'Anything's Possible for a Possible,' and you proved that.

Joss paused for a moment and looked back at Kim, smiled, then turned back and continued.

"You'd be proud of Cousin Kim, Momma. She saves the world, and Ron and Wade help her all the time," and Kim blushed.

"You'd like Ron, Momma. He's goofy sometimes, but he's a real hero: he steps in where even he and the angels fear to tread," and Ron blushed even more than Kim did, and Kim pulled Ron closer to her.

She stood silently for a moment, and then took Wade's proffered hand.

"I've never stopped loving you, Momma; I know you've never stopped loving me.

"Thank you, Momma." and she stepped back and fell into Wade's arms, and softly sobbed.

- - - - - - -

"Darlin,' I'm back," Slim said as he stepped forward.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there in time," and a single tear fell to the snow.

"I know what you'd say: 'Don't worry about me,' and 'Take care of our daughter.'

"I've tried to do both, Sheri Nicole," and he paused to rein in his emotions.

"I miss you, Sheri Nicole," and Slim's voice had a catch.

"You'd be proud of Jocelyn, darlin,'" said with the pride of a father. "She's turning out to be a very special young lady, even when she does those crazy things like barrel racing and parachute jumpin'.

"She's a beautiful young lady, just like you.

"She's lucky enough to have found someone who cares enough about her to put his fears aside and lift her up. At least, one of us has found that special someone," and his voice cracked, again.

"I miss you, Sheri Nicole," he whispered. "I haven't done what we had both agreed that we would do if something happened to one of us, but I'm still working on it," and he lowered his voice even more.

"Would you hate me, forever, if I told you that I think the person is Betty?" and he straightened up, and saluted his wife.

"Rest easy, my love," and he slowly dropped his salute.

"I love you, Sheri Nicole Possible. I have always loved you, and I will always love you, my darlin,'" and he stepped back.

- - - - - - -

Betty stepped up and saluted, then slowly dropped her salute.

"Hello, Sheri.

"God, I miss you," and she smiled.

"I miss our talks, our bitch and gripe sessions, our crying sessions, all of our times together.

"Your husband has done a wonderful job raising your daughter by himself: Jocelyn is a beautiful, wonderful, and special young lady," and Joss looked up as Betty spoke, and a small smile crossed Joss' tear-streaked face.

"She's a very special young lady, all right," Betty continued with a grin, "full of piss and vinegar, and such a capacity for love that she sometimes scares me at how much she reminds me of you, Sheri.

"Oh, yea, that's right, Sheri," and Betty smiled through the beginning of tears that already were caressing her cheeks. "She's just like you were at 22, Sheri, and she's only 14!

"You would be very proud of her. She learned what really happened to you and her, and unlike others who would have curled up in a ball and sucked their thumb for days, she stood tall, and she's moving forward.

"She's so much like you, Sheri, that she found her young gentlemen and helped him through his tough times, just like you did," and Betty grinned as she glanced at Slim, then smiled soberly.

"Rest, my friend, and counsel the angels. Knowing you, you've been helping to guide other arrivals. You never could sit still," and she smiled again as her tears flowed more freely.

"I love you, Sheri, and I miss you," and she lowered her voice to less than a whisper.

"Please don't hate me, my friend, but I think Slim is the one that you told me to go for when I found him.

"I really wish I knew what you thought, Sheri, because I couldn't bear to cause you any more pain.

"I miss you, my friend," she said in her regular voice, and she saluted again and then slowly dropped it. "Rest easy, and please help guide those young people coming over, far too soon, to join you; they've served their country and paid the ferryman, just like you," and she stepped back.

- - - - - - -

"Mrs. Possible?" Ryan stated, having stepped up with his wife on his arm.

"We've never met, but we've a common bond: we both love your daughter, and we both think that she's an incredible young woman."

"When no one else could help my son," Rachel joined in, "she broke through his barriers, helped him slay his demons, and brought our son out of his room and through his agoraphobia in what has to have been a miracle."

"'Anything is, indeed, 'Possible' for a Possible,'" Rachel added, "we've lived hearing Kim say it and watching Kim live it almost every day, and now we've seen the next, new, iteration," and Wade smiled as he held his Joss.

"I'm Captain Ryan Load, ma'am, and this is my wife Rachel Load. We understand that you were a fan of both of us, and we are flattered.

"But, more importantly that who we are, is who you are and what a wonderful foundation that you've left.

"You and Slim are guiding a wonderful daughter."

Ryan saluted her, then slowly dropped his salute and stepped back.

- - - - - - -

"It's not much, Momma, but I love you," Joss walked back up to the site with Kim.

They each had a bouquet of white and yellow roses and opened them, knelt down at the site, and spread the flowers across the grave. Joss then reached inside her coat, pulled out a sealed envelope with 'Momma' written on the front, and slipped it lovingly under the flowers.

"I remembered, Momma, how much you loved your yellow and white roses, and how you used to have them all over the house," and she and Kim stood. Joss dropped her head, turned, and walked back to Wade; Kim returned to Ron's outstretched arms and quietly shed her tears.

Admiral English stepped over to Joss after Commander Peterson handed her the package.

"Jocelyn, I know that nothing can ever take the place of your mother, but I thought that you'd like to have this to remember her," and she opened the package to reveal a framed US Flag.

"Your Dad has the one from her funeral, I'm sure, but this one is from me to you," and Claudia handed it to Joss, her face now awash with a tear-streaked smile. Claudia looked over at Wade and smiled, and he mouthed a silent 'Thank You.' to the Admiral as Claudia stepped back and left Joss with Wade, her smile as well as his negating her tears.

The party stood, silently, for a few more minutes, then turned and headed back to the vehicles.

- - - - - - -

Ron stayed behind for a moment, knelt at the gravesite and stood two red roses against the headstone: one on each side, then touched the blooms, and for a second they glowed a faint blue. Then, he touched the roses on the ground, and their blooms also glowed a faint blue for a second, as well.

"For you, dear lady, be well," he said with a heartfelt plea.

"Thank you, for all that you've given.

"I promise: we won't let you down."

Then, he leaned over and whispered:

"I really did like Joss, but she was way too young for me.

"Besides, she's way happier with Wade: match made 'up there,' you know; and, besides, you know KP: green eyes for a reason!" and he chuckled for a second, and then stood up straight.

Ron snapped to an uncharacteristically-crisp salute, and then turned and was surprised to almost bump into Kim, standing right behind him, waiting for him.

"My Ron," she said simply, and she kissed his cheek.

"Green eyes, huh?" she asked with a hint of Kim-ness; Ron gulped, and she kissed his cheek, again.

"My Ron," she whispered as she wrapped her arm around him.

"Let's go, partner," she whispered as they returned to the group, now heading to the grave where Charlie Brickle knelt and Steve Barkin stood behind him at parade rest.

The snow fell, again, tentatively at first, and then it lightly dusted the ground surrounding the yellow and white and red roses, but no snow stuck to them.

- - - - - - -

Author's afterward:

Question: Is closure complete?

Answer: For some, yes. For others, not yet...

But, good news: getting to closure is much easier when you have a friend: next, in the final chapter of Merry Christmas, Momma.

Thanks again for reading, and please review.