Birth, and Rebirth 05: Scarlet Innocence
Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Corporation. All other characters are the creation of the author and may not be used without his permission.
This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work…at this time.
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Zaratan's challenge: Something Different, Something New – Contest - This is your chance to write something completely different.
And, now, for something completely different, Zaratan.
This is not a part of the (shameless plug) Blue Eyes, Shining or the Partners, Again stories of the JadeKimVerse, the Define, Hell universe of stories, or a reading from the California King Bedtime Stories; it began as another part of the new 'lovin' story, but a metamorphosis occurred, into the missing link that I had been searching for in the JadeKimVerse: the filler between the end of the Blue Eyes, Shining series and the beginning of the Partners, Again series.
I've named it Birth, and Rebirth.
A/N Forward:
Kim made the decision for Ron.
Josh heard the news, and now Ron has come to him for a favor, for Kim.
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Birth, and Rebirth 05: Scarlet Innocence
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Chapter 6: the friends
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Two cell phones rang at the same time, and twin young men answered at the same time.
"Hello?" they heard each other's voices over the phone, and that confused them.
"Hey, guys, it's Wade."
"What's up, Wade?" Jim asked, and Tim nodded, miles away.
"I have one word and one word only, for you guys," Wade said, successfully managing to curb his enthusiasm.
"What's that, Wade?" Tim asked
"TWEEBS!" came from a very familiar voice, one that neither ever dreamed of hearing again.
"Kim?" both Jim and Tim sat, stunned.
"Hicka-bicka-boo?" she asked.
"HOO-SHA!" was the simultaneous response from all three.
Tweeb-speak was back; this time, with a vengeance.
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Liz walked into Josh's room on his third day of hold, and she was shocked even more by the smell:
Roses of all shades and sizes, calla lilies, sunflowers, peonies, pansies, sunflowers, gardenias, plants of all persuasions occupied his room.
"Is this Jay P. Berrymore's Floral Shoppe and Burnt Pizza Palace?"
"Over here, sweet buns," Josh replied, and she made it through the forest to his bedside.
She leaned over and kissed him.
"Sweet buns, huh?" she grinned.
"Well, truth stinks, doesn't it? I think they're awfully sweet, myself," he replied, and she kissed his lips again.
"I've already sent three roomfuls out to other patients, and the balloons are going to the children's wing," and she kissed him even more energetically.
Her bag rang, and she reached in and pulled her cell out.
"Hello?" and her grin grew.
"Yes, I am, thank you," she giggled and grinned even bigger.
Silence.
"Yes, I told him, but I doubt he remembers it."
Silence.
"No, I didn't tell him."
Silence.
"You need what?" her brow furrowed.
"All right, but he's tired, so don't take too long," and she pushed the phone in Josh' direction.
"For you, dear," she looked concerned.
Josh took the phone.
"Hello?"
"Is this the J-Man?" a soft, sultry voice asked.
"This is Josh Mankey," he looked confused.
"Who is this?"
"Your Amazon woman, J-Man," the voice exuded sensuality.
"Who?" he asked; by now, though, Josh was smiling.
Silence, then he spoke
"Hello, Kim," he finally answered, and Liz could hear the scream coming from the other end of the call.
"JOSHUA LIVINGSTON MANKEY! You evil, evil man!" Kim laughed, and he joined her in laughter as his tears came.
"I guess you heard that the reports of my death were just a wee bit exaggerated," Kim finally spoke calmly.
"I heard, Kim: I'm glad that you made it."
"I saw the song, Josh," and his heart waited for the dressing-down that he deserved.
"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard, Josh. Thank you."
"It was true, Kim, all of it."
"I know, Josh"
Silence.
"Josh" she began, but he stopped her.
"Kim, don't: I know what you're going to say, and I don't want pity now."
"It's not pity, Josh: I have always valued your friendship, your talents, your skills. Why do you think I called you when we were ready for the Team Possible logo upgrade?"
"You felt sorry for me, I thought," he replied.
"No, I wanted the best, and I got it when I got you," Kim replied, and Josh's smile grew.
"Seriously?" he asked.
"Seriously," she replied in her 'Motor Ed' voice, and they both laughed.
"Are you all right, Josh?"
"I should be asking you that question, Kim: you went 'mano-a-womano' with a nuclear-tipped missile and came back alive; I just tried to kill pain," he replied.
"Josh:
"You're still tops in my book, J-Man.
"And, by the way, I saw L's interview, too: I'm glad you sang it for me rather than him.
"I'd want to have a song like yours sung by a friend who happened to be a star, rather than a star who happened to be a friend," and Josh began closure.
"Can I get a command performance when I get back, J-Man?"
"Anything for you, Kim, and you don't even have to bring your PDP," he laughed. "Seriously, please, don't bring it," he pleaded with her, and she laughed with him.
"I'll be back in Middleton in 2-3 days, and I'll be relatively mobile by then."
"Can you come to the studio, Kim? We're cutting a track of 'Scarlet Innocence' for a NCN news story, and the reporter will freak when you walk into the studio."
"Works for me," Kim replied.
"Josh? I did love you for awhile, you know, but you didn't bring a cactus," Kim smiled, and Josh laughed.
"Dang-it! Note to self: 'when wooing redheads in the future, remember to bring cactus,'" and Kim and Liz both laughed, but Liz got to kiss Joss first.
"So," Kim smirked over the phone, "are you ready?"
"For what?"
"Your new responsibilities, Daddy Josh?"
"Daddy Josh?" he asked, and he stared at Liz in surprise. She patted her stomach, and held up two fingers.
"Twins?" he mouthed, and she shook her head, and then held up a third finger.
"Triplets?" he mouthed, and she nodded and mouthed back:
"Two months."
"I guess I am, Kim: I may need to talk to your dad about the Tweebs, though."
"I guess yours will be 'Treebs,', though," Kim replied and laughed.
"Treebs: that somehow sounds like something Ron would put on a Naco," Josh replied, straight-faced, and Liz hit his arm.
"OWW!"
"What happened, Josh?"
"Liz hit me, Kim," he whined.
"Well you deserved it for scaring a pregnant woman, J-Man."
"'No respect: I get no respect,'" he kept up the whine, but it was no use.
"I'll see you in a few days, J-Man," and Kim slipped back into that sultry voice that Josh remembered from their dates, and he smiled.
"Love you, Kim. Glad you got to hear the song on tape rather than the alternative."
"Me too, Josh; me too," she replied.
"Love you, too, J-Man, but no more attempts, all right?" Kim asked, but he knew better:
"Yes, ma'am," he sat up straighter in the bed and saluted. Liz giggled.
"Kim?" Josh felt he had to tell her, and Liz squeezed his hand.
"Yes, Josh?"
"Kim, you saved me, once again: I was ready to go, and Haley came on the television and announced that you were alive," Josh heard her huge sniffle over the phone, but he continued. "That made me lift my head for a moment to see if it was true.
"Liz heard it on the radio and came running back into the house, and she found me and the pill bottle and called 9-1-1.
"So, you see, Kim, you really did save me," Josh smiled, and Liz squeezed his hand as Kim continued to exude sniffles over the phone.
"Awww, Josh, 'no big;' anything for my friend," she replied, and she and Josh both laughed and cried at the same time as their shared pain began to diminish.
"Goodbye, Kim, and thank you."
"Until later, Josh," and her sultry voice, only touched a bit with a sniffle, came across the line as the connection dropped.
"Triplets?" he asked, still not believing what she'd mouthed to him.
Liz nodded, beaming.
"I found out the morning of the memorial service, and I didn't want to bother you-"
"Bother me?" Josh sat straighter in the bed.
"Bother you, dear: you were in the zone, and you were more ready than I'd ever seen you to create art, to create a memory that would last the ages."
"Yeah, and Kim had to go and ruin it by living," Josh pouted, and Liz's glare meant that she'd missed the joke.
"I was kidding! Jeez, is this what I'm going to have to live through for the next seven months?"
"Uh-huh," she purred as she moved closer to the bed and lay her head upon his shoulder. He was all hers, now: she now had all of his heart, even though she wouldn't mind sharing a part of it on a temporary basis when Kim came to visit.
"Kewl," and he pulled her tighter, managed to move his head enough to kiss her cheek, and they stayed like that until the nurse came in to check on him.
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BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.
"That's it! Drop the anchors, and call the crane operator to station!"
Wade watched the crew begin the process of lifting Kim's capsule from the hole it had dug for itself upon landing and placing it on a flatbed trailer for transport to the air base for flight back to Middleton and the GJ Analysis Lab.
He smiled as he remembered his first thought when he had first received the call that they had found it: he had to come and see it, in its now-natural habitat, before it was removed.
"What'cha thinkin,' Aggie?" A pair of soft hands surrounded his waist and landed sensuously on his abs and squeezed.
"I did it," he whispered softly.
"Did what, Wade?"
"Saved my 'big sis' this time, Joss," he replied, and she squeezed him tighter.
The Emergency Expand-O-Foam that he'd used, re-engineered and created from the Bond-O-Ball formula that Professor Dementor had used, had never been tested at pressures as high and speeds as fast as Kim had reached: it had never even been considered. Planes weren't supposed to fly into pony nukes and survive: it just wasn't possible
But, she was Kim Possible, after all, and 'she could do anything,' he thought as he smiled.
He turned his head slightly and saw her face:
The pretty young Possible woman-child he'd fallen in love with at 13 had grown and developed into a beautiful 22-year-old young woman, with her bachelor's degrees in Pre-Med, International Relations, and Japanese (courtesy of Ron and Nakasumi-san's tutelage) in record time, and was now in her second year of Medical School, living at the Nelson's über-home with Walter and Marissa Kay Nelson. Wade visited often, bringing flowers to Marissa Kay and Joss as well as any other young ladies that were there at the time: their boyfriends started off hating him, but they got onboard the wagon and began to treat their girlfriends with respect: Wade was certain that it had more to do with Joss' karate instructions to the girls at the house rather than his flowers…but Marissa Kay loved them, and Walter was already hooked on spoiling his wife.
Wade's proposal to her at her undergraduate commencement exercises had been the talk of MIST for the next six months, almost as much as Kim and Ron's wedding.
But, none of that was important to him as he watched her crinkle her nose as she smiled. Her ice-blue eyes danced behind her rimless glasses as she watched the crane (hopefully, he thought, not the crane operator!), and her lips reminded him of one more set of reasons that he was head-over-heels in love with his fiancée:
She was, using one of Ron's non-school words, a bon-diggity kisser.
"Wade," she turned and bumped his nose, earning ouches from both.
"Wade, just how did Kim get out of that foam-packed capsule? I thought that the foam was packed harder around her than that dirt you were standing on, just a few minutes ago."
"Nano-technology, Joss: I incorporated nanobots into the foam that activated when four hours had elapsed from the last hard externally-caused motion that moved the capsule," Wade explained, "They began to eat the foam away that directly touches the pilot's, in this case, Kim's, suit, starting near the face; it devoured foam like a hungry Rufus in a solid Cheddar-Cheese building," Joss laughed and leaned over, kissing Wade on the lips.
"Por qua?" Wade asked.
"Because, even after all these years, Wade, you've never talked down to me. That's just one of many reasons I love you, Aggie," she grinned.
BAM!
The couple looked up in surprise: it was the sound of the capsule, landing on the flatbed trailer to transport it to the plane. The crew was tying it down as they watched, and the foreman came over to Wade.
"Another five minutes, Dr. Load, and we'll be done."
"Backfilling the hole?"
"Crew's coming tomorrow with soil, grass seed, and trees to replace what fell."
'Good," Wade replied. "Thank you, Mr. Andrew," and Wade extended his hand.
"John, please, and it's 'no big,' Dr. Load: I was at home with my kids when the missile warning was announced: I'm just glad to be alive, and I'm even happier that Kim is, too.
"And, tell her 'thank you' for the autographed pictures and the DVD of Mr. Mankey's song." He smiled as he shook Wade's hand.
"I will, John. Thanks, again."
"You got it, Dr. Load.
"We ready to head out?" John yelled, and the horns from the vehicles all announced their confirmation.
John ran to the closest truck and jumped into the passenger side, closing the door and slipping on his seat belt as he bellowed:
"LET'S!
"MOVE IT!" and the trucks started slowly forward.
Wade had walked over to the hole and picked up a group of the larger branches and slender tree trunks that he had collected before the crane had come in and moved them next to the car, under Joss' perplexed eyes.
Now, she asked:
"What are you gonna do with those, Wade?"
"Kim's going to need a cane soon, and, knowing her, she'll have broken at least one of those walking sticks that she brought out, so I thought-" he was silenced by those lips he loved.
"All right," and she bent over to grab a bundle, and it was too tempting…
"WADE!"
"It wasn't me: it was the 'Peerless Pincher,'" he grinned, and he shoved the wood into the back seat and ran to the driver's door, barely making it in before Joss could retaliate.
'Men!' she thought, then smiled.
'Mine,' and she closed the rear doors, then opened her passenger door and stepped in.
The shy, reclusive super-genius that had stepped off of the jet in Montana and captured her heart was a wonderful young man now, having successfully earned four PhDs from MIST and a bucketful of honorary degrees from other schools when he spoke at commencement exercises there. He had grown in so many ways, Joss realized: not just in height, where her was now a solid almost-six feet tall, but in temperament, composure, and in his own quiet internal strength. His demons had all died inside of him, and he was even more attractive to other women now than he had been before: she assumed that it was his self-confidence exuding from all of his pores. She loved his visits to her are Walter and Marissa Kay's home, but she loved even more the shock of the new girls when he came through the front door; well, that and the envious looks she got when they saw him kiss her.
'And, oh, my, goodness, how that man can kiss,' she smiled at him as she strapped on her seat belt.
"Sweet Tea?"
"Yes, my Aggie?"
"How do you feel about owning property?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this property is for sale, and I thought of some things we could do for the folks up here, so-" Joss cut Wade off with a passionate kiss.
When they finally came up for air, Joss asked, "How much?"
"The list is US $18 million for the 2,300 acres, but I can make them an offer that they'll take, I'm sure: I can even get them to finance so I don't tie up cash, and…" Wade looked over at Joss, her mouth falling open.
'Ah jus' think Ah figgered out how much mah Aggie's even close to bein' worth…and that doesn't even count the value of his massive heart. Whoa, Nellie! Joss, jes' what have you gotten yourself into?' was her thought.
"…" was all she could say.
"I take it that's a 'Possible' yes, correct?" he asked as he started the vehicle and put it into gear.
She nodded, then reached over and squeezed his hand.
'What an adventure you're about to go on, Andrea Jocelyn Possible, when you become Possible-Load!'
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"Well?"
"It's beautiful, Ron," Kim smiled as she viewed her latest:
Next to her first supersuit, framed and hanging on the wall, was this last one, the one that saved her during her most recent sitch: it was singed and torn, and it was also now framed and hanging on the wall of her study.
"It's pretty, Mommy," Don announced, and Donna smiled in agreement.
"When did you ever find the time to have that done?
"And, don't say Wade!" Kim grinned, and Ron shook his head.
"Not this time: Josh re-framed the first one and made the frame for this one to match the original."
Kim leaned on the polished cane that Wade had given her, made from the branches that she'd landed on, and was silent for a moment.
"Are you all right, KP?"
"Fine, Ron, just fine: just wondering how many more of these there'll be," she mused.
"I don't care, as long as you're here to enjoy them with me," Ron placed his arms around her waist and squeezed.
He whispered in Kim's ear, Kim blushed, and she nodded.
"Kids, it's bed time," Ron announced.
"Aw, man," was the chorus as they headed towards the stairs.
"Why now, Daddy?" Don asked.
"It's bed time, or maybe that internal clock of yours is off, again," Ron replied, and Don looked over at the clock: 9:17.
Don and Donna trudged up the stairs, grousing the entire way to their rooms.
"As for you," Ron leaned over and kissed Kim, "I think it's high time we started working on Ron, Jr," he scooped her up in his arms as she squealed, and she turned out the lights and pulled the door shut as they left her study and headed up the stairs to, first, put the kids to bed, and, second, to head back down and into the master suite, closing te door so that they could put their bed to good use.
"KP, I'm sorry I buried your cards, but I couldn't think of anything else: everything else hurt too much to give away or see disappear, permanently.
"I did have your accounts re-activated as soon as I left your hospital room that day, and Mr. Banana himself had your unique card re-created; that's why I cancelled your request a week ago for exhumation of your cards," Ron's laugh was joined by Kim's.
"But, I still felt bad that I might have hurt you, even a bit, so I found something that I thought might, even a little bit, help make it up to you."
"Ron, you don't have to do anything for me."
"I don't have to: I wanted to, because you are my life, Kim: I always want to see that smile, forever.
"And, besides, just like you, my forever love:
"I'm full of surprises," and the sounds of paper rattling accompanied Ron's chuckle and Kim's gasp as he handed her a large box.
"Welcome home, KP," he said, and the sound of paper ripping…
"You got me a box?" Kim sounded puzzled.
The sound of the box being opened was replaced by the sound of another box as she pulled the second from inside the first, and then-
"RON!
"Where did you find this?"
"JCove, if you know where to look, and are willing to negotiate, KP."
"But, it's perfect!
"I've never seen a KangaCat before, up close, let alone held one," and the tears came first from Kim, and then from Ron when he saw his wife begin to cry.
"KP, what's wrong?"
"I never…
"I love you so much, Ron," and the sound of paper being crumpled and moved.
"KP?"
She hit the remote, and the room changed quickly to almost-total darkness
"I believe you said something earlier," Kim's sultry voice could be heard, "about working on Ron Jr.," and the sounds of clothes being removed.
"I'm ready for my 'Welcome Home,' Ronnie," she giggled.
"Here, let me help you with that," she purred.
"KangaKitty and Pandaroo will have to share the love seat tonight," Kim said after a few minutes, "because I'm not sharing my RonShine with anyone else," and the click of the final lights turning off could be heard.
"Oh, my," was all that came from Ron as he gave in to the inevitable….
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The suits hung on the wall in darkness, as Kim had done many times in the past.
But, there was always the dawn, and a new day would come for the Stoppable family.
A noise, and two tiny pairs of eyes opened in the darkness and looked up, listening.
One pair of eyes looked at the other, and her eyes danced in a smile.
The other pair of eyes looked back and smiled to her, tickling her with his whiskers.
Both looked up again, yawned, and went back to sleep, holding each other and dreaming of Gouda fountains and Cheddar merry-go-rounds.
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Haley Goldstein had thought she had struck the mother lode with the on-site coverage of the discovery of Kim Possible in the hospital.
This was even better, and she'd never imagined that it could be so:
She had an exclusive interview with him, and in his studio. She was sitting across from the hottest-of-the-hot hotties himself, Josh Mankey. He had his guitar and had played love songs to her while the cameras were being set up.
Haley was in lust and love; 'well, mostly lust,' Haley grinned as she contemplated Josh playing...STOP IT, HALEY!
This was better than the pianist that she'd worked with, back when she was younger, on Public Radio. That guy was waaay cute, she remembered, but he was no Josh Mankey, and he was waaay older than her at the time.
Josh had answered all of her questions, even the ones about his attempted suicide.
The only thing he hadn't explained, and refused to explain, was his requirement for four chairs at the interview; he sat in the second chair from the left, with empty chairs around him.
Now, his wife was coming into the room, joining him, and he stood when he heard her open the door.
"Mrs. Mankey, good afternoon.
"Liz, please, Haley," and they both sat, Liz in the chair to Josh's left, leaving two chairs vacant to his right.
"Liz. I understand that congratulations are in order."
Liz beamed. "That's right, Haley: we're having triplets! Well, I'm having the triplets, Josh is being insufferably male about the entire event," and Josh grinned and Haley nodded.
"You both went to school with Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, didn't you?"
"Yes," Liz replied. "Kim and I were both on the cheer squad: I was 'the other redhead,'" Liz added, and she laughed along with Josh.
"I guess anyone around her would be in a huge shadow," Haley observed, but Josh shook his head.
"Not necessarily, Haley," Josh interjected. "She was, and is, the best friend you can have, and she'll step back and let you shine: she did that for me lots of times in high school while we dated, and she did it even more for Ron, before he became her husband.
"She doesn't want the limelight, for limelight's stake," Josh added and smiled. Liz nodded her agreement.
"So, I understand we get a special treat, Josh."
"That's right, Haley: actually, you get two treats," he grinned, and Liz giggled.
Haley looked perplexed.
"We're going to cut the first studio recording of 'Scarlet Innocence,' Haley, and you'll be here in the auxiliary control room to listen. We've set up a special audio feed for your viewers and listeners, so you're getting all of the good and bad sounds, as they occur," Josh laughed.
Haley was mentally drooling at the opportunity.
Her curiosity got the better of her, however, and she had to ask, especially after Josh had tossed that two-bomb statement out without continuing: he just sat, silently, teasing her with the silence.
"That's wonderful, Josh, and, thank you from my viewers and listeners as well as NCN.
"I have to ask, though:
"What's the second surprise?"
"I'm afraid that's me, Haley," and one camera remained on Haley and the other turned to the voice.
The in-studio producer had perfect timing: he'd split the screen, so the world saw Haley's jaw drop as Kim Possible, using a beautifully-polished natural-wood cane, stepped into the interview room, followed by her husband, Ronald Stoppable.
Josh got up, walked quickly to Kim and hugged her, while Ron walked over to Liz and hugged her.
Josh then found Ron and gave him a manly hug, and Liz and Kim hugged, Kim whispering something to Liz that the microphones didn't pick up. Liz laughed and hugged Kim once again.
"Kim Possible: thank you for being here," Haley finally regained her voice after the producer screamed twice in her ear as all four sat: Liz and Josh retook their seats, Kim next to Josh and Ron at the end.
"Trust me, Haley, I'm very happy to be here. I've been a big fan of yours since you were on 'Come, Play for Us' on NPR," and Haley's smile almost outshone the spots.
"Thank you, Kim," and the producer laughed as he caught Haley's visible blush on camera.
"Trust me, this is way better than sharing air space with a missile," Kim laughed.
"Kim, how did you feel when you heard 'Scarlet Innocence' for the first time when you watched the video of your memorial service?"
"Haley, that was the first performance of this version of 'Scarlet Innocence,'" Kim corrected her as she looked at Josh. "He sang the original to me years ago on a date; it was wonderful then, and I loved this version, too."
"You and Josh dated? Before Ron?" Haley leaned forward.
"That was before Ron found the cactus, Haley," Josh explained, and the four laughed while the group at the network scrambled to find the empty cactus footage.
"Josh was my friend, back in high school, but we weren't meant for each other," Kim smiled as she squeezed Ron's hand. "He was so much of a friend that he was the first person to tell me that I belonged with Ron, even before the cactus," Kim leaned over and kissed the beaming Ron.
"Josh is still a very dear friend, Haley, and I wouldn't be a true friend to him if I didn't let him go on with the plans for this interview.
"Josh, I believe you owe Haley a song?" Kim smirked, and Josh nodded.
He stood, leaned over and kissed his wife deeply, then kissed Kim on the cheek and whispered 'thank you, my friend,' slapped hands with Ron, and headed into the main recording studio.
He sat on the stool with his guitar, Melody Davidson stood at the conga drum/bongo spread, and Mark Cotterman stood at his bank of keyboards, the conductor and small orchestra behind them all and at the ready.
"Scarlet Innocence, Studio Edition, Take One," and the producer pointed at Josh.
"This is for the redheads in my life," Josh started, and the producer freaked as Josh went off-script. "My wife Elizabeth Mankey, who is pregnant with our triplets, and my friend Kim Possible, who opened up new 'Possibilities' for me.
"To you two ladies, this is your song, but especially to Kim, who is 'Scarlet Innocence' personified," and the studio producer was glad that he had that extra camera there as it watched Kim's face blush and fill with pride for her friend.
"Ladies and Gentlemen: I give you: 'Scarlet Innocence,'" and Josh began the song, and he also began, at the same time, a new chapter in his own life.
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story now complete
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Author's afterward:
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When my reviewers quote my lines in the reviews, I know I've hit the mark. When other writers ask to 'borrow' my characters for their stories and keep me in the loop for continuity and 'keeping the characters in line,' I know I've grown as a writer, at least a little bit from almost 12 months ago when I posted my first story here. When they ask my opinions on writing, on story ideas, and on stories before publishing, my ego gets stroked even more. Thank you.
Thank you to Akinyi, JAKT, Pharaoh Rutin Tutin, Sir Sebastian, Slyrr, and star-eva01 for providing invaluable beta assistance and comments to keep me straight, and research assistance. To me, the individuals above are truly representative of the broad appeal of KP FanFiction: from 11 to over 50, male and female, elementary school to (literally) rocket scientist (well, not precisely, but close).
My thanks to JAKT for allowing the appearance of Dr. C. P. Adams in my story, complete with sweet mint tea, and for assisting in the general property search in New York State while I searched for a place for Kim's capsule to set down: I was only about 20-25 miles north of the perfect landing spot, it turns out. Yes, the property does exist, and it is close to the actual Middletown, New York. And, yes, it's really for sale.
Never unnerve an 11-year-old, or you could appear in FanFiction! KT, thank you ever so much…seriously. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time as when I first read Dr. Adams' description in your story. So, now, he has to escape occasionally from you and JA into the JadeKimVerse to work and get re-supplied with fresh mint plants.
The movies, television shows, and songs referenced are all copyrighted by the writers, producers, networks, and/or their creators. The historical reference to President Kennedy's funeral processing comes from photos and from watching it on the black-and-white while it occurred. Things like that stay with you.
And, Zaratan, thanks for hosting the contest and charging my brain cells to find this link I've been searching for.
For those of you who read and don't review, thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed your stay, shed a few tears, and got some laughs in the end.
Thank you all for reading, and please review if you haven't done so, yet.
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On a serious note: if you feel depressed or ever feel that there's no way out, talk to someone who cares and loves you. If you feel that you have no one to talk to, you DO have options:
Go to your phone book and look up suicide prevention hotlines, or call directory assistance: they can provide you with the local or national toll-free numbers and connect you, as well.
Use the Internet and search for "suicide prevention" (with quotes); you'll find several options there, as well.
Your life IS worth living.
You are worth saving.
Stay with us.
Please, stay.
Please.
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