All characters and places in this story belong to the Disney Corporation, just like Lucasfilm, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel, Jim Henson Productions and ABC do.
The original creators were Mark McCorkle and Robert Schooley.
I receive nothing for the writing of this story.
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Time to say thank you to the people that have left reviews for the previous chapter.
CajunBear73, UnknownDescent,
temporaryinsanity91, Sentinel103, pcfreak30, Imyoshi, Beckman, Jimmy1201, ajw1970, and Shinzochi.
And again a special thanks goes out to temporaryinsanity91 for helping to shape and polish this chapter.
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Previously
After a minute, Ron said, "I just hope that I don't have to go through this with James when I ask him to forgive me."
Suddenly he could hear a pin drop as even the storm outside fell quiet. Looking at his wife and her mother in confusion, he only saw half smiles as he realized he'd either said something inappropriate or there was something wrong that he didn't know about.
"We need to talk about that," said the two women at the same time.
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It took over an hour and a half before the small group would find themselves sitting calmly at the kitchen table sipping coffee. Most of that time had been spent with both Ann and Ron apologizing for what they had done to each other in the near and distant past. It was neither their habit or nature to build walls that would keep others out like they had. Their walls had built tall and thick over the past year, but when they found out that they had built them on the sands of misunderstandings and misconceptions of the other's actions or perceived inactions, the walls fell quickly. There was still a lot of rubble left to clear away, but the walls were down between mother-in-law and son-in-law.
Neither one had spoken to the other for over a year till this day and for over half a year these had been the legal tittles for the relationship to the other, but in their own minds they now thought of the other differently. For Ron, Ann was his other mother, just like she used to be. For Ann, son-in-law was far to long a name for him so she just thought of him as son. Funny how quickly the mind can accept new/old tittles for others and create a new mind set when pain is removed from the picture. A mindset that was only missing one person now that could lead to them becoming a family of friends once again.
When they informed him about the lost wedding invitation he could only shake his head. It was suppose to have been a way to repair their relationships but the way it ended up, it only widened the rift between them all and caused it take another six months plus for them to bridge the gap.
But when Kim told him that her father had left her mother, he just sat there, stunned. Of all things that Ron had ever thought about the man, this was way down at the bottom of the list. Kim went on as Ann handed him James's letter for him to read himself.
"I still can't believe he did that. I can't believe he would just up and walk out on you. I knew he was angry and ashamed of me for not being his little Kimmie Cub anymore, but..."
"What in heaven's name makes you think your father was ashamed of you Kim?" asked her mother caught totally off guard by that statement.
"I could tell it in his voice." Kim replied as she tried to prepare herself for talking about that time. "Right after he caught Ron and me," and here she paused to gather the courage to talk to her mother about it, "making love. Soon, after he dropped the baseball bat and ran out of the room, he started calling me, wanting me to come out so he could talk to me. I could tell then what it was he wanted to talk about. I felt so humiliated and mad at myself for not waiting that I couldn't face him and that's why Ron went out to talk to him. Because I couldn't."
"Kimberly." said Ann softly as she patted her daughter's hand. "I no more think your father capable of being 'ashamed,' of you, than I now think that Ron was actually trying to kill him with the sword. He talked about this when we were in counseling and you are right. He was angry and ashamed, but not of you. He was angry and ashamed of himself and he wanted to ask you to forgive him."
"What?"
"Kim, he would have never walked in on you two like he did if he hadn't found the front door standing open. And when he heard the moaning coming from your bedroom after calling for you several times, he thought one of your old foes had finally gotten the better and...well, he thought you were being raped. That's why he went in with the baseball bat you keep by your door."
"The door was open? I thought he just let himself in with the key I gave you guys."
"The only time we ever took that key off of that key holder on the wall there was when you asked us to go over there to do something. We never carried it around with us and we never used it without you knowing about it first." Ann answered.
"Christ." said Ron after he looked up from the letter. "That was one of the things that he and I argued about at the house that day. Kim was mad and when I tried telling him that he was no longer welcome there when he snuck in like that, we started yelling at each other before I finished. I think all he heard was that he was no longer welcome there anymore."
After a pause, Ann added without trying to sound like she was accusing him, " That wasn't all you said to him then. What about when you told him that we didn't matter to Kim anymore and if he wasn't careful he wouldn't even be asked to give her away at her own wedding?"
Ron shook his head and closed his eyes not want to look at her as he tried to explain. "That wasn't exactly what I said and it sure wasn't the way it was meant. I was trying to warn him not to push to hard or that might happen."
When he didn't continue, Ann asked, "And where did you get that idea from?"
His gaze fixed on a point on the table where he saw nothing and his prolonged silence told her she wasn't going to get an answer. At least from him.
Taking a deep breath, Kim said, "He got that idea from me, but that wasn't how I meant it either."
Ann sat there waiting for Kim or Ron to continue. Both were uncomfortable with discussing it, that much was clear, but Ann also knew that this was something she would have to let them tell in their own time. Pushing or provoking them would serve no purpose.
Finally Kim said, "Let me start at the beginning. We had some big breaks in some cases at Global Justice and we were able to wrap them up quickly that day so I decided to stop by Club Banana and meet up with Monique at the mall, but before I got there though, I saw Ron."
Ron said, still avoiding her gaze, "My mom needed my car for the day since her's was in the shop, a house sale that needed a bank rep to be there at the closing. I had an appointment at the jeweler's to pick something up so she dropped me off and I was going to just walk home when I ran into Kim."
"He wouldn't tell me why he was there, just why his mom had the car and he needed a ride home. I just thought is was a happy coincidence that we met. When I said daddy was going to stop by after he got off work, Ron wanted to talk to him about something and asked if he could wait at my house."
Ron looked up and into Ann's eyes as he said, "I wanted to talk to him about me stopping by that night to talk to the two of you. I was at the mall to pick up the engagement ring I special ordered for Kim when I asked her to marry me. It just came in that day. I wanted to show it to the two of you to get your blessing before I asked her, like I promised you I was going to do."
"The problem," said Kim as she picked up the story. "was that I've known Ron most of my life and I know when he's up to something. He was almost giddy like the cat that had the key to the aviary. He kept smiling and patting his pants pocket. When I parked the car, I pulled him into a hug and kiss and while he was distracted, I picked his pocket. Laughing at myself I turned to see what was making him act like a nervous little school girl, but when I saw what was in the box, I froze, unable to say anything."
"I tried to stop her," said Ron. "But when she saw what it was, she turned to look at me and her eyes were wide as she asked me if it was what she thought it was. I may have been annoyed with her at having spoiled my plans, but I could never be that way long. When I told her what it was that I wanted to talk to James about, she said...Well she said..."
When he couldn't go on, Kim said as her eyes started to fill with tears again, "I said that it didn't matter what you and daddy said. It was my decision on who I married or didn't marry and if you didn't agree, then we wouldn't invite you. I didn't care." Kim then reached out to take Ann's hand as the tears started to fall before saying, "But I knew that you guys would approve and that you loved him as much as I did, I thought it was a safe thing to say. I never meant it to hurt either you or daddy. Only to let Ron know how much I loved him and wanted to marry him."
"Let me guess."said Ann. "That was when you two decided to celebrate and you were both so excited that someone forgot to completely close the door."
"It was my idea to make love. I thought we'd closed the front door." said Kim in between sobs. "I thought we'd have plenty of time before daddy got there, but apparently I was wrong. I was wrong about some many things that day. It was my idea to call his cell phone when he left, but when it went to voice mail because he'd turned it off, I said some things I didn't mean. I was just so mad by that time. It was then my idea to rush over to try and talk things out with him." She paused for a moment as she added what she'd done and said up in her mind before saying, "I just screwed everything up. It was all my fault that it even got started. "
"No." interrupted Ron before she could break out crying again. "I misunderstood what you were saying to me and I had no right to say anything to your father about it. It was my fault he felt hurt and then left the way he did."
"Will you two stop it!" yelled Ann as she put her hand down on the table top to get their attention. She paused long enough to count to ten by twos before she said with more calm, "Stop being so noble and trying to take the blame for everything. Both of you. Everybody was at fault with nobody more than the other. It was like a set of dominoes put too close together. Take out one or two here or there and there still wasn't enough room between them to stop the chain reaction." After letting that set into their minds, she added, "It sounds like that day was more like Murphy's Law caught up to you two, caught up to all of us. Everything that could go wrong did and in a big way."
When neither Ron or Kim said anything, just sat there staring at her with a shocked look on their faces, Ann continued. "You screwed up." she said pointing at Kim. Then she pointed at Ron and said, "You screwed up, James screwed up and I screwed up. That day, we all forgot who we were and what the other people meant to us and hopefully still mean to us. We need to move past that day." and here she started to lose her calm as she said, "We need to forgive ourselves as well as others and get everyone back together and be the family we all wanted to be." She then lost her composure and broke into tears as she added. "And I want my husband back."
Kim was by her mother's side in seconds hugging her and trying to offer her love and support to her. Ron was only a few seconds behind Kim so both were comforting Ann with words, telling her that no matter what, they would find him and they would work things out.
When her mother calmed down, Kim turned to Ron and quietly asked, "Why would he just walk out on her? I don't understand."
Ann over heard her, but before she could say anything , Ron softly said, "I don't think he did it to hurt anybody Kim, especially your mother. I think he did it because he thought it was the right thing to do."
The look Kim gave her husband said only one thing. "Explain."
"His note is saying that he thinks he's responsible for everything that happened, just like we were doing. He thinks it was all his fault and I guess that after the wedding, he thought it would never get any better and that the best thing would be for him to disappear. That way we could all get on with our lives with him gone."
The look on Ann's face was one of dawning understanding. Kim's face showed something else.
"That is," she said before pausing to gather her thoughts. "the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Why would he think that abandoning mom would be a good thing?"
As all expression fell from Ron's face, he turned to look out the window of the kitchen at the late night sky, the rain and lightning having passed through the area for now, leaving only darkness, but before Kim could say anymore, her mother said, "He didn't abandon me. He just hasn't come back home to me. If he had abandoned me, then he would have stopped his paycheck from being deposited."
"Wait, what?" she asked but was more distracted by Ron's reaction.
"His paycheck, less one hundred dollars, is still being deposited into our joint account every two weeks, just like normal and he hasn't made any withdraws on it. He's still trying to take care of me." Ann said absentmindedly as she was now watching her newest son.
Kim would digest that information about what her father was doing later, when she had more time. Right now she had the feeling that she was once again at a point where her life was in the balance, just like that day. Just as she was getting things straightened out, they felt like they were going to collapse again.
"Ron?" she called his name and got no response as she thought she saw his eyes start to water.
"Ron, you wouldn't have left me would you? Then or now?" she asked him as a fear squeezed her heart and wouldn't let go. She moved closer to him and put her hand so it rested lightly on his shoulder.
Her touch broke his concentration as he stared at the dark nothingness outside, causing him to close his eyes. She saw a single tear run down his cheek before he turned to face her and she could see pain in his eyes.
"I told you back in high school that I wouldn't try and hold you back, Kim." he slowly and softly said. "I meant it then and I still mean it now." He took a deep but shaky breath before he continued. "But if I thought that I was keeping you from getting back together with your family over what I did that day, if I thought I was a crutch that you no longer needed and I was keeping you from walking again, if I thought I was hurting you by staying with you, then yeah. I would have left you."
Stoking his cheek with the back of her hand she said, "You also said that you couldn't live without me that same day."
Taking her fingers in his hand, he kissed them and said, "There's a difference between 'living' and 'living,' Kim."
"Ron, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said 'stupid.' I should have said I don't understand about..."
He interrupter her saying, "It's okay Kim. Let's just call it a 'man thing' and let it go at that."
He then turned back to looking out the window, not sure how his relationship with the woman he loved would be now, now that he had revealed this dark secret about what his plans might have been concerning her, as she looked away from him not sure of her own feelings now. Knowing that he would have left her without even talking to her about it had shaken her to her very core.
After Ann thought that their silence had gone on long enough, she gently said to them, "Kids. It's late and I think we've all experienced and learned a lot tonight. Walls have fallen down but there's still a lot of clean up to do, so why don't we all go to bed and try and let things settle? We can start things fresh again tomorrow. We still have to finish up what we all started and we can make some plans then about finding James too."
Kim and Ann had already discussed her spending the night, but as they neared the front door, with his voice sounding like he'd just lost his best friend, Ron said, "Kim, just give me the car keys and I'll head home. You probably want some time to think about..."
"No Ronald." said Ann with her voice leaving no room for doubt. "It's been to long since a man and his wife have slept in the same bed in this house. You are going to spend the night here with your wife and that's that. Am I understood?"
"But I don't even have anything clean to wear to bed. Beside Kim will need to think..."
"That right! Kim will need to think. And talk. And she won't be able to do that unless you're here. Now I've got a brand new pair of men's pajamas that should fit you, so head upstairs now, unless you want to run the risk of undoing all of the good that's been done today."
Shaking his head, he turned to start up the stairs, but before he turned all the way around, Ann grabbed him and pulled him into a hug and whispered, "Good night son. And even if she didn't understand what you said about James's letter, I think I did. Thank you."
She noticed a slight smile flash across his face as he then headed up to the guest room.
As the two women followed him up stairs and after she was sure that Ron had gone into the guest room, Ann asked Kim to follow her to her bedroom for that pair of pajamas. Leaving the door open, Ann opened a drawer and got them out to hand them to her daughter, but as their hands were close, Ann took Kim's and asked, "May I pass on a piece of motherly advice?"
Kim chuckled as she said, "Mom we had that talk about the birds and the bees a long time ago, about the same time that I started having my period."
"This one is more important Kim. Much more important. Has Ron been there for you, over the past year?"
With a slight waver to her voice, Kim said, "Yes. Yes of course he has. I would have never made it if it hadn't been for him. I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been there."
Ann paused as she formed her next question. "Have you been there for him?"
Caught a little by surprise, Kim asked in a confused voice, "What do you mean mom? Other than the problem with you and daddy, Ron hasn't had any..."
Ann decided to test an idea that she was afraid might have been a problem for the two. "How was your honeymoon Kim?"
Suddenly feeling defensive about the problem with her marriage, Kim tried to side step the question and answered. "I told you we didn't go on a honeymoon. The time wasn't right and..."
"Okay, Kim. How was your wedding night then?"
There. The question was out in the open and waiting to be answered. When no answer came and Kim refused to even look at her mother, Ann had her answer.
When Ann thought Kim was going to start crying, she said, "That's why this talk is more important than the one about the birds and the bees." Taking her daughter and sitting her down on the foot of the bed so they could talk and so Ann had a clear view of the hallway, she said, "Kim, over a year ago, I forgot something. Something that may have cost me my marriage and I'd like to tell you about it so you don't make the same mistake."
Kim just gave Ann a silent nod telling her she had her attention. "Your father has always been a pillar of strength to me. He was able to be there when I needed him, be strong when I needed him to back me up and feeling comfortable with letting me be just as strong as he was without feeling threatened by it. And I always did the same for him. On that day that you and I had our falling out, the day I had to rush him to the hospital, I needed him and in his own way, he was there for me. He was there for me when I needed him to be, up till the day he left. What I forgot, after we came home from getting his stitches, was that he was allowed to be weak at times and sometimes he needed me to be there for him. True. I took care of him, but it was like a Doctor / patient kind of thing and not like a husband / wife thing. He needed me, but I was to caught up in what I needed at the time and I forgot to give anything back to the man I married. After your wedding, when I asked him to move back into our bedroom, I was actually thinking more of myself. I assumed that since he was so strong, he would stay that way. I was wrong." She now looked directly into Kim's eyes as she said, "Don't make the same mistake that I made Kim. Ron's hurting and he needs you. Now more than ever. He's been so worried about you and us, that he may not even know how badly he is hurt, especially since he just bared his soul to you and told you what he would be willing to do for you. Just to make sure you would be better off. And you told him you thought that idea was stupid."
"But I wouldn't be better off Mother! I'd be without him!" Kim almost yelled as she felt a sudden panic over the idea of him leaving her. "And you've given me a chance to see how being without daddy has affected you. What would being without Ron have done to me? Would I have started staying at home all the time? Started drinking to ease the pain? What would it have done to me Mother?"
Her mother was ready for the question. He'd helped her to see things from a different perspective so far as James was concerned so she was ready with an answer far sooner than Kim was expecting.
"What would it have done to Ronald, Kim?" she answered in a calm flat voice. "What would it have done to him?"
Kim's mind froze as she remembered their words: "You also said that you couldn't live without me that same day." "There's a difference between 'living' and 'living,' Kim."
Feeling empty as she realized that she'd only been thinking about herself and not about her husband, it suddenly dawned on her what would have happened to him. It would have killed him. Or it would have killed the part inside him that makes him who he is.
As her daughter started to shake from the shock of her epiphany of what might have happened out of his love for her. Ann pulled her back into a motherly hug as she heard Kim mutter, "What am I going to do?"
Wishing she could go back in time so she could have followed the advice she was about to give her daughter, Ann said, "The past is in the past, Kim. Right now, this moment, this night is what's important. You two are so much strong together than when you are apart, what do you think you should do? What do you want to do?"
The answer came quickly to Kim's mind and heart. Sniffling back her weakness so she could be strong for her husband, she said, "I need to go and talk with my husband and I need to be his best friend again. I need to be there and be strong for him and help him like he's been there and helped me since Pre K. And I need to comfort him and he needs to comfort me. Like we haven't done in over a year."
"See? That wasn't such a hard question to answer now was it?" Ann said with a smile on her face.
Hugging her mother tightly as she held back her tears, Kim whispered in her ear, "Thank you Mommy."
Kim pulled the door closed behind her as she left and Ann waited till after she heard the guest room door open and close again before she stood up and started to get ready for bed since they would have a lot to do tomorrow. She had decided that she needed to break the habit she'd formed of having a nightcap to help her sleep. Something she could really use at that moment.
As she laid there in the bed staring up at the ceiling trying to will herself to go to sleep, she thought she heard an old familiar rhythm of noise coming from somewhere inside the house. The noise brought a brief smile to her lips as she rolled on her side so she wouldn't be eavesdropping on them. A little bit more of the pain she felt melted away as she now stared at the empty spot besides her. Reaching out her hand to that spot to remember him being there and feeling his absence, she knew what it would take to make the rest of it melt away.
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Flashback to Kim calling her father's Cell Phone that day.)
"Damn it!" she exclaimed to Ron as her own mounting frustration came out. "It went directly to voice mail. He must have sent it there or turned it off. 'Daddy, pick up. (pause) Pick Up The Damn Phone! (pause) Alright then. I don't know what you meant by telling Ron that he is no longer welcome at your house, but understand this, if he's not welcome there, then neither am I and you can go to hell!"
Shocked at what she just heard herself say to her father, her anger quickly dissipated and she continued in a much calmer voice, one of a scared daughter trying to talk with her father. "Daddy, I'm sorry I said that. I didn't mean it. Look we had a big misunderstanding here today and (pause) Ron and I are going to come over and try and fix this before it gets blown out of shape. We'll be by in about an hour." Before she hung up, she added, "I love you."
James was listening to the voice mail at his home, an hour later, hurt and anger growing, putting more pressure in his chest than a pressure cooker.
"...but understand this, if he's not welcome there, then neither am I and you can go to hell!" came her furious voice.
Immediately pushing the DELETE button and closing the phone, his hurt and anger somehow adding his physical strength, he flung it as hard as he could, where it hit one of the small boulders that they had as a part of the back yard landscape. It hit with enough force to not only shatter the case, but the chip as well. His anger and hurt not only return but doubled. He wasn't sure who he was angry at, but he knew he should stay out there by himself till he calmed down again or he might vent it on someone, whether he wanted to or not. It was then that Ron Stoppable stepped through the door from the kitchen and out onto the back deck.
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TBC
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