Disclaimer: The Walt Disney Company has all rights to the series Kim Possible firmly wrapped up all legal-like and I have little or no legal knowledge whatsoever. I receive nothing for this story except your good and bad reviews. I'll accept either. After one and a half years and 24 stories, I'm still learning from your cheers and sneers. I'd say cheers and jeers but I believe that's copyrighted too.

MC 2

Chapter 9

Let's Show Off The House

"Alright, let's get started," Kim happily sang as she turned the corner from the hallway into what she thought was an occupied but unfurnished living room, having heard some of the girls talking in there. She immediately froze in her tracks at the sight. "Whoa! When did you get all this done?" She saw the room was spotless and all of the furniture was in place with the girls sitting around chatting.

"About fifteen minutes ago," Tara said as she bounced Hanna on the couch. The tiny tot was holding on to a finger each of the blond's two hands and giggling to beat the band. Tara looked up and added, "Like Ron said earlier, many hands make light work."

"Ron House, Kim House," Hanna sing-songed as she bounced on the sofa, "Pat House, Paul House."

"Then I guess Ron and I can help clean the other rooms," Kim said as she slapped her hands together and rubbed them. She turned to leave the room and again sang, "Let's get started."

"The other rooms are done K," Bonnie said sprawled across an easy chair as she surfed the Internet on her cell phone. "Your brothers came down, checked to make sure the downstairs was clean and took off about ten minutes ago. The only rooms we didn't get a chance to really look at are the dining room and kitchen. Rufus wouldn't let us walk down the hallway."

"He gets that way sometimes," Ron laughed as he walked into the living room with said pink rodent perched on his shoulder. "When Rufus goes in to guard dog mode, well, he can get a tad feisty. Especially when there pizza involved."

"Extra Cheese!" Rufus cheered and greedily rubbed his front paws together.

"The dining room is clean," Kim declared with a red face as she quickly brushed off the back of Ron's shirt. "At least I know the floor and table are polished. Let go to the kitchen and see what need to be done in there."

"Kim, don't you think it's unusual that the downstairs is already clean," Crystal asked as she walked down the hall next to the auburn-haired girl, "with no sheets or tarps on any of the furniture?"

"It's like someone was here before us and cleaned the whole first floor," Liz added.

"That might explain why the living room furniture was in the other room," Marcella postulated. "Whoever was cleaning in there had just finished and didn't have time to put the furniture back."

"Maybe the grandniece did it," Ron chuckled. "Maybe that's why she arrived late for the deed signing."

"You think She..." Kim froze in place and cut herself off before she named names. She whispered in Ron's ear, "Do you think Shego actually did some honest-to-goodness housework?"

"I don't know KP but you know," Ron whispered back, "you-know-who doesn't need keys to get into any locked places. Maybe..." Ron opened the single door into what everyone thought would be the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks blocking the entrance and all that emitted from his mouth was a falsetto, almost silent, "Whoa."

"Can the rest of us see the kitchen Ron Ron?" Bonnie harshed as she elbowed her way through the crowd and knocked Ron to his knees. She stood in front of him, arms akimbo, as she glanced around the spacious room and nodded her approval. "Not bad, not bad at all. Breakfast nook with bay windows to let in the morning sun, plenty of counter space and fairly modern appliances. I really love the center island with the copper pots and pans hanging above it but I don't understand why there are two stoves. Who would want to use that old iron clunker when you have a modern one sitting right next to it?" Bonnie turned to see Ron kneeling, arms at his side and jaw down on the floor as tears welled in his extra wide eyes. "Ron?"

Kim knelt beside Ron and put her arms around his neck as she looked up at her brunette friend. "I think it's Ron's turn to go into overload."

Bonnie helped Kim get Ron up off the floor and over to the breakfast nook. "I'm sorry I knocked you down Ron Ron. Are you okay?" Bonnie begged sincerely and saw she wasn't going to get an answer soon. She took Ron's arm and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth on his forearm. "Will he be okay K?"

Ron quickly snapped out of his haze and jumped to his feet almost knocking the brunette over. "I'm fine Bon Bon," he chirped in a chipper voice as his eyes darted about the room. "In fact I'm more than fine, I'm super fine thanks for asking." Ron ran his hand through the hanging pots and pans as he raced over to the stoves. He leaned over and peered across the surface of the iron stove as he ran his hand across the top of it. "Just think what I can do with this baby," he whistled.

"See, Ron's okay now," Kim laughed as she stood and watched her beau giddily flit about from one part of the room to another exploring all the cabinets, the dish washer and extra large refrigerator/freezer.

"Look at the size of this back patio and yard!" Liz marveled as she peered out the back door and pointed. "You're going to have some great parties out there as soon as you get some furniture."

"Hey, the patio even has a fire pit," Hope said as she joined Liz at the back door. "Kim, can we go out there while you and Ron, ah, explore the kitchen together?"

"We won't be exploring the kitchen like we did the dining room," Kim nervously tittered and blushed, "but go ahead. I think we'll order pizzas for lunch and make this an unofficial open house for everyone." The girls squealed in delight and scattered to the four corners of the estate, both high and low, inside and out.

"Kim do you mind?" Tara asked as she walked over with Hanna in her arms. "I'd like to look around too."

"Sure Tara," Kim said taking the child in her arms. "Thank you for watching Hanna while Ron and I..." Kim's blush returned as Hanna gave her sister-in-law-to-be a kiss on the cheek. "Was she any trouble?"

"Only when we tried to get her down off the top shelves of the library," Bonnie answered with a laugh. "She thought we were playing a game of Catch Me If You Can."

"Needless to say you lost," Kim laughed along with her two girlfriends

"I beat Bon Bon," Hanna laughed and pointed from Kim's arms.

"Yep, we finally surrendered and she came down," Tara giggled as she skipped out of the room.

"Kim girl, you are definitely gonna have to do some major shopping," Monique said as she and Felix came into the kitchen. "You got a huge walk-in closet that's as big as my bedroom and it's totally empty."

"Not to mention the fact that the bedrooms don't have any furniture in them," Felix added.

"Beds!" Kim groaned and slapped her forehead. "All of this has happened so fast Ron and I haven't had time to think about furniture for the bedrooms."

"We can use our own stuff to fill two of the bedrooms," Ron said from a kneeling position as he carefully placed a few logs into the old stove. "Mom's always wanted some space to write her own Great American Novel and the attic would fill the bill now that it's habitable." He got up, brushed off his hands and walked over to the small group. "We still have some time to look for a master bedroom suite since our parents probably won't let us totally move in until after the wedding. Right now, how about a pizza party for the squad and everyone as long as we're all here?"

"That's what Kim just suggested," Bonnie said shaking her head in amazement to think Ron could focus so intently on his surroundings and block out the conversation being held not more than five feet from where he had been kneeling. "Kim and I will run out and get the pizzas and soda and we can eat out on the patio."

"I can make pizzas in the old stove," Ron eagerly suggested with a goofy grin as he hitched a thumb over his shoulder at the iron monstrosity.

"But we also need to buy some furniture to sit on outside," Kim said considering the possible options for a party.

"Okay, here's the plan," Felix said taking charge. "Ron, you get the stove ready while Kim and Bonnie go buy some tables and chairs for the patio. After the fire is started, you and I can run to the store and get the supplies you need for the pizzas."

"We can do it that way," Ron said taking out his cell phone and wallet, "but Kim or I need to make some calls to get the water and electricity turned on. I'll buy if you and Monique fly."

"We can do that," Monique slyly said as she placed her arm around Felix' shoulder. "Let's see. You'll need flour, yeast, sauce, toppings, some spices and bottled water until you can get the water turned on."

"And CHEESE!" Rufus cheerfully chimed as he popped out of Ron's pocket and raced up to his normal shoulder perch.

"Of course," Felix laughed. "A whole lot of cheese."

"Monique, I know you're into fashion and all that but I have a little tip before you go to the store," Bonnie said as she pointed to Monique's blouse. "You might want to re-button your shirt. It's been buttoned wrong ever since you and Felix came downstairs."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Thanks for coming out so quickly Mr. Ampere," Ron waved as the man got into the Middleton Electric and Gas van. The man from M.E.G. honked as he pulled away from the curb and another white van immediately pulled to a stop in the same spot. Ron walked over to meet the driver as he got out. "Hi, can I help you?" Ron asked.

"Hello, I'm Mr. Spigot. I'm with the Middleton Water Works," the older graying man said as he shook hands with Ron. "Someone called and said they needed their water turned on here."

"Ah yep yep. That would be me, I'm Ron. My fiancé and I just bought the house this morning and we're moving in soon. Thank you for coming out so quickly."

"My pleasure Ron and everyone calls me Tapper. The only thing I need to do is read and adjust your meter out back and check a few things in the house."

"Let's get started," Ron chimed before he realized that was Kim's normal line and he laughed as he led the way. They checked the meter at the back of the house and the whole cheer squad watched as Tapper adjusted one gizmo before closing up the meter.

"Okay Ron," Mr. Spigot said as he stood up. "All we need to do now is turn on all the faucets in the house and let them run for a minute or two to bring up the water pressure and get any air out of the system."

"Can we help?" Tara offered.

"Sure thing," Ron said with a smile. "Why don't you all go inside, find all the bathroom faucets and turn them on."

"Don't forget the kitchen sink and the outlets for any garden hoses outside," Tapper informed the squad. "Ron and I need to go to the basement and check on the water heater. It will be a few minutes so I'll bang on the pipes when we're ready."

"Okay," Tara tittered and huddled up the squad.

"I got a basement?" Ron asked in amazement as he led the way into the kitchen from the patio and listened to eight or ten cheerleader feet pounding their way up the stairs.

"Sure, all of these old houses have a basement," the fellow from the water company said as Ron opened a door in the kitchen and started down the stairs. Mr. Spigot stopped in the doorway. "Ron, I've been in this house before and this isn't the door I usually take to the basement."

"But it goes down," Ron said as he peered into the darkness below. "Where else would it go but to the basement?"

"Let's find out," Tapper said with a wicked grin as he turned on the light switch just outside the door.

"Duh! I forgot about the power being on," Ron said slapping his forehead. "I've been in the house for less than an hour now and I found this door when I was looking around the kitchen but I didn't get a chance to look down here. Whoa!" he gasped as he got to the bottom of the steps. The room ran the width of the house and was about fifteen feet deep. The walls of the room were lined with rack filled with bottles of wine and another set of wine racks ran down the middle.

"Okay, it's a wine cellar," Tapper laughed. "A big one."

"Why would they store all this wine down here?" Ron begged as they walked down one aisle. "I mean, wouldn't you want it upstairs, close to where you'd be drinking it?"

"No Ron," Tapper Spigot said as he pulled a bottle off a shelf and examined it. "you need to store wine in a cool environment to preserve it. I'm a bit of a collector myself but the person who assembled this cellar was obviously an avid collector. There are some very expensive wines down here. This is a Lafitte Rothschild '57."

"Was 1957 a good year?" Ron asked thinking that was the appropriate question.

"I'm not sure but this is an 1857 and I believe that was a very good year. I saw some ads on the Internet for an 1858 Lafitte Rothschild that ran between $15,000 and $20,000 per bottle." Mr. Spigot gingerly returned the bottle to its place and went to a small door between two racks on the inner wall. "Come on, this should take us to the main part of the basement."

The two walked over to the water heater in a corner under the main stairs and Mr. Spigot checked it over. "Good, it was drained and unplugged when the house was closed up. The tank could have rusted if water was left in it." He replaced the drain plug and turned a valve to fill the tank. "I'm going to inspect your pipes as long as we're down here," Tapper said as he got a flashlight out of his back pocket. "When the tank is full you can plug it in."

Two minutes later Tapper returned with a smile as he loudly clanged on a pipe above him with his flashlight. They listened as water started to churn through the pipes above them. "You won't have any problems down here for a while Ron. All of your pipes are in excellent condition. You bought yourself one fine house."

"That's what everybody keeps telling me," Ron laughed, "including Mr. Ampere from the electric company."

"Did you get old Alva out here to turn on your electric," Tapper laughed. "I thought I recognized his van driving off as I pulled up. He's a good man."

Ron suddenly had an idea. "Say, would you like one of the bottles of wine? For your services I mean. You said you're a collector and you've been so helpful and KP and I don't drink so it will just sit there."

"I couldn't do that," Mr. Spigot denied, "it's too valuable. You can always sell it and make some real good money. More than enough for you to pay off this house."

"Kim and I already own the house free and clear," Ron chuckled. "We don't worry about money matters since I started to get my Naco royalty checks."

"Wait a minute," Tapper said as he pulled a piece of paper out of his back pocket and checked the work order, "I thought your name sounded familiar. You're Ron Stoppable, the boy who invented the Naco and you're marrying Kim Possible next week."

"Yep, that's me," Ron happily chimed since Mr. Spigot got his name right the first time.

"I tell you what Ron," Tapper said as he pulled a business card out of his wallet, "here's my card. I'll take a different bottle of wine than the one I was looking at earlier, but you have to let me take care of any problems you have water-wise for free. If it's a plumbing problem my brother-in-law, Earl Commode, can fix it. We both love the Naco and it'd be an honor to fix any problems you or Kim have."

"You can have the bottle and I would love to meet your brother-in-law anytime, but I still like to pay my bills."

"Well then, how about a ninety percent discount?"

"Ninety percent," Ron groaned, "that's way too big. How about say, five or ten?"

"Ninety percent is not too big a discount for you and Kim Possible," Tapper Spigot said sternly. "You two have saved the world too many times and some of us would like to thank you for all that you've done." Tapper raised his hand to stop Ron's protest. "Do you remember during the blizzard last winter when you helped get the road crews in to work and then you and Kim helped plow some of the roads yourselves?" Ron nodded. "Well, you not only helped the road crews that day but you also helped me and Alva and all the rest of the vital service workers."

"How do you figure that?"

"Because you cleared the roads, we were able to safely drive to the houses that needed our service. People could have frozen to death or had some major damage done to their homes if we couldn't get there in time. The hospital staff was able to get in to work, the police and fire departments could do their jobs, heating fuel could be delivered and I could go on and on. Ron, you do more than stop the bad guys and help out here and there. You save lives!"

"I-I never thought of it that way."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tapper Spigot waved the wine bottle in the air at Ron before he got in his van and dove away. A large delivery truck pulled in right behind him while Bonnie's white convertible pulled into the driveway and parked behind Kim's SL Roth Coupe.

"Hey Ron Ron," Bonnie waved as she and Kim got out. "K really put her credit card through its paces."

Kim giddily bounced over to Ron and leapt into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him as she planted a huge kiss on his lips. "I hope you don't mind but I also got some bedroom suites besides the tables and chairs for out back. They even had some picnic tables for the lawn."

Bonnie pulled three or four large plastic shopping bags out of the back seat of her car. "We also got a few lawn games and things to play with while you're making the pizzas."

"Why aren't you in the kitchen Sweetie," Kim queried as Ron carried her over to the back of the truck and the delivery men started to unload.

"Felix and Monique aren't back from the store yet," Ron said as he allowed Kim to slip down to stand on her own two feet, "and I'm worried about them."

"They'll be okay Sweetie," Kim cooed before she spun to the three men that came with the truck. "The lawn furniture goes out back on the patio and the picnic tables, just put them anywhere back there on the lawn." Another car pulled up in front of the van and five more men piled out. "Good, the extra help is here. You can start taking the bedroom furniture up to the second floor please and thank you. I'll be right up to show you which rooms." Kim turned back to Ron. "Don't worry about them, they probably ended up at Monique's house and are making out. Monique told me she was going to put some major move on Felix today to get their future off the ground. The future you told us about Ron." Kim caressed Ron's cheek and coyly spun away to run into the house in front of the movers.

"I guess that means I won't be making pizzas today," Ron laughed out loud to himself as he got his cell phone out to order the pizza delivery.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Here they are," Mr. Dr. Possible yelled as he stepped around the corner of the house and saw everyone was back by the patio. A few of the squad were playing lawn darts with their boyfriends while others were tossing around a football and Frisbee. Hanna, sitting on the ground, picked up a lawn dart and threw it overhand at the hoop target fifteen feet away. Of course it scored a bull's-eye.

"Would anyone like some food from Bueno Nachos?" Mrs. Dr. Possible asked as she and the Tweebs rounded the corner carrying bags and bags of quasi-Mexican fare.

"Hi mom and dad," Kim said as she tossed the football to Jessica, ran over to her parents and spun her father around a few times. "This is absolutely the most amazing house. You gotta come see it."

"We'd love to take a tour of the house," Ann said as she waved to a few of the girls on the squad. "Ron's parents were just pulling up when we were walking around the side of the house. Let's wait for them and see it together."

"We're ready for a tour," Jan Stoppable chimed as she and her husband came around the side of the house to join them.

"We also brought you a house warming present," Dean Stoppable said holding up a large white with red strips shopping bag. He handed it to Kim as Ron came over to the two adult couples.

"What'd you get us dad?" Ron begged as he peered over Kim's shoulder.

"Five telephones!?" Kim wondered aloud looking into the bag.

"Coolio!" Ron chirped. "That way we'll have phones on each floor so we won't have to run up and down the stairs. Thanks dad, mom." He gave each of his parent a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Actually that's a great gift," Kim beamed. "I didn't think about the phone sitch when Bonnie and I went shopping this morning."

"You and Bonnie went shopping Kimmie-Cub?" James asked warily. "Boy, I'd hate to see that credit card bill when it arrives."

"It's not that bad daddy," Kim said as she led the group to the back door. "All I got was this patio furniture, the games the guys are playing with and a few bedroom suites. We have eight or ten rooms to fill on the upper two floors but the first floor came completely furnished."

"We were thinking one of the rooms on the second floor would be the master bedroom and another the baby's room," Ron said as he held the door for everyone. "KP wants one room for a study slash office and the rest can be bedrooms for visitors and such."

"Let's go downstairs first and see Ron's little discovery," Kim said as she headed down the steps to the wine cellar. As the adults perused the racks Kim continued. "Bonnie had a quick look around the cellar and told us we probably have a million dollars worth of wine down here."

"What will you do with all of this vino Ronald?" his father asked as he dusted off a bottle and checked the label.

"We're not entirely sure dad," Ron said scratching the back of his head. "KP and I will donate the occasional bottle to a charity auction but other than that..."

"That's an excellent idea Ronnie," Jan Stoppable said as she ran her hand along one shelf of magnum bottles, "but we wouldn't mind if you open one for special occasions."

"Like celebrating the purchase of your new home," Ann Possible added, "with your family and friends."

"Well, someone can pick out a bottle later," Jan said as she found the tiny door that led to the main part of the basement. "Let's see the rest of the house."

"Ron suggested that with the size and high ceilings down here," Kim pointed out the high ceiling in the main part of the basement, "we could put in a Dojo."

"I'm also thinking of putting a fountain and rock garden over in that corner for meditation," Ron added indicating a quiet, out of the way area, "just like the one at Yamanouchi, only smaller."

"That's an excellent idea," Mrs. Dr. Possible said with a finger stroking her chin in thought. "It would be nice to have a place where you can get away from your hectic lives for a bit of quiet serenity time. It will keep you in balance."

"Mother," Kim whined, "I didn't know you believed in that sort of thing."

"I didn't used to," the female doctor admitted, "but since Ronnie went on that one week exchange program to Yamanouchi his sophomore year and came back a better improved person I've been doing a little research in my spare time. There's a lot to say about Far Eastern culture and medical practices and I like to keep an open mind."

"And since you and Ronald both have Mystical Powers now," James Possible added, "it makes us even more interested in Japan and the Far East and what they have to offer."

"You two are the best," Kim enthused as she wrapped her arms around her parents and hugged them tight. "Now, let me show you around the rest of my house."