Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible or any of the characters in it, Disney does.
Chapter 14: Old Memories and New Faces
Ron turned to Kale and just looked at the slightly older man. "Shego was right, you really do go for the throat when you ask things."
Kale just smiled. "I never did like beating around the bush with things."
Ron shook his head in mock dismay "Do you want the short or long version?"
"Whichever you wish to relay is fine." came the reply.
"Okay then. The answer to your question is yes, they were a couple at one time. The how it came about and the why they aren't still together are a bit longer in the telling." Ron shifted slightly and then continued.
"It was about three months after the failed invasion of the Lorwardians that Kim and I had our falling out. I was still trying to get over how I felt about helping destroy them and it was forcing a wedge into our relationship. We broke up shortly after one mission went wrong and I froze during a critical moment. If it hadn't been for Shego, who by this time had taken a position at GJ along with Dr. Drakken...um Drew, Kim and I would have probably died. After we got back we decided that until I could deal with what I was going through, I was putting everyone in danger. I asked Shego to watch after her and left. I journeyed back to Japan to study with Sensei and to try and calm my inner turmoil and conflict so that I might be able to return and patch things up with Kim. While there I started hanging out with Yori again and before we knew it we were dating. How it happened was an accident, we had both recently been in relationships that had gone south and were hurting. One day we were telling each other about how things went wrong and one thing led to another." He looked at Kale who just raised an eyebrow at him.
"A rebound thing then. I can see how that could come about." Kale said nodding thoughtfully. He continued with the question, "So how did Kim react to it when she found out?"
"A lot better then I would have thought at the time, it was only a bit later that I learned that she and Shego had begun seeing each other about 2 months after I left. I was happy for her, but I was a bit jealous of Shego, I must admit. She seemed to make Kim happier then I had and I was upset that I didn't do better. As I dated Yori and continued my training we kept in contact, after about a year and a half I noticed they seemed to be having trouble. I guess it could be that they were both very strong willed and independent, but they had begun to fight about small things and I, being her best friend for so long, Kim started calling me more and more often after they had one of their fights." Ron stopped for a moment looking distant and then continued. "Yori and I had never really gotten serious with our relationship and as Kim called me more often she told me that if I needed to go to Kim that she would be fine with my decision. I guess I never really thought about staying in Japan forever and her saying that to me made me feel both better and worse. Better because I wanted to be near Kim in case she needed me but worse because I felt I had let Yori down by not being there for her one hundred percent."
"Not long after that Kim called me in tears, she and Shego had broken up. From what she could tell me it had gone badly and Shego had left after a screaming match between them and hadn't come back in almost a week. I told Yori what happened and she told me if I was not on the next plane home she would never speak to me again. I nodded in understanding and after letting Sensei know what had occurred he told me basically the same thing Yori had."
" I was on the next flight leaving Japan."
"After I got back I did what I could to help Kim deal with what she was going through. I could tell that losing Shego had hurt Kim greatly and so as her best friend I did what I could to help her get Shego back. We looked for her for almost two months before we found out that she had transferred to Global Justice's European branch. She wouldn't even talk to Kim about what happened but I managed to get her alone and got her side of things having heard Kim's already. She told me about how Kim was always comparing her to me and how she was sick of it. She knew we had been friends since pre-k and while she knew Kim really missed me, she felt that she should have been happy with her now. I tried to tell her that Kim missed her more then she ever missed me and she just laughed at me. She told me that she still loved Kim and knew that Kim still loved her too but that she couldn't compare to me in the deep areas of Kim's mind. She made me promise to take care of Kim and she informed me that if she ever heard of me treating Kim badly or hurting her feelings she would find me and then no one else would." Ron laughed to himself at remembering that.
Kale grinned, "It looks like she never had to hunt you down so that's good."
Ron smiled, looking at Kale for a long moment before continuing "We kept in contact after that but she would talk to me only saying it was still to hard for her to talk to Kim. Kim and I did get back together but it took a while, I let her have her space while she sorted out how she felt about everything. We started doing missions again and getting to know each other once again. After a few months we finally got back together, I let Shego know and she seemed happier then I had heard her in a while. I would find out from her later that she was happy to know that Kim was happy again. It was almost half a year later that we got the greatest surprise when we found out that Kim was pregnant. I finally got to do something I had wanted to do for a long time, I asked for her to marry me."
"She almost tackled me before saying yes." Ron stopped to wipe a tear from his eye, remembering the second happiest day of his life.
"As she started her second trimester we all insisted that she take time off till the baby was born, as you can imagine she didn't like that suggestion at all. It wasn't until Shego showed up that she finally relented. I had called Shego to let her know about how stubborn Kim was being and thought she was going to climb through the phone to either strangle me or help me keep Kim at home, I wasn't sure which. When she showed up she informed Kim that she would take over for her until after the baby was born and that there was no room for discussion on the matter."
"As we started doing missions together and started talking more about both our relationships with Kim, we gained a new understanding of each other. I told her that Kim still wanted her in her life and I told her that I could not think of a better Godmother for the baby."
"I still remember the look she gave me when I said that and what she said to me 'Who are you and what have you done with the buffoon?'" Both men laughed at that.
"It took little persuasion to talk her into staying on the team after the baby was born. Kim was beyond happy that she would have the both of us nearby, me as her husband and Shego as her best friend."
From behind them they heard Shego speak up "You make me sound like such a sap Stoppable."
The two men looked at Shego and Kim who had apparently been listening in for a few moments.
Kale spoke up "It was my fault, I asked him about somethings I had observed earlier. I really have very little information about any of you. Sorry."
Kim looked at him "That's okay, Shego and I were talking as well and we think that there are some people you should meet Kale. That and something we need to discuss on the way over there. So if you boys are finished I think now would be a good time to head out."
Kale blinked and nodded "Yeah I'm good. I am confused though, what people and what things?"
"Once we're in the van Sparky, now move." Shego nearly barked at the befuddled man who snapped a salute more out of habit then anything else and stood to walk out to the van.
After the group had gotten situated and Kim had started heading wherever she was going Shego turned to Kale "Do you remember the other day when we were all talking about stuff and Betty handed you that paper?"
Kale nodded "I didn't really get what was on it though. It was a fairly complex formula from what I could tell."
Ron, understanding what both Kim and Shego were talking about asked "What do you know about quantum states?"
"Well there is a theory about quantum flux that we had to get to know for T.E. but I don't remember a whole lot about it. It had something to do with the T.A.S.D.M. possibly causing a dimensional rift but only if certain other forces reacted with it at precise intervals." Kale looking at the others saw that they had pensive looks and began to get a nagging feeling in his gut. "Why would you ask me something like that?"
"After you were brought into GJ headquarters Wade and Drew started studying your equipment. They had determined that it was so far in advance of anything we do have that they started doing other tests and one of them was a quantum scan." Kim hesitated and then continued "Both your equipment and you have a different quantum signature then anything else here."
Kale stared at the other three blankly for a long moment. "Can you get in touch with Wade or Drew right now?"
Shego turned and pulled a communicator out, activating it she spoke " Wade, are you available? Kale wants to talk to you."
"I'm here, go ahead." came the reply.
Shego handed the comm to Kale "Wade, are you near my recall beacon?"
"Yes actually. I was getting ready to run some more tests on it. Why?" Wade answered.
"Crap." Kale thought to himself. "I really hope I'm wrong about this."
"I need you to look at the readout on it. Does it have a blinking amber light on in the lower left corner?" Kale sounded a little desperate and the group in the car could tell something was wrong.
A bit of shuffling could be heard and then "Yes, yes there is. Is that important?" Wade paused "Is it dangerous?"
Kale's shoulders slumped at the confirmation of his fears. "No, it's not dangerous. That light means the battery has been almost completely discharged. Thanks for the help Wade." with that Kale handed to comm back to Shego and sighed heavily.
Ron looked at Kale "Are you okay? Please let us know what's wrong."
Kale lifted his head and looked around "I've told you that the beacon creates a small tachyon pulse for the recall, the battery that it has is capable of about three pulses before it requires recharging. I had charged it fully before I was sent on this mission."
He let that hang in the air for a moment "If it is completely drained that means that it had a major draw on the battery. If your findings are correct then I can think of only a couple reasons why. One is that it took damage during the fight between Shego and I. The other is that, and I hope I'm wrong on this one I really do, it discharged in an attempt to stabilize the rift I stepped through."
Shego raised an eyebrow "What does it mean if it did?"
Kale shifted, uncomfortable with what it could mean "Things I'd rather not think about until I can get confirmation one way or the other."
The van came to a stop and Kim turned the engine off "We're here. Let's continue this discussion later." with that she got out and opened the side door to get little Kale out.
After everyone had gotten out and situated they headed for the front door of a nice house that the others seemed to be happy to see.
Kim got to the door and knocked. A moment later it opened and two people stepped into view, one of which looked like an older version of Kim herself.
"Hi mom I thought I would stop by and say hi. I also brought someone who I thought you should meet." Kim said as she stepped aside and waved her free hand at Kale. "Mom, dad, This is Kale. Kale these are my parents Doctors James and Anne Possible."
As he stared at them Kale's mind was racing "No this can't be happening! If they are here that means I was right. No nononononono..."
Outwardly Kale blanched, looked to Kim then her parents and then did the only thing he could think of. He turned and ran for all he was worth.
As he took off at a full run from everyone his mind was putting the pieces of things together that now made sense. "That was why there has been no recovery attempt, why I'm still here. I'm never going to see home again. Why, why did this have to happen?"
Shego had taken off after him as soon as she had recovered from the sudden change in Kale's behavior.
"What the hell Sparky! Get back here! When I catch you I'm gonna hurt you good!"
From behind her she heard Ron, who had also given pursuit "Let's just stop him first Shego. I think something seriously spooked him."
It was Shego who found him first about half an hour later. He was balled up against a tree just staring off as if seeing something no one else could.
She approached him furious with having to track him down and fully intending to thrash him good when he looked up at her looking like someone had just told him the worst news in the world. Taken aback she leaned down next to him "Are you okay? You gave us quite a scare back there." The anger gone from her voice.
He spoke weakly "I'm sorry about running away but I couldn't stand there any longer. Everything you have said is true, I know that now. When I saw Kim's parents it all hit me at once." He faltered, sighed and continued "You asked before about what it could mean if the beacon discharged attempting to stabilize the rift, it means that it was attempting to keep the rift open and active. If the beacon discharged like that it means the rift was collapsing."
He stopped and looked Shego straight in the eyes "I've seen what happens when a rift goes unstable during a transit, they pull out the mop and bucket because that's all thats left. The reason there has been no retrieval attempt is that there is nothing to retrieve. It means I'm dead."