Oh, and I own squat, whatsoever. Even these early chapters are not mine. Disney owns the characters, Scoutcraft Piratess owns the story concept, I'm just posting and playing with them.

I was going to do a special double-sized chapter, but I figured it would be better to finish off the section I had, and save the big fight for a seperate chapter I'm working on even now. It's been too long since I posted anything.

Oh, and mad props to LaaArtWrtr. I've been stuck with writer's block for so long, and then I reread Not The End of the World. That really got me going again, especially his last chapter. So everyone, as a big thank you, be sure to check his stories out!

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The Ronless Factor – Chapter 25

Ron paced in the plane's compartment, anxious and worried about what was to come. Drakken and Shego... the ones responsible for his current condition, if one could call being dead and a ghost a condition. He glanced over at Bonnie who just sat worriedly, her left foot tapping the floor in a continuous pattern. He could see she didn't really want to be here, and yet at the same time she did. He watched her hands reflexively clenching and unclenching. She was scared, that much was obvious. She had been there for Gill both times, but other than the fear of mutating, she hadn't really been all that worried. The time she had been stuck to Kim and gone after Dementor, that had almost been a lark. In her mind, it couldn't have been worse than pulling off the triple flip during cheerleading practice. Heck, it was the same for him. I mean, of course there were his own fears, but there was never really that great sense that they wouldn't get out of it in one piece. Even with the Diablos, it hadn't been this intense, because despite how far Drakken had gone, there was still the sense that everything would turn out all right.

But that was before... before he had died. Now, everything was just so real. Sure, there were times they had been hurt, a sprained ankle here, a swapped brain there, but there was always some way to get out of it. But now, Drakken had gone over that line, removed all sense that this was nothing but a game. Ron was dead! Things didn't get more crossing the line than that. And Bonnie could feel that, could sense that. This wasn't like the previous times when she could just yell out and laugh off the villains as a joke, because now it wasn't.

And Kim... Kim just sat there, her expression set. There was no anxiousness in her posture, no toe tapping or fist clenching, just that steeley glare, looking at nothing, but focused beyond anything he had seen before. It was almost as if he could picture exactly what was going through her mind at that moment. It would be the same things going through his mind if the sitch was reversed. Pain, anger, rage, thoughts of revenge. He shared those thoughts now. How could he not, he was the one they had killed. But seeing them in his best friend and girlfriend, the woman he loved more than life itself, just seemed so wrong. Kim was the one who could do anything. She always went out of her way to make everyone else's world as bright as it could be, volunteering for charities or rescuing kittens or stopping bad guys, all with a smile on her face for the world around her. But because of the actions of two criminals, that smile was gone. Sure, it slipped through every now and then, at least in the last few days, but even those were few and far between. He could see the strain on her, the weight all this was putting on her. She tried so hard to push it off, to not let it get to her, but he could see it in her eyes. It was like she had aged a decade in these last few weeks. Now, there was only one thing on her mind, pushing every other thought aside. She wasn't even paying attention to Bonnie, and that troubled him. Normally, Kim would have been all about the banter. When Ron was troubled going on a mission, Kim would be there to say something or do something, anything to lighten the mood and get them back on track. Now, she didn't even spare her reluctant teammate a glance. She had expressed her concerns to Bonnie, and to him as well, about what she feared she would do when she caught up with the pair of them, and he hoped that Bonnie would be able to do what Kim hoped she would; bring her back from that precipice. Because if there was one thing that Ron didn't want, it was for Kim to lose that thing that made her what she was. Crossing that line, with Drakken or Shego, would only cause things to spiral far beyond what he could imagine. Sure, it was a satisfying thought at the moment, but what would it be like afterwards? The guilt, the heartache. It would be something that could not be taken back, and he did not want Kim to have to go through that.

And that brought Ron back to the biggest question on his mind; would he even be here for her when all this was said and done? He didn't know what this whole afterlife was all about, and that meant anything could happen. What if, once they stopped the bad guys, he simply faded away, vengeance done. Could he stand to leave Kim all alone? And was it even right to stick around, lingering long afterwards? They couldn't have a relationship, not a real one, no matter what toys Wade whipped up. They could never get married, have children, start a family. Kim would want those things, but would she even look for them if he was still around? Could he even watch that if Kim did decide to pursue those things? Could he watch her be happy with someone else?

A million thoughts plagued Ron as he sank down onto the bench near Kim, but no answers came to him, none at all.

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Shego looked over Drakken's shoulder, curious. "Whatcha lookin at Doc?"

Drakken turned slowly, a sadistic smile alit on his face, one that caused Shego to shiver a bit. "They have fallen for my trap. And it's even better than I thought." Drakken paused, punching up an email onto the screen. "It seems that our poor Ms. Possible has gone quite insane. She believes that her buffoonish sidekick is actually a ghost and still with her. Isn't that simply delish?"

Shego gave him a strange look, reading over the email. "You got this from your little spy?"

Drakken chuckled evilly. "Oh yes, that was the best idea I ever had. I've already got all the information I need on Kim Possible's new sidekick, a girl almost as delusional as our Ms. Possible has become. In fact, this Bonnie Rockwaller actually believes she is talking with the buffoon. Isn't that hilarious?"

Shego didn't look nearly as convinced. "You really sure about that Doc? That they're crazy I mean. After all, we've seen stranger stuff."

Drakken just waved her off, dismissive of the very idea. "Oh please Shego, I am a scientist, and I'm telling you that it's simply impossible. No, the simplest answer is that we have driven the poor dear mad with grief. And when she gets here in less than an hour, we will end that grief for good! Now, is everything in place?"

Shego just nodded, concern etched on her face. "Yeah, everything's ready, but I don't know about this. Princess is stronger than you think, and she's gonna be pissed when she gets here. I just think this is going to make it worse."

"Nonsense, the plan is brilliant! Nothing can go wrong."

Shego just shook her head, leaving the mad scientist to his ranting. Her mumblings were quiet, though she doubted he would have even noticed at this point. "Yeah Doc... nothing."

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"We're approaching your dropzone Kim."

"Thank you."

Ron noticed Kim's usual lack of conversation, and didn't see it as a good sign. She was tense, rigid, driven.

"Umm... drop zone?"

Kim and Ron both turned to look over at Bonnie, who had gone very pale. Kim gave a faint smile, the only hint of reassurance she had given the entire ride. "Don't worry, it's just a little jump. When you get out the door, count to ten, and pull the cord. You'll be fine."

Ron tried to keep his tone light. "Yeah Bonnie, no big. Hey, if I can do it, you can do it."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow at this, looking defensive. "Well of course I can do it. Doesn't mean I really want to though."

Ron just chuckled at that. "Hey, I never want to do this. I mean, I remember..." Ron's voice trailed off, as something just struck him, hard. "Uhh... I just realized something... how am I gonna get down there?"

Bonnie eyes widened, and Kim looked at her with concern. "What's the matter?"

Bonnie swallowed. "Ron was just asking... how is he going to get down?"

Kim just shook her head. "Well, he'll just... he'll... oh..."

"Yeah."

Kim glanced at the door, uncertainty written across her face. "Well... we'll just have to find some other ride, one that can land us."

"Won't that take time?"

Kim nodded at that. "Yeah, but I don't see where we really have a choice. We could really need Ron down there." Rufus popped out of her pocket, chittering loudly in agreement.

Bonnie looked thoughtful for a moment, before biting her bottom lip. "Umm... well..."

"Spit it out Bonnie."

"Ron... doesn't exactly feel pain, so... shouldn't he just be able to... you know... jump?"

Ron, who had been silent during the exchange, instantly became vocal. "Oh no way, you want me to just jump out of a plane?"

Kim was also decidedly against the idea. "Bonnie, we can't just ask Ron to jump out of a plane like that, that's crazy!"

"But Ron's already dead. What harm can it do him?"

Ron just stared at her aghast. "How about the mental trauma? How about the fact we don't know for sure I DON'T FEEL PAIN?"

Bonnie gave Kim a faint grin. "See, Ron agrees with me."

"WHAT?"

Kim sighed, glancing around the plane. "Well, if you're sure you can do it Ron..."

"I don't, I don't! Bonnie, tell her I don't. We have to land this plane so I can get off."

Bonnie nodded thoughtfully, turning back to Kim. "He says he'll wait for us on the ground."

Kim nodded, her thoughts turning back to the matter at hand. "All right then, remember what I told you Bonnie. And Ron... we'll talk to you on the ground."

"Wait, KP..." Kim threw open the door, took a quick look, then leapt from the plane. Ron turned his attentions to Bonnie, glaring at her. "Bonnie, that..."

"You'll be fine Ron." Bonnie glanced out the door, winced, and then making sure to hold tight to the ripcord, jumped after Kim.

Ron edged over to the open door, glancing out. The ground, while far off now, would be very quick to rush up if he jumped out. He could see the forms of Kim and Bonnie dropping away, and he knew he had to make a decision. Not that it was all that hard a decision, he knew he had to be there with them, but jumping out of a plane, without a chute, was something that kind of went against every survival instinct he had ever known. Granted the need for survival was a little pointless when your already dead, but that didn't actually help much as the thought kept running through his mind. Finally, after as much thought as he could put into it, Ron took a deep breath and jumped.

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Bonnie was still breathing heavily, even though her chute was now carrying her gently downward. She could see Kim below her, and tried to stay with her. The wind was still rushing past her ears, making conversation impossible from this distance, until she made out a voice. At first she thought it was Kim, but that thought was quickly dashed.

"... gonna get you for..."

Bonnie just hoped Ron wasn't going to be too mad when they got to the ground.

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"... for this!" Ron was past Bonnie so quickly, he wasn't even sure she had heard him at all, but it did give him some satisfaction. Now, all he had to look forward to was the ground swiftly coming up on him.

"Wow, that was an incredibly brave thing you did. You must have learned more than I thought."

Ron heard the voice quite clearly, and turned to find the source of it. He was shocked to find it was Rita, giving him a strange look while taking a drag on her cigarette. She was simply standing there, if you can call standing upright in midair while plumeting to the ground standing. It was a sharp contrast to Ron's own position, with his arms and legs spread wide to try and catch air that he couldn't even feel. "Rita, what are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"Just checking out what fool thing you're doing now. Imagine my surprise to see you've taken up skydiving without a chute."

Ron glanced down at the ground, before looking up. "Believe me, it's not my choice."

Rita leaned forward, a bit of a smirk on her face. "So tell me kid, have you mastered the ghost floating trick yet?"

Ron's eyes widened. "I can do that?"

Rita tsked beside him, taking anouther drag. "Well then, tell me, have you mastered the jumping from one point to anouther trick yet?"

Ron shook his head, watching as features on the ground became far more distinct then he would have liked.

Rita just sighed, shaking her head. "Well then, there's only one thing you can do."

Ron looked to her desperately. "Yeah, what? I don't have a lot of time here."

Rita smiled, smoke curling up and around her lips. "Can you say splat?"

Ron's eyes went wide, and his face paled. His gaze shot back to the ground, and the rapidly approaching terrain. "Oh..."

Ron shielded his face with his hands as the ground met up with him, and Ron screamed. He kept screaming, even up until he realized he should have hit already. He slowly opened one eye, afraid of what he would see, and found himself unable to see at all. It seemed that there was dirt all around him, and Ron worried that maybe he wouldn't go splat after all, instead finding himself buried for all eternity. For a second, he panicked, until he felt his downward momentum halt. For anouther moment, he thought that it was over, and then he felt himself start to move up again. Ron screamed as he shot out of the ground into the air, like he was shot out of a rubber band, before falling to the ground.

Laying on his back, Ron groaned aloud, staring up at the sky. He could see Kim and Bonnie's chutes above him, highlighted in the rays of the sun. Rita stepped into view, smiling down at him. "Not bad kid, I have to admit, you have guts."

Ron just shut his eyes, shaking his head back and forth. "Why do you pester me spirit. I mean, there has to be something else you could be doing. Why are you even here?"

Ron could hear the almost mocking tone in her voice. "I told you, you and your girl need to be together. I just plan to help it along."

Ron shot to his feet in a instant. "I told you, you leave... Kim... alone?" Ron looked frantically around him, but could find no sign of the dead woman.

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Ron was sitting patiently on the ground for the two to reach the ground. His eyes skyward, he pondered the old, dead woman's words. He wasn't so sure that she meant Kim pain and death in reality, but she sure used that tool often enough to provoke a reaction from him. He wasn't the brightest bulb in the world, but every time she showed up, it seemed to be to drive him on. The hospital, his funeral, both times in the treehouse, the museum, the high school, she always appeared at just the right moment, offering some tidbit of information or pushing him on. If he could just figure out what her game was...

Kim touched down softly not ten feet away, losing the chute before it had even fluttered to the ground. Ron did take some satisfaction though when Bonnie hit the ground and rolled, tangling herself in her parachute. He smiled brightly as he walked over to her, watching her thrash and mutter at the restraints holding her, the parachute cords wrapping her up tighter and tighter. "Having a little trouble there Bonnie?"

Bonnie growled, her eyes piercing. "Stuff it Stoppable, just help me out of this."

Ron chuckled softly. "Sorry Bonnie, I would, but... you know, the whole ghost thing... not so good with the helping. Besides, I could watch you all day like this."

Ron could hear Bonnie grumbling, her thrashing becoming more and more pronounced. "Look, if this is about that whole jumping thing..."

"What about the jumping thing?"

Bonnie lowered her arms, looking up at the redhead. "Ron's just cranky about having to jump, not that he isn't fine and being as annoying as usual. Can you help me out of this already?"

Kim shook her head, taking a moment to enjoy the scene in front of her, before helping the brunette out of the mass of straps and cords. "How'd you get this all tangled up anyways? Even Ron never had this much trouble... well, usually."

Bonnie finally had an arm free, and set about getting the other one loose. "Can we save the discussion for anouther time? I just want to get this over with as quickly as possible."

Kim nodded, glancing over at what had to be Drakken's latest rent-a-lair. "All right Ron, you're up. Scout out what's going on and report back. We'll move when you get back and give us the all clear."

Ron nodded, forgetting that neither of the teens could see him, and walked right through the front door, wincing as he passed through the metal. When he opened his eyes, he scanned the room, spotting Drakken and Shego easily. The blue-skinned villain just smiled evilly as he looked down at a monitor in front of him, while Shego looked like she was stretching, getting ready for a fight. That was troubling, as it meant that they already knew they were there.

Ron started checking the door for traps when he heard Drakken behind him, laughing loudly. "Look at this Shego, they're just standing there. Kim Possible is afraid of me!"

Shego just gave him a look. "Princess, afraid of you? I really doubt that."

Drakken glared back at her, teeth grinding. "Then how else do you explain her just standing there? Obviously, she is afraid to face the man that killed her beloved buffoon Ron Stoppable.

Ron glared over at Drakken, very much wanting to wipe that smug grin off his face. "At least he remembers my name, now that I'm dead."

Shego just shook her head, looking uncharacteristically nervous. "I still say this is a bad idea Doc. Kimmie's pissed enough without you bringing your little toy into the equation. We've managed to hide from them for this long, why'd we have to do this and draw attention to ourselves?"

Drakken glared darkly at his assistant. "Shego, are you questioning my orders?"

Shego actually flinched, which scared Ron a bit. "No, not at all. I just don't think..."

"I don't pay you to think, now do I?"

Ron looked up in shock at that, and was even more shocked when Shego didn't blast him for saying something like that. Ron finished checking the door, and after making sure everything was clear, he rushed back out, still stunned by what he had seen and heard.

Bonnie and Kim were still standing there, getting ready for the fight ahead of them. Ron quickly related everything to Bonnie, who then passed it on to Kim. While Bonnie, not knowing who they were, didn't react, Kim sure did. "Drakken said that?" Kim glanced over at the lair, her eyes wide. "I knew Drakken had lost it with trying to kill us like this, but... come on, we have to stop him.

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Author's Notes - Onward to battle!