Welcome everyone to the final chapter of Between the Stars. It's been a wild ride (and a bit longer than I had originally planned), but hopefully a satisfying one. And for those who have been wondering, asking and/or pleading for another sequel, I promise that there will be at least one more. I hope to start it before the end of the year, once I feed a few of the dozen or so plot bunnies that have been gnawing away at the furniture of my mind for over a year now, and catch up on a few of your fics as well.

My deep thanks to all those who have persistently followed this tale over the past year and a half(!), and especially to the record number of reviewers of the last two chapters (Chapter 33: both the Original and Redux versions): levi2000a1, Sentinel103, Eddy13, CajunBear73, temporaryinsanity91, Beckman, Oreochema, Jimmy1201, Katsumara, OMAC001, paperman, rick455, whitem, Linzerj, Bookworm Gal, shadowcast, Tito-Mosquito, Sammyboy94, and several guests.

And special mention to levi2000a1, Beckman, Sentinel103 and CajunBear73 for their ideas and input concerning Kim's apparent shift to the Dark Side in Ch. 33, culminating in a rare chapter rewrite (posted as Ch. 34) and resulting in a few more in-character decisions by Kimmie and Co., as well as an arguably better chapter.

And now for the grand finale, with even yet more surprises! But be forewarned, you might want to keep a box or two of Kleenex handy for some tearful farewells as well as some tearful reunions, just in case. But I digress...

Enjoy.

Kim, Ron and the rest of the expanded Team Possible soon returned home to a grateful planet. The United Nations declared a worldwide holiday to celebrate their deliverance from the Lorwardian asteroid attack, while Kim and Shego, as the Terran and Lorwardian ambassadors, worked hard to minimize the political damage. They explained to the UN that a power struggle for control of Lorwardia had occurred and that the coup behind it was completely responsible for the attack, and assured them that the criminals had been defeated, apprehended and punished. The Earth would never again have to fear a Lorwardian attack.

They wisely left out the details of WarRaptor's unusual demise, or that two new heads now adorned the throne room of Warmonga's imperial palace.

The next morning, Kim and Ron were getting ready for the victory parade down Middleton's Main Street, which would be televised live worldwide.

As he adjusted his bow tie, Ron called to the other room. "Just about ready, Kim? We're going to be late if we don't hurry."

A lopsided smile appeared on his face. "But come to think of it, they really can't start without us. So that's actually quite an emotional rush that over six billion people are waiting with bated breath for us to show up. But don't worry, Kim, I won't let any big-headiness get in the way of the celebrations. Right, Rufus?"

The tiny mole rat gave him a quick thumbs up and cheerfully squeaked back, "Check!"

But the sound of Kim getting violently ill was suddenly heard from behind the closed bathroom door, and Ron was instantly concerned.

"Kim! You okay in there?"

The door opened, and his deathly pale wife appeared, clutching her stomach. "Oooh, Ron, I don't feel so good..."

Ron frowned in concern. "I'm sorry, Kim. Feeling crummy in the tummy, huh? Was it something you ate, or maybe just a post-traumatic reaction to all the sick and wrong stress you've just been under?"

She collapsed into her chair and weakly replied, "Yeah, that must be it. This sitch has apparently pushed me way above and beyond my hurl factor."

Suddenly, his own Romunicator began urgently beeping. He quickly answered it, but was quite surprised to see who was on the other end.

"Dr. D? What's up, dude? I thought you'd be on your way to the parade by now."

The former mad scientist tugged at his tight collar, unsuccessfully trying to keep his vines beneath it. "Yes, well, I borrowed Wade's Kimmunicator just to let you know that we're, uh, running a little late. Shego is definitely not feeling well."

The sound of Shego tossing her cookies could clearly be heard in the background.

"Wow, that's a weird coincidence. Kim seems to be in the same shape."

Wade then appeared on the link. "Ron, just one of them being sick would be unusual, but having them both ill at exactly the same time? Something really wrong is going on here."

Ron frowned, growing increasingly concerned. "Yeah, it's like how we all felt after those wrongsick space-time transitions we recently went though, but it's just the ladies this time. Hopefully it's not some kind of weird space virus."

"Well, let's get to the bottom of it real quick. Ron, take the Kimmunicator and pass it over Kim."

As he did so, a soft green light emanated from the device, scanning the young redhead's body. While this was happening, Wade was performing a similar scan on Shego. In a few moments he had the results.

Wade carefully looked at the readings. "Hmm. Both of them seem to have low blood sugar and low blood pressure, along with high levels of progesterone…"

Wade's eyebrows suddenly shot up. "Whoa! Uh, guys? You both better sit down. I've got some, uh, interesting news for all of you."

Ron paled in fear and immediately began babbling. "Why, what's wrong with them? Are they gonna be okay?"

Wade snickered, "Oh yes, definitely. I'm sure they're both going to be perfectly fine. And if all goes well, in about nine months they're also going to be mommies. Congratulations, everyone. Kim and Shego are pregnant."

Both couples shouted in unison, "PREGNANT!?"

But quicker than you could say, "Jinx, you owe me a soda," Drakken's eyes rolled up into his head as he quietly passed out in a heap on the floor.

Suddenly feeling quite faint himself, Ron anxiously stuttered, "Wha… pregnant?! But how?"

Wade grimaced as he gave him a long-suffering look.

Ron sighed loudly. "No, no, Wade. I know exactly how, what I mean is, uh, Kim's been on birth-control pills ever since we've been married, so what are the chances of her actually getting pregnant?"

Wade shrugged. "Good question, Ron. Maybe all that space travel and those dimensional jumps had something to do with it. But in any case, we should have them both checked out by Mrs. Dr. P right after the victory parade is over."

He addressed the two new mothers-to-be. "That is, if you're both still up to it?"

Both ladies nodded. Kim replied weakly, "Hey, I'm the girl who can do anything, right? And that seems to also apply now to getting preggers while on the pill."

In the background, Shego griped, "Yeah, and that goes double for me, Princess. And when Drew finally comes to, I'm going to slam him right back down again for knocking me up!"

But before she could follow through with her threat, she suddenly turned a shade brighter than her usual green and ran for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Wade chuckled. "Uh, Ron? I think we might have to delay that parade for a little while. I'm sure the world will understand..."

A little later, and after each taking a stiff dose of anti-nausea medication, both Kim and Shego were feeling well enough to participate in the parade. A huge multitude of well wishers loudly cheered the intrepid time-space travelers and world savers as they proceeded slowly down Middleton's main thoroughfare in several open stretch limos. As they all happily waved at the huge crowd, tickertape and flower petals gently rained down on the heroes.

"Kim, that was pretty cool of Shego and Drakken to insist on taking the second limo and let the original members of Team Possible share the first one."

"No big, Ron. Shego said that she and Drakken are going to be given their own parade on Lorwardia in two weeks time, and that we're invited too. And since it's only fair that they get the lead groundcar on their own adopted planet, I said we'd be happy to follow in the second groundcar."

"Sounds cool to me." Ron gave her a tender look. "But do you think it's wise to be doing any space travelling in, uh, your condition?"

Kim responded with a gentle roll of her eyes. "Well, as long as we don't take any unplanned detours into an alternate dimension, I think I'll be okay."

Wade added, "Fortunately there's not much chance of that now that the Kepler seems to have disappeared for good. But my guess is that Mr. Dr. P and the rest of his science team will be building a new Kepler as soon as possible. And with what we've just discovered about dimensional travel, no doubt he'll be adding more than just a few new special abilities into it."

Ron gave a wistful sigh. "Yeah, but I'm gonna miss those other Keplers. And what's the next one in line going to be now, the Kepler V? That reminds me of my beloved Sacky M-C-M-Ex-Ex-Ex-Eye-Eye-Eye-Eye. Poor Sacky, we hardly knew ye…"

He gave a little sniff as he sadly wiped a tear from his eye.

The thought of a new Kepler gave Kim an involuntarily shiver. "Wade, if you ask me, I think we should just leave well enough alone. I've had enough nightmares as it is trying to undo the huge interdimensional mess that WarRaptor created."

She continued in a firm but friendly tone, "Oh, and Ron? After losing all those sackies during your health class flour assignment, I think you better let me do most of the child-toting when it comes time, if that's okay with you?"

Embarrassed, he immediately agreed, "Heh-heh, I'm right with you on that, KP. So it sounds like we're all going to have our hands pretty full for the next several months, huh, Wade?"

"You said it, Ron. Just so long as we don't run out of cheese or Nacos in the meantime."

Ron beamed, "Yeah, especially now that Kim here will be eating for two, a-yup-yup!"

Kim smiled back at him as Rufus ravenously gobbled down another mouthful of Bueno Nacho.

The second limo was festooned with vines and flowers courtesy of Dr. Drakken's unique mutagenic abilities, and not surprisingly the ex-villain was now also sporting a black eye. Shego whispered softly in his ear, "Sorry for giving you that shiner, Drew. It's just that discovering that I'm preggers was all so... so unexpected."

She blushed slightly as she giggled, "I kinda overreacted."

Drew gingerly patted Shego's tummy. "So, you seem to be a little more, er, content with your new condition than you were this morning."

Shego graced him with an apologetic smile. "As a matter of fact, yes. I knew we would eventually want to start a family, but I just hadn't expected it happening so soon."

Drew frowned, "Well, I suppose in the meantime I should stock up on first aid supplies, then."

Shego cocked a curious eyebrow. "Uh, I'm sure I'll be fine, Drew, but if you really think…"

He interrupted, "No, I mean for me. I can only imagine that your usual mood swings will only be getting more painful over the next nine months."

This elicited a weak smile from Shego's now blushing face.

Deciding that a change of subject would probably be prudent, he asked, "So, have you given any thought yet about a name for our little bundle of joy? I believe that the child of the Great Blue and the Princess Regent should have a suitably grandiloquent name."

He flashed a wickedly gleeful look. "WarDrakken, perhaps?"

Shego shivered at the thought. "I'm thinking something a little less megalomaniacal, actually."

He scratched his chin with a small tendril. "Hmm. Good point. We certainly wouldn't want to lead our child down the path of galactic conquest merely because of his name."

"Or her name. We won't know if it's a boy or a girl for a while yet."

"True. Perhaps we should name the tyke after one of our relatives instead?"

Shego made a face. "Just as long as we don't name it after Mama Lipsky. Edna just seems… wrong."

Drakken chuckled. "On that point, my dear, we are in complete agreement."

Shego continued with a grin, "And don't forget, twins seem to run in the family, so don't count that out."

Drakken could only respond with a choked-sounding urk.

"Besides, we have plenty of time to think about that. And now that the shock is beginning to wear off, I think I might be starting to get used to the idea. Besides, I'm kind of glad it happened this way."

He gave her a quizzical look. "Really? How do you mean?"

"If you hadn't noticed, Kimmie and I have always been pretty competitive with the other, and no way would I want the Princess to beat me in having kids first. It's just that when considering everything else that's happened to us over the past two months, this unexpected surprise kinda sent me right over the edge. And you know how unstable pregnant women can get."

He fearfully replied, "Yes, and I have a feeling I'm going to be finding out even more over the next nine months."

She added with a small sigh, "Oh, and Dr. D? If I ever complain about being bored again, please don't hesitate to slap some sense back into me. I definitely got more than I bargained for this time around."

As they continued to chat, James Possible and Yori waved at the crowd from the seat directly behind them. James smiled proudly at the cheerful throng not only because of his part in helping to save the world, but because he would soon be a very proud grandfather as well. With family and relationships on his mind, he now wondered what might now be in store for Yori, so he ventured to ask a question of the pert young headmistress of Yamanouchi.

"So, Yori. Now that this crisis is finally over, I suppose you'll have time now to make a few plans of your own with that Hirotaka fellow."

The young ninja smiled back coyly. "Perhaps, James-san. Now that the world is safe once again thanks to Kim-chan and Ron-san, I believe I may now entertain the thought of my own nuptials. But for now, it is my honor to simply wave and enjoy this parade."

But in the privacy of her own thoughts, she gave full reign to her true hopes and dreams. She felt certain that her counterpart in the alternate universe was now finally at peace in the eternal realms. She briefly enjoyed a moment of vicarious happiness, sensing that the soul of her double, along with Ron-san's, were finally at permanent and blessed rest.

Knowing this, she breathed a tender sigh of thanks, now able to concentrate fully on her own more immediate desires for happiness here on Earth. Since returning, she had spent much time with her beloved and ever-patient Hirotaka, and they had finally set a wedding date a few months hence. As opposed to Kim-chan's wedding, theirs would be a quiet and intimate affair, attended by only a few close friends, followed by a mystical honeymoon on the astral plane.

She smiled as she observed Kim and Ron in the limo ahead of them, thankful that their most recent adventure had been successful, and that their new adventure as parents would soon begin. Although she expected that wistful feelings for Ron-san would continue to surface occasionally, she was also certain that the events of these past few weeks had finally enabled her to put that fully behind her.

She was not particularly concerned about that however, knowing that Hirotaka had enjoyed his own string of young beauties in the past, not the least of whom was currently riding directly behind them. She smiled inwardly at the irony. If he should have the temerity to remind her of her past feelings for Ron-san, she would likewise enjoy playfully taunting him with the memory of Bon-Bon, his former number-one girlfriend. The yin and yang of her romantic relationship with Hiro would therefore remain forever in honorable balance.

Following in the remaining limos were Steve Barkin, Bonnie Rockwaller, Camille Leon and the rest of the Middleton Cheer Squad. All seemed more or less pleased with the arrangements: Steve and Camille a little more, Bonnie a little less.

Bonnie huffed petulantly, "Mr. Barkin, I really should be in that first car along with Kim, since it was my body that got switched with that loser Warmonga. That was definitely humiliation city! And Kim has once again taken over my hard-earned place at the top of the food chain. It'll take me years to regain my spot!"

Having had enough of her complaining, Steve fiercely shot back, "Stow it, Rockwaller! Possible and Stoppable, along with Camille here, all risked their lives trying to rescue you. And as much as it irks me to say so, you're still being treated like the heroine you truly are. So for cripes sake, will you please stop your bellyaching?"

Bonnie was about to lash back with a snarky rejoinder, but in a rare reaction for her, she actually hesitated as she considered Steve's words. Her voice softened a bit as she replied, "Yeah, Mr. Barkin. I guess you're right. And I'm sure I'll be getting a lot of mileage out of the talk show circuit, especially after I write my tell-all expose, "My Life as a Lorwardian Empress."

Steve relaxed a bit. "Sounds like a good plan, Rockwaller." But his eyes immediately narrowed again. "But one last thing. Don't ever forget that, unlike my house, at least yours is still in one piece."

Bonnie couldn't help but snigger, "Yeah, the universe must really have it out for you, Mr. B. But hopefully I'll be moving into an even better place myself soon, once Junior and I tie the knot."

She admired the huge new diamond ring on her finger as she whispered under her breath, "So I'm not the only one who can snag a shallow hottie, Kim…"

Camille continued to giggle at their sniping just as another throng of paparazzi tried to rush her limo, their cameras flashing ceaselessly as the local police valiantly tried to keep them at bay.

"Well, peoples, I'm just glad to be permanently out of that snore of a prison. And as soon as I can regain my awesome inheritance, I'll be writing my own book about my experiences, and probably start my own poppin' clothing line based on Lorwardian trends. Fashionistas, eat your lame little hearts out! And who knows? Maybe I'll end up hooking up with some rich yummy heir myself."

She looked down at her hairless pet Sphynx cat, comfortably curled up right beside her. "Right, my little sweetums?"

Debutante mewed back at her in pleasant agreement, while entertaining her own romantic feline thoughts about a certain brave little naked mole-rat.

Later that evening, everyone was back over at the Possibles, tired but pleased at the day's events and unusual revelations. Yori had already taken a flight back to Yamanouchi courtesy of a GJ hoverjet, while Dr. Anne Possible had in the meantime finally overcome Kim and Shego's objections, having them thoroughly checked out at the Middleton Medical Center.

Anne began, "Well, the tests are all back in, and I'm very happy to say that you're both in excellent health, as well as being officially pregnant."

Kim whined, "But how did this happen?"

Ron broke out in a devilish grin and was about to reveal the obvious answer in no uncertain terms, but a stern look from both Kim and James caused him to reconsider.

Anne continued, "Although I can't say for sure, I have a feeling that it's a combination of several factors. First, your comet powers seem to have given you both enhanced health as well as superior recuperative abilities. And that goes for a gradually increasing resistance to the birth control pills you and Shego have both been taking."

Shego softly swore under her breath. "Just great. Good thing then that my wild and crazy youth was largely limited to crime-fighting. Oh, and then my life of crime after that, which didn't leave much time for romance."

Anne continued, "And I suspect that your recent interdimensional exploits may have had something to do with it as well, especially since both of you are now pregnant at virtually the same time."

Kim gave a tired but happy nod. "Well, I just hope that means our kids will be strong and healthy as well."

Wade quipped, "Yes, I'm sure that they'll all have the same healthy glow as their mothers!"

Everyone groaned in unison as Kim and Shego tossed the nearest sofa cushions at him for his cheeky remark.

A curious look appeared on Ron's face, to which Kim responded, "A penny for your thoughts, sweetie?"

"Well, I was just thinking about what Wade just said. With a mystical monkey father and a comet-powered mommy, I wonder if any of our abilities will be, uh, passed on to our kids?"

Kim responded with a thoughtful look. "Yeah, that's a real spankin' question, all right. I guess we'll just have to wait and see about that. If so, that could make child rearing rather, uh… problematic."

Ron added, "Yeah, and challenging too!"

Everyone laughed at Ron's unintended joke.

"Well, whatever the case, you can both count on our complete support." James beamed in pride at his brave daughter and son-in-law. "And no matter what happens in the future, we'll always be there for the both of you, just as you have been there for Earth. We're extremely proud of you all."

Kim could only blush at her father's grateful compliments. "Thanks, Dad."

James turned to Drakken and Shego, continuing to smile. "And I never thought I'd ever be saying this, but I believe that goes for you two as well. And especially Shego, for somehow saving Kimmie-cub's life."

Shego offered an offhanded shrug as she replied, "Well, I have to admit I still have no idea how I managed that minor miracle, other than the intervention of Phred. And I'm sure we haven't heard the last of him, either."

James looked up into the distance as he waxed rhapsodically, "Ah yes, sometimes it's something like this that brings both heroes and former villains together to work for the common good."

Ron queried, "Yeah, just like that Captain Constellation fanfic you wrote back in college!"

"Yes, Ronald. And who knows what stories will be written about all of you in the future? Like you're always saying, the power of imagination can be prrrrrety amazing at times."

"Thanks, Mr. Dr. P. But right now I think we're all famished after the day's bon-diggity events. So how about we all mosey on down to Bueno Nacho for an all-you-can-eat feast? I'll even foot the bill, my treat."

Everyone looked eager to take Ron up on his offer, except of course Kim and Shego.

Kim whined, "Ron, you know I love you ferociously, but I'm real tired. Everything seems to have caught up with me at once, and now that I'm expecting…"

Just then the doorbell rang, and the Tweebs jumped up to see who it was. They opened the door to find the cheerful faces of Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable looking back down at them, both holding several huge bags of Bueno Nacho take-out.

James laughed and said, "Come on in, nice that you all could join us! And bearing some mighty tasty gifts, too. So either you were reading Ron's mind, or else he used his mystical powers to give you an irresistible urge to bring this feast over."

Mr. Stoppable smiled back, "Actually neither, James. Ned tipped us off that he would actually foot the bill as long as Kim and Ron all stayed away from the local Bueno Nacho, at least for the moment. He just didn't feel up to tempting fate and risking the accidental loss of his restaurant one more time, right after Team Possible once again prevented a cataclysmic worldwide disaster. So I told him we would be more than happy to oblige."

Everyone had a good laugh as they dug into their meal, each recounting the events of the past two months. After a while, though, Kim began to reflect on Yori's prescient dream.

"So, Ron, was Yori's vision ultimately of our Earth, or the one in that alternate universe?"

"Well, it would have turned out to be both if Drakken and I hadn't succeeded in locating you and Shego in that other dimension and bringing you both safely back home. And even though that alternate Earth was destroyed, we learned how that had happened and avoided falling into the same traps that the alternate Kim and Shego did. Although they didn't survive, the spirits of the alternate Ron and Yori held on until we were able to give them the help they needed: taking out Zorpox once and for all. May their spirits now both rest in peace."

Kim agreed, "Well, that's certainly my hope all right. I just wish I knew exactly what I ended up accomplishing in that other dimension. Not knowing if I accidentally destroyed the entire Lorwardian homeworld or not is giving me a ferocious guilt trip."

James speculated, "Well, even if you did, it was by accident, and not on purpose. And that makes all the difference in the world. So I think you can safely calm your fears, Kimmie-cub. Although we may never discover all the ramifications of your action, I fully expect that a great deal of good probably will result for that universe as a whole. But I suppose we'll never know."

"Yeah, I suppose. But I will always wonder. But maybe if you can rebuild the Kepler, we can take a peek into that other dimension once again? Speaking of which, it looks like we're back to square one so far as the Kepler is concerned. I think it's been lost or wrecked almost as many times as our local Bueno Nacho has. So how long do you think it will take you to build a replacement this time?"

"Well, the Kepler IV took just under a year to build from scratch. But I still have the plans, and we've learned a lot since then, so I'd estimate nine months, tops."

Kim giggled, "Great! That'll make a spankin' present for my baby shower."

James chuckled, "Yes, I suppose it will. And with Wade and Drew's help, no doubt we'll be able to install a new Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer, Kinematic Continuum Disruptor and Neutroniliser inside it. And with all the data we've gathered during our recent rough and tumble adventures, I hope we can have the space-time and interdimensional problems all ironed out by the same time. No more tripping through dimensions and universes without knowing exactly where and when we'll end up."

Kim gave him a relieved look. "Well, that's good to hear. I certainly don't look forward to repeating anything that's just happened, in any way, shape or form."

James intoned, "Amen to that, Kimmie-cub."

She mused, "But that does make balancing my next year of college along with my pregnancy seem like child's play in comparison, if you'll pardon the pun. And hopefully Ron's childlike wonder won't get in the way of our new challenges. But who knows? That may even turn out to be an advantage in our new sitch as parents."

James gave her a wink. "Yes, you'll be leaning on him even more in the days to come, that's for certain."

Ron gently rubbed Kim's shoulders. "And you know I'll have your back covered every step of the way, just like I always have."

Kim smiled back up at her husband. "And always will, I'm sure. Let's just hope that neither of us ever has to fix a mess like that ever again. I've had my fill of alternate universes for the moment, please and thank you."

Ron looked introspective for a moment. "Still, wouldn't it be cool if we could go back there some day, then back in time, and save the alternate Earth from destruction?"

Kim heaved a remorseful sigh. "That's what I would have liked to have done in the first place, had it been possible. But with all of the Kepler's malfunctions and sabotage, that was too big a chance to take all at once."

She looked up hopefully at her father. "But that would eventually be possible, wouldn't it, Dad?"

James thought long and hard before answering. "Theoretically, yes. But would you really be willing to put yourselves at risk again, and for the sake of a completely different universe?"

Kim gave him a sly grin. "Well, I'll give it some serious thought. Remember, anything's still possible for a Possible…"

Meanwhile, in an alternate universe not too far away…

Two lone spirits looked down upon Lorwardia with immense relief, the remains of the asteroid Nemesis now orbiting around the dusty red planet in a brightly shining ring of rock and dust.

"Ron-san, our counterparts from the other dimension were true to their word, and discovered a way to finally defeat the evil usurper of your body."

The redheaded young man responded with a wistful sigh. "Yes, though it's too bad they couldn't have done so without completely eliminating Zorpox. Now my spirit has something in common with yours: no body to go back to."

A slight smile appeared on his phantasmal face. "But I must admit, their timing was perfect. They not only managed to take out the entire Lorwardian star fleet just as they were taking off, but the massive explosion simultaneously damaged most of Lorwardia's power sources and war industries as well. It'll take them years to rebuild, if ever. The galaxy should now be free from Lorwardian domination for decades, if not permanently. I just hope that whatever price our friends had to pay in order to accomplish this was worth it."

"Yes, Ron-san. And now that Zorpox and his evil minions have finally been defeated, our spirits may now pass over into the eternal realms, and we may begin our everlasting rest."

A wistful look began to cloud her face. "And soon you will be reunited with your beloved Kim-chan, never to be separated again."

Ron continued to hover, but his focus was now completely on Yori, and on the thoughts that she could not possibly hide from him, try as she might.

He softly began, "Yori, to see Kim again has been my one great dream ever since Zorpox destroyed her, and then the Earth. But ever since Kim passed over, I've deeply treasured your friendship here on the astral plane, as we've pursued any opportunity to either regain my body, or destroy Zorpox once and for all. Now, that demon is gone forever. And heaven now awaits us both."

He chose his next words carefully. "And I can't possibly believe that the powers-that-be are totally blind and insensitive to your feelings. I just know that heaven is going to be unimaginably coolio for both of us, now and forever."

Yori remained silent for a moment before continuing. "Perhaps, Ron-san. What you say is indeed wise. And although my own wisdom is clouded at present by my feelings for you, feelings can change."

She tried to give him a warm smile. "So I say to you truly, please do not be concerned. I will survive. And I will have an endless period of time to adjust. But at this time, it… it will be my honor to accompany you into eternity, and back to your one true love."

A portal to the astral plane began to open up. And within that portal, another portal appeared, but this one shown forth with a dazzlingly brilliant light.

"The Portal to Eternity, Ron-san."

They both turned toward the glimmering luminescence. But just as they began moving toward the light, something else caught Ron's eye. It was not unusual of course for the Ron of any dimension to become suddenly distracted, but he had just spotted something so highly unusual and so unimaginably out of place, that his breath would have caught in his throat had he still had a physical body.

"The Kepler! But that's impossible, it was totally wrecked when…"

His memory flashed back to its destruction brought about by Zorpox's booby-trapped asteroid, quickly concluding that this ship must have originated from his counterpart's dimension.

"Yori, please stay here. I'll be right back."

He swiftly flew down to it and looked it over. "I can't believe it, it looks perfectly undamaged! So this is how they must have transported that asteroid here, and wrecked Lorwardia. Which means that the other Kim and Ron must be here too!"

Quickly slipping through the hull, he was surprised to find no one on board.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

His voice echoed through the dark, empty corridors. Entering the bridge, a single light softly glowed on the control panel.

"Sadie?"

The light brightened, and the computer's voice began to speak.

"Ron? Ron Stoppable?"

"Yeah, Sadie, it's me, Ron. But you're back in the parallel dimension you left not too long ago. So as Kim used to say, what's the sitch?"

Sadie replied, "Using the Kepler, Kim was able to send the last asteroid targeted at Earth through an interdimensional portal, destroying Zorpox and fulfilling her promise to assist you. In doing so however, the Kepler was accidentally pulled through as well.

"Coolio! So they made it back to their own universe after all, and saved their Earth?"

"Affirmative."

"Booyah! But no one else is on board now?"

"Affirmative. Your counterparts were able to escape at the last moment."

"Well, that's a relief. So, I guess you must have an automatic return feature so that you and the Kepler can get back to your own dimension, huh?"

"Negative."

"Well, that's good. So when you get back, please thank all of them for… whoa."

Ron stopped mid-thought. "Did you just say negative?"

"Affirmative."

Now thoroughly confused, Ron stuttered, "Uh, when you say affirmative, do you mean affirmative as in negative, you don't have an auto-return feature? Or do you mean negative, you do have an auto-return feature? Just so I'm absolute-a-mentay clear on this."

Sadie made a sound not unlike a human sigh. "That's affirmative as in negative, I do not have an automatic return feature. Everything happened so quickly, there was no time to even think about creating one. And by the way, you seem a lot like the Ron in my universe, no offense intended."

He chuckled, "None taken. I guess a Ron is a Ron is a Ron no matter what the dimension, huh?"

"Affirmative."

He thought very carefully before asking his next question.

"So, can you return the Kepler to its own dimension?"

"Negative. The field density imbalance between our universes has created a dimensional feedback loop. If I tried to return the Kepler to my own universe, a transdimensional explosion would occur, resulting in an explosion large enough to rip apart all of the galaxies comprising the Local Group in each universe."

Ron's ghostly jaw fell wide open. "Whoa! And that would ruin everybody's day in both dimensions."

He pondered this new sitch for a moment. "So, you can't return to your own dimension, and since my physical form is toast now, I'm stuck in my pure spirit form, at least until I pass through the Portal of Eternity. Like the saying goes, irony can be pretty ironical. Too bad I couldn't take this Kepler back in time and save my own Earth now."

Sadie calmly replied, "Is that an official request?"

Ron's eyes suddenly went wide as the power of his imagination immediately went into overdrive.

"Uh, yeah! Absolute-a-mentay!"

"Very well. I will now run a full systems diagnostic to determine the possibility of success."

Relays began clicking and lights began furiously blinking as Sadie made her calculations. A full minute passed before her assessment was complete.

"Dimensional travel confirmed as impossible without dire consequences to the space-time continuum."

Ron grunted, "Yeah, but we already knew about that. What about travel through this dimension?"

"Limited light speed travel still possible."

"Coolio. Now for the million dollar question. How about time travel?"

"Affirmative, but only in situ."

Ron looked perplexed. "Huh? In sitch you?"

"No, in situ. Simultaneous travel through both time and space not possible. Time travel would be limited to wherever the Kepler is currently located in space."

"Oh, I get it. So I could travel back in time but we'd still be in orbit around Lorwardia, right?"

"Affirmative."

"But if I traveled back to Earth first, you could jump back in time once we got there?"

"Affirmative. However, extreme time jumps no longer possible. I estimate approximately five years at most."

Suddenly more excited than he had been in nearly a year, Ron exclaimed, "Booyah! Then there's still a chance I can save the Earth! Stay right here, Sadie. I'll be right back."

"Not that I'm going anywhere," she drolly replied as the young Mystical Monkey Master disappeared in a flash.

Materializing a moment later in front of Yori, he excitedly began to babble, "I think I've found a way to save our planet, Yori! The Kepler from that other dimension has somehow appeared here, and its computer thinks it may be possible for me to travel back in time. And since I still have my memories of the past, I can make sure we avoid making the same mistakes all over again."

He suddenly had another encouraging thought. "Not only that, but when I merged my mind with my counterpart, I gained his knowledge of everything they did right!"

Yori looked simultaneously hopeful and concerned as Ron continued.

"And if I succeed, none of this will have ever happened. The Earth will continue to exist, and this present timeline will probably end. We'll both be back in our own bodies, Kim and Shego and everyone else will still be alive, and I may even be able to avoid the creation of Zorpox in the first place!"

Yori gave him a questioning look. "Yes, but in doing so, would you not be creating a time paradox? Can your spirit exist simultaneously with that of your older self?"

He thought carefully for a moment. "Well, the alternate Team Possible didn't rip apart the space-time continuum when they appeared here, so I think it's worth a try."

His eyes pleaded with hers. "Come back with me, Yori. Together we can make everything right again, once and for all."

But the young ninja sadly shook her head. "No, Ron-san. My grief at first losing Hirotaka, then my own life in the attempt to help you regain your body has left my soul distraught and embittered."

A trace of a smile appeared on her ghost-like lips. "But if what you say is true, then if you succeed, the evil that has continued to dog both of our spirits will never have happened, and you will regain both the world… and your beloved Kim-chan. And if you do not? Then I will nevertheless continue to exist in blessed peace among the eternal realms. Ron-san, how I yearn for that, how I long for that final release! And now that Zorpox is destroyed, there is nothing left to keep me here… except you."

They both remained quiet for a time, their eyes locked on the other. Not wanting to part, but each realizing that their time together had finally come to an end, perhaps eternally. Wordlessly sensing this, they struggled to make this final moment together last as long as they dared.

Ron tried one last time. "Please, Yori? Come back to the past with me and help me make things right, the way they were supposed to be!"

"No, Ron-san. I… I love you. And as much as I deeply desire to be with you forever, that cannot be. One way or another, you must be reunited with your one true love and your destiny, Kim Possible. And that will happen no matter which path I choose now. I… I would only be in the way. Not only that, but I could risk complicating things at a critical moment, and then all might be lost once again. I cannot risk the possible fate of this universe for the benefit of my own selfish motives and desires."

She lowered her head. "That would be dishonorable of me. And should you fail, we would still be trapped in this eternal twilight between the great realities."

She lifted her head again. "But it is right that you should go back and attempt this great deed. It… it is your destiny. As is Kim-chan."

Yori graced him with a look of peaceful resignation. "Gokuun o inomirasu, Ron-san. Peace be with you, forever…"

She calmly turned and entered the portal. In another instant, she was gone. As Ron sadly looked on, the portal slowly closed until it had disappeared completely.

He whispered back, "Gokuun o inomirasu to you as well, Yori-chan."

His face then hardened in determination. "But I will make all this right once again, I promise. Your love for me, and my love for Kim, will see me through this challenge. It's all up to me now."

As Ron floated back to the Kepler, he attempted to activate as much of his remaining Mystical Monkey Power as possible. Once inside the ship, he tried to merge his spirit with the spacecraft, just as his counterpart in the other dimension had done the year before with Kim's SL Coupe. After a few moments of settling in, he breathed out a pleasant sigh of relief, which had the effect of activating the ship's air conditioning.

"Well, that's just… coolio! Let's see what else I can do."

After experimenting with the lights, doors, and a legacy computer game the other Ron had left behind, he now tried some basic maneuvers. He began with a few simple starts and stops, followed by some loops and barrel rolls.

"Wow, this is even better than playing the Microsloth Ex-Ex-Vee-Eye-Eye-Eye flight sim! Booyah!"

Suddenly the computer sprang to life. "Having fun, Ron?"

Momentarily startled, the lights flickered in response to his surprise.

"Oh, heh-heh, hey there Sadie. Just familiarizing myself with the ship's systems and controls. So, anything in particular I need to know before we head back to Earth?"

"Just keep the autopilot on and let me do the driving, all right?"

"No problem, Sadie. This game of Zombie Mayhem should keep me more than occupied. It's real similar to the one I'm used to in my own dimension, but it has subtle distinctions of play that only a true master of the sim could really appreciate. Not unlike the nuances of my world-famous Six Layers of Heaven chocolate cake, which I'm just dying to get a taste of again."

He breathed out a tender sigh, which again brought down the ship's temperature by a degree.

"As well as Kim, once I finally see her again."

But Sadie cautioned, "Ron, you may find that you need to jump back to a moment in time before you and Kim were married, and perhaps before you were even dating. So you may have to put your ardor on hold for a while. And depending on how far back you decide to go, perhaps even for a few years."

Ron was briefly saddened by the thought, but bounced back quickly. "Yeah, I'll have to be patient. But just seeing her alive again will sure put a bon-diggity smile on my face. And the knowledge of what's to come will hopefully tide me over until the time is right for both of us to fall in love all over again. So I can honestly say I'm actually looking forward to this incredible sitch. And not only that, but getting a second chance at doing everything right after years of being a goofball? Well, that's really mind-blowing."

Sadie agreed. "Sounds like a good plan, Ron. Now just sit back and relax, while I…"

Ron interrupted, "Uh, Sadie? I'm still technically just a spirit, so I can't really sit back on much of anything at el presento momento."

Sadie made a sound not unlike an exasperated human sigh. "I'm speaking figuratively, Ron. I do have a language module which gives me that particular capability, you know."

Ron reacted with an autonomous blush, which now had the effect of increasing the temperature within the ship by several degrees.

"Oops. Yeah, sorry…"

A moment later, Sadie activated the Kimpossibility Drive and set course for Earth. During their transit, Ron discovered there was no need for him to sleep, as he was now inhabiting what was basically a machine. And with his enhanced computer abilities, he quickly mastered, then became thoroughly bored of his computer game.

"Wow, what to do now? It's still another six days before we reach Earth."

Realizing that since he would soon be traveling back in time, he set his mind on recalling everything that had happened to him over the past few years and documenting it within the ship's computer for future reference. A little more than a week later, the ship dropped back out of light speed and slowed as they approached the remains of the Earth and its erstwhile moon.

Ron gawked at the somber vision. "Wow. I guess I'm literally the last man on Earth now. Or what's left of it, anyway. But now I get to go back in time and see if I can save it somehow. So I guess I'm ready whenever you are, Sadie."

She responded, "First, I'll need an exact time to aim for, Ron."

He nodded, which caused the ship to lurch slightly. "I've actually been giving that a lot of thought over the past week. And as much as I'd like to go back to, say, to my wedding day, I know I have to go back far enough to avoid having that Attitudinator spawn my deepest, darkest side. Zorpox must remain forever unborn. But then I thought, why not go back a little farther, and ensure that I get the full dose of that Mystical Monkey Power before Monkey Fist gets his grubby paws on those monkey idols?"

He snorted, causing the ship's plumbing to back up. "Oops, sorry. So anyway, after giving it some more thought…"

Ron's musings were interrupted by a now impatient Sadie, who recalled exactly the right words to say to the wayward spirit. "Focus, Ron."

"Oh yeah. Sorry. Sadie, take me back to the moment where it all began. The moment when Kim turned from being just a babysitter into a world-saving crime fighter, and Team Possible took its first awkward steps. Set your controls for four years, one month, six days and two hours, exact-a-mentay. Location: in orbit around the Moon."

Relays clicked and lights flickered as Sadie made the appropriate calculations. And with one final blinding flash, the Kepler was propelled into the past. Appearing in orbit around a now intact moon a few moments later, Ron knew that he had succeeded.

"Booyah! Sadie, set course for the mountains just south of the Sea of Tranquility. I'll need to carve out a hiding place for you first, since keeping you in orbit over the Earth would attract a lot of unwanted attention."

A silly grin crept onto his face as a curious idea popped into his mind. "And maybe do a little unique rock carving of my own while I'm at it…"

An hour later, Ron had excavated a cavern with the ship's Neutroniliser large enough to protect the Kepler from both the blistering hot rays of the sun and any prying human eyes. Once that task was completed, he spent another few minutes engraving the initials 'RS + KP' into the side of a mountain overlooking the first Apollo lunar landing, just as his dimensional counterpart had done.

With a gentle sigh he said, "For posterity, you understand…"

Sadie drolly replied, "Naturally."

"All right Sadie, here's my plan. We keep the Kepler here on the moon until it's needed to repulse any Lorwardian attacks. While hidden in this cave, you should be safe from detection by any human or Lorwardian. But will you be okay up here all by yourself? You might get a little lonely, since it might be a while before I come back for you."

"Ron, in spite of my human-like interface, I'm still just a machine. I can easily place myself in sleep mode until awakened."

"Sleep mode?" He had another curious thought. "Uh, do computers dream of electric sheep while they're asleep?"

Sadie was silent for a moment. "I don't know, Ron. But I suppose I'm going to find out."

"Well then, time to begin my new adventure. So I guess I'll see you in a few years, Sadie. And thanks again for everything."

"Happy to have been of assistance, Ron. Good luck."

Ron's spirit then left the Kepler and headed quickly toward Earth. "Middleton, here I come…"

Appearing in his home, he immediately discovered his younger self about to leave for Kim's. She wanted to show him the website Wade Load had set up for her new babysitting business. Gently entering his body, he inhaled his first breath since entering his dimensional counterpart's body a few weeks prior.

"Boy, does it feel great to be back in my own body again!"

He stretched out his arms and took in another deep breath.

"Everything seems to be okay so far, a-yup-yup. Now to see Kim."

Jumping on his scooter, he revved it up and took off down the street. In another few minutes he pulled into the Possible's driveway. His heart racing, he bounded up to the door and knocked.

A moment later, Kim answered, her long blond hair gently blowing in the warm afternoon breeze. He stood transfixed for several moments, barely able to contain his feelings at seeing Kim again. Able to stand it no longer, he immediately pulled her into a warm embrace, fighting back tears of joy in finally seeing her alive once again.

Startled, Kim returned his embrace with a gentle pat on the back. "Ron? You okay?"

Releasing her, he drank in her visage as a parched man would consume a glass of cool water after a long trek across the blazing desert. Finally getting control of himself, he reached up to awkwardly scratch the back of his neck.

"Uh, sorry, KP. It's just that I, uh, missed you, that's all."

Kim cocked a curious eyebrow. "I just saw you yesterday, Ron. And you're acting real strange. So what's the sitch?"

Now under better control, he flashed her his trademark goofy smile. "I'll tell you about it another time, Kim. Right now, let's have a look at your new website."

As Kim showed it to him and explained how much it would help get her more babysitting jobs, he listened with only half an ear. He was just happy to be fully alive once again, and overjoyed to see his Kim alive again as well.

He pleasantly thought to himself, "It's good to be back. And yes, the next few years are certainly going to be interesting." He made a sour face. "Hmm. And more than just a little awkweird too…"

That evening, Ron decided to stop by Smarty Mart. He had a strong feeling that he wouldn't find what he was looking for, but nevertheless, he found that he could not ignore the strange, irresistible compulsion. He walked into the pet department and began speaking to the young clerk on duty.

"Uh, excuse me? But do you carry any, uh, naked mole rats?"

The clerk responded with an unusual look. "Funny you should ask. Normally no, but you're in luck. We just got a return this afternoon."

The clerk pulled out a small cage containing the small, pink critter.

"The strangest thing, too. The guy that returned it had bought it from us, oh, maybe a few years ago. Said he no longer could care for it the way it needed, and could we provide it with a good home. I said he really should try the local pound or the SPCA, and besides, it's against company policy to accept a return like this after so long. But he was really insistent."

A curious look came over the clerk's face. "And somehow, I found I couldn't refuse his request. Oh, he was polite and all, and didn't even raise his voice. But there was something about his eyes, which, well… I just couldn't refuse the old guy."

"Really? What did he look like?"

"He was an older Asian gentleman. Japanese, I think."

Ron smiled knowingly and looked down at the mole rat, who had been asleep. It yawned and rubbed its tiny eyes, and began sniffing about the cage, looking for his evening meal.

"So tell me, what does he eat?"

"Mole rats usually eat roots and tubers. But this one seems to have a predilection for cheese. Especially if it's melted."

The tiny mole rat looked up at Ron, eyes now wide with curiosity. He tentatively smelled his hand, sensing that Ron had eaten a cheese burrito from Bueno Nacho earlier that evening. He gave his hand a tentative lick.

Ron laughed gently. "Well, he seems friendly enough. I'll take him."

As the clerk rang up the sale, Ron looked down at the tiny rodent with a warm smile. The mole rat blinked a few times, then began to smile back.

"Hi there, little fella. I'm your new owner, and I hope we'll become real good friends. But you'll need a new name first. So I think I'll call you…"

He thought for a moment before coming up with the perfect name.

"Rufus…"

The End, for now…

Well, there you have it, gentlepeople. I trust you enjoyed it. But what new adventures lie in store for the Kim and Ron of not just one, but two universes? But that's a story for another time...

MA