Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible. It belongs to Disney and its creators. If it was in the show, I don't own it. Any songs mentioned are the property of their respective owners and artists. I am not doing this for compensation, simply for enjoyment and practice.

Claimer: Krista Ruthie Stoppable is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

After All This Time

Chapter 5

1 Year Later

Cheyenne, Wyoming

"Ellie, you need to start with your weight on your back leg. Like this." Adrena Lynn demonstrated the simple cartwheel one more time. "Try it again." Ellie, one of the older girls, attempted the trick again. This time, the movement resembled the cartwheel Adrena had just performed.

"There you go!" Adrena praised.

Off to the side, an 8-year-old Krista sat dejectedly, staring enviously at the fun the other children were having. No matter how many times she asked and begged, she wasn't allowed to participate. She could only sit on the sidelines and stretch. The last time she asked, Mrs. Moore threatened to take away her dance lessons. She had made a promise to herself never to ask again. She couldn't risk her only release being taken away.

The oldest boy in the Home, Ethan, came and sat next to her. "How's it going, Little K?"

Krista stared down at the grass and shrugged. The two children sat in silence for a few moments before the thirteen-year-old spoke up again. "Not so fun just sitting here, huh?" Krista shook her head. "Well, hey, me and a few of the others are gonna play a card game after dinner. Wanna join?" Krista looked up hopefully and nodded.

"Cool," Ethan smiled encouragingly. "We're gonna meet in Hazel and Nora's room. See you there." Ethan walked away and rejoined the other kids just as Adrena Lynn was finishing the class.

"Nice work today, guys! See you next week." The group of children began to disperse, some staying in the yard to practice, others heading inside to await dinner. Adrena noticed Krista sitting on the fringe of the yard and made her way over.

"Hey there, Krista."

Krista looked up and gave a small smile. "Hi Miss Lynn."

Adrena sat next to her. "How is dance going?"

Krista shrugged. "Okay. I wish I could take more classes."

Adrena gave her a sympathetic look. "I know. Sorry you can't join us for ours. But I have to respect my sister's wishes. We don't want you getting hurt. Still, I hate seeing you on the sidelines."

Krista gave another half-hearted shrug as if to say, Eh. What are you gonna do?

A beat of silence passed between the two. "Anyway, you better get inside and get washed up. You don't want to be late for dinner."

"Are you gonna eat with us?" Krista asked hopefully. Even if she couldn't take the stunt class, she loved having Miss Lynn around.

Adrena shook her head sadly. "Sorry, sweetie. I have a meeting with my agent to talk about a new show. But maybe next week, ok?"

The two stood up, and Krista hesitated a moment before wrapping her small arms around the older woman's waist. Adrena Lynn gladly returned the hug as she gently brushed a strand of hair from Krista's eyes. She sighed as she watched the despondent 8-year-old make her way back to the building. Three years of undercover work had turned up nothing but dead ends. Maybe it really was just a regular, gloomy orphanage, but she still felt as if something was very wrong, and that the worst was still to come. As the backdoor closed, Adrena made her way to her car.

XXXXXXXXXX

After dinner that night, Krista made her way to Hazel and Nora's room. She knocked, and Ethan opened the door.

"Hey! Glad you came!" Ethan let Krista pass through before closing the door again. A group of kids was huddled on the floor around a magazine.

"What are you looking at?" Krista asked timidly.

Nolan, one of the boys, waved her over. "Ethan snuck this home from school today." Krista peeked over his shoulder at the magazine. There was a picture of a blonde man and an auburn-haired woman standing in front of what looked like a warehouse. They were leading two people in lab coats out in handcuffs.

"Team Possible wins again!" Nora cheered. The other kids whipped their heads to look at her and sharply shushed her.

"Who?" Krista asked.

"You've never heard of Team Possible?!" Hazel asked, shocked. Krista shook her head. How would she have? They didn't have a TV, and they weren't allowed to read newspapers.

"They're only like, the most famous crime fighters ever!" Nolan explained excitedly.

"Yeah. They just busted some people making weapons and selling them on the black market," Ethan added. "Totally awesome." Krista stared at the picture as the other kids started reading the accompanying article out loud. The group was so engrossed in the story, no one heard the door begin to open before it was too late.

"I've told you kids over and over. Doors open!" Thomas bellowed, entering the room. Nolan and Hazel scrambled to hide the magazine, to no avail. Thomas strode over, snatching the contraband out of Nolan's hand.

"What is this?" he asked, skimming over the contents. A vein in his forehead began to throb, and his face became a dark shade of red. "Whose idea was this?"

No one moved.

"I asked you a question." Thomas's voice was dangerously low as he spoke. He scanned the guilty faces in front of him before approaching Nolan. Thomas' arm cocked back, preparing for a blow, when Ethan jumped in front of him with his hands out.

"Wait! Wait! It was me! I snuck it in!" Thomas lowered his hand and stared Ethan down.

"And what made you think that was a good idea?"

A wave of bravery washed over Ethan as he stood taller and looked Mr. Moore in the eye. "I thought it would cheer everyone up. We're never allowed to do anything fun."

Thomas stared at Ethan, his jaw clenched. Without taking his eyes off the boy, he gave one sharp command. "Out."

Again, no one moved. The others glanced at each other, unsure about their decision. Do they leave or do they stay and defend Ethan?

Thomas turned his wild eyes on the huddle of children. "I said, OUT!" The rage in his voice sent the children into a frenzy, scrambling to get out of the room. Krista was the last to leave, and the door was slammed behind her.

XXXXXXXXXX

Later that evening, Krista was making her way back from the bathroom when she heard sniffling from one of the boys' rooms. Peeking inside the dark room, Krista made out the form of Ethan, huddled in the corner. Tentatively, she approached him. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Krista could see that portions of his skin were darker than the rest.

"Are you ok?" Krista whispered.

Ethan jumped and looked up at her with one darkened eye. When he saw it was just Krista, he put his head in his arms again.

"No." Krista stood in silence as Ethan's sniffles subsided.

"Something's going on here, Little K. Something bad."

"What do you mean?" Krista asked, sitting down next to the older boy.

"Mr. Moore? He wasn't just mad about the magazine. He was mad about what was in it. Like he took it personally."

"But why?"

"I don't know. That's what I want to find out. I'm gonna sneak into his office tonight and see what I can find."

Krista stood up. "I'm coming with you."

Ethan rose, too. "No way, Little K. I'm not risking you getting hurt."

Krista stared at him, determined. "You can't go alone. You need help."

"The answer is no."

Krista huffed. "I'm gonna come anyway. Might as well let me so we can work together."

Ethan sighed, defeated. "Fine. But any sign of danger, and you go running. Don't worry about me." He told Krista the time and place to meet him, and then there was nothing else to do but wait.

XXXXXXXXXX

Krista tip-toed through the dark hallway, wincing at the slightest creak of the wood floor. Carefully, she made her way down the stairs and towards the common room. As she got closer, she could make out Ethan standing in the shadows. When he saw her, he met her halfway.

"Follow me," he whispered. They made their way towards Thomas's office in the back of the building. Ethan jiggled the handle to find that the door was locked. He knelt down and produced a bobby pin. As he set to work, Krista gave him a questioning look.

"Aiden taught me how to do this before he left," Ethan explained. Krista heard a click, and the door opened. Ethan produced a flashlight as Krista quietly closed the door. He began checking the drawers of the desk, seemingly searching for something specific.

"Damn." Ethan sat back on his haunches. "Nothing." Krista sat on the floor next to him. Something caught her eye beneath the desk. Reaching up, she found a piece of paper. She motioned for Ethan to shine his flashlight on it.

"This is the article from the magazine!" Ethan exclaimed.

"But why did he circle some words in red?" Krista asked. She couldn't read well, but the circles looked like they were drawn in anger.

Suddenly, the door swung open and crashed against the wall. The two children jumped as the light turned on, revealing the furious patriarch of the Home.

"What are you doing in my office?!" Thomas yelled. He reached out to the table on his right, picked up a picture frame, and hurled it at the terror-stricken orphans. Krista covered her head as Ethan scrambled out of the way. Thomas's hands curled around a candlestick, which he sent sailing towards the thirteen-year-old.

"I thought you had learned your lesson!" Krista tried to hide under the desk, letting the magazine page flutter to the floor. Before she could fully conceal herself, Mr. Moore's hand wrapped tightly around her upper arm and dragged her out. He pulled her, stumbling, towards the door.

"I'll deal with you later," he warned menacingly through clenched teeth, before tossing her out in the hallway and slamming the door behind her. She heard heavy footsteps pound across the floor, followed by a loud crash and muted thumps.

It was Ethan's pained cry and scream for mercy that sent her reeling from the hall.

She didn't sleep that night. Terror and worry kept her awake, folded in on herself in a corner of her room, gripping her dingy teddy bear as night bled into dawn.

The next day, Ethan was adopted.

A/N: This was a tough chapter to write. But as I said in the beginning, I am trying to push myself as an author and testing my ability at writing something darker. Thanks again to StormChaser90 for his continual assistance, especially for lending me ideas to expand the interaction between Adrena Lynn and Krista at the beginning of the chapter.