6. So The Dummy (The Perils of Praline)

Friday, 5:45 AM.
William stirred slowly to Kim's gentle voice, singing near his ear as she lightly brushed her fingers against his temple--

"And even when darkness caves in around, you give this sort of glow...you dried my tears and healed my wounds, and now I know it's true...that you're my candle in the dark...I will be there for you."

William turned and opened his eyes, reaching to caress Kim's hand. "I can't think of anything or anyone I'd rather have be the first vision I see each morning," he said.

Kim smiled warmly, looking down at her husband. "I can't think of anywhere or with anyone I'd rather be." She leaned to embrace William and give him a kiss. "You should shower now," she said, tapping the tip of his nose. "I'm just starting french toast."

They rose from the bed together, arm in arm, with Kim gently patting William on the backside as he made the turn for the bathroom, then continuing into the kitchen and adding cinnamon, vanilla and milk to the four egg yolks waiting in a bowl before whipping them into the dip for the slices of bread.

Kim and William had reached a sort of epiphany late the previous night concerning Kim's recent shifts in mood, talking in the darkened bedroom, their voices low. Kim explained again that her mood swing on Monday was mostly from nerves about the upcoming test - and that her outburst the following morning had nothing to do with anything William had done or said. She realized that he and Marcy truly cared about her best interests, and were actually concerned that something would be troubling her. She then told her husband that any future displays would also not be a result of something he might have said to her. William told her that he had been thinking along the same lines - but still showed concern about what may be causing Kim's mood swings...that after all, that's part of the caring that should come from a husband when his wife is troubled by something. They concluded by agreeing that they should wait to see what the Cross Agents have to say, before forming any conclusions on their own.

6:37 AM.
Kim had made herself two slices of french toast, and she had just flipped three slices for William to cook on the other side, when he walked into the kitchen in a basic charcoal suit, white shirt and dark blue tie, which hung undone around his neck. Kim walked over as he sat down, her fork and plate in her hand, and fed him a corner of one slice.

"Mmmmm," William moaned as his lips melted around the fork. "Apple pie filling?"

Kim straightened, cutting another bite. "I felt we needed a treat, after this week."

"You're right," he replied. "But then - what would you call last night?" he grinned.

"Last night, our souls feasted on the wonder of love," Kim purred. "It was the perfect way to end a day. This is just breakfast," she said, bending to give William another bite. "The perfect way to start a day." She eased the fork into his mouth, then kissed him while he was chewing. She then turned for the stove, placing her own dish on the table. She slid the golden slices from the griddle to another plate, adorning each with a thin pat of butter and a small dollop of the pie filling she had warmed in the microwave beforehand. She took a fork from the drawer and walked over to set the plate before her husband.

"Mmm, looks good," said William. "I can only wonder what it might taste like." Kim giggled and he smirked, picking up his fork while she went to pour two glasses of milk, then joined him at the table.

William finished another bite and cut a strip from one slice, then cut it into two bites. "Pardon the pun," he said, "but you've taken a real shine to apples lately."

They're good," Kim smiled. "Especially when cold from the fridge. They keep me...regular." She plucked a small piece of apple from her plate with her fork and popped it into her mouth.

"An apple a day," nodded William, taking another bite. "The cinnamon really comes out with the apple." He took a long drink of his milk and added, "What was that you were singing this morning?"

"Something I found on the net early this morning," replied Kim. "I think the name of the band is 'Enemy Ringtone' or something like that."

"This morning? You were up that long before you woke me up?"

"I've been an...early riser lately," Kim said sheepishly.

"We were up long past midnight last night. I know I'm feeling tired this morning...you just have to be tired. At most, you probably only got a couple hours sleep."

"Yeah, but it's no big," said Kim. "I can catch a nap after lunch until you get home."

William put down his fork and sighed slowly. "Kim...I know we said that we were going to wait to see what the Cross Agents say...but...I think it might be time to call a doctor about this. It's getting harder and harder to worry about you without at least knowing what to worry about...and I think it would be a good idea if we found out something...anything."

Kim's eyes got wide at the thought. "William," she begged, "please don't do that. I'm sure it's not anything serious. I don't feel sick...just...weird. I'll mail Wade again this morning and see if they've come up with anything." She rose to sit on William's lap. "Please. Just give me a chance to see if there is anything they can tell us before you call a doctor."

William brought Kim's head near his, stroking her hair. "I'll compromise with you," he offered. "I'll call Dr. Hennison sometime today, just to talk. He's my primary physician. I can explain to him, and he won't react if he meets with you. You never know...this could be something so simple...a bug of some be leftover food poisoning from the Tea Room...maybe even a simple food reaction or the start of an eating disorder. In the meantime, we'll wait over the weekend to see if you get any mail back."

Kim pulled back with a rather disbelieving expression. "Eating disorder?" she said. "Why would you think I have an eating disorder? I eat the same things you do. We even have the same breakfast this morning."

"I know," William said. "And so far, you're keeping it down."

Kim's face fell a bit and she looked at the floor. "...you know about that, huh," she mumbled.

"I heard you in the bathroom," he said, looking down and a bit to the side.

Kim took on a look of guilt. "I'm sorry, William...I hope you know that I wouldn't normally keep anything from you. It's just that as worried as you are about my moods, I didn't want to add to it by telling you about...that." She then brightened a bit. "But the apples are helping...really."

"That's good news," William said, kissing his wife on the cheek. He then took her face into his hands, searching her eyes. "Kim," he started, "I want to tell you something. I love you--"

"Well, I know that, Mr. Hodge," she smiled. "And I love you."

William put the tip of his finger to Kim's lip. "Let me finish," he smiled back at her. "I have such a love for you. I've had this love almost from the very moment I saw you on my TV screen...and certainly from the moment you came through my mirror...and each day after that, it's grown. It's expanded into the warmth that completes me. I take you with me every time I walk out of this house. You are truly my other half. Out of the entire world, you are the only one who could possibly be my other half. And because of that...you feed me...with your words, your humor, your expressions, your smile, your emotions - you feed me, Kim. When you celebrate, I celebrate. When you hurt, I hurt. That's what couples as in love and as close as you and I are do...they share their hearts. They share as much as they can with each other."

"William--" was all Kim could get out before warmly embracing her husband, her hands gripping his shirt, trying to hold him closer, tighter. She then pulled back, stroking the hair near his temple, her eyes full and warm, taking his in. "William Hodge, you couldn't be more perfect if you had been drawn from scratch. I'll never hold anything back from you again--" she said shaking her head slightly. Her smile slowly changed to a smirk, and she trailed the tip of her finger along his nose. "--not even your backgammon statistics for the month."

"You keep track of that??"

"It's a good way to chart your progress," she said - then snickered. "Or not." She rose and took the plates to the sink, still smirking back at William.

William stood and began to tie his tie. "I...think my evil is rubbing off on you."

"Among other things, Mr. Hodge," Kim giggled. "And you already know I'm evil...you just said so yourself." She ran some water over the plates and placed them in the sink, then approached William, smoothing her hands over the silken material of his tie. "You said I took over your world--" she gave his tie the slightest tug and her eyes narrowed, a suggestive smile spread across her face. "--riiiight..?"

"I rather like to think of it as willful surrender with the intention of meaningful cohabitation," William replied, slipping his hands over her shoulders.

Kim slid her hands around William's sides, under his jacket. "But not without the continuation of frequent and intense 'diplomatic relations'..."

William brought his wife closer. "We can schedule a conference this evening," he purred into her ear, "but now it's time for work."

A faint rumble caused them both to look out the sliding glass door as raindrops began to tap against it. They moved to the door, with William behind Kim, his hands on her shoulders. "I thought the radio said 'partly cloudy' for today," he said.

Kim brought one hand up to caress William's. "I can see I won't get much done today," she said, studying the light rain. "Where is your umbrella?"

"Right where it should be," William said confidently - then his voice fell a bit. "At work."

"Awww, you poor thing...you're going to get-" she slowed her speech at this point "-weeet going to the caarr..."

"Fear not," said William. "I'll just run between the raindrops."

Kim looked back at her husband and giggled. She then went to the refrigerator, pulling a placemat down from the top and offering it to William. "In case that plan fails."

William took the placemat, leaning to give Kim a kiss. "I like your plan better...I gotta go," he said, turning for the door with Kim following.

"I'll call you later if I hear anything," she said. "I might also have a small list for the grocer."

"Bring it on," said William as he again kissed his wife. "Let's hope for good news." He then opened the door, raising the placemat over his head and stepping out. Kim watched as he hurried down the walk to the street and into the car, giving two quick notes on the horn and a wave as he pulled away.

Kim waved - then stretched her hand out the door, letting the drops of rain kiss her skin for a moment, feeling the effect tingle through her.

The phone rang, and Kim closed the door, sitting on the couch and answering the phone on the end table. "Hello?"

"I almost forgot to tell you," William said from his cell phone, "Enjoy your last weekday of freedom."

Kim giggled. "Soooo nut," and hung up.

9:07 AM.
Kim had finished the breakfast dishes and was looking on the net to find suggestions on a good dinner surprise for William when the doorbell rang. She came walking down the hallway slipping one of William's shirts over her sleeping top. She looked through the peephole at a young rather tall blonde-haired man standing next to a a box nearly as tall as he was. "Just a moment," she said, hurriedly undoing the deadbolt and turning the knob.

"Delivery for Kim Hodge from Karate De--" He froze for a moment at the sight of Kim as she opened the door. "--pot."

"Oh boy," Kim said with more than a hint of excitement in her voice. "I didn't expect you this early. Please, bring it right in."

The man tilted the hand cart the box was on and pushed it over the threshold. He stopped just inside the door, as the wheels of the cart were wet, leaving a short track on the inside mat. He then tilted the large box forward, sliding it a short distance into the living room. He took a clipboard and pen from the top of the box, handing them to Kim. "The sand is out in the truck. You can sign this while I get it." He turned to take the cart outside, and stopped. "Umm...are you going to a party or something?" he asked. "That's the most realistic costume I've ever seen. My niece watches that show all the time." He then walked to the truck again, trailing the cart behind him.

"Costume, huh?" Kim giggled, signing the delivery form.

The man returned with eight 25-lb. bags of sand and started to stack them near the door. "This is 200 pounds," he said. "The base can hold up to 270 pounds, so if you need more, we have them at $3 a bag...but that dummy is pretty solid, so this should be enough for a good workout." He then accepted the clipboard and pen from Kim. He glanced at it - then did a double take. "C'mon, lady...I know I said the costume was good...but you have to sign your real name."

"Who says that's not my real name?" said Kim, looking at the man slyly. "And...I don't remember acknowledging that I'm wearing a costume..."

The man looked again at Kim's signature, then at her with one eyebrow raised. "The order said 'Kim Hodge'...."

"Yep," beamed Kim. "That's me. Possible is my maiden name now."

The man continued to alternate his gaze between Kim and her name on the form. "Ooookay, I guess," he said, scribbling some numbers on the form. "As long as it says 'Kim Hodge' somewhere, it's valid." He put the pen into his pocket and turned toward his cart - then stopped. "Listen," he said, "My niece really likes that show. I know this sounds weird, but--" he flpped up a few pages of the clipboard and tore off a blank sheet. "--something tells me she would like...well...you know," he said while giving the slip of paper and pen to Kim.

Kim brightened into a wide smile. "Sure!" she said, sitting on the couch and putting the paper on the coffee table to write. "Anytime for a fan. What's your niece's name?"

The man hesitated for a brief second. "Joey," he said quietly.

"Cool," Kim said, beginning to scrawl on the paper- "Joey; So not the drama! Keep watching! Thanks, Kim Possible" -and folding it when she was done, handing it to him.

He slipped the paper onto the clipboard. "Thanks...I think she'll really like this." He turned rather quickly and tipped the hand cart to pull it out the door. "Enjoy your new equipment."

Kim walked to the door, letting the man get halfway to the truck. "Thanks, Joey," she said. He immediately stopped in his tracks and looked back. Kim held her hand up, wiggling her fingers, a knowing grin on her face as she slowly closed the door. She giggled in that closed-mouth "hm-hm-hm-hm-hm" as she went to the kitchen for a knife to open the box, thinking about what else she had written:

"P.S.; don't trip over that cart, Joey."

10:17 AM.
"Dr. Aaron Hennison on 4, Mr. Hodge."

"Thanks Ann," William said, pushing another button and picking up the phone. "Good morning Doctor. I just left a message with your nurse about an hour ago. I'm surprised you returned the call so quickly."

"William, how are you," returned Dr. Hennison. "It's been a while since we talked. The nurse said you wanted to speak to me personally, so I'm taking it this isn't just a call about an appointment. Are you alright?"

"No, I'm fine. It's actually about my wife."

"Wife!? You got married? And I wasn't invited?"

"Well...it was kind of special circumstances," said William, "...and that's part of why I wanted to call you. She's...not quite serious enough to see anybody...but if things warrant a visit, I want it to be with someone I know and can trust not to make much of a deal about her appearance. She's unique...to say the least."

"Physical deformity?"

"No, no, nothing like that." William thought for a moment. "Do you have the Disney Channel at home?"

"Yes, I do," replied Dr. Hennison. "My kids watch it all the time. But what does that have to do with--"

"Trust me," William grinned. "My wife's name is Kim. Watch the channel tonight at 6:30, and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about."

"Hmmm...mysterious," said the Doctor. "So, about Kim. What are her symptoms?"

William described what Kim had been going through during the week, ending with, "We suspect it might be a mild case of food poisoning or some reaction to a certain food."

"Sounds about right," Dr. Hennison said. "All but the mood swings. That's the only thing that doesn't fit."

"Well, we're giving it the weekend to see if it goes away. If not, I'll be giving you a call on Monday - this time to schedule an appointment for her."

"Okay, we'll go with that for now. Naturally, I hope she gets over it soon...but if not, I'll be happy to see her. Of course, call me sooner if anything changes or gets worse."

"I surely will. And thanks again, Doctor," said William. At that moment his door opened, and Marcy walked in, waving slightly, followed by Cheryl Carter, another member of the Board of Regents. "I have a meeting now, Doctor. I'll let you know what's going on either way. It's good to talk to you. Bye." He hung up the phone and stood, motioning Marcy and the others to sit. "Good Morning."

Marcy smiled as she sat. "Morning William. Doctor? Nothing serious, I hope."

"No," William replied. "It's not for me."

Marcy adopted a slight look of concern. "Oh. Kim still have that stomach bug?"

"Yeah...but she's a little shy when it comes to doctors. We're keeping an eye on it. It's already gone away a bit in the last couple days. I think she'll be fine."

"I hope so," said Marcy. "Is she looking forward to Monday?"

"It's kind of a toss-up between Monday and tomorrow," William grinned, referring to Kim's driving lesson with Marcy, "But yeah, she's pretty excited about coming on board."

"I'm glad," Marcy replied. "We're pretty excited about her joining us." She motioned to the stand to her left near the wall. "And speaking of excited, we can't wait to see these cost-cutting measures you've worked up."

William stood and handed the two women a pack of papers. "They're just little things here and there...but when added up, they'd be a substantial reduction of expenses, both during the restructuring, and in day-to-day operations." He walked over to the stand and peeled back the top sheet, exposing a list and several charts.

11:51 AM.
Kim came out of the bathroom dressed in a robe, with a towel on her head, and sat at the desk in the bedroom. She had rolled the sparring dummy into the bedroom right after the delivery man had left, setting it in a corner they had cleared for it, and spent more than a half-hour taking bag after bag of sand from the living room to fill the base. She then changed into her "mission" outfit and spent a good hour beating on it, going through routine after routine. With every punch and kick she landed, she felt a satisfying energy surge through her body, exilarating her. She had gone far too long without a meaningful full-contact workout, and this seemed to be just the thing to invigorate her mood.

Not being in top form, she worked to a state of blissful near-exhaustion after a little over an hour and hit the shower, reveling in the cascade of hot water. Between this and the workout, she felt cleansed - drained and renewed at the same time.

Kim gave thought to what she might have for lunch as she opened the email program and clicked on her account. Even though she had just checked early this morning, the screen downloaded a spate of new messages. Kim counted as they appeared, about 20 in all. She scanned the list - and found a message from Wade. She paused for a second, hovering the cursor over it - then clicking it, readying herself for whatever the Cross Agents might have to say.

She read over the message for a moment - then rose to pick up the phone on the nightstand. She returned to the chair while dialing.

11:56 AM.
William closed his folder sat down, setting it on his desk. "So if everything is implemented with no revisions or modifications, it could mean up to $1.4 million saved in annual operations costs."

Marcy turned to another of the board members, Cheryl Carter. "See? This is why I had a hunch about William overseeing the restructuring. He's a hound for details."

"Even the detail of my commision on the savings," William smirked. They all laughed at this.

"He's also a hound for humor," added Marcy.

Their laughter was interrupted by the phone ringing. William pressed a button. "William Hodge."

"...do you have any idea how much I love you...?" Kim's voice purred from the speaker.

"Well, I've always had my suspicions," William said, "But now your little secret is out."

"I'm on speaker??" Kim winced and laughed nervously. "Ooops."

"Hi Kim!" Marcy said. "You're among friends here. How are you?"

"Hmmm, generally okay," said Kim.

"You'd better be okay for tomorrow."

"I can't wait. I just checked the weather - it's supposed to clear by morning." She then snickered. "Have we stalled long enough to give my husband a chance to sneak out?" They all broke into laughter.

William leaned forward, still chuckling. "You should know you can't get rid of me that easily. How's things?"

"The dummy arrived about an hour after you left," Kim started. "I just finished a very satisfying session and a nice hot shower...and now I'm just going through email."

The others gave William a strange look. "...dummy?" asked Marcy.

"Karate sparring dummy," replied Kim. "I'll show you tomorrow."

"Ooooo," Marcy drew out. "I just started a defense class about a month ago. You must be pretty far along to have a dummy to work with."

"Red belt in Kempo," Kim said. "No big."

"Kimpo Karate," Marcy tittered. Kim giggled in response.

"You said something about mail?" William asked.

"Yep. Three-word reply: they...don't...know."

"Hmmm," William thought for a moment. "Any other mail?"

"Yes! Lots," said Kim. "Looks like most of the addresses are people I mailed back after the wedding.

"If there's one from me, it's my daughter Gina," said Cheryl. "She wanted to mail you, and would not take no for an answer."

Kim went down the list. "Got it," she said, clicking on the message and reading it aloud.

::Hi Kim. My name is Gina Carter. I think your show is cool. I think I can help you kick Dr. Drakken's butt if you help me with my math homework. Bye. Gina.
P.S. Hug and kiss Ron for me. He is way cute!!!!::

They all burst into a mix of laughter and "Awwws" at this. "I'll tell her that Drakken is no big, but I'll be glad to help her with her math," said Kim. A short series of "k-kk-k-kkk-kk" came over the speaker. "Done and done," she said.

Marcy leaned to Cheryl, whispering, "Yes, she types that fast."

"Ready for a short list to bring home?" Kim asked.

The two women rose and started for the door. "We'll meet you downstairs," said Marcy. William nodded, then pulled a pad in front of him, readying a pen. "Go, hon."

"Let's see," started Kim. "Apples...apple juice...my dressing..." William scrawled the items onto the list as she spoke. "And maybe some ice cream. That's about all I can think of."

"And you shall have it upon my return," said William. "I imagine you're about ready for a nap, after that workout."

"One peanut butter sandwich and a few crackers, and I am sooo taking over the couch."

"Save me some couch," said William, "and I'll see if they have some of your favorite candy."

"Pecan Praline?" Kim perked.

"That would be them, yes," William teased. "Succulent, melt-in-your-mouth, buttery candy...the crisp meaty texture of Georgia pecan halves...all dipped in oh-so-rich creamy milk chocolate..."

"Ohhhh God...William, stop...stop..." Kim pleaded, pounding the heel of her hand lightly against the arm of the chair, her fingers curling slowly. "Maybe you shouldn't have said anything. What if they don't have them?"

"Maybe I've already thought of that, my love," he said in a low voice. "Maybe I had Ben hide a box under the counter."

Kim's voice melted into a soft coo. "You don't know how to disappoint me, do you Mr. Hodge?"

"Not so far," he chuckled. "I'm late for lunch with Marcy. I'll see you in just a while...I love you."

"Mmmm, I soooo love you, Mr. Pecan," Kim said warmly. "Take your umbrella...it sounds like a storm is coming up." She let her face settle onto her hands as she pushed the "off" button. She then went to the kitchen, fixed a sandwich, and sat in front of the sliding glass doors to watch the rain for a bit, with Angel climbing into her lap to join her.

to be continued...