AN: Here's the alternate ending. It turned out longer than I expected, hence the delay. It starts out right after Ron takes Rufus to Kim's house. The first three paragraphs are exactly the same as they were in the other chapter, then it starts to change.
Chapter 8: Alternate Ending
Ron stepped through his front door. The emptiness of the house seemed to be a reflection of his soul as he wandered aimlessly from room to room, thoughtfully taking in each detail for the last time.
He paused at the fireplace and inspected the pictures that dotted the mantle. A few were family portraits, but most of them showed only two individuals—he and Kim. He never found it odd that his parents had so many pictures with Kim in them displayed in their home. She was just as much a part of his family, as he was hers. If fate had been kinder to them, then wedding photos and beautiful red-haired grandchildren with big brown eyes may have one day replaced those childhood images of the two friends.
Ron picked up a particular picture, his favorite, which showed he and Kim graduating from elementary school. Kim had her arms around him, poised to kiss his cheek and he was trying to pull away with a disgusted look on his face. That was when all girls had 'cooties', even if they were your best friend. His face in the picture suddenly became blurred as a single drop of liquid fell upon it and rolled down the glass.
Sighing, Ron carefully placed the picture back in its spot on the mantle, then made his way the kitchen. He immediately sauntered toward the wooden knife holder that sat on the kitchen counter. After pulling out each utensil out and inspecting it thoughtfully, he finally decided upon the largest, sharpest knife in the set. He clutched the plastic handle and carried it up to his room.
Ron stripped out of his everyday clothes and changed into his black shirt and cargo pants, shoving the knife into one of the compartments in his utility belt. He had one last mission to complete before he could rest in peace.
*****
Out of breath, Kim flew up the steps on Ron's porch, nearly stumbling in her haste. She ripped open the front door and bounded up the stairway, taking two at a time. "RON?" She yelled into the empty house, but no reply greeted her in return. Bewildered, she stood on the threshold of his bedroom and wondered where he could be.
Thinking quickly, Kim ran over to Ron's computer and closed out the game of "Fortress" that was paused on the screen. She brought up the program that she and Ron used to contact Wad and sighed in relief when his face finally appeared.
"Wade! I need your help. FAST!" She exclaimed, on the verge of hysteria.
"It's about time you decided to contact me." The boy on the screen said, unaware of the situation's urgency.
"I don't have time for this now, Wade. Is that tracking chip still implanted in Ron's neck?"
"Of course."
"Look, I need to know where he is right now." She shrieked into the monitor.
"No problem, Kim. It will just take a sec and…. got it! Huh, this is strange. It looks he's in the warehouse where you guys went after Drakken last night."
"Thanks Wade, you rock!" She said and started to switch off the computer.
"Wait! Are you going to tell me what's going on?" He asked.
"No time, later Wade." She replied anxiously, and then cut the connection.
*****
Nervously, Ron stepped into the dusty warehouse. Faint light filtered through the broken windows, making it easier for him to find his way around than the previous night. With determination, he passed by the empty crates and machinery. He paused at the lone door that obviously led to Drakken's lair. With a gulp, he swallowed his fear and clutched the cold metal knob in his hand. He had nothing left to lose.
The door swung open and revealed Drakken and Shego seated in the tiny room. Both were too preoccupied to even realize that he was standing there. Drakken was busy typing something furiously on his laptop, while Shego casually filed her nails and flipped through a magazine. Fury and hatred smoldered in Ron's eyes as he stood and glared silently at the two villains.
"How could you do something so low?" Ron finally snarled, causing Drakken and Shego to take notice of him.
"Ah, look Shego, if it isn't the buffoon! I guess you're here for the diamond. I was wondering when you were coming back for that." Drakken said flippantly, fully knowing that the diamond was not why Ron was there. "Here take it, I really don't need it anymore. It has served its purpose." He removed the diamond from a drawer and tossed it to the boy.
"You mean the whole thing was a just set-up for you to turn Kim against me?" Ron growled in disgust, letting the diamond drop to the floor.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Where is the redheaded brat, anyway? Oh, I'm sorry. She's probably still upset after what you did to her."
"I didn't do anything, you made me do it!" Ron screamed. He could feel his anger rising to the breaking point.
"You should be thanking me, you never would've had the guts to get into her pants without my help. You know how long you've wanted it, boy. You were all over her!" Drakken howled with laughter.
"Uh...Dr. D? I think now would probably be a good time to shut up." Shego warned as she observed the psychotic look in Ron's eyes.
"FUCK YOU!" Ron shouted and lunged for the blue-skinned man. He straddled him in an instant, mercilessly pounding his fist into Drakken's face.
"Help, Shego! Get him off of me!" Drakken called, knowing that he was no match for the teen.
"Sorry, Dr. D. You're on your own with this one." Shego replied, not making any attempt to move from her seat.
"What! W-What are you talking about, Shego? I command you to get him off of me, NOW!" Drakken stammered, shielding his face with his hands in a vain attempt to stop Ron's blows.
"You crossed the line this time, Dr. D. What you allowed to happen was totally sick in my book." Shego spat maliciously. "You deserve exactly what's coming to you."
"Shego! Please! How could you betray me like this?" Drakken yelped in pain as Ron's fist made contact with his nose, likely breaking it. "YOU'RE FIRED!"
"Fine." Shego rose to her feet, grabbed her magazine and casually walked out the door.
"NO WAIT! I'm sorry, you're not fired! Come back!" Drakken pleaded, but she was already gone.
"Looks like it just you and me now, asshole!" Ron hissed, fishing the knife from his utility belt as he clutched Drakken's throat with his other hand.
Drakken's eyes became wide with terror when he saw the knife coming toward his neck. "NO! You can't do this! I'll give you anything you want! Anything! When I take over the world, you can have your own continent!" He babbled.
"SHUT-UP!" Ron screamed, increasing the pressure on Drakken's throat. "You ruined my fucking life!" He released a feral cry as he raised the knife and plunged it into Drakken's chest. With uncontained rage blazing in his eyes, he pulled the handle out of the soft flesh then brought it down again and again until the pitiful cries coming from the man beneath him finally ceased.
Shakily, Ron climbed off of Drakken's lifeless body and stared in shock at the blood gushing from his wounds. He never thought that he would be capable of killing someone, but only raw satisfaction ran through his veins at the horrid sight. "Booyah." He muttered softly under his breath for old time's sake.
Ron wiped Drakken's blood from the knife with his shirt and walked into the room where his world had been turned upside down. His breath caught in his throat when his eyes roamed over the shackles, the bloodstains and Kim's tattered mission shirt lying on the floor. The flashbacks from the event began to register in his mind stronger than ever. He dropped to his knees from the overwhelming guilt and despair coursing through him. "I'm so sorry, Kim!" He cried as he brought the knife to his wrist.
******
Kim ran into the warehouse and immediately found her way to the control room. She stopped dead in her tracks and gasped in disbelief when she saw Drakken's crumpled body plagued with stab wounds on the floor before her. She cautiously looked around for Shego, feeling uneasy when the woman was nowhere in sight. "Ron?" She called, knowing that he had to still be there. The muffled words coming from the adjacent room caught her attention.
Ron dragged the blade across his wrist, wincing from the pain. The lesion began to weep blood freely, but it wasn't enough to do the job. He positioned his hand to make another gash when someone calling his name in the next room started him.
"Don't do it, Ron!" Kim screamed as she ran toward him.
"Leave me alone! This is something I have to do and you're not going to stop me!" He yelled, inwardly cursing himself for wasting so much time. If he'd been ten minutes faster he wouldn't have had to deal with Kim.
"I'm sorry Ron, I was being selfish. I want us to be friends, now and forever. Lets get through this together."
"Can the Bullshit, KP. You're only saying that cause you're trying to talk me out of this. You know that we'll never be friends again as well as I do. I deserve to die so please leave me in peace!"
"No, you don't deserve to die. It wasn't your fault, Ron. You know that, or you wouldn't have killed Drakken. He's the one that deserved to die!" Kim tried to reason.
"That still doesn't change the fact that it was me who raped you." Ron said quietly, raising the blade to his wrist again.
"STOP! Please just give me the knife, Ron. We both need to get help, we can get through this!" Kim pleaded, taking a step toward him.
"Go away Kim! I didn't want you to have to see this!" Ron warned through clenched teeth. He jerked the knife, slicing deeply into his skin once more before she came any closer.
"NO!" She screeched at the sight of his blood spilling upon the floor. She rushed forward and tackled him, grabbing his forearms to prevent him from trying to use the knife again.
"Let go of me!" Ron demanded, holding tight to the blade. He struggled to free his arms from her vice-like grip, to no avail. Shifting his weight, he managed to push her to the floor with his body.
Even as she felt herself falling backwards, Kim refused to release her grip. She pulled Ron down as well causing him to land roughly on top of her. "If you're going to do this, you have to get through me first!" She grunted, then flipped them over so that she was in the dominant position. She released her grip on his arms and lunged for the knife, but Ron quickly blocked her attempt.
"Don't make me fight you, KP. You know I can't hurt you." He begged, immobilizing her arm with his free hand—just as she had done to him.
"Then stop being so damn stubborn Ron!" She yelled, trying desperately to pull her arm out of his grasp.
They both struggled against each other for more several minutes, neither accomplishing anything. Ron finally groaned in defeat and allowed his body to go limp under her, tired and weak from the loss of blood that was constantly pouring from his wrist throughout the battle. Kim breathed a sigh of relief when she was able to pin him down and grab the knife from his hand at last.
When Kim rolled off of him, Ron sat up and started to cry, placing his head in his hands. "Why KP? Why won't you let me have peace?" He moaned. He only looked up when he felt her tightly wrapping a piece of material around his injured wrist to stop the bleeding. His choking tears grew even fiercer when he realized that it was what remained of her mission shirt from the previous night.
Kim knelt beside him put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. She'd seen him cry before, but never like this. He was sobbing uncontrollably. "I couldn't let you do it because I need you, Ron. You're a part of me."
"Last night you couldn't even look me in the eye. How can things ever be the same?" He asked desolately.
"Last night I was in shock. It didn't sink in that it wasn't your fault until today. I planned on coming to talk to you as soon as school let out, then I found your note…"
"I wish I'd never left that damn note, then you wouldn't have known and I'd be gone by now." He sobbed.
"STOP SAYING THAT RON!" Kim screamed. She wrapped her arms around him tenderly and started to weep as she realized that his actions were not just a cry for help. He really wanted to die. "You said you could never hurt me, but hearing you talk like this is killing me inside."
"I'm sorry, KP. It's just that I don't know if I can go on like this. You have no idea what kind of torture I'm going through in my head. Thinking about the hell that I put you through is worse than death. I still don't know how you can stand to look at me."
"Because I know it wasn't you, Ron. He may have looked like you and sounded like you, but he wasn't the Ron that I know."
"You're just trying to make me feel better." He said softly, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Damnit Ron! Will you listen to me? I'm not willing to lose you or our friendship over something beyond our control. We're going to get through this!" Kim tightened her arms around his body. "I can't stand the thought of losing you because…"
"Because what?" He looked into her tear-filled eyes questioningly.
"Because…I love you, Ron." She said and kissed his cheek affectionately.
"I-I love you too, Kim. I always have." He whispered, touching his trembling hand to the spot where her lips had been.
"Then promise me that you'll never try this again." She pleaded.
"The last thing I want to do is hurt you again, but to be honest I don't know if I can make that promise right now, KP."
"Let's get out of this hellhole." She said, taking his hand in hers. Although she wasn't satisfied with his answer, she decided not to press the issue. She knew it was just going to take time and her unconditional love for him to understand that everything was going to be all right.
AN: Ron finally got his revenge. Several of you suggested this in your reviews and that's how I got the idea…so thanks!!! Also, I couldn't write an entire KP fic without Ron saying "Booyah" at least once. :-)
Anyway, there will be an epilogue for this chapter. Should be out tomorrow. Damn, I can't stop writing this fic!