Jao: Oh wow, I'm still alive. You guys haven't killed me for Killing Ron, for the first time in my fics, mind you. Anyway. Here's the last chapter. Make sure to read my little commentary stuff at the end to get the big announcement. Have fun. I hope you all enjoy the conclusion of Paragon.

Paragon

Pet

It was over…

The water had long run cold, but she didn't care…everything was cold to her now. Kim sat huddled in the shower. About an hour ago she had scrubbed, trying to peel the smell and the stain of his blood off of her. Trying to wash the whole night away. But it didn't work. Her hands shook when she looked at them…

            When she had finally stopped her assault and she looked down, the bandage had been sliced from his face, the brown almost clear thru the gray. She could see those trademark freckles past the blood. Those goofy ears, his blonde hair…it was Ron. It was Ron all over her.

            She watched detachedly now, as her blood ran and dissolved into the drain with the ice-cold water. Her skin on her arms and legs and parts of her face were rubbed so raw they bled. Blood…never had she seen so much blood…all of it waiting for her just past her bathroom door. So she didn't move, the cold water making her a little sleepy. It was numbing. It was welcomed.  Her head slumped to one side, her mind and body finally exhausted, the cold slowing her heart.

--------------------

Soft, that smell… Kim opened her eyes, only to feel a touch; fingers that ran lovingly down the side of her face. The touch so soothing, sending away any pain and soreness that lingered in her body, she closed her eyes and sighed.  All the pain was gone; all that was left was the warmth from his chest and the faint smell of Mexican food. She smiled at that…with how often they'd go to Bueno Nacho it's no wonder he never could wash the scent from his clothes. Maybe everything that happened before was just a dream. Maybe everything she knew was waiting for her when she woke up.

"Kim…" He said softly as he took her hand, entwining their fingers; on his wrist was a familiar watch. "I forgive you." Kim blinked at that, her mind trying to think of what he might be talking about. When it finally came to mind she took her hand from his, moving away from Ron.

His hand touched Kim's shoulder and she turned back to him, welcomed by his sweet eyes. They were suddenly so beautiful to her after everything that had happened. This was Ron, it was her Ron and right now she was right where she wanted to be. Flinging herself onto him she held Ron, for one of the first times really enjoying…savoring the way he felt in her arms. And she was scared, scared if she let him go he'd disappear and leave her in the dark that surrounded them.

"Ron, I-I'm…" Her words were lost in her throat as the tears came unchecked. Her body trembled; her mind replaying what she had done, what he had done. Ron's arms wrapped around her, his head in her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Kim…" There was so much pain in his voice. "I-I had to, I didn't want to, God, I…"

"Ron. P-please. Don't say…" Kim didn't want to remember, right now, right now she only wanted this, his presence here with her in what had to be a dream. He really was dead, as was her family and Monique and Josh. Josh… For the first time the name had no effect on her. Ron let her go, pulling away but she held onto his hand, fear in her eyes. "Please, don't leave me." He smiled past tears and whipped hers away.

"I wish I could stay, KP. I…I wish I could stay with you. But I can't."

"Why?" She pulled his hand to her chest, placing it over her heart. "I need you, Ron. Without you I…I was so confused and…" She hung her head, resting it on his hand. "I need you in my life."

"That didn't stop you from killing me." She looked up with shock to see his expression had turned rather dark, his voice low and full of venom. "It didn't stop you from calling me crazy, or from forgetting me completely! It didn't stop you from throwing me away on my birthday! Or how you fucked Josh just to get me off your mind." He jerked his hand away, wiping it on his shirt like he had just touched the vilest thing on earth.

"You were supposed to be my friend! Everything, everything I've ever done for you was out of love and look at what happened? This is all your fault. If you had just listened to me for once everyone would still be alive! If anyone deserved to die it's you. So shallow. The only reason you liked Josh was he looked good. You make yourself out to be some noble hero. You're pathetic, keeping yourself busy with missions and school so you can run from the fact inside you're just a scared little girl." He stood looking down at her, not yielding to her tears. "So scared of being alone. That no one will love you, that they'll forget you. Well I've been living like that for years. Our friendship was a joke." He turned his head and spit out what seemed like blood, then fell to the ground as if he was a doll.

Kim was frozen, his words suffocating her, her eyes unblinking. Grasping at her chest she stared into the blackness, chest heaving, mind racing.

"Wasn't that a great performance?" Josh stood next to the fallen Ron, bending down to move the smaller teen into a sitting position. "Makes you wonder which is the act, and which is the truth." Kim watched as Josh moved his hand and so did Ron. With a wave of his hand Ron stood, both staring down at Kim.

"Do you even know where one starts and the other ends?" The words came from both mouths. "Of course not, because out of the three of us you were the blindest of all. Love. Pathetic. All it does is blind you to the world around you."

With a nod from Josh, Ron moved in font of Kim, pushing her back, straddling her. She fought but her hits and punches seemed to have no affect, her struggle seemingly not nearly enough to free her from his unusual strength. Josh only laughed.

"What's wrong, Kimmie? You don't want to hurt, or remember. You don't want to feel alone, then why are you fighting? He is a man, isn't he? You've never noticed. He's human, with human needs…human desires. Won't he do just as good as any other man?" Her struggles became more desperate as his hand reached and explored under her shirt, his lips savagely kissing and biting her neck.

"Josh, stop this! This- this isn't real, Ron would never-."

"He wouldn't would he? All he's ever thought about was you but you didn't care. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to resist when your body calls. It's hard to burn for years on end. You never really noticed him at all!" Josh smiled as she screamed and fought as Ron's mouth moved lower.

"Don't you deserve this? It's the least you can do for him after everything he's done for you. Don't you deserve this after you killed him? After you ripped his body apart?!" 

"STOP IT!" Kim's scream rang out loud and echoed off unseen walls. Ron stopped and stood, stepping back from a gasping and violated Kim.

"I…I don't understand." Kim's words were so quiet, her eyes staring at the blackness above her.

"You still don't understand?" Forcing herself back into a sitting position, Kim's body trembled. Josh turned to Ron, Ron's form changing from a corporeal one to what could only be described as horrific. His throat, parts of his face, arms, legs and midsection were riddled with gashes, all beginning to bleed as if they were new. "This is your mind. This is you dealing with your guilt. These are the truths you've run from for years now. These are also your secret desires. It's what you've blinded yourself to." He moved closer, his face but inches from her face. "In the darkness behind your eyes you are never alone."

------------------

Kim sat up with a gasp, sending her pillows to the floor. After a few moments her senses returned and she found herself in a white room, on a white bed. The smell was so sweet and only the afternoon sun filtered thru the yellow-white shades. Standing from the bed, her head spun. A mirror from across the room reveled she was clad in just white cloth. One tied around her chest, the other tied loosely on her hips. Other than that there was nothing to protect her from the slight chill.

Walking to the reflective surface only one question came to mind: How the hell did she get here?

It was obvious she was at Josh's. The white was a dead give away. Quietly she crept from her room, heading downstairs, looking for some clue as to who may have been the one responsible for this. The house was still...dead quiet. The living room, kitchen, hallways and bedrooms laid as perfect and untouched as Josh had left them.

Her legs froze as his name triggered a flood of images. What if who ever brought her here knew? Fear soon had a tight grip on her heart. Maybe whoever it was would listen to her. No. She shook her head, a sad smirk on her face. They'd think she was crazy. They'd...they'd lock her away and call her a murderer.  And she'd be totally alone. Tears welled in her eyes as her realizations turned against her. That's what she did to Ron. She did that same thing, the thing she feared right now, and she did to her best friend.

Then something new dawned on her. What if he was telling the truth all along? It… it would explain why she was here--no. She saw Josh die; she watched as he was stabbed, he couldn't--A noise from the kitchen caught her attention. Sneaking around the corner she was welcomed by an empty kitchen, which remained motionless except for the swaying of a door, the door that lead to the basement. When she had walked past the threshold and on to the first step the door slammed shut and Kim turned around to pound on it.

"Kim, you've been a bad girl."

"Josh? You-You're ok? You gotta let me out, I have a bad feeling-." He laughed and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the basement door.

"You do? That's funny, I don't feel anything. Why don't you just relax a bit, Kim? I think you're a little high strung."

"What's going on?! Josh, I'm not going to ask you to open this door again."

"Kim, quiet. You're loud enough to wake the dead," and with that Josh laughed and walked from the door. He lingered in the kitchen savoring her yells and pounding. Kim had such a young healthy body, after all. She was perfect. He grinned and chose a special knife from the drawer. She was just the paragon he was looking for.

Walking back into the living room then up the steps he approached the forbidden room at the end of the hallway, taking in the air freshener smell as he opened it. Tucking the knife into his belt he sat gingerly on the bed.

"Mother, it's time to wake up."

Kim sat huddled on the top step, her knees pressed against her chest. Normally, dark basements were not a big deal for her, but this one was different. A part of her, something deep inside her screamed for her to get out, to run from this place as fast as she could. Being so lightly clothed didn't help from the unnatural cold that surrounded her.

Quick movements in the corners of her eyes, unexplainable noises, it was freaking Kim out to no end. How long had she been down here? It felt like hours though she knew it couldn't have been more than 10 minuets.

When Josh let her out he was going to get a piece of her mind for sure. Never had she felt so mad towards him. True, she was more than relieved he was ok, but he locked her down here. After what happened she needed to be held and reassured...not locked away and forgotten.

"Welcome home." Kim's heart froze as the words whispered in her ear. No one was there, but words were clear, yet barely there.

"Who's there?!" Her voice shook wildly. At the foot of the stairs she could almost make out the figure of a woman.

"He's going to kill you, you know." Kim scrambled farther into the corner, that urgent voice in her screaming for escape becoming much more loud.

"Stay back!" The figure stayed put.

"When he kills you this will be your home. You'll see this house as it really is. As your friend saw it." Kim's eyes went wide.

"My friend...? You mean Ron?" The figure nodded.

"You can't see him, can you?" It's question sounded almost sad, her head cocking to the side.

"What do you mean?"

"You can't feel his touch can you? He's trapped here. He wants to call out to you. But you won't be able to hear him." Kim's heart was racing. R-Ron was next to her? Was that what that tingle was? That feather soft sensation on her arm?

"Wh-why can't I hear him?"

"He is too close to your heart. You hear me because I am just a ghost and a reflection of your future."

"Stop talking in riddles, what is going on here?!"

"I was the last Paragon. And I was a failure. Your friend weeps for you now. There's nothing more he can do for you. I can't imagine being a spirit watching as the one he loves is taken to her death. It's a horrible fate."

"Wait, what do you mean by paragon? And-." Before Kim could ask another, the door opened letting Kim spill out, her back hitting the kitchen floor with a hard thud

"I see you've met Rose." Josh said with a smirk. Kim scrambled to her feet glaring at him.

"Josh what the hell is going on here?" He grabbed her wrist; squeezing it hard enough Kim could swear it'd break.

"Kim. Don't you trust me? I promised you a room here, didn't I? Let's go get you moved in." He walked from her, jerking her by her wrist.

"Josh! You-you're hurting me!"

"Don't worry, Kim. It's a good thing, pain is part of living." Before Kim could free herself they reached the living room and he shoved her onto the couch. Something hard brushed against her hand and Josh smiled at her scream. Next to Kim was a dried corpse, a woman who was dead for at least 5 years now.

"Kim, don't you know the first impression is the most important? Mother," Josh said to the corpse. "This is Kim Possible." He turned back to Kim. "Kim, this is my mother." Her stomach twisted into knots. "I know. She's kinda old...dried out, and dead. But not for long, see Kim, I've been looking for a long time for a body like yours. It had to perfect. A complete paragon. And, heh, your body is just right. Firm, sleek, tight. Just what I had in mind." Kim's eyes though they held tears held so much anger.

"Ron was right about you."

"Isn't that funny? Ron was right about me. Even before I gave him the ability to see into the realm of the dead on earth, he knew about me."

"You did that to him? You made him see all those things?!" Josh only laughed at her anger.

"I did. And my plan worked out. I figured he'd tell you exactly what he saw, being as honest and loyal to you as he was, and I knew you wouldn't believe him. I was hoping you'd doubt his words and turn your back to him. After all, why should you believe someone who loved you and risked his life for you for years?"

Josh stood and sat between Kim and his mother, taking Kim into a tight embrace, pinning her arms to her side. And she fought back, standing trying to throw Josh off of her, until something wet fell onto her shoulder. Kim glanced up to see the ceiling dripping blood. Josh took advantage of her distraction, sending her to the floor, positioning himself over her body.

 "The funniest part, Kim," Josh snarled as he took out the knife from his belt. He placed it ever so close to her throat, his scowl turned into a grin. "Even tho you called him crazy, labeled him a murderer and abandoned him in that stink pit of a hospital he still fought for you. When I came to visit him after you had hopped in the car with your mom, I had planned to kill Ron. And he was going to let me at first, after all you weren't going to listen and he couldn't do it alone. But I told him what I had planned and he fought back. And through determination he was able to find me, he was able to find a different kind of sight. Amazing, really. If my mother didn't need a female body, I would have used him."

"N-need a female bo-."

"That's right, Kim. I'm going to rip your soul from your body and then my mother will take your place." Terror shown in her eyes and Josh couldn't get enough. This incredible agony coming from her, the sound of her heart breaking, her shock, her fear. It was almost too wonderful to stand. 

"I have missed mother so much. See, you think you know about love, Kim Possible." His voice turned from mocking to hostile, the knife inching closer and closer to her paling flesh. Kim's mind was racing. She had to fight back, but she was so scared…and confused. For once she had lost all control over a situation and she had absolutely no idea what was going on. More than that she hadn't the energy to fight back, the past few days taking it's toll. Josh chuckled, continuing his rant.

"Heh. Love goes beyond hugs and kisses, it goes beyond life it's self, it goes beyond everything! 5 years ago, Kim. It was five years since I've lost the only one I've ever loved. My mother...sweet mother. She was the only one who ever loved me, who ever understood me! And she was so young. She was only sixteen when I was born. And I loved her, Kim. I loved her more than my dad." His face twisted into a dark expression as he thought about his words.

"She was lonely. I had to do something; I had to make her not feel lonely, so I comforted her. I gave her what she longed for. I was young then, but I knew exactly what I was doing. But my father...He came home, he caught us right here on that very couch."

The mental image made Kim gag.  There was something very wrong with Josh and she had to find a way to get out of this sitch. There had to be a way. The sun had finally set and in the dimness she could see a woman standing next to Josh. He looked up at her and smiled.

"He took my mother," He pointed to the ghostly white woman standing over them. "He took her-he dragged her upstairs into the bathroom and slit her throat." Tears welled in his eyes, falling on Kim's face.

"I killed him for it. I killed him for killing the only person I ever loved! And in that moment, in a dream the devil came to me and offered me a way to get her back. In return all I had to do was cause misery. That's all. Just misery, because you know when something bad happens to people they doubt god and blame him for it all. That's partly why I killed all those people in the sanitarium. They had families; they were mothers and brothers, sister and daughters. All of their families will mourn and ask god why he has forsaken them and the only thing the police can offer them is the name of your friend. He'll be remembered as one of the greatest serial murderers." He shook his head. "But it doesn't matter. Once I separate your soul I'll offer Ron's soul to hell. He was more than a nuisance, and Kim, you need to be punished. Knowing his eternal pain is your fault should be a proper fate." He leaned in close, his breath in her ear sent shivers down her spine. She could hear a soft chuckle come from twisted lips. "After all it was you who killed him in the first place."

That was it. Something cracked deep inside her and Kim let her head fall back, her resisting done. It was her fault. All of it her fault and she deserved to die. She had forsaken Ron and everyone was dead…if she had just listened to him, if she had just… Josh's words didn't meet her ears. She watched his lips move, watched him stand and begin writing stuff on the wall from a bucket of blood. Even as the blood from the ceiling splashed onto her face she didn't move. That was until she felt something touch her arm. A young woman with long black hair sat next to her, her semi-transparent hands stroking Kim's hair.

"Rose. What are you doing out of the basement?" The raven-haired specter raised her face to him.

"I am comforting her. She suffers enough, Josh." She turned her face back to Kim. "I once was here, where you lay. Josh had chosen me to harbor his mother's soul so they could continue their sacrilegious relationship."

"That is enough, Rose. Return to the basement at once!"

"But my body wasn't strong enough to complete the transfer. I died and now I'm trapped here, my agony fueling him and his powers. You need to fight back, Kim."

"Rose! I command you to go back to the basement!"

"You can still win, Kim. We believe in you; Ron and I. You have to stop him." Rose turned her attention to Josh who stood next to the two girls, knife held tightly in his hand. Glancing at Kim with sad ice blue eyes Rose disappeared, leaving Kim staring up helplessly at Josh.

Josh bent down and picked up Kim, sitting her on the couch.

"Here's the deal, Kim. You see this knife? It'll transfer the soul of my most loved one into the body of whomever I cut with it. I'm going to make an incision in your abdomen. From it your soul will be sucked away, and my mother's will enter, the transfer finishing by healing the wound behind her. And no one will suspect anything because to them it'll just be Josh Mankey and Kim Possible. No one will ever know the truth… Are you ready?" Kim didn't move. He smiled at her lack of response and stood, beginning a chant, his eyes tightly closed. She knew if there ever was a time to act it was now, but her body refused to move. It was over.

"What ever happened to 'I can do anything?'" Kim jolted at the words whispered in her ear. There was no one around, except for the specter of the woman who Josh referred to as mother and her corpse beside her. But it wasn't her words. That voice belonged to only one person.

"Ron…" The name spilled quietly over her lips.

"You can do it, KP. I believe in you." She blinked away her tears, her arms finally moving to wipe them away. Maybe there was a way out of this. Firstly she'd have to get the knife away from Josh. A new energy filled her, bringing the glow back to her eyes. Her mind was quickly formulating a plan. After all, she wasn't alone. She never was. Kim sat up, deciding that sweeping out his feet would be the best first move, but his Mother turned her way. Kim knew she'd alert Josh if Kim tried anything. Kim sighed and laid back on the couch as lifeless as before.

Once Josh had finished with his incantation every ghost, every drop of blood was easily seen. White was now a flowing red, the room was decorated with many faces, including Rose and next to her was Ron. His eyes were right on Kim's, glittering just like she had remembered them. Josh turned to her, lifting her like a doll from the couch. He supported her body with one arm, and held the knife high in the air with the other.

"Witness, you damned souls, the transformation! Life and death become one!" The knife came down at a dizzying speed, but not fast enough. Kim caught his wrist, grinning at his expression of surprise. With a few quick movements she sent him to the floor, the knife sent from his hand and towards the kitchen.

"You ruined my life, Josh, after I trusted you with all of me. I think it's time for some payback." Her fist met hard with his jaw, blood of his own spurting onto the already soaked carpet.

"KP, watch out!" Kim looked over her shoulder in time dodge the blade, Josh's mother slashing at Kim with a furious rage. Ron struggled to help, but he couldn't move from his spot, tied by Josh's incantation.

Arms soon surrounded Kim; Josh had gotten up and snuck behind her.

"Now, mother! Do it now!" As the woman moved the blade down Kim kicked it up, jerking free from Josh and catching it. Josh and the woman stepped back. There was a still pause of silence as it dawned on Kim. She grinned wide, rushing towards Josh, knife extended. If she could just land a blow then it'd be over. His hands had caught the blade, the two fighting over it. The other specters could only watch as the two of them fought, twisted and jerked on the handle of the knife. Someone's body and someone's soul was on the line. In a flash it happened, the metal passing through flesh.

The blood stripped it's self from the walls, the specters disappearing except for one. And as quickly as it had begun it was over.

The paragon had played its part.

--------

Mrs. G. Ometry couldn't help but sigh. Kim was such a strong girl. Despite losing her best friends and family, she was back in school in about a week. Good thing she had such a loving and supportive boyfriend. There wasn't a time she didn't see that Josh and Kim sitting with one another. Sure neither seemed as happy as they normally did, but there was definitely healing going on, and it was so beautiful. Ah teenage love…

Kim looked over at Josh, her note to be passed to him almost done.

"…and no one will suspect anything because to them it'll just be Josh Mankey and Kim Possible. No one will ever know the truth and I'm sorry, but think of it as that clean slate you always wanted.

Love you Ron,

~Kim."

The end.

Jao: Those of you who are still confused, Kim used the knife against Josh and Ron was transferred into his body. XD I hope that clears up any and all questions. Now they just have to get poor Rufus adjusted to it. XD Poor little guy, he's probably still in the Possible's house, going downstairs to get some snackage to find everyone murdered. I should have paid more attention to him.

I'm going to be making Paragon into a comic! Check out my Deviantart gallery for more details and even promo pictures. Also there's a new KP fic on its way. My last Kim Possible fic "Forever and a Day." It's a science-fiction romance story.

You all asked for a happy ending and here you go.

I hope you enjoyed this exceptionally long chapter, and Paragon as a whole.