Put on your best dress darling
Can't you see the time is right
There will never be another tonight
If you got your motor runnin'
Then I got my engines on
Say the word and darlin' we'll be gone
Outside the world is waitin'
But we won't lose control
So come on now - let the good times roll
"There Will Never Be Another Tonight" by Bryan Adams
Divided We Stand
Bonnie was just putting the finishing touch on here outfit for the evening. It was beautiful silver locket Ron had given her for graduation. It had an intricate design around the shape of a heart. The locket went perfectly with her favourite dress. A sleek black number that hugged her curves perfectly and cut off just above her knees.
She looked in her full-length mirror and gave a little twirl. All in all she looked damn sexy. Even if she did say so herself.
This night had to be perfect. Despite all the time she and Ron had been together they had always been sneaking around. This was the first time they weren't hiding. Ron even made reservations at one of the best restaurants in town. They were going all out for this moment.
Bonnie was so caught up in her thoughts that the quiet knock on her door made her jump. Then she smiled knowing who it was and answered the door.
"Bonnie hey… wow… I mean… ah… wow!" Bonnie couldn't help but grin at his reaction. It was Ron's favourite dress too. She traced a figure sensually along his jaw line and then playfully pushed his jaw closed.
"We're going to be late. Just let me get my purse."
As Bonnie grabbed her matching bag from her desk a familiar chime rang through the air. Bonnie gave him an incredulous look, but at least Ron had the good sense to look sheepish as he pulled his black communicator out of his pocket.
"I forgot it was on." He told her apologetically as he activated it. "What's the what Wade?"
"Kidnapping in Europe. Throw in ransom and death threats for good measure. Sorry Ron, I know you had plans."
Ron shook his head and sighed. "Yah, thanks. Get me a ride, I'll be outside in ten."
With that he cut the connection and turned to Bonnie. A very angry looking Bonnie at that. "Ron! You can't be serous!?! This is supposed to be a special night for us!"
"I know, but it's not like I can just tell the bad guys to take a holiday. Well I could, but I doubt they would listen."
"There are people trained for this kind of stuff. Can't you call Kim and GJ?" Bonnie exclaimed.
Ron put his hands comfortingly on Bonnie's shoulders. "Yah, but I still have to go. This is who I am. You knew that long before we started dating."
The anger had faded from Bonnie's face only to be replaced by frustration and hurt. "I know. And the selfless thing is kind of charming. But is it too much to ask to just have a moment for us?"
"No. It's not. And I promise that I will make this up to you."
"You'd better." Bonnie said and she believed he would. He had yet to break a promise to her. "You'd better go or you'll miss your ride."
Ron nodded and headed for the door. Before he left he looked at her with a huge grin. "You do look damn sexy in that dress you know."
**********
Ron was surprised as his ride brought him to a huge mansion in the French countryside. And by huge he really meant huge. This place was bigger that most any of the elaborate homes he had been to over the years. In fact the only one bigger that came to mind was the Seniors' Island home.
"Well you can colour me impressed." Ron said into the mike of his headset. Wade had given it to him as a way to stay in more constant contact and still have his hands free. "This guy must really be loaded."
"Seventh richest man in the world Ron." Came Wade's reply as Ron walked to the front door. He was met by a butler who led him through the mansion. They stopped at a room that obviously belonged to a teenage girl. The room was in total disarray.
"Looks like she put up fight." Ron said to himself. "Good for her."
"Actually," Came a voice from behind him. "It always looks like that. You must be Ron Stoppable. My name is Adrien Benoit. This is were my daughter, Danielle, was taken from."
"Do you mind if I have a look around?"
"Please, be my guest." Ron went about the room taking in everything as Adrien explained the situation more. "The kidnappers want five hundred million dollars for my daughter. Normally that would be nothing compared to having my daughter back but…"
"You don't think they'll give her back." Ron filled in.
"Exactly. If they get their money why stop at just five hundred million? And would they still need her alive. You have to save my little girl!" Adrien nearly screamed having gotten more and more frantic.
"Don't worry." Ron said coming back up to him. "You'll get your daughter back."
Something by the window caught Ron's eye. It looked like a small piece of fabric with a dark stain on it.
"What's that?"
"Could be just what I'm looking for. Scan it Wade." Ron told his partner as he pulled out his communicator.
That scan was completed quickly and Wade's face came up on the small screen. "Done. The fabric is just from a cheap sweater. The stain however is from a type of ink used in an old printing press."
Ron thought for a minute and then one could almost see a light bulb go off. "There were a lot of old factories and warehouses in that town I passed through on the way here."
"Way ahead of you Ron. Here's the address."
"Kim's right. You do rock Wade."
Ron turned off the communicator and turned to Adrien. He was genuinely shock by the words that came out of the man's mouth next. "How much?"
"What?"
"To save my daughter. How much?"
"Sir." Ron said as he turned towards the door. "That's not how I work. I'll get your daughter back. No charge."
"I find people work better with the incentive of monetary reimbursement."
"Not everybody." Ron replied as he left. "Not me."
**********
It wasn't long before Ron was at the supposedly abandoned factory. Supposedly since there was a beat up van parked in front. It only took another minute or so to find a vent to crawl into. Seemed the safer way to go since he didn't know how many he was dealing with.
"Ah ventilation shafts. I know you well." He mumbled as he climbed in.
He moved through the shaft with a speed and silence that only someone who had done so many times could achieve. It wasn't long before he came to look down on a small room. A teenage girl was duct tape to a chair and looked absolutely terrified as two men argued over her fate.
"We should just kill her now and be done with it!" Thug one said.
Apparently thug two disagreed. "No! We may need her as a hostage later. Do you really want to give up our only advantage?"
Good point. Gonna be moot shortly, Ron thought. But still a good point. Thug one was apparently too dumb to realize it though, as he pulled a gun and levelled it at the girl.
"What no one knows won't hurt them."
"Sure it will." Ron said as he kicked the grate with all he had and sent it into thug one's face.
Quickly jumping down he grabbed thug two and delivered a vicious elbow into his face. He crumpled onto the floor unconscious as Ron kick the downed thug one so he could join his friend.
"Well that was easy." Ron stated as he went to untie the girl. He barely had time to register her eyes widen as he was suddenly launched bodily into the far wall.
Pushing himself to his feet Ron came face to face with what had to be the biggest, widest, giant of a man Ron had ever seen. Not wasting anytime he launched a punch into the giant's gut only to nearly break his hand. The giant didn't even flinch.
"Dude, I didn't mean it." Ron said nervously as he backed up.
Ron ducked under the giant's huge fist as it came thundering towards him. The punch connected with the cement wall behind him and took a chunk out of it. "Aw crap!"
"Alright. New strategy."
This time as the giant attacked Ron shifted to the side and kicked at his knee as hard as he could. The giant was forced downwards. As he came down Ron shot his hand into his throat. Seizing the opportunity Ron grabbed the nearest free object, a chair, and broke it on the giants head. He collapsed unconscious.
"That's all of them right?" Ron asked, turning to the still tied up and gagged girl. She nodded. "Oh thank god."
**********
After checking on his sleeping daughter one more time Adrien Benoit enter his living room. He sat in a chair across from Ron and the coffee table where the communicator was propped up with Wade's face on the screen.
"I'd like to thank you gentlemen again for saving my daughter. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost her."
"It's no big deal." Ron assured him. "It's just what we do."
"Be that as it may, I have opened an offshore account for each of you with a hundred thousand dollars deposited."
Ron nearly choked on his coffee hearing that. "I told you we don't want your money. That's not what this is about."
"Ah, Ron. Can I talk with you for a minute." Came Wade's voice through the communicator. Ron excused them and went to the other side of the room.
"What is it?"
"Well it's like this. I'm taking the money."
"What?!" Ron nearly screamed.
For his part Wade met him gaze for gaze. "Hey! All those fancy toys of yours cost money to make! This will keep me going for a while."
"That makes sense I guess. It still doesn't sit right though."
"Then don't use yours."
"Whatever."
**********
It was late. Real late. And Bonnie was irritated. Never a good combination. Then again being woken up by your boyfriend at all hours to go somewhere and not knowing where would irritate just about anybody.
She was now being led up a stairwell in her dorm building wearing a pair of sweets and a tank top. Ron had her keeping her eyes closed and she was getting more irritated with each step. It might have something to do with the missed date the other night too if she was completely honest with herself.
"All right Stoppable! Where the hell are we going at two in the morning! Can I open my eyes yet?!"
"Alright, you can open your eyes now."
Whatever Bonnie was expecting when she open her eyes it wasn't this. There on the rooftop of the dorm was a small table and two chairs. The table had two place settings with a delicious looking meal lit by candlelight. An ice bucket with a bottle of wine sat nearby.
"I know how much you wanted to go to that restaurant so I brought it to you."
Bonnie looked at the scene still stunned. The amount of thought and work alone to pull this off blew her mind. She was speechless. This was better than some fancy restaurant any day.
She turned to Ron as he pressed play on a portable cd player and a slow song began to play. He held his hand out to her. "May I have this dance?"
Bonnie took his hand and they dance. Right now, in this moment, they were completely content. It felt so safe, so right.
It was a perfect night. Not a cloud in the sky to block out the dazzling stars. That didn't matter though. It could have started to poor right then and it would still be a perfect night to them.