Disclaimer: Spider-Man and all characters related are property of Stan Lee and Marvel Enterprises. Kim Possible and al related characters are properties of Disney.

Chapter 10: Gwen Stacy

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"Love not looked for is love that shall be found."

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Ron was sleeping so well. Sure, there was a slight pain in his back, but whatever his head was laying on was so comfortable. He let out a small grunt when something poked him in the temple. It was still when whatever it was poked him again. "Go way, leave alone," Ron grumbled into his folded arms.

There was absolute still, then suddenly, an even harder poke. "What the?" Ron lifted his droopy head to see Kim smiling down at him from the head of the bed.

"Morning, Ron," Kim said softly, flicking him on the forehead one more time.

"Morning, KP," Ron yawned, stretching in Kim's computer chair. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, thanks to you and Spider-Man," She gave a small smile, "Still kicking myself for believing Josh was an ok guy."

"Josh had us all fooled," Ron said sympathetically.

"Didn't have you," Kim stated, running her hands through his unruly blond locks. "You tried to tell me the whole time, and look where that got us… got me."

"You made a mistake," Ron smiled, patting her thigh playfully before standing up, "Happens to the best of us: even me."

"At least Spider-Man got there in time before …" Kim couldn't finish the sentence as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, "I don't like being helpless …"

"You're not perfect, KP," Ron said, holding her shoulder with one hand and gently grasping her chin in his palm to make her look at him. "Kim, listen to me. You aren't perfect, but that's what me, your parents, and your other friends are there for. We got your back, KP; I've got your back."

"So, does that mean … you'll be my partner again?" Kim asked hopefully.

"One of the last things my dad said to me was," Ron said, glancing away from her, "With great power comes great responsibility. Some things have happened. I have other important responsibilities and … well … I can't anymore because of it."

"Oh, my God …" Kim brought her hands to cover your mouth, "Is Felicia pregnant?" she asked, causing Ron to fall out of his chair.

"NO! I mean, I don't think so," Ron said, quickly knocking on Kim's wooden night table, "It's … it's really complicated really … but not THAT complicated."

"Then what is it?" Kim asked as Ron looked away, "Ron, please, we never used to have secrets"

Ron looked back at Kim, his best friend for as long as he could remember, and climbed up to sit across from her on her bed. "Do you remember I believe it was our junior year, when I went out spreading 'Ron-shine' and visited Mr. North?"

"Yeah, he had you believe he really was a retired superhero, and you went out fighting crime in spandex," Kim gave a wistful smile, "How could I forget your bu- that?" She then furrowed her brow, "You haven't gotten back in with that senile old man, have you? Do I have to give you BOTH reality checks again?"

"No, I've gotten enough reality checks lately, thank you very much," Ron shook his head. "But seriously, Kim … I … well you see … I'm … uh … I'm Sp-"

"Kimmie, it's time for breakfast if you're up for it!" Mrs. Possible yelled from the base of the stairs to her room.

"We'll talk later, Ron," Kim said, climbing stiffly out of bed and moving quickly toward the steps. "I'm starved!"

Ron just watched her go. "KP, the truth is, I'm Spider-Man. I go out in red and blue spandex and swing around by some kind of sticky substance that shoots from my wrist and I stick to walls… Great." Ron grumbled as he got up and followed Kim out of the bedroom.

Kim and Ron entered the kitchen to find her brothers and Mr. Possible already seated at the table while Mrs. Possible was busy frying eggs and bacon.

Kim and Ron sat down across from her brothers when Mr. Possible closed his paper and smiled at the teenagers. "You ok, Kimmie; did Joshua hurt you?"

"Tried, but failed," Kim forced a shrug. "Spider-Man saved me before he could do anything… permanent."

"Yes… of course, thank goodness for Spider-Man," Mr. Possible said, turning his attention to his wife finishing breakfast. Ron stared at him, noticing his spider-sense acting up slightly as well as a bit of sarcasm in the elder man's words.

"So, Ron," Mrs. Possible said, carrying the plates to the table, "Kimmie's planning on attending Upperton University this fall; what are you planning?"

"I'm really not sure, Mrs. Dr. P," Ron said, biting off a chunk of bacon. "I don't really have a great GPA, so it'll be hard getting into any good colleges, but…" He drifted off when he read the headline of Mr. Possible's Daily Bugle: Reward for pictures of Spider-Man! "I was thinking about something in photography actually…"

Ron quickly swallowed his eggs and bacon and climbed to his feet, "Well, thanks for breakfast Mrs. Possible, but I've got things to do today! I'll talk to you tonight, KP!" Ron said, hopping around the redhead and bounding out the door.

"Ron! Wait, I thought… we were going to talk…" Kim drifted off dejectedly.

She then stood up from the table, "There's something I have to do now, too." She said, running up her bedroom and taking her cordless phone and began dialing Felicia Hardy's phone number.

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"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-" Spider-Man dragged out as he swung fast and hard between two of the taller buildings in Middleton, "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He finished as he spun three times before settling on a flagpole and did a small salute toward the digital camera he had placed on the side of the building.

"Alright, let's see what I've got," the webhead said, picking up the camera and squatting on the side of the building.

He looked at the pictures in the camera, "Alrighty then, on to the Smarty Mart photo center and then to Upperton! GO, WEB!" He chuckled as he swung away from the building.

The web slinger swung to his favorite supermarket and crawled into the ventilation system, making his way to the bathrooms and changing into street clothes as he went. After a minimal fuss when he found out it was the ladies' room instead of the men's, he made it to the instant photo center.

Once he had the best shots placed on big prints, he once again exited to the roof and began swinging toward the bus station. "Next stop: Daily Bugle Building," Spider-Man said, latching onto the roof of an Upperton bound bus.

---

Kim Possible leaned against the side of the Bueno Nacho building with her arms crossed over her chest. Her red hair was pulled in a ponytail and waving in the springtime breeze.

"You called, Kimmie?" Felicia asked with an obviously fake smile as she approached the girl who still didn't look up to meet the platinum haired young woman.

"Stop," Kim stated coldly, still not looking up.

"Stop what?" Felicia asked, glancing at the girl in confusion.

"Stop the act," Kim snapped, glaring up at the girl, "Which you stop I don't care, just stop. Stop stringing Ron along or stop being Black Cat."

"Should have known," Felicia smiled strangely. "Shouldn't be surprised the Girl Who Can Do Anything would figure me out." She said, slinking toward Kim slowly.

"I just don't want Ron to be hurt," Kim stated, worry beginning to appear in her eyes. Of all the reactions she expected from Felicia, this wasn't one of them.

"Oh, really?" Felicia asked, placing both hands on the side of the wall and cornering Kim.

"Yes, he's my best friend and I don't want a bitch like you hurting him," Kim spat angrily, but the anger gulped down as Felicia pinned her to the building by pressing her body to hers.

"I don't think that's it at all, Kimmie," Felicia purred, letting her forehead rest on Kim's clammy one. "Am I making you uncomfortable, Kimberly?" the silver haired beauty asked with a chuckle, "But I think your only problem is jealousy. You're jealous of me and Ron having sex."

"Je-jealous of you?" Kim forced a chuckle, despite the fact her body was pressed between the wall and Felicia's tone yet soft body. "As if …"

"I never said jealous of me, silly," Felicia grinned evilly. Kim opened her mouth to ask what she was talking about, but instead widened her eyes as Felicia pressed her lips to hers.

---

Ron walked along the sidewalk toward the main office of the Daily Bugle Newspaper, following the map he brought with him. "This must be the place …" Ron said, looking up at the tall building with the Daily Bugle logo on the side.

Ron gripped his folder with the photos to his side and entered the building. He rode the elevator nervously all the way to the main floor. He stepped out on the busy news room floor and went to the Editor's reception desk. "Um … hello?" Ron asked nervously.

"May I help you?" the pretty redhead asked with a bubbly smile.

"Yes, I … umm, have some pictures … of Sp-Spider-Man and … uh, was wondering if I could … ya know," Ron stammered, "Show them to the head honcho?"

"Mr. Jameson," the receptionist spoke into an intercom, "Got a kid with pictures of Spider-Man."

"This better be good," the voice came through the speaker, "Send him in!"

"You can go right in, kiddo," the woman smiled, "Be strong."

Ron walked into the Editor's office to find a suited man with clean-cut, graying hair and a postage-stamp mustache behind the desk; before the desk was an older, African-American man also in a suit standing beside a young, blond headed girl, not a year older than Ron. The man at the desk was talking on the phone and to the two others at the same time.

"Hello? No, dear, I don't care if what wallpaper you want; go with the light red!" he said, slamming the phone before his wife could reply, "Ok, now, she should go with the navy blue. Robbie, do we have a headline for the night edition yet?"

"Not yet, Jonah, but…"

"Stacy, have you got any new reports on that freak?" he asked, turning to the girl.

"Yeah, he fought a guy in a green suit at the Middleton High Prom last night, haven't got any actual interviews yet." The girl stated, folding her arms across her chest.

"Good, post the best shot we have of the web-headed freak and put: 'Wall-crawler Terrorizes Local Prom!'" Mr. Jameson ordered, "And get your butt down to Middleton and find out what happened; ask Kim Possible. She's usually got her nose stuck up every costumed freak's ass around that area."

"On it, boss," the girl said, turned and walked out of the room, but slowed to look Ron up and down before giving him a wink then walking past.

"You, YOU'RE FIRED!" Mr. Jameson bellowed, pointing at Ron.

"B-but I don't even work here …" Ron gulped. "I don't even have a job yet!"

"Good," J. Jonah Jameson stated, sitting back and putting a cigar in his mouth and puffing on it, "Disappointment is a part of life. Better get used to it early on."

Ron blinked and stared at the man, "What do you want?" Jameson asked, ruffling through his papers.

"I saw your advertisement this morning and I've got some shots of Spider-Man if you're interested." Ron said.

"Let me see," Jameson said, holding out a hand, but not looking up. Ron placed the folder in his hand, and the man opened it. "Don't stand there like a damned retard, sit your ass down."

Ron blinked again but did as instructed. "Crap," Jameson said as he flipped through the pictures, "Crap … crap … double crap… more crap … I'll give you seventy five for the set."

"Isn't that a little low?" Ron asked.

"Take it or leave it." Jameson said coldly.

Ron shrugged and reached for the folder, but the man swatted his hand away. "One hundred."

"That's a bit better …" Ron said, smirking inwardly, "But you know … National Inquirer offered me one-fifty …"

"One seventy five!" Jameson said quickly.

"Pretty good," Ron nodded, thinking of the magazine and paper names he knew. "But you know, Time offered me two fifteen …"

"Two fifty!" Jameson exclaimed.

National Geographic actually wanted them, too … now that I remember," Ron rubbed his chin, "They offered me three seventy five."

"Four hundred dollars and fifty cents!" Jameson bellowed, standing up, "Final offer!"

"I'll take it … plus a job." Ron nodded.

"You a senior?" Jameson asked, and Ron nodded, "Get a diploma, come back and you'll have a job."

"Look forward to working with you, Mr. Jameson," Ron reached out to shake his hand.

"You drive a hard bargain, Mister …" Jameson questioned.

"Stoppable, Ron Stoppable," Ron introduced as Mr. Jameson shook his hand.

"I like you, kid," Jameson grinned, "Feel privileged."

"Thanks, Mr. Jameson … I think …" Ron said unsurely.

"Give this to the receptionist; see you after graduation," Jameson nodded.

---

Ron exited the building with the four hundred dollar and fifty cent check in his hand and a smile on his face. "Hey, Ron Stoppable?" a voice called from the curb, and he looked up to see the blond from the office sitting in the driver's seat of a convertible sports car. "You are Ron Stoppable, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me," Ron said with a faint blush. He looked over the girl. She was dressed in a black dress that showed her curves that were somewhere in between Kim and Felicia. Her hair was held out of her blue eyes by a black hair band.

"The name's Gwen Stacy; you have a ride back to Middleton?" she asked.

"I was going to swing back to the bus station and get a ticket, other than that idea," Ron shrugged, "not really."

"Then hop in, handsome, I'll give you a lift. I'm on my way there to do JJ's 'Spidey-Report'." Gwen said.

"Sure," Ron said after thinking a moment, "I appreciate it."

"Believe me, Ron, the pleasure's all mine," Gwen grinned as Ron got into the car with her.

Gwen sped toward the interstate between the two towns, and they were quiet for a while before she finally spoke up. "So, Ron …" she asked, grabbing his attention. "Got a girlfriend?"

"Yes, actually," Ron said shyly, though he didn't know why.

"Let me guess," Gwen grinned, "Kim Possible?"

"Wrong," Ron chuckled, "Don't know why everyone thinks that."

"Well, if it's not your partner in anti-crime, then who?" Gwen asked curiously.

"Doubt you know her, her name's Felicia Hardy." Ron said, glancing up when Gwen hissed through her teeth. "What is it?"

"I've heard of her actually and not good things," Gwen stated, "That kitten has sharp claws. She milks guys for what she wants and then cuts their hearts out. Not literally, of course," Gwen shrugged, "I've even followed a few hunches connecting the girl with the thief called 'Black Cat'."

"Really?" Ron asked with a hint of concern in his eyes.

"Yup, better be careful with that one, Ronnie," Gwen advised, "I'd hate to see a good guy like you hurt."

"Thanks," Ron said, quietly thinking about what he'd heard.

To Be Continued …