Thanks for the kind words to: SestrenNK, LKillingsworth, and Widow Shark
Note: I've gone back over the previous chapters and tightened up one or two things. One noteable point is that Monique is now no longer married at the ten year reunion, but rather, the person she is with is her boyfriend. Of course there will be a reason for this. Also fixed some of the structure, etc. since I'm such a raging noob. To all who have been so kind as to leave a review, I do intend to read your stuff at some point, but right now I have this story rattling around in my brain and I gots to get it out. "It consumes me, Darling(s), as only hero work can."
So, curious about how big a creep Ray really is? Read on:
Chapter 5
Sleep had not come easy for Kim. And when she finally did fall asleep, waking up proved to be even more difficult. She wanted more than anything else in the world to stay in bed for days, never leaving her room. Emotionally numb, she showered and dressed, ate her breakfast in silence, and accompanied her mother over to the Stoppable house.
Having been an only child; Ron's room, his things, anything that was Ron's, had been pretty much left alone. Walking into that house was like stepping into a museum of the history of Ron Stoppable. Kim would need some support. She called Raymond, apologized for waking him up and asked him to meet her at Ron's house.
"OK…yes, of course I'll be there. No, don't worry about it, I'll just work late again…what's the address?… OK, I'm just gonna shower and eat breakfast. I'll be there as soon as I can…yeah…no problem…I love you too, Kim", Ray hung up the phone and sat at the edge of the bed.
"'I love you too, Kim!'" she said mockingly, rolling over to look at him.
"Knock it off," he growled, "Don't pretend you're not enjoying this."
"Of course I'm enjoying it," she confirmed, "And I intend to enjoy it to the fullest."
He brooded, looking at her. Ray usually didn't stand for disrespect from his women, but he was willing to let a little insubordination slide when they were as beautiful as she was. Same went with Kim.
He had fallen in love with Kim Possible the second he laid eyes on her. At least, it was love as Ray understood it, which to him meant: someone he wished to posses. He'd seen her on TV, accepting her Nobel award, and - realizing this was the same Kim Possible who used to be a superhero - resolved to make her his. Women were always throwing themselves at Ray, but he knew with Kim it would be different. She wasn't hung up on appearances or status. He would have to pretend to listen to her, pretend to care about what she was saying. He'd have to learn to be patient and attentive. He knew it was going to be a lot of work but just the idea that he could prop such a beautiful woman up in front of the world and declare "this belongs to me" made it all worth it. Kim Possible would be the ultimate trophy wife.
He spent a year studying her, reading up on everything he could about her. He had a degree in engineering and thought it could be put to use in her lab, which would put him closer to her. So he moved to Middleton and hired a private investigator who found out for him the things he couldn't learn from the media. The most important bit of information was that she hadn't had a steady relationship with anyone since college. Furthermore, the college relationship had been with that idiot sidekick of hers and ended just days before they were to be married.
Something like that, Ray knew, could seriously damage a person, so he decided the best angle would be to play the caring boyfriend. He practiced sounding like one in front of a mirror and was pleasantly surprised to discover he was pretty good at faking sincerity. When he wanted to, he could sound like an attentive listener. In fact he experimented with a few women, and got so proficient at it, he began timing the hours between the point in which he introduced himself to a woman, and the minute she told him she loved him. His record was 36 hours, but he didn't really count it officially. That one had some serious emotional baggage and was looking for the right man to save her from the misery of being herself. Pathetic. Last he'd heard of her, she'd taken her own life. Whatever.
His plan went off beautifully. Knowing he'd be turned down for the job, he went back to her lab the next day to ask her out. This would establish in her mind that he'd just met her and wanted to know her better. Ray knew that the best way into Kim's life was through her father. When the private investigator called and told him Dr. Possible was on his way to his daughter's lab, he showed up a half hour later and introduced himself. Handshake, short conversation, got the job.
"At least I won half the battle" he said to her, grinning.
She giggled and blushed in response. Bingo.
After that it was a matter of going through the motions. Take things slow, and eventually she would belong to him. There were two things he hadn't counted on, however. The first was her near-obsession over her relationship with Ron Stoppable. She was open and honest with him about it, sharing her deepest hurts and how she felt Ron had been 'The One'. Sometimes, though, listening to her simpering 'poor me' stories about Ron made him want to chew glass. How could such a loser have such an effect on such a gorgeous woman?
The second thing he hadn't counted on was Kim being such a prude. The most she ever let Ray do was kiss her, and even that wasn't very often. It was frustrating, and at one point he assumed she used abstinence as a test of his commitment. So if he wanted her, he'd have to wait for her. Oh, but the things he thought about doing to her…
Cheating on her hadn't been part of the plan. He considered it a bonus. One night, after yet another seemingly endless conversation about Ron, Ray excused himself on the pretense he needed to get an early night's sleep, and left her apartment. Didn't matter to him where he was going, he just needed to calm his nerves after listening to the chalkboard/fingernail experience that was Kim's past. Outside, he spotted a car with a shadowy figure behind the wheel, staring at Kim's apartment building. Concluding it was yetanother nosy reporter, or worse, one of Kim's many admirers who sometimes brought flowers, or candy or marriage proposals (OK, he admitted to himself, he liked the admirers. Such pathetic losers gave him the opportunity to play the protective fiancé, and he got to tell them all how she belonged to him), he stalked over and rapped on the window.
What he found in the car, however, was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever laid eyes on. When he introduced himself as Kim Possible's fiancé, she seemed to become very interested in him. The fact that she'd just recently gotten out of jail intrigued him. How did such a hottie become a criminal? He asked her if she wanted to get a drink, and it went from there.
Now, here she was, lying in his bed the morning after the death of Ron Stoppable. She had a malicious grin on her face.
"Something funny?" he challenged her.
"Just this whole situation," she said, "It's quite entertaining. You amuse me."
He glared at her, "I ought to smack you for that."
"I'd just smack you back," she said calmly. She was laying on her left side with her head propped up by her left hand. She raised her right hand above her and - never taking her eyes off him – balled it up into a glowing green fist. The glow accentuated her pale green skin, and danced in her green eyes. It seemed the only thing not green about her was her waist-length raven-black hair.
"Better go," she told him, "Your princess is waiting."
He said nothing, got up, and stomped out of the house. The sound of her chuckling followed after him.
"Thanks so much for coming," she said with a melancholy sigh.
"What else would I do?", Ray asked her, "You need me, I come running, that's how this relationship works."
Kim put her arms around him and kissed him gratefully, "I don't deserve you."
He said nothing, but pulled her to him in a loving embrace. She looked up at the blue sky, the clouds, the smashed remains of the treehouse…
The treehouse had become a favorite meeting place for them. Ron had painted the word 'other' between the words 'no' and 'girls' on the 'no girls allowed' sign. Kim had been a little embarrassed but also a little flattered. They came here when they wanted to get away from the world.
They didn't always come up here to make out, though they did plenty of that. Sometimes it was just to be together, talking, holding hands, or just enjoying the intimacy that comes when you're with someone you love. The relationship was settling into a comfortable romance. In fact, the only thing that seemed different about their relationship from the way it always had been was the sharp increase in physical affection between them.
Lately, the missions had become less frequent. They'd had a confrontation with Dementor and had thwarted Kilgore, who'd smashed his way into a top secret lab in the Italian Alps. Even the media couldn't resist calling his enhanced personae 'Goliath'.
Drakken was riding the extradition train. Thanks to the destruction caused by his Diablo-bots, just about every country on earth intended to put him on trial. He discovered that the one thing worse than failing miserably at taking over the world, was almost succeeding at it. He would be in jail for a long, long time.
Ron enjoyed a mild upswing in popularity at school thanks to a couple of factors. The party at Drakken's lair had become something of a legend at Middleton High; Ron's classmates raved about its success, while class members below the Senior level talked about it in awed tones. In addition, Ron was dating a cheerleader, who also happened to be the most desirable and seemingly unattainable girl at Middleton High. Ron's classmates looked at him differently these days.
Unfortunately, so did some of the females. Lunchtime one day, Kim had to go to the study hall to finish up a term paper. Jessica was flirting with Ron in the cafeteria within earshot of Bonnie. Ron had no intention of going any further than light flirting, but he was enjoying the attention, so he didn't put a stop to it either. Bonnie spread the rumor that Ron may already be tiring of Kim; spread it as fast as her jaw could flap. When the rumor reached study hall, Kim tried to ignore it. While she believed Ron was faithful to her, it was a little embarrassing to know he was flirting with a girl in public. No one likes to be whispered about in the school hallways.
Immediately after school in a crowded Senior Hall, Kim confronted Bonnie about the rumor.
"I can't help it if Ron has gottentired of you," Bonnie said with a little more venom than usual.
"He was just flirting," Kim insisted, "It didn't mean anything."
"Then why are you so upset?" Bonnie asked innocently.
"Maybe she's getting tired of your attempts to jam a blade in her back", came Ron's voice from a few feet away. The rumor had just gotten to him and he, too, decided Bonnie could use some talking to. His raised voice resulted in a hushed Senior Hall. Everyone waited to see if Bonnie would verbally savage Ron.
He didn't give her a chance. "Kim," he said turning to face the redhead, "I guess I got a little carried away. Girls usually don't pay me that kind of attention. I didn't realize what it might do to you. Forgive me?"
"Always", she said, taking his hand and squeezing it.
"Oh, and Bonnie," Ron said turning to her, "Just because Jessica wanted a slice of Stoppable Pie doesn't mean I was going to give her any. How's Brick these days, or should I ask Monique?"
Kim and Ron walked away leaving Bonnie to stew in her own fume.
"What do you say we hit the treehouse?" Kim asked teasingly, "I think I'd like a slice of Stoppable Pie."
"You should try it with whipped cream", he suggested helpfully.
It was the warmest part of a late Spring afternoon, bees droned about the yard, while large puffy clouds lumbered across the sky. The treehouse was their cozy afternoon hideout. Ron sat on one end of the couch with one foot on the floor, and the other up against the back of the couch. Kim was curled up against him with his arms around her. They were each thinking their own thoughts, enjoying the closeness of each other and the comfortable silence between them.
The prom was behind them; graduation was coming, and then the summer. Next fall seemed far away, and they were both thankful for that. Kim had been accepted to Go City University (Home of the Gofers) as a pre-med major with a full scholarship. Unfortunately for Ron, his GPA came back to haunt him. It would take a couple of years atLowerton Community College to pull his grades up to University standards, but when he did, he would transfer to GCU to be with Kim. They both dreaded the day when they would have to go to separate schools, but they would see each other as often as they could, and there was always the hero work. Team Possible would not be shut down just because they were graduating. Ron still wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. The thought caused a sigh to escape his lips.
"You ok, Babe?" Kim asked drowsily.
"I'm fine," Ron replied, "Just thoughts about the future. College."
"Let's not think about that right now," she protested softly, "Everything will work out. I want to enjoy our afternoon."
She turned in his arms, leaned her face close to his and kissed him gently. They held each other like this for a moment, and then she laid her head on his chest.
"I promise we'll talk about it. Maybe tonight", she said, a thought occurring to her, "Why don't you come over for dinner and afterward we'll talk about what's bothering you."
"That'll work." Ron agreed. They fell back into silence. She caressed his chest and listened to his heartbeat. He stroked her hair, watching the way it fell about her shoulders and almost down to her hips. They both wished it were somehow possible to stop time altogether and just live forever in one moment.
The wall opposite the couch shattered with a thunderous crack. Startled, they both tumbled to the floor. Kim scrambled to the square hole in the floor to peer out. Another blow came and the damaged wall was obliterated in a shower of splinters and pieces of wood. There, at eye level with the treehouse, stood Goliath Kilgore.
He grabbed the tree trunk and shook it vigorously, rattling the two teens inside. Peering in, he roared in anger and tried to grab Ron with his massive fist.
"Go",Ron shouted to Kim, "I'll keep him busy."
Kim slipped through the floor and shimmied to the ground. She pulled out the Kimunicator.
"What's up?" Wade appeared on the screen.
"Kilgore's here" Kim said frantically, "He's trying to hurt Ron."
Kilgore had Ron by one leg and pulled him from the treehouse. Ron flailed about, yelping helplessly.
"I believe the effects of the Molecular Enhancer can be reversed with a burst of static electricity. The electrical field should trigger a cascade failure of the Enhancer at the molecular level." Wade explained hurriedly.
"Great, how do we do that?"
"The Kimunicator's batteries should do the trick", Wade replied, "The problem is, Kilgore has to be in direct contact with the battery just as it discharges. I can set the battery on a timed delay, but you've got to find a way to get that thing into contact with Kilgore without him brushing or throwing it away."
Kilgore dropped Ron and turned his attention to Kim. She whirled around, ran straight up the trunk of the tree, pushed off and somersaulted over Kilgore. As she did so, she tossed the Kimunicator into the treehouse. Kilgore turned to follow her.
"Ron!" Kim shouted to him, "Get the Kimunicator! Wade will explain everything!"
Kim squared off against Kilgore while Ron climbed back up into the treehouse. Wade briefed Ron as quick as he could. Ron looked wildly about, he was searching for something specific.
Kim dodged and ducked Kilgore's attempts to smash her into the ground. She was trying to lead him away from the treehouse, and having some success, when she heard Ron's muffled voice.
"Hey! Short stack! What's wrong? Planet not small enough for ya?"
Kilgore turned and bellowed at the treehouse. Kim smacked her forehead with her hand. Was Ron actually taunting a sixteen foot tall muscle-bound giant?
"Yeah, that's right Jimminy Cricket, I'm talking to you! Careful where you walk around here, you might get stepped on!" Ron hollered.
Kilgore bellowed and crashed a fist into the treehouse. Kim watched in horror as Goliath reigned blow after blow on the structure until it was barely a wooden platform in a tree. She looked up and saw, standing on that platform, Ron with his slingshot drawn tight.
"Booyah, little man!", Ron cried firing the slingshot.
In mid-flight, the battery suddenly glowed a bright white, striking Kilgore on the left shoulder. The monster cried out in fury and pain as bolts of electricity began to play across his massive form. Three seconds later, Professor David Kilgore's diminutive form was lying in the grass, unconscious. Wisps of acrid smoke drifted up from various parts of him. The Molecular Enhancer on his wrist was fused and clearly inoperable. Later, when the police came to haul him away, they wouldn't be able to remove it.
Kim ran over to the tree and looked up at Ron. He was bruised all over, and bleeding from a deep cut on his right forearm, but otherwise he was OK. He looked down and smiled.
"Help me out with something," he asked her, "Is it 'irony' or 'coincidence' that a Jewish kid just took down a giant called Goliath with a slingshot?"
She laughed. "I'd call it 'spankin'!"
Ron seemed to have gained a certain confidence in himself lately. Whether it was because they were in love, or that he was simply growing up, she couldn't tell. Whatever it was, she liked it.
About mid-day, Ray had to excuse himself and get to the lab. Already work was piling up, and with Kim's father taking a few days off, he was going to have to put in some long hours down there.
Mr. Stoppable set about making funeral arrangements while Kim and her mother did their best to console Mrs. Stoppable, and each other. The police came by to ask a few of the usual questions; who were Ron's enemies, did anyone have a grudge against him, etc. Stoppable relatives began arriving in the afternoon. Kim and her mother felt it would be best to get out of the way for awhile so they excused themselves and drove home.
Kim sighed heavily as they got in the car, "I don't know what I would have done if Raymond hadn't been there this morning. This all feels so overwhelming."
"Ray's a good guy" her mother agreed, "Have you guys talked about the wedding?"
"He thinks we should go ahead as planned", Kim told her and explained his reasons.
"That actually doesn't sound like such a bad idea", Kim's mother observed, "Maybe a nice wedding would be a good way to put this behind us."
"Yeah", Kim said unconvincingly, "But what about the Stoppables? I don't want to hurt them."
"I think they'd understand, Honey. They love you as much as they ever loved Ron. If you're happy, then they'll be happy for you."
"I guess so", Kim said and then fell into silence. The idea that the Stoppables loved her like a daughter brought fresh waves of emotional pain and she felt she had done all the crying she could do that day.
In truth, the wedding was furthest from her mind at the moment. She kept going over the events of the previous night. The word 'Deathray' played over and over like a looped track in her thoughts. Who was he? Why did he want to kill her and Ron? Did he know where she lived?
After dinner that night, Kim sat on her bed with the Kimunicator in her hands. She'd grilled the twins on everything they knew about Lord Deathray, but information was scarce. She had a hunch Wade might know something. That is, if Wade was still around. She hadn't talked to him in a few years. After she quit hero work, they had stayed in touch, but the correspondence became less and less frequent. When the twins set up their own operation, Wade seemed hurt they didn't need him, though he insisted everything was cool. After awhile they simply fell out of contact with each other.
She pressed the 'send' button on the Kimunicator. It beeped a few times.
He sat staring at the monitor, torn about what to do. He knew she would try to contact him in light of what had happened. But he'd made a deal with Ron…
Oops! he thought angrily, I mean 'Ronin'.
The deal was: No contact with Kim if he and Wade were going to work together. Initially, Wade didn't really see a problem, since he and Kim never talked anyway. It had been several years since their last conversation. But he never thought Ron would do something so idiotic as fake his own death. He knew Ron was still in love with her. He knew how much it pained Ron to think she would be marrying someone else. But he also knew Ron was the one who had ended their relationship in college. Whatever his reasons were, he never shared them with Wade.
Wade punched a few buttons, cutting off the signal from the Kimunicator. He had given his word, yes, but it was more than that. In some ways, Ron had saved his life, and he owed Ron big time.
Oops! He thought mockingly, I mean, 'Ronin'.
In the deep twilight, she stood atop the roof of the Possible house, looking out over Middleton. A sudden thunderstorm had moved in, seemingly from nowhere. It brought back memories of Drakken's weather machine, the janitor, the Vacrometer, and Ron as a spy. There was barely a memory she had in her life that didn't involve Ron Stoppable in some way.
She looked down at herself. At least the battlesuit still fit. She had her grappler, some knockout gas, and one or two other tools. The twins promised to make her a few things, maybe tweak up the suit.
The rain began to pour.
That afternoon in the Stoppable's kitchen, crying her eyes out with Ron's mother, she felt so helpless. She hated that feeling. She hated Deathray even more. Hunting him down would help her make some sense of the loss of Ron Stoppable. She clenched her fists and made a silent vow.
Lightning ripped the sky.
Thunder shook the earth.
Kim Possible had come out of retirement.
