WWLAOS: Monkey Fist returns in the next chapter, and Adam almost always feels like an ass. And as Ron pointed out, he doesn't want to blame him, but Adam's explanations never fully satisfied him. This chapter will correct that.
"We need to talk." Both said it at the same time, though each for a different reason. Ron started to open his mouth, but Adam held up a hand.
"Go first, I want to hear what you have to say." He spoke with a very firm grasp of what he wanted to say, without an sputtering or flubbing.
"Alright, I will." Ron nodded, equally determined. Standing in the living room, both barefoot on the dark green carpet, they were evenly matched, because neither would cheat if it came to a fight. Both suspected it would, though would never admit it. The furniture was gone from the room when they entered, though what had caused that, neither knew. "I asked you to come and help Kim when I got injured, because you were a good friend, that I wanted to see again, and because as much as she would never admit it, Kim needs someone else to help her. She can do anything, but she cannot do everything. I certainly couldn't help her, but I knew you could. It's what you do." Ron sighed.
"I didn't want you to brain wash her like you did. You stepped into being her partner, and then into her life. I don't see how I can blame you for it, because I couldn't blame Mankey either. At the same time, I want to blame you because I don't have anyone else to blame for it. It wasn't Kim's fault. Shego had nothing to do with it, even though she and Kim..." Ron shook his head. "What happened?"
"An accident, a mistake. I don't know." Adam shook his head, more than a little remorseful. "I don't think Kim even wanted to dive into the lake, but Genny convinced her to come with us. I knew Shego would, she's always game for a little fun, even if she's playing for the other side. I only invited Kim along to be polite. It just ballooned out of control from there. I kissed her, I admit it. I did it for reasons of an entirely selfish nature. I didn't deal with the memories as well as I could have. Instead of realizing there was nothing to be done about them, I built walls around my emotions, and a further wall around that, until I could feel only the most intense of emotions, and could block out the weaker ones. The walls are gone now, and I'm having a hard time dealing with the implications of the memories. I offer a choice now. Do you want me to change time?" He asked, with a quiet formality. "I can, I can change it so we never met in the first place, and let it go at that."
"I don't want you to do that, I like you, you're a nice person, and one worth knowing." Ron shook his head. "Once one strips away the facade of invulnerability you've built around yourself."
"That is a problem, isn't it. Suppose you can help me?" Adam asked.
"Help you?" Ron stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What do you mean, help you?"
"I cannot directly effect myself in the time line." Adam sighed. "The past me can't actually see the future me."
"How can I help?" Ron asked.
"You know what to say to punch through what's going to be going on, and can change that." Adam replied.
"And the time line? What happens to it?" Ron asked.
"It will bridge itself. Rebuild itself until everything comes back to this point. At this point, everything will remerge into this reality again. Both time lines will be valid for us, but for everyone else? No, they'll be oriented on the new timeline. Not everything will change either. Do you want to?" Adam asked, sounding not so much hopeful, as worried.
"Only if you want me to." Ron replied. Adam took a breath.
"Then let's do it."
