Kim Possible and Street Hawk: Confrontation p 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible, Street Hawk or Thunderbirds. Wish I did though.
Brick's Departure and Monique's Surprise
Back in Middleton, Brick had just finished packing his belongings and proceeds to leave his 'family's house. Since he had reached Legal age, he had been considering moving out of the house he was raised in. The situation with Monique increased his resolve, allowing him to move out, quietly and with dignity.
His parents were not in the house at the time, allowing him the privacy he needed to move his belongings out of the house. He takes one last look around the house, nods and smiles proudly, confident he had made the right decision for himself. He then takes his house key off of his keyring, slams it onto the table and walks out the door, slamming it closed after ensuring it's locked.
He then walks toward Mr. Barkin's vehicle, his head held high. Inside the car, Steve Barkin and Lisa Madigan nod quietly as Brick opens the door and gets in. Mr. Barkin then asks, "You sure you want to do this, Flagg?"
Brick nods and replies, "More than anything, Mr. Barkin. More than anything." Steve nods, sticks his hand out the window and waves it forward. A United States Army Five ton drives past Steve's compact and he pulls out right behind it.
Steve knew about Brick's unhappiness and helped him the best way possible. Enlistment in the Armed Forces. Brick elected to go into the Marine Corps, sinking Steve's spirits. But only slightly, for Steve knew that the Marine Corps would be just the thing to help Brick get himself back together on the inside.
The two men and one woman ride in silence until Brick says, "I sent Monique a good-bye message last night. She'll know I went into the Military, but she doesn't know what branch or my intents, nor does she need to. It'll keep her safe, the less she knows, the better."
Steve nods and says, "If you like, I can talk to her for you from time to time."
Brick smiles and says, "Thanks, Mr. Barkin. I'll stay in touch as much as I can."
"You do that, Flagg. I'll even tell Stoppable you said good-bye. Same thing with Possible and Rockwaller. Even though Stoppable and Possible are married now, I'll always think of them as very inseparable friends."
"Yeah, me too, Mr. Barkin." With that, the two vehicle convoy head for the nearest storage facility where Brick makes an unusual request. "I know it sounds unusual, but if anything happens to me, I'd like Monique to have my things."
Steve nods and says, "Very well, given that your family was the main cause of your funk. And it's not unusual. I gather you're putting her down as the Beneficiary on your Life Insurance plan." Brick nods and Steve quietly says, "Let's hope she never has to collect on it." Brick nods again and salutes Steve, with him returning the salute.
Brick then gets his small duffel bag and gets into the Five ton, catching a ride with the soldiers driving it to the Base nearest to them. From there, he'd catch a Military Airlift Command flight to the Marine Corps Boot Camp.
Steve quietly sighs and gets back into his car, hoping nothing happens to Brick. At the same time, he vows to teach Brick's 'family' the price of disrespect. Lisa catches this and says, "They'll learn the price soon enough, Steve. After all, if they really cared about him, they wouldn't have broken those two up." Even though she had just moved to Middleton with her son, Alex, she was able to get a good bead on things around Middleton.
He nods and says, "That is so true, Lisa. That is so very true. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get a little hungry here. Think I'll try a Naco from Bueno Nacho. Stoppable says it is pretty good. But since he created it, he may be somewhat biased."
Lisa ponders this and says, "In that case, I'll join you in eating a Naco. What exactly is it anyway?"
"Taco meets nacho." Both adults then blanch and start to wonder if anything will be safe anymore. With that in mind, they make their way to Bueno Nacho and, hopefully, their answers.
At her apartment, Monique and Scott are eating a nice quiet lunch when the news comes on. "In India today, an oil rig caught on fire. The fire was quickly put out by the Thunderbirds Firefly unit. Details are still sketchy, but arson has not been ruled out at this time."
Monique grins and says, "Sounds like Joss is taking to being a Thunderbird rather well, Scott."
"She does indeed, Monique. She does indeed. I wonder how Kim and Ron are enjoying their day together."
"Oh, knowing them, they're probably in each other's arms, making out like mad. Maybe more for all we know. I sure wish Brick was here right now so you could meet him."
"I would like to meet him some day, Monique. Perhaps at a Class Reunion and maybe he'll find someone just like you. Only he won't let anyone get in his way, nor will he give up. It's too bad his family's garbage."
Monique softly smiles and says, "Yes, they are garbage. Of the whole bunch, Brick is the only sane one as far as I can tell. It's a good thing we're able to stay friends, otherwise he'd really fall apart. Of course his family doesn't know we're still friends."
Scott quietly chuckles as he thinks about kissing Monique. Before he can complete the thought, he finds his lips pressed against hers. Monique gasps in surprise and just goes with the flow, caressing Scott's cheek as the kiss deepens. Both teens then feel the need for air and separate from the kiss.
They both then look softly at each other and start blushing furiously. Monique breaks the tension by saying, "If it's any comfort, you're a good kisser, Scott."
Scott smiles and says, "As are you, Monique. As are you." Monique smiles softly and moves in for another kiss, Scott returning it with more passion than before.
They are then interrupted by the Postman delivering the daily mail. Monique sighs and says, "Hold that thought, Scott. I'll be right back." Scott nods as Monique gets up from her couch to answer the door. She cautiously receives the package into her hands and silently closes the door. She comes back in and says, "It's a parcel from Brick."
Scott mulls this over and he says, "Your ex-boyfriend. I wonder why he sent you a package when he could have just visited you. It would have been a lot more subtle."
Monique giggles and says, "Unfortunately however, Brick has his own form of subtlety. Might as well see what it is." Scott grins as she opens the small package and his expression turns to one of confusion as they see an audio-cassette come out of the envelope.
Scott says, "He either sent you a song or he sent you an audio goodbye letter. The best we can do is listen and find out for ourselves." Monique nods numbly as she crosses over to her stereo, opens the cassette deck, puts in the tape and presses play. The two then hear Brick's voice as she sits down.
"Hey Monique, by the time you get this, I'll be out of Middleton. My family wouldn't let up on me one bit even though we broke up like they wanted. Seems they weren't too thrilled with us being friends even though we still care about each other. I've decided to join the Military, what branch I cannot tell you for you may try to find me. Mr. Barkin will probably check in on you from time to time. I'll ask him when I leave here. Please give Kim, Ron, Bonnie and the others my best and tell them I'll miss them very much. I wish we didn't have to break up, Monique. But I understand you don't want anything happening to me, so I'm moving on with my life. I've broken off ties with my family, for they have shamed the Flagg name. That's all I can fit on this tape for right now. Hugs to you, Brick."
Monique sits on the couch stunned, tears falling from her eyes. Scott crosses over to the sound system and stops the tape, ejecting it and bringing it over to Monique gently. She looks up at him, tears raining down her ebony face and she starts sobbing. Scott bends down and wraps her in a hug, trying to console her.
Monique cries on his shoulder for ten minutes, recovers herself and says, "It's his family's fault we split up. As far as I'm concerned, his family can rot. Brick shouldn't have been put through all that. I mean, he's the only sane person in that joke of a family."
Scott, his voice slightly wavering, says, "As long as he has his sanity, he'll be fine. That and a lot of heart. From what you've told me about him, he's got a lot of heart."
Monique nods and her sobbing subsides slightly. She looks up at Scott and asks, "Any chance we can ask Mr. Barkin what branch he went into so I can send him a C.A.R.E. package every now and then?"
Scott nods and says, "Yeah, we can do that, Mon. Let's tell Kim and Ron as well. Maybe even Bonnie."
Monique nods and says, "I'll take Bonnie while you take Kim and Ron. Just watch out for his naked mole rat, Rufus. The little guy has a big appetite for cheese."
Scott nods his head in agreement and the two teens leave Monique's apartment and head for her sports car. They then go to Kim and Ron's house, where Scott gets out of the car and Monique heads for Bonnie's house, five blocks away from them. As she drives, she sees Felix and Tara Renton pushing Norman in his stroller. As she drives past, she gives them a wave, with them returning it.
She then gets to Bonnie's house and sees Hirotaka doing his Tai-Chi exercises. She waves hello to Hirotaka as she goes to the door, hearing their babies cry and Bonnie running around inside the house. Hirotaka comes up behind her and opens the door, allowing her inside.