Thanks to Spitfire F.22, mattb3671, zaratan, campy, oneredneckgoddess, The Metal One, ron-sama, WhiteLadyoftheRing, warprince2000, jasminevr, Orider, the real Violet Parr, Cartoonatic, and cemicool for their reviews and to everyone who is reading.
Special thanks, and a packet of Diablo sauce, to campy for his bon-diggity proofreading.
Also, a nod of the head to those who have added the story to their favorites and alerts list. You are all badical. And don't forget: your reviews are always welcome.
Finally, for Hank Perkins, lawyer and sometimes-temp-to-villains: If you saw it on KP, Disney owns it.
I.
Ron's mother surveyed the damage. The kitchen was a disaster; Kim sat in a chair, her head in her hands, the picture of total defeat. The poor thing. She can save the world – she can even get Ronnie to do his schoolwork – but she is completely lost in here, Barbara Jo Stoppable thought as she went over to Kim and put her arm around her son's girlfriend.
She knew how much Kim wanted to surprise Ron with a special Hanukkah meal, since the dinner he had planned had been pre-empted by the business with the Seniors and his subsequent stay in the hospital. Kim decided on something easy – a simple meal of potato pancakes. Since the pancakes could be made from a boxed mix, Kim assumed if she really tried, she could handle this. Follow directions. Heat food. Eat.
But she hadn't reckoned on measurements. Or boiling water. Or the mixer. Or eggs. Or any of the myriad other dangers that lurked in that most treacherous of environments, the family kitchen. The room now looked like one of Drakken's old lairs, post-blow up. Kim was crushed, she hadn't felt this low since the night of the L'il Diablo attacks. And this time Ron wasn't here to boost her spirits. I've got nuthin', she thought gloomily.
"Kimberly, why don't we do this together?" Mrs. Stoppable said supportively.
Kim was surprised that Ron's mother hadn't already thrown her out of the house, especially after the small grease fire that she'd barely managed to put out moments before the entire kitchen went up in flames. "Are you sure, Mrs. Stoppable? I mean, I almost destroyed your home!"
Mrs. Stoppable thought for a moment. "I'll be right back." She returned with the spare mission clothes that Kim kept in Ron's closet in case of emergency. Given the amount of time the two were spending at one another's houses, it seemed like a wise precaution to have spare sets on hand; one never knew when Wade would call. "Put these on; then we start with a clean slate." While Kim was changing, Mrs. Stoppable began cleaning the kitchen; when Kim finished dressing she pitched in.
The kitchen renewed, Mrs. Stoppable laid out a cookbook and various cooking implements, including pots, pans, knives and other tools of the trade. She then looked in her pantry and in her refrigerator. Then, to Kim's horror, Mrs. Stoppable threw out the remaining boxed food and began to pull out potatoes, eggs, oil, and other fresh ingredients. "Okay, Kimberly. It's time for you to learn to do this the right way …"
Kim looked bewildered.
"… You are on a mission. These things are in trouble. They look like food, but they are really cleverly disguised heads of state and ambassadors, in hiding and waiting for you. You are going to save them …"
Kim smiled, then, to her surprise, began giggling. She had never seen this side of Ron's mother before.
"… But there's only one way for you to do that …"
II.
Ron was eating his third potato pancake when his mother said, "East German Judge, Ronnie."
Ann and James Possible, who were also at the dinner, were confused. Mrs. Stoppable explained that she and Ron, both serious about their cooking, could ask each other for candid evaluation of meals they had prepared at any time; they had both become increasingly ruthless about this, especially since Ron began working with Henri. After a few weeks, having seen some of the ratings they were awarding one another, Ron's dad, recalling the ever-harsh Olympic scorers of his youth, came up with the name "East German Judge" for their dinner game.
Ron picked up another pancake with his fork and examined it. Then he popped it in his mouth and chewed. He looked thoughtful. "I like the taste. Pretty good consistency. Could use just a bit more seasoning. You didn't use too much salt. They look good. 7.9. Not bad, Mom."
"Don't congratulate me. Congratulate the chef."
"Huh?"
"Kimberly made dinner," his mother announced.
Ron looked at Kim, who had been sitting on her hands, awaiting his verdict. While he was eating, she was biting her lip. Now she was beaming with pride. He hadn't seen her look this pleased about something she'd done since she'd disarmed that runaway cruise missile.
"I think I'll have another one," Ron said smiling.
"Yes! I can cook!" Kim exclaimed, thrusting her fists into the air. "I can cook!"
Ron leaned over to his father, pointed towards Kim, and said, "That's my girlfriend – Kim Possible. She really can do anything." Then he stabbed another pancake and stuffed it into his mouth. "Not bad. Not bad at all," he said, his mouth half full. For once, Kim didn't mind Ron's atrocious table manners. She was too happy and proud to care.
III.
The Hanukkah dinner was the first real opportunity Kim and Ron had to fill in their parents on all the details of their trip to Senior Island. Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable and Dr. and Dr. Possible were by turn horrified, impressed, and excited by their children's exploits. Ann and Barbara Jo occasionally exchanged glances as they saw how Kim and Ron effortlessly completed one another's sentences and sang each other's praises; they sensed something deeper was going on here. Thus, they were less surprised than their husbands when Kim and Ron broached the subject of their airborne conversation about their future.
They made clear that they were not planning to get engaged yet, but would do so at some point in the future when they were better prepared. To help them do that, they planned to talk with Rabbi Katz.
Barbara Jo Stoppable had seen the writing on the wall and was glad that her son's Christian girlfriend was willing to go to the Stoppable family's spiritual and religious advisor for guidance. As much as she might have wished for a nice Jewish girl for her son, she had no doubt that Ron had hit the jackpot with Kimberly.
Don Stoppable felt the same way. He was pleased that his son had grown up so much in recent months and was now actually thinking before he did things. That someone as pretty and as smart as Kim would actually want to spend the rest of her life with Ron made him very proud.
Ann Possible, even more than Barbara Jo Stoppable, knew this was coming ever since she and Kim talked after the two teens' fight the previous summer. She and her husband had made a decision a long time ago to let their daughter lead an independent, indeed risk-filled, life; Kim had justified their confidence time and again. Though her daugher was still young, she was smart and definitely different from other young women her age. Ann trusted Kim to make sound decisions.
James Possible became increasingly concerned as he listened. He was not happy to hear his little girl talking about marriage, especially in such definite terms. He liked Ronald very much, indeed approved of him as a future son-in-law. He was still very grateful for Ronald's gift for the Space Center and continued to feel deep appreciation for the way he looked after his daughter. But Ronald was still – a kid. He'd been that age once. He knew how young men thought. One mistake and bam: his Kimmie-cub would be a child bride. This was all moving too fast. He'd have to talk with his wife.
IV.
"Honey, it's a little late for us to be having this conversation, isn't it?" Ann asked.
"What do you mean? It's only 10:30."
"Don't play coy with me, James. You know what I mean. We've been letting our daughter lead a highly independent life for years. Maybe if we'd said something the first time that Kimmie went on a mission we'd be in a position to object. But we've trusted her to tangle with Drakken and Monkey Fist and death rays and doomsday machines. I think we can trust her to be responsible with Ron. Have you ever really watched them? They're rather cute. I actually think they're scared to go beyond kissing and holding hands."
"Ann, they're talking about marriage!"
"Your parents were high school sweethearts."
"That's different."
"How?"
"They didn't spend all that time … alone."
"Honey, why is it a problem now? You've known how she's felt for months."
"Yes, but saying you love someone is one thing; doing something about it is another."
"Honestly, I thought you'd be relieved."
"How?"
"Well, now that Kim and Ron are planning to spend the rest of their lives together, you won't have to worry about who she's dating when she's in college!"
"Very funny, dear!"
"James," Ann said taking her husband's hand, "We've tried to do our best as parents. We've had all of those talks with Kim and if it will make you feel any better, I'll talk with Barbara Jo and make sure that they've talked with Ron. But I think we need to trust them. They're growing up."
"If you say so," he responded dubiously. "But one wrong move and Ronald is going where no man has gone before."
Ann's left eyebrow arched, and she wryly replied "Isn't that sort of what you want to prevent, dear?"
James looked at his wife blankly. Then his face turned as red as his Kimmie-cub's hair.
V.
Kim was not looking forward to this conversation. Yet she knew it was unavoidable. She had to talk with Bonnie about Shego. Even if the two young women had never gotten along, indeed never liked each other, Kim felt she had a responsibility to help her fellow student avoid getting into deeper trouble.
Kim approached Bonnie, who had just sat down at her usual corner table in the cafeteria, looking like she was about to hold court. "Excuse me, Bonnie, but can we talk?"
Bonnie looked up at Kim. "Whatever. Just make it fast. I have important things to do."
Kim sat down, already feeling her blood pressure rising.
Bonnie looked around. "Where's Ron? He finally dump you?"
Kim drew a deep breath. She was not going to let Bonnie play her. "Bonnie, this is important. You're working for Shego."
"Shego? I work for Ella Va," Bonnie said innocently.
"Come off it, Bonnie. I know you know Ella Va is Shego."
Bonnie huffed. "You're just jealous that I'm enjoying success as an international fashion model." She looked disdainfully at Kim's outfit.
"No, Bonnie, I'm not jealous. In fact, I'll be the first to say you look amazing. You are probably the best dressed student in Middleton High history.
"But Shego is dangerous. You so don't know who you're dealing with. You need to be careful."
"Pul-leaze, Kim. She's a legitimate business woman. I would think that you with your 'save the world' complex would think that was a good thing."
"Bonnie, Shego was the one who put me in the hospital last fall."
"How do you know it was Shego? Maybe it was one of those robot things. You seem to attract them, if I remember correctly. Wasn't Eric one? Maybe one of your weirdo villain pals tried to set Shego up, you know, use her previous reputation against her?" Bonnie allowed an evil grin to spread across her face. "In fact, how do you know Ron's not one of those synthothings? That may explain why he's dumb enough to keep spending time with you."
Kim rolled her eyes. "Ron is not a robot, Bonnie."
Bonnie smirked. "Yes, of course you'd know. I'm sure you've checked out all of his hardware. Not that you'd know what any of it's for."
Kim turned red and wondered, Why does this always happen when I talk to Bonnie?
VI.
Ron Stoppable tore through the halls of the High School; people jumped out of his way. He was wearing a huge grin and crying "Wooooooo-hooooooo!" as he raced to his destination. Everybody assumed that would be Kim Possible since everybody knew they were inseparable. In fact, they were deemed to be so inseparable that one enterprising student had already started a betting pool on an engagement date. As Ron burst into the cafeteria, he was still shouting "Wooooooo-hooooooo!" He looked around and spotted Kim.
Like everyone else in the room, Kim turned in his direction. She couldn't help but smile; she loved him, even if he was occasionally, well frequently, different. Kim thought this was certainly a pleasant, if still unexplained, distraction from the conversation she'd been having with Bonnie.
Ron was halfway to Kim when Steve Barkin blocked his path.
"Okay, Stoppable. Explain yourself," the teacher barked as the cafeteria grew quiet.
"Mr. B. I-am-da-man!" Ron declared.
"Oh, really? Well you-are-da-man in detention after school."
A few students, Bonnie included, snickered.
"That's okay, Mr. B. Because on Super Bowl Sunday I am-da-man at half time!" Ron looked over at Kim. "That's right KP. You. Me. Rufus. 'Naked Mole Rap'. MC Honey just called and asked me to be her cover act!" Ron dropped to his knees and thrust his fists into the air and yelled, "Yesssss!"
Kim ran over, dropped down beside him, hugged him, and gave him a celebratory kiss.
The cafeteria exploded.
"Ugh! No PDA! Possible, you're in detention, too!"
Bonnie sat and fumed. Then she had an idea.
VII.
Kim was walking from detention to her locker, humming the 'Naked Mole Rap'. She and Ron had already said their good-byes for the afternoon as he had to run off to Chez Henri to help in the kitchen that evening. Kim still couldn't contain her excitement at the prospect of Ron singing at the Super Bowl and his desire for her to be there on stage with him. She was lost in her thoughts when Bonnie, who'd just finished cheer practice, walked up beside her.
"Hello, K," Bonnie said with a touch of derision.
"Hello, B," Kim replied icily.
"So, that's pretty big news about Ron. Enjoy him while you can. You realize it's only a matter of time before he dumps you."
"Bonnie, I so don't have time for this."
"No, of course not. But you will when you're alone. He's outgrowing you. I saw him do that weird ninja thing on TV; he can go villain fighting alone. Rumor has it he's actually getting good grades, so he doesn't need you to do his homework anymore. He's rich. He's even got your spot on the cheer squad. And he's about to become rock star famous. And you? You're a retired cheerleader and so-called teen hero whose arch-foe is dead. You're so last season. So sad."
Before Kim could say anything, Bonnie walked away.
Kim, watching the receding figure of her classmate, was stunned. Bonnie seemed to have achieved a whole new level of maliciousness, and just since this morning when she'd already been in fine form. Kim shook her head sadly – and then realized with a growing sense of wonder that Bonnie Rockwaller had just tried to play her – and failed big time. After seven very intense, incredible months, Kim was confident enough in her relationship with Ron to know that there was one thing in this world she could count on: she and Ron truly loved each other.
Kim finished at her locker and, with a smile on her face and a spring in her step, left the school, once again humming the 'Naked Mole Rap'. The Super Bowl, she thought. Spankin'!
VIII.
"She's on to you."
Shego looked up from the reports she was reviewing to see her protégé; running a successful business while managing a take-over-the-world scheme was time consuming.
"Princess?"
Bonnie nodded.
"I'll assume she didn't say how she knew."
"No, she didn't. She just told me that you were dangerous and that you put her in the hospital," Bonnie said with a grin, recalling how she had personally witnessed that particular incident.
Shego threw her head back and laughed. "She obviously doesn't know where you've been in your spare time, cheerleader!"
Bonnie stayed for dinner, telling Shego, who nodded appreciatively, about her play with Kim that afternoon. After the meal Bonnie began some new cross-training that Shego had devised. The exercises were designed to integrate her talents as both a cheerleader and ballerina with her martial arts training.
While Bonnie was working out in the gym with Fukushima, Shego sat down at her computer. She had a pretty good idea of who had spilled the beans. Señor Senior would have to be taught a lesson. Shego opened an application on her desktop. She entered a series of commands, then smiled. In ten minutes, all of the Seniors' assets would be frozen.
Ten minutes and one second later, Shego, infuriated, slammed her palms down on her desk. An error message had appeared on screen. She didn't know that Kim, suspecting something like this would happen, had arranged for Wade to develop a special defense for the Seniors' assets, not only further reinforcing their move away from villainy, but letting Kim know that Shego was indeed on the move.
IX.
There were two topics of conversation at the Possible dinner table that evening: Ron's upcoming Super Bowl gig and Bonnie.
Everybody was excited about the half-time show. Ron had left a message for the Possibles telling them to plan on being there; he'd already arranged for transportation and tickets.
When Kim turned to the topic of Bonnie, the twins began rolling their eyes.
Ann Possible was proud of her daughter for not being gulled, yet again, by her mean-spirited classmate. That girl is appalling! she thought, then wondered, How low can she go?
James was just as shocked. "You'd think she's been taking lessons on how to be mean!"
X.
Ron's Kimmunicator chirped. It was Kim. "Hey KP! I was just knocking off for the night. You got me before I could call you."
"Ron, could you come over? It's important." Kim knew she had to talk with Ron about Shego.
"Be over in a few, KP. Love ya."
He arrived at the Possible house a little while later.
Mrs. Possible answered the door. "Hello, Ron," Ann said warmly; Kim had told her parents to expect a visit from Ron to discuss developments concerning Shego.
"Hi, Mrs. Dr. P. Sorry I'm here so late, but Kim called and said it was important. I assumed it had to do with some villain."
"Yes, I think it does," Ann said smiling, unable not to think of Bonnie after what Kim had told her and James over dinner. "She's upstairs. And don't worry about the hour. If it gets too late, you can sleep in the den."
"Thanks, Dr. P." Ron said, heading up the stairs.
Kim embraced him; Bonnie may not have been able to play her, but she did make her treasure what she had in Ron that much more.
"The Ron-man definitely approves of this end to his bon-diggity fine day!" he said enthusiastically.
After giving Ron more reasons to approve of how his day was ending, Kim filled him in on the news that Shego had tried to freeze the Seniors' assets. Then she told him about Bonnie's failed attempt to play her, which, if forced to admit, was the real reason she wanted to see him that evening.
He couldn't help but laugh. "'Sha! Like I'm ever going to outgrow," he used Bonnie like air quotes, which made Kim giggle, "my honor roll placing, cheer regional winning, yearbook editing, dance organizing, badical potato pancake making, sixteen kinds of kung fu knowing, drop dead gorgeous girlfriend who saves the world." Ron then looked as if he was mulling something over. "But maybe just to be safe I should offer you some reassurance …" he said as he took Kim in his arms, drew her near to him, and brought his lips to hers.
Bonnie had taken her best shot and missed by a mile.
XI.
When Ron first saw Kim after walking into the Possibles' kitchen, he looked like he'd won the lottery; he always did. But that morning the look of sheer delight was quickly removed from his face.
"Oof!" he exhaled as he crumpled onto the floor.
"Jim! Tim!' James scolded.
"Ron!" Kim cried, running over to him. "Are you okay?"
He groaned. "Mr. Barkin? Why am I playing rugby again?"
Kim gently rested Ron's head in her lap and tenderly ran her fingers through his hair. When she then noticed the twins standing beside her, she glowered.
Kim wasn't the only one directing angry looks in the Jim and Tim's direction: their parents and Rufus all looked loaded for bear.
"Boys, what did I tell you about shooting people with directed energy weapons?" their father asked.
"Sorry, dad. We're still trying to adjust the phase harmonics." Jim said.
"Ron will be okay." Tim added.
"But you won't, Tweebs!" Kim growled.
The twins looked at each other, then ran out of the room, saying "Uh, gotta go!"
Ron slowly came to. Looking at Kim, he said, "Is this heaven?" which earned him a kiss on the nose.
Kim helped him sit up.
"We're lucky Drakken never cloned the tweebs," Kim grumbled.
James gave an involuntary shudder at the thought. He loved his sons; but one each of Jim and Tim was quite sufficient.
"You sure you still want to be with me, Ron?" Kim asked, only half playfully. He might not outgrow her, but he might well decide he wanted to lead a quieter life.
"Every minute of every day, KP." He got up. "Mmmm. Something smells good. I think I'll have some snackage before we go to see Rabbi K."
Kim smiled as Ron ate a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. Ron clearly hadn't suffered any damage.
XII.
While Kim and Ron were walking to the synagogue for their meeting with Rabbi Katz, Shego was looking at her car. It was a very expensive European convertible. She'd grown very fond of the vehicle; it was one of the first things she'd bought with profits from the modeling agency. But sometimes in life, sacrifices had to be made.
Shego opened the garage door. Satisfied that everything was in order, she pressed the buttons of the remote control. The car rolled out onto the street. She watched it drive off, the syntho-Shego, now the spitting image of Ella Va, at the wheel.
Shego climbed into her new car and headed to her new penthouse; she'd just moved. And while she wasn't looking forward to unpacking, she needed to get her television hooked up. She was curious to see how the news people would handle the story. It wasn't everyday that you got to watch reports of your own death on TV.
After her failed attempt to tamper with the Seniors' assets, she decided that she needed to lay low. That meant yet another set of identity papers, a new home, new cars, the whole lot. But thanks to Jack Hench's tutelage, Shego was able to move her own assets around. By killing off Ella Va, she would be able to remove Shego from the scene. And Kim Possible from her trail, since the Princess would think her nemesis was gone.
XIII.
Rabbi Katz welcomed Kim and Ron into his study. He saw two slightly nervous but obviously happy young people before him. When Ron had called and asked if they could visit, the rabbi was more than happy to oblige. He was fond of them both.
"So, what's on your minds?" Katz asked. He already suspected that this had to do with relationship issues of some sort.
Ron looked around the room for a moment, taking in the sports memorabilia, books and toys. He'd been in here before, but this time it seemed different. For Ron, this was more nerve-wracking than jumping out of the bomber. He explained the situation; Kim held his hand to give him support. Rabbi Katz sat pensively for a few moments, his hands steepled. Both Ron and Kim were worried that he was going to disapprove.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do, but you two have to be willing to make some commitments if we're to proceed. Agreed?" Ron and Kim, pleased if slightly surprised by Rabbi Katz's reaction, nodded.
"I get a lot of interesting people in here. But you two are in a category all by yourselves. I remember seeing you two in action in Vegas. You were, what, barely sixteen, and you had to stop the whole State of Nevada from being sucked into a black hole. And all that while Ron is trying to figure out what it means to be a man and Kim is having a dust-up with some woman that seems to go way beyond the professional; I sensed real bad blood there. So, you two are able to deal with stressful, demanding situations while grappling with personal issues. That's the first thing we'll lay on the table.
"Ron, how many girls, other than Kim, have you dated?"
"One," he answered, thinking of Zita. But feeling his pride wounded, he said, "But I know of at least two other girls who liked me!"
"You ask either of them out?"
"Well, uh, no," he conceded.
"Then they don't count."
Ouch! Kim thought. Rabbi K. plays for keeps!
"Kimberly? Other than Ron."
"Two." And now feeling bad for Ron, she said, "But one of them wasn't human."
"Well, I felt that way about some of the girls I dated in college, but it's not a nice thing to say."
"No Rabbi Katz, he literally wasn't human."
"Oh." Two decades in this business and I still haven't heard it all, he thought. "Would either of you describe those relationships as being serious?"
Ron shook his head no. Kim sat quietly for a moment, thinking about her months-long crush on Josh Mankey. All that time, and what had really happened? Some dates. Some light kissing. Nothing really. She squeezed Ron's hand and said, "No."
"Okay, so this is the first truly serious relationship either of you has been in," the rabbi noted. "You're figuring things out as you go, without much real experience to draw on. So let's also put that on the table.
"You two look at each other like a couple of love sick fools ..."
The two teens gawped.
"… It's actually kind of cute," Katz said with a grin. "Here's how I see my job at this moment. You two say you really want to get married someday …
Kim and Ron both nodded.
"… then I'm going to try to help you get from Point A to Point B, though I'll make it clear right now that I think you should take your time.
"You don't have much experience in the relationship department, nor in many other areas of life. But you've got a lot to work with. Most couples who come to see me don't know each other as well as the two of you do. I'm going to guess you know a lot of each other's faults …"
Kim and R both squirmed, thinking of the thoughtless things they'd done to each other over the years; at this point in their relationship it was what they'd done to the other, rather than what had been done to each of them, that they found most discomfiting.
"… But I'll guess you're willing to either ignore them or keep the other honest …"
They nodded their agreement.
"… That's good. You're not looking at each other through rose-colored glasses. And I can safely say that in twenty years of doing this, no other couple I've met has shared events of the intensity that you seem to waltz into on a regular basis."
"So here are my conditions: You're going to have to sit and listen to me give you advice. You're going to have to tackle difficult questions. You're going to have to be willing to discuss a variety of topics with me. Money. Decision-making. Communicating. Sex. Politics. How you each understand marriage. What you each want out of life. You're going to have to sit down and talk religion with me; I'm making an exception for you two. I am very wary of interfaith relationships. However, if any two people can make a go of one, I think you two can.
"We're going to meet once a month for at least a year, even if that means you've got to travel here for a meeting. And this isn't officially pre-marital counseling. You decide to get married, you're going to do that, too. We got a deal?"
The seriousness of what they were contemplating was settling in. Marriage wasn't simply a beautiful ceremony followed by unending bliss. It involved real work. Kim and Ron looked at one another, then smiled. Ron nodded.
Kim turned to Rabbi Katz and asked "When do we start?"
"Right now," he said, looking at his watch. "We've got another forty minutes. Let's get to it."
XIV.
Bonnie had considered trying to steal the mind control chip from Shego, but quickly decided against that. Shego had told Bonnie of her unexpected plan to move, in order to throw Kim off her trail. That, among other things, meant the chip would be packed away. Bonnie also recognized the satisfaction of controlling Kim would pale in comparison to the consequences of stealing from her mentor.
But there was no reason she could not get her own mind control chip. She sat down at her computer before going to school, launched a search engine and typed in 'Mind Control Chip'. She was amazed at how openly the villain support industry operated as she came across multiple options. Quickly she found the one she wanted: Cyrus Bortel dot com. She knew his chips worked; Shego, drawing on personal experience, had sworn by them. Bonnie read about the product's features and learned that he took cash, checks, major credit cards, but no C.O.D. Though it would take a good portion of the money she'd earned modeling, she considered the price a bargain for the enjoyment she'd derive. She might even give Kim to Shego in the end as a sort of 'thank you' present; but she wanted to have the first round of fun.
Bonnie typed in her address and credit card info, pressed the order button, and sat back. She'd have her chip in time for Valentine's Day.
XV.
The Middleton Police and EMTs arrived at the scene of the accident within minutes. It was ugly. The driver had lost control of the vehicle, smashed through a guard rail, and plunged into a gully. The gas tank exploded, incinerating the vehicle and its occupant. TV news crews were milling about, taking pictures.
Shego watched with satisfaction. Now she hoped that Bonnie could deliver.
XVI.
It was Junior's first day at Middleton High School.
Monique agreed to show him around. Chronologically, he was actually a bit old for high school – 20 – but emotionally and socially, he fit right in. Monique drew appreciative stares from a number of her classmates; Junior impressed her by being charming to everyone he met. He just seemed thrilled to be around people, especially young people who admired his hair and clothes.
The only potential rough spot had been when they ran into Bonnie. But the cheerleader, distracted by her assignment from Shego and still daydreaming about using the mind control chip on Kim, ignored them. She had other things to worry about. It would soon be time to call the news people.
XVII.
Kim opened her locker just in time to receive a call from Wade.
"Breaking news, Kim. I think you're going to want to see this."
He patched through the video feed. Kim and Ron watched the news on the monitor.
" … where fashion model agency owner Ella Va's car plummeted off the road and exploded into a fiery ball of death. Ms. Va was the only fatality. This is Tricia Labowski, Middleton Evening News."
As Kim stared at the screen, Ron watched her.
"Wow," she finally said. She seemed stunned.
"You okay, KP?" he asked placing a hand on her shoulder. She reached up and covered his hand with hers, then looked at her boyfriend and nodded. She closed the locker door with her other hand, then sat down on the floor, taking Ron down with her. She sat quietly for a few moments.
"Ron, I can't believe she died in a car crash."
"Yeah, it is pretty wild. You think of all the battles you two had and she goes down like that." Ron knew Kim respected Shego even if she detested her; he felt the same way. And neither of them had ever wanted a foe to actually die. They simply wanted them to stop menacing the world.
"No, I mean I don't believe she died in a car crash. Something's so not right. Doesn't it strike you as being suspicious that Shego is killed in an accident within 24 hours of her computer attack on the Seniors' assets?"
"Maybe Señor Senior went back to the dark side and had her bumped off?" Ron suggested. "He was pretty tweaked about the $5 billion Shego swindled out of him."
Kim furrowed her brow. "That just doesn't seem his style, though."
Ron had to agree with that, especially after his recent experience on Senior Island. "So what do you think, KP?
"I don't know. Something just doesn't seem right here. I'm calling Dr. Director."
XVIII.
Bonnie was enjoying herself tremendously. She had to act devastated, of course, but every news crew in town wanted to talk with the local model who worked for the cosmopolitan image impresario who'd died in a tragic accident. Then there was the sympathy of her classmates; everyone knew of Bonnie's budding modeling career, which now appeared to have been snatched away from her. She was willing to milk that for all it was worth. Finally, she could only hope that Kim was feeling that less useful and relevant, now that another of her major foes was gone.
XIX.
Dr. Director could understand Kim's suspicions; she too would have found it hard to believe her own most dangerous adversary had died in such a random fashion. She promised to call Kim as soon as the DNA scans were in and confirmed.
True to her word, Dr. Director was in touch with Kim within an hour. There was no doubt: the DNA match was perfect. Shego had been the driver of the car.
"Thanks, Dr. Director," Kim said as she ended the call. She looked at Ron. "Drakken, Shego, the Seniors, now all out of business. Pretty soon we're going to be out of work, Ron."
"You okay with that, KP?"
She looked at Ron and put her arms around him. "I am if you'll promise to still love an out-of-work teen hero."
"I can do that, KP. Besides, there are lots of different ways to save the world," he said, before kissing her on the forehead.
XX.
Jim and Tim heard a car roar into the driveway.
"Cool! Ron's driving the Ferret Mobile …" Jim said
"… and he's wearing the costume!" Tim noted as Ron climbed out of the car.
Then they saw their sister come down the stairs.
"And Kim's dressed up as Ferret Girl …"
"… this must be some kind of weird dating thing!"
Kim glowered at her brothers. "Tweebs!"
The door bell rang. Kim, wearing a playful smile, greeted Ron. "Hello, my ferrety boyfriend."
"Greetings, lovely Ferret Girl." Ron replied.
The twins couldn't contain themselves. "Ewww!" Jim said.
"Gross!" added Tim.
Kim stuck out her tongue at her brothers as Ron escorted her to the Ferret Mobile.
She got into the car. Rufus, wearing his Wonder Weasel costume, stood tall and proud. "Hello Wonder Weasel!" she said. "Are you ready to do hero work?"
Rufus nodded and offered an emphatic, "Uh huh!"
"Thanks for doing this on such short notice, Ron," Kim said.
"My pleasure, KP. I just wish I'd thought of this. This'll be badical."
Bonnie's attempt to play her and Ron's comment about there being different ways to save the world had given Kim an idea. She decided that she wanted to do something especially useful as soon as possible, but whatever that was had to be something she could do only with Ron at her side. He was more than happy to join her when she proposed this special mission.
Ron pulled out of the driveway and sped down the street, heading into town. A few minutes later they arrived at the Middleton Medical Center; they made their way to the pediatrics ward. Ron bounded into a large room where a number of children were gathered. Rufus scampered in after him. The kids and nurses were delighted. "Wonder Weasel and I, the Fearless Ferret, are here to ferret out fun!" he announced with a dramatic wave of the arm. "And to help me in my mission, I have brought the world famous Ferret Girl!" Ron then added as aside, "better known to some of you as Kim the intern!" as Kim entered. The boys and girls squealed with glee, excited to learn that the nice young woman who visited them was also a costumed crime fighter.
Kim and Ron spent two hours visiting with the children, telling stories, showing them their gear, even doing a demonstration of fighting poses. When it was done, they headed back to the Ferret Mobile.
"That was a blast, Fearless Ferret. Thanks again. We made a lot of sick kids very happy today."
"Hey, we're heroes. That's what we do. Besides, you think I'm going to turn down the chance to see you in that outfit?" Ron growled. "Rondo isn't stupid!"
Kim laughed. "You are too much!"
"But you love me anyway!" Ron said, opening the car door for her.
"You'd better believe it, 'Rondo'" she said with a laugh. "Now let's go home and ferret out some food. I'm hungry!"
XXI.
"Ron, that would be incredible! Are you sure? Let me ask Mom and Dad and I'll call you back. Love ya. Later!" Kim put down the phone and headed downstairs. She found her parents in the den watching the Knowing Channel.
"Mom. Daddy." Kim said with her most ingratiating smile. "May I go to Japan with Ron during spring break?"
Her parents looked at one another. "Japan?" her father asked.
"The Yamanuchi School. Ron's going to meet with Sensei and he invited me to come along for a week of training. This will be so ferociously cool! I've fought ninjas before, but I've never actually trained with them!" she said excitedly, then added a little dreamily, "Other than with Ron, of course."
"Kimmie, I'm not sure about your leg. It's not fully healed," her mother said.
"No big, Mom. Ron said they'd have a special program for me."
"Kimmie-cub, I'm not sure about this. You and Ronald alone at a secret ninja school for a week …" James sounded doubtful.
"Dad, I'll be totally safe," she assured her father, thinking of the previous summer's events.
James shifted awkwardly in his seat.
Kim looked at him for a moment, then realized what he meant. "I so cannot believe this! You don't trust us to be alone!"
"Now, Kimmie-cub, I didn't say that …" her father protested.
"Then what are you saying? Hello, Dad! I'm going to marry Ron!"
"Not now, you're not, young lady!" he replied more sharply than he intended. "You're only seventeen and you've dated for less than eight months!"
"That is so unfair!" Kim retorted. "You and Mom dated six weeks before you were engaged. And Nana married her high school sweetheart!"
"Kimmie-cub, your mother and I were almost 21 when we were engaged. And let's leave Nana out of this. I hate to sound like a parent, but there is a world of difference between 17 and 21." James was looking grim.
Kim now spoke heatedly. "Oh, so I was old enough at 15 to deal with your college classmate's whack plans to take over the world but now I'm not old enough to spend a few days away with my boyfriend training. It's not like we were planning to elope!"
"Kimmie-cub, I am not worried about you eloping. However, Drakken is not a teen-aged boy. I remember when I was a seventeen year old male …"
"Ron is not like that! We're not like that!" Kim shot back, her voice raised, clearly upset. "Not that it's any of your business, but we've talked about that and decided to wait until we're married!"
"Kimm …"
"You know what's best about this Dad? You think we want to go to Japan to fool around. Meanwhile I've got Bonnie Rockwaller offering to tell me what my "parts" do since everyone at school knows I have no experience and her posse is calling me 'Snow White'!" Kim was crying now. "I thought you had more confidence in me, but I was obviously wrong!"
"Kimmie-cub …"
"Don't Kimmie-cub me, Dad," she snapped. "You may not like it but I'm growing up. And guess what? Someday, Ron and I are going to do it!" And with that she stormed out of the room, went upstairs and slammed closed the hatch to her loft.
Ann Possible looked at her husband. She was concerned about her daughter and angry with him. He couldn't have handled the situation any more poorly. Before she could say anything, her husband, clearly stricken, sighed and muttered, "Maybe I'm the one who needs to be sent to the black hole."
XXII.
"Kimmie?"
Kim heard her mother calling. "I'd better go, Ron. I love you, too." She ended the call, got up and opened the loft hatch.
"May I in?" her mother asked, poking her head through the opening.
Kim nodded yes, then flopped back down on her bed. Ann sat next to her and put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. She sat quietly, seeing that Kim was still upset. Finally, Kim spoke.
"I cannot believe he said those things, Mom." Kim was sniffling. She had always loved and admired her father and valued his opinion. His words had stung her. She was wounded. And she was angry. "He was such the jerk!"
"Kimmie, don't talk that way about your father. He didn't mean to hurt you."
"Then why did he say what he said?"
"Because he's a man with a teen-aged daughter he loves very much," she said. "I also think it's genetic," she added with a smile. Then she continued, "Kimmie, your father is scared …"
Kim shifted and looked at her mother.
"… He wasn't fully prepared for this. A few months ago, you were looking for a date for your prom, and now you're talking about marriage. This is the man who has heart palpitations when you utter the word 'hottie'. Your father's just been having trouble adjusting to the fact that his little girl has found the man she wants to marry."
"What about you?" Kim asked.
"I've had time to think about this, remember? I've told you everything I can, and can only count on you to make good decisions. You know I want things to work out for you and Ron. And believe it or not, so does your father." Ann paused. "He feels terrible about what just happened, Kimmie. You know he loves you very much."
"I know he does. And I love him too, Mom."
"Will you talk with him?" Ann asked.
Kim nodded, then hugged her mother.
XXIII.
It was James' turn to visit his daughter. Kim couldn't recall ever seeing him look so chagrined. He was fidgeting, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. That didn't go too well, did it?"
Kim shook her head.
"Kimm … Kim. This is difficult for me. You know I've never been good at this kind of thing. That's why I always let your mother handle the advice-giving and parental talks. I should have stuck with what worked." Pointing at the bed he asked, "May I?"
Kim patted a spot for him to sit on.
"… I know what I said came out sounding ugly. I trust you Kim. And I trust Ronald. It's just that you're my little girl and …"
"Dad, I'm not little anymore," she interjected. "I'm going to college in a few months."
"I know, I know. But to a father, that can be irrelevant. Even though you've grown into a beautiful, accomplished young woman, you're still the four and half year old girl in pigtails that we dropped off at pre-K. And that's what makes this tough – because that also means Ronald is still the funny little boy you met that first day. Now you want to go away alone to Japan with him."
"Dad, it's not like we haven't traveled alone before," she said, trying not to sound exasperated.
"No, but you weren't talking about marriage then. For most of your life, Ronald hasn't been a boy. He's just been … Ronald. Now he's skipped right past being a boy to being your future husband." James seemed uncomfortable. "Kim, answer me honestly. Do you think Ronald is a 'hottie'?"
Kim couldn't help but smile at the question. "Yeah, I do," she answered, unable not to smile a bit dreamily. "But maybe I can see why that's a little awk-weird for you. Ron used to be the guy who ate your food and now he's my hottie.
"But that doesn't mean we're stupid. We weren't going to Japan on some wild spring break. We were going to train, it'll be like Mom's continuing education.
"You know, Dad, when Ron and I talk about the future the couple we want to be like is you and Mom …"
That caught her father's attention.
"… We want your marriage. I know we're young, Dad, but how many people your age, let alone 21 year olds, have done the things Ron and I have done? We've actually faced death, and I can tell you that at moments like that you know if the person next to you is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. I know I want to spend the rest of mine with Ron. And I know he feels the same way." She paused, then looked down at her hands and added softly, "I know I couldn't live without him." She looked back at her father. "Dad, if you can trust us to go freak-fighting, to rescue each other, maybe you can trust us to be in love with each other, to plan our future. You have to admit, as goofy as Ron can be, he's made some very grown-up decisions over the past few months."
James looked at his daughter. He still wasn't sure about this; it was going to take some getting used to. But he decided that he could be a better father by being supportive and showing confidence in his daughter. Besides, Ron wasn't the only one to make good decisions in recent months; Kim had made her share, too. He smiled. "Okay. Call Ronald and tell him you're going to Japan."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Thanks," Kim said hugging her father. "And Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Don't forget, I'll always be your Kimmie-cub."
XXIV.
The big day had arrived. Super Bowl Sunday.
Ron was glad to have so many people he knew and cared about with him. In addition to the Stoppable and Possible families, Monique and Tara were there to sing back up with Kim. He'd also secured tickets for what seemed to be half of Middleton. Mr. Barkin, Felix, Junior, Rabbi Katz, Ned, Brick, Josh, and many others were there. In an attempt to buy some goodwill, he'd even gotten a ticket for Cafeteria Lady.
This was one of those rare years when the big game was being played outdoors, and not under a dome. The skies were clear and a light breeze was blowing from the northwest. It was a perfect evening for football. The game was tied, 7-7 after the first quarter. The producers were pleased, and hoped the contest continued to stay close.
As the second quarter progressed, Ron became increasingly nervous. Fortunately, Nana was able to calm him down by feeding him lemon squares and suggesting he meditate.
With halftime approaching, Ron decided to go over the routine with Kim, Monique and Tara once more. Then the Kimmunicator chirped. Ron had tried to get Wade to come to the game, but while he was increasingly willing to make the occasional foray to the House of Pizza, the young tech guru refused to venture into a venue filled with 70,000 screaming people.
Kim prayed Wade was just calling to wish them good luck.
"What's the sitch, Wade?" Kim asked.
"Bad news. Duff Killigan stole some super-weed seeds from the Weed-away research labs."
"And let me guess," Kim wearily replied. "The seeds are so potent that they can't be killed and will cause catastrophic damage if they're released into the environment."
"Yeah," he acknowledged, feeling terrible about being the bearer of bad news.
"So where is Killigan planning to strike?" Kim asked, suspecting she already knew the answer.
Ron came over and put his arm around her. Preparations for half-time had been forgotten for the moment.
"Sorry, guys. He's heading in your direction in his blimp. Seem's he's upgraded to a stealth model, which allowed him to evade the Air Force patrols. He's just told the authorities that he's planning to spray the stadium with the stuff. Within 60 seconds, everyone and everything in it will be covered with killer crabgrass."
"Now that the Air Force knows he's out there, can't they do something?" Ron asked.
"Killigan said he's rigged the blimp to explode. The entire metropolitan area will be covered with the weed seed if he's shot down. The authorities said they'd let you take one shot before evacuating."
Kim looked at Ron and thought, The biggest day of his life and I have to let him down. She felt terrible as she had a flashback to their first dinner date, of that wonderful meal, interrupted by Motor Ed.
Ron guessed what she was thinking. Before she could say anything, he pulled her into an embrace. "You gotta go, KP. Saving the world. It's what we do." He kissed her on the forehead. "I just wish I could go with you."
She returned his kiss, whispered "I love you so much," in his ear, and pulled away to look at him. "You'll be great. I, I'm s…"
"Shh. None of that," he said, putting his finger on her lips. "Now get ready. I really don't want to be covered by crabgrass. It would ruin my essential Ron-ness"
Kim hugged Ron again, then went to find her mission gear. They had long ago reached the point where they never traveled without it.
"Kimberly Ann, you'll need someone to ride shotgun," Nana said, catching her granddaughter by surprise. "Well don't look at me like that. It's not like I haven't stormed a blimp before. And if I remember correctly, young lady, I took you three out of three in Florida."
"Okay, Nana. You're in. Fortunately, we've got two jet packs."
"Kimmie," Ann asked, "how much weight can one of those packs lift?"
"At least 250 pounds. Ron and I have had to fly with just one pack more than once … Oh no. You're not coming, Mom."
"Maybe not as your Mom, but I am as your doctor. You want to go to that blimp, I'm coming along. I will not have that leg needlessly re-injured."
Girls' Night Out, Possible Style, Kim thought. If she weren't so tweaked about missing Ron's performance, she would have thought it funny.
XXV.
Duff Killigan was going to teach these Americans a lesson. He was not only the world's most dangerous golfer, he was also the world's most passionate golf fan. And he felt they were not showing the auld game the proper respect.
"Would 70,000 of them turn out to watch a golf tournament? Nooo. 100 million watch on TV? Nooo. But that many will pay attention to this barmy game of football! And it's not even real football, played with feet. They call that soccer," he ranted to no one in particular; he really did need a sidekick. "I dinna understan' why this game isn't called tackleball or passball. These Americans, they're a wee bit crazy in the head." As he piloted the tartan airship towards the stadium, he looked at a TV monitor on which the game was showing. If he timed things properly, he would get there just in time for the half-time show.
TBC …