Chapter 3 - We Will Show Them Out

(...Jim & Tim's room...)

The lights flicker; the generator seems to be overtaxed. With occasional rumbles of thunder, the rain dapples the window.

Kim is motionless thanks to Shego's grip. "How did...how did you...?" Her voice is strained from sadness and defeat.

"...stumble onto this treasure trove of ammunition?" The mad doctor, on the other hand, can barely contain his glee.

(...Kim's room...minutes earlier...)

Drakken types at the keyboard of Kim's computer for what must be the hundredth time. He rises from the screen. His annoyed look changes to one of inspiration.

(...Jim and Tim's room...)

Shego bursts in, Jim under her arm. Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", the tweebs' music of choice for contemplating, flows from the sound system. She tosses her captive at his twin.

Drakken storms in. "The password to your sister's diary. What is it?"

"Like we'd tell you." Speaking in unison. Their defiance knows no boundary.

"Shego." ...tosses a ball of green flame at the sound system, putting an end to the music. The boys gape at the wreckage. The woman blows on her hand and buffs it on her suit.

The boys look quite shocked. "Buttercup."

"Your brothers were amazingly cooperative."

Kim looks over at her captive siblings. Her expression is not of anger, but of melancholy.

Jim & Tim each produce a noise, which sounds like 'we're sorry'.

The redhead looks back to Drakken. "Do what you want to me, but let them go. They didn't do anything."

"True, but it wouldn't be much fun bragging about this to just Shego." He adjusts the papers. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. September 16th: 'Ron never fails to keep me on edge. Just this morning, we were assigned to work on a class project and he loses the worksheet. We spent the whole day looking for it. After lunch, people were pointing and laughing at me. It was stuck to my butt the whole time.'"

Kim groans louder. The boys gaze in horror as their sister's bust disappears.

"Stop..." The girl's pleas fall on deaf ears. Drakken and Shego exchange duties.

The green-clad woman walks around while looking at the papers. "'September 18th: 'I saw Josh in the hallway today. He was heading into the art room. I heard that he's an artist. What I wouldn't give for him to paint me. Not my picture...me! My body would be his canvas, and I could provide my own...paint thinner.'" Shego's eyes goggle at the last part. "I had you pegged all wrong, Princess."

Kim's mouth puckered in on itself. Where there was once a pair of lips able to craft a witty statement or offer a kiss, there was now a smooth wall of skin between her chin and her nose. The girl starts to sob.

She feels herself being dropped to the floor. Through her tear-soaked eyes, she sees Shego hand the diary off to Drakken.

"September 20th: 'I--"

Another lightning strike. This one puts the lights out. Drakken drops the pages out of surprise and lets out a yell.

"What happened?"

"Must've been the storm. Where's Possible?"

Kim looks over at where her brothers are. She walks over and reaches blindly at the rope. She grasps a bit and tugs with all her might. Jim and Tim wiggle free from the bounds. They take the socks out of their mouths and each sling an arm over their necks.

"Maybe she went out", Shego offers.

"She can barely reach the knob. How could she get out?"

Kim can hear the noise from near the closet. They aren't by the door. Tim reaches up and turns the knob.

The door opens and the Possibles run out. Given all that she's lost, her head is swimming, but one thought remains clear in her head: She hoped that the tweebs didn't understand the 'paint thinner' remark.

Drakken and Shego look at the open door.

(...the dining room...minutes later...)

The siblings hide under the table, a table cloth for some slight protection. Even though the lights are out, this, as a hiding place, is rather sub-par, but they were fending for their lives. This was not a time to be particular.

"Kim, how did this..."

"...happen to you?"

Her response is an annoyed grunt. If she had a mouth, this would've been easier.

"You call that a knot?"

Kim looks up fearfully.

"What do I look like? A Girl Scout?"

"You said you sold Girl Scout cookies as a kid."

(...the living room...)

Drakken and Shego walk in.

"No. I said I stole Girl Scout cookies as a kid. See, this is why we need to improve our communication skills."

Drakken gives a slight whiff. "Ugh! Do you smell that?"

Shego puts her hands up. "Hey, it wasn't me."

Drakken stubs his toe on a table near the double doors. A lightning strike shows him the matches on it.

"Ah, glorious." He picks up the matchbook.

"What?"

The mad scientist rips out a match and flips the book over. "I'll tell you in a moment."

The shhhrripp sound of the match gets Kim's attention. She sniffs the air and grimaces. Her eyes widen. She makes a three-part noise.

The tweebs look at her. "What?"

Shego turns toward the dining room. "Doc, did you hear something?"

Jim and Tim take a whiff. Another flash of lightning shows Drakken still trying to strike the match. "I can't hear anything over this weather." They start to understand and rush her to behind the wall.

"I think she said..."

"...take cover!" The Possibles cover each other.

"But, Doc, Kim Possible--"

The doctor persists in trying to get a light. "Tell me about Kim Possible. She has this beautiful home, and still, she has to destroy what I work towards. And not only that, but she can't even fix it up for company. It just burns me up that my plans go up in flames because of...a slob!"

The match lights up. With a whoosh of fire, Drakken flies through the living room, past the foyer and into the kitchen. Shego flies across the living room and right through the window. They both groan.

(...outside the Possible home...)

Ron rushes up the pathway to the house, the Aurora Orchid in his hands. The explosion knocks him to the ground.

He slowly sits up. His mouth hangs open. The lower portion of the house is in flames.

"Kim!"

The young man cautiously approaches the house. He looks up at Kim's window.

"Kim!"

"Ron!" His attention is drawn by what sounds like a pair of voices speaking at once.

Ron can just make out Jim and Tim in the dining room window.

He puts down the flower and runs at the glass. It fails to break. The teenager rubs his shoulder to ease the pain. He beats on the window. Still solid. Ron lies against the window.

Jim and Tim, each at one end, unbolt the latch. The window opens.

Ron reaches his arms out and grabs the boys, one after the other. "Where's Kim?"

"She's still inside...", Jim states after a cough.

"...and something's wrong with her."

"I know." He looks around. His gaze fixes on a young woman...well, 18 percent of one. Her eyes are closed, most likely passed out due to smoke inhalation.

Ron grabs Kim and lifts her out through the window.

He picks up the Aurora Orchid and shakes it on the remnants of her body. "Please work."

Kim inhales the pollen that shakes loose from the flower. Her body starts to reform itself: her mouth, her back, her bust... The men shield their eyes from the reformation of Kim's naughty bits. Rufus pops out of Ron's pocket and looks away as well.

Ron grabs the table cloth from inside and drapes it around Kim.

Her green eyes greet her savior. "Ron..."

He offers nothing more than a smile. "I'm sure you'd do the same for me. No big."

She gives him a big hug. "I've never been happier to have you as a friend." He returns it.

"Back at you."

Kim adjusts the table cloth as Ron pulls out the Kimmunicator. The screen comes to life. "Wade."

"Ron. Did you get back? Is Kim all right?"

"Ask her yourself." He hands the device to his friend.

"Hey, Wade." She smiles.

"Kim. I'm glad you're okay."

"Wade? Could you get the fire department over here?"

"They're on the way."

The Kimmunicator is switched off. Ron puts his arm around Kim. Jim and Tim walk beside them.

Ron laughs a bit. "Your parents are gonna kill you."

"Do you realize how much insurance..."

"...Mom and Dad put on this house?"

The redhead chuckles. "We'll be fine."

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A/N: This marks my second straight episode adaptation. Unlike "Sink or Swim", however, I don't particularly care for this episode. It starts out well, but then Kim accepts Josh's invitation and it just soars straight down the porcelain. While "Blush" isn't quite the worst episode out there (I heartily believe that "Royal Pain", "Return to Wannaweep" and "The Full Monkey" will, one day, be recognized as the instruments of torture they were obviously designed to be), it is certainly the most infuriating, hence this alternate telling. I like to think that the characters are more believable here than they were in the episode.

Thanks for reviewing and have a nice day.