Author Note: And now the moment you all have been waiting for, the moment you've all been pestering about for the past 10 chapters… that's all I'll say, read on.

Chapter 11: These Long Overdue Words

The next morning Ron awoke with that feeling that has no words. The feeling where you're hungry but full, tired but energetic, alive but dead and so much more. Ron replayed everything that happened last night in his mind; putting on the tux, picking up Joan, dancing with her, saying the words, walking to his place, showing his affection for her physically, bringing her back home.

Ron pounced out of bed and began getting ready for the day. The whole time he needed to talk to someone about what happened. There was only one person Ron could really talk to, it was Kim. Even if he couldn't tell her directly what happened he knew that with her support it would be better then anybody else's advice.

After dressing and eating Ron picked up the phone and dialed Kim's number. The phone rang for awhile before Kim picked up.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hey KP, it's me Ron could we…" Ron was silenced.

"Ron, I can't talk right now!" Kim snapped instantly hanging up.

Ron stood motionless for a moment. Feeling a bit desecrated Ron checked the time; it might be too early to call. It was eleven forty-five; Kim was always up and about at this time. Ron tried again.

"Hello?"

"Kim, I…"

"Ron, I said leave me alone!"

She once again hung up. Ron was bewildered. Ron tried once again, this time she didn't even pick up.

"What's wrong?" He asked out loud.

Ron pulled out his kimmunicator and tried to beep her. She appeared on the monitor but only for a second, for when she saw him she signed off instantly.

"What's going on?" Ron was getting upset.

Ron quickly decided to head over to her house, she couldn't hang up on him that way. After his scooter drive up there Ron knocked on the door, Mrs. Stoppable answered.

"Hi Mrs. P, can I talk to Kim?"

"She isn't here Ronald, she just left."

"Oh. Really? Where to?"

"I don't know actually." Mrs. Possible responded a little uneasy. "Ron, does Kim seem a little different to you lately?"

"I'm trying to figure that out."

Ron left the Possible house and headed out in search of Kim, looking at all their usual hang outs. He checked Bueno Nacho… nothing. The park… nadda. The school gym… zilch. The club house… empty. Club Banana… no sign.

The day was slowly being eaten away as he searched. Ron was getting extremely worried.

"Where is she?" Ron questioned. "Did she go on a mission without me? Was there an accident? Is she avoiding me? No! No? Why would she? Did I do something wrong?"

Ron wasn't stupid, he had searched the entire town, asked everyone who may have known, all day and he still had nothing. Kim was avoiding him, and he needed to know why. It was starting to get dark when he was truly fed up.

"That's it time to bring out the big guns." Ron announced pulling out kimmunicator.

"Wade, where's Kim?" Ron demanded an answer.

"What Ron?"

"Kim. Where is she?"

"I was given strict orders not to tell you." Wade said crossing his arms.

"Excuse me!" Ron shouted.

"Kim told me not to tell you."

"Wade this is serious. Kim has been avoiding me all day, I need to know what's wrong, if it's something I did I want to make things better."

Wade looked at Ron seeing the longing in his eyes.

"Okay Ron, by my readings she's at Club Banana."

"But I already looked there."

"She's been hopping across town staying two steps ahead of you. She's finally stopped thinking that you've given up the search."

"So she has been avoiding me."

Wade nodded.

"Thanks Wade."

Ron set off for the mall but his scooter was out of gas. Frustrated Ron dropped it off at his house before running to the mall; he hoped to catch it before it closed. It was close on to closing time when Ron finally burst through the mall doors. The mall was open but the stores where closed. Ron knew that if Kim was at Club Banana Monique would keep it open longer for her to try on clothes and to talk; she always shopped when she was angry.

Ron continued sprinting to the store hoping he wouldn't miss her again. He arrived at the opening and caught his breathe. After his breathing returned he walked in seeing Monique leaning against the door near the changing stalls. It looked like she was standing by herself but it was obvious that she was listening to Kim talk while she was changing. Ron walked up to them and was about to say something but he didn't, he couldn't after hearing what Kim was saying.

"How stupid can he get? I know he's a social outcast but why her? She even worse then him! Ron could do so much better… I'm not saying he's the big man on campus but still…" Kim ranted loudly.

Ron went cold. As Kim's angry outburst continued Ron was being stabbed by a thousand invisible daggers. Monique finally noticed he was standing there. Her mouth dropped open but no words came out, it wouldn't have matter if they did, Ron heard enough. Kim kept on talking as she stepped out but went silent as the grave when she saw Ron.

"Oh god." She said barely above a whisper.

"Thanks Kim, it's nice to know how you really feel." Ron said coldly.

Ron turned and walked out of the store.

"Oh god, what have I done?" Kim asked horrified.

Kim ran after Ron shouting his name she almost caught up as she ran out of the store but set off the alarms due to wearing the merchandise. She hesitated, looking at the store and back at Ron who was still moving fast. Kim, fast as lightening ran back into the store changed out of the clothes and back into her own and sprinted after Ron.

By the time she caught up he was out of the mall and storming through the parking lot.

"Ron! Ron? Please stop. Let me explain, will you just talk to me?" Kim said sparingly as each term fell on deaf ears.

Finally Ron flipped around to face her.

"For what Kim?" Ron was furious. "So I can hear how my best friend thinks I'm a loser. To hear how she hates the girl I'm in love with."

There was a pause of silence.

"Can I just…"

"I can't believe this Kim. Do you really think I could have gotten this far without you?"

Kim had a look of misunderstanding.

"But…"

"Do you really think I could have asked her out alone? Talked to her? Been with her? I only had the confidence to do it because I kept telling myself that my best friend was supporting me, would be there for me."

Kim felt the painful slap of guilt.

"Ron…"

"I mean you're Kim Possible right? The girl who can do anything? If you can do anything why can't you be happy for me?"

"Just let me…"

"I don't get it, last night everything was fine, now you start acting like this. Last night you had date so what's the problem?"

A new thought entered Ron's mind.

"Oh god, is that what this is about? Is this because for the first time I'm in a relationship and you're not? That's low Kim. If it bothers you that much you could get a guy easy, half the guys at school like you! You could get any guy you want!" Ron finished turning to walk away.

"I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE RON, I JUST WANT YOU!" Kim screamed.

Everything stopped. Ron had frozen like ice. Kim was overwhelmed by what she had just said. It had happened; all the feelings pent up in Kim's heart had broken the boundaries of her self control.

Ron slowly turned around to look at Kim; he had the most confused face you've ever seen on.

"W-w-w-w-what d-d-d-did y-you say?" He stammered.

"I'M NOT JEALOUS OF YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE IN A REALTIONSHIP AND I'M NOT! I'M JEALOUS OF JOAN BECAUSE SHE'SWITH YOU! I LOVE YOU RON! I HAVE BEEN FOR LONGER THEN I COULD EVER ADMIT…"

Kim was in agonizing pain. She couldn't stop herself; everything she had been keeping inside was being released. What made it worse was Kim knew that she was destroying everything that she and Ron had. Tears began to swelter in her eyes as she continued to spill he guts. The only thing that could stop her was the loss of oxygen in her lungs; she was finally silenced when she gasped for air.

It was silent everywhere, even the wind died. Kim hated it; she needed some form of acknowledgment from Ron. She trembled uncontrollably as Ron rubbed his head and looked at the ground.

"I…I… I need to think about this!" Ron managed to spit out before running away.

Kim fell to her knees and began to cry.

Kim had no idea how she got home, she felt like a walking corpse as she walked emotionless through the door.

"What's wrong Kim? Suffering from full blown cooties?" Jim and Tim laughed.

There laughs stopped as they saw that she did absolutely nothing to respond. Kim just walked up the stairs like she was nothing at all. Kim stumbled into her room and sat down on her bed hunched over lifelessly.

"Kim?" Mrs. Possible asked walking into her room. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I'm in love with Ron." Kim said bluntly.

A big smile swiped across Mrs. Possible's face.

"Oh Kim I am so happy to finally hear you say that!" She said overjoyed.

"How can you say that?" Kim retorted.

"Kim?"

"I've ruined everything! My life is over!" Kim verbally bashed herself.

Mrs. Possible walked over to Kim and sat beside her.

"Kim I don't understand."

"Ron's in love with Joan."

"Well Kim that doesn't mean…"

"And I told him Mom! I told Ron everything! I came off like some stupid, desperate moron!" Kim cried clutching her mom's lab coat. "And now if he doesn't choose me I've ruined everything we have! We'll never be able to look at each other the same way; it will get so awkward that we'll split apart! I can't live without him Mom, I can't live without him!"

Kim's words slurred together as she bawled unstoppably into the lab coat. Mrs. Possible couldn't do anything or say anything to make it better, she just held her daughter closely, massaging her head as she felt three large damp spots form on her coat.

Meanwhile Ron was at his house darting back and forth in his room. Ron hadn't been this horrified and confused since watching "Planet of the Apes".

"Okay what just happened?" Ron asked out loud. "Last night everything's just fine, next thing Kim tells me she loves me. HOW MESSED UP IS THAT?"

Rufus was wide awake due to Ron shouting so he perked on the dresser's edge listening.

"Did she mean it? Or did she just say that to try to break us up because she's freaking over Joan… but why would she freak over Joan if she didn't have the hots for me?"

The questions kept on piling up and Ron couldn't provide answers which made him growl in frustration.

"Did you see this coming?" Ron asked Rufus.

"Nu-uh!" Rufus shook his head.

"I mean come on. Just a couple months ago I'm the dateless wonder, now I am torn between two girls?"

Rufus scratched his head just as confused.

"Now I have to choose, do I have to choose? I mean I'm in love with Joan right? We've been going out for a while and I've been doing better at everything since then."

"Kim?" Rufus asked.

"Kim? What about her?"

Rufus gave Ron a straight look.

"Okay fine. I know we've been friends forever and we both know that I've thought about it… and I've always loved her but is it love like a sister love or is it more?"

Ron collapsed on the bed with a groan from the brain pain.

"It's the moodulator sitch all over again! I can't decide this on my own. But there are two things I know for sure; one I cannot tell Joan about this, not until I figure this out and two I'm not going to let this ruin anything Kim and I already have. I'm going to talk to her tomorrow, but right now I need to meditate."

Ron took his stance on the floor and focused his energy. Meanwhile outside his window, across the street, hidden in a tree a shadowy figure was listening in on a transmitter. The figure once again pulled out a phone and dialed the familiar number.

"Mr. Matsuki, I've got some information that I think you'll find very interesting." It said into the phone.

And while Middleton slept, Katsuro and Monkey Fist were just getting off a helicopter and walking into an unknown factory in New York.

"So who are you again?" Fisk asked still confused.

"I am Katsuro Matsuki. All you need to know is that, like you I have felt the harsh and humiliating taste of defeat at the hands of Ron Stoppable. I wish to take revenge… but I need your help."

"So what do I get out of this?"

"You mean besides the pleasure of seeing him squirm, the delight in participating in his doom…"

"All that spiritual stuff is good and all but I need something a little more concrete."

"With Ron Stoppable gone there will be no one to stop you from wielding the Lotus Blade."

This thought brought an ominous but happy look to Fisk's face.

"Now that is more like it… but how do you know about the Lotus Blade?"

"I know many things that aren't your concern."

Fisk went silent sensing that he may be pushing limits with his questions. They walked into the building, up a few staircases and down a hall.

"By what I gather, I don't think just the two of us can defeat the bundler, with the mystic monkey power he has he may be more then we can handle." Monkey Fist spoke up after Katsuro halted at a door.

"Right you are Mr. Fisk." Katsuro said with a touch of overconfidence in his voice. "And that is why you're not the only member in my alliance."

Katsuro opened the door directing Fisk in. Fisk walked into what appeared to be a conference room and saw three other entities; a man with blue toned skin, a pale woman in a black and green jumpsuit and a muscular but slimy amphibious creature.

"Please sit." Katsuro suggested as he rounded the table to the front of the room.

As instructed Fisk sat down between the woman and the monster.

"As you already know I am Katsuro Matsuki, we may not know much about each other but we all share something in common… we seek revenge on Ron Stoppable."

"Not me! I'm after Kim Pos…" Drakken was silenced as Shego elbowed him in the chest.

"This is for me remember! That loser made a fool out of me, so I'm going to make ashes out of him."

"Exactly what I wanted to hear. You all have something to contribute to my plan." Katsuro informed.

"What is the plan anyway?" Monkey Fist asked.

"In good time, first I believe it's customary to introduce each member of the team."

Katsuro kept talking, pointing to each individual as he went.

"Dr. Drakken, criminal genius, he is providing the man power. His side kick Shego; her super powers will be most useful. Montgomery Fisk also known as Monkey Fist, his superior knowledge of kung fu is vital. And finally Gil Moss, better known as Gill."

"The difference is?" Shego asked in a mocking fashion.

Gill turned to her in an aggressive manner, but was cut short as Katsuro continued.

"He added an l to his name to imply his mutant transformation. Gill's heightened abilities will secure our victory."

"Whatever." Shego scoffed.

"Continuing on, our fist target is Joan Celina Mayril."

"Who's she?" Monkey Fist asked.

"She is the girl who holds Ron's affection."

"Whoa hold up!" Gill interrupted loudly. "You're telling me the little squweeb has a girlfriend?"

Katsuro nodded. Gill erupted into laughter spewing muck everywhere despite the unpleasantness of the others.

"Oh man! She must be as ugly as sin!" Gill chuckled.

"Ironic coming from you." Shego muttered.

Katsuro pulled out a set of photographs from an envelope and tossed them across the table to Gill. Gill picked them up and looked at them; they were all shots of Joan obviously taken in secret.

Gill whistled. "Wow, I guess Ronnie does have good taste. I think I just found my follow up prize."

"Uh… ew." Shego mocked. "What did the buffoon do to you anyway? Hock a loogie into the primordial soup?"

Gill stood up to face Shego.

"You better take that back Squweeb!"

"Why don't you make me!" Shego barked standing up as well.

Gill belched a wad of radio active muck at Shego. Shego swiped at the clump of goo with her plasma fist melting it with ease.

"That the best you got?" Shego sneered.

"You wish!" Gill retorted his face a centimeter from hers.

Suddenly a gleam of metal darted through them, barely missing either of them. They both looked to the wall where the ninja star fidgeted in the bedding. They then looked to whence it came noticing Katsuro's hand was still in the position. The look in his eyes made Gill and Shego both return to their seats silently.

"The fight is not with each other. If this is going to work you'll have to learn to cooperate and when we're done you can kill each other for all I care." Katsuro said darkly.

The room went silent.

"Now this is the plan."

Less then an hour later Katsuro had finished and everyone listening was taken by his plan, especially Shego.

"This man's a genius." She said overwhelmed.

"Excuse me?" Drakken angrily replied.

"You heard me."

"What about the cheerleader?" Monkey Fist questioned.

"Yeah. The little princess won't just sit back and watch the moron walk into a trap." Shego agreed a sense of doubt in her tone.

"Ah, she's the newest piece of the puzzle. My sources tell me that she recently made a broad confession of her adoration to Ronald, and now he questions his above regular feelings for her."

"Kim Possible… is in love with her side kick?" Drakken managed to peace together.

Everyone excluding Katsuro burst into hysterical laughter.

"Just when I was starting to respect her to." Fisk said in between his chuckles.

"As I was saying." Katsuro broke up the laughter. "I have everything organized so not only does she pose no threat, but we can use her to manipulate Stoppable."

"Make the maggot squirm." Gill encouraged.

"Everyone gets something from this but me." Drakken began to pout. "I want out."

"No chance!" Shego threatened with her plasma fire.

"Have no fear Dr. Drakken." Katsuro said walking up beside him. "I am a man who believes in an equal deal. If you help us with our disposal of Ron Stoppable, you can do as you want with Kim Possible when we're done."

Drakken's pouting face twisted into an evil grin.

"Now that's a reward!" Drakken rubbed his hands together happily.

"Now this whole thing is my idea." Katsuro spoke hardheartedly. "I give the orders, I call the shots, and anyone who cannot take instructions should leave now."

Katsuro turned around to face the other way, allowing the time for people to depart. Drakken went to leave but Shego grabbed his shoulder forcing him back down.

"I don't take orders, I give them!" Drakken shouted quietly to Shego.

"If I can follow orders my whole life, you can put up with it for a day! Remember, you get Kimmy when we're done." Shego snapped back.

Katsuro turned back to face them and smiled when he saw that no one left.

"Excellent. The plan shall now be put into effect. Dr. Drakken, your henchmen have a little job to do." Katsuro spoke evilly.

Kim woke up the next morning feeling like nothing mattered. She had been up all night crying, she only managed to fall asleep due to her exhaustion from her tears. As Kim stared into space she found only one good thing in life, that it was Sunday, and she wouldn't have to face Ron.

Kim moved energy less from her bed and down the stairs. The tweebs saw her as she passed but said nothing. They had never seen Kim like this before, they couldn't bring themselves to mock her.

"Kim?" Mrs. Possible asked with concern as her daughter walked into the kitchen.

Kim didn't answer, she had nothing to say.

"Don't do this Honey. It's not the end of the world."

It was for Kim, and this time she couldn't stop it from happening like she had done countless times before.

"Kim?" Mr. Possible said walking into the room. "You have a message from Ron."

Kim's head shot up in surprise.

"From Ron?" Kim spat.

Mr. Possible held out a piece of paper for Kim to grab. She hesitate, she was worried about what it would say. In the end Kim took the note and read it quietly.

"Kim we need to talk. Meet me in the tree house as soon as you can. Ron."

"Oh my god." Kim said softly.

"What does this mean?" She thought. "Does this mean he forgives me, has he picked me, no, this is my chance to redeem myself, to make things right."

The thought of talking to Ron didn't scare her anymore it made her feel better. Kim didn't want to keep him waiting, she quickly ate breakfast, showered, got dressed and headed for the tree house.

As she looked up the ladder leading into the fort Kim got butterflies in her stomach. She could tell this was going to be the most uncomfortable, embarrassing and most important talk she and Ron ever had.

As Kim's head poked up into the tree house she saw Ron sitting on the couch waiting. Pulling herself in Ron and Kim looked at each other uneasily.

"Hi… Kim."

"Hi… Ron."

Tension in the room was so thick that you'd need a chainsaw to cut it.

"Okay Kim… I'm going to go through this step by step so I can get this all figured out okay?" Ron said trying to sound like he was in control.

"Okay." Kim replied just as ill prepared as him.

"Alright. Now… what you said last night… did you mean it?"

"Yes Ron, I did."

Ron got a quick look of annoyance, he hoped this would be a problem with a quick answer.

"Okay then, is this just because I buffed up?"

"No, it's not because of that."

Ron shrugged with frustration.

"Then help me out here Kim? I don't understand."

Kim swallowed the lump in her throat in preparation.

"Ron I'm not sure either, all I know is that I do have feelings for you, I have for a long time… I have been keeping them all inside. I've just been keeping them locked up for so long that I started being afraid of them, worrying about them and even started denying them. Then last night they just came out."

"But why now Kim? Why not before?"

Kim sat beside Ron feeling more able to express herself.

"I don't know Ron. It just that for the longest time it was just you and me, back then I was to afraid to tell you, then as time went by I tried to forget about how I felt by dating Josh, it didn't work, he was no substitute. I always planned to tell you but I kept putting it off until it just seemed to disappear. And worst of all I started to get afraid of what people may think. I never felt the need to rush because you never had any luck with girls, and whenever a girl actually liked you, you would always miss it. Then Joan came and I… it really hurt."

"But why do you hate her so much?"

"I don't hate her Ron. I'm just jealous, I didn't admit it then but I do now, I was jellin' the whole time. But come on, are you telling me you never thought about us?"

Ron wasn't ready for this question so he looked around and spoke reluctantly.

"Well… yeah, of course I did. I mean… I'd have to be pretty stupid not to right? I would think about the possibility but I wasn't sure you were thinking it so I avoided it. I came close to saying it a few times, but I always chickened out. What if you thought I was crazy? You'd never talk to me again, you are the only friend I have Kim, I didn't want to risk everything for nothing."

Kim softened as she heard Ron's heartfelt words.

"Then that moodulator thing only made things worse, because deep down I really liked it… I was creeped out but I liked it. Then when it was over we never talked about it, I thought that you hated the whole concept of liking me so I gave up on the hope, started looking for other girls… then I found Joan."

"Ron, I'm not saying the moodulator didn't push things to the extreme but that is how I feel about you."

Ron looked at Kim and Kim to Ron. Their eyes then dropped to each other's lips. The once awkward atmosphere changed influencing the two to move closer to one another. Ron had only felt the touch of her lips against his once before and he experienced a high that no amount of any drug could provide, how he longed to reach that high again. Kim's feelings were no different as they gap between them was closing. Their eyes lazily began to drop as they both felt the heat raising. Half a second before contact Ron turned away.

"I can't." He said harshly.

Kim normally idolized Ron sincerity and loyalty but at this moment she hated him for it.

"I don't know what I'm going to do." Ron grieved burying his face in his hands.

"Who do you care about more Ron?"

"I can't just answer that Kim. And if I wanted to I can't just break up with Joan now cause then she'll think the only reason I went out with her was to…"

Ron stopped dead in his tracks.

"To what?"

Ron didn't answer, he didn't have to Kim could read him like a book.

"Oh god."

Kim quickly became perturbed. She tried to fight the mental images but they swarmed her mind.

"Ron, you… I…. did you use…?"

"Yes Kim!" Ron blared not wanted to hear her say the words.

Ron knew things were getting dangerous, so he got up and headed for the exit. Before going down Ron turned to Kim.

"Kim, I still don't know what's going on, or what's going to happen, but right now I have to go."

"To her?" Kim spoke insensitively.

"Kim please don't talk like that, it isn't fair." Ron finished as he disappeared down the exit.

Kim let out a sigh of depression as her head sagged.

Ron was heading over to Joan's house, they had plans to for the day. Ron's mind was still a flurry of untamed thoughts. He didn't know how strange things were going to get with Joan.

Ron rang the doorbell and waited for an answer. Nothing happened. Ron tried again but still nothing.

"Hello?" Ron called peeking into the house.

Joan had told Ron that the rest of her family had gone to bring Ricky back to college but that she would be here waiting.

"Joan? I'm here."

Ron walked into the house and into the living room wondering where she was. Ron finally noticed that furniture was scrambled and knocked over, there had been a struggle.

"JOAN!" Ron shouted.

Ron kept calling her name as he ran through the house looking in every room but found nothing. He finally came to her room, he burst through the door but she wasn't there, only an envelope on her bed. Ron dashed over and opened it, to find a piece of paper with a lock of her hair tapped down.

"I have Joan. If you value her life you will be at the Vultrex factory warehouse, New York at ten o'clock. No authorities!" The letter read.

Ron was shocked beyond belief. His hands started quiver at the thought of losing Joan. Ron knew there was no time to lose. He quickly ran back downstairs and shaped up the room to hide the struggle that had taken place, The Mayril's could not find out about this. Afterwards Ron ran out of the house whipping out the kimmunicator.

"Ron what is it?" Kim asked seeing the dismay in his face.

"Kim someone has kidnapped Joan! We need to get to New York now!"