Ron was finally getting used to the physical demands of the loading dock, it was tough work and Ron was noticing he was starting to develop muscles. He showed them off to Kong and Kong laughed, "Those ain't muscles those are pimples, these are muscles." He said proudly flexing his muscles.

The rest of the guys had a good laugh but Ron was interested in working out with weights so Kong damaged a weight set for him to pick up cheap in scratch and dent and then went over to his house on an off day to help him set it up.

Ron's mom almost fainted when she saw the big man, "Ron…one of your…little…friends from work is here for you." She yelled up stairs.

Ron made it to the garage and found Kong setting things up. Kong lifted and eyebrow, "Little friends?" he asked.

Ron just shrugged, "You know…Jewish mothers."

Kong laughed and nodded. Kong showed Ron how to lift correctly so he wouldn't hurt himself and taught him different ways to use the weights so it would help him with his running. Now on days when Ron didn't run, he lifted weights. Ron's body was starting to take form and he liked what he saw.

Ron and Lacey saw each other as much as they could having to work different schedules, they finally got their respective lives lined out a few weeks after they met so they could have days off together.

Lacey took Ron home and introduced him to her parents, they appeared to like Ron and he like them. Ron saw Lacey's room and was introduced to her collection of stuffed penguins, Ron felt a wave of déjà vu coming on as he thought about Kim and her cuddle buddies but he listened patiently and acted interested.

He found out that Lacey could draw, Ron was envious he wished he could be artistic; the Hollywood makeup kit wasthe closest thing to art that Ron could do.

They sat out back and Lacey drew a picture of him and they talked asking those little probing questions that new couples always ask each other. Lacey stopped drawing and reached down to take a drink of her soda, "So you ever think of getting married?" she asked Ron.

Ron squirmed in the lawn chair a little, "Well, I assume, I will marry one day, I just have to run across the right girl. He told her with a wink.

Lacey smiled, "So what's the right girl gonna be like. She asked raising an eyebrow and making Ron really uncomfortable,

"Ummmmmm..I don't know, mom wants me to marry a nice Jewish girl." He told her with a chuckle.

She smiled, "ahhhhh your close to your mother are you."

Ron's demeanor changed drastically, "No, I'm not really close to either of them, don't know why…just never was." He told her.

Lacey winced and realized she wondered into a sore spot for Ron and changed the subject, "Sorry, didn't mean to upset you, so what kind of car are looking for?"

Ron smiled, "No big, you didn't know, car, I really haven't given it much thought, I just hope it's a good one." He told her.

Ron smiled, "Ok my turn, so do you ever think of getting married."

Lacey blushed, "From time to time, I have to meet the right man first."

Ron laughed, "Good answer, ummm..ok, what is the right guy going to be like?"

Lacey got a far away look in her eye, "My dream guy, isn't going to drink or smoke, he'll be patient, love animals and have a kind heart."

Ron nodded, "You've been practicing that one haven't you? So are you closer to your dad or your mom?"

Lacey blushed, "I don't know…dad probably."

Ron nodded, "Ahhhhhhhh…daddies girl, huh."

They both laughed, and Ron asked another question, "When you get married do you plan on having kids?" Lacey got quiet and turned her head, Ron squirmed thinking he'd asked something he shouldn't of.

Then Lacey turned back to him, "Ron, I had cancer real bad a few years ago, I can't have kids." She told him sadly.

Ron closed his eyes and kicked himself for being such a dummy, "Oh Lacey, I…I didn't know, I'm so sorry." Ron said softly.

Lacey got up from where she was sitting and sat in Ron's lap and gave him a big hug which he returned, "No big, it's not your fault…you didn't know." She said chucking wiping her eyes.

"Normally when boys find out about the cancer they get freaked out, so I don't tell them right away."

Ron nodded, "Well, you don't have to worry about that with me." He told her.

She gave him another big hug, "Thanks" She whispered in his ear.

Lacey finished Ron's portrait and then they headed out to the theater, Ron never did get to see Blazing Chainsaws 2 with Kim but it was on at the dollar show so he and Lacey saw it. Ron enjoyed it, in all the scary parts Lacey would cling to him. Ron didn't remember much of the movie, but he sure remembered Lacey holding on to him.

It was worth a few dollars for that he thought. They ate at the Bueno Nacho in Lowerton, Ron wasn't impressed with their food, and the cheese tasted like paste, "So what do you feel like doing now?" He asked Lacey.

Lacey got a devilish grin on her face, "I want to go to Quarry Lake." She told him.

Ron lifted an eyebrow, "Oh you want to go to Quarry Lake do you? I think I know where it is." He told her smiling.

Quarry Lake was an old gravel quarry; about 30 years ago the workers were digging away and hit the water table.

The water rushed in so fast that they had t leave all the equipment behind. All the workers were able to get out but there equipment rests on the bottom of several hundred feet of crystal clear water. The land was donated to the state and in turn it became a state park.

Ron used to go there with the Possible's when he was eight or so and they would take an old John boat out and he'd look down and see the equipment at the bottom of the lake.

Because of the magnification from the water the cranes and trucks always looked like they were just under the surface, so if you wanted to you could just reach out and touch them, when in actuality they were several hundred feet below the water.

At night however Quarry Lake is the area's lover's lane, where the youth of Lowerton and Middleton go to make out.

Ron took Lacey into Middleton first to pickup some cheap blankets from the Smarty Mart, he knew from experience that it could become quite chilly with the breeze coming in from off the lake, even in the summer time. Ron figured he'd better get a few blankets since he didn't have a car yet.

The sun was starting to go down as Ron and Lacey made their way towards the lake, they entered the parking area and saw there were already a few couples eagerly exploring each other. Since Ron didn't have a car he'd have to find a place out of the way, he saw some large bushes that were in front of a hill that faced the water.

Ron figured this to be a good place so he jumped the curb with the bike and went off into the grass till he had the motorcycle well hidden behind the bushes. Once he shut the engine off, he and Lacey found themselves a small opening in the hill. That is where they setup their little make shift camp.

Ron spread a blanket down at the foot of the hill, he sat on the blanket with his back to the hillside. Lacey sat between his legs and leaned back into his body and Ron wrapped his arms around her stomach. She felt his hands and turned back and kissed him and they watched the sun set the rest of the way and turn to night.

Ron held her and got that far away look in his eyes, "She is so different from Kim, Lacey is soft, Kim was rock hard, all muscle from years of freak fighting and cheerleading. I can reach out and hold Lacey's hand or give her a hug, with Kim that just wasn't done; you didn't touch Kim Possible, if affection was to be shown it was on her terms and hers alone. Lacey is warm and tender, Kim seems so distant and cold to me now. I wonder why I never noticed that before, very strange, how very strange." Ron thought to himself.

Ron's thoughts were interrupted, "What you thinking about Ron?"

Ron squeezed Lacey a little tighter, "I was just thinking about how strange life is, and how lucky it is that you came along for me."

Lacey moved back to try and get a little closer to him. Ron thought to himself, "Good line, must remember that one."

Ron started kissing Lacey's neck and nibbled on her earlobe, she responded to Ron's displays of affection, he could hear her moan. Ron let his hands wonder a little bit, he started to let them drift up a little higher in her shirt, he felt a hand stop him.

Lacey turned back to him, "That's as far as you go this trip mister." She said smiling.

Ron chuckled and nodded and held both hands in the air. Lacey looked at Ron and gave him an evil smile, "Hey Ron, is that a naked mole rat in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Ron just about swallowed his tongue, "ummm..errrrr…what?...uhhhh"

Then the two teens broke down laughing, Ron turned beat red and Lacey was enjoying his discomfort. Ron threw his hands up in a form of surrender, "Sorry" he told her awkwardly.

She brought her finger to her lips, "Shhhhhhh" and gave him a warm passionate kiss.

After Lacey broke off the kiss Ron just shook his head, "Yep, a whole lot different than KP…and it's a good different." He thought.

He saw the lights of the police car and pulled Lacey flat on the ground, he held his finger up to his lips, "Shhhhhhhhhh…Don't move."

The county Sheriffs department had arrived to run the young lovers out of the parking lot. Ron knew he had his bike well out of the way so it was out of sight. Ron could feel Lacey quivering and knew that this was new to her, Ron on the other hand staying concealed was to be expected.

Ron reassured her, "If we get caught they'll just make us leave; I don't think they can see the bike from the parking lot." He whispered to her.

Ron could hear the car circling the parking lot saw the spot light shining out above them. They stayed motionless and the car moved on, Ron could hear the radio inside the car and knew they were still in the lot in case anyone tried to sneak back in. The squad car sat there for an eternity before Ron heard it pull out and onto the access road, "Ok they're gone, we've got the place to ourselves." He said smiling.

They lay a blanket out on the ground and lay on their backs; Lacey was lying on Ron's right arm and using his shoulder as a pillow. Ron was using his left arm behind his head as a pillow. Ron pulled her in close with his right arm; now he was doing things that he had done only fantasies.

Ron and Lacey talked for about another hour about work, school, and the future. Then Ron became aware of Lacey's slow even breaths and he realized that she had fallen asleep. He looked at her in the moonlight, "Wow, she fell asleep; this is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me." He thought to himself.

Ron lay back and looked at the stars; he could hear the water of the lake lapping against the shore line. It reminded him of when he and Kim went on a mission down in the Caribbean. He didn't remember the island but he did remember the blue ocean water and the white sand, and the palm trees.

He remembered wanting to walk on the beach and look for shells, there was never anytime for that, always head in the game Ron and we're here on business not to be tourists.

Ron thought to himself, "Would it have been so wrong to have just collected a few sea shells?" and then Ron fell asleep.

The monsters hadn't bothered Ron in a long time, but tonight they returned. Ron was having a nightmare, he was in a castle, it was Killigan's castle, on Killigan's Island. He could hear Killigan's evil laughter and he could see him hitting golf balls, Ron avoided the balls but they just kept coming, he was yelling for Kim but there was no Kim to be found.

He ran along a wall the explosions growing nearer and nearer, until Ron was cornered, no where to run. He seen the evil smile of Killigan, saw him hit the golf ball, saw it land at his feet. He looked down and saw the red digital display, 4…3…2…1 and then the white hot flash of the explosion directly in his face.

He sat bolt upright and didn't know where he was, he was aware of screaming, aware that it was him that was screaming. He felt Lacey's hand on his back, and he fell backwards and clung to her, shaking.

He'd had the nightmares before but never around anyone that he could hold on to.

Lacey was stroking his head, "Shhhhhhhh, it was only a dream, your here with me, shhhhhhhhhhh, it's alright."

Ron was still shaking and then he became aware that he was crying. He quickly tried to recover control of his emotions, "Sorry about that men don't cry." He told her.

Lacey smiled, "its ok, I won't tell anyone." She said smiling.

Ron chuckled, "Promise" he asked her.

Lacey nodded, "I promise"

Ron gathered himself together and realized that dawn was breaking, they had been there all night.

Ron jumped up, "Oh no, we got to go, I gotta get you home or your dad's gonna kill me." Ron said.

Lacey stood up and gave Ron a hug, "It will be alright Ron." She told him.

Ron calmed down and started packing up, "Sorry about the yelling and all, sometimes I still have missions up here." Ron said pointing at his head.

Ron took a deep breath, "Some are more brutal than others, that one…was bad." He told her shaking his head.

Lacey gave Ron another hug. Ron was starting to choke up again, "You probably think I'm some sort of brain damaged freak." He told her trying to control his emotions.

Lacey kept a hold on him, "No I don't, it'll be ok Ron." She said smiling.

Ron took a deep breath and smiled, "Ok, let's get you home now."

Ron drove the motorcycle thru Lowerton early morning rush hour traffic, he pulled up in front of Lacey's house and she pulled off her helmet and Ron tied it down to the bike. She gave him a big hug and a kiss and then Ron watched his brown haired angel climb the steps and head inside.

Ron shook his head, "Whewwwwww what a night." He thought to himself.

He fired the motorcycle back up and headed towards home, he was angry with himself, "I never should have fallen asleep, now she's gonna dump me, God, why of all nights to let the monsters loose in my head did you pick this one?" he thought angrily.

Then Ron settled down, "Stop it, she's not like Kim, she won't leave you hanging worrying about food chains or what people will think, she beat her own monster, she held you and didn't run from you. She's gotta be tough to beat cancer, she told you it will be alright, so calm down."

Ron was calm when he rolled the bike in the driveway, the sun was in the sky and it was making for a beautiful day.

Ron walked inside, he heard his dad call his name, "Ronald, we need to talk." Ron cringed.

He went into the kitchen with his dad, "So where were you all last night?" Ron squirmed and decided to serve up the truth and told his dad everything that happened the night before.

His dad nodded, "Are you sure that's all that happened?" Ron nodded and told his dad that he didn't get that lucky and they shared a small laugh.

His dad lectured him about ground rules and boundaries and Ron nodded and listened. Then his dad asked him how much he had saved up for his car.

Ron shrugged, "I have about $600 in the bank." He told his dad.

"I'll tell you what I'll do Ronald at the end of the summer, whatever you have saved up for your car; I'll match you dollar for dollar."

Ron's eyes lit up, "That'd be great dad, Thanks." He told his dad.

His dad nodded, "Just don't tell your mother, she'd have kittens." He told him and they shared a good laugh.

Then Ron went upstairs he knew he could get another two hours of sleep before having to be at Bueno Nacho.

He looked at a half awake naked mole rat in his room, "You better be up in two hours, we're going to work today." He told Rufus before lying down to catch some sleep.

Ron laid there in bed, "What a night." He thought to himself.