The big day finally arrived; Ron's big shot at cross country fame. Ron chuckled to himself, "Nobody knows anybody that runs cross country." he was happy.

He felt good on this particular Wednesday, he got a hold of Kong and he was fired up, "I'll run them into the ground." Amongst the other runners Ron stuck out like a sore thumb, he didn't have the cool wrap around sunglasses and he didn't have a pair of $200 shoes. The ones with the fancy shoes were trying to intimidate him. Ron didn't get upset, he'd just remind them that he just had a Friday night full of freak fighting and there was little they could do that would intimidate him.

They started Ron off with a group of freshman an sophomores, both boys and girls, he ran 1,500 metes and finished with a good time. He knew he was going to make the team so the pressure was off, so he ran the 3,000 meters with the juniors and seniors, by the end of the afternoon he was on the team and his legs were shot. He made it back home and gave Lacey a call.

He was as excited as can be and he had to talk to someone, Lacey was home, she was tired from her chemotherapy treatment earlier in the day but she listened. "Anyway, I gotta run out and get a pair of those $200 shoes and those wrap around sunglasses."

Lacey laughed at him, "They gonna make you run faster?"

Ron knew what the answer, "No but I'll look cool." And they both laughed.

Ron remembered he hadn't talked to his friend in several days, "How you been doing?"

There was a small silence, "Ohhhhhh I'm ok, tired, got some pain but it ain't bad."

Ron swallowed, "Uhhhhh Do you think you can go out for a little while on Saturday night…Gotta break in the new car." Ron said happily.

He could hear Lacey give a little, "Yeaaaa, you got that car finally."

Ron smiled, "Not yet, me and dad are going out Friday, I have to look at a few that look like they're good ones."

Ron was in a hurry to get a car; he knew that Lacey couldn't ride on the motorcycle anymore. Ron hadn't seen Lacey in over a week and it was making him nervous, "So you're doing ok then…right?"

Lacey said she was fine, Ron knew he'd feel better if he could see her, "So you think I can come over for a bit on Saturday?"

There was an uneasy silence, "Yea, you can come over."

Ron was smiling, "I'll try and make it over in the afternoon."

Lacey said that would be ok. Ron was looking for something to say, "…I cut my hours back to twenty again at Smarty Mart, school coming up and all…Did I tell you I miss you?"

Lacey chuckled, "No but I figured it was coming."

They had a good laugh and ended the conversation.

Ron looked over at Rufus, "I would have had you in my pocket for the tryout but you barfed in my pocket the last time we ran together."

Rufus was rolling on his back laughing, "Yuck"

Ron shook his head, "Yea yuck"

Ron started to get cleaned up, he felt like taking a trip to the mall, look for some cool athlete looking cloths, maybe a pair of those cool wrap around sunglasses.

Kim received a new Kimmunicator from Wade, and Wade filled her in on what happened to the last one. Kim smiled and shook her head, "It broke" I'll give Ron an "it broke" the next time I talk to him." she told Wade.

Kim was also talking to Wade about really shuttering Team Possible for good, "I mean Ron was right, we just stunk up the lobster last Friday. Nothing went well, I was sloppy and Shego was kicking my tail."

Wade was trying to talk her out of it, "You guys were out of practice, and you had to carry Ron."

Kim winced, "I shouldn't of had Ron there, he didn't want to come and his girlfriend is making him wear bikini briefs."

Wade looked at her funny over the Kimmunicator, "Say what?"

Kim giggled, "Never mind, scratch that part…Ron's had a fun summer and we haven't really done anything. Wade Ron might be right?" Kim said sadly.

Kim's mom opened the door, "Kim Josh Mankey's on the phone and he wants to know if he's been chipped?"

Kim put both hands over her face, "NO, Josh Mankey hasn't been chipped."

Kim started laughing, "I'll never live this down will I?"

Kim's mom just smiled and shrugged and left the room.

Kim turned her attention back to Wade, "Ron really doesn't like me anymore does he?"

Kim took a long moment to answer, "Well, ever since May he's been pretty consistent towards you…I think he's disappointed in you and angry at you…and me…I'll try and make things right with Ron later, once school has started."

Wade nodded, "Yea, I never really thought about how I was coming across to him before."

Wade was playing on his computer, "Hey Ron made the cross country team."

Kim smiled, "Good for him, I guess he won't be in the Mad Dog suite this year, that should make Bonnie happy."

Kim gave a little frown, "I still miss him, as grumpy and nasty as he was last Friday, it was still fun being with him…Maybe I should of just had one beer." Kim said with a far away look in her eye.

Wade shook his head, "Your hopeless, I gotta go, I'll see ya Kim." Then the screen went blank.

Jim and Tim came into the room, "Now that you're going to quite saving the world, can we have your electronic stuff for parts?"

Kim shook her head, "Ain't gonna happen Tweebs, now get out of my room."

The twins were visibly disappointed, "Well if you see Ron ask him if Rufus can try test one of our atmosphere skimmers."

Kim smiled, "Next time I see him, now out, Kim needs some Kim time."

Then the twins were off getting into something else. Kim leaned up against the door, "next time I see Ron." And let out a heavy sigh.

Friday came and Ron and his dad went car hunting, it was clear there was going to be a clash of tastes, Ron wanted two doors and sporty or a truck and dad was looking for cars of the elderly. Ron wanted red, dad wanted beige, Ron wanted a CD player and dad really wondered if FM radio was really necessary. Ron finally decided on a little black four door hatch back with some cool graphics and a CD player. It didn't have a big engine but it would be affordable for him to drive.

Once everything was paid for and licensed Ron was pretty well cleaned out at the bank. He smiled sitting behind his new wheels, "No $200 shoes but at least I got wheels…Booyah."

He fired the car up and drove down the street to show it off to his old friend Kim, the twins met him at the door, "Can Rufus test fly our atmosphere skimmers?"

Ron just shrugged, "You'll have to ask him, he's trying to hide in the ash tray."

Then the twins spotted the car and they were all over it and making Ron nervous, "Come on guys I just got it, no modifications or lifting parts…Go get Kim for me."

They were visibly disappointed but they got Kim and then took Rufus to the shop to show him the craft.

Ron watched Rufus leaving, "Hope he knows what he's getting into?" he thought.

Kim walked out the front door to see Ron with his new wrap around glasses, his Middleton Cross Country shirt on and leaning up against his shinny new car. He had a big smile on his face, he was really proud of the car,

"Hey Ron, spankin' car you got there." Kim said happily.

Ron smiled, "Thank you, would you care to have a look around?"

Kim nodded and looked over the car, Ron told her all about the cool features and stuff it would do. Kim listened politely, "It is a good looking car, you really put in the hours for that."

Ron nodded, "Yep, wasted wages…Uhhhh Kim….Sorry about last Friday night, I didn't mean to be a goon."

Kim nodded, "It's no big, I shouldn't of came and got you."

Ron laughed, "That had to be the worst mission we ever had." Then they both laughed.

Ron shook his head, "Hey I made the cross country team, you can tell by my happin' new t-shirt and sunglasses."

Kim laughed, "Your an athlete now, I don't know what the rest of the squad will say when there's no Ron to be the Middleton Mad Dog."

Ron frowned, "Yea, I'll miss that and stuff but I needed to do this."

There was an awkward silence, "Ron how's Lacey?"

Ron kind of licked his lips, "I don't know, I go to see her tomorrow. I'm pretty nervous haven't seen her for a little over a week and a half…I don't know."

Kim nodded, "Well I hope she'll be ok…you know."

Ron nodded, "Thanks KP, I uh…I don't know….it's hard."

Kim nodded, she didn't know what she'd do if the situation was reversed, "Well if you ever need anything, you know."

Ron was looking at his feet, "Yea"

Then Kim remembered the broken Kimmunicator, "Hey you, I want to know what happened to that Kimmunicator last Friday night?"

Ron looked up, looked away, and smiled, "It got broke."

Kim nodded, "And just how did it get broke?"

Ron was grinning an evil little grin, "I seem to remember someone getting a bit tweaked with someone else and then it hit the floor really hard and I seem to remember the person that threw it jumping up and down on what was left of it…I could be wrong though, last Friday was a long time ago and you know how stupid ol' Ron is." He told Kim with just a hint of bitterness towards Wade.

Kim closed her eyes and shook her head, "Wade thinks you don't like him anymore."

Ron nodded, and started to rub the back of his neck, "Ohhhhhhhh I don't know what would ever lead Wade to think that, but his day will come." Ron said with just a hint of malice towards Wade.

Then Ron looked around, "Well I better get running…You know…I'm really messed up in the head from that chip…take a while to get over…you know…I guess…ok then, I'll see ya later Kim." Then Ron turned and walked towards the shop to find Rufus.

Kim nodded, "Yea…I know" she said sadly.

Kim sat on the steps and waited for Ron to come back to his car, she wished there was an easy way to make things better but she just didn't know how. Ron came back with Rufus, "I guess Rufus will take the skimmer up next week." He told Kim happily.

Kim smiled, "Ron…We're going to shutter Team Possible."

Ron nodded, "You sure? I mean, that's what you do and stuff."

Kim nodded, "You were right, we weren't needed last Friday, we were sloppy and it just wasn't right…Time to get out."

Ron nodded, "No argument from me, I had a blast after I gave it up. There's a big world out there Kim, go find you a boyfriend and go see it."

Kim laughed, "I kind of gave up on finding boyfriends."

Ron laughed, "I know you better than that you're probably stringing six or seven guys along as we speak."

Kim laughed, "I wish"

They both had a good laugh.

Ron shook his head, "Well Kim, School starts next week so it will be back to the grind again."

Kim nodded, "Yea"

Ron nodded, "Yea, well I'll be seeing you KP."

Then Ron got in his car and drove away.

Kim sat on the steps for a while, "I wish Ron would visit more." She thought to herself.

Then she cringed, "Poor Wade's going to get the butt chewing of all time though, Ron's still stinging from that chip…I guess I would be too, should of thought of that first I guess."

Then Kim got up and went to the garage to see what the twins were working on.

Saturday came and Ron went to visit Lacey at home, he was shocked, she looked thin and gaunt, she was wearing winter knit hat to cover the hair loss. She still had brown hair peeking out from under the hat but it was thinning on top.

Ron hid the shock as best he could and gave her a big hug, "Ohhhhhhh I missed you girlieeee"

Lacey folded into his arms, "I bet you did, I know you've been busy no time for girls."

Ron laughed, "Never that busy."

She put on a jacket because now she would get cold easily and went out to look at Ron's car, she sat in the front seat and Ron handed her Rufus, "Here hang on to the pink freaky thang."

Then he took her for a ride around the neighborhood, "You got a cool car Ron, wish we had this at Quarry Lake." She said punching Ron in the arm.

Ron laughed, "I can't imagine why?" Then thy both had a good laugh.

They went back to Lacey's house and went into the kitchen and sat down and talked. Ron told her about having to cut back hours at Smarty Mart, and his practice schedule and days when he had to run in meets.

Lacey smiled, "It sounds like you're looking forward to going back to school."

Ron nodded, "Yea, it's going to be tough, not used to being that busy."

Ron said shaking his head, "How did I get myself into all this?" he said while laughing.

Lacey smiled, "You can handle it, you juggled two jobs, road work, friends and me this summer."

Ron laughed, "Put it like that I guess I was pretty busy. Summer went by too fast." Ron said sadly.

Lacey got a serious look on her face, "Ron, I go back in on Tuesday for more chemo, there's no real guarantee this is going to work. I want you to go find you a girl friend at Middleton, you won't be able to keep dropping everything to come see me."

Ron looked shocked, "I don't want to find another girl friend…ummm…Ron Stoppable is not a player. You'll beat this; you beat it before…right?" Ron was choking up, he wasn't hiding that he was worried very well.

Lacey took his hand, "You think about what I said…Ask Kim out again."

Ron started laughing, "Noooooooo…Noooooooo…I didn't measure up and I'm sure that hasn't changed, besides…she's not girlfriend material…gotta think about that food chain…You know world class athlete and all." They both laughed.

Ron gave her a hug and a kiss goodbye and went to work at Smarty Mart, "She's down right now; chemo is taking a lot out of her. I ain't going no where, she'll make it …God what if she don't? Don't think about it, she'll make it." Ron's mind was made up, no new girlfriend, he was not a quitter and wouldn't start now.