Disclaimer:Disney owns Kim Possible, only the story is mine.

Chapter 2: Picking up the Pieces

Kim sat in silence, letting the revelation sink in. 'Dying, Ron is dying?' The thought was inconceivable in her mind, but she knew that was what Ron said. "Ron… you can't die. You can't."

"KP, it's not my choice."

"I'm sorry Ron. I didn't mean it like that."

"I know, and it's not like I haven't been expecting this for a while now."

"Will you just tell me the whole story?" She thought about giving him the pout but thought better of it.

"Of course you remember eight years ago when my family went on a vacation for a month, we really went to Minnesota to a special clinic. I was diagnosed with leukemia. We went there for therapy, and it went well. I was in remission since then, but now it's back, and it's back with a vengeance. This time they can only make it less painful; it has gotten too wide spread. When we got back from that last mission against Drakken and Shego the bruises didn't go away. My mom and dad decided I needed to go see the doctors. In the time since I took the tests I have had trouble walking and I got a cane, this one is one I had sent from a friend."

"Ron, you're not telling me how long…Well…"

He looked down, "Six to eight months, maybe, it's not an exact science."

Kim could feel the pain coursing through her. Soon she would lose to the one she that had been next to her, the one she never could do without, Ron. Her emotions got the better of her as she collapsed into Ron's chest sobbing. He tried to comfort her the best he could, he carefully wrapped his arms around her shoulders and stroked her back tenderly.

"It's going to be alright KP. Don't worry. I will help you get through this."

Kim pulled back looking startled, "You're doing it again Ron, looking out for me instead of being concerned about you. If you want to be concerned, concern yourself with your health." Tears leaking down her cheeks, "I need you."

Ron was stunned as she again crashed into his chest. 'She needs…ME?' The thought was incredible even to hear. He didn't know quite how to take it, but there it was.

Ron just sat there with Kim against his chest, him stroking her back, allowing her time to relax and regain her composure. She just seemed to curl up closer as time went by. "It's a good thing you never realized how much I love you KP." He muttered almost under his breath. Kim shot up scaring him a little, she had heard.

"Did I just hear what I thought I heard?"

Ron looked uncomfortable, "Can you tell me what you heard? Because I don't know if you heard what I think you heard, so I'm not really sure what was heard."

Kim pulled his ear closer and whispered, "I thought you said you loved me."

Ron started to stammer, "Well it might… have, ah… sounded like that…, but I'm not really… sure." Kim had yet to back away from Ron's' ear.

"That's too bad, because I've wanted to hear that since long before the moodulators took control of my emotions. I was just too scared to admit it, but now I want to."

Kim pulled back so that they were almost nose to nose looking deeply into one another's eyes. Ron couldn't hold back any longer as he pulled her close for what he wanted to be a quick kiss, but became a long passionate one when Kim held him tight as their breathing came in gasps. Neither wanted to stop, but finally the end came in breathless abandon each drawing a labored breath as they separated.

Ron was the first to find his voice, "I wanted to do that for so long. I was always so afraid that if I did you might not have felt the same way." His voice became small and quiet, "If you didn't I don't think I could have stayed close to you, or have continued doing missions.

"I never would have allowed that to happen, I depend on you. We would have found some way to work things out, but that would never really been an issue anyway." Kim smiled as she took his hand in hers and held it to her cheek. She felt the warmth of his touch as she nuzzled his palm, the beating if his heart could be heard changing it's rhythm as she settled in closer against his chest.

Ron felt like a new man, well maybe not entirely new, but he did feel relieved that now Kim knew his secret. Actually she knew both his secrets, but he still had one that a promise made he could never break. He looked back at her face buried in his chest noticing the slight movement as her breathing gradually slowed. He looked at the clock on the nightstand, it read 8:30, Kim had been there with him for at least two hours already, and his mother hadn't interrupted even once.

"Kim… I think it's time you got back home before your father comes looking for you. I don't want to have to explain what we've been doing the past few hours."

"Kim leaned back slightly, "Trying to get rid of me already?"

"No… It's not like that. I just don't want to end up stuffed in a deep space probe headed for a black hole. Maybe later, but not right now. I have a lot to look forward to… now."

"OK Ron. I will go home, but I will be back." She pulled him close and kissed him with all she had. She stood to leave, but he held her hand not letting her go. "I'll need that back too."

"Just a minute, I'll see you out." He stood shakily and reached for his cane to steady himself. He moved to follow Kim out of his room and down the stairs, but she took his free arm and wrapped it around her shoulders walking close beside him.

As the pair descended the stairs Ron looked uncomfortable at finding his parents watching him closely. Kim only smiled at them and pulled Ron even closer, eliciting a deep color change in his cheeks.

"That's far enough Ron; you get back up there and rest. I will see you tomorrow. Would it be alright if we went out for brunch, say about 10:00?"

Ron nodded in approval only. He was shocked when she began pulling him closer and kissed him, leaving him with a trademark Ron-grin across his face. But only till he realized his parents were watching him. Then his face went beetroot.

"Go on get back to your room; you're going to need your rest." Kim said shooing him back up the stairs. She watched Ron climb back up to his room and gave him a little wave before turning to go. She turned to his parents and with a little smile, "Bye…", and out the door she went.

"Kimberly…" Barbara called rushing out the front door.

Kim turned with a wide smile. "Yes… Mrs. Stoppable?"

Barbara's' face showed concern, "How did it go with him? I have been so worried about him; he just hasn't been himself since… you know. He did tell you didn't he?"

"He told me quite a bit, but you mean about his illness?" she couldn't bring herself to say 'Dying'.

"Yes. I'm glad you brought it out of him. I thought he would hide it from you, or even worse, just keep it bottled up."

"Well… that isn't the only thing that got brought out…" Kim suddenly became shy.

"OH…"

"Ah… Ron told me that he loves me."

Barbara threw her arms around Kim, "That's wonderful; you have no idea how long we have been hoping and waiting for one of you to finally admit your feelings."

"You mean you knew?"

"Oh yes dear… a lot of us knew. Your parents, us, his friend Felix, even his teacher Mr. Barkin once commented to us at one of the parent teacher conferences."

"If everyone else knew… Why didn't somebody tell me?"

"We didn't want to jinx it dear; we all knew you two would eventually work it out. Now I think you better get back down to your house. It is getting late and your mother and father will be getting worried."

Kim hugged Ron's mother and whispered, "Thank you…" She turned and sprinted off waving as she cleared the yard.

Kim bounded through her front door humming happily to herself, a wistful smile across her face. "Mom, dad, I'm home."

James sat in his easy chair reading the paper, and her mother sat watching a little television while refereeing the twins.

"How is Ron Kimmie?" Her mother called from the living room. "That is where you went wasn't it?"

Kim stopped with one foot on the bottom step leading up to her attic bedroom. "Yes mom, I finally got to see him. We talked for a while."

Anne peered cautiously at her daughter, "Well, how is he?"

Kim was unsure about how she should discern Ron's condition. She motioned to her mother to follow her up to her room, a signal Anne recognized as a need for mother daughter chat. She asked James to keep an eye on the twins and followed Kim up the stairs.

Kim looked uncomfortable as Anne reached the bedroom. Kim was seated on the bed looking like she was editing and re-editing what she wanted to say.

"Mom, I'm not really sure how to tell you this, but there is really no easy was to say it…"

"Kimmie, what ever it is just say it, and we'll deal with what ever it is. You know you can tell me anything." Ann placed a comforting hand on Kim's shoulder.

Kim looked into her mothers face as tears started down her face, "Mom, Ron loves me."

Anne hugged her daughter tightly, "That's wonderful, but how do you feel?"

"I love him so much; he's always been there for me. I feel like I've taken advantage of him for so long."

"So why the tears?"

Kim voice choked up, "Mom… Ron is dying. He has leukemia… it's terminal." Kim felt all her emotions ball up, joy, pain, sadness, love, and profound loss. "We finally are able to express our feelings and it's only after finding out there isn't that much time left for just…us."

Anne pulled Kim's face to her shoulder. "Kimmie, you just need to be strong for Ronald. He is going to need your love and support now even more than in the past. This kind of disease can be terrible for even the most prepared patient."

"I know it is going to be a difficult journey for Ron, and I intend to be there every step of the way." Kim wiped away a stray tear. "I have to be there because he has always been there for me, even when I didn't deserve it. Whether or not Ron likes it he is stuck with me… till the bitter end."

"That's my girl. Now why don't you come downstairs and get some dinner before it gets too late?"

"Thanks mom, I don't know what I would ever do without your advice." Kim hugged her mother as the two descended the stairs and headed into the kitchen for an overdue dinner.