Disclaimer:Disney owns Kim Possible. Only the story is mine.
Chapter 15: A Walk in the ParkKim woke in a dim morning light. Stretching out her arms she searched for the warmth she found during the night, but found it missing. Slowly opening her bleary eyes she found a void where her contentment once laid.
"Ron, where are you?" she whispered hoping for a reply.
"Good morning KP." Came the return whisper from the other side of the bed.
Slowly she turned over to see his silhouette finish tying a shoe and sit back down in the desk chair. "Going somewhere?"
"I didn't want to wake you. I'm going out to watch the sunrise." Rising he pulled on a light coat. "I thought you should get some more sleep. It was a long night, thought you could use it."
Without a word Kim pulled back the covers and proceeded to dress. "Well if you're going out, so am I."
Ron knew better than to argue with Kim once she set her mind on a course of action. He sat quietly watching as the sun began an approach from behind a nearby mountain. The only thing that seemed to put a damper on her morning was when Shego appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and joined the session. Ron surprised Kim when he just smiled at Shego as she took a seat on his other side. Kim couldn't have been more shocked when he reached over and patted Shego's hand. The disdain Kim felt only lasted for a moment when he realized her discomfort and put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. Peace reigned again in her world.
The three having watched the sun begin its celestial travels, returned to the Possible kitchen and settled in with a fresh pot of Ron's coffee. Ron got up and excused himself momentarily, leaving the two women alone sipping the warm refreshment.
"Shego, can I ask you something?"
"Sure Princess, you want to know why we accepted Ron's offer of amnesty. Don't you?"
"Am I that predictable?"
"Well, I expected you to ask it last night, before you retired for the evening." Shego flickered her brows as she took another sip from her mug.
Kim's flushed look spoke volumes.
"Kimmie, when Ron approached us we thought he was crazy. Drakken thought it was a trap. He even went as far as taking a sample of blood to determine if he was telling the truth." Shego had a hard time holding Kim's gaze. "When the results came in we were floored, he was telling the truth. Dr. D decided we should really hear him out. Needless to say I was speechless. He came all that way, hurting as he was, to offer a new life for everyone. If there was ever anybody who could have dreamed up, let alone convinced Global Justice to go along with his plan, it had to be Ron Stoppable." Shego laughed at her memory. "Dr. D had even remembered his name."
"Ron can have that affect on people Shego."
"I didn't want to believe him at first, but then I followed him out into the beach that first morning. He seemed so sad, so lost to the world you two had saved time and time again. He spoke of the love you and he found before he left, as well as why he had to take on this 'mission'. Well anyway, when he told us about his arrangements with GJ, Drakken and I had already decided to grant him his request, and when we saw your news conference. The look on his face, totally lost when he saw you cry, I knew the love he felt for you was so pure. How could even the darkest soul deny him?" Shego felt a tear run down her cheek, one she tried unsuccessfully to hide. "I will tell you this Princess, if it hadn't been for his love for you…" she looked around cautiously and whispered, "if it hadn't been for you, I would have liked to have gotten a crack at him myself."
"Ladies, would you like to join me for some breakfast? We could eat out or I could cook if you like." As Ron took a seat at the table the conversation quieted.
Shego stood, "I should get back to your folks house Ron. They were going to show Dr. D and I around town today. Besides I think you are going to have a full day here." She gave Kim a wink as she headed out the back door.
Kim got a sly look on her face, "Ronnie, why don't we just have a light breakfast here and go out for lunch with the girls. We could invite Felix and Monique, I'm sure the squad wouldn't mind." Slowly and deliberately she walked behind Ron and put her arms around his shoulders. She lightly nibbled on his ear lobe and whispered, "I think I can come up with a new menu for today's breakfast sure to get the day started off right."
Ron nearly dropped his coffee cup as his face flamed.
Ron sat intently watching TV Trash Heap with the tweebs. Kim had suspiciously gone off for a discussion with her father. The one that Ron had possibly been having nightmares about. Dismay crossed his face as Kim nonchalantly strolled in to the room and curled up next to him on the couch. 'Watching cartoons on Saturday morning will never be the same." As she pulled in close his smile grew even wider.
As the morning sun warmed away the night chill Kim had suggested they go for a walk in the park. She wanted to visit the tree where they had met, their tree. Ron sat down on a small bench across the walkway from the tree as Kim took a seat across his lap with her arms around him. Ron reveled in the closeness as he wrapped his arms around her, snuggling tightly in the sunshine.
Ron's voice went almost childlike, "Kim, I'm so sorry for what I put you through. I never…" his apology went unfinished when she cut him off with a quick kiss. Then a longer one and then an even longer kiss.
"Ron, don't apologize. We've already said all there is to say on that subject, so just don't. It's so not the drama."
Relief. Pure unadulterated relief eased his troubled mind. "Thanks KP."
Ron watched their tree sway gently in the light autumn breeze. He could see the younger versions of themselves playing around the tree and climbing in the large branches. He and Kim would sit under it in the late summer sun chatting up a storm about everything, or reading through a new book. Ron could see from the outside looking in, the love they had hidden from each other for so long. All the tiny hidden gestures, all the little looks, and stolen moments; why did it have to take this disease for them to see each other in the way they had always been meant to.
"Was there any particular reason you wanted to be in the park?" Silence. "Kim, did you hear me?" Continued silence. "Ron to Kim, are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here Ron. Just doing a little daydreaming." As she snuggled in his arms.
"Was there any particular reason you wanted to come to the park before we met everyone else at the mall?"
"Yes."
"Well?"
"Well what? You're not being very forthcoming with the 411 today KP? What are you cooking up behind those beautiful eyes?" That earned him a quick peck on the cheek.
"All good things come to those who wait." Kim pulled back, loosening her embrace to look him in the eyes, "But not too long OK?"
"OK, but now you've peaked my interest. How can I let a secret like this slide?" He softly caressed her neck and chin with the back of his hand eliciting a pitched giggle.
"Not fair Ron, you know too many of my tickle spots." As she began to squirm uncontrollably. Looking back she saw the light behind his eyes change, softly he brought his lips to hers, lingering briefly. Slowly she allowed her eyes to roam the nearby strollers. Everything was in place, now was the time. With a sigh she stood before him and offered her hand. "Walk with me, please?"
Ron looked puzzled as he took her hand and then strolled off arm in arm. Kim led him around and down forgotten pathways. Down past the duck pond and past the ball fields, and back to their favorite spot, their tree. Kim led him under the long and brightly colored limbs before she stopped and turned to face him.
"Ron can we sit here for a while? I have something serious I need to discuss with you." Kim looked around very nervous. "More like ask if you want to get technical." They sat down in the grass facing each other, Kim took Ron's hands in hers, looking very uncomfortable.
"Kim, what is it? You can talk to me about anything. I have no secrets from you, ask away." Ron smiled hoping to lower the level of anxiety she was showing in her face.
"Ron, Do you really know how much you mean to me? How much your love and support hold me together?"
"I know we have a special bond that has endured for years. I loved you for a long time, but I could never allow it to intrude on the life you wanted to live." Ron looked down at their entwined hands knowing the pain his words would cause.
Kim raised his head back even with hers looking deep in his soulful eyes. "I think back now and I see all of the missed opportunities, and can only wonder what would have been if I had truly acknowledged my own feelings sooner. Now I want to make things right, for both of us."
"Kim we can't go back and change the things that happened. We can only go on from here to the next experience that life has to offer."
Taking his hand she tried again, "It's about experiences I wanted to talk about Ron. I did a lot of thinking while you were gone. I promised myself that when we found you again I wouldn't let another minute slip past." Kim reached around behind her, and pulled something from her purse.
Ron tried to get a glimpse but she kept what ever she had hidden in her hand.
"I hope you know how much I love you Ron. I was so scared you would never come back to me and I would never get to ask you the really important questions." Small tears began forming in her eyes. "Why does it take something like this to make us face the feelings we deny for all the wrong reasons. I denied how I felt for so long, I began to believe them myself. Then I thought I lost you and then the pain became all too real."
Ron squeezed her hand, "KP, you will still eventually lose me. That can't be avoided, but I can make the most of our time together. There is still some time left for us."
"Do you remember what you said in your goodbye vid?"
"Most of it." He said with a smile.
Kim took his hand and brought it to her lips and gently kissed it. "Ron I want to make amends for denying my love for you." Kim started to shake, not just her hands, but her shoulders trembled. Ron put his hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her stricken emotional state. Her head sunk breaking contact with his eyes as tears flowed with purpose.
Strength coursed through her when he touched her. Kim found the will to continue. She looked back up through tear filled eyes into his, getting lost in those deep brown portals to his soul. "Ron…" her voice cracked as she grasped tightly to his hands, "What I'm trying to ask is…" she opened her hand to reveal a small golden band. Hope flowed in her voice now, "Ron Stoppable, will you marry me?"