KP One Oh One Chapter 3: Part III When Anne met James, a kim possible fanfic

KP – One Oh One : Part III - When Anne met James

Doctor Anne Possible was finally getting over a school-girl-like giddiness learning her daughter was engaged brought her. She knew she had to get a grip on herself somehow, though she still caught herself humming the Wedding March to herself, though only when she was alone. From her perspective at that moment, nearly four years seemed like a really long time to wait. It would be if she couldn't get her mind back on the present. Still she allowed herself a little indulgence. Soon enough some other crisis would come up, then another, and another until, seemingly overnight, she would be watching her little girl in a black cap and gown and not long after that a flowing white gown.

It was a strange logic wanting something to go awry to take her mind off the wait.

She even went into the attic and pulled out her own wedding dress. Neurosurgeon's skills aside, she didn't have the specific skills needed to do the work needed on it, but she knew enough to know it would be difficult to make it fit Kim properly, if she even wanted to wear her mother's dress. Kim just had bigger hips than she did. Granted, it was mostly muscle, but their generally similar appearance aside, she was just built differently. Anne was taller and slimmer overall. About the only part that would come close to fitting was the bodice, and given the subtle changes the young woman had undergone in the last year, even that might change, though probably not by that much.

Fairly soon the twins would be home from their first day of High School. They were finally allowed to skip a grade, though by some stroke of luck (whether good or bad depended on the perspective) they missed Kim and Ron by just a year. The older kids wouldn't be home until later since they had classes clear up until four. She wondered if they would have time for each other, or if they would be buried in homework. She allowed herself a little knowing smile. They may be spending less time actually in class now, but they were in for a lot more work than they had previously been used to. Hopefully it wouldn't be so bad on the first day. They were probably busy listening to dry dissertations or reading their syllabi. Then they were going to have their bank accounts whacked considerably once they hit the bookstore. Twelve years of having their textbooks handed to them for free had come to a screeching halt. Since Kim didn't have a job and was taking too heavy a class load this first semester, they gave her what they thought she would need for books. That was easy enough to do, since she qualified for a full scholarship. They were actually getting off cheap buying her books and letting her live at home.

She shuddered to think what Ron was actually paying for out of his trust fund. He qualified to get into the school, but he didn't qualify for any kind of scholarship due to his earlier high school performance, and financial aid was out of the question because of his assets. He effectively had to pay his tuition in cash money.

Funny how a young man who was once told by so many around him that he would never amount to anything was going to a prestigious school with his own money simply because of one moment of utter brilliance.

Anne found herself craving a Naco. Better not admit that to James, he would first complain that she never let him eat those fatty things, then he'd wonder exactly why she was having cravings. The latter was not going to be happening. She was a doctor, after all. Leave having a baby this late in life to Ron's mother, though the other woman was more than five years older than her.

Popping upstairs, she changed out of her lab coat and dress into a light blouse and denim shorts and started cleaning the house. It was moments like that she was really missing having Ronald living with them. He was quite handy with housework and sharing the burden with him spoiled her. It wasn't like James and the kids didn't do their share…well, yeah it was. They did a little bit, but the bulk of the work had always fallen to her. Still, she enjoyed doing it and didn't complain, except to cajole her husband out into the yard to do a little work in the sun sometimes.

He had been that way since she knew him. Sure he liked to fish from time to time, but given his druthers, he would sit inside, either reading the paper a the table or in the family room, or up in his study, going over old-fashioned blueprints. He had a computer up there that could link with his office, but he preferred working on his designs the classic way, at least until they had to be digitized in order for other scientists and technicians to use them.

As it usually did, her mind drifted to other places, other times while she gathered the dirty clothes from all over the house. She pictured the Middleton College campus, not as it was a couple weeks ago when they took Kim and Ron over for Freshmen Orientation, but as it looked twenty-four years earlier.

It looked essentially the same then. There were more trees and fewer parking lots, but the bulk of the grounds had not changed very much in forty years. It would take precise measuring tools to tell the difference in the ancient oak that dominated the central quadrangle. The only thing that struck her on that recent trip was the lack of the ubiquitous (and always tied up) payphones scattered around the school.

The school year was still young. The leaves on the huge tree hadn't quite started turning brown, though that time was not far off. A very slender girl with huge blue eyes and bright red hair that hung past her hips was leaning against that tree, reading an advanced biology text. She was into her second year of regular college, in preparation for medical school and so far she was doing quite well.

All save for the fact she was having to deal with a difficult (and quite jealous) boyfriend. He was a senior and captain of the basketball team. It didn't matter the school was unranked, he was the high man on the totem pole, the big kahuna on campus. If it were twenty years later, he'd be called the top of the 'food chain.'

The big problem? Brad Nelson might have been a hottie, he might have been 'golden,' but Anne Credible was just not in love with him. Sure, she liked him, even liked him-liked him, but love? No. That realization had hit her like a speeding deliver truck loaded to capacity. Still, without any other good prospects (considering he pretty much scared them all off) she was content to maintain the status quo. It wasn't so bad having such a pretty man on her arm when it came to be seen in social circles.

Then, that one particular day, she happened to look up from her book as she rested under that venerable tree. She was facing the science building as a quartet of young men, all seniors, spilled out the modern glass doors adorning the otherwise Victorian building. Almost before she could catch herself, that hated word jumped to the forefront of her mind…

…"Nerds."

They weren't complete textbook geeks, at least not all of them, but she had seen them around the science department enough to know what they really were. She didn't even really know their names, just thinking of them as the tall one, the Asian one, the Indian one and the dark creepy one. The latter seemed to be a kind of hanger-on to the group. He had black hair combed up into a huge pompadour and fair, almost pasty skin. When she heard him speak, it was as if every word was a plea for approval from the rest of them.

As they walked by, he was the one speaking, or rather, as usual, pleading. "Come on, Guys, I know I can get us dates for the mixer! Trust me!"

The Asian laughed softly. "Dates? Come on, Drew, even Possible can't find a date. What hope do you have of finding four?"

"I have my sources." He said with an almost evil flair.

They stopped and talked more quietly for a while. Anne just sat there, chewing on her disposable pen. It was a bad habit of hers that she hoped to one day break. Her mother always kidded her about it, but at least it wasn't as bad as her older sister, June's nose picking. Mother told both of them that habits could be passed on unless they broke them before they had kids of their own. Chewing on plastic pens Anne could live with. Nose picking…

She didn't know why, but she actually started looking at the tall one. Given the apparent heritage of the other two, he was the only one who could possibly be 'Possible.' He was indeed tall, just over six feet, with dark brown hair and a rather Romanesque nose with just a tiny bump near the bridge. He was dressed like he was going to be auditioning for Miami Vice, though he lacked that horrible 3-day old looking stubble. He might have been a nerd, but he was a pretty good looking one.

The creepy looking one named Drew headed off somewhere, as did the 'Asian' one and the 'Indian' one, leaving 'Possible' standing there with his hands in his pocket. All by himself, without his 'posse' surrounding him, it was easy to forget he was actually a noted geek. In fact, he was rather good looking. He looked around for a moment and before she could look away, his eyes came to rest on her.

For just a fleeting moment, their eyes met. It only lasted for a fraction of a second before habit took over and they both averted their eyes. By the time she mustered the courage to look up again, his back was to her and he was walking toward the student union.

Biting her lower lip, she stuck her well-chewed pin in her book and set it beside her Wilderness Experience book bag. Leaving everything behind, she got up and lightly sprinted after him. Things like what on Earth are you doing, Anne Renee Credible? and what about Brad? roared through her head as she approached the retreating man. He must have heard her footsteps, as he stopped and turned just as she reached him.

One of his thick, brown eyebrows went up in the cutest way as he smiled at her.

"Uh, hi." Was all she could muster. She had no idea why she suddenly went after him and really had no plan as to what she was going to say to him when she caught up to him.

His response was equally brilliant. "Huh?"

She stood there what seemed like an eternity, though it was only about half a minute. "You're a Senior, right?"

"Yeah, uh, do I know you?"

Not knowing what else to do, she stuck out her hand. "My name's Anne. I've seen you around the science department. I'm pre-med."

He took her hand an shook it as if he were meeting a business acquaintance. "Oh, gotcha. That's where I've seen you. Um, what can I do for you, Anne…?"

"Credible. Anne Credible." She realized she still had his hand. It was large and warm and a bit rougher than she was expecting, as if he had done hard work at some point in his life. Without letting go, she looked back into his eyes.

They were darker than she was expecting. Somehow she thought he would have blue eyes like hers, but they were dark brown, almost black.

"James…James Possible. Uh, can I have my hand back?" he looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Anne almost said no, but she let it go anyway. The next words jumped out of her mouth before she could think about them. "Did I hear you needed a date for the Science Department Mixer Friday?"

James looked utterly befuddled. His mouth hung open as if he were trying to speak but couldn't form whole words. "Uh, er, um, well…" His hand went to the back of his neck. "I kind of just promised Drew I'd let him find me one."

"Oh." She said quietly, disappointment evident on her pretty features.

"Uh, listen, I've got to get some lunch. Guess I'll see you around." He said sheepishly, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

"K." She waved slightly as he turned to go.

He's just shy…but so cute! she said to herself as she headed back to her books. Suddenly Brad Nelson was so last semester.

That Friday night, she made certain to be at that mixer. As a pre-med student, she had an in with the Science Department. As social events went, it was nothing special. There was some music playing, people talking in groups and plenty of beer (that was before the drinking age went up to twenty-one!)

Brad wanted to go out, but that usually meant him wolfing down all but one slice of a large pie at Pizza Shack, maybe a movie, then a drive out to the bluff at the end of Logging Camp Road. The making out was always fun, at least until he tried taking things too far for her comfort. Second base was a foregone conclusion, but he was under the impression that since they were both adults, home plate was his pre-ordained right. Not at least if she had anything to say about it.

The excuse she gave even made her roommate groan. "Sorry, I'm washing my hair tonight, Brad. No, I'm washing it tomorrow night too. Maybe next week. See ya."

He wouldn't get the hint if she had said 'we need to talk' or just came right out and said they were breaking up.

What exactly was she doing anyway? The only clear thought she had in her head was that she no longer wanted to go with him. They had been together since they were both in High School, but enough was enough. She wasn't in love with him and like he said, she was an adult. Time to quit playing and move on.

The dress she had on was distinctly uncomfortable. Not because of the way it fit, but because of what it was. It was shorter than anything she owned, and somewhat tighter. She wasn't built with generous curves, but that dress certainly created some on her slender frame. Only, once Bibi Matthews brought it out, she knew she had to wear it. Anne Credible might have been a very conservative 'good girl,' but she knew the power of a little black dress.

James Possible wasn't hard to find. He was with two of his friends, laughing uproariously at some private joke. The little creepy one named Drew was nowhere to be seen. The three of them were alone, just laughing long and hard, with youthful abandon.

Apparently, Drew didn't come through with any dates.

Downing half of her beer in one gulp, Anne screwed up her courage and went up to the trio.

"Hi." She said, locking eyes with James.

"Hey!" He looked at her a moment, then took a long drink from his own cup.

The other two took a long, hard look at her, then at their friend. The Asian one pointed his finger at James like a pistol, made a little click noise and headed off into the party with his other friend, leaving the two of them alone.

"No date, huh?" She asked, feeling the slight warmth of the alcohol in her system.

"Uh, no, not…really." A huge smile split his face as he started giggling again.

"What's so funny?" She put her free hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Long story. You here with someone?"

"Maybe." She answered coyly.

They ended up talking well into the party, their beers long forgotten. Things hadn't even started winding down when they left, still talking as they walked across the dark and deserted campus. It wasn't long before they found themselves sitting on the hood of her mother's car in the school parking lot.

It didn't occur to her until many years later that James might have had more than his share of the cheap brew flowing at that party before she got to him, but they ended up driving around town for a while in that car, since he didn't have one of his own. He droned on and on how he wanted a classic Jaguar, but he was sinking every penny he had into his education at the time.

Naturally, the car found itself on Logging Camp Road, and of course, it ended up parked on the infamous bluff, overlooking one of the nicer neighborhoods of Middleton.

Anne smiled to herself, remembering that night, and the next night, and the Sunday night following that…and the next weekend. The time when Brad showed up at the bluff had almost completely faded from her mind, but at least James was able to make it clear things were over between the now defunct couple. The sight of him standing up to a man twice his size would never fade. Then there was the trip up to Mount Middleton later that winter. Not much skiing was accomplished then.

Then there was the quiet stroll though the park downtown, just like they had done a dozen times already. Only that one time they didn't just end up sitting on a park bench lightly kissing. They had been to a nearby restaurant for dinner and were dressed up for the evening. James stopped, near a bridge abutment that was covered in graffiti. The rest of the park was beautiful, but that strange, incongruous bit of tagging stood out in her mind at that moment.

James dropped to one knee and brought out a ring.

Kim just about fainted when Anne finally told her that her father had proposed to her in almost the exact same place Ron proposed. At least then, the sprinklers hadn't come on just as she was about to answer.

The laundry was running, so it was time to get some other chores done. She reached into the small closet in the second floor hall and got out the vacuum cleaner.

One distinct benefit of having a husband who was not only a rocket scientist, but a closet mad inventor was having a really quiet vacuum cleaner. She could actually hear herself think over it. Almost absently, she started humming again. She got through the first bars of the Wedding March one more time before she heard a strangely familiar voice.

"So I guess the Princess showed you her ring after all, huh?"