KP One Oh One Chapter 21: Part XXI – Water Water Everywhere, a kim possible fanfic

KP – One Oh One : Part XXI Water Water Everywhere

In the intervening five years, Kim had forgotten just how far back in the woods Ron's Grandmother, Ruth Jean Rokowski, or Gram as most of the family called her, lived. It seemed like they had been on the one-lane dirt road for at least half an hour. Of course, she had visited many people who lived further from the main highway, including scientists who lived in tree houses in South America, but it always amazed her that somebody would want to live so far from civilization.

Poor economy aside, she wished they were in a SUV instead of a compact sedan. The road was better suited to 4 wheeler ATVs than a family car. Even Jean's old Catalina with its big wheels and deeps, smooth suspension had a better time than the little Toyota did.

Kim was also wishing she hadn't had three cups of coffee when they stopped for croissants at Burger Prince earlier that morning. She knew better than to ask for a rest stop. For one thing, Gene was a 'drive straight through' type of man. For another, Ron would have used the opportunity to bring up some of the more embarrassing things her parents revealed when they went on the ski-trip their sophomore year in high school. Being the love of his life did not exempt her from certain forms of ridicule.

As they rounded a bend, they picked up their first view of the lake poking through the trees. Kim's impression of the pristine body of water was that it looked a lot like Lake Middleton, though it was actually a natural lake rather than a man-made reservoir. Save for the missing backdrop of distant mountains, she would have sworn they were the same place. Earlier in the drive, when they had turned off the two-lane paved highway on to the gravel track, Kim had been looking forward to spotting the water. That meant they were close to the house. Unfortunately, the sight of all that liquid, coupled with the sloshing of her bladder, did not make her the most comfortable young woman in the car.

Look at you, CJ. If you want to go, you just go and we're the ones who change you. She looked at the infant with an arched eyebrow, envying the child. She would have believed herself a civilized person, until the pressure is on. At that moment, she wouldn't have minded having a great big diaper on herself.

She also envied Ron a little bit. Instead of coffee or juice he ordered a king-sized cola. If he needed to 'take care of business' he wasn't letting on. Maybe he hadn't even noticed yet. Normally, if you mentioned it to him, he would have to go. Instead, there he was with what had to be almost half a gallon of cola. He even downed the sickly melt-water left from his ice. The only person she had ever seen put away more liquid refreshment than him was Wade, and for all she knew, he had computer consoles set up in his bathroom.

Ick. Mind on something else, Kimberly Anne, mind on something else.

There wasn't much else to keep her mind on. Every washed out rut, every bump in the road sent another twinge through her bladder. How was it that the girl who could save the world, who climbed Mount Everest, who swam the English Channel…

Ug. More water.

It wasn't like she was going to be able to run right inside the moment they arrived either. Yes, the purpose of the trip was for the family to see Catherine Jean, but there would only be a short, intense burst of the old ladies (and one great uncle) oohing and ahhing over the baby. In short order, they would turn their attention to the real purpose for this trip.

They were going to determine if Kimberly Anne Possible was a suitable bride for the only marriageable member of their extended family.

Kim couldn't get the image of a trio of overweight, elderly Italian women dressed all in black with prayer beads, crossing themselves at the sight of a slender young woman in her showy dress. It didn't matter she had the most conservative thing she owned, her navy blue, mid-calf length dress on. Even with her hair pulled back in a demure ponytail and her light sweater jacket, she fretted that she looked like some kind of Hollywood tramp. She kept trying to reassure herself that wouldn't be the case. Gram Rokowski, or Gram R as Ron called her, was a carbon copy of her daughter, save that her hair had turned snow white and she wore cola-bottle thick glasses the last time she saw her. The woman was a bit of an eccentric, dressing more like a gypsy than a family matron.

Jean tried to prepare her for what she was facing as best she could. Ida Larkowski was the oldest, and therefore the family matriarch. She was very traditional in her views and was given to berating her younger siblings in Polish. That worried Kim a little. She knew only the little bit of Hebrew she had picked up going to Temple with Ron, and just a few common Yiddish words. That never bothered her, since the only time she heard any of the Stoppables speaking Hebrew was during services at their synagogue. The only Yiddish she ever heard them use was 'Oy' and she was more disposed to use that than they were. She didn't know a word of Polish, and Jean was of no help there either since she only knew a few phrases, and some of those she told the younger woman she was not going to teach her.

Freda Goldman was the middle sister. She was traditional as well, but supposedly a little more modern than her elder. Apparently her choice of marrying a non-polish Jew didn't sit well with her older sister, making Kim wonder what had befallen Jean since Gene Stoppable was of a more Western European heritage. It seemed Kim's best chance of winning over the sisters lay in impressing at least her since it was supposed Aunt Ida would be a lost cause.

They turned off the gravel road onto an even narrower road that was little more than a pair of tire-worn tracks cutting through the woods. The trees were just sparse enough that grass was growing in the middle of the track. Apparently there was enough traffic to keep it from becoming overgrown. That only lasted a few hundred yards before they pulled up to a neat white picket fence with roses.

The 'cabin' was only that in name only, mainly since that's what Ron always called it that.. It was more of a large cottage made of white clapboard. It sat all alone on the eastern shore of the nameless lake, with a small dock stretching about a hundred feet out into the water. Kim smiled, remembering the night she went 'skinny-dipping' with him when they were thirteen. At least, that's what they said they did. Instead of being in the buff they were both wearing cut-off jeans, thinking they were actually getting away with something since it was just past midnight at the time. Ron didn't even notice (or at least let on that he noticed) her t-shirt clinging to her when Gram R came running out to chase both of them back into the house.

Kim froze that smile on her face. She knew she would need it, especially since she didn't insist Gene stop at that gas station before they turned off the main road.

As she reached for the door handle, Jean put a hand on her arm to stop her. "Let the boys open our doors for us."

"Oh." Kim was just breaking out in perspiration. She hadn't even met the aunts yet and she was already about to commit a minor faux pas. She glanced out the window. The sun was as high as it was going to get, casting just enough glare to keep her from seeing in the windows of the home. When she was there before, Gram R had come charging out of the house as fast as she could on her cane to see her little grandson and his best friend. This time, nobody had appeared to greet their arrival.

Ron got out and immediately opened his mother's door, climbing in to help his mother disconnect the baby carrier from the car seat. CJ just sat there gurgling at her older brother, reaching for his blonde bangs. She had grown so much in the two and a half months since she was born and it was clear she was one hundred percent pure Stoppable. At first she had a shock of brown hair and her eyes seemed blue. A few short days later her eyes started changing and her hair had been getting lighter ever since. A faint smattering of freckles danced across her face, though none were as dark as the six very prominent ones on Ron. Even at two and half months old, Kim could tell she was going to have huge ears. They were already standing out from her head. From time to time she wondered what she would look like by the time she was his age and as much as she liked the way all that looked on him, well, maybe she'd grow out of some of it.

Kim was wondering where Gene was just as the trunk popped open. He busied himself getting the baby bag and their overnight bags out of the trunk while Ron made his way around to her door. The moment her strappy sandals hit the gravel of the driveway, the door to the house swung open, disgorging three very different looking women.

She found her heart was in her throat as Jean Stoppable's mother and aunt's approached. Ruth Jean Rokowski was in the lead. Apparently her arthritis wasn't acting up as bad as it had been five years ago, as she was moving without her cane. Save for that, she looked exactly as she remembered the woman. She was slender and perhaps a couple inches shorter than her child. Her white hair was considerably longer, drawn into a single, unadorned ponytail. She was wearing a long, tiered skirt and a hand-knitted shawl of some sort. All she needed was a bandana tied on her head to complete the gypsy image Kim remembered from her early teens.

The other two were not the aging Italianate matrons she had been expecting. It was unclear which of the two were which, considering she had never knowingly seen a picture of them. Both were considerably larger than their younger sister, though not fat.

Ron came over to stand beside her while they fawned over the infant. "You've got a little bit of a break before they even notice you." He whispered without looking at her. She felt his hand wrap around hers, giving it a light squeeze. She returned the hand-hug, trying to get her heart and breathing under control.

The first aunt, a squarely built blonde woman of indeterminate age picked the child up out of the carrier, cradling her in her arms, cooing at the child. CJ chose that moment to start crying for the first time since her last feeding. It wasn't the plaintive wail of a hungry baby, but a frightened, continuous howl that seemed to reach down into her, tugging at her heart. She had only rarely babysat a child that young, but every time that happened she felt it was her duty to find out what would bring the screaming to an end.

The other aunt, were it not for her attempt at stylish clothing, would have looked at home in one of those scenes of stereotypical Eastern European women she always saw on TV and in the movies. In fact both of the older women were wearing tasteful clothing that somehow seemed out of place on them. There was something strikingly familiar about the two of them, but she couldn't quite place it.

Her heart jumped back into her throat as Jean took CJ back and placed her into the carrier. The moment she was back in her mother's hands, she stopped her wailing, though she kept blubbering very slightly. Ron stepped forward, pulling on her hand slightly before letting go.

"Aunt Ida," Ron nodded toward the blonde. "Aunt Freda. This is my fiancé, Kim Possible."

Kim's heart jumped into her throat as she shook hands with the two women. They were all smiles, but she could tell they were looking her up and down. Freda was about her height and Ida was perhaps a couple inches taller, but they seemed to tower over her. Suddenly she felt like a frightened little girl in their presence.

"I have seen you on TV." Ida said pleasantly. She had a faint accent, with just a touch of New York thrown in, making her think that was where she either lived, or had lived for a large portion of her life.

"I thought you would have been taller." Freda said with a smile.

"I'm so pleased to meet you." Kim finally got out. Despite the distraction, the pangs in her bladder were getting worse by the moment. Mentally gritting her teeth, she bore on with the almost ritualistic examination.

Almost immediately, Ida reached for Kim's left hand. Kim gulped, silently thanking Jean for her suggestion that Ron let her wear the engagement ring for the trip. It almost made her sad to think she would have to give it back, at least temporarily, no matter what she thought the surprise surrounding it would be.

She eyed the ring as if she were a jeweler inspecting an item in her stock, making Kim wonder if that was what she once did for a living, or perhaps what her late husband had done.

"At least the boy has good taste in jewelry." She said once she let her hand go.

Freda took her turn examining the ring. "Hmmm. A little small, though I guess that's what we should expect considering his father is such a cheapskate."

Kim glanced nervously at Gene, though he seemed unconcerned at the cut. Maybe he was used to it, or perhaps he had given up trying to impress his wife's aunts long ago.

Ida looked her up and down. "My, you are a skinny little young thing. Do your parents not feed you?"

"I…I've got a pretty active lifestyle. It pays to keep in shape."

"Saving the world's good for that." Ron added helpfully.

The older woman seemed not to notice her grandnephew at all. "You're going to wish you had some meat on your bones when the babies come."

"Oh, don't mind these two." Gram R reached for Kim and gave her a big hug. "I knew the two of you belonged together." She let go of Kim and hugged her grandson. As if that were some sort of pre-arranged signal, the two older sisters went back to fawning over the baby.

"Look at the two of you. All grown up, getting married." She looked Ron over, looking up and up at him. "I would have never imagined you would get so tall. You're almost as tall as Saul was. I'm so glad you got his genes." She turned her attention back to Kim. "So, how soon are the two of you going to do it?"

Kim gulped, then realized she was speaking of the wedding. "Not for a while yet. We wanted to get through college first, Mrs. Rokowski."

"Dear, you can call me Gram. Didn't we go through this the last time you were here? Don't let my sisters bother you, you're family." She leaned closer, giving them a conspiring whisper. "Why don't the two of you wander off for a little bit. I'm sure those old bitties are going to be all tied up with my newest grandchild for the next couple hours." She wandered back to the baby herself. This time when CJ was picked up, she didn't start crying again.

"Well, KP? What do you think?"

She growled just slightly. "I think I've just been insulted twice, and your father once in the space of two minutes."

Ron ran a hand down his face. "That's one of the good things about my great aunts living back east. Aunt Ida can't stand Dad. Once she gets going, she'll call him a whole bunch of things in Polish I'm glad I don't understand. Notice he hasn't said one word to her yet?"

"Uh huh. Ron, your Mom said I'm going to have to cook for them. What's that all about?"

He grimaced very slightly. "It's kind of a Mom's family thing. Don't get all tweaked about it or anything, but when it's time for dinner, all the women are expected to work in the kitchen, while the men all sit in the den watching TV or something."

"How quaint." She said dryly.

"Just stick to easy stuff. Mom knows about your cooking and all."

"She does? I wonder who told her about that." She shot him a sharp glance while a hand went to her hip.

"KP, all of Middleton and half of Upperton know better than to let you within twenty feet of the kitchen. It's just basic survival stuff."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence there, Ron." She sighed. "Maybe I should just take Gram's advice and just disappear for a little while. Maybe we could go for a walk, you know, let them see CJ for a little while."

Ron frowned, looking at the gaggle of women making baby noises at the disinterested infant. "Nah, NG. Don't let them fool you for a second. They may look like they're all over my sister right now, but every eye is on you."

"Great." She moaned. All she could think of at the moment was the insistent pressure in her lower half. If this went on any longer, she was going to have to make a break for the house or head into the woods. She could just imagine what that would look like to them. Ron's got a real good one there, real mountain woman.

Gene finally came back from taking the luggage into the house and stood with his wife. Kim watched as Freda spoke with him briefly. Ida just acted as if he wasn't even there. Normally he was such a powerful presence. At home he was the true leader of his family. Here, he apparently was just the black sheep, good for nothing save the fact he fathered the currently apparent object of their attention.

"How long are we going to have to stand out her like this?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Just a bit more. What's wrong?"

"Remember how long ago breakfast was?"

"Yeah."

"Remember how much coffee I had? Notice were a hundred feet from a lake? A lake filled with water? Water I can hear lapping against the dock?"

Ron looked at her quizzically for a moment, then realized what she was saying. A grin started spreading across his lips.

"Ron, if you mention anything to do with water, I'm not the only one who's going to be embarrassed by what happens next."

"Not saying anything, KP. Just, you're going to have to race me when we finally get inside."

"You are so not going first." She couldn't take it any more. As if they had a mind of their own, her feet started moving toward the house.

Kim almost broke into a run as she headed inside, not caring about the confused expressions from the matrons outside. It was all she could do not to let out a long moan of relief when she finally sat down.

Great first impression to make there, Possible.