KP – One Oh One: Part XXVII – They Grow Up So Fast
Anne had been humming almost constantly as she cleaned up from dinner. The Stoppables had already taken Catherine Jean home, Kim, Ron and Joss had run off on a mission and the twins managed to disappear as soon as their extended dinner was finished, which really didn't last very long after Ron's formal proposal. She started off humming the wedding march for a while as she gathered the mostly empty dishes and packed away the mountain of leftovers, later switching to that pop tune her daughter and her fiancé always called 'their song.'
James and Slim were nearby, helping as best they could with the cleanup. Her husband was only slightly more use in the kitchen as Kim, but he could dry and put away dishes just fine, so that's what he was left to do. Slim was faring somewhat better. If he carried the non-domestic gene that seemed so dominant in James and Kim, he didn't show it. Perhaps all the years of being the sole provider for his small family had overcome it.
She felt a little sad for the older man. He had a pretty tough go of it in life. He lost his wife, the elder Jocelyn Possible, to an accident just over ten years ago. Not long after that, he moved from his long-time home in Texas up some property he had up in Montana which eventually became the Lazy C Ranch. It was a working ranch, primarily raising beef cattle, but it also doubled as an outlet for his hobby of building cyber-robotic inventions like his robot horses. The man was brilliant about it, though somewhat modest as well.
Anne caught herself as she unconsciously slipped back into humming wedding music. Not once had she ever heard even the hint of him seeing other women, though the distance that separated their two families would easily keep that from reaching him. It was really a shame that Joss didn't have some sort of mother figure in her life.
"I really hate it that you can't stay another night, Slim." She said finally as she drained the sink for the final time.
"Can't be helped there, darlin'. Too much to do up at the Lazy C. Gonna be cuttin' time soon, if you catch which way I'm driftin' and a sure do want to be around so a certain someone gets a certain message."
She smiled warily, shuddering thinking what 'cutting time' must mean where it came to cattle. She pulled off her dishwashing gloves as the rest of his comment sunk in. Something sounded vaguely familiar about that.
"I take it Joss is starting to notice boys."
"Startin'? More worried 'bout them there cowpokes startin' ta notice her."
"I can see why. She's turning into a beautiful young woman. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just nature taking its course."
"Red." She grimaced slightly. He was the one person in the world who could get away with calling her that, though it still bugged her. "No disrespect and all, but it ain't like she's got a good guy like Ronald there for her. Why, just last week I caught her kissin one of my hands. I swear, I was 'bout to drag him right outta there and show him just how many glitches Old Tornado still has in his get-a-long. She may look like a pretty young thing, but she's still just a youngun. Ain't right her kissin like that."
Anne just smiled and shook her head. "Slim, she's got to grow up sooner or later."
"Well, far's I'm concerned, it can be later. Whatta you think Squirt?"
James sighed. "In my opinion they all grow up too fast, but if you want grandkids, I wouldn't be too restrictive. You aren't exactly a spring chicken, you know."
Anne marveled how close the two seemed. Slim was more than a decade older than his brother, which was one of the main reasons he still called him 'Squirt' even though James was slightly taller and somewhat broader in build.
"I reckon so, but much as she looks like Kim, she's still just barely fifteen and she's already actin' like she's twenty one. I'm still surprised how well you're takin' all this marriage talk with your oldest, considerin' she's only eighteen herself."
"I think that has a lot to do with who she's marrying." Anne said. "Plus the fact they're planning on a very long engagement."
Slim laughed a little bit. "You ask me, I'd say you'd be plenty happy if they were walkin' down the aisle right quick-like. I'd be hard pressed to tell who was happier this afternoon, you or Kim."
"I'm happy for the two of them. I used to think like that, but the way they're going about things is just fine now. If I was rushing things, it was because I was afraid Kim wasn't going to realize just how important Ron was to her. Maybe I was just thinking if they went ahead and got married, it would cement their relationship, but now I know that's not necessary." Anne looked sidelong at her husband, who was clear across the room from them. "If you're too worried about Joss…getting ahead of herself…then you really need to sit down and explain stuff to her."
"Humph. Did that. Girl knows a whole lot more about the birds and the bees than I did when I was a youngun. She had to, since she helps out with the ranch and all."
"Um, that part's okay. Kim knew about all that mechanical stuff since she was little. What's really important, though, is knowing what's behind all of that. It's fine to know how it all works and what can happen physically, but what she really needs to know is what the emotional impact of her actions will have."
"Easier said than done. I'm havin' a hard enough time jus keepin' an eye on her, 'specially since she's all hell-bent on goin' on all these 'missions' like Kim does. I'm afraid I'm gonna be a granddad before she finishes High School at this rate."
"I know it's tough. I almost made that mistake with Kim myself. Ron's the first guy in her life who's an honest to goodness boyfriend and she went overnight from a shy little girl who could act like an adult when she was fighting some freak, to a grown woman seriously in love. She came really close to taking some steps that she knows now would have been a mistake at that age, and I credit both her and Ron for making the right decisions at the time."
"What mistakes?" James asked, putting the last of the dishes away.
"I said she made the right decisions." She replied, shooting her husband a look.
James eyed her warily. "Slim, you have to set down some rules for her. She'll respect that."
"Sure hope so, but she's startin' to get a little wild, if you know what I mean." He pulled up one of the chairs at the breakfast nook and sat down. "Maybe she could stand for a little more discipline in her life. You know, see somebody day after day who's a good example for her. Can't say as I'd be the one, considerin' how I left home to go work a dude ranch when I was seventeen. Breaks my heart to think she might want to do the same thing."
"What are you saying? That she should come live with us?" James slid into his normal position at the end of the table, idly picking up the paper he'd already read twice.
"Maybe. Ya'll are fine, upstanding sorts of people, and 'cept for getting engaged so young your Kim is the finest example I can think of, an don't get started on me about how old my Jocelyn was neither."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Anne poured them each a mug of coffee and set them on the table before taking a seat beside her husband. "As for her coming here, if she wants to, we'd be glad to have her, though I don't know how much longer Kim is going to be living under this roof."
"Huh?" James asked, letting the paper fall back to the table.
"Oh, come on, James. She's eighteen, she's going to college. Do you honestly think she's going to stay here all the way through college? I don't think it will be this year, or maybe even the next, but I'm willing to be she will eventually get herself a place with Ron. They spend so much time together anyway."
James rubbed his temples. This was certainly not something he cared to think about. Only hours earlier he had given his blessing to the kids and he was already being confronted with the possibility that they would be moving on. It was one thing for them to go on their little trips together, ostensibly 'playing house.' It was another thing completely to realize the situation really was nearing permanency.
Anne put a reassuring hand on her husband's. "Count yourself lucky they're going to school here in town. You're getting at least an extra year. Look at all of her other friends. They've gone to schools all over the country and their parents have already had to say goodbye."
Slim was looking a little sad as well. "Yeah, the house sure would feel empty without her, specially without her yellin' from one end of the place to the other. Why, just the other day I bet she woke up all those city slickers stayin' at the Crooked D just tryin' to tell me how she'd saved a hundred head of cattle from drownin' in that flash flood."
James smiled again. "She sure is a Possible."
"Darn straight." His brother agreed, taking a long drink of black coffee. Anne watched as he downed the whole mug. So that's where Kim got it from.
The house was quiet enough they could all hear the garage door open. The twins had fled through the family room door, so Anne assumed that would be the rest of the kids. Sure enough, moments later Kim came into the kitchen.
"How did the mission go, Kimmie?"
"It's still on. Can I talk to you a minute, Mom?"
She glanced at James, who shrugged. Getting up, she followed her daughter into the sitting room.
"Mom, exactly how does Doctor Drakken have the cell phone you lost a couple months ago?"
"Drew Lipsky? I thought…"
"Mom?" Kim cocked her head at her.
"Honestly, I don't know how he could have gotten that phone. I loaned it to someone so she could keep in touch with me."
"This 'friend' you were seeing up near Mount Middleton?"
"Yes. She didn't have a phone then, so I thought that was the best way we could keep in touch. Maybe she lost it and he…"
Kim shook her head. "Mom, don't lie to me. This is important. You're the doctor who's been taking care of Sherry, aren't you?"
"Kim, you know I can't talk about my patients."
"Mom, I know you probably promised to keep it all a secret, but it looks like somebody has kidnapped her. I think it's a lot more important to know what you do than keeping a secret. You know it won't go any further than me."
Anne's shoulders slumped. Kim had read her as easily as she could read her daughter, and Kim knew precisely just how important doctor/patient confidentiality was. She wouldn't have been asking unless she thought it was critical.
"Yes. She came to me and asked if I could help her, so long as I didn't reveal where she was to anyone, including you. I knew she was staying with someone, I just didn't think it would be him."
"Well, that's the problem. Somebody else knew she was there. We just came from her place and it seems whoever got her knew her condition. Are you sure you haven't told anyone else?"
"I'm certain, Kimmie. I've even borrowed the supplies I used so I wouldn't have to sign them out of the Medical Center. The only place I've recorded any of this is on my personal computer, and nothing there has any link to what I'm doing. Honestly, all I've been doing are routine examinations of her pregnancy, and even that I'm only doing the basics. Heaven knows, I've been trying to convince her to see a real obstetrician, especially considering what she has been through."
Kim frowned. "Okay, is your computer here?"
"It's in my room. Oh, I think Wade knows who I've been caring for, but I haven't specifically told him. I sent him a DNA sample to examine to see if her power has affected the baby in any way, and I'm sure he could tell who the mother is."
A little mote of anger flashed in her daughter's eyes. Anne immediately realized what she was thinking. "Don't blame Wade, honey. When I contacted him I told him this was the utmost secret. There's no way he knows where she was staying."
"Don't put it past him. He can figure out just about anything. If he knew he was looking at her child's DNA, he would have followed up, if only for his own curiosity and if he felt it would somehow protect us. Now, that laptop?"
She followed her to their room. The computer was still in her bags, where it had sat since she came home from the hospital two days ago for her holiday. Kim sat down on the bed, activating the computer and connecting her Kimmunicator to it. Moments later, Wade appeared on the screen.
"Got anything Wade?"
"Yes, and none of it good, I'm afraid. It looks to me like somebody has been digging around in the files."
"That's not possible." Anne said. "Everything is encrypted."
"Sorry, Doctor Possible, but the encryptions you were using were just commercial grade stuff. Fine for keeping most data safe, but whoever did this was a professional. I need to do a little digging to see if they left any tracks."
Ron sat down on the couch across from Joss, digging into a turkey and ham sandwich he had made from some of the leftovers. He might have stuffed himself silly only a few hours earlier, but being Ron, he was already hungry again. Rufus was on the table devouring the cheese topping on a cold twice-baked potato.
He swallowed and looked right at Kim's younger cousin. "Would you quit that?"
"Quit what?" She asked.
"Quit looking at me like that. You're reminding me of Kim."
Joss shrugged. "So. People think I look like her all the time. Why, just last week another rancher called me Kim and he's known me and Daddy since we moved to Montana."
"Nuh uh, that's not what I'm talking about."
"Then what?" She smiled at him, leaning forward.
"That! When Kim looks at me like that, she's usually, well, wanting a kiss."
Joss sat back, quietly laughing. "Well, maybe I want a kiss, ever think about that?"
"Aw, come on, Joss. That's just wrong."
"Relax, Ron. I ain't gonna come over there and kiss ya. Just yankin' yer chain. Gotta say, it was worth it, considerin' the look on yer face just then."
Apparently she wasn't done doing that either. She got up out of the chair and sat down right beside him, hooking her arm around his just as she had done the night before. Only then Kim had been in the room and the whole gesture seemed so much more…innocent.
"Not exactly my comfort zone there." He nervously remarked. "Besides, aren't I a little old for you?"
"Oh, come on. Yer just eighteen. What's three years. Besides, yer kinda like family." She relented and let go of his arm, though she didn't move back to the separate chair. "Yer sweatin' like a bull at cuttin' time, but it's kinda cute, if you ask me."
"I'm not even going to ask what that means. Really Joss, you're freaking me out. I mean, you do look just like Kim, especially wearing her clothes like that."
She grinned wickedly at him. "So, yer sayin' I'm kinda cute?" She put her fingertips on her knees and cocked her head to one side, batting her eyelashes.
That was enough for Ron. He got up and started pacing the room. "What's taking Kim so long? I thought she had a lead."
"Okay, Ron, I'm done playin' ya. Yeah, I admit it, I kinda think you're cute and all, but there ain't no way in this world I'd ever do anything to come 'tween you and cousin Kim. So relax."
"It's kinda hard to. Maybe if you'd part your hair in the middle again, or maybe, I dunno, get your own look. Like I wear charcoal pants instead of olive."
"Actually, I've been wearing desert color army pants. Just didn't think to bring them this time, so I raided Kim's stuff."
"Okay, lesson one, if you're going to be doing missions, that means having mission gear handy at all times. Let me tell you, that time I had to go to Drakken's lair wearing Kim's cheerleader uniform…" He stared at her for a moment. She looked like she was going to bust out laughing. "Oh, come on, you know about every other mission, surely you know about the time we got our brains switched."
"Sorry. Yeah, I know that one. Just picturin' you all dressed up in a skirt like ya are right now." She was holding her sides, still giggling.
"Well, anyway, we've got a spare set in Kim's car and she's got some at my house too. Let me tell you, I sure wish we had some mission clothes when we went up against Señor Senior Sr. in Mexico last spring."
"I thought he kidnapped you right from the Prom. Does that mean I'm supposed to keep em with me like I'm some kinda superhero? I can see it now, bein' at church Sunday morning and Professor Dementor strikes and I rip mah dress right off in front of everybody with my turtleneck an combat boots on."
"Well, er, no. But it would have been nice. I think it broke Mister Horowitz's heart when that new tuxedo got torn up, and Kim had to wear a GJ jumpsuit back. All we've got left of our prom clothes are pictures now."
Finally he quit pacing and sat down, though a couple feet further from Joss. She just smiled, scooted right up to him and planted a little kiss on his cheek. "Like I said, you sure are cute. 'Specially when you blush like that."
"Okay, let's saddle up. Wade's got a fix on who got into Mom's computer." Kim strode into the room, not paying their proximity any mind."
"I was about to say the same thing." Slim wandered in, toting his suitcases. "Got a plane to catch if we want to be back in Montana tonight."
"But Daddy, we're in the middle of a mission."
"I'm sure your cousin can handle it, little darlin, but we've got our own chores to take care of."
"Uncle Slim, I'm sure we can get Joss back." Kim said. "She's started with this, and if she wants to be a part of the team, she needs to learn how to see it through."
Slim pondered for a moment. "I don't know about this, though I can switch her ticket. Tell you what, you have her back in time to get to school Monday and we'll talk about that team thing then."
"You've got it, Uncle Slim. Besides, Ron and I have class ourselves and if I'm right, we should be back in time for leftovers dinner tomorrow."
"So." Ron sidled up to Kim, glad to be 'rescued' from her cousin's attention for at least a moment. "Where are we going?"
"We're headin' for the hills a East Tennessee." She said in a close approximation of Joss' accent. "Time for a little hunting expedition!"
Gemini stepped from around the control console in the center of his raised platform. "My faithful associates. We have come a long way from the dark days when our hated enemy destroyed our base in the Atlantic. Through your tireless efforts we have rebuilt the World Wide Evil Empire. Much that was lost has been regained." He scratched the back of his tiny dog's head as it sat shivering in his arms, yapping every so often as his master spoke.
"Today, we are ready to begin our quest to spread evil and chaos throughout the world. Today our preparations are complete. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to present to you my new right hand. Introducing my second in command and instrument of the new world order we shall usher in. I give you..."
"...Agent Alpha!"
He gestured grandly with his free hand and a figure dressed in a uniform strikingly similar to his, save for a hooded cowl and the Greek letter alpha emblazoned on her chest. The smile Sherry gave them sent chills down their spines.
Oh yes, this works she thought to herself.
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