Disclaimer: I don't own Kim Possible. There will be a season four. If I owned Kim Possible, season four would already be here. Of course it would be more of an anime style, including a continuing storyline.

-

Ronald sat nervously next to his best and only friend. He glanced around the room for the sixth time. He had been denied by Justine to work on any of his projects. She had taken away the magazines around him after his running commentary about the articles. There was only so much that she could take being a lectured about a seven-year-old issue of Highlights.

Both looked up suddenly at the door as they heard the knob turn. Through it stepped Doctor Cranston. Justine shrunk a bit in shyness and did a little wave. Ronald was officially in awe; though he did not usually give into the hormones coursing through his adolescent body, they were still there, and now they were screaming to be heard.

Doctor Cranston was easily six foot in height, long blond hair was pulled back into a high bun, she had curves that accentuated her femininity, and to top everything off, she had a pair of caring eyes the color of the sky that seemed to pierce you to the soul. When she spoke, Ronald was at a true loss of his logical mind. Her voice was soft and throaty, but it floated on the air, meandering to its destination.

"Justine, I see you got my message," smiled Doctor Cranston. She looked towards Ronald, "You must be Ronald. Justine has told me much about you, not to mention that your name has come up many times in the previous doctors' records."

"Yes, ma'am, uh, Doctor Cranston," cracked out Ron's voice.

Justine's giggle at her friend's predicament elicited a sullen pout from Ronald. "Doctor, I think you are the only person that I know of that has kept Ronald from speaking in less than whole sentences."

"Well, that is too bad," chuckled the doctor, "because I need to speak to him first." Turning to look Justine in the eyes, she took her hands, "It won't be long, Justine, do you mind waiting here?"

Justine just shook her head, "No, I don't mind."

Doctor Cranston smiled and opened the door for Ronald, "If you will come with me Mister Stoppable."

-

When he entered the room, Ronald took a quick look around. Nowhere in sight was the usual trappings of the therapists and psychologists that had treated Justine in the past. No art trays, or puppets or dolls were evident. Ronald took a seat in the overly stuffed chair that was offered to him.

"I see that you are looking around the room. Would you like to see my credentials?" asked the blond doctor as she took the seat opposite his.

"No, that won't be necessary, Doctor Cranston. I was just noting the absence of the usual trappings."

Doctor Cranston smiled. Ron felt stirrings in himself that he had been denying and rebuking for the past two years. "I assume you are referring to the trappings of a child psychologist? No, not here, though I do have a room where they are when I deal with younger clients, I must confess that I don't know why the others that have taken on Justine's case in the past resorted to them. She is highly intelligent and has a level of maturity far exceeding most adults that I know. The coping mechanisms that they have tried are all wrong.

Justine's mind works like an adult does, even if she isn't of the age that most would assume. Most professionals would see that as a defense mechanism, unless they actually talked to her and listened. The first time I talked to her, I realized that she wasn't coping, that it was her real personality. From that point I started using adult therapy on her, and have made remarkable progress." The doctor cocked her head to the side and smiled, "Have you been able to tell?"

Ron nodded, and then his logical brain resumed control and collated all of Justine's actions for the past two weeks. There was nothing out of the normal at first thought, and then slowly recognition dawned. The light touches that had been absent for so long began to return. They were tentative at first, but grew surer. Then there was the smile that he saw yesterday, that smile would destroy any dark clouds that would form around him.

A smile slowly spread across Ron's face, and the cursory nod became an adamant one. "Yes, I have. My friend is coming back to me," Ronald said as he looked at the woman.

"Yes, and you can help, but it is something that will be hard."

"Forgiveness."

"Yes, you holding onto this, well, grudge, keeps Justine from moving forward."

Ronald started a growl, but stopped it before it was released. "The problem is that what he did to her is inexcusable!"

Doctor Cranston nodded her agreement, "Yes, but forgiveness has nothing to do with excusing. What forgiveness does have to do with is putting the action behind you so you can move forward. Justine is ready, but you are not. She will stay with you in that pit of hate and loathing, or ascend with you into the light of day."

Ronald sighed and then looked at the doctor in front of him, "So, I am the gatekeeper of Justine's happiness?"

"Your opinion and actions matter a great deal to her. You have been her support, and truth to tell, I don't know how she would be if you were not there for her. So, I need for you to work with me for her. I need you to full accept what happened to her so YOU can move forward also."

"I don't know if I can," quietly replied Ronald.

"Start by saying what happened, Ronald. We can work from there," coached the psychiatrist.

"The incident," was Ronald's curt reply.

"Not what you call it Ronald, the action he did to Justine."

"No."

"Why, Ronald, are you afraid of saying it? Do you think it is so horrible that if you let yourself accept it you will not be able to think of Justine the way you do now?" egged the psychiatrist.

"I will always love Justine, no matter what! Nothing can change that fact," glared Ronald.

"Then say it, so you can help her."

There was pain evident on Ronald's face. Emotions and blocks that he had put up years ago began to crumble as he wrestled with himself. He had to do this for Justine, but in doing so, he could lose what he loved. He had read studies and reports on the subject, but now came the time that he himself had refused to let happen. The conflict in his heart head and soul came to a thunderous head.

"Say it, Ronald, it's okay. Justine is ready to move on, please move on with her," was the soft plea across the space from Ronald.

"He raped her," the barest whisper came from Ronald's lips. "He bashed her mother's head in when she wouldn't give him what he wanted, and then he raped Justine in front of her while she was still half lucid," Ronald said in a crescendo. "He was her step-father! He was supposed to protect and defend her, them! But instead, HE DESTROYED THEM!" The sound and fury died away. "And they only gave him ten years in prison, ten years for the destruction of three people. What justice is that? Where is the rule of law that provides for the common good?"

"Justice is sometimes sorely lacking, Ronald. Sometimes we have to take what we can, and continue to live, and in that take some satisfaction that no matter what happens, our continuation is punishment to those that would do us harm," counseled the blue eyes as they pierced his brown. "You go to Temple, correct?"

Ron only nodded in response. "To help Justine, I thought it would be prudent to learn about you. I talked to Rabbi Katz about you. He holds you in high praise. You have great conviction, and that could be either good or bad. If you don't let go of this, it will consume you. None of us want to see that happen, Ronald. If you are consumed, what will happen to Justine?"

There was silence. Doctor Cranston could see the tears welling in the boy's eyes. Giving a sad smile, she handed him a tissue. "It's okay to cry Ronald. You have a lot that you need to get out, and the tears are a pressure valve. I know you are destined for many great things; you can't reach the stars if you hang onto one of the bottom rungs. By not letting go of this, you are letting him control you. You said that he destroyed three lives; I say that there is at least one more. If you let that happen, then he has won."

"I will never let that happen," said Ronald with conviction steeling his voice.

Doctor Cranston nodded as she stood. "That is what I expected to hear from you, Ronald. Now, while I go get Justine, I'll let you regain your composure."

-

The rest of the session went well in Doctor Cranston's eyes. Justine was coming back to her state from before the attack had happened, and Ronald was beginning to let the hate that was festering in him go. After the two adolescents had left, she was glad that she had talked to Rabbi Katz and he in turn had gotten approval from the Stoppables for Ronald to attend the sessions. Her initial concern was Justine, but as she had researched Ronald for her case. Her superiors were more pleased at her initiative on discerning someone that hadn't come up on the radar yet. After this assignment, she would be in central command with Global Justice Early Intervention Program.

-

Author's Notes: Yes, there are many branches of Global Justice. Global Justice Early Intervention Program is but one. Their motto is making sure mad scientists of tomorrow stay mad at science, and not the world. It is a relatively new branch and had yet to show conclusive results. It only will when the targets become adults, and don't turn to villainy.