Well enjoy, oh and there are some suggestive themes and adult situations in this story.
Kim started to strip when she reached the bathroom door; she peeled off her clothes, and heaved them aside as she rushed into the bathroom. Moving quickly she entered the shower, she braced her hands against the tiles, as she stepped under the spray of water. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let the warm water pour over her face. Suddenly she lifted her head someone was approaching the shower. Her eyes began searching, when someone nudged back the curtains.
"I sure could use a shower," Ron said casually as he began to take off his shirt.
"Whoa, slow down" she said. "Where do you think you're going?"
"No need to be shy now, I've already seen you naked. Jeez is this water hot enough for you?"
To his amazement, she managed to push him out with one hand." The point of this shower is for me to get clean," she said.
"Right, I can help you wash your back. Come on; is this the thanks I get for showing kindness?"
"I don't feel like dealing with your "kindness" right now", she called out from behind the curtains.
"Okay I'll check the kindness, how do you stand on lust."
"I don't know how you can even attempt to ambush me like that."
"How can I not"? He replied. "What If I told you I wanted to save water?"
"I'd tell you to drain your pool."
"Damn she has a comeback for everything" he sighed as he sat down on the toilet bowl.
He pulled an envelope from his pocket and reached for the letter inside. It was the sixth time he had read it today. There was no other way to look at it; the letter was going to bring him nothing but trouble. For six months now, Ron and Kim had been rebuilding their relationship. Throughout this period, he experienced an emotional roller coaster; it was a great thing to be with her. However, many questions still ran through his mind, difficult questions, questions that for a while he had just pushed to the back of his mind. But the recent events of the past month had caused them all to resurface, and in fact, they added more problems. He had read once that a person could clutch the past so tightly to his chest that it left his arms too full to embrace the present. It was an excerpt from a book of quotes, and he had recently found the truth to those words, because the past was still banging at his door.
"Kim."
"Are you still there?"
"Um I wanted to ask this for awhile, but you know how forgetful I am."
"What is it?"
"I just, well I just wanted to know why you were so quick to forgive me."
"Forgive you for what?"
He let his head fall, as he crumpled the letter back into his pocket "You know what. I want to know why it has been so easy for you to forget. Why would you even want to give us another chance, why would you give me another a chance? It just doesn't make any sense."
For a moment there is only the sound of the running water "I haven't forgotten about the past" she replied softly.
For the past six months, he tried to leave the past behind him, but there were problems that needed to be addressed.
"If you haven't forgotten then, why are we back together, we didn't break up under great circumstances."
"The beauty about the past is that it's the past."
"That answers my questions," he said sarcastically.
"Ron I'll admit that it took me a long time to get over it, but I've learned two things, that life is short, and to listen to your heart."
"You know, that is exactly what a priest would say.'
"What do you want me to say Ron, that I hate you, that I no longer have any feelings for you. Because then I'd be lying to you and to myself."
Ron wondered why he was bothered so much, after six months he still couldn't get over the surprise. That they could be reunited in such uncomplicated fashion, only to get back together was a huge surprise
"No I don't want you to say that, I just ... I don't"
"You're feeling guilty. Moreover, you cannot leave the past alone. Furthermore with your stubbornness you once again fail to realize, that the big overall reason, that I'm standing here talking to you in your shower, naked, is because I love you."
He sighed once again "I guess you're right. You were always the brains of this duo anyway."
Thinking again about the letter, that was now burning a whole in his pocket, Ron knew there was just one more obstacle to overcome. Before he could move on, he had to get by the biggest one of all.
So lost in thought, he failed to see the shower curtain open up slightly, as Kim peered over at him.
"I'd invite you in, but you seem to have more important things on your mind."
He looked up surprised, and then a smile crawled over his face, "I can't even begin to tell you, how much you're wrong on that point."
XXXXXXXXX
The next morning:
For the first time in weeks, Ron had an uneasy night. Recently he had been sleeping like a baby. It might have been Kim sleeping beside him, but the nights held no problems for him. He lay awake as the rising sun poured through his curtains and warmed his face. He rose, kissed Kim lightly on her forehead, and then he began to dress himself.
A few minutes later, fully dressed, the letter from yesterday in hand, he made his way down the stairs. Completely focused on the letter Ron walked into the kitchen, where his head maid Luciola was beginning her day with a cup of coffee. Luciola had been working for Ron for five years, and she took a great liking to the boy. He reminded her so much of her son.
"Ronald" she said looking at her watch "it's a little early for your Tai chi morning exercises."
Ron broke out of his trance, crumpled up the note and tossed it into the kitchen waist basket. Swiftly he removed another envelope from his pocket.
"No, I've actually got an important meeting. Um Luciola if I'm not back by morning, can you give this letter to Kim?"
"Oh Miss Possible is here, that's weird I can usually tell when she spends the night."
"Yes well be sure to... wait, what do you mean you can tell?"
"Oh the whole staff knows when to avoid going upstairs; it's not the sound of music that's coming from your room."
Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing "What, do you stick your ears to the door?"
She laughed, "We don't have to, that girl is a loud one alright."
Ron scratched his head "I knew it, the other night I told her-- ok" he said catching himself "just give her this note."
Luciola grabbed the enclosed envelope "let me ask you something how, did you break that lamp next to your bed?"
"Lamp"? Ron said as he searched his memory "oh that lamp, yeah Kim broke it when we uh, oh ahem, well uh she broke it... by accident, when she had just finished reading this book right. She uh knocked it over." He said his eyes on the ceiling.
" Reading huh, is that what you kids call it these days. I remember when Frank and I were your age; we used to read like rabbits. I remember this one ti--"
"Okay, this conversation has taken a turn for the worse!" He cried out "just remember, what I said about the letter." He shouted as he walked away.
Suddenly he stopped and turned around "Luc', what do you think about me and Kim, are we good together?"
"Well you don't need my approval son, what do you think?"
"I feel like this is right, but something's come up, and this is a big something."
"As long as you follow your heart boy, things we'll be alright. I'll tell you one thing. Since you two have been together you've been ---"
"Calmer, more commendable, congenial, laid back, carefree--"
"I was going to say less of a pain in the rear end, but all those things are good too. I tell you what, if you had kept on acting the way you were, I would have put a stop to your nasty attitude myself. It wouldn't have been pretty, but it would have been for your own good."
Ron blew a kiss to her, as he walked out "Luc' as always you've been of great help."
"I'm just doing my job baby." Oh you might want to bring an umbrella, its raining outside."
"Don't worry about it I'm fine" he said stepping into the pouring rain "sometimes I like to get wet."
Around a half hour later, Ron took a seat on a park bench. The place where his meeting was supposed to take place, according to the letter Ryan had sent. His instincts told him that a secluded meeting with a jilted lover was not the best idea. He peeked at his watch, noting that he had gotten there early. As he waited, he let his mind return to how this had all started.
Earlier that month:
A loud banging awoke Ron from his slumber "um Kim, I think someone's knocking on your door."
"What?" She murmured turning her face towards his.
"Someone is knocking on the door," he repeated.
"So why don't you get it?" She asked drowsily.
"Someone is knocking on your door, the door to your house, with your door knocker."
"Alright" she said in a huff, getting up from the bed.
"That's my girl," he said already falling back into sleep.
"Not for long" she growled.
"I love you" he called out half-asleep.
Ron continued to sleep for what seemed like an additional minute, when the sounds of shouting woke him up again. He stirred in his bed as he listened, one of the voices was Kim's, but he had no clue who, was with her. He moved quietly across the room and placed his ear on the door.
"Adrian and I are staying right here" Kim said, "We may need a better house, near a school he can walk to. Nevertheless, I'll make that decision when the time comes. As of now everything we've got is right here, and we're not leaving."
"Everything you've got? If I go back to Middleton you want have a husband here."
"You're right" she said nonchalantly.
Ryan's face became red with anger "We're married, you chose me over--- instead of anybody in the whole world. You can't break us up we are great together. I need you. You need me. Look" he said calming down "we'll start over, I'll make it up to you."
"Ryan we're not married anymore, we're divorced."
"I don't remember agreeing to that."
"And we're not as good together as you believe. There are serious issues between us. There's nothing left, and I don't see why we need to pretend there is."
"What about Adrian?"
"I'm not going to raise him in a family, where the mother and father have problems."
"Fine you can stay here, I'll take him back with me."
Kim stamped her foot "don't get ahead of yourself. You don't care about him and you never have, you're not going to use him as a bargaining chip."
Thousands of thoughts ran through Ron's mind at once. Should he show up? Should he just mind his own business? Why did he come here from Middleton? Was Kim in reality technically still married?
"Are you implying that I don't care about my own son?"
"You're not comfortable with him; you close up and shut him out."
"There you go again saying I don't love him"
"Do you care about him? It was never a secret, what you wanted and it sure wasn't a child. You have trouble holding him, and you don't pay nearly enough attention to him."
"Every father loves his son!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. He paced around the house to calm himself down.
"Please" he said as she saw the panic in his eyes. "Look I need you, I like the idea of you as my wife, I like being married to you, and I can't stand the idea of starting over. I'll change, just tell me what you don't like and I'll change."
"I'm sorry," she said, the trace of anger in her voice replaced with a deep sadness.
He moved towards her quickly as if to strike her, but he stopped short.
"You know better then that" she said, her voice low.
"Don't think for one minute, that I don't know what this is about" he snarled at her. Then he stormed out of the house.
She rolled her eyes and sighed as Ron bounded down the stairs; quickly dressing himself.
"Ron, where are you going?"
He ignored her as he threw a shirt on and rushed out the door. "Hey, hey you uh Ryan" Ron called as he stepped out onto the porch.
Ryan turned and a frown appeared on his face "well speak of the devil."
Ron ran up to him and extended his hand looking for a handshake. "Hey I'm Ron and I just wanted to ta--"
"I'm not going to shake the hand of the man trying to steal away my family."
"Okay that's a good ice breaker". Ron stopped talking as he notices Ryan tense up, many thoughts quickly filled his mind; "this guy is a lefty, the way he's standing he's going to throw a left hook, I can block with my left and then execute a right jab."
The left hook connects with Ron's jaw, causing him to fall to the ground "that's a normal reaction to a handshake" he said from the ground.
"Stay away from my family" Ryan screamed as he walked away.
Ron looked up to see Kim standing over him
"Nice guy KP, I can see why you got hitched."
She chuckled softly "he's better than the bedraggled girls you hung with."
"Bedraggled, nice."
"Ron, why'd you let him hit you?"
He looked at her with his best look of surprise "what do you mean; I had no idea he was going to throw that punch."
"Uh huh" she said looking up at sky "anyway today is off to a fantastic start."
"It wasn't so bad, now I have reason to go the dentist."
Ron looked down at his watch again. Ryan was late. He relaxed in the bench and took a deep breath. He sensed someone sneaking up behind him, He thought about getting ready to fight but he decided against it. Besides they were in a public park, Ryan wouldn't try anything. That was the last thought that flashed through his mind, before a blunt object struck his head knocking him out.
Seven years ago;
Ron leaned against the railing of the bridge over the small stream, the moonlight reflected off its surface. It was a perfect night considering the circumstances.
He pulled his gaze away from the water and turned to Kim "look, I'm sorry just, just don't do this" he said
She was fighting her feelings again, She looked away; it was too much to see the stunned look on his face. Her body shook, all she wanted to do now was to hold him and wipe away all the hurtful words that had been said. Now it was too late.
"Ron I've loved you for who you are, I have from the day we first met. I feel like this relationship is dying, I'm not only losing a fiancé here, I'm also losing my best friend. I don't want to change you Ron, so I think this is for the best."
He grabbed her by the arms "I don't understand what's going on here, but we can get through this"
"I don't think its going to work out. We've grown apart."
Ron put his hands to his face "I don't believe this, what the hell does that mean?" he screamed at her
She grabbed his hand and placed an object in his palm.
"Tell me this is not" he opens his palm to find a ring, the ring he had given her.
"Why?" He managed to choke out.
"I have to. Its over"
"I don't think you've given this enough thought"
"I've thought about this for awhile, I just didn't tell you."
Ron felt disgusted; he walked away from her and went back to leaning on the railing.
"So you're leaving tomorrow," she said.
"Yeah, I am"
"I'll drop by and say goodbye then."
"That won't be necessary," he said softy not bothering to turn to her.
"Oh, well I guess this is goodbye then"
"I guess so."
"I'll see you around then, you know when you visit your family."
"Right" he answers but he had at that moment decided to never step foot in Middleton again. In fact, he wished he could have flown away right there.
"A part of you will always be with me Ron. I will always love you"
"A lot of good that does me" he said on the verge of tears. "Why do I feel like crap? I didn't do anything wrong. You've probably wanted to get rid of me for awhile now."
"That's not true."
"I know what the truth is, and I don't need your reasons. Let's just stop talking before one of us says something hurtful."
"Ron"
"You know Kim, I used to think we'd be together forever and then... hey whatever I guess this is just how life is right. It is like drawing with out an eraser. I think it'd be best if you leave."
He said nothing as she walked away; he felt anger boiling inside him that he had never felt before. It would be years before he realized what had gone wrong, but right now, he felt as if the world had turned on him.
"You want to see me cry is that what you want," he screamed at no one in particular venting his anger at the full moon.
"I won't give you the satisfaction" he called out fighting back his tears "all those years, and then this" He clutched the ring in his palm and flung it with all his might "from now on, I take care of myself."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Hey wake up, get the hell up. You've been out long enough."
A pair of rough hands grabbed Ron's shoulders and shook him awake. Ron groaned from his throbbing headache, opening his eyes he found himself in total darkness.
"Blindfolds, this brings me back," he said recalling the many time he had been captured.
"No talking!" Someone shouted
"Ryan is that you? This might be a culture shock, but in America we say hello with a handshake not with a blow to the head."
"I said shut hell up"
Ron began moving his head back and forth "Hey, guess who I am". He began to sing, "I just called to say I love you."
Unexpectedly the blindfolds were ripped from his face," This is serious," screamed Ryan.
"How, so?"
"I'm going to kill you idiot."
"Now that is serious"
"God" Ryan cried clearly frustrated. He turned to a gloom-shrouded figure standing a few feet away from them.
"X turn on the radio"
"X, your henchman's name is X," laughed Ron
"He's not a henchman, he's an associate. Do you know how hard it is to carry a body from the park to the wharf? It's like a whole mile"
"Um Sorry, but you've just revealed our location, which I assume was meant to be hidden" Ron quipped
Ryan wiped a bead of sweat from his face, the man was a mass of nerves "right, right hidden, okay that doesn't matter you're going to be dead anyway. X please, leave us alone"
As the man walked through the door, Ryan took a seat at the table across from Ron. Ron studied Ryan, realizing the man looked like a mess. He was tall thin, wearing a wrinkled jacket and mismatched socks. His light brown hair was shaggy from neglect.
"You look messed up."
Ryan looked up at him incredulously, "yeah I do and it's your fault". He paused for a moment "what the hell is wrong with you? Didn't you hear me say I was going to kill you?"
"Your right I guess my attitude in this situation isn't normal," Said Ron as he scanned the area. They were in a dank warehouse filled with crates, and only one exit where X was obviously waiting behind, ready to pounce on anyone, trying to escape. Ron also discovered that his hands were tied behind his chair, and his feet were taped to the chair legs.
To Ron's surprise, Ryan began to shake his head "no, I remember know. This is normal for you; you were exactly the same at Middleton U."
"Whoa, wait a minute. Are you saying we went to the same school?"
Ryan snorted, "You don't remember do you? I'm surprised it just makes this story sweeter. You don't remember me, but I remember you Ronald Stoppable. I remember the first day I transferred into the school, when suddenly a crowd gathered in front of the library. It was at that moment I first saw the legendary Team Possible."
"Well I wouldn't go as far as legendary, renowned maybe, but not legendary" Ron retorted.
Ignoring him Ryan continued, "It seemed that you got a medal or something, from someone important."
"We got a Congressional medal for saving the president's daughter."
"Whatever! You didn't have to where the thing around your neck everyday, like it was a necklace."
"Yes I did because it was cool, but right now I'm sensing some jealously issues here."
Ryan pulled out a pistol from his pocket "you don't know the half of it buddy. You had it all, back then I'd give anything to have had your life."
"You envied my life" Ron laughed, "man the grass is always greener" he sighed.
Ryan took a deep breath and calmed his nerves, the pistol waved back and forth in his hand.
"You seem a little nervous there Ryan. Maybe some coffee will calm you down."
"No I'm fine" he said taking his seat, "which reminds me what happened that senior year."
"What do you mean?"
"After that mission, where that girl died, what happened back then?"
"What mission?" Ron asked.
"You know what I'm talking about; it was all over the news. Yeah Kim came back the same, but you were different."
"I don't know what you're talking about?"
"Really, for one thing Kim started saving the world alone. And you, you used to be something everybody on the campus admired. But then you changed, you gave up all your friends, you became nothing, nothing to admire."
"Ryan as much as I enjoy opening up old wounds, and pouring salt on them, can we get to a point."
"I guess whatever happened at the mission is irrelevant, but your change was. Your engagement with Kim dissolved a few months later. It's funny really, one day it was all Ronald. Ronald on camera, Ronald on the papers relaxed, smiling, living it up in a way I never would, Ronald walking around campus as if he owned it, with Kim Possible by his side."
Ryan lowered his voice "you must have known she was too good for you."
"I guess she was just right for you, am I right" Ron replied.
"It wasn't even like that. It was a good year and a half, before I met her again. She seemed all right on the outside, but on the inside, you could tell she was filled with great sadness. You know why?"
"Because of me" Ron replied
"Damn right because of you. That day I found her, I swore I would make her forget you; I'd make her forget everyone but me. Maybe you did cause the breakup, but I knew you would come back someday, but you should not have had a chance in hell. She should have wanted me not you. I was the one who saved her from her sadness; I brought her back into the light."
Ron watched silently as Ryan raged on each word sending another sharp pain into his chest.
"You know she saw you toss the ring into the river," said Ryan flatly after his rant.
"She what?" Ron cried.
"Yeah she saw you toss her engagement ring into the river, and then she ran home crying."
"She couldn't have, she left. I saw her leave."
"No she didn't leave, she saw the whole thing. I overheard her brothers talking about at my wedding reception" He brought his face to Ron's "now does somebody, who does something so awful deserve a second chance."
"No, you're one hundred percent correct. I guess you could say I drove her to you" Ron replied his breath rasped.
Ryan was slightly taking aback by Ron's answer, he didn't know how, but he knew Ron was being sincere.
"Yeah, yeah of course I'm right. Speaking of the wedding reception, do you know what the hot topic there was?"
"What?"
"What happened to Ronald Stoppable? At my own wedding this is all I heard, what happened to Ron? Why did they break up? I thought they were perfect for each other. That was a match made in heaven if you ask me. Strange I thought they would be together forever. If those two did not make it, what are the chances the rest of us got? See I told you true love doesn't exist, look what happened to Ron and Kim."
"I'm sorry" Ron replied softly.
"Sorry, no you can't be sorry. You haven't heard the best parts yet. I tried so hard to make her forget you, to become better then you, to show them all. Then I'd see you on cover of Newsweek, Bueno Nacho's new business whiz kid, then some nights I'd hear your name escape from her lips when she slept next to me."
"Then" he released a sigh, trying to find the words "I lost money in the market; thinking about you. Nah" he said quickly I can't blame you, it was all me. I took some bad information and ran with it. I could have sworn it was a sure thing, and then poof all my money was gone. Not only mine either some of her parent's money too."
"She didn't tell me any of this," thought Ron.
"I wondered how the hell I could tell her, her family trusted me with that money. It was rough for a while, but she forgave me. That's when I knew I couldn't let her go; I knew for sure that she'd forgotten you for good."
He slumped in his chair "then I had any idea, a baby. I fooled myself into thinking I was ready to be a father, but it was all because it'd be the final nail in the coffin. I realize that now. But back then I was so happy about the birth of my son, until I saw the birth certificate."
"His middle name" Ron answered.
"Adrian Ronald Simmons" laughed Ryan "needless to see it put a strain on our father son relationship."
"So you didn't cheat on her?"
Ryan shrank in his seat again, "it was like some kind of mental illness, every time I was reminded of you, I couldn't stay under the same roof as her, and I'd go out and find someone I thought would appreciate me. It was easy when she was at work all the time, but when she started staying home with Adrian, it got so much worse, and I just couldn't control myself"
Ron stared at him silently.
"I know what you're thinking" Ryan cried defensively "I loved my family, I loved my son and my wife. I just had some problems I had to resolve, does that mean that I didn't love them. But no she kicked me out, "I can't take this anymore," she said to me". Ryan raised his head to laugh again, I stood there in front of the house for hours, and do you know what, my neighbor did? He played 'It's A Wonderful World' until I left, I always hated that jerk."
Ron looked at Ryan sympathetically "I'm sure you loved your family, you wouldn't be here if you didn't."
"Exactly, I begged her to take me back, I begged her. His voice raised, his eyes burning. I told her we needed each other. I needed her. But no, she had already decided it was over, already decided that she was moving."
There was a brief awkward silence as both men reflected on the events that had brought them together.
Ryan got up from his seat and placed the pistol against Ron's head his hands trembling." Everything that went wrong in my marriage somehow relates to you. You drove her too me, and now you are trying to take her away. But if you're gone, then everything will be fine again."
"So that's when you thought about this plan, how're you going to get away with this."
Ryan smiled "I'm not your only enemy Stoppable; a certain CEO lost his job for letting Bueno Nacho's whiz kid walk out. You quitting cost them a lot of money, and you own ten percent of their stock. They had to blame someone."
"McDowell" Ron whispered to himself.
"Yeah, oh he's pissed off. He did a little research and found that we have something in common. We both want you dead. He promised enough money for me to get back on my feet, to bring my family together again."
"That explains the henchman."
"Alright enough of this useless talk, do you have any last words?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim placed Adrian back in the crib in Ron's guest room. She had told him it wasn't necessary to have one in his house too, but he insisted on it. Smiling contently to herself, she made her way to the kitchen.
"Hello Luciola" she said as she discovered the woman cooking dinner.
"Oh Ms. Possible how are you, diner will be ready soon."
"That's great" Kim replied "by the way, did Ron tell you were he went. He left very mysteriously this morning."
"Oh wait, he told me to give you this letter, I don't know why I didn't give it to you earlier."
Kim graciously received the envelope, tore it open it up, and began to read.
Hey, Kim how long has it been, I'd say about a couple of hours but I miss you already. Seriously, though there are many questions I've wondered about since we've gotten back together. I've found most of the answers, but there is one more hurdle for me to jump. It is dangerous and I'm risking more than I'd like to pay. I know you will be angry, and you are right to be angry. We're a team, but I've decided to do this alone. I'll find the answers that I need and face the past so I can truly enjoy or time together. If I fail to do so, and I don't return, I don't want you to be sad, just remember these past few months, I've never been happier or felt more real.
I love you
Ron
P.S tell the butler to take out the trash.
"Did he tell you, where he was going?" Kim asked Luciola while she scanned the letter for clues.
"No, he didn't, why?"
"I need to use the phone," she said quickly as she rushed away.
Back at the warehouse:
"What do you have to say for yourself Stoppable?" screamed Ryan.
"I'm sorry."
Ryan heard the plea in his voice, and knew it was genuine. He looked searchingly into his face, and Ron returned his glare steadily.
"I'm sorry I've caused you so much trouble. You and Kim, I'm sorry it had to be this way. If I could I'd go back and change everything, But"
"But, what?
"For the past couple of months, I've wondered if what I've been doing was right. As you were talking, I asked myself if I'm just screwing with people's lives here. However, I've come to the decision that if she wants me back I'm going back.
"Are you saying you deserve to be with her, why should you be the happy one?"
"I'm not saying that. I'm saying that I love her just as much as you do, maybe even more. I spent seven years tying to find out the real me. But I can find that in her eyes, by the way she looks at me. Yeah it sounds sappy but have you ever looked at someone and see your future children in her face. Just standing next to her removes all doubts about the future. It's like WOW; I wish I had a better vocabulary to describe it, but that's all I can think of right now."
Ryan said nothing as he stared into Ron's eyes.
"Man if you're going to shoot me, shoot me now because I'm floating on the greatest high ever right now"
Ron paused and closed his eyes waiting for the sound, hoping it wasn't painful. Sweat pour down from Ryan's face as he prepared to pull the trigger. He tried his hardest to stop his arms from shaking.
"Damn, that morning I knew it was over, I could tell by her face and her voice that they'd never be an "us" again. Killing you will not make her love me again, will it? He asked tears streaming from his eyes. "It's funny, you don't really know what you've got until it's gone."
"Tell me about it" Ron replied. "Ryan I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm not stealing her away. I drove her to you and you drove her right back. If this is my second chance, I'm going to take it."
Ryan turned his back to Ron, walked towards the radio and put the volume on its maximum level.
"Why couldn't you be an asshole Stoppable, it would've been a lot easier, for me to be delusional" Ryan placed the gun to his temple and prepared to fire.
Suddenly from out of nowhere Ron grabs him from behind, throws him to the ground, he quickly disarms him, empties the gun, and tosses the weapon across the room.
"What, how?"
"I kind of untied myself, when you started talking about Middleton U. Don't feel bad though you did better then most villains."
"I don't understand?"
"You forget I used to help save the world. You don't forget things like untying yourself, its like riding a bike."
"Then you could of... at any tim... I mean"
"Let's not worry about that," Ron said as he pushed away the bullets with his feet, and joined him on the floor. "Now I know I should be saying stuff like, life is worth living, or life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away, or look at life through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror. But I'm not going to say any of that because; well you tried to kill me."
He sighed "but what I will tell you is that, if things go right for me. I'd want Adrian growing up knowing he has two fathers. What do you say?"
Ryan looked at him in disbelief then he smiled "why couldn't you have been an asshole?"
"You should have met me a year ago."
Ryan pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to Ron.
"Sorry, but I quit. I hear those things can kill you, but what doesn't these days."
Ryan laughed, "I can't believe I was going to kill you. I think I need some help."
"I'd have to agree with that statement, and I have the name of a great therapist."
There was another brief silence between them.
"Hey have you ever tried to get Kim to see a sci-fi movie?" Ron asked.
"Please it's easier to get a cow to eat a cheeseburger. She just doesn't understand man's fascination with space aliens."
"You know I've been to space" Ron remarked
"Really, how is it?"
"It's alright," he said shrugging.
Ryan picked himself off the floor "you know I never did find out, why you guys broke up."
Ron got up too "not many people do. Let me tell you a story about a man who had become very frightened of his shadow, and very displeased at the sound of his own footsteps."
"What is that suppose--"
Before Ryan could finish a shot rang out in the room, he crumpled to the floor holding on to his arm, clearly in anguish.
"Who" Ron looked up to find X blocking the exit, a pistol in his hand.
"McDowell asked me to do a little clean up" X said in a gravely voice. "I was supposed to wait for this fool to kill you then off him, but I guess I'd better finish the job myself."
"X is it? Let me ask you something. Have you ever been beaten up by a woman?"
"What?"
"Well I think you better brace yourself for the experience."
X felt a tap on his shoulder; he turned to see a fist rush towards his face. Before he could recover he was kicked in the stomach, and then sent crashing into the wall, where he crumpled in a heap
"I've still got it" Kim said as the sound of sirens filled the air.
A few minutes later
"So then this guy called X kidnaps the both us, and threatened to kill us. Man I thought I was going to die" Ron told the officer.
"Thank you, if anything else comes up we'll let you know" the cop said before heading back to his car.
"Is that what really happened?" Kim said as she sidled up next to him.
"That's what I remember," he said before noticing Ryan being placed on a stretcher.
Ron ran towards "hey are you going be alright."
"Yeah I got hit in the arm but it's not fatal. If you're asking about the future, I guess I've got some serious demons to fight."
At that moment Kim approached them "I guess you two, need to talk", Ron said as he began to walk away.
"Hold on Ron" she grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers with his, and pulling him back.
It didn't take much for Ryan to notice that "No I don't think I'll be able to talk while I'm on painkillers. I'd be best if we talk later. When I'm better," he said.
"That would probably be for the best" Ron replied.
He watched solemnly as Ryan was placed in the ambulance and it drove off. Then he turned to Kim.
"How did you find me anyway?"
"Well I had to make a quick, long distance call to a certain teenage genius in Middleton"
"You're not going to tell me that I'm st--"
"Still chipped, yes you are, you never bothered to take it out."
"So Wade's known where I've been living in California all this time huh. Did you know where I was before you moved here?"
"I had a general idea of where you were."
Uh huh, so KP did I ruin your marriage?"
"That's some ego you've got Ron."
"Just answer the question."
"No my marriage ended because of many other factors. But I won't lie and say I didn't ever think about what could have been."
"So what you're saying is that you've been stalking me."
"No I wasn't stalking you; but I did kind of hope to bump into you, I won't deny that."
"You know I would've been fine with you stalking me, it's actually kind of hot."
"Okay I think we need to go fill a report at the station," she said.
"I mean lets just say you were stalking me, that's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Ron, please."
XXXXXXX
The next morning
"I found it," Ron screamed from his basement.
Kim rushed to the basement door, to find Ron covered in dust, walk through it with a small box in his hand.
"What's that?"
"Ah wouldn't you like to know" he smiled "here take a look"
She grabbed the box, and opened it. Ron gleefully enjoyed the shocked looked in her face when she saw what was in it.
"This isn't, is it?"
"Yes it is" he said, "I heard through the grapevine you thought I threw it into the river."
"But you did, I saw you throw it away."
"Luckily it overshot that stream, and landed in its bank. What you didn't see was me coming back and spending half that night searching for it. I kept it as a reminder."
He reached for the box, grabbed the ring and then her hand. Then he slowly slid the ring onto her finger. Looks like it still fits, I guess what I'm trying to say is--"
"Yes."
"What?"
"Yes" she said again.
"Wait a minute I spent all morning on this speech."
"Yes"
"Okay I know you're happy, but just let me-"
She moved quickly and crushed her mouth against his. He wasn't aware she had moved until his hands were tangled in her hair and his heart began pumping wildly. He stood reeling when he nudged her away.
"I really worked hard on it," he said with a dazed look in his face.
"He eased her back, back against the kitchen wall, with hands running over her. "Thank God for second chances" He thought as he kissed her again.
That was a little intense wasn't it. Read and Review of course