"Kim, Kim, is everything alright?" it was her mother at the door to her room. She called down that she was fine, but the sounds of her tears betrayed her. Her mother opened the trapdoor, and climbed the ladder into her attic room.

"Kimmy, what's the matter?"

"Oh mom, I had the most horrible dream. There was this guy, and, and he…"

"Yes?"

"He killed Ron!" she sobbed again, and collapsed against her mothers shoulder. They hugged for a while, as her mother comforted her, and stroked her hair.

"It's ok, sh, sh. It was only a dream."

"But it felt so real, it was like it was real. I felt every footstep, I smelt the dust. Everything."

"Yes, the mind can be like that. I should know."

"I guess your right."

"Ok. Now, try to get some sleep, it's only 2.00 am." She hugged her again, and gasped "Kim, how on earth did you get a bruise here?" she touched behind Kim's right ear, and shuddered. "It's icy cold!"

Kim leapt up, and raced to her mirror, moving her hair out of the way. There, just behind the earlobe on her right ear, was a black mark shaped like a pair of lips. Where the prince had kissed her. Her mother, sensing that this had become private left for bed. Kim sat there, unable to think, unable to speak. Eventually, after about five minutes, she managed to shake herself out of her shock induced state, and there was only one thing on her mind: Ron. She called his beeper, but, after five minutes and no response, she panicked and called his 'phone.

"Hello?" came the eventual, feeble reply

"Ron!"

"K.P., is, is that you? What time is it?"

"Um, 2.15"

"Omigod, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing, I just needed to hear you. I need to see you. Did I wake you?"

"No, no I was having trouble sleeping, so I'm just watching the Fearless Ferret."

"Ron, I need to see you."

"Ok, I'll be over first thing in the morning"

"No, I need to see you NOW. Come to my window. Please?"

"Uh, OK, if your sure. Is everything alright?"

"It will be. See you soon."

She hung up, and waited. She wouldn't feel right until she saw him. She thought over her dream, and the pain she felt at loosing him, and the words they shared. And she made her decision. She rased her hands to her nose, and breathed deep. The shirt she slept in, one of Ron's old ones, still had some of his scent. She found it soothing.

It was 2.30. She heard a tap at the window, and rushed over. He was dressed in his usual stupid shirt, and was struggling to keep his grip on the ledge. She opened the window, and helped him into the room, then smothered him with kisses.

"Woah, what was that for? Did I do something right?"

"Just happy to see you, sweetie, that's all. Ron, did you have to bring Rufus along?" she noted the now beaming mole-rat.

"Yeah, he's been a bit clingy. I can't seem to shake him at the moment."

"I can relate, but I wanted to talk to you about something private." She sighed, and sang softly to the rodent "Rockaby Roofy, on the tree top…" Ron smiled. Kim was always so gentle with Rufus, and she had a singing voice that always made him weak at the knees. Rufus yawned, and began to doze on the window sill.

"Now, where were we?" she smiled, and kissed him again, on the cheek, and hugged him. He winced and stifled a yelp. She frowned, and pulled away. "Ron, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine. It's just a…football injury, yeah that's it, football." He tilted his head as he spoke, and rubbed the back of his head

"Ron, don't lie to me, you're not very good at it. Take of your shirt, and let me see. NOW." He knew better than to defy her in that sort of mood, and began to take of his top.

"It looks worse than it is" he excused.

She gasped. Across his right chest, starting on one side and running across to just under the nipple, was a deep, fresh scar, a hand in length. It had already started to heal. She began to tear up as she realised that it was where he had been pierced through by the Prince's blade. She turned him round, and sighed as she saw that there was an identical mark on his back.

"How, Ron, How did this happen?" she asked, although she knew the answer.

"I don't really know. I had this weird dream…"

"Dream?"

"Yeah, there was this guy in black, and he wanted… something important to me." Ron wiped his eyes, brushing away a tear. "and then he, well, he stabbed me with this long, wavy bladed sword." He shuddered at the memory "And then I woke up with this. It's too weird to even think about"

"Ron, there's something I think you should see." She pulled her hair out of the way, and revealed her neck.

"Kim, that black mark, there, that's where…"

"I know. I had the same dream. That's why I needed to see you. I needed to make sure you were ok. There are things I need to say" she sat down on her bed, and patted it smiling at Ron. He sat next to her.

"Like what?"

"Like, did you mean what you said, in the end?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." He sighed, and took a deep breath. "I did, I meant it all, even though you probably don't feel the same way, and I'd say it all again. I love you, there are you happy?"

She smiled "Very. You didn't hear what I said to you, after you… you know, did you?"

"No?"

"Well, the gist of it was I love you too!" she kissed him on the cheek.

"Really? I mean, I could see that you liked me, and all, but do you really mean that you love me?"

"Of course. Ron, when I saw what that…beast did to you, I thought I was going to die too, I thought I could feel the blade myself. It hurt, but not as much as when I thought I had lost you, and nothing in the world felt like it did when I saw you were ok." She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she did so, and breathed deeply, inhaling his scent.

He embraced her, wrapping his arms around her, and kissing her on her forehead. He stroked her cheek with the back of a hand, and smiled. He could almost forget about the horrors of the night before. She kissed him on the lips, and her mouth parted for his tongue, and his for hers. Her arms wrapped around him, and she pressed her body against him. They sat, entwined for a while, before parting.

"So, I guess we should go and find this guy, huh?"

"Yep, we gotta find out what this is all about. Is that ok, Ron?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know we should, it's just, well," he sighed, and rubbed his eyes with his fingertips "look, last time we met him, he tried to kill me. Twice. And that was in a dream, and he almost succeeded, hell, he did succeed, the second time. And, what's worse, he tried to take you away from me." a tear trickled down his cheek. "I know I've said this a lot, but Kim, I'm scared. I saw the look in your eyes when you saw him, I know you liked him, and that you were tempted. I'm scared that at, best, if we see him again I'll lose my life, and, at worst, I'll lose everything I care about." He sighed, and slumped forward. Kim came to his side, and rested a hand on his back.

"Ron, sweetie, I'm sorry that I hurt you. It's true, I did find myself tempted. He was handsome, he was charismatic, but at the end of the day, all it took was one look at you, and any thoughts I had about that guy were gone. One look at your goofy smile, your freckles, your beautiful eyes, and I found the strength I needed to resist. I love you, and that's all I need to remember."

He smiled "You really mean that, K.P?"

"Completely and utterly"

"But…" he started, but was cut off as she raised a hand, placing the fingertips on his lips gently.

"Sh, Ron, please, trust me. we'll find this guy, we'll take him down, somehow, and we'll continue. Soon, he will be nothing more than a bad memory, OK?" she went to move her hand away, but he caught it as she did so, and, reverently, kissed her fingertips. She blushed.

"Ok, I guess we should go and find him then" said Ron, rising from his seat on her bed as he did so. She caught his hand and shook her head.

"Not now Ron, it can wait." She climbed into bed, and wriggled a little under the covers, then raised a had, bearing her nightshirt, and dropped it to the floor. Ron's eyes bulged and he coughed and shifted his feet awkwardly. He had become increasingly aware that he was in a girl's, indeed, his girlfriend's, bedroom, topless, and now that she had likewise shed her clothing, it had become too much for him.

"Oookay, well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Kimmie, uh, sleep well." He went to grab his shirt and leave via the window.

"Ron, please, I don't want to be alone tonight, I don't want to be away from you tonight."

Uh, well, I guess I could sleep on the couch, if you're sure you want me to stay."

"No, Ronny, sweetie, just come to bed."

"I really don't know if that's such a good idea, honey" he spluttered

"Why not?" she pouted

"Because you're vulnerable right now, and, if we sleep in the same bed, I don't know what might happen, and if I took advantage of you now, I'd never be able to forgive myself."

She smiled. "well, first of all, I'm not vulnerable, and I don't think you could ever take advantage of me. Second, nothing's going to happen unless I want it to happen, so please don't worry, and come to bed." She patted the bed next to her, and smiled.

"But how can you be sure that something won't happen?"

"I never said that I didn't think anything would happen. I said that I know what will happen, and I'm more than ok with that."

"Uh, Kim, are you trying to say…?"

"Yes Ron, I'm saying that I'm ready. I'm saying that I think now, more than ever, would be right, would be perfect, would be special. But most of all, I'm saying that I want to be with you in every way." She held out a hand to him, grasping his own, and, squeezing it tightly, pulled him towards her.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Ron, I've never been more sure in my life" she pulled the covers down, revealing her small, pert breasts. Ron gulped nervously. She pulled him close, and placed his hand on her chest, and closed her eyes "here, feel how sure I am" she breathed in and out deeply. She released his hand, but it remained where she had placed it. After a few moments, she felt it begin to slide upwards, to her neck. She opened her eyes, to look straight into Ron's. He lifted her head gently, cradling her neck in his palm, and kissed her on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him back. He pulled away, and stood up from the bed.

"Ron, what's wrong. Did I do something wrong?" a tear trickled down from her eye.

Ron smiled "I was just taking of my pants, sweetie, please don't cry." He slid off his trousers, then paused, took a deep breath and slid down his briefs. He glanced over at Kim, and noted the reddening of her cheeks. He and Kim had been friends for years, and, due to his unique clumsiness, she had seen him in his briefs a thousand times, but this was a step beyond, this heralded so much more. He stepped towards the bed again, then stopped, the slow dawn of realization spreading across his face. He turned around again, reached into his pocket, pulled something out and then joined Kim on the bed, placing the retrieved item on her bedside table.

"What's that?"

"Well, you know how my dad is, the minute we started dating he sat me down and gave me 'The Talk', then gave me a condom. It's a good thing I had it with me I guess"

"I guess."

He climbed under the covers, and embraced her. They lay together, just holding each other, inhaling the others scent and becoming comfortable with each curve of their bodies. Ron rested one hand on the base of her spine, and the other between her shoulder blades. Kim kissed him on the bridge of his nose, then rubbed her own against his affectionately.

"Ron, will you still respect me in the morning?"

Ron pulled away, and looked her in the eyes. "Kim, I used to love to look out at the night sky, to see each star in their myriad thousands, blinking on and off in a blanket of the deepest black, but now, now it seems hollow. They may be beautiful, they may be perfect, they may number in their billions, but, Kim, they cannot hold a candle to you." He smiled weakly, and brushed the side of her face gently with a fingertip. "You ask if I'll still respect you? How could I not. You've been my best friend forever, and then you were my girlfriend, and now, you honor me with your love, affection and want. I only hope that I can show you, somehow, that I'm worthy."

"Ron, I was kidding," She said, tears streaming down her face, "But if you don't kiss me this second, I swear I'll scream" he pressed his lips against hers, and, mouth open, worked his jaw. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she reciprocated. He kissed her on her cheek, then the base of her jaw then paused, tilting her face away, and kissed her on the black mark behind her ears. She gasped, and nearly crushed him as she squeezed him tighter. She bucked her hips against him, grinding into his. He kissed her there again, and her vision swam. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, and began to shudder and shake as she climaxed. He had kissed her there before, but never had it had such a reaction. She lay back, exhausted as he began to kiss his way down her neck, causing her to arch her back, between her breasts and to her stomach. He placed a kiss on her navel, and she giggled. He, falteringly, with uneasy fingers, stroked her breasts, brushing over her stiff, pink nipples. She moaned in appreciation. He kissed her on her right breast first, more confident now, then her left. He flicked his tongue over her aureoles, then her erect nipples, taking one between his teeth and, gently, tugging. Her breath had become more ragged now. He began to suck on one nipple as he teased the other with his fingertips, then switched focus. He kissed his way down her body again, to her thigh, peppering her inner thigh with kisses and tiny bites. He hooked his fingers into the elastic of her panties, and paused, looking up at her face.

"You sure you want me to do this love?" she nodded, panting. He tugged at the panties, and she arched her back and lifted herself off the bed. Soon, they lay discarded on the floor, and she lay exposed before her love. She was breathing heavily now, panting with desire, and her vision had become clouded with passion. Yes, thought Ron, as he buried his head in her lap. This is right, this is natural, this is real, this is…

"Perfect" murmured the Prince on his throne, as he let slip a low chuckle. He had not achieved anything startling, anything major, merely caused two young humans, already in love, to couple. By no stretch of the imagination a difficult task, worthy of the time of a master manipulator like himself, but, nevertheless, it gave him some small pleasure, and, of course, it set things up so much easier for the future. He inhaled and breathed out deeply, emitting a gust of black-blue smoke, although he held no cigarette, no pipe in his hand, and, in truth, it was merely an affectation, as, indeed was the breath itself. He waved a hand, and the point of view shifted from Ron's to Kim's, then again to view them from the side.

Something hissed by his foot, he smiled and stretched down to scratch behind her ear. The creature at his knee purred at his touch. She appeared, at first sight to be a young lady, unclothed except for a collar round her neck and a belt at her waist. On closer inspection, her nature becomes clearer, as her ears seem over long, and pointed. As he scratched them, they shifted position slightly. At the base of her spine sprouted a long prehensile tail, tufted with fur and spotted that swished lazily. She flexed her fingers, and retractable claws popped out, if only for a second.

"What ails you, sweetling, do you not find their pleasure satisfying?"

No, they couple, and that is which they seek. They do not rut to gain power over another, to get what they want. They are what they want. He worships her, and she does not take advantage of it to achieve her own ends. She adores him and he does nothing to manipulate it. I have no power over them" she grumbled.

"And you" he said turning to the figure seated on the right armrest of his throne, a raven winged angel, with a black halo made of thorns and tears. Across her back lay a series of welts and white scars. In one hand, twisted around the wrist, she bore a hooked whip, cruel and vicious. It's barbs dug deep into her skin, and drew rivers of blood that ran down her arm. She wore mostly black leather, and she too had a collar round her neck, but thick and studded with many spikes. "What do you see when you look at them?"

"I see two who couple not in desperation, not in cruelty or malice. There is nothing for me here."

The prince smiled, and ran his fingers through the black feathers of her wings. He plucked a handful, causing her to cry out in pain. She licked her lips in pleasure. The feathers grew back almost instantly.

"And you, best beloved? What do you make of them?" he said, turning to his left, to the statuesque figure seated there, a statuesque, pale woman, red, frizzy hair flowing down her back, between the wings at her shoulders, vast and bat-like, red and scaled. She wore loose white and black robes, that almost revealed her naked breasts as she leaned forward, but didn't. beneath the robes, four long, red, spiked tails briefly flicked into view.

"They couple with passion but not abandon. They couple in love, not in lust." She turned her head away, so that none could see the single tear that ran down her cheek, or the look of envy that crossed her face. "I can do nothing with them." He tenderly placed a finger on her chin and turned her face towards him, placing a gentle kiss upon her lips.

"Yes, they're sickeningly sweet aren't they. Well, let's see how they cope, hmm? I think I have found rare sport here precious ones." He waved a hand, and the image faded away. He laughed, loud and long.

Mrs. Possible squirmed in bed, woken by the noise coming from her daughters room. She smiled at the squeak of the bedspring. She would talk to her daughter tomorrow morning, for sure, but for now, let her and Ron enjoy each other.

"Please, Ron, now, please"

He gulped nervously. "Ok, Kim, if your sure you're ready" he kissed his way up her body again, to her face and kissed her cheek, then her lips. She kissed back hungrily, biting his bottom lip gently as he pulled away. He reached over to the bedside table and retrieved the condom, tearing open the packet, and sheathed himself, then shifted position

She stifled a yelp as he entered, and visibly winced. He stopped.

"Kim, I…I don't want to hurt you, I think I should stop."

"Don't you dare, Ron, I need you, now, here."

He thrust, gently into her, awkwardly avoiding her eyes, unable to meet her gaze. She grabbed the sides of his head with both hands, and forced his eyes to meet hers, bringing his face close.
"Please, Ron. Don't look away. It's important to me. I need to see your eyes, I need to know that you can see mine."

She let go, and his eyes remained locked on hers. She held her breath for a moment, timing in her head, then began to breathe again, in time with Ron's own. She writhed her hips, and ground them against him, bucking in time with his own rhythm.

Now it was Ron's turn to wince and grimace, the wound on his chest causing his shoulder to ache.

"Shh, Ron, don't worry, just relax, you've been through enough."

She, with one fluid movement, flipped Ron onto his back and positioned herself on top of him. Her eyes never left his own.

"Ron, honey, you've been through too much tonight, please, just lay back. It's my turn, anyway." She began to ride him, slowly, rhythmically. As always, she kept her eyes fixed on Ron's own. She leant forward as she did so, so that the maximum amount of her body was pressed against Ron, and her face was close to his. She began to buck more violently now, moving faster against him, and began to breath a little more erratically now. His hands moved to her hips, then, slowly, to her back. He held her close, wrapping his arms around her, and bucked against her, more confident now. She yelped softly with each thrust, panting her need, her want. He thrust harder, and faster, and she the same, the pair of them caught in the moment, in their passion. His breath came faster, and hers increased to match it, subconsciously. They could both feel it welling up inside of them and, instinctively, they found each others lips, and kissed passionately as they climaxed simultaneously.