Shocked

Disclaimer: Some day I will own Kim Possible, but that day is not today. Check back with me in several years in fact, I still need to get out of undergrad.

Chapter Twelve: Choices Made

Bonnie's POV

"It was your fault they got away, you know that don't you?" Kim snarked.

Bonnie just glared right back, "No, it was yours, you said and I quote, 'don't go anywhere without Ron, no matter what.' And was it my fault that Ron was stuck in that poker game all night?"

"Oh don't give me that Bonnie," Kim growled, "Since when have you ever listened to anything I said, you just wanted to make me look bad."

"Hey," Bonnie snapped back, "I didn't know you and Shego were going at it till it was too late to do anything, and I was waiting for Ron because I was worried."

"Yeah right," Kim drawled out, "you just wanted to get him alone while I was trying to stop Drakken and Shego from getting whatever information it was they got away with."

"You wish," Bonnie said as they walked up to Ron's front door, "you just can't accept that it's me he's going to ask to the prom and not you."

"Now who's wishing?" Kim said as she rung the doorbell.

They waited only a short while before the door opened, but instead of Ron being there like he normally was to walk to school it was his mom.

"Um, hi Mrs. Stoppable," Kim squeaked out, "is Ron running late?"

"Oh no," the blonde woman said, "he actually left early today, something about showing a new student around the school."

"Thanks," Bonnie said a bit more smoothly, "we'll just catch up with him there, you have a nice day Mrs. Stoppable."

The two walked away and waved back at Ron's mom absentmindedly, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

A few minutes later Bonnie spoke up, "Kim, this… new student, you don't think it could be…"

"Yori," Kim cut in, "I hate to admit it but I think you're right. She's crushed on Ron before and I wouldn't put it past her to show up just to try and snatch him out from under us."

Bonnie wasn't quite sure about that, but if Yori was indeed another competitor she wouldn't put anything past her.

Thinking it over briefly, Bonnie turned to Kim, "Well then here's what we do, we make sure that he doesn't ask her to prom. As long as Yori is in this I'm willing to have a truce if you are."

Kim chewed her lip for a little bit before sticking out her hand, "Deal?"

Bonnie grasped her rivals' hand, "Deal."

They walked the rest of the way to school in silence, both of them plotting in their own way how to remove Yori from the equation and in doing so to convince Ron that he would be better of asking her and not the other to prom.

They got to school earlier than normal, a byproduct of not stopping every few minutes to try and make Ron mediate one of their never-ending squabbles, not that he ever took sides. In fact he had proven remarkably adept at walking the fine line needed in his situation.

Walking into the school they both started looking out for what Bonnie was loathe to but forced to admit was potentially very serious competition for both of them.

Bonnie noted with amusement, concern, and several other thoughts that when they ran into Tara, Kim and the blonde hugged, something they had never done before the cafeteria incident, and that the length of their hug was pushing what might be called friendly. As they walked on, Bonnie wondered if for all her bravado, Kim might not mind all that much if she ended up not being the one asked to prom, she seemed to have no problems with the prospect of Tara being her date such as it was.

Walking towards the cafeteria they continued to run what seemed a gauntlet of people they knew, the unfortunate result of having the two most popular girls in school in the same place. Right around Kim's locker they came across something new, Felix was sitting there in his wheelchair, what made it new was that Monique was sitting on his lap as they talked quietly to each other.

"Well well," Bonnie said as she and Kim walked up to the pair, "What have we here?"

"What we have here," Monique said never moving from her spot, "is two people doing what people do when they're dating. Steel Wheels here finally got a clue and I don't think you two need to or want to hear the rest."

Bonnie was actually happy for the pair, they made a cute couple and they had helped Ron out after Kim had fallen down her rabbit hole and before Bonnie got her act together with Ron.

Kim asked if Felix was taking Monique to prom, which he was, and if Monique had a dress yet, she didn't. Upon hearing this Kim squealed and excitedly declared that Monique had to join her and Tara shopping for prom dresses. Bonnie wasn't aware that Kim and Tara were getting their dresses together, she was starting to think her declaration that for all she cared Kim and Tara could date might have been prophetic even though she hadn't at all thought of it when she had said it.

Kim ran off shouting that she had to go find Tara again and tell her that Monique was going to join them shopping for dresses. Bonnie chuckled quietly, she certainly was surprised with what she was finding out, but if dating Kim made Tara happy then Bonnie was fine with it.

"So have either of you seen Ron?" Bonnie asked her not yet reoccupied companions.

"Yeah," Felix said around Monique, "he and some new kid were walking towards the cafeteria not too long ago."

Thanking them Bonnie set off with her new destination in mind. She had to admit feeling a bit nervous, she had never actually met Yori, but she'd heard enough from Wade and Kim to be worried about what she'd see. And of course it was just her luck that just as Kim was seemingly dropping her quest to get Ron to ask her to prom that a new competitor would emerge.

Pushing open the cafeteria doors, Bonnie looked around for Ron and Yori, she quickly spotted them, but it was Ron and… not Yori.

"And this is the lunch room," she overheard Ron as he and the mystery student were walking towards a table, "where I'm told you can find a hot nutritious meal. Now I haven't but your mileage may vary."

Bonnie felt relief like she had never felt before, the new student wasn't Yori, sure he was a hottie, but that was Bonnie speaking very objectively. She didn't care who was asking her out, she was bound and determined that Ron Stoppable ask her to prom. And with Kim looking more and more like she was going to be going with Tara, Bonnie's odds were looking very good indeed.

"Bonnie!" Ron's voice interrupted her, she looked to see him waving to her from where he was sitting at next to the new student. She noticed the mystery guy looking at her and she withdrew her benefit of the doubt, the look made her want to say one thing, 'eyes up here champ.' She had gotten that from way too many people in her life, so when she sat down at the table she made sure to sit next to Ron.

"Hey Ron," she said as she stole his French fries, "who's this?"

"Bonnie," Ron pointed to her, "meet Eric." He pointed to the no longer mystery student.

"Hi," Eric said in a voice Bonnie would have found charming if she was in fact an airhead cheerleader but that instead put her even more on her guard.

"Nice to meet you," Bonnie didn't bother putting on any fake cheer.

Sensing the iciness between the two, Ron grabbed hold of Bonnie and dragged her just out of earshot.

"Bonnie," he whispered, "What's your deal with Eric, he's a cool guy, he even likes naked mole rats."

Ron had an incredibly big heart, it was part of why Bonnie had fallen for him in the first place, but from time to time he could certainly let it get ahead of his brain.

"Look," she said in as calm a voice as she could, "he might seem good, but his eyes never made it above my shirt if you get my drift. Just trust me when I say this guy is miles of bad road."

Bonnie didn't think he had heard the last part, because Ron had certainly gotten her drift and was casting a very menacing glance towards Eric.

"Ron," Bonnie grabbed his face and turned him to face her, "Don't go killing him, I appreciate that you want to defend my honor and all that, but I'm a cheerleader, I'm used to talking to the top of a guys head."

Ron looked her right in the eyes, and Bonnie had to fight herself not to jump him then and there, making matters worse for her he then sighed and said, "I know, it's just that well I thought I had him pegged for a good guy. I haven't made a choice yet, but either you or Kim is going to need a date in a little while and I was thinking, new student, doesn't know anyone, maybe do something nice for him."

"Don't get yourself so down about it," Bonnie put a hand on his shoulder, "it's great that you try and see the good in everyone, but even you have to get it wrong once in awhile. And don't worry, I think you're great at pegging people." At his questioning glance, Bonnie blushed and said, "Well you let me get on that plane didn't you."

Ron smiled down at her and Bonnie was perfectly content to let the moment stretch for as long as it could. But it ended when Bonnie caught movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked around Ron, who turned to look at what she was seeing. Bonnie wanted to beat her head on something hard, there was Kim, sitting there, looking at Eric like she had looked at Josh for 6 months.

Bonnie turned to look at Ron, hoping to see what he thought about Kim falling down another rabbit hole. She saw something different in his eyes that she couldn't place, but when he turned to face her it almost made her gasp.

"Bonnie," he said in a much softer voice than his eyes would have suggested, "um, I was wondering if anyone had asked you to prom yet?"

Bonnie's heart was pounding, this was it, she had done it, Ron was asking her to prom, she had beaten Kim at last, but whatever, Ron was asking her to prom!

"I can't think of anyone," oh God she sounded like a little schoolgirl.

"Well," Ron sounded equally nervous, "I was wondering if since you don't have a date and I don't have a date, you might wanna go to prom together?"

Reminding herself to save outward expressions of glee for later, Bonnie simply replied, "It's a date."

"I mean I know you might not wanna be seen at prom with the loser and all," Ron was looking at his feet, "but I really… wait, you'll go with me!"

"Yes I'll go with you," Bonnie said a bit more acerbically than she had hoped to, "and if anyone has been calling you a loser I want their name so I can make their life miserable. No one and I mean no one calls my friends losers."

"Yeah!" Rufus squeaked shaking his fist from where he was standing in Ron's pocket, Bonnie was quite glad to have the naked mole rat on her side since she had found out quickly that his opinion mattered greatly to Ron.

"It's not like that," Ron held up his hands, "It's just that you're one of the most popular people in school and well… I'm not. I mean you could go with any guy you want to and there's plenty of guys out there better than me."

"Maybe," Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, "but I can't think of any that are better for me and my vote is the only one that counts. Now let's go see if we can't pull Kim out of wonderland before she gets in too deep."

They walked back over to the table they had vacated a few minutes ago, hands brushing together as they tried to figure out just what this new twist in their relationship meant for the two as friends, or perhaps now more.

They sat down across from Kim and Eric who were still oblivious to their presence due to being wrapped up in their conversation.

"I'm not that cool," Kim said, "I freak a lot of guys out, they see me on TV kicking some goon through a window, not quite the most flattering image of me ever."

"I think it's pretty cool actually," Eric kept looking into her eyes, "I like a woman who's not afraid to stand up for herself."

"Oh God," Bonnie hit her head on the table, "it's Josh all over again. Just look at them they're disgusting."

She looked over to see Ron rather obviously struggling between his desire to stand up for his best friend and his desire to pound Eric into organic paste, grabbing his hand Bonnie quickly got them out of the cafeteria and made a beeline to her car and then Bueno Nacho.

Bonnie pulled Ron into what had been his and Kim's booth, then when Bonnie started going on missions had become Ron and Bonnie's booth, and was now a complicated mishmash of who exactly could sit in the booth and when.

"Thanks," Ron said, "I was getting close to rearranging that pretty boys face back there."

"Don't thank me yet," Bonnie sighed, "we still have to tell Tara that Kim's going to prom with Eric. And I was so sure she and Tara liked each other."

"Huh?" Ron managed to get out.

"Oh come on," Bonnie said, "you can't tell me you didn't see those two, hanging out, the excuses to touch each other, longing gazes, they couldn't have been more obvious with a flashing neon sign."

"Well I saw them acting all weird," Ron stuttered, "but I didn't think they liked each other like THAT. Oh man, if Kim goes to prom with Eric then she and Tara are going to get real complicated."

"Kim and Tara nothing," Bonnie sighed, "if Kim pulls another Monkey while Drakken and Shego are running around on whatever scheme they're plotting it could be bad, very bad."

"But what can we do?" Ron asked, "I mean you saw what it took to get Kim away from Monkey. How long's it going to take this time and what are we going to have to do to get Kim back?"

Bonnie was already an expert at making plans, she sat there only briefly before she began to muse out loud, "The reason Kim won't admit to liking Tara like that is because she's scared. She's a cheerleader, saves the world, media darling, oh yeah and apparently she likes girls. Kim's just scared that everyone will drop her if she admits to something like that."

And apparently Bonnie had rubbed off a bit on Ron, "Well then it's easy," he said, "we just have to make sure that Kim knows we're still her friends. Then she'll have no problems seeing that pretty boy is nothing but bad road and she'll go to prom with Tara."

"Speak of the poor dumped devil," Bonnie said quietly as the doors opened and Tara slouched into the fast food joint.

"Hey," the blonde said morosely as she slumped into the booth next to Bonnie.

"Ron," Bonnie said, "can you go get us something to eat?"

Ron just nodded and headed up to the counter obviously knowing the two girls needed a moment alone.

Putting a hand on Tara's shoulder Bonnie thought very carefully about how to approach the situation, "Tara, I know that Eric guy is a major hottie, but trust me he's miles of bad road and Kim is going to see that soon. And when she dumps him she's going to remember the deal she made with you, so don't beat yourself up over it."

Tara looked up at Bonnie from where she had slumped over in the booth, she opened her mouth to respond but before she could get anything out they were interrupted by a loud cry.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Ron shouted from over by the counter, "Kiddy toys and no Naco night! Why is it every time I get something good in my life something else has to be taken away!"

The two cheerleaders looked over to see Ron walking back to the booth looking every bit as depressed as Tara with Rufus hanging out of his pocket bawling his little naked mole rat eyes out.

Bonnie just sighed, now it appeared as if she was going to have to play grief counselor to her best fried and her maybe possibly boyfriend.

"Okay, what happened?" Bonnie asked as Ron adopted the same pose as Tara on his side of the booth.

"New management," Ron groaned, "they've canceled Naco night and they're going to introduce kiddy meals… Little Diablo toys. Before you know it this place is going to be overrun with whining screaming kids, total bummer."

Tara looked even more bummed out now, Bonnie knew that during her friends crush on Ron she had taken a liking to Bueno Nacho and the Naco in particular. She opened her mouth to reply but was once again interrupted, this time by the Kimmunicator going off.

"Ron!" Kim's voice came from the device as Ron hit the answer button, "I need you to find Bonnie and get over to my house as fast as you can. Drakken has my dad!"

"Guess we'll have to finish our conversation later," Bonnie said as she sprung over the table and out of the booth, "You going to be alright on your own?"

"Yeah," Tara said, "go save Kim's dad."

Bonnie bit back a sigh as she and Ron ran out of the restaurant, Kim was a complete idiot if she could have someone like Tara obviously like her and throw it aside for a pretty face. She just never hoped one of their villains figured that out because if they did the consequences could be worse than anything Bonnie wanted to imagine.

AN: Wow, I loved writing this chapter but it took sooo much effort. This chapter through 14 has been the toughest stretch to write since I can't cut and paste from StD but I still have to parallel it, in the end though victory will be mine! That and you'll get a darn good story. It now occurs to me though that the end is in sight and I need to think to the future, and I do have some ideas bouncing around in my head, but first we finish this off so more on that later. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and lucky 13 will be up on Monday.