"Thank you all for trying out. The results will be posted outside the gym on Monday afternoon."
Kim Possible wasn't going to get a wink of sleep until then. Every member of the JV cheer squad had been salivating at the news that there was an open position on the varsity squad. Kim had trained for months in preparation. She just HAD to get the spot and not Bonnie Rockwaller. There'd be no living with that drama queen if she got upped to varsity. But there was no use dwelling on it now; as Shakespeare had said, "What's done is done"; best to find Ron and grab a bight to eat. If she was lucky, maybe she could talk him into something OTHER than Beuno Nacho before she had to go work at Aunt Amy's shop. The teenaged Possible grabbed her duffle from the side of the mat and made a bee line for the door.
"These other posers don't stand a chance. I was the best one out there."
Kim heard the speck of conversation and her hand clenched around the duffle strap. She turned towards Bonnie, ready to call her bluff when she stopped for a moment. What was going on here? There was…a shimmer…that surrounded Bonnie and for a split second, Kim could've swore that she had seen pointy ears and horns coming out of Bonnie's head. What...was she…her stomach must've really been running on empty if she was hallucinating, granted that it was an amusing vision if Bonnie was supposed to be some kind of goat. Still, she could laugh about it later. Now she needed pizza!
"So KP?" Ron Stoppable had been waiting outside the gym for his best friend of ten years. "Did you wipe the floor with Bonnie?"
"I think I did pretty well. Now I just have to spend a weekend on pins and needles waiting for the results," Kim laughed as she patted her friend on the back. "But right now, I'm starving. Wanna grab a bite before I have to go to work? And NOT Beuno Nacho!"
Ronald responded with his usual complaints but inevitably gave in to his best friend's wishes. Rufus, Ron's pet naked mole rat popped out of his master's pocket and was eager to voice his opinion, though he was in favor of any meal so long as it had cheese. Ron couldn't argue with democracy; he'd been outvoted and could live with pizza. The pair boarded the city bus headed into town and settled down for the ride.
"You okay Kim?" Ron knew his friend very well and something seemed a little off about her. "You seem…I can't really put my finger on it."
"Yeah, I'm fine; just really hungry," That made Kim remember what she'd seen. "Listen, you're not going to believe this but when I was coming out of the gym, my imagination must've really been running away with me because I thought I saw Bonnie Rockwaller turn into a goat."
Ron choked on his own spit and sat upright. Had Kim really just said that? Sure, Bonnie Rockwaller lived in her own little bubble and the pair had little time for her nonsense. If it wasn't for cheerleading, Kim wouldn't even associate with her. But that was without a doubt one of the most bizarre and hilarious things Ronald Stoppable had ever heard. He could just picture it. There was Bonnie, covered from head to toe in a grey pelt, tiny little horns poking out from her head, and crawling around an open field on her hands and knees, munching on grass. After managing to suppress the gag, Ron burst out in laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAH; Kim, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"
"Well, glad I could amuse you." Kim rolled her eyes.
The city bus pulled to a halt right outside Pizza-rama. Kim and Ron marched in and ordered slices of pepperoni and a couple of sodas. Ron elected to pay in celebration of the tryouts being over. Kim walked through the restaurant and secured them a booth next to a window. The exhausted teenager plopped onto the cushioned seat and took a look around, doing a little people watching. The place wasn't exactly crowded at 2pm on a Saturday but there was a decent crowd, mostly teens like her and a handful of college kids.
"Earth to KP; is there anybody in there?"
Whoa…she'd really zoned out there. Ron appeared right in front of her holding two trays with their food. Something really did seem off about his friend. Normally Kim was as sharp as a tack, reflexes like a cat but she seemed unusually spacy today. Should he say something to Mrs. Dr. P? Should he tell Ms. Pritchard when Kim got to work? He and Rufus would keep an extra close eye on her and if it continued to be a problem, then he would say something.
The pair wolfed down their food, swapped stories around bites, and eventually Kim noticed her watch. She had ten minutes to get to Aunt Amy's for work. She bid Ron goodbye, gathered up her tray and dumped the paper plate, utensils, and napkin in the trash. She waved goodbye to the cashier who had helped them and halted in her tracks, doing a double take. Were those…mouse ears and whiskers? A second look showed just a normal college student working in between classes. What the heck was going on here? Was this…should she say something to Mom?
The bell jingled as she entered Buried Treasure Antiques. Kim inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of the store. She'd been coming here for as long as she could remember and she absolutely loved it. Maybe it was Aunt Amy's influence but she loved being around junk. When she wanted to start saving up for a car, there was little doubt as to where she would work. Though she was only sixteen, Kim sometimes thought about going to college for a business degree and maybe one day taking over the business when Aunt Amy retired.
"How'd the tryouts go Kimmie?" Aunt Amy called from the store room.
"Oh…the tryouts went fine. Things after have been a little hinky though," Kim marched behind the counter and grabbed her work apron and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. She'd had her eye on a nice cabinet that she'd been working on cleaning up and couldn't wait to get back to it as soon as Aunt Amy got up to man the counter for a few hours.
"Hinky? You feeling okay?"
Kim took a moment, reflecting on the past events. "Yeah…just a little spacy I guess."
"Well I'll cover the counter; that hand carved cabinet has been calling your name all day," Kim turned towards the opening door. What…WHAT IS THAT?! Something…something was very wrong! Aunt Amy…she…she was covered in orange fur and…and…the…THING's eyes got wide, as if noticing something for the first time. Kim couldn't…she…her world suddenly went black.
"Gott im Himmel…it's happened!"
KPKPKPKPKPKP
You had to love a nice and easy day. Dr. Anne Possible stretched out her limbs, feeling her spine crack, and savoring the fact that she was nearly done with her workday. Rare as a Saturday work day was, being a Medical Examiner was seldom much of a drain. After that "operation" last night involving a particularly nasty Dickfellig…she might clock out and pay a visit to Kim at work. As much as she'd love to have her daughter follow in her footsteps and get an MD…she loved being in that old antique store like it was a second home.
Her phone rang, pulling her attention away from her relaxation. It was the main office. "Dr. Possible."
"Hello Doctor. I've got an Amy Pritchard on line one asking to speak with you. She says that it's urgent."
Something felt off. Something about this situation just felt wrong. Had something happened to Kim? The call was put through immediately. "Amy? What is it? What's happened?"
"Annie…I…Kim…she…she saw me."
"She 'saw' you? What does that…"
"ANNIE…she SAW me…as a Fuchsbau."
Anne's heart seemed to leap into her throat. She and Jim had prayed that this wouldn't happen. Anne had spent many sleepless nights worrying over this. But it did…Kimberly Anne Possible had inherited her bloodline's destiny. Kimberly Anne Possible was a Grimm. She…Anne had to get to the antique store. If this was anything like her own experience, Kim was going to be feeling very confused and scared.
KPKPKPKPKPKP
Anne's minivan squealed to a halt in a parking space and she shot out the door towards the store. The door rattled against the wall, sending a tremor through a few of the shelves. Amy was pacing back and forth, so stressed that she was in full voge, ginger fur covering every inch of her body with a face now distinctly foxlike face. At the sight of Anne, Amy relaxed enough to gain control and regain her human appearance. As close as she was to her Aunt, seeing Amy as a Fuchsbau wouldn't exactly be a help.
"I got here as soon as I could. Where is she?" Anne's question came out in a huff.
"She passed out when she saw me. I set her up on a cot in the back." Amy looked to be on the verge of tears, as if she somehow blamed herself for what had happened. "Annie, I'm so sorry. She just walked in and…"
"It's okay Amy," Kim had had quite a scare and Anne wanted to check on her but she wouldn't stand for her best friend in the world blaming herself for something that was totally and completely not her fault. She pulled her friend into a hug, pouring every positive feeling she could muster into the embrace. "No matter what happens, Kimmie is going to need her Aunt Amy, now more than ever. Now take me to the patient."
KPKPKPKPKPKP
She was being chased by…something. Kim had no idea who or what it was but it wasn't human. The…creature…seemed to change from one thing to another, each more bizarre and terrifying than the last. She ran and ran but no matter how far or fast, she couldn't escape; the creature, whatever it was, was always behind her. Kim…she wasn't sure that she even wanted to know what was behind her.
"Your destiny is before you." Where was that voice coming from? "Like those who came before, you are dedicated, heart and soul, to a war against the darkness."
The world around her began to shake as if it were wracked by a giant earthquake. She fought to keep her balance but inevitably fell backwards. What was happening? Her world seemed to literally be coming apart at the seams.
"Kimmie, can you hear me?" Was that Mom? "Kimmie, please wake up."
There was a blinding flash of light, engulfing everything around her. And she woke up in the backroom of the antique store. She…had she been asleep? It was all a dream? Even…the strange thing she'd seen? Where was…Aunt Amy? Kim tried to sit up and felt a throbbing pain in the back of her head. Had she hit it?
"Take it easy Kimmie; you had a shock and passed out." Anne dabbed at Kim's face with a cold cloth and brushed the hair out of her face.
"What…what happened? Aunt Amy…she was covered…covered in…"
"She was covered in orange fur," Anne nodded, continuing clean her daughter's face. "Sweetheart, I can tell you with absolute certainty that you are not seeing things and you aren't losing your mind. Everything that you think you've been seeing, it's really there."
Kim looked to be still struggling with dozens of questions all at once with no idea where to start. Anne had to keep her calm or she'd likely pass out again. She had to get her daughter back to the house. All of Anne's books, her resources, and her weapons were back at the house. A good first step would be a brief history lesson, give Kimmie a little background on her ancestry. Then…then she'd worry about some of the walking nightmares her daughter would inevitably be encountering.
"Kimmie, I'm going to take you home and we're going to talk all about this. There's…there's things that I really need to explain about your…well OUR family history."
KPKPKPKPKPKP
Kim couldn't take much more of this. Mom had helped her into the minivan and headed for home. This was getting worse. She was seeing…people…changing shape almost everywhere she looked. After what felt like the longest car ride of her life, Kim just couldn't open her eyes. Mom had to guide her inside. Her twin younger brothers Jim and Tim spotted them from the window and ran to meet them, afraid something was wrong with their big sister. Kim at least felt safe opening her eyes in the house and saw the boys being shoed away to their room so Mom could take care of Kim. Daughter was led on shaky legs to the basement by her mother.
"What…what are we doing down here?" Kim choked out.
Mom didn't answer right away. She reached up to a high shelf and pulled at an old bottle of detergent. There was a slight buzzing and the wall in front of Kim suddenly split down the middle, revealing a doorway into a small room that Kim had never even knew existed. Mom…Mom had a freaking secret room down here? Very hesitantly, Kim followed her mother inside, dreading what she was going to see next.
The room was like nothing Kim had ever seen. Medieval weapons, some of them very bizarre and a little gruesome, lined a good deal of the space. Several bookshelves contained what appeared to be collections of very old books and journals. An island in the center of the room contained bottles of liquids in a wide array of colors. Thinking back to history class, Kim thought that the proper term for that object was an apothecary table. A fire roared in the fireplace opposite from the entrance, giving the whole room an ambience from something out of Tolkien or Harry Potter.
Anne offered her daughter a seat and took a deep breath. Where in the world was she supposed to begin? "Sweetheart, I…I prayed every day of my life that this would skip your generation but…you've come into your heritage. I know this has to be awfully traumatic on you."
You think? Kim wanted to shout out. "Mom…what's happening to me?"
"As I said, you're coming into your heritage," Anne answered, rifling through one of the bookshelves. She found the volume she'd been looking for, an old record of the events surrounding the 4th Crusade to retake the Holy Land. She opened the book to an earmarked page and put it down in front of her daughter. "My side of the family is…a little different than most. For generations, nobody really knows how long for sure, humans have been living alongside…well…creatures, for lack of a better term, called Wesen. They're essentially half human and half animal. Now for the most part, Wesen can hide their appearance from humans and completely blend in with society."
"And…Aunt Amy is…a Wesen?"
"Yes; Aunt Amy is what's called a Fuchsbau," Anne pointed down towards the open book to the drawing of an average Fuchsbau. "A Fuchsbau is sort of like being part fox. They tend to be very shrewd and wily. But they are also fiercely loyal to their friends and family. As you know, Aunt Amy and I were roommates in college and we became fast friends, despite what I was."
"What you were?"
"Yes, despite the fact that I was a Grimm," Anne reached over and began rubbing Kim's shoulder. "That's what we are, you and I. A Grimm is a human being who can see through a Wesen's natural disguise to what they truly are. Our ancestors have been Grimms going all the way back to the 1200s and the Fourth Crusade."
Fourth Crusade? Natural disguises? She had calmed down considerably but Kim was feeling just as confused as before. "Are…are Wesen dangerous?"
Thank God Kim had thought to ask the question. Anne had been forced to learn that the hard way and was prepared to do anything to maintain Kim's compassion. "Sweetheart, they are no different than humans. There are good Wesen and there are bad. This…this is largely why your Grandma and I hardly ever talk. You see, for the longest time, Grimms didn't recognize that. To them, the only good Wesen was a dead Wesen. We…we were responsible for some very awful things."
"Is Dad a Grimm too?"
"No sweetie; your Dad knows about this but it's only from my side of the family." Anne took the chair next to Kim and pulled her into a hug. This was a lot for her daughter to take in. The younger it happened, the better the person was able to accept it. Anne didn't want to pile too much on with the first meeting. The physician and mother in her were telling her that Kim had had about as much as she could handle today. "Listen Kimmie, this…this has been an extraordinarily difficult day. Why don't you go up to your room and lie down for a while? This," Anne gestured around at the room. "All of this can wait."
KPKPKPKPKPKP
Boy, did some situations call for alcohol! Kim was upstairs, passed out on her bed, and Anne was sitting alone in the kitchen with a small whiskey. She kept a bottle up in one of the high cupboards and usually only went to it after an extraordinarily hard day at the hospital…but this definitely qualified. Anne had dozens of things to think about now. She'd likely begin Kim's physical training very soon but when did she dare take Kim out on missions? Should she lay out her family's entire history or should she be more delicate about some of the mistake they'd made.
"Dad's home," Jim called as he came through the front door. "Where's the welcome wagon?"
"In the kitchen," Anne sighed, staring long and hard at her drink.
Seventeen years of marriage had told Jim that his wife had been dragged through the meat grinder. If his gut was right, his wife would be rubbing her temples and nursing a small glass of Canadian Mist, one of the many things husband and wife had in common. The proper course of action for this was a back rub. Jim had just hung up his coat and begun flexing his fingers when there was a rapid knock at the door. The peep hole revealed Amy, likely here to aid in his wife's cheering up. He opened the door and Amy shot past him.
"Hi Jim; bye Jim."
"Jim…we need to talk."
This…this wasn't good. Annie having a hard day was one thing but…the tone in her voice said something bad had happened. It couldn't be the kids; if anything had happened to them, Jim would've know about it immediately. But…best to just get it over with. Jim walked in and saw a third glass of whiskey set in front of an open stool around the kitchen island. His own glass; yep, something was wrong.
"What happened?" Jim wasn't sure he really wanted to hear the answer.
"Jim…I…Kim…she…it happened." Jim had never seen Annie struggle with getting anything out since…wait! It happened? Was Annie saying that…was Kimmie a…Grimm? Annie must have been able to see the wheels turning in his head because all she could do was nod a confirmation.
"What…what does that…is she going to…?" Unfortunately Jim knew enough about his wife's heritage and "other" life to already know the answer to that question. There was a lot of this that Jim couldn't even begin to comprehend but he knew enough to know that there was no running away from this. The moment someone became a Grimm, they were a target, either for less than savory Wesen or the mysterious Royal Families. He couldn't, and quite frankly WOULDN'T, lock his daughter away in some ivory tower. The only course of action was for Annie to train her. Jim knew and understood all of this…it sure didn't make it any easier. He took the whiskey and downed a mouthful. "This…there was always a chance this could happen. So…what do we do?"
"Well, Kimmie's upstairs in her room. I think she's had about all she can handle today. I was going to take her up a cup of hot chocolate."
"Wait…could I take it up to her?" Amy jumped up. "Jim, she…she saw me and had a hard time with it."
KPKPKPKPKPKP
Why was this happening? Yesterday…yesterday Kim knew exactly who she was. She was Kim Possible. She was Cleopatra in this year's drama club production of Antony and Cleopatra. She was an honor roll student. She was a cheerleader. But now…she had no idea who she was anymore! Mom had sprung all of this…she had seen…AARRRRGGGGHHHH! Kim chucked her pillow across the room in frustration. This just wasn't fair!
A soft knock came at the door. "Come in."
Kim's breath caught a little as Aunt Amy came in carrying a mug of hot chocolate. It was Aunt Amy…but Kim couldn't forget what she saw. Oh God…not only didn't she know who she was…she didn't know who her family was. Aunt Amy had been a confidant, role model, a partner in crime…who was Kim looking at now.
"I brought you some cocoa. Can we talk for a little while?"
Kim couldn't bring herself to speak but managed to nod.
"Kimmie, I'm so sorry that you had to find out this way. It…it's the most unfair thing that I've ever heard of," Aunt Amy set the cocoa down on Kim's bedside and tenderly grasped her hand. "But please believe me Kimmie; nothing has changed."
"I…I…I don't know…who I am anymore," Kim managed to choke out, not taking her eyes off the wall in front of her.
Aunt Amy pulled Kim into a hug and told her to close her eyes, cradling her like she used to when Kim was little. "Only listen to my voice…"
You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are gray
You'll never know dear
How much I love you
Oh, please don't take my sunshine away
For as long as Kim could remember, Mom, Dad, and Aunt Amy had sung that song to her when she was upset or scared. It had always calmed her down and made her feel safe. Aunt Amy…her voice sounded the same. She felt the same. The floodgates were suddenly open. Kim burst into tears and held her Aunt tight. Aunt Amy calmly soothed her, rubbing her niece's back.
"Kimberly Anne, never doubt who you are. You are your mother and father's daughter. You are my niece. You're still the exact same person that you always were and always will be. And you are the single most important thing in my life." Aunt Amy grabbed a tissue from the nightstand, released Kim, and began dabbing at her tears. "It's all going to be okay. I promise you it is all going to be okay. I'm…I'm a Fuchsbau and there is something very important that you need to know. There is nothing that we won't do to protect our family and friends. I will NEVER let anything bad happen to you."
KPKPKPKPKPKP
Anne didn't know what Amy had said to her daughter but at least it looked like it was starting to work. The way Kim had charged out of Anne's work room…Anne has afraid that Kim wouldn't ever speak to her again. But after talking with Amy, Kim walked into the kitchen, took one look at her mother. Had she been crying? Tears began falling again as Kim ran into her mother's arms and gave her the world's biggest bear hug.
"I…sniff…I love you Mom," Kim sobbed into Anne's shoulder.
"Shhhhh, it's okay sweetie," Anne ran her hands through Kim's red lochs. "It's going to be okay."
"It's just…I always thought I knew…who I was…"
So THAT was it! Well, Anne wasn't surprised. This was one of the reasons why it was better that the change occur as a child. Kids were a lot more adaptable to how the world works. But in someone Kim's age? Teenagers already had it hard enough figuring out "who they were". When you threw something like being a Grimm into the mix? Any person would be struck with self-doubt.
"Kimberly Anne Possible, you will always be our daughter," Anne poured every bit of love she could into her daughter's embrace. "You are the very best of your father and me." Kim began to pull away and Anne grasped her daughter's chin. "We're going to get through this."
Kim took a deep breath, getting control of her emotions. "So…where's Dad? Where are Jim and Tim?"
"Your dad took the boys out for the night. Aunt Amy and I thought it best if we had a little Girls Night In. We can order some Chinese food and…talk some more?" Anne offered.
KPKPKPKPKP
"Well…it started happening right after the varsity cheer tryouts. I was going to meet Ron to grab a bite to eat and…I swear I saw Bonnie Rockwaller's ears become pointy and she grew a pair of horns."
After a full stomach, Kim seemed to perk right up. The trio retreated to Anne's workroom for a study session. Middleton was a big city; Anne knew a fair amount of the local Wesen but that was only a small fraction of the likely population. The best place to begin was reviewing exactly who Kim had come into contact with. First it had been Bonnie Rockwaller, Kim's main rival. The Rockwallers had moved to town back when the girls were in middle school and Anne hadn't had much contact with them. From the little she'd seen of them, she'd been a little suspicious but this confirmed it.
"Are you sure they were goat horns?" If the Rockwallers were Wesen, Anne had a gut feeling on exactly what they were dealing with.
"Absolutely."
Anne glanced at Amy. Very often, the two seemed to read each other's thoughts. If they were goat horns, then there could be very little doubt. The Rockwallers were Ziegavolk, a Wesen resembling the ancient Greek Satyr. Ziegavolk ALWAYS were the center of attention, largely due to the fact that the pheromones secreted by their sweat glands had an almost hypnotic aphrodisiac effect on the people around them. Thankfully, their pheromones had relatively no effect on Grimms which was probably why Bonnie had never succeeded in putting Kim under her thumb.
"Well, I suppose that's not surprising," Amy rolled her eyes and patted her niece on the shoulder. "Bonnie's what's called a Ziegavolk. You've heard of Satyrs, kind of ancient Greek half goat/half human?" Kim nodded along, having taken Mythology last semester. "Well a Ziegavolk is kind of like a Satyr that can make people love them. They're almost always in the public eye in one way or another."
A small laugh escaped Kim. "I always knew that Bonnie wasn't human."
Kim had come into contact with a Mauzhertz at the pizza place. No danger there; those guys were barely even worth considering Wesen. Talk about timid and boring. And Kim already had a basic idea about Amy being a Fuchsbau. Anne's journals were extensive and it would take forever for Kim to familiarize herself with every type of Wesen so Anne thought to move on.
"You…you said that all of this," Kim gestured at the walls and book cases. "Went back to the middle ages or something?"
Anne nodded along to her daughter and proceeded to elaborate. Grimms had always been in the service of the seven royal families of France, Austria, England, Russia, Italy, Luxemburg, and Denmark going all the way back to the Crusades as Anne had said. The royals had all been aware of Wesen and the Grimms served as a natural check on the creatures. In the early 1200s, during the Siege of Constantinople, seven Grimm Knights had uncovered something within the city; nobody knew exactly what. The seven Grimms were united in their belief though that whatever they discovered was too powerful for the Royal families to possess. So to protect it, the seven Knights sealed it away and split the keys up amongst the seven of them. It was said that only when someone possessed all seven keys would they be able to find where the object was hidden and gain access to it.
"The Royal families currently have four of the keys," Anne moved to a book case and began pulling books out books. There was a loud click and buzzing and a compartment shot out of the bookshelf containing a small case. Inside was what looked like a rectangular jade pendant. Anne opened it up revealing a small key. "Our bloodline has guarded this since the beginning. It's rumored that another Grimm, your second cousin, out in Portland Oregon has another. But the seventh key is still out there somewhere." Anne laid the key down on the island in front of Kim. "I've guarded this ever since your Grandmother passed it down to me. One day…it'll fall to you to protect it."
Anne's heritage turned out to only be the tip of the iceberg. Amy's family had been part of the Laufer, the Wesen resistance to the Verrat, the Wesen enforcers of the Royal Family for centuries. The Laufer was much more prevalent in Europe but was gradually establishing more of a presence in North America. While the Grimms and Verrat were traditionally allies of convenience only, Anne had helped Amy out on a number of resistance operations and was a strong advocate for the cause.
"Well, it's getting late. I think the littlest Possible could use her beauty sleep," Anne returned the key to its compartment.
KPKPKPKPKPKP
Things…things looked better as Kim hopped out of her dad's car and headed towards the high school. She thought about how she couldn't wait until she could afford her own car…and then suddenly laughed at herself. After what had been probably the wildest weekend of her life, a weekend in which Kim discovered she was something out of a fairy tale, she was still thinking about her high school woes. Mom and Aunt Amy were right. She was Kimberly Possible and that was all that she needed to know. Her family history…that was just something she was going to have to learn to live with.
"KP," Ron called from his Mom's van. "What's up, you feeling better?"
The gangly teen waved goodbye to Mrs. Stoppable and made a direct line to his long-time friend. Ron could be a total goofball…but he never failed to make Kim smile. Ron…when things were only BEGINNING to look better, he made them better. She was prepared to inquire about a few homework questions…when the shimmering image surrounded her friend. HE was a Wesen too? For a few seconds, Kim could clearly see feathers and a distinctively curved beak appear on Ron's face. She froze in her tracks and waited for Ron to come to her.
Ron could clearly see that something was a little off based on the look on Kim's face and…he felt it. Kim…Kim could see him, REALLY see him. Most of the Wesen in Middleton were aware of the fact that Mrs. Possible wasn't like normal Grimms and would often help them in sticky situations. Ron and Kim had been friends since nursery school and if Ronald Stoppable was sure of one thing, it was that Kim would always be his best pal. Still…it was a little…unsettling…to find out that your best friend was a Grimm.
"Ron…I…I see what…you are," Kim leaned in so no one could hear. "I…I know what I am and…please! This doesn't change anything…does it?"
"KP…you took the words right out of my mouth." He leaned in and embraced Kim in as friendly a hug as he could manage. Rufus popped out of his pocket and onto Kim's shoulder to join the hug.
"HYAAAA…Kim's cool," The little rodent squeeked.
This…this was exactly what Kim needed to hear. Mom and Aunt Amy had helped her settle down but if Ron and Rufus were still behind her…this just absolutely made her day. She felt so good that she remembered that she had completely spaced on the cheer tryouts that would be posted today. Given all that had happened…it almost didn't seem to matter. As long as she had her friends, she could brave whatever the world could throw at her.
"Hey Possible," A snide voiced called as she and Ron entered the school and opened their lockers. "I hear you had a freak out at the Pizzeria."
Wow…even Bonnie couldn't bring Kim down from this high. She readied to return fire…and froze in both shock and amusement. She didn't know if Bonnie was aware that she had woged but…ooooooh, if the football team could get a look at the Wesen standing before her. She…she couldn't hold back the laughter as the wannabe cheerleader before her turned into some kind of creepy goat/human hybrid in purple cheer uniform.
It looked like Bonnie HAD in fact clued in to the fact that she had woged and she seemed to grow very focused on Kim's face, as if she were trying to puzzle out a strange feature, almost as if Kim herself had woged. The look of puzzlement was quickly replaced by one of stark and absolute terror. Mom and Aunt Amy had explained the…for lack of a better word, complicated, relationship between Wesen and Grimms. Exactly like her mother had said, some of the awful things that her ancestors had done were petrifying and disgraceful. But this? Bonnie looked as if her greatest fear had come to life; which, when Kim thought about it, probably HAD!
Without warning, Bonnie let loose a blood curdling and ear shattering scream and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. It wasn't often that a student screamed bloody murder right in the middle of the hallway; so needless to say, there was a fair degree of attention drawn to them.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME," Bonnie shrieked as she backed towards the door. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"
Bonnie turned towards the school entrance and took off like a bullet from a gun, most likely towards her Mom's car that would still be parked. Mrs. Rockwaller was a notorious flirt and always hung around to prey on the local dads.
"Uh…Kim, Ron…in my office please," Principal Edwards had been passing by and looked profoundly confused by the events that she had just witnessed.
KPKPKPKPKPKP
Principal Edwards talked with at least a dozen witnesses and every one of them was just as confused as she was. All renditions had Bonnie merely taking a look at Kim and utterly losing her mind. She'd spoken with several of Bonnie's friends and none of them could recall Kim and Bonnie interacting at any time since the cheer tryouts. Kim was a wonderful student and the principal really didn't have any reason to suspect her so the only course of action was to send her to her classes.
By the end of the school day, Kim was on cloud nine. Any day without Bonnie was usually a good one. Not only did Kim eventually find out that she had won the spot on the varsity team by a landslide, rumors had spread throughout the school that the Rockwallers had pulled Bonnie out of school and were moving out of town. If this was what being a Grimm was going to be like…heck, Kim was on board.
Mom had elected to pick her up that afternoon and was pleasantly surprised by the huge ear-to-ear grin plastered over her daughter's face. Anne was quite proud of the fact that Kim had been bumped up to the Varsity cheer squad. The events surrounding Bonnie however were quite eyebrow raising. Anne probably should've expected something along those lines, given the fact that the family hadn't been here that long; but to pull their daughter out the exact same day? That was surprising even for encountering a Grimm.
"Kimmie, I'm very happy that you've had a good day but…that also means that word of you is going to spread. And that's going to attract attention. Not all Wesen are like Aunt Amy or Ron."
It was kind of a bring-down but Kim could begrudgingly see her Mom's point. Try as she might…she'd never see Bonnie running off screaming as a bad thing. Still…she was mature enough to know that she still had a lot to learn. A part of her was actually pretty anxious to get back to those books.
"Look, I don't blame you for anything," Anne leaned over and patted her daughter's knee. "No one could've predicted Bonnie would've reacted the way she did. All I'm saying is that you need to be aware of what's waiting out there for you."
"Okay Mom; I'll try harder."
"Good. You know…should you come up against a less than savory Wesen, I think it's about time I start teaching you how to hold your own."
Author's Notes:
I started with Kim slightly younger and think that works. She's at a stage in life where kids already have it pretty hard, trying to find their own identity. I really love Anne Possible as a bigger character and think it befits her to have this secret life and be a skilled fighter. I really think this pairing of KP and Grimm is working and hope you do too. Kim will definitely have more adventures in this universe.
