Here we are with another installment in our tale of love, Kimness and influences beyond our control. We are glad for those who check in and read from time to time and especially are happy for those who give us their two cents in some form or other.
Speaking of which, we'd like to thank the following for their Review, Faves or Alerts: Sentinel103, readerjunkie, Jimmy1201, RomanianPrincess, Mahler Avatar, DCMysteryGirl, King InuYasha and Justin J-Boogie. Thanks to you all for sending the love.
Well last time Tara and Bonnie have plotted to make Kim one of their wedding clones, while hoping to find the Ron who wasn't there too. In the meantime, Bonnie learned a measure of respect for Kim, and especially for Ron with their missions. That dossier really came loaded. Kim is starting to catch up with her old team while starting her internship. Meanwhile Ron, his friends and family are playing in Japan while getting in some time on the mysticism plane they access. Many of the old villains are doing well as law abiding citizens and I'm sure their yearly gatherings might make to online video sites eventually.
But now to keep the sharks away: The characters and settings of the Kim Possible show represented within this tale are the property of the Disney Corporation, we're just borrowing them pro-bono.
Now, here's Chapter 4.
Storm Chaser
4
Middleton, Colorado:
Pushing a door open ahead of them, "Here we are Kim; this is just one of several cafeterias that GJ has in the complex. And for the last few years, the food has been so much better since GJ kept some of the recipes Ron gave them from back when you guys did that two week summer training here.", Wade explained to Kim as they walked over to a booth.
Kim smiled thinly, "I remember that summer…the food, it really wasn't that good….maybe one step above hospital food, but not by much. So I'm glad they were able to reproduce his menus, they were pretty good."
"Kim it's always been pretty good since I've been here, but I guess if they followed Ron's instructions it would end up that way.", Wade said while smugly patting his belly.
Kim smiled at his joke, then turning serious, "Wade how have you been since….since the team broke up?"
Shrugging slightly, "Like Ron I was despondent for a while, but I knew I was young, I could adapt and move on. When I took the Team Possible site down, I suddenly had more time on my hands so I went and got my second PhD.", he chuckled, then frowned, "But Mom started making me get out of the house more, and then one day while I was doing some research for a thesis, Doctor Director called and offered me a job."
Kim nodded, then cut to the chase, "How did Ron take it?"
Haunted eyes looked into anxious ones, "He sorta freaked out. He thought you loved him and then you just went and abandoned him…that you cast him aside for someone better,", Kim's sharp gasp was filled with anguish, "you had met in England. If that had been me, I know I would have been questioning my self worth.", Wade said as he looked down at the table.
Tears in her eyes, "I didn't mean to do that to him Wade, I loved him…still love him with all my heart….." Kim wiped them away with a napkin. "I didn't know what to do, but in that state, I just knew I couldn't let him see me that way."
Sniffling, "Wade?", Kim asked quietly, "Where did Ron go when he left home? You can tell me."
The African-American genius glanced up in concern; he had hoped Kim wouldn't ask a lot of questions about her former sidekick, at least not right away. "I….we know he got on a plane and flew to Houston, for a connecting flight to some place named Devil's Lake, North Dakota. Only he never got on the plane in Houston, he just disappeared.", Kim's face fell.
"I do know that he called his parents at their home a couple of times after that, but I couldn't trace where he called them from.", at Kim's look of surprise at this information, "You do know I had your lines tapped for security reasons." Kim nodded in realization, when she remembered the Government and Agency forms Wade had her and Ron sign authorizing his tapping, recording and tracing calls made to and from each of them, and filed with Federal Agencies and GJ.
"Well all that I could make out the last few calls; he spoke in some weird sayings, or some odd speech patterns or something that I could never understand or figure out."
Curious at Wade's statement, "Weird in what way?", the red head asked,
"Some of the conversations were like they were talking in code."
Kim frowned, "Code…..Wade you have to be mistaken, that sounds like something a villain would have done. Ron's a good guy…the ultimate good guy. I should know I fell in love with him."
"Are you sure of that Kim? He turned evil…twice.", she flinched at the memories of Zorpox, "And I hate to bring this up again Kim, but you also fell in love with a synthodrone."
Frowning fiercely, "I remember Erik Wade, it still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it, but I think that I've grown up and gotten past that. But Ron…", she gulped, "even though I pushed him away he stayed loyal to me. Then when the chips were down he stepped up, he took all of those fears he had….and he pushed through them and then he gave me the opening that I had been looking for my whole life.", Kim countered.
Then, pensive, "Maybe he had a reason…."
"What reason would he have Kim?"
"I don't know Wade, but I trusted Ron with my life…well, until things fell apart.. I fell apart, and I'd like to be able to offer him that trust again..if he'd take it, that is."
Sighing, "We don't know what has happened to him, we have to find that out first….Kim fear is a very powerful thing….and Ron was afraid of everything…."
"Wade, Ron was always afraid but that didn't stop him, if anything as he got older he got stronger from it. When my world crashed down on me I was terrified, I was scared outta my mind and was totally unprepared for the sheer volume of what hit me. Now I know how Ronnie must have felt his whole life.", the red head groaned at the irony.
"Well between us we can figure it out Kim, you're pretty smart and I'm a glorified genius. Now let's go through the line, if we're lucky they'll have Stoppable Stew tonight." Looking at the crowd, "We're early so there might be some left."
"I….I'm not a real big stew eater Wade. I like my meals a little lighter.", Kim showed him her extremely thin frame.
"Kim if you don't mind me saying, you are way too thin and I think you need to eat more to get back to your normal weight."
"I have put some on Wade…..I wasn't doing very well for a while. I've got a picture that I sent to Doctor Director showing me at my lowest.", she frowned. "I'm not very proud of what happened, but I think I'm coming back from that, one day at a time.", Kim replied.
"Well Kim I know I have to take some off, but believe me, you'll eat good today, especially if it's something GJ's serving that Ron originally created.", Wade said with a twinkle in his eye.
Then with a laugh, "In fact because of his additions to the menu here most of the Agents have to put in an extra hour of PT every day just to burn off the extra calories they take in because of his creations."
When they got to the head of the line Wade gasped, "They have the special meatloaf? And I was going for a half helping of their offerings tonight before I saw this. Well Mom can rag on me later."
"What's so special about it?"
"Just try it Kim.", Wade smiled confidently, "The staff only makes it a few times a year 'cause it's so labor intensive."
"OK I will.", she said, then observed, "It looks like everyone is getting it."
"Not only that Kim, some of these guys are taking double orders, so we'd better make sure to get ours ASAP or we could miss out." Chuckling, "Guys will be staying over on their own time tonight to work it off.", the genius pointed out.
"I'll trust you there.", the red head smiled as she followed Wade through the line.
After going through the line Wade decided to try a different tact, "Uh Kim how do you like Oxford?"
"It's nice…well I mean it's challenging, so once I got back on track I really had to work at taking in the material." Thinking back, "They were so good about finding me a place for counseling after my breakdown. What's even neater was that they held my place open till I got better."
Perplexed, she turned to him, "But you know the funny thing, all that time I was in England I thought Mom and Dad were paying for my studies. And when things went the way they did I was so worried about going through their money like that….but they said they hadn't paid for anything."
At Wade's look of disbelief, "I know me too. I had no idea who was footing the bills over there, if it wasn't my 'rents, then who could it have been?", Kim asked in frustration.
"First of all, that's pretty cool someone doing that.", the genius responded, "And second, you had some mystery person paying your school bills and therapy and you don't know who's doing this? Do you want to find out?"
"Well at the top, cool is at the low end of what I would call it; whoever did it deserves a kiss.", Kim said. "But could you do it Wade?", Kim said as she stared hopefully at him for a moment.
"We won't know for sure until we try, Kim. But we can look into this after we get both of us going in the program this summer."
Kim nodded her agreement, then looked down into her tray, "Are you sure this is good? It doesn't look that way, it's sorta gross to look at.", she wrinkled her nose.
Not waiting for Kim to dig in, Wade finished a bite before he replied. "Take a bite of the meatloaf Kim; I think you're gonna like it."
The red head did as her friend suggested while Wade waited for her reaction. After Kim chewed her bite and swallowed, her eyes closed in anticipation, then opened in delight, "Now that is good….it's a lot better than Mom's brain loaf. I mean Ron was a pretty good cook, but are you sure Ron came up with this?"
"Yep. Now you can see why the guys are always putting extra hours in the gym to work it off."
"No duh on that count Wade and I can see why the cooks only make it a few times a year, any more than that and you'll all have to have your uniforms retailored."
"True that Kim. Now do you want to take a walk later? I have to show you where most of GJ's transport tubes are located so that you can get here easier. And it'll give us the chance to walk off lunch.", Wade said as he dunked a large portion into the mashed potatoes and gravy.
"Sure Wade, after eating this for lunch, I'm gonna need it." Then taking another bite, "Gawd this isn't good, it's great!", Kim perked up, "You were right. I guess if this is an example I can't wait to sample the rest of Ron's recipes you have here at GJ."
XX
Monique pulled in to the Flanner driveway and shut her three year old sedan down. 'It was nice that Mom and Dad bought me a new car for graduation. It's made a world of difference.', she mused as she rubbed her hand fondly over the steering wheel.
No sign of a familiar car in the driveway, 'I wonder when Justine is getting in?', the diva pondered as she stretched from the long drive before she got out of the car. Slowly stretching as she ambled to the house, Monique made her way to the door to check in with the inhabitants.
When her parents moved out of Middleton some two years earlier, Monique found she didn't want to cut ties with her adopted hometown. Hearing of her plight one afternoon at the mall shortly after Monique learned she would either have to move in with her parents between semesters or strike out on her own in Middleton, Justine offered her a place to stay. Once Angela Flanner, Justine's Mom, was informed of her daughter's offer, she readily jumped at seconding the motion for Monique to move in with them.
So, for the last two years, these two very different former Middleton High School alums returned to the Flanner Home to rest and recuperate from the stress and mayhem that was each person's life while pursuing their futures in their chosen college curriculums.
Quickly forming a close friendship, the two found they were able to talk to each other on many topics, but between the two women their main topics of discussion were for Monique, of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable and for Justine, Big Mike Little. For obvious reasons the discussion regarding Middleton's Dynamic Duo ranged from memories of days gone by with them, to the mystery surrounding their unexplained disappearance from public purview after moving on from high school. When it came to Big Mike, it was the anticipation of his return from the remaining year and a half-plus he had left in his hitch with the Marine Corps.
Upon reaching the front door, the African-American woman rang the doorbell and stepped back.
As the door opened an older version of Justine welcomed the road weary fashion diva in training. "Monique, honey! It's about time you got home. Come on in, I have your room all ready for you.", Angela Flanner gushed as she stepped out onto the porch to hug the young woman who had become her daughter's best friend.
"Thanks again Mrs. Flanner, for taking me in; you don't know how grateful I am for you letting me stay with you between semesters. I'm glad you let me stay here after my 'rents moved away and left me with no way to stay here on my own…I well, that is..", Monique once again tried to tell the woman how grateful she was for her generous offer.
Angela stepped back, "Hush now Monique, you're always welcome here. So don't you say another word about it. Now come in, Justine just called to say she's near Denver and should be here in a couple of hours."
"I still don't know what to say…."
The older blonde woman smiled, "With Michael joining up the way he did, Justine needed a friend to talk to and she was lucky enough to find you. You have been good for her sanity."
"Thanks Ma'am she was good for mine too. So when's that big lunkhead getting out of The Corps?"
"Mike gets out in a year and a half. I don't know if Justine told you, but he's deployed right now."
"Sis mentioned that Mike was and got wounded, is he going to be alright?"
Sighing, "Yes he is, though it was touch and go for a while and I hope this is the last time he goes out, but you know The Corps, they put them out until they ETS.", she said in worry.
Then perking up, "And he wears those two Purple Hearts and that Silver Star so proudly when he's in his dress blues…Justine just glows when she sees him, like she did when he surprised her at MIT during his convalescence leave.", smiling brightly as she remembered her daughter's account of that day.
Monique looked on with girlish glee at her friend's Mom recounting of that special day. "Yeah, I heard the girls were just drooling over Big Mike while he was on campus looking for her."
Locking eyes with the younger woman, "And when he found her, after parting those girls like Moses and the Red Sea, he proposed to her on the spot. Justine said in her entire life she had never been as speechless as she was when he dropped down on his knee. Even after one of her friends prodded her to answer Mike.", Angela laughed at that image.
"I know, I got the 'Oh my gawd!' phone call from Justine later that night after she called you to tell you to start planning a wedding.", Monique gushed as she recounted that night.
Angela continued "And Justine still hadn't given Big Mike an answer. For the first time in my daughter's life she was absolutely speechless when it came to answering a question, so she just tackled the big goof and smothered him in kisses right there in the Quad.", tears in the eyes of both women.
"At first I didn't believe her until she put Big Mike on the phone and he confirmed it.", Monique said as she wiped some tears from her eyes.
"Oh it was no prank, and Justine is as happy as I've ever seen her, sporting that diamond on her left hand." Winking at the young woman, "When she gets in you two can talk about it to your hearts content."
"I can't wait for that…And I just want you to know Ma'am that I am really happy for her."
"I know you are dear,", as she gestured to Monique's luggage, "now would you like for me to help with your bags?"
"No thanks Mrs. Flanner, I've only got three suitcases and two of them are on rollers. The last one doesn't have to come in right away, it's more for work."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes Ma'am I'll go out and get them, I'll be right back.", the fashion diva again hugged the woman.
Ten minutes later Monique returned, and came down to the kitchen where Mrs. Flanner was working on dinner.
"You know maybe I'd better try to make the circuit in town and see who else is around….it's been long enough since graduation that everybody should know what they're doing with their lives at this point.", Monique told Angela, "It'd be nice to spread the gossip out the way I used to, but I highly doubt if anyone knows about Justine and Mike, since it wasn't that long ago his proposal went down."
"I think you can do that, and now that Justine has come out of her shell some she needs to get out too. The two of you can have a nice summer together."
"That's what I hope too. But that girl needs to know she doesn't have to wear those blue plaid skirts all the time, she's going to need some new clothes of her own to show off for that Jarhead of hers.", Monique said with an air of fashion authority, "I'll help her out the same way I used to help K….K…..Kim out.", Monique stuttered painfully but finally got the name of her old best friend out, "Maybe we can get a bunch of us that are back for the summer and have dinner or something so that we can catch up."
"She's still a little dysfunctional about fashion honey.", Angela said as she turned to look at the young woman seated at the kitchen table.
Then softly, "It still hurts being left out there by yourself doesn't it Monique?", Angela kept an eye on the young woman to see if that event was still giving her problems.
Sigh, "Yeah it does…..my two best friends…..one of them stopped talking to me and the other just disappeared off the face of the Earth. I guess they're together at least….without a thought about their old high school friend. If it hadn't been for Justine…I don't know what I would have done."
"Dear, I don't think for a minute that either Kim or Ron abandoned you. Ralph and I belong to some clubs that James and Anne belong to, so we get to talk to them on occasion, but when the conversation gets around to the kids….especially Kim and Ron, they both clam up."
"Kim and Ron were my best friends Ma'am….and they didn't even leave word about what happened to them. Kim said 'goodbye' to me when she left, but for a while we were able to talk on the phone…Ron, he called a couple of times. Then I called him back about a month after the last time he called me, and I found out his cell phone had been shut off.", shrugging in frustration, "His parents couldn't help me either. And by then Kim wasn't calling or taking my calls, and whole time that Ron was freaking out.", Monique remembered, "He kept asking what he did wrong. I didn't have an answer for him 'cause I didn't know."
"I know dear, but the way Kim's parents just backed away from us when we mentioned their daughter and Ron….I don't know either. But from the outside looking in, I'd have to wonder if Ron had done something to hurt Kim or if in the end he went to England to meet up with her and stayed with her, unbeknownst to us back home."
Monique pointed out, "First of all, Ron would never hurt Kim, that boy loved her so much it made my teeth hurt. And second, I think somehow I'd have heard something about Ron leaving town to meet up with her.", she said with determination then sagged, "But to hear nothing? It's just eating me up inside."
"Honey, I just don't know, but if Ron hurting her or had left to meet up with her had been the case why wouldn't the Possibles just told me when I asked…unless they are trying to hide something.", Angela thought for a few seconds before asking Monique something that a friend of Kim and Ron's should at least know, "Monique, do you remember your graduation?"
"Of course I remember, I don't think anyone who was there would forget something like that. Kim got snatched right out of our graduation ceremony by those huge aliens and Shego and somebody…..I think Kim's Dad, went to rescue her and that blue guy from the alien spaceship. Then when they all got back to Earth Kim and Shego beat the two aliens and they took off in their spaceship, except it crashed for some reason.", Monique recounted the official story of that day.
Peering cautiously, "Well…that's not quite how it happened Monique, though that's what the announcer in essence reported on TV.", Angela told her, then sighing, "You'd better sit down."
Monique did as requested and asked, "What is going on?"
"Monique, Ron was the one who went with Shego to rescue Doctor Drakken and Kim Possible. Then in the final altercation Ronald killed the two aliens after he beat them in hand-to-hand fighting when he threw them into and through their spaceship.", Angela informed her daughter's friend.
"That's not what we were told…."
"Did Kimberly or Ronald tell you what happened?"
Monique looked off in thought for a moment, "No, no neither one said much about it. It was the news that told us what happened…but now that I think about it Kim was real clingy with Ron after graduation."
A questioning look to Angela, "How do you know something different from what we were told?"
"Honey you know that Justine's interest in the sciences is as varied as trees in a forest. About a month ago, someone she knows from another field of Quantum Physics sent her a copy of a satellite video feed he had captured from somewhere and asked her if she had any idea that this was what happened that day."
At Monique's blank look, "It showed what happened after Kim was taken and before they handed out the diplomas….what really happened. She mentioned it to me and Morgan, but she didn't realize that how the whole thing might have gone down had been a secret until after she told us about the video. So someone, for whatever reason, has kept the incident from the public at large."
With a look of disdain, "What the media fed everyone was hogwash.", Angela snorted.
"But why didn't either of them tell me, I was their friend.", Monique's eyes moistened.
"Dear I have no idea and I refuse to talk to the Possibles about this since they've been acting the way they are. But I wonder if they are in on it." Then to Monique with a questioning look, "So with Kim not talking and Ronald vanishing, who knows?"
XX
"Mom I'm home.", Kim called as she opened the door.
"We're in here honey.", Anne called out.
As the younger red head walked into the family room, Anne asked, "So how was your first day honey?"
"Better than I hoped for. GJ partnered me up with my old tech guy Wade Load, so I'm gonna learn about GJ from him.", Kim replied as she came over and hugged her parents.
"Well at least right off the bat you have a friend there.", Anne returned the hug, "And I am very proud of you coming back and keeping a lower profile than when you were in high school."
"Yeah he is….and thanks….for right now I just wanna learn about GJ and maybe re-connect with some of my old friends.", Kim softened her voice as she fidgeted, "And I sorta asked him if he knew what happened to Ron."
"And what did Wade say about Ronald?"
"He has no idea, he never got the chance to replace Ron's chip.", blue eyes narrowed, "Something went wrong with it at graduation."
Green eyes suddenly looked worried, "I didn't know Wade did that with Ron until maybe when Ron went on that Christmas mission."
"I didn't know Ron was chipped. So that was when you found out about it?"
"Pretty much…. But sometime after that I asked Wade if he knew where Ron was and he did. Then I got him to admit that he chipped Ron. I almost had it removed, but then I didn't want to tell Ron something like that was done to him. And then I thought maybe for safety's sake it was a good idea, so I had Wade insert one in me too." Her parents' eyes lit up in surprise.
Shrugging, "Wade said mine is also offline now like Ron's, I guess the same thing that happened to his happened to mine."
James had been watching the interchange between Mother and Daughter, "Do you know if Ronald ever figured it out….I mean just how many times did Wade find him for you?"
"Just a few times Daddy, I think I could count them on one hand…."
Anne interrupted, "James, Ronald never mentioned anything about that and I'm sure if it bothered him he would have said something about it." Turning to her daughter, "However, Kimberly that was a very unethical thing to do. I know you and Wade meant well, but when you found out you should have told him."
Sigh, "I know, I know there are a lot of things I would have done differently Mom. I just wish I had it together enough to scream for you guys to come and get me. Then at least I'd still have my guy."
"Kimmie quit beating yourself to death over this, we all made some mistakes and hopefully we've learned from them. I just hope he's out in the world somewhere still thinking that you are his girl."
"I know Mom I'm really trying…."
Anne shot her husband a look to keep quiet, "Well, there's nothing you can do about that right now, so I think that you should see if any of your friends are in town. I'm sure they would like to see you. Maybe you can go out on a date, a movie or something."
Kim's eyes hardened, "I'd love to meet with my old high school friends Mom, but don't count on me to date anyone….at least till I know what happened to Ronnie and if he got married to someone else."
"Kimmie-cub, you know there was a slim chance that what you and Ronald had would last…."
"If…if I didn't have the breakdown I could have been happy..with Ron. Daddy don't you understand? I was happy with Ron. I wanted him in my life; I still do now that I have my head on right."
"Kimmie, should you ever find Ronald, your Mother and I will give you our blessing, but it may be very hard to find him, much less get there with him."
"I know it will be…And thank you for your blessing.", Kim said sincerely.
Then turning serious, "Dad, earlier today Wade told me that he knew about the farce that was the official recording of what happened during graduation….he created it…..Ron asked him to.", Kim said.
"He did? Why would Ronald ask him to do something like that?", Anne wondered.
"Wade couldn't tell me, 'cause he didn't know the reason Ronnie wanted to hide that information….All Wade could tell me was that Ron wanted me to get the credit."
"And for a while it seemed that the credit should have been mine and Shego's, that we had beat Warhok and Warmonga into leaving…but later that summer I started having these weird dreams about that blue giant holding me up by my ankle….", her breath now catching as she paled, "That was about the time things started falling apart for me."
Kim fidgeted before looking to her parents, "See I don't remember beating down Warhok and Warmonga, much less sending them packing to their doomed spacecraft."
"What do you mean; you don't remember beating those aliens down, Kimmie-cub? Or running them off?", evidently his Wife didn't mention this in their discussions of this issue.
The younger red head glared lightly at her Father, wishing he would stop his continued usage of a name he coined when she was a year old. "I really don't know Daddy all Wade said was that was what Ron wanted, so he manipulated the recording for him."
Surprise lit their faces, she continued, "At the time he was the only source so he could control its content. Wade changed the recording of the events for Ron for some reason. He said there was enough stock footage of me for him to use to make it believable, even to me."
Looking off to remember his description of the work performed, "He just did it in something called layers, and it took him a couple of days working around the clock to do it."
Then looking back to her parents, "Even my memories of that day were along the lines of what was in that footage, but my dreams eventually had me remembering details that were different from the official line."
"So what everyone saw was a lie?"
"Pretty much Dad, GJ was given the original of the whole incident by Wade right after he joined their organization.", Kim shrugged.
"So ah….Ronald did all that to the aliens?", James asked nervously, thinking of the implications of what he had just learned.
Shuddering slightly, "Yeah Ron did some nasty things to them, some things I never dreamed he was capable of doing to anyone, much less anything I would have done to an adversary.", she said wrapping her arms around herself.
"And…now that I've seen the whole thing in its entirety….it was the dreams all over again, but this time it was on a 52" Plasma, in Hi Def.", Kim said, her voice rising with tremors from the flashbacks.
After taking a few moments to recompose herself, she looked directly at her parents, "I might not have been going crazy….I might have been remembering what really happened."
XXX
Osaka, Japan:
"Now hold your breath Hanna, we're gonna dunk.", Ron instructed his Sister as he held her in his arms in the chest deep water of the pool.
"One."
"Twoooo."
"Threeee!", Ron shouted before he launched himself out of the water, the four year old held securely as she pinched off her nose before both went to the bottom of the six foot end of the pool.
Both Stoppables surfaced, opened their eyes and looked to each other, big smiles on their faces, giggling their heads off.
The older Stoppables were lounging poolside with Yori while Hirotaka was swimming laps; taking advantage of one of the few moments they didn't have to keep a close eye on their adventurous daughter and her tendency to get into trouble.
"Yori,", Barb asked tentatively, "just how well do you know Ronald?"
Giving nothing away in looking into the older woman's eyes, "I will tell you the truth Mrs. Stoppable. Ron-sam…..Ron-san and I were intimate for a while after he returned to the Sacred Mountain."
"What do you mean by intimate?", Barb probed while noting that Dean was engrossed in a financial periodical, oblivious to their discussion.
Knowing she couldn't lie to the woman, Yori got right to the point, "We slept together. This I did not attempt until I was sure that Kim Possible had relinquished her hold on his heart."
Slightly shaken at this declaration, and from having talked to Kim years before of the beautiful Shinobi, Barb replied, "So what Kim feared most in her relationship with Ronald finally came true?"
"Mrs. Stoppable, I would never have done such a thing if Miss Possible still owned your son's affections; of that I can assure you.", Yori replied with stoic certainty.
Before Barb could reply, "Kim Possible is very intelligent; she knew where Yamanouchi is located, so she could have found Ron-san anytime after the first six months of his arrival. In fact, during this time Sensei awaited for her arrival at the gates, but she never came to claim her prize.", Yori explained.
Confused at this statement, "Her prize? What was her prize?", Barb asked.
"Ron-san. Now that he is healed; he has come into his own and has become, as it is said, 'quite the catch' for members of the opposite sex.", Yori said while gazing intently at Barb. "He is making his own way in the world and for his sake I hope he finds someone to share his affections with in his travels."
Sighing, Barb agreed, "So do I, but with Kim suddenly breaking things off back then, I just don't see him doing anything else but concentrating on a career without finding someone to share his life with. I mean, all we know now is that he's going to college here, and not much more than that."
Nodding, Yori replied, "Soon he will attend University in Japan and may return to America at a later date for further studies. To be certain of no personal intrusions in his life he has maintained a 'below the radar' approach in his activities, and it is his hope that upon his return to the States he will be but a faded, distant memory to those he encounters, if that.", Yori explained.
After taking this in, Barb, as all Mom's do returned to a point that Yori had hoped she would not come back to, "And why didn't Ronald ask you for your hand?"
Yori's eye twitched for a second, "While in our relationship, which we discovered would never go beyond the physical we talked of many things, including what we had in common…", she said before pausing in contemplation.
At Barb's nod, "We discovered we were looking for different things and that we could do no better than to remain good friends, great friends until we pass from this plane.", Yori said reflectively. "In time I entrusted Taka-chun with my heart and very soon we will join together in wedded bliss."
"Congratulations with Hirotaka, Yori. And I'm sorry it didn't work out for you with my Son."
Shrugging her shoulders, "It is karma is it not? I had been pursuing Ron Stoppable-san since I first met him six years ago, yet when I had him, I learned it was not to be. But I, at least was able to learn of his fears and that he's moved beyond them."
"He has? From what we saw in his years growing up, we thought he'd never get past them.", Barb said.
"Hai, from what history Ron-san's had, at times it seemed insurmountable.", Yori sighed before going on, "He was a deeply troubled man when he arrived at the Tokyo Airport three years ago. Shortly after his arrival Sensei sent Ron-san off to study under another Master for six months. Upon his return seven months later, he, for the most part, was a changed man."
"Where did Ronald go?"
"That I do not know. Sensei has many friends in many different places he could have sent Ron-san to, but he will not reveal where this was. Even in our relationship, Ron-san did not reveal that information either.", Yori told her, "Other than Ron-san and Sensei, only the Council may know, but since I am not a member, and will not be eligible for acceptance for another twenty years, I am not entitled to this information."
"Council? What is the Council?"
"It is a governing group made up of elders who, for the most part, have served their whole lives at the school or individuals who have, through extraordinary circumstances, acquired the right to be included.", Yori replied.
"Sounds like a pretty exclusive group of people, Yori. Have there been many extraordinary individuals who were a part of this Council?", Barb asked.
"There have only been three exceptions in a thousand years."
"Three? That is pretty unbelievable Yori."
"One of those is playing with the child in the water.", Yori turned to the pool.
Barb's eyes opened in surprise, "You mean Ronald?"
The young Japanese woman just nodded, "I cannot say why, but suffice it to say you might consider that Kim Possible's success may have had a lot to do with your Son helping her over the years; and more so in their later high school years."
"But if that's so, why hasn't Ronald taken credit…."
"He attempted to when he was younger, and this did not end well for him on those occasions.", Yori grinned sadly, "It is our way to stay in the background to help people, and in time we convinced Ron-san that would be the best for him as well.", Yori explained to the shocked woman, then cautioned, "You understand that you should not reveal any of this to anyone. Lives could be endangered if this information gets into certain hands."
Barb drew a jagged breath at this information, when Yori drove home the point, "Who was it who suggested that you move from Middleton, Colorado USA?"
"Ronald. He used the excuse that we were just causing too much pain for everyone. And I had just been offered a transfer.", Barb replied. "But how is what our Son is involved in such a danger to those around him?"
"Let us just say that Ron-san is a part of something that does good in the world, and some people would like to be able to use his family and friends to stop him, or even hurt him.", Yori cryptically said.
"But his exodus to Japan served more than one purpose. Your presence in Middleton did indeed cause pain for the Possibles and maybe for some other residents, did it not? Ron-san knew that you were pondering that job offer and your honored husband was able to work anywhere." At this Barb nodded.
"What I, to this day, do not know is how he got you to change your names."
"Kaminsky is my Maiden name. With dissolving all the accounts and moving them we decided to make the change on the names as well. At least the name which we live under now has nothing connected to it and Kim Possible.", Barb frowned, remembering how her husband and especially her Son convinced Barb that the change was necessary, but not why.
Yori suggested, "Then you should keep an eye on anyone looking up your name."
"Dean has people doing just that, and we didn't contact them using our current names.", Barb explained, "We're not doing anything illegal, we just happen to be living under another name, and we still pay taxes at the personal and corporate level and will continue to do so."
"If your family is so well off, why do you still work Barbara-san?"
"We don't need the money, but I like to work, I really enjoy doing what I am doing. Dean works to keep his hand in and stay fresh and current on all the corporate laws and rules."
"I understand about the funds, Ron-san made a significant donation to the school which will help meet the needs of disadvantaged students. They should be in his debt for what they will learn.", Yori informed her.
"We have always done this Yori, its how we are. We've even financed Kim Possible's education…even after she refused to talk to Ronald. Cutting off her funds would have been spiteful, and even then we kept her funding going.", Barb revealed to Yori.
"I see, Barb-san. So how is this accomplished, if you don't mind my asking?"
"We've setup a Trust for her that sends payments directly to the school she's attending; all they have to do is bill the fund. We've never contacted the school or the Trustee to see what is happening with the money.", Barb said as she sighed and rubbed her forehead.
Turning to Yori, "You see, neither Ronald nor Dean wanted to know…..that's one of the things that hurt so much….Kimberly shouldn't even know who was paying for her education. So this way we have no reason to contact her about anything."
"Still, Kim Possible-san should know who provided her education Barb-san.", Yori countered, unhappy of the shadow still cast upon the heart of the Chosen One by the red headed heroine, even in her absence.
Yori sat back and reflected at this, and her thoughts drifted to other things of her and Ron; that she couldn't tell Ron's Mother the real reason she had broken up with Ron; a reason that the young Master told her and her fiancée in strict confidence…He had no future with her. A decision he had come to after a member of the Council had ordered him to make advances upon her in order to return the bloodline of the Mystical Monkey Master to Nippon after the red headed Gaijin was no longer with the Gaijin Chosen One.
At that point Ron decided no one was going to tell him who was acceptable for him enter into a romantic relationship with. As far as Kim went, that ship had sailed and crashed on the rocks, so he decided there would be no other and he would dedicate his life to serving Yamanouchi and live out his life helping others in need of his capabilities.
Their reverie was broken when, "Hey guys how about dinner? I think I finally got Hanna to build up an appetite.", Ron yelled as he tossed the Asian girl up in the air and caught her right before going under again; her squeals of joy sounding sharply until they were distorted underwater.
Surfacing and tossing her up, "Aaaaahhhheeeee.", Hanna screamed in glee as she flew into the air one more time and landed in Ron's arms.
X
An hour later:
"Well Ron you clean up nice. Where are we going this time?", Barb asked as they entered the elevator with Hiro and Yori.
"Have you guys ever heard of Kobe beef?", Ron asked as Hiro's eyes open wide at the surprise.
"Is it any good?", Dean inquired.
Yori looked them over, "It is a delicacy and very expensive."
XXX
Middleton:
"Justine you're back!", Monique got up and rushed to the slight blonde with Angela right behind her.
"It's good to see you again Moni.", the blonde's eyes watered.
"We want to see it."
"See it?"
"The diamond, girlfriend.", Monique rolled her eyes as she giggled.
"Oh I thought you'd never ask.", the scientist snorted, then pulled away from Angela who had jumped in and got a hug too.
Slowly Justine extended her left hand for inspection.
"He really did ask you. When he gets back in I gotta give him a kiss….on the cheek.", Monique added.
XXX
A week later.
Osaka, Japan:
"Yori, Hiro thanks for spending time with us on our vacation. I'll be back at the school eight days after I get everybody off at the airport, so I hope you guys have a good time scouting out the best honeymoon destinations.", Ron said to the Japanese couple as he bowed, then gave them each a hug.
Hirotaka replied expectantly, "Is there something you are not telling us?"
"Don't look at me that way guys, it ain't gonna happen, once burned, twice shy and all that. Well, in my case torched is more like it.", he said as he rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "Anyway, I'm a confirmed bachelor, a happy confirmed bachelor.", Ron laughed as he turned and picked up the bags he assigned himself to carry.
XXXX
And another chapter for your enjoyment; hope you did…
But still some more background, of Kim and to her friends and family, and of Ron and how he seems to be these days.
Stay tuned, we've got much coming on this topic.