A/N: I've had to break this part of the story which appears as one chapter on AO3 up into two chapters in order to meet 's character limitation. Besides the usual grammar and continuity fixes, I've added an extended scene with Crystal and Zoe and have added a bit more character interactions in other parts of the story. Again, I'd like to thank jeriddian, campy, and daccu65 for the use of their characters. This part of the story also takes one canon character on a strong left turn that, to be honest, will probably get some readers who like this character mad. Be assured that there are reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing and I will talk a little more about that in the author's note at the end of the next chapter, "Love and Pain Part II).
Middleton Mall
"What the hell is going on here?" Tara exclaimed, raising her voice to be heard over the two chanting mobs separated by rope dividers in the mall parking lot.
"Pain! Pain! Pain!"
"Steel! Steel! Steel!"
"Beats me!" Hope shrugged and raised her arms as she shouted her answer.
Pushing an overweight man wearing a Pain King t-shirt to the side as her blonde friend did the same to a slender man wearing a "Steel Toe" shirt, Hope and Tara forced their way to the mall entrance where they met up with their date for the afternoon, Sergei Radovsky, a tall, handsome, dark-haired Russian who was on the Middleton soccer team as well as the chess team along with Tara.
"Is mob here!" Sergei shouted, raising his voice over the din.
"Worse than when Chelsea won the Europa League Final!" Tara hollered.
"It's like when we won State a couple of years ago!" Hope cried out.
"Steel Toe! Steel! Steel! Steel!"
"Pain King! Pain! Pain! Pain!"
"Who the bloody hell are Steel Toe and Pain King anyway?" Tara exclaimed as the trio entered the mall.
"Fuck if I know!" Hope shouted back, her exclamation drawing disapproving stares from the now much more quiet crowd in the mall interior. "Like none of you aren't thinking the same thing!" Hope snorted in response to the stares as the trio made their way into the mall.
"Why's it so crowded today." Tara noted as she eyed the large number of people.
"I hope the coffee shop's still got an open table." Hope answered back.
As each girl took station on either side of the young Russian, he slipped his arms around each of their waists. "We had best hurry if we are going to get one, da?"
"Da." Tara laughed as the trio made their way to their destination.
Kim Possible grumbled as she picked herself up after entering the mall through a ventilation shaft that she and her partner had managed to access after braving two mobs shouting "Pain!" and "Steel!" at each other, scaling the roof, Ron once again losing his pants, and then crawling through the vent system. "You know, Ron, we could have just used the main entrance."
His pants now pulled up, Ron shook his head, "Too much time. First hundred fans to come up and not get trampled get free GWA t-shirts."
"GWA?" A familiar British-accented voice queried.
Turning towards the sound of the voice, Kim smiled as she recognized her two best female friends, "Hi Tara…Hope." Then, licking her lips as she spied the handsome Russian standing in between her fellow cheerleaders, she smirked, "And who's your friend?"
"Sergei…" Hope grinned, "This is Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. Kim and Ron, this is Sergei Radovsky…"
"You're that Sergei!" Kim exclaimed, "You're on the chess team with Tara? I've heard so much about you!"
"Nothing bad I hope." Sergei responded with a chuckle as he shook the redheaded hero and blond sidekick's hands. "Is pleasure to meet you."
"You here for the wrestlers too?" Ron asked.
"We were on our way to the coffee shop." Tara declared before extending an invitation, "You're welcome to join us."
"We'd love to…" Kim replied, "But I need to swing by Club Banana first. I have to pick up some more tops and pants. Wanna come with?"
Faced with the unrelenting power of three puppy dog pouts from three gorgeous teenage girls directed at him, Sergei found that any resistance he might have had to entering the Middleton teen fashion mecca crumbled quicker than an E rated player before a ruthless mating attack by Garry Kasparov. The Russian youth, bowing down to the inevitable, responded with a simple, "Da."
"Don't feel bad, my man." Ron whispered, "One of 'em is enough to get any normal male…two…next to impossible to resist…three…" The blond youth shook his head, "I don't know any man strong enough to resist that much power."
"So what is going on here? And what the hell is this GWA?" Tara asked, repeating her earlier question.
"You mean you don't know about the Global Wrestling Association?" Ron exclaimed with a surprised look on his face. "It's the most important sports organization in the world!"
Vigorously shaking her head as she saw the two Europeans about to argue otherwise, Hope quipped, "Sergei…Tara…let it go this time…please!"
"All right, luv." Tara smirked, before uttering in a low voice, "English Premier Football League…Chelsea."
"Da, krasivaya dama…lovely lady." Sergei grinned, also murmuring in a low tone, "Russian Premier Football League…Zenit St. Petersburg."
"Steel Toe and Pain King are gonna be here in person!" Ron enthusiastically exclaimed letting out a loud cheer, "Steel Toe Rules!"
Responding to his shout, a bunch of fans for the opposing wrestler hollered back, 'Pain! Pain! Pain!"
"You mean…" Kim shook her head in disbelief, gesturing with her arms at the screaming mobs, "…all of this is for a couple of wrestlers?"
"Not just any wrestlers!" Ron exclaimed, shocked at his best friend's ignorance, "It's Pain King and Steel Toe! Pain King's got a bionic eye!" Ron declared in awe, "If you look at it, you'll fall down to the floor in pain."
"And I suppose Steel Toe's called that because he's got a steel toe." Hope snorted.
"Of course not!" Ron chuckled at the olive-skinned cheerleader's ignorance, "That's a publicity gimmick. They're really titanium."
"Right…" Tara drawled, "Of course they are…it's so obvious now that I think about it."
"Who is little man on stage?" Sergei inquired, "One of the wrestlers?"
"No." Ron shook his head, "That's Jackie Oakes. He's the founder of the GWA."
Turning to her fellow females, Kim observed, "Girls…what's wrong with this picture? We're in the mall, and we're not shopping. Come on…Club Banana's doing a tie-in with the museum's Cleopatra's Closet exhibit. Let's go."
"Come on, Sergei…" Hope and Tara grinned as they slipped their arms around the young man's waist, kissing him on the cheek as they whispered in his ear, "We'll make it up to you later."
"Ron!" Kim gestured for her friend to join her, "Come on! Pain Toe and Steel King can wait 'til later!"
"Pain King and Steel Toe!" Ron corrected as he followed behind his best friend, shaking his head in disbelief at the sight of Sergei with Hope and Tara on each arm. Catching up to Kim, he pointed discreetly at the trio walking ahead of them, "How?"
"They share." Kim quipped with a shy giggle.
Club Banana
"Back to the real world!" Kim sighed in relief as she and the rest of the impromptu group entered the clothing store.
"I prefer Blarneys." Tara whispered to her best friend, "But, I do like Club Banana's assortment of tops and sportswear."
"Yeah." Hope murmured back, "Blarney's is better for outfits and club wear, but Club Banana's not bad for casual." Each girl taking their Russian companion by the hand, the olive skinned cheerleader grinned, "Wanna watch us model swimsuits."
"Da!" Sergei, needing no further encouragement, enthusiastically replied as Ron chuckled.
Giving the dark-haired Russian a friendly poke in the ribs, the blond sidekick quipped, "I guess this is one of the fringe benefits for hanging out with two bon-diggedty great girls, right?"
"Da, tovarisch." Sergei grinned back, "A most enjoyable fringe benefit."
As Monique spotted the new arrivals into the store, her eyes narrowed at the sight of the blonde and her dark haired companion. Looks like the hos got themselves a new boy-toy. The chocolate skinned teenage store clerk frowned. Then, she saw the redhead standing near them and her mood picked up immediately. Kim Possible! Here! Now! I've been wanting to meet her, but she's never in when I'm on shift. Approaching the teen hero, Monique smiled her most brilliant smile.
"Do you belong to our Club Banana Club?"
"Charter member!" Kim enthusiastically responded.
"You're Kim Possible, aren't you?" Monique exclaimed, "I think what you do is so remarkable!"
"It's no big." Kim modestly replied, "Really." Seeing Ron out of the corner of her eyes, she declared, "Besides, I don't do it alone." The lovely redhead, taking the blond youth by the hand, pulled him towards her. "I couldn't do what I do without my best friend and partner, Ron Stoppable."
Preening at his best friend's compliments, Ron smiled at the lovely dark-skinned young woman standing before them, modestly stating, "Really, it's KP who puts the bad guys away. Me and Rufus just back her up."
"You do more than just back me up, Ron." Kim gently admonished. Turning back to Monique, the teen hero declared, "I can't count how many times Ron and Rufus have been at just the right place at just the right time. We're a team."
Popping out of Ron's pocket, Rufus nodded his head vigorously as he chittered, "Yeah. Team."
"I'm Monique." The dark-skinned young woman introduced herself. "My family moved here a few weeks or so ago, but I'll just be starting school tomorrow." Shaking her head, she quipped, we GTUIRT."
"GTUIRT?" Kim queried with a confused look on her face.
"Got Tied Up In Red Tape." Monique laughed, further elaborating, "There was some sort of mix up with my permanent record from my old school and it took forever to get it straightened out."
Spotting Tara and Hope in the swimwear section with Sergei, Kim, smiled, "I've got some more friends to introduce you to, if it's okay."
"Sure." Monique grinned, happy at being brought into the Middleton High social scene. However, her smile quickly vanished as she recognized the friends the teen hero was talking about.
Kim, waving in a come here gesture, called out, "Tara…Hope…Sergei…over here!"
"On our way, luv!" A British accented voice responded as the Dirty Pair and their escort joined the others.
"Hey, Kim." Ron requested as he gestured towards where Jackie Oakes was haranguing the crowd, "You mind if I?"
Laughing, the young redhead replied in the affirmative, "Go ahead, Ron. We'll catch up with you at the coffee shop." Turning to the Dirty Pair and their companion, Kim introduced, "Monique…this is Tara…" she smiled, gesturing towards the platinum-blonde haired cheerleader, "…and this is Hope." The teen hero then motioned with her hand at the olive-skinned girl, "And Sergei." She grinned as she inclined her head in the direction of the dark-haired Russian youth. "Tara and Hope are on the cheerleading squad with me and Tara's also on the chess team and they're my BFF's…" Giggling, she translated, "Best Female Friends. Sergei's a member of our chess and soccer teams and…" barely repressing another bout of giggles, she finished, "…Tara and Hope's very good friend, not to mention a new friend of mine."
Plastering an insincere grin on her face, Monique politely responded with a simple, "Hello."
Responding likewise to the dark-skinned teenager, the Dirty Pair, at once getting the feeling that they were not particularly welcome, addressed their redheaded friend, "Kim? We're gonna go on to the coffee shop. If you want to stick around…"
Also picking up on the frosty reception her friends were getting from the store clerk, Kim shook her head as she paid for her purchases, "Nah…I'll come with. I've got everything I need." Turning to Monique, she plastered a polite grin on her face, "See ya at school tomorrow."
Exiting the store, Kim, lowering her voice so that only her three companions could hear, remarked, "Was it my imagination or did Monique grow real cold once I introduced you guys."
"It wasn't your imagination." Tara replied, "We picked up on the same thing. Right, luvs?"
"Da." Sergei nodded his head, "She didn't seem to like any of us."
"Yeah." Hope agreed. "The room temp. dropped to about freezing the moment you mentioned our names." Shaking her head, she commented, "I don't know what her problem is…we've never met her until just now."
"Bad chemistry?" Tara shrugged her shoulders as they neared the wrestling show.
"Maybe." Kim let out a breath of air. "Doesn't matter. As far as I'm concerned, if she's got a problem with you guys, she's got a problem with me. You two…" the young redhead smiled at her fellow cheerleaders, "…are my BFFs, and Sergei…" she then turned her thousand watt smile on the young Russian, "…is my friend too. If she can't get with the program, then tough."
As they progressed through the mall to where Ron said he would be, the trio dodged and weaved their way through the throng of wrestling fans until they encountered the short and stocky head of the GWA.
"Those are some moves you three showed. Ever considered a career in professional wrestling?"
"So not!" Kim quickly responded, rolling her eyes.
"I don't think so, luv." Tara answered back with a snort.
"Not if you paid me a million dollars." Hope jibed with a laugh.
"Nyet." Sergei shook his head.
"Well…" The little guy said as he handed a pair of tickets to Kim. "Here are two tickets to Mayhem in Middleton. You all can fight among yourselves for 'em." His lips turning up in a big grin, the wrestling promotor proposed, "How about this…a steel cage battle royale match with you all. You do and all of you will get free tickets. What do you say?"
"NO!"
"NYET!"
Jackie shrugged his shoulders, "Offer stands for the rest of the day if you change your mind."
Waving at her best friend and then pointing to the coffee shop, Kim called out, "Ron? We'll be over there when you're ready to join us!"
"Okay, KP!"
After picking up her order and grabbing a table with her friends, Kim sighed with relief, "It feels so good to just sit down and relax for a while."
"Tell me about it, luv." Tara answered back with a chuckle as she sipped her coffee, "Oh…this is good."
"Da." Sergei nodded his head in agreement. After sipping his coffee, an amused smirk crossed his lips, "We have wrestling in Russia, but not like this."
"My brothers and old man are into it." Hope sighed, "I never really cared anything for it."
"How is everything going with your family, Hope?" Kim gently probed, "If I might ask."
"The court's certified and approved my legal emancipation." Hope answered back with a relieved sigh. "So I'm free now. The 'rents can't touch me anymore. No more threatening to send me to boarding school. Of course that also means I have adult responsibilities and all, but that was going to happen in a few months anyway."
"What about your brothers?" Kim asked, "I know if they're anything like the Tweebs they're brats, but still…"
"They are my brothers." Hope nodded her head, "And yeah…I do love them and miss them sometimes…okay…I miss them often." She smirked, "I've been talking to Mom and Aunt Lucinda with Aunt Lucinda kinda acting as a mediator between me and Mom when things start getting heated." Her lips turned up in a warm smile as she talked about her favorite aunt, "Aunt Lucinda always seems to know exactly what to say to get both of us to amp down. Anyway, we're going to have to work around my father…there's no way he'd let me anywhere near my brothers if he knew…but we're trying to set it up where I can spend some time with the brats on weekends and some afternoons and evenings during the week at the park or over at our place...if my bestie can put up with 'em that is."
"We've handled the Tweebs, luv…" Tara laughed, "I think I can get through an afternoon with your brothers."
"Thanks, T." Hope smiled warmly at her best friend.
"What about you, Sergei? What's your family like?" Kim asked, again gently probing, "If you don't mind me asking."
"Not at all." The dark-haired Russian smiled as he sipped his coffee, "Is typical Russian family. Besides my parents, I have an older sister at college and my babushka…my grandmother…stays with us. My father works at the Space Center with your father. He tells us Dr. Possible is brilliant man."
"Thanks. My dad is kinda special…but I am biased." Kim blushed, happy to hear her father praised. She then asked, "And you're mother?"
"She teaches Russian at Middleton College and occasionally will teach high school Russian when there is demand." Sergei responded. "Unfortunately, most of our family is still in Russia so we don't get to see them as much as we'd like, but whenever they come over is always big celebration."
"So…Kimmie" Tara asked with a twinkle in her eye, "Coming with us to the Kitty-Kat Club tonight?" Smiling at the handsome Russian seated between her and Hope, the lovely blonde purred, "Sorry, Sergei, but it's just us girls tonight."
"Is all right, krasyvyye zhenshchiny…beautiful women…" The Russian youth grinned, "I promised to spend time with my babushka…my grandmother…tonight."
"Oh…girls…" Kim sighed enviously, "You got a spare Sergei lying around? This man's a keeper."
"Josh is a good bloke, Kim." Tara declared, "You just gotta…"
"Screw up the courage to say more than five words to him without turning to jelly." Kim snorted, "That's the hard part." Her lips then turned up in a smile, "But yeah…count me in for the Kitty-Kat Club tonight. I'm dying to see what the inside of that place is like."
"Wear your best LBD." Tara advised with a smirk.
"Hey, KP!" Ron grinned as he joined his friends at the table, "What did Jackie give you back there?"
"Oh…" Kim remarked as she handed the tickets over to her friend, "These…he just gave them to me."
"Wow!" Ron exclaimed in awe, "You know what these are, KP? They're backstage passes! You know what this means?"
"Not really." Kim shook her head, "But I got feeling you're going to tell us anyway."
"It means you get to go backstage. Backstage where the wrestlers hang out." Ron enthusiastically exclaimed, "You get to hang out with the wrestlers!"
"Why would I want to hang out with some guy named Steel Cage?" Kim snarked.
"KP!" Ron heaved an exasperated sigh, "The wrestler's name is Steel Toe! A steel cage is well…it's a cage."
"Keep the tickets, Ron." Kim smiled. "You can have them."
"Kim…you can't just give these away…" Ron shook his head in disbelief, "You know what they're worth?"
"They're yours, Ron." Kim smiled warmly at her best friend.
"Thanks, KP!" His lips turning up in a big grin, the young blond proposed, "Hey! Why don't we all go to KP's house and watch wrestling on the television. That way we can get psyched to watch more wrestling."
"Not tonight, Ron." Kim laughed, "It's girls' night tonight. We're going out."
"I have to decline as well, tovarisch." Sergei politely replied, "As I told our krasyvyye zhenshchiny…beautiful women…here…I must spend the evening with my grandmother…is a Russian thing."
"We can give you and Ron a lift to your home, Kim, after we drop Sergei off." Hope suggested.
"You sure?" Kim answered back, "There's barely enough room in that sportscar of Tara's for three…let alone five."
"We're taking Hope's new car, luv." Tara grinned as Hope held up a set of car keys.
"Just got it yesterday." The olive-skinned cheerleader proudly announced. "Black Mustang Shelby GT 500 convertible with gold trim. I got lucky. It was the last one in the lot with my colors."
"Badical!" Kim exclaimed, "Let's go!"
"Shotgun!" Ron called out.
Smirking as she grazed Sergei's thigh with her fingers, Tara responded, "You can have it, Ron. We're happy sitting in the back. Right Kimmie?" She winked at her redheaded friend.
"Right, Tara." Kim's lips turned up in a lascivious grin as she eyed the handsome Russian.
"If we're all done here…" Tara suggested, "Time to bugger off."
Possible Home—that evening
"Is there a reason you're breaking out the heavy artillery, Kim?" Ann inquired with a raised eyebrow as she noticed her daughter wearing her seldom worn little black dress.
"That dress is unacceptable." James growled as he caught sight of his teenage daughter wearing the black cocktail dress.
"I'm just going out with Tara and Hope." Kim replied in a calming voice, "It's just a girls night, Dad—no boys. I promise. We're just going to listen to some music and maybe do a little dancing. Nothing more than that."
"If that's the case…" Ann relented as the doorbell rang, "I guess it's all right, dear." Answering the door, she grinned as she recognized the two girls standing before her. "Hi Hope…Tara. You're looking lovely tonight."
"Thanks, Mrs. P." Hope, wearing a maroon cocktail dress with a white gold obsidian pendant and matching obsidian earrings, replied as she and her best friend, Tara, gorgeous in a white cocktail dress with a gold sapphire necklace and matching earrings entered the house. "Kim ready?"
"Hey, girls!" Kim smiled at her friends. "Ready to go?"
"Ready when you are." Tara answered back as the three girls walked out of the house, "See you later Mr. and Mrs. P!"
"Be good!" Mr. Dr. Possible admonished, "And be home by eleven—we're giving you an extra hour on your curfew, Kim…don't abuse it."
"I won't, Dad." Kim responded as the three girls got into Hope's Mustang. Once they were safely out of sight of any parents, Hope passed her flask back to Kim. Taking a sip, the young redhead smiled as she handed it back, "Thanks. It's been a helluva day."
"Well…it's nighttime now." Tara grinned as she handed Kim a silver Kitty-Cat Club card. "Here you go luv. Sorry, it only lets you into the bar, restaurant, and dance floor. The strip club, casino, and booze are off limits until you get your platinum—which hopefully won't be until you turn twenty-one here."
"That's okay." Kim answered back, "I'm not looking to get plastered. I just want to chill out and maybe dance for a bit." Sighing, she remarked, "I had to get away from the house. The Tweebs have already got that wrestling marathon going and it's going to get worse when Ron shows up to join them."
"We should be at the club soon." Hope replied, "So just kick back and relax."
Middleton Kitty-Kat Club
Exiting the car Hope tossed her keys to the valet. "Hi Big Mike." She smiled as she greeted her fellow high school student who worked part-time at the club.
"Hey Hope." The gentle giant smiled back, "New wheels? They look sharp." Smiling at Tara and Kim, he waved, "Hi Tara. Hi Kim. First time here?"
"Yeah." Kim replied with a grin as she looked up at the detention room inmate.
"Have fun." Mike grinned as Hope and Tara both handed him their flasks.
"Pass them around to the others." She instructed before explaining to Kim, "We can't take our flasks in, so we like to let Mike and the other valets have some."
"Thanks, Hope…Tara." Big Mike grinned, "I'll make sure everyone who wants some gets some. See ya later."
As they entered the nightclub, Tara reminded the redheaded firstcomer, "Don't forget, Kim. The club's neutral ground. Odds are you're gonna run into one or more people you've tangled with in the past. We don't mess with each other here or outside on club grounds."
"I'm kinda curious…" Kim inquired, "How did that happen?"
Lighting a cigarette, Tara explained, "Uncle John told me that the first club was founded in London back in the fifties by a pair of ex-spies—one former MI-6 and the other ex-KGB. They both thought it would be a good idea to have a place that could serve as neutral ground where those of us in the game could safely wind down and also share intelligence. Often someone from the other side of the tracks will pass on info regarding a rival or someone who's a danger to all of us or who gives the bad guys too much of a bad name. And there are times we'll work together to take out something or someone really dangerous."
"Like whoever's responsible for those designer drugs." Kim surmised.
"Exactly." Tara nodded her head. "Or some idiot who's a real threat to rule or end the world. Most of the bad guys here don't want that to happen. They're not worried about someone like Drakken or Dementor who's just seeking attention or Senor Senior who's just bored out of his skull. Those wankers aren't really out to rule the world or ruin it, so they don't count. No. It's the really dangerous ones like MALUS that scares everyone shitless."
"Why?" Kim asked, her curiosity once again getting the better of her.
"For one person or group like MALUS to call the shots, what do you think they would have to do to all the others?" Tara postulated.
"Oh." Kim nodded her head in understanding. "And if someone were serious about destroying the world…"
"Then everyone loses." Hope declared.
"See…" Tara explained, "In those sort of cases, it pays for us to set aside our differences and work together."
"So…who on the other side of the tracks comes here?" Kim asked as the trio approached the bar.
"You'd be surprised." Hope laughed as she greeted the bartender. "Hey, Max."
"Hope. Tara. Your usual?" Max smiled, "Welcome to the Kitty-Kat Club, Ms. Possible. What'll ya have?"
"Cola please." Kim answered back as the three girls sat down at the bar.
Moments later, Max returned with their drinks, "Cola for Kim…white wine for Hope…and gin and tonic for Tara. Need anything more…just holler."
"So…who does come here?" Kim asked, repeating her question.
"You can usually catch Sheila here when she's in town and not otherwise occupied." Tara replied with a grin. "Duff Killigan will stop in here to grab a scotch or two sometimes. We're not his favorite people for obvious reasons." She snickered, "And Camille got blacklisted after that little stunt she tried to pull in the Monaco club, so she's barred for life. Then there's…" She sighed as all three girls heard a familiar voice.
"Ah…my blue fox is here!"
"Junior?" Kim exclaimed as she quickly turned her head to look.
"Ah…Kim Possible! Welcome to the Kitty Kat Club." Smiling at the blonde and brunette also sitting at the bar, the young man bowed, "And of course two of my favorite dancing partners…Tara King and Hope Rossi. How are you this evening."
"We're doing fine, Junior." Tara politely replied before querying, "The last I heard, you had run into…" the lovely blonde smirked as did the other two girls at the bar, "…difficulties."
"Ah…yes." Junior chuckled. Then, bowing to the redhead at the bar, he apologized, "I'm sorry, Kim Possible. It was my father who insisted on kidnapping the animals and stealing the gas and holding those people hostage. I just wanted to open a disco so that I and everyone else could dance."
"It's…all right…Junior." Kim answered back as she sipped her coke. "I'm surprised your father's not here."
"He does not like coming to these clubs." Junior replied, "He says he can't stand the music. I think it's because that book of his says something about heroes and villains hanging out with each other. But that's crazy. We're not working now…right? So why shouldn't we have fun?" Glancing at the dance floor, the playboy politely extended his hand, "Would you care to dance."
"Go ahead, Kimmie." Tara encouraged. "Junior really is a good dancer."
"Yeah, Kim." Hope agreed, "He's got some good moves. Go out and enjoy yourself. That's why we're here—right?"
Chuckling at the absurdity of it all, Kim took the young villain's hand. "All right. One dance."
One dance turned to two and then to three until Kim finally returned to the bar and a fresh cola courtesy of Max.
"Didn't we tell you Junior was a good dancer?" Tara chuckled.
"Yeah." Kim laughed, "You did. I didn't realize how good."
Glancing at the clock, Tara sighed, "Better finish your coke, Kim, if you want to get back home before your curfew."
"Yeah." The lovely redhead nodded her head, "You're right. I don't want to get busted if I want to get my curfew extended again."
Waving goodbye to the bartender, the three girls called out in unison, "Catch ya later, Max."
Possible Residence
"See ya at school tomorrow!" Kim waved as her friends took off. Entering her home just before the expiration of her curfew, the lovely redhead called out, "Mom? Dad? I'm home!'
"Have a good time, dear?" Ann inquired as she greeted her daughter.
"But not too good a time, I trust." James grumbled and then frowned as his nostrils picked up on the pungent odor of tobacco, "You haven't been smoking, have you?"
"Dad!" Kim cried out in outrage, "You know I don't smoke! That's second hand from Tara."
"We know, dear." Ann intervened with a warm smile to her daughter. "You just missed Ron."
"That's too bad. I'll catch him at school tomorrow though." Kim replied, smiling back at her mother, grateful for her intercession with her father. "I'll just go up and change for bed if that's okay with you."
"Go right ahead, dear." Ann replied, "Good night."
"Good night, Kimmie-cub."
Waiting until Kim had left the room and she could talk to her husband without being overheard, Ann said in a soft voice, "We've talked about this before, James. Kim's growing up and you're going to have to learn to accept that and trust that she'll do the right thing. That's why I'm not her primary physician anymore. She's reached the stage where it's become increasingly difficult for me to separate my feelings for her as my daughter from my responsibility to her as a physician. Sooner or later…like it or not…she's going to become sexually active, and she's going to probably start drinking alcohol—if she hasn't already."
"Better later." James grumbled in a low tone. "Much later."
"I agree. I'd prefer for her to wait until she's more mature before she starts having sex." Ann concurred, "But…it's going to happen at some time, honey. We've got to accept that. I want her to get the proper care and for that to happen, she has to be able to confide fully in her physician. She's at the point now where she's not going to be able to do that with me anymore. I know you didn't like it when I prescribed birth control pills for her recently and that's another reason why I asked Dr. Warren…Donna Warren, Phil Guberman's wife and Kevin's mother…to take over as Kim's primary. Not only can Kim confide in her completely, it removes a couple of conflicts of interest from me. First, the mother-daughter one; and second, my having to keep secrets from you regarding Kim."
"Who'd have thought it would be harder raising a teenage girl than the twins?" James chuckled as the two boys' loud voices resounded throughout the house.
"We have an intelligent, driven, and determined young daughter." Ann remarked, "And like it or not, Mr. James Possible, she's become a young woman and we're going to have to deal with that."
"I know, honey." James heaved a dejected sigh, "It's just not going to be easy. She'll always be my little Kimmie-cub."
As Kim changed into her pajamas, her Kimmunicator beeped. "Hey Wade. What's the sitch?"
"Wait a sec." The computer genius replied, "Okay…we're ready now. I've got Tara and Hope on as well."
"What's going on Wadesy?" Tara inquired as her partner drove.
"Hey, Wadesy!" Hope called out.
"Someone stole a talisman from the Cleopatra's Closet exhibit at the Museum."
"Anyone you might know, Tara?" Kim asked.
"Hmmm…was it a stealth job or a smash and grab?"
"I've got security cam footage." Wade replied, "I'll roll it for you."
"Thanks, Wade."
"Shit!" Both Kim and Tara gasped in disbelief at what they saw.
"What the hell was that?" Kim exclaimed
"Was the talisman the only thing stolen, Wade?" Hope inquired.
"Yeah." The techie responded, "The talisman was a gift to Cleopatra from the high priest of Anubis. It's supposed to be enchanted."
"Yeah…right." Kim snorted.
"Don't be so quick to dismiss it, luv." Tara gently admonished, "Remember, we live in a world with plasma throwing supervillains, genetically engineered mole-rats, and mad scientists who can invent practically anything. Who's to say that our missing talisman isn't enchanted in some way?"
"Fair point." The young redhead conceded. "What sort of power is the talisman supposed to give its wearer?"
"According to the legend…" Wade reported, "Super-human strength."
"Great!" Kim sighed, "It'd almost be better if it did grant immortality."
"That's all I got for now." Wade declared. "I'll keep digging and let you all know if I come up with anything more."
"Thanks, Wade! Good night!"