A/N: Because of its length, this chapter, Snowblind, is broken up in two parts. Besides the usual grammar and continuity edits I've made to the original, I have made some small, but important dialogue changes. I hope you enjoy this retelling of Kim's class's ski trip, but with a Double Entendre twist.
Middleton High Parking Lot
"All right Possible…Mankey…Radovsky…your permission slips to travel in an independent conveyance have been properly signed by your parents. You can ride with the Dirty Pair." Mr. Barkin ruled as he pocketed the students' permission slips. Turning his attention to his two roguish students he growled, "King…Rossi…you will drive that muscle car of yours at the approved speed limit taking into account weather and road conditions. You will not make unauthorized stops. And you will maintain a safe following distance behind the bus at all times. Do you understand?"
"Sir, yes, Sir!" The two girls cheekily replied as they gave their teacher mock salutes.
"Good." Turning to the rest of the gathered students, he yelled, "All right! When I call your name, board the bus. Stoppable…stow that gear!"
"Hey, Ron."
Turning about rapidly, a startled Ron almost hit a boy with the skies he was loading into the bus's cargo storage area.
"Watch it, Stoppable!"
"Sorry, man." Ron apologized and then, seeing the slender brown-skinned girl standing before him, smiled as he stammered a greeting, "Ummm…Hi Zita."
"You look like you're ready to get out of here." The young woman chuckled as she helped Ron load the bus.
"Yeah." The blond youth smiled back, "I'm totally psyched about this trip." Laughing, he quipped, "The last time I was out on the slopes, me and Kim were being chased by Drakken's henchmen."
"Yippee!" Rufus, popping out of his hiding place in Ron's pocket, cheered as he hopped up on his human's shoulder.
"Naked mole-rat's ready to go too!" Ron chuckled as a depressed young man passed by the couple.
"What's his problem?" Zita asked.
"Oh…" Ron shook his head, "Alan Platt…the poor guy…"
"Why? What happened?"
"The biggest school trip of the year and his parents are coming along as chaperones." Ron sighed, "He deserves our pity."
"Yeah." Zita nodded her head in sympathy. "He does. That's a fate worse than death."
"Well…" Ron grinned as he helped his new friend with her gear, "Better him than us."
"This is true."
"How did you score a cabin for just the five of us?" Kim asked Tara as she loaded her gear into the trunk of Hope's Mustang.
Tara grinned, "I got in an early reservation with a little namedropping. Auntie Emma likes to stay there when she's stateside."
"One of these days I really have to meet your family." Kim grinned as she leaned into the arms of her boyfriend who embraced her from behind.
"You'll like them." Tara replied with a laugh as Hope and Sergei approached.
"Ready to roll?" Hope called out as another female voice made herself heard, much to the chagrin of a certain redheaded teenager.
"Kimmie!"
"Mom?" Kim started in alarm. "Is everything all right? Did I leave something at home?"
"No dear." Mrs. Possible replied, giving her daughter an apologetic look as her husband appeared beside her.
"Your friend, Bonnie, called us and told us that the Platts had come down with the flu at the last minute." James, lugging his and his wife's gear, smiled.
"When James found out, he jumped at the chance and took a few personal days and since things are slow at the hospital, I was able to wrangle some time off. So…we dropped the twins off with Nana and here we are!." Turning to her husband, she requested, "Can you load our stuff on to the bus dear?"
"Sure, Honey!" James answered back as he picked up the luggage and made his way to the school bus.
Lowering her voice so that only her daughter and her daughter's friends could hear, she said in an apologetic tone of voice, "It hasn't been that long since I was a teenager and I know the last thing you wanted was for your parents to come along and…" her eyes fell on a smirking Bonnie, standing next to an equally smug Monique, "…I also know a setup when I see one." Her lips turning up in an evil grin, the older redhead took out her cell phone.
"Hello, Mrs. Rockwaller? This is Doctor Possible, Kim's mother. Oh no…it's nothing bad. It's concerning our children's trip—they need more chaperones and I thought of you. I remember you saying that you wish you could spend more time with your daughter. You will? Great! Oh…don't worry. Not a word—I promise. I'm sure she'll be both surprised and pleased. We'll meet you there. Thank you, Goodbye." Putting away her phone, Ann quipped, "I figure what's good enough for you should be good enough for your friend…right, dear?"
An evil grin coming to her face, Kim answered back, "Right, Mom. And thanks."
"Don't mention it, honey." Ann smiled, "Listen, I'll do everything I can to keep your father from ruining your trip, and I'll try to make it as painless as possible for you, but, I'm afraid you're going to have to put up with us."
"Thanks again Mom. I don't blame you." Kim replied in a soft voice as she glared daggers at Bonnie and Monique, both laughing.
"I know you probably don't want to hear this, dear." Ann said, imparting a bit of maternal wisdom, "But maybe it wouldn't hurt for you to spend a little bit of time with your father and even me. Not the whole trip, of course—or even most of it…" Ann steamrollered, not giving her daughter a chance to object, "But an hour or two wouldn't hurt…would it?"
"No, Mom." Kim sighed, recognizing that her mother did have a point, "It wouldn't."
"Thank you. I knew you'd understand." Ann replied, watching as James handed his gear to Ron for loading. "You better load up and get out now, Kim. James wants you and Josh to join us on the bus and I have a suspicion that he's planning on the two of us sitting between both of you for the entire trip. Spotting Kim's rivals also making their way towards them, the redheaded mother advised, "Get going. I'll cover for you with your father and your teacher and run interference with those girls."
"You don't have to tell us twice." Hope replied as she took the driver's seat while the boys and Kim quickly got into the rear of the car.
"Thanks, Mrs. P." Tara smiled at the older woman as she got into the Mustang. "We owe you."
"You owe me big. Now…get outta here!" Ann responded with a laugh, waving goodbye as Hope peeled out of the parking lot. Turning to Bonnie and Monique, the redheaded neurosurgeon plastered a polite smile on her face, "Hello, Bonnie. I'm afraid you just missed Kim." Turning to the dark-skinned girl standing next to her daughter's rival, she maintained her grin, "I don't believe we've met. I'm Kim's mother."
"You two have a good time." Mr. Williamsen instructed his son and the young cheerleader standing next to the young man.
"We will, Dad." Oscar grinned as Cindy noticed Liz and Jessica standing close by talking with their boyfriends.
"Oscar? I'm gonna say hi to the others…" She motioned to where their friends were standing and talking. "Come get me when you're ready."
Waiting until the young woman was safely out of earshot, the older man placed his hand on his son's shoulder, "Cindy's a fine young woman, Son." Mr. Williamsen declared, "She reminds me some of your Mom. Treat her like a lady…you understand me?"
"Yes, Sir." Oscar politely responded.
"Good." Gustav Williamsen nodded his head in satisfaction. "Come on…I'll help you load up."
Smiling as he recognized the blond boy loading up the bus, Mr. Williamsen picked up an extra-heavy suitcase and placed it in the bus. "Let me give you a hand with that, Ron."
"Thanks, Mr. Williamsen." Ron grinned as, at once recognizing the older man, he introduced him to the attractive girl standing next to him, "Mr. Williamsen, this is Zita Flores. She's a friend of mine. Zita, this is Mr. Williamsen, Oscar's father."
"Hello, Miss." Gustav smiled as he held out a callused hand to the younger woman.
"Mr. Williamsen." Zita smiled back as she spoke in a slightly Hispanic accented voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, Ronald!"
"Dr. Mr. Possible." Ron replied with a big smile on his face as he introduced Zita to the man he considered to be his second father. "Where's Dr. Mrs. Possible?"
"She's talking with…" Looking back, the physicist's lips narrowed as he saw his wife waving goodbye to the teenagers in Hope's black Mustang, one of whom had red hair. "She was talking with Kim, but I guess they left. I was hoping we could all ride on the bus together."
Quickly realizing that he was dealing with a very protective father, Gustav, a caring father himself, chuckled as he offered good natured consolation, "I'm sure you don't have anything to worry about, James." Directing the other father's attention to where Oscar was standing talking with Cindy, the construction foreman pointed out, "We've both got good children."
Picking up on the other father's meaning, James nodded his head, "You're right, Gustav. It's just that…"
"It's not always easy watching them grow up—is it?"
"No." James shook his head, "It isn't."
"Is that a snowboard?" Zita asked as she pointed to the object in James' hands.
"Yes." Dr. Possible smiled. "It's a homemade snowboard. I'm ready for shreddy."
"Huh?" Zita exclaimed.
"Ummm…Okay, Mr. Dr. P." Ron grinned as he scratched the back of his head.
"Well…" James exclaimed as his wife walked up to him. "I guess we better get on the bus. Too bad Kimmie-cub couldn't join us. I was looking forward to us all singing '99 Bottles of Pop' together."
"Mmmm….that's nice…" Crystal sighed as she reluctantly broke from her liplock with her girlfriend. "I'm gonna miss that."
"I'm working tonight, but I'll try to make it up there in a day or so." Zoe murmured as she nuzzled up close to her girlfriend, the pair taking advantage of a concealed spot to engage in some PDA.
"I'll keep the bed nice and warm for you."
"You do that."
"Break it up, Edwards and…" At once recognizing the woman with his student, Mr. Barkin stammered in surprise, "Ummm…Zoe…what…"
"Hi, Stevie…" The exotic dancer grinned as her girlfriend tried to restrain herself from laughing, "Sorry…I didn't mean to break any rules." She apologized, this time in a serious tone of voice, "Please don't punish Crystal. I dragged her over here."
"I'll let it slide…" Mr. Barkin relented, "…this time." Regaining his equilibrium, the grizzled ex-Marine advised, "Say your goodbyes Ms. Edwards…Ms. Chen…the bus will be leaving soon."
"Thanks, Stevie." Zoe replied, adding with a cheeky grin, "Clea says hi and told me to tell you if I ran into you before she did that she misses you at the Club."
"Ummm…yes…" Mr. Barkin nervously stammered as he pulled at his collar, "Thank you, Ms. Chen. Tell Clea I'll see her as soon as we get back from this trip."
"All right, everybody! Listen up!" Mr. Barkin commanded, "You will board the bus in a calm and orderly fashion. There will be no pushing or shoving."
Watching as the students all boarded the bus under the watchful eye of the substitute, Ann commented to the ex-Marine. "I think it's nice of the school to let the students go on this trip. I know it must have taken a lot out of the budget."
"Not really, Mrs. Possible. We're just using the funds that had already been earmarked for the football team's travel to State. The teacher, lowering his voice, further implored, "Please keep this quiet, because I have a reputation I have to protect. The students need something like this. They're still shaken up by what happened to the football team. This will allow them to start the new semester on a good note which will hopefully translate into better performance and improved grades and test scores."
"That's good thinking." Ann nodded her head approvingly. "I know Kim was very happy about going on this trip."
As the last of the students boarded, Mr. Barkin gestured towards the bus. "Mr. and Mrs. Possible, if you would please? It's time for us to go."
Hope's car on the way to the ski resort
"To Kim's mom!" Tara toasted as she held up her flask and took a swig and then passed it to the boy on whose lap she sat.
"K svyoye materi!" Sergei raised the flask and after taking a swallow, handed it back to Josh.
"To your mom!" Josh grinned as he took a small sip.
"To Mom!" Kim laughed as she took a swallow and handed the flask back to her blonde friend.
"That was nice of her to cover for us like that." The lovely redhead said as she laid her head down on her boyfriend's lap, further admitting, "And she's right. It wouldn't hurt for me to spend a couple of hours with them."
Hope remarked with a wicked grin, "I'm just imagining the look on Bonnie's face when she gets there and sees her mother waiting for her."
Laughing, Kim responded, "Yeah. Make sure you get a picture for the yearbook."
"Oh, Kimmie, luv…" Tara chuckled, "You are one evil girl."
Pulling up to give her boyfriend a lingering kiss, she whispered seductively in his ear, "When we get to the cabin, I'll show you just how evil I am."
The bus on the way to the ski resort
"Did you see this, Cindy?" Ron asked as he handed a tabloid newspaper over the dark-haired cheerleader and newspaper reporter.
"Don't tell me you're buying into that trash, Ron?" Cindy sighed, "It's like Bigfoot or Wendigo. That picture's most likely a fake with some guy dressed up in animal furs with stilts and snowshoes."
"Hey…they're offering a five thousand dollar reward for a clear picture of the snowbeast." Ron declared.
"You don't really believe all that BS, do you Stoppable?" Mr. Barkin snorted.
"I don't know, Sir…" Ron countered, "Kim and I have seen some pretty strange stuff."
"He's got a point there." Oscar said, coming to his friend's defense. "We saw some of that this Halloween—remember?"
"Killer mechanical robots aren't the same thing as mythological creatures." Cindy rebutted, "But…a good reporter keeps an open and…" pausing for moment, she finished her thought, emphasizing her next word, "….skeptical mind."
The Ski Resort
Arriving at the resort at the same time as the bus, Hope pulled her Mustang into an empty parking spot as the school bus pulled up in front of the resort entrance. Getting out of the car, the five young men and women quickly joined their friends and schoolmates who were at that moment exiting the bus.
"Hey, Ron!" Kim smiled as she ran up to her old friend, "Have a good trip?"
"Yeah." The blond youth replied, giving his best friend a toothy grin, "You should have come with us. Your mom and dad led us in sing-a-longs and everything!"
"I'm glad you had a good time, Ron." Kim smiled. "So…where's your friend?"
"Zita?" Ron grinned as his eye fell on the slender dark-skinned girl who was currently talking with Crystal. "She's over there talking with Crystal. Knowing those two…" He chuckled, "They're planning where we're gonna adventure next in Everlot."
"That's cool." Kim nodded her head approvingly, glad that her best friend was finally finding outside interests and friends. "Maybe we can get together once everyone gets settled in? How about we talk over some hot chocolate?"
"That sounds like a great idea, KP!" Ron's smile grew broader at the invitation. "Me and Rufus are always on for the hot chocolate."
"Yeah." Rufus echoed as he popped out of Ron's pocket and gave his redheaded friend a wave. "Hot chocolate!"
"It's a date then." Kim smiled as Ron's attention was diverted by a rough masculine growl.
"You ready to find that snowbeast, Stoppable?"
"Mr. B? I thought you said that the snowbeast was BS?"
Shaking his head, the substitute teacher growled, "Do you want the entire class going for that reward money?"
"Ohhh…yeah…you're right." Ron nodded his head as he heard his naked mole-rat companion cough. "Ummm…what about Rufus?"
"You help me get that photo, Stoppable, I'll cut you in for two percent. How you split it with your hairless companion is your business." Mr. Barkin answered back with a scowl. "So…we have a deal?"
"Yeah." Ron nodded his head as he turned to his best friend, "Catch you later, KP!"
"Where are you going, Ron?" Kim shook her head as she watched her old friend take off at a run. Raising her voice, she shouted, "You owe me a cup of hot chocolate!"
"What's the story?" Tara asked.
"Yeah…Ron left in an awful hurry." Hope noted.
"Something about taking a picture of a snowbeast." Kim replied, shaking her head. "Oh well…guess we ought to get checked in."
"Already took care of that, Kimmie-cub."
"Ummm…dad? You and Mom aren't staying with us…are you?"
"Yes, Dear." Ann replied with a wicked grin on her face, "Sorry, but school board regulations require at least one chaperone stay with any group of students sleeping in separate lodging facilities. It was either us…Mrs. Rockwaller…" the redheaded neurosurgeon smirked impishly as she pointed to a middle-aged brown-haired woman who was currently making a certain teenage Rockwaller's life miserable, "…or Mr. Barkin. Besides…" She gave her daughter a meaningful look, "This will give you that chance to spend a couple of hours with us." Glancing at Josh, the worldly mother quipped, "I'm sure you didn't have anything planned that we would consider to be out of line…right, honey?"
"Of course not, Mom." Kim sighed.
"I'm glad to hear that." Ann chuckled, "Don't worry, dear. We'll try to stay out of your hair most of the time." A crooked grin again appearing on her face, Ann wisecracked to the Dirty Pair and their boyfriend, "Sorry girls…Sergei…you're going to have to postpone whatever it is you've got planned until you get back home."
"That's all right, Mrs. P." Tara gamely replied as she whispered to her companions, "We'll just have to be creative."
On the trail of the snowbeast
Straining under the load of all the equipment he was carrying on his back, Ron grumbled to the man walking ahead of him, also carrying a backpack. "Why didn't we get a pack mule or something like that? When I'm snow hiking with Kim, we always have a pack mule or a Sherpa or something to help with the load."
"You're not traveling with the pep squad today, Stoppable." Mr. Barkin growled, "You want your two percent, you're gonna have to earn it." Just then, the combat veteran heard what sounded like a cross between a grunt and a sniff. "Sssshhh…did you hear that?" He said in a low whisper as he crouched down lower.
"Hear what?" Ron exclaimed sarcastically, "My teeth chattering from the cold? My knees knocking 'cause I'm scared to death? My bladder sloshing because of all that coffee I drank?"
"Shut up and listen!" Barkin commanded in a harsh whisper as both hikers heard a loud roar.
"That's the snowbeast!" The substitute teacher exclaimed, "Move it!"
"I'm moving! I'm moving!" Ron shouted back as he struggled up the slope, barely keeping up with the larger man.
"It's over there!" Barkin pointed only to have Ron point elsewhere.
"It changed direction." The blond youth shouted as something heavy plowed into both men, knocking them down on to the ground.
"You okay, Rufus?" Ron asked as he picked up his little companion.
"Okay." The naked mole-rat chittered in response.
"Dammit! It got away." Mr. Barkin groaned as a loud roar was heard.
"It's coming back!" Ron cried out as his rodent companion panicked.
"Ease up, Stoppable." The substitute teacher commanded, "She's a woman."
"Well, thanks for noticing." The woman replied in a voice tone that was half amused and half offended.
"Well…." Mr. Barkin stammered, "Ummm…you're obviously female."
"Obviously." The woman drolly replied.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Ron proceeded to put his foot in his mouth yet again, "We thought that you were the snowbeast."
"Not that we think you look beastly in any way." Mr. Barkin quickly interjected, giving the boy standing next to him a harsh glare.
"Don't tell me you believe that silly fairy tale." The woman chuckled.
"Of course not!" Both males responded, shaking their heads.
"I'm Amy Hall." The woman said, introducing herself. "I'm pleased to meet you Mr…"
"Barkin." The teacher quickly responded, "Steve Barkin."
"Ummm…say, Stevie…" Amy began only to be quickly cut off by the gruff teacher.
"I prefer Steve."
"Good." The woman leered, "I prefer Steve too. I kinda got turned around up here. Could I get you to take me back to the lodge?"
"Of course, Ma'am." Barkin gallantly replied. "Please follow us."
"Mr. Barkin…the babe magnet." Ron quipped to his rodent friend in a teasing voice as the pair followed behind the teacher and strange woman.
The ski lodge
Carrying his and his wife's luggage into the ski lodge, James at once noticed the two bedrooms. "Perfect!" He grinned as he spoke to his temporary housemates. "You girls can take that room…" He directed, pointing to the bedroom on his right. "While us guys will bunk in the other…" He smiled as he picked up his bags and walked to the bedroom on his left.
"Let me give you a hand, Mr. Possible." Josh offered as he picked up a suitcase.
"Thank you, Josh." Mr. Dr. P. responded.
Picking up her bags, Ann smiled at her daughter, "Come along, Kim. We can get situated."
"Okay, Mom." The young redhead sighed.
"Are the bedrooms adjoining?" Hope asked as the married couple disappeared into their rooms.
"No." Tara responded with a crooked grin. "That's both a help and a hindrance. "We've got the hot tub on the patio and what looks like a den or study we can sneak off to."
"We will have to be very careful." Sergei cautioned, "The Possibles are aware we are going to try to find private places. They will be watchful."
"We'll need to get with Kim and Josh and take turns distracting the 'rents." Hope suggested.
"Good idea." Tara nodded her head in agreement. "We get with the other two and then put Operation Parental Confusion in play."
His eyes falling on the modified snowboard, Josh inquired, "Did you make that snowboard, Dr. Possible?"
"Kind of." James grinned, "I picked up the board at Rick's sporting goods in the Mall, but the modifications are mine. I just added in some stuff that was lying around in my lab at the space center."
"Maybe I could see it in action some time." Josh grinned as he hefted the board in his hands. "It's kinda heavy though…"
"Yeah." The rocket scientist nodded his head in agreement, "The mods do add quite a bit of weight as does the solid fuel. Wish I could have gone with liquid fuel…" he chuckled, "…but that would have been too volatile and the tanks and fuel system would have made the board even heavier than it is already."
"I remember our first family ski trip." Ann recollected, talking to her daughter as she began the process of unpacking her suitcase. "You were two years old at the time." She laughed, "You took off all your clothes in the middle of the lodge."
"Mom…" Kim cried out in a worried tone, "Please don't tell that story in front of other people."
Chuckling as she shook her head, Ann replied, "Honey…I would never humiliate you like that. Although it is a funny story." She laughed, "I mean, it's not unknown for two year olds to run around stark naked—right?"
"Yeah…maybe…" Kim snorted, "But…please, Mom…promise me that this is one two year old running around naked story you won't tell anyone."
"I promise, honey." Ann giggled, "But I do reserve the right to embarrass you in front of your fiancé one day."
"Fair enough." Kim laughed, "Just so you understand that you're gonna be waiting for a while."
"Good." Ann replied, half joking, half serious. "You're still way too young to be thinking in those terms yet." Pausing for a moment, she further cautioned, "Or in certain other terms…"
"You mean sex." Kim responded with a sigh, "Mom…I wasn't planning on jumping in bed with Josh on this trip."
"I know that, dear." The redheaded matriarch answered back in a reassuring tone, "And…believe it or not…so does your father. But accidents do happen and it's easy to get carried away if you're not careful." Pausing for a moment, Ann confessed in a low voice, "It happened to me."
"What?" Kim exclaimed. "You mean you…before Dad?"
Patting a spot on the bed next to her, Ann waited until her daughter had sat down before continuing. "Yeah." Her lips turning up in a wry grin, Ann asked her daughter, "Have you ever heard of the Rule of Three?"
"No." Kim shook her head.
"It's very simple." The neurosurgeon chuckled, "When you ask a man how many women he's slept with, divide by three; but when you ask a woman that question, multiply by three." Seeing the confused look on her daughter's face, Ann laughed a little louder, "You see, guys like to make their friends think they're these great lovers with tons of conquests, so they exaggerate, while we women underplay the number because we don't want to appear slutty."
"I guess that makes sense." Kim nodded her head, "So…"
"One." Ann deadpanned with a straight face.
"In other words…" Kim began only to have her mother finish.
"Three guys before I met your father. After I met him, he's been the only one I've been with or want to be with."
"So…" Kim inquired, "When was your first time?"
"I was sixteen going on seventeen at the time…about your age." Ann reminisced. "He was my high school boyfriend. One thing led to another and…you can figure out the rest."
"He didn't dump you after…did he?" Kim asked.
"Oh…heavens no." Ann responded. "He was a good boy and a good boyfriend at the time. We did it several times while we were together. We parted friends and every now and again I'll get an email from him. He's married and has kids of his own and lives on the other side of the country."
"So…what happened?"
"We graduated high school and went to different colleges." Ann replied. "It's hard to keep a long-distance relationship going. I met someone at Upperton U. and he met someone at Dimsdale Tech. and we went our separate ways. No bad feelings or drama or anything like that. I saved all that for number two."
"Number two was the bad one." Kim surmised.
"Right." Ann nodded her head. "I was nineteen and he was about the same age and part of a fraternity. Now…" The older woman cautioned, "Not all fraternities or fraternity brothers are bad…in fact most if not almost all of them…are ordinary young men. But you do have a few who are…okay…plain language here…they're assholes. I had the bad luck of running into one of those few assholes. Our…I wouldn't call it a relationship; I'd call it more of a head on collision…lasted maybe a month or two until he hit me."
"Mom! He didn't?"" Kim cried out in shock.
"Yeah." Ann nodded her head, "What he didn't take into account was that I would hit him back…a kick to his groin that put him on the floor and allowed me to get out."
"Good for you, Mom!" Kim exclaimed, "So…what happened to him?"
"I told the rest of his frat brothers about it…" Ann responded, "Remember what I said about the great majority of fraternity brothers actually being pretty decent boys?"
"Yeah."
"They kicked his butt and expelled him from the fraternity after making him apologize to me." Ann replied.
"And number three?"
"Number three was my senior year of college and first year med school." Ann recollected with a warm grin. "He was a good man and for a while I thought he was going to be the one. But…" She shook her head, "Medical school…especially first year…is a very stressful environment. A lot of marriages and relationships don't survive it. Our relationship was one of those that didn't."
"Do you still maintain contact with him?" Kim inquired.
"Oh yes." Ann nodded her head, smiling, "He owns a chain of auto dealerships in the Tri-City area. When you're ready to buy a car, let me know and I'll set you up for a discount."
"Does Dad know about…"
"Yeah." Ann nodded her head, "I told him. Honey…" Ann looked deep into her daughter's eyes as she spoke, "Communication and trust are vital elements in any relationship. Without them, your relationship—no matter how much you love each other—won't last. Don't ever forget that."
"I won't, Mom." Kim vowed.
"Good." Ann smiled, "Now…I know that sooner or later you're going to meet that certain boy…if you haven't already…yeah…" she chuckled as her daughter's face grew red, "…I'm talking about Josh…who's going to knock you off your feet and you're going to want to take your relationship to the next level. I also know your father would probably prefer you to wait until you're checked into the Middleton Senior Center and, to be honest, I'm hoping that date is later rather than sooner. But I know…and really…if you were to press him on it…so does your father…that day is going to come. All I can tell you is to be sure you're ready and that you really want it to happen with that person because you only get one first time. Also, promise me you'll be safe and…for heaven's sake…don't let it be in the back seat of a car or in a sleazy motel room."
"Don't worry, Mom." Kim chuckled, "That's a promise I'm more than willing to make. Like I said, I have no intention of going to bed with Josh right now." Her laughter fading, she added, "I'm not sure when it will happen, but I know that it will happen one day. It might be with Josh…it might be with someone else. But I am sure that it won't be now or anytime in the immediate future. Okay?"
"Good enough for me, dear." Ann responded with a warm smile, "Now…let's finish unpacking. Then maybe we can see about getting together with Hope and Tara for some hot chocolate or tea and let the boys be boys for a little while—okay?"
Smiling, Kim responded to her mother, "Okay."
"We're going to the main lodge for tea and hot chocolate, boys!" Ann announced to the three males clustered around a greatly modified snowboard. "Coming with us, girls?"
"Okay, dear." James absent mindedly replied with a wave.
"Thanks, Mrs. P." Tara and Hope replied, "Tea and hot chocolate sounds perfect right now."
"So…wanna give it a test run boys?" James asked as he picked up the snowboard.
"Yes, Sir!"
"Da!"
"All right, then!" The rocket scientist exclaimed, "Let's take this bad boy out and see what it can do. You know…" He remarked as he and the boys exited the house, "I'm betting we could take these rocket engines and, with a little more tinkering, give them enough thrust where they could propel a sled. What do you think?"
"Da!" Sergei exclaimed, "I saw a large sled in one of the shops. We could take that and install the engines."
"Cool!" Josh cried out, "I can paint the sides…decorate it."
"Sounds good, boys!"
"Boys and their toys!" Ann laughed, her laughter soon joined by the giggles and snickers of the other girls in the room. "Come on and let's get that hot chocolate while the boys have their fun."
Entering the main lodge, the four women found Bonnie sitting at a table with her mother along with Jessica, Liz, and Crystal, all three of whom had devilish smirks on their faces as the brown-haired cheerleader cringed at the stories being told about her childhood.
"Poor Bonnie…" Tara smirked.
"Yeah." Hope chuckled, "Poor…poor Bonnie."
"Ron!" Kim called out as she recognized her best friend sitting at a table with Mr. Barkin and a strange woman.
"KP!" Ron called back as he rushed to join Kim and the others. "Thank God you're here! I was about to die listening to Mr. Barkin and that woman."
"Where's your friend?" Kim asked.
"Oh…Zita?" Ron stammered, "She's getting changed. We're planning on hitting the bunny slopes later. She's not used to skiing, so we're going to take it nice and slow."
"That's cool." Kim smiled, "You got time to join us for a cup of hot chocolate?"
"Always, KP." Ron smiled as he joined his best friend and the others at the same long table close to where Mr. Barkin and Amy were sitting.
"I'm going to buy you a mug of hot chocolate, Stevie." Amy declared with a big grin on her face.
"You don't have to do that, Ma'am." Mr. Barkin politely demurred. "I need to get back out to the slopes."
"Did you find your monster?" Kim asked with mischievous grin as she sipped her hot chocolate.
"I'm not sure." Ron replied as he filled his friend in on their earlier adventures on the slopes, ending his tale at the point where they found Amy.
Her attention diverted to the newcomer, Kim at once spotted the pendant hanging down the woman's neck. "Is that an Otterfly?"
"Yes." The woman's lips turned up in a brilliant smile, "Do you collect Cuddle Buddies too?"
"I see them at the mall." Kim averred, "No big, really."
"You used to go crazy over those things." Ann laughed.
"Mom!"
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm happy to find a fellow Cuddler." Amy chuckled, "I used to be president of the Cuddle Buddies Collectors Club. You meet the nicest people at Cuddlecons, don't you?"
"I've never been to one." Kim declared as her friends and her mother tried with varying degrees of success to hide their giggles.
"So…who's your favorite?" Amy inquired. "As you can see, mine's Otterfly."
"It was a long time ago…" Kim drawled as her mother interrupted.
"There was this one Cuddle Buddy that you'd never let me wash." Ann recalled, "Now…"Which one was it? Oh yes! Pandaroo! You still sleep with the little guy!"
"Thanks, Mom." Kim sarcastically grumbled in a low voice as the rest of the table laughed merrily.
"Can I borrow your communicator, Kim?" Ron asked as he held out his hand.
"Sure." Kim, seeking to change the subject, replied as she handed her Kimmunicator to her friend.
Activating the Kimmunicator, Ron inquired, "What's the snowbeast sitch, Wade?"
Appearing on the viewscreen of the comm unit, Team Possible's tech genius replied, "Sorry, Ron. I couldn't find anything in any of the historical archives that have been digitized or anything from local tall tales and legends."
"Did you pull Wade in on this wild snowbeast chase, Ron?" Kim made an exasperated noise as she shook her head.
"Only if he delivers." Ron replied.
"Barkin has me down for ten percent." Wade responded with a grin.
"Ten?" Ron growled as he gave a sidewise glance at the smirking substitute teacher.
"Only if I deliver." Wade countered. "Otherwise, I get nada."
"Whatever." Ron growled, "Call me if you find out anything." Handing the Kimmunicator back to its owner, Ron prompted, "Here's your Kimmunicator back, KP."
"Keep it." Kim replied with a wave of her hand, "If necessary, I can borrow Hope or Tara's."
"You don't want to come with us to track it down?" Ron asked, trying to tempt his friend into joining the expedition.
"No." Kim shook her head. "I think I'll stick around here and maybe hit the slopes."
"When are you planning on heading out?" Hope inquired, speaking to both Ron and Mr. Barkin.
"As soon as possible." Mr. Barkin responded, "You ready, Stoppable?"
"Yeah, Mr. B."
"Didn't you plan on hitting the slopes with Zita, Ron?" Tara queried, sounding a cautionary note, "Piece of advice, luv. If you make a first date with a pretty girl to go skiing with her, you had better keep it if you want a second date with that same girl or a first date with any other girl she knows."
"Good point." Ron nodded his head, "It might not be a bad idea to wait until tomorrow anyway—right, Mr. Barkin?"
"You snooze, you lose, Stoppable." Barkin growled, "I'm heading out."
"Ron…" Mrs. Possible interjected, offering her wisdom, "Tara's right. You better keep your date with that girl…"
"Sorry, Mr. Barkin." Ron shrugged his shoulders, "But I gotta keep my date." After first getting Kim's permission, the blond youth handed the Kimmunicator over to the substitute teacher. "Here, Mr. Barkin. You better take this in case you run into trouble."
"Your loss, Stoppable." Barkin quipped, taking the Kimmunicator as he and the dowdy woman seated next to him rose to their feet, "I'm going for the five Gs."
Looking down at Rufus, Ron whispered, "Can you keep an eye on him, little guy?"
"Can do!" The little mole-rat chittered as he took off after the burly teacher, slipping unnoticed into a camera bag.
Watching as the substitute teacher and strange woman left the lodge, Kim patted her best friend on the back of his hand. "You made the right decision, Ron."
"Hey, Ron." Zita, with a radiant smile on her face, called out as she came down the stairs with her snow skis. "Ready?"
His lips turning up in a big grin as he realized that, this time at least, he had made the right decision, Ron quickly responded, "Let's go!"
Mr. Barkin—In search of the snowbeast
"Where are you hiding?" Barkin murmured as he doublechecked the condition of his camera.
Chittering and pointing madly. Rufus tugged at the pants leg of the burly substitute teacher until he finally got the big man's attention. "Look! Big!"
"Those are some big footprints." Barkin commented as he snapped a picture of the footprints. "Good job, little guy. For that, I'm giving you Stoppable's share."
"Yeah." Rufus chattered as he scanned the area with his eyes. Spotting movement in the tree line, the rodent chittered, "Over here!"
"You see something, rodent?" Barkin queried as he crept towards the trees where a dog's head and upper body appeared.
Smiling as he spotted the dog, the substitute teacher called out, "Here boy!"
Panting, the dog came out of the tree revealing itself to be some sort of unholy combination between dog and lobster. The creature had the pincers of a lobster, along with six lobster legs and a lobster tail. "Yech…you are one ugly mother…" Readying his camera to snap a picture of the monstrosity, the teacher was momentarily stunned by a rumbling noise, followed quickly afterwards by a giant monster that was part rabbit and part rhinoceros.
"Down, boy!"
Turning towards the female voice, Barkin quietly activated the Kimmunicator so that Wade could see and hear what was happening. "Amy?" The teacher called out as the dog-lobster jumped into the arms of the pudgy black-haired woman flanked by two men whose heads were covered by hoods.
Pointing to the camera, Amy ordered her henchmen, "Get that camera!"
As the henchmen grabbed the camera, Mr. Barkin ripped the hood off of one and then the other. "My God!" He recoiled on seeing the hideous mutations. The first figure being that of a man with a pig's head and the second a man with the head of a bird. Stunned by what he saw, the former Marine spec-ops specialist didn't see the blow delivered to him by the burly pig-man, instantly knocking him out.
"Take him to the lab!" Amy ordered as she mounted the rhino-rabbit as Rufus, unseen by anyone, quietly slipped into Barkin's pocket.
Watching helplessly as the scene played out before his eyes, Wade quickly reacted, "Thankfully, Tara and Hope still have their Kimmunicators."