Double Entendre

by David Falkayn

An alternate universe take on the KP verse featuring Tara King. While it contains and mentions characters from the British TV series Avengers, it is not really a crossover. The story is rated M because of language and adult situations. No graphic sex, but it's clear what's going on and with whom. Multiple pairings-too many and varied to list. Story complete, posting in parts

30. Chapter 30: Family and Muscle Rings

Double Entendre

Chapter 24

Hope and Tara's House

Smiling warmly at her grandmother's and uncle's images on the large screen living room television set that doubled as a computer monitor, Tara took a deep breath before speaking, "Grandmama…Uncle John…I'm guessing that Wade filled you in on the news?"

"That he decrypted part of the discs?" The elder Tara King replied, "Yes, dear." Taking a deep breath, the older woman confessed, "As you've probably already guessed, we already knew that your mother had a sister and was from Middleton…"

"That's one of the reasons why I was asked to come here…wasn't it?" Tara asked, further inquiring, "Why didn't you tell me that my mother had a sister earlier?"

"We didn't want to put the Monroes at risk at the time." Tara's grandmother responded. "We thought the people who killed your parents were also after you. Had they known of your mother's sister they might have tried to use her to get to you."

"Are you sure it's safe for me to contact them now?" Tara inquired, further elaborating, "Hope and I are beginning to acquire quite the rogues gallery."

"That you have, my dear." Steed chuckled. His laughter fading, the retired British spy cautioned, "There is always some risk in bringing civilians into our world, but at the same time, it is also dangerous to wall yourself off from the wider world. Had you done that, you would not have discovered a most apt friend and partner…"

Smiling fondly at her best friend and housemate, Tara acknowledged, "Fair point, Uncle."

Taking over the narrative, the elder Tara interjected, "We dealt with those that killed your parents a long time ago, so any danger—other than the regular run of the mill sort of risks that come with being in this occupation—has most likely long past. It should be safe for you to contact them—although again, we would suggest that you exercise due caution." The elder Tara declared with a smile, "Besides, the Monroes might like knowing that they have a niece. I'd say go ahead and tell them, my dear. They should know."

"I agree with your grandmother, Sweetie." Steed interjected, adding his support. "If nothing else, you might learn a little more about your mother and family you didn't know before now."

Nodding her head, Tara replied, "Thanks. I'll consider it." After a moment's pause as she lit a fresh cigarette, the lovely blonde asked, "Oh…is there anything else about my parents I should know that you're not telling me."

"Yes, my dear. There is and it is important, and I am sorry we did not tell you earlier." Steed answered back, further explaining, "You see, you were born under very unusual circumstances."

"Unusual?" Tara asked, "What do you mean by 'unusual'?"

"Before she knew she was pregnant with you…" the elder Tara interjected, "…your mother was exposed to an unknown type of radiation while on a mission. At first, the doctors and specialists who examined her didn't notice any irregularities. However, as her pregnancy progressed, they noticed that there were…anomalies…in the amniotic fluid.'

"Anomalies?"

"Yes." Steed smoothly continued, "The specialists took blood samples from you and came up with some…curious…results." A slight smile appearing on his face, the retired British spy elaborated, "The aging process within you has been slowed down and you have a somewhat stronger immune system, slightly improved reflexes, and somewhat augmented strength."

"What are you trying to say?" Tara asked as she took a drag from her cigarette and exhaled, "That I'm some sort of super woman?"

"No." Steed shook his head. "Not really. You'll still age—just at a slightly slower rate. And you won't get sick as often and you have a somewhat stronger resistance to illnesses such as cancer and heart disease…but you're not invulnerable to disease or addiction or anything like that. So remember, my dear, everything in moderation. As I said, you're also a bit stronger and have faster reflexes and better endurance—but you're by no means superhuman."

"Was that why you and grandmama raised me?" Tara asked.

"No, my dear. That was only a secondary issue for us." John smiled. "We raised you after your parents died because we wanted to. We would have done so even if you didn't possess the abilities you do. Had we not been able to raise you for one reason or another though, your mother's sister and her husband would have taken custody of you."

"Is there anything else about me that you're not telling me?" Tara demanded as she put out her cigarette.

"Oh yes, my dear." Tara's grandmother responded, "A great deal. And I'm sorry we can't tell you everything now. But please…trust us…there is good reason why we are keeping things from you. When you finally do find out, you will understand. And please…always remember…I…we…love you."

Turning her head towards her best friend as the screen turned black, Hope asked, "Are you still planning on going to the Monroes after school?"

"I don't know." Tara responded with a sigh, "A part of me is curious about this aunt I never knew I had, but I also don't want to put her and her husband at risk. That barmy Scotsman Killigan has already shown that he's not concerned about putting innocent lives at risk to get at us. I don't want to give him more targets. And then there's MALUS. Do I have the right to put the Monroes in the crosshairs just to sate my curiosity?"

Hope smiled warmly at her best friend as she got up from the couch, returning a few moments later with fresh cups of coffee, "It's a hard call. Well, T…whatever you decide…you know I've got your back."

"I know." Tara smiled warmly at the raven-haired girl seated next to her, "And thank you. It means a lot to me."

"Anytime, bestie." Hope grinned, "Now, we better finish our coffee and get ready for school. I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to do detention this week. We've got stuff to do."

"Agreed." Tara laughed, "Time to get it in gear."

Middleton High

As the students filed into the classroom, an audible groan rose as instead of their regular teacher, Ms. Jenkins, they saw the burly form of the school's permanent substitute, Mr. Barkin.

"Take your seats!" The ex-Marine growled as he glared at the students quietly sitting down at their desks. "Listen up! Ms. Jenkins made the same mistake most first-year teachers make—she ate the cafeteria meatloaf."

"I was wondering who had the explosive diarrhea in the faculty bathroom yesterday." Hope snarked in a whisper to her best friend.

"So that was why they called in the hazmat team." Tara quipped back.

"All right, Dirty Pair!" Mr. Barkin snarled, "We can all do without the witty repartee." Turning his attention back to the class, the substitute announced, "We'll start off with a pop quiz."

"Ummm…Mr. Barkin?" Ron timidly raised his hand.

"What is it, Stoppable?"

"We were supposed to present our personal history projects today."

"Personal history project?" Mr. Barkin growled. "Is this some sort of New Age touchy-feely assignment?"

"It's a really great assignment!" Monique declared, "We each did a project about who we are."

"The only requirement was that we had fun doing it." Ron interjected.

"Have fun?" An incredulous Mr. Barkin exclaimed, "Have fun? No wonder the meatloaf got her! Ms. Jenkins is obviously too weak for this line of work." Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the burly substitute commanded, "All right. Bring on the projects." Turning his attention to the blond youth seated in between Kim Possible and Zita Flores, Barkin's lips turned up in a smug grin, "Stoppable…you can start us off."

"Glad to, Mr. B!" Ron announced gleefully as he got out of his seat and made his way to the front of the classroom where he activated the projector and loaded in his presentation.

"We all know that Ron Stoppable is the man…" Ron smirked as Zita barely repressed a giggle while Bonnie gritted her teeth, barely holding back the sarcastic retort forming on her lips. "This presentation will prove that. Here…boys and girls…is the Ron Stoppable Story—from birth to Bar Mitzvah and beyond!" Seeing a mixture of curious, skeptical, and downright hostile looks as he began his presentation, Ron pressed on.

"Many of you are probably unfamiliar with Jewish traditions such as the Bar Mitzvah. When a boy turns thirteen years old, we have a ferociously cool ceremony. You go to temple, read from the Torah, and boom! You're a man! My rabbi even printed out a souvenir certificate which he signed."

Smirking, Mr. Barkin interrupted, "Correction. Which he did not sign."

Ignoring the smirks appearing on Bonnie's, Monique's, and Marcella's faces, Ron sputtered in disbelief, "No way! That's impossible! Rabbi Katz…" the young man looked at the certificate with the area where the rabbi's signature should have been and sighed dejectedly, "…definitely did not sign it."

Mr. Barkin, feeling a moment's pity on seeing the utterly forlorn look on the young man's face, consoled, "Some would say that the fact that you read the Torah before the congregation was what was important."

"Really?" Ron exclaimed only to have his hopes dashed by his teacher dropping the other shoe.

"Some might…but I don't." Barkin declared with a grim look on his face. "I'm a stickler for detail and I see an unsigned certificate. Now…the question is…what are you going to do about it? Next person." Nodding his head as Oscar stood up and made his way to the front of the class, Mr. Barkin announced, "All right, Willemsen, let's hear your story."

Taking his seat, Ron smiled sadly as Zita took his hand in hers, "Guess I'm still not a man." He whispered to his girlfriend.

Lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper, Zita answered back, "Don't give me that bullshit, Ron. You're a man and then some. All you have to do is go to Rabbi Katz and tell him to sign that damned certificate and then come back here and shove it in Barkin's face. Right?"

"Right." Ron replied, his good humor beginning to return, "Rabbi Katz probably just forgot it. All I have to do is go to him and ask him to sign it."

"Thank you Willemsen. Very well done." Mr. Barkin praised as the wrestler took his seat. Turning to the Dirty Pair, a slight smirk crossed the teacher's lips, "All right, Ms. Rossi. Your turn."

"Shit." Hope muttered in a low voice, "This is gonna suck rocks." Taking a deep breath, the lovely raven-haired cheerleader got up out of her seat just as the end of class bell rang.

"Don't think you got away with anything, Rossi." Mr. Barkin stated as the other students got out of their seats. "You're first up on Monday."

As the students filed out of the classroom, Kim, joining her two friends, looked on with concern as Ron walked away, talking quietly with Zita. "I'm glad he's got Zita." The redhead remarked as she and the Dirty Pair walked down the hallway together. "I've got to admit, she's better at calming him down than I ever was."

"It's not so much that she's better…" Tara commented, "It's that she can offer a different perspective than you can."

"How so?" Kim asked as the trio stopped off at their lockers.

"Well, luv…" The lovely blonde explained, "You two have a long history together. While in a lot of ways, that makes it easier for the two of you to read each other when one of you has a problem, it can also sometimes get in the way…"

"Because we know each other so well." Kim nodded her head, "I see what you mean. What about you, Hope? How are you feeling?"

"About having to talk about my fam?" Hope sighed, "I wasn't feeling very good about it at first. I can talk about the brats okay…I mean I might call them names, but I really do love them. But Mom and Dad…" The raven-haired cheerleader shook her head, "The less said about them, the better. I was considering blowing off the assignment and taking the zero, but my bestie suggested an alternative…"

"What is that American saying?" Tara chuckled, "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance…"

"Baffle them with bullshit." Kim laughed. "Well…I doubt Mr. Barkin's going to call your family or anything like that. Just give him what he wants to hear—something dry, boring, and detailed, and he'll at least give you a passing grade."

"And that's all I need to get a decent grade in this class." Hope finished.

"So…" Tara quipped as the three girls made their way towards the gym. "Tea after practice?"

Drakken and Shego

"We have to move quickly if I'm to possess the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer." Drakken announced to his superhuman sidekick as his henchmen assembled.

"What's the big deal about this Pan-Dimensional doohickey anyway?" Shego snarked as she hurried the henchmen to their stations. "Why do you want it?"

"It's mine by right!" Drakken declared, "And with it, I can blackmail the world to submit to me. If the countries of the Earth do not make me Emperor of the World, I will unleash such havoc that the world has never seen before!" Spying the object of his desire, the blue-skinned villain grinned evilly. "There it is!"

Unfortunately, before Drakken or his sidekick could retrieve the device, a voice with a thick German accent bellowed, "Victory is mine!"

"Dementor!" Dr. Drakken exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"I have stolen the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer!" The pint-sized villain replied as he triumphantly held the object in his hands.

"No!" Drakken shouted in protest, "It's mine!"

Laughing, Dementor shouted back as he and his henchmen activated their jetpacks and flew away, "It is mine now!"

Gritting his teeth as his rival escaped with the object of his desire, Drakken commanded his sidekick, "Find out where Dementor went. The Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer will be mine! This I swear!"

Returning to his lair, Drakken scowled as he and Shego inspected his henchmen. "Inadequate. Completely inadequate!" Shaking his head as one of the henchmen scratched his rear, the blue-skinned mad scientist sighed, "I stand corrected. Not inadequate—embarrassing!"

Shego shrugged her shoulders as she barely maintained a stoic expression on her face. "You should do what Dementor and the others do…go to Jack Hench."

"No." Drakken shook his head. "Leaving out the fact that his rates are too high, one or more of Hench's temps are most likely leaking secrets from whoever contracts with him back to Hench."

"That's more than likely." Shego reluctantly conceded, "But, you also get what you pay for. If you want good people, you're going to have to pay top dollar and it's going to cost you more if you do it on your own rather than contracting out." Seeing an opportunity, the green-skinned supervillainess let out a breath of air. "All right…if you want, I'll sneak into his research facility and see if I can get away with some free samples."

"Excellent!" Drakken smirked, "Steal me something good."

Lady Diana's Tea Shoppe

"So…are you going to see the Monroes?" Kim asked her blonde fellow cheerleader as she poured cream into her tea and stirred.

"I haven't decided yet." Tara admitted. "One the one hand, there's my curiosity about my mother and the fact that I have an aunt I didn't know that I had before. On the other, there's the very real danger of them being dragged into the game by some plonker who thinks they can use them to get to me."

"I know what you mean." Kim sighed, "At first, the bad guys pretty much laid off my family. But recently, Drakken's been targeting my father and…well…you remember what happened at Halloween and then just recently with Monkey Fist—although, to be fair to Monty, he didn't really threaten my Dad to get to me. Dad and the others were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Drakken has gone out of his way to go after my father. Sooner or later…" The lovely redhead shook her head, "I'm afraid he might decide to go after Mom and/or the Tweebs."

"The Monroes live pretty close to where Steve lives." Jessica pointed out as she joined the conversation. "You could pretend like you're giving me a lift to his place and then go on to their house."

"That's not a bad idea, bestie." Hope interjected, "I could bring Sergei, Liz, and Kevin in my car and as far as anyone else would know, we're working on the project in Barkin's class."

"That'll work." Tara nodded her head. "I'll give the Monroes a call when we get home and set everything up for tomorrow."

"Cool." Kim exclaimed with a broad smile on her face, "Let me know how things go."

"What are you going to be doing?" Jessica asked with a wicked grin.

"Josh is taking me to a concert in Upperton." Kim smiled, "It's a fusion band…Salvaged Beauty. Josh played me one of their albums. They're pretty good…at least what I remember listening to between makeout sessions."

"Uh…Huh." Hope grinned, "Why do I get the feeling you're not going to remember too much about the concert either?"

"Probably not." Kim laughed and then inquired, "So, Hope, what are your plans before going to Steve's with everyone else?"

"I've got a lunch meeting tomorrow with my Aunt Lucinda and then we're going to go see my brothers at the park." Hope replied with an audible sigh.

"Your Aunt Lucinda's the cool aunt—right?" Kim asked.

"Yeah." Hope's lips turned up in a warm grin as she sipped her tea. "And…believe it or not…I'm looking forward to seeing the brats—even if dealing with Mom comes with them."

"I know what you mean." Kim responded in a sympathetic tone. "The Tweebs might be brats, but they are my brothers and that's what's important." Turning to the other redhead at the table, the teen hero quipped in a friendly, yet teasing, voice, "So…teach Kevin any new gambits?"

Smirking, Liz replied, "He's a lot smoother in his opening strategy and his middle game is very…" the redhead practically purred, "…solid. He still needs to work on his back bra unclip technique though."

"Yeah." Jessica sighed, "That was a tough one for Steve too."

"Josh also." Kim remarked, "I wonder why guys have such a hard time with that one. I mean you reach back, unclip, and they're free. What's the big deal?"

"Darling…" Tara chuckled, "Most boys are all thumbs and nerves when it comes to that. That's why they need practice—lots of practice."

"Even Sergei?" Kim giggled.

"Sweetie, we both had to work with Sergei before he finally got to the point where he could do it smoothly."

"You know what they say…" Hope laughed, "Practice makes perfect."

Stoppable Home—that evening

Ron took a deep breath as he saw that tonight would be one of those rare occasions in which both his parents would be at home and that they both seemed to be in a good mood. "Let's see how good a mood they're going to be in after I drop this on them." He grumbled to himself in a low voice as he approached his parents who were at that moment seated in the living room watching TV.

"What is it, Ron?" Jean Stoppable queried as she glanced up at her son.

Handing his mother the unsigned certificate, Ron declared in a bitter voice, "I thought that when I got my Bar-Mitzvah I was supposed to be considered a man. Instead, I've been living a lie…"

"Don't be so dramatic, Ron!" Jean sighed, "You were thirteen when you had your ceremony. It's just tradition and it means you can study deeper if you want to. It doesn't affect whether you're a man or not. Besides…you're not that religious anyway." She commented with a shrug of her shoulders, "I'm surprised that it matters this much to you."

"If it makes you feel any better, Son…" Gene said as he lowered his newspaper, "You can always stop by the temple tomorrow and get Rabbi Katz to sign it."

"It'll have to wait until next week." Jean interjected, "He's at that rabbinical conference in Las Vegas…remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Gene nodded his head as he turned his head to his son, "Looks like you'll have to wait until next week."

Barely holding back a snort of derision, Ron answered back, "Thanks. I'm going to my room."

Picking up his phone, Ron hit the speed dial for his girlfriend, "Hey, Zita. Got a few minutes?"

"Sure Ron." Zita replied, "How did it go with your parents?"

"About the way I expected it to go." Ron sighed. "They weren't any help at all. Mom just rubbed my nose in it and Dad just told me to see Rabbi Katz when he gets back from Vegas."

"Ron…" Zita consoled, "You don't need a stupid piece of paper to prove you're a man. Like I told you at school, as far as I'm concerned, you're already a man. I knew that when I saw what you did in that mad scientist's lab and a bunch of other times. So…screw your parents…screw Barkin…and screw Rabbi Katz. You're a man." Her voice then took on a teasing quality, "You showed me that a few nights ago…I'm still tingling…"

His gloom momentarily lifted, Ron replied with a sensuous growl, "I couldn't help myself…it was like my hands had a mind of their own."

"Well…we're gonna have to let them play more often…aren't we?" Zita flirted as she saw that she had accomplished her mission, "So…now that we're in the mood…what else do you wanna do with those hands?"

Hope

Hope quickly spotted her aunt as she entered Carlotta's Sandwiches, a small downtown bistro famous for its deli sandwiches. Walking to the table where an attractive dark haired woman in her thirties sat, the raven-haired cheerleader smiled, "Hi Aunt Lucinda. I thought the boys would be with you."

"They're at the park with their mother right now." Hope's aunt replied. Seeing the frown on her favorite niece's face, she quickly added, "She promised she wouldn't cause any trouble. All she wants to do is talk to you about your great-grandfather."

"What about Poppa Nicky?" Hope asked as a lump formed in her throat.

"He…ummm…we only just found out ourselves…" Lucinda stammered, "He passed on this morning. He went to bed like normal then when the nurse came in to give him his morning meds, she found him dead."

"Do they know the cause of death?" Hope inquired as she reached in her purse for a tissue.

"Yes." Her aunt nodded her head, "Natural causes. He was ninety-two, you know. They said he died in his sleep. They're having the funeral Mass on Monday at St. Catherine of Siena's."

"I'd like to come…" Hope declared, "But…"

"Your mom promised that she and your Dad would behave themselves." Lucinda announced, "And I'll be there too to make sure they do."

"Thanks." Hope sighed with relief on hearing her aunt's comforting words, "Do you know what Mom wants to talk to me about concerning Poppa Nicky?"

"She said something about wanting to show you some pictures she found and I guess she has a couple of stories about her and him that she hasn't told you." Lucinda replied, further urging, "Look, I know you and Elena are having problems and yeah, I know my sister lets Gino run all over her, but she does love you and she's not a bad person—or a bad mother."

"I know." Hope let out a breath. "And I know not everything that happened was her fault." Her lips turned up a wry grin, she declared, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to go and see her today."

Smiling broadly, Lucinda took out her credit card and paid the bill, "That's my favorite niece. Come on, your mom and brothers are waiting."

Middleton Park

"Hope! I'm glad you decided to come!" Elena Rossi said with a shy smile as she got up from the park bench where she had been sitting. "Boys! Your sister's here!" She called out to two little boys playing on a jungle gym. "Come over and say hi!" Turning back to her estranged daughter, the dark-haired mother asked, "How are you doing? You look well."

"Mom." Hope murmured in a soft, polite, voice. Then, hearing her name called out by two loud voices, the lovely cheerleader turned about, smiling broadly as she knelt down and hugged her brothers. "Nicky! Bobby! You two burn down the school yet?"

"Not yet." Nicky replied with a big grin.

"They're always watching us." Bobby complained with a frown.

"That's because they released all the lab rats from their cages last month." Elena grumbled as she tried in vain to keep a smile from appearing on her face.

Smiling down at her brothers, Hope quipped, "They'd have to call out the National Guard if you two menaces ever got together with Kim's brothers."

Seeing the calculating looks on her sons' faces, Elena quickly ordered, "All right you two—go back and play. I want to talk to your sister about grown up stuff." As the boys rushed back to the jungle gym, Elena turned to her daughter, giving her an apologetic look, "I'm sorry about everything…I just wish that…"

Holding up her hand, Hope quickly interrupted, "No, Mom…Don't. It's too late for that now." Softening her voice tone and facial expression as she saw her mother's tears, the raven-haired cheerleader sighed, "I know it's not your fault, Mom, but I'm never going to be the daughter you want me to be." Changing the subject, Hope inquired, "So…Aunt Lucinda told me about Poppa Nicky."

"Yes." Elena nodded her head once as she dried out her eyes with a tissue. "He passed on last night. Opening a large handbag, the older woman took out what appeared to be a photo album. I brought along some pictures and other memorabilia. I was thinking that…if you want…we can look through them together while the boys play, and then you can take any of the pictures you want to…you know as keepsakes…"

Her lips now turned up in a warm smile as she accepted the olive branch offered by her mother, Hope gave the older woman a quick embrace. "I'd like that, Mom."

"Great." Elena smiled as mother, daughter, and aunt sat down on the park bench. Opening the album, the older woman grinned as she pointed to a young, handsome, dark-haired man wearing a World War Two era US Army uniform with a garrison cap and sergeant's stripes on the sleeves. "That's Poppa Nicky." Elena declared, "Only back then, everyone called him Nicky D, cause his full name was Nicky Damiano.

"I can see why great-grandmother fell for him." Hope observed, "He was good looking back then."

"Oh yeah." Elena laughed, "He had a reputation—and not always a good one."

"What do you mean?" Hope, not knowing a whole lot about the Rossi family history beyond her parents, inquired.

"Your grandfather…my father…and later on, your father, didn't like anyone talking about it." Elena explained, "You see, your great-grandfather joined the Army after Pearl Harbor in '41. Before that, he was involved with La Cosa Nostra." Seeing the surprised look on her daughter's face, Elena quickly elaborated, "Oh, he wasn't a made man or anything like that. He just ran errands for Lucky Luciano's gang—mostly the numbers and kept watch when deliveries were being made…low level stuff like that. He wasn't involved in any of the uglier parts of the rackets."

"I take it he got arrested a time or two."

"Oh yeah." Elena nodded her head, "The local cops knew him by name. If he hadn't enlisted in the Army…" The dark-haired mother shook her head, "He probably would have become a made man." Pointing at another picture, this time of Nicky wearing civilian clothing standing next to a man wearing a tailored suit who had his arm on his shoulders. "That's a picture of Nicky with Lucky Luciano." Turning the album, Mrs. Rossi pointed to another picture. "This was taken after Poppa Nicky returned home and met your great-grandmother. It was love at first sight." The older woman's lips turned up in a winsome grin.

"She's wearing a pretty necklace." Hope commented as she pointed to the pendant around her great-grandmother's neck.

"I've got it locked up in a special jewelry case with some other mementos from your great-grandmother and grandmother." Elena said as she placed a tentative hand on her daughter's lower arm. "After I pass on, it goes to you…" Seeing the surprised look on her daughter's face, Elena lowered her voice, "I know I haven't been the best mother to you, and I'm sorry, but I do love you and you are my daughter—no matter what your father says. When it's my turn to join your grandmother and great-grandmother, I want you to have it."

"I…don't know what to say…" Hope muttered, her face reddening. "After what happened, I thought you…"

"Hated you?" Elena shook her head, "I could never hate you, mia figlia! Do I approve of the way you live your life? No. I worry about you…a lot. I wish that you would find some nice doctor or lawyer one day and get married and give me lots of bambinos to play with…"

"Mom…" Hope cautioned.

"I'm sorry, mia figlia!" Elena quickly apologized. I'm making a mess of it again, aren't I? I don't mean to. I can't remember the last time I saw you in Mass and I wish you'd go to confession, but I could never hate you or wish ill of you. I disagree with your father's decision to make you leave, but…he is the capofamiglia…the head of the house. What could I do?"

Shaking her head, Lucinda gently chided, "You've always been too much of a traditionalist, Elena. You let Gino walk all over you."

Intervening before her mother could speak and once again ignite a long-running argument between the two sisters, Hope declared, "What's done is done and I'm happy living with Tara and being independent." Smiling warmly at her mother, the lovely cheerleader thanked her, "Thank you, Mom and…if it won't cause too much of a scene…I'd like to come to the funeral Mass."

Smiling back at her daughter, Elena vowed, "I promise…there won't be a problem. I'll speak with Father Sebastian and both he and I will talk to Gino."

"Then…" Hope smiled back as she rose to her feet, "I guess I'll see you at the funeral Mass." Hugging her mother, the independent teenager sobbed, "I love you, Momma."

"I love you too, mia figlia."

Possible House

"Hey Kim…is Ron with you:?" Wade's image appearing on both teenagers Kimmunicators, Kim replied.

"Yeah. What's the sitch?"

"Take three guesses who just hit up your website." Wade's lips turned up in a wide grin.

"Hit us, Wade." Ron interjected as he scratched the back of his neck.

"None other than Jack Hench himself." The young computer genius announced with a flourish.

"Can you please give us a rundown on Hench, Wade?" Kim asked as she smoothly shifted gears to work mode. Ron, seeing the serious look on his best friend's face, also shifted mode as the goofy grin disappeared.

"Officially, and as far as the general public is concerned, the man's a total mystery." Wade elaborated, "However, Global Justice and many of the world's intelligence agencies have very extensive files on him. Besides various legitimate businesses—most of which earn him a hefty profit on their own, he's a contractor and broker for not only supervillains like Professor Dementor, but he's also tied in with MALUS as well as the drug cartels and a few terrorist organizations. He's also been contracted to do the occasional odd black bag job for certain governments wanting plausible deniability—including our own."

"That's why he's still allowed to operate openly without worrying about being arrested and why he's permitted to keep his legitimate businesses." Kim sourly noted with a frown.

"Not to mention his private jet." Wade added flippantly.

"So…what could he possibly want with us?" Kim asked.

"He wants to meet with you at his corporate headquarters." Wade responded.

"It's gotta be a trap." Ron declared with a scowl.

"Gotta go with Ron on this one, Kim." Wade announced, agreeing with the blond teenager.

"Hmmm…" Kim mused as she weighed her options. "I don't think this is a trap. But…he might be setting us up for one later on down the line. I think we should hear him out and see what he wants and we can go on from there."

"Might not be a bad idea to have Tara and Hope on call just in case." Ron suggested.

Smiling at her best friend, Kim nodded her head in agreement, "Good idea, Ron." Hitting the speed dial on her Kimmunicator, Kim smiled as the image of her friend appeared on the screen. "Hey, Tara. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

"Not at all, luv." The British cheerleader responded with a wide grin on her face, "I'm just getting ready to meet my new auntie. What can I do for you?"

Filling the blonde agent on the details of her conversation with Wade concerning Jack Hench, Kim importuned, "I was wondering if you might know anything about Hench or his operations that could help us out…you know…give us an idea what to expect. Do you think he's setting a trap for us and could we ask you and Hope to be ready to back us up if we call?"

"Of course you can call us, Kim." Tara replied reassuringly. "And as far as Hench setting a trap for you…I don't think so. At least not this time. However, he might well throw a test at you to give him an idea as to your capabilities, so be on guard for that."

"What sort of test are we talking about?" Ron quipped, "Essay? Multiple choice?"

"Practical." Tara riposted. "As in you walking into a room and then being jumped by some of his goons."

"How many and how good?" Kim asked.

"No more than five or six, I'd say." Tara answered back, "And they'll most likely be competent enough to give you a fair workout and beat you if you're careless, but I doubt he's going to put you up against his best—at least not now."

"So…be on the lookout whenever we're brought to an empty room." Kim chuckled, "Anything else?"

"Yeah." Tara replied, "You've attracted his attention which means your reputation has grown. He probably wants to get a feel for what sort of person you are—strengths, weaknesses, vices that might be exploitable, whether you could be bought and if so, at how high a price. And before you say that you can't be bought, think again because Hench can offer some very tempting inducements."

"I take it you're speaking from experience." Kim observed.

"Yeah." Tara honestly responded. "He hired me for a job he'd contracted for a certain unnamed government. It's what we call a grey op—stealing intel from one good guy for another—believe it or not, the good guys spy on each other all the time and will run ops against each other on occasion. No one got hurt or killed in the op and I got a nice paycheck, a diamond choker, and a weekend of partying, gambling, and wild sex in Vegas. One important thing about Hench: While he doesn't always keep to the spirit of his word or any agreement he might make with you, he'll always keep to the letter of it and he will honor the terms of the contract. So…if you do decide to do business with him—make sure that everything is clear and specific before you sign or shake his hand and that you don't give him any wiggle room."

"Thanks for the heads up, Tara." Kim said appreciatively to her friend. "We'll keep our ears and eyes open and if we run into anything we can't handle; we'll send up a flare. Good luck meeting the new relatives."

"Thanks, Kim." Tara replied with a sigh, "I have to admit, luv, I'm a little nervous. It's one thing breaking into a vault and swiping the emerald necklace a drug lord had planned to give his mistress; it's another to meet an aunt and uncle you've never known you've had until now."

"It'll be okay." Kim consoled in a soothing voice. "They're going to love you. Just be yourself."

"All I can be, luv." Tara chuckled, "Take care."

"You too." Turning to her best friend, Kim flashed a smile, "Ready to pay Jack Hench a visit, Ron?"

"Let's boogie."

Tara and Hope's Place

"I'm sorry about your great-grandfather." Tara said consolingly as Hope showed her best friend a picture of the old man taken a few years ago and another one of him as a young man wearing his Army uniform. "From what you've told me about him, he sounded like he was a good bloke."

"I didn't know him that well." Hope confessed, "The last time I saw him was…" She paused and took a sip of wine as she tried to remember, "It was when I was six…maybe seven. Momma Julia…his wife…had died recently. Mom and Dad wanted him to move in with us, but he wanted to stay where he was…I guess he didn't want to leave Momma Julia…"

"Sounded like they were really in love." Tara commented in a low voice as Hope showed her a picture of her great-grandparents together.

"I guess so." Hope replied, "They look like they are in this photo. I wish I had the chance to get to know them better."

"Yeah." Tara sighed, "I know what you mean. I've seen pictures of my parents, but…" She shook her head as she took a sip of her gin and tonic and lit a cigarette.

Giving her best friend a hug, Hope murmured, "At least I had the chance to see them, but you didn't even get that. And here I am feeling sorry for myself."

"Hey, mate. No tears." Tara smiled at her bestie. "You have your pictures of them. I've got pictures of my parents, and I'm going to see my mum's sister who's probably got scores of stories to tell me about her when she was growing up—so it's all good, right?"

"Right." Hope smiled before tentatively requesting, her voice tone really more of a plea, "Ummm…can I get you to come with me to the funeral? I think I'm gonna need my best friend with me when I meet the fam."

Smiling at her housemate, Tara embraced her, "Of course, luv. You don't even have to ask. Now…" She quipped as she put out her cigarette, "We need to get ready. I've got to pick up Jessica and you need to pick up Liz and Kevin."

"So…what are we waiting for?" Hope smiled back, "Let's go."

HenchCo HQ

"So this is where Dementor, Senor, and the other villains get their muscle." Kim muttered to her best friend as they entered the plush lobby and walked to the reception desk where a slender man sat. "Hello?" Kim smiled at the receptionist, "Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable to see Mr. Hench. I believe we have an appointment."

Checking his computer screen, the receptionist typed on his keyboard and nodded his head. "Ms. Possible? Mr. Hench apologizes for not meeting you at once, but he's been detained in a late meeting. He asks that you meet him in conference room five."

"Where would that be?" Kim asked politely.

"Down the hall…turn left…third door on the right." The receptionist responded as he marked the location on a map that he gave the teen hero.

"Thank you!" Kim grinned as she motioned for her friend to join her.

"So far…so good." Ron quipped, "No goons jumping us."

"Yet." Kim cautioned as they headed down the hallway. "But keep alert. Remember what Tara said."

Nodding his head, Ron answered back as he pointed to a door marked Conference Room Five. "How much you wanna bet there are a half dozen goons waiting in there to jump us?"

"Sucker bet." Kim responded with a crooked grin as she took a small sphere and two pairs of what appeared at first sight to be sunglasses out of her purse. "Smoke bomb." She explained as she handed him one of the pair of glasses, "These will help see through the smoke. Tara gave them to me along with my new mission clothes. They came in from London a few days ago."

"Thanks." Ron said as he put on the glasses. His lips turned up in a sarcastic grin, the blond youth joked, "Have you tried on your new outfit yet?"

"Yeah." Kim replied with a wicked grin, "I modeled it for Josh a couple of days ago. It got the desired reaction…"

"I'll bet." Ron laughed. Then, turning to the door, he gestured, "Ladies first."

"Always." Kim joked back as she opened the door to reveal what appeared to be an empty conference room with a long table and chairs in the middle of the room. "So far…so normal." Kim murmured as she and her partner entered the room.

"Grande nacho platter at Bueno Nachos we get jumped the moment we get to the table." The sandy-haired young man laughed.

"You're on." Kim responded with a smirk as the pair approached the table. As they reached the long table, doors on either side of the room opened to reveal a half-dozen men clad in black suits and wearing black ski masks that completely covered their heads.

"Looks like you owe me one Grande platter." Ron jibed as his partner activated the smoke bomb by throwing it at the floor. Moving quickly, the young man shouted as he dodged and kicked one of the goons. "I've got the ones on the left."

"Okay." Kim shouted back as she vaulted over the table and pile-drove into one of the masked assailants, "I've got these fuckers on the right." Wincing as a blow from another attacker hit her, Kim responded with a back kick. "Watch out…these assholes aren't Drakken's pond scum."

"I noticed that." Ron shouted back as he shook off a punch from a heavy-set henchman. Dodging and rolling, the young man, seeing a stapler on the table, picked it up and threw it at his attacker, hitting him in the head and stunning him. Striking quickly, Ron felled the big man as he cautioned, "They hit like trucks."

"Tell me about it." Kim breathed heavily as she delivered a series of blows to the last man standing against her, finally bringing him down. "I haven't had this good a workout in a long time." Smirking as her opponent slipped down to the floor unconscious, she called out to her friend, "How're you doing? Need a hand?"

"Nah…" Ron yelled back as he felled his adversary. "I've got this." Nodding his head in satisfaction as the last of the villains went down, Ron joined his partner who was at that moment sitting down on the unconscious body of one of her attackers. Seeing her wipe away a trace of blood from her mouth, he asked in a concerned voice, "You okay?"

"Fine." Kim, wiping the blood from her lips and looking up as she took out a flask from its hiding place inside her boot and opening it, took a healthy swig of tequila. "It's just a scratch. No big." She smiled as she handed the flask to her friend, "Want a drink?"

"No thanks." Ron smiled back, "I don't want to pass out after one swig." Shaking his head at the sight of the comatose bodies strewn about the floor, the young man commented with a grin. "Looks like we owe Tara a night out."

"Yeah." Kim nodded her head as she took another swig from her flask before closing it and putting it back in its hiding place. "She pegged it." Looking up and spotting a small camera lens, she gave her partner a slight nudge, "I hope we gave Hench a good show."

"I'm sure we did." Ron laughed as he sat down next to his friend on the knocked out henchman. "I wonder what he's got in store for us next."

Chuckling, Kim responded, "Guess we'll find out soon."

Watching the brawl playing out on a television monitor in his office, Jack Hench spoke to a woman dressed in a well-tailored suit standing next to him. "What do you think, Della?"

"She's good. But we already knew that." The woman replied, "You can also clearly see the results of both of them training with King and her associate. But…if you're looking to get her to work for us?" She shook her head, "I don't think that's going to be a likely possibility—no matter how big the suitcase full of money you open up in front of her or how big the bills are."

"You're absolutely right." The mercenary contractor, himself clad in a tailored Armani suit, acknowledged. "She cannot be bought with money—no matter how much we offer."

"I doubt sex or any of the other vices would work on her either." Della commented drolly.

"Hmmm…I would agree with you for now…but I see an untamed wildness in her just waiting to burst out." Hench mused, gesturing with a slight incline of his head as the pair watched the young redhead take a swig from her flask, "I've got a feeling that what she's drinking isn't Kool-aid."

"So…" The ginger-haired assistant asked, "What is her Achilles heel?"

The smirk still on his face, Jack Hench replied, "Isn't it obvious, Della? We appeal to her through her need to help others. Her altruism is both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness. Now…it is time I introduced myself to our guests."

"And the test squad?" Della inquired as she inclined her head at the fallen henchmen on her monitor.

"Keep them at mid-grade." Her boss replied, "They should prove adequate for Senor's purposes. Except for that one…" He pointed to the henchman that had landed a hard punch on the redheaded teen hero. "Place him in advanced training. Let's see if he can meet our new employer's needs."

"Yes, Sir." The ginger-haired assistant acknowledged as she left the room.

Smiling at the two young teenagers on his monitor, Jack Hench muttered to himself, "Time to see if you're everything I've heard you are, Ms. Possible."

Entering the conference room, Jack Hench's lips turned up in a polite smile on spotting his two guests, now seated in chairs around the conference table as their opponents quietly filed out of the conference room rubbing various bumps and bruises as they did so.

"I'm sorry about the confusion…" The mercenary contractor uttered in an ingratiating voice, "But the receptionist sent you to the wrong conference room. He was supposed to send you to Room 5A. We were using this room for advanced training."

"Well, I hope your employees learned something from the training session." Kim smirked.

"One can hope, my dear." Hench replied, the grin still on his face. "I see my reports on you don't do you or your partner any justice, Ms. Possible."

"So…" Kim drawled in a suspicious tone of voice, "Why did you ask us to come here?"

"Oh…" Hench chuckled, "For nothing nefarious, I promise you." The smile disappearing from his face, he continued, "I read on your website that you help people. You see…and you'll understand that this is not an easy thing for me to ask of you…I need your help."

"It depends on the type of help you need." Kim responded as the mercenary contractor sat down at the table opposite her, fishing a ring out of his coat pocket.

"Do you know what this is?"

"A ring." Ron snorted.

Kim shook her head, "That's not just a ring, Ron. I remember reading about this in one of Dad's journals when I was working on that paper for science class." Turning her attention to Hench, she inquired in a sweet voice, "It operates on the molecular level—right?"

Nodding his head, the middleman's lips turned up in an insincere grin, "Most perceptive of you, Ms. Possible. It's a molecular muscle enhancer."

"You mean it makes muscles instantly appear?" Ron exclaimed, "That's cool!"

Laughing, Hench quipped, "That was what most of my R & D team said. Anyway…" The smooth-talking Hench declared, getting to the point of the meeting. "A few days ago, a mutual acquaintance of ours, one Ms. Shego, broke into my establishment and stole all of the rings except for the one I'm now holding in my hand."

"Okay, Mr. Hench, you have my interest. Go on."

"I'm assuming she's doing it under the orders of her current employer—Dr. Drakken." Hench explained. "The man refuses to use my services…insists that my rates are too high. What he fails to understand is that you get what you pay for." Favoring his guest with his smarmiest grin, the mercenary contractor remarked, "Now…tell me the truth, Ms. Possible. Did you not find my employees at least a bit more of a challenge than the henchmen you normally dispose of in your encounters with Drakken."

"A bit more." Kim conceded, "But nothing we couldn't handle."

"And handle very well." Hench acknowledged ingratiatingly. "But those were just our silver-tier employees. We also have gold tier and a smaller—and much more expensive—platinum tier for our clients."

"So…why not send your gold or platinum tier employees after Drakken?" Kim demanded.

Sighing, Hench replied, "I'm a businessman who provides a service. That service depends on several factors. One of which being that I must maintain my clients' confidence in my abilities to provide my services."

"And having those rings stolen out from under you would wipe that confidence out." Ron interjected.

Nodding his head, Hench admitted, "Somewhat…yes. I would have to engage in some hefty PR work and—temporarily, at least—offer increased inducements. All of which would cut into my profit margin. Besides…" He added in a placating voice, "There is another reason I need those rings returned as quickly as possible. You see…while the molecular enhancer does increase muscle mass and strength…"

"Instant muscles." Kim interrupted with a snort, "Very convenient for someone looking for bruisers, but I'm betting there's a downside to using that ring that you're about to tell us."

"Very astute of you, Ms. Possible." Hench acknowledged. "Prolonged use of the ring carries with it certain….undesirable…side effects."

"Such as?" Ron interjected.

"Well…besides the short and long term side effects that accompany anabolic steroid abuse which you can read about on your own if you're interested…" Hench responded, "…the same molecular processes that enhance muscle growth also cause a deterioration in the cerebral cortex which can result in a variety of problems including dementia, aphasia, and other neurological diseases."

"Did Shego know all this?" Kim asked.

"No." Hench shook his head as his lips turned up in a slight smile, "Before her current long term contract with Drakken, I had contracted Ms. Go's services for a variety of clients. She has a solid reputation in the business for keeping to her end of a contract and for possessing a certain code, the boundaries of which I am very careful not to cross. I know that she would not have willingly taken those rings had she known about the side effects. It is safe to say that she does not know and were she to find out…"

"She'd hit the ceiling." Kim concluded.

"Before or after hitting Drakken?" Ron joked with a laugh that even drew a genuine smile of amusement from their host.

"So…Ms. Possible?" Hench asked, "Will you help me to get those rings back?"

Taking a deep breath, Kim nodded her head, "Yes, Mr. Hench. We'll recover the rings. However…" She cautioned, "Only on the condition that I can return them to Global Justice. I'd feel safer with the Director holding them rather than you."

Exhaling, the mercenary contractor reluctantly agreed, "Very well, Ms. Possible. Once you recover the rings, you may give them to Global Justice. Will there be anything else?" He asked, signaling that the meeting had come to an end.

"No, Sir." Kim politely responded, "Thank you for your time."

"No…thank you, Ms. Possible." Hench politely responded, the smarmy grin returning to his face, "It's a pleasure doing business with you. Here's to what I hope will be a long and mutually profitable partnership."

Joining her boss in the conference room after their guests had departed, Della remarked with a grin, "So…the appeal to her altruism worked?"

"Yes…" Jack nodded his head before further qualifying, "But she was cautious. Please add the following to Ms. Possible's dossier, Ms. Traynor: While appealing to her altruism is probably still the best means of securing Ms. Possible's cooperation for contract work, it appears that she has developed an increased ability to discern underlying motives and agendas than previously thought. In all probability, this is due to her close association with Ms. King and Ms. Rossi in combination with her recent experiences in dealing with the more…unpleasant…aspects of our business. Should she survive long enough, I see a very successful career in the business for Ms. Possible."

"I'll have it taken care of, Sir." The loyal aide responded, further inquiring, "Did she ascertain the real reason why you asked her to recover the rings or why you were so willing to give them up to Global Justice?"

His lips turning up in a smug grin, Hench replied as he straightened his tie, "No. The rings…in and of themselves…were essentially a failed experiment unless all you want are legions of psychotic addicted cannon fodder and there are easier and more time-tested methods of securing that. The cost to produce the rings, combined with the deleterious side effects, make them more expensive than they're worth to all but the most desperate of clients. Yes, for business reasons, it is important that the rings be secured, but the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer is the true objective. That, Ms. Traynor, is the real reason why I sent Ms. Possible after the rings. Our client does not want either Drakken or Dementor to possess such a dangerous artifact. The client has his own uses for that particular item. One that Ms. Possible does not need to know about as yet."

Tara

"Mark?" Jill Monroe called out to her husband as she peered out the window next to the front door. "Do you know someone who drives a silver Alfa-Romeo sportscar?"

"What?" Mark Monroe responded with a hearty laugh as he came out of the kitchen bearing two glasses of iced tea. Looking out the window after handing one of the glasses to his wife, the muscular tree surgeon, after noticing the expensive sportscar, spotted the young woman with platinum blonde hair exiting the car carrying a folder in one of her hands. "Honey…" Mark remarked as the couple watched the young woman approaching their front door, "…I can say for sure that I don't know anyone who drives a hotrod like that. Especially a young blonde-haired woman."

"Well…she's just about at the front porch. Do you want to do the honors or should I?" Jill asked as she set her glass down on a coaster.

"We'll both meet her." Mark replied as he set his glass down on a coaster next to his wife's. Opening the front door, they met their guest on the front porch.

"Hello." Jill greeted politely, "Can we help you?"

"I hope so." Tara responded in her usual posh English accented voice. Taking a photograph out of her folder, she handed it to the older woman, who also possessed luxurious blonde hair. "I'm Tara. Tara King. I believe your sister might have been my mother, Mrs. Monroe."

Jill gasped as she stared at the photograph, at once recognizing her sister. Looking up, she carefully studied the strange English girl's facial features, glancing down at the photograph as she did so. "Oh my God!" She gasped as she passed the picture to her husband. "Look at her, Mark. Can't you see…it's her eyes. She's got CeCe's eyes."

"Are you sure?" Mark, still skeptical, replied as he also compared the woman in the photo to the facial features of the young woman standing before him and his wife.

"I'm sure." Jill affirmed as she smiled at the young woman who now seemed to be her niece. "Please, Tara. Come in. I have a feeling we have a lot to talk about."

After being ushered into the Monroe home, Tara, at her new aunt's urging, sat down on the couch next to the older woman. "I'm sorry if my coming here as caused an uproar." The young blonde apologized as Jill gently hushed her.

"Don't worry about it, dear." The older woman smiled. "While I'll admit to being a little surprised, it's a happy surprise. I find out I've got a niece…and such a lovely one too." Seeing the glasses of ice tea sitting on the end table, Jill prompted, "Would you like something to drink? Iced tea?"

"Thank you." Tara, actually craving a cigarette and a swig of the gin she kept in her flask, politely responded as Mark cleared his throat.

"I'll get it while you two women talk."

"Thanks, Mark." Jill smiled as she turned her attention back to her unexpected guest.

"So…" Jill stammered

"So…" Tara repeated with a corresponding hitch in her voice.

Chuckling, Jill sipped her tea as her husband brought in a glass for their guest before sitting down in a chair on the opposite side of the couch. "I guess you have a thousand questions…"

"You probably have a few too." Tara smirked.

"A few." Mark nodded his head. "But we'll let you ask the first question."

"All right." Tara set her glass down as she carefully considered her words, "What was my mother like…" seeing the confused looks on her hosts faces, she further clarified, "…when she was younger. Before meeting my father. What were my…"

"Your grandparents?" Jill interjected in a kindly voice.

"Yes. My grandparents." Tara choked, "What were they like?"

"They were wonderful, my dear." Jill replied and then spoke to her husband. "Mark? Could you please fetch the family album. I have a feeling Tara would like to see it."

"Sure, darling." Mark replied as he got up from the chair, returning moments later with a large scrapbook. Handing it to his wife, the burly tree surgeon returned to his chair.

Opening the album, Jill pointed to a picture of two young teenagers wearing early—mid-eighties versions of the Middleton High cheerleaders uniforms. "That's me and CeCe." The older blonde smiled. "She was a year older than me and was at the time dating Mark."

"Oh?" Tara's lips turned up in a wicked grin as she gently teased Hank, "So…you and Mum…"

Clearing his throat, Hank fought valiantly to keep an embarrassed look from appearing on his face. "Yeah." He nodded his head. "We went out during our senior years, but we broke up when she went to Georgetown. We stayed friends…" He quickly added, "But…well…long-distance relationships…"

"I understand what you mean." Tara sympathetically interjected, "It's a bloody pain to make them work." Pausing for a moment, she gently probed, "So…when did the two of you…"

"Get together?" Jill finished her guests question with a warm grin. "It was my senior Prom." She chuckled, "Believe it or not…I didn't have a date. Like Hank said, he and CeCe had called it quits just before she went to Georgetown, and the two of us started hanging out together after I got out of school and when he was done with his classes at the college…"

"I was going to Middleton Community." Hank interrupted, picking up the story. "Didn't have the speed to make it in college football, so I studied business management and took over my father's business when he retired."

Jill interjected, picking up the narrative, "One thing led to another and a few years later, we got married." Smiling at her guest, Mrs. Munroe asked, "So…what about you? We heard that CeCe was pregnant and that she'd given birth to you, but shortly after, that man with the bowler hat…"

"Uncle John." Tara interrupted.

"Yeah." Jill nodded her head. "He came to our house with two women. One…your grandmother. And the other…"

"Auntie Emma." Tara finished.

Nodding her head, Jill continued to speak. "They told us that CeCe and John had been killed in an plane crash and showed us their will. CeCe and Jonathan's will stated that they wanted Jonathon's mother to take custody of you, with us to become your guardians if anything were to happen to her, Mr. Steed, and Mrs. Peel."

"We knew what type of work your parents did." Mark chimed in, joining the discussion, "So when they told us that we probably wouldn't be hearing anything from them about you or you about us…for your protection and ours…we were upset at first."

"Yeah…here I am being told that I might not ever get to see my niece ever again." Jill sobbed, "But now…" Sniffling, her lips turned up in a sad smile, "Here you are. Did they say that it was all right for us to see each other?"

"Yes." Tara smiled warmly at her newly-found aunt. "Grandmama and Uncle John said you should be safe now, and I and a few friends of mine will be keeping an eye on you also…"

"Wait a minute…" Mark interrupted, "You're a high school student…I've seen you cheering games. Do you mean to tell me that…"

The smile still on her face, Tara admitted, "It's a cover. I'm in the same business Mum and Da were in."

"You look so young…like you've just turned seventeen." Jill gasped, "But…if you are CeCe's daughter, then you'd have to be at least 21 or 22."

"Yes." Tara nodded her head in affirmation. "I live in town with a housemate—she's also a student at Middleton…"

"I take it she's in the same line of work you're in." Mark interjected with a frown.

Nodding her head, Tara confirmed, "Yes, she is. She's also a cheerleader…" Her lips turning up in a crooked grin, the lovely blonde quipped, "And no…she's not Kim Possible and definitely not Bonnie Rockwaller."

Chuckling, Jill responded, "You've got CeCe's laugh."

"And I'm told…" Tara smiled warmly at her new aunt and uncle, "…my father's droll sense of humor. I think he got it from his father. Must be a male thing."

"I wouldn't know anything about that." Mark commented with a slight smile.

"So…is this just a one-time thing or will we be able to see each other more often?" Jill asked, addressing the elephant in the room.

"I don't see any reason why we can't see each other more." Tara responded with a reassuring grin, "That is if you want to. We can get together for dinner or drinks or whatever…"

Turning to her husband and seeing the smile on his face and slight nod of his head, Jill turned her attention back to her niece, "I think I'd like that." Then, seeing that their glasses were empty, she prompted, "Why don't you join us for dinner? There's plenty and then we can look at some more photos if you'd like."

Nodding her head as her lips turned up in a smile, Tara responded with a small chuckle, "I have to admit to feeling a bit peckish. I didn't have much of a lunch…"

"It's settled then." Jill declared, "Dinner and then drinks and we'll see some more pictures."

As the Monroes and their new niece rose from their seats, Mark grinned, "Welcome to the family, Tara."

Drakken's Lair

Inspecting his newly buffed henchmen, Dr. Drakken's lips turned up in a cruel smile. "Now, thanks to the molecular enhancer rings you are wearing, you will be strong enough and mean enough to retake the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer from the scoundrel who took it from me." Turning to his sidekick, he scowled, "Shego? Have you tracked down where Professor Dementor has his latest lair?"

"Yeah, I found it." The lovely green-skinned villainess replied, "But no one's home."

"Hmmm…he seeks to deprive me of my rightful revenge." Drakken murmured, his voice tone bordering on hysterical, causing his sidekick to raise an eyebrow. Picking up his phone, the mad scientist hit the speed dial. "Ahhh! The nerve!" Turning angrily to Shego, Drakken commanded, "Track him down. I want to know where he is by the end of the day."

"Okay, Dr. D." Shego let out a breath of air and shook her head as she exited the lab.

Watching as his assistant walked out to do his bidding, a cold smile crossed the blue-skinned villain's face. "Good thing you do not know about the side effects of the rings you acquired for me, Shego. I have a feeling you would have objected most strenuously. It seems that you still possess a rather nasty streak of morality that will need to be excised. After I have regained control of the Pan-Dimensional Vortex, I shall have to develop some means of ensuring your loyalty and obedience…"

Several minutes later, Shego returned, raising an eyebrow as she noticed the brief calculating look given her by her employer. "I've found him, Dr. D." The green-skinned supervillainess announced triumphantly. "He's chilling out in Vegas at the Tops."

"Excellent! Excellent!" Drakken rubbed his hands together in glee. "Assemble my beefy minions, Shego. We're doing Vegas!"

"Sure thing, Dr. D." The raven-haired beauty replied as she exited the lab and approached one of the burly henchmen. Feeling his biceps, the supervillainess purred as she slipped unnoticed a transponder chip on him. "I might keep you around for a little pool side rest and recreation after the mission. For now though, fetch the others. We've got some wrecking to do."

Middleton Space Center

"I'm surprised Mr. Hench let you take this ring with you." Dr. James Possible remarked to his daughter as he examined the molecular enhancement ring.

"He didn't exactly give it to us." Kim smirked, "On the way out, I…borrowed it…without him knowing."

"I don't think it was that easy, Kimmie-cub." James replied as he conducted a series of tests on the purloined ring. "There's a reason why he let you…borrow that ring…" Perusing the results of the battery of tests he had exposed the ring to, the gifted scientist let out a low whistle. "This ring is capable of turning someone Ron's size into an Olympic medal winning athlete."

"Cool." Ron exclaimed before adding in a more cautionary tone, "Except for all the bad stuff that goes along with wearing those rings."

"You'd have to wear them for an extended period of time before the ill effects manifest." James pointed out, further admonishing, "However, Ronald…you are right. The exact definition of 'extended period of time' most likely varies depending on the individual. Psychological factors such as tendency towards addiction, genetics and family history as regards such conditions as dementia, heart disease, and other physical and neurological issues, physical condition, and a variety of other factors play a role in how the ring would affect the bearer. Better off not putting that ring on in the first place." The doctor concluded warningly.

"Good advice, Dad." Kim agreed as her partner quipped in response.

"Well…there goes my chance to strut around the school showing off my muscles."

Snickering in response, Kim whispered to her partner so that her father could not overhear, "Zita wouldn't like it cause you know what shrinks when the muscles get bigger."

His face turning bright red, Ron whispered back, "Do me a favor? Keep that ring as far away from me as you can. I don't want to take any chances that it can affect me if I just look at it."

"Okay, Ron." Kim chuckled, speaking aloud as she slipped the ring back into her purse. "I promise to keep the shrinking ring away from you."

"I don't want to know what you two were whispering about, Kimmie-cub?" James interjected with a raised eyebrow, "Do I?"

"No Dad." Both Kim and Ron shook their head, "You don't." Her facial expression now all business, the young hero concluded grimly, "Now, all we need to do is find out where Drakken is and get those rings back from him and make sure Global Justice gets them before anyone else can get their hands on them."

"Any ideas on that, KP?" Ron asked, the pair walking out of the lab as Kim took out her Kimmunicator and hit the speed dial.

"I'm hoping Wade has an idea or two." Kim responded as the image of the Team Possible computer genius appeared on the screen. "Wade?" The teen hero pleaded, "Tell me that you've been able to locate Drakken."

Smiling, the pudgy ten-year old computer savant responded, "I've got him. Transponder signal headed towards Las Vegas."

"Hmmm…" Kim pondered, "I wonder how that transponder got there…"

"Maybe Hench put one in the rings?" Ron suggested as he inclined his head at the ring in Kim's hand.

"What about it, Wade?" Kim inquired, "Are you picking up a signal from the ring?"

"Yeah." Wade answered back, "But it's on a different wavelength. Wait one and I'll change the monitoring frequency." Calling out in triumph, he declared, "Yep. They all have the signal."

"That means someone on the other side is working with us." Kim muttered softly to herself so that no one else could hear. "And I've got a feeling I know who that someone is. The question is—why?"

"So, KP…" Ron prompted, "Vegas?"

Nodding her head, the redhead answered back with a grin, "Get packed, Ron. We're doing Vegas."

Las Vegas

"What's the problem, Dr. D?" Shego asked as she walked up to her boss who was at that moment fuming at the concierge. "Didn't I tell you that Demenz and his boys were chilling out at the pool?"

"This moron…" Drakken pointed at the man standing behind the desk, "Won't let us in! He tells me that I have to have a room key to get to the pool." Seeing that her employer was about to summon his super-muscled henchmen, Shego shook her head as she waved her room key in front of the concierge.

"It's all right, Eddie." The raven-haired supervillainess grinned, "They're with me."

"Of course, Ms. Go." The concierge politely responded, "Please accept my apologies for not immediately recognizing you, Ma'am."

"That's all right." Shego smiled back, "Unless there's anything else…we'll be on our way."

"Of course." The concierge replied, "Have a nice day."

"I didn't know you had a room here." Drakken muttered to his sidekick as the pair led a half dozen of the blue-skinned doctor's enhanced goons through the hotel to the pool area.

Chuckling, Shego responded, "Room? I've got a long-term lease on one of the penthouses! Now…let's find Dementor and get that Pan-Dimensional whatever. Then, you can conquer the world while I hit the baccarat tables."

"Thanks for the lift, Doctor Ramus!" Kim waved as she and her companion exited the experimental hover-plane near the Tops Hotel.

"No…thank you, Kim Possible!" The white-haired scientist waved back. "If you and your companion weren't there to stop that rampaging AI, I might have lost years of work."

"We were just glad to help, Sir." Kim smiled back as the hover-plane departed.

Grinning at his partner, now wearing her new mission outfit, a skin-tight black catsuit with utility belt. Ron quipped, "Gotta admit, KP…I'm digging the new look. "

Taking in the scenery, the redheaded teen quipped with a crooked grin, "Yeah…it took me a little bit of time, but I'm liking it too. The lining feels good against my skin and believe it or not, I can move pretty freely in it—better than my old mission clothes. Also, there's a layer of ballistic weave, so that'll help if I get hit."

"Yeah…" Ron answered back, sound a cautionary note. "Still…be careful…please. I don't wanna be the one to have to tell Josh or your parents that you're laid up in the hospital because you took a bullet."

"I will, Ron." Kim answered back, the levity gone from her voice, "Promise." Her good humor returning, the young redhead joked, "Speaking of leather, Tara told me about a shop she goes to here. They're supposed to have some really hot corsets. Wanna check it out after we finish up with Drakken?"

"Ummm…Uhhhh…." Ron, his face beet red with embarrassment, stammered in response.

Chuckling, Kim set her friend at ease as the pair walked toward the hotel, "Don't worry, Ron. I was only kidding. Besides…" Her lips turned up in a wicked grin, "I already ordered what I wanted online."

As the duo approached the rear pool gate, Kim, taking out her lockpicks, began to work on the gate lock as a grin appeared on her partner's face. "You know, KP." Ron joked, "If I were wearing that ring, I could just bend the bars so that we could slip through."

Laughing in response, Kim joked back, "Thinking about joining the circus as a strongman?"

"Well…" Ron quipped, continuing the banter, "…the pay's not bad…lots of travel…and there's always those girls on the trapeze…"

"And what would Zita say?" Kim teased back.

"Before or after she stuck that pointy toed boot of hers up my butt?" Ron jibed back as his partner succeeded in picking the lock.

"And we're in!" Kim triumphantly announced, "Now…let's find Drakken and Shego and get those rings back."

"There's Drakken and his goons." Kim whispered, pointing at the blue-skinned mad scientist walking into the pool area accompanied by a half-dozen muscular men and Shego.

"And there's Dementor and his mob." Ron murmured back, gesturing at a pint-sized man lying on a pool lounger sipping a tall drink with an umbrella with about six body guards wearing swim trunks lying about around him.

"Give it to me, Demenz!" Drakken sneered as his henchmen fanned out on either side of him.

"What?" Dementor grinned, speaking in a thick German accent as he held up a small device in his hand while his henchmen moved into position to guard their patron. "This?"

"Yes!" Drakken snarled, "That! The pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer!"

"Oh…" Dementor flashed an evil grin, 'That. Hans and Franz!" He bellowed, pointing to his two burliest bodyguards, "You're with me. You others! Delay Drakken!" As the other henchmen rushed to do their master's bidding, Dementor and his two chief guards took off running back into the hotel!"

"Get them, my henchmen!" Drakken shouted, commanding his muscular goons to attack those of his rivals. Shego!" The blue-skinned mad scientist further ordered, "You're with me! We must take back the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer! I must have it!"

Watching in concern as the alarmed civilians in the pool threatened to turn into a panic-stricken mob as both supervillains pursued each other, Kim made a decision. "Ron…we can't let this get out of control. We have to stop those muscle-freaks from fighting and turning this place into a zoo. Come on!" She shouted as she entered the fray.

"Right beside you, Kim." Ron answered back as he joined his partner.

The brawl, while violent, didn't last as long as it could have thanks to hotel security joining to help Kim and Ron. The henchmen now rounded up and ringless as order was restored to the pool, Kim turned to the chief of security, a man wearing a well-tailored pin-stripe suit. "Thank you, Sir."

"Glad to help, Kim Possible." The man answered back with a smile. "We'll hold on to these mugs until the cops arrive. You better go after the others. I've informed hotel staff and security to give you their full cooperation."

"Thank you Mr…."

"Tanna." The man smiled back, "Dan Tanna."

"Thanks, Mr. Tanna." Kim grinned as she turned to her partner, "Come on Ron. We need to get going and I need to touch base with Wade on whatever that Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer is and how dangerous it is.

"Good idea." Ron agreed as the pair headed off in pursuit of their foes. Exiting the pool area, Kim took her Kimmunicator out of her pocket and hit the speed dial.

"Wade?" Kim asked as she spoke to the image of the heavy-set ten year old on her Kimmunicator screen. "What can you tell me about a Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer?"

"Not a whole lot." The hacking genius ruefully responded. "It's under so many layers of classification and encryption that if I tried to crack through it—assuming I didn't trip any alarms—I'd be as old as my parents before I got through. I was able to piece out that Dementor somehow or other managed to break into a federal research facility and make off with it. I've also found out that the government wants that thing back—fast. They've dispatched hunter-killer teams to get it—one way or another."

"We better get to those two lunatics and get that device back before some sniper puts a bullet through either or both of their brains." Kim declared as she ended her call.

"Well…" Ron exclaimed as he pointed at a brawl currently going on in the hallway near one of the ballrooms. "Now's your chance."

Springing into action, Kim called out, "Come on, Ron! We've got to get those rings and that device!"

"Right behind you, KP!" Ron shouted back as Kim leaped into action, knocking out one of the henchmen with a solid drop kick to his back. "Grab his ring while I keep the others occupied."

"Right, KP!" Ron answered back as he slipped the ring from the thug's finger. Turning about, he saw that his best friend was now in deep trouble as Shego with her precision plasma ball, along with four other enhanced henchmen, two belonging to Drakken and two employed by Dementor were pressing the teen hero hard. Knowing what he had to do, Ron slipped the ring on his finger. Feeling his muscles bulging as his clothing ripped, Ron took a deep breath, "Now I know how the Incredible Hulk feels." Crying out as he leaped into the melee, the young man shouted, "Hulk Smash!"

Seeing her opening, Kim leaped towards Shego. As she closed the distance, she heard the dark-haired villainess taunt, "Hey Princess…ready to go a couple of rounds?"

Taking a chance that neither Drakken nor Dementor, who were at that moment involved in what amounted to a slap fight, could hear them, Kim answered back as she dodged a plasma bolt, "Has Drakken told you about the side effects of those rings?

"Not really." Shego responded, sending out another ball of green energy. "I asked but he said the side effects were negligible—a little nausea and fatigue after use. Why?"

"I got the lowdown from Jack Hench." Kim replied as she barely missed landing a punch thanks to her opponent dodging just in time. "Toss me into that empty conference room and follow. That should give us a few minutes to talk."

"With pleasure." Shego grinned evilly as she landed a hard kick at Kim, driving her into the conference room. Kneeling down next to the young teenager still clutching her gut, the green-skinned villainess smirked, "Tough it out, Pumpkin." Her expression now hardening, she demanded, "Okay…we've got a minute or two, so spill. What's the story with those rings."

"Here goes…" Kim replied as she fully explained the physical and neurological damage the rings did to anyone who used them long term. "And that's as much as I could get from Hench." Kim declared as she finished her explanation. "Now…what do you know about the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer and why do both Drakken and Dementor want it so badly?"

Shaking her head, Shego replied, "I don't know. All Drakken told me is that he needed it to conquer the world. How it fits in—he didn't say. I've noticed he's been keeping shit back from me recently—like with the rings." The green-skinned mercenary commented, "I think he might be getting suspicious, so I've gotta be careful." Deciding on a course of action, the lovely scoundrel took a deep breath, "Okay…here's the plan. We blow back into the hallway fighting. Jump back into the brawl with the henchies, I'll try to knock a few of them out with 'friendly' fire, but make no mistake, Princess, I'm going to be targeting you and Stoppable so you both better be on your guard."

"Got it." Kim nodded her head, "Go on."

"Sooner or later, Dementor is gonna make a break for it and try to snatch the Inducer from wherever he hid it. Drakken's gonna follow and I'm gonna follow Dr. D. By then, the henchies should be down for the count. Stoppable snatches the rings while you chase after me and the morons. Once we've found the Inducer, we'll find a way to get it away from the bozos before a hunter-killer team arrives. Got it?"

Nodding her head, Kim tersely replied, "Yeah. Let's do it."

"All righty! Shego laughed as the pair burst back into the hallway, "Ready for round two, Princess!"

"Bring it!"

This time, it was Kim that landed the kick that propelled Shego into the hallway. Leaping into the melee alongside her partner, Kim carried out her part of the plan as Shego managed to 'accidentally' land a plasma ball on one of the henchmen just as Ron nabbed him with an uppercut.

"Oopsie!" Shego yelped as she narrowly missed Kim with another ball of green energy.

Breaking free from his rival, Professor Dementor took off down the hall, moving as fast as his legs could carry him.

"He's making for my Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer!" Drakken shouted, "You finish off Possible and the Buffoon. I'm going to get my Inducer!"

As the last henchman fell, Ron, seeing Dementor and Drakken running off, shouted to his partner as the last henchman went down. "Kim! They're getting away!"

"I'll go after them!" Kim answered back as Shego went after her boss and the other villain, "Get the rings off those henchmen and follow. Hurry up!"

"Got it, KP!" Ron acknowledged as he began staking the rings off the fallen thugs' fingers. "Don't let them get away with that whatchamacallit!"

Finally catching up to the villains, Kim came to a stop as she saw Drakken and Dementor both fighting over a tiny object as Shego looked on in frustration until the device slipped away from their grasps and began flying through the air, emitting a loud chirping sound as it ultimately landed, perched precariously on the ledge of a small, narrow vent space.

"Ummm…" Kim cleared her throat as she made her presence known. "Is that thing supposed to be beeping like that?"

"Yeah, Dr. D." Shego interjected, "It didn't do that earlier."

Catching up to his friend, Ron, still wearing the ring, announced, "I got the rings from the henchmen, KP. And…" Noticing the beeping device and the look on his best friend's face, he uttered, "Did I come in the middle of an oopsie?"

"I think so, Ron." Kim whispered back.

"The Inducer has been activated!" Dementor cried out in a thick German accent.

"That's a bad thing…isn't it?" Drakken observed as sweat beaded on his forehead.

"You have no idea what the Inducer can do." Dementor declared, his voice starting to hitch.

"Why don't you tell us?" Kim interrupted with a snarl.

"It creates a vortex that will cause a contained disruption in the very fabric of reality!" Dementor crowed, "States of matter and energy…time…space…everything will be twisted into a vortex of pure chaos!"

"Shit!" Both Kim and Shego cursed simultaneously. "How big of a contained area are we talking about?" Kim asked with a lump in her throat.

"It will cover at least the entire state of Nevada." Dementor replied, "Provided it remains stable. If its containment fails…" He shook his head. "Big Bang Two."

Reaching her hand into the vent, Kim groaned as she found she couldn't reach it. "It's too far." The teen hero admitted, "I can't get to it."

"One side, Princess." Shego growled as her rival reluctantly stepped aside. "Let me give it a try." Reaching as far as she could, the green-skinned villainess moaned in dejection as the device just exceeded her grasp. Shaking her head, she ruefully announced, "Can't get it."

"Ron?" Kim pleaded, turning to her best friend, "You've got the reach, but your arm won't fit in unless you take that ring off."

Ron moaned as he fingered the ring, "I wish I didn't have to take it off. It was kinda neat looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger."

"Ron…" Kim gently pleaded, "You know what happens to those who wear those rings long term. Do you really want that to happen to you."

"Can't believe I'm saying this, Stoppable, but you ought to listen to Pumpkin here." Noticing her employer and his rival both glaring at her, the lovely villainess snapped, "Don't say a word you two morons. Both of you knew about the side effects of those rings and you better believe you and I are gonna have a nice long talk when we get back to the lair Drakken—and you can bet there are gonna be a lot of ouchies."

"Ron…" Kim begged, "We don't have much time."

"You're right." The young man sighed as he took the ring off his finger and handed it to his friend. His body quickly returning to its normal lean and lanky state, Ron reached into the narrow vent and, barely managing to grasp the Inducer before it fell, handed it quickly to Kim who promptly deactivated it.

"Close call." Kim heaved a sigh of relief as she turned about, ready to deal with the two mad scientists and the supervillainess, "Now it's time to…"

"They've gone, KP." Ron shook his head as he let out a light chuckle. "Figures."

"That's okay, Ron." Kim smiled back at her best friend, "We'll get 'em next time. Come on…we need to get this and the rings to Global Justice. Then after that, I saw a buffet in the restaurant. I'm buying."

"Free food! Lead the way!"

Middleton—St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church

"Thanks for coming." Hope, wearing a conservative knee-length black dress, said as she greeted her friends at the church entrance.

"You're my best friend, luv." Tara, also wearing black, replied as she gave her housemate a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Where else do you think I'd be?"

"Da, lyubov." Sergei, wearing a dark suit and tie, concurred as he gave both his lovers chaste hugs and kisses at the church door.

"Yeah. We're friends. Where else would we be?" Kim, escorted by her boyfriend with Ron and Zita accompanying them, along with Jessica, Steve, Oscar, and all their other friends, all dressed conservatively for the solemn occasion, echoed as she and the other teens greeted the raven-haired cheerleader. "I wish I just had the chance to get to know your great-grandfather. From what I've heard, he sounds like he was a really neat man."

"Hanging out with the Luciano mob…joining the Army…fighting across Africa and Europe…" Ron's lips turned up in a sardonic grin, "Ever since that stupid project, I've been trying to figure out what it means to be a man ever since Barkin shoved it in my face that Rabbi Katz never signed my bar mitzvah…"

"I thought you sorted that out, Ron." Tara interjected.

"I did…with Zita's help." The young blond teen nodded his head as his girlfriend smiled warmly at him. "I saw Rabbi Katz after we got back from Vegas and, after chewing my butt out over not going to Temple, he told me that with all the confusion of my bar mitzvah he just forgot to sign it. I didn't do it because I think it's important now…not anymore." He declared as he squeezed Zita's hand, "I had it signed so that I can shove it back in Barkin's face tomorrow morning."

"That's reason enough." Tara chuckled, then in a more serious voice, she prompted, "But I've got a feeling there's more…"

Ron sighed, "Yeah. There is. I've learned that from now on, I'm gonna listen to Zita before I listen to either my parents or Barkin." Again giving his girlfriend's hand a squeeze, the blond youth smiled bashfully, "She had it right all along." Chuckling, he ruefully confessed, "I gotta admit, I'm still working on figuring it all out, but I have figured out that being a man doesn't mean having the most muscles or being the toughest guy on the block."

"So…" Hope asked, "What have you figured out so far?"

Smiling warmly at his friends, Ron replied, "I think a big part of it is being there for your friends and loved ones. Standing by them…no matter what."

"Not a bad start, young man."

Startled, the assembled teens saw a white haired man dressed in clerical garb. "Greetings." Smiling warmly at Hope, the cleric said in a gentle voice, "Hello, Hope."

Smiling back at the man, Hope replied and then introduced the man to her friends, "Hello Father. This is Father Sebastian. He's a priest here."

"I'll be conducting the funeral mass for Hope's great-grandfather." The elderly priest announced in a kindly voice as he turned his attention back to his wayward parishioner, "I see that you have surrounded yourself with good friends, Hope."

'Yeah." The lovely cheerleader responded as she squeezed her boyfriend's and best friend's hands and smiled at the rest of her assembled friends. "I have."

"That is good." Father Sebastian replied as he ushered the teens into the sanctuary, "We have missed you here, my dear." The cleric gently offered, lowering his voice, "I am aware of the problems you are having with your family, my child. If you wish to talk to me at any time, please feel free to do so."

"Thank you, Father." Hope whispered back, "Maybe one day…but not right now."

"I understand my child." The old priest answered back with a warm smile on his face, "My door is always open. Your family is seated up front in the reserved section."

"Can my friends sit with me?" Hope inquired as she saw her parents, brothers, and Aunt Lucinda already seated.

"Of course, my child." Father Sebastian replied, "There is plenty of room."

"Thank you." Hope acknowledged with a smile as she and her friends were escorted by the priest to their seats.

"Now, my dear…" The old man took his parishioner's hand in his, "I must get ready for the Mass. But before I go, please accept my blessing."

"Thank you, Father." Hope answered back in a soft voice as the cleric blessed her and her friends.

"I'll leave you now, my child." Father Sebastian said, "We'll speak again after the service."

As Hope and her friends exited the church, they were met by her mother and father. Smiling sadly at her estranged daughter, Elena Rossi, wearing a black dress with a veil, gave her a warm hug.

"Thank you for coming mia figlia." Turning to her husband, the grieving woman pleaded, "Won't you say hello to your figlia?"

With a stony expression on his face, Gino Rossi answered back in a quiet, flat tone as he turned away, "I have no daughter."

"I'm…I'm…" Elena sobbed as she turned her head to her daughter, then her husband, then back again to her daughter.

"Go to him." Hope prompted in a soft voice. "I'll be with my friends at the gravesite."

"I'm sorry, mia figlia." The grieving mother sobbed. "It's my fault…"

"No it isn't, Mama." Hope cooed as she hugged her mother. Glaring at her father, she muttered in a low voice as he called out to his wife, "It's his. You better go to him. You know what he's like when he's angry."

Looking up at her daughter, Elena pleaded, "Can we talk again sometime…where we can be alone."

"Sure, Mama." Hope answered back with a warm smile, "Anytime."

As her mother walked away, Hope, tears running down her cheeks, embraced both her best friend and their shared lover.

"It's all right, luv." Tara consoled in a gentle soothing voice as she and Sergei held their sobbing friend and lover close, "We're here for you."

Watching silently as the family drama played out in front of them, Ron shook his head as he muttered in a low voice so that only his girlfriend and Josh and Kim could hear. "I don't know which is worse—having parents who don't care about you or a parent like him."

"I guess we should be thankful." Kim said to Zita and Josh in an equally soft tone of voice, "The three of us have parents who love each other and us."

"Yeah." Josh whispered back, "I think maybe this week I'll go with Mom and Dad to that show after all. It's only an evening…"

"Good idea." Kim smiled at her boyfriend as she squeezed his hand, "And I think I'm gonna be extra nice to Mom and Dad and spend some more time with both of them."

"Wanna come over to my house this Wednesday for dinner?" Zita smiled warmly at her boyfriend, "Churro chips with a spiced chocolate dip, tortilla chips and charred salsa, and chicken enchiladas."

"Just let me know when and I'll be there." Ron grinned.

"So…" Hope smiling warmly as she looked on at her friends and lover, "I'm thinking…after the gravesite ceremony, we don't go to the reception afterwards. I think…" Her smile broadening as she squeezed the hands of her best friend and their shared lover, "I think I'd rather spend time with my new family."