"Ah, Senor Jones." Senor Senior Senior greeted the falsetto-voiced thief. "Welcome to the gala dinner of our little tournament. We are just awaiting the arrival of our other guests. Speaking of which, will Ms Leon be joining us?"
"I have no idea." Falsetto shrugged and gave Senior a less than friendly look. "She's been sulking in her room ever since you people shafted us on our mission."
Senior spread his hands placatingly.
"I assure you, Senor Jones, all the missions were selected to provide the maximum challenge to our competitors."
"No doubt." Jones gave a sniff of disbelief, then stepped past the older man and stalked down the stairs to the crowded ballroom. Senior gave him a half-bow, the dip of his head concealing the faint flicker of a smile across his lips.
"Making friends and influencing people as usual, Triple-S?"
"Ms Shego!" Senior let his smile broaden as he straightened up. "And Ms Possible! May I say how wonderful you both look tonight?"
"You may." Shego allowed, in a tone that indicated she was bestowing a great honor. The dark-haired woman wore a shimmering, ankle-length black dress. The long skirt was split right up to the thigh, revealing a great deal of long and shapely leg, and an emerald green sash was draped about her waist, emphasizing the seductive flare of her hips. She completed the outfit with a pair of elegant black heels and a tiny green purse, hanging on a long strap from her shoulder.
"You are truly breath-taking." Senior assured the pale-skinned beauty, bending to kiss her offered hand. Then he turned to Shego's younger companion. "And you, Ms Possible! You should wear that color more often. It truly brings out your eyes."
Kim waved away the compliment.
"This? Just a little something I had lying around. No big." The 'little something' was a deep green dress with a scandalously short, diagonal-cut hemline. The sheer cloth molded to the redhead's slender, but feminine frame. It did indeed bring out her eyes, and also complimented the flame red of her hair, and the scarlet of her own purse and heels. A dark green choker, clasped with a silver heart, completed her attire. "But thanks for the compliment. It's nice to get one from someone." The redhead none too subtly bumped Shego with her hip, causing the green woman to flush. Even Senior felt a little heat in his cheeks at the playful gesture.
Kim rose on her tiptoes to peer past Senior, then gave a small pout and turned to him.
"Have my parents come down yet? I want to check how my dad is doing."
"... they have not arrived in the ballroom as yet." Senior recovered his focus slowly. "But I will be sure to let them know when they arrive that you would like to see them."
"Spankin'." Kim smiled, then slid her arm through a startled Shego's and gave the other woman a gentle tug. "Come on, sweetie. Let's get to the buffet before the crowd starts to build up."
"'Sweetie'?" Shego muttered as the two women reached the bottom of the stairs. "I think you just about made Triple-S pass out." Me too.
"Sorry." Kim gave a tiny shrug. "I just figured that if they're going to play silly games to try and make us uncomfortable, then I'd return the favor."
"Works for me." Shego chuckled, then plunged on before she could chicken out. "I didn't say anything earlier because I didn't want to make things weird, but you do look amazing tonight." Too amazing. I'm going to have to be careful not to do anything stupid.
"Thanks." Kim gave the pale woman's hand a squeeze, then - with a reluctance that might have been noticed by a less-preoccupied Shego - disengaged their arms to pick up a plate from the buffet table. "You look great too."
"Doy." Shego agreed calmly, then dodged as the redhead aimed a playful swat in her direction.
"The ballroom looks good." Kim glanced around at the cavernous space. Only a few dozen guests were currently in attendance, looking a little lost in the great hall. "Not so sure about the buffet, though. Cucumber sandwiches?"
"At least there's plenty of ginger beer." Shego snagged two of the bottles, offering one to Kim. The redhead shook her head, wrinkling her nose.
"No thanks. They got anything sugar-free?"
"Ugh. I didn't check." Shego watched amusedly as Kim, despite her proclaimed doubts about the buffet, began to pile her plate high with food. "Why do you drink that rot? It can't be because you're watching your weight ... not with the way you eat."
The shorter woman glanced at the food on her plate and gave a small shrug.
"I don't like lots of sugar. And this is mostly salad, really." The redhead up at the stairs, where more guests were filing in, then gestured at the huge video screen hanging from the otherwise blank wall between the stairs and the buffet table. "So whoever it is that organizes this thing, they like to take an active role in the prize-giving?"
"If you count appearing as distorted images and audio from a remote location as 'an active role', sure." Shego shrugged and popped a coconut-crusted shrimp into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed, then continued speaking. "They only started doing it this way at the last tournament. They used radio before that, and specially-recorded phonograph records before then. Some people think that the video-feed is still pre-recorded, like the old records were, and the organizers are actually here in person." The green woman nonchalantly gestured at the crowd with her ginger beer.
"Yeah?" Kim peered around at the audience, trying to imagine who might be one of the faceless criminals behind the tournament, and who were simply thrill-seeking spectators. "Do you think they're here?"
"I doubt it. If they're willing to come within one hundred yards of me after the shit they pulled with our mission, they've got a lot more guts than sense."
Kim snickered, then looked a little guilty that she'd found the comment amusing. Finally she shrugged it off and tried one of the shrimp, herself.
"Ooh, these are good." She glanced up at the stairs again. "Mom and dad just arrived. I'm going to go check on them."
Shego nodded.
"No problem. I'll make sure the buffet table doesn't blow away now you've removed all that ballast."
"Uh huh. You do that."
Kim then threaded her way through the steadily growing crowd to her parents, who had smoothly rebuffed Senor Senior Senior's welcome and proceeded down the staircase. "Hey mom! Hey dad!" The younger redhead went up on tiptoes to kiss her mother on the cheek, not for the first time feeling a twinge of envy for her mom's extra few inches of height.
"Hi honey." Her mother kissed her in return. "You look wonderful."
"Hi Kimmie-cub ..." her father trailed off, his eyes widening. "Good gravy, young lady! What are you wearing?"
"It's a dress, dad." Kim gave him a bemused look as she nibbled on one of her hors d'oeuvres.
"More like half a dress." Mr Dr Possible fretted. He glanced around nervously, then sighed. "At least there aren't any boys around."
"I don't think we need to worry about boys, honey." Anne Possible patted her husband on the arm.
What? Kim's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to try and change the subject, forgetting she had just placed a cherry tomato in her mouth, and managed only a choked-off splutter. The young redhead coughed loudly, trying to clear the obstruction. Her mother reached out casually and slapped Kim on the back as she continued speaking, her expression blithe.
"After all, Kim only came for the competition. Nothing else."
Suppressing a sigh of relief by finally swallowing the tomato, Kim vigorously nodded her agreement.
"That's right, dad. No interest in meeting a boy, right now."
"Well, that's okay then." James Possible allowed his ruffled feathers to be soothed. "Though I still think that dress is too small."
"Do you feel okay, dad?" The teen hero now felt safe to make a determined effort to change the subject. "No injuries or side-effects from being kidnapped?"
"Everything is right as rain." Her father nodded emphatically, then slipped an arm around his wife. "After all, I've got the best bedside care in the world."
For some reason, Mrs Possible giggled at this comment. Kim tried very hard not to think about why. She was aided in this task by an interruption.
"Well, we all seem cheerful for a group of losers."
I've never been so glad to hear Bonnie's voice.
"Or maybe you're just relieved that someone from Middleton had what it took to win this thing." The tanned former cheerleader buffed her nails on her slinky, sequined purple gown, contriving to look both nonchalant and insufferably smug at the same time.
"You haven't won yet, Bon-bon." Kim's eyes narrowed. "Manx and Sheela aren't back yet. They could still beat you and Junior."
"Bzzzzt. And the 'behind the times' award goes to the girl who can't do anything." Bonnie mocked, pointing up the staircase. "Those two has-beens blew it as well. D- ... Junior's dad is just about to make the announcement."
Senor Senior Senior had indeed moved to the top of the staircase, a microphone in his hand.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, if I may have your attention for a moment, please." The billionaire-turned-supervillain waited for the quite buzz of conversation to end, then continued. "I have just received word from our field observers that the final team have failed to complete their mission, following a violent disagreement between them, which subsequently led to their arrest. Accordingly, they have been disqualified from the competition." Senior paused, smiling faintly as he waited for the resulting buzz of conversation to die down. "As this completes all five teams' missions, the organizers have now commenced the process of vetting and confirming the outcome of the tournament. This process should take approximately ten minutes. When the organizers are ready to make their announcement, they will appear on the screen -" he gestured at the large video display hanging from the wall "- to do so. A warning bell will ring one minute before the announcement of the winners begins. Until then, please enjoy the buffet." Senior gave a half-bow, then stepped back and exited the great hall through a side doorway. A hubbub of noise quickly rose after his departure.
"I'm going out into the garden." Kim turned to her parents. "I need some fresh air."
"If you're going outside, you should borrow my shawl." Anne Possible undid the brooch on her shawl and passed the garment to her daughter. "I know this is a tropical island, but it's quite cool in the evenings. I don't want you catching a chill."
"Okay, mom." Kim rolled her eyes at the apparent over-parenting, then gave each of her parents a kiss on the cheek. "I'll come back when I hear the bell."
The garden was lovely: a series of neatly tended, white gravel paths winding through flower beds that shone with a riotous display of tropical colors. As she took a seat on one of the benches that were dotted around the garden, Kim allowed herself a moment to savor the beautiful surroundings. The colors were a little more muted than in brightness of day, but the garden had a sense of serenity and peacefulness at night.
The soft crunch of footsteps on the gravel paths caused Kim to sigh. Of course, even the nicest garden might have a serpent.
"Come out here to mope, Kim?" Bonnie Rockwaller emerged around the corner of the path and folded her arms, giving the redhead a smug look. "Less than ten minutes until I'm declared the winner of this tournament. You'll have to spend the rest of your life knowing that I was better than you."
"Please." Kim snorted. "The only thing you've ever been better at than me is being a bitch."
"Oh!" Bonnie's eyes narrowed, but if anything, her smile grew more pronounced. "You really are upset, aren't you, Kim? What's the matter? Sore loser?"
"I'm fine with losing." The teen hero retorted, adjusting the shawl around her shoulders. "When it's to someone who deserves it. I just don't like cheats."
"Oh Kim, Kim, Kim." Bonnie shook her head admonishingly. "Cheap accusations, now? Can't you just accept that this time you were beaten by the better woman?"
"Since I wasn't: no." Kim flipped back her hair and then pointed straight at her high school nemesis. "You can deny it all you want, Bonnie, but we both know exactly what happened here. Junior's dad arranged it so everyone else would get missions they couldn't possibly go through with, while you just had to steal from your sisters."
For a moment, Bonnie's eyes widened in disquiet, but then her mouth twisted into a sneer.
"Just because - unlike some people - I had the strength to go through with something unpleasant -"
"I've met Lonnie and Connie." Kim snapped, talking right over Bonnie's objections. "And I've seen you with them. You hate your sisters. Stealing from them would have been no hardship at all, for you. Hell, you're just vicious enough to have enjoyed it."
Bonnie glared.
"Believe it or not, Kimmie." She said icily. "Blood is thicker than water. I don't always get on with my sisters, but that doesn't mean I'd steal from them. Would you steal from your brothers?"
"No." Kim admitted. She folded her own arms and leaned back on the bench. "But then, I wouldn't have come out here to gloat, either."
Bonnie snorted and kicked angrily with her foot, scattering white pebbles into the nearby bed of orchids.
"Of course you wouldn't." the brunette scowled. "Not Kim Possible. You're too good to take satisfaction from winning. You're all 'it's competing and doing your best that counts', without a thought for how it feels to be one of the people whose best isn't good enough."
Kim swallowed, suddenly feeling a little ashamed. Is that what she thought I was doing? The redhead unfolded her arms and leaned forward, dropping her hands to her knees. When she spoke again, her tone was more gentle.
"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel that way, Bonnie. That wasn't my intention."
"Don't waste your pity on me, Kim." Bonnie snarled. "I don't want it and I don't need it. I beat you this time -" her words were interrupted by the bell from the ballroom, announcing that the judges' decision was made. A frosty, triumphant smile spread across her lips. "- and even if I had cheated, it would be too late for you to do anything about it."
The former cheerleader turned on her heel and stalked away down the path. Left alone for a moment, Kim sighed and touched the brooch on her shawl, then stood. Gazing for a moment at the flower bed, she reached out and snapped off two orchids, then followed Bonnie inside.
Shego took Kim's arm as the younger woman entered the ballroom.
"Hey."
"Hey." Kim offered one of the two orchids - an emerald green blossom - to Shego.
"What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Put it in your hair, of course." Kim rolled her eyes and snatched the flower back, then stood on tiptoe to slip it behind the taller woman's ear. "I got one for mom, too. See?" The redhead showed Shego the second flower, with was a delicate shade of blue.
"Uh." The green woman tentatively reached up to touch the orchid in her hair. "I've never really been a flower person, Pumpkin."
"Well, if you were, you'd be an orchid person. Orchids mean strength. And luxury." Among other things. Kim gently guided her taller companion through the crowd until they were near her parents, then handed her mother the second blossom. She grinned impishly as she glanced up at Shego. "Or maybe you'd be a blackberry bush. All tangled and thorny and impossible to get rid of once it turns up."
The older woman snorted.
"Thanks, Princess. Should I call you a pine tree, because you're always needling? Nah, guess not ... pine trees are tall." The green woman smirked at Kim's squeak of outrage, then glanced across the room at Bonnie. "How'd it go with Queen Bee other there?"
"Exactly what we expected." Kim shrugged, her mouth turning down slightly. "I feel a little bad. Winning this competition means a lot to her."
"Beating you means a lot to her." Shego corrected, giving the brunette a disapproving look. "The competition itself is irrelevant."
One of the tournament staff stepped forward and cleared his throat. He waited for silence to fall over the ballroom, then spoke.
"Ladies and gentleman. To introduce the tournament organizers and reveal the winner of the one hundred and twelfth 'King of Thieves' tournament, it is my pleasure to present ... Senor Senior, Senior!"
To the staff member's left, a door swung open. Almost every eye in the room turned to that door, as the silhouette of the European billionaire appeared, with the shapely outline of a woman on his arm.
Almost every eye.
Kim kept her attention on Bonnie, seeing her high school rival's triumphant smile grow wider and warmer, looking almost affectionate as the brunette caught sight of her boyfriend's father.
Then the smile froze, becoming a snarling rictus of shock and disbelief. Slowly, Bonnie turned her head, her gaze meeting Kim's across the hall. The redhead saw rage and frustration in the other woman's eyes ... and then, a flat and hopeless resignation. Kim fought down the urge to apologize as the brunette gave her a curt, defeated nod, and turned back to the stage.
Where an equally stunned Senor Senior Senior stood frozen, staring in disbelief down at Bonnie in the crowd ... for on his arm, smiling serenely at the crowd, was the one woman who his eyes now told him couldn't possibly be there.
Bonnie Rockwaller.
Author's Note: Finally got this done! Hope you think it was worth the wait. In my defense, I've also written 1500 words of chapter 16 (yes, 16, not 15. I'm odd like that). I'm not sure about the way Bonnie came out in this chapter. I wanted her to be her usual snarky self, but I also wanted to give some insight and empathy for her behavior (like we got in the episode where she was stuck to Kim). Hopefully it worked out okay.
So, have you folks worked out what's going on with the two Bonnies (not to be confused with the old UK sketch show)?
My vacation, by the way, has been great. I'm off to Edinburgh tomorrow, and then to the Hebrides the day after that. So my internet access (which so far has been fairly reliable) may be patchy, or even nil, for the next week.