KP in Ron's Halloween

AN: Ron has another Halloween as per tradition with her, or does he? Ron has another Halloween that he's looking forward to after that last one where he had Roachie help him. However this time he had to promise up and down that he would NOT pull a trick like that again or he would not get any treats from her for a very, very long time! This is that Halloween, or is it?

Chapter D: D'oh!

Ron thinks, "Strange... the weather was just like this all those years ago on this very Halloween night after Kim was killed." He looks at the spot by the road that had a small white cross with a old, faded picture of Kim in it. He kneels and places the flowers that he'd brought with him in front of it before reaching out to touch the smile on her face.

Ron could swear that at that moment, a tear seemed to appear on Kim's picture before he realized that it had come from him. It had been his own tear that had landed on the picture and so he lets it linger there as he knew Kim would be crying right then to see what had become of everything.

Ron closes his eyes as a breeze stirs around him and he remembers...

Flashback

Ron was at Kim's funeral staring at her coffin as it was lowered into the ground. He knew that it should have made him feel better with the large show of support from everyone. But none of that mattered to him for he'd lost his best friend and the one he loved most in the world.

It didn't matter that everyone who had ever known or been helped by Kim or Team Possible was there to pay there respects. All he could think was, "This is all my fault, I did this to you... they must all hate me." He wanted to be punished but the Possible family didn't press charges since they all knew he would never hurt Kim on purpose.

Ron looks around and sees all the tears of their friends from one like Wade who was crying next to his parents. He had seen Wade always so confidant and smart but he knew there was no way even his brains could help bring back Kim. Nothing could, and that was the really hard thing for them both about all this.

Ron looks over to where the girls from Kim's cheerleader group were huddled together, crying as well while the Pope himself had come to speak on behalf of Kim. He remembered the very mission in where they had saved the Pope. So it wasn't hard to understand why he was there as Kim was laid to rest.

His eyes look back at Kim's coffin, before he hears the unusual sound of Mr. Barkin crying. It was something he had to see but as soon as he looked, he immediately regretted it and felt even more awful as he could hear Mr. B say, "She was one of the great ones..."

Ron looks away to the ground as he thinks, "Yeah... Mr. B... She was..."

The rest that happened became a blur to Ron. He knew that people had talked to him and tried to console him. To tell him that it was not his fault, but he'd become so numb to anything but the pain of his loss.

It wasn't until Bonnie had slapped him hard on the face that he snapped out of it. He holds his hand to his face as he watches her say, "Snap out of it Stoppable! Do you think she would have wanted to see her best friend moping around like this? You're not the only one who is hurting after all! It isn't always about you, so stop it already!"

As hurtful as Bonnie's words were, what he would remember for years were the way Bonnie's eyes looked so full of tears and the way she spoke couldn't hide the raw emotions she felt. He thinks, "Bonnie...she cared about Kim? But they were rivals, I thought she hated her?"

Bonnie storms off and disappears into the crowd as Monique walks up to see how stunned Ron looks.

Monique had caught the exchange between them and she'd known Ron long enough to be able to guess what he was thinking. She says, "Bonnie cares, everyone who knew Kim cared... it would be impossible to know her and not to care about her."

Ron turns to look at Monique with red eyes, and knew that the loss of Kim had hit hurt her as hard as it had hit him. He didn't know what to say at first until it looks like Monique was about to leave. He says, "Monique..." making her pause where she was and when their eyes meet he says, "I'm sorry... Bonnie is right... for a change. It is just... it was all my..." He is surprised when his mouth is covered by Monique's hand and he looks at her with questioning eyes.

Monique says, "Bonnie did have a point. Kim wouldn't have wanted to see you like this. I lost my very best friend since I moved here." She sighs and then says, "I would do anything if I thought it would bring Kim back, but there is nothing anyone can do. It isn't like the technology to time travel exists or anything." She turns and waves weakly as she says, "Goodbye Ron... See you around."

Time shifts in Ron's mind

Ron waves as Ms. Possible leaves in her van with the twins, Tim and Jim waving back looking sadly at Ron. He still couldn't believe it. Not only had Kim's parents split up but they both left Middleton claiming it was too painful to live in Middleton anymore. He knew no one wanted to say it, but he knew that it was because he'd been responsible for Kim. He felt certain that if Kim had been alive, they would still be together and living in Middleton. He knew it would be hard on the twins, with Ms. Possible getting custody of the twins and he got rights to see them every so often.

Even his parents had split up with his mother who had a job in Middleton staying because she knew how much Ron wanted to stay in the town with Kim had once lived while his father got custody of his younger sister, who he knew he could see on the holidays and probably on birthdays.

After Ms. Possible leaves he gets on his rocket-scooter, which was a prized possession for him since it had been created by the Possibles when they were together... when Kim was still alive... He still couldn't think of her as being truly gone, he'd convinced himself at one point that Kim was waiting to show up in a Halloween costume so they could go trick or treating together. It didn't matter that it wasn't Halloween anymore or how many more would come and go... he would wait for her to return. It was better than facing the reality of Kim being truly gone by his hands, not some superfreak's in order to save the world. He thought that if it had been that, then maybe... he could accept it better, but not like this. It was too scary for him to face.

As Ron rides around on his scooter he shakes his head, not because of the Possibles no longer living in Middleton but because with Kim gone... people seemed to lose hopes and their dreams in Middleton. What had once been the jewel of the tri-city area, now was becoming a gray little town full of sad people.

The buildings that once shined as bright as Kim's spirit now seemed to be on the verge of collapse as people just moved away, leaving the heroine who'd done so much good in the world behind to rest as a little cross beside the road.

Businesses had folded up, taking many jobs with them and leaving many people who wanted to stay no other choice but to leave or starve. There were still a few businesses trying to keep the town alive, and fortunately Bueno Nacho was one of them.

Ron pulls up to the drive thru of Bueno Nacho to order his usual food when Ned says, "Hi Ron, what can I get for you?" He notes that even his voice had lost its usual tone though one would be hard pressed to tell if they didn't know him like he did. He says, "One order of my usual Naco, Grande style!"

Ned tells him to pull up but when Ron moves to the pickup window, he knew something was wrong.

Ron says, "What is it Ned?"

Ned sighs as he hands him the food and accepts the money for it. He knew Ron would know sooner or later so it might as well be now. He says, "Bueno Nacho... it is closing up in Middleton. There just aren't enough customers anymore to keep it open anymore." He looks down as he says, "Sorry Ron... I've been asked by home office if you want this building... you know, to remember Kim by."

Ron was stunned although not totally surprised since it was becoming a ghost town lately. Even his mother was having a hard time with the bills and knew that she was going to be forced to move as well. He nods to Ned and says softly, "Yeah... I'd like that. Thanks Ned..." He doesn't say anything more and drives off to the one place he felt left that was untouched by time, the treehouse where he could close his eyes and pretend she was still with him until he burst into tears and fell asleep on the couch after crying so much for so long.

End Flashback

Ron stands up and opens his eyes to look at Kim and says, "I wish we could have had a good Halloween together Kim..." He feels a cold breeze stir for a moment before he moves to push aside the one part that had also been affected like the town. His hair had a few strands of gray now in it and while he had tried to move on and make a new life for himself he had never found anyone quite as special as Kim and now he was an old man with a divorce and a teenage child who hated him because he had let his feelings for Kim get in the way of his marriage.

With his back to Kim's photo he pulls out the locket he had tried to give her and opens it up with the pictures inside still as colorful as ever, which was an odd contrast to the grey ghost town that Middleton had become. The only thing that had any color were the weeds that had flowers in the town which had sprung up everywhere with no one to take care of anything.

Ron says, "I love you Kim... how I wish I could take back that one moment where you were hurt because of me..."

A breeze stirs only this time it sounded like a faint voice whispering, "Ron...Ron... I love you..." The voice may have been only a whisper but it had the impact of a cement truck to Ron.

Ron scarcely could believe it, he whispers, "Kim... is that really you? Am I just imagining things?"

It was silent again before the breeze stirs and the whisper returns, "I need your help Ron... I can't save the world without you..."

Ron thought about all that had happened since Kim's passing... from how the world finally got taken over and then after that, the other villains ended up fighting each other for control. People had been hurt but he'd been in too much grief to help and while GJ and the others did their best, they just didn't have Kim's knack for saving the world as easily or quickly as she did.

Ron snaps out his thoughts and says, "Kim... anything need. Just ask and I'll do it!"

The breeze whispers, "Save me Ron... save the past... Seek...her..." The rest was too hard to make out as the breeze slowly settled down after that.

Ron says, "Seek who?" and he waits for an answer but no breeze ever comes, thus no answer. He stands there for an hour waiting for a breeze, an answer, anything but nothing ever comes. So he finally says, "I guess Kim needs me to figure it out."

Ron looks down at the locket and then says, "I'll save you Kim. I swear I will. You can count on me!" He heads off, not really knowing where to go while the picture on the white cross seems to have a fresh tear since Ron's dried up long ago.

AN: Well everyone, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As you all feared and guessed, Kim DID bite the bullet. However that's not the end of Ron's journey and I've got a few surprises and twists in store for everyone. You AND Ron that is. So, what did everyone think about what happened to Middleton and the world after Kim passed on? What did everyone think about the way their friends reacted? Did you think Bonnie was just right? What about Monique? or Mr. Barkin? The way things changed in the Possible family? Were any of you surprised? I hope you all liked the touch with Kim reaching out to Ron in the form of a breeze on Halloween when magic and the spirit world is at its most strongest. Any guesses as to what will happen next?

Chapter E Preview: Ron is trying to help Kim! More reflections on what happened after Kim passed on and how Middleton became such a ghost town. A shocking surprise for Ron! If you haven't read the previous Halloween story, this would be a good point in time to as it relates to this chapter!