The cemetery was beautiful. Everything was trimmed grass sectioned off by flower beds, surrounded on most sides by woods that were just big enough to seperate the place from its surroundings. The result was a colourful, peaceful place to lay the recently deceased to rest.

Mourners gathered. Words were spoken. The coffin was lowered into the grave.

The ceremony ended, those assembled began speaking among themselves.

One among them caught a hint of movement at the edge of the woods, a figure they believed they recognised. Excusing themselves with a whisper, they left the congregation for the treeline to seek the figure out.

"Ron, why don't you come and join us?"

"I can't."

Ann followed the voice to its source, finding the boy sitting with his back to a tree. He didn't look up, but she could see his eyes were red and wet. It almost set her off again, but she held herself together, pulling her skirt up enough to kneel beside the distraught teenager.

"Ronald, there's no reason for you to alienate yourself. Come and say your goodbyes." The blond only shook his head in response. "Why not?" Ann asked.

The question set off his next bout of crying. "I... I'm s-so sorry, M... Dr. P... ih... it's all m-my fault..."

Ann was quick to wrap him up in a warm hug. "Of course it isn't! Why would you ever think that?"

Ron could only sob into her shoulder for the next minute or two, but eventually he answered. "Kim had to deal with the synthodrones and the death ray. I was the one trying to get Mr. Dr. P out of the tank!"

"You think you didn't get to him in time?"

"I didn't! The thing grabbed me and whacked me against the floor until Rufus bit it. I climbed back up, but... but he was completely underwater by then and... and I panicked. I should've gone in after him! But I just couldn't... I called Kim over instead. She still had to finish the synthodrones and destroy the ray. If I hadn't waited for her..."

Ann was at a loss for words, so she just hugged him tighter. A part of her was silently screaming that it was his fault, but her rational mind refused to believe it. Like when she had been looking at coffins, and the thought that it would be half-empty set off some near-hysterical giggling...

"Kim dove in, and the monster stopped flailing, but... when she resurfaced and started throwing up over the side... and then h-he floated back up..."

"You don't have to say anymore, Ronald," Ann told him, fresh tears flowing. She could guess the boy's reaction to what he'd seen well enough. She knew James had been bitten in half below the waist. To see that... the blood in the water... the torso bobbing, top-heavy... James' face...

His face had been peaceful, when she saw it. The wife in her hoped his death had been quick, but the medical doctor knew better.

"You didn't grow that monster," she eventually said. "You didn't kidnap James. None of this is your fault. Kim doesn't blame you, none of us do. You shouldn't either."

"It's what we do..." Ron trailed off, then began again with additional remorse, "It's what Kim does. She's the world-famous teen hero. I'm just the sidekick. The bumbling sidekick who runs away or... or fools around while she saves the day. And when she needed me for something more, I choked. I failed Kim. I failed all of you."

Now Ann knew what to say.

"Oh, Ron. You're not Kim. You never grew up thinking anything's possible for a Stoppable. When Kim saves the world, it's 'no big'; that's why we let her go in the first place. But you're always right there with her, looking after her, despite all the scary things that happen. That's amazing... and I can never thank you enough for it."

She rose to her feet, dragging Ron up with her. "Kimmie needs her sidekick, now more than ever. Will you keep looking after her for me?"

Ron stared across the clearing for a moment, then wiped his eyes. "Yeah," he said with fresh determination. "Yeah, okay. Don't worry, Mrs. Dr. P. I'll always have her back."

Leading him by the hand, Ann brought Ron over to the congregation. Kim left Erik's side and ran over to them. The teenagers hugged and cried as everyone looked on. They didn't need to talk. One look at each others' faces had explained everything and sharing the pain was all that remained.