Chapter 3

Drew Lipsky stood outside his ex-rival's parents home wondering if he was truly mad. His mother had already stopped by his home that morning, fixed him breakfast, opened presents, and left again. He didn't know why she hadn't stayed, but took her word for it when she said she had plans. He would never understand his mother, probably a good thing, especially with her now nagging him almost constantly about not having anyone any more, how it was a shame that Shego had left. If she had known what being in a relationship with his ex-assistant was really like, she wouldn't feel that way. So, gathering what little courage he had, he rang the doorbell.

Kim Possible had been waiting in the wings, having noticed his blue visage some time ago, waiting for him to be ready to come in. Having already talked with her family about her invitation, she had been on pins and needles waiting for him to come by. She spent the whole night dreaming about being in his arms (could she get any more teenager at 23?) and was trying desperately to hide her nervousness. Her mother had told her, after being filled in on literally everything that morning, that it was natural to be nervous and like they agreed, take everything slow. Although she could tell her mother was uncertain about this whole sitch, she was still supportive, and that was the most helpful thing. It was then that she heard the doorbell chime. She opened the door with a smile, noticing he seemed extremely uncertain.

"There you are Drew, come in." He had never been welcomed like that, as if he was totally expected to arrive. It helped the twitters in his stomach begin to dissipate. She lead him into the dining room, where everyone was getting ready for dinner.

"Oh! I brought something." He did it last minute, but thought it might make a better impression on the rest of a family who didn't seem to like him much; he handed her a thermal beaker filled to the brim with, what he liked to call, Cocoa-Moo. "As you can see by the label, I made two litres worth. I hope that's enough for everyone to have at least one cup."

"Thank you, this is wonderful." She smiled, seeing more of his anxiousness melt away.

She put it on the table, the label able to be seen by most of the people at the table. Showing him where his seat was, she was surprised when he asked Nana Possible and Mrs. Dr. Possible if there was anything he could do to help. With the twins and their father more preoccupied with the eggnog, they were glad to have his help. Kim watched with amazement as he carved the turkey, taking care to make the pieces just the right size so that everyone could have some of every part, dark and white meat. By the time the eggnog was finished, and almost everyone was seated at the table, Drew had finished, but insisted that Nana Possible take the plate in. Taking his place, his nervousness began to come back. Putting a reassuring hand on his elbow, Kim smiled and mouthed, 'thank you.' Halfway through the meal was when Mr. Dr. Possible decided to address their guest.

"So, Drew... you're no longer Kimmie-cub's arch-villain?" It wasn't the best question to ask, and Kim flinched when he used her nickname.

"Well, um, I haven't really been a villain since the alien incident." He didn't know why he was stumbling to answer, this was a man he had gone to college with, he should at least be able to talk civilly with him.

"Dad, you promised, no business at the table." Kim had hoped her father would keep that promise, even if this was a bit unorthodox.

"Yeah-" Twin one spoke.

"Kim's-" Then twin two.

"Absolutely-" Then twin one again.

"Right-" Then twin two once more.

"Dad." And then in unison.

Drew didn't know if he could learn their names, much less telling them apart, they looked so much alike. The only difference between them were the shirts they wore. Twin one was in green, twin two was in red. The last time he had met them was the Christmas they had spent together, and then they just left him alone. This time, they were sitting across from him, watching intently. It bothered him.

"Maybe," Mrs. Dr. Possible cut in, "it's best if we leave all that for another time dear. This is Christmas after all."

For some reason, the ex-villain knew what this meant—he wasn't out of hot water yet. And he dreaded the questions that were sure to come from the matron of the family. Kim's hand moved a little close to his, and he tried pulling away so as to seem more gentlemanly, but she stopped him. Her hand was warm, and soothing, and somehow that helped him relax. When he took a sideways glance, she was smiling and looking at him the same way. There was something about her, at the moment, that allowed her to be everything for him that he had been for her the last couple months.

The twins, Jim and Tim were names Drew could remember, but who each of them were at any given time would almost always been a dilemma, were sleeping on the couch having exhausted themselves by asking him all sorts of questions about his work, never letting him finish explanations half the time. He understood why Kim called them the tweebs. Sitting beside her, as she was beginning to fall asleep too, on the other end of the couch, he was started to feel like he should leave when his old college dorm-mate started giving him strange looks. She was leaning against him just so, and it was a bit more intimate than it looked, something he tried to ignore, but couldn't. Just as he was about to excuse himself, Mr. Dr. Possible walked over and sat in the chair nearby.

"I'm not trying to sound like the bad guy here Drew. I just can't help but wonder."

"I don't blame you James, this isn't a normal situation for anyone involved." He didn't know how it started this way, but somehow they understood each other better than expected.

"She's so young-"

"She's an adult, and for everything she's been through, I'd say she's more of an adult than we give her credit for." He really didn't know where that came from, but once it was said, he knew it was true.

"You're right. Wow, saving the world really did help that attitude of yours."

"Not exactly. It was more of achieving my dream that did it. And without her help in vouching for me, it never would have happened. But i think you know that part."

"You mean being recognized in the community was your dream?"

"Of course. Always was, even in college. I just was too much of a flake who didn't think things through entirely to actually make it possible."

"And I was no help." He sounded sad as he spoke, guilty even.

"You weren't the only one. In fact, there was no one on my side, so why feel bad about it?"

"Because even the little guys deserve a chance."

"Not when they throw it away like I did. I know what kind of things I've done to cause my own failures in the past, and I'm not afraid to acknowledge that most of it was my fault. I may not have been able to stop jocks from mocking me, but when it came to other science nerds, I did that to myself." Drew had never said that aloud, even to himself, but talking with this old friend, he found it was easy and helped him feel better.

"Well, for what it worth, if you ever want help with something in my field, just ask. And if I think I could use your input, Kim can tell me where to find you."

"That does help, and I hope we can be friends again."

"Of course."

"I also hope you know that this 'thing' with your daughter isn't-"

"It's seems like it's really just a friendship right now, but she told us what happened. That you helped her when she felt no one else could, and what's important to me is that my little girl isn't hurt. You've done the opposite, so I'm not inclined to worry. Yet." He heard the threat and knew to take it seriously.

"Yup, knew I wasn't off the hook." He picked up his now cold Cocoa-Moo and took a sip; he liked it either way.

"Well, I mean, so long as nothing-"

"i assure you, when she's with me, nothing can go wrong."

"Says the accident prone blue guy."

"That's why I stay stationary, can't hurt no one if I don't move."

"Oh, good idea." James smiled, knowing that this time, they wouldn't get off on the wrong foot.

"Well, I'd better go. I think everyone but the two of us are sleeping." Both men took a look around and noticed they were right.

"I think that might be harder than expected," James pointed to the place beside Drew where a certain redhead had curled herself up against him, and her arms were lazily around his waist.

"I hadn't even noticed, should I move her?" He'd never had someone do this to him, whether awake or asleep, and it was the strangest yet comforting thing.

"She'll just grab you harder, she's very feisty when she's asleep."

"So I'm stuck?" He may have sounded worried, but really he didn't mind. This was innocent enough and he was comfortable; if he needed to lay down at all, there would still be room for her, even if she tried laying on top of him. Although that thought made him rethink this whole thing. It was those kind of comforts that got people into compromising positions, and he didn't want to embarrass himself any more than he felt he already had.

"Here, I'll get her to let you go, and then you'll be free." James got up, went to stand by Kim, took her arms in his, and pulled her up. Instead of allowing her to sleep, that woke her up. While he did that, Drew got up and moved slightly out of the way.

"Wha, Dad?"

"Bed time." Somehow, with incredible dexterity, James put her back down, put pillows under her head, and covered her with a blanket.

"I don't think I could have done that without you." He put his coat on as they approach the front door.

"Little things you learn as a father."

"Something I'll probably never know."

"You never know Drew. Something might happen one day, you might have kids." He handed back the beaker of Cocoa-Moo, smiling.

"Well, I doubt it."

"Come on, you never know."

"There are some things I've resigned myself to James. Being alone is just one of them," and with that, he left.

As he flew home, his mode of transportation having not changed from the hovercar, he couldn't but keep thinking about what James had said. It wasn't that he didn't want a family, he just didn't think he could handle one. In his experience, you had to first find someone you care about, who cares about you back, and then you have to know you're in love—and really be in love—then make love to have the baby. He always felt he would never get to the love part, and so far, life had proven him right.

But you never do know what's going to happen, do you?

Kim Possible walked out of her dorm for the last time, the last box in her arms as she walked to her car. It fit on the back seat, and even with that last box, her car wasn't filled very much. Thanks to the upgrades her genius brothers had put on her Sloth, there was rarely a time when it couldn't hold what she needed it to. Right then, it looked like a covered truck, since she had her bed in there too, but even with the shape change, she was still able to see out the back; it was a relief sometimes to have a car this versatile. As she drove through Middleton, toward her parent's home, a sudden urge came to mind and she took it. turning left at the next crossing, she noticed her 'brilliant' idea came in the right area, and by the time she reached the end of the road, she was at a three story house the colour of stone. Sometimes, when seeing it, she thought the exterior was built out of stone were it not for having been inside. This was the first time, she noted, that she'd ever really taken in the house's appearance, and sat back for a moment to do just that. She noticed that it may appear three stories, It was only two, the top one twice as large as normal. That must be the lab, although she knew she didn't need to worry about its contents any longer. There was also a garage that was a bit wider than normal, which she knew was normal for someone so abnormal.

It was on that thought that Drew Lipsky opened his front door and gave her the most quizzical look. He waved, his hand close to the body, a half smile on his face. She got out, then went to the back to get the last box she had brought out, knowing that what was in it would be helpful when she explained what she was doing there. For a small moment, she wondered what he was thinking and if he wondered what she was thinking; she didn't know why. Shutting the door with her backside, purposely hitting with her hip just right so it slammed shut, she made her way over to him.

"Hello." He never really knew how to welcome her any longer, the awkwardness coming more often now that they were in this strange relationship-affecting friendship.

"I was leaving my dorm when I thought, I've got all this food, and my parents and brothers don't like half this stuff. then I remembered that you do like some of this, so I just wondered if I should offer it to you."

"Why?" It was a stupid response, but he wasn't used to someone seeking him out like this, or giving him something for nothing.

"Well, at least we could have some lunch. It is a little past noon, right?"

She was desperate, and it was then that he saw it. Visibly relaxing, he moved out of her way, letting her go in first, and then followed, closing the door behind him. They both walked into Drew's kitchen, a place Kim had never been. It was spacious, with white walls, black tile floor, white cupboards, black counter tops of undetermined material, and steel appliances; it was all state of the line and looked brand new. She carefully placed her box on the island, and after getting a better look around, seeing the entrance into the dining room and pantry, she knew she was giving off her amazement.

"This is impressive."

"Yes, well... I like cooking, and having the most efficient, easiest to clean equipment is a must when you're accident prone like I am."

"You're not that clumsy."

"You'd be surprised. so, what have we here," and he began examining the contents of the box.

Inside was a loaf of white bread, a jar each of peanut butter, strawberry preserves, and a chocolate nut spread, varying kinds of vegetables and fruits, and random condiments. It wasn't exactly what one thought they would find with a college student, expect for the sandwich fixings, since there were no instant meals or noodles anywhere to be found.

"Not a noodle fan?" He couldn't help but ask, seeing as he survived on the staple with her father and their friends, even after he dropped out.

"What?" She was still examining the kitchen, and the cupboard contents, not paying any mind to what the scientist behind her was doing or saying.

"Never mind. So," he clapped his hand making her jump a little and getting her complete attention. "Out of what you have here, what do you want to fix?" He didn't want to choose for her, and all this being on her, so to speak, it was best she make the plan.

"Well," she riffled through everything for a moment, counting a few things. "I have no idea. Most of the vegetables and fruits were for eating as are, and then there was the stuff for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I'm not much of a cook, never was. That was Ron's thing." she said the last part quietly. It took him a moment to collect himself from the shock he had by her sad reminiscence. The choice before him was simple, and he leapt at it.

"If that's the case, get out of my kitchen and I'll surprise you with something good, okay?" He tried smiling, hoping it would help. When she smiled back, he was relieved.

"All right, and what am I supposed to do out there all alone?"

"Put on some music, watch some television, pick out a film; I don't really care. Just don't go far, I don't want to have to search for you once the food is ready."

Looking back at him one last time, she crept out of the room, noticing that once he answered her, he was swept up into a madman's frenzy as he started concocting something to eat. She walked slowly back into the living room, a place she knew well by now. Granted, she had been directed just to the bathroom, and knew how far he wanted her to go down the hall, but she had never really investigated the contents of the room she was now in. It was large, although the illusion came mostly from having such a high ceiling. Like all the other walls, these were white, but there were pictures hanging in certain places. On the main wall, under the largest picture of a waterfall in a forest, was the entertainment system. On both sides were cases, one filled with films, the other with music. The sound system was set up around the house, apparently, and everything was coloured black. The television, DVD player, and CD changer was all in the centre, everything behind panes of tinted glass.

Deciding she'd rather listen to music, she opened the case with, she guessed, thousand of CDs and began to shuffle through, trying to find a few to put into the changer. She'd never really gotten to know this side of him, and when she was younger, she believed that music was a whole side of people. It made up who they were, and knowing that was just another piece to the puzzle that made up every single person. Seeing the variety there, rock and alternative and jazz and classical, Kim could tell that unlike some people, Drew was one of the jaded, complicated kind. She liked that, didn't understand why, but she did. Picking a few, one from each different genre, and she closed the case again. The locks were magnetic, and clicked went locking and unlocking. it was like the one her parent's had, and reminded her of the similarities this strange blue man had to them. the blinding truth, which rarely came up, crashed into the forefront of her mind, screaming to be noticed. these were moments she hated, because she was really liking the man she was getting to know, and being reminded that he could be her father while she felt attracted to him wasn't exactly helping those budding feelings. She shook her head, dislodging the unwelcome and nagging ideas, as she placed the first CD into the changer.

Picking a strange mix of grunge, rock, and contemporary musics from recent years—from the contemporary band, Matchbox Twenty, she picked their most recent release, surprised he had everything by them and the lead singer's solo album; the grunge artist, Alanis Morissette, was also the most recent, although this artist was beginning to get into contemporary music as a genre; the rock artist, Melissa Etheridge, was one of her favourite female artist since she would relate to the music even if the woman was gay, and she picked 'Lucky' out of the few that he had. She wondered, as the changer closed, where the remote was, wanting to put them all on random and turn the volume up so he could hear it too. This way, she could surprise him almost as well as he would be surprising her. She was content when her favourite song by Matchbox Twenty, 'Unwell', began playing first, and she found herself singing along. She thought, as the songs kept playing randomly, changing from artist to artist almost every other song, that she could hear him singing along as well, his voice sometimes sharp. She remembered when he sang on national television, a rap dealing with another doomed scheme of world conquest, something about shampoo, and she recalled that he had an average voice that could be improved upon. Just like her own, in fact, so she wasn't really passing judgement. But hearing him now, in tandem with her own voice, made her realise something vital. Every time they visited one another, more often than not she would visit him, they both showed more of themselves to the other. This was a proper kind of relationship, she could see it clearly now, and that made her heart beat a little faster. She couldn't understand her reaction, but it pleased her. For the first time since Ron's death, Kim was truly as happy as he had made her; Drew was helping to make her feel alive again.

It was with that revelation that the same man came out of the kitchen holding a two platters with his 'creations'. One of which was really more of a portable fondue buffet. The vegetables and fruits had been cleaned, pruned, and cut into smaller portions, spread around the melted cheese and milk chocolate in their separate holders, and wooden sticks between them. The other platter had small triangle sandwiches on it, the crust cut off, and different fillings in each one, alternating the chocolate nut spread, peanut butter, strawberry preserves. Looking at everything, she was impressed; she never would have thought of fondue or finger sandwiches. After putting the two platters on the table, he left again, and returned with a pitcher of iced tea in one hand, two glasses in the other.

"This is wonderful Drew, thank you." She took the glass from him.

"Don't mention it Kimberly. Anything else I could think of would have taken longer to fix, and I've been wanting to break this fondue set in for awhile now."

"How long have you had it?" She took one of the sticks, picked a piece of cauliflower, and dunked it into the cheese for a moment before trying to get it out without a string following. She was successful, but had to wait a moment before it cooled before she could put it in her mouth.

"Since before Shego left," he whispered, and could tell she was stunned by the admission. During her silence, he took a piece of kiwi, dipped it half way into the chocolate, and blew on it a moment before putting the whole thing into his mouth.

"I'm sorry to bring it up." She finally ate the piece she had been holding, but didn't move to take another.

"Don't be, at least you will enjoy this. She never got the point of fondue. With Shego, everything had to be done a certain way, her way, and if something didn't make sense, it didn't happen. She was really in charge when we tried dating, whereas when we worked together, she did almost everything I told her to even if she didn't agree. I don't know, maybe she was making up for that." Drew took one of the finger sandwiches with the chocolate nut spread and nibbled a little on it, trying not to make eye contact with Kim. That's when they both heard the remaining lyrics of the song currently playing.

"These are the things that I miss, these are not times for the weak of heart, these are the days of raw despondence, and I never dreamed I would have to lay down my torch for you like this..."

Something in those lines, and most notably the final line, struck a cord. Both had experienced the loss of love, strangled in life's cornucopia of mysteries and wonderment, and now they only had the other who could understand, only had the other to console with and comfort. It was as if the cosmos, in all it's misshapen faults, had decided that the time was ripe to point out the most basic of truths, and in song no less. With a strange epiphany, Kim grabbed the remote, turned the music down, and took another piece of vegetable onto her stick, proceeding like nothing awkward had happened, asking the usual questions and beginning another comfortable chatting session with Drew. Almost as if neither had had the same fleeting moment of reflection, the same day-dream of the perfect life they could have had. They pretended that this wasn't just a way to forget, but also a way to move on.

To Be Continued...