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Kim Possible: Morality's Choice - Chapter 1.3 – 1.5 - Actions & Reactions
Bonnie Rockwaller was rather enjoying her life at the moment. She was a popular cheerleader, all the boys wanted her, and best of all she had finally gotten one up on that stuck up bitch Kim. Poor little Kim, Bonnie thought as she walked down the school hallway, if she knew just what that little boyfriend of hers was doing behind her back she'd be devastated.
Bonnie had managed to steal Ron away from Kim shortly after their 6 month anniversary. She had spotted him in front of his locker, eyes downcast, mumbling sadly to himself about some latest offense to Kim. Her first instinct had been to make some snide comment, maybe throw in a few choice names, but that look of sadness he had had in his eyes when he glanced up at her and instantly changed her mind. She had seen that look before, the look of someone who had just been yelled at as if they were a brainless puppy who had misbehaved, and realized that the fairy tale romance Kim had spent so much time bragging about to all the cheerleaders might not be be quite the Disney romance she thought it was. It was in that instance that Bonnie saw her chance, a once in a life time opportunity to truly make Kim pay for everything she had ever done and most epically for stealing head cheerleader from her.
It had only taken a few kind words, some faked sympathy and he had told her everything, a true sordid tale about what kind of girlfriend Kim really was. He told of how demanding she could be, the constant nagging for him to change, the way she would just randomly ditch him when something else caught her attention. He had sounded like such a loser, pouring his heart out to a girl he knew was Kim's enemy, but as she listened part of her had admit that he seemed like kind of a sweet guy if he was willing to do everything he said just to make Kim happy.
And so it was that what had started as simply bitch sessions about Kim had slowly turned into something else as they met more and more often. At first Bonnie was surprised, she knew why she hated Kim, but she never had guessed that Ron, the boy who had been her best friend since kindergarten, her constant companion on her stupid world saving missions, would have such issues with her. It truly seemed as if all wasn't happy with their romance and yet Kim seemed to have no idea. As time passed and they continued to talk Bonnie slowly began to realize that she was actually enjoying talking to him, he was showing himself to be a better person then she had ever thought a loser like him could have been. He never ordered her around or expected anything from her like her current ex-boyfriend Brick had. He didn't even seem to care about her money or the fact that she was a Rockwaller, a name that carried a lot of weight in the town. For as big a loser as he could be, whenever they met he went out of his way to treat as if she was special. She was of course, but most people never saw that, they just saw her name or her money or saw her as a way to hook up with her sisters. It was a lifetime of that sort of treatment that had made her so cynical of people, but in the face of someone like Ron she began to feel like just this once she could let that part of her go.
Bonnie, for her part, made no effort to change him choosing instead to simply let him be his natural dorky self. Though he would still say the stupidest things at times and seemed to be kind of inherently spazzy she had to admit that there were actually a lot of fun times. It was just like having her own personal court jester, there just to make her laugh on a hard day or bring out a smile when she felt like bitching out the entire world. There really hadn't been much more to their relationship yet, she cared far to much about her image to be seen as officially dating him, but she had begun to be a bit more public about her displays of affection. She enjoyed one such display, a somewhat deep kiss in the cafeteria, just recently. Though only a handful of students had been present at the time, their gasps of surprise, coupled with Ron's look of stun and shock, had made the act quite memorable.
As she stopped in front of her locker and casually dialed in the combination she idly wondered if she should in fact tell Kim about what was going on. If Ron's reaction to the kiss was any indication he certainly seemed as if he would be willing to break it off with Kim, though much to Bonnie's annoyance he still seemed to hold some friendship feelings for her. Bonnie's only real problem with the idea of telling Kim was that it was just so much more fun that she didn't know and that little extra bit of satisfaction she got from going behind Kim's back was just to good to let go of right now.
Bonnie Rockwaller was rather enjoying her life at the moment. She would later regret just how short that moment had been.
- - - - -
Ron lay on his couch in a stiff and awkward manner, constantly tossing and turning as he tried and failed to get comfortable. He was a man at war with himself and that battle was ensuring that no comfort would be found until a winner was had. The source of this inner war was the simple fact that he had somehow found himself stuck in the kind of situation he had always dreamed of and yet it had turned out to be more a nightmare then a dream come true. He had two different women in his life and each one seemed to want him for herself. It was quite frankly beginning to mess with his head.
On the one hand there was his best friend and current, or was it former he idly wondered, girlfriend Kim Possible. They had gotten together, finally some had said, at last years prom. It had been a hectic series of events to say the least, but it was that evening during a quiet couples dance that both he and Kim had acknowledged feelings for each other and sealed them with a kiss. He had thought it would be the start of something wonderful, of something perfect, of something akin to the happy ending of a movie and it had been...for a while, but then seemingly out of the blue Kim changed.
She began to become more bossy with him, picking at his every little fault seemingly every chance she got. She said he needed a job, that his old ways of skating by on meals wasn't good enough anymore. So he obliged and got a job...but it didn't seem to make her happy. She said he didn't act grownup enough, that it was time for him to start acting his age. So he obliged and tried to be more mature...but it didn't seem to make her happy. Even his attempts at romance, specially cooked meals, flowers, compliments, seemed to fail.
For Ron it seemed that the more he tried the worse she reacted. She had once found him endearing, his goofy antics and slapdash ways never failing to make her laugh or smile. She had even said on numerous occasions that he was sweet, but now...now she didn't say it much anymore. The truth was she just seemed so changed from the girl who had been his best friend for so many years. Ron paused and considered that truth. Was that really it he wondered? Had she really changed? Or was it that he had just never been forced to see her in this light. He had never had to try and live up to her high standards before and as it was turning out that her standards were something he just couldn't seem to meet.
The last straw, as it were, had come when Kim had lost her memory. It wasn't the fact that she had forgotten that they were dating, Ron easily forgave her for that given the accident, no it was the fact that when he told her of that fact she found the idea laughable... At first anyway. Her amusement at the idea soon turned to aggravation and then anger as she increasingly fought against such a thing ever being true. It left him wondering if that was that all he was to her anymore. Was the idea of them dating really such a laughable idea? Was he really nothing more then source of aggravation and anger to her
As he sat up in frustration, finally admitting that he would never get comfortable, he realized the truth that had been growing in him. He had once thought that they loved each other, but now he didn't know what she felt for him. The only thing he really knew right now was that what he felt for her wasn't love, not anymore.
That brought him to the other hand, the other woman in his life, Bonnie. This was a girl he knew he should have avoided at all costs. Everything about her screamed self-centered self absorbed ice queen and to make matters worse she was Kim's mortal enemy. Well not in the fight to the death sense, but in the high school food chain survival sense. The two had been angry rivals in everything since as far back as he could recall and for just as long a time Bonnie had never shown any interest in him outside of blowing him off as rudely and publicly as possible on the few occasion that had spoke.
That had all changed just a short time ago though. It hadn't been a great day, Kim had just railed on him for inviting her to Bueno Nacho yet again, and he had retreated to his locker, hurt.. He had always thought of Bueno Nacho as their special place and though that Kim did to. They had always hung out there before they were dating so he saw no reason why them suddenly dating would change that, yet it did. It was as he was kicking himself for foolish making such an assumption that Bonnie passed him by. Usually she would walk right by him as if he didn't exist, but oddly this time as he glanced up at her she stopped and turned to face him. He didn't know what she was up to, he had expected some sort of game or cruel trick or even an insult about his current self pitying state, but it never came. Instead she had shocked him by actually expressing an interest in what was bothering him. He had of course, resisted at first, it was Bonnie after all, but she persisted and eventually it all just came spilling out. Maybe it was the fact that it had been building for so long, maybe it was the fact that she was the first person to see something was bothering him, hell maybe he had just been really desperate to have someone, anyone listen, but whatever the reason he started talking. It was much to his amazement that she actually stood and listened as he spoke. She didn't interrupt, she didn't make any snide comments and most shocking of all she actually seemed to sympathize somewhat, if the saddened look on her face was to be believed.
They began to hang out after that, not really publicly because he knew she cared to much about her reputation and he also knew Kim wouldn't have allowed it, but they made time here and there and as they hung out they began to talk more almost as if they were bonding over their mutual life problems.
He began to see past her cold ice queen exterior and actual saw occasional fleeting glimpses of another kinder, almost softer, Bonnie. It had grown to the point where he almost began to look forward to talking with her. She gave him someone who would listen no matter what he said and seemed to understand just what it was like to have to live up to high standards that you never really wanted in the first place.
While all this had been going on he had been continuing to date Kim, but he could sense he wasn't as happy as he used to be. For her part Kim seemed to sense something to, though she never brought it up. Instead she began to say how much she loved him more often, but to Ron it seemed almost like she was trying to convince herself and not him.
It had been a few days later in the cafeteria when Bonnie had actually kissed him. He had no idea why she did it and he had barely been able to move past shocked during the whole experience, but it became a moment he would never forget. The worst part, he thought afterwards, was that he actually enjoyed it a little, something he was not happy to find himself thinking.
- - - - -
Kim sat on her bed, pandaroo in hand, and ran a single idea repeatedly through her mind. Shego was right...Shego was telling the truth...It was a concept that Kim just couldn't wrap her mind around. That evening at the club after Shego had gotten away had left Kim with little doubt in her mind that what she had seen...what had happened hadn't been Shego's doing. In all their encounters, in all their fights, Shego had never shown herself to be that dirty a fighter.
As Kim pondered what exactly that meant her communicator beeped and Wade's image appeared on it's screen. He said he had a mission for her, a simple warehouse robbery that the local police could have handled, but he knew how much she could probably use the distraction. Kim thanked him and set off, truly glad to have something to focus her mind on that wasn't her personal life. Finding the front door wide open and the thief waiting for her when walked in had been her first unpleasant surprise. Seeing just who the thief was had been the second.
Shego stood leaning against a shelf, a relaxed smile on her face as she saw Kim enter.
"Hello Princess, miss me?"
Kim most certainly had not. Shego was, in point of fact, the last person she wanted to see at the moment but she didn't want to give the thief the satisfaction of a reaction.
"Shego...Shouldn't you be at home right now, licking your wounds after our last meeting?"
Shego just smirked and lit her hands.
"Aww someone's still angry over the doofus, and after I went all the trouble to set up this little meeting so we could talk in private."
Kim wasn't sure if she should be amused or surprised by the response, but she did know enough dodge as Shego launched herself forward.
"What do you think we are? Sisters? Why would I ever talk to you?"
Shego's reply came with a flaming fist attached.
"Did you forget already Pumpkin? I'm the one who was trying to help you and how did you repay me? Ruined my first evening out in weeks and tried to put me in the hospital."
Kim did feel bad about the attack, but she hadn't actually expected Shego to want an apology. Recalling Shego's previous demand for Kim to stop fighting her and just listen she decided to take a chance and stopped dodging. If Shego was on the level about wanting to talk she would stop to, if not...Kim hoped she hadn't just made a big mistake.
"Look, I'm sorry about attacking you. You were right, you were just trying to help me at the hospital, but come on, we've been enemies for how long? You expected me to just trust you at your word?"
Much to Kim's relief Shego did stop in kind, the flames that had surrounded her fists extinguishing.
"Hey like I said Pumpkin, I may be evil but I'm not petty and as much as you like to think we've got nothing in common I think my time as Miss Go proved otherwise."
Kim's face went hard at the mention of Shego's alter ego. Kim's own memories of that time were precious, though she would never have admitted that to anyone let alone Shego.
"One, you are not Miss Go, you are Shego the woman whose tried to kill me more times then I care to count and two you've never shown the least bit of interest is helping me before so forgive me if I have trouble trusting you, even after the Miss Go incident."
Shego sighed in annoyance. Kim seemed as if she was set on being stubborn and dragging things out, but Shego was in no mood for such an act.
"You know what your problem is Kimmie? You just refuse to accept the world for what it is. Everything is either black or white to you, but you know what? The truth is that the good guys are rarely all good and the bad guys aren't all bad. Tell me, was Cyrus Bortel a good guy when he made those moodulators? Or how about those mind control chips? Me, I know that the world works of shades of gray and I definitely know that when someone double crosses me, like say a certain doofus and cheerleader bitch, anything that happens to them is well earned."
"Your so busy playing little miss hero that you lost control of your life and lost sight of what the world really looks like. Take off the god damned rose colored glasses Princess, when it comes to yourself, there is no such thing as good or evil, it's all about control and making people realize that you have it and are willing to exercise it. What the hell happened to all that anger and fury you showed when you thought I was going to steal Eric from you? Are you saying what those two did, are probably still doing, is ok? Your just going to let them get away with it? If you aren't willing to fight for yourself Princess, then just go home and give up right now because the real world is going to eat you up and spit you out when you finally grow the fuck up."
Kim stood stunned by Shego's speech. She wanted nothing more then to blast Shego with a rebuttal, to let her know that wasn't just any girl, she was Kim Possible, the hero, the one everyone looked up to. She wanted to tell Shego all about how the world really worked and how heroes didn't give into vengeance. She wanted to...but she couldn't. Despite herself she couldn't deny the truth in what Shego was saying and the more she thought about it the angrier she felt. Maybe she had lost control of her life and maybe she had lost her objective view of the world. Had she slipped so much into being the ideal hero that everyone said she was that she had stopped being able to just be Kim Possible, a teenage girl? Why should she let Bonnie and Ron get away with this? Hadn't she loved Ron, given him her heart, put everything she had into making their relationship work? And what had she gotten in return? Cheated on, heart broken, made a fool of by Bonnie of all people. She had only just begun to have feelings for Eric when she thought Shego had kidnapped him and she kicked Shego into a signal tower for it. What Bonnie and Ron had done was worse...much worse.
Why was it ok for them to do this to her and not ok for her to react? Since when did being the hero mean having to not stand up for herself? Bonnie and Ron had betrayed her, Ron was still betraying her, and who had tried to help her? Not the people she called her friends. Ron hadn't even had the guts to tell her, she had to find out in front of the whole school...The truth, as harsh as it was, was that the only person who had tried to help was Shego and Kim had tried to repay that help by blaming it all on her.
Shego stood watching Kim's face carefully and smiled darkly as she saw the red head's eyes fluctuate and her brow furrow. It was rather enjoyable seeing Kimmie come to terms with the truth of her situation and Shego knew that with a little more pushing Kim might just be ready. Still, she knew she had to tread carefully here. If she didn't play her cards in just the right way she might lose this chance and that was something she would never forgive herself for. Though she wanted to stay and see just where Kim's train of thought was leading her, she decided it was better to leave. She had started Kim down the path of understanding, now all she had to do was wait. She made her way quietly to the window she had come through earlier in the evening and slid through it, casting one last glance at the building as slid into her jet and rose off into the night.
Kim was only slightly surprised to find that she was alone in the warehouse when she finally looked up from her thoughts. She had guessed by Shego's speech that the thief hadn't really intended to steal anything. As Kim turned back to the warehouse door and began to walk towards it she considered everything that had just been said. She didn't yet know what she was going to do, but she knew that tonight had made her sure of one thing.
Shego was right, it was about control.
Author's End Notes: Well here we are, another 3 sections through Chapter 1. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far and that those of you who felt the first part may have been to short found this part long enough. As always, please leave a review and let me know what you thought. The next part shall be up soon hopefully, just as soon as I figure out how many sections to combine.