Disclaimer: The characters are not mine (I only wish)... Just the story

Chapter 2
Something To Live For

Kim finally returned home, parking her all wheel drive station wagon in the garage. The trip had taken less than thirty minutes, but to her it felt like hours. She entered the old house through the kitchen and checked on the coffeemaker. It was still hot, so she poured herself a cup, straight black, and sat down at the banquette at the end of the kitchen. It was nearly an exact replica of the one in the old Possible house, before the aliens destroyed it. Ron searched high and low for that piece of furniture, all over the world, only to find a neighbor of the Possibles tearing theirs out to do a kitchen remodel. Ron had even painted the kitchen the same shade of yellow. It reminded her of home- a home that no longer existed.

It was at a table much like this where a grinning Ron held her hand on that Saturday morning after the Junior Prom, a vase of roses on the table. Ron beamed when he unveiled the renovated kitchen, Kim overjoyed that he was able to re-create something from her old home. Even though the Possibles had a dining room, many family meals took place at that table. Ron was present for a lot of those meals. She always thought it was for her mom's cooking, but Ron later confessed that it had always been to just spend more time with her. She felt like she could relive all those memories sitting at this table.

She quickly downed the first cup of coffee. She needed the recharge. It had been a difficult morning, and it wasn't even nine AM! Emotionally, she felt as if she had gone five rounds with Shego. She proceeded to prepare another cup, this time with cream and sugar. New cup of coffee in one hand, she sat at the table, her other elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand. She took one long sigh. Whoever said that the first day of preschool was harder on the parents rather than the kids wasn't kidding. Some other parents she knew warned her how traumatic it was for them to leave their firstborn at daycare or preschool for the first time. "That won't happen to me," She had said so confidently. Dummy. You knew you were already unpacking a suitcase- no, a steamer chest- of emotional baggage today… you really didn't need any additional emotional strain…

It was good to be back home, in Middleton, living in the old house again. It was the house that she and Ron bought after they returned home from college. It was an older home with plenty of bedrooms, as they planned on having a big family. Having been an only child all the way into his senior year, Ron was so excited about the prospect of having a large family. Even after living with the chaos of the tweebs, Kim wouldn't have had it any other way. She sighed as she realized most of the bedrooms would never be filled.

She loved the big old house. But it just wasn't home again. As much as she wanted it to be, she just wasn't sure if she could adjust to living here without Ron. That's one of the reasons why she moved away to Montana five years ago. Even now, although Kim and Ron Jr. had been living in the house for 2 weeks, Kim had yet to move back into the master suite. That was their room. She just didn't know if she could move back in there alone. Well, at least we made it back to Middleton and the old house. Little Ron's in his preschool class. That's progress, anyway. One step at a time. We have to try to make this our home again…

Even though it had been nearly five years, it might as well have been yesterday. The day was a whirlwind, but she would never forget it. She could not forget it no matter how hard she tried. No amount of time would ever completely heal the hurt from that day. At least she had something to live for. If it were not for little Ron, she's not sure she would have ever had the strength to go on. Five years ago. The date was only a few weeks away. The day her world changed.

o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o

It was Dementor again. That slippery Austrian was still trying to take over the world. Did he never learn? Most of the major villains from Team Possible's rogue's gallery had either given up on their villain careers or had been incarcerated. Drakken and Shego had given up on villainy when his 'best scheme ever' saved the world from the Lowardians. He could never give up being the mad scientist, but instead of trying to take over the world, he was working independently as a consultant for Global Justice. Shego stayed with Drakken, but she struggled to reform. It took the care and help of her two greatest former nemeses to help her finally find a new purpose in life. Senor Senior Senior retired once again, this time from villainy, and Junior couldn't be happier, as it allowed him to finally pursue his career as a pop star, and while being mediocre at best in the U.S and Europe, he experienced great success singing in Spain, Central and South America singing in his native Spanish tongue. Bonnie Rockwaller and Junior made the perfect pop star couple and they got married and had several kids. Gemini had been captured and imprisoned. DNAmy disappeared with the statue of Monkeyfist and had been off the grid for years. But Dementor, he never quit. Team Possible continued to thwart the madman's schemes. Somehow, he managed to always get away and return, each attempt more sinister and diabolical than the last.

This time, he had created a disintegrator ray, (he no longer bothered with catchy names for his devices) and he was planning on attacking Washington and other world capitals. He already demonstrated the effectiveness of his weapon by vaporizing the top of a mountain near his lair. Never mind that there was a resort occupied with late summer travelers on the top of mountain he destroyed. The maniac had finally gone homicidal. The power of his device combined with his blatant disregard for life had world leaders fearful. They gave Team Possible only a short time to stop Dementor. If he was able to get the ray mounted onto a hover car or other sort of flying platform, he would be unstoppable. For once they were actually considering surrender to the madman. Team Possible was the final option. Their directive was to stop him at all costs.

Kim and Ron had managed to sneak into and infiltrate Dementor's lair. Frontal attacks had fared poorly, as Dementor had just vaporized anything and anyone approaching his lair, from ground assaults, bombers, and even ballistic missiles. Already, many soldiers and pilots had lost their lives. Nothing could come close. Except Team Possible.

They two did not speak. Thanks to Ron's special Mystical Monkey abilities, which he shared with his wife, speaking was not necessary. The link they shared with each other surpassed speech, or even thought. Each was aware of the other, how close, or how far, one was from the other. It allowed them to move stealthily, and fight as one.

They were already inside and nearing Dementor's laboratory. Suddenly, Ron turned to Kim and looked at her, his head tilted to one side in curiosity. Suddenly Ron spoke. Hearing him actually speak out loud startled her, rather than using their link. "KP, you shouldn't be here."

She's not sure what surprises her more, his actually speaking out loud, or what he said. She quickly puts her finger up to her lips to remind him to be quiet. "What, Ron? What do you mean I shouldn't be here?" Even in her thoughts, there was a tone of indignation. How could he blow our cover like this?

"Sorry KP, something's not right… I don't know what it is… something's not right." He was distracted. This was so unlike him. Well, anymore. After ascending to become the Ultimate Monkey Master at graduation, he was able to maintain such a high level of focus that made Kim sometimes feel she was the distracted one. All of a sudden, it was like he was in high school again. What worried Kim the most was the look of fear in his eyes. He had always been a fearful person, yet since becoming the Monkey Master, he was able to suppress those fears. Not today. She could feel all his fears. He was worried for her. Now she worried for him. This is bad. Very bad.

Without warning, the huge hangar-style doors swiftly opened. Much faster than you would expect for such huge doors. No, not opened. A quick look, and Kim realized the doors had been vaporized, along with a section of the wall and floors. The cackling of the demented Austrian filled what was left of the room.

"Kim Possible! Ron Stoppable! You thought you could sneak in and destroy my vonderful machine, ja?" Hasn't anyone told him we've been married for five years?

Busted. Great, gotta slow him down with the witty banter. "Well, yeah, that was the idea!" "Ron? Need some help here! Any ideas?"

"Um, yeah KP!" He was distracted. "Working on it!" You really shouldn't be here…

Even though he didn't say it to her, but she could sense it just the same. Why, Ron? Why? It really troubled her. It didn't seem that he knew why, he just knew.

Dementor was warming up his weapon for another shot. "Ziss time you vill not escape! Ziss time I vill scatter YOUR ATOMS INTO ZE NOTHINGNESS!" he shouted manically .

It looked bad. There was nowhere to run, and no place to hide. His weapon was powerful enough to disintegrate large buildings, and he was willing to destroy his own lair to get at them- where could they hide?

The weapon was beginning to create a high pitched whine. It would be ready within seconds. Kim and Ron looked at each other. Could this be the end? Looking at Ron she saw his eyes open wide in sudden realization. He sensed something. Was that… joy? It was hard to tell, because the feeling was immediately replaced with a bone-chilling terror that went to Ron's core. She could feel it.

"KP, you MUST get out!"

"Not without you!"

"One of us has to destroy the weapon! I have to do it!"

"No Ron! I won't let you die!"

"KP- If you die, I have no reason to live- but…you… YOU have a reason to live! You have to live!" With that, he glowed blue and used a wave of energy to thrust her down through the door and far down the hallway.

"NOOOooooooooo!" She screamed in terror as she was pushed away from him. She knew what he was doing, but not why.

She could still see Ron down the hallway. A flash of light. The disintegrator. Her heart fell. The ceiling, walls and floor back up the hall began to vanish. In the middle of it was Ron, floating in space where the floor had been, enclosed in a bubble of blue energy. The bubble was shrinking. She could feel his pain as he fought. There was no way he could maintain the bubble.

"RON! NO!" She screamed out loud.

The bubble continued to shrink. He turned his head and looked at her. Even as he writhed in pain he smiled his goofy grin, just for her. "KP, I'm not gonna win today… I'm so sorry…" The bubble was fading fast, but his smile was not. "I'm so glad I kissed you at the junior prom…"

She gasped. Tears started flowing. "Yeah. Me too. And every kiss since. Ron, I love you." She wanted to go back to him. She would die with him, but he wouldn't allow her to stand back up.

No time left. In spite of the excruciating pain he refused to quit smiling. "I'm sorry it's gotta be this way KP… You MUST live… for both of us. I love you! Take care of-"

The bubble was consumed in a flash of blue light. Ron was gone. But he wasn't done yet. The collapsing of his energy bubble sent a bolt of blue energy back up the beam, rapidly creating a chain reaction that caused the weapon itself to disintegrate in a ball of energy. Dementor and his henchmen attempted to run, but to no avail. The ball of energy grew to consume them, the weapon, and much of the lair around them. The sound of the destruction roared like a jet engine. In the midst of the roaring, Kim thought she could hear the sound of screaming monkeys. A flash, and it was over.

Silence. Minutes passed. Or was it hours? It was an eternity to the only person remaining on what was left of the mountain, the redheaded heroine lying just feet away from the crater created by the disintegrator. Ron pushed her out of harm's way. And now he's gone. She closed her eyes and attempted to focus on his presence. Space, time nor distance could sever the link. Even across parallel universes or through the reaches of deep space, the link was there. For the first time ever, she felt nothing. "Ron, where are you?" No answer. No nothing. Just… just … void. Emptiness. Where Ron should be, it was just an empty space. NO! This can't be! She screamed- out loud and through the link. "RON! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Nothing. Fear and panic were beginning to take hold. Stop. Focus. Center. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Trying not to be desperate, although she was. "Ron? Come back to me Ron. I need you…" Still… nothing. No, wait. There was something in the link. A presence. "Hello? Ron?" No answer. Not sure what it was, but it wasn't Ron. Ron was… gone. Gone. Forever. To her core she knew it was true. She just laid at the edge of the crater looking up at the open sky and hoarsely cried. "Rooooonnn… Come baaaack…."

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She finally awoke. White walls, white sheets, white gown, antiseptic smell. The hospital. She hated hospitals. What happened? When Global Justice agents arrived over a hour later, she was still laying and weeping at the edge of the crater. When the GJ agents tried to get her to return to the awaiting hover jet, she nearly went hysterical. She just couldn't bear to leave the spot where she lost her Ron. As long as she stayed, there might be hope. If she left, it would be final, it would be over. He would be lost to her forever. It finally took a team of GJ medics to sedate her and carry her out.

She could feel the sedatives still clouding her mind. She hated sedatives or any drug that muddled her mind. She remembered the battle and watching Ron take the brunt of the disintegrator beam. She sat straight up in her bed. "Roooonnn!" she cried desperately.

That was enough to get the attention of those in the hallway. The first one in was her mother, Dr. Anne Possible. She was quickly followed by Kim's father, and one other, Jean Stoppable. "Kim! Lay back down! Are you okay?"

Too late. Her mind has cleared, and she remembered everything. "Mom… Dad…" She looks over and also sees Jean in the room. Her heart fell at the sight of Ron's mother. "Oh god, Jean… I'm so sorry." The tears were flowing now. "Ron… I lost him… He's gone… Ron, why did you?" She just couldn't stop crying. He was her everything. Now I have nothing… The two ladies drew close to the bed. Her father wanted to also, but watching her daughter being so distraught pained him through and through.

He thought of watching the two growing up together, and how after Junior Prom they suddenly turned a corner from being best friends to being boyfriend and girlfriend. The transformation was nearly instantaneous. As much as he hated watching his little girl grow up so fast, he couldn't approve more of the guy she chose to grow up with. Ronald continually proved himself worthy, over and over again, especially during the alien invasion at their graduation. If he had any doubts about the boy before, they were gone after that day. He loved Ron like he was his own son, having watched him grow up most of his life. He looked forward to them having a lot of children, giving him a bunch of grandchildren to spoil. He looked at her daughter, being held tightly by the two moms, still sobbing. It wasn't supposed to happen this way…

"Daddy…" She whispered hoarsely. "Daddy?" Pleadingly, she extended her arms out to him.

He came to her side and took her hands. His beautiful grown daughter... his baby girl. Her hands were cold. "Yes, Kimme?" he choked. She had finally persuaded him to drop the "cub" part when she and Ron married.

She sat up and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Still sobbing, she whispered. "Daddy… I want you to know… he did it... he kept his promise. Daddy, Ron did it…"

"What do you mean?"

"He saved me, daddy. Like he said he would. He saved me, he saved the world. Again. He was the hero… he was… is… forever will be... my hero… to the very end." Ron told her father long ago he would protect Kim with his own life if necessary. They weren't idle words. By the time they were a couple, and Ron was having 'the conversation' with her father, Ron had already proven himself more than once. He did so many more times after that chat, and now his final act was to save the world while protecting Kim. He truly was a hero of heroes. Not even James Possible could continue to hold back tears.

After much crying together, Jean stepped out of the room, and so did Kim's father. Kim needed to talk to the doctor in the family. "How much longer do I have to stay here, mom?" She really hated being in the hospital.

"You can come home with us later today. You check out okay, but there are a few tests and scans they are still looking at. They just want to make sure everything is alright."

"Like it matters…" Kim muttered under her breath.

"What?" She figured that her daughter not hurt physically. Her biggest concern was the hurt no medicine could fix. And she could tell, it was a huge hurt.

Kim shrugged. "I just don't care, mom. Life is… over. I feel like I died with him… except I'm still here. Stuck here. A part of me wishes I did die with him. I don't know how I'm gonna live without him. I've never had to before… and this time, he's not coming back."

My baby. This is so unfair. "No Kim, he's not. He laid his life down to save you, and save the world. I know he had his reasons… There must be a reason why you are still here."

Kim tilted her head. What did he say? "Y'know, mom, that's what Ron said. He said I have a reason to live. But why? I don't feel like I have a reason to live…" The tears. Again.

At that moment Dr. Possible's phone signaled a text alert. She looked at the message and furrowed her brow. "Kimmie, I'm really sorry, but I have to go and check on this. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"It's okay mom, I guess I'll be here." Maybe I can meditate for a few minutes…

Anne kissed Kim on the forehead and excused herself. As much as Kim did not want to be alone, she needed to be alone to do this. She closed her eyes and focused on the place where she linked with Ron. He wasn't there. He just wasn't there. But that presence… it was still there. She couldn't determine what it was. "Hello? Who are you?" No response. "This is a place where I meet my love. Do I know you?" Still nothing. It was as if 'it' was there, but was just observing. Or maybe it was unable to speak. She decided to just reach out and just get a feel for whom or what it was. She knew it wasn't Ron… but who else could be in this place? 'It' seemed familiar, but how? Especially with Ron gone? It wasn't Rufus, who in his advanced age spent most of his time with Ron's sister Hana, and it wasn't Hana either. Ron was the Chosen One, the Monkey Master, Kim was just a carrier. Her monkey powers had been transferred from him, and they had their limits. She could feel the 'presence' reaching out to her. But no words, no communication… just feeling. Who else could have monkey pow- No. it couldn't be. But it was the only explanation. It explained all of Ron's actions.

"KP… You have a reason to live." He knew. It's the only possible explanation. No wonder he was terrified. He knew. She didn't know if she was happy or if she was terrified at the possibility.

Just then, Kim's mom re-entered the room. She had a chart with her. She sat down by the bed. "Kim, I don't know if you are ready for this right now. This is going to be life changing. But I think you need to know- now."

Kim looked at her mom wistfully. "I lost the love of my life today. What could be more life changing than that?"

Anne kept her smile to herself. Why such terrible and great news at once? "Kimberly, the lab triple checked on this. Your blood tests show that you are three weeks pregnant."

A/N: Okay, wow. I hope you endured that...

This chapter is significantly longer than the previous (just in case you didn't notice). I saw no possible way to break up the events in this chapter, so well, there it is. I expect future chapters to not be quite as long, although not nearly as short as the first- but then again... This has already taken a on a life of it's own, so who knows? I hope you hang on for the journey with me. Unfortunately, I'm not a terribly fast writer, so I hope to update sometime in the next eight to twelve days... and hopefully so on thereafter...

I want to thank everyone who read my first offering, those who fav'ed it, and especially those who were took the time to respond with a review. What a incredible welcome to the writing side of KP FF! I am awed and humbled. Special thanks to Slipgate, Pinky Jo Curlytail, Sharper the Writer, Screaming Phoenix, Cajunbear73, CaptainKodak1, AmericanGecko, sumer11 and Omnifighter1 for taking the time to comment... Thank you all for your encouragement. I truly appreciate hearing from you!

And thanks CB73 for the nickname to my handle. I'll be using it from here on.

Thanks for reading. Until next time,
O2K