Thanks to qtpie235, cpneb, CajunBear73, conan98002, Stand Alone Battle A.I., Magnatron, Akinyi, Randy C, Molloy, and RonHeartbreaker for reading and reviewing.
Kim, Ron, and all other characters within are owned by the Walt Disney Corporation.
Episode 2: No Bueno
by Ultimate Naco Topping
The first signs of summer were in the air. The afternoon sky was pail and bleached rather than blue. A hot wind moved around but provided no relief. Heat waves shimmered over a large sombrero shaped building as a young man on a blue scooter pulled into the drive-thru.
…Rufus and Ron Stoppable. With our…, Ron trailed off in his head as he drove toward the Bueno Nacho drive-thru. He gave pause over the next line and realized that it had to be changed. With a grin he continued with his American Starmaker breakout performance. …with my girlfriend Kim Possible… We're not afraid of any attack. I said, 'Yo, K. P., I got your back'. He could not stop grinning as he came to a stop at the speaker.
"Gotta do take-out today, Ned. I'll need K.P.'s and my usual," Ron said cheerfully. Without waiting for anyone to respond, he twisted the throttle on his scooter and pulled around to the window.
His typical care free smile filled his face as he extended his hand with a wad of dollar bills. Expecting to have the money taken from him, Ron's head snapped as his hand impacted the glass of the unopened window.
Ron stared through the darkened glass as the blood drained from his face. The money in hand dropped and floated to the ground below. Rufus popped his head out of Ron's pocket and was surprised to find no bag of food for him to jump in and inspect. He looked up at his friend and noticed his vacant sick face. Rufus jumped to his shoulder and waved his paw in front of Ron's face unable to stir him. He tapped his foot in thought before looking in the direction Ron had locked his eyes. The naked mole rat's jaw almost dropped off his face as he let out a terrible shriek.
Sweat pored across Kim's forehead as she turned the last corner to Bueno Nacho. This had better be good, she thought angrily. Kim and Ron had skipped their normal post-school chow session at Bueno Nacho to dive into homework, but Ron still insisted on getting food and Kim reluctantly agreed to let him grab some take-out.
As Kim spotted Ron sitting on his scooter parked in the Bueno Nacho drive-thru, she raised a suspicious eyebrow. She continued up the path and approached her spaced out boyfriend.
"Ron," Kim said soothingly. "What's going on?"
Ron stared straight ahead emoting nothing that acknowledged Kim's presence. Kim waved her hand in front of his face. With no response, she snapped her fingers next to his ear—again, nothing.
"Ronald!" she yelled to no avail.
Arms crossed, Kim's lip pouted out as she began to get frustrated. She noticed Rufus frozen on Ron's shoulder, his jaw still agape. Kim extended her finger and poked the small pink rodent. He didn't budge. Well, this is a 8.7 on the weird-o-meter, Kim thought before the darkened windows of Bueno Nacho caught her eye. She turned and stepped forward to read a flyer posted on the window.
Dear Bueno Nacho Customers,
Due to damage awards against the Bueno Nacho Corporation in the aftermath of the 'lil Diablo promotion, we are saddened to announce that Bueno Nacho must close its doors. Thank you for your loyalty over the years, but it is time to say 'Buenos Noches'.
"Oh, boy…," Kim groaned aloud. She looked at Ron with a little more sympathy. Sighing heavily, she pulled the Kimunicator from her pocket and punched up Wade.
"Go Kim," Wade greeted on the screen.
"Wade, I've got a bit of a sitch," Kim replied. "Ron's stuck in a trance because Bueno Nacho closed down." She kept her eyes glued to Ron as she waited for Wade to respond, but only silence followed. She glanced down at Wade.
His hand was frozen above his keyboard. His right eye was twitched. A look of befuddled confusion covered his face as his lips quivered.
"…Bueno Nacho…closed…down…?" was all he could stammer.
"Oh, not you, too!" Kim sighed. She ended the transmission and pocketed the Kimunicator. She folded her arms and looked over Ron. With a grumble, she grabbed the spare helmet off the back of his scooter.
--
Ron was seated on the Possible's couch—the blank stare still firmly set. Kim stood next to him with a look of concern. Her mother was shining a light in his eyes observing them dilate.
"Well, it looks to me like he's in shock," Mrs. Dr. Possible stated professionally. "You found him just like this?"
"Looks like a case of kooties to me," Jim said sarcastically from behind. Kim flashed looks of scorn to each of her twin brothers as Mrs. Dr. Possible continued her examination.
"Told ya' Kim was giving him kooties last night," Tim stated matter of factly.
A scarlet streak matching her hair ran across Kim's face. Eyes widening, she screamed, "TWEEBS!"
The two boys darted out of site snickering. Kim, still huffing, caught her mom's inquisitive stare. All she could do was put up a defensive smile as her mom smirked and rolled her eyes.
Mrs. Dr. Possible turned back to Ron as she placed her hand to her chin looking like she was deep in thought.
"I think we're going to have to operate," she stated seriously. "Maybe even a full brain transplant. Gonna be a lot of blood."
Brain transplant? Blood? Ron's mind thought as it finally snapped out of its loop. He leaped to his feet almost knocking Mrs. Dr. Possible off the couch and forcing Kim to scramble out of his way.
"There will be no blood of mine…" Ron declared.
"Okay, okay," Kim's mom said cutting him off. "I may only have twenty years experience as a brain surgeon, but I'll let you get a second opinion." She stood, patted Ron on the head and walk out of the room.
Ron, nearly hyperventilating, slumped back down on the couch.
"This is the worst day of my life," he said almost crying.
Kim sat down next to him and delicately took his hand. She looked at him trying to sympathize with him in her eyes.
"Ron, I'm just as upset that Bueno Nacho is closed," Kim said softly. That's a lie, Possible! He's never going to believe that. She scoffed to herself. "But we'll find someplace new…"
Ron pulled back from her nearly indignant.
"Someplace new? Someplace new?" he growled. "I'd rather starve to death, K.P. You can't replace something as special as Bueno Nacho. The memories we had there-together, the naco, the bendy straws." Ron slumped again as Kim gave him a tender rub on his back.
Beep-beep; ba-beep, came the Kimunicator.
"Whatcha' got for us, Wade," Kim said as she pulled the device out.
"Break in," said Wade melancholy. "A silent alarm went off at Jack Stanton's house."
"The billionaire businessman?" Kim asked.
"Yeah," Wade said still saddened. "His mansion in Upperton contains some of the world's rarest pieces of art."
"We're on it," Kim stated dutifully. She stood up and began to march away. "Let's go, Ron."
"I don't feel like it," Ron pouted without moving. Kim turned back to him.
"Ron," Kim barked. She almost began to order him to move, but looking at him, she thought better of it. She leaned down to him and brought her face in front of his. She said softly, "I can't go without you," and gently kissed him on his nose.
Ron growled. Kim had been using this new tactic on him since prom. This is worse than the puppy dog pout, he thought angrily. He stirred a bit.
"Fine, let's go," he said dry of enthusiasm.
Kim stood up and pulled Ron to his feet and began to lead him out of the room.
"At least you can get your mind off of Bueno Nacho for awhile," Kim said still trying to console him.
--
Dusk was settling over the town of Upperton as Kim and Ron waived good-bye to their ride. The two teens stood in front of the marble-faced mansion. A cable van was parked out front.
Kim peered inside and saw several paintings and various other trinkets of value.
"I got the feeling that someone's not getting five hundred channels hooked up anytime soon," she quipped. Ron stood arms folded with a scowl. He leaned to look into the van for himself, but only as a formality.
Kim pulled out the Kimunicator.
"Got a way in, Wade?" Kim asked.
"I hacked into the security system and deactivated the side door," Wade replied his head resting in his hand and his eyes looking sadly at his computer. "You'll be able to get in without alerting the perps. Also, looks like their trying to open the vault in the basement."
--
Kim and Ron quietly moved down the grand hallway as night plunged the mansion into darkness. Blank spaces on the wall indicated where priceless painting used to hang. Along the length of the hall and down the stairs, a heavy set of cables twisted along the floor. Kim leaned down and touched them.
"I'm betting they've got some heavy duty equipment down there," Kim said focused. Ron still had his arms crossed and only gave a glance at Kim's observation.
The pair crept farther along the hall and then down to the basement. At the base of the stairs, they paused looking at two men dressed in standard burglar clothes. One was carrying two small, jeweled necklaces; the other held a golden figurine. A laser drill sat on a stand next to them. One of the men tripped as he crouched through the hole cut through the vault door. The other moved to support him both almost loosing the objects they were carrying.
"Careful, we can't afford to lose any of these pieces," the larger of the two exclaimed.
"Well, you obviously can't afford the purchase them," Kim said sternly stepping out of the shadows. Ron leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets still looking forlorned.
"So put down the goods and surrender and no one gets hurt, blah, blah, blah. Can we get this over with?" Ron remarked annoyed.
The two thieves looked nervously at each other then back at Kim. The smaller one spoke up.
"Aren't you that cheerleader who saves the world and her friend who's always, well, messing up?" he said.
"Hey! Ron's saved the world…by himself…more than once…," Kim said defensively. She glanced over to Ron to see if she had maybe bolstered his spirits but remained locked in angst. She was surprised when Ron stepped forward and walked past her.
"Look, today, has been a rotten day," Ron sneered marching directly towards the two men. "There was no hot water when I took a shower this morning, my soufflé fell apart in home ec, and my favorite restaurant closed down!"
As Ron continued his ranting march towards him, the larger of the two thieves suddenly thought, Wait, these are just teenagers! A couple hormone-crazed kids are not taking me out! Dropping the relic he was holding, he grabbed the laser and, pushing the power to full blast, aimed it at Ron.
"…And another thing," Ron continued but before he could finish a red blast came roaring at his head.
Ron ducked just in the nick of time as a hot beam of light that could cut him in two zinged over his head.
"K.P., he's firing the laser…at us!" Ron screamed in his normally panicked mission voice.
You had me for a second there, Ron. Kim thought with a smirk as she did a backflip to avoid the swinging laser's beam. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the smaller of the two crooks making a break for the stairs. Beside her was a hooked chain the pair had used to pull the slab of the vault door out with. She grabbed it and twirled around her head slinging it at the escaping thief. The chain twisted itself around the man and tripped him to a stop at the base of the stairs.
Rufus had jumped out of Ron's pocket as he avoided the first laser blast and sprinted along the ground towards the large crook at the laser. Wasting no time, the naked mole rat bit as hard as he could through the man's shoe. With a yelp of pain, the man released the still active laser and jumped back. The beam shot towards the ceiling spinning quickly and cut a circle out of the floor above. The weakened beams groaned and creaked before finally giving way.
Kim and Ron found themselves below the collapsing chunk of housing. Kim gracefully wheeled out of danger while Ron coiled and leaped towards the vault door and into the other thief, who was still jumping around in pain holding his foot, knocking the man into the wall and out of commission.
The laser was now spinning and firing at will. Kim ran towards it as it inadvertently fired at her forcing her to take evasive maneuvers. She pressed on and slid under the machine grabbing its power cables and ripping them out. The laser powered down with a hum.
Ron sat up on top of the unconscious robber, looked around and then below him.
"Looks like I got this one, sorta," Ron said with a small bit of satisfaction as Kim came to help him up.
--
The flashing lights of the police cars illuminated the peaceful upscale neighborhood. Kim stood with a plain-clothes officer who appeared to be taking her statement. Ron leaned against the police van still looking sad as the two robbers were placed in the back.
"We want to thank you again, Miss Possible; Mr. Stoppable," the officer said. "We'll be sure to mention your heroics to Mr. Stanton when he returns from his vacation."
"It was no big," Kim said in her usual modest tone. "Just glad we could help."
The officer nodded his head and walked away. Kim turned and noticed Ron still pouting. Rush into battle against all sorts of low-lifes and villains with me and your spirit is crushed by a restaurant closing, she thought. What am I going to do with you, Ron?
--
Itchy, itchy, itchy, was all Ron could think as the blindfold covered his eyes. He desperately wanted to rub but Kim had both of his hands pulling him. He could feel the cold air cool his skin as they entered a building from off the street.
"Okay, we're here," Kim said excited as she dropped his hands. He whipped the blindfold off and looked around. The layout was similar to Bueno Nacho—soda machine, booths, cheap tiling. But the colors were wrong and the smell was of burgers.
"Cow'n'Chow?" Ron asked putting it all together.
"Ron, humor me," Kim said grabbing his hand and leading him to the cash register.
"Welcome to Cow'n'Chow where we've got the cow, you eat the chow!" the cashier said. "What can we get for you?"
"I'll have the cowgirl combo with a strawberry shake. And could I get a salad instead of fries?" Kim said politely.
The attendant punched a few buttons and turned to Ron.
"For you, sir?" he inquired.
Ron gazed at the menu one arm tucked; the other running up to his face. His eyes shifted back and forth to all the various items. He hadn't been forced to make a decision in a fast food restaurant in quite sometime.
"He'll have what I'm having," Kim said impatiently. Slapping the payment on the counter, she took him to get their food before leading him to a booth.
"See, just like normal," Kim said trying to gauge Ron's feelings. Ron just sighed and looked at his food. Rufus stood on the cautiously sniffing the unfamiliar items in front of him.
"Yeah, like normal," Ron lied.
Uh-oh, Kim, you're losing him. Kim thought. Desperate times… She motioned at someone in the front of the restaurant.
As Ron took the first nibble out of his burger, a man dressed in a black and white cow suit complete with floppy tongue and cowbell arrived at their booth. He wasted no time plopping cheap plastic cowboy hats on each of their heads with a thunderous chuckle.
"Congratulations!" he bellowed. "You're our Cow'n'Chow Cow Pokes of the Day!"
A freckle-faced employee with a camera jumped out from behind the man in the cow costume and yelled, "Say Cow'n'Chow!"
Kim and Rufus shouted "Cow'n'Chow!" with enthusiasm as Ron sat unimpressed. The camera flashed. As the two employees walked away, Kim gave Ron a nervous smile.
"How about that?" Kim said. "We're making new memories already!"
Ron picked up his milk shake and pointed to the straw.
"No bendy straw," he said miffed.
"Ron," Kim said as she crossed her arms and frowned. "I'm trying to do something nice for you..."
Ron eyes connected with Kim and he suddenly saw that she was hurt. He softened his scowl.
"I'm sorry, K.P.," he said. "Maybe it's too soon for me to move on. Bueno Nacho was a part of my soul. Woven into the fabric of my being-like you, Kim," Ron shuddered.
Kim looked at Ron with empathy and getting up from her side, moved over to his side of the booth. She planted her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him.
"Ron, I know how sentimental you are," she said soothingly. "I'll be right here for you. Whenever you need to take a walk down Bueno Nacho memory lane, you know the drill. But I can only do so much. Eventually, you're gonna have to help yourself."
Kim gave Ron a squeeze and she felt some of the burden leave his shoulders. Ron could feel some of the hurt flow out of him and into the air as he closed his eyes. No sooner than they were shut than a bolt flashed in front of him. His eyes popped open wide as the physical manifestation of an epiphany spread across his face.
--
Students bustled down the halls of Middleton High shuffling books and slamming lockers. Kim spotted Monique exchanging her last class's books for the next.
"Hey, Monique," Kim greeted uncheerfully as Monique closed her locker and the two started walking.
"Hey, girl. What's eating you?" Monique asked.
"Funny choice of words," Kim replied. "I can't find Ron. He wasn't in class and he's been so shattered since Bueno Nacho closed. It's like his heart is broken"
"Well, you know what they say about the path to a man's heart," Monique quipped.
"He just makes it so hard to reach out to him when he's like this," Kim said as they turned the corner to her locker. The two girls stopped as they saw Ron standing with Kim's locker open hearing the faint murmur of Wade's voice before Ron whispered back.
Ron, noticing he was being watched, quickly whispered something more to Wade and slammed the locker shut. Kim and Monique walked up to him.
"Ladies," he said in a low tone. His face looked deathly serious and he was holding his hands locked together in front of him.
"Ron, what are you and Wade up to?" Kim asked suspiciously.
"I can't tell you, K.P.," Ron said as if it the secret was life or death. "You will find out in the due course of time." With that, he turned and walked away leaving Kim and Monique with raised eyebrows.
"You know, if it were anybody else, I'd say that he's not acting normal," Monique stated.
"But knowing Ron…?" Kim sighed. "Par for the course."
--
Kim walked up the driveway of the Stoppable home still in her cheerleading uniform. Ron hadn't shown up for practice either. Her concern for Ron grew as she cut practice early and jetted out of the gym.
Noticing a large number of cars parked on his street and the front door open, her concern was turning into confusion. She took the last couple steps to the door and entered. What she saw stopped her cold in her tracks.
"Oh no!" she gasped. She looked at the Stoppable's living room which had all its furniture cleared. There were folding tables stacked with phones. A sign hung on the wall read: Save Bueno Nacho Telethon. Men and women of all ages sat at many of the phones. Ron stood by a camera sitting in an empty section of the room. He was checking a list on a clipboard while speaking into a headset.
"Oh, please, no!" Kim said again as Ron noticed her standing in the doorway.
"K.P.!" Ron shouted as he rushed over to her and started pushing her to an open phone. "Glad you're here. Not a lot of time. We need you on phone three. It's our anchor phone. We need a credible face 'cause you'll be seen on camera."
Kim was forced into the chair as Ron put her phone down in front of her.
"Ron..," she tried to interject.
"Here's your script and your call log. We'll take any amount, even five dollars, but remind them if they donate twenty-five dollars they get the bobble head and for fifty, they get the tote bag," Ron said holding one of each in his hands.
"You're holding a telethon…to save Bueno Nacho…in your living room?" Kim asked in disbelief. "Did you even ask your parent's permission?"
Ron's cheery face suddenly went to panic as he smacked himself on the head.
"I knew I was forgetting something," he said. "Oh, well. Five minutes to show time people!"
The Kimunicator chimed as Kim pulled it out.
"Wade, please tell me you have nothing to do with all this," Kim stated with narrowed eyes. Wade cowered away from the screen a bit.
"Well, um…, can you put Ron on?" Wade replied.
With a growl, Kim handed the device to Ron.
"Ready on your end, buddy?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Just hook the camera into the Kimunicator so I can stream the video," Wade said. Ron did as instructed and stood before the camera. The Kimunicator rested on top of the camera with Wade directing on the screen.
"Just gotta reroute the network signals… and you're on!" Wade said as he pointed to Ron.
"Boo-yah!" Ron shouted. "The Save Bueno Nacho Telethon is on the air!"
Kim slammed her head into the table. Ron was in front of the camera composing himself ready to speak to the nation.
"People, I come to you today not as a citizen, but as a concerned citizen. A great institution has been tossed in the trash pile and we cannot let it stand!" Ron said in his most dignified of voices.
--
In the break room at the Middleton Space Center, several men had gathered around the television watching Ron's telethon. Mr. Dr. Possible stared in shock as Ron continued over the speakers.
"…Nothing says America like 'Bueno Nacho.'" Ron said moving his hands dramatically. "If you can't eat a freshly prepared naco or chimerito, then I don't want to live here. What will they come for next? Puppies?! They're going to take away your puppies!!"
--
In a nice looking living room, a child was hunched over her fluffy white puppy dog sobbing loudly. Her mother sat on the couch consoling her.
"Sweetie," she said. "They're not really going to take your puppy."
--
"…Yes, you'll get your tote bag in one to two weeks," Kim said dryly into the phone. "Thank you for your contribution." Kim slammed the phone down and glanced over at Ron.
In front of the camera, Ron stood at a table with her cousin, Larry. A collection of cups with animated graphics printed on them was spread out in front of them. Larry pointed at one.
"And on this one the caption says it's from the epic Battle for Mirander," Larry said in monotone. "But if you look closely, you can see the Federal Forces are clearly being engaged by the Zolkans—a race that wasn't introduced to the 'Space Mutant' trilogy until after the Battle. I drove three hours to the only Bueno Nacho handing the wrong cups out to get it."
Ron's eyes were wide sparkling as he stared at the cup. He nervously wet his lips.
"Can I touch it?" he asked in a whisper.
"Only if you put these on," Larry said handing Ron a pair of gloves. Ron quickly put them on and delicately picked up the cup.
"Wow," he whispered, as his eyes became almost as large as his face. With a flash, he dropped the cup and rushed the camera. Larry dove to save the cup and caught it before it hit the floor only to gasp as he realized he was touching it with his bare hands. He fumbled to set it on the table.
Ron got directly into the camera's lens and held it with both hands.
"If Bueno Nacho fades away, where will you get cups like this?" Ron pleaded. "What will you drink out of? What will the children drink out of!? If you don't do it for yourself, do it for the kids!"
Listening to every word, Kim began to bang her head on the table again when she noticed a familiar voice next to her.
"…No, thank you! Buh-bye!" a cheerful Monique said as she set down the phone. Kim looked up in disbelief to see her friend manning the phones.
"Monique?" Kim asked shocked. "How long have you been here? I didn't know you cared about Bueno Nacho so much."
"I don't," Monique said with a sly smile. "I just wanted a front row seat. Ron's so entertaining when he goes off on a tangent like this."
Kim scowled but playfully pinched Monique's arm.
--
Night had fallen outside the Stoppable house as a long black limousine pulled in front and stopped. The driver hopped out of the car and sprinted around to the passenger door and opened it up. A man dressed in an expensive suit stepped out and surveyed his surroundings. He appeared distinguished and refined as he made his way up the path to the front door.
--
Jim and Tim stood each with a flask of bubbling liquids. On top of a burner sat another flask.
"To begin the reaction, you first pour the hydroxolin," Jim said as he poured his flask into the empty container.
"You have to time it right before you add the monozyllm or," Tim said as he began to pour his flask out. The two chemicals suddenly flashed bright as they touched. A large explosion shuddered the room. Jim and Tim were knocked back to the floor as smoke filled the air. They sat up with singed hair and black markings on their faces coughing.
Ron stepped into the smoke trying to clear it out. He nervously laughed.
"Well, it was a nice try guys. Better luck next time," he said playing off the disaster. "I see it's the top of the hour. Time to check with the Wadester to see how we're doing. Wade?"
"You people are terrific!" Wade exclaimed. He hit a couple buttons and a graphic popped up on the screen showing the amount of money collected. "After only three hours, we're already a third of the way to our goal!"
The phone in front of Kim rang causing her to moan. She unhappily picked it up.
"Thank you for calling the Save Bueno Nacho Telethon," she said with a grumble. "How can I help you?"
"Um, yeah, can I order two veggie nacos and a chimerito?" came a disoriented voice on the other end.
Kim rolled her eyes. "This is not a take out number," she barked as she slammed the receiver to the body of the phone. Kim gritted her teeth a bit as a shadow fell over her. Kim looked up at its source.
"Kim Possible, I presume," said the well-dressed and dignified man.
"That's me," Kim replied.
"Jack Stanton," the man said extending his hand.
Kim immediately perked up and leaped over the table to shake his hand.
"Glad to meet you sir. It's a real…," Kim said but was cutoff by Ron who now stood between them.
"Kim, this is no time for chit-chat. We need you on that phone," Ron said sternly.
"Ron," Kim replied embarrassed. "This is Jack Stanton. We saved his house from being robbed."
Ron's face blushed a bit as he realized he had been a bit rude.
"Right on," he covered. "What can we do for you?"
"I just wanted to thank you both for protecting my collection," Jack said. "Many of the pieces have been in my family's vault for generations. Some can never be given a value."
"Well, if they don't have a value, why would anyone want to steal them?" Ron asked oblivious to Mr. Stanton's meaning.
He laughed thinking that Ron had made a joke. Kim laughed knowing that he had not.
"Anyway, I am in your debt," Jack said with a nod to Kim and Ron. "If there is anything I can do to repay you, let me know." Mr. Stanton turned to leave but paused and turned back to the two teens.
"May I ask what is going on here?" he asked.
"Well, apparently someone has separation issues since Bueno Nacho closed down so he's hosting a telethon to bring it back," Kim stated expecting Mr. Stanton to give a squeamish nod and leave. Instead, the billionaire dropped to his knees and clutched his chest.
"Bueno…Nacho…is…closed?!" He gasped. "Noooooo!"
Ron dropped to his side and put his arm around him.
"Let the pain out," Ron consoled. "It's the only way to heal."
"You've got to be kidding me," Kim muttered under her breath.
"Look on the bright side, Mr. S.," Ron continued. "With the money we raise, we're gonna try to pay off Bueno Nacho's debt."
Mr. Stanton turned to Ron as a thought rushed into his head. He picked himself up and brushed himself off. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a pen and a checkbook.
"I have a better idea," he said as he clicked the pen.
--
Kim and Ron were seated in their normal booth at Bueno Nacho. The place was sparkling-matching the expression on Ron's face. Ned dropped a tray of food in front of them. Mr. Stanton stood next to him.
"It was way cool of you to buy Bueno Nacho and reopen it, Mr. S.," Ron said as he gulped down his naco. Rufus held a piece of a naco in his paws-a tear streaming down his face. The naked mole rat slowly put it in his mouth and chewing delicately, fainted onto the table.
"Think nothing of it," Jack responded. "It was the least I could do. I have to thank you again. Without your help, Ron, I would never have gotten this place up and running so fast."
"Dream come true, Jacky-baby!" Ron exclaimed as took another chomp on his naco.
Kim sat almost idly by watching the two converse. She took in the sheer joy across Ron's face as he once again enjoyed his favorite of all foods. Gotta admire him for his loyalties. Kim thought with a loving smile. God only knows what he'd do for me… Goosebumps shivered her spine as she turned to her salad.
"Before I go," Mr. Stanton started. "I want you two to have something." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two jewelry boxes and handed each one to Kim and Ron. Both set their food down and opened the boxes up.
Kim instantly recognized the necklace inside. It was one of the pieces the robbers had tried to steal. Kim looked to Ron's and found that it was the other.
Ron held his up. A strong gold band surrounded a shattered emerald. The outer band had an ancient inscription. Kim looked at hers. A series of broken rubies formed a ring around five larger pieces of ruby suspended in the middle of the piece.
"Legend has it that a family of ancient warriors drew their power from two shattered stones," Mr. Stanton said. "One ruby and one emerald. A woman of the family would give their loved one a piece of the emerald and take a piece of the ruby for herself. They would wear them while in battle to connect each to other in the afterlife should the warrior fall."
"This is too much, Mr. Stanton," Kim said modestly. "We can't accept these."
"Nonsense, it is only right that you two should have them," Jack retorted. "You put your lives in jeopardy too much to not have something like this."
Kim reluctantly put hers on and looked at Ron who had already done the same.
"It looks absolutely beautiful on you, Miss Possible," Jack said with a tender smile.
"Thank you. We'll always cherish them," Kim said.
"You two take care of each other," Jack said as he patted Rufus on the head and turned away.
Ron wasted no time in resuming his attack on his naco. Kim looked at him with a twinkle in her eye.
"You know, Ron," she started. "This was supposed to be an opportunity to learn how to deal with change."
"I learned plenty, Kim," Ron stated as he took another bite. "I learned that the more things change, the more they stay the same."
Kim flashed a bit of an annoyed look. Touché, Stoppable. Her mind grumbled.
"I've learned that change can't be a good thing," he continued.
A bit of a coy smile formed on Kim's face.
"I bet I can change your mind," she said leaning in to him.
"Oh, yeah, what could possibly change for the better?" Ron stated matter of factly ignorant of Kim's advance.
"I can think of one thing," Kim said hushed as she grabbed the back of Ron's neck and pushed his lips into hers.
Ron still held what remained of his naco in his hand, but as the kiss lingered, he dropped it. Got me there, K.P. He thought blissfully. With their eyes closed shut in the passion of their embrace, neither Kim nor Ron could see the jewels they wore around their necks begin to pulse with light and illuminate.
Mr. Stoppable fell back into his barcalounger as he let another day of number crunching fall by the wayside. Kicking off his loafers, he pulled the lever on the side of the chair and leaned back with a contented sigh. Just as he reached the maximum point of relaxation, he grabbed a copy of Actuaries Weekly and thumbed open to the first page.
Ring. Ring.
Of course, he thought as he reached over to pick up the phone.
"Hello. Stoppable residence," he said politely.
"Um, yeah, I'd like to get the tote bag," said an equally polite female voice on the other end.
"Tote bag?" Mr. Stoppable began rather confused. "What are you talking about?"
"You know, for the Bueno Nacho telethon. For twenty-five dollars, you guys will send me a tote bag," came the reply.
"I'm sorry but I think you have the wrong number," said Ron's father as he hung up the phone rather quickly. He barely had the chance to glance back at his magazine before it rang again.
"Hello. Stoppable residence," he said a bit less politely than before.
"Yes, I'd like to make a hundred dollar donation for the nacho cheese dispenser," said a shrill male voice.
"Cheese dispenser?" Mr. Stoppable said as his befuddlement at the strange calls rose. "We don't have a cheese dispenser."
"But…"
"I'm afraid you've got the wrong number," he repeated before swinging the receiver to the phone back onto the hook. His hand hadn't even begun to lift away before the phone rang again.
"Stoppable residence," he said sharply.
"Do you guys still have the veggie naco, dude, 'cause like, I'd like to order three," a mellow-hippy voice asked.
"Wrong number!" Mr. Stoppable exclaimed as he slammed the phone down again. This time, he stared at it for a few seconds before he had an idea. He picked the phone up off the hook and set down on the table. Satisfied that he would now be free to enjoy the rest of his evening, he began to thumb through his magazine. The rest of his evening didn't last long.
Ding. Dong.
The rarely frustrated Stoppable patriarch let out a grumble as he slung himself out of his favorite chair and marched himself to the front door. With a scowl, he swung it open. His look of disdain towards this further interruption to his evening twisted into astonishment at what he saw in his front lawn.
Clowns, mimes, jugglers, acrobats, elephants, lion tamers, and the rest of the makings of a circus covered the property and spilled out into the street. On the porch was a woman practicing her fire eating routine and another man dressed up as a ringmaster.
"Terribly sorry we're late," the man said. "Where do you want us to set up?"
It took Mr. Stoppable several seconds to contemplate the situation. He found out rather quickly he didn't have a clue what was going on.
"Um, beg your pardon, but why exactly are you here?"
"Why for the Save Bueno Nacho Telethon of course!" the ringmaster replied.
"What makes you think there's a telethon going on here?" Ron's father asked searching for any logical reason for their presence.
"We're repaying a favor to that young man who sidekick's for Kim Possible. He told us to meet here. Can we talk to him? We need to get the show on; the clowns and the lions are getting restless."
Mr. Stoppable's scowl returned in an instant as he swiveled his head back into the house.
"Ronald!" he shouted. "Would you come down here for a minute? We need to have a talk!"