"So you've been staying at home?"
"Yep."
This is the last time we actually spoke.
"I haven't really been fair. So I thought we should talk, you have to know I feel terrible. This is hard, you know."
"Good," Ron replies childishly.
Silence
He flops down onto her couch. She continues to stand.
"Is it because I'm still working at Smarty Mart? Cuz you know I'm basically a manager and it's still hard to get another job even with a bachelor."
She rolls her eyes. "Do you really think that? That this is happening because you're not making enough money? Come on, give me some credit."
"I don't know. It's one of the things I thought of."
"What were the others?"
"The usual."
"What's the usual?"
"You know."
"Ron, this has nothing to do with anyone else. You know that, don't you?"
His eyes narrow. "I never said anything like that."
"You're thinking it though."
"You can read my mind now?"
She crosses her arms over her chest. "Come on Ron, don't be so childish."
A flash of anger appears on his face and then it's gone.
"Ron, I think we needed this break. We weren't really getting along or even talking very much anymore. And I'm at the point of my life where I want to sort myself out for the future, and I can't see that happening with you right now, when you can't even sort yourself out."
Ron made a repulsively comic snorting noise to express his disbelief.
"Come on, you said it yourself that you thought about it."
Ron shook his head vigorously. "No, no. no you totally tricked me. You asked if I thought about breaking up and seeing someone. And I said no, but you said 'come on, people in relationships do think about it once in awhile'. You kept bothering me until I said yeah, I thought about it, because Barkin told me this girl Gloria at work had a crush on me. I didn't say I would do it, I didn't say I wanted it, I just said I thought about it…"
Wait, I remember this then he said…..
"But it's all clear now, its further proof that you've probably wanted out for a long time."
Kim bristles at the comment.
"Anyway I think…."
"Is there any chance we can get back together?"
There was a chance, there was always a chance. But I was really angry.
"I don't know."
"You don't know, that means there's a chance."
"I don't know if there is a chance."
"Just because you don't know if there is a chance. That doesn't mean there isn't any."
'Ron, would you shut up! I'm trying to say that I might be a bit confused and I haven't been happy for awhile. We fight all the time over stupid stuff, and we're stuck in a terrible mess here. Can't you see that?"
He chuckles. "I'm shocked you usually have a clear battle plan in your head. This half-hearted I- need-time bull is kind of insulting, if you're going to dump me at least go for the whole she-bang."
"I'm not dumping you….."
He stands up. "You don't have to patronize me, we're not going out anymore."
"Maybe if you acted a little more mature, I wouldn't have to patronize you all the time."
This shuts Ron up. He is clearly stung and heads for the door.
Kim is immediately sorry for what she has said. "I'm sorry. Okay. I didn't mean that. I just... I was just... tweaked, I guess."
Ron ignores her and walks out the door and eventually out of the building and into the street.
"Ron, don't be like this. I said I was sorry, we can't let things be like this."
"Just leave me alone," he says without turning around.
She stops and looks around. The sky is drab and dreary; the city itself resembles an oil painting. The world around them is dissolving into nothingness.
"Look at it out here. It's falling apart. I'm erasing you. By morning you'll be gone. And it won't hurt anymore!
THIS IS WEIRD.
Kim looks up, startled.
WHAT'S THE MATTER BILL?
IT'S USUALLY NEVER THIS DIFFICULT.
REALLY? THIS IS MY FRST GIG.
I'VE ONLY HAD PROBLEMS TWICE IN ALL MY CASES.
ONLY TWICE?
On the faded street Kim listens to Bill and Craig.
THE FIRST TIME WAS JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. COINCIDENTALLY IT WAS HER EX.
JESUS, ARE YOU SERIOUS?
TOTALLY, I RECONGNIZE HIS PROFILE.
WHAT A COINCIDENCE!
ISN'T THAT WHAT I JUST SAID? YEAH, BUT HIS CASE WASN'T ANYWHERE NEAR AS EXTREME AS THIS. WHAT IS UP WITH THESE TWO?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ron sits alone in front of the tube, a Swanson's TV dinner rests on his lap. Kim walks into the room.
She rubs her forehead; she seems to be having a headache. She looks stressed out and tired "How can you watch this trash?"
Ron looks at her curiously. "You know, we used to watch this together all the time."
"Well," she says without missing a beat, "can you lower the volume I've some serious…"
"Work to do," he finishes for her. "I know." He stands up.
"Where are you going?"
"Anywhere. Just about anything is more fun without you these days." He slips on his jacket and heads out the door. Kim watches him leave. The environment quickly degenerates. The room fades.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim and Ron maneuver in between a crowd of people as they traverse through a packed mall.
She walks slightly ahead of Ron, both of them have frustrated looks on their face.
"Let's get married."
She stops and turns around. "What?"
"Let's get married, I want to get married, do the whole family thing."
"I know what you're thinking and it's crazy. Marriage is not the solution to our problems."
"We're having problems now?"
"I don't want to talk about this now."
"If we're having any problems it's because of you. Besides a few missions, we barely hang out anymore."
"You know. I just started this important job. If I don't work my tail off, those more than likely sexist jerks, I call bosses will never give me any respect."
"Just consider it, alright."
"I don't think we are ready for marriage."
"Who's the 'we' in that sentence? You're the one shooting it down without even thinking about it."
She stops again and whirls towards him. She is annoyed. "Ron, do you honestly think you're ready for that?"
Why did it end up like this? It's cruel.
He glares at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Let's talk about this later," she mumbles.
"Whoa, you're just going to say something like that to me and walk away?"
"Okay, I know it sounded harsh……look….I've been really stressed out lately."
"I can't believe….."
Ron is now inaudible his lips move but there is still no sound. He becomes increasingly pale by the second. But the pain still registers on his face.
Thank God it's going. Just go away.
He continues to rant as people vanish around them. The mall is quickly becoming deserted.
"It's going, Ron. All the hurt and disappointment, it's all going away."
Ron steps forward. "Good."
Kim is surprised. "What?"
"It won't hurt anymore, I'm glad."
Their eyes lock, Ron is fading before her very eyes.
"Yeah."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"So I'll see you at work then?"
"Sure," Kim says to the young man.
Kim and Ron sit at a small table in a small outdoor café. He gazes down at the menu as Kim chats with a colleagues from work.
"Catch you later then." Kim smiles as the young man walks away.
Ron takes a sip of soda. "Well he seems……successful."
"Don't start this again Ron…." she says.
"Real friendly chap……is it me or does everyone you work with happen to be the successful, handsome type."
"So perceptive, yet you didn't notice the lamp you knocked over yesterday."
Ron sits back in his chair, his fingers tapping on the table. "Did you notice that he didn't say hello or goodbye to me?"
I guess I didn't.
"Wade is going to be updating your Ronmunicator."
Ron begins to skim through the menu. "Oh great, I look forward to anything having to do with the missions. Because it's the only time I see you."
Kim takes a sip of water. "On a related note, I won't be able to go to Felix's party. I just got a boatload of work dumped on me today."
"That's fine……hopefully Wade can get me the communicator in time, you know, so I can be ready for a mission, when you need me."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Stoppable home:
"Son, son!"
Ron awakens with a start and completely falls of his parents couch. "What? What?"
"Son, you're shouting in your sleep," Mr. Stoppable tells him.
"Really? What was I saying?"
His father looks away. "I don't know, you were mumbling."
Ron inhales and exhales. "I can't believe I passed out on the couch, how long was I out?"
"You came back from your date about two hours ago."
Ron climbs back onto the couch. "Dad, can I ask you something?"
Mr. Stoppable sits down besides his son and places his right hand on Ron's shoulders. "Go right ahead."
"Have you ever felt suddenly lonesome and lost, as if all of your senses and emotions have vanished and were replaced by some horrifying web of repressed, unyielding sadness, leaving you with the sense that you've been lost for your entire life?"
Mr. Stoppable removes his hands from his son's shoulder. He takes a deep breath. "No son I can't honestly say that I have"
"Oh….well" He lowers his head "I'm going to uh…go out for a walk."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim and Ron sit in front of the TV, half a carton of Chinese food is on the coffee table before them.
"Who was on the phone?"
"Work."
"Was it Fraaaaaankkk?" he says sarcastically.
She sighs. "Actually, it was."
He turns towards her. He obviously wants to say something but he goes back to the TV. "How's the chicken?"
How did it get this bad?
"Good."
There's a silence.
"How's the fish?" she asks
The room is fading.
"It's good."
They continue to eat in silence as everything dissolves.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ron and Kim are sitting in bed, Kim focuses on the laptop besides her. Ron is talking, in a robotic manner. She's not really paying attention. The memory is already in the midst of being erased.
Ron seems frustrated and annoyed.
Kim lifts her head. "Ron, I've got a deadline in the morning, this is important to me."
"That's important to you? OK." He gets up and leaves.
The scene is faded completely now and Kim just lies there for a moment, registering his statement.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim's apartment
Bill watches the blinking lights on the computer screen. "I think we've got things under control now." He moves the joystick around.
"Oh yeah?" Craig exclaims
"How about we speed things up?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Under the illuminating light of a few candles Kim stares up into Ron's hazel eyes as he strains above her, drops of his sweat pooling on her chest.
She digs her fingers into the back of his neck and gasps.
"I love it when you say that," he grins.
At the moment of the intense explosion, their breaths bonded into a single gasp that bordered on a cry.
He collapses into her body and nuzzles against her face. She can feel his smile on her cheek. Kim begins to softly caress his hair when she hears a soft mumble.
"Are you talking to yourself?"
He picks his head up. "Actually I was…"
"What?"
"I guess I was praying."
Her eyes widened a little. "Praying about what?"
"You'll think it's stupid."
"I won't, and even if I do, I'd still lie to you about it." She snickers. "Now tell me."
"I was just thinking, well, as you were lying there, I just thought that I should thank somebody, for…..you. I would have never admitted it but I never really thought something great would ever happen to me in life….but here you are."
"Oh Ron," she reaches up and kisses him tenderly on the right eye, the cheeks and finally the lips.
Her face is tear-streaked when it hits the pillow again. Ron's gentle face is beginning to disappear.
"No, I don't want this anymore. I want to wake up" she says as darkness envelopes them
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"KP, I must say you have an exquisite rear end." They are hiking along a creek through the woods. Kim walks up front.
"Thanks, no one's ever called my butt exquisite before. You don't have such a bad looking backside yourself."
"Well, I've been told I have the butt of a sixteen year old."
She laughs. "Who told you that?"
"It was that weird old dude who works at the gas station. Technically, he didn't tell me, he kind of just muttered it under his breath."
"Creepiness aside, he has good taste."
Ron looks around. "Of course our escape pod would land in the middle of the woods."
"Would you rather we have landed in a densely populated city?"
"Touché…..you know, we barely made it out of that space station before it exploded."
"Yeah, Dementor really stepped up his game this time."
"Right….it got me thinking and uh, I'm pretty sure I love you."
She stops and he walks past her. "You don't have to say anything, I don't want to put you on the spot. I just wanted to get it off my chest."
She grabs his hand, and looks weakly into his eyes, to see if he is joking, to see if there was real affection there, affection aimed only at her. Then she felt a sudden rush of elation shoot through her like a drug.
"Ron I…they're erasing you, Ron," she says softly
"Huh?"
"I…I hired them to. We're in my mind. But I want it to stop, before I wake up and don't know you anymore."
"Are you sure?"
"You had the same procedure to erase me, and I didn't….I didn't want to carry it all by myself."
"That's crazy I wouldn't…..I would totally do that…I'm that whacked…..Um, well... can't you just force yourself awake?"
She closes her eyes and tries to concentrate. "Aaargh! I can't! I'm trapped!" She doesn't even get to reopen her eyes when the darkness comes.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim's eyes pop open when she is whipped violently into a wall.
"What's the matter with you princess? You seem to be off today."
Shego leaps at Kim with a flying kick. Kim dodges the attack and Shego strikes the wall.
"Where's Ron?"
Shego attacks with a flurry of punches "He's got his hands full with Dr. D. You on the other hand need to keep your head in the game."
Kim catches Shego by both of her wrists and lifts them up over her head.
"Wha……?"
"I don't have time for this" Kim shouts angrily before side kicking her arch enemy into a collection of wooden crates.
"Ron, where are you?" She runs off, and finds herself sprinting through a series of decayed memories.
She and Ron laughing and holding hands at a movie; eating cereal together in bed, arguing over an upturned toilet seat, Kim smiling to herself and stroking Ron's hair in the back of freight plane as he sleeps quietly on her lap.
Suddenly she's returned to the decayed version of her first meeting with Mnemosyne
"We can help you through this. Why don't you start now by telling me everything you can remember about…"
"You have to stop this!"
"Huh?"
"You've got to stop! Everything I've ever loved is being erased!"
"I understand, but... I'm just something you're imagining. I'm in your head; too, I can't really do anything about it."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It's raining out.
The main members of Team Possible snuggle together in the furthest corner of the tree house. Ron looks at her and gently squeezes her hand
I realized I truly loved you on this day but I just didn't say anything. I love this memory. The rain and us.
Ron's eyebrow furrows in thought. "Maybe you can hide me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well... if they're looking for me in memories I'm in, what if you take me to a memory I'm not in? And we can hide there till morning."
Kim ponders this "I can't really think of a memory without you."
"Awwww, that is really sweet but…" The tree house starts to degrade and wash out "we've got to do something quick."
"Let's go." Kim grabs Ron's hand. She pulls him to the entrance of the tree house and they leap out of the memory as it degrades.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim's Bedroom:
"Whoa, it stopped?"
Craig swivels his head towards Bill. "What?"
"It's not erasing, she's off the grid!"
"Where?"
"If I knew that, I wouldn't be panicking."
Bill begins to fiddle anxiously with the equipment. "Oh crap, crap, crap." He jerks the joystick spastically. "Okay, let's not panic….let's focus; she couldn't have gotten that far." A complex and detailed map of the human brain appears on the screen before him. "Let's do a Spectrum search throughout her memory, maybe we can find something."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
'Where are we?"
"Shhh" Kim places her hand over Ron's mouth. "He'll hear us." She grins. "I've got to be around two-three years old. I'm so excited I don't know what I want most, for him to find me or not."
They lay under a bed surrounded by dozens of undersized dolls. Weirdly enough, they're adults but small, and Kim is currently wearing care bear footsie pajamas.
"Where's my little Kimmie Cub?" James Possible whispers as he tiptoes around the bed.
"Kim, Kimmie, look... it's not fading, the memory. I think we're hidden."
"Good, I don't want to lose you Ron."
"Gotcha!" Mr. P reaches under the bed and snags Kim by both legs. She squeals in delight as he slides her out.
"Tickle attack"
Kim laughs out loud as her father's fingers dance on the bottom of her feet.
"Honey, could you come down here for a minute?"
"Oooops, looks like papa bear is being called by mamma bear." James pats Kim on the head "I'll be right back sweetie."
Kim respires. "Oh man, I forgot how fun that was."
Ron rolls out from under the bed and ends up beside her. "Booyah, we're okay. You'll remember me in the morning. You'll come to me and tell me about us and we'll start over."
"Spankin." She pulls him closer. Her lips touch his seconds before the entire room is enveloped in a flash of white.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Middleton:
Ron runs his hand through his hair as he wanders down the empty street. He berates himself for not recalling his dream and leans against a lamp post. He glances up, spots a female figure in the distance walking down the block in the opposite direction. Her red hair stands out against the dark and gray of the city.
He starts after her, a slow pace at first. He wonders for a second why his hands are damp, or better yet, why they're shaking. But by now he's up to a full trot. He's beginning to close the distance between them.
"E….excuse me….miss."
He's in a panicked run now, rushing actually. "Miss?" When he gets close he taps her on the shoulder. "Miss?"
The woman spins towards him. "Yes?"
"Whoa!"
He didn't know what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't this. The 'woman' for the lack of a better word had the most chiseled jaw he had ever seen. And the red hair was obviously a wig.
Ron steps back. "Um, I'm sorry, I thought you were someone...someone I guess."
'She' batted 'her' fake eyelashes at him. "Strange, this is the third time this has happened to me today!"
"Sure…..sorry." He lets out a breath as he watches "her" walk away.
This is Felix Renton, I'm not home right now; so please leave your message at the beep.
Ron places his head against the window pane of the phone booth. "Felix dude, I'm totally bonkers man. I want to see someone but I don't know who, I want to ask someone to hold me, but I don't know who. I know there's supposed to be someone but there isn't. I spend most of my time feeling like I've made some huge mistake and who ever I desperately want to and need to hold does not exist in this world."
He pauses. "Hey, I'm rambling like a crazy person……I don't know what's my problem, I got an ok job, a chick that digs me, it's all good isn't it?" He waited for an answer that he knew wouldn't come "You remember that school I was telling you about, Yamanouchi, the one that sent me that letter. I've been thinking maybe I might go, it might help sort me out."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim's Bedroom
"Okay, we're back." Bill whoops.
Craig looks up from his monitor. "Thank goodness, I think I'm in the wrong line of work. This job is way too stressful."
"You can quit in the morning. But for now, we need to keep alert. If we screw this up, we've got one hell of a lawsuit on our hands."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Go, Go Mad Dogs, Go, Go Mad Dogs!"
"Timeout Mad Dogs!" The referee shouts over the roar of the crowd.
The Middleton Mad Dogs huddle around Barkin as he screams out instructions. Ron deftly separates himself from the team and makes his way to the cheerleaders.
"The plan didn't work Ron. They found us!"
"Hide me somewhere deeper. Somewhere buried, something you really blocked out."
The crowd is already starting to disappear by large amounts. "Ok!" She yanks him by the arm and they bolt to the exit.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It's not quite dark but it's close.
Kim's bedroom is illuminated only by the dim light coming from a large red scented candle on her nightstand. Kim herself is in bed under the cover and Ron stands over her.
He examines the calendar on her wall. "Hey, this is only a few weeks before our graduation." He freezes when he observes some furtive movement going on under her comforter.
"Kim what are you doing?" He's puzzled at first, but the low moan that escapes her lips confirms his suspicions.
He laughs. "Oh my god KP!"
"Shut up! I don't like it either, but I'm just trying to find a humiliating secret place that I blocke- uh…..mmmmm ohhhhh Ronnie."
"YES!" Ron exclaims "I knew it, I so knew it, I am the greatest!"
"Mmmm shut up... oooooooo...yes!"
"Hey, I'm just glad I wasn't the only one……"
Without warning her bedroom door swings open and Jim and Tim leap into the room. "Kim!"
Ron cringes. "Oh, you didn't lock the door."
Kim pulls the covers over hear head. "Tweebs!!" she yells at the top of her lungs. "GET OUT!"
"Wait, have you seen our----
"OUT!"
Ron laughs again.
There is a bright flash and everything is gone.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim and Ron are laughing as she blows out the candle on a slice of cheesecake in front of her. Ron hands her a small wrapped box.
"Um, happy sixth month anniversary."
"Awww," she unwraps the gift, "you shouldn't have. Thanks Ron." She removes a necklace from the box. "Oh, Ron, it's beautiful! You know, you're the first guy who ever bought me a piece of jewelry."
"First and last hopefully."
She notices he's starting to fade.
"I searched like every mall in Upperton for it."
"I love it!"
He leans across the table to kiss her. She grabs him and they run through the atrophied restaurant scene, into the blurry night.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Hey Kim!"
She picks her head up from the water fountain. "Hey Walter," she beams.
Ron stands beside her. "Hey, that's ole what's-his-face!"
"Yesterday was pretty weird wasn't it?" the preteen boy says.
"Yeah, who knew braces could get caught together?"
They laugh awkwardly, unable to look each other in the eye they gawk at each other's shoes.
He was my first sort of crush.
"This happened over ten years ago, yet I'm still feeling the pangs of jealousy. I've got insecurity issues."
"It's a good thing Ron was there too. If his mom didn't drive us to the orthodontist, who knows what might have happened."
"Yeah, speaking of weird."
"Hmmm?"
"I mean I'm glad he was there to help. But you don't need to keep hanging out with him, do you?"
Ron frowns "Oh that little jerk!"
"What do you mean?" Kim asks.
"I'm just saying I think you're pretty cool, I don't think you need to keep hanging out with that lose…..Ow!" He cries out when Kim's right foot makes contact with his shin.
She turns away from the crying Walter with her nose in the air.
"Why didn't you tell me that happened?"
"I didn't think it was important."
"So what's wrong with being a loser, without losers there wouldn't be any winners! Hmmph, well don't worry girl, he wasn't the right one for you anyway."
They walk down the school hallway fingers intwined. Kim looks down at his hand. It's fading.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim's bedroom
Bill works the joystick with one hand and types on a keyboard with another. "I'm getting the hang of it. I still don't understand why it all went wrong in the first place, but we're finding her quickly enough. Stick a fork in her, she's done. Hopefully there won't be too much peripheral eradication."
"Sooooooooooo?"
"So blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ron glares at the alarm clock on his night stand. It was three o clock in the morning and he wasn't anywhere close to getting any sleep.
"Rufus, do you think I'm going nuts?"
Rufus shakes his tiny head. "Uh-uh"
"I think I am." His eyes fix on a marking on his bedpost. Someone had scratched lettering into it. He ran his fingers across the K and R with a slash in between.
"Rufus do you know what this means?"
"Nope."
"Neither do I."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kim opens her eyes to discover herself tied to a giant cactus with Ron beside her. "I'm done, Ron. I'm just going to ride it out. Hiding is clearly not working."
He glances at her sadly. "Yeah."
"I want to enjoy the rest of my time with you."
Ron checks their surroundings. "This is where it all began. Ron Stepupable's greatest achievement."
"I'm really glad you decided to step up."
"Same here, I was so ready to crash and burn too. Man, I don't remember this cactus being so uncomfortable."
Kim sighs "Friends to something more; cliché but it works for me. Did you ever imagine us getting together, when you were little?"
"Well KP, I won't lie and say I never did…...But I did sort of know for sure we would be together forever somehow."
"It would be different. I think if we could just give it another try."
"Maybe we can. If you try your best you have to remember m……"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Seven year old Ron spit into his right palm and slapped his hands together. "Okay, let's do this."
"Ewwww no, I am not touching your hand."
Ron extends his hand to her. "KP, come on I'm leaving for Wannaweep tomorrow."
She grimaces. "But you spit in your hand. That is gross."
"Kim, this is how things are done, can't you be professional about this?"
"Uh, I've got a better idea." She advances forward and places her forehead against his. "Okay, so what's next?"
"Now we promise to never leave each other."
"Ron, you're only leaving for the summer."
"I know, this is just in case."
"In case of what?"
"Stuff, stuff happens all the time."
"Alright, I promise."
"I promise," Ron repeats. "You know from this angle I can see right up your nose."
Kim giggles and closes her eyes. "I'll never feel as normal with anyone else as I do with you."
"Same here."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"You're weird, but I like you."
"R….Really?"
This is it, Ron. It's going to be gone real soon.
"So what do we do?"
"Enjoy it I guess."
"Hey, do you want to come play at my house? My dad's building me a tree house. Well, he's trying to build me a tree house. I'm sure he'll finish it when he gets out of the hospital." Ron shivers. "There are just some places a hammer shouldn't go."
"Uh…..ok."
Next thing I remember, we were walking back to class together.
"So do you like Pre-K?" Kim asks.
Ron shrugs. "It's fine, but I wouldn't want to do this everyday."
The world is drying out, turning into a husk.
This is too sad. I've got a better idea for one last memory, something fun.
Kim's eyes flutter open and she looks into Ron's face.
"It finally happened. She's dating that loser! Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable are dating?!" Bonnie laughs.
There is a deafening silence as the dozens of other students in the auditorium allow the news to settle in. A second later the gymnasium explodes with cheers and applause.
Ron looks around. "Hey, this is the junior prom."
"With a few differences."
The applause continues as the band on stage begins to play.
You've been around for such a long time now, oh, maybe I could leave you but I don't know how. And why should I be lonely every night, when I could be with you, oh yes you make it right. And I don't listen to the guys who say, that you're bad for me and I should turn you away. Cause they don't know 'bout us, they've never heard of love.
"So do you want to dance?"
The auditorium is starting to disintegrate; a few of their fellow classmates have already disappeared.
"Natch." She takes her hand into his and he pulls her close.
I get a feeling when I look at you, wherever you go now I wanna be there too. They say we're crazy but I just don't care, and if they keep on talkin', still they get nowhere. So I don't mind if they don't understand, when I look at you and you hold my hand. Cause they don't know 'bout us. They've never heard of love!
Ron smirks "I really like it when we dance, the way you rest your chin on my shoulder and 'innocently' rub your thighs against me….I especially like that last part."
"Oh, you're a naughty boy aren't you?"
"Only when you want me to be KP."
Do do-do-do….Why should it matter to us if they don't approve do do-do-do. We should just take our chances while we've got nothin' to lose!!
No one notices when the roof of the auditorium is torn from the rest of the building and vanishes. Then all four walls begin to crumble into large amounts of dust-like substances.
Kim peeks up and she sees dried-out versions of all her interactions with Ron playing out in loops in the night sky.
Soon there is nothing left of the world but them and the prom band.
I tell the others don't bother me, Cause when they look at you they don't see what I see
"You had fun right?"
She nuzzles her cheek against his. "Of course"
He cups her face and runs his thumb against her bottom lip "Goodbye KP."
"I love you Ron."
She smiles. He tilts his head forward and she does the same. They kiss. It's tender and passionate. The scene fades.
No, I don't listen to their wasted lines. Got my eyes wide open and I see the signs, Cause they don't know 'bout us. They've never heard of love!
"Kim, find me in Middleton….try Bueno Nacho."
Everything goes black.
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Kim's bedroom
Bill watches the monitor. The last specks of images on the map of Kim's brain are
fading. Then they grow dark. Bill turns to Craig, who is staring out the window. It's now morning.
He yawns. "It's over."
Craig turns to him. "Okay."
They wordlessly begin the clean-up. Craig pulls the electrodes off of Kim's scalp. Bill packs up the machines, coils cable, and bags.
"That was a rough night," Craig tells Bill as they walk out the door.
'Tell me about, between this and the protesters, I think it's time I ask for a raise."
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Kim's bedroom: Later that morning
Kim awakens. She stretches and glimpses around her apartment. It is neat, yet empty like when she went to sleep. She smiles contently, gets out of bed and heads into the bathroom.
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June 2 I'm going to meet Ron again today. Things are going really well….he is unlike any other another guy I've ever met. He's even delaying his trip to Japan. I don't know how far this thing can go but how often do you find someone who understands you without you having to say a word.
WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS
Kim half heartedly looks up from her diary to the T.V.
THE ACTIVISTS WHO BROKE INTO LACUNA INDUSTRIES, STEALING HUNDREDS OF FILES HAVE SENT A MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC. THE GROUP KNOWN AS M.A.R OR "MEMORIES ARE FOREVER", SENT IN A DECLARATION DENOUNCING DR. MNEOMSYNE AS A THIEF WHO STEALS THE TRUTH. "PEOPLE HAVE TO KNOW" THEY SAY "IF NO ONE REMEMBERS? WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE W--
She switches the TV off. "I'm going to be late."
Before leaving her building, Kim opens her mail box and finds a large manila envelope stuffed inside of it. She opens the envelope which has a large file and a tape cassette inside.
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"I just… this guy, he kind of reminded me of Ron in a way. But there's really no substitute for the real thing. But by then it was too late, I found out he went through with this procedure…and now I'm thinking back on it and it just feels like it was all my fault. I took him for granted a lot…and I became distant because of the job, I snapped at him allot and ignored him sometimes, all that just played with his insecurities...I..…I know can't carry all of this alon…."
Kim stopped the tape when her phone rang. "Hello?"
Ron
"Did….did you get---"
"I got the same thing as you. I mean, I haven't even told anyone I've met you. Who would even know to do this?
"It's my voice on the tape I got. Rufus came clean, he says it's all true."
"But how could it be true? I've never even heard of any procedure like this. It's a joke. I'm….is it okay if I come over."
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Ron's apartment:
"And then, she got this job and she was surrounded by all these successful, handsome dudes with washboard abs. That's when my insecurities kicked in. I was depressed about my job and my intelligence, it came to a point where I couldn't see what she saw in me! It was insane. When I realized that a few weeks later she was already with this other guy and she seemed so happy…."
Ron pauses the tape.
"I called my friend Monique before I came over, it's all true."
Ron looks down at his file. "Says here you were bossy and a bit controlling. You became emotionally distant and constantly took me for granted."
Kim scans at her file. "It says you were overly jealous and suspicious. You sometimes abused my trust. And you let your paranoia run your life."
"That last part sounds like me."
"And you were constantly acting immature and childish."
"Says here you were always calling me immature and childish."
"It seems we were like a married couple, before the unpleasantness."
Ron laughs. "And I was so shy and inept around you. Isn't that hilarious?"
He watches as Kim contemplates his statement. "I think I should go."
"What?"
She gathers her belongings and starts to leave. "I better get out of here."
Ron grabs her gently by her arm. "Why are you leaving?"
"Don't you see, we broke up, and it hurt us so bad that we decided to erase our memories! There's a good chance it won't work out between us. Do you want to go through that pain again?"
"Okay, good point, but before the pain it sounded like we were crazy about each other. And maybe things could have worked out if I didn't go and do something so stupid. Listen to my voice, that sounds like a man whose slowing dying in the middle of the desert!"
"But….you think this will work…..again?"
"I'm going to be honest and say I don't know. But heck I'm willing to give it a shot. What do you think?"
"I don't know either."
"Well that's something we share right there."
She stares at him and considers this. "Our memories may be gone, but I guess we can create new ones."
"Absolutely…. I agree one hundred percent…I…can I ask you a question."
"Go ahead"
"Can I kiss you? Just for like a chemistry check"
"Why not, that should be old hat for us." She grabs him behind the neck, pulls him close and kisses him on the lips. Ron responds by hungrily kissing her back and spinning her around as they embrace.
"Okay," she gasps when the kiss broke.
"Right," he says clearly dazed.
She exhales. "Oh, I think I'll keep you around Ron."
A/N Well there you go. I hope it worked for you. I'm fully prepared for this story to bomb horribly (It started off pretty slow I know I'm sorry) but I consider this and the last two chapters of Middlewood to be some of my best stuff so I hope you enjoyed it. If the story confused you or you have any (nonscientific) question please feel free to ask. As always read and review