Disclaimer: Do I even have to say it? (sigh) Fine. Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and the gang all belong to… Disney, not me. (sniff)
Author's Notes: Special thanks to AtomicFire, Zutara Livs On, The Real Sidekick, Sharksbean, and Etherelemental for reviewing last chapter. Also thanks to Sharksbean and dr-fan/mai-lover for reviewing the first chapter. Welcome to the party!
Alright, this is going to be the last official chapter, plus bonus epilogue. Had to add a flashback so it wouldn't be so short. Hope you guys like, and don't forget to leave a review:3 Y'all are awesome.
Oh, here's some info, if you guys were wondering:
Post Mortem – after death
Ave Atque Vale – hail and farewell
Quaere Verum – seek the truth
Quaere Verum
The next few weeks passed by in a haze for Ron. He would go to school and see his lady every day. There were no classes, which he found to be a bit strange, but he quickly shook the feeling off and got back to living his life.
Every day, he would meet Kim in front of her house, and they would walk to the park or Bueno Nacho, or sometimes even the school. It was during these visits that Ron was the most apprehensive. Kim would always insist on "playing" dangerously close to the gap in the gym floor, begging him to come join her. He would graciously refuse, offering a lame excuse or goofy crack instead. She would smile, shrug, and continue on with her game.
Every day that Ron visited, it seemed like something inside him relaxed a little bit more. At first, he refused to even look at the gaping hole in the floor – his mind kept wandering back to the scare she had given him on the first day of their "re-encounter." He wasn't nearly so tense around her or it anymore, and she was visibly pleased by his progress. He seemed to be getting over his fear. In fact, it didn't even look that scary anymore. It wasn't a dangerous crevice where someone could get hurt; it was just another hole to explore or secret to unearth.
When he and Kim went anywhere, it felt… different. Normally, people would stop and wave, or even point and shout in hysteria at the two famous teens who traveled around the world, saving lives. But now, the same people that would wave or yell hysterically just… stared. Some gave him a look of disgust, while others searched him with their eyes, as if expecting some "missing piece" to fall into place next to him. But most just gazed at him with sympathy, dread, and sometimes horror.
It didn't feel right. None of it did. But Ron shrugged it off; he was with Kim – his lady – and that's all that really mattered. After all, his motto was, "Never be normal!" It was only right people should stare.
His parents, for the most part, stayed away from him. They gave sympathy and a shoulder to cry on, but Ron felt like he didn't need it. He would wave them off, insisting everything was fine. And it was. But his parents would just look at each other, shake their heads, and walk out of the room.
Ron Stoppable had pretty much fallen off the face of the earth. He talked to no one and socialized with no one except Kim. He hadn't seen the Possibles, Monique, Wade, Felix, or even Rufus since the whole ordeal had started.
And a small, yet ever-growing, part of him wasn't bothered at all. In fact, this section of his mind dictated that this was the way it should be: Just him and Kim Possible, together, forever, for the rest of their lives. No one else. And forever was a really long time.
Other things happened, too. He still heard the piercing cry for help, but he ignored it. The clock was still whacked – changing constantly from one time to the next – but he paid no attention. People would stare. He didn't give a rip. His phone would ring. He never answered it. The Kimmunicator would beep. Have Wade take a message. Ron wanted to spend every waking minute with Kimberly Ann Possible.
So he did.
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Ron stomped through the door and slammed it shut, causing the whole house to rattle. A picture on the wall fell and broke, its frame bent lopsided and the glass shattered on the floor. He paid it no heed, his heel crunching over the broken glass in his rush up the stairs. He took them two at a time, his anger never once receding until he slammed the attic door.
He pounded the walls with his fists, trying to vent his anger. Ron kicked and screamed and yelled, all the while bloodying his hands with a relentless onslaught against the rough attic walls.
He and Kim had had their first major fight (supersuit incident notwithstanding), and he was furious. Who did she think she was, acting all high and mighty… "I can do anything!" Yeah, right…
"Stupid Kim… stupid girls… stupid attitude… Yeah, KP?!" He was shouting now. "Well, maybe you can't do anything!"
Horror.
He stopped pounding. His eyes widened in shock even as the words flew past his lips. His bloody fists slowly came to a halt. He didn't…
Shock.
He did. Ron couldn't dare to admit it. There, he had said it. But he didn't mean it!
Disgust.
He was horrible. No person in their right mind would think such things. Kim could do anything. She was invincible. Yes, she had her moments, but she always came back on top.
Stupid Kim?… Stupid girls?… Stupid attitude?…
Stupid him.
Ron slowly slid to the floor, twisting, and resting his head in his hands. He barely even noticed the terrible splinters lodged in his fingertips and through his palms. He didn't know how long he sat there, or how long he cried. The only thing he did know was—
Misery.
So… that was it then. It was over. No more Kim. No more sidekick. No more best friend/boyfriend "let's go to the movies and not really care where we end up" dates. No more missions, or one-on-one tutoring lessons, or "let's be kids again" moments, or making out on the beach, or… or…
Realization.
He had lost the best thing that had ever happened to him. All thanks to his big mouth. Bonnie was right; he was such a loser.
So Ron sat there, his resolve shattered, his reason to live – gone. He was broken, and he knew it. That was it, Universe; Ron Stoppable was done. Fate had finally won – Universe: 6 gazillion. Ron Stoppable: zero. It seemed the only place he had actually won was getting the girl – for however short a period of time it was.
The blond-haired, freckle-faced, tow-headed eighteen-year-old threw in the towel in his attic bedroom. He was finished.
It was sometime later that a bright red head popped up from beneath the attic trap door. Emerald eyes scanned the room and fell upon a restless figure huddled up in a corner.
Kim Possible gathered up the squirming bundle in her arms and propped herself against the doorway.
"So… are you going to let me in?"
Ron didn't move, just sort of sniffed miserably and mumbled something under his breath.
Kim sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said. It's just… I don't know what it is, to be honest with you. No matter how many times I am… I pretend to be the 'Girl Who Can Do Anything,' the truth is, on the inside, I'm just a normal girl." Kim gave a small smile. "And, you know, as a normal girl… my boyfriend's opinion means the world to me. But you know, sometimes I need more than just his opinion. I need his backup. And at the time, I was too stubborn to realize any of that."
She played with a strand of hair as she set her bundle on the edge of the opening. A piece of fabric slowly fell back to reveal jet black hair and dark eyes. Hana giggled as Kim rubbed her tummy.
Ron looked up, wiping stray tears from red, puffy eyes.
"She's so adorable," Kim cooed as she played with Hana.
Ron gazed at Kim. When he spoke, his voice was a mix of emotions. "D-Did you really mean all that, KP?"
She smiled. "Of course I did. Hana is the cutest ever." Kim allowed for an inward smile as Ron gave a stuttered reply.
"N-No, I mean… about the whole… 'I need you' thing."
Kim gazed at Ron. Her voice was steady, her eyes filled with determination, resolve, and meaning. "Ron," she said, "you're my best friend, boyfriend, and my partner. I couldn't save the world without you."
A small smile spread across Ron's face. He wiped his nose with his sleeve and made his way toward Kim. "I'm sorry, too," he said. "I should've respected your need to accomplish things on your own. It's just part of your natural Kimness. I'm sorry if I overstepped a boundary."
"Ron, you only did what you thought was best." She scooted closer. "And I respect that."
He opened his arms and embraced her in a hug.
"No matter what…" he started.
"… or where…" she said, catching on.
"… or when…" A goofy grin spread across his face.
They said in unison, "… I'll always love you, Kim Possible/Ron Stoppable." Kim smiled at Ron and rested her head on his chest. He hugged her as she held Hana in her lap. Kim breathed in deeply, never wanting to forget this moment. Maybe sometime in the future, it would be her and Ron's child sitting where Hana was right now…
Kim blushed. That was a long time away.
Ron seemed as caught up in the moment as she. He rested his chin in her hair, taking in the scent of her strawberry shampoo. Hana cooed and gripped Kim's arm tightly.
Kim, Ron, and Hana stayed in that position for a while until Mrs. Stoppable called them all down for dinner. One thing was for certain: It was a break-up and make-up that neither would forget.
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Ron smiled grimly, remembering all of the details vividly. He had gone back through the house later that day and had picked up the picture with the bent frame. He was heartbroken to see it was a picture of him and Kim as kids, laughing and smiling stupidly as a random photo was taken.
He rode his scooter to the store the next day to get another frame. Instead of hanging the newly-improved photograph on the wall, however, he set it on the coffee table in the living room. That way, every day he came home from school, he would remember the fight, the almost-breakup, and what they had both said that day: "No matter what or where or when, I'll always love you."
And they meant it.
Nothing was ever going to change the way he felt for Kim Possible – and vice versa. Nothing. That meant Mr. Barkin, school, football or cheerleading, or even villains. They would always love each other, and they would always find time to spend together, no matter how hectic their schedules would become. It was a silent promise they each made to the other without even knowing it – the kind made by two people so in love and so into each other that they couldn't help but think the same way. Even if they didn't know it.
Ron went over all of this in his mind as he watched Kim throw pieces of concrete down into the gap. She hummed a soft tune to herself, listening to the telltale click click clack of the rocks making their way down the hole.
She threw another one as Ron sat beside her, silently watching. Kim suddenly sighed, got up, and walked toward the edge of the gym.
Ron followed her every move, watching her go. He didn't know what to say; things had been at a sort of quiet impasse between the two. They hadn't talked much the past few days.
Ron sighed too, kicking his feet against the sheer wall of the man-made hole. He gazed down into it, and he realized just how far he had come. He could see what she saw.
It was bright, endearing, sparkling with promise of many fun-filled adventures and excitement to be shared with Kim. Ron grinned. He was ready.
He had seen KP do this many times before. It was easy; just stand, jump, and there you go! Not hard, not hard at all.
Kim was standing beside him again, sadness etched across her beautiful face.
"What's wrong, KP?" he asked softly.
"I-I have to go," she said.
"What do you mean?" Ron's voice became frantic.
"I don't know," she said honestly. "I just… can't stay here anymore."
"But KP, I—"
She placed a finger to his lips. "Ron, it's… difficult to explain. It's already hard enough; do you think I really want to leave you?"
Ron shook his head, eyes down toward the floor.
She wrapped him in a hug. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "It's just the way it has to be."
Ron sniffed and returned her hug half-heartedly. "But… where are you going?"
"Down there," she said softly.
"What? That's suicide!"
"I know… but I practically live there now, anyway."
"No!" he whined. "KP, don't leave me all alone! You've given me plenty of scares before; please don't do this!"
Kim pulled away from his embrace. "Sorry, Ron."
"We can get through this! Please, don't do this to me!" He was desperate to keep her with him. Ron wanted to keep his promise – to always be with her, always love her, no matter what.
Her eyes were locked with his, never once leaving. They pleaded with him to understand, to forgive, even as she pulled further and further away. Her red hair whipped around her face, her entire body almost glowing from some unknown source.
He pleaded, sobbed with her to please stay, but she couldn't. Kim walked backward, almost floating, towards the deep crevice, her eyes brimming with tears.
Ron knew she couldn't stay, but he couldn't bear to see her leave. She looked so much like an angel…
She mouthed the words "I'm sorry" to him before disappearing down the hole.
"Kim!" he wailed. He could see her receding form becoming a part of the bright, sparkling lights all around him.
"Hurry Ron," she said, her voice having an almost echo-y quality to it, "I don't want to leave you behind." Her red hair billowed out in front of her, creating a halo to frame her perfect face. She sank deeper and deeper, and Ron knew what he had to do.
Ron got up, determination and adrenaline rushing through his veins, pumping his body into overdrive. He stepped back and took a deep, cleansing breath. He could do this. For her… for him… for them
He peered down into it, determined to face his fears head-on. Every emotion that had coursed through his body the last few weeks came rushing back in a wave of crushing memories – so heavy they almost crippled him.
But he wouldn't give up.
Heroes didn't give up. Kim never gave up, so neither would he. Ron took a breath, faced it head-on, and danced the line, much like he had seen Kim do so many times over the past few weeks. He could feel the adrenaline, the endearing light soaking into his body and gravitating towards him. His whole body tingled in pleasure, and he could see her face, hear her voice calling out for him. He could feel it; he was so close…
A pair of strong arms wrapped around him, breaking off Ron's downward fall. He was pulled back from the edge, being suspended in the air for a few tense moments. He felt the pleasure recede, his view of Kim once again cut off.
Ron was furious. His world was being taken away from him once again…
"What gives?" he shouted angrily to the man behind him. His captor said not a word, just simply held him in the air like suspended animation.
Ron could feel her slipping away. He remembered her last words; if he didn't leave now, he'd lose her forever!
"Let me go, you freak!" he screamed. He kicked and clawed as best he could, but the man behind him was rock solid.
Ron's screams of anger and hatred soon turned to pleas of desperation. "Please, I'm going to lose her!" he yelled, tears welling in his eyes. Slowly, ever so slowly, he could sense the light of his life fading before his very eyes.
"What are you doing?!" His voice was filled with sorrow, hatred, and desperation.
"You aren't losing her. She's already gone." The voice behind him was strong, steely, yet still held a hint of emotion.
"What—?"
His captor shoved Ron's face down towards the crevice. "Look!" he shouted.
Ron saw.
And suddenly, the scales fell from his eyes. His whole world, all that he had imagined to be right… turned out to be wrong.
The bright, piercing light that he had once thought to be his salvation, now was something else completely. He saw it for what it truly was. A deep, yawning chasm with no bottom, yearning to lash out and swallow him in endless blackness.
The man behind him – his savior – wasn't a captor as he had once thought. He was his rescuer. He had saved Ron in the nick of time not from his future, but from his own suicide.
Tears welled in Ron's eyes as he realized who was behind him. Mr. Barkin was right all along; he was real and Kim was not. She really was gone. Staring deep into the chasm in the floor, Ron somehow knew that this was what had claimed the life of his best friend, girlfriend, partner… his world. He knew.
And he was ashamed.
Grief overwhelmed him as tears racked his body. He shuddered as sobs poured out from the inside of his very being.
Realization.
Kim really was gone.
He didn't know how, but he was in the bathroom. Ron gripped the cold porcelain tightly as he threw up into the toilet. Mr. Barkin was there, ever present, ever watching, making sure all was as it should be.
Ron knew it was a lie. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Not without KP.
His mind could barely register the loss. This is what I was doomed for all along, huh? All the work… the late nights… the memories… All for it to be stripped away in one sickening twist of reality and Fate, once again, playing Ron Stoppable.
Ron felt sick again.
Steve Barkin stood, watching, never once interrupting Ron's train of thoughts. He stood as a guardian, a provoker, one who mocked and prodded only to squeeze the best out of people. He hated that it should be this way, but it was. He had known a day like this would come from the beginning.
No one could have a bond as strong as theirs and not have trials to overcome, he thought. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he realized that this was probably the worst obstacle Stoppable would ever face.
But, he added, it's not what happens to you, but how you handle it.
He stooped, resting a hand on Ron's shoulder.
The blond slumped, resting his face against the cold white bowl.
At least it's a step in the right direction.
Yes, it was, but somehow, Mr. Barkin knew this wasn't over. Stoppable had many long, agonizingly painful, lonely days ahead of him.
He sighed yet again. Looks like my work here isn't quite finished. He rubbed Ron's back as the teen once again threw up into the toilet.