Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

When First My Old, Old Love I Knew

Kim stared at the ceiling and wondered what was going on. She missed Shego. Part of her wanted to get in bed with Shego. Part of her reminded herself women had no business sleeping with women. But she had enjoyed watching the movie with Shego holding her. Had she enjoyed the fact it was Shego holding her, or did she just need someone to hold her?

Kim sighed and readjusted her pillow, hoping it might bring sleep faster.

She needed to get out on some dates with guys to take her mind off Shego and get some perspective. This wasn't high school any more; she didn't need to wait nervously for Josh to ask her out. She started running through the guys she knew around campus. On her first look at the mental list she didn't find anyone she wanted to go out with. Maybe she should call Bonnie; Monique said… No, even if Bonnie had some brilliant hunk for her Kim wanted someone here rather than Boston. She went through her Miskatonic list again.

Guys shouldn't be rejected because they weren't handsome enough, Kim decided. Some of the best looking guys she'd met on campus had also been some of the biggest jerks – expecting women to fawn all over them. David, Chester, and Tony weren't 'Wow!' material, but they all seemed like decent guys from the classes she'd had with them. Questions about class would provide a good excuse to meet them for coffee or something and get to know them better.

Dave had a girlfriend back home in Texas. Kim picked up the feeling he wouldn't mind seeing more of her socially, but Kim wasn't interested. He would either be stringing her along, or she'd be the reason he broke up with the girl back home and Kim wanted no part of that.

Chet was a nice guy, but his nervous habits and personal hygiene explained his lack of experience with girls.

Tony was wonderful. He was funny, smart, and courteous. He was also queer as a three dollar bill. Not that Kim minded. They shared a taste in music and held similar opinions on a variety of topics. Shego called once while Kim was out with Tony. Kim got a little thrill from the jealous tone in Shego's voice. Kim immediately felt guilty and said, "No reason for you to feel jealous. I'll call you as soon as I get back to my place."

"Not too late," Shego warned, hoping Kim wouldn't be spending the night at the guy's apartment

"No, I won't be too late." Kim smiled, Shego was definitely jealous.

Tony raised an eyebrow when Kim hung up, "So, who's the lucky guy? I didn't know I had a rival for your affection."

Kim blushed, "Just a friend," she mumbled.

"Sure," Tony smirked in a grin that said he didn't believe her for a minute, "I'll bet your eyes light up like that when I give you a call too."

"Okay, kind of a special friend."

"Assure him I'm gay and he doesn't need to fight me for your hand… Does he have a brother?"

"Four actually."

"Ohhh, you have to introduce me!"

Kim called Shego as promised when she got back to the apartment. Shego was on a vague assignment, and wouldn't tell Kim where she was, what she was doing, or when she'd be back. Kim considered teasing Shego about the guy she'd been out with, but decided it wasn't fair and told her that Tony was gay. She didn't tell Shego how Tony had insisted her eyes had lit up when Shego called, but she did say Tony wouldn't mind an introduction to one of her brothers.

The next week Kim celebrated the semester winding down and handing in a massive term paper by sitting in the student union with Tony and watching the guys who passed and guessing which one of them might have better luck if they hit on him. In mid-discussion Kim's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Kim, do you have time to talk?"

"Ron?"

"Yeah. Hey, I know you're always busy, but can I talk with you, please?"

"Uh, sure. Just a minute." She blew Tony an air kiss and headed for the door. She had a minute to get angry as she left the union. "Okay," she told Ron as she found a tree to sit under. "Why has it been months since I heard from you?"

"'Cause you were always too busy to talk with me."

"What are you talking about? You never called me."

"Whenever I called you, you were always too busy too talk. It was always 'Talk to you later, Ron, I got to study,' or 'I'm on my way to the library,' or 'I got a paper to write.' I waited for you to call me so I wouldn't disturb you. Even then you were always too busy to really talk. You always had something you needed to do or get to and were just squeezing me into a spare minute."

"That's not true. You were always busy when I called you."

"Well in the fall. Duh! I'm on football scholarship. Mom and Dad saved money for one kid in college. Then along came Hana. I don't want my parents spending—"

"You weren't trying to push me out of your life?"

"Heck no. You were always my best friend. I felt like you were pushing me out of your life. You always get so intense that—"

"We're idiots, aren't we?"

"Sure sounds like it. I got to talk with you. I need to your opinion."

"On what?"

"Little hard to go into on the phone. Semester's about over. I wanted to see you face-to-face. Are you coming back to Middleton at all or are you off to China again?"

"Actually planning to stay out here, got a big research project."

"Can I come out?"

"Yes… No… I really should see my folks. I've got a week after classes end. I'll come to Middleton. When do you head home?"

"Friday."

"I've got my last exam Friday. I'll try to get a flight that night or Saturday."

"God, I've missed you, KP. It'll to be good to see you."

They talked for half an hour until Ron's battery died. Kim leaned back against the tree and smiled. It was a beautiful day. It had been good to talk with Ron. She reviewed her memory of the call, or more precisely her feelings as she talked with him. Talking with him felt good, as good as talking with Monique. No, after the long silence it felt even better than a call from Monique. But in terms of romantic spark it probably wasn't much different than a call to Monique. Nothing.

"Wow, you're buff," Kim told Ron as he gave her a hug at the airport.

"Couple years of working out for the team. You staying in shape?"

"I'm not out of shape!"

"Can we drop you kids somewhere on our way home?" Anne asked.

"Anne!" her husband protested. "We haven't seen her for ten minutes."

"She's seen us since she's seen Ron. We should give them some time to talk."

Ron looked at Kim, she thought she detected a look of pleading in his eyes as he said, "Your call, KP."

"Bueno Nacho?"

The grin he gave her was pure Ron, "Sounds great."

Anne Possible laughed, "Some things never change."

"Some things never should," Ron answered, offering his arm to Kim, "best friends are forever."

Perhaps some things hadn't changed, but many had. They spent an hour and a half in Bueno Nacho catching up on the last couple years. Ron wanted a little more privacy for part of the conversation and they headed for the park.

"Sounds like you're seeing a lot of Shego," Kim commented.

"Yeah, I needed someone to take over your job in telling me to do my homework. They give jocks easy workloads while we're playing. Heck, they offer us junk classes when we aren't playing so we don't flunk out. She made sure I did the homework and insisted I take real classes in the spring semesters."

"Sounds like she's good for you."

"She sure is," Ron sighed.

"Can I assume the conversation you needed with me is about her?" Kim asked as they found a park bench to sit on that had no one close to it.

"Yep."

"You're going to ask her to marry you?"

Ron looked shocked, "No way, KP! Well, no way now. Hey, I'm just a sophomore. I'm not ready to—"

"Sorry, Ron, you just got all serious. I assume you wouldn't ask me if it was okay to sleep with her."

Ron chuckled nervously, "Little late on that."

"Some sort of performance problem?"

"Didn't you follow the team last year? I was great! I gained—"

"I meant in bed."

Ron blushed crimson and Kim laughed at his discomfort. "No. Not that," he assured her.

"Okay, I give up," Kim told him when she stopped laughing. "You don't want to marry her. You—"

"I don't want to marry her now. I might someday."

"Is that the problem? She's seeing other guys and you aren't sure if—"

"Could you stop making wild guesses?"

"Only if you can tell me what you wanted to talk about. You're making me guess here Ron. I'm doing the best I can with the clues you're giving me."

Kim was not prepared for his next words, "She wants me to join Team Go."

"Team Go?"

"Yeah. She knows I had your back. I told her about the time I was Fearless Ferret. She wants me to join Team Go."

"You're a hero."

"I'm not a hero. I was a sidekick."

"You're a hero. You saved me from Gill – twice. You faced Monkey Fist. You took on other villains. You're a hero!"

"I was your sidekick! That stuff was your idea. You wanted to be a hero. I was your friend. You asked me to help and I did. It wasn't my idea! I just—"

"I'm sorry. I should have asked you what you—"

"I'm not complaining. You're my best friend. I wanted to be with you. I'd do anything I could to help you. But on those aptitude tests they always made us take I never got back, 'would make a good hero'. That was your goal. Not mine."

"I should have listened to you."

"I never said anything."

"I should have asked."

"You're missing the point here, KP."

"No, I'm not. I dragged you along when you didn't—"

Ron reached over and gently pinched her lips between a thumb and forefinger so she couldn't talk, "You're not listening now, Kim."

She brushed his hand from her mouth, then pinched her lips together with her own left hand. With her right hand she crossed her heart and held the fingers up in the 'scout's honor' gesture.

"The point is; I was your sidekick because I wanted to be your sidekick. It was what I wanted. We had fun. I don't feel like I'd contribute to Team Go. They've got real powers. I don't think I'd even be sidekick at that level, I'd be like a mascot or something."

"Don't sell yourself short."

"That's what Shego says."

"A minute ago I said I should have listened to you."

"I said you were missing the point."

"I'm not sure I was. I should have asked what you wanted and listened to you. What do you want to do? Do it because you want to do it, or don't do it because you don't want to do it. What do you want to do?"

Ron stared off in the distance. "I'm not sure. You're my best friend. Hanging around with you was kind of my life. Being your sidekick was what I wanted to do, then. I guess I have other things I like doing now. Team Go? I don't think so."

"Are you saying you don't want to join Team Go or you don't think you'd contribute – 'cause I think you'll be great at whatever you do."

"Thanks, KP. I don't think I want to join Team Go. But…"

"But what?"

"What if Shego doesn't like me anymore?"

"Ron! Do you think she only likes you so you'll join Team Go?"

"No."

"Does she only like you because you're football star, or does she like you because you're a sweet guy?"

"I hope she likes me for being me."

"I hope so too."

"Personal question here… Would I have still been your friend even if I wasn't your sidekick?"

"How old were we when we promised to be best friends forever?"

"Four."

"How old were we when I went on my first mission?"

"Uh, how are you counting missions?"

"Fine, how old were you when you first went along as sidekick and not just to scream, 'Kim, don't do it!'?"

"Fifteen, I think."

"Sounds about right. Eleven years when you were my best friend in the world – and you weren't sidekick. If she dumps you over not joining Team Go she doesn't deserve someone as nice as you."

"There's one more problem… This'll sound weird."

"After the stuff we went through together? Can anything sound weird?"

"That's sorta it. We went through so much stuff. The whole hero and sidekick thing. I kinda feel like you got first dibs on me if I was going to do that – like you might think I was betraying you or something."

Kim laughed. "Thanks, but I don't have copyright on the hero thing. I think some guy named Gilgamesh had it, but the copyright expired a long time ago."

"So, if I lose my mind and want to join Team Go I have your permission?"

"You have my permission and blessing for whatever you do – as long as it's what you want to do and not just what you think your red-haired friend wants you to do."

"Shego doesn't have red hair."

"I was talking about me. You said you want to marry her?"

"I said I'm a sophomore in college and the idea of marriage scares me."

"Actually a junior now – unless you're missing a bunch of credits."

"Okay, I'm a junior. But I'm still scared."

They talked about Shego for awhile. Kim realized she didn't feel jealous; she just wanted Ron to be happy.

"I wonder what happened to the other Shego."

"She's doing pretty well at Global Justice."

"Where did you hear that?"

"She told me."

"You've seen her?"

"Yeah… She's a good friend."

He stared in disbelief, "You and Shego? Friends?" Kim nodded. "Whoa, seriously weird. Next thing I know you'll be telling me you and Bonnie are friends now. That would be a sign of the apocalypse."

"Talk much with Felix?"

"Not as much as I should. Why?"

Ron's scream of anguish echoed across the park as the world he knew disappeared.