No own, no money, please no sue!
I still can't believe the feedback on this story. It's incredible. Thanks to everyone who is reading.
Next chapter will be out Monday. I have Christmas parties all weekend, plus overtime Saturday to cover for my Christmas break.
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Past and Present – Chapter 3
"It was twenty-three years ago..." Ron lifted his head, appearing wistful, before chuckling softly. "Sometimes, it feels like it happened yesterday."
Michelle squeezed her father's hand, offering him what support she could. "Just tell me as best you can Daddy."
Ron smiled at his daughter, sighing softly. "Anyways, Kim and I had been dating for a year through high school. We loved each other, so much so that we were each others firsts. But when college time rolled around, we ended up having to go to different schools. For months we tried to make a long distance relationship work, but it was hard. Kim had been my best friend for years and we had always been together, and then suddenly we weren't." Michelle could see how much talking about this hurt her father, but she knew, after the way he had acted at the party, that he needed to get this off his chest. "It was March when everything came to a head. I still remember that conversation clearly.
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"Ron... I... I think we need to see other people."
Ron couldn't believe his ears. He just stared at the Kimmunicator in his hands as if it was some alien creature. "What?"
Ron could clearly hear the distress in Kim's voice. "I just... I don't think it's fair to you... to both of us... not to..."
Ron's grip on the Kimmunicator tightened in his hands. "You're breaking up with me?"
"No... I just... I think, if we are meant to be..."
Ron was breathing heavily now as his mind refused to believe what he was hearing. "But you said going to different schools wouldn't change anything between us. You said we would always be together!"
"And we will be... I mean... if..."
"Have you..." Ron didn't even want to consider it a possibility, but he had to ask, "have you met someone?"
"No!" Kim's protest came through loud and clear, but Ron was barely hearing her at this point. "I just... I know things have been tough lately and..."
"You have found someone else, haven't you?" Ron could feel the tears sliding down his cheeks, but he couldn't release his death grip on the Kimmunicator to wipe them away. "I guess... this is it then."
"Ron, it doesn't have to be. I still love you. I just... with the distance between us..."
"I understand KP." It was a lie, but it was all Ron could say. "I guess... I'll talk to you later." Ron didn't hear Kim's protests as he shut off the Kimmunicator, and in a fit of anger, pitched it out the open window of his dorm room.
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"It was a big mistake." Kim glanced over at her son, seeing his reaction to her story. "I wasn't trying to break up with him, I just... I wanted to give him a chance to be happy. Over the holidays, I talked to his parents, and they told me how badly he was taking the distance between us. It took me months to work up the courage to tell him that," Kim smirked briefly, "and you know how jealous I was about your father. I was the same way with Ron. But it didn't go anything like I had planned it would."
Michael briefly diverted his attention to his mother as he drove her to her house. "Why didn't you try to call him back?"
"I did, or at least I tried to. I never got an answer on the Kimmunicator, and when I called his dorm room, his roommate said Ron didn't want to talk to me. Even Wade couldn't reach him." Kim sighed as she leaned her head against the glass, closing her eyes. "Of course, then I told your Aunt Monique what I had done."
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"Are you insane?"
Kim lay back on her bed, phone pressed to her ear, despite the near screech from her best girlfriend. "I know, I know, but I thought it would help him. Listening to his parents describe how lonely he was, I thought, if I let him meet someone else... and if we were meant to be..."
Kim could hear Monique's irritated sigh on the other end. "Girl, you know as well as I do, or at least you should, that Ron won't see it that way. He'll look at it as if you already found someone else, that you're replacing him."
"I KNOW!" Kim flopped over onto her stomach, bracing herself up on her elbows. "But I was going to explain everything to him, I just didn't get the chance to."
Kim could practically see Monique rolling her eyes. "Girl, you better get on your hands and knees and beg for his forgiveness if you ever want be with that boy again."
Kim could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "I know Monique, I know. I screwed up big time."
"And you should do it in person when you do it. When are your exams?"
"Next month, why? Don't you think I should go now and do it?"
"No way girl. That boy is hurting right now, and he needs time to heal a bit. A little space, and he MIGHT just forgive you."
Kim sniffed softly, closing her eyes. "I hope so Monique. I love Ron, I need him in my life."
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"Needless to say, it was one of the lowest times of my life." Ron breathed deeply, letting it out slowly. "My friends knew what had happened, and they did everything they could to try and help me get over it." Ron shook his head, sadness the predominant expression on his face. "Well, maybe not so much friends but people I knew. Basically, it gave them an excuse to party. And of course, they're idea of getting over it was to get me as drunk as possible and try to hook me up with as many women as possible." Ron shook his head, remembering that first week after the break-up. "The women I wanted nothing to do with, but the alcohol... that was a different story. I tried everything I could to forget the pain I was in." Ron sighed, wincing as he knew he'd have to tell his daughter the part of the story that he didn't really want to ever have to reveal to her. "And that was when I ran into you mother for the first time in awhile."
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"Hey, watch it!"
Ron stumbled back, trying hard not to spill his drink, even as he staggered back a bit. "Oopsie, sorry about that... Bonnie?"
Bonnie Rockwaller fell back onto the couch, obviously inebriated. "Oh great, just what I need now, the loser. How could this day get any better?"
"What..." Ron waved his hand, realizing after a moment that waving the hand with the drink was a good way to lose it, so he switched his drink to his other hand. "What are you doing here BonBon? I thought for shoore you'd be living the high life on the high seas with your shoopervillain boyfriend."
"Well, if you must know..." Bonnie tried returning Ron's gestures, but that just made her dizzy, so she stopped. "If you MUST know, that bastard dumped me this morning. Left me with nothing. And after... after the way I told off my family when I hooked up with that... lug... I can't even go back to them." Bonnie's eyes focused on Ron for a second before looking around. "And just where is Little Miss Perfect to make my evening complete, huh? I thought for sure she'd have you on a leash at a party like this."
Ron plopped down onto the couch beside her, forgetting his drink and spilling half of it on the floor. "Well, if you must know, Little Miss Perfect has got a new boyfriend in that fancy-pants school of hers and she doesn't need me anymore."
Bonnie laughed loudly. "So she dumped you, huh?"
Ron glared back before responding. "Just like you got dumped, huh?"
That stopped Bonnie's laughter quickly enough. "Fine, so both of us suck. I just wish I could get him back for the way he dumped me."
"You know..." Ron raised his glass, momentarily distracted by the lights reflecting off his drink, "my grandfather always told me, the best revenge is to live well." Ron stopped to think for a moment, a tough task at that time. "Though I think he was talking about after the Holocaust and that. Still, it should apply."
"So..." Bonnie gave Ron an inquiring look, "You're saying we should both hook up with someone and be happy? Just like that?"
"Just like that." Ron tried to snap his fingers a few times, but he had lost the coordination to do that an hour before.
"You know..." Bonnie had a devious look on her face as she smiled, "if WE were to hook up, it would tweak both our ex's. I mean, you're Junior's mortal enemy, and what would Kimmie think if she knew about it?"
To Ron's alcohol soaked brain, it seemed like a good idea. "You know... that could be a great way to get revenge..."
Bonnie stumbled up, grabbing Ron by the front of his shirt. "Good, then it's settled." She began dragging him past the crowded room, followed by some cheers from a few of the guys there.
Ron had no idea what was happening. "Where are we going?"
"Upstairs."
"But you only go upstairs at these things if you're going to..." Ron's mind froze as he realized what was going to happen. "OHHHHHHH!"
"Now come on Stoppable, before I sober up and realize what a bad idea this is."
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"Daddy..." Michelle was holding her head in her hands as she looked down at the floor, "please don't tell me..."
"Yes." Ron looked slightly ashamed as he glanced at his daughter. "That was when you were conceived."
"Well... it's still better than at a Britney Spears concert like Janey." Michelle lifted her head, to see a hint of amusement in her father's eyes, a good sign. "So, knowing mother, she couldn't have been too happy in the morning."
"THAT'S an understatement. She woke up the next morning, took one look and started hitting me, often and repeatedly. I thought that was the end of it when she stormed out. Of course, then exams ended a few weeks later and I went home to your grandparents house. Your mother came to the house the very next day."
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Ron opened the door with not a little fear, the feeling of her boot in a VERY sensitive place still foremost on his mind. But from the downcast and almost beaten look on Bonnie's face, he didn't think there would be a repeat of that incident. "Bonnie, what are you doing here?"
Bonnie looked up, with tears in her eyes. "Ron... I'm pregnant."
When Ron finally woke up again, he found himself on the couch, Bonnie across from him in the chair and his parents standing there, looking at both of them. "Ronald, I think you have some explaining to do."
Jean Stoppable looked especially upset. "Why is this girl saying she is pregant with YOUR child? What about Kim? Have you given any thought to what she would think of this?"
The panic temporarily left Ron as he heard the mention of Kim. "Kim broke up with me a month ago, so THAT isn't an issue." The anger left quickly as he looked over at Bonnie, and fear settled over him. "Are you SURE you're pregnant?"
"I took six different tests." Ron could see the flash of irritation in Bonnie's eyes. "Do you really think I would have come here if I wasn't sure?"
"Are you sure it's mine?"
Ron instantly feared that Bonnie was going to hurt him again, right in front of his parents, but she just clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "I am not some kind of slut. You're the only one who could be the father."
"But what about Junior. You said you had just broken up with him that day."
The anger left Bonnie to leave only embarrassment. "It couldn't be Junior's. He... well... it turns out he had a little problem in the... umm..." Bonnie glanced at Ron's parents, wishing they weren't listening, "let's just say, the rocket wouldn't ignite no matter how much fuel you gave it."
It took Ron a second to realize what she was saying, but when he did, he wished he hadn't. "Ohhh." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a moment, uncertain. "So... it's definitely mine then?"
"Yes."
"So... what are you... I mean... did you come to me for..."
"I don't know why I came to you." Bonnie was wringing her hands in front of her. "I mean, I can barely stand you half the time, but... I can't get an abortion, it's against everything I believe in. I just... I don't know what to do. My family won't even talk to me anymore."
Ron had no idea what to say, but Gene needed to have a word with his son. Motioning for Ron, he led him out of the living room, pausing only when he was sure Bonnie wouldn't be able to hear. "Ronald, is it really over between you and Kimberly?"
Ron's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, she made that pretty clear."
Gene sighed, closing his eyes briefly, before locking his gaze on his son. "Ronald, I think you know what you need to do."
Ron shook his head, still a bit shocked. "Dad, I have no idea what to do."
"I think you do." Gene placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "You have a responsibility to that young woman, and your child. I know your mother and I raised you to do the right thing."
"You mean..."
"I do."
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"I had been home for a week after the exams, but I still hadn't gone to see Ron at that point." Kim filled the coffee maker, starting up a fresh pot. "I kept coming up with excuses to put it off, thinking that maybe he needed a bit more time to cool off. It was your Aunt Monique as usual who talked me into it."
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"Girl, you have put this off long enough." Monique was practically dragging Kim down the street. "I said let him cool off, NOT give him time to find someone else. Now we are going to talk to that boy of yours, and you are going to beg like you have never done before."
"Are you sure Monique?" Kim had been uncertain about this the entire time she was home, deflecting questions from her parents who had no idea what was going on. "Are you sure this is a good time? I don't want him to still be too angry."
Monique groaned as they made their way up the walkway to the Stoppable's front door. "I already called and his parents said he was home. I didn't tell them I was bringing you, but that won't matter once you start saying how sorry you are. Now, we are here, so stop trying to run. I thought anything was possible for a Possible."
Monique pushed the doorbell, keeping one hand on Kim to make sure. She was glad she had, because it gave her some support when Bonnie answered the door. "Kimmie, Kimmie's friend, what a surprise."
Kim glared harshly at her old high school rival. "Bonnie, what are you doing here?"
Bonnie face lit into an evil grin as she stood in the doorway, all the while holding up her hand for them to see. "Why shouldn't I be at my FIANCEE'S house?"
That took both women aback. Kim's voice was barely a whisper as she registered what she had heard. "Fiancée?" Kim could see the diamond sparkling on her rival's finger, and she found she couldn't breath.
They heard footsteps approaching, but it was the voice that identified him quickly. "Bonnie, who is at the..." Ron froze as he saw Kim on the other side and his expression fell. "Kim, what are you doing here?"
Kim could feel her heart shattering into a million pieces, and Monique could feel that. She knew Kim would be in no shape to ask the questions that needed to be asked. "Ron, what the hell do you think you are doing? Are you actually going to MARRY Bonnie?"
Ron cast a hardened glance at Kim, not seeing her pain, before he responded. "Yes, I am going to marry Bonnie. Since I am single again, I can do what I want."
It was too much for Kim, and she bolted off down the street, tears flowing freely. Ron finally noticed how much it was hurting her to hear this, and instinctively moved towards her. He stopped himself at the last moment though, his memory of their talk still fresh in his mind.
Monique was glaring hard at Ron now, her anger evident. "How could you Ron? I thought you loved Kim."
"I did love her." Ron's felt like yelling, but restrained himself, knowing Hana was down for a nap. "SHE'S the one who broke up with me, said she wanted to be with other guys. I just followed what she told me."
"You stupid, brain-dead..." Monique trailed off, trying to get control of her emotions. "Just... tell me one thing. Why on God's green earth would you marry HER?"
Ron ignored Bonnie's comments to that and answered her directly. "She's pregnant."
Monique's eyes shot wide as she processed that, her gaze shifting between Ron and Bonnie. Finally, she lashed out, slapping Ron across the face. "BASTARD!" With that final comment, Monique stormed off after Kim, leaving Ron to sadly shake his head and close the door.
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"I went back to school, not wanting to be in Middleton for the rest of the summer break. That was the last time I spoke with Ron or saw him until today." Kim sipped her coffee, it finally cool enough to sip. "I learned later that it hadn't exactly been planned through my parents, but I was still hurt and angry with him, and by then I had met your father." Kim smirked behind her mug where her son couldn't see it. "Of course, then your father and I weren't as careful as we should have been either. We were married a couple of months later, much to the shock of the press and everyone else." Kim paused as she saw a flash of concern on her son's face. "Don't get me wrong, I loved your father a great deal, I still do. We just had to work at it a little bit more than expected early on."
Michael gripped his cup gently, gazing back at his mother. "Why didn't you ever try to talk to him afterwards? I mean, if you knew it wasn't planned and he didn't do it to hurt you..."
"I wanted to, I really did, but when I saw the hurt in his eyes when I was standing on the doorstep, the hurt I had put there... I didn't know if he would ever forgive me. And despite knowing he didn't do it to hurt me, I still couldn't get over the hurt that he had inflicted on me, and I couldn't get iover the guilt that it was my fault to begin with. I figured maybe he might make the first move, but he never tried to talk to me. So, the years went by, and even though I though of him from time to time, I never did try to contact him." Kim took anouther sip, gathering her thoughts. "I did almost call him, after your father died. I knew that, despite everything, if I had called him, he would have helped me. I had dialed half the number before I hung up the phone. I just... couldn't face him, even after all that time. So... now you know the entire story."
Michael and his mother exchanged small talk after that, discussing the wedding and a few odds and ends, but Michael had too much on his mind. As he pulled out of the driveway, his mind was running on things he could do. He knew he shouldn't intervene, but there was a lot of history between his mother and Michelle's father, history that had to be dealt with one way or anouther. Now he just had to talk to his bride-to-be and figure out just what they should do.
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Author's Notes – Next – Michael and Michelle plot to get their parents talking, and get Kim and Ron together in the same room. Can Kim and Ron get past their anger?
