Openings

XX

For some reason, Ron had been half-expecting the apartment to look exactly like Kim's room. It did not.

Ron looked around at the living room as he entered Kim and Monique's apartment. This was his first visit, as the two of them had moved into the apartment after he had fallen out of touch with them. The kitchen was connected to the living room, separated by a partial wall. Ron looked at the living room couch and thought he recognized it as the one in her parent's house, on which he had sat with Kim and her brothers many times in the past, watching television or playing video games. Maybe Kim's parents had bought a new one and given Kim the old one.

He wondered what their bedroom looked like – whether Kim still had her Cuddlebuddies, what kinds of decorations Monique might have put up – but he wasn't sure if he was welcome enough to ask for a tour of the apartment yet.

"Is this about the mission?" asked Kim. "I know I left a bit – well, I know you were doing a little more recon on Shego's island."

Ron felt a brief flash of fear, but judging by Kim's behavior, she did not know anything about him and Shego. Not that there was any reason she would have, but Kim Possible could be very perceptive.

"No, it's not about the mission," he said. "I was hoping we could talk."

"About what?"

Ron rubbed the back of his neck as he wondered what to say. Although he was nervous, he realized that Kim was probably willing to listen to him just based on the fact that she had let him into the apartment in the first place.

"I wanted to say I was sorry."

"Um, hey guys," said Monique, sensing that her girlfriend and old friend needed a little alone time. "I just remembered I have some homework to do for classes tomorrow, so I think I'm gonna go hang out in the bedroom for a little while. You guys have fun in here, okay?"

Kim smiled as Monique retreated quickly into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. She considered offering Ron a snack from the cupboard, but decided it was best not to distract him. If he wanted to open up, then she was happy to listen. And maybe she would open up a little too. Kim plopped down on the couch and motioned for Ron to join her.

"Ron, I'm sorry too."

"Sorry about what?"

"About the way the mission ended, the way I talked to you. Probably the same stuff you're sorry about, I'm guessing. I think some of the things you said to me were true, about me being a little jealous of your mystical monkey power, of your potential. And about me not doing enough to maintain the relationship when I got involved in college and you stayed in Middleton."

"Well, you were right about me being childish," said Ron. "I think I sort of realized over the last few days that I have to move on and grow up a little. Take responsibility for my life. And even if you can be really pushy, you were right about me not doing anything to improve my situation. I know you were trying to help me, just in that coach KP kind of way."

Kim laughed, as she knew that Ron was referring to her time as soccer coach for Jim and Tim and their classmates. She would have gotten defensive about the reference in the past, but like Ron, she had been turning a critical eye on herself since their mission together and noticed a few things she hadn't really seen before.

"So what does that mean?" she asked. "You want to try to be friends again?"

"If you're open to it, yeah."

"I was always open to it, Ron. We were best friends since Pre-K. I didn't want that to end even if things didn't work out romantically. I mean, maybe some of the things I did to break up our relationship also hurt our friendship-"

"Some of the things I did too," added Ron.

"Okay, both of us. But I didn't want to lose you completely, Ron. I've missed you."

Ron smiled, and for a moment, the two of them sat on the couch awkwardly, not sure of what to do next. Ron thought about turning on the television, but that seemed a bit flippant somehow. Finally, just before he was about to say something nonsensical to break the silence, he found himself startled by a sudden embrace. As Kim wrapped her arms around him, Ron returned the hug.

They sat there for a moment, truly enjoying each other's company for the first time in a long time, and Ron felt a tear in his eye at what he had lost. Hopefully, however, tonight would be a new beginning. A beginning where both of them could get something back.

"It's too bad things have to be so complicated," said Kim as she withdrew from the hug and tried her best to wipe a tear from her own eye without Ron noticing.

"I guess we make it complicated ourselves," said Ron. "It should be easy. I mean, obviously we both want to be friends again."

"I think so. And you're okay with me and Monique being together?"

"I won't lie," said Ron. "It's still a little bit weird, but that's my problem, and I'm happy with it if you're happy with it. I think you guys are pretty good for each other anyway. So we should definitely try the friends thing again."

"So let's just say it now, okay? We're both going to get over all the drama and be friends again, alright?"

"You got it, KP."

Ron gave her a hug this time, and they embraced for a few moments before they looked over the couch at the sound of the bedroom door opening. Monique tentatively poked her head out.

"You guys done with the sappy stuff in here?" she asked. "I didn't actually have any homework, I just wanted to give you two a minute to figure out the obvious. Can I come back?"

"Of course," laughed Kim. "Sit with us!"

Monique walked over to the couch, a little nervously at first, but she could tell that whatever had just happened was positive. Ron was not covered in claw marks, and Kim was not puffy-eyed or infuriated. Well, she was a little bit puffy-eyed. But she looked happy. They both did.

"Great," said Monique as she sat down and grabbed the remote. "So we can be friends again too, right Ron?"

"Totally!"

"Good. Because man, you've been missing out on some cool stuff while you and Kim were on the outs, so there's a lot to catch up on. You gotta meet our pet birds, for instance. And did you know I work with Steel Toe and Pain King now?"

Ron gaped wordlessly at Monique.

"Yeah, that's about the reaction I was expecting. Ned's their manager, too. We've been playing around with all kinds of new ideas and we're thinking of trying Mexican wrestling-style stuff in the future, if it looks like the fans are into it. Paul and Steve want to expand their repertoire and be a little more theatrical, maybe play more than one character, that kind of thing. We got a show coming up here at Upperton in a week or so, and you're welcome to come check out my mad wrestling fashion styling."

Monique gave her girlfriend a glance to see if Kim was into the idea. She was. "You should so come along," said Kim. "Monique can give us the V.I.P. experience."

Ron pumped his fist in the air. "That sounds so badical! I wonder if Steel Toe and Pain King will remember the time when we all beat Jackie Oakes up when he had that Egyptian talisman on that turned him into a crazy magic superjackal. You think they will?"

"Oh, they do," said Monique. "They even asked about you a couple times."

"Sweet! Maybe I can give them some pointers."

Kim stifled a laugh. It was a bit of Ron's ego flaring up again, which she was well acquainted with. Although her aborted laugh would not have been vindictive, she wanted to try to reign in the sarcasm, especially for tonight. Something was definitely changing, and she could tell that Ron was open to trying to mend the rift between them and move on from the past.

The three of them sat on the couch and lazily watched television – Ron sitting back between Kim and Monique, with a hand spread on the back of the couch behind each of them. It came off amusingly sleazy, but Kim knew Ron was not doing it intentionally. Their conversation had fallen into a deep silence as the television droned on. Kim still felt a little awkward. She had barely spoken to Ron since the breakup, and she didn't exactly know the specifics on how to begin mending a friendship. But she imagined that they were beginning it just by being on the couch, together, right then.

She felt her eyes begin to droop as the television droned on. It was very late, and she had been planning to go to bed as soon as she and Monique got back from her parent's house. But since Ron was here, she would wait a while. She'd probably be totally bushed for classes tomorrow, but it happened sometimes. Especially with the lifestyle she used to lead. And perhaps would be leading again, if she and Ron started going on more missions together. Maybe this last mission hadn't turned out so bad, after all.

"Oh yeah," said Ron, "I forgot to tell you guys. I got a new job!"

XX

The heating in the tiny apartment above the bakery was kept at a low level since Drakken liked to save money, especially with all the funds that were being channeled into their baking operation. The cool apartment air was not enough to chill Hank Perkins, however; he was warm in bed, dressed in pajamas and reading his copy of The Five Hundred And Seventy Three Habits of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs. It was late – already early morning, in fact - but he and Drakken had put in a long day in the bakery and Drakken was still up late, doing something. What exactly that something was, Hank did not know.

The two of them had lived in the small apartment above the bakery ever since they opened it in downtown Upperton, since it was the easiest way to focus all their attention on their new enterprise. Drakken had also wanted to try living like a normal person, instead of building his extensive supervillain lairs all the time. Part of the whole 'no longer a supervillain' image that Drakken was creating for himself, Hank supposed.

Even now, Drakken's new self was a work in progress, since he sometimes treated his employees as henchmen and built over-the-top devices like the Bakinator 2000 when a regular oven would do. Hank didn't think there was any point trying to fool anyone when Drakken had blue skin and a scar below his eye. Even in a business suit, his appearance smacked of supervillainy to most casual observers.

"What's going on in there?" he said loudly at the bedroom door, which was ajar. Beyond it lay a hallway that connected to the rest of the apartment's rooms. "I don't think it takes that long to brush your teeth now, does it?"

"I'll be there soon, Perky Werky!"

Hank grunted and returned to his reading. He was enjoying his rest and relaxation time, since he and Drakken had been working themselves to the bone over the last few weeks. It was a pivotal time in their operation – trying to open up new branches, streamlining the centralization process at the warehouse, figuring out who had been disrupting their cupcake shipments. Hank had even spent time at work giving relationship advice to that Monique girl who stopped by. Not only was he an expert in business, law, and general consulting, but he had a knack for relationship counseling as well. Now that the cupcake thief mystery had been solved, they had decided to give themselves a little time off as a reward.

Amazingly enough, the bakery was even closed tomorrow. Hank couldn't remember if it had been closed for a whole day since it opened, other than the day of the unfortunate sewer rat infestation. He was glad the health inspectors had been caught in Upperton traffic that morning. Sometimes downtown parking did work in their favor.

Drakken still hadn't shown up in the bedroom. Hank's curiosity got the better of him, and he shut his book before getting out of bed and walking into the dark hallway outside the bedroom. A light shone from beneath the doorway of the second bedroom, which he and Drakken had converted into a study. Hank poked his head inside and found his boyfriend at the study desk, squinting at a computer monitor and poring over some schematics.

"Working this late?" asked Hank. "I thought we agreed it was time for a break."

"Soon, soon," said Drakken. "I'm just excited to be putting things in motion now that Kim Possible helped us take care of this whole unpleasant business with Shego. Things are finally coming together!"

Hank grinned at Drakken's bubbling enthusiasm. "Well that's swell. With that kind of attitude, we'll really be going places. You're sure hiring that Stoppable fellow was a good idea, though? You know him better than I do, but I was a little surprised you agreed."

"What can I say," said Drakken. "His cupcakes were amazing. He must have some secret that I don't know about, some trick to it. If we keep him close to us, we can find out."

"But what about his being Kim Possible's sidekick? Isn't he a threat? What if he finds out?"

"Maybe," said Drakken. "Or maybe he is a potential ally. He was on the outs with Kim Possible for a while there, and I don't know where they stand now, but you saw him hanging out with Shego when he came to bakery with her. Back in the day, the buffoon wouldn't last five minutes in her company without being ripped to shreds, mark my words! I think perhaps he's being corrupted. Pulled to the dark side. If we can keep him close to us, we can work on him."

Hank nodded. Drakken had been taking some risks lately, some gambles: getting Kim Possible and her tech genius, that Wade fellow, to look for their cupcake thieves was one of them. They had almost exposed themselves in the process, but Drakken had told Hank that a meddlesome teen like Kim Possible would have gone snooping eventually, so it was better to gain her trust by being open and contacting her first. Hank had to admit it was a gutsy move.

Drakken had always been an inventive supervillain. That was part of why Hank found him so fascinating, part of why he had pursued Drakken to work with even though there were more successful supervillains around, like Dementor for instance. It had been even more flattering when, after saving the world, Drakken had come to him in the midst of his existential crisis. Hank was talented, and Drakken recognized talent. He was more cerebral than he was physical, rock hard pecs notwithstanding. From what Drakken had told him about one of his only previous romantic interests – some geneticist named Amy Hall – Drakken tended to develop an interest in people with a brilliant mind, and Hank thought himself no exception to that rule.

As for the nature of Drakken's schemes, Hank could go either way, really. Supervillainy, legitimate business; he was comfortable with both, and often there wasn't much difference anyway. He knew that whatever Drakken chose to do, he just needed someone by his side with a knack for organization and pragmatism. And that was where Hank came in.

"Get some rest," said Hank. "I was thinking we could visit the park tomorrow and feed the ducks at the pond. I know how much you enjoy that."

"You always know just what to say, Hank – I was thinking of that myself!"

Drakken shut down his computer and put away some of his papers, making a few last notes before he got up from his desk and followed Hank into the bedroom.

"Very well, I will take a break tomorrow. But after that, we begin phase two!"

"I didn't know we had phases," said Hank.

"We don't. It was just an expression. Dramatic effect and all."

Hank slipped under the covers and turned off the light, ready to get some shut eye, and Drakken slipped in beside him, giving him a playful pinch in the darkness.

Despite coming to their shop, their warehouse, and having their tech friend snoop around, Kim Possible and her sidekick hadn't discovered anything. And now, if Drakken was correct, maybe the sidekick could prove useful. He was a direct link to Drakken's arch nemesis, after all, and if they could get Ron Stoppable on their side, Kim wouldn't be inclined to suspect them of any wrongdoing.

Not to mention that Stoppable's cupcakes weren't half bad, either.

XX

Ron slipped quietly into his house and eased the door shut behind him, not wanting to wake his parents or his sister. He was just getting back from hanging out with Kim and Monique, where he had spent so long that the sun would soon be up. It was a good thing he didn't have a shift at Smarty Mart tomorrow to worry about anymore. Ron turned from the front door and noticed that the light in his living room was on. He walked in to find his mother and father sitting on the couch.

"Ronald!" said Dean as he got up. "Where have you been?"

"Hey pop – uh, I was on that mission with Kim, but I got back into town earlier today, actually." Ron remembered how he had stopped by his house earlier to get his scooter, only for Shego to shut down any idea of taking a scooter ride and insisting they take the hovercraft instead. "I was too busy to come in and say hi though, sorry."

"I was worried about you, Ronald. You need to call more often!"

"Sorry pop," said Ron as he gave his dad a hug. "But I'm home now."

Ron's mother gave him a hug as soon as her son was free. "Well? How did things go with Kim?"

Ron laughed. His father held a finger up to his mouth and nodded upstairs, indicating that Ron's sister was asleep, and Ron stifled himself quickly. "My bad. Um, things went kind of badly at first, but then they got better. I actually just got back from hanging with her and Monique at their apartment. I think things might be getting a little better between between us."

"That's wonderful!"

"Yeah. Wade's mission was a good idea. It forced me and Kim to think about ourselves a little and get some things out in the open, and it even got me to finally quit my job."

Kim's parents stood stock still, and Ron's smile gradually dissipated before they both opened their mouths simultaneously.

"You what!?"

It was Ron's turn to hold a finger to his mouth, admonishing his parents' loud voices.

Dean coughed and spoke in a whisper again. "You quit your job, Ronald? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Oh yeah, I got a new one. I'm working with Drakken now."

Dean frowned.

"Are you referring to the blue man you and Kim were always fighting?"

"Yeah, but he's good now. I think. Either way, it would be a good way to keep an eye on him, and I think I'd have more fun in food service than working at Smarty Mart. I can finally put my mad baking skills into action."

"Well," said Dean hesitantly, "as long as you're sure."

Ron's mother gave her husband's arm a squeeze. "We've been up waiting for you all night, so we're going to get some sleep now," she said.

The two of them went quietly up the stairs. Ron followed behind them, intending to drop on his bed fully clothed and fall unconscious in about two minutes; as they took the stairs ahead of them, he thought he could hear a faint whisper about the wisdom of working for the enemy. He knew they'd come around to his occupational change eventually. Tomorrow, maybe he would sleep all afternoon and enjoy the beginning of his temporary unemployment until the new job at Doctor D Cups began.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting down there," whispered Ron as they reached the top of the stairwell. "I guess I got kind of caught up in things."

Dean shook his head. "It's alright. It sounds like you've had quite an eventful weekend. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks."

Ron gave his parents another hug as they left for their bedroom, and turned to slip into his own room. As he was dead tired, he laid down on the end of the bed, not even bothering to take off his clothes, turn on the light, or pull a blanket over himself. Hanging out at Kim and Monique's apartment had been a bit strange – filled with awkward silences, a general air that the three of them still needed some time to get used to each other with all their history – but it had been enjoyable at the same time.

It was a start to something good, and Ron knew it would only get better from here on out. They just needed time and understanding. But right now, most of all, Ron needed sleep.

He was about to nod off when Shego sat up in the bed beside him.

"Hey dork."

"Aaagggh!"

Ron fell of his side of the bed and hit the floor with a loud thump. Seconds later, the sound of his footsteps running down the hall grew closer as Shego leaped off her own side of the bed and hid from the door as Ron's parents opened it and flipped on the light.

"Ronald! Are you alright? We heard a scream!"

"Yeah, sorry. Just a nightmare, that's all."

"Oh."

Dean Stoppable looked around the room for a moment, and Ron could not resist looking around from his own vantage point where he had fallen on the floor. Fortunately, the room was free of any visible green interlopers. Other than the one who he knew was probably crouching on the far side of his bed.

"Well, good night then."

Ron's parents retreated into the hall. The door closed and the light turned off again, moonlight filtering through the window and casting a dim glow over the bed. Shego got up after a moment and climbed back on the bed, looking down at Ron, who was still laying on the floor. He looked up at his bedroom guest. So he hadn't been imagining her.

"Sorry about that," said Shego. "I broke into your room through the window and went to sleep here."

'"Wha – why?"

"Uh, well, I was still hanging around town and I didn't really feel like paying for a hotel."

"So you just broke into my house uninvited."

Shego nodded patiently, not sure what Ron was getting at.

"Yeah. And?"

Ron gave up trying to make sense of Shego's behavior. He got back into the bed and looked up at the ceiling, tracing shapes in the shadows with his eyes as he wondered how his life had reached the point that one of his most dangerous former enemies was breaking into his room and laying next to him in bed.

Even stranger, he didn't really mind it that much. Shego could be scary, but he was beginning to think maybe she wasn't exactly scary in a bad way. She was pretty hot, after all. And she could be kind of fun to talk to when she wasn't busy trying to destroy him or help Drakken carry out plans of world domination. She was mellowing a little, maybe – Ron thought she could do well if she kept up that trend in the future.

"So what's up with you and Princess?" asked Shego. "You guys patch things up?"

"Seems like it. We're starting to, anyway."

"Nice. So does that mean you two are going to be dropping by and trying to foil my evil plots in the future?"

"I dunno. Are you gonna be plotting evil in the future?"

"I don't know."

Ron frowned. "I thought you said supervillainy wasn't for you," he said.

"Yeah, actually becoming one, but I don't know what that means about my future. Look, it's just a professional pride thing, okay? I'm not going to tell you I've gone soft or something all of a sudden."

Ron found it hard to make sense of Shego. Maybe she had just all but admitted to him that she had gone good, but she had too much pride in her old, hardened self to admit it clearly. Or maybe, he was more inclined to believe, she was still going to be looking out for herself, for her own pleasure, even if it came at the expense of others. But then, maybe he could be a good influence. Maybe he would change her.

Ron groaned and rolled over on his side as he tried to make sense of what Shego wanted. Who she was, why she was laying there in his bed, despite having given him the impression that she was not interested in being in any beds with him after that night on the yacht. She was harder to figure out than Kim. And Kim hadn't been that easy to figure out either.

Girls, he thought with a sigh.

Maybe Shego wasn't being that hypocritical after all. Sure, she was in his bed, but she said she just didn't want to crash at a hotel. It wasn't like she wanted to have se-

"Want to have sex?"

Ron felt a warm hand snake under the covers and give him a sharp pinch in a place where Ron did not like to get pinched, even if it was by a disturbingly seductive green-skinned older lady. He twitched at the pinch and jerked up in bed, his back against the frame. Shego's eyes flickered in the darkness, her dim outline framed by the moonlit window behind her.

"I thought you said that night was the one time."

Shego made a nonchalant noise as she also propped herself up against the back of the bed. "I did say that, I guess. I didn't really want you getting all clingy or anything, what with you being so immature and all that."

Ron coughed indignantly.

"Yeah yeah. You know it's true. I mean, sort of true. I'll admit I was impressed with you dragging me all the way over here to get me to move on from Drakken while you worked things out with Kimmie, and how you took the initiative with that job stuff. Maybe you're not as hopeless as I thought. Did you get that job at Doctor D's bakery, by the way?"

"Yeah. I might not be great at a lot of things, but I know my baking."

Shego tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"I really should try out your cupcakes, if they're actually better than Drakken's."

"So, what, you're saying you want to go out with me?"

"What? No! Definitely not. No way. I was just saying we should enjoy ourselves since we're already here in bed. You weren't bad last time, to be honest. I've always been into the buff types, but you know, they usually just pay attention to themselves, whether it's in bed or anywhere else."

"It could be you're into the wrong buff types," said Ron. "Or maybe you just really liked getting that taste of the Ron man!" he ventured, his attempt at humor coming off with more nervousness than he intended.

Shego rolled her eyes. "Okay, taking it back, no sex."

"Wait, I was kidding!"

Ron sensed that he had talked too much, and the way Shego was sitting made it seem like she was a little hesitant about approaching him again. Maybe he had ruined the moment. Before he could consider whether or not it was a wise course of action, he snaked his own arm under the covers and gave Shego a pinch. She gasped at the unexpected sting.

"Well well," she said. "Not as innocent as you pretend to be, huh Stoppable?"

Ron's answer was muffled by a forceful, predatory kiss. He felt a burst of something thrilling – fear, excitement, the rush of doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing - he wasn't sure, and his mind was turning to mush anyway. Shego grabbed him in the darkness and flung the bedsheets over them as quietly as possible. Just like last time, Ron was getting the distinct impression that Shego always got what she wanted sooner or later. He was just along for the ride.

XX

Notes - There are two chapters remaining: one dealing with the upcoming wrestling match mentioned a few times in previous chapters, and one dealing with Ron's first night on the job. I could have possibly ended it on this chapter I suppose, although I don't think the last scene would work as an ending scene for the entire story, but either way, two more chapters. It's in keeping with my tradition of continuing stories just a little bit past where could have ended just fine. :-p