A/N As always, thanks to Eddy13 for beta reading-otherwise I'm not sure how some of these stories would look.

From 'The New Ron.'

Chapter 6: The Pilots

Kim: Thanks for the ride.

Female Pilot: Oh, Kim, believe me, it's the least we can do after your help during that blizzard.

Male Pilot: We never would have seen that runway without your quick thinking.

Kim: Oh, anybody could have made a high powered signaling system out of the things found in the airport gift shop

I've always hated that phrase, 'be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.' It sounds like something a parent would say to a kid, a brat who always wants to get his way, throwing tantrums. I never would have expected that a phrase like that could come back to bite me. All I wanted was a little something to keep my mind off the waiting-it's not like I wanted an emergency.

After what happened tonight, I can really see why they redirect planes when the weather is bad. When you think about the blizzard, and it being dark, slick runway, with the wind factoring in, too, it can be a real hazard to try and put a plane down. But, I guess sometimes planes aren't able to redirect, and have to land no matter the circumstances.

I'm just glad Wade was around to help me with this. I don't think I ever realized how brilliant he is with stuff. I mean, sure, he's made all sort of gadgets and stuff for me, but he said he's worked on those for weeks, and months. What he did tonight took like ten minutes, using all sorts of random stuff. He really is a genius.

X X X X

Kim grumbled from her chair in the airport, looking out the window to the darkened sky. "We were supposed to be home hours ago."

Ron mumbled at her through a mouthful of crackers. "Come on, KP, lighten up, there's nothing we can do about, we're just going to have to stay here until the blizzard clears up. Besides, that one clerk was nice enough to give us a key to the vending machine, after you sorted that problem out for her."

The red headed teen sighed as she laid back. "It was no big, just a quick rearranging of schedules, and everyone got where they needed to go." She shook her head. "I guess I was just looking forward to dinner-it's pizza night, remember?"

Her best friend stopped eating. "It's pizza night? I thought that was tomorrow. Aww, man, I was looking forward to it!" He shook his head, then tossed the crackers onto the table. "Now I'm the one that wants to get home." He stood. "Come on, there aren't any flights going out?"

As Ron stood and paced, Kim smiled. Typical Ron, as soon as food was involved, everything got serious. She patted the seat next to her, and he took a couple of steps over, then sat. "How long is this storm supposed to last, anyway?"

"A couple of hours, I think. Should clear up around one or two in the morning, then they can plow the runway and make sure it's safe. After that, we can be on our way home." She motioned across the nearly empty terminal. "I just wish I had something to do." She shook her head and moaned. "I'm so not cut out for waiting."

Her best friend offered her a cracker, and after she took it, he laid back with his hands behind his head. "Well, maybe some big emergency will pop up, and you can help."

She glared at him. "Don't even joke."

The blond opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by the airport's loudspeaker. "Flight 309 will be coming in shortly, for anyone waiting for passengers."

Kim looked at her friend with a frown. "I thought they had canceled all flights coming into the airport."

Ron looked at her, just as quizzically. "Me too. Didn't they say it was too dangerous to land, especially since the visibility is so poor?"

The red head nodded back. "The runway's covered with snow, too, so that really can't be very safe." She got that gleam in her eye. "I wonder if they need any help."

Ron leaned over to push her back into her seat. "Come on, KP, we just got back from that mission, we're supposed to just wait until we go home. Besides, these people are experts, they fly and land planes for a living, I'm sure they know what they're doing."

The teen sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She laid back with a sigh, then looked across the large airport. "Hey, want to check the souvenir shop?"

The blond groaned. "I asked if you wanted to go in an hour ago, and you said no." He crossed his arms and pouted. "I'm all comfy now."

His friend rolled her eyes. "That was when we were trying to get to our flight in time. We'd have missed it, if we stopped like you wanted. Besides, you can't say 'no' to me, can you?" She leaned in, leveling her emerald eyes with his.

Captivated, Ron followed her eyes, standing as she lifted her head. He blinked a few times, looking around. Regaining his senses, he narrowed his eyes at her. "You're like some kinda snake charmer or something."

Kim laughed, then grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the gift shop. "Come on, snake-boy, the charmer wants to see what sort of pretty baubles there are in that shop." He followed dutifully, grumbled something about her 'bewitching powers.'

The teens entered the store together, before Ron finally snapped out of his funk, looking around at all of the different things in the store. His gaze traveled over the different snow globes, posters, and other souvenirs located inside. Kim watched him walk off, smiling to herself, then went over to the front to chat with the lady working the counter.

They hadn't spent that long in the store, before the lights inside flickered, then suddenly cut out. Kim grimaced, hearing Ron give a yelp; she called to him, and within a few seconds, he had joined her, holding a glowing globe with the Statue of Liberty. She smirked, realizing it was one of the lighted models, and was casting off a pretty good glow in the room. The teen was about to comment, when she heard some voices outside. She quickly moved to look out.

Three flight officers were standing together, talking in whispers that soon escalated until Kim could hear them. Listening intently, she frowned to herself.

"...Without power, we can't get the lights working for the runway. The emergency backup's been drained, I think something happened with the wiring. Flight 309 won't be able to land."

A second pilot spoke. "That's no good, they're down to fumes as it is-they've got enough to circle the airport two or three more times-there's no way they can make it to another airport. That's why they were going to land here in the first place, despite the conditions."

"What're we going to do?"

"Maybe I can help." Kim looked at the three officers, then turned, looking back at the globe in Ron's hands.

X X X X

"Wade, I know it's late, but we need some help." Kim winced as she looked at her friend's face. The genius did not look happy at being woke up at the late hour. He grumbled even more at her words, and started to reach for the switch to his screen.

"I told you, Kim, there's nothing I can do about the blizzard. It's not like I can make some sort of Mega Weather Generator to control this storm. You'll just have to wait 'til morning."

"No, Wade, wait, there's an emergency." She explained the situation quickly, as well as her idea, and soon her friend was wide awake, working on the problem.

"All right, Kim, what do I have to work with? We need some sort of high powered signaling system, right?" She nodded, then quickly gave him a list of the things they had to work with. After thinking a moment, he continued. "Okay, first get some of those globes, and pry open the back. See if you can get to the light inside."

Holding the Kimmunicator, Kim watched as Ron fumbled with the back of his globe, twisting and prying, doing his best to figure out how to get into it. Finally he grabbed the base and twisted, straining. Kim snatched it out of his hand, then passed him the Kimmunicator. She ran her fingers over it, then gripped it and twisted, feeling it pop off easily. Ron grumbled.

It took Kim almost ten minutes, with instructions from Wade, to figure out how she was going to make the signaling system. Once finished, she flipped it on, nearly blinding her blond friend. Ron staggered around, spots before his eyes, as Kim turned it back off, then looked down to Wade's face. "Looks like it works, Wade, thanks. You rock."

He nodded, and she cut the connection, then ran out towards one of the exits. Ron followed, still rubbing his eyes. The blond had the presence of mind to grab their coats, shrugging his on as he followed his best friend out into the blizzard.

Kim staggered around, lost for a few minutes, before she was able to get her bearings. By this point, Ron was behind her, and he slipped the heavy coat over her shoulders, taking the signaling system from her long enough to let her put on her coat. Finished, she again grabbed the device from Ron, then ran out into the middle of the runway.

The runway itself was covered with an inch of snow, piled up since the last plow had gone through. Kim shook her head, feeling the snow catching in her hair, the wind whipping it all around. She knelt down on the ground, brushing a section of snow away, then placed the signaling system on the tarmac. She pulled out a small walkie-talkie she had borrowed. "Okay, the signal's on, land the plane."

She stood, Ron beside her, and they both looked up to the sky, waiting and watching. Within a few seconds, over the noise of the wind, Kim started to hear a dull roaring sound. Straining her eyes, she looked up into the cloud layer, watching the storm part just the tiniest bit, the large plane punching out on its approach. Kim's eyes widened as she realized how low it was; she turned to Ron and gulped.

He looked back at her, just as wide eyed. "Do you think we should get off the runway?"

She grabbed his hand, yanking him down the runway, her first thought to try and get away from the plane-like they could outrun it. Finally common sense won over, and Kim turned to take them perpendicular to the runway, back towards the terminal, but by this point it was too late. She spun, grabbing Ron by the back, and threw him down, joining him on the ground.

The roar of the plane was deafening as it went over their heads, the front wheels missing them inches on either side. Fortunately, the engines had been throttled back, and being nearly out of fuel, there wasn't much backwash from the engines, and they were relatively safe. Ron stood, pulling Kim up to her feet, he had to yell back to her. "I'm never standing on a runway again!"

"Me neither!" For once, that was one of Ron's phobias she could agree with whole heartedly.

X X X X

Kim and Ron both stood shivering, together, just inside the airport terminal, the 141 passengers and crew of the plane thanking them. They were shaking hands, then the different passengers spread out through the terminal, members of the airport staff helping them around and getting some of them settled in, so they could wait for the next flight. Finally the two pilots approached the teens.

"Thanks for your help with that light, it direct us right onto the runway. We were perfectly dead center."

"We noticed." Ron coughed as Kim elbowed him in the side. "I mean, glad we could help, right KP?"

She smiled sweetly, repeating Ron. "We were just glad we could help out, it's what we do. When we realized the power was out, we had to do something. I'm just glad we were in the gift shop, and could get everything together."

The pilots gave their thanks again, then went deeper into the terminal, leaving Kim and Ron standing alone together. The red head looked over at her friend, gave a small shiver, then shrugged. "Well, I guess that's all the excitement for tonight. Come on, Ron, lets go back and wait for our plane."

Her friend nodded, following her over, then sat down in the seat next to her. He sprawled out, tilting his head back, letting his body relax. In just a few seconds he was out. Kim gave him an envious glare, then leaned back, yawning. She was actually pretty tired-between the late hour, the mission they had been on, and now the excitement at the airport, she was pretty much ready to crash. She closed her eyes for a second, sighed, and joined Ron in sleep.

X X X X

It was nearly fifteen minutes later when one of the ticket counters happened to be walking by, intent on telling the two teens that their flight was still a few hours off. She hadn't realized that they had gone back to their seats to wait, so she paused, looking over at them, seeing they were both asleep. She left, returning a few minutes later, a pair of blankets in her hands.

As she approached, she heard an almost inaudible rumbling noise. Pausing, she looked between them, before wondering what the noise was. The ticket counter almost giggled as she realized that it was the red head snoring. She moved closer, draping the blankets over the teens, deciding to let them rest-she would be ready to alert them to their flight soon enough.

Smiling, the adult couldn't help but think the two teens made a cute couple.

A/N I wasn't sure what to say with this one, until I remembered that this mission was the one that inspired me to write these stories. The exchange between Kim and the pilots caught my interest, and I really wondered what the story behind it really was. A high powered signally system out of stuff in a gift shop-maybe not the craziest story, but the one that made me wonder how it might be possible. And what better way to figure it out, than to write it out?