This Animal I Have Become Chapter 26: The Flame, a kim possible fanfic

I want to Thank both CajunBear73 and Sentinel103 for their assistance, ideas and Beta work on this Chapter. :D

Chapter 26 The Flame

Josh was starting to get worried. He knew his band member was serious when he threatened to fire the two leading members. The drummer and bassist would either fire the two of them or quit altogether. They had been complaining that Josh and his buddy had been spending more time preening for the groupies and getting more arrogant, than the pair practiced for the gigs.

As far as Josh was concerned, they got the attention of more than a few of the local ladies and some spending money to boot. Life was good. But if they lost the drummer and bass player they would have to start over. And that wasn't good. His worry grew until he looked at the other person in the contest and he smiled. Well no worries there. He could see that Ron was in the middle of a breakdown, his nerves getting the better of him, as usual.

When Sagara finished playing, Ron realized that he wasn't going to be able to use the stuff he and Sagara had practiced on. He started to go into full freak out mode, ranting at Sousuke. "Sagara, what am I gonna do?! I only practiced the stuff we decided on! I don't know if these guys know the music. SAGARA, what are we gonna do?!"

Sousuke reached out and grabbed Ron by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close. "Stoppable-san, calm down. I will not allow Kaname to be forced to accompany him if there is anyway I can prevent it. This is just another battlefield. Panic will not suffice. Remain calm and we can work out a plan of action. I know several of the songs I heard you singing in the garage. We merely need to find an appropriate one that the other players know. Give me a moment to confer."

Sousuke gathered the players together for a quick conference. He started rattling off names of songs looking for something they all knew. He stayed with more contemporary artists because he doubted that these two knew some of the older ones like The Rolling Stones or Billy Idol. When he said, "It's a shame that you're not familiar with Carlos Santana!", he was surprised by the response.

The drummer asked, "Which song?"

Sousuke instantly said, "'Black Magic Woman?'"

The guitarist shot him down, "Dude, no keyboards! How about something else?" When Sagara made another suggestion, the drummer and guitarist looked at each other and grinned. If Sagara played it as good as he did the last one, they had no worries.

To Ron's amazement, within minutes Sagara had lined out a song that he knew and gotten the other two players set up. Ron just shook his head in jaw dropped amazement at how fast his Teammate could operate in a crisis. Sousuke looked at Ron and almost growled, "I know you know this song! Perform or Possible-san and Kaname-chan will have to go on a date with your rival."

The statement was enough to cut through the fears and thoughts clamoring through Ron's head enough to hear the rest of what Sousuke was saying, "I've heard you before, I believe you can do this and so does Kaname-chan. Most importantly, Possible-san has confidence in you. What more do you need?" A look of determination settled on Ron's face.

To Josh's dismay, within two minutes, the Japanese guy had not only got the group together, but had settled Ron enough to perform.

Into The Night

Carlos Santana

Lyrics performed by Chad Kroeger

http://www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=X4x6Ruz6qTU

After getting a nod from both the rhythm guitarist and drummer, Sagara started picking a Latin aire as the other player picked up the rhythm section. The drummer was tapping out a restrained beat and Ron grabbed the mic. This was just like the talent show back in high school or American Starmaker. Sagara was right! He could do this! Kim was counting on him.

He started belting out the lyrics as he strutted across the stage. When he started singing the crowd knew the song and from Sousuke's previous performance, they figured he could pull this off too. And if Ron's beginning was anything to go by, this was going to be good.

Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell.
It was love from above, that could save me from hell.

She had fire in her soul it was easy to see,

How the devil himself could be pulled out of me.

There were drums in the air as she started to dance,

Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands,
And we sang

The further into the song he got, the more Ron lost himself in the music. He hit the chorus as the crowd started dancing as best they could in the capacity packed house. The owner hadn't cared one way or the other about the bet he'd heard about. He was just glad to see the room full of dancing college students. He was grinning like a madman and making money hand over fist tonight.

Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,
And the voices rang like the angels sing,
We're singing'
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,
And we danced on into the night,
Ay oh ay oh,
Ay oh ay oh,
And we danced on into the night,

If Kim had been surprised that her parents knew the last song, she nearly fainted when they started singing along with Ron. James saw her face and hollered at his daughter. "What? You think we don't know who Carlos Santana is? Your mom had the CD in the old house." Both of her parents were wearing huge grins as they bobbed and danced in the chairs. The song was only a couple of years old and she had never suspected they would have anything this contemporary.

Like a piece to the puzzle that falls into place,
You could tell how we felt from the look on our faces,
We was spinning in circles with the moon in our eyes,
No room left to move in between you and I,
We forgot where we were and we lost track of time,
And we sang to the wind as we danced through the night,
And we sang.

Kim looked to the other side to see Kaname grinning and her father with a very slight smile, tapping a finger in time with the beat. On the far side of her parents, the Stoppable's were nodding in time, watching their son as he drew the crowd into the music. He wasn't as good as the original singer, but he wasn't bad. And what he lacked in raw talent, he was making up with showmanship. He was playing to the crowd and they loved it. They didn't know Ron Stoppable the MHS food chain loser or the Team Possible Buffoon. They saw a guy wowing the crowd like Josh Mankey had never done.

Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,
And the voices rang like the angels sing,
We're singing'
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,
And we danced on into the night,
Ay oh ay oh,
Ay oh ay oh,When Sagara dropped into the solo riff, Wade and Ayame were eating popcorn watching on Wade's system. One of the advantages of having the world wired was the fact you never really had to leave your home. He had set up a couple of remote audio/visual sensors to work as the back-up, but Josh's complaint had nixed the plan. So instead they had decided to just enjoy the show.

And we danced on into the night,
Ay oh ay oh,
Ay oh ay oh,
And we danced on into the night,

Ayame glanced from the screen to say "He's good!"

Munch, munch "I know. It was either that Kaname was gonna kill him!"

"What?"

"She didn't tell you? Oh get this." Wade started telling her about how Sousuke first picked up the guitar because Kaname had told him to "Find a better hobby!"

Ayame knew her sister could have a temper, but MAN this was too much. Of course, that's not to say Sagara didn't provoke her a bit. "Exploding shoe lockers? You're kidding right?"

Wade put another handful of popcorn in his mouth watching screen. "Nope, when I told you Sagara could level this building, I meant without trying and without an Arm Slave! When it comes to destruction, he's practically a force of nature."

Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell.
It was love from above, that could save me from hell.

She had fire in her soul it was easy to see,

How the devil himself could be pulled out of me.

There were drums in the air as she started to dance,

Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands,
And we sangThe crowd was completely into the performance. Grinding and bouncing, arms in the air and the girls were throwing their hips around as they moved to the rhythmic beat, Ron's lyrics and Sousuke's guitar. Kim and Kaname watched as their guys were dashing Josh's hopes in front of his eyes.

Josh couldn't believe what he was seeing. The blond goofball of Middleton High was showing him up in one of his regular venues. Inconceivable didn't begin to cover it. Even the girls standing next to him were dancing on the side stage. And to Josh the mind boggling part was Ron and Japanese guy were using his own band as backup! A couple of guys they had never practiced with!

Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,
And the voices rang like the angels sing,
We're singing.
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,
And we danced on into the night,
Ay oh ay oh,
Ay oh ay oh,
And we danced on into the night,
(And the voices rang like the angels sing),
Ay oh ay oh,
Ay oh ay oh,
And we danced on into the night,
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,
(Ay oh ay oh),
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,
(Ay oh ay oh),
Singing ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,
(Ay oh ay oh),
And we danced on into the night.

When the song started winding down Sagara and Ron looked at each other and Sagara nodded in silent acknowledgement, while the crowd was screaming for more. The rhythm guitarist was pounding Ron of the back, "Dude, what were you worried about? That was great! You wanna job?"

"Uhhhhh, What?"

Sagara interrupted the chain of thoughts with, "Stoppable-san, we still have one song left."

"Huh? Oh right, give me a second!" He and Sagara had talked about it and he thought he had to out perform Josh. He didn't realize they had already won the bet. For a change, he was too focused on the mission at hand.

**********

The Flame

Cheap Trick

Words and music by Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham
http://www(dot)you tube(dot)com/watch?v=muhFxXce6nA

As Ron walked out to take his place for the last song, he drug a chair with a him and set it in the middle of the stage. He jumped to the floor, pulled Kim up from her seat and hauled her to the waist high platform.

"Ron?!"

"Go with me on this, KP!"

Sagara knew what Ron had planned and helped pull the two of them up. When they were standing, Ron escorted Kim to the chair and sat her down three-quarter facing the audience. He nodded to the rest of the players and Sagara started plucking a soft melody. A moment later Ron picked up the lyrics, looking at Kim the entire time.

He started slow and soft, like the first drizzle of a summer shower. He had taken a knee beside her and was gently holding her hand as he sang. She was surprised at the expression he was wearing. Total adoration. Anybody with eyes could see the love shining within his brown orbs.

Another night slowly closes in,
And I feel so lonely.
Touching heat freezing on my skin,
I pretend you still hold me.
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep.
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over yooooou.
I can't believe you're gone.
You were the first, you'll be the last.

He was pouring everything into the song. His heart, his soul, the love he felt for her, the pain he felt when they split for nearly three months, good times, bad times, everything! She felt like her insides had turned straight to goo. Ron was singing for her… and her alone, and every person in the audience knew it.

There was a couple of hundred people in the club, but they were completely alone, lost in each others eyes. Cocoa and Emerald. Nothing else mattered. The world could have ended then and they might not have even noticed. She knew Ron was a decent vocalist, but the way he sounded right then, she would remember to her dying day.

Wherever you go, I'll be with you.
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.
Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon.
Remember; after the fire, after all the rain,
I will be the flaaaaaame.
I will be the flaaaaaaaaaaaame.

Kim knew there was an indescribable difference between when Sousuke played for Kaname and when he played to relax. Kaname described it as passion and that was what she was seeing right here, right now! Passion. For her and her alone. The other song he might have performed for the rest of the audience. But this was for her.

He was making love to her with his words, his eyes and his voice. She just looked at him as he poured his heart out to her. Tears sliding down her face, she reached out and cupped his cheek as his sang. She decided that consummation of everything they had would be happening. Tonight. She was more than ready; and hoped that he was too.

Watching shadows move across the wall,
I feel so frightened.
I wanna run to you, I wanna call,
But I've been hit by lightening.
Just cant stand up, for fallin apart.
Cant see through this veil across my heart, over you.
You'll always be the one.
You were the first, you'll be the last.No one in the rest of the club was speaking. Some were almost unwilling to even breathe for fear of breaking spell that was being woven on the stage. Josh had done enough shows to know which way the audience was going to go.

Ron's pulling of Kim to the stage had been a masterstroke. It had been the finishing move that had drawn the audience, if only for a brief time, into the orbit of the two soon to be lovers that were the center of the room. No one doubted the feelings on display, particularly Ron's. The locals would talk about this performance for years as an example of what to aim for in a love song.

Wherever you go, I'll be with you.
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.
Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon.
Remember: after the fire, after all the rain,
I will be the flaaaaame.
I will be the flaaaaaaaaaame.

James Possible stood and started towards the stage when Anne grabbed his wrist, hissing at him, "Where are you going?"

James answered in the same quiet voice, "To get Kimmie-cub when the song ends!" He was looking up at the stage where is daughter was looking at Ron with a look of undisguised adoration.

"Why?" She knew exactly what her husband was thinking and wanted to stop it before he embarrassed either himself or his daughter.

He looked back at his wife and whispered, "Anne, after this, you know what's going to happen when they get back to the garage." Even after all this time he still couldn't bring himself to call it 'their place' or even worse 'their house'.

"Where are you going to take her? Back to our house?"

"Of course."

"And what are you going to do when she refuses, drag her out of here like she's seven?"

"But Anne…"

"James, sit down or you'll be in more trouble with me than you've ever been in."

"Anne?"

"Sit, now! What happens, happens."

"Anne!"

I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep.
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you.
You'll always be the one.
You were the first, you'll be the last.

She looked towards the stage and few tears had started down her face, "You heard me, James. She's a young woman in love with a young man that would move heaven and earth for her. He would die for her, James. He's even killed to protect her." She looked back at her husband. "What more could you ask for in a young man for our daughter." Anne was crying at how lucky her daughter was.

He saw the tears of his wife, lover, best friend and the mother of his children. He looked back at the stage where Ron was telling both Kim and the world what she meant to him. It was at that moment that James Timothy Possible realized that his daughter, his Kimmie-cub was no longer a little girl.

She had left the nest a couple of months before, but now he knew she would never return except for a visit. She had moved on and replaced him with Ronald as the most important male in her life. And now that he really thought about it, it happened a long time ago. Her Junior Prom at least. Probably before that, even if she didn't know it herself.

Ron had stood and pulled Kim up with him. He had pulled her close and kept singing for her, eyes never wavering. She was seeing the culmination of months of pain and effort and work to give him the confidence she saw in him here. She knew Ron could be a goofball at times, but she also knew it was often a front to hide his fears and insecurities behind a shield of humor.

Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.
Wherever you go, I'll be with you.
And whatever you want, I'll give it to you.

A shield that he would probably use the rest of his life, but he wouldn't have to.

**********

As the song ended, their lips met in a soul searing kiss and pandemonium erupted from the audience. Raising the roof was an understatement at this point. The females in crowd were screaming at how lucky the petite red-head was. The guys were hollering, adding their voices to tumult in the club. Through it all Kim and Ron were oblivious to it.

Sagara weighed the sound assaulting the stage and came to the conclusion they had won. He was about to confront their opponent about performing his penance concerning the bet when Kaname barreled onto the stage and joined her friend in lip locking her man. It was only his preternatural reflexes that allowed him to slide the guitar to his back out of the way before she slammed into him like a runaway cruise missile.

Her father watched with a small melancholy expression. His Japanese cultural inhibitions only allowing him the smallest of windows to the inside of his heart. He looked to the father of the other girl on the stage and saw the same expression he was feeling.

James looked back at the Japanese father and because of the similarity of feelings, saw quite clearly what the man was feeling. The feeling of a father losing his daughter. He pulled out the keys to the car and laid them in Anne's hand. "Honey, I'll be home late. Don't wait up. I'll try to land on either the guest bed or the couch."

"James?"

"I'll be home later tonight." He approached Shunya and said, "There's an excellent little hole in the wall over by the Center. It's about ten minutes by cab from there to my house. You can have either the guest bed or the couch, whichever one you land on. What do ya say?"

Shunya looked at the stage where his daughter seemed to be making every attempt to tongue wrestle the Soldier into submission. The problem was, the young man was a Soldier and would never surrender. She would have to beat him down, and looked more then happy to try. He remembered his wife and her passion. It was something Kaname came by honestly.

Shunya bowed slightly to the much taller American, "It would be my Honor, Possible-sensei."

"I think under the circumstances, you can call me James."

"And I am Shunya, James-san."

**********

Before they left the club, they had a few things to take care of. The first was, much to Josh and his partners relief, declining the offer of the drummer and bassist to join up with them. Neither of them had the time to devote to a band. The second, to Josh's dismay, was insuring that he carried out his portion of the wager.

Kim and Kaname had even thoughtfully prepared his ad for him. It prominently featured his likeness surmounted by Ron and Sagara, clearly stating that he lost in the contest. Sousuke's picture was one Kaname had snapped in the apartment while he was playing the Fender one evening. Ron's had been a little harder to get. Kim and Wade had taken a picture of him singing into a screwdriver while he had been working on the Galaxie and adjusted the clothing from the coveralls he had been wearing to cargos and a T-shirt and changing the screwdriver to a microphone.

Josh started to try and work his way out of the bet when Sousuke mentioned something about explosives and how dangerous they can be if mishandled. He instantly turned pasty at Kim giving Sousuke the address of his current abode and he got the message clearly.

Kaname turned to the Japanese girl with the pageboy haircut to collect her winnings. As she counted out the 25 twenty dollar bills, she commented that Ron and Sagara, with the right manager, could have a very steady income on the local college club circuit. Kaname crooked a finger, calling the girl closer and whispering in her ear, told her just how much Ron and Sousuke were worth individually. The girl nearly swallowed her own tongue. Her boyfriend started tapping her back at the choking fit. Kaname walked away with a smug grin folding the 25 bills in half and sliding them into her bra for safekeeping.

The foursome returned to the apartment only to be accosted by two thirteen year olds. Wade was much more subdued then Ayame who was practically bouncing off the walls. Kim wasn't happy, her libido was in overdrive and she had completely forgotten the presence of the teen girl. Wade didn't concern her to much, he was in the basement, but Ayame was NEXT DOOR to her room and across the hall from Ron's room. Leaving the Japanese couple and Ron to deal with the two teens she went to her room to take a looong cold shower.

**********

Much later that night, early morning actually, the two men staggered into the newly rebuilt Possible house singing a combination of Japanese and American drinking songs. The frightening part was Shunya was singing the American songs while James was singing the Japanese ones. It might have had something to do with the fact that they agreed to trade national drinks for the night. Shunya had gone after the Kentucky Bourbon with a vengeance, while James kamikazied on Sake. Both were horribly off key and because of their accents, totally incomprehensible to everyone but each other.

They were leaning into each other and only able to hold a straight line because Shunya, on the left, kept trying to veer right, while James, on the right, kept wanting to go left. All in all it was a workable arrangement. Until they got to the door and couldn't get it to open. After fumbling for a few minutes, the door opened like magic.

The two men looked at the door then each other and resumed their singing as they stumbled through, heading to the living room to hopefully to, at least, get to the couch. They didn't see the door shut behind them, nor did they see Anne locking it while wearing a bemused expression.

"You'll pay for this when you wake up Jimmy. You're lucky Ron's birthday in a few days and not today."

**********

The next morning, Anne had called the apartment and asked for Kaname. At her request, they brought Shunya a change of clothes, a toothbrush and razor to the Possible homestead. Kaname, Ayame and Kim , both, took great pleasure in snapping a few pictures of their fathers sprawled in what had to be very uncomfortable positions on the couch.

After getting them to an at least sitting position and dual "Uuuuuggggghhhhh's!" there was a few minutes that Kaname thought both men were going to kill Sousuke. He looked at the two barely conscious, hung-over men, leaned to Anne and quietly asked, "Mrs. Possible-san, where do you keep your spirits?"

She looked at him for a second and got an amused grin on her face. "This way young man."

A few minutes later Sousuke came back carrying a tray and leading a grinning MrsDrP. Sousuke set tray down on the coffee table in front of them. It had two tumblers with at least four fingers of what had to be liquor, probably James' scotch, four bottles of water and a bottle of ibuprofen and said, "Gentleman, Lieutenant Mao recommends," and he said the next confused, "'Hair of the Dog' the morning after along with fluid replacement and analgesics."

Anne and Kim gave Ron a questioning look when he muttered, "Wish somebody would a told me that!" Seeing the looks he asked, "What? Don't look at me funny KP! I at least got some water and aspirin into you back on the island." Which got Kim a questioning look from Anne.

"I'll explain later, Mom."

"Yes, you will!"

The look the James and Shunya gave Sousuke was murderous. They glared at the tumbler, Sousuke, tumblers, each other, "Uggghhh!" and reached for the scotch. After the two hung-over men had a chance to shower, change clothes and get some coffee into themselves, they weren't nearly as grumpy.

While the two men were cleaning up, Anne had noticed her daughter seemed to be out of sorts. Not the mood she expected her be in considering the looks she had been giving Ron the night before. Anne was nobodies fool so it didn't take her long to figure out what happened. Kim had been caught by the bane of all couples in the mood, an inquisitive and alert teenager. Possibly a pair of them. Considering the mood her daughter was in, it was probably a good thing the Twins were already gone for the better part of the day.

When the men finished getting ready, Anne, Ron and Kaname had gotten lunch ready for everyone. Anne privately thought about having a late breakfast, complete with runny eggs and greasy sausages, but since it had been years since James had come home like he did last night, she had mercy.

As they were getting ready to leave, James started getting antsy around Ron and Kim. Black Hole Deep was obviously not going to be effective any more, not with his own daughter working against him when it came to the threats. Ron would brave anything for her if she asked him too. He might run from almost anything, but when it came to his daughter, Ron was one of those courageous fools that runs toward the sounds of the guns.

Watching as they climbed into the two cars for the short drive to the Stoppable's, he was surprised to hear his wife chuckling.

"Anne?"

Shaking her head, she said, "Kim is so aggravated right now."

"About what?"

"James, they had not one, but two thirteen year olds at their apartment last night!"

"So?"

"James, do you remember what it was like for us when Kim was thirteen? Hearing like a bat and curious as a cat? Barely a nights peace?"

"Yeah, I do." A light of realization appeared on his face. "Oh…OH! You mean they didn't.."

"No. Looks she'll have to wait until their house guests leave!" She looked at her husband and she could see the gears turning over in his head. "James?"

"I wonder if I could get Shunya a job at the Center? We could always use someone with Diplomatic experience!"

**********

Shunya and Ayame were catching a late afternoon flight back to New York and the Team picked the man up for a last day in the Middleton area. It was the first day in weeks they didn't have something hanging over their head. School and homework, missions either minor and major, training in the Dojo, firing line or in the shoot house or as Wade called it, to Kim's grimacing, 'The Fun House'.

They drove to the Stoppable's in both Eleanor with Kaname driving and carrying Shunya and the Sloth with Kim and Ron in the front and Sousuke in the back being grilled by Ayame about Wade, her sister, Japan, Wade, Arm Slaves, the shoot house, Wade, Eleanor, Wade, "Tell meeeeee!" Poor Sousuke was flustered by the time they got to the Stoppable's, while Kim and Ron just smirked at each other because of his predicament.

Because of the time it had taken to get Shunya mobile, when they arrived, Hana was in the middle of a nap while Rufus napped at the head of her crib. He had become a rather fierce Watch Naked Mole Rat in the last few months.

Leaving Hana and Rufus had been the hardest thing Ron had to do when he moved into Roger's house at the beginning of the summer. He was tempted to wake them both up but his mother said they would be up in an hour or so anyway and to let them be.

They had only been there a few minutes when the doorbell rang. Barbara answered the door to see no one there. Only a brightly colored box with a card on the top that said "To the Birthday Boy!" She picked up the slightly heavy box and carried it into the dining room where everyone was standing. Ron's eye's lit up at the box. "My birthday's not for a couple a days, Mom."

"It was on the porch, Ronnie."

"Early Happy Birthday to me, Booyah!" Ron passed the card back to his father. "Hey dad, who's it from?"

Dean opened the card as Ron pulled the ribbon from the box. Dean, with Shunya standing beside him, had no sooner opened the card and saw a swastika when Ron lifted the lid.

Ron pulled the lid off only to see the wires that there were attached to the lid. He followed them down to the inside of the box where they were plugged into a metal casing. On the top of the casing there was a timer, counting backwards and 4 seconds on the clock.

"OH SHIT! BOMB!" Ron reacted without conscious thought. He pulled the Lotus Blade from the sheath on his hip where it was masquerading as a much smaller blade and shifted it into, of all things, a chafing dish lid. It was a large dome shaped lid for a serving pan. With a flash of blue in his eyes, he slammed it over the top of the package so hard the table was crushed beneath it, driving it into the floor.

The rest of the Team reacted with the same dispatch. Kim grabbed Ayame, spun her into the corner and covered the young girl with her own body. Kaname slammed into Barbara Stoppable and drove her through the doorway and into the living room.

Sousuke having no where else to go grabbed Dean Stoppable and Shunya Chidori by the collars and threw himself backwards through the patio door, glass exploding outwards as he followed it. After he cleared to door jamb, he spun and levered the two men around tossing them off the porch.

He had completed his spin and was setting up to rush back inside when he felt an impact of something besides the pressure wave of the device. He tumbled across the patio tangled with whatever it was and darkness soon claimed him.

AN: Both my Betas suggested I leave it here! Blame them! :P