And we're back, I hope everyone is safe and sound and I hope none of you were in the capitol on January 6th as that had turned dangerous. Okay getting down to it, sorry CSNY but I just had to do that, those of you who NEED meds don't take any extra for this chapter. Now that I have that out of the way it's time to thank everyone for reading, faving, following and or reviewing and since the number of reviews for chapter 20 was low we'll get right to them: Uberscribbler, I never said Ron was a 'white' character, he is more gray; CB73, yes I think sometimes lil Ronnie likes the Frank Zorro character. Remember originally it was supposed to be Frank Zero. 'Eric' wants to be opinionated because he is trying to show concern because he feels that's how privileged teens in England are. Yes, Betts is laying a hopeful foundation to get Ron into GJ. Remember, she was briefed by Yori and Hiro about Ron back in the previous summer; Jimmy1201, I didn't say Ron was a 'bad' guy Jimmy. It is canon that Ron's moral scape is a little more questionable than Kim's.
Okay, got that out of the way, so thanks as well to CajunBear73 for all his work over the years, but you guys don't really care about all that. All you care about is mayhem….well this chapter will have no REAL mayhem, so you have to deal with it. Oh and remember, the night before Ronnie boy had that covert message giving in France.
Let's do it,
ST-103
The Hunter: Book Two
Chapter 21
The Stoppable home:
Still attired in their sleepwear, a bleary-eyed and yawning Ron Stoppable carried his Sister to the door and the increasingly loud noises beyond, "Hey Dave, Liz, what are you guys doing here?"
Dave pushed his way carrying in carrying a box of donuts, Liz followed him, "Where the hell were you last night?"
Before the former running back could engage his mind he retorted, "Huh, oh I had a mission in the south of France…come on in why don't cha? I see you brought breakfast." As the raven-haired baby reached for the box Ron chided her, "Sorry intruder, that's teenager food."
Liz hissed, "Cut the crap Stoppable, we were worried about you not being home last night. Where were you and what did you do?"
"Like I said cheer mate; in the south of France. I had to beat up on a police official for some super spy organization. And since it's super spy business, can't say much more about."
Elizabeth Sours rolled her eyes, "Okay say what you want, but don't we buy it, so you just wanted to get away. You don't have to make yourself look macho. Answer me this, was your Sister taken care of?"
"Yes Ma'am.", Ron grinned, "Does she look abused?"
"Just let your friends know next time. Now give me your sister and you can make coffee."
The blond teen handed over his adopted sibling and muttered, "Yes ma'am."
The red head accepted the tyke, "You know it bozo. Come on Dave, Stoppable is making coffee it's the least he can do for worrying us to death."
"Yeah, I can do that." Yawning, "What time is it?", the blond sidekick inquired.
Dave laughed, "A little after nine."
"Okay, that means I got about four hours. I guess that's enough."
Liz bounced the Asian baby on her hip as she walked into the kitchen where she saw food being prepared for Hanna. The 'other' red head on the Middleton cheer squad nodded and placed the cold to the touch bottle in the waiting pan of water and turned it on.
Sarcastically Liz muttered, "You're welcome Stoppable."
"Geeze, you guys come to the door while I'm fixing something to eat for Hanna and then you give me a bunch of crap. Why don't you let me finish before you gripe?", Ron complained as he poured water into the coffee maker.
"Relax Ron, it's just we got a call from Possible last night complaining about you not being home.", Dave Alberts stepped in before his friend blew up.
"Why was Kim worried about me not being home? It's not like I report to her or anything."
"She wants her limey boyfriend to bond with your sister.", Dave revealed.
"Oh, hell no, he gives me the creeps let alone lil intruder. He made her cry.", Ron hissed causing Liz to stare at the former mascot.
Ron's former cheer mate pointed out, "I don't really care for Eric either Ron, but I don't think he'd hurt the baby."
Ron frowned as he responded, "That's not the point and it'll only happen over my dead body and I plan to live at least till graduation. I have enough shit on my plate right now and I don't need a hysterical baby on top of that."
"Ron,", Dave asked, "where were you last night?"
The blond teen rolled his eyes, "Okay, I was in Lowerton."
"Why?", Liz inquired.
"Just a precaution in case Mom doesn't wake up, if she doesn't or dies then I have to make some decisions."
"What kind of decisions?", the cheer leader pushed her friend.
"Well, you know that I can't work in Middleton because of my agreement with Smarty Mart and being let go…so I was looking at housing there and some job opportunities. After graduation, unless Mom needs me here, I am going to move outta town and Lowerton is close enough to Middleton. It's no secret, I've told others the same thing. From there I will get some kind of job, work on my GED if I fail this semester and find a cheapo place to live. I spotted a trailer park that doesn't look too bad."
Liz gaped, "You're serious…"
Ron frowned knowing he had to make it good, "As a stroke."
"Well at least you're not thinking about Mountain Side.", Liz snarked.
"What's wrong with Mountain Side except for it being small?", Ron quired the cheerleader.
"Possible almost freaked out when Sue MacTavish told her that she had a crush on you."
"Yeah, about that, I told Sue's sister that I didn't have time for any kind of commitment with anyone."
"You know her sister, Stoppable?"
"Yeah, her sister's name is Kathy and she works as a boss at the pickle works.", Ron informed Dave's squeeze, "Anyway, I got to know her through her daughter, who I rescued in the fire during homecoming."
"You rescued Sue MacTavish's niece?"
"Yeah, it was touch and go for a while. Had some weird dreams about it later like someone was talking to me.", Ron informed her as the doorbell rang.
"I'll go see who it is.", Ron muttered to his two friends.
A minute later:
"Owww!…Damn! Why did you do that?", Ron's voice came from the front of the house.
"I ought to kick your ass Stoppable.", Justine yelled.
"What did I do?"
"You weren't home last night.", the genius snarled as she stomped into the kitchen and opened a cabinet and pulled out two coffee mugs. The slight genius was still grumbling as she passed Dave and Liz.
A deeper voice said, "Sorry Ron, Justine was gonna surprise you last night."
"Well, I'm surprised now…Is my eye turning colors yet?"
Hanna thought all the noise was funny and clapped her hands together.
Ron walked into the kitchen followed by the bigger-than-life lineman. There was a mirror in the kitchen and he went over and checked the damage.
With a smile he responded to the punch, "You hit like Ernie Roberts and everyone knows how I feel about that wuss, Justine."
The slight blonde's eyes flashed dangerously as Big Mike stepped between them, "Ron…just say you're sorry."
"Why?", the blond former running back asked as he tried to step around the larger-than-life offensive guard.
"Because Justy is really mad right now.", Mike responded, "And I don't want to see you hurt."
Ron stepped back and stared at his larger-than-life 'D' hall buddy, "That makes no sense…"
"Remember, she made a machine that brought dinosaurs here and she still has it. She wants to train one.", Mike's eyes opened wide in terror as Ron's narrowed.
Dave having heard this got up, "I don't think that's a good idea."
Ron took up, "Right, I deal with techno villains and they'd just love to get their hands on something that can destroy humanity."
"Then don't piss me off Stoppable…"
"Justine if you go down this road without permission by the US government, for starters, they are going to send someone like Kim and me to come get you.", Ron warned, "Since you are a friend, I want you to know that I wouldn't want to do that."
Justine stared at the former running back then asked, "What could you do?"
"Me and Kim would try to bring you in…If they sent some of the other alphabet agencies…well, some of them shoot first and ask questions later…Mike could end up getting hurt over it, would you want that? Do everyone a favor and get all the education you can and try to make the world a better place, but let's leave the playing with reality crap alone. We already have more than one guy doing that now.", Ron explained.
"Who is that?", the genius asked.
"A couple of villains one by the name of Professor Dementor and one by the name of Monkey Fist. One is Kim's foe and one of them is mine. Anyway, another one, Doctor Drakken, tried to take over the world last spring, do you remember that one?"
"You have foe, sidekick?". Justine inquired as she nodded about Drew Lipsky.
"Yeah, he wants to kill me and has tried a few times."
Liz heard that as she checked the bottle and gave it to Hanna but walked out into the living room to get away from what was going on.
After Liz and Hanna left Justine asked, "You have someone who wants to kill you?"
"Yeah, sucks to be me and Kim…"
"You should get out of …"
"They'd still be able to come after us or our families and friends.", Ron quietly informed them, "That's why you guys shouldn't be so close to me. Losing Dad was tough but losing everyone I care about would break me."
"Then why did Kim and you get into this?", the genius asked.
"We didn't mean to, originally Kim's site was about babysitting, later getting cats out of trees and stuff and then we had that first mission, and before we knew it Kim had an explosive tick on her forehead and had gotten into a fight with Drakken's enforcer. The rest is history.", Ron explained, "I was just helping my friend and we got all caught up in it. Now police agencies contact us to help them. Last December, Kim was captured by a big-time jewel thief and had to be rescued…If you don't believe me you can ask Monique."
Dave inquired, "That was when you were in Japan?"
"Yeah, some of the security trainees at the school rescue people and everyone takes martial arts as part of the gym classes, a couple of them got Monique and Kim out of there.", this time Ron lied, but he told enough truth that they would probably buy into it.
"So, you didn't rescue Possible and Jenkins?", Justine asked.
"Not me, they sent a couple of specialists,", Ron lied, "I'm sorta in the poetry end of the curriculum there, but to give you an idea how good those guys are; I did what I did on the field mostly because of the training at Yamanouchi. You know, they could make a name for themselves by training guys going into college football."
Dave chuckled, "Yeah, I can see forty Stoppable types coming out of high school every year and some colleges getting two or three of them and destroying records every year. It wouldn't be long before they were banned."
"Hey, the next time I talk to the instructors there, I'll give them the idea.", Ron chortled, "But it's really a bad idea, one of me is enough."
"More than enough.", Dave agreed.
Justine's eyes narrowed, "Now why does Possible want to bring her English boyfriend over here when she should be sitting here with you?"
Ron shrugged, "First, as I have said before, Kim does not remember me as her squeeze and as far as I'm concerned that romance is over. Second, she, in all her Kimness, wants Hanna to get used to Eric. She thinks she knows what's best in my life and realistically she has done pretty well for the last thirteen years, but…"
"But what?", the genius figured out that Ron had his own ideas now.
The former sidekick rolled his eyes, "But now, until Mom gets on her feet, I am the adult in my family, and I don't want that limey ass anywhere near my kid sister, plain and simple. Mom, when she wakes up, can override me, but for right now I get to make the decisions…Not Kim, not Eric, not Steve Barkin, nor my Rabbi. Just ME. Someone is in charge and that someone is me and what I say goes."
Dave nodded, "I think you're right Ron, you have a responsibility to your sister, I wouldn't back down. Now what are your plans today?"
"I'm gonna take Hanna to the hospital after I feed her and sit with Mom for a while. Then I'm gonna come home, play with Hanna, clean the house and get some homework done."
"So, a full day?", Dave inquired for clarification.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"You could leave your sister with us…"
"You guys do enough, you do so much I think I'm not fulfilling my end of it…"
"Bullshit Ron, you're trying to do two full time jobs here…maybe three and the bags under your eyes are giving you away."
"Dave…"
"You don't believe me? Go look in a mirror.", the former quarterback advised.
Ron half-smiled, "I see enough of my face in the mirror every morning as it is."
"Do you pay attention?"
"Not really, I have more important things to worry about."
"Like your family and your grades. Listen how about four of us take care of your sister. I'll vacuum while you go up and visit your Mom, that's something that you need to do."
"Yeah, I guess. Let me fix some food for Hanna and…"
Justine frowned, "We know how to feed babies. Get a donut, some coffee and get a shower. We have this."
"Uh, ah okay, but Wade has a bot coming over this morning and I have ta be here for that?"
Justine was curious, "A robot?"
"Yeah, my chip is malfunctioning, and it needs to be repaired…Again.", Ron told her.
"You're chipped?"
"Yeah, in case a bad guy kidnaps one of us, everyone in the team has one including Wade. Rufus did too. At least if we get killed, they can find the body, the rents kinda insisted on that for some reason.", Ron explained, sigh, "Let me call him up and have it sent over while I take my shower."
Ron pulled out his Kimmunicator and pushed the 'connect' button. Wade's voice came through, "Hey Ron, you ready for my bot to come over?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna take a shower, but I have some people here who can let it in if I'm not out by then."
"Ohhhh kay,", the African American genius wasn't prepared for that and added, "I don't have a replacement unit, so you'll be without for a few days."
"Yeah, I'll get the alcohol out, your bot has the scalpel doesn't it?"
"Yeah Ron, just like the last time, you need the disinfectant and the cotton wipes, I'll do the rest and toss a couple of stitches in the wound t keep you from bleeding too much."
"Great, talk to you in few then.", Ron replied as he pushed the connect button again.
Justine said, "I need to watch this…can I?"
"If you're not worried about grossness, sure.", Ron said as he snatched a donut and thought to himself, 'I get pain for the betterment of the world…Jeeeze. I'll bet Yahweh is happy with my pathetic butt now.'
"Good, I've been working out some real world uses for robots outside of the robot rumble and this might give me some much-needed income while I am going to college while Mike is working with Curt and Tank. This will give us some much-needed income."
"Well, I can't speak for Wade, but he might go into partnership if you both add something to it. You can ask him through the Wade-bot though since I'm not his agent."
Liz came in carrying Hanna, "What do you have for her to eat Ron?"
The former running back got out the cereal he had planned for his sister's breakfast and said, "Just add warm milk, and make sure you and lil intruder wear bibs…in case she decides to play with her food. I can do it for you Liz…"
"I. Am. Not. A. Stumblebum like you Stoppable.", the cheerleader shooed Ron away.
Stoppable finished his donut, walked to the basement door where his abode was, going down the stairs and into his little room to clean up for the day.
Twenty minutes later:
A freshly showered blond teen came up to the kitchen and looked at the mess: Cereal and milk dripping off Liz's nose and chin. Ron snorted as he saw the gooey mess in her hair, "Looks like you and Hanna bonded cheer mate."
Justine was in the corner, obviously out of way when the baby struck, sat silently chuckling. Dave peeked around the corner with Mike towering over him from behind.
Ron picked Hanna up out of her highchair and calmly went to the sink and turned on the faucet and grabbed a dish rag and began to wipe his sister's face. While doing so, Ron said, "I warned you about covering up, last fall I always wore my mountain parka to avoid scenes like this…for me at least. Unfortunately, that parka died before Christmas on my trek through the mountains in that damned blizzard."
He undid the bib and said to Dave, "There are some of Kim's clothes in my closet downstairs, you might wanna get your squeeze a top. Liz there is a bathroom around the corner where you can clean up. Once you do you might be in a better mood."
Dave went downstairs, into Ron's teen cave and returned a couple minutes later. Ron nodded, "Kim would be proud of you, though I woulda thought you would've picked one of the sundresses that Kim's Nana likes for her to wear.
"I wondered about those…What are they doing here?"
"Kim didn't want to toss them, so she stashed them here, same with the sweaters on that side of the closet.", Ron informed him. Then with a wink, "You shoulda taken some pics and posted them online. That is braggin material Dave, some that would be worth a lot of cash at the ten-year class reunion when she comes back to show off her hottie."
"Uh yeah, I'll deliver this to Liz."
From the corner, "So, Possible is going to have someone by then?"
"Yup, pretty sure Justine."
"So, you going to land her and make a bunch of kids?", she held out her hands for Hanna.
Ron handed over his sister and replied, "Well, I do know she wants a couple of them, but it won't be with me."
"Why not you?"
"Kim is looking for the 'hot' guy. And I'm not…'hot' I mean. The way it is going I'll be a corpse by then. Sis will have Mom and Mom will have Sis."
"Why is that?"
"I figure my luck will run out by then girlfriend and then you'll all have forgotten about me…I'll feel bad about it, but I'll get over it in a couple hundred years."
Stunned, Justine shot back, "That's not healthy Stoppable…"
When the returning Dave retorted, "Ron talks like that sometimes."
"Ron thinks like that all the time bud. I haven't changed that much.", Ron responded to his friend when the doorbell rang.
The former running back rolled his eyes, either someone else to the party or Wade's toy just showed up."
A white robot with wheels entered the kitchen. "I'll get the first aid kit, Wade.", Ron told the machine that had the tech guru's face on it.
To Justine, "I don't want Hanna in here, so give her to Mike or somebody if you really want to watch."
The genius called out, "Mike come in here and take the baby, I wanna watch something…"
"Can I stay and watch too?"
Justine smiled, "No, you know how you are with blood…uh Wade?"
"Yeah.", the robot responded.
"Is there going to be blood?"
"Yeah, there will be some, I have to cut into Ron's neck to remove the chip.", the 'robot' explained, "And put a couple of stitches in it."
"Wade,", Ron asked, "are you going to numb it this time?"
"Are you going to drive to the hospital to see your Mom afterward?", was the answer.
Ron replied, "Yeah."
"Then no, you can suck it up."
"Wade it stings, you forgot the last time."
"A big tough ninja like you shouldn't worry about a little pain Ron.", the robot countered.
Justine's eyes opened wide, "Ninja?"
"Huh, oh that's how Wade refers to me once in a while since I've been going to that school in Japan. He uses it as a way to screw with my head.", Ron nervously got out before anyone else could say anything.
"Huh, oh yeah.", Wade's voice chuckled, "I didn't mean to say that Ron was really a ninja, it's just a moniker I gave him last winter as a joke. Now Ron, sit on a chair and bend your head forward like the last time."
"Yes Ma'am.", the former running back responded.
One 'hand' of the robot picked up the cotton swab and another one picked up the bottle of alcohol and poured the liquid onto the cotton then scrubbed down the area. Once that was done a box opened up on the robot's 'chest' and the robot used one of its hands to remove a scalpel. Wade's voice then said, "Ron don't move this is going to sting."
"I hate you Wade.", Ron responded.
Justine watched then asked, "How do you get such precision?"
"Twelve very low powered and precise lasers.", the robot replied, "I have the patent for them."
Ron grunted in obvious pain as he tried not to move, "Justine, let him concentrate I don't wanna look like Marie Antoinette. You guys can talk later."
Ron winced for about twenty seconds and then grunted as the robot used other 'hand' and tweezers to go into the wound (which was now bleeding). A tray slid open in the upper chest on the robot and the 'hand' and tweezers placed something very small on the tray which then closed.
That hand grabbed the alcohol again and the other took a cotton pad and began to wipe the wound down.
"Almost done Ron, but I have to ask what you've been doing. The chip was further in than where I placed it last time."
"Wade…suck it.", Ron grumbled out loud as Liz came in the kitchen.
"Damn, Stoppable you have a big hole in your neck."
The blond teen then flipped the cheerleader off and said to Wade, "Would you just close it up?"
"Ron, you're no fun…okay gonna start with the needle. I'm gonna put two on the inside and five on the outside."
"Damn Wade, what did you do? You only needed two stitches the last couple of times."
"I don't know how you did it Ron, but the chip moved. I guess I'll have to make a small x-ray camera to go on this unit now.", Wade said obviously annoyed at the moment.
"Well, I wasn't doing like the bungee jumping thing from last summer so I have no idea what you're talking about.", Ron lied.
The former running back winced as the needle penetrated his skin before he moaned, "What I put up with for the benefit of Team Possible."
Three minutes later Wade put a large bandage from the first aid kit on the wound and announced, "All better Ron. I'll have the chip done in a few days then we can do this all over again."
Ron stood up from the chair, "Why don't you put a zipper in and save us all this trouble?"
"Uh Ron, I don't think that is feasible considering the status of medical science at the moment."
"It would be a great way to make some money."
XXX
A freshly showered, bathrobe wearing, Kim Possible looked out her bedroom window and noticed a car and a pickup truck in the Stoppable's driveway.
She strapped on her wrist Kimmunicator and pushed on the connect button. Ten seconds later, Wade Load's holograph image appeared before her and asked, "Yeah Kim, what do you need?"
"Is Ron home? There are cars in his driveway."
"Yeah, he is Kim."
"I thought you said he was driving to Kansas…"
"I did and I was using the data from his chip which I have now determined was malfunctioning. So, I sent a Wade-bot to remove it and am going to repair the thing…although I might replace it since this is the second time it has happened now.", the genius informed her before she thought of it herself.
"So, who is at Ron's house right now?"
"Mike, Justine, Liz Sours and Dave.", Wade informed the boss of Team Possible.
"That's good, I need to see Ron…"
"Then you'd better hurry, Ron's going to the hospital to sit with him Mom.", Wade told her.
XXX
Middleton Memorial Hospital:
The nurse (wearing navy blue scrubs) tapped Kacy Higgins (also wearing navy blue scrubs) on the shoulder as she wrote on in one of the folders before her.
"Hey Tom, can you take 3221? She's due for her pneumonia shot and I have all these reports to do before I make my rounds.", Kacy asked as she batted her eyes.
"Sure sweetheart, I'll take care of her so you don't have to. You can always count on me.", the man with the English accent responded.
"Thanks, I owe you a cup of coffee and a danish.", Nurse Higgins smiled.
"Yeah, it seems only I get to take care of Mrs. Stoppable. Are all you guys trying to put us together since her old man passed away?", Tom laughed, "She's a little old for me."
"Of course, not Tom, the hospital doesn't encourage entanglements between staff and patients.", Kacy gasped in mock indignation.
(AN here; Tom Bridgestone is former British military and is now a merc working for Eric's group. He was also a medic in the British army and was able to pass basic tests to show competence to follow up on his fake credentials. That is how he is working in the hospital as a medical professional. There, you are now caught up.)
He walked over to the room went inside, closing the door behind him. Tom then scanned his badge after he logged into the computer then used his key to unlock the cabinet which held the drugs and removed small glass container. He casually looked around and pocketed it and then took the needle for the drug and placed it in the red 'sharps' container mounted on the wall. (Yep, Tom did not inject Barb Stoppable…AN)
Tom then rose and walked over to the bed and took Barb Stoppable's temperature and blood pressure (fudging the numbers) and then lowered the bed so it was flat except for the feet, which he raised.
'There's not much I can do with the IV on this shift, there are too many eyes around at this time of the day.', the covert nurse thought to himself as he walked into the bathroom and washed his hands.
When he got back to the nurses' station he stated, "All done, I see you're still working. I can get your rounds until the next shift comes in so let me get your other patients while you get caught up."
"Sure, but Jenny should be off her break in a few and she'll be able to change bed linen for you."
"Thanks…Remember you owe me that coffee."
X
The blond teen walked onto the floor and waved at the nurses as he passed them on the way to his Mom's room.
"That poor kid,", Kacy whispered, "he already lost his Dad, I just hope his Mom comes around."
Tom put his hand on the other nurse's shoulder, "We can only do so much. Even with the best doctors, staff, facilities and medicine sometimes the worst can happen."
"Yeah, I guess. Are you always this philosophical?"
"I was a medic in the British army before I went back to school and became a nurse. I've seen some things that I'd rather not speak about."
XX
"Hey Mom, I'm back.", Ron sat down next to the unconscious woman and proceeded to tell her about Hanna's latest adventures.
Frowning, Ron muttered, "Let me adjust your bed Mom." He then raised Barbara Stoppable's head then asked, "I wonder who keeps laying you flat. Even as a Sunshine Spreader we knew most people wanted their heads to be above their feet."
XXX
Mike Little shoved a dust rag in his back pocket as he answered the door. "Oh, hi Kim.", the super large high schooler greeted the heroine.
"Hi Mike, is Ron here? I wanted to see Hanna…"
Liz Sours peeked from behind the giant and informed her cheer captain, "Oh hey Kim, Ron went to the hospital to see his Mom. He probably won't get home for about three hours and Ron's sister is with Justine right now."
"Can I see Hanna?", Kim asked.
"Yeah, come on in. Justine can probably use the break."
Kim giggled, "Great, I'll call Eric…"
"Nope.", Liz uttered.
"No?"
"Ron said his sister is spooked by your boyfriend and since Ron left her in our care, till he gets home, we'll have to go with what he says.", Liz didn't want to cross Kim nor did she want to cross Ron.
"But…Eric is a great guy.", the cheer captain argued.
"I'm not saying he isn't, but Ron doesn't think Hanna gets along with him and at the moment we will do what Ron wants…"
"Liz, I know what's best for Ron…I always have.", Kim pointed out.
"I agree Kim; however, the key word should be usually. Now YOU have to agree that Ron is the responsible party in his family right now, so the decision is up to him.", Liz responded as Justine came to the door with the tyke in her arms.
"Come on in lab partner, it's too cold outside to heat it from this house."
The cold had caused Kim Possible to be flushed and she quickly removed her coat and held out her hands to the Asian baby. Hanna responded by holding her hands out. Justine handed Ron's sister over to the heroine and muttered, "Shows who she likes."
"I've known this sweetie longer than you have lab partner, now I'll go along with not bringing Eric here today. I AM going to bring up having Eric to come over and visit to Ron. He's so adorable."
Justine responded as she turned to go further into the house, "I agree, Ron is an adorable dork…"
"That's not what I meant, Eric is adorable.", Kim protested.
"Kim,", Liz pointed out, "Eric is not everyone's cup of tea. Ron Stoppable isn't the only one who has issues with him around here. If you speak with Ron about his sister and your BF becoming best buds, you might want to rethink that."
"Why is that?"
"When we spoke about it this morning, Ron was pretty adamant about Eric staying away from Hanna."
"But Eric is nice…"
"And Hanna reacts badly to him, Ron doesn't want his sister traumatized more than she already is.", Liz warned.
"I think Ron is just jealin'…"
At this point Justine responded as she hoped the cheer captain would remember what was between the two teens who had known each other so long, "Why would Stoppable be jealous of your boyfriend?"
"Well maybe because he got Ron's unit."
"Ron's unit?"
"Uh yeah, I was going to give Ron's communications unit back to him and I was showing it to Eric and then Eric misunderstood what I was doing and took it…I couldn't take it back…sigh, anyway, that was the weekend that we sorta left Ron because there wasn't enough room on the helicopter and Ron ended up walking across the mountains in that snowstorm.", Kim explained, "Anyway, Eric has been cutting into Ron's time with me."
Liz pointed out, "I can see where Ron is pissed at being left behind in crappy weather or that Eric got his fancy cellphone…He had one with him didn't he?"
"Yeah, but it stopped working.", Kim reminded Liz.
"Did Ron blame you for his phone not working?"
"No…"
"Then here you are beating yourself to death and I think you are trying to make it better that Eric is a good guy to Ron and to prove it you want his sister to like Eric."
Kim kissed Hanna's head, "Do you think I'm that shallow?"
"I just think you want everyone around you to get along and while that is not bad, some personalities are just going to collide like you do with Bonnie.", Liz pointed out, "Just back off and let them work it out otherwise the only time you are going to hear from Ron is if you are on one of your missions or something."
"But Ron will get lonely…"
"Exactly Kim, let Ron pick and choose who he wants to associate with. After the season, Ron has more friends than he used to have, so he won't be ostracized like he would have been if he hadn't played football last season. There are more of us and we can take turns helping out. We won't let Ron get lonely. Do you know where he was Friday night?"
"Wade said Ron went to Kansas."
"Wade was wrong. That chip was malfunctioning, and he sent some kind of robot here to remove it to fix it.", Liz told her friend, "Ron went to Lowerton to look for employment opportunities and a place to live after graduation."
"Huh?"
"Remember Ron can't work in Middleton anymore. He's looking to the future outside of Middleton, Colorado…"
"But his friends are here.", Kim responded.
"He won't be able to make a living here, so he won't be able to live here. Listen, Dave and some of the other footballers are trying to make a case to Ron to play football at the college level, but Ron isn't interested."
Kim frowned, "I've told him the same thing…", before shifting gears, "Oh, have you guys been playing any of the 'Flippies' videos? Ron said Hanna likes to dance to them."
"I've picked up a few of them, let's put one in to see.", Liz offered now more than glad the conversation moved from 'Eric' to Hanna and what she liked.
XXXXX
Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, Hanna, Mister and Missus Doctor Possible, Liz, Josh, Tara and all the other canon characters in the show 'Kim Possible' belong to Bob, Mark and the Disney Corporation. CB and I don't own squat and this little hobby just makes sure that people can look around and see someone else's life turn into a larger bucket of crap than theirs ever will.
We'll see ya down the road,
ST-103