"What?" exclaims the confused reader. "Don't you have enough ongoing stories as it is?" The honest answer is yes, but the first four chapters of this one have been on my computer since May. I realized that if I didn't begin posting, I'd never finish writing this tale, which I very much want to do.

Thanks to campy for proofreading.

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KP, RS et al © Disney

This story begins where the episode "Hidden Talent" ended. Some might say it's an AU. But Ron might ask, "How do we know it's an AU? Maybe what we think is an AU is the Real U and the Real U is the AU and …"

To which Kim would respond, "I so can't believe I'm saying this, but Ron you're thinking too much!"

I.

As Bonnie seethed beside her, Kim joined in the applause for Ron. Though the teen hero had earlier been miffed with her best friend for signing her up for the Middleton High School talent show, she was now proud of him for winning the contest and secretly pleased that she'd hit the high note, something she'd never have done, let alone attempted, had Ron not entered her into the competition.

While Kim enjoyed seeing Ron bask in the adulation of the crowd, she was worried about his bandages: she still wasn't positive that she'd heard Rufus correctly – had the naked mole rat really said Ron had split a tower of cinder blocks with his head? As the auburn haired teen was wondering whether she should take her best friend to Bueno Nacho for a celebratory Grande Sized Naco or ask her mother to examine him, an unmistakably shrill Teutonic voice interrupted her ruminations.

"There iss the HERO THIEF!" Dementor raged.

Kim turned to see the pint-sized, helmeted villain pointing at her. Seeing Dementor at Middleton High set her weirdar off – especially as the menace from Mittel Europa was in the company of Officer Hobble.

"Are you sure about this?" the policeman asked in his familiar Irish brogue.

"Am I sure? Do my eyes look like they are not sure? Yes," he screamed. "IT ISS HER!"

"Excuse me, Mister Bad Accent Guy" Bonnie finally sniped. "Would you mind shouting somewhere else?"

"Yes, I WOULD MIND!" the villain replied.

"Hmmph," the snarky teen said as she crossed her arms in pique.

"Officer Hobble, what's going on?" Kim asked.

The law enforcement professional sighed. "Miss Possible, this man appeared at the police station and said you stole something of his …"

"Tell him, HERO THIEF!" Dementor screamed. "Tell him how you not only stole my TRANSPORTULATOR BUT THE UNIVERSAL ADAPTER RIGHT FROM WITHIN MY LAIR!"

"I so didn't steal it!" Kim said with a roll of her eyes. "You know I thought I was recovering it for its rightful owners."

"Can you not see the LIES coming from her MOUTH?" the Teutonic bad guy said as he gesticulated wildly.

"Right," Kim said with a roll of her eyes. "Like I stole your teleportation …"

"IT ISS A TRANSPORTULATOR!" Dementor screamed.

"… Fine, transportulator," Kim said, exasperated, "for Drakken. I'd do that why?"

Hobble knit his brow. "Miss Possible, are you saying you did take this transportulator?"

"Yes, but …" she said, suddenly wary.

"Ach! The HERO THIEF admits she iss OF THE STICKY FINGERS!" Dementor declared in triumph.

"I'm sorry to do this, Miss Possible," Hobble said with a sad shake of the head, "But I'm going to have to place you under arrest."

"What?" the teen hero exclaimed. "On what grounds?"

"Theft of a matter teleportation device, possible transport of molecules over state lines, and consorting with known supervillains," he said before adding reluctantly, "Your wrists, please."

The teen hero and the police officer stared at one another. Finally, Kim sighed, dropped her head in shame and frustration and did as requested. "This so can't be happening," she said in a daze as Hobble slapped a pair of handcuffs on her.

"Come along, Miss Possible, I need to book you," the policeman said gently as he guided the teen hero by her elbow to the nearest exit.

"Gütten nacht, bon soir, good night, Fraulein HERO THIEF!" Dementor said with glee as a stunned Kim Possible was led away while Bonnie Rockwaller, who had decided that watching her long-time rival be arrested was way better than winning some silly trophy, stood by and grinned as she snapped some pictures on with her mobile phone.

II.

Ron saw Kim's parents and wandered in their direction. "Hola, Drs P!"

"Hello, Ronald," Kim's father said warmly as he extended his hand. "And congratulations."

"We're very proud of you," Kim's mother added.

"Thanks," Ron said as he blushed and beamed with pride.

"Karate chopping those cinder blocks with your head was so much cooler," Jim chimed in.

"… Than Kim's dopey song," Tim added.

"Boys, there will be no disparaging your sister's musical performances," James Possible said sternly, earning disappointed frowns from his boys.

"So, KP made it back in time from the mission to perform?" Ron asked. "Coolio. Too bad I was unconscious." The contest winner looked around. "Uh, anyone seen Kim?"

"Well, no, actually," Mrs. Possible said. "I thought she was with you. She never came back after her number."

"Hmmm," Ron said as he pursed his lip. "I wonder where she is?"

III.

Kim sat slumped in the back of the cruiser, trying to get her mind around the fact that she was being given a ride by the police not because she was going on a mission, but because she was an alleged criminal. "This is so the drama," she said softly as she looked out the window at the passing lights.

It wasn't long before the squad car pulled into the lot at the Police Station. Hobble parked the car, got out, opened the passenger door, and escorted Kim into the building.

Kim cringed as the officers stared at her goggle-eyed; after all, none of them ever expected to see Middleton's very own teen hero cuffed. She looked stoically into the camera when her mug shot was taken and grimaced when Hobble had her remove her gloves so she could be fingerprinted. She flushed with embarrassment when he asked for her Kimmunicator, grappling gun hair dryer, utility belt and shoelaces.

"Do I get to make a call?" she asked.

"Yes," the officer said.

"May I use the Kimmunicator?" Kim asked. "I'd like to call Wade, but I don't actually know his number."

"Sure, Miss Possible," Hobble said, clearly not enjoying his job that evening.

Kim activated the device.

"What up, Kim?" the young tech guru asked. "Did you win the contest?"

The teen hero closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Ron won and I'm in jail."

Wade spit out his drink.

"Did you say …"

"Yes, I'm in jail."

"Ron actually won?" Wade marveled.

"Yes," Kim said, now a bit peeved.

"Do you want me to contact him?" Wade asked after he'd collected himself.

"Please and thank you," she replied.

III.

Ron's phone rang. "Hey, maybe it's Kim calling!" he said as he pulled his phone out of his cargo pants pocket. "This is Ron Stoppable, owner of the mad first prize props from this year's Talent Show!"

"Ron!"

"Wade?"

"Ron, Kim's … in trouble!"

"What? What kind of trouble?"

"She's, well, she's under arrest."

"Great googly moogly!"

"What is it Ron?" Mrs. Possible asked.

"KP's in the slammer!" he exclaimed, drawing the attention of the crowd. "Uh, I said she's slammin'!" he lied. "That's right, heh heh, Kim is one slammin' best friend!"

"Hoo boy!" Rufus said as he slapped his forehead.

People looked at Ron warily, wondering just how hard he had hit his head, then wandered off.

James Possible scowled. "Did you just say my Kimmie-cub is in jail, Ronald?"

Ron tugged at his shirt collar. "I didn't do it, Mr. P! Honest!"

"Dear, calm down," Mrs. Possible said to her husband. "Ron, does Wade know anything else?"

"Good question, Mrs. P," Ron answered, after he took some calming breaths. "Wade, what's the sitch?" the tow-headed sidekick asked without a trace of irony. "Uh huh, uh huh, no way, you have got to be kidding, uh huh, uh huh, whoa!" Ron said as Wade explained matters to him. "Okay, I'll fill in the Doctors P. Talk to you later."

"Well?" James asked.

"Kim's been arrested for stealing a Transportulator," Ron answered, "and is being held at the police station."

"Why that's outrageous!" James declared. "My Kimmie-cub would never do anything like that!"

"Uh, yeah, well about that," Ron said as he rubbed his neck.

"Ronald …" the rocket scientist growled.

"Look, we didn't think we were stealing it, we thought we were getting it back for its owners!" Ron responded, unable not to notice how lame that sounded. "Man, KP is in trouble …" he said to himself.

"Dear, why don't you take the boys home and Ron and I will go see Kim," Mrs. Possible suggested.

"Aw, come on," Jim said.

"… We want to see Kim doing time!" Tim added.

"Boys …" James warned.

IV.

Kim sat on her bunk, her head in her hands. She felt humiliated. Not even the villains left her without a belt or shoelaces.

"KP!" a concerned voice cried out.

She looked up to see her best friend and her mother, escorted by Officer Hobble.

"You can have ten minutes, then you'll have to go," the policeman said apologetically, before he turned and left the threesome alone.

"Ron, Mom!" she said as she stood up, clutched her cargoes, and approached the bars.

"Are you okay, honey?" Mrs. Possible asked.

"Just spankin'" Kim said sarcastically as she adjusted her pants, finally understanding what Ron went through on a regular basis.

"Uh, Kim, you want my belt?" Ron offered as he saw his best friend fidget with her cargoes.

Kim glared at him.

"Well, I thought you might have more luck with it; it's not like it keeps my pants from falling down," he said sheepishly.

Kim shook her head, then sighed. "Thanks, Ron. But I think Officer Hobble would just take it away."

"Is there anything we can get for you?" Mrs. Possible asked.

"Just a ferociously good lawyer," Kim replied. "This whole sitch is so whacked. I mean, Dementor should be in jail, not me!"

"True," Ron observed. "But stranger things have happened."

"Like?" Kim shot back.

Ron rubbed his chin. "Hmmm. Let me get back to you on that one."

"Great," Kim grumbled. "I'm doomed."

"Hey, don't worry, KP: I've still got your back," Ron declared.

Kim looked at her best friend and sidekick, and finally smiled. "Thanks. Though I hope you'll understand if I still want that lawyer."

"We'll get on that first thing in the morning, honey," Kim's mother said.

"And you'll be out of her in no time," Ron said with confidence. "We are so gonna beat this thing!"

"You really think so?" Kim asked, trying not to sound hopeless, even though she was finding this sitch so much worse than being chained, put in a box that was soldered shut, and tossed into a supposedly bottomless water-filled pit that was home to a shark and squid and covered with six inches of Galatian ice.

"Oh yeah," Ron answered with a huge grin, though, truth be told, he didn't have a clue as to how that was going to happen …

TBC …