I in no way profit from these writings. Kim Possible and assorted cast are the property of Walt Disney. The following fan fiction in no way reflects neither Disney's original intent nor its intended characterization of any of the parties, real or fictional, that are contained in this story.
The First Time – Scenario 3 – The ProtectorAfter a quick shower Kim donned a pair of shorts and one of her signature crops top before heading out in search of Ron. As she padded barefoot along the spacious hallways she tried to remember exactly where Ron's room was in relation to the room he had settled her into last night.
She hadn't really gotten all that much sleep the night before and it had very little to do with the eight hour difference in time between Amsterdam and home. It was that she had hoped to have more time back home before seeing Ron again. She had desperately wanted time to talk to her mother about some things before she saw him again.
As fate would have it, she wasn't given the time. Her father was still in Florida supervising a launch that had been continually delayed because of weather and her mother, never one to pass up an opportunity for study, had taken the twins and gone down when she had been offered the chance to study the effects of weightlessness on the human brain.
That meant that none of the family would be available to pick her up from the airport but, as always, they had planned ahead and made other arrangements. To her dismay, those arrangements had been Ron.
When she had gotten the call from her parents about the change in plans she had already been in line getting ready to board the plane but even so, she had still seriously considered stepping out of line and delaying her return as soon as she got the call.
She remembered thinking she must have done something terrible in a previous life because Ron was not only picking her up from the airport but she was going to be staying with him for a minimum of two weeks while some renovations were being made to her parents house while they were gone.
She had only decided to take the flight as scheduled because of certain developments in her personal life that made her staying in Holland more uncomfortable than seeing Ron before she had a chance to speak with her mother.
It wasn't that she didn't want to see Ron, quite the contrary, she wanted to see him again more than anything. It was simply that the way she had been thinking about him lately was more than a little unsettling to her and she had wanted her mother's advice about how to deal with those changes before seeing him again.
Ron had been, as always, a perfect gentleman. He had been on time to pick her up, which she appreciated. He had offered her dinner, which she had politely declined, and then he had brought her back to the house he had recently had built and led her to a suite of rooms that he had actually called 'her' rooms.
Other than a long overdue hug at the airport and a shorter one when she retired to her rooms he had made no physical contact with her. That however was not the reason for her lack of sleep.
During her two year educational sojourn she had dated quite a bit and was used to men whose hands seemed to always find their way onto areas of her body that left her feeling more than a little uncomfortable.
After her last experience with dating she had done some serious soul searching wondering why none of the relationships she had had ever really felt right to her. There always seemed to be something missing, something she couldn't quite put her finger on but knew in her heart was what she was really looking for.
That was when her thoughts had first started turning toward Ron and the relationship they had. She had always avoided thinking of Ron as anything but a friend, a best friend, but still, just a friend. Recently however, over the last couple of weeks, the way she thought about Ron had shifted, and shifted in a very disturbing way. Ron had even begun to creep into her dreams, mostly the erotic ones, which left her feeling more confused than ever about her feelings toward him.
She shivered slightly as memories of a few of the more erotic dreams flashed unbidden in her minds eye but, with a bit of an effort, she was able to ignore them, at least for the time being. There was no way she was going to let sex jeopardize her friendship with Ron, he was too important to her.
She desperately needed to talk to her mother about things. She knew her mother would be able to help her figure things out, she always did. But as things were, that would simply have to wait.
She was sure she was headed in the right direction when she saw the painting of Rufus hanging on the wall beside her. "Now if I go straight for two more doors Ron's room should be the one on the left." Her bare feet made absolutely no sound as she strode more confidently down the thickly carpeted hallway. Arriving at the door she had thought was Ron's she knocked lightly and waited for an answer. There was none.
After attempting three more times, each attempt slightly louder than the last, she finally decided to open the door and glance quickly inside to see if she even had the right room. The door opened noiselessly and she quickly glanced inside. She had been right, this was indeed Ron's room, who else but Ron would still have a Fearless Ferret bedspread. "But if this is Ron's room where is he?" she asked herself as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her. She had already seen that Ron was not in the bed, although it defiantly looked as though it had been slept in.
Glancing around for a clue she heard the muffled sound of running water coming from behind a partially open doorway off to her right. She now knew why Ron didn't answer the door; he was in the shower and hadn't heard her knock. Deciding to wait for him she figured she may as well make herself useful and make up the bed that Ron had not yet made. As she worked she looked around the room to get a feel for the Ron she hadn't seen in almost two years. She already knew he had changed physically, that had been evident when he picked her up her from the airport last night. But the way a man kept his room always showed a little insight into his mind.
The Fearless Ferret bedspread not withstanding the rest of the room was a complete surprise to her. There was no dust, no dirty clothes, no mess of any kind no matter where she looked. The furniture was gleaming and she detected the pleasant odor of lemon and cedar. There was absolutely nothing out of place.
Finishing the bed she curiously walked over to a wall that was literally filled with photos. Standing before them she was startled to find that, with the exception of a single photo of his parents and another of her family evidently taken while she had been away, every photo featured her in one way or another.
There were photos of her ranging from age three or four all the way up to her current age of twenty one. She was shocked to see a few photos of her taken during the last two years while she was away at school. How Ron had gotten those particular pictures she had no idea.
Almost all of the more recent photos and quite a few of the older ones were candid's that she had never seen before, Cheer events, school plays, award ceremonies and even photos taken while they had been on missions. She had never even known that Ron carried a camera but he clearly had to have been the one who had taken at least the mission photos.
She stood there for several minutes seeing almost her entire life spread out in front of her in pictures. Oddly there was not one single photo of her with Ron. She was shown with almost everyone else she knew including all of her boyfriends past and recent. Looking around quickly she was relieved to find not one photo of her with her last boyfriend, Howard. "Thank God" she thought. But it was too late; simply thinking about him brought back the memory.
Three weeks ago she had met him for what was supposed to be a quick dinner followed by a night of dancing. She now suspected that the asshole had spiked her drinks or something and gotten her drunk, absolutely plastered as a matter of fact. Then he had apparently taken her to a local motel because that was where she had awoken the following morning.
She had awoken completely naked and lying on the bed covered with only a sheet. She quickly located Howard who, not surprisingly, was also naked but he was sitting in a corner of the room and bound tightly with an odd assortment of various materials. There were cords from the drapes, strips torn from his clothing, duct tape and, oddly, across his mouth was what looked like a deep blue sash made of silk that had several Kanji characters woven into it in gold thread.
When she awoke and realized her current position, and Howards, she had risen being careful to keep the sheet wrapped around her naked body and picked up her clothes, which had been neatly folded and placed at the end of the bed.
After dressing in the bathroom she had returned to find Howard staring at her with a definite look of fear on his face. Then she noticed a note pinned to a cord across running across his chest, as she read the note, which was written in Howards own handwriting, her anger rose. The note described what he had intended to do to her the previous night, in horrifyingly graphic detail.
At the end of the note was another handwriting that she thought looked strangely familiar, she could still recall the message even without looking at the sheet that was packed away in her luggage, it had been addressed directly to her.
Miss Possible,
As you have read, this man's intentions last evening were less than honorable. I have it on good authority that he has done this, and worse, to at least six other women whom he then intimidated into keeping silent.
I have convinced three of them to end their silence and he will soon be answering to the authorities on charges of rape and assault.
Fortunately I arrived in time to keep you from being added to that list.
A Friend.
By the time she finished reading and had gone through Howards description of what he had intended to do to her a second time she was fuming.
She had ripped the gag from his mouth intending to demand an explanation. Instead she got a barely coherent plea for her to please leave. He offered her his car, his wallet, anything he had. He had even offered to turn himself in to the police immediately.
All of this was interspersed with quick glances around the room and constant begging for her not to call him back. She had no idea who this 'him' was that Howard was talking about but supposed it had been the mysterious 'friend' that had penned the last section of the note. So rather than try and get any explanation she simply left, quickly, leaving him still bound and sitting in the corner of the room, although she did place the 'Please Service this Room' placard prominently on the door as she left.
She decided she would take his car, which she left in the campus parking lot with the keys in the ignition. The only other things she had taken were the strangely out of place sash that had been holding the gag in place and the note. Whoever it had been that had prevented her from being raped she had never found out.
As she had been going through these memories she had subconsciously drifted back to the bed and was sitting on the edge facing the bathroom door when it opened fully drawing her attention.
Ron walked out of the bathroom with his head covered with a towel which he was rubbing vigorously while drying his hair. To Kim's utter amazement the towel on his head was the only thing he had on. Ron was standing only a few feet from her completely naked giving her an extremely good view of the physical changes he had undergone in the last year.
The one thing that drew her attention immediately was the appendage hanging between his legs. She knew she should close her eyes but she couldn't, her gaze was locked on the sight before her as her mouth opened in a soft gasp and her hands came up to cover it.
Ron must have heard her gasp because he instantly stopped rubbing his head and she heard a quick "Oh Shit" before the towel was quickly moved down to cover the area of his body that Kim's eyes had been locked on.
When she finally looked up she saw a red faced and obviously embarrassed Ron looking at her. She was sure that he had to have been totally aware of where her gaze had been locked.
Instead of being angry, as he had a right to be, he simply looked at her and said "Oh, Hey KP. I didn't expect you to be up yet what with jet lag and all that. Ah… Why don't I get dressed and meet you downstairs, I can rustle us up some breakfast or whatever meal your time zone is on."
Still in a slight daze Kim absently answered "Ah… Okay Ron, I'll just leave and… ah… yea, I'll go downstairs and… ah… I'll wait for you to get ready and stuff. Ah… I'll be downstairs Okay."
Then she slowly left the room closing the door behind her. She was halfway down the stairs before she even realized she had left. Her mind was buzzing. She had seen her share of dicks, all the way down to that limp little wiener Howard had hanging between his legs.
While she was not at all sexually active Holland was a bit more uninhibited than Middleton. It was not unusual for men and women to share certain activities that would be seen as a bit risqué here in the States.
For one thing sharing a sauna was common practice and, after getting over her initial shyness, she had taken part in more than one group sauna not only with her classmates but on a couple of her dates.
She herself had never gotten completely over the inbred modesty she had learned growing up and had always kept at least a towel wrapped around her when a bathing suit was not available. But the same could not be said of most of the others she had shared a sauna with.
More often than not the other women, and to her initial shock the men, wore absolutely nothing while sitting in the heat of the sauna.
The crux of it was that she had seen her share of dicks before and while the sizes had varied from man to man they all fit into a basic category at one end of a very small spectrum or the other. She knew she would have to come up with a totally new category to fit what she had just seen.
She had meant to ask Ron about all the photos, she really had. But somehow all the questions she had about how he had gotten them were sucked from her mind… "Opps" she thought, "Not exactly the imagery I need to be thinking about right now."
Five minutes later Ron entered the kitchen fully dressed. He had given her a quick tour last night when they had first gotten here but she had gotten only a very quick look at a few rooms as they rushed through. For the last five minutes she had been trying to get a more thorough look at the kitchen but images of Ron toweling his head kept interrupting her examination.
After a quick discussion it had been decided that she may as well get used to the switch in time zones, and, since it was only a little after six in the morning here, breakfast was the meal that had been picked.
Ron had surprised her by making one of the smiley face breakfasts her mother used to make on Saturday mornings and she had wiped the plate clean. Not once during the preparation or the meal was the incident upstairs mentioned but Kim had seen Ron wince every time she bit into a sausage.
Ron joined her at the table for coffee after he had finished placing the dishes in the dishwasher and they sat in companionable silence for several minutes before Ron looked up. "Well KP. What's next on the agenda? What would you like to do on your first day back home?"
Kim smiled, Ron had actually said home. She wasn't even in Middleton right now since Ron lived outside of the city limits. She wouldn't really be home for two weeks when her parents returned from their trip but she had to admit, she felt more at home right now than she had felt in years.
Looking back at Ron she was still smiling as she answered. "Well, I'd really like to get a better look at your co… ah… house Ron. We didn't really spend a lot of time looking around last night and I was really tired."
Ron had apparently missed her slip of the tongue because he smiled brightly before saying "Alrighty then. One Grande size tour coming right up. Anywhere you'd like to start or should I just wing it?"
Kim smiled back at him thankful for once that he was so oblivious, "Where ever you want to start is fine with me Ron, but I would like to see that gymnasium. I got a look at it last night but it was dark, I've never known anyone personally that actually had a whole gym in their house."
Ron rose and, taking the coffee cups to the sink, rinsed them and placed them in the strainer before he reached out his hand to her, "One gym tour coming right up KP. I really think you'll like it. When I had it built I thought of you and how you'd like it done, I hope I got it right."
As they walked hand in hand down the hallway toward the gym Kim was thinking about how good it felt to have Ron holding her hand again when she gave it a little squeeze. Ron turned and looked at her smiling as he returned her squeeze. She still couldn't believe how tall he had gotten in two short years, if she had to guess he must be about six foot two or three. Smiling again she thought to herself "He finally grew into his hands and feet." Then she blushed as she mentally added. "But he'll need to grow another foot or so to grow into other things."
When they entered the gym the sunlight was streaming through the wall sized windows that faced the mountains and the view was nothing short of spectacular. She paused for a moment just to admire it. Then she looked around and was surprised at the size of the place.
It was larger than the gym at old Middleton High, way larger. There was even on indoor/outdoor swimming pool running through the far wall that had a glass partition separating the indoor and outdoor sections and she could see that the mechanism that told her the partition could be raised combining the two sections into one huge pool.
Ron must have seen her looking at the pool because he instantly explained, "We can enclose the outdoor section during the winter and just use the indoor section or we can raise it now and bring part of the outdoors right in here with us. I had it designed so we could swim year round."
Kim realized that Ron kept saying 'we' instead if 'I' and was starting to wonder if there was someone in Ron's life right now. Even though they spoke often the one subject that they never discussed was their dating life. It wasn't planned that way or anything but for some reason they both seemed to avoid it when they talked. Looking at him for a moment she felt a small twinge of jealousy thinking about Ron with another woman.
Since he had not yet mentioned anything about a girlfriend but continued to say 'we' instead of 'I' she decided to break their unspoken rule, at least this one time. "Does your girlfriend enjoy the pool Ron?"
She was surprised when Ron, without even looking at her, very casually said, "Oh, I don't have a girlfriend KP." before he just continued with the tour without another word on the subject.
After seeing a basketball court that she could tell was specifically designed to accommodate people in wheelchairs, Ron showed her a matted area surrounded by Japanese screens that was as fully equipped a Dojo as she had ever seen.
They were about to continue when she noticed a staircase leading to an upper level above the Dojo, pointing it out she asked, "Where does that lead Ron." Looking to see where she was pointing he replied "Oh, that leads to my private workout area and a small office KP. Ya wanna see it?"
Kim instantly drew Ron toward the staircase not wanting to miss a thing in this home that Ron had built, "I wouldn't miss it for the world Ron." She said as her foot hit the first step, still being barefoot she made no noise as he swept quickly up the stairs.
When she arrived at the top of the stairs she looked around in awe. She saw the expanse of windows continued from below shared the spectacular view that looked out over the mountains.
The deep luster of polished wood was everywhere. The parts of the wooden floor that weren't covered by mats were gleaming like marble. Along the walls were various staffs, swords, pikes and other equipment that she was positive were not there simply as decorations simply by the obvious wear on them.
There was a small meditation area in a far corner with an actual miniature waterfall that sounded soothing even from across the room. She slowly padded around the room, her eyes wandering as she let one hand graze against various surfaces as she admired the space.
She glanced into the space Ron had said was his 'office' and saw an incredibly neat space with a small desk, a computer terminal, a television that hung on the wall and an incredibly beautiful oriental carpet spread on the floor. She was once again surprised with the neatness of Ron's personal spaces.
Leaving Ron in his office to 'answer a couple of emails' she continued on her now self guided, tour. She saw a screen placed about four feet away from one wall, walking behind the screen she saw a shelf neatly stacked with various practice uniforms, there were the typical white ones, a small stack of jet black and another of dark grey stacked directly bedside it.
A second shelf above the one stacked with the uniforms contained sashes in various colors, although Kim saw that the majority of them were red, Kim knew that a red sash designated a Master and once again wondered what Ron had been doing since she had left.
Set aside in a separate area was a small stack of uniforms in a deep blue color that looked very familiar to her. Walking over to that area she reached out to the upper shelf and drew down one of the deep blue sashes. She recognized it as soon as she saw the golden Kanji characters woven into the silk. It was an exact duplicate to the one she had packed in her luggage, the one she had taken from the motel that day.
She stood there for several minutes when the realization of who her protector had been rushed through her mind. Ron's voice sounding from behind her caused her to spin around quickly with the sash still gripped in her hand. "I guess it was really stupid of me to leave that one behind wasn't it KP?"
Kim didn't know what to think so she uttered the first thing that came into her mind, "You were following me Ron. Why?"
Ron just stood there looking at her, "I honestly wasn't following you KP. Business has me going through Holland every once in a while and I'll admit that I usually looked you up. Not to spy on you or anything creepy like that but just to see how you were doing. I just wanted to make sure that you were happy and following your dream."
She saw Ron hesitate for a second before he continued. "Some… associates of mine apparently thought they should look out for you since they knew how important you were to me, something I never knew they were doing by the way. Anyway, when you started dating that Howard guy they checked up on him and quickly heard about and confirmed the little 'dating ritual' he had developed."
Kim knew she didn't want to interrupt, not quite yet anyway. So she gave Ron a look that told him to continue. "Anyway, they called and told me about it as soon as they confirmed the stories. It turned out that one of his previous 'girlfriends' actually worked for them and they had convinced her to tell me about him."
She saw a strange, almost angry look cross Ron's face "You weren't drunk that night Kim, you were drugged. It was pure coincidence that the night I got into town was the same night he planned to add you to his string of conquests. I'm only sorry I was too late to stop him before he drugged you. But by the time I finally found you he was already getting ready to… well… lets just say I was just in time."
Kim saw the angry look fade into a look that told her he was still mad, but now at himself. "I broke a promise I made to myself Kim, I interfered. I never wanted to do that KP, never. What you do and who you do it with is none of my business, it never has been, it never will be. I never made any attempt to find out what you did in private, like I said, it was none of my business. But this time you wouldn't be the one making the choice, anything you decided to do or not do was always a decision you made with a clear head. This was different, you were drugged and I just couldn't stand by and let someone do anything to you without your consent. I'm sorry KP. I know I stepped over the line. Can you ever forgive me?"
Kim just stood there, the sash still gripped tightly in her hand as she listened to the longest speech she ever remembered Ron giving. At first she had been angry, angry because she thought that Ron had been following her, but after his explanation, and knowing he would never lie to her, she was left with nothing but the thought of what would have happened if Ron hadn't taken this one time to 'interfere', to protect her. She would have been raped, she would have lost the one thing she was saving for the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, she would no longer have been a virgin.
She saw Ron's eyes drop in shame when he finished his explanation and saw him brace himself as if expecting a fist at any moment. She saw him flinch when she released her grip on the sash and it fluttered to the floor at her feet.
Instead of hitting Ron, as he had expected, she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around him just as the tears she had been holding in since the day she left that motel ran from her eyes. As soon as Ron realized she was crying he hesitantly wrapped his arms gently around her and she heard his voice sound softly in her ear. "I'm so sorry KP. I know it was wrong but I couldn't help myself. I could never stand by and let something like that happen to anyone I loved KP, especially you. I hope that someday you can forgive me."
Two things struck Kim immediately, Ron still thought she was mad at him and he had just said he loved her. Her tears dried up suddenly, what exactly did Ron mean? How did he love her? Did he love her like a sister? Did he love her like a friend? Or was it more than that?
Then the feelings she had thought she had hidden away resurfaced. What would it mean to her if Ron loved her as more than a friend or a sister? How would she feel if Ron loved her as a woman?
As those thoughts ran quickly through her head they combined with the old feelings that had been drudged up from her subconscious and an excitement trembled through her body.
With an odd clarity she suddenly knew without a doubt what had been missing from all her other relationships. She had been subconsciously comparing all the other men in her life against Ron, and they had all been found wanting.
She knew that if she didn't take the chance and tell Ron how she really felt she would regret it for the rest of her life. As she gathered herself in Ron's embrace she contemplated about how to find out if Ron really was interested in her in that way.
She pulled away slowly and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes knowing that Ron needed to know she wasn't at all mad at him and get their friendship back on an even keel before she could think about anything as complicated as love.
Looking up at Ron through moist eyes her voice was soft, "Thank you Ron, Thank you for being there for me once again. There is nothing for me to forgive you for. I'm just glad you got there before he… before he…" the tears threatened to start again if she thought about it again she just pulled Ron back into her embrace and whispered "Thank you" once again.
What made Kim think of it she didn't really know, maybe it was talking about Howard again but her mind flashed to the moment she had first seen him huddling naked and shaking in the corner of that motel room. It was the look on his face that she remembered right now, the look of abject fear.
Leaning back she looked into Ron's eyes, "Ron? I know this a terrible time to bring this up but there's been something bothering me and it just struck me that you have the answer."
Ron answered immediately, "What do I have the answer to KP?"
Still looking up into his eyes she gathered her courage and took a deep breath before asking, "Well, that day I woke up in the motel after you… ah… you know. Well, when I finally got a look at Howard he was scared Ron, more than scared, he was terrified. What exactly did you do to him to scare him like that?"
She felt Ron suddenly stiffen, "Well… ah…" Then his face changed and she saw a look cross his face she had never seen before. "KP? There are some things that you need to know about me. I was going to wait a while but… well, I guess sooner is better than later."
Ron just stood there for a moment looking at her before he actually sighed, "Let's sit down KP. Depending on how you take this it might take a while."
Kim followed Ron as he walked out from behind the screens and walked to the center of the floor covered by the mats. She saw him effortlessly move to a Lotus position and followed suit, taking a place facing him so close their knees almost touched.
Once they were seated Kim looked over at Ron, "So Ron. Whatever you did scared that asshole so bad I couldn't even get a straight answer out of him. Don't take this the wrong way Ron, but your not exactly what I would call a scary guy, your impressive, very impressive once someone gets to know you, but scary? Not so much."
Ron closed his eyes for a moment, then he opened them again and Kim actually flinched. Ron's eyes were now a light blue and were literally glowing. There was no longer a visible pupil in his eyes, just a swirling blue that filled the entire opening where his eyes should have been.
She watched the glowing blue orbs looking directly at her, "Does this make me look a little scarier KP?"
Then he raised one hand and Kim saw it ignite in a very 'Shegoistic' way but the flames were a deep blue instead of green.
Staring at the hand in awe Kim heard Ron's voice, "And if I add this to it that makes it a little scarier doesn't it?"
Kim couldn't answer, The sight before her eyes was almost too much for her to believe, if it hadn't been Ron doing it she would have sworn that they were using a trick of some sort to create these special effects. But since it was Ron, and she knew he would never try to do that, there had to be another logical explanation, there simply had to be.
She shifted her gaze from Ron's hand back to the glowing orbs that had replaced his eyes. She noticed immediately that he was not smiling, not even a twitch at the corners of his mouth.
When he spoke again Kim noticed that his voice had taken on a slightly deeper timber, "But I think what really scared him was this."
She watched Ron hold up his other hand and she flinched once again as a long gleaming sword seemed to just appear in his grasp.
Just like his eyes the sword was emitting a soft light blue glow and Kim actually felt the hairs on her arms stand on end as if the very air around her were charged with some type of energy.
Kim's eyes were still fixed on the glowing sword when suddenly it was gone. Looking at Ron's face she saw chocolate brown orbs staring back at her instead of the glowing blue of a moment ago. Then the air seemed to loose the charge or whatever it was and everything was back as it was, no blue eyes, no sword and no flaming hand, Ron was completely normal and looking at her as if waiting for the questions he knew would soon be coming.
Kim blinked several times to make sure that things were indeed back to normal. Then she opened her mouth but nothing came out, she didn't even know where to begin. So she closed her mouth and thought for all of five seconds, then tried again, "Ron?... What… how… ah… I mean… ah… Ron?"
She was looking at Ron quizzically when she saw his eyes open wide and he jumped to his feet. At the same time a voice sounded from behind her, "Not a very concise question Possible-san but I found it quite to the point."
Kim spun around just as Ron bowed deeply. Standing behind her was an old oriental man dressed in Red and gold robes with a large drooping mustache. For a moment she sat there in shock that anyone had been able to sneak up on them like that. Just as she was about to question him recognition hit her, this was that Sensei guy that she had helped Ron and Yori rescue from DNAmy several years ago.
Her recognition was confirmed a split second later when Ron's voice called from behind her, "Sensei! I know why you're here. I know I shouldn't have broken my promise but there are circumstances that you are not aware of. I had to explain to…"
Kim saw Sensei smile as he tapped his chest and held out two fingers in the old peace sign, "Stoppable-sama, please. I merely followed the blade to assist in explaining to Possible-san anything you could not. We at the school were beginning to wonder when you would inform Possible-san of your abilities."
Kim clearly heard the questioning tone of Ron's response, "What? But I was told… I mean you asked me to swear on my honor to never… ah.. So like it's okay to tell KP?"
Sensei smiled again, "If this Kay Pee you speak of is, as I believe, Possible-san than it is not only 'okay' as you put it, but imperative."
Ron was clearly shaken, "But… I mean… But why didn't you tell me?"
Kim watched Sensei smile widely, "Ahhh. As a very wise man I know often says, 'this is my way of telling you'."
Kim heard silence from behind her as she continued to look at Sensei, then she heard Ron start to snicker, then chuckle, then he broke out in laughter.
Kim's head swiveled to look at Ron and saw Him almost doubled over in laughter. Her attention was again drawn to the old man when he spoke directly to her. "Excuse me Possible-san but my time here is short and there is much to explain."
Kim turned to look at the old man again as he once again spoke to her, "I see that you recognize me Possible-san, that is good as it will make what follows a bit easier for you to understand."
Kim responded immediately, "Please… ah… Sensei, call me Kim. I hope you're here to explain what I just saw Ron do. All in all it's a little hard to take in."
Kim saw the old man smile at her, "It is as you say, a bit difficult to 'take in' all at once Kim-san but I will attempt to make clear what you have just witnessed. Stoppable-sama is a quite unique individual as I am sure you are aware. But I feel that even you are not aware of how truly unique he is."
Kim saw Sensei assume the lotus position on the mats smiling the entire time. "I am afraid I must first give you a bit of the history of the Yamanochi School, if you will indulge me for a few moments."
Kim nodded as she looked back at the old man clearly giving him her undivided attention.
The old man smiled at her before he began, "Many centuries ago there came into being a man who learned how to tap into the very forces of nature itself. His name and how this came about have unfortunately been lost in time, but suffice to say that the forces this individual was able to tap into were enormous. It is written he lived a very long and fruitful life assisting the less fortunate gain control of their destinies."
Sensei looked at her as if making sure she was, so far, following his dialog. "After a bit more than a century and a half of life this individual became aware that the time of his departure was growing close so he sealed the knowledge of his abilities within four jade statues with a spell that assured that only the most worthy would be able to fully unlock the forces within them and continue his work."
Kim watched Sensei gather his thoughts before he continued. By this time Ron had stopped laughing and she felt him settle to the mats beside her listening to what the old man had to say.
She saw Sensei smile at Ron briefly before turning his attention to her one again, "Over the centuries since that time many have been exposed to the energies contained within those statues, most recently there have been three that you know personally. The first was Montgomery Fisk who then became known as Monkey Fist. Then, by either a strange twist of fate or destiny, young Master Stoppable and his companion Rufus-san allowed themselves to become exposed to the mystical energies unselfishly so they might have access to the power to prevent Mr. Fisk from misusing the powers that had, temporarily, been granted him."
Seeing the question on Kim's face Sensei raised his hand to forestall her questions, "Yes Kim-san, I did indeed say temporarily. Mr. Fisk has since lost any small ability he had to tap into the power the statues granted him. Over the centuries this has happened many times, an individual, once exposed to the energies, would, for a time, have limited use of the forces of nature before they were once again absorbed back into the very fabric of nature and returned to the statues."
Sensei looked thoughtful for a moment, "The founder of our school was himself endued with the powers for almost sixty three years before they were lost to him through an unfortunate turn of events that we will not go into at this time."
After a short pause Sensei continued, "However when the powers abandoned Montgomery Fisk there were no statues to reabsorb the powers since Ron-sama found it prudent to destroy them rather than allow the power to be corrupted and misused. We at Yamanochi have a theory as to where they might have gone but that will be reviled at a later date."
Looking at Ron Sensei smiled again, "As I mentioned earlier, the very nature of the forces themselves as well as the spell which protected them would only allow themselves to manifest fully and permanently in an individual they deemed worthy. The very first individual to ever be found truly and totally worthy of that power sits beside you Kim-san."
Kim saw Sensei nod his head in a small bow to Ron before he turned his attention back to her, "Ron-sama has an unselfish inner need to protect others with little thought as to any personal consequences; he also has maintained a pureness of heart that seldom survives childhood. We at Yamanochi feel that you have, through your association with Stoppable-sama, helped to form these attributes."
Sensei locked eyes with Kim for a moment, "As I said Kim-san, you are partially responsible for making Stoppable-sama the man he is today. Your support has given him the strength to withstand the corrupting forces that each of us is exposed to and allowed him to maintain the pureness of heart he has today."
Kim looked stricken for a moment before she interrupted, "Sensei, I think you give me too much credit. I haven't really been all that supportive of Ron over the years. As a matter of fact I know that I've been responsible for…"
Sensei smiled at her as he held up his hand to stop her, "That is not relevant Kim-san. What you feel you have done or not done is of little import. What is important however is how Stoppable-sama interprets your actions, and I assure you, Stoppable-sama, in his heart, finds your support unwavering."
Kim looked over at Ron and saw him looking directly at her with that silly half smile on his face that she found impossible not to return in kind.
Sensei brought her attention back to the here and now instead of letting it mull over the times when she felt she was less than a true friend to the man beside her. "Kim-san? We at Yamanochi would like to perform a small test if we may. I must warn you there is some danger associated with the test but if your trust in Stoppable-sama is strong there should be no lasting harm to either of you."
Kim was confused but felt completely at ease and safe with Ron beside her and knew that she trusted Ron with her very life.
Looking into Sensei's eyes she immediately responded, "I would be honored Sensei. I trust Ron completely."
She saw Sensei smile at her for a moment before he turned to look at Ron, "Stoppable-sama, this test may very well answer the questions you asked after studying the last scroll."
Kim was watching Ron when Sensei spoke and saw him stiffen, "But Sensei, what if…"
Sensei held up his hand to stop Ron, "I understand your reluctance Stoppable-sama. The answers may very well not be the ones you hoped for. But even unwelcome answers can dispel the mists of the unknown from the path of the true seeker of knowledge and allow them to see the true path before them."
Kim saw Ron slump slightly as he bowed his head, "Yes Sensei. I will do as you request."
Kim saw the fear in Ron's posture when he straightened again. Then Sensei spoke to both of them, "Very well, please turn to face one another and when you are ready Stoppable-sama I wish you to once again summon the blade."
Kim turned to face toward Ron as he did the same. Once they were facing one another Ron held out his hand and once again Kim felt the electric like charge in the air as the glowing blue sword appeared in his grasp.
Sensei spoke to Kim alone now. "Kim-san, when you are ready I wish for you to reach out and wrap your hand around Stoppable-sama's where it grips the Tsuka, or handle, if you can."
Kim looked at Ron's hand where it gripped the sword and saw white knuckles even though his hand was perfectly steady. She looked over at Sensei when his words registered in her mind. "If I can?"
She saw Sensei smile at her, "Just so Kim-san. This is where the danger resides. The sword, in its current state of wakefulness, may not be touched by any it finds unworthy and you may feel your hand pushed away, do not resist this push simply pull your hand back and the test will be complete."
Heeding Sensei's warning Kim looked back at Ron and saw him smiling at her before she slowly reached out toward Ron's hand. As she got closer she was surprised than she did feel a force acting on her hand, but instead of pushing her hand away, as she had been warned might happen, it seemed as though her hand was being pulled forward.
Remembering not to resist she allowed her hand to be pulled into contact with Ron's where it gripped the sword and wrapped her fingers around his. At her first contact she felt her hair stirring as if it was being blown in a breeze and the glow of the sword brightened and turned from a light blue to the azure blue of the sky on a bright and clear day.
The feeling's coursing through her body were amazing, it was like all of her senses were suddenly alive as they had never been before. She could feel the clothes rustling on her body, she could actually separate the various odors around her as she breathed. She heard the sudden intake of breath from Sensei and when she turned to look at him she saw his head bowed in her direction.
She felt completely at ease, completely comfortable. She felt a surge of strength in her muscles she had never felt before, basically she felt better than she had ever felt in her life. When she turned to look at the sword again she saw the glow dim slightly until, with a sudden flash, both the glow and the sword disappeared.
Ron looked startled, he looked over at Sensei as soon as the Lotus Blade had disappeared. "Sensei, what just happened? I thought the Lotus Blade was untouchable when it was in my possession? How was KP even able to touch it let alone make it react like it did?"
Sensei looked up at Ron after he straightened from his bow. "A few of the scholars have interpreted the scrolls slightly differently Stoppable-sama. It would appear that they were correct in their interpretation. Before I attempt to explain I must first ask Kim-sama a question."
Kim saw Sensei turn to look at her, "Kim-sama, it is important that you answer what I am about to ask truthfully and honestly. If there is the slightest doubt in your mind you must express it. Do you understand?"
Kim nodded, she doubted she could lie to the old man anyway. He seemed to radiate an aura that actually made her want to tell him the complete truth.
Sensei nodded back at her before he spoke again, "This may be an awkward question for you to answer honestly in the present company Kim-sama, but again, it is more important than I can say that you answer honestly. What are your feelings toward Stoppable-sama? Your true feelings?"
Kim smiled and looked over at Ron for a moment before turning back toward Sensei. She was about to answer when the tone of Sensei's question filtered into her conciseness.
Sensei was not looking for the 'He's my best friend' answer that Kim had been about to voice, he wanted her true and honest assessment of exactly how she felt about Ron.
She knew that Sensei and Ron were both waiting for her to speak but she knew that her answer could very well change the dynamic of her life forever.
Finally Kim sat up straight and looked into Sensei's eyes. "If you had asked me that question a few months ago I would have answered immediately Sensei. I would have told you that Ron was the best friend I had in the world and that I loved him. But only as a friend." She allowed a short pause before she added. "But I would have been lying."
Kim glanced over at Ron who had lowered his eyes. Then she turned back to Sensei who was simply smiling. "Recently," Kim looked over at the screen that she knew hid from view the blue sash she had dropped earlier. "Very recently, I've admitted to myself that Ron is much more to me than simply a friend."
Looking back at Sensei she squared her shoulders, "Ron and I have a connection that goes beyond friendship. This last two years without him I've been drifting, I was missing the anchor that made my life mean something. I was missing Ron."
Kim turned toward Ron and reached out to grasp his hand. "Ron? I'm not one hundred percent sure how you truly feel about me but I have to tell you something. Something I should have told you years ago but never had the courage."
Kim watched Ron's eyes rise from the mats and look into hers. Kim tightened her grip on his hand and felt the squeeze returned instantly. But there was no smile on Ron's face as he waited for her to continue.
Kim, however, did smile. "Ron? I've been hiding something from you. Hell, I've even been hiding it from myself. I'm in love with you Ron. I have been for years."
Kim watched the corners of Ron's mouth twitch upward until they settled into that silly half grin she was so fond of. "I think I was afraid of admitting it to you or even myself because I was terrified of possibly loosing your friendship but…"
Kim paused as she collected her thoughts knowing that what she said next could very well drive him away.
Ron's soft voice filtered into the silence, "The only difference between us KP is that I couldn't hide my feelings from myself, I could only hide them from you."
Kim's eyes opened wide. Did Ron just admit that he loved her? And loved her as more than a friend or a sister? It couldn't be that simple, things in real life didn't work that way.
Then she looked up into Ron's eyes and saw something there she had seen before but never directed at her. It was the same look her father gave her mother, the silent look that her mother had always answered with a simple 'I love you too James.'
She felt Ron's large hand tighten around her petite one. "If I don't say this now KP I'll burst." Then he looked into her eyes, "I love you KP. With all my heart."
Kim wanted for all the world to jump up and into Ron's arms but could only sit there as moisture formed in her eyes again.
Before either of them could do or say anything more a movement to their side caught their attention. When they both glanced over they saw Sensei smoothly rising from his position on the mats.
With a small twitching of his mustache that Kim realized was a smile Sensei bowed. "As I mentioned earlier my time here was short and I believe the two of you have much to discuss. In two weeks time Yamanochi would be honored if you would visit us for a short time to discuss a schedule of training."
Kim saw a golden bubble forming around the old Master. Kim watched as the Sensei thumped his chest again before extending his hand once again in the form of the peace sign. "Until then I wish you nothing but love." Then the bubble silently dissolved and both it and Sensei disappeared.
Kim sat and stared at the space that Sensei had occupied moments before. Her mind was whirling as she tried to put everything she had seen and learned into the proper slots in her mind.
Ron's hand on her shoulder and his soft voice brought her back to the present. "Did you really mean that KP or were you telling Sensei what you thought he wanted to hear?"
Kim turned fully to look at Ron dislodging his hand from her shoulder. Seeing Ron's worried face looking at her she reached out hesitantly and cupped his cheek with her hand. "If you're talking about my feelings for you Ron, then the answer is yes, I truly meant what I said."
Seeing a confused look on Ron's face she was quick to ask a question of her own, "How about you Ron? You said you loved me. What I'd like to know is how long. How long have you felt that way about me?
Ron remained silent for much longer than she thought he would. She was just about to repeat herself when Ron finally answered. "Well, I guess I first realized I felt more than friendship toward you just after we started eighth grade. But really it wasn't until we were freshmen than I knew it was love."
Kim's jaw unhinged slightly. How could Ron have hidden his feeling from her for that long? Not once in all that time had she ever gotten the slightest hint how deep his feelings went.
Putting all that aside, at least for the moment, Kim decided it would be best to focus on the here and now rather than the past. Reaching out she took Ron's hand in hers, "So where do we go from here Ron?"
Ron's eyes lifted to hers and she saw an answer forming on his lips when, of all things, the doorbell rang for their attention.
She saw Ron's mouth twitch into his standard grin as the doorbell rang impatiently once more. "Well, it sounds like we better go down stairs and answer the door KP. I have a pretty good idea who it is and I guarantee she's not going to just go away."
Just as a pounding was heard Ron rose and pulled Kim easily to her feet. Smiling, Kim tightened her grip on Ron's hand as they left the room and started their way down the stairs.
As they neared the door Ron felt Kim start to pull ahead of him. Accompanying the now frantic pounding and the incessant ringing of the bell a voice could now be heard calling through the heavy door. A voice they both knew well.
Kim hadn't released her hold on Ron's hand as she picked up her pace toward the door and Ron was pulled along in her wake as the voice rose in volume. "Come on you two. I know you're here, answer the GDD."
As soon as Kim opened the door Monique started, "Well, it's about damn time you guys answered. I've been standing here for…"
Monique's voice tapered off when she noticed Kim's hand tightly gripping the oversize hand of the tall blonde standing next to her.
Her eyes went from the clenched hands upward to Kim's eyes clearly questioning if what she saw was simple friendship or something more.
When she saw a slight flush appear on Kim's face as she looked down slightly Monique had her answer. "Well, it's about damned time. Now invite me in, I have got to hear how you two finally came to your senses."
Even though Kim hadn't seen Monique in almost two years she was still a little reluctant to interrupt what she hoped would be a very interesting discussion with Ron.
Ron, however, instantly invited Monique into the house. "Come on in Mo. But I'm not to sure exactly what we can tell you about… ah… us. It's all kinda new."
As Monique entered she looked at Ron with a smile. "How new Nacho-boy?"
Not leaving go of Kim's hand he raised his other hand to rub the back of his neck. "Ah…" He looked over at Kim. "Whadda ya think KP? Two or three minutes?"
Monique stopped in mid step. "Whoa, hold on a minute." She looked at Kim. "Is he pulling my leg K? Does he really mean like two or three minutes? Literally?"
Kim blushed as she answered. "Well, I think it's actually closer to four now. But yea, he's about right."
With the door still open Monique looked back at Ron. "And you invited me in? Even I never thought you were that dense Ronnie."
Monique spun on her heel and started for the door again clearly intent on leaving. She was stopped by Kim's free hand grabbing her arm. "Where are you going Mo? You just got here."
Monique just looked at her astonished. "AYKM K? You guys just got together like seconds ago and you want company? Don't you have things to talk about?"
Monique saw Kim smile up at Ron. "We've got our whole lives to talk Mo. Our whole lives."