We all know what happened the night of the Spirit Dance during Kim and Ron's sophomore year. But what about Junior and Senior year? Read on, friends, and find out!

Sophomore Year …

Ron couldn't believe this was happening.

He was trapped in the janitor's supply closet.

The juice in his cell phone was gone.

The battery in the bullhorn had died.

The light bulb had burned out and there were no replacements to be had. The same budget cuts that forced Mr. Barkin to teach classes ranging from Driver's Ed to Home Ec to English Literature had prevented the school from restocking its supply of bulbs.

And he was in this mess all because his so-called best friend Kim Possible had wanted to go to the dance with Josh Mankey. That was fine. But he was in the closet because of her! She'd panicked when Josh had approached earlier that afternoon. She sought refuge in the closet and pulled Ron in with her. And he was the one who had encouraged her to go out and talk with the guy. So when he asked for a ride, still in friends-going-to-the-dance mode, and Kim kicked the door shut as she and Josh walked away, he was mildly surprised.

By the time Ron realized the door was locked Kim and Josh had clearly moved down the hallway and nobody else heard or responded to his pleas for help.

Eleven years of friendship. And this is what he got. He'd had time to be miffed, then angry. But now he was just sad.

He had lost his best friend, his only real friend, to Mr. Artist. And it was Ron who'd given her the confidence to ask Mankey to the dance in the first place. Now that she had Josh, one of the popular guys, she wouldn't need him. Not some loser locked in a closet. Ron slumped down against some cleaning supplies. He could see where things were heading. She'd be polite, but be "busy" when he wanted to get together. She'd find someone better suited for fieldwork to go on missions. She'd push him out of his life. And then he'd be alone.

He held his head in his hands and cried.

He hated this stupid closet. He hated the Spirit Dance.

Kim was having a marvelous time with Josh. She loved looking into his dreamy eyes as they danced; he was pretty good, too. He's not as uninhibited and playful a dancer as Ron, she thought, but it sure is sweet to be with Josh. The thoughts of dance styles reminded her of Ron.

She looked around, but didn't see him. She knew Ron had asked almost every girl at school to go with him; it looked like he hadn't been successful and decided not to come. She'd call him tomorrow and offer to treat him to tacos and nachos to boost his spirits, suspecting he'd be harshing on himself for failing to get a date for the dance. Lift each other's spirits: That's what best friends did. And while Josh was golden, her dream date, her crush, Ron Stoppable was still her best friend.

She was gazing at Josh when she remembered when she'd last seen Ron. At the janitor's supply closet. When she closed the door on him. It couldn't be … locked? Ron couldn't still be in there, could he? If he was, he'd have called for help, right? Then she recalled turning off her Kimmunicator after it chirped a while ago. She began to feel very uneasy.

"I so could not have done that!" she exclaimed.

"What?" her date asked, concern in his voice.

"Josh, can you excuse me for a moment?" Kim asked.

"Uh, sure Kim," he replied, smiling but confused, as he watched her bolt from the gymnasium.

Kim ran to the closet. She was sure she could hear muffled sobbing. She tried the door; it was indeed locked. She rattled it. "RON! Ron, are you in there?"

Ron heard the door shake, then he heard Kim's voice. He tried to stop crying before he said anything. Finally, he responded, "Yeah, KP, it's me."

Kim had never heard Ron sound so lost in her life. She was so angry with herself. "Stand back!" she yelled, before she pivoted on her left foot and kicked down the door. She didn't care if Mr. Barkin gave her detention for the rest of the year for destroying school property; she had to free her best friend.

Kim ran to Ron, who was still sitting on the floor, sat beside him and hugged him. "I am so, so sorry. I, I can't believe I did this to you." She noticed that his body was tense, that he wasn't returning her embrace; she couldn't blame him. "Ron, you've been crying."

"Yeah … don't worry, KP. You can go back to the dance now. It's okay. I know you want to be with Josh and you don't need me anymore." Ron couldn't help himself; the tears flowing again. He was going to miss being best friends with Kim, even if she could be a bit self-absorbed at times. "I'm just a loser, anyway."

"Ron Stoppable, you are NOT a loser," Kim protested. "You're just … different. And you're my best friend!"

"You're just saying that," he said sniffling. "You've got Mankey now."

"Ron, look, I like Josh, I like him a lot. But that doesn't change us. You're still the one I need with me when I go on a mission …"

"Great, so I can be the distraction ..." Ron grumbled, his mood beginning to sour.

"… Who just happens to make it possible for me to get the bad guys or the death rays. Ron, you're the one I trust with my life."

Ron looked at Kim, unable not to be pleased by the compliment, yet still feeling combative.

"So, when you need me for a mission you'll call me …"

"… And when I want to watch TV and have pizza night and go to Bueno Nacho for a chimurito or want to laugh or go to the fair …"

"You really mean all that, KP?"

"Earth to Ron: You'll always be my best friend, even if I'm dumb enough to act otherwise."

Ron looked at Kim thoughtfully for a moment, sensing the fate of their friendship now rested in his hands. He knew Kim wasn't perfect, but then again neither was he. His naturally irrepressible good nature came to the fore.

"Okay, KP. Enough of the pity fiesta for the Ron-man. Go back to Josh; I'm sure he's waiting to dance with you."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. But the next time we go to Bueno Nacho, you're buying!"

"Spankin'!" Kim said, smiling as she stood up, extending her hand to help her best friend up. "I was actually thinking I'd treat you tomorrow at 5:00 …"

Junior Year …

Kim had been crushing on Josh on and off for the better part of a year. They'd gone on some dates, always had a nice time. Yet they still weren't formally a full-fledged item; the situation seemed to suit both of them just fine. Their relationship always seemed to hover at, but never cross, the threshold of something more.

As Josh led Kim around the dance floor, she knew something had changed. Things had been different ever since Drakken tried to make Kim blush herself into oblivion. She'd been thrilled with how understanding Josh had been during the whole bizarre incident. The evening had ended perfectly when Josh had given her a romantic yet gentlemanly kiss good night. But after the excitement of that date and kiss had passed, she'd begun to think of … Ron. She still couldn't get what he'd done for her that night out of her head. Ron had gone all the way to the Amazon to find a rare orchid that could reverse the effects of the powder she'd been hit with. Yet he never harshed on her for endangering herself by going on that date; she still remembered Ron's grin of encouragement and thumb's up after he has saved her, allowing her to continue her evening with Josh. Ron really can be brave and determined, Kim thought. Some girl's going to be ferociously lucky to get him. As she danced with Josh, Kim wondered if he'd go to the Amazon for her. I really am lucky to have a best friend like Ron.

She looked around the gym, knowing she wouldn't see Ron. He must hate Spirit Dance night. Last year there was the whole closet fiasco. This year he had to go to some family function involving an evil cousin.

She remembered asking about the relative, but Ron couldn't even bear to mention the person's name. He just twitched as he said, "KP, I will not plant the seed of evil in your mind."

"Amp down the drama, Ron" she'd said with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's what you said when we met Monkey Fist," he retorted, "I'm telling you, this cousin is 500 miles of bad road. I'm leaving it at that."

As she recalled the conversation, she remembered how he'd actually pushed away a half-uneaten Naco. She'd call tomorrow and invite Ron over for some TV and pizza, suspecting his spirits would need boosting.

"So, what are you thinking about?" Josh asked.

"You really want to know?" Kim replied.

"Of course I do," he said.

"Ron," she answered with a sigh.

Josh smiled. I should have known. He had long ago accepted the fact that part of the Kim Possible package was Ron Stoppable. Over the past months he'd come to appreciate the depth of Kim and Ron's lifelong friendship. He thought Ron was kind of weird, but still a nice guy. He'd even enjoyed trick-or-treating with him the previous Halloween. They'd brought in quite a haul that night and fortunately had different tastes in candy, which made it easy for them to split the loot.

"What about him?"

"Oh, I just feel bad for him. He's at some family horror-show. I know he'd rather be here showing off his bon-diggity dance moves to Tara or Zita."

Josh couldn't help but notice how Kim's expression darkened slightly when she mentioned the two girls' names.

"Why don't you call Wade? Maybe he can arrange a mission or something for Ron, get him out of there. One of your foes must be up to no good."

Kim brightened. "Josh Mankey, friendship assistant consultant. You are a genius."

"Happy to help," he said. As Kim retrieved her Kimmunicator and explained the sitch to Wade, Josh found himself looking across the room at the blonde cheerleader. Maybe the time is coming for me to begin showing Tara my 'bon-diggity' dance moves, he thought. And put ten bucks into that 'When will Kim and Ron begin dating?' betting pool I heard about …

"Stop the madness! Please!" Ron cried. He hated this night. The day of the Spirit Dance was clearly becoming the calendar equivalent of Camp Wannaweep: evil incarnate. First there was last year's closet incident; now there was the horror of bratty Cousin Shawn, who just happened to be pelting Ron with ball bearings while Kim was with Monkey Boy.

She'd been true to her word, a great best friend over the past year, even supporting him when he developed an interest in Zita Flores. But ever since that Amazon thing, he'd begun wondering. Why'd I go? Why not Mankey? Maybe I should be dating KP? Do I want to? Would it mess up our friendship? Could she ever even see me as anything other than 'just a friend'?

As he once again pondered these questions, he reflected on what a miserable evening this was, how it was on a par with seeing Ron's Big Day being screened at the Tri-City Film Festival. As with last year, he now found himself locked in a room, though this time by choice, as the bathroom provided the only refuge from his rampaging nemesis who was now banging on the door.

"I'm going to get you, Cousin!" the child hissed menacingly. Ron wished he hadn't watched The Shining the night before. He was convinced Shawn was channeling Jack Nicholson.

Ron's cell phone rang. He recognized the number. Could it be? Salvation?

"What up, Wade?"

"Got a hit on the site. Nothing big, just a feral squirrel loose in Upperton. Kim thought you might want to handle this one …"

"Wade, you are da man! I'm on it!"

Ron burst out of the bathroom, knocking down Cousin Shawn, and surprising his family as he headed for the front door. "Gotta go. Save the world thing. Bye!"

Later that evening, after Ron had dealt with the squirrel threat, he was grateful. Kim had remembered how upset he was about having to visit with his relatives. Even though she was at the Spirit Dance, she'd remembered his predicament and had provided him with the one avenue of escape he could take without getting into huge trouble with his parents. Ron smiled as headed home. Kim Possible, my best friend. Once again, she saved the day.

But part of Ron also felt disappointment that Kim was dancing with Mankey while he had was chasing down a 'tude-filled squirrel. He couldn't avoid thinking that he wished it was he and not Josh who was Kim's date that night.

Senior Year …

Kim was thrilled to learn that her Uncle Slim would be in town the weekend of the Spirit Dance – with fam visiting her parents couldn't be chaperones. She was looking forward to going to the dance with Ron. It was like coming full circle: They'd gone together as freshmen and now they'd go as seniors with one all-important difference. During their first year in high school, they were 'just' best friends and now they were in love.

Kim knew that her boyfriend had come to view Spirit Dance night much the way her father saw April 15: a day that would forever live in infamy. And even though she couldn't stop telling Ron how excited she was about going to the dance with him and what a wonderful time they would have together, he still harbored fears that something would go wrong, that Dementor would once again steal the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer or DNAmy would set genetically mutated chipmunks loose in the land or the bullies of D Hall would decide to gang up on him and humiliate him in public. Ron was convinced he was a marked man as far as this day was concerned.

There were last minute preparations to be made the afternoon of the dance. Kim had been scurrying around the gym making sure everything was just so. Naturally, Ron was with her, helping out. As she stood in the center of the room, hands on her hips, surveying her handiwork, a furrow began to crease her brow.

"What? What is it, KP?" Ron asked, concerned that something was wrong. If the decorations weren't perfect, Ron knew his girlfriend wouldn't be satisfied. She'd obsess. Then the evening would be filled with tension. And Spirit Dance day would once again live up to its heritage.

"We need more bunting," she declared. "There's some in the janitor's supply closet. Come and help me?"

"Sure, KP," Ron answered, relieved that the problem was so easily solved.

Kim led the way to the room, with Ron following. She walked through the open door of the supply room and looked around; he followed her in.

"I think it's behind the door, Ron."

As Ron moved toward the door, Kim came up behind him. She brushed against him in a way she knew would catch his attention and distracted him. A moment later, the door was closed.

Kim tried the knob.

"Ron, it's locked!" she exclaimed.

"What!" he said trying the door. "Oh man! Not again. I can't believe this." He reached into his pocket for his cell phone; it was missing. He must have lost it. "Do you have the Kimmunicator?"

Kim shook her head. "I must have left it in my locker. Oh well, no big!"

"No big! Kim, I've been locked in here for the Spirit Dance before. We're trapped …"

Ron was cut off by his girlfriend, who wrapped her arms around his neck and began to kiss him.

"Mmmm. We're trapped. Such a pity," Kim murmured before she pushed him onto his back and resumed kissing him.

After some more lip smacking, the two teens found they needed to catch their breaths. Ron took the opportunity to offer an observation: "Man, I love this closet."

Kim snorted. "You are so weird," she said before she leaned in to kiss him again.

Ron was eagerly meeting her when he stopped. "Wait a minute. You set this up, didn't you?"

Kim shrugged and smiled. "Guilty as charged."

"So, uh, KP, not that I'm in any hurry to leave, but, uh, you got any idea of how we're going to get out of here?"

"Check the motto. I can do anything," she answered with a sly grin as she withdrew a key from her pocket. "Anything else?" she asked as she brushed her soft lips across his freckled cheek.

"Yeah. Why?" he replied, surprising her. "Don't get me wrong," he added hastily, "I'm all about the badical KP kisses and all—"

"It's Spirit Dance night, Ron. I want both of us to have spankin' memories of this evening – and this closet – for the rest of our lives. And you know what they say – third time's the charm …"

"Uh, isn't it second time?"

"Don't argue with an honor roll student," Kim said softly as she brought her lips to his.

"Gotcha," Ron replied before he resumed kissing her and concluded that being locked in a janitor's supply closet wasn't so bad ...

Many thanks to campy for proofreading this story.

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