The "Distraction"

Prologue

Ronald Dean Stoppable was pissed. Also aroused, anguished and annoyed. SHE had done it again. Kimberly Anne Possible, his best friend, the woman/girl he had secretly loved for years, the one who knew all his buttons, had intentionally or unintentionally pushed the wrong ones tonight.

He had thought tonight was a dream come true at last. He had been right, in the most horrible way possible. Kim, at long last his Kim, had needed him. She had insisted they go back to the prom where she had raised him to the heights of heaven. Holding him, impressing every inch of her body on his, at last raising her head with a wordless plea to be kissed and reassured. Like Adam, he could no longer resist the suddenly obtainable forbidden fruit. He had kissed her with a gentle passion, exploring her lips and mouth with years of pent up love and longing. When he at last raised his head, he could see her closed eyes and the small triumphant smile on her lips for only a moment, before she pulled his lips back to hers. Only the flickering of the lights signally the end of the dance forced him to interrupt his short sojourn in Eden.

He kept one arm around Kim as they left, her head seeming to naturally lie on his shoulder. He floated down the steps, walking slowly towards her house, the joy of her arm around him and his around her keeping him in Nirvana. Halfway home he stepped into the shadow of an old oak tree, cupping her face in his hands, feeling her arms slide around his waist in a warm clasp, he kissed her. When they parted he could only smile at the dreamy expression on her face. Unable to stop himself, he whispered those three tragic words, "I love you."

And the dream revealed its true nature, it was a nightmare.

Chapter One:

Ron had never been prouder of his control. It was the only thing keeping him from tearing the door off its' hinges when he walked in his home. His parents were sitting on the couch with hopeful smiles that were wiped off their faces when Ron stalked past them with a curt, "Safe house, now."

Dean and Barbara stared at his each other, horrified.

"What in the world could have happened?" choked Barbara.

"I don't know," Dean answered, "But whatever it was, I think it's more than Kimberly ignoring him this time. He's used to that, and as much as it hurts him, it wouldn't cause that much pain."

Standing both followed their son into the basement, stopping at the rear wall.

"Well, at least he remembered security." Barbara muttered as she proceeded to press certain bricks in a pattern. "That's something to be thankful for."

They walked through the wall that had suddenly recessed and slid aside a door sized opening. Dean reached up and tapped five switches in a predetermined order causing the door to close and reset. The subdued red lighting in the passage stretched before them did not reveal their son.

"One of these days somebody's going to wonder why no one's home when we haven't left." chuckled Dean.

"Now, honey, you know the only one that might wonder is Kimberly, which was the whole plan."

"I know, but who would have expected her all those years ago. What could have happened to upset Ronald that much?"

"I don't know, if it's what I think, we may have real problems."

"Problems, what kind of problems?"

"Ron may have been hurt badly enough that he'll want to leave, leave it all behind."

The easy going Stoppable pier was suddenly stern and forbidding, "That, he cannot do. No matter what happened, he and we have a duty that will be performed."

Barbara rubbed his back, "Calm down, honey, open the door and we'll find out what is so important."

Dean went through the same procedures to open another door into a fully equipped dojo/gym/shooting gallery. The shreds of Ron's tuxedo jacket and ruffled shirt were scattered across the floor, as if he could no longer stand their touch. Ron stood bent at an exercise rack, gripping the bar so hard that the muscles of his bare back flexed and quivered.

Barbara's hands reflexively covered her mouth as tears started to her eyes. "Ronnie, oh my son." She whispered at the glimpse of his pain. "Baby, let us help"

Ron turned to face them, his countenance blank and dry, as if the pain was too great for tears to help. Seeing the sympathy and anguish on his mother's face he advanced to hug her tightly, "I don't think you can, Mom, not this time."

Dean reached to grip Ron's shoulder in a comforting hand. "Son, we won't know that until you tell us what happened and what you need. Talk to us Ron."

Ron reached up to clasp the hand on his shoulder gratefully, then began to pace. Barbara reached to grip her husband's hand. They stood and watched as Ron gathered himself, finally coming once more to a halt.

Closing his eyes to a memory too fresh, Ron at last gritted "All right, long story short, I finally told Kim I loved her."

Barbara was afraid she could see where this was going, all Dean said was "and?"

"Dad, she…she looked at me like I was a monster, like I had betrayed her."

"Did she say anything, Ronald?"

"Yeah, Dad, quote 'No…you…you can't…I won't….no.' close quote, and then she ran like the hounds of hell were after her."

"Ron, you didn't just, well, just blurt it out, did you?" asked Barbara.

"No, Mom, before that we, well we"

"No need to get too graphic, Ronald." interrupted Dean.

"Ok, dad, it's just, Dad, she insisted we go to the prom, and she hugged me, and we danced and well we kissed, more than once, and when we left I kissed her again, and that's when I told her." He paused, "I just, I can't take it anymore, Dad, the pretence, the lies, the masquerade. I want out."

"Ronald, you know that can't be done on the spur of the moment. You've trained for too long to just…who would be calling now?" A red light had begun blinking overhead.

"Put it on speaker, please, dear." Barbara said.

"Hello, Stoppable residence."

"Dean, this is James. Is that son of yours there?"

"Yes, he's here, why?"

"Put him on, right now!"

"James, before you start giving orders, maybe you had better settle down, and tell me why you want him."

"Dean, dammit, put him on."

"James, before you talk to him, talk to me. What's the matter?"

"My daughter is upstairs with her mother, crying her eyes out. Now I want to know what Ronald did to her, and I want to know now."

"James…"

"Don't James me; now put him on the line before I have to come over there and…"

Dean's voice was suddenly cold and dangerous, "James, think long and hard before you do something you'll regret. Now, calm down and tell me what happened."

The sound of James taking long deep breathes could be heard.

"All right, an hour ago, my Kimberly ran in here and up to her room crying. She hasn't stopped since. She won't talk to her mother, she won't say anything. Now, something happened and I want to know what." He paused, "Dean, I've never seen her like this."

Dean looked at his son whose face reflected complete bewilderment.

"All right, James, here's what we're going to do. You are going to settle down and be patient. Before you do anything, talk to Anne and find out what Kimberly has to say. I'll talk to Ronald. In the morning, when everyone has settled down, call me. If necessary, Barbara and I, with Ronald, will come over and we'll get this straightened out. Now, can you do that?"

"Yes, yes, I can…" James sounded defeated, "Dean, I'm sorry, it's just that…"

"I understand, she's your little girl, and you want to protect her. We all want to protect our children. But, James, sometimes we just have to wait until they come to us."

"I suppose, I'll call you in the morning." The phone disconnected.

Looking at each other, none of the Stoppables seemed to know what to say. Finally Dean mused, "Ronald, you know you are going to have to get close to Kimberly again, right?

"Dad, I don't know if I can." He drew a deep breath, "It hurts, you know, I think it hurts too much."

"I know son," Dean was sympathetic," But, Ronald, you know your duty."

"Dear, couldn't we just," Barbara tried to interject.

"No, dear, his duty is too important. And, you know as well as I do, he would never find anyone that makes as good a distraction as Kim Possible."