Pomp and Circumstances
By Captainkodak1

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The auditorium of the Middleton Civic Center was near capacity on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Parent, siblings, aunts and uncles of the graduates of Middleton High School waited for the ceremony to begin. Jean and Gene Stoppable sat with James and Ann Possible. Tim and Jim sat grumbling next to their mother. Dress shirts and ties were not their normal Saturday attire. Mr. Possible has literally body searched them before they left the house. All their pranks and gags were taken away and left at home. He repeated the procedure after they got out of the family van at the Civic Center. More pranks and gags they had stashed in the seats of the van were removed and locked in the car.

There were more that just parents and family in attendance. The world media was there. Team Possible was graduating from high school and the world was going to watch. There were news teams from several countries. There had been a lottery as to which teams would be allowed inside. There were a limited number of spaces so it was decided that there would be two spaces for U.S. news teams, and one each of the other countries. Everyone waited for the march of the graduates as the Middleton High School band played music.

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"Kim, stand still. It's hard enough pinning this thing down without you jumping all over the place. Ouchhhh."

Kim turned her head to see Ron with his forefinger in his mouth.

"Sorry Ron. It's just I am so amped."

Ron pulled his finger out of his mouth to check the place where the safety pin had jabbed his finger. It was not bleeding. He grabbed Kim and turned her around and returned to his work of pinning the Honor cords to her gown.

"S'ok KP. There that's got it."

Kim turned and checked her boyfriend and partner. He had grown several inches and even though she was wearing modest heels he was still a few inches taller than she. She adjusted his tie making sure it was straight. His tassel from his cap hung down from the side. Her cap was pinned to her hair with bobby pins to keep it in place. She glanced around and started to rise on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss.

"Possible, Stoppable. Save it for later."

Kim spun around to see Steve Barkin standing there glowering at them.

"You are still students of Middleton High School and subject to all its rules and regulations, including no PDA."

"Yes, Mr. Barkin." Kim and Ron chorused.

Barkin stood for a moment staring at them. He would never tell them but standing in from of him was what he considered to be two of his greatest successes. The two students who smashed the social orders of the school to show other what true love, caring and respect were. Kim, the overachiever learned to slow down and look at the world around her. By doing so she was able to find the one thing she had been trying so hard to find. Ron Stoppable, the school slacker turned outstanding student and record breaking running back. Barkin as coach of the football team had never been prouder to present Ron with his letter jacket that spring. Ron was an example of what one could do once he got his mind to it. The fact that he did it to impress his girlfriend was just part of the whole deal.

"You two did well. Possible you should have been valedictorian but that's the way is goes."

Kim smiled.

"No big Mr. Barkin, a year ago or so it would have bothered me. But now I found out that life is not always being the best and greatest at everything. Sometimes the best things in life can be found by waiting a little bit."

Kim took Ron's arm and slipped hers through his.

Barkin nodded.

"OK people let's get lined up. It's time to…."

BE BE be BEEP

The room got quiet and Barkin turned to face Kim and Ron.

BE BE be BEEP

Kim growled and pulled the Kimmunicator from under her gown.

"Wade somebody better be dying to call us now!"

Wade scrunched down as if trying to hide behind his keyboard.

"Sorry Kim. Drakken and Shego just stole the new variant on the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer from the Middleton Labs. They went right to the old lair on Mount Middleton. Sorry but all other GJ assets are tied up."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Man, it was bad enough to mess up our dates, but graduation, Wade this is not cool!"

Wade slid a little further down in his chair.

"Maybe if you hurry you can make it back in time. Your ride is waiting outside."

Kim growled as she headed out the door. She was surprised that Ron was already on the way out. Together they stormed out the door and headed for the hovercraft waiting for them.

Barkin stood there staring as the two disappeared out the door. He motioned for Mrs. Abrams, the English teacher to come over. He whispered some orders into her ear and she rushed off. He turned back to face the students.

"OKAY people, let's get in line. I just hope those two make it back."

The students got in line as the music started and they got ready to march into the room. Mrs. Abrams walked over to the Possibles and Stoppables.

"Mr. and Mrs. Possible, Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable, Kim and Ron were just called on a mission. We are going to slow down the ceremony in hope they get back in time."

James Possible's face began to turn red.

"You mean those people called KIM and RON on a MISSION TODAY?"

The room was instantly quiet as James realized he had yelled at the top of his lungs.

Pomp and Circumstance started and the students started to march in. There were two very noticeable empty spaces when all the students were seated.

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Ron kicked the door to the lair and Kim stormed in first.

Shego met them face to face moving into her fight stance with hands ablaze.

"Hey don't you know how to knock?

Shego was shocked when instead of starting a fight Kim and Ron strode right past her. Kim stiff armed her out of the way.

"Out of my way Shego, I don't have time to play."

Ron passed by on the other side of Shego and shoved her the other way.

"Where is Drakken? He's gonna be black and blue when I get finished with him."

Shego flipped over the two teens and blocked their paths again.

Ron growled.

"Shego, we don't have time to play right now. Get out of our way! DRAKKEN, where are YOU!"

Shego watched in amazement as the two teens pushed by her again and started to rip the lair apart. Drakken popped up with the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer in his hand.

"Kim Possible, just who I was waiting for. With this my new mega weapon will…"

Drakken never finished as the two teens strode straight for him. Shego sprang in front of them again. She put up her hands like she was signaling a time out.

"Whoa whoa, time out. What has you two so ticked off? We do this all the time."

Kim and Ron stood in front of Shego. Kim crossed her arms.

"Well, today is graduation and we are missing it because of you. Now hand it over now and just maybe we can get back before it's over."

Shego stood up from her fighting stance and extinguished her plasma.

"Today is your graduation?" she asked softly.

Ron tried to step around Shego.

"Yeah and we are missing it because of you."

Shego turned and grabbed the PDVI from Drakken and gave it to Kim.

"Come on you two, we fought, you won, and you got the thingee back. Now get your cap and gowns and get your butts in the hovercraft. I am taking you back."

Drakken stared back at Shego.

"Shego what are you doing, there hasn't been a fight? Why are you giving it to…?"

Shego ignited one of her fists and pressed it within an inch of his nose.

"Oh there will be a fight, that is unless you shut up. Do even remember what important your high school graduation was to you. I do, and damn if Kimmie and Stoppable are going to miss theirs because of you."

Shego turned to the two teens.

"Where is your stuff?"

Kim looked down at the PDVI in her hands and then up at Shego.

"It's all in the bushes outside."

Shego grabbed to two of them by their arms and dragged them toward the hanger.

"GOOD! Go get them and I hope changing in front of each other is something you do any way."

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The students stood and filed across the stage as their names were called.

"Daniel Eugene Poston, Kimberly Ann Possible…."

The room was quiet as everyone could see Kim was not there.

Barkin shook his head and put the diploma behind him on a table.

"Marcia Susan Sanders,..."

Barkin kept his eyes on the audience, but the two faces he was looking for did not appear.

"Bernice Stanfield, Ron Stoppable…."

Barkin looked over to see the next student standing there and no Ron. He sighed and placed the diploma on the table behind him. Mrs. Stoppable wiped the tears from her face,

"Robert David Talbot…."

The last student passed across the stage. Barkin went back to the podium when a voice yelled from the back of the room.

"Wait, please wait!"

Everyone turned to see Kim and Ron running into the room trying to put on their caps and gowns over their rumpled clothes. Ron's shirttail was hanging out and his tie was not tied right. He was trying to zip up his gown, his hat was about to fall off his head. Kim's dress was wrinkled, and she was hopping on one foot trying to put on her heels. Her gown was open and her honor cords were tangled around one shoulder. Ron turned to try and put her cap on her head. Their hair was a mess. They stopped and helped each other finish up getting ready. Then they turned to walk up the aisle. The room broke into applause and cheers as they walked up to the stage. Together holding hands they mounted the stairs and walked up on stage.

Barkin beamed as he motioned for both of them to walk over to him and stand at his side. He turned to the podium and began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, somehow this just seems to be working right. I have had the pleasure of watching these two over the years. They have given up a great deal to do what they do. I cannot begin to tell you the events they missed. I cannot tell you the times they have returned to school exhausted, beaten and bruised yet still there to learn and participate in school events. This is something they have always done together. It is fitting that on this day, this very special day that they get to do this together, side by side as they have always done."

Barkin turned and picked up the two diplomas.

"Miss Kimberly Anne Possible, Mr. Ronald Eugene Stoppable, it is with the greatest pleasure that I present you with your diplomas."

Barkin handed the diplomas to both of them and they walked off the stages to the cheers of the audience. Standing in the back of the room in a remote corner was Shego. She smiled as Kim and Ron walked off the stage with the cameras flashing.

"You got off easy this time, you two. But next time the circumstances will be different."

Shego turned and left the room.

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Plot Bunnies oh the evil plot bunnies. I have had this on my mind over the past few weeks and thought that I would put it to paper so to speak. I know Shego seems a little nice. But over this season we have seen a new side of her. Maybe she would do this, maybe not. Somehow I really think she would.

Thanks for all the support. Drop me a review if you can. I would appreciate it.

The Captain