Kim Possible Fan Fiction ❯ Far from the Tree ❯ Far from the Tree - Part One ( Chapter 1 )

Kim Possible

Far from the Tree

Part 1

By Aaron

 

“Give it up, Senior!” Kim demanded. “One way or another, we're walking out of here with that supercomputer processor you stole!”

 

Here was a familiar sight. Kim and Ron stood ready to go against Señor Senior Senior and Señor Senior Junior in the main foyer of their mansion. Meanwhile, Maximillion Ambro, Kim and Ron's self-appointed teammate and one-time incarnation of none other than the wizard Merlin, merely sat with his feet propped up on a nearby table, calmly sipping his usual cup of tea. After all, as things stood, he saw no need to jump into the fray just yet. Kim and Ron were both more than capable of handling the current situation themselves. Senior, however, seemed to be brimming with confidence of his own as he stood on the other side of the room with his usual air of calm.

 

“Ah, your bold declarations never cease to move me, Kim Possible,” he complimented in his usual well-mannered tone, “However, I fear…”

 

“…you must respectfully decline,” Kim and Ron interrupted, their rather dry tone of voice indicating that they were neither surprised nor impressed by Senior's response.

 

“Jinx! You owe me a kiss,” Kim immediately sounded playfully, to which Ron was perfectly happy to respond with a quick, but soft peck on the lips before turning back to the subject at hand. “Now, where were we?”

 

Max could only shake his head with and chuckle under his breath in amusement. Senior, meanwhile, was hardly intimidated by Kim and Ron's bubbly approach to their standoff as he pulled a small remote control from the inside of his jacket.

 

A moment later, with the simple press of a button, the doors behind Senior and Junior slid open to reveal the true purpose of their thievery. Marching out, single file, was a small army of hulking robots. With their massive frames, clawed hands, mounted laser cannons and tank treads on their feet for additional speed, they truly were an imposing sight, indeed. Or at least, they WOULD be imposing to anyone else. For Kim, Ron and Max, however…

 

“Smashing robots?” Max uttered under his breath, his voice rising to a shout as he suddenly popped up behind Kim and Ron. “I LOVE smashing robots!”

 

“Oh, this is so funny,” Kim remarked with an amused grin, “Ron and I were actually talking about this just the other day…”

 

“Mmm hmm…Yeah, you know, we were actually wondering when you were gonna get into the whole `robot army' thing,” Ron added matter-of-factly. “I mean, the cliché is just so YOU.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Rufus chirped, nodding in agreement as he popped out of Ron's pocket.

 

“Well then, perhaps you would like to test just how clichéd these robots really ARE,” Senior replied, hardly rattled by Kim and Ron's rather casual response to his forces. But before he could signal his robots to attack, a piercing tone cut through the air just behind him. And it didn't take long for him to realize where it was coming from as he turned his head in Junior's direction.

 

“Oh! Excuse me for just one second,” Junior responded, turning away as he pulled out his cell phone, “Yes…OOOOOO sweet-ums! How lovely of you to call! Yes…yes, we are absolutely going out tomorrow night…which dress? Well, the green one brings out your eyes, but the black one really shows off your figure. Of course, you have already worn both of those dresses once before, so…hmmmm…HEY?!”

 

“He will call you back,” Senior answered sternly as he snatched Junior's phone away, immediately shutting it off.

 

“Oh, FATHER!” Junior whined.

 

“Junior, when I agreed to let you have girlfriend, you assured me that this…'Bonnie' person would not interfere with your villainy,” Senior argued in a disciplinary tone.

 

“But Father, this was a very important conversation!” Junior shouted.

 

As the spat went on, Kim and Ron could only look at each other and shrug. They had seen these kinds of arguments between Senior and Junior before, but no matter how many times it happened, it still seemed so surreal to watch. Even Max found it particularly bizarre as he suddenly stepped forward.

 

“Uh, I'm sorry. Could you excuse us for a moment?” he announced, getting Senior and Junior's attention before turning back to Kim and Ron. “Could…you guys step into my office for just a moment, please? Thank you.”

 

Junior and Senior could only look on bewilderment as Max led Kim and Ron back a few steps. Even Kim and Ron were unsure as to what exactly Max was trying to accomplish. But a moment later, Max leaned in closer, revealing the purpose of his impromptu meeting.

 

“Uuuhhh, listen…I really don't want to step on anybody's toes here or sound like I'm overstating the obvious because you guys obviously know these guys a lot better than I know these guys,” he whispered, trying to make sure not to be heard by Junior or Senior in an attempt to be polite. “But, um…I'm looking at these guys and…I REALLY don't think they're super villains…”

 

Pausing briefly, Max looked back over in Junior and Senior's direction, with Kim and Ron shifting their gaze towards them as well. Junior and Senior, meanwhile, still looked every bit as perplexed as they did when Max had first interrupted them. But Max simply responded with a half-hearted chuckle and a fluttery wave to show that everything was fine before rolling his eyes back to Kim and Ron so he could finish his thought…

 

“…I think they're IDIOTS.”

 

“It's okay, we…we know,” Kim answered with a reassuring nod as she and Ron both reached up to pat Max on the shoulder.

 

“Yeah, you…you just gotta go with it, dude,” Ron added simply with a shrug.

 

“Go with it?” Max asked.

 

Kim and Ron simply replied with a nod. Max then turned to face Senior and Junior, who still had no idea what to make of what was happening. But Max found himself turning back to Kim and Ron, as if to make absolutely certain.

 

“Go with it?”

 

Once again, Kim and Ron answered with a simple nod. And still, Senior and Junior had no real clue what was happening. That is, until Max whipped around towards them, a twisted grin slashed across his face.

 

“AAAAAAAAARE YOU READY, SKEE-DADDIES!!!” he howled amid shrieks of wild laughter, “IT'S GO TIIIIIIIME!!!”

 

Senior and Junior could only step back nervously as Max's maniacal laugh echoed through the room. But it wasn't just his sudden crazed demeanor that was enough to give them pause. Maybe it was a trick of their track lighting, but did he actually appear to be…glowing? It must have been, because the glow faded just as quickly as it had appeared while Max instantly returned to his calm state, turning his head back to Kim and Ron with a cheesy grin.

 

“How was that, too much?”

 

“Mmm…MAAAAYBE just a smidge,” Kim responded, smiling in an attempt to look encouraging, but unable to avoid a slight wince as Ron and Rufus nodded in agreement.

 

“I must apologize but, if we are quite done…,” Senior announced, preparing to launch his robots against Kim and the others upon realizing that this scenario was quickly going nowhere. Instantly, Kim and Ron snapped back to the ready, preparing, themselves, for the battle that was sure to follow. But before Senior could activate his army, an explosion ripped through the wall of the room, catching everyone completely by surprised.

 

“Oh great…NOW what?” Kim exclaimed as three figures began to emerge in the settling dust that had been kicked up from the explosion.

 

“I am truly disappointed in you, Baby Senior,” a female voice pierced through the haze, weighted with a heavy Spanish accent. “Did you truly believe this day would never come?”

 

“No…,” Senior uttered with stunned eyes as he stepped back in shock. “No, it cannot be…”

 

Kim and Ron hardly knew what to make of Senior's reaction. After all, he was usually so calm and collected. Who in the world could possibly unhinge him like this? Junior, however, was surprised as well, but there was almost a twinkle in his eyes as the figures slowly came into view.

 

It was two women and what appeared to be a small robot with wheels for legs, wearing a tuxedo jacket, shirt and bow tie. One woman was clearly older, standing tall and thin. Dressed in her shirtwaist and long skirt, both frilled with lace and complete with a hair bun and an equally frilled parasol, she looked almost like an elegant woman of privilege from the 1800s. The younger woman looked to be about Kim and Ron's age, with long, flowing black hair. And she was dressed nowhere near as conservatively, with her short skirt, black leggings, knee-high stiletto boots and a black sweater with a dress shirt underneath. But one notable factor for sure was that both women had the exact same skin tone as Junior and Senior. Just who WERE these people?

 

“Lupo!” the elder woman requested firmly, turning her head in the robot's direction, “Deactivate these eyesores at once.”

 

“At once, Señora,” the robot calmly complied as a small communications dish popped out of its shoulder, emitting a signal which managed to shut down each and every one of Senior's robots. “Task complete.”

 

“Ah, much better. Thank you, Lupo,” the elder woman replied.

 

“Oh, AUNTIIIIEEEEEE!!!” Junior squealed, unable to contain himself as he nearly knocked Senior over, running over to the elder woman and hugging her tightly, “It is so good to see you!”

 

“Oh Junior, I am happy to see you, too,” the elder woman responded, hugging Junior back with a soft pat on his shoulder before pulling away slightly and holding his face in her hands. “Now stand back, let me have a look. Ooohhh, you have grown into such a fine young man, haven't you?”

 

“I have a girlfriend, too,” Junior added excitedly. “Would you like to meet her?”

 

“Oh, that would be wonderful. I'm sure she is very nice,” the elder woman answered as Junior happily hugged her again. Senior, however, was not feeling anywhere near as warm and fuzzy.

 

“What are YOU doing here?” he demanded in a clearly aggravated voice.

 

“I beg your pardon, but I believe the TRUE question is, what are YOU doing with these monstrosities of metal and wire?” the elder woman argued, pointing her parasol towards Senior's robots.

 

“Uh, excuse me,” Kim's voice nervously called out, getting everyone's attention with a fluttery wave. “But, we were kind of in the middle of a sitch here. And now…we're obviously in the middle of another one. So…do you think maybe someone can tell us what's going on here?”

 

“Baby Senior, do you mind?” the elder woman scolded, “Introductions, please! Has your sense of etiquette truly deteriorated so much?”

 

“Oh, very well. But must you insist on continuing to refer to me by that inane nickname?” Senior muttered under his breath with a most uncomfortable sigh before turning to Kim and the others. “Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable and…you whose name I have not yet been told. Allow me to introduce to you my…older sister…Señora Nora Senior…and her daughter, Señorita Rita Senior.”

 

“Hi,” the younger girl known as “Senorita Rita Senior” greeted with a half-hearted wave, having remained still and silent up until then.

 

“Oh, you've GOT to be kidding…,” Kim groaned, as Ron's jaw dropped, both of them clearly expecting the worst. After all, twice as many Seniors could ONLY mean twice as much trouble.

 

… … … …

 

“Haaaaaaaaaaaah!” Max breathed after taking a long, lingering sip of tea and turning to Señora Nora Senior, “Madam…where did you acquire this AMBROSIA?! I mean, the stuff I'VE been swallowing tastes like SWILL by comparison!”

 

Kim and Ron could only sit dumbfounded around the main table, along with Max and their older and more recent acquaintances of the Senior family. There was something about having a spot of tea with two arch-foes and the RELATIVES of said arch-foes that seriously didn't feel right. Even Rufus was at too much of a loss to even touch the cookies that Nora's robot butler, Lupo, had distributed around the table. Senior appeared to be no happier with the situation himself, although his outlook appeared to be one more of aggravation than bewilderment. And the new girl named Rita seemed to be bored more than anything. In fact, the only ones who seemed to be enjoying the moment were Junior, Max and Nora, who simply turned in Max's direction with a warm smile.

 

“Lupo, can you provide our new friend here with the location of this tea we purchased?” Nora asked in a most polite and dignified manner.

 

“Of course, Señora,” Lupo replied, shooting an extendable arm out from a compartment in “his” chest, which handed Max a small card with all the information he required.

 

“Sweet!” Max responded enthusiastically, “I can get there, too.”

 

“Auntie, look! I finished all my tea!” Junior announced happily as he trotted over to her, feeling all the pride of a small child.

 

“Why, yes you did. Oh, you have always been such a good boy, Junior,” Nora replied dotingly, gliding her hand down Junior's cheek as he giggled before flashing Senior an acid stare, “Regardless of HOW your father has raised you.”

 

“Are we having fun yet?” Rita remarked dryly from across the table, still clearly not amused.

 

“Patience Rita, please. I know this is not your favorite activity,” Nora replied with an understanding tone, “But we will not be staying much longer.”

 

“So, uh…Señora…Nora Senior…is it?” Kim asked pensively, trying to broach the conversation as politely as possible, given the circumstances. “You're…Senior's sister, huh?”

 

“Quite so, my dear, which is precisely why I am here at this time,” Nora replied, tossing Senior another dirty look, “Let it just be said that I have not exactly approved of my brother's most recent…'hobby'. Family honor requires that I take certain steps to…intervene.”

 

“Yes, my sister has always had a particularly overdeveloped sense of morality,” Senior remarked, now turn to flash a scowl of contempt in Nora's direction.

 

“Just as you would seem to have a particularly STUNTED one,” Nora argued.

 

“What? You're talking about the whole `super villain' thing?” Ron chimed in. “Well…no offense, but…he's been kinda doing this for the last three years. Aren't you…you know…a little late here?”

 

“Not to sound overly critical, but Ron DOES have a good point,” Kim added. “If you know what's been going on with him this whole time, why do you suddenly care what he does NOW?”

 

“Well, to be honest, I would have preferred to involve myself much sooner,” Nora answered. “But these last three years, all of my time and effort has been invested in my daughter, Rita, ensuring that she receives the proper upbringing and education she deserves. However, Rita graduated from high school last spring - a straight `A' student three years in a row, I am so proud of her - and has chosen to take a year off to explore her college options. So this has allowed me to divert my focus into other…more neglected…areas.”

 

Rita merely responded to her mother's remarks with an eye roll and a light shrug, further demonstrating her indifference. Kim and Ron, however, were still not entirely sure what to make of the whole situation. All they really knew for sure as they tossed each other an uneasy glance was that this was becoming more and more uncomfortable with each passing minute.

 

“Yyyyyyeah, okay…,” Kim responded nervously as her eyes shifted back and forth, “Well…the only reason we're here is to get that supercomputer processor back, so…if we could just have that…”

 

“Ah, understood. Well then, you shall have it,” Nora replied. “Lupo, if you would be so kind.”

 

“Yes Señora. I am detecting a large output of power in the next room. I shall begin my search there,” Lupo answered with a nod before heading off in search of Senior's stolen item. Senior, meanwhile, could take no more as he finally rose to his feet.

 

“Nora, we are not children anymore!” he protested. “I will not allow you to come into MY home and…!”

 

“LITTLE BROTHER…!” Nora shot back, slapping her parasol across the table.

 

What no one suspected, however, was that several of Senior's robots, frozen in their standing positions, were actually quite precariously balanced and would take only the mildest shift for any of them to topple. And Nora's outburst provided exactly that. As her parasol struck the table, the robot standing next to the corner began to teeter forward like a felled tree. And not only that, but Rita was sitting directly under its toppling form.

 

“RITA!” Nora cried out in shock.

 

Rita could only sit frozen, unable to escape the towering metal construct collapsing down upon her in time. But just then, a firm hand grabbed Rita by the collar of her shirt, wrenching her out of her seat. At the same time, there was a shrill, metallic crash as a powerful kick smashed right into the robot's body, sending it flying back like a cannonball and slamming into three other robots that were standing behind it.

 

All four robots crashed through the far wall into the next room a second later, where Lupo had located the computer housing the stolen processor and was already in the process of removing it. However, to Nora's robotic manservant, this was of little consequence. Turning his head only slightly, he merely acknowledged the twisted pile of metal and debris lying just a few yards away with a mild disinterest before returning to the task at hand.

 

Out in the main room, however, the response couldn't have been more mixed. Kim and the others were more or less unfazed by what they were seeing. Kim and Rufus even breathed a sigh of relief as Max flashed out a casual “thumbs up” in a mid-sip of tea. However, Senior and Nora could only stand in wide-eyed shock. Even Junior was too stunned to bite down on the cookie he'd just placed in his mouth.

 

For of all the people who could have come to Rita's aid, who should have appeared but Ron Stoppable. Standing at the corner of the table, his entire body was flashing with its Mystical Monkey Power glow, his leg still jutting forward in mid-kick as he cradled Rita in his arms. And Rita, who had simply been unmoved by anything that had happened since she had arrived, suddenly seemed filled with wide-eyed excitement as she looked up at Ron's face and instinctively curled up closer to him.

 

“Aw man, that was close,” Ron noted plainly setting Rita back down on her feet and putting his hand on her shoulder as he quickly looked her over. “Are you okay?”

 

“Uuuuuuuuuhhh…uuuuuuuuuhhh…” Rita shuddered, suddenly shifting her gaze away as Ron happened to glance into her eyes.

 

Rita could only stand rooted to the spot, her fingers fidgeting slightly as her eyes darted back and forth. Unlike before, where she simply had nothing she wanted to say, now she seemed unable to think of anything. And yet somehow, it didn't seem like the kind of reaction that normally came in response to a sudden shock. If anything, the way she suddenly hung her head, avoiding looking at Ron face to face… she looked almost…shy.

 

“Oh Rita, my beautiful girl!” Nora whooped as she ran over, wrapping her arms tightly around Rita's neck. Then, after checking her once over as well to make sure Rita was fine, she whirled her head towards Senior with a furious glare.

 

“Need I say more?!”

 

With no argument to offer, Senior could only respond with an indignant frown just as Lupo wheeled back into the room. With his typical mechanical demeanor, the little robot seemed neither moved, nor interested by what was happening at that moment. He cared only about the task he had been assigned. Something that anyone who glanced into the open door behind him would clearly see if they noticed the smattering of parts he had reduced Senior's computer center to in looking for the processor.

 

“I believe I have located the object you instructed me to find, Senora,” he announced.

 

“Well, I…guess that means we'd…better be going, then,” Kim replied, trying to sound as polite as she could. Of course, she was simply trying to disguise the fact that she was hoping to have already upset Senior's plans with Ron and Max and be halfway home by now. She wasn't counting on getting dragged into the eye of this family storm that had suddenly decided to blow in.

 

“Oh!” Nora exclaimed, hugging Rita close to her again. “Well, after saving my most beautiful daughter, the least I can offer you is transportation home.”

 

Before Kim could even think to accept or reject her offer, Nora pulled out a small remote control and activated it. Suddenly, an enormous gust of wind slammed into the room from the hole in the wall Nora had blasted earlier, announcing the presence of a colossal airship hovering several hundred yards over Senior's home. A second later, a giant crane dropped from above, gently clamping onto Kim's car and hoisting it inside. One thing this illustrated very clearly, Señora Nora Senior was a VERY decisive woman. She wasn't the type to even wait around to take “no” for an answer.

 

“Allow me to welcome you to my home,” Nora stated proudly.

 

“THAT'S your HOME?!” Kim could only blurt out, staring up through the hole in the wall along with Ron and Max.

 

“I find the concept of owning seasonal houses to be grossly inefficient,” Nora explained. “So I've simply arranged for my home to move wherever I wish to go.”

 

“Hmmm…that's not a bad idea. I should really think about that,” an impressed Max muttered to himself before turning his attention to Ron. “So what do you think, they get good satellite reception?”

 

“Uh, dude? I think they've got their own SATELLITE,” Ron answered, pointing towards a small metal sphere hovering around the airship.

 

“Of course they do,” Kim noted with a heavy sigh, simply wanting to get the day over with at this point. “Well, since you've already gone to the trouble…,”

 

Nora simply responded with a warm smile as a heavy rope ladder rolled down from the airship. Ron was quick to reach out and grab a hold of it before it swung away from the wall. But as he turned around, he noticed Rita standing behind him, just millimeters away. Once again hanging her head, avoiding Ron's gaze, she looked every bit as nervous and fidgety as before, rubbing her arm and murmuring under her breath.

 

“Oh, uh…ladies first,” Ron responded, handing the rope ladder towards her and offering her a courteous grin.

 

Ron was only trying to be polite in handing the rope ladder to Rita. So he couldn't understand why she seemed so pensive as she reached forward. Pulling her hand away more than once, she seemed almost frightened to take it from him. But as she finally grasped the rope, she couldn't help but let out a tiny giggle under her breath. There was even a slight blush across her cheeks as she looked over her shoulder towards Ron with a bashful smile. Ron, however, was tossing a smile of his own in Kim's direction and failed to notice. But the same couldn't be said for Kim, who responded with a suspicious frown as Rita made her way up the ladder.

 

“Uh, Ron…you don't think she's acting kind of…weird…all of a sudden?” Kim asked, with more than just a hint of concern in her voice.

 

“What do you mean?” Ron replied simply.

 

After having known Rita for only a few minutes, it didn't seem to Ron that he could possibly know what the definition of “weird” behavior meant in her case. Kim, however, was trying to give him a rather strong hint. But once she realized that he wasn't picking up on it, all she could do was shake her head and let a hollow giggle pass her lips.

 

“Never mind,” she answered, cupping Ron's face in her hands and softly kissing his cheek before looking into his eyes with a gentle sigh and a loving smile. “Oh…you are SO adorable.”

 

“…Wha-at?!” Ron blurted out with a pair of wide-eyed blinks, his tone of voice indicating that he REALLY wanted to know what Kim was trying to tell him, “Kim?!”

 

Kim, however, was already making her way up the ladder and simply found the situation much too cute to give him an answer. Rufus, however, could only slap his own forehead in frustration as Ron climbed up after her. Of course, Ron's confusion was far beyond Nora's notice as she approached the ladder to climb up herself. But before doing so, she was quick to whirl around to Senior with a grim frown and a most serious warning.

 

“I WILL be watching you.”

 

With that, Nora made her ascent, with Max right behind her. Still, he couldn't resist throwing in his two cents as he looked back towards Senior with an amused smirk.

 

“Ooooooo, someone's in TROOOUUU-BLLLLLLE,” he remarked childishly before jumping out the window.

 

Laughing hysterically, Max simply allowed himself to dangle from the rope ladder as the airship surged forward. Senior, however, was nowhere nearly as amused, staring through the hole in his wall with an angry scowl at his sister's massive flying home disappearing towards the horizon.

 

… … … …

 

All was quiet in Middleton as Kim's parents returned home after a late night out. With Jim and Tim out on a sleepover and Kim out on a mission with Ron, there seemed little reason why they should be the only ones sitting around doing nothing. Still, the lights shining out from the windows and Kim's car parked in the garage made it perfectly clear that someone had made it back before them.

 

“Hey Kimmie! We're home!” James announced as he and Anne walked in the front door. But strangely enough, even though the TV in the living room was on, there was no reply to his voice, which made both parents naturally curious.

 

“Kimmie?” Anne called out softly as they both walked around the couch, “Kim, are you ho…? Oh…!”

 

One look as Kim's parents walked in was all the answer they needed to why their daughter wasn't answering. Sprawled out on the couch, in front of the television, was Ron, with Kim lying on top of him, both fast asleep. They must have both passed out almost immediately after getting back from their mission. Even Rufus was curled up comfortably in one of the sleeves of Ron's jacket, which was thrown over the back of the recliner.

 

Kim, meanwhile, looked quite cozy herself, her head gently nestled into the crook of Ron's neck. And as Ron's hand softly cradled the back of her head, as if he'd fallen asleep stroking her hair, both their lips were curled in a warm, sleepy grin. It was as if they both seemed happier and more content at that moment than they'd ever had before.

 

“Mmmm…mmm…mmmmm…” Kim murmured, her hand lazily reaching up and tugging on Ron's shirt as she snuggled up tighter against him.

 

“Oooooooh, that is so cute,” Anne uttered under her breath, clearly moved by the scene in front of them. “I know I should take a picture, but I'd hate to wake them up.”

 

“Nnnnh…I don't know how I feel about THIS,” James muttered, clearly not taking what he was seeing with the same good humor as his wife.

 

“Oh, stop,” Anne responded with a reassuring tone as she walked from a nearby closet with a spare blanket. “This is no different than when they were kids, remember? They'd go outside, run around until they got exhausted, then they'd come back in and pass out, just like this…”

 

“…Honestly, they've been sleeping together since they were SEVEN.”

 

James was hard-pressed to come up with an argument. He only seemed able to grumble something under his breath in disapproval. But his words couldn't quite be made out as Anne gently draped the blanket over Kim and Ron and turned off the television, taking care not to disturb them.

 

“Come on, there'll be no more of that. Now let's leave them be. They're getting some sleep and we ought to do the same,” Anne coaxed, taking James' hand and leading him out of the living room towards the upstairs. She then turned off the lights a moment later as they left, masking Kim and Ron in the darkness of the night as the pair remained huddled together in their dreamy embrace.

 

… … … …

 

The blue morning sky perfectly lit up the living room with its dim glow. But Ron was still half asleep…until he felt a warm, gentle touch flutter past his cheek. Up until that point, he was only just barely aware of himself. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was sleeping. But for some reason, he couldn't remember getting home. It was only when another soft touch grazed his cheek…and then another…that his brain began to function more clearly. Why could he feel something lying on top of him? And what was that pressing against his cheek anyway…?

 

Just then, his mind suddenly sprang to life. Instantly, he recognized this touch. He'd felt it too many times to not know what it was. But if he was sleeping, how could it…? His eyes snapping open in surprise, Ron's gaze darted upward and sure enough. As unbelievable as it seemed, there was Kim, who'd been softly tracing tender kisses across his cheek the entire time.

 

“MMMMMMMMM!!!” Ron's surprised shriek was muffled as Kim quickly slapped her hand over his mouth to keep him from waking up the rest of the house. Kim was hardly surprised that this was the kind of reaction Ron would give and she was completely prepared for it when she started kissing him awake. But even though she fully saw it coming, she just couldn't keep herself from giggling when it actually happened.

 

“Good morning to you, too,” she replied under her breath, trying to stifle her laughter as she finally took her hand away from Ron's mouth.

 

“KP?” Ron blurted out, much quieter now that the initial surprise had worn off. But his mind was still scrambling for answers as his head shifted around the room, trying to get his bearings.

 

“Aw, man,” he exclaimed as he finally realized what was happening, “Did…did we just…?”

 

“Gee, it sure looks that way, doesn't it?” Kim answered, her amusement still lingering in her voice.

 

“Well, uh…wow…this is…awkward,” Ron stated, his eyes darting back and forth nervously, “So…what…time is it? I guess I…probably should…get going now, huh?”

 

Ron was all too willing to collect Rufus and his jacket and leave at that moment to avoid any potential discomfort that might arise. But as he tried to get up, he felt Kim suddenly shift her weight down across his shoulders in an attempt to pin him down, forcing him to look back up at her.

 

“Yeah…you COULD do that,” Kim remarked, rolling her eyes playfully before meeting Ron's gaze with a warm, tender smile. “Or you could…maybe stay here? You know…even if it's…just for a little while?”

 

Kim continued to look into Ron's eyes with a loving grin, but there was something else hidden behind her expression. Something that said there was only one answer she really wanted him to give at that moment. Maybe it was because they'd fallen asleep as soon as they'd returned and she didn't get the chance to spend the kind of time with Ron that she wanted when they got home. Or perhaps the explanation was something far simpler. Maybe Kim didn't have a reason at that moment. Maybe all she had was just an inescapable need to be close to him.

 

Of course, Ron didn't have to say anything, either. All he had to do was smile at her and Kim knew she had her answer as they snuggled together briefly. A moment later, she pulled away and looked back into his eyes. But now it was her turn to see that Ron's face was masking something deeper underneath. There was a definite happiness in his smile as he looked up at her. That much was obvious. But at the same time, Kim could see something else in his eyes. It was as if he seemed almost…confused.

 

“What is it?” she felt compelled to ask, the touch of her fingertips as soft as her voice as she gently brushed the side of Ron's head.

 

“Huh…?! Oh…it's nothing, I guess,” Ron answered simply, caught off guard for a moment by Kim's question. But as he paused to pan his gaze slowly around the living room, it was all-too clear that there was indeed something on his mind.

 

“It's just…I'm HERE, you know?” he added, slowly looking back into Kim's eyes and showing all the affection he could as he slowly caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I'm looking into the eyes of the most…BEAUTIFUL woman in the world. And sometimes, all I can think about is…`she is ABSOLUTELY…PERFECT'…”

 

“…I just can't figure it out. How did I get so lucky?”

 

As Ron's words escaped his lips, Kim could only seem to respond with a heavy sigh as she leaned down and gently pressed her forehead to his. A moment later, her head shifted as she caressed Ron's lips with a set of soft kisses before finally pulling away and looking down at him with a smile that actually seemed…amused. It was as if she couldn't see what it was that he still didn't understand.

 

“You know…one of these days you're going to realize that luck…REALLY didn't have a whole lot to do with it,” she replied, every word that escaped her lips gentle and loving as she reached up and softly held Ron's face in her hands. At that moment, she paused and shook her head with another sigh, this one much lighter than the first.

 

“Ron…you make me smile…you make me laugh. And I don't care what anyone's ever said…I ALWAYS thought you were cute…I still do,” she continued as her lips curled into a smile filled with sweetness and light. “Believe me, I could go on…and on…and on. But it all really boils down to just one thing…”

 

“…Whenever I'm with you…whenever I even see you…I just feel happy…”

 

Ron was already moved by Kim's words more than he could ever say. But it was what Kim said next that truly reached into his heart as she looked deep into his eyes and sighed one more time.

 

“I…am SO…in love with you.”

 

Ron knew he didn't have to confirm whether or not she was sincere. Kim Possible was never the type of person to say something she didn't mean…ESPECIALLY when it came to her feelings. And as Ron reached up and gently caressed her cheeks, it seemed as though there was no force in existence that would be able to remove the smile from his face.

 

“I'm in love with you, too,” he uttered under his breath, “I mean, how could I NOT be? Kim…I can't think of a single day of my life that's been complete without you.”

 

“Well…then I guess that means today's off to a pretty good start already, doesn't it?” Kim responded with a light smirk, “But…I think we can do just a little bit better.”

 

Ron suddenly turned very curious, but he wouldn't have to ask what Kim meant. As Kim's hands slid around, slipping under Ron's back to nestle against his shoulder blades, her head gently lowered down towards him. Hovering just millimeters above his face, she made it all-too clear what she meant as she breathed her next words softly onto Ron's lips.

 

“…kiss me…”

 

Ron didn't need any more encouragement than that as Kim moved in. Within seconds, a pair of soft pecks passed between them, instantly flowing into a long, deep kiss. A moment later, Kim could feel Ron's arms gently folding around her. And a warm feeling of contentment began to well up inside her as they both melted into the moment, the tender pressure of their mouths locked together quickly becoming the only thing that mattered.

 

Kim and Ron didn't know it, though, but they weren't the only ones awake in the house. Dressed in her bathrobe and slippers, Anne had made her way down the stairs, preparing to start the day. But after being stopped short by Kim and Ron's words in the living room and overhearing everything they had just said, she just couldn't find the heart to interrupt them. So she simply turned and quietly headed back up the stairs, allowing Kim and Ron to have their moment.

 

Just as Anne reached the top of the stairs, the sounds of a happy giggle from Kim danced up from the living room into her ears. Had James been there at that moment, he would have surely objected. But for Anne, there could truly be no more touching sound for her to hear. Pausing to turn her head briefly, she could only respond with a warm smile towards the living room before making her way back to the bedroom.

… … … …

 

Back on the Seniors' island, Señor Senior Senior was in the middle of tearing his living room apart in a frantic search. Señor Senior Junior had no idea what he could possibly be looking for in such a hysterical state. Of course, he would be lying if he said it mattered.

 

“Father, I am getting ready for my date tonight,” he stated, holding up a red bow tie in one hand and a green one in the other, “Which of these ties do you think makes my neck look better?”

 

“Not now Junior! I am looking for last month's HenchCo. Catalogue,” Senior responded firmly, tossing odds and ends out of a nearby closet. “There was one particular item I remember seeing in there. Now where did I put…? Ah!”

 

With a grin of accomplishment, Senior walked out of the closet, rapidly flipping through the magazine. A moment later, he came to the page he was looking for and immediately activated a small remote control which lowered down a cluster of viewing monitors down from the ceiling. A second later, the screens flickered to life, each displaying a security recording of the day before. It was the exact moment when Ron snatched Rita into his arms and kicked away Senior's falling robot, his body aglow with his Mystical Monkey Power.

 

“It appears that young Ron Stoppable has recently come into his own with impressive new abilities,” Senior mused, his smile taking on a decidedly wicked air as he observed Ron's performance on the monitor screens before turning back to the catalogue, “Abilities that could very easily be turned to my benefit.”

 

“Mmm hmm…mmm hmm…Were you saying something?” Junior muttered, only half-heartedly paying attention. All his focus was directed towards a tall standing mirror as he held each of his ties under his chin to try and see which one looked better.

 

“I am discussing a plan of villainy, my son!” Senior complained with a heavy sigh, hardly appreciating his Junior's lack of enthusiasm.

 

“But Father…what about Aunt Nora?” Junior replied, his attention still squarely aimed at his own reflection. “She DID say that she does not want us doing villainous things anymore. Will she not be upset when she finds out you did not listen to her?”

 

At that moment, Senior was given pause. In some ways, the thought of being confronted by his sister again was even more aggravating than facing Kim Possible. And facing his sister was something that would almost certainly happen if he proceeded with this course of action. But just then, inspiration struck his brain as he skipped the security footage ahead several minutes, just before Kim and the others left. As Ron reached for the rope ladder dangling from Nora's flying home, Rita had sidled up behind him, smiling bashfully and tossing stray glances in his direction. And as the scene played out, Senior found his grin returning.

 

“Hmmmm,” he answered thoughtfully, his smile becoming even more sinister as his gaze focused squarely on Rita, “If I can acquire the proper assistance…I have a suspicion that your aunt…is not going to be an issue.”