To All of my wonderful, WONDERFULreviewers: Rufus 986, DigiSim, Ace Ian Combat, Zaratan, Ultra Sonic 007, JPMod, continental-line, Ezbok58a, conan98002, Classic Cowboy, The Infernal, ZDafara470, John Steppenwolf, Ultimate Naco Topping, techgeekster, Hilary moore, LJ Fan, memoirs of a faded memory, nessa92, Razzle Jazzle, Cold Chaos, thsunami, Rachel J. Lupin, daydream11, Gryfffinrose, momike, AtractivaMorena, Deyinel, CardCrazy, Redzin Himself (oh, great, now I'm not only gonna get sued for killing peoples ears with 'Mousse, Rince, Obei', now I'ma get sued for killing peoples eyes with my story (B--), ziggert.z, Larie-chan, eViLrEadEr, Stoppable-san, Char & Loo (Loo who? Never heard of her before.)

You guys leave some really awesome, beautiful comments and although I don't respond to each and every one, I'm so thankful for all the kind words you've said on my writing and my story. It really, really does mean tons to me. Now with that being said:

This is the LAST instalment of Obscure Ways to Devotion!

Yes, it's hard to believe, I know it is for me.I can not believe I've worked this long on Equal Romance. To think I almost gave it all up when I hit certain instalments (early Tension Living comes to mind omg shudder'd). And even more unbelievable are the people who kept reading since instalment ONE of Tension Living! You guys, ALL of you guys even, are spectacular and I'm so thrilled you find interest in this crazy story. Now that this is the last of Obscure Ways to Devotion, I've got to say it again: this is not the end of Equal Romance! Those of you should remember, this is a trilogy and there is one more story left. Wow, one more and it'll all be over it still shocks me. If you have added me to your author's alert list, you will be notified of when the next story comes out, I've already been writing it. And trust me, it's definately not what you guys think it will be about XD; Really, you can only think of one thing it'll be about after reading this instalment and it won't be the main theme I can say that much. You'll have to come back to find out ;D

Because this is the last of this story, I'll take the time to address some of the recent reviews.

-- "So is this story going to reflect your views on abortion?"

NO. Ew, no. Good question though.

-- "Technically, a baby isn't considered a parasite."

I know that.It was in character biased dialogue even added with 'as Kim so called it'.

-- "Though when I was first reading this chapter I was worried that Ron might have magicaly absorbed the pregnancy when he was found lying over her stomach and he was sick that morning."

ROFLMAO. it's like, my name's WOMEN & M all rolled into one XD; Thanks for that but sorry, no mpregs here o.o;

-- "P.S. I noticed there were some dialog missing and miss spealing in the first 1/4 of the chapter, just a heads up. Later again!"

Muh? I scanned & didn't notice anything missing and my spelling was fine, I'm pretty sure. Are you perhaps picking up on my Canadian way of spelling things? Sorry I can't be of any more help!

-- "is Kim impregnated with her own MMP?"

Actually, Kim doesn't have Mystical Monkey Power. Only Ron, Rufus & Monkey Fist. And Loo's already having Monkey Fist's baby (although she's still in intense denial about it!) so it could be either Rufus or Ron and I don't know about you but I think I spelled it out pretty clear it was Ron.

And that's all. So with that being done, go on and read the very last instalment of Obscure Ways to Devotion. I'm very sorry for the long wait for the update, I hope that won't happen for the next time. It'll be fun to get the nextstory out.Enjoy, thanks again!

-A. King

---

¤ Instalment 14 »» Prelude to Stability ¤

We began to shine- if it's us, we'll grasp tomorrow sometime, right?

We began to flap- if it's them, then they'll find a shining tomorrow, right?

-Ayumi Hamasaki, 'Boys& Girls'

---

It was Monday and Ron was looking forwards to picking Kim up at her house on their way to school. He had called her relentlessly over the weekend, Friday too, but she had never answered back. In the cases when her parents had answered the phone, they relayed a 'busy' message from Kim: 'Homework, and all that'. 'Thanks', Ron had replied to them but he knew that wasn't the case. Not seeing each other for the whole weekend? Just because of something like homework? No, something was up.

And Ron still couldn't believe why she was avoiding him. Why was she punishing him like this? Yet even though Ron knew the reason why, he still wasn't going to bring it up. Not yet. It was uncomfortable; it wasn't a topic Ron favoured. After all, he himself was still coming to terms with being confronted by Kim about it. So instead, Ron would ignore it until Kim brought it up (which he knew it would be) and in the meantime, try to mend the communications bridge between them.

"Yo, Mrs Dr P! Is Kim ready for school?" Ron implored heartily at Kim's front door on that very Monday morning.

"I'm sorry, Ron, but she left already, oh dear," Mrs Possible laid a palm to her cheek.

"She left already?" Ron asked, perplexed.

"Is there some trouble between the two of you?"

"No, no, not at all, no. At least, I didn't think so," he added with a touch of darkness. "It's ok. I'll go and meet up with her at school, thanks anyway!"

"You're welcome, Ron; bye!"

Ron glanced at Rufus on his shoulder and hung his head as he dwelled on his way to school. "This isn't right," he told his pal, "She shouldn't be holding from me this long."

"Nu-uh," Rufus agreed.

"I don't deserve to be treated like this!"

"Nu-uh!"

"I thought she learned a thing or two."

"Mmm."

"I know, buddy. She makes it awfully hard."

Rufus only shook his head sympathetically.

Ron mulled it all over as he trudged to school, his hands tightly wringing his backpack straps. He wasn't sure why, but he was feeling a little anxious about meeting up with Kim. Hopefully when he did, she'd be in a friendly mood. The least she could do was pretend everything was all okay like what Ron was doing, that'd work for him too. No more skittish acts like Friday after school, please and thank-you.

Too bad for Ron, it didn't turn out that way.

"Yo, Kimila!" Ron called out over the hallway chatter of the Middleton High students. He had just come in the front doors when he immediately spied Kim over by her locker. Did she hear him? He thought he saw a reaction, but she didn't turn around to greet him.

"What's shakin', you had a rough week with homework or something?" Ron laughed conversationally as he approached her. "I called bunches but you never answered or your parents said you were busy. Everything cool?" Ron stood and blinked for an awfully long time until he received a response.

"Of course everything's cool," Kim suddenly whipped around and presented Ron with, what was, one of the most fake-smiles Ron had ever seen in his entire life. He glared at her. "Why wouldn't it be?"

He crossed his arms, "That' what I'd like to know," he replied edgily. "It doesn't take a brain surgeon to know something's been up wit 'chu."

"WereyoutalkingtomyMom!"

Ron's eyes flew open. "What… uh, KP… you're scaring me…"

"Oh, haha! Nothing, you just startled me there for a moment," Kim rested a hand on her chest and leaned her head back.

"Well, I'm glad you're back at school for morning classes!" he exclaimed joyously. "Glad you're feeling better. I, um, guess you got a lotta rest then during the weekend?"

"Oh, um… yeah. I did, thanks," Kim replied awkwardly and she started to flush. Ron leaned forwards with curiosity and she flushed even further trying to side-step away from him. "I had a big dinner last night. Breakfast too."

Ron nodded, not sure why, but somehow this must relate to being sick. "That's good then. I really missed you," He reached and laid a hand on her shoulder when she flashed into action, leaping back and shivering.

"KP..?"

"D-don't, Ron. I, uh, rather you not. Okay?"

"Sure? I was just touching your shoulder—"

"Thanks. Look, I'll see you in class, okay?"

"Huh?"

Kim shut her locker delicately, slung her pack over her shoulder and waved an awkward goodbye to Ron, finally touched by her recently patented Fake-Smile of hers.

Ron was not taking to these fake-smiles nor Kim's odd behaviour at all. In fact, it was making Ron feel a little on the angry side that she was acting this way because of his very own decision. Ron didn't like having this guilt forced upon him like this.

Grunting with distaste, Ron opened his locker, stored away his afternoon textbook and binder and dashed off to class to meet up with Kim. She was in her seat, sitting straight and primly writing in her student planner. The seat next to her was empty so Ron stole it and moved the desk a little closer to Kim.

Right before Ron was about to whisper to Kim, the bell rang and the teacher called the student's attention forwards. Heaving a sigh, he said under his voice to Kim, "We're talking later, ok?"

Kim said nothing, however, her shivering did.

Ron decided to let Kim be for the time being through the morning classes, after all, she had been sick a lot quite recently and pressuring her wouldn't be the best solution. But that didn't mean he was flat-out ignoring her. He conversed with her as normal, asking to borrow things to what that last note was and she would interact with, well, with as little interaction as possible. In the middle of class wasn't exactly the time to bring up what Ron sense could easily turn into an argument. Even with Kim's peculiar distancing-behaviour, Ron still empathised with Kim and if she was recovering from being ill, she didn't need the stress of a fight with him to bear on her.

Well, it certainly wasn't his intention when the bell rang for Lunch and he realised Kim was no longer at his side.

"Where are you going?" Ron questioned curiously. He turned around to face Kim who was standing far behind him looking awkward and hesitant. He trotted up to her, concerned. "Hey, you ok?"

"You don't have to keep asking me that," she replied a little annoyed, but the confusion in her voice shone through.

"I keep asking because I keep seeing you not ok," Ron reached for her wrist and took it in his hand. "Let's go down to the caf and grab some lunch, hokay? You look like you need some food in your belly," (Kim's eyes almost flew apart when he said that.) "You're looking pale 'n stuff." Then he said in a low soothing voice, "I don't want you getting' sick again. The way that you're acting makes me worry."

Ron reached out to gently take her arm, but she pulled away. "I'll," she stuttered, "I'll meet you there. I need to, um… go. Elsewhere." Kim took a few steps away from him and brushed some hair out of her face. "I'll meet you there."

"No, Kim," Ron shook his head. "There's nowhere you need to go."

"You don't know that," her voice became slightly tempered again.

"Kim, I'm only trying to care for you," Ron fought to keep this words hushed. He didn't want it announced to the school; he was a guy, after all. "Will you show a little caring back?"

But as he said that, Kim's back was already turned on him and he could no longer see her expression. Did she even hear a word he said? "I said I'll meet you there. Don't act like I'm never going to see you again."

Ron clicked his tongue and sagged his shoulders. "What are you talking about? This doesn't have anything—" He huffed and placed his hands on his hips as he watched Kim walk away from him in mid-sentence. Shaking his head, he headed to the cafeteria where he'd try and find some chat with Felix.

Before heading in the cafeteria line, he spotted his buddy and waved to him. With his food tray in his hands, Ron slid into an empty chair next to Felix. Finally, he'd be able to shed a little of his own stress and just talk gaming with his pal. Although, even as he talked about blasting apart the innards of a zombie, he couldn't help but feel that Kim was giving him the cold-shoulder on purpose.

Meanwhile, Kim didn't know where she was headed to, to be honest. She was feeling antsy again and couldn't help but feel remote from the other students as she walked by them chatting at their lockers. She didn't fit in any more now that this had happened to her, she was different now. Some of the students would look at her as she walked by to which Kim quickly adverted her eyes. Paranoia was setting in and she began to feel like everyone in Middleton High had x-ray eyes and could see right through her and at the secret she was carrying, constantly and literally.

Only a few more months in this building and it would all be behind her, never would she have to look back at it and most of the students within. Kim looked down as she walked aimlessly through the halls. The plan had been to send away her university applications and start attending next Autumn. But how likely was that now? Everything would be thrown out of whack. Even now as she walked she pondered the possibility of doubt, hoping that she was wrong, that the results were wrong. Yet inside, Kim knew it has true.

How much time would she have to put off with this… thing? How much time would she have to wait before she could continue higher educations? Would Ron go on without her? What if… what if she told Ron and Ron decided he wanted to go on with university and live at the dorm? She'd never see him, that's what. It wouldn't matter to her if he called from time to time, it wasn't the same and it wasn't what she wanted. There were so many options and yet it felt to Kim like she was on a single path.

And it wasn't all just about the future and where to-morrow would place her, it was the here and now too. Like Ron. Every time he approached her, touched her or spoke softly to her, she had to pull away. He didn't know what was going on, he did this to her. And how dare he be all 'I'm just trying to care for you'? Kim snorted audibly.

You won't have that same thought when you find out what's really going on.

In all of Kim's walkings, she found that her feet had led her to the sewing room. Taking a peek inside, Kim poked her way inside, trying to seek out Monique. And as usual, there her friend was. Kim almost choked when she saw her friend sitting on a stool in a circle with three of girls, all of them sewing. They looked like a circle of… Kim's eyes dropped to her stomach and away again, Don't even say it, Possible.

"Hey, Monique!" Kim cleared her throat and called.

"Oh, hey Kim!" Monique leaned back in her seat to try and glimpse Kim making her way over. "What's up? Come to join us?"

"Briefly," Kim replied. "I was just taking a walk when I thought I'd hang with you. How's it going? Working on some projects?"

The girls giggled. "As usual," Monique smiled. "Not the final, of course, just some, you know, work up to it! Still worth a good percentage. Sorry I'm rarely eating with you and Ron in the caf."

"Oh, uh, don't worry," Kim smiled pleasantly.

"But then you know how it is," Monique continued, reverting back to her stitching. "You're an over-achiever; you must be working your tail off like crazy getting things done."

Kim opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"This is it," Monique went on, not noticing Kim's falter. "This is what marks you for life. This is what decides our next step, everything we've been working towards for the field of our choice—"

"Yeah," Kim had to interrupt. "I, um, I get it," she gave a nervous laugh.

Monique nodded, still looking down at her sewing and not taking much notice of how uncomfortable Kim was with the direction of this conversation. "It's just all happening at once, I can't wait," she sighed heavily in swoon. "Finally, all this High School stuff is going to be left behind and I can work on where I'm meant to be in life." Monique bounced her bare legs in anticipation eagerly. "Ooo, girl, it's just so exciting!"

Kim's smile was crippled by her darkened thoughts.

"That's good to hear," she replied in a soft voice. "You're right. You've worked hard for the next step and you get to go there, nothing standing in your way…"

"Nothing!" Monique grinned with determination. "Nu-uh, girl, no way is anything going to stand in my way!"

"Nothing at all?" Kim asked cautiously. "What if something happened to-morrow and you couldn't go through with your future plan? What would you do then?"

"Keep on going, that's what," Monique replied, nodding. She did a few more stitches before placing the fabric in her lap and lifting her head to the ceiling, her eyes dazzling. "It doesn't matter! I know what I'm meant to do. I don't care if there's a great big barricade in front of me, I'm going to blare on through it! You're the same, aren't you Kim?"

I thought I was…

"What if you can't knock down that wall?" she said to herself, but Monique thought Kim was asking her.

"Then I have friends who can help me and I'd help them."

Kim began to blush, thankfully, Monique and returned her gaze to her sewing.

"If I can't knock down that wall myself, I need more strength and where am I going to get it from?"

"You can count on me," Kim laughed nervously again.

"And you can count on me," Monique winked. Then the smile on her face fell and she again allowed her hands to droop as she stared at Kim. "Oh my gosh! I didn't see it, Kim, I'm sorry, is there something wrong!"

"Oh!" Kim replied, startled. "No, no not at all. Just, rambling!"

"Ah-huh, sure." The expression on Monique's face told Kim her friend wasn't buying that at all.

"Alright, I'm nervous," Kim lied. Well, it wasn't actually a lie, she was nervous. It just wasn't the whole answer. "I'm just nervous about the future. About anything that could get in my way."

Monique snorted down a laugh. "Huh! And you're asking me for advice? You're the can-do-anything girl, not me! C'mon, Kim, where's your head at? Look, the butterflies are normal, I have them too! But that's just it, they're only butterflies, it means you're doing something right."

"Really?" This earned a genuine laugh from Kim.

"That's what I think," Monique shrugged, returning to her sewing. "Besides, there's nothing that can stand in your way for too long. 'Sides you have Ron at your side, you know he's, like, your yes-man. No offence to the guy at all."

Kim bristled at the sound of Ron's name. "Unless the same thing happens to him," she said with a little too much vindication.

"So you rub his back, he rubs yours; help each other out! Come on, you can do anything, and he helps you, so you have one unstoppable team going on there." Monique lifted her head, "Whoah, no pun intended." Shaking her head, she returned to her stitching.

"I guess," Unless he doesn't want to.

"Nu-uh, none of that Kim," Monique clicked her tongue. "No 'I guesses', that'll only bring you down! It's positive talk, positive-thinking all the way. Okay, Kim, remind me why we're having this conversation if you're just 'nervous'."

More laughter from Kim, "We're not, I'm leaving!" Kim stood up, pushing her stool back. "But thanks for the talk, Monique. It helped."

"Helped with what?" Monique shot back suspiciously.

"Never you mind!" Kim called back merrily over her shoulder as she left the room.

"I'M CALLING YOU, GIRL."

Walking out of the sewing room, Kim decided she wasn't quite ready to join up with Ron in the cafeteria yet, there was still a little walk left in her so she would finish her walk around the school. As she floated by the students, she couldn't help but dwell on what Monique had told her. Especially about Ron.

Ah, Monique, Kim thought, shaking her head form side to side. If only you new my real sitch, you wouldn't be saying all of that talk. Ron can't help me with this… he caused this. He's clueless about everything and it'd only freak him out. Besides, I haven't even made my decision yet, this steely determination of hers could go with either decision I choose. Why bother him with something that he might not even have to know? I've no idea where I'm going with this at all… No, if I don't even know, Ron surely can't know…I wish this never happened…

While delving into her thoughts, Kim lifted her head and realised she was walking right past the art room. Walking by, she spotted Josh Mankey inside at a canvas doing some mad painting. Thinking about what Monique had said, Kim decided to ask another friend's opinion. Maybe Josh had a different light to shed on the matter and would give her some advice she could use.

"Oh, hi, Josh," Kim called, her voice soft as she looked into the art room and noticed a few other students doing their own painting or sculpting.

Josh turned around from the canvas and greeted Kim with a smile. "Hey, Kim! Come on over. What brings you here?"

Kim walked up to Josh and eased herself onto a table next to him. "I was just walking around the school and I saw you in here. I thought maybe I could ask you a question."

"Oh?" Josh asked, adding a few touches to his painting. "And what's this?"

"I was talking to Monique just a few minutes ago and we were talking about the future, about where we were going next after graduation. What's your opinion?"

"My opinion?" he asked, "On what? Graduating?"

Kim shrugged. "The future, your plan, where you're going next. That kind of thing, I guess."

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"Well… it's not that exactly," Kim looked away as she fought to find the exact words. "It's just things might not go as I planned. I'd like to hear what my friends are planning on doing, it could help me."

"I see," Josh nodded and placed his paintbrush down as he thought. "I'm going to Upperton Institute of the Arts, I've had my eyes set on it since I was little and I've been working very hard to go there on a scholarship. You've heard the term 'starving artist', right?"

Kim laughed conversationally. "I have. But don't you have an alternative?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if… something got in the way and you couldn't go to that Institute. What would you do? Don't you have some kind of, er, I dunno, 'second plan'?"

"Mm," Josh said knowingly. "We all have the places we want to go, we all have a plan that we've set out for ourselves. But yea, things do happen and sometimes it forces you to change your plan, or maybe it even takes the plan away from you. And even if I want to go to the UppArts, so what if I end up somewhere else? The important thing is I still have my art and if I'll always have the skills that I have, a school doesn't change that."

"Nor does time…" Kim mumbled to herself, playing around with the lanyard bracelet around her wrist.

-ø-

"I thought you said Kim was coming to join us?" Felix announced to Ron after wrapping up another one of their video game conversations. "Lunch is almost over, where is she?"

"I-I'm not sure," Ron admitted. He had forgotten all about the time, in fact, he would have kept on forgetting if Felix hadn't had brought it up. Ron sat up, attentive and looked all around himself, Rufus scuttled onto his forehead for extra surveillance yet she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Maybe I'll go look for her," Ron said, pushing himself out of his seat. "I'll try and make it back with her before the bell rings, but just in case I don't, I'll catch you later, ok?"

"Sure thing, Ron."

Picking up his tray, he stacked it away and headed through the cafeteria doors. He wasn't sure why, but he was starting to feel a little panicky. Kim hadn't been feeling well and she was distressed, she shouldn't be wandering around with her head being as willy-nilly as it was. Oh man, I should have glued our hands together or something. What if she passed out or is doing something way stupid? Or Kim could quite possibly be somewhere plausible, but then again… Wait a minute. What if…

Last time Ron had been searching for her when she had exited from the cafeteria, Ron had discovered her having a 'conversation' with Josh Mankey.

Go 'Elsewhere'? So abruptly and then pull away from him so intently? She knew where she was going, didn't she? Huh! 'Meet be back in the caf', yea right!

A sick feeling churned in his mind as he remembered the two of them together and he had a sudden flash of anxiety. With that memory so fresh, his mind began to whisper for him to run, run, run to the art room. If she was there…

Instantly, Ron bolted for the art room on the other side of the school. He sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him, his fists slinging at his sides in rhythm. Ron streaked past students, his sneakers squeaking on the shiny surface leaving streak-marks; his face knotted with fraught and determination he couldn't help but think dark thoughts.

I don't get this! Why does is nil me trying to comfort her and go to Josh instead? What'd I do this time!

"Oh!"

Ron skidded to a halt loudly when he reached the very doorway of the art room. Panting heavily, his chest heaving greatly, he stared at the two people in the room. His intuition had been correct. The loud sounds of Ron's approach caught Kim and Josh's attentions and for the moment, the three of them just stared at each other.

Kim was sitting on a desk a distance from Josh as he was painting on a canvas. They weren't the only ones in the rooms actually, there were three other students working on artwork of their own. They too were staring with shock at Ron from his entrance. As his eyes meandered all around the scene, trying to take it all in, he felt a small dash of reassurance as he saw Kim's hand playing with the bracelet he had given her on her wrist.

Once Ron had caught his breath substantially, he forced himself into the room, trying hard to ignore the eyes staring at him, as he made his way over to Kim.

"Hey," Ron choked out.

"Hey," Josh replied instead, giving him a smile.

Ron couldn't help but squint at his response. He turned to Kim to read her response, and stood rigid when he saw that Kim was looking at him with great intensity. She wasn't angry nor she was she embarrassed or even exasperated as he guessed she might have been at the very least. It was more as if… she was studying him. It gave him a little more bravery (he didn't have much).

"Whatcha painting?" Ron inquired.

Josh took a step to the side to allow Ron to take a look. "It's for a realism project," he replied, "It's not done, but I'm hoping it'll look like a thirteenth century village portraying their outward struggle with the tyrannical era encompassing them when I'm done."

"Oh, yea, cool. Great with that."

"What brings you here?" Josh asked, sounding light-hearted.

"Uh, yea, that. Oh, see, I was looking for Kim," he turned to face her and still her expression did not change. It was like she was observing him layer by layer, now it was beginning to make him nervous instead of brave. "We were supposed to meet in the caf so I've been searching for her. Searching everywhere, really," he added.

"We've just been chatting," Josh replied. He raised his eyebrows at Ron and said a little quieter: "Just talking. That was quite an entrance you made."

"Heh, yea, thanks. I mean… oh yea, no, of course, I get that. I just said I was looking for her. Hungry?" he asked Kim.

"H'm?" Kim shivered as if snapping out of a trance. "Oh, okay," she slipped off of the table, touching the floor lightly on the tips of her feet as if she was carrying one of the fragile sculpture in the art room. "Bye, Josh."

"See ya, Kim."

Ron walked a little closer than what was necessary to Kim as they walked side-by-side out of the art room, all eyes but Josh's still on them. Only when they were out of the art room and well on their way towards the cafeteria did Ron speak.

"So, Kim, why, uh, why were you in the art room? I thought we were going to eat lunch together. Y'know, only because we have been since, like, forever 'n stuff."

"I needed his opinion on something."

"Oh? Opinion? What about mine? Can I help?"

"You didn't have to storm into the art room," Kim replied, sounding nettled. Ron didn't miss that she had completely avoided her question. "It made me feel like you didn't trust me." Kim's eyes flashed towards Ron in the corners.

"O-of course I do, it's not about that," Ron replied, tripping over his own tongue. "You're not well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay—"

"You keep saying that!" she retorted. "Nothing's 'wrong' with me! It's nothing 'wrong'! It's not 'wrong'!"

"I, uh, I didn't even say the word 'wrong'…"

"Well it's not anyway!" Kim whipped her head away from him, her brow knotted tightly in an anger Ron didn't understand.

"You're right," she said finally after a silence that passed between them. They stopped walking. "I-I'm not feeling well… I'm sorry, Ron."

"Hey, it's okay. We all get a bit grouchy when we're sick," Ron spread his hands out in a motion of calling peace. "Maybe you should go home and rest? As much as I want you here with me, I'm more concerned about your health right now." And you're acting like I should put you in an institute.

"What, like, I can't take care of myself? Like I'm suddenly crippled?" Kim's voice again began to pick up that heated tone.

"You just said—"

"I'm not well… but I'm not handicapped."

Ron heaved a great, large sigh, "Kim, what in the—"

The sound of the bell rang above their heads.

"I'll meet you in class," she stated just like this morning and turned right around to head to History class.

"B-but don't you…" she was far too out of earshot to even hear him.

He couldn't believe that she was just leaving him behind after lunch without hauling him to class and gluing him into his seat so he wouldn't go and vomit up his lunch. It was exactly the same as when she left him standing in the hallways with the Bueno Nacho money after school.

Whipping around, Ron stormed his way to his locker where he brought out his backpack and after school text and binder. He had the inexplicable urge to smash his head repeatedly against his locker door. This time, he was going to head straight to class without taking his usual little 'detour'.

It's not that I'm giving in, Ron told himself with a stiff upper lip. I just don't feel like it to-day, that's all. But he couldn't help but feel a little downcast as he thought of Kim relying on him to make the decision that she thought was 'right'. Maybe he was doing it because of her, but he didn't have to admit it to himself. He was still in control.

Ron arrived in History class with his book and binder under his arms and thunked them onto his available desk next to Kim. He tried to catch her eyes as if to say 'I was fast so I didn't go and puke this time, cheer up, kay?', but even with the great big thunk of his text book, she didn't look up.

Instead, Ron noticed she was… drawing in the back of her student planner.

Drawing! He thought acidly. Drawing right after she came out of the art room with Josh the Artist! Not a good sign here, Stoppable.

"Whatcha drawing?" he asked, slipping into his seat.

"Nothing much," Kim replied simply and shut the planner shut, storing it back into her backpack.

"Oh, well can I see later?"

Kim shrugged, now flipping out her History textbook. "Doesn't matter."

Feeling a little hurt, Ron flipped through the pages of his textbook sullenly. The final bell rang and the teacher asked for them to hand in their last class' homework. Sighing, Ron brought it his homework and passed it forwards. It was going to be a long and boring class…

Just as Ron thought he was going to lose another one of his lives due to extreme boredom, the bell rang. Thankfully, it was Monday and there was only one after-Lunch class. But of course Kim and Ron still had one last place to be in Middleton High.

"Time to hit the gym for cheer practice!" Ron said buoyantly to Kim as he shoved all of his books into his backpack.

"Yup," Kim replied more to herself as she gave her student planner one last look before storing away her own things into her bag.

Kim and Ron made their way in stride to their lockers where they stored away their school bags and pulled out their gym duffel bags. Kim said nothing as she departed into the girls change room to dress into her cheer uniform while Ron bypassed a few of the girls streaming into the gym, as he went into the boys changing room.

Ron, as usual, was the first to finish changing into his sweats. He brought out the stereo that was normally locked in the gym storage and set it out for the girls to use.

As the girls eventually emerged from the changing room to gather near the pile of pom-poms to do their stretches, Ron noticed Kim standing to one side with that student planner of hers out and was now writing in the back of it.

He wondered in intense curiosity why Kim wasn't joining in the stretches. She did change so wasn't she going to participate, right? Pushing himself off the bench and picking up Rufus gingerly and placing his pet onto his shoulder, Ron strolled up to Kim, hoping he wouldn't give her a start.

"Hey, KP," he said in a low voice and craned his head over his shoulder to spy what she was writing. "Is this your drawing you were working on earlier?"

"Oh!" Kim looked a little started and she did a little nervous foot dance as if she wasn't sure if she was going to stay where she was, take a step away, or take a step closer to Ron. But she gave him an overly-kind smile regardless. "I'm finishing what I was working on in History class," she said and took that step away from him.

"This was what you were drawing then?"

"Yes, I'm trying a new floor plan for a new routine."

"What?" Ron yelped and Kim quickly gave him a dirty look a hushed him.

"Not so loud, I'll tell the girls after their stretches."

Ron quickly scanned her notes and sketch, not that he was able to understand all the terms and names. "Do you think they can learn a new routine? I mean, which one are you working on? There's one for the games coming up and then there's the one for Nationals…"

"Both," Kim replied, "It's not that hard—"

"Can you two please stop with the sweet-nothings?" Bonnie's obnoxious voice rose from behind them. Kim and Ron turned to look at the squad; they had finished their stretches and now all were watching the both of them. "Hello? This is not the time and the place! I want to have a stable stomach for practice, uh, EW."

A few of the girls giggles, some gave Bonnie a scowling look, including Kim.

"I'm coming," Kim called and walked up to them; Ron took a seat on the bench as he listened in. "I was just telling Ron that we're going to be changing our routines."

Immediately one long and loud, "Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?" issued from the girls. They tossed their heads back, slumped their backs and complained some more.

"You mean even the one for the game next week?"

"What for!"

"We're supposed to know a whole new routine?"

"This is so unfair."

"Yeah, why are you changing it?" Marcella asked. Confronted, all of the other girls nodded insistently and Ron spotted Kim taking a step back, appearing very nervous. Odd, she was never one to be intimidated, especially by her own squad.

Yeah, Kimbo, why are you changing it?

"Don't worry!" Kim responded, flashing her white teeth at them. "It's not much, in fact, it's basically the same. I'm just taking out a few jumps and flips—"

"I hope you're not taking them out on the Nationals routine too," Hope declared and a few other girls voiced her concern.

Kim sucked on her lips and her eyes darted from girl to girl. "Yeah, but just a few—"

"Okay, are you, like, so wanting us to lose this competition, K.?" Bonnie smacked her lips and rolled her eyes back. "How can you expect us to win without the jumps? Do you know how many tech points they're worth?"

"I didn't say which ones I took out, Bonnie," Kim snort back.

"You had better not have taken out mine."

"I didn't."

Bonnie's eyes flew open and she looked from Tara on her left to Hope on her right. Bonnie opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. So instead she was left to stand there in utter shock.

Heh, I guess that's the closest Kim will ever come to a 'thank-you' out of Bonnie, Ron smirked.

"So," Kim clapped her hands together to attain the squad's attention. "Don't fret about the new routines, it'll be no big, trust me. Now pick up your pom-poms, girls and I'll start explaining what to do, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Let's go!"

The girls, Kim included, scooped up their pom-poms from the pile and skirted over to the centre of the gymnasium for ample space to practice. Ron noticed the look on Kim's face just before she turned her back on him to join in with the rest. He'd seen that face before— it was something he had learned back in Autumn during their shift: it was a mask. Ron tilted his head as he watched Kim, now far away, dictate the new routine for next weeks game. It was so obvious to him that she was pretending that everything was fine when her body language told Ron otherwise. Something was still bothering her and Ron couldn't stop the churning feeling in the pit of his stomach telling him the bother was not a 'thing' but rather a 'who'.

"Track three!" Kim called to Ron when she was finished explaining the new routine to the girls and they were ready to begin practicing it to the music.

"You got it!" he called back and hit the play button on track three.

As practice went on, Ron joined in and frustrated Bonnie to the combusting-point, but was only doing this when she was being particularly nasty to Kim for which Kim was grateful to Ron for. At least, he thought that's what her expression read; there were still some of those 'uncomfortable' vibes issuing from her.

The girls were quickly catching on to the new routine. In fact, Ron wasn't even quite sure why Kim said she had cut some of the jumps, most of the girls kept theirs. Only a few of the girls, including Kim, were now solidly on the ground doing dances, twirls, shimmies and parapara, most of the dances were practically the same. What was the big?

Kim congratulated the girls at the end of practice for performing their new routine as well as they did for their first time.

"Just remember guys," Kim advised, lifting a finger, "Don't confuse the two, it's double kick on the end, them forward-hip-wink, not back-flip. And it's not two-toe high-kick, jump, twirl, jump, it's—"

"Alright, Kim," Bonnie moaned, placing her palm in her hand and sighing. "We get it, we get it a thousand-times over. We're not little kids." This remark received an odd reaction out of Kim. "Let's just go, I have mall-time to catch-up on."

The girls dispersed into the change rooms, Ron did the same after locking away the stereo. Again, he was one of the first to emerge so he hung around the changing room door to wait for Kim. After not seeing her at all on the weekend and the failing of their conversations all day, he felt like they had some catch-up of their own to work on and what better place for that than Bueno Nacho? He was starving and couldn't wait to chow down at his favourite restaurant with his best gal pal.

"Kim!" Ron leapt at her the instant she emerged, he didn't want her sneaking away from him.

"Aah!" Kim let out a small startled scream and a hand flew to her chest. "Don't do that! You almost sent me to my grave, geesh, Ron," she gave him a worried look.

Ron shrugged the comment off. "Want to hit Bueno Nacho? It's been awhile, I said I missed you lot over the weekend and I think—"

"Oh, um… no…" Kim began to flush once again. "I don't think I should."

"Why not?" this time, the curiosity in Ron's voice was replaced by slight agitation and added with a bit of venom: "Got somewhere else to be?" Kim looked up at him anxiously and he began to feel a little guilty for his tone of voice. "I mean, like," he said, lighting up, "A whole weekend, KP. That's a long time for us… right?"

Kim turned her head away. "It is. It's… a long time…" She lifted her head to him and looked him in the eyes. "I want to…" Then she shuddered violently, the reason why she was distancing herself from Ron flooded back when she felt Ron place a hand on her bare shoulder. She shut her eyes and tried so hard to shove away the affliction his touch caused her. Her best friend, she adored him, but…

"There's something wrong, isn't there? You keep avoiding it when I bring it up. How can we fix it if you keep on running away?" Saying this reminded Ron of the times before, when he tried to bridge something up between them. But the look on Kim told Ron he wasn't breaking through and he anticipated Kim's reply, but when she did, it shocked him.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Ron recoiled.

Her eyes darted to her bracelet to him. "I really am but… Later, ok? We, um, we'll have to later." As she said this, Kim backed away from him, walking backwards. Before she twirled around completely to speed-walk away, she said daringly: "And maybe you can figure it out for yourself."

Again, Ron stood alone to watch Kim flee. Away from him.

He sighed and was about to turn to Rufus curled around his neck when a subdued voice serenely called his name from behind. Twirling around, he spotted Tara gazing at him with distress in those vibrant blue eyes.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"Uh—"

"Augh, Tara." Bonnie strutted out of the changing room with Hope at her side. "Please don't tell me you still speak to this loser." Her lip curled as she looked Ron up and down and he sent her an icy gaze in return, expressing the mutual dislike. "You, I and Hope have a date with the mall, to-day. You're coming with us."

"Oh, um," Tara stuttered, fumbling with her fingers.

"It's okay," Ron grinned, trying to ease his friend. "Go on ahead with them. I'll be fine, no big."

"I'll catch up, I'll meet you outside the school," Tara replied to Bonnie instead.

"Ew," Bonnie scowled at her friend. "I thought this was all over with, I thought we talked about this—"

"Bonnie," Tara exclaimed anxiously. "I said I'll meet you outside!"

"Okay, fine, but I am not going to pull another all-nighter over the phone talking to you about—"

"Leeeeet's go," Hope sighed and shoved Bonnie forwards from her back. "We'll meet you outside, Tara. Come on Bonnie, I don't want to have to pull another all-nighter myself listening to another one of your rants…"

It was a good thing Ron wasn't the brightest of boys.

"So what's wrong?" Tara asked. She skipped over to the bleachers and picked a seat a few steps up and patted the space next to her as in invitation for Ron to discuss what was on his mind. "I was just coming out of the changing room when I saw you and Kim. I saw the side of your face, you didn't look too happy. Something happened, am I right?"

"Guh, I don't know if I want to talk about it."

"That's okay too—"

"Yea, actually I will. Okay, Kim's been totally out of whack lately. It's like she's got a virus or something."

"Oh my, is she sick? It's a bacteria you get medicine for, right? I can never remember which…"

"Huh? What? Noooo," Ron shook his head. "It's Kim's 'tude."

"Is she being mean?"

"No, just… really weird around me and I'm getting worried because she's also been spending a lot of time away from me. Did you see her run off just now? She's did it again, she's making these excuses to get away and it's so away from me."

"But why..?"

"I dunno, but…"

"But what, Ron?" Tara shuffled a little closer to Ron.

Ron sighed. "See, well, it might not be related to this but, I saw her… uh, to-day at lunch. I saw her with, er… Josh."

"Oh my…" Tara gasped softly and covered her mouth with her hands while shaking her head slowly from side to side.

"Exactly," Ron admitted, sulking. "She was in the art room with him and… I just… didn't expect to see her there of all places. I'm not sure why she was there."

"But you went looking for her there…" Tara questioned.

Ron cast his head away, "But I didn't want to see anything."

"Did you see anything?"

"No, I… I dunno, they were talking."

"But there's nothing wrong with talking," Tara soothed, placing a hand upon Ron's shoulder comfortingly. "We talk all the time. You're not jealous because—"

"No, Tara, not just cos she was talking, but remember that conversation before? When I saw them in the hallways?"

"I do."

Ron looked at his palms and muttered bitterly, "I think I'm driving her away this time. I thought it was her, but it's really me this time. Last time she was driving us apart and this time it's me. Why else would she go to Josh? We had this all sorted out…"

"Oh, Ron…"

"I'm such an idiot."

"No, you're not!" she insisted and patted his back a few times. "You… you really care for Kim… Everyone knows that. Even Kim."

"Then why is she avoiding me?" he asked gently. "We had that argument I mentioned, the day I first saw her with Josh, and now she's so frustrated that I think she's going to him…"

"Maybe she's going to Josh like you're going to me?"

"Maybe…" Ron replied, harrowed. "But I'm still worried that something might happen between them. Like, why is she spending so much time away from me then? Why didn't she even want to speak to me all weekend?"

"I don't know," Tara replied truthfully. "I'm so sorry you're in this predicament, Ron. I wish I could help you more."

"Heh," Ron leaned back and forced a smile on his face. "Sure you're helping, Tara. You're listening to my ramblings, thanks."

Tara returned Ron with a weak but dazzling smile, "You're welcome." There was a moment of silence between them when Tara finally spoke up again. "You know… if it's you driving the two of you apart, then that means you can do something about it right?"

"Huh?"

"Well…" Tara's eyes wandered around the deserted gymnasium as she contemplated. "You're in control this time, not like last time when you tried and tried and Kim kept saying 'no'. This time, you're like Kim—"

"I'm not hurting her!"

"No… I don't know everything going on. But I think you are… you're hurting yourself, aren't you? Being apart from Kim?"

"Well, duh."

"Then you're probably hurting her too," Tara leaned forwards and patted her knees. "You two are so alike and in tune. I bet she's wanted you to come forward and make things right again just like you wanted when she was being mean to you."

"But I'm not being mean."

Tara blushed furiously and looked Ron in the eyes, and stuttered: "Not on purpose."

"Ew," Ron cast his head away and furrowed his brow as he thought on this. "Maybe I am… But I told you before, it's not like I can just say 'sorry', it'll mean… Like, it's not an argument like last time, Tara." Tara tilted her head in question. "I'd have to, like… give in…"

Tara giggled lightly, "I thought she was the prideful one."

Ron laughed as well, "Aw dang, you're right, auuughgh." Ron leaned back burying his head in his hands. "This isn't fair at all…"

"If… if you do plan on bridging your friendship," Tara added cautiously, "You shouldn't wait too long. You know… in case Kim really is drifting away from you…"

Ron sighed. "I wanna think it over some more."

Tara nodded, "It may seem like it's not fair to just you, but I bet Kim feels like it's not fair to her. I bet she's waiting on you. Don't make the same mistake she made. I'm sure she's sorry for it."

"H'm," was Ron's conclusion.

Well Ron spent the entire week turning it over in his mind. It wouldn't be such a huge issue for him to think about, after all, Ron had no problem with just apologising about stuff; Tara was right, he wasn't the one with the big ego. The reason he resisted 'giving in' had nothing to do with his ego, he just… didn't agree with Kim. Was it right to just agree with her when he knew there was nothing wrong? Just for the sake of their friendship? Apart of him deep inside said no, his observations of Kim becoming increasingly distant and silent told him yes.

The week went by and nothing much changed, although Ron did keep an eye on Kim in case she went near Josh again for any more 'opinions', but he didn't see them anywhere near each other. Ron tried to keep in her company, and when they were, like walking down the hallways side by side, she'd walk further away from him than before. It only reminded him of the times they walked close, their shoulders touching: was Ron's 'issue' really distressing her this much? Even her head was leaned away from him. Ron wasn't sure if he should find this insulting or heartbreaking.

"Kim," he had said softly to her one day during the week when she had been at the school for the whole day (and not home sick in the morning like as of frequent). "You feeling alright? Wanna lay down in the nurse's room? You look a little ill." It was a similar conversation that had been popping up all through the week, but he couldn't stop asking, he really was concerned for her. And maybe she'd finally give in and they wouldn't have to continue his topic any more.

Kim had furrowed her brow in frustration. "Why would you think I need to see the nurse?" she asked curtly. "It's not my fault."

"I never said it was," Ron replied, it was hard to keep the ice out of his voice. But then, "Kim, I just…" at that very moment, he felt a wave of compassion and deep internal longing to comfort her and he wasn't quite sure why. Was it guilt? He parted his mouth, was he going to apologise? He wanted to, just to put her at ease and be able to hug her, maybe even spend a night talking with her… but he couldn't do that yet. There wasn't anything he could do to soothe her.

That memory stuck in his head, it was something he didn't like. Always in the past, if Kim was troubled, Ron was right at her side, ready and willing to do anything for her. Well, at least he wasn't making things worse by distancing himself from her. He tried all weekend to contact Kim, but the results were the same as the weekend before.

She's really making this difficult on me, he thought to himself during the weekend as he sat at his desk, hunched over his homework with Rufus dozing by his side (Rufus was sleeping a lot as of late, something else that worried Ron).

But then he remembered not only what Tara had told him about Kim, but what Kim herself had told him. Ron sat, his pencil held limply in his hand as he stared at nothing, his eyes glazing over. He remembered her on the verge of tears and frustration as she struggled to get across to him how much she cared, the tears pouring down her face as he turned his back on her and sneered. How she tried to come closer to him, to hug him and how Ron resisted and didn't want her anywhere near him and-

Wait.

Where did that memory come from?

Ron sat up in his chair and tapped his chin with his pencil. This memory appeared out of nowhere inside him and yet even as he had it in his mind and could see Kim's emotionally distraught face quite clearly as if it really had happened at one point… But how could it have? He couldn't even put a place to the background. The background was a blank memory, or like a dream where you know what it looks like inside your mind, but you can find no words to describe it. Even though, it was not a dream.

"Then you're probably hurting her too," Tara's voice reminded him, "You two are so alike and in tune. I bet she's wanted you to come forward and make things right again just like you wanted when she was being mean to you."

Am I really being just like her but, like, differently? He asked himself. Maybe she's… erm, not trying to be controlling and know-it-all, maybe…maybe she's doing this stuff not because she's forgetting her promises again, but because she really does care about… well, about me. Heh, why else would she distant herself from The Ron, right?

Then he recalled what had happened on last Monday after cheer practice, how Kim said 'I'm sorry'. Ron let his head drop as he thought. As similar as this was to Autumn, he forced himself to admit it wasn't quite the same. For whatever reason Kim was acting the way she was, for the reason she was distancing him and feeling awkward around him, she really was sorry.

She doesn't want to be away from me. Then that means if she wants to be with me but can't then the problem must be…Ron lifted his head and realisation came to him and he felt shameful. He had to admit it, he had to: Me.

Oh, come on, Stoppable. Just admit it. The problem is me. Not like last time me, but like how Kim was the ish last time. Tara's right, I gotta speak to her seriously. Not just ask her 'what's wrong' all the time. I gotta STEP up and deal with what's wrong, that's why she's been distant with me. She's waiting for it and she's gonna keep being distant with me until she gets it cos it really bothers… no, it really hurts her.

Ron sighed a slumped his cheek into his palm as he flicked his pencil between his middle and pointer finger. Aw, sometimes I wish I didn't mean that much to her. When I 'died', that really showed it. So many times before too, this being distant isn't her being grr and stuff like when we broke apart, but her being all sad. Ok, got it.

Only now that he had it all figured and laid out in front of him, that meant he had to deal with it. And that meant…

Giving in. He sighed again. Gotta give in and just agree, right? He looked to Rufus still curled up, the little mole-rat's body rose and lowered as he breathed in his sleep, the little white colour-less hairs on his body rustling. No answers or help from Ron's little buddy to-night.

Being distracted, Ron looked around himself as if hoping to find an answer staring him in front of his face. In fact, the only thing in front of his face (besides his textbook, the green one) was the computer.

"H'm," was indeed Ron's favourite conclusive word.

-ø-

What with all the swirling thoughts of her latest discovery to cloud her mind and affect her behaviour, after still not coming to terms with it completely, Kim completely forgot that her birthday was to-day.

Lately, Kim had been trying to sneak down to the kitchen late at night to fill herself to help avoid intense morning sickness so she'd be able to go to school in the morning. However it had slipped her mind the prior night, Monday, and so on Tuesday morning, she awoke with a horrible sickness inside and she knew she wouldn't be able to go to school that morning. It only irritated her.

"Haaaappy Birthday, sleepy head!" he Father had knocked on the trap door before walking inside her room. "Your Mother said to come and wake you for Breakfast, Ronald will be coming soon."

"Dad," Kim shuffled underneath her blankets. "I don't think I can go again, I'm not feeling well enough! I'm feeling sick again."

"Again?" he asked sounding perplexed. "What a shame, on your birthday! I'll go downstairs and bring your Mother up."

"Um, thanks," Kim gurgled back and picked up the bucket next to her bed. She sighed heavily and leaned her head back on the headboard as she waiting for her Mother to arrive.

"Kimmie, are you sick again?" Mrs Possible asked as she marched up to Kim's bed.

"Yes," Kim moaned, "It's my birthday too…"

"I know, sweetie, I know," her Mother reached out a hand to rest onto Kim's forehead. "Maybe we should think about taking you to a doctor, this really can't go on anymore. You're missing a lot of school and I'm really becoming concerned for you."

"No!" Kim exclaimed, struggling to sit herself up, but her Mother gently pushed her back down. "I'm just sick, I'll get better…" Her Mother didn't look convinced. "Look, it's probably because I haven't been resting right? So I'll rest… I'll stay home to-day…"

"All day?"

"Yes," Kim gave in.

"Good. You'll stay in this house until you've fully recovered. I'm sorry you have to feel terrible on your birthday. We can have dinner at home, I hope you'll be well enough for cake."

"I think I will…"

"Oh?"

Kim flushed, and it wasn't because she was feeling ill. "As in 'I hope I will'…"

"You know, Kimmie," Kim perked up at the tone of her Mother's voice. It wasn't stern… but it was a tone that made one want to gulp regardless. "If you continue to feel sick, then we're really going to have to see about taking you to a doctor."

"I know…" Kim stuttered.

"When did you start feeling sick?"

"Huh?"

"We need to know how long this lasts," Mrs Possible explained. "I'm a doctor too, if you hadn't had noticed, maybe I can tell what's going on."

Kim paled. "Um. I don't know, for a few weeks now, I guess," she murmured. "I'm really not," she felt a small burp in her throat. "Feeling up to talking much right now…"

"I understand," (Kim's eyes suspiciously darted to her Mother) "I'll bring some ice cream up before I head to work. If there's anything you want, just ask. We'll be back home from work early to celebrate your special day." ('Special day' made Kim think of some other day.) "Happy Birthday," and she leaned forwards to kiss her daughter on her cheek.

"Thanks, Mom."

So Kim spent the first half of her birthday much like every other home-sick day. Vomiting, tossing and turning, cringing and moaning, but at least she had her ice cream. She was still feeling sick when she crawled out of bed when her belly screamed for more food. So she raided the kitchen and cleaned out, once again, the Possible's household supply of ice cream and other assorted snacks.

Back to her room and on her bed with a bag of chips (Kim wasn't sure which number was the month and which was the year on the bag's expiry date) when the Kimmunicator went off. Curiously, Kim rolled over to pick the Kimmunicator up from her bedside.

"Hey Kim, feeling any better?"

"Wade, uh, how did you know I was feeling sick?" Kim asked, startled.

"Ron told me," Wade admitted, "He asked me to contact you. It's Lunch time at Middleton High, I'm going to patch him through, ok?"

"Uh?"

"Happy Birthday, Kimbo!" Ron exclaimed, enthralled, as Wade's image on the Kimmunicator vanished to be replaced by Ron's.

So this is what it must look like for Wade, Kim thought as she saw Ron from the inside of her locker and saw the hallway behind him.

"Your Mom said you were feeling sick again this morning," (Kim did not like how Ron used 'sick' and 'morning' in the same sentence), "So I thought I'd check in with you to-day. So, babe, think you're coming to school in the afternoon?"

"No," Kim replied, "I promised I'd stay home the whole day and rest. I… really should, after all…"

"Aw, but people wanna say Happy Bday to you! And what about cheer practice? Kim, I haven't seen you all weekend again…"

"You can just tell the girls for me that I want them to practice their new routine."

"Yea, but, Kim, what about—"

"Thanks for the birthday wishes, Ron," Kim responded, without even looking at him.

"Kay," Ron replied and Kim noticed Ron looking a little crestfallen. "So, like, we won't go to Bueno Nacho for your birthday, will we?"

"No. I'm not well enough."

"Maybe when you're better. I hope you get better really soon."

"Heh, I doubt that."

"I don't get it."

"Never mind, Ron—"

"No," Ron interrupted, "I don't just want to 'never mind', look, KP, I need to talk to you—"

"Ron, I'm not feeling well. Another time, ok?"

"But I thought you wanted me to—"

"Please? Thanks, bye."

And she shut the Kimmunicator off and placed it back onto her dresser. Reaching for the bag of crisps and pulling it open, she stuffed some into her mouth before she reached up to the top of her bed and brought down, not her Pandaroo, but her precious Rabphin, the one Ron had given to her and hugged it tightly.

If only Ron could be by her side. Closing her eyes, Kim imagined Ron sitting next to her and talking to her in a low, soothing voice. Talking about what? About nothing at all, this and that, or perhaps something really important. Just like all the times years ago in their early teens when Ron had given her permission to call him up at any time she desired, often in the middle of the night, if she was feeling pain and needed him.

And that's exactly what it was, her imagining him being like that if he found out.

But he can't be with me now, Kim thought bitterly. This is different from cramps, this is far worse. I can't even think about it doesn't seem like it's something that could be real and could happen to me. But even as I lay here it's there… She shivered and hugged her Rabphin tighter. This sucks!

She remembered what Monique and Josh had said about their futures but how everything was certain for them and they were right on course. Who were they to talk about friends backing them up, breaking down walls, or their craft always being with them whenever and wherever? It wasn't the same. Even Ron of all people was right on track and here Kim was, left behind, even by Ron.

Kim toyed with the little bracelet on her wrist. Here were two representations of Ron, the Rabphin and the lanyard he had made for her, she felt so comforted by these objects that he had given to her and yet she could barely stand around him anymore.

Why? She asked herself repeatedly. Why can't we just be together?

For until the time her parents returned home from work, Kim sat out her birthday eating chips and holding her Rabphin. When her parents did walk in the door downstairs, the crisps had provided Kim enough food in her belly to get out of bed and join in the celebrations of her own special day. Still in her purple pyjamas, Kim slowly trailed down from her room to the kitchen where Mrs Possible was putting the final touches on the cake.

"Oh, that looks delicious!" Kim exclaimed eagerly. Finally, something to help cheer her up! She reached out to take a small swipe at the icing but her Mother swerved her finger away.

"Just be patient! Go in the living room and see what's out there."

"Okay," Kim gave in with a slight smile on her face.

Out in the living room, her Father was placing the last birthday package in a stack. The Tweebs were there, naturally, and were keen on peeking at the gifts themselves.

"HEY!" Kim shouted and waved her arms. "Those are my presents, get away from there!"

"It's not fair," Tim shot back. "Kim gets so many presents!"

"Because there's only one of her," Jim snorted.

"Tchach, no duh," Kim placed a hand on her hip. "I'd rather have one of you, even if it meant you get more presents than me," she added in a mutter.

"Heeeey!"

"Which one of us would you keep?"

"Neither, I'd ask for a sister," Kim retorted while reaching forwards to a small package on the top of the stack.

"That means she'd keep you," Tim grinned at his brother.

"NO, that's YOU!" Jim shot back.

The two began to bicker and toss their fists in the air attracting their Father's attention to break up the fight. Kim took the opportunity to poke at the wrapping paper of the small gift.

"Kim!"

Kim shot up and immediately placed the gift back on the stack and looked away as if she had attempted nothing. "What?" she asked casually, playing with her hair.

"Those are for after cake," her Father replied sternly.

Kim sighed, "And Mom said to come out here and not touch the cake," she laughed.

Oh, it really was wonderful to act normal again around the household. Kim knew it wasn't going to last, and not just as in 'to-day only' but as in the months to come when she'd have to tell her parents the truth behind her sickness. So she took the day for all it was worth and enjoyed every moment that she could. Unfortunately, she didn't allow this to last very long.

Dinner had been eaten and it was time to bring out the cake. Kim still had not changed into clothes yet and so she sat there at the dinner table in her pyjamas as she eagerly awaited her birthday cake. All the lights were turned off and Kim could already see the faint glow of the candles coming from the kitchen.

Her Father came to sit next to her, Jim and Tim next to him to keep them in tow. Slowly and steadily, carrying her birthday cake, Mrs Possible began to sing the birthday song. It made Kim blush with embarrassment, but secretly, she really wouldn't have it any other way. Jim and Tim sang along, making up their own disgusting lyrics.

The Tweebs were right at 'And you look like a monkey' with the cake laid out in front of Kim, candles ready to be blown out, when the doorbell rang.

"Hang on, let me come back before you blow out the candles," Mrs Possible said as she rushed to the door.

Mr Possible pulled out his camera and began taking pictures of Kim in front of the cake.

"Daaaad," Kim groaned, throwing her head back in exasperation. "I'm in my pyjamas!"

"Just two more for the scrapbook…"

Kim was about to voice her complaints again when between the clicking sounds of the camera, she heard a faint voice coming from the living room other than her Mothers. Kim's heart began to beat quicker when she recognised who it was. Instantly, Kim shoved herself out of her chair and made a mad-dash to the living room, startling both her Father and her brothers.

She came to an abrupt halt when she saw Ron just in front of her Mother at the doorway.

"Kimmie!" Kim turned around when she head her daughter's approach. "Ron's come over!"

"Happy Birthday, KP!" Ron stood in his red and navy shirt and sweater, a handful of packages in his hands as he smiled ear to ear at her. She took a step away. "Sorry I was a bit late, but I just thought of a real cool present and—"

"Kimmie?"

"You shouldn't have come!" Kim burst before she fled upstairs as fast as her bare feet could run.

"Did something happen?" Mr Possible came into the living room with his camera and looked around. "Where's Kim? Aren't we going to do the cake now?"

Ron exchanged an anxious glance with Mrs Possible at his side. Fidgeting with the presents in his hands, he tried to say as normally as he could: "I'll go and check up on her."

Mrs Possible nodded, her expression apparently distressed for her daughter, however Mr Possible's expression was a little difficult to read. Ron decided to ignore it as he felt something inside the bottom of his stomach gnaw on his innards.

Leaving the Possible family behind, Ron slowly trudged up the stairs and towards Kim's loft bedroom. He knocked softly three times before he heard a muffled sound from the other side. Lifting the trap, Ron climbed inside, shutting it behind him.

He found Kim to be lying on her bed, her head resting on her pillow and staring with glazed eyes at the ceiling. Ron noticed she was holding the Rabphin he had given her. Walking forwards and pausing just before her bed, he cleared his throat to arouse her attention.

Kim jolted at the sound, sitting up, she shuffled away from Ron, as far as the headboard behind her would allow and placed the Rabphin next to her. She eyed him with wary eyes that sent confusion in Ron. When he took another step towards her, she pulled her legs close and hugged them.

"I thought you were Mom," she said. At least she was still looking at him.

Ron smiled weakly. "No, sorry. But they're worried. I am too, like, uh, what went on? You feeling right?" Another step forwards and Kim lowered her neck, still keeping an eye on Ron. "You don't look well… Is it me?"

"What makes you think that?"

Ron snorted, "Cos you bolted the second I came in the door."

"I told you earlier I wasn't feeling well," Kim blushed, casting her head away. She heard the sounds of Ron shuffling with the packages in his hands.

"Yea, well, you looked pretty okay to me downstairs."

"Ron!" Kim's head shot up, "I really have been sick, would you like to smell my vomit bucket?"

Ron recoiled and wrinkled his nose. "No way. No, I've had enough of that smell back in—"

"You would," Kim muttered under her breath. It was meant for her ears only, but Ron had overheard.

His eyes darted away from her and he tried to push down the rising emotion that, although foreign to him, he distinctly recognised as anger. He again shuffled with her presents in his hands which were becoming a little sweaty and his hands began to stick to the wrapping paper. "Look, about that… I… I know what this has all been about."

Kim lifted her head to stare at him bewilderedly.

"Can I sit down?" he ventured.

"Sure," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.

"It is about me, I figured that out. Well, heh, doesn't take a brainiac to figure that out…" He looked at Kim, she was gazing back at him, waiting for him to continue. "I figured out the reason you've been avoiding me..."

Kim froze. Her heartbeat began to race and her adrenaline skyrocket, never had she felt this nervous. Even plummeting out of the sky with no parachute couldn't stir such a reaction within Kim.

"You're obviously not going to bring it up," Ron went on, "I get that I have to do that… Sorry it took me so long. It took me awhile, cos, like, ok, see, at first I really didn't understand what was going on. But things started to happen… I noticed some stuff and was able to put them together. I can put two and two together to make five—"

"Four."

"Yea, I can do that. First, you were sick and came back to school in the afternoon and then second when you ran off on me after that one day when you handed me the money for Bueno Nacho. I know those were connected. Am I right, KP?"

Kim's breathing became more audible as her adrenaline began to climb. Now she wished it was she who had the extra lives because at the rate her heart was beating, she felt like she was going to die any moment. She couldn't lie to him. But at the same time, Kim was, by no means, ready to tell Ron the truth. She wasn't ready for that; Kim wasn't ready for it herself. But how could she withhold the information if he figured it out on his own? He deserves to know, I mean, he is the father. He may only become angry with me if I hold it from him when he knows

"Yes."

Ron nodded. "Yea, I got that. That's when I learned why you were being distant from me. At first I thought you were angry, or you were trying to be mean… like…" He sucked in his breath, "Like back in Autumn. But then," he continued before Kim could interrupt heatedly, "This took me awhile too. But I figured out that you weren't being mean and I wasn't the one being hurt this time it was you. You were hurt and you were waiting for me to say something, right?"

"Ron…"

"I didn't want to say anything because I… don't agree."

" 'Don't… agree'?"

"Well you know that," Ron shrugged. He placed the presents down on her bed, leaving his hands free to fidget with each other instead. "Then, Kim… I, ok, I don't like seeing you like this, I really don't." Ron lifted his head to look Kim squarely in the eyes. "KP, I'm so sorry I'm doing this to you…"

"Ron…"

"I never thought… never thought it'd hurt you, I really didn't! Sometimes… I just wish you never went into my drawer but then I thi—"

"Drawer?" Kim asked.

"Yea, my drawer when you found my pills."

"Oh! Your bulimia…" That's what we're talking about so… ok, where is Ron getting all this?

"Um, that. Sometimes I wish you never found them in the drawer and then all this wouldn't be happening. Then maybe we wouldn't be having this convo and I wouldn't have put you through so much stress."

"I shouldn't be in stress."

"No-one should," Ron agreed obliviously. "I really think it's overdue of me to have this chat with you. You're sick and I don't want you to be sick and be worried about me. You'll never get better that way! That's why I want to tell you that I'm sorry."

Kim looked up at him. "Really?"

"Of course," he smiled back at Kim. He looked at her bracelet, "I didn't make that for nothing, you know."

"So… so you're finally… finally going to… agree with me?" Kim prodded. Without even realising it, she shuffled closer to Ron. "You finally understand and you're going to let me help you!" Then through the despondent mood she'd had nonstop since she found out she was pregnant, a faint, but true smile crossed her face and she found a ray of sunshine begin to rise through the storm clouds within and shine onto her heart. "I can't believe it! I never thought… Ron, this is so…"

"Now, hang on," Ron began to actually flush. "I didn't say exactly that…"

"Ron…?" There went another cloud covering that ray of sunshine within her. She felt not just the depression surface, but a bubbling of emotions. Maybe it was her hormones, but she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I'm SICK of this!" she burst out, startling Ron next to her. "I just… I can't take all of this, it's one stupid thing after another bloody stupid thing with us and I'm sick of it!"

"KP!"

"Look, Ron, I just… you… You just don't get it, do you? You have… you have no freaking idea how much… how much I went through when you were in that coma, do you?"

Ron's eyes widened and he attempted to look at her through the corners of his eyes. "W-what does this have to do with…"

"Ron, I know you suffered a lot before you fell into the coma. But you have NO idea how much I suffered… I… you don't understand that I almost lost you, do you? You don't know how… how frightening… how…" Kim felt her voice begin to choke up but she fought it down. "I almost lost you… I don't want to go through something like that again. And that could happen again if you don't listen to me!"

There's so much just around the corner waiting to unbalance us and… and if we don't deal with this, we won't be able to survive anything else…

"Kim I don't understand…"

"It shows how much I CARE, Ron, oh my goodness! I'm sick of telling you that! I'm sick of saying—"

"I know you care about me, Kim!" Ron cried back, he reached out to place his hands on her arms, but she cast her body away from him defiantly. "I was just telling you I get that you care about me! That's how I figured out why you've been distant with me and you gave me the money for Bueno Nacho and didn't come—it was a test! Kim, I didn't spend the money, I didn't even go, I have it right here in my pocket to give back to you! Kim, I think that—"

"No, stop, Ron… just stop!" A memory thudded Ron and her crying for him to 'stop' and in this very room reminded him of another time. "How can you say you understand that I care about you when you don't even see what's in front of you face? Ron, I just…"

Kim felt a wave of, well, something, hit her and she gasped, rolling her head away from him to lay herself down on the pillow. Ron attempted to reach for her again but again she turned from him, speaking volumes that she didn't want even his touch. As she began to slouch down to rest, Ron moved closer to her, placing one hand on the headboard above her head as he went on.

"Kim, let me finish… I was sorry for hurting you and I'm sorry again for your stress right now. I know you care about me, but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed my own opinion—"

"No," Kim replied, beginning to shake her head. "It's not about opinion! How can you understand how much I care? If you did, you'd see how much I'm freaked for you, you'd see how much you're hurting yourself. If you say you know how much I care, then you'd see that's why I'm distressed about you. Oh, I don't need this right now, why did this have to be brought up!"

She shivered when she felt Ron touch her cheek and brush away her hair that she hadn't seen coming. All this time she had been fighting his touch, but once she felt his hand lightly brush against her skin, it, to her surprise, eased her. It didn't cause disgust in herself.

"Ron… What are you going to do? Why did you bring this up?' she murmured, still leaning away from him. The more he lightly brushed her hair, the more she gradually turned to face him. "It's my birthday…"

"When I said I was sorry, I thought I was being clear," he replied in a low voice. Despite the words he said, his brushing and low voice began to force Kim into a dilatory state. She felt her eyes begin to droop sluggishly. "I was saying I was sorry for troubling with you my, uh, thing. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you sooner. I want to tell you I know why and that you don't have to turn from me anymore. Cool, right?"

But all while Kim was in this dream-like state. Ron's words were still coming through and her brain was still processing them. She didn't like what she was hearing. How dare he apologise just for the stress and not want to stop the source of the stress! It was heartless was what it was to Kim. Kim by now was just inches from leaning onto Ron's chest when she pulled back abruptly.

"That's it!" she demanded, fiercely incredulous.

Ron, too, pulled back, surprised by her reaction. "Isn't that what you need, Kim? I think you needed to know or would have gone on—"

"Wow, Ron, you just completely missed everything I've been trying to tell you!" How could she get through to him? It was as if it was something that was impossible to fit in his brain and it was driving Kim to ultimate desperation. "It's hilarious that you say you're sorry, but you really aren't!"

"How many times do I have to tell you what I'm sorry for!"

"And I heard that!" Kim shot back, "But that doesn't solve anything! It shows you just don't understand! If you really want to help, you'd let me help you because that's what's stressing me right now!"

"Well, I'm sorry, KP! But what if I don't agree? I—"

Kim dropped forwards, her head hanging and her hair covering her face. She struggled so hard to fight back her tears, her chest heaved, her mind spinning. There wasn't anywhere left to go. He just wouldn't accept it. "You would. You would if you could see it… if you could just get it."

"Get what?" Ron replied with a slight snarl in his voice.

Kim lifted up her head and shot her eyes into his, "That I LOVE you!" she exploded.

They froze. Kim gasped quietly as she looked up at Ron next to her. He was so close, looking down at her, his expression utterly and beyond any shock he had experienced. For the longest time, they didn't say anything. All Kim could think about was how Ron would react.

Blushing like never before, Kim began to stutter. "I… I, Ron… I, Oh, I've worked so hard to keep us together after you fell into the coma and I don't want anything to split us apart again!" Kim began to shake her head from side to side deliriously. "Ron, I'm in love with you and I… I just… I don't want anything to happen t-to us… You're still my best friend… I—"

She looked up at Ron who was still staring at her, his mouth parted slightly.

"Ron?" she asked, beginning to feel fear. "Oh, come on, d-don't say you didn't know? Somewhere? Deep inside? Isn't it obvious!" Kim felt her arms beginning to shake as well and soon she felt tears begin to gather in the corners of her eyes and they quickly blurred her vision they came in the masses.

Her lip trembled as she waiting for Ron to say something. Surely he felt the same back? If he didn't… if… Could this really be the one thing? Could this small child insider her, not even present yet, be the one thing that could finally tear them apart through all that they've been through and worked hard to achieve? If she couldn't be with Ron… if she was left alone…

Kim had been avoiding Ron all this time, turning her back on him in her fear that she didn't even want to admit to when she had actually needed him at her side. She did need his solace and assurance, even if he was making her feel anguished, that was her, that wasn't something he was doing to her purposefully. All this time he had been constantly trying to reassure her. Now there was only one thing alone that could push those fears of him away. Kim was indeed sick of it: she no longer desired to fear Ron or their future. Monique was right, she did need Ron to help tear down that wall, whatever decision resided behind that wall. She couldn't do it alone, even if Ron didn't want to help, he at least deserved to put in his own say. And how could he just leave her if that's what he decided upon? Kim had said before, although she had never been perfect, she had worked so hard to be together with Ron. If only she hadn't had just realised this! It could quite possibly be too late.

Finally, Ron's eyes returned to Kim and his eyes bore into her own like never before. For once, his eyes that were normally intensely tender were suddenly so strong, sharp and oddly intelligent, deeply penetrating Kim's own. She felt him reading her, taking her apart layer by layer and leaving her with nothing. What was he doing? She thought this frantically and felt herself begin to shake again. Never. Not ever in Kim's entire life, even back in Autumn, during their hand-holding and what came after had Kim felt so vulnerable. Only to Ron would this side of her be shown.

"Yea," Ron said, smoothing out the comforter at his side. "I've known that all this time, I guess. Love me as in love-love?"

Kim nodded, now unable to breath.

Ron too nodded, more to himself. "I guess I did, all that you've done to show me that you care about me. Even the times you've turned away from me, I guess that also showed how much I'm important to you, right? When you thought I was a jerk to you, you turned away and you were really hurt cos you thought you lost the real me. And then recently I drove you away cos you were so upset with my ish. M-maybe I am wrong this time about it, if you love me enough to stress out like this… Autumn kinda put in my mind that you're always at fault, but I am too. I'm not prideful, I can suck it in and admit I was wrong. I… I didn't know, Kim, I looked it up online and you were right! And, and… and Yes. I knew it then when I realised you were right… I know it now… And you know…" Kim's admission had given Ron the courage to agree with her with what he had discouvered about his problem just last night. Kim lifted her head to him and Ron again looked at her, instead of meandering all across her room. "Is it just as obvious that I'm in love with you too?"

The smile inside Kim lighted her up inside and spread all over her. That ray of sunshine that had been blocked by that cloud now burst open and chased away every dark, ill and depressed thought within her. Every. Single. One.

The smile outside Kim was a tiny quirk. "A little."

Ron smiled, "But…"

Uh-oh, the clouds were coming back.

"You know what that means right?"

"Uh…" And Kim was normally good at essay questions.

"I know you love me, and you saying that… and all that's happened in the past weeks. It's helped me."

"Helped you how?" Kim whispered back.

"Make up my mind," Ron answered, now picking at the blanket next to him. "I know we haven't brought it up, but I've been thinking about it non-stop. When I lay in bed at night, when we're passing time going to places on our missions, even when we're just hanging out all normal-like. Sometimes I think yes, sometimes I think no. But…"

Still Ron wouldn't look at her as he rambled on in a low voice. "You wanted to know the reason why I came here. I didn't just come here to, like, tell you what I figured out. Oh, and cos of your bday. See, I had to so I could explain this. But, uh, yea, um… Like I said, I understand that all that caring you have more is, like, love. Real love, that real stuff. And it's not just the words, hearing you say it that made up my mind cos talk can be cheap, right?"

Kim flushed and knew he was getting at her promises in the Autumn in the tree, on the dock, on the bed…

" 'Actions speak louder than words', you told be once before you were gonna go beat up a buncha henchmen. I haven't forgotten that. Your actions lately spoke loudly, but I was just trying to translate them into the wrong language, I guess. But even if it was all yucky for us, it helped make up my mind. And this time, I'm superbly positive I made the right decision."

"I don't understand…" Her voice was not even yet a whisper.

Nor was Ron's when he replied: "I forgive you."

Kim, with her hand already tightly clasped together in front of her, smiled the largest smile since nearly a month ago. Her eyes began to well up again, but this time, tears of joy flourished and she truly felt the unconditional, yes—unconditional—love from Ron that was for her alone. No more distancing herself from him, no matter what became of the future, she knew Ron would be there. You could have said she should have always known that, but of course she couldn't have, not until he forgave her. Forgave her for all of her faults, forgave and loved her—together, those two formed an unspoken, mutual promise that he would, no matter what happened, love her for everything about her and always would. It was the forgiving she had asked for while in his mind and again by his hospital bedside. For months he hadn't been able to give her an answer, but now…

"Um," Ron, turned his eyes away from Kim as he boldly held out his arms to her. "May I?" he asked.

Kim nodded, although Ron's head was still turned, she flung herself into his arms, almost toppling him off the bed and she began to laugh. Ron pushed himself up as Kim clung to him tightly and leaned back against the headboard to wrap her in his arms.

"Thank-you," Kim whispered in his ear, her tears rubbing off onto him.

"Ah," Ron began to glow with brilliance, and buried his face into her shoulder, wearing her tears of euphoria proudly. "No big. Oh, and Happy Birthday."

And so with all of their immediate issues resolved for the time present, the three of them sat there together on the bed… four if you included Rufus.