Chapter 1

Now, where should this story begin? Perhaps the day they met? Nah. We all know about that. Perhaps their first mission together? Neither. Oh. I've got it! It should begin from here.

"Ron? We need to talk."

… All right. I'll give it to you. This is not a good way to end a story, much less begin a new one. The dreaded four words are never a good omen. This much is obvious even to someone as clueless as Ronald Dean Stoppable. Despite his lacking knowledge in the girlfriends department he knows that it's never a good thing when a girl speak those words. It doesn't matter if she's your girlfriend or, like in this case, your best friend of a lifetime.

"What about, KP?" Yeah. What is the serious tone all of a sudden? Why did she call him over the her house? I mean, we all know that there is nothing expect womanly issues that Kimberly Ann Possible can't talk with is best friend. Right?

"About you and me… and Josh." Mankey! Anything that's just a vowel away from monkey is never a good thing when it comes to Ron Stoppable.

"Hmm? What does Josh have to do with you and me?" Exactly what we were all asking each other. What does he have to do with anything at all?

"Ehm.. You know that I'm kinda… dating him…" Ah. Yes, he forgot that. Ron Stoppable prefers to forget this kind of stuff when it's not needed. Not that his mind retains anything more than the strict necessary knowledge to keep on living.

"Yeah. So?" Not good. When you have to push someone to speak it's definitely something you don't want to hear.

"And… Since we, as in you and me, are always hanging out together, well…."

"Yes? Come on KP. Just say it. What's the big deal?" Yep. Clueless as ever.

"I… well… I kinda want… Oh damn it. Here. Ron we can't see each other anymore." All right. Picture in your mind an ice dagger. Got it? Now, picture yourself stabbing your own hear with it. Can you imagine the feeling? The pain? The coldness? Well that's not even remotely close to how Ron Stoppable is feeling in this moment. "No, wait. That's not what I meant to say. That came out wrong."

"Whoa there, KP. Don't give me such a scare. Come on, what's this is all about?"

"I… I… I just don't know how to ask this to you. Ron… me and Josh are dating, ok? Now I'm not exactly a normal girl, right? I'm an overachiever, a cheerleader and on top of that I do this saving the world thing with you. Well… I just… It's just… I think you might scare him…"

In the mind of Ron Stoppable the idea to be scary for someone doesn't really click. In fact it's a completely ridiculous thing.

"Aw. Come on KP. Do you hear yourself? Me? Scary? Don't you mean scared?"

"No Ron… you don't understand. We are always together… all the time. And I'm afraid that he might misunderstand our relationship and…" Ron Stoppable is clueless but he isn't stupid. Not as much as the world, himself included, think.

"So… Basically you are asking me to stay away from you from now on, right?"

"No… Yes. No. Just for a little while. Long enough for me and Josh to get more comfortable with each other. But…. I don't want to push you away… Ron our friendship is special. One of those things that happens to two person on a billion and…. No boyfriend is worth our friendship so… if you are not okay with it then just forget I even asked you about this." Now, Kim Possible believes what she said one hundred percent. This doesn't change the fact the Ron Stoppable is in a pretty difficult situation. On a side he can simply say that he is not fine with this and move along like nothing happened, but how could he say that and still call himself her friend? Come on Kim, just forget about your crush and let's go to Bueno Nacho. Not exactly what you expect from your best friend. On the other side he realized one thing. Well two actually. Ok, make them three.

Number one: he's jealous. Like green eyed jealous. Something he was never before.

Number two: since he is jealous of her boyfriend then he has most probably a crush on her. But we all knew this already.

Number three: there is no way that she is going to return his feelings as it is.

Putting these three factors together Ron Stoppable understood one very clear thing. He had lost her. No matter his answer, he had lost her. So, what option does he have? To let her go like a mature person and a true friend would, or cry like a baby and beg her not to leave him. Surprisingly, for the first time in his life, he decided to for the first option.

"Ron?"

"Ah. Wow. That's kinda… I mean… Yeah. I think I understand. Ok. I I'm fine with it."

"Really? Oh Ron. ThankYouThankYouThankyou. You are the best friend I could ever hope to have." Fine, add insult to injury. Hug him a little more. Come on. Give him a taste of something he will never have.

"Ah. Think nothing of it KP. Hey. You know I'm going to support you whatever you are going to do, right?" His selflessness his rewarded with one of those beaming smile that make him face his countless fears more that any Puppy Dog Pout (PDP™) ever could. And there are also the reason why he is in such a predicament. Yep. Our clueless hero is not simply crushing. He's completely and utterly in love with one Kimberly Ann Possible. Sucks to be him.

"I know. Thanks Ron." But alas, things are going to become even more complicated.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. Anyway we are still going to see each other during our missions, right?" Silence. Not a good thing.

"Err.. Ron? We need to talk about this too." Can I have a collective 'Uh-Oh'?

"What? Is Mankey going to replace me on missions?" Silence again. We could really use those 'Uh-Oh' right now. "Ah. So that's how it is. I see."

"Ron. It's not like that. He volunteered to come. He said that it will help us know each other better and…"

"Enough! It's fine. I said I'm all right with it." He takes a couple of deep breaths. His world is going to be turned upside down and he has just lost his anchor. Give the little Phobia Man some space, ok? "Fine. It's fine. Eh, this actually solves me another problem."

"Ah… What you mean? What problem?" Now she is a little scared. Ron is reacting in a more mature way that she ever thought him capable of.

"You remember that exchange program I participated in some times ago?"

"The one in Japan?"

"That one. I've been asked to participate again. For a longer time. I was going to turn them down. I thought that you sorta needed me here, but now… Well since we are going to be away from each other we might as well do it really well."

"Longer? Two Weeks? No? One month? Neither? How long?"

"It's for six months, KP." Turnabout's fair. Despite most of you dear readers might think that Kim is being selfish (well she actually is a little, but who isn't), she really does care and cherish her friendship with Ron. He has been his greatest support through the years and she's very well aware that without him she would have never gone as far as she did. Now, knowing that he is going to leave for such a long time and so far away, she is in the same situation as he was just a moment ago. On a side she could simply ask him not to go. And she knows that if she asks him he would stay. Once again not what you'd expect from a best friend. On the other side she realizes that it would be truly selfish of her to ask him to step away for a while only to keep him on a tight leash. For these reasons the only thing she can say is…

"That long? I… I'm really going to miss you Ron."

"Yeah. I guess I'm going to miss you too. But.. . Maybe it's for the best, right?"

"Maybe. Will… Will you call me?"

"I… The school is pretty isolated. They have this policy to keep their students focused. So the only phone is for emergencies. I… I can write you though."

"Write? Yes… that would be great. I… Oh Ron. I'm… I'm so sorry about this. I'm being selfish. I going to tell Josh…"

"No! No, KP. It's okay. I don't want you to give up on this. It's going to be ok. We need some kind of break from each other. I mean, we always hang out together. Maybe we should see how the world is without the other around."

"O… OK, Ron. Are… Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I… I need to be my own person. Grow up a little maybe. Just promise me something."

"Anything, Ron."

"If you ever find yourself in trouble, of any kind, make Wade contact me. I'll make sure to be reachable for emergencies. Just call and I'll be here in a jiffy."

"Ron, I can't ask you to…"

"I know. I'm the one asking you. Promise me, KP."

"I… I… Oh Ron you are the best. I promise. If I ever find myself in a sitch where I need you, I'll make sure to let you know."

"Good. Then… I should really go. If I have to leave I need to prepare a lot of things. There is a lot of papers to get ready to stay away such a long time."

"Yes. I guess so. Then… When are you leaving?"

"In a week. Will I see you before I leave?"

"Sure. I'll come with you at the airport, ok?"

"Thanks. I got to go now. Lot of stuff to do. See ya, KP."

"… Goodbye Ron. Hey Ron. You know I could have never saved the world without you, right?"

"Thanks KP, but I think you would have managed anyway. You can do anything after all." And with those last words Ron Stoppable stepped out of the Possibles' house for the last time in long while.

Saddness. Fear. Determination. For the first time in his life determination was driving him. He will come back. He will be stronger. And he will claim for himself what his heart truly desire. He doesn't matter if Josh Mankey is her boyfriend now. No matter how, no matter when, he will conquer her heart with his own strength. Monkeys or Mankeys be damned.

Ron Stoppable is up for the challenge.

Author note:

This is a side project I'm working on to take my mind off from my main story: IDENTITIES

I don't want to sound boring or repetitive but I think that the only way for Ron to grow up is to step out of Kim shadow and stand for himself.

I don't plan to update this story periodically. I'm going to throw a chapter when I feel like it.

This story is partially inspired by "Waste not, Want not" written by Limby, a story that hasn't been updated in quite some time.

Well let me know what you think of this first chapter.

See ya.