It was a day unlike any other at both Possible households.
That any day could be unusual at Possible Manor may appear unlikely. The girl who can do anything had proved that numerous times through the years. The kitchen was bustling with activity when Kim entered, a toddler in each arm.
“Where are Ron and Shego?” she asked as she and Monique put the girls into their high chairs for breakfast.
“Ron needed some help with the… ah, necessities,” Zita explained. “Shego said she'd take care of him.”
Her comment was punctuated by a startled male, “NO!” from the vicinity of the bathroom under the stairs.
Kim left Sheki and ran out of the kitchen, “Are you okay, Ron?”
“He's fine, Princess,” Shego laughed.
“Are you okay, Ron?”
“Uh… I… I'm not exactly…”
“Trust me, Pumpkin. Were you eating breakfast or feeding the girls?”
“Just starting to feed the girls.”
“We'll be out in a minute. I'm just making sure the hero starts his day off right.”
Curiosity burning within her, Kim returned to the kitchen, leaving the door to the entryway open. Ron and Shego were gone longer than people expected, and it definitely sounded like some sort of moans coming from Ron. Kim wished she had closed the door and not heard the sounds.
Ron was blushing a bright red when he finally came into the kitchen and sat between Zita and Bonnie, who were helping feed him because of his injuries. The hospital had said in three days he could try removing the splints from the fingers on his left hand for part of the day, and next week they hoped to have him in a cast which allowed greater mobility with his right arm.
Shego was giggling as she sat down beside Kim at the table.
Bonnie expressed what several people were thinking, “What in the hell just happened!”
“Bonnie! Not in front of the twins,” Monique protested.
“They're only one. They don't understand what's going on,” Shego replied.
Kasy accented that point by banging her sippy cup against the tray and chanting, “Hell, hell, hell.”
“She's your daughter,” Kim hissed at Shego. “Don't anyone laugh or respond,” the redhead warned everyone at the table, “It only encourages her.”
Shego darkened with suppressed laughter, and finally had to run from the kitchen to laugh in another room.
“Okay, Ron,” Kim demanded, “I second Bonnie. What just happened?”
Ron looked flustered, “I, uh… I'm not going to… Look, KP, there are some things a gentleman just doesn't talk about.”
Justine spoke up, “Of course you realize that turns their imaginations loose and leaves them free to imagine anything.”
No one would have believed it possible a minute earlier, but Ron managed to turn an even deeper shade of crimson.
Several of the women stared hard at Ron. Kim's eyes went wide, “Oh, my,” she said.
Shego reentered the kitchen and sat back down in time to hear Kim's comment, “You people are blowing this all out of proportion. It's not like he learned if I spit or swallow--”
“SHEGO!”
“Sorry, Monique. I was just giving him a helping hand with what he needed and someone seemed to appreciate the woman's touch. So I figured, what the… heck. He got hurt trying to help me. He was my best man at my wedding. I decided I should check out his qualifications for the job of best man and say thanks for trying to help me at the same time.”
“That is just wrong!” the black woman said sharply.
“Look, Monique. Do I tell you that you should try giving Will a handjob? ‘Cause I think he could use one. The man doesn't know how to relax. I don't tell you how to live your life.”
Justine giggled. Bonnie's eyes narrowed and she glared at Shego, Zita gave a tight-lipped grin as she noticed Bonnie's reaction. Shego missed the glare because Kim raised her own protest, “Shego, it was… uh, inappropriate.”
“Come on, Princess. It's not like I did anything you haven't done.”
Kim blushed a bright red herself and kicked Shego under the table, hard. Ron looked like he was going to explode and Shego realized she had gone too far, “Look, I, uh, only meant that time you and Ron had your brains switched. You mean to tell us you didn't check out his male plumbing and everything when you had the chance?” Bonnie transferred her glare from Shego to Kim.
Ron seized the opportunity like a drowning man grasps at a straw, “Yeah, KP,” he laughed nervously, “I mean, the only way I learned about your birthmark was because--”
“What birthmark?” Justine asked.
“It's pretty small,” Bonnie began. “I saw it when I used to shower with her after cheerleading practice,” Bonnie suddenly stopped herself, and then blushed. “I mean, we were all in the showers. It wasn't like I was just in the shower with Kim. And I'm not… and she wasn't… Oh, hell!”
“Bonnie!”
Bonnie didn't even try to apologize to Monique.
“We will all forget this morning ever happened,” Kim growled through clenched teeth. “Is that clear?”
“I'm good,” Ron said gratefully.
“Fine,” Bonnie said sincerely.
“Amen,” Monique added.
“I suppose,” Shego sighed. She had the distinct sense Kim was not going to forget this morning and she would be hearing more about it later.
Justine and Zita had, respectively, found the morning entertaining and enlightening. Neither made any false promise to forget.
Things were even more confused at the home of Kim's parents. Jean had turned off Joss's alarm when they got home from the lab at almost three in the morning. James took Jim and Tim to school while Jean called in late to the hospital. She planned on taking Joss into the hospital when the girl awoke for a brain scan, to see if they could determine why she remained linked with the robot. At eight-thirty she peeked into the bedroom to see if Joss was stirring. Joss was still in the bed with the blankets over her head.
“Are you okay?” Jean asked.
“I.am.fine.” the Bebe responded.
Jean stared at the metal girl, “I was talking to Joss.”
“And.I.am.answering.What.time.is.it?I.do.not.want.to.be.late.for.school.”
“The twins left an hour ago… Joss, are you awake?”
“Sure, ‘nuff,” Joss mumbled. She yawned and stretched, threw off the blanket and jumped out of bed. She noticed the way her aunt was staring at her. “Somethin’ wrong aunt Jean?”
“The robot… You were talking through the robot when I first got here.”
“Was I? Hey, that's sorta neat… I wonder…” “Was.this.the.way.I.was.talking.with.you?”
“Please, don't do that, Joss. You might be making the condition worse. I want to take you to the hospital for a brain scan.”
“But I feel fine -- fully charged and ready for breakfast. I want ta go to school. Can we wait until after dismissal for the brain scan?”
“Put on a bathrobe and come down for breakfast. We'll talk while you eat.” The two Josses followed her down to the kitchen.
“I'm worried about you,” Jean said as she poured a glass of orange juice. “I think the hospital will do more for you than school.”
“But.I.feel.fine,” Joss insisted as she drank the orange juice. “I.came. here.from. Montana.for. schooling.not. to.spend. time.in.the.hospital.”
Jean caught herself addressing the Bebe directly. “You did not come here from Montana. You… Joss, I don't know how this is going to work.”
“Please.aunt. Jean.I. wish.to. go.to. school.today.”
“I'm not your aunt…” She caught herself talking to the robot again as if it were alive, “Look, I'm going to call Wade and see what he has to say.”
Jim and Tim had a computer hooked up with a camera for on-line chats. The Drs. Possible had insisted it be set up in the kitchen to make it easier to monitor their activities. Jean was not surprised she was able to contact Wade easily.
“What's wrong?” the young man asked. “Is Joss okay?”
The Bebe had gone over and stood behind Jean, staring at the monitor, “I.am. fine.What. are.we. doing.Friday. night?”
“Does that answer your question?”
“Where is Joss? The other… the real…”
“I.am. over.eating. breakfast.at. the.table. It.is. kinda.fun. being.two. places.at. once.” The robot waved to Wade, who hesitantly waved back.
“Joss says she wants to go to school. She claims she feels fine. I'd rather take her to the hospital. But I need to set up equipment for some tests. And I'd like you to be there with me, can you make it?”
“Probably. I want to think about any equipment I might have that could help figure out what's happening. I probably couldn't be ready for a few hours.”
Jean sighed, “It will probably take me that long to be ready for an examination also. I don't know where to start. This is a new condition for me.”
“Well.kin. I.go. to.school. while.you. are.tryin’. to.figure. it.all.out?”
“I don't know if that sounds safe,” Wade responded.
An idea hit Jean and she stared at her niece for a minute. “I may know what's going on,” she told Wade, “and if I'm right it's quite safe. I wonder if you could pick her up after school and bring her to the hospital?”
“You'll have to talk with my mom.”
“Your mom?”
“I'm currently grounded for not calling home the night before last. But if you tell her it is for a medical emergency she'll let me out. She'll say yes if you ask. Then I can get Joss after school.”
After getting permission from Wade's mother Jean ended the conversation with Wade, “Contact me if you need anything. I'll plan on seeing you at the hospital at four, or earlier if you stop by with any equipment. Actually, just give me a call at the hospital about one anyway. I'd like to talk with you about options.”
“Sounds good.”
After turning off the computer Jean turned back to Joss, “Okay, you can go to school. The robot stays here.”
“No! I want… I mean, uh… If the robot is here and I'm seein’ through it or something it might confuse me at school. It should be with me.”
Jean smiled, “I get the distinct impression you want to show your other self off at school.”
Joss blushed, “Well, It'd be sorta fun to have people notice me for a change instead of just being that new hick in town.”
Jean sighed, “Go get dressed. I'll take you both to school.” Jean sat and thought about what she needed for the tests in the afternoon. One thing she decided she needed was another opinion. She put in a call to the lab where James worked and asked the switchboard operator to make a connection for her.
“Dr. Porter, can I help you?”
“Jean, Jean Possible, Jame's wife. I'm hoping you remember me.”
“Of course I remember you. I've been at your house for two or three parties. What can I do for you?”
“I've got a problem at work, I'm hoping you can help me with it.”
“Um, aren't you a brain surgeon?”
“Yes, I'm glad you remembered.”
“Do you remember that my field is robotics?”
“Oh, yes, I know. James says you're wonderful in your field and this involves a robot. I'm in need of your expertise. “
Vivian hesitated, “So why don't you bring it into my lab?”
“We may, later. But it involves my niece too. Her mind appears to be in her own body and a robot at the same time.”
“That's not… Wait, is she a Possible too?”
“Afraid so.”
“Having worked with Kim I won't dismiss anything, no matter how crazy it sounds.”
“Thanks, could you be at the hospital a little before four? Ask for my office, they'll show you where to go.”
“It's probably wrong to take her to school,” Jean thought as she drove the Josses over. She looked in the rear view mirror at the excited look on Joss's face. “But I don't think it will hurt anything and she deserves a treat.”