And You And I

Interlude: The Preacher, The Teacher

Author's note:

Hello everyone, long time no see. I hope that you are all well. Before I begin, a massive thank you to everyone who has voted for this story, followed me or left a comment. I am so grateful to all of you and especially for all the kind words I've received in the comments. It really means a lot to me and gives me that extra boost to keep writing this story.

Ok, so I'm back... sort of. What I want to share with you all today is not the first part of season two (yeah, I know I suck, lol), but two interludes that I wrote during season one. While I did not post them at the time, for various reasons, I want to share them with you now, as I feel they give some interesting insight into two different characters POV's (hint, neither of them are Kim or Shego). I'm also going to share the uncut version of chapter 38: The Violent Sequence and a list of where all the chapter titles came from.

The first interlude takes place right after the events of chapter nine: seeing it as you really are, in which Kim encountered Ron and the two had a fight. Here we get Ron's perspective in the aftermath of said fight and meet a familiar face. The chapter title for this one is the name of the third movement from the Yes song And You And I (the song after which this story is titled); from their 1972 masterpiece, Close to the Edge. The reason, you'll soon see.

Before we start, I should probably point out that the word Bouncer is a British term for nightclub police. I did not realise this when I wrote the scene but liked the alliteration too much to change it. Anyway, enjoy.

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Slowly the stunned silence that hung over the nightclub, like a noxious gas in the air, began to dissipate. Between individuals and amongst groups, conversations struck up once more and everyone slowly went back to there own business. Matters were helped by the prompt return of the DJ and music once more blared; returning the venue to its prior state as though nothing dramatic had happened. Ron Stoppable stood beside a table littered with glasses of varying degrees of fullness and one upturned peanut bowl that hid the sole occupant; Rufus the naked-mole-rat. Robotically, he raised a hand up to his left cheek and winced. He hadn't even seen the blow coming. I lost control of my temper, made that stupid comment and then... BAMM! He tested his stinging flesh with his fingers, trying to feel his cheekbone. It hurt like hell but not enough to be broken... I hope...

After a moment, his brain finally caught up with events. Kim was gone and so too was Monique. He was vaguely aware that the latter had yelled at him and promised to deal with him when she returned. Yeah, I should probably get out of here before she comes back. He looked down at the upturned bowl of peanuts. "You can come out now, Buddy," he said loudly so that the naked-mole-rat would be able to hear him over the increased background noise of the club.

Rufus scuttled out from beneath the bowl and looked up at him in disdain, shook his head and uttered a sound akin to, "uh-uh."

Ron felt the residual anger from his altercation with Kim flare up and he was about to yell at his beloved pet, about how his ex-girlfriend had deserved what he had said but stopped dead in his tracks when a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder and a voice boomed in his ear, "STOPPABLE!"

He froze. No, it can't be... slowly, he turned his head and found himself looking up at the imposing figure of his old school teacher. "Mr Barkin?" he asked rhetorically, not quite believing that the man who had hounded him for four years had suddenly materialised.

"That's Bouncer Barkin to you, Stoppable!" the man said gruffly. "And I might have known it would be you causing trouble in my nightclub."

After the momentary shock subsided, Ron yelled, "aww, come on, you work here too!"