44Chapter 1 - The Beginning Of It All
(5:09pm, September 14, 2018)
Both Kim and Ron came to their humble home in Middleton. It was an almost 4,000 square ft. home with 5 bedroom and 6 bathrooms, complete with a wet bar and a swimming pool for relaxation. The extra guesthouse on the lot, rebuilt from a holiday food incident, had a bedroom and bathroom as well.
"We're home, everyone!" Kim exclaimed. Ron was in a button down shirt and jeans while Kim was in a red striped button-down blouse, a statement gold necklace, a purple heart long chain necklace, and dark denim Club Banana flare overalls with both straps hooked and three side buttons and cowboy boots. The overalls were tucked into the boots. It was casual Friday, so they were allowed to wear them as long as it was work appropriate. They had their GJ identification badges on their beltloops, should any missions arise. Luckily for the pair, there was only one mission all week long. For the most part, it was the dreaded amount of bureaucratic paperwork and red tape that usually came along with the exciting missions.
Their nanny,Tammy Smith, was taking care of them during the morning hours, excluding weekends.
"The two of them were good today!" Tammy replied, "No incidents to speak of and no moments of Justin drawing on the walls."
"That's a sigh of relief!" Kim replied, paying the nanny $60 for her job of watching the kids while the two were at work.
"I'll see you on Monday!" Tammy replied, taking her handbag and walked out the house.
"We're in for the weekend!" Ron added from the foyer of the house.
Rufus chirped, rubbing his stomach "Mmm...hungry!"
"Don't worry, little guy! I've saved a Naco for you in the fridge!" Ron replied to his pet, patting him on the head.
Justin exclaimed as the five-year old ran to his father. "Daddy! Mommy! You're home!" And young three-year old Alexa did the same as well.
"Daddy! Mommy! I love you so much!"
"And we both love you two back!" Kim replied. "Now, your father is going to make the dinner for tonight."
"Yes, not unlike what happened last time with the 'healthy food'." Ron groaned, using his fingers as air quotes.
(Two weeks ago)
Kim, for the first time in nearly two months, cooked up dinner. She presented four plates of what appeared to be grilled chicken legs on the left half of the plate. On the right half was a green-purple-like jelly substance with small tentacles coming out of it. She also had a small plate for Rufus.
The rest of the Stoppables, including Rufus, looked at the food in disgust.
"Uhm...KS? I don't think the FDA would even classify it as being edible." Ron said, pointing to the still-mov
"Mommy? Is that food scary?" Alexa asked.
"No, Alexa...it's not scary! It's yummy, low in fats, gluten-free and rich in fiber for you!" Kim countered, "It's just my way for this family to eat a bit more healthy. We've gone to Bueno Nacho so many times that I worry for the family's health."
"But I don't wanna eat it!" Justin complained and made a gagging sound at the food.
Ron whispered in Justin's ear, "Knowing your mom, I wouldn't put her near an oven."
"You have no choice, Justin! My vegetable surprise has a lot of veggies in it that will make you big and strong!" Kim said to her son.
"What veggies were even made in there?!" Justin asked.
"The surprise is if we don't end up in the hospital." Ron complained.
"Look, I made the food!" Kim glared at her husband, "Now you four eat it!"
She presented the food to the other members of the family. Ron tried to pick at it with a spoon but the jelly substance absorbed the spoon and shot it straight into the garbage can.
"Okay...that tactic didn't work." Ron muttered before grabbing one of the grilled 'chicken' drums and began to eat it. The Stoppable kids and Rufus also ate the drums as well.
"Mmm...the chicken is good here, KS!" he said with satisfaction.
"Ron...um...about that. It isn't chicken." Kim admitted while taking a bite of the drum. She then took the box and read the ingredients "It's chicken mixed with bits of meat from racoon, possum..." Her face turned more green as she continued to read the ingredients list, "...squirrel, lovebugs, emus..."
Before she could get even further in the list, she began to vomit onto the floor. The other Stoppables and Rufus all did the same.
"Not since the Stoppable Christmas Flaming Fruitcake Incident of 2015 has food ever betrayed this family!" Ron recalled. "Had to call in sick from work from three days because of it."
"I am so never going to take cooking advice from Mrs. Tonitini ever again!" Kim replied.
"And need we even mention Father's Day?" Ron asked, "Loved the card and tools...not so much the breakfast."
He pulled out his smartphone to show a photo of his wife and kids wishing Ron a happy Fathers' Day. It showed a frightened-looking Ron as Kim was bringing him food...that consisted of burnt bacon and sausages, a white-like subtance in a glass to look like milk, plus his favorite cold cereal...on fire.
"I get the point, Ron..." Kim snarked, "Now let's not push this ish any further than it needs to."
She grinned at her husband and added, "Now, get in the kitchen, Chez Stoppable, and cook us something good!"
(6:49pm)
At the dinner table, the Stoppables were eating their dinner that Ron cooked with Justin picking at his vegetables and Alexa eating from her highchair. The dinner was steak, green beans and mashed potatoes made by Ron. Kim unhooked the left strap of her overalls, leaving the right strap up.
"KS, do you wonder when we're going to spend time together as a family?" Ron asked while eating his piece of steak.
"Ron..." Kim giggled, "...we're already are at the dinner table. What else do you think we are doing at this time of day?"
"I'm actually not talking about the casa grande abode that we live in where we have a bon-diggety pool and wet bar." Ron said while finishing the steak. "I'm talking about more of a trip."
Kim began to sweat a little bit.
"Trip...as in...work-work related trips?" she asked, trying to deflect what her husband was about to say. "We've done plenty of those. I mean, last week, we foiled "
"No, KS, I'm talking about a..."
Ron said the two dreaded words.
"...family vacation!"
Kim emitted a loud gasp when he said those words.
"F-F-F-family v-v-v-vacation?" she asked, stuttering at the words.
Ron nodded his head excitedly.
Not wishing to cause a scene at the table, Kim slowly backed away and asked, "May I be excused from the table?"
"Sure thing, Kim!" Ron replied with a smile to his wife.
Kim slowly retreated from her family from the table and hurried into the den, her boots clopping against the floor.