Drakken had not asked why the girl had taken up so much of her time, and for that, Shego was grateful. Normally, lying came easy to her, but she couldn't think straight when it came to Kimmie. If she'd had to explain it to Drakken, he'd just think she was as crazy as she sounded.
That was the problem with being only half a person. It was all too easy to go to pieces, and in the end, running into Kimmie had hurt them both more than it had helped.
No matter how many times she replayed that night in her head, though, Shego couldn't see how she would've done things any differently. The shock of seeing Kimmie, alive and in another body, had been too much. It had thrown her off her game, more than she'd known was possible.
Now there were so many questions to be asked and answered. The problem was, Kimmie didn't seem to know who or what she was. Even if she had answers, she wouldn't recognize them for what they were. How, then, could Shego make her remember what they had once been? And would it matter, when there was no trust between them?
‘I have to do something. I'm the one that remembers. I have to make her understand what we've both lost…somehow.’
What Shego couldn't have known then was that she really didn't have to do anything. At least, nothing she wasn't already doing. She had yet to figure out that her and Kimmie's chosen occupations clashed directly, which would lead them to countless meetings down the road.
The second encounter was decidedly different from the first.
For one thing, Shego learned that Kimmie was a package deal: she came with a bumbling sidekick and that cursed sharp-toothed rat.
She also learned that the first night would almost never be repeated. Shego accepted that she'd caught Kimmie off guard (despite being off center herself at the time), because since then, the girl's skills seemed to improve astronomically. And it wasn't just that she was getting better, it seemed as if she'd always been that good.
At first, Shego had been more than annoyed that her supposedly peaceful half was better at kicking butt than she was. In time, she realized that it was perhaps the best way for Kimmie to establish herself as a no-nonsense hero type. If people did bad, they got their butts kicked. It was so simple that Shego almost admired it. Almost. Her way of showing that was constantly doing her best to knock Kimmie flat on her rear. It never got any easier, but it was always strangely fun.
Unless Shego was imagining things, Kimmie also enjoyed their battles. It was a real chance to cut loose, to test their limits, and to exchange the necessary witty dialogue. Somehow, it brought them closer, just not in the traditional sense. By the time Shego found out that she had become Kimmie's main nemesis, their level of familiarity was just short of psychic.
And yet, Kimmie still hadn't given any indication that she knew anything of their deeper connection, and it was slowly driving Shego mad. How could she NOT know? Wasn't it obvious how similar they were? Couldn't she feel any sort of connection when they were trying to tear each other's heads off? Well, maybe not THEN, but at some point, instinct should've kicked in and given Kimmie a good boot to the head.
It had worked for Shego, after all.
Fate, as usual, had it's own unique way of bridging the gap.
Not for the first time, Shego found herself side by side with Kim, watching Dr. Drakken and Ron sissyfight.
“It would be funny, if it weren't so sad,” Shego remarked.
Kim winced as one of Drakken's half-hearted slaps slipped through and connected with Ron's cheek. “I always preferred our catfights, myself. I think they do, too.”
“Because they don't get involved?”
Kim rolled her eyes. “Because it's two hot girls fighting. Duh.”
“Ah.” Shego paused. “Wait. You just admitted you think I'm hot.”
Kim shrugged. “We're modern women. Nothing wrong with tossing each other compliments every now and then.”
“Oh.” Shego considered that for a moment, then leaned closer and sniffed lightly. “You know, I guess I never noticed since I'm always so busy getting it dirty, but your hair smells really nice.”
Kim favored her with a slight smile. “Thanks.” Then her smile faded a bit. “Shouldn't we be…clawing at each other by now or something?”
Shego made an iffy sound. “In a minute. I'm enjoying this.”
“What? The oddly comfortable companionship?”
“Well…that, and Dr. D just found the firehose.”
“He's holding it the wrong way, though,” Kim observed.
Shego grinned as Drakken suddenly went flying the length of the warehouse, screaming the whole way. “Yeah, I know.” She sighed and finally dragged her eyes away from the thoroughly amusing spectacle. “So, Kimmie, how about we get started with-”
“MONKEY NINJAS ATTACK!”
Kim blinked. “That's a really good Monkey Fist impression.”
Shego stared at her. “I know. Problem is, it wasn't me.”
It soon became apparent that the yell was very authentic, as Ron quickly found himself surrounded by monkey ninjas, each wielding a weapon designed for their small stature. Monkey Fist himself remained perched high above on a catwalk, watching the battle with glee.
Kim aimed a heated glare at Shego. “I don't know whether I should feel surprised, or not surprised at all.”
“Hey, don't look at me,” Shego said defensively. “Dr. D never said anything about cutting Monkey Butt in on our action. And you'll notice only your sidekick is crawling in monkeys, while you remain curiously monkey-free.”
“That's hardly as reassuring as you may have meant it to be,” Kim snapped, whirling away to go help Ron.
Shego's hand shot out and grabbed Kim's shoulder. “Kimmie. Seriously. I didn't know about this.”
Kim actually paused and looked over her shoulder, as if she were going to say something. Then her eyes widened, and she shoved Shego away from her.
Shego only had time to shoot her a confused look before Kim was blasted out of sight by a strong spray of water. This was followed by a great deal of wild hooting and clapping, and Shego looked up to see three monkey ninjas turning the firehose her way. For some reason, she found herself growing angry not because they'd been aiming at her, but because they'd hit Kim instead.
For once, she thought she understood why Ron hated monkeys so much.
In the next instant, she was leaping through the air, just avoiding the spray and sending a well-placed plasma blast at the hose itself. It was comical, the smug way the monkey ninjas looked at her before it dawned on them that she had indeed hit her intended target. Seconds later, the hose exploded, sending water and monkeys flying in various directions.
The next item on Shego's agenda was to grab Monkey Fist and demand to know what he thought he was doing, but she'd lost track of him during the fight. Ron was still busy with his group of monkeys, and Kim, much to Shego's surprise, still hadn't made it back to her feet. She was starting to wonder just how hard the firehouse had hit Kim, when she finally caught sight of Monkey Fist.
He, too, had noticed Kim's vulnerable position, but his reaction was considerably different. His paw-like hand flew to his waist, and then flashed out, sending something small and black hurtling through the air, directly at Kim.
Even though it was far too late for Shego to do anything about it, when Kim's startling cry of pain tore through the air, something in Shego snapped. But before she could introduce Monkey Fist to new definitions of pain, Monkey Fist did the last thing she was expecting.
“RETREAT!” Monkey Fist yelled, scrambling up to a high window.
It took her a moment, but Shego was ashamed to admit that she did see the logic in it. Monkey Fist had injured Kim, and it would keep her out of his hair for at least a few days. Time enough for him to pull off something really big, no doubt. Ron would be too busy trying to nurse Kim back to health to worry about Monkey Fist.
The monkey ninjas around Ron threw down smoke bombs, vanishing into the rapidly rising fog as the sidekick yelled Kim's name between coughs.
Shego knew at once what she should be doing…but then her eyes went back to Kim, and the visible puddle of blood beneath her leg.
“So gonna get fired for this,” Shego muttered, leaping down to the floor and quickly making her way to Kim.
Kim's head snapped up at once, and suddenly Shego found a grapple gun pointed at her head.
“Knock it off,” Shego ordered, slapping the gun out of her hand. She bent over Kim's leg and made a face. A short dagger was buried in Kim's leg a few inches below the knee. It could and should be removed, but there was already so much blood…
“Take my hand,” Shego muttered, holding her right hand out to Kim.
Kim stared at her, obviously confused.
“Trust me, in a second you'll feel like crushing it.”
Her face going pale, Kim did as she was told.
“Hope you're not a screamer, Kimmie.” With that, Shego grabbed the dagger with her left hand and yanked it out.
Kim gritted her teeth and made do with a prolonged hiss, but Shego's hand only received slight pressure at best.
Shego quickly pressed her left hand over the wound. “Gonna sting a bit, but it needs to stop bleeding.”
Knowing what she was planning, Kim nodded and closed her eyes. The pain was sharp but brief, and in the end, the blood flow had stopped.
She opened her eyes in time to see the green glow fading from Shego's hand.
“Gonna wanna stay off that. I'll talk Dr. D into a spontaneous vacation. Maybe a hunting trip in Monkey Town.” Shego began to stand, but Kim hadn't let go of her yet.
“Shego? Thanks,” Kim said quietly, giving her hand a squeeze. “Sorry I got your glove bloody.”
“You can wash it, then,” Shego replied, slipping the glove off and dropping it in Kim's lap. She glanced at the wound one last time, and was overcome by an urge that was one part instinct and one part memory. Imitating an act she'd seen her mother perform hundreds of times, Shego brushed two fingers against her lips and laid them lightly on Kim's leg.
Both of them stared at her fingers, and then at each other.
“Mom used to do that,” they both said at once.
“No, she didn't,” Kim whispered. “Mom was always a direct cut kisser. I remember because it grossed us out.”
“That's yours, not…ours,” Shego said hesitantly.
“What…?”
Instead of answering, Shego pulled away roughly and ran off, only seconds before Ron appeared.
“KP! What happened?” he cried, falling to his knees next to her. “You okay?”
Kim didn't answer him. She was still trying to figure out how she'd known Shego had gotten that gesture from her mother, and why, for a moment, their two mothers had been one and the same to her.
Roughly a week later, Monkey Fist ran into the first and only snag in yet another of his plans to become a random high-ranking monkey leader.
Admittedly, it was a very big snag, and with plasma-coated fists, no less.
The snag reminded him, in some very choice words, that he shouldn't leave his toys lying around where people could get hurt on them. To demonstrate, she returned his dagger to him with a bit more force than was necessary.
“We don't want you losing that again,” Shego commented with a smirk.
She casually removed the latest monkey idol he'd stolen from his free hand. “I'll just hang onto this until Kimmie is up to kicking your butt herself. I might even let you have it back for a reasonable fee, if I'm in a good mood. In the meantime, you might wanna get that hand looked at. Pretty sure you don't want that dagger stuck in it for too long.”
“I'll make you regret this, Shego!” he howled at the top of his lungs.
“Yeah, sure. The next time you decide to mess with Kimmie, you be a good little monkey and wait your turn like everyone else. I've got first dibs on her, no matter what. You might as well just settle things with Stoppable. I think Kimmie's starting to outgrow you.”
Monkey Fist sneered at her. “You forget your place, woman. You're the one that takes orders. I give them!”
Shego smiled sweetly. “And you forget who has a dagger jammed in his hand, and who happens to be free to twist it. Maybe a demonstration will refresh your memory…”
“Mom, this is going to be an odd question, but I have to ask it.”
Mrs. Dr. Possible looked up, trading confused glances with her team of surgeons. “Kimmie, you should know this really isn't a good time.”
“Mom, please?” Kim pleaded.
“Oh, all right. Roberto, can you take over for a minute?”
The two Possible women stepped outside the operating theatre.
“Okay, Kimmie. What's bothering you?”
“You remember when I was little, and got all those scrapes and bumps?”
Mrs. Possible stared at her daughter expectantly. “Yes…”
“Do you ever remember kissing your fingers, and then pressing them on the scrapes?”
“Kimmie, you know I was a direct kisser.”
Kim's face paled. “I know.”
“Then why all the urgency?”
Kim took a deep breath. “Mom…was I…I mean, you'd tell me if…”
Mrs. Possible could sense that something was very wrong. “Kimmie, honey, what are you trying to ask me?”
“This is going to sound completely crazy, but…was I adopted?”
There was silence for a long moment.
Finally, Mrs. Possible shook her head. “Dear, I think you've been overworking yourself again. You're obviously not thinking straight.”
“But, Mom-”
“Kimberly Anne Possible. I have heard my share of wild ideas, but you being adopted is the wildest by far. So I have to assume that you've been working too hard, or maybe that dagger was laced with some sort of hallucinogenic drug. Besides, if there were less than normal circumstances surrounding your birth, your father and I would've told you by now. You've proven yourself to be an extremely mature young lady…despite one very recent lapse in judgment.”
“So tell me why I had the same memory as Shego!” Kim blurted out.
Mrs. Possible stopped. “What are you talking about, Kimmie?”
“When Shego pulled the dagger out, she kissed her fingers and pressed them on my leg. Mom, I swear for a second, I couldn't tell the difference between you and her mother. It was like you were the same person, and I couldn't explain it, because I'd never even seen Shego's mother until then. I'm just so confused about this…”
“I'm afraid I can't explain it, either. Are you sure you've never had your brain switched with hers? I know Ron's been through it a few times.”
“Never,” Kim replied. “At least, I don't think so…”
“Then I can't believe I'm suggesting this, but…maybe you need to ask Shego? Do you think you can get her to stop attacking you for five minutes or so?”
“Actually, we did have a chat right before the dagger incident. I guess I could call her and set up a non-business meeting.”
“Just be careful, Kimmie. I'm not sure if Shego will be totally honest with you.”
“Probably not, Mom. But if anyone can explain what happened that day, I think it's her.”
Endnotes: If it seems like I hate Monkey Fist, I don't. He's actually one of the more interesting bad guys to me. His schemes do tend a get a little repetitive though. Steal monkey-related artifact, use said artifact to become monkey leader of some sort, conquer the world with new monkey powers. Even Drakken gets creative every now and then.