Kim wanted to scream, to cry, to do something.
She had been missing for nearly eight days when Shego and her mother had found her. They were loving and understanding, a lot more friendlily to each other than when she had disappeared. She wanted to explode from the frustration of being out of the loop.
No one asked what had happened to Ron. They could guess from the blood on Kim’s hands she had done it. She didn’t get scolded, or bothered over it though. They just let her take a shower and clean up.
All this kindness made her want to scream until her lungs collapsed.
“Pumpkin….you alright in there?”
It was Shego.
“Yes…no….” she tried to think of the right thing to say, but couldn’t.
“I’m coming in….” Before Kim could protest Shego was inside and the door was closed.
“Shego! I’m naked here!” Kim attempted to cover herself up with some bubbles that floated about.
“So?” Shego sat down on the edge of the tub. “Nudity isn’t an issue right now. The issue right now is if you’re okay or not.”
Kim looked at the water, and white mounds of bubbles, “I’m not.”
“Well that makes to of us. You know you had me worried to death. I need to that everything was okay. That…he…didn’t try anything.”
Kim had been wearing the control chip for thirteen hours. It wasn’t hard to deal with, as Ron was usually too busy trying to please her, to win her over and romance her, not to mention tried to cuddle her, which she faked her way out of by pretending that she wasn’t sure how to cuddle, to actually make her do anything.
Thirteen hours. It was like forever. Time moved more slowly under the regulation of that chip. Every minute had been stretched to forever and beyond.
But it was worth it.
Kim knew she could just destroy the chip, its power only truly there if she was asleep, but that was as far as it could make her do anything.
She managed to fake it well though. And to her personal delight she noticed in a window’s reflection of her that she had the same glassy eyed stare as she had before when she had been under the control of the original.
The excitement of “Billy” had tapered down after the first day, and on the second they went shopping. Then they had a brunch, followed by a movie. Billy hovered over her for everything though, save for the bathroom and when he had to make those trips himself.
It had turned into a daily routine. Kim considered escaping now that she had an idea where she was, and that it wasn’t surrounded on all sides by ocean, but part of her knew that Ron needed help. Not the kind of help abandoning him in the middle of Wherever, Canada could bring either.
She played along, hoping that Wade would find her, that Global Justice would send a team, that Drakken would find her by accident, hell even an attack by an inter-dimensional monster would have been useful.
But there was nothing. Three days turned into four. Then four turned to five, then six, then a week.
And it happened. She had let herself fall asleep while watching a movie. The chip kept her physically awake, and had exerted its power as Ron had made a comparison to Kim being a lot like a woman in the movie. A woman who’s very soul was tainted and darkened.
It was technically a malfunction, or perhaps just a lack of a particular circuit that kept thoughts and comparisons from being made into literal realities.
She had torn him apart.
He had been surprised, and that shock had made him weaker.
Shego was hugging Kim. It didn’t matter that it involved half-soaking herself in the tub, or that Kim was turning very red.
“Princess quit beating yourself up over it. You didn’t do anything wrong. Mind control is a very sensitive thing. In this little incident, everyone was lucky.”
“I don’t feel lucky.”
Shego was speaking softly, “You’re okay, Ron can get that help he needs, and for some strange reason your mother and I are better around each other.”
Kim pulled away, “Why are you two so nice now?”
“Long story.”
“Try me.”
Shego was staring at Anne across the table. It wasn’t intentional, she had just made eye contact and it had turned into a staring contest.
Both were refusing to blink as their eyes began to water, tears streaking down their face. Then they gave in and blinked, both of them at the same time.
It was silly, it was childish. It was a good ice breaker between them.
Anne was the first to speak, “You used to be a super hero…why’d you quit?”
Shego chewed on her lip. She hated that question. There was no good way to answer it. “Family conflict.”
“Oh…?”
Shego sighed and slumped over her empty mug, “We were fighting a villain…and he killed himself…I got shouldered with the blame. So I quit.”
Anne had a rotten feeling creeping over her. “So right there you quit being a hero?”
Shego looked up, “No…not right away. But without the money being part of that team had given me, I couldn’t afford it. I had no way to support myself. And with no history of my life since I was seventeen it was hard to convince any place to hire a pale green woman.”
“So you became homeless?”
Shego frowned at the word, “More or less. Living out of dumpsters isn’t that hard when you get used to it in Go City. But here…where everything is so clean…so perfect…I was starving.”
“…And Kim helped you…” Anne felt miserable now. The woman had suffered a lot before meeting Kim, and knew the dangers of being a hero. But she had been cruel, a little sadistic, and judgmental for no reason. She had emotionally tormented a woman she had known nothing about.
Shego gently reached over and touched the other woman’s hand, “Look…it was scary and really disturbing when you stole those pajamas, but its okay. I’m a stranger in your house. A stranger that has been sleeping in your daughter’s bed, and wearing her pajamas. It’s understandable. Though I do have to say one thing.”
“What?”
“I never started those kisses that you walked in on. Your daughter is very loving, and likes to drive a point, or in this case a desire home. She likes to make sure I know she cares about me. Mostly because I don’t care about me.”
Anne felt like she was going to be sick, “Shego….I…I don’t know how to say this…I…I’m sorry.”
Shego’s hand wasn’t there, and Anne didn’t blame Shego. It surprised her to find two surprisingly thin, but muscular arms hugging. Anne had expected anger or hate, not compassion.
“Just promise me that you’ll never perform the arts of De Pants Fu on me ever again and I’ll forgive you.”
Anne couldn’t help but laugh.
Kim was a little confused by the woman who had half submerged herself to hug the red head. “You used to be a super hero?”
Shego smiled sheepishly, “Well…yes…I was pretty good at it too.”
“Like…super powers and everything?”
“Exactly like super powers and everything.”
Kim’s eyes lit up, “Like what?”
“I heal quickly, I’m faster and stronger, I’m incredibly sexy green, and I can generate burning plasma at will. Though nightmares and that last one are a bad mix usually.”
Kim was like a child in a candy store, “Can…Can I see that last one?”
Shego smiled, “Sure Pumpkin.” She sat up and stuck out a hand, as if she was inspecting her nails, and a green light lit up and danced around it. Kim could feel the heat radiating from the hand, and wasn’t sure if she should be staring in awe of the power, or in awe of how talented her love was.
Then the plasma snuffed back out. “I’m also great for the Fourth of July.”
Kim leaned over and hugged the woman, wrapping two dripping arms around her once dry middle. “In that case you’re the sexiest sparkler I’ve ever seen.”
Shego blushed, “Princess….is it alright if I love you too?”
Author’s notes: See? There is a reason behind everything!
Next chapter soon!
Don’t worry, no new pairings in the future of this fic…especially not anymore Anon or Ango. : P