“What the HELL…” Shego said.
March:
Kim's jaw dropped as well as she gaped at the applauding crowd. Where had all these people come from? There was Dr. Director, Will Du, the other armed GJ agents… and Dr. Drakken just standing there, apparently without a care in the world as far as the presence of the Law right next to him! Something was obviously wrong with this picture. She looked back at Shego, who was also gawking at the spectators. Something looked… different about her. Kim couldn't put her finger on just what it was. The hair?
Before she could even attempt to put the pieces together, her mother and father were pulling her away from Shego, hugging her, congratulating her on “getting back home”. What did they mean by that? She anxiously looked for Shego, ready to defend herself and anyone else from one of her attacks, only to see her being led away by Dr. Drakken. He seemed to be gesticulating and rambling on about his brilliance, as usual. None of the GJ agents were paying them the slightest heed. The technicians were busy shutting down the equipment, the GJ agents were putting away their guns, and her parents – with Dr. Director, Ron, and Agent Du – were leading Kim to a limousine outside.
No crowd attended Shego, however.
“… and then I said, yes, I CAN scan the m-brane interface for them, but I still won't be able to FIND them unless… which is when it occurred to me that your plasma just might show up on the scanner, do you see? Naturally, I had to explain the whole concept of quantum signatures to them… But when the Director offered a temporary truce, financing, and technical assistance, well, I -”
“Dr. D!” Shego finally shouted at him as they went outside to the hovercraft, “It was you, me, Kim, and the Buffoon! Where did all these other people come from! Just answer the question!” Everything had changed when she'd gone through that loop, apparently. And she felt… funny, too. Everyone else looked the same – Drakken, Ron, Dr. Director – everyone except Kim. Something was different about the teenager. Something about her… face?
“Oh, of course, I must be very confusing for you… You see, the time-stream does not exist inside the Tunnel because-”
“DAMMIT, Drak!”
“Ah… yes. You've been gone thirteen days, Shego. To you, it was an instant, but here, thirteen days have gone by since you entered Loop #1. You see, -”
“Thirteen DAYS! I went into one loop and came out the other thirteen DAYS later? That never happened in the tests…”
“Well… no. I think it was probably your glow that threw things off. I had never anticipated what might happen when transporting energy – as energy – in quantity. Your glow is quite powerful, you understand. I'm afraid you rather overwhelmed the rho-dp bias transformer when you entered, which subsequently-”
“So, where was I for thirteen days, then?”
“Well, quite literally. you were nowhere, Shego. I suspect you were trapped at the intersection of another m-brane, neither here nor there – although I have no way of knowing. Your plasma revealed which intersection because your signature matched on our side, don't you see, so -”
“And you made a deal with the GJ?”
“Oh, yes, they were quite eager to retrieve Miss Possible – I suspect her parents may have had something to do with it – and were willing to-”
“Lemme see if I got this straight, Drak. We're testing your Transporter. Princess and her sidekick show up, probably looking for the tritium I stole. We go into the transporter and disappear. You and the GJ call a truce, Dr. Director sets you up with whatever the hell you need, and thirteen days later, we finally come out of Loop #2?”
“In a nutshell, yes.”
Shego thought it over for a moment, then leaned back in her hovercraft seat, inspecting the claws of her gloves. Something unexplainable and weird had happened to her – but at least it had happened to Kim as well, so the Cheerleader didn't have the upper hand or anything. No big deal, then… “So, what now?”
“Oh. Well, the Transporter idea is out, I guess. Not reliable enough. But I have another plan…”
“Hey KP” Ron said, sitting down next to her in the cafeteria, “I gotcha a 'Welcome Back to Reality” present!” He proudly held out a plastic-wrapped package of Hostess Sno-Balls. Pink.
Kim looked at it expecting to be excited – but felt slightly nauseous instead. “Uh… thanks, Ron. I'll save 'em for later…”
“But they're your favorite!”
“They're kinna sweet…” Kim replied guiltily. She should have wanted to snarf them down then and there. Ron had done a nice thing, and here she was getting sick thinking of it.
“Well YEAH they're kinna sweet! I've been telling you for… since I can remember that they're too sweet, but…”
“Ron? Thanks. Really. I'll eat 'em later, okay?”
“Fine. Now you change your mind” he glanced at her choice for lunch – mystery meat, an apple, cole-slaw. Ron was having a more typical fries, hamburger, and more fries. And a soda. Kim had a glass of water.
“Run out of your fav soda, KP? Want me to go get ya a DP from the machine in the gym?”
Ron was being so considerate… that it was embarrassing. “They had DP Ron, I just wanted water, okay? Maybe my sweet-tooth has worn off or something, I don't know. Would you stop being so nice? It's weirding me out…”
“It is?”
She looked up at him as he sat down. Good point, Ron. It is? It never used to…she thought. “Yeah, uh… sorry Ron. I guess I just feel a little strange still. Being trapped in the Null Void for thirteen days, y'know.” She pecked him on the cheek.
“That was two weeks ago, Kim. It's still making you feel funny? Maybe you should -”
Beep Beep Be-Beep
Kim fished her Kimmunicator from her backpack. Finally, things were getting back to normal. There was the ten year old computer genius's face on the screen, as usual. “What's the sitch, Wade?”
“This is the part where you give up, Shego!” Kim said with narrowed eyes.
“Princess! About time… I thought you'd never get here…” Shego replied snidely.
Shego was wearing her green and black cat suit, as usual. It really looked good… that is, it suited her well – Kim thought. No pun intended. NOT a good time for mental wandering, Kim!
Ron was already off looking for Dr. Drakken as the two girls closed for the fight.
It began in the usual way as they warmed up, punching, blocking, kicking, ducking. This wasn't the serious part yet. This was just foreplay, getting into the mood. After a minute and a half of that, it was time to get down to business.
But something was different… “Problem with the glow, Shego?” Kim said with all the sarcasm she could muster. Her enemy had apparently forgotten to light up.
“Huh? Oh. Yeah…” Gawd!Shego thought,What the fuck is WRONG with me? I wish I could figure out what's DIFFERENT about her! It's throwing me off here… she thought. She needed to stall, clear her head. “You've been training again, Kimmie? I wouldn't have thought you'd have the time, what with important cheer leading to do an' all.”
“I was gonna say the same to you Shego. Finally get bored with your nails?”
That hit Shego where she lived, and they resumed fighting with new intensity. But still couldn't land a hit on each other. They were both getting frustrated. Normally they would have thrown each other to the floor at least a couple of times by now…
Finally, Kim saw an opening. Shego had just come off a double-spin left-hook combo, and one of her arms was thrown to the side by Kim's block, while the other was in use for balance as she tried to set up her stance for another kick. Kim lunged for the Thief's throat – and got there! She pressed both thumbs just above her enemy's larynx, hard enough to show Shego that she didn't dare retaliate lest Kim collapse her windpipe permanently – and then she froze.
Time stood still for a fraction of a second as Kim stared at her hands on Shego's throat. Something like an electric buzz of horror passed through her brain, front to back. She let go of Shego's throat as if the Thief were the source of that shock, and paused in wonder about what she'd felt. Nothing like that had ever happened to her before… It was… it was like a flashback or something, or deja vu, or something remembered but… not remembered.
Meanwhile, Shego finished her set-up and – not taking the time to wonder why she was being allowed the opening - given that Kim hadher by the throat only a moment before - kicked her in the gut just as hard as she could. Kim was lifted off her feet and flew back against the wall, where she crumpled to the floor.
Now it was Shego's turn - “OH MY GOD KIM! I'm sorry!” she screamed, running up to her and kneeling at her side. She lifted Kim's sweater to expose her belly, apparently looking for something, “Does it hurt? Are you okay? TALK to me Kim!”
Kim looked up at Shego with squinty eyes and a furrowed brow. What was Shego… talking about?
And when Shego looked into those eyes, she wondered the same thing: What… what the HELL am I saying! What the HELL AM I DOING? She pulled her hands from Kim's stomach abruptly, sticking them out to the side in a gesture of wait! Just… wait… Still holding her arms out, she slowly stood. She began to back slowly away, as if Kim had some kind of contagious disease. Something's not right… Something's not right she repeated to herself over and over.
“Shego-” Kim began, trying to catch her breath and speak at the same time. Too many strange things were happening here. Was it part of some plan? Most strange things that happened to Kim were part of someone's Plan…
But Shego had already turned around and was running away, fast as she could, still thinking SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT! SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT!
Kim panicked, seeing her run away like that, hearing her boots on the linoleum, like time was running out, and she shouted, “SHEGO! WAIT!”
But Shego didn't stop. Kim would spend a long time afterwards wondering what she had wanted Shego to “wait” for.
“So they both got away…” Dr. Director said towards the end of her debriefing, “Team Possible lost them again. Is that what you're telling me?”
Kim winced at the “Team Possible” remark. She had screwed up that mission. Ron had done exactly what he was supposed to do - he even had Drakken cornered and weaponless. But then Shego had shown up, and Ron hadn't dared fight her over Drakken, so he'd had to let Dr. Drakken go, or risk being burnt to ashes. It was Kim's fault – and she knew it. Shego was her responsibility.
Whose idea was it to call the two of them “Team Possible” anyway, Kim wondered… and then it occurred to her – of course, Kim had just assumed that would be their name.
“Well… they didn't get what they came after, at least” Ron offered by way of excuse.
“Perhaps not. But they'll try again, and next time we may not be aware of it. Is there nothing you can tell me about her apparent concern for you after she hit you in the torso, Kim?”
“Uhm… no” Kim faltered. She hadn't told Dr. director about getting her hands around Shego's throat. For some reason, Kim didn't even like to think about that. It made her shudder inside. “She just… I told you what she said… it was weird. I have no idea. I guess I was too shocked to go after her, when that happened… plus, I was still trying to catch my breath. She knocked the wind out of me with that kick…”
Dr. Director recognized excuses when she heard them. “I see. Well, see that it doesn't happen again.” She made a point of looking down at her appointment book and flipping a page, “That is all, people. You may go.”
April:
Shego woke up in a cold sweat of absolute panic. She'd been running and running through the ruined streets of St. Louis – why St. Louis? She'd never even been to St. Louis… - looking for Kim, screaming her name, and trying to listen for a reply over her own panting breath. There'd been an earthquake. Somehow she knew that she'd been running like that for days on end. Desperately looking for her arch-nemesis. But… why?
Well, it was just a dream. Still, it was kind of a pisser to know that the damn cheerleader was in her head like that. So much that she'd dream about her. Doy! The very idea made her feel… uneasy. That reaction she'd had when she'd connected with Kim's stomach last time… she was stilltrying to figure that out. Well, maybe that was just a fluke. Obviously she'd momentarily confused Kim with someone else. Someone she wouldn't want to kick in the gut… although she had no idea who that might be.
Maybe she should avoid running into Kim for awhile. Sort of a vacation from Team Possible. She had been setting up her missions intentionally to alert the GJ to her presence and thus have the opportunity to fight the girl. Hoping to finally beat her to the point of getting her out of the way for awhile. As a fighter, the damn teenager was just frustratingly good! She seemed to anticipate all her moves… It was almost as if Shego had taught her herself.
She went outside to cool off from the nightmare, walking aimlessly in the moonlight. It was unusually bright outside, for 4 a.m., and Shego looked up at the moon, full and bright. Well, no wonder.
Dr. Drakken was waiting for her in the kitchen when she finally came back into the Lair. He always waited for her like that – he'd learned early on not to wake his “employee” in the morning.
“Shego! Good. There are some things I need. Shouldn't be much difficulty for you to retrieve them. Government laboratory, is all. Fermi Lab. As soon as you can manage, please.”
The Thief grunted at him as she shuffled her way to Mr. Coffee.
“You'll have to handle the material carefully – plutonium. Only ten or fifteen grams. The shielded case will weigh more than the items will. You-”
“I had the weirdest dream. I was running down the streets in St. Louis. There'd been an earthquake – the city was pretty much completely wrecked.” Shego cut him off before he got around to explaining the details of his plan – which he always did.
“Well, that's fascinating, Shego, but -”
“It was weird because it seemed so real! Like the passage of time was… like in real life, y'know?” Unable to explain better, she sipped her coffee in reverie, still wondering what Kim Possible had to do with it. “Weird…”
Unbeknownst to Shego, she had Drakken's full attention now.
“Unlike a dream?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Seemed real? St. Louis, you say?”
“Yeah, St. Louis.” It was unusual for Dr. Drakken to be so interested in anything besides himself – a trait they shared – and Shego began to wonder about it. “Why?”
“Oh. No reason. So, a large-scale earthquake in St. Louis. How interesting.”
“You know something I don't, Dr. D?”
“And you're sure it was St. Louis?”
“Yeah. I don't know how I'm sure… oh, the Arch, maybe. Spill it Drak. You know you're dying to. Why's my dream so 'interesting'? ”
“Something for the future, perhaps. A project I back-burnered once” he lied. Best to keep this to himself, until he knew exactly what he intended to do with the information. Dr. Drakken knew that if Shego had been in a different universe, some things might have been different, but other things would be the same. “You merely brought it to mind, that's all. I may give it another look, sometime.”
That explanation was satisfactory to Shego, so she dropped it before he began explaining said plan. She'd just as soon not be around for another monologue about how the world would one day recognize his genius. Pfft.
Kim was in her bedroom with Ron trying to tutor him in quadratic equations. It was a little frustrating for her… algebra was just so obvious! She wanted to get to the Good Stuff: logarithms and imaginary numbers, graphs with a z axis, instead of just x and y.
As Ron looked up from his homework to ask Kim a question, he found her staring out her bedroom window into the night.
“Lost in space?” he chided her.
“Huh?”
“Nuthin'. Whatcha looking for?”
“Oh. Uh… I dunno. Just thinkin', I guess.” That was true. She had no idea what she was looking for, but when he'd asked, she'd realized that she was, in fact, looking for something. Or someone. Outside the window behind her desk. Something good…
“Did I tell you about this weird dream I had the other night?” Kim asked.
“Don't think so…”
“Yeah, it was a week or so ago. I remember there was a full moon. I was on this deserted highway, but there were cars everywhere – stopped, on and off the road - all with the keys in them. Then my Jeep broke down, and I couldn't find another car that worked. I had to get somewhere really, really bad – I can't remember who - and none of the cars would start. It was sort of like a nightmare… but… it's hard to explain. It was just weird.”
“Can't remember 'who'? ”
“What?”
“You said you needed to get somewhere, but couldn't remember 'who'.“
“Oh” Kim tried to remember saying that, when it just popped into her head – she'd wanted to get back to… Shego? “I meant-”
Beep-Beep-be-BeepThe Kimmunicator's signal terminated the conversation.
“What's the sitch Wade?”
“You're going to Fermi Lab. Transportation will be there in ten. I can't tell this time, but it's probably Shego. If it is, she's being a lot more careful than usual – no alarms triggered at all, but we have an eye-witness - some guy on a smoke break saw her jump the fence. Said it looked like they wearing some weird kind of two-color outfit.”
“Any idea what they're after?” Kim asked as she grabbed her mission-clothes and utility belt from the closet. Ron had already left the room to give her privacy. They'd done all this before.
“No, but they keep some bad stuff at Fermi lab. Radioactive stuff. Better be careful, and if you spill anything, get out fast.”
“Gotcha Wade. Beep me if ya get more info.”
“'Kay. Later, gator.” Wade like to sign off his communications differently every time these days. Kim rolled her eyes. Wade was getting weirder all the time. Or maybe it was Kim getting weirder. I had to get back to Shego?
Kim and Ron read the eyewitness's report, and studied the layout of Fermi Lab while en-route. Shego – and it was almost certainly her – had been seen jumping the fence near the High Energy Physics building. That would figure in with the radio-active material angle, so that's where they would begin. Hopefully it would take Shego longer to find whatever she was looking for than it would take them to find her.
“Let's try this hallway” Kim said.
“But, KP, that's the Nanotech wing. The sign says the HEP labs are -”
“Wouldja just trust me, Ron? I have a feeling about this…” Kim said. Actually, she had a lot of feelings about this, none of which she could explain. These feelings were beginning to worry her. What if she were to get the upper hand and then have another episode like last time, when she'd given up her hold on Shego's throat? Best not to think about it. Things to do now.
And around the corner, down the hall, there was Shego, leaning against the door-frame of the Nanotube Lab door, with her arms and feet crossed, her back to them. Just standing there. As they sneaked up behind her, one of her hands came up to her collar and she appeared to be rubbing something there.
A heavy-looking, black-metallic briefcase sat on the floor beside her.
Kim and Ron were right behind the Thief now, and still Shego gazed into the lab. Kim prepared herself for a surprise hit, something that would take her enemy down fast. A flying side-kick to her head ought to do it. She put herself into position.
Shego just stood there rubbing her neck, apparently lost in thought.
Now was the time for Kim to do it. Shego was – unbelievably – still unaware of their presence. Kim could take her out with one move. Knock her out… perhaps break her neck in the process. Well, there were always dangers. Besides, Shego had an unfair advantage, what with her comet powers. Kim could do this. Kim should do this. Kim was supposed to do this!
But Kim could not. “S-Shego?” Kim stuttered, wondering what she was doing even as she said it.
The rubbing of her neck stopped, but Shego didn't turn around. She knew it was too late for that, anyway. She'd been caught, unawares, completely by surprise. Something about this place, about this particular lab, about standing in this particular doorway…
And now, Kim was here.
Something about Kim…
Very slowly, calmly, almost serenely, Shego turned around. She did not speak. For some reason, it didn't even occur to her to say anything. She looked directly at Kim. So different… why can't I figure out what's so different about her?Shego thought without putting it into words, even in her head.
Kim shifted her stance to a defensive posture. Ron watched, mouth agape. What was going on here? Kim had given herself away. She'd had the perfect chance! This could have been a very quick, clean operation! NOW god knew how much damage would be done – to Kim, to Fermi Lab, to Chicago… Shego was far too dangerous to play with like this… What the hell was Kim up to!
Kim didn't speak either. She lowered her stance, and assumed a normal standing position, just like Shego. The two girls stared at each other.
Something about Kim…
Something about Shego…
But what? Neither of them knew. What they did know was that there was not going to be a fight. Whatever happened, this was not going to go as it had so many times before. Because… because there was something about Kim, and something about Shego.
After almost three minutes of staring, Shego sighed, glanced toward – but not at - her briefcase on the floor, and began to walk up the hallway, away from them.
Walk. Not run.
Ron thought, She's getting away!, and tensed himself to run after her, but then felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face Kim.
“Don't” Kim said.
“But, KP, -”
“I can't explain Ron. I… I don't know what's going on. Just… this one time, let her go?” Kim's voice was oddly – all things considered – calm, and she had an odd look about her eyes. She was obviously trying to figure something out. Ron looked back at Shego's slowly receding back. He tensed again, out of habit.
“Ron? Not this time. I'll take the heat. Can we talk about it later?”
“KP…” Ron began.
“Tomorrow. We'll talk tomorrow, okay? I don't know what to say right now anyway… or how to say it… or… anything. Let's just go home. Okay Ron?” Kim's voice sounded almost apologetic, and her face seconded that analysis.
“Yeah. Uh…”
“I owe ya” Kim said earnestly.
Ron thought of saying a hundred things on the ride back to Middleton. That had been the best shot they'd ever had of catching the Thief. Dr. Director was going to be pissed, and that was… going to be bad. To say the least. But again, at least Shego hadn't left with what she'd come for, and no damage had been done to the facilities. Maybe that was something. He doubted it would be enough.
But oddly enough, Dr. Director hardly said a word about it. She even congratulated the pair on the lack of damage to the Lab. Kim told her story as if Ron hadn't even been there, making sure that the failure came across as all her fault. She didn't mention holding Ron back when he'd been ready to go after Shego.
Dr. Director was a patient woman. She knew that whatever was going on would get to her eventually. It apparently involved both Kim and Shego failing to “do their jobs properly”. After Kim and Ron left her office, she made a note of that.
May:
Drakken got his plutonium anyway, through the Russian mafia. It cost a little more – a LOT more, actually - but he really had no choice now that Global Justice knew he wanted it. Shego had told him that Kim and her buffoon had shown up and that there was nothing she could do, afraid that her plasma might rupture the shielding around the briefcase. He bought the story.
Which should've made Shego happy – she'd gotten away with something. Dr. D would never now what had really happened. Her paycheck was safe. This was exactly the sort of thing that Shego lived for – putting something over on someone. She'd still collect her pay from Drakken, and Drakken would be none the wiser that she didn't deserve it. He was such a moron, in some ways, she thought. Yeah. And I work for him…
It took Shego weeks to get over what happened at Fermi Lab. The weird feelings of familiarity. Her unusual excitement about going there, like she expected to meet someone or something. And the Nanotech Lab, where she'd felt to strangely… quiet. Even… contented, somehow. Every time she thought about that, her neck would sort of itch.
“So, how's the Vanishing Cream coming, Dr. D?”
“I keep telling you, it's not 'Vanishing Cream'. It's a Lightwave Angular Molecular Emitter gel. I do wish you'd stop making fun of my inventions, Shego. It really hurts me, you know?”
“LAME gel…” Shego chuckled, “Sorry, Dr. D. Not trying to be mean.”
“You… you're not?”
“You wanna push your luck, Drak?” Shego said defensively. Drakken had a point. Since when did she ever 'try not to be mean'?
“No… No, I suppose not. I've put aside the Vani- … that is, the LAME gel for the time being.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I've decided it was time to take my mother's advice for a change, and take care of the troublesome things first. I'm working on a way to do that.”
“What kind of troublesome things?”
In light of Shego's constant failure to either out-wit or out-fight the “trouble”, Dr. Drakken decided against telling her. “Troublesome things that I don't have time to explain to you. Now if you don't mind, I have work to do…”
Dr. Drakken was refusing to explain his latest plan? Well, that was a new thing. But really, Shego had only asked out of sheer boredom anyway, so it was kind of a relief that he wouldn't tell her what he was working on. She knew she'd find out eventually anyway.
Shego went back to her room in the Lair to get online and see what the Senior family was up to on VillianChat. She'd been thinking a lot about Senor Senior, Senior lately. And sighing. He was so damn old! Now Jr. was the right age… but he hardly cast a shadow compared to his father. He'd have to be whipped into shape. Well, Shego was just the woman who could do that. Maybe she could make another Senior, Sr. out of him.
But the Seniors weren't online, and probably wouldn't be for a couple of hours yet. With nothing else to do, Shego would wait. She opened another window to look at the latest Lear Jet news.
But really, it wasn't all that interesting. Lear Jets were so… fragile. ALL jets were that way, actually. So much maintenance for every few hours in the air. You couldn't really depend on them. Without a maintenance contract, your new jet would be grounded within weeks. She closed the window.
Really, getting a new Lear just because it was new was kind of… pointless. Rather like sighing over Senor Senior. That was pointless too.
A lot of things suddenly seemed pointless.
What was she even doing here? Working for Drakken virtually guaranteed that she'd never be taken seriously. Now, if she could work out a deal with Monkey Fist, or the Seniors – that might mean something. Her name in the papers, Most Feared Woman Alive, that sort of thing. That'd be kind of cool.
Wouldn't it?
Or was that pointless, too. Dammit, she was missing something, something important, something to make life… exciting. Something that would make each day a thing to look forward to, rather than just something to get through.
She laid down and tried to think of what would make her happy. She fell asleep.
Shego awoke just after midnight. Another nightmare. She'd been dreaming that she had destroyed a city in abject fury. Damn near killed by the firestorm… and there was this bear, towards the end, burning and wailing and wiggling on the street… Later, in the still-smoking city, it had occurred to her what she really needed, what would make things better; Kim. Somehow, Kim could make it right. That was the dream-thought that finally woke her up, and it just wouldn't leave her mind: Kim could fix everything. Kim! God… fucking DREAMS!… She needed to get outside…
Full moon again, she noticed. How odd. Her damn father. She hadn't thought of him in years. She wondered what he'd think of her now – Thief, Villain, Most Dangerous yadda yadda yadda. Probably not much, she guessed. If he even knew she was alive. She should have told Hego what their father had done. Take his opinion of him down a notch. That'd serve him right… And as for the cheerleader…
Her mind wandered.
Kim, on the other hand, slept wonderfully the whole night. It was only after she woke up, during breakfast with the family, that she remembered her dream. She dreamed that she was leaving somewhere, for some reason, and had to say goodbye to Ron's picture. It was heartbreaking. And what's worse, Shego was there to help her through it. They'd slept together! Talk ABOUT strange dreams… this had to be a 9. Maybe a 10, all things considered. Well, could've been worse… could've been a… “wet” dream. Thank God for small favors! That would've been too weird to handle…
On the way to school, she met up with Ron, as usual.
“Hey, KP! Check this out!” he said excitedly, fishing something out of his pocket. He unfolded an official-looking piece of paper. “I've been accepted to the New York Culinary Institute! They must have really liked the essay I sent with the application – 'The Nacho: Meal or Snack?'. I'm going to New York, Kim!”
Kim's first thought was – what was she supposed to when he was gone? “When?”
“Well, after I graduate, obviously. I'll still be here next year. But I'm going, KP! I'm gonna be a chef!”
Only another year? Kim thought with some trepidation, We're going to split up? In a year? And doesn't… doesn't he care? “That's great Ron…”
“Oh, c'mon, KP, we'll stay in touch. Between the cell-phones, the Kimmunicators, and the 'Net, it'll be just like -”
“Uh, Ron? Can we drop the 'Kim' part? It's starting to feel kinna stupid. Like something out of a cartoon… Let's just call them 'COmmunicators', like everybody else does, okay?”
“Uh… yeah. All right, KP. Uhm, can I still call you 'KP'?”
Kim sighed. “Of course you can call me 'KP' Ron. Gyah…” Things were changing so fast… it was depressing, in a way. Next year would be the last year of high school. And next month, she would turn 17. It was almost time to start applying to college. If only there was some way to slow everything down, somehow. Live her life at her own pace. Stay together. The Girl Who Could Do Anything was afraid of change.
Ron could see that Kim was getting down, and suspected it wasn't just about him going off to New York. “You know I was never going to go with you to Yale, or Rice, or wherever it is you're going, right Kim? School's not my thing. Food is my thing. You know that, right?”
“I know…”
“I'm gonna miss you too, Kim.”
“Can we stop talking about it like it's already happened? I just… it's… uh…”
Sensing that it was time to break the mood, Ron said, “Hey! I'll name my first restaurant after you, how's that? 'Chez Kim'. Or maybe 'The Possible Bistro'. Hmmmm…” he rubbed his chin, “Cream Possible…”
That brought a smile to her lips, “Give me a break Ron! 'Cream Possible'? So not happening!”
“And the specialty of the house can be Shrimp Kimpura.”
“Stop it…”
“Kimchiladas?”
“Ron!” she snickered.
“I'll call my ultra-secret dish – deep-fried spaghetti – 'Possible Pasta'…”
“Oh, gawd…” Kim was laughing out loud now.
Well, maybe it would be a good year, anyway.
“Hello?”
“How's my favorite cheerleader?”
“Shego!” Kim motioned to Ron to have Wade trace the call, an automatic reaction.
“That's right Pumpkin. Just wanted to let you know that I'm taking a vacation for awhile. Won't be seein' ya around. So you can stand down for awhile.”
“A vacation? Where – never mind, you won't tell me anyway. Job stress getting to ya, is it?” It was her job now to keep Shego on the line until the trace could be completed.
“Very funny, Princess. You should work the Catskills this summer. They like that kinna thing.” Good comeback. Good banter. Good… to hear her voice, but let's not think about that. Besides, that's not why she'd called. “Thing is… I've just been feeling… a little strange, lately. Ever since we spent that 13 days in limbo. You… uh… notice anything like that?”
After a longer-than-necessary moment, Kim answered uncertainly, “Yeah…”
“Like how?”
“Well…” wait a minute, why should Kim be the one to admit to anything? “I can't explain. How's it been with you?”
Shego sighed, she figured it would come to this stalemate, but she was prepared for it - “Oh, just unusual feelings sometimes. Sorta like deja vu, but not really. Hard to explain. Had a few weird dreams too…”
“H-how weird? I mean – weird, how?” That had caught Kim's attention, and she now forgot all about the on-going trace.
“Hard to explain. Like… in the dreams, the time is passing at regular speed. Just like being awake. It's sort of like -”
“What happens in the dreams?” Kim interrupted.
No way was Shego going to get into that. It was bad enough going as far as making the phone call in the first place. Time to change the subject.
“Had any like that, Kimmie?”
“Uh…” Kim's mind raced as she tried to figure out what to say. What Shego had described fitted exactly with what the dreams were like, and she desperately wanted to talk to Shego about them – somehow – without letting her enemy know what they were about. And Ron was listening too, and no doubt Wade was taping the conversation for the GJ… who was also tracing the call. If they were to complete the trace, and if Kim could keep Shego on the phone…
They could catch her.
Is that what Kim wanted to happen? It didn't take much soul-searching for Kim to realize that it wasn't. But, how to get out of it now? Everyone was expecting her to keep Shego talking… she'd even had training in how to do just that, for just this situation! And now…
“I'll take that as a 'yes'.”
“Uhm… yes.” Kim wished that no one else could hear this – now she'd probably be expected to explain to Dr. Director just what she meant. Dammit!
“And after you wake up, you remember it -”
“ - as if it had actually happened!” Kim finished, forgetting what she didn't want to say while everyone was listening. She glanced at Ron to see if he was following her end of the conversation, hoping that he was not. Ron saw her, and held up both hands, fingers out, one by one, he'd curl up a finger. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three… It would be seven seconds until the trace was completed.
If Kim didn't want Shego caught, she'd have to act now!If only she could convey to the Thief what was happening…
“Shego… uh, the time…”
“Yeah, just like real life.”
Five seconds to go.
“Shego… m-maybe the phone isn't… the best place, uh…” Still safe. Kim could tell Dr. Director that she was trying to set up a face-to-face with Shego, and they could capture her then.
“I think the phone is fine, Pumpkin.”
Two seconds.
Kim was out of time and desperate. She shouted “This line is being traced, Shego!”
Calm but curious, Shego only said, “I'm keeping an eye on the time, Kim. You're not… uh… supposed to tell the trace-ee that you're tracing the call, though…”
Kim looked anxiously over at Ron again, who was staring at her wide-eyed. Then, hearing something on the Kimmunicator, he looked at it, and – still wondering what the hell Kim was up to – gave her the thumbs-up. Location found.
“Shego… I… they…”
“I know. Kim… why… why did you tell me… uh, oh shit. I gotta go. Uhm… oh, hell. Goodbye, Kim.” The phone clicked the dial-tone came on. Shego was off the line. And still, Kim couldn't help herself - “Goodbye, Shego”, she said.