Shego's stomach growled, and she had a brilliant idea. She went over to Josh and whispered into his ear, so as not to disturb what he was doing to Ron. She whispered two words, and Josh turned to look at her, smiling. Of course!
The two words were, “Bueno Nacho”.
After putting in her order with the boys (four burritos and two nachoritos for her, half that for Kim), Shego went back to the bedroom with dread in her heart. I shouldn't have done that. I should've handled that different. I just did the easiest thing for me… Ron would've handled it differently. You owe me a whack, Ron.
Kim had obviously woken up, and was laying on her back with a pillow covering her face.
“Sorry I had to do that Pumpkin. Really, I am.”
“Don't worry about it. I'm glad you did. Now if you could just leave me alone to die…” Kim sighed heavily.
Shego sat on the edge of the bed, unsure what to do now. “Well, the guys have just gone off to Bueno Nacho on a lunch run. So it's just you and me here, for awhile.” Shego looked at the pillow, “Uh, Kim… I just want to say thanks for what you did talking to Dr. -”
“GAWD! I made SUCH a fool of myself! I mean…” Kim sighed, “I'm never leaving this room. Ever. You can bring me food and water, come visit… but I'm going to live here for the rest of my life.”
“C'mon, Pumpkin, you'll get over it. Hey, I was kind of shocked too, y'know. Who knew? I have to admit though, his boyfriend is awfully cute” Shego tried to ease the situation. “So, you remember everything? I figured you might just kind of blank it out…”
“Yeah, I remember. Everything. Ron almost passed out laughing at me. AT me, Shego! Not ‘with me’… ‘ Next time he sees me, he'll probably crack up again just thinking about it. Ah, gawd…”
Shego thought about that for a minute. She hadn't heard everything that Kim had said to Ron, like what started him off laughing so hard, but she'd heard enough of her babble to get the idea. And remembering, she couldn't help but smile.
“Well, can't really blame him, Pumpkin…” she said.
Kim sat up on the bed abruptly, pulling the pillow off her head.
“Well! Thank you, Shego! Thank you for making me feel SO much better! That's just what I needed to hear!” She flopped back down, putting the pillow back into position over her face. “You can go now. And stop calling me ‘Pumpkin'!”
That hurt.
In fact, Shego wouldn't have believed - until that very moment - just how much it hurt. She wouldn't have believed that a single remark from Kim could hurt that much. Not call you ‘Pumpkin’? It was such a little thing, but Shego just couldn't imagine how to not think of the other girl as “Pumpkin’. She had easily dropped the “Princess”, and somewhat less easily “Kimmie”… but… to not ever call her “Pumpkin”? That… that would change everything…
“Just go,” Kim repeated, “please.”
“Kim, I -” Shego began.
“No. Just go away. I just can't deal with you right now” Kim cut her off.
Shego felt something like shock, as if the bottom had dropped out of herself. 'deal with’ me? You can't ‘deal with’ me? Am I so awful you have to ‘deal’ with it? But she was already getting up off the bed, unable to think what else to do. She took a step, then stopped. That's two you owe me, Ron.
And if I walk out of here, three.
“Alright, look, Pum-, uh, Kim. I'm sorry, okay?”, Oh, good apology, Shego. Three, Ron.“I mean… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry I said that. I wasn't thinking, and I shot off a smart remark out of habit… you know me…”
“Better than I want to right now” Kim said bitterly.
“Yeah. Well…” Shego paused, “Kim, it's not easy for me, either, all of this… I mean, I'm not used to even having friends, let alone… well, you. It's all new to me. I don't know how to act. And frankly, I don't know what you all seem to see in me! I mean, I wouldn't be friendly with me! But you… and Ron was… even this guy Josh, whom I barely even know, seems to…” she sighed, “And I just don't get it!” She paused, trying to get her bearings. She was talking off her head (or perhaps from her heart) and couldn't really remember where he was going with it.
Kim also sighed. There was a long moment of silence between them; Kim in bed with her face covered, Shego standing, looking at her, trying to figure out this new feeling she was experiencing.
Vulnerable. But not like with Lee. This is different. And it's not just to her, either…
Finally, Kim spoke up. “I used to date him, y'know.”
“Uh… you used to date Ron's boyfriend?” On a completely different track, now, and Shego was astounded.
“Yeah. I know. Seems like I turn everyone gay. We'd better keep an eye on Wade and Monique,” Kim said from under her pillow.
“Who are ‘Wade’ and ‘Monique’?”
“Friends of mine. You don't know ‘em. Yet” Kim replied. She removed the pillow to find the other girl looking down at her with stark concern on her face. “I was kidding, Shego.”
Shego smiled. Kim smiled back.
“Ok, you can call me ‘Pumpkin’ again.”
“FOOD!” Ron yelled, setting the bags down on the counter.
“DRINK!” Josh did likewise.
Shego strolled in from the bedroom. Kim had just been telling her all about Wade and the Kimmunicator. (“KIM-municator? You've got to be kidding!”) She was ravenous, and began tearing the bags open like a hyena, looking for the burritos.
“Don't get in her way, Josh. Could cost you an arm” Ron joked.
Kim appeared in the hallway opening, blushing and hiding her eyes with her hand. “Ron… I'm SO embarrassed… Hi, Josh…”
Josh looked at her, and then at Ron, and decided to keep his mouth shut.
Ron felt a giggle start in his throat, and closed his eyes, willing the image of Kim's face away. Everyone was staring at him, even Shego, though she didn't stop stuffing burrito into her mouth. Finally he was able to say, “Let's just forget about it now, alright, KP? Don't remind me… my stomach muscles are too sore.”
Josh looked at Shego and said “Uh, Shego? You're not supposed to eat the paper…” It was true, she was chomping down on her burrito faster than she could unwrap it. She narrowed her eyes at him as a mock warning. Then she glanced over at Ron.
“Wan, loo owe mu fwee ‘acks” she said with her mouth full.
Ron looked at her questioningly. “How hard?”
“'ard” she replied.
“You're getting better at this, Shego” he said walking towards her, nachorito in hand. “At least you know when you're doing it now.” He smacked her on the back of the head three times.
“'arder” she said. Hair flew.
“Uh… what exactly's going on here?” Kim asked, speaking for Josh too, by the look on his face.
“We have a deal, Shego and I. I'm supposed to smack her on the head every time she… well, acts like a jerk” Ron said.
Kim looked at Shego, who was attempting to swallow the last mouthful of her food. “We may have to think about getting you a helmet.”
“Kim!” Shego cried. Everyone was looking at Kim now.
Ron raised a single eyebrow. “If you start turning green and throwing fireballs, KP, I'm going to look for a new best friend.” He chuckled.
As did they all.
Arriving at the GJ headquarters for their appointment with Dr. Director, Kim led the others to the door of the Ladies restroom in the lobby. “Guys, watch the door. Shego, come with.” She said seriously. Shego followed her in as Ron and Josh assumed guardian positions on either side of the door.
For Shego, this was about the most somber occasion she could even imagine. She was going to be put in jail. Taken away from… from everything, everyone that had happened to her in the space of the last three days. She knew it had to be done, but that didn't make it any easier. Or less depressing.
Kim did a quick sweep of the stalls, then turned to face the older girl.
“Shego, listen. Dr. Director isn't… she isn't… like other people. Especially in this situation, where you're going in to try and ‘make a deal’ with her. It just isn't done. And I really don't know quite what to tell you…”
“You don't need to tell me how to act, Pumpkin. I'll be good” Shego stared at her reflection in the mirror.
“It's not about ‘being good’. That's what I'm trying to say. You have to be honest, you have to tell her everything she wants to know, and not hold anything back. Because she can tell, and it pisses her off. Do not put on an act. Just… oh…” Kim paused, unable to find the right words. “She'll push your buttons just to see how you react, Shego.”
“She doesn't know my buttons” Shego replied, as if that was all there was to say about it.
“Then she'll FIND them, Shego! And she'll find them faster than you can imagine. I've seen people go into her office thinking they knew all the answers, and come out feeling like complete idiots. She does that. Don't try to be clever. Don't even think you're going to out-smart her. You won't. Take your time thinking about everything you say to her.”
“You scared of her, Pumpkin?”
Kim looked intently into Shego's eyes. “YES! YES I AM!” Then, thinking about it, she added, “You will be, too, trust me. I can't explain why… but I think you'll understand before long. And now… the way things are… this time…” Kim closed her eyes. This time my whole life is at stake. Because she can take you away. Probably will. And all I can do is hope.
“You don't have to tell me to be careful. I'm the one facing time, y'know. Ok, Kim, I'll -”
Kim interrupted her savagely, “And what am I supposed to do while you're doing ‘time', Shego! File my nails and watch MTV! Go on missions, finish High School, come to visit every other Wednesday? MY life is at stake here, too, Shego! I… I can't…” she trailed off, still unable to bare herself that completely.
Neither can I, Pumpkin. Why is it that things always have to get worse before they get better? Does there always have to be a price? Shego thought.
Shego stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around Kim in a gentle hug, inhaling the fragrance of her hair. She felt Kim start to cry silently, and pulled her head back to look into the red-head's eyes. Kim looked up into hers, tears falling down her cheeks. Then Kim swallowed, and to Shego's surprise, it was Kim who closed the distance between their lips.
It wasn't greedy, it wasn't sexy, it wasn't long, and there was no tongue. Each girl just let her lips be parted by the other's, and it was a simple experience of sharing and of warmth, of need and exposure. When they broke off, there was nothing more that needed saying. So they both dried their eyes, and left, without a word.