Shego glanced nervously around the part of the lair they called ‘the boardroom’. It consisted of a table, made of armored glass (mainly due to the fact that the jaguar occasionally used it for cat-naps) with built in holographic data projectors, and a set of chairs. While in a corporate boardroom, the chairs would have been all the same, here each chair reflected the user of the chair.
Kim’s chair, not surprisingly, was the largest. Built into the armrests were a variety of controls, duplicating the controls on the table. The chair and table were directly linked to the Lair’s computer network… if the lair was ever breached, Kim could direct the Lair’s defenses from here.
Shego’s chair had wooden arm rests, designed to be easily replaceable. The reason why was simple… during long meetings, Shego had a habit of ‘sharpening’ her claws. The original cloth armrests the chair had come with had long been torn to shreds, and no one knew how many replacement sets of arm rests Shego had gone through.
Yori’s chair looked normal at first glance, until you examined the arm rests closely. A set of metal folding fans were sheathed in the arm rests, allowing her quick access if she ever needed them. Similar sets were squirreled about the lair in other locations, insuring Yori would never be more then a few feet from a set of her signature weapons.
Ron’s chair was straight out of the Hench-Co catalog, from their VIV (Very Important Villain) line up. In addition to the built in electronic massager, it featured a mini-fridge in the base of the chair, able to deliver cold drinks.
Rufus’s chair, when he bothered to use it, was based on a high chair, allowing the naked mole rat to perch level with the table. More frequently, however, he would ride on the jaguar’s head or shoulders, while the jaguar lounged on a large, often re-covered cushion.
Kim glanced over at Shego and reached out to pat the other woman’s hand. In front of Kim was the reason why Kim had called this meeting… a large paper folder containing her latest expenditure proposal.
Much to Kim’s surprise, being a ‘Hero without limits’ had actually turned into a money making venture. One very effective way to put villains out of business, at least for awhile, was to take away their capital. If the villain had originally gained their funds from, say, bilking little old ladies, Kim made sure the money was anonymously returned to the gullible grannies. However, when the money was stolen from a huge company, which had their money replaced by a huge insurance company, who had recouped their losses at microscopic cost to individual shareholders and in government tax returns… Well, it was easier to keep that money rather then try to find some theoretical ‘rightful’ owner.
Once she had realized they were making money, Kim had laid down some ground rules. The money was community property, belonging to the pack equally. Everyone was authorized to spend a certain portion on their own, without having to clear it with the group (Much to Kim‘s surprise, this had includes the jaguar once buying a live zebra over E-Bay, with Rufus‘s help.) Any expenditure over a certain amount had to be approved by a group meeting, such as this one. Even if the cost of Kim’s proposed project had not been over the threshold, however, Kim would still have called this meeting. The ramifications of this proposal would, after all, have dramatic effects on the pack.
Ron and Monique came in first, taking their seats. To no one’s surprise, when the jaguar padded in, Rufus was riding astride him like a miniature mahout. The human members of the pack were seated, then Kim started the meeting.
“Any old business to discuss first?” Kim asked, waiting to make sure that none of the other people at the table… which included both Rufus and the jaguar… had anything they wanted to communicate. “No? Ok. It’s been two years since we started our heroes without limits project, and it’s been going well. Well enough that Shego and I think we can spare the time for something that would be very important to us… but which could seriously change our group. It will be somewhat expensive, but even aside from that I think it’s important that this be a group decision.”
Ron, Yori, and Rufus exchanged glances, curious. The jaguar, as usual, simply lounged on her cushion as if she already knew what was going on.
“Kim… if it’s important to you and Shego, then it’s important to us.” said Ron. “None of us are really concerned about cost, if it means getting something that you two both want.”
“Cost is just one of the factors.” said Kim. “There’s also ethical factors to consider… moral ones, and possibly even legal ones we should consider.”
Shego decided that Kim was drawing it out too far. She turned and said bluntly “We want to have kids.”
There was a very shocked pause around the other end of the table. Even the jaguar, cued by the body reactions around him and Rufus’s shift astride her, looked up.
“You wish to adopt?” said Yori, being the first to speak.
Kim shook her head. “It would just be one child, to start with. And it would be Shego’s and mine… not adopted, born that way.”. Kim opened the folder. “It’s a procedure being worked on outside the US… not yet done on humans, but animal results are all promising and D.N.Amy assured me it could easily be modified for human results. Basically, I would donate some of my ova. The genetic material from that ova would be spliced into some sperm cells, replacing their current genetic payload, and then used to artificially inseminate Shego. The only radical art is the ova to sperm conversion.”
“Why Shego to carry the child?” said Ron, curious. “Why not you, Kim, or…” Ron glanced around. “…Yori here?”
“Ron!” said Yori, finding herself blushing. While she had considered carrying Ron’s child, the thought of carrying Kim and Shego’s child was shocking. Much to her surprise, the thought was not as unpleasant as she might have expected. The six of them, after all, were pack. Yori instinctively knew that any child that any two of the pack had would be raised by the entire pack.
“Having a seperate host mother is an unnecessary complication.” said Kim, falling naturally into the role of an Alpha… presenting information to her pack that also made it clear that decisions regarding that information had already been made. “As for the choice between Shego and me, which one of us would be the birth mother…”
“Despite my genetic ‘advantages’ said Shego, taking over the thread of the conversation, “I can be spared from our nightly activities more easily then Kim. In addition to being combat leader, Kim is the face of the team. Much of the recent decline in local crime, which has been allowing us to expand our operations, is due to the ‘street cred’ built around Kim. If Kim shows up eight months pregnant, most of that street cred goes right down the diaper pail.”
“What about your ‘genetic advantages’?” asked Ron. “Will the child have those also?”
“I don’t know.” admitted Shego. “It’s possible that any child I bear will have none, one, or both of my ‘mutations’. It depends on how my ova were affected. That’s one of my biggest worries I have about this proposal. Do I… Do we have the right to bring a child into this world, who may be subject to the same ridicule and scorn that I went through?”
“Considering how you turned out, Shego-san…” said Yori. “I think this is something I can definitely approve of. I second the proposal”
“All in favor?” asked aid Ron. “Aye.”
“Aye!” squeaked Rufus, and the jaguar under him also gave an approving growl.
“Awww, thanks guys…” said Shego. She suddenly moved, pouncing onto the table. “Hug pile!” she said, grabbing onto Yori and hugging her close.
“Ack! Hug addict!” cried Yori playfully. With a grin, Ron, Kim, and Rufus joined in hugging both Yori and Shego. None of them were surprised when the jaguar walked over, joining in the hug by rubbing against the legs of the two footed members of her pack.
Kim held their new born baby up, peering at the appendage dangling between the child's legs. “That's unexpected.” Kim said. “Are you SURE no one messed with the kid’s genes?”
“All the doctors swear every gene in that kid came from either you or me.” said Shego, laying on the hospital bed, not yet having recovered her full strength after giving birth. “I'm guessing the kid got it from my side of the family.”
“You don't have one of those.” pointed out Kim. “I know, I would noticed by now. And I definately don't have one.”
“Yeah, before this only two of our pack members had that. And one of those was Rufus.” said Shego.
“Damn.” said Kim, shaking her head in wonder. “My daughter has a tail.”