Soon after graduation the gang broke up for the summer.
Ron disappeared the first week. “He asked me to disable the GPS in his Kimmunicator and I did. I figured I could trace him other ways but he's gone. Do you think we should look for him Kim?”
Ron had warned Kim he would be out of the country for the summer even before he learned about Shego, so she didn't take it as a rejection. But she knew his feelings were hurt and she didn't know how to make it up to him. She had a pretty good idea where he was headed and suggested Wade respect Ron's privacy -- unsure if Wade could have traced him anyway.
Kim lost both Monique and Felix the next week. Monique headed for training in Chicago; in the fall she would be back to continue her work as assistant manager at Club Banana while starting her business degree at Middleton U. Felix had a job as counselor at a camp for handicapped children.
The Friday before Monique left she went out to a movie with Kim. Monique could tell Kim was thinking about Shego and suspected Kim might have preferred the older woman's company.
Kim suggested, “Do you think we could stop by the coffee house just to see if--”
“No Kim, I don't. We're out together. We, as in you and me. Maybe she is giving us a chance to say good-bye for the summer. Maybe she is off robbing Fort Knox. Maybe she is sitting there waiting for you, and maybe she isn't. But WE have this night to paint our toenails pink and talk about boys… er, classes this fall at the U.”
“You really think I'm crushing on Shego?”
“Really, GF, you have her under your skin deeper than you know. Maybe I'm wrong. I hope I am. But I'm getting these really weird vibes from you. Not sure if my opinion matters. Isn't anything going to happen unless she opens up more and gets honest with you. Can you ask her where she's been? Can you call her and ask her out?”
“No.”
“See. Shego has serious trust issues. I don't think she wants anyone getting too close.”
Kim finally asked the question that really troubled her. “Monique, are we still friends? Does it bother you that you think I'm interested in a woman?”
The black woman thought for a minute before answering. “I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me. I mean, you think you know who somebody is and then they say, ‘Oh, that's not who I am at all.’ Right this minute I might feel weird asking you to a sleepover. But I think we're still tight. I still want to be your friend. And if this whole crush thing is just in my head I need to apologize to you. Let me know what's happening with you and Shego while I'm gone. Can you promise me that?”
“I'll let you know what I know. Thanks for being a friend.”
Monique left for Chicago the next Sunday morning. Two day's later Kim's room suffered another breaking and entry. After a hard day killing time at the mall Kim went to bed and found a note on the pillow.
Kim,
I hate sounding insecure and paranoid, but I may be both.
I've been asking you out for coffee. I enjoy our time together. I'm
hoping we can keep doing it, but I want to make sure you enjoy
it too. Here are some phone numbers for pre-paid disposable
phones. They've got about a half hour apiece on them and are
basically untraceable. If you're interested, give me a call.
S
P.S. Basically untraceable to location. Big Brother can listen in.
Show some discretion.
At the end of the note were four phone numbers.
Kim smiled and plopped down on her bed. She consulted the note and punched the first number into her cell phone. It was answered on the seventh ring. “Sheila?”
“Yes.”
“This is Red, thanks for the numbers. Sister was telling me last Friday that--”
“Sister? Uh… Red, discretion doesn't have to mean talking in code. Especially when you neglected to hand out the code book.”
“It doesn't?”
“No Princess, it doesn't.”
“Anyway, I missed you last weekend. I'm hoping we can get together Friday.”
“Sounds wonderful…”
While Kim told Shego about Sunday afternoon's mission, rescuing a California condor, the line went dead. Kim looked over at the clock, had it already been half an hour? Shego was going to have to get a lot more of those disposables.
Kim arrived at C2K before Shego that Friday. Thinking she was probably early she brought a sudoku puzzle book. She worked half-heartedly, listening for every opening of the door and looking over to see if Shego had come in.
Kim was starting to worry that Shego might be late when two hands were clamped down over her eyes, “Gotcha!”
Kim almost jumped out of her skin. “How did you do that? I didn't hear you come in.”
Shego laughed as she answered, “How do you get to Carneige Hall?”
Global Justice offered a few internships, usually to college upperclassmen they hoped to recruit. It was almost unheard of to offer two to high school graduates, and unique to have the offer turned down by one of them. But, as Ron said, he had other plans.
Kim and the two other interns were scheduled to go through basic training with a class of new recruits. GJ hoped that getting Kellie and Shqipron through their basic orientation would help move them into their specialized jobs more quickly if they signed on. Since no one under twenty-one could join Global Justice the agency wasn't sure what to do with Kim now -- but they knew they wanted her eventually and wanted her to start seeing herself as part of them.
The recruits, many of them with military backgrounds, initially resented Kim's presence. This was no place for a girl fresh out of high school. Much of the resentment vanished the first week. During assessment of physical combat skills Kim threw four of the five instructors.
“But I'm bottom of the class in marksmanship,” Kim told Shego as she talked with her on the phone. “Oh, maybe Kellie is worse -- but they want to hire her for cryptography not as a field agent.”
“You'll learn, just give it time Princess. I think you can do anything you set your mind to. Remember, ‘Anything's possible…'”
Kim and Shego missed the following Friday evening when the redhead headed for Justine's graduation in Boston. It was hard to find any motel room in Boston at graduation time, impossible to find one close to MIT on a month's notice at any price. Kim ended up in Waltham, a bus ride and the red line away, at a price Mom and Dad were going to think outrageous. Sitting alone in the motel room Kim wondered if she should have invited Shego to come with her, there were a lot of stores for shopping in the area. On the other hand, she wasn't certain the two of them could maintain a truce that long -- and it would have given Monique and her mother more reason to be suspicious if they went away together.
The programs on the television simply bored her, so Kim got out her cell phone, “Hey Sheila, whatcha doing?”
“Hey Red, we can't take the hov… our vehicles down to Mr. Goodwrench so we have to service them ourselves. I'm beat. Just as well you're out of town -- I'd probably fall asleep if we tried to close the place this week.”
“I miss you, I know that sounds crazy, but going out for coffee with you is the high point of my week.”
“I know what you mean, Red. I don't know whether to kick myself for not contacting you earlier -- or kick myself for contacting you at all.”
“Huh?”
“I'm not used to liking the people I fight, okay? I'm going to almost feel sorry the next time I beat you.”
“That's what I love about you, Sheila, your great sense of humor.”
Shego ended the call early, claiming a need for sleep. As she drifted off she wondered about heading for Boston, but shook off the idea as crazy. There was no way she and Kim could maintain a truce, and thinking about the young redhead were probably as dangerous as fighting her.
The next day Kim sat with Justine's parents, apparently the only three people there for her although there was even more praise for her accomplishments than in Middleton. Meeting the Flanners gave Kim a better sense of why Justine lacked so many basic personal skills. She would definitely call her parents and tell them how much she loved them that evening.
Justine's parents flew home Saturday evening. Kim insisted Justine take her to see Harvard Square that night. The thin woman tried to excuse herself, saying she'd only been there a couple times in the two years she was at MIT and didn't know it well, but Kim insisted. Justine seemed unnaturally happy as they prowled through bookstores and the Coop before hitting a Thai place for supper. “She's worse off than Shego,” Kim thought. “I wish there was some way to help her.”
Friday nights with ‘Sheila’ at C2K helped Kim maintain her own sanity. Despite the fear that she put herself in danger by establishing a routine Shego continued to meet Kim in the coffee house. Everyone recognized the two as regulars -- they were even allowed to sit with the Legal Lesbians.
The Legal Lesbians constituted the biggest group at C2K, at least during the hours after the law school ended until eight or nine. The law students went over notes and talked over the fine points of classes. Most nights of the week only a handful of Legals stayed past 9:00, with the rest of the tables returned to scattered positions around the old wooden floor. But on most Fridays a dozen stayed on until closing. Many of the Legals weren't even lesbians, they welcomed any law student who preferred caffeine to beer -- they even accepted beer drinkers who wanted a serious study group. Andrew explained his qualifications to Kim one night, “I told them I sleep with women, and they said they did too.” He pointed to the little button on his shirt, a pink triangle and letters LL on a fuchsia background, “They made me promise to wear it to class for a week. Now I only have to wear it when I'm here.” Andrew was a favorite with the Legals. A couple told him they thought he'd be hot if he were a woman. He'd offered to show any of them what they were missing. One of the Legals had offered to set him up with her brother.
Shego often pulled her ‘Gotcha’ routine once or twice a night when Kim was there. She would go to the front of C2K for a second latte or a muffin and Kim would suddenly have two pale hands, which came from nowhere, cover her eyes. Or Kim might return from the bathroom and find Shego gone, but knew that she would soon hear ‘Gotcha’ whispered in her ear.
It irritated Kim just a little that Shego could catch her unaware so easily. Kim deliberately arrived a little late one Friday and slipped in as quietly as she could. Shego, hard at work on the Times crossword, never looked up. Kim crept up softly, standing right behind Shego she raised her hands and started to reach towards Shego's head… Shego's hands whipped back, capturing one of Kim's wrists in each hand. Shego jerked Kim's arms forward. Losing her balance Kim fell forward onto Shego's back, her chin resting on Shego's right shoulder. “twenty-eight across Princess, six-letter word for lollipop. I'm thinking ‘sucker’.”
In such an atmosphere, and with weeks of trust behind them Kim and Shego began to slip into flirting and teasing each other in a way they once would have imagined impossible. It wasn't clear who started it, but Kim got the biggest thrill out of it.
Kim called Shego two or three evenings a week just to talk about her day. For Monique it was only once or twice a week.
Kim punched in a new number on her cell phone one evening and laid back in bed. It made no sense to enter Shego in her speed dial, they had never gotten more than three uses out of a disposable, and more often only one. “Sheila? That was some fight yesterday, wasn't it.”
“Sure was Red. Our first in a long time.”
“Nice trip.”
“Thanks… Uh, Red, you didn't let me win did you?”
“No, how could you ask that?”
“I put you down too fast.”
“My rhythm is off, I need Ron there to feel comfortable.”
“Are you sure that's all there is?”
“Pretty sure. Why does it worry you so much?”
“First, it's a sign of disrespect if you aren't trying. I expect you to do your best.”
“And second?”
Shego paused, “And second… I don't want to change you Red. I like the person you are. Manipulating another person is just another form of mind control. I couldn't stand it if I thought I was making you change.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate that. Hey, that was a new move. You've been telling me you're training harder. Can't you give yourself some credit for the win?”
“I will be happy to take credit,” Shego laughed. “Oh, your rear end okay?”
“I think you hurt my ego more.”
“Good, ‘cause I'm sort of fond of your rear.”
“Oooh, I like yours too. And your outfit shows it off so well.”
“Yours doesn't do anything for you. We have to get you out of those cargo pants--”
“Sounds kinky, when do you want to get me out of my pants?”
“Ah, that wasn't… I was just…”
“You're blushing, aren't you Sheila. I love it when you blush.”
On the other side of the world Ron lay on a very thin mat on the floor. He ached all over. He knew he shouldn't compare himself with others this own age - they had been training at Yamanouchi for years - but he couldn't help it. He felt like a child compared to them. He didn't want to compare himself to children either, but felt like a child was all he was. He almost wondered why he had come. He suspected part of it was his desire to see Yori again, but she had hardly spoken to him since his arrival. Had he hurt her that deeply by dating Kim?
Some might consider it coincidence that as he was thinking of Yori the door to his room silently slid open and a slender figure slipped in. But given the number of hours Ron spent each day thinking of the Japanese woman it might have been more unusual if he were not thinking of her at that moment.
“Who's there?” Ron asked.
“You heard me, Stoppable-san?”
“Yori?”
“Hai. You heard me?”
“Yes, I--”
“You are very good, Stoppable-san. Or I entered very poorly.”
“I, uh, can't believe either of those is true.”
“You are very good,” she assured him. “I do not think you know how good you really are. We marvel at how quickly you learn.”
That was news to him. He felt her lay down beside him, it was too dark to see in his room. He tried to put an arm around her and was shocked to discover, “You aren't wearing any clothes!”
“And the night is cold. A gentleman would invite me under his ketto.”
He pulled back the cover and she slipped in beside him. There was an awkward pause until he was able to ask. “You know, this seems a little weird. Am I dreaming? ‘Cause it seems like you've been avoiding me since I got here. I figured it was because I told you when I was dating Kim…” There was another pause, “I'm not dating Kim anymore. But, why are you here if you've been avoiding me?”
“I have wanted to talk with you and did not wish to be too obvious about it. I do not wish to draw attention. People notice you, Stoppable-san. We know the power within you… The information that you and Kim are no longer dating makes this easier.”
“What easier? I--”
Her lips silenced him. When her lips left his she murmured, “We can not escape our destiny. You have the mystical monkey power, your destiny is linked with that of the school.”
In the morning he pondered the dream. He and Yori had kissed, and cuddled, and talked until he fell back to sleep. It seemed so real he had expected to find her beside him in the morning. He saw her on his way to breakfast and decided to give her a sanitized version of the story, “Hey Yori, I had a dream--”
She shook her head ‘no’ and put a finger to her lips, silencing him.
Ron's mouth dropped open. Perhaps it wasn't a dream.
“We must be careful, Stoppable-san,” the ‘dream’ scolded him that night. And so began Ron's nightly lessons: which were infinitely more pleasurable than those of the day.
By the end of June Global Justice began to provide Kim with transportation to some of her personal missions, and to send a recruit or two along for field experience. It was highly unorthodox, but served several functions. It gave new agents field experience, and also showed them the value of improvisation as the task required. And it provided positive public relations for GJ.
But what was most importantly, at least in the mind of Betty Director, it allowed Kim to function in a leadership position. The head of Global Justice saw one of the greatest team leaders ever in Kim, and letting Kim command these relatively safe missions provided several benefits. They gave Kim leadership experience, and also forced her to delegate responsibility -- a lesson she badly needed to learn. Betty Director had smiled when Will Du had given Kim poor marks in assigning responsibility to others - it was a trait the two of them shared. The missions also gave agents experience in following the young woman.
Kim arrived home later than usual one Friday. “Help set the table,” her mother called when the teen came in. Shego had been invited to dinner before the two went out for coffee.
Kim didn't look happy, “Mom, we're going to have to cancel cards tonight. I captured Shego and Drakken this afternoon so I don't think she'll be able to make it.”
“Oh Kimmie, I'm sorry, or am I? You and Shego confuse me. You keep your private lives and vocations so separate I can't decide whether to congratulate you for a victory or offer sympathy.”
Kim plopped down on a chair in the kitchen and stared off into space. “It's confusing. I capture her, the police arrest her, and then I'm glad when she breaks out of jail so quickly -- sometimes it almost makes me wonder why I bother.”
“Well, next time you have her arrested on Friday try to call before I start dinner. We're going to have a lot of leftovers. I still sometimes forget Ron is out of town when I plan a meal and really counted on Shego to eat some of this.”
A half hour later, just before six, the doorbell rang. James opened the door to find Shego, wearing a jail-issue orange jump suit. “Uh, Shego, Kim was saying you would be detained… Oh, no, that's not what I meant.”
“That okay Dr. Possible, I can't stay late tonight. I promised the matron I would be back for the midnight bed check.”
Kim and her mother had come to see who was at the door. “Oh, Dr. Possible, I hope you don't think this is an insult, but I wondered if you might try this for coffee tonight. It's a French Roast I think you'll like.”
“Um, Thank you, Shego.”
“What did I hear you telling Dad about promising you would be back in jail by midnight?”
“Sylvie, the matron, hates the fact I've never stayed in the Middleton jail for longer than seventeen hours. I promised her three nights in jail if she doesn't put out an APB before midnight.”
“You're kidding.”
“No, but there are conditions. I had to promise not to cause any damage to the jail when I break out this time, but she promised to have my personal effects where I could find them easily -- although I think she just wants to keep me from doing any damage in the property room.”
“But we'll still have time for at least one game after dinner, right?” James asked hopefully.
“Yes James, you can set up the card table. Kim, would you set another place at the table?”
Shego apologized to Kim, “Sorry we won't have time for coffee tonight. Can you run me over to the jail after bridge?”
The first rubber went so quickly that they managed to work in a second game. They were finishing when Tim called from the television room, “Mom! Dad! Kim and Shego are going to be on the news!”
“Do you have time to stay for the news Shego, or does Kim need to drive you downtown now?”
“Oh, I'd love to stay. I hope they have security tape of the fight -- Kim was incredible this afternoon. She'd have beaten me even if I didn't have a cold that slowed me down.”
“Liar, liar, I beat you fair and square.”
The news included about thirty seconds of the fight. The Drs. Possible seldom saw Kim in action, it was a little frightening, and yet the footage showed her with a broad smile, exhilarated with the joy of battle. It seemed oddly surreal to sit here in the comfort of their television room with the two combatants sitting side by side on the floor in front of the screen, laughing and nudging each other as they offered their own commentary on the fight.”
“Nice kick, Kimmie, you almost had me there.”
“Right here Shego, I think you overextended. That's why you were off balance and didn't have time to recover.”
“Hmm, you could be right. I'll keep that in mind next time when I whip you.”
“Dreamer!”
Shego noticed the time, “Thank you for having me,” she told the Drs. Possible, “but Kim really needs to take me downtown.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me, Kim?” Shego asked on the drive. “You don't need to speed; we have enough time.”
“Maybe they'd put me in the cell with you.”
“They don't put you in jail for speeding. They give you a ticket and raise your insurance rates. Besides what would you tell the policeman when he saw us together?”
“I'd say I captured you twice in one day.”
“And you called me a dreamer.”
A minute later Shego directed Kim to stop in front of an alley.
“Here?” Kim asked, puzzled.
“Well, you don't expect me to waltz in the front door and ask to be taken back to my cell, do you?”
The redhead watched as Shego disappeared into the shadows behind the jail. Why had she wanted Shego to lean over and give her a fast kiss before leaving the car?
On one level C2K frightened Shego. Too many people on both sides of the law held grudges against her. She couldn't believe that taking off the green and black uniform and putting on slacks and a blouse would hide her identity. The coffee house crowd was a smart bunch, from a sprinkling of undergrads through the Legals to a professor of modern Middle Eastern languages. Often she imagined they all knew perfectly well who she was, they were simply allowing her to enjoy her time there for some reason too obscure for her to fathom. Shego was not technically paranoid -- there really were people out to get her.
An urgent summons from the Global Justice director ended Kim's extra practice session on the firing range. Will Du was already in the director's office when Kim entered, apparently arguing with her.
“-- entirely irregular!”
“Thank you for your grasp of the obvious Agent Du, your objection is noted.
“Miss Possible, Kim, golfer Tiger Woods has gone missing during a charity golf event at St. Andrews and--”
“Duff Killigan?”
“Most likely. You and agent Du worked together to capture him once before. Since you are not an agent of Global Justice, I cannot even ask you to consider going on an official mission. But I know--”
“Yes, please let me go on the assignment.”
“Oh, it's even better than that, Kim. Because of the experience you have I'm asking you and Will to co-lead the mission. That's what has him so upset. But you two have to work together. He can learn from your flexibility and intuitive grasp of a situation. You also need to learn from him, rules and procedures have value -- and he knows them better than anyone.”
Shego thought about giving Kim her real cell number. But while she now trusted Kim not to pry she still didn't trust Wade. Shego tried to remember how long she had imagined those four initial disposable phones would last - she and Kim ran through faster than she could have imagined.
“So there was nothing new in Killigan's arsenal?”
“No, same old same old, exploding golf balls and quick-sand traps. There were also giant gophers there, but I think they were an experiment gone wrong. Duff would stop attacking us to attack a gopher whenever he saw one.” Kim giggled, “Image a hairy Rufus seven feet tall.”
“So how did he think he could get away with kidnapping Tiger Woods?”
“Well, he claimed he was going to let him go after Tiger gave him some golf lessons. Duff said he was shanking his drives… Do you know what that means?”
“No idea, Red.”
“Well, anyway, Mr. Woods said he owed me one and I can call him for a favor anytime. Do you think he's too old for Monique?”
“He's married Kim.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Oh, and the big news, I got a call this afternoon. There is talk of making the rescue into a TV movie. They said they might get Hillary Duff to play me!”
“Who is Hillary Duff?”
“She plays Lizzie McGuire.”
“Sorry Red, never heard of her.”
Monique, or a trained psychologist, would have had a field day watching Kim and Shego at Columbia to Kenya. Neither woman could be fully honest with the other, or even with herself, about the feelings that were growing between them. Monique could have interpreted their flirting and teasing, which they carefully kept from ever turning serious.
Both were trying to feel out the other, to get some positive feedback for her feelings. Both were afraid to be open and honest, for fear the other might reject her. And so they kept it light and playful, a level where they could pretend it was all a joke if the other seemed in danger of becoming upset.
Too many people still treated Kim as a kid for her to believe that this older woman truly accepted her as an equal and friend. She told herself Shego only talked with her from loneliness and had no deeper feelings for her -- even while Kim found herself wanting to grow closer to Shego.
Shego, for all the jokes she made about ‘good and virtuous’ Kimmie, admired Kim. But she convinced herself Kim could have no interest in one of the bad guys and was probably there out of pity. Shego felt herself growing fonder of Kim, and that frightened her as well. Shego had been on her own for years, not answering to anyone. Now she found herself wanting to please Kim, because making Kim happy gave her pleasure.
Twice they took in movies before going to C2K. Shego felt at home in the darkness and it gave them something to do as they sat in the coffee house, although their conversations now ranged so broadly no movie would have been needed.
Once they went roller-skating before coffee, but Shego's fear of crowded public places left her nervous for the rest of the night.
As she tried to calm her nerves with coffee afterward she found Kim staring off vacantly into space.
“Thinking about Ron?”
The question startled Kim, “Actually, yeah.”
“You miss him, don't you?”
Kim smiled but her voice sounded slightly wistful, “You know, this is probably the longest I've gone without hearing from him since we were four. Even at different camps we'd write each other.”
“Damn,” Shego thought, “even if I wanted to make a play for her I can't compete with that.”
“Why did you bring him up?” Kim wondered. “I was thinking about how I could get out on the skating floor with you while Ron preferred to sit in the snack area.”
The teasing continued to escalate. One night Kim went too far with the teasing. She had tried several times to quietly put her hands over Shego's eyes -- always in vain. Shego always caught her wrists before she could cover the pale woman's eyes. Kim told Shego she was going up front for a cookie, but doubled back, moving as silently as she could towards Shego.
Shego had the Times spread out on the table in front of her, not holding it because she suspected what Kim was up to and she wanted her hands free. Kim eased up behind Shego and started to reach forward, Shego's hands snapped back and grabbed empty air -- Kim's hands went under Shego's arms to Shego's breasts and gave her a squeeze, “Gotcha,” Kim whispered in her ear.
A number of regulars had noticed the horseplay between Kim and Shego through the weeks and several laughed for Kim's first victory.
“KIM! How could you?”
Kim didn't read the signs well, still pleased with herself for catching Shego unaware she laughed at the other woman's irritation, “Oh, come on Sheila, they're no big.”
Shego was fuming, “I'll get even with your for that one, Possible.”
Kim realized she needed to apologize, but before she could speak one of the Legals who had been close enough to hear the threat spoke up, “What will you do, Sheila? We think it's amazing the way you can surprise her.”
Shego was angry enough her normal defenses were off. If she really believed these people had no idea who she was she would not have done it. But they all must know who she was, and they would see just a tiny little bit of what she could do. “Blindfold me,” she told the Legal. “Anywhere in the room, Kim, anywhere. I can find you in less that four minutes blindfolded.”
It took a couple minutes for Suzie, the Legal, to locate suitable material for a blindfold. Everyone in the back became aware of what was going on, and curious if Sheila could really do what she claimed. Kim looked around the large space. It was tempting to jump up to an exposed rafter, but finally decided the best place to hide would be in a crowd. She moved over and sat with the Legals as Suzie adjusted the blindfold.
To make it a little more difficult, Suzie spun ‘Sheila’ around three times. Shego oriented herself immediately -- the sound of the coffee machine in the front Kim guessed. A heavy-set man named Victor stuck out his foot as Shego passed by the couch he was sitting on, apparently trying to trip her. Kim almost shouted a warning, but Shego's foot came down on top of his with a satisfying crunch, “Oh, sorry whoever you are. I'm afraid I can't see.”
“Really people, I'm a little disappointed in you,” Shego said as she moved deliberately towards the Legals, “you could have moved some of the chairs and tables around after I was blindfolded to make it more interesting… Andrew! You will sit down this minute, if you pat my ass your arm is going to look like you grew another elbow.” Andrew sat down sheepishly to gales of laughter. Kim held her breath as Shego walked behind her…
“Gotcha.”
Suzie checked her watch, “One-hundred seventeen seconds - less than two minutes. Incredible.”
There was less conversation between the two for the rest of the night. As they left Kim asked quietly, “Are you okay Sheila?”
“No, I'm not. That was stupid of me. I'm sorry I lost my temper.”
“I'm sorry too. I shouldn't get upset that you can surprise me the way you do.”
“Do you want me to stop with the peek-a-boo?”
“I… No, you don't have to. It's part of the old scary Shego. It's even a little exciting… But I apologize for groping you that way.”
“Apology accepted.”
“Do you want me to kiss them and make them feel better?”
“KIM!”