She ran as if her life depended on it. Her calves burned, her breath came in hot, ragged gasps from her chest. Run, run and don’t slow down, never stop, never stop…
“Faster, Mommy! Faster!” cried young Kasy Ann Possible.
“Wheelie, please, Mommy?” asked her fraternal twin sister, Sheki Go Possible.
“This is Red Leader to base, we are ready for our attack run!!” huffed Kimberly ‘Kim’ Possible, former world-saver (semi-retired) and mother of the two little girls.
She made a slight change in her direction, running towards the curb at the end of the sidewalk. She pushed down on the handle of the double-stroller, lifting the front wheels several inches off the ground. This alone made both children scream with delight.
“Prepare for hyperactive speed!!” Kim cried, making the stroller take an extra high bounce as it left the curb. Her shock of red hair was flowing behind her head except for what was sticking to her neck, damp with sweat.
“Wheeeeeee!”
The stroller returned to earth after its flight (duration 2.3 seconds) with a resounding thud. The extra-strength shock absorbers took almost all of the impact, but not so much that the little girls didn’t scream with joy and excitement. The stroller had been a gift to the girls on their 1st birthday, a marvel of engineering by a good friend of Kim’s whose abilities were more geared to the world of computers. Both children could sit comfortably beside each other; the suspension, wheelbase and extended handle had been designed to allow Kim full freedom of motion when she took the girls with her on Kim’s morning run.
Already an extremely fit and healthy young woman, once used to strenuous activity but now having settled down to a far less dangerous lifestyle, Kim Possible looked forward to her morning run each day. She yearned sometimes for the old days and secretly feared that she would become weak and useless before her time. Her family was her life, but even with their love what else did she have to show for herself? So, irrationally convinced that her endurance and fighting readiness were fading, Kim literally hit the ground running each morning. It also gave her more time with her children.
Kim eventually ran into a familiar cul-de-sac and right up the walkway of her home. It was a non-descript structure, large enough for her active children but by no means the largest house on their block. There were flowerboxes (Kim’s personal touch) on the front porch and plenty of toys in the yard. Instead of going to the front door, Kim finished her jog at the side gate of her back yard. Like many families, while the front door was for more formal use, there was another door that they preferred.
Kim rolled her giggling daughters into the back yard. She tousled their hair and led them into the kitchen for breakfast. I was almost 7:00 AM on a warm summer morning. After several grueling weeks of making up for missed class work, Kim had granted herself a nice long vacation away from her collegiate studies. Having been forced into young motherhood as a result of an evil genius’ plan to ruin her world-saving career, the unexpected pregnancy and eventual birth of her daughters had earned Kim a level of maturity beyond her years. While still in her late teens, the ‘girl who could do anything’ had indeed done quite a lot in her young life. Some of those things had not been without hardship and pain, but she also had more than enough love in her life to compensate.
As the three women entered the kitchen, they were greeted by the fourth member of their happy home. The warmth and affection that Kim felt for this person was slightly shadowed, just like a hand cupped round a candle flame, by a vague pang of sadness. Once fierce enemies, they had often fought to a standstill over criminal activity: one to commit, one to prevent. After years of refusing to accept the possibility of feeling intimate love for another woman, Kim had eventually accepted the other woman’s subtle advances and reciprocated with the same degree of love and affection.
Not to mention the really great sex.
Shego was seated at the table, adding creamer to her coffee. She still couldn’t trust Kim to make it properly. Shego was just a few years older than Kim, barely enough that you would notice the difference in their ages. But the differences ran deeper than that. With the blessings of their respective families, they had become spouses in marriage and parents to their children. It was Shego’s DNA, mixed with a retrovirus, that caused Kim become pregnant and to carry their two healthy children to full term. It was this event that bonded them together, heart and soul, forever.
While Kim still carried a trim, athletic build, Shego was more muscular, giving her feminine curves greater definition. Shego was also a few inches taller, had long, flowing black hair unlike Kim’s shorter red tresses, and her skin was a very pale whitish-green compared to Kim’s peach skin tones. Add to this the ability to convert sunlight into a plasma field that radiated from her hands and you couldn’t have two more apparently different people.
Sheki and Kasy ran around Shego, hugging her long legs and screaming, “Momma’s up, momma’s up… !” Kneeling down to plant a gentle kiss on their foreheads, Shego let the girls make their chaotic way to the playroom before breakfast was made.
The two little girls were an ironic reflection of Kim and Shego themselves. Kasy was the more boisterous and adventurous of the two, gravitating towards mud pies and wearing jeans and t-shirts. Sheki, on the other hand tended to hang back and observe, only becoming involved after careful assessment of a situation. She also preferred to wear very feminine items, like dresses with ribbons.
In addition, the children’s hair color mimicked that of their parents: Kasy’s was fiery red and Sheki’s was deeply black. The one feature that they shared was the same pale green skin that Shego had, and also Shego’s ability to generate produce plasma fields, albeit very weak due to their youth. Kim would be lying if she said that this didn’t occasionally make her feel like an outsider, regardless to Shego’s frequent assertions to the contrary.
“Damn, princess, hot and sweaty… how did you know what I wanted for breakfast?” Shego embraced Kim and they shared their own special kiss, Kim gently wrapping herself in Shego’s long hair.
“When do you have to leave? Can I chase you around the sack for awhile?” Kim asked. Kim ended the embrace with a quick squeeze of Shego’s firm bottom.
Normally the more aggressive half of their relationship, Shego was pleasantly surprised whenever Kim took a more assertive role in their love life. While by no means submissive, Kim was often more than happy to let Shego take control. Positions of dominance made Shego feel more comfortable. Kim had known this long ago.
“No can do, Kimmie. I could be contacted any second. I’ve been kept on immediate ‘stand-by’ with Global Justice for days.” Kim didn’t care for this answer, and made to argue, but Shego raised a preemptive hand to ward off Kim’s forthcoming questions.
“And you know that I can’t elaborate. If you can put up with this for just a little while longer, I’ll let you do whatever you want with me.” Not being able to make a substantive verbal reprisal, Kim’s gaze never wavered as she reached down and touched Shego there, and there…
Shego broke into a broad grin. “You are feisty this morning! Well, maybe we can do something before I have to go.” They separated and Kim began to collect the items she would need to fix their morning meal.
“Are you making eggs today?” Shego asked. She was already dressed for ‘work’, having become a part-time freelancer for Global Justice to fill the void left by Kim’s absence. Other than a few slight modifications added by Global Justice, Shego’s traditional green and black uniform had changed little over time.
“Girls!” Kim called, “To the table!” She had just set the egg carton on the counter. “Yes, I’m making ‘Eggs Drakken’ and once I chop and add the green peppers, I’m going to RULE THE WORLD!!” Kim turned around and adopted the classic pose of a maniacal tyrant, her hands raised skyward.
“Rulla world, rulla world!” Kasy and Sheki agreed as they ran to their chairs.
“Boy, all of my girls are feeling their oats today” Shego observed. “Maybe I should ask ‘GJ’ for some time off.” She was eyeing Kim’s running shorts with distaste, wishing that they were down on the floor instead of covering Kim’s posterior.
As she lightly scrambled the eggs, Kim watched her family at the table. Shego was helping the children with their cereal. Kim smiled, thinking that this was a far cry from the woman who was once a much-hated enemy. There was a time when Kim only saw Shego smile when certain death was about to befall the young heroine. Now here she was, laughing and playing with her (their) daughters, making funny faces to amuse them, and even going so far as to make the salt and pepper shakers perform a song-and-dance routine.
Making sure that their daughters were focused on eating, Kim struck a much more seductive pose and sauntered over to Shego. She stood quietly behind her spouse and reached from behind to gently cup Shego’s face in her hands. While no words were spoken, Shego turned her head so that she could brush her lips across Kim’s palm, then wrist, turning her head even further around to lick at Kim’s inner elbow…
At that moment, the latest version of the ‘Kimmunicator’ chirped loudly, prompting a resigned look from Shego and a disappointed look from Kim. The children kept eating.
“Oopsie, it’s the ‘Shegophone’!” Kim’s new term for the communication devise elicited a mild snarl from Shego. Holding the device close to her ear, Shego took the call. “Yes, I’m here. Yes, I… yes… no, I didn’t… I said that she doesn’t… I’ll be right there.”
Setting a plate of eggs on toast in front of Shego, Kim said, ”Let me guess… you are to report immediately and not disclose any details of your mission to a certain civilian that will remain nameless. Am I right?”
Shego stood and gulped down her breakfast. “I confess to being more than a little P-I-S-S-E-D at the way that one-eyed wench has written you off. I remember when you used to be able to whip anyone, except me, of course, any day of the week.”
‘Used to be able’… This comment surprised Kim, but she didn’t allow herself to feel hurt. Hadn’t she been thinking along those very same lines lately? Shego felt nothing but love and respect for her younger bride, but still the words stung Kim.
“They don’t think I could handle saving the world any more? Fine with me. You three are my whole world now.” Who was Kim hoping to convince, Shego or herself?
Shego moved to embrace Kim. “You are my world. You rock my world… ” Shego made a subtle thrust with her hip into Kim’s lower pelvis and wrapped her strong arms around the young redhead in a bear hug so tight that Kim was lifted from the floor and had to fight for breath. Shego bent close and whispered, “Your fire fills the cold, dead space at the center of my heart.”
“Do you remember how often I threatened to lock you away in an ivory tower?” Shego reminded her bride, “If I could, I’d hide you away where the world would never find you. I’d never have to share you with anyone.”
“If you had your way, I’d never be free.”
“But I’ve won. I have you were I want you. You can’t leave me.”
“Right; you have me and I’ll never leave you. That means that Ihave you right where I want you.” Kim buried her face in Shego’s neck and nuzzled.
Global Justice could wait; the women stayed locked in each other’s arms for several seconds. Then, being the first to break the contact, Shego chose to make one of her traditionally quirky remarks “I guess I should be happy keeping you in the kitchen. How does ‘barefoot and pregnant’ sound to you?”
“Didn’t know you had a foot fetish.” Kim shot back, a rosy flush covering her cheeks. “As for pregnant, we’ll talk about that some other time. Maybe your old buddy Dr. Drakken still has some ‘Shego Cocktail’ brewed somewhere, but as I recall the next baby is to be yours.”
Shego grinned. Other than a few weekly sparing sessions, this was as close to ‘the old days’ as they came to fighting. She gave Kim one last kiss and also gave a big smooch to each of their children. “Later, Princess. I’ll do my best to be home for dinner. If the kids are already asleep when I get home, don’t wear anything… complicated.” And then she was gone in a green and black rush. It wasn’t more than a few heartbeats before Kim was already missing her.
Kim sighed and took a bite of her own egg, accidentally spilling some runny yoke on her shirt. Meanwhile, the children had discovered the fun to be had from drinking from the ‘wrong side’ of their glasses.
To Be Continued…