The first thing she could tell was her head was pounding. A lot.
She winced as she sat up in the dark, feeling a thin layer of dirt and rocks fall off of her. ‘What happened?’ Her mind tried to work out the details, but the throbbing kept it from making sense.
She had most definitely been fighting someone. Someone who was very dangerous. There had been some kind of explosion of green light, then darkness. She leaned forward, slowly shifting her weight until her feet were under her. She squatted there in the dark, trying to keep herself from tipping over. She still couldn’t see anything, it was just too pitch-black, but she could hear the sound of someone else shifting around.
The darkness was pierced by a faint green light that looked like it came from a figure leaning against a curving rock face. Kim’s eyes slowly focused in the dim light and saw that the rock face made up one of the two walls of, which together formed a long tunnel. Part of one side had caved in, and from the looks of things several supports for the roof had given out as well, creating a dead end not far from where she was standing. A small part of her regarded her usually vibrant red hair, which was now hanging limply, with a bit of frustration. But the feeling of wanting to escape was greater, and easily overpowered the feelings of frustration.
“So you made it too Shego?” She masked her concern with anger, hoping Shego was going to take the bait.
“Sorry to disappoint Pumpkin,” Shego’s voice sounded less confident, and more pained than usual. “You know how it is…world comes crashing down…and I’m the glowing cockroach of a person who survives….” Her figure was sliding down the wall.
The words left her mouth before she could stop them, “How bad is it?”
The older woman’s voice was amused, “A few cracked ribs…think I broke my ankle again….and one of my arms is dislocated……You?”
Kim mentally checked herself…she could feel the pain from cracked bones, and a few scrapes, but nothing nearly as serious Shego, “Nothing more than what you usually leave me with.” Somewhere in the back of her mind a small alarm went off. After all wasn’t she closer to the explosion?
Kim made her way carefully over to the slouched over form of Shego, and slid down next to her, “Up for putting off the mutual beating each other senseless for now?”
The green light flickered, “Sounds good……” A small yawn was heard, “Me…sleepy…” The light went out, followed by soft snoring.
Kim was a little surprised. She knew Shego felt safe around her when they had mutual goals, in this case escaping the tunnel, but she had simply refused to sleep this close to Kim. Correction there was that one time…The teenage heroine stopped the train of thought, shuddering at the thought of herself finding a positive out of the mind control Drakken had once put her and Shego under.
But the woman did know how to cuddle….Kim’s snaking trail of thought was shattered though by a small sob in the dark. Kim’s heart felt a twang of guilt, and gently wrapped her arms around the sleeping woman. Slowly the crying stopped.
Shego woke feeling a little confused. She remembered the cave in, and how cold the rock wall was….so why was she so warm? A slight nuzzle answered her question bringing shock to her eyes. She was sleeping with Kim Possible.
While it was comforting, and definitely killed the chill in the air, it was most definitely too much. Sure the girl made a great opponent, and always agreed with her on how stupid Drakken was. And she definitely did look good. She stopped herself. She was Shego. She was the most dangerous woman a live. She could not start crushing on Kim Possible.
She wormed out the sleeping heroine’s grasp, biting her lip in pain as her dislocated shoulder wobbled loosely; reminding her she was still very much hurt. Sure she healed quickly, super powers that generate high amounts of energy tended to help in that, but she’d have to put her shoulder back in place first. Something she was not looking forward too.
Kim made a giggly sound next to her, and Shego looked over. The redhead was ridiculously happy about something. But she looked very angelic laying there sleeping. A warm fuzzy feeling of something bubbled up inside of her; she pushed it aside as endorphins kicking in though in favor of what it most likely was. She grabbed her shoulder, and with a sickening pop she shoved it back in. She hissed in pain and slumped over a bit.
Then she noticed it had been too silent for the past few minutes. Then a red head popped into her view, Kim’s head now on her lap. Her face was concerned.
“Kimmie? Why are you looking at me like that? And why in God’s name did you decide my lap was a pillow?”
“You cried in your sleep, and you’re comfy.”
Shego was taken back; usually she and Kim had restricted talking to teasing banter. But this was like a knife in the heart. Well at least the accusation of crying was. The comfy comment was more embarrassing than personal information revealing.
“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself about, especially since you were cuddling me last night.”
“Because it helped you to stop crying!”
Shego looked away, not letting her long time rival, and occasional ally, see her eyes. Her dark hair hung down hiding her face. “Why do you care so much? Why is it every time I’m hurt you actually care? You completely brush off every cruel and twisted thing I’ve ever done and help me with no problem.”
Kim sighed…her answer in truth was complicated. She decided to be as frank about it as possible, “Probably because when I look at you I see what I can become if I let myself slip. You and I are very much alike; the only difference is you had a low point that hurt you more than anything. I can brush it off because I care about you. I didn’t always care…but damn it Shego, someone has too, because you obviously don’t.”
Shego bit her lip; the words had hurt, a lot. She slowly stood up though, trying to keep herself from shaking with the pain she felt, “Come on Princess….let’s get out of here…things are making too much sense. That and as warm as you are to cuddle up against at night, my bed is a lot more comfortable.”
Kim tried to smile as she supported the thief as she walked unsteadily. They covered a lot of distance before they had to stop for a break, The lack of food and water had left them feeling weaker than usual, so the going had be very slow, but it progressed steadily.
“Kimmie? Why do you insist on trying to give me a chance?”
Kim sighed. Shego was obviously not going to stop probing just because Kim had admitted to caring about what happened to Shego. In fact it was slowly making the questioning come more often. “Because I know what kind of person you are underneath. I know that down under all of that pain you hide, and the ego you nurture there is that scared little girl who lost everything when she gained her powers, then lost her family because they couldn’t understand her.”
Shego looked at Kim, an obvious hint of fear in her eyes, “How di-“
A hand was all it took to quite the protesting, “I’ll just admit to snooping behind Team Go’s backs when we were helping them. They keep scarily detailed records.”
Shego grinned, “You don’t tell and I won’t tell anyone about that teddy bear of yours.”
Kim’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t you even think about it.”
It was too much, Shego started laughing, her voice fading to a trickle as her ribs started cramp from the use and being injured.
Kim silently leaned against Shego, who didn’t protest. Hell having someone helping you walk by half-carrying you, made you a lot less likely to complain about petty things.
“Shego?”
“Yes Kimmie?”
“Night Shego.”
“Night Kimmie.”
Shego woke near Kim again, but this time she was being piggybacked along the tunnel. She wondered how far they had traveled while she slept, and why light was scattered here and there in the tunnel.
“Kimmie? Why are you carrying me?”
The heroine was a little surprised how innocent and how young Shego sounded when she had first woken up. “You were sleeping so peacefully when I woke up I just couldn’t wake you. So I carried you.”
Shego nodded gently, the answer was good enough for her. “You know I’m going to have to kill Drakken when we get out of here.”
“Why?
“The support beams for the tunnel were armed with plasma explosives.”
“Nothing new there.”
“And he didn’t care that I was –under- them when he set the damn things off.”
Kim nodded, “I see your point. So why are you got more hurt than me? I was under the middle of those things.”
Shego grew silent.
“Shego, quite hiding information and spill. It’s the least you can do.”
Shego didn’t answer because she wasn’t sure why she had done it either. She had just done it. She had save Kim Possible at risk of her own life.
Kim wanted to pry deeper but didn’t because the silent treatment from Shego had never been a good thing before. It usually meant that the thief was going to slip into a bought of depression. She didn’t really have much of a chance though as the tunnel took a steep ascent in the form of a flight of stairs leading to someplace bright.
“Kimmie……do we have to fight when we get out of here?”
Shego’s voice made Kim stop. The voice was sad, truly sad. She thought Shego had become all about the hunt, and wanted nothing more than to beat her. To see a more gentle side of Shego was something only Kim got to do, but that only happened once, when Shego was aiding her brothers in the Team Go incident. But that one time is all it really took to make Kim completely stop hating the thief.
“I….I think we can keep the truce for at least until you’re healed.”
“Thanks pumpkin.” Kim felt Shego’s head rest heavily on her shoulder, and the sound of a musing sigh blew past the redhead’s ear. She forced the slight confusion out of her mind and started to climb again. She was glad she was stronger than she looked, and that Shego, even with all of the muscular definition, was so light. ‘Must be the super powers,’ she mused as she slowly ascended the stairs. At the top, she dropped to her knees; the stairs had drained her of the little energy she had been running on during that time. “I need to take a break for a little while.” Shego shifted so that she was holding the redhead, and soon the redhead was snoring softly, taking her turn in feeling safe in the thief’s arms.
Kim woke up in a more familiar place, her room, though something was amiss. Then she realized she was being used as a teddy bear. Pale green arms were wrapped around her middle protectively. A soft sigh behind her gave away that the other woman was sleeping.
“She wouldn’t leave your side for more than food, and the bathroom. And she wouldn’t let Ron separate you two. When he left from trying to check on you he looked frightened to say the least.” It was Dr. Possible, Kim’s mother who was speaking, as she walked into Kim’s room from the stairwell.
“How long was I out?”
“A little under two days.”
“And you let Shego stay here?”
“Well you said it yourself before…she’s not evil, just hurt. Besides she threatened to go hide out in a hotel with you if we tried to take you away.”
Kim blushed, hoping that her mother wasn’t jumping to conclusions about everything. Sure deep down Shego was a good person, but she was the only one who seemed to ever be able to find that side. Though it was very flattering to have the woman so protective of her. Her thoughts where interrupted by a small squirm from Shego.
“Mmmmm….Kimmie……?”
“Yes Shego?”
“Lay back down…hard to cuddle when you’re sitting up.” The voice conveyed the pout very well.
Dr. Possible refrained as best she could from laughing at the half-awake Shego’s request. The look of her daughter going pale then turning a shade of red usually only seen on dark leather she waved and ducked back out, knowing that the two women probably had something that was needing some fixed. Some stable ground they needed to find.
Kim sighed and laid back down, letting Shego adjust her grip. A soft nuzzle in her back caused her to shiver though. “SsssshEEEEEgo……stop……please…”
“Huh……? Something wrong Pumpkin?”
“No nuzzling….please….I can handle cuddling someone I am usually facing in battle, but I draw the line at even semi-romantic contact there.”
“Oh…” The sound of Shego’s voice nearly broke Kim’s heart.
“Damn it. Not the guilt card.” She rolled over and looked Shego in the eyes. It was time to start coming clean. With more than just the other woman.
“I have an idea….we ask each other questions until we figure out why exactly you’re in my bed….strangely with my permission, in my house, snuggling me.”
Shego nodded, her usual dark nature looked like it never had existed…a soft, almost scared Shego was staring back at Kim. “Why do you care so much about what I do to me….is it guilt?”
Kim flinched; Shego knew how to get to the point. “You’re very attractive, intelligent, very athletic, which adds to the very attractive thing, and honest. I really can’t explain it beyond that your something that I can’t help but be interested in.” Shego’s pale green skin was turning pink, but the thief looked like she understood, so Kim decided to test the waters in a new direction, “What’s your real first name?”
Shego looked away, obviously not wanting to give it up. Kim lay there looking at Shego, until the girl caved. “Sara….”
“That actually sounds a lot nicer than Shego.”
Shego blushed, and tried to change the subject, “Is there any chance we can stay here in bed, forever?”
Kim sighed, “Sadly no. It’s very sweet to be here, and both of us being civil to each other is always a plus.”
Shego nodded.
“What is the one thing you’ve always wanted in life?’
Shego looked a little uneasy by this. “I’ve always wanted you….”
Kim went pale then blushed deeply, reaching a shade of scarlet only rumored to exist. “But that means…”
“I’m, going to be really honest Kimmie. I’ve had for you since we first met. I mean sure my sexuality was already burying itself way past lesbian and straight into the ground, but when I saw you I didn’t hate you, I was frustrated I couldn’t have you. And I really only deal with pain in one way.”
Kim swallowed. She remembered how violent Shego’s temper was.
“So I confessed my love….and made the best moment of my life into the biggest risk I’ve ever take. So I need to know……Do you love me Kim?”
The heroine was reeling. Shego loved her. Why didn’t she ever see it before? It was even weirder to hear her name used in such a context, especially by Shego. She wasn’t going to deny she had not exactly been straight herself in life, sneaking peeks at the other cheerleaders in the locker room had made that evident. But she couldn’t love Shego….Shego was too violent…too –evil- for it to work.
“Shego……I’m sorry….but I can’t love you. You’re a villain. But I can and do love the part of you that is Sara…the part that is pure and innocent.”
“Good thing I freelance then, or else I’d never find a job after going legit.” The older woman gently rolled the both of them over so she was on top and leaned down and kissed her. Kim felt herself melt. It was so warm, so relaxing, Kim felt herself pulling the older woman closer, holding her close to her.
“Oh my-I---I am so sorry….” It was Dr. Possible again. “I didn’t know…that….you two….ummm…How long have you two been a couple?”
Kim grinned, “About thirty seconds before you walked in.”
“I’ll chase Ron away for a bit then. And I’ll talk to your father Kim.”
“You’re not mad?”
“I already was figuring there was some kind of bond between you two. Just didn’t guess the romance angle. As long as you’re happy and safe, I don’t mind Kim.”
Dr. Possible left, letting the newly founded love birds share their nest.
END ?
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Makes this very open ended for sequels of course, but for the moment we’ll call this a short little Kigo fic. It was a quick little result of creative energy, and insanity and will probably never get much publicity. Namely because I favor the idea Shego is a nice person with some major demons. So I’m not owning up to possible OC-ness.