“What a weekend.”
Kim fell backwards, landing perfectly in the center of her small bed, exhausted but satisfied. More then anything, she was just glad to be back home.
Especially after Shego decided to run naked through the resort after we got out of the hot springs,Kim thought. That was a day she’d never forget. Though she didn’t want to make it a habit of chasing the ex-villainess through resorts in nothing but a robe the moment had been kind of…fun?
Ugh, I’m becoming perverted, that has to be it.
With a sigh Kim turned her head to the side, feeling the comfort of the blanket on the bed and knowing that it was her owns and not that odd resorts. After telling Wade about what had happened he’d suggested they leave as soon as they could. It had taken Kim everything she had to drag Shego away from the resort after Saturday night. It was like the green skinned woman had become addicted to nothing more then a huge tub with steaming water. Maybe she likes the heat…
Now it was Sunday afternoon, and she was sure Shego was around pouting somewhere downstairs.
Kim sat up, shaking her head and standing. There, on her desk, sat a large thick heavy book. I better get started. Kim remembered clearly what Wade had told her the day they’d found out about all that mystic mumbo jumbo…
“Okay Kim, seems like you’ve thwarted some sort of advanced plan of the WEE and now that they have control over GJ they’re going to be cracking down on the whole ‘kill Shego and Dr. Director’ thing. We need a plan, we have to get them now while we still have control of what they want, but in the meantime you need to start treating Shego and Dr. Director like real animals, because from what I’ve seen, well, you aren’t. No more calling them by their real names, we can’t give WEE something to focus on. When you get back home there’s a book on care for exotic animals on your desk, open it, study it, follow it. I’ll break into GJ headquarters and see what that Scar is up to concerning the Animal Spirits. Oh, and hide those, don’t let them get taken and for gods sake don’t let Shego or Dr. Director use them!”
So Kim reached over and grabbed the book, picking it up and moving back to the bed to settle down for one very long reading session. She’d stuffed the talismans underneath her pillow, after all they should have been safe enough there, at least until she could find someplace other then beneath her head every night. She left the Wolf and Tiger with Shego and Betty, she figured they were responsible to keep their own and plus, they didn’t seem to want to part with them.
So let’s see…, Kim thought, turning the first page and bypassing the introduction, Your pet and you must build a perfect relationship of understanding…Where did Wade get this book anyway…? Taking a predator into your household is a lot of hard work and very time consuming. You must give your exotic predator a lot of attention to meet their special needs. Pah!Kim turned another page in the book before she paused at a certain page, tilting her head as she read the next few lines. Your exotic pet needs to be groomed and bathed at least every two days. Brushing your pet’s fur builds bonding between the owner and the pet and can sometimes be calming for an aggressive or restless exotic animal. Uh-huh…A few more pages were turned before Kim found a very interesting section. Disciplining you’re exotic animal. Alright! This was exactly what Kim needed.
Disciplining your exotic pet is a very important step of the bonding process. You are the owner and they are the pet, not the other way around. Show your pet whose boss by delivering a small smack on the muzzle if disobedient or spraying your pet with water to make them listen. Remember to never over do it, beating a pet or harming it in an extreme physical way is not how to dominant your soon to be best friend. You want your pet to love and obey you, not fear and hate you. Here are some other tips on pet discipline.
Kim had read for quite awhile before the beeping of a horn from outside her window startled her. Was she expecting company and had forgotten? It was possible, with her mind focused on so many things at once…
“Hey! Princess, that Monique gal is at the door.” Shego yelled, grumpily from the door at the bottom of the stairs.
“I’m coming, Sheeroo.” Kim responding, dropping the book on her bed and rushing down the stairs to greet one of her best friends.
Monique looked up from her spot on the couch where she’d been holding a conversation with a casually dressed Doctor Possible. “Hey, girlfriend! Heard you just got back and I was thinking we could go out shopping today, you know, before all the malls closed and we’re left with nothing fun to do till tomorrow.”
Kim smiled, glancing to her mother who quirked a brow behind her square framed glasses and silently went back to her book with a sign. “Go. I’ll watch your…um puppies.”
Kim sighed, “You don’t have to if you don’t think you can handle it Mom, I can hardly do it myself.” Soon as Kim had finished the sentence there was a loud yelling from the backyard and a scream. Kim’s mother looked pale but smiled reassuringly.
“No, no go. I can handle it. I’ve got a belt, I mean, they act like children it shouldn’t be to hard. I’ll be firm like I am with Jim and Tim.”
“Okay then, Mom.” Kim said.
“Ms. Shego, stop it, stop it now! Put down that hose–Wha-HEY!”
“I hope you know what your getting into, Mrs. Possible.” Monique added, only after the squealing had begun outside…
“Me too…”
“Hold on, Monique.” Kim said, moving toward her bedroom door. “Let me grab this book Wade sent me, maybe if I need anything from it I can get it while we’re out.”
“Right then, hurry up!”
“You’ve had quite the adventure, girlfriend,” Monique muttered, turning the wheel of the large van as they pulled up into the malls parking lot, “So these animal spirit thingies are just stuffed beneath your pillow? Not a safe place to hide them.”
Kim nodded in agreement as they exited the car, Monique closing her door and putting on the alarm as they moved to enter. “I know, but I couldn’t just put it out in the open like that, under the pillow is the best place I can think of right now.”
“Well, can’t help that.” Monique said, pushing open the door and ushering Kim in before she entered herself. “Where to first, Kim?”
Kim rubbed her chin. “Remember the book I told you about? I think I need to pick up some animal brushes from Smarty Mart. When we were there the last time I only got collars and leashes. I need a spray bottle too, and maybe some…toys?” Kim winced, she wasn’t looking forward to this.
“Don’t look so down and confused, Kim. What Wade said is pretty smart. Those bad guys could be anywhere, best get down with the program…” Monique tapped her chin, “Speaking of…bad guys…”
“Finally, I’ve caught up to you,” Sneered a panting Bonnie Rockwaller, who was bent over and clutching her knees. Catching her breath she stood up, brushing herself off to regain that moment of self confidence. “You’ve been up to something Ms. Perfect.”
“Get your finger out of my face, Bonnie,” Kim frowned, brushing past her rival cheerleader and heading toward the Smarty Mart mall entrance, Monique right behind her with a smirk on her face.
Bonnie, undaunted, followed the pair. “You’ve been doing some pretty kinky stuff, Ms. Perfect.” Bonnie grinned, noticing the way Kim suddenly grew tense and feeling smug when the red head turned to glare at her.
“Says who?” Kim growled.
“Says my own two eyes! You’ve been hanging out with two women, a one eye’d freak and a green skinned one.”
“They aren’t freaks, Bonnie.” Monique interrupted, hands on her hips as she quirked a brow, “And what is your concern with ‘em?”
“I wasn’t talking to you.” Bonnie frowned, poking out her lip. She only came to question one person, and that was lil’ Ms. Perfect, not her friends.
“Doesn’t matter Bonnie,” Kim said, “What’s your point because I’ve got things to do.” As if she needed this on her spring vacation.
Bonnie opened her mouth before she closed it again, looking frustrated and displeased, but she found her voice soon enough. “I was there, at the ski resort for my vacation with my sisters and my mother.” Bonnie paused in what she had to say, frowning again and Kim felt a bit bad about her rudeness, knowing that if Bonnie had been there with her sisters she hadn’t really enjoyed the trip. “I saw you and the baboon leave together with those woman and I followed you just far enough before you went in some cave. You were all in there for a pretty long time before you came back out all beat up with those men…”
Kim gnawed on her bottom lip while Monique crossed arms beneath her chest, “I was on a mission…”
“I peeked inside the cave but all I heard were noises and then that one skinny dude brushed past me so fast I don’t think he saw me, but he had this big weapon in his hand and…But, but that’s not the point!” Bonnie growled before lifting her finger again, “I’ve seen you with those girls before, Ms. Perfect, and yesterday night when I saw you chasing that green one through the halls and she was naked, that’s all the proof I needed. You’re a freak, Ms. Perfect, and a freak can’t be on the cheerleading squad. I fear for our safety. You might try to molest us or something.” Finally, she’d come out with it, what she’d assumed since the beginning of this entire scenario. Ms. Perfect, she was…was…she was like that! She had to be, I mean straight women don’t chase naked woman down halls telling them to come back to the room!
Kim was speechless for a moment, wondering, assuming that…Bonnie thought she was…
“You think I’m gay?” Kim asked, clearly surprise.
Bonnie sputtered, “Yes!”
Monique’s cheek twitched and she flashed a thin smile. “Bonnie doesn’t know what she’s talking about, Kim, as usual.”
Bonnie frowned once more, sending a glare Monique’s way and turning to face her fully, taking her finger and shoving it against Monique’s chest. “You listen here, I know what I saw and I know what I’m talking about! Hah, besides, is it my fault if you didn’t know what your friend has been doing? Oh what’s wrong? Angry she didn’t tell you about her dirty taboo secrets?”
“This is for a mission!” Kim interrupted, yelling, though amazingly enough people went about their day, ignoring the three girls as they argued, “I’m not like that--”
“You shutup Lil Ms. Freak Perfect, I’m not talking to you right now or listening to your excuses, I’m talking to--”
Bonnie stopped mid sentence and swore she hadn’t even seen Monique move, but she had felt and heard the loud slap she’d given her. Slowly a stunned Bonnie lifted a hand to her cheek, feeling the red throbbing mark there with wide eyes. Speechlessly staring forward with her head turned to the side, that was just how hard she’d been hit.
“Sorry about that Kim, here…” Monique, still calm and playful as ever, reached out to grasp the back of Bonnie’s neck, who was still pretty much out of it. Bonnie just couldn’t believe she’d been hit, slapped no less! Like she was a nobody or something. “I’ll go inform Bonnie about your mission so she doesn’t go around about school next Monday spreading misinformation like she normally does.” With a cheerful thin smile Monique stared down the back of Bonnie’s neck with narrowed eyes, “You go ahead and get that stuff you need, kay girlfriend? You meet me back at the van.”
Kim, for once, had nothing to say. She had been about to smack Bonnie herself, but she wouldn’t have…really done it. Bonnie was always trying to ruin her, but Monique…well, she supposed her friend didn’t take any crap. Though Kim felt a bit bad for liking that Bonnie got hit, she couldn’t deny that she was grateful her friend had taken up for her. It meant a lot, especially with how stressed she’d been feeling.
“L-let go of me! H-how dare you!” Bonnie winced, reaching back both her hands as Monique tightened her grip on the back of her neck, “That hurts!”
“I bet it does…” Monique whispered, grinning before shoving Bonnie forward and waving bye to Kim, at least for the moment. When Kim had turned to enter the store Monique leaned forward, sneering as she whispered into Bonnie’s ear. “Alright then, Ms. Rockwaller, we’re going to have a nice little talk and believe me, by the end of it we’re going to see some improvement on this little attitude of yours and these little assumptions you’ve been making, oui?”
Maybe, for the first time in a long time, Bonnie was scared.
Maybe…
Kim had stayed a long time in Smarty Mart, it had taken her awhile to decide whether to buy Shego a doggie bed or not. The ex-villainess was bound to have a fit, and so would Dr. Director if they didn’t try to kill her for some of the things she’d bought first. And of course they will, she thought. So, since she was already going to hear about it from them for half the things she’d gotten she just decided to go ahead and buy the largest pet beds she could find. Amazingly, they had them large enough for humans. Maybe the dogs actually did get that big or something was seriously wrong with Middleton’s pet laws.
With her purchases held firmly in her grasp she went to the parking lot, spotting a smiling Monique as she leaned against the car with the door open listening to something Kim thought was classical music.
Monique listens to that kind of stuff?
Well, Kim didn’t worry about it. She also saw Bonnie there, with her hands on her lap and her gaze on the ground looking confused and worried. Kim approched them both.
“Welcome back, Kim!” Monique said, turning down the music to glance toward Bonnie who immediately stood up and moved to Kim with a strained expression, like she was holding in a lot of emotion.
“I’m sorry, Kim.” Was all she muttered before she quickly walked away, leaving Kim to feel awkward and confused in front of Monique who had moved to get inside the car.
“Well? Come on! We don’t have all day, more places to go to and I’m starving.”
With a laugh Kim entered the car, she’d worry about Bonnie later, right now it was so not the drama.
Kim entered the house with a yawn, several bags of merchandise slung over her shoulder. “Hey Mom!” Kim yelled, smiling as her mother poked her head out from the kitchen doorway.
“Yes, Kimmie?” Doctor Possible asked, wiping her hands off on a cloth she’d reached into the kitchen to grab. “What did you buy?”
Kim moved to set her bags just inside her room door. “Oh, some stuff for the…um…puppies?” Because her mom had taken to calling them that for some strange reason, as if it would block out the painful fact that those ‘puppies’ were human. “And some new clothes for myself. Monique’s coming over tomorrow too, to spend the night for a few days I think. Is that fine mom?”
Her mother nodded, retreating back into the kitchen. “Yes yes…”
“So where is Sheeroo and Betaroo?” Kim asked, glancing around the living room but finding a definite lack of the mentioned people.
“They’re up in your room, Kim. I gave them some exercise, they’re quite lazy. Probably sleep right now…mm…”
Kim wondered just how her mother had given them exercise but decided against asking, moving to walk up the stairs and show her ‘pets’ their gifts. When she cleared the top of the stairs she found an unconscious Shego and a groaning Betty flopped on her bed on top of eachother.
“So, mother kept you busy huh?”
Betty blinked, shoving Shego’s arm from off her chest. “Yes, had us help with cleaning the house. Personally, I think it would have gone better had Shego been able to wash a dish without dropping one every ten minutes.”
Kim giggled, setting the bags against a wall and unpacking them as Betty wiggled out from beneath Shego and moved to investigate the contents within them. Shego’s snoring was loud and thunderous for a time, but Betty shifted the younger woman onto her stomach and the sound ceased.
“It’s like a sleeping beast, that snoring.”
Kim giggled again.
A large black dog bed was pulled out of the bag and a large blue one, set side by side and pilled high with pillows and comfy looking blankets. Kim rose up and dusted her hands giving Betty a look she didn’t like. Betty glanced to the blue dog bed then back to Kim before pointing.
“Ms. Possible…are you expecting me to…sleep there?” Betty asked.
“Yup.” Kim said, frowning as she watched the rise and fall of Shego’s back as she slept. Just how in the world was she going to move her?
“I…can’t do that.” Betty frowned, thinking that to be the ultimate form of degration.
“I’m sorry, Betaroo.” Kim said, “But you have to, we have to be careful and what Wade said is right, I haven’t been treating you like I’m suppose to.” Settling on the bed she dragged the bag over, reaching in and pulling out twin fur brushes and two dog dishes. “Look! I got you these cute dishes, try to go with the flow will you?”
Betty frowned with distaste but slowly lowered onto the bed regardless, folding her legs. She was a grown woman…about to sleep in a dog bed…she sighed. “Well, it isn’t so bad.”
“See! Cheer up. Come on over and help me move Shego to hers.”
Betty shrugged and got back up, helping Kim lift Shego and place her on her bed, where she seemed to automatically curl up and snuggle against a pillow to resume her snoring.
“Aw, it’s sorta cute…” Kim whispered.
“Don’t let Ms. Shego hear you say that.” Betty grimaced.
Kim tossed Betty a stuffed object and she caught it without thinking, only to stare at it afterwards.
“Eek!”
Betty tossed it right on back and Kim caught it effortlessly frowning. “What’s wrong?”
“C-c-c-c-cuddle buddy…” Betty stuttered, shaking visibly with fear.
“Aw! But it’s harmless and I bought it just for you. I got Shego a Wolfar.” Kim held it up, some hideous cross between a wolf and a bear and she moved over to tuck it between Shego’s arms. Still holding whatever hideous cuddle buddy she’d bought for Betty she would thrust that one her way, “And you got a cute Tigerove.” Kim took the Cuddle Buddy which was a tiger with several white feathers all over it and placed it in Betty’s hand. “Now, we all have one.”
Betty held onto the accursed manifestation of her nightmares and sat down upon her bed watching Kim pull out her Pandaroo and change for bed herself.
“Okay, tomorrow morning I take you and Shego out for a walk with Monique. Maybe I’ll call and invite Ron and Rufus along.” Kim mumbled to herself, ready for a good nights sleep and a brand new start for tomorrow.
“R-r-right…” Betty gulped, setting the Tigerove on the side of the bed before curling up and tossing the covers over her head with a well placed curse on whoever made Cuddle Buddies soul.
With a smile Kim got into bed, reaching underneath her pillow to check for the talismans. Good…still there…With that thought in mind Kim fell asleep.
There was a field of endless green, like a sea that stretched out for miles and within the center stood a tree. It was huge, reaching up into the night sky as the stars twinkled like winking dots on a black campus. It was a beautiful site, for the most part, as the wind blew through the tree shifting and shaking Japanese cherry blossom from their branches to scatter across the landscape and fall like snow.
Beneath this tree of this rested a blue fox and across from this fox sat Kim Possible.
“Where am I?” She whispered, taking in her surroundings with wide eyes.
You are in the center of your soul.
Kim looked around for the source of the voice that echoed across the plains but found no one but the fox across from her, suddenly her eyes got twice as big.
Are you surprised? The voice asked as the fox watch her slyly behind closed eyes and seemed to grin. You shouldn’t be. After all, me and you are just alike.
“How is this possible?” Kim asked, unsure of this place and unsure of the fox. “You’re one of those animal spirits aren’t you?”
Yes, one of the few you’ve stuffed beneath your pillow. The fox shook its head, sitting up with its head tilted to the side in wonder. An odd place to hide something so valuable, yes?
Kim frowned, shaking her head and knowing this had to be a dream. “I don’t understand though, why are you speaking with me? Is something wrong?”
Nothing…yet…but you see, I think I like you.The fox responded, and I don’t like many. I think you are the one in who I shall bond with.
“This has got to be a mistake.” Kim said, “I’m nothing special.”
Oh? The Blue Fox makes no mistake…I am always right.The fox grinned, flashing canine fang as it extended a paw. Wear me for I and you are now one. I will visit you again sometime, for now our visit has been completed.
Kim opened her mouth to say more, to ask more, for she had many questions to ask but before she knew it the world around her went black.
“Kiiiiimmie…Kiiiiimmieeeee…”
“Ms. Shego, really, is all that whining nessicary?”
“Can it, Director.”
Kim groaned, an arm flung over her face as she mumbled incoherently. Suddenly she sat up, the images of last nights dream flooding her memories. “It was a dream…” Kim whispered, lifting up her pillow to check all the talismans that she held in her possessions.
“What are you freaking out about, Princess?” Shego mumbled, scratching beneath her collar and talisman necklace.
“Nothing, Sheeroo. Why did you wake me up?” Kim asked, irritated. She needed her sleep, dammit.
“The door bell, Ms. Possible, someone’s ringing it.”
Kim glanced at the alarm clock, the time 1 pm flashing in angry red digital pixels.
“Oh snap! That’s Monique! Where’s mom and dad?” Kim asked, flinging off covers and sheets, “And why are you guys still not dressed?”
Shego grunted, catching a pillow in the face. “They left earlier to go grocery shopping.” The green skinned woman advioded that last question all together. Though the answer was obviously because she hadn't felt like getting ready, after all, she wasn't going anywhere.
Kim cursed, stubbing her toe on the edge of her bed as she quickly wrapped herself in a robe and rushed down the stairs. Panting she opened the door.
“Gods, I’m sorry Monique I over…slept?”
Kim stood there for a moment, mouth wide open and staring straight into Monique’s smug expression.
There stood Monique, a leash in her grasp as it lead to a studded collar around the neck of none other then Bonnie Rockwaller, her so called rival, who stood there looking submissive and yet severely pissed-off at the same time. “Hey, girlfriend, took ya long enough.” Monique said, motioning toward Bonnie as she gave the leash a slight tug. “Kim, this is Nie-Nie, I brought her over to play with Sheeroo and Betaroo. Say ‘hi’ Nie-Nie.”
“Hi…” Bonnie muttered.
To be continued…