Twisteddarkness225 here with my first attempt at a Kim Possible story. I watched the show, starting back when it was still releasing new episodes in its second season. However that was before my first attempts at fanfiction. After finding it again and rewatching some episodes (particularly the Christmas special) I became inspired to do this. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible and I make no profit from this story.
Green Christmas
Patches of green could be seen among the slowly disappearing blanket of snow that had come thanks to a fierce storm the previous week. It was warming up, the temperatures reaching unseasonal highs and giving the illusion of an early spring day despite the fact that it was December twenty-fourth, still early winter. Some people welcomed the warmth; others, like Kim Possible, were slightly disappointed that there may not be a white Christmas the following day. It wasn't really that big of a deal to the teen hero, but she just couldn't help loving how beautiful the neighborhood looked with freshly fallen snow sparkling on the front lawns, the way icicles decorated the eaves of houses and the branches of the now leafless trees. It just didn't feel the same when there was a mix of snow and grass patch-worked in people's yards, slush instead of snow and puddles all over the place. But Kim was able to accept it; she didn't see why she should let something so little ruin what was such a joyous time of year.
As she continued to saunter down the street Kim heard the unmistakable ring of her communicator. She held the device up and answered, greeted by the familiar face of Wade Load. Kim smiled back at him cheerfully.
"Hey Wade. Happy Holidays."
"You mean Merry Christmas Kim."
"No, I meant Happy Holidays. Some people don't celebrate Christmas and I don't want to seem culturally insensitive."
The younger boy rolled his eyes. "Let's just agree to disagree. Either way we say it, it still means the same thing. But onto the reason I called. I know that it's Christmas Eve and you want to get home to spend time with your family, but something serious just went down."
"What's the sitch?" Kim asked, a serious look coming to her eyes as she readied herself for whatever she was about to hear.
"It's Shego. She's been running amok and wreaking havoc in Upperton. She's destroyed several Christmas decorations, burned a bunch of Christmas trees and assaulted a Santa Claus who was collecting donations for charity on a street corner."
"When was the last time she was seen and where?"
"About ten to fifteen minutes ago and she was headed downtown. I've already arranged a ride for you."
"Thank you Wade."
- X-MAS! -
A forest green mini-van pulled up to the street corner and slowed to a stop. Kim got out and turned to give thanks to her ride, a round faced woman with rosy cheeks and straight, medium auburn hair.
"Thank you again for the help Mrs. Applegate."
"Well it's the least I could do after all the help you gave me with my girls."
"Oh it was nothing. I'm sure anyone could've watched over identical quintuplets on a camping trip in the Rocky Mountains while teaching them essential survival skills."
Kim waved farewell to the woman and began heading for the last known location that Shego had been seen. She saw the signs of Shego's handiwork as she went, seeing ruined decorations with scorch marks on them in people's yards and houses. The faint scent of burning pine trees caught her attention and she followed it, soon finding a small lot with fire trucks parked outside; the fire fighters finishing with extinguishing what had been several burning trees. Just further ahead she also noted a police cruiser and an ambulance not too far up the street and went closer to speak with one of the police officers.
To Kim's good fortune she learned that the ambulance was treating the Santa who Shego had attacked. Other than some nasty bruises and a minor concussion the man was going to be alright and was more than willing to tell Kim everything he knew about what happened from when he saw Shego setting the Christmas trees ablaze to the direction she had stormed off in after he became her victim. Kim thanked him and wished him well as she sped off to resume her search for Shego, silently hoping that she'd find her before any more people were hurt.
To Kim's surprise the trail of destruction had ended after the lot of burned trees and the injured Santa Claus. From there on it was as if whatever had driven the criminal to do what she did had just ended. Kim began to worry that she wouldn't find Shego and that the evil woman may strike again while Kim was still searching. On the bright side, if that should be what were to happen she'd have a trail to follow again, but she'd really hoped she would be able to find her before that could happen.
Kim surveyed the area, trying to think of where she would've gone if she were Shego. The residential area had come to an end and small businesses and older, larger buildings from when the city was first started loomed in front of her. A couple of the larger buildings were in poor condition and therefore empty and closed off to the public until something was to be done with them; an excellent place to hide in if she were looking to avoid the authorities for a little while. Now it was simply a matter of finding a method of entering one of the buildings. Kim walked around the closest one, it was a couple stories high with boarded up windows and doors. Around the corner in an alley she saw an old fire escape with a broken window at the top. And the boards around the window had also been broken and were singed.
Steeling her nerves for what could prove to be a potential fight with her rival, Kim climbed up the fire escape and in through the broken window. Broken pieces of glass crunched under her feet as she entered and she froze, not wanting the noise to alert Shego should she be in the immediate area. After nothing happened for the next several seconds Kim carefully proceeded, keeping her guard up just in case Shego had heard her and was waiting to try and catch her by surprise. As she got further away from the broken window it got a little darker. There were only traces of light now coming from small spaces between the boards on the other windows in the room. Enough to pierce the darkness, but not so much as to allow Kim to see her surroundings as well as she would have liked. She'd have to rely more on her hearing from here on.
Kim slowed to a stop and took a moment to listen for any noise coming from the area around her. Silence was all there was and she hoped it meant she was alone. She didn't need Shego to sneak up on her when she was hoping to do the same thing to the woman. Each step she took was cautious and quiet, Kim wanting to be able to hear anything that may give away Shego's location if she were nearby.
The young hero soon enough made her way into the next room, just as devoid of light as the one she had just been in. But this one was not as silent. Kim could make out the faint sound of crying coming from somewhere nearby. At first the noise made her halt in place, having caught her by complete surprise. But she quickly figured out the direction it was coming from and then moved toward it while maintaining her stealth. The source of the noise wasn't far and with the dim amount of light she could just faintly make out the silhouette of Shego in the corner of the room. The woman was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. Her head was hung over her knees and her hair was draped over her face, concealing it. She was sobbing softly and also slightly trembling. Kim couldn't but help feeling bad for her.
"Shego?"
The sound of Kim's voice snapped Shego from her sorrowful state. She stood upright, her hands igniting with green plasma, illuminating the room around her in an eerie glow. Kim could now see her enemies face clearly. Pure malice was radiating in the woman's eyes, the streaks from where her tears had streamed down her face shimmering in the glow her hands were emitting. There was little doubt that if she didn't choose her next move carefully Kim would be the outlet for the sudden rage Shego was showing. So she slowly held up her hands in front of her, trying to show that she wasn't going to try anything.
"Easy. I just want to talk."
"Yeah? Well maybe I don't want to listen!" Shego snapped back, stepping forward and scowling angrily at the red head.
"But I do want to listen!" Kim insisted, not backing away from her advancing adversary. "I won't lie to you Shego, I originally came here to try and catch you so you could answer for what you did just a short while ago. But now I only want to try and help you out."
"You? Help me?" Shego spat, her tone both incredulous and spiteful. "Do you actually expect me to buy that Possible? Just what reason is there for you wanting to help me when you just admitted that you came here to capture me?"
"Because I heard you crying; I saw you crying. And that shocked me a little bit. Someone as strong and independent a person as you, crying the way you were. And after all the trouble you caused too. I can't help but think you were lashing out because something was bothering you. And I mean really bothering you."
"What are you my therapist or something now? You want to know why I did those things out on the street? Let me sum it up in three words for you. I HATE CHRISTMAS!"
Kim took a moment to absorb what she had just heard and then raised an eyebrow at Shego questioningly. "You do? But that time at the North Pole. You were celebrating it and you sure didn't seem liked you hated doing that. You even went as far as getting along with me, my family and Ron."
"Don't remind me! I thought Dr. D had finally gone off of the deep end; I was playing along with what I assumed was some kind of dementia. We were in a jettisoned garbage pod in case you had forgotten. Where do you think he got the materials for all those decorations and the food?" Shego shuddered at the memory. "I still don't want to know what those cupcakes were made out of."
A chill ran down Kim's spine as well as she recalled the incredibly questionable food that Drakken had seemed to procure somehow with no other resources than snow, ice and garbage. Ron had taken a baker's dozen for himself that day and left not one crumb of them unconsumed. She had been offered one but fortunately for her the rest of the cupcakes had been inhaled by her younger twin brothers, something she may very well owe them for.
Kim quickly returned her train of thought to the right track. "So if you really do hate Christmas, then may I please know why?"
"Well for starters Dr. D always gives me a vacation for the last week of December. I usually go someplace warm. Like the Caribbean or Hawaii. There's nicer weather, I can relax all day on the beach with a tropical drink in my hand. And it's so much easier to avoid Christmas like that." Shego said with a serene look on her face which only lasted a few moments before it became a harsh scowl. "But this year that blue-faced baboon canceled my vacation to work on some idiotic brain-fart he had at the last second to achieve world domination! So now I'm not only working, but I'm actually doing double the work I usually do!"
"That still doesn't answer my question Shego. I understand it's inconvenient and probably really frustrating, but I really doubt that's the reason you hate Christmas." Kim pointed out, beginning to get the feeling that the woman was trying to avoid the subject.
Shego clenched her fists and Kim watched her, ready to act should the older woman try anything. But instead Shego just glared at her again, as though Kim were to blame for whatever it was that was bothering her so much. Her gaze softened after a moment though and went back to her usual aloof demeanor that she carried when she had to interact with Drakken.
"Not that it's any of your business, but my mother died Christmas morning years ago, back when I was younger than you."
"Shego, I'm so sorry."
"Why? I didn't know you back then; no one in my family did for that matter. And it isn't like you had anything to do with it. It's just what happened and it sucks."
"But still I had no idea and I feel bad that you had to go through that. But still, is that really reason enough to hate Christmas? Your mother wouldn't want that."
"Screw you Possible!" Shego snapped, her anger returning. "Just who are you to tell me what my mother would think!? You didn't know her!"
"Okay, okay I'm sorry Shego. You're right. But you did know her and you should also know what she would think about all of this. Can you honestly say she wouldn't want you to let her death ruin the holidays for you every year?"
"How should I know? It isn't like I can ask her!"
"Please don't be like that Shego. I need you to try and work with me here."
Shego let out a frustrated sigh and sat back down, holding up one of her hands and keeping the plasma glowing brightly so the two of them could see. Kim knelt down across from her, keeping a fair distance away just in case she found herself hit by a sneak attack. Although she was confident that she wouldn't have to worry about that and just focused on Shego as the woman began talking again.
"No, she wouldn't. She would be very upset with me. My mother loved Christmas. She was a giver and got so much happiness out of seeing my brothers and me opening gifts on Christmas morning. We wanted to do something for her one year so we all worked on a card for her. It made her so happy that she was in tears. Seeing how happy she was made me want to do something more special for the next year. I worked hard for weeks to make her the perfect gift and I just couldn't wait to give it to her Christmas morning that year."
Shego went silent for a moment and Kim saw a fresh tear slip down her cheek in the glow from her hand. It seemed to take Shego some effort to be able to continue, and when she did, Kim heard the woman's voice crack just a little bit.
"That was the year that she died. It happened not too long after she had gone to bed that night. She suffered from severe sleep apnea, that is, she had frequent pauses in her breathing while she slept. My father was lying in bed next to her the entire night with no idea of what had happened. I ran into their bedroom that morning and tried to wake her up, I was just so excited. She didn't wake so I shook her a little, but when I still got no response I started to feel scared. So I woke up my dad and he called 9-1-1. He made me and my brothers wait in our rooms until it was over, but…but there wasn't anything that they could do. It was too late."
Kim said nothing as Shego finished her sad tale and the two simply remained in place for the next few moments. The young red head felt so bad for her enemy and was now conflicted with what she should do next. Shego had to answer for the things she had done, but Kim felt that there was a better way to go about it than to just turn her in to the authorities. But as she was busy pondering, Shego was getting back to her feet. And both her hands were glowing fiercely again.
"Okay Kimmie, now that you got your answers it's time that we got back to the reason we're here. Get up. I'm not going to play nice with you just because you lent a sympathetic ear."
"We don't have to do this. I don't want to fight you Shego."
"Well that's too bad, because I don't want to go to prison."
Kim got to her feet, readying herself with a defensive stance. Shego advanced quickly and Kim stepped aside to avoid the woman's first attack. She readied herself for the next one, catching Shego's forearm as the woman swung her glowing fist. Kim twisted Shego's arm behind her back and pushed her against the wall.
"Please stop Shego! I don't want to fight you! I want to help, so please just hear me out!"
"Not gonna happen!"
Shego used her free arm to elbow Kim in the ribs and then pushed her backwards. Kim let go of her opponent's arm and stepped away from her, waiting to see what she would do next. Shego slowly sidestepped around the room, Kim mimicking her movements and keeping the distance between them. But she knew that this wouldn't get her anywhere, not with what she wanted to do at least. If she were to choose fighting Shego seriously then that would be fine, but she sincerely wanted to help the older woman and she needed to convince Shego that was her intention. And if she wanted Shego to believe her, she would need to take a risk.
"I meant what I said Shego. I only want to help. And if that means that I don't turn you in to the authorities, then fine."
"Yeah, like I'm falling for that. I wasn't born yesterday Kimmie."
Kim reached for her communicator, moving slowly so as to not provoke her enemy. She held the device up slowly and then set it on the floor. Shego watched as Kim set it down and then gently used her foot to send it sliding over towards her. She looked down at the communicator and then up at Kim, a skeptical expression on her face.
"Nice try, but you could have already called for backup or maybe you have a wire."
"I didn't call for back up. If I had, I wouldn't have approached you when you were sitting and crying quietly. I would have waited for them so we could all surround you. You can search me too if you don't trust me. I have nothing to hide."
Shego hesitated. She knew from her past experiences with Kim that the girl was no pushover and giving her an opening was a huge mistake. But she also knew that Kim was kind hearted, almost to the point of being a fault. And if that was the case, Shego would be a fool to not take advantage of it.
"Okay, let's say that I believe you for a minute. What exactly did you have in mind?"
"For starters, I'm letting you go. But on one condition."
"Which would be…?"
"You make amends for all the wrongs you did earlier today. And then you're free to go."
There was a momentary silence as Shego stared incredulously at Kim. The offer of being allowed to go freely was tempting, but at the same time Shego didn't trust it. But she knew that she would have to make her decision soon. If Kim had in fact called for backup, then she was stalling for time that Shego was now wasting. The evil woman figured that it would be in her best interest to just play along with whatever Kim had in mind. That way she could take advantage of Kim's kindness if she were truly intent on turning a blind eye. Or if push came to shove, she could always go back to her usual tactic of fighting the teen hero. If she could overpower Kim, then she could take the girl hostage. Even if that failed, at least she wouldn't go without a fight.
"Okay, fine. But it's just you and me from here on. No police, no goofy sidekick, nobody, got it?"
Kim nodded, "You have my word. So, shall we get started?"
"Sure, why not?" Shego said with a shrug. "The sooner this is over with the better. What's first?"
"Well, how much money do you have available? We need to get to the stores before they close."
"Oh, I am already loving this." Shego groaned; her voice rich with sarcasm.
- X-MAS! -
Roughly an hour later, Kim and Shego made their way down the street on which Shego had caused her trouble earlier that day. They had just left the lot where Shego had burned many unsold Christmas trees on a whim. The woman was silently fuming over the fact that she had just, in accordance with Kim's request, paid for all of the damaged trees.
"Why do stupid trees have to be so stupid expensive?" Shego grumbled.
"Oh come on Shego, it isn't that bad." Kim said gently.
"Well that's easy for you to say. It isn't your money that's being spent on a bunch of dead plants! Stupid things cost more than all those ornaments you made me replace."
"To be fair, if you hadn't destroyed them in the first place…"
"Save it. I get the point. Can we just finish this already and then go our separate ways?"
"Well, I was actually hoping that you might let me do one little thing for you after we're done. I've done some thinking and I have something to show you, a gift in a manner of speaking."
"So you just suddenly want to take me someplace to give me a present? Yeah, that doesn't seem suspicious."
"I promise that it isn't a trick. I just thought of something nice I want to do for you. Maybe rekindle your holiday spirit a little."
"Great idea Cindy-Lou!" Shego said with a forced sweetness. "And then my small heart can grow three sizes and I can love Christmas again!"
Kim sighed, "Shego, please just give me a chance here. If you don't like what I planned then you can just go. But at least allow me to try to do something nice for you. I really just want to help."
"So you told me earlier." Shego replied. "Well if you really want to then fine, no argument here. You've already dragged me around plenty tonight, what's another stop? Speaking of which, are we almost done with my apology tour?"
"Just one more and then we're done. Remember that Santa you attacked earlier? He was collecting donations for the Upperton Children's Hospital. And I found out that he was just allowed to leave Upperton General after having his head checked out by the doctors. Just apologize to him and then that's it."
Kim slowed to a stop, Shego following suit. The younger girl gestured towards a parking lot across the street. Shego looked and saw a man, somewhat tall and rather portly, was on his way towards his car. He was dressed in a red Santa suit and had bandages wrapped around his head, his dirty blonde hair sticking out between them here and there. And even though he was no longer wearing the fake beard like earlier, Shego recognized him as the guy she had assaulted during her fit of rage.
"Right. This should be easy enough." Shego thought aloud, checking to see if it was safe to cross the street.
"His name is Walter Whitman, just so you know." Kim said as Shego began to cross.
Shego rolled her eyes and made her way over to the parking lot across the street. As she approached him, the sounds of her footsteps caught his attention and he turned to face her. He immediately recognized her and he jumped in surprise, dropping his car keys as he stumbled back a couple steps. Shego was familiar with this reaction, she had seen it dozens of times in her criminal career. Plenty of police officers or security guards were aware of who she was and what she could do, and the ones who weren't quite as tough as they made themselves out to be almost always acted just like this poor guy was right now. But Shego didn't find the near sadistic delight she usually felt as she would advance on one of those unfortunate souls. Seeing this man, a man who she had already injured once that day, shaking like a leaf in front of her, just bothered her. Maybe it was because she knew at a glance that he couldn't hold his own in a real fight, but she had attacked him anyway. He had done nothing to her and she sent him to the hospital with a head wound just because she was in a bad mood. It really made the woman feel a bit disappointed in herself. Maybe that was why it was easier for her to handle what was to come next.
"Easy there buddy. I'm not here to hurt you…again. Your name is Walter, right?"
He nodded but remained silent. It was pretty obvious to Shego that he was too afraid to make any other moves. She sighed and crossed her arms, trying her best to look like she wasn't about to try and mug him or whatever it was he was expecting her to do.
"About earlier today, what I did to you." She said, trying to find the right words. "I was angry. And you had nothing to do with that. You were just…sort of there and I…I…I don't know what I was thinking. But you definitely didn't deserve what I did to you. So for whatever it's worth, I am sorry for hitting you over the head with your donation bucket. Twice."
Shego stepped forward and knelt down to pick up his keys from the ground. She held them out to him and he cautiously accepted them. Shego then pulled out a fat roll of twenty dollar bills and held them out for him as well.
"Here, take it. For that charity you were collecting for. Although feel free to use some of it to cover the hospital bill you just got, okay?"
"That…that's a lot of… how much money is that?" He muttered, finally seeming to find his voice.
"About a thousand, maybe a little more. Why? Is there a limit on how much one person can give? Because that would be pretty stupid."
"No. Nothing like that. But you really want to donate all of that?"
"Minus whatever you need to cover your medical attention today. Or feel free to give it all away. It's your choice, now take it already."
Shego took his hand and put the cash into his palm. He stared at it, stunned into silence once again. Then, he started to cry a little. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Shego, a wide smile on his face.
"Thank you. Thank you so much for this. You have no idea just what a difference this can make. I have to get this to the Upperton Children's Hospital right away. Bless you, and Merry Christmas!"
Walter the charity collecting Street-Santa got into his car and turned the key in the ignition. He waved to Shego as he pulled out, thanking her one more time for her generosity. Then he drove out of the lot and towards his destination, leaving Shego to return to Kim, who was already on her way over.
"That was a wonderful thing you just did Shego." Kim commented as they reached each other.
"Yeah, makes me feel a warm and fuzzy inside." Shego remarked with her usual snarky tone. "So what's this present stuff about? I find it hard to believe that you went and got me something last minute without my knowing."
"Well it's not really the kind of thing you can buy. But I can explain more in a bit. There's a park not too far from here that should do nicely. Follow me."
Kim turned and began to head down the street, Shego right behind her. She led her to the aforementioned park, a fairly large lot of land with plenty of trees and bushes all around as well as a small pond. A paved pathway snaked in from one side and branched off in the center, leading to the other three sides of the park. It held a gazebo, a playground for young children and a number of benches on which Kim took a seat. The teen hero patted the spot beside her, indicating for the older woman to join her.
"It's beautiful, isn't it? All the stars up in the night sky?" She asked as Shego sat down.
"This is what you brought me out here for? To gaze at the stars?"
"Yes and no. Let me explain. When I was little, my dad would take me out to look at the stars. He'd show me the constellations and tell me about galaxies and black holes. But he also told me about how the loved ones we've lost are up in the heavens above, among the stars. And if I ever wanted to talk to them, all I had to do was look up at the night sky."
"You've gotta be kidding me."
"Shego, please…"
"Just stop right there before you start with the goody-goody lecture okay? It's not what you said, so much as the fact that it's not the first time I've heard it, that's all." Shego admitted, hugging her knees to her chest. "After my mom's funeral, my dad took me and my brothers out to look at the stars. He told us all the same thing you just said to me, almost word for word. My brothers ate it up and started to all blab together up at the sky. But I couldn't do it, it wasn't easy for me. They didn't find her that morning when we lost her and my dad kept them all out of the room once he realized what had happened. All I could think of was her lifeless body and how it was buried in the cemetery that morning. I wanted to say something, anything, so badly but all I did was sit there the entire time like a stupid, frightened kid!"
Shego's eyes began to water with fresh tears. Kim heard the woman sniffle a little before she let out a choked sob. For the second time that day, Kim was seeing a side of Shego she otherwise wouldn't have believed existed. It was a little unnerving to see her this way but Kim didn't let that stop her from putting a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
"You regret it, don't you?" Kim asked, receiving a small nod in response. "Shego, it isn't too late. It could never be too late to talk to her. Just speak from your heart. It could really help you feel better."
"Yeah, maybe it would. But I'm going to pass. That kind of sappy, emotional junk isn't really my thing. But nice try Kimmie."
Shego got up from the bench and strolled away a few steps. She looked up at the sky silently, her back facing Kim who also got up on her feet. The red head took a couple steps towards Shego before turning to head out the way she had entered the park.
"I'm sorry if my idea wasn't as helpful as I had hoped. But thank you for giving me the chance anyway. As promised, I'll be leaving without so much as a word to anyone. Merry…I mean, have a nice night Shego."
"Just who said it was okay for you to leave, Possible?"
Kim suddenly felt Shego's fierce grip on her shoulder. The next thing she knew, she was being pulled backwards and Shego was in front of her, snaking her other arm around the back of Kim's torso. Kim struggled briefly before she realized that Shego wasn't attacking her, she was holding her.
"You're hugging me." The red head stated in mild shock.
"I know. Don't get used to it. I'm not planning on making a habit out of this. But I owe you a little gratitude for what you tried to do for me. So…thanks."
"You're welcome Shego. It means a lot that you appreciate my efforts."
"You try, no one can deny that. But in my opinion you're a little too nice for your own good." Shego said as she ended the embrace. "I think that they used a little too much sugar when they made you, kid."
Kim giggled, "The same can be said about you. Except instead of sugar, they used too much spice."
Shego allowed herself a small laugh at that. "Hey, I know it's getting late, but how about you let me take you someplace now so I can give you a gift? Don't read too much into it, I'm just being fair since you went out of the way to help me out so much."
"Oh, well I didn't see that coming. Thank you Shego, I'd love to."
"Like I said, don't read into it. Now let's go. I parked my ride a bit out of the way, but once we get to it we shouldn't take long to get to the hide out."
"The hideout? You mean the place where you and Drakken are currently staying?" Kim questioned nervously.
"Yep. And I know what you're thinking. But just trust me okay? I trusted you after all."
Kim couldn't argue with that. And even if this turned out to be a trap, it wouldn't be the first time. So she knew that she could take care of herself if the need arose. But she felt confident that she could trust Shego and so she followed the woman as she led the way.
-X-MAS! -
A short while later Shego had driven Kim out to a remote cabin in the woods outside of Middleton. It was a single story building with all the rustic charm one would expect of such a structure and certainly not what Kim had expected. With all of the times she had infiltrated a lair belonging to one of her foes, she found this particular location to be a bit…underwhelming.
"This is the hideout? No offense but it looks like the sort of place that would be used in a timeshare." Kim observed aloud.
"Looks can be deceiving. You didn't hear this from me but it's a front for an underground warehouse and lab that Dr. D uses for his more secret projects. Not that I plan on giving you a tour of the place or anything."
Shego led Kim to the front door of the cabin and opened it for her. Kim found the inside to be just as she had expected. That is to say, it looked like what she would expect the inside of a normal cabin to look like. It had a high ceiling, a small bathroom, two separate bedrooms and a kitchenette in one corner with wooden furniture. The main area also had similar furniture and a brick fireplace, complete with a roaring fire, making the overall interior seem cozy and welcoming. If not for the fact that she knew that it belonged to one of her worst enemies, she could have seen herself and her family staying there for a nice winter weekend.
However there was one thing that immediately took away from the comfortable atmosphere the cabin offered. The sole inhabitant prior to the entry of Kim and Shego was sitting in an armchair by the fireplace, his back facing them. Dr. Drakken heard the door opening and set down the glass he had been drinking from, along with his latest issue of 'Evil Lairs Quarterly'.
"Shego, where have you been? You've been gone for hours!"
Shego walked over to where he was seated, Kim choosing to remain in place for the time being. Just because she was there as Shego's guest didn't mean that Drakken would be compliant about the matter. But she could certainly believe that Shego would handle things while she let them play out. Whether Drakken liked to admit it or not, Shego had nearly as much authority in their line of work as he did, and she didn't hesitate to use it when she wanted to.
"I was out Dr. D. I felt like blowing off some steam after earlier today and then I bumped into someone we know. Brought her over, hope you don't mind."
"That depends on just who it is you're talking about." Drakken said as he rose from the chair and turned around. His eyes went wide and in the next instant he was glaring at Kim, his teeth clenched. "POSSIBLE! Shego! You brought my arch-nemesis to our secret hideaway!? What possessed you to do such a thing!?"
"I've got a better question Dr. D." Shego replied, regaining her boss's attention. "Did you know that you're standing under the mistletoe?"
"Mistletoe?" Drakken asked in genuine confusion. "I didn't hang any …mmph!"
Shego had silenced Drakken with a firm kiss to the lips, leaving the man stunned. As she drew away, she admired the stunned look on his face. She gave him a gentle nudge and he fell back down into his seat, still looking bewildered.
"Now you be a good boy and finish your eggnog. Then make sure that you get to bed before Santa arrives, okay?"
"Yes…Santa." Drakken mumbled. "I asked him for a new teddy this year."
Satisfied with her work, Shego motioned for Kim to follow her again to one of the bedrooms. Kim followed while struggling not to giggle at Drakken after what she had just witnessed. As she entered the bedroom, Shego had her take a seat on the queen-size bed which had emerald green sheets. Shego opened the drawer of a bureau against the wall adjacent to the bed and then took out a flat, rectangle shaped object. Kim quickly identified it as a Christmas present due to the fact that it was wrapped in white paper with cute little reindeer all over it. Shego held the gift out to Kim who accepted it with slight confusion.
"When did you have time for this?"
"I've actually had that for years Kimmie. That's the gift that I was going to give my mom on the year that she died."
Kim gasped in shock. "You…you kept it? Ever since you lost her?"
Shego nodded, "I don't know why but I just couldn't get rid of it. I kept it in storage and that idiot Drakken found it recently. He brought it when we came here and started to ask me about it. It brought up those painful memories and I got mad. That's when I decided to go out and, well you saw what I did."
It took a moment for Kim to let that sink in. She looked over the present, almost in admiration, for what it was. When she finally went to open it, with encouragement from Shego, she did so carefully. She didn't tear the paper even a little bit and once she was finished, she found a book behind the paper. It wasn't a novel or anything that was found on the shelves of a store. This was handmade, the handiwork of a young child. The pages had pictures and paragraphs cut from magazines glued to them. Each depicted or provided details of various interesting locations all over the world.
"You made her a scrapbook."
Shego nodded, "She always wanted to travel. But she never got the opportunity. I spent months going through travel magazines to find everything I put into that thing. It was so she could still feel like she had seen the world, even if she never got to leave the country. But you've gotten to travel, so you have seen some of the places in there. And there are still a lot of places you haven't seen yet. I want you to have that because I think you will appreciate it as much as she would have."
Kim took another few moments to look at the scrapbook before she put it back into the paper and rewrapped it. She stood up and caught Shego in a hug. The older woman was hesitant at first but still returned the gesture. They stood still over the next few seconds, sharing a moment that neither of them would have expected to have happened.
"Thank you Shego. I promise I'll take good care of it."
"You'd better." Shego replied as their second hug that day ended. "Now come on, I'll give you a ride home. And don't think that this changes anything between us. We're still enemies the next time we meet."
"Looking forward to kicking your butt."
"Not if I kick yours first princess. Head on out to my car and I'll be there in a minute, okay?"
Kim nodded and exited the bedroom. She made her way over to the front door of the cabin, seeing Drakken still in the armchair with the stunned expression on his face. Kim waved at him as she passed by.
"Merry Christmas Drakken."
"Huh?" Drakken said, snapping from his stupefied state. "Oh yes, you too Kimberly. And a happy new year too."
Shego barely suppressed a laugh after seeing that. She went back into her bedroom and looked through the skylight in its ceiling. Her eyes focused on the stars up above and felt a warm sensation inside her chest, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. And then Shego found herself saying three words that she hadn't spoken in a very long time.
"Merry Christmas Mom."
End.