Ten Years
A/N: Hi there! So this story is an amalgamation of a story that I wanted to write for my 10th anniversary and the winners of the poll choices. Everything that begins with a date is the anniversary story, and these vignettes start and end the whole work.
Dedication: To all my fans and reviewers who have kept me writing over the years, but especially Amortentiate and Beloved Raven who still check in from time to time. :)
January, 2012
Kim yawned as the alarm clock went off, and after she had smacked the snooze bar, she laboriously rolled over to give her wife their usual good morning kiss. Much to her surprise, though, Shego wasn't in their bed, and the break in their routine was enough to wake Kim up completely. "Shego?" she questioned, sitting up with a bit of a struggle and looking around, but there was no answer. "Maybe Annie needed something," she hypothesized.
Scooting back to rest her back on the headboard, Kim absentmindedly started stroking her large, baby-filled belly. The tests showed that there was only one baby in her womb, but with as large as she was, Kim was skeptical of those results. She sighed, the lack of Shego and the excess of pregnancy hormones suddenly causing her mood to sour and sadden. Before Kim could get into a complete funk, though, two pairs of footsteps, one with the light cadence of a toddler, and another with the heavier fall of an adult, sounded down the hallway. The door to the bedroom burst open, and within seconds, Kim had a lapful of squirming, ecstatic-to-see-her, redheaded toddler. "Mommy!" Annie said happily, giving her mom a kiss. She reached down to kiss Kim's tummy. "Morning, baby!" she added, before snuggling into Kim's side.
Shego was a little more subdued with her greeting. "Morning, Princess," she said with a loving smirk, crossing over the floor to give Kim the good morning kiss she had been missing. Kim kissed her back with enthusiasm, causing Shego to chuckle into their kiss. "I was only down the hall, Pumpkin," she teased.
"You know I like waking up with you," Kim pointed out, kissing Shego softly again.
"I know," Shego said with an affectionate smile. "And I love waking up with you. But Annie and I had a surprise for today, didn't we, Cupcake?" she asked, drawing back from Kim to look at her daughter.
Annie nodded vigorously. "Yes, Mama!" she agreed. "Now?" she asked hopefully. Shego nodded, and Annie wriggled away from her mother to proudly hold up a blue velvet pouch. With the careful formality of a two-year old given an important job, she placed the pouch into Kim's hand. "For you, Mommy," she said proudly.
Kim looked at the pouch and then at Shego with a quizzical grin. "What is this for?" she asked. "Today is nothing special."
"Oh, but it is," Shego disagreed with a smirk. "Open it."
Kim did as she was asked, and when she dumped the contents of the pouch into her hand, a brilliant clear stone and a small piece of paper dropped out. She unfolded the note, and this is what she read. "The stone in this pouch is goshenite, the clear form of beryl. Ten years ago today, you met a Goshen for the very first time, and though you were trying to arrest me, it turned out to be one of the best and most important days of my life. Happy 10th Anniversary, Princess. I love you."
Kim carefully folded up the note and placed it and the stone back in the pouch. "Please come over here," she asked Shego calmly, and Shego, suddenly scared she had done something wrong, came over and sat on the bed beside Kim. Without warning, Kim grasped Shego's face in her hands and kissed her passionately, and a few seconds after the kiss started, Shego could feel Kim's tears running down in torrents on both of their cheeks.
Concerned, Shego pulled back gently. "Are those happy tears?" she asked hesitantly.
Kim laughed midway through a sob, causing the sound to be more like a hiccup than an actual laugh. "Mostly," she answered, still holding on to Shego's cheeks. "But I am a pregnant woman whose wife just gave her the most incredibly romantic and thoughtful gift, so I am not sure what the real emotional mixture is."
Shego laughed, kissing Kim's forehead. Annie, not liking being left out of the togetherness, wormed her way in between her mothers. Kim gathered her up, giving her a squeeze as she snuggled in. Kim patted the bed, offering Shego the chance to join them, and Shego shifted immediately, going from sitting on the side to sitting in front of the headboard and putting Annie in between the two of them. They stayed like that for a while, at least until breakfast called, and the contentment stayed with them all for the rest of the day.
September, 2013
Kim stepped out of the shower, listening intently for the sounds of chaos. Their twins were a little over a year-and-a-half old now, and Annie was three, making order and cleanliness in their house a thing of the past. All seemed quiet for the moment, however, so Kim took the opportunity to get herself ready for the day. Jeans and a comfortable t-shirt were her outfit of choice these days, and after Kim had slipped her clothes on, she went to her dresser to grab her wedding ring.
What lay beside her ring made her pause, though. It was a blue velvet pouch, identical to the one in her jewelry box that contained one of the sweetest gifts that Shego had ever gotten her. She looked in her box, but the original pouch was still there, meaning that this was a different pouch. Kim opened it up and emptied it, and in her palm lay a golden-yellow stone and a pale bluish-green stone, along with another note. Kim unfolded the small piece of paper and started reading.
"The stones in this pouch are heliodor and aquamarine, the yellow and blue-green types of beryl. The aquamarine represents the sparkling water at our beach in Mexico where we shared our first kiss, and the heliodor reminds me of the color of Anna's fur the first time you ever met her on our first date two days later. The ten years that have gone by since then have passed by in an instant, but these memories are still some of my happiest. Happy 10th Anniversary, Princess. I love you," the note concluded.
Kim folded up the paper and put it carefully back in the pouch. She placed the pouch with the other and went back for her wedding ring. After putting it on, she looked at it and smiled, leaving her bedroom to ambush her hopeless romantic of a wife.
Poll Winner #1: Kim and Shego in College
Kim carefully turned up the heat on her heating implement, trying to get the perfect temperature so she could distill her product away from her waste reagents. As she tinkered, she knelt to bring her apparatus to eye level, and in doing so, she also brought her wrist kimmunicator into view. Being as she was in lab, she had put it on silent, but now that the screen was right before her eyes, she saw it blinking furiously with an alert. After making one final inspection of her experiment and seeing it was good, Kim took a small break to answer her wrist. "What's the sitch, Wade?" she asked quietly so the teacher's assistant wouldn't catch her using her phone in lab.
"The LaBouff Company of New Orleans has been experiencing multiple security breaches at both their physical facilities and in their computer systems. The local police haven't been able to catch the person, and they are asking for our help," Wade explained.
"Why us?" Kim questioned reasonably. "It doesn't seem like the specialized stuff we deal with."
"Well, they gave me two reasons," Wade replied. "The first was that we have a former thief on the team, and she might have insight in how to catch a fellow thief." Kim frowned at this characterization of Shego, but realized the potential clients might have a point. "And second, based on the security footage they've obtained, they think they might be dealing with a ghost," Wade continued. "Team Possible does have the reputation of being familiar with the paranormal."
Kim smiled. The ghost issue made this mission seem much more like one that the company would need Team Possible's skills for. "Is it urgent?" Kim asked. "I have another two hours of lab, but I could probably leave after that. Did you contact Ron and Shego?"
"No, it's not urgent," Wade answered. "They said tonight would be fine. I'll contact Ron and Shego and see what they say."
"Please and thank you, Wade!" Kim chirped.
"No problem, Kim," Wade replied. "Have fun in lab." Kim nodded at him with a smile and cut off the transmission, turning her attention back to her distillation.
As soon as lab was finished, Kim gathered up her books, said goodbye to her TA and left the building. Shego, Mim and Sheila were waiting for her, all of them dressed in their mission gear. Handing Kim the small duffel that contained her clothes, Shego explained. "Ron had a test he couldn't get out of, and as soon as these two heard there were ghosts involved, they insisted on coming along," Shego said, her slight exasperation with the spirits apparent in her tone.
"I think that's a great idea," Kim said, as they turned and started walking towards the lot where Shego had parked the hovercraft.
"See, Junior, I told you that Mimjay would be appreciative of our presence," Sheila said haughtily.
Shego sighed. "You had to encourage them, didn't you, Princess?" she asked resignedly.
"I like having them along," Kim admitted with a cheerful shrug.
"Don't say that, Pumpkin," Shego groaned. "Now we are never going to get rid of them."
"We are banished to Earth, Junior," Mim reminded her. "You would be hard pressed to get rid of us for any sizable length of time anyway. So you are stuck with us, my dear, and if you do not cease and desist in your whining, we will be around far more often." Shego glanced over to Mim after she said that, and Mim graced her with her wicked grin.
"All right, all right," Shego said, giving up. "If Nana Mim is doing the threatening, it's serious. I'll stop."
"I am still in amazement at how you do that," Sheila whispered to Mim as they boarded the hovercraft.
"I have had decades of practice, Lil," Mim replied with a cheeky smirk. Sheila sighed, but gave her wife a begrudging smile back.
Shego closed the door the hovercraft and took off. The trip to New Orleans was uneventful, and Kim and Mim passed the time by talking about Kim's classes and what she was learning. Mim was always interested in learning new things, and she sincerely regretted never going to college. Kim was her proxy, a way to learn without being able to enroll. Listening to their conversation, Shego made a mental note to see if she, and her name and fortune, could convince the administration of Upperton University to admit a ghost.
Team Possible landed at the LaBouff Company headquarters, and a security guard waited at the helipad for them. Mim and Sheila disappeared, but he escorted Kim and Shego into the building and into an office, and after a few minutes, a tall, heavy-set redheaded man came into the room. "Team Possible! Thank you so much for coming!" he gushed. "I'm Eli LaBouff, the CEO of the company."
"So what's been happening, Mr. LaBouff?" Kim inquired politely. "What's been going missing?"
"Well, that's the thing, Ms. Possible," Eli began. "It's odd. Whoever it is has been using the computer to steal money, but it's only been a small amount on a monthly basis. And from time to time, the same person has been stealing little things from here at the building and at my personal residence."
"How do you know they are the same person," Shego asked, "and why do you think they are a ghost?"
"We think we are dealing with a spirit because of the security footage," Eli answered, flipping on the monitors behind him. As Kim, Shego and the invisible spirts watched, doors opened and things were moved and taken, but there was no person to be seen on the screen. The cameras were wide-angle, too, so there was little chance that the person was hiding in a blind-spot.
"Okay, so it does seem like we are dealing with some sort of unusual individual," Kim agreed. "But how do you know the same person is stealing money?"
"Because they are using the company computers to do it," Eli replied. "Whenever they break in to corporate, they do so to steal money. And paper towels and tissues, oddly," he explained. "When they break into my house, they steal my daughter's clothes and things of my wife's."
"Have either your wife or your daughter seen anything?" Kim asked.
"My wife is deceased," Eli said, with a hint of sorrow. "And my daughter…she, she no longer lives with me."
Kim and Shego looked at each other with raised eyebrows, knowing there was a story there that Eli was not telling them. "Ok," Kim said, moving on. "Then what would you like us to do?"
"Well, this is the day every month that the thief usually hits," Eli replied. "I was hoping you could watch the building tonight and figure out what is going on."
Kim glanced at Shego and Shego nodded. "We can do that, Mr. LaBouff," Kim said agreeably. "If we find anything or catch anybody, we will let you know right away."
"Oh, thank you so much," Eli said sincerely. "I'll leave you to it then," he decided, gathering up his things. "Goodnight," he said, waving one last time before he left his office and the building.
After he had gone, Mim and Sheila rematerialized. "That man was not being entirely truthful," Mim stated.
"Nah, he wasn't, Nana Mim," Shego agreed. "But there is something going on here, and we agreed to take the job, so I guess we'd better get to it."
They split up and canvassed the building, keeping an eye out as Wade kept tabs on the surveillance system. Nothing happened for at least two hours, and Shego was just about ready to ask Kim if they could pack it in for the night when Wade sent out an alert. "I got something, guys! There is movement on the 6th floor!" he said, popping up on their viewscreens. All four of the ladies met up on the sixth floor, and Wade guided them to a cubical bank on the far side.
As they crept in, they could hear the clack of computer keys, and wordlessly they fanned out to surround the cubical it was coming from. They hadn't gotten anywhere near it when the clacking suddenly stopped. Team Possible stopped with it, and Shego slowly stood up. A paperweight came flying at her head, and she ducked, but soon papers, staplers, hole-punchers and other office items were swirling around them all like a vortex. Since they were permeable, the items passed through Mim and Sheila, though, and they were unfazed. Mim started to scan and scrutinize the surroundings, and she noticed a petite figure crouching just beyond the chaos. She gestured to Sheila, who then noticed the person as well, and they set off to confront them.
At the sight of two ghosts floating quickly towards her, the person, obviously female when Mim and Sheila grew close enough to see her, panicked. The office supply hurricane stopped, and she took off running down the hallway. Mim and Sheila gave chase, and now that there weren't any heavy objects hurtling towards them, Kim and Shego joined in. Whoever they were chasing was fast, though, and she kept sending items to thwart their pursuit. "She's not a ghost," Shego panted as they ran. "She's telekinetic."
"So I see," Kim answered, ducking as a chair came flying her way. The thief made it to the end of the hallway, and Kim and Shego thought that they had her cornered. Much to their surprise, though, she used her powers to open up an escape route through the wall, and she jumped. Kim, Shego and the ghosts looked down in admiration as she landed safely on the ground and started running again. "Aunt Mim, Aunt Sheila, follow her please. We'll go get the hovercraft and track your kimmunicators to her location," Kim requested.
"Of course, Kimmie-Ann," Mim replied with a smile, and she and Sheila were off. Kim and Shego ran for the hovercraft as the ghosts tracked their thief, and after Kim and Shego had tracked them, they arrived at a rundown but clean apartment building near the university. They met the ghosts on the bottom floor. "She is in apartment 303, Kimmie-Ann," Mim reported, "but enter gently. She's not alone, and we think this might have something to do with what Mr. LaBouff was hesitant to tell us."
Kim nodded, trusting Mim's instinct on practically everything. She and Shego climbed the stairs to the third floor, and instead of busting their way in through the door, they knocked on the door of apartment 303. There was some shuffling inside, and both Kim and Shego could hear agitated voices. "We just want to talk," Kim said as loudly yet reassuringly as she could. "We aren't here to do anything but that."
There were more voices, but at last they could hear the bolt and chain being removed from the door. The door opened, and a young African-American woman looked out. "Please come in," she said at last, in a gentle Southern drawl. Kim and Shego stepped inside, and out of habit, both of them surveyed their surroundings. Within seconds, they both came to the same conclusion: this wasn't the lair of a criminal mastermind. It was the apartment of a young couple, who, by the looks of the crib and scattered baby toys, were also trying to be parents. "My name is Tiana," their hostess told them as she led them into the small living room. "And this is my wife Lottie, and our little girl Lilly Belle," she said, smiling lovingly at the blonde woman and the bubbly, adorable infant sitting on the couch. "Please have a seat," she said, offering a kitchen chair and a threadbare recliner.
Shego took the recliner. "I'm Shego and this is Kim," she said, and Tiana and Lottie nodded, knowing who they had to be based on their appearance. "So what's the real story, here?" Shego asked bluntly. "It seems really weird that a business as powerful as the LaBouff Company would need us to catch a thief that was stealing paper towels and rent money, even if she is telekinetic."
"My full name is Charlotte LaBouff," the blonde sighed, drawing her curly-haired infant closer to herself. "I think my daddy called you because he is trying to look out for me. I think he knows that Tia is the one stealing from him, and he wants to deal with it without calling the police. That's where you came in."
"Why are you stealing from him?" Kim asked, curious.
"I'm only taking what's rightfully Lottie's," Tiana said defensively. "He was the one that kicked her out of her own house and cut off the money that her mama left her. I've been trying to get her things from the house and her money back little by little, mainly so we can get by. I'm almost done with school, and I have a good job lined up for myself when I graduate. But, right now, it's hard. Lottie and I both work, and I have a scholarship, but diapers don't buy themselves."
"Why did he kick you out?" Shego asked.
"It's complicated," Lottie admitted. "He tried to be understanding when I told him I was gay, and he even managed to be okay with me falling in love with Tiana, since she had been my best friend since forever. But he had problems with us being out and wanting a wedding, and the final straw was when I accidentally became pregnant with Lilly Belle. Then I was gay and a harlot, and he just couldn't have someone like that in his family."
"How can you accidentally become pregnant in a lesbian relationship?" Shego asked skeptically, her skepticism turning apologetic when Kim glared at her.
Lottie shrugged. "Ask her, honey," she said, pointing to her blushing wife and shaking her head with a rueful smile. "Apparently her telekinesis can do more than move things."
Kim and Shego remained silent for a bit, digesting this piece of information and thinking briefly of their own future before filing it away. "Okay, well, here is what I think we should do," Kim decided. "First, stop stealing. Shego and I have a whole stable of lawyers who can help get your things, and one named Bob is the best guy in the universe. I'll give you his number, and he will get your stuff back."
"We can't pay him, Ms. Possible," Lottie said softly.
"Eh, we have more money than god," Shego said unconcernedly. "We can cover his bills until you can pay us back. If you want to pay us back; you don't really have to."
"It's not a super polite way of saying it, but Shego's right," Kim agreed. "We have plenty of money, which brings me to item number two: we have a scholarship foundation that will pay for living expenses. Tiana should apply. Since we are on the application committee, I have a good feeling she'll get it. Finally, you both should go talk to your dad. Take Lilly Belle with you; fathers are suckers for little girls, and a granddaughter will hook him in an instant, especially as one as cute as she is. If he kicks you out again, then you have Bob's number. If he doesn't, then maybe you don't need our lawyer."
Lottie and Tiana looked at each other, and then at Kim. "I'm a thief with super powers, and you don't know us from Adam. Why are you doing so much for us?" Tiana asked hesitantly.
Kim blushed and then chucked. "Well, I'm engaged to a former thief with super powers, so I guess I have a soft spot for them," she pointed out. "Plus, your little girl is seriously one of the cutest babies I've ever seen, so I have to help her mommies."
"And Kim likes to take over people's lives with all of her treacly niceness," Shego added under her breath.
"Is that what happened to you, sugar?" Lottie asked with a smirk.
"Trapped like a mosquito in amber," Shego confirmed wryly, causing Lottie and Tiana to laugh.
"Well then, I guess you better leave us your lawyer gentleman's number, and we'll see what happens," Lottie decided. "And don't worry about reporting back to Daddy. The three of us will try to see him tomorrow, so we can tell him everything."
"Then I guess we are done here," Shego decided, and Kim nodded. They rose from their chairs and wrote Bob's number on a card before Tiana saw them to the door.
"Goodbye, ladies, and thank you so much for everything," she said warmly.
"You're welcome," Kim replied sincerely. "And don't forget that application." Tiana nodded and with another warm smile closed the door.
"Well, you did your good deed for the day, Pumpkin," Shego said. "Now what do you want to do?"
"I want to collect our dead relatives, get back home and get a few hours of sleep using you as a pillow," Kim answered decisively.
"Sounds like a plan, Princess," Shego agreed, and together, they left the building.
December, 2013
Kim sighed in happiness, letting the wet sand squish between her toes as she walked along the beach, her hand clasped in Shego's hand. It was two days after Christmas, and for the first time in a very long time, she and Shego were alone. With the blessing of both sets of grandparents, Kim and Shego had left their three girls in Chicago with Archie, Lottie, James and Ann, and now the two of them were walking hand-in-hand on the beach. No one needed to be fed or changed, and no one was tugging at their pants to get their attention; it was just them, enjoying each other's company. Even still, Kim sighed, missing her three little ones.
"We will be back in three days, Princess," Shego said, correctly interpreting the sigh. "And our parents have eight kids among them. They'll be fine."
"I know," Kim admitted. "And I'm glad to have some peace, but…"
"…you are still their mommy. I totally get it, Princess, and I feel it too," Shego reassured her.
They watched the early-setting sun for a little while longer, until both of their stomachs informed them it was dinner time. A walk into town brought them to Sergio's, and he welcomed them joyfully. After eating way too much delicious food and spending hours catching up, they walked back to the cabin, deftly avoiding not one but two clouded leopards that were trying to ambush them. After they went inside, Kim went to the bedroom, and she smiled as she felt Shego's arms slide around her waist.
"This all seems so very familiar," she mused. "Like the first time we came here after Christmas."
"And that would be on purpose, Pumpkin," Shego replied, her smoky voice caressing Kim's ear as her lips did the same to Kim's neck. "We have an anniversary to celebrate." Kim turned around, and Shego produced a blue velvet pouch from behind her back. Kim reached out for it, but Shego held it away from her. Kim came closer to try to grab it, but Shego took the opportunity to kiss Kim deeply, making her forget all about the pouch. Chuckling, Shego swept Kim up in her arms and carried her to the bed, continuing the kiss until Kim was settled on the pillows. Now having Kim right where she wanted her, Shego reintroduced the blue velvet pouch and handed it to Kim.
Kim sat up, putting her back against the headboard so she could see a little better. She opened the pouch and emptied its contents. This time, it was a dark blue stone and a note that fell out, and Kim laid the stone down carefully as she unfurled the note. "The stone in this pouch is maxixe, the deep blue form of beryl," it read. "Ten years ago today, we walked beneath a dark-blue night sky to our cabin, and I was given the precious gifts of worshipping your body and being worshipped in return. I still can hardly believe I am worthy of those gifts, but I will gladly worship you forever. Happy 10th Anniversary, Princess. I love you."
Kim folded up the note and put it and the stone back in the pouch. Carefully reaching over, she put the pouch on the nightstand before turning back to look at Shego. Nothing was said, but a moment later, Kim pounced, and Shego found herself pinned beneath her wife on the bed. "My turn to worship," Kim said with a wicked grin, and Shego smiled back as Kim's lips met hers.
April, 2014
Kim's 28th birthday party was in full swing, and adults and children flowed in and out of the living room, kitchen, and backyard of the Mansion playing games, eating food, and generally enjoying the company of their friends and relatives. The group was very familiar; Kim and Shego's parents were there, along with Kim and Shego's brothers and Mim and Sheila. Ron and Lindsay, with their little girl Veronica, stood chatting with Wade and Monique and their little boy Ernie. Kim and Shego made the rounds, interacting with everyone and keeping an eye on their sometimes-mischievous daughters. After all the food had been eaten, Shego decided that it was time for presents, and everyone decamped to the living room.
The pile of presents was huge, and Kim slowly worked her way through them. After a while, there was a nice mountain of clothes, weapons, electronic gadgets and gift cards strewn all around Kim's chair and at her feet. She thanked everyone profusely for their lovely gifts and then went to get up, thinking that it was now time to have cake. "Not so fast, Princess," Shego said, holding up a hand and making Kim retake her seat.
Shego brought out a small box, and after tearing off the lid, Kim discovered a familiar blue velvet pouch. She took it out and opened it, and inside were a beautiful green stone and a note. Kim unfolded the note, and this is what it read. "The stone in this pouch is emerald, the green form of beryl. It is the same type of stone that can be found in my promise ring, which I happily accepted ten years ago today, and I still proudly wear around my finger. I've never given a promise away so willingly, and there has never been one that has meant so very much. Happy 10th Anniversary, Princess. I love you."
Tears welled up in Kim's eyes as she put the stone and its note away. "You know you make me fall even harder for you each time I get one of these, right?" she asked Shego, completely not caring that everyone was looking at them.
"That's the plan, Pumpkin," Shego said with a wink. Kim laughed and rose from her chair, giving Shego a kiss that was barely appropriate for mixed company.
July, 2016
"Moooom! Maaaamaaa!" came the bellow from down the hall. "Hurry up! It's time to go to the airport!"
"We're coming, Annie!" Kim bellowed back, putting the last of her items in her backpack. "Well, I guess they are eager to get going to Florida," she observed, smiling wryly at Shego.
"Yeah, they are," Shego confirmed. "Lilly asked me if we could take the 'super-fast jet'. When I told her that the supersonic jet was only for missions, I got scowled at for an hour by her and Surprise."
"They would look cute in the flight helmets, though," Kim mused with a smile, and Shego nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I think that's it for me. You ready to go?"
"Almost," Shego replied. "There's just one more thing I have to do before we go." She crossed over to her dresser and rummaged around in one of the drawers, coming up with something that she kept shielded from Kim's view.
"What do you have there?" Kim asked curiously.
"None of your business," Shego said curtly, but she had a smile on her face.
"Oh, that was a mistake," Kim said. "Now you know I'm going to get it away from you."
"I'd like to see you try," Shego retorted with a challenging smirk.
Kim smirked back, and within seconds, she had attacked. Shego easily evaded her first attack; they had been fighting each other for years, whether for real or in training, and they knew each other's every move. Or, so Shego thought, until Kim completely caught her off-guard and she found herself dumped on the floor. Shego hastily scrambled to her feet, and Kim laughed at her expression. "Getting old, are we, sweetie?" she taunted.
"Oh, now someone is going to get it," Shego growled good-naturedly, lighting up her plasma. Kim merely laughed, waiting for Shego to make her move. With a growl, she did, and Kim countered, causing them both to end up on the floor. They wrestled for a while, each of them thoroughly enjoying the sparring that they hadn't had the time for in a long time. Eventually, though, Kim remembered her mission, and her touches became purposeful. Shego, distracted by her body's reactions to Kim's touch, couldn't do all that she needed to counter the attack, and soon Kim found her prize.
"Ah-ha!" she exclaimed, drawing out a blue-velvet pouch.
"That's not for today!" Shego said in frustration, trying to get it back from Kim.
Kim studied it, knowing what all of the others had been for. "No, it's not," she decided quickly. "It's for five days from now." She handed back the pouch to Shego apologetically. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she said contritely. "I ruined your surprise."
Shego didn't like the look of regret on Kim's face, so she quickly kissed Kim to distract her. "It's my own fault," she admitted wryly after they parted. "I should know better than to challenge you. Besides, you didn't actually look in the pouch."
Kim smiled, relieved that Shego wasn't more upset. Kim leaned over to give her a thank-you kiss, only to be stopped when the door was flung open, and three scowling children glared at them from the doorway. "It's time to leave!" Annie demanded.
Kim sighed and got off the floor, pulling Shego with her. "Yes, Ms. Bossy," she said.
"I wonder where she gets that from," Shego muttered under her breath as they gathered their things under the watchful eyes of their children.
"Careful, Junior," Kim warned with a smirk. "A week can be a long time to go without."
"I didn't say anything," Shego protested with a nonchalant shrug as they left their bedroom and headed downstairs.
Poll Winner #2: The Goshen-Possible Girls Go to Walt Disney World
The jet landed at MCO, and Shego skillfully directed it into the hanger they were renting for the week. The girls eagerly collected their luggage and waited impatiently as their moms did the same. As they walked out of the hanger, they were greeted by the driver who put all of their luggage into the van as they all piled in. A few minutes later, they were off, and the girls plastered their faces against the window. There really wasn't much to see for about half an hour, but then at last, they passed under the red and yellow Mickey-emblazoned archway that welcomed them to Walt Disney World.
Kim and Shego smiled at their girls' awe, remembering the first time they had been. It had been a regular destination for the Goshen clan, so Shego had visited many times. Kim had come twice when she was a kid, once before the tweebs came, once after, and after Disney had started producing the cartoon and theme park attraction about her life, the visits became more frequent. Shego, as gruff, cynical, and badass as she liked to portray herself, really did love the place, and Kim loved that there was something that made Shego drop the façade.
Their driver circled his way through the labyrinthine roads and park entrances until he came to the Polynesian. They were staying in one of the bungalows overlooking the water, chosen specifically for location and ease of monorail access. They all piled out, and the driver unloaded their luggage that was efficiently whisked away by bell services. They stopped in the lobby to check in, put their carry-ons in the bungalow, and then hopped on the monorail to make their dinner reservation at the Grand Floridian.
"Lilly, Surprise, you need to eat something, girls," Kim coaxed, as once again, their chicken nuggets and Caesar salad were ignored in favor of watching Cinderella make her way around the room. The girls begrudgingly turned back around and ate a few bites, but their eyes followed the princess. When Cinderella came to their table, Kim gave up with a smile as dinner was completely forgotten by the twins.
After dinner, the family took a stroll around the hotel, enjoying all of the decorations and the scenery. Their explorations took them outside, and Annie was the first to notice a small pile of flowers and toys on the sand on one of the beaches. "What's that for, Mama?" she asked Shego, tugging on her Mama's hand and pointing.
Shego grimaced. They hadn't told the girls about the tragedy with the little boy and the alligator for fear of scaring them. Shego thought about lying, but she and Kim had a strict policy about lying to their girls unless it was absolutely necessary. "Well, Cupcake, it's Florida, and there are a lot of alligators in the water. One of those alligators grabbed a little boy off of this beach and tried to take him away, thinking he was food," she explained carefully.
"Is the boy okay, Mama?" Annie asked in concern.
"No, Cupcake," Shego answered truthfully. "The little boy died, and that's why people are leaving flowers and toys. They are saying goodbye."
"Oh," Annie said. She didn't say anything else for a while, and Shego was apprehensive that she had ruined the whole trip for her eldest. A trip to get ice cream on the way back to the bungalow seemed to cheer her up, though, and by the time they got back, Annie was her usual happy self.
Getting their excited girls to go to bed was a challenge, but luckily, Mim appeared to tell them their usual bedtime story. That always calmed them down at home, and apparently Mim's magic worked here too, and all three of the girls were soon fast asleep. Kim and Shego, knowing tomorrow would be long and tiring, went to bed soon after.
The next morning was a flurry of activity getting the girls dressed and fed before they headed off to the monorail. The bungalows were also chosen because they had a table and a kitchen, so breakfast could be something easy, quick and familiar. After breakfast, everyone except Shego put on sunscreen, and everyone loaded up their supplies for the day in their respective backpacks. An impatient whine and tug on their hands told Kim and Shego it was time to go, so they left for their first day of fun at the Magic Kingdom.
The day passed by in a blur of characters, rides and food. Kim had been her usual uber-planner self, and she had booked all of the advance things that she had needed to in order to let them do the things she knew the girls would want to. They read a story with Belle, they had lunch with Pooh, and they sailed on the happiest cruise that had ever sailed after flying over the rooftops of London into Neverland.
One of the biggest highlights of the day, at least for Shego, was going on the Haunted Mansion. It was one of her favorites; she had loved the ride as a kid, and as an adult, there were things that she could appreciate even more. Even better than nostalgia, though, was the fact that Nana Mim and Nana Sheila had decided to impish, and so were currently making themselves at home with the 999 other happy haunts in the Mansion. They were real, however, and they were having a great time popping in and out of doombuggies at unexpected times, scaring the absolute bejesus out of poor, unfortunate souls. From the screams, though, the people they were terrifying were adults; when they popped into a child's doombuggy, there tended to be giggles. Eventually, though, they decided to behave, and Nana Sheila finished the ride with Annie and Shego, while Nana Mim sat with Kim and the twins.
After dinner with the Beast and watching the fireworks, the twins started to fall asleep, so Kim and Shego started making their way back to the bungalow. They put the girls to bed and went to bed themselves, but one of their little girls couldn't sleep. In the back of her mind, Annie was still thinking about the little boy being taken on the beach, and now that it was quiet, those thoughts came to the front. She tossed and turned for a bit, until she called out for the one person who was always there. "Grandnana Sheila?" she called softly.
Within an instant, a form began to materialize. "What can I do for you, my sweet?" Sheila asked as she faded into view.
"I can't sleep," Annie admitted. "I've been thinking of the little boy who got taken by the alligator."
"Very well," Sheila said, coming closer to the bed. "What have you been thinking about?"
"That I want to do something to help his family," Annie answered. "That's what Goshen-Possibles do."
Sheila smiled. "Yes, my sweet, that is exactly what they do," she agreed. "But, your mommies have already helped out his family. They did that as soon as everyone found out about it."
"Oh," Annie said, and Sheila could see relief in her young eyes, before her forehead scrunched into the unmistakable Possible-pondering look. It was the same exact look Mim and Kim had when they were thinking about something. Sheila waited patiently, and after a while, Annie spoke. "I want to do something too, Grandnana Sheila," she said.
"Understandable," Sheila said sympathetically. "What would you like to do?"
"Maybe put something where the other stuff is on the beach?" Annie answered.
"That would be a nice idea," Sheila agreed. "But you will need one of your mommies. You don't have any money to buy anything with, and it's too far to go by yourself."
"But I have money!" Annie protested. "Mama gave us spending money. And you could take me."
"That is really not a good idea, my sweet," Sheila said gently.
"Please?" Annie pleaded, turning on the puppy-dog pout.
Sheila sighed. "All right," she acquiesced against her better judgment, unable to resist the pout. "But we must be quick about it."
Annie nodded and got out of bed, dressing quickly and grabbing the bills her Mama had given her. Sheila changed her appearance to look as much like Shego as she could, and they slipped out of the room knowing Annie's band would get them back in.
They stopped at the Polynesian gift shop, and after a short deliberation, Annie chose a small Mickey Mouse doll. She went up to the cash register with her purchase, and the woman cheerfully rang her up, completely familiar with children making purchases. Annie thanked her and took the Mickey, leaving the shop with Sheila to go upstairs to catch the monorail. After a quick trip, they got off at the Grand Floridian and made their way to the beach, where Annie carefully placed her Mickey amongst the other toys and flowers.
Annie reached for Sheila's hand as they walked back, and Sheila immediately took her little hand in hers. They walked in silence until Annie spoke. "What's it like to die, Grandnana Sheila?" she asked thoughtfully.
"Well, for me, it was very peaceful," Sheila answered. "I went to sleep beside your Grandnana Mim, and I woke up in a new place. When I woke, she was there to welcome me, and I knew that everything would be all right."
"Will you be there to welcome me?" Annie asked.
"Of course, my sweet," Sheila answered instantly. "Nothing in this universe could keep me away."
"Good," Annie commented. "Then I don't have to be scared." Moved, Sheila bent down and hugged her fiercely, and Annie hugged back. After they both felt better, they started walking back towards the monorail, and in just a few minutes, they were back at the bungalow. Sheila put Annie back to bed, and within seconds, her little charge was asleep. Sheila smiled and floated out to the living room, only to be met with two disapproving glares.
"And just where did you two go?" Shego demanded.
"Annie had something that she needed to do," Sheila replied simply. "It is not my place to share it. If she wishes to tell you in the morning, and knowing her, she will, then so be it. But I will only say that there was no danger, and she was safe the entire time." Kim and Shego fidgeted, not really approving of the late-night wandering, but not really wanting to yell at Sheila for it. Unexpectedly, Sheila came over to both of them and gave them a cold kiss to each of their foreheads. "You are wonderful parents, and your children are a credit to you both," she said. "I am proud to call you mine." She disappeared, leaving Kim and Shego to look at each other in puzzlement.
"I guess we'll find out in the morning," Kim guessed.
"Hopefully," Shego agreed before they went back to bed.
Just like Sheila had predicted, Annie spilled her guts over breakfast, and Kim and Shego, understanding her thinking and approving of it, weren't angry. They told her that it was a good thing that she had done, but the next time, she had to have a living adult go with her. Annie agreed, and with a smile, everyone went off to get ready.
Since today was the big day where they were going to Epcot to meet Elsa and Anna and ride their ride, the girls dressed up in their Frozen finest, and somehow convinced their mothers to do the same. Because of their red hair, Kim and Annie were the designated Annas, and they dutifully wore twin over-the-shoulder braids and matching Anna t-shirts. Though none of them were blond, Shego, Lilly and Surprise were the Elsa contingent because the twins adored Elsa. Shego reluctantly braided her hair into one long braid and put on her "Keep Calm and Let it Go" t-shirt, sighing at her domesticity even as she secretly loved it.
The family boarded the monorail and made their connection to Epcot. The girls stared up at Spaceship Earth in awe, and Kim promised them they would be back after they got done in Norway. At the mention of Elsa and Anna, though, the big silver orb was forgotten, and Kim and Shego were insistently being tugged towards the back where World Showcase was located.
They got in line for the ride, and after scanning their bands, they made their way through the queue. They boarded their langskip and floated through Arendelle. Shego, who remembered the former ride Maelstrom, kept comparing the old to the new, but her girls, surrounded by Elsa, Anna and the songs from the movie, sat spellbound for the entirety of the ride. It was a slight struggle to get them out of the boat because they didn't want to leave, but eventually the promise of meeting the Queen and Princess of Arendelle managed to convince them.
The Royal Somerhaus was next door, and again they scanned their bands and waited in line until they were ushered into a room with Her Majesty and Her Highness. Annie went straight for Anna, and the perky cast member knelt down immediately to talk to her. Lilly was much more reserved, and as much as she wanted to talk to Elsa, she held on to her Mama's hand and hid beside her. Surprise, ever bold and impetuous, had no such issues, and she marched right over to Queen Elsa. "Hi, Queen Elsa," she said. "My name is Surprise."
The cast member looked a bit surprised herself at the given name, but she recovered quickly and knelt down. "What a lovely name," she said. "I don't think anyone in Arendelle has that name."
"Well, my real name is Juliet," Surprise told her. "But when Mommy was carrying us, Mommy and Mama thought that only Lilly was in her tummy. I was a surprise."
"Oh, I see," Elsa said, and Shego could tell the amusement in her eyes was genuine.
"Do you want to see my powers?" Surprise asked.
"You have powers too?" Elsa said, and Surprise nodded. "Of course I want to see them," Elsa encouraged. Whatever the cast member was expecting to happen, it probably wasn't for a little girl to hold up her hands while green light started to glow around her fingers. The green glow got everyone in the room's attention, and Kim went to intervene, but to her and Shego's shock, Queen Elsa merely blinked and then smiled, carefully taking hold of Surprise's wrist. "Born with the powers or cursed?" she asked mildly as she examined the glow, making Surprise giggle by quoting the movie.
"Born, and they're getting stronger," she said, happily returning the quote. "My sisters were born with the powers, too. Mama has them, but she got them after she was hit by a comet, so I guess you could say she was cursed."
Queen Elsa looked up to where Surprise was pointing, and seeing Shego, nodded as everything clicked together. Of course that's who "Mama" would have to be. "Welcome to Arendelle, Team Possible," Elsa said with a smirk.
"Thanks for having us," Shego responded with her own smirk, impressed with the young woman's aplomb at handling the unusual situation of a super-powered kid. A polite cough from the photographer behind them reminded them that others were waiting, so Kim, Shego and the girls took their pictures and bid goodbye to the Queen and Princess.
With the most important things done, the rest of the day was theirs for exploration, so they rode, ate and experienced everything they felt like. They rode Spaceship Earth and Soarin', and Kim and Shego both agreed they liked the California film better than the World one. They made their way to the Imagination Pavilion, and the girls completely fell in love with Figment, the little purple dragon of the attraction. Of course, there was a gift shop at the exit, and Kim and Shego felt lucky that they only left with three Figment plushies. For dinner, they went back to World Showcase, and France was the country of choice. The girls liked their dinner well enough, but it was the surprise visit by Remy that was really the highlight of the meal. After dinner, they watched Illuminations and then headed out, and this time, all three girls went willingly to bed and stayed in bed the whole night.
The next day, thinking that everyone needed a break from the parks, Kim and Shego rented a van and drove their girls out to Cape Canaveral to see the NASA facility. They took the tour, and the girls did their Grandpa James proud by looking at everything and peppering the tour guides and docents with questions. They also made their moms get him a NASA tie to wear to work. Dinner was just a quiet one at the hotel, and they spent some time in the pool. After the pool time, they gathered on the bungalow deck to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks before they went to bed.
Animal Kingdom was the third park on the list, and Kim and Shego and their girls enjoyed seeing all of the animals that the park contained. There was even a colony of naked mole rats, so Kim and Shego took a picture with the enclosure and sent it to Ron. Taking that picture drew the attention of some teenagers who were just the right age to have seen the Kim Possible cartoon, and they politely asked Kim and Shego for selfies, which both of the women gladly allowed. Animal Kingdom was a smaller park, which allowed for a shorter day, and this was preplanned, because Kim and Shego had a date night for that night. Mim and Sheila were going to watch the girls for them, and after the other night, Shego and Kim made them promise that everyone would stay in the bungalow.
Back at the bungalow, Kim and Shego changed into formal evening wear. They were going to Victoria and Albert's, the nicest restaurant on the property, and formal dress was required, even if it was bit awkward being that dressed up on a monorail full of tourists. When they got there, they checked in for their reservation, and the maître d led them back to the Chef's Table. Thirteen courses came and went as they talked with the Chef and with each other. Every so often, one of them would lean over to kiss the other, and the chef would tease them about being on their honeymoon, which inevitably led Kim to blush. After the last course, Shego drew out a familiar blue-velvet pouch and handed it to Kim.
Kim smiled. "I was hoping that I would see this tonight," she said as she opened it. From this pouch fell a pink stone and the requisite note. "The stone in this pouch is morganite, the pink form of beryl," the note read. "10 years ago today, I asked you to be my wife using a ring fashioned with the same stones. Miraculously, you said yes and made me the luckiest woman alive. Happy 10th Anniversary, Princess. I love you."
Kim replaced the stone and the note in the pouch, and reached over to give Shego a kiss. "You know, the note got it wrong," she murmured when they separated. "I have to be the luckiest woman alive."
"I will gladly argue with you about that until we are as old as dirt, Pumpkin," Shego responded, her gaze so loving that Kim nearly lost her breath.
Kim smiled. "Challenge accepted," she said, and Shego chuckled.
After bidding goodnight to the Chef, they left the restaurant and debated on how best to get back to the Polynesian. Tired of the monorail, they decided on the Friendship boat, thinking that a moonlit cruise would be perfect to end their romantic evening. When they got to the top deck of the boat, however, they found that they were not the only ones to have had this idea. Another couple were already seated, so in love and into one another that they were practically oblivious to anyone or anything else. Shego chuckled and put her arms around Kim, looking over her shoulder to gaze out into the water as the boat left the dock.
The boat slowly circled the Seven Seas Lagoon, and Kim snuggled back into Shego as they watched the scenery go past. It took a few minutes, but at last they docked at the next boat stop, the Magic Kingdom. Apparently this was the other couple's stop, because the shorter person gestured to the sign with a small kiss to her partner's chin. The taller person appeared to sigh before she stood up, pulling her companion up with her. A glance over confirmed her companion was another young woman, and Shego did a double-take. A closer look made both women look familiar, and when the young couple drew near as they went to exit the ferry, and Shego finally figured it out. "Queen Elsa?" she questioned, causing both of the young women to jump and turn back towards her and Kim.
"Um, no," the blonde said quickly. "My name is Maureen. But, I do happen to be 'best friends' with Elsa."
"Oh," Kim answered, figuring everything out quickly. "Then you must be 'best friends' with Princess Anna," she guessed, looking at the redhead.
The redhead blinked, finally realizing which two of the myriad guests they met on a daily basis they were talking to. Her inner fangirl started to squee, and she found herself barely able to talk. "Yes, Ms. Possible, yes, ma'am. I'm Sarah," the shorter girl stuttered out, overwhelmed at meeting her idol now that she was off the clock and out of costume.
Kim smiled. "So you do remember us," she observed with a smile.
Sarah nodded vigorously. "I could never forget meeting you and your family, ma'am," she said earnestly. "You have been such an inspiration to me since I was a teenager, and I really wanted to really talk to you and tell you that and other stuff when you were at the Somerhaus, but we have to stay in character, and besides your little girl Annie was so super sweet and excited to meet me, and then your other little girl Surprise showed her powers which was even more amazing, and, and…I'm rambling," she realized suddenly, hanging her head. "I'm sorry, ma'am," she apologized.
"No, you're not rambling," Kim disagreed, liking this young lady already. "You are just being effusive." Kim noticed the Magic Kingdom in the background, and she had an idea. "I know this is your stop, but if you don't mind waiting and maybe missing it, we could take some selfies around the lagoon until we make it back to the Poly," she offered, and Sarah's eyes grew wide. She looked over pleadingly at Maureen, and the blonde nodded with a smile. Sarah rushed over to give her a kiss of thanks, then rushed back to Kim. "Please call me Kim, by the way," Kim said, as they walked away to frame their shots.
"She really is as nice as she seems to be, isn't she?" Maureen asked Shego as their significant others happily snapped photos.
"Even nicer," Shego admitted with a smirk. "But speaking of nice, thanks for being so calm when my kid lit up her powers in your face. I know you deal with a lot, but I don't think green plasma powers are one of them. You didn't even miss a beat," Shego complimented her.
"It was unexpected," Maureen admitted with a laugh. "But I've had much worse. And your little girl was so sweet, I knew she wasn't going to hurt me or anything. So, there's totally no reason to thank me, especially when I should be thanking you."
"Thanking me? Why?" Shego asked curiously.
"Sarah and I have known each other since middle school, and ever since we met, we've been best friends," Maureen explained. "Within like five seconds of knowing her, I fell in love with her completely, but she was straight. Then all of the stories started coming out about you and Ms. Possible getting married, and well, it showed her there were options other than boys. It gave me a chance, and when the time came, it gave her the courage to come out. So, yeah, I owe you a lot, because I can't really see myself living without her."
Shego smiled. "Well, you're welcome. I'm glad we could help," she said sincerely. Maureen smiled back, but being by far the quieter and shier of the duo, she didn't really have much else to say. Their ladies were still selfie-ing away, so Shego decided to fill the slightly-awkward silence. "So, some sisters are very close in Arendelle, aren't they?" she joked, causing Maureen to blush.
"Yes," she admitted, before looking around to see where Sarah was. "And hopefully, they will get even closer," she said in a low voice, surreptitiously taking out a ring box and showing a lovely diamond ring to Shego. "That's why we were going to the Magic Kingdom. But I couldn't say no to Sarah. Kim Possible is one of her biggest idols."
"Well, if it makes you feel better, I can't say no to Kim either," Shego said. "And I'll make sure we get off at the Poly so you can get back to the Magic Kingdom." Maureen laughed and nodded her thanks. The boat pulled up to the dock, and true to her word, Shego steered Kim towards the exit. Sarah gave her a goodbye-thank-you hug, and Kim waved as the boat pulled away from the dock.
"Well, it wasn't how I was expecting to spend the boat ride back, but it was fun," Kim said, as they made their way back to the bungalow. "What did you and Maureen talk about?"
"About how she was going to propose at the Magic Kingdom until someone made them miss their stop," Shego replied with a smirk.
Kim stopped in the pathway. "Oh no," she said, dismayed. "Really?"
"Yes, really, but calm down, Princess," Shego soothed. "She wasn't mad. She knew Sarah was having a great time, and they were just going to take the boat back around."
"Ok, good," Kim said in relief. They continued to chat about everything until they made it back to the bungalow. A quick check on the girls found them fast asleep in their bed, and they bid goodnight to the ghosts before going to their own bedroom. All of their finery came off, and Kim tiredly collapsed into bed, only to wake up immediately when an unclothed Shego lay gently beside her, kissing her.
"My anniversary gift had two parts," Shego murmured, deftly removing Kim's nightgown as she continued to kiss everywhere she could reach.
Kim took in a sharp breath as Shego's lips found something sensitive. "Then please show me," she requested, and Shego lifted her head to smile at her wife before she did just that.
The next day was the last of the parks, Hollywood Studios, and even with much of the park closed due to construction, Kim, Shego and their girls had a good time. They saw the Frozen and the Beauty and the Beast shows, met as many characters as they could, and checked out as much of the new Star Wars stuff as the girls were interested in. They also rode Toy Story, and it became a battle between Kim and Shego as to who could score the most points. Kim won, and she proudly reminded Shego of that for the rest of the day.
Their day finished up with another set of fireworks, the theme for this set being Star Wars, and when they were done, they boarded the bus to take them back to the Polynesian. As they were putting the girls to bed, Kim and Shego asked Annie, Lilly and Surprise what they wanted to do the next day, because not knowing the girls' energy level at this stage of the trip, Kim had planned a free day. After much discussion, they decided to spend the morning at the pool before they had lunch at the Polynesian. After lunch, they were going to go to Disney Springs and blow the last of their spending money before having a dino-themed dinner at T. Rex. Kim looked around to make sure everyone agreed with this plan, and everyone did, so the following day, they carried it out. Even without being at a park, everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly, and the vacation ended on a happy note.
Not so happy however, was the final morning, when all that remained was to pack up. The girls pouted and dragged their feet, but at last everything was packed up, and they were ready to go. Another half-hour drive to the airport and they were back on their plane. After the luggage was loaded and everyone strapped in, Shego radioed the tower and received permission to take off. The girls fell asleep as soon as they leveled off, and Kim followed about half an hour later. They were all so tired that it took Shego landing in Middleton to wake them all up. After they landed, they loaded up everything into the van and went home.
June, 2018
The small, intimate 10th anniversary party Shego's parents had thrown them at the estate in Chicago was winding down, and Shego took the opportunity to slip away. She went up to her and Kim's room to retrieve Kim's last gift, and when she made it back down to the first floor, she got her two younger daughters' attention. "Lilly! Surprise!" she whispered loudly. "Come here for a second!"
Her two girls turned around at the sound of her voice and came over quickly. "What is it, Mama?" Lilly asked.
"I have one more present that I need to give your Mom, but I need some help," Shego explained. "Would you two be able to give it to her for me?"
"Sure, Mama!" Lilly promised, and Shego smiled at them. Together, they all returned to the ballroom, and as she had been asked, Lilly, dragging Surprise with her, marched right up to her Mom. "Here, Mommy," Lilly said, giving her the box without preamble. "Mama wanted us to give you this."
Kim took it, already suspecting what might be in it. "Thank you, Lilly," she said, giving her and Surprise a kiss. "Please go thank your Mama for me." The girls nodded and ran off. Kim opened the box, and she smiled when she saw the blue-velvet pouch. When she opened it, a clear stone, much like the first one she had received, fell out, along with a note.
"The stone in this pouch is goshenite, the clear form of beryl. On this day 10 years ago, you married a Goshen and became a Goshen, so it only felt right that this stone should represent that. Our wedding seems like it was only yesterday, and somehow I feel sad that I have only been able to marry you twice. You bring so much joy into my life that I wish I could marry you over and over again. Happy 10th Anniversary, Princess. I love you," the note read. Kim smiled and put everything away, determined to find Shego so she could thank her wife personally.
May, 2020
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear…Annie, happy birthday to you!" the chorus sang, and the birthday girl blushed as all of her friends and relatives started clapping and cheering. Annie blew out the candles, and everyone clapped again. The first slice of the cake went to the birthday girl, and then Ann and Lottie started passing cake around to everyone else.
Kim happily accepted a slice from her mom and started to eat. Without warning, she felt someone behind her, and her instincts told her to pounce. She turned, and found herself face-to-face with her wife. "Happy Birthday, Princess," Shego said, dangling a blue-velvet pouch in front of her eyes.
"But it's not my birthday," Kim protested, even though she set down her cake and opened the pouch. This time, a red stone and note fell out, and this is what Kim read.
"The stone in this pouch is bixbite, the red form of beryl. It is the rarest form of all of the beryls, and ten years ago, you gave me the rarest and most precious gift of my life when we became parents. Even though I carried her, when she was born, she was the perfect image of you, and just the sight of her changed my life forever and made me the woman I am today. Happy 10th Anniversary, Princess. I love you," it read. Kim didn't even bother to put anything away before she kissed Shego, and they continued to kiss until a tug on the arm made them come into the living room for presents.
March, 2022
What seemed to be a million ten-year olds ran screaming around the backyard of the Mansion, and Kim dodged them all with a smile on her face. She spotted Shego relaxing in one of the lounge chairs, and knowing the Grandmoms had everything under control, she went over to her wife and sat in her lap. Shego chuckled and drew her into a hug, which Kim happily accepted as she snuggled into Shego's side. Kim sighed, making Shego look at her in concern. "What's wrong, Princess?" she asked.
"The twins are ten today, Shego," Kim said, "and Annie is going to turn twelve. They are growing up way too fast."
Shego chuckled and tightened her arms around Kim. "It will be okay, Pumpkin," she said soothingly. "Maybe we can call in some favors and get the aging process reversed." Kim laughed at the unexpected statement, and Shego laughed with her. "Here," she said, getting out a familiar blue-velvet pouch and handing it to Kim. "Maybe this will help with the mommy angst."
Kim sat up and opened it, and this time, two green stones and a note were contained in the pouch. "The stones in this pouch are emeralds, the green form of beryl," it read. "Today our twins are ten, and these stones have always reminded me of the vivid color of their eyes. I know these pouches usually contain one stone, but you had two babies when there was only supposed to be one, so there are two stones instead of one. Sometimes the biggest surprises are the best. Happy 10th Anniversary, Princess. I love you."
Kim kissed Shego and snuggled back into her chest. "You know, I think I want to live forever," Kim mused.
"And why is that, Pumpkin?" Shego asked in amusement.
"I really want to see how many tenth anniversaries we can have," Kim replied lovingly, and Shego chuckled.
June, 2028
Shego finished clasping Kim's necklace around her neck, and unable to resist, gave the smooth skin a kiss before she walked away. Kim smiled and lowered her hair, reaching back to give Shego a return kiss. They broke apart moments later, and Kim took one last look at herself in the mirror. "Ready, Sweetie?" she asked Shego, smoothing down her dress and making sure everything looked good. Shego's mother had been planning their 20th anniversary party for a long time, so Kim wanted to make sure everything was as nice as it could be.
"I'm ready, but I think you need one more thing to make everything perfect," Shego replied, rummaging around in a drawer. Finding what she was looking for, she pulled the box free. "I know there are going to be a lot of gifts being given and passed around tonight, but I have been working on this one for a very long time. I wanted to give it to you now, so that you could appreciate it without it being one of many," she said, handing Kim a blue-velvet box. Her look was strangely tentative and pensive, like she was afraid Kim wouldn't like it, so Kim opened it immediately to put her odd fear to rest.
When Kim got the box open, her jaw dropped open, and she could nothing but stare. In the box was a silver ring, most likely platinum knowing Shego, but it wasn't the metal that got Kim's attention. It was the stones. One yellow, one pink, one dark blue, one light blue, one red, three green and two clear stones, ten in all, were carefully arranged into an intricate pattern set into the band. Kim looked at Shego, and then back at the ring before walking over to her jewelry box. She picked up the nearest blue-velvet pouch, but when she looked in it, her emeralds were gone. A few more pouches revealed the same thing, and Kim looked over at Shego.
Shego couldn't interpret the look, so she instinctively started apologizing. "I'm sorry, Princess," she said. Even though making the stones into a ring had been her plan all along, she had been afraid that Kim wouldn't like her taking the gems, and it seemed her fear had been justified. "The jeweler didn't do anything to the stones but set them. They can be taken out and they will be the same as…Mfph!" She was cut off by Kim kissing her passionately, and she kissed back enthusiastically. Maybe Kim wasn't mad, she mused.
When oxygen became an issue, they broke apart, and still panting slightly, Kim asked a question. "Have you really been planning this for sixteen years?" she asked breathlessly.
"Well, yeah," Shego admitted sheepishly, still not really knowing if Kim was super happy or super pissed. "I had the idea right after we were married, and I knew there was a chance that we might not make it to the 10th of our 10th, but I knew I never wanted to let you go, and then we had the kids and were closer than ever, so I figured we would make it," she said in a rush.
Kim shook her head with a smile and kissed Shego again, loving the wonderful fact that the former thief she had married was quite possibly the sweetest woman in the world. The tears started to flow then, and she felt Shego draw away from their kiss. "These are happy tears," she murmured, forestalling Shego's question and drawing her back in. "This is without a doubt the most thoughtful gift and series of gifts I have ever gotten, and I really can't put into words how much I love you right now," Kim whispered.
Shego's worry disappeared, and in response, her arms tightened around her Kim. "It's not any more than I love you," she said tenderly, and Kim kissed her again.
When they reluctantly pulled out their kiss, Kim retrieved her new ring from where she had left it on the dresser and put it on. She smiled as she examined it. "The band and setting are pretty," she noted.
"There's a reason behind them, too," Shego explained with a smirk. "The note will tell you, though; it's under the ring pillow."
Kim retrieved the box, and sure enough, there was a note folded underneath the ring pillow. She unfolded it, and this is what is said. "I know I'm usually not much of a planner, but from the moment you became mine, I wanted you to be mine forever. After our first years together, it felt like it would be forever, and it felt right to start planning for our future. You know the symbolism for all the stones, but something else has been added. The platinum band has been added to complete our ten 10th anniversaries and bind all of the memories together, but also to represent all of the years that I still want to be bound to your side. Happy 10th Anniversary, Princess. I love you," the note signed off with its familiar signature.
Kim put the note back in the box and set the box on the dresser. She walked over to Shego and gave her a long kiss. "I will be by your side forever and always, Sheila Miriam Goshen," she promised.
"You must be serious; you used my whole name," Shego teased, and Kim blushed. Shego kissed Kim back and then offered her arm. "Come, my lady, I think we have a party to get to," she said.
"That we do, my love, that we do," Kim replied, and together they walked out of their bedroom.