KPKPKPKP-One Week Later-KPKPKPKPKPKP
The Lotus Blades was nothing short of jumping. True to his word, Ron had closed down the restaurant at six o'clock on the dot and the friends and family of Kim and Shego Possible packed the room. Ron and the rest of the cooks had assembled a massive buffet containing all of the joint's hit dishes and good music was blaring over the sound system peppered with the occasional karaoke by Gracie and the younger inhabitants. All in all, it was a wonderful party.
And yet, even in this sea of people, Shego only had eyes for the woman sitting beside her. She…she couldn't recall being this nervous in a long time. The day had finally gotten here! After five months, planning everything down to a T, she was ready to start this quest. For the following weekend, Fall Break for Middleton Public Schools, Shego and her Princess would be tripping the light fantastic on the streets of Montreal Quebec. She'd booked them into a wonderful Bed and Breakfast in one of the city's most historical neighborhoods. Le Plateau-Mont-Royal was an explosion of color, filled with antique book stores, literally everything Kimmie loved to see. But…God give her the strength; Shego had something much bigger planned. Montreal was only the first step. Kimmie…her wife had never had a "real" wedding. Yes, Mom and Dad had hauled them up to Massachusetts but neither had really…things were so chaotic that…Kimmie deserved a real wedding, to walk down the aisle in a stunning white dress, surrounded by the people that meant the most to her.
But this time…Shego had visions of London, of Paris, and of New Zealand. She wanted to see her wife as the entire room focused on her. She wanted them to proclaim their love before God in a ceremony that the pair would remember forever. She wanted to hold her beloved wife as they shared a dance together in a beautiful hall. She wanted…well, FIRST she had to actually ask Kimmie. Damn it, you coward, Shego berated herself. You've faced aliens, monsters, supervillains…you've even faced Drakken when he was on that cloning kick. You can do this! You'll be in Montreal in a week and…that's the home stretch!"
Ron got up from his chair and began clinking his knife against his champagne glass. "Could I have everybody's…KILL THE MUSIC," He belted out at his buddy Felix. "Thank you. Now, the reason we're all here is to celebrate a very special couple," He gestured his glass at the main table. "Kim and I grew up together and many is the time I've played second banana to this incredible woman. And Shego…well…I guess you could say I've had the 'pleasure' of her company since Kim and I were sixteen. But you two…you two are a stellar example of love in its truest form. You've been together for fifteen years and here's wishing you another FIFTY!" Kim and Shego's oldest friend raised his glass in a toast. "TO KIM AND SHEGO!"
A cheer erupted from the patrons and drinks were downed, followed by calls of "speech". The spouses shared a look, got up, and moved to the front of the main table. Kimmie…she COULDN'T know what was coming. And this…this would be as good a chance as any Shego was likely to get. The younger Mrs. Possible glanced at her wife, wanting her to take the lead. Here…here it goes.
"Uhhh…thank you all for such a wonderful party," Who'd have thought you had to fight so hard just to keep your lips moving? "It means so much to all of us that so many of you came to celebrate our special day with us. Any…anyone who knew us at the beginning would definitely say that our marriage was anything but typical. After all, when a dad finds out his daughter is pregnant and expects the…'father'…to do the honorable thing, odds are that it didn't end up like this," Shego gestured at Kimmie and herself, getting a round of laughter from the crowd. "I…I still remember when Mom and Dad rushed us up to Massachusetts to tie the knot. And…well…Kimmie, that was and always will be the single most important moment of my life…which leads me to my gift." Shego fished a hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out the B&B brochure.
Kim's eyes grew as big as saucers as she read and managed to put together where they were going. Shego had…they were going to Montreal; just the two of them?
"I love you," she breathed. "I love you so much!"
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She had to get everything wrapped up! Okay…Lit 10 essays were graded…uh, English Lit projects had been assigned and the students had another two days to work on them. Chet…Chet would be taking her place for the department meeting. Principal Jeffries had agreed to reschedule their one on one meeting about curriculum improvements. But…she was forgetting something…Shego was convinced she was forgetting something.
"Shego? You're STILL here?" Jenny Hoffman, her office mate, stormed in. "This is insane! You're going to leave this office right now and go on vacation if I have to club you over the head and drag you to the car."
Shego looked up at the clock on her computer screen. FOUR O'CLOCK? Okay…Jen may be right. Screw it; if there was something she was forgetting, it could keep till Monday morning. Jenny grabbed her co-worker by the shoulders and guided her out the door of the classroom. Several of the students bid their favorite teacher goodbye, wishing her a happy long weekend. The brisk autumn air swept through her ebony hair.
"Now SHOO. Go and have a good getaway vacation with your wife!"
Shego's Ford Mustang drove along with her in a blissful haze. It was a little over a three hour flight to Montreal, leaving Kim and Shego plenty of time to get the celebration started. The Mustang pulled to a halt next to The Palace, the family and several duffle bags awaiting her. Ha…Kim looked almost like she was vibrating with excitement. The woman hefted all three bags and tossed them in the back seat.
"Okay you guys," Shego knelt down to the twins. "Now you be good for Abby. She's going to be a Mommy soon and she's going to need your help to take care of your brother."
"When's Seamus supposed to get in?" Kim asked, releasing Gracie from her embrace and turning towards Abby.
"His plan should land around six. He and I are…going to have a lot to talk about."
With all goodbyes done with, Kim and Shego climbed into the car and took off, waving goodbye for as long as they could see the house. With The Palace out of sight, Kim heaved a relaxing sigh and curled up in her car seat. She snaked her hand into her wife's. Even in the chilly autumn weather, Shego's body felt like a bundle of warmth.
"This is such a wonderful present Eme," Kim breathed, squeezing her wife's hand for all she was worth. "Thank you so much."
"Please," Shego smiled. "You and I haven't had a weekend to ourselves in a long time…and you're worth every penny, every moment spent planning…hmmmm, have I told you lately how much I love you?"
The two traded sweet nothings back and forth until they arrived at Middleton Airport. Both Shego and Kim were qualified pilots and with the Team Possible hovercraft permanently housed in one of the Middleton hangers, all Shego had to do was flash her ID to the guards at the employee entrance, letting her drive the convertible directly up to the hanger. This was the first time that Kim had laid eyes on the hovercraft since Shego had made all of the upgrades. With the exception of their little encounter with that damned vortex inducer, Shego had spent the better part of the summer sealed into the hanger with every tool, every scrap of materials that she could get her hands on. First and foremost, the hovercraft looked noticeably longer, owing to a new compartment Shego had added on to the rear. Kim was taken by complete surprise when the rear of the compartment opened up and Shego drove the Mustang directly inside.
"So THIS is how a respected English teacher spends her summer vacation," Kim laughed, rolling her eyes towards her wife.
Shego stuck her tongue out and headed off towards the cockpit. Sure, Kim could see the logic in the additions, especially when they took the hovercraft on missions. The compartment looked to be big enough to house either the Mustang or Traverse, and with either of those vehicles, both women had access to a plethora of gear. Once Wade had gotten a hold of Shego's Mustang, the thing had become something out of a Bond movie. But Kim couldn't resist teasing her sexy grease monkey. She sidled up behind her wife, massaging her firm buttocks.
"You know what they say. There's nothing more attractive than someone handy."
That forced a laugh from her wife as she slid into the pilot's seat. "Okay Princess. Let's get airborne before we start sweaty happy love time."
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Well…Gracie Anne Possible may have been cursed when it came to learning to drive but GJ reckoned her one of the best pilots under twenty five. Fully jet qualified as of three months ago, the hotshot 9th grade pilot had flight time scheduled and there was a particular F22 Raptor at the GJ airstrip outside of Middleton that was calling her name. Mom always said that sometimes Gracie was so much like Momma that she worried for the world. Moments like this…Gracie counted herself and Momma as members of a special breed. There was no better way she could think of to start a long weekend Saturday than by shooting through the sky at speeds in excess of Mach 2.
"How long are you going to be up?" Abby inquired as Gracie hopped out of the Traverse.
"A couple of hours, maybe three," Gracie answered. "Mom and Momma set it up so I'd be having lunch with Colonel Harris and her family. I can bum a ride to Grandma and Grandpa's when I get back."
"Well, be careful and have fun."
Oooooh, she PLANNED to have some fun; six AMRAAM and two Sidewinders' worth of fun. As the Chevy Traverse drove off, Gracie was cheerily greeted by the woman behind the counter of the "hardware store" and ushered towards the back of the room. With a lazy precision, Gracie entered her security code, forcing an audible click as the door was unlocked, revealing the lift to Global Justice Middleton Branch. Ha, Gracie thought to herself. When Mary went to her Mom's work, she was in a flower shop. Me? I get to go to the CIA, NSA, MI-5, and Mossad all rolled into one and given a shot of steroids!
"Please say your destination." A robotic voice came over the speaker.
"Global Justice Airfield Transport," Gracie replied. "Please and thank you."
The elevator compartment gave a slight jerk and music began playing. Gracie could never get over the simple fact that Global Justice, one of the most powerful intelligence and paramilitary organizations in the world, would actually play elevator music in their elevators. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons? Sure. New Divide by Linkin Park? Why not? But smooth jazz? This had to be a personal quirk of the Director. Gracie would have to remember to bring that up the next time Betty Director was at the house.
A quick shuttle ride later, a brief stop at the locker room to change, and Gracie stood before an object of utter beauty. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, introduced into active service in 2005, had a max speed of 1500 mph. She sported a 20mm M61A2 Vulcan Gatling cannon, two AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range missiles and up to SIX AIM-120 AMRAAM long-range missiles on the air-to-air model. This was the pinnacle of military aircraft technology…and she got to fly it! The eager young pilot scrambled up the ladder into the cockpit and began running through the preflight checklist. With the flip of several switches, the two jet engines burst to life and the HUD came online.
"This is Gulf Papa Sierra Juliette Two Niner requesting permission to taxi."
"Roger Two Niner; clearance is granted."
The sleek jet fighter began to roll into position at the rear of the runway. The air traffic controller directed her into final position, motioning her to halt until she was granted clearance for take-off.
"Gulf Papa Sierra Juliette Two Niner, the skies are clear. You have clearance for take-off. Give our regards to the Great White North."
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Colonel Tamara "Tammy" Harris…soon to be BRIGADIER GENERAL Harris…she still got chills at the sound of that…waited in anticipation for the F-22 to touch down on the tarmac. It warmed her heart to hear that after fifteen years, Shego and Kim Possible's marriage was still going strong. Sometimes she really had to marvel at the sheer stupidity of some people, stupidity over a woman commanding an entire base, stupidity over two truly loving souls wanting to be together. God willing…SOMEday people will learn to get along.
Enroot to their getaway weekend in Montreal, Kim and Shego had given Tammy a heads up the previous night that Gracie's flight path today would be taking her over Borden and wondered if she'd be willing to put the eldest Possible child up for lunch. As luck would have it, Tammy was having lunch with her youngest step-daughter Gillian and she was a huge fan of Team Possible. They'd be honored to have Gracie accompany them.
"I think I see her Tammy," Gillian piped up in excitement.
That was indeed an F-22 Raptor circling from the south. The fighter got into line with the runway and slid downwards for a nice smooth landing. Once the "all clear" was given, Tammy led Gillian to the base of the fighter as the young pilot jumped down the ladder, landing with a soft thud. The helmet was lifted, revealing the pale skinned teenager with the flowing auburn locks reminiscent of her Mom. It boggled the mind. How many teenage girls got their pilot's license before their driver's license?
"Hi Colonel Harris," Gracie smiled, reaching a friendly hand out for a shake.
"Oh Gracie please; you can call me Tammy," She gestured her stepdaughter up for an introduction. "Gracie, this is Gillian, my stepdaughter."
Tammy chanced a look back and saw that poor Gillie was more than a little star-struck. While Gracie most definitely wasn't either of her mothers, she'd survived over a week in the Canadian wilderness and had survived being sucked into a video game with Kim and that was certainly something to respect. Sensing that she needed a little motivation, Tammy turned around and shoved Gillian to the front.
"So who's ready for lunch?"
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This was the most beautiful thing Gracie had ever seen! She'd seen Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, she'd seen Van Gogh's The Starry Night…but nothing compared to the tray full of poutine! She'd had this exquisite dish on her mind from the moment she took off and now that she had it before her…it took every ounce of strength to keep from wolfing it down before she even got to the table. Good grief; she probably looked like the worst American tourist cliché imaginable.
With a tray of poutine and a particularly tasty looking grilled chicken salad, the seasoned teenage pilot took a seat next to Gillian Harris and across from her stepmom. Gillian…she was a new experience. If she were back at school, Gracie could see this girl not giving her a second glance but…she was almost gushing. The aspiring world saver was used to people acting like this around her parents but…is this how Mom felt when she was Gracie's age?
"So I hear you've got a baby brother now?" Colonel Harris asked, sitting down and opening her can of orange juice.
"Yup, my brother Nicky," Gracie smiled, trying to keep the mouthful of poutine hidden. She swallowed, savoring the taste of beef gravy and cheese curds. Mom and Abby had no idea what they were talking about. This was the peak of culinary art. "When Mom and I got sucked into those video games, his real mom died while Momma was trying to track down the ones who put us there." She pulled out her Kimmunicator…she really needed to think of her own name for it…and brought up some snapshots of her, Nicky, and the Twins, passing it around.
"Awwwww, he's so adorable," Colonel Harris cooed, almost as if she were holding Nicky in her arms. "How old is he?"
"About sixteen months. Mom and Momma say his crying at night is a good lesson on not getting pregnant until you're an adult."
Colonel Harris voiced her extreme agreement, eying her own stepdaughter humorously. After being peppered with questions about herself, Gracie began asking about Gillian and her older sisters. Rachel, the oldest, was currently in the RAF just like her parents. Gillian's second older sister Andrea was just about to wrap up Nurse's training; which left Gillian herself. After much interrogation, Gracie managed to pry out Gillian's love for art, especially comic books, and her work towards getting her teaching certificate in art.
The three were laughing and having a grand old time when an orderly rushed into the commissary, searching out Colonel Harris. He gasped a quick apology at interrupting but shoved a paper into her hands. Now Gracie wasn't as adept at reading people as her parents were but she could tell that something bad had just gone down.
"Is it confirmed?"
"Yes ma'am; it's confirmed. Dementor has effectively sealed off Montreal."
There was a crash of dishes shattering on the floor. Colonel Harris's eyes shot up but all that she managed to catch was the tail end of an auburn ponytail vanishing around a corner.
Author's Notes:
Do Kim and Shego always manage to find trouble or does trouble always manage to find them? I'm looking forward to some great air to air combat in the following chapters.