A/N: By popular demand, part 2 and the conclusion. Enjoy!
It was barely a moment before Drakken was up and running after her, his teddy bear forgotten.
"Wait!" he hurried into her darkened, empty room where she was pacing angrily. "Shego, what—"
"Go back to bed!" she cut him off, tossing him a furious frown as she continued wearing a path into the floorboards.
Drakken watched her in utter confusion. First she was mocking him, then she was crying, and now she was mad at him?
He fidgeted anxiously, wondering momentarily if he should check her for a moodulator, but then took a step closer. "Shego, what did you mean, not to worry about you?"
She stopped pacing and threw her head back, her face contorted in frustration.
"Rrgh! Look this isn't easy for me, so just...just shut it. I'm sorry, okay? Forget what I said about everyone hating you and just...do whatever you want!"
She never looked at him, and when she finished speaking she continued her pacing along the back wall as far away from him as possible.
Drakken was even more confused. He supposed he understood the apology for her attempted manipulation, but...
"...But, Shego. I...really do want everything they're offering. Well, most of it anyway," he said thoughtfully.
She finally stopped and leaned back on the wall, her arms crossed in front of her. He could just make out her scowling face in the dark.
"I know you want it. So, go for it. Go claim your prize. Congratulations," she said impatiently.
"But..." he took another step toward her, "you don't want it."
She lifted her eyes to his, and he was surprised at how angry she looked. "Yes. Doy. I know. You know. We both know!"
He blinked. "I don't understa—"
"Doc, did it ever occur to you that you don't have to include me in your future plans?"
He blinked again. She groaned and rolled her eyes. "It doesn't have to involve me."
He cocked his head and blinked twice more.
She hissed through her teeth and stepped right up in front of him. "You. Me. Not working together anymore. No more contract. You go be the world's golden boy, and I'll keep tearing things apart."
His jaw hung open as he stared at her, lost for words. It had never occurred to him that they wouldn't...
"So...give me my beach chair and I'll get out of your hair," she said, moving around him and back into the main room.
He turned and hurried after her. "But Shego—"
"It's fine, Doc! I told you not to worry about me. I was taking care of myself long before you ever showed up."
He watched as she picked up her beach chair and dumped his clothes off of it and onto the futon. She started toward the door.
He ran after her. "Shego—"
"Get over it, Doc! Things change. That's life."
"But Shego—"
"What?" she snarled, raising a glowing fist beneath his chin.
"You don't have to— I mean, y-you can stay and I'll... I mean, you can have the lair."
She dropped her hand, the green glow vanishing. "Huh?"
"Or another one if you want, or...or all the lairs. I...guess I won't need them, anymore..." he finished quietly as a deep weight settled into the pit of his stomach. It seemed that he had made his decision.
Shego blinked at him, her anger fading. "That's...real generous of you, Doc."
He realized he was standing only inches away from her and took a hurried step back.
"Ah...so...which ones...do you want?"
A smirk slowly settled on her features. "Can't really argue with Tahiti."
Three days later, Drakken stood on stage at his would-be alma mater to receive an honorary doctorate and to present about his mutant plant formula. It was awkward, to say the least. The last time he'd "presented" anything to anyone besides Shego and his henchmen had been when he'd been a student, and those times hadn't gone very well either.
It was only the presence of the Possible family in the front row that gave him any confidence. The surprisingly supportive smiles of his former teen foe and her two parents let him know that it wasn't a complete disaster.
Later in his hotel room, he was actually relieved when the knock at the door turned out to be Kimberly Ann.
"What...um, can I do for you?" he asked nervously, turning away after opening the door and resuming his careful packing of his new degree certificate.
Kim stayed in the open doorway, her hands folded in front of her and an honest smile on her face.
"I just wanted to let you know that you did great out there, and well... I'm glad you decided to stay on the good side."
"Heh heh. Thanks," Drakken said, glancing at her shyly.
Kim took one small step inside and began glancing around. "So where's Shego?"
Drakken's face fell. "Oh, she...I suppose she's still at the lair."
"At the lair?"
"Or she may have gone on vacation. She did that a lot."
Kim shook her head in confusion. "I don't get it. Why would she be on vacation?"
Drakken snapped his suitcase closed and looked at the itinerary that was taped to the outside of it. His flight to Canada left in three hours. Plenty of time to get to the airport.
"I'm actually not sure why she went on vacation so much," he answered honestly.
"But...why isn't she here?" Kim continued.
Drakken felt a weight deep in his stomach like the one he felt every time he'd thought of her in the past three days. Which was every five minutes or so. "Oh, she isn't working with me anymore. We've gone our separate ways."
Kim's eyes widened. "What?"
"She didn't want to be on the good side."
Kim shook her head again. "Wait, time out. So she's still going to try to take over the world?"
Drakken shrugged. "I suppose. Although random mayhem always seemed more her style..."
"I don't get it," Kim said, shaking her head. "I thought you two were, you know..." she gestured idly with one hand.
Drakken blinked at her in confusion. "What?"
Kim looked oddly uncertain. "What I mean is...you two always seemed so tight. Even when you weren't in synch, you were. I...guess I thought you would always be partners."
The weight felt even heavier in Drakken's stomach, and he sat down on the hotel room bed, thinking about the morning he'd left only three days prior. She'd jokingly promised not to destroy any of his inventions for at least six months, and he'd not-so-jokingly promised not to turn her in. She'd been annoyed by his seriousness and sent a green blast after the hover car, hastening his departure.
"Drakken?"
He realized he had zoned out, and Kim was looking at him uncertainly.
"S-sorry," he said, looking down at his itinerary again. Time for lunch was penciled in in red right after the lecture... He groaned and threw his head back. He was already messing things up!
"What's wrong?"
"Nngh, I'm off schedule!"
Kim came fully into the room and peered down at his itinerary. "Shego made that for you, didn't she."
Drakken glanced away, suddenly suspicious. "So what if she did?"
Kim took a step back. "See, that's what I mean. It's weird that you two aren't together."
Drakken pushed off the bed and picked up his suitcase, heading for the door. "Well sometimes things change," he said impatiently.
He was halfway down the hall when Kim's voice stopped him.
"Maybe they shouldn't."
He turned and looked back to where she stood with one hand on the door frame, her form silhouetted by the sunlight in the room behind her. He slowly started back toward her.
"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.
"I mean..." she ran her fingers through her hair, "Gosh, I can't believe I'm saying this. I mean, maybe you should...stay in villainy."
Drakken blinked twice and shook his head, "I'm sorry, I'm not following you."
"I mean..." She looked sad. "You're not really going to be happy doing this, so why waste time?"
He set his suitcase down and crossed his arms. "I'm here because this will make me happy. That's the point."
"Yeah, and I get that..." Kim said, looking away. "But I'm getting ready to leave for college, and I know how tough it's going to be, to be away from Ron for so long..."
"What does the buffoon— I mean, eh...Stoppable...have to do with anything?"
Kim rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair again before hugging herself. "This is so awkweird... I just mean...you're not really going to be happy being away from Shego. Especially forever."
Drakken felt the weight in his stomach agreeing with her, but he ignored it. "Of course I am. I'm getting everything I've ever wanted."
"Everything?" Kim asked.
He opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly he felt uneasy about his answer. Was there something missing? He fought down the unease and pressed forward. "Yes, everything. Even Shego knows that. She encouraged me to do it."
Kim's eyes widened, and for reasons unknown the blue scientist felt even more uneasy.
"Oh, Drakken..." Kim said sadly.
Drakken began fidgeting. "...What?"
"It is just like me and Ron. Don't you understand that she's in love with you?"
The world seemed to stop. Kimberly Ann's words echoed in his mind until they were a relentless flood, drowning out the rest of his senses.
Shego...loved him?
"It's just like...when Ron told me he was okay with things changing, and that he didn't want to hold me back. And...of course we can't know exactly what's going to happen in the future. But I do know that Ron Stoppable is a non-negotiable. And so whatever does happen, ultimately he's going to have to fit into the puzzle, and as the biggest piece too. I can't have it any other way."
Drakken heard her, but he was lost in his memories of everything that had happened since the ceremony at the U.N. Shego's uncharacteristic silence through all of the interviews. Her lack of mocking. Her cruel manipulation with the photo album. Her tears. And her insistence that he leave villainy behind and pursue his dreams.
His heart was pounding. Could it be true?
He dropped to his knees and opened the suitcase, tossing aside his doctoral certificate along with various articles of clothing as he searched for something.
"Drakken? What are you looking for?"
"Aha!" he cried, holding up his prize in delight.
"A tracking device? Let me guess...you have Shego chipped? Does she know about this?"
"She's still there!" he cried as the tell-tale blip appeared on the screen in the middle of the Pacific. He threw everything haphazardly back into the suitcase and slammed it shut, barely getting it latched before he grabbed it and ran down the hall.
"Hey, Drakken?"
He stopped short at the corner and looked back, suddenly remembering Kim Possible was there.
"Good luck," the teen said with a smile.
A moment passed, and he returned her warm gaze. Then he rushed away with one purpose in mind. He finally knew what would make him happy.
The sun had set by the time he reached Tahiti, and as he slowed the hovercraft above the lair he saw it was in darkness. The tracking device still showed her there, so either she was asleep or the electricity was still out.
After parking he leapt down onto the balcony and rushed through the door. He almost ran straight into Shego, who stood ready to attack whoever was intruding.
"Dr. D.? What are you doing here?"
He froze as he realized he hadn't thought this far ahead.
"I...changed my mind. I still want to be a villain after all."
Shego's eyes narrowed on him in disbelief. "What!?"
He fidgeted and smiled innocently. "Hmm," he nodded.
Shego...looked furious. "Ugh!" she cried in disgust, turning on her heel and heading toward her room.
Drakken moved to follow but then stopped as he took in his surroundings. Everything was exactly as it had been when he left, right down to his teddy bear and mussed blanket laying on his futon.
He hurried after her and pausing in the doorway found that her room was still empty. She was leaning up against one of the corners, her arms crossed and her head down.
"What...have you been doing since I left?" he asked cautiously.
She glared at him. "Thinking. But no, ser-seriously, Doc. What are you doing back here? You're supposed to be off...getting hero-worshipped or something."
He took a deep breath and entered the room. Each step that brought him closer to her increased the anxiety on her face. He stopped his approach about six feet away from her.
"It...wasn't what I really wanted," he said, shaking his head.
She gaped at him. "You've got to be kidding me! After all the— Nnn, no, no, we already went over this," in three quick steps she was in front of him, her hands on his shoulders turning him around and pushing him toward the door, "you wanted the world to recognize you for your genius, and now they do. So just...get over what ever stupid idea is in your head now and—"
"No!" he shoved his hands out and braced himself against the door frame.
He turned around, and she looked genuinely shocked.
"No?"
He took a few quick breaths. "No. I mean...you're right, I thought I knew what I wanted..." he said, rolling his eyes nervously and raking his fingers through his hair. He started pacing a small circle as he spoke. "But then I couldn't stop thinking about— And...then Kim Possible said—"
"Kim Possible?" Shego crossed her arms. "What does she have to do with this?"
Drakken looked at her. Gone was her bizarre behavior of days past. From head to toe, she looked ever the impatient, volatile sidekick who had been in his employ for the past several years.
And he started second-guessing himself.
"Well she— And the future—" he fell on one knee in front of her, pulling at his hair with both hands now. "And the itinerary! And Stoppable not holding her back, and you telling me to do it, and—"
"You know when you kneel like that, you look like you're about to propose marriage," she said with a smirk.
"—and non-negotiables, and— What? No, no, no no no no!" he said, standing up in a hurry and waving his hands in panic.
Shego cackled, and his panic soon gave way to frustration.
"Ngh. Grh! Nyaaaaah!"
A long string of incoherent syllables flew from his lips while she stared on in amusement, until finally he turned with an exasperated sigh and slammed his forehead against the wooden wall, his fists soon following suit.
His breaths were heavy as he stood unmoving with his eyes closed, trying to process everything. Shego was acting just like her old self.
Kim Possible must have been wrong.
"...Dr. D.?"
"...Ow."
He heard Shego sigh. "Look Doc, I don't know what brought you back here, but it can't be worth this much aggravation. So, tell you what—get yourself a good night's sleep and then in the morning you can go back to all your genius big-shots. Aren't you supposed to be in Canada right now?"
His eyes opened. That weight was back in the pit of his stomach. No, he knew exactly what he wanted now.
He turned around just as she set her hands on his shoulders to push him through the door again. Her face was set in determination.
"No!" he cried.
"I'm trying to be nice, here," she growled out, shoving him fiercely.
He grabbed onto the door frame again to block her from pushing him out. With a scowl she grabbed his wrists and yanked them down. Suddenly, his vine shot out from under his collar and spiraled around them before either knew what was happening.
Drakken coughed as the wind was knocked out of him and took a moment to catch his breath. When he did he noticed that he and Shego were pinned front to front, and her irritation was quickly turning into rage.
"Not this again!" she shouted, and he covered his ears. "Tell your stupid vine to let go!"
"F-flower, let us go!" he commanded, though his voice was shaking.
The response from the mutation was to curl even tighter, restricting their movement. They both gasped as they lost their footing, stumbling until Drakken's back was up against the wall. He looked down at her nervously, his hands raised in innocence while hers were in fists on her hips, her expression radiating disgust.
"Rrrghh!" she growled, igniting her hands and setting them against the vines.
Sudden, searing pain made Drakken see white. He realized he must have screamed because of the additional pain in his ears. But then as quickly as it started, the burning sensation began to diminish.
His legs shook beneath him and he pressed his back and hands against the wall to help keep himself upright as he caught his breath. A moment later he opened his eyes and saw Shego's horrified face. He swallowed nervously and glanced down to the scorch marks on the vines that still tightly held them together.
So it was that kind of mutation. Great, just great...
"...Are you okay?" Shego asked. Her voice was tense, and full of remorse.
"I think so," he said breathlessly.
The fear receded from her eyes. "What's with your stupid vines?" she said shakily.
Drakken tried to ignore the throbbing in his neck. "Ngh, I don't know! They have a mind of their own."
Shego sighed and crossed her arms, arching her back away from him. As he looked down at her, her expression was annoyed, but gradually becoming thoughtful.
"What's going on, Dr. D.?"
He blinked down at her. She was waiting for his answer.
"You're...non-negotiable."
She narrowed her eyes. "What?"
"Ngh, I mean... Being recognized by the world isn't the complete puzzle."
She frowned at him pointedly. "You're not making sense."
His instinct was to pace, or pull his hair, but with the vines trapping them he found all he could do was lift his hands and gesticulate. That felt odd to do with Shego so close in front of him, so he kept his hands merely hovering next to his sides.
"It might make me happy for awhile, but it...won't last."
She shook her head. "You know, you're unbelievable. And I'm not non-negotiable. Things change, Doc."
He heard a slight catch in her voice, and he focused all his attention on her eyes. She still looked irritated and impatient, but that strange bit of sadness from days ago was back.
"I don't want them to change!" he bit back at her.
She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Look. If this is some stupid nonsense about you wanting me around as some sort of P.A., you can hire somebody else. And if you're just afraid of things being different—"
"N-no," he shook his head quickly. "Nothing like that."
She blinked at him. Suddenly she began to look anxious. "And...if this is about me not getting my say in this, I'll go out and cause some newsworthy destruction tomorrow if it will make you feel better."
He swallowed anxiously, letting his eyes answer for him.
She crossed her arms. "Then what?"
He felt blood beginning its journey upward to flush his cheeks. She looked even more nervous.
"We're both getting everything we want," she protested against his silence. "I'm happy, you're happy. You saved the world, Doc. It's better than being an evil dictator, because everyone's actually happy to have you. They literally owe you their lives. Countries globally are begging you to visit so they can honor you. The entire world is yours, Doc. I don't see what your problem is. So...find a way to get your stupid vines off and just leave?"
Her voice had gotten more and more tense as she spoke, her throat finally constricting on her final words. There was a significant amount of moisture in her eyes, which she hid by closing them tightly.
"Shego..." he protested softly.
She responded by slamming her fists into the wall on either side of his head, her face twisted in...some kind of emotion.
Just then the vines tightened again and she stumbled as they both gasped for breath, her chest colliding with his as her forearms dropped to rest on his shoulders.
She looked up at him in shock, and he was surprised to see the beginnings of a blush on her cheeks.
He bit his lip. "You're not happy with...how things are, any more than I am."
She looked away in frustration, tears coming back to her eyes. "So what if I'm not? It's not like you can do anything about it. But I'm happy for you, so just...just go, rule the world. You don't have to do anything for me. I'll be fine, Dr. D."
His heart was pounding. He took a deep breath and pursed his lips in determination. "What if I could?"
She suddenly tensed and gave him a sidelong glance. "What?"
"What if I could...do something about it?"
Her eyes widened, a myriad of emotions wildly passing through them as she stared at him. She took a deep breath and clenched her teeth tightly together, blinking away her tears.
"You can't," she hissed out defiantly.
He glanced briefly at the scorch marks on the vines pinning them tightly together. He realized then that he could feel her heart beating in time with his. He was fairly confident she wouldn't try to blast the vines again, considering what happened before.
He gathered his courage to speak, willing his voice to come out strong. Instead it came out in a mild squeak, but his words were still clear.
"I love you."
She gasped and stared up at him, her eyes betraying only shock. He quickly closed his own and held his breath, bracing for the ridicule that he was sure was soon in coming. But he would take it. At least he had tried.
Moments passed and he realized that there was no mocking. In fact all he could hear was her breathing, nearly matching his in its anxious pace. He cautiously opened one eye, and then the other. She was still staring at him, now with some sort of...expectancy. Her forearms became heavier on his shoulders.
He blinked in uncertainty. Why was her face so close to his? Had he remembered to say it out loud? He drew an anxious breath, about to try again, when-
"Aren't you going to kiss me now?"
His eyes widened. Her own seemed to be urging him on. He felt a sudden heat and perspiration down the back of his neck as he looked at her hesitantly.
Her expression changed as some thought suddenly struck her, and she looked up at him warily. "Don't tell me... You've never kissed anyone before?"
"Uh, heh heh..." he chuckled nervously, offering her a smile as he shrugged.
She rolled her eyes. "Ugh."
He was still bracing himself for disappointment, but then all his senses lit on fire when she placed her hands behind his head, pulling him toward her. She rose up on tiptoe until their faces were barely separated by breath, her body pressed warmly against him.
He watched in fascination as her eyes fell closed and then her lips gently pressed against his. Her fingers wove into his hair and pressed into his scalp, soothing his nerves even as he took in the velvety petal-soft sensation of the kiss.
After a few seconds she pulled back, looking at him with that same expectancy and now just a hint of impatience.
"Well?" she said.
His response was to let out a long, shaky sigh and to sink back against the wall, a dreamy smile settling across his face.
Now she looked annoyed. "You're gonna have to try harder than that."
He blinked down at her, not quite sure what she expected him to do. After a moment he shrugged again. "Um..."
"Oh, for the love of—" She wrapped her arms fully around his neck and this time when she pressed her lips to his, it wasn't a peck. His body felt like it was floating as she moved her lips against his, capturing his lower lip between hers. This time he responded and a gentle contest ensued between them as each tried to gain dominance over the other with the action of their lips.
His arms, which he had kept hovering by his sides, now wrapped tightly around her, pulling her into him as if he could somehow capture the essence of her and make her part of himself. Apparently he held on too tight, because she broke away and gasped for breath, resting her head on his shoulder as she did so. He loosened his grip on her and relished in the soft sensation of her hair brushing against his cheek.
After a moment she lifted her head and moved her fingers back into his hair, the fingers of one hand weaving in and out of his ponytail and twisting it around. With her lips parted she moved forward for another kiss, but was stopped by his words.
"Shego," he panted, and she looked up at him. "I don't need the world..." he said, shaking his head definitively, "as long as I have you."
Her lips parted in a silent gasp, and she gazed into his eyes in wonder. Wonder gave way to a demure apprehension, and then finally to unveiled happiness. She blinked quickly to hide the tears that came to her eyes un-beckoned.
She pushed herself higher on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck again, smiling into his face while he held her tighter. Neither noticed that the vines which had entrapped them had long since vanished.
"I love you, Dr. D.," she said.