Kim, still in disguise, stood on the porch of a rather large estate in the outskirts of Go City. "Are you sure this is the right place, W?" she asked.

"I am sure of it, Autumn," said the hacker. "The instructions are to let yourself in and wait in the lobby."

Kim let herself in the unlocked door. "How did I end up with that codename?" she asked her new black communicator.

"You always say it is your favorite season, your hair color, and…" Wade was interrupted.

"And you are 'falling' from grace," said an electronic voice that startled Kim. She quickly pocketed her communicator and surveyed the foyer she had entered. The grand marble staircase and a beautiful crystal chandelier screamed old money.

Standing in the middle of the room was a young girl dressed in a simple white dress. The girl was silently watching Kim with big green eyes. Next to her was a small table with the speaker that spoke to her. "Please hand the laptop to Jesse."

Kim pulled out the prize she had fought hard for. "Before I do, I want my money," she stated.

The electronic voice laughed. "Very good, Autumn. Your hacker should be confirming payment….. now." Kim's new communicator beeped twice in confirmation.

Kim handed the laptop to the girl. She watched as the girl disappeared through an archway into an adjoining parlor of sorts. From her angle by the door, she couldn't see into most of the room. She wondered if it was time to leave.

The speaker came back to life. "It isn't a fake! You really did it." Even scrambled the surprise in the voice came through clearly.

Kim smirked. "You know me, I can't walk away from a challenge. It is one of those things we have in common, Shego." Kim waited to see if the bait would be taken.

After a long pause the voice returned. "And how did you come to that conclusion, Miss Possible?"

"What, not 'Princess'," Kim goaded her hostess. "Honestly, Mayor Godfrey has a large portrait in his office. Your mother is beautiful. You take after her a lot."

There was another pause. "In here, Kimmie," came Shego's real voice from the parlor. Kim pulled off her mask and stepped into the room. The parlor consisted of a few bookshelves and a fireplace with chairs scattered around for reading. Shego was sitting in one of two chairs facing the fireplace. The woman was wearing a black shirt and blue jeans. Her shoes were sitting in front of the chair while her feet were tucked underneath her on the chair.

Kim could see that the other woman had positioned herself so she could watch little Jesse playing with some dolls on the other side of the room. The green thief gestured for Kim to take the other seat near the empty fireplace. "I didn't think you were a mother," Kim said.

"No, I am not. Jesse is Matthew's, I mean Mego's oldest," said Shego. "I am back in town three days and I get blackmailed into babysitting."

"So I am not the only one you want to lure to the dark side?" she prodded.

Shego chuckled and shook her head "Nah, the girl is too sweet and mild." The green thief smirked. "Then again, I bet you were too at that age."

"Sweet maybe, but I have never been mild," Kim replied. "Wait a minute. Are you talking to your brothers again?"

Except Hego," Shego said. "Overgrown lummox," she grumbled to herself loud enough for Kim to hear. The conversation hit an easy silence for a moment and Kim inspected her surroundings. The chairs they were in would have made a wonderful place to curl up and read during the cold winter months. The place, despite its size, seemed cozy and pleasant.

"Why did you want the laptop?" Kim finally asked. "I know its not a very professional question, but couldn't you get it another way?"

"I knew the security layout of the office. It is a litte too hard for a normal first time thief, but not too hard as to make it an impossible challenge. The point was for you to have some fun," said Shego. "I don't need the thing. I will send the laptop home with Jesse. Mego will see that father gets it back. Nobody gets hurt or loses anything. Well, except for my fifty grand."

"Tell that to the four guards I laid out in your father's office." Kim was starting to feel really, really guilty.

"You are not the type to kill or even cripple someone," Shego said. "I am sure they will be just fine." Shego shrugged off the redhead's concerns.

In order to avoid freaking herself out Kim changed the subject. "Why is Drakken still in prison?"

"My contract with him ended the day before the car expo incident," she replied. "That is why I wasn't there. If he wants he can hire me for odd jobs, but no more contracts. I don't think he can afford to have me bust him out now. I am working for myself now."

"Really, I didn't peg you for the world domination type," Kim said.

"No, but working for Drakken, I didn't get to be the master thief I had always enjoyed being." Kim could hear a little wistfulness in the woman's voice. "Sure I got to steal, but it was always a very small part in some bigger, and usually ridiculous, plan."

"I have a feeling Kim Possible's website is going to be very busy," said Kim with a half smile.

"Probably," said Shego with a wide grin. Then she looked Kim in the eye and said, "I may have a few large jobs coming up. Do you think Autumn would be interested in some more work?"

Kim stood to leave before answering. "I am sure you know where to find me."

--------

A few days later Shego took Kim up on it.

Kim had decided to go out to one of the dance clubs that existed between Upperton and Middleton. Using a part of her little windfall Kim had purchased many new outfits from the Club Banana near campus. For her night on the town she chose a tight burgundy top and a pair of black jeans.

Kim arrived at the Dragon's Den around nine at night. The club was a massive three-story building. Each floor had its own bar and large dance floor. The top two levels had six-inch thick clear plexiglass for floors so that it seemed you were dancing on the air.

The torches and rot iron fixtures gave the club a distinct but subtle gothic feel. Techno and rock music blared from speakers built into pillars carved with dragons and other mythological monsters.

Kim surveyed the club looking for Monique, who had promised to meet her. After taking a circuit of the entire building, she took a seat at the bottom floors bar and ordered an RC Cola to drink while waiting for her friend to arrive. She had never had the brand before the one she had found in her apartment, but she had discovered that it was quickly becoming her favorite.

Eventually the pull of the music was enough to draw her onto the floor alone. The beat quickly consumed her and she danced within the mass of people on the dimly lit floor. Km moved her body with the beat and closed her eyes. Time disappeared for a few songs and she didn't have a real thought other then how good it felt to just let go.

She was completely relaxed when she bumped into someone. Kim quickly turned to apologize and was surprised to see Shego standing there with her usual smirk. The woman was dressed in deep green long sleeve top that flared just before her wrists. A belt made of a length of chain held on a short skirt with a slit up the side. The green woman fit perfectly in with the feel of the club.

Kim almost dropped into a defensive stance out of years of built up instinct. Then she tried to form an apology instead. Before she could do either Shego turned and returned Kim's hip bump and began to dance. Kim decided to just dance with her.

Together the pair flowed along the floor. Years of fighting gave each an intimate knowledge of how the other moved. At first they danced apart, but gradually they kept getting closer. It was like their bodies had been talking for years during their fights, and now, tonight, the conversation had finally changed.

At one point Shego bravely placed her hands on Kim's hips. The older woman looked the redhead in the eye for a response. The reply came when Kim placed her hands on Shego's shoulders and they continued to move. They continued to dance for several more songs.

When Kim needed a drink she grabbed Shego's hand and led her off the floor, keeping the thief close. She felt alive having the other woman near and she wasn't ready to give it up.

Kim got their drinks and led them to a table with high stools. They drank in silence. Occasionally meeting eyes and smiling like schoolgirls just to look away again. After finishing their drinks, the pair remained silent. They both felt something in the air and neither wanted to break it by saying something stupid.

Then one of Kim's favorite songs began to pour from the speakers. She jumped off her stool and dragged a willing Shego back onto the floor. The room full of people disappeared as two moved as one. The unspoken conversation continued.

Just after the song finished, but before a new song could start Kim felt a tap on her shoulder. "Hey, girlfriend," said Monique. "Sorry I am late, but Ron stopped by the house with that Yori girl. They are here too."

Kim froze for a moment. Monique had failed to recognize her dance partner, but Ron would in a heartbeat. "I should be going," said Shego.

Without hesitation Kim latched onto the woman's hand. "Don't tell my you are afraid of Ron?" The comment confused Monique, but before she could say anything Ron arrived with his date.

"KP," he shouted in his usual excited tone. "You caught Shego!"

Kim felt Shego try to pull away, so she pulled back hard enough to unbalance the thief. She wrapped her arm around the thief's waist to keep her from falling. Kim kept her hold tight. Maybe it was the excitement of earlier in the week returning, or the way she still felt almost intoxicated by all the close dancing, but Kim just blurted out the first thought that came to mind. "Not yet," she said with a smirk. "But, I am trying." Since she was already physically holding Shego, the meaning was not lost on her friends.

Kim inspected faces for damage caused by her statement. Ron was wide mouthed with shock, as was Yori. Monique gave Shego the same inspecting look she always gave Kim's boyfriends when she had introduced them to her. Shego's face was Kim's favorite. The thief looked a little surprised, but the smile said it was a pleasant one.

Ron grabbed Kim's shoulder and spun her around and pushed her hair from her neck.

"Ouch," she yelped. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for a mind control chip!"

"There isn't one," she snapped.

"Moodulator?" he guessed again.

"Ron," she said with a warning tone.

He stepped back and raised his hands in self-defense. "Just checking, KP."

"Back off, Stoppable," snarled Shego. "Let me have a word with the Princess. Then you can go about your little play date." Shego pulled Kim away from her friends and back to the bar.

"Do you have to be like that with him?" Kim asked.

"Yes," the thief replied bluntly. "But what I came here to talk about is work. Are you interested?"

"What's the sitch?" she didn't hesitate to ask.

"Junior wants a crown for 'his queen'," Shego used air quotes.

Something clicked in Kim's mind. "Bonnie," she said to no one in particular.

"Who?" asked Shego.

"Junior's 'queen' is a girl I went to high school with," the redhead explained. "She was my worst enemy through the entire four years."

"I thought I was your nemesis?" Shego feigned hurt.

Kim rolled her eyes. "In the real world, yeah, but in the fish bowl that is high school, Bonnie Rockwaller was my worst nightmare."

"We will just call the cops after we are paid and tell them where to find it then," Shego said with a shrug.

Kim thought about it for a moment. Then she smiled at the image in her head of Bonnie wearing the crown while being shackled.

"I will take that evil little grin as a yes," said Shego, who was also smiling. After leaving some instructions with Kim, Shego disappeared from the club. After some consideration of consequences, Kim also snuck away rather then deal with Ron.