Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney, totally. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

Chapter 3 – Mellowed to that Tender Light

Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

Shego felt confused on waking up Tuesday morning. She didn't like Kim. She felt confident of that fact. And stupid little 'Kay' was irritating as hell. But yesterday had been fun. They had worked very well together playing volleyball, and teasing each other later in the day had been infinitely more fun than drinking alone. That though reminded her of a line in a song, something about 'they're sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone.' "No it's not!" Shego told herself defiantly. Kim was there for one reason, to put her in prison. With that thought clearly in mind Shego devised a plan which would hopefully keep Kim away from her while the pale woman figured out whether the safest course of action would be to leave the resort early or whether she should face the danger of staying with Kim in the next room.

The Global Justice call woke Kim up. She felt terribly guilty as she answered. "I lost track of Shego last night," she confessed. "She went to her room, and something there was making noise – but I'm worried it was to cover the sound of her leaving. Were there any robberies last night?"

"Hold on," the lower level GJ operative on the other end of the phone told her. "Let me check." She was back on the phone a minute later. "No crimes in the area with Shego's MO."

Kim gave her brief report and headed down for breakfast.

On the elevator down Kim smiled to herself. She had enjoyed volleyball in college, had even considered practicing towards the Olympics. With a partner like Shego… Kim shook off the thought. She was not there to have fun. She had simply enjoyed playing volleyball.

'Shelly' had eaten slowly, waiting for 'Kate' to appear. When the brown-haired woman finally came in for breakfast Shego waved. "Wait for me," Kim mouthed silently as she picked up items from the breakfast buffet.

"Sleep well?" Kim asked as she sat down opposite Shego.

"Great," the pale woman assured her. "What are your plans for the day?"

"My plans?" Kim repeated nervously. There was no good way of telling the other woman that her plans were to watch her every movement.

"Your plans. You know, what are you planning to do today?"

"I don't know; what are you planning to do?"

"I asked you first."

"I guess I'm here for the sun. Maybe sit around on the beach… A brochure in the room said something about a snorkeling excursion being available. Want to see if they have volleyball again this afternoon?"

"A day just lazing around in the sun, huh? Sounds great doesn't it?"

"Yes," Kim agreed enthusiastically. "What could be better?"

"Nothing," Shego agreed, faking a deep sigh. "But while you're lying out in the sun I have to head over to the mall."

"Mall? What mall?"

"One about four blocks west of the resort. Got a couple things I need to pick up."

"Uh, that reminds me… I, uh, didn't pack everything I need. I'd better go with you."

"What do you need? I can buy it and bring it back – no need for us both to miss a morning on the beach."

"No, you can't! I uh, have some special vitamins. They're so many different brands I can't be sure you'd get the right ones."

"You can live a week without special vitamins."

"No," Kim insisted. "They're important to me. I'll go with you."

"I guess if you have to go…" 'Shelly' agreed. "But no need for us to both miss a morning at the beach. How about I give you a list of what I need." The pale woman chuckled inwardly as the puzzled 'Kate' struggled desperately to find a plausible objection.

"I might get lost."

"Four blocks west. Straight out the front door."

"You're the only person I've really talked with since I got here."

"All the more reason for you to stay. Meet new people," Shego assured her. "Try and meet more than one person. You have no idea what kinds of phonies you can meet at a place like this. Present company excluded, of course."

"Of course," Kim gulped. "But how about we go together? Make a fast trip and there'll still be time for beach when we get back?"

Shego sighed, she really wanted to get away from Kim. On the other hand, confusing the younger woman offered some entertainment value. At the mall there might be even more opportunity to screw with Kim's head. "Okay. You aren't dressed for the mall. Should I start and you'll—"

"Wait for me," Kim pleaded, shoveling in her breakfast. "It will take me fifteen minutes to change. Meet you in the lobby."

Seventeen minutes Kim came hurrying into the lobby, still adjusting her blouse. She looked frantically around, but didn't see Shego. Kim looked like she was ready to run out the door when Shego tapped her on the shoulder and Kim literally jumped.

"Where were you?" she gasped.

"Right behind you? Didn't you see me?"

Kim knew Shego had not been right behind her, at least not in any place visible. On the other hand, Kim reflected, perhaps hiding was so second-nature to the thief she wasn't even aware when she did it.

The walk to the mall was uneventful. A Major Nutrition stood near the entrance.

"Go in and look for your vitamins," Shego suggested, "I'll meet you back here in an hour."

In an hour Shego could take a cab, rob two of the four potential targets, and be back at the mall.

"It will just take a second," Kim told her.

"You told me it was so complicated you couldn't trust me to find it."

"Um, but I know what I'm looking for. Wait here."

Shego watched in amusement as Kim ran in, grabbed a bottle at random, paid for it and ran back. "That was fast," the green woman commented.

"Ah, well all Major Nutrition stores are the same – so I knew exactly where to look."

In a department store Shego slipped away from Kim while the younger woman looked at souvenir t-shirts, and bought the package of underwear she planned to use as her excuse for the trip. She got back to Kim, but remained carefully out of sight, watching, until Kim suddenly realized 'Shelly' was gone. The sight of Kim frantically searching through the store was even more amusing than the lightning trip to the vitamin store.

As Kim neared panic mode Shego appeared.

Kim burst out, "Where have you been!"

"In the dressing room. Why, did you miss me?"

"No! I just… Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled like that."

Shego assumed a serious tone, "Prone to panic attacks?"

"Yes, that's what it is. Sorry."

"No problem."

They noticed Persuasion was playing at the mall multiplex. "I want to see that when it comes to my town," Kim said, looking at the poster.

"Hey, I wouldn't mind seeing it either. When's the first matinee?"

"One-thirty."

"Oh, and where is it?"

Kim scanned the poster, "Doesn't say which theater it's playing in. Does it matter?"

"No, I meant where's your home town? Where you from?"

"Mid…"

"Mid what? That's an odd name for a town, where is it?"

"Midterburg. Little town founded by Germans on the Iowa prairie. Just our company and farms for miles around. Probably have to go to Des Moines to find a movie theater."

Shego smiled, she'd have to ask Kim more about her fictional town later. But at the moment, "A couple hours until the show starts. Back to the buffet or grab some lunch at the food court here?"

"Food's probably better back at the resort, but we're air-conditioned here."

Shego didn't try to hide from Kim as they split up for different food vendors, but she caught Kim staring very hard at her as they waited in their respective lines. 'Kay' obviously feared 'Shelly' would attempt a vanishing act.

"Maybe we should have gone back to the resort," Shego commented as she finished her faux Cajun lunch.

"The cashew chicken wasn't too bad," Kim commented. She broke open her fortune cookie and read, 'Be open to new suggestions.'

If 'Kate' had been real, the chatty idiot would have bombarded 'Shelly' with a thousand personal questions about her life. Kim, of course, was afraid to ask too many questions. She assumed Shego would lie to her, and didn't want to sound like she was pumping Shego for information, even though it was what she wanted to do. Shego looked at her watch and leaned back, "Still awhile to wait."

Kim checked her watch, "Yeah. Want to shop?"

"Let's try talking for a minute. I don't really know much about you. Got a steady boyfriend?"

It was not a question Kim felt prepared to answer. And Shego thought she detected a note of real sadness as 'Kay' answered, "Not now. You?"

"I prefer women," 'Shelly' announced. "Does that make you nervous?"

"No," Kim lied. "Are you, uh, sure?"

"That I prefer women? Yes. I dated some men who were… bearable. I want more than that."

"I, uh, think I prefer men," Kay told her.

"You think? That doesn't sound very positive."

"I prefer men! Really."

"How do you know if you never tried it with a woman?"

"I've slept with women."

'Shelly' raised an eyebrow, "Really, care to tell aunt Shelly about it?"

Kim took a deep breath and stared off into space. Shego didn't know who she was, Kim told herself. Kim didn't care what the pale woman thought about her. And Kim needed someone with whom she could talk. Finally she started, "You think you have life all figured out in high school… You have your friends. You know what you're going to do with the rest of your life. And then you go off to college and it all changes…" Her voice trailed off.

"Was there some boy back in high school?"

"Even before high school. We were best friends before we ever started school. We were going to be with each other forever. We ended up in different colleges. That first month we were calling every night. Then it was every other night. We both had classes we needed to keep up with. The calls kept getting farther apart… I'm probably not the easiest person in the world to get along with, pretty high maintenance… I guess I can be pretty demanding." Kate's voice trailed off to a whisper, "He found someone he was more comfortable with."

"What was his name?"

The question surprised Kim, Shego knew Ron's name, "Ra- Rob"

"'Rob' really dumped you?"

"Not dumped… Okay, maybe dumped… I was really angry, screaming at him. He yelled back, said I was always telling him what to do, getting him into trouble, never appreciated… He said Shosh… What kind of stupid name is that? Liked him the way he was. Do I really seem like that much of a control freak? Do I have to get everything my way?"

"We all want things our way. And when we find a compliant person most of us don't listen as well as we should. We take advantage."

Kim's shoulders slumped and she said nothing - staring blankly at the Curry Hut. Shego said nothing for a minute either.

"I can't believe Rod dumped you."

"Rod?"

"Your old boy friend, remember?"

Kim felt certain she had told 'Shelly' Rob was the name of the former boyfriend, but felt compelled to accept Rod. Shego grinned to herself. She wondered if she could convince Kim later that she had said Roy.

"I still can't believe it either," 'Kay' said softly.

"And that was when you started your wild life of sleeping around?"

"I guess… I mean, I was pretty conservative. I didn't do it with as many people as you may be thinking. I just—"

"You were just stupid?" Shego asked. Kim nodded. "Trying to hurt Rod, even though it didn't?"

"Probably," Kim admitted.

"And that was when you slept with a couple women?"

Kim nodded.

"No real interest in them, just experimenting? Using them for sex or revenge?"

"You make it sound awful."

"It… Sorry, you're right. I've done it myself, but you seem like such a nice person. I can't—"

"We just met Sunday, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Shego blushed. "Wait! The fact you were willing to try sleeping with women says you had to have some kind of feeling."

"Back when I was in high school. There was someone I… Someone I kind of had feelings for. Nothing ever happened. But sometimes… No, I was right to never say anything to her."

Shego's eyes lit up, "When you were in high school? A girl?" Kim nodded. "Tell me about her," 'Shelly' demanded. "An experienced older woman, no doubt. You were afraid to say anything to her because you were young and naïve in comparison to her worldly sophistication."

'Kay' gave a wan smile. "Afraid to say anything is right. When I met Monique it was incredible. I, like, wanted to do everything with her. I blew off Rod for days so I could spend every possible minute with her."

'Shelly' sounded disappointed as she chided 'Kate', "You should have said something to her."

"No, I shouldn't have. I'd have lost her as a friend."

"You don't know that."

"I'm pretty sure I would have. She's straight."

"You sure?"

"I'm going to be at her wedding next month."

"So, you're still friends. And Rod?"

"Friends again. Finally. I don't think we talked for more than a year. I don't want to attack Shosh any more. Sometimes… Sometimes I can even think he was right."

Despite the fact Kim was there to arrest Shego and put her in prison the older woman felt sorry for Kim. 'Kay' seemed emotionally wrung out by the time they went to the movie.

They enjoyed it, and discussed it on the walk back to the resort and over dinner that evening.

If not physically exhausting the day had been emotionally draining. Kim felt grateful when Shego expressed a desire to turn in early. Kim would monitor Shego's room for an hour for any sounds that indicated the thief was sneaking out, then Kim would try and get a good night's sleep of her own.

Shego's eyes were almost closed when she realized she had not hung the motion detectors on the doorknobs or sliding doors to the balcony. For a minute she considered just forgetting about it and going to sleep, then she mentally dope-slapped herself for the stupid thought. Kim wanted to lull her into a false sense of security. She wouldn't let herself be trapped like that. For all she knew the GJ agent was a good actress pretending to be a bad actress. She and Ron might even be married and have a kid. The pale woman dragged herself out of bed and set the alarms on the doors.