~o0o~
The sun was just coming up as Shego arrived back at the Possible's house, and she was feeling the effects of almost two nights without much sleep. Yawning profusely, she quietly parked her bike in the garage and made her way into the house. She stopped off at the downstairs bathroom to splash some water on her face, removing some of her tiredness and feeling ready to go wake Kim.
"Princess? Hey, Princess! Time to wake up."
Kim slowly woke from the most wonderful dream of emerald eyes, the memory of which skittered and danced away into forgetfulness. Rising from her deep slumber, she felt someone gently shaking her shoulder.
"C'mon, Pumpkin, time to wake up."
Her eyes finally opened at the voice, and she focused on the sea of emerald looking down at her. Emerald, she recalled, the thought floating through her sleepy mind and just as quickly slipping away.
"Hey there, Shego, is it time to get up already?" she asked sleepily. Gingerly stretching under the blankets, she looked around the room, her gaze finally settling on Shego standing next to the bed.
"That it is, Princess, now get your ass up and out of bed." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for a sleepy Kim to move. "Also, what you count as clothes are on the end of the bed, so hurry up. Daylight's a wastin'!"
Kim looked down at the clothes on the end of the bed and then back at Shego. She put two-and-two together, and grumbled, "You're waiting around to help me dress again, aren't you?"
"I am, but today's the last day I'm helping. Tomorrow, you can do it yourself."
"'Bout time," Kim huffed as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Throwing the covers off and sitting up in the cold morning air, she saw that Shego had set out extra warm clothes to face the morning chill, all in her favorite colors of pale pink and blue. She dressed quickly, grudgingly accepting that she needed the help, and soon found herself rugged up in her favorite tracksuit, complete with thermal underwear and ready to face the cold.
"All right, Princess, it's pain time," Shego announced as she picked her up and headed for the stairs.
Kim rested her head on Shego's shoulder as they headed downstairs, and a strong smell assaulted her nostrils. In fact it smelt like... "Why on earth do you smell like a bar?" She turned her nose towards Shego and sniffed.
"Hey! No sniffing the merchandise, Cupcake."
"Gawd, you stink of smoke, and is that alcohol?" She levered herself a little bit away from Shego to get a better view. "And you're still in your riding leathers. Have you even been to bed at all?"
"Enough, Pumpkin!" Shego bounced the nosy woman in her arms to get a firmer grip. "Let's just say I had a good night out and leave it at that." She stopped for a second, and looked at Kim. "Maybe if you're good one day, I'll take you out to play as well." Discussion over in her mind, she continued on down the stairs.
"As if, not old enough to drink."
"Oh, live a little, Kimmie," she fired back as they entered the kitchen. Placing Kim's feet on the ground, she walked over to the backdoor and slid it open. Instantly, the chilly morning air rushed into the kitchen from the heavily frosted yard.
"That is cold," Kim said as she tucked her hands into her tracksuit's fleecy pockets. She stepped outside onto the grass, feeling the frosted blades crunching under her shoes. Realizing she was alone, she turned to see Shego still inside taking off her riding jacket. "Won't you freeze?" she asked, astonished.
"Don't notice the cold, Pumpkin, unless it's extreme. Comet powers sorta screwed me up temperature wise." With her jacket draped over the back of a chair, she stepped outside onto the frosty grass with Kim.
"But up in the arctic, you were all rugged up?" Kim remembered the Christmas they all spent up there, plus the few times they had tangled in cold weather. Every time, Shego had been dressed warmly.
"Hey, just cause I don't feel the cold as much as most, doesn't mean I'm not going to look good doing so."
Kim smiled to herself. It was like an early Christmas present with everything she was learning. Who knows, maybe she'll still be around for Christmas. She was really happy that she was finally learning more about the woman she had been fighting for years. Shego was such an enigma to her, and the more she found out, the happier she was.
"All right, here we are freezing ourselves, or I am at least," Kim said, blowing on her cupped hands to keep them warm. "So what's the plan?"
"We'll start with some modified T'ai chi ch'uan exercises I've worked out for you and your injuries. So just keep up with me, and I'll have you limber and feeling better in no time." Taking up a position next to Kim, she got into a relaxed stance as she waited for her to follow suit.
Kim dropped into a similar stance. "Spankin'."
~o0o~
During the course of their exercises, Shego would stop to come and stand behind Kim, resting herself against Kim while she adjusted her stance. She made sure Kim was positioned just so, following the exercise regime to her strict specifications. More than once, Kim had to have Shego repeat what she had said, as she was finding it very distracting with her former arch-nemesis pressed up against her, Shego's warm breath in her ear as it was explained what she needed to do.
At the hour mark, Kim was sweating heavily and had even taken off her tracksuit to handle the pace Shego was setting for her. Each time she stopped and said she needed a break, or was sore and aching, Shego would scoff and say, "Not up to it, Princess? I'm disappointed." She would immediately scowl at Shego and take up her position as she gritted her teeth against the discomfort... and continued.
"Okay, Kimmie, we're all done," Shego announced after two hours, stopping and turning to her sweating partner. "Not bad for your first day. And injured or not, you really are rusty. It's a good thing I'm here to kick your ass back into shape. Tomorrow we might see about kicking it up a notch, if you're up to it that is?"
"Anything you can do, I can do," Kim shot back, well aware she was being manipulated, but damned if she was going to give Shego the pleasure of watching her back down. Gawd! Mom was right, she really is the perfect person for me. She remembered their talk from last. I'd never let anyone else push me around like this, never try and keep up with anyone else as badly, no matter how injured I was. She smiled at her as they made their way back inside.
"What?" Shego snapped, seeing Kim's smile directed at her.
"Finally realizing how good you are for me."
"Doy! Princess. You and me, the perfect partners in crime, and don't you forget it. Now, breakfast first, then bath, and then you can rest." Shego grinned as she heard the tired groan from Kim.
~o0o~
Once back inside, Shego could not help but notice how Kim was all flushed and rosy cheeked from the cold and looking quite adorable. Ah fuck it, she does. Fanfictions be damned. Shaking her head to clear away the thoughts, she got down to business.
"So, Cupcake, what do you normally have for breakfast?" she asked as she slipped off her boots and socks. Waiting for Kim to reply, she made her way over to the cupboards and started taking stock of the available food.
Kim did not reply right away, slowly putting her track suit back on and then easing herself into one of the chairs at the table, feeling every inch the tired and injured warrior. Eventually, she gave a muffled reply as she dropped her head, bangs covering her face. It was too cute, but Shego was not going to be deterred.
"What was that, Princess?"
"Tstr trts."
Shego walked over to Kim and hooked a finger underneath her chin, tilting her head up so they were staring eye to eye. "Now - Princess, what do you have for breakfast?" she asked in a clear, demanding voice.
"Toaster Tarts, all right? I have toaster tarts."
A look of horror slowly spread across Shego's face as she heard what Kim ate for breakfast. The reaction would have normally warmed Kim's heart if she also was not ashamed at what she liked to eat. She knew they were rubbish, but they were quick and easy, so it's what she always went for.
"No wonder you're so fucked up and slow, Kimmie, if that's the sort of thing you're putting into your body these days. Well, while I'm here, you're eating healthy, and I seem to remember." She hunted through the cupboards. "Ah-ha! Yes. Muesli."
Kim grimaced and made a face at Shego's back at the thought of having muesli for breakfast.
Shego turned around with a stern look on her face."Oh, and Princess."
"What?" Kim replied, sulking over the loss of her toaster tarts.
"Anyone else eat these abominations?"
"No, just me."
"Good to hear." Shego went through the cupboards and tossed all the boxes of toaster tarts she could find onto the table. She then gathered them all up, only to throw them in the trashcan.
"Hey! No! I'll want them," Kim said as she gingerly stood up, heading for the trashcan.
"Uh-uh, Princess." She quickly moved to block Kim's path. "I'm the mistress here, remember, and what I say goes." She then pointed at the trashcan. "And they... are gone!"
"My tarts," Kim growled as her eyes narrowed, focusing on saving her breakfasts. Bracing her injured left arm in her crutch, she struck out at Shego with her right, aiming to knock her off balance so she could make it to the trashcan. Shego easily dodged the strike, and her arm shot out whip-fast, a hand patting Kim on the cheek.
Flushing at how easily Shego had tagged her, Kim focused and her arm shot out again. This time, she almost touched Shego, though a large grin was now plastered across Shego's face. The grin and the excitement in her eyes was distracting as Kim remembered this was what she was after. Shego's hand patted her on the cheek again, lightning-quick.
"C'mon, Pumpkin, you're way too injured for this. So, how's about you sit back down before you hurt yourself?" Come on, Princess, don't back down now, show me what you've got.
Kim turned her body sideways, balancing herself on her good leg as she whipped her crutch up, throwing it at Shego. She easily batted the flying crutch to the side, but Kim had been counting on this as she pushed forwards, her palm connecting with Shego's shoulder.
"Tagged," Kim said triumphantly, reveling in her victory.
She watched as Shego touched her shoulder where she had made contact. Their eyes then met and Kim realized she had thrown away her main method of support, all for a small victory.
"Ohhh yes, Princess, tagged indeed," she purred. A grin spread across her face, and then she was moving forwards.
Kim tried to fight back and defend herself, but injured as she was, it was no contest. She soon found herself in a gentle headlock with Shego firmly holding her arms close to her body. With Shego's enhanced strength, she could do nothing as she was slowly but inexorably walked back to her seat.
"Hrm hm... not disturbing you girls, are we?"
Shego and Kim both shot a quick glance towards the voice and saw that Mr. and Mrs. Possible had walked into the kitchen. They were both still in their dressing gowns and looking quite disheveled from waking up. Their calm and slightly amused faces watched the two girls and the predicament they were in.
"Oh, hey, Doctor P's," Shego said, maintaining her hold on a squirming Kim. "Kimmie and I are just having a little discussion about her eating habits."
"Mom, Dad," Kim cried out with hope, seeing the cavalry arrive.
"Morning, Kimmie-cub, morning, Shego," both parents said. Then her father sat down at the table, pulling out his newspaper as her mom went over and started making their morning coffee, both ignoring their daughter's plight.
Off-balance from her parents' failure to come to her aid, Kim found that Shego had taken advantage of her lapse in concentration and sat her back down in her chair.
"Now, stay there." Shego put a firm but gentle hand on Kim's shoulder. "Don't make me bring your parents into this."
Kim sat there fuming, counting down the days til she was better while Shego went off to make their breakfast of muesli and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Grumbling while she ate, Kim made sure to stare daggers at Shego every chance she got. While she did not mind muesli, it was usually more trouble than it was worth in her mind, but there was no way she was going to let Shego know that. As for her parents' lack of concern, that she could work on. Knowing better than to try and talk to her dad while he was reading the morning paper, she waited til her mom was free.
"Mom, why didn't you help, couldn't you see I needed you?" she asked as soon as her mother sat down at the table, coffee in hand.
"Oh, Kim, were you really in trouble? Anne sipped her morning coffee, looking between the pained expression on her daughters face, to the extremely pleased one on Shego's. "All I saw was two girls having a friendly tussle. Don't tell me that was the worst you two got up to when you fought?" Arching an eyebrow in question, she drunk her coffee as she waited for her daughter's response.
"Yes, Princess, was that the worst we got up to?" Shego chimed in, not helping Kim's case at all.
"What? No! of course not, it's just... Shego, she..." Kim ran out of steam in the face of her mother's indifference to her defeat at the hands of Shego. Remembering the talk with her mom 'someone that's strong enough to stand up to you' and the talk with Shego 'what was best for her, not what she wanted', she sighed and turned back to her bowl of muesli, ignoring the happy smile from her mother and the victorious grin from Shego.
While fixing herself a bowl of muesli, Anne noticed Shego's attire, just as Kim had. "It looks like you had a good night out, Shego?"
"Pretty damned good one, Mrs. P. Got in a little later than I expected, but no problems keeping up with Kimmie here."
"Glad to hear you had a fun night out, and while we're on the subject of going out, James and I are going to be out all day. There's a science fair over in Upperton that we're going to, and I don't expect we will be back til very late this evening. Do you think you're up to cooking dinner? Or should we leave you some money for takeout?"
"Ooh, yes please, takeout sounds great," Kim said, her head whipping up.
"It's okay,, I'm sure I can whip up something a little healthier for Kimmie here instead of some fast food crap," Shego replied. The frustrated look on Kim's face only reinforced her belief in a cooked dinner, not to mention the warm glow it brought to her heart.
"Shego, c'mon, takeout sounds great," Kim said, turning towards her. When their eyes met, all she saw was supreme smugness and the steely determination that was always there whenever they fought.
"Mistress!" Shego said, pointing at herself. "Bitch!" Pointing at Kim as she went back to her breakfast.
Anne blanched at the words, but also smiled at the dynamic that Shego had set up between herself and her headstrong daughter. Really, there's no one else in the world that could handle Kimmie like her.
"How does something with pasta sound to you, Princess? I saw all the ingredients in the cupboard, and pasta's pretty easy to work with."
"Pasta, yes please!" was Kim's happy response, her face lighting up as she directed a huge smile at Shego. "It's my favorite dinner." She drifted off at the thought of having pasta for dinner, the memory of her toaster tarts, muesli, and the loss of takeout all but forgotten. Pasta for dinner with Shego, and Bruce to watch. Can this night get any better? Nope, not gonna get any better.
With dinner decided, Shego sat there in companionable silence while she finished her muesli, and listened to Kim chat to her mom about the science fair and what sort of exhibits it would have. Really, this isn't too bad. Who knows, maybe one day? She watched how animated Kim got as Anne talked about the fairs exhibits, and the delectable way her soft petal pink lips moved and... Fuck! I did not just think that. Memories of that fanfic coming to her mind.
Trying to ignore her overactive imagination while suppressing a groan, she turned her eyes to Mrs. Possible. Now that she was paying attention, she noticed the state Anne was in. With where her traitorous mind currently lay, a thought popped into her head. A glance over at Mr. Possible, and the thought blossomed into a certainty.
Ohhh... they did. Should I? Shouldn't I...?
"So, Anne," Shego said, a mischievous smile on her face, "I see you and Mr. Possible had an energetic morning."
Anne and Kim stopped talking and turned towards Shego, taking in what she had said. Kim looked confused, while her mom suddenly sported a pale blush.
"Yes, well," Anne said.
"What?" Kim asked, perplexed as to what was going on.
"It's called sex, Princess," Shego stated, watching Kim's eyes go wide.
Kim gasped, staring at her mom and dad as she took in their appearance, then crying out, "Shegooo noooo, you'll scar me for life."
"It's nothing to worry about, Kimmie, its natural," her mom quickly said.
"Shego," Mr. Possible chimed in, lowering his paper. "I really don't think this is the sort of talk to have at the breakfast table."
Shego could not help herself, she had to add, "Or on it?"
~o0o~
