LYBCD chap 9

Disclaimer: It's not mine!

Thank you so much to all my reviewers! I love you all, and could never have gotten this chapter out with my busy schedule without all of your lovely comments!

Enjoy this chapter, and the next one will be out as soon as possible.


Dedicated to everyone who knows that sometimes it's better when your friend is furious.


Bueno Nacho was as he remembered it, unchanged in the interminable day and a half since he had visited it last. Ron wasn't really sure what he had expected, but it seemed like too much had happened in his life lately for this simple, Mexican restaurant to still be exactly the same.

Ron pushed through the glass door and inside. There was the usual gaggle of girls sitting together in the corner, eating their salads and diet sodas. There was a family of four ordering at the counter, the young children hanging off their parents and begging for treats. And Kim was there.

She was seated in their booth, as he always thought of it, alone. She must have already ordered, and was busy poking her salad ineffectually with a plastic fork. She looked so beautiful. She was wearing a long-sleeved, pink top with little gold sequins sewn across the shoulders and down the center, but it wasn't just her clothes. She just looked beautiful. Her glowing hair fell across her shoulders, and her lips were pursed in a small smile. She sat there, waiting for him.

It gave Ron a strange pang to see her there. It was a familiar scene, yet somehow distant. That was how she always used to sit when she was waiting for him.

How long had it been since they had come here together? Lately it seemed he always occupied their booth alone. And now she sat there and…why couldn't things just be the way they used to be? He had a moment where he desperately wished he hadn't called Shego. Aside from the fact that he now had another secret from Kim, from everyone, he knew she wouldn't approve.

"Hey Ron," Kim greeted him as he sat down. "I didn't order for you. I wasn't sure whether you'd want four nacos or five."

Ron chuckled weekly at the joke. He was having a hard time, both with what he knew he needed to do, and with being there with Kim. There was an awkwardness between them, one that never used to be there. He sighed and shifted on the bench, making the leather seats squeak in annoyance. He'd better get on with it.

"Kim, I'm sorry about challenging Shego. I know it was stupid, I just…"

"It's okay Ron." Kim gave him an encouraging smile. "I know, you weren't thinking. Yes, it was stupid and foolish of you to challenge someone so far above your abilities, but you made a mistake. It just means we'll have to catch Drakken another day."

"Uh, yeah, great," Ron said heartily, but his smile felt a little tight. For some reason, Kim's cheerful dismissal had not made him feel better. He was thinking of Shego again, of some of the things she had said to him last night. He gave himself a mental shake. He was here with Kim, finally, and he was determined to enjoy it. He got up to order.

The rest of lunch was more or less satisfactory. Ron put what had happened behind him, all of it, including what he was planning to do tonight, and just enjoyed hanging out with his friend. They talked about school, and assignments, and he listened as she talked about Josh, and the movie they were going to see this evening. Listening to her talking about the Monkey that way was always painful, but at least she was talking to him now, at least she was confiding in him. Too often lately he hadn't even had that.

After about an hour Kim excused herself, saying she had to go, and left Ron with the promise that she would help him with his English essay sometime next week.


She felt great as she rode home. The tires of her ten-speed mountain bike seemed to be singing to her. Things were patched up with Ron, and she had another date with Josh. This time they were going to a play. It was one of those new ones, experimental, and apparently her boyfriend was very into them. She had thought he was only into visual art, but apparently he was even more cultured than she had known.

She wasn't altogether certain that she would really like this experimental theatre, or that she even got the point of it. How exactly did 'shock value' improve a play? Not to mention all the other odd things the actors reputedly did. And what exactly were they trying to get across to the audience? Wasn't theatre just supposed to be entertainment? Give me Shakespeare any day.

Kim had already decided to never take any drama courses when she went to university. She wasn't really sure what she was going to be as of yet, but it wasn't someone who wrote, directed or studied one of these ridiculous plays. Still, her boyfriend liked it, and she enjoyed being with him, even if she didn't really understand what he was talking about some of the time.

Boyfriend. Kim smiled at the word. Was there ever a more wonderful word in the history of the English language?

Bonnie had been very smug about something at when she saw her in the mall today. She had kept glancing at Kim out of the corners of her eyes and smiling in an infuriatingly self-satisfied way. Normally it would have bothered Kim, but she was just too happy today.

Tomorrow Drakken and Shego needed tracking down and putting in their place, namely jail, but that was tomorrow. Wade would call her if they attempted to use the nano-cuboid for anything dastardly, although she would be seriously tempted to strangle him if he called in tonight. The play should be fun, the goodbye would probably be wonderful, and cheer practice was going wonderfully.

And now she and Ron were on the level again. It was just such a wonderful day.


Ron walked home slowly. He was thinking, but his mind was detached, calm and reflective. When he reached his house he still felt…unsettled, but he was able to shake it off with difficulty. He opened the door and went inside.

His mother was there, making dinner; chicken. The site brought a smile to his lips.

"Hey mom," he greeted. He inhaled extravagantly. "Mmmm, delicious." Although he could think of a couple of spices that would add significantly to the flavour.

"Hi sweetie," his mother answered, taking the bird from the oven and setting it on the stovetop. She removed her over mitts and set them down by the drain bored, later to be forgotten and desperately looked for. "I hope you're hungry, and don't forget to do the dishes, will you?"

"Oh sorry, but I can't do them tonight mom," Ron admitted. I'm going out tonight."

"Going to the movies with Kimberly?"

"Uh, actually I'm not spending tonight with Kim." He felt a little thrill of excitement as he said it. When was the last time he'd gone out with someone other than Kim?

"Oh?" His mother was now searching for her big carving knife, head bent over the appropriate drawer. "Who are you meeting then?"

"Just…a friend." Ron smiled.


When he arrived at the golf course, the sky was just starting to get dark. The vault above him was streaked with dark and pale blues which combined spectacularly in a pattern of mystery and promise for the night ahead.

Ron spared a long, appreciative glance for this celestial canvas, before heading for the ticket booth and gaily painted iron fence which lead into the flood-lit grounds.

When he'd called Shego on the phone, Ron hadn't had any specific activity in mind, except that he wanted it to be a 'friends' outing, and so had been avoiding such things as romantic movies, dances and walks in the park. He had chosen mini gold largely because it was one of his favorite pastimes. He wasn't great at it, but he could usually hold his own. It hadn't occurred to him at the time that Shego would probably view mini gold as stupid and childish. Not only was she an older, probably sophisticated woman, but she was also a ruthless villain.

The thought trickled treacherously into his mind as he stood by the entrance. Maybe she won't even come. Maybe this has all just been a game to her. Only the thought of last night kept him striding resolutely on and through the gate. She had not been lying. She had not been playing some cruel game. He knew she hadn't.

He stopped outside the little on-course café where they had agreed to meet and searched the tables for the familiar figure. He almost missed her. Seated far back at one of the tables, Shego was surprisingly unobtrusive.

She was not wearing her usual jumpsuit. Instead, she had on a dark green, sleeveless top with a turtle-neck, and velvety pants of dark purple. He black hair was tied back in one long braid. She looked…different. Amid the families and couples who still crowded the golf course and café she looked appropriate, like she belonged there. She certainly didn't look like a super villain bent on world domination. Even her remarkable skin tone was less noticeable. She rose when she saw him and walked over, out from under the café's open roof. Ron searched for something to say.


Shego had never really liked mini-golf, even when she was a child. She had never liked regular golf either, but that was different. She doubted anyone actually liked golf. It was just something they did. It was a way for the aging baby boomers to pass the time and spend their money that allowed for open air and copious amounts of pesticides. No, miniature golf was something different.

But Ron had asked her, and so here she was.

He looked rather shocked, although whether it was to see her, or to see her outfit, she wasn't certain. She had made an effort, and decided against wearing something too far on the jaw drop scale, but she was fully aware that her outfit was attractive. Just because she was going to give Ron the chance to get to know her as a friend didn't mean that she couldn't show him that she was a woman.

Anyway, he currently looked a little tongue-tied, so she decided to begin.

"Hey Ron," she said. "Thanks for inviting me. I warn you, I'm not very good." Hmmm, she thought. A double meaning, and I didn't even catch it. I must be distracted.

"That makes two of us," Ron said, smiling. He seemed more relaxed now. "Would you like me to go pay and fetch the golf stuff?"

Shego cocked her head to the side slightly. It was too good to miss.

"I don't mind grabbing your 'putter' for you Ron," she whispered.

To his credit, it took Ron a moment to get the inference. When he did he turned bright red and his eyes got as wide as golf balls. "Umm, ah…" he muttered uneasily. Shego instantly sobered. Fun was fun, but she didn't want to scare him off. She should at least wait until he knew her a little better.

"I'm sorry Ron," she said seriously. But you must admit that you set yourself up for that one. Were we gonna play some golf?"

"Uh, yeah." Ron managed to get his mind back out of the 'overload' area and back into his situation in general. "I thought we'd eat afterward if you're not too hungry. The food here is great for following several hours of yelling at a little inanimate ball."

"Sounds good," Shego answered. The two of them headed off for the ticket office, Shego's calm, even playful exterior belying her suddenly whirling thoughts. If she was lucky she would have a couple of hours before he started asking questions. And what on earth was she going to tell him?

As they walked the flood lights brightened, beating back the darkening sky.


In his mountain lair, the genetically altered, would be simian Monkey Fist was busy. He leant forward on his polished oak desk, long hair fingers typing on his keyboard while making notes with a pen grasped in the opposable toes of one long foot.

He pulled up files and clicked them closed again, searching for everything he could find about her, everything there was to find. He would need some more surveillance, which was now underway via his monkey ninjas, but he was certain he was on the right track. Perhaps he had been wrong to never investigate Stoppable's other enemies before. His one sojourn into this 'mad scientist's' base had proved most enlightening.

There was only one explanation for what he had seen. This woman was his foe's weakness. It was through her that he would finally be rid of that undeserving boy.

This 'Shego' might be the answer to all his problems.


Thanks for reading, guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I will try to get the next one out fairly soon.

I once saw an infrared photo of a golf course. The pesticides on these places are extremely heavy, and NOT healthy for anyone. They were literally coating the trees. My town has recently introduced a pesticide bylaw, which makes me very happy, even though it of course won't really affect us for a few years. However, this wasn't a shameless pesticide bash, I also think it was in character and made sense for Shego. She strikes me as a person who takes care to learn about things before going about them, and who would be very likely to point out the foolishness of others. No offence to anyone who likes golf, it is simply my opinion.

The 'putter' line can be blamed almost entirely on Mr. Average, who used this joke in his review. I just couldn't resist using it. Yes, it was a little low brow, and cruder than I usually am, but it was a little funny, wasn't it? (ducks under barrage of thrown objects.) I can use the same defense as before. Shego I can see doing that. However, don't get used to crude jokes and lines, because I can guarantee that this is as bad as it gets.

So…yeah. Feel free to comment on that, as well as on our old friend the dark figure. Like I said, I didn't forget about him. ;) What do you all think?

I've got other stuff I could say, but this is getting pretty long, so I'll just leave you with this familiar note. Please review. It lets me know what I can correct, and what wowed you. And it helps me through the lonely nights.

See you next time!