Kim's final days in Middleton were a mixed bag.

The best news was Monique. While Silver Towers and Washington Square had their charms, the girls had applied for one of the smaller, older apartments parked halfway between the different school buildings they would be attending. Kim had learned, the morning after the mission, that they had attained the student housing they desired. They were going to be flatmates!

The insurance covering the Possible home didn't cover acts of alien invasion, and the fact that it had been the home of a world famous teen hero was probably balanced out by all the damage the tweebs had caused to the residence over the years. The family owned the property, free and clear. A decision had to be made as to whether to build on it from scratch, or sell it and live elsewhere. Thankfully, with the combined income of a rocket scientist and a neurosurgeon, they had some options. When her father asked for her opinion, Kim only stated she would appreciate having a bedroom with a door she could lock when she came home.

James wondered if he could get away with making sure the door would not have a lock, despite the rational portion of his brain insisting she had every right to bedroom privacy at her age. The truth was, he wasn't as afraid of his daughter having sex as he was the potential consequences. There was no way his little girl image of her would withstand a pregnancy. Unexpected or not, he was certain Kim would have the child. That was how they'd raised her, after all. Granted, there was nothing he could do once Kimmie-cub was all the way in New York, except trust her to do the right thing... which sent him right back to the 'all grown up' reality he was in no hurry to face.

Ann took her daughter on a shopping spree to replace her wardrobe, beyond the original emergency shoppage that occurred in the wake of the house's destruction. Kim was grateful that her mother was paying the bills, but it also meant she was too inhibited to try and replace the sexiest items she had owned, even when mom dared to bring it up. It would simply be impossible to wear anything sexy - and do the things wearing sexy clothes could bring about - knowing that her mother had paid for them. They would be... tainted, was the only word she could come up with, though she didn't go into such detail with her embarrassed 'thanks but no thanks'.

Ron still mourned the loss of the little black dress that she had worn during their first almost-date. She had gotten into the habit of wearing it when she was no longer angry with him following an argument, provoking a little moodulator-inspired roleplay: Kim would chase him around the room as he yelled, "Making up is so not easy!" before she caught him and proved she was wearing nothing under the dress. With a boyfriend like Ron, the added zest of make-up sex had been a quick discovery; and with a dress like that on a dominant girl like Kim, it hadn't taken long to discover the 'cowgirl' positions, either.

The lowest layer of epidermis had started growing on her wounds, patches of skin rising from raw red tissue, but that had upgraded the constant itching sensation to constant stinging. It was occasionally enough to make Kim wish she had taken the skin graft option after all, but she always swung back around to her original decision against it. Grafting had been the doctors' preferred choice for third degree burns, but to her it just didn't seem right to take skin from one place just to put it somewhere else. It was somehow more appropriate to let the skin grow back naturally, especially considering the range of motion around the wrists that grafted skin might limit in the long run.

To that end, as soon as she realised new skin was beginning to grow, Kim started exercising the full range of movement of her thumbs, wrists and forearms whenever she was otherwise still. Technically she didn't have to worry about it for another month or two, but she figured it was best to make a habit of it by the time it mattered. She also talked to the doctors about a ball to squeeze, and their suggestion matched Shego's. It left Kim wondering if the villainess ever suffered the same kind of damage, maybe after the comet, or when she was first getting the hang of her powers.

Shego...

Kim found her thoughts turning to the green girl more often than she was comfortable with. The morning after the honesty room incident, Shego had all but admitted that when it came to girls, Kim was her type. It had made her think of the villainess in a whole new way, but she had convinced herself that it was a temporary fascination. She'd only had the one wet dream, after all; the teenager had assumed it was out of her system. There was still a connection between them, but it was not so different from the one that had already grown between them.

The island visit challenged that perception. Kim had gone in expecting a fight, not another heart-to-heart (assuming the term applied). Instead she'd been nothing more than a spectator to the fight, which had riled her up without the physical payoff to accompany it... until later. And that brought up the bizarre concept of fighting and fucking meaning more or less the same thing to her. Kim had originally wondered if kissing Shego had been disloyal to Ron, but she had already been fighting the villainess for several years. Could Shego have ever been disappointed or jealous in the past year?

The worst thing was, after they'd confirmed Ron's parents were at work and not in the house, and she'd asked Ron to be a little rough with her, he'd called her on it! He'd teased her about not getting to fight herself, and started using Shego's nicknames for her! She'd answered with 'buffoon' and 'doofus' until the moment he thrust his entire length into her in one go, and words gave way to the groaning, panting and slap of flesh on flesh that typically accompanied the couple's more vigorous efforts.

Kim had enjoyed it. A lot. As usual. She and Ron had friendship and love and passion, and those were what were important, right? In that order, even. So why this growing obsession with Shego?

The heroine pondered that question as she lay awake in bed the night before the drive to New York. Like everything else, the relationship between heroine and villainess was changing. Kim had even offered friendship, though Shego didn't seem to know what to do with it... and then the boys had interrupted, and then the fight...

But that's not what's really bothering me, is it, Kim admitted to herself. It's the kiss. Shego was a physical communicator, but after the kiss she'd returned to words and deflected Kim's experimental flirtations. Mixed signals, much? Did I read the kiss wrong? Was I simply imagining its intent? She raised her bandaged arms into the light filtered through the thin curtains drawn across the window. How can I be infatuated with a girl, a girl, who does this to me? She couldn't see the wounds, but twisted her forearms anyway.

It had taken a lot to get her to a place where she could hate anyone, and if it was to be anyone, it would be Shego. But the guilt afterwards... did she really accept these wounds simply to absolve her guilt? Shallow and selfish, Kim berated herself as she gently let her arms down, And perhaps I want to... make her feel good, to make up for hurting her so bad. A sigh as the notion was dismissed. No, that's not even an issue anymore, is it? We're even. Equal. She's the only one who could ever match me, and she enjoyed it so much she started going easy on me. Even saved my life, more than once, so she could have another crack at me herself.

Kim closed her eyes and tried to recall every time Shego had tried to kill her, every time she had hurt her (or Ron), every time she left them in one of Drakken's death traps. 'If it were me, I'd go for the direct approach,' she once said. If Drakken had ever told her to just rip my heart out, would she have done it?

There was nothing wrong with their relationship changing - odds are it would be for the better - but change into what?

Her mind kept going in love-hate circles until she finally fell asleep.


It had been decided that Monique would fly to New York, so the Possible family van was loaded with most of her stuff as well as Kim's. The black girl was already excited about the impending voyage, speaking animatedly as she shoved her combination of boxes and luggage into the vehicle.

"...And we'll catch fashion week right at the beginning of the semester!" she enthused. "At first I wondered what they were thinking, dropping undergraduates into the thick of things from the start, but I figure they're plannin' to keep us too busy to get tweaked about the whole new situation thing, y'know?"

"Or maybe the fashion industry is that fast-paced and the plan is to weed out the people who can't hack it," Kim teased.

Monique gave everything a final shove to make sure it was as far forward as it would go before stepping back and brushing her hands. "I've got nothin' to worry about on that score, girl. I am pumped. Club Banana's been good for me, and I've been good enough for them to give me a hell of a reference, but I'm so ready to start doing my own thing."

The girls continued chatting until Kim's parents came out of the house, followed by her brothers. "Ready to go, dad?" the heroine asked.

"Actually, your mother and I have been talking, and we've decided that she'll be the one to take you." He had been against the idea at first, not liking the idea of his two favourite redheads in the world going off together without him, but Ann had been able to swing him around. "You two never get enough mother-daughter time, and this way you'll have a medical professional looking after you for a few more days."

"Isn't Ron coming to wave us off?" Ann asked as her husband put her luggage in the van.

"He's working at Smarty-Mart," Kim explained, "But he said he'd come to visit me in New York real soon."

"Of course he did," Ann said with a little smile that automatically made Kim nervous. Monique's giggle didn't help.

I'll see you in a few days, girlfriend," Monique promised her, throwing her arms around her and hugging tightly. Kim did her best to return the gesture.

"You two, try not to get expelled," the younger redhead told the twins, who of course promised nothing, yet didn't complain as much as expected when their sister planted a kiss on both their foreheads.

"Look after yourself, Kimmie-cub," was all James could say when it was his turn. He managed not to cry.

Ann and Kim took turns driving east along the I-70, the latter driving in the middle of the long stretches between cities, where the wheel and gearshift would see minimal use. Once they reached Kansas City and found a place to stay for the night, the pair went out on the town for barbaque ribs. Ann seemed to enjoy wiping the sauce from her daughter's mouth and chin at regular intervals despite the embarrassment factor, declaring that Kansas ribs were supposed to be eaten messily in the first place. Secretly she was encouraged by the fact that Kim was able to hold her own food.

Visits to the Liberty Memorial, Country Club Plaza and Crown Center followed dinner. Kim seemed fond of the fountains at the center, so Ann found a place for them both to sit quietly, before putting an arm behind Kim so her daughter could lean against her shoulder.

"Penny for your thoughts," Ann softly opened with.

"I'm actually enjoying a quiet brain for once," Kim sighed, "But I'm guessing something's on yours?"

"It can wait."

They sat in silence for several more minutes before Kim yawned suddenly. "If we stay here much longer I'm going to fall asleep on the spot. Back to the motel?"

They drove back to their room, changed for bed (treating Kim's wounds in the process) and turned out the lights. Ann was mostly quiet throughout, which did not go unnoticed. Kim was grateful for the darkness as she began. "I never told you how things went when I saw Shego again."

She heard her mother roll onto her side, facing her. "I thought you would if you wanted to," was all she said, though she couldn't keep the curiosity out of her voice.

"We... forgave each other."

"No fighting?" Ann was genuinely surprised.

"Not between us, though I think she wanted to anyway. She's... a very physical girl."

"Sounds familiar." Kim could hear her mother's smile in her voice. "If not between you two, who... oh dear."

"She went easy on him," Kim immediately assured her. "And Ron did better than I expected, really. I think he's really starting to come into his own."

"Well, I'm glad for him. So how are things between you and Shego, now? I saw how well you two got along during that weekend...

"Mom... this is Shego, not Miss Go. We only had a lot in common while her personality was flipped. The real Shego is violent and short-tempered. She steals stuff. She hurts people; including me, repeatedly, over the last four years. She's even..." Kim paused before deciding to say it, "She's killed people," she admitted in a whisper.

Ann's shock was obvious. "Shego's a murdurer?"

"She doesn't think so. She makes a distinction between the two. Manslaughter? Maybe? I know some of it was when she was still a hero. Maybe I've been lucky so far..."

Ann was silent for a long moment. "How often has she tried to kill you?" she finally decided to ask.

Kim had been hoping she wouldn't. "I've lost count."

"But you've always come back in one piece. I know what a skilled fighter you are, but... you said she held back, with her powers, when you fought?"

"Does that even matter?" Kim asked heatedly. "How can I be anything but hostile towards her? How could I... I guess..." Her train of thought led to the simplest conclusion, and she calmed down. "I guess I just don't see things the same way most people do." Again, the teenager paused before ploughing on, believing her mother's advice was more important than her own doubts, "I didn't really think it through first, but I kinda told her we could be... friends."

"That's the kind of person you are, Kimmie," Ann said immediately, "And your father and I are very proud of that. But does she want to be friends?"

"Um... maybe?" Kim was skirting closer to her real problem with Shego than she liked. "She... we have a mutual respect that's been there for a while, now. Noone makes me work harder to win a fight than Shego, and she feels the same way about me. I guess that means more to her..."

"Are you afraid it's only a matter of time before she tries to kill you again? Perhaps without holding back?" Ann couldn't believe she was talking so objectively about her daughter's life, but her first instinct was to try and help Kim think her way through this.

"Not really..." That thought had never actually occurred to Kim. It should have. Why hadn't it? Going soft, princess? Shego's voice echoed in her mind, provoking a wry smirk of the redhead's lips.

"You know her much better than I do, honey," Ann decided. "If you think the two of you can be friends, I can only suggest you be cautious. You both have a lot of bumps and bruises to get over, even without the drama."

"Thanks, mom."

"Good night, Kim."

Friends... the heroine rolled the idea around in her mind. They weren't enemies anymore, but friends?

More than friends?

Kim suddenly found it difficult to fall asleep, afraid she'd have another wet dream while her mother was in the room.


Day two ended in St. Louis. Most of the pair's free time was spent in Forest Park, visiting the art and history museums before rounding the evening off with the planetarium. The Gateway Arch was beautiful at night, as they saw on their return to the motel.

During most of the day's drive, Kim had agonised over whether or not to bring up her budding attraction to Shego. Now that they were back in the room, in the dark, she thought of a different way to approach the issue. "Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"When you were in college, did you ever... experiment, with... stuff?"

An amused chuckle. "Define 'stuff.'"

"Stuff you wouldn't do back home..." Kim resolved to work her way up to it, "Drink... drugs..." a gulp, "Sex..."

"Been worrying about the urban legends, hm?" Ann stalled as she considered how much to tell her little girl.

"...Yeah."

"You're a sensible girl, Kim, but also an adventurous one. Your father and I trust you to behave, but... I advise against drugs under any circumstances; I've seen what they can do to a mind, let alone a brain. If you choose to experiment with anything, I expect you to be very careful."

That almost sounded like her mother had just given her permission. "So... did you?"

A small sigh. "Yes, dear."

"Um... which..."

"All of the above."

Kim wasn't expecting that. "Really?"

"It's hard to avoid alcohol entirely, even after they raised the age limit in '84. I think they did it because most people could barely recall their sophomore year due to the perpetual drunken haze." There was laughter in Ann's voice during that last phrase. "If you try one glass of one spirit each weekend, you can learn what you like and what you don't, without having to worry about a hangover."

"I've always wondered why some people drink so much when it hurts so much the morning after."

"Those that do tend to have a reason, but sometimes they simply don't notice how much they're drinking until it's too late. As long as you learn moderation, you can enjoy being nicely drunk. You definitely don't want to get too drunk and do anything silly. There was no such thing as a video phone, back in my day."

"And... drugs?"

"I tried marijuana a few times. To be honest, I don't think it ever really did anything for me. Your father, on the other hand..."

"No way!" Kim gasped.

Ann's voice was full of suppressed mirth. "Why do you think he's such a scatterbrain?"

"Oh my god!" They both had a good giggle over that. Once Kim settled down, she asked, "No, um, powders or anything?"

Kim could hear her mother's hair on her pillow as Ann shook her head. "No, never. Drugs are a lot easier to abuse, and the consequences of their abuse, much more dangerous. I watched others take cocaine out of curiousity, but I never joined in." A thoughtful pause. "Imagine your life is a candle. A drug can enhance your senses, but the candle burns brighter in the process..."

"And the brighter it burns, the sooner it burns out," Kim finished.

"Exactly. You've seen the tar that can build up in a smoker's lungs. You don't want to see what drug abuse can do to a brain, and it can also change a person... in far worse ways than your father turned out. I just can't believe it's worth it."

Kim swallowed nervously. "And... sex?"

"Her name was Rachel," Ann admitted with a soft smile.

Kim was surprised by the affection in her voice. "Did... did you love her?" she got out in a rush.

"I suppose I did. Falling in love is different every time. Not just because it's a different person every time, but because you're a different person every time, too."

"So time is a factor," Kim reasoned, realising Shego thought she still had some growing up to do.

"It can be. But I knew your father and I were soulmates from the start."

"What about Rachel?"

"No regrets," Ann told her. "I hope you never have them, either."

And that was all she chose to say on the subject, that night. The discovery that her daughter was attracted to her female nemesis was a shock. Perhaps she should have gone with the threesome story, after all...