It wasn't the pulse-pounding adrenaline rush of a mission…but yes indeed, apparently one could have fun at an elementary school bake sale, even a world saver such as Kim Possible. Kim, Abby, and Gracie were up early and met with Rachel Mankey at the Middleton Community Pavilion to help set up the booth along with a few other students and parents. Various other booths sprang up around them and by 10 in the morning, the Farmer's market was in full swing.

"What do we say to the customer, Gracie?" Kim counted out the change and glanced at her daughter.

"Thank you for your 'sport." Gracie grinned, handing Father Mitch from the local Episcopal church a plate of rice crispy treats.

"Well you are most welcome, young lady," The kind gentleman offered a handshake to the young child. Two of his children were in Shego's English classes and according to Shego were exceptional students. "What a polite young lady you are."

As midday crept closer, the smell of charcoal and grilling meat began wafting and enticing the movers and shakers of the bake sale. Mr. Murphy's grill was fully ignited and hotdogs a'grilling. Lori Murphy's husband Greg was a detective with the Middleton Police Department so Team Possible had a lot of association of with him even in Kim and Ron's high school days. You'd be hard pressed to find a more serious and devoted police officer…but off duty? Good grief, he was nothing but a big kid. If Billy turned out to be even half of his father, he was going to make someone a very good husband and a wonderful father to some lucky children.

The Kimmunicator chirped and a slender hand snaked into the purse. It had a line to the headset Abby used when in guard mode. "What's the sitch Abs?"

"Kim, is Greg nearby?" This couldn't be good. Concerned Abby was always a bad sign. "He should hear this too."

Lori was free at the moment so she kept an eye on the grill and elbowed her husband over. "We've got a problem. I just found one of the Middleton cops acting as security. He was unconscious and stripped of his uniform and gun. Something may be going down and I'm heading to you. Is Greg carrying?"

"Back-up weapon is strapped to my leg," Greg confirmed, pulling free a small Smith & Wesson .38 from its holster. "My sidearm is in the minivan."

"Good," Abby continued. "Keep an eye on Kim and Gracie until I get there."

"Lori will move the kids to the minivan and get them somewhere safe." Greg offered.

"Send them to our place," Kim ordered. "I'll explain to Lori about the security system. Once the system is up, there won't be a safer building in town."

There was another series of quick chirps, signifying that someone else was trying to get a hold of her. Dear God, let it be Shego or Ron with good news. Abby's profile blinked out and an image of Wade took its place.

"Oh, Thank God!" The agoraphobic tech genius looked like he hadn't slept all night. "Kim, you and Shego were the main targets the whole time! GJ took the facility but Electronique was the only one there."

"Did they apprehend her?"

"They couldn't apprehend her alive," Wade continued, desperately trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "Ron had to put a bullet through her head."

The redhead had to cringe at that. Damn Bonnie Rockwaller for making Ron go through this tremendous burden of conscience. Ron had never gotten over seeing Kim hauled off in a van with Abby bleeding out of four gunshot wounds. He never took the sidearm if he could help it. But Kim was thankful that throughout all their missions since, they had only been in a handful of missions where Ron had had to draw and fire.

"How is he handling it?"

"Kim…Ron fired because Electronique had Shego pinned and was about to kill her," The longtime friend flinched, dreading the reaction. "The medics got to her but she's in intensive care."

The whole world seemed to implode around the young mother. Her wife, the woman she loved, was lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life! She'd been on a mission and Kim hadn't been there to watch out for her! She…she…!

"Kim?" The tech genius could tell EXACTLY what was going through his friend's mind. "KIM!"

Wade Load was an extraordinarily level headed person, not prone to foul language or anything of the kind. The man actually shouting was such a shock that it managed to pull Kimberly out of her internal nightmare

"Kim, there's more," The situation was quickly going to Hell in a hand basket and Wade HAD to keep Kim's mind from going to Shego again. "You and Gracie are in trouble. Electronique said that Igor Chuikov knows where you are and will be there within the hour! You have GOT to tell Abby and get out of there."

Abby had caught that last sentence and voiced her full agreement with Wade's appraisal of the situation. Filling Abby in on the situation and the events of the mission was all that Kim could to do keep a hold on her mind. No matter what Abby felt for Shego, her focus now had to be in protecting Kim and Gracie. Shego's enhanced healing abilities would likely ensure she'd recover but if Abby failed to protect her charges…NO! She couldn't even go there! If Chuikov was really here for Kim and Gracie, then the best way to protect all of these people was to draw them off. Get Kim and Gracie to the Sebring, as close to a tank as they could put their hands on. But a shriek of fright confirmed the bodyguard's worst fears. Across the field, six armed figures were making their way across the open ground on the northeast side of the pavilion, thirty yards out and closing.

A blast of gunfire erupted, sending the entire area into total chaos. People began running in all directions and diving for cover. In all the chaos and with their escape route cut off, all Kim Possible could think of was protecting her child. About the only place out of the line of fire were the restrooms. The young mother gathered every child she could spot and herded them off to the isolated room. It fell to the youngest Possible to keep control. She and George would protect her friends, just like Mommy and Momma would.

"Remember Muffin; don't open the door unless someone says the password."

"So not the Drama Mommy," Gracie was downright excited.

A short distance away, Abby, Gregg, and the other uniformed police had thrown over a few tables, creating a makeshift barricade for cover. Greg vouched for the three uniformed police that had shown up, recognizing them all as his coworkers.

"Any and all GJ units in the area," After a quick frequency change, Abby began hollering for additional units. "This is the Babysitter. Matchstick and Sparkplug are in serious danger. I repeat, Matchstick and Sparkplug are in serious danger. Six enemy combatants are inbound on our location and more expected. Local authorities and I have set up a line of defense but are severely outgunned. We need support immediately." A .30-06 round hammered into the concrete wall near her head, forcing her behind cover. A quick peak over revealed two attackers just within range of a Heckler & Koch .45; the seasoned sharpshooter popped off two quick rounds, wining the closest attacker in the shoulder and dropped him to the ground.

"Babysitter, this is the Mole Rat," Praise the Lord and Halleluiah! Abby couldn't recall ever being so happy to hear Ron's voice. "Help is one minute out! Hold the line and we will get to you!"

By now there were about twelve attackers moving in on the pavilion. Even over the roar of the gunfire, Abby could make out the whirr of helicopter blades coming in from the west. A GJ Blackhawk helicopter broke over the horizon like some great Angel of Death. Armaments were sketchy at this distance but ropes could be seen descending downwards and jumpers sliding downward, guns up and firing into the combatants. Abby spotted a mop of blonde hair on one of the troopers that began moving towards her.

"Oh God, are YOU a sight for sore eyes!" Ron was engulfed in a hug.

"One of the choppers diverted to Middleton the minute Shego was able to communicate what was going on," Ron responded, letting go and holstering his revolver. "Where are Kim and Gracie?"

"Well Gracie and the rest of the kids are barricaded in the restroom and Kim…"

There were several screams as the crowd began to part around two people. As the crowd parted, Igor Chuikov himself, clad in a stolen Middleton PD uniform, had Kim wrapped in a headlock with a knife pressed to her throat. Guns where whipped into place, desperately searching for an open shot. Try as they might, with the position Chuikov had Kim in and the innocent people behind them, there was no way to take Chuikov down without potential harm to Kim or a bystander.

"For God so loved Man that he sacrificed his only Son for our sins," Chuikov shouted, pressing the knife to Kim's throat. "For whosoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life. I am a servant of the Lord our God and I shall bring to justice those who blaspheme against his word!"

Dammit, Kim would NOT go out like this! She could almost…her hand firmly grasped what looked to everyone else to be an ordinary hair stick. Once again Kim would have to admit Shego was right. "You think it is God's wish that you kill a woman who is with child?" the redhead growled, loosening what the hair stick contained.

"Shut up," Chuikov growled, squeezing Kim's throat tighter. "A minion of Satan knows nothing of God's will."

"For whatever you wish that others would do to you," Kim breathed, tightening her grip. "Do also to them…for this is the law!" Without another breath, Kim ripped free one of the Karambit knives she had hidden in her hair and rammed the curved blade into Chuikov's neck. The knife in Chuikov's hand went stiff allowing Kim to wrench herself free, throwing herself to the ground in time for Ron to put two rounds into Chuikov's torso, dropping him to the ground.

Abby rushed forward and turned Kim onto her back while Ron ran to cover Chuikov if by some miracle he'd survived a knife to the throat and two hollow-point rounds to the chest. Thank God, the woman before her had God's own luck. There was a small nick on her neck where the blade had caught but Abby's EMT training told her that it wasn't serious. Greg Murphy rushed up with a first aid kit and they began bandaging Kim up despite Kim's objections.

Another GJ commando stepped up to cover Chuikov, allowing Ron to duck over to the restroom and knocked on the door. "Gracie, it's Uncle Ron," He called. "What's the sitch?" Ron could hear tiny hands undoing the lock and Gracie Anne Possible stood before her Uncle, George perched on her head threatening fisticuffs to anyone who would come near his best friend, and Gracie ready to fight anyone who came her way. But seeing that it was "Unca Ron", she ran into his arms and hugged him.

"That's my girl," Ron smiled and hugged his niece tight. "Nobody messes with the unstoppable team of Gracie and George, do they?"

"Booyah!" Gracie laughed, commandeering her Uncle's catchphrase. "Where's Mommy?"

Abby and Greg Murphy were helping Kim to her feet. Other than the small gauze bandage on her neck, Kim looked to be fine, so there was likely no harm in letting Gracie down to see her. Ron hefted his little niece into a more comfortable position and the pair strolled over to Kim. Kim Possible had never wanted to hold her daughter more, grabbing Gracie in a bear hug and began planting kiss after kiss on her daughter's head.

"Kim, we need to get you to the hospital," Abby urged, motioning towards the approaching ambulance behind the line of police cars. She leaned in and whispered into Kim's ear. Gracie didn't need to hear this. "They've brought Shego to Middleton General. We'll get the babies checked out and then go find her."

KPKPKPKPKPKP

Over and over again, Electronique's words playing through Shego's mind, how Chuikov was heading for Kim and Gracie, God only knows what he was planning to do to them. The tough as nails woman felt as if she were chained down, completely helpless and unable to raise a hand in defense of what she cherished more than life itself. She pulled and heaved against the restraints she felt but they refused to give an inch. Her plasma failed to ignite and tears streaming down her face and into the darkness.

With a blinding flash, the hellish prison that Shego found herself was gone. Where was she? The restraints were gone and she was in a hospital room. Nothing about the room screamed "military facility" so the logical assumption was that she was in a civilian hospital. In taking in her surroundings, Shego discovered her right arm to be in a sling and her left leg elevated and wrapped in a cast. There was something keeping her from lifting her free hand. Next to her was Kim, leaned back in her chair with a stream of drool coming from her mouth, the redhead's hand locked quite firmly locked in Shego's. Shego couldn't manage much in her current position but these three squeezes would do it. I…love…you. That and Shego attempting to shift her body brought the redhead out of their deep sleep. Kim wiped the drool from her face with her free hand…and gazed at the pale green face of one of the most important and beautiful woman she had ever known. Joyous cries echoed through the room and tears were streaming down the enchanting green eyes.

"Oh, thank you God," Kim gasped through her tears. "Thank you!"

There was nothing Shego wanted more than to hold her redheaded goddess in her embrace and leaned into the embrace…but OOHHHH the pain! Shego plopped back onto the bed, still unable to look away from the face of her loving and adoring wife. "Oh Pumpkin…Kimmie…I thought that…Electronique…"

"It's okay Eme," Kim sniffed, trying to get control of her tears. "It's all okay. You're alive and everything is okay!"

"But Chuikov…how did I…" All she could recall was a jumble of images, nothing making any sense.

"Ron," Kim choked out, wiping the tears away with her shirtsleeve. "It was all Ron. Electronique blew the floor out from the mainframe. A piece of rebar went through your shoulder and a chunk of one of the mainframes pinned your legs and broke your left ankle. Ron, he…he felt the explosion and ran inside. Electronique was standing over you with a…" Her voiced choked but it was clear that Kimmie was about to say "gun". "Ron fired just in time and…and they were able to get you out."

There was a knock at the door and both women turned to see Gracie and a scrubs-clad Grandma Anne Possible enter, holding hands, and Gracie looking very unsure about what was going on. She spotted her Momma and stopped in her tracks.

"Oh sweetheart," The hardened combat veteran couldn't hold back the tears any longer…and frankly didn't WANT to. "Oh please, can I hold you?"

Gracie took off and climbed into her Momma's hospital bed, wrapping her little arms around her Momma's comfy chest. Unfortunately six year olds weren't very knowledgeable in the ways of a dislocated shoulder and a jolt of pain shot through the older woman. Let the pain come! She was holding her daughter in her arms and that was worth any amount of pain she would suffer.

"Careful Gracie," Dr. Possible leaned down to pull Gracie off of Shego's wounded arm. She planted a kiss on her daughter-in-law's forehead and hugged her tight, taking care to avoid the arm. "You had us scared for a while there, honey," As Mrs. Dr. Possible leaned up, Shego could see a tear rolling down her cheek. "But anything is possible for a Possible!" Everyone embraced Shego once again at that remark.

"So what's the damage Mom?" Shego inquired as the reformed thief settled back into the hospital bed. "Will I ever play the violin again?"

"Oh please let that be a no," Kim chortled, keeping Shego's free hand clasped in her own.

"Well the damage would've been a lot worse if Ron hadn't gotten there when he did," Dr. Anne Possible explained, picking up the chart from the end of Shego's bed. "You got a pretty serious concussion from the fall. The rebar you landed on and Electronique's moving it around tore up your right shoulder but it's mostly superficial, only a dislocation. Your left ankle was broken and your foot was broken in about three places. Despite all that, I'd say you're going to make a full recovery."

Once everyone was sure that she was stable enough to handle more visitors, the rest of Shego's family began to file in. Ron, Yori, and Abby were first, Ron picking up Gracie from Shego's hospital bed and putting her on his shoulders. James Possible and Jim and Tim were next, each of them over the moon to see her. Last was Shego's brothers, Hego bringing up the rear. There were many joyous moments but slowly everyone began to head home, leaving Shego to her rest. Eventually all that was left was Kim Shego, and Hego.

"Kim, could I…" Hego stuttered. Was Hego actually at a loss for words? "Could I have a minute alone with my sister?"

Was this a good idea? Shego had nearly been killed and her relationship with this older brother was tenuous at best. Shego nodded her approval however and Kim bowed out, planted a kiss on her wife's lips on the way out. Hego shifted around, his eyes fixed on his feet, and looked up.

"Shego…I…" The great hulk of a man was seriously faltering. "I…I'm sorry."

"For what?" Where was this going?

"I know that I haven't been the best brother," The seat next to Shego's bed sunk under Hego's weight. "I know I wasn't exactly, well…easy to deal with when you told us about…you and Kim but…what that man tried to do…all those things he said…" He couldn't even think about it. The image of that homicidal madman about to murder his little niece was more terrifying than anything he could imagine. "The God I know would NEVER…I mean the very idea that…I've…I've been doing a lot of soul searching these last few days. While I may never understand your choices in life…they really are YOUR choices and…and I have absolutely no right to judge them. Any relationship that could produce such a wonderful girl as Gracie…well, it CAN'T be bad."

Talk about a curveball! Her brother was always so proper and Shego had thought completely incapable of change. Hector Gordon made "doing the right thing" look like a fault. Hego had grown to tolerate Kim and Shego's relationship but…was he saying what she thought he was? His eyes sunk back down to his feet. Hego had said his piece. Now all he could hope for was that his baby sister would accept his apology.

"You're such a lunkhead," Shego smiled as she grabbed one of Hego's hands in her own. "Get over here!" Hego was hauled out of his chair and Shego wrapped her free hand around her older brother. "I love you Big Brother."

"I love you to Little Sister," Hego cried back. He had the most wonderful little sister in the world!

Author's Notes:

I've been reading Kigo fanfiction all summer…and is there a love truer or deeper than that shared by Kim and Shego? Hego finally accepting his sister for who she is was something I really wanted to work into the story. As my pen name would suggest, I always think optimistically. Igor Chuikov was evil incarnate who used religion as a weapon and any true hero would be able to see that.