Chapter 9

The Search

Shego was fully awake and getting ready as fast as she could, not even caring that Dr. Director would see her nude. She set up the Shegophone on its stand so she could communicate as she changed.

"Do you know where she went, or where she is headed?"

"I'm afraid not, Shego. We have no leads. I called to see if she had come to you by any chance."

"No. I'm guessing you didn't put a tracker on her?"

"Didn't think she'd escape."

"Always prepare for the worst. Are Kim's parents still up there?"

"Yes, they are. We are trying to see if they know."

"Good. I'm dropping the kids off with them. I am going to find Kim!"

"Shego, we have no leads, anymore then you do. What makes you think you can find her?"

"You forget, Kim is my wife. I know everything about her. I will find her."

With that, Shego cut the connection and headed to the girls room. It was roughly 2:15 in the morning and Shego was fully prepared to drag her daughters to the car if she had to. The one reason she didn't want to leave them in the house was the fear that Kim would come home and have one of her aggressive episodes, hurting them. Shego flipped on the lights and the girls tossed and groaned at the unwanted light.

"Girls, get up. I don't have time for this right now. Mommy is missing."

Both girls sat upright and alert at the news. "We gonna go look for her?"

Sheki was up on her feet getting dressed unsteadily, while Shego helped Kasy out of bed and into her clothing.

"No. You two are going to stay with Grandpa and Grandma at the GJ house while I go look for her. Now come on let's get to the car."

Shego picked Kasy up with Sheki holding her hand as she led the way to the car.

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Dr. Director waited at the main GJ entrance for Shego with what looked like an iPad in her hand that allowed her to track any progress of Kim's location. She looked up as the doors slid open to reveal Shego in her black and green jumpsuit with Kasy in her arms barely staying awake and Sheki holding her hand alert and worried.

"Mrs. Possible…."

"Cut the crap we don't have time for it. I will stay in contact with you through the Shegophone, where are James, and Ann?"

"Right this way."

Dr. Director led the way down a short hall to what looked like a waiting room to find James and Ann on a padded bench holding each other. Shego went in and looked both of them in the eye.

"I need you to watch them for now. I am going to find Kim. Try to get them to sleep if they can."

Shego let go of Sheki's hand and set Kasy down in front of her.

"Alright you two. Be good for Grandma and Grandpa ok?"

The girls nodded their heads in understanding. Sheki more so than Kasy.

"Good. I will be back I promise. And no matter what happens I love you both very much."

Shego kissed both their heads then turned to leave but stopped short when she heard Sheki's voce.

"You bringing Mommy back?"

Shego looked Sheki in the eye wishing she could say everything would be ok and that their Mommy would be back, but with such little time she knew she couldn't.

"I'll try."

And with that she left her daughters behind to search for Kim.

"Shego, I really think you should sit down so I can brief you on the situation so you know who all is working with us…."

"I don't care, Betty. I can take a good guess you have everyone available working on it. I don't need a partner, I work faster on my own."

Shego stepped into her car and sped off into the night. She went to a house she hadn't been to often but she still remembered none the less. She knocked on the door and waited. When no one answered she picked the lock and let herself in. The house was dark but she knew at least one person would be up so she headed for the room. She opened the door to find him sitting at his desk with bloodshot eyes staring at his computer screen.

"Wade."

Wade jumped at the sound of Shego's voce obviously not hearing her come in.

"S…. Shego….. What are you….. doing here?"

"I need to find Kim and I'm sure Global Justice already contacted you?"

"Y… Yes. I'm looking now but don't have…. Any luck."

"Ok, first, relax. I am married to her remember. I am not going to hurt you. I just need to talk to you."

"Right, married. What do you need?"

"Do you have a tracking device on her?"

"No, if I did I would have used it by now."

"Ok, plan B. I know you have the DNA tracker. All you need is a sample of the persons DNA right?"

"What! How did you know?!"

"I have connections. Don't worry I won't tell GJ. I know it's above their security clearance level, so they won't even know to look for it. Here this is one of Kim's hair brushes. Get some hair and let's fire that thing up."

"Ok. So you won't tell anyone?"

"No. I will forever be in your debt if you do this for me."

Wade gulped and took a strand of red hair from the brush. He rolled over to his printer and put the hair on the scanning board then scanned it.

"A printer? Really?"

"It's not a machine. Just software, I rigged it to work with my printer."

Wade rolled back to his computer where a satellite image had pulled up.

"Kim should be popping up right…. About… NOW! There! That's it! She's at the abandoned nuclear plant!"

"Oh, Princess, what are you doing all the way out there?"

"It's not far from here: Let me see your Shegophone."

Shego narrowed her eyes on him before handing him the device.

"You better not call GJ."

"Huh? Wasn't going to, why not?"

"Betty will go to extremes to keep the innocent safe. She might put Kim down if she has to."

"Don't worry. I just put in the coordinates for the GPS feature. You can go get her."

Shego turned to leave.

"Shego….. bring her back in one piece."

Shego nodded then headed out of the house locking it back before she sped off toward the plant. She followed her GPS until she got there. It was a large, fenced-off area with radioactive warnings all around. Not that Shego had to worry. She walked up to the square building that had nuclear smokestack columns rising toward the night sky. She guessed Kim was inside. She grabbed hold of the handles and yanked them open.

Chapter 10

A Broken Hero

Kim's stomach growled harshly as she sat alone in the dark building. She couldn't remember how she got there, or how to get home. All she wanted to do was to find Shego and her daughters, nothing else mattered. Kim's head snapped up as she heard the doors opening at the other end of the plant and she began to move from the room she was in. She took in a large breath of air through her nose and recognized the scent. It was Shego. Kim got a smile on her face as she casually moved to greet her wife. Kim moved through the hallways and poked her head around the corner. She saw Shego stepping inside and looking around, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness.

"Shego."

Shego looked over to find Kim still in the scrubs coming toward her. Her red hair swaying as she skipped over to her wife.

"Kim, thank god you're alright. How did you get out here?"

"I….. can't remember. I was trying to go home but I forgot how to get there. Can we go home, Shego? Pleeeease?"

Shego looked to Kim and saw the innocent expression on her face. As much as she wanted to she couldn't take Kim home.

"Sorry, Princess. I can't. We need to get you back to the GJ facility."

Kim's smile faded as she looked angrily at Shego.

"I don't want to go back there. I want my girls and I want them now!"

"Kim, they are with your parents right now, at the facility."

"You left them there! Do you even love them?"

That struck Shego hard, and she felt as if a knife had pierced her heart and been twisted several times.

"Kim….."

"Do you still love me?"

Shego swallowed hard trying to get the lump in her throat to go away.

"You never loved me! I should have known it was all a scheme to play with my emotions! Well, now you're going to pay for it!"

Kim lashed out at Shego with a sudden kick that Shego barely dodged. Shego got into a defensive position ready to fend off Kim's blows. Kim attacked with a series of punches and kicks all in rapid succession. Shego managed to block most of them with a few landing on her sides. Kim came at Shego full force trying to hit the other woman as hard as she could. Shego crossed her arms in front of her to stop one of Kim's kicks that forced Shego to skid back a couple of feet. Shego was breathing hard by now not used to an opponent who could move as fast, and hit as hard as Kim. Kim got a wicked smile on her face as she looked to her wife.

"What's the matter, Baby? Getting old?"

"Well…. Keeping up…. With you…. Isn't as easy…. as it looks…. Princess."

"What a shame, you've lost your fighting edge. Oh well, all the easier for me!"

Kim charged Shego again and kicked her in the stomach sending her flying and knocking the wind out of her. Shego hit something that felt like a desk on her back and moved as Kim's fist came down. Shego turned to see it was a control panel and Kim had just punched through it. Alarms began to sound and red lights flashed indicating a warning. Kim was completely oblivious, as she continued to attack Shego. An explosion rang out and distracted Shego enough for Kim to get her hands on her. Shego watched in horror as the building began to be engulfed in flames. Kim forced Shego to the ground and pinned her with her knee holding Shego's right arm out away from her body.

"I wonder how accelerated your healing abilities really are. Let's find out."

With that final word Kim pushed on Shego's arm with brutal force. Shego screamed out in pain she heard a sickening crack ring in her ears. Kim let go of Shego's arm and watched as it extended limply to the floor. She got up off of Shego and watched as the older woman rolled over and clutched at her arm.

"Kim….. We NEED to get out of here….. This place is burning up…. Please… I don't want to lose you."

Shego was on her knees and she looked up at Kim as she said those last words with tears in her eyes. Kim's features changed from anger into understanding, then into sorrow as she came back to reality.

"Shego…. I…"

"Kim… not now. We need to leave. Help me up. Come on lets head for the door."

Kim hauled Shego up by her good arm and they headed for the door. The ceiling collapsed in front of them spewing cinders up and blocking their escape.

"The roof Kim…. We have to get there!"

Shego activated the Shegophone as her and Kim moved throughout the plant fire and smoke becoming more abundant as time passed. Shego looked through tears and smoke and barely made out a sign above a door reading "Roof Access".

"There!"

Shego pointed toward the door and Kim hauled Shego and herself toward it. Kim pushed the door open just before the ceiling behind them collapsed leaving no path but up winding stairs. Shego spoke into her device with haste as she saw Dr. Directors face appear on the other end.

"Betty! I have Kim, she's stable….. We're at the abandoned plant! We need air pickup NOW!"

"On it!"

The line went dead as Kim and Shego finally reached the roof both of them gasping for clean air as they exited. Shego looked around trying to find the aircraft that would pick them up. She looked over to Kim and saw her with her head down and breathing hard.

"Kim? You….. ok?"

"Yeah….. hard to….. focus."

"Hey… it'll be…. Ok, Princess… I promise."

Shego heard the sound of a helicopter and looked up into the blinding spotlight. It got in close and hovered just above the roof. Kim helped Shego into the helicopter then rocked back and forth as the roof of the building began to give out. Shego fell to her stomach and grabbed Kim's hand with her left arm as the roof fell to pieces.

"Kim!"

"Shego!"

Kim dangled above the flams as the helicopter began to move. Shego held on with all her strength she had left as a GJ agent moved to get Kim in the plane.

"Shego."

Kim locked eyes with Shego as her grip slipped.

"I love you."

Kim's hand slipped from Shego's grasp and she fell as an explosion rocked the vehicle.

"KIM! NOOOOO!"

Shego stared at the burning building tears filling her eyes with her arm hanging limply from the helicopter holding Kim just moments ago. Shego rolled onto her back as she sobbed then let herself be consumed by exhaustion and pain and slipped into a miserable sleep.