Chapter 10 - A Homes Welcome
Slowly darkening skies stretched in every direction, giving Kim a clear view of the sunset. Dotted here and there by soft wisps of white that swept past them at a breath taking speed. Watching the world move by always gave Kim a thrill, there was something about viewing the world from a higher vantage point that never failed to get her blood pumping. Of course the speed the jet was traveling at more than likely had something to do with that as well. Shego seemed to be determined to make the jet go as fast as possible with little disregard to the sound barrier.
Shego had led her to the jet with a look of childish excitement that startled her. For an instant, while Shego was going through the pre-flight checks, she caught a glimpse of the child the older woman might have been. It was a playful side Kim was getting the opportunity to see in her usually brash and snarky companion.
Kim glanced to her left taking the opportunity to study the other woman. Completely focused on the view in front of her, attentiveness channeled to not crashing the jet. It was the same look Kim knew they both had when locked in the middle of a fight. Jaw set, eyebrows drawn in, a mix of determination and glee apparent in her eyes.
But as Kim watched Shego's eyes shifted to something else, the look in her eyes slowly fading away. Shego flipped several switches on the panel in front of her slowing the jet down and bringing them around the city that had been in the distance. They bypassed the airport heading instead for one of the larger houses that was sitting on the outskirts of a lake.
Shego had spent most of the evening explaining several things to Kim. Like the fact that her and her brothers were Irish. And that, for her family, Halloween wasn't so much a holiday, as it was a weeklong festival celebrating the Celtic version of New Years. Which had led to an even longer discussion where Shego attempted to explain as much about the festival as possible. Finally tapering off some time in the early morning with Kim leaning against Shego, fast asleep. They had been woken up hours later by Shego's alarm announcing the arrival of the jet.
Kim's head was still spinning from trying to sort out the explanations about bonfires and fortune telling and guising and a whole host of other traditions that only served to further confuse her. Earlier in the trip she had been able to drag a few more answers out of Shego but the miles had ticked by and the older woman had grown tense and distant. From her white knuckled grip on the yoke it was easy enough to see that she wanted to turn the jet around and fly in the opposite direction.
Instead, Kim watched her take a controlled breath and take the plane into and a turn that left them touching down with a slight jolt on the landing pad outside the house Shego had grown up in. Once her hands came off the landing gear Kim captured them, resting on her knees next to the pilot's seat.
"Nice flying Captain," Kim said with a mock salute. She started unbuckling the harness keeping Shego strapped to her seat, pausing to slap away the pale hands that attempted to stop her. Fixing a look of indignation onto her face, she wagged a finger before undoing the last restraint. Shego let a smile slip onto her face, Kim's gentle teasing distracting her from the fact that there was only a few hundred yards separating her from her family. Late night meetings with her mother and long distance phone calls were one thing, the thought of actually being face to face with her entire family once again was daunting to say the least. The smile Kim was aiming at her gave her just enough of a push to get out of the chair and strip off the flight suit. She waited for Kim to pull hers off as well, leaving them both in casual clothes, before grabbing the teen's hand. The contact was a balm to her frayed nerves, soothing her anxiety in a welcome manner.
"Come on Kimmie, let's get this over with," Shego said, hitting the button that opened the cabin door and lowered the jet way. A breeze kicked up around them bringing with it the familiar smell of home. Pine, spice, and freshly cut grass. Shego had to tug on Kim's hand a few times to get the red head to stop gaping at the house and actually move towards it.
Similar in size to the house they had been living in the building in front of them was two stories tall, which is where the similarities ended. Where the test house was all glass and steel, the home in front of them was a work of art in brick. Creating a structure that seemed to exude a calming, homey feeling.
"You grew up here?"
"Yes Princess." Shego's response was as unenthusiastic as she could make it, silently reveling in Kim's reaction.
"It's amazing Shego," Kim said, her breath held a breathless quality, her attention shifting from the grip Shego had on her hand to the house she hoped would shed some light on who Shego was. It was another couple steps before the icy tendrils of doubt slipped past the warm barrier Kim was creating. Everything was all too familiar. The porch, the grass, the plants her mother had grown for as long as she could remember. Shego's steps grew slower until she finally stopped a few feet away from the porch caught up in all the times she had walked the path they stood on. It took Kim a few moments to realize something was off, Shego's hand slipping from hers was the big giveaway.
Kim turned, mouth open to ask a question that got caught in her throat at the sight of Shego wide eyed and fidgeting. In dark jeans and a blue sweatshirt she looked years younger and Kim didn't bother to try and stop herself from reaching out.
"Shego." Kim placed a hand on Shego's upper arm, smiling when green eyes turned their attention to her. Shego glanced from Kim to the doorway and then back again, focusing on the redhead instead of the almost overwhelming urge to run.
"Kimmie, I don't think I can do this," Shego said.
"Well it's a good thing we're doing this together." The hand on Shego's arm slid down until their fingertips were intertwined again. Kim's voice dropped to a mock whisper, "I don't know if you've heard but I can do anything."
A laugh bubbled up from deep within Shego breaking through the uncertainty pinning her in place. She gave Kim's hand a squeeze and moved forward with a whispered question.
"Together?"
Kim didn't hesitate, letting the warm rush of emotion push her forward in answer; she wrapped an arm around Shego's waist as they continued up the steps. It was that easy. Just a simple gesture from Kim and the thought of being surrounded by her family again didn't seem as daunting. Of course the feeling was still there, waiting to break out. But Kim's presence was acting as a buffer, pushing that feeling into a little glass bottle.
Well-known wood steps creaked in all the same places calming Shego's nerves. If she closed her eyes it could be like any walk home she had taken in her childhood. Like always a candle was lit in the front window and when she looked up the familiar glimmer of light on metal was there.
A crisp breeze blew past them heralded by the twinkling of the chimes that hung from the rafters. The sound garnered Kim's attention, green eyes looked Shego's way before Kim dragged her across the porch to get a better look. Shego settled for leaning against the nearest railing and simply watching Kim inspect the chime closest to her.
There were seven in total, each similar in design. One larger metal circle with six smaller circles hanging from it. It was the designs etched onto the discs that really stood out. Intricate knot work designs were carved into each circle by an obviously skilled hand. One pattern stood out the most tickling at the back of Kim's brain. She stepped forward, reaching a hand out to trace a pattern she knew all too well.
"Funny, I didn't think mine would still be there," Shego's voice sounded in her ear an instant before a warm body pressed in behind her. Shego's arm extended past her head gesturing to the other chimes. "When I was twelve I learned to make these in an arts and crafts class. It was right before my dad's birthday so I made him one."
Shego shrugged, reaching up to touch the chime above her, " the larger circle is for my dad." She tapped it drawing Kim's attention to the repeated knot work on the other chimes. "My mother, Hego, Mego, the Wegos, and. . . " She punctuated each name with a tap to the corresponding pattern, trailing off when she reached the pattern that marked the both of them.
"Us," Kim finished giving Shego a smile. She ran a finger over the soft skin of Shego's wrist, barely touching the tattoo Shego's long sleeves hid before letting her hand fall to her side. A rustling sound behind her and Shego was pulling Kim against her, long arms wrapping around Kim's waist. Kim reached out to trace the engraved patterns, recognizing the texture.
"You did this with your plasma."
Shego's heart skipped a beat at the simple statement, Kim's tone marked by surprise and awe. Shego had just begun to nod when a deep voice cut off her response.
"That she did, almost burnt her room down in the process."
For her credit Shego didn't jump at her father's sudden appearance. Her arms tightened around Kim and the redhead gave a her arms a squeeze. With a deep breath she released her hold and turned to look up into eyes identical to her own. They regarded each other for several minutes each taking in the subtle changes the years apart her brought along. Grey hair marked a temple that had been pitch black the last time Shego saw him. There were more lines on his face but his eyes were still the same, gentle and understanding.
"Welcome home Inion." A faint smile accompanied his words and Kim watched some of the tension leave Shego's body as the taller woman let out the breath she had been holding. Kim untangled the hand wrapped around her own, taking a step to the side and giving Shego a gentle push towards her father. Making a 'go on' gesture with her hands when questioning green eyes turned her way.
Shego moved forward, stopping just in front of her father with her hands balled into loose fists at her side. She searched his face for any kind of disappointment or anger, finding nothing but resolute happiness instead. Arms wrapped around her pulling her into a hug made up of all the things she'd missed about being home. It didn't make a difference that she was nearly the same height as him now, being in his arms again instantly transported her back to a time when she believed nothing could touch her if she was wrapped up in her father's arms. It was peppermint and wool and sunny days spent reading with him on the porch all over again.
Kim moved away from the pair looking out over the leaf strewn yard. She'd felt a warm rush of happiness at Shego's reaction, not sure what to expect from the thief's parents. With any luck some of her questions about Shego's past could be answered here. Maybe she could even get the full story behind her leaving Team Go instead of the "I don't want to talk about it" Shego had given her back at the safe house. Kim was sure that she would get her answers here, she could already see the similarities between Shego and her father, the older woman was practically a female version of him.
A breeze blew her hair back sending the chimes around her spinning. Kim closed her eyes tilting her head back to enjoy the tranquil sounds. An arm slid around her waist breaking her thoughts, pulling her towards the doorway and the man standing there. They stopped right in front of him, Kim shot a look up at the taller woman when Shego didn't remove her arm. Instead her grip tightened for a second before she gestured at the taller man.
"Pa, this is Kim Possible. Kim, this is my father Ardan Gowen." Kim stepped forward with a half smile and extended her arm, expecting the strong grip that circled her hand but not the tug that pulled her from Shego's grasp and into a tight hug.
"In this home we don't shake on anything." His deep voice tickled her ear and he held the hug for a moment longer before relinquishing her back into Shego's grasp. With a wave he led the way into the house. Arden's voice floated past Kim as she took in the decorations surrounding them, explaining that Shego's younger brothers would be arriving the next day.
The room around her filled her with an immediate sense of comfort. A coat rack stood off to the side of the door with jackets in varying colors and sizes, several mismatched sets of shoes were lined up at it's base. The entryway led to a large living room complete with a roaring fire and several cozy looking couches. Kim caught a glimpse of several frames scattered across various surfaces before her attention was diverted by the woman waiting for them.
With her arms crossed and a solid stance the older woman was fixing a very Shego stare at them, something Kim had been on the receiving end more times then she could count. Where the resemblance between Shego and her father had been all physical, she had obviously gotten all of her mannerisms from her mother. There were several tense seconds where they simply stood there before Ardan practically skipped forward, reaching out to pull the older woman into short dance, with an ease that made Shego narrow her eyes.
"There's nothing wrong with your leg, Pa." Shego growled, forgetting that she had an arm wrapped around Kim as she stepped forward dragging the redhead along.
"Did I say he broke his leg? I meant his toe," Her mother explained matching the glare that usually sent lesser men running. Even with the light accent coating the older woman's words the inflection was all too familiar to Kim. With the two of them facing off with one and other, postures identical, Kim couldn't help the laugh that escaped her, effectively breaking up the tense staring contest. Kim snapped a hand over her mouth as blue and green eyes pinned her to the spot, a deep chuckle escaped Ardan and after a moment Kim caught his eye and joined in. Another moment and Shego's mother joined in as well, filling the living room with sounds she hadn't heard in years.
Her eyes found Kim in that moment, red cheeks and green eyes flashing in delight, she had a second to deal with the warm feeling rushing through her before her father pulled her into a tight hug that was joined by her mother's slight form. Sandwiched between the two of them a pang of regret ripped through her. There had been moments over the years where memories of her family would rise up, leaving her feeling empty and alone. A feeling that that never quite left her, always hiding at the edges of her perception. But stuck between her parents she couldn't even feel it anymore. Instead she found an abundant amount of understanding and belonging that hadn't been present over the last six years.
With a final squeeze she pulled away, turning back towards Kim to give her parents a few moments. She watched the redhead for a moment as she studied the photos lining one of the walls Shego could just make out several of her and she took a step forward to do some kind of damage control. A hand on her arm halted the movement and she found her mother pulling her back, unwilling to relinquish her hold. She placed her own hand over the one on her arm to stall the words she knew were running through her mothers mind.
"I'm not going anywhere Matheir, I promise." After a moments hesitation the older woman removed her hand, turning her attention to the younger girl instead.
"So this is the infamous Kim Possible," Shego's eyes widened at her mothers words just missing the playful glint in her eyes, "We've heard quite a bit about you."
Kim spun on her heel at the sound of her name, eyes widening as she sent a pleading glance Shego's way. Which she took as her cue to step in cutting off her mothers approach on the redhead and pulling Kim towards the stairs instead.
"Yeah, well it was a long flight so I'm going to show Kim where the guest room is and then we can all catch up later." With the arm not firmly around the redhead she grabbed the bags that were sitting at the base of the stairs and led Kim to the second landing, not releasing her hold until they turned a corner. With her parents out of sight Shego let out a sigh that was cut off when Kim smacked her on the arm.
"They've heard a lot about me? What exactly have they heard?" Kim softened the questions with a teasing smile and a soft poke to Shego's chest. "Is that what all of those late night phone calls were about?" Shego's eyes narrowed in answer before she moved past the teen, leading the way down the hallway and to the first room on the right.
"My Mother asks a lot of questions Kimmie," Shego said as she guided Kim into the room. "I needed to explain some things to her to pull everything off." She gestured to the room around them clearly ending the conversation. Kim let it go taking in the room instead.
This room was completely different from the rooms in the other house, it was clear that care had been taken to make the room feel like home. The curtains wafted slightly in the breeze from the open window brining in the fresh crisp smell of fall. There was a blanket on the edge of the bed that was clearly handmade and well loved. Kim glanced at Shego who had moved to the dresser that stood opposite the bed. The tension she had noticed during the flight seemed to have seeped back into the older woman's body.
"Shego." Kim's voice was low carrying just enough to get Shego's attention and pull her concentration away from unpacking. Shego turned, taking in the teen as she sat on the edge of the bed, patting the space next to her in clear invitation. " While I think it's awesome that you want to put my stuff away for me, I promise I can do it myself."
That comment got a smile from the taler woman and Kim let out a sigh as Shego finally looked at her again a smile spreading across her face.
" Well I don't know about that, Princess, it looked like your fancy room could pick up after itself."
That got her a poke in the side, that turned into a tickle and left both women falling onto the bed in a heap. They were both a little breathless they sat up, Kim red in the face and Shego smiling harder than she could remember ever doing. The moment was broken as the red head stretched slightly and let out a yawn.
"All right Kimmie, I think it's time for us to get some rest. If I know my Mother well enough we'e going to be busy for the next week."
"Pssh. What's a few chores and decorations when you're normally saving the world twice a week."
Shego let out a laugh and slid off the bed. Kim mirrored Shego as she moved off of the bed and pulled the sheets back. Kim walked to the dresser, grabbing a pair of loose shorts and a tank top to sleep in. When she turned around Shego was already moving to leave the room.
"Wait, will you stay, just . . . Until I fall asleep?"
Shego hesitated for just a second, knowing the teasing she would get from her mother the next day, before she turned grabbing her own set of sleep clothes before showing Kim where the bathroom was, and then changing herself. Shego waited for Kim to slide into the bed and get comfortable before joining her. Shego waited a few moments before glancing at the red head just in time to see her glance away. She let out a sigh and then rolled onto her side, reaching out to pull the red head into her arms. A startled noise escaped Kim at the sudden move before she let herself press against Shego, enjoying the added warmth and the comforting feeling of being held.
Shego smiled as she felt Kim's body slowly relax into sleep, she rested her head against the pillow for a moment counting the seconds before she would head to her own room.