Chapter 9: "Chaperon"
One thing Kim realized from the first two weeks of living in with her arch nemesis was that Shego was not a morning person. Not only was she easily irritable in the mornings, she was very prone to snapping at any one who dares start a conversation with her. Kim learned the hard way that it was better to try communicating with Shego after she had at least two cups of coffee on one particular morning. The teen hero was lucky to escape the house without a single coffee stain on her clothing after Shego had gallingly hurled her half-empty mug of coffee at her. She learned that scolding and hurrying Shego in the mornings was one of those things she should not do if she valued her life.
It was rather difficult to adapt to the villainess' on and off, hot and cold attitude. Shego had always been a temperamental being and had a short fuse. Despite the short tempers and Shego's regular supply of insults and rants, Kim knew that her protector did her job to the best of her abilities although it was often seen done in disdain. She saw it whenever she'd leave a grumpy Shego behind to go to school, but would end up seeing her ten minutes later leaning against a nearby school building or stretched out on a thick branch of a tree hidden by the cover of leaves and other branches, watching Kim with those deep emerald green orbs. She heard it whenever the green-hued woman would silently push the door of the guestroom open to check on her charge in the wee hours of morning. Shego kept her promise of buying a bed and converting one of the spare rooms on the second floor into a bedroom for her charge. Of course, Kim knew better than to ask the villainess the reason behind her actions. She'd rather let Shego think that she was fast asleep whenever she'd check on her at night.
In the late afternoons and evenings, Kim would usually do all her schoolwork before heading down to the main floor to either make or eat dinner. She and her protector had come to terms regarding who would make dinner since they both took lunch separately and they didn't need to cook for breakfast. Kim wasn't a gifted cook, but she knew the basics thanks to some lessons from Ron. On the other hand, Shego didn't want to give Kim too many liberties on the matter and limited her to cooking only on the weekends. The villainess was particularly adept working in the kitchen to Kim's surprise. Not only did Shego have an arsenal of weapons, equipment and fighting techniques, she also had quite an arsenal of recipes. Conversation at the table was also very limited. Often than not, the only talk that went on during dinner was where Kim was going the next day and if Shego approved of it or not.
That was another problem Kim had with her protector. Shego may have been hired to protect Kim, which entailed following her around, but Shego thought otherwise. If the villainess didn't approve of where Kim was going the next day, she wouldn't allow her to leave the house. The teen hero could only fume silently as Shego waved off her arguments and simply explained that it was too much of a hassle and that it would be difficult to protect her. The only times Shego went along with Kim willingly and without any trouble were during missions, school, appointments with Global Justice and visits to her Middleton home. Even in the Possible home, Kim could not convince the villainess to come inside and wait for her to finish visiting her family. She would always end up finding her protector either tuning up her bike on the driveway or seated at the doorstep, filing her nails or leafing through a magazine.
Kim could not help but feel irritated at the older woman, but as the weeks went by her thoughts about the matter started to change. She rarely lost her patience now and learned to live with Shego's moods. She was adapting quite nicely to the changes in her life except for one little thing. The only problem was that she wasn't too sure what it was, but she'd be reminded of it whenever she caught herself gazing too long at the raven-haired woman.
"Hey Shego…"
"Hmmmm?"
Kim sighed and turned her eyes away from the television. "Shego…" she tried again, knowing that the villainess wasn't really paying attention to her.
"What is it, princess?" The raven-haired woman asked, not taking her eyes away from the television. After cleaning up after their dinner, Shego had immediately settled down in the living room to watch some evening shows. Kim had followed suit after finishing all her schoolwork. They usually spent their evenings like this, sitting side by side on the couch and watching a variety of shows until one of them tired from it.
Kim frowned. "Why do you always call me by that?"
"Yeah? Which would you prefer?" Shego asked, looking at Kim with the corners of her eyes. "Princess? Kimmie? Or Pumpkin?" She covered a yawn with her hand and stretched out her legs.
"Neither," Kim replied flatly. "Seriously Shego! Stop treating me like a kid!" She scowled at the older woman, bringing up her feet to the couch and hugging her knees to her chest. "Can you stop with your teasing first and hear me out for a few seconds?"
"Serious talk huh?" Shego muted the television and twisted in her seat to get a better look of her charge. "Alright Kimmie, what do you want to talk about?" she asked the girl, a look of interest on her face.
"Could we please do something about this relationship?" Kim asked.
Shego raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What relationship?"
"Our relationship," Kim replied.
"Why princess! You want to take our relationship to the next level?" Shego smirked as she watched the redhead thrust away from her. "Aren't you kind of in a rush? We haven't even gone on a date yet," she teased, silently enjoying how she was making Kim so flustered.
"I didn't mean it that way!" Kim cried out, cheeks flushing crimson. "Could you please put the teasing aside and just listen to what I have to say?" she asked.
Shego chuckled and locked her hands behind her head. "I'm listening."
"Look. With the way things are, it looks like I'm going to be staying with for you more than a few months," Kim began, feeling a bit unsure of why she was bringing this up. "If we're going to be living together for that long, then I'd at least like to have a working relationship with you." The redhead ignored the strange look on the other woman's face. "As friends of course," she added quickly.
Shego stared at Kim for a few seconds before turning her attention back at the television screen. "Not interested," she told the girl. She seriously didn't want to agree with her. In some way, this was taking it to the next level of their relationship. The only relationship they had was their on and off fighting as hero and criminal. She didn't bother to count that time when she Electronique had modified her personality and changed her into Miss Go.
"Why not?" Kim demanded. "Turn the TV off!" She tried to grab the remote from her protector's hands.
"Who made you the boss here?" Shego retorted, holding the remote control out of Kim's reach. There was a short scuffle between the two women with Kim falling over Shego's body at the end. Shego raised her eyebrows as she locked gazes with her redheaded charge who was pressed against her chest. She struggled to come up with a snide remark, but her mind fumbled with the task. She was pulled in by those deep jade green eyes and the feel of those soft curves pressed against her body. It was her cellphone that finally snapped her out of her thoughts. "Enjoying yourself, princess?" she snapped, watching in relief as her charge immediately jumped off. To her surprise, the teen hero did not answer back. "Something wrong?"
"I was serious about what I said, Shego," Kim blurted out, trying her best to ignore the heat in her cheeks.
Shego tapped her fingers against the arm of the couch. "You mean about being… friends?" she clarified. Of course, she knew what the girl was talking about. If she were in her place, Shego would have felt awkward keeping a strict professional relationship with the person hired to protect her. "I don't know, Kimmie," she admitted with a frown.
"Why are you hesitant about this? We're just going to be friends right?" Kim demanded.
Shego sighed. "It's not that simple," she told the girl patiently. "I'd rather keep looking at this as a job. Besides, there's still one important factor that you're forgetting."
"What's that?"
Shego rolled her eyes. Why was Kim being so difficult? "Hello! You're a hero and I'm a criminal!" she let out sarcastically. "Even if I did agree to go with this whole friends thing, the time and effort that we will both put into your plan would be a complete waste after this job is done and over with!" The villainess crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll go back to being a criminal and you'll be chasing after me again."
"That doesn't matter to me," Kim replied, standing in front of the seated villainess with her hands on her hips. "I still want to try anyway. I don't really care that after your job is over, you and I will go back to being arch foes. I want to be friends, Shego," she told the older woman who was still shaking her head. "You've done so much for me already."
Shego covered her eyes with one hand. "If it's going to make you quiet down, then fine," she muttered. "We could go for this arrangement then." Her hand dropped and she stared hard at her charge. "I'm not promising anything though, Kimmie," she added. "You're still annoying and-"
"That's fine, Shego," Kim interrupted, softly smiling. "I can live with that for now." She held back a yawn and stretched her arms. "I think I'll head off to bed first," she announced, making her way to the stairs. "Oh by the way Shego," Kim added. "I'm going out tomorrow."
"Where are you off to now? I hardly get any rest on the weekdays from having to follow you around all the time and now you want to take away my weekends?" Shego complained. She wasn't complaining just to be difficult. She was rather worn out doing her job. During the week, she had to tag-a-long with Kim on two consecutive missions in one day. It didn't help that those two missions were on different ends of the earth.
Kim ignored the annoyed expression on her protector's face. "I'm going out on a date with Ron. Well, it's more like a date with him plus hanging out with another friend," she corrected herself.
"So if you're going out with the buffoon, who's the friend that's coming along?" Shego asked, running a hand over one chiseled arm.
"Tai," Kim answered. "I've been wanting to introduce her to Ron for quite some time now and tomorrow seems to be the best time to do that." She raised an eyebrow at the villainess. "And can you stop calling my boyfriend a buffoon?"
"I'll call him whatever I like," Shego retorted. "I still wonder why you ended up falling for him," she muttered, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "That Mankey boy seemed to be a better catch and you could also consider Eric a better one too if you disregard his being a syntho-drone."
Kim's cheeks flushed both in embarrassment and in anger. "Ron has been my best friend since kindergarten!" she rounded on the ex-hero. "He's been there for me always and has saved me so many times!"
"Not to mention, he constantly makes a fool of himself," Shego pointed out, returning Kim's glare with a wry smile. "Face it Kimmie. There are probably a million other people including myself who continue to question the relationship you have with the buffoon."
"His name is Ron!" Kim shouted, she turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs. She was fuming at how Shego disregarded Ron and even made fun of him. Why did Shego have to say those things anyway? "If you're going to do nothing but trash him, then I don't want to see you tomorrow at the Go City Mall!" She slammed her bedroom door behind her, leaving an amused Shego behind.
"If you didn't want me to follow you, then you shouldn't have told me where you were going to hang out tomorrow," Shego murmured, pointing the remote at the television and switching it off.
"Kim, you're twitching like an epileptic," Ron remarked, cocking his head to the side and eying his girlfriend.
The teen hero flinched at the comment and forced herself to relax. Only an hour had gone by since she had met up with Ron at the Go City Mall and she couldn't help but feel restless. The previous night, she realized her stupidity after she had locked herself up inside her bedroom. Kim had expressed that she did not want Shego to be following her today, but ended up blabbing out the location of her date with Ron. "Sorry," she apologized, leaning back against her seat at an outdoor coffee shop.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked. "Are you expecting a criminal to pop out of nowhere today?"
"Not quite," Kim replied, smiling dryly at the blonde-haired boy. "Don't mind me. I'm just feeling a little worried that something might spoil our date like what happened the last time," she reasoned out, eyebrows furrowing at the blank look on her boyfriend's face. "Ron!" she let out in exasperation.
"Huh?" The boy blinked and slapped his forehead. "Oh you mean that time when that cyborg freak made his first appearance!" He laughed nervously for a few moments before clearing his throat. "So how have you been doing?" he asked, brown eyes softly settling on her. "I missed you when you were back at Middleton a few weeks ago. Your mom explained that you already had something planned out."
Kim sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Sorry about that," she apologized.
"What where you going to do anyway that time?" Ron took a long sip from his iced coffee drink. "Oh and I heard that you have a bodyguard. Where is he anyway?" He began to twist around in his seat, checking out his surroundings for to so-called bodyguard.
"Never mind the bodyguard and what I was doing at that time," Kim told the boy, nervously looking around herself. She hoped that Shego wasn't around and that Ron wouldn't spot her if ever she was in the area. Ron still had no idea that her hired bodyguard is actually her arch-nemesis and that she currently resided in her home. "I'd rather know if you have any plans for the Christmas break. It is going to start next week."
Ron smiled and shook his head. "Nope! Not doing anything at all!" he replied with a wink. "I did it that way so that you and I could spend time together!"
Kim smiled and reached out to place her hand in Ron's. "I'd like that," she admitted, turning her head when the corners of her eyes caught sight of a familiar dark-haired girl coming towards their table. "Tai!" She stuck her hand out in the air and waved to the football player who was leading along a young boy who looked to be six or seven years old. "I didn't know you were bringing someone along," she told the other girl when they she reached their table.
Tai smiled at the redhead and gently ruffled the boy's ebony-brown hair. "Sorry 'bout this, but I just realized this morning that my parents were going to drop of my little brother for a weekend visit." She gently pushed the little boy forward. "Say hi to Kim, Vaughn."
The boy looked up and shyly smiled at the redhead before stepping back and hiding behind his big sister's long legs.
"He's a shy guy, huh?" Ron remarked, peering at the little boy with kind eyes. "He certainly looks like you though," he told the girl, getting to his feet and offering his hand.
Kim took over for the introductions as Tai shook hands with her boyfriend. "Tai this is Ron," she introduced. "Ron this is Tai." She hauled two chairs to their table and motioned for the brother and sister to take their seats. To the little boy, Kim said, "Hi Vaughn, I'm Kim Possible." She gave him a warm smile and stuck her hand out to him, which he shook. "Have you been enjoying yourself so far here in Go City?"
The boy nodded his head and let out wide grin, showing that he was missing a tooth. "Sis has been taking me around and she promised that she'd take me to the big toy store later on!" he told them in a high-pitched voice. "Is it true that the toy store in this mall is the biggest in the world?"
Kim pretended not to notice that Tai ducked her head in embarrassment and that Ron was laughing. It was clear that her friend had been exaggerating to her younger brother. "Well, it's definitely one of the biggest," Kim mused. "It's also usually one of the first stores to receive stock of the newest toys," she assured both the young boy and his older sister.
"Cool!" Vaughn exclaimed, swinging his legs underneath his chair. "Can we go now, Sis?" He bounced excitedly in his seat.
"In a while, Vaughn," Tai told her brother patiently and flagged down a passing waiter. "I'll have this," she pointed out what she wanted in the menu to the waiter before turning to the boy at her side. "Do you want anything?" she asked him.
"Oatmeal cookie and milk please!"
"Coming right up!" The waiter replied with a smile before heading inside the coffee shop.
Tai let out a sigh of relief. "I was just about to ask if they did have oatmeal cookies in their menu," she said wearily, reaching down to knead her calves. "He always orders the same thing at any coffee shop."
"Training?" Kim asked. "She's in the football team of Go University," she told Ron who was just about to ask. "You guys have been stepping up the training for the past few weeks," she pointed out.
"There's a tournament coming up and we mean to win it this year," Tai explained, sitting up as the waiter approached their table balancing a laden tray on one hand. "Thanks," she told him and set the glass of milk and the oatmeal cookie in front of her younger brother before claiming her own drink. "Anyway, I'd like to interview your boyfriend for a while."
Ron look startled. "Who me?"
"Yes you!" Tai laughed, leaning her arms against the edge of the table. "I heard that while Kim studies in Go University with me, you're enrolled at a culinary institute at Middleton," she recounted. "So what exactly are you learning now? Kim mentioned to me once that you were a particularly good cook!"
The blonde-haired boy waved off the compliment, his cheeks slightly reddening. "Oh we're doing a French cuisine course right now and I'm supposed to be having an exam next week before we go off for Christmas vacation," Ron explained to the athlete. "When I get back from the break, we'll be taking up south east Asian cuisine."
"How about a demo some time?" Tai asked.
Ron grinned. "I wouldn't mind. Just plan something out with Kim and I'll figure out what to cook up for you guys whenever that time comes!"
"Me too?" Vaughn chirped, crumbs falling from his lips.
"You're welcome to come along!" Ron told the boy as Tai scrubbed the face of her younger brother. "I just learned how to make a killer dessert crepe and I'm sure you'd like it."
"Wow! I can't wait to try that!" Vaughn exclaimed before hopping down from his seat. "Sis, can I peek through that pet shop's window?" He pointed down the street.
"I don't know," Tai said with a frown as she checked her watch. "I should probably go along with you." Before she could make up her mind, Ron had gotten out of his chair.
"I'll accompany him," he offered as Rufus stuck his head out of Ron's pocket. "I need to buy some stuff anyway for Rufus at the store." He held onto Vaughn's hand and allowed the boy to tow him down the street towards the pet store.
When the two boys disappeared into the store, Tai focused her amber eyes at Kim. "I went over to your apartment to drop something off, but the housekeeper said that you no longer lived there," she told the teen hero. "Where exactly are you living now anyway?"
Kim shook her head. "It's better if you didn't know, but my moving does have something to do with the whole cyborg incident," she told her friend. "You don't have to worry though. I'm perfectly safe at the place I'm staying at despite how people would perceive it in a different manner if they knew the truth."
"I suppose I can't convince you to tell me?" Tai asked, grinning at the look Kim gave her. "No? Oh well, it's not my business to pry such confidential information from you anyway." The football player gulped down the remainder of her drink and glance down the street. "I wonder what's taking them so long?" she wondered aloud.
The redhead shrugged her shoulders and fixed the collar of her jacket to fit more snuggly around her neck. "You know how kids are in a pet store. They go all gooey-eyed at puppies and the like," she hypothesized. "Well, my brothers were an exception," she corrected herself. "They went all gooey-eyed in a tech store."
Tai could not help but laugh at what her friend said. "As for Vaughn, I highly doubt he's stuck on the puppies or kittens. He hinted to me that he liked the reptiles more," she explained. "I also doubt that my parents would appreciate a reptile running amok in our house," she added with a shiver. "I never liked anything with scales."
"Anyway, I've been hearing things that you've been hanging around that shady biker woman," Tai said, interest twinkling in her eyes. "Have you found out who your mysterious knight in errr…." She struggled to come up with the right description. "… shiny black racing suit is yet?" she continued with a grin.
Kim blushed and shook her head fervently. "N-No!" she let out in a stammer. Now wasn't the right time to let the whole world know what was going on between her and Shego. Besides, the villainess would prove to be quite unhappy if she were to find out that the cat was out of the bag. "I still have no idea who she is," she lied, hoping that her face wasn't giving her away.
Tai looked at her inquisitively before shrugging her shoulders. "I guess she just doesn't want to be known and acknowledged," she guessed. It was uncertain that the athlete sensed that her friend was lying. "The police have been asking people and scouring the neighborhood for her though," she informed the teen hero, who looked surprised. "She is a suspicious character and illegally possesses a variety of weapons," she reminded the other girl.
"Oh." Kim frowned and fixed it in her mind to inform Shego about the cops. "Anyway, why don't we pay up and head over to the pet store to check out why Ron and your brother are taking so long?" she suggested, waving their waiter over and promptly paying for their purchases.
"Sounds good," Tai agreed as she got to her feet and flexed her calf muscles. As she and Kim made their way down the sidewalk, Tai rubbed her ears. "Is it just me or am I really hearing a ringing sound?" she asked, looking uncomfortable.
"Ringing?" Kim looked around warily as she too heard the eerie ringing sound that was steadily getting louder. "I hear sirens," Kim confirmed. "But that strange ringing is definitely not coming from that." When they were a few yards away from the pet store, Kim realized that the ringing sound vaguely reminded her of a laser weapon that was just about to be fired. Snapping her head to look to the skies, Kim saw a large doomsday laser weapon aimed at them from atop a building. "Get out of the way!" she shouted at Tai, diving forward and shoving Tai out of the blast zone. The pavement behind them exploded as Kim and Tai sprawled over each other out of harm's way.
"Did you honestly think that a prison would keep me from accomplishing my goals, Kim Possible?" A familiar accented voice boomed from above them.
"Oh why now?" Kim complained as she flipped back up onto her feet and glared up at the diminutive masked criminal whom she brought down in her Finland mission. "Professor Dementor! Can't you for once enjoy the confines of your high security cell at prison?" she demanded, motioning for Tai to get up and find cover.
"Enjoy my prison cell? Bah! I much rather enjoy committing crimes particularly having my henchmen loot a precious stones and jewels convention while I distract you with this!" The professor jumped behind the large laser and aimed it down at Kim. "Hold still while I lock onto your heat signature!"
"You wish!" Kim muttered, leaping to the side and into a narrow alleyway. She listened to the frustrated shouts of the man as he searched for his quarry. The walls of the alley were close enough for her to use with ease so she wall-kicked her way up seven stories before landing on slightly bent knees on the rooftop. "Looking for someone?" She smiled sweetly at the former rival of Doctor Drakken. "Are you sure it was the right thing to do to come here just to distract me?" she asked, dusting her knees. "If you didn't do that, then I suppose you and your henchmen would be on your way back to headquarter with the loot you've stolen."
"I have half the mind to laser that petty mouth of yours, Kim Possible!" Dementor said in annoyance, turning the laser around with an effort and aiming it at the redhead. "But you do have a point now that I think about it," the professor admitted, momentarily distracted from what he was supposed to do. "If I did forego this distraction, my henchmen and I would most likely be on our way out of the city." He rubbed his chin in thought, not noticing that the teen hero was rolling her eyes at him.
"Regret does last a long time," Kim remarked, sprinting forward with her fists raised before her. "I'd tell you though that it's a bit too late to gloat over a decision you've already made!" As the ringing sound amplified, Kim's uppercut connected solidly with the criminal's jaw as her foot sank into the soft flesh of the small man's belly. As Dementor staggered back, Kim first heard then saw the approach of a large jet filled with the professor's henchmen.
"Retreat with the loot!" Dementor shouted as he pressed a few more buttons on the laser weapon. "You should have knocked me off the roof when you had the chance!" he told the redhead with a maniacal grin. "I've already locked the laser onto your heat signature and it won't stop firing until you're burnt to a crisp!" He grabbed hold of a rope ladder dangling down from his jet and signaled for his men to pull him up. "Until we meet again Kim Possible!" Dementor bade her goodbye as the rope ladder pulled away from the building.
"I don't think so!" Kim muttered under her breath as she threw her body to the right just as a deadly beam sliced through the space she just stood in. Sprinting forward and dodging the onslaught of laser beams, Kim made her way to the edge of the roof. Leaping onto the low barrier, the redhead propelled herself forward and off the roof and managed to grab onto the last rung on the rope ladder.
"Cut the ropes!" One of the henchmen shouted.
"No you idiots!" Dementor barked up at them. "Not when I'm still on the ladder!"
Kim hid a smile of amusement as she scrambled up the ladder, catching up quickly to the Professor who was already pulling himself into the jet. Another laser beam singed the edge of her jeans while the rest of it cut through the ladder below her. "Oh come on! I just bought these jeans!" she growled, grabbing hold of the edge of the jet and pulling herself inside. Not wasting any time, Kim began her tussle with the five henchmen who all simultaneously lunged at her. Ducking and rolling out of the way, the men's heads smashed together before they sprawled out on the small floor. The redhead got back on her feet and looked out of the hatch. "Wait for it," she murmured, eying the laser weapon on the roof. "Time to bail!" She dove out of the jet just as the machine blasted a laser beam at the jet. As the aircraft exploded and burst into flames, Kim safely landed on an extended awning, bouncing a few times before sliding off its edge and onto the firm ground.
"Kim! Are you alright?" Ron shouted as Dementor and his men flew out of the burning jet with their jetpacks. "They're escaping with the stolen goods!" he exclaimed just as the just as the jet exploded and showered them with dangerous metal debris. One particular chunk of metal embedded itself in Dementor's laser weapon causing it to spark and burst into flame. "I don't like the looks of this!"
Ron stated. "It's going haywire! Head for cover!" he yelled, Tai into another alleyway while Kim followed suit.
"Sis! I'm scared!" Vaughn cried out, trembling in the middle of the road. Like Ron, he ran out of the store to check what was happening outside. Apparently, the whole spectacle was too much for him and now he was frozen in fear.
Tai struggled to get out of Ron's hold. "Vaughn! Come here!" she yelled.
"I can't move!" Tears streamed down the boy's ashen cheeks. "Help me!"
Tai looked desperately at the redhead who had stopped in her tracks. "Kim! My brother!"
"I'm on it!" Kim replied, swiftly turning around and readying herself for the mad sprint. Before her feet could start moving, she heard the familiar ringing sound emanating from the laser and felt her heart beat freeze. I won't make it! she thought just as the roar of a motorcycle's engines filled her ears.
As the laser blasted a deadly beam, the disguised Shego came roaring out from around the corner and speeded towards the frozen child. She managed to scoop the youngster out of harm's way just as the laser beam made contact with the road. Whipping out her automatic Beretta gun, Shego took aim at the malfunctioning weapon and unloaded a barrage of bullets at it until it finally exploded. Seeing that everything was fine, the villainess sharply turned her bike and gripped the brake handle hard, sending the bike to a skidding halt.
The redhead let out a relieved sigh as she and Tai jogged over to where her protector stood, avoiding the burning debris littering the road. Tai beat her in a run and took her younger brother from the racing suit-clad woman.
"Don't ever do that again!" Tai scolded, her voice shaking as she hugged the tearing boy. "You don't just run outside when there's a battle going on!" Vaughn could not speak so he continued to bawl into his older sister's chest. "There, there," she cooed, carrying the boy over to the sidewalk and sitting down on the ground. "Stop crying already."
When her friend and her brother were out of earshot, Kim marched up to Shego and glared hard at her. "I told you not to follow me today," she hissed, feeling contradictory feelings within her.
Shego blinked at her charge then returned the glare with a smoldering glare of her own. "Excuse me?! If I didn't disobey your orders and disregarded my duty to protect you, then that kid would be just a pile of ash now!" she said angrily.
"I would have been able to save him if you didn't show up!" Kim retorted. Why was she arguing with Shego anyway? She should be thanking her for saving Vaughn from getting burned to a crisp.
Shego threw up her arms in exasperation. "Well sorry if I rained down on your parade, princess," she told the shorter girl in sarcasm and in irritation. "I didn't realize that you cared so much about the recognition you get from saving defenseless kids!" Revving her bike's engines, Shego hastily fixed the collar of her leather jacket then gripped the handlebars. "I know when I'm not wanted," she growled to Kim before racing down the road and swerving into a nearby street.
Kim frowned deeply as she struggled to control the conflicting emotions within her. There was no reason for her to pick a fight with her protector. Shego was just doing her job and helping her out in a since she was in a pinch. How was she going to face her later on at her apartment?
"Kim!" Ron trotted over to his girlfriend and gathered her up in his arms. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking Kim over for any injuries. "Who was that?" He looked down the road the biker had taken. "Some good Samaritan who happened to be in the area?"
The auburn-haired girl shook her head and pulled away from Ron. "Probably," she replied absently as thoughts raced through her head. "Ron, can you take care of things here?" she asked. "The police should be getting here any minute now and I thought I saw one of Professor Dementor's henchmen drop a sack while they were escaping." The distant sounds of sirens grew louder and louder. "Will you do it?"
Ron nodded his head. "I'll take care of things here then." He swiftly pecked Kim on her lips before striding off in the opposite direction.
While Ron waited for the police to arrive, Kim ran down the street and headed towards the area where she thought she saw the sack drop from the air. If she was right, the sack would contain all or perhaps just part of the stolen stones and jewels from the convention Professor Dementor's men raided. It took her a few minutes to arrive at the place, but when she did, she was already beaten to it by a large group of cameramen and reporters. There was also a lone police cruiser parked on the street and two policemen surrounded by the media. One of the men held an opened sack filled with an assortment of jewels while the other man tried his best to answer the questions of the reporters.
"Our chief and the rest of our unit are at the crime scene right now," one policeman explained, flinching at the bright flashes coming from the cameras. "If you want to get details, then we suggest that you head over there now before they head off. We're only here to retrieve the stolen jewels and return them to its owners."
Now was the time for Kim to sneak away before the media spotted her. She had a feeling that they were going to bombard her with questions if she got caught by them. She slowly walked backwards, hoping that none of the reporters would spot her. Unfortunately, it was the policeman who spotted her first.
"Miss Possible! If you're looking for the jewels, we already got them!" He waved at the redhead.
"Kim Possible!" One reporter exclaimed and pushed his way out of the crowd to get to the renowned crime fighter. "Can you answer some of our questions?"
"Is it true that Professor Dementor was behind this crime?" A female reporter raised her voice to be heard over the group of media people's noise.
"How about the word that a little boy was killed?" Another reporter asked.
Kim backed away and thought about whether to say and answer their questions. "Ummm…" she started as the group of reporters came closer and closer. She certainly didn't want to stay long enough to find out if she was going to escape their questioning alive. "Sorry! I've got to go and… follow Professor Dementor," she lied, turning on her heel and sprinting in the opposite direction.
"Wait!"
The redhead cursed silently as she ran away from the news reporters. She had already ran down the length of two streets, when she realized that the reporters were still pursuing her. Some of them were chasing after her on their feet the others were in vans. She turned right on another street and looked over her shoulder to check if she would be followed. Suddenly, two arms snapped out of the mouth of narrow alleyway, grabbed the teen hero and dragged her into its dark confines. Kim struggled against her captor's hold and opened her mouth to scream when a hand clamped over her mouth.
"Will you keep quiet?" A familiar voice whispered harshly at her. "They'll figure out that you're in here and we'll be trapped if they find us!" Shego slowly retracted her hand and pulled Kim into a tight niche formed by two buildings that stood side by side. "Stay still and not a sound!" the villainess ordered, pressing Kim against her chest.
Kim struggled to breathe not because of the tightness of the space she was in, but because of her extreme closeness to Shego. In that small niche, she was pinned against Shego's body in such a close manner that their torsos were practically in contact with each other. The auburn-haired girl could not figure out whether the frantic beating she felt and heard was her own heartbeat or the heartbeat of her protector. Trying to control her emotions, Kim did as she was told and waited quietly until the motorcade of reporters passed the alleyway.
As soon as she felt that the coast was clear, Shego pushed Kim out of the tight niche before getting out herself. "This just great," Shego muttered, dusting the front of her jacket while Kim stared at her. "These reporters are pretty much going to be like your own set of paparazzi, Kimmie," she told the girl. "I can't risk having them following you back to my home and sooner or later they're going to end up doing that. These reporters are starting to pry too much in your business especially since Balken Steel appeared and I doubt they'll be letting up any time soon."
Kim took in a deep breath. "What do you suggest then?" she asked, forgetting her previous anger with the villainess.
Shego reached up and zipped down the collar of her jacket. "We should lay low for a while," she replied, gently running her fingers over her cheek. "Head out of the city for a while until things die down enough for us to return," she continued.
"But where and for how long?" Kim asked, making her way to the mouth of the alley and sticking her head out to check if the coast was indeed clear.
"It might be best if we left for the duration of your Christmas vacation," Shego replied. "As for where we'll be going, there's an old friend who will surely accommodate us for a month or so." Shego walked deeper into the alley and kicked some empty cardboard boxes away, which hid her bike.
Kim frowned. "But I have plans for the Christmas vacation!" Kim complained, walking back into the alley and standing in front of the taller woman. "Can't we just head over to Middleton?" she asked. If they decided to lay low in her hometown, then she would be able to spend time with Ron.
Shego shook her head. "Princess, that's the first place they'll look if they can't find you here in Go City," she reminded the younger girl. "We need to head out of the country and we should probably head to the airport now."
"What about our clothes?"
The villainess ignited her engines. "If we head back to my apartment, we risk being spotted. Seriously Kimmie! That red hair of yours can be spotted from thousands of miles away!" Shego beckoned the teen hero to hop on. "Don't worry about clothes, Kimmie," she told her charge in a more patient tone. "It's easy enough to get a full wardrobe in the place we're going to." She waited as the redhead sank behind her on the bike.
"Where are we going then?"
Shego maneuvered the bike out of the alley and gunned the gas hard. "To London."
The sun was rising on the horizon as the morning fog rolled into the waking city of London. A large digital clock hanging overhead in the airport's arrival section told the newly arrived travelers the time. It was half past seven and after eight hours of staying inside a crowded airbus, Shego was more than ready to snap at the next person who asks if her green skin was a sign of her nausea.
"Calm down, Shego," Kim told the older woman in a weary voice. She too was feeling quite tired after the long flight and the previous day's activities. "They don't know any better and they certainly have no idea that they're actually talking to an infamous criminal."
"Why do they always have to attach motion sickness to the color of my skin," Shego muttered, pulling up the collar of her jacket to shield her neck and face from the cold. "Come on. There should be a car rental in the area." She led Kim out of the airport and asked an elderly man for some directions. "I wish I could have taken my bike with me," she murmured.
Kim shook her head. "You love that bike too much and if you really want to ride a bike while we're here, then why not just rent one?" She followed Shego down the street and into a large car rental store. The parking lot boasted a variety of cars and motorcycles of different brands and models.
The ex-hero shook her head. "It rains often around here and at this time of the year, it's either rain, snow or plain cold weather," she told Kim. "Better to drive around in a car, protected by the elements instead of being exposed to them on a motorcycle." She pushed the door open and nodded a greeting to the cashier. "Got any nice sports cars that we could rent?"
"Quite a lot," the man replied, covering a yawn with his hand. "Do you have a particular model or car brand in mind?"
Ten minutes later, Kim found herself waving to the car rental attendant from the passenger seat of a Black Mazda RX-8 as Shego drove out of the parking lot and headed into the city. She wanted to ask Shego how much she was paying to rent such a nice car, but decided not to when the villainess casually handed her credit card to the attendant. The thought of Shego stealing the car instead of renting it lingered at the back of her head, but she quickly shook it off. "So where does this old friend of yours live?"
"Knightsbridge," Shego answered, glancing at the side mirrors before switching lanes. Even at this time of the morning, there was already some traffic. "Well, that's what I remember from six years ago," she added.
"Six years ago?!" Kim exclaimed. "Are you even sure that your friend is still living there?" she demanded. "And isn't Knightsbridge the part of London where the social elite reside in?" She was starting to wonder what kind of friend this old friend of Shego's was.
The villainess frowned, but continued to keep her eyes on the road before her. "I didn't really have time to contact him and yes I'm assuming he still lives there!" she told her charge. "Now stop asking questions and just enjoy the ride! You're distracting me! The car rental guy said that it'll take us around thirty minutes to get to Knightsbridge if we follow his directions. Why don't you take a nap?"
Kim wanted to argue some more with the raven-haired woman, but decided to take the suggestion. She was rather tired and a thirty-minute nap wouldn't be so bad. Reclining the seat, Kim leaned back and made herself comfortable before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. She awoke to a hand gently shaking her awake almost an hour later. "Are we here?"
Shego nodded and opened her car door. "This should be the place," she announced.
The redhead took off her seatbelt and stepped out of the vehicle only to goggle at the sight before her. "This is where your friend lives?" Her jaw dropped as she approached the large gates separating them from estate. "It's huge! How rich is this friend of yours anyway?" Kim peered through the wrought steel gates and made out a four-storey mansion at the distance that was surrounded by expansive gardens and a few other buildings.
"Quite rich obviously," Shego answered, walking towards a telecom device attached to a post. With one gloved hand, Shego pressed a button she assumed was the doorbell and waited. Half a minute had gone by when Shego pressed the button a few more times while Kim continued to gape at the estate. "How long does it take to answer anyway?" Shego growled, raising her finger once more to press the button. Suddenly, there was a crackle and the sound of a voice clearing his throat on the telecom's speaker.
"Good morning. May I help you?" A polite male voice greeted from the speaker.
Shego smirked, pressed her hand against the post and leaned forward to speak into the device. "Does the wallflower still live here?" she asked, making a face at Kim who had slapped her arm.
"Shego!" Kim scolded.
"What? I didn't mean anything bad by it and he really is a wallflower or was one back then!" The villainess argued in defense of herself.
There were a few moments of silence before the voice came back on. "Seven years have gone by, but I most certainly still recognize that sardonic voice," the man's voice sounded amused on the speaker. "Can that possibly be you, Miss Shannon?"
Once again, Kim goggled but this time at Shego. So her protector was right all along. Whoever lived at this house must have known Shego back when she was still younger and when most people still knew her by her real name. Kim eyed the small smile forming on Shego's lips. It definitely must be a good friend of hers if she was this happy.
"Hello Antonio," Shego greeted. "I know it's early and quite abrupt, but do you think you could arrange an audience with your master for me?" she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Master?" Kim demanded, intrigued by what was happening.
The man Shego named as Antonio chuckled deeply. "I assume this is of great importance since you appeared at our doorstep so suddenly." There was a pause. "You're in luck. Your wallflower is already awake. I'll open the gates and prepare some breakfast for you and your companion." At the end of his sentence, there was a loud beep and the gates slowly swung open. "Just leave your vehicle at the front door and one of the servants will park it."
"We'll do that," Shego replied, stepping away from the device and heading back to the rented vehicle. "Don't just stand there princess! I'd like for us to be safe inside that mansion before the skies open up." She looked up into the dark and cloudy skies then boarded the car.
"Shego, who-"
"You'll find out soon enough, Kimmie," the villainess cut her off as she drove the car through the opened gates and towards the mansion. As she parked the car at the front, a man in a long-sleeved white polo, black vest and black pants came out from a side door and waited for them to get out.
"I'll park it for you ladies," he told them politely, holding the car door open for Shego then running around to hold the other car door open for Kim. "Antonio has already unlocked the door and says that the master is at the music room."
Shego stuffed her hands into her jacket's pockets and nodded her thanks. "Come along now Kimmie," she told her charge, leading the way up the stairs. Placing her gloved hands on the great wooden doors, Shego pushed them open and admitted them into the fully furnished and brightly lit main room of the mansion.
"So where's the music room?" Kim asked as she admired the fine interior of the mansion.
Shego stopped in the middle of the room and listened. "Just follow that sound," she told the redhead, as the soulful sounds of a stringed instrument filled the air. Shego led the way deeper into the mansion, following her ears as the music became louder and louder. Finally, they reached a large room that opened up to a sprawling garden and was at the center of what looked to be a collection of rooms. To the north was a patio and the garden, the west was a library and a study while the east was a sound proofed room filled with instruments and the like. Glass sliding doors were open and allowed the sweet music to escape the confines of the room.
Kim peeked around Shego and observed the figure seated on a cushioned stool with his back facing them. The stringed instrument turned out to be a cello that was being played by the young man who seemed to be engrossed in his music playing. Kim was about to ask Shego if they should bother him, but could only stare in shock when her protector grabbed a throw pillow from a nearby couch and hurled it at the man's head.
"You're still playing that thing until now?" Shego called out as the pillow connected with the man's head and the music stopped. "And you're still playing gloomy songs!" she added, crossing her arms over her chest as the young man twisted around in his seat and stared at the raven-haired woman in shock. "I was somewhat hoping that the wallflower had grown into something else."
The young man stood from his chair and carefully placed his cello on its stand before turning around and walking into the central room. He was a tall man, almost six feet in height and had a wiry frame. He wore a plain white t-shirt and black cloth pants that looked like it was used for sleeping purposes. To Kim's amusement, the young adult walked around barefoot in his home. Like Shego, he had sable-black hair that fell just below his earlobes and was parted at the side. Sleep may have been the cause of his rumpled and tussled hairstyle, but to Shego it was as ordinary as it was seven years ago. He was pale-skinned and was quite handsome with his sharp facial features and blue-gray eyes. There was also something in his demeanor that gave off a gloomy feeling and his eyes were seemingly fathomless as he cocked his head and observed the villainess who stood before him.
"Must you always look so gloomy?" Shego asked, shaking her head ruefully. "I thought that I got that out of you years ago!" Her emerald green eyes twinkled as she walked forward with her arms wide open. "Come on now! Where's that killer smile of yours Enzo?" She embraced the taller man and let herself be swung around in a circle before being set down on her feet.
"What killer smile?" The man named Enzo asked in a deep baritone voice, lips curling in a charming smile.
"The one that's on your face, wallflower!" Shego reached out and roughly ruffled the man's hair.
Enzo laughed and pulled away from his friend. "Shannon, you haven't changed a bit," he told Shego. "Must you still use that nickname on me? I assure you though that I'm not that same college student you knew years ago."
"You mean you're not a loner anymore?" Shego teased, looking over her shoulder when she saw that her friend had spotted her companion. "Before I tell you why we're here at your home, let me introduce you to someone." She hooked their arms together and dragged the blue-eyed man over to Kim. "Kim Possible, this is Lorenzo Sinclair or Enzo for short," she introduced her charge to her friend who offered his hand. "Enzo, this is Kim Possible."
Enzo bowed his head slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Possible," he greeted politely.
"Kim's just fine," the redhead said, obviously charmed by the older man.
"Alright then, Kim," Enzo tried. "Now, can you tell me how you ended up in such bad company?" His eyes flicked over at Shego.
"Hey! Since when have you classified me as bad company, buster?" Shego demanded, punching the man hard on his arm.
Enzo flinched in pain and rubbed his afflicted arm. "Since I ended up becoming friends with you," he replied, sincerity in his voice. Before Shego could voice out her protest, the cellist turned his attention to Kim. "Anyway, what I mostly meant by that question is why a renowned crime fighter is in the company of her arch nemesis," he explained, ignoring the dagger-like looks Shego was throwing at him.
Kim grinned at how this man was able to withstand the personality of Shego so easily. "It's a long story actually and I think Shego should be the one to explain it," she replied.
"Why not do the explaining over some breakfast?" A man with graying hair and dressed in a suit approached them. "I've already brewed the coffee that Miss Shannon likes so much," he added, gesturing for them to follow him.
Shego let out a long sigh and smiled at the man. "You're a lifesaver, Antonio! I could do with some caffeine in my system!" She walked around Kim and Enzo to clap the man on his shoulder. "So have you been keeping an eye out on our wallflower?" she asked, jerking her head at the blue-eyed man.
Antonio nodded his head. "I've been doing my best, but I'm apparently not as good as you were," he admitted. "I would like to think that he has changed for the better over the years."
As Shego and Antonio walked ahead, Kim followed Enzo who shook his head ruefully. "You seem to be good friends with Shego," she pointed out, curious about the relationship her protector and this man had.
"Indeed," Enzo replied. "I would tell you the whole story, but you'll have to get Shannon's approval first." He winked at Kim. "You probably know how she is when it comes to talking about her past," he added as they entered a large dining room. As they settled themselves on one end of the long dining table, Shego shed her leather coat and let Antonio take it from her. "So tell me. What brings you here to my home?"
"What if I tell you that I'm in dire need of a vacation?" Shego asked, wincing when a sharp elbow connected with her ribs.
Kim glared at her protector before throwing an apologetic smile at Enzo. "Shego thought that this was the best place to lay low for a while," Kim started. She then began to explain how Shego had been assigned to become her protector, the situation with Balken Steel and how she was living in the villainess' apartment for safety and security reasons. She then explained in detail the events that transpired the other day and how Shego had come up with the decision that they needed to law low for the holiday season and let the hullabaloo die down.
"I see," Enzo murmured, rubbing his chin in thought. "Well, you don't need to worry about anything," he told them. "You're both welcome to reside in my home for as long as you want. As for your concerns about clothes, I could ask the housekeeper to head to the shopping district and purchase some clothing for you." To Antonio, he asked, "What do you think?"
The head servant and guardian of Enzo nodded his head with approval. "That would be a good idea especially since Miss Shannon and Miss Possible came here with the plan to lay low," he said. "I'll inform the housekeeper right now." He headed out of the dining room to do his master's bidding.
"Are you a duke of some sort?" Kim blurted out.
Enzo shook his head while Shego guffawed in reaction to Kim's question. "I'm not a duke, but my father has some British noble blood in him," he told the blushing redhead. "Why are you asking?"
"Oh… Well, the house and the servants…" Kim stammered, knowing that she was probably turning into three shades of red at that very moment.
This time, Shego had to press her face against the table to control her laughter. She was definitely amused at how her charge was taking things in. When she finally mastered herself, Shego straightened and looked at the frowning Kim. "Don't take it too personally, princess," she told the girl. "But you've been watching too many 'Princess Diaries-like' movies."
"Or you could say that this is quite similar to the Batman series," Enzo joked, making Shego laugh some more. "The typical rich guy living in a big mansion with a butler-slash-guardian keeping me company," he enumerated. "The only thing missing of course is the superhero part," he added with a grin. "The house and servants all come from my wealthy parents," he explained to Kim. "After I had finished my studies in the United States of America, I moved back here to London and settled in this very house, which my parents purchased and furnished." His shoulder drooped as he let out a long sigh. "Not that I hate it or anything, but I certainly could have found a place on my own."
Shego cleared her throat. "You're the heir of a multi-billion dollar corporation," she reminded her friend. "What do you expect?"
"I expect to be given the freedom to make my own choices," Enzo told them gravely. "Things were simpler back when I was still a student at university. No one knew who I was."
"And that's why you were such an easy target for the bullies on campus," Shego retorted, refilling her cup with coffee.
"So you were college buddies?" Kim asked.
Enzo and Shego looked at each other before nodding to Kim. "You could say that," Enzo said. "I transferred to Go University during my junior year and got to know Shannon through the hazing," he explained.
"How'd you meet her?" Kim leaned forward in her seat, catching the warning look that Shego shot at Enzo from her own seat.
"To put it simply," Enzo started, ignoring Shego's protest. "She saved my butt and restructured my life."
Author's Notes:
I know, it's been what? Almost three weeks since I last updated? I've been really busy in school unfortunately. Papers, projects and exams started to pile up so I had to put the story on hold while I focused on my academic life.
Anyway, in this chapter I introduced a new character. You won't find out much about him yet, but you'll certainly learn how he and Shego knew each other in the next chapter. Don't worry, he's not a threat to Kim and Shego's future relationship. Hahaha!