Chapter 10
She woke slowly another warm body lying comfortably next to her. They both slept in the flannel nightshirts that Shego had provided since Kim had awoken. It had taken nearly a week to finally stabiles the smaller girls body temperature. In that time they had gotten used to having the comforting presence of the other there when they awoke. She would miss this when they returned to the real world. But in the meantime, while they traveled there would be only one sleeping bag for them to share. That sounded cozy. Shego smiled at the thought (keeping it to herself) while inhaling the clean sent from Kim's hair. Shego knew from experience that the teen (ok she's 19 that's still a teen) would wake the moment she moved. She was very careful not to disturb the redhead, she had a long, tough day ahead of her. (or at least that was the excuse the former thief used.)
It was about thirty minutes later that the younger girl began to stir stretching like a cat. Shego ran her hand down Kim's side careful not to touch anything inappropriate, but still enjoying the feel of the lithe, toned body through the cloth.
"So what's the plan, Eme" the voice sounded sleepy and content as she snuggled back into her 'heater' sighing
"When you're ready to start moving I'll make breakfast while you get ready. After that well head out" she smiled at the soft groan "We'll start slow don't worry."
"Are you sure about this?" the voice was almost a whimper
The uncertainty in the response concerned Shego "what happened to the girl that can do anything?"
"She got sick and jumped out of an airplane nearly killing herself in the process" the sarcasm in her voice was a failed attempt to hide her nervousness
Shego wrapped her arms around the frightened girl. "Look you hired me to protect you. I'm not going to let anything hurt you. Not even you."
"I'm silly aren't I" Kim looked over her shoulder at the older woman that made her feel safe and smiled. Shego just shrugged "Ok, thirty minutes then we get started" Shego didn't argue as she settled in for the last few moments in the comfortable bed.
"Ok breakfast is ready" Shego turned to see Kim putting on her leg brace wearing only the black thermal unitard. The suit covered from the top of the neck to the toes and was form fitting. The sight made Shego's heart skip a beat. She turned away quickly trying to hide her thoughts. Kim looked up flexing the leg to test the braces stability.
"That omelet is huge" Kim stood and walked slowly over to the table and sat down sighing "even after more than a week of practice, a sloth could move faster than I do. Are you sure it's going to be ok," the former cheerleader sounded exasperated at her perceived limitations.
Setting the steaming pile of food on the table between them "It's the last of the perishables and yes, it will be fine. You will get faster as your strength returns. Now eat, you're going to need it."
Sometime later Kim leaned back. "Oh, I'm stuffed, but that was great."
Shego laughed "don't worry pumpkin you'll work it and more off soon enough. Time to get ready. We need to leave."
Half an hour later dressed in Shego's spare arctic survival suit, Kim examined herself in the full-length mirror while Shego looked on admiringly. "You know princess you really do look good in green. When we get out, you can keep that one."
"Have you ever thought about changing colors?" Kim asks as she tested the movability in the outfit reflexively.
Shego noticed the moves and smiled 'good she may be more than a little head shy, but she hasn't lost her fighting spirit.' She looked down at her own green and black "No, not really it's been kind of a trademark. Besides its kinda hard to find something that goes well with my unique skin tone. But maybe we could find something when we get back. Ok, Let's go."
They walked out into the cold, bright morning, Shego stopping only long enough to secure the door. Turning to the light trail, they both strode into the surrounding woods. As they walked, Shego kept a close eye on the injured girl but did not offer to help her and did not get upset by the snail's pace just enjoying the quiet surrounding. In the Late afternoon, they came into the clearing.
"This is the best spot for a while. We'll make camp here and wait for the transport to drop our supplies." Shego looked around the area to make sure that all traces of the recent disaster were gone. Seeing a piece of the nylon shoot sticking out of the snow she moved to the opposite side of the clearing and began setting up camp "you're going to want to stretch before you sit down or you will get real sore."
"How far did we come today" Kim began stretching to loosen up her tired mussels
"Oh, a ways," Shego said dismissively as she was pulling out the self-setup survival tent.
Bending backward "how long does it take you to get here" there were several pops and a sigh of relief
"Oh I can usually jog it in about two hours" she had stopped what she was doing to watch the younger woman just shaking her head.
"You're kidding it took us most of the day" She stood straight, stretching up then bent forward pressing her body flat against her legs wrapping her arms around her knees. There were several more pops
"You know you're more limber on a bad day then I have ever been"
Kim laughed "I've been doing gymnastics, and martial arts for as long as I can remember, and I started cheerleading in junior high" doing a slow back walkover
"Ok, Princess then let's get you back in shape. Defend yourself" throwing a snowball at the redhead and hitting her right in the face. After about ten minutes of mostly failing to defend herself from the attacks, the teen was winded "we will train every night on this trip. It will help loosen you up from the days travel and get you back in to shape" she smiled "it will do us both good"
"you know, I'm going to feel this in the morning" Kim mused
"Then we stretch in the morning, Train in the evening and walk in between" Turning back to finish camp "oh, and you're going to want to sleep in the thermal suit."
"Why I thought it was more efficient to sleep nude to share heat" Shego looked up, was it her imagination or did miss proper sound disappointed.
"It is, but do you want to put something that close to your skin that will be ice cold in the morning?"
"Ok, I see your point" however she did look thoughtful.
About 9:00 pm they were able to hear the plane approach from the south. Kim could tell that it was the same plane she had left behind four weeks ago. As they watched the skid of supplies drift Shego started to swear. "Those useless idiots they have dropped the dam supplies in the creek again." sure enough, as they watched the package land, it seemed to center itself right in the middle of a knee-deep section of the body of water. Shego waded out to retrieve the much-needed supplies. They would be needed to sustain them while they traveled. She worked quickly muttering dire imprecations towards those who were responsible and any of their relations, the whole time.
After the rescued supplies were repacked on to the sled and dinner was made and consumed. Kim knew she was tired and thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. "Um…Shego is that crate melting."
Shego looked over and smiled at the others confusion "yes princess. Its made of an environment-friendly self-recycling material. By morning it should be gone." Kim just blinked at the explanation and decided it was time to turn in.
Next morning Kim was so sore that she could hardly move even after stretching. The pace was painfully slow the unbroken snow not helping any. Making even less distance than the previous day. Shego didn't say anything as she set up camp. Kim was exhausted, and training was kept short and to the point so that she could get some rest.
The next day Shego cut her a walking stick, which helped tremendously, Kim began to gain speed and stamina daily until they were moving at almost a reasonable pace. There last night they were able to spar for about two hours before bed. The match had been excellent but Kim could tell Shego was still holding back. Things had improved when she had received the heavy leather bracers to block with, and Shego had trained Kim in some new staff forms.
xXxX
She awoke feeling the warm skin on her back and the hand draped over her on to her breast, which she would pretend not to be aware of. The whole sleep in your under suit had lasted about two days before she had decided to go to bed using the suit for a pillow inside the insulated hood of the arctic bag. She wished she had been awake for Shego's reaction. But when she had woken up Shego had been nude snuggled up to her back just as she was now and every night since.
Like clockwork five minutes after Kim woke Shego began to stir "good morning pumpkin how'd you sleep" she slowly moved in to a stretch as if she had not just been copping a feel.
"Morning Eme, how'd you sleep" snuggling back in the confined space as the older woman wrapped her arms around Kim's waist.
Yawning hugely "soundly. You ready for today"
"Sure how far out are we" the aura of contentment was almost a physical presence.
"Well let's see, by my calculations if we break camp in the next hour, we could likely have lunch out of the hover pod emergency supplies instead of our nearly non-existent supplies."
Kim sighed "sorry I'm so slow. This would have taken you what, six days? today makes fourteen."
"Yes and you have pushed yourself every day until at the pace we moved yesterday we could have made it in seven. That's one hell of an improvement considering your leg still hasn't finished healing" Shego ran her hand down the offending lim.
"Ok, ok so let's take thirty minutes and relax then we will get up and get started"
Shego laughed "what's with you and thirty minutes? every morning thirty minutes."
Shego could not see the grin on Kim's face "not every morning, I seem to recall a couple of mornings I ask for an hour"
"Oh that's much better" the sarcasm was thick in her tone and without warning she began tickling the younger woman. This went on for some time both women laughing until
"STOP! please stop I have to pee." still laughing Shego unzipped the sleeping bag so Kim could escape
"Then go before you make a mess." Kim grabbed her parka stamped in to her boots and dashed out into the bright frozen morning. Gone only a few minutes she dashed back inside, kicked off her boots and parka and slid back in to the sleeping bag, snuggling her frozen back side right up to Shego. Shego screamed at the sudden ice spot on her belly and cranked up her heat to compensate.
"I still can't believe you did that" Shego still sounded slightly miffed
"just paying you back for tickling me until I had to pee, besides we broke camp two hours ago, and I did apologise" the two women were jogging on the hard packed ice and approaching what looked like a forest of ice spires.
"Ok, looks like an hour maybe an hour and a half at our current pace and we should be able to crank up the heater, have a quick lunch and head for home"
As they entered the spire forest, the gasp of surprise from the redhead was audible. Shego just smiled. "What is this place."
Shego looked around. This place really was beautiful. "Were in one of those strange vortex areas kind of like the Bermuda triangle. This is how it manifests" The rainbows and reflections were dazzling. In silent consent the travel was slowed to a walk to better enjoy the scenery. A short while later a clearing opened in the landscape "and were here" Shego pulled an auto lock remote from her pocked and uncloaked the hover pod, Striding forward.
Kim heard the faint click "Get Down!" tackling Shego just as the hover pod exploded sending shrapnel and razor-sharp ice debris in all directions.
