CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Although Kim tried everything to convince Shego to change her mind about sending Monique to Japan to find out if Ron was alive, even by deploying her powerful puppy dog pout, there was nothing she could do to persuade the woman to change her mind. As soon as Wade was able to get the paperwork authorising Shego to travel to Nice the Afro-American and the pale green women were on their way to Japan.

Monique spent most of the flight to Japan watching GWA videos and doing a crash course in Japanese etiquette with Shego. Upon arriving in Tokyo they flew by helicopter to Ina. As they flew over the town Shego explained, 'We're going to land at a hotel about a third of the way up the mounain so you'll be able to walk up the track to the school. The map showing the tracks is in your backpack. Don't forget, you're only here to find out if Stoppable's still alive and if he's willing to return to Monaco. If he says no then just return to the hotel.'

'What if I run into one of the bad guys?'

'It's best if you do whatever you can to prevent them from trying to reach Yamanouchi.'

'You mean…?'

'That's your call. If you can, avoid harming them. However, that might not be an option.'

'I'm not sure if I can.'

'If I didn't think you could do it you would not be here.'

The hotel loomed into view. Shego manoeuvred the helicopter into position to prepare for landing but the warm air created by the heavy rain was making landing much rougher than she was used to but she was able get the machine to land after some difficulty. Out of the corner of her eye she was amused to see Monique was holding onto her seat with a vice like grip, her face pale with fear, as the machine bounced around from the turbulence. Monique finally breathed a relieved sigh once she felt the bump of the machine touching the small helicopter pad.

As Monique pushed open the door Shego grabbed the girl's shoulder and pulled her round to face her. She reached over and gave the girl a long, lingering kiss on the mouth. When their lips parted Monique opened her mouth to say something but couldn't think of anything. Instead she grabbed her bag and jumped out of the helicopter.

Shego watched as she dashed inside the building, thinking how hot she looked in her red dress with the black belt. Then she took off from the landing pad, thinking of how her lips tasted like oranges.
Monique was still in a state of shock when she walked into the foyer of the hotel where she was greeted by a pleasant enough man twice her age. He greeted her with a bow, which she returned, and asked her to accompany him upstairs to the room he had set up for her.

After inspecting it she said, 'I'll take it.' He gave her the key. Then he left her alone to unpack.

Monique had to admit Shego had good taste in such things. Taste… she shuddered as she remembered Shego's kiss. The taste of her black lips was sweet, like liquorice, and her breath was minty. It was awesome but she wanted that kiss to come from Kim, not the psycho chick who'd spent most of the last several years trying to kill her best female friend.

Her mobile phone rang.

'Hi, Mon.' Kim's voice was slurred. 'How's it going in Japan?'

'I just got here,' Monique snapped.

'Hey,' Kim protested. 'No need to bite my head off.'

'Sorry, girlfriend, but I've got jet lag and Shego did something really freaky.'

The voice on the other side turned serious. 'What?'

'She kissed me.'

An awkward silence followed.

'She kissed you?'

'It was freaky, girlfriend. I was getting out of the helicopter and she pulls me back and kisses me on the lips!'

'Was there any tongue action?'

'KIM!'

'Did you like it?'

'A little,' she conceded.

'Really,' Kim mocked.

'No, it was wonderful! I felt so horny when she kissed me.'

'Did you want to go all the way?'

'Girlfriend, I'm so not going to answer that.'

Kim laughed, 'I take it then that you're over me.'

'Actually…,' Monique trailed off, unsure what to say next.

'You total slut!' Kim guffawed. 'You, like, want to do it with the both of us and squirt, like, - !'

'KIM! Don't be so crude!'

'But it's true!'

Monique hung up on her. She was getting annoyed because it was obvious that her best female friend had been hitting the wine. Both she and Shego had noticed, not without some concern, that when she got tipsy she tended to blurt out whatever she was thinking. As she was jet lagged the last thing she wanted to put up with was a drunken Kim making crude remarks.

Irritably, she unpacked her bag, which had been packed by Shego. It was weird to see her intimate things packed with precision by other hands but it was obvious Shego was an expert in packing and travelling light. Everything in it was based on practicality rather than style so there were hiking shorts and cotton shirts rather than short skirts and stylish dresses, heavy duty shoes rather than high heels and the gadgets that she had come to call her mission stuff. There was also a small first aid kit which, in addition to all the usual stuff like bandages and anti-septic cream, contained a few condoms and tampons.

'Typical Shego,' she muttered to herself.

Suddenly aware of her lack of sleep she kicked off her shoes and lay down on the bed for what she thought would be a brief nap. It was a knock on the door from the cleaning lady the following morning that woke her up.