Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible or any of the characters in it, Disney does. Isabel Gooding belongs to Starving Lunatic.
Chapter 25: Recovery
Almost immediately after asking his question the 'hey stupid' light went off in Kale's mind. "Kim! Jim and Tim! The Seniors! Is everyone alright? I can't remember what happened after the explosion very well." He asked, his voice scratchy from a dry throat.
Shego smiled at him warmly as she handed him a glass of water "Everyone is fine Blaze. You did good. How you did it? That is the thousand dollar question on everybody's mind."
"Which reminds me.."she stated while she reached over to the intercom switch on the wall and flipped it on "The man of the hour is up and cognisant."
Kale raised an eyebrow "What are you doing?"
She looked back at him, the smile still playing across her face "A few people have wanted to say thank you for what you did. That and we need to fill you in on the last three days."
He blinked "I've been out that long? That would explain the stiffness and the fact that I don't recall getting back to a hospital."
"You gave us all a right scare doing what you did you know. I...., we were afraid that you might have burned yourself out using so much energy." Shego stated looking away from him, her shoulders slightly slumped.
He pulled her into a light embrace "You aren't going to get rid of me that easily, I plan to be right here next to you for a good long time."
She looked back to him, a look of wonder on her face "You're a real piece of work, you realize that?"
He winked at her grinning "I do try. You might want to fix that leak on your face or people might think you actually have emotions besides anger and apathy."
She stood up and stuck her tongue at him and went to the bathroom to make sure she didn't look like she had been crying or anything.
She refused to look like she might be going soft for anybody.
People started filling the large room shortly thereafter. Kim and Ron were first with little Kale being held by his mother. They were followed by the twins and both the Drs. Possible. After them came an older couple and an older child, all of whom he didn't recognize as well as both a gentleman in a stetson and a younger female who Kale couldn't place.
He was surprised when both Monique and Bonnie came in followed by Isabel and the rest of Team Go.
The last ones in were an Asian female he thought he recognized and Dr. Director.
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable with so many people in the room with him Kale sat up straight despite the protesting of his muscles and looked everyone over with a quizzical eye.
Kim, seeing how Kale was winding up decided to speak first "Kale, I want to thank you for being there with my brothers for this whole sitch. If it hadn't been for you we wouldn't even be here. I'm sure that I speak for everyone here when I say that."
Everyone in the room nodded and Kale felt a blush form in his face "I didn't do anything that great. I was just trying to do what I could to protect you all. I happened to get lucky that's all really."
Shego leaned over and gave him a light cuff across the back of his head "Sparky, quit being modest. You saved Kim, her brothers and the Seniors with that stunt. Wade analyzed that explosion and he said that there was no way that any shield he could make would have survived that blast intact. Just like a Possible to do what no one else can and then downplay it like it was nothing."
Kale rubbed the back of his head and stuck his tongue out at her before he realized who was watching and blushed even harder as he stopped.
Isabel chuckled at the scene "Careful Firefly, someone might think you liked him or something giving him compliments like that."
Shego's face began to show evidence of a blush as she turned away from the group "Mommy, could you please stop calling me that."
Isabel laughed again as she thought "She didn't deny it. Hmmmm..... how very interesting."
Kale cleared his throat "Um, yeah. Anyway, I know most of you but there are six people here I'm not familiar with."
Ron perked up at this "Oh sorry about that. Kale, these are my parents." he stated pointing to the older couple next to him "And this is my little sister Hana." pointing to the little girl who was playing with little Kale. "Last but not least, this is Yori. She is an old friend from Japan." he waved to the young Asian woman.
James Possible spoke up after Ron was through "This is my brother Slim and his daughter Joss." pointing to the other two Possibles.
Kale nodded to them and was about to say something when it clicked "Yori....from Japan? I remember you now. You're the friend Ron was talking about at the mall."
She blinked at this information and turned to Ron who just grinned sheepishly.
As Kale continued to look at her thoughts were running at speed through his head "She looks really familiar. Wait a minute..add about eighteen years on to her, add a scar to her left eye..."
His eyes bulged as the realization hit him "Yamanouchi."
He made several slight hand movements and gestures that six people took note of, three of whose eyes widened for a brief moment and three others who knew that something had just transpired but had no clue what.
Kim and Shego looked to Kale and then each other, both looking to see if the other knew what was going on.
Kale had, roughly translated from hand cant, stated that he had trained at the secret ninja school and had asked how Master Sensei was doing.
Yori was the first to regain her voice between Ron, Isabel, and herself and slightly bowed "I would like to speak to you further about that later."
Betty looked on trying to figure out exactly what had occurred.
Kale nodded and looked to Ron's parents and little sister, the two other Possibles and Yori "I am pleased to meet you all. I don't suppose anyone has told you about recent developments?"
The Stoppables and Yori looked to Ron and Kim awaiting an answer while both Slim and Joss looked at Ann and James, Hana just ignored them content with making little Kale laugh from being tickled.
Kim and James shook their heads which Kale caught sight of and sighed "Those of you who haven't heard this story may want to grab a seat, you're in for a wild but true tale. The rest of you can get comfortable if you want to."
Dr. Director was about to interject when Kale shot her a look that stopped her cold, he then turned to the Stoppables, Yori, Joss and Slim and proceeded to them who and what he really was and the basics of what had occurred up to the attack on the island.
As he was completing his story he realized that he was very hungry.
He turned to Shego, who was sitting beside him with her legs propped up on the bed "I'm famished. Do you think we could break for something to eat?"
Hearing this she smirked "Just hungry or eat a horse hungry?"
Smiling weakly he responded "Eat the whole stable hungry if you must know."
Kim quirked and eyebrow and was about to speak when Jules chimed in "If he eats like he did at the tower there may not be enough food in the building."
Kim snapped her jaw shut at that and just looked at Kale somewhat wide eyed.
Watching the scene before her unfold the way it was Shego had to catch herself before she fell over from laughing too hard.
After a few moments she calmed down enough to speak "Pumpkin, you've watched your husband eat. I don't know how you could be shocked that his kid would be the same way. Besides his body has been repairing a lot of damage and trying to rebuild his energy reserves."
Martin just shuddered "I envy not the food supplies or the cooks who are going to have to feed us all."
Ron's parents, Yori, Joss, and Slim were just staring at Kale and the others, still trying to grasp all that they had just been told, that the person in the bed before them was indeed Kim and Ron's child but he was from the future and a different universe as well.
Kale laughed at Hego's claim "Well, if we're going to get food I should get dressed. I really don't think you people want me running around in a hospital gown do you?"
He turned to look at Shego who was just opening her mouth to say something "You don't count Em. I know you were going to say something not fit for some of the ears here, don't even try to deny it."
With that last bit Kale grabbed the clothes that Kim had set down for him next to the bed and made a dash for the adjoining bathroom leaving Shego standing there, her mind still desperately trying to sort out what he had just said.
It didn't take her long, but by that time Kale had slammed the door closed "YOU'D BETTER BE HIDING SPARKY!! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I'M GONNA.... I HAVEN'T THOUGHT THAT FAR AHEAD BUT YOU ARE IN FOR IT!!!"
The reactions around the room were as varied as the individuals gathered therein as the pale green woman vented at the door but making no attempt to do anything else.
Kim smiled knowingly at her best friend as she rocked little Kale and Hana to calm them down from the startling yells.
Monique and Bonnie just stared in disbelief that someone who had been in as bad a shape as Kale could move so fast.
Joss and Slim along with the Stoppables, Yori and the twins looked at Shego and the bathroom housing Kale with unspoken questions.
The Drs. Possible and Ron were all thinking the same thing "She let him get away with that?"
Dr. Director was hoping that Shego didn't blast the door off of it's hinges to get to the now bi-color haired man.
Isabel smirked as she was putting two and two together "She hasn't even raised her plasma in a threating manner yet. She hasn't been like this since she and Kim were.... very interesting indeed."
Team Go were all thinking along the same lines in regards towards Kale and their sister as they looked to each other and nodded; "Foreplay."
Kale in the meantime was trying not to pass out from laughing too much while putting on the outfit he had grabbed.
He had just finished putting the green and black tee shirt on when he turned to look at himself in the mirror and came face to face with his refection; the one looking back at him with a full quarter of his hair a dark emerald green with the outer edges of it showing a slightly paler peridot from just above his left temple to his left ear.
Everyone outside the bathroom jumped as Kale's voice erupted from within "WHAT IN THE NINTH RING OF HADES HAPPENED TO MY HEAD??!?"
At hearing that, Shego's demeanor swiftly went from outraged to abashed "Crap, I knew I forgot something." she muttered.
Both Kim and Dr. Director looked to her "You didn't tell him? How could that slip your mind?"
She looked at them "It wasn't like it was something that would just come up in conversation, ya know? 'So Kale how do you feel? Yes, everyone's fine. Oh, by the way your body is going through some changes from it's reaction to my abilities so you now have green hair.' Yeah, that just flows through the lips doesn't it." She replied snidely.
Dr. Director was about to respond to the flippant malachite female when the door of the bathroom blew open and nearly off it's hinges to reveal a now distraught and bewildered Kale who was looking at where the door had just been, not even acknowledging his hands now glowing a familiar emerald green.
He looked to where Shego, Kim, and Dr. Director were standing "I... I was just trying to open it." he shakily spoke as he realized what he had done, his voice barely a whisper.
Except for Team Go everyone was just staring at the male as he stepped out of the destroyed doorway still holding the remainder of the door handle, their eyes bouncing from his hands to Shego and back.
The silence was broken as little Kale and Hana started crying from all the sudden noise, causing their parents to turn their attention to calming them.
Shego turned on Kale "What is your major malfunction? People could have been hurt pulling a stunt like that!" she snarled at him. "The plasma can be concussive as well as superheated!"
He shrank back from her looking more like a terrified twelve year old then the nearly twenty eight year old she knew him to be, in fact he looked ready to bolt from the room.
That thought caused her to stop and when she did a realization hit her "Which you didn't know, did you?" her face softened "I keep forgetting that this is all really new to you."
Isabel chose this moment to speak out loud seemingly to no one in particular "I still remember when everyone was still learning the extent of their powers and how to control them. We had to replace a lot of furniture and doors for that first few months."
Shego looked to her mother and saw that she was staring at her, she nodded as she began to understand what Isabel was getting at "She's right you know. We all took a while to really get a handle on how to safely use our abilities."
She turned back to Kale "You have made a lot of progress in a short amount of time Sparky, but you still have a long way to go. This time however there will be someone who has been trough this before to show you how to learn control so just relax a little bit and calm down. The last thing you want to be right now is amped up and twitchy."
Ron looked up from calming down his son and with his typical timing spoke up "Well, it could have been worse, you could have been using the bathroom when that happened."
Shego just stared at him as next to her Kale stopped and looked at the blond, his mouth agape and right eyebrow cocked upwards in wonder.
Kale felt the glow dissipate as he started to chuckle at Ron's odd way of saying that everything was okay.
Shego, also having been caught off guard by Ron's observation started to lightly laugh before looking to Kale and watching his body begin to quake with barely held in laughter, found it harder to contain herself.
Shortly both he and Shego were having to hold each other up as the tension of the past few minutes left them as they laughed for the heavens to hear.
Kim leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek "Good distraction Hun. You've still got it."
Ron laughed "And to think, I didn't even need to lose my pants this time." he stated before glancing down to make sure he had worn his belt.
Kale, not being privy to the reference Ron made, looked to Shego who just shrugged. "You had to be there Sparky." she stated.
Finally having gotten themselves under control, the two plasma wielders straightened themselves and turned towards the rest of the assembled group before Kale spoke "I figure that there are going to be a few questions forthcoming. I will try to answer them as best I can but I think that before we get into the whys, wheres, and hows; we break for food."
Everyone seemed to agree that was a good idea and shortly they were headed for the dining hall.
A couple hours later they were finishing up their respective meals which had included an eating contest between Ron and Kale.
"I still can't believe you beat me. What do you have in there, a black hole or something?" Ron quipped as he begrudgingly admitted that he had (temporarily) been dethroned as the chow king.
Kale gave him a lop sided smile "I think I only won because I'm recharging my batteries as it were. I shudder to think that is how you eat on a regular basis."
Kim playfully nudged her husband and leaned over to whisper in Kale's ear loud enough to be heard by everyone nearby "Now you know why he owns share in a restaurant. It's the only way he can eat as much as he does and not eat us out of house and home."
Ron gave a mock indignant gasp before Shego added "It's true, I've seen him plow through an entire four course meal like it wasn't even there. Just think Kimmie, you've got to look forward to both your husband and son eating like that later in life."
Kim stuck her tongue out at her best friend before getting a contemplative in her eyes.
She was quiet for a few moments as she ran the past few days over in her head about how Shego had reacted when she had seen Kale at the island as well as how she had been hovering near Kale and looking so worried during his time in the hospital room. Then there was the recent events of earlier in the day. As she put all the pieces together she began to smile, before long it was a full cheshire grin.
Kim turned to her friend who was even now very close to Kale "So you say Shego, but I think you might need to take that advise yourself."
Isabel who along with Yori had been following behind them spoke up "She has you there Firefly. If you two were any less inconspicuous the blind would be able to see it."
Upon hearing this Kale became suddenly enamored with a spot on the wall while Shego had been reduced to sputtering as this particular revelation had rendered her completely unable to put what she wanted to say to words.
The reactions brought a small warm smile to Isabel's face as she looked to Kim who in turn smiled back, both thinking the same thing "It's about time she found someone."
Ron however was just piecing together what had been implied "Wait a minute."
His eyes bounced between the two blushing individuals, finally settling on his green tinged teammate "You and Kale are... are..? Thats who's been getting you all flustered the past few days?"
His brow furled in thought before he spoke again, his voice unusually serious "Shego, just what are your intentions with my son? Umm.. I mean my son from the future..ahh I mean from a different future...GAH! This time travel thing hurts my head!" he finally hollered, waving his hands above his head as he over thought things.
The sheer incongruity of what had just been said was enough to break the two from their embarrassment.
As they looked to each other, they realized that what Kim and Isabel had said was true, they really did look and act like they were dating what with the long shared looks and smiles they got just staring at one another.
Kale looked over to Ron with a slightly wicked grin on his face "Shego needs to get your approval for me to date her? So does that mean your twenty-eight year old child or the one year old humm? And if it were one or the other how would she choose, I mean I can't hold a candle to how cute he is but I can drive. Speaking of which, can I borrow the car on Saturday? I've got a hot date and I would like to pick her up."
Shego had to put her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing outright at how Kale was confusing Ron with the overflow of questions to the point that his eyes were crossing while trying to process it all.
Isabel shook her head, seeing that if these two really were serious about things the snark level was going to remain in high gear whenever she saw them.
Kim sighed "Kale be nice, I still need him to help me around the apartment tonight and if he is this befuddled he will just be no fun later."
By this time they had all arrived at the training room that Team Possible used and they all stepped inside to have some privacy for some of the discussions that had been promised earlier in the day.
Once they were settled Yori looked to Kale "I would ask you how you know of Yamanouchi and Master Sensei. You know our hand cants that much is more than obvious, how did you learn them?"
Kale leaned in as though he were about to let everyone in on a secret "If you had the opportunity to train the child of Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible would you turn it down?"
Yori sat back thinking of what he had just said before shaking her head 'no'.
Kale smirked "Well neither did my Master Sensei or Yori. Especially with the recommendation of my Aunt Isabel."
Yori started at this "I helped train you?"
He nodded a 'yes'.
"But even if I did do this, I would not be allowed to train a male ninja. I am learned in the ways of a kunoichi." Yori pointed out.
Kale laughed a little, rubbing the back of his head as if slightly embarrassed "This is true, however while I was at Yamanouchi I was still doing the world saving deal. During one mission I ran afoul of an experimental device of one Dr. Hall, otherwise known as DNAmy. In the resultant explosion, mostly due to my destroying one of it's main power couplings, I had certain things jumbled and spent several months as a member of the fairer sex. While I was so disposed Sensei thought it best that I study under your counterpart as I would be too much of a distraction to the other male pupils if I were to continue my training with him."
Shego, having heard all of this turned to Kim and Ron " So how does it feel to know that your son grows into a cross dresser?"
Kim just rolled her eyes at the pun while Ron performed a face palm.
Isabel chuckled at their antics and Yori stared at Shego having apparently missed the obtuse joke.
Kale just looked at them grinning "I will say this, I have a very good respect for all the ladies gathered in this room. Fighting with a higher center of balance is no fun when you are not used to it and getting hit there hurts like nothing else. That and the whole monthly visits from the cramp fairy. I really don't miss that part of the whole thing believe me."
Shego snorted "I would pay good money to see what you looked like then Sparky."
He shot her a sideways glance "I'm sure you would Em, however unless you know some way to get back to where I came from you are out of luck. I don't think that even Half.... Oh snap."
He turned to Kim "I need to get to my computer and suit. I forgot to boot him back up. He's going to be pissed to no end that it's taken me almost three weeks to turn him back on."
Everybody present looked at Kale before Ron broke the odd silence "Turn who back on?"
Kale stopped and looked at Ron "My partner."