Woot. Woot. These two are really starting to scare me…
Chapter 26: Mother Nature.
--June 12th: Home--
The two woman had been keeping their distance from each other. Shego, continuing to sleep on the couch when she came in late from work. While Kim slept upstairs in the bedroom. They took separate showers, did their own hair, prepared their own meals and even ate them separately. They both ironed their own clothes, exercised alone, and only came in contact when Kayden had something she wanted both women to see or before
Shego left the house to go to work.
Kayden would be leaving today, the doctor's flights had been delayed due to weather conditions and were very anxious to get back to their little girl. Shego had to hang up on Dr. Zephyrus so the woman would stop apologizing.
Things at GJ headquarters hadn't slowed down, but Betty wouldn't allow Shego to over work herself. Making sure the woman had breaks every thirty minutes to try and relax. She didn't want Shego to be under any more stress than she already was.
Kim on the other hand had found a new hobby, Dr. Porter had commissioned both her and Bonnie to help make blueprints for the building of a new artificial intelligence whose job was to help with the processing of important confidential documents.
Kayden was more than happy to run around the lab and tinker with shinny new things. More than once the lab security robot captured her and logged her in as an intruder trying to steal crucial information for the communist...
Kim could do nothing but shake her head. What kind of robots were these... communist come on! She's three feet tall.
All the while Shego gave out orders, made sure the satellite systems were operational, making corrections and growled at everyone Director didn't have time too.
"Take a break," Director ordered once she spotted Shego in the conference room.
"I'm fine," Shego said waving her off.
"Lookin' a little green lately." Betty said taking note of Shego's arms since her sleeves were rolled up.
"Thanks, you too," She huffed.
"I mean it," Director said sitting down next to her.
"I know," She sighed. "It's been getting worse over the last few weeks."
"Why don't you just blow off a load then?" Betty asked.
"Baby," Shego reminded her.
"Yeah and?" Betty said not getting the point.
"I don't know about you but normal people don't liked to be engulfed in flames." Shego said sarcastically.
"One would think holding that in would be worse on the baby than the heat." Dr. Director retorted. "You're that Kids last line of defense if the heat would have had some effect on it you wouldn't be so trigger happy with that plasma."
"True," Shego said. "How come all of a sudden you sound like a doctor."
"Every once in a while... it just comes out." Betty said with a shrug.
"Find someone to get us coffee will ya?"
"You haven't been drinking that stuff have you?" Betty frowned.
"No, the worst I've had is some watered down tea." Shego turned her face up in dissatisfaction.
Betty nodded and ordered the two cups of coffee, Shego's smaller than her own of course.
"Thanks," Shego said when the officer sat her coffee in from of her. She took a sip and nearly gagged. "You can have it."
"What's wrong?" Dr. Director asked.
"It's just really strong," Shego said opening the file in front of her. "Pregnancy does that to you."
"I wouldn't know...never got far enough into mine." Betty said getting up and leaving the room.
Shego sighed and pulled her hair out of the bun she had it wrapped into. Damn uniform policy about not having you hair touching your collar. She forgot that every time she stepped into the office it was probably a bittersweet moment for Betty.
Shego rubbed she stomach and sighed. She was a bit exhausted, maybe she'd curl up in her office and take a nap.
--
"What is that?" Kayden asked. Pointing toward an approaching helicopter.
The little girl was hanging upside downside from a tree limb. Kim had left the office and decided to come home for her two hour lunch break. The two had eaten sandwiches and lounged around in the backyard.
Kim watched as Kayden joyously chased squirrels and scared away birds. She'd even managed to find a birds nest in one of the large deciduous trees that were abundant on the property, but she'd only had enough courage to climb the one she was currently hanging from.
"Shego's ride home," Kim said.
"You think they'll let me fly it?" she asked making flapping indications with her arms. "I'd fly really well."
"Highly unlikely," Kim smiled softly. "No matter how well you fly."
"Ah," She said swinging back and forth. "They should give a kid a chance."
Kim laughed softly as she watched the helicopter land and take off again. She didn't know if Shego had went inside or not, the house blocked her view.
"Hi Ms. Orric," Kayden waved from her upside down position at the woman standing in the entrance of the sliding glass door.
"Hey there," She greeted. "Why don't you come down from there. I've got something for you."
"Is it shinny?" Kayden asked trying to climb back down the way she came.
"No," Shego said.
"Will it become shiny if I rub on it hard enough?"
Shego looked at her with a raised eyebrow and then looked at Kim, who returned her look with equal bewilderment.
"I doubt it," Shego said after a few moments of silence.
"I little help here?" Kayden asked. The poor kid looked to be trapped.
"You got yourself up there you get yourself down," Shego said.
"But Shego," Kim said, moving to go to Kayden's rescue. "She's not our kid we can't return her damaged."
Shego rolled her eyes.
"She won't learn if she doesn't do it wrong the first time." Shego explained. "Come on Kid, break a leg."
"Shego!" Kim ran a shaky hand through her hair. "Please don't say that."
"Hey guys!" Felix said rolling over to them."
"Afternoon freeloader." Shego returned.
Kim nodded to him.
"Hey I'm just preparing you for when your kids get here," Felix said, hovering over to sit underneath the tree Kayden was in. "Only I'm potty trained and I can bathe myself."
"Me too!" Kayden said.
She tried grabbing on a large branch a few feet away with no luck. Suddenly her left foot lost it's grip and she nearly came tumbling out of the tree, had it not been for the branch she was hanging from by the back of her shirt she would have bit it.
"Okay climbing not fun," She said.
"I think we should help her now." Kim said.
"Leave her," Shego disagreed. "She'll be alright."
"Shego,"
"Kim,"
The two squared off as Kayden's shirt began to rip.
"Uh guys?" Felix said looking at the little girl above him trying to climb onto the branch to keep from falling.
It didn't do any good and because of it Felix feel victim to the child falling into his lap.
She climb off his lap quickly and began to cry. Fortunately that was enough to catch the two adults attention.
"What's wrong with you?" Shego asked.
"She's scared." Kim said moving to comfort the little girl.
"Don't baby her," Shego said. "Send her back up the tree."
The females looked at her. Kayden's skin paled and Kim looked angry.
"I'm not sending her back up that tree."
"Then I will," Shego said, leaving no room for argument. "Back up with you."
Kayden looked back at Kim for help.
"She's nuts," the child whispered. "I'm not climbing back up there."
"Yes you are," Shego said. "So wipe your eyes and get going."
"I'm going to die," She muttered.
"Trees are natures play ground kid," Shego insisted. "Learn as much as you can from Mother Nature. The techniques she can teach you will never let you down."
Kayden begrudgingly did as she was told. With shoulders slumped she walked back over to the tree and climbed the same way up the second time.
"I'll show you how easy this is," Shego said walking over next to Felix.
"Go on and grab the small branch to your left. Don't put to much pressure on it, it'll snap." Shego said guiding her. "Use the knots as footholds."
Kayden hesitantly did as she was told, she slipped a few times. Shego gave tips on how to better her holds and praised her when she did something correct. She made sure to tell the child it was alright when she made a mistake, and that she should learn from them.
Kayden looked back up into the large tree.
"Now that wasn't to hard was it?" Shego said. "A few scraps but nothing life threatening right?"
Kayden shook her head still staring up at the tree.
"Want to try it again?" Shego asked.
"Yes," Kayden said climbing back up again.
"By yourself this time," Shego instructed. "And don't come down the same way."
Kim stood back and watched Shego with Kayden. The older woman refused to nurture that kind of behavior and Kim realized she loved her for it. Was this some kind of glimpse into the future?
Kim and Felix looked on and both were even more certain, Shego would make an excellent mother.
--
"She's all yours," Shego said giving Kayden back to Kim. The raven haired girl decided she wanted to conquer four other large trees, and had managed quite nicely.
"I think I need a few Band-Aids." Kayden said holding out her hands.
"And you can have a few," Kim smiled. "After your shower."
Kim ushered the girl into the house as Shego and Felix watched them disappear.
"Wish you had been my mom," Felix said. "Maybe I'd be able to climb trees now."
"You can," Shego said. "There's nothing you can't do."
"I can't walk," Felix pointed out.
"Ever tried?" Shego asked before she could stop herself.
The two stared at each other, the question was out there and it was a valid one. There was no reason Felix could find not to answer it.
"A long time ago," He said. "When they first put me in this thing."
Shego nodded.
Their conversation was interrupted by Shego's cell phone ringing.
"Orric," She answered.
Felix could vaguely hear the person on the other end of the line. She was clearly being agitated and he moved away as her eyes began to blaze in a way he'd only been lucky enough to see once before.
--Flashback: Age 19: middle of the Atlantic--
"What are you doing out here?" Kim asked walking up on Shego.
The local hearsay had reported spotting the young woman's jet off their coast.
"Getting away from my brother," She said icily. "You two care to join me?"
Felix looked around the island. His wheelchairs hovering above the sand.
"There's nothing here," he said finally.
"Well not on the surface," Shego explained. "I'm one of those underground types."
"How come you don't let Drakken in on these brilliant ideas." Kim asked following Shego.
Why they following Kim's arch foe down into the underbelly of the raven haired woman's lair? Felix didn't know, but hey he was the temporary sidekick his job was to shut up and distract.
"What's so bad about Hego again?" He heard Kim ask.
"He's an arrogant asshole."
"He wasn't that bad when I met him," Kim said.
"Yeah and once again I remind you, you had his powers! What was he suppose to do act like a prick to insure he didn't get them back?"
"Is she always so dramatic." Felix mumbled.
"Felix this is no not the drama," Kim said. "Just wait until the grand finally."
Felix looked around. Shego's underground lair was nice. The whole light green walls worked better than he could have envisioned it. The blackness of the furniture didn't even clash with them.
By furniture he meant the large monitoring systems watching the outside and different parts of the house.
There was also a large TV which Felix considered might have been used for leisure.
"So how long until the blowout?" Kim asked hopping onto the couch. She rested her head on the folds of her arms and watched Shego walk around the small kitchen.
"An hour maybe," She answer throwing a soda at the lounging girl.
"Oh goodie," Kim said opening it. "I promised Monique we'd go shopping."
"Then I'll try and make this explosion fast." Shego rolled her eyes.
"Last time we were in the Caribbean for a week before you blew your load."
"That was a good week considering," Shego said.
Kim agreed.
"So this happens all the time?"
"At least once every three months," Kim said. "If she gets backed up it's worse."
The room got quiet as the TV turned on.
"Lets try not to kill anything this time," Betty Director said. "Those poor birds were fried crispy."
"Not my fault," Shego said. "Those birds knew the drill."
"This is a conspiracy!" Felix exclaimed to himself.
The room got dead silent when Shego phone rang. If it hadn't been for Hego calling their mother every time they argued she wouldn't be answering the phone.
"What," She hissed.
The people on the phone, or so it sounded like two people, spoke quickly almost frantically as they tried to relay their message before their minutes ran out.
"He what!" Shego screamed into the phone.
Felix backed his chair up with the first fist lit.
"Take your last look around this place and come on," Kim said going toward the exit.
Apparently Felix didn't hear her as he was fixated on Shego's flaming lower body.
"Felix!" Kim yelled to try and get his attention.
"I'll kill him," Shego said.
"Come on," Kim said running and pushing his wheelchair towards the door. Felix turned his head the watch the rest of Shego's body consumed with flames as he was pushed from the lair.
At the time he didn't know weather the explosion was from his wheelchair hitting the water or from the island blowing up.
Later he figured out it was the island.
"What happened." Kim said, bringing Felix out of the water on her back.
"He guaranteed the family I'd come to this years family reunion," Shego cried into her hands. "by calling my grandmother!"
--
"Yeah right didn't mom tell you yet?" Shego teased. "I don't have to come this year."
Felix heard the older person curse and ask why.
"Because I'm mommy's little girl and I don't have to," Shego grinned at her older brothers reaction.
The groan man was damn near throwing a temper tantrum on the other end of the phone.
"It's a shame I won't have to see you this year isn't it?" Shego mocked and just to piss her brother off she hung up in his face.
"My day is complete," She told Felix before heading into the house.
"That eye thing must be automatic," Felix thought to himself.