"I drove the damn thing yesterday, it's Kim's turn." Adam muttered, pulling the pillow over his head. He was in the smallest of the three bedrooms. Ron, Shego, and Kim were standing in the doorway arguing over who had to drive. His pronouncement didn't even seem to phase them. He sighed, and rose, pushing past them, and into the hall. They followed him into down the hall, and almost into the bathroom. He reached the door, spun, leapt up, and caught the door frame. He lashed out with both feet, over their heads, and dropped, slamming the door shut in their faces, locking it at the same time. He sighed as he leaned against the door. The shower flashed to life with a wave of his hand.
---
"He's turned the shower on." Kim nodded. They slipped down the hall, totally silent, and Kim slipped into the driver's seat. The motion was completely canceled out as she accelerated, providing no transfer inside, so that hopefully, he'd never know they were moving. Behemoth pulled smoothly out of the parking lot, and back onto the highway, accelerating just as easily to sixty-five for her, as it had for him. Fifteen minutes later, when he stepped out of the shower, and appeared in the living room, soaking wet, wearing a towel, he stared out the window first of all.
"I'd rather hoped that worked." He turned, and saw something that caught his attention. A cake on the table. "Oh, did I miss something?"
"Clothes?" Shego suggested. He grinned, and walked back down the hall. He returned shortly, dressed in a white T-shirt, and blue jeans. Shego was dressed in a shirt identical to the tan one she was in the day before, with light grey sweats completing the outfit. Ron was in a long sleeve T-shirt, blue, and the same pants he always wore. Adam had seen his closet, and he had several dozen pair. Kim was in a dark green shirt, and blue jeans.
"Make a note, I should teach you guys the clothing spell." He muttered. Shego nodded. "So, what's the cake for?"
"An anniversary." Shego responded. Adam stared.
"Alright, I give, what is it?" He asked. Kim appeared from the front of the bus. "Why aren't you driving?" He asked.
"Because Genny is." She replied. Adam dropped to the couch.
"Good god, are you insane, letting Genny drive?" He asked, gripping the couch. Genny appeared in the middle of the room.
"I can drive just fine." She snorted.
"As long as the road is straight, you haven't got the organic sense of balance we do." Adam pointed out.
"It's straight for almost a hundred miles, and I know how to swing side to side without over balancing." She sighed. "Enjoy the party."
"Alright, I suppose Kim can react in more than enough time." He sighed. "So, what's the occasion?"
"You have a bottomless memory, and you forgot our anniversary?" Shego snapped. He smiled.
"Of course not." He grinned, and pulled, from the very air, a card, and gift. Well, the card came with ease. He had to yank hard on the gift to get it from the air. "Damn it." The object snapped free, and for the second time in three days, he ended up on his ass on the floor. "Sorry." He apologized as he rose, and handed her the card. She took it, and smiled, as she read the inscription. She passed it to Kim, and then to Ron.
"Always and forever, since you're never angry when I do stupid things." Ron laughed.
"That's not true." Kim pointed out. Shego grinned.
"That's what makes it funny." She replied.
"Wait a minute, what anniversary are we celebrating?" Kim asked. Shego smiled.
"Two months. This day is two months, and change from every important date. Two months and several years since I met Adam." Shego smiled.
"Minus two months and several years since I met Ron, and Two months even since I met you." Adam finished, and hefted the box.
"Well, hand it over." Shego grinned, pointing at the box.
Adam handed her the box, containing the gift. She opened it, and found, a pair of gloves, fingerless like his, and half green, half black. "Returning a favor?" She asked.
"No, just correcting an error." He smiled. She smiled.
"As for your gift, you'll just have to wait until tonight." She grinned. He quirked an eye brow, in a very Spock-like expression. "Sorry, no hints." He shrugged.
"So, lets eat cake, then we'll have some fun." He grinned. The cake vanished fairly quick, and he rose to his feet. "Ready for some swordsmanship lessons?" He asked, grinning.
"Not really." Shego muttered. Kim and Ron glanced at each other.
"We don't have any." They replied in unison.
"Yes, you do." He replied. He waved for them to follow. Ron and Kim did with some curiousity. Shego did with a bit of reluctance. "Computer, weapon rack, bladed weapons, swords." The ceiling of the living room opened up, and a rack of weapons lowered. Kim's sword hang on the rack, along with a broadsword right above it. The handle was black and green. Shego lifted it down from it's rack, and rested the tip of the sheathed blade against the floor. Kim lifted her weapon down, and slipped the sheath into her belt. Adam reached up, and lifted down the larger broadsword on the top. With a four foot blade, and foot long handle, the weapon was impressive, if a touch showy, even for him. The empty rack retracted into the ceiling, and Ron stared at him.
"Where's mine?" Ron asked, with a disappointed tone.
"You're wearing it." Adam replied, pointing at his wrist, and the Lotus Blade that still encircled it, as a massive bracelet. Ron laughed hysterically for a moment, and the weapon flowed down his arm, stretching out into a full length katana. Shego eyed Ron and the weapon speculatively.
"I wonder what else it can turn into?" She asked curiously. All three blushed at the implications in that sentence. Adam solved that problem, with a whip fast attack against Shego. Shego wrenched her blade only partway free before the attack hit. She blocked it and danced back, giving herself room. But Adam ignored her, and lashed out for Ron. The Lotus Blade flashed up, and intercepted the attack. Ron twisted the blade, and made a long slash towards Adam's left shoulder. The blade scored as he danced back. It was only the tip of the blade, and didn't cut very deep, but he snarled in pain, and blocked an over hand slash by Kim and the follow up by Shego. He counter attacked, with a thrust towards Shego, a faint in Ron's direction, and an overhead spin-cut towards Kim. Shego yelped as the blade scored her arm, and Ron tripped on to the sofa in his haste to duck backwards. Kim slashed around and caught the blade on the back side of man-stopper, thumbing the switch and sending a blast of electricity through his sword, causing him to drop it and stumble back. He recovered with her sword at his throat.
"Damn, you're quick." He grinned. She felt herself lifted into the air and tossed gently across the room. She landed on her feet, and looked up to see him roll to recover his sword as Ron and Shego's blades clashed in the air. Shego growled something Kim couldn't uinderstand, but Ron did, and kicked her in the stomach. Blood flowed as he slashed downwards, cutting open her left arm. Kim grunted, and danced up blade flashing at Ron. Adam whipped his own around and the three weapons jammed together. Shego slammed her blade in the middle knocking them apart. All four squared off.
"Are we having fun yet?" Shego asked.
"Oh, yes." Adam responded.
"Totally." Kim agreed.
"I have just one word: Boo-yah!" Ron laughed, and danced forwards, slashing at Kim, and slicing open the front of her shirt, without breaking the skin, continuing into a cut against Adam, and then around toward's Shego. Adam was out of reach, but Shego drug her blade up, and blocked the attack. She twisted and kicked him in the chest. A shoulder ram from behind knocked him sprawling. Kim stepped across herself, and spun her leg around to hammer him in the side. Shego danced forwards and slashed again, slicing smoothly through the right shoulder of Kim's shirt, making it fall partially. Kim snorted and switched hands, shrugging the shirt down and dancing forwards towards Shego, in just jeans, and a dark pink bra. Shego laughed, as she blocked the quick succession of strikes, and countered with a knee. Kim sucked in her stomach, just dodging the knee, but Shego kicked back the other way, knocking Kim on to her back. Shego laughed, and then swore as Ron's sword skimmed through her shirt, slicing the front just under her rib cage. She swung over hand, attempting to knock the blade away. Ron grinned, and the weapon formed into a Sai, and caught the blade. She spun the weapon free as he tried to twist it and pull her's away. The katana reappeared, and he yelped as her blade tip sliced his shirt open. There was a fine line down the center of his chest. The Lotus Blade healed the wound, and he swept his blade up, knocking Shego off balance at the speed as she lunged back to dodge. The blade whirred back down to slice open her shirt, but he never completed the attack. Adam lunged into him shoulder first and Ron stumbled against the wall. He pushed off and brought the blade around, blocked by Adam's blade. A quick change in direction, sliced open his shirt. Adam pulled his leg up, and kicked out, hitting the wall as Ron dodged to the side, and pushing off as the Lotus Belade flashed up at him. He rolled against the wall, and cut across at waist level, in a long slope. Ron's belt snapped. As had occured many times before, his pants fell and he tripped. Adam laughed, and then whirled his blade as the partially clad Kim slashed towards him. The attack sunk deep into his shoulder, snapping the remains of his shirt much as it had done to Kim's. With his right shoulder totally useless, he slipped the shirt off, and switched sword hands. Kim grunted, and slashed at him again, but he twisted sideways, to avoid the blow and struck with his sword, appearently intending on slicing through the center of her bra. She leaned clear, and he missed, over balancing forwards, to slam into the couch. Kim laughed, then yelped in surprise as Shego slashed through the air in front of her. She spun around, and slashed open the back of Shego's shirt. She laughed again, since Shego wasn't wearing a bra. Shego kicked out, and knocked her back. Ron lunged up, having severed the center of his pants, and Shego whirled around caught his shirt with the flat of her sword, and lifted it up, snapping it with a twist of the blade.
"I think that's enough." Adam muttered, rising, and pulling Kim to her feet. "Weapons rack, bladed weapons, swords." It fell down, and he rehung his sword, a bit akwardly. Shego sheathed her blade, and hung it. Kim sheathed, and replaced her weapon. Ron closed his eyes, and the sword slithered back up into it's bracelet form. He took hold of Adam's arm, both glowing a soft yellow, as the blade healed Adam's shoulder. He repeated the process with Shego, as Kim vanished down the hall. She returned with a fresh shirt, as well as one for the others, and a pair of pants for Ron.
"So, now what?" Kim asked, even though she already knew.
"Lunch." Genny announced. "Just sandwiches though, someone forgot to stock the fridge." She snorted, and glared at Ron.
"What?" He asked.
"You're the one that emptied it." She accused.
"No, Rufus... Hey, where is Rufus?" Ron asked. Genny vanished. She reappeared an instant later.
"So... Some want to run for take out?" She asked idly. Rufus wandered in, looking content. "He ate them plastic and all." She muttered. Shego glanced at Kim.
"We'll go." She volunteered. Kim nodded.
"Have fun." Adam replied, heading for the cockpit to pull the bus over. A switch on the dashboard opened the rear endof the bus, and Kim backed out, her car being the second one loaded, beside Ron's motorcycle. The back shut as they pulled away.
---
"Thanks Rufus. That worked great." Ron grinned. Rufus shrugged. He really had eaten the sandwiches, but on purpose. They needed the girls gone, long enough for Ron to start the dinner planned several days in advance. The meal needed the prep time, and while the sword fight wasn't planned, he'd left it up to Adam to tire the girls enough they'd have to go get lunch.
"Got everything you need?" Adam asked, bringing in the the last box. Ron was already in motion sliding from stove to counter to fridge, and back again.
"Yup, I'll have everything cooking nicely in ten minutes." Ron replied.
"Good, Genny's watching and will alert you when they come back. I'm going to set up the dining room." Adam vanished. Ron smiled as he worked. The lobster was the last thing he'd need to prepare, so he stuck it in the fridge. Adam tapped a number of buttons on the the keypad on the wall, and a table rose from the floor. He set a crate on the floor, that he'd drug out of the storage, containing a special set of dishes, brought for this purpose. He settled the china on the table, the steel plates reacting with magnets in the table to hold it in place. The silverware didn't need magnets to hold it, and he left the glasses in the case for the moment. The table retracted, and he sighed, sitting down. He hoped nothing went wrong, as it had since he'd arrived.
---
"What do you think they're planning for tonight Kimmie?" Shego asked, as they drove. Kim shrugged with one arm, to avoid jerking the wheel.
"Not a clue, but if it requires us to be gone for the hour it's going to take us, it should be pretty spectacular." Kim responded.
"Any idea why?" Shego asked.
"I don't know about Ron, but I think Adam is still trying apologize for his powers." Kim replied. "Do you think it's neccesary?"
"Truthfully?" Kim nodded. "No, I don't think it is, but if he feels the need, it's better to just let him go, and enjoy the ride. He'll relax sooner or later."
"Even after we forgave him?" Kim wondered.
"He's funny that way, he won't quit, until he thinks he's paid for his mistake. Thankfully, he won't do anything incredibly stupid, but..." She shrugged.
"Did you know about him and the other woman?" Kim asked.
"Rebecca?" Shego nodded. "She was his love, but she wanted to be with his best friend, so he let her go. He knew it would litterally kill her, but since she would die happy, he let it go. If she hadn't she'd have lived to old age, but..." Shego shook her head. "I don't like to dwell on it."
"Why chose to show me that?" Kim asked, shaking her head. "I mean, it didn't seem to really..." She struggled to define it.
"To be something to affect him that way?" Shego put it. Kim nodded. "See, it didn't, not right away. After a few days, he found himself wishing he hadn't changed time. He told me about this shortly after our first time. See..." She took a breath. "He made the attempted to change time again, but was intercepted, by another of himself. A fight started, when the other tried to stop him. After a while they both grew tired, and backed off, in a mutually agreed rest. The other one spoke during that what was intended as a short interlude. Adam realized exactly how selfish he was being. I'm not sure what the other Adam did say, but whatever it was, it made an impact. That's why he acts the way he does. He still feel he could have saved them, his best friends, from dying. He will always rush into danger, to try and save some one, no matter the cost to his own life. Powers, or no powers, he will act, even if it kills him to do so." Shego shuddered. "That's how he died last time. The one I knew." She added.
"What do you mean?" Kim asked.
"He broke into a building, to save a woman from death. He managed to do it, but was hit with a dart. It knocked him out, and when friends showed and destroyed the building, he went up with it. He told me, the other day, that he was alright with the death, as long as she survived. I didn't have the heart to let him know that she was killed in an auto accident a day later." Shego sighed.
"He knows." Kim commented. Shego looked up. "His glow powers, remember?"
"Oh... My...." Shego leaned back in her seat.
"Don't worry, if he didn't say anything yesterday, he won't now." Kim replied smoothly. "So, Bueno Nacho? Or chinese?"
"Bueno Nacho, and Grande size it." Shego replied, in an utterly dead voice tone. Kim sighed.