Chapter 10

Quite to her surprise, Shego found she enjoyed a good night's sleep. Upon awaking, she had to admit that this place did have the mark of luxury written all over it. No doubt about it, this might be a cage…but if it was that, Shego decided, it was a least a gilded one.

The following morning, Kim made her way to Shego's room, only a couple of minutes before the ungodly hour of six o'clock. Kim's eyes drooped, and her shoulders sagged as she finally---with her GJ guard escort in tow---arrived at Shego's doorway. Kim directed the guards to block off the doorway again, thus denying Shego any chance of escape. That taken care of, Kim made her way over and gently shook Shego awake, who responded to this rough treatment by moaning and trying to hide under her covers. Kim sighed, a part of understanding just what Shego must be feeling that very moment. "Yo, Stephanie! Up and at 'em, girl! Get your lazy butt out of that bed pronto!" Kim bellowed in a voice that would warmed the heart of many a drill instructor.

Shego groaned loudly, but heaved herself up in her bed, grumbling and rubbing her eyes. She glared at Kim, irritable from a lack of sleep.

Kim smiled at her grumpy charge. "Go on now…wash your face and wake up. I'll get you some clothes ready, 'kay?" Kim prodded her verbally.

Shego yawned hugely, thought it over, then nodded her assent. She was far too tired to fight just now. "Whatever," she groused groggily, getting to her feet to shumble over to the bathroom.

Kim smiled, watching as Shego made her way to the bathroom to wake herself up a bit. Kim walked over to the closet, opened it, and began rummaging around through Shego's clothes…clothes that she and Monique had picked out for her a week or two ago. The tired redhead first came across a deep black t-shirt sporting bright green piping around the neck and sleeves, and smiled in satisfaction. "Perfect," she announced softly, throwing the shirt over on to a nearby chair. She then changed gears, and went in pursuit of a pair of pants to go with her top choice. She vaguely remembered a pair of pants Monique had stumbled across, one's that would go just perfect with that shirt. Kim, even before she saw them, knew they would look great on Shego, and after a rather spirited tussle with the closet, she finally found them. They were a pair of indigo black jeans, ones that had a long splash of green flames embroidered down the right leg, from hem to hip. The left leg of the pants had the word 'TOXIC' spelled out in neon green letters that looked as if someone had just brushed it on. "Hmm, couldn't of found a better pair of pants…they so match Steph's personality," Kim declared to herself, smiling as she lay the pants on the chair on top of the shirt. She dug around a bit more, and found a pair of brand-spanking new black athletic shoes, complete with acid green laces. Kim then opened her lingerie cabinet, and quickly selected Shego some "unmentionables"…also in her favorite color, black. Her last acquisition was a pair of socks in the same green color that matched the green on the pants.

Kim smiled, quite pleased with what she'd found within Shego's wardrobe. She folded it all up, gathered the stack in her hands, then made her way over to the closed bathroom door, knocking. "You about ready to get dressed?" Kim inquired through the door.

Shego opened the door, her face freshly washed, and walked outside, looking a great deal more awake now. "Oh, joy," she groused. "I can't wait to see what you've picked for me, Kimmie. Wait, let me guess! A blue dress with a pinafore maybe?"

Kim laughed at her sarcasm, but didn't rise to her baiting. "Here you go, Steph!"
Kim told her, handing over the clothes to Shego, who took them, gave them a quick once over, then grunted before she re-entered the bathroom, closing the door to change. It wasn't long until she returned, hiking up her pants a bit higher than was really necessary.

"So, you like?" Kim asked, grinning.

Shego answered simply, "No, not really…but since you've taken all my real clothes, I don't really have much of choice now, do I?" She glared over at Kim, but none too convincingly.

Kim smiled again, and beckoned Shego to follow her over to a chair, where she forced her to take a seat.

"What now?" Shego asked. Now, she demanded!

"D'uh!" Kim threw out, shaking her red head. "Your hair is a mess, girl," Kim then added.

Shego simply rolled her eyes, allowing Kim to do what she would to improve the situation…as she really didn't care. Kim chose to weave Shego´s thick black into a braid, securing the end with a toxic green rubber band. "There!" she said and smiled. "Now, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"

Shego snorted softly, but flicked a quick look at herself in the mirror, and sighed. "How could I of sunk this low?" she muttered, frowning at her reflection.

"Come on, Stephie," Kim urged sweetly. "Breakfast starts in ten minutes!"

Shego looked over at the six assembled guards tentatively…Kim could almost see the wheels whirring inside of Shego's head.

"Yep, it's just like dinner yesterday, Steph. You got the same choice now as you had then…the handcuffs and ankle routine, or toeing the line and walking there on your best behavior," Kim reiterated to the stubborn girl.

Shego groaned softly, thinking. Finally, she nodded her head briskly, then marched over to the cautious guards to hold out her hands to them, her wrists together. "Okay, boys," she announced. "You know the routine," she added. Shego didn't like being restrained…but, she had a reputation to maintain, after all.

Kim frowned at her decision, then shrugged in resignation. "All right, be like that then," Kim told her, then smiled cleverly. "Oh, I probably should tell you that you won't impress anyone with this show of defiance, Steph. Not one of your buddies will ever know just how you got to breakfast…they'll just see you there. Understand?"

Shego snorted at that. "Is that right? Well, Kimmie, tell you what…I'd rather arrive in chains than follow peacefully along beside you like some sort of lap dog," Shego declared, her eyes defiant, her posture very proud. "Like I told you before, if you think that I'm willing to be a good girl, then you'd better think again."

Kim smiled, able to appreciate Shego's pride. Though, unlike Shego, Kim knew just how they were going to help the villains to see the error of their ways. All she needed to do was give each of them one order, and then they woud step right into her trap, way before they realized it was far too late. "Whatever you say Stephanie. Whatever you say," Kim replied knowingly, enjoying the look of surprise on Shego's face. "C'mon now…time for breakfast," Kim then told her. "You've got a big day ahead of you, girl…"