Note: Anyone who catches the Sealab 2021 reference gets a coupon good for a free Shrabster plate.

Chapter 4: Blessed Bloodline

Bonnie hadn't been able to move most of her body for almost an hour now. And since there were no words that could adequately describe her rage at Auntie's betrayal, she was forced to make do with mustering every ounce of hatred into the coldest gaze she could manage under the circumstances.

For what it was worth, Auntie seemed to genuinely feel guilty under the pressure of that stare. But she didn't undo whatever she'd done to paralyze Bonnie, nor did she stop driving or turn the car around.

Bonnie's rage was gradually swallowed up by fear, though, as they left the familiar sights and sounds of Middleton behind. By the time they passed a Lowerton city limits sign, she was dreading the worst.

Auntie finally turned off the main road, and stopped the car on the edge of a vast field. "Be right back," she said, getting out of the car. She took maybe three steps before she dropped to the ground.

There was a soft beep, followed by the loud screech of metal on metal.

Auntie popped back up and returned to the car. "I know you don't trust me right now," she said softly as she picked up Bonnie's limp body, "and that's fine. But this is what's best for you, Bonnie. You'll understand why I had to do this...in time. I promise."

Any reply Bonnie might have made came to an abrupt halt as she spotted a large hole in the ground, with a staircase spiraling into the inky darkness. As Auntie started towards the hole, new fear welled up in Bonnie's heart. It occurred to her that this might be the last time she ever saw sunlight, and the thought pushed her over the edge of her rationality.

"It...it was you," she whispered.

Auntie stopped. "You say something, Bonnie?"

"You were the one. You made all those bad things happen."

Auntie stared at her, blinking slowly. "No, I'm the one that kept them from happening to you..."

"But you KNEW! You knew about the car accident! You could have made sure Josh didn't die!"

"I told you, I only knew so much about it. Some things are just meant to happen. Maybe it was his time. Probably was, since he didn't go to the dance and still died the same way."

"You set him up! You set US up!" Bonnie screeched. "I can't believe I ever trusted you at all! You were behind all those 'accidents' from day one!"

"I suppose you think I called Brick and told him to go for your leg?"

Bonnie glared at her. "Hope called me. She told me that Brick nearly hit her, but Kim tripped him at the last second, and he broke his jaw."

Auntie sighed patiently. "She changed the formation. He still nearly hit someone. And knowing you, if you had been there, you'd either keep Kim from saving you, or guilt trip her if you'd gotten hurt. I was still right to keep you home."

"You manipulated us! You tricked me into keeping Tara home, and I bet you tricked Tara into keeping me home, too!"

"For what?" Auntie laughed. "To ruin your social lives? I could see how Tara being ALIVE would mess that up!"

"For all I know, that never would've happened if you weren't here!"

"There's a lot you don't know, Bonnie," Auntie replied. "But we don't have time to discuss it anymore. At least, I don't." She took another step towards the hole.

"WAIT!" Bonnie cried desperately. "Look, I'll...I'll do whatever you want, okay? Just...just don't hurt me!"

The look of surprise on Auntie's face seemed so genuine that, for a split second, Bonnie almost believed that she was truly shocked. Then she reminded herself that this woman was currently in complete control over whether she lived or died.

"Sugarplum," Auntie said softly, "I'm not going to hurt you. I told you that already."

"You also said you cared about me. This isn't how you treat-"

"It is when they don't know what's good for them. Remember when I said I felt like a parent? I still do. Think of this as tough love, without the pain. You'll feel better afterwards, I promise."

"Then...you're not...going to...?" Bonnie trailed off, unable to give voice to her fears.

Auntie shook her head, then leaned closer to tenderly kiss Bonnie's forehead. "I know you're scared," she whispered, "but you don't need to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you, I swear. The only thing that's really scary down there is the dark. And if you do what I ask, then I'll even hold your hand on the way down."

Bonnie didn't want to believe her, but she sounded so much like the Auntie that had held her when she'd thought Tara was gone forever. She could only watch as a lock of Auntie's hair came to life and brushed her cheek once. Instantly, feeling began to return to her body, and Auntie sat them both down, gently kneading Bonnie's legs as they began to throb painfully.

"Side effect of the sting," Auntie explained. "It'll pass, and you'll want your legs in good shape. It's a pretty long walk down."

"The...sting?" Bonnie asked, rubbing her arms as they began to throb as well.

That same lock of Auntie's hair waved at her. "I'm part jellyfish. It's complicated. Purely a defense mechanism." She noticed the skeptical look on Bonnie's face. "It is. If I had let you go, you would've been in real danger. And it would've made my whole trip pointless. I'm here to protect you."

"But...you kidnapped me."

"You were being irrational," she pointed out. "More so than usual. This needs to be done, and I am on a timetable."

Bonnie bit her lip. "You...you really won't hurt me?"

Auntie pulled Bonnie into her lap and hugged her. "I really won't," she murmured into Bonnie's hair. "I can carry you, if your legs aren't ready yet."

Bonnie suspected they were, but some small part of her wanted to hang on to the old, oddly affectionate Auntie for as long as she could. "Could you?"

"Sure," Auntie replied with a grin as she scooped Bonnie up. "Got the strength of ten gorillas, too."

"What?" Bonnie asked in alarm.

"Kidding! Mostly."

"Careful, Ron," Kim said as she helped him limp towards the paramedics. "That cut on your leg looks really nasty."

"Don't worry, KP. I'm okay," Ron insisted. "It's just a scratch."

"A scratch that soaked your whole pants leg," Kim reminded him. "I want you to take it easy for a while. I mean it, Ron."

"Yes, Mom," Ron muttered, but he allowed the paramedics to tend to him willingly enough.

Kim backed up to give them room to work, reaching into her pocket just as her Kimmunicator beeped. A little startled, she pulled it out. "Go, Wade."

Wade look uncharacteristically stumped. "Uh, Kim. You remember that talk we had about the ethical implications of me having you two microchipped?"

Kim laughed softly. "I remember those chips saving our lives a few times, so yes. What about them?"

"You didn't happen to get another super genius to make more, did you?"

Kim frowned. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Because I only made two, and a third was just activated."

"A...third?" Kim asked in surprise. "Where?"

"My sensors indicate it's in rural Lowerton, but that's all I know. I can't tell who it's on...or how they got the chip in the first place."

"Well, someone's asking to be found, Wade. I might as well go and find them."

"Could be a trap, Kim," Wade reasoned. "I'm betting whoever has that chip didn't get it through good intentions."

"Probably not. But I know you didn't call me just to tell me not to check it out."

"Well...I am pretty curious about this. And leaving it unchecked could be dangerous in the long run. If someone can reproduce my technology this precisely, it almost can't be good news for us."

Kim nodded. "You better make travel arrangements for one, then. Ron's going to be on the injured list for a while."

Wade look skeptical. "Did he agree to that?"

"No, but I'm going to go tell him again." Kim ended the call and walked over to where Ron was sitting in the back of an open ambulance, cheerfully rebuffing all offers of help. Sighing, Kim quickened her pace.

"Hey, KP!" he greeted with a grin as she walked up. "So, what's next on the agenda?"

"I," Kim said, pointing to herself and placing considerable emphasis on the word, "am going to check out something for Wade." Then she poked Ron in the chest. "You," she added, putting even more emphasis on the word, "are going to sit back and let these people do their job and take care of you."

Ron's face fell. "But I-"

"Am going to sit back, and?" Kim interrupted firmly with no-nonsense look in her eyes.

Ron sighed. "Let these people do their job," he muttered.

"I know you're disappointed, Ron, but being stubborn isn't going to help that leg heal up. I need you in top shape."

"Because evil might strike before lunch tomorrow?" Ron guessed.

Kim smiled and slipped her arm around his shoulders. "No, because you're my best friend and I don't like seeing you hurt. But I guess the other one is a good reason, too."

"I like your reason better." Ron looked up. "This thing for Wade is a one-person thing, then?"

"It is now." Kim cut him off before he could protest. "If Wade thought I needed help, he would say so."

"Will you at least take Rufus with you?" Ron pleaded. "Just in case? I don't like the idea of you not having any back-up."

"Actually, I don't either," Kim admitted, holding out her hand.

Ron pulled Rufus from his pocket. "Okay, little buddy. You gotta watch out for KP for me. That means no snacking on the job. Well...maybe after the job. But only then!"

Rufus made a tiny salute before running up Kim's arm and sitting on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Ron," Kim said, patting his arm. "We'll be fine."

Two hours later, Kim found herself staring at a rather suspicious-looking patch of crabgrass.

"I've still got a lock on the chip, Kim. Either the location has a cloaking device, or it's underground," Wade reported from the Kimmunicator.

"I'm guessing the second one." Kim brushed away some dirt with her shoe, and was rewarded when the sunlight caught a metallic glint. Within a few seconds, she had revealed a steel trapdoor in the ground...as well as a very thick padlock. Even the surprisingly sharp teeth of Rufus couldn't get the lock to break, and when the naked mole rat shrugged in apparent defeat, Kim turned to Wade for ideas.

"Don't know that I've seen anything like this before. Unless...have you tried touching it?"

"Wade, are you trying to be funny?" Kim demanded.

"No, seriously, Kim. Take off your glove and touch it."

"Is this something I'm going to regret doing?"

"Since the lock didn't do anything to Rufus, you should be perfectly safe."

"For future reference, Wade, 'should be' and 'perfectly' don't go together."

"Noted," Wade replied with a light chuckle.

Kim sighed and laid a finger on the warm steel. She hoped that the warmth was due to the sun, and not some electrical current waiting to fry her. Luckily, both of Wade's theories proved correct: there was no immediate deterrent, and the trapdoor let out a loud hiss as the lock clicked open.

"Access Authorized. Welcome, Kimberly Anne Possible," said a cool female voice that Kim couldn't quite place.

"Uh oh!" Rufus chittered, shooting a worried look at Kim.

"I don't like it either, Rufus," Kim admitted.

"The door probably scanned your fingerprint," Wade concluded, "but I don't know why you'd be on its authorized list, Kim."

"I could always ask when I reach the bottom," Kim responded. "Rufus, you better ride in my pocket. There's a penlight, and I'll need you to aim it at the steps. I don't think we want to run into anything we can't see down there."

Rufus nodded and dove into the deep pocket on the leg of Kim's cargo pants, emerging seconds later with the penlight.

"One last word of warning, Kim," Wade added. "If this passage goes down as deep as I think, we might lose contact. If that happens-"

"Give me thirty minutes, then call Global Justice," Kim interrupted. "I'll call you back when I've got your microchip." She clicked the Kimmunicator off and took a deep breath. "Ready, Rufus?"

"Uh huh!" Rufus turned on the penlight and pointed the bright beam at the staircase.

Kim slipped through the trapdoor, landing lightly on the stairs. She'd only gone a few steps when the door began to slide shut behind her. Somehow, it didn't surprise her at all, and she turned her thoughts to taking the stairs at a wary but somewhat speedy pace. Whatever awaited her at the bottom, she didn't want to take the chance that it might get impatient.

Bonita Rockwaller had never been a big fan of irony, but she couldn't help but have a certain appreciation for it, considering her current situation.

As a teenager, her thinking had been no different than Bonnie's. She'd lived for herself, despised Kim Possible for no real reason, and assumed she was meant for great things.

Then Kim had vanished, and Shego became larger than life. Well, Shego's way became life, really, for anyone that remained on Earth. And while a younger version of Bonita hadn't really liked the idea of putting her dreams aside to become a servant, it wasn't as if there was much choice left. She could either work for the Supreme One willingly, or with a huge eyesore of a collar than turned her brain to obedient mush. Taking part in the resistance never occurred to her, largely because shopping and money were both Shego-owned and operated.

So Bonita had been rounded up with people she did or didn't know, and processed in the Attitude Adjustment Center, in order to make sure they were dedicated to toiling for the Supreme One. In Bonita's group, only one person hadn't been: a mousy-looking brunette with brown hair and freckles.

"We shouldn't have to be slaves!" she'd cried. "If Kim Possible were still here-"

"Well, she's not! And if she were, then she'd be paraded through the streets with an Obedience Collar!" Bonita had snapped. "The only difference between you and her is that she'd actually matter to the Supreme One. If you really want to be like Kim, keep running your mouth. Maybe we'll all get lucky, and the Supreme One will make you disappear, too."

The brunette had looked completely crushed…and then terrified as a shadow fell over her.

"You'd better thank Miss Rockwaller," the Supreme One instructed in a soft, dangerous tone. "She just put me in a really good mood, which means I won't make you disappear. I will, however, assign you to the sector where Kim Possible's house used to be. That way you can have your spirit crushed every time you realize she isn't coming back, for you or for anyone else."

From that moment on, Bonita had become one of Shego's favorite pawns. It seemed to amuse the Supreme One to no end that a civilian hated Kim Possible as much as she did without being ordered to first. Bonita was a natural choice to run the AAC, as she'd excelled in breaking spirits for years, and in the same building, no less. She'd enjoyed her job, so it never really seemed like work, or at least not manual labor.

There was also no doubt in Bonita's mind that the Supreme One was every bit as terrible as some people made her out to be (before a session with Bonita, anyway). Yet she saw that side of Shego less and less frequently when they were alone, which began to occur more and more frequently. At some point, Bonita found that most people were even afraid of her because she was considered close to the Supreme One. The question as to how close she was to Shego was answered the day she fell ill.

Sickness was a worrisome thing, to be sure. Shego's usual position on health care was, "Get sick, and you won't live long enough to regret it." Aside from that, there were plenty of instructors at the AAC just dying to take her place and earn Shego's favor. Combined with the fact that Bonita's illness was an uncommon one, she hadn't had much hope for surviving it.

Yet doctors had popped out of the woodwork, and most were in such high demand that no one but Shego could afford them…which had been the case, as it turned out. The moment Bonita was back on her feet, Shego had sent her a bill for the rather expensive treatment, including all the pampering she'd actually thought was heartfelt affection from the Supreme One. If it had been, then it was one of many things that just didn't come cheap under Shego's reign.

Strangely, it was only because she had to pay back the enormous debt herself that Bonita came to realize how much Shego had spent on her survival…and in turn, how much her life apparently meant to Shego. No one questioned the Supreme One without severe punishment, though, and so even Bonita was forbidden to discuss the matter in detail. She'd only gotten Shego to talk about it at all by stating the obvious: that she would never be able to repay the debt entirely.

The Supreme One's answer had been a smug smile and a pat on the head. "Don't worry yourself about it too much, Bon-Bon. Your life belonged to me either way."

In a way, though, being the personal property of the Supreme One had its advantages. She was the only person, other than Shego, to see the Tempus Simia idol on a regular basis. She had access to all the genetic alterations she could ever want, since it was a little-known fact that Shego kept DNAmy on staff, in order to continually improve upon her monkey ninja squad, and possibly herself. Of course, Bonita had kept herself all natural for a long time; she'd seen some of Amy's more monstrous success stories. It was only when Bonita had expressed an interest in entering the time stream that Shego had insisted that she at least have the one operation.

To this day, she had no idea why Shego had even allowed her to do so. Nor was she sure how Shego had gotten her hands on one of the resistance's chrono manipulators. What Bonita did know was that Shego hadn't let her touch the thing until she'd known its workings inside and out, as well as the dangers of meddling with the time stream. Again, she'd been touched by Shego's concern for her, however subtle Shego chose to believe it was.

But as much as Bonita returned those feelings, deep down, she'd still desired a world where she was free to be free. The more time she spent with Shego, the more she realized that it wouldn't be possible in a world where Kim Possible was a mere memory and Shego was the Supreme One. Shego had forbidden even the mention of her old foe, but Bonita suspected that in a strange way, Shego missed Kim and the competition she'd never failed to bring more than anyone. Shego had to miss Kim, really, because there were times when Bonita did, and they'd never even come to serious blows. Not compared to her now legendary battles with Shego, anyway. But after living in back-to-back eras where Kim did and didn't exist, Bonita now understood why so many people looked to her as their savior. A world with Kim Possible in it was a world with hope in it. Not only did she do the impossible, she made the impossible possible, simply by existing.

What bothered Bonita the most was that it had taken a lifetime of personal losses to make her see that, and only now were things really starting to turn around. And even though she wouldn't be able to enjoy them herself, she took comfort in the fact that Bonnie would. She had never made it this far before, made this big a difference in her own life. There was nothing that could stop her plans now. She had foreseen every eventuality, not because of some mutated super-intelligence, but because she'd learned from several lifetimes of her own mistakes. All it had cost her was…well, what remained of her life, and even that was slowly dripping away.

With a long sighed, Bonita ran her hands through her hair, knowing it had to be a mess by now. Her hair had always reacted badly to stress since the operation, and it was fortunate that she was immune to her own stings. Still, it wouldn't do to put anything else in her system right now. Her eyes flicked up to the row of monitors set into the wall, and a smile formed on her lips as she spotted movement at the bottom of the stairs.

"You're faster than I expected, Kim," Bonita whispered. "But still not fast enough. I've messed this up too many times, but no more. This time, my plans are set in stone." Her gaze traveled over the still form beside her. "They had to be," she murmured, closing her eyes and gulping down her second glass of juice.

Kim's spirits rose as finally reached the end of the staircase. They fell, however, when she spotted the vault with not one, but five keypad locks on it. Chances were, they all had different combinations, and since the Kimmunicator had been down for several minutes now, she and Rufus had little choice but to try and figure them out on their own.

"Okay, Rufus. If you've got any ideas, I'm all ears," Kim muttered as she slipped off her glove and pressed a finger to the steel door. She wasn't surprised when it remained shut, almost mockingly, it seemed to her.

Rufus hopped out of her pocket and studied the keypad closest to the floor. He reached out to begin pressing the keys, but a voice interrupted him before he could.

"You don't want to do that, Kim. Each additional code has to be entered within ten seconds of the last."

Kim froze as she recognized the voice. "Aunt Bonita?" Her eyes narrowed. "Is Bonnie in there with you?"

"Oh, you're a clever girl, Kim. That, I never doubted. Yes, she's right here. We decided to make a day of it, just the two of us. The poor thing is exhausted, so she's catching up on her beauty sleep."

"What are you doing to her?" Kim demanded.

"Is that concern I hear in your voice? Why is everyone around here so convinced I'd harm my own flesh and blood?"

"I know you're not her aunt!"

"She's still my flesh and blood, Kim. But if you're that worried, then please relax. I estimate it will take you just under thirty minutes to figure out all five codes. If you can't wait that long, don't fret: I'll be perfectly willing to open up in fifteen. The good news is, each lock is will accept any of the five codes, so long as another hasn't already. Your only clue is: through this, all things are able."

"I never figured you…well, Bonnie…as the religious type."

"Good. We're not," Bonita replied flatly before the speaker cut off.

Kim was stumped for about three minutes straight. By the five minute mark, she'd figured out that the clue was actually about her, and by seven, she'd narrowed down three codes to her date of birth, social security number, and phone number. The last two codes remained a mystery to her…at least, until Bonita's voice rang out again at ten minutes.

"Okay, so I cheated a bit. There's no way you could know the last two codes."

"Cocky, aren't you?"

"No. It's just impossible, because you'd have to retain memories of your trip through the time stream. Specifically, the dates you vanished from yours and reappeared in Shegoton."

"My…what?" Kim asked. "What in the world is Shegoton?"

"You'll find out. For now, just enter the numbers that I tell you."

Kim was only slightly relieved when her three guesses were proved correct. "Stay close, Rufus," she warned as the heavy door swung open. "Be ready for anything."

There was a dry chuckle from within the dark vault. "I told you to relax, Kim. I'm in no condition to hurt anyone, least of all you."

Something in her voice made Kim want to relax. But the second Kim caught sight of the shadowy, seated figure in green and black, all her senses kicked into overdrive. She could hear Rufus growling at her feet as she came to a stop just beyond the doorway.

"You want me to relax, you can show me where Bonnie is, then explain what you're doing here, and why you're wearing Shego's colors."

"I'd like to, I really would. But I'm afraid we only have time for the first one. Lights."

Kim threw her arm up just in time to avoid being blinded by the bright light that flooded the room. Even when she finally lowered her arm, she wasn't prepared for the sight that was waiting for her.

Bonita was slumped forward in her chair, her face hidden behind a mess of brown locks. Somehow, her hair seemed nearly twice as long as Kim remembered. Her gaze rested on the woman for a long moment, before finally focusing on the thin tube that was strapped to her left wrist, which ran down into a small, metallic cylinder on the floor. A second tube ran out of the cylinder's other side, where it stretched up to a similar strap on Bonnie's right arm. Several seconds passed before Kim recognized that there was blood in both tubes, and that the flow was directed towards Bonnie, not away from her. Confusion firmly blanketed her brain as she took a step forward and dropped to one knee, her eyes scanning the area.

"What are you looking for?" Bonita asked quietly.

"For the little machine that's going to feed her blood into you," Kim replied absently. She could almost hear the smile in Bonita's reply.

"Oh, that little machine." She paused for exactly five seconds. "There isn't one."

"Then when is this one going to stop?" Kim demanded.

Bonita raised her head slightly. "When there's nothing left."

It took a whole three seconds for Kim's brain to accept that statement. "What?"

"I realize you have different ways of donating blood these days," Bonita explained, "but then, I always was an overachiever. At least, when something really mattered to me."

Kim's muscles tensed as her eyes went back to the cylinder.

"Don't bother, Kim. I'm old, but I'm fast, even now."

After what she'd just learned, not trying wasn't even a possibility in Kim's mind. She lunged forward, even as she felt three sharp pricks in her neck. Her body seemed to lock up, and she fell flat on her face between Bonita's chair and Bonnie's stretcher, her hand just inches from the cylinder.

"I warned you. Assuming I still have the strength, I'll 'unlock' you in a few minutes."

"Don't do this," Kim pleaded. "There's no point!"

"Spoken like a true heroine," Bonita murmured softly. "Don't feel bad, Kim. The good guys always win. Sometimes they just take the scenic route, and sometimes they just seem like bad guys. But they always win in the end. Remember that."

Kim could only watch as a lock of Bonita's hair brushed past her shoulder and reached into her pocket, tugging out her Kimmunicator. "What are you doing?"

"My boss still had a sense of humor when she built this place," Bonita replied. "As it turns out, you've got the only elevator key." She tapped a few keys on the Kimmunicator before placing it on the floor.

Kim gasped as the entire room seemed to hum, and slowly began to rise. "I…I don't understand."

"Yeah, there's a lot of that going around," Bonita pointed out. "I'll just skip to the important part." She made a half-hearted attempt to brush the hair out of her eyes. "One day soon, Bonnie is going to apologize for every mean thing she's ever done to you."

Kim almost laughed at the very notion, but the solemn look on Bonita's face wouldn't allow her to.

"Whether you forgive her or not is your choice. But you need to know that it won't be a trick or anything like that. It'll be genuine and heartfelt."

"You mean it'll be the hardest thing she's ever done?" Kim asked without thinking.

Something like a smile appeared on Bonita's face. "Yes, actually. But don't hold that against her. She's a good kid. At least, she can be, with the proper motivation."

"So the Shego suit is supposed to represent what happens with improper motivation?"

Bonita shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Kim became aware of a steady, rapid tapping sound above their heads. She realized that it was now raining outside, and that they were closing in on the surface.

"Not…much…longer, now," Bonita breathed. She slid out of her chair and dropped heavily to the floor. After a few seconds, she crawled over to Kim. "Don't look back on this as a loss, Kim. Think of it more as…a necessary sacrifice. Check on Bonnie for me, would you?"

Kim felt a pinprick along her neck, and grunted as sensation returned to her body, although painfully. She winced as she made it to her feet and gingerly approached the stretcher.

Bonnie appeared for all the world to be sleeping, though there was a certain color to her cheeks that Kim couldn't recall having seen before. Even when the first drops of rain splashed against her face, Bonnie remained still. Kim wasn't too concerned, since Bonnie's pulse proved to be steady.

Kim looked up as the platform slowed to a stop, just in time to see the roof of the vault split in two to reveal the darkening, cloudy sky. Raindrops were a welcome refresher as they gently cooled her face. She was so relaxed that she nearly forgot that there was one last thing to worry about. The tube in Bonnie's arm was now clear…empty.

Even as she turned around, Kim sensed it was too late. Bonita was still sprawled on the floor, and hadn't moved an inch. Apparently, though, she'd found time to unlock Rufus, who Kim hadn't even known was paralyzed as well. The naked mole rat was groaning painfully and rubbing his back. Then he noticed Bonita's still form, and ventured closer to sniff her.

"Rufus…is she…?" Kim whispered.

Rufus carefully sidestepped Bonita's hair and leaned against her wrist. After several moments, he looked up at Kim and shook his head sadly.

Kim bent down to pick up Rufus, pressing his shuddering body to her heart. "It's okay to cry, Rufus. It's raining, and Bonnie wouldn't be in the mood to rag on us even if she was conscious, anyway."

Rufus immediately began to bawl, burying his face in Kim's shirt.

Kim could do little more than stroke his back and wonder about a great deal of things. Most of all, she wondered why she had to fail this day, and how she was going to explain it to Bonnie.

Next Chapter: Bonnie wakes up to a world without Auntie B…but she won't have to wonder why for long.

Reviews!

Alan Wilkinson

I think I see the plan here. But Auntie is going to have to be careful not to get Bonnie killed.

If you think Bonnie's in any real danger, you're a bit off. Auntie may not be completely honest, but she hasn't lied to Bonnie. At least not by my (or her) definition of the word. Remember, whatever she's up to, she's had plenty of practice at it. Aside from that, keeping Bonnie happy and healthy is her first priority.

Sand Lord

Time travel sure gives you a headache. So Bonita wants to make Bonnie happy, doesn't that mean that she, when she returns to the future, will be happy too? That would sound like a think Bonnie would do, manipulating her past to perfect her present. Or are their timelines different, split apart when they are changed in the past? That would make Bonita quite a hero of her own right, making her younger self happy, while accepting her dark fate. BRAIN PAIN ALERT! Nice chapter, a bit scary at the end. I hope Bonnie and Tara are going to be an item, would be quite the romance. Keep up the good work, looking forward for more!

I know what you mean when you're trying to figure out how the timelines overlap, but I can't exactly put it into words. It wouldn't matter much in this case, anyway. Bonita is only concerned with Bonnie's life, not her own. Nothing Bonita does in the past will have any impact on her own life in the future, simply because she won't be going back or living any longer. She has, however, changed Bonnie's future, at least in the sense that Bonnie won't become the exact same person that Bonita was.