Notes: Keep in mind that this is essentially the end of the series. The next chapter should be read as something of an afterword. Some of you might even be happier just stopping after this chapter. Just so long as you know that chapter was inspired initially out of anger. But that's what happens when certain readers try to educate me on something that's largely subjective anyway. But I won't name names.
Chapter 10: Speak Like A Child
"This is too easy," Bonnie complained.
"Shush," Kim muttered, sparing her a glance.
"But it is! Shouldn't there be some flying death rays, or-"
"SHH!" Ron hissed, flailing his arms at her. "You'll jinx us, and then the voice-activated flying death rays will hear you!"
Bonnie's eyes flashed angrily. "Don't you shush me!"
Ron sighed. "Oh, so Kim can shush you, but I can't?"
Bonnie shot him a look. "Kim can beat me in a fight. Can you?"
To that, Ron had no response, just as Bonnie had figured he wouldn't.
"It's not like me doing it is any more effective, obviously," Kim pointed out with a sigh. "Can we please focus on the fortress that is strangely not trying to stun or capture us?"
"So you admit I'm right, and this feels wrong!" Bonnie said at once.
Kim smiled patiently. "I shushed you, Bonnie, for the sake of keeping us quiet and unnoticed. I never said you were wrong. See the difference?" Kim patted Bonnie's arm soothingly, and then her smile faded almost instantly. "Now. SHUSH."
Bonnie scowled at Kim, but shot Ron a triumphant smirk behind her back.
Kim turned her attention back to the rather impressive looking fortress Shego had built for herself. Everything about it seemed to suggest that visitors were not at all welcome, from the large spikes jutting out of the walls at random, to the sickly green substance that circled the entire structure like a moat. Kim suspected it had started off as plasma, and was now something entirely different, but no less deadly.
Despite all that, there WERE no flying death rays, or seek-and-capture drones. More appropriately, they hadn't been activated. But deep down, Kim knew they HAD to be there. This was Shego, after all, and the only times she was ever caught off guard was when Kim went out of her way to do just that. And since the trio had pretty much just walked right up to the fortress, she could only assume that Shego had turned off the automated defenses...in order to let them walk right in.
It was completely unlike the Shego that Kim remembered as her archenemy, but then, so was the Bonnie she remembered going to school with. If Bonnie could change, so could Shego. Then again, Bonnie hadn't changed THAT much, and the same could be true of Shego. Just because some of the usual traps weren't in use didn't mean it was safe to just stroll on in like they owned the place. Shego could very well take it personally.
"So are we going in?" Bonnie whispered.
Kim bit her lip thoughtfully. "Not until we find out how right you are about the traps. We'd better have the bots take a look."
Bonnie nodded, then coughed quietly, and jumped a bit as one of the Bonnie bots instantly appeared at her side. "God!" she hissed, trying to catch her breath. "Try some footsteps every now and then!"
"We are programmed for stealth, Bonnie Prime," the android replied by way of apology.
"Can you see anything around the fortress?" Kim asked. "Traps, hidden defenses, an abundance of monkeys?"
The Bonnie bot stared intently at the building. "All defense systems seem to be down, Kim Prime. It is relatively safe to proceed."
"How come that doesn't sound reassuring at all?" Ron asked.
"For once, I'm with him," Bonnie added. "What does that mean?"
The Bonnie bot shrugged. "It's Shego, Bonnie Prime," she said simply.
"Good point," Kim replied. "Keep the squad out of sight, but stay close in case we need you. Have the dogs stand guard on the perimeter. We don't want any uninvited guests."
"Yes, Kim Prime," the android replied before she vanished again.
"Why can't I be a Prime?" Ron complained.
"You are," Bonnie pointed out. "You're just not important enough."
Kim shot her a nasty look. "You're not included in their programming, Ron. You probably didn't make a lasting impression on Dr. Porter. You did basically say it was impossible for her to be genius babe."
"I think she DID remember," Bonnie chuckled. "You should be glad the Bonnie bots don't know you, Ron. They'd probably have orders to pummel you on sight."
"Hey, how about we save the insults for the evil lady in the fortress?" Ron demanded.
Kim cleared her throat loudly. "Bonnie, be nice or be quiet. Ron, ignore her. We ARE in mission mode, people. Now quit bickering so we can save the world. I kind of have a track record at this, and I'd like to keep the loss column empty, if you don't mind."
For the first ten minutes, she had merely ignored the insistent beeping of the console behind her.
After that, though, patience gave way to caution, and caution to curiosity. She never had liked being kept in suspense.
The woman released a deep breath as she ended her meditation routine, finally giving the console her full attention. "Locate intruders."
Almost instantly, the system reported back with, "Intruders found. Identifying. Designates: Kimmie and Sidekick found. Unknown third intruder. Requesting Designate."
Frowning deeply, the woman murmured, "Designate: Bonita."
"Error. Designate: Bonita detected in multiple locations."
"Interesting. What are you planning, Kimmie...?" She thought for a moment, then grinned. "Guess respecting your elders isn't completely useless."
"Well, maybe it's just me, but this seems like it would make a great throne room," Ron commented. "All it would really need is, um..."
"A throne?" Bonnie deadpanned.
Kim scanned the cavernous room, unable to dismiss Ron's initial assessment. She could easily picture Shego lording it up on a throne, positioned on the currently empty raised platform. But the throne was just another of the many things Kim expected to see, but didn't. Shego hadn't stopped surprising them since they'd first spotted the fortress.
"Maybe we caught her on moving day," Ron suggested. "She's relocating to a new lair, and they just cut the power off in here."
Bonnie shook her head. "You saw how huge this place was from the outside. If Shego were going to move, don't you think it'd be to somewhere even bigger?"
"How do YOU know?" Ron asked.
Bonnie paused, a little startled. "Well, I would never move into a smaller place if I ran the world. I wouldn't even do that NOW."
"So are we assuming that Shego is spoiled rotten now?" Ron asked Kim.
"HEY!"
"What? She's rich and powerful now, she can afford to be spoiled."
"Whatever she is," Kim interrupted, "she's here. We're in the right place."
"Please don't tell me you figured that out because Bonnie's right," Ron begged. "We'll never hear the end of it if she is."
"She is, Ron. But that's not how I know. What's the one thing Shego does almost every time I see her?"
"Steals something? Wears that same outfit? Uses hurtful sarcasm?"
Kim rolled her eyes. "What's the one thing she always does to ME?"
Ron looked clueless. "Annoys you with hurtful sarcasm?" he guessed.
"She fights me. And she can't exactly do that if she's not where I am, can she?"
"Not unless she has androids, too," Bonnie noted, drawing worried looks from Kim and Ron. "What? Someone has to be realistic around here!"
"Okay, I vote she doesn't come on any more missions," Ron decided. "How can I keep morale up with well-timed humor if she's keeping everyone freaked out and bummed?"
"That's assuming you all survive THIS mission, Stoppable."
The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, but Kim was the first to spot the dark figure staring down at them from an opening just below the ceiling.
"So now you've sunk to killing to get what you want, Shego?"
"Hardly, Kimmie. But in your case, I've always made exceptions, haven't I? But then, no one else got in my way as much as you did. And no one else could stop me. So I like to think I'm justified when I say one of us won't be walking away from this fight. If it makes you feel any better, I'll take out your friends now so you don't have to worry about them."
Something like regret flashed across Kim's face. "You've changed, Shego, and not for the better."
"You can judge me after you beat me, Kimmie. Not that it'll happen, but I want you to have something to look forward to. Can't have you giving me less than your all, can we?"
"This doesn't feel right, KP," Ron muttered.
Kim ignored him. "Fine. But leave Ron and Bonnie out of it. This is between us."
"They're safe for now," Shego replied. "But the moment they interfere, with our fight or my plans, anything I do to them is their own fault."
"No way!" Bonnie shouted. "You said we were a team, Kim!"
Kim wouldn't look at her. "We also fight fair, and there's nobody up there with Shego. We're not going to gang up on her. I'm going to handle it."
"So everything we've been doing up until now was for nothing?" Bonnie demanded hotly.
"No," Kim replied coolly. "If I lose, you'll be in perfect condition to run fast and hard."
Bonnie grew angrier by the second as she watched Kim and Shego engage each other in combat. All the preparation, all the uncertainty, all of the worrying had been for nothing, because in the end, Kim had probably planned to do this all along.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Bonnie was the slightest bit worried about Kim, but mostly she was angry at her. Maybe a few blows to the head from Shego would make Kim realize that she (Bonnie) and Ron hadn't come to just sit on the sidelines and watch her be the hero. They'd put everything on the line to be here with her, and she thanked them by shutting them out. And honestly, it a made more sense for all of them to attack Shego at once. Maybe Bonnie and Ron couldn't do all that much, but even Shego couldn't move as fast as the Bonnie bots did. Kim knew that, and yet she'd insisted on taking on Shego alone.
Although, she wasn't exactly doing a bad job, Bonnie was forced to admit.
It was clear from the way they fought that the two women knew each other very well. Shego seemed to have a counter or a block for nearly all of Kim's attacks, and the ones she couldn't avoid seemed to be easily absorbed without as much as a wince. Kim was largely the aggressor, pressing the attack whenever she could. Kim was definitely connecting with more blows, but the few hits that Shego delivered seemed to have more impact. At first, Bonnie had assumed that Shego was simply the stronger of the two, but when one of Shego's punches ripped through Kim's shirt, Bonnie could see that the fist was glowing green, and the rip in Kim's shirt was actually smoking a bit. But Kim's only reaction was to slap at hole, as if it were a pesky bug, and continue the fight.
As the minutes flew by, it became clear that Kim was tiring faster than Shego. The redhead was breathing harder, moving slower, and connecting less and less. But Shego didn't smirk, didn't tease her, didn't do anything but avoid and block Kim's blows, a frighteningly calm look on her face.
"Shego's waiting for Kim to lose," Bonnie whispered.
"She's not going to lose," Ron said sharply. "KP will find a way. She always does."
Bonnie would've admired his loyalty, if it weren't so obvious that he was wrong. She was just minutes away from calling in the dogs and Bonnie bots to save Kim from her own foolish pride...and whatever Shego planned to do to her (and them) afterwards.
Then Kim extended too much on a punch, lost her balance, and stumbled right into Shego's waiting arms, trying to catch her breath.
"It was a nice try, Kimmie," Shego said softly, resting her chin on Kim's head. "But some things only get better with time."
"I agree," Kim gasped, just before she jerked her head up in the most vicious headbutt that Bonnie had ever seen (not that there had been many).
Shego's head snapped backwards, blood spraying from her mouth as she fell, landing flat on her back. Her eyes shut tightly as she began to murmur what had to be curses between spitting out mouthfuls of blood.
Kim had fallen to one knee, groaning as she carefully fingered her head. "It's your own fault, Shego," she said at last. "You've rubbed off on me."
"Ungrateful little..." Shego snarled, sitting up. "I am NEVER hugging you AGAIN!"
Kim snorted. "Please! I LET you! It was an act!"
"Yeah? Then stand up!" Shego challenged.
Kim scowled at her. "You're just mad because I surprised you!"
"I'm mad because you cheated!"
"Oh, and the plasma punches were legal?"
"Hey, you knew what this was! When have I ever held back against you?"
Kim took a deep breath and shakily got to her feet. "Fine. Let's just finish this."
Shego made no move to join her. In fact, she suddenly seemed even more tired than Kim, as if the headbutt had sapped every bit of strength she had left.
It took Kim a moment to notice this. "Shego?" she asked uncertainly.
Shego glared up at her, and opened her mouth to answer, only to spray another mouthful of blood down her front.
Kim's eyes widened, and she took a step forward, obviously intent on helping, either forgetting or being perfectly aware of who she was reaching out to.
"NO!" a voice howled, even as something black flew from a hidden panel in the wall and slammed into Kim, knocking her to the floor. It took Kim only seconds to recover, and she'd already made it to one knee again when her eyes finally locked on her attacker. Every bone and muscle in her body seemed to freeze.
Bonnie was having a hard time believing her own eyes. Because unless she was very mistaken, Kim Possible was now staring down a younger version of herself.
The girl was probably about half Kim's age, but it hardly seemed to matter. Her green eyes held the same determination that Bonnie had faced off with countless times. Her red hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a simple black bodysuit with a green fist on the front. As if that wasn't indicator enough, she had postioned herself directly between Kim and Shego.
Kim finally found her voice, barely. "What...how..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Why?" she asked at last.
The girl's eyes shone with fury. "Leave us alone! Stay away from my MOMMY!"
Kim reeled back as if she'd been struck. Her gaze went from the girl to Shego, and then back to the girl, her confusion obvious. "But...she's not...you can't be..."
Shego swallowed hard, and from the disgusted look on her face, it had been more blood. She raised her head and looked at the girl's back. "No, Kiki," she said softly. "That's enough."
The girl didn't move.
"Kiki," Shego said louder, more forcefully. "I said no."
"I can make her go away, Mommy," the girl insisted. "I can make sure she never bothers us again."
Bonnie suspected the pain on Shego's face had little to do with her wounds.
"No, Kiki," Shego repeated.
Ignoring her, the girl sprang at Kim, cocking back her arm.
"KIMBERLY ANNE POSSIBLE!"
The girl seemed to freeze in mid-air, and it was almost comical, the way both redheads instantly turned to Shego, guilt etched across their faces.
"Come here," Shego said softly.
Keeping an eye on Kim, the girl backed away until she was at Shego's side.
"I think we're going to have to call it a day, Kimmie," Shego sighed. "We'll finish this another time. Maybe." She looked at the still-open panel in the wall. "Time to send them home, Bee."
Bonnie almost found herself looking at Shego, until she noticed the small, mousy girl standing against the wall. Her big green eyes were framed by even bigger reading glasses, and the moment their gazes met, she snatched the glasses off, blushing furiously. "Bonnie Squad, I need you!" she squeaked.
The tiny brunette was instantly surrounded by not two, but three Bonnie bots. The third seemed a bit a taller than the others, and wore the same uniform as Kiki.
"Make sure our big sisters and Ron get home safely."
"Yes, Bonnie Prime," all three androids replied in unison.
Bonnie realized with a start that her own androids were obeying the girl, and before she could protest, one had seized her arms and lifted her over its head. "No!" she cried, struggling uselessly. "NO! PUT ME DOWN!" Thankfully, the android began to comply.
"Cover their mouths and then take them home!" the girl quickly instructed.
Bonnie tried to scream, but found a hand muffling the sound.
The girl actually looked a little sad. "Sorry, big sister, but you have to leave now. Mommy needs her rest."
Bonnie could only watch as she, Kim, and Ron were carried out of the room. She was able to see the girl and Kiki crowding around Shego, and the woman drawing them into a warm embrace before the android carrying Bonnie turned a corner, and the sight was lost to her.
The Bonnie bots didn't release their "captives" until they were safely back in the moon base.
"Well," Ron said slowly, "now what?"
"We can't go back," Kim muttered. "They'd just arm the defense systems, which we'd need the Bonnie bots to get past, and we can't take them again, obviously. Oh, and we can't risk hurting those girls, if they are who I think they are. In fact, I shouldn't have even hurt Shego, if she's really..."
"I doubt it," Bonnie interrupted. "I don't think she's going to be alive much longer, anyway. You saw how much blood she was spitting up. That couldn't have all been from your headbutt. Something was wrong with her before we ever got there, and she just did a very good job of hiding it." She closed her eyes. "Just like Auntie."
"It can't be exactly the same," Kim said quickly. "Can it?"
"I don't know," Ron disagreed. "Spitting up a lot of blood definitely seems like a blood disorder to me. Maybe you should ask your aunt for the details, Bonnie."
"On EVERYTHING," Kim added at once.
"Exactly what I was thinking," Bonnie said, frowning thoughtfully.
"Oh," was the only word out of Auntie's mouth.
"That's all you can say?" Bonnie demanded.
"Sorry, sugarplum. I guess Shego didn't teach me everything she knew about the time stream. Not that I expected her to, but I never would've expected this."
"Why's that?"
"Because it's crazy and stupid and emotional. Three things I never would've expected of Shego...mine or yours."
Bonnie bit her lip. "So...those little girls really were...us?"
"At the very least they had your names. The Bonnie bots obeyed, so there's no question with yours. The other one sounds too much like Kim to be anyone else. Are you sure they both called Shego their mother?"
"I couldn't have imagined something like that, Auntie. It's too impossible. Why do you ask?"
"It implies a strong attachment to Shego, and that doesn't happen overnight. Which means they've been calling her that for a long time. Which not only means that Shego is dying, but that she's aware of it."
Bonnie frowned. "Hoes does Shego having kids equal her dying?"
"It wouldn't, if she'd actually had them. But it's sounding like she took them from somewhere in the past. Rather, her 'Auntie' the Supreme One took them and gave them to her. The problem comes in raising them, which she must be doing if they consider her their mother. You can't just snatch people from one time and raise them in another. Well, you can, but it's very risky. They don't age quite the same way, and neither do the people they're in constant contact with. The more times a person travels through the time stream, the more chrono-energy their body absorbs. It's...well, like time cooties. But much worse than it sounds."
"So these...time cooties," Bonnie managed to get out with a straight face. "They're killing Shego?"
"Most likely. It sounds like the kids actually have them, not her. But they manifest themselves in different ways, usually damaging ones. For me, it was my blood. For the kids, they must be slowly poisoning Shego. They're probably not even aware of it, but Shego has to be. It's one of the first things...my Shego taught me. So she's keeping them with her despite that. She must be crazy about those kids. Crazy enough to die with them, at least."
"Was...your Shego lonely?" Bonnie asked.
"At times. But I would've thought she was just missing the Kim she remembered. Maybe she really wanted kids, though. Two birds with one stone this way. She might even be the very same Shego that dropped the kids off here."
"Will the girls die, too?"
"I doubt it. Sounds like the worst they'll have to deal with is losing their mother in the near future. Might be a good idea to try and talk them into leaving with the Bonnie Squad, if you can. This isn't their time, and they don't belong here any more than I did. The only difference is, I came here intending to die, but with a purpose."
Bonnie didn't look as if she agreed. "What if the Supreme One had a purpose in bringing them here?"
"If she did, what are the chances it was one we'd be okay with?"
"But this latest adventure proves there were things about her you didn't know."
Auntie sighed. "What really worries me is that I know you're right."
Shego collapsed onto her bed, nearly crushing Kiki in the process. Although, she was not aware of that fact until the girl let out a muffled, angry shout. It was only with help that Shego managed to roll off of her.
Shego's head swam for a moment, and when she finally managed to get her bearings, she found two pairs of concerned eyes staring down at her.
"Sorry to scare you, girls," Shego murmured weakly. "It's been a rough day. Mommy just needs a good nap."
"Are you still mad at Kiki, Mommy?"
Shego blinked, shifting her gaze between the two. Kiki said nothing, but it was clear from the look on her face that she'd been wondering the very same thing. "No. I know she was trying to help. But she needs to learn to LISTEN in the future, no matter what."
"I will," Kiki promised at once.
"Little liar," Shego chuckled softly, stroking the redhead's cheek. She turned her attention to the brunette. "And you, on the other hand, listened to me for once. Where'd that come from, huh?"
The brunette lowered her head. "I always listen to you, Mommy."
"Maybe, but you never DO anything I ask."
"Kiki's better at that stuff," the girl muttered evasively.
"The androids wouldn't have listened to Kiki. You had to send them away." Shego rubbed the girl's head. "You're special, kiddo. My special little Bonnie Bee." Shego winced as the girl latched onto her neck and buzzed playfully in her ear, but shot Kiki a stern look when she made a move to pull her sister away.
"Bee, Mommy needs her rest," Kiki said after a moment. "It's bedtime for us, anyway."
Bee loudly kissed her mother's cheek. "I hope you don't bleed tomorrow, Mommy," she whispered, and meant it.
"I hope so, too, Bee," Shego replied. "Go on to bed now. I'll see you in the morning."
Bee scrambled off the bed and ran out of the room. Kiki followed, but paused at the door.
Shego frowned at her. "Kiki. Bed."
"You better be alive tomorrow," Kiki threatened, "or I'll kick you."
"Well, if I'm dead, I won't feel it," Shego pointed out reasonably.
Kiki glared at her. "Don't you dare die."
"She's not dying, Kiki," said a voice from the corner. "She's just being annoying. Off to bed with you."
"But, Grammy-"
"Me and your mom need to talk. Don't worry, if she tries to die, I'll kick her myself. Promise."
Once Kiki had left the room, Shego sighed heavily. "Go on. Tell me I'm weak. Tell me I shouldn't have gotten attached to them. Tell me you're ashamed of me."
"Believe me, I'd tell you a lot more than that...if that's how I felt," the woman replied, smirking. "But that's not why ol' Grammy Supreme is here, kid."
Shego scowled up at her. "I hate it when you call me that."
"Yeah? Well, I got seniority, and I'm not afraid to use it. Anyway, you don't look like you're up for another fight just now. So do you mind if I mop up some of that blood while we talk, or are you going to be a big baby about it?"
"You're enjoying this," Shego muttered, throwing an arm over her face.
"Just a little!" the Supreme One called from the private washroom.
"So explain to me why I'm not getting the whole 'I told you so' speech?"
"We've had that conversation before, and it's boring. Besides, I'm here to ask you something, not yell at you." She stuck her head out of the washroom. "The girls are fine?"
"Kiki's a brat, and Bee's a wallflower, just like you said they'd be."
"Can't bring yourself to give them up, can you?"
Shego closed her eyes. "No, damn you."
"Hey, I warned you," the Supreme One protested as she emerged with a washcloth and a small basin of water. "And I won't say more than that, because we're not doing 'I told you so,' remember?"
Shego sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I just didn't believe you when you told me back then. I mean, I never saw myself having or wanting kids."
"We never do. That's how they get you." The Supreme One sat down on the bed. "But it's mostly my fault for even offering them to you in the first place. I took them, I brought them here. But look at you. A bloody mess and you don't even regret keeping them, do you?"
"Am I that transparent?"
"Nah, but I know myself, therefore I know you. And they are cute when they're not whining or crying or fighting each other. Anyway, you'd be crazy, not to want to raise your very own Kim Possible. Chance of a lifetime and all that. I was tempted myself."
"So what stopped you?" Shego asked.
"Funny thing about being happy. It's a fleeting thing at best, but some people would do anything to have it, for however long it lasts. I was happy once. Didn't really feel like getting my hopes up too much again. So I played the grandma. Occasional visits and that's it. I don't get too attached, and the girls still love their Grammy Supreme. Which left you with the short end of the stick, but I figured you wouldn't mind in the end. Looks like I was right about that, too."
"And about Bee. Without her, I might've had to finish that fight, and I'd be in a lot worse shape than I am."
"I saw. One hit? Shameful, kid. I'm not even sure you deserve the deep-tissue plasma massage I was thinking about giving you."
Shego glared at her. "Unlike you, I'm a mother of two. It takes a toll on you. And didn't you just admit to that being your fault?"
"So you were listening." The Supreme One carefully wiped the blood from Shego's face. "Should I say I'm sorry?"
"Why bother? Neither of us are."
"Good. Now roll over. You just earned that massage."
Shego chuckled as she did so. "So all that delegating wasn't because you'd lost your touch?"
"Lost it? I was trying to conserve it. I don't use the glow on just anyone anymore, you know. People have to earn that privilege."
"Yeah, I'm sure there's a bunch of people that would love to have their faces burned off. Hell, you probably only haven't tried it with me because I'm basically immune."
"Oh, stop it. If I was going to do that, I wouldn't have bothered getting to know you first. Now I like you, and it'd be a conflict of interest. I know, giving you the kids was one, too, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I didn't set out to kill you, it just happened that way. And, well, if I'd tried to kill you, there was a good chance you would've beat me, being younger and all. But at least I didn't do anything terribly obvious, like point a gun at you."
"Don't know why you're telling me that. What, is it supposed to make me feel better?" Shego asked bitterly.
"Just making conversation. And you could be nicer to someone who's trying to help. Oh, and just between us, you really shouldn't be taking on Kim Possible and pals in your condition."
"Hey, I don't know if it's sunk in yet, but telling me how to live is pointless right now, considering I won't be doing it much longer. In fact, if you feel the urge to snap my neck at some point, give in to it. It's better than wasting away in front of the girls. I still got my pride."
"Well, that's how you feel, kid. Now think about them. They love you. And much as it's gonna annoy you, they'll wanna be there when you go. I owe them that much. So the only place you're going is to sleep."
Shego wanted to argue, but the intensely warm fingers moving down her spine erased everything in her mind but a hazy cloud of bliss. "That is...really distracting," she murmured softly.
"It was either that or club you with something. And like I said, you've been through enough today."
"So what is this? Sympathy or pity?"
"It's an apology," the Supreme One admitted. "For getting you caught up in this. You won't believe it, but I do feel bad. It's like we're not meant to be mothers, ever, you know? I mean, right now, you probably hate my guts for several reasons, but when you're gone it'll still feel like I've lost another child."
Shego's back stiffened. "You mean there was a first one?"
"Oh. Well, no. It's just...ah, screw it. When you can't lower your internal temperature enough for an egg to survive, you tend to exaggerate the difference between a full-grown baby and an egg."
"So that's another reason you stopped using the glow."
"Didn't work, of course. All I got out of it was years of stress and a few gray hairs. In the end I wanted to power up more than I wanted a kid. At least that was something I knew how to do."
"I'm sorry," Shego said quietly.
The Supreme One grinned and rubbed Shego's head. "Oh, stop it. You've got the same curse, so it's hardly your fault. You're a blessing, really. You're the closest I'll ever get to having my own kid. Why do you think I keep coming back here, huh? Because I like being resented and ignored? Because of the girls? Or because of you?"
"Never really gave it much thought, after you didn't try to kill me. I had two other pests to worry about."
"You should really think about spending more time with them, kid. They'll appreciate it more than you seem to think."
Shego shook her head. "I don't see how. I'm not what I'd consider a good mother."
"They don't want a good mother, they want you. Not me, not an android, not a nanny, just you."
Tara grunted in her sleep as something poked her insistently. "What?"
"Move over, that's what," Bonnie whispered in her ear.
With little warning, Tara yanked Bonnie into the bed and covered her face with swift kisses.
"Would you just...HEY! Stop, Tara!" Bonnie gasped when she got some breathing room.
"You're alive!" Tara said happily, kissing her again for good measure.
"Yeah, and we're all real happy about that. Now would you calm down for a minute so I can tell you something?"
"What? We're going back to Earth now?"
"Not exactly."
Tara stared at her. "But...you won, right? You all came back, didn't you?"
"No and yes. We didn't lose, exactly, but it wasn't quite a win, either."
"A draw, then?"
"Doesn't feel like one to me. Oh, and we have a new roommate now."
Before Tara could ask, a shadow fell over her, and she looked up to see a Bonnie bot looming over them.
"Um...two wasn't enough?"
"We liberated this one. Well, she liberated herself on…command, sort of. It's complicated. And she won't stop following me around, no matter what I tell her! Someone must have reprogrammed her."
"So let me try." Tara pointed at the android. "Go sit in the corner, please."
At once, the Bonnie bot turned around, walked to the corner of the room, and sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest.
"Did you try that?" Tara asked.
"I told her to get lost and leave me alone."
"Well, that's hardly the same. I asked nicely."
"I'm not supposed to HAVE to ask nicely, they're supposed to do what I say!" Bonnie snapped.
"Then maybe this one only responds to being asked nicely," Tara replied with a smug look.
Bonnie looked doubtfully at the android. "Come here, please."
The Bonnie bot didn't move.
"See! Nothing!"
"Come here, please," Tara repeated.
The Bonnie bot jerked to her feet and crossed the room, stopping at the foot of the bed.
Tara looked stumped. "I don't know what to tell you, Bonnie. You DID ask nice that time. Maybe she just likes my voice?"
"It's not that. She's only listening to you now. But, before...wait, ask her who she's programmed to obey!"
Tara shrugged and looked at the android. "Answer, please."
The Bonnie bot's head snapped up. "This unit is currently instructed to obey only you, Tara."
Bonnie frowned. "That's funny. She doesn't say 'Prime' like the others."
Tara didn't seem to have heard her. "What do you mean by 'currently,' ah, Bonnie?"
"This unit has only two modes of operation: Safe Mode and Battle Mode. While in Safe Mode, only Tara's commands apply to this unit. While in Battle Mode, only Bonnie Prime's commands apply to this unit. This unit is currently in Safe Mode," the android answered.
"I wonder who set her up to work like that?" Tara asked.
Bonnie shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt to ask her."
Tara nodded. "Please answer, um...ah..."
"Please excuse the interruption, Tara, but this unit was designated 'BB1' by previous user: Bonnie Prime."
"BB1 it is, then. You were saying?"
"This unit was reprogrammed by the Supreme One."
Bonnie and Tara traded wary looks.
"So...the Supreme One...told you to obey us?" Tara asked slowly.
BB1 nodded. "Yes, Tara."
Tara looked at Bonnie. "Well, I'm confused."
"Same here," Bonnie replied. "But so long as she's not trying to attack us, I guess I don't mind her watching while we sleep."
"You are going to sleep now?" BB1 asked abruptly.
"Um...sure," Bonnie said slowly.
BB1 lurched forward, grabbing the sheets and tucking Bonnie and Tara in tightly.
Bonnie and Tara glanced at each other uncertainly.
"Do you require a story? Nightlight? Warm milk?" BB1 asked.
"That's okay, BB1," Tara said. "We're fine, thanks."
"Would you prefer to awaken at a certain time?"
"No, we'll manage on our own. Good night, BB1."
The android instantly closed her eyes and apparently went to sleep herself.
Tara sighed. "Well, she's...efficient. If we were kids, anyway."
"Actually, we were. Well, I was. It's...complicated."
"Can it wait until morning? I just want to lie here and be thankful we're together again."
"Really?" Bonnie asked softly.
Tara smiled. "Well, I'd really rather show you how thankful I am, but, um, BB1 tucked us in pretty tight..."
Kim was almost done with her bowl of cornflakes when Bonnie stepped into the kitchen. Swallowing, Kim was about to greet her, until she noticed the sour look on her friend's face. "Bonnie?"
"I'm not speaking to you," Bonnie said simply, walking past her to reach the freezer, where she pulled out a small container of ice cream.
"Mom won't be happy if she catches you eating that for breakfast."
"Hey, I saw a younger version of myself last night...in glasses. I think I deserve a little ice cream," Bonnie snapped.
"That can't be why you're mad at me."
Bonnie slammed the ice cream on the table. "I'm mad at you, Kim Possible, because you would rather get the crap beat out of you than let me or Ron help you!"
Kim's face softened. "Bonnie, that's not why-"
"No! I'm sick of this! Does being the hero mean THAT much to you?"
"Can I at least say one thing?"
"WHAT?"
Kim took a deep breath. "I was afraid."
Bonnie stared at her. "What?"
"If Shego had really wanted to fight you or Ron, you wouldn't be standing there right now. At least, not comfortably. If I make it look easy, let me assure you it's not. I didn't take Shego on because of my ego. I did it to keep you two safe. Especially you."
"What are you talking about? I trained with you and everything! I was ready!"
"I couldn't take the chance that you weren't, or that Shego would try something new. Bonnie, I saw you die once, and I can't do it again. I just can't, okay? So if you want to hate me for preferring you breathing, then you'll just have to. It's nothing I haven't lived with before." Kim picked up her bowl and put it in the sink. She paused there and lowered her head, taking a deep, shuddering breath.
Bonnie hesitantly approached her. "Kim...I didn't know."
"I told you, you're family now, Bonnie. Even when you weren't, I felt the same way. I couldn't live with myself if I let you down again."
"Why didn't you tell me? If I'd known you felt that way..."
"You would've worried. Everyone would've, if they knew I wasn't over this. Well, I'm not, and I may never be. Seeing someone you know die is hard. Especially when you've just started really liking that person after so long, and you still can't get that night out of the back of your mind."
"I think we need to hug," Bonnie said bluntly.
Kim turned around, wiping at her eyes. "Why?"
"You just indirectly admitted that you love me. And you apparently need to be reminded that I have a heartbeat on a constant basis. So let's just do it."
"And if someone walks in?"
"I'm checking you for lice."
"Or I'm checking YOU for lice."
"We're checking each other for lice, then."
"Fair enough."
Bonnie slid her arms around Kim's neck, trying not to get misty at the thought of Kim trying to protect her. She was so distracted that she didn't think to count or act uneasy.
Several moments had passed before Kim murmured, "You know, I think we just broke a personal record. How long has it been?"
"I forgot to count," Bonnie admitted.
"I guess that's a good sign."
"Should we let go now?"
"Don't take this the wrong way, but...I really don't want to."
"What? Don't want to let go or don't want to continue?"
"Don't want to let go. This is...kinda nice."
"Because I'm not dead?"
"I was thinking more that this is how it'd feel if I had a sister."
"Oh," Bonnie said quietly.
"So. How long do you think a good, thorough lice check lasts?"
"I'm pretty sure we've passed it."
"Right," Kim agreed. "Wanna stop?"
"Only if you want to," Bonnie replied.
"Interesting proposal. So you're saying we could be stuck like this until lunch? In theory?"
"Look, if you wanna hug for THAT long, get a plushie. Or Ron, he'd love that. The plushie wouldn't get sweaty, though."
"Well, it was just a theory." Kim squeezed a little tighter. "Bonnie?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"That's...nice."
"You could say it back now."
"Yeah, I could..."
"You're not going to, are you?"
"I'm not shoving you away or shouting. That's love enough."
"Coming from you, I guess it is. We can stop now."
Bonnie and Kim let go of each other, looking greatly relieved.
"You do tell Tara, though, right?"
"Sometimes."
Kim looked shocked.
"I find other ways to let her know!"
Kim's face turned red. "Oh. THOSE ways."
"NO! Well, not always-"
"BONNIE."
"Okay! You brought it up, anyway."
"But...Tara tells you, doesn't she?"
"All the time. She even has a shirt that says so for her."
"What's so wrong with that?"
"You don't get it, Kim. The shirt SAYS so. Audibly."
"Oh. I've never heard it."
"I don't let her wear it in front of anyone, obviously."
Kim smiled. "She really does love you, Bonnie."
"I'm aware."
"So if you can't tell me, at least tell her. Audibly."
"Why is everyone so stuck on hearing that? I mean, when you even hinted at it just now, I felt all warm and mushy, so why-"
"So you'd rather me hint than actually say it?"
"Yeah. At least then I could pretend you were being sarcastic."
"That might work for us, but you and Tara are in love. She needs to hear it. More than that, she deserves to. Anyone who could put up with you for this long does."
Far from being angry, Bonnie looked thoughtful. "Okay, here's the deal. I'll tell Tara I love her...at least three times a week, if you agree to regular lice checks just as often."
Kim sighed. "It's okay to call them hugs, Bonnie..."
"Lice checks," Bonnie said firmly, holding out her hand. "Deal?"
"Only if you agree that the last lice check counted, too. So you now owe Tara one."
"Fine. Now shake."
"We COULD just check each other again instead..."
"So I'll owe Tara two, you mean?"
"Wow. Your math skills are astonishing, Bonnie."
"Are all our little moments going to end like this?"
"We wouldn't be us if they didn't...sis," Kim answered, clapping her on the shoulder.
Bonnie made a face. "Look, I'm glad you prefer me living, but let's not get too crazy here, okay?"
"Whatever you say, sis."
"Stop doing that!"
"Love you, too, sis."
"KIM!"
"Yes, sis?"
Bonnie glared at her. "You're enjoying this."
"And I'll stop the moment you admit it doesn't really bother you. I'll even let you be the big sister."
"So I can get older faster? I don't think so."
Kim grinned and slung an arm around Bonnie's shoulders. "Don't ever change, Bonnie."
"I hadn't planned on it. Why do you keep touching me?"
"It's a half-hug...I mean, check."
"So, what, I'm supposed to just say 'love' to Tara for that one?"
"Be creative," Kim suggested. "Only you could turn affection into a chore."
"I will have you know that all this touching is actually making me a bit nauseous. So it's hardly affection in my book."
"Spoken like a true little sister," Kim said proudly.
"YOUNGER sister."
"Do I get to call you Bon-Bon, or is that a blood relative thing?"
Bonnie glared death at her. "I may not be able to break your arm, but that doesn't mean I won't try."
Final Chapter
Epilogue: Time-Torn
The tale of a woman who had to stop existing in order to truly live.
For those who are confused, the Epilogue will contain: how Kiki and Bee have been raised so far, why BB1 was reprogrammed, and what will happen to Kiki and Bee (and Shego) in the near future.
Here's the thing. I heard from another a fellow FFN writer (oddly enough, on another site) that we're not supposed to respond to reviews in our stories. It sounded like a strange rule, but it wasn't the first one FFN has had, so I checked. I couldn't find any reference to that rule in the TOS, and I asked FFN Staff. I'm guessing if you ask them now, you've got a better chance of hearing back from them before I do.
I've already got one strike against me for a story that broke the rules (mind you, it wasn't against the rules when I posted it, but anyway). I'd really rather not get banned, so until I know for sure I won't, I won't be answering reviews in stories posted on FFN.
If you've got a burning question or comment, I suggest you leave a valid e-mail address, otherwise the chain of communication ends there. Or you can track me down at the one forum I do currently frequent, the KP Slash Board. (chances are you'll find a link to a great story or two as well)
I like to respond to readers, especially the ones that piss me off. But if it's against the rules, well...sorry.