Shego put her ear to the door. When the alarm had first sounded following their escape the hallways had been teeming with guards, but she hadn't heard anything for the last twenty minutes. She knew she would have to make a move soon; she leaned back and weighed her options.

"Well, did you hear anything?" Kim asked, elbowing Shego's ribs.

"No I didn't," Shego snapped. "Jab me like that again and the next sound you'll hear is my foot colliding with your…"

"I can't help it!" Kim snapped. "It's crowded in here!"

"What do we do now?" Ron asked. He was pushed up against the wall. "As much as I don't want my brain fried like an egg, it can't be any worse than sharing closet space with Junior! He smells like lavender! That smell brings up some very painful memories for me!"

"Camp Wanaweep?" Kim asked.

"None other," Ron sighed.

"Oh, like I am enjoying this," Junior huffed. "A half an hour ago I was having a Swedish pedicure, now I am running for my life! I am too rich to be treated like this!"

"So file a complaint!" Shego snapped. She scowled; it was bad enough that Sunny had activated all of Paradise Valley's security measures, trapping her inside the resort, but now she was forced to share a janitor's closet with Kim, her klutz of a sidekick, and a spoiled pretty boy. Escaping Sunny's clutches was going to be a lot more difficult with them around, unless she found a way to either use them or ditch them, whichever scenario came in handy. She would have to wait and see.

"I think the coast is clear," Shego said. "Let's take a look."

She opened the door a crack; the hall was empty. She motioned to the others, and they all spilled out into the hallway.

"If only I had my communicator," Kim mumbled. "We sure could use Wade's help!"

"What? Miss Perfect can't handle some crazy middle-aged lady?" Shego smirked. "But I thought you could do anything!"

"I can beat Sunny by myself if I have to!" Kim fumed.

"That's nice, but we haven't got all night." Shego looked around, and then pointed down the hallway. "We'll go this way."

"No, my gut is telling me we should go this way!" Kim said, pointing in the opposite direction.

"Suit yourself, princess," Shego said. "Are you coming, Junior?"

Junior paled and began to back up. "No, I think I will go in the opposite direction of those vicious dogs!"

Shego, Kim and Ron spun around and saw two snarling Dobermans coming straight for them. Shego's survival instincts took over and she ran from them blindly, turning corner after corner, down one long hallway after another, their barks ringing in her ears. She burst through some double doors and into the resort's kitchen; having hit a dead end, she stopped cold and immediately something slammed into her. She spun around, hands glowing, to find herself face-to-face with Ron Stoppable.

"Whoa! Shego!" Ron cried, throwing up his hands. "We're not fighting today, remember? The truce?"

Shego powered down. "Where's everyone else?" She asked, looking over Ron's shoulder. It was just the two of them.

"I dunno," Ron said. "I was following you. Kim should have been right behind me."

Shego walked over to the kitchen door and slowly opened it. There was no sign of the dogs, or anyone else. "Coast is clear. Let's go."

"Wait, as long as we're here, how about a snack break?" Ron asked. "I'll bet a kitchen like this is fully loaded!"

"Are you kidding!" Shego asked. "We're trapped inside a crazy lady's funhouse, a crazy lady who, in case you forgot, wants to turn us into obedient little drones by melting our brains, and you want to have a picnic?"

"Hey, I never fight evil on an empty stomach," Ron said. He had already emptied the contents of the cooler onto on the table. "Let's see…caviar, frogs' legs, shark fin…ew! You'd think a fancy place like this would be able to afford the good parts of the animal!"

"You twit, those are delicacies!" Shego snapped.

"You mean rich people pay more for this junk!" Ron exclaimed. "What a bunch of suckers! Give me a tray full of nacos any day!"

"Argh! I can actually feel my brain cells dying talking to you! I don't know how Possible stands it!"

"Kim and I have been best friends since kindergarten!" Ron snapped. "But I guess friendship is a concept that's beyond your grasp! Do you have any friends at all? And Drakken doesn't count!"

"Friends only hold you back," Shego said matter-of-factly.

"Poor, poor, Shego," Ron said, shaking his head. "It's sad that you have to resort to cheap flings with super wealthy playboys for the basic human contact Kim and I take for granted every day."

"WHAT?" Shego sputtered. "Where did you get an insane idea like that!"

"C'mon, Shego, you and Junior checked into a high class resort together, stayed in the same suite…it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. Don't be embarrassed, you guys make a cute couple. You could make it work if you tried."

Shego rolled her eyes. "PUH-LEASE! You're the last person who should be giving dating advice! Have you ever even kissed a girl? And your mom doesn't count!"

"I'm…saving myself for the right girl," Ron replied.

"Like Kim Possible?" Shego smirked.

"What! No, I…that is…her…we…" Ron stammered.

"Oh, come on, Stoppable, every guy secretly wants to hook up with their female friends. That goes double for best friends."

"We do not! How would you know, anyway? Are you a guy? No, you are definitely, definitely not! You are all woman! Believe me, I've noticed!" Ron babbled.

"What are you…ew, never mind!" Shego grimaced. "Just get those thoughts out of your head right now! I am WAAAAAAY out of your league!"

"Well, excuuuuuse me, Shego, but we can't all be billionaires!" Ron snapped.

Shego gritted her teeth. "There is nothing going on between me and Junior!"

"And what makes you think I was talking about Junior?" Ron smirked. "Maybe I was talking about some other billionaire!"

Shego balled her hands into fists. "Let's get one thing straight, sidekick! There is NOTHING going on between me and Junior! Nada, zip! I'd rather date a chimp! They're smarter and I wouldn't go blind off the fumes from their aftershave! Second, I am too busy trying to take over the world to be bothered with something as useless as romance! And make no mistake, I am going to rule the world one day soon, which means I will be able to make any man I want lick my boots, and anything else, anywhere, anytime I want it! Why waste my time chasing after these things when I can just take them!"

Ron didn't answer. Shego looked around and spotted him rummaging through the cupboards.

"Score!" Ron cried, pulling out a jar. "Peanut butter…the good 'ol standby! I'm sorry, Shego, did you say something?"

Luckily for Ron, fate intervened and saved him from the beating of a lifetime. "FUGITIVES DETECTED IN SECTION 4L!" Sunny's voice boomed over the loudspeakers. Shego grabbed Ron by the wrist and ran out the door.

----------

"Junior, do you have any idea where we are?" Kim whispered, peering around a corner.

"No," Junior replied. "There are so many hallways in this place, who can tell one from the other?"

Kim looked around. "The coast is clear. Let's go."

The two of them cautiously made their way down the hall. "I must say, I was most impressed with the way you handled those dogs," Junior remarked.

"It was no big," Kim said. "Anyone could have fashioned a dog whistle out of a bendy straw, paper clip, and an empty soda can."

"So what do we do now?" Junior asked.

"This place is locked up tighter than Fort Knox. The only way we're getting out of here is to take down Sunny, and I'd bet a year's allowance she's in the main control room," Kim said. "We have to go back to Lord Adderley's office and the secret passageway. Shego's probably thinking the same thing, so my guess is we'll meet up with her and Ron there."

"Wow, you are kind of like the anti-Shego," Junior remarked. "You are as smart and pretty as she is, but nice."

Kim stopped. She turned and looked at him. "Junior, I don't get you. Obviously you'd rather work on your tan than take over the world, or save it for that matter. So why did you get involved in all this?"

"Everyone thinks being rich is so great," Junior sighed. "But it is not."

"Here we go," Kim said, rolling her eyes. "Look, I'm not interested in some 'poor little rich boy' speech. If you're doing this because you're bored, why not take up stamp collecting?"

"That is not it!" Junior exclaimed. "You non-wealthy types are so judgmental! Money buys many things, but it cannot buy true love!"

"What are you saying, Junior?" Kim asked. Then it dawned on her. "Do you…like Shego? I mean, like her like her?"

"The spark first ignited that time she tutored me in villainy, but it was here at Paradise Valley that it burst into a white-hot flame of passion," Junior sighed. "The time we spent here getting to know each other was the most wonderful time of my life. She is like a beautiful wild lioness chasing down a graceful gazelle and ripping it to shreds. I do not know why, but that is the image that comes to mind when I think of her."

"Gross, yet strangely fitting," Kim grimaced.

"Kimberly, please, I need your help to win Shego's love," Junior pleaded. "Tell me how Ron Stoppable won your heart!"

"Excuse me?" Kim blinked.

"You and Shego are so much alike," Junior said. "If a nobody like Ron Stoppable can get a girl like you, then surely I can get Shego! Just tell me how!"

"Um…I think you have the wrong idea about Ron and me, Junior. We're just friends," Kim said. "Friends. That's all."

"You're kidding," Junior blinked. "But you two are always together! And you seem so happy!"

"It's not what you think!" Kim said. "I mean, we do spend a lot of time together and we get along great, but that doesn't mean we're…look, Junior, I think you may be too…sheltered for a girl like Shego. Maybe you should try someone a little tamer, like Courtney Love."

"NO! SHEGO IS THE ONLY WOMAN FOR ME!" Junior shouted. "I only need a way to prove my love to her, and we will be together and happy forever!"

"Junior, keep your voice down!" Kim whispered urgently, but it was too late.

"FUGITIVES DETECTED IN SECTION 7B!" Sunny's voice boomed over the intercom. Kim bolted, with Junior hot on her heels.

TBC…