Disclaimer: This story is based upon characters created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle for Disney. Since this story is set twenty three years later, all the characters under twenty-five years of age are mine.

"How's that?" asked the massage therapist.

"It kinda hurts," Cindy groaned. "But it takes away the old pain."

"Good."

Cindy beared the 'old pain' again with a smaller moan when the therapist, Katie, removed her hands to get a tool. Cindy was lying on her stomach in the hospital bed with weights tied to straps on her shoulders and ankles. She felt better again when something was lightly rolled along part of her back. "Ooooh, that hurts good."

"I didn't know you were a Mellenkamp fan, Cindy," Daddy said sweetly.

"A what?" Cindy asked.

"Never mind." Cindy couldn't see her Daddy where he was sitting, but he had been there for almost every waking moment since Cindy was admitted to the hospital. "Our visitor should be here soon, Honey."

"Don't remind me - Oww."

"Try to keep calm," said Katie.

"Easy for you to say," griped Cindy. "My Daddy's bringing my arch foe in to finish the job."

"She's going to apologize," Daddy said soothingly.

"A likely story."

"Nobody's going to hurt you here," said Katie, "I'm sure."

"She's in traction?" gasped Anne.

"Oh God - " Cindy then moaned intensely as the increased tension aggravated her injury.

"Hand me that lotion, please, Mr. Mankey," said Katie.

"Hey, Josh," said Mr. Stoppabble.

"Hi, Ron," said Daddy.

"Go on, Anne," Mr. Stoppable prodded.

Cindy could feel her back getting soothingly warmer as Katie rubbed in the lotion. Anne sat down in the one chair that Cindy could see on her left, looking pathetic. Cindy turned her head away.

"I'm sorry, Cindy. I wouldn't have done any of that if I - If I wasn't wearing that cursed suit."

"Yeah. I heard." Cindy wasn't completely convinced. "Like it matters."

"I know." Anne sobbed, "I know."

Cindy looked at Anne. Anne was sitting there with her face in her hands, crying. Her father was now standing behind her with his hands gripping the back of the chair. He just looked down at Anne sadly.

Cindy knew when she cried like that, her father would jump to hold her. She knew he was still there in the room. She could feel him as easily as she could Katie's hands on her back.

"Quit your bawling," Cindy snapped. "At least I'm still here."

Anne lowered her hands a little and looked at Cindy.

"I'm done for now," said Katie. "I'll check on you in a few hours."

"Thanks," said Cindy. "I do feel better."

"Just a job well done."

Cindy said to Anne, "You could have done worse, especially if that geek hadn't stepped in. Of course, it was his cart that got in my way."

Anne cut her off, "Cindy, you have every right to hate me now, but Trent didn't do anything wrong." Anne hung her head, "I'm the reason you're here."

"Daddy says you're gonna help me get outta this, too."

"That's right. I am sorry."

Cindy started to turn a little more toward Anne. Then she regretted it as fresh pain flared up and down her body. She gritted her teeth and breathed sharply.

Everyone seemed to jump a little.

"I'm all right," Cindy said quickly. "I just need to learn not to move," she joked. Then to Anne she said, "It's not gonna be fun."

"I think you'll be having even less fun than I will. Particularly if I don't help."

"Fine then."

"Do you think you can forgive me?"

Cindy thought on that. She didn't know the answer. Anne had seemed to truly regret all this. "Maybe later," she finally said quietly.

"Cool," said Anne. "If you want to."

"C'mon," said Mr. Stoppable told Anne.

Anne got up.

"Thanks, Josh," Mr. Stoppable said, "for having us here."

"Thanks for footing the bill," said Daddy.

"Just doing the right thing."

"Exactly." Cindy's Daddy then sat down where she could see him. After watching the others leave, he asked, "How do you feel?"

"Maybe a little better," Cindy admitted.

"You were wonderful," he smiled.

"You think she meant all that?"

"I don't see why she wouldn't."

"She never was much of an actress."

"Thank you for meeting me early, Flo," said Kim.

"Just eager to get back into the field, Ma'am."

Kim opened up the file she'd prepared. "I have some questions for you on several matters."

"Shoot."

"Exactly what did Drakken say during this 'guilty father' speech?"

Flo frowned. "That he wanted to be a father to me. All that stuff about getting to know one another and being supportive." Then a small smile appeared for mere seconds. "I told him to stuff it."

"In those words?" Kim cocked her head.

"I told him that Anne was part of my family. That I rescued her so that he couldn't hurt her like he did Team Go."

"Is that how you feel?"

"Of course. That's why I didn't wait for authorization." Flo pursed her lips, "That and your injuries, Ma'am."

"Because I was hurt?"

"Frankly, Ma'am, I wasn't sure anyone would authorize a mission while you were out sick. I also didn't want Bopper getting away with hurting you and taking Anne."

"Yet Bopper is still at large."

"Maybe I should have tried to apprehend them," Flo cast her eyes down. "He actually let me go, Ma'am." Flo thought a moment, "I guess I really wanted to get out of there." She started to smirk a little, "I did manage to unsettle them a bit before I left."

"Do you think that will delay any plans they have?"

"I don't know, Ma'am."

"Did you learn of any plans?"

"No." Flo frowned.

"It seems Bopper was at our dance?"

"That's what she claimed, Ma'am. She must have learned about Don and I there."

"So Drakken knows about that?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Flo smiled. "He said something about irony. Like Mr. S. did on Saturday night."

Kim frowned. "Did he say anything else?"

Flo reflected a moment. "He doesn't want Shego to know about his 'Go Neutralizer'."

"Did you give him any information, even accidentally?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Have you received any more post cards?"

"No, Ma'am."

"While you were in Go City, did you talk much with Shego?"

"She's pretty much all business, Ma'am. I think she wanted to handle Drakken as quickly as she could." Flo looked at Kim hard, "Why are all these questions about them?"

"Your last few missions involved them."

Flo wasn't fooled. "What's going on?"

Kim sighed. She handed Flo Anne's report, "I shouldn't be showing you this."

As Flo read the report, her face fell, "Oh God."

"Does this change anything?" Kim asked with a straight face.

Flo stared at Kim a moment. "Like my story?" she snapped angrily.

"I have to ask these questions," Kim said calmly.

"You're going to let a single report affect my status here?"

"I have my responsibilities."

"Well, this isn't true." Flo set the report down quickly. "Drakken had to be lying."

"I have to weigh everything," Kim said uneasily. "I'm sorry." Kim cast her eyes down a moment before she spoke again, "I have to suspend you until we can work this out."

Flo just sat there a moment. "You're suspending me," she said slowly in a flat, neutral tone of disbelief.

"Indefinitely," Kim said in her own neutral tone as she looked down at her desk.

Flo didn't move for what seemed like hours. Kim just watched her quietly.

Flo finally stood, "I'll just clean out my desk, thank you." She took off her identity badge and set it on Kim's desk. "I am obviously not wanted here."

Flo slowly walked out of Kim's office. Kim couldn't speak.

A moment after Flo left, Kim allowed her tears to fall.

After a few more moments, she picked up the phone and speed dialed. "Ron?" She gushed with worry and sadness. "Flo just quit."

-

Thanks for all the notes, MrDrP and MortalGuardian

You just noticed that Bopper is bad news?

That she liked cloning surprised even Drakken. But what doesn't surprise him?