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.
Flo walked down the hall she had not expected to walk down again, at least not this soon.
"I am glad to have you here," he said.
"I remembered what you said the last time I was here."
"I meant every word." He gestured with his black-gloved hand, "Here is your room."
"Thanks." Flo tried to keep her eyes from watering, "Could I be alone for a while?"
"Of course," he patted her shoulder. "I understand. Call if you need anything."
"Sure." Flo opened the door to her room and shut it behind her. Then she lay back on her bed quietly, thinking of what she had lost.
"I just need more information," Kim pleaded.
"What more do you need?" asked Don in a frustrated tone. "Tell me and I'll get it. I'll have that A.V. kid at school make up a first class presentation."
Anne's eyebrow rose up. "If I didn't know better, Mom, I'd think you were afraid to decide."
Kim sucked on her lower lip.
Ron hugged her tighter.
Anne stood up, "Let's set everything out right now." She took out her handheld and prepared to take notes. "What are facts against Flo?"
Ron spoke when no one else wanted to start, "She's the daughter of Drakken and Shego."
"That's not even worth mentioning," whined Don.
Anne held up a hand, "Maybe not to you, Don. Other people think it's a valid concern. Once I have a full list, we'll go over it." She wrote it down, "Next?"
Kim said slowly, "She's had contact alone with both of them in the past two months."
Anne noted that. "There's what I heard Drakken say, of course."
Don fidgeted a little in his seat.
Kim said, "The security council asked me to suspend Flo."
Anne paused, "Based on the points we've named or something else?"
Kim hesitated thoughtfully, and then smiled at Anne appreciatively, "The same points."
Anne keyed her handheld, "Then that's subordinate to the others and shouldn't be listed."
Don sighed happily.
"Any others?" asked Anne.
Everyone watched each other quietly.
"That's a 'no'," she said as she keyed in more. "Points in her favor?"
Don sat up straighter and started to speak first.
"Objective points," said Anne.
Don glared at her.
"An excellent record in her year with the agency," said Kim.
"She passed Dad's synthodrone test," said Don.
Kim looked at Ron,"Huh?"
Ron rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "What's that?"
"I know that cut was not an accident, Dad," Don frowned.
Ron chuckled nervously, then said, "She trained you kids pretty well."
"and her friendship with us all has to be good for something!" quipped Don.
"Personal record," said Anne, "as valid as the professional one."
"And as excellent," added Don.
"That would appear to cover everything," said Anne. "Right?"
Kim and Ron nodded. Don was quiet.
"First on the agenda," Anne sat back down. "Her birth parents."
"It's a non-issue," said Don. In response to their stares he said, "It's not like they raised her."
Ron nodded. "If the Mings were criminals, it would be another matter."
Kim said, "It concerned the council."
Anne asked, "Are you required to obey them, Mom?"
Kim seemed startled by the question. "Technically, no."
"Do we know how long Flo has known who they were?" asked Anne.
"I'm sure," Kim nodded. "I was with her when she confirmed Shego's claim and when she found out about Drakken."
"When Shego called him a liar and Flo fainted," said Don.
Kim looked at Don. "Did she tell you that?"
"When she told me about them." Don nodded.
"When did she find out about Drakken?" Asked Anne.
"When the Go mission ended," said Kim.
"Did she know about Shego by then?"
"Yes."
"So if she has been working for Drakken, it's only been since then." Anne made more notes. "Was it Flo's idea to get Shego involved in the Go City mission?"
"No." Kim admitted.
"You saw her with Shego, Mom?"
"Yes."
"Did they seem to be close?"
Kim thought on that a moment.
"Flo told me that they might have bonded then," said Don.
"Does mother-daughter bonding equal conspiracy?" asked Ron.
"They definitely grew closer," said Kim. "How close I couldn't say. Flo did support the arrest of Shego as well as Drakken."
"Interesting," said Anne. "Who arranged for her to rescue me?"
"Flo."
"I see," Anne made more notes. "I saw her get captured myself. She didn't seem to be cooperating, but she said she'd be fine."
"Would you have left if she hadn't said that?" asked Don.
Anne frowned, "Probably not."
"Even after hearing what Drakken said?" asked Kim.
"Yeah," Anne nodded slowly. After another moment, she asked, "What do we know about her time there?"
Don spoke up, "Drakken gave her some guilty father lip and she told him to shove it."
"That's her version in a nutshell," agreed Kim. "Only Drakken and Bopper can confirm or deny it."
"Which leaves doubt," said Anne.
"Reasonable doubt," said Don.
"This isn't a courtroom, Don," Anne rolled her eyes. "Has Drakken used any information that Flo might have told him?" she asked Kim.
"Drakken's been sitting still lately," said Kim. "Which is what worries me."
"We're already where Drakken wants us," said Don.
"What's that?" gasped Ron.
Don was determined; "I think Drakken's playing us all, including Flo."
"How's that, Don?" asked Anne.
"So Drakken is using Flo to get to us. Who says she has to cooperate for it to work?" said Don.
"That's a point!" Anne made more notes. "Has there been any change in Flo's behavior in the two months before she quit?"
"Aside from dating me?" quipped Don.
"Yes," Anne responded seriously.
They all exchanged glances.
"No," said Anne. She looked over her notes. "I'd say it's official, Mom." Anne turned off her handheld and put it away. "We've been had."
Kim's eyes were wide, darting side to side. "I fell right into it." She turned to Ron, "Drakken was lying. He must have known Anne was listening."
"It's okay, KP."
"No, Ron," Kim stressed. "It's not. This is my fault."
"So what do we do, Mom?" Don asked as if he knew the answer.
Then the Kimmunicator beeped.
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Yes, folks! Drakken's first plan has been foiled – by the captain of the DEBATE team!
Special thanks to my most prolific reviewer, Mortal Guardian.
After reading some recent forum entries (and G-Go's "Reunion") I want to state for the record that I only recently read "Reunion" and will next read "Union." (Great stuff!)
I have discovered that I may have lots in common with both MrDrP and G-Go.