Thanks goes to mouse and Shallow15 for their help with beta reading, and all the fans for reviewing
Kim Powered
Chapter 13
After dinner Kim lounged in Shego's room, staring out the window at the sparkling stars high above her. Shego and Anastasia had left to deal with Shego's punishment, and judging by the fact that the hairbrush was sitting on Shego's night stand she could only imagine what Anastasia was having Shego do for punishment.
Kim's imagination would never have imagined the sight of Shego writing on a black board 'I will never steal again' one hundred times, while her own mother was sitting across the room and watching her.
"This is soooo wrong mommy." Shego muttered as her hand began to cramp up from all the writing. Sure she was used to it a few years ago when she was actually trying to become a teacher and she faked it ok when she was teaching for Kim's school but right now her hand felt like it was about to fall off.
Anastasia smirked as she watched her daughter. "Better get used to it if you're going to become a teacher, not all of the schools have nice power point presentation systems like that college I went to and showed you. My sources told me that Middleton didn't have them in every room yet. Now come on, only fifty lines to go."
"I bought my own for class mommy, paid for it with clean money at that, just go ask Kimmie if you don't believe me." Shego huffed indignantly, she was a grown woman for crying out loud. 'I bet if the Wego's took to a life of crime you'd jump at the chance to be their moll.' She wanted to say that but only thought it as she knew if she did the brush would be swatted her butt seconds later. "So what do you have planned for Kim now that you have her data?"
"I don't know Polly; the data indicates that the new compound I was developing for you to wear instead of that awful green suit will work on her as well. But I think that the first thing to work on will be her control and emotional restructuring," Anna stated while flipping through the reports sitting next to her idly. "Polly… I have to know how you feel about Kim. If you want me to back off, I will."
"Ha!" Shego scoffed as she finished the last of her lines and put the chalk down. "That didn't stop you with Jane, and I know it won't stop you now ... you'll just be less obvious while I'm present." She sat down in the chair across from her mother and sighed. "I honestly don't know yet mommy. I do care for her a lot but I'm scared too. And speaking of scaring..." Shego looked at her mother with narrowed eyes. "I think Kim's on the verge of a major freak-out, ESPECIALLY with all the... flirting, shall we say?"
Anastasia frowned as she sighed heavily. "Actually Polly, I think I'm going to settle down… I just don't have as much fun chasing people around any more. Besides you know I don't go after red-heads after that incident with that Carmen girl…" Anastasia smiled sadly at her daughter and gave a small laugh. "Never thought I'd hear you admit to being afraid again… not after the meteor that is."
Shego shrugged a bit. "Kimmie is something different mommy. She ..." Shego didn't want to tell her mother this but she needed to know. "She lost her cool in one of our bigger fights and damn near killed me." She lifted her shirt a bit and showed her mother the last fading scar of what she endured that night. "If it hadn't been for my powers I'd be dead and now ... now she has them."
Anastasia frowned as she inspected the scar with her fingers. "You really do love her, taking this hit and still coming back to her."
Shego pulled the shirt the rest of the way off since she knew her mother was only letting her wear it to avoid getting chalk dust on her. "I might but I don't know ... I would like to find out though and since we're going to be here a while I think we'll have the time."
"Unless I steal her heart first that is…" Anastasia replied with a smirk as she folded up the clothes.
"Mommy!" Shego fumed, it wasn't as surprising as it was frustrating that her mother would tease her that way especially since she knew her mother had a weakness for redheads. It was apparently a weakness they both shared. "Let's just go get dessert and talk about what's next for Kimmie's training ok?" With that she stormed out of the room and headed for the kitchen where dessert had been waiting. Anna had commuted her swats to lines written but insisted they be done before anyone ate the ice cream.
Anastasia nodded and followed her daughter with a smirk. "You know… I think she could really learn under my tutelage… and not just about her new powers."
Kim wondered why Shego looked so ticked off as the three of them sat in the living room enjoying the large bowls of ice cream Anna brought them but didn't dare ask considering the cheshire smirk Anna was wearing. 'This is going to be a very long visit.' She commented to herself as she tasted the sweet confection. 'But at least the view is nice and there's ice cream.'
Joss stared up at the stars high above her in the sky. "Ya'll got a nice view here Amanda, none of those big lights like in Middleton where Kim lives."
Amanda smiled as she leaned back and rested next to Joss. The deck provided a nice place to stargaze and she had to agree with the redhead. "It's part of why I agreed to take the job here. I came from a big city and I could see maybe three stars and the moon if it was full. You cold?" She figured it'd be nice to ask since it was getting cooler at night lately. "I can go get us a blanket if you want."
"Maybe ya'll had better… I reckon that it will get colder overnight, and it'll rain in the mornin'," Joss replied, her eyes still tracing the constellations.
Amanda walked back into the house returning a moment later with a pair blankets. She laid one out and motioned Joss over. "C'mon it'll be a bit warmer in here."
Joss stood up from her spot and walked over, settling down on the blanket, leaving room enough for Amanda to sit next to her. "I should warn ya, I get up to wake the roosters, no matter how little sleep I got the night before."
Amanda laughed as she wrapped the blanket and an arm around Joss pulling her close. "Girl you think you get up early? It's my vacation time so I had been sleeping in but my shift, when on duty, starts before sun up and goes till sun down."
"Ya'll don't have chores t' tend ta like ah do. The cattle get a mite fussy if'n ya'll don't have them milked before five." Joss replied with a sigh, "I think I miss the chores most..."
"If its chores you want..." Amanda grinned as she pulled Joss closer. "You could start by cleaning the house after we get up in the morning. Speaking of which we will probably need to be heading in soon."
"I was just thinkin' that. We're goin' t' get a big rain storm in a couple hours," Joss said as she stood up and walked towards the house. "Where is your bed? I need to make a stop before lain' down."
Amanda pouted a bit as she stood and folded the blankets before pitching them on her shoulder. "Bedroom is the door opposite the bathroom cutey." She deposited the blankets on the bench just inside the door planning to use them again as soon as she could get Joss outside like that again. "I'll go get it ready for us."
Joss exited the bathroom a few minutes later, wiping her hands on a towel silently before crossing the hall and walking into the bedroom. Her eyes looked over the room silently before locking with Amanda's.
"It's not much but it's very comfortable." Amanda said as she patted the thick fluffy looking futon on the floor, it was just big enough for the two of them to lay on comfortably. "I don't get many visitors in here so I didn't see the need to get something bigger." She said with a bit of an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "If you'll get the lights..."
Joss committed the path to the futon to memory before she turned off the lights, leaving only the pale moonlight and the stars to light her way. Walking across the floor carefully she slipped onto the futon and started falling asleep. "Night Amanda."
"G'night Joss" Amanda said as she curled up close to the younger woman. She wanted to get more comfortable against her but didn't know how Joss would take to being spooned just yet.
Joss didn't respond with more than a gentle snore as she turned over and hugged Amanda closely. "Mmm Kim..." She murmured after a moment, obviously dreaming.
Amanda chuckled a bit at the situation and decided to just enjoy it, 'I hope she wakes up nicely in the morning.' She thought as she draped a leg over the smaller woman and settled in comfortably then nodded off.
Dawn broke to find Amanda sleeping alone on the futon mattress, while Joss was busy cleaning up the kitchen and making breakfast.
"Morning Joss. Damn girl that smells good. Did you put on any coffee?" Amanda asked as she stepped up behind the active redhead "You shoulda woke me up though. I could have gotten started on the things we need sooner."
"I was up and ya'll are on break, so I let ya sleep in," Joss replied as she poured out a cup of strong black coffee, and served up a plate of eggs, bacon, sausages, and toast. "Enjoy the breakfast."
Amanda took Joss' hand before she could walk away and pulled her close. "Can I say thanks before you wander off? And are you gonna join me?
Joss slipped out of the grip easily walking towards the stove again. "Yes, I'll be over in a few minutes, just have to save my eggs from burning."
Amanda laughed and relented without argument but waited for her to bring her food over and made sure Joss sat close. "So you going to stay inside today right?" She asked as she waited for Joss to get her own cup of java.
Joss poured out a glass of juice she had squeezed earlier as a distant roll of thunder echo of thunder rolled through the room. "I reckon I would, seein' as that storm I told ya about last night brought along his big brother for round two."
"Crap that's gonna make it a bit messy while I'm out." Amanda muttered as she looked at the storm pouring down through the patio doors. "About that thanks..." She waited until Joss was seated and not holding any sharp objects then gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Thanks for a delicious breakfast." She hadn't taken a bite yet but she knew it was going to be great.
Joss blushed deep red enough to rival her own hair as she looked down at her plate. "It ain't all that great ma'am... and ya'll had the fixin's here, I just helped myself here."
"I haven't had anyone cook breakfast for me in years Joss." Amanda said as she dug in, as she expected it was great. "Means a lot to me it does. Soon as I finish I'll head to the art supply store for what I need you can leave the dishes and I'll get'm when I get back."
"Nonsense, I have nothin' better to do, so I will just wash them up after breakfast," Joss replied between bites.
"If you insist." Amanda replied as she washed down the last of her breakfast with the dregs of her cup of coffee. "There's a stereo in the living room, it's behind the red pillow. I hope you don't mind a mix of music, we don't get radio stations here so I have my mp3 collection wired in." She stood and put her dishes in the sink after rinsing them off a bit.
Joss waved farewell while munching away on her own breakfast. Once she was done, she began work on the dishes, singing songs to herself while leaving the radio turned off.
Amanda stood on the front porch and debated just going back inside but knew she needed to brave the storm. She made a mad dash to her cart and was thankful it at least had a roof. The rain still came in on the sides and front as she drove but the rain was mostly coming straight down so she only got soaked instead of drowned. She parked in front of the supply store and gawked as she watched a dark haired green skinned woman dash out of the store get into a cart like hers and drive off. "What the hell?"
Amanda stepped back into her house after spending a few minutes dripping off on the porch. She loved the rain they were finally getting but she didn't want to track it all over her house especially if Joss had been seriously cleaning the place as she seemed to have been planning. "Hey Honey I'm home!" she called with a laugh but she didn't see Joss anywhere in the living room or kitchen.
Joss dropped down in front of Amanda, having been in the rafters dusting. "Hey Amanda, ya'll got mail, I put it on the table over there."
Amanda jumped a bit startled by the redhead and slipped falling to her butt because her feet were wet and the floor a bit too slick. "OW!" she yelped as she leaned over to her side and rubbed her now sore butt. "Jeez Joss don't do that."
Joss smirked as she held out her hand to help Amanda to her feet. "Sorry, but ah was cleanin' the rafters, and ya'll were callin' for me."
Amanda took the offered hand and let Joss help her to her feet. "Well time to quit with all the cleaning. Go take a quick shower to get cleaned and we'll get started on your disguise. Unless you don't want to go with that now."
"I'll go take the shower, but I don't care fer leavin' a job unfinished mind ya," Joss replied as she turned away to shower, cobwebs hanging out of her hair.
Laughing at the way Joss looked she followed the girl all the way into the bathroom. "I need to get a towel." She said as she watched Joss get into the stall. "So how far did you get in this mad cleaning streak? Did you make it to my studio yet?"
"That tornado wreck? Shoot no, I wouldn't know up from down in that disaster area," Joss replied as she turned on the water. "Ya'll want in after me? Wouldn't do fer ya'll t' catch yer death cause of the rain."
"I could just join you... conserve water and all that ... and help you clean off a bit." Amanda said with a grin as she took a pair of towels from the linen closet and set them on the counter with the sink. "And don't call my studio a wreck ... it's a ... ok it's a wreck ... but it's my wreck."
"I reckon it'd make sense, those public educated girls shower t'gether all the time," Joss replied as she turned on the shower sprayer, with the water nearly at full hot. "Ready?"
"Right just lemme cool this off a bit." Amanda said as she turned on the cold water just enough to keep it from being scalding hot, she stepped in after making sure the water was bearable then held out her hand waiting for Joss to take it and join her.
Joss shrugged and stepped in behind Amanda, closing the curtain behind her. "Ya'll like yer showers cold..."
"Not particularly Joss," Amanda said as she turned under the shower head and let the water run over her then stepped aside so Joss could get wet. "I just don't want to have problems with the paint adhering to you ... hot water soaks into the skin too much and would cause problems."
"If'n ya'll say so..." Joss replied before sticking her head under the water, soaking and scrubbing free the cobwebs, before soaking the rest of her body.
Amanda stared openly as the water cascaded over Joss' toned form, it took a minute for her to remember they were supposed to be cleaning off. "Want me to get your back?" She asked after she soaped up her front and was waiting to rinse.
Joss stepped back out of the water and shook her head. "Nah, I'll get it mahself, thank ya fer offerin' though." With that she took the soap and a rag and began to scrub her back easily before scrubbing her front as well. "Do ya'll need help with your back?"
Amanda smiled a bit and nodded. "If you don't mind ... You know ..." She hesitated for a second. "You don't have to do everything yourself. We're partners now ... right?"
Joss started scrubbing Amanda's back gently, her eyes focusing on the task at hand. "We are fer now Amanda, but I can't always be relyin' on folks fer everythin'. I have t' be strong like Kim is."
"I bet Kim has someone there to help her." Amanda said as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling. "Strength doesn't always mean doing things by yourself ... sometimes it means knowing when to ask for or accept help. Speaking of Kim ... I saw Shego earlier when I was at the store."
"I wonder what she was there fer... did ya'll see what she had bought?" Joss asked, still scrubbing Amanda's back quietly.
"Nope she took off too fast and it was still storming pretty hard ... she was naked as the rest of us though so she apparently is here for a while." Amanda said and practically purred as Joss worked on her back. "I'm half tempted to ask you to do that on this side." She said with a rakish grin.
"I'd refuse, seein' as I'm done, and ya'll did your front already," Joss replied as she wrung out the wash cloth.
"I'll remember that next time and make sure to ask in advance" Amanda said as she rinsed off and cut off the water. "Here's your towel cutey." She said as she tossed the terri clothe towel at the redhead. After drying herself off she rolled her towel into a whip and prepared to take a shot at Joss' exposed rump.
Joss was a step faster than Amanda had expected and caught the towel in mid-snap twirling around with it to end with both of Amanda's hands caught up in it, and behind her back. "None o' that now, partner."
Amanda shifted her weight backwards onto Joss pinning the smaller woman tightly between her and the counter. "This is fun and all but you have a date with some paints. 'Sides I was just gonna pay you back for making my butt sore."
"T'weren't mah doin' that made ya'll fall on yer rear. T'ain't mah fault yer jumpier than a long tail cat in a rocking chair testin' floor," Joss said as she slid out from behind Amanda, letting the heavier woman lean against the wall, and walking out after depositing her towel on the other's head.
"I am going to get you for that Joss... remember that." Amanda grinned as she followed her out of the bathroom and deposited the towels in the basket with the ones from last night. "Go ahead and go to my studio while I go get the paints I left in the living room."
"Already there Amanda," Joss replied from down the hall in the studio.
"Fine then dig out one of the clean canvas throw sheets and cover the chair," Amanda yelled a bit as she entered the living room. "Get comfortable because you're gonna be there a while."
Joss did as she was instructed, throwing the canvas over the chair and tucking it in before sitting down and getting comfortable.
Amanda entered the room with a small bag containing the pains required. "Ok here's the first call Joss." She put the bag down and pulled out two jars. "These are both body paints that will last for a while but one is hand applied the other airbrush applied. There are drawbacks to both so it's your call on which way we go."
"What're the drawbacks on them?" Joss asked eyeing the two jars of paint.
"Well since you're not an artist I'll have to apply them both for starters." Amanda began as she pulled up a stool and got comfortable. "For another the airbrush is going to be very cold, especially on the more ... intimate parts."
"And the hand applied method?" Joss inquired pointedly.
Amanda blushed fiercely as she arched an eyebrow. "Well the hand applied gets put on by hand ... everywhere." She cast a quick look to Joss chest and crotch then looked back to Joss face. "It also doesn't always get as good a coverage in some places."
"Let's go with the air brush method..." Joss decided with deep resignation.
"I'll try not to make it too bad for you I promise ... you might even have some fun with it." Amanda said with a nod as she set the bottles down and began setting up her airbrush. It only took her a few minutes to get ready. "Shall we begin?"
"I'm ready as I'll ever be..." Joss replied with a sigh before leaning back in her seat. "Let's just get it over with..."
Amanda nodded and began painting the younger girl with an even coat of the dye to give her a properly dark look. after a few minutes she had the tops and sides of both legs done, Joss' stomach and most of her torso done and most of her arms. "Ok it's time to get to the more ... sensitive places." She said looking Joss in the eyes. "I will make this as fast as I can."
Joss nodded, having held in the giggle fits as best she could, though the creaking of the wood from her tightening fingers indicated that it was a fight she wasn't winning easily. With a gulp she leaned back and waited as the ticklish torture continued.
Amanda started working on Joss' small perky breasts painting her way around their base and working up to the peaks watching as Joss' body reacted to the cold and enjoying what she saw. "Looks like someone is enjoying this as well as laughing herself sick," Amanda said after finishing off Joss other breast.
Joss gulped down air as she glared at Amanda. "Yer evil, ya'll know that right? I hope yer happy with yerself makin' me laugh like a school girl..."
"I'd be happier if I coulda painted you the other way." Amanda said with a false pout though she meant what she said. "Ok Joss now's the big challenge ... do you trust me?"
"Do I got a choice?" Joss asked with a hint of resignation to her voice.
"Of course Joss." Amanda said with a serious tone to match her face. "I'm not forcing you to do this, though it is the best way. You need to learn to trust people too I see." Amanda put the airbrush down and sat back a bit. "I want you to trust me Joss and I want you to let me help you however I can. You're someone special I can see it and I ... I want to really get to know you but you have to take a chance and trust me."
"Amanda... not t' be rude or anythin' but I'm just a country girl out t' do a job. This is a part of the job, so I do not have a choice..." Joss said quietly as she looked down at the ground in shame. "But... I have t' admit I'm glad it's someone that's lookin' out fer mah hide, that's doin' it."
"Then answer my question Joss." Amanda said taking Joss by the chin and turning her face so the younger woman had to look at her. "I agreed to help not because some big fancy government agency asked. I agreed because I wanted to get to know you. You can still be on the job but living your own life at the same time. I want to be a part of that ... if you'll let me." She held in a chuckle as she let go of Joss' chin and noted her gloved hands left a few darker patches from the dye; she had slipped the gloves on from the start to avoid looking like an accident in a paint factory before it was over.
"I..." Joss started for a moment before sighing heavily. "Amanda, I grew up relyin' on myself t' do what needed t' be done. I never really knew how t' ask fer help, or how t' trust others. I feel... I feel I can trust you though."
"That's a good place to start then Joss." Amanda said as she picked up the airbrush again. "You gotta learn to trust others and if you start with me I won't let you down. Of course you might not agree with that here in a few minutes." She had a wicked grin to her face. "Spread the legs please."
Joss let out a whimper as she adjusted her grip and complied. "God save me from my friends..."
