Unthankful Part 1


"I can't believe you told my mother we were going to this," said Drakken in annoyance, fiddling with his jacket as he came down the hall.

"I completely forgot about it until she called," said Shego. Drakken glared at her smirk. "I was just trying to annoy you at the time."

"Yes, well, good going. Now we both have to go to Thanksgiving." He grumbled, "Shego…"

"Yeah-yeah," sighed Shego as she fixed his collar. "It's just one night..."

"Two," said Drakken with a groan. Shego froze after tossing out the cardboard he'd neglected to remove.

"Excuse me. Two?" asked Shego. She let out a discontented sigh. "Please tell me it's not your whole family again?"

"I don't know Shego. Like Christmas, I haven't attended any of these family events in a very long time," responded Drakken. He looked at his watch. "The question now is...do we arrive on time or late?"

"I'd rather we leave and get this over with as soon as possible." She headed off towards her room. "I'll meet you in the hover car."

"Where are you going?" asked Drakken; he had already been headed towards the vehicle.

"I was just informed I need an overnight bag…" she rolled her eyes and then smirked. "I mean, we could always stage a midnight rendezvous look without pajamas? How much of an edge do you want...Drew?"

"...I will be in the hover car," he glared. She shrugged and walked towards him. "WHILE you get an overnight bag."

"Fine," she turned around. "Don't say I didn't suggest it."

"I was never going to—" She turned around the corner and he muttered under his breath as he waited for her. "This is going to cut into my planning time so much."

Drakken had planned a perfect Thanksgiving Day caper. While most places were on holiday it would be the perfect time to steal something for his latest scheme. That's what he had planned with Shego before his mother called her. Called Shego. HIS mother had called Shego to remind THEM about Thanksgiving. He glared.

This is SO Shego's fault.

It was for the best he supposed... It wasn't like he'd exactly figured out what they needed to steal. He was on a bit of a dry spell and he wasn't too keen on bringing that up with Shego, especially as they had just entered a partnership. Though...she could suggest something as well. Partners and all. Either way, they had very limited time before they took the holidays off from villainy. Drakken nodded to himself and smiled in thought.

For Snow Man Hank—

"Why are you dreamily staring off into space this time?" He frowned and looked to see Shego sitting next to him. She tossed her bag next to his.

"Villainy," said Drakken confidently.

"Mmmhhmm," she gave him a suspicious look but moved on. "Whatever, let's get this going so we can get back to that and do some after-Thanksgiving shopping of our own."

"Agreed," nodded Drakken as he put the vehicle into drive.


"So this is your childhood home," Shego grinned at the tiny gray-blue house surrounded by shrubbery.

"Yes," sighed Drakken as he grabbed their bags. "Before we enter..."

"Drewbie!" came Estelle's voice from the doorway. "Shego, you two made it. I was worried something had come up with your work."

"We could have used that excuse?" whispered Drakken with a raised brow at Shego. He turned to his mother. "We might not be able to stay long because...work."

Drakken tossed the bags back in the hover car and winked at Shego. Shego nodded and then smirked as she grabbed the bags.

She grinned at his horrified look as she turned to his mother who had an annoyed look on her face. His words about possibly leaving early had obviously upset her. Shego could easily play into Drakken's sudden plan to get out early. Unfortunately, pushing his buttons was far more appealing than escaping his family's festivities early.

"Don't worry...Drew, all your appointments have been pushed back. I even made sure that Dr. Hector would take any emergency calls while you're off the air." Her cheeky grin turned to a pleasant one as she turned to Estelle. "Dr. Drakken is spending time with his family."

"Oh, Shego, that's such a relief," beamed Estelle. She shot a look at Drakken and nodded towards Shego. "Come on in dear... Drewbie, I raised you better than that…making Shego carry your bags. Tsk Tsk."

"Yes mother," hissed Drakken as Shego grinned and handed him the bags before following Estelle inside. "She has no idea what she's just done."


"Is this your childhood room?" asked Shego as she tried to lean around Drakken. He blocked the door. "Oh come on...Drew, let me in your room."

"Pass," said Drakken, attempting to close the door where he'd tossed his bag. She ducked around him. "Shego…"

"Whoa, hello eighties," snorted Shego as she looked around the room.

It looked like his mom hadn't changed anything since he'd left. There were posters on the walls, books, scraps of paper, rocket ships, and action figures. It was well-dusted and cleaned—a perfectly fine shrine to her son. Shego smirked at Drakken as she swung around the four-poster bed and made a dramatic gesture to the room.

"You can smell the virginity," said sighed as she flopped on the bed.

"Thank you for that." His eyes were narrowed as she lay across the bed and rested her face in her hands. "Are you done now?"

"Am I the only girl you've had in here?" asked Shego. She felt twist of deviousness in her gut as his face darkened. "I am, aren't I."

"As fun as this is for you...let's show you to your room," said Drakken. Shego pouted and extended her hand. "You are being so—SHEGO!"

"Don't be so dramatic," laughed Shego as she yanked him onto the bed. "This is already more action than this bed has seen... Well, maybe not the sheets."

"Shego this is highly unprofessional," said Drakken as he went to get off the bed, but Shego's grin spread as she shoved him back on it. "What has gotten into you?"

"Why? Am I making you uncomfortable," snorted Shego, her eyes heavy as she leaned towards him.

Drakken said nothing, but his eyes shot open, and she could see his breathing pick up. Every fiber of her being was egging her on, partly because of how much it was bothering him. The other part because...well...why not? But he looked horrified. It was enough to make her realize she'd pushed it too far.

"Geesh, Doc, lighten up," she snorted as she got up off the bed. "I don't want to ruin your pristine bedroom."

"Shego, it's not funny. I was just about to check you for a Mood-u-lator," he said, a look of relief on his face.

"Oh good, you're both in here already." Estelle's smirk sobered Shego up and she took a wide step away from where Drakken still sat on the bed.

"I was just about to show Shego to her room," Drakken jumped up with the same haste she'd used. Estelle raised her brow in what looked like annoyance.

"I'm not naive, Drewbie. As if you two haven't been sharing a bed here and there over the years," smiled Estelle.

"We have not...no." Shego watched as Drakken went into defense mode. "Mother. We do not share a bed. My lair— Home has multiple rooms for a reason."

"Uh huh," said Estelle looking between the two. She smirked at Shego. "Really?"

"Ohm," Shego looked at Drakken. He looked smug, and she felt devious again. "Come on Doc... Don't lie to your mother. As if we haven't shared a bed once before?"

"Shego... Mother we are not sharing a room," said Drakken. His scowl made Shego take a step back.

"Yes you are," responded Estelle. "Your grandmother is staying in the guest room. So you're going to have to put aside whatever tiff you two had—"

"There is no tiff... There is no..." Drakken stopped his fake pleasant-voice rant and gave a pleading look to Shego.

"Mama Lipsky, we're not together," sighed Shego. "I told you that last year was just because he'd broken up with his girlfriend—"

"Excuse me," snapped Drakken, "When did you tell her this?"

"Shego and I talk all the time, dear," said Estelle, her lips pursed. "Funny how she seems to be able to answer my phone calls and you can't."

"I... Eh… Nhn," Drakken looked like he was stuck in his worst nightmare and Shego felt an edge of regret now, but only for a second.

"Either way, you two are adults," Estelle stepped out of the doorway and winked. "Besides, you never know what one night can change."

She headed downstairs and Shego grimaced.

"Did your Mom just imply—"

"I blame you for this," glared Drakken.


Heading back downstairs was a journey of annoyance as Shego kept touching picture frames in the hall, asking Drakken about some childhood pictures including a few of he and Ed attempting to look cool. She'd actually found the look on Drakken quite cute...not that she was about to vocalize that. She was having far too much fun pestering him. Drakken's hands rested on her shoulders as he steered her down the staircase and away from trying to pick up a picture of him with his teddy bear. She would get it later to annoy him.

"You two done fooling around then?" Shego froze as Drakken's Aunt Michelle walked by with some pans. "We have cooking to do."

It seemed while they had been upstairs and in the attic looking for a sleeping bag—Shego was not getting into that argument again—Ed's mom had arrived and she didn't seem to be in a good mood. Shego looked at the little living room with its floral couches and outdated television. She'd only glanced at it when Drakken had ushered her upstairs.

What was more, there was a very old woman sitting in a wheelchair facing the television. Likely the person occupying the guest room Drakken had intended her to stay in. She didn't look familiar from the prior Christmas dinner, and it wasn't a far stretch to assume she must reside in a home for the elderly. She looked rather frail... It was clear she was Estelle's mom by the large badly-dyed red hair, the large cat-eye glasses that looked as old as she was, and the accessories she wore.

"Hello Nana," said Drakken cheerfully.

"Drew." Her stern tone made Shego freeze and Drakken's smiled faded. She looked over to him with a raised brow. "Are you still blue?"

"Yes," he sighed. She nodded and turned to Shego.

"You brought a woman?" There was no expression in her statement. "I was starting to wonder if you were like Enid's son... He and his partner adopted her great grandchild... She brings me candies when she visits Enid. It's nice to have visitors...Drew."

"This is Shego," sighed Drakken. Shego covered her mouth as she laughed. "Shego this is Nana Lois."

"Nice to meet you," smiled Shego, taking a step forward.

"Why are you green?" asked Nana and Shego took a step back.

"...Lab accident—"

"Hit by a comet—"

"...Okay then," Nana shook her head. "Youths and their secrets."

"Watching soap operas?" asked Drakken, moving closer to her. Shego followed.

"Estelle doesn't have cable... Or news... These aren't even in English," said Nana. She looked at them with narrowed eyes. "Can I expect any great grandchildren from you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Nana," said Drakken, "Shego and I aren't together. She is a friend."

"That's nice," her scowl continued at the television. "How disappointing."

"Just friends this year?" asked Michelle leaning out of the door to what Shego assumed was the kitchen.

"That's all it's ever been. Nothing else," said Drakken, he looked ready to explain but Michelle shrugged and disappeared.

"Shego, dear, can I borrow you for a bit?" said Estelle appearing in the doorway with a broad grin.

"Please," said Shego. She hurried past Drakken to the kitchen. He followed.

"I was hoping you could assist me with some baking today. Michelle's busy with pastries. It goes better with two when making lots of cookies."

"Shego can't cook," said Drakken. Shego glared.

He's not...wrong. But I have my days.

"I've baked... I've even baked for you," snapped Shego. She didn't know why she wasn't letting him get her out of this.

"Drew, you say there's nothing going on between you two...yet you seem very eager to spend constant time with just the two of you," said Michelle. Her expression was unreadable. "Why are you so needy?"

"Drew is not needy," snapped Estelle. "I think you're mistaking him for your son."

"At least my son talks to me and doesn't leave his assistant to do so," Michelle said smugly, kneading the dough.

"Shego, dear, can you pass me the flour?" Estelle didn't respond and Shego shared a grimace with Drakken. She grabbed the flour. "If you're done distracting us Drewbie, you could go spend time with your grandmother before she comes in here and starts bossing us around."

"Yeah, one bossy redhead in the kitchen is enough," scoffed Michelle under her breath.

Shego could feel the hostility between the two. Clearly there was something private happening and Drakken and Shego were just seeing the aftermath. She looked at Drakken, hoping he'd give her a new escape window. The idea of spending an entire evening baking with these two was suddenly a nightmare in the making. Judging by the cold energy emitted from the silence, she did not like the idea of being in the middle of it.

"Shego—" Drakken began but Estelle cut him off.

"She'll be fine dear. She can't be any worse than your Aunt Michelle," said Estelle with a wide grin at Shego. Michelle slapped the dough on the counter but said nothing.

"Fine. It's your funeral," sighed Drakken as he turned on his heel.

"Where I will have no grandchildren to mourn me," responded Estelle without looking up from her mixing.

Drakken stiffened and Shego watched his fingers dig into the door-frame before stalking off. Shego didn't know if she should snort at the snappy comeback or make her own. Instead she chose to continue mixing the bowl Estelle slid over to her as she started getting ingredients for something else.

It seemed pretty stable in the room, mostly Estelle asking her to add things or mix things. Shego was just feeling confident when Estelle went to the basement to get a missing pan, when the energy changed again. Shego jumped as Michelle stood rather closely next to her.

"So, Shego. What are the odds of you kicking my son into another police cruiser when he comes tomorrow?"

"Oh…" Shit.


"Nana, did you want something to drink?" asked Drakken as he sat in the living room. She'd been staring off at the television.

"No," she muttered and continued staring off at the television.

"Okay... So you enjoying being—" he paused as his mother walked by.

"The home has better food," stated Nana bluntly. His mother's fingers clenched on the pan as she momentarily froze. She continued walking to the kitchen.

"Tell... Tell me about it," Drakken fought the smirk on his face.

"You would know if you came to visit me more instead of just sending cards and gifts," said Nana harshly. "I may not have been your favorite grandmother. But I am your only one now."

"I didn't have favorites... I'm busy…I'm... Do you want something to drink?" he sure did.


"I think your aunt wants to kill me," said Shego as she walked into the bedroom later the day had come to a close. She glanced out the doorway. "That knife barely missed me when, as she claims...she tripped and it just happened to 'throw' itself."

"I think you're paranoid," said Drakken. Shego glared at him. "She attempts to kill no less than three people every holiday. You're just one of the chosen this year."

"Well if Motor-mouth Ed took a page out of your book and kept to himself more...I wouldn't be on the list," glared Shego. "She liked me last year."

"My mother liked me more last year," said Drakken as he tossed down the sleeping bag on the rug.

"I think your aunt and your grandmother are just on her nerves. You're still her Drewbie," Shego mimicked his mother's voice before giving out a snort of annoyance. "Are you seriously sleeping on the floor?"

"It's comfortable," lied Drakken as he pulled the pillow closer.

"There is a bed, right there. It's not like we haven't shared a bed before," scoffed Shego. He could feel her standing over him.

"I guess you're— What are you wearing?" asked Drakken as he'd looked up after debating his options.

"Pajamas?" stated Shego with a raised brow.

Drakken felt more solid in his sleeping bag choice than before. He had expected her to pack her normal pajamas or even a night shirt and shorts. Not a navy blue, thin-strapped nightgown...which as the light hit it, was probably silk.

He was already having mental issues about his renewed attraction to Shego, and now this.

He'd curbed his flirting. Made sure to avoid being to 'handsy' around his Partner in Crime. Yes, the sleeping bag choice was the right one. He was not about to wake up accidentally cuddling her while she was in that. His expression must have displayed something akin to horror or shock because Shego suddenly looked smug.

"Why, Dr. D., your immunity to my charms in question?" she asked, one hand confidently resting on her hip.

"No," said Drakken. He doubted his own voice for a second. "Just wondering why you would pack that...instead of your normal ones."

"Well I thought I'd have my own room... And to be honest I packed it in case you changed your mind and wanted to stage a late-night scene..." She crossed her arms and shifted her stance. Drakken decided his pillow needed to be looked at more.

"Pretty solid in the decision to not do that now," said Drakken. He began picking lint off the pillow. "Was just curious. It's nice."

"Nice…? Thanks." He saw her shadow move and heard her climb into bed. "All right, I'm hitting the lights... If you change your mind in the middle of the night, I can't promise not to plasma blast you when I'm startled."

"No. I'm content right here," sighed Drakken. He really wasn't.

It was silent after Shego turned off the light except for the sound of a car driving by from time to time. Drakken picked at the rug that he could see in the street lamps' light that peeked through the curtained window. He was trying to force himself to sleep, but his mind wasn't letting him. There was no evil schemes, no thieving plots... It was all a rush of that day. His grandmother's bitter annoyance at him. His mother's jabs. His aunt's lack of zingers at him. Shego's nightgown.

He glared. She was solely to blame for the last one.

"I can't believe you're sleeping on the floor," Shego's sudden annoyed groan startled him. "This is just like the pillow wall all over again."

"Why are you so eager to share a bed with me?" snapped Drakken. His eyes shot open at his own statement.

Great. Here comes the sarcasm, sass, and rebuttals.

"I just think it's stupid," was her only retort. She sounded quieter than normal and there was no snark. "We're adults. We are comfortable in our partnership enough that this shouldn't be an issue."

"True," said Drakken weighing the odds.

You are NOT comfortable!

"We spend a lot of time together and we shouldn't be tempting gossip. Aunt Michelle and Eddie talk a lot...and we don't need that drama," he reasoned as he snuggled the pillow closer. "We're partners now after all. Got to keep clear… Social and work boundaries, you know."

"Huh... Didn't know becoming partners meant it changed our maturity levels," scoffed Shego. "Whatever, enjoy the floor."

"'Night, Shego," sighed Drakken.

The silence returned and Drakken was just about to drift off when he heard Shego sigh and give a contemptuous snort.

"Finally, another person in his bed... And he won't even get in it." Drakken glared before sitting up and throwing his pillow at her. "Ow!"

"Zip it," grumbled Drakken as he lay back down. He scoffed. That was his only pillow.

"Fine. 'Night," mumbled Shego. His pillow fell on him and he smirked as he grabbed it.

"Uhm hmm," he responded as he snuggled the pillow and fell into silence.

"Hey, Drakken?" whispered Shego, breaking the quiet again.

"What?" he mumbled into the pillow.

"Do you hear that?" she asked in a concerned whisper. He sat up and looked at what little of her he could see in the dark.

"What?" he asked in concern.

"Your bed weeping with joy at having a woman in it...and your room's sobbing with embarrassment for you," laughed Shego. Drakken whipped the pillow at her again.

"I'm going to bed," growled Drakken.

"Did you want your pillow back?" asked Shego after her own laughter faded.

"Yes, please," sighed Drakken. He sat back up and reached for it.

"Okay," said Shego as she placed it next to her, and snuggled in her spot. "You know where to find it."

"Shego... Shego," Drakken hissed.

He debated on just forgoing it, but the rug was not as comfortable as he had hoped against his face and arm. He muttered under his breath as he slid out of the sleeping bag.

He knew Shego was still awake by the smirk on her face. He went to snatch the pillow but her hand gripped it quickly. Her body shook as she fought laughing and continued to hold it. He went to grab the other one but she was too fast.

He wanted to feel annoyed by her antics. He forcibly told himself to be. Instead he found himself fighting his own laughter at the sheer juvenile stupidity of fighting over pillows in the middle of the night.

"Shego, give me the pillow!" His attempt at anger came out as a quiver of laughter.

"Pillows belong on the bed, not the floor." Her voice matched his, fighting laughter and trying to sound aggressive.

"You're being ridiculous," he said, his laugh escaping as he yanked at the pillow in quick jabs.

"I don't think I'm the one being ridiculous," she scoffed and yanked the pillow with all her might.

A normal person's pull would have been enough to perhaps make the person on the other end of the tug-of-war stumble. Shego's however, was enough to practically launch Drakken to the other side of the room. He'd had enough clarity to release the fabric of the pillow before it could happen, however, the timing couldn't have been worse. He'd managed to land on the bed, but not before he'd cleared where Shego was.

Drakken had at least managed to prevent from falling onto her, but his knee landing between hers and his arms on either side of her wasn't any better. He had a flashback to the paintball game, where he'd looked down and realized the error of his calculation that resulted in pinning her. This time though, was very different. This happened while they had been laughing and goofing around. Childishly, he might add. There was no slow realization with how close they were this time. It was instant.

Get up!

It rang in his head, but he didn't move. He found himself analyzing the whole scene in rapid succession: still out of breath from their silent laughter and tug of war over a pillow; how close he was to her… The realization this wasn't a grassy battle field like the other time. There was no look of unease or panic, nor were their peers around them. He waited for the plasma blast or the glare.

They didn't come. Her shifting eyes seemed to be surveying the situation as he was, probably comparing it even. Which meant he had a few more seconds before she did plasma blast him or finished propelling him to where the pillow had intended him to land. He should have used that time to jump up, grab the pillow, and find his sleeping bag.

I should do that... I should be moving... The pillow is right there... She's going to get angry.

He made the decision to move, the conscious one to move with lightning-speed before he felt some sort of pain. That was what he had mentally agreed to do...but he didn't. He was still there.

Something shifted in her eyes and he felt her nails dig into his shoulder. He knew she was about to finish tossing him across the room. She didn't. Her nails dug tighter and pulled his shoulder with some light pressure. He didn't know why she tugged down instead of pushing his arm as warning. But he got it. He shifted his leg from hers and began to sit back.

Kiss her...

The thought slapped him out of his trance. He jumped up and grabbed his pillow and said nothing as he found his sleeping bag. Well he might have muttered an apology, he couldn't recall. His mind was spinning, screaming at him. Taunting him. He felt angry now as he held his pillow. This was why he'd chosen the floor.

There was something wrong with him. There had to be. He kept telling himself not to overstep. He could make lists and lists of all of the reasons to not think of Shego in that way ever again.

He'd had a crush on her in the beginning, and it had caused him to put her under mind control... He couldn't let those dark thoughts back. He needed to focus on their partnership. If he did that, he wouldn't have to face the reality of rejection that was bound to happen. He wouldn't subconsciously cross a line and send her packing again. He didn't know what to do without her anymore.

"Drakken." He jumped as her hand touched his shoulder from above on the bed.

"Good night, Shego," Drakken said sharply.

He couldn't look at her. Not until he got his thoughts under control. He might say something or egg on what he was trying to mentally pack away. If he focused hard enough on other things, it would do it all on its own. He would just have to avoid situations like this that opened the box again. He needed to remember the boundaries he kept vocalizing. Shego could poke buttons and make questionable comments all she wanted... But hers were out of platonic comfort. If he even hinted at anything but that...she'd be gone in an instant, partner or not.

He heard Shego muttering something, but he was tuning it out. He needed to focus on something other than her. Anything else. He closed his eyes and began forcing himself to imagine world domination, having the world literally at his feet. Maybe then…he could possibly be more in her eyes. He clamped his eyes shut harder.

Stop thinking about her... Stop before you mess this up just like everything else. She's your partner, your friend... That's it...that's all there will ever be. That's enough.


Let's All Be Thankful →