A/N: And we are back to Shego's POV.
Shego woke up with a start. She had been sleeping lightly these three nights because of sharing the bed with Drakken. Well, sharing the bed with anyone period which was a circumstance she did not usually find herself in. One-night stands were one thing, but she never staid or allowed anybody else to. What possessed her to suggest for them to sleep together? She was not going to deny mere curiosity about the whole situation. Will he? Won't he? Well, so far Drakken remained a perfect gentleman, well, more of a dead log really, so what made her wake up? She touched something… but she was still turned away from her bed companion…
It was hard to see in the weak predawn light, but when Shego rubbed her eyes open, she was shocked to find herself surrounded by flowers. Huge flowers of various colors. Upon closer examination, she discovered that the flowers' source were the vines that made somewhat of a nest around them. What in the world? She climbed out of bed mindful of the blooms and opened the curtains fully. The view was indeed out of this world. She has never seen so many wild flowers in one place. Shego never understood the science behind the flowers' coloring. Shouldn't they be one color since it is one plant? She took the clippers from Drakken's nightstand to cut off the thick vines coming from his back so he won't be crashed or could move or whatever, but she almost broke the tool since she couldn't even scratch the vines. What was that about?
Shego climbed onto the bed again and attempted to shake Drakken awake. Which required her to touch his shoulder. Or any body part which was currently not covered with clothes. Three days prior Drakken asked if she was comfortable with him sleeping shirtless since he was much comfortable like that nowadays. She refused to admit that she was in any way moved. So Drakken had a good body, so what? A lot of men had one. So why was Shego reluctant to touch her fake boyfriend? So what if that was skin to skin? She held his hand without a problem, right? And it was he who had adversity to being touched. So why the Hell was she so awkward about simply shaking him awake? Was it because of him touching her shoulder earlier? It was such a gentle caress that she found herself petrified unable to utter a single word or even think. The gesture shocked her more than the questions about Kim Possible. Well, about her… Or was it about her past? Why did he even think about such things? Because he 'cared about her'?
Shego never thought about Drakken's past. Well, he constantly told her about it anyway, but she did not register much of it. She didn't want to dwell on her past, she wanted to be in the present, to go with the flow, which she did. Until he asked her about her fights with Kimmie. Which she enjoyed. Princess was the only one who could keep up with her. So what if she was a familiar face? What did Drakken want her to do? Reconnect to spar on the weekends?
Okay, she went off topic here. She just needed him to wake up and she didn't need to touch him for that.
"Drakken! Wake up!"
"Wha-a-a-at?.."
"Wake up! Your vines went crazy!"
Shego watched as her boss/boyfriend rubbed the sleep out of his eyes the same way she did just minutes before. She found the detail endearing for some reason.
"Oh…" he finally said, observing the flowers. "That never happened before."
"So what's going on?"
"I am not sure, but I suppose this is a manifestation of… my happiness?"
Shego didn't know how to react to that explanation. Particularly since Drakken easily clipped the vines off. The same vines that were hard as stone when she tried to cut them off. They indeed shared consciousness. Wait… "So what made you happy exactly? Selling the hover car? We won't get a dime of that money."
"Your plan succeeded. Both Chen and Ramesh were salivating at your feet. And they retracted their opinion of me being just a fool. To a degree. My scientific genius was not exactly demonstrated, but who needs that when I have such lady on my arm?"
"And that's enough for you to be happy? Only having me on your arm?" Why was she even going there?! She was averted to simply touching him only moments before! Shego didn't tell D, but she overheard some interesting conversation while at the restroom. Some of the women there found him 'delectable' and wondered how he looked so fit for his age. They were all obviously intrigued how good he was in bed. At that moment, Shego decided it was time to enter the scene via leaving the stall and retouch her lipstick. She did just that by informing the gathered ladies that his vines had quite interesting applications in the bedroom. The looks on those faces! The green monster paled in comparison! At that moment Shego felt like a queen. Was it the same for Drakken? Still… all this months' long work and the guy didn't even get laid with all that pretend girlfriend business. It would hardly be enjoyable since he is quite rusty, but well… Shego was still intrigued. But how to broach the subject? Did she have to actually seduce him? Now why did that sound familiar?
"I am sure there is an underlining meaning in that question, but I do not get it."
"You are not paying me to be here. I am… wanting… and willing…" Shego crawled on the bed towards Drakken, coming face to face with him, sure that she was making her point across. And with his eyes getting astronomically huge, not to mention the blown-up irises, she most definitely was.
"No."
Shego flopped ungracefully on her arse. It was a clear downgrade from the seductive crawl. "What?!"
"We are not going to- Just no. We don't know how your brain will react-"
"But we can experiment when we return to a controlled environment?" What was wrong with her?! Why was she pushing for it so hard?
"And what will it be exactly? Employment with benefits? I am old, Shego, so I am old-fashioned. I can't just-" And then Drakken proceeded to rope up the vines like it was the most important task in the world.
Shego just sat there, staring at the flowers disappearing into the roll. The whole thing was ridiculous! Drakken hadn't had sex in twenty years and she was presenting herself on a silver platter and he rejects her?! She has never been rejected by a guy before. Never. What was wrong with him? What was wrong with her? Maybe Adrian was right and something was wrong with her. No! Such thoughts don't lead anywhere. She was a beautiful, independent woman, moreover sexy as Hell. She only had to wink at a man and he was at her feet so why Drakken's rejection felt like somebody's twisting a knife in her gut?
They packed their things, including additional five boxes for the vines, and were on the first flight out. The security guys from the lab picked them at the airport. Neither Shego nor Drakken said a word during the flight.
"Thank you for everything you've done this weekend, Shego. I am sorry if I offended you."
Shego didn't know how to react or what to think anymore. They were back and that meant considerably less interaction. Actually, Shego didn't need to interact with Drakken at all. It was all over. Whatever he thought about her or not, whatever she thought… Nothing mattered anymore. It was over.
…
A week passed. Passed in patrol schedules and security system updates and actually getting to know the security guys, whom Shego generally just passed in the halls and didn't even know by name. And yet… she was ready to climb the walls. Quite literally with only her claws for grip. She avoided the Sun room and breakfasts (well, cafeteria in general), she didn't go to any of the labs where the activities continued at their usual crazy tempo. Shego did everything not to cross paths with Drakken and he was still driving her crazy since she… missed him. His voice, lame jokes, the stink of the tub for Drakkenia, the kisses that made her faint… What was happening to her? It wasn't real. It was just a narrative, a story they came up with to deceive, to make them look… normal? But neither were. Shego was a superhuman and Drakken was a human-plant hybrid who will soon be greener than her.
On the eighth day after their return from the reunion, Shego waltzed into the Sun room like she was not absent for the last seven mornings. She needed him, dammit. She didn't know why, but she needed him.
….
"Why don't you come to the lab anymore, Miss Shego?"
"Sheesh, Leila, don't just come up to me like that. I could've blasted you to the other end of the corridor. Which would've surely resulted in broken bones."
"Sorry. So?"
"So what?"
"Why don't you visit? Why is there no more Shego's time?"
"You seriously think that it is normal to write something like this into a personal calendar?"
The young researcher made a couple of clicks on her phone and showed Shego the screen. On it was depicted Leila's calendar for the current week. It was full of various tasks – color-coded of course – and in-between there were red rectangles marked 'Andrew's time'. So yeah, it was completely normal for Leila to date on schedule.
"The answer is still the same – it is none of your business."
"It is when Doctor Drakken is distracted and is making mistakes and our work suffers for it."
Shego understood what Leila wasn't saying – mistakes in a high-tech lab led to accidents and those led to injuries or worse. That's why Shego broke her silence the next morning during her tanning session to berate her employer (since he insisted on referring to himself as such) about him endangering his kids because his head was not fully in the game for some reason. Drakken's only reaction was to smile – not the creepy smile, but just a general toothy one. Could she even name it a happy one?
…
Shego didn't even notice how her birthday rolled around. And she was reminded of it by a surprise party at the karaoke room on one of the Fridays. She was so floored by the congratulations and food and drinks. There were even some symbolic presents. Why would complete strangers do something like that for her and how did they even know? Well, the answer to the second question was an easy one – Drakken was the only one who knew, but why would he?
Among the presents was one small box wrapped in black paper with a green bow. For some reason, Shego wanted to open it first. So she did, because it was her birthday and she could do whatever she wanted. The box contained a pair of unusually looking keys. It would've been natural to ask around what the keys were for, but Shego knew even without the card what those keys ignited. They weren't even talking, but he still delivered as promised.
Shego looked around to find her generous benefactor, but saw only laughing, and let's be frank, tipsy partying people with no blue one among them. She headed towards the garage in hopes if not to find the gifter than at least to see the real gift. And there it was… a brand-new freaking hover car. There was even a manual at the front seat. How did Drakken manage such a fit in what? A month? Paul must've helped him, but the young nerd didn't have any reaction when she showed him the keys at the party. Shego tossed the manual to the back –because who actually needed those? – and jumped behind the wheel like a giddy school getting her first car. She turned on the ignition and… turned it off again. Did she want to take her new toy out for a spin? Of course. But to do it alone? What was the fun in that?
…..
The next morning Shego continued the tradition of silence during the Sun session even if she really wanted to break it. She had a distant impression that Drakken wanted it too by the coming and going of tension in his shoulders. Shoulders that were completely green as was his whole torso and arms. During the party Shego noticed that he was wearing gloves. That brought up some memories. So he was going to hide it until the greenery spreads onto his face? Why not just tell everybody about the side effect? It isn't like his skin color was normal previously… Blue or green, what does it matter?
Shego opened her mouth to express her thanks for her unexpected birthday present, but the Drakken's lamp shut down announcing the end of the session. Damn, she was missing her chance!
"I have something else to give you. If you have time…"
The hesitant whine in the end was so familiar that Shego almost smiled from nostalgia. Almost. She smirked instead. Although to ask her about free time was ridiculous at best. He was the one practically living in the lab. Or was it labs now?
"Yeah, I have time after dinner."
"Come to my room at nine then."
Shego decided to tan a little longer after Drakken left. When she neared her bathrobe after, she was shocked to see a wreath like arrangement of blue and green flowers on it. What was that supposed to mean?
The question she did not find the answer to despite thinking about it for the whole day. It was obvious where the flowers came from, but why did he bother leaving them? Was it just another birthday gift? So why couldn't Drakken give it earlier? If everybody thought they were dating, there was no problem with him giving her flowers- Wait just a second there… No, just no. There was no chance. And Shego was going to his quarters relatively late at night out of pure curiosity. Nothing else.
Shego came on time and was invited to enter after knocking at the door. The room she entered didn't change from the last time she was here, although why should it? Did she expect anything different? Candle light maybe? Yep, she was certifiably insane.
"This was the original present, but then you made me sell the hover car and wanted a new one- Well, I decided to still give it to you this time and not wait until Christmas."
Without much more of an explanation a box was shoved at Shego, which she had no choice but to open. Inside the box was a black… garment. Shego cautiously took it out after placing the box on the floor. It looked like a skintight battle-suit. It was black but for the green ring lines around the shoulders and hips. The box also contained a mask with filters and an attachable hood to completely cover her head. Shego noticed that there were touchscreens on the gloves which implied microchips and other high-tech stuff, but she was more interested in the material. It was rough but extremely stretchable. Shego was sure that it would fit perfectly no matter the figure. She touched Drakken's bulletproof vest and the texture was similar, but something was off.
"So what is it? Some kind of prototype? You want me to test it?"
"No… This is just for you. There is enough material to make two more, but that will be it. If you want to have changes in the design etc., just tell me and they will be incorporated into the other two. Whatever you choose to do with your life, at least you will be protected. It is not a nanosuit like Possible had but it's pretty close. It cannot repair itself, but it is almost indestructible so if you do not find yourself amidst a nuclear blast, you don't have to worry about a tier."
"You sure about that? What about a point-blank gunshot? Can it repel it?"
"Yeah. There will be bruising, but otherwise you will be safe."
Shego examined the suit again. However she looked at it, she saw something that was created especially for her. Not to destroy or save the world, but to protect her and nobody else. Which was touching. "So-o-o-o… what's its name?"
"It doesn't have one. You can name it however you want, Shego."
"But you had to write something on the patent."
"It's not patented. There will be not more than three of those in existence, so I don't see the point."
"And what's up with the limited edition?"
"They are made from a very exclusive material."
And then it clicked. "They are made from your vines?!"
"Majorly yes, other substances were added for special procession. I can give you the break down if you want… Moreover, I doubt anyone but you can wear those since they are pretty radioactive… Maybe your brothers… Should I make suits for them too? They are in a very dangerous profession-"
"Are you insane?! Send them the vests if you are worried so much for their well-being even if I have no idea why you should even bother! Don't you even think about making more of these! I seriously doubt the brain switch now. Why do you care so fucking much?!"
"You don't want me to, Shego dear?"
At that Shego simply stormed out, grabbing the box more as an afterthought than with conscious intention. It took a couple of hours for Shego to calm down even if exact reason for her anger was not clear. It was just a simple suit, okay not a simple one. She put it on just to check it out and it indeed fit perfectly. It was unique just like her. Wasn't it what she always wanted? To be treated as an individual? Apart from her brothers and still with consideration to her powers? Drakken did just that: he gave her freedom of choice, he didn't care how she will use her powers, he just wanted her to be safe. So what was she being a bitch about?
Because Drakken saw her weakness? Saw how jealous she was of Kim Possible? Jealous that the girl-wonder had a loving family and friends, that she had a proper boyfriend (even if he was a buffoon, but he clearly loved her, worshipped more like), that she always won, that people cared about her… And Shego wanted to destroy it all, wanted so hard because she never had all that… and then she didn't, since her world was almost destroyed instead when she saw the yellow beam take Drakken away.
What was going on with her? Since when had her life become so confusing? Why conquering the world was so much easier?
….
Shego gave up analyzing her life or her mind. She was no scientist so she had no business overthinking things. So she enjoyed her no sarcastic conversations with Drakken in the mornings. So it was fun to watch him while he was bossing around the nerd squad and saying words she had absolutely no understanding of. So she actually found plain white lab coat sexy since it hugged his shoulders just so. So what of it? It was no crime. And if it was, Shego did not care, but that's beside the point. Shego had no qualm of indulging herself with whatever she wished for, so yeah. Yes, there was no specific Shego's time, but she was around. Just being there without any specific purpose.
And Shego was just enjoying her time, so she almost forgot that it was Drakken's birthday. She was almost violently reminded of it, when the kids accosted her on the matter what to gift him. Shego leveled them with a glare 'sucking up to the boss much?' to which she received a glare in return 'so what?' with which Shego could not argue.
Shego was the obvious choice to know personal intel about the boss (Drakken's official title was head researcher, but Shego was a person of habit, sue her), but she didn't have any concrete suggestions. Her and Drakken's birthday celebrations were a bit out there. She demanded expensive gifts and he usually wanted a day she was not mean to him which was the greatest challenge of the year. So her suggestion was a karaoke party which was instantly approved. The only problem – what was Shego supposed to gift the guy who gave her not only one but two unique inventions as presents?
She decided on something unique as well – complete humiliation. She wrestled up the courage to sing. What was worse, she asked the birthday boy to sing a duet with her. When she pointed out what song they would be performing, Drakken asked if she was sure. She was, so they performed the duet and received a standing ovation even if they butchered the vocals quite a lot. Well, amateurs shouldn't risk singing anything from Wicked. They bowed with theatrical exaggeration just like Drakken liked it, but just before he rose Shego noticed tears at the corners of his eyes. Why would that song make Drakken cry? It did have several meanings, although their audience must be thinking that 'I have been changed for good' in their case meant their turn from villainy, but that was not what Shego was going for. Even still it was mostly a positive song, why was he crying all of a sudden? Overemotional again? It was Drakken, so he could just be overwhelmed by singing together. Right?