I do not own any Disney characters named herein and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only.
Kim Possible: Gifted
By LJ58
8
Kim stared at the two-story ranch house Shego finally pulled up in front of just after five.
They had stopped just after two to eat again, and again Kimberly acted like she had never had a simple burger or fries as she devoured the food as if starving, and expected never to eat again. She giggled like a child when she had a coke, and kept belching after gulping half the cold drink down. When she finally figured out the radio, she kept going through stations, but finally asked Shego to put the CD back on, favoring that southern rock to anything she had heard as yet.
After hours of driving, though, Shego stopped for directions after they reached Middleton, and went right to the Possible house which was apparently quite well known as the family was rather famous in the small town. Aside from James Possible being a known and respected rocket scientist, it seemed Ann Possible was an equally respected neurosurgeon. They now had two young sons, she learned from the talkative old man that gave them directions, and suggested they were too smart anyone's good.
Shutting the car off, Shego looked over at Kim, and saw her staring at the house with a longing that touched even Shego's heart.
"How do you want to do this, Kimmie? I can go up first, and explain, or….. We can just both go up….."
"Maybe… Maybe you better…..go first," Kim said, now looking as anxious as a frightened child as she looked at that door with such longing it made Shego sigh.
"All right. You keep your eye on me, Red. You see me gesture, you come on over. Okay?"
Kim stared at her.
"Do you really think….they'll like me," Kim asked desperately.
"Kimberly," she called her now. "I would bet money that they still love you. Now suck it up, girl. You didn't break out of a top secret lab, and come all this way to chicken out. Did you?"
Kim sighed.
"No. No, I'm just….worried…."
"I understand," she said and noted someone had opened the door to look out. "Unknowns are always scary. But I think we both know you have a lot more guts than you give yourself credit for just now. So, let me go see who's peeking out wondering who we are, and you watch for my signal. All right," she asked with a smile.
"Okay, Shego."
Shego climbed out of the car and headed for the door as it opened wider, and a shapely redhead with some of Kimmie's own features stood there frowning at her as Shego walked toward her. Clad in jeans, a dark green blouse, and a leather coat to hide her pistols, Shego knew she didn't look like the usual visitor the woman likely saw.
She put a smile on her face, and walked up to the woman, and nodded, saying, "Dr. Possible? I think I have a heck of a surprise for you and your family."
"And you are," the woman asked, glancing at her car, but likely not able to see much with her tinted windows.
"Call me Shego. I'm a professional troubleshooter."
"And why do you need to see us?"
"I was on a recent case when I realized someone had really played you, and your family," she told her bluntly. "I can explain the details later, but the short version is…..I found your daughter," Shego told her pointedly.
"My….daughter," the woman choked, looking miserable. "Listen….Miss Shego, I don't know what your game is here, but…."
Shego had turned and gestured at the car now, and the passenger door opened.
"Obviously, she's gone through a few changes. Rainbow comet radiation and all that, but she is Kimberly," Shego told her. "And she's been through a lot. Most of it bad. C'mon, Kimmie. It's okay," she waved again as the pale girl in the gray hoody just stared once she rounded the car, and stopped to stare at the older redhead in front of her.
"Ohmigod," Ann gasped, staring at the partially concealed face that still looked familiar to her. "K-Kimberly?"
"Mom," the slender girl rasped, a tremulous smile on her face.
"Oh, God, Kim," the woman rasped, and ran over to stare at her. She daringly shoved the hood back, framing her face with her hands as she studied the girl, and Kim cringed as she let Ann stare at her.
"I know…. I'm hideous," Kim said, looking ready to cry.
"Oh, no. No, baby. You're beautiful," Ann said and hugged her fiercely. "We thought you were dead. We thought you were dead," she cried as she hugged the girl in her arms, and didn't want to let go.
"Ann? What is it sweet….heart," the lean, wiry man with dark brown hair peered out now, looking to see what had drawn his wife.
"Family reunion, Dr. P," Shego nodded at the two hugging near her car. "I brought Kimmie home for you."
"K-K-Kimmie," he gasped, staring at the young girl as Ann only then turned, her eyes bright, tears flowing down her cheeks, and choked out, "Our baby's home," in a wail of relief. "She's not dead, James. She's not dead," she cried and turned back to hug Kim again.
Kim was crying by then, too, and James just stared at her, and then glared at Shego.
"So, let me get this straight. Our daughter lived, and someone….took her?"
"That's the short version. We can talk inside," Shego told him. "For now, I think Kimmie is worried you don't want her back."
James stared at the pale girl who was staring at him with a desperation he well understood. He walked over, and joined his wife, just staring at her, and then he slowly pulled her into his arms.
"Of course we do," he exclaimed. "Someone," he growled, "Is going to be pay," he said. "Welcome home, Kimberly. Welcome home," he said fiercely as he held out his arms to her.
"Daddy," she cried now and flung her arms around him in turn.
"Told you, Kimmie," Shego smiled as Ann rejoined the hug, and then the two led her toward the door without releasing her.
"We….obviously need to talk, Miss Shego," Ann told her. "Please, come inside," she said as they headed for the door.
"Just Shego, Dr. Possible," she said, following the family inside.
The home was typical suburban décor, and Shego found it was rather homey. She noted that there were a lot of pictures of a young redhead on the walls. There were pictures of the twins, who looked about twelve, too, but over the mantle of a faux fireplace was a large picture of a three-year-old grinning toothily at the camera.
Kimmie, Shego had to admit, had been a cute little brat.
"That…. That's me," Kim said, staring at that very picture.
"It is, sweetie. We took that just before…."
"The comet," Kim sighed and looked sad again.
"How about I let you guys talk a while, and then I'll come back in and fill in the blanks," Shego said. "You obviously have a lot of catching up to do," she suggested.
"Just….who are you," James asked.
"My friend," Kim told her father. "She helped me come home," she smiled at Shego.
"I told you that I try to keep my promises, Red. Now, you guys catch up and talk, and I'll give you some alone time. I'll be outside catching up on some business calls, and we'll chat about the details later."
"You won't leave," Kim asked uneasily.
"No, I'm just going to wait outside," Shego told her, heading back for the door. "I told you, Kimmie, I'm keeping you safe. Just like I said I would bring you home. So trust me," she winked. "I always keep my word."
Kim smiled from where she sat on a couch now, surrounded by both parents, and nodded.
"Okay. Thank you, Shego. Thank you so much," she said, and hugged her parents again, conscious of her strength since that was the first lesson she had learned in those first years.
"Sure, Kimmie. Just let me know when you're ready for the bad side of this story," she said grimly as she eyed the parents.
"I'm assuming this story doesn't have an end as yet," James asked somberly.
"Not yet, but I'm still working on it, Dr. P," she called him.
Kim only smiled and held to both her parents.
"So, I have brothers, too," she asked as Shego stepped outside.
~KP~
Shego sighed, leaning against the hood of her car as she pondered the beginning of an idea she had been toying with for the past few hundred miles. It was going to be one hell of a risk, but just then, it was all she had.
Either they bought the deal she was going to offer, or she painted a target on all their butts. Frankly, she was hoping they bought the deal. After all, their experts had had just over fourteen years to play their stupid games, and all they managed to do was set off the most dangerous teenager alive. Besides, as long as they thought she was still on the case, that also meant they still had to pay her. Win-Win, or so she felt.
If it worked.
If not, she and Kimmie were in hip deep, and they would be in serious trouble. Well, maybe not as serious as some of the crap she got into back during the Agency days, but still….pretty bad.
Finally pulling out her cell phone, she dialed a number and waited.
"Where are you," the man answered curtly, without preamble.
"You likely don't want to know," Shego snorted. "On the plus side, I've found our girl."
"Where? I can have a team ready to intercept…."
"You want her to kill more of your windup soldiers? Get real, old man. We both know who wins in that showdown. However, if you'll listen to me, I might just have a pretty damn clever idea now that's I've found her."
"What kind of idea," the general demanded as she heard the ire in his tone. Too bad for him her phone couldn't be traced. Not that he would need to after she said a few things.
"Okay, I met the girl. Talked a bit with her…."
"You talked…. You were supposed to neutralize, and bring her in," he growled.
"Yeah, about that. Thanks for all the detailed information that almost had my ass hanging out there, you old bastard," she snarled back. "Now, shut up, and listen."
To her surprise, the man listened.
"Go on," he finally grumbled.
"Right. I talked. I listened," she pointed out. "I think I've got the kid trusting me. And it took me about five seconds after I met her to guess what your lab rats and so-called experts were trying up there."
"That has nothing to do with…"
"And why they were all failing."
"All right. Why?"
"Because, you idiots were overlooking the fact you were dealing with a sullen toddler you never let grow up," she spat. "You never realized she didn't want power or the usual patriotic bull from you clowns. She wanted her mommy. Get it?"
"You aren't planning…?"
"She's having a very touching reunion with her parents right now. Trust me, it only helps the trust I'm building her, which is the heart of my idea."
"What….idea," the man all but growled again, sounding beyond furious.
"Real simple, soldier boy. You leave her here, in my custody, and we let her grow up a little. Only I hang around and show her a few things. By that I mean I show her how the real world works, and why she could be so important in helping….take care of things now and then. Get it? Because I can already guarantee you, if someone tries to drag her back now….there's going to be a serious body count."
"Your idea does have some….merit. Still, it's not just my decision."
"Then get on the horn, and let's get this thing going, GI Joe. Just remember, I still expect to be paid. I'm not risking my life out here for pennies. Or freebies. Got it?"
"As I said, I'll have to clear this with my superiors," he retorted. "Don't do anything else until I contact them."
"You might want to inform them the Possibles are probably going to be your best and likely only hope of socializing that walking death machine, too. Trust me, I saw her have a tantrum, which you likely heard about by now, and I'm guessing that was her not even trying. I don't think any of us want to push her. I sure as hell don't. I plan to live to retire," Shego told him curtly.
"When you say….socialize?"
"You know. Friends. Humanity. Giving her a real reason to stand up, and actually, fight for whatever when the time comes. Your experts overlooked a whole lot from what I put together. Frankly, you were building a WMD that would have taken us all out if you kept on. Not the best idea, GI Joe. So, we gonna do this, or what?"
"As I said. Give me time to contact my superiors."
"Chop chop," she quipped. "Clock is ticking here. Because if you only plan on going with your usual Plan A, for asinine, I don't plan on being here. In fact, I'd take it downright personal if you dropped one of those plans on me without warning. Got it, soldier boy," Shego growled herself.
"I'll contact my superiors now. Give me an hour."
"You have thirty minutes. Then I bail."
"Just….stay on post," the man swore, and hung up.
Shego grinned as she hung up, and slid her phone back into her pocket. Maybe her off-the-cuff idea had a chance. Either way, hopefully, he gave her a head's up before whatever was coming landed on them. Nothing like a bad reputation to make the morons second guess their usual treachery she mused as she leaned against her car, and eyed the neighborhood around her.
Nice, quiet, normal suburban landscape. The kind of place a little girl would love to grow up in, and make lots of friends. She'd probably go to school, make friends, and do silly stuff. Learn to tease boys. Figure out what she wanted to do with her life. She thought of her own upbringing, and couldn't imagine not having her family with her. Even if she had lost Henry because the trusting idiot was too trusting, she still had a damn solid family. She wouldn't change that for anything.
Only Kimmie had been robbed of all that. No family. No friends. No happy childhood. Just posers, researchers, and worse all wanting to turn her into something they wanted or needed. She couldn't imagine growing up like that. She'd want to kill everyone around her if she had been in Kim's place. She certainly wouldn't have held back.
Yet Kimmie still had something that made her feel guilty over what she had done. If that didn't speak to her humanity, Shego didn't know what else did. Only those clowns in power didn't want her humanity. They wanted their weapon. Their new toy. Too bad they weren't getting what they wanted. Not if she could help it. And if anyone knew her, they would realize that Shego's greatest joy in life was ensuring that some people just didn't get things their own way. It was her calling.
To Be Continued….