Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from Kim Possible are all owned by Disney the great and powerful. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

The Amazing Race builds in rest days. They aren't usually shown in broadcasts, but it looks bad if competitors die of exhaustion. I haven't seen how many are built in the schedule, it may vary from season to season. But salaries for all the crew still have to be paid, even if no racing is done, so I suspect rest days are kept to a minimum.

Pillow Talk

After the no-rest leg the teams had all been grateful to learn this would, indeed, be a rest day. Kim had wanted desperately to talk with Shego after the events of the day. Shego had wanted even more desperately to not talk about the events of the day before. Kim might have had the patience to wear Shego down, but the exhaustion both women felt had been in Shego's favor and they slept for hours.

Shego awoke first. Her sleep had been filled with nightmares from the past, and she needed more rest. The arms around her felt good, as did the warm presence of another person pressed up against her back. It took the green woman a second to remember who was in bed with her. The internal debate began immediately. She didn't want anyone, especially Kim, to see her as weak. It felt good to have someone holding her close. Shego shifted slightly in bed, wondering if it would wake Kim up. Did she want Kim to wake up? Did she want Kim to leave? Did she want Kim to talk? She knew Kim would demand to talk. Would it be better to just try and fall back asleep with Kim holding her? Shego's bladder, insisting that the thief needed a fast trip to the toilet, represented a high priority before she'd be allowed the chance of going back to sleep.

"Wha..." a sleepy Kim murmured.

"Gotta pee. You, ah, can, ah, go back to your own room – if you want."

"I want to talk."

"I want to sleep."

"Did you sleep okay last night?"

"I... Look, I gotta pee."

"Dibs on the bathroom when you're out."

"You could go back to your own room."

"I said we need to talk."

"I said I needed more sleep."

"Sleep first, then talk."

Shego nodded agreement. She still didn't want to talk, but feared the only reason she'd been able to sleep at all was because Kim held her. She might no want Kim to stay, but feared she needed Kim to stay. There was also a chance Kim might argue. Shego didn't need an argument at the moment, she needed more sleep – after a trip to the bathroom.

As Kim returned from her visit to the bathroom she briefly considered asking Shego to hold her. "Better not," was her answer to herself. She crawled back into bed and Shego snuggled back against her as Kim wrapped her arms back around the older woman. "I wonder who was eliminated?" the redhead wondered aloud.

"Do you really care?"

"Not really. Just making conversation."

"A very bad habit, Pumpkin. Try to break it." There was a moment of silence, then Shego whispered, "Thanks."

"You're welcome... Thanks for what?"

"I dunno... Caring, I guess. Not sure I could have slept at all."

"Glad to help," Kim said and hugged Shego a little tighter.

A couple hours later Shego yawned and stretched, waking Kim. "Sleep better?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah. Thanks. Breakfast?"

"Later. Talk first."

"What's there to talk about?"

"You know. Yesterday. What's up, I mean really? You always... I always felt like you weren't afraid of anything."

Shego knew exactly what Kim wanted to discuss. "And I still don't want to talk about it."

"Maybe it will help."

"Maybe it won't."

"Only one way to find out. Let's talk."

"You're still annoying."

"Thanks. Now, if I can play doctor for a minute, I think you're exhibiting a phobia, a morbid fear. Okay, I kinda feel some level of fear is appropriate... Ron and I fought this insect guy one time and—"

Shego suddenly seemed intensely interested. "Insect guy? What insect guy?" she demanded.

"We're not here to talk about me."

"And I don't give a rat's ass for you and Ron, I... Sorry. I... Thanks again. No, I need to hear about your insect guy."

Kim wondered if this had something to do with Shego's fear. "Tell me your story first."

"No, I need to—"

Kim raised an eyebrow and leered, "You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine. But you first, I'll tell you my story after I hear yours."

"Why do I have to go first?" Shego pouted.

"'Cause you can trust me," Kim reminded her. "What are the chances I tell you about this guy Ron and I tackled and then you clam up on me?"

Shego chewed her lower lip for a second. "Okay, I trust you." The green woman paused for a minute, wondering where to start. She finally took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Once upon a time—"

"Once upon a time? Seriously?"

"I'm telling the story, Cupcake, remember?"

"Sorry."

"Once upon a time there was a less than noble band of heroes. The oldest brother was an idiot, the next brother was a egotist, and the younger brothers were childish. Fortunately their sister had all the smarts."

"Or thought she did."

Shego shrugged, "Maybe. She was captured by Doctor Bug. His bug juice... I'm not sure what it was, some extract of venom from something. The sister woke up, wrapped in chains in a dark basement... Couldn't see a thing... Things were crawling, slithering over... Hours... It was more than a day before Mego found me. I thought I was going to go insane. I... I've never been... I had to leave Team Go."

"You had to leave Team Go over it?"

"Think about it, Princess. Bad guys find out if they have throw a rubber spider at me I'll run screaming. Hego tells me that in the old comic books kryptonite was rare stuff, until they started having tons of the stuff on earth. Rubber spiders are every toy store in—"

"Did you see a therapist?"

"Do heroes see therapists?"

"They should, if they need to."

"You ever see one?"

"Yeah, actually."

"What about?"

"And this conversation is about your fear of insects, not breakfast, or Drakken, or Ron, or how I felt holding you last night."

"Wait, what—"

Kim blushed, "Back to you. Never saw a therapist? Why did you have to leave Team Go?"

"Duh, weren't you listening? I was useless as a hero. I was damn lucky you never found out about... about... I still don't want to talk about it."

Kim wasn't sure, but thought she might see tears in Shego's eyes. The redhead didn't want the conversation to end. "You didn't need to become a villain."

"Yes I did. I needed to prove I was still tough! I needed to be in control!"

"You didn't need to become a villain!"

There was a note of anger in Shego's response. "I didn't try to become a villain! It just... I had to do something to prove I was still strong... Only, it was... And then Hego threw me off the team. I did some crimes, okay? I admit it. They were small, but you kinda can't go back once you're headed in that direction... I think Brother Idiot Head told you I just started liking evil?"

"He said that."

"More like it was a revolving door and I couldn't get out. And that's how I eventually ended up with Drakken."

"So, you try to prove you're still tough after this Doctor Bug and end up in prison?"

"Okay, maybe things didn't work out exactly the way I planned. Enough about me. You promised to tell me about your bug guy."

"I want to hear more about—"

"Tough. You promised."

"Okay, and I don't need to start a story with once upon a time—"

"So you start a story by saying you don't know how to start a story?"

"And, to paraphrase you, you want to hear this or not?" Shego closed her mouth firmly and Kim continued. "There was this guy, Chester Yapsby, and—"

"Chester Yapsby? We never got the name for Doctor Bug. I'm going to look up this—"

"He's in prison... I think. And I don't think he- He'd been a lab assistant to a Doctor Acari, this inventor, and stole an invention called a roflax, and made giant cockroaches."

"Giant? How giant?"

"Ten, twelve feet tall."

Shego grimaced, "Don't think I want to look him up."

"What I'm saying is, he was probably working for Doctor Acari when you were fighting your bug guy, so he's probably not the same man."

"How about your Acari?"

"Just an inventor with too much time on his hands."

"Doctor Bug had some big things—"

"Ten or twelve feet tall?"

"Okay, maybe not that... Describe your Acari."

"Hmmm... Short, old, white-haired, a little—"

"Okay, not Doctor Bug. But I still want to talk with him."

"Just talk, right? Not anything that will get you back in prison?"

"Just talk. He isn't my villain, but I want to know why he came up with the idea giant cockroaches made any sense."

"I don't think that was Acari's idea. I think Yapsby said to himself, 'Hey, I bet people would run screaming from a giant cockroach'."

"True. Breakfast?"

"I'd like to talk more."

"Tough. Or talk to yourself. I'm eating breakfast."

Ron was finishing his second breakfast when Kim and Shego came in. He came over and sat with them, "You know, on a rest day you don't have to stay within twenty feet of your partner."

Kim giggled, "We slept together last night."

Ron raised an eyebrow, "You slept together?"

"Hey—" protested Shego.

"I wanted a warm pillow."

Shego pointed out, "It's hot enough here you don't need a damn—"

Ron grinned, "So, you figured she was too tired to punch you?"

"Pretty much."

"You told her?"

"Told me what?" Shego demanded.

Kim ignored Shego. "No. Well, not really... Maybe sorta. Hey, yesterday was stressful. We were both at the end of our ropes! It was just relaxing to—"

Ron held up a hand to silence Kim, "I have not, nor will I ever sleep with Monkey Fist."

"But if it was Tara?"

Ron chuckled, "Don't know that we'd do any sleeping."

"Who's Tara?" asked Shego.

"Did you hear who got eliminated?" Kim wanted to know.

"Mego and Aviarius. I hear it was a real mess, but haven't got any details. Hey, which of you got to eat the scorpions?"

"Shego did," Kim answered quickly, hoping to change the subject. "We tossed a coin, she lost. How about you and Fist?"

"He volunteered. He claims they're pretty good. I may go back there this afternoon and try one. Want to come?"

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"Hey, catch you later. I'm going back for another breakfast."

"Save room for the scorpions," Kim called as Ron left.

Shego gave a little sigh of satisfaction as she finished breakfast. "Back for a nap."

"Need me to come with you?"

"I don't need anybody."

Kim raised one eyebrow and gave Shego a skeptical look. "I could force myself on you, again. But of course I might feel even happier if you tell me you want me to come with you."

"Damn it, Princess, why are you doing this to me?"

"'Cause yesterday was hard on you. I think you need to talk with someone. I think I'm one of the few people you're willing to talk with and—"

"You think way too much of yourself."

"And you don't?"

"Okay, you can come with me... But I want the dirt on you and Doofus. Why did you... Who's Tara? It sounds like he's banging her."

"Do you need to be crude?"

"It's always been in my job description."

"Well, take it out of your next contract."

Back in Shego's room the two got in bed. Shego appeared to think they should lie on their backs and stare at the ceiling. Kim had other ideas. "Hold me."

"No."

"C'mon, I held you while you told me about... I'm sorry. I didn't know what you'd gone through."

"Would you have taken advantage of me if you'd known?"

Kim chewed her lower lip nervously for a moment. "Maybe. I wouldn't have known how much it hurt you to—"

"That conversation is over. You and Ron. Now."

Kim rolled to her side, "Hold me first," the redhead ordered, asking Shego to spoon her.

Shego grunted in irritation, but rolled on her side and held Kim.

"Ron's still my best friend in the world," Kim insisted.

"So, why's he banging Tara?"

"I asked you to not be so crude."

"Just staying in practice."

There was a moment of silence. "Shego?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember an early fight we had, one where I was in a dress in disguise and you saw through it?"

"Umm, I think so. One of those standard fights where I had the ambiguous victory?"

"I think I usually had the ambiguous victory. Not the point... During the fight we were rolling around and you were on top and you looked down at me for a second and you hesitated... You looked down at me, underneath you. Your leg was between my legs and... And you hesitated and stared at me, and... And I thought you wanted to kiss me."

"You what?"

"You looked like you wanted to kiss me!"

"You're crazy."

"I'm just saying how I felt right then."

"No way in hell!"

"And I suddenly wondered what I would do if you tried to kiss me."

"To repeat, you're crazy. You were what, sixteen? Fifteen? No way in hell would I—"

"I just turned twenty-two."

"You're saying you... Me? One last time, you're crazy. Do you remember those times I tried to kill you?"

"Yeah, and all the times you saved my life. And mostly I remember your eyes, staring into mine, and me suddenly wondering what I'd do if you tried to kiss me."

"And this is why you and Ron broke up?"

"Not you. You're not the reason. And Ron and I didn't break up. We moved in different directions. Well, I did, I guess. Mom and dad, everyone at school... I mean when you're a girl everyone tells you you're going to find your Prince Charming and settle down, right? Didn't you have that?"

"Yeah, everyone says it like they say the sun will rise in the east."

"And the sun does rise in the east. But it isn't what every girl really wants. In college I found... I had this girl on the swimming team who... Well, anyway. Ron is happier now. Do you remember that time I lost my memory for awhile?"

"I remember one time."

"The time where Ron tried to tell me that he was my boyfriend and I didn't believe him?"

"I don't know what conversations you had with Ron during the memory thing."

"Well, I didn't believe him. Maybe that should have been the clue for me. It was in college when I put it together."

"So... Do you and Stoppable still do the hero thing?"

"No, we're retired... Like Die Fledermaus, but younger. I think Ron only did it 'cause he's my friend. I stopped after our last fight."

Shego frowned, "After our last fight?"

"You saved my life, again, and I punched you. I turned you over to the police and you went to prison. You saved my life, and I put you in prison!"

"I think you can give the credit to judge and jury for the sentence. And Drakken was on crackpot scheme number seven thousand and twelve at the moment."

"Didn't change the way I felt. Anyway, I'm starting law school this fall. I felt so guilty. I really, really didn't want you as a partner on this. I was afraid you hated me."

"You mean, more than usual?"

"You don't hate me, or you wouldn't have saved my life!"

"Maybe I didn't want a murder rap!"

"Don't want to admit you found a fifteen year old attractive?"

"You were a cute kid. Doesn't mean I was attracted."

Kim gave a bright smile, "So, you admit I was a cute kid?"

"And annoying. You're still annoying. You got over the cute."

"And I got over being a kid. Twenty-two now. And here we are in bed together, your arms around me."

Shego quickly disentangled her arms from Kim and rolled over so her back was to the younger woman. The redhead rolled and spooned Shego. The green woman considered telling Kim to go back to her own room, but at the moment a nap seemed more important than a fight. "So, uh, you and Stoppable... You realized you... And Tara is... his girlfriend?"

"Yep. And they're perfect for each other. She's a much better fit for him than I could have ever been. She loves him the way he is, and I was always trying to change him.

"And the fact you're in bed with me, now," Shego hesitated, "should I feel nervous?"

Kim grinned, which Shego of course could not see, and leaned forward to nuzzle the older woman's ear with her nose. "I dunno, you want to feel nervous?"

"NO!" Shego blurted out, a little faster and louder than necessary.

"Then let's just relax. No pressure."

"Anytime someone tells me no pressure, there's really pressure. Are you thinking about me?"

"Of course I'm thinking about you! We're partners in this race, remember?"

"I mean, thinking about me in any other way?"

Shego thought she could feel the woman behind her shrug. "I dunno. You're attractive. You know me... Sometimes people get nervous around me. People get nervous around you?"

"Hello? Green and wanted criminal."

"Green and pardoned criminal."

"I bet they still cringe when I walk in a room."

"Do you want them to cringe?"

"No, not really. Maybe once I did. Now I just want to be normal. Not that it's going to happen."

"Well, I may not be green, but people still treat me weird. Kim Possible, girl hero. Even if I'm no longer a girl or a hero."

"Yet, here you are on the hero side."

"On a reality show. I wasn't ask to parachute in to stop a nut with nukes. I'm just playing the part on television."

Shego chuckled, "Hego told me, 'Once a hero, always a hero'."

"Are you applying that to me, 'Cause it implies you're still a hero?"

"I'm saying Hego is an idiot and was wrong about me."

"What does it mean about me... Us?" There were a couple minutes of uncomfortable silence before Kim asked softly, "Shego?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think we could be friends?"

"You think I let strangers crawl into bed with me and hold me?"

"I mean seriously. I've hurt you. You've saved my life and part of me feels like I betrayed you."

"Get over it, Pumpkin. You've pulled my ass from the fire too. We're even."

"But I was supposed to! You didn't– You weren't expected to save me."

"Maybe I pulled your ass out of the fire just to piss off Drakken."

"Or maybe you like my rear?"

"Get some sleep, Cupcake. Bank any shuteye you can. This race ain't over yet."