A New Beginning

Stage 3

Drakken was walking back to his lair carrying his cocoa moo from the convenience store that was a short walk from his first lair. He was passing a small alley when he heard what sounded like a girl crying. Curious he turned down it and found what looked like a raven haired girl leaning back against a wall next to a dumpster crying.

"Shego?" Drakken asked shocked at seeing one of Go city's famous heroes looking like she was ran over by a dump truck.

"Go away!" Shego growled igniting a fist and shaking it at the blue man but the wince of pain on her face was easily noticeable.

"What happened?" Drakken asked as Shego climbed to her feet but feel back down when she tried to put to much weight on her left ankle.

"What do you care, my own brother doesn't even give a damn." Shego sniffed, "Today was my sixteenth birthday, my sweet sixteen and they didn't even remember! No, Avarius was more important that me! Hego even let his goons beat the heel out of me since it distracted them from bird brain! I hate them. I HATE THEM ALL!"

Drakken looked sadly at the sobbing girl sadly before discarding his cocoa moo and picked the girl up bridal style.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shego demanded.

"Taking you back to my lair so I can check on you." Drakken stated simply straining under her weight. He was a scientist, he wasn't used to carrying a person but he did as he headed back to his home.

"Put me down." Shego demanded.

"Sorry, can't do that." Drakken said with a smirk. Shego crossed her arms and growled lightly glaring at him but made no moves to fight him. Drakken got her back to the lair and patched her up as best as he could as she had several cracked ribs, a sprained ankle, severe bruising and a cracked lip. He let her have a guest room, actually glad that he included them in the lair's plans where she slept.

He wasn't too sure how to deal with a teenager but he stayed up late going out and stealing some things and buying a few others and set up the main room of the lair with all kinds of party decorations and a huge sweet sixteen cake that actually had Shego's name on it with a small plastic figure of her and a picture of Go tower on it. He wasn't too sure what to get on the cake and that was the best he could do on such short notice.

He was actually angry at the other members of Team Go. He himself was a villain but he never forgot a member of his family's birthday and never would. He would never treat them as a tool which he didn't understand. He was a bad guy while they were good guys yet he seemed to have better morals than them.

He must have lost track of time as he heard a gasp behind him making him turn around to see Shego standing there with a shocked expression on her face before glomping him tightly.

"Sorry it's a day late but happy birthday, Shego." Drakken said scratching the back of his neck nervously and patting her shoulder.

Drakken shook his head clearing it from his memories, Shego had always been cynical and aggressive but she would sometimes show moments of vulnerability like that night when he first meet her personally. When he found out that she refused to go back, that she quit Team Go he decided to look after her as if she was a daughter. He never regretted anything except for the whole Little Diablo incident, he treated Shego kind of badly during that but she had forgiven him which did relieve him. Much as he would never admit it to any but Shego, he thought of her as a daughter.

Strangely Shego was only eighteen herself, the meteorite having a side affect of increasing her maturation for a short time making her look older than she was. He had a theory that it had something to do with her plasma abilities taking that time period to make changes to her body to be able to safely use it. It had even given her super strength and increased healing abilities.

Sighing he remembered how banged up Kimmie looked and couldn't help comparing her with how badly hurt Shego seemed when he met her. As much as he kept saying he hated Kim and wanted her gone seeing the redhead like that really bothered him. Now he was on route to where Shego was staying by her 'Pumpkin's' bedside waiting for her to wake up. He had a tray in hand with three mugs of warm cocoa moo for Shego and himself and an extra for Kim if she woke up.

"Where am I?" Drakken heard Kim's weak voice drift through the door as he reached it before strengthening and growling, "SHEGO!"

"Aw, you're awake." Drakken said with a warm smile entering the room, "Warm cocoa moo?

"Drakken!" Kim gasped clutching at the her stomach through the oversized button up green shirt Shego had let her wear so the restrictiveness of the clothes the girl was in wouldn't aggravate any injuries. Her expression changed to confusion as she looked at cups of steaming beverages he held. "Cocoa moo?"

"Hot cocoa." Shego said smirking, taking two of the mugs shoving one of them in the red head's hands. "For some odd reason he calls that and chocolate milk that."

"What did you put in it?" Kim asked skeptically. Shego rolled her eyes and changed cups, taking a sip of it. "Nothing Princess."

"What the heck am I wearing?" Kim asked blushing realizing that the green shirt was all she had on except for her underwear, some bandages and blankets covering her legs as she sat up a little more with a painful grimace.

"Your mission clothes would have aggravated your wounds." Shego explained.

"You saved me, didn't you?" Kim asked in shock.

"Well doy, Princess." Shego smirked, "If anyone is going to be kicking that cute little ass of yours its going to be me."

"Cute?" Kim asked in shock.

Drakken smiled as he saw Shego blushing a little, he was no fool. He knew that Shego liked the redhaired girl though why was beyond him. He was actually jealous, he didn't want to lose Shego by her falling for someone and leaving him alone. He really did think of her as his daughter and any father would worry about there daughter like this.

"It was just an expression." Shego said trying to cover it up, "Now drink your damn cocoa moo and get some rest Princess." Shego grumbled getting up and stalking out of the room leaving a nervous Drakken alone with a confused Kim.