A/N: Sorry for the long time between chapters; life has been busy. But I did make it extra long to compensate. :)
Chapter 4 – Wishing You Were Here
The Middleton Mansion - in the middle of the next morning
Shego glanced up as the front doorbell to the Mansion chimed. She wasn't expecting anyone this early, though she did really want Kimmie to drop by after school. She peered through the eyehole, having learned her lesson when she answered the door without looking and Nina had been on the other side. She did a double take when she saw who it was and then grimaced. She thought about pretending not to be home, but the big blue dolt looked like he had something to say, so she reluctantly opened the door.
"What the hell are you doing here, Hego?" she asked curtly as she opened the door.
"Hey Sis!" Hego said brightly, impressed that she had even opened the door.
"You have two seconds to tell me what the hell you are doing here before I close the door," Shego repeated and clarified.
Seeing that he had a small window of opportunity, Hego got right to the point. "Dad has cancer and he is going into surgery tomorrow. Mom asked me to try to convince you to come to Chicago to be there for him," he explained quickly.
"The hell?" Shego asked, angrily perplexed. "They cut off all contact with me and now Mom wants me to come back?"
"You didn't exactly try to reestablish the bridges of communication either, Mimi," Hego pointed out.
"Don't call me that if you want to live, Bertie," Shego warned him. "But why now?"
"Because you fight for the side of good now, Shego," Hego said happily. "And Dad needs you."
Shego sighed. "How did you find me?" she asked.
"Bob told us where you were," Hego admitted.
Shego rolled her eyes; she should've figured. "I'll think about it," she promised reluctantly.
"The surgery is tomorrow, Sis," Hego reminded her.
"That is the best you are getting, Hego," Shego retorted. "Now leave," she ordered, shutting the door in his face. She glared at the back side of the door. If every single person she didn't want to talk to kept showing up on the other side, she was going to have to move. Or, at the very least, she was going to have to dismantle that fucking doorbell. Kimmie wouldn't mind; she had keys.
Shego trudged into the living room thoroughly annoyed. So Mom wanted her to come back because Daddy had cancer. Well, fuck, she thought. Her first impulse was to tell them all to get screwed. They had kicked her out the house, out of the family and out of their lives when she had turned evil. They should have loved her for her, even if Goshens were supposed to be good people.
The room grew cold and the energy changed, so it came of little surprise when a familiar voice cut through the silence. "That is a puerile argument and you know it, Junior," Sheila chided her as she materialized. "If evil was truly who you were, then yes, they should love you no matter your inclinations. But considering your current status in life, it seems that evil isn't fundamental to your nature, and you were just being the stereotypical bored rebellious little rich girl and so they were right to shun you."
Shego looked at her and sighed. "I thought women of your generation were supposed to be demure and passive," she grumbled.
"I have always spoken my mind, Junior," Sheila replied with a smirk. "And you should go to Chicago," she added, a stern glare accompanying her unsolicited advice.
"I know," Shego said resignedly. "I have to make a few calls first, though." Sheila smirked smugly. "Don't look so smug," Shego ordered.
"It is not smugness," Sheila protested, her grin widening. "It is self-recognition."
"We aren't that alike," Shego muttered.
"Junior, in some things we are identical," Sheila said honestly. "Be well," she concluded as she faded from view. Shego rolled her eyes and reached for her cell phone. First, she called her professors at school; she was only taking a couple of days off, and because of Thanksgiving they didn't really have anything going on, but she wanted to explain her absence. Both of her profs completely understood and she hung up the phone confident that everything was okay on that front. With only one more person to call, she put down her cell phone and activated her wrist kimmunicator.
"Hey Junior!" Kim said happily, making Shego smile involuntarily.
"Hey Princess," she said affectionately. "Listen, Hego dropped by with some news and it looks like I'm going to be gone for a few days."
Kim didn't like the sound of that. "Is anything wrong?" she asked, her smile fading as her face grew concerned.
"My dad had cancer," Shego replied. "He is having surgery tomorrow."
Even though she was slightly taken aback that Shego actually had a dad, Kim hid it well and promptly asked how she could help. "What can I do, Sweetie?" she asked gently. "Do you want me to go with you?"
"It's okay, Pumpkin," Shego assured her, touched that she would make the offer. "It is just a quick trip. And besides, if you met my whole family, you would probably break up with me."
"Not a chance," Kim responded with a smile. "They can't be any weirder than mine." Her face grew serious again. "Promise you'll call me when you know something," she requested.
"Deal," Shego promised. "Talk to you later, Pink."
"Bye, Junior," Kim said, hanging up her Kimmunicator reluctantly. Something wasn't sitting right about Shego's trip to Chicago, and Kim didn't know if it was worry for Shego's father, worry that Shego might be having a rough time that she, as Shego's girlfriend should be helping her out with, or worry that Shego, made to spend a lot time with her family, might kill them all in irritation.
"Hello, Ms. Possible," Nina said as she passed down the hallway, startling Kim and making her snap out of her reflections. Kim looked at her, careful to keep a neutral look on her face. Nina smiled at her sweetly, and after she had turned her back, Kim scowled, unable to help it.
Something had happened at the Mansion yesterday; that much Kim was sure of. Nina had been giving her these sly, smug looks for most of the day, like Nina was privy to information that Kim was not. It was bugging the crap out of Kim and her thoughts were leaning towards violence. Three things kept her from going over the edge into psycho jealousy: one, Shego had admitted from the moment she had answered the Mansion's front door that Nina had been there and had even told Kim what Nina had been after. That wasn't indicative of someone trying to hide something, and Shego would have probably been trying to hide something if something major had happened. Two, their little episode on the couch made Kim confident that Shego cared about her and was attracted to her, so Shego probably wasn't looking to start something up again with Nina. And three, bizarre as it would seem to some people considering their former history, she trusted Shego, and that trust told her she had nothing to be jealous of. A thought occurred to her, and Kim cracked a grin as Nina walked away. That was one thing good about Shego going to Chicago, she thought. She would be away from the clutches of a conniving and still infatuated former girlfriend. Kim closed her locker just as Ron glanced at her and scurried away. That reminded her of her other problem, and she smiled again, this one resembling more of a predatory smirk. "Tomorrow, Stoppable, your butt is mine," she promised, shouldering her practice bag and heading down the hallway.
Over the skies of Chicago – that afternoon
Shego adjusted the controls on the jet, feeling like a bit of a schmuck for using Kim's Christmas present. But she needed something that was fast, and she didn't want her nosy princess to go and discover it in the hanger, so the solution to both problems was to use it for the trip. She sighed as the Chicago skyline came into view. Fabulous, she thought. Mother and Daddy's place was but a few short minutes away.
Luckily for her, Archibald Goshen II, Nana Sheila's older brother, had been quite forward thinking, and so had installed a runway at the family manse, meaning she could bypass all of the local airports and land exactly where she needed to be. She landed without incident, even though snow and a little bit of ice could be found on the runway, and when she disembarked from her plane, she was surprised to see Chuck there, waiting with a golf cart to take her back to the house.
"Welcome home, Miss Mimi," he said, a smirk tugging at his face. Shego rolled her eyes and sighed.
"You know, Chuck, if I didn't know that Bob was the one that squealed, you would be my prime suspect," she informed him.
"I was sworn to secrecy, Miss," Chuck protested, but the smirk was still showing. "At least about where you were," he added as a quiet aside.
"You told them about Kimmie," Shego accused.
"No, Miss," Chuck disagreed good-naturedly. "The evening news did that. I merely provided them with some details."
Shego frowned. This whole thing was starting to smell like a set-up. "So Daddy does have cancer, right, Chuck?" she clarified, prepared to jump right back on the plane if the answer was "no."
"I'm sorry to say he does, Miss," Chuck said, his smile disappearing. "But the prognosis is good, so we should only think of the best."
"Yeah, I guess we should," Shego said, admitting to herself that she had been so cynical for so damn long that optimism was going to be a tough sell to her psyche.
"Let's go inside, Miss," Chuck said, offering her a seat on the golf cart.
"Yeah, about that," Shego said, climbing in. "How'd you know I was going to be out here?"
"That aircraft is quite noisy, Miss," he answered. "And it does have a rather large logo on it."
Shego didn't say anything, but sighed. The prodigal daughter had returned, coaxed back from the dark side by love and if Chuck was any indication of what she was in for, the crap she was going to take for it would fill several landfills. She rode in grumpy silence all the way to the house. Chuck dropped her off, a teasing, unrepentant smirk still on his face as he drove off to put the cart away. Sighing once more, Shego resigned herself to her fate, climbed the steps to the porch and rang the doorbell. The door was opened at once, and Shego was unsurprised to find her mother standing on the other side. "Hey Mom," she said simply, waiting for the barrage to come.
"You should come in," her mother suggested. "It is cold out there."
Shego stood rigid on the porch, looking at her mother dubiously. "You mean that's it?" she asked incredulously. "I get kicked out of the house, told never to come back and when I do come back, I get a 'get in here; it's cold out there'?"
"Things are different," her mother replied. "Times change, people mature and right now this family needs you more than we need to be squabbling. We can talk about the other issues when there are less important things to worry about. So get in here, Mimi, before I have to drag you in here."
Shego cracked a begrudging and very small grin; okay, apparently she didn't get all of her attitude from Nana Sheila, Nana Mim and her dad. "Well, I guess since I'm now allowed to, I should come in," she decided, because quite frankly, it was damn cold out there.
"Hey Sis!" Hego bellowed from across the room, bounding over to hug her. Shego flinched and her mother noted it as she took Shego's coat.
"Hey Shego!" the Wegoes chimed in from the couch.
"Hello, Shego," Mego sniffed from his chair. "Nice of you to join us. I, of course, was here last week."
"Stuff it, Mego," Shego said shortly.
"All right; That's enough!" their mother snapped, tired of it already and it had barely started. "Don't get started with that because it is the last thing we need. And another thing, while you are in this house, please use your proper names. You are Archibald Herbert, you are Sheila Miriam, you are Mervin Reginald, you are Wendell Augustus, and you are William Octavian," she said pointing at each one of them in turn, "and I would really prefer to hear only Bertie, Mimi, Reggie, Augie and Willie. The other names just seem silly to me."
"Yeah, like having all of our names ending in an 'e' sound is less silly than having them end in 'go'," Shego said sardonically.
"Must you always be so sarcastic?" her mother sighed.
"Yup," Shego confirmed. "If it's a problem, I can always go home."
"In spite of yourself, you are home, Mimi," her mother retorted.
"It hasn't been home since I got kicked out of it," Shego answered darkly.
"You know, you keep saying that, Cupcake, but I distinctly remember you storming out on us," a new voice reminded her, and startled, Shego looked up to see her father coming down the stairs.
"You shouldn't be out of bed, Archie," his wife protested.
"Eh, I am feeling better, hon," her husband replied, shrugging. "Besides, flagrant sarcasm was diffusing through the upstairs so I figured hell had frozen over and Mimi was back for a visit." He looked at his daughter with no discernable emotion; neither disapproval nor excitement could be found on his face, and these were the two emotions that Shego would have expected to see. "So what brings you back to Chicago, Mimi?" he asked, almost conversationally.
Shego couldn't tell what her father was thinking, and so, it put her on the defensive. As a result, her sarcasm shields activated themselves automatically. "I got bored and decided to drop by," Shego replied.
"I see," her father said noncommittally. He settled down into a comfortable chair. "So how's that life of evil thing working out for you?" he asked.
So the discussion was started, not with a loud shouting match but with a quiet sarcastic zinger, and Shego got a pang of nostalgia. Ah, family traditions. "It is on hiatus right now," she said, knowing lying was useless because even Hego would know she was lying.
"Hiatus," her father commented speculatively. He tried to stop it, but couldn't help a small smirk from forming. "From what we heard, it was more of a permanent thing."
"Looks like you got your facts wrong," Shego retorted.
"Really?" her father asked. "So you didn't save the world from blowing up? And you didn't put two of the world's most dangerous criminals behind bars?"
Shego grimaced. "Well, I was pretty much blackmailed and guilted into the first one, so it wasn't really a matter of choice," she answered sourly.
"Ah, but what about the second one? What was the impetus for that one?" her father challenged impishly. Shego remained silent knowing anything she answered was just going to get her in deeper. "So, how is Kimberly Possible?" he asked innocently.
"She's fine," Shego muttered.
"Chuck said the two of you looked quite lovely at Homecoming," her father said, his smirk growing into a grin.
"So we're dating and it might have something to do with why the evil career is on hiatus. Can we stop being so fucking coy about everything?" Shego inquired, her embarrassment pushing her temper to the breaking point.
"Sure, now that you've admitted it," her father said amiably. He got up slowly and came over to his daughter. "Thanks for coming, Mimi; it means a lot," he said, wrapping her up in a hug.
Shego returned the hug, and a part of herself she thought she'd lost returned with it. "You're welcome, Daddy," she whispered. They separated and Shego could see tears in her mother's eyes; her brothers weren't far behind. Shego decided to say something before the situation turned completely into a fucking Hallmark® movie. "But you really shouldn't thank me. You should thank Mom, Bertie and um, Nana Sheila."
"Great-Aunt Sheila?" her father asked, his eyebrow lifting as he settled back into his chair.
"Yeah, she and Nana Mim are why I went on that first mission with Kimmie," Shego explained. Her family looked at her. "All right, fine," she sighed, knowing she was going to have to explain herself. "So it all started when Kimmie broke into Nana Sheila's and Nana Mim's mansion in Middleton…"
Middleton – early the next morning
Kim had never felt more like a stalker in her life. She was crouched behind a tree and waiting for Ron to come out of his house, ready to pounce on him like some crazy, rabid fan. The door cracked open and Kim could see Ron peering out cautiously before hesitantly exiting his front door. It was obvious he expected something to be up, and Kim attributed that to the fact that he was her best friend and he knew her well enough to know she wasn't going to lie low forever. He looked left and right down the sidewalk before turning in the direction that led towards the school. Kim watched him go, allowing him to be lured into a false sense of security before she waylaid him.
She let him get almost to school before she intercepted him, knowing it would be tougher for him to run away with crowds of students choking his exit opportunities. She flipped over a couple of people's heads and landed right next to him, causing him to jump. He looked at her, startled, before he came to and made a run for it. Kim was ready for him, though and grabbed him in a vise-like grip. "Ron, we need to talk," she said firmly.
"I don't want to talk," Ron said petulantly, struggling against her grip.
"Obviously, since you have been avoiding me since the Homecoming Dance," Kim said, glaring at him. "But I don't care; we need to talk and we are going to talk, regardless if you are a willing participant or not."
Ron struggled some more, but realized quickly it was pointless. "All right," he capitulated. "Let's talk."
"First off, I want to say I'm sorry," Kim began. "If I had known that you were really not that okay with Shego and me, I wouldn't have flaunted us like I did at Homecoming."
"But she's your girlfriend and you shouldn't have to feel bad for being out with her because I am having a hard time accepting that you're her girlfriend and not mine," Ron countered, surprising Kim. Ron had obviously been thinking about this for awhile. "I'm sorry I'm not a better friend, KP," Ron apologized. "I thought I could handle it and I can't. That's why I have been avoiding you this week; I thought you wouldn't want to talk to me after I left Homecoming like a jerk."
"Don't you dare apologize!" Kim ordered, relieved that he didn't hate her but pissed off that he was chastising himself for feeling what any normal human being would feel. "You have every right to be upset, Ron; I was just hoping that if we talked about it, you wouldn't be as upset."
"But I should be apologizing, KP," Ron protested. "Like Monique said, I'm your best friend and I didn't act like it at Homecoming."
"Because I broke your heart, Ron," Kim pointed out. "No sane person actually enjoys that experience."
They looked at one another and glared. Both were becoming angry, Ron because Kim was trying to give him permission for the way he acted when he knew he had acted like a jerk, and Kim because Ron was saying he had no cause to act like a jerk when he had every cause in the world to act like a jerk. Kim opened her mouth to yell at him some more when they noticed that they were at the front door to the high school. She took a deep breath and simmered down; she hadn't intended to become upset, but Ron's completely unexpected point of view had thrown her off her game. Ron, too, took a breath and they entered the school together, not finished with their conversation but wanting to finish it at another, less crowded time.
The first thing they both noticed was the presence of a girl they had never seen before standing in the middle of the busy foyer looking a little lost and a lot overwhelmed. Her bright blond hair had been cut short and styled into a spiky girl 'fro that gave her the appearance of a dandelion and she had several earrings in both ears. She was tiny in height, at the most five feet tall, and tiny in width. Her diminutive stature put her at a disadvantage against the hordes of in-a-hurry teenagers that swarmed around and Kim and Ron glanced at one another in sympathy for her plight, forgetting their own squabble to facilitate a rescue.
"Hey," Kim said, stepping up to her. "My name is Kim and this is Ron," Ron nodded and smiled. "No offense, but you look a little lost. Need some help?"
"That would be great," the new girl said gratefully. "I'm Lindsay."
"Nice to meet you, Lindsay," Ron replied amiably. "Got your class list? We can show you where your classes are."
Lindsay dug into her backpack but came up empty. She frowned and did a search of the pockets of her cargo pants but also came up empty. The pockets on her red flannel shirt were next and here she finally made some progress. "Ah, here it is," she said, relieved and pulled it out of her front pocket. It promptly got pulled back in and Lindsay sighed. "Let it go, Mouse," she complained. "You're in my flannel shirt for Pete's sake; you can't be cold." Kim and Ron said nothing, figuring the truth would reveal itself shortly. Lindsay tugged again and the paper came free, bringing with it a disgruntled, chittering rodent that Lindsay dropped into her palm.
Ron's eyes lit up at the sight of said rodent. "Is that a hamster?" he asked excitedly.
"Yeah," Lindsey said, pleased that he didn't find it weird that she carried a hamster around in her pocket. "His name is Mouse."
"You named a hamster 'Mouse'?" Kim asked quizzically.
"It's a tradition in our family," Lindsay explained cheerfully. "We have cats named Bunny and Bear and a dog named Moose. What about you two? Any pets?"
Kim shrugged, not knowing if Anna counted. "Kinda. I inherited a spotted leopard, but she lives in a wildlife refuge," she answered. "Ron's got a real pet, though."
"Please, Kim, 'best bud'," Ron corrected. "Hey Rufus, come out and meet some new friends." Hearing his name, Rufus woke up and popped his head out of Ron's pants' pocket. "Rufus, meet Lindsay and Mouse," Ron said when Rufus had climbed up on to his shoulder.
"Is that a naked mole rat?" Lindsay asked excitedly. "I've never seen one so close." She extended a forefinger. "Nice to meet you, Rufus,' she said. Rufus took it and shook it. "This is my hamster, Mouse," she said, lifting her hand up to Rufus' height. Mouse and Rufus looked at one another curiously. After a few moments, Mouse cocked his head and stuck out a paw. Rufus jumped a little, surprised, but then stuck out his own paw. They shook paws and without warning, Mouse let go and ran down Lindsay's sleeve to her pocket. He emerged moments later with a slice of cheddar and ran back up to her palm, offering half to Rufus.
Lindsay smiled at him affectionately. "Mouse is a good little fella. He is very tame and very good-natured."
"Obviously," Kim said amusedly watching Rufus and Mouse munch on cheese.
"Rufus likes him; don't ya, buddy?" Ron asked.
"Uh-uh," Rufus nodded, his mouth full of cheese.
The bell rang and suddenly they all realized they were going to be late to class. "Let's see that class list," Kim offered and Lindsay handed it over. "Well, this is easy," Kim commented. "You must be a senior because you have the same exact classes as Ron and some the same as mine. Our first class is right down this hall."
"Cool," Lindsay said, honestly happy. "Back in the pocket, Mouse," she requested, and the hamster scampered back into her pocket. Rufus retreated back to his pocket and they all hurried down the hall to 20th Century History.
They all cruised in the door as the tardy bell was ringing and slid quickly into their seats. Bonnie, who had been chatting with one of her friends, noticed their arrival and got a good look at the new girl with her earrings, flannel, cargo pants and short hair, causing her face to grow disgusted. "How many lesbians to we have to have in this class?" she whined. "I am as in favor of diversity and tolerance as anyone, but how many of these weirdoes are we supposed to tolerate?" She turned to Kim. "I see you came in with her. Does this mean you have already dumped the green-glowing freak?"
Kim rolled her eyes. "No, in spite of yours and others' better efforts, Shego and I are still together," she said.
Lindsay's eyes narrowed and then widened as she figured out what Bonnie's innuendo meant. "You're gay?" she asked Kim quietly as Mr. Barkin came into the room and distracted Bonnie.
"Only just," Kim admitted with a wry grin. "And I brought my girlfriend to Homecoming. The school and Bonnie are still dealing with it."
"Rock on," Lindsay said with a smile. "I have two mommies," she explained. Kim smiled in return; Rufus wasn't the only one with a new ally, it seemed. "I take it she is Bonnie?" she asked, indicating Bonnie with her head.
"Yup," Kim nodded.
Bonnie turned her attention back to Kim and Lindsay now that Mr. Barkin's back was turned. "Trading lesbo fashion tips?" she asked snidely.
Lindsay smiled. "Well, we would, except I am not gay and I am not fashionable, so I would be woefully deficient on tips," she said mock-sadly.
"You're not gay," Bonnie said incredulously.
"'Fraid not," Lindsay said regretfully. "Biggest disappointment my moms ever had." Kim, and Ron, who was also listening, chuckled. Bonnie didn't know quite what to say to that, so she simply rolled her eyes and turned around.
"People!" Mr. Barkin called, bringing everyone's attention to the front. I know everyone is excited to meet the new girl…"-here Lindsay waved amicably-"…but we need to get started. Can anyone tell me what some causes of the Vietnam War were?"
"Psst. Hey Mouse," Lindsay whispered, poking her pocket, listening but not listening as Mr. Barkin started his lecture. Mouse poked his nose out and looked at her. "See that chick?" she asked, indicating Bonnie. "She was rude and needs a lesson. See if you can annoy her some. But don't get yourself hurt," she requested. Mouse nodded and chittered to show his agreement. He carefully climbed out of Lindsay's pocket and down to the floor. He made his way towards Bonnie, only to be stopped by the sight of Ron's pants. He thought for a second and then climbed them, smacking his paws on Rufus' pocket when he got there. When Rufus poked his head out, Mouse let him in on the plan and Rufus nodded enthusiastically, climbing out of Ron's pocket and on to the floor with Mouse.
They quietly made their way along the floor until they reached Bonnie's desk. Her backpack sat on the floor, and it was in the perfect location for two mischievous rodents. Rufus unzipped the front pocket and climbed in. Soon a corner of Bonnie's makeup pouch came out and Mouse grabbed it with his paws as Rufus pushed from inside the pocket. Between their combined efforts, the pouch was soon on the floor beside Bonnie's backpack. Chittering happily at each other in pride at their success, Rufus and Mouse unzipped the top and began digging through Bonnie's cosmetics, choosing a few to try. Rufus was the naked one with easily accessible features, and so he became the guinea pig for Mouse's creative endeavors.
Bonnie shifted in her seat, completely bored with Mr. Barkin's droning. She reached down to rummage in the front pocket of her backpack, figuring she could at least do something useful while she was being bored. Her makeup didn't seem to be there, though, which was odd, so she looked down to see what might have happened and promptly let out a high-pitched scream. Knowing the jig was up, Mouse and Rufus dropped the lipstick and eyeliner they were holding and took off for their respective pockets.
"What seems to be the problem, Miss Rockwaller?" Mr. Barkin asked, turning around from the blackboard.
"Stoppable's naked pink thing and a furry rat of some sort were in my makeup," Bonnie choked out, horrified.
"Is this true, Stoppable?" Mr. Barkin asked.
"Uh, no?" Ron answered, not having been aware that Rufus had left his pocket.
"Let me see the mole rat, Stoppable," Mr. Barkin ordered sternly and Ron pulled Rufus out of his pocket. Kim glanced over and clamped her lips together to prevent laughter from escaping. Mouse had done a fabulous job and Rufus was a stunning drag queen version of himself courtesy of Bonnie's makeup.
"A week's detention, Stoppable, starting today," Mr. Barkin stated, and turned back to the board.
"Um, Mr. Barkin?" Lindsay piped up.
"Yes, Ms. ?" Mr. Barkin replied.
"Woolsey," Lindsay finished for him. "I think my rodent might have had something to do with it," she admitted, producing Mouse who had makeup on all four of his paws. Lindsay hadn't meant for Ron to get in trouble and she wasn't going to let him take the fall alone.
"Not a good way to start, Ms. Woolsey," Mr. Barkin admonished her. "A week's detention for you as well."
"Yes, sir," Lindsay murmured and Bonnie snickered. Lindsay looked at her and smirked, holding up Mouse, who had, in spite of dropping the lipstick he was holding, still managed to hold on to some eye shadow by stuffing it in his cheek pouch. He spat it out, and Lindsay showed it to Bonnie, emphasizing the fact that it was now all covered in hamster drool. Bonnie glared and opened her mouth to complain. Mr. Barkin, the eyes in the back of his head working splendidly, forestalled her.
"I don't want to hear it, Ms. Rockwaller," he said simply. "The proper punishment has already been doled out for the crime." Bonnie snorted and glared at Lindsay once more, but eventually she turned back around in her seat. Kim, Ron and Lindsay grinned at one another before actually turning around to pay attention to Mr. Barkin.
The rest of the day passed without incident as Ron and sometimes Kim escorted Lindsay and Mouse to all of their classes. Kim became more and more agitated as the day went on, and as the last period rolled around, she was checking her Kimmunicator compulsively every five seconds waiting for Shego to call her with news about how everything went.
"KP, dude, what's wrong?" Ron asked, after her umpteenth looking at the Kimmunicator and sighing.
"Shego's in Chicago because her dad's having surgery today," Kim explained, still surreptitiously checking her wrist. "He should be out now, and she was supposed to call me when she knew something."
"Surgery? For what?" Ron asked, concerned, because in spite of her stealing his girlfriend, SG was still one of his favorite people.
"Cancer removal," Kim said hurriedly, looking at her wrist once more.
"Then why are you here?" Ron asked pointedly.
"I offered; she told me she didn't want me to go," Kim said defensively.
"And you believed her?" Ron asked in exasperation.
"Why wouldn't I?" Kim retorted.
"Because it's Shego!" Ron shot back. "She is not supposed to care when stuff like this happens, even when she does."
"And how do you supposedly know my girlfriend better than I do?" Kim questioned imperiously, even though she knew he was right.
"Because apparently you're a bad girlfriend!" Ron said angrily. "First, you dump me the instant you find someone else, and then you won't even support her when she needs you! I am suddenly feeling bad for Shego; it looks like I am the lucky one!"
"You're right," Kim said quietly, crestfallen. "I am a bad girlfriend."
Ron fell silent, completely unprepared for that particular admission. He was expecting her to contradict him, so that in doing so, he could convince her that he had been in the wrong with his reaction to her and Shego. But now she was agreeing with him, meaning he was in the right and she was in the wrong but that wasn't right and everything was wrong and Ron was getting so confused that he could barely distinguish right from wrong anymore anyhow.
"I'm not right, KP," he answered, after a pause. "I do think you should go be with Shego, but I don't think you're a bad girlfriend."
"But I am because you are totally right, Ron," Kim protested. "I wasn't comfortable with letting Shego do this alone, but I am here and she is there. And I shouldn't be involved with her in the first place because I was your girlfriend."
"Why should you keep being my girlfriend when you don't like me like that? See, now you are just beating yourself up because I am an insensitive jerk who is having trouble getting over the fact that I am never going to be more than your friend," Ron disagreed.
"May I say something?" Lindsay cut in, having quietly observed the entirety of this disagreement. They both looked at her in a dazed fashion, so she took that as a sign of approval. "Both of y'all seem like nice people, but damn are both y'all complete idiots," she said succinctly, her heretofore unknown Southern accent coming out with her amused disapproval. "You're pissed at him because he's not pissed at you and you are pissed at her because she's not pissed at you, and that really makes not one iota of sense." They looked at her, and she continued, figuring it was worth being the voice of reason at the risk of pissing them off. She turned to Kim. "You are right; you should feel guilty about jilting the dude who is obviously your best friend for the first pretty face that strolls by. But, if his biggest worry is himself and not you, then count your blessings and keep assuring him that he is not the insensitive jerk that he seems to think he is." Here she paused and her grin grew wider. "And tell me how you did it, because I would love to have a guy I broke up feel guilty about the breakup."
"And as for you," she continued, turning to Ron. "You need to stop using the 'I'm a bad friend' cover. Kim broke your heart; this made life sucky. But you don't need to feel guilty that it did make life sucky, because you have a right to feel bad. Ditch the completely inappropriate bad friend guilt and deal with your real problem. It seems like you've started, but you're not quite there yet." The bell rang. "Well, you two work it out and enjoy. Mouse and I have to go to detention," she concluded.
"She's right," Ron said, as they watched her stroll down the hallway.
"Yeah, she is," Kim agreed. They looked at one another for a couple of seconds before Ron spoke.
"I'm still having trouble adjusting to you and Shego," he admitted quietly and reluctantly.
"I know and I am sorry," Kim answered repentantly. "And if you don't want to be my friend, I understand."
"I am your best friend, and I always will be," Ron stated pugnaciously. "But apparently I need a little more time to adjust."
"Take all the time you need; I'll still be here," Kim assured him.
"It's not going to take long," Ron promised. He held out his arms tentatively. Kim smiled and reached for him, pulling him into a tight hug. They remained tightly embraced for a while, until Ron pulled away, knowing he was late for detention. "I gotta go, KP," he said, regretfully. He looked at her sternly. "And you need to get to Chicago," he chastised.
"Yeah, I do," Kim agreed. "Got your cell phone on you?"
KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
Ron quietly crept in to the classroom, hoping that Mr. Barkin would not realize that he was late. "You're late, Mr. Stoppable," Mr. Barkin said, not looking up from his textbook. Ron winced.
"Sorry, Mr. Barkin," he apologized. He spied Lindsay in the back and went to go sit by her, giving her a small grin as he sat down. She grinned tentatively back, not knowing if he was angry or not. She grabbed a piece of paper from her notebook, wrote something on it and retrieved Mouse from her pocket, giving him the paper. Mouse climbed down off of Lindsay's desk and climbed up Ron's, setting the paper in front of him. "What's your cell phone number?" it asked. Ron dug out a pen and responded, giving the paper back to Mouse, who took it back to Lindsay. Lindsay pulled out her cell phone and started tapping. Ron's phone tweedled, and he hastily put it on silent before retrieving the text and starting their silent conversation.
"U mad at me?…Don't know U well enough 2 be mad…So, no:) …Nope…Can I ask a question then?…Sure…Is Kim's gf that Shego?…Yup…Really? But aren't they enemies?…Were. Now not so much…Wow, never would've thought…I know, tell me about it…Tell me about it?...Huh?...Bet it's a great story. Wanna hear it…It's a long story. Don't want 2 text it. :( …How about Mouse & I buy U a snack after detention & U tell us then?…Make it Bueno Nacho & U have a deal…Cool."
"If the tapping doesn't stop, those phones are going to be confiscated," Mr. Barkin warned, still not looking up. Ron and Lindsay carefully closed their phones and put them away, smiling at each other shyly before pulling out work to keep them occupied until the end of detention.
Over the skies of Chicago – that evening
"We're almost there, Kim," Bernice told her.
"Thanks, Bernice," Kim replied, making sure her parachute was securely fastened. She had used Ron's cell phone to call her mother and explain what she was doing and where she was going. Her mother had completely understood and had even come to school to pick her up and take her to the Team Possible hanger. Kim had been tempted to just take the hovercraft and make a break for it, but she wasn't a licensed pilot yet and its legality would have been questionable. So, she called Wade, who arranged for Bernice to meet her at the hanger while he hacked into various computer systems and found out where Shego's dad was having his surgery. According to what Wade had discovered, his surgery had been postponed several times during the day and he was only now getting in to surgery; by the time they got there, it should be just about time for him to get out. Bernice had arrived, they had taken off, and now Kim was preparing herself to skydive to the top of the hospital she could see coming into view.
"We're there, Kim," Bernice called back.
"All right, I am opening the door," Kim answered. "Thanks again, Bernice," she said.
"Don't mention it," Bernice replied amiably. "The romantics in the artist colony will be swooning for weeks. And your baby will be back in its hanger when you get home." Kim smiled and nodded, opening the door. She tightened her helmet and parachute straps one last time and jumped out of the side door. Bernice chuckled and flipped a switch on the control panel, causing the side door to close on its own. Bernice shook her head. These kids had some nice stuff on this plane.
Meanwhile, in the hospital lobby, Shego was about ready to kill someone. The day had started off on a decent foot; after she had finished up the story of saving the world from blowing up, they had all gone to bed, and they had all been somewhat congenial on the way to hospital. But then Daddy's surgery had been put off at least five times, her idiot brothers were starting to annoy her as they always did when they spent a lot of time together, Mother was about ready to keel over from worry and Daddy had barely gotten in the operating room, so she was going to have to put up with this shit for at least another two hours. Shego sighed; she really wished Kimmie were here, but stupidly, she had told her that she didn't need to come to Chicago.
"Speaking of which," Shego thought. "I should call Kimmie; I promised her I would and she is probably stressed that I haven't called." She activated her kimmunicator and paged Kim. Kim didn't answer right away and that was puzzling. She was usually very prompt. Shego tried again, and this time, Kim answered.
"Hey Junior!" Kim said, trying to be perky when she saw Shego's downcast face. "What is the news with your dad?"
"He is still in surgery," Shego answered.
"Really?" Kim asked. "I thought he was supposed to go in this morning."
"He was, but his surgery kept getting delayed," Shego replied and the frustration was obvious in her voice. "He only just got in."
"How are you holding up?" Kim asked, concerned.
"I'm about ready to lose it," Shego admitted. "I am worried about Daddy, my brothers are driving me up the fucking wall, and my poor Mom is ready to lose her shit all over the place. I really wish you were here."
"Do you really mean that or are you being sarcastic?" Kim asked.
"I mean it; I would give anything to have you here, Princess," Shego said quietly.
"Well, close your eyes really tight and wish for it," Kim answered affectionately. "You might just get what you want."
"I'm never that lucky," Shego said dejectedly.
"I don't know, Junior; your luck has to change some time," Kim said optimistically. Shego paused. She could have sworn that Kim's last response hadn't come from the kimmunicator but had come from behind her. She whipped around, and there was Kimmie, a vision in jeans, a white turtleneck and the green sweater she hadn't managed to return yet with an adorable half-grin on her face and an overnight bag by her side. "I'm sorry, Sweetie; I should have come sooner, but stupidity prevented it," Kim apologized as she put her arms around Shego.
"You're here now and that's all that matters, so shut up, Pumpkin," Shego ordered, wrapping her arms around Kim and nearly squeezing the air out of her. Kim returned the hug with fervor and they remained there for several moments. They got a few curious looks from passerby as they stood there, as well as a few knowing smiles, but everyone let them be. They finally parted and Shego kissed Kim on the forehead. "Ready to go upstairs and face the inquisition, Pink?" she asked. "Dad should be out of surgery soon and we should really get back up there. I just couldn't be up there anymore and I had to come down here for a while."
"Sure," Kim said. "I'd like to meet your whole family; I just wish it were under better circumstances."
They grabbed an elevator and took it to the third floor where the rest of Shego's family waited in the surgical waiting room. As soon as she walked in, Hego brightened and jumped up. "Miss Possible! It is so nice to see you again," he said, shaking her hand enthusiastically.
"Very nice to see you again too, Hego," Kim said. "But please call me Kim."
"And you must call me Bertie," Hego insisted.
"Okay," Kim agreed, looking at Shego in consternation, hoping she would elucidate.
"Mom doesn't like the Team Go nicknames, so we go by our kid nicknames around her," Shego explained. "Hego is Bertie, short for Herbert, Mego goes by Reggie, short for Reginald, and the Wegoes are Augie and Willie, short for Augustus and William."
Kim noticed a blatant omission. "And what might you go by, Junior?" she asked, amusedly curious. "Because I know only three people are allowed to call you Junior." Kim thought about it for all of about two seconds when she came up with an idea. "It wouldn't be Mimi, now would it?"
Shego sighed. Besides being able to call her "Junior", Kim was also one of the few people who knew her full name. "Yeah, it is," she admitted.
Kim drew her in and kissed her in full view of her family. "How about I forget about Mimi if you forget about Bubble Butt?" she asked quietly when they separated.
"Deal," Shego said quickly, smiling. A polite cough sounded behind them and they turned to see a petite woman with fawn-colored hair standing behind them. She looked exactly like Hego and the Wegoes, so this had to be Shego's mom. "Oh, sorry Mom," Shego apologized. "This is my mom, Charlotte Goshen."
"I go by Lottie for short," her mom told Kim, extending a hand and Kim took it.
"It is very nice to meet you, ma'am," she said respectfully.
"I am very happy to meet you too," Lottie said sincerely. "Without you, she would not be here, and that must make you even more extraordinary than your reputation would indicate."
Kim blushed and Shego chuckled. "She does that a lot, Mom," she teased. "You'll get used to it."
"I hope she is around enough that I do get used to it," Lottie told her daughter pointedly and this time Kim got to chuckle at Shego's expense.
With the introductions over, there was nothing left to do but wait, so wait they did. Lottie sat in her chair and watched her children, trying to keep her mind off of Archie and what he was going through. Her mood was somber but whenever her eyes would brush over Mimi and Kim, she would smile just a little. Mimi was in love, that was obvious, and Kim seemed to be almost as far gone. Lottie had wondered from time to time if Mimi would fall in love again after the Nina debacle and choosing the life of evil, and now she had her answer.
At last the surgeon came in, and much to everyone's relief, he told them that that he had removed all of the cancer and Archie was going to be fine. They waited about another hour for the anesthesia to wear off and for Archie to be transferred to a room before they all trooped up to say hi. Still groggy from the anesthesia, Archie wasn't really up to company and they could all see that, so they turned it into goodnight instead. The boys went first and they all gave him a gentle hug, said goodnight and slipped out of the room. Shego was next and Kim came with her. "Good night, Daddy," she whispered, hugging him. "We'll see you in the morning."
Archie looked at her companion sleepily. "Nice to meet you, Miss Possible," he said, a drowsy smirk on his face.
"You too," Kim replied. "Feel better, sir."
"Archie," he corrected her.
Kim smiled and squeezed his hand before she and Shego yielded to Shego's mother. Lottie spent a few minutes with Archie as they waited outside, and when she emerged, they all had to decide what to do next.
"So what are your plans, Princess?" Shego asked.
"Well, my mom knows where I am, I am already excused from classes tomorrow and the rest of the week is a holiday, so I am here until you can give me a ride back," Kim answered.
"But the day after tomorrow is Thanksgiving!" Hego said, mortified. "You would spend it away from your family?"
"Well, Mom had to work a shift at the hospital this year anyway, so as a family, everything was going to be pretty low key," Kim shrugged.
"So you can be here until Sunday," Shego clarified, happy at the prospect.
"Yup," Kim replied.
"Perfect," Shego commented. "Then we'll fly back together on Sunday."
"Then it is settled," Lottie said. "Let's go home everyone."
They all nodded their heads in agreement and trundled out to the parking structure. They loaded up in their cars and headed to the house. Kim looked at it. "That's the 'house'?" she teased. "It makes the Mansion look like a shack." Shego shrugged and smiled.
Once inside, Lottie shooed them off to bed, giving Kim the room next to Shego's old room. Shego took her old room, the boys took theirs, and after Shego had given Kim a quick goodnight kiss, they all went to bed.