Author's note: Another long chapter but not as long as the last one. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 8: From the Lawless to the Tame
While the couple made their way home, they started a talk about marriage that seemed to never end. The talk became serious and Shego asked Merrick what did he expected out of her being his wife. All he stated was her to love him and whatever she decided to do was up to her. Shego adored that statement because she was going to love him like she was already doing and Merrick was going to still give her the freedom he has been letting her have. A freedom that she knew would eventually cause her to run into other men. She was faithful to Merrick just like he was to her. If she ever ended up around other men because of the freedom Merrick allowed her to have, they would never impress her. Merrick was the only one she loved and no other man would change that love. She might even deck another man for hitting on her.
One in particular was at their high school and Shego made up her mind to deck Duncan the next time he hit on her or spread a rumor about her and Merrick. It would come down to her making the point clear to Duncan to leave her and Merrick alone. But Shego knew the creep would never get the hint just like Merrick's version of Duncan back in Toyah. No matter how many times the point was made to leave them alone, both versions would continue to pester the couple. Shego looked forward to the day that Merrick and she could move from Go City to some place where they could love one another in peace. Merrick stated in a journal entry that he grew to hate everything about Toyah. So had Shego started to hate the things she had to endure in Go City. Her brothers became a cursed connection to her just because she was dating. Home and school both became like a prison to Shego and even the city. It pressed against her to the point she couldn't breathe. The only thing still blessed about the place was Merrick being there.
If he never showed up, Shego knew she would have gone crazy and ran away, that is if she could. Before Merrick, the only thing that kept her in the city was the lack of any way to get far and money issues. Though from time to time the city donated money to the team for their services of protecting the city. Shego never got more than an allowance from the money because of Hego. He would transfer most of the donations to a bank account that only he had access to while giving the excuse that he kept the money away from the rest to insure their future. Shego suspected that Hego was saving the money for himself but she could never prove it. The only to prove such was to get access to the money. She had tried several times when Hego was out of his room but she could never break the code.
A few times on her dates with Merrick, she was tempted to ask him would he try to get into the account for her. She knew he could because of the incident on her birthday and because of a similar incident that happened a couple weeks later. For many days after Merrick bypassed the team's security system, Hego ran tests on the program and he could never figure out how Merrick did it. Hego gave up trying to figure it out and had a new system installed. He requested Shego to ask Merrick to attempt the same feat again. Shego happily told Merrick about Hego's request while they were on one of their dates. Merrick chuckled at the challenge and told Shego he would see to it.
A few days after the new system was installed, the brothers were surprised while they sat around the round table. They gasped at the smiling face of Merrick looking up at the camera that hung over the front door of the tower while he waved at them. From that day on, Merrick would have to meet Shego like they usually met before their dates. Shego's brothers, namely Hego and Mego, had a fit over Merrick being able to bypass a newer security system that several thousand dollars were spent on to install. The company that did the installation assured Hego that no one could get through the system.
Merrick being able to bypass the new system caused him to be banned by Hego from coming within one mile of the tower. Shego showed her rage at Hego being like he was over the incident and she knew Hego only barred Merrick because Merrick could outsmart him. Eventually, Shego's rage subsided but she still met Merrick outside the subway entrance. Hego never budged from barring Merrick access to the tower. His excuse was Merrick would eventually show their enemies the way to the tower. To Shego that was a weak excuse and deep down she knew her two older brothers would never like Merrick.
That realization was one of the reasons Shego went on her trip with Merrick. Just to show her brothers that they didn't rule over her. She could do as she pleased. Shego let the thoughts of getting in a fuss with her brothers slip her mind while her and Merrick talked. She knew it was coming but for now all she wanted to do was enjoy every last second of her trip with Merrick. The trip be over when they got into Go City and Shego wished Merrick would delay their arrival longer. Her dreams of adventure were fading the closer they got to Go City. In Shego's mind she was screaming at Merrick to turn around and head back to Toyah. But they weren't and she knew they had to return eventually to Go City. The place she dread to return to and the place she loathed long before she met Merrick.
At the sight of skyscrapers in the distance, Shego let out a sigh and continue her talk with Merrick over marriage. Shego's sigh didn't faze Merrick while he talked and Shego knew he was once like she was now. He wanted to run away from Toyah just like she wanted to run away from Go City. It was odd to Shego how they loved the other's home stomping grounds but hated their own. That was the only difference Shego saw in them, other than gender. Shego always saw them on the same track, had the same likes and dislikes, but now she saw they had one difference in dislikes. That made Shego wonder what else were they different in, she knew Merrick still liked music she hated, though she never told him she did. He was ok with the music she like but deep down Shego knew he hated it because of some of the faces he made while Shego changed the radio to her type of music. She would giggle at his looks while she would turn the radio to its highest volume.
Finally, the marriage talk ended for the couple the second they entered the Go City limits. The couple went silent after their talk and they looked out the windows of the truck while they drove into the city. Shego sighed happily at nothing serious happening while she was gone. That was her only worry about leaving for a week. She was tensed at the idea of something terrible happening while they entered Go City but to see the smiling faces of people walking up and down the streets caused Shego to relax while she slid across the bench seat to sit by Merrick.
The only time the people on the street looked at the couple riding by was when little kids, who were with their parents, would point at the relic of a motorcycle on the back of Merrick's truck. Some of the people would narrow their eyes at the sight of the bike while others watched the bike ride down the road on the back of Merrick's truck. Shego noticed the people on the sidewalks staring at her bike; which she was calling it now because of Merrick being stubborn and she laughed at the people looking amazed at her bike. She still wasn't going to ride it often but she would eventually ride it all of the time after she got use to it. Shego was still grateful of how much freedom Merrick gave her. Not only did he let her run around without her having to tell him what she was doing but to give her a way to leave Go City if she decided to.
But she wouldn't leave Go City again without Merrick coming along. He was her world now and she knew they couldn't be separated, even if her older brothers locked her up in the tower. She would find a way out so she could see Merrick and she was going to continue to see him until he told her not to; which she knew he would never tell her he wanted to see less of her. He made that point clear on their trip that he wanted to see her everyday of his life.
When they got to Merrick's home, Merrick hopped out of the truck without saying a word. He looked back at Shego not wanting to get out and chuckled at her while he left the driver side door open. Shego knew she couldn't fool Merrick with trying hide her loathing to be in Go City again. While she finally got out of the truck, Merrick was pulling his bags out of the back seat. She peeked a look at Merrick through the back door's window and she shut the driver side door. The sound of the city actually unnerved Shego because she longed for the quietness of Toyah. Just to hear the wind instead of honking cars was what Shego craved, Merrick's simple life. But Merrick seemed up beat about being back in the city. Shego knew it was their difference in liking the other's hometown. She hated Go City while he loved it. At least she got peace and quiet for one week thanks to Merrick and she made up her mind to go back with Merrick to Toyah every time he went.
Shego slummed her shoulder in defeat at being back in Go City. She waited for Merrick to load himself down with his bags and she followed him around the truck to the front door of him home. Merrick stood at the front door for a minute trying to get his house key out of his pockets but his bags were in his way. Shego giggled at how funny Merrick was acting and she offered to help him. Merrick gave her a surprised look at first before he nodded his head to her. Shego blushed while she reached in Merrick's pockets and pulled the keys out for him. She tried to hand the keys to Merrick but he waved her to open the door. She did while she wondered why she felt happy over opening the door to Merrick's home.
After they were inside, Merrick told Shego to make herself at home while he went upstairs to get rid of his baggage. Shego laughed at Merrick staggering upstairs and when he was out of sight, she went into the living room and flopped down on the couch. She was grateful for Merrick letting her stay with him until she had to go home. She wasn't dreading it but she didn't want to get mad right now. Shego knew she would the second she stepped foot into the tower. Her argument with her brothers this time might cause her to leave for good. While Shego thought over the idea of leaving her brothers permanently, she wondered if she did, would Merrick let her move in with him until they got ready to leave Go City and never to return.
He might, all I have to do is ask. But before then I'll get my cut of the money Hego owes me, Shego thought while she wondered what was taking Merrick so long to get rid of his suitcases.
Shego waited a few minutes after her thought while she tapped her foot in impatience. She hated having to wait when there was no reason for it. When the waiting became too much for Shego, she got out of the couch and went to the stairs. She called out her pet name for Merrick but she didn't get a response. This was odd to Shego and she went upstairs to see what was the matter with Merrick. When she went into Merrick's room, she saw he was sitting at his desk, typing away at a keyboard in front of him. Shego called out the pet name again but Merrick acted like he didn't hear her. After Shego walked closer to Merrick, she saw he had earphones on and she could hear music she liked coming from Merrick. Shego giggled and shook her head at herself for changing Merrick. She slipped up behind Merrick and she saw what had his attention for the moment. A diagram of a odd looking jet engine with schematics that Merrick was changing while he stared at the screen. Shego narrowed her eyes at the diagram and she placed her hands on Merrick's shoulders.
The second Shego touched Merrick, he turned the monitor off. This was odd to Shego, it was as if he didn't want anyone to see what he was working on but she already saw the design and read some of the words he was typing. After a moment, Merrick lowered his chin to his chest and stayed quiet while he pulled the earphones off his head.
While being confused over the way Merrick was acting, Shego spoke up and said, "Mal, I'm sorry if I saw something you didn't want me to see but you never answered me, so I came up here to see where you were at."
"It's ok. I'm sorry too, Sheila, about not coming back down. I got side tracked by an idea that hit me and I had to get it on the computer before you saw what I was up to. I get embarrassed if someone sees my true intelligence," Merrick said while he lifted up his head and peeked back at Shego.
"Why is that," Shego asked softly while she squeezed Merrick's shoulders with her hands.
Merrick let out a chuckle and stated, "Well, if people saw the things I designed like you saw on the monitor, they might think I'm crazy because everything I design is ahead of its time."
"May I look at your designs," Shego questioned tenderly while she let go of Merrick and knelt down beside him.
Merrick let out a sigh and turned the monitor back on while he stated, "This I call the gargoyle. A vectoring jet that can got beyond any mach speed known right now. I actually built a model of it before I moved here and I tested it. Let's just say an acre of cactuses were blown away when gargoyle went into space---I bet some alien has it now."
"Why did you design it," Shego questioned while she was amazed at how intelligent Merrick was.
She knew he was fairly smart because of his grades in school and for him to be able to write at three. But to see Merrick able to design working invents ahead of there time, made Shego wondered how smart Merrick really was.
"For this," Merrick said while he changed designs on the monitor. A odd looking jet appeared on the monitor that had small triangle wings right at the cockpit and long, slender wing wings in the back that bent forward to the front of the plane.
"Sheila, I call this the Wyvern. Though, I don't know how to fly, I designed this plane for myself. I could never get the price down on this design in order to get it built. Just one of these cost around a billion. Doubled what I have all together. I might have to give the design to the military to get me a plane in return," Merrick said while he typed new schematics for the plane.
It took Shego a second to catch Merrick revealing how much he was worth.
The plane's a billion, Mal's worth a half of a billion. How in the world did he get that much money from an insurance claim, Shego though with astonishment.
"Mal, how can you have a half a billion from a life insurance," Shego asked with a surprised look.
"I didn't. When I was five I invest most of the money I got into companies I saw were going to be big in the future. In a couple of the companies, I get a thirty percent cut on all profits. One was a superstore chain that is rolling in dough now. It pays to be a smarty like I am," Merrick said with a grin while he changed designs on the monitor.
"Oh, so have you ever had an IQ test," Shego questioned while a design of a eight legged robot popped up on the screen.
"Nope, I was worried about being made into a lab rat for the people who tested me. Sheila, this I call Goliath, it was my first design. Designed it when I was ten. Not sure why I did but the idea of an all-terrain mech came to mind. This thing can go anywhere, even under water. It's has military purposes written all over it. Course, everything I designed, I hope will never be used to kill anyone," Merrick said while he typed on the keyboard for a minute before he changed designs again.
Shego was surprised by the next design because it was gloves just like the ones Merrick gave her for Christmas. She knew he was telling the truth about his father designing the ones she had but to see a second design, made Shego curious. She even squinted her eyes at the name Merrick gave the gloves.
"Why are those gloves called Plasmatic gauntlets," Shego questioned while she turned her look to Merrick, who was smiling.
"Well, don't get mad by this but this was the idea that hit me earlier. Your powers inspired me to design gloves like you got with a weaker version of your powers added to them. The design still have bugs in it, mainly because no such technology to date will let me create the plasma like you can," Merrick said happily while he turned the monitor off and spun his chair to face Shego.
"I'm not mad Mal, I'm more honored that you would design something after me. So, why did you design them for," Shego stated while she leaned in and hugged Merrick.
Merrick wrapped his arms around Shego's waist before he said, "Well, I wanted to help you guys out with crime fighting once. Just to see your world outside your normal life."
"Mal, it be too dangerous for you to tag along. We are experienced in dealing with criminals, you might get hurt," Shego said sadly while she leaned her head back from Merrick and looked him in the eyes.
Merrick slummed his shoulders and said dejectedly, "I know, besides I don't have the gauntlets. So, I couldn't help you guys if I could."
Shego let out a sigh at Merrick looking disappointed and she stated, "Tell you what, one night when there's not much going on, I let you tag along with me while I prowl around the city. If you lag behind or get lost, you're on your own."
Shego's statement caused Merrick to look happy again. He smiled at Shego for a second before he reached down in a drawer in his desk and he pulled out a key ring with a house key attached to it. Shego narrowed her eyes at the key for a second before she relaxed her look because of the realization of Merrick giving her a key to his home. It was the day Shego was waiting for, for Merrick to tell her, she could show up at his home anytime she pleased, even if he was home or not. Though Shego knew she would feel uncomfortable the first few times she came into his home without him being there, it would give her practice of being his wife. A word Shego was starting to like and it made her happy over the idea of being Merrick's. While Shego thought over the married life, the idea of getting her part of the money Hego was keeping from her came to her mind.
After Shego took the key from Merrick, she asked tenderly, "May I ask you to do a favor for me," while she spider walked one of her hands up his chest.
"You don't have to ask, all you got to do is tell me and if its doable, I'll do what you want me to do," Merrick said happily while he hugged Shego.
"Well, all I want is to know how much money is in Hego's bank account," Shego said slyly and she giggled at the look Merrick gave her.
"Do what," Merrick questioned with surprise.
"Hego's been putting money into an account for years. It's all of our money but Hego is the only that knows how much is in the account," Shego explained while she feared Merrick was thinking less of her because of his look.
Merrick looked at Shego for a second before he let out a sigh and stated, "So, a fifth of the money is yours. I'll feel bad about hacking into a bank account but I can if its not hard encrypted. The security system you guys got would be more of a challenge than a bank's files."
"So you'll do it," Shego said while she pleaded with her eyes.
"Yeah, I'll do it. So what you want me to do after I'm in," Merrick said with a halfhearted tone.
"Find out how much is in the account and transfer a fifth of the amount into my own account," Shego said with a smile at persuading Merrick with ease to do something for her.
"Well, ok. But I won't do it right now. I'll promise I'll get to it before the day's over and call you if your back home before then. So what's the bank's name," Merrick stated while he let go of Shego.
"Go Mutual. The account's under the name H. G. Realty," Shego said coyly while she felt the joy of Merrick not thinking less over her.
Shego finally left Merrick's home after she got him to agree to the hacking job and before she left she gave him a goodbye kiss. She promised him that she would come back later in the day if not sooner if her brothers get hostile over her leaving for a week. She decided to walk home and left her bike on Merrick's truck because she felt she wasn't ready to ride the thing on her own yet. Shego took her time to the tower because she knew what was coming. A badgering, scream fest over her leaving and dating Merrick. When the argument got to heated, Shego planned to storm right back out of the tower and go back to Merrick's. At least there, she didn't have to scream but talk softly. The days were ticking down for Shego to make up her mind to never return to the tower. Hopefully that day she will already have a new life. One were all the things she hated about the city would be washed away with her and Merrick moving away.
Shego went down the subway and ended up at the front door of the tower. She used her powers to open the door and went right inside like she never left. None of her brothers were at the table and that made Shego wonder where were they. She expected the fuss to start the second she went through the door. Instead, nothing was heard except her feet walking along the concrete floor. The silence was actually eerie to Shego. After Shego sat her bags down by the table, she called out her brothers names. She never got a response while she started to walk to the bedrooms. Shego looked in every one of her brothers' rooms and saw none of them.
After Shego made sure her brothers weren't in the tower, she went and checked to see if the jet was still at the tower. It was gone too. Shego couldn't figure out where he brothers where while she went back into the room with the round table. She sat down in her chair and thought over the possibilities. She knew there was no crime in progress because the siren would be going off. Before Shego finally decided to go out in the city to look for her brothers, a phone rang in her room. She jumped to her feet and ran to her room. When she answered the phone, she smiled for a second at it being Merrick before she told him about her brothers being gone.
Merrick chuckled and said, "I wouldn't worry about them. They'll be busy running around the city trying to stop fake crimes."
"What do you mean," Shego questioned while she started to get the idea Merrick had something to do with her brothers being gone.
"Well, I wanted to make sure I can hack into a system before I went at it with one that could get me locked up," Merrick said with laughter.
Shego laughed too about what Merrick done and she said, "Mal, you sure can be a bad boy when you want to," while she continued to laugh.
"Yep, the reason I'm calling you is, you never told me what name you wanted your account under," Merrick said over the phone while Shego heard him typing away on his keyboard.
Shego was amazed at what Merrick would do for her and she asked, "So, you trying to hack the account now?"
"Not trying, I'm already in it. Pretty simple really, think Henry needs to come up with better passwords. He had his full name backwards for the password," Merrick said happily.
Shego never thought of that. Hego, to her, seemed so simple with naming things that she thought the password was something basic like Go account.
Shego couldn't contain her excitement and she asked with enthusiasm, "Oh, well how much is in the account."
"Well, over half a mill. Just your part be well over a 100 thou," Merrick said after a second of silence.
"That's alot. As for my account, just put it in my real name," Shego said happily while she got ecstatic over having lots of money she would have access to.
"Done and done. I'm going to keep all of the money from going into the account at once. It would look suspicious," Merrick explained after Shego heard him typing at the keyboard again.
This was too exciting to Shego and she asked with glee, "So how much will be in my account if I went to the bank today."
After a second of silence over the phone, Merrick spoke up and said, "I'm starting you off with 10k and 10k a month will be injected into the account until rest of your money is in the account. Did something else too. Besides you, all of your brothers have a seperate account now. Whenever Henry puts any money into the account, the money will be split five ways and he'll never know about it because when he's checking the account, he'll see the amount that should be in there."
"Wow, thanks, Mal. You have earned yourself any reward you want. I mean anything," Shego said slyly and she meant what she said.
Not everyday to you get someone to commit a felony in the name of love and Shego knew that. Though she felt bad over using Merrick to get the money she deserved, she knew he did it by his own free will. All she did was ask and he said he would see to it.
"Well...umm, I only did it because you asked me too and because I love you," Merrick stammered out.
Shego giggled at the way Merrick sounded and she stated, "Don't worry, I meant what I said back in Toyah. I love you too but still I have to reward you for doing something so thoughtful. You name it and you can have it."
"I have to think about my---reward--- and I'll get back to you on that. Now I have to go fix lunch, I guess the next time I talk to you will be when you show up here," Merrick said right as Shego heard her brothers coming back into the tower.
Shego listened to her brothers mumbling about something and she giggled lightly before she said in a whisper, "Brothers back and you think about it because I'm going to keep ask you until you tell me. I'll see you later after my talk with my brothers."
"Alright, see you then and please keep your cool around them because I'll end up feeling the pain you wanted to do to them," Merrick said with laughter.
Shego knew what he meant about feeling pain. Whenever her brothers made her mad before her date with Merrick, she would take out her anger out on Merrick by nearly killing him with kisses. He never complained and even joked about it. After Merrick would catch his breathe, he would tell Shego that her brothers were trying to get rid him by using her to suffocate him to death with the kissing. She would laugh at the joke before she would again be used by her brothers to murder Merrick.
"Don't worry, Mal. If it gets to heated, I'll show up there sooner than I planned," Shego said slyly before they said their goodbyes and 'I love you' to one another.
Shego stayed in her room a long time after she got off the phone with Merrick. Though, Shego rather avoid the talk with her brothers, she actually for once looked forward to screaming at them. She had held her anger in check for months while she let Hego and Mego say their fill on what Merrick was like. Hego and Mego never tried to like Merrick. Shego knew they were jealous of her dating while they wanted to protect her. Shego could never get through to them about being wrong about Merrick. They would pass off her claims by saying she was just protecting someone she was in love with and she would say anything to protect Merrick. That kind of statement out of Hego or Mego would annoy Shego beyond anything because she would be telling the truth. She would stop talking and storm out of the tower. Her brothers wouldn't see her in the tower until the next day. Now, Shego could go to Merrick's anytime she wanted, she hoped her brothers would say something that would make her never come back to the tower. She hoped and prayed for that day.
Maybe today's the day, Shego thought when she finally decided it was time to get the talk over with.
She got off her bed and left her room with a purpose because she was on a mission. For far to long had she let people get in her and Merrick's way. Duncan was one of those people which she was going to deal with the next time he tried anything. Her brothers were going to get a ear full if they say what they usually say. Shego has had enough and it was time to put a stop to it. It was time they got it in their thick skulls that Shego wasn't going to listen to them and they were going to accept her and Merrick dating. If they continued to be as stubborn as they have always been then they would give Shego the best reason to never return to the tower.
Shego walked right into the room with the round table and she saw all her brothers had their backs turned to her while they looked down at the bags she left by the table. They didn't pay Shego any attention until she cleared her throat. Everyone of her brothers acted surprised while they turned to face her. They stared Shego down while Shego expected the argument would begin at any moment. However, it didn't until the Wegoes made an exit out of the room. Shego watched them leave before she even looked back at her older brothers.
"Where in the world have you been," Hego questioned the second Shego was looking at him and Mego again.
"Toyah, Texas," Shego said flatly.
Hego looked confused at Shego's answer and he stated, "Ok? Why did you leave all of the sudden," while he used his fatherly tone.
Shego hated when Hego sounded like he just did and she shook her head while she walked over to her chair at the table. Her brothers watched her the whole way to her chair while they waited on Shego to answer Hego.
After Shego was seated, she explained, "Because Mal wanted me to go with him to his hometown."
"Do what? You mean you were gone a whole week with him. I hope you two weren't alone," Mego exclaimed while he looked back at Hego.
"Yep, a whole week and we weren't always alone," Shego stated while she propped up her head with one of her hands.
So it begins, Shego thought while she started to shake her head.
Mego let out an annoyed groan before he stated, "I knew he was nothing but trouble. Ever since he showed up, he has talked you into nearly anything."
"He has not! He asked me to go and I told him I couldn't. I made the decision to go, he didn't talk me into anything," Shego stated nearly at the top of her voice.
"Sure, and I bet he didn't talk you into anything while you two were there. I just hope you were at least responsible because I doubt---Mal---can be," Mego stated with a matching raised voice.
Shego narrowed her eyes at Mego for a second before she jumped out of her chair and screamed at her brothers, "That's it! I have had enough of you two bad mouthing him! You two can't stand me dating! I want to be a normal teenager doing normal teenager stuff! I don't want to be cooped up in this tower the rest of my life! I gotten a chance to live the normal life and you two can't stand it! Never, hear me, never say anything else bad about Mal or so help me, you both be sorry!"
Shego's brothers were stunned by her outburst and they stared at her with speechless looks. She looked at them for a second before she walked by them and left the tower. The feeling of telling her brothers off, made Shego feel like she had less weight on her shoulders. But she didn't say enough. She would when she came back into the tower. For now, Shego was going back to Merrick's and spend the rest of the day with him. If she went out prowling around the city after her visit to Merrick's, she might even let him tag along with her while she went prowling around the city.
That be some date, wonder what Mal would look like in a Go suit. I might find out, Shego thought while the anger her brothers caused subsided.
Shego didn't go straight to Merrick's home. Instead, she made a side trip to Go Mutual. For once, Shego was going to pay for everything on the date she expected for the night. She never could spend much because of the meager allowance she got each week. Shego could have gotten a job to get more money but the way she was around annoying people, Shego knew she would have gotten fired. Now that she had money, thanks to Merrick, she could spend money just like Merrick has been doing on their dates. It was going to be Shego way of showing Merrick she wasn't after his money and to thank him for what he did. The more she thought about what Merrick did for her while on her walk to the bank, the more Shego wanted to thank Merrick. She meant anything for his reward though something were off limits. They weren't about to have another episode of Toyah unless Merrick asked for such a reward. Shego doubted he would because what they did was always the last thing on Merrick's mind and she knew she would have to cause the events again because Merrick would respect her wishes.
When Shego got to the bank, she walked right up to the first teller she saw and she told the teller the amount of money she wanted to withdraw. There was a minute of nervousness for Shego because the teller called over the bank manager to look at Shego's account. After a moment, the bank manager left and all the teller asked for was a prove of identity. Shego gave the teller a nervous smile and pulled out her driver license, which she was able to get finally after Merrick taught her how to drive. The teller looked over the license and her account for a moment before she gave Shego her license back along with the money she wanted to withdraw.
While Shego walked out of the bank, she felt like she just stole money from her brother and she liked the feeling. Though the money was hers by what Hego said, Shego still felt Hego was holding the money for himself. She didn't care now what the truth was because she had gotten her share of the money and she was going to use some of it on her date with Merrick to thank him for giving her more freedom. She might even take her bike for a spin around the city now that she had money to kept it going.
When Shego got to Merrick's home, she knocked on the front door several times and never got a response. She figured Merrick was back on the computer and she tried the door knob. It was locked and it being locked told Shego, Merrick was gone somewhere. Shego looked up the sidewalk both ways and she didn't see Merrick. She wasn't about to go back to the tower for awhile and she made up her mind to try the house key Merrick gave her. After Shego was inside the home alone, she locked the front door behind her and she started walking around in the home. By Merrick giving her the key, he had told her, she was welcome to go into any part of the home, which she did. Shego went into every room on the first floor to keep from getting bored. She wasn't exactly snooping but since she was in the home alone, she ended up prowling around. Shego was amazed at all the things Merrick left laying around that a thief would have pocketed long after she spotted them. She figured he felt the same way about Go City like he did about Toyah. If it got stolen he could replace it if he wanted to.
After Shego got bored with walking around in the downstairs rooms, she went upstairs. The only rooms Shego could explore upstairs was Merrick and his dad's bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Shego walked right by Merrick's room and headed for his dad's. When she was in the bedroom, she saw that the only things in the room was a bed and a safe. Shego knew why the bedroom was so basic. Merrick's father never stayed at home like he did all of Merrick's life. The thing that stood out to Shego was the safe. Merrick's father told her indirectly on Merrick's birthday that he kept things he invented in it and Shego was curious what else was in it. She wasn't about to try to crack the combination because knowing the Lawsons, she figured it would have a fail safe on it somewhere.
Shego finally got bored with standing in the doorway that led into the bedroom. She turned around and went right into Merrick's room. She had been in Merrick's room several times already but she never had a chance to look around inside it. Shego took the chance she had and explored every dresser and Merrick's closet. After Shego looked around in Merrick's closet, she sat down in his office chair and thought over all she seen in the home. There was one place she hadn't look in yet and that was Merrick's computer. She spun the chair around and moved the mouse to get Merrick's screen saver off. Shego looked at the icons on the desktop for a second until an icon named, "My journal version two," caught her eye.
He has a second version, Shego questioned quietly to herself while she clicked on the icon.
Shego couldn't access the file because Merrick had added a password to it and this made Shego curious about why he wanted his second journal secret. She tried anything she thought Merrick would use for a password but none of them worked. A notion finally came to Shego and she typed in the maiden name for Merrick's mother. It was accepted and a windows popped up that was a list of hundreds of entries that Merrick had titled differently for each entry. Shego went wide-eyed at the list while she scrolled down the endless number of entries and she saw why Merrick wanted to keep the file locked up with a password.
While Shego looked over the entries, she thought, Well, Mal's been busy. I wonder if this is his entire life.
Finally, Shego picked out the very last entry that was numbered 6205 and it was titled, "The Best Day of My Life." When the entry came up on the screen, Shego looked at the date and she noticed Merrick had just added the entry that day. This made Shego curious about the entry's title and she started reading the entry.
June 22,
Sheila has just left. I fought the urge the whole time she was here to hug her to death. On our trip to Toyah, I finally found what I been searching for. A black hair, green eyes that loves me for me. I still feel bad about making her cry over me having such a stupid misunderstanding. She was having the same thoughts I was having. It took her finding out about my thoughts for her to share hers. I can't describe how I am feeling right now. I hoped and prayed for years for a girl like Sheila. She makes me happy all of the time even when I don't show it and even when she's not here. I'm working on sharing my feelings to her. I need to because she left herself out there with the journal entry she put in my journal back in Toyah. I never had anyone before Sheila that I wanted to say I love more than anything. The way she makes me feel, makes me want to scream out my love for her anywhere I go. But I don't. I just might on the day I trade that emerald for a diamond though. Talking about being nervous. I been thinking about how I would ask her since she started wearing the ring I gave her. I don't want it to be sudden but instead in a place and time that will make us both remember. I want it to be one of the best days of my life, if not the best.
I still wonder how come I am so worried sick over the simple task. Maybe its just the fear of rejection. I doubt she would because I know she was sincere with telling me that she would wear the emerald until I got her something better. That told me, she wanted me to ask her. Maybe I'm just nervous over the fact that I been alone most of my life. It be a major change to have anyone around me all of the time. But I wouldn't mind the nervousness if its Sheila that's with me all of the time.
Mal (The pet name Sheila gave me, which I love her calling me now and she is the only one I want to call me that.)
Shego didn't have time to even think over what Merrick typed in his entry because the second she was finished reading it, she heard the front door open and closed. Hearing this, caused Shego to panic. She exited the journal and tried to get the screen saver back on the monitor as fast as she could. Before she could get the screen saver back on, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Shego jumped out of the chair and looked frantically around the room for a place to hide. The only option she seen was Merrick's closet and she raced to it. Right as she closed the closet door behind her, she heard the footsteps come into Merrick's room. Shego sat in the closet and listened to whoever was in Merrick's room, walk to his desk and sat down in the office chair. When the room went quiet, Shego eased the closet door open until she could see who was in the room. She had to keep herself from giggling at Merrick sitting right where she was moments ago. Shego thought up an idea to scare Merrick the second he got up to leave his room. She decided to wait Merrick out by sitting down in the closet and spy on him until she got the chance to jumped out of the closet to frighten him. Though she wasn't sure she could because he seemed extremely fearless about most things.
While Shego sat in the closet and watched Merrick's backside, she saw him pulling out electronic parts from a box he had sitting on the desk in front of him. This made Shego wonder what he was up to until she saw Merrick pull out a pair of black, welder gloves. Shego only shook her head at Merrick building a pair of gloves like the ones he designed. She watched him work through the process of making the gloves and it surprised Shego that Merrick was working without ever looking at his blueprints.
After Merrick was finished with the gloves, Shego watched him slid the gloves on and make clenched fists. A moment later, Shego saw Merrick's hands glow a bright white color and she heard him chuckling. At the sight of Merrick's hands glowing, Shego gasped at quiet as she could over seeing someone recreate her own powers and she looked down at her own hands. She couldn't understand how Merrick was about to recreate something unnatural in the world and she looked back at Merrick. When Shego returned her look to Merrick, she noticed he had swivelled in his chair and was looking right at her. Merrick looking back at her, frighten Shego while she stared back at Merrick from the shadows of the closet. She didn't say a word and she hoped he was just looking at something near the closet.
However, Merrick crashed Shego's hopes by asking, "Well, Sheila. What do you think," while he held his hands up and made his hands glow again.
Shego went speechless at Merrick knowing she was there and she finally stammered out in a nervous voice, "How did you know I was in here?"
"I know your excited breathing anywhere," Merrick stated with a smile while his hands went out.
Shego let out a laugh and opened the closet door to let Merrick see her. She stared at Merrick with a scared look for a moment before she smiled and said, "I was hoping to scare you but you did me instead."
Merrick chuckled and waved her to get out of the closet. After Shego shook her head in disbelief, she flashed him another smile before she stood up and walked over to his bed. She sat down on the bed beside Merrick and just stared at him. He had just proved she couldn't fool him nor trick him. She made a note to someday outsmart Merrick, that if she could because she really wasn't sure she could outsmart someone who just recreated her powers in front of her.
After a moment of the couple staring at one another, Merrick held out his gloved hands to Shego while he stated, "You still haven't told me what you think about my invention."
"Well, even though you now got powers like me, I still meant it was too dangerous for you to tag along with me and my---brothers," Shego said while she felt of Merrick's gloves.
She could feel every electronic device Merrick packed into the gloves and she wondered how was he able to even fit everything, she saw him handling, into the leather gloves. She gave up on trying to figure it out because she knew only Merrick knew what he did.
Merrick watched Shego feel of his gloves for a moment before he stated, "So, you guys had a fight? I was afraid that would happen."
"Yep, and I finally told them off because Melvin had the nerve to say you can talk me into anything. I think they won't annoy me anymore about you. So, you were gone shopping while I showed up," Shego explained while she let go of Merrick's hands and wrapped her arms around Merrick's neck.
"Kinda. I went for my usual run around the city before I had to make an appointment," Merrick stated while Shego started to lay her head on his shoulder.
Shego raised her head back up and questioned, "Appointment?"
"Yeah, I got a confession to make. I been doing something you didn't know about," Merrick said which got Shego to narrow her eyes at him.
"And," Shego asked sternly while she kept narrowing her eyes at Merrick.
Merrick chuckled at the look Shego was giving him and he said, "Sheila, it's nothing for you to be concerned about. I felt sorry for the less fortunate the day I met you. So, I been donating some time and money down at the homeless shelter along with giving hand outs to any homeless person I come across on my runs. I know some of them will buy booze with the money but it's their money now and they can spend it anyway they want."
"Mal, when will you stop surprising me with you being like you are," Shego questioned while her concerned look relaxed into a smile.
Merrick smiled back at Shego and shrugged his shoulders while he said, "That I don't know. Probably not."
"Oh, well that's good. So, have you thought up your reward for what you did for me," Shego stated happily while she hugged Merrick's neck to the point she was choking him.
Merrick reached up a hand to relax Shego's grip around his neck and when Shego let up on her hug, he said, "No I haven't. You don't owe me anything. I did what I did because you wanted me to."
"Your going to get a reward even if you don't want one. When we go out tonight I'm paying and don't even try to chance my mind," Shego said while she looked at Merrick with a stern look.
"But---" was all Merrick could say before Shego hugged him again, causing him to lose his speech.
"I said don't even try and I meant it," Shego commanded while she let up her grip on Merrick.
Merrick only nodded to Shego and wrapped his arms around her waist. They held their embrace for a moment until Shego got off the bed and straddled Merrick's lap. She looked him right in the eyes before she placed a kiss on his lips, which resulted in they making out. The kissing only lasted for a minute because Shego pulled away and lean her head to Merrick's ear.
Shego breathed in Merrick's ear for a second before she whispered in his ear, "Mal, I want to fool around," and nipped his ear with her teeth.
An hour later, the couple was in the living room while they laid in the couch watching TV. They weren't paying much attention to what was on TV because they were laying there staring into one another's eyes without saying a word. The only movement seen out of the couple was Shego occasionally nuzzling her head against Merrick's chest while she laid on him.
Finally, after a few minutes, Shego broke the silence by letting out a sigh of content before she said tenderly, "Mal, were did you learn how to...you know."
"Well, Sara told me about it and she explained to me how to go about pleasing a woman that way if I ever got the opportunity," Merrick stammered out while his face turned a shade of red for a second.
Shego let out a giggle over Merrick being embarrassed and she stated, "If I see her again, I'm going to thank her for teaching you such wonderful tricks."
The room went quiet again for a moment before Merrick asked, "How come you did what you did up there," while he hugged Shego harder.
Shego cut her eyes at Merrick and flashed a smile at him before she explained, "I wanted to try it once, just to see what it was like after you did what you did. You were brave, I had to be too."
"And," Merrick questioned slyly.
"Don't expect it all of the time, but if you continue to please me, I might reconsider," Shego said matching Merrick's tone.
Merrick shrugged his shoulders and stated with a smile on his face, "Fine by me but that sounds one sided to me."
"Well, I still don't want to fool around all of the time. Every once in awhile is all I like to happen for now," Shego said while she rubbed Merrick's face with one of her hands.
"That's still alright with me, you will have to make it happen because I won't insist on it. So, when your ok with it, I am too," Merrick said while he hugged Shego again.
Shego stopped rubbing Merrick's face and smiled at him before she said tenderly, "I know. Besides, I still have to reward you anyway I can think of until you ask for your reward. What I did earlier was just one of the rewards I thought up and I could tell you liked that reward."
Merrick nodded his head and said, "That I did," which caused Shego and him both to laugh lightly.
The couple went back silence in speech but they continued to laugh softly off and on until Merrick went completely silent. After a moment of Merrick not making a sound, Shego raised her head up and looked at him. She smiled at him being asleep and she laid her head back on his chest to let his heart sing her to sleep in his arms.
Shego woke startled in the pitch black living room with the only light shown was coming from the TV they left on. After Shego's mind woke up, she realized it was already dark outside and she and Merrick had been sleeping on the couch for hours. She looked around the room for a moment before she stretched and yawned. While she stretched, Shego felt her hands and knees pressing into soft spots on Merrick. Shego giggled at Merrick not waking while she was doing this and she looked up at his face appearing and disappearing while the TV changed commercials. She smiled at his sleeping face and wondered what he was dreaming about because of the smile on his face. Seeing him smiling caused Shego to smile while she climbed up Merrick so she would be looking down at Merrick's face. She kissed him on the cheek which didn't get a response out of him. An idea came to Shego while she studied Merrick's sleeping face. She flashed him an evil grin before she planted a kiss on his lips and she started to French kiss him. Shego giggled at Merrick stirring in his sleep and his eyes popped open, looking right back into Shego's eyes while she kissed him. Merrick tried to say something that tickled Shego's tongue and she stopped kissing him while she giggled. After Shego stopped giggling, she asked Merrick what he was trying to say.
"I was trying to ask, do you want to get out of here and go do something," Merrick explained softly while he pressed Shego into him with his arms still wrapped around her.
Shego leaned her head to Merrick's ear and whispered, "Sure, but you have to let go of me so I can get up," which caused Merrick to shake his head and he hug her harder.
"Alright then, if you don't let go of me, I'm going to bite this ear," Shego whispered slyly which caused Merrick to unwrap his arms around Shego.
Shego laughed at Merrick letting go of her and she said in a suductive tone, "That's right, once for the day was enough. But step lightly, I'll bite that ear when you least expect it."
Merrick only chuckled at Shego be fiesty with him and he sat up in the couch after Shego was off of him. After Merrick was sitting up right, Shego took him by the hand and pulled him out of the couch. When she had him standing, she started leading him to the floor door. But before they could leave, a dull, whining sound started coming from upstairs. At hearing the sound, Merrick let go of Shego's hand and raced upstairs. The way Merrick was acting, confused Shego and she walked up the stairs after Merrick. When she got into Merrick's room, she pinpointed the sound was coming from Merrick's computer while the monitor's screen flashed. While she walked to Merrick sitting in front of the computer, she narrowed her eyes at all the monitor showing a live feed from the inside of a bank.
"What's going on," Shego questioned while she felt more puzzled over the strange event.
Merrick typed away on his keyboard for a moment before he looked over his shoulder and said, "I kinda tapped into Go Tower's alarm system and implanted a way for me to know when a crime's going down."
"A real crime's in progress? Mal, I'm sorry I have to go," Shego stated sadly while she turned and started rushing out of the room.
"I understand. I see you later," Merrick said while he pivoted in his chair to watch Shego leave.
Shego stopped in the doorway and said with disappointment, "Mal, I'm sorry I have to leave. I promise after this over, I'll come right back here and we'll go out somewhere."
"It's ok, Sheila. I'll be waiting for you after you guys foil that crime," Merrick said softly while he waved Shego to go on and she nodded to him before she slipped out of sight.
Shego raced out of Merrick's home and ran all the way to the tower. She knew her brothers would be at the crime scene by the time she got there but she couldn't show up looking like a normal girl. Shego knew a day would come that she would ride her bike but for now she had to make do with her two legs. After it seemed forever, Shego managed to run all the way to the tower and change. She just hoped her delay didn't cost someone else there life. Her legs were aching from the overexertion she put her legs through just to get to the tower. Now she had to do the same feat to get to the crime.
When Shego got to the crime, her legs were on fire with pain but she had a job to do. Upon coming within sight of the bank being robbed, Shego saw the police had it surrounded and she spotted her brothers standing with the police chief. Gritting her teeth, Shego ran to where her brothers were while her legs throbbed and when they saw her, her older brothers gave her a sour look. She shrugged off their looks and walked right up the chief and asked him what was going on. The old man explained the situation was that four armed gunmen tried to rob the bank but the bank's alarm sounded the police. By the time the robbers got the money they were after, the police showed up and enclosed the bank. Now the gunmen had taken the tellers hostage and were demanding either the police pull out or let them escape before they had to shoot the hostages.
"We got only two options, either let them go or storm the place with the SWAT team," the chief said while he held a radio inches fom his ear.
Shego looked at the old man for a second before she peered at the bank while she stated, "Neither one is good. If the SWAT goes in, you'll get people killed and if you let them go, they'll just take hostages with them."
"So what do you suggest young lady," the old man questioned while he looked around at the police.
"Us. We can slip around to the back of the bank and take them by surprise. If we fail, you can always go back to plan A," Shego said while she looked back at her brothers.
"I hope you got something planned, sis," Mego said while he shook his head.
"We did this before, now lets get going," Shego commanded while she waved her brothers to follow her.
Shego took off running through the shadows around the bank and running didn't help her legs feel any better. While she ran, she listened back behind her to hear if her brothers were going along with her plan. They were because she heard the footsteps following along behind her. The team slipped around to the back of the bank and were amazed how easy it was to enter the unlocked back door of the bank.
After they were inside, the team split up into teams of two with Shego being the odd woman out. She didn't mind being alone because it was a regular occurance for her. She was always alone in their crime fighting and usually the one that save the day. After a few moments, the team converged at the front of the bank. They weren't seen by the gunmen, who were still watching the police out front. Before the gunmen knew what happened, two of them were sent flying across the room by jade darts and another disappeared under a table that struck him. The second the last standing robber saw his comrades out of commission, he surrendered to the unseen people attacking them and he held his hands up at the sight of Team Go coming out of the wood works. Hego walked right up to the man and picked him up off the ground. While Hego had him in the air, he said on of his lame one liners and the rest of the team shook their head behind Hego's back.
While the team were transfixed to the robber in Hego's hands, one of the robbers, that got blasted by Shego's plasma, had came to and was slipping up behind the team with a drawn pistol in his hands. Right as the robber got to the team, he cocked the hammer back on his gun. At the sound of the gun being cocked, the team spun around and froze where they were at the sight of the robber having them at gun point while his pistol was aimed right at Shego's head. Before the robber could pull the trigger, the bank lit up in a bright, white light and in the next instance, the robber was knocked across the room by a pallid arrow. The team watched the robber fly into the bank tellers' counter and slid to the floor unconscious. After he went still, the team looked toward the source of the white light. Standing at the front door of the bank was a man cladded in a solid black jumpsuit with a black ski mask covering his face while his hands were seen as the cause of the white light.
The sight of another person with Go powers amazed Shego's brothers and they were showing it by the looks on their faces but Shego knew right away who the man was and he had no Go powers. After the figure's hands went out, Team Go started walking to him while Hego held onto the only conscious robber. Shego's brothers were staring at the man's hands with surprise while Shego stared at his eyes. Even with the mask, the sky blue eyes gave away who he was and Merrick couldn't fool her like he was doing her brothers. When Shego's brothers weren't paying attention, Merrick winked at Shego and she smiled at him while she walked behind her brothers.
After Hego was to Merrick, he said with amazement, "I thought there were only five of us."
"I don't know what your talking about, I'm the only one of my kind," Merrick said while he hide his accent which caused Shego to shake her head while she grinned at Merrick.
"No, I meant this," Hego said while his hands lit up blue.
"I see," was all Merrick said with fake amazement while he looked at Hego's glowing hands.
"What's your name and where you from," one of the Wegoes asked with excitement.
Merrick looked at the twins for a second before he said, "I'm Lawless and I'm not from here. I moved here months ago."
"Lawless," Mego questioned while he narrowed his eyes from the confusion.
"From where I'm from, there's no laws and I live by the saw rules," Merrick said while he cocked his head to one side and looked at Mego.
"Since you got Go powers just like Shego, would you mind joining the team," Hego asked while he looked back at Shego for a second.
Merrick turned his look to Shego too while he stated, "Shego? So, that's the name of that beautiful lady there."
Shego blushed at Merrick calling her beautiful and Shego said tenderly, "Thank you."
"Your welcome, my lady. And to answer your question, no. I work alone but I might show up from time to time to help you guys," Merrick said while he made sure Shego's brothers weren't looking him before he winked at Shego again.
"Well, that's a shame. But thank you for your assistance," Hego stated with disappointment.
"Yeah, well I got to go," Merrick said while he turned to leave the bank.
"May I ask one thing, may we see your real face," Mego asked while he narrowed his eyes at Merrick's backside.
"Nope, maybe in time you will know who I am but for now I got other matters to deal with," Merrick said before he slipped out the bank and out of sight.
After Merrick was gone, Shego's brothers started talking about how amazed they were to find out there was another one of them in the world and they hoped to see more of 'Lawless.' Shego said nothing about Merrick showing up but she was so happy with Merrick coming to her aid. She had always wondered if Merrick would save her life again and now she saw he would. That very idea concreted her love for him, just to see him risk injury to keep her safe. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if Merrick didn't show. The way her legs hurt and throbbed, Shego doubted she would have been able to prevent anything from happening. While Shego thought over how happy she was for what Merrick did, she listened to her brothers talk about him. It was the first time she ever heard her older brothers say something nice about Merrick and she liked them talking about Merrick like they were. Course, she knew that would change if they ever found out who 'Lawless' really was.
While they left the bank, Shego's brothers continued the talk about Merrick. Her older brothers even had the nerve to tell Shego she should dump Merrick for 'Lawless.' She on most laughed in Hego and Mego's faces over not knowing she was already dating the same person. But Hego and Mego continued to suggest dumping Merrick and Shego finally told them, she wouldn't dump Merrick even if 'Lawless' was just like Merrick. Her statement caused both her older brothers to hope out loud that 'Lawless' wasn't like Merrick. Their outbursts caused Shego to laugh and after she finished laughing at her brothers having no clue, she told them, she was going to go see what Merrick was up to. Hego and Mego let out groans over her going to Merrick's but her threat earlier kept them from saying to much.
Shego walked slowly to Merrick's because her legs felt like they were about to fall off. Before she even got half way to Merrick's, she was stopped by the sound of someone clearing his throat in a shadow beside her. Shego got ready to fight but she relaxed at hearing a fimiliar chuckle come from the shadow. When Shego flashed a smile at the shadow, Merrick walked out into view with his 'Lawless' suit still on. Shego shook her head at him still dressed up and she limped over to him. She noticed Merrick's eyes changed to a puzzled look at her limping but she waved him off and told him that she was just sore from all the running. Merrick chuckled and asked her did she want him to carry her.
"Yep, straight to your home so you can give me a massage," Shego stated while she gave Merrick a sheepish grin.
"Well, ok but wouldn't it be odd for two crime fighters to go into my home," Merrick said in the same voice he was using around her brothers.
"Who said you were a crime fighter yet? Besides, I really don't want you to give me a massage right here on the sidewalk," Shego said while she propped herself on Merrick's shoulder.
"I understand, so tell you what. I'll carry you to my truck and I drive you to the subway then carry you to the tower. While your changing, I'll head back to my truck to change and come back to the tower to carry you back to my truck," Merrick said while he knelt down and placed an arm behind Shego's knees and his other behind her shoulder.
While Merrick lifted her off the ground and she wrapped her arms around his neck, Shego said, "That's fine with me as long as my brothers down catch you carrying me. I want it to last as long as possible before they find out your Mal."
Merrick only nodded to her statement while he carried her up the empty sidewalk. After several mintues, the couple made it to Merrick's home and Shego decided Merrick's plan was to long of a wait for her to get relief from her legs hurting. She persuaded Merrick to go right into his home and she giggled at him listening to her. After they were inside, Shego instructed him to lay her on the couch and get to work on her legs, which he did, that resulted in Shego getting a full body massage while she only wore her under clothes. After the massage, Shego rolled onto her back and pulled Merrick to her. She looked into his eyes for a moment before she pulled his mask off and planted a kiss on his lips, which resulted in them making out.
Shego broke off the kissing after a moment and whispered, "I want to thank you for what you did tonight and for the great massage."
"You don't have to. I know your grateful," Merrick stated while Shego let go of him and sat up in the couch.
"Yes, and let me show you," Shego stated while she stood up and took Merrick by the hand.
She looked down at Merrick still kneeling in floor and she giggled at him looking scared while she pulled him to his feet. After he was standing, Shego started leading him to the stairs. But before they got to the stairs, Merrick stopped them by pulling back on Shego's hand. This surprised Shego and she looked back at Merrick shaking his head.
Shego let out a sigh and said, "Don't worry, Mal. We're not going to. I just want to do what we did earlier and I'll bite that ear to make it happen."
Merrick relaxed at what Shego said and he took in a deep breathe before he let her led him to the stairs and up them. An hour later, the couple came back down stairs while they looked totally relaxed. Shego let go of Merrick's hand at the doorway and left him standing there while she went into the living room. She giggled some at Merrick watching her while she walked over to her jump suit and started to put it on her. She didn't want to leave but she knew she had to. The dread of going home ate at Shego and she wished she could stay with Merrick. Just to fall asleep in his arms once again but she couldn't, though she knew she could if she asked him to let her.
After Shego was dressed, she walked back over to Merrick and wrapped her arms around his neck. She flashed him a smile and kissed him which caused them to start making out but Shego stopped them and stated they have had enough for one day. Merrick nodded his head to her statement and gave her a sheepish grin that caused Shego to slap his chest and her to shake her head at him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I cause it and I been doing a good job of it today," Shego said slyly while she stopped shaking her head and hugged Merrick.
"True, now are you finished with rewarding me," Merrick said in his 'Lawless' voice.
"I like your real voice more and no, I haven't until you tell me what you want as a reward. Tomorrow, I'm going to make up the date we missed tonight and for all of the others I had to cancel. We're going to have a day long date and we're going to do anything you want to do while I pay for it," Shego said and she smiled at Merrick giving her a look that told her, he didn't want her to spend her money.
Merrick let out a sigh at Shego smiling at him and he said, "Just this once you can pay for everything but after that I pick up the tab."
"Alright, as for now. I got to go," Shego said while she unwrapped her arms around Merrick and led him to the door.
They stood there for a moment until Shego gave Merrick a goodbye kiss. She leaned back from Merrick and stared into his eyes before she slipped out of the door.
The next morning, Shego got up bright and early. She got dressed in cloths she knew she be comfortable in all day. She went straight to Merrick's home and she had to unlock the front door herself because she never got a response out of Merrick. After she was inside the home, she called out her pet name for Merrick and she heard him answer her from upstairs. When Shego came into Merrick's room, she didn't see him but she heard running water. Shego giggled at the idea of pretending to accidently walk in on Merrick taking a shower but she didn't. Instead she knocked on the bathroom door and asked Merrick did he need any help. The response she got out of Merrick was him laughing neverously and him then stating that he believed he could manage alone.
"Suit yourself, I might have given you a massage in return," Shego told Merrick through the door.
Shego heard Merrick laugh again and she pretended to try and open the door. She giggled at hearing Merrick turn the water off and get out of the shower before he locked the door. Before Merrick got back in the shower, Shego heard him say that she couldn't get in now.
Shego busted out in laughter and while she laughed, she said, "Umm, Mal, I could blow this door down if I wanted to."
She heard Merrick bust out in laughter before he started humming the same sad tone she heard him humming back in Toyah. After Shego listened to Merrick humming in the shower for a moment, she got bored with standing at the door and she went to his office chair to sit down. After she was seated, she spun the chair around to face the desk. She hoped Merrick would give her enough time to look at any journal entries. The second she caused the screen saver to go off, she saw the message, "Sheila, read all you want of my journal."
After she read the message, Shego snapped her head back at the bathroom door. She was surprised and scared at once. He knew she read in his journal but she couldn't figure out how he knew. She gave up trying to figure it out and accessed Merrick's journal because he said she could. After she looked over all the entries, she noticed Merrick added a new entry since she had been in the file. The only thing that made it stand out was the title, "Spilling My Guts." Shego took that as a hint that Merrick was finally revealing his entire feelings to her and she accessed the entry in a hopes that he was.
June, 23
I can't sleep. I thought I could after Sheila left. I know why I can't sleep. After what happened tonight at the bank, I'm worried sick about something happening to Sheila. I truly care about her. She knows I do and I know she feels the same way about me. It goes hand and hand when people get emotionally attached, which I am now with Sheila. I love her to death, care about her more than I let on, thrive to make her happy whenever I am around. I wasn't sure why I was creating an account for her at first but now I know why. I love her. That's plain to see but to love her to the point that I ran out of here after she did to make sure she was safe, was a kind of love I thought I never have. A kind of love that I thought was a myth.
She said in the journal entry she added to my journal back home that she thinks I am her soul mate. I am feeling the same way about her. Such a belief I always thought was fake and untrue. I always figured that if I had a soul mate then she be just like I was. Alone and depressed. Sheila wasn't that the first day I met her. No, she was independent and strong. Very strong willed, which I love. If she sets her mind to something, she's going to do it even if its just between her and me. She knows what to say to make me change how I am feeling. She's not even trying to change my feelings but she does. She comforts me and I love her just being there for me. Just to hold her in my arms makes me the happiest person around. The feelings she causes in me by her kiss is very hard to describe. But I can say I love the feelings. Her hugs, her words, her laughter, her voice makes my day. I could go all day with just staring in her green eyes. I actually go into a dream state by staring into them.
If there's such a thing as soul mates. I would say Sheila's mine and that's why I'm worried sick over something happening to her. She has caused me to feel again. Love and be happy. Two things I haven't felt in a very long time. But she causes those feeling just at the sight of her or when I hear her voice. Yes, I think Sheila could be my soul mate.
Mal
After Shego finished the entry, she about teared up over Merrick typing in the journal that he thought she was his soul mate. Ever since she let Merrick read the entry she wrote, she wondered if Merrick felt the same way about her. She never asked him because she wanted him to come out at tell her. Now that Merrick had admitted he thought she was his soul mate through a journal entry, Shego was truly happy from knowing what Merrick thought about her. He never told her in person but she didn't mind as long as he would in notes and journal entries. Those she could read at anytime and anywhere. They could remind Shego of the one wish she longed for to come true and now she was living that wish.
While Shego exited the entry and started spying others to read, Merrick came out of the bathroom and slipped up behind Shego, who was mesmerized with Merrick's extremely long journal. She was so in turn with finding another entry that she didn't even pay attention to what Merrick said to her. Right as a journal entry caught Shego's eyes, she felt Merrick place his hands on her shoulders and him starting to give her shoulders a massage. Shego let out a sigh and felt like she was going to melt in the chair at Merrick's touch. Instead, she got relaxed in the chair and opened the entry she picked out. While she read the entry, she got somnolent under Merrick's hands and she started to nod off to sleep. She would snap her head back up and continue to read the entry. After Shego snapped her head back up a few times, she heard Merrick chuckle softly behind her and she flashed a relaxed smile at the monitor while he continued to knead her shoulders until she finished the entry.
Right she finished with the entry, Merrick took his hands off of Shego's shoulders and she pivoted the chair around to face him. While she looked up at Merrick, Shego gave him an evil grin and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. She pulled him roughly to her and she planted a kiss on his lips. After the kiss, Shego let go of Merrick's shirt collar while she told him that was for the massage. Merrick only chuckled at the way Shego thanked him.
Shego cut her eyes at Merrick chuckling and after he was finished, Shego stated, "If it was like the one last night, I would have thanked you like I did last night."
"Fine by me, you ready to go," Merrick said while he sat down on his bed.
"We'll go after you explain how you knew I looked at your journal yesterday," Shego stated while she pointed at the monitor behind her.
Merrick chuckled and explained, "Well, your smart enough to crack the password but everytime I access the file, it's stored in the memory. I didn't go into my journal twice yesterday. Knowing you were here alone, I figured you looked at it."
"Oh, well there's no fooling you and I'm sorry if you didn't want me looking at the journal," Shego stated while she lowered her eyes from Merrick.
"I said I didn't want any secrets between us, feel free to read the second journal too. I have an entry for everyday of my life since I was three in that journal. So, if you want to know everything about my life, that journal would be a good place to start," Merrick said softly while he slid off the bed and knelt in front of Shego.
Shego let out a soft laugh before she looked back at Merrick while she said, "Mal, you're too good to me."
"I would say the same for you. Now, are you ready to get out of here and do something. Remember, your paying," Merrick stated while he took Shego by the hand and helped her get out of the office chair.
"Yeah, I know," Shego said with a giggle while Merrick led her out of his room.
Before they left, Merrick picked up a backpack that was laying beside the front door and slung it on his back. Shego had to ask him what it was for. All Merrick told her was to look inside the backpack to find out. When Shego did, she shook her head at Merrick lugging around his 'Lawless' suit and the gloves he invented the day before.
Shego had to ask while they left his home, "Ok, why do you need that for?"
"You never know when I might need it. Unlike you I have to have a way to hide my 'Go powers'," Merrick stated while he started walking down the sidewalk.
This was odd to Shego, she figured he would drive to where ever they were going. But instead he was walking to where only he knew where he was going while Shego was to flip the bill. She didn't mind, it would give them time to talk while they walked. Though she was thrilled with Merrick wanting to help her and her brothers with the crime fighting and saving the city, she liked how her brothers talked about him after he lefted. Her brothers didn't stop the talk about 'Lawless' until Shego was fast asleep in her bed. It amazed Shego that her brothers could bad mouth Merrick but then talk about amazing another guy was. She knew they wouldn't be complimenting 'Lawless' if they knew he was Merrick.
The couple spent the entire day doing what Merrick wanted to do. Shego got annoyed at Merrick picking out the cheapest things to do. She told him if he didn't stop it, she would hurt him then go home. Her statement caused Merrick to give in on her spending her money on him and Shego laughed at how easy it was for her to persuade Merrick. They spent the rest of the day blowing Shego's money at fancy restaurants and at the Go City mall. Before the day was over, the couple ended up signing Merrick up for flying lessons, which he was to start attending the following week. The day went well for the couple until they started back to Merrick's home.
On their walk to the home, they walked by a jewelry store being robbed. Shego ordered Merrick to stay where he was while she dealt with the criminals. Before she even got to the store, she heard Merrick running beside her with his 'Lawless' suit. She shook her head at him but waved him to follow her. Right as two of the robbers were coming out of the store, Shego and Merrick blasted one a peice with plasma and the last robber got his head struck by the heel of Shego foot as he was coming out. The second the robbers were out cold, Shego and Merrick slipped out of the area as quickly as possible.
They ran all the way to Merrick's home, laughing all the way, while Merrick still had his suit on. Before they went into Merrick's home, Merrick climbed into his truck and changed. The second he stepped back out of the truck, Shego giggled at him wanting his idenity to remain a secret. After what happened at the jewelry store earlier, Shego started to like the idea of Merrick tagging along with her while she prowled the city. She had more fun in foiling just one crime with Merrick than she ever had with her brothers. It might be a starting trend for her, to foil crimes with Merrick instead of her brothers. She told Merrick, while they walked up to the front door of his home, about such an idea of him helping her more often with criminals. All Merrick stated was he would show up when the team needed him or when she wanted him to tag along. The couple didn't go inside Merrick's home because Shego told him, she was tired from all the fun they had and felt like she need a rest. Merrick agreed with her and Shego gave him a goodbye kiss before she left him standing at the front door.
The next day and the rest that followed before the couple's senior year, Shego was seen with Merrick all of the time. The only time she wasn't around him was when she had to help her brothers with a crime. On the side, Shego started to teach Merrick martial arts but he was a slow learner. The only move he learned and mastered was a flip kick, which he became so good at that he out did Shego in the move. Shego, however, got a laugh out of Merrick not being able to learn something so basic as martial arts with his intelligence.
Merrick continued to be 'Lawless' and he would show up when the team needed him the most. Merrick had saved everyone of the team members one time or another. Shego's brothers praised Merrick for showing up in the nick of time and they kept asking him how was he able to know where and when they needed his help.
Merrick would simply reply, "I have my sources," before he would slip out of sight.
Shego was amazed at how impressed her brothers were over Merrick helping them and it seemed to Shego that Merrick was enjoying his secret persona. He would talk about what he done while she and him was alone. Shego admitted to herself several times that having Merrick around in her secret world, made even it something she could enjoy. No one but her knew who 'Lawless' really was and she wasn't about tell her brothers who he was because she was really enjoying what her brothers were saying about Merrick's altered ego. But one week before the couple's senior year, Merrick showed her brothers who 'Lawless' was.
On that day, Team Go's arch-enemy, Aviarius had decided to rob a bank to lure out the team. He was successful in robbing the bank but Team Go didn't show. Instead of standing in the bank and wait for the team, Aviarius escaped to Go Mountain and his lair. When the team heard about the robbery, it was well over an hour later and they rushed to the bank. The team was puzzled over why the alarm didn't sound and they tracked Aviarius to Go Mountain.
After the team managed to infiltrate the lair and came into the main chamber, they saw a battle had ensued there because of all the mechiancal birds that littered the floor. The sight of this puzzled the team, even Shego, while they walked deeper into the chamber. Before they went to far into the room, the room lit up bright white and the team saw Aviarius fly backwards across the room. He slammed into the wall on the opposite side of the room and slid to the floor, where he laid and whimpered. Aviarius tried to get up in a hurry for some reason when he saw Team Go standing in the chamber looking at him. Before he could get up, he was stopped in his stance by Merrick walking across the room with a flaming hand pointed at him. At the sight of Merrick, Shego knew why the tower's alarm didn't sound.
Mal wanted do go solo for some reason, Shego thought while she watched Merrick walk over to Aviarius and pressed his flaming hand against Aviarius' head.
"Team Go! Aren't you going to do anything to this crazy nut," Aviarius shrieked out while he tried to turn his head to look at the team. However, Merrick held his head in place and his hand started to glow brighter.
"Lawless, stand down! We can handle it from here," Hego commanded while he waved the team to Merrick.
"Hego, do you know what he had planned for you guys. If you all showed up at the bank, all of you might be dead now," Merrick stated while he snapped his head to the team.
"So, you caused us to miss the alarm," Mego said while he inched closer to Merrick.
"Yes, for your safe. I have reasons, I have to make sure at least one of you never gets harmed while two of you hate me," Merrick said with his true voice.
"What do you mean two of us hate you," Hego questioned while he narrowed his eyes at Merrick because of Merrick's accent.
"Hego, you never been that bright," Merrick said while he reached his free hand to his mask.
In the next instance, Merrick pulled his mask off and all of Shego's brothers looked surprised at Merrick being 'Lawless.' Shego shook her head at what Merrick did and she walked to him while she continued to shake her head. She stood by him for a moment before she made him lower his flaming hand from Aviarius' head. Merrick continued to look at Shego's brothers while his hand lowered and it went out after it was at his side.
"I was wondering when you would get sick of them not knowing and thanks for protecting all of us," Shego whispered to Merrick while she turned her head to look at her brothers.
"Yeah, and your welcome," Merrick whispered back.
After a moment, Hego shook his head and asked, "Shego, did you know about this."
"Yes, since the day 'Lawless' showed up," Shego stated while she grabbed Aviarius by the collar.
"And you kept it from us. Why," Mego stated while he turned his look to Hego, who still looked confused.
"Because she was enjoying you two saying nice things about me. Every since I started dating her, all you two have done in bad mouth me to her. I can understand you two not wanting her to date the wrong guy but you haven't gave me a chance to prove I'm not the wrong guy. If you have something to say about me, come to me and tell me to my face, not Shego. I promise I'll listen even what you're saying is a lie," Merrick said while he answered for Shego.
Shego listened to what Merrick said and turned her look to him after he went silent. Before Shego had Aviarius on his feet, Shego saw Merrick slide his mask back on and him look back at her for a moment. He let out a sigh and started walking right through Shego's brothers. They turned and watched Merrick pass through them and continued to watch him until he was out of sight.
Hego sadly said what he always said when they foiled Aviarius and the team left his lair with Aviarius in tow. It surprised Shego that her brothers didn't say anything about learning who 'Lawless' was nor what Merrick did from them. Shego couldn't understand how Merrick was able to pull off a fight with Aviarius alone but she saw he could handle himself as a crime fighter now. After the team dropped Aviarius off at the jail, they headed home, where Shego only stayed a moment before she told Hego, she was going to go see what Merrick was up to. To Shego's amazement, Hego waved her on and told her, he was sorry for misjudging Merrick.
"It's not every day that you find a guy who would face death or injury for the person he loves," Hego added before he left Shego standing at the front door.
Shego couldn't believe her ears, one of her older brothers actually said something nice about Merrick instead of his altered ego. She couldn't contain her happiness and she raced to Merrick's to tell him about him getting through to one of her brothers. When she got to Merrick's home, she had to let herself in because Merrick didn't answer her knock. After she was inside, she went straight into the living room and saw Merrick laying on the couch while he moaned. Shego asked him what was the matter and Merrick explained that he hurt his back fighting Aviarius' metal birds.
Shego let out a giggle and stated, "Welcome to my world. Want a massage?"
"Yep," was all Merrick said before he took off his shirt and rolled onto his stomach.
Shego blushed while she walked over to Merrick. She looked down at him laying on the couch before she straddled his hips and started to work on his back. After a moment of Shego kneading Merrick's back, she could tell she was getting the soreness out by the look on Merrick's face. She giggled at him being totally relaxed and asked him did he want a full body massage. Merrick could only nod slowly to Shego's question while she continued to work on his back. She finally got off of Merrick to let him get undress and he did by stripping down to nothing but his boxers. Shego blushed while she watched Merrick get undress and her face stayed red while she went back to massaging Merrick. After Shego was finished with the massage, she got off of Merrick again to let him sit up and once he was sitting up right, Shego sat down beside him. She blushed again at sitting beside Merrick while he only wore boxers and she laid her head on his shoulder.
Shego let out a happy sigh and said, "Mal, I want to thank you for what you did today," while she lowered a hand down his side.
While Shego started to leave Merrick's, it seemed she had all the soreness worked out of Merrick because he was able to walk her to the door. They stood at the door for a moment while Shego continued to blush at Merrick in his boxers. She knew he was doing it on purpose and it was driving her crazy. She wanted to tackle him to the floor but she was fighting her urges and she was succeeding until Merrick wrapped her in his arms. The instance Shego felt Merrick's arms around her waist, she lost it and went into a frenzy of kisses. Her kisses weren't just from Merrick making her crazy but for the realization of how much Merrick loved her. He went willingly alone to the team's arch-enemy's lair and fought against all odds for them. If Shego ever doubted Merrick loved her, she didn't now and she was returning that love with her kisses. Finally, after a moment, Shego settled down and relaxed in Merrick's arms.
"Your welcome," was all Merrick said before he smiled at Shego and stared into her eyes.
"Boxers, boxers, you know they would drive me crazy," Shego said slyly.
"Yep, I have to make you go crazy every once and awhile. Besides, my ears will get sore if you keep biting them," Merrick said while he winced at a pain he felt.
Shego let out a giggle because of Merrick's statement and she said, "I know and you should take it easy. I don't want you to leave this house, even to be 'Lawless.' If I hear about you leaving this house tonight, I'm so gonna hurt you tomorrow."
"Yes, ma'am," Merrick said while he let go of Shego.
Merrick's statement got a laugh out of the couple and Shego gave Merrick a goodbye kiss before she slipped out of his home. Shego's life was wonderful now. She had a guy that loved her unconditionally, let her be her, and never asked questions while he would do as she asked if he saw a reason behind her request. One of her brothers had finally came around and accepted her dating Merrick. All she needed now was the last hold out to like Merrick too and she planned for that to happen. If not, she would turn the other cheek to Mego because of him being self-centered.
Who knows, they all might like him before the year's over, Shego thought while she went down in the subway entrance.
Author's note 2: I wrote this entire chapter free-handed. I didn't plan ahead and typed up what came to mind. Just to note, I revealed the orgin of the Wyvern plane that I put in every story I posted on Fanfiction and I even put in this chapter an altered belief that Shego's gloves gave her, her powers. Course, in one of the new episodes, the belief was proved false by Shego being able to flame up her hands without gloves. I, however, had a reason behind the gloves Merrick invent. Time will tell why I put the gloves in this chapter