The Kim Possible characters are owned by Disney: Shego, Kim, Ron, Rufus, Wade, Global Justice, and any other that has or will appear or be mentioned. The only original character are Sheila Go, The Corrupted Supreme One, Duane Tiamat, and Assistant Sherry

Awakenings

Chapter 3 - Emerald Confessions

"I'm telling you, we can't risk using an unknown program," protested James Possible.

Across from him on the long, black lacquered conference table, Dr. Vivian F. Porter slammed her hands on the table and stood up with such start, it knocked her chair back. "This isn't something I bought at Best Buy, Possible! She's a near sentient personality; the closest thing I've seen to a perfect artificial intelligence in my entire career," she protested.

Dr. Possible crossed his arms. "It was created by a criminal and the Gos have told us about her behavior in the generator room, the personality is too unstable."

"Unstable? She was a enslaved against her will! You would be a little on edge too if someone stuck a compliance chip in your ear and made you their window dressing."

"What I mean is that we need this robot to fulfill a simple function; apprehend or eliminate the target."

Porter rolled her eyes. "That's the problem with you Possible; you never go too far outside your safety zone. Your always willing to sacrifice potential for reliability."

"At least I don't waste time with aesthetics and stick to the basics."

From the adjacent end of the table, Dr. Renton stood up. "Stop it you two, I think we've all had enough of this petty infighting."

At the opposite side from Dr. Renton, the most unlikely of the creation team waved his rubbery-gloved hand. "Yes James, we really don't have time for this. I say we put this to a vote," suggested Dr. Drakken.

Dr. Possible looked over to his former college friend. "It's a little strange hearing a mad scientist who wants to overthrow the world call for a vote, Drew."

Drakken quickly lost his composure and slammed his fists into the table. "FORMER mad scientist! I am a well respected pillar of the scientific community now and I will be given the proper respect I deserve or I'll-"

Porter smirked as she cut off his rant. "Mutate our lunch to exact your revenge?"

"Yes, mutate your lun-" Drakken said before catching himself and belted out a loud groan of frustration. "Cut that out!"

Dr. Renton slapped her hand on the desk until everyone stopped their squabbling and turned their attention toward her. "That's enough, children! We have a job to do and time is not a luxury the world can afford. So if we're going to vote, I vote to use Sherry as our machine's operating program."

James shook his head. "Even if the personality can be trusted, she doesn't have any combat training."

Porter threw her hand out at James' concern, waving it off. "A quick upload from a few tactical databases and she'll have more training than a Navy SEAL. I vote yes."

Drakken stroked his chin, considering the possibilities. "Though James has a point about using an unpredictable AI personality for our robot, I have learned the hard way how tenacious a determined woman can be. Not to mention the trouble I had with my own BeeBees because of their rigid, robotic logic. I vote yes as well."

James Possible sighed but finally conceded. "I can see I'm in the minority. I suppose I have no choice but vote in favor of the motion, we'll use Sherry's AI program to run the robot."

"Well that's very nice to hear," said a female voice just behind Vivian Porter. The scientists turned toward it, almost forgetting Sherry was there the entire time. "But I would like it if you didn't talk about me as if I wasn't only a few feet away."

Vivian turned in her chair and carefully lifted Sherry's dismembered head from it's charging station. "I'm sorry Sherry, I guess you're hard to notice without your body."

Sherry smirked, half of her mouth was still lacking latex flesh since her fight with Sheila in Okinawa. "That has to be the strangest excuse for ignoring someone. 'Sorry Sherry, we normally ignore talking heads with no bodies.' But considering the weird things you four do on a daily basis, I guess it actually makes sense."

They both laugh, sending a few chills down the others's spines, even Drakken. "Oh, well I guess you won't have to worry about us fixing your old body anytime soon. After a crash course in military intelligence, you're programing will be transferred to a new, temporary body."

"That sounds acceptable, have you decided on a name for your robot yet?"

Vivian just gave a blank expression and turned to the others who were looking at themselves, trying to find an answer. "Oh my... I suppose we never did come up with a name for the robot," Dr. Renton said with a sudden realization.

"We were too busy planning and designing the blasted thing, it must've slipped our mind," Dr. Possible added.

"Yes, this is quite embarrassing really," Drakken added, sinking into his chair.

Sherry gave a low cough to gain their attention. "Well, since it'll pretty much be my body, you can call it Sherry since you'll be basically talking to me anyway."

"That sounds acceptable," said a voice following the sound of doors sliding open. The scientists turned their attention to the far side to see Dr. Director standing in attention. "So I take it you've made your decision on the machine's programing?"

They nodded. "Yes Dr. Director, we'll be using Sherry as the AI. Effectively, we'll have a human-like mind controlling the most powerful robot in existence," Dr. Porter summarized.

The leader of Global Justice cracked a slight smile as she approached them. "I am very pleased to hear this, especially since this will speed up our timetable. I know some of you were hesitant to help us, thinking it unsound to merge all your expertise into one machine. But we are faced with a dangerous and unstable enemy, an enemy with inhuman abilities and a wicked mind. For the safety of our world, of our very way of life, you have all done the right thing to help us."

"Not to mention it would look good on your record. Right, Betty?"

Dr. Director snapped her head around and scowled as she saw Shego standing at the door, wearing a green variant of the Global Justice uniform. Shego grinned slyly, seeing that her remark got under the director's skin. "I hope you don't mind. My normal clothes were in the shop and blue really is meant for people trying to hide their cellulite. You wear it well though."

"I should have you locked up in the detention center with Tiamat."

"But you won't," Shego responded coldly, bumping shoulders with the one-eyed femme as she walked past her. Drakken, after recognizing Shego's voice, tried to hide his face behind a small stack of papers. Shego snatched away his shield of documents, leaving him to shrink back into his seat, shivering. She narrowed her eyes, as if she was trying to cut him in half with just her expression. "What are you doing here?"

Drakken laughed nervously and tried to find protection by pulling James closer to himself. "I'm just trying to save the world with my old college buddy, James Possible."

"I know you went legit Dr. D., but helping Global Justice? That's just a cop out. What, are they suspending your criminal record for this or do you like rolling over on your back."

Dr. Director crossed her arms. "At least he can act civil. I'm sure working with you is like working with a feral child on a sugar rush."

Shego grabbed Betty's collar and the two women just glared at one another until a pair of firm yet nimble hands separated the two. "Stop it, both of you!" demanded Mrs. Dr. Possible.

Drakken, possibly unaware of the mistake he was about to make, spoke out. "Really Shego. You're up for a few hours and you're already looking for a new arch enemy?"

What happened afterward happened so fast, no one in that room would have been able to stop it. Shego, in one fluid motion, turned back toward Drakken, took a single, long step toward him, and smashed a right hook across his face so hard, it sent him flying backwards off his chair. "Eat a dick!" While everyone was stunned at how quickly the scene had unfolded, Shego pushed her way past the two ladies and stormed out the office.

Ron kneeled down to the floor while Rufus, perched on his shoulder, lowered his head. Because of his condition for the last week, he couldn't attend the improvised memorial service for Kim. They had converted one of training rooms into a makeshift chapel which had yet to be taken down, an order given by Betty Director. It was strange, kneeling by Kim's preservation pod. After overhearing the others trying to hide Kim's death from him, he couldn't bring himself to see her body and that soon led to his bout if insomnia-induced madness. He looked through the clear plastic of the device and gazed deeply into Kim's lifeless face. "KP... I'm sorry. Even if it isn't my fault you died... I betrayed your trust... I let myself kiss Yori. I never deserved you... and today I sure as hell proved that. I can only pray to god... that you can forgive me KP."

"God?" Ron turned around to see Shego, standing at the door, making her way toward him. "Oh yes, let us pray to god! Let's make our offerings to the big child in the sky! We know he'll see our hard work and labor carried out in his name because that's all he ever does, watch."

Ron stood up and pocketed Rufus just to be safe. "Shego... I didn't think I'd see you again after what happened."

"You mean your little wife beating exercise?" she asked. Ron blushed from embarrassment remembering the sparing incident with Yori and turned his head away. "But if I heard you right, it sounds like you and Yori kissed and made up."

With tears in his eyes and burning resentment in his soul, Ron lashed out at Shego, trying to connect with his wild swings. "What is your deal!? Why do you always have to act like such a-"

Ron's voice stopped suddenly, the wind completely knocked out of him. While Shego was dodging his attack, she quickly took advantage of an opening and slammed her knee hard onto his gut, dead center on the naval. "Answer me, sidekick! Why do you pray to god? What has he done except take an eighteen year old girl who's only crime was being a hero and let her die like that?"

Ron coughed, he wanted to let his body drop to rest but Shego was holding him up, maintaining control over him. "...It's in... the worst of times... you must have faith. Rabbi Katz taught me that."

"Faith? In him? What has he done for you? Where was he when Tiamat abused his Go power? Where was he when he activated that oversized Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer? Where was he when that bitch took Kim by the throat and snapped her in half? There is no god!"

Ron wriggled in Shego's grip but couldn't break free, his mind wasn't focused enough then to summon his mystical monkey powers. "I'm not really religious myself... but I know there's something out there. There has to be... there has to be heaven... there has to be an afterlife. Because KP would be there now... at peace... and I can only hope she'll forgive me and let me join her."

Shego scowled, his faith in divine paradise seemed to have insulted her somehow. "You really believe in that shit? Then why wait? I can send you to Kimmie right now if I wanted."

"What's your problem anyway?! You seem like your turning good and now you're ready to kill me just because I hope Kim's in heaven?"

Shego growled, she could feel herself lose composure. "Shut up!"

Ron was able to get himself calmed out enough to break from Shego's grasp. "No, tell me! What is your god damn deal!?"

Shego turned around and started for the door. "I'm out of here!"

Ron wasn't ready to settle for anything less than a real explanation for her behavior. With blinding speed, Ron tripped Shego to the floor and pinned her to the ground on her back. "No! You're going to tell me why you're acting this way!"

She snarled and gnashed her teeth, she wasn't expecting him to suddenly use his strange abilities to overpower her like this. "I'm not telling you jack!"

"Is it because you're jealous of Kim?"

"No!"

"Because you never really wanted to turn good at all?"

"I was honest about wanting to go legit."

"Are you angry because it wasn't you who killed her?"

Shego shut her eyes tightly, trying to block him out. She could feel her stomach knot up and tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't hold back the truth anymore. "It's because I love her! Are you happy now!?"

Ron blinked in surprise and released his grip. "Wait...what?"

Shego turned to her side, looking away from him, ashamed. "I love her, alright? I didn't know what was going on with me... it started when she tried reaching out to me in Tahoe. I couldn't understand what it was... I never been loved for so long... and I sure as hell never loved anyone either. It was... so alien to me"

"But... wait... you love her?"

She looked back at him, her eyes red from the tears. "Grow up, I'm sure it's not that kind of love. I don't know... I guess I was ready to just expect my mom to act like she always does, make my peace with her and get on with a life without crime. But... Kimmie... she actually cared about me... she tried to help me. Not because she thought I needed her help but because she wanted to help me. And when her mom did the same thing... showed me that kind of real, caring love... I lashed out at her like I did with Kim."

Ron slowly approached her, cautious incase she became aggressive again. "Why? Why do you lash out anytime someone tries to help you?"

Shego looked away again and curled up to herself. "Because... I'm afraid. I don't know what I'm afraid of but... I can't let anyone get too close to me for some reason. I... I panic... I push them away and then I feel so empty inside... it hurts... and now Kim is dead before I even had a chance to tell her..."

Ron's heart sank. He never imagined someone who seemed as strong and independent as Shego could be so distraught by loneliness. "I know how it feels to be alone. Growing up... if it wasn't for Kim, I wouldn't have anyone, even my own parents seemed distant from me. And when you were trying to take over the world with those little Diablos, when you made that Syntho-boyfriend to distract Kim, I never felt so empty inside. The thought of losing Kim to some guy... it crushed me... I was an emotional wreck. But you have to know something Shego."

Shego didn't answer for awhile, she just laid there on the floor, trying not to go into a full break down. Eventually, she did answer as Ron slowly knelt down to the ground beside her. "What?"

"You are loved... even if you don't believe it," he whispered to her. He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and her mid-section. "Mrs. Dr. Possible loves you, your brothers love you, your mother loves you, and even I love you. You don't have to be alone anymore."

Shego slowly placed her hand on Ron's and held it tightly. She didn't make a snippy remark, she didn't scowl or glare, she didn't even try to push him away. She just finally broke down and cried, no more barriers to hide what she was really feeling, just an honest cry. And Ron just held her without a word, it was all she really needed.

Author's Note

If you have an opinion of this, if you hate it, moved by it, thought it inappropriate, or think I'm heading in a bad/good direction, please, please comment so I can know. This is, after all, for the people's amusement.