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

Alone and Yet Alive

"Come on, Kiminy Cricket," Shego called, "I want to go for a walk."

"I can't believe it," Kim groused as they headed downtown, "you found a name even more annoying than Pumpkin or Cupcake."

"But you didn't mind Princess?"

"Not as much as Pumpkin or Cupcake."

"But Kiminy Cricket is meaningful. You're my conscience – the voice telling me right from wrong, who reminds me I'm not supposed to melt the lock on the jewelry store door and empty it out."

"It's an annoying name."

"Okay. Can I call you Sugar-lips instead?"

"No."

"What was that one your mom said they used to call you… Bubble-butt?"

"NO!"

"Beacon of my existence? Light of my life? Wind under my wings?"

"What's wrong with you?"

Shego sniffed, "Some people don't know how to take compliments."

Kim assumed an equally haughty air, "Well, some people don't know how to give them."

"Like any of those better than Kiminy Cricket?"

"No, they're all worse."

"See, Princess, I could be even more annoying than I already am."

"Somehow that gives me very little comfort."

Shego raised an eyebrow and leered at Kim, "Comfort? That's what you want? I be very comforting."

"Now there's an idea which is really not comforting."

Shego smiled, "How do you know you won't like it if you don't try it?"

"I think I deserve combat pay for being your conscience."

Shego laughed, "Hey, it's better than fighting me, isn't it?"

Kim hesitated, "Yeah, I guess it is."

Shego turned serious. "How do you feel about me? We hated each other for so long… I want you to know I don't hate you any more. I really appreciate the way you've taken me in."

"That's okay… I don't hate you anymore. The other Shego is starting to annoy me, but not you."

"So, we're friends?"

"Um, if I say we're friends will you stop calling me Kiminy Cricket?"

"No."

"Is there anything I can do to make you stop calling me that?"

"I suppose hot lesbian sex is out of the question."

"Come on, I know you're straight from the way you're drooling all over Ron."

"So, out of the question?"

"Out of the question."

"Afraid there's nothing you can do to make me stop."

A Global Justice psychologist met regularly with Shego and Shego. On the meeting after Shego's curious HLS comment she had bad news for Kim. "They're both making very good progress there in Middleton."

"Are you sure that intensive treatment in some clinic far away wouldn't be better?"

"There is very little we can be sure of. But our goal is to integrate a young woman who lost seven years of her life and a woman who has suffered severe personality trauma back into society. The fact you provide a non-threatening environment helps speed their transition. Your family and your friend Ron are the best therapy in the world for those two."

"Non-threatening..." Kim thought, "Which of them do I need to threaten to get them out of here?"

Although Kim recognized Shego's progress she still relished Wade's call as an excuse to go on a mission with Ron. The two of them had spent no time together since Shego had been discovered. The annoying young woman volunteered to go with them, "Please, I want to get back in action. I fight better now. I can help."

Even worse than her volunteering was that Ron agreed with her, "Can she come with us, Kim? She can be part of our team."

"No, you and I are partners, remember."

"Please, Kim," Shego pleaded, "I need to get my confidence back."

"You have way too much confidence as it is." "It might be dangerous. We need to work out more before I'm comfortable about what you can do. Look, why don't you and Shego help my Mom make dinner?"

"Well… okay."

Kim breathed a small sigh of relief, until Shego threw her arms around Ron and gave him a hug, "Be careful."

"I don't know why Shego couldn't have come with us," Ron complained as they headed back to Middleton, "there was nothing dangerous about a wayward moose."

Kim fought the urge to do something painful to Ron. "Moose kill more people than wolves."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"So why does everyone think wolves are so dangerous?"

"I don't know, Ron."

"I'll bet the mooses have a better public relations firm."

"Yes, Ron," Kim sighed.

There were two cars didn't recognize in her driveway when Kim arrived home, and a distraught young Shego sitting on the front step.

To Kim's disgust she threw herself in Ron's arms, and to Kim's greater disgust Ron made a fair catch. "Shego's sick," she sobbed.

Kim left the touching scene and ran into the house, taking the steps two at a time up to Shego's room. Kim's mom had called in two of her colleagues from the hospital.

"Hey, Kim," Shego called, but her voice sounded weaker. Kim couldn't be certain if Shego really sounded weaker or it was her own imagination. The small, bluish blotches didn't look healthy.

"How is she?" Kim whispered to her mom.

"My hearing is still fine," Shego reported. "I'm not dead yet."

"I don't know," Anne reported. "She complained of feeling warm during dinner. By dessert the first blue spots appeared."

"We've ruled out any sort of allergic reaction," Dr. Wessels reported.

"I've never seen anything like it," Dr. Khalid said, clearly puzzled.

"If you don't say 'hi' to me," Shego complained to Kim, "I'll think you don't love me any more."

"Shut up, I'm worried about you," Kim said, pulling out the Kimmunicator and calling Wade.

"She's crazy about me," Shego informed the doctors.

Anne Possible dropped to her knees and took Shego's hand. "You seem to be getting worse," she said softly. "You're getting delusional."

"I'm trying to be funny," Shego said. "I've always been healthy. I'll get over this. You people act like you're at a wake."

As she spoke a beam of green light came out of the Kimmunicator and slowly scanned the woman in the bed.

When the scan ended Kim demanded, "What does it show?"

"Give me a minute," Wade told her, "I'm going to compare it with the scan I took when she first came."

"How soon will you know something," Kim asked impatiently.

"I won't know until I've looked at the results," he pointed out, "Be patient and I can work faster." He logged off to stop Kim's interruptions.

Seven minutes later the Kimmunicator came back on. Wade looked worried. "What have you got?"

"Not good, Kim. Shego's dying."