Graduation

by Mereel Skirata

Continuing from Graduation Appraoches. My take on the events of Graduation. With Kim's graduation on the horizon, how will life change for her and Shego? And will the world be the same again?

4. Chapter 4

Graduation: Chapter 4

Paring: Kim x Shego.
This story contains shoujo-ai. If you dont like it, go back now.

Kim Possible and all related concepts and characters are the property of original creators, not me.

This story is owned by Mereel Skirata.

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Shego ducked, dodging the punch that Kim threw at her. From her crouch, she lashed out with her leg, trying to sweep Kim's feet out from under her. It doesn't connect, as at the last minute, Kim leaps into the air, flipping over Shego's head. Shego has followed the movement, turning around and quickly closing in on Kim again; her fists raised, one held slightly out in front of the other. The punches she throws come within an inch of hitting Kim, but no closer. Kim avoids the first two, catching the third.

On the edge of the room, Isabel is watching the contest with interest. She is not surprised that her daughter's skill level is a high as ever, but Kim on the other hand. She could tell from the moment she saw her that she had talent. She can also see that they know each other's fighting style intimately. But she can see something else as well. Despite only having known Kim for a very short time, she can see a problem with her fighting. Not with her skills. No, this seems to be something else. She can see the gaps that she is managing to make in Shego's defense, openings that she could have capitalized on, driving Shego back. But she doesn't, like she is not really concentrating on the fight.

As Kim squares off against Shego again, Isabel claps her hands once, attracting both girls attention.

"Okay. I think that will be enough for now."

Kim is glad to hear that, pulling off the padded helmet and shaking her hair loose, before wiping the sweat off her brow.

"Phew. These things get really hot. So, what now?"

"Now, we talk. Please, sit."

She sits cross-legged, next to the mats, Kim and Shego sitting down in front of her.

She had been expecting some complaint from Shego, but instead, Kim gets in there first.

"No offense, Miss Langton, but do we really have time to talk? I'd really rather do something to help my parents.'

Isabel fixes her with a serious stare, that doesn't quick mask the sympathy in her eyes, "I know you do. But what can you do to help them now, really? Go charging back to Middleton by yourself? Get yourself killed in a suicidal rescue attempt?"

"Well, I..."

"Because that is what would happen. And that would serve no purpose. If you want to help them, your best chance is with Global Justice. As Dr Director said, in a few weeks, maybe a month, we will be ready to send a team back to Middleton. Until then, you can best use that time to train, to improve your skills. You two have to get used to thinking and working as a team."

Shego answers this time, her voice thick with sarcasm, "And how do we do that, Mother?"

If she is affected by the tone of her daughter's voice, Isabel does not show it. "As with all things, with practice."

############################################################################################################

Dr Director stands in the hanger, idly watching the techs performing maintenance or running tests on the vehicles that fill it. These vehicles, upgraded versions of the tanks that Global Justice designed based on retrieved Lowardian technology, as well as fighter craft from the same origin, will be key to combating the alien war machines. That is as long as they find a way to counter the Lowardian battle computer and it's method for controlling their technology. Fortunately a new resource that could help with that is on the way.

Again Dr Director looks up, moving her gaze away from the hanger floor, towards the open hanger doors, trying to catch a glimpse of the aircraft that should be arriving any minute now. Her eyes flick to the side, as she hears footsteps approaching, the metal of the gantry clanging under his feet. Steeling herself for a difficult conversation, she turns to face the new arrival. Both of them, she corrects herself. The pair are very similar in appearance. With the same pronounced chin, and short cut hair. Although one of them is clearly older, his face displaying a few wrinkles the other doesn't. Dressed in an expensive suit, rather than the Global Justice uniform, he would fit in more at a company conference than a military base. He stills wears his suit like a uniform though. The younger figure is wearing a uniform of a sort, a body suit of blue and black that shows off his muscles. Impressive as they are, she knows that his real strength is even greater than they would suggest.

'Director Langton. Can I help you with something?'

'I feel I must congratulate you. Your plan involving my daughter and Ms. Possible is..creative.'

Although she keeps her face calm, her insides twist into a hard knot. She knows that he is not talking about Isabel's new training regime.

'Thank you. I hope it will be successful.'

'I hope so too. But I will be on hand should things get out of control. And I am more than willing to step in, should I deem it prudent. Good day, Elizabeth.'

As the pair walk away, Hego turns towards his parent.

'Father, I don't understand. Why does Dr Director want to keep Shego away from us. I mean no disrespect to her, but doesn't she realize that the best way for her to remember who she really is, is with us? With her family? Why does she insist on letting Shego be remembered only as a thief, as a criminal. She could be a hero again, take her place as a proud member of Team Go, strive to make the world a better place for everyone.'

'Ahh, Hego. If only everyone thought like you do, imagine how the world could be. Dr Director is a brilliant agent, but she is a sentimental fool. She believes that what Shego needs now is love, someone to care for her. That that will change who she is. She is wrong. She needs direction, a firm hand, someone to tell her what is right. Not the compassion of some little brat too big for her sneakers.'

'Do you mean Ms. Possible? She can't have anything to do with this. She fights against my sister, she has brought her too justice many times.'

'Is that what you think? What would you say if I told you that Shego has spent the last few months living with Possible and her family?'

'What? She is giving her shelter when she knows that she should be in prison, paying for her crimes? How could she do this?'

'She is blinded, my son. She is letting her feelings for Shego get in the way of what should be done.'

Hego frowns, 'Feelings, father? I don't understand. What feelings to you mean?'

'I mean that Possible is in love with your sister.'

As he says this, both he and Hego enter the quarters being used by Team Go. Hearing them enter, Mego looks up from the couch, grinning from ear to ear.

'Did I hear that right? Shego hooked up with Kim Possible? Well, that explains why she never called or wrote, I guess. Way to go, Sis.'

Hego scowls at him, 'You should not be pleased at that, Mego.'

'Why not? You're just mad that Shego got a girlfriend, and you haven't.'

Their father cuts across the argument.

'Enough. Leave Shego to me. She will rejoin us, one way or another.'

############################################################################################################

After Director Langton left, Dr Director turned her attention to the hanger doors, hearing the sound she had been waiting for. As she watches a plain grey helicopter enters the hanger, touching down where the ATC directed them. Her rotors have barely stopped spinning, by the time Dr Director has made it down to the hanger floor. She advances on the side, as a hatch slides back, Ron leaping out from the crew bay.

'Welcome to Global Justice, Mr. Stoppable.'

'Thanks. Did you say Kim was here?'

'Yes, she's here. I'll take you to her now.'

She glances over his shoulder, at the crowd of ninjas gathered around the helicopter.

'I think we can just about accommodate the rest of your students, if they wish to stay.'

Yori steps forward, offering a deep bow to Dr Director. 'We thank you for your kind offer, but our school is not far away. I and Ron will stay, but the rest of us will return there for now, but if you need our help, please ask.'

'Hey. Don't forget me. If Kim's helping out, count me in too.'

'Ahh, Wade Load. Yes, we could indeed use your help. From what Kim says, you are very technically skilled. Well, I think we have something you will like.'

As another agent leads Wade away from the group, Dr Director takes a different path, walking in silence for a few minutes, before she pushes open the door she stopped in front of, Ron and Yori walking in behind her. Inside both their eyes are drawn to the single figure in the room. Despite himself, Ron tenses up, as he recognizes her hairstyle. "Hey. Shego. I thought Kim was here?"

"She is."

His distrust turns to confusion as he hears the voice. It sounds a bit like Shego, but not quite. But all of that is pushed away and replaced by disbelief, as he sees her face.

"You're not Shego."

"No, I'm not. I'm her mother." Isabel pauses for a second, as that sinks in, then continues,

"But she is here, and Kim. At least, they're close by."

She turns, Ron mimicking her movement, as with a hiss of pressurized air, a door behind them rises, Kim and Shego emerging from the locker room, having changed out of the sweatshirts and sweatpants they had been training in and back into their street clothes. Kim is talking softly with Shego, but stops as she catches sight of her friend. He opens his arms wide, as she runs over to him, enfolding her in a hug.

"Hey, Kim. I'm sorry we couldn't help your parents."

Kim's face falls for a second, then she regains her composure.

"Thanks. But you did what you could. Let's get something to eat, okay?"

############################################################################################################

Thanking the agent that escorted him, Wade walks into a darkened room. Clutching the heavy case in his hand, he walks further in.

"Hello? Hello? Anybody here?"

He gets his answer as a hand comes to rest on his shoulder. He turns sharply, his heart pounding at what feels like a thousand beats a minute.

As he does so, the lights come on, revealing a woman, her face set into an apologetic smile. He is distracted briefly by the odd white barrettes in hair, oddly shaped, sort of like wings.

"Ahh, gomenasai. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." She glances down at the case he carries. "Are those the battle suits you designed?"

"Err, yes. Sorry. Who are you? And how do you know about them?"

"Call me Swan. Most people do. I'm sort of familiar with a similar technology. Dr Director asked me to take a look at them, see if I could improve on them. And I thought you could help me."

"Okay. But if you've built something better, then how can I help?"

"I never said I built anything. I just work with it. Specialized combat mechs are more my field. That's the primary reason Dr Director asked me here. But I know enough to help upgrade those suits, but you know more about their special features, like the stealth field, than me. Than anybody else. I'm going to need your help to combine that with the models I've brought with me."

Intrigued, Wade places the case down on one of the consoles, popping the catches open, "Well, I guess we should get started then."

############################################################################################################

Kim is seated at a table in the mess hall, with Shego on her left, Ron and Yori on the other side. Despite her suggestion that they get some food, the only thing in front of her is a steaming mug of coffee. Her hands are wrapped around it, her eyes staring into the black liquid. It's clear to everyone that her mind is not in the room right now.

She doesn't even look up as Dr Director and Isabel join them, taking the other pair of seats next to the young ninjas.

Purposefully, Shego clears her throat, her eyes locked onto Dr Director, directing a question her way, pointedly ignoring her mother.

"So, what are we going to do about the Lowardians? We all saw the numbers of troops they have, as well as their war machines. Can we really counter that?"

"I hope so. We are working on a number of strategies. While I am not at liberty to fully divulge those to you, suffice to say that we are developing some new weapons to defeat them, based upon Lowardian Tech we have captured."

"Like those tanks that you mentioned." Yori cuts in, "The ones you had defending the base they attacked."

Dr Director nods, both answering the question, and indicating that she should continue.

"But you said that the Lowardians were able to take control of them. Isn't there a chance that the same thing happen again?"

"We hope not. We had not counted on the cyborg's ability to control our tanks. But we hope to be able to install software that will be able to overcome that weakness. One drawback is that we will have to develop it first."

Now it is Shego that interrupts, "How sure are you that it will work? I mean, you won't have any way to test it before it has to be used for real, will you?"

"That is the other problem. We have some sensor readings from the tanks that it controlled. Hopefully, those should give us some idea what we have to counter. But yes, it is all theoretical."

Kim still hasn't said anything, much to Shego's concern. She had been hoping that talking about this might bring Kim back to them. But she hasn't looked up from her cup since they sat down. She decides to try again to get Kim involved.

'Okay, this is all good. But do we know what they want here? I mean, they must want to get something from us. Or they wouldn't be here.'

Dr Director seems to have picked up on the track Shego is following. Maybe she too is worried about Kim's attitude. Or she is just thinking tactically.

'That is another of the questions we need answered. Discovering the purpose they have for detaining the population will give us an insight into their aims.'

Again, silence is all they get from Kim. Silence that Ron fills.

'Okay. So what do we know? You must have some intelligence. Aerial Reconnaissance or something, right?'

'Yes. We have been able to gather a limited amount of satellite intelligence, despite the interference from the energy barrier. We are seeing more activity in the desert regions, where the construction is proceeding rapidly. While we have no clear idea what is being constructed, the structures are massive. The most obvious theory is that are constructing factories to produce more of their war machines. But it is only a theory.'

############################################################################################################

Kim stands back to back with Shego, wind whistling around them, hearing the leaves rustling in the trees. This could be a nice place, Shego muses, under any other circumstances. But right now, neither of them is really focused on their surroundings; the group of Lowardians clustered around them attracting all of their attention. At least, all of Shego's attention. She is not so sure about Kim. She is at least squaring up against them, hands raised in front of her. But her eyes look distracted, just staring straight ahead, not following their movements as they circle the pair. Dodging back, Shego avoids the fist that swings at her, bringing her leg up in a stamping kick, driving her target away from her. She moves smoothly from that movement, grabbing the wrist of the next Lowardian, twisting his arm into a savage arm lock. She takes a slow second to check on Kim's progress. She does seem a little more focused, her eyes at least now fixed on her opponents. But something still seems off. She parries the first few blows well enough, but then the third slips through, driving her back. She blocks again a few times, making a clear gap in the defense of her opponent. Kim hesitates for a second, before throwing a punch. By then it is already too late, the Lowardian blocking her punch with his forearm, driving his fist into her chest. The blow connects with her chest, the padding there absorbing the force with a dull thwack. Even with its power dulled, the force still is enough to drive Kim to her knees. Slowly Kim climbs back to her feet, advancing on her opponent, hands held up, guarding her chest. Swiftly she advances, throwing two punches at his head. The Lowardian ducks under them, catching her in the chest with his elbow. Kim cries out, as the breath is driven from her lungs. But she stands again, rushing her opponent. That proves to be a mistake, as he grabs her outstretched arm, throwing her to the ground. Kim sits up, shaking her head groggily, as he advances towards her. With a snarl, Shego smashes her elbow into the head of the Lowardian she is holding, letting him drop to the ground, before racing towards Kim. Just as the alien standing over her is about to bring his hands down on her head, Shego takes his legs out with a sweeping kick, before jumping back to her feet, so that she is between him and Kim. She expects him to attack, when he freezes, not moving a muscle. Then the woodland around them begins to shimmer, before fading away to reveal walls of solid metal. Her opponents have changed too, their organic appearance giving way to a robotic one.

Shego helps Kim back to her feet, as she hears footsteps behind her. She grimaces as she hears her mother's voice. 'Shego, the idea was to let each of you deal with your targets, so that both of you get familiar with their movements.'

As she turns to face the older woman, Shego's eyes narrow. 'Oh, sure. So, I was just to let your stupid robots keep pummeling Kim until she is black and blue?'

'She wouldn't have been hurt. The system has been designed to prevent that from happening.'

'Really? Oh, that makes me feel so much better.' Shego sneers, 'Even with the best precautions, accidents happen.'

Kim places her hand on Shego's shoulder, 'Shego, its okay. I can keep going.'

She pauses, turning her attention to Isabel. 'I want to keep going.'

Shego glances at Kim, her face suddenly full of concern. 'Kim, I don't think..'

Kim's voice hardens, not becoming angry, but determined. 'Shego, I have to do this. I have to.'

Isabel nods slowly, 'Then let's start again.'

Kim launches a kick towards her opponent, her foot catching her target in the chest, then, as he reels, she fires a snap kick at his head. But then he charges at her, fist drawn back. Kim steps forward to meet him, seeming ready to attack again. But not quickly enough. His fist catches her in the side of her helmet, knocking her off balance.

Shego steps forward, but Kim waves her back. Sighing in frustration and concern, Shego crosses her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing. She doesn't know how much more of this she can take. Kim has been fighting against this drone for the best part of an hour, and all she has to show for it are bruises on top of bruises. Even with the padding she is wearing, something of the hits she is taking must be getting through. She bits her lip as Kim's feet are swept out from under her, sending her crashing down to the floor. Clutching one arm, she climbs back to her feet, wincing as she puts her weight on her left foot. Despite the pain in her foot, Kim faces her foe again, her right arm loose at her side, her left hand held forward as a shield. She hobbles backwards, trying to get some distance. But the drone keeps coming. Then she puts her weight on her bad foot, hissing in pain as her ankle gives out, dropping her to her knees.

'Okay. That does it.' Shego mutters under her breath.

Kim looks up, her eyes widening, as the drone stands over her. Then screws them shut, as a flash of green light fills the room. When she opens them again, it is Shego standing over her, not the drone. It, or what is left of it, is lying crumpled in the corner of the room, it's head only connected to its neck by a few strands of wire. Its single large red eye is blinking slowly and irregularly.

Kim turns to face Shego, annoyance clearly visible in her eyes.

'Shego, why did you do that? I can keep going.'

'No, you can't. You're done, Kim. Look at you. You can barely stand. So, you're done.'

Not giving her a chance to reply, Shego loops one arm around her waist, gently but firmly leading her out of the holoroom.

Outside, Isabel is waiting for them, her eyes settling on Kim, clearly concerned.

'Are you okay? We can..'

'No, I'm fine. Really.'

Shego cuts across both of them angrily, 'No, she not. She's in no condition to keep going.'

Her eyes meet Kim's as she starts to speak, 'Don't even think it. You get going like this and you'll get more than a twisted ankle.'

Before her mother or Kim can reply, she turns sharply, heading towards the changing room, helping Kim limp along beside her. Once inside, Shego helps Kim to sit down on the bench in the middle of the room, before quickly removing her padded suit, dumping it on the floor. Her clothes under it are damp with sweat. She quickly pulls those off too, before walking over to the one of the shower cubicles, her bare feet slapping on the floor. She looks back, to see Kim sitting on the bench along one wall. Despite the fact that her clothes are even damper than Shego's, completely soaked with sweat, she is making no move to remove them. Turing around, Shego heads towards her. 'Come on, Cupcake. You'll catch cold wearing those in here.'

Just a few seconds of being in the cool air of the changing room had been enough to raise goose bumps on her skin, making her clothes even clammier. So she guesses that it must be that much worse for Kim. She doesn't respond, but she doesn't resist either, as Shego gently helps her back to her feet. Now standing, she does at least seem a little more engaged, slowly discarding her sweaty clothing, adding them to the pile.

Placing one hand on her bare back, Shego guides Kim towards one of the shower cubicles. Having set the water just right, she directs Kim inside, so that she stands under the stream. Moving to stand behind her, she tips her head back, letting the water run through her orange hair.

She gives her a few seconds to relax under the hot water, before she speaks.

'Kimmie, what was that out there? I've never seen you take hits like that.'

When Kim replies, her voice is quiet, almost as if she is embarrassed. 'I don't know. I guess I just hesitated.'

Shego nods slowly, sensing from Kim's words that there is more to it than that, more that she want to say, but she is cautious to push her too hard. Instead, she grabs a bottle of shampoo from the side, working a small amount into Kim's head, until her hair is obscured beneath a layer of suds.

Kim sighs slowly, as her supple fingers work into her scalp, her eyes slowly sliding closed, 'No. It's more than that. I.. I knew what I wanted to do, the moves I should do. I could have blocked every one of those moves. I should have blocked them. But I couldn't. I just couldn't.'

She tips her head down a little, and Shego thinks she hears her choke back a little sob even over the sound of the water, 'I'm scared, Shego. I never used to worry about getting hit.' She pauses for a few seconds, taking a few shaky breaths, before continuing, 'I was never afraid of getting hit. It was just something that could happen. But now it's all I can think about. Every time I block or punch, I'm terrified that I'll get it wrong. I..I'm..I' Kim tries to continue, but her throat is suddenly tight, tears slowly leaking from her eyes again.

Having rinsed the last of the suds from her hair, Shego gently turns Kim around, wrapping her arms around her, pulling her close against her body, slowly stroking her hair.

'Shhh, shhh. Its okay, Princess. It's okay. Shhh.'

She just holds her, gently soothing her, comforting her with her touch.

'Kimmie, why didn't you say something? Why did you keep going if you knew you would get hurt?'

Kim took a deep breath, 'I don't know. I guess I thought that I could work through it. That if I kept fighting, I would get back what I lost.'

'Okay. I can understand that. But you should take it easy for a few days. Get some rest before you try again.'

Kim nods, slowly, wrapping her arms around Shego, pulling her into a returning her hug silently.

############################################################################################################

The room is dark, the faintest traces of light coming from the corridor outside, creeping through the gap under the door. Slowly, Kim sits up, carefully so as not to wake Shego who is still sleeping next to her. Equally carefully, she climbs off the bed, heading towards the door. Before she opens it, she turns back, padding up to the other side of the bed. Leaning down, she presses her lips against Shego's forehead, kissing her softly.

'I'm sorry.' she whispers.

Shego awakes suddenly, the lingering traces of a dream still clinging to her mind. She reaches up to her forehead, touching the spot where she thought she had felt someone touch her. The echo of Kim's voice still rings in her head, but she cannot remember the words. She looks around suddenly, noticing that the bed beside her is empty.

'Kimmie?' she calls out, trying to keep her voice calm. She gets no response. Ice forms in her veins, as she releases that she isn't there.

Cursing, she throws off the blanket, heading towards the door.

She literally races out into the corridor, almost bowling over Isabel as she does so.

She ignores the question her mother shoots her way, racing down the corridor, her legs furled by adrenaline and panic.

The door to the training room slides open as she approaches and she rushes inside, her headlong dash suddenly halted by the sight that greets her. She is too late to do anything except watch, as the fists of the drone slam into Kim's chest, one, two, three times. The last strike sending Kim flying backwards, her head impacting against the wall. For a second, Shego hesitates, but Isabel doesn't, hitting the emergency shutoff button on the wall. The drone takes one more step, before lurching to a stop. All Shego can see is Kim lying unmoving on the floor, the drone frozen over her prone form. Ignoring everything else, Shego races to her side, turning her over. She moans, clutching at her chest, as Shego pulls her into her lap, cradling her head. Her breathing is ragged, coming in short, painful gasps, the pain spiking in her chest as she breaths. Shego cannot help letting out a gasp of her own, as she sees the blood on Kim's lips, one small trickle leaking out of the corner of her mouth. She is only vaguely aware of her mother's words, speaking rapidly into the intercom, calling for a medical team.

############################################################################################################

Shego paces back and forth outside the medical center, her eyes fixed on the floor. Jim and Tim are seated against the wall, unusually silent, their youthful energy suddenly capped. But Shego has only so much attention to give them at the moment, most of her mind focused on Kim. She also tries to ignore Ron, who is also pacing back and forth, walking in the opposite direction to her.

She had been reluctant to be separated from her, even when the medical team arrived. Even after her mother had convinced her to step away from Kim, so the medics could lay her on the stretcher, she had not wanted to leave her side, clutching her hand as she ran alongside. Ron had joined her a couple of moments later, copying her actions, taking up position on the other side of the stretcher. Shego glanced at him briefly, as he took hold her other hand. She tried to control her sudden surge of jealousy, putting it down to her anxious state. Ron has every right to care about Kim, but for different reasons than her. Different, but no less important. She gave Kim's hand one last squeeze, before the medics wheeled her inside.

She looks up suddenly, as the door opens, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

'You can come in now.'

Following the doctor's words, Shego steps inside, Jim, Tim and Isabel behind her.

Shego steps up beside the bed, looking down at Kim's face. She certainly looks more peaceful, her chest rising and falling slowly; not with the rapid gasping she had been doing when Shego arrive. Shego strokes a loose hair out of her eyes.

'Is she going to be okay?'

'Yes, she should be fine. She has some bruised ribs and some minor cuts and abrasions, but no internal injuries. No sign of a concussion, either.'

'Are you sure? I mean, she was bleeding from her mouth when we..'

'Yes, I'm sure. She just bit her lip when she was hit. We will keep her here over night, just to be sure. Keep her off her feet and she should be fine. I've given her something for the pain. You can stay for a bit, but I've given her something to help her sleep. If she falls asleep, it would be best let her.'

Isabel steps up to her side, as Jim and Tim move closer as well.

'She'll be fine, Firecracker. We have the best doctors here.'

She hesitates for a second, as if embarrassed to have used that name.

Shego turns to face her, uncertain how to react to that. She doesn't have too, as Kim speaks with a soft, sleepy voice. 'Firecracker?'

Isabel smiles, turning to face her. 'That's what I used to call Shego when she was younger.'

Kim cannot help grinning, 'Firecracker. I like that.'

Blushing slightly, Shego places a hand on Kim's shoulder, 'What were you thinking? I thought we agreed you would take a step back for now? Kimmie, you could have been really hurt.'

Kim stares down at her lap, suddenly unable to meet Shego's eyes. 'I know. I'm sorry. I just had to give it one more try. I had too.'

Despite her best efforts, Shego can feel her anger rising, 'You're sorry? You're sorry. Did you even think how sorry I would feel, how sorry we would feel, if anything were to happen to you? Damn it, Kimmie, you could have broken some ribs, or who knows what else.'

'But I didn't. Not this time. And I won't next time either.'

'Next time? Princess, there isn't going to be a next time. Not for a few days, anyway.'

Kim sits up, moving to push the sheets away from her body, 'Shego, I'm...'

Shego meets her gaze, firmly, 'Don't say it. Okay? Do not say that you are okay, that you can go on. You can't. You heard the doctor. You got away lucky this time. When are you not going to be okay? When you crack your skull?'

Ron steps up to the other side of the bed, placing a hand on Kim's shoulders, gently pressing her down onto the bed. 'Shego's right, Kim. You have to rest.'

Kim's eyes are starting to feel heavy, as the sedative starts to kick in. She tries to stay awake, but her eyes are getting so heavy. She tries to sit up again, but cannot even raise her head. 'I'm ...okay. I have to..keep going.'

With a soft sigh, her head turns to the side, her eyes sliding closed, as she falls into a deep sleep. Silently, so as not to disturb her, Shego strokes her forehead softly, before following the other three out.

Half an hour later, Shego and Ron have returned to the cafeteria, sitting opposite each other at the table. Ron is the first to break the silence, placing his coffee cup down on the table.

'So, what are we going to do? I mean, you're right. If Kim keeps going like this, she is really going to get hurt.'

Shego sighs long and slowly, 'I know. But she's scared, scared that if she screws up, someone else will get hurt. And I don't know how we can help her work around that.'

Ron rests his head on his hand, looking despondent for a moment. Then he looks back up again, his eyes widening. 'She's scared that someone else will get hurt if she screws up. She's scared someone else will get hurt.'

Shego looks at him, quizzically, 'Yeah. That's what I said.'

'She's scared someone else will get hurt.'

'You said that already. What I are driving at?'

'Well, I have an idea. You're just not going to like it.'

############################################################################################################

Kim awakes slowly, her vision a little blurry. She can just about make out a figure seated in a chair by the side of the bed. She blinks her eyes a few times, focusing on her long black hair, the one detail she can make out.

'Shego? Is that you?'

The figure stands, moving to stand by the side of the bed. As she gets closer, her vision gets clearer, allowing her to make out more details.

'You're not Shego', she mumbles sleepily.

Isabel smiles, her eyes twinkling with humor, 'No. Sorry. She was here until a while ago. She just went to get some sleep. Anyway, the doctor said you could go back to your quarters if you wanted to.'

The idea of a few more hours sleep, comfortably curled up under the covers, Shego's arms wrapped around her, sounds like heaven.

Kim pulls back the door to her quarters, peering into the darkened room, trying to make out any details.

'Shego?' she calls out softly, not sure if she wants to wake her or not.

She steps into the room, stopping dead at what she sees against the small amount of light leaking in through the window. Her eyes widen as what she sees, focusing on the hulking figure right in front of her. Even in silhouette she can easily identify it as a Lowardian. Before she can even start to wonder how one of them got in here, her attention is suddenly focused on his outstretched arm, on the figure hanging loosely from it, his hand clasped around her neck.

'Shego?' she whispers, taking one step forward, then hesitating.

Shego manages to turn her head, her eyes meeting Kim's. 'Kimmie,' she manages weakly, her voice sounding very faint, 'Kimmie, help me.'

Kim steps forward slowly, then takes a step backwards, her whole body trembling. She wants to do something, but her body will not react.

'Kimmie, please. Help.' Shego just manages to get the last word out, before her eyes roll back into her head, her eyelids sliding closed. Her arms that had been fighting to break the grip around her neck going limp, dropping to her sides.

Something changed inside Kim when she saw that. The fear she is feeling is still there, but it has changed. She is still afraid, afraid of someone getting hurt. But not because of what she does, but because of might happen if she doesn't act. She takes the fear into herself, using it, working it. She finds that her legs will now move, something that she plans to take advantage off. She sprints forward, using her arms to add to her speed, leaping into the air, her foot connecting with the side of the Lowardian's head. The impact drives him back, stumbling, releasing his grip on Shego. As his hand uncurls from around her throat, she drops back down to the bed. The cry from the Lowardian is strangely familiar in a way that she cannot fully understand but right now she is more concerned about Shego.

She lands in a crouch in front of her, legs positioned in a balanced stance, ready to block or attack, standing defensively between the Lowardian and Shego. Strangely, the Lowardian doesn't seem inclined to attack again, rubbing the side of his head where her foot had connected. It is a gesture that is strangely human. But not as human as his voice when he speaks. Again, the voice sound familiar. Only this time, she is paying enough attention to it to be able to recognize it.

'Ron? Is that you?'

The image of the Lowardian shimmers, like a heat haze, before fading, being replaced by the form of the light haired ninja.

'Yeah, it's me. You didn't have to kick me so hard, you know.'

Shego sits up as she hears this, unable to keep from laughing at the affronted tone to his voice, 'Well, she did think you were trying to kill me. Can you really blame her?'

Kim is now completely confused, her eyes darting from Shego to Ron and back again.

'You guys set this up? Why?' Her tone is a mix of uncertainty and anger, which is exactly how she feels.

Both Ron and Shego hesitate, Kim filling the silence with another question, her voice raising a little, 'Answer me, dammit.'

Ron flinches a bit, unsettled by the naked fury in her voice. Shego on the other hand, steps forward, one hand grabbing Kim's shoulder, her eyes meeting hers.

'Because you're scared, Kimmie. But not for the reason you told me earlier. All that stuff about being afraid of being hit; that wasn't true, was it.'

'No, it wasn't. I..'

'You're lying, Kim.'

Kim suddenly looks even angrier, pushing Shego's hand off her arm, turning her back to Shego. 'I'm not.'

With a snarl, Shego grabs her arm again, spinning her back around. 'Yes, you are. Not just to me. But to yourself. You're not scared of getting hurt. Trust me, I know what that looks like. You're scared of someone else getting hurt, of losing someone else. Of not being able to save someone else. Like you couldn't save your parents. That's what scares you. Isn't it?'

Kim looks down for a few seconds. When she raises her head, Shego can see a few drops of moisture in the corner of her eyes. 'Yes. I can't stop thinking about it. Everything I do, if I screw up, someone could get hurt.' She pauses, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, 'I'm not strong enough, not brave enough. Not like you.'

'You think I'm not scared of losing someone? Of course I am. Before I met you, I didn't really care about anyone else. But now, now I have you, and James and Anne, the thought of losing anyone of you is almost unbearable. That fear is part of being alive. You have to take it, use it. I use my fear, my dread of losing you, to fight that much harder to protect you.'

Kim just stares at Shego, as if she is trying to say something, but cannot seem to get the words out.; her lower lip wobbling. Suddenly, she throws herself at Shego, wrapping her arms around her. She buries her head in her shoulder, sobbing and wailing into the soft material of Shego's shirt, all the fear and pain she had been bottling up just flooding out of her as she cries. Shego doesn't say anything, just stroking her hair softly, letting her cry and cry.

############################################################################################################

Shego is the first to awake next morning, stirring slowly, her mind still a little fuzzy. She smiles, as she feels her arms still wrapped around the warm body pressed against hers, her back resting against her stomach. Her smile grows wider as she opens her eyes, looking down at Kim's face, her eyes still closed, her chest rising and falling slowly. Softly, so as not to wake her, she brushes a few loose strands of hair out of her eyes, before leaning down to place a soft kiss on the side of her neck.

Kim stirs at the soft contact, sighing softly, as Shego's lips caress her skin.

'Mmmm. That feels nice.'

Shego gives Kim one last kiss, before pulling back. 'Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.'

Kim turns around, wrapping her arms around her neck, snuggling a little closer to Shego, sharing the warmth of her soft body, feeling the swell of her breasts against hers through her loose sweatshirt. 'I can think of worse ways to be woken up.'

Shego's response is to lean in a little closer, inching her lips nearer and nearer to Kim's. She can hear the redheads breathing becoming quicker and quicker the closer her lips get.

She releases a soft moan, as Shego's lips touch hers, not forcefully, just softly stroking them with her lips. She gasps as Shego breaks the kiss, moving further down, placing a series of small short kisses on her neck. She arches her back a little, tipping her head back, letting her eyes slide closed as Shego continues her delicate attention on her neck, kissing her way down to the neckline of her shirt, then back up to her mouth again, claiming her lips in another kiss, this one more passionate than before. Kim can feel her body starting to respond to the attention she is receiving, when she hears a knock at the door.

With a frustrated sigh, Shego breaks the kiss, before raising her voice to shout through the door, 'What?'

The door handle turns, prompting Kim to start to blush, colour rising in her cheeks, as she moves away from Shego a little bit, turning around so she is lying on her side with her back to her. Shego doesn't release her hold on her though, keeping her arms linked around her waist, pulling her that little bit closer, apparently not bothered by the close contact. She looks up as her mother enters, their eyes meeting across the room, Shego watching her emotionlessly, 'Oh, it's you.'

'Good morning to you too, Shego. And Ms. Possible. How are you feeling this morning?'

Kim nods slowly, 'I'm okay. Still a bit sore in places, but it's not too bad.'

'Alright. If you feel up to it, we would like to start training you on some new equipment we have developed.'

This seems to interest Kim, her head perking up as she hears that. 'Really? What is it?'

'Let's just say we've made some improvements to something you've used before.'

Wade looks up from the terminal in front of him, smiling as he sees the group of figures walk into the room. 'Hey Kim. How are you doing? Sorry that I didn't see you when you got injured. Or that you didn't see me, I guess. I stopped by, but you were asleep. The docs said you needed your rest.'

Kim walks over, pulling him into a brief hug, 'Don't worry about it. I've heard you've been working on something important since you got here.'

'Oh, yeah. You're going to love this. Take a look.'

He presses a button on the console, raising the illumination in the two glass cases on the back wall, as well as the objects inside them. Kim wanders over, pressing one hand against the smooth glass. 'Hey. Is that my Battlesuit?' Her eyes wander up over the blue and white material, up towards the helmet of the same colours, with a black visor running horizontally around the front half.

'Sure is.' Wade walks over, swinging back the front of the case and handing the suit to Kim. 'Here, have a look.'

She runs her palm over the suit, mentally comparing it to the old version, 'This feels different. What's it made of?'

'Truthfully, I don't really know. Some kind of synthetic material that I've never seen before. And I tried all synthetic materials making the first version. But its durability is above anything I've seen.'

'Cool. Does it still have all the other features it used to have?'

'What? Like the cloak and the shield? Yep. The only thing we couldn't manage was the

self-repair feature. But given its durability, I don't think that will be a problem. We also added some speed and strength enhancement. Plus a heads up display.'

Shego wanders over to join them, eyeing the green and black suit, especially the claws built into the gloves. 'Nice. I can't wait to try it out.'

############################################################################################################

The next two weeks pass quickly, with Kim and Shego spending every waking moment practicing with their new Battlesuits, getting used to the physical augments that they offer. That proved the greatest challenge, since any physical activity they are used to performing is now radically enhanced. More than once, at least one of them had tried to do a leap or jump, only to find that they had put too much power into it, resulting in them crashing into a wall or ceiling. Luckily that proved to be a good test of the armour, the surprisingly solid material protecting them from the worst of the impacts, leaving them with only some small bruises. The helmet proved to be another sticking point, not because it restricted their vision though. Completely the opposite, in fact. The problem was more one of information overload, the HUD throwing so much information at the user, bombarding them with information about their surroundings, as well as the location of various threats, as to almost be overwhelming, distracting. They just had to learn to tune it out, sort of like talking with someone, while tuning out background noise. After that, they moved on to combat training, learning to fight in the suits, learning to use their new abilities in combat. This was something that came much easier to Kim than Shego, something she complained about a lot in the beginning. She, with her gymnastic skills, found it much easier to pull off the acrobatic feats they were now capable of, at least without getting dizzy. Even the simplest maneuver left her head spinning. Despite being able to do it, Shego is more comfortable to rely on her newly enhanced strength, plus the claws built into gloves, combining slashes of the razor sharp points, with deadly swift kicks. Plus the occasional blast of plasma. Even that seems to have been enhanced by the suit, allowing her to produce her plasma easier than before, and to make it hotter than ever.

As a result of their mastery of the suits, their battles against the drones are becoming more effective as well, allowing them to engage greater numbers than ever before, easily defeating 30 at a time. From the control room Isabel watches, impressed with their improvement, as they easily dispatch the last of this group of foes. She nods to herself, satisfied. 'I think they're ready.'

############################################################################################################

Kim sits up slowly, looking around the darkened room, her eyes still heavy with the lingering traces of sleep, trying to work out what had woken her up. The answer comes to her as the sound of someone knocking on the door can be heard. With a groan, she pushes the covers back from her legs, swinging her legs around, sliding her feet into her slippers. Rubbing her eyes, she stumbles across the room, her mind still foggy as she makes her way towards the door. Due to the darkness, and her sleep clouded mind, it takes her a few times to find the handle, scrabbling around for it, her hand bumping into the smooth metal a few times. Stifling a yawn, she drags it open. Her eyes struggle to focus on the Isabel's face as much as her ears are struggling to pick up what she says.

'Good morning, Ms. Possible. I am sorry to disturb you, but..'

'Isabel, it's four in the morning.'

'Yes, I know. But things have been proceeding very quickly. I don't have time to explain everything now, but if you follow me, everything will be explained.

Fifteen minutes later, having hastily dressed, Kim and Shego are lead one of the bases hanger, the large area filled with a hive of activity. Isabel glances around, scanning her eyes over the crowd of agents, before she spots Dr Director, who glances up as they approach, her gaze settling on Kim and Shego.

'Thank you for coming so quickly, and I apologize for waking you so early. At twenty three hundred hours last night, the division heads agreed by near unanimous vote to launch a strike against the Lowardians. It's target the Lowardian Central Base in Washington.'

Shego looks confused, 'So? That's a good thing, isn't it? When do we leave?'

'That's just it. You're not going.'

Seeing the expressions on their faces, she holds up a hand to forestall any comments they may make. 'This was not my decision. It was a decision made by the other Divisional Heads, one I argued against strongly. Their plan is that a commando team, assisted by Team Go, will infiltrate the facility, find the Great Blue and destroy it. Hopefully, its destruction will lower the energy field around the country. Once that is accomplished, the main force will attack, securing Washington, then moving on to other cities.'

'Okay. So what's the problem? That sounds like a good plan to me.'

'The problem is that we can't be sure that the Great Blue is in Washington. It is the logical target for a first strike, which, to my thinking, makes it seem the last place they would place something so vital.'

'So, where is it?'

'My thinking is that it is in Middleton, or just outside of it anyway, hidden away in the facility you rescued us from.'

'Why do you think it is there?'

'One of the last pieces of satellite intelligence we got before the shield was raised showed a heavily defended transport landing just outside it. A few minutes later, the shield was raised. It stands to reason that the Great Blue is inside.'

'So, why are they not assaulting this facility?'

'They do not believe the Great Blue has the power to project a force field of this magnitude from Middleton. They think that it would not be possible without the energy reserves available from a city as big as Washington. And they could be right, but my instincts say no. Still, just to be on the safe side, I think we should put a team in Middleton.'

'Alright. When do we leave?'

'Right now. I have an assault team assembling in the hanger, supposedly for a training exercise. We have to move fast, or we risk being discovered.'

She points to a couple of crates on the hanger floor, part of a stack that the soldiers have been loading onto the assault ship.

'Your Battle Suits are in there. Change into them and we can leave.'

As they go to get changed, Isabel walks up beside her friend.

'Are you sure you want to go? You could sit this one out, you know.'

She turns, meeting her stare evenly, her hand smoothly loading her sidearm, then slipping it into the holster on her thigh, 'No, I can't. This is my mission, it will be on my head. I won't have anyone else taking the heat for it.'

'Okay, okay. Just be careful, will you?'

'I will. Count on that.'

############################################################################################################

Kim takes her seat on board the bullet train, fastening the belt around her waist. She had been worried that heading back to Middleton might cause a resurgence of the fear that had been holding her back since they had left. But to her surprise, it has not. Then again, she reflects, the circumstances this time are much different. Last time had been a retreat, when she had been reeling from the loss of her parents. But with Shego and Ron's help, it had been overcome, replaced with a desire to find them. And that is what she is going to do. She may be here to help Global Justice, And stop the Great Blue, but she is not leaving without her parents.

In the seat next to her, Shego's mind is moving along similar lines. She is as determined to save Anne and James as Kim is. And not just because it will help Kim, she suddenly realizes. It takes her a slow second to actually process that thought. But in all the time she had spent with the Possibles, she had never really noticed how close she had become to them. When she had come to live with Kim, she had slowly started to think of them as people that, at least in some way, cared about her. But somehow she had moved beyond that. That thought catches her by surprise, a slight gasp slipping past her lips as it does.

Kim catches it, glancing at her quizzically. 'Something wrong?'

Shego shakes her head, 'Not really. I was just thinking..Never mind.'

Kim cannot help smiling a little. If she didn't know better, she would swear that she was embarrassed. She thinks she can just make out a deeper shade in her cheeks.

'Come on, Shego. You can tell me.'

Shego sighs, feeling more self-conscious by the second. 'Alright. It's just..I just realized that I started to think of your parents as, well, parents. To me, I mean.'

'Is that so strange?'

'To me? Sure it is. Maybe? I don't know. With my rocky relationship with my parents, I guess I never thought I could feel that way about anyone again.'

'Well, I don't think it's strange. It's just human nature. We all crave a little parental love.'

'Well, it still feels a bit strange to me.' Shego pauses for a second, as if something else has just occurred to her. 'Do you think your parents know?' Shego is not really sure what she wants the answer to be. Not sure which would be better, if she said yes or no.

'I don't know. But I think so, yes. I think they've gotten to thinking of you as part of the family.'

Shego looks down into her lap for a few seconds, trying to fight the tears that she can feel in the corner of her eyes. Kim notices them anyway, just catching sight of the single glistening drop that runs down her cheek. She extends one hand, wrapping to around Shego's. The rest of the journey is spent in relative silence, except for the slow sound of their breathing. There is nothing more to say, really. The presence of the other is more than enough to comfort them.

Kim is dragged out of the light doze she had fallen into, as she feels Shego shaking her shoulder gently.

'Sorry to wake you, Princess. But we're almost there.'

Sitting up straight in her chair, twisting her neck to loosen it a bit, she looks up as Dr Director stands to address her troops.

'Right. I would like to run through the operation one more time. As you know, we are arriving through the subterranean tunnels that allowed us to escape. While there is a small chance that the Lowardian's might have discovered them, we do not believe that is the case. The entire tunnel system is shielded against scanners, and no record of it has been entered into the bases computers, so they should have no idea it exists. Assuming our assumption is correct, we should be able to enter the facility unnoticed. We cannot count on that forever, sooner or later we will be detected, but it will allow us to gain the element of surprise. Teams Alpha and Beta will lead the assault, while Delta forms the rear guard. Ms. Possible, your team,' she indicates Kim, Shego, Ron and Yori with a sweep of her arm, 'will follow behind. You all have ways of hiding yourselves that we do not, so use them. You are not to engage the main forces. We will act as a diversion. In the confusion, you will be able to slip through the base unnoticed. You must find the Great Blue quickly and destroy it as soon as possible.'

As Dr Director gives her instructions, the train starts to slow, pulling into the platform. She moves towards the doors, forming up behind the troops that will exit first. Then she grabs one of the rails that run along the length of the train, as the whole thing shakes violently.

Before she can ask what that was, she gets her answer, bright flashes of light filling the tunnel. Each flash followed by another tremor that shakes the train. Then, with a loud crash, the whole train is thrown off the tracks, the metal body scrapping along the ground as it grinds to a halt.

Clearly the Lowardians have made some upgrades since they took over, most notably the series of small turrets that are pounding the train with a steady stream of energy weapons fire. In some ways, it is lucky that the weapons fire did damage the wheels, tossing the train onto its side. Mainly because the underside is actually made of a thicker sheet of metal than the sides, absorbing the impact of the blasts much more effectively. But it will not hold out for ever. Dr Director has clearly realized this to, pulling herself up from where the impact of the crash had thrown her, pulling the release for the doors. She is about to order her troops out, when Shego bends her legs, leaping up out of the door, her suit flashing green before she fades out of sight. The stealth field seems to work, the cannons still focusing on the train. She quickly destroys two of them with pin point plasma blasts, before the actually recognize that they have a more important target, swinging away from the ruined train, opening fire on her position. Or where she had been. She had been expecting them to track her, and had quickly jumped to the right, rolling off the train. Three more quickly fall, three deadly accurate plasma bolts ripping them apart. By this time, the Global Justice troops have climbed out onto the top of the train, opening fire on the few remaining turrets, neutralizing the rest. While they do, Kim has gone invisible as well, moving to stand with Shego, closely followed by the Yamanuchi. Shego has to really focus to pick them out though, their bodies seeming to merge and flow into the shadows on the wall.

'Looks like monkey boy really did pick up some ninja tricks.' she mutters to herself.

Dr Director is quickly marshaling her troops, preparing for the next wave of attacks. It comes sooner than expected, the door to the main part of the base sliding up, five robots resembling metallic crabs advancing into the chamber. Sighting up on them, the troops open fire, the impacts from their shots rocking the bodies of the mech. That doesn't stop them firing back though. Kim moves to help, when Shego grabs her arm, her voice flowing from the speakers in her helmet. 'We can't stay here, Kimmie. If you want to help them, we have to find the Great Blue. Come on, Kim.' she urges her, gently but firmly.

Quickly they slip through the door, followed by Ron, Yori and the rest of the Yamanuchi. Kim glances back over her shoulder, checking that they are following, her visor identifying their positions. How they are following them without being able to see them she doesn't know. She makes a mental note to ask Ron later.

At least Dr Director's idea that they would provide a distraction seems to be working out. The only Lowardians they encounter race right past them, probably heading to help the forces fighting Global Justice.

'Okay. Dr Director said the Great Blue would most likely be in the control room, since it is the most heavily protected part of the base. This way.'

Silently Shego points down the corridor, motioning for the rest of them to follow her, more of a habitual gesture, since she knows that everyone besides Kim cannot see it.

The Great Blue stands completely motionless, cables and tendrils running from its body to the various terminals and monitors that fill this room at the very top of the facility. The room is laid out in typical Global Justice style, sets of smaller consoles placed around the central one that The Great Blue is plugged into. The Great Blue cares nothing about these pointless organic ideals of structure or form. The fact that it is using the sensors in this building, plus it's connection to others all over America, to gather information from all over the continent is it's only concern. As well as projecting the energy screen that has isolated it. It was a simple matter to convert the primitive power generation facilities to produce the energy required.

Its attention is focused elsewhere at the moment however, tracking the battle raging in the terminus of the underground transport system. It watches with what could be called satisfaction, if it possessed such an emotion, seeing the Lowardian Mechanized Units keeping the human soldiers pinned down, preventing them from advancing any further. But something else is going on. It can sense it. Turning away from the battle, it rotates to face a bank of monitors showing feeds from security cameras mounted throughout the facility. It flicks through the channels quickly, stopping on one that seems no different from any of the others. Even though the Great Blue can see no sign of any intruders, the corridor seemingly empty, it knows that someone is there. Someone that has slipped past the defenses and guards. And it knows that they are most likely going to make their way here.

Its eyes flaring blue for a second, the Great Blue begins to issue new orders.

###########################################################################################################

Warhok turns in the seat in the center of the bridge of his ship, as one of the crew seated at a console behind him speak, 'Sir, we are getting a report from the Great Blue. It informs us that hostile forces have breached its defenses from inside the facility. It warns us to be aware of other such sneak attacks.'

Warhok nods slowly, 'Pass the order to the other Commanders. Pilot, take us to the Great Blue's location. Full speed.'

As the crew obey his orders, Warmonger steps up beside the chair, cautiously. 'Do we go to assist the Great Blue, sir?'

He laughs, a short sharp bark, 'Assist? What has it done for us to warrant such help? No, Warmonger, we go to reclaim the future of the Lowardian people, to put our destiny back in our own hands.'

############################################################################################################

The ninja's advance cautiously, moving through one empty corridor to another, until the reach one that differs from the others. Instead of running in a straight line, this one curves to form a circle, with more corridors leading off it at equal distances. In the center is a smooth column that runs up to the ceiling. As they approach a door slides back, revealing something that looks very much like a lift. With a nod to those around him, Ron steps aside to let the others enter first, only entering after all the others are aboard. As the lift starts to ascend, the ninjas let their camouflage techniques fade, slowly becoming visible, ready for battle. Ron, and the others standing near the four doors, ready their weapons, not sure which one will open when they get to the top. With a slight shudder, the lift stops, the door behind Ron opening smoothly. Cautiously, the ninja's move forward, heading towards another door only a short distance from the lift. This one too, opens as they approach. Suddenly suspicious, Ron signals for everyone to stop, quickly taking the lead. He peers into the room, seeing nothing but darkness. Waving the others in behind him, he steps forward, alert for any threat. It reveals itself as soon as the last ninja has stepped inside, the door slamming shut behind him. At the same instant, the lights come on, revealing a squat figure made of shimmering blue metal. Its eyes blaze blue upon seeing the intruders. Before anyone can move, another door slides back, dozens of Lowardians pouring into the cramped space. Now trapped, the Yamanuchi attack, fiercely fighting to survive.

The Great Blue watches the battle dispassionately. Suddenly its eyes glow blue again, as it hears something behind it; the harsh sound of metal clattering to the floor. It turns towards the source of the noise, seeing nothing but a grill from one of the ventilation ducts lying on floor. The duct it had been connected to appears empty, as the Great Blue surveys it slowly, examining it with all of its sophisticated sensors. Suddenly it is driven back, as something slams into its front.

The Great Blue staggered back a few paces, the tendrils plugged into the consoles violently ripped free, as it reels from the impact of the objects that collide with it. It lands with a crash against the far wall, before climbing back to its feet. The air in front of it shimmers for a second, Kim and Shego becoming visible.

While Ron and the ninja's had entered via the lift, they had slipped away, quickly entering the ventilation system, using that to sneak into the control room while the ninjas went in through the front door. They had arrived at the top, just a few seconds after the rest, but in time to see them get attacked. Which had been the plan. With all its attention focused on the others, they had been able to catch it off guard.

Without even a sound, it charges at them. This catches both Kim and Shego by surprise. They had not expected it to be so aggressive. But they quickly react, spinning out of the way, only to walk into its real attack. The tendrils lying on the floor suddenly rising up, lashing out at its attackers. Caught unawares, they are helpless to prevent them from wrapping around their bodies. Shego starts to struggle instantly, fighting with all the enhanced strength the suit can give her, digging her heels into the ground, her legs straining against the force it is exerting. But she is only able to hold her ground as the cyborg tries to pull her in, not break free. Kim however isn't fighting at all. In fact, she isn't even moving. Desperation fuelling her, Shego's plasma bursts to life, as she tries to bring her hands down to cut herself free. Reacting instantly, the Great Blue tugs violently on the tendrils that hold Shego, tossing her to the left. The suit takes most of the impact, but Shego's head is still ringing. She shakes her head, seeing that Kim has almost reached the body of the Great Blue. She watches in horror as it raises its hand, the pointed tips of its fingers glinting like knives. Before Shego can even cry out, Kim acts, bringing her legs up, placing them firmly on the Great Blue's chest. She bends her legs, before forcefully launching herself backwards. This sudden movement did what Shego's struggles could not. With a harsh metallic scream, the tendrils are ripped from the body of the Great Blue, leaving little sparking holes where they had been. That scream is echoed by the one from the Great Blue's mouth. The damage done causes the tendrils hold on Shego to slacken. That is all the opening she needs, quickly slicing through them one by one. Tossing the last one away, she moves to Kim's side. Without a word, they attack, landing blow after blow on the Great Blue, each one leaving a fresh dent on its once flawless skin.

They both feel no need to hold back, convinced in their conviction that it is only a robot. That certainty holds, until Kim strikes a double handed blow to its face, the armour cracking under one blow too many, falling away in pieces. Both Kim and Shego stare in horror at the face underneath.

'Drakken?' Shego breathes softly, unable to believe her eyes.

The blue skinned scientist looks at both of them desperately, his voice sounding strained as he speaks. 'Heeelp Meee.'

The pair hesitate, unsure what to do. They are actually concerned about hurting Drakken. But they know that at the same time, they have to get him away from the Great Blue.

Shego is the one that manages to overcome her indecision first, driving her fists into a dent that has already formed in its chest. She keeps hitting the same spot over and over again, the dent getting more pronounced, then cracking, the metal splitting. Each blow seems to be staggering it. It tries to raise its arms, but it cannot, the metal limbs twitching but doing nothing more than that. Shego digs her fingers into the gap her assault has made, working her claws into the small crack, fiercely pulling it apart. Kim runs up to her side, working her fingers into the hole she has created, pulling on one side, while Shego does the other. Eventually, the whole of the chest cavity starts to open, the seam between the two plates giving way. Shego is about to grab Drakken and pull him out, when the Great Blue reacts, shoving them both away. Taking advantage of that, the Great Blue leaps out of the window, glass shattering around it, its arms wrapped around its chest to shield its host from the lethal storm of shards. Drakken still screams, as they plummet to the ground, but it is one of fear, not pain. Scrambling back to their feet, Kim and Shego leap after it.

The Great Blue did not really have the time to check where it was leaping to, or what was below it. By the time it registers the Lowardian tank beneath it, it is too late to do anything about it. The speed it is travelling at is so great that it smashes straight through the heavy armour, leaving an almost perfectly circular hole. By the time they land, the Great Blue has pulled itself back out of the hole, standing on the top. As they watch, it's tendrils lash out, digging into the body of the tank. The metal seems to be flowing onto the Great Blue's body, starting to repair the damage it has taken. Before Kim and Shego can react, they turn as they hear something approaching from behind them. The source of the heavy footsteps is revealed to be Warhok, with Warmonger close behind, the hulking pair rushing towards them. Kim and Shego square up, ready to fight, assuming they have come to help the Great Blue. That couldn't be further from the truth, Warhok isn't even interested in them. Kim and Shego freeze, as does Warmonger, the three of them watching with the same look of confused shock on their faces, as Warhok smashes into the cyborg, his fists quickly compounding the damage Kim and Shego had already done, as well as inflicting more on its head. Watching warily out of the corner of her eyes, Kim notices that Warmonger seems uncertain if she should intervene or not, taking a few steps forward, then stopping. Unaware or unconcerned with the feelings of his subordinate, with a casual gesture, Warhok grabs Drakken by the front of his shirt, lifting him free of the metal shell. As if panicked by the thought of losing its host, tiny tendrils wrap around his body, holding him inside. This does not deter Warhok, tearing them loose, despite the cords digging into his flesh. With one last effort, he rips Drakken from inside, tossing him aside like a rag. He screams as he arcs through the air, landing hard on the solid concrete, the back of his head connecting with a loud crack. Quickly Kim races to his side, reaching out to check his pulse. That seems not be necessary, as her visor actives, showing his heart rate and pulse. Both are weak, but he is still alive.

Deprived of its host and badly damaged, electricity sparking from different parts of its armour, the Great Blue seeks out the only other one nearby; its tendrils lashing out toward Warhok. Instead of trying to escape, the Lowardian leader smiles triumphantly, as the tendrils wrap around him, pulling him into the mass of metal that was the tank. The liquid metal flows around him, writhing and twisting, pulsing like the heartbeat of some strange creature. Then it starts slowly shrinking, contracting, until it has formed a humanoid figure even taller than Warhok. It has retained a few features of its original form, most notably the face plate, but its seems to have absorbed some features from the tank, including the three foot long gun barrel fixed to its shoulder. From where she is standing Shego cannot easily see what else it may have upgraded with. And from the look of that weapon, she is not eager to find out. Then again, she may not have a choice. The Great Blue speaks, it's voice sounding more like Warhok, the higher pitched metallic tone replaced his much deeper one. 'Witness, Warmonger.' he shouts, 'Witness the true rebirth of the Lowardian people. Only now our destiny will be ours to control, not the plaything of some soulless toy.'

Neither Kim nor Shego understand what that means, but they defiantly don't like the sound of it. Warhok advances on them, but hesitantly, clumsily, as if something is fighting against him. Giving up of trying to reach them, he turns his attention to the shoulder mounted weapon, the tip glowing with the energy building up in it. Luckily, something seems to be affecting his aim, the blast landing a few meters behind Kim. Despite that, she hunkers down, shielding Drakken from the rush of air, and the small chunks of stone carried with it. He tries again, only to have the weapon go dead, the barrel dropping as its power fades. This is probably why he chose to retreat, instead of continuing to fight, Warmonger close behind him. Not that Kim and Shego mind, the former checking on Drakken, while the later keeps an eye out for any more Lowardians. Her head spins around suddenly as, with a loud roar, Warhok's ship rises up from where it had landed, swiftly heading for the skies. Shego watches in amazement as more and rise up to follow it, forming up into a loose cluster before blazing out of the atmosphere.

Shego watches them go, head tipped back tracing their movements, until she hears footsteps behind her. She turns to see Dr Director standing a few paces away. She has a small gash running down her left cheek, but apart from that she seems unharmed.

Things had happened very quickly after Kim and Shego had attacked the Great Blue, even though they had not known it. As soon as they had separated it from the control console, it's ability to control the warmechs had quickly suffered. This had allowed the force lead by Dr Director to destroy the ones arrayed against them, before sweeping through the rest of the installation. The remaining Lowardians tried to mount a defensive action, but without the aid from the Great Blue that had quickly become a rout. The had further been aided by Warhok's retreat, all remaining forces obeying his order to leave the planet. All of this had coincided with the main Global Justice assault, the armada of craft passing through where the energy shield had been, spreading out and moving to their assigned cities.

Kim and Shego didn't really care about this, as a hovership lands in front of them, the ramp lowering to reveal a more soldiers. As they disembark, Dr Director motions for Kim and Shego to bring Drakken on board; Kim lifting him gently and racing towards the ramp.

Placing Drakken on a stretcher by the door, leaving the medic waiting there to check him over, Kim and Shego take a pair of seats opposite Dr Director, as the ship slowly rises into the air.

'Where are we going?' Kim asks, suddenly completely exhausted, as the adrenaline starts to fade from her body.

'Middleton General hospital.' she pauses for a second, seeing the question in Kim's eyes. 'It's about as close as any other, and we know that it has not suffered any major damage.'

As soon as the ship lands, Kim and Shego make their way down the ramp, the medical team following behind them with Drakken on a stretcher. They step inside the hospital, finding themselves in the midst of a hive of activity; doctors rushing back and forth, the waiting room full of people with relatively minor injuries. For a few moments Kim is distracted by the sight of a young girl about half her age, a red stained bandage pressed against the still bleeding cut on her forehead. Then something she sees out of the corner of her eye fully attracts her attention. Nothing much, just the slightest glimpse of orange hair moving around the corner but it is enough. Moving away from Shego, she races around the corner, stopping as she sees the woman in the white coat, leaning over an elderly man, checking the sling around his arm. Kim freezes, her mouth suddenly dry, her voice catching in her throat as she tries to speak. Then she doesn't have to, the older woman looking up, their eyes meeting.

'Kim?', she breaths softly, as if she cannot believe her eyes.

Before she can say another word, Kim races across the space between them, throwing her arms around her mother. Anne returns the fierce hug, as if proving to herself that her daughter is really here.

'Kimmie. are you okay? Are you hurt?', she asks, looking down at the blood on her daughter's hands and stomach.

'Huh? Oh. No, I'm fine. It's not mine. What happened here?'

'When those weird ships left, they caused a bit of damage. Nothing serious, just smashed a lot of windows, knocked down some power lines. Most of the wounded got sent here. Luckily no one was that badly hurt. The worst of it some broken bones.'

Kim lets out a slow breath, feeling some of the sudden surge of panic that filled her dissipate. 'So dad's okay?'

Anne nodded, 'He's fine. Took a few knocks, but he's okay. He's out helping to gather those that cannot make it here. Anyone with a car has been pressed into helping out.'

A few paces behind her, Shego waits silently letting Kim have this moment with her mother. She knows what she has gone through since she was separated from her parents, knows all too well the secret fear that she had not quite been able to hide from Shego; the dread that she would never see them again. It does her heart a world of good to see her release that fear.

Shego looks up suddenly, as Anne beckons her over. 'Don't just stand there, Shego. Come here.' She pulls her into her arms as she gets closer, one hand resting on the back of her head. She maintains the hug for a few minutes, before stepping back, looking her up and down, checking that she isn't hurt. 'It's so good to see you. Both of you. And I hate to have to run, but..'

Kim nods, understandingly. 'I know. We'll talk later.'

She watches her mother leave, then turns to Shego. 'How's Drakken doing?'

Shego shrugs, not dismissively, but uncertainly. 'I don't know. The docs rushed him away as soon as we arrived. I think they took him to one of the rooms back here.'

It proves to be much easier to locate Drakken than they expected. The two Global Justice agents guarding one of the doors are pretty much a dead giveaway. They both look up as the two women approach, one of them moving to block their path. His companion reaches out to stop him, 'Sorry about that, Ms. Possible. You may go inside.'

As they open the door, the doctor examining Drakken looks up.

'How is he?', Shego asks without preamble. Her voice is neutral, any concern she may be feeling buried deeply.

'He isn't that badly hurt. He took a blow to the head, and has a mild concussion, but nothing that serious.'

'Is he awake?'

'Not yet. I guess he won't regain consciousness for a few more hours yet. You are more than welcome to wait here until he does. If you will excuse me.'

With the barest nod, Shego grabs a nearby chair, placing it at the foot of the bed. Kim does the same, taking a seat next to her, the two of them just sitting silently.

Drakken's eyes crack open slowly, blinking in the light. He instantly wishes they hadn't, screwing them shut again, as pain lances through his head again. Wincing loudly, he raises his hand up to his head, or tries to. His hand brought up short by something wrapped around his wrist. Then he forces his eyes open again, as he hears someone move to the side of the bed, fighting against another stab of pain. What he sees causes the pain to diminish, so much that he manages to smile. His voice is quiet, a little sluggish.

'Shego. Shego.' Then his voice becomes a little stronger. 'Well, it's about time, Shego. Get me out of here.' He twists his wrists, indicating his restraints. 'Come on, Shego. Cut me loose.'

Shego shakes her head, caught off guard by the sudden pang of sadness that shows on her face. She hadn't expected it to be this hard. But still, she is resolved about what she has to do. 'Not this time, doc.'

Drakken stares at her with confusion, 'What do you mean? Stop kidding around, Shego. We're a team, aren't we?'

'Not anymore. I'm done, doc.'

'But..But..' he seems completely lost for words. 'How can you do this? How can you turn your back on me?'

Shego's face suddenly turns angry, her eyes narrowing, Drakken flinching as he sees her expression. 'Hey. You turned your back on me first, remember? You ditched me for Warmonger. Remember? So, I'm done. You're on your own. Let's get out of here, Princess.'

Looping one arm around Kim, Shego leaves the room without looking back. Stepping back into the corridor, they find Dr Director waiting to meet them.

'Is he awake?' she asks without preamble.

Shego turns away, crossing her arms over her chest, pretending that she hadn't heard the question. With a sympathetic glance at her, Kim answers instead, 'Yes, he is. What's going to happen to him?'

'After we debrief him about his involvement with the Lowardians, he can look forward to a lengthy stay in prison. He still has several terms to complete.' Dr Director shoots Shego a wry smile, her lips compressed tightly. 'Maybe without you or Warmonger to spring him out, he might actually finish them.'

Shego ignores the quip. 'As long as he is out of my hair, I don't care what you do with him.'

###########################################################################################################

It is a few hours later, the sun just starting to set, when the Possible family make it back home. All of them are completely exhausted, even the usually hyper Jim and Tim. While the rest have already taken seats in the living room, Anne and Kim return with a tray loaded with cups of coffee. Kim passes them out to the others, keeping the last two for herself and Shego, she drops down onto the sofa next to her, feeling her loop one arm around her waist. While her parents talk about everyday things, things like what food they need to stock up on, she is more content just to listen, comforted by the presence of familiar people around her, as well as familiar surroundings. It feels good to Kim to do something so ordinary, so normal. She lets her eyes slide closed, relaxing against Shego's side, feeling Shego's arms wrapped comfortingly around her.

Kim awakes slowly, her mind filled with a pleasant, comfortable warmth that matches the one that fills her body. Without moving, not wanting to disturb that blissful feeling, Kim takes in the details of her surroundings. She is in her bed, that much she is certain about; she can feel her head resting against her pillow, feel the thick duvet pulled up around her neck. She just has no memory of actually walking up here last night. She can also feel that she is wearing a pair of her thick cotton pajamas, but she has no memory of changing into them either. Sighing softly, Kim pulls her legs up to her chest, as she feels something softly caress her face. She opens her eyes, seeing Shego's face inches from her own, her eyes closed, breathing softly as she sleeps; her breath delicately stroking her face. Kim cannot help smiling at the sight of Shego asleep, her face relaxed and peaceful.

Her smile becoming a little wider, she leans in close to her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek, before sitting up. Moving slowly so as not to wake Shego, Kim slips out of bed, sliding her feet into her slippers. Softly she pads downstairs, heading towards the front of the house. Turning the lock, she pulls open the front door, feeling the cool morning air wrap around her. Taking a deep breath, she sits down on the front step, staring out at the road, idly watching the intermittent flow of traffic passing by the house. She loses track of how long she has been sitting there, when she hears footsteps approaching behind her. She looks up as she feels a blanket being draped around her shoulders, smiling as she sees Shego staring down at her. Shego returns it, but Kim can see the concern in her eyes.

'What are you doing out here, Princess? It's freezing.'

'I know, but I didn't want to wake you. I just wanted to some time to think.'

Nodding understandingly, Shego sits down next to Kim, wrapping the other side of the blanket around her shoulders, 'I don't mind being woken up, especially if you have something on your mind.'

Kim wraps her arm around Shego's waist, moving closer to her to share the warmth of her body. 'That's just it. I thought I would have something on my mind, but I don't. I knew I would have to think about my future again at some point, and I was a little scared about it. About even thinking about it. But it's odd though. It's not bothering me anymore. I thought it would be, but it's not.'

'That's a good thing, right?'

'I guess so. It's just surprising.'

So, have you made a decision?' Shego's tone is light, gentle, making it clear that she is just asking, not pressuring her.

'No. But I don't think that matters. Not yet. Looking back, I think I was rushing things, trying to make a choice, any choice. But I was getting so worked up, that I couldn't choose anything.'

'Well, maybe you shouldn't rush into anything this time either. Take your time, look at all the options again.'

Kim rests her head against Shego's shoulder, physically letting her know that she is not offended by her suggestion. 'You're right. Only, I was thinking that we could look at them together. This is a big decision, one that could affect both of us. I don't want to cut you out of it.'

Lightly, Shego places her hand on Kim's head, stroking her hair. 'Thanks, Princess. Anything you need, you know I'll be there for you. Anytime.'

Turning to face Shego, Kim leans in, kissing her softly on the lips.

'I know.'

THE END.

---

Okay. That's it for Graduation. Sorry that it took so long to get the last chapter up, but I had so much stuff to do and so little time to do it.

Also, thank you to everyone that read it and for all the wonderful reviews. They really meant a lot to me.

Its been quite a ride for me, and a lot of fun. But I'm glad its finished. I really want to get on with the next stage of the life I have planned for Kim and Shego. So, keep your eyes open for the sequel.

Thank you all again.

Mereel.