Disclaimer: Kim Possible is belonging to the Disney. This is but a humble work of fan-fiction.
A few changes have been made to Chapter 1. Nothing drastic but something that will come up again. I'd re-read it. But that's just me. ^_-
A Fan-fiction by Alcandre & Six-string Samurai.
"Lingering"
Stifling a yawn, Shego sat up, arching her back in a stretch that felt delicious. For the first time in two days, she actually felt somewhat refreshed, and not completely useless. It did wonders for her that her thoughts were once again clear, save for the last vestiges of sleep.
Looking around, she noticed Kimmie was nowhere to be found. The large bed was empty, and when Shego padded across the covers, the side where pumpkin had been sleeping was already cold. The weird part of it was the ex-thief could swear that the redhead was still right there, in fact, she could still smell…the black kitten's eyes sharpened in realization, it seemed she hadn't quite come to grips with what her new body fully entailed.
Following the distinctive Kim-ness in the air, the kitten leapt to the floor and squeezed through the gap that had been left in the doorway. Judging by the lack of sunlight in the hall, it was still early yet, but Shego had always been one to get up with the sun. Apparently, that applied to Kimmie too.
Almost the moment she entered the hall, Shego caught a different smell, one that permeated the apartment every bit as much as the owner. If anything, it was actually more enticing at the moment. Ah, Coffee…
*****
Chapter 2
*****
Kim set a small bowl of the cat food she'd purchased last night out on the floor next to a dish of water, leaving both near the bottom of the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room so that it was easy to find. She'd completely forgotten to get plastic dishes, so she'd been forced to make use of an old cereal bowl that she'd brought from home, and a tiny Tupperware container to hold the water. Satisfied with her work, it would just have to do for now. Besides, food was food right? It wasn't like pets were picky. That got her thinking of Rufus, and she frowned. It had been almost a year since the last time she'd really spoken with Ron, or any of her old friends from Middleton.
Catching a glimpse of the clock above the stove, she almost dropped the bag of cat food, "Holy crap, I'm so going to be late!" Tossing the bag into a cabinet under the sink, she snagged the piece of bagel she'd been munching on, and her travel mug. Skidding across the linoleum tile, Kim reached for the coffee pot, hoping it was finished brewing. Feeling the hairs prick up on the back of her neck, Kim turned instinctively, frowning when she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Not paying attention, she continued to pour her coffee. "Ow, shit! You've got to be kidding me," the redhead looked down at the hot stain spreading across her work shirt. This was just what she needed right now.
Setting down the overflowing mug, she spun on her heel to go grab her spare uniform. Luckily, she'd done her wash for the week, or this could've been more of a mess than just a hassle. Kim just barely missed stepping on the kitten standing in the middle of the floor.
"Ah! Don't scare me like that," she admonished, but then took a step back and gave a small grin to the cat, who was just staring at her, as cats were prone to do. "Hey, sweetie. Look, food's in the kitchen and the litter box is in the bathroom. Make yourself at home." She stepped around the cat and hurried to her room. "I gotta get to work," she said from her closet as she pulled out her shirt. She didn't stop to think that she was talking to the cat as if it were a human.
Kim turned her head to see that the cat had followed her to her bedroom door and seemed to be glaring at her. "Go ahead, you can glare all you want," she said as she threw off her ruined shirt and pulled the clean one on. "I've gotta make money somehow." Giving a wink she knelt down in front of the cat. "I'll be home by five and I'll show you the toys I bought for you last night, okay?" She gave the cat one last head rub and then darted out the door, her purse over her shoulder.
"He's gonna kill me if I'm late again," she muttered as she started her car and pulled out of the parking space. The morning news filled her car as she drove just over the speed limit to try and make it to work as close to on-time as she could.
Just as she half-dreaded, the moment she walked in the door she heard a very distinctive grunt, "You're late, Possible."
She sighed and turned to smile at Mr. Harrison, a slightly balding, but intimidating man in his own right, and the manager of Books & Things. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry."
He eyed her then gave a quick nod. "We have a shipment that came in last night. It's in the back room. Go ahead and get started, so we can start shelving before we open. We've already had a few people reserve some copies."
"Yes, sir," Kim said with a smile on her face but a glare in her mind. Not even a 'good morning' she thought as she began her work day. God, is it time to go home yet?
*****
Shego waited until Kim left before she let her laughter get the better of her, and flopped on her back, cracking up at the mental image of Kimmie dribbling coffee all down the front of her shirt. It was hilarious. Of course, it would have been more satisfying had Shego been able to actually produce a laugh. The best she could manage was a sort of mild hacking noise that only reminded her of that stupid dog on old reruns of the Wacky Races cartoon. She had to force herself to stop after a few seconds because it felt like she was going to gag.
Oh, what the hell was she supposed to do to keep herself busy? Shego eyed the couch; Kim had told her to make herself at home. Hopping up after two attempts, she searched the cushions for the TV remote. Hah, gotcha, the black kitten crowed to herself in victory as she pounced on the remote which was half-sticking out from under a fuzzy throw-pillow. Eventually, she managed to get the angle right and mash the power button with her paw to get the set to turn on.
The set snapped on, tuned to a morning talk show. Meh, she decided, it was better than nothing. Besides, the channel changing buttons were too close together and Shego found she kept hitting the volume control on accident at the same time, making it almost impossible to get the channel she wanted.
That held her attention for about an hour, before her stomach started gurgling.
The former human glared daggers at the so called food, that pumpkin had thoughtfully provided for her. She didn't even have to get close to know the stuff reeked, and looked as dry as two-day old bread. Plus it was shaped in little X's and O's. What, did they think cats were going to play tic-tac-toe with this crap? Almost against her will, she stuck her tongue out and gave one piece a tiny lick. Eugh, it tastes like ass, she spat and rubbed at her tongue with a paw, before realizing she was just sticking fur in her mouth, and she didn't taste much better than the supposed cat food.
She was going to have to figure out a way to get Kimmie to feed her better food, like more of that chicken from last night. Shego stared up at the refrigerator. Damn, there's no way I can get in there, not like this anyway. It didn't help that she could still clearly smell the coffee still in the pot by the sink. But, there was no way she was going to drink any of that in this tiny body. Who knew what it would do to her cat physiology. Naturally, it still smelled delicious, if not a tad strong. The only other thing that really soured her stomach to it was the fact that her little stroll around Kim's pad had more or less confirmed that the girl was poorer than dirt right now. This, in turn, meant that the black gold was probably of the instant variety, and not really Shego's thing.
Thinking about the coffee got Shego to recalling the mess Kim had made, and more importantly, the food she'd had in her hands at the time. Narrowing her eyes, the kitten hopped up on the chair and then onto the dining table. Score, she thought, finding a half-full bag of bagels that the redhead had forgotten to put away in her rush to get to work. Cinnamon Raisin, huh...well, beggars can't be choosers, and this sure beats that crap Kimmie oh so generously provided for me.
Speaking of Kimmie, she mused as she tore into the bag, dragging out her filched prize. What kind of name is Sweetie, for a cat? It doesn't even fit me…at least the names I come up with have a reason behind them. Could be worse I guess, at least she isn't calling me Blackie…God, that's just as bad as Greenie, or Green bean, or Jolly Green Giant…stupid brats. Or the Grinch…I really hate that one.
*****
It was four-thirty. The best part of any work day. At least it was for someone who was scheduled 'til then. Kim grinned as she clocked out. She was going home. The day had progressed at an easy pace, despite her rather rough start that morning.
"Bye, Kim," the blonde teenager behind the counter said to her.
"Bye, Catie. See you Saturday." Waving, Kim left Books & Things with a sigh of relief. Each work day was the same. She would go in, dreading work, and leave later that afternoon, ready to be at home by herself. But, it paid the bills, sort of.
The drive home was just as uneventful as the drive to work, only at a more legal pace. By four-fifty she was walking past the steps in front of her apartment door. Yes, it was good to be home.
She should have expected not to be greeted at the door by her new 'roommate'. Still, it was a little disappointing. An empty apartment might be nice for a while but a little company could heal any heart. Though, if said company refused to interact with you, it wasn't much of a change.
"Kitty?" Kim called as she slipped off her shoes and set down her purse. "God, I need a name for this cat," she muttered as she walked into the kitchen, and stopped dead in her tracks.
On the table were the remains of a formerly full bag of bagels. It was laying there torn open, and only three were left in the bag. A trail of crumbs from the missing bagels littered the table and floor. Kim knew for a fact that she'd only eaten one bagel that morning because she'd bought them last night from the supermarket.
A soft mew came from underneath the table, causing Kim to roll her eyes and bend down. "Let me guess," she said when she saw the black cat laying there, looking like Hell. The pained expression on her face and the throw up next to her gave away what was bothering the cat. "You decided you didn't like the cat food I provided so you went for something better." She got down on her knees and gently pulled the cat out. Cradling her in her arms she eyed the vomit coloring her carpet. "Wonderful," she said with a sigh. "I so enjoy cleaning up cat puke."
Another mew escaped the cat's throat and Kim glanced down at her. If the cat were human, the student knew she would be clutching her stomach right about now.
"Okay, Cat. You've learned your lesson. And so have I." The red-head made her way to the sofa and sat down, the cat still in her arms. "You can't eat bagels, Cinnamon Raisin to be precise, and I know you don't like regular cat food. Well, you ate the chicken last night so maybe we can work out a compromise."
She laid the cat on the sofa and stood up. "Now, excuse me as I go and clean up what you left for me as a welcome home gift." She felt a small frown touch her lips as she watched the cat. "I'm sorry you feel bad, sweetie. When you start to feel better I'll get you some more chicken out of the fridge."
If anything, the thought of more food set Shego's stomach clenching again. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the nausea to pass. Oh, the bagels had tasted so good, compared to that kitty-mix shit, that she'd gone a little overboard, and before she knew it, half the bag was gone. Her indulgence had required a little trip to the ladies room, and she'd thought everything would be fine after that.
Unfortunately, around half an hour before Kimmie came back from work, revenge of the bagel part two struck, and laid her low. It was damn embarrassing, and all she wanted to do was crawl into a hole, or take a bath, maybe both.
For now though, lying on the couch was as good as anything else. Initially, when Kimmie had picked her up, the act of being hauled bodily from one place to another had sent off waves of vertigo, but she found that once she was back on something solid, she felt worlds better. Flopping there, feeling lousy, Shego watched as Kim cleaned up yet another of her messes. It was fast becoming a theme, one that the kitten was not at all comfortable with for various inexplicable reasons.
Rolling over on her side to take the pressure off her stomach, she waited for Kim to finish up, and to hopefully change out of her work clothes. She'd seen the embroidered logo on the beige shirt, "Books & Things," so she imagined it was either a used bookstore or one of the local retail chains. Either way, Pumpkin didn't smell all fresh and clean, that's for sure. That probably meant that she wasn't manning the tills, as such didn't require anything more strenuous than standing in one spot all day, or maybe helping a customer find something. What else did they do at bookstores; inventory team, stock room? It was a morning shift, so Shego put her bet on Stockroom…oh, that was too rich. Princess working as a Stock boy; she could imagine it now.
I'm glad I remembered to turn off the TV before she got back; that might have been a little too much of a slip up. It's too bad about the bagel bits getting all over the place, but it's just too freakin' hard to try and clean up after myself without it sticking to my fur. I'll dunk my head in the toilet first, before I ever try and lick myself clean. I'm all for personal hygiene, but that's taking it a step too far.
After cleaning up the mess on and under the table, Kim took one more look at the cat and after seeing her half asleep, headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She always felt grungy after work but knew that it could be worse. She could work at a fast food restaurant and smell like grease. And she vowed never to do that again.
As the hot water ran down her body, Kim sighed and leaned against the shower wall. She was tired, sore, and well, mentally tired as well. Her life sucked, to put it plainly. Her dad was disabled, her mom was working herself to exhaustion, and Kim wasn't far behind. She definitely wasn't where she expected to be when she graduated high school.
A strong wave of depression hit the college student. She hated the way her life was going. She was lonely, not that she would ever admit it aloud to anyone. She missed her family but knew that to get the education she wanted…needed, she had to live across the country from them.
She slid down the shower wall and let the depression wash over her; allowing herself to cry as the exhaustion and heartache took control. Salt tears mixed with rapidly cooling water as the girl who could do anything sobbed into her hands.
Twenty minutes later, Kim had pulled herself together and exited the bathroom in her pajamas. She gave a small smile to the cat lounging on the sofa, eyes wide and staring at her.
"Time to relax, cat. Let's see what's on the tube, huh? Then maybe later we'll both feel like eating." She picked up the remote, absently noticing the odd placement of it on the sofa and turned on the television and started to rapidly go through the channels, trying to find something that would hold her attention long enough for her to relax. Fifteen minutes of channel surfing eventually paid off.
Alien was on, a movie she had seen many times before but loved every time she watched it. And about half-way through the movie, inspiration stuck.
"Ripley!" She said loudly, startling the cat, which was lying beside her, previously content as could be. She grinned and pulled the cat into her lap. "Your name is Ripley! It's perfect! She's strong, awesome, and kicks butt! And she also risks her life to save a cat. Wonderful!" Kim gave the newly dubbed Ripley a kiss on the head and then returned to the movie, a grin planted firmly on her face.
Shego fought to calm herself down. You almost gave me a heart-attack, screaming like that, pumpkin! Don't do stuff like that. You're ruining a perfectly good classic, thank you very much. I mean, we haven't gotten to the chest-burster scene yet, but this is all about the build-up. Then it clicked, what Kim was saying to her. Ripley, huh. Well, that's loads better than that stupid Sweetie moniker. I can deal with that. At least it's a kick-ass name. Don't think I wouldn't stick you with these sharp little claws if you tried to call me Jones, or Jonesy, that just wouldn't fly, Kimmie.
Then, the redhead surprised her further by picking her up and giving her a big wet kiss; on Shego's forehead. But still…it wasn't expected. Shego hadn't even had a bath yet. Luckily, Kim set her down before she could embarrass the kitten further, yes, right onto her lap. Yep, not awkward, not one bit. Shego, or rather, the newly dubbed Ripley, looked up at a happily grinning Kim Possible. It was a self-satisfied smile, but even a cat could see that it didn't quite reach the corners of the redhead's lips. It wasn't a weak smile, nor was it the plastic smile that she'd seen on a dozen faces, stuck in their daily routines. No, this was more bothersome, it was the kind that was hiding something.
It didn't hurt that, like her sense of smell, her hearing was easily several times stronger than before. She'd heard Kim sobbing in the bathroom, and it had bothered her. And it wasn't just because the cat felt a niggling amount of gratitude and debt toward the young woman, for taking her in, even unknowingly. You and I may not always have seen eye to eye, princess, but I respected you more than anyone else, back then. You always gave me a good run for my money…honestly, I have no idea how I got all the way here, much less as a cat. But, for what it's worth, I'm just glad I didn't end up back at Dr. D's. I think he's allergic to dander anyway.
The black kitten rested her chin atop her paws on Kim's thigh, returning her attention to the movie just as it got to the best part. Kill it! Kill it now, while it's still a baby! No, you're letting it get away!
They sat there like that for the rest of the movie, and Shego didn't even mind all that much when Kim's fingers found their way down to scratch at the base of her neck, and around her ears. It felt kind of like a strong massage actually.
Eventually the movie ended as it always did, with Ripley and Jonesy getting away. And of course, like always, Kim wanted to watch the sequel right away. But after glancing at the clock, she knew that even if the movie was available she wouldn't have the time.
It was just a little bit before eight o'clock, and she was already feeling tired. Well, more like exhausted. With an 8 AM class tomorrow morning, it pretty much nixed all plans not involving a pillow and her head meeting said pillow.
She looked down at Ripley and smiled. "Did you like the movie?" she asked, causing the cat to lift its head and blink. "Yeah, it's one of my favorites." She sighed and gently moved the cat off her lap and onto the sofa. "I don't know if you're hungry again but I'll put some that chicken out just in case. It'll be there all night if you want it." She stood up and stretched. "You're on your own this time though. It's getting late and I still have a few pages of a reading assignment to catch up on before class tomorrow. Don't have much of an appetite right now anyway," she added under her breath.
But, admittedly, she did feel some of the day's stress had lifted. It looked like Pet Therapy just might work wonders for her. It's amazing what a few hours of simply petting a cat will do for one's state of mind.
Scratching Ripley under the chin, she knelt down in front of the sofa. "Thanks, Ripley. You've been a big help tonight. After I put the food out, I'm going to sit in bed and hit the books for a bit before I turn in. You're more than welcome to join me again." And with that she stood up and went to the kitchen.
Forty minutes later, Kim finally put her book down, and got under the covers, with Ripley having joined her on the bed sometime during the last few chapters. The cat opened one eye when the mattress moved but seemed to deem Kim as nothing to worry about and closed the eye again.
"Early morning classes suck," Kim muttered as she set her alarm. Then turning on her side to face the cat, she closed her eyes, preparing to sleep. "Night, Ripley. Sleep tight."
Silence filled the room for all of two minutes until…
"I really need to take you to the vet tomorrow after my last class." And then the college student was asleep, her breathing deep and relaxed.
The dream started off pretty normal; it was a few weeks after her graduation, and Kim was at the mall with Monique, just hanging out and having a good time. In the back of her mind, however, she knew something bad was about to happen. Somehow it was important, something big.
Beep-beep be-beep, her Kimmunicator went off; the tone seeming louder, more urgent than usual.
"Kim." It was her mom and there was a strange hitch in her voice.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
A choking noise came from the device before her mom was able to speak. "It's your dad." She paused. "He's…honey; there's been an accident, at his lab."
Time ground to a halt. Every beat of her heart, every breath she took, and every second ticking by on some unseen clock, echoed thunderously in her ears. Then the darkness came, settling over her like a shroud. She couldn't see a thing, but she could still hear.
Kim heard her mom continue to speak in that halting choked up way, "He was caught in an explosion. They--they don't know if--" she stopped, unable to continue.
Unknowingly, tears were falling down Kim's face in streams. She couldn't get herself to breathe, couldn't speak, much less think past the fact that her dad was more than likely dead.
No. She wanted to shout. No! It's not right! Why not me? I'm the one that is around explosions every day! Why not me!?!
Suddenly a loud bang filled the air and light flashed behind her. She was flung forward with a force so great that it felt like she was flying. That is until she hit the far wall with a loud and painful thud. Pain lanced through her body and she felt her throat unlock, her ability to speak come flooding back. But, for her there were no words, only pain and fear, a choking thing so strong it ripped from her throat in a never ending scream. Loud and long, it welled up from her core, pain that had been eating at her heart, crippling her will for nearly three years.
*****
Strangely, it wasn't the ear-splitting scream that woke Shego first, but a strong sense of wrongness, a prickly feeling that ran icicles up and down her back. She cracked open one green eye, zeroing in on the source of her anxiety with laser precision.
Skin flushed, and dark locks plastered to her forehead with sleep-sweat, Kimmie was muttering something, too low for even the kitten to make out. Belly crawling across the comforter, Shego paused in her approach when the redhead seemed to constrict in on herself and roll over, arms plopping just shy of squashing the cat had she continued. Once she was sure that Kim wasn't going to be making any more big movements, she began crawling again, until she was almost nose to nose with pumpkin.
At that point, even Shego wasn't quite sure what she was intending to do, all she knew was that Kimmie was continuing to beat herself up over something obviously beyond her ability to control. And it bothered the thief, far more than she would have believed it should have, in the past. Maybe it was because she'd died. Or it could be tied to the fact that Shego had been given a second chance at life.
Whatever the reason, there was a capacity within her that cared for the younger woman, perhaps as the younger sister she'd never had as the lone girl in a house of brothers. And it wasn't like she and Kim hadn't helped each other out in the past. There'd been plenty of times when the redhead had pulled her ass from the fire. Probably about the same amount as Shego had made allowances for the young hero. Though despite that, they'd hardly been friends, well, excepting the whole Attitudinator fiasco with Electronique. Miss Go indeed…
Kim took that moment to cry out loudly in her sleep, flinging her arms up protectively across her face, knocking the kitten for a loop.
Groggy and head spinning, Shego rolled back to sitting, having been introduced painfully to the headboard. Her ears were ringing from Kim's vocal stunt, and the impromptu game of ping-pong her kitty brain had played on the insides of her skull. Guh, still got that right hook I see, princess.
Clearing her head with a few shakes, she plopped back down on the pillow just above Kim's head, and away from the flying fists of fury. Venting seemed to have calmed the redhead down, and Shego watched over her warily, as Kimmie's breathing slowed and she eased back into a less fitful sleep. It was a long vigil, and morning couldn't come soon enough.
Kim woke up with "Total Eclipse of the Heart" blaring from her alarm. Without even opening her eyes she threw her arm over and shut it off, groaning. Not only did she have to get up after a horrible night of tossing and turning, but now that song was going to be stuck in her head for the rest of the day.
Forever's gonna start tonight.
"Damn," she mumbled as she slowly sat up, her throat sore, her head pounding, and her eyes hurting. She brought her fists up to her eyes, rubbing in the hopes of relieving that 'cried all night' feeling. "Another nightmare. Wonderful." She scratched her head and stretched. It was weird, though. Last night's nightmare didn't seem as long and terrifying as usual.
It seemed that at least once a week some sort of nightmare plagued her sleep; be it about her family, her dad, or even a mission gone wrong; last night being no exception.
A soft questioning mew alerted her to the small warm body that had been curled up on her pillow. Ripley was now sitting next to her, her green eyes looking up at Kim.
"Hey, Ripley," Kim said, giving the cat a few strokes on the back. "Did you sleep with me all night?" Ripley blinked up at her. "Well, thank you. Maybe you helped me a little."
After petting the cat for a few more seconds, Kim swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Okay, gotta get ready for class. At least it's Friday. One more day after this until I get a day off." She shuffled to the bathroom, rubbing her eyes again, hoping that the shower would help wake her up. "Maybe I'll take a nap when I get home." But then she sighed. "No, can't do that. Ripley's gotta go to the vet." She looked over her shoulder at the cat still sitting on the bed. "You better be glad I like you, cat. I don't fork out money for just anybody." And she closed to bathroom door, missing the scowl the cat seemed to throw her way.
Ripley's gotta go the vet…my ass! Shego sat and scowled, fuming silently to herself while the redhead flitted between the bathroom and the bedroom, getting ready for the day. I get what you think you're doing, princess. But, there are a few lines here that I'm not willing to let you cross; or have someone else cross for you. Don't you be getting any crazy ideas in that lil pumpkin head of yours. A check-up, fine, I'll deal with it. She flexed her front paws slightly, unsheathing tiny, but needle-sharp claws. Touch these babies…nothing doing.
Shego paused in her mental ranting, as her thoughts turned unwillingly to the dog she'd had growing up. It'd had actually been her brother's dog, but she'd ended up having to take it for walks, and clean up after the little beast more often than not, since her siblings had wanted a puppy, but not any of the actual responsibility. Frankly, that sentiment had proved awfully prophetic, in her opinion. And it said a mouthful about her older brothers and their 'calling' as superheroes. But, that was beside the point.
No, a horrible thought had occurred to her, coupled with the memory. The 'family pet,' a dachshund named Oscar, had been a tad on the promiscuous side, and the neighbors had filed a petition with the housing association, not a very powerful organization back then, but with enough signatures…well, in the end, Shego's parents had agreed to have Oscar fixed, in return for allowing a few extra, pet friendly, modifications on the house. And they arranged to keep the tree in the back yard, which for some idiotic reason, the next door neighbors found an eye sore and had been constantly threatening to have the property rezoned, and get torn down.
Long story short…
Oh, shit! What if she tries to get me spayed? I swear I'll rain holy-hell down upon this apartment! I'll get you evicted so fast, your head'll spin. I promise you that pumpkin…believe me.
So, Shego waited, far too anxious for her own taste. The day stretched on for hours, and every tick of the second hand on the clock in the living room was a torture of her own making, as the moment Kim would walk back in through that door drew closer.
****
A few hours later Kim slowly trudged into the apartment, Ripley in her arms with a brand new green collar on her neck. A round silver tag hung from the collar proudly displaying her name and address.
"Well, you're healthy. That's good, right?" Kim said as she bent down to put Ripley on the floor. "And you were very good. Except for the little fiasco about getting you spayed."
She grinned, remembering the cat's wide eyes when the veterinarian had mentioned getting the black cat 'fixed'. Like a switch being flipped, all hell had broken loose. Ripley had torn into the doctor's lab coat the moment the words had been uttered. Hissing and spitting, it had been like watching a black whirlwind of claws and pointy kitty fangs. Eventually, Kim managed to get her settled down and told the shaking man that spaying wasn't going to happen. The doctor just nodded, as Kim gathered her things and left with Ripley.
"Hmm, I like it. Green looks good on you," Kim brushed the collar, letting the kitten go to have free reign of the apartment.
The college student walked into the kitchen, still humming "Total Eclipse of the Heart" under her breath while she looked for something to put together for supper. It was looking like another sandwich night. "Damn song," she muttered, pulling out the ham and mayo. "It'll stay in your head for the longest time."
She fed a waiting Ripley the last of the chicken and sat down to eat as well. Chewing was the only thing heard for a while since Kim was lost in her thoughts about her day. She had a test coming up Monday in Chemistry and a World Literature paper due next Friday. Not to mention all the reading she had to do for her other classes. Ugh, why did College have to suck so much more than High School?
She dug into her sandwich without really tasting it, making a mental note to go grocery shopping on her next day off. She glanced at her work schedule that she'd scribbled on a sticky note on the calendar by the wall next to the fridge. Had to be Sunday, huh? Super.
The table shaking brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up and her eyes widened when she saw Ripley sitting on the table right in across from her, tearing at the last bit of chicken. Eventually, the kitten realized it was being watched, and stopped eating. Leaning forward to rest its head atop its paws, the black cat stared right at the student, wholly ignoring the chicken in favor of locking bright green eyes with Kim's own. It was totally off putting.
"Ripley!" she said harshly, as she was hit with a bout of self-consciousness. "Get down! Cats aren't allowed on the table." She gently, but firmly, pushed the cat off, all the while making sure her pet was fine when she hit the ground.
And when Ripley did hit the ground, Kim could have sworn that the glare the cat shot her struck an all too familiar chord, but brushed it off almost as soon as the feeling of déjà vu hit. Shaking her head, she ran a hand through her hair and turned her own attention back to finishing the sandwich on her plate.
For her part, Shego supposed she really couldn't fault Kimmie for shooing a cat off of the dining table. Where the positions reversed, she might very well have done the same thing. The difference was, if she'd done it, there would have been the faint, but unmistakable scent of singed fur hanging in the air.
Of course, that held no bearing on the mild tingle of resentment that snuck up, and slipped a shiv in her ribs. It felt like she was being discounted, and that did not sit well with the former quasi-evil assistant. It was one thing if Kimmie was ignoring her in favor of pressing matters, but getting brushed aside was something else altogether. It wasn't Shego's fault that she couldn't even see the top of the table if she tried to be nice and sit on one of the chairs. If it was that big a deal, then the redhead could eat by herself.
Drawing herself up in a huff, the cat stormed off, as best a skinny kitty could at any rate, disappearing around the divider into the living room.
At the table, Kim heard the now familiar muffled thump of Ripley jumping up onto the couch, and then the sound of the dry ticking the clock in the other room made, as the apartment settled.
A knock on the door ruined that perfect silence.
"Who the hell?" Kim muttered, glancing at the clock. It was 6 p.m. She wasn't expecting anybody… Then she remembered. Her eyes widened and she jumped up. "Oh, crap!"
She had arranged for a study session with a guy in her Chemistry class tonight; Andy…something or other. He had asked for some help before the test coming up and she'd reluctantly agreed. She hadn't been very social since her dad's accident. It had taken a lot out of her, and she really had no desire to get back into the whole drama. That's why this little 'get together' didn't appeal to her at all. It was just another job to get done and out of the way. God, sometimes even Kim thought she was too much for her own good.
"Someone must have slipped me something when I made this decision. I had to have been high."
Another knock sounded, this one seeming a little more impatient.
Kim sprinted in to the den and looked down at Ripley. "You, behave. I don't want him here, but I can't just send him packing. Not when I already promised to tutor him. So we both have to deal with it." She patted the cat's head and went to open the door.
She opened the door and was greeted by an overpowering wave of Axe body spray. She resisted the urge to gag at the strong smell and gave a weak smile instead. "Hey…Andy."
The tall, muscular young man standing just outside the doorway stepped up a bit too close for Kim's comfort. "Hey yourself, Kim. How's things?" He all but pushed past her, eyes scoping out the living room before lighting back up as he focused his attention on the redhead, flashing her a well-practiced smile. "Nice place. Kinda far from campus though."
"Um, it was on short notice, this was all the realtor had left that wasn't in the suburbs." she answered with a shrug as she shut the door behind him, a little miffed that he'd entered her apartment without her permission. "So, ready to study?"
Andy waved a hand over his shoulder. "Yeah, sure. In a few minutes. I brought some Chinese take-out we can eat before we get started. You know what they say about working on an empty stomach."
Kim raised an eyebrow at the brown haired man's back and for the first time noticed the bags of Chinese food in his hands. In fact, if it wasn't for the messenger bag slung over his shoulder, she would think that he was only here to hang out and eat.
"I've already had dinner," she said, a tad curtly. "But you can go ahead and eat. We'll just sit and study while you do." She didn't wait for a response, just picked up her book bag and made her way to the table.
"Oh, come on, Kim!" Andy said, following her. "All work and no play makes Kim a dull girl," he gave her a lopsided grin.
Kim rolled her eyes at the saying. "Well, when I start chasing you around with an axe, then you can start to worry. Right now we need to study. I've got work in the morning, so I can't be up too late."
Andy sighed and set the food down. "Okay, okay…you got it. Whatever you say." He arranged the food so that he was all but bumping elbows with Kim and sat down with a faint smile. "Let's get started."
The redhead dug out her Chemistry 102 textbook, thumping the behemoth on the table along with a purple spiral notebook. "Okay, I took down most of the notes from the lecture we had last week. You mentioned you were having trouble following along, right?"
"Hmm? Yeah, got it in one. I missed a few classes at the beginning of the semester and it kinda came back to haunt me," the brown-haired gym rat spoke, right before shoveling a forkful of Orange Chicken into his mouth. "Bhut, yu kno--," he paused in mid-chew, swallowing before he continued, "I think I've been having the most problems with my potentiometric titration results. My graphs keep coming out all crazy." He pointed with the fork at one of Kim's graphs from that particular assignment. "See, yours looks fine, but when I did it, I kept getting an extra line in the middle." The sauce covered fork hovered over the graph in question.
"The Grans Plotting? Um, you did bring your notes and your Graphing calculator?" Kim found her eyes focusing on the wavering fork, and unconsciously slid her notebook out from under the danger zone.
"'Course, I got 'em in my bag," he replied, and the fork dropped back onto his plate as Andy went for the bag. There was a quick rip of Velcro as he pulled out the prompted items. Flipping open the notebook, he stabbed a finger at a series of graphs; indeed each one bore two plotted lines.
The two of them stared at the page for a moment, Andy with a quizzical look on his face, and Kim with a frown that slowly turned into an amused roll of her eyes.
"I think I get what you did wrong. It's nothing big, really. Professor Keane told us this was a pretty common mistake. It was probably on one of the days you didn't come to class," she picked up the Graphing calculator as she was talking, and turned it on. Fiddling with it for a moment, she pulled up the plotting function and entered the data from one of Andy's failed graphs. It came up just like he'd copied it onto the page.
"That's what I'm talking about. It's not just me, if you got the same thing."
"Yes, and that's pretty much the problem," the redhead toggled the menu and scrolled down until she found the
Chart Type option. "You've got it set to line graph, and while that sounds like it should be the right one…I mean, we are trying to plot a line…but, if you set it to scatter, then it should work fine," she selected the proper setting, "and here…we…go.," she pressed the redraw button. The resulting graph was the required single line. "Easy as pie."
"Damn, that easy huh?" Andy fixed Kim with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head in mock embarrassment, incidentally flexing his softball sized biceps, making it pretty obvious why he was willing to wear a t-shirt out in such crappy weather. "I thought I was doing something wrong with the equations, but man, this kind of makes me look pretty stupid."
"Well, it's not called a common mistake for nothing, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. At least you won't have this trouble on Monday," Kim hedged, more than a little uncomfortable with the close proximity. "What else were you having trouble with," she said a little too quickly in an effort to move on.
"Oh," he finally dropped his arm and quickly thumbed through his notes, stopping when he apparently found what he was looking for. "This part here, I did the mole conversions and it came out like this," he circled the bit that was kind of off, with a groomed nail. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure this bit is wrong. But, I checked the numbers three times…"
For the next half an hour, Kim found herself correcting the other student's mistakes, the majority of which were simple errors. It didn't take long before she began noticing a pattern and that none of the errors were the same twice. The redhead started to get a sneaking suspicion that Andy had edited his notes to look like he'd goofed up far more than he actually had, if he'd been wrong in the first place at all. The longer they sat there, the more Andy kept steering the conversation off track, usually with some random self-centered comment.
It began to really bother her the more she considered it, and made this whole tutor session a big waste of her time. She had her own real studying to do, and wasting her free time for this idiot's idea of an excuse to spend time with her wasn't sitting well with the redhead. If he wanted a date, he should've just asked instead of interfering with her time off. But, other than an awkward moment or two, he'd at least kept himself civil, so she decided maybe she was reading too much into things. Kim continued to give him the benefit of the doubt.
From the living room, Shego listened as Kim went on to explain what an idiot the other student was, and how his brains must have shrunk along with other useless parts of his anatomy. How 'roids were not the way to go, and that maybe if he actually showed up to class more than once a blue moon, he might stand a chance of learning something.
Well, not in any of those exact words, but that was the impression that the cat was getting from the boring exchange. It wasn't enough that Kimmie was having to put up with the beefed up retard, but from her vantage she could tell the boy loved to hear the sound of his own voice, and it reminded the former villain of a certain Senior Junior, only without quite so much vanity, but certainly an ego to match. It was still enough to make her feel like her ears were going to bleed. The boring ass science lesson wasn't helping matters any. That of course, was when things started off in a direction that virtually demanded Shego's attention.
"I'm pretty sure I get it now." Andy said, leaning closer to Kim. "You know, I really appreciate you doing this for me."
Kim tried not to gag when she caught another whiff of the liberally applied spray; this time a whole lot stronger since he was practically up in her face. "...why don't you try a few on your own, now that you've got the hang of it?" Please, please, please. Just back away a little. I am so going to gag if I have to keep smelling that crap.
Andy nodded, a boyish grin crossing his face. "Sure. Let's see if I'm as smart as you."
She rolled her eyes as he looked back at the book and started doing a problem.
Ten minutes later he finally stopped punching numbers into the calculator. "There," he said. "Nothin' to it. Take a look."
She did so, leaning over to look at the screen, and almost jumped out of her seat when she felt an arm settle around her shoulders.
"Whoa!" she yelled as she sat up and shrugged his arm off her shoulders. "Not cool."
Andy raised an eyebrow. "What? Why not? I was just getting comfortable."
Kim raised her own eyebrow and frowned. "We're studying, Andy. Not on a date."
"Whatever. Not like it really matters," he said, putting his arm back on her shoulders. "We're alone in this apartment. That's all I need."
"No," Kim growled, standing up. "We're not alone. My cat's here." Oh, God. LAME!
Andy started laughing. "Your cat's here? Ooo, I'm scared!" He stood up beside Kim and leered at her. "Face it, Kim. You're hot. Do you think I really care about Chemistry? Seriously? I got this stuff whipped." He snorted. "I just wanted to be alone with you. It's not like you didn't notice. C'mon, you wouldn't have let me in otherwise."
She took a step back. "Well, you can just forget it. I'm not interested."
"And why should that matter?" He asked as he stepped toward her. "Now, we can do this the nice way, or…," he shrugged, leaning in a good head and shoulders above the redhead. "Well, you're smart, I'm sure you get the picture. So, what do you say? It'll be fun, I promise."
Only one thought went through Kim's head, Aw, hell.
The young woman ducked around Andy and put a few more steps between. "You need to leave, now," she said, her green eyes never leaving him. "You don't want to mess with me."
"Or what?" Andy sneered as he turned around. "What is little Miss Anti-social gonna do to me? Hit me with her notes? Or maybe threaten to stock my books for me?" He laughed and shook his head. "The tough act doesn't suit you, Kim. It'd be easier on you to just give in now rather than later."
Kim clenched her fists. She could fight him, and she could put him down hard. She knew that. But she didn't want it to go that far. This wasn't something she could just walk away from if it came to blows. Andy might be a macho jerk, but he wasn't some Hench goon that she could pound and forget. The last thing she needed was to get slapped by the local cops for excessive force. And there was the little voice niggling in the back of her head. She'd been out of the game for a few years now. Sure, she still exercised and worked out but she hadn't *really* fought since…well, since her last run in with Shego. That put the tiniest damper on her desire to just deck this guy and toss him out on his ass. But, if he kept pushing her…
Plus, she really didn't want to mess up her apartment. There was still the deposit to keep in mind.
"Look," she said through clenched teeth, feeling a bit of the old fire stoking in her chest. "Just leave. You don't know what you're getting into. You do know who I am right? Just take your things, and get the hell out of my apartment before I kick you out."
"I'm not leaving, Kim. Not until I get what I want," he ground out, tired of her posturing. With that, he lunged at her, hands reaching out.
A black streak attached itself to his thigh, hissing, growling, and clawing. Kim watched in shock as her cat blurred, climbing higher up. And she grinned as the muscle-bound young man screamed bloody murder as Ripley tore into the crotch of his pants.
"Holy shit! Get it off! Get this fucking beast off of me!" Andy yelled. He reached down in wild desperation, grabbing at the writhing, tearing thing, and eventually got a grip on it as he stumbled backward into the divider. "Get the fuck off," he cried out through the pain that contorted his face into a pathetic mask. "Augh," he grunted and slammed the handful of fur into the far wall on the other side of the living room with a sickening crack. Once he got the cat off him, he fell to his knees, sobbing and clutching at his wounded groin; a thin gout of red seeped through his fingers as he whimpered, "…the fuck, you… you bitch."
Kim watched, frozen as Andy picked up his bag and somehow managed the presence of mind to get his notebook in the scramble. He was out the door as fast as he could hobble, leaving a trail of words and blood that failed to reach the stunned redhead.
Sounding so very far away, the distant thud of the apartment door slamming shut jogged something, and Kim blinked. "Oh, oh god…Ripley," she flew across the space that lay between her and the kitten like it wasn't there.
When she got there, Kim couldn't help but let out a horrified groan. Ripley was crumpled at the base of the wall, a small mass of black with one leg jutting out in an odd angle. The kitten was still conscious, because those bright green eyes were fixed on her with such intensity, Kim almost flinched away. There was pink flecked froth bubbling around Ripley's muzzle, and when she tried to mew at Kim, it came out wet and faint. The kitten's head dropped back to the carpet, but her eyes never left the redhead and it mewled pitifully again.
"Shh, shh, baby, it's okay. It'll be okay," Kim's voice cracked as she tried to sooth the injured cat. She started to reach for Ripley, but drew back at the last moment, second guessing herself. What if she aggravated the injuries? But, Ripley was spitting up blood! Were her lungs punctured? God, what was she supposed to do? "I-I need to call the vet," she stood back up hesitantly from where she'd been crouched. "Where's the damn phone," she spun around, eyes raking the apartment for the cordless. What if Ripley died while she was busy getting help? Kim choked back a desperate sob, and lunged for the phone once she spotted it on the arm of the couch. Snagging the handset, she darted back to the kitten's side.
Shaking fingers held down the number 2 button, and she was thankful she'd thought to set the Veterinarian's office to speed dial. "Come on, Pick up, pick up…pick up the phone!" Kim yelled uselessly at the phone, turning most of her attention back to her cat, while in the background, the phone crackled with a small tone, waiting to connect.
Kim watched as the light in Ripley's eyes began to dim. "No, no, you hold on, hear me…just a little longer, for me. Okay?" Spurring the redhead on, the phone in her hand clicked, and a warm voice spoke into her ear.
"Hi, you've reached Arkham Veterinary Clinic. Our hours are from 9am to 5:30pm on weekdays and from 10am to 3pm on Saturdays. If you'd like to make an appointment, please do…" Kim slammed the useless phone into the carpet out of frustration, flopping down to sit with her back to the wall next to Ripley. It just had to be the machine, didn't it? What had she done to deserve this!
A weak hacking tore her frustration and Kim jerked her head back to the dying kitten. Ripley trembled and finally closed her eyes, dropping her head into a slowly widening pool of blood. With a wordless cry, Kim reached out to gather the broken kitten into her arms. Even in her deteriorating mood, the sharp glint of something caught her eye, and one hand reached out to pick up whatever it was, while she held the kitten to her chest with the other. That bastard was going to pay for this, Kim ground out a scream through clenched teeth even as she felt tears stinging at her eyes.
She had no idea just how long she sat there, venting uselessly, crying until her eyes were red and swollen. Her nose itched and her arm had long grown numb from cradling Ripley's heavy body. Absently, she turned the thing she'd found over in her palm, rolling it around, until all the blood had smeared away onto her hand. Kim's red rimmed eyes eventually fell, and she looked long and hard at the tiny ring shaped stone. It was a dull green, and seemed to strike a chord deep in her subconscious. But, it was a fleeting thing, and she closed her fist, worrying mindlessly at the stone with her thumb.
God, her arm was starting to cramp up something fierce. Cracking her back from side to side using the wall, Kim blinked, finally coming out of the fugue she'd been in. She looked down, giving her pet a loving but sad look of farewell, and nearly dropped Ripley in the process. "W-what?"
It was no small wonder that her arm had gone numb, for the cat she was holding so close was considerably larger than before, and could hardly be confused for a kitten, no matter which way she looked. The cat that was currently taking up almost all of Kim's lap space was easily twice her previous size. But, that paled in comparison to the truth of the matter. Now that she was paying attention, Kim could feel the warm body she held, vibrate slightly with each slow breath that it took. Ripley was…Ripley was sleeping.