She had to be insane. What had possessed her to come out here? Was there no sense of responsibility left in Kim Possible? She had been released to help Shego, had she not? Whatever Shego had meant by "help". Shego, a villain, an arch enemy of sorts if one counted all the times they had faced each other for combat. All those great little spars of the past, did they mean nothing to Kim? Well, Shego had failed to contact her since that night at the bunker. If Kim were the Kim of six years ago, that would not matter because she would be clinging to a little something called honor. Good old honor. Apparently it meant nothing when one was sold out. Hah, she might as well be pulling a Dumas and going after everyone, if she weren't going to fight crime and evil. Seek some revenge. Make it all work out in her favor and maybe she could end the day with a little bit of self-satisfaction. She hadn't felt that in quite a while. But it was not honor nor was it revenge that she was here at the police station so early in the day before any petty criminals could do their thing.

Was she here to smack that stupid cop? Was that it? Any girl would not have blamed her, would instead have said she had every right to defend herself and that honor—except honor was no longer a part of it. Clearly Brick Flagg was the same stupid meathead he had been in high school, convinced the world revolved around him and that he was therefore able to take any girl he wanted and expect her to be flattered.

She stepped into the station, dawdling at the door as she tried to find her motivation here. A female cop, older, sat at the desk, filing her nails as she poured over papers that Kim were sure had nothing to do with any police-related. Her eyes met Kim's as Kim finally approached the desk.

"Kimberly Possible," the woman said. "Wow. Such an honor. You have no idea. Apparently you first popped up at this station. Our station."

Once more the honor word and the celebrity status. At least the woman wasn't fishing for an autograph. The demure amazement was flattering, actually. She was a person who had reappeared from the dead. Not Kim Possible, teen hero. Kim found herself smiling, a genuine smile. "That's me," she said softly.

The woman smiled in return. "Incredible. How are you? I couldn't imagine what life must be like. Difficult?"

She might as well have been a mentalist. Or attune to the obvious so many people forgot. "You have no idea. No idea at all."

"I would never want to be in your shoes." She cleared her throat and pushed her papers away. "What can I do for you, Kim?"

Ah, yes. The reason she was supposed to be here. What was that again? All she knew was the panic in her head and the flutter in her heart. But she had to speak because that was expected when one walked into a station of this sort. Looking for something. Needing something. "Is Officer Flagg in?"

The woman's smile did not change. "Yes. Not sure where he is, but he is in. Haven't seen him go out this door yet, at any rate. You've messed things up for sure for him around here. I don't think anyone really knows where he is supposed to be assigned. Please, go back and look around."

Free range of all things police-related and private. Life as usual. Kim thanked the woman and stepped through the next door into the mess of desks that tragically made up a station. A few cops lingered about, preparing for the day. One even sat questioning someone who looked drunk. Her only acknowledgements were the traditional smiles and nods. Yes, she was their Kim Possible. They had found her.

For a moment she stood there, not knowing what to do. Free range, yes, but that did not mean she had any idea where Brick was. Her hand found its way to her pocket, and her fingers slipped over the plastic baggie. The little computer chip of Tara's. Was that why she was here? For real? Maybe.

"Kim?"

She looked up to see Brick approaching the desk she leaned against. His face was lit, but the expression was one of confusion mixed with a slice of terror. "Hi. Did I come too early?"

"Why are you here?" he asked. "Early regardless?"

"I…" She stared at him. She had to admit he did look good in uniform.

And last night he had actually been someone who had wanted to kiss her.

"Is this about last night?" He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I am so sorry, Kim. So sorry. I had no right to do that. Are you here… to kick my butt or something?" He tried to laugh, but it didn't work. "Because that's what you used to be known for, I guess."

She pulled the plastic bag with the chip from her pocket. "I thought we could look at this." Really? Was she expecting him to believe that? Was she believing it? What was wrong with her? She was so pathetic lately.

He grabbed her hand, pressing his over the chip. "We should go somewhere private."

They went to an interrogation room. Great. Wonderful. Very private. She sat down in a chair and looked at him. "Brick, I'm so sorry. I don't know why I am here."

"You're here to bring in this chip we were supposed to keep secret!" Brick exclaimed as he collapsed into a chair opposite her. "What were you thinking? Do you want someone else to get this case? Do you want me to get in trouble for withholding evidence?"

"No." She leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling and sighed. "Well, Brick, apparently I'm an idiot. I'm incapable of thinking straight right now. Here I am, doing something so apparently stupid."

"Well, we weren't caught yet and you're not stupid."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Like you would know? How much do we know about each other, Brick?"

"I'm beginning to think too much."

"Are you actually thinking about last night right now?"

"Maybe."

"I already told you I'm sorry about that, Kim."

"Yeah, I heard. I actually spent the morning thinking about what a pig you were." She paused. Okay, she needed to be Kim. Look him in the eye. Stand up to him. That was what she did. "Why did you kiss me?"

He too paused before he spoke. "That's why you're here, huh? To ask me that very question."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. I brought out a chip a woman was killed over, sort of, just so I can ask you that question."

"Well, is it?"

"Brick, we are sounding like high schoolers all over again. Answer the question. Please." She sighed and willed herself not to drop her gaze. No more captive little girl. Have the conversation. "I deserve to know. My life is so screwed up right now. I mean, it's not, but I don't know how to react to anything anymore. Everything is different and no one ever explained to me how to deal with any of it. Can I at least know why you kissed me?"

He was visible twitching. "Kim…"

She laughed. A real laugh that escaped her throat without any force from her. "You. Big ol' you, all nervous."

"Kim, you are really cute. Though I assume you've always known that."

"You kissed me because I'm cute?"

He shrugged his shoulders like it was the final answer and not up to further debate. "I'm just going to say it seemed like a good idea at the time. Because, amazingly enough, I'm finding myself attracted to you."

"Amazingly enough? What is that supposed to mean?"

"All right. Don't like it. But you are Kim Possible. I spent high school dating everyone but you despite crazy rumors. Don't get me wrong, you were plenty cute in high school. But oddly enough we ran in different crowds. I was the football guy, you saved the world weekly. I was sad at your death because, hey, it was a sad death. And I was excited when it turns out this is you right here because, hey, that's just cool and awesome and wonderful. And then we've been running around together these past few days and I've talked to you more during those days than I have for years. So I'm a guy. I find you attractive. I like you. So I kissed you."

It was now easy to keep the gaze. He had to be kidding. Was it really that easy for guys? You like someone and you kiss them? That was it?

"Are you angry, then?" he asked. "Because that's what I assumed when you walked in here."

She shook her head "No. I mean, I was a little, last night. And I realize I should be angry because what you did was not romantic, it was forward and weird and I like to think females have progressed past that."

"Again, sorry."

"Brick, I accept all your apologies and any future ones. And I've just decided I'm flattered. You're very nice, you've been incredible to me, and you will never understand just how grateful I am for that. Infinitely grateful. But, well, a girl just busted out of an underwater prison is probably not the best candidate for your next girlfriend. I really should be seeing a psychiatrist but I can't because the world is, as usual, mad. And it turns out I still have this compulsive desire to fix it all."

"Because that's what you do."

She sighed. "Maybe because it's Tara. She was so sweet—is sweet. She's the last person I can imagine to be caught up in all of this."

"See? This is what is so great about you. You're always thinking about other people."

"Like hell I am. You wouldn't believe how selfish I've been lately. There's this whole thing going on with Ron…"

"Yeah, that. Well…" Brick put on a warm grin. "He was your boyfriend first, wasn't he?"

"That's the thing. But apparently that doesn't mean anything and even I know that. I just…" She shook her head. "It's hard. It's what I was saying. It's all different. Ron and Monique are together. Not just together, getting married! They've got to be committed if they're getting married, don't they? That has to mean something. And Brick, I know that! That's why I'm selfish. Because I keep thinking I can have Ron back even though…"

"Even though what?"

"Even though I don't know if he really wants me back. Monique is always there."

"Kim, he has to be happy you're alive."

"Exactly. He has to be. He doesn't have a choice in the matter. I'm his best friend, his girlfriend, I'm suddenly no longer dead. Is he supposed to be miserable about it?" She shook her head. "And here I am, trying to force my way back in."

"Well… do you think he still loves you?"

"Loves me like what? A dear friend? Or a wife? He has Monique for that."

Brick sighed and readjusted his chair. "Okay, I'm probably going to get in a lot of trouble for you for pulling out the advice card, but… let's say that whole death and clone thing never happened. Do you really think you and Ron would have stayed together to this point?"

Always that question. The war against puppy love. "I don't know! Maybe. The problem is I never got to find out." Great. Now tears were coming. She didn't want to be crying right now. "It's not fair. I can't kiss him without guilt and I know he doesn't want to be kissing me. It's like I'm forcing this affair on him." She pushed away the tears with her hand. "I'll be honest. That kiss last night was… was really nice, Brick. Once I got a moment to think about it, I decided it was nice."

"Thank-you. I guess."

She laughed. Laughing and crying, all at the same time. "It's fine. I just wanted to say thanks. For everything."

"Of course. Anytime you need it." He stood up from his chair. "We should… do something with that chip."

"Obviously." She stood up, too. "Thanks again. Do you… do you have tissues somewhere?"

He nodded. "We'll go get somewhere. Anything else you need?"

She closed her eyes. "A hug. Please." She held out her arms for him, and soon enough his arms were around her, holding her just tight enough. It only made the tears flow faster. But it was nice. A good hug from someone who didn't have past issues with her. "Thanks so much, Brick."

"You can really stop apologizing. I already did that." He lowered his head.

What was she doing? Thinking had clearly stopped. She lifted her mouth to his and kissed him. Nothing heavy, but the kiss was wonderful, a perfect combination with a hug. He was a different kisser than Ron.

And that was the only thought of Ron she had for that.

Brick kissed back, too, longer than he had the night before. He was enjoying it. Of course he was enjoying it. He was Brick, he had just confessed he cared for her.

But she was enjoying it, too.

"Well, well, this looks cozy," said a voice from the door. Sharp, amused.

Kim and Brick broke apart.

Shego stood in the now open doorway, arm pressed casually against the frame, sneer on her face. "You have been having fun, Kimmie, since getting back. I'm glad. I really am glad for you. You deserve it. Six years of nothing. Yuck. And this one is cute. Men in uniform. It was really hard to get a cop to take me out, me being all working for evil and everything. But I totally see the attraction. Big thumbs up for you."

"Shego," Kim said. "Of course. I should have been expecting you to come back."

"Thanks for not leaving town. I appreciate that. I still need you for a few things."

"How did you get in here?" demanded Brick.

Shego rolled her eyes. "Please. It's not like we're in here to cause mayhem. Civilians, even evil ones, pay taxes. It's our right."

"We?"

"Yeah, we. I brought one of your friends, Kimmie. Someone who really, really, really wants to give you a big apology. I figured the police station was the safest place to allow him that much. We ran into each other, in a matter of speaking. While you've been catching up on the men, I've been making a few rounds. Wade, come on in."

Wade stepped through the door, twice as tall as Kim had last seen him. His face was set, serious, and prepared. Prepared for what?

Her heart might as well have burst in a bomb of raging blood. "You!" she shouted. "How dare you come here?" Her legs bent, ready to run, but Brick caught her around the middle. "I'm going to kill you!"

"No one has yet," Wade said.

"Oh, you know I can."

"I didn't know you were capable of killing anyone." His voice was perfect, void of any emotion. "Maybe you want to listen to my apology, maybe an explanation?"

"Ron already told me everything, you little monster. And guess what? I don't really care."

He took a step closer. "You have no idea how sorry I am. I was being dumb. Really dumb."

"I'll say!" She made another escape attempt from Brick's arms.

"This is what you get when you hire a kid. Kids are dumb."

"I don't care!" But the scream turned into a sob, and her legs collapsed, weak, leaving only Brick to hold her up. It's true. She didn't care. She didn't care what he had done or why he had done it or that he even had done it anymore. The fury was still there, but it was broken and useless. "Why are you here?" she whispered.

"He's with me," Shego explained. "After we, ahem, tried to kill each other yesterday, we're now in a partnership. And since you I and are still in a partnership, I guess it makes us just one big happy group. You're still going to help me, aren't you, Kimmie? After all, I got you out."

"No," said Brick.

Shego looked at him, frowning. "Um, Officer Cutie, were we talking you? Are you even involved in this?"

"I am now."

"Brick!" Kim hissed as she weakly climbed to her feet.

"Does your little girlfriend agree to it? If you're in, she still has to help me. We had an understanding."

"We'll help," said Brick. "She'll help. If Wade does something for us."

"I don't think he'll agree to throw himself in front of a bus just to make Kim happy."

What was Brick thinking?

"There's a case we've been working on," Brick said. "It's gotten… messy. Wade, what's on this?" And he picked up the microchip that had been on the table.

"No!" said Kim.

But Brick ignored her. "We need you to look at it."

"That's Tara's chip," Kim said. "You can't give it to him! He'll just sell it out. Tara trusted us with that!"

Wade took it, the little spark of technology interest he always had lighting his eyes. The first sign of life she had seen in him. "This shouldn't be too difficult. Give me a computer. You haven't tried pulling it up yourself?"

"We've been… distracted."

"Yeah, I know. I once had some fun in here with cop interrogating me, too. Now keep her at bay, and I'm sure Wade will offer his services."

"I'm sorry," Brick said to Kim in a soft voice as he headed to the door. "I just didn't want you doing anything you'd regret."

She sunk to the floor, humiliated. She was so useless here. "I could really use those tissues now."

"Okay. Um… I'm going to lock you in here for now."

"What?"

"For your own good."

"You kiss me and now you're locking me in here?"

"So you don't kill Wade."

"I'm not going to kill him." She no longer knew the truth of that.

"I'm sure. Just… just wait. I'll be right back." He shut the door behind him.

The next minute passed by painfully. She couldn't think. She just stared at the floor. Okay, Wade had apologized. Logically she knew everything he said had to be true. That didn't mean she still couldn't be angry at him. It was all his fault.

Brick soon returned with the tissues. She took them without a word. And he left again.

He really was a nice guy.

Finally, after an amount of time so long she had lost track, the door opened. She lifted her head, expecting Brick.

It was Wade.

"Hi, Kim," he said.

She took a deep breath and stood. "I hate you."

"I know. I don't blame you. Are you going to try anything in here, though?"

He was too smart. She shook her head.

"There's nothing on the chip."

"What?" She couldn't believe the chip was what they were suddenly discussing. "What do you mean there is nothing on it?"

"It's blank. Not even deleted blank. There's nothing on it. Fresh from the manufacturer."

Tara had stolen a blank chip? All that fuss over it for nothing?

"And there's something else."

"About what? The chip? Wade, I don't even want to look at you right now. Just leave."

He shook his head. "Kim, listen. You need to trust me."

"And why should I do that?"

"Shego. She brought you out for a reason."

"Right. I know. Help her get back her son."

"Do you know how you're helping her?"

Something in the tone of his voice made her pause.

"She's trading you in."


Ron did not expect to find his professor outside his door. But that was who he found when he opened the door.

"Professor Sharpe?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. After the fight with Monique, it had not been a good night, and he slept in way late. "What are you doing here?"

"We have a problem."

"My project? Does that warrant coming to my dorm?"

"Not your project, Mr. Stoppable. I'm afraid I have a bit of a confession."