Kim had the summer holiday to try and get a grip on her new prespective, but the only thing she'd decided was not to tell Ron that she and Shego had ever been... together. The old Kim would have been completely honest, no matter the consequences; but now she was with Ron, she didn't want to risk ruining it. Even if Ron wasn't making it easy, just by being Ron.
Under the circumstances, she'd been able to deliver that line about honesty with no problem. Cheating his way onto the football team didn't traumatize her nearly as much as stealing from her closet, even if it was the battle suit. On the upside, the whole episode had revealed a weakness in the technology that Professor Dementor had been able to exploit. Wade was now working on a way to prevent remote control of the suit.
It was a quiet night in the Possible household. Following the theft, 'tricking out' and recovery of the Kepler, James was at the space center with his fellow rocket scientists, trying to reverse engineer Motor Ed's modifications. The mechanical villain's prowess straddled the line between advanced science and mad science, so there was every possibility that they'd find something of interest for the Kepler's replacement. With the twins spending the night at a friend's house, the girls had the place to themselves.
It had been a confusing evening for Kim. She'd taken her mother for a drive in the Sloth, showing off the bells and whistles (and boosters) that the tweebs had crammed into the originally questionable chassis. The elder redhead had been surprised by the car's flight capability, but the exuberant look on her face as they took to the air had been beautiful.
Which left Kim in an awkward situation during the dinner that followed. In her mind, her mother was still a smoking hottie. Even with Shego out of the picture, she still wanted to do things that would freak most people out, and her mom was at the top of the list. Because, when it came down to it, who would it hurt? Dad was apparently okay with his wife sleeping with other women. And what woman loved her more?
This had led to Kim repeatedly checking her mother out during dinner, and of course, Ann noticed. "Should I have dressed up," she asked pleasantly, "Or are you considering jumping me regardless?"
Kim, her light blush now ramping up into overdrive, assumed it was a courtesy that mom didn't wait until she was taking a drink before asking. "Sorry," she mumbled, "I just..."
"You miss Shego."
"Well, yeah... but..."
"Physically, as well."
"...Yeah."
"And you want mommy to kiss it and make it better," Ann purred.
"Mom!"
"Sorry, honey. I couldn't help myself."
Kim groaned in frustration. "First you start using her smirk, now you're using her sass! And that was after I... started thinking naughty thoughts."
Ann reached across the table and took her daughter's hand. "Kimmie... If we start something, just because you're missing someone else... do you really think that's fair? To anyone?"
Kim took her time thinking about it before answering. "No... but I want to do it anyway. I know it's sick and wrong, but I still want you for dessert."
"Thank you for the compliment," Ann said, her usual response whenever Kim hit on her.
"Yeah, yeah," the teenager grumbled, "But I'm so thinking about you while I'm in the shower."
An hour later, she did exactly that, and hoped she did it loud enough for her mother to hear despite the running water.
Kim was in her bathrobe, brushing her hair, when she heard her mother call, "Kimmie, could you come to the kitchen please?"
Entertaining thoughts of her mother wearing nothing but an apron again, Kim was instead confronted by the sight of her mother handing an unexpected guest a cup of tea. "Dr. Director!" the teenager exclaimed, hurredly pulling her bathrobe closed and tying it tight.
"Good to see you again, Kimberly... if a little more of you than expected," the head of Global Justice greeted her without even an eyebrow raised at the teen hero's display.
"What are you doing here?" the teen hero squeaked.
"I thought you'd like to know that Shego is back in custody, along with Motor Ed."
"How did that happen?" Ann asked while her daughter stared in surprise.
"Shego dragged Edward into the very prison he'd broken her out of, demanding to be given fresh clothes and locked up as far away from 'squirrel head' as possible."
That knocked Kim out of her surprised silence. "She wanted to wear orange?"
"She was of the opinion that it was a step up from her current attire. Edward's selection, apparently. Her hair was quite nice, though," Betty added as an apparent afterthought.
"I don't want to imagine how trashy the outfit was," the teenager muttered. "I still can't believe she teamed up with him."
"He does seem somewhat infatuated with her, despite perpetual violent discouragement."
Ann, having watched the brunette observe Kim during their conversation, spoke up during the ensuing lull. "Dr. Director, don't you usually relay such information through Wade? You didn't have to come and tell us in person."
"That's true," Betty admitted, setting down her tea. "Shego has never been incarcerated for more than two weeks at a time, and that's usually because she has a habit of finding the most... interesting way to escape."
"She doesn't just blast her way out?" the neurosurgeon asked.
"As a thief, she tends to break into secure installations without detection. Prison gives her the opportunity to work in reverse. To her, it's a game. But things seem to have changed since the diablo attack. When she was still imprisoned after two weeks, it drew our attention." Betty turned to look Kim in the eye before continuing. "After three weeks, we put her cell under electronic surveillance."
Kim paled in the silence that followed, the only thought in her head being, She heard everything. She watched as Dr. Director pulled out her GJ mobile database.
"I'm sorry Kimberly, but I have to ask: what exactly is the nature of your relationship with Shego?"
The teenager looked to her mother, who was watching her sympathetically, but gave no indication of what she thought Kim should do. So instead she faced the single staring eye of Dr. Director.
"We were lovers."
"For how long?"
"Almost two years."
Betty made a note of it. "We can add statutory rape to her crimes, then."
"Don't you dare."
That prompted a raised eyebrow from the brunette. Kim's voice had gone from nervous to adamant with a single, short statement. In a neutral voice, Betty simply said, "Explain."
"The organisation you run is called Global Justice, not Global Law. Under the circumstances, charging Shego with that would be unjust."
"The law-"
"There can be no true justice," Kim interrupted, "So long as laws are absolute."
Dr. Director blinked. "Who said that?"
"Commander Pickerd of the Revenge Delta," Kim answered, provoking surprised looks from both older women. Her lack of interest in science fiction was almost legendary. She elaborated. "Space Passage was one of the shows I ended up in when we were sucked into cable TV by the pan dimensional vortex inducer. Some of it is actually interesting to watch, when you put it in context with real world events. The original was a positive message during the cold war, and the spinoffs tackled all kinds of social-"
Ann cleared her throat. "Rambling, honey."
Kim nodded. "Look... Betty... the age of consent varies from country to country, even state to state. You can't stamp a blanket number on everyone and say, 'this is when you're mature enough to start having sex' because people mature differently. Shego didn't trick me. She didn't force me. She didn't do anything wrong."
Both redheads watched Dr. Director consider Kim's words. She'd used her first name; not as a teen hero to a secret agent, but woman to woman. Kimberly had grown up more than she'd been aware of, it seemed. And... she couldn't deny that the young woman had a point.
"Perhaps, if you told me in more detail how all this began..."
So Kim explained how Shego had started visiting her after every confrontation, how they admitted their respect for each other, how it grew into flirtation and fornication, followed by admissions of deeper feelings. Dr. Director had trouble with the last part.
"I'm sorry Kimberly, but I find it difficult to believe a girl your age knows the difference between infatuation and love. Shego was your first sexual partner, and that started before any real-"
"What about Shego?" the teenager interrupted. "I'm not her first. Do you think she doesn't know the difference?"
"Perhaps she does, but that is ultimately irrelevant. I do not take anything she says at face value, and you shouldn't either. I think she was playing you; that her ploy not only failed, but provoked her unequivocal defeat at your hands." Betty's voice softened. "Like everything else she does, you were fun. Now it's no longer fun, so it's over. If she truly loved you, don't you think she'd forgive you for taking things too personally during the diablo incident?"
Kim snorted. "It's Shego. If she does forgive me, it's going to take more time than that. I'm sorry Betty, but you'll never be able to convince me that she doesn't still care."
The cyclopean agent sighed. "I had hoped that you would someday join Global Justice, but until you learn from your mistakes, it would be remiss of me to approve your application..."
Ann finally rejoined the conversation. "Dr. Director, you may consider my opinion biased, but I believe Kim and Shego truly loved each other."
"And the fact that she encouraged your daughter to seduce you does not trouble you?"
The neurosurgeon smiled. "As a secret agent, you must know that everyone has their particular kinks."
"As an intelligent woman," Betty countered, "You must realise that my line of work is not as glamorous as the movies frequently make it out to be."
"Global Justice never uses blackmail to achieve its goals?"
"...I can't reveal our methods to civilians."
"And yet you call upon a teen hero to aid your cause."
"We've only involved Kim directly in our operations twice; the second incident was supposed to be for research purposes only, and the focus was on Ron Stoppable..." Betty glanced in Kim's direction. "How is your relationship progressing, by the way?"
The younger redhead couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "The Ron factor has gone into overdrive."
"You two have a solid foundation of friendship and trust to build on, despite his eccentricities."
"I won't argue with that," Ann added. "Your relationship with Shego was certainly exciting, but you know a deeper relationship with Ron will never be boring."
Kim quirked an eyebrow at her mother. "So you'd prefer I sleep with the one that can get me pregnant?"
"I'd prefer you take precautions. As a medical doctor, I can even-"
"Don't even," the teenager hurredly cut her off before turning back to Betty. "Yes, I'm in a relationship with Ron now, and I'm going to give it everything I've got... but I still care about Shego, and I don't think that will ever change. Even if she never forgives me."
Dr. Director took a breath, then thought twice about what she was going to say. "You truly are a remarkable... young woman, Kimberly."
Ann watched her daughter's face flush at the compliment before telling her, "Why don't you head back upstairs, Kim. I'll tuck you in, in a little bit."
The adults did not speak again until the girl's footsteps had definitely retreated all the way to her bedroom.
"It really doesn't bother you?" Betty murmured as she took another sip of her tea.
"It did at first. But I've actually gotten to know Shego before passing judgement. I know she's made several... questionable choices, but I can't deny her free spirit is... endearing. On a strictly personal level, I trust her."
"You do?"
"...Enough to have sex with her."
Ann had not been so kind in her timing with the brunette, who choked on her tea. She allowed her guest a moment to recompose herself before asking, "So, are the seduction techniques of secret agents also exaggerated in the movies?" She gave Betty a once-over, noting how snug the blue jumpsuit looked on her. "I'm sure my husband would love to hear how I was swept off my feet by a dangerous woman like you."
"That's... extremely unlikely," Betty managed to say after clearing her throat, twice.
"Well, if you ever need a girlfriend for a mission in a lesbian-centric location, you know where to find me."
Dr. Director stared blankly at the redhead for a moment, then excused herself and slipped out the back, wondering exactly what she'd stumbled upon in the Possible family.