Chapter 11

Kim Possible waited by the parking lot, filled with anticipation. The school day had been boring, the only bright spot having been the class held by Shego. Now that she was staying at her house, she could look forwards to spending the rest of the day with her. The possibilities flashed before her eyes.

"Just try not to be too eager," she muttered to herself.

"Playing hard to get, KP?" Ron said, walking up to Kim. "It's not necessary. I understand it's hard to resist the Ron-Man."

Kim cringed. Of course he had to overhear that. "Why are you here, Ron? I thought you preferred to, what was it, cruise the blacktop on your scooter?"

"It's in the shop. I could have used a ride this morning, too."

"Well, you didn't tell me that you needed a lift."

"I didn't have a chance to. It's almost like you've been avoiding me lately. You were in an awful hurry to get off the phone last night, too."

"I had a lot to do, what with getting Shego settled in at our place and visiting the hospital for a brain scan and everything. Besides, we see each other every day, anyway."

"KP, I really don't think having Shego as a house guest is a good idea. I mean, yeah, she says she's good now, but how can we be sure? What it if it's all part of some evil scheme?"

"What evil scheme would be served by posing as a teacher?"

"Maybe she's after you. Maybe she's trying to worm her way close to you so she can seduce you to the side of evil."

"Ron, I'm pretty sure that's not the case." It seemed clear that any seduction would have to come from Kim's side. "It's sweet that you worry about me, but I have things under control."

"Famous last words, KP."

"Hi, Kimmie; hi, Ronnie."

Kim knew Shego must have heard Ron as she approached, but she appeared willing to pretend she hadn't. "Hi, Shego. Ready to get going?"

"You could just drop me off at your house and go to the mall with Ronnie. I'm sure you young people would rather be alone."

"Sounds like a plan, KP."

"I can hang out with Ron anytime. You are the one who needs to go shopping, and it's more fun with company."

"I don't really need to, we already did that yesterday."

"Oh, please, picking up a few essentials in a rush doesn't count. If you're going to stick around here, you need to get started on an entire new wardrobe."

"Wait, are you two going to shop for clothes? Why are you dragging me along? Wouldn't you rather take Monique?"

"Monique is working. We'll probably see her if we go to Club Banana. Anyway, I didn't drag you here, you're the one who barged in. The least you can do is help carry stuff."

"That's not really necessary..."

"Wait, I didn't sign up for..."

"Just get in the car, both of you."

"Yes, Kimmie."

"Yes, KP."

After the first forty minutes spent at Club Banana, Ron had slipped away. Kim hadn't noticed when it happened, but she wasn't sorry to find him gone. Under other circumstances she would have been bummed that Monique's new role as an assistant manager meant she didn't have time for more than a few words, but that was just as well, too. She wanted Shego all to herself.

"Ooh, I bet that would look good on you. Why don't you try it on?"

"I don't know, Kimmie, it doesn't really look very professional."

"Shego, for the millionth time, we aren't here to get you clothes for work. If you're going to stay here longer, you need some casual clothes, too."

"It doesn't look that casual."

"Well, no. But it will definitely look good on you. Shoo; go put it on, already."

"Well... okay, I'll try it on."

Shego disappeared into a dressing booth. Kim could hardly wait to see how the tight blouse with the generous neckline would look on her. She was sure it would be perfect for a date, once she managed to talk Shego into going out with her. Maybe she could trick her?

The store was momentarily quiet enough for Monique to join her. "So, how's it going? She legit?"

"You talked to her. Do you really think she's acting?"

"She'd have to be really good. I'll believe she got her brain rewired. Do you think it'll hold?"

"I don't know. She seems to believe so. The original Attitudinator made permanent changes."

"Well, I guess one villain less is good for the world."

"Yes. It'll be a net win as long as we get her brothers turned back."

"Right. Any progress on that front?"

"Not really. It's a pretty hard nut to crack."

"What is?"

Kim turned to look at Shego and lost her thread of thought. The blouse displayed her bosom to advantage as she had thought. She had just failed to picture exactly how hot she looked in it.

"Coconuts..."

"Excuse my babbling friend, Ms. Go. That looks exquisite on you."

"Thank you." Shego blushed and looked bashfully away. "I'm just not sure it's something I'm comfortable wearing."

"Nonsense; you look ravishing. Come on, let's go find you something to go with it.

Monique led the oddly acquiescent Shego away. Kim stayed where she was and tried to get her libido back under control. She never would have believed how utterly arousing a combination of a voluptuous figure and demure innocence could be. For a while Kim had been concerned about this new, good Shego lacking the fire of the original, which she had believed essential to her appeal. She still missed the snarky, sultry villainess she'd faced so many times with conflicting feelings, but the good Shego certainty had charms of her own.

Kim had been brought up as a good girl, and she very much believed herself to be one. Even so, or perhaps because of it, she had always had a certain attraction to people with a dangerous edge. In fiction she seemed to like the bad boys; preferably brooding, misunderstood types rather than out and out villains. In real life, it seemed to be a bad girl who had captured her interest. This Shego wasn't that Shego. This Shego made her feel like the bad girl. She certainly wanted to do naughty things to her. Shego seemed reluctant, but that just made her want it more. Kim shivered as she wondered how far she would be willing to go.

"Just take it slow, Kim," she said to herself. Miss Go seemed much too virtuous to just jump in the sack with a student of hers. She needed to be patient with her courting, much as her base urges disagreed. For now, they should just spend some time hanging out together. Maybe she could offer some cautious compliments, preferably something coherent. And no more staring at her breasts.

"KP, where have you been?" Kim was not a fan of the entitled, annoyed air Ron sometimes adopted when he felt universe had conspired to thwart him. "Bricks on Fire: The Collateral Supremacy opens today. We can still make the matinee if we run!"

"Sorry, Ron, but I already promised Shego we'd..." Kim shot a quick look at Shego, but it didn't look like she intended to contradict her. "Uh, get our eyebrows waxed."

"Yeah, well, there's no... wait, what? You wax your eyebrows?"

"Never mind."

"Works for me. Now let's get going or we'll be late."

"But, Ron, I promised to hang out with Shego."

"I'll be fine, Kimmie."

"She can come too. As long as she promises to behave."

"I'm not really interested in that one..." Shego trailed off, then brightened. "Do you know which movie I'd like to see? The Memo Pad."

"Uh, hello, that's a chick flick."

"Ooh, I've been wanting to go see it, but Ron hasn't been too enthusiastic." Kim knew an opportunity when one presented itself. "Do you want to go watch it with me?"

"Sure! Oh, unless you'd prefer to go see something with Ronnie."

"He can come to The Memo Pad with us." Kim silently willed Ron to decline; she was fairly confident he would.

"Ugh, no thanks. I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah, later." Kim grabbed Shego's hand and steered them in the direction of the movie theater. "Bye, Ron."

"Bye, Ronnie!"

Kim was so excited she was almost shaking. Or was she nervous? She loved the prospect of going to see a romantic movie with Shego, but she worried she might do something to ruin it all. As much as she'd like to pretend this was a date, she knew it wasn't. Shego had said that she wasn't going to be involved with her. But she was the one who'd suggested this movie. Did she maybe like her after all? Was she giving her a chance to make a move, or did she just want to see the movie?

Kim looked at Shego from the corner of her eye. She seemed excited, but not quite like a girl on a date. Then again, she was older than her, and might not get so visibly giddy. Kim just wished she'd give her some unambiguous signals. How different was she to her former self? She had at least found her physically attractive, before. Surely the device wouldn't have changed that. Was the reason for Shego's reluctance that she didn't like her, or just that she didn't think dating her was appropriate?

Kim tried to calm down. She'd already decided to take it slow and play it cool. This was a wonderful opportunity to bond with Shego, she would have plenty of time to try to get closer, later. But what if she missed out on a chance to advance that timetable? They had barely reached the theater, and she was already becoming a nervous wreck. How did people handle dating? And this wasn't even a date. Probably.

"I'll get the tickets, the movie will start in a few minutes. Will you get us something to snack on?"

Kim mumbled her assent, and Shego joined the queue at the counter. She really behaved very differently from the old Shego. Kim wondered how much of it was the result of Electronique's device, and how much of it was just her being released from the constraints of her criminal lifestyle. She also didn't seem too worried about someone recognizing her. She had claimed that people rarely did, but it still seemed odd to Kim that she was so comfortable in public. Of course, she now had her to cover for her in case of trouble.

Kim was glad now that Shego hadn't found much she wanted to purchase, and that she had the bags. She needed both her hands for the two diet sodas and the popcorn bucket. The choice of the snack food was made by a vision of both of them reaching into the bucket at the same time, their hands accidentally touching. It was an accident that could be forced, and would hopefully tell her something.

Kim met Shego at the door, at the end of a moderate line. "I'm afraid the best seats are already gone."

"Yeah, that's a pity. Did you know that in Europe most theaters, even small ones, have reserved seating? Not that it would help when getting tickets this late."

"No, I didn't. I only get there on missions, I don't think I've ever seen a movie over there." She wondered when Shego had spent time there, and whether it had been business or pleasure. Knowing Shego, probably a bit of both. "Well, apart from that one Cannes premiere."

"Hey, nice pronunciation. Those French classes are paying off."

"Thanks. Can we not talk school at the movies?" The less emphasis on them being, at least technically, teacher and student, the better.

"Sure. We probably should be quiet, anyway."

Shego and Kim settled into their seats. They were not ideal, but made for decent enough viewing. Kim would have preferred to be in the back row, just in case.

Kim couldn't concentrate on the trailers; she wasn't that interested in the first place, and her attention was solidly on the woman next to her. She kept stealing glances at her, hoping she wouldn't notice in the dark. She sat very still, fearing to brush against Shego's shoulder and wanting to do that. She felt nervous and sweaty. They had come to the mall straight from the school and been there for hours. What it she smelled of sweat?

Why was she so much more nervous around this kind, nice Shego than she'd ever been around the one who claimed she was evil? She had flirted with her. This was more like—well, more like every date she'd been on. Maybe it had been easier with Shego because when she'd taken her big chance to seduce her she hadn't really had anything to lose. They were enemies and didn't have a relationship to ruin beyond that. This Shego clearly wanted to be her friend. Kim could jeopardize that by pushing too hard. But what was too hard?

Or maybe it was because she was not nervous on her missions, and Shego was intrinsically part of that side of her life, the exciting, larger than life side. Being with this normally dressed Shego in a movie theater was too normal, and she was normally nervous around her crushes. But she had managed to date Josh for a while, and gone on dates with Ron. Was she so unsure because this wasn't a date and she didn't know what might drive Shego away?

Kim realized her thoughts were going in circles and tried to focus on the beginning movie instead. She reached in to scoop a handful of popcorn, and her had encountered Shego's. She jerked hers back in shock, cheeks burning, as she felt the distinct tingling Shego had insisted was their powers interacting. A glance showed her Shego had pulled back her hand, too, but it was too dark to tell if she was blushing. She looked fixedly at the screen, but at least she wasn't leaning away. Kim almost giggled aloud. She hadn't even engineered that!

Smiling, Kim turned her attention to the movie. She was making things more difficult than they needed to be. She didn't need to think about how to change Shego's mind every minute they were together. There was something between them, and she was sure Shego couldn't deny it forever. As long as they had the opportunity to spend time together, things would work themselves out. Kim was sure of it.

Just as long as nothing else got in the way.