As Shego exited the Possibles' house, the older Possibles followed and stopped at the front door. Kim walked over nervously and gave her parents hugs.

"Don't worry, Kimmie-cub. Shego wasn't in trouble or anything, we just wanted to have a talk with her," whispered James. "We're happy for you."

Kim smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"Will you be coming home for Christmas this year, Kim?" asked her mother as she gave her daughter a hug.

"I don't know yet... Bonnie wants me to take a holiday, so I guess I might."

"If you do, feel free to invite Shego and her brothers over... Unless they have plans."

"I'll ask them when it's closer to Christmas," replied Kim. "Thank you. I know I don't really make the best judgments with relationships-"

"Kimmie-cub, it's part of the risk of trying something new, and well, we all learn from our mistakes, but we're honestly happy for you right now," commented James.

"Thanks, Dad." Kim gave her parents kisses on their cheeks and turned to leave.

James looked over at Shego, who nodded silently, and waved at the Godeaux twins. "See you tomorrow!"

The Wegos waved and grinned. With Jim and Tim, they had developed some new exciting experiments they were going to try when they got back to the Middleton Space Centre. Having exchanged their contact information with the Possible twins, they were ready to do collaborations on particle physics experiments and hopefully publish a paper by Christmas.

Kim shouted to her brothers, "Jim, Tim, don't blow up anything else while you're still home!" The twins laughed and gave their sister a thumbs up as she pulled out of the driveway.

"Did you have a good time? I'm sorry if my parents made you uncomfortable at any point..."

Shego was looking outside the passenger window, apparently deep in thought.

"It was good... Your parents are nice, so no, they didn't really make me feel uncomfortable."

"Ok," replied Kim. She had dropped off the Wegos at their apartment and had told them not to cause too much trouble at the Space Centre with their new experiments. They simply laughed in response with mischievous twinkles in their eyes. Kim and Shego were now on their way back to Shego's apartment, but the drive was a rather silent one.

"What's up? You've been awfully quiet during the whole trip back home," murmured Kim.

Shego's gaze flickered to her girlfriend. "Just been thinking..."

"...about...?"

"Just the direction of where our relationship is heading now that I've met your parents."

"Oh," replied Kim. She got off the freeway and decided that this conversation shouldn't be held in the car. "Do you want to talk about this elsewhere? Not when I'm driving...?"

"It's ok, I think we're good... I was just wondering whether I should now reciprocate and introduce you to my parents..."

Kim remained silent as she mulled over that thought; before she knew it, she arrived at Shego's apartment. "Can I come up?"

Her girlfriend's request caught Shego off-guard. "Sure..."

Kim parked her car in the guest parking spot and followed Shego up to her suite. She had only been here a few times - date night was usually at Kim's apartment, but she felt that Shego had more in mind that should be discussed. Something's bothering her, Kim thought as they entered the suite.

Tossing her keys into a bowl near the door, Shego went to the kitchen to fix Kim a cup of tea. She felt it was customary behaviour to offer guests something to drink, and Kim was used to it by now. (Kim was bewildered at first since they would be eating take-out with drinks anyway, but she had grown accustomed to Shego's unique blend of tea leaves.)

"Here," said Shego as she offered a mug to Kim.

They sat at the dining table and both quietly stared at their steaming mugs of tea.

"So..." Kin started, but wasn't sure how to continue. She took a sip of tea and said in a small voice, "You think it's too soon to have met my parents, don't you?"

Shego ran a hand through her hair. "A bit, yes, but I really did enjoy getting to know them... Don't get me wrong, I like them and they like me... It's just..."

"It's just what?"

"I'll be honest with you, Kim. When your mom suggested sharing your bed, it made me uncomfortable..."

"I see..."

"I mean, I liked it, but it's a big step, right?"

"We snuggle on the couch when we watch movies, it's not that different... Just that the bed is a bigger piece of furniture."

"It's not that... It's... How do I explain this..." Shego took a large gulp of tea. "It's another level of intimacy that I might not be ready for."

Kim blinked and understood her girlfriend's point. Of the three months they'd been dating, she had never entertained thoughts of a sexual nature, so she could understand Shego's hesitation in the matter.

"Shego, it doesn't mean anything bad to just sleep in the same bed, right?"

"I just think sleeping in the same bed is on a different level..."

"So if you ever sleep over, I should just make you sleep on the couch?"

Shego bit back the comment that she probably wouldn't sleep over, but felt that might hurt Kim's feelings. After all, romantic partners did do sleepovers, right?

"No, that wouldn't be very... Accommodating," Shego replied.

Kim was confused. Really, really confused. "So..."

"You know what, let's just drop the matter," Shego said.

"But if it's bothering you, we should talk about it. Communication is-"

"-vital in a relationship, I know," sighed Shego.

"Are you not ready for such a step? I think sleepovers are fairly mild, it's just nice to not wake up alone, but maybe we're moving too fast...?"

"I like our current pace, but don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind sleeping beside you... It's just probably something wrong with me. I get insecure, uh, about a lot of things."

"Don't be," said Kim as she took Shego's hands in hers. "I know we both have ghosts from the past that haunt us and time is always the best medicine, but let's try to let it all go since we can't rewrite history."

Shego nodded and then stared back down at her mug. "You know, I was never so 'broken' when I was in Go City... It was when I found out that, not only my ex was cheating on me with her med school lab partner, but she had somehow managed to sign over everything we shared and put it under her name. It was a total blow to my ego, to be used and not realise it."

"Sometimes, we're just blinded by 'love', but in reality, it's not love... You just fall for the charms of others," murmured Kim.

"The money, apartment, and car didn't mean much to me, but just the fact that I couldn't see what was happening at the time really wounded me. I'm afraid of giving too much emotionally when I'll only be hurt in the end."

"And now you feel like that," stated Kim.

Shego shrugged. "I guess."

"Shego, sometimes the risk is worth taking... Sometimes it's not. But don't let this turn you away from something good. It would be cocky of me to say I would never hurt you, but I'm sure we will have our fair share of disagreements... But just know right here, right now, I'm here if you want me to be."

Shego looked up and looked into Kim's olive eyes. She could see the truth shimmering in her girlfriend's eyes, so she startled the redhead by enveloping her in a hug.

Kim laid her head on Shego's shoulder and patted her girlfriend. "I can't make promises that I won't be able to keep, but I'll be here until you don't want me to be."

Author's Notes: Insecurities, Shego has them.

This was a strange chapter to write. Things will reveal themselves slowly as the story unfolds.

Chapter title is from "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift, featuring the Civil Wars.