After half an hour of cleaning, Kim and Shego were sprawled out on the couch, lazily watching re-runs of The Fearless Ferret.

"I can't believe it's been twenty years since I last saw this. Man, time flies."

"Heh, Ron was a big fan... He had a costume and everything. This, and Snowman Hank..."

"Oh, Snowman Hank... Now we're talking about peewee me watching annual Christmas specials with my brothers."

"Must've been quite a sight."

"Haha, it was."

"I only really watched it because of Ron... We had been BFFs since we were really young, so missing out on Snowman Hank was a very serious thing for him... Despite the fact that he had watched everything many, many times."

Shego shifted slightly on the couch to give Kim some room. "Do you mind if I asked what happened to him? You told me he had passed away..."

"It was an airline accident. I remember that day, it's probably a day I can't ever forget. Ron and Rufus were about to leave Holland and come back home. They were there for a business trip to talk over some deals with a printing press manufacturer. It had snowed the night before, and the pilots forgot to de-ice the plane... So there wasn't enough traction, the pilots were using too much reverse thrust, and it crashed before they could take off properly."

"I'm sorry."

"Some days, I wished it was me instead. Ron was so stressed after his parents died, yet he managed to pile on more work."

"It's a coping mechanism... Distract yourself from reality," murmured Shego.

"I didn't understand it then, but I do now. It's just... I wish I was in his place. It came at a time where my relationship was going down the drain and I didn't have a BFF to help me through it."

"I hate to say it, but what's done is done... We just become better people through all the hardships - at least, that's what I'm told."

"Yeah... I just felt so weak and so vulnerable though. Suddenly I'm relying on Bonnie to help pull the paper through and just realising that we're all human. With our own limitations and problems."

"You know, when I found out my ex was cheating on me, it felt like everything in my world that was once stable but was now crashing down. I had never felt so humiliated. I understand what you mean though. It just feels like we're incapable of doing anything... But, Kim, regardless of all the crap that's been thrown our way, feeling vulnerable is normal... Whether we like it or not."

"I know, but it's just such an uneasy feeling... Fear of the unknown, if you will."

"Agreed," murmured Shego. She hugged Kim and whispered, "Sorry about the change of topic. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Kim smiled. Shego's always so considerate, she thought. She gave Shego a kiss on the cheek. "It's ok."

Just then, Kim's cell phone rang. She gave Shego an apologetic look as she got up and crossed the living room to answer it. Finding her purse, she fished out her phone and looked at the caller display. Shego wondered who it could've been that made Kim smile do brightly.

"Hana? Yeah, I went back home for Thanksgiving. Oh!" And then a "Yes, I can come get you at the airport... Um, what did they tell you!" Finally a "Oh, you can get to meet her if you want... You do? Sure... So tomorrow at eight, right? Ok, I'll come get you. Do you still want to crash my place? Ok. I don't think that'd be a problem. Ok, ok. See you tomorrow!"

Noticing the confused (or perhaps, jealous?) look on Shego's face, Kim grinned. "That was Ron's sister, Hana. She went off to Paris for culinary school, but it seems like she's done for the semester, so she's coming back to Middleton tomorrow."

"Ah, ok."

"You were worried for a second there, weren't you?"

A slight blush appeared on Shego's cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kim grinned. Shego was just too cute. "You had this terrified look on your face - ok, maybe not terrified, but surprised."

Shego shifted in her seat and stated at the floor. "Ok, yeah, maybe a little bit surprised."

Kim sat down on the couch beside Shego and put a comforting arm around the older woman. "Hana's like a sister to me... She was pretty devastated after Ron died, more so than me. She usually stays with me when she's in town... Would that be a problem?"

"No..." Shego's eyes were fixated on a fascinating piece of Kim's carpet. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to think that-"

Kim silenced her with a kiss. "It's ok. I want you to meet her. She's quite a character and makes a mean tiramisu."

Shego smiled. "Do you want me to come with you to the airport tomorrow?"

"It'll be late - do you know if you'll have a lot of work to do?"

"Maybe... Bonnie wants me to help out with typefacing the Christmas draft."

"Really? Can't Steve do that?"

"Bonnie mentioned something about creative input and direction. I think the poor guy wants to punch her," laughed Shego.

"Haha, typical of Steve... Well, if you don't mind having a late dinner with Hana and me, then you can come with me to the airport to pick her up."

"Sure." Shego stretched and let a small yawn escape.

"Tired?"

"A bit."

"Nap?"

"Now?"

"Why not?" A mischievous twinkle in Kim's eyes appeared.

"Sure." Shego surprised Kim by getting up and picking up the redhead.

"Hey! Put me down!" Kim laughed as Shego carried her to the bedroom.

Gently placing her girlfriend on the bed, Shego smirked. "Bet you didn't know I was strong!"

"...are you calling me fat or heavy?" Kim pouted.

"I'm just saying I'm strong, I don't know what you're talking about," replied Shego as she laid down on the bed.

Kim rolled around the bed as if a hyperactive child trying to dispense all of her energy. "You're indirectly calling me fat," she said playfully.

"Maybe, maybe not," murmured a tired Shego as she used an arm to stop the rolling redhead. Kim instinctively snuggled closer to the older woman who smiled as she drifted off to dreamland.

Author's Notes: Playful, yet still hesitant... and it's time to unpack (most of) the baggage, kiddies.

The airplane accident is an actual reference to the Air Florida Flight 90 accident of 1982. I didn't want to make it overly dramatic... and this is what happens when I actually tie in things I learn from school into a piece of fiction...

I keep thinking it's ... midday. I played around with the clocks on my laptop for a school experiment (involving timestamps) to test some batch file codes and now I'm dizzy. (Laptop says it's 11:28 AM, body says it's time to sleep, and the actual time is 01:28 AM.) It still sort of counts that I uploaded this during the Easter long weekend (it ends when I have to go to class, ha!). This should be the last of the rapid updates for now.

Chapter title is from "Islands" by the xx.