Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible, any of the other characters from that show, or those from any other media I may reference in my stories.
Ron Stoppable maintained total focus on his computer screen long after he became aware his mother had come up the stairs into his attic room. He knew he was being petty, but truthfully it was as far as he'd go in expressing his displeasure about his situation. And that was mainly because he recognized some justice in the punishment they'd bestowed upon them. And yes, he even saw an underlying motive. One he couldn't entirely see as a bad idea. Except he wouldn't be there if Kim needed him.
He saved his history paper and straightened up, arching his back to try and get the tightness out of his shoulders and back. Then he turned his head to look at his mom. But he couldn't bring himself to make her speak first. "Yes Mom?"
"Ronald, I want to talk to you about a few things you may not know about all this." She held a hand up to forestall Ron speaking. "And I realize you're smart enough to have figured part of it out, but trust me, not all of it." She sat down on Ron's bed. Ron turned around to face her fully, looking warily curious.
Jean Stoppable took a long moment to choose her words, despite having rehearsed some of what she planned to say. "Well, I suppose you figured out the obvious, you're having sex with an older girl, and conducting it clandestinely in this very house?
Ron dropped his eyes, flushing guiltily as he nodded. "Yes Ma'am." He replied quietly. "And I have no excuse for what I did here."
He didn't see his mother blink, then shift uneasily as she actually realized she was sitting on Ron's bed, the scene of...she cleared her throat. "I believe you do, Ron. Know why I'm so mad, that is! But tell me, do you know why your father is so mad?"
Now Ron looked up, blinking in confusion. "Be—because I disrespected you, doing that in your home, after you raised me..." He trailed off, frowning as he his mother started shaking her head. "Then...what?"
She sighed, folding her hands in her lap. "Ron, didn't you invite Kim to come to the game with us?"
Ron nodded. "Yep! I thought it might be fun for her, too!" Then a touch of concern appeared on his face.
His mother nodded in return. "And..if Kim was with us, who would have been here with Hana?"
Now Ron showed dawning comprehension, "Well, Hayley possibly, Tina...or maybe Hope? Oh, and Veronica, though I don't think Hana really liked her much!""
Jean nodded "And how do you suppose any of them might have reacted in Kim's place if they encountered that girl?"
Ron noticed his Mom not naming Yori, but that was not what he responded to. "It wouldn't have b-been the same! I mean, n-none of those girls would have b-been in my bed!" He stammered, "But..." Seeing his Mother quirk an eyebrow, he swallowed. "Okay, that might not have prevented them from seeing Yori, she might have come downstairs looking for me...Oh Boy!" He reddened slightly, then a thought struck him. "And Dad thought about this, because that's how he does his job, right?"
Jean nodded, "He's an actuary, considering all the possibilities and possible outcomes comes naturally to him. Now, again I ask you, how would any of those other girls have reacted to such an encounter?"
Ron grimaced as he considered the question. "Well, Tina I really can't say, she always surprises me in how she handles the unexpected! I think Hope would have called the cops, or tried to..." He saw a frown forming on his Mother's face, deduced the cause, and shook his head vigorously. "Yori would not have hurt her, really! Tried to reason with her, maybe, or just fled!"
"Stark Naked?" Jean inquired archly, then cut off Ron's attempt to reply, "Ron, the main problem here is that they might have told their parents. Tina, perhaps not, but Hayley and Hope certainly! And Veronica's father is a very good, and I have heard highly overprotective, Lawyer!"
Ron winced as badly as he had when his Father had chewed him out. "Ouch! He'd have made a Federal case out of it, wouldn't he?"
"As close to one as he could manage, certainly!" Jean replied sharply, then made a visible effort to control her emotions. "At the very least, we might have been investigated by Child Services regarding the environment we are raising Hana in. And some of the details of her adoption are a little vague, if I recall?"
Ron colored slightly at that, as she continued, "And he most certainly would have made the whole story very public, at no small cost emotionally to many people!"
She chose to remain silent for a minute, waiting for Ron to choose a response. Finally he took a deep breath, let it out, then nodded, "You're right, it would have been a mess! I just never really thought of the consequences, honestly!" He shook his head, "Even though I've seen how much trouble other guys have gotten into! Of a different sort, of course, I just had to find something new for my big mistake!" He looked at his computer and scowled, "What I'm really mad about is not being with Kim, watching her back, helping her out...because of this!"
"I know Ron." Jean assured him sympathetically, "But I think that this short period apart will help insure that no longer separations occur later." When he looked up curiously, she smiled. "I don't just want you to graduate, Ron. I think you already have the grades for that. But the grades necessary to go to college, as Kim will?"
Ron grinned ruefully. "I know, Mom. And I do want to go to college with Kim, more than anything! But to tell the truth if you hadn't 'grounded' me, I would have put being with her ahead of making the grades! But, what if the timing's all wrong? What if something serious happens...but that's the point, the only time the timing would be 'good' would be if Kim herself was out of action, and that's something I never want to see!"
Jean took a quick glance at her wristwatch. "Ron, the best you can do is hope that nothing happens between now and graduation that Kim can't handle herself, or maybe with the help of Global Justice." Ron started to say something, but his mother didn't notice, as she continued briskly, "Now, I have to be somewhere, and I still need to get Hana ready! Work on your homework, Ron, and maybe you can spend Sunday with Kim!" She accompanied that advice with a bright smile, then turned and left.
Ron leaned his head on one elbow and sighed, scowling. "Sunday! If Kim is even around, I have no idea where she is, right now!"
"Go City."
Ron shot straight out of his chair, teeth clenched, expression shocked, as the voice sounded from his computer. Then he got his breathing under control. "Wade! Man, don't scare me like that!" He stopped the chair spinning, then flopped back down in it. He made a face when he heard the boy genius chuckling. "Dude, I forgot you were even there! Did you find what I asked? And why is KP in Go City?"
"Yes to the first, Ron, I have a site address where you can find what you need. And I haven't a clue about the second, though I know Kim called GJ a few hours ago. First she went down to Isle Drakkon, without telling me what she was doing there, and you can guess how worried I was about that! Then she calls me and asks me to arrange a flight to Go City. All I do know is it started with Jen Paladin and her partner, they wanted Kim to do something concerning Shego."
"Then she may be going to Go to talk to Shego's family." Ron suggested. He pressed a key, and his homework disappeared, to be replaced by Wade's thoughtful expression.
"Maybe, Ron." He said doubtfully, "At least that makes some sense."
"Well, what about this Paladin lady, can you find out where she's been lately, and try and see if it connects to Drakken and Shego somehow?"
Wade made a face. "Ron, I can't find out anything useful about her! Except she took the name 'Paladin' about eight years ago, but I can't find out what her name was before that! She lives in New Mexico, and has a lot of money, but beyond that, nothing! I can't trace her movements, except possibly by her passport. Well, except I stay out of those databases these days, Kim's orders! So, no joy there."
Ron had a sour look on his face. "I hate this sitch more and more, Wade! I don't like Kim running around without someone watching her back!" He calmed a bit, "Even though I've been responsible for her going solo a few times before. And like I told my Mom, the grades are important, I don't think I passed last year by much."
Wade rolled his eyes. "Trust me, Ron, you didn't!"
Ron blinked in surprise, then smiled tentatively. "Come on, I wasn't really that close to failing, was I?" When he saw Wade cringe a bit, his smile faded and his eyes widened. "How close?" He asked warily.
"Um, lets put it this way.." Wade's smile seemed very forced, "Until your last exam grade came in, they already had your seat at summer school reserved."
"Oh..." Ron responded in a small voice. Then he clapped his hands together and flexed his fingers. "Back to work! Now where was I? Oh, yeah, the Spanish American War!" He made a face. "Guess there was more to it then Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, wasn't there?"
Wade smiled. "Yeah, there were a few other people involved." he replied dryly.
"Heh..."
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The gray skies over Go City matched Shego's mood perfectly as she sat behind the wheel of a car borrowed from an old friend and beheld a place she would rather have never seen again in her life, the Crescent Street Orphanage.
It was situated on the shore of the bay Go City itself stretched around, with Crescent Street on it's inland side, and the unimaginatively named Bay Drive, a two-lane road, on the bay side. Shego remembered that they had been forbidden to cross Bay Drive without adult supervision, a rule she and Milly had broken a few times in the four years they knew each other. There was good reason for the rule, the shore was all rocks, which were treacherous to walk on, especially when wet. One orphan had drowned during Shego's time here, apparently after falling and hitting his head, then falling into the water. And he hadn't been the first in the orphanage's history to die in the bay waters.
The building itself enclosed a large paved area on three sides, with the opening on the landward side. Parking for the staff was to Shego's left as she studied the edifice, while a basketball court, much patched, took up the right side. The dormitories were on the north and south ends, four stories tall each, made of rough bricks of various shades of gray, with small windows which didn't open.
Across the bay side, the dormitories were joined by the administration wing, which was only two stories tall. It contained offices and classrooms, as well as some storerooms and the access to the building's aging boilers. Education through grade school occurred on the premises, while Middle and High school level were taught at city schools, both within convenient walking distance. If Shego had made the effort, she could have seen at least a part of both institutions from where she sat, though they were both in opposite directions.
The baleful glare on her face betrayed her dislike for the place, and the necessity of having to return here. But the trail she needed to follow began here, she was almost sure of it. "Mind you, I could have tried shaking down some of the local crooks in hope of getting some info, but at the moment I'm not sure what I'd be asking about. Possible let slip that Milly was somewhere for three years before ending up in that brothel..." Her mind drifted off course briefly as she wondered whether the people she'd asked to examine the box containing Milly's ashes could determine it's place of origin, but then returned to her immediate problem. "Someone should have known if the adoption was a fake, someone either wasn't doing their job, or they were the ones who 'sold' Milly!"
Those thoughts caused her to grip the steering wheel hard, but when she felt her plasma stirring in reaction to her anger, she clamped down on it immediately. "Can't lose control! Milly wouldn't...Milly didn't want me to get into trouble over this, I can at least try and stick to the spirit of that wish." But then her gaze darkened and her jaw tightened. "Of course, if they never find the body, I won't be in any trouble, will I?"
Resolved, she exited the car. The threat of rain at least afforded an excuse to wear a coat with an upturned collar, and a hat with the brim pulled low. Making sure both were set to her satisfaction, she checked traffic in both directions, then took a step into the street. Only to stop suddenly, and step back.
"I should take care of Milly's ashes first." She thought reluctantly, "Once I get on this trail, I may forget all about doing that, and I don't want to let her down...again!" She turned back and went around to the trunk of the car. Opening it, she then opened her overnight bag, and pulled out the container of ashes. Tucking it under one arm, she closed her bag and the car trunk, then checked traffic again, before striding across the street, but this time directing her course to go around the orphanage on it's south side.
Head down, she never saw the taxi pass her and pull into the orphanage's parking area, or see Kim Possible emerge from it. Though by that time, the taxi was blocked from her sight as she strode briskly towards Bay Drive.
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Kim stopped as soon as she was out of the taxi to look over the orphanage. She had her bag slung over her shoulder and her Kimmunicator holstered on one hip. The fitful wind swirled in the courtyard, shielded as it was by the dormitory to the north. It still had a bite to it, and Kim was glad she'd packed a pair of jeans and her denim jacket along with her tropical outfit.
"So this is where Shego grew up." she mused. It was a grim looking place, with only some ivy clinging to the walls to give it any color, and at this time of year that was pitifully little. The blacktop she stood on looked like it hadn't been wholly repaved in years, just repeatedly patched. She was a little puzzled by the lack of any children outside playing on a Saturday, though. She wondered how many were currently staying here. "Guess I could have had Wade check the municipal records, but never thought about it."
Then she heard a faint noise from inside the central part of the building, which she thought might be muffled laughter. A lot of laughter. Curious, she headed for the double doors in the center of the wing. Once inside, the sound of a crowd led her to the right, and she soon saw the hallway full of kids of all ages trying to get a look through a pair of open double doors, obviously the spillover from a crowd that filled the inside of the room beyond. There were some exceptions, who were ignoring the crowd and whatever interested them. Some were in little groups of two or three, some alone. "I sense a 'mandatory-attendance' sitch!" Kim mused.
A single adult was in the hall, at least on Kim's side of the crowd, probably in charge of enforcing said attendance. She was about thirty, conservatively dressed and obviously a little bored, leaning back against the wall to Kim's left, eyes focused on a spot on the opposite wall, thoughts obviously a mile away. Kim steered towards her as another outburst of laughter came from inside the room. There had been no voices preceding it, so Kim knew they weren't listening to a speech of stand-up act. And no music, either. But Kim suppressed her curiosity and focused on the woman.
She looked up as Kim approached, frowning slightly at first, then shifting to a smile, then a frown again as she studied Kim's face. She wasn't the only one, a couple of the others not interested in whatever was going on had also noticed her. Kim soon saw recognition in some of their faces, including the woman.
"You're...Kim Possible?" The woman tentatively asked.
"Hi, I was wondering if I could talk to someone in charge, who's been here for..eight, nine years?" Kim responded with a smile.
"Oh! Um..." the woman glanced towards the crowd, "That would be Mrs Kenneally, and right now, it'd be pretty hard to get her out of there! But, if you wait until the Wegos are finished, maybe fifteen, twenty minutes?" She shrugged apologetically.
Kim's eyes had widened slightly. "The Wegos? Maybe they could...tell you what, I'll come back in a half hour or so, could you tell Mrs Kenneally? And if you get a chance, mention it to the Wegos, too, maybe they'll stay and I can speak with them."
The woman hesitated, then nodded. "I'll let them know, if I can! If you're looking for a place to get some lunch, or a late breakfast, there's a Cow'n Chow just a block north of here."
Kim made a face. "Not my first choice, but I just might!" She smiled. "Thanks for your help, I appreciate it!" When the woman nodded, actually blushing a bit, Kim turned and started back towards the front doors. But just past them on the opposite side was the entrance to another corridor, and out of curiosity about the place in general, Kim went the few extra steps and looked down it. There were two doors on either side, but what drew her attention was the set of glass-paned double doors at the far end, through which she could see the bay.
Kim walked down the hall to get a better view, and saw a few white caps on the water, which had a pewter appearance beneath the gray skies. A Coast Guard patrol cutter was visible moving at cruising speed, and a couple of small cargo vessels, around which darted a few sailboats taking advantage of the weather for a good ride.
There were a few people visible, most of them apparently fishing. One couple was moving away to the north, the girl's head leaning on her companion's shoulder. But then Kim's eyes focused on one solitary figure, and her gaze narrowed...
00000000000
Shego clutched the container of ashes close to her body as she struggled to order her thoughts. And her emotions. Something was simply wrong with how she felt, and it was vexing her. It wasn't the first time she'd questioned her feelings, either. And the number of times had been increasing lately. But this time gave the clearest indication that something was wrong!
Because she knew she should be feeling grief freely, but every time it welled up, something pushed it back down, and that made no sense at all to her! She had loved Milly like a sister, she'd been devastated to have her leave, but she'd hidden it at the time, she thought quite well. Grief, guilt, neither was manifesting, yet she knew they should!
She turned to look back at the orphanage looming behind her, then just to it's north, where a scattering of trees stood. One stood separately, surrounded by a low fence, with a metal sign proclaiming it the site of the birth of Team Go. Her expression soured as she studied it, remembering it as it had been before the tree house, before the 'comet'. "Henry wanted to build that thing so badly, and he got the others all excited about it, too!" Then she paused thoughtfully. "I wonder...what would have happened if Milly had still been here, and invited up there with us? I think she would have kept me from leaving, if anything could have!"
Shego lost focus as memories returned to her. Taking care of the twins, Franklin and Theodore, had been the primary focus of her life from age eight to eleven. Then Milly had shown up. Shego had had three previous roommates, all of whom had been adopted, and was disinclined to bond with anyone new, but her resistance had crumbled quickly when she met Milly. And Milly had seen her at her best with the twins, and her worst when another orphan had killed herself by leaping from the roof of the North dorm onto the blacktop, with Shego standing less then a dozen feet from where she impacted.
"And I just let her go, I resented her finding a family, another family, because I wanted her to be part of my family! I never even bothered to learn the name of the family that adopted her! I went through St. Louis right after I split from Team Go, I could have looked her up! Or wondered why she never wrote me. But no, I just decided she'd forgotten me, and I should have known better!"
"Shego, be careful, or you're going to burn it!" The quiet, urgent warning sent a shock through Shego as her head snapped up and around to behold Kim Possible standing only ten feet away, then down to the container in her hands, shock widening her eyes as she saw scorch marks on the wood. She shuddered as her self-pity and rage lost it's grip on her, and suddenly, spontaneously, she stepped towards Kim and shoved the ashes into her hands, then backed away, hugging herself. It was all she could do to steady her trembling legs, and not have to sit down on the nearest rock.
It took her a full five minutes to regain control of herself. Kim stood there awkwardly, trying to look everywhere but at Shego, though she found something to focus on when she spotted the infamous tree, and frowned in puzzlement for a moment before guessing what the distant sign said, and the purpose of the fence.
Shego was able to just study the teen for a moment while she was distracted. She should have reacted angrily to Kim's presence, but her anger was having trouble reigniting after her self-targeted rage had been washed away by the flash of guilt. Guilt both for nearly incinerating the box with Milly's ashes, and for getting caught by surprise by Kim. But it had been guilt, so why one situation, but not the other?
"Why are you here, Possible?" She finally asked, in as neutral a tone as Kim had ever heard from Shego's lips.
Kim's attention came back to Shego, her mouth opening to give a quick reply, only to close as she met the thief's eyes. She hesitated, then looked at the object in her hands. "I had to do something." She said quietly. "I couldn't not do something!"
Shego blinked, then cast her eyes down. "What do you think you can do?" She asked, tone still neutral.
Kim's response was a while in coming. "If nothing else, try and make her last wish come true, and keep you from ruining your life completely avenging her." She finally said, raising her eyes to meet Shego's.
"And you think you can do that?" Shego asked, a touch of surprise in her voice.
"I don't know anyone else who possibly could." Kim replied firmly.
Shego was silent a moment, then held her hands out, and Kim gave her the ashes back. The thief turned and stepped out onto the rocky breakwater, while Kim stayed put, clasping her hands in front of her, head slightly bowed. She raised it again at the sound of Shego's voice.
"So, if I pursue this, and you know I will, you'll be right behind me, trying to stop me, is that it?" Shego kept her back to Kim, and her tone impassive.
"Yep." Was all Kim said.
Shego was silent for a moment, though she nodded thoughtfully. She then spoke again. "I couldn't not do something either, Possible. And getting between me and whoever did this to Milly, whoever was responsible in any way for this happening, might just be the most dangerous things you've ever done, do you take my meaning?"
Kim nodded as she replied, even though Shego's back was still to her. "Yes, I understand."
Another long silence before Shego broke it. "Fine, we'll find these people together, but once we do, no promises, absolutely no guarantees, Possible, understood?"
Kim paused briefly, then nodded resolutely. "Understood. And understand me, no matter how horrific what was done to your friend was, and neither of us truly knows how bad it was, I will not let you kill anyone for vengeance, or cripple them. I will stop you from going too far, no matter what it takes."
Shego now turned to face her, and their eyes met, both gazes absolutely steady. After a long moment, Shego nodded. "Understood, Possible. So be it. But also understand, if you deny me my just vengeance, I may never, ever forgive or forget, and you may still pay a price later at my hands."
Leaving it there, to post a shorter chapter than usual.
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