She was weightless, floating in the middle of an inferno. She didn't know how but she was almost certain she was laying down. She looked around at the flames surrounding her, writhing and dancing as if to hypnotic music. Everywhere she looked, the flames seemed to pulse, almost like a heartbeat.

Pro sorore tua pacem invenisti

What…what was…? Shego could…she could almost recognize the voice. It was a woman.

Filia mea, fecisti nos superbos

Another voice; again…it was like it was on the tip of her tongue, just out of reach of her memory.

But yours is not done, pretiosum. You have so much more life to give!

She turned…and her breath caught. The flames, dancing and writhing, seemed to coalesce and shift, taking the form of two women standing next to her. She could feel a pair of hands settling on her arm. As the pair began to come into focus, Shego could make out the pair of them. Writhed in flame, the first was very tall, curly black hair like the night sky. Her face was…soft and warm, radiating love. The other was also tall, very athletic with a soft tan skin. The pair of them looked at her…and she felt…safe. They would protect her. As long as they were here, nothing would harm her.

We're so proud of you sweetie

M…momma? Yasmine?

My Odetta…you can be at peace. Your Papi and I…she turned towards Momma…and your Momma couldn't have asked for a better daughter. But you must live. Your family grows…and our only wish is that you live.

Your sororus bellam will guide you. She will help you find your life again.

We love you so much, Shego…

"MOMMA…YASMINE!"

The light stabbed at Shego's eyes as they shot open. Oh God…her head! She'd suffered pretty severe blows to the head before but this? It felt like…like someone had put her head…no, her whole BODY…into a hydraulic press and left her there, squeezing her like a tube of toothpaste. It almost made her pass out but…yes…she could wiggle her fingers and toes! Whatever had happened to her…at least she wasn't…! But…argh…where was she? What…what happened to Kim, Anne?

Slowly…agonizingly slowly…her eyes began to adjust. Okay…she was in a hospital room. That…that MIGHT be a good sign. If someone had grabbed her, they likely wouldn't have left her unbound in a hospital bed. Where…where was everyone? She…she'd been on the trail of that car, she'd gotten back to the ranch and…

…fire…

Oh God…like an avalanche, everything came crashing back to her! They had Kim! The Montefuscos were holding a gun on her while the reapers tried to draw Anne and Barbara and she…Shego had to…

"Sh…Shego?" A tentative voice called from the far side of her room.

Her head…her head felt like it was encased in fucking cement but she turned her head and…

Mother…mother of…for a split second, the pain wracking her body evaporated! It was like she was floating, nestled on a cloud, surrounded by a chorus of singing angels. Kim…was standing right next to her! She…she was alive and…and if Kim was okay, that had to mean…

"Mom's okay," She must've been able to read Shego's face. "She…she's REALLY okay."

There was a catch in the younger woman's voice…and Shego saw a tear begin to roll down that rosy cheek. Damn it; this was going to hurt but she could manage this! Her arm FELT like it was tied down but she lifted her hand up and towards her companion. It was only a glance but her lithe fingers caught the tear just in time. Kim's hand jumped up and caught Shego's.

"Shego, you…I…I can never repay you for what you did," That must've been the last straw. Kim gave a small sob and the tears began flowing faster.

She was…they were all…Shego…oh, if she could only move, she would've leapt out of the bed and pulled the younger woman into a hug, the biggest tightest hug that she could muster. They were alive! Her sororus bellam…her…her FAMILY was alive! She'd done it!

Shego couldn't keep it up anymore and her arm sank back towards the bed.

"Are..sniff…are you okay? Do I need to get a nurse?"

"Sorores Bellam…vivimus!"

"Does…does that mean…"

Shego heaved a deep sigh and turned to…her sister. "My sister…my beloved sister." She couldn't lift her arm but…her hand sought out Kim's and squeezed.

She felt…for the first time in…Shego was…at peace.

"What…what happened to…the Reapers? The…Montefuscos?"

Kim proceeded to fill Shego in on the past few hours.

Shego had actually been unconscious in her hospital bed for almost a day. According to Kim, Shego had sent a wall of fire barrelling towards the Reapers and had managed to surround them. Kim had spotted Shego when she'd been thrown to the ground and had managed to signal Anne and Barbara, some kind of codeword. The elder Grimms had peppered the Reapers with arrows and Kim had managed to overcome the Montefuscos with a little help from Joss.

Joss! For some reason, the thought of her, little Joss, jumping on a Montefusco, woged or not, sent a pang of concern through her. What did that young lady think she was doing? When Shego got out of here…

What happened afterwards, though, even Kim was pretty sketchy on the details. Anne had waltzed up, crossbow in hand like some kind of steampunk terminator, and leveled it at one of the Montefuscos. Kim had taken Joss into the house to clean her up…and partly to keep her from witnessing what her Aunt was going to do. Anne still hadn't told Kim…but Kim definitely had her theories.

What had Anne done? Shego had spent her entire life hating Hasslichen and…a few of her more brutal kills flashed across her mind. All hasslichen must die: that had been her mantra for…eight years. It had been the guiding star on which she charted her course. But now…all she could think about was Joss…and Kim, the three of them sitting in the living room roasting marshmallows over Shego's flame; and…and serving everyone the El Salvadoran feast that she'd slaved over and the looks on their faces as they dove in…

Her…her family…the word made Shego's heart swell. Her family was safe…and she was…finally…at peace.

So what did Anne do? Shego had seen how Anne was teetering on the edge. One little push and she would've been…well…where Shego had just escaped from.

"Are you sure she's…?"

"Yeah, Shego. I…I really think she's going to be okay!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Please God…let it be over!

Anne felt a tingling move through her body as the black SUV pulled away from the house. She was going to owe some serious favors to the Laufer when this whole thing was over. Within two hours of Anne's little speech to her prisoners, a Laufer cell, a Blutbad, a pair of Taurus Amentia, and a Steinadler, was at the door, taking her prisoners into custody. Anne had a short conversation with the agents and they promised to see to it that their charges got to Washington D.C. unharmed and fully equipped to deliver Anne's message. She watched the prisoners being ushered into the van. One of them glanced back…and Anne had never seen someone scramble into a vehicle so fast. The vehicle went around a curve and it disappeared from sight.

It felt like her family had been on the run for months…and it had only been…a week? Was that right? For the first time, Anne was able to take stock of everything that had happened. They…they'd just finished Christmas dinner when…

God…how close did she come?

For her entire adult life…and most of her teen years, Anne had never been…she…she'd killed wesen that had posed a threat to her town or the people in it. Sometimes defending herself or her family had required her to…

…she wasn't a murderer, damn it! She'd seen what that had been like with Mom. Yes, there had been a lot going on that she hadn't known about but…her entire life, she'd seen, or could at least guess what a stone cold killer Mom was and…and she was determined to not go down that same path! She wasn't going to…she couldn't…

If she'd gone just one step farther, she would've…God, she'd come so close!

Reapers were monsters, like rabid beasts where the only other option was to put them down. WIth how much hemlock they had been shot with…the Reaper she'd butchered HAD only had minutes, if that. Hell, even if they weren't…what Anne did…she…she couldn't say that she wouldn't have butchered one of them like that, even if they weren't poisoned and on the verge of death. Hell, Nick had beheaded two of them and mailed the heads back to Germany. Anne had…she needed to say it! She…had carved the heart out of a wesen that she had just killed, all to send a message that her family was off limits and that she was NOT to be fucked with.

"Annie? Sweetie? You okay?"

Anne felt Mom's hand snake around her shoulder, pulling her into a one armed hug.

"I…I don't know, Mom," Anne sighed, leaning into her Mom's embrace. "It just…everything is so…I…I can't stop thinking about…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "How…how did you come back from…all of it?"

There was a long pause and Anne felt herself being pulled in tighter.

"I almost didn't, baby," Mom sighed. "I told you what it was like after I finally found that Kosche who murdered your dad; but…you…you were standing on a ledge, weren't you? Staring into a pit of blackness so deep, so all consuming, that you thought it was going to overwhelm you?"

How did she…Anne could only nod.

"The moment they found that tumor, that was where I found MYSELF, standing onto that ledge, looking into that black abyss; and when…when your dad…I…I took the plunge. I let the blackness consume me, I let it consume me and I used it. I fed everything that was a part of me into it and…well…you know the rest."

"What did you…how did you…"

"It was…I don't know…like when I finally came to my senses, I felt like I was drowning, like I realized that I'd been drowning for years. I'd become so used to the blackness that I couldn't even see that it had been slowly killing me. It…it suddenly felt like my head had finally broken through the surface of a pool. I could breathe again but I couldn't get out, like the darkness was trying to pull me back in and it was taking every bit of strength that I possessed just to keep my head above water…but then I saw two hands, just waiting to pull me out; you and Kimmie. That day in Marseilles and in Brest…my girls brought light back into my life when I had about given up hope.

Sweetie…out there…you probably did what I would've done. Honestly…had I been holding the knife…God, a YEAR ago, I would've cut their heads off right there on the spot; but sweetie, I know this sounds cliched but NO ONE can walk in darkness so long that they can't find the light again."

Anne felt Mom's hand drift down to the very slight bulge in Anne's stomach.

"And my baby is a GOOD mother…and is going to continue to be one for the baby she's going to bring into the world!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't there!"

The family had barely been home for a day when Amy had burst in, berating herself for being in Michigan when the mother of all crises hit her family. She…she should've known that there was more to the reapers! How could she have been so blind? Her beloved niece had nearly been killed and…and Amy wasn't there for her best friend in the entire world! Shame on her!

It had been kind of heartwarming at first, and lord knows Anne could use all of that she could get; but they were going on day three now of Amy practically being glued to Anne's side and…it was kind of getting annoying. You'd have thought that Anne was in a body cast the way that her friend was running around, grabbing things that Anne hadn't even asked for, hovering around her like a mother hen.

But…Anne looked around her living room; she was home; and her family was safe. Well…it would be once Mom got back.

No one really had any idea what exactly it was that Shego had done but…damn! The sheer effort of it had nearly killed her! By the time Anne had managed to get to the hospital to check on her, the poor woman's chart had indicated signs of the mother of all grand mal seizures and…it looked like she'd had a brain aneurysm in at least three places. Kim and Joss had barely left her side until she was discharged.

That didn't even address Shego's change in behavior. Maybe it was a Lamina Scintilla thing but…their mysterious guest was like a completely different person. She still tended to hover over Anne and Kim…and now Joss…but…Anne had actually seen the woman smile! She was…all of a sudden, it was like she'd been a member of the family for years! For the first time since Anne had fought back to back with her in Erie, the woman looked…she looked like she was finally at peace!

After finally getting discharged, Anne and Shego had sat down for a conversation with Mom. Now that Shego was confident that Kim and Anne were safe, she had a personal matter that she felt she needed to attend to and Mom was going to go with her. It was time that she learned about her lineage and…she had some people that she needed to pay a visit to. The whole thing would take a few weeks, no more than three, and Mom would head back to Middleton. Shego…Shego had actually decided that she was going to spend a little more time around Missoula.

That had been…Anne glanced at her phone. Three days ago now; shortly after their flight had landed in Erie, Anne had gotten a text from Mom saying that the pair had arrived in Minnesota.

Minnesota; Anne couldn't help but smile. Unless Anne was mistaken, that was where Shego had said that she grew up, where her family…she was going to see her family. If Mom had anything to say about it…God, if nothing else good came out of this nightmare, Shego being able to find some semblance of peace after everything she'd been through would be worth it!

"Hello? Earth to Anne! You're not giving me the silent treatment, are you?"

Huh?" Anne jumped, nearly falling out of the easy chair. "Oh…uh…no; no silent treatment. I was just…thinking about Mom and Shego," She steadied herself and turned towards her friend. "Exactly how much is it costing you to keep the store closed while you…babysit me?"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Even in the middle of winter, everything still smelled exactly the same. The snowflakes fell, covering the cemetery at St. Bridget's Catholic church with a blanket of fluffy white snow. Even covered in snow, the place still looked exactly like it did when…when…ok. She could do this! Shego NEEDED to do this! It'd been eight…no…nine years since she'd even set foot in Minnesota and…thank God for Barbara! If it hadn't been for her, Shego might have run off the minute the car door was opened. Shego felt a hand placed on her shoulder and the pair began weaving through the rows of tombstones and came to rest at one of the larger ones…

Here lies

Thomas Yasmine Angela

Alexander Emilia Mariana

Gorton Gorton Gorton

Beloved Beloved Beloved
Husband Wife Daughter

Father Mother Sister

"Families don't have to match. You don't have to look like someone to love them!"

Oh God…Daddy…Yasmine…Angie…

She…she hoped that she wouldn't but…Shego could feel tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. She…she missed them all so much! It felt like…like she'd been able to suppress this for so long. As long as there had been a mission, as long as there was a Hasslich to kill, she could…she'd had to…but now? Ten years of grief just…just washed over her! She…she couldn't hold it back any longer and burst out in a sob.

"Oh God…I…sob…I miss them so much, Barbara!"

"I know, Shego," Shego felt Barbara's hand tighten in hers. "I know."

"I never…sniff…I never got to say goodbye or…or tell them how much I…I love them!"

"They knew, flor de nieve."

That voice! It had only been a few words but…Shego felt her heart swell into her throat. That voice had sang to her when she was very little. At…at every birthday party, every recital, Shego could hear that voice practically above all the others. When…when Daddy and…that voice had insisted that Shego have a home with them…and did so much for her, so much that…that she would never be able to repay if she had a thousand lifetimes!

Shego could barely feel her own body but she turned in the direction of the voice. Slowly…she came face to face with a woman. Despite being covered in a fur lined winter coat, the woman had deep tanned skin. Though streaks of gray were setting in, the woman still had brilliant black hair like black velvet, framing a face very similar to the woman buried and Shego's feet.

"A…abuela?" Shego gasped.

It had been six years since she'd left San Salvador, just as long since she'd seen her grandparents. Shego could…could still remember the note she'd written, explaining that she couldn't take it, that she needed to do SOMETHING to avenge her family. She'd taken all the money in the house that she could find…and she'd left, without a word, without a goodbye…

…and right now, her grandmother was staring at her as if a day hadn't gone by. Shego may as well have been that 18 year old girl, still feeling the gut wrenching pain of losing her family, that her grandmother wanted so badly to comfort, even slightly.

"I…I placed a call to San Salvador before we left Montana," Barbara breathed, placing a hand on Shego's shoulder. "I thought…she should be here for this too."

Abuela Luisa closed the distance and Shego found herself standing before her.

"Senora Kessler told me about what you've been doing all these years, miha," Despite being several inches shorter than Shego, Luisa's face held Shego's like she was still a child. Those eyes just…bored into Shego. Barbara had told her…in that instant, the past six years flashed before her eyes. Every mission, every hasslichen, every kill; what…what could Abuela…what did she think…had…was Shego…? "And…she told me about what you did for her family!" She lifted her gloved hand to dab at a tear rolling down Shego's cheek. "Miha…I am so very proud of you!"

Abuela Luisa lifted her hand and a flame burst out of her palm. Shego sniffed back a sob and raised her own hand, an identical flame in her own. The pair bowed their heads and clasped their hands. Six years; in that moment, Shego felt every moment of those six years, never in the company of another Zundholz, never…never experiencing the communis ignis. The flame inside her flared to life, coursing through every fiber of her body…and she felt more. Abuela was proud of her! While not everything that Shego did since she left was pleasing, Shego could feel the well of pride that her grandmother had for her.

"Michelle…you've honored our family. Now you need to find peace!"

Author's Notes:

It has been a long road to get to this point. For the longest time, I had a vision of how I wanted to wrap this story up and I'm so thrilled that I've finally gotten to this point. It's safe to say that my writer's block is officially killed as I've got a LOT of new ideas for stories!