Chapter 20:

Possible Residence:

Upon hearing Shego scream, Kim and Anne quickly raced off to the bathroom. When they got there and opened the door, they found Shego lying on the ground and writhing in agony.

"Shego, are you okay?! What happened?!"

Kim asked, her voice frantic. Shego didn't answer, and just continued to try to hold in another scream.

"Let's move her back to the bed."

Anne suggested. Kim then moved to pick Shego up. However, when she tried to grab a hold of her something hit her hands.

"Ouch!"

Kim yelled, shaking both her hands.

"Kim, are you okay?"

Anne asked, looking at her daughter with concern.

"Yeah, I'm alright. But it feels like something shocked me, when I tried to pick her up."

Kim then turned her attention back to Shego to try to pick her up again, and what she saw next made her jaw drop.

"Uh...mom...are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Anne was unsure as to what had her daughter so stunned, until she took a look for herself. When she did, she saw what Kim saw. There was Shego lying on the ground, covered in black lightning.

"What in the world is going on?"

Anne wondered. After a few minutes the mysterious black lightning disappeared from around Shego, and she lost consciousness. Kim then once again moved to pick her up again, and was relieved to discover that she wasn't gonna be shocked again. Once Shego was in her arms, Kim gently placed her onto the bed. Anne then moved over to the bed, and placed her hand against Shego's forehead.

"How is she?"

"She's burning up. Wait here with her, I'm gonna go get a cool cloth for her forehead."

Anne then left for a few moments, and returned a little while later with a cool cloth. Anne then placed the cloth across Shego's forehead, and grabbed a hold of her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm checking her pulse."

Anne said, taking a look at her watch. After a few minutes, she gently placed Shego's arm back down and stepped back.

"Well, her pulse is fine, which is good. However, I am wondering what that black lightning we saw earlier was all about."

Kim nodded her head in agreement. The black lightning had certainly been very strange.

"I wonder if it had anything to do with the Ægishjálmur."

Kim thought. As she and Anne stood there wondering what they should do next, Shego began to stir.

Anne then turned her attention to the pale skinned woman, and spoke softly to her.

"Shego, can you hear me?"

Anne asked. Shego let out a groan, but otherwise didn't open her eyes.

"Come on Shego, open your eyes."

Shego once again let out a groan, but still her eyes remained shut.

Anne tried once again to coax Shego into waking up, and this time Shego's eyes slowly began to open. After struggling for a few minutes, Shego had managed to open her eyes halfway and look at the two redheads standing next to her.

"What's going on?"

Shego's voice sounded strained, and Anne and Kim could tell that she was still in a lot of pain.

"We heard you scream and went to check on you. When we got to you, we saw you writhing on the ground. I then tried to pick you up and move you back to the bed. However, something shocked me, and that's when my mom and I noticed this black lightning surrounding you."

Shego looked at Kim, like she was crazy. She then slowly reached up and removed the cloth from her forehead. She then handed it to Kim.

"What's this for?"

Kim asked, taking the cloth from Shego.

"I think you need to go lie down, you're obviously delusional."

"I'm not delusional."

Kim said, setting the cloth down onto the dresser.

"Whatever you say, princess."

Shego then attempted to sit up, only to discover that the pain in her back had not subsided. After spewing out a few profanities, she finally managed to get herself to a sitting position.

"On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the pain?"

Anne asked.

"About as bad as the first time it ever started hurting."

Shego said. She had considered lying about how much pain she was in, but she knew that Anne would just bug her until she gave her the answer she wanted, and she was in no mood to be pestered by the older woman.

"Here, let me take a look."

Anne then reached over and slowly lifted up Shego's shirt. Upon doing so, she could see that the Ægishjálmur was clearly visible. Only this time, it was glowing. Anne then went to place her hand onto Shego's back, to check to see if it was hot, and the black lightning that she and Kim had seen earlier immediately struck her hand.

"Mom, are you alright?!"

Kim asked with concern, watching as her mom cradled her hand.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

Anne then tried again to place her hand onto Shego's back, only to be shocked again.

"Shego, stop shocking my mom!"

"I'm not doing anything!"

"Yes you are! She's just trying to help you, and keep shocking her!"

"Well it's not like I asked for her help!"

Kim was about to say something, but Anne cut in.

"Kim, Shego, that's enough!"

Kim and Shego both looked at Anne, with shocked expressions on their faces. Neither of them had expected the older woman to yell.

"Alright then. Now, if the two of you are done screaming at each other perhaps I can get back to examining Shego's back."

Anne then looked at Shego's back once more, and discovered that the Ægishjálmur had disappeared.

"Hmm, it's gone."

"What's gone?"

Shego asked.

"The Ægishjálmur."

Anne said, speaking as if it were something that came up in everyday conversation.

"That thing you told me about the other day?"

Anne gave a nod.

"Okay...So, speaking of the Ægishjálmur, what did it look like?"

"Well, it looked like a small circle, with pitchforks coming out of it, and there were lines on the pitchforks."

Upon hearing Anne describe the symbol on her back, Shego's eyes widened in shock. This did not go unnoticed by the two redheads.

"Is everything okay?"

Kim asked. Shego didn't say anything, and pulled her shirt back down. She then sat there, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

"Shego?"

Kim was beginning to wonder what was going on with the pale skinned woman, and her silence was starting to worry her.

"So, that's what it's called. I was wondering about that."

Shego's voice was barely above a whisper, but that didn't stop the other two women in the room from hearing her.

"What were you wondering about?"

Kim asked.

"The symbol on my back. All these years I've been wondering what it was called."

"Wait, you mean it isn't new?"

Shego shook her head.

"I was just a kid when it first appeared."

"How did you get it?"

Shego opened her mouth to reply, but quickly changed her mind. Kim let out a sigh of frustration.

"Are we going to go through this every time I ask you a question?"

Shego glanced at Kim, but otherwise remained silent.

"That symbol on your back holds a secret. A secret you'd rather not share, right?"

Anne asked. Shego remained silent, but gave a slight nod.

"I figured as much."

Anne then stood up, and walked towards the door. She then gestured for Kim to join her. Once Kim was standing next to her, she spoke.

"I think it's best if we just leave her alone for right now. I'm sure she'll talk when she's ready."

Anne whispered to Kim. She then turned her attention to Shego.

"Kim and I will be downstairs if you need us. Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Yeah."

Shego's voice sounded like she was lost in thought, and Anne was beginning to wonder if she truly would be okay.

"I hope she's being honest."

Anne thought, heading out the door with Kim.

End of chapter 20: