Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

Of all the taco joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walked into mine

Tara experienced a moment of panic when Ron said he needed to talk with Kim, alone. She reminded herself the two had been friends forever, Kim was her friend, and would be leaving for school soon. "Okay, but I'll miss you. You aren't dumping me, are you?"

"Dumping you?" Ron asked, puzzled. He still didn't realize Tara had come to regard him as her property.

"Why are we here?" he asked Kim as they slid into a battered booth at the Middleton A&W. "I love Bueno Nacho, and we both like Corinth."

"I just didn't feel like either one. What's cooking with you and Tara?"

"I can't believe the way she's finding places for us to cook! I'm saving money like there's no tomorrow! I'm thinking wheels, but mom and dad say I should be saving for–"

"Not what's cooking literally. What's going on with you two?"

"We're just partners."

"Just partners? And that time you stopped by with the lipstick on your face."

"Uh, sometimes she gets a little carried away."

Kim chuckled and patted him on the cheek. "I love you like a brother, but sometimes you're kinda clueless."

"What?"

"Never mind," Kim sighed and sipped root beer. "At least you're happy."

"You don't seem happy. Is it the amount of time I'm spending with Tara?"

"No. No problem with you and Tara. I'm okay."

"Are you sure you're okay, KP?" Ron asked. "I know I've been spending a lot of time with Tara, but–"

"I'm fine! Or at least I will be, if you and Monique get off my back."

"We're concerned about you. We both see you're stressed out."

"I'm not stressed out! Will you please stop... It's that obvious?"

"Obvious to your friends. Heck, I'll bet even Bonnie could tell. Monique said we should try some sort of intervention, but that's too reality television."

Kim groaned, "Did she say what kind of an intervention she thought I needed?"

She thinks it's because you haven't picked a college yet... You haven't picked one yet, have you?"

"No, she's right. That might be a reason."

"A reason, like the only reason or a reason like there could be others, 'cause my money was on what Shego said."

"You've talked with Shego? When? What did she say?" Kim asked eagerly.

"I haven't talked with... I mean, not since that last fight. I meant when we were eating calamari that one night and she called you an adrenaline junkie. That was what I meant. I figure it's like three weeks since you've had any kind of mission to get the old heart pounding."

Kim sighed and fiddled with her straw. "Okay, I'm stressed. I don't know where I'll start college this fall – and I should – but I just can't seem to focus. I don't have any energy and haven't had any exciting missions lately, but I don't think that's the problem... I'd really like to see Shego again."

"See Shego... As in fight her?"

"No, Ron, not the adrenaline thing. Not fighting adrenaline thing anyway. It's just that after the auction... I know this sounds weird, but I liked being with her on missions. I thought we worked very well together. It was fun just sitting and talking with her after we came back. And that last time I saw her and we fought... I don't know... I don't think she really wanted to fight."

"She sounded pretty pissed off with you when I was there."

"Well, she started angry. Then after we were both laying there helpless we did some talking. We opened up and... and then Drakken came and she left."

"Has he said anything about what happened to her?"

"Not that I know. There're those video tapes of him doing a couple robberies without her, then he got arrested. She hasn't tried to bust him out of jail."

"Wade hasn't heard anything either?"

"Nope."

Ron sighed. "It was fun sitting, eating with her after you two went on a mission. Kim, I'm going to say something I thought I'd never say–"

"Mr. Barkin is a genius?"

"Don't break the mood KP, I'm being serious. Do you have any idea how hard this is for me?"

"Sorry."

"You need to find Shego."

"You've said that before."

"Yeah, but it was always find Shego and stop her, or get back what she stole. This is, 'you need to find her and talk with her'."

"I don't know where she is!"

"That's why I said find her. First things first. Can't talk first then find, have to find first, then talk."

"So you think I need to talk with her?"

"Pretty obvious. The two of you get along fine. She takes you out for a fancy dinner... Am I ever going to get the full story on that?"

"I told you what we did."

Ron suspected there was more. "Anyway, you get home, get grounded, and the next time you meet she's so mad at you for not calling her she tries to take your head off. The two of you fight. She drops out of sight, and now you're this moody and depressed zombie. Shego's mad and missing. You're upset 'cause you haven't seen her. Looks obvious to me."

Kim looked across the booth at Ron for a few seconds. "You're right. I need to find her and talk with her. Thanks." She smiled broadly. "I feel better."

"Uh, Kim, after what I just said, and you agreeing and thanking me, can I ask something that may sound really stupid?"

"Right this second I think you're brilliant. What's the question?"

"Why do you need to see her and talk with her? I mean, I can tell you want to, but what are you going to say?"

Kim looked away from Ron and through the window out at the parking lot. "I don't know," she said softly. "I don't know what I want to say to her. I don't know what I want to hear her say to me. It just feels important to me to talk with her. I want her to know I had fun when we were together. I want her to know I'm sorry about not calling her... I don't know what I want – except I don't want that fight to be the last time we see each other."

"Weird," Ron said softly.

"Yeah, weird," she agreed.

"But a hero's gotta do what a hero's gotta do," he reminded her. "And what this hero has gotta do is pick her college. I swear, you don't move it and you'll be stuck here with me and Tara at Middleton Community College."

"Monique told you to tell me that, didn't she?"

"Hey, I agreed."

Kim had plenty of offers for rides from alumni of different schools. She planned a few days of college visits on the West Coast, but talked with Wade before she left.

"I need you to find Shego... You don't think anything bad could have happened to her, do you? Do you think that was why she wasn't with Drakken?"

"I'm not a psychic. I work with facts. I have no idea what might have happened."

"Have you been looking for her?"

"No, not really. I don't go looking for trouble. I haven't seen any mention of her in what I've seen."

"Can you use... What's it called, some kind of program that looks for people on security cameras?"

"Facial recognition software. I can try, but some security cameras aren't high enough resolution to be any good - and security monitors aren't everywhere, and some are strictly closed systems and I can't access them."

"Try, Wade, if anyone can do it, it's you. I really need to talk with her."

"I'll do my best, but if she's on a beach somewhere, or in prison, or-"

"Prison? Could she be in prison somewhere?"

"Most countries would report her as a prisoner. I was just trying to say there are places where there aren't any cameras connected to the internet."

"This is crazy," Kim thought as she toured the campus of one of the California colleges. "I need to focus on college. Why am I thinking about Shego?"

"Uh, Ms Possible?" the student leading the group of potential students asked again.

"Oh... Sorry. What?"

"I asked if there was any department you wanted to see in particular before we hit the library and have lunch."

"No... I'm fine. Library sounds good."

The student guide wasn't sure why she'd been told to pay extra attention to the redhead in the group. The girl appeared zoned out.

Kim placed her usual call to Wade that evening, "Anything?"

The young man hesitated, "Had a maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Intersection cam in Go City to catch people running red lights. There was someone on the sidewalk who might have been Shego."

The news excited Kim, "That's where she comes from."

"Yeah, but the quality wasn't good enough to be certain it was her. And even if it was her, was she just in town on business or does she do something near there?"

"On the sidewalk, not in a car?"

"She could have been parked in an alley after driving two hundred miles. And your next question will be if I'm watching the area to see if I can spot the woman again, and the answer is yes."

"You rock, Wade."

"It might be her. Don't know for sure, and doesn't mean she's a regular around that area."

"Still the first news in a month."

"True."

Kim spent the next hour thinking of colleges she could visit in the Go City area.

Wade focused his efforts on security cameras in a perimeter around the area of the possible sighting. He could check cameras from some businesses, but others had closed monitoring systems. A woman walking on the sidewalk the next day, away from the traffic camera, might have been the same woman whose face was briefly seen in the previous day's image - but it was hard to be certain, and impossible to verify it was Shego even if it were the same woman. It was still the best lead he had and the next day found him trying to monitor more than two hundred video feeds at once from the area around the camera with the possible hit.

Kim called when she got back to Middleton, "Any news?"

Wade sighed, "I don't know. I've got a woman who might be Shego, but it just doesn't make sense for it to be Shego."

"Doesn't make sense?"

"Where she works."

"Where does she work?"

"Kim, I don't know if it's Shego. You shouldn't go running off on a maybe.

"I could check it out and make sure if it's her."

"You could waste your time with a trip if it's not."

"I leave in two days to visit some colleges around Go City." Kim told him. She wondered if she could reschedule a visit for tomorrow so she could leave in the afternoon. On the other hand her parents might like her to be home at least twenty-four hours before leaving again so they could hear about her visit to the west coast.

Wade sighed, "I'll see if I can figure this out before you get there."

Kim called Ron to ask if he wanted to celebrate. She backed away from the term 'celebrate' before he picked up his phone – there was a chance it wasn't Shego – and she didn't want Ron to know how excited she was at the idea of seeing Shego, especially when the idea scared her. "Hey, Ron, back in town. Want to go out tonight and hear about my trip to the coast?"

"Uh, sorry, KP," Ron apologized. "Tara signed us up for a math help class out at MCC. Hey, want calamari after class?"

"No, I... Yeah, that'd be great. Should I call Monique?"

"Sure, more the merrier."

Kim sighed as she hung up the phone. It would be good to see her friends, she just hoped she wouldn't be too distracted for conversation, she was certain she would be too nervous to sleep well that night.

Two days, Kim walked down a street which seemed familiar to her. She and Ron had been here a couple years earlier, when Ron went to visit the largest Bueno Nacho in the world. That had been when Kim had met Shego's brothers and she and Shego had fought Aviarus. Kim decided to take it as a good omen. She decided a mistake must have been made when she reached the address Wade had given her.

"Wade!" Kim barked into the Kimmunicator.

"What?"

"This is a Bueno Nacho. It's kind of the Bueno Nacho. Shego hates Bueno Nacho - and she hates her brother."

"I told you I wasn't positive. It's the best I've got. You've been telling me to get you a location. You going to ignore it or check it out?"

"I'll check it out," Kim sighed, not feeling optimistic about the chances of finding Shego.

Kim's heart skipped a beat as she went into the store and noticed a woman behind the counter. It was Shego. Or was it? Had she been made up to look like Shego in an effort to throw off Kim's search? Kim's eyes narrowed. It was also possible that makeup and a couple prosthetics were being used to try and disguise Shego's identity. The woman looked nervous as Kim went to the counter, "Large diet cola, please."

The pale woman turned silently to get the drink.

"Is there anything you recommend on the menu?"

The woman shook her head no.

"Afraid I'll recognize your voice?"

The woman shook her head no.

The teenage boy at the next cash register looked puzzled, "What's wrong, Ms Quinzel?"

The woman glared at him.

"Are you all right? Should I get the manager?"

She pointed at her throat and shrugged, then did some pointing at the teen and at Kim and towards the back of the store to try and suggest he wait on Kim while she went back into the employees only area.

"She owes me money," Kim told the boy, "so she's pretending she doesn't know me."

"That's a lie," Shego shot back. "I've never seen you before in my life. I have witnesses."

"Can I speak with the manager?" Kim asked.

"Sure, he'll tell you that you've never... Damn. What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, obviously. Can we talk?"

"I... Sure." She turned to the boy, "Watch my register, Neal." She pointed to one side and told Kim, "Over there, through the door that says 'employees only'."

A girl was in the break room, chatting on her cell phone, when Shego and Kim walked in. Shego made a gesture of drawing her finger across her throat, a warning to cut it, now. "You heard what Lou said about my temper?"

"Yes, I-"

"You got five seconds to get out of here or you'll find out it's true." As the girl fled Shego sighed and pulled out the pieces of plastic that slightly changed the shape of her nose and cheeks. "Hate these damn things," she muttered.

"What are you doing here?" Kim demanded.

"Working, duh."

"At Bueno Nacho? You're wanted in eleven countries and you're working at Bueno Nacho?"

"It's a crappy job, but somebody's got to do it. And I'm only wanted in four countries. With any luck it might be three at the end of the week."

"I don't... How?"

"Sold my soul to that damn Betty Director. I'm probably going to end up in a Global Justice uniform rather than prison – if I don't kill Henry first."

"Henry... Hego?"

"Yeah."

"You're going straight?"

"More or less." Shego sighed. "I got tired of being wanted, tired of watching over my shoulder. I wanted options for my life again."

"Bueno Nacho?"

"Not my first choice. Turns out Henry is part-time or a consultant or something for Global Justice. They figured he had the raw power to keep an eye on me. I can dump this for a GJ uniform if they can get my legal status squared away, but it's going to take awhile. At least time with Global Justice will be more proactive than sitting around the Go Tower waiting for something to happen here in the city."

"You're going hero again?"

"Hey, if it gives me options with my life."

"Options... Are you doing this because of me?"

"Why is it always about you? I'm doing this because of me. I'm doing this for me. This is my choice. Period."

"Seems a little suspicious - you turning over a new leaf after we started doing things together."

Shego hesitated, "Okay, watching you put the idea in my head. Everyone loves a hero. Me? I thought Tara would faint or piss her pants if I said boo. The thrill of being the most dangerous woman in the world was getting kind of thin."

"So, if it's just for you - why didn't you call me and say what was happening?"

"I..."

"You know my number. Easiest thing in the world to call me. I think you're afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid of you!"

"And then I ask myself, why is she afraid of me?"

"I'm not afraid of you!"

"She's not afraid of my fighting skills, 'cause she won't admit I'm better than she is–"

"Are not!"

"So, if she's not afraid of me as a fighter, what is she afraid of? I think you started to get afraid when we went on missions together and a couple dates. You're scared because, deep inside, you don't know how you feel any more than I know how I feel. You don't like losing control. You don't like not knowing what's happening."

"I'm not afraid!"

"Then kiss me."

"What?"

"I said kiss me. That night you took me to New York, I wanted that to end with a kiss. You did too and-"

"I did not!"

"You did too. We were both scared. I didn't know what to say afterward - so I didn't call. You wanted me to call, so that's why you were mad."

"You're crazy."

"Then prove I'm wrong, kiss me."

"That's crazy."

"Maybe. Or maybe it'll clear things up. Maybe we'll realize it was a mistake – at least you won't have to be afraid and maybe I'll be back to normal."

"You were never–"

"Shut up and kiss me."

Shego hesitated. "What if we like it? What if one of us likes it and one of us doesn't?"

"It'll be easier if we both think it's a mistake, won't it?"

The green woman licked her lips nervously, "Yeah."

Kim moved towards the older woman. Shego cautiously moved away until her back was against the wall. The teen put her arms around Shego, "Let's see if we think this is a mistake." She pulled the older woman to her and their lips met. "Wow!" Kim commented when the kiss ended. "That was no mistake."

"Yes it is," Shego told her.

"You seemed to enjoy it," Kim commented and pulled Shego close for another kiss. Shego's arms circled Kim, holding her fiercely. Kim's tongue licked at Shego's lips and the older woman parted her lips, their tongues wrestling for dominance in a long, fierce kiss. "Still think it's a mistake?" Kim panted when they finally stopped kissing.

"It's a mistake. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy it."

"How can it be a mistake if it feels that good?"

"For one thing, you're just a kid."

"I'm eighteen."

"That's a kid. You don't know what you'll want to do in–"

"Don't look so far ahead. We may hate each other in six months. But right now," Kim pulled Shego in for another kiss.

"Global Justice may not be able to swing things for me," Shego protested at the end of the kiss. "Deal could fall through. I don't know what pound of flesh Betty will want."

"You're still looking too far ahead," Kim told her, and kissed her again.

"Damn it, Princess, stop thinking with your hormones for a minute. Has it occurred to you that Betty might be trying to trap you or something?"

Kim looked puzzled, "Trap me?"

"She wants you. You know that. Maybe this is some scam she's running."

"And if she is?"

"I don't like being used. I don't like her playing games with you."

"You're concerned about me?"

"Yes I am."

Kim grinned, "If you're trying to convince me this is a mistake, telling me you're worried about me won't get you anywhere."

"I..." Shego started to protest, then shrugged. "What the Hell, let's see where this goes." She pulled Kim close for a kiss.

"Um, everyone loves a hero," Kim purred.

Epilogue - Four months later

"The manager wants to see you," another employee told Shego as she clocked in for her shift at Bueno Nacho. As the green woman headed back to her brother's office the woman commented to Neal. "I don't know why he doesn't fire her for the way she talks back to him."

"Maybe she's related to someone in corporate."

"More likely a witness protection program."

Shego opened the door to her brother's office, "You wanted me?"

"Will you please knock?"

"Why, looking at porn on the internet?"

"Knocking is a common courtesy."

"I'm uncommon. Now, what did you want?"

"Doctor Director wished to speak with you."

"Oh, what did Bets want?"

"Doctor Director did not share why she wished to speak with you, but she did not sound happy."

"Great," Shego mumbled. "Can you clear out so I can have some privacy?"

"This is my..." Hego started to protest, then decided there was no point in arguing. "I'll go check on the employees."

"Uh, thanks, bro," Shego said sincerely. Henry really tried his best and gave Shego a lot of freedom - and she did appreciate that. Shego was also in a good mood from the night before, which was probably why Doctor Director was calling.

"Don't put your feet on my desk," Henry warned as he closed the office door.

Shego sat down in his desk chair and considered putting her feet up on the desk, but decided she didn't need any additional aggravation as she dialed Global Justice, the call should supply all she needed.

"What in the Hell do you think you're doing!" Elizabeth Director snarled when she picked up the phone.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"That vigilante work you were doing last night. Global Justice is a law enforcement agency. We can't have agents-in-training acting like loose cannons. Do you know how many times I've warned you about this?"

"Fifteen?"

"Try twenty-three."

"You're a saint. Or you really want an agent with extra powers."

"There's a trade-off. You could get more aggravating than you're worth to me. Well, punk, you feeling lucky?"

"Great Clint Eastwood," Shego chuckled, "But how do you know it was even me who-"

"Do you remember the terms you're working under?"

"Does it matter what I say? You're going to remind me anyway."

"I expect complete honesty from you about your actions. Some of those pardons are provisional or pending. You are not a free woman."

"Okay, yes it was me. I still say it was right to stop the robbery."

"Everything worked fine, last night. You've been damn lucky so far, but you can't be lucky forever. There'll be some night when it doesn't go fine. I want an asset, I don't need a liability."

"Okay, I'll sit on my asset and let crime run rampant in the streets."

"I won't dignify that with a response. Just clean up your act. Oh, and will you come out with who plays Tonto to your Lone Ranger?"

"Mystery girl?"

"That's the one."

"I've told you, she's a hero wannabe. I'm, uh, teaching her the ropes."

"Why does the phrase 'teaching her the ropes' sound kinky coming from you?"

"You have a dirty mind."

"I know it's Kim, why won't you admit it?"

"If you know it's Kim, why do you ask?"

"Because once, just once, I'd like a straight answer from you."

"I'm sorry, but a gentleman never talks about the young lady."

"You're no gentleman."

"I know, but guys are idiots. If they have enough sense to keep their mouths closed you're not hearing anything from me. Besides, mystery girl wants me to protect her secret identity."

"Just admit it's Kim; you're supposed to be honest, remember."

"I'm supposed to be honest about what I do, I don't have to rat out a friend."

"Give me her name."

"Barbara Gordon."

"God damn it, Shego, this is not a joke. You know I want Ms Possible for Global Justice. You mess that up and you'll wish you were sitting in that prison cell with Drakken." Betty Director wasn't sure how to feel. If Kim and Shego enjoyed working together it might increase the odds of recruiting the younger woman for Global Justice later. They could make a superb team. On the other hand the two were both fiercely competitive and had a long history of being enemies. They were also stubborn and would more easily accept a sidekick than an equal partner. Dr. Director could also imagine Kim refusing to consider Global Justice if Shego worked there.

"Calm down," Shego said in a soothing voice. "Believe me, I wouldn't mess things up for Kim. The kid doesn't need any pressure. She'll make her own choices."

"So you're admitting it was Kim?"

"I'm not admitting anything. We get together sometimes – doesn't prove she's mystery girl."

"There's just so much bad history for you two, seems odd."

"Yeah, guess it does. Oh, word of advice?"

"Yes?"

"If you go to an auction, be real careful who you put a bid on."

-The End-