Payton: I was looking through my stats the other day and I noticed that most people don't look at our profile page and, therefore, don't really know us. I will take this opportunity to clear things up for those who don't know.

-Payton is a classy teen (ahem womanahem) that's old enough to drive. Beware… (grins evilly)

-Mrs. Dolotta is a super intelligent (and super ignorant) talking Persian cat. Why? Because…

You may now be weirded out/ intrigued/ wondering why I chose now to tell you/ saying smartly that you already knew, depending on your situation and/or personality. Okay.

I will put a reference on future stories. But you should really see our profile page…

Chapter 7 "Back-talk & Biscuits P2"

"So if Summer really is Clarrisa's daughter then why doesn't her sister know?" Drakken was watching (and trying desperately to logically comprehend) one of Shego's favorites soap.

"If you'd shut up and watch it, maybe you'd get it." Shego was really getting annoyed with Drakken's never-ending questions…

"And why does this Johnny person keep telling that other woman that he loves her when it's obvious that he is still in love with his ex-girlfriend?"

"So they can drag it out for two seasons, now would'ya stop bugging me?"

"But what about—"

"Drakken, please give it a rest! There is no logical explanation for it! Just watch it and try to catch on!" She put her fingers to her temples as if he were giving her a headache, even though he wasn't. She was trying to prove a point.

"Dumb confusing nonsense," he grumbled under his breath. "I'd prefer a documentary, or even a sitcom …" He ignored the TV and looked around the room for something else to focus on.

"Why do sit on your feet like that?" He asked Shego after noticing she had her legs crossed with her feet under her. Luckily for him the show was at a commercial.

"Huh? Oh…I dunno," she shrugged. "Mmm, comforting…I guess…Why do you ask?"

"I don't know… bored I suppose…" He sighed and picked up a biscuit. "Mother has been gone for a very long time, hasn't she?" He tried to make small-talk.

"Forever!" Shego readily agreed. "She's been gone for like, five days!"

"Five DAYS? She's only been gone for five HOURS."

"Might as well have been days…" She picked up a biscuit.

Silence.

More silence.

Still nothing.

"So…" Shego broke the silence.

"So…?"

"We have a moment's peace from the rugrats…" She began.

"Yes…?" Drakken urged her to continue.

"Isn't there anything else we can do other than sit here?"

"You don't want to watch the rest of your show?"

"It's a rerun." She clicked the mute button.

"Well then…"

"Yeah?"

Drakken tried hard to think of something good to suggest. Then he remembered the argument they had had moments before about here sudden personality change. "Why don't we just…talk?"

"Okay…" Shego dragged out the word, a little uncertainly. "What about?" She had a feeling that he would bring up something about the argument and she grew tense.

But Drakken knew how to be sneaky when he needed to be. Instead, he asked her what she wanted to talk about.

"Who, me?" She thought for a moment. "I don't know what to talk about, I thought you would."

"I don't know either."

"Strange when we actually want to have a civilized conversation neither one of us can think of anything to talk about." She laughed a little.

He felt warmth in her voice again. And again the warmth gave Drakken a slight chill. He felt compelled to say something… but he wasn't sure how to start. He sighed. "Uh, Shego?"

"What?" There was a slight harshness in her voice this time.

"Have you…uh, I don't know…been maybe, acting… not yourself?"

She didn't reply. She gave him a look that said 'did-I-hear-you-right-just-then?'

"Shego, please answer, a-a-and don't change the subject this time."

Still nothing. But her look changed to the 'alright-now-you're-pushing-it' look that Drakken was all too familiar with.

He decided to give it up. "Well, maybe it's something personal that you'd rather—"

"It is a little personal…" Shego purposely cut him off.

"How much so?"

"The sort of thing that you would want to talk about with a family member or a close friend…"

"Aren't we friends?"

Shego was taken back. She'd honestly never even thought about it! Drakken and Shego…Friends? Drakken struck her as being a little naïve…

"I guess… depending on your definition…" She blushed a little but she wasn't sure why.

"Y-you're blushing…" he stuttered.

"Nah, really?" She said sarcastically as the color of her face returned to normal.

He chuckled.

"And just what is so funny?" Shego retorted rather harshly.

"I don't know!" He laughed some more.

"You know, being a genius and all I figured you'd at least know that; or was that title self-acclaimed?"

"Now Shego, don't go starting another argument…"

"I'm not starting an argument!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you—okay this has got to stop!"

Shego laughed. "This is crazy! Carry's right, we do argue about everything!"

"I think you mean Cody." Drakken corrected.

"Oh, whoever!" She rolled her eyes.

"Either way," he continued. I think it's best we'd find a way to stop it."

"Gee, thanks for pointing out the obvious yet again, Doc." Shego sassed.

"Back to the point!"

"Yeah, okay. So what's your big idea?" She made finger quotes around 'big idea'.

"Well, I think the first step to solving this is to find out why we fuss so much."

They both reached for another biscuit, but grabbed the other's hand instead.

TBC...

Okay, I lied. There's still more to come.

----Payton & Mrs. Dolotta