Thanks for reading everybody,

I know it's kind of long, but I had all these ideas and I wanted to take the time for my characters to transform over the course of interactions and self-reflections.

Kim: from a vulnerable-shocked girl into a self-accepting woman, regaining the confidence she lost and then some

Shego: who avoided terms like 'us' and 'we' learning to pull down her walls

Through this narrative, I wanted both of them to learn and grow, for Kim to see that Shego is more amazing than she thought and for Shego to see how Kim isn't the 'righteous teenage punk' she used to be. We see a softer side of Shego as this progresses while both of them realize (time and again in some cases) how human the other really is. Kim needed to accept life and just grow out of her straight-edge normative ideals for the pursuit of happiness, but I didn't want Shego to be some kind of saint either. She has her own messes and self-based issues.

I'm sorry I made you read that last paragraph if you were totally just like Dude [or Man], I just read your entire friggin' story. I know by now.

When Shego's dealing with a death in the "family" and Kim is coming out to her own, I didn't want to trivialize it for Kim. The idea was more of both of them facing their own demons as needed, one tying up loose ends at the close of an era and the other as a path into something new.

In Chapter 37, I'd like to think Shego really is drunk. Kind of an irony-thing, kind of illustrating how alike the two are - moving around each other in polar opposites on the same tracks.

For all the people who noticed that in Chapter 42, the dialogue totally doesn't match up between the two perspectives, which is kind of the point. This is a narrative-based story, where each perspective is independent of the other person. The chapter was obscenely long because I wanted to show the thoughts/approaches Kim and Shego have on the same thing: how one perceives the other, what one expects from the other. Note - the misconnections between them are pretty noticeable. (Wonder if it'll drive them apart… *Hint, hint: sequel*)

I really enjoyed writing this, and sad though I may be that it's over, I'm glad too because it was frankly taking over my life and now I can't use it as an excuse. In the meanwhile, I've been trying to keep my life intact, so I'm sorry for any waits, but I had to make sure things were coherent, 'cause that'd really just be a damn shame if it wasn't and I posted up chapters anyway. Unfortunately for me, I've sort of actually got a sequel in the works and I promise it'll be finished eventually as well.

More random crap!

QPQ Soundtrack (Hopefully arranged in order of reference)

Tegan & Sara - "Northshore"

Tiger Army - "Forever Fades Away"

The Runaways (Joan Jett) - "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" (originally by Slade)

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - "Bad Reputation"

50 Cent - "In Da Club" (only mentioned for background noise)

Garbage- "Sex Is Not The Enemy"

The Used - "Lunacy Fringe"

Shaggy - "Angel"

Oasis - "Wonderwall"

Barenaked Ladies - "One Week"

Cheap Trick - "I Want You To Want Me"

Pink - "Get The Party Started"

It's a shorter than I usually like my mix CDs to be, but I'll live.

Anyways, here's the end of QPQ (or the prelude to EQE, whichever). Think of it as a hidden chapter fluff as an extra thanks for reading even through my crappy (long-winded) author's note.

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I stop the shakes, but the nervousness is still there. Fingering the small box in my pocket, I wait for the call that signaled she was ready to go.

I grow impatient and bite my lip against the feeling; good things come to those who wait.

I take my Princess out to dinner, pampering her diligently like a lady should be treated.

I open the door for her, "Pour vouz, Mademoiselle."

Kimmie gets all giggly, but shoos me from behind her chair, "You sit, I can pull my own damn chair." I put my hands up in surrender, a questioning brow raising on my face. "I feel totally useless if I can't even get my own seat."

Folding my legs underneath the table, I get that. It's upsetting to be pampered too hard when you're trying to be autonomous. She takes the chair across the little table and I wonder if it's too intimate for her too soon. I stop wondering and laugh at myself, feeling a soft hand glide up my calf. I smirk and she gives me one right back. A twinkle in her eye lets me know she's up to no good tonight.

Bring it on, I mouth to her over our menus. Between the malicious grin and sparkling eyes, the snarl of challenge forms at the bridge of her nose. I know it's on now, and I am powerless to stop the pulsing of my heart from jumping into my throat as she rakes her short nails back down to my ankle.

I narrow my eyes. Pumpkin wants to play rough? I'll play your game tonight Kimmie, but we'll see what comes next.

Still in character as the gentleman, I allow this to proceed and continue through ordering and eating our meals as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening under the sheets. And nothing is. We're always teasing each other in one way or another, usually just as one-sided. Except with words instead of actions and most of the time it's going the other way.

I know I'll be on fire by the time dinner's done but it's too late to back down now. So I change tack, slipping my hand to my own leg.

Grabbing her hand, eyes bulge in my direction as I pull it up my leg. Her resistance grows the farther out her arm is taken; I smirk before resting it on the side of my thigh, over a very different bulge.

Keeping the girl in place, I move the container from my pocket into her bewildered palm, pressing her digits closed to ensure the message is 'don't drop this'. Upon release, the satin-lined case must fly beneath the table considering the speed at which it resurfaces. Glancing between the black cloth and myself, my eyes answer the question bubbling in hers. Open it.

"What is this?" I roll my eyes. Sometimes you are so dense. "Is this for me?"

No. It's for me and I just wanted you to see it first. I roll my eyes again, so hard the lids flutter against my skull. "I'm certainly not the one holding it."

"…" I watch her gingerly open the box, searching her face to catch her entire first reaction. Raising a brow to her sigh, she blushes sheepishly explaining, "I was worried it'd be a ring or something equally cheesy."

"S'matter Kimmie, don't wanna marry me?" Presenting my best hurt look, the weight of her incredulous stare breaks my façade. We must be a match made in heaven - tongues sticking out at the same time.

Chuckling, she quips, "I sure hope you stole these 'cause I don't think you're gonna get your money back." Turning to face the interior to me with a quizzical brow, "These don't exactly match."

"And of the two, which would you choose?" Voice dying out, the quiet is a contemplative one as she traces her eyes over the stones carefully. "Yeah, and now you don't have to."

"Okay? Shego, what does this mean?" Since both earrings are of the same cut and quality (and I would know), it's obviously that she's tripped up on the stones themselves. "Where are the matching ones?"

"In the other box," I draw it out to show her before setting it down, "they're emerald and topaz."

Appraising me slowly, "A green and an orange. They don't really match."

"They make it work." I wink, "They're us after all."

I intercept her dive across the food, dragging her to the side to be hugged properly.

"Awesome."

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This is stellar. Every date should end like this. Shego naked on the fluffy carpet - we just didn't make it to the bed this time - wanting me.

Silent again, I still my motions - moving in cadence to her hips as she tries to buck her hips into my hand.

I tease her slowly, speeding up my fingers and slowing them down when she catches the rhythm. I wanna hear you feeling me. I force the desperate whimpers from her throat. Normally, I don't think I'd play this hard-to-get with her, be this cruel, but she was so damn smug about making me cry out before. And at the restaurant… If my nipples weren't hard before, they could cut diamonds now. Someone has to teach her a lesson, and I'll be damned if it isn't be me.

She's resilient, but I'll make a screamer out of her yet. Ever the genius, she catches on quick as she starts letting out these hot, fevered moans and I can't help myself from moving against her once more.

"Kim!"

Shego collapses breathless to the bed. "You just wait until I get my turn again…" she groans ominously.

That's one. I lick my fingers, a merciless smile painted across my face. She's in no position to be making threats.

Two to go.

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AN:

;) Let's just keep this fluff our little secret. It'll be mentioned in EQE