Remember me

Shego stepped out of Kim’s room. There was nothing more she could do there, especially now that it was clear Kim didn’t want her near—or worse, simply didn’t want her at all. The doctors and Ann had warned her this might happen; the mind was fragile, and trauma like the one the heroine had suffered inevitably left its mark.

In the best-case scenario, Kim would have only been in a coma, and upon waking, everything would have returned to normal. But there had always been the possibility that she might never wake up… or if she did, she could suffer partial or total memory loss, perhaps irreversible. And amnesia was just one of many possible consequences.

Shego knew this. She had prepared herself to support Kim, to stay by her side no matter the outcome. But never—not even in her darkest fears—had she considered the possibility that Kim might forget her… and with that, stop loving her.

She slid down the hallway wall, letting her body collapse onto the cold floor. The hospital wing was deserted, reserved in absolute secrecy for Kim, and the silence was deafening. Doctors and nurses tended to the young woman inside the room, while Shego remained outside, trapped in silent agony. She closed her eyes and, for the first time since childhood, uttered a desperate prayer.

She begged for Kim to remember her, for those eyes to once again look at her with the love they once held. And if that wasn’t possible—if her Kimmie’s memories had faded like ashes in the wind—then she pleaded for the strength and wisdom to find a way to win her back. Because losing her again… that was the one thing she couldn’t bear.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice Ann’s presence beside her until she heard her gentle voice.

—Hey.

—Hey…

—Kim’s asleep now.

—Is she okay?

—After we calmed her down, we ran all the necessary tests. The only thing out of place seems to be her memory. We still don’t know the extent of the damage… She could wake up from this nap and remember everything. Or she might not, and it could take time to help her regain her memories—or she might never recover them.

Shego swallowed hard.

—How much has she forgotten? What does she remember?

—According to her, she’s sixteen years old. The last thing she recalls is the Bueno Nacho incident with the Diablo robots.

Shego tensed.

—No wonder she hates me… —she sighed in defeat.

—I don’t think she hates you.

—She does —Shego affirmed bitterly.

Ann looked at her with compassion and, without hesitation, wrapped her in a warm embrace.

—I’m so sorry, Shego. What do you want to do now?

—I don’t know… Do you think she’ll panic again if I’m there when she wakes up?

—I don’t know, but it’s possible.

Shego took a deep breath.

—If she doesn’t remember me… then I’ll make her remember.

—How?

—I don’t know. But I can’t lose her, Mom.

Ann gently took her hands.

—So you’re willing to take the risk? To stay by her side even if she doesn’t remember you, and dedicate yourself to helping her regain her memories?

Shego nodded firmly.

—You know I would do anything for her.

—I know —Ann smiled softly—. But it will be difficult. It could take a long time… or she might never remember.

Shego closed her eyes for a moment before whispering:

—Then I’ll just have to make her fall in love with me all over again.

Ann looked at her with a mix of sadness and admiration.

—She’s lucky to have you. Whether she remembers or not, I hope she realizes that soon.

Shego gave a weak smile.

—No… I’m the lucky one.

No more words were needed. Ann hugged her again, and Shego felt tears of gratitude dampen her clothes. If Kim had to forget someone, at least Shego was the best person to be there to win her love again.

-----------------

In the dim light of the hospital room, Shego approached Kim, her heart pounding. She watched her sleep, her breathing steady, her expression serene—completely unaware of the storm raging inside Shego.

With an unusual gentleness, afraid that even the slightest touch might shatter the fragile bubble of that moment, Shego took Kim’s hand, caressing it with trembling fingers. Then, leaning down, she placed a kiss on her forehead, pouring into it all the love and despair consuming her. With a broken voice, she rested her forehead against Kim’s and whispered:

—Remember, Princess… please. I love you.

----------------

Five hours later, Shego had fallen asleep, her head resting against the mattress, still holding Kim’s hand.

When Kim woke and saw the scene, she jolted, pulling her hand away sharply.

—What are you doing here?! —she exclaimed, her voice filled with suspicion and anger.

Shego woke instantly.

—Taking care of you, Kimmie. Relax, I won’t hurt you.

—I don’t believe you! Where’s my mom? I swear if you’ve done anything to her…

—Calm down, Princess…

—Don’t call me that! —Kim growled, her glare fierce.

—Kim… —Shego sighed, feeling her heart break a little more—. I didn’t do anything to your mother. She just went home. She said she’d be back tonight with your family. I don’t know what time it is, but she shouldn’t be long.

Kim eyed her distrustfully.

—What do you want from me? Wasn’t helping Drakken with his last scheme enough? How the hell are you even here after I threw you into that tower?!

Shego tensed.

—Kimmie… that was years ago.

—That’s impossible!

—Princess, please…

—STOP CALLING ME THAT! This must be your fault! Another one of Drakken’s schemes…!

—No, my love…

—I’M NOT YOUR LOVE!

Kim started hyperventilating. Even in her weakened state, she tried to disconnect herself from the machines. Fearing she might hurt herself, Shego pressed the emergency button and tried to calm her down.

—Kim, please, let me explain…

The doctors burst into the room, but Shego barely registered their presence. Her mind remained trapped in the echo of Kim’s voice, in the searing fury of her gaze, in the way her entire body had tensed as if facing her most feared adversary. She stepped aside slowly, sensing that her presence only made things worse, yet the weight in her chest was suffocating. Tears burned in her eyes as she watched, powerless, while they sedated Kim to calm her. Never before had she felt so useless, so utterly broken. She had faced heroes, armies, cataclysms… but nothing had prepared her for this: seeing Kim fight against her, as if Shego were nothing more than a fading specter in her memory.

-------------------

An hour later, Kim’s family arrived. They found both women asleep: Kim in her bed, Shego slumped in a chair beside her, her head resting against the mattress.

Ann gently woke Shego with a soft touch.

—Shego…

Shego’s eyes snapped open, relaxing slightly when she saw Ann.

—Mom…

—Hello, dear. Everyone’s here now.

Shego lifted her gaze and took in the sight of the rest of the family.

—Hi, Dad. Hi, guys…

James Possible gave her a sympathetic smile.

—Hello, Sheryl.

—What’s up, Shegs? —the twins greeted in unison.

Shego sighed, exhausted.

—Kim woke up a little while ago. She saw me and got upset. She thought I had hurt Ann… She wouldn’t listen to me. They had to sedate her. They also ran a scan.

Ann looked at her with sorrow in her eyes.

—Oh, Shego… I’m so sorry. How are you feeling?

Shego averted her gaze and shrugged.

—I knew this was how it would be.

A heavy silence settled over the room. They all shared the same unspoken question:

What if Kim never regained her memory?

But Shego couldn't allow herself to dwell on that. Not now. Because if fate had already taken Kimmie away from her once, she was willing to do whatever it took to get her back.

Shortly after the family arrived, Kim began to stir in her hospital bed, her breathing subtly changing. Instinctively, everyone moved closer, anticipation tightening their expressions. Everyone—except Shego. She remained in the shadows, standing in one of the room’s far corners.

Every fiber of her being ached to run to Kim, to take her hand, to hold her close with desperate longing. But fear rooted her in place. She couldn’t bear for it to happen again—to see those eyes, which had once looked at her with love, now filled with distrust and rejection.

So she settled for watching, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.

When Kim fully regained consciousness, her gaze scanned the familiar faces surrounding her. She blinked a couple of times, confusion flickering across her expression before she offered a small, hesitant smile.

—Why is everyone here? Where am I?

—Hello, Kimmie-cub —her father greeted gently—. You’re in the hospital.

—The hospital? Why?

Shego felt a knot tighten in her stomach upon hearing her words. That question… the very same question she had asked before. And the answer still cut just as deep. No matter how many times she heard it, each instance was like a blade sinking further into her heart. Yet, seeing only her family surrounding her, Kim’s reaction seemed different this time. Perhaps—just perhaps—this time, they could finally move forward in the right direction.

—One of your missions went wrong —the twins explained in unison—. What’s the last thing you remember?

Kim didn’t answer immediately. Not because she was trying to recall, but because something about her brothers seemed… off. They looked different. It struck her as strange.

She frowned before finally speaking.

—Tweebs… what happened to you? You look different.

The twins exchanged a quick glance before turning to their parents, unsure of how to respond. Their mother stepped in to speak.

—Kimmie, before we explain that, can you tell us… what’s the last thing you remember?

Kim shot her a questioning look but answered nonetheless.

—Well… I remember it was nighttime, and it was raining… —she paused, trying to gather more details—. Bueno Nacho was being destroyed… Something to do with Drakken… —her frown deepened—. I was fighting Shego. I was so angry at her… Oh! That’s right! Yes! Drakken took over Bueno Nacho, the little Diablo robots were destroying everything. Erik! Erik was a synthodrone… Drakken and Shego used him against me. Ron and I started dating… I fought Shego and threw her into an electrical tower… That’s all I remember.

Her expression darkened.

—Was that the mission that went wrong? Did I slip off the roof? Is that why I’m here?

Silence fell over the room.

The air was heavy with sorrow.

Shego, still lurking in the shadows of the corner, trembled with frustration. They had come so far since that night at Bueno Nacho… and the thought of losing all that progress made her stomach churn.

She clenched her fists tightly, resisting the urge to speak, to shout, to run. Instead, she gritted her teeth and bit the inside of her cheek, forcing herself to remain still and simply watch.

—No, Kimmie —Ann finally spoke, her voice soft, careful, trying not to alarm her daughter—. That’s not why you’re here.

Kim frowned harder. Ann watched her for a moment before continuing.

—That Bueno Nacho incident was five years ago. That’s why the twins look so different. A lot has changed since then.

Kim stared at her mother as if she had just started speaking in a foreign language.

—Five years? How is that possible?

James sighed.

—You’re here because your last mission failed. There were multiple explosions in the lair where you were. You didn’t make it out in time, and a support beam collapsed on your head. You’ve been in a coma for a month. You only woke up today.

—A coma? —Kim whispered, trying to process the words.

Then, a sudden realization dawned on her.

—Wait… What happened to Ron? Is he okay? Where is he?

Her family’s exchanged glances did nothing to soothe her growing panic.

—Kimmie… —Ann began gently.

—Where is Ron, Mom?

Ann inhaled slowly, as if the words were too heavy to carry.

—Kimmie… The collapse from the explosion was devastating…

—Where. Is. Ron? —Kim’s voice cracked as her frantic gaze darted from face to face, desperately searching for reassurance—something, anything—that would prove her fears wrong.

—I'm so sorry, Kimmie…

—No… No, this can’t be… Ron!

Her agonized cry ripped through the room like a blade.

Kim broke down in tears, her body trembling as she clung to Ann, who held her as tightly as she could.

Shego wrapped her arms around herself, allowing the tears to flow unchecked, blurring her vision with unbearable pain. Her chest tightened with every strangled sob, her heart beating in sync with Kim’s suffering. She had learned to withstand pain, to take hits without flinching. But nothing had prepared her for this. Nothing had prepared her to see Kim shatter like this.

After so much time, Shego had come to see Ron as more than just an annoying rival. In the past year, she had discovered in him an unlikely friend, a bond forged in the quiet understanding of loving the same person. But it wasn’t just Ron’s loss that devastated her—it was the emptiness he left in Kim, the open wound that would never truly heal. Ron and Kim had been two halves of a whole, and now… one of those halves had vanished forever.

And Shego couldn’t bear to see her suffer like this.

Ten minutes later, Kim pulled slightly away from her mother, wiping her tears with trembling hands. Her eyes, still red and swollen, hardened with new resolve, tinged with anger.

—Who was the villain? —she asked, her voice raw and filled with rage.

—Kim, I don’t think…

—Whose lair was it? Who was that mission against?

—Drakken —Ann answered, defeated.

—Drakken and Shego!

—No, just Drakken.

—She wasn’t there?

—She was, but…

—Then it’s her fault too! —Kim sat up abruptly, her breathing erratic—. Shego killed Ron! She was there! She works with Drakken! Don’t tell me she had nothing to do with it!

—That’s not true, Kim. None of this was Shego’s fault.

—Why are you defending her, Mom?! What is going on?! She killed Ron!

—Kimberly Ann, no. Don’t say that. It’s simply not true.

—How can you defend her?! —Kim asked in disbelief.

Ann held her gaze with careful sincerity.

—Because she is important to me… and to you as well. —Ann hesitated for a second before continuing, carefully choosing her words—. More than you realize, Kimmie.

—What are you talking about, Mom? Shego is a villain, she works for Drakken, she willingly takes part in his plans, which makes her just as guilty. How could someone like her be important to me?

—Kim, please, that's enough. We can explain everything, just… please, calm down. I know losing Ron hurts, but it was an accident. You know the risks of the missions you take on—Ron knew them too. This time, unfortunately, he was the one who paid the price. But what happened isn't anyone’s fault. Maybe Drakken’s, but certainly not Shego’s —her father said, his voice soothing but firm. However, his words only earned him a look of anger and disbelief from his daughter.

—You too? Why are you all against me? Don’t you care about Ron?

—We’re not against you, Kim, we’re just telling you the truth. And you know Ron was like a son to us, his loss hurts us too —James replied. Somehow, this managed to calm Kim down, if only slightly.

—I’m sorry, Dad… Mom… It’s just that… I can’t believe Ron is gone… and… and… I can’t just sit here and do nothing. The ones responsible have to pay.

—I understand, Kim. But revenge won’t bring Ron back. And if you want to blame someone, at least make sure you're blaming the right people.

—And who would those be?

—Well, maybe Drakken. We don’t know anything for certain beyond that.

—And if Shego was there, why shouldn’t I blame her too?

—She had nothing to do with it, Kim. —Ann took a deep breath, her gaze cautious—. Besides, in these past five years… a lot has changed between you and her.

—Changed how? —Kim asked warily.

—Kim, I know this will sound absurd to you… impossible, even. But you have to believe me. —Ann swallowed; her hands clasped tightly—. When I say Shego is important to me, it’s because I see her as a daughter. And to you… —she paused, as if the words were too heavy—. To you, she is so much more. Shego is your girlfriend, Kimmie. And you love her. And she loves you.