Remember me

The day had finally arrived—Kim was being discharged. She, her family, and even Shego shared a palpable sense of relief and joy. Thanks to her exceptional physical condition before the accident, Kim had progressed remarkably in her therapy, allowing her to recover faster than the average patient. She could now walk unassisted, though only for relatively short periods, and her strength was far from what it once was. Still, she no longer needed to remain hospitalized; weekly checkups would suffice.

That day, the entire Possible family—including the twins—arrived at the hospital to take her home. They walked eagerly down the familiar hallway toward Kim’s room, only to be met with an unexpected yet unsurprising scene: Kim and Shego stood face to face, locked in a heated argument.

—"Stop invading my space! It’s bad enough that you’re still here after I’ve told you a thousand times that I don’t want you around, but now you’re going through my stuff? That’s a whole new level!" —Kim snapped.

—"I wasn’t going through anything! I was just helping you pack!" —Shego shot back, her voice laced with indignation.

—"Oh, sure. Shego, so noble and helpful—just as you’ve always been," Kim retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

The family, unnoticed until that moment, decided to step in.

—"Hello, girls," Dr. Possible greeted, instantly drawing their attention.

—"Hey! Great, you’re finally here!" —Shego exclaimed, visibly relieved.

—"What are you doing on your feet, young lady? I hope you haven’t been standing for too long," Ann scolded, her gaze sharp with disapproval.

—"Told you," Shego muttered with a victorious smirk.

—"Stay out of this," Kim snapped at her.

—"Kim! Be nice," her father intervened, attempting to de-escalate the situation.

—"But Dad! Shego has been annoying me all morning!"

—"That’s not true!" Shego protested, visibly offended. "I was just helping Kimmie pack her things and making sure everything was in order for her discharge." She turned toward the doctors, seeking some form of validation.

—"Thank you, Sheryl, that’s very thoughtful of you," Ann said warmly, stepping closer and placing a reassuring hand on Shego’s shoulder.

Kim folded her arms in stubborn defiance, making her dissatisfaction with the situation abundantly clear. The twins chuckled at her reaction, while their parents exchanged knowing glances with Shego, silently offering their support.

Once everything was settled, they made their way back to the Possible residence in the family car. Ann and James had invited Shego to join them, but upon noticing Kim’s disapproving glare, she politely declined. Instead, she decided to stop by her apartment first and then ride her motorcycle to the house.

Shego arrived shortly after Kim had been settled back into her old room.

—"Kim is in her room," Ann informed her as they walked toward the living room, Shego following closely behind.

—"Alright, Mom. But I don’t think she wants to see me. Honestly, I’m just here to check how she’s handling the return and to see if you need help with anything," Shego said as they both took a seat.

Ann sighed, her expression softening.

—"Oh, Shego... I know none of this has been easy for you, and yet, you’re still here. You have no idea how much that means to me."

—"It’s nothing, Mom. You know why I’m doing this."

—"I do, and that’s exactly why I appreciate it so much," Ann replied, gently squeezing her hand.

—"So… how’s Kim? How did she react to being back?"

—"She said everything felt familiar, yet foreign at the same time. We explained to her that she hadn’t lived here in three years, and I think that only reinforced what we’ve been telling her—that her present is, in reality, our past. After that, she asked for some time alone."

—"Makes sense. This has to be incredibly difficult for her. That’s why I’m trying to be patient. Honestly… I have no idea how I’d react if this had happened to me," Shego admitted, letting out a humorless chuckle.

—"Yeah… I can’t even begin to imagine what she must be going through. But one thing’s for sure—she’s lucky to have you by her side."

—"And she has all of you, too. I know that with your help, she’ll get through this." Shego exhaled deeply before continuing. "Is there anything you need? Anything I can do to help?"

—"You’ve already done so much, Shego. But of course, we’ll keep you updated. Do you plan on visiting Kim? Would you like to see her?"

—"No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Even if she’s starting to accept the situation, that doesn’t mean the emotions she remembers having toward me aren’t real. I’ll keep checking in, but for now, I think it’s best to keep some distance."

Ann gave her a knowing look.

—"You know this will always be your home, right? Maybe if she sees you often, if she watches how you interact with us, little by little, her feelings might start to shift."

Shego let out a long sigh.

—"Maybe," she muttered before shifting gears. "In the meantime, I want to start hunting down whoever did this. I’ve already wasted too much time. I just hope I’m not too late… but I know the danger hasn’t passed. I need to talk to Tim and Jim about security measures for the house."

Ann nodded approvingly.

—"That’s a great idea. But… do you really think Kim is still in danger? It’s been a month and a half since the accident, and nothing else has happened."

—"I think that’s only because I made sure the hospital’s privacy and security were airtight. I also ensured that reports on the accident were vague about her condition. That might have bought us some time, but it definitely didn’t stop whoever’s behind this. Believe me, if there’s one thing I learned from my time as a villain, it’s how these people think… and I’ve gained a few useful contacts along the way."

Ann studied her for a moment, concern flickering in her eyes.

—"I trust your judgment, Shego. But please, be careful. I don’t want anything happening to you either."

—"Don’t worry, Mom. I don’t think I’ve lost my edge just yet. And I won’t do anything illegal, if that’s what you’re thinking. I made a promise to myself—I won’t give you any reason to be ashamed of me."

Ann’s gaze softened.

—"Oh, Shego… that’s not what concerns me. I trust you. And I’m proud of you. Never forget that."

Shego swallowed hard, her heart tightening at the warmth in Ann’s words. Without hesitation, Ann leaned in and pulled her into a firm embrace, one Shego returned without a second thought.

When they pulled away, Ann smiled.

—"The boys will be thrilled about the security project. They’re in their room if you want to go talk to them now."

—"Yeah… I think I’ll do that."

—"Good. And I’ll start getting lunch ready. You’ll be staying to eat, right?"

Shego hesitated.

—"I don’t know… depends on how Kimmie reacts. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable."

Ann nodded in understanding and stood, heading toward the kitchen. Shego remained seated for a few more minutes, taking a deep breath, trying to collect herself before finally pushing herself up and walking toward the twins’ room.

Just as Ann had anticipated, the boys eagerly welcomed the chance to collaborate with their sister-in-law. They spent an hour brainstorming ideas, sketching blueprints, and refining details until Ann called them for lunch. The twins bolted toward the dining room, but Shego, hesitant, lingered behind.

When she arrived and saw that Kim was nowhere in sight, she finally accepted the invitation to stay. They began eating without her; Kim had claimed she wasn’t hungry. However, halfway through the meal, she appeared in the doorway.

At the sight before her—Shego sitting comfortably at the table, eating with her family as if she belonged there—Kim’s expression darkened. It felt wrong. But she was exhausted, confused, and the last thing she wanted was another argument. She decided to let it go.

—"I’ll eat in my room," she muttered.

—"No," Shego said, standing up. "Stay. Eat with your family. I’ll go."

Kim stared at her, caught off guard. James quickly interjected.

—"That’s not necessary, Sheryl. You can stay. You haven’t finished your meal. Kim, you could at least let her finish."

—"Really, it’s fine," Shego said before Kim could reply. "I’m sure Kim would be more comfortable without me here. I was almost done anyway."

She picked up her plate and carried it to the kitchen in silence. No one spoke. A subtle tension settled over the room, lingering in the air like an unspoken truth.

Finally, Ann stood, offering a gentle smile.

—"At least take some food with you for later."

Shego accepted without a word. Once her leftovers were packed, she bid everyone goodbye with a smile—one that, despite her best efforts, couldn’t quite hide the quiet sadness beneath it.

Kim took her seat at the table soon after, and her family simply watched her, their expressions a mixture of relief, concern, and sorrow.

The rest of that day, and the ones that followed, unfolded in a carefully balanced routine. The Possible family did their best to support Kim as she tried to navigate a present that felt both familiar and foreign. They remained patient, present, kind… all while grappling with their own conflicting emotions.

During those days, Shego didn’t return. Her name was scarcely spoken, and when it was, it was in hushed tones, as if saying it aloud might shatter the fragile harmony they were struggling to maintain.

Of all the things that had changed, the emotional chasm between Kim and Shego was what hurt the most… and the one thing none of them knew how to mend.

-

It had been a week since Kim had been discharged from the hospital, and Shego had kept herself thoroughly occupied. Though she had yet to make a formal visit to the Possibles, she remained in close contact with Jim and Tim regarding the security upgrades being implemented at the house. The twins had made significant progress, and Shego had even gone over to run some field tests with them the day Kim attended her therapy session.

Every night, she patrolled the perimeter of the Possible residence, standing silent watch beneath Kim’s window. Until the defenses were fully operational, she refused to allow her princess—or her family—to remain exposed. During the day, she dedicated her efforts to tracking down whoever was responsible for the explosion. So far, her investigation had been confined to diving through the darker corners of the internet, combing through posts and underground forums frequented by villains in the months leading up to the incident. She hadn’t uncovered anything conclusive yet, but experience had taught her that egos often led people to say more than they should.

Today, however, marked the beginning of a new phase in her plan: a direct conversation with Drakken, and a thorough search of his former lairs.

She began with the Middleton base. Upon arrival, she found it empty and abandoned, clearly unused for some time. She made her way to the control room and accessed the central system that linked all of Drakken’s hideouts. From there, she pinpointed which locations had seen recent activity or were currently online. She also checked to see if any security footage from the day of the explosion still existed. When she found the files intact, she immediately began downloading them for detailed review later.

While the transfer progressed, Shego skimmed through some of the footage, but nothing unusual caught her eye at first glance. Once the download was complete, she visited her old quarters within the base, gathered a few personal items she wanted to keep, and then searched for a hovercraft to take her to the Painted Desert in Arizona—the location the system had identified as Drakken’s current whereabouts.

She was relieved he wasn’t too far away. She didn’t want to be away from Kim for long. With the right transport, the entire trip—journey, confrontation, and return—would take no more than four hours. Her goal was clear: extract the information she needed and close this chapter of her life once and for all.

Upon arriving at the desert hideout, Shego immediately knew where to find him. From the kitchen came the unmistakable hum of the tune Drakken always sang when making coco-moo. Instead of announcing herself, Shego relied on her usual stealth, slipping past the hopelessly incompetent henchmen Drakken still insisted on hiring. She checked her room first, but finding nothing worth taking, she finally made her way to her real target: the man himself.

This time, she made no effort to mask her presence. Still, most of the henchmen failed to notice her arrival, and the few who did simply froze, staring with open mouths, unsure of how to react. Shego rolled her eyes, as unimpressed as ever by their uselessness.

She was headed toward the kitchen when she suddenly heard Drakken’s voice coming from the heart of the base—the area he always used for his experiments. She followed the sound and found him there, back turned, muttering to himself, completely absorbed in his thoughts.

Without a word, Shego entered the room, took a seat in one of the chairs, and casually began examining the claws built into her gloves. To anyone watching, it would have looked like just another lazy afternoon in the lair.

Drakken stood with his back to her, cradling a steaming mug of coco-moo.

—"Oh yes! With this formula, I shall not only control Canada's telecommunications, but the world will kneel before the great—!"

It took him a few minutes to turn around. When he finally did, he reached for his mug with absentminded ease, still unaware of Shego's presence. Shego counted silently in her head: “Three… two… one…”

—"SHEGO!" he shrieked, high-pitched and theatrical, sloshing hot coco-moo down the front of his chest. "Ayayay! It’s boiling! My genius nipples!"

Shego burst into laughter, a genuine, unfiltered laugh she couldn’t hold back. Only after the laughter died down did she begin to speak.

—"You still call yourself a 'genius' when you can’t hold a cup without injuring yourself?"

—"Where have you been? You abandoned me in the middle of chaos! You didn’t answer a single message! Shego, you left me at the mercy of… of myself! Do you know how dangerous that is?!"

—"Yes, and yet here you are. Miraculously alive."

—"You owe me an explanation! And emotional damages! Look at this!" he cried, pointing to the stained front of his robe like it was a battlefield wound.

Shego stood and slowly walked toward him with a kind of calm that only ever felt dangerous.

—"Drew Lipsky."

Drakken froze.

—"Shego, we talked about the real-name rule… remember the boundaries?"

—"Drew. Lipsky."

—"Oh no, it's happening again," he whispered, glancing around as if searching for an escape route.

—"Are you done with your little performance? Because now it’s my turn."

—"Shego, wait—if this is about the contract, we can renegotiate! I’m flexible! You could have Saturdays off! And a raise! A symbolic one, of course..."

—"Drew," she said, stepping in until they were face-to-face. "That contract expired the day of the explosion. I did my part: I got you to safety. From that moment on, whatever I did with my life was no longer your concern."

—"But Shego, think of all our years of mischief! Of plans that never worked! Of hysterical screaming in volcanic lairs!"

—"Nostalgic, huh?" she whispered with a crooked smile. "Then frame it. Put it in an album. It’s not happening again."

—"What?! You can’t do this to me! I need—"

—"Drew. I’m not renewing any contract. Not verbal, not emotional, not nostalgic. I’m done. It was fun while it lasted… sort of. But I’m finished."

With that, the now officially ex-villainess took a couple of steps back, her gaze still fixed on him, razor-sharp and silent—as if bracing for an explosion. And she wasn’t wrong.

At first, Drakken was frozen, mouth agape like a fish out of water. His lips moved, but no sound emerged. Only after several long seconds did he finally break the silence—with laughter. Loud, unrestrained, absurd laughter.

—"HAHAHA! Oh, come on! This… this has to be a dream," he wheezed between chuckles. "That’s not Shego! My subconscious is staging a drama! What a brilliant mind I have—never resting, even in dreams! Wajajajaja!"

Another wave of manic laughter overtook him, complete with a dramatic twirl and a bow to the empty room.

Shego narrowed her eyes. Her patience was running thin.

With a tired sigh, she conjured a small orb of plasma—hot enough to burn, not to kill—and hurled it at the sleeve of his blue robe. The fabric caught fire, slowly devouring itself.

Drakken noticed the flames for a second… and kept laughing.

—"Oh no, no, no! These special effects are way too realistic! I must be dreaming in IMAX!"

Shego rolled her eyes. She counted mentally again: "Three… two… one…"

—"AAAAAAGH!"—The scream was high-pitched, dramatic, and infused with the theatrical flair only Drakken could muster. He ran in circles, flailing his arm as if swatting at a swarm of invisible bees.— "I’m disintegrating! MY ROBE!"

Shego didn’t laugh. Not this time.
With swift precision, she strode over, grabbed his arm like a weary mother dealing with her toddler's tantrum, and slapped the flames out with brisk, unapologetic force.

—"Ouch! Was that really necessary, Shego?"
 

—"I just threw fire at you. Still think you’re dreaming?"

Drakken paused, pensive.
— "Hmm… maybe it’s a lucid dream..."

—"Doctor D..."

—"Alright, alright! I get it. Not a dream. It’s you. But… what do you mean you're not renewing your contract?!"

—"My reasons are personal."

—"But what about the evil family? The chaotic duo! You and me, ruling the world while I scream and you blow things up! Shegooo!"

—"Drew, I can’t explain it. Not now."

Drakken actually pouted. Literally.

—"But... but... after everything we've been through! Remember when we dressed as penguins? And the freezing ray that ended up in the Caribbean!"

—"Drew..." Shego closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.—"I didn’t think this day would come either. But it has. And what’s pulling me away from all this... is something bigger than any plan or ambition. Bigger than my own life."

Drakken opened his mouth to protest, but Shego silenced him with a raised hand.

—"Maybe I never showed it, but I am grateful for what you did for me. Especially in the beginning. So yes, we can still be family… just not a villainous one. Not anymore."

The doctor fell silent. For the second time that day, he was utterly disarmed.
The woman before him wasn’t the Shego he knew—not the one who threw plasma with sarcasm in her voice. This Shego spoke from the heart. And honestly, that terrified him.

His eyes widened. The dumbfounded expression slowly shifted into an absurdly wide smile, and the tears glistening in his small dark eyes seemed both out of place and heartbreakingly sincere.

—"You really mean that...?"— he asked in a voice so soft, Shego almost felt guilty.

—"Yes, Drew. I mean it."

—"Oh, Shego..." he opened his arms, ready for a melodramatic embrace.

—"No!" she cut him off, igniting her finger with a tiny spark of plasma.—"Don’t let this go to your head. None of this changes my decision. I’m not renewing the contract, and you won’t be seeing me around for a while."

—"But why? What’s going on?"

—"I can’t tell you."

—"But...!"

—"What I do need," she interrupted firmly, —"is for you to tell me everything you remember about the day your lair exploded."

Drakken straightened like a scolded child.
— "Umm... well... everything seemed normal. Oh! Larry! He ran out of the bathroom yelling something about explosive diarrhea. Literally. Said he had to go home. So I requested a replacement. And they sent someone super fast! HenchCo’s really stepping up their game!"

—"Do you know who the replacement was?"

—"Shego, do I look like someone who checks attendance rosters?"

—"Don’t answer that. What about the staff manager?"

—"Carson. He’d know."

—"Perfect. Do you remember what caused the explosion?"

—"It was so weird! I was about to activate the trap for the buffoon. I had the remote, but nothing happened. I pressed every button—even the one for disco lights—and still nothing! Then... BOOM!"

—"And Ron or Rufus didn’t do anything?"

—"They were just laughing at me! I swear!"

—"And you really have no idea who might’ve been behind it?"

—"I swear on my favorite crocs!"

—"...Thanks for that. Have you heard any chatter about someone trying to take out Kim? Any recent villain gossip?"

—"Oh! Yeah! About two months ago. Fiske, Killigan, and a few others. They added me to a group chat. I told them Kim was yours. They insulted me and kicked me out. So rude!"

—"Do you still have access to that thread?"

—"Maybe… Carson could probably help with that too."

—"I’ll contact him."

Shego turned toward the exit without waiting for another word.

—"Shego, wait," Drakken called after her. She paused, not looking back.

—"You can always count on me…"

Shego turned just enough to glance over her shoulder and offered him a soft, fleeting smile.

—"Thanks, Doctor D. Take care."

And with that, she walked away.