I don't own these characters; Disney does.

This fic is based on the song Street Symphony (the remix) by Monica. As you might guess, I don't own the song either.

"I love you, baby girl, but don't make me choose…" the opening line of Street Symphony the remix.

Choices

Part: One

"It's either leave her or leave the team."

Hego's voice was as strong as the rest of him and seemed to boom in the Go Tower conference room. He thought he had her with his wretched ultimatum. She could see it in his eyes — cold as ice, just as strong and uncaring as his tone. He was unmoved, but then again, so was she, even as his words bounced off the steel walls and echoed back into her, bombarding her insides.

The commanding blue dolt had called an "emergency team meeting," making sure they were all present, accounted for, and comfortable before going in the reasons for the meeting and hitting her with that demanding proposal. Her body burned with fury while he talked, like she had done something so horrible, so unforgiving. By the time he got to his last sentence, she was on her feet from outrage, hitting their circular conference table.

Her face was bright with indignation. She felt like her powers might actually shoot out of her nose as she huffed. The younger brothers looked on from their seats at the circular table, wide-eyed, almost in horror. This was a train wreck and it was impossible to turn away. The color had drained from their faces, as if they feared for someone's life.

The eldest folded his arms across his thick chest and glared at her rather smugly. He obviously thought he had shamed her. He believed he had embarrassed her in front of their younger brothers and she would have to do what he wanted to save what little respect they had left her for, even though they would never look at her the same again. Yeah, he thinks he has me. She frowned because he almost did have her.

There was no way Shego could walk out on them. Hego seemed to think that, anyway, especially not for the wrong thing. They were family, the only family that they had left, the only thing they really had at all, so he was beyond certain she would remain with them.

It would let their younger brothers down if she left and Shego tried to do right by them whenever she could, even if she yelled at them often. She always wanted the best for the little guys. Plus, they were superheroes and superheroes always did the right thing. So, Hego was certain she would do the right thing and stay with them.

Of course, thanks to his idiocy he did not see how this could cut both ways. He had stolen her privacy from her, but also robbed her of their brothers' respect. Again, they would never look at her the same way again. He had stolen her chance to rightfully explain this all to them. Now, this was all they had and that was on Hego. He did not know what the right thing was.

Shego did not say anything. She just stood there for a few tense moments, listening to the sound of her own heavy breathing. She did bother to look at her younger brothers, even though they gawked at her, eyes demanding an explanation, demanding to know how she could be that way.

She eyed her older brother, the man of their so-called family since he was the oldest at twenty-two years old and the legal guardian of their brothers. There was deep contempt in her emerald eyes. He's not a man.

She suddenly walked past him, making sure not to touch him on the way by, despite how much the urge to bump him burned in her. He was not worth it, though. He did not exist to her anymore.

The brothers all gasped in utter surprise as they watched her leave with that proud step she always carried herself with, her head held high. The younger brothers' mouths all fell open, like they wanted to speak, but no sound would come out. Their hearts did clench in their chests as they realized their sister was leaving.

"If you walk out that door, you can't come back!" Hego called and she knew exactly what he looked like based on how loud he was.

She could picture how red his face was, almost the same scarlet as the twins' uniform. He had one hand raised in the air along with his index finger, as if the gesture would force her to turn around and remain with them. He would never be strong enough to control her.

"I don't plan on it," Shego replied coolly without turning around and walking out of the monitoring room of Go Tower. The metallic sliding door shut behind her with a hiss, closing out her old life.

"I'm serious!" the eldest hollered with authority, like this was supposed to be enough for her to come back. She could hear his big mouth, but she did not respond to it.

Once she was out of her brothers' view, Shego growled in anger and punched the closest thing to her, which happened to be the wall. She left a perfect imprint of her right fist in the steel that Go Tower was coated in while her throat burned with a sob and her bottom lip quivered. She forced herself not to cry. She would never cry over something that was not her fault. It was all Hego's fault, just like always.

"Bastard…" she hissed, glaring at an imagined image of her brother. Her eyes were wet with hot, unshed tears, both sorrowful and angry.

He did not have any right to do any of the things he had done lately, like open her mail. The nosy bastard had been going through her mail, like he had a right to it. Then, he expected her to just be fine with it when he confronted her over some letters.

He did not have any right to go through her things in her room, which he had taken to doing, searching for evidence about her private life. He did not have any right to tell their little brothers her business like he had either, calling it emergency team business and then using it as an excuse to call a team meeting. Stupid team. Stupid older brother thinking he's my goddamn father and trying to tell me what to do. Stupid fucking older brother costing me my younger brothers.

A lump rose in her throat and she swallowed it down, but it hurt. God, I didn't want them to find out about things this way. She was not even sure if she wanted her younger brothers to find out at all, as it was not their business. Hego did not have any right to do that to her. What kind of big brother just outs his younger sister in front of their little brothers without any kind of remorse while making sure to sound as against it as possible?

The pompous buffoon had just called a meeting for Team Go and merely announced to their little brothers that Shego was gay and he had proof. He had the nerve to pass around love letters from her girlfriend, letters he had taken from her room. He probably read them, too. Bastard.

Their younger brothers had appeared totally flabbergasted and looked at Shego as if she was a thing, like she was not even human or their sister, but like she was an object, a disgusting object at that. She supposed Hego's tone influenced their reactions, but she could not even defend herself because of the shock.

She seriously could not believe any of it as it unfolded. It was like a movie, a cartoon, just anything but her life. How could her brother do this to her? How could her brothers look at her as if she were some sort of creature? It was like everything they had ever been through together did not matter and she was no different than some stranger on the street. Actually, worse than that because they cared about strangers; they saved them all the time, after all.

Hego had continued on, having their little brothers' attention and backing for the moment. Shego knew she could not compete with Hego for their brothers' support. It was hard for a big sister to get guys against the older brother they already put on a pedestal, after all.

The twins, being eleven, idolized Hego while looking at Shego as a form of entertainment more often than not. She was someone they could bug while Hego was someone they looked up to, someone they wanted to be like. They had to side with him, which they had, agreeing Shego was doing something immoral and it was bad for the team. They agreed she needed to think about the team and do what was right for them, practically parroting Hego word for word. It was their words that had caused her to hop out of her seat in anger at the time. What the hell did eleven-year-olds know about anything? It hurt just the same, though.

Mego was in a similar position, even though he was fifteen. While he liked to pretend he was a rebel, he was far from it and cried for attention. He had that teenage desire to fit in and his brothers already decided Shego did something wrong. He did not want to go against the group, even though secretly, he could not care less about what Shego did with her personal life. He supposed it would be bad for the team's image, which helped him feel better about agreeing with Hego. After all, how would it look if one of the members of Team Go, the great saviors of Go City, was a homosexual? That was not cool as far as he knew.

The team image, Shego mentally scoffed. It was all about Hego's image in her opinion and her little brothers were too stupid to differentiate between the two. He missed the main point when it all started, anyway, and she guessed that was why the big idiot was surprised she had walked out. She was in love with her girlfriend and that was more important than playing superhero to a city full of people she never met, did not want to meet, and would judge her just for who she was attracted to. Her beloved was more important to her than being a superhero, way more.

Her girl, her beautiful little angel, made her feel things being a superhero could not touch. She felt like she mattered to someone beyond just saving the day, but just by being there. She made someone smile at her for no other reason than the fact that she was there. It was not about needing something from her all the time, but just needing her, enjoying her presence.

She would not let that go for a bunch of stupid people who did not care about what happened to her after the bad guy was stopped. She definitely would not let it go just because people would have the nerve to condemn her for having someone in her personal life that cared about her. And she would not let it go for brothers who dared to judge her over this without even meeting her girlfriend.

None of the people she saved with her brothers cared about her specifically like her girl did. They never thought about her when she was out of sight or missed her when they were apart. They never wanted to sincerely know how her day was and try to make her feel better if the day was crap. They never kissed her with soft lips and whispered "I love you" in such an earnest little voice that made her heart race each and every time she heard it. If she died tomorrow, those people would forget her quickly, but she knew her girl would never forget her.

"My brothers might even forget me, but she'll be there for me." Assured of this fact, Shego marched out of Go Tower for what she assumed would be the last time and did not look back.

-8-8-8-8-

Shego stepped into the dark dorm room through the window. She had entered this way a few times, so it was not so difficult. She made sure to do it as quietly as possible, only wanting her target to know of her presence. She went to the right side of the small room, pausing to gaze at the sleeping body in the twin-sized bed.

There was enough light in the room for Shego to make out Kyoko's slender form in the bed. She was bathed in moonlight, truly looking like an angel. She seemed so peaceful that, for a moment, Shego felt envious of her. Then, she shook the feeling away and herself settle a bit more. Leaning down, she gently shook Kyoko awake.

"Hey, Kyoko," Shego whispered to her half-asleep girlfriend.

"Shego-chan?" Kyoko muttered with a yawn. Her Japanese upbringing coming out full force with the honorific added to Shego's name due to being awakened suddenly.

A little smile worked its way onto Shego's pale face as it always did when Kyoko called her that. "Yeah." As if someone else would visit Kyoko in the middle of the night.

"What are you doing here so late?" the eighteen-year-old student inquired. She blinked several times, trying to wake up more. Moonlight came in through the window, highlighting her creaming, sleepy face. She looked so cute.

"Well, that's a long story," Shego remarked with a half smirk, trying to make light of her situation, not just for her girl, but for herself. She did not want or need the gravity of her circumstances to hit her just yet. She could not afford to buckle under the pressure. She had to press on.

"Tell me in the morning. We should not disrespect my roommate by talking while she is asleep. It would be unbecoming to wake her up."

Shego nodded. "Well, do you mind letting me sleep in the bed with you?"

Kyoko's dark eyes squinted, trying to make out Shego's face in the dark. "What? Why?"

Shego gave an awkward shrug. "It's all part of the long story."

"Perhaps you should tell me now if it is very important," Kyoko replied.

"I'll do it in the morning. I don't want to keep you up," Shego said. After all, her girl had class tomorrow and needed her rest.

Kyoko smiled a bit because of Shego's thoughtfulness, which she was quite aware only existed for her. She held her cover up as a signal that Shego could join her in the bed. Shego smiled and stripped off her clothing. She crawled into the narrow bed next to Kyoko, who immediately snuggled up close to Shego. Shego grabbed her in a familiar embrace. It was a comforting hold that assured Kyoko that Shego would never allow anything in the world to harm her. As soon as they were settled, Kyoko fell back asleep and Shego inhaled Kyoko's soothing scent and felt lost to her.

Kyoko Yoshiko was a Japanese student attending Go University on scholarship. She spoke great English and adapted well to the United States, yet still had the funny quirk of introducing herself as Yoshiko Kyoko, which she had done when she first met Shego. Kyoko had been lost on campus while Shego was just there, realizing what would never be, which was that she would never attend the famous school. She had been accepted when she applied, but she could not afford it and she did not have time for classes anyway because of Team Go. Both of those things she blamed on Hego since he had squandered their parents' life insurance money on the Go Tower and it was his stupid idea to use their powers to be superheroes in the first place. She had protested that idea, but she had been out-voted and she had decided to stick things out with her brothers since they were all she had left.

Shego had helped Kyoko find her way around Go University those first few days. It had amazed Kyoko when she found out that Shego was not a student at the school, but she was grateful for the help nonetheless. They got to know each other those first few days and found they liked being around each other. Kyoko liked knowing someone in her new city so soon and Shego was just glad for company that was not her brothers, as that had not occurred since she graduated high school. But, they grew to like each other beyond that and ended up dating rather quickly. Shego mostly paid for things through an allowance that Hego gave her and their brothers because Kyoko did not have much money to waste.

Shego liked Kyoko almost immediately, finding her cute and charming. Kyoko had an elegance about her, even though she admittedly grew up kind of poor in a rural area of Japan. She seemed like the opposite of everything Shego was. She was soft spoken and polite while Shego was typically loud and blunt. Kyoko liked the pride Shego always carried with her, the ultimate confidence that radiated off of the pale teenager in powerful waves. Shego often said Kyoko had the same thing about her, but they just exhibited the trait differently.

They had similar interests, which only grew as they spent more time together. They tended to like the same books, mostly classical pieces and just about anything written by Shakespeare. They also liked the same movies for the most part, usually in-depth dramas. Kyoko was not as into sports as Shego was, but she was open-minded and watched them with Shego to learn about them. Kyoko got Shego into anime, which they were both now very big on. They could talk to each other about anything and they often tried to. They did not mind opening up to each other. They did their best to be understanding with each other, no matter what they did.

They also sort of understood each other in a different way that other people could not relate to. They had both lost their parents. Kyoko had lost her parents at a younger age than Shego, but they still understood each other. Kyoko had lived with her grandparents after she lost her parents while Shego had been under the care of her big brother since he had legally been an adult when their parents died. It had not been much fun for either of them, but now they had each other and they felt like things were going to get better.

Kyoko also did not get awe-struck by Shego like other people around Go City, which made her comfortable around the Japanese girl. Kyoko had not known she was a hero when they met, so she did not have a reason to get awe-struck. She had been curious about Shego's skin tone, but thought it would be rude to bring up. As they got closer, Shego had explained what happened with her skin and showed Kyoko her powers. Kyoko reciprocated with explaining what happened with her parents. It was like they had exchanged their deepest secrets.

They also expressed condolences toward each other when they finished their stories. Kyoko had done so because she could tell her girl was touchy about her skin color. Shego had adjusted to being a pale green, but she had hated it thoroughly for a while. It annoyed her when people guessed she was on Team Go based on her skin tone, even though she never confirmed it. She really did not mind it since Kyoko accepted it.

Shego, of course, offered up all sorts of emotional support when Kyoko talked about how she lost her parents, which was through murder of all things. Kyoko had expressed a lot of pride in Shego for being a hero since she had lost her parents to homicide, wishing there was a hero around to save them at the time. Things like that had made Shego all right with being a hero and now she hoped since she had quit the team, it did not mean Kyoko would look at her differently.

"You're all I have left," Shego whispered into the night, brushing aside Kyoko's silky hair. She gave Kyoko a soft kiss and then tried to get some sleep.

-*-(Next morning)-*-

"…So, that's what happened," Shego finished explaining to Kyoko that she had left Team Go and why she had done so. Kyoko's roommate had left for her morning class, so they were alone in the room. They sat on Kyoko's stiff bed.

"You left your brothers for me?" Kyoko asked in a whisper, eyes already wet with tears. This was flattering, of course, but Shego was lucky to have brothers and she said this often. She did not want to cause a rift between the siblings.

"It's not your fault," Shego insisted. She did not want Kyoko to take on that burden, especially since it was Hego's fault.

"They are you brothers," Kyoko said, almost like she was in shock.

"I don't want to be with them if they can't accept that I'm with you. I can't just be who they want me to be for the sake of keeping us altogether. That's not fair to me," Shego argued.

"But… they are your brothers," Kyoko said once more. Apparently, this was supposed to mean something.

Scowling, Shego shook her head. It did not seem to mean anything to them. They had let her go just because she found someone who accepted her and loved her like no one else ever had.

"Then they should accept who I love rather than make it an issue and try to force me to choose. I'm not leaving you," Shego said soundly while reaching over to caress her girlfriend's smooth cheek, which caused Kyoko to smile.

"Well, I am pleased to know you will not leave me, as I do enjoy having you around. I just do not wish to disrupt your family."

Shego scoffed. "It's not your fault, so stop saying that."

Kyoko nodded. Arguing would not get her anywhere. Shego had made up her mind. More importantly, her brothers had made up their minds.

"It doesn't matter to you that I might not be a hero anymore, does it?" Shego inquired, squirming a bit.

Kyoko scoffed. "Of course not. I do not love you because you are a hero. I love you because you are you. I love Shego, as herself. So, what are you going to do?"

With a sigh, Shego ran her hand through her thick hair. "I don't know."

Shego had walked out on more than her brothers and being a superhero. She had walked out of her home. They lived in Go Tower. She did not have anywhere to go and she knew she could not stay in Kyoko's dorm room. She did not have any money to her name since she knew Hego would not continue giving her an allowance now that she walked out on them.

"You do need to figure that much out," Kyoko pointed out with a soft smile.

"I know. Hey, if I find an apartment, how about you move in with me?" Shego suggested with a smile. They had been dating for months, so this could not be too soon, right?

Shego would love nothing more than to be able to live with her girl, see her every day, and hold her every night without worrying about people finding out. It would be a dream come true for her, getting to live with someone she could get along with. She looked forward to such a thing now that she thought about it. She was willing to bet it would be great to live without her brothers since she could not stand being around them anyway.

"Well, first you have to find a job and then an apartment, but I would love to," Kyoko answered with another smile. She knew that would fire Shego up. Now, all Shego could think about getting a job to afford a place for them to live.

-8-8-8-8-

Shego went out to find a job with vigor, half because she wanted Kyoko to live with her and half to prove she could make it without her stupid brothers. It was a bit hard for her to gain employment. Unlike Hego, who could hide his identity, Shego could not do it too well.

Her green skin was a dead giveaway as to who she was. She tried to cover that up with makeup, which worked well enough, but it was easy to see she wore a ton of makeup. This seemed to make people a little uncomfortable, but it was better than having to deny being a part of Team Go for twenty minutes.

She hit another problem after solving that one. She had no work experience. Her age did not help, being just out of high school. Even after having Kyoko work up a résumé for her, she could not find employment beyond something that would get her minimum wage, which she would take in a heart beat if someone would hire her.

"This is harder than I imagined," Shego sighed, meeting Kyoko in Go University quad. They had lunch together, simple sandwiches and bottled water.

"I am sure it is, but you should not give up. You are tough and you will persevere," Kyoko assured her.

Shego smiled. "All of these jobs are crap, too, but they still don't want to hire me."

Kyoko encouraged Shego to take whatever job she could get, just so Shego could find and afford a place to live. Before she got a job, she sneaked into Kyoko's dorm every couple of nights for a few hours of rest before going out to pound the pavement again, searching for employment. Once she got a job, Shego managed to find a place to live, but it was a horrible slum of an apartment. It was all she could afford.

Shego groaned as she looked around her new home. "I should've saved more money." Of course, she would have had to stay homeless to do that. But, then again, she was not sure this place was a set up from living in the subway. She could not imagine Kyoko, with all of her grace and elegance, coming here, so forget living here.

-8-8-8-8-

True to her word, though, Kyoko moved in with Shego once the school semester was over for the summer. Shego had only had the place for a couple of weeks, so Kyoko had not been properly introduced to it until the moment she was ready to move in. Shego was ashamed to bring Kyoko into the rundown studio apartment that happened to also be infested with vermin.

"This really isn't some place for you to live," Shego muttered as a mouse dashed across the floor into the wall. It could be heard running through the wall with dozens of other rodents. This could not be more embarrassing if there was a dead body in the middle of the room.

Kyoko scowled as her eyes focused on a large hole in the wall in the kitchen area, revealing several pipes. "I do not think this is a place for you to live."

Shego scratched the nape of her neck. "I'll survive and it's all I can afford right now."

Kyoko did not want Shego to be staying some place that was contaminated with rodents and she expressed this often. Shego appreciated the concern, but she was more worried about Kyoko than herself. At the end of summer vacation, Shego sent Kyoko back to the Go University dorms, even though Kyoko protested to the bitter end, not wanting to leave her beloved girlfriend in such a place alone.

"I'll be fine," Shego insisted, trying not to break down as Kyoko held her hand right outside of the dorm building. The warmth of Kyoko's fingers spread through her and made her feel like everything would be all right. She just had to work to make things good for them.

"You could always stay with me. My roommate would not mind if we explain to her the situation," Kyoko replied.

"It's all right, sweetheart. I'll be fine. I just need to save some money. It'll be fine," Shego said and she gave Kyoko a gentle kiss to drive home her point. In the end, she almost had literally had to drag Kyoko inside of the building.

Shego returned to the apartment. She could not even think of it as home. She had hoped home would have little Kyoko touches all over the place. Kyoko had not even wanted to drop her book bag here. Shego fell into a chair she found on the curb one day and looked around. The little bit of her furniture she had had all been found either on the curb or in Goodwill. The water always started out brown and had to be run for over a minute before it was clear. Her bedding was thin and already falling apart. The ceiling was cracked and occasionally fell to the floor. If depressing had an address, it would live there, she concluded.

Being alone in the apartment made Shego despair about not having some place worthy enough to have her girl live in. Added to that, she was lonely. She had never been by herself before.

To make matters worse since school started, she knew her one-year anniversary was coming up. "And I can't afford to buy my baby a damn thing. How fucking worthless am I? Why does she even bother?"

Her beloved, who had stuck it out with her in an apartment swarming with mice, roaches, and who-knew-what-else and who had only left because she forced her to, deserved the best. But, what in the hell was the best and how would she get it? There was no way in hell she would go ask Hego for money.

Hego had not even tried to get touch with her since she left. The twins tried to talk to her, but they always wanted her to come back and they wanted her to stop being "that way" as well. They did not fully understand why she was gone from what she could tell. She did not like to think about it and she shook it away, focusing on her problem at hand. What would she get Kyoko for their anniversary and how would she get it?

The answer to the first part Shego's question came in the form of a pair of earrings that she happened to glance at on the way to work. They were simple gold earrings in the shape of little triangles, but they seemed to scream her beloved's name. She later brought Kyoko by the store and Kyoko practically flipped over those earrings.

"Maybe we should go in and see them up close," Shego suggested.

"I would like that," Kyoko said.

They went inside to see several different items. Kyoko went right to the earrings, though. Her dark eyes shined as she looked down on them.

Shego thought that was great until she saw the price. They were not even really expensive as far as jewelry went. They were just out of her price range, like everything else in the city. Kyoko's face fell a bit when she saw the price.

"Oh." Kyoko sort of chirped. "We should look at other pieces while we are here. I am sure there are some nice things."

Shego knew her girlfriend wanted to downplay how much she liked the earrings once they learned how much they cost. Shego did not buy the act, though. She needed to find a way to get those earrings.

She would get Kyoko what she wanted because if she did not, then she was not a very good girlfriend in her opinion. She would have failed the person who stood by her and tried to stay with her in a mouse-infested, roach-infested apartment. There was no way in hell she would let a girl like that down! She would get those earrings by any means necessary… short of asking her brothers for help.

-8-8-8-8-

Kyoko was so surprised her eyes actually twinkled and she let out a little delighted squeal. She could not believe Shego led her to an obviously expensive restaurant. Shego tried to act like it was nothing as she held her girlfriend's hand and tried to take her inside. Kyoko stopped her by tugging on her hand.

"What's up?" Shego asked. She wore a little black dress that had caught her girlfriend's eye the moment that she saw it, which made Shego smirk. She was glad for such a positive reaction from Kyoko. She wanted this to be a night Kyoko would not forget.

"We do not need to go there," Kyoko replied. She doubted Shego could afford such a place and worried over Shego's finances more than Shego did. This was why she deserved everything they would do tonight.

Shego smiled. "Sure we do. It's our anniversary and I want to show you a good time. So, just relax and let me show you a good time."

"I do not need all of this and you know that," Kyoko said. She was used to simple things; she had grown up rather poor with her grandparents. She had been lucky to get her scholarship to Go University because without it, she would not have been able to go to college at all. So, she definitely did not need an expensive meal at a fancy restaurant, especially since she knew her lover could not afford it.

"Needing and deserving are two different things, babe. You deserve all this. Let me just pamper you for one night, our anniversary, okay?" Shego insisted. Although, she had plans for the pampering to extend well beyond the anniversary now that she had gotten her hands on some money.

Kyoko wanted to argue, but Shego was not listening and she would not listen. Shego was stubborn, after all. So, Kyoko took a deep breath and stepped closer to Shego. Shego smiled.

"Don't worry. It will be amazing," Shego promised.

They went into the restaurant and Kyoko paused. "I feel a bit out of place for such a nice restaurant," she admitted. She was not dressed for such a luxurious restaurant. She was in a simple button-down magenta shirt and black skirt that hugged her hips.

Shego leaned in. "Don't worry. You're the most beautiful creature in here."

Kyoko blushed at the compliment and Shego preened. The couple had a delightful dinner, even though Kyoko worried about the prices of everything. Shego waved it all off and put Kyoko at ease.

"I really just want you to have a good time. Don't worry over anything, okay? Trust me on this," Shego entreated.

Kyoko nodded. She focused on the food, which was delightful. They talked school and work. They enjoyed each other without a care in the world. By the end of everything, Kyoko looked at her with a slightly coy look. Shego swallowed hard, wondering what was on her girlfriend's mind.

"Do you want your gift now?" Kyoko asked her date.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd come with me to a hotel," Shego answered as if it was nothing; she even smiled as she spoke. Usually, she knew her bluntness got to the very reserved Kyoko, but she also knew she could imply what she was doing without embarrassing the college student because Kyoko was far from a prude.

"A hotel?" Kyoko echoed, scrunching up her face a little, as if she did not understand. "A hotel?" she repeated, now her eyebrows curled up in concern, like she could not believe Shego was now suggesting they go to a hotel on her budget. They were both stretched financially and yet Shego wanted to go a hotel? It was near madness.

With a grin Shego knew was far from sexy, she nodded. "Yes. I've already got the room."

"Already?" Kyoko parroted her girlfriend once again. "Love, when did you become such a spendthrift? This is all so sudden."

"Yes already." Shego smiled a bit. "Am I being too fast?" she asked, even though they had made love before. It just was not a common occurrence with them. It was not like she could bring Kyoko to her room in Go Tower and they could go at it. They could not do much in Kyoko's dorm room because her roommate was often around. Shego barely wanted to sleep in her apartment, so she definitely had never tried to do anything more with Kyoko there.

"No," Kyoko answered, glancing down a moment, as if to collect her thoughts. "I mean, I would not mind going with you if the hotel is already paid for." She liked physical intimacy as much as the next person. "You must understand I am a bit surprised by your level of spending right now, Shego-chan. Your job does not pay much."

Shego frowned. "I know." She did not want to think about her job right now, or the fact that making peanuts would have been a step up for her.

Kyoko tensed a bit. "I apologize. I do not wish to trouble the evening further. Please, let us retire to the hotel."

Shego took a calming breath and nodded. "So, we'll exchange gifts in the morning then."

Kyoko smiled and nodded to that as well. They finished with dinner and Shego paid for everything, not even giving Kyoko a chance to see the bill. Her girlfriend was very too worried about her funds. She also made it a point to hide how much money she was currently carrying as she pulled out bills to pay the check. And then, they were off to the hotel, which was just as ritzy as the restaurant.

Kyoko did not say anything about it, which Shego was grateful for. Shego had to restrain herself from saying anything to the guy who checked them in. He had the nerve to sneer at them. Shego wanted to yank him from over the counter, but Kyoko did not need to see that, especially on their anniversary.

The room was an average-sized space, but it was still in a pricey hotel. It had a single king-sized bed, though. There was a balcony in the room that Shego really had no plans in using, unless Kyoko wanted to be adventurous anyway. If not, she would rather keep Kyoko from the balcony in favor of other activities.

"This is a nice view," Kyoko said, looking out of the balcony doors, seeing the lights of Go City.

Okay, so maybe the balcony would be worth checking out for a while. The view was romantic and Kyoko deserved romance as much as she deserved nice things. Kyoko turned to look around the room. There was also a television opposite the bed on a dresser, but Shego was determined Kyoko would not even think to turn on the television that night. There was also a nightstand by the bed with a lamp on it that would not be used that night either.

"Do you like it?" Shego asked. If not, she would have to find a better room, in a better hotel.

"It is a wonderful place," Kyoko replied.

Shego preened again and felt a flutter of pride in her chest. She moved before Kyoko brought up money again, kissing Kyoko with all of the passion she had in her. She wanted Kyoko to know and understand how special she thought the college student was through this one fervent act.

Kyoko responded to the affection almost immediately and returned it, cupping Shego's cheeks as they kissed. Shego grabbed at Kyoko's shirt, about the tear it off of her. They usually did not have time for much foreplay. So, it was a habit to rush everything, but Shego remembered they were alone, they had time, and everything would be all night. They did not have to worry about when Kyoko's roommate might return. They could take their time and thoroughly enjoy every second of their time together and every inch of each other.

"You're so beautiful," Shego said, pulling away from air and to enjoy the flushed look on her love's face.

"You are as well." Kyoko ran a hand through Shego's hair.

"I want to take my time and appreciate every part of you."

Kyoko blinked and then blushed. Before she could say anything, Shego came in for another kiss, slower than before. Kyoko moaned, openly for the whole room to hear. The sound vibrated through Shego, going down her spine, and settling in a warm space. This was going to be an amazing night.

-8-8-8-8-

Kyoko snuggled up close to Shego as they settled in for the night. This was typical how they slept when they had the chance to share a bed. It stemmed from Kyoko feeling safe with her and enjoying that feeling of security. Shego did not mind. She liked that Kyoko trusted her and believed in her to keep her from harm. She would do her best to make sure that nothing happened to Kyoko anyway.

Shego smiled to herself a little as she looked on Kyoko's sleeping face. Kyoko was worn out. Shego had never seen her so sated. She even slept with a smile on her face. Shego wanted to pat herself on the back. Instead, she settled deeper into the comfortable bed, revealing in the luxury around her as well as the lovely body against her.

"So far, so good," she mumbled to herself and then reached into the nightstand. She pulled out her gift, believing this would be a very good ending to the whole thing. Putting it away, she decided to get some sleep.

-8-8-8-8-

Sunlight graced the room with its warm presence. Shego woke up and stared at Kyoko more. She was still asleep and still smiling. It was a beautiful sight. She'll be even more beautiful when she sees what I got her.

Shego reached for her gift again and stared it with pride filling her. She could not wait for Kyoko to awake up, even though she was not sure how Kyoko would react to the gift. Kyoko had been so concerned about her money last night that she might get suspicious about how Shego got the present. She would never be able to tell Kyoko just what she had done, but she hoped to whatever divine being there was that Kyoko's face just lit up when she saw it.

"I just want to do right by her. Is that so wrong?" Shego mumbled to the air.

She had enjoyed getting Kyoko the gift. She had assumed she would feel guilty or something negative when she had did it, but nothing at all. All she felt was pleased she had been able to pull off such a job and in a delicate manner. She was also able to provide something wonderful for the girl she loved, not just the gift, but the whole night in general. Oh, she was pleased with the job she had done and that she had gotten her hands on some money in a fairly easily and enjoyable manner.

But, I will never do anything like that again. She could not break the law anymore. After all, her girl would undoubtedly be ashamed of her if she knew.

Besides, Shego was many things, but she was not a criminal. Sure, she was ill tempered, mostly when it came to people she perceived as stupid, and she was antisocial to a degree, but she was not a criminal. She liked to believe that no matter what, she was at least a good person.

So, she would not do it again, even though it was fun and she needed the money. Okay, maybe she would not do it unless she really, really needed to, but only when it was her last option, not counting asking her brothers for help, of course. After all, no one got hurt. It was not like she had done anything really wrong. And, places like that had insurance, which they would probably scam. What made them any different than her? So, it was settled, she would never do that again, unless it was the only option she had left.

Shego's attention was taken from her prize to her love. Kyoko moved against her, indicating she was waking up. She made little mewing noises, causing a smile to spread on Shego's face. Kyoko's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at the sight of Shego's grinning visage. Just the sweet expression made Shego feel special. I've got to do right by her. Kyoko deserves everything. She leaned down and greeted her girl with a tender kiss.

"Happy anniversary," Shego whispered as she pulled away from the embrace.

"That was yesterday," Kyoko pointed out in a warm, slightly sleepy voice.

Shego smiled. "To me, it's every day." And that was not a line.

Kyoko smiled back. "Charmer." She leaned in for another kiss, which lasted almost a minute.

"I do try. Here, this is your gift." Shego handed Kyoko the small box she held.

Kyoko turned her attention to the small box and gently took it from Shego's grip. She looked at Shego curiously as she began taking the wrapping paper off it. Shego had to resist the urge of tearing the paper off, even though she had put skill she did not even know she had into applying the grass and gold paper. Kyoko gave her a smirk, knowing how badly her slow paced teased Shego. Once Kyoko was finally done, she gasped in surprise. It was the golden triangle earrings.

"How did you…?" Kyoko asked in a low tone. Her eyes asked the question much better than she did. How in the hell could her financially strapped girlfriend buy her those lovely earrings?

"Nothing's too good for my girl," Shego remarked, reaching up to caress Kyoko's soft cheek. "Do you like them?"

"You know I do," she answered in an awed tone. She removed the jewelry from the box and tried putting them on, but her hands shook from joy. She was so overwhelmed her beloved did such a thing, buying her something that was well out of her budget.

"Here, let me." Shego eased the earrings into Kyoko's ears. When she was done, she cupped Kyoko's face and just admired her. "You look so beautiful."

"Thank you." Kyoko gave her girlfriend a kiss. "I love you."

Shego's chest puffed up just a little bit and she smiled so hard it felt like the expression would split her face open. "I love you, too."

Shego also loved that she was not asked about how she had gotten those earrings. It had been quite the adventure, but Kyoko would never approve. She had been surprised by how easy it was, but she planned it all out, scouted it, and it went off without a hitch. She had cut the rather simple alarm to the high-end jewelry store, swiping the earrings along with a few other items she had been able to sell on the street. She guessed it paid to know her city as well as she did. She knew just where to go to get rid of the stolen goods really quick.

It's great to have money, Shego noted. She had been able to treat Kyoko to things that she felt her girl deserved and she wanted to do it more often, which would require more money eventually. For the moment, she was good, though. But, what if one day she was not good?

If the jewelry store heist had proven anything, getting more money would not be a problem, but she told herself already that she was not going to do it anymore. She had to stick to that. She was not a thief, not a criminal. It was just that one time to make sure that her girlfriend had a good anniversary. That was all it was, she told herself.

Kyoko did not ask Shego where she got the money for the earrings or for anything else really. She really just wanted to focus on how great their anniversary had been. So, she gave Shego her gift, which was a photo album chronically their relationship until that point. Shego was speechless and only able to gasp, which was fine. Kyoko kissed Shego and occupied their time all of the way to checkout time.

"Thank you for such an amazing time," Kyoko said.

Shego practically melted at this. She wanted Kyoko to look at her as she was right now all the time. Kyoko stared at her as if she had hung the moon. So, yes, money was good for now, but eventually the money ran out and she wanted to continue treating Kyoko the way she deserved. Maybe Kyoko would just accept it, as she did this night.

-8-8-8-8-

"Shego, should you not be saving money? How are you able to shower me with such gifts?" Kyoko asked as Shego presented her with a textbook. They were in Kyoko's dorm with Kyoko at her desk.

Shego scoffed as she flopped down on the bed. "Babe, it's a textbook, not a gift. You needed it."

"Yes, I did require it, but you have to save your money. You cannot keep spending on me."

Shego smiled. "I like spending on you. Besides, one day, you'll be supporting us." She laughed to deflect the subject off of her.

Clearly, Kyoko started getting a bit suspicious as time went by and Shego started bringing her more gifts, things that were decidedly not textbooks. Sometimes, they were just school supplies, but more often than not they were baubles and trinkets. Shego could not stand by and want her girl miss out or end up in debt. She had to do something, right? Kyoko deserved to finish school.

But, gifts and textbooks were not cheap. Actually, some jewelry cost less than some textbooks. Kyoko was not stupid by far.

She could not figure out where Shego got the money for things. As far as Kyoko knew her girlfriend still worked a low paying job and should not have money to waste, as she seemed to be doing. Kyoko sighed.

"Shego, I do not mean to make it sound like you are incompetent when it comes to handling money, but I need you to be more frugal," Kyoko requested with her dark eyes shining.

Shego felt like an ass. Kyoko was so worried over her. She was the one who should do the worrying. Kyoko deserved better than her.

"It's fine, love. I want to be here for you. Don't worry about my money, please," Shego replied, hoping it would rid Kyoko of the worried look.

From then on, Kyoko did not say much about money, like she wanted to avoid insulting Shego. Shego ended up giving Kyoko gifts because she always had money left over after doing "jobs" due to "emergencies." Her definition of an emergency was expanding rapidly. It started out with her not being able to make her rent on time and then her needing money for food. When Kyoko needed textbooks, those, too, became "emergencies."

Now, it got to the point where Shego broke into places because she felt like she "needed" shoes. Well, she could not very well continue going around in the shoes she had once she nearly worn a hole in them, but it had not even occurred to her to save her up paycheck for new shoes. Now, whenever she needed something new, her mind went straight to breaking in somewhere.

After doing "jobs," she typically had money to waste and she liked wasting it on Kyoko. It made her feel good to see her girl smile at her. It made her feel outstanding knowing she could offer Kyoko things like a responsible adult could. It made her feel fantastic being able to stand on her own and not need her brothers' help in any way, shape, or form. It helped that she got an adrenaline rush when she did jobs. It was even better than the rush she used to get fighting villains.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the positives and negatives of Shego's new job.