To You I Belong, an invader zim fanfic

To You I Belong REVISED

By The Sole Survivor

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"Why does this happen?"

Renee Maxell moaned pathetically, walking slowly up the stairs to her room, each step she took making a loud boom. "Every time my sister brings home friends, they kick me off the frickin' computer and make me go upstairs!" She whined as she climbed the last of the stairs and stood outside her room with a forlorn expression. She looked around and opened the door quickly before slipping inside of it, closing and locking it. She sighed and slid down to the floor, her back against the door.

"Does Cass even like me anymore?" Renee sighed, stood and walked over to her small single bed she'd had since she entered childhood. "Oh well, no since in worrying about it now." She mused as she glanced about.

The many recognizable items around her room, even on the walls, made her smile. The familiar faces she'd gazed upon when she was younger brought back many good memories – Rugrats, CatDog, Invader Zim, Hey Arnold, SpongeBob Squarepants, even some anime like Full Metal Alchemist, Inuyasha, and Ouran High School Host Club…

Renee closed her eyes and lay down on her bed and curled up into a fetal position. "Sometimes I wish my life was more exciting…like more drama, love stuff, and maybe even some action. Just so I won't have to look at these walls every night." She thought about it for a minute and pictured a huge battle with giant machine guns and tanks raging war and people screaming in terror. That would never happen. The more she thought about it, the more cliché her fantasy had become.

"Renee, sweetie?" Renee groaned softly under her breath and clenched her teeth as she heard her mother's voice through the barricade that was her door. She put her arm over her face and uncurled herself, lying on her back. "Honey, are you decent?" She raised her arm slightly to stare at the door.

"Yes…Yes, I'm decent." She answered after a few moments, struggling very hard to make her voice clear of any dullness. The door opened slowly and she put her arm back over her eyes. Renee wanted to lie in peace and silence, not have her mother just sit with her in an awkward silence.

"Can I help you, mother?" She asked, sarcasm dripping her voice. Her mother scoffed and grinned.

"Hey! Well, I was gonna ask you if you were hungry or something." Renee raised an eyebrow and lifted her arm. She was fiddling with her hair and her gaze was directed out the window. Renee rolled her eyes and shook her head. She tried to remember the last time she ate and with a sense of alarm, realized she hadn't since the day before.

"I…guess so. Why? Are we going out?" The young Maxell asked, mildly eager. She sighed impatiently as her mother sat there and cut her eyes over to Renee's window. 'It's so annoying when she does that.' She put her arm back in front of her eyes. 'It's like she has trouble thinking up simple sentences.'

"Yeah, I think your Nana's gonna take you to Cracker Barrel or whatever places y'all go." Her mom got up and Renee felt the end she was sitting on bounce her up slightly from the mattress spring. She lowered her arm again to watch her. She was picking at her stuff and not making eye contact. She turned back to her daughter and then walked over to her closet, opening it and looking through it. "We need to take you shopping."

'Wow Mother, don't hurt yourself thinking up a subject.' Renee thought sarcastically.

"Don't need to. All my clothes fit me just fine." Renee hated going clothes shopping, especially for school clothes. It annoyed her greatly but she had to do it sooner or later because she will eventually grow out of them. And she would rather it be later with her grandmother. Sondra, her mother, sighed and pulled out a pair of jeans that had a few holes in them. She held it out in front of her like it had germs.

"But, your clothes are worn out. Aren't they uncomfortable?"

Renee sighed and got up; grabbing the jeans her mother held and threw them on her bed. She walked inside her closet and searched through her collection of black shirts before pulling a random one out, it being an Invader Zim shirt that said Run While You Can! with Zim laughing in the center. Ren glanced at it and threw it on the bed behind her. She closed her closet and locked it before heading to her dresser and taking out a bra. It joined the other items of clothing on her bed. She turned back to her mother.

"They're not uncomfortable, they feel fine. Now can I please dress in privacy?" She asked, a little impatient and gestured to her door. Sondra stood there, looking at her before she made a loud scoff noise and came to sit on her bed.

"I dressed you when you were a baby, you know. It's not like it'll matter if I see you naked." The young Maxell stood there, staring at her mother for the longest time. Renee could've sworn her eye twitched.

"Yes, it would. Because when a cute chubby baby gets older and turns into a child, they get to a point in their lives when they go through puberty. Do you know what that is? Things change and things expand." Renee reached behind her and held up her bra. "This is when these come in. You following me?" A little forcefully, she grabbed her mother's arm and tugged her up from the bed and pushed her to the door.

"I'd like some privacy. Please leave now." Renee repeated and pointed out into the hallway, her anger clearly showing in her eyes. Her mother eyed her before she finally left.

'I swear I'd like to take her outside and beat her on the sidewalk. With a waffle iron.' Sighing, she changed into her clothes and put on her Etnies before opening her door to suddenly jump, startled. Her mother was standing there, fiddling with her hair and had a slightly injured expression. Renee blinked up at her before she shook her head and walked around her into the bathroom to pull her hair up.

"I need to wash my hair." She murmured dully as she raked her hands through it, a disgusted look on her face. It was kinda greasy, but she decided to leave it at that. She didn't feel like trying to dry it. Her mom had followed her and watched as she pulled it up into a ponytail. When the teenager turned to look at her, Sondra was leaning over the sink and checking out her face, like she hadn't seen it in over 50 years. She began picking at her aging wrinkles and cut her eyes over at her youngest daughter.

"You know, you didn't have to be so rude." Her mother told her.

"Oh no, call the police, I've been rude." She rolled her eyes and groaned, walking out of the bathroom. Renee ran down the stairs and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. She didn't see Cassie or any of her friends anywhere so she walked into the TV room and put an Invader Zim disc in her PS2 to pass the time.

She hoped her mom would just leave her alone so she could watch her show, but the good Lord apparently didn't seem to be on her side today.

Sondra walked in the room and stood there, almost a little bit awkwardly. Renee wanted to throw the remote at her head but she resisted. Instead, she focused her attention on the Irken on the screen. Zim was much more appealing to her for some reason, she never honestly figured out why she liked him more than Dib. That was more than enough of a reason for her. She grinned before her mother's presence alerted her sixth sense and she sighed.

Finally, Renee decided to break the tension. "Look…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to snap at you." She kept her gaze on the TV screen and waited for her long thought out response when she realized she didn't feel her existence anymore. She turned slightly but didn't see her. In fact, she couldn't even see the hallway. The door was closed.

"Great…" Renee focused her eyes back on the TV when she felt her temper stabbing at her, begging to be released. With nothing to take her anger out on, she chucked the remote at the TV. It shattered loudly and glass flew everywhere, but she could care less. There were still some large pieces of glass protruding out from around the pitch blackness of the inside of the TV and what surprised her most was the faint voices she heard. Curious and a little bit confused, Renee got up and looked inside of it.

"Hello?" She called down into it. Her voice echoed and the voices stopped.

"Helloooo?" She shouted again before she was suddenly shoved from behind and she quickly found herself falling toward the abyss that was her television set. Renee yelped slightly in pain when the glass from the shattered TV pierced her stomach and scratched at her arms mercilessly. Crying out in pain, she held onto her stomach to keep it from bleeding and looked up, seeing a dark silhouette of her mother's face as she fell into the dark depths of the TV.

"Mom…?" Renee muttered and blinked warily before she blacked out.

..BREAK

"IS SHE DEAD MASTAH!? HUH?!"

"SILENCE! She's very much ALIVE for she is under the amazing care of the awesome Invader ZIIIM!" Renee groaned as his voice rang quite loudly in her ear.

'I knew he was loud, but this is ridiculous.'

She quickly decided she needed to turn the volume down on her television set before she stiffened, a cold chill running down her spine. In her memory, Zim and Gir had never spoken those words in the show before. Renee gulped and clenched her eyes tighter in anticipation. She tried to raise her hand but soon realized that she was unable to move her arms or legs.

Shocked, she opened her eyes to come face to face with a bright flash of cyan green. Renee blinked before reality struck her like a thousand bricks and a million ice cream trucks at the same time. The huge, round circular green eyes belonged to the malfunctioning SIR unit on Invader Zim. Then she did what any other sane person would do in her situation.

She panicked.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Her eyes were wide as she shrieked as loud as her vocal cords would allow.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Gir screamed back at her as if saying hello and fell off the side of what she was laying on. Renee began to do a series of breathing exercises and clenched her fists as she tried to calm her racing heart. She tried to focus her eyes as the screwed up android popped back up in her face, grinning widely. He held a large pink, bug-eyed pig in his hands. It oinked in her face and she flinched away from it with a grimace.

"The lady's awake, master!" Renee winced from his loud robotic, squeaky voice. She heard footsteps begin heading toward her out of her line of vision and seconds later, she felt a gloved hand poke her face none-to-lightly. Her eyes twitched and slid shut from the sudden contact as she tried to draw back from the unfamiliar touch.

"Awaken! I demand that you wake up in the presence of ZIM!" Renee growled and her eyes flashed open. She struggled to sit up in her restraints.

"I've been awake! Would you calm down?" Renee finally focused her eyes around her surroundings, taking it all in. Zim's lab looked almost the same as it did through the TV screen, all dark purples and pinks. The huge electrical wires were visible as well, and so was a large screen in the corner of the room. As her eyes made a sweep around his lab, her gaze finally landed on the small Irken Invader standing beside her. She felt her eyes widening and her mouth fell open.

Though nearly having the same stature and appearance as he had on television, she couldn't help but think he looked more…real. But she couldn't help but think that his large alien eyes were much more vibrant and shimmery in person than what you could see on television. Then those large shiny eyes narrowed dangerously and his fuzzy antennae lay flat against his shiny skull as the tiny Irken glared at her.

"Who sent you?!" Ren looked back up at him, her mouth clamping shut.

"What are you talking –?"

"Silence!" Zim's eyes narrowed even further and his lip curled in pure hatred and suspicion while he regarded her.

A sharp pang of pain alerted her to her abdomen. Renee winced and glanced from Zim to her stomach. Thick bandages were wrapped securely around her wound and she noticed she had some band aids on her arms as well. She sighed and her head flopped back down on the table she was still strapped to.

"Well…I don't know how I got here, but my name is Renee." She told him after sensing his radiating anger at his impatience of her answer. "Um…you can call me Ren, if you like." She continued and averted her gaze to the SIR unit on the other side of the Irken.

"TACOS!" Gir shouted randomly, causing both Zim and Renee to glance at him for half a second.

"Wait a minute…" Zim muttered and suddenly, his glare had diminished and a large grin split his face as his antennae rose above his head. "My Tallest… they sent you here, didn't they?"

"Uh… wait, w-what?" Renee stuttered and gaped at him. How on earth could he come up with such a silly explanation as that? She looked nothing like him, and yet he confused her to be sent from his leaders?

What was going on?

"What are you talking about? I'm a human being. I didn't come from your…planet. Or from anywhere near it." She said and Zim's grin faded. Even Gir turned to stare at her. Seconds went by as she stared back at them, her mind whirling in confusion.

"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Suddenly, Zim burst into maniacal laughter and from the force of his glee; he'd bent over to hold his stomach he was cackling so strongly and Gir must have felt the need to join him as he laughed. Renee blinked and raised an eyebrow as the two rolled around on the floor in laughter.

"That's a good one!" Zim choked out in his laughter. "You think you're a human?" He continued to laugh but calmed down when he saw her confused but slightly irritated expression. "Eh…? You…think you're one of those filthy earth creatures?" He asked again, his antennae rising slightly. Renee frowned faintly.

"Well yeah… I mean… what else could I be?" Zim closed an eye halfway and stuck his jaw out slightly, looking like he was contemplating something before he reached over and unlocked her restraints by pressing a button on the side of the table. Renee blinked at him, frozen for a second. She took in a deep breath and flinched as she sat up and rubbed her wrists. She turned to face him and picked at her bandages. Zim began muttering to himself.

"Her Pak must've been damaged from the delivery… why else for her amnesia? Or… it is possible the Tallest sent me a defective by mistake…?" He trailed off and looked back up at her. Zim hummed and began to strut around the table she was situated on, the shiny parts of his eyes moving about. Renee's eyebrows shot up and she felt her face burning with a blush. She growled and tried to cover herself from his scrutinizing gaze. He was really starting to get on her nerves.

"Hey, watch it, buddy! I am human! I'm not an alien!" Renee shouted before she paused as something occurred to her.

Slowly, she glanced down and gaped. Her skin wasn't soft tanned peachy human color, but a pale alien green. Raising a hand, she wiggled not five, but three claws in disbelief. Then carefully, she reached up and felt around her bald head before finding two stick-like appendages jutting out. They twitched to her surprise and then lowered to her skull. She ran a hand down one of them and found out they were pretty long and curly. Wrapping her fingers around one of them, she tugged it gently in front of her vision. She uncurled the thin course antennae and hummed, releasing it to let it swing behind her.

Renee grinned. "I really am an Irken, aren't I?"

Zim blinked and cocked his head, staring at her. "Yes… yes you are." He muttered and waved a hand in her direction, one eye narrowed. Renee's grin widened and her gaze traveled back to her three-pronged hands when Zim moved in her peripheral vision, causing her to glance back at him.

"And since you're my new assistant, that means you're ranked below me…" Zim pondered this before grinning sadistically at her. Renee felt her spine tingle and her antennae flattened against her skull. "Stand at attention, low-level drone!" The male Irken shouted at her as he pointed to the ground in front of him.

There was a pause.

Zim cracked open an eye and noticed Renee giving him a mixture of expressions, skepticism and irritation being the most dominant. He cleared his throat. "Eh…that means you stand in front of me… at attention." Renee blinked and narrowed her eyes, her mouth pursing. "You know, hence the 'at attention' and…'drone' part." Zim continued, his voice growing more and more soft.

She cocked her head slightly and her hands clenched into fists as her stomach quenched in pain. A quick glance down, she noticed that a dark purple blood was beginning to seep through the bandages. She growled under her breath.

"Zim…" Renee began calmly, her voice steadily rising. "Would you just shut up? I wasn't sent by your leaders and I'm certainly not doing anything you say, so butt out!" She bellowed and quickly jumped to her feet. Renee gasped in agony as her wounds protested this action, seeing as they weren't healed. She cursed and crossed her arms over the already blood soaked bandages. She turned back to Zim with a heated glare.

His surprised expression quickly disappeared and his antennae flattened as his lip curled. He stomped toward her and pointed up at her. She averted her gaze and almost smacked herself in the face as she thought about how adorable he looked when he was just beyond pissed, and how much his eyes seemed to glow in his anger. She willed herself not to give in to his demands. As far as she was concerned, Zim never usually had anybody listen to him. She wasn't about to start.

So she was bound determined to be a big pain in his ass so long as he didn't blast her into next week. Or kick her out. Whatever came first.

"You will do as you are told! As long as you are in my base and the fact that I bandaged your wounds, you should be grateful I didn't let you rot where you fell, or throw you out into the street to let you get captured!" He started to pace then. Angry curses were thrown around as she watched him from atop the table, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"That actually sounds better than this." She grumbled and sighed, turning away. Zim stopped, his antennae twitching. Slowly, his green head turned toward her and he growled deep in his throat. He took in a deep breath and stuck out his hand, pointing to the ground beside him.

"Get down from there and come here." His voice was hard and stern. Renee blinked owlishly at him as the tone of his voice caused her to shudder. Quickly, she cleared her throat, attempting to maintain her dignity and fight down the blush on her face.

"As much as I like being with cute Irkens such as yourself, I don't feel like moving. I'm kind of in pain if you can't tell." She snapped and gestured to her abdomen area, ignoring the way his antennae raised high above his head. Rolling her eyes, she eased herself down onto her knees and slowly slid off the table, thankful it wasn't that high to begin with. Once her feet were on solid ground, she sighed in relief and ran a hand over her stomach with a grimace. "This sucks…" She groaned and began limping away.

Suddenly, Gir scurried from his spot, knocking Zim over in the process before barreling over to Renee with a moose and shoved it in her face. She yelped and fell backwards on her bum in surprise before she winced and clutched at her gut.

"GIR!" Zim shouted, but was promptly ignored due to certain circumstances.

"Don't be sad, lady! I'll make you some waffles!" Gir screamed at her before he took off, screeching through the halls about rubber pigs and biscuits.

"I…okay…" Renee muttered. Ignoring the Irken Invader, she hopped up and limped over to a point in the wall and sat down, wincing as she tried to straighten her back and keep comfortable at the same time. It didn't seem to be helping. Zim stood and watched her with interest, his eyes narrowed slightly. He huffed and grabbed his antennae in frustration.

"Stop being so stubborn and just do what I say! You're in pain and you need my help!" He stormed over to where she sat against the wall and pointed at her dramatically. "ADMIT IT!"

"Go away." Renee moaned and gently pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her forehead against them. Zim glanced down and sighed when he saw blood seeping heavily through her bandages around her waist. The Irken gritted his teeth and slapped his forehead, dragging it slowly down his face.

"Here," He said quietly, extending a hand down to her. Renee hurriedly glanced up and stared at his hand, her eyes wide. When she continued to do nothing but stare at his hand, he growled, his antennae twitching. "Take my hand!" He ordered harshly and shook it in her face. Renee gave him a dry look before she lifted her arm and placed her hand gently in his. Zim tightened his hand around hers, pausing before he jerked her up into a standing position.

Renee grunted in pain and hissed, clutching at her stomach and tightened her hands unconsciously. Zim quickly shook off her hand as it was starting to become just a little too tight. "Thanks…" She murmured and his antennae shifted.

"Mmhm." He grumbled and crossed his arms as he glared at her.

"MASTAH!" Gir screamed as he unexpectedly propelled into the lab, slamming into everything that was breakable. Experiment tubes, glass jars and even the large screen were destroyed. Renee's head snapped up and watched in wide-eyed astonishment while Zim seethed beside her. The SIR unit slid to a stop in front of the female Irken and grinned happily at her, waving. "Hi!"

"GIR! What have you done?!" Zim screeched. He snatched the robot from the floor and chucked him into the nearby room. "Stay out of here! Zim commands you!"

"Okie-dokie!" Gir called from the hallway. Renee grinned and shook her head, turning and began walking toward the direction Gir was thrown in. Zim noticed this and shouted after her.

"Hey! Where are you going?" She turned her head and gazed at him from the corner of her eye.

"I'm going to go hang with Gir, seeing as he's better company than you." She remarked and almost burst out laughing at the angry expression on his face. Zim growled and scurried after her.

"Zim is good company!" He protested and came to a stop in front of her. "ZIM is amazing company!" She blinked and gave him a disbelieving look.

"Oh really?" She asked before she grunted and clutched at her injury. "Ow man…this really hurts." She moaned and sank to her knees. Zim watched her carefully before he knelt in front of her, his eyes narrowed as he studied her.

Renee was, much to his displeasure, taller than he was. She even appeared to be taller than Tak, if he could remember correctly. He was almost jealous of her long antennae, and how they curled at the tips. Renee's large blue eyes were almost hypnotic if he stared long enough at them and her little eyelashes were almost invisible. Her attire wasn't like that of any other Irken drone, he noticed. She wore what seemed to be a black earth shirt and blue jeans with sneakers. He grimaced. He blinked as Renee glanced up at him, her eyes tearing up slightly in her agony.

"Do you have anything that could help -?" She started but he cut her off.

"You should be bandaged again, or you'll bleed everywhere. Follow me." Zim ordered tonelessly, stood and walked out of the room. Renee blinked after him, her eyes wide. With a grunt, she heaved herself into a standing position and followed after him. Zim led her down the hall and into another room, smaller than the one before. It had one small experimental table, a small screen and what looked like medical equipment everywhere.

Renee slowly walked in the room, her eyes roaming everywhere in the tiny room, her mouth agape. Zim glared at her.

"Close your mouth, drone. You look like you've never seen an Irken med bay before." Snapping her lips shut, she glowered angrily at him and carefully pulled herself onto table, silently praising herself for not letting out that cry of pain that had built up in her throat.

"Well, excuse me for never getting injured before." She replied hotly as Zim rolled his eyes and pulled out what looked to be the earth equivalent of a First-Aid kit.

"Lay down." He instructed when he walked up to her. Renee eyed the tiny box as he opened it, revealing many items for medical reasons, such as bandages, band aids, anesthetic, and a couple shots of blue liquid. She gulped at the large needles and forced herself to look away.

"Well um…is it necessary for you to…do it?" Renee asked him after a moment of silence. Zim paused and his eyes narrowed. His lip trembled in anger as he glared at her and he slammed the bandages and anesthetic on the table beside her. He turned away from her.

"Then do it yourself, drone." He snarled at her and crossed his arms, watching her from the corner of his eye. Renee glanced down at the table, staring at the bandages. "Well?" Zim prompted, sounding almost smug. She glanced at him and saw a smirk on his face. She glared and snatched the supplies from the table. Then she looked down at her injury and hesitated. Slowly, she glanced up at him with a meek expression.

"Ah…Could you…?" She murmured and wordlessly held them out to him. Zim's smirk widened before he frowned, his brow creasing as he made his way back to her.

"I thought so." Zim remarked. Renee sighed and hung her head as he began to untie the knot he'd done earlier and remove the soiled bandages. After forcefully yanking the bit of wrap that had been stuck to her tender skin, she hissed and curled in on herself. She glowered at him when he turned to get the anesthetic. Shaking the can, he pressed down the nozzle and sprayed it mercilessly over her wound. Her eyes widened and she yelped, turning away from it.

"Hey! Watch it!" She cried, slapping the can away. Zim smirked and grabbed the clean bandages.

"Be still." He ordered. Renee glared but obliged. After a moment's hesitation, she figured she should say something, anything to him to break the silence.

"Thank you…for helping me…" She muttered and he paused, the bandages in his hands before he quickly began wrapping them around her waist. "I really…appreciate it…Zim…" She grumbled softly to herself, not truly expecting a response as he continued to wrap her up.

To her surprise, he mumbled back at her, "You're welcome, now shut up…" Renee buttoned up and nodded silently, trying to ignore her Irken equivalent of a stomach twisting nervously. As soon as he was done, he nodded in satisfaction and put away the rest of the bandages and anesthetic while Renee watched him, poking at her new wrap.

"You're finished; now get out of my med bay." He snapped at her and pointed a claw toward the exit. She rolled her eyes and eased herself down from the table. She stopped in the doorway, blocking his path when he tried to follow her out. He bumped into her and growled.

"Alright, I've been thinking about it." She interrupted his rant he'd been getting ready to throw at her. "If I'm going to be your assistant, that means I'm a rank above Gir. Deal?" She told him and grinned when he pushed past her. As he stomped down the hall, he whipped back to face her.

"FINE! But don't expect better treatment, drone!" He called to her and began goose-stepping away. Renee sighed. Even though it pained her, she didn't want to have to go find Dib. Suddenly, Zim turned around and pointed at her.

"YOU! Distract Gir while I do experiments!" Renee blinked and ran after him.

"Can I help you with the experiment instead?" Zim glanced at her and frowned. She'd always wanted to work with experiments and most of all, help Zim do his evilness. The invader glared at her and crossed his arms and she literally deflated. Sighing, she nodded. "Ah, fine, I'll go play with Gir."

"Excellent! Now off with you! I've got a mutant pig-monkey in the lab that's dying to be electrified…" He added with a sadistic grin and ran off almost too gleefully. Renee stared after him with wide eyes.

"Well, alright then…" She mumbled and headed in the direction that Gir had been in. Stepping foot into the room, she glanced around. "Hey, Gir? You still here?"

"Hi, lady! Wanna play with Mr. Piggy?!" The android shouted in Renee's ear suddenly, shoving the pig in her face.

"AAH! GIR!" Renee yelped and leapt forward away from the crazy SIR unit. She growled and grabbed her antennae in frustration. "Okay, yeah, let's play with the stupid pig…" Renee muttered, snatching the rubber pig roughly. The second she eased herself down on the ground, she glanced up and found him nowhere to be seen.

"What the –" Groaning in disbelief, she held the pig in the air and wordlessly dropped it with a sigh. "So much for playing with Mr. Piggy." Grunting, she heaved herself into a standing position once again and took off in the direction she'd seen Zim go in. The huge hallways, dimly lit by the low lights on the floor, created such a mysterious setting. She swallowed a bit thickly but continued onward, coming to a large door near the end. It slid open swiftly, making Renee jump slightly and glanced inside the equally dark room.

"Whoa…"

Minimal light was provided and she sighed, her hand out in front of her as she groped for something to grab onto. From what she could see, there was nothing but large tubes, the shine of a large communication system near the back and crackling light coming from the center of the room. She blinked. Making her way towards it, she noticed the familiar silhouette of her "superior". Renee then noticed that instead of hunched over the experiment, he had his hands in the air and was laughing insanely. She raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"Talk about being cliché." Renee muttered under her breath.

With a wide grin, she crept up behind him as he finished laughing, ready to scare the skittles out of him when he started talking.

"At last! My greatest experiment complete!" He shouted to his ceiling and Renee rolled her eyes silently. His hand suddenly appeared before her face, his claw extended behind her as she jerked in surprise, her eyes wide. "Since you're here, go and get the…" Zim paused and twirled his wrist as it came to him. "AH yes, the Attach-inator…thingy." He ordered and chuckled somewhat evilly under his breath. Renee blinked and glanced behind her, finding a table filled with different items of experimental use.

She sighed and saluted him.

"Yes sir." She answered sarcastically and trudged over to the table, her shoulders slumped. Sweeping her gaze over the entire length of the table, she groaned and turned her head to face Zim. "I don't even know what an attach-a-majigit looks like. Why don't you come get it?" She asked him and glanced back at the long table. Behind her, Zim growled and not long after she heard his footsteps heading her way. He stopped right behind her and reached around her arm for the machine, brushing against her as he did so. Her Irken heart began jumping erratically and she felt her face flush.

Zim either didn't notice or he didn't care as he picked up some odd contraption that looked like it couldn't attach a thing to anything and lowered one eye at her. She couldn't help it. She felt very odd, her heart was leaping around and she could've sworn her face felt like it was on fire. She automatically stepped away from his close proximity. Zim's eyes narrowed.

"Right, there it is…" She mumbled and rubbed at her arm where she'd felt his accidental touch, the skin tingling.

"You should've known to start with, drone. Have you the brains?" He snapped and stomped back to his experiment, drilling something quite loudly and she winced. It sounded painful. Slowly, she made her way back to where he was conducting experiments and rocked back on her heels.

"So…want I should help?" She asked and almost cringed when something, sounding like a bone, snapped. Zim paused in what he was doing and glanced at her before facing forward.

"I don't need your help." He muttered, loud enough for her to hear. Renee sighed before a thought struck her.

"What would you say if I told you I can be extremely annoying when I want to be?" She asked and waited, looking entirely too innocent. The male Irken stopped again and his eyes narrowed.

"Yes… I'm beginning to realize this…"

"No!" Renee huffed. "I meant I could probably go do some undercover work or something while you do…" She paused and glanced down at what he'd been working on and shuddered. Whatever it had been, it wasn't anymore. "…this." She finished, trying to look like she hadn't been about to regurgitate her breakfast. Switching her gaze back to Zim, she noticed he looked like he was considering her offer. Then slowly, she watched as a sadistic grin grew on his face. She blinked and leaned forward.

"Did you think of something?" She asked, eager to get out of his base and away from that…thing. Zim appeared to not be listening as he strode away from his dead thing and pressed a button on a wall, his eyes narrowing. The lights lit up in the room, making Renee squint and shield her eyes.

"Prepare yourself, drone!" Zim shouted as a loud roar of a machine came to life. A small tube extended from the ceiling and touched down right in front of her. She stepped back in suspicion, her hands up in preparation. Suddenly, a small hole opened up in the tube and something small hit her directly in the forehead. She yelped and fell to the ground, moaning in pain. Zim came up to her and picked up the small object. She glared at it and rubbed at her forehead and clutched at her abdomen, her face twisted in pain. She waited until Zim looked down at her before she spoke.

"Oww!" She gestured to her head and stood, glaring hatefully at him. He smirked and held his hand out with the device on it. Renee pursed her lips and peered at it. "What is it?" She asked and hesitantly picked it up. Suddenly, it morphed and wrapped itself around her wrist, molding tightly. She gasped and shook her hand. "H-hey! Get it off!" She cried. Zim slapped her hand and glared at her, making her freeze and blink at him.

"Stop moving around! It won't hurt you." He ordered and turned to face his large screen. She glanced down at the device before following his gaze. "This is the Hologram 2.0, and it should give you the illusion of a fffiilthy human dirt child." He announced and Renee turned wide eyes back to the contraption.

"For real?" She grinned and held it up in front of her eyes. "That's amazing!" Zim cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

"Yes, well… don't break it!" He shouted, making her wince. "Press the button on the side of it and it should –" He stopped speaking after she pushed it and waited.

Renee's form flickered before it changed her appearance from an Irken to a human being. Her bald head grew long brunette hair, antennae disappearing within. Her eyes shrunk from large alien eyes to blue human eyes, and her skin tone changed and other human like qualities grew as well. There was no change in her attire, and the Hologram 2.0 was still visible, she noticed with some relief. After looking over herself, she nodded in satisfaction.

"Pretty awesome." She commented and posed in front of him. "How does it look?" Zim narrowed one eye and stuck out his bottom jaw before he grunted.

"Like a filthy human dirt child. Now leave." He growled and pushed her toward the exit. Renee glared back at him. "Go and bother the Dib-beast. He hasn't been tortured today. Now off with you!" He cried and pressed a button, causing a chute to come from the ceiling, completely swallow her up and hurl her to the main level of his base. She screamed through her teeth when she landed, her stomach protesting the harsh movement. Growling a curse, she limped to her feet and groaned.

"Oh man… that was painful… I think I need new bandages…" She mumbled and almost crawled to the front door before it burst open and Gir strolled in wearing his dog suit carrying a Suck Monkey. Slurping loudly on the drink, he hopped on the sofa and stared at the blank television. Renee watched in dumbfounded silence, her eyes wide.

"Um…"

Gir turned to face her. "HI!" He shouted before continuing his loud, obnoxious slurping. Renee tilted her head and crawled to her feet slowly and stood before the SIR unit.

"Hey…wanna come with me to Dib's place?" She asked him. She hoped he'd come – she had no idea where Dib lived. Gir abruptly threw his Suck Monkey to the floor and leapt off the couch. Renee glanced down at the mess in shock. "Well…" She began but was interrupted.

"I'm coming big-headed kid!" Gir bellowed as he shot out the door. Renee's eyes widened and took off after him.

"Wait! Slow down!"

..BREAK

"GAH! Why won't you…? AARRGHH!" Zim screeched and his spider legs protruded from his pak, obliterating his pig-monkey-whatcha-majigit he'd been working on. He glared and shook his fist at the charred mess. "That is what you get for not fusing, you horrible creature!" He yelled and smacked it from the table. Zim didn't honestly understand why he just took his anger out on his latest research. Nor why he sent the drone after the Dib. Snarling, he dragged his hand down his face, his eyes narrowing.

"Computer, dispose of this mess."

"But master, there's nothing –" The computer started but Zim pointed to the ceiling.

"Do as I say!"

A beeping noise echoed through the base and mechanical arms came down from the ceiling and grabbed the black remains, throwing it into a chute which launched it out of the base and into another human residence, earning a loud screech from the family that lived there. Zim's antennae twitched and he clenched his fists. "This young Irken drone is getting on my last nerve." He muttered darkly to himself. He didn't even know why she got on his nerves. She was supposed to obey him and what does she do? He growled.

"She's too stubborn!" He screamed and grabbed his antennae in frustration. "She's a drone and she doesn't even follow the simplest order!" Seething, he hung his head. "Computer, take me to the main level." The spot he was standing on lifted and carried him through the other levels of his lab before he found himself in the main level of his base. He looked around and realized that Gir was gone. He must've gone with the drone to the Dib's place.

Zim grumbled and walked over to the couch and turned on the TV to watch something to pass the time. He found an earth network broadcasting some live-action medical drama with doctors running around trying to diagnose a patient's medical problems while he died. It was all very sad. Zim grinned and laughed loudly, pointing at the screen.

"Pathetic medical human fools!"

..BREAK

"Gir…" Renee muttered and grabbed the top of the android's head. "Are you sure this is where Dib lives?" She asked, standing before the giant house with the electrical fence.

"Yep!" Gir confirmed before skipping merrily to the front door. Renee hummed in thought and followed him.

"Looks…smaller on television…" She commented with a small smile. "Alright, here goes nothing." She sighed and rang the door bell. Waiting for a few minutes, she tried again, pursing her lips in aggravation. Just as she thought they weren't home, Renee heard a loud boyish shriek, and a loud crash as something shattered. Blinking in surprise, she tried to look in through the window and saw only darkness.

Suddenly, the door flung open, startling Renee. She quickly stepped back a few feet. Standing in the doorway was none other than Dib Membrane, panting as he bent over, his hands on his knees.

"Sorry for the…wait!" He gasped out and finally stood. "Gaz was just…" He trailed off once he got a good look at her. He blinked and held out his hand with a friendly smile. "Hi! My name is Dib –" He cut himself off when his gaze traveled to Gir standing at Renee's feet. His eyes widened and he jerked away from her. He pointed dramatically at her. Renee stared blankly at him. "You! Who are you? And why do you have that alien's robot?" He shouted, his eyes narrowing into a suspicious glare. Renee's eyebrows rose into her hairline and she pointed at Dib.

"Wow…your head really is huge!" She gasped out with a large grin. "Can I poke it?" She asked.

"What?" Dib asked, shocked before he snapped, "No! Don't touch it! It's not big!" He tried to wrap his tiny arms around it, but realizing he couldn't, he sighed. "What do you want?" He finally asked, not showing any hospitality.

"Well…" She paused and raised a finger as she thought about what to say. "Um… I'm from… Kansas? Yeah, and I came to visit my cousin… Larry? And… I'm going door to door to… introduce myself? And I found this green…dog down the road so… he followed me here." Renee told him, an uncertain look on her face. For a moment, he just stared at her. Gaz appeared behind Dib, startling both her brother and Renee.

"Let her in. She's obviously not an alien. She doesn't have green skin, so be nice, Dib." Gaz snapped and shoved her brother aside. Renee hesitated in the doorway before slithering past the younger Membrane and scurrying to the couch.

"Thanks…Gaz." The Irken in disguise muttered. Gaz grunted and pulled out her Game Slave, pressing buttons rapidly on the console. Dib slowly walked to the couch and sat beside her, staring at her the whole time, one eyebrow raised. Renee blinked at him and tapped her fingers together as her eyes traveled up his hair scythe. Tentatively, she reached out a hand to touch it when he glared at her.

"Don't even think about it." He growled as he leaned away from her. She sighed and dropped her hand.

"So…" Renee started before she grinned. "How you been?" She asked cheerily. Dib blinked at her.

"Oh, I've been pretty good. I've recently gotten over a cold and –" He stopped and narrowed his eyes at her. "Nice try…" He muttered. "I still don't trust you." He added, crossing his arms and sinking into the couch. Renee sighed and leaned back, wincing slightly when her stomach tingled in pain.

"Alright, so you don't trust me. That's fine." She began, her tone nonchalant. Dib raised an eyebrow. "I never gave you any reason to trust me before, but you haven't kicked me out yet." She told him with a small grin. Dib hesitantly smiled back at her.

"Where did you say you came from?" He asked. Renee blinked.

"…Connecticut?" Dib seemed to buy that and nodded.

"I was born here, in this small town. Me and Gaz grew up in this house with our dad, Professor Membrane." Dib told her as he gazed at the couch cushion. Renee's eyes wandered around his living room while he talked. "What about you? Did you grow up in…Connecticut?" He prodded. Renee shook her head.

"No…I actually grew up in…" She paused and sighed. "I was born in a city, not this one though, me and my sister both were." She felt a slight pang in her heart as she mentioned her sister. "My mom, my dad, my sister Cassie and I used to have such fun together." She mumbled and enlaced her fingers together on her lap, staring at them. She could feel Dib's gaze on her face and she tried to ignore it. Renee stopped herself, wondering why she was revealing so much to him. Dib sighed beside her.

"Okay, I take it back. I trust you a little." He muttered and scooted closer to her. Renee smiled a bit.

"Thanks." She murmured and sighed. "So…" Dib blinked at her. "Can I touch your hair now?" She asked with a pleading pout on her face. He recoiled almost immediately, his face appalled. She grinned.

"What? No! You can't touch it!" He cried and covered his head, or what he could touch, with his arms. Renee's grin widened and she scooted after him.

"Just for a second?" She whined and reached out her hand. Dib avoided her finger like she had the plague.

"No! Stay away!" He shouted as he leapt from the couch, his eyes wide. Renee burst out laughing and fell face first into the couch cushion. Dib glared at her. "Don't tease me!" She pushed herself up with a cringe and chuckled.

"But it's so much fun." She added and for a second, she could've sworn she saw Dib's face flush. Suddenly, Renee froze, her eyes wide. She leapt up from the couch with a yelp and began searching through his living room before she flung open the front door. "Oh man…" She moaned before she closed the door, leaning against it. Dib raised an eyebrow.

"What's the matter?" The paranormal investigator asked. Renee waved her hand as a sign for him to drop it and stood.

"Oh it's no big deal. I was just…wondering where that strange dog went off to." She replied, her eyes downcast and she slowly made her way back to her place on his couch. Dib watched her, looking curious and followed her, pulling himself up next to her. Hesitantly, he touched her arm.

"Hey, are you okay?" Dib asked again.

Renee didn't know what it was that forced her to open up to him. She didn't know what it was that made her feel like she had to, or made her feel that she'd never get the opportunity again if she didn't take the chance now. But as soon as she heard his question, tears burst from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She sobbed silently and prayed that Dib would ignore it. She always would get too emotional when people showed concern for her. Lowering her head, she took in a deep, shaky breath.

"Whoa! Hey, did I say something wrong?" And just like that, Dib panicked. Renee shook her head quickly and lifted her head, swiftly wiping her eyes in one fluid motion.

"No, it wasn't you." She said, her voice cracking.

All of the stress she'd taken in that day had finally caught up to her in one moment, and just begged to be let out as soon as Dib asked that one simple question. Renee's eyes watered again and suddenly, she found herself in an embrace and gasped. Glancing beside her, she saw through her tears that Dib had flung himself at her and wrapped his arms around her neck in a panicked, last resort, comforting hug. She hiccupped and returned the hug by wrapping her arms around his torso.

"I'm…sorry…" She mumbled and buried her face in his neck. She felt his skin quiver as she exhaled. Dib shook his head and began rubbing a tentative hand down her back.

"It's okay." He told her comfortingly and Renee had to smile. She liked when people were concerned for her, but she always had issues with how much they showed. Leaning back, she gave Dib a grin.

"Thanks." She mumbled before she struck out with her hand and snagged his hair scythe. Dib did a strange cross between a gasp and a yelp and his hands automatically went up to his head. "Got it!" She yelled and laughed before she released him. Dib fell face first into the cushion. He held himself up and glared at her.

"Hey!" He cried and sat up. "That was unnecessary!" Renee shrugged and sighed, standing.

"Where'd Gaz go off to? She kind of…vanished." It was Dib's turn to shrug. "Oh well, guess I'll head back to…my Cousin Freddie's house." She faked a yawn and stretched before she remembered her stomach and grit her teeth as she stretched the skin and curled in on herself. "Ouch… Note to self, don't put arms above head."

"Okay." Dib nodded and followed her to his door. "Thanks for stopping by and…introducing yourself." Renee waved.

"No problem. Bye Dib!" She called as she ran down his pathway and on the sidewalk, disappearing from his view. As soon as she got to the street corner, she sighed and groaned. "Ah man… how am I gonna make it back to Zim's house without Gir?"

"You could ask." Renee gasped and whipped around. Zim, in his normal human disguise, stood with Gir, in his dog suit, on a leash. Either it was the way his funky fake Elvis-like wig sat on his head hiding his antennae from view or the fact that if she looked at him just right she could see the ruby tint underneath his lavender contacts, she suddenly felt a little too warm. She flushed and cleared her throat. "I thought I told you to annoy the Dib-human, drone." He continued, having no idea of her inner struggles.

"Well…" She began but was cut off when Zim pushed past her. She blinked and scurried after him. "Are you heading back to your base?" She asked hopefully. He glared at her.

"Why, did you get lost?" He snapped. Renee glared back.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I don't exactly live here, y'know!" Zim rolled his contact covered eyes.

"You don't exactly have the perfect sense of direction either." He added with a smirk while she gaped at him.

"You don't know that!" She cried as she saw they had made it back to Zim's cul-de-sac. The invader ignored her and continued on to his base, Gir skipping merrily along after him. Renee stared after him, her eyes wide in bewilderment. Stopping at his door, he turned halfway to glance at her.

"Are you coming, or what?"

"What - but I –" Renee stuttered with her finger extended before she sighed, nodded and trudged along after him.

"What happened?" He asked as soon as they were inside. Renee paused, her hand still on the door knob as she shut the door. Confused, she turned to face him, her own disguise still on as she gazed into his contact covered mauve eyes.

"What do you mean?" Zim's eyes narrowed and he stepped toward her.

"The Dib didn't look all that annoyed when you left." The invader mentioned and Renee's eyes widened. She thought back to what she'd seen after she began teasing Dib. She had made him blush. She quickly averted her gaze and cleared her throat, a blush on her cheeks. "In fact…I'd say he looked someone pleased…" Renee fiddled with the contraption around her wrist, her eyes downcast.

"Well…it's not like I…I-I'm sure I annoyed him a little when I tried to touch his hair…" She murmured and winced when Zim growled.

"A little?" Zim repeated, looking clearly offended. "I specifically told you to torture the human, and I see you playing with him and not in the bad way!" He shouted at her, closing distance fast. Renee's mind went blank.

"What?!" She shrieked as she growled at him as he reached her. He glared up at her, his eyes blazing behind his contacts. "I didn't! I didn't even think about being nice to him at all and…" She stopped and her eyes narrowed slightly. She took a few steps back. "You…were spying on me?" She asked, her voice almost a whisper. It was Zim's turn to shrink and he actually managed to look ashamed for a millisecond. It almost made her want to take off his disguise and snap a picture of him, he looked that pitiful. Then as soon as it was there, it was gone. Shaking his head, he growled.

"That's not important! You disobeyed a direct order, drone!" Zim snapped at her, his hands clenched into fists. "You are supposed to be programmed to follow my every command, and yet you disobey!"

"Hey, I left your stupid base when you told me to!" Renee defended herself.

"SILENCE! You are defective, you show emotions when you're not supposed to at all and you made happy with the Dib-human when you were supposed to be annoying him!" Zim shook his fist at her while Renee gaped at him, her eyes wide. "You are out of control, drone! You have crossed the line! From now on, you will be monitored by me and the computer, seeing as you can't be trusted to follow an order in enemy territory –"

SMACK!

Startled, Zim fell back, his eyes widened and his mouth flew agape. Renee stood before him, her eyes shadowed by her fake bangs and her hand still raised in the 'smack-you-silly' pose. Slowly, she lifted her head, her eyes narrowed dangerously. Even Zim couldn't help the chill that ran down his spine at her glare, but he forced himself to remain strong. She was just a drone, after all. Very softly, she began to speak and his antennae hidden by his wig rose to hear her.

"I don't belong here…" She murmured. "I never wanted to come here. But for some unknown reason, I was pushed through that television screen and fell into your lab." Zim raised a hand to speak but she quickly silenced him by continuing forcibly. "I never asked to be here, I never asked to be an Irken, and I certainly never asked to be bossed around by you. You can't control me…" Pausing for a second, Renee took in a deep breath.

"I don't belong to you, Zim!" She screeched before turning and bursting out the door, disappearing from sight. Zim sat there, his eyes wide before he blinked and slowly stood to his feet. Staring out the open door, his eyes narrowed and he walked to the door, his hand on the knob.

"Good riddance…" He grumbled. As soon as he shut the door, thunder shook the entire house, causing Zim to freeze. Glancing toward the window, he saw lightning flash as dark storm clouds filled the sky. Blinking, he opened the door and stood on his doorstep, gazing in the direction Renee had run off in. Shaking his head, he turned around, rubbing his stinging cheek. "She was stupid enough to run out into it. She can deal with it." He muttered and slammed the door behind him.

..BREAK

Panting, Renee ran blindly through the streets. She knew she was lost. She knew she probably wouldn't be able to find her way back to Zim's base even if she wanted to. She was too far gone to even care. He'd pissed her off and she'd smacked him, startling him so bad he couldn't even get angry at her at the time. Slowing to a stop, she found she'd actually run directly to Dib's place. Turning her head to look, she debated on going to him for help when Zim's words ran through her mind like a sharp stick slapping her upside the head.

"I specifically told you to torture the human, and I see you playing with him and not in the bad way!" Zim shouted at her.

Renee growled and continued on, not even sparing a backwards glance at the Membrane household. She needed to cool off, not be reminded of who she was angry at. Not even the thought of what Zim had said could be taken in the wrong way could cheer her up. Before she could stop it, the scene of when she smacked Zim ran through her mind clearly, causing her to wince slightly. She turned down a street and slowed to a stop, her head hung.

"Why did I do that?" Renee gasped to herself. Leaning her head back, she sighed, gazing up at the sky. "Did he deserve that?" She asked herself quietly, not truly expecting an answer as she thought. "Why am I even here? What good can come from this if all I do is argue with Zim…that annoying, cute jerk…" She growled. Maybe she should've just accepted that she was part of Zim's world and not been a brat about it. She could've been nicer to him, even though he showed no such kindness toward her. She could've obeyed him and made him happy, made him accept her, but she had to be herself and get into trouble.

She had to have a mother who pushed their daughter through a broken television set for no reason except maybe for spite.

"Momma…" Renee whimpered and slid down until her bum hit the sidewalk. "Cassie…" She even missed her brat of a sister. That's how much she missed familiar things, her familiar room and her familiar family. Everything here was somewhat familiar, but it wasn't the same. She felt alone and aggravated that she'd been too stubborn to enjoy meeting Zim, even though he was a jerk like Dib said. Renee stared at the sky as scenes from her strange day ran through her mind before one in particular replayed over and over again.

"I don't even know what an attach-a-majigit looks like. Why don't you come get it?" She asked him and glanced back at the long table. Behind her, Zim growled and not long after she heard his footsteps heading her way. He stopped right behind her and reached around her arm for the machine, brushing against her as he did so. Her Irken heart began jumping erratically and she felt her face flush.

"Right, there it is…" She mumbled and rubbed at her arm where she'd felt his accidental touch, the skin tingling.

Before Renee could think about what she was doing, she noticed she'd been rubbing her arm, the exact one Zim brushed against. She felt her face burning and she sighed. "I must be crazy to be thinking about him this way…" She murmured and raised her hand to her view to stare at it. It was tinted red from when she'd slapped him and curled her fingers into a fist. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before she paused and took in an even deeper breath.

"Hm…smells like it's gonna rain…soon…" She trailed off as realization hit her. Her eyes widened and she jumped to her feet as a crucial fact from the show ran through her mind.

Water was toxic to Irkens.

"I need to get someplace quick!" She reminded herself and glanced down at the Hologram 2.0 on her wrist. She frowned at it, pressed the button on the side of it and felt the weight of her human hair disappear. The contraption fell to the ground and she clenched her green, three-pronged fist, glaring out in the street. "I can survive in this without his help." She said softly before scurrying off down the road.

"MASTAH!" Gir wailed and clutched onto Zim's head. The Irken's eyes narrowed but try as he might, he couldn't ignore his dysfunctional SIR unit. Zim growled and tried to focus on the television without much luck. "THE LADY'S OUT IN THE RAIN MELTING AND BURNING!" The android continued to sob and yanked on the invader's antennae. Zim yelped and quickly shook off Gir's grip.

"GIR! ENOUGH!" Zim screamed and turned away from the windows. The sight was making his skin tingle just thinking about all the rain that was coming from the sky. The thunder wasn't making it any better for him either. His antennae lowered to his skull. "She can take care of herself! She doesn't need my help…" Zim told Gir and frowned. He gently rubbed his cheek and sighed, turning back to look out the window. The rain seemed to be coming down even harder as he watched.

"Master…" The computer spoke softly and from the ceiling, his voot cruiser came into view. Zim stared from his ship to the water outside, his mind in turmoil. He glared and stood.

"If the drone wants to melt in earth water, far be it from me to stop her! She's already made it clear that she doesn't need me!" He shouted and snatched Gir by his antennae and threw him into the voot's cockpit. "She can drown in water for all I care!" Zim continued to rant and rave as he prepared his ship, Gir sitting in the seat with his tongue hanging out. Zim closed the hatch and rocketed off into the night.

"Let's go to a party!" Gir shouted, throwing his arms in the air. Zim growled and slapped Gir upside the head.

"Gir! We're looking for the drone! She might be anywhere, so keep a sharp eye out –"

"There she is!" Gir shouted, pointing down below. The invader blanched and cut his eyes to the malfunctioning robot.

"Are you sure?" Zim asked as he stepped over to look. Sure enough, he spotted Renee deep within the confines of a dumpster, a trashcan lid on her head as she tried to shield herself from the falling water. Also, the smoke rising from her melting skin into the sky like a signal fire was a dead give-a-way. Zim sighed and commanded the voot to land.

"Wait here, Gir." He ordered the small android and Gir's eyes turned red as he saluted him. Zim, thankful he'd remembered to bathe in paste that morning, grimaced as soon as he stepped foot outside the dryness of his ship. He quickly made his way to the dumpster and glanced inside.

She truly was a pitiful sight. She was sobbing silently to herself and quivering, probably from the cold and the pain, as the rain splashed onto her from the downpour. Zim, without his disguise on, sighed and stuck his hand in front of her face.

"Come on, drone. Get out of there before you burn to death." He told her and watched as her head jerked up to gaze at him with wide, teary eyes. She gulped and shivered as she stared at him, trying to huddle under the trashcan lid for protection. He impatiently twitched his fingers. "Take my hand. I'll take you inside the voot."

Renee gazed blankly at him, uncertain. There was no doubt in her mind that she was beyond happy to see Zim, but as she watched him, she couldn't help but feel he was a hallucination conjured up by her cruel mind in probably her last moments of life. The smoke rolling from her skin was a sure sign of that.

If she stayed out in the rain any longer, she would definitely not make it. Then as she gazed into his nearly perfect ruby eyes, they narrowed dangerously and she gasped. Either it was the way that Zim looked in the moonlight leaning over her with his hand extended, or just the fact he'd come looking for her, she felt tears well up within her eyes.

In one fluid movement, she leapt from the dumpster, the trashcan lid flying off behind her. Instead of taking Zim's offered hand, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his soaked uniform. The water stung her face, but she honestly could care less. Zim stumbled beneath her and yelped in surprise, not expecting her sudden move. Sighing, she took in a deep breath as she felt Zim's reluctant arms come around her. His body warmth numbed all the pain and she hummed in content, a small smile on her face. He sighed and hoisted her up higher so he could carry her back to the voot.

"Thank you…Zim…thank you…" Renee murmured into his neck before she fell into unconsciousness, her arms going slack. Zim's antennae twitched as he entered the voot. Ever so slightly, he eased her arms from around his neck and laid her down in the voot. He noticed with a wince that nearly all her skin had melted, probably causing her immense pain, and yet she'd fallen asleep after thanking him. Glancing down, he noticed her stomach, where she'd had her earlier injury, looked like it not only reopened but had gotten worse. He sighed and shook his head as he knelt beside her.

"You are an idiot." He told her. Slowly, he reached out toward her face but stopped inches from her, his face uncertain. Biting his lip, he instead aimed his hand higher and ran his fingers along her antennae. Renee, still asleep, let out a sigh and murmured his name. Zim blinked at her and glared. "Such a stupid idiot…"

..BREAK

"Ohhhhh…" Renee hissed as soon as she regained consciousness. She felt like she took a dip in acid and then, deciding it wasn't enough, rolled around in it. Her whole body protested any movement, but she managed to crack open her eyes. Her limbs felt heavy and she noticed they weren't strapped down like she thought they would be. Confused, she glanced around blearily before she spotted Zim right next to her, watching her carefully. She jerked in surprise and winced as pain shot through her body, her eyes closing shut. "Oww…" She murmured and clenched her teeth.

"Stop moving, drone. You'll reopen your wounds." Zim snapped from beside her. Renee lay still as she listened to him, her breathing baited as she waited for him to talk again. She wanted to ask him so many questions, but the one important one reigned dominant in her mind, replaying over and over again. Why did he go after her?

"Zim…?" She whispered and felt his glove-covered hand rest on her arm.

"Just rest. You were badly injured in that storm earlier." He instructed her and removed his hand. She almost cried out when he did; the warmth from his hand provided her with comfort. She sighed. "All that pathetic water nearly melted your skin right off. You're lucky I found you when I did – any longer and you wouldn't have stood a chance." He continued on, a hint of a smug tone in his voice, sounding like he was warming up for an "I-told-you-so".

"I…" Renee whispered and peered through one eye at him. She frowned. "I-I'm sorry…Zim…" She wheezed out through clenched teeth. Zim leaned toward her and lifted his antennae above his head. Noticing he was listening, she continued. "I shouldn't have…snapped at you…and lashed out at you like that…earlier."

"Got that right…" Zim grumbled and turned his head away. Renee offered a small smile.

"But even then…you came out looking for me in that storm and brought me back here…" At this, the invader turned his back to her stubbornly, his arms crossed.

"Don't confuse my actions for being nice! I should've left you out there as punishment for hitting the great Invader Zim!" He defended himself. Renee blinked at him, her eyes watching the back of his head before a slow smile grew on her face. She dry-heaved a giggle and Zim swiveled around, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You dare laugh at me?" He cried and shoved his finger in her face. Shaking her head, she very carefully eased herself into a sitting position, taking into account how suddenly slightly nervous Zim became. He held out his arms as if to steady her, but he dropped them as soon as she sat up. Turning to look at him, she grinned.

"Thank you very much, Invader Zim." She told him and scooted closer to him, leaning down toward his face. "And I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble." Zim stared back at her before he cleared his throat.

"Y-yes! Of course! The great ZIM forgives you for your crime!" He shouted with an evil cackle. "You are lucky you're injured or I'd throw you in the suspension chamber and see how you like it in there –!" Renee rolled her eyes and reached out with her bandaged hands and gently cupped his face. He froze instantly, his ruby eyes wide as he gazed back at her. "Eh…?"

"Zim," She murmured. "Just shut up." With that being said, she closed the distance and kissed him. It was almost nirvana, feeling his mouth against hers. Even though it was her who had initiated the kiss, she felt her cheeks growing warm in a blush. Hearing his sharp intake of breath, she pulled back to look at him. His wide eyes had grown even wider.

"What was that?" He gasped out. She grinned sheepishly and dropped her hands, looking down.

"Well, I just wanted to show how much I…" She trailed off and coughed. "I-I was just…" Shaking her head, she leaned back, waving her hand. "Nah, it's not important. It's fine, just forget it." Zim watched as she eased herself down onto her back with a wince.

"No, answer me! What was that?" He asked her as he leaned down over her. She smiled at him.

"It was just a kiss, Zim." She explained. "No big deal." She murmured and turned her head, her face glowing red. The invader watched her for a second. For some reason or another, he got the feeling that this 'kiss' was something bigger, something important. Sighing, he found his eyes wandering down to her mouth as she breathed in and out. He growled and clenched his fists together. Reaching up, he ran a hand over his lips and to his surprise, found they were tingling slightly. Renee blinked and turned back to look at him.

"Hm? You say something?" She asked. Zim's eyes narrowed when his gaze traveled to her lips as she spoke. Carefully, he leaned down so that he was inches away from her face. He saw how nervous she got and he laid one hand on her cheek. "What are you doing, Zim?" She mumbled quietly, her blue eyes wide as she gazed into his ruby orbs.

"Experimenting…" He murmured in a low tone before he laid his mouth over hers. Renee gasped and her eyes grew a couple sizes larger. She felt her whole body tingle in response and her heart lurched almost painfully as Zim continued to kiss her softly. Slowly, her eyes slid shut before she literally melted against him. If she hadn't been lying on the table, she probably would've collapsed. Zim jerked in surprise when Renee began moving her lips under his and he almost broke away from this new feeling. Renee reached up slowly and wrapped her hands behind Zim's neck and pulled him closer to her on the table before he leaned away, their lips making a small popping noise as they disconnected.

"Whoa…" She whispered and felt her face flushing as she stared into his eyes. He panted above her, his eyes wide before he shook off her hands and jumped from the table to the floor. Renee watched him go with a grin, noticing that his face was tinted just a hint of green darker. He cleared his throat and resumed his seat, his antennae lowered significantly. "What's the matter, Zim? Cat got your tongue?" She teased and her grin widened when he growled.

"No! Zim is just…curious…about this thing we just did." He admitted carefully and avoided her questioning gaze.

"Oh, you're curious about the kiss…" She giggled before she shook her head and sat up again.

"You, sir," She began with a grin and grabbed his face in her hands. "…are going to give me a heart attack." Zim blinked before he smirked at her. Growing bold, he pecked her lips and hopped off the table with a sly grin.

"I'm guessing since you say that… I now officially own you." Renee's ecstatic mind vanished and she raised her head to give him a mixture of expressions, irritation and confusion being the most visible.

"I thought we already went over this?" Zim's smirk grew almost vicious as he strolled back toward her. Her eyes watched him warily as he headed to stand behind her. He reached out with his hands and pulled her back down onto the table so he was looking at her upside down and grinned at her irked expression. He poked her cheek.

"You do realize that since I can control your emotions…" He trailed off here and leaned down toward her, his mouth inches from hers. She shuddered beneath him and he stroked his hands down her antennae. "I can control you…" Renee clenched her eyes shut as she groaned under her breath.

"Zim…" She whispered. He continued as if she hadn't spoken, his lips brushing hers as he talked.

"So in a sense…I do own you…" He commented as he pulled away. Renee cracked open her eyes and watched him with wide eyes before they narrowed dangerously.

"Don't think this means that you can control me." She growled and turned away from him. Zim's grin widened and he chuckled under his breath. He began to walk away as he trailed his finger down her antennae, his eyes narrowing as she shivered.

"Oh no…" He continued as he exited the room. "I think I can control you juuuust fine." He purred from the other room and Renee's eyes popped open. She glanced in the direction he'd gone off in before she groaned. Heaving herself off the table slowly with a wince as her whole body screamed in pain at the movement, she began to head in the other room.

"Fine, I'm coming, but you'd better not think this has anything to do with you."

THE END.

Finished. FINALLY. This took bloody forever! I started this revision like a month ago and I just now finally got around to finishing it. I hope this is a good remake of the original. I thought it deserved some more detail and better grammar. So here it be. XD Enjoy.

I DO NOT OWN INVADER ZIM. THANK YOU.