Author's Note

Thank you in advance, for reading. I hope that this little Pilot of mine keeps you reading. If I get enough reviews to continue I will do so happily. If not, I'll still do it. :)

Enjoy

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Name: Therapy

Summary: Dib's father recommends him for therapy when all the while someone is more deserving of it.

To Be Read While Listening To: Therapy by Reliant K (It'll more than likely end before you're finished)

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"Dad for the last time, I don't need therapy. I'm fine." Dib protested as his father drove closer and closer to the white building.

"Oh, but you do son. Your insanity wont go away without it! It's the scientific way!" Professor Membrane proclaimed and shifted the car into park as they entered the parking lot.

Dib groaned and shook his head, "Dad, these people can't help me."

"Of course they can." Prof. Membrane took his son's hand and walked him towards the door.

"Alright, I'll see you in half an hour. Have fun." the scientist said as he pat Dib's head.

"WHAT? You're just going to leave me here?" Dib shrieked.

"I have to son! There is much work to be done in the labs!" his father glanced at the watch on his wrist and gasped dashing towards his car without another word.

"Great. Just freaking great." Dib stomped his foot in frustration.

He considered the options he had at the moment.

1) Walk in there and just go through the whole session of someone asking him asinine questions.

2) Chase after his dad's car and continue begging.

3) Run like there's no tomorrow.

We ALL know what he chose but before he could act a familiar voice stopped him from any motion.

"Quite sad your own parental unit drops you off here, isn't it human?"

Dib choked out a single word, "Zim?"

The black-wigged, violet-eyed alien jumped down from his position up on a branch in a nearby tree.

"Dib... filth." he added for god measure.

"I thought you said you don't do heights." DIb tensed as the Irken approached him.

"I've said a lot of things haven't I human boy?" Zim sort of sighed.

Dib was going to reply when realization dawned on him, he was making conversation with his enemy again.

"Well, if you excuse me I have a session to go to." he walked towards the door.

"No-wait." Zim called in a monotone voice.

Dib turned to face him, "What?"

"Do you really want to go?" Zim asked eying the boy.

Dib considered this, he really, really didn't but his other choice was to get annoyed by Zim.

"No, but I don't think I have a choice." Dib finally grumbled back.

"Sure you do. You are a human. You have equal rights. This is correct?" Zim replied, squinting one eye suspiciously at the teenager.

"Well, yeah. But Dad paid good money for my therapy." Dib excused himself, hoping the Irken would just drop it there.

Unfortunately for him, "Oh, Dib-stink, do not play the monies game with Zim. he knows your father-unit makes good money as a scientist drone."

Dib rolled his eyes at Zim's limited English knowledge, "Look Zim, I don't have time for this right now."

"Sure you do." Zim repeated the phrase.

"Say that one more time and I'll cuff you." Dib threatened reaching in his pockets to trick the invader.

Zim took a cautious step back and quickly eyed Dib's hand movements, "You're bluffing. You have no cuffs in your possession."

Dib inwardly growled, "Just leave Zim. I'm not in the mood to deal with your 'stupidness'."

The ex-invader winced at the words, "You sound like my Tallest."

Dib suddenly felt very guilt, he was brought back to when he witnessed Zim being mocked and threatened by his own leaders. Even he didn't know what type of pain the fooled alien felt, sure his own race couldn't stand him or were disgusted by him, but Zim's own hated him and wished death upon him.

"I didn't mean that, Zim." Dib covered up stepping towards the Irken who's head was no hung low to the ground.

"You know, Dib-stink, I think out of the both of us and anyone in that blasted building... Zim needs therapy the worst." he hissed in a low tone.

"Yeah, with you always speaking in the third-person and all, I agree." Dib joked, hoping to get an equal reaction from Zim so that this feeling in his gut would leave.

"Not because of that." Zim missed the sarcasm and slowly backed away like a frightened animal being cornered.

"Don't leave." Dib blurted out before he could stop himself.

Zim glanced up at Dib, a tinted glaze in his contacts with suppressed pain.

"Why shouldn't I? I'm obviously stopping you from your precious therapy." Zim spoke, glaring.

"No, no you're not. Sit." Dib commanded and pointed to the curb.

"Why shou-"

"I swear Zim if you ask me another question I will materialize those cuffs just to shut you up." Dib threatened.

Zim go the message but remained unfazed as he sat by Dib tensely.

"Relax, Zim. This is your therapy." Dib worded carefully. Apparently not too careful.

"Therapy? Zim- I mean- I need no- I mean- I don't need any therapy." Zim tripped with his words constantly.

"Just trust me with this and shut-up." Dib said through clenched teeth.

"Try a different approach next time. And I trust no-one, everyone I trust just stabs me in the-forget it I'm leaving." Zim stood and walked away.

"Stop being a coward, Zim, and just spill!" Dib shouted building confidence.

Zim froze and turned on his heel, eyes turned into cat-like slits, "What. Did you just. Freaking. Call me. Human." he broke it into dangerously lengthy sentences dripping with venom.

Dib paled slightly, "I-I don't mean coward."

"Then what DID you mean, human?" Zim spat inching towards Dib, the boy could almost feel the coldness radiating from him.

He gulped and spoke again carefully, "You said it yourself, Zim, you need therapy."

Not careful enough.

"I was joking! I don't need any! Especially NOT from you!" Zim snapped as he stopped only a foot away from Dib.

The boy stepped backwards secretly afraid of the alien, he covered his own cowardice with a dark glare, "No you were not! You may not know what lying really is Zim, but I do! And I can tell you were speaking full-on truth!"

Zim's eyes flashed with something, it wasn't fear or anger, it wasn't sadness either but pure shock towards the other. He had the will-power to stand up to him, Irken Zim. He now had Zim' full attention.

Dib noticed this and continued in a more calming and softer tone, "Zim, I promise I wont hurt you... badly." he nearly choked on the words, disgusted at himself for showing remorse for the Irken male.

"You do not have to speak to me like I will break if you raise your voice, Dib-thing." Zim snarled, despising being talked to like a smeet.

"Hey choose Zim! Do you want Insane, yelling therapist or Softie, calm-speaking therapist?" Dib barked jokingly.

Zim laughed a little at this even allowing a little smirk to appear but he quickly recovered and went back to glaring silently at the boy.

"I choose none."

Dib sighed and then pat the concrete beside him, "Our session starts no, Zimberly."

"Oh, so now I'm a girl?" Zim hid his amusement with a harsh growl.

"Fine, Zimward." Dib tried another one noticing the hostility in Zim's voice flicker a bit.

"And now I'm a British vampire from Narnia?" Zim listed off the things he associated with the undermining name.

"Just sit already. Zimmerman." he added the last part for further amusement.

"I never really recalled myself being a weird human that eats bugs." Zim stroked his chin jokingly.

"God, we're never going to get this over with if you keep that up!" Dib snapped half-heartedly.

"Then stop calling me names that aren't mine." Zim defended finally sitting next to Dib.

Dib was at first startled at this action, not expecting the deranged alien to comply as quickly as he did. But he immediately went calm again and said his second command, "Lay down."

"What?" Zim asked confused.

"You heard me, lay down. Down boy." Dib repeated and pat his legs like he was commanding a doggie.

"Zim is not a filthy dog-monster." then he rolled his eyes, "Fine." and laid down on the rocky surface.

"Good, now close you eyes." Dib nodded and recalled the therapist video he was forced to watch before leaving this morning.

"This is stupid!" Zim screamed, frustrated, and sat up.

Dib pressed a hand against Zim's chest, "No, no, you're doing great!"

Zim looked down at his intruded invader uniform, "Hand. Off."

Dib snatched his hand back as if touching the alien's clothing burned him suddenly.

After a while Zim sighed and laid back down, closing his eyes, "What's next?"

The human looked at Zim, utterly shocked, then replied, "Now we ask questions. You will listen to my every word."

"More like hypnotist than therapist." Zim chuckled at his own joke.

If it wasn't directed at him, Dib probably would have laughed too, instead, "Very funny. Do you want my services or not?"

"As long as I don't have to pay, NO." Zim answered back bluntly.

DIb mumbled under his breath then turned back to their make-shift session.

"The first question, how are you feeling right now, Zim?"

Zim snarled annoyed then returned with, "Angry. Annoyed. Irked. Irritated. And did I mention, Hatred?"

"Hm, that's harsh what do you think makes you feel this way, Zim?" Dib asked not skipping a beat as he continued the act flawlessly.

"You and your hippo-head!" Zim answered angrily.

"Anything else possibly?"

Zim opened his eyes slightly and sneaked a glance at Dib, surprised that he didn't throw a comeback about he head.

"Possibly the fact that my whole race hates my spooch and wants me dead in some terrible accident." Zim admitted before he could catch himself as his eyes closed once more.

"And what makes you think that they hate you?" Dib inquired.

"They told me theirselves." Zim's body went slack as he recalled the memory.

"Who is 'theirselves'?" Dib pressed ignoring the grammar mistake.

"My Tallest." Zim choked out the words that suffocated him with pain whenever spoken.

"And did these 'Tallest' ever give any reason that they hate you?" Dib queried.

"Several." the Irken rolled on his side squeezing his eyes shut tighter.

"Can you list some of them please?" Dib whispered as he watched the once stubborn, narcissistic alien curl up into a ball on the curbside beside him.

Zim released a deep breath as he hastily tried to keep down suppressed sobs upon the memory, "I ruined Operation Impending Doom One, wrecked two control brains, and killed two Tallests."

"Wow." Dib's act faltered for a moment as Zim's words sunk in.

"I know. I'm stupid and disgusting aren't I?" the extraterrestrial shrugged.

"I never said that, Zim. Perhaps we should move on." Dib went back into therapist mode.

Zim's antennae twitched as he trailed off, "Perhaps."

"Is there anything else they told you?"

Zim considered this, tell the human and risk possible humility or just demand the next question?

"Can we skip that one?" Zim asked in a nearly pleading tone, he realized this and continued, "NOW." in a harsher tone.

"We can't fully evaluate you problem if you refuse answer some questions because you don't want to, Zim." Dib warned.

"Problem? I'll show you a real problem when I give you a black eye." Zim threatened lowly as he opened his eyes to glare at the boy.

"It's better to talk than resort to violence." Dib said back surprisingly not alarmed by Zim's quick attitude change.

"I like violence so much more than this." Zim hissed then closed his eyes once more.

"I know you do, Zim, I know you do." Dib nodded in understanding.

"They called me a defect." Zim interrupted, his voice dark and obviously pained.

"A defect? What, may I ask, is a defect?" Dib asked.

Zim squirmed uncomfortably, "Me." he said in a breath.

"Don't believe everything that you hear." he felt awkward as a twinge of building pity hit him.

"What if everything I hear is true?" Zim replied sighing, nearly slipping from his state of mind as thoughts raced through it.

"What if all you hear isn't always the right one that you think is true?" Dib countered.

"A defect is an Irken with a malfunctioning PAK." he blurted out suddenly clutching his head as he dug his claws into his green skin.

"Zim, stop." Dib commanded as he watched some green blood leak down the side of ZIm's head and fall to the ground.

The alien realized what he was doing and stopped.

"And do you have a malfunctioning PAK?" Dib continued.

"Well, yes, I have a lot of... data in it..." he cringed remembering his trial. And he had thought all this time the Tallest were joking, what an idiot he was.

"I didn't ask about data, Zim, but that dismissed, do you believe you are a defect?"

Zim swallowed hard, "Y-yes.", he absolutely disliked how much of an inferior he sounded like at the moment.

"Do you accept you are?" Dib's question might as well have been a kick to Zim's spooch because that's how it felt like to him.

But he had to think about it, hard. Should he really accept his defectiveness, or keep staying in depressing denial like he had been before?

Finally Zim made up his mind for the first time in his life without his leader's permission or guidance, or without his PAK's intelligence. He was in control of his thoughts, unrestricted and unbound.

Dib grew concerned as he watched Zim's back shudder in front of him as his antennae fell back.

"Zim are you-" he stopped mentally slapping himself for showing worry.

The Irken's eyes flew open as he turned to face Dib, eyes glazing again with contained sorrow that he refused to show.

"I-I actually do accept." Zim mumbled out, staring practically right through the boy.

"You do?" Dib stared at Zim wearily.

"I do. I accept. I am a defect." the alien nodded slowly.

But this alarmed Dib further, had he snapped something in Zim that un-nerved him beyond repair? He shuddered at the thought, not anticipating that outcome.

"Zim?"

He watched as Zim nodded in understanding.

"Now I get it. I never needed them. Or that darn race of jerks!" Zim announced and sat up.

Dib let out a surprised sound at Zim's sudden movement but didn't fell anyone wrap their claws around his neck so he peered at Zim through half-closed eyes.

"Zim only needs himself and no-one else!" he continued grinning a little triumphantly.

"Actually that's not true, Zim." Dib spoke up.

"Then... who do I need if I need more than myself?" Zim asked, confused, hadn't that been what the human was explaining just a moment ago?

"Someone who wouldn't turn their back on you ever. Even though sometimes they can hate you guts they still care about you... a-a little. And would be devastated if your ever disappeared sudden-" Dib stopped abruptly, realizing he was talking about himself. He had been very concerned when Zim had became isolated and left that one month. He was mostly afraid that he had lost the only living proof he had of aliens but then there was the tiniest of a feeling of worry for Zim's well-being. He did care about Zim, but it had been because he wanted to kill Zim himself during an autopsy or their final battle sort of thing, but now he was unsure why he really cared, because deep inside he felt something more than to see Zim at his mercy but... did that part of him really exist?

Zim remained the innocent child of the two and tilted his head, "Who are you talking about, human?"

Dib's face grew hot as he answered, "Me."

"You!" Zim shrieked in shock and disgust.

"Yes, Zim, me." Dib mumbled annoyed at the alien's reaction.

"But we are enemies." Zim said, slightly confused.

"I know we're enemies, but, not right now. Right now I am your therapist." Dib covered it up by playing his role again.

"I am enemies with my therapist?" Zim muttered even more confused than before.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean - forget about it, Zim, your session's over." Dib turned away glaring at nothing. He didn't know why he was feeling this way, wasn't it good that Zim associated them as enemies. He was too confused and angered to really care at the moment.

"No it is not. It's over when Zim says it's over." Zim replied curtly crossing his arms and glaring at Dib.

"On break." Dib returned in a deadpan voice.

"No break! You tell Zim right now what you're talking about!" the Irken demanded rising to his feet, towering over Dib's slumped form, as he pointed down at him.

"You're speaking in the third-person again, Zim." Dib turned and gave Zim a look.

"Zim can't help it! He does this when he's frustrated!" the alien explained as he fell to the ground, growling in irritation.

"Oh, so that's why you do that?" Dib whispered.

Zim nodded, surprisingly silent.

"Session continued." Dib couldn't stop himself as he uttered the words unconsciously.

Zim smirked a little gratefully, then got on his back and closed his eyes obediently.

Dib couldn't help but snicker at the sight, "Don't get too used to this, Zimberly."

"Oh Irk, any other name than that." Zim groaned.

"Anyways. How are feeling like, now?" Dib jumped into a question.

"Confused, aware, but mostly confused." Zim replied a little less hostile.

"Why do you think you feel this way?" Dib continued.

"My enemy just said he cares about me."

"Interesting, what makes you think he cares?" Dib tugged at his shirt collar nervously.

"He told me himself." Zim replied without missing a beat as he smirked a bit more. Boy, would he use this to his advantage. What softies humans were. Can't even keep an enemy.

"Who is this, 'himself'?" Dib questioned, already knowing the answer.

Zim was going to respond when, "DIB MEMBRANE!"

Both boys jumped at the interruption. They turned around and saw a tall brunette woman in a nice slim suit.

"Do I know you?" Dib asked.

Zim gave the woman an angry look, "You just intruded on a VERY serious matter lady."

"Well you should, I'm your therapist, Rhonda. Or Rhonny." she stood out her hand towards the teenager, ignoring Zim's rant.

"Oh." Dib cough as he shook her hand, "Sorry, I let time slip away."

"Oh no, that's okay, trust me kid, I know you don't want to be here." Rhonda whispered to him.

"You do? Wait. You won't tell my dad right?" he asked frantically.

"Of course not." it was then that she noticed the seething Irken that was Zim, "Is he your friend?"

"Oh him, no, he's my... patient." Dib proclaimed and grinned triumphantly as he watched Zim nod approvingly at his choice of words.

"Oh, I see, getting into the mind of a therapist." Rhonda nodded in understanding.

"Exactly." Dib looked over to see that Zim had disappeared, slightly disappointed he looked up and saw in a tree, two violet eyes staring at him, narrowed unconvincingly in suspicion.

"Well, here comes your father." she announced.

Dib glared at the ground as thoughts of his father just leaving him there without any guidance whatsoever.

His father pulled up in front of them, beaming under his collar at his son proudly, "How was therapy, son?"

Dib's eyes twitched as he clenched and unclenched his fists with rising anger, "Just great." he mumbled the last part, "You lame excuse of a parent."

End Note

Well thanks for reading. If you want Episode 1 up soon than review, review, REVIEW! Thanks for reading, again!