Originally I wanted it to be a one-shot, but I felt it'd be too short if I made it so (And I couldn't figure out a good ending, so I'm stalling for time! XD) What better way but to make it longer, huh? And if Dib seems a bit OOC, he grew. He's in Hi Skool now. So I believe he's changed enough to merit such OOC-ness. As for Zim and his OOC-ness, I've nothing. :P I'll say again, I don't own this, the characters, or the show. All belongs to Mr. Vasquez and his ingenious brain. :D

Dib opened his eyes and realized Zim was still awake. "Do you sleep?"

"Yeah, sometimes."

Zim sat at Dib's computer, searching with Google. "What is this… Google? Zim thought it was spelled "o-l", not "l-e"…"

"A play on words, and it's a search browser. Didn't your computer have that?"

"Dunno… Zim would ask, but the computer is not functional."

"Oh yeah…" Dib put on his glasses. "It's four in the morning, Zim. You should sleep."

"PAK is charged, Zim does not require sleep."

"Rest your actual body. It's been through a lot the past four years." Dib noted the PAK was still plugged into his computer.

Zim looked at Dib. "And where will Zim sleep?"

"I can get up if you want." Dib sat up, stretching. "I have some stuff I should take care of anyway."

Zim seemed hesitant to take the offer. "Zim is fine."

"Zim, seriously. I think you should rest."

"Why are you so insistent on Zim sleeping?" Zim began to wonder if Dib secretly wanted to dissect him. "You will not cut the Zim open!"

"Zim, calm down. I'm not going to dissect you – Why would I want to do that?"

Zim shrugged. "Old hobbits die hard."

"Habits."

"Whatever."

Dib stood up. "Here."

Zim looked at Dib again. "Fine." He walked over and sat on Dib's bed, moving the cable connecting him to the computer.

"Why are you still connected to the computer if your PAK's charged?"

Zim shrugged. "Dunno."

"It'd be easier if you took it out."

Zim disconnected his PAK from the computer. "Happy?"

Dib shrugged. "I guess. Hey, how old are you, in Earth years?"

"20."

"Wow… And that's what? 190 some Irken years?"

"Yep." Zim nodded, laying down. He felt the stress melt from his body as he relaxed. "Hey, Dib, you're right. Zim feels good…"

Dib chuckled. "Told you. Y'know, the kids at Skool never missed you."

Zim shrugged. "Who needs them?"

Dib nodded. "Yeah…" He began typing on the computer. "Hey, I just realized you called me 'Dib'!"

Zim chuckled. "Watcha working on?"

"A stinkin' essay on the civil war."

"Sounds stupid."

Dib laughed. "It is. And it's due tomorrow."

"Hey, you think we could go get Zim's stuff now?"

"No, maybe in a couple of hours."

Zim scowled.

"Deal with it. You need to rest."

Zim's scowl lessened, and he closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep.

xxx

Dib looked over at Zim a couple of hours later. He smiled to himself, then looked at the clock. He shrugged, grabbed his clothing, and walked into the bathroom and changed. When he returned, he walked over to Zim. "Hey, Zim. It's 6. If you want to go get some stuff now, we can."

Zim didn't stir.

"Zim?" Dib shook Zim lightly. "Zim, wake up."

Zim still didn't stir. He seemed to be gasping.

"Shit!" Dib tried to get his PAK to open so he could connect him to the computer. He eventually forced a panel open.

Zim jerked up, breathing again. "What happened?" Zim asked.

"Your PAK doesn't hold a good charge anymore, it seems." Dib sighed. "I've got that portable battery you can plug into when we go if you want."

Zim looked at his hands. "Zim can't barely live anymore…"

"No, I'm sure we can fix your PAK. Can't your Tallest send you supplies?"

"Zim is not an Invader, how can the Tallest send supplies to a Defect? Even Zim's PAK is defective."

"Do they know you've realized you're not an Invader?"

"No… But, how can Zim lie to the Tallest?"

"Easy. Just do it. It's for your life." Dib shrugged. "And they lied to you."

"Wait, how do you know that they assigned me to Planet Earth?"

"Only because you've told me several times, and… My spybug…" Dib shrugged.

Zim saw Dib's reasoning. "Alright. Allow Zim to contact the Tallest!"

"The computer'll do it." Dib motioned to the computer.

"Alright." Zim stood up, and sat down at the computer. "Computer, establish a connection with the Massive."

Dib's computer droned: "Invalid Voice Input."

"Dib-stink! Why does your computer not obey ZIM!" Zim stared at Dib.

"So much for Dib…" Dib muttered. "Computer, establish a connection with the Massive."

"Connecting."

The screen flashed black, then the Tallest, stunned, looked into the screen. "Zim?"

"You're alive?" The purple one asked.

"My Tallest, yes, I am alive and well… But, Zim requires supplies, for the mission."

The Tallest looked at each other. "Zim… What mission?" The red one asked.

"To conquer Earth."

"You were sent to observe it…" Purple groaned.

"Alright, Zim needs supplies to observe Earth."

Red's eyes widened in surprise. "He didn't object?" He muttered to Purple, though Zim could hear it.

"My Tallest, I require parts for my PAK, it seems to have lost its ability to hold any power."

Purple and Red looked at each other. "Um… Zim…" Red sighed. "We can't send you any of those supplies. Your PAK is defective… You were banished because you're defective."

Zim didn't seem to recognize the Tallest just outed their lie. "But, I need those supplies, or Zim will expire on this dirt-ball of a planet!"

Purple shook his head. "Sorry Zim. Can't help you." They cut the connection.

Zim shook slightly, shaking more after each minute.

"Zim, are you okay?"

He stood up and looked at the cable. "My Tallest…"

"Zim, do you have the parts at your base? I'm sure we could fix it."

Zim fell to his knees, hugging himself. "My Tallest…"

Dib kneeled down next to Zim. He placed his hand on Zim's shoulder. "Zim… I'm sorry… I didn't know, that… you had emotions…"

Zim snorted through his mouth. "Zim has emotions… Invaders don't." He sighed. He wiped his eyes and stood up.

Dib looked into Zim's eyes. "Are you okay?"

Zim nodded. "They're no Tallest of mine. Let's go to the base and get the stuff I need."

xxx

"Dib-meat. I can only survive without my PAK for 10 minutes, you've got to be quick!" Zim growled.

Dib nodded. "I know."

"Grrr… Okay. Do it." Zim disconnected the PAK from him. He sat still in the chair as he watched Dib work furiously, switching parts in the PAK. He had spent the vast majority of the day learning the PAK schematics from Zim, so he could do the repair.

"Zim, how are you holding up?" Dib asked five minutes into the procedure.

"Zim is… good." Zim fought hard to keep up the façade that he was okay. His squeedily-spooch hurt.

"Okay, almost done." Dib closed the PAK and connected it to the computer. It powered up immediately. "Here, put it on."

Zim attached his PAK to him again, and breathed in deeply. "I AM ZIM!"

Dib stared at Zim. "Did it work?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" Zim disconnected the computer from his PAK, stood for a minute and blinked. Fear shone brightly in his bright crimson eyes. "Dib-monkey, I… It worked!" The fear dissipated, refilled with the most joy the small Irken had ever shown.

Dib let his held breath go, relieved.

The joy quickly turned to pure evil. "Let's give the Tallest a call, shall we?"

Dib blinked. "Uh-oh…"

Sorry it's shorter than the first one... But I kinda want to save the next event for a chapter of it's own. So. There you go. I may get it up tonight (or this morning, rather) too. Which would be a miracle... Three chapters over 1,000 words in one night? :D