CHAPTER 2

Jes went from house hold to house hold getting kicked out of all of them. Child services wasn't that good after all. The families all ended up leaving her when she finally told them about her past on Irken. '*sigh* I'll never win, I guess. At least this new family... The... Membranes, yea, they seem weird themselves. Mr. Membrane has two kids and no wife. He's also a scientist. . . at least he won't throw me out, he'll just mess with my brain cells to see why I'm "crazy" when I'm really not.' Jes grabbed her bag and headed towards a black car with a child services employee. "This is the last family who will take you. Luckily my connections with Dr. Membrane run deep so I was able to talk him into taking you in."

She just nodded. To this day she still didn't talk much. They got into the car and drove off. 5 hours later and they were there at a tall building. 'My future home,' she thought as she walked behind the child services guy up to the front door. The guy knocked on the door and Dib answered it. Tall, handsome Dib stood over looking the small human. "Is this *her*?" he asked, putting an emphases on 'her'. "Yes, is Dr. Membrane around?" the child services man asked.

"No, something about a radio-active spider I think. I can show her around if that's ok." Dib looked from Jes to the service guy next to her and gave him a reassuring smile.
'Ugh, just get me inside! I hate this services guy!!!' When Dib looked back at Jes she smiled ever so slightly.

"I guess that's ok. BUT! Be careful, she's been a very fragile state ever since we found her." He turned to Jes, bent down, and put his hands on her shoulder. "I hope this one works for you, kid." With that he got up and walked away. Jes was alone with Dib on the front porch. 'You gunna let me in?' she thought.

Dib just stared at her almost like he was in a trance. Jes looked down at herself. A purple t-shirt and jeans, normal for a child service kid, so she didn't understand what was wrong. She checked her hair, but her blond hair that hung to her waist was neatly brushed, and her side bangs were out of her green eyes. She wondered what was wrong with her. When finally she asked, "Is something wrong, sir?"

That seemed to do it. Her voice seemed to send him backward, it did that to a lot of humans. He seemed to regain consciousness though and lightly shook his head. She noticed that he had black hair that shone blue in certain parts and thick rimmed glasses. His hair hung in his face he had all black on. Jes could barley tell where shirt ended and pant began. "O, this way, I'll show you to your room." Jes started picking up all her bags when Dib grabbed all but one and started inside. Jes followed him. 'Maybe he's quiet too. I might like him,' Jes thought as she followed him up the stairs and to a room at the end of the corridor. When he opened the door Jes walked into a violet room with a makeup table, stocked with makeup, and a mirror, a bed with lacy violet, blue, and black bedding, an oak dresser with 6 drawers, and a window with a ledge. Jes ran over to the window and pulled back the see through violet curtains that revealed the whole neighborhood. 'I love it,' Jes thought with a smile.

Dib was putting her stuff down and that's when Jes remembered that she wasn't alone. "Will you, uh, like it here, Jes?" He asked looking at her feet. She felt that he didn't think he was "worthy" of her or something. "Yes, sir I will. Thank you for the beautiful room!" Jes said with a reassuring smile that knocked the breath out of Dib. "You can call me Dib if you'd like."

"No thankyou, I'd like to call you sir, if it's ok." She cocked her head to the side makeing the noisless bell swing on her choker.

"Oh, well, ok then. I'll leave you to your unpacking unless you need help..." he trailed off.

"No thank you, if I may, I'd like to do it myself, please." She had impressed so many other families before with her politeness, that she just got into the habit of talking like this to strangers.

"Ok, I'll be back up in a couple of hours to get you for dinner." He looked hurt, Jes could sense it, she could feel it. Something on Irken twisted her emotions to some how have empathic abilities. He turned to leave when Jes got up and ran to reached and grab his shirt. She still doesn't know why she did it, but she felt drawn to him some how. "Is it really ok... if I, uh, call you Dib?" Jes asked looking at the floor. Her head came up to right about his waist, and he felt obligated to put his hand on her head. "I would like it if you did." He smiled at her and she let go. "I'll be back up in a couple of hours, my room is right next door to your right if you need anything."

Jes nodded and watched him walk out of her room. 'I feel strongly attached to him. Well, I have a week before I have to go to Skool, right? I'm gunna enjoy relaxing, I'll confront Zim in a week.'

Yet as she looked back at her window she thought that it would be ok if she snuck a look at him, so out her window she went.

At dinner Jes met Gaz. She was 5'5" and gorgeous. She wore black leggings with a lacy black mini skirt, a purple tank over a mesh undershirt, and a lot of jewelry. Her violet hair flung just past her shoulders with bangs that hung right above her eyes. Gaz didn't talk much, none of them did. They got their food and went into the living room. Jes fallowed and sat down in a chair off to the side. Dib stared at her on and off, but Jes just ate her food and tried not to notice. She had eaten worse stuff on Irken, and this reminded her of some sort of Irken surprise. 'Blegh... It's food.' Jes crossed her legs in the chair and ate. She was content just sitting there with her new "family". They were quiet and didn't ask questions, Jes liked that a lot.

The week went by surprisingly fast. Dib and Jes started talking daily half way through and Dr. Membrane popped in to say hey one night. He was a weirdy alright. Dib was nice, though, he helped her through getting settled. Dib had even taken her for a tour of the town and he stopped by his "friend's" house. It happened to be Zim's. He had heard her bell again, though, and had to run fast. Other than that, her week went by smooth.
Dib bumped in to Jes walking out of the bathroom in only her towel, and she was dripping wet. Dib felt himself flush bright red, but tried to keep calm. "Sorry, Jes," he tried to look any where but her. Jes cocked her head to the side and asked, "Are you ok, Diby? You look a little feverish."

"No, no, I'm fine. I just needed to use the restroom and accedently bumped into you, I'm sorry."

She giggled and skipped to her room. She was undeniably cute and Dib couldn't help the feeling of wanting to take advantage of her right now. Still, he used the restroom and with one last look at her door went into his own room.

'Sigh! I can't believe this! The first girl to strike my attention and I don't know how to react,' Dib thought as he took off his glasses and clothes to just put on a pair of flannel bottoms. 'I've been able to talk to plenty of hot girls before. Why is she so different!? I've turned down hoty after hoty, because I didn't want someone conceded. Now, here's the perfect cutie and I can't barley keep my composure around her!!' Dib fought himself in his head over and over at how she was so different. Then there was a soft knock on his door. He looked at the time and noticed that he had been laying there for hours, it was now 1 in the morning. 'Who could be knocking on my door then... Jes?' Dib ran his fingers through his hair, scratching his head. He didn't bother to put on his glasses, because he could see things up close.

Dib opened his door and Jes looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Jes?" he asked quietly.

"I had, uh, a bad dream, things were destroyed, people where dead..." she trailed off. Jes had this dream over and over again and it seemed to only get bloodier. Dib reached out and grabbed her. He pulled her close to him and shut his door. "It's ok now, I'm here." His cool belly on her flushed face felt calming and her tears started to subside.

It was then that she noticed he had pulled her in his room. She knew what he was feeling and she fought with herself to keep that feeling from flooding into her. She knew all too well that once the other person's feelings flooded into her she'd loose control of what she was doing. So, she tried to pull away and said, "Uh, I better get back to my room.. uh... Thanks for the hug Dib."

But she didn't feel Dib loosen his grip. 'Not good not good not good... UGH!' His feelings started trickling in. It was now an emotional battle. 'He can't be feeling this after one week! UGH!' She had to get away, she didn't want the feel the same thing he did. How he didn't want to let go how he wanted to lay all night with her in his arms.

"Dib, I need to use the restroom." She said the only thing that came to her mind.

He pulled away looking a little hurt, but more concerned. "Will you be ok?"

"Yep!" She smiled and turned to leave, feeling his feelings flowing out of her, clearing her mind. 'I have to be careful. That boy likes me too much. If he knew that I grew up on Irken, Zim's home, he'd freak. He'd understand why I'm so small, damn Irken food.'

She went back to bed and her attention went to the window. "Tomorrow," she said thinking about how she'd get to see Zim again. It made her all giggly and sad at the same time. She looked down at her bell that only made noise to her ears and Irken ears. Zim had actually given her that too...

Jes had been there at Zim's for about 5 years now, neither she nor Zim had changed too much in size. Jes grew maybe an inch hitting about 3'11"-4'. Zim hit about the same height.

She had been quiet and done everything Zim told her to do; cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc. All of it was weird to her, but she learned quick.

Every night after Zim went to bed Jes would stare out the window to the sky. There were so many stars to be seen through the blue haze of the night. 'No clouds,' Jes thought. 'It's beautiful.'

A strange urg to leave swept through her. She wanted to run through the night and giggle and laugh as loud as she wanted. Jes stepped up and out. The feeling of running barefoot and free was more amazing then she would've thought. Something in the air that night made her really happy and she ran as fast as she could. At least, until she tripped and ended in a bush looking thing. 'Woopsies.' She giggled.

Jes stood up and brushed her maroon night gown off when she noticed that she was bleeding from falling into the bush. 'Zim...I'm dead,' she thought as she ran as fast as she could home without hurting her leg too much.

She climbed through the window and slipped into the bathroom not even noticing that Zim was standing in his bedroom door way just staring at her. Jes ran to the tub and ran the green water over her leg, washing her blood down the drain. The water instantly healed it, and Jes sighed

"Ah-em," Zim's voice sounded behind her. Jes froze. "You really think that I wouldn't catch you if you snuck out? IM THE INCREDIBLE ZIIM!!" She just turned around and gave a very scared smile. He grabbed her arm and towed her to his room, which she was forbidden to enter on a normal bases. He pulled out some black string with a little tinkering bell on it and tied around her neck. Jes just looked down at it, amused with the sound. "Now, I'll know if you move or not. Plus as for what you did you have to sleep in that corner of ZIM's room. Feel Privlag-."

Zim didn't say too much more before Jes jumped on him. "ZIMY, IT'S PWREEEDY!!!" He lost balance and fell over with Jes now giggling uncontrollably like earlier. She got off of him and rolled on the floor holding her knees to her chest. Even though she was older, and in Zim's eyes full grown, she always enjoyed the most simple of things in her life.

"Why did you jump on ZIM?!" He looked at her trying to be mad which was hard looking into the eyes of the young creature.

She pointed to bell on her neck, smiled, and said, "This is the first present I've gotten from you, ZIMY!!!" Her smile got wider.

"I've told you NOT TO CALL ME ZIMY!!! It's very ebarrassing!"

Even though she could tell that he was kinda mad she jumped on him again and held on tighter. That night he had no choice but to sleep next to her. Jes was really content and happy with her life....

'That really was a simple life. The life of a pet... Well, sorta. He became the closest person to me, and I think I was the same for him.' She smiled and laid in bed preparing her self for tomorrow's excitement!