AND I'M BACK BABEH! Well, for the most part :p And with it, comes the next chilling installment of...this thingy! Whoo hoo

Alright, as mentioned in my Journal on DA, Tunica has gone on strike, so we have no image this month to go with this chapter. We ask you, the amazing talented souls out there reading to create an image for us, please. PLEASE! We would be most greatful to you if you did If you do (which we hope you do) send me the link so I can add it to this description for ya ;)

See you all next month (which is like a few days away...late post, I apologize)

"You sure you're okay to go by yourself? I'm feeling alright today, really. The morning sickness has really eased up on me," Zim tried as he leant against the kitchen counter.

"No, I'm a big boy. I can handle this by myself, thank you," Dib smirked as he pulled on his jacket, "You really don't need that kind of stress at the moment, Zim. You should be in bed with your feet up, resting."

Zim laughed falsely as he rolled his eyes, "Yeah, like that is gonna happen. I feel so useless when I just sit around on that horrid thing we call a bed. I've got stuff I need to take care of still."

"I still think you should quit work now, Zim," Dib tried.

Zim shook his head, "I'll quit only when I really start showing, alright? Now go. You know how he gets when you're late."

Dib noted the annoyed smirk Zim started sporting after mentioning him. He held back the sigh he so wanted to let out and gave the alien a kiss on the cheek, "Be good now."

"Me? Please, Human," Zim exclaimed, smirking.

Dib slipped into his seat and turned the key. The engine whined pathetically before finally starting. Dib wanted to thump his head against the wheel, his ears crying out to hear that dreadful honking sound. He needed his feelings of anger to show somehow, and honking that horn as he banged his head on it seemed fitting. He just wanted to hear the honking sound again…

Mainly because he knew the horn broke two months ago.

He hated this car. He hated his house. He hated how all the things he needed – not even what he just wanted for the sake of having– were all out of reach at the moment. Since finding out that he was going to be a father very soon, he started cutting back on anything and everything he could, making sure to put away whatever he could in the Savings Account he never used. Zim even took his entire pay check – which was rather small, seeing as he only worked part-time – and put it straight into the account as well.

Dib was even considering taking a second job seeing as Zim was about to be unemployed soon. They both knew Zim couldn't pull off a pregnant belly at work. And besides, Dib would have preferred it for Zim to be at home. They were still not entirely sure of how this pregnancy was going to work out. How long would it take? What other symptoms was poor Zim about to face?

As far as Dib was concerned, Zim's pregnancy was working out similar to a human pregnancy.

He gulped. That meant he had five more months to go before he was going to see his child.

Five months was all they had to get their lives in order.

Dib pulled up the rust-bucket of a car outside the labs, finally letting his sigh loose. He slammed the door shut and made his way inside, muttering to himself, "Do it for the family. Do it for the family. Do it for the family."

Damn, same old half-deaf receptionist, "Hi Margret."

"What?!" she turned, sprawling arms waving around in the air, "Who's talking at me?!"

Dib raised his hand meekly, accustomed to these outbursts from since he was a kid.

She smiled, readjusting her spectacles, "Why, Hello there, Dip."

"Dib."

"That one," she smiled, pinching his cheek, "My, you have grown."

Dib bit back his annoyance, "Yeah, that does generally happen with time, Margret. Um, I'm here to see the Professor."

She turned and looked over her screen, "Ah, yes! I'll go see if he's ready to see you, Deary."

Dib nodded, going over to the steel seats offered in the waiting area.

He gazed around as he waited, feeling weird to be here again after so long. Nostalgia set in as he let the environment soak in a little. He remembered running around these labs when he and Gaz were kids, looking in all the nooks and crannies for Poltergeists. He never did find them…but he knew they were lurking in here still somewhere.

The old fuddy-duddy waddled her way over to him, "Professor Membrane is ready for you, Dip."

"Dib," he tried once more, standing and following her over to his office.

Dib knew this was a bad idea. The fact that he had to actually schedule an appointment with the man was warning enough over what was about to happen.

But he needed the money. He would pay him back tenfold when he got a sturdier job. But right now, he needed to get the apartment ready for their child. He needed to get clothes, diapers, food, blankets, a crib! All those things cost a lot of money, of which he knew he didn't have a lot of yet.

The kind frail woman opened the door, Dib stepping into the icy room. It slammed shut behind him, sending a shiver down his spine.

The chair's back was facing him, but he knew his father was sitting there. He could feel his harsh presence.

Dib waited until finally, "Take a seat, Dib."

Dib did has he was told, his legs becoming numb. He wasn't sure if it was because of the ridiculous temperatures in this office, or because after five years…he was hearing his father's booming voice again.

The chair spun around, Professor Membrane looking pretty much the same as he always had, "It's been a long time, Son."

"That is has," Dib replied, not yet comfortable to be on friendly enough terms to say 'dad'.

"To what do I owe this pleasant visit? I can't say I'm not surprised to have heard from you in – what has it been now…?"

"Five years, Professor," Dib added, trying not to be bitter about it.

"Mmm hmm," The Professor nodded. He looked up at the aggressive look Dib was wearing proudly, "You look determined to get something out of me. Let me guess: you need money."

Dib's eyes squinted, "You guess correctly. You've blocked me from the banks so I can still have my accounts there, but I can't even take out a loan for emergencies like this." Bastard. Why did this man have so much power?!

The Professor decided to give his son a jab now, "How's Zim?"

Dib clenched his fists. His father was not subtle at all, was he? "Like you care."

"With a response like that, I presume you care as much as I do."

Dib shut his eyes, "He's fine. But that's not why I'm here to…"

The Professor stood, "Son, you know what I'm going to tell you. Why prolong this visit further?"

Dib stood in a fury, as though he was about to leap across and throttle him, "This is serious, Professor! I need that money from you!"

"And I need you to finally see the truth, Dib," the Professor turned, raising his voice. Dib stared at him, "Come on, Dib. How can I tell people you're my son if you're going around dating this freak of an alien?"

That was such a mistake. For Dib to have told his father that Zim was an alien like that all those years ago. He hoped it would have almost made things easier for his dad to take when he told him the truth about their relationship. Zim was present when this happened. Though angry at the time that Dib would dare mention it to his father like that – even if it was in a fit of rage and desperation – he eventually did forgive Dib for it.

But they both knew he had something on them now.

The Professor knew he couldn't bring it up while Dib was dating him like this. His reputation would plummet if the public found out his son was dating a male alien. So Zim's secret was safe for the moment. But that didn't put any form of ease into their minds.

Dib gritted his teeth, "I'm not asking you to recognize me as your son!"
"Well then, stranger; how can I loan you money if I don't even recognize you as someone familiar?" the Professor stated plainly, a smirk present in his voice.

How his son was losing patience now, "Why are you doing this?! Does it really matter who I chose to be with? Shouldn't you just be happy that I found love?"

"If it's false love, then no, Dib. There's no reason for me to be happy," Membrane added, folding his arms.

"How do you know!? How does the man of science who has never felt love even know what it feels like!?" Dib yelled out.

The Professor completely disregarded what he said, like water off of a duck's back. Anyone would have been shocked at how well the Professor handled that comeback…but Dib knew his father didn't care for such trivial things like love, "Why do you need this money, Dib?"

His son finally froze stiff. Damn, he couldn't really tell him the truth, could he? His dad would probably have a heart attack, "Why does that matter?"

"Why not just tell me?" the Professor pressed.

"Why do you suddenly care if it doesn't involve me leaving Zim?!" Dib barked.

"Because if my guess is correct, that alien has done something idiotic and you need to pay the price for it, literally!"

"This isn't his fault in any way! We both got ourselves into this!" Dib yelled at him.

"What? What did you both do that you would come to me, of all people, for help!?"

"I got him pregnant!"

The silence was the loudest thing Dib ever heard. It rang in his ears as his final statement clung to his frazzled mind. The two stared blankly at the other, waiting for someone to say something…anything!

Finally, in the weakest voice Dib had ever heard his father speak with, the Professor simply pointed towards the door, "Out."

"What?" Dib let his voice crack.

"Out. Get out!" Membrane said once more, finding his voice.

"But…"

"GET OUT!"

The door slammed behind him as he marched out the building, grumbling to himself. He jumped into his car, and waited. He placed his hands over his face as he groaned.

He then looked up, noting his reflection barely in the window before him. He let out a breath and sat a little straighter, "If this experience taught me anything…"

He turned the ignition to his car, looking back at the road ahead, "It's that I will never be like that man. I'll be sure to look after my child, no matter what it takes."