After his breakdown, they instantly left to head back to Earth after hearing that Dib was coming back over. Zim was initially quiet as Gaz laid quietly against him. While he enjoyed the feeling of her next to him, he was afraid for her too. How do you defend someone from someone who is not dead? Zim had no clue. He was confused. Less confused now with how she shifted to make herself comfortable.
"So you will tell, Dib about this."
Moving a finger across his stomach, she answered him in a very simple yes answer. "Is this why you have been withdrawn from me lately? Your feelings for me?"
"Yes." It was an instant reply making him feel a shift from her till he felt the tiniest kiss along his jaw line making him let out a very unsteady breath.
Shifting herself higher, Gaz moved to his neck, then his cheeks. "I've been having feelings for you too, Zim."
Stopping his ship, he fully wrapped her up in his arms to kiss her fully. Things he hoped when he brought her up here was mostly to get her away from the threat, but it followed her anyhow. He did hope for some more alone time, but this was his first thought, he wanted her safe. He enjoyed the feeling of her against him, but he was afraid making him pull away. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid. I'm fine if I'm the one being attacked, but you, it makes me afraid for you for once."
"Perhaps, Dib will have some insight since he has been dealing with the paranormal all his life. Hopefully he will have a way of getting rid of it." Kissing his neck one more time, she settled back down against him.
"Seems like something is always getting in between us." Zim stated as he flew the Voot back to Earth.
After parking his car in front of Zim's base, Dib scanned all around him seeing some of those zombies coming towards him. Letting out a strangled sigh, he ran out of the car shooting at some while he noticed Zim's base come to life to aim at some as well. Forgetting about opening up the gate to the yard, Dib jumped over it, and ran up to the door that opened up for him. Running inside, he instantly shut the door surprised he wasn't out of breath. He guessed all that running around with Zim really did pay off in the end.
Finding a can shoved at his face from a happy, Gir, Dib accepted it. "Thanks." Opening it up, he chugged most of it down. "Zim down in the lab I assume." Gir merely shrugged, but at least the Computer took the time to answer.
"They are heading back now as we speak."
"They? He has my sister?" Dib straightened up. "Why?"
"That is something for them to say. They'll be here soon so head down and wait for their return."
The order was brisk without its usual tone to it as Dib did as he was instructed. Why would Zim take Gaz to space? I mean he wanted her safe, but there had been something odd with Zim's behavior since he got here.
Arriving back, Zim helped Gaz out of the cruiser to be surprised with a peck on the cheek from her. "Just in case he duct tapes my mouth from preventing me from doing that." Gaz joked weakly.
"Dib-stink wouldn't do that to his sister." Placing her on the ground, he took her hand to escort her to the elevator. "You know he would do much for you."
Gaz almost growled at that, but she relinquished it when she said, "I know." Releasing his hand, she smiled up at him. "We both don't want to hear the same mantra from him."
"Stay away from my sister. Yeah, I know." Zim mused as they went down to see the very large question mark on Dib's face the second he came into view. "Let the games begin."
Waiting for them to leave the elevator, Dib studied both of their faces before falling on Gaz's leg. "You feeling better there?"
"It's just a little weak, but I'll be fine. No broken bones to be seen." She answered walking over to the chair to sit down at. "Glad you made it back alive."
"After this I really don't need a work out for a month." Dib told her as he felt this tension in the air. "I shouldn't complain about this right now, but why did you take my sister to space, Zim?"
"He was doing it to protect me, Dib." Gaz interjected knowing it was her responsibility to tell him. "First night I was here I had this dream. I was being attacked in this dream by our own mother. I was being strangled and Zim heard me that night and came to my aide to pull me out of it. I wasn't attacked any more during the night while he sat on the chair in there. After you left, I was in front of the tanks with Zim, and out of no where I was yanked back with her voice talking to me." Sniffling she felt her skin crawl and her hand shake. "He brought me to his space station in hopes of getting me away from that, but it followed me there. She attacked me twice more, Dib."
"Tell me everything she said to you, Gaz." Dib said patiently. Hearing his sister recall everything along with every word, Dib couldn't help but almost let his panic show. He watched how his often unshakable sister was clearly disturbed along with Zim. "I can't even say this is a poltergeist when she is a zombie and this stuff never occurred until most recently. It is demonic though."
"Anything that can be done to stop this?"
Dib looked up at Zim with some surprise in his face. "Really? Something you aren't telling me, Zim?"
"Dib." Gaz quietly pleaded through his name alone to stop him from confronting him. "I have to echo his sentiment there."
"Most of the time it is an answer that still isn't that great since it ends up backfiring and ends up costing the victim." Approaching her, he got on his knees. "I seen the way she looked at you after she came up, but who knew it would be like this." Putting a hand on hers, he scanned her eyes. "Dad is now in my lab. We captured him. At least he can communicate a little."
"What did he say?" Gaz inquired letting Dib tell her what their dad informed him making her clutch her stomach. "I think I'm gonna be sick now."
"Gaz we'll find a way. There is no way I'm letting her have you. Do you trust me?" Dib asked.
"I do."
"I'll stay with you when you sleep to observe you if that is fine." When she nodded, he kissed her on the forehead.
"Dib." Waiting for Dib to turn to face him, Zim informed him, "I'm willing to help out now."
Without wanting to look into the why of why he wanted to help him, Dib nodded his head to him. "I guess you will have your methods on where you want to start out from."
"Indeed. Computer! Start analyzing those infected Earth smellies out there. Locate a point of origin on where this originated from so we can localize the strain." Zim ordered.
"Analyzing and it will take time." The Computer droned out.
"Just as long as it doesn't take 20 years to do so."
"I can guarantee you less time than that." It informed him back.
Zim went over next to Gaz and Dib. "You think I want to touch one of those things? Ugh. I don't have to touch something in order to diagnose it."
"Good for you, for me I'm still curious how they figured out how to contain a zombie. Especially one that produces acid." Dib still felt a little confused by that.
"Best one to ask is dad himself. I doubt you will get it from those lackeys." Gaz hazarded the best thing to say.
"Great! I get to ask zombie dad. I truly am insane after all." Dib wasn't being mean to her or to himself, he just felt under stress with everything and now knowing from Gaz that she was being attacked. Looking at their odd expressions, he added, "Sorry, just stressed. We all are."
"Perhaps you need to get laid after this." Gaz joked. "I can't because I'm not allowed."
Talk about an uncomfortable subject she broached upon, but at first she felt she had her brother keeping tabs of her virtue and now her own mother. She had the bonafied chastity belt in living and zombie form. Zim offered her the tiniest of smiles to try to give her comfort, but he wasn't happy himself, while Dib almost looked like he was close to a heart attack.
"We'll get into stuff like that much later on, okay, Gaz?" Dib asked.
"Yeah sure."
Husband, captured. No clue where her son is, but though she feels where her daughter may be it still doesn't help her with the location. Only one location there was and it was somewhere in space. She was with an alien. An alien her own son didn't approve and she didn't either. That alien was filthy in her opinion against her daughter. She sensed her daughter may be pure in the physical, she had those demons that weren't hidden. Her daughter and her were different in personality, and in height, but very similar in how they looked in real life. She will be re-born again. She will triumph.
Gaz was scared to fall asleep, but there she was back in that bedroom with Dib sitting in the seat watching out for her. She eased her breathing down to relax before finding herself wandering around aimlessly somewhere's. Where was she now? She heard coyote's in the background along with a bird calling out, but she was mostly in darkness before finding herself in front of a gravestone that was large enough to fit every family members name down. Right now it had her parent's name before her name became illuminated. Gaz stepped back wishing to get away.
"Finally, you shall soon see your own demise, and soon my re-birth will begin."
Gaz whirled around to spot her own mother floating down to her. She had no clue if she said anything before turning to take a run for it. Gaz panicked. It was un-Gaz like of her to do so, but she never encountered something like this, and with her own mother. If that truly was her mother.
Running and gasping and hoping that Dib could hear her, Gaz was soon lifted in the air and tossed so far, she felt dizziness prevail as she tried to right herself until a hand clasped her ankle roughly.
"Behave, Gazlene. Listen to your mother."
Gaz's tears were clouding her vision even as she was lifted in the air again and slammed down on her back. "Mom, please, why are you doing this to me?"
No answer to her question as her rough hands clasped around her neck strangling her. "You will give your life to me."
Unable to speak, but to hit at her, she tried to keep her mouth from biting into her. 'Please, Dib wake me now,' she thought frantically.
Dib's eyes grew wider as he saw her lift out of bed and hand marks were made on her neck. Dib flew up on that bed placing her in his arms. "Mom! You will leave Gaz alone this instant! You have no business in doing this to your own daughter! This isn't love. This is hate that you are doing. Gaz doesn't deserve it." He shouted out.
Gaz heard him along with her mother as she looked up towards the dark sky, before whispering to her daughter. "This isn't over, Gazlene."
Gaz's eyes shot open to gaze directly into Dib's own eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. "She told me it isn't over. She heard you, but she said it isn't over."
Kissing her temple, he continued holding her. "We'll put a stop to this. We'll put a stop to this." Dib promised.
For the rest of the night, she refused to allow him to leave her side. Gaz felt she was just this young tiny kid again who was once so afraid that she snuck into her brother's room in order to seek some comfort.
In the morning, Dib came out of the bedroom to see Zim just casually sitting there tapping his hand against the panel in deep thought. "She had another thing happen last night."
"I heard."
Once again Zim's voice was back to distracted and possibly cold. "I stayed in there while she washed up, she is just dressing up and will come out any second. Any results yet?"
Zim looked angry. "Not yet."
"Zim, what is happening to you?" Dib asked in a hushed whisper.
"Why ask when it doesn't matter to you?" Zim practically sneered his response. "Let us concentrate on your sister.
In the reflection of the monitor, Dib spotted Gaz coming out of her room with her arms crossed across her chest lending a slight peak over to Zim when he noticed the concern in his face. Mouth opening slightly he saw the pieces come together. "You like my sister more than you care to admit." Dib said softly. "Zim, I..."
"Save it. I know how you feel for me." Getting up from his seat, he let Gaz sit down in his place as he took a couple steps away knowing how the remaining family members feel about him.
Gaz noticed him move away from her making the situation at hand sting more than before, but decided to say, "He wants to go back to the lab and question dad again."
"When do you plan on doing that?" Zim inquired.
"Now actually." Watching how his sister frowned, he went down on his knees in front of her. "I know you hate it. I hate it too, but we have to stop this, Gaz. Not only we have to stop a whole apocalypse, we have to stop mom from attacking you." Clearing some hair away from her face, he looked directly into her eyes. "You mean so much to me."
"Promise me you will be safe or I'll send you to a nightmare world myself."
Kissing her temple, he whispered, "I promise and I know he'll take care of you. Love you."
"Love you too." Mouth twitching a little, she hugged him quickly.
Separating, he took another look at her before Zim and himself went up where they rode the elevator in silence, and went to the front door with his weapon already in hand. Giving Zim another look, he didn't know what else to say.
"I was exiled on my planet and told to deactivate. If I went to my own planet they would deactivate me. My life is here, although what life is it when so many but one hate me?" Zim informed him before holding his hand up. "Don't answer and don't comment. Gaz and I are friends. In essence, she saved me, but what is the use when even her own mother doesn't want me near her? Right now, Gaz is important so stay safe for her sake, and I guess we'll talk soon."
Dib could see that he didn't want him commenting to what he said so he told him, "Thanks and yeah we'll talk soon."
Opening the door, Zim and the houses defenses came back up to provide cover till he reached the car and was safely away. After that was done, Zim secured the door, and leaned against it to face Gir.
"Awe mastah... It'll be alright." Gir said in a sympathetic way.
Appreciating him at least trying, Zim smiled weakly at him as he went down to rejoin Gaz who was still sitting in the chair. "He made it to his car and left." Gaz nodded at that. "Gaz?"
"I'm just thinking, Zim, and I wish I could hold you right now."
They both were silent in their thoughts even if they both swore they heard someone laughing at them from beyond.
Just to explain about zombie mom is that she is very much whacked out from being insane and having a brain that has eaten away. She may have a feeling where Gaz went, but sometimes her own level of thinking isn't quite clear to know where she is currently located. Yay! The author gave you a plausible hole possibly. :P