Unlikely Hero
Author's Notes: O.o! You means to be telling me that I has over 100 reviews allsready? (Explodes. Gets reassembled by medical team that is still on stand-by.) You all make me sooo happy! As for those of you who are worried about me not finishing after school starts, don't be worried. I already promised you that I would finish, and I will! With that said, the quote of the week is…
You can't fix stupid.
Chapter 7: Sleeping With the Enemy
"Are you sure you can't stay?"
"Yes, Zim, I already told you I'd be fine."
"But you still haven't told me what happened in the first pla-"
"Does it even matter? I told you I'd be fine; isn't that enough? Sheesh, you treat me like I'm a little kid."
"I know you said that, but… If anything happens… I'll be here."
Gaz replayed the conversation over and over in her mind as she walked, alone, to her house. The way Zim seemed so concerned about her well being still creeped her out. It was like he thought something bad would happen to her as soon as she was out of sight. Maybe he was so paranoid because she never really told him the whole story about why she came to stay with him. She was just having a fight with her brother that morning, and now she wanted to get home before her father so she got her word in before Dib. Zim didn't need to know all that. She felt it wasn't any of his business, but now she almost regretted it. The look he had on his face during his last statement was enough to invoke guilt, but then the way he grabbed her hand as he told her that he would be there left her speechless.
'Why does he care so much? Dib cares because he's my brother; that I can understand. But Zim has no obligation. Why is my well-being his concern? Well, maybe he's concerned because he-'
Gaz cut herself off right there. She had no reason to believe that Zim had any such feelings for her. They were friends and nothing more; social outcasts that only had that much in common. For all she knew, Zim didn't even know what love was, and why would an egotistical alien have any interest in her. Why would anyone be interested in her?
Whatever the reason, she had merely nodded to his offer and left without saying anything else. He would be there, but she could handle things without his help. She had always handled things all by herself. She hadn't needed Zim before, and she didn't need him now, even as her house came into sight. The lights were all out; a good sign. Dib had probably gone out with some of his friends, or something. All that mattered was that he hadn't said anything to their father about her running away.
With a twist of her house key and a quick DNA scan, Gaz was allowed in. The hall was dark, so she felt around on the wall for the light switch. The light flicked on, revealing Dib.
"Have you been standing here in the dark this whole time?" Gaz asked, raising a brow.
"Where have you been?" Dib demanded curtly.
"Go screw yourself."
She started to walk past him up to her room, but he ran ahead of her and blocked the staircase. "You've been with Zim all day, haven't you?"
"Does it matter?"
"Don't get mixed up with him, Gaz. He's dangerous!"
She gave a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, yeah, he's real dangerous. He's been living on Earth among us for eight years and despite all his advanced technology, he hasn't been able to take over the planet." She leaned into her brother's face, "Don't judge him, Dib. You don't know him any more. He's changed."
Dib straightened up to his full, menacing height.
"Move," She demanded in a low growl.
"No."
She didn't need to be provoked any further. She grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and lifted him up off of the staircase and over her head. "I warned you," she seethed as she balled her hand into a fist. All the rage from that morning, Prom, and the past year of her life was suddenly awakened and ready to be released. Dib winced as he prepared to have his face bashed in.
"E-GAD! DAUGHTER, UNHAND DIB NOW!"
Gaz's eyes flew open and released her brother at the sound of her father's voice. Dib fell to the floor, landing flat on his butt, but thankful to be alive. Membrane walked over and loomed above the two siblings.
"What's the meaning of all this?" the Professor asked.
"Dad, I-"
"Gaz snuck out this morning!" Dib interrupted.
Membrane's eyes widened behind his goggles, "DAUGHTER! This is a very serious offence! You have no business sneaking out; you're only a child!"
"Dad, I'm seventeen years old; I can handle myself," she insisted.
"She's been hanging out with ZIM!" Dib countered.
Membrane tried to remember who Dib was talking about. "Ah, yes, Dib's little foreign friend. He hasn't come around here in a while."
"Dad, Zim's evil!"
"No, he isn't, DIB! Zim's just misunderstood," Gaz stated angrily.
"Ah, sounds like your little friend might be trouble. Is that why you stopped playing with him, Dib?" Membrane questioned.
"No, I stopped because he's an-"
"Illegal immigrant!" Gaz quickly interrupted. "He's in a lot of trouble with the police, but he's not a bad person. He's not doing anything to hurt anyone," Gaz said to Dib trough grit teeth.
Membrane considered this. "Even so, I do not want any of my offspring around anything illegal. Daughter, you are grounded until further notice-"
"BUT, DAD!"
"Up-up-up. No buts. I will hear nothing more on the matter. Go up to your room and stay there. No supper for you. Dib, I am holding you personally responsible for your sister tomorrow at Skool. Make sure she avoids your foreign friend."
"Yes, sir," Dib said as he watched Gaz disappear upstairs to her room. Her door slammed hard enough to make the house shake.
"Now then, I'm off to the lab to continue decrypting the alien transmission we intercepted. I think we've almost cracked the code, son," Membrane stated proudly.
"That's great, Dad," Dib said as his father walked past him to the front door. The two exchanged good-byes, and the Professor left. Dib's smile faded as he thought about what to do now. Gaz was no doubt in a horrible mood and he figured he should just leave her alone for the night. He felt that if he went up there now, he would surely be pummeled into the carpet. Activating the house's lock-down mode, Dib retired to his bedroom, confident that Gaz wouldn't be able to get out again.
(Page Break)
A soft thud was heard as Gaz's feet landed on the grass-covered lawn. The reinforced titanium bars that were meant to keep her in her room now lay bent beyond recognition at her feet. 'Dib's stupider than he looks if he honestly thought those would keep me in.' Slipping her overnight bag over her shoulder, she set off.
Once on the sidewalk, she began stomping to take out the remainder of her anger. Punching the bars had worked wonders on relieving her of most, but not all, of her anger. Still some remained. Her father was treating her like a child, he obviously favored her brother, and for all she knew, he didn't even know her first name. She hated how they never listened. Their closed-mindedness made her feel ill. She just wanted to get away from them. She wasn't a member of their family and the house she was leaving wasn't her home.
Looking down and seeing the tiny craters she had made in the concrete brought a smile to Gaz's face and she took up walking normally. She didn't want to leave a convenient trail for Dib to follow, not that she exactly knew where she was going. Downtown was now a personal off-limits, that was obvious.
'Where do kids usually go when they runaway?' she asked herself. Her first answer was family, but that was out of the question, considering that was what she was running away from. Gaz also had no immediate family to speak of, so she really had no one to turn to. As she continued to walk aimlessly down the streets, Zim's name popped into her mind.
'No,' she immediately told herself. 'I don't need him. He acts too much like Dib. So what if he cares? I'm not weak enough to go running to him.'
The autumn winds blasted her from the side, blowing her jacket open. She tightly pulled it around herself and turned down a street so the wind would be to her back. Her violet hair whipped wildly around in front of her, but she ignored it as her thoughts took her further and further away.
'They don't care about me. Dib or Dad. All they care about are each other; I'm just some burden placed on them that they need to try to control. And how dare they think they can control me? I'm my own individual. I'm entitled to live my life the way I want to, and there's nothing they can do to stop me! Dib can shove it if he doesn't want me to see Zim. Zim cares more about me as a person than Dib ever will. Where was Dib the night I was almost raped, huh? If he didn't try to get into my business all the time, maybe I would've let him give me a ride, but no, he has to be such a jerk!'
Gaz wiped her eyes to stop the building tears and to clear her vision. 'I don't even want to think about what could've happened that night. All I know is that I was lucky Zim was there. Those guys caught me off guard, but if I ever seen any of them again, they're dead!'
Feeling more confident, Gaz held her head high and took a more prideful pace. Walking block after block aimlessly down the city streets, however, caused something deep down inside her to snap. A lifetime of pain, seclusion, and loneliness was suddenly brought to the surface, and it was more than she could bear. She nearly felt to her knees as she began to sob uncontrollably. She was cold, alone, and had nowhere to go, and it was finally starting to sink in. She could turn back now and go home, but that wouldn't change the feeling of loneliness. And being micromanaged, like she was one of Dib's experiments was worse than being out on the streets.
But what made this whole situation so heartbreaking for her was that there wasn't a human on the entire planet, not just the city, the planet, that cared about her. Sure, there was Dib, but he only cared out of obligation. He didn't really like her as a person. The only times he ever helped her were out of fear for his life. When it came down to it, he didn't really love her, and he would probably be happier without her.
Ignoring the pain insider her, Gaz managed to dry her eyes enough to see what was around her. She was cast in the pale green glow of Zim's house, and never before had it looked so good to her. 'How did I end up here?' she asked herself, but didn't care enough to reply. A part of her was still to prideful to admit to wanting to go to Zim, but swallowing both her pride as well as whatever came up from crying, Gaz went up to knock on the door.
She tapped lightly on the door, her limbs still too shaky to fully obey her. There, she waited. She realized now that it was nearly midnight, unless her digital watch was fast. She'd left her house at a quarter after nine, so she'd been wandering around for nearly three hours. Now feeling as if it was too late to take Zim up on his offer, Gaz turned to leave just as the front door opened. Mini-Moose hovered in the doorway.
"Squeak," he greeted happily, but after getting a good look at her, he gave a second, concerned sounding squeak.
"Shut up. I don't need your sympathy," she choked out as she pushed past him. Gaz looked around the living room. The TV was the only thing on, and it cast a pale, eerie glow on GIR's slumbering form over on the couch. "Is Zim here?"
"Squeak!" Mini-Moose nodded and gestured over to the trashcan. Gaz kicked off her boots by the side of the couch and took the elevator in the trashcan down to the underground lab. It was her third time down there, but that didn't concern her. The elevator dropped her off at an underground research facility, but Zim was not around.
Gaz growled. "Where is he!" she demanded as unwanted tears flooded her eyes and blurred her vision. It was late, she was tired, stressed, and having a very difficult time controlling her emotions.
A mechanical sigh filled the room. "What do you want?" asked a cybernetic, male voice.
This did nothing to help Gaz's mood. "Hey, you're that stupid computer with an attitude, aren't you?"
"I guess," it replied, not sounding very interested.
"Where's Zim?" she demanded.
"Zim has retreated to his personal living quarters for the night."
"Wow, that was helpful," she stated sarcastically. "Where can I find his living quarters?"
"Down the hall and to your right."
"Thanks… I guess," she mumbled as she left the facility. She now found herself in a long, red, machine-covered hallway. Despite its length, there were only two doors; one to the left and one to the right. She approached the door to the right, intending to knock, but it automatically slid open. Inside, the room was dark, except for the narrow strand of light coming in from the hall. The only visible thing in the room was up against the far wall, and it resembled a bed. She wasn't surprised to see it was red; everything in Zim's base was red.
The covers shifted, and a figure sat up and squinted against the light. The green skin was a dead giveaway.
"Hey, Zim," she greeted, her voice still quivering.
"Gaz?" he asked, squinting against the light. "It's late."
She dropped her things on the floor and walked into the room, allowing the door to shut behind her. She felt around until she found the bed, where she took a seat.
Zim wanted to ask her if everything was alright, but he knew the answer was 'no'. Just by Gaz's demeanor and the sound of her voice, he knew that something was horribly wrong. He was about to ask her what happened when she shifted closer and asked, "Can I stay here for the night?... And maybe for a while after?"
"Of course… You already picked out your favorite foods at the store."
She smiled. The thought that life had been just fine a few hours ago both depressed her and cheered her up. She figured that things would be alright now. She'd found Zim, and he would make her feel better like he always did. 'If I know that things are going to be better now, then why do I feel like crying?'
Zim heard a slight sniffle come from Gaz that caused his antenna to perk up. He hadn't heard that noise since the night of the near-rape. He was concerned that she was hurt, so he reached out to her. His ungloved claws brushed against her jacket. She felt his touch and gently removed her coat. After throwing it on the floor, she leaned over and allowed him to hold her in a light embrace. It felt good to be near him. She scooted closer until she found the rest of his body, and she lay against it with her cheek resting on his chest. She could feel his body heat quite easily through the thin, silky nightshirt he was wearing, and it comforted her. Making her feel safe.
Zim listened to occasional hitches in her breathing but felt her body began to relax. She was exhausted. He could tell. He knew humans needed to sleep daily, but once every decade would suffice him. However, with age, he found himself sleeping more and more. He now slept every year, and he thought that there was no harm in joining her.
He carefully lay back so he wouldn't disturb her. Lying on his back was uncomfortable, due to his PAK, but he would stand it for one night. Gaz was so content lying on his chest that he didn't want to wake her. Zim pulled some of the covers over her and was content to lay there, stroking her hair, until he too fell asleep.
(End Chapter)
Author's Notes: Yeah, this chapter was originally going to be longer, but I thought things were moving a little too fast, so I'm gonna have some of the action carry over into the next chapter. Zim and Gaz sure are getting fluffy. I love doing romances; even though I have no personal experience to base this off of. I think I'm doing a good job, for someone who hasn't experienced love. Anyways, on a different note, I GOT MY LISCENCE! Prepare yourselves, mortals, for the road is no longer safe. And for the thank yous…
xZAGRFAN: Yes, the last chapter was very fluffy, as was this one. Thanks for your continued support.
Invader Johnny: Eh-heh, don't I feel stupid. Well, this time it IS on a Sunday, AND I checked the calender to make sure. (Double checks) And I see that you too have updated. I'm gonna go read that now. SYS! Oh, and thanks for reading.
Shiruba Anrui: ICO? I's don't know what that is. (I might, but I'm just slow) Yay, Friendship-er author-writingness... thingy. Anywho, thanks for continuing to read.
Abby: Yes, I realize that the last chapter was an intermission, but it was necessary for the progression of the story. But you already know this. Thanks for continuing to read, and I'll see you at school.
Shiva the Sarcastic: Your kind words have unfrozen my cold blatter-er heart. Yes, heart. Thanks much for your support. Yous makes me all fuzzy inside. -!
The Sole Survivor: (Eats goo happily) Mmm, gooey. I'm so glad you enjoyed the fluff that I've created. Yes, this story is very much a romance, and that's the way I want it. Romance Love between Zim and Gaz, and antenna fluff. Enjoy!
JohnnyMakesNuts: Ooo, yous makes me sooo happy. I'm glad you like my ficcy so much. You all make this story such a pleasure to update. Don't worry, it will be finished.
SummerWolfCub: Yes, Zim is a cold, heartless beast, as you can clearly see in this chapter. I myself don't even know where Zim's loyalties lie. So, your guess is as good as mine. This story is meant to twist and turn, just like my other one, ATO.
toxic-dreamer-2: Horay for oxy-morons(Sp?)! Yes, Zim is quite hard to figure out right now, but that keeps the story interesting! Don't cha know? I'm glad that you're continuing to read and review. Thankies!
Anime master Inu: Am I good at art? Well, I like to think of myself as a good artist. I'd post my stuff on Deviant Art, but I don't have the time and I heard that it costs money. I'm very good at drawing Zim, but I've only drawn Gaz once. I donno. Thanks for reading.
Zantor 7: (Eats metal along with goo that The Sole Survivor covered me with.) Tasty. Thanks for reviewing! It pleases me soo!!
InvaderInsane!!YOU ARE MY 100TH REVIEWER! YOU WIN A LUXURY CRUISE! (Throws large boat at you.) Oh, and thanks for the cheese as well as reading.
Trickstar: (Clings) Thanks for reviewing. Aren't they such a cute couple? I loves it. Thankies for reviewing.
rikagirls: YAY! THANKS FOR REVIEWING! (Hugs)
noname: Aww, you gotta have a name... I'll call you Skippy, 'cause it's a cute name and I like it. I'm glad that you like Gaz kissing Zim, it is cute!
Sammy: I don't know what glomping is, but I think I like it. Oh well... glomp away. Thanks for reading.
Sax Fanatic: Thanks for saying that my fic keeps getting better. One more chapter of fluff after this, then I hope that the action will start to pick up.
Kezzybob: Thanks for saying I'm a great writer. Don't worry, you're not the first person I've converted. I got Invader Johnny, a strictly ZAGR person, to read a ZADR, AND semi-like it. So don't be ashamed. Thanks for continuing to read!
Tremm: Yeah, I know my punctuation and spelling can be a bit off, but the resources I have for proof-reading are limited, so I'm afraid you're gonna have to deal with me on that much. I'm not offended and I hope you aren't either. Thanks yous much for reviewing. It makes me happy!
Dark Pyro Kiarra: So glad am I to see you again! I know what ya mean 'bout the computer thing, but thank you soo much for reviewing. Your support means everything.
Endsville: I knew it; I like it too. Here's your update, so PLEASE review.
