Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back! Okaaay…I probably wasn't gone for too long I hope, though I did wait an extra day just to make all my reviewers suffer the pain of suspense and cliffhangers! Muahaha! Now that I'm back and have some time to update on my hands, lets get on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim. Though I DO have the entire series written on my wish list for Christmas.

I'm trying to divide the whole story into equal parts, while also trying to maintain the amount of plot in each chapter so that no chapter gives away TOO much or TOO little.

I'm going to reply to some of my reviewers. Sorry if I didn't get all of you. I don't want this whole chapter to be filled with review replies:

Hoboking- Oh yeah, that little voice in the back of your head is the 'voice of reality'. But we shall soon see what REALLY happens. ;-)

Whippedcream-I'm glad that little part made you laugh. :-

Fear Valley-Didn't kiss him? Oooh, we shall soon see enough… ;-

Elen-Lol Your review gave me a chuckle. Nope, I'm not evil. Its just my ways are evil. :D

Invader Johnny-I know. I meant that AFTER Zim took over the Earth, of course with a little assistance from other foreign planet invaders. I knew I should've made it clearer. : )

Scheisskopf-Thank you.

All right, that wraps it up. I think the maximum number of reviews I'll respond to is 5-6. I'll try to respond to different reviewers, so don't get jealous and start beating every reviewer before you out of the way, all right?


Gaz, her own stomach doing flips and her heart beating at a faster rate, could only nod. What could she do with Zim straddling on top of her, pinning her down? He by far overpowered her, even when they were kids and in P.E. and they had to do push ups. However, there was one thing she could do. Something she would come to regret very much later, but somehow enjoy it later too. Leaning closer to Zim's face, she closed her eyes and.…..

Zim, a bit puzzled didn't move. He was faintly aware of the fact that his own lips were slowly being drawn to the girl whom he was pinning down. His heart felt like jelly and his squeedlyspooch wasn't recovering much either. It was then and there that he had just become aware of how beautiful Violet's (Gaz) lips were. He was wondering just why he has never noticed how lovely those lips were in the past. Such a natural shade of delicious rosy pink. His heart was overcome by a strong yearning of wanting to claim those seductive lips as his own.

When their foreheads were practically leaning against each other, Zim's ruby crimson eyes have closed without Zim even realizing it. The last thing his eyes saw before shutting was the relaxed and calm face of Violet. At the second their lips touched, Gaz immediately put her plan to work. She knew that her legs were under Zim, but with him currently distracted in kissing, she swiftly moved her left leg so that her shin was facing up. In a flash, she kicked Zim in the lower part (That's going to leave a mark). Zim, not suspecting a thing at first, gave a high-pitched cry and quickly rolled off her and stood on the floor, his hands wrapped around the area where his squeedlyspooch (stomach) should be.

Gaz took immediate advantage of his current pain and sat up straight, glaring venom at Zim. "Wh-What was that for you insolent human!" Zim managed to squawked out while still clutching pitifully at his stomach area. (Hee, hee) "You should know better than to take high advantage of someone while they're in bed, stupid." Gaz shot back. Zim groaned with discomfort as he said through closed eyes and gritted teeth, "I was not taking advantage of you in your resting quarters! I was merely restraining you for Irk's sake!" Gaz raised an amused eyebrow though her mouth remained in a straight lined frown.

"Oh really?" She asked casually with a hint of coolness in her tone. "Then give me one person whom you know who physically restrains others by pinning them down with their whole body, then boring their eyes into the victim's and then leaning in so close that one can even feel the other's heartbeat?" She put emphasis on the word 'heartbeat' and then added, "If you even have a heart to begin with." (Oh yeah guys! Gaz is kicking Zim's butt! Show'em Gaz!)

If scientists ever wondered whether or not an Irken had the proper function of blushing or not, well, they got the answer now. Zim's green face now had a light streak of faint pink across his face. He responded to Gaz's comment in a line of groans and certain words such as 'rude earth human', 'insolent stink beast' and, -He was positive Gaz didn't hear the last part-'cruddy attractive manipulating earth filth'.

Gaz, her arms crossed protectively across her chest, glared at Zim with pure hatred. She flipped her purple long hair the way popular girls do it when they're making others jealous of them. "Stop groaning like a little kid and endure it." She said acidly. Zim took her advice and stood up straight, though he was still shaky and replied, "Alright! That is it! You have angered the great and Almighty Zim! I shall have you punished!" He screeched.

Gaz was about to respond but then a certain little cyan-eyed robot came running in and screaming, "Master! The party! We need waffles! Lots and lots of waffles!" Zim, his mind flashing to the royal dinner banquet, cleared his throat and said, "You shall be punished AFTER the feast. But for now, you must bathe yourself completely. The cleansing room is to the second door from this room. I expect you to be at the kitchen at approximately 5 PM, understand? You will prepare the feast while I..I..er.." Zim though for a moment, as there was clearly nothing for him to do. The whole palace was sparkly clean, everything was in order, and he had no meetings issued this afternoon.

"I..I'll attempt to heal myself from the insufferable pain you have bestowed on my squeedlyspooch. But do not fear! The great and Almighty Zim will survive!" Zim pointed one of his fingers upwards toward the ceiling for enthusiasm. Gaz rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever." along with the famous hand motion. Zim ignored her and strutted out of her room. Gaz just stared at Gir as he appeared to have a very concentrated expression on his metallic face. "Gir? Are you okay?" She asked cautiously.

Suddenly Gir opened his mouth and a photo slid out. He took the photo and glanced at it, then began giggling and making kissy noises. Intrigued at the robot's odd behavior, Gaz snatched the photo away from Gir's small hands and glanced at it. Eyes twitching uncontrollably and the hand that was holding the photo shaking, Gaz growled and threw the photo down to the floor in disgust. She felt a lump in her throat, and she felt like she couldn't swallow. It turned out that the photo depicted the 'closeness' of two certain beings that was in this very room.

Gir took the photo and hugged it like it was a treasure. "I love this photo! Its love, love, loooove!" He sang. "Shut. Up." Gaz growled. Gir looked at the photo in which Zim and Gaz were erm...you know, making out, and hugged it dearly. "WHERE. DID. YOU. GET. THAT. PICTURE?" Gaz screamed. She could feel heat rising to her cheeks. Apparently her so called 'plan' to get Zim off of her kind of backfired a bit. "I took a picture of those moment when I was in the surveillance room! Didn't master tell you about the cameras?" Gir asked giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Give me that photo! I'm going to tear it to shreds!" Gaz yelled as she bent down to snatch the photo away from Gir. But Gir was too quick for her. He hastily gulped the photo down, which of course, he'll store in his convenient stomach. "Aaarrghh! Gir! Give me that stupid photo now! Or I'll detach every one of your body parts until you are nothing but nuts and bolts!" Gaz threatened.

Gir shook his head and high tailed it out of her room, singing merrily. Gaz groaned. How could she have let him get away? Wait. Did she even want to tear that photo to shreds? Crept out by her last though, Gaz shook her head and went out of her room to the cleansing room, or, as she guessed, the Bathroom. There she saw hangers with towels that were embroidered with the initials I.Z. Without even having to think, she knew that they stood for 'Invader Zim'. "Ugh, he is so full of himself!" She sighed.

As she turned to her right, she noticed that there were about 6 or so rows of big stalls. She opened one of the stalls and found a bath tub/shower. The sinks were straight rowed in front of the stalls, and there were toilets in each of the stalls. Which explains why those stalls were so enormous. Against the inner walls in the stalls were hooks. Gaz assumed they were for clothing. Then beside the hooks were hangers with clean bath towels. Gaz had to remind herself that she was in a palace when her mind wondered continuously as to why this bathroom was so big and royal looking and appeared like it belonged to...well, a billionaire.

Turning the knob of the shower to the 'warm/soothe' option, Gaz slowly peeled off her dark gown and undergarments and went into the tub filled with warm water. She nearly melted in the tub as the feeling of relaxation washed over her. Gaz looked around for the body wash, but apparently there was none. Oh yeah. Total destruction on Earth, they must have eliminated everything that humans created and used. Duh. Gaz thought dryly. Instead, there were a few bottles of Irken body wash. Sighing, Gaz reached for a random one that was titled 'Scent of Allure'. Ignoring the title, Gaz washed herself with this body wash mixture.

Remembering that it had been a long time since she had washed her hair, Gaz applied another random Irken Antenna Shampoo and Conditioner to her waist long hair. (Hey, antennas are equivalent to human hair.) Despite the length of her hair, it was quite easy to clean it thanks to its natural silkiness. After showering, Gaz dried herself with the towels. All was going well until a thought struck her. Holy Crap! I forgot to bring a new dress gown! Suddenly, the after effects of the soothing bath seemed to have disappeared. Crud, now I have to parade myself and my nude body (wrapped in a towel of course) back to my room and get a new dress gown. And who knows the odds of HIM showing up?

Quite disturbed in her thoughts of the things that may be at risk if she initiated her plan (Like her dignity and self-esteem, and perhaps even her virginity for that matter), Gaz didn't notice that the Bathroom door has opened just enough for a bag to be shoved in. Luckily, she was still in the stall at that time. When Gaz finished praying to the lord after she wrapped herself tightly in a towel that to her great disappointment only reached to her lower knee, she was about to exit the Bathroom when she saw the bag. Opening it, Gaz saw that it had a beautiful navy blue formal dress gown. She reached further into the bag and she saw a clean pair of undergarments and some hair accessories. "Wow, this dinner must really be important to him I guess." Gaz muttered to herself as she slipped on her clothes and began combing her hair.

After typing a bow to the back of her hair, she faintly remembered this skill from the one time when she was little and she forgot to bring her GameSlave3 along when her father took her and Dib to some fancy science convention brunch. Sighing, Gaz took her old clothes and dumped them into a chute (at least, she HOPED it was a chute). She picked up the bag and walked out of the Bathroom. The cool breeze of the outer Chamber greeted her. Gaz walked into her room, and she saw who none other than her 'master' sitting on her bed, waiting for her. (Boy, that felt wrong when I typed it)

Thank god I noticed the bag on the floor. I can't imagine what would have happened if I marched in here, being naked and all with only a pathetic excuse of a towel covering me. Gaz shivered at the thought. She stared emotionlessly at Zim as he was busy flipping through some Irken food cookbook and circling some foods. Gaz could tell that it was different than the one she hid in her closet, because it looked more advanced. He finally noticed her presence a few seconds after and said, "Oh you're here. Excellent." He smiled, showing his pearly whites. "I'll get cooking on the food right away..." Gaz replied tonelessly, with no expression except for a frown on her face.

Zim held out a hand for her to stop. "No, I making the Irken chefs do that." He said, closing the cookbook and setting it aside on her bed. "Then what will I do?" Gaz asked bored. Zim looked thoughtfully at her. "Well, while you were busy bathing, I received a call from the Duke and Duchess of Neprelin. They informed me that several of their friends were wondering if they may attend the feast as well. And it occurred to me that in that case, more food will need to be served. Also, another thought came to me. The Neprelinians by nature are creatures of dancing and mingling. In which case, a formal ball will occur. I, myself upon becoming Tallest have learned various methods of dance." He blinked, "However, you, I am not quite aware of knowing dancing."

Gaz felt her stomach lurch uncomfortably. "So...I have to dance? Why?" She asked. "Correction, you must be taught how to dance at first. And the reason for this is because I refuse to let Irkens be thought up of not being able to dance." Zim explained, fondling with the covers of the cookbook. "But I'm not an Irken." Gaz replied nervously. "Well, you'll be thought of as one." Zim answered coolly. Apparently he is enjoying the reactions of his slave. At first Violet was talking to him in this kind of tone, but now the tables have been turned.

"And who," Gaz raised an eyebrow, "may I ask is my dance tutor?"

Zim grinned bigger than ever, with his hands planted on his hips in the same manner heroes that have just saved a city and posing for a picture do.

Gaz felt herself choke, even though she didn't eat a thing. "No way." She backed away a little. "NO. FREAKIN' WAY."

"Way." Zim nodded sagely with his hands folded. "But why YOU?" Gaz cried desperately. Zim raised an eyebrow (invisible one). "Because I'm the only one who is willing to teach you. None of the other Irkens are willing to do it either. And Gir is just plain naive to teach you anything." Zim responded. Upon hearing Gir's name, Gaz's head brought back the picture of their 'closeness'. Feeling as if her legs were melting, Gaz stood there silent.

"Anyways, I'm guessing you are interested in what kind of dances there will be." Zim asked, ignoring her. "Well, Neprelinians generally like to waltz." Gaz's feet gave away and she quickly sat on her bed. "You do know how to waltz, don't you?" Zim asked, with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Hello? I was a video gamer, not a waltzer!" Gaz recovered from her trauma. She looked like a five year old who was being asked to do Algebra. Zim sighed and said, "Very well. The guests won't be arriving until 8. That gives us about three hours of practice." He walked to her door and opened it. "Violet, come."

Gaz groaned and followed Zim out of her room. Well, things could be worse. She thought as her mind averted to the thought of what could've happened if she strolled into her room practically naked. She shivered again, even though the palace was perfectly warm. WAY worse.