Tenn watched Dib come and sit on the other side of the couch after emerging from the basement lab for some alone time. Soon as she told him what his son said, Dib went flying downstairs to patch in a private call. His face was expressionless. He was staring at nothingness. She felt helpless for one in not helping out. Not knowing what to do exactly.

"She was attacked by him again. It was violent this time. Stabbed her. She has been under surveillance since. She'll survive, but..." Dib cut himself off. "Gaz has always been great at protecting herself, but I've always been there to help her because I'm her brother. Now with Zim reverted back to that really huge jerk phase, I feel she is alone right now, and I don't know what to do."

"Who did you talk to exactly over there?"

Dib went silent again actually hating to answer her. "Skoodge. Not Zim, but Skoodge."

His silent shock was sinking to frustration. This she saw as Tenn chanced getting near him. "Do you know where he was when you called?" Even she had to hope Zim wasn't being a complete creep towards Gaz.

"The bridge. Says he was searching for the source. Zim was angry." Dib scoffed. "He was probably more concerned about himself than her. I remember how he was quite clearly, Tenn."

Taking a chance again, she reached out to place her hand on his shoulder. "You can't be sure. He might be angry at her being attacked. Hurt."

Standing up abruptly, Dib briefly glanced her face. "Nope it just means it bruised his own ego. That is it."

Getting up herself, Tenn wished to calm him. "I get it, you're angry. I don't blame you, but please calm down for your sake and hers. I am here to protect you and your son, but I can't if you are going to go off half-cocked right now. I'm sure you will argue you won't, but I can sense it."

He knew he needed to remain calm so he sat back down to stare back at nothingness again. "You are right. I need to remain calm."

Sitting back beside him she looked at his profile. "Exactly. This instinct of yours in natural and you are a brave person for wanting to tackle so much. I do admire that in you."

"You've become a good friend, Tenn."

"I consider you my first friend too, but there are times I think of you as something more."

"Tenn..."

"No, don't stop me, just let me say it please. I hear it is better to say something then nothing at all. I respect how you feel about Tak. I do." She smiled nervously at him. "This is the first time I've ever experienced feelings so allow me to express myself." To his credit, he did when his eyes softened up at her. She took that as a good sign of acceptance. "I won't cross any lines with you, though it is tempting. You love her and have a child with her. She loves you enough to come and risk her life to come see you. That is special and I won't mess with that. I don't blame her for doing that because if I was her, I'd do the same thing."

Dib was warmed by her sharing what was inside her as he reached over to take her hand. "You are too much at times, Tenn. I'm glad I've met you."

If he had any clue what he was doing with her spooch right now he would snatch that hand away, but she remained as calm as possible. "Glad I was assigned to you."

Dib chuckled at that. Leave it to an Irken to make something personal and make it once again something military.


Three days and Gaz was still out. She was resting on the bed on her back. She was being protected when he wasn't there, and when he was Zim stayed in the bedroom with her. He noticed that with anyone else she never turned her body or head away from them, but with him she always just turned her head away as if she was shielding herself from whatever he will say to her. Zim wasn't pleased at all by what happened to her. In fact, he was scared for her. It was hard for him to feel concern for another. He wasn't built like that, but to see her like this was hard. In honesty, he missed that voice of hers.

The fourth day while he laid to one side of the bed, she finally moved her body gingerly to the side with her back facing him. Zim wanted to reach out to touch her. To talk to her, but didn't know what to say. Did he love her? He had no clue, but to hear her soft moans of discomfort he closed the gap to lay one hand gingerly on her arm, and nuzzled his head against the back of her neck.

Gaz felt his body was still the same height against her. She felt how he was tentatively trying to hold her while his mature self would be more self assured about it. He would be even more loving. She knew this wasn't his fault. It was Psyllic's. It was all his fault.

"It wasn't Psyllic." She whispered.

"Excuse me?"

She almost weakened at his breath dancing along her skin. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to calm herself before turning back over on her back to look him directly in the eyes. "It wasn't Psyllic. He talks with this inflection and this imitator was talking normally to me."

"Whoever he is, he still attacked you. Attacked what is mines." Zim's eyes flashed with anger.

Gaz let go of that possessive nature there to keep going. "It looks like we have either another player in the game or someone that is a Plegerin like Psyllic."

"Either way, we will still need to stop this whole thing." Glancing down to her stomach area, he added, "There won't be any scarring down there and nothing has been damaged. Also your brother spoke to Skoodge while I was on the bridge."

"And you didn't speak to him yourself?" Dib won't be pleased by that.

"No, why should I?"

Gaz's stare spoke of her unhappiness making her turn away from him once again. "I'll speak to him when I'm a bit more cleaner. I guess there is nothing more to say right now."

"He isn't my brother." Zim simply didn't understand why she was upset. He didn't like Dib.

Gaz shut her eyes willing the tears to stop from flowing. "For the time being he is still your brother-in-law, Zim. Family. I understand you don't know what that means, but it is important to me."

Zim saw her reaching to clasp her own stomach area wondering if she was in pain. He did understand that their own father left them alone. He was neglectful.

"I know I'm not important to you while you are in this condition. Your reverted state because when your first question you asked of the Control Brains was about not wanting to be in this marriage any longer. That told me far more than anything right now." Gaz shifted, but didn't turn to face him. "Even if you don't love me now, I do remain the same how I feel about you, and since you want to annul this marriage if this result is permanent then I'll go back to the original room I was in. Why pretend?"

"Stay in here."

"No. You are the Tallest and this is hereby your room. I'll go to the old room right away." Shifting again, she slowly got off the bed gasping at the pain. Feeling dizzy, but refusing to show more weakness in front of him as she moved to the bathroom. "If you are embarrassed about how anyone will see this then get over it."

Zim left the bed to stare at the door she went through. He was an Irken and she was a human. He couldn't be saddled with emotions when you ended up looking like that in the end. Though, he did care enough about her as he went outside their quarters to inform them of a temporary change of plans where the Queen will be staying in another room until things are settled, and she is to have a guard stationed at all times at her door.

Gaz removed her bandages to see that everything was barely noticeable. It was pretty good to the point she looked at her own neck to see if Zim ordered that to be removed, but to her surprise it was still there. Funny how she really grew to love that mark. She actually loved seeing it in the mirror and how he would brush his claw gently across it before he laid a very gentle kiss down. It always made her catch her breath. She was really deeply in love with him and she wanted to fight for him, and will continue to fight alongside him till this is ended, but hearing that very first question to the Control Brain felt horrible.

She was probably finally being really punished for sending a clone on this ship and committing suicide soon after he wedded it. She always will feel guilt about it. It was her first lie to him. A true lie. Closing her eyes, she prayed to her own mother. Something she hadn't done in such a long time. Hoping to seek some guidance. Her mom as she remembered was always this light source to the family, and when she left it felt like everything darkened. She needed that light. Funny how at times she saw her in Dib when he smiled. That helped her smile a little bit as she cleaned up a little, re-wrapped herself, packed her stuff, and informed the guard she was transferring over to another room for the time being.


While pulling up some images in front of him, Psyllic caught something so disturbing that he called his son in at once. Standing there waiting for that good for nothing son to come in his anger reached at such a boiling point that he blasted him through his own wall the second he stepped in. Phasing down to the ground below, Psyllic stood over Elias's body reaching down to grab him by the scruff of the neck.

"What gave you the idea to imitate me and attack her? You stabbed her. Why did you do that?" Psyllic raged.

"I did it to send a message across. That is all. You should of seen how disturbed they both were." Elias answered not seeming disturbed by his treatment by his own father.

Glaring at him, Psyllic tossed him far off away from his home, only to take a leap and land with one foot on his chest. "IDIOT!"

"But father this is for Plegerin."

"No, this is for your own selfish needs." Getting off his chest, Psyllic wished to kill his own flesh and blood right now.

"Look, father I understand you like her, but she is a weakness for both you and him. Destroy her and just imagine the possibilities."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Psyllic chuckled softly towards him. "Stupid naive boy. That girl is his weakness, but also a strength. You hurt her and you want to know what happens? I've seen it. I've seen the anger. Felt it. That is a monster waiting to be released."

"Then we just handle the monster and kill him. Of course you still need that child and the father, for whatever reason." Elias surmised.

Shaking his head, Psyllic couldn't believe how idiotic his own son was. That family held power. Power must always be wielded or destroyed. Psyllic wanted to wield it.


Footsteps quietly made their way up the stairs in a stealthy fashion. Knowing an Irken resided there, and knowing their sleep patterns the individual quietly made their way into the main bedroom. Opening the door they found Dib sleeping soundlessly half under his covers with a little moonlight streaming inside. He looked peaceful in spite of recent events. Arriving at his side, the individual sat down quietly to watch the full REM cycle happening. With one clawed hand, they ran it along his surprisingly soft hair with a tiny smile in place.

He stirred a little, but didn't wake so the temptation to kiss him lightly on his lips were there. Slowly going down her lips met his letting his eyes blink more than a few times to see who kissed him. Reaching over to grab his glasses, he placed him on to sit up to kiss the very one taking a chance yet again to see him.

"Oh my, Tak." He breathed against her. Her arms went around him making his heart beat louder.

Tak loved his reaction. She loved his touch. She just wanted to stay like this.

"I take it he is gone again for a while." Dib assumed and almost wondered why he wasn't questioning why she wasn't speaking to him right now, but he could tell by her touch alone this is what she wanted.

"Heard about your sister. It was Psyllic's son who attacked her under his guise. His son got punished for it. Is she all right?" She kissed his neck. "Sorry to hold you so tight, I just want to feel you."

"I'm fine with that, Tak." Dib said. "She called before I went to sleep. She's up and under guard right now. I'm sure you know Zim is his jerky old self."

"I heard about him." Pulling back from him a little, she took in his face. "How's Jack? I miss him."

"He's healthy and great."

Running her hand through his hair again, she kept studying his every detail. "Like his dad." Smile falling she needed to tell him. "While Psyllic wants you and your sister along with Jack, Pressner wants to destroy you. He punished me when I came back. He knew I came to see you. Being inside of me affords him into looking into my memories unfortunately."

"Tak, I don't want you punished. I mean I want to see you all the time, but I can't have you punished." Running his hand along her jawline, he kissed her cheek.

"I'm being punished by taking out my own kind. I can't even attack Pressner because it increases the attacks. I'm screwed, Dib." Tak soaked in his kisses before crushing her lips against his. She had a feeling she wouldn't be getting out of this one at all so she needed him more than ever. It wasn't something she wanted to verbalize, she just wanted the man she loved with her right now.