Dib woke up after a three-hour rest to find himself confronted with extreme back pain. He couldn't remember when he had fallen asleep, but he knew that sleeping on the floor never did him any good. His neck hurt as well, and he was in too much pain to move.

The ten-year-old boy had no idea what had awakened him at first. The room was pitch-dark, so it was impossible to even tell where he was. However, when he took a few moments to think about it, he realized he was still at Zim's house. I must have somehow fallen asleep on the floor, he thought.

Dib tried to recall what his dreams were like, but when he realized they were just the same old nightmares, he found himself blinking back tears yet again. He missed Zim terribly - it was obvious. The nightmares about Zim dying, alone and afraid in Yew Nork, made him feel horrible.

Suddenly, he found himself staring into a pair of eye-hurtingly bright eyes. "Hi, Dib," Gir began softly, "D-did I wake you?" Dib squeezed his eyes tight shut, not expecting such brightness all at once. Gir tilted his head to the side a bit, slightly confused about why Dib was in so much shock.

"Um, yeah," Dib muttered, still not opening his eyes, "Could you...back up a little?" Gir, immediately understanding what Dib was telling him, stepped backward and backed up right into a wall. He stumbled slightly, but then recovered his balance as Dib spoke up.

"Why did you wake me up?" he asked quietly, cautiously opening his eyes, "What time is it, anyway?" Gir looked around in a confused manner, but then found the clock hanging on the wall. His bright eyes illuminated every area he took a few moments to stare at.

"I think it's...midnight," the SIR robot responded, facing Dib again, "but...but that's not the point. I...I think maybe...if we work together...well...maybe we can...go back to the big city and find Master!" Dib blinked in shock, not expecting Gir to say something like that.

"F-find...Master?" the ten-year-old stuttered, "You want...to go back to Yew Nork, Gir?" Gir nodded and stepped closer, hoping he wouldn't hurt Dib's eyes at all. Dib shakily got to his feet and realized that he had been lying next to the couch, somehow sleeping on a hard floor.

"I miss Master so much..." Gir moaned almost-inaudibly, "Maybe we can rescue him. He's probably lost...and lonely, Dib. Can't we...can't we rescue him?" Tears began to brim in his large eyes as he spoke. Dib grabbed his hand and smiled in an attempt to cheer him up.

"It's okay, Gir," he told the SIR robot, "Don't cry. It's going to be okay, Gir." Gir sniffed and rather immediately wrapped his arms around Dib. Dib wondered just how dysfunctional Gir was - he could be so happy sometimes, but for the past few...(was it months?)...he had been so remarkably sad.

"So...so we can go?" Gir asked, blinking back tears as he hugged Dib, "We're going...to Yew Nork? We'll rescue Master? Is...is it okay with you, Dib?" Dib paused, wondering what the plan would be once he agreed. They'd have to do a lot of preparation, but it would be worth it to see Zim again...wouldn't it?

"Of course it is," Dib answered, "but there's just one thing...can I sleep for a few more hours? I'm going to need energy for this, you know..." His back still hurt, along with a sudden neck pain he hadn't noticed before. Oh, well, he thought, It's not like it's going to last forever.

"Sure!" Gir cried, "Yay! We're going to save Master! I'm going to make muffins to celebrate!" He dashed out of the room like a rocket, leaving Dib in darkness once more. Dib smiled - Gir's extreme enthusiasm was enough to make anyone feel good.

However, sleep was starting to overcome him. Dib sat down on the couch and closed his eyes, only thinking happy thoughts about reuniting with Zim. He didn't care if the Irken invader hated him - he was just excited about being able to reunite with Zim, who, to him, was still his friend.

When sleep came a few minutes later, Dib's dreams were filled with scenes of him and Gir in Yew Nork, meeting up with Zim. For once, the usual nightmares were gone, replaced with blissful dreams of the three of them returning home...together.

...

Dib woke up seven hours later, feeling completely refreshed. He yawned and got back up on his feet, the earlier back and neck pain now completely gone. For once, he felt like he had gotten a good night's sleep, which had become almost impossible recently.

As soon as Dib stood up, Gir came running into the room. "Good morning, Dib!" he told the paranormal investigator cheerfully, "I saved you some muffins." Dib laughed softly and followed Gir into the kitchen. The sun was up, casting its gentle rays through the nearby window.

"So..." Gir began as he and Dib sat down at the table, "what should we do first?" Dib paused, having not considered this beforehand. Rather suddenly, he realized that he was supposed to be headed to Skool at that moment. His expression instantly became a nervous one.

"I can't believe I forgot about Skool," Dib muttered, "...Maybe I can catch up with Gaz and tell her to tell Miss Bitters that I'm sick and can't go!" He sprang to his feet and left Zim's house, scanning the sidewalk in an attempt to find his sister somewhere close by.

Gir followed Dib as he rushed around in a somewhat-crazy manner, trying to find Gaz. "Maybe she's that way," Gir murmured, pointing toward Skool. Dib only nodded and dashed away in that direction. Gir still followed him, not noticing that he wasn't in his disguise.

Finally, after a long sprint down the sidewalk, Dib finally caught up with Gaz. She was walking along rather casually, listening to something on her MP3 player. Dib tapped her on her shoulder, and she turned around, her expression becoming an angry stare when she noticed her brother.

"What do you want?" Gaz spat, slapping Dib across his face and almost completely knocking his glasses off, "I'm trying to listen to...ugh, forget it." She turned the portable music device off, removed her earphones, and faced Dib with a look of pure rage.

"Gaz, I'm sorry," Dib muttered, touching the spot where he had been slapped and flinching from the pain, "I...I just...can you tell Miss Bitters that I'm sick and can't come to Skool?" Gaz stared at him for a few moments, but then responded in a cold, dark voice.

"Fine," she responded icily, "Just leave me alone." She stomped on Dib's foot before storming away, putting her earphones back in and getting back to listening to some death metal. Dib whimpered in pain, but was smiling when he turned around and faced Gir.

"Well, now that that's over with..." Dib began, smiling, "maybe we should head home. Since the last Irken ship we used was destroyed, maybe we can...build a new one or something." Gir nodded, and the two of them raced back to Zim's house, laughing as though they had just won the lottery.

"Want a muffin?" Gir asked as they headed back inside, "I mean, since you haven't eaten anything all morning, I figured..." Dib nodded, and Gir handed him a muffin. For a moment, the two of them just stood there, not sure about what their next step was in their plan to rescue Zim.

"...Hey, I just realized something!" Gir cried, "Maybe we could find some blueprints for a ship downstairs!" He skipped off, probably to find the entrance to Zim's underground laboratory. Dib followed him, still eating the muffin, and watched as Gir located the elevator that would take them to their destination.

"After you," Gir told Dib jokingly as Dib stepped inside. Gir followed him, pressed a button on the side of the wall, and was in for a quick burst of speed as the elevator shot straight down. Within seconds, both he and Dib had arrived in a room filled with all sorts of Irken technology.

"This place is amazing!" Dib commented, having just finished his muffin. He had actually been here a few times before, but he had never gotten a chance to just stand there and admire the machinery around him. I wonder what Zim would say if I told him that...

"Yeah!" Gir agreed, "I love it here! Master is so smart - he teaches me all sorts of things!" Dib smiled, remembering how Zim had once picked on Gir so much...but that had been before the...accident. His smile faded as he recalled the day he had set all of the current events in motion.

"Are you okay, Dib?" Gir asked, turning around and smiling. Dib nodded and returned to admiring the room around him. Meanwhile, Gir ran off and began searching the laboratory, trying to find some sort of blueprint that would help them out in building a ship.

"I think I found a blueprint!" Gir cried, pulling a piece of paper out of a drawer and waving it around, "Look! I think it's for a ship!" Dib walked over to where Gir was standing and took a quick look at the paper. Sure enough, it resembled a blueprint. He couldn't read the text, but it would have to do.

"I hope Master doesn't mind if we use some of this stuff..." Gir murmured, glancing around the room and trying to find some materials that would help them build a ship. Within minutes, both he and Dib were searching through the lab, trying to find some useful items.

An hour passed, and a large pile of pieces of scrap metal, wires, and other objects was growing in the middle of the room. "Hey, Gir..." Dib began, staring at the pile in awe and wonder, "Do you think we have enough stuff?" Gir took a quick look at the pile and nodded.

"Let's get to work!" the SIR robot told Dib optimistically, "We're going to rescue Master!" Both he and Dib spread all the blueprints they had found within the last hour on the floor and began working. It was very difficult, especially due to the fact that the text on every single one of the blueprints was unreadable.

Hours went by, and by then, Dib and Gir had constructed a basic skeleton of the ship. Even though Gir was dysfunctional, he was still very smart, and he had been a big help. "If only Dad could see me now." Dib remarked, gazing up at the unfinished project.

Somewhere not too far away, Skool had just ended. Gaz Membrane left the ominous-looking building and began her walk home. Soothing piano solos were playing through her earphones - she hated to admit it, but she actually had a fondness for piano music.

She walked along the pavement with only her shadow for company. She had no idea why, but a strange emotion was surging within her. She actually felt...sorry for Dib. I'm probably sick or something, she thought, I'll never feel sorry for that idiot, no matter what he does.

Suddenly, Gaz was interrupted by the sound of...of...something strange. She couldn't place it, but it had a strange mechanical feel that caused her to think that someone was working on something nearby. She sighed quietly and resumed her journey home.

However, the odd noise just kept getting louder and louder. Gaz halted just as the noise became even louder than her music. She stopped the piano solo and glared up at the house where the noise was coming from - Zim's. Remembering how the door was always unlocked, she pushed it open and entered.

Gaz walked over to the elevator that she knew would take her to Zim's underground laboratory and stepped inside. The elevator went right down, taking her into Zim's lab. The first thing she noticed was the ship Dib and Gir were working on him, which made her scowl in disgust.

"I'm trying to listen to music, you know," Gaz snarled angrily, "What are you two idiots doing, anyway?" Dib just stared at his sister, unsure about what to say, but Gir ran right up to her and grinned cheerfully, eyes glowing like two beams from a lighthouse.

"We're building a ship so that we can rescue Master!" Gir cried happily, "Do you want to come with us, Gaz?" Dib watched, feeling sorry for the little SIR robot. He knew Gaz would reject his offer, probably physically hurting him in the process. He cringed, preparing for the worst.

However, Gaz did nothing of the sort. "...Okay," she muttered, smiling a little bit, "I'll help you out. Just let me call Dad so he knows where I am." She got out her cell phone and began dialing a number. Gir squealed with glee, and Dib only watched, unable to erase the shock on his face.

A few minutes later, the three of them were all working on the ship. Gir had no idea that Gaz was actually quite excellent at building things. She was wonderful at that sort of thing, and not even Dib knew that. At that moment, Dib was working on another part of the ship, lost in thought.

Hi, Zim, the ten-year-old thought happily, How are things going for you? I hope you're doing fine. As for us, well...we're coming, Zim. We're coming back to Yew Nork, and we're going to take you back with us. You're coming home. We're getting back together, Zim.

...

The alleyway had been the only safe spot for the past few hours. It was so dark...Zim couldn't tell whether it was night or day. He lay there, hiding behind several trash cans, trying to stop the blood that was still flowing in a very thin, faint stream down his face.

There wasn't a single type of object that could stop the blood's flow, however. There was nothing Zim could do but let it flow down his face. He felt horrible - his whole body burned and froze, froze and burned. One of his legs was stuck in an odd position, making it difficult to walk.

However, the part of Zim that hurt most was his heart. He was in so much pain...and it was all his fault. Originally, he hadn't wanted to admit it, but now it was impossible not to. I'm the one who can't remember anything, after all, he thought, This is all my fault.

More than anything, Zim wanted to apologize to Dib. He felt like such an idiot for being so mean to his friend. Now, he was stuck in a city he barely knew, with serious injuries. If I hadn't been so mean, Zim thought miserably, none of this would have happened. Dib and I would still be friends.

Tears came to the Irken invader's crimson eyes. Earlier, he didn't want to cry - the tears would just burn his skin - but he couldn't stop himself now. Zim burst into tears and buried his face in his hands. Dib, he thought sorrowfully, Oh, Dib...I'm sorry. I'm sorry...for everything I've done wrong.

Even before I lost my memory, I probably did all sorts of bad things to you. I probably made life difficult for you. I ruined everything, Dib. I'm sorry. As his own tears burned his fragile Irken skin, Zim feebly attempted to curl up into a small ball and rest in peace.