Author's Disclaimer: Hello pitiful humans. This is my first Invader Zim fan-fic. I've been a fan of the show for years now. I do not own Invader Zim nor it's characters. I wish I did own Zim & Dib but I don't. So Please Be Respectful. My character is an OC. Dib/OC/Zim love triangle.

Chapter Ten

- -

It was 3 am.

Erin tossed and turned. She couldn't get what had happened out of her mind. She had been so scared and yet, Zim had come to her aid. Even though Dib had helped a little, she couldn't put Zim rescuing her out of her mind. What if Zim or Dib had gotten hurt. That's what bothered her. The other thing that had bothered her, how did the Dune Elites find her? They had no training using Irken tech-wear. Only someone with the knowledge of Irken ship and technology could have tracked her down. The other nightmares were too horrible to recall. She wanted to forget them all together. She sat up after a few seconds. She was wide awake.

She looked up at Dib, who was laying like he had gotten drunk or something. He had one arm and one leg sticking out from under his blanket. His other leg was covered and his other arm was laying a top his stomach. His mouth completely open. And the soft snores indicated he was actually asleep. Erin got out of her sleeping bag and quietly climbed up onto his bed. She crawled next to him, but because he was laying on his back, he took up too much room. Erin really didn't care, she just sat up, legs folded in idian style. It wasn't like she was going to curl up next to him and go back to sleep. Not that the idea had occured to her before. But her and Dib couldn't be like that, it would be too...awkward.

"Dib?" Erin asked quietly. Maybe it would be less awkward if he was awake.

She got onto her knees and knelt over him. He just kept snoring.

"Dib. Dib. Dib. Dib. Diiiiibbbbb", She replied a little louder than a whisper and shaking him a little.

"Wh..what?" Dib asked in a sleepy manner, opening his eyes. He sat up and then turned to Erin, "Erin. It's like...three in the morning", he pointed out, checking his alarm clock.

"Oh good, you're awake", She said smiling.

"Can't we do this later? When it's not dark out and I..I'm..not tired", Dib exclaimed yawning.

"But..don't paranormal people get up at the crack of dawn to hunt nessie or whatever?" Erin asked.

Dib stared at her, "You can't sleep can you?" He asked in a concerened manner.

"No", She replied shaking her head, "Yesterday really shook me up. You and Zim could've gotten hurt and it's my fault".

"Oh...wow..I'm a really incenciderate jerk. I didn't even know that was bothering you. You didn't say anything but I should have asked", Dib said.

"You're not a incenciderate jerk. You're like the smartest person ever. Even if you do hunt aliens", Erin exclaimed smiling.

Dib blushed, even if she couldn't see him do it, "Thanks. And just so you know, if I do become a paranormal investigator. I won't exploite you like I would...say...bigfoot", he wanted to add Zim to that but he didn't feel like getting into an argument with her.

"Thanks. Look, you can go back to sleep, I'm sorry for waking you up", Erin replied.

"You should try sleeping. Skool starts in four hours. Even if you don't sleep, try just resting your eyes", Dib explained.

He laid back down and was out like a light only after seconds. Erin decided to take his advice and she curled up next to him. Dib opened his eyes to see if she had gone back to sleep. In fact she had but she was laying beside him. Dib went to go back to sleep when a giant crashing sound re-awoke him. Erin had actually gone to sleep, Dib leaned over her to look out the window. His bedroom window over looked the roof of the garage. There was a giant hole in the garage.

"This can't be good", Dib muttered.

Suddenly the ground below was shaking and then the roof above was ripped open. Tak's ship came through the roof, with Tak piloting it.

"Tak? But..but how?" Dib stammered.

"Oh, you'd be surprised what I'm capable of", Tak hissed and pushed a button on her consule.

Several silver orbs emerged from a hole on the front of her ship. She had modifide her ship somehow. But Dib noticed the orbs were just like the ones from yesterday. Dib grabbed Erin and made a run for it. The orbs followed. Tak piloted her ship back through the roof and went out around the house. Erin awoke a second later, fully awake and alert and noticed Dib carrying her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Tak...silver orbs...we need to get to Zim's base", Dib explained in a panting manner as he raced down the stairs and running towards the front door.

- -

Upstairs, Gaz had been awoken by the noise. She gritted her teeth in anger and got out of bed. She stomped to Dib's room.

"You..are..gonna..pay...Dib! For...waking...me..up!" Gaz muttered.

As she stood in the door way of her brother's room, she looked around and saw the damage.

"Wow...dad's gonna flip out", Gaz said, "Oh well. At least I'll be an only child".

- -

As Dib and Erin ran out the front door, the orbs surrounded them. Dib put Erin down, which she didn't mind. Dib took Erin's hands as he stood in front of her, as though he were a protective shield.

"So, your the one behind all of this!" Dib exclaimed.

"Just give me the girl and I won't destroy your giant head", Tak replied in deadly whisper.

"MY HEAD ISN'T BIG!", Dib yelled and then replied in a normal tone, "Man, is that getting old".

"So be it Dib. Funny that I'm the one to destroy you and not Zim", Tak laughed, "I'm sure he'd have been delighted to do it himself".

At these words, Tak's ship took a beating from another ship hitting it's side. It was Zim piloting the voot cruiser. The orbs however went after Erin and Dib.

"Take both of them!" Tak ordered into a small speaker.

"HEY!" Dib screamed as one of the orbs cuffed him and Erin together. The cuffs were blinking.

"Let me guess, we try to take these off and we explode", Erin muttered to Dib.

Tak backed off, and just flew off towards Earth's atomsphere.

"ZIM!" Erin yelled as the orbs grew giant jelly-like tenticals. One of the orbs grabbed her and then another grabbed Dib.

The orbs shot off towards Earth's atmosphere but the voot cruiser was in hot prosuite. Zim gritted his teeth as he shot off towards the orbs. Rescuing Erin was one thing, rescuing Dib wasn't what he had in mind. But since the two were cuffed together, it had be too done.

- -

Tak stopped her ship so the orbs could catch up. But Zim was coming up fast. This had be done quickly. Tak took out a key and opened up the front of her ship. As the orbs, holding both Erin and Dib came closer, Tak jumped down onto one of the orbs. She leaned down and unlocke Dib from the cuffs and then hooked the other cuff onto Erin's left wrist.

"We don't need him. Drop him", Tak ordered.

"NO!" Erin screamed.

But too late. Dib was released a second later. He fell onto the shield part of Zim's ship, making Zim stop what he was doing. Tak laughed and jumped back into her own ship. The orbs followed her up into Earth's atmosphere and out of sight, taking Erin with them.

- -

Zim sighed opening the hatch so Dib could get in. After Dib got into Zim's ship, Zim re-closed the bubble hatch.

"We can't let them get away!" Dib exclaimed glaring at Zim, "What are you waiting for?!"

"We must devise a plan first. I thought you were all smart and stuff", Zim replied.

"Tak is helping those Elite people and you're just going to devise a plan when we could just as easily follow them?" Dib asked.

"You want to get caught during a rescue mission? Wait...Tak is helping the Elite Soliders?" Zim asked.

Dib smacked his forehead and tried to keep calm, "Yes. You wouldn't have any idea why, would you?"

"Nope. But we can't let them take Erin back to her planet. So, this time we work together. Even though I hate you", Zim said.

"Oh, well, the feeling is mutual", Dib replied folding his arms.

- -

Erin found herself in a test tube like cell. Her wrists were cuffed, as were her ankels. Tak approached the tube in which Erin was being held. Tak just folded her arms and smirked.

"What did I ever do to you?" Erin asked.

"Oh, it's not what you did. It's what he did. And Zim deserves to be miserable", Tak said, "With you out of the way, Zim will be easily crushed and I'll take my rightful place as an Invader".

"Zim is a way better Invader than you'll ever be and I can see why the Tallest chose him over you", Erin remarked.

"Zim destroyed most of our home planet during Impending Doom I. He was banished to foodcourtia for it. The tallest only sent him to Earth to be rid of him. Zim is nothing like the rest of us. I guess that's why you and he are such a good match. Your people don't exactly like you either", Tak spat.

Erin found she had nothing to say to this. Maybe that was true. She had abanded her planet and had found Zim. She was being sent back only to be banished. She was sure that's what was going to happen. But no...she wouldn't be going back. Zim would come for her. He wouldn't let her go and especially if he was with Dib. Dib wasn't letting her go that easily either. There was still hope.

"Hate to break it to you", Erin replied finally, "Zim will come for me. And once he does, he'll kick your sorry butt into next week".

"Oh, I'd like to see him try", Tak said and with that, she turned and left Erin alone.

- -

Author's Note: Okay, hope you don't mind another chapter. Oh, so exciting. Next chapter: Dib and Zim have to work togther but some secret stuff gets pulled out into the open. Can the two work together when they both feel the same for the girl they are trying to rescue? READ, REVIEW and FIND OUT!