I. Am so sorry. I've been beating myself up for not writing since the first week I stopped. I feel bad, but it all started because I started playing Spore. "Ill write later, tomorrow, Wednesday, etc.". Even when I tried to sit down to write, I couldn't get anything good down or I'd just be staring at the same line for hours. Nothing came to me and the guilt just kept building. I hope you enjoy what I have, sorry if the end is a little rushed. I mostly wanted to get this chapter out. I will be writing more later, if I finish the chapter I'll post it today as an apology.

Please enjoy! Don't forget to review!

Chapter 9

Gaz walked quietly through the courtyard, surrounded by aliens. She recognized some of them were Irkens, or Vortians, but everything else wasn't even close to recognizable. Most of the Irkens were very short, at differing levels of short, but still only child sized, about how Zim was when he first arrived on Earth. Most had pink or ruby eyes like Zim, others had purple or blue. She noticed that the more feminine looking ones had curled antennae, while the masculine ones had straight.

The Vortians all came in varying shades of blue, green, or purple, they were all short too. Other aliens, more Gaz's height, were just as freaky, or more. A tall bug creature hunched over themself talking with a little green blob man with a tuft of orange hair, drooling pink goo brushed past Gaz. Shorter green aliens with a screw coming out of their heads purposely walked around Gaz, staring and murmuring. She tried to ignore them, She noticed other aliens were doing the same and she stifled a growl. According to the Vortian she talked to on Earth, Gaz was considered 'gross looking'. She stuck her hands in her pockets and continued pushing through aliens, looking around for a place to eat.

While she wasn't looking, Gaz walked straight through two, tall, green aliens, one with blue and one with green eyes. The blue eyed alien glared down at Gaz and hunched over to speak in her face.

"Watch where you're going weeeaaasel!" Gaz wiped spit off her face and returned his glare.

"Fuck off creep." She turned to walk away but the green eyed alien was behind her, staring awkwardly and making a long, strained noise, twitching it's hands as it struggled to make a word.

"YEAH! Earth weasel! Watch where you're going!"

"Wait. You guys know I'm from Earth?" She looked back at the blue eyed alien. They both looked almost exactly the same, only differing in eye color. They had skinny arms and legs, layered with a greenish exoskeleton. They hung their two fingered hands close to their chests like a praying mantis and their legs bent in two places like a bird. They both hunched over, examining Gaz.

"Of course you're from Earth!" The blue eyed one snapped.

"We know our aaaliens, don't we Pa?" the green one shouted in Gaz's ear behind her.

"We're collectors." The blue one smiled, proudly. "We've had an Earth weasel before, haven't we now?"

"Sure did!"

"I'm not a weasel. I'm a human." Gaz growled stepping back from in between them both. The blue one glared and began furiously shaking his head at her.

"No no no no no no. Yoooooooouuu." He pointed at Gaz. "Are obviously a weasel."

"We had a human once too!" The green one smiled. "He had a dog and everything!"

"Do you think we don't know a weasel when we see one?" He bent down at a growling Gaz and raised an eyebrow, twitching his mantis hand at her.

"Fine. Whatever. Do you guys know if there's any Irken restaurants around here?"

They both stopped to think, which was clearly a difficult process, as they began rubbing their temples and groaning. Gaz crossed her arms and waited.

"Hey…" The green one finally said. "Hey! Hey Pa!"

"Mmmmmmmyeah?"

"We could capture this weasel! And then we'd have a weasel again!"

"What?" Gaz demanded.

"Hey….." The blue one bent to look at her again, silently staring for a few seconds. "Hey yeah!"

The green one bent down to look at her as well, poking at her cheek. "This would make a fine specimen in our collection."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Gaz slapped it's hand away, the green one whimpered and hid behind it's friend, rubbing his hand.

"Brilliant, yes, brilliant." The blue one nodded, turning to the green one. "Alright, so what's the plan?"

"Ehhhhh. The plan for what?"

"I can hear you." Gaz pointed out as they talked.

"The plan to capture the weeeeeasel!"

Idiots. Gaz sighed.

"Oh. Well what about this!" The green onee began, hunching closer to whisper, not very quietly. "What if we dressed like weasels. Eh?"

"Brilliant. Brilliant. Then what?" The blue one nodded. Gaz shook her head and began stepping away, quietly.

"Then I'll offer it some juice. As bait, see?"

Gaz walked away, unnoticed as they planned for her capture, once again searching for food.

"Oi! The weasel escaped!" She heard one of them shout, she looked back for a second as they looked around for her, quickly losing interest and carrying on with their day. Gaz shrugged and looked forward, stopping in her tracks as a large, orange, cyclops in blue overalls waddled slowly by her. She watched it stomp into a large green store, seeming to jiggle with every step, as it passed through some kind of blue force field.

Gaz raised an eyebrow, staring up at the giant green monster with fat cheeks and a tall red hat on top of the green building.

'Shloogourghs Flavor Monster' she read, walking toward the door. Gaz looked up at some blinking screens at the door, flashing with the name of the store and then shifting into a wanted picture… of Zim.

'Reasons'. Gaz remembered, smirking. That should be an interesting story. She looked at the blue force field that acted as a door to the shop. Cautiously, she raised her hand and let it pass through the force field. When she felt nothing she walked straight through.

Taking a look around the restaurant, it reminded her of a McMeaties. Large, brightly colored food signs scattered the walls and ceiling. The same green monster mascot hung above the front counter and the menu. Booths filled with little groups of aliens lined the sides of the store. There was a little group of Vortians, a blue, diamond alien, a family of purple creatures, and an Irken with bright orange eyes sitting on a large stack of books, it was far smaller than the other Irkens and Gaz almost thought it was cute. As she walked through, a child in the purple family watched her every move with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"Momma it's weird!" He shouted, pointing. Gaz growled, walking toward the front counter, which was manned by a little Irken wearing an oversized red fez hat with a yellow 'S', red goggles, and a white apron. Gaz stood behind the orange cyclops as he ordered.

"Welcome to ShlOOgorgh's! My name is GashlOOg! May I take your order?"

"Ummmmm… I'll have…." The cyclops stared at the menu, written in Irken, and began drooling a little. Gaz sighed and tapped her foot, trying not to notice the kid still pointing at her.

"I'll have… A deep fried mooshminkey… aaaannnnnndd… a jumbofied sack of Vort dogs."

"Very good, Sir!" Gashloog typed happily into his register. "We'll have that ready for in just-"

Suddenly muffled voices shouted behind the wall Gaz assumed was the kitchen, something crashed to the floor.

"Gashloog! We need you back here!" Someone called.

"I'm with a customer!" He called back. The voices got louder, something else was knocked over. All the customers were looking toward the front.

"NOW!" They called again. Gashloog nervously nodded at the cyclops.

"I'll be just a minute." Then he ran back behind the wall, apparently stepping off some kind of crate as he got much shorter, the cyclops waddled into a booth and Gaz stepped up to the counter.

"-ur hands off me!" Someone else shouted. Gaz's head snapped up just as someone was shoved into the front, catching themself on the counter in front of Gaz. Their eyes met and widened.

"Gaz?"

"Zim?"

"ZIM!" Someone shouted, coming out from behind the wall. It was a huge, wide Irken with angry purple eyes, dressed in a dirty white apron. Zim looked back for a second before leaping over the counter, past Gaz, and running for the door. He skidded to a halt just at the edge of the door, falling on the floor.

"No use running Zim. That's the same device as last time!" The large Irken walked through the counter and toward Zim who shot up, looking everywhere for an escape. Gashloog and another employee followed, they quickly surrounded Zim.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Gaz snapped, walking toward them just as they tackled him. "Zim!" She yelled, worried, and began running. The large Irken stood up, holding an angry Zim by the collar, now dressed like the employees. Gaz stopped, confused.

"Now get back to work!" The large Irken reeled back and threw Zim across the room, he landed with a crash just behind the counter. Zim shot up and glared, throwing his fez hat down.

"YOU CAN'T KEEP ME HERE, SIZZ-LORR!" He shouted, hopping over the counter and meeting the large Irken face to face.

"I've already called the Tallest, when they hear about this they'-"

"I said, GET BACK TO WORK!" Sizz-Lorr picked Zim up again and threw him behind the counter. Zim, again, hopped over to meet him.

"They're expecting me at Irk! I DEMAND you let me go at once!" Sizz-Lorr responded by picking him up again and dragging him back behind the counter. Zim struggled against his collar and kicked his feet. Customers watched in awe, even the little purple child stared. The employees followed.

"We've already been through this, Zim." Sizz-Lorr groaned, annoyed.

"Hey!" Gaz yelled. Sizz-Lorr stopped and looked at her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Please excuse this disruption, sir. Just a rogue employee." Sizz-Lorr turned back to the counter. Zim struggled more, now reaching for Sizz-Lorr.

"Why you little-!" He yelled, thrashing.

"I mean what are you doing to him?" Gaz snapped, gaining his attention again.

"We've been looking for this one. He's escaped his post twice now. I'm only putting him back to work." Sizz-Lorr set Zim down behind the counter,

"Now take this young man's order!" Sizz-Lorr demanded, earning a dark glare and growl from Zim before he went back behind the wall. Gaz walked up to the counter to question Zim, who had his arms crossed like a pouty child.

"Zim, what's with the outfit? And the wanted posters?" She whispered, leaning over the counter.

"Shhh!" He threw his finger up to hush her. "You don't know me." Zim turned away.

"You're a frycook?" Gaz leaned further to catch his eye.

"No! Shhhh!" He glared and hushed again.

"Zim, what's going on?" Gaz demanded, seriously. Zim whipped around to glare at her again, taking a deep breath.

"Gaz! Shhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Zim!" Sizz-Lorr stepped out from behind the wall. "Stop chatting with the customer and take his order!"

"For the last time, I REFUSE!" Zim scowled at Sizz- Lorr, with his arms still crossed disobediently.

"Then go mop the floors!" Sizz-Lorr shoved cleaning tools into his hands and shoved Zim out from behind the counter and onto the floor.

"If you don't finish by the lunch rush you'll be on bathroom duty for the next month!" He gave Zim a final glare and disappeared behind the wall again. Zim gave a humph as he got up off the floor and began cleaning. Gaz sat in the booth beside him, watching him mop the floors.

"You gonna tell me what's going on?" She asked impatiently. Zim growled at her and moved closer, still mopping.

"This is my banishment." He groaned, avoiding her eyes, clearly embarrassed.

"Your banishment?" Gaz repeated, wide eyed. "What did you do?" Zim stopped to think.

"I don't remember." He continued cleaning. "I think it has something to do with the destruction of half of Irk." he said nonchalantly.

"Seriously?" Gaz asked, surprised. She knew the alien was ruthless and scatterbrained, but the destruction of half of his own planet? She never would have thought him capable.

"Are we still going to Irk?"

"Yes. We just need to escape." Zim cleaned under her booth, finally looking at her.

"That guy said you've escaped before. How did you do it?" Zim stopped and scowled his eyes.

"I'd rather not say." He grimaced.

"Fine. But how do we get out now?" Gaz leaned on the table. Zim pointed to the door with the blue force field.

"That door is programmed to read my bio signature. If it senses me leaving, I will explode."

"HE GONNA 'SPLODE MOMMA!" The kid shrieked, now pointing at Zim. They both scowled at the child before continuing. "Unless, I am surrounded by something thick enough for it not to pick up on me. Sizz-Lorr said it was the same door, so that's the plan."

"Something thick? How thick?" Gaz asked. Zim shivered and looked at the large cyclops.

"About that thick." He pointed, turning to mop up farther. Gaz raised an eyebrow, looking from Zim to the cyclops over and over until it clicked.

"Oh Zim, you didn't." She asked, grossed out. Zim scowled at her.

"It was my only option!" He snapped at her. "I'd do it again if I haven't grown so tall. It would never work again."

"That's sick Zim!" She gagged. "Did you- I mean, how'd you even-…"

"I did what I had to." He cut, turning away again.

"Fine, I don't wanna know anyway." She shook her head. "So is that the only way out? Isn't there another door? Or a window?"

"The first time I escaped I walked out of the back door in the break room."

"Does it have that force field thing on it too?"

"It surrounds the whole building." Zim nodded at Gaz just as Sizz-Lorr peaked menacingly around the wall, glaring at Zim. Zim began cleaning faster, with a fake grin on his face and humming a tuneless song. Sizz-Lorr nodded, pleased, and disappeared again. Zim dropped the act and turned back to Gaz.

"So what's the plan? Find something thick?" Gaz asked.

"Or shut down the barrier." Zim nodded.

"How do we do that?"

"Sizz-Lorr keeps the controls on him at all times. It's on his wrist. We'll have to get it away from him somehow."

"You could distract him with something. I can grab it and shut it down then we'll make a run for the ship. Where is it?"

"It's in the back of the restaurant. They captured me when I was trying to leave the parking area."

"Okay. So that's the plan. Get the controls, shut down the barrier, and escape in the ship. Easy."

"Ah HA!" Sizz-Lorr shouted from behind the wall, he stomped out and pointed at Gaz, grabbing Zim by his collar again. "I KNEW you were in cahoots! Zim's not going anywhere! Ever!" Sizz-Lorr began dragging Zim behind the counter again.

"Its bathroom duty for you, you little escapee!" He shouted, disappearing behind the wall.

"NOOOOO! NEVER AGAIN!" Zim screamed. Gaz just sat in the booth and looked around. All the customers, including the pointing child all had their eyes on her. After a moment of awkward silence, everyone returned to their meals and Gaz slumped down in her seat.

Nothing gets to be easy, does it?

Well there you have it, the long awaited chapter 9. I'll try to finish chapter 10 tonight. Once again. So sorry. Hope you enjoyed!