Zim awoke the next morning to find that his pillow felt like someone had dropped it into the ocean and Gir was lying next to him sound asleep. He then began to think about what happened last night and he felt like he wanted to cry but, he couldn't, he didn't have any tears left to cry. Gir stirred next to him and he slowly lifted his head.

"Good morning Master!" Zim was about to reply but he just didn't have the energy so he simply nodded his head and sat up. He began to wipe the sleep from his eyes and Gir happily jumped off the bed. Zim shrugged it off and slid off his bed and went downstairs. Gir was waiting at the bottom step with his wig and contacts.

"Gir, I don't think that I'm going to school today... I-I just don't have it in me, I'm sorry." He walked over and sat on the couch but Gir was determined to make him go.

"But Master, If-if you go may-maybe it'll help to take your mind off of some things." Was Gir really that caring? Zim considered it and decided that Gir might be right so he put on his disguise and headed out the door. He walked slowly down the streets and around corners hoping that Dib would be absent like he was yesterday. Unfortunately he spotted him and Gaz turning a corner and as if his luck couldn't get any worse Dib came running towards him.

"Hey Zim! What kind of plan have you been working on while I was gone huh? What sort of evil plot do you have to destroy Earth? Hey! Why are you ignoring me?! Are you even listening to me?" Either Dib was completely oblivious to the fact that Zim wasn't quite himself or he was just that stupid.

"Dib, I am choosing not to answer you because I am too preocupied with other things at the moment." Dib couldn't believe what he was hearing. Usualy Zim would be telling him to shut up or to go crawl in a hole and rot for the rest of eternity.

"What? You mean... you mean you're too busy to even tell me to shut up? Oh come on! Wait... I see what you're doing Zim!" Zim just rolled his eyes. "This is part of some evil plot against Earth isn't it? I'm not that stupid Zim! I can see right through you! You wont get away with this! I wont let you! I will stop whatever plan you have! You'll rue the day you ever messed with Earth!"

"You are the most blind human I have ever met you know that?"

"What are you talking about?" Dib cast Zim a confused look.

"Sigh, Honestly I don't feel like taking over the world right now okay? I have other issues that need to be dealt with right now and destroying Earth isn't one of them." Zim sounded more bored than hurt at the moment but he was still hurt, he just didn't want Dib to know that.

"You're too busy even to plan the destruction of Earth?" Dib could hardly believe it.

"Uh huh." Dib knew better than to just walk away, he knew something was up and wasn't going to rest until he found out what.

"Okay then, what are some the other issues? If you're too busy even for Earth then what exactly are you doing now?"

"Dib, I don't feel like discussing the matter nor do I feel like having you annoy me about it all day."

"Why not? I bet it'd make you feel better." Now the Dib-human cared too? What was going on?

"I don't think anything could make me feel better at this point." Dib was about to respond but Zim quickened his pace and entered the skool, leaving Dib to think about what Zim was going through.

As the bell rang the kids began to file into the classroom and take their seats. Zim dully walked over to his desk and sat down while Dib took his seat at the other end of the room.

"Today class, I'll begin another lecture about how space will eventually implode in on itself!" Mrs. Bitters began reciting the word "doomed" over and over for the rest of the class. Instead of listening the students wrote notes to each other, talked quietly amongst themselves or drew random pictures. Dib took advantage of this and wrote a note on a piece of paper, made it into a paper airplane and threw it in Zim's direction. It landed right in the middle of his desk and Zim looked over at Dib, then at the note. He decided that reading whatever Dib had written was better than listening to Mrs. Bitters rant all day so he opened the letter and read it to himself.

Dear Zim,

I understand that you may be going through something but on Earth it usually helps if people talk about their problems. Sometimes other people can help them. I'm not going to bother you all day but I will tell you that if you do decide to talk to someone I'm willing to listen. If it's caused you to stop planning to destroy Earth then it must be pretty bad. If you don't end up talking to someone then, good luck, I guess.

Dib

Zim stared at the note in his hands, he wasn't quite sure what to make of it but began to consider Dib's suggestion.That is, until... Wait... I'm not going to take advice from a, a, a hyooman! I can't believe I almost-... What is wrong with me?!... What IS wrong with me? Maybe I do need some help this time. Maybe, this isn't something I can do on my own... maybe, maybe I could, just this once.Zim began to write under Dib's letter and he refolded the airplane. He then threw it back to him and it once again landed squarely on the desk. Dib opened it read what Zim had written.

Dear Dib-Stink,

I suppose you might be right this time. I never though I would EVER say this but... I think I do need you're help. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to write it all out on this piece of paper but I will discuss it with you at lunch. I just hope you can help.

Zim

Dib looked over at Zim who had his head resting on his arms and was laying on his desk. He looked... extremely upset, almost as if he didn't even feel that life was worth living anymore. Dib actually felt kind of sorry for him, honestly he did look pretty pitiful.

After a while of sitting and doing absolutely nothing the bell finally rang for lunch and the kids ran out of the classroom. Zim waited for Dib by the door and they walked silently to the lunchroom together. Once they entered the room they found an empty table and sat across from each other. Dib sat and looked at Zim for a minute, waiting for him to say something.

"Look, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." Zim just looked up at Dib, debating if this really was such a good idea. He decided he would.

"If you haven't noticed already, Aneera isn't here today. The reason being is that she had to leave on Saturday to go live on the Massive with our Tallest. I called her that night to see if everything was alright but, unfortunately she found out something that she wasn't suposed to know. Unlike most of us she had parents but she never actually knew them. She found out that one day we discovered them and brought them in for questioning. When they refused to cooperate the Tallest began to torture them for answers. They escaped one night and that started the war. I'm not sure exactly where she got that information but when I called her she seemed upset, particularly at me. I asked her what was wrong but she yelled at me. She said that it was the Tallest's fault that they aren't here today, but, anyway, I tried to explain it to her but she still wouldn't listen. I eventualy gave up on it so I ended the call and tried to forget about it. I haven't seen or heard from her since."

Dib still wasn't sure about where Zim was coming from but he did understand everything else. Although, "Why was this such a big deal to you? Usually you would've just shrugged it off like any other problem." Zim was about to answer but the bell rang once more and all the students headed back towards their classrooms.

Once all of Mrs. Bitters students were in the room she began her "doom" rant once again. Just like at the beginning of the day nobody paid any attention. This continued throughout the day until the kids were free to go home. Zim walked out of the building and began his walk home when Dib came running up behind him. "Zim, wait!" Zim did as he was asked and stood at the bottom of the steps.

"Yes human?" Dib came up beside him and caught his breath.

"I just wanted to see if you felt any better." Zim gave him an odd stare but began walking down the street. Dib followed close behind but didn't utter a single word the entire walk. Zim didn't say anything either, mostly because he still didn't posses the energy, other than that he felt that there was no need for a conversation. After a few minutes of walking they finally came up the Zim's front door. Surprisingly none of the gnomes attacked Dib and was able to get to the door in one piece. Zim opened the door and handed his wig and contacts to Gir who was waiting to take them from him. Zim turned to face to boy that was still in his doorway.

"Are you coming in or are you going home?" Dib looked back at Zim.

"Am I alowed inside?" he asked as he entered the house and shut the door behind him.

"As long as you don't end up exposing me then I couldn't care less." Zim walked over and sat on the sofa, motioning for Dib to sit next to him. He kindly obeyed and crawled on the couch next to Zim.

"I still don't understand why she was so important to you." The statement completely caught Zim off guard. He thought for a moment and just decided to spill out everything.

"The reason was because... I loved her. When she began to yell at me I felt offended. You see, she wasn't the first, a while ago met a girl named Alayna. She was the sweetest person you could ever meet. But one day she left on a secret mission from the Tallest. About two months passed and I received a letter that said she committed suicide. I soon found out that it was because of me, although I still don't know why. After that I vowed to never let anything like that happen again, but it did."

Dib now truly understood why Zim was so upset. Although he had never been in that type of situation he still knew it hurt, badly. He watched as Zim sat in silence, he wanted to make him feel better but didn't know how. He finally put a small hand on Zim's shoulder and smiled.

"Everything will be okay, don't worry." Zim only stared at him. Could this human, not even having been in this kind of situation before, possibly be right? That's what Gir said but so far nothing has changed, what makes them think that words could help now? No, words can't help, the only thing that could make him feel better now was to feel her soft lips against his a reassuring kiss that told him she would be with him 'till the only thing left was the thought that the universe had existed but was no longer is in existence at all. That was never going to happen, but he hoped, he did hope that she did still loved him and she only yelled because she was hurt and confused.

"I hope you're right." That was all he could manage to say. Dib looked at him and... gave him a hug. Was he reallythat caring? Zim didn't move except to turn his head and give the boy a faint smile in return.

"I have to go home but... if you ever need to talk to me you can stop by my house okay?" Zim nodded and watched as the boy left. The door closed quietly behind him and Zim stared at the floor in thought.

Does he really care that much? I thought he hated me. I thought he would hope that I was miserable for the rest of my life. Then again I have changed over the past few days, I still wish I was like my old self. I never cared for anybody, I didn't need anybody... it was just me and Gir. Even the thought of affection for another made me sick... what happened to that? What happened to me? I've been rejected that's what!! I've always been rejected, ever since the day I was born.

Zim sat up straight and sighed, looking at his robot that was sitting on the floor doing nothing. Gir had changed too, he wasn't anywhere near as loud as he used to be, he wasn't as interested in TV as much and he always looked depressed... but so did Zim. The once proud Irken Invader was now reduced to an unhappy, heartbroken, rejected defect. If the word 'Zim' was in the dictionary that would be the definition. He sat up and walked to his room, that was the only place where he could escape from the world, where he wasn't a defect or a nobody, he was just Zim.

Aneera was sitting on her bed trying to cry, but nothing came out. No tears, no whimpers, no sniffs, nothing. She had tried to sing but that came out was air. No words, no sound, no music, nothing. Nothing. That's what her life was, nothing. Not even the memories that she wished she still had. She had tried to call him several times but he never answered. Had she hurt him that much? She knew she hurt that much, she knew that... that... what did she know? Nothing. There was that word again, it lingered in her mind as if to haunt her and it was working too.

Aneera looked out the window and saw a shooting star. She was about to make a wish, but then stopped. What did she have that was worth wishing for? Nothing. She shook her head and tried with all her strength to get it out, but it didn't work, it still lingered. As did her love. Or did it? She still wasn't sure if she still loved him or not. Should she, even though he kept that secret from her? And... why was there so many questions? Questions without answers. It was getting late but she looked at the shooting star once more, completely unaware the he was looking at it too. This time she did make a wish... and so did he.

Aneera: Aaaahhhhhhhh, another chapter complete. What a wonderful feeling! If you liked it then please review. Also, thanks a bunch to all of the reviews I got! You guys are awesome!

Zim: You wanna know what I wished for? I wished that this would be the last chapter and you would destroy this story!!

Aneera: Why are you always so negative towards this story?

Zim: Because! I don't like you!! And if this story is going where I think it's going then I'm going to destroy it myself!

Aneera: IF YOU LAY ONE CLAW ON THIS STORY I'M GONNA DESTROY YOU!!

Zim: I'd like to see you try!

Aneera: I am going to make you wish that would have never said that.

Zim: Ohhhh fudge... AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!