More hours crept by and I was starting to feel tired again. Me and Dib had gorged ourselves on the food and water supplies until I was sure we were going to throw up. It was good to eat and drink again. In honesty, I was sure I might have accidently eaten one of GIR's waffles when soap suds started forming in the corner of my mouth, but I didn't care. At this point, food was food.

"Oooooh, what's that?" GIR asked, jumping and pointing by the window.

We all gathered around and a shriek of laughter escaped me. It was home. Earth, we were actually coming up to our planets atmosphere! We were home! Before I could stop myself, I had grasped Dibs hand and beaming at him. I realised what I was doing and snapped my hand away, blushing madly.

The ride back into the atmosphere and into our neighbourhood was not comfortable. The heat was almost unbearable but I gritted my teeth through it, it was worth it in the end. In a matter of minutes, we were landing inside the roof of Zims house.

"How in the name of Irk is your house fixed? It was all rubble last I saw of it!" I asked, stepping out of the ship.

"Computer made the modifications and re-built in my absence." Zim explained.

We made out way out into the front lawn where Gaz pushed past us.

"I'm going home." she said bluntly, pulling her Game-Slave out from her pocket.

I noticed Zim's confused yet fascinated expression as he watched her leave. There it was again, that little glint in his eye. Maybe I was just imagining it, but then again... Hmm, him and Gaz, I've seen stranger...

The look on Zims face reminded me of something. It reminded me of the anger I felt for him, but also the sort of friendship too. I had to do it, it was burning inside of me and I had to let it go. I couldn't help it!

"OW! What the Irk was that? Did an asteroid hit Zim?" Zim cried, clutching his cheek.

No, it was no asteroid. It was my fist. Dib laughed and gave me a round of applause while GIR stared at me in awe.

"That's for leaving us and having the cheek to wave!" I spat, but then I softened my expression and started gently stroking his feelers, "And that's for saving us, thank you."

He slouched slightly and nudged his head further into my hand and then snapped himself out of it, "No more, filthy human!"

"Oh I see, you'd rather me give it a sharp tug, like Gaz does?" I asked playfully, winking.

Zims face flushed while Dibs burned.

"What's that mean?" Dib demanded.

"Nothing." me and Zim said in unison, me calm and coy, him loud and desperate.

"Be gone with you! Zim has important matters to tend to and I've wasted enough time with you worm-monkeys!"

He rushed into his house, dragging GIR behind him. I had to laugh, he was so over-dramatic, it was brilliant. From inside we could hear the muffled cries of triumph.

"My Tallest! I've passed your test! Now the mission will continue as planned, Earth will me OURS!"

My jaw dropped and Dib rubbed his temples, "He's really something, isn't he?" I grinned in disbelief.

"Yeah, that's one word for him..."

I chose to walk Dib back to his house, we didn't talk much on the way, we were both exhausted so it made sense. I noticed that the flicker of hope in my stomach still hadn't gone away, but I couldn't call it hope anymore. I didn't really know what to call it, but it was stronger now it was just the two of us. Hmm... I stopped at the front door.

"You're not coming in?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.

I shook my head, "I'd better get going, my mum's probably worried sick..."

He nodded, understanding.

"I'm... glad you're okay." he muttered, blushing.

"Yeah... you too." I swallowed hard, "Thanks, for keeping your promise. You brought me home."

"Well," he huffed, "I didn't really but..."

"Oh shut up, big head!"

"My head's not bi - "

I didn't let him finish. I swiftly stepped forward and placed my lips on his. He widened his eyes in shock before letting them close, letting me continue. I pulled back in surprise. What was I doing? Dib was my best friend, when did I starting thinking about him like that? Now it was my turn to blush. I backed away, leaving him smiling like some goofy idiot, but a cute goofy idiot.

"Thanks again, I'll uh, see you tomorrow, yeah?" I stammered, biting my lip nervously.

"Uh... Yeah, sure... Okay..." he nodded, not really sure what to do next.

I smiled and waved before breaking into a run. I couldn't believe I had just done that! What was wrong with me? No, forget about it and deal with it in the morning, for now, there's things to do.

It was true that Zim was the one who had brought us back, but Dib was still there and that was as good as anything. I didn't care what way you looked at it, to me, he still kept his promise. Now I had to keep mine. It was late and dark, but I knew where I was going. I didn't stop running until I made it to a large building right in the middle to the town. Membrane labs.

The guard was asleep thank god, so I managed to slip past undetected. As for the actual building, that was going to be more difficult. But then again, after all the stuff I'd been through, I wasn't giving up that easy now. I found a loose air vent and pushed myself inside. I was sure that I could feel my heart vibrating the walls of the vest, but I didn't care. I carried on. It was dark and cold, a breeze flowing from one of the fans was icy and made my arms numb. I passed a lot of rooms, each one filled with stacks of papers, loud machinery and bubbling liquids. I'd never been inside an actual lab before, well, not a human one anyway...

Just ahead, there was a booming voice that was giving orders left right and centre. I flinched at first, but forced myself to carry on, there was no way I was turning back now. I edged myself along until I found a gap in the metalwork. I could just make out a tall man in a long white lab coat and bulging eye goggles. He had a long black spike for hair on his head hat looked oddly familiar. There was only one man who could have hair like that. The man who was the father of a certain big head. It turns out, Professor Membrane was alone and he was giving himself orders. Well, at least it made sense as to why Dib was always talking to himself...

There was a groan from beneath my and I found myself falling as the vent collapsed. I tumbled to the ground and landed a few feet away from Membrane who, by this point, had dropped whatever he was working on and was towering over me. I was prepared to get kicked out, but instead I was greeted with this:

"AHA! A fan of mine! Well, what do you need signing and then please get out." he boomed, I presumed he was smiling but I couldn't see, half of his face was hidden by his collar.

"Um, actually I'm a friend of your kids, Dib and Gaz." I explained, sheepishly.

"Ah yes, son and daughter! What have they done this time, Dib hasn't been raising the dead again, has he?"

Wow, I'd have to ask Dib about that one... No, wait, I was here on serious grounds. Membrane honestly had no clue that his children had been missing for so long? This was more serious that I thought.

"I hate to be disrespectful, Professor, but there's something I need to talk to you about..."