WOO, Wednesday update for ya'll! Nice time halfway through the week, but hey, it's a sign of regular updating isn't it? Anyway, this chapter was kind of fun for me, it was good to have the two of them back in the little counselling room talking again. It felt like I haven't done that with Dib and Zim in a while. Also, it was fun coming up with the thing Zim liked, which was a nice twist on the whole idea.

Anyways, enough babbling, READ ON YO, AND ENJOY.

Dib sat idly twirling his thumbs at his desk. He then checked his watch. Paused. Twirled his thumbs. Then checked his watch again. Why wasn't it time for Zim to get here already? This had been bugging him all week, he wanted to know what the alien liked about Earth!

Besides, this could be a huge step on the road to getting Zim to like being here, to accept his place on this little planet that he called home.

It could lead to Zim leading a new life, going into scientific studies doing something to help mankind instead of just destroy it. That would really make Dib proud, to know that he had turned a would-be conqueror into someone who pushed for humanity's continuing reach for the stars.

He knew he was getting a little obsessed with this but this was something amazing after all, this was an alien! This wasn't like those kids who thought they were terrible people because they got something wrong or girls freaking out because they couldn't afford the new MYphone or something.

There was a sudden loud and horrible buzz from his phone and his sectary announced that Zim was here to see him. Dib hated it when it did that, it was so loud and almost acted like an electric shock.

However, he recovered and nodded. "Send him in."

Right on time, to the second, probably to the millisecond, the young green alien opened the door and walked into the room. He looked bored, which was not uncommon for him. He also didn't seem to hold the same interest in this revelation of what he liked that Dib did.

Dib almost felt a little disappointed however, he reminded himself that while he considered these meetings to be exciting and challenging and new, for Zim they were an annoyance and something of a waste of his time.

Still, he was the counsellor here, he would make Zim do this for his own good.

"Hi Zim, how are you feeling?" Dib opened with a hopeful tone.

"Bah." The little alien replied, sitting down onto the chair in front of Dib and looking to one side. He wasn't angry, just... uninterested.

"I see." The counsellor nodded before leaning back in his chair. "Long week I suppose?"

"I am designing a doom ray to bring doom to this stupid smelly city." Zim announced simply, arms folded in a rather bored fashion. "But I cannot find any doom crystals on this planet to focus the beam of doom."

"... alright then." Dib replied with a slow nod. Not exactly the kind of productivity that Dib would have liked but at least he was keeping busy. "Did you think about the question I asked in our last meeting?"

"Hum?" Zim perked at this, looking to Dib with confusion. For a terrible moment, Dib was worried that Zim had forgotten all about the task he'd set the alien. Then the irken suddenly blinked and sat up. "Oh! That!"

Yes that! The thing Dib had been wondering about all friggin week! He leaned onto the desk, unable to stop himself from smiling slightly. "Well? What is it about earth you find most enjoyable?"

Zim seemed a little uneasy, as if he didn't want to answer the question before looking to one side and quietly replying. "The night sky."

The answer was so simple and for a moment Dib wondered if Zim had just made it up. But suddenly he realised it was a very loaded answer. He knew what it would mean but he had to make Zim admit it out loud. "And why do you like the night sky?"

"Never you mind why. I answered your question." Zim quickly snapped at Dib, the subject was sensitive for him obviously. "Ask a new one."

"Zim you need to tell me why you picked the night sky." Dib pushed gently. "Remember? You can tell me anything, nothing leaves this room."

"I don't care! I like the night sky the most because it's apart from this stupid, stinking mud ball! And you humans still manage to decimate it with your dirty fossil fuels!" The irken quickly snapped again, clearly he didn't want to breech this subject. Dib could tell it was something sensitive and a big part of him wanted to push on this subject and demand that Zim say it out loud.

But he had to keep it under wraps. Dib couldn't allow Zim to even think that he knew about the reality of his mission.

"Alright, alright." The counsellor sighed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling his cowlick jump right back up the moment he'd done so. "Let's talk about something else... did you try and doom anything this week?"

"No." Zim replied with a small frown, but at least he seemed to have been relieved that Dib had changed the subject. "I was too saving the world."

"Saving the world?" Dib pressed. He had to get Zim talking about something, the alien always tended to reveal more through his tendency for mindless chatter than any other way.

"Yes. I happened to notice a giant meteor was heading towards earth, so I ended up having to make a giant bomb to explode it." The alien ended with a simple folding of his arms across his chest. "It took up all my time calculating how big it'd have to be and making the stupid thing."

Dib wondered if he'd just imagined Zim had said all that. Zim had... saved the earth? And without him knowing? This was... bizarre! But it was equally incredible, though he knew that this wouldn't have been out of the kindness the aliens heart. "Wha, why did you do it?"

"I'm not having my mission be robbed from me by a hunk of space-rock!" Zim quickly screeched. "This is MY mission, no one and nothing is taking it from me!"

"Is that why you liked the night sky?" Dib quickly and slyly asked, "Because it reminds of you your victory over the meteor?"

"No, of course not, I have samples of space rock for that." Zim immediately replied, Dib of course recognising the way his mouth was running away with him again. "I liked the night sky because it reminds me of home, I can spot my star from this stupid planet!"

Zim immediately slapped a hand across his mouth, his eyes growing wide in the process. He quickly stood on the chair and pointed a finger at Dib, rage glowing from his eyes. "You tricked me!"

"Zim, please calm down." His voice was firm but not harsh. "It's fine for you to miss your home. It's not a weakness."

"IT IS!" The alien screamed loudly, his finger now shaking, though Dib couldn't tell if it was from rage or some other emotion, maybe shame or fear. "Now SHUT UP!"

"No." Dib frowned at Zim, linking his fingers on his desk. "Zim you can't just keep closing up like this every time I ask a question or something."

"Of course I can." The alien quickly snapped back. "I don't miss my home, I hate this planet but I don't miss my home."

"I think you do." Dib knew he shouldn't be pushing Zim like this but he'd been screamed at once too many by the little alien and he felt it was about time he cracked down a little. "I think you miss your home, and that's fine, Zim. You need to accept that's its okay to feel lonely sometimes!"

"NEVER!" Zim shouted again, throwing his wig off his head and jumping down onto it in an act of uncontrollable temper. "NEVER! ZIM IS PERFECT!"

"No you're not! Look at you! You're getting upset over missing your own planet!" Dib didn't shout but his voice was raised. He stood up and leaned onto the desk. "Tell me then, what's so weak about missing your home? Why does it upset you so much?"

"I... it..." Zim halted at this question, his anger failing him. "I'm... not supposed too." He looked away at this and his hands gripped his seat. "It's considered a de-" He paused and quickly corrected himself. "Bad trait for my people."

"Well here, it's not. And you're on earth, which means you don't have to keep hiding things like this inside." Dib allowed himself to smile, his tone relaxing. "Remember, you can say what you like here, your tallest aren't going to hear you."

Zim nodded at this, as if was accepting this fate. There was a long moment of silence before he spoke again, his eyes not meeting Dib's but his hands no longer gripping the seat in anger. Instead there seemed to be as strange sadness about him, even apprehension, like at any moment he'd be shouted at.

"I miss my world." His voice was determined and yet still small. "I want to go home... but I can't. Not until I'm done... and I hate it."

"Is that why you like the night sky?" Dib asked the tiny alien sitting before him.

"Yes. Because when I look up, I know that it's still there, my home, waiting for me to return like a hero." Zim smiled slowly and for the first time in Dib's opinion, honestly. "And everyone will want me there."

Yes! It was the night sky after all! And I like that ending too, a little too sweet maybe, but still pretty nice. Zim seems to finally be coming around to admitting a few things to Dib and maybe relaxing a little more in his presence. Admitting he missed his home was a big step for the little alien.

But remember, Gaz is out there... somewhere... lurking.

No references (I know, I'm getting terrible at it!) but hopefully more will pop up next time. Peeps gotta tell me what they liked and hated! Don't feel like you have nothing to say, the slightest annoyance or giggle outta ya'll can help me improve my writing further! Thanks for reading everyone, cya next time!