Okay, so here I am, sitting in a cafe, editting the story just for you guys :p

I did miss my interweb :'( We actually have the 3G card and everything is ready to go...it's just they haven't bothered activating the stupid card yet...so yeah...stupid cell phone company.

In the mean time...On with the show.

Just so you guys know, this chapter took five re-writes before it was actually...you know, acceptable :o

Gaz walked through the door, sighing in exhaustion. She dumped her laptop case on the floor and took off her jacket, hanging it up. She ran her fingers through purple strands as she looked around the house. It was quiet.

Too quiet.

"Skoodge?" she called out, walking into the kitchen. She opened the cabinet, taking out a juice box. Skoodge dragged himself into the kitchen. Gaz was surprised he was upstairs, "Hey."

"Hey," he said, his voice a bit unsteady to her, "How was the meeting?"

"Boring," she shrugged, "You okay? You're starting to resemble Tunica."

"Me? I'm fine. Just tired. I guess I spent a little too much time working yesterday," he tried joking.

Gaz gave him a grin, "You did stay down there for quite a while."

"Where're the kids?"

Gaz began sucking on the straw of her cranberry juice, "Dib managed to make an early start this morning and offered to fetch the kids, seeing as I didn't actually know what time the meeting would end today."

Skoodge gave a slight nod. Gaz gave him a look, "He still hasn't heard from Zim, in case you're wondering."

"I'm sure he'll show up eventually," Skoodge said, some life coming back into his words.

"Yeah, I bet he will," Gaz grumbled, "Look, I am in need of a shower. Can you start dinner?"

Skoodge looked at her and nodded, "Sure, I don't mind."

Gaz eyed him for a moment, before shrugging once more and heading out the kitchen.

Gaz strolled up the stairs, her thoughts travelling back to the call she got from her brother that morning. It had been a good couple of years since she heard him that angry at Zim. And quite frankly, she didn't blame him. Dib and Gaz had put up with a lot from Zim. His bad parenting skills. His constant insults towards them. The fact that he has yet to get a job and is a big mooch! But this? Zim knew how important that conference was to Dib. It wasn't even the fact that he up and left…it was the fact that he didn't even bother telling Dib about it.

Her look of aggression softened. Maybe Zim had a good reason for it. What if something was wrong? Dib did say the alien was acting strangely before he left. What if Tak or the Tallests were behind his disappearance?

This theory slowly faded as Gaz reached the top step and saw Zim walking out of Hope's room. He looked up, his drooped antennae shooting up, before he made a dash for his room. Gaz jolted up from her slump and went running after him.

She just missed him, the door slamming in her face. She began pulling on the handle, trying to get the door open, "Zim! Open this God damn door this minute!"

"Leave me alone, Gaz!" Zim said, holding onto the handle with his weak body.

Gaz tried slamming herself into the door, knowing Zim couldn't hold her back for too long, "Zim! Let me in, now! Before this gets ugly! You have some explaining to do, dammit!"

Zim held on with all his strength, trying to keep his balance as the thundering door tried knocking it away.

Gaz took a step back, taking a breath. Zim looked at the door, curious now. He then heard the thumping of steps against the wooden floor. Gaz ploughed herself into the door, launching Zim off his feet and into his bed. It overturned along with the poor alien, sending pillows and blankets all over the room. Gaz blew a piece of hair out of the way and pulled herself up off the floor, grabbing onto the door handle. She watched as Zim grabbed onto the side of the overturned mattress, pulling himself up now. He groaned, rubbing his head as he swayed slightly. He looked over at the angry woman, trying to process whether or not he'd survive jumping out the window.

"What the fuck, Zim?" Gaz said, not sounding pleased at all.

"You're the one who stormed into my room like a lunatic, Gaz," Zim said, sounding very strained and weak.

"Don't you dare," she warned, "Why the hell did you up and leave Dib to go and face his Heads alone at the conference when you promised him you'd be there for him? Forget that, you didn't even bother telling him! You just left! Do you know how God damn rude that is, or after all these years do you still not care about this family, you retard?"

"Gaz, I left because I had to…" Zim tried. Gaz burst into an angry sort of laughter. Zim stopped, looking at her in an unsure manner. She neared him, forcing the alien to move away slightly, "You had to, eh? Just like how we had to take you in and had to give you a home. Zim, after all these years, I would have at least hoped you could think of someone other than yourself."

Zim gave her a look of annoyance, fear still in his eyes, "How dare you say that?"
"I say it with the utmost confidence, Zim because we both know it's true!" she yelled at the paling alien.

Zim looked at the floor, not able to say a thing. He held his arms, his voice slowly becoming empty, "What do you want from me, Gaz?"

Gaz gave him a look, "Look at me!"

Zim looked up, his face going paler. He closed his eyes, turning his head. Gaz now looked confused. What the hell was wrong with him? She walked closer to him and grabbed his arms, shaking the alien slightly. Zim shot open his eyes, holding back any yelps or tears still left in him as Gaz began speaking to him, her tone not as confident as it was before, "Do you know what I want, Zim. I want you to tell me the truth for once. I want a good enough excuse as to why you left Dib when you knew how important this was to him!"

Skoodge tasted the tomato sauce, giving it a strange look, "Hmm, maybe we should order in tonight."

He looked up as he heard a loud thud. His face gave a look, "Shit! Zim!"

He dashed out of the kitchen, hoping to make it upstairs in time. But his momentum came to a halt as the front door opened. Dib and the kids walked through in a cheerful, excited manner. Dib looked up and smiled at the not so pleased Skoodge, "Hey there."

"Uncle Skoodge!" the kids said excitedly, going for his legs as they gave him a huge hug. He hauled up both kids, giving them a wide grin, "Hello my little Invaders! How was your day?"

"Lots of fun," little Nik said as he clapped his hands excitedly.

"What's for dinner?" Hope asked, getting a strange smell from the kitchen.

Skoodge smiled sheepishly, "Whatever take-out you two feel like!"

The kids cheered as Skoodge put them down, "You know how to use the phone, why don't you two go and order for us!"

They cheered again and went running towards the kitchen. He looked back at Dib, eying him suspiciously, "So, how was the conference?"

Dib shrugged, "I managed to bribe the bartender to be a stand-in for the night. He did a pretty good job of it, I guess. Better than plan B, which would have been a coat hunger with a suit hanging from it and a paper face on top of it."

Dib turned a bit more serious now, "So, where is the sulking alien? Did he even bother coming home yet?"

"Yes, in fact," Skoodge said, his tone bitter, "He came home yesterday morning."

"Has he even bothered apologizing yet?" Dib said off to the side, looking at Gaz's hung up coat.

Skoodge clenched his fists, trying desperately not to lunge at the human, "I was going to ask you the same question."

Dib looked at him, finally noting the look on Skoodge's face, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean maybe he left for good reason, human."

"Are you saying I had something to do with this? Dib said in a sudden anger, trying to keep his voice down seeing as the kids were only a room down. He pointed at his cheek, "Do you see this? I awoke the other evening to this! This is not going to go away any time soon, thank you very much. And why, might you ask, did Zim decide to claw me? The answer: I have no fucking idea. So don't you dare tell me that I had anything to do with that alien ditching me! I did nothing to him to deserve this sort of treatment, God dammit."

Skoodge shoved Dib into the front door, holding him down by the arms tightly. A grunt escaped Dib's mouth as he looked at the alien, his face twisted in utter confusion, "I am going to make you pay for what you did to him, human."

Zim snapped his arms up out of the grip, moving further back. The feeling of someone touching him…no…not yet…it was too soon. He looked at Gaz, trying to keep his breath from escaping him, "I didn't do a thing wrong…"

"Zim, tell me the truth!" Gaz tried, following him.

Zim back up further, "Gaz, for Irk's sake…!"

"Zim, tell me the fucking truth!"

Zim finally took a step forward, "You can't handle the truth!" he roared. Gaz looked at him.

They both turned their heads as Hope's scream filled the household. Zim's pale face lit up, "Hope! No!"

He and Gaz ran out of the room, heading for the stairs.

Skoodge was surprised the human took the punch so well. He needed to try a bit harder then. Dib held onto the railing of the stairway, rocking his jaw back and forth with his fingers, trying to check if it was still in place. Hope held onto her crying brother as they watched from the kitchen.

Skoodge picked Dib up by the collar and swung another fist into his jaw. Dib hit the front door, the kids screaming once more.

Zim and Gaz stood by the top step. Zim looked at the fighting couple. He jumped off of the stairway, his spider legs helping him land properly, before he dashed in front of Skoodge's next swing, holding up his arms, "Skoodge, NO!"

Skoodge with a force stopped himself, nearly losing his balance. He looked at Zim in utter confusion, "Why?"

"Why are you hitting Dib? Whatever he said about me, Skoodge…" Zim tried, Dib getting up behind him.

"Zim, the human needs to be put in his place!"

"Not like this, Skoodge!" Zim insisted, Dib spitting blood onto the floor next to them.

This did not make sense. Why was Zim covering for this human? What the hell was going on? No, he couldn't say anything at this point in time. That would only tell Zim that Skoodge knows what happened (whatever happened, as Skoodge had yet to figure out what Dib had actually done to his friend) and this would cause even more disruption. Gaz stormed down the stairway. She stood in front of Skoodge and pushed him violently, nearly knocking him off his feet, "What the fuck is wrong with you guys? You fucking aliens have lost your bloody minds, dammit!"

"Gaz, stay out of this," Zim tried, thinking about how the kids were reacting to this sudden rip-roaring fight. Gaz turned furiously, pointing at the alien, "Don't you dare, Zim!"

Dib grabbed Zim's arm and swung him around, giving him a look. Zim held his breath, realizing how damn close Dib was to him now, "What the hell is going on, Zim?"

"I have nothing to say to either of you," Zim said, taking a good step away from the human.

"Sounds familiar," Gaz said in spite.

"You should know that maybe Zim left because he didn't feel safe around you idiotic brother, Gaz!" Skoodge said out of nowhere. Zim looked at him.
Gaz gave him a look, "Oh, so now it's my brother's fault that your friend is a whiny little bitch?"

"Hey! I'm right here," Zim complained.

"After everything your brother did to Zim; torturing him, nearly killing him and Nik, marrying a cow like Tak!" Skoodge suddenly roared at her, "Then yes, it is your Irk damn brother's fault!"

"I'm right here, Skoodge," Dib complained now, not liking the way the alien was talking about him. Zim wasn't sure what Skoodge's issue was. Did he know?

Gaz began to become darkly scary, getting really pissed with the aliens now, "Skoodge, don't bring the past into this."

"Funny how you're allowed to bring it up often enough instead!"

"Shut the fuck up, Skoodge! I'm sick and tired of you defending this sorry excuse of an alien's actions! He is a freeloading arrogant son of a bitch whose sole purpose is to be here for the kids. And even that is a stretch for him, apparently! Stop trying to make excuses for his poor people skills! Has it occurred to you that he might just be broken!"

Zim froze, the words stinging every part of his body. The kids who were bawling their eyes out finally stopped, looking at their hurt father. "Gaz," Dib said, realizing that might have taken it a bit too far. She turned, still in a fury and saw the look on Zim's face. She softened and realized what she had just said. God, what did she just say?

Skoodge looked at Zim, hoping he would say something. Come on, Zim, defend yourself! Dib looked at the alien, "Zim, she didn't…"

Zim took a step forward as Dib tried to place a hand on his shoulder, giving Dib a very scared look, "Don't…please…just don't."

Dib looked at him, a guilt out of nowhere punching him in the chest. Zim grabbed hold of his arms, his eyes wide in shock. The words were caught at the back of his throat and he had no idea how he was to respond to this situation. She was right.

He was broken. He didn't really need her to tell him this. He knew.

His antennae shook as Tak's laughter rung through them. He could feel underneath his collared jersey his bruises around his neck burning. She had done it. She had finally won.

Tears dripped off his face as he titled his head, "If you'll excuse me…"

With that he turned and made his way up the stairs. They all waited, listening for his door to shut.

Skoodge kicked the side of the stairway, cursing to himself. Gaz grabbed her mouth, not believing what she had just done. Dib looked over at the distort children and went up to them, bruised and in pain.

Tak had won…

"All will fall…" she whispered into nowhere, her unseen grin stinging the air around them.

Yep, five re-writes to get this. I must admit, much better than the other four :) But still quite sad :(
R&R and I shall hopefully be back soon...hopefully