(A/N: ISS CHAPTER 25. ISS GUD

It was another one of DarkDremora's ideas! That's right, after over a year, I have finally fulfilled all their requests. Credit where credit is due!

Now that I think about it, this whole "going in list order" thing I've been doing is kinda shaky what with how randomly I put ideas on that list, and every time I look at it I sweat thinking about how much more typing I have to do...so from now on, the request chapters shall have greater presidence! Rejoice! And now for a quick reply!

Guest: Thanks so much! Really glad you enjoy my writing! I try. But yeah, it's a darn shame there aren't that many ZATR fics anymore...I love reading what's there, though.

READ ON!)

Ch. 25: Forgiveness

Summary: Tak tries to make up for what she's done to Zim in the past.

"Ba-ba-ba-ba! No, that's not it."

"Do-do-do-do! Mm?"

"No. Da-da-da-da! Is that it?"

"No!"

"UM," Tak cut into Zim and GIR's exchange. "What's up with the noises?"

"We're trying to remember the MacMeaties jingle!" Zim replied.

Tak tiredly glanced at MiMi before speaking again. "I thought you hated that place and everything it stands for."

"I do, and I always will, but they're having a contest for whoever can remember that old tune from Earth's 1970s period, and the winner gets a prize of immeasurable worth! They say doesn't exist in record format anywhere! So I had Computer do 'some digging' and he was able to play it for us before we left the base!"

"And, let me guess, you forgot it already? Before we've even gotten there?"

"Maybe."

"Why can't you just call your computer and listen to it again? Your PAK is connected to the house, isn't it?"

"It is, but my communication device hasn't been working because SOMEONE dropped their rubber piggy collection on it yesterday!" Zim turned back to his SIR unit. "GIR, you've got to have some kind of playback device in your head! I've seen in there! Just repeat what Computer said!"

"Hrrgh...!" GIR grunted as he tried to do so.

Tak rolled her eyes. Zim and GIR had just pulled her and MiMi out of the house with no explanation besides "it's important". So, of course she was disappointed (but not particularly surprised) to find out it was just some dumb contest. She momentarily ceased glaring at the sidewalk.

"Hey, so, uh- -WATCH OUT!" Tak yanked Zim's collar back as a car zoomed past him.

"OWWW-uh!" Zim rubbed his neck. "What was that about?!"

"Are you blind?! You were about to get run over! You'd be flattened by now if it weren't for me!"

"Yeah, yeah," Zim said nonchalantly. "OH, and I was so close to remembering it...!"

Tak steamed as she waited for the road to be clear. Once it was, the quartet crossed it and continued on their way to MacMeaties.

"Moron!" Tak thought angrily. "I'll never understand how he managed to survive so long without me!"

...

Come to think of it, Tak had come pretty close to ending Zim's life. When she'd attempted to hollow out the planet, and she and Zim engaged in that space battle, she was trying to kill him. Not to mention the fact that she had demolished his base, hijacked his mission and dealt him all kinds of physical pain when he first tried to take her on a "magical love adventure".

True, she had been getting back at Zim for ruining her life, Tak had since realized her initial reasoning for despising him didn't exactly hold up...

As astonished as she was to admit it, Tak actually felt guilty for having put Zim through that. No wonder Zim was always so difficult and disobedient; he was probably still holding a grudge against her.

"He's so petty!" Tak thought to herself. "If that's how it's gonna be, then fine! I'll prove to him how forgiving I am...maybe that'll fix his attitude! Yeah, that's it."

"Meh-meh-meh-mehhh!" Zim tried to harmonize. "Ugh, that isn't it either. See, I would've had it by now if Tak hadn't distracted me!"

Suddenly, Tak remembered why she didn't treat Zim particularly nicely. He was such a pain.

"Hey, MiMi, could you give me a slap real quick?" Tak requested. "I feel like I need one."

The SIR unit shrugged and slapped her mistress across the face.

"NGH! Geez! You could've held back a bit...!" Tak grumbled, rubbing her bruised cheek. "Thanks anyway...hey, Zim?"

"Mm?"

"Can you recall that jingle yet?"

"Mmmm, not yet."

"Then I have a proposition for you!" Tak spoke in an overly upbeat tone.

Zim halted. "A what?"

"An offer," Tak elaborated. She seriously questioned Zim's vocabulary sometimes... "You all go on ahead, I'll run back to the house and have your computer play the jingle again. Then I'll meet you at the restaurant and recite it to you. How about that?"

"I mean, if you'd be willing to run all that way..." Zim seemed unsure.

"Of course! For my sweet Zim, I would!"

"And you would really have to BOOK it, the contest will be starting soon."

Tak paused. She hadn't exactly considered that. "...of course! I'll be back in a jiffy, ha-ha...!"

So, she took off back down the street. She constantly had to stop for vehicles to drive by, and each time, they seemed to take longer. But after a thoroughly maddening run, Tak made it back to the base and burst through the door.

"COMPUTER!"

The computer groaned. "He forgot the jingle, didn't he?"

"Yes..." Tak panted.

"Here."

A deep "laaaaa" played.

"...are you kidding me? That's it?!" cried Tak.

"Yep. You're welcome."

Tak just stood there catching her breath a little longer. She was putting herself through this exhaustion so Zim (Freakin' ZIM!) would forgive for something she had every right to attempt doing! But she couldn't lie to herself, she felt remorseful. Oh, how things had changed.

Knowing the trek to MacMeaties was going to be even longer and more stressful, Tak took a deep breath and hurried out of the house. She ran past all those streets, all those people, all those cars, trucks, motorcycles and whatever else, until she was literally dragging herself towards MacMeaties.

A rather sizeable crowd had gathered in front of the eating establishment.

"Mi...MiMi...!" she breathed.

Thankfully, her SIR unit (somehow) heard her and scampered out of the crowd toward her. She gave her mistress a somewhat pitying look, then carried her over to Zim and GIR behind the contest stage. MiMi tapped Zim's leg.

"Hm? Oh, THERE you are! I'm up next!" Zim cupped Tak's face in his hands. "Quick, what's the jingle?"

"...LAAAAA..." Tak uttered, out of breath.

"Ah, yes, that was it!" Zim dropped her. "My turn!"

He impatiently waited for the current contestant to finish getting it wrong, then dashed onstage and snatched the microphone from them.

"MINE!" he snapped. "Prepare your earholes, human worms, for ZIM has your resolution! Any applause?!"

"Uh, yayyy," A single random citizen awkwardly cheered.

"...ahem. Laaaaa!" Zim sang.

The contest crowd turned to the announcer, who had fallen asleep.

"H-Huh...?" he stirred. "Oh, uh, yes, that's correct! We have a winner! Finally..."

"Yes, yes, now, bestow upon me the prize of immeasurable worth!" Zim demanded as a few people clapped for him.

"Uhh, here ya go," the announcer handed the Irken a small slip of paper. "50% off any item at MacMeaties for the rest of your life!"

"...are you kidding me? That's it?!" cried Zim.

"Yep. Congratulations!"

As the crowd dispersed and the restaurant crew began packing everything up, Zim scurried back to Tak, GIR and MiMi.

"GIR, you fool!" he scolded. "You told me the prize was one of immeasurable worth! I am thoroughly dissatisfied!"

"I WAS RIGHT, THOUGH!" GIR grabbed the coupon and started waving it around proudly.

"Ugh, GIR..." Zim turned to Tak, who was back on her feet. "Well, Tak, it's a shame you went to all that trouble, but just remember this; at the end of the day, this was GIR's idea, this was GIR's fault, so if you're going to unleash your fury on anyone here, i-it should be GIR, not me. I hope we're clear on that."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to unleash any fury."

"You're not? But- -"

"NOPE. Not a big deal. It's fine," Tak huffed.

"Sssomething about your reaction is strange, but I can't quite put my finger in it."

"On it."

"Whatever. Why aren't you upset?! I certainly would be if I were you! Besides, don't you think I, as your partner, have a right to knowww?"

"FINE..." Tak was somewhat embarrassed about it. "Well, I was just thinking back to all the awful things I did to you the first time I came to Earth, and maybe I actually felt kind of bad about it, so I was just trying to be nice to you, so maybe you'd let it go. You jerk!"

"Oh. Awful things, huh?"

"YEAH! What, have you forgotten?"

"Maybe."

"I threw meat at you! I soaked you with barbecue sauce! I put you through SO much pain, wrecked your base, nearly took your invasion mission for myself, and came VERY close to killing you! Don't you remember?!"

"If you say so! But hey, it's not like any of that matters now! Because I'm still here, you're still here, and we're still on a mission. So, you have nothing to feel bad about," Zim said quite matter-of-factly. He patted Tak's shoulder. "I thank you for accompanying me today. Now, let's go home and get my communicator fixed."

Tak trailed behind Zim, GIR and MiMi in silence on their way back to the base.

"None of that matters now..." she muttered in contemplation. "That means he forgives me."

She finally smiled to herself. All in all, Tak was so glad her plan to take Zim's mission had failed. Because if it hadn't, she wouldn't be with him now. And even though she'd never say it out loud, she wouldn't trade being with Zim for anything.

(A/N: Heyyy, sorry this chapter took a while. Still got scheduling THINNNGS to work out! But, uh, I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter, especially DarkDremora. Not exactly the funniest one, but I think it turned out alright. And that's all I really have to say...

Please review, fave, follow, point out any mistakes, check out my profile for more! See ya next time!)