Have a little faith in me, Invader Johnny. ;)
It was all reversed. All except the people who unfortunately perished when the ground crumbled apart. Gaz spent more energy fixing and recovering, before killing the Ariandole off. The moment she did that, the barrier went down with Zim being the first one running to her side gathering her up in his arms. Membrane wanted to take a look at his daughter, but Zim was still not trusting even at Dib's insistence as he gently picked her up in his arms. Speaking to her ever so softly as he walked to his Voot. While it was down, it was still operational.
Pausing while speaking to Gaz in her ear, he turned to Membrane. "You can come with us, you just can't share what you will be seeing." Zim told him with a bit of hidden warning as he walked to his cruiser.
Dib watched as Tak had, Nathan deep freezed, and hauled into a compartment in the cruiser with, Mimi's help. "Coming with us?" Dib asked her.
Watching Zim get in his Voot, with Membrane and Gaz, she nodded. "Yeah, get on in." Tak replied stepping inside.
Where Zim headed to was where his old base was where he landed. Shifting Gaz in his hold, he held a small device that still held the old house design on it, and placed it on the ground. Zim knew their dad would be fascinated with this at least as it burrowed into the ground like it did many years ago, before forming in front of them. Zim admitted now that it was a cruel design, but honestly after seeing so many weird architecturally odd buildings in magazines and television, his was pretty normal.
"Amazing." Membrane stated as he shifted his goggles.
Dib wandered past his dad with Tak and Mimi in tow while his dad still looked at the house in front of him. "Hey dad. Come inside." Dib called out to him to break him out of his trance.
Zim went into the only bedroom in the house placing Gaz gently down as he stroked her hair. "Computer, could you run a scan on her." He ordered quietly.
Tentacle coming down with a scanner attached, scanned her entire body before pulling back. "Scan complete. Exhaustion 70%. Dehydration 10%."
"All right. Hook the proper I.V device to cure her of her dehydration, and since Gir is still up at the other base, I think she will get proper rest. Thanks." Giving her a gentle kiss, he walked out of the room temporarily to tell them about the scan.
All of them were in the living room not really talking, but obviously waiting for him. "How is she?" Dib asked.
"She is dehydrated and exhausted. She'll be fine in the morning." Zim assured them. "She needs quiet."
"Keeping Gir up there until she is rested, I take it."
Zim smiled at Dib. "Yes, Dib, I am. You all should rest. Tak. A word?" Wandering into the kitchen, he was pleased when she followed him. "This isn't easy for me to say."
"Zim, let me cut you off." Tak interrupted. "Let's just say we are even, okay?"
Nodding, Zim agreed to it. Guess there is something to be said about an uneasy alliance at times, he had to admit, but it would be nice to get things back to working order again in his life.
It was late while Dib stood awkwardly next to her cruiser as she double checked on things before her trip. Dib didn't wish she would leave, but had a feeling she wouldn't stay. Hearing her footsteps near him, he scanned her from bottom to top, landing on her elegant Irken head. To him it was elegant.
"Time to deliver his body so I can retrieve my reward. Want to take part in that reward?" She asked showing some challenge in her face.
Dib chanced it. "I want you, Tak. That's the reward I want."
Her mouth downturned at that while she glanced towards his house. "Dib.."
"I know you have feelings for me. You've admitted it yourself. Were you lying?" Yes, he sounded desperate, he knew that.
"No, but what is there for me here?"
"Me!"
Bowing her head down, she pressed her hand against her abdomen area. "I'm a monster, Dib. It is best I'm alone when you deserve so much better than me."
Taking a step forward, he removed her hand to place his hand there. "I don't think you're a monster, Tak. Never did. If this is about our baby being taken away from us, please don't let his or her death be in vain. I never wanted anyone more, Tak."
Sadness drifted across her face as she studied him. "You will be my only, Dib, but I can't stay." Sniffing, she moved to get into the Voot when Dib stopped her by pressing her against him.
"I love you, Tak." He whispered as he laid a kiss on her. He loved her response back. It was sweet. Tender. A side he knew about alone, but as quickly as the sweetness was there, she pushed him away to climb aboard her ship. "Tak. No."
"I'm sorry, Dib, but you can do better than me." Taking a deep breath, she closed her canopy, and slowly lifted off.
Dib watched her leave to the point her ship became just like a bright star in the sky. He cursed at his own luck.
The next day, Gaz woke up feeling much better telling Zim she felt like she had a ton of bricks recently taken from her. Zim smiled at her at the way she woke up by straddling him, and hugging him. Zim had to admit that he wouldn't mind all mornings to go like this as they finally got up to start the day, which was to head to the Membrane house to talk to her father about some things.
When they got there, she just entered inside with them already finding Dib sitting forlornly on the couch, and Membrane sitting on his lounge chair. "Hey." She greeted. Zim did have his disguise on as he went to stand near the television.
"Hello, my daughter. How are you feeling today?" Membrane asked in his usual jovial way.
"I'm rested, and much better than before. Dib?" Gaz asked as she went to sit on the other side of the couch, but sitting so she can keep an eye on everyone.
"Just tired. Tak left last night."
"I'm sorry, Dib." Gaz said softly. "I'm sure she'll be back."
"Yeah." Dib didn't have that much hope right now, but he appreciated what she said. Taking a deep breath, he focused on their father. "We need to talk seriously dad."
Professor Membrane smiled at them. "I know we do. First of all, Gaz I'm so sorry all that happened to you. If I would have known, I would have stopped it."
"Thing is, even if you did, I'm scared you still would have conducted experiments on me. I remember when Dib cursed me, and you kept testing me, and publicly talking about me. It was humiliating. You knew I wasn't happy, but you kept doing it." Gaz said trying to force tears not to form. "We've already known that Dib is a clone. Am I a clone as well?"
Unbuttoning his lab coat was a first to be seen, when you can see his full face, sans the goggles he still had on. He frowned as he replied seriously. "Yes you are. I hope neither of you are ashamed of it, because you shouldn't be. While I am accomplished in my field and extremely successful, I did have a flaw. I wasn't able to have any children. Your mother refused to have any one else's children so we thought about this; A clone of myself and a clone of her. Your mother was a very brilliant woman. We agreed to tell you one day, but after her death I became forgetful in a lot of things. I know I wasn't the best father to you both."
"What about my powers? Did you have anything to do with that?" Gaz asked.
"Those powers came as a surprise to me. Even when I looked up old data when I first witnessed it, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. It's a mystery to me, Gaz." Membrane answered.
"Why were you so hard on me?" Dib wondered. He looked so innocent asking that.
"I just wanted you to grow up following my footsteps. I knew how brilliant you are, and here you are chasing ghosts and aliens." He eyes, Zim. "I thought originally it was pseudo science, but now..."
"Dad, I am going to pursue science, but I still will do that too. For too long I felt that I am meant for something more on this planet." Dib said proudly.
Gaz smiled at him then glanced at the silent Zim.
"I swear I will devote more time to you both. As it is, I feel like I've missed so much. You grew up so fast, and now." Membrane eyes Zim again. "I do understand you did so much for them both, especially Gaz."
"I'll always be there for her." Zim spoke proudly. "I'm in love with her."
Gaz smiled at him as Membrane continued speaking. "You're an alien though. How will you support her?"
Stepping towards, Gaz, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You aren't the only scientist here. I've done some things that have made me more than enough money. As for me being an alien, comment. You are also an alien to me. Cuts both ways." Zim pointed out. "I love your daughter, and what I want to do more is to be hers."
"You wish to marry her?"
"Yes, or in Irken custom dictates as in, mating." Zim smiled at what that last word would to her dad.
Professor Membrane thought about this long and hard as he watched how he interacted with her. It was exactly how he was with their mother. "You have my permission."
All three of them looked at him, but only Dib and Gaz tried to snap their necks practically when he quickly agreed to that.
"I did enjoy some of our past talks, Zim before, and as for you being an alien... That'll be our little secret." Membrane said honestly. "As for my children here, you both are special to me. I know I acted horribly in the past."
"Just make it up by being more there for us, please." Dib stated calmly.
"I will." Membrane assured him. Hearing his communicator go off, he put his finger up in the air as he raised himself up to walk into the kitchen to talk.
Zim went to Gaz's side to hug her. "We have permission. Will you be mines forever?" Zim asked.
Smiling at his voice nuzzling against her ear, she replied, "Yes."
Dib watched the happy couple rejoice in front of him, but he couldn't help feel jealous. Zim and Gaz were getting what they want and he lost Tak. Life really wasn't fair.
"Dib?" Gaz already asked a loaded question with just his name being said.
"She says she isn't good for me. Says she is a monster. I don't think she is and I know she is good for me. That I'd be good for her." Getting off the couch, he smiled at his sister. "Congrats to both of you."
Gaz watched him wander into the kitchen. "I really don't think she is gone for good."
Zim doubted it. Tak will re-emerge when they at least expect it. "He just wants to make worm babies with her."
Nudging him, she gave him a funny face. "I'm not an idiot, Zim. I've always known that when you say 'worm' you mean it in the derogatory sense of the word."
Sniggering, he wrapped her up in his arms. "My smart, demoness."
In the kitchen, Dib found his dad with his back pressed against the wall, goggles removed as he wiped his face. "Dad?"
"I wasn't in control of myself, Dib, but those thoughts that came from him. Those horrible, terrible thoughts."
Dib honestly couldn't remember when was the last time he held his father like this. Possibly never, but he could see the pain marked clearly on him as he rushed to him to wrap his arms around him. "I know. It isn't your fault. It happened. Gaz and I are safe. We are still here, dad." He assured him softly in his ear.
"If you still want to come work with me, Dib I not only want to have you following my footsteps, but I want you to pave the way to a new future. You have my word. My promise." Pulling away from him, he placed his hands gently on either side of Dib's face. "I now know you have more to offer. You will go far beyond me because I know you are a better man than I have ever been."
"Dad. I'll work with you, but you have to stop putting yourself down right now. This being took control, and I'm sorry I didn't notice it since I was so angry. So confused. That guy was defeated. We have to move on. Gaz is finally moving on. I know she will have thoughts back to those times, but she will move on. Dad." Dib smiled. "In spite of so much, we still loved you. Please, I want you to listen to what I'm saying to you right now."
Smiling before placing his goggles back on, Membrane patted him on the back. "It's obvious you have been grown up for quite some time now, my son."
Dib had to admit it was a proud moment to see the pride coming from his own father's eyes. It was something he always wanted. Instead of being looked at like he was insane.