Goodbyes

Zim lay face-down on the cafeteria table, sprawled out like a hungover college student. He simply didn't know what else to do. The stress of worrying over Tak was getting to him, and it was only a matter of time before his unborn smeet killed her from the inside out.

How can she be such a fool? he pondered, referring to her stubbornness. Isn't she aware of the imminent danger? Doesn't she care that her life is at stake?

He dangled his arms loosely in front of him while his thoughts swirled about in a carousel of nightmares. He envisioned the smeet carving its way out of her chest, like one of those horrifying, nightmarish Earth films Gir loved to watch. Personally, he too had enjoyed watching the humans fall victim to the foreign creatures; their frail, useless bodies bursting open like some sort of overripe tomato. But the idea of the same thing happening to Tak only made him feel sick.

Why won't she just let me help her? he wallowed, tugging on his wig in misery. Why does she always have to make everything so difficult?

Taking a moment to calm down, he tried to weigh his options. He could go back to the base and apologize, but she would most likely not even give him the time of day. He wondered if she was still truly angry with him, or if she was simply being stubborn. There was the high possibility that she was only making it a point not to talk to him, but there was also the chance that she truly never wanted to speak with him again.

He thought for a moment about what she might be doing back at the base and felt his facial expression soften. Ever since she told him off, she had locked herself away in his labs, working hard to analyze her body chemistry and monitor her blood composition to track the smeet's development. He envisioned her alone and conflicted, her inordinate stubbornness keeping her from swallowing her pride and allowing him to offer any sort of help whatsoever. He'd tried everything to get her to talk to him, but the female's attitude grew more fickle by the day. Whenever he approached her, she would turn away with an icy glare, and if he dared ask if there was anything she needed, he was answered with complete and utter silence.

He groaned and brought his hands up to massage the sides of his temple. Time was of the essence, and there was no telling how long the smeet would remain dormant. He suspected it would take a few months at least before it was mature enough to emerge, but that interval of time was invaluable. Tak needed to return to Irk, and the trip alone would take at least several months.

He glanced over at Dib who was sitting next to him, busy tinkering away with his translation device. He glared at the boy in contempt. The human's constant fidgeting while was starting to annoy him and his blissful ignorance only served to irritate him further.

Raising a fistful of mashed potatoes from his lunch tray, he cocked his arm bitterly, aiming for the human's giant, unmissable head. Then, in a fit of distain, he chucked the starch ball directly at its target.

Dib recoiled when the mushy substance collided with his head. "Hey what was that for!?" he shouted, snapping back at Zim.

The Irken simply scowled and turned his head away with a grunt.

"Geez. What's your problem?" Dib asked, wiping away the mess with his coat sleeve. "You've been moping around all morning."

Zim folded his arms over the table and stubbornly rested his chin on top of them like a pouting child. "Nothing."

"Really? Nothing? Cuz it's not everyday you decide to randomly throw mashed potatoes at my face. What's going on Zim? Did you and Tak have a fight or something?"

Zim grumbled. Pesky humans. Why do they have to always be so intuitive? "None of your business Dib-stink," he derided.

Dib's brow furrowed and he turned to go back to his work. "Fine, whatever. It's not like I need to know that badly anyway. I've got more important things to worry about." He continued tinkering with the device until a second helping made contact with his ear. "Hey, quit it!"

Zim shrugged. "I don't know what you are talking about," he fibbed innocently.

"Yes you do! You just threw another clump at my head!"

"You must be mistaken. I would never desecrate such a delicious ham-lobster."

"It's not ham-lobster! It's potatoes!"

"Pfft. What's the difference? All human food tastes the same."

Dib grit his teeth and glared at the mulish Irken. He was no stranger to Zim's cranky moods, but usually they were the result of the alien's defeat or his inability to make one of his inventions work. Instead, this time, he was simply laying across the table, wallowing in a pathetic state of misery.

The young paranormal investigator was about to say something else when one of the kids passing by with a lunch tray stopped and got their attention. "Hey, what's up with Zim?" the kid questioned, giving them a funny look. "He looks all mopey and sad-like."

Zim simply groaned and rolled over to the side. Dib glanced over at him. "He's uh, got a stomach ache," he replied coolly, leaning over so the kid could see him. "Still recovering from corn and mayonnaise day. You know."

"Ohhhhh." The kid nodded his head and continued on his way. The answer seemed to be enough to satisfy him.

Once he was gone, Dib shot Zim another look. "Hey, get up space boy! You and I aren't finished yet!"

Zim simply rolled over with an irritated expression. "Why don't you go back to fiddling with your pathetic Earth device, stupid dirt-monkey," he complained, sounding a little bit like he was intoxicated. "You'll never get it to understand any language beyond your own anyway."

Dib huffed in annoyance. "Shows what you know Zim." He flopped back down and twisted the last few final screws into place. "I've already tested it with several different languages. In a few days I should have it up fully and running."

Vexed, Zim mumbled something offensive in his native tongue. The device suddenly sent out a small spark, causing Dib to jump from the quick surge of electricity. He recoiled as it short-circuited and let out a small puff of smoke.

Zim chuckled in amusement.

"What's your problem space jerk?!" Dib shouted as he jumped up from his seat. He'd just about had enough of Zim's interference for one day.

"Oh nothing," the Irken wiped a tear from his eye. "It's just entertaining to watch someone as pathetic as you struggle with such a simple device."

Dib gritted his teeth, but held back. As much as he wanted to tackle the Irken to the ground and teach him a lesson, he knew it wouldn't do any good. Zim could easily take a beating, but his overgrown ego wouldn't falter in the slightest.

Doing his best to contain his anger, Dib took a deep breath and gradually sat back down. "Look, if you aren't going to help, then why don't you just go sit somewhere else?"

Zim glared back at the boy scornfully. "What do I look like human? A personal testing drone? Get your precious FATHER or someone else to help you."

"Hey, you're the one who broke it in the first place!" Dib returned bitterly. "And if you're so much better than me, than why don't you try and fix it!?"

Zim crossed his arms. "Pfft. As if I'd ever do anything like that Dib-worm."

"And why not?" Dib turned to face him as if to question him seriously. "If you're so advanced like you say you are Zim, then why don't you go ahead and prove it? If it's so easy for you, then why don't you take a look at it? Huh? Huh?"

Grumbling, Zim bibulously snatched the device. "Fine! If it will cease your incessant belly aching!" After quickly providing some minor tweaks, and reassessing some calibrations, he vehemently tossed it back to the boy. "There. Now leave me alone to sulk in my misery."

After inspecting the improvements, Dib studied the invention carefully in his hands. "Wow, that was fast. You sure it will work?"

Zim scoffed. "Of course it will work human. It was made by Zim!"

Dib examined the translator. "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of." He analyzed the device a little longer before setting it down. "Uh...you okay?"

Zim rolled over lazily, revealing his annoyed, yet inebriated expression. "Does it look like I'm okay stink beast?!"

Not expecting any less of an answer, Dib shook his head. "No, but you are acting a lot more mopey than usual. It has something to do with Tak right?"

"That's none of your concern."

Dib turned his body around so he was fully facing the Irken. "Well, you kind of made it my concern the moment you threw mashed potatoes at my head." He paused for a moment before deciding to try and pry any further. "Did you want to talk about it?"

Zim gave him a nasty look and then rolled back over to face away from him. "No."

"Well you can't just mope around like this all day. What happened? Did you do something to make her mad?"

"I already told you it's none of your business!"

"Is she trying to kill you again?"

"No."

"Did you say something to insult her?"

"No."

"Did you accidently destroy her robot?"

"No."

"Did she take over your base? Kick you out?"

"Don't be preposterous. No one controls my base but me!"

"Did she dump you?"

"I-..."

Zim paused, realizing he didn't have an answer to that question. He turned his head away dispiritedly. "...I don't know."

Dib fell silent as he watched the poor Irken's mood shift from hostile to depressed in a manner of seconds. He was curious what the eccentric little alien could have done to make Tak so upset with him, but then again, with Zim, it could have been anything. The moronic little space jerk could have simply ignored her when passing down the hall, and he'd have no clue that he even angered her.

The two rivals sat in silence as the chatter of the cafeteria continued to buzz around them. The air grew thick and uncomfortable, and Dib still had burning questions he wanted answered.

"Have you tried apologizing?" he asked awkwardly, breaking the silence.

A few seconds passed and Zim lowered his head back onto the table. "Tak will never forgive me for what I've done this time Dib-stink."

Curious to receive such an answer, Dib was eager to pry further, but a vibrating ring from his wrist suddenly caught his attention. He pulled back on his coat sleeve to reveal a blinking icon on his watch. Groaning, he clicked to accept the call.

"Why hello son!" The professor greeted happily. He was in his lab, surrounded by dozens of hardworking scientists. "Sorry to bother you while you are at school, but I just couldn't wait to check in and see how the new invention was coming along!"

Dib winced as he glanced over at the smoldering device next to him on the cafeteria table. "It's uh...coming along great Dad!" he lied, cracking a fake smile. "I just need to work out a few more bugs and then it will be ready to go!"

The professor smiled proudly. "Excellent! I knew I could count on you! Be sure to bring it down to my workstation later tonight so I can approve it for my team of engineers! I'm so excited to see what you've come up with!"

The screen flashed to black and Dib abruptly slammed his head down onto the table. "Great," he barked, throwing his hands up in the air. "Now my dad expects me to have this thing up and running by tonight, and it isn't even CLOSE to being ready. What am I going to do?"

Irritated, Zim turned to scowl at the boy. "What are you grumbling about human? Your device will work just fine."

Dib tilted his head up. "Yeah? And what makes YOU so sure?"

"Because," Zim stood up to hold himself up proudly. "I perfected it."

Dib huffed and rolled his eyes. "Hate to break it to you Zim, but most of your inventions don't always pan out the way you want them to. Even Tak said so herself."

Zim paused and suddenly fell silent. "Tak said that?"

Dib eyed his sudden change in demeanor. Realizing he might have gone too far, he awkwardly tried to cover up his mistake. "Err, never mind. What I meant to say was, how can I be so sure it will work if you aren't there to show me yourslef?"

Zim attitude perked up a bit as he thought on the matter. "Hmm, I suppose you make a good point human." He tapped a claw against his mouth curiously. "Perhaps I could demonstrate my superior engineering skills to your esteemed father unit. After all, it would be amusing to prove my superiority."

Dib glared at his rival. "Fine. As long as you let me finish tweaking this thing without any more distractions."

Later that evening, Dib led Zim down to his father's basement. He kept a close eye on the Irken, still curious what could have triggered such a melancholy mood. It had been surprising to say the least. Normally Zim would never have admitted any fault of his own, let lone fail to recognize it. He always so conceited and wildly overconfident. Never in a million years would he bother to care about someone else.

But then again, Tak wasn't just someone else, was she? She was an Irken, just like him, and appeared to be what was considered a female of his kind. It was quite possible that Zim, being alone on this planet, had grown deeply attached to her. He was experiencing all of the same emotions: interest, excitement, fondness, sympathy. It would only make sense that her being upset with him would have such a profound effect on his personality.

Dib watched from the corner of his eye as Zim calmly descended down the long, narrow staircase behind him. He seemed to be in a much better mood than earlier, but was still on on edge about venturing into enemy territory. Dib wasn't too surprised, given the circumstances. Despite the bizarre incident that occurred over Christmas, he was well aware that he could use this opportunity to capture the Irken and prevent him from returning back to his base. Unfortunately doing so also meant revealing an invention that he wasn't fully comfortable with. And if it failed to work, his father's reputation was on the line.

Choosing to ignore any more nagging thoughts, Dib continued down the stairs. They approached the professor while he was busy at his workstation. The towering scientist turned to face them.

"Ah! If it isn't my famous boy-child! Oh, and his little green friend. Nice to see you two!"

Not bothering to correct him about calling Zim his friend, Dib approached his father. "Hey Dad. I brought the invention like you asked. Do you still have a minute to look at it?"

The professor set down what he was working on and turned to face them proudly. "Of course! I always have a minute for you son!"

Dib winced, knowing full well he was only being so attentive because it was related to real science. Just once he wished his father would be this excited about his paranormal studies.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the device. The professor picked it up and studied it carefully.

"Hmm. It certainly seems like a solid invention. How Does it work?"

Zim pushed his way past his rival, seeing his opportunity to shine. "I can answer that!" He quickly snatched the device and began showcasing it like a salesman at a car booth. "You see, the mechanisms here, intake the specialized audio and simply pick up on the brainwaves of the individual listening to them. The device converts it to match those brainwaves and behold! One highly functioning audio translator!"

The professor's goggles lit up with excitement. "Marvelous! Truly a revolutionary design! Looks like you two have done it again!"

Not wasting any time, he quickly pressed a button on his shoulder pad and suddenly a descent of theater smoke filled the room. Dib winced and covered his nose with his coat sleeve, not wanting to breath in any of the cheap, unpleasant fumes. There was a loud rumble as part of the ceiling gave way, and suddenly a young, frightened intern unexpectedly dropped through the trapdoor that opened up above them.

The professor turned to the scrawny young man. "Scotty. Take this to the lab and have the engineers get to work on this right away. It will make an excellent addition to our summer expo."

Shaking and overly excited from the opportunity, the young man nodded eagerly. "Yes! Right away sir!"

Dib scratched his head in confusion as he watched the man dash out of the basement. "Wait, has that guy been living here the whole time?"

Ignoring the incident, the professor waved his hand to dismiss them. "Well you two run along. I've got to get back to these reactions before they get out of hand. Cold fusion won't invent itself you know!"

"Uh, right. Thanks Dad."

Both Dib and Zim climbed back up the stairs and headed for the front door. Dib reached for the handle and opened it to reveal the humbling ambiance of the outside world. It was nightfall, and a quiet hush had fallen over the quaint suburban neighborhood.

He fought back a yawn. "Well that went better than I expected." he said tiredly. He threw his arms up in the air to get a good stretch in before dropping them back to his sides. "Man I'm beat. I'm gonna head off to bed."

Zim chuckled condescendingly. "You humans and your ridiculous notion of sleep. It's a wonder your species ever gets anything accomplished."

Dib rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Talk it up Space boy. Now get going." He ushered Zim out the front door and the Irken stepped through eagerly.

"You know, I must say Dib," he stopped and took a moment to pause. "It was rather refreshing to once again receive credit for all my hard work." He held a fist up to his chest proudly. "Perhaps I should do this more often."

Dib's face morphed into a skeptical frown. "Uh...you're hard work? You might have forgotten Zim, but I'm the one who built the device in the first place."

Zim let out an arrogant chuckle. "Oh please. If it weren't for my necessary perfections, you would be left to squander in a miserable state of helplessness until you were forced to do nothing but beg for my amazing assistance. Without me, both the science project AND your pitiful little listening device would be nothing more than a useless paperweight, dangling from your already massive head!"

"Hey! I did most of the work on my own!" Dib shouted, thrusting a thumb into his chest. "It was MY idea and MY invention! All you did was tweak it a bit."

"Those tweaks were what allowed you to receive any credit at all human," Zim added, crossing his arms. "Without me, your invention would be as useless as a tomato in a haystack."

Dib's brow furrowed. "It's needle in a haystack. And you and I both know I would have figured it out eventually! I just needed more time!"

"More time?" Zim scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. Your puny, little monkey brain could have fumbled with it for a a decade and still you would have accomplished nothing. Your knowledge of its inner workings are far too simplistic and limited to make such a thing possible."

Dib took a step forward. "Puny brain? Look who's talking Zim! You can't even remember how to use a simple human phrase correctly!"

Zim turned away pompously. "A minor pitfall compared to the level of incompetency your species possess."

Dib grit his teeth. "Listen Zim. The only reason you're even standing here right now is because WE made a deal. If I hadn't needed your help with that science project months ago, I would have had your guts spewed all over an autopsy table by now."

Zim rolled his eyes. "This again? As if you'll ever capture me Dib-worm."

Dib frowned. "In case you've forgotten space boy, I'm the one who has been keeping your identity a secret this whole time! If I wanted to, I could have revealed you to the entire world by now!"

Zim shot a look of arrogance in his direction. "Ha! That's rich coming from you. As if you haven't been trying to do that from day one! Try telling me something I don't know."

Dib took another step forward, his forehead inches away from the Irken. "Face it Zim, without me, you would have never made it out of my dad's lab alive!"

Zim swatted his hand away. "And without me, your father would have never granted you access to said lab in the first place!"

Dib clenched his fists. "I would have been given access eventually, and come to think of it, I should have exposed you right then and there when I had the chance!"

"Then it's a shame your inferior intellect didn't alert you to take advantage of the opportunity," Zim mocked arrogantly.

Dib's tilted his chin up and his face went red with anger. "You know what Zim? One of these days I'm going to expose you to the entire world, and when I do, everyone is going to treat me like a hero! I'll be the one who saved Earth while you'll be wishing you never came here!"

Zim relaxed his posture and raised an antennae. "Is that so?" He took a few steps backward and calmly flicked the boy out of his face. Dib immediately brought a hand to his nose, rubbing the sensitive area. "You really think exposing me is going to change anything Dib? Look around you. You humans are so completely blind to everything that happens, even if you did manage to catch me, do you honestly think the rest of them would even notice?"

Dib's brow furrowed further. "Of course they will notice! How could they not when I have a live alien right in front of them!?"

"You overestimate the intelligence of your own kind Dib-worm," stated Zim, recalling a conversation he with Tak. "You and I both know they would lose interest within a week."

"You're wrong Zim!" Dib countered defensively. "They will finally see you for what you are and realize that I've been right all along!"

Zim scoffed. "Don't lie to yourself pathetic Earth monkey. Once the novelty runs out, they will go right back to doing what they did before. You know it to be true."

Dib bit his cheek so much that he could feel it bleed. "Well then maybe I just need two aliens to make them understand."

Zim's eyes narrowed and his blood ran cold. He didn't care for the boy's sudden change in tone. "What are you saying Dib-stink?"

He watched as Dib reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an old pair of alien hand cuffs. His eyes went wide. "You...you were carrying those around this whole time?"

Dib sneered darkly. "You can never be too careful when dealing with an evil space monster."

Zim glared back at him, the betrayal evident in his eyes. "You despicable human. I knew I couldn't trust you." His posture suddenly became hostile and pointed a claw at the boy's direction. "I should have never let you step foot inside my base. I should have killed you when I had the chance."

Dib cocked his head. "Then it's a shame your inferior intellect didn't alert you to take advantage of the opportunity," he parroted back.

Zim scowled and stared down his rival. The tension seemed to build between them as they sized each other up. He started to think over the scenario. Would the boy really follow through? Tak was still back at the base, and the last thing she needed was for him to foolishly get caught by a headstrong human who could easily alert the Earth authorities of her location.

"This is a waste of time," said Zim, turning to leave. "I'm going home."

Dib's eyes widened as he watched the Irken walk away. "So that's it then? You're just going to turn tail and run?"

Zim ignored him and continued on his way.

"Well I think it's obvious then who the superior being is here!" Dib shouted back at him, trying to entice him back into a fight. "You just wait and see Zim! I'll show you. I'll show everyone! I'll prove to them all who you really are and reveal your true identity to the entire world!"

Zim kept marching, doing his best to ignore his enemy's maniacal laugh as he ventured further and further away from the house.

Back at the base

Zim struggled to focus on the repairs of the Voot, but Dib's horrible laughter continued to ring out in his head. Well then maybe I just need two aliens to make them understand.

He wondered if the boy was serious, about capturing him along with Tak. The possibility had always been in the back of his mind. He knew that he was willingly putting himself in harms way every time he was around him, but he had purposely, and foolishly, ignored those warnings. Maybe it was because he let his guard down, or maybe it was because he had actually enjoyed spending time with the human. Either way, it sickened him to know that he had grown so comfortable with the routine.

"Stupid, inconceivable, dirt weasel," he grumbled to himself as he forcefully twisted the loose components. "He should know better than to test my patience." He twisted a few more knobs angrily before the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention.

"I see you're planning on going somewhere," Tak stated coldly, causing him to turn around. Her tone was lucid, and it clearly indicated she was speaking rhetorically.

Zim felt his heart skip a beat as he whipped around in surprise. Part of him was excited to hear her speak to him again, but he was also in a rather fowl mood. He wanted nothing to do with a fight at the moment, and it looked like she was prying for one.

"Tak. I'm glad you're here." He stood up, approaching her callously. "As you can see, I've been adding some calibrations to the Voot. You are going to need them if you are to make it back to Irk."

Tak turned to glance over the ship and then judgingly raised an eye. "You expect me to fly all the way to Irk? In THAT? Are you insane?"

Already irritated from the day's events, Zim felt his antennae twitch at the insult. Most of your inventions don't always pan out the way you want them to. Even Tak said so herself. "You will find my ship is perfectly capable of making the journey on its own," he returned, trying to ignore the offensive remark. " Despite what you think of my engineering skills, I assumed you would at least be grateful for my assistance."

Tak stared back at him dumbfounded. "Grateful!? GRATEFUL!?" She approached him vehemently and grabbed the front of his uniform. "You ruin my life twice, impregnate me with your repugnant smeet, and then say I should be GRATEFUL!? What makes you think I would EVER thank YOU?!"

Zim couldn't help but feel a small tinge of hurt as he glared back at her stoically. He knew deep down that some part of her still hated him, or at the very least resented him for what he'd done. And the tone in her voice had made it all the more clear.

When he failed to respond, she shoved him away and forcefully released his uniform. "The only one who should be GRATEFUL around here is you Zim! Grateful that I haven't KILLED you and gutted your carcass while your back was turned!"

Zim's eyes narrowed as he called her bluff. "We both know that won't happen Tak," he returned, switching his tone to gloating arrogance. "You've already tried twice and failed, remember?"

Shocked that he actually fired back with an insult, Tak scowled and thrust a pointed claw into his chest. "Then maybe I'll just pulverize you within an inch of your life. How does that sound?"

Zim stared her straight in the eye and held his ground. For once, he wasn't afraid of her threats. She was in no position to turn down his help, and he was in no mood to argue with her. This was just as much her fault as it was his, and he was not going to back down. She was not going to get the better of him. Not this time.

He brushed past her and went back to his work while she fumed in contempt.

"What's gotten into you?" she questioned, attempting to burn a hole through the back of his skull. He remained silent and she stepped around to face him again. "You've got some nerve if you expect me to forgive you. And what makes you think I would so willingly depart in this filth-heap of a ship anyway?"

Zim kept working and didn't look up at her. "It's either use my ship, or suffer a horrifying death," he stated simply. "The choice is yours."

He held his resolve while she went silent. He hadn't meant for his words to sound so spiteful, or to say them so dismissively, but the quiescence that followed informed him he had gotten the message across.

After a while of hearing no response, he looked up. He expected her to say something back, but the proud, iron-minded female only stared down at him maliciously. He watched as she took a few steps forward, flinching a little as she brushed past him. She seemed to be masking some other underlying emotion, one that he couldn't quite make out.

"Step aside," she commanded.

This time, he did as she asked and allowed her to create a spot for herself to work. Without permission, she reached into the interface and began to rewire some of the components.

"Hey! What are you-?"

Zim watched indignantly as she began to undo all of the hard work he had previously completed. He felt the anguish rise as she tinkered next to him. He felt insulted, undignified, and downright belittled. Rage burning, he reached down in front of her to take control of one of the wires.

"No," she said flatly, grabbing his arm. "Connect that over here."

He froze at her touch and felt her claws guide him to the correct location. Her voice was surprisingly calm, like that of a teacher to a student, and carried no hint of animosity whatsoever. He felt his anger slowly melt away as she worked next to him. Even with his fowl mood, just her mere presence seemed to calm him down. He watched her work, slowly realizing the mistakes she was trying to correct. She was making the circuitry more efficient, and once again he was mesmerized by her vast knowledge of a ship's inner workings.

Once the upgrades were complete, she stepped back to admire her work. "There. Finished. That should improve its function for half the trip at least."

Zim looked up at her, amazed and bewildered at her sudden change in behavior. He watched curiously as she made her way around to the front of the ship and continued to work silently, without any acknowledgement of his presence.

"Tak?" He approached her cautiously, doing his best to keep his voice low.

She continued to ignore him.

"About what happened, you're not still upset are you?"

Still no response.

Feeling uneasy, he rested a hand on the control panel, unsure if apologizing at this point would make much difference. It was clear she was still angry with him, and forcing out a confession wasn't going to make things better.

He let out a strong exhale and dropped his gaze to the ground. "Look, I didn't mean to insult you. But if you would prefer to distance yourself from me now, I'll understand."

She still didn't respond and continued to disregard his presence. Feeling defeated, he dropped his hand back to his side and was about to exit the chamber when her voice stopped him once again.

"Zim. Wait."

He turned back around to face her, his expression somewhat hopeful. She let out a long, heavy sigh. "Just sit with me a moment. Please?"

He was both eager and reluctant to take her up on her offer, but upon hearing the anguish in her voice, he went ahead and did as she asked. He approached her cautiously, and stared deeply into her purple, vibrant opals as he sat down next to her.

Avoiding his gaze, she rested her hands in her lap. "Zim. What do you think will happen once I get back to Irk?"

He cocked his head in confusion. "What do you mean? You will seek out an Irken hatchling facility and have the smeet removed, will you not? I thought we agreed that is the best solution."

"And what if the Armada shoots me down the moment I arrive?" she questioned, bringing up a point he failed to consider. "What if, because I'm in your ship, they find out about the smeet before I can land or take me in for questioning? What if they find out you're alive and don't even grant me access to the planet at all?"

Zim brought a claw to his chin pondered over the scenario. He hadn't considered the risk of her being denied access, or getting killed in the process. He supposed anything was a possibility given the fact that his biosignature was supposed to be nowhere near their home planet. And what of the smeet? Would his DNA trigger some sort of warning system?

He continued to stare at the ground while a cocktail of possibilities swirled around in his head. "Tak, what would you say if I told you I haven't been completely honest with you?"

She looked up at him puzzled. "What are you saying?" she asked, the warning apparent in her voice.

"What if I told you there was another way you can get back to Irk?"

Zim piloted the Voot down the many neighborhood streets until landing it outside of a quiet suburban house. The hatch to the cockpit hissed open, and the two of them stepped out into the chilly, spring night air.

"What are we doing here?" questioned Tak, looking around the area. It appeared to be a typical Earth neighborhood, and not one that held anything of great significance.

Without answering, Zim trotted up to one of the houses and using a special device, pried open the garage just enough to allow the two of them slip through. Tak followed him inside with Mimi close behind. She watched him curiously as he slugged his way though the various piles of junk, clearing a path through the smorgasbord of items until he stopped in front of a large, blue tarp.

Tak eyed the ovate object curiously, a strange feeling of anticipation washing over her. She watched as he dug his claws into the soft fabric, tugging on it, hard. It gave way and collapsed to the floor, revealing nothing other than her one and only, long lost spaceship.

"My ship?!" she exclaimed excitedly, dashing over to see if it was real. She ran her hand along the outer shell. "But how...how did you-?"

"The Dib human recovered it shortly after our first battle," Zim explained, making his way over to her. "He's been working to repair it all this time. I tired stealing it back a few times, but the accursed personality interface turned out to be more of a nuisance than it was worth."

Tak was about to question why he didn't bring it up sooner, but the ship's inner components suddenly came to life. She took a step back as the cabin lit up, filling their surroundings with an intense orange glow. It pushed itself up from the ground.

"I thought I told you not to disturb me you filthy sack of-! Oh wait, it's you."

Tak stared back at the ship in awe. Upon recognition of it's master, it immediately powered down it's defense systems. "Finally! I thought this day would never come. My rightful owner has returned to reclaim me! No more squandering in this pitiful pile of human filth. No more taxing around those two half-minded fools. Please, take me of this wretched planet as soon as possible!"

Tak was about to say something in return, but then the ship noticed the infamous Irken standing next to her. "YOU!"

Lifting its pincher high in the air, its tone quickly switched from friendly to hostile, and its inner lighting began to glow a menacing red. It brought down its arm in a heavy strike, but only slammed against concrete as the terrified Irken leapt out of the way. "Hold still so I can show you what color your insides are!" it shouted, poising to strike again and again.

Zim was too quick. He leapt out of the way again and again, only barely managing to dodge every attack. Eventually Tak stepped between them, causing the ship freeze mid-strike.

"Wha-? What are you doing? Get out of the way!"

Tak stood calmly between them, purposely shielding him from the ship. "Stand down," she ordered, her posture firm.

The ship stared back at her in confusion. "I- I do not understand." It lowered its pincher, and bent down to examine her carefully. "The Tak I know would never squander such a perfect opportunity to extract her revenge OR defend that loathsome insect. Who are you and what have you done with the real Tak!?"

Tak folded her arms sternly. "I assure you, I AM the real Tak," she responded confidently. "And trust me, it's a long story. I will have to explain later."

As if taking a moment to decide, the ship powered down its defenses and allowed her to approach. She requested for the main hatch to open, and there was some slight hesitation before it did as she asked. She hopped in and looked down at the controls, relishing in how good it felt to be back in her old seat. She ran her hand along the console, remembering every last detail, every last memory of all the hard work and sacrifice she'd put into building it. It was like an old friend, welcoming her back with open arms.

"Are all the guidance systems functioning properly?"

"Affirmative. That filthy sack of a human meat and his younger sibling managed to repair MOST of my systems. I suppose I owe them a bit of gratitude for that at least."

Zim walked up to the ship, flinching as it turned to face him. He watched as Mimi leaped past him to hop in and join its master.

"So I guess...this is it?" he asked sadly, resting his hand along the outer rim of the dashboard. The ship instantly shook him off and he drew back in defeat.

Tak looked down at him, a sorrowed expression filling her face. "I wouldn't leave if I didn't have a choice," she said sympathetically.

Zim lowered his eyes to the ground. "I know. I just wish...there was some other way."

Feeling sorry for him, Tak hopped out from the pilot's seat and took a few steps forward. She placed a hand under his chin, bringing his eyes to be level with her own. "I would have liked more time as well," she said somewhat sweetly.

His expression softened a bit and a tightness gradually formulated in his chest. He placed his claws over her arm to bring it back down. "You know I never meant for any of this to happen Tak," he muttered, hoping this time, she would finally accept his apology.

She smirked and looked at him half-heartedly. "I know." Her face fell again and she paused a moment before continuing. "I may not be ready to fully forgive you Zim, but please do not misunderstand my hostility for animosity. You have shown me that there are more important things to value than holding on to the past, and for that, I am truly grateful."

He looked up at her wide eyed as he processed her words. Did that mean she-? He felt his his claws dig into the fabric on her arm, like she was going to be ripped away from his grasp any minute. He knew this was probably the last time he was every going to see her again, and he wasn't about to let her go so easily.

"Will you be alright on your own?" he asked, realizing the question probably sounded just as stupid coming out of his mouth as it did in his head.

She looked up at him sarcastically. "I've managed most of my life on my own haven' I? I think I'll be just fine."

Feeling shameful, he bowed his head and he flattened his antennae against his skull. "Tak, I'm so sorr-"

He was about to utter a final apology, but in that instant, she silenced him with one last, unexpected kiss. His eyes went wide at the sudden surprise, but gradually he relaxed and allowed himself to ease into it. She was kissing him so tenderly, and not in a way he had ever experienced from her before. It was subtle, but desperate, like she was communicating her final goodbyes. He could feel the sorrow behind it, and wondered for a moment if she could sense the same from him.

After returning the kiss, they broke apart, and he looked up at her one last time. "I'm sorry you never got your revenge," he said half-jokingly.

She chuckled and shook her head. "Oh Zim, don't you remember?" He looked up at her cluelessly and she hopped back into the pilot's seat. A light smile formed across her face. "It was never about revenge."

The ship shifted back and forth between them, frantically trying to figure out what on Earth was going on. "I am utterly confused," it said confoundingly.

Tak smirked and pressed a button to close the hatch. Zim watched sadly as she backed out of the garage and hovered inches above the ground before making her final exit. She stared back at him one last time, her expression downcast, but understanding. He could tell she looked just as torn up about leaving as he was, but they both knew it was for the best. Irk would have what she needed, and he wanted to give her every chance he could for her to survive.

He watched as the ship exited the garage and ascended further and further into the sky. It disappeared high into the atmosphere until it was far out of reach, so much so that all that could be seen was a tiny speck. And even when that was gone, he continued to stare up at the stars.

It was a few solid minutes before he eventually turned and made his way back to the Voot. His boots dragged heavy, and the world around him seemed to have fallen erringly silent. Even the distant chirps from crickets went unheard as he sullenly made his way back to the ship.

Moments later, Dib shot up from his bed, covered in a light sweat. A dream? Had it been a dream?

Fearing the worst, he immediately kicked off the covers and made a mad dash for the stairs. No. It couldn't be. It still had to be there!

He rushed to the garage, hoping to find Tak's ship sitting safe and sound right where he'd left it. He had heard the sounds of it taking off in his dreams, but he had no idea if it was real. Fearing the worst, he thrust open the garage door and waded through the bog of items to the area where he kept it. He searched for the familiar blue covering, but to his dismay, the round, bulky shape that was normally there was nowhere to be found. Instead he found it flung away, cast off to the side on the cold, cement floor in a crumpled pile.

Feeling his heart sink, he picked up the fabric in disbelief. Running it between his hands, he clenched his teeth.

"That's it Zim. You want a war? Well space boy, you've finally got one."

Author's Note: Wow! I guess all I can say is I've REALLY been slacking. It's been what? Almost six months since I last posted? Once again I apologize for the delay, but I wanted to make sure to get things right with this one. When getting to such a pivotal turning point in the story, I like to take a step back, take my time, and make sure the pieces are all falling right where they should be. I didn't want anything here to feel too rushed or too unrealistic for the situation, so I did my best to keep everyone in character as much as possible. I may go back in an add some more detail here and there, but for now I feel it was good enough to let off the leash. Hope you guys like it! Also let me know what you think and if you happen to spot any typos.