A/N: Hi, everyone! Yeah, I had too many ideas while FF.net was down. After seening NanoZim, I had to do a special chapter just for Dib and Gaz's relationship...they have an odd one, dont you think? And yet, its nice. Theres something to be said for affection in any form. Im sorry there isnt any slash yetfor those of you who were hoping so desperately to see some soon. But I want to make this series as plausible as possible, and although it would be fun to have Dib divetackle Zim in the first chapter, it would be really OOC. If you want a rough estimate, itll be at least another 3 chapters before ANYTHING happens between them. Dont worry, we're getting there, and I hope you enjoy it anyway...please R&R!
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Weakness Chapter 5
Ill Make You Wish I Was Never Born
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It was already dark out when Dib straggled in the door. Gaz sat on the couch, munching on some ordered pizza in one hand and playing her Game Slave with the other. "Dib, Dad's gotta film his show tonight so I ordered a-what the hell happened to you?"

"Nothing." Dib tossed his bookbag by the door and flomped down next to her. "Is Mysterious Mysteries on yet?"

"Its about half an hour away." Gaz looked her brother up and down, hitting pause on the game. "And bullshit nothing happened to you, youre covered in bandages. Was it Karl and those jocks?"

Dib looked away, picking at one of the band-aids on his arm. He wondered how many of the bandaids were actually necessary and how many of them were there just becuase of Zim's lack of knowledge about first aid. Quite a few, probaly. They were wearing cleats, though...

"It was them!" Gaz's voice rose. "Ill destroy that bastard!"

"No, Gaz, dont." Dib worried about his sister. Over the past few months, she had becoem incredibly protective of her older brother. He wasnt sure why. He figured it had something to do with what had happened last summer-but he didnt want to think about that right now. It was behind him. Suffice it to say that long sleeves were one of the many advantages of wearing a trenchcoat constantly.

"Dont tell me what to do, Dib. I'll destroy you too if you stand in my way."

He sighed. "Fine, Gaz. Just...dont get yourself hurt."

"Dont worry about me, Ill be fine." Gaz finished off her pizza and hit the start button on her game. The tinny music started again. "Did they call you a faggot?"

Dib started. "Yeah, why?"

Gaz gritted her teeth. Her thumb jammed down on the buttons. "Those dumb jerks. They do that all the time. Its not like its even a bad thing."

Dib shrugged, idly surfing channels. "Think Dad would want one of those for his birthday?"

Gaz raised an eyebrow, not looking up. "A shoe organizer? I dont even know if he wears shoes. I think he does, but theyre probaly the same pair every day anyway."

Dib smirked. "I would assume he wears shoes, Gaz, he works with toxic chemicals and-"

The phone rang. Gaz reached over with her free arm, grabbed it, and tossed it to Dib. Dib glared at his sister, then cleared his throat. "Um, hello?"

"Hello, is this Dib?" A slightly shy female's voice.

"Fin!" Dib exclaimed in suprise. "Hi!"

A dull thud sounded from beside him. Gaz had dropped her Game Slave. She stooped over to pick it back up, not taking her eyes off Dib.

"Hey, Dib." He could hear vauge strains of David Bowie coming in over the background. "I was looking for you so we could walk home, maybe, and I found your trenchcoat laying by the baseball feild. It looked kind of beat up. What happened?" Her voice was concerned.

Dib tried to reply with nonchalance. "Oh, just a couple of jerk jocks, you know."

"Oh, Dib!" Fin sighed. "I hate those bastards. Did they hurt you badly?"

"No, not really." He gave his arms and torso one more precursory glance. "I do miss my trenchcoat tho, this afternoon has been so weird I just forgot about it."

"Really? What happened?"

Dib proceeded to relate the tale of Zim's rescue mission and first-aid ministrations to Fin. He left out the part about the deal they had made, of course. He was soon aware of a pair of eyes boring into the side of his head. He looked over to see Gaz staring at him as if in a trance. "One sec, Fin-is something wrong, Gaz?"

"No." She continued to stare anyway.

Dib sighed. "Listen, I think I should go. Gaz is acting funny."

"Okay, thats fine. Listen, you wanna go out for lunch tomorow? We can go to McMeaty's, you can bring Zim if you want."

Why would he want to bring Zim? "Um, sure! I dont think Zim will go, but ill bring some money. Ill see you tomorow, and dont forget my trenchcoat, okay?"

"No problem. Ill give it to ya before school. See ya."

"Bye!" Dib hung up, an odd smile on his face. He had a friend! A simultaneously elating and depressing feeling-elating because he finnaly had a companion, depressing because it reminded him of how long he did without. He turned to Gaz, who was staring at him with the same odd expression on her face. "What is it, Gaz?"

She blinked. "A girl called here for you. Zim's being nice to you. What the hell is going on?"

Dib snorted. "Well, thats nice. Maybe theyr'e just nice people."

"Yeah, one of those nice people's has tried to kill you more times then I can count on one hand. And girls dont call here for you EVER."

Dib sighed. "You arent exactly cheering me up here, Gaz."

She shrugged. "Its true, tho. So what gives?"

"Well, me and Zim have kind of a deal now. Strictly professional, of course, just for my paranormal studies."

Gaz shook her head. "And you trust him after all this time?"

Dib shrugged. "He seemed sincere."

Gaz flipped a new game out of a pocket on the couch and turned it on. A new strain of digital music joined the general blare. "Whatever. Your shows on."

Dib and Gaz passed the rest of the evening in silence, Dib watching TV, Gaz playing her game. Barely a word passed between them, and yet, when Gaz slumped over asleep in his lap, Dib couldnt help but smile.
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It was a cold day, and Dib was shivering. Gaz had tried to make him put on a windbreaker, but it did no good-it was trenchcoat or nothing for him. Giving up and calling him a world-class moron (which he probaly was, he figured, for refusing a windbreaker on a day like this) they had proceeded to skool. There Fin waited in the yard, the coat slung over her shoulder. She saw Dib and rushed over to him. "Dib! Put this on, you moron, its freezing!"

Dib chose to ignore Gaz's smug look. "Thanks. I hope it wasnt any trouble-"

She waved a hand. "No trouble at all. You want I should beat up the jocks?"

"Yes!" Gaz shouted, pumping a fist in the air.

Dib glared at her, then smiled back at Fin. "No, thats okay. Thanks for the offer."

She laughed. "No need to thank me. Ive been looking for an excuse with that dumb Karl since the beginning of the year. Hey, Gaz." She waved at Gaz, who was studying her with the eye of someone putting meat up for auction. "Umm...is there soemthing on my face?"

Gaz turned to her borther, a smile on her face. "I like this one. You can keep her."

"Umm...thanks?" Dib was confused. He wanted to ask his sister exactly what she meant, but Gaz had already wandered off to sit under a nearby tree and play her GameSlave. Or so he thought...
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Karl walked to school, loudly grunting the lead guitar part from an old Metallica song. He headbanged down the street, growling with empthasis the downbeat leading into the next "classic". He had a date with Stacey tonight, the football team was 5-0, and the little dweebs in the school were all scared shitless of him. Life was good.

He thought back to the kid yesterday, Dib. Man, that was hilarious. That skinny little freak had collapsed under him. It would teach him to have a little more respect for other peoples-

The sound of clanking came behid him. He paused. "hello?"

An angry robotic voice replied. "Hello, Karl." He turned to see a tall skeletonlike robot glowering down on him. He whimpered. "I heard you were picking on my big brother."
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Gaz grinned with contentment at the "ENEMY DESTROYED" announcement that flashed on the screen. She was glad that she had convinced her father to let her test out the radio-controlled fighter robot he had designed the week before. Professor Membrane was such a scatterbrained guy that he had forgotten to ask for the controls back, and Gaz wasnt about to offer...It had been a good fight, Karl a worthy foe-well, as worthy as jockholes got, anyway. It was a pity the blood had smeared the cameral lens so she couldnt see the final victory.

"Gaz."

She looked up. Zim was staring down at her innocently. "What is it, Zim? Im busy."

"I was just wondering where you brother was. Have you seen-"

"He's inside." Gaz nodded at the building. "Oh, and Zim?"

"Yes?"

"Hurt him, and Ill make you wish I was never born."

Zim squinted one eye. "Oooo-kay." He wandered torwards the building. Gaz pulled her regular GameSlave out of her backpack. Now all that was left was waiting for Karl. It was gonna be a good day.