Growing Population
Epic Three
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe

~*~

Chapter Three

Zim grumbled to himself as odd procession of green… things wandered down the street, three 'children' and one 'dog'. He'd wanted to give Cten a mission briefing, but the Reject refused to leave her side - she'd been acting ill and odd for the past few weeks, and there was no way Zim was letting Poe into his base, so he was leading them to some undisclosed deserted location. They were, however, currently passing a Crazy Taco's, much to Gir's delight.. Zim tried to ignore the building and drag the robot on by.

"Taaccooo!!" GIR, despite knowing he wasn't meant to talk while in his dog outfit, when he was hungry he was hungry. He yanked and pulled at the chain Zim was holding him by, and began to whimper and whine - sounding more canine then mechanical then before. Cten stopped walking and glanced at GIR, then at Krazy Taco. She put a finger to her mouth, then looked to Zim.

"Oh, why don't we stop and get something?" she asked. GIR's black ears perked up at the question and nodded quickly in responce. Poe frowned, drumming his claws together, hovering, and generally fufilling his role as worried 'husband'.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You've been puking up half of what you've been eating lately.." He was utterly ignoring Zim, who was only further disgruntled by the request to stop for food.

"BAH! Very well, we shall dine at the Taco pit!" Muttering colourfully all the time, he stomped towards the door of the resteraunt and flung them open.

"YAY!" GIR waved his paws in the air happily as he entered Krazy Taco. Cten followed after Zim, talking back to Poe as she glanced up at the menu.

"Oh that's probably just a slight Squeedily Spooch bug that I've got... the vaccine takes it's time working sometimes..." she then turned her attention to the teenager behind the counter. "I'll have a Kracy King Kombo please, and a large classic poop." GIR held up his two paws at her, then she added. "Make that two." Poe raised his eyelids,

"I thought you didn't like human food.." Zim looked equally shocked.

"Cten, you don't want to eat that filth! The virus will thrive in the humaney goo!" The teenager behind the counter looked at the short green people with some worry, before quickly setting about getting their order, and soon a plastic tray heaping with aluminum-bound food was on the counter.

"Oh you boys worry too much." Cten replied as she took the tray and set it on GIR's head, then paid the teenager. "Thank you!" she smiled up at him before taking her half of the lunch. "Now come on, I know a nice spot where we can sit and you can breif me Zim." before either Zim or Poe could respond, she had lead GIR via the leash out of Krazy Taco. Poe stared at her back dumbly, then ran to catch up with her, leaving Zim behind.

"Eh!" The shorter Irken caught up as well, scowling at Cten, "I'm not sure what's gotten into you Cten, this virus of yours is making you act all.. abnormal!" He flailed his fingers to demonstrate the sheer abnormality of it. Soon enough, the group was at the park and sat under a big tree. GIR had already eaten half his meal and was now playing with a little action figure, and he was covered in sauce. Cten was eating her taco, listening to Zim as he was 'breifing' her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Poe just looked worried.

"Poe," Cten looked at him, sounding somewhat annoyed since obviously this wasn't the first time Poe had asked her this in the past few weeks, "I keep telling you, I am perfectly fine. Now stop the fussing boys really, you act like a couple of parents to me sometimes." she waved a hand at the two. Poe flinched slightly and nodded in defeat, stuffing his claws in his pockets and leaning against the tree.

"If you say so.."

"I highly dislike doing it in the presance of that REJECT, Cten," Zim glared at said Reject, "Who knows how he may compromise the mission with his.. Rejectyness!"

"Zim, Poe has no intentions of doing anything to endanger our mission." she sipped at her classic poop cola. "Now come on, spill."

"Fine, fine. Anyway, I have discovered that humans are extremely succeptable to.. 'commercials," he airquoted with his claws, "If I could somehow hijack the airwaves, maybe I could get them to.." And on he went, with plans of subliminal suggestion and hypnotic rays and such. Poe was productive by doodiling in the dirt with the tip of his claw. By the time Zim had explained his whole plan, GIR was fast asleep leaning against Cten - who had stayed awake listening to Zim. She had nodded now and again, and made 'hmm-mm' sounds. She was about to say something, when GIR suddenly sprang to life, his paws on where Cten's tummy would be.

"Yer tubby Ms. Cten!" he chirped, and snuggled against her more, his tail wagging quickly.

"Well, no wonder, look at all the disgusting human food she's been eating!" Zim scoffed and motioned to the empty wrappers. Poe blinked and looked up, looking over at Cten,

"..tubby?"

"U-huh!" GIR replied, patting the 'tummy' area.

"GIR stop that." Cten squirmed, now somewhat uncomfortable for the subject of her weight had entered the discussion.

"Tubby 'n comfy!" GIR snuggled against her more, and sighed happily.

"She's not tubby," Poe huffed defensively - and you would think he of all people would know that sort of thing. Zim narrowed his eyes and examined Cten,

"You DO seem to be a bit... poochy in the stomach area," he said, quickly refraining himself from saying something like fat, having Cten's tall, pointy-toothed mate already glaring at him and all.

"Poochy?!" Cten put her hands to her stomach, and her eyes widened slightly. They were right, a very obvious buldge could be seen. "...oh..." she said quietly.

"Poooochy!" GIR declared, giggling at the new word. Poe blinked down at her,

"Cten?" Zim snorted,

"See what eating human food does? The amount you've been eating doesn't help, far too much for a dignified Irken! Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were eating for--" He halted suddenly, then narrowed his eyes, "Wait a minute.."

"What...?" Cten didn't like the look Zim was giving her, and scooted away slightly towards Poe. Poe glared at Zim and put an arm around Cten's shoulders. Zim made a face and started shaking his head,

"So THAT explains it! I should have seen it sooner! Cten, I would think an Invader such as yourself would know better, unless that horrible Reject forced himself on you!"

"What?!" Poe wasn't sure what Zim was talking about, but he didn't like his tone. By the look on Cten's face, she didn't like his tone either.

"What? What are.." she stopped when she saw the look Zim was giving her. She blushed deeply now, and put a hand defensively to her buldge. "Zim!!" she just glared at him now, knowing what he was talking about. Zim stood up and flailed his arms about as he spoke,

"Absoultely disgusting! With a Reject, ugh!" Poe scowled as he thought he understood what Zim was getting to, but not quite sure why Zim just had this revelation,

"Zim, what we do in our base is none of your-"

"I'm not talking about that, trash eater!" He huffed, "Though that is pretty disgusting too. I'm talking about the result of such horrible activities!" He pointed an accusing claw at Cten, "That is no Squeedly spooch virus!"

"So... so I'm going to lay then, it's my business isn't it?" Cten frowned at Zim, then taking a step towards him. "You shouldn't get so riled up about it." GIR was now chewing on the plastic boxes his food had come in, not taking notice of the hallabalou going on.

"But an untrained Irken hatchling running around could compromise the entire mission!" Nevermind he had Zib and all.

"And what about Zib?" Cten crossed her arms. Zim started to say something, holding up his claw and pausing, thinking for a moment.

"Zib was entirely accidental, nevermind he was created in a cloning machine already and already partly grown!"

"Oh so it's all right to have an accident around yet not all right for my own child to be around?" her fists clenched, she didn't mean to insult Zib but it was a point after all.

"Wasn't that an accident?" He motioned to her belly. Poe bristled, understanding what they were talking about, and just snarled silently in Zim's direction, giving him a 'warning' look, which Zim of course ignored.

"No, no it wasn't an accident!" she snapped back, her hands deffensively on her buldge again. Zim flinched slightly, looking slightly dumbstruck that his 'underling' would snap at him like that, then looked indignat, folding his arms.

"That's no tone to speak to your commanding officer--"

"That's no way to speak to my mate," Poe interrupted, more a growl than speech.

"Poe, I want to go home now..." Cten said quietly, moving away from Zim, taking the route behind Poe. "I'm not feeling too well." Poe nodded and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, starting to lead her away. Zim glared at their backs,

"Don't think I'll let this insubordination go-" Poe looked over his shoulder with such a glare that Zim shut up, wincing slightly. "Bah! Come, Gir, we leave this place of dirt!"

"Aw, no popcorn elephants?" GIR looked up at his Master.

"No." Zim wasn't in a very good mood either, having his feathers ruffled and all, yanking on Gir's leash and dragging him along, leaving the mess behind. Poe muttered to himself darkly as they left Zim behind, idly massaging Cten's shoulders. Cten's eyes were on the ground as the two made their way down the street, and she put a hand to her buldge and shut her eyes.

"Well that wasn't the happiest moment of my life..." Poe leaned down and nuzzled her wig in an attempt to cheer her up somehow.. He never had been good at this comforting thing.

"Do you think he's right?"

"About what? Mistake or not talking to him the way I should?"

"I think he deserves to be spoken to like that," Poe snorted quietly, "But I mean.. about.. the egg."

"Do you think it is?" she looked up at him.

"I.. really don't know," He looked at the ground in slight embaressment, "I mean, it could still be the virus making you sick and crave all those strange foods, right?"

"..I've never been 'with egg' before... but I heard it does... it does make you eat weird things..." Cten glanced around, then spied their base coming nearer as they approached it. "I don't know..." she shook her head.

"We'll see what happens," Poe ran his claws through her wig, stroking her antennae somewhat, "Isn't there some sort of test the computer or lab can run?"

"Not that I know of... and if I am.. going to have an egg, I'd be close to having it." she took note that their, ahem, event had happened a good few weeks ago, and she had grown in size in that area since then. Poe nodded slightly, looking even more worried and concerned than before, going into typical pre-natal fatherly panic.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I..." she trailed off and then went quiet for a while, hands over her buldge and suddenly looking slightly worried. "...um... carry me home?" Poe smiled slightly, unaware of any danger or other impending events, and leaned down, scooping her up like a new bride, and started towards the base, trying to somehow make the ride as comfortable as possible. Soon the two were in the base and Cten pulled her wig and contacts off,

"Ookay, Poe? If you could do one more thing for me?"

"Anything," He looked down at her, hugging her close, which might not be the smartest thing to do but he was feeling protective.

"...take me upstairs to our room, I'm gonna lay." she said quickly, holding onto him - now a slight hint of fear lingering in her voice.

"Of course - huhwah?!" He looked at her in surprise and started upstairs quickly, kicking open the door as he started to panic, setting her down on the bed and taking off his own wig and contacts quickly. Cten sat up on the bed, pulling her red boots off. She looked more and more distressed with each possible passing second as she pulled her lower half's clothing off.

"What do I do?!" Poe's eyes darted around as if he hoped to find a midwife manual somewhere in the walls, as he watched her and paced around.

"Just... calm down?" Cten was beginning to sweat now as she propped herself on some pillows and starting panting, her segmented tongue hanging out the corner of her mouth.

"But-" He made a worried whining sound in his throat and sat down on the bed beside her, "I don't know, I mean, I've never, I don't even know how that works, and.." She grabbed his hand, trying to calm him down. Funny how things should be reversed right about now,

"Poe.. shh, it's all right..." she paused as a jolt of pain struck through her body, then opened her eyes - now semi glazed over. "That was then... this is now.." Poe winced, detecting her pain and squeezed her hand, before letting go and did all he could, hugging her close and resting his head on top of her antennae, holding her left hand with his left one, the right absently stroking her cheek. Cten whimpered slightly, leaning into him as some more of the pain jolted more and more recent then before. Pretty soon before either of them knew what was happening, she was pretty much screaming her head off as she was now pretty much mid-laying now. Beka had arrived, and had a damp cloth *damped by clensing gel thankfully* on her Mistress' forehead.

Poe flinched and curled his antennae up slightly, trying to whisper words of comfort and encouragement into her antennae and holding on tightly despite her ruckus, looking rather thankful when Beka arrived, then glanced down at the slightly visible egg, watching with an odd sort of fascination. And in a split second and a hefty push from Cten, it was out and I must say, smothered in green slimey after birth stuff. Cten's antennae drooped down over her head as she breathed a sigh of reliefe. Beka picked up the egg and cleaned it off from the slimey stuff, then wrapped it in another blanket and stood on the bed besides Poe holding onto it, as Cten was recovering. Poe couldn't help but smile, squeezing her tightly before looking over at Beka,

"Here.." He held one arm out warily, not quite trusting himself with an egg but wanting to show Cten. Beka handed it over to Poe, Cten's eyes slowly opening as she saw Beka hand it over. Poe cradled it with one arm, balancing it between his chest and his drawn-up legs, tilting it so she could see, smiling down at her.

"Aw..." Cten said quietly, smilling up at Poe before looking at the egg. An egg was, needless to say, a bit more impersonal than a mammilian birth, but it was all the same. Poe set the egg between them, staring down at it in disbelief,

"..we're parents," he finally said.

"Yeah..." she said, then stroked it with her hand, then leant up and kissed Poe on teh cheek. "Congratulations, Dad." Poe smiled oddly, then returned the kiss on her forehead,

"Hey, you did all the work," He teased slightly, then added, "Mom." Cten just smiled happily, then scooped the egg into her arms and cradled it with her arm.

"Awww." Beka cooed. Poe leaned against her, looking down at the egg,

"Any idea how long it'll be until it hatches?"

"Well... I think, at least a few weeks..." she shrugged slightly, "I'm not too sure. Poe nodded slightly, reaching over and touching the surface of the egg,

"Wonder who it'll look like.. or what gender it'll be," he blinked slightly, realizing something, "Um.. what're we going to do for a name?"

"We'll think about that, when the time comes... right now, I want to rest." Cten replied as Beka removed the cloth from her forehead. Poe nodded slightly and hugged her gently,

"I'll let you rest, then." He looked over to Beka, "Anything I can do to help?" There was going to be some clean up needed, afterall. Beka glanced down at the bed,

"Well, you could move Ma'am to another room while I clean, Sir Poe." she replied as Cten had already closed her eyes; since laying an egg wasn't exactly easy. Poe nodded and scooped Cten up gently, making sure she was holding the egg securely, and carried her out of the room, to the other bedroom that had originally been intended as Poe's, and would probably one day become Enid's. He set her down on the untouched bed, stroking her antennae idly. Cten sighed gently and smiled softly, eventually drifting off.

And meanwhile, all the way over at Zim's base, Zim is awaiting the return of Zib since today was Dib's day to watch him; hence why he wasn't with the group beforehand. He's still pretty uppidy about what happened with Cten and Poe, so he's sat on the couch with his arms folded, and scowling back at the Scary Monkey that was playing on the TV. There was eventually a ring at the door. Zib and Dib were out there, Dib eyeing the lawn gnomes warily while Zib took another bite out of his chocolate candy bar, half of which was on his face. The door was swung open by Zim, again with his disguise back on. Magic how he can get his disguise on so quickly, isn't it? He grunted at Dib then looked down at Zib, raising an eye at the chocolaty mess Zib was in.

"I see you two had... fun?"

"We went to go see Moth man!" Zib announced, looking up at Zim and sputtering chocolate chunks as he spoke.

"..unfortunately, it was only a movie," Dib snorted, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.

"Uh... huh..." Zim muttered before doing his usual 'cleaning Zib's face' ritual he did around 100 times a day to the spawn, and continued talking like he wasn't wiping Zib's face with a cloth. "And Dib, I'm sure you'd be interested to know that we're not going to be the only alien life forms on this planet."

"What?!" Dib perked up immediately, "You mean like those aliens that abducted you that one time? Or some new threat to Earth?"

"Calm down worm baby." Zim replied, finishing with the cleaning of Zib's face and stood up. "Poe and Cten's... reproducing." he spat out the last word after a moment's hesitation, and didn't sound happy about it either; which we all know he isn't.

"They did what?!" What little colour was in Dib's face drained out of it, "They must plan on breeding an army of Irkens to repopulate the Earth!"

"Yeah sure whatever." Zim didn't really want to think about it, but he did enjoy seeing Dib become all panicy - that he enjoyed. Dib paused, and a thought sparked in his large head,

"I didn't know they had a cloning machine like the one you built."

"They don't." Zim replied quickly. "Cten isn't nearly as smart as I am to build one, and the Reject certianlly wouldn't be able to tell a woozit from a wazza if his pathetic life depended on it." he folded his arms, and shuddered as he went on. "They did it the... natural way."

"The natural way? --Oh." Dib scrunched up his face, "There are some facets of alien life I'm happier to not know about.."

"...oh really? I thought an investigator as yourself would go head over heels for the opportunity to know of the Irken reproduction process." Zim grinned at Dib as he took Zib's hand and pulled him besides him.

"But -- that's just sick!" He coughed, looking to the side, "Nothing I would ever want to study. Never. Nope."

"Oh well you just missed out on getting free information from me for the first and last time Dib about my species so go home and rot! Bye now!" and before Dib knew it, the door slammed shut in his face. Dib winced and swore under his breath. Oh well, time to go home and watch strange tentacle hentai videos - whoops, did that slip out? Anyway. Zib looked up at Zim,

"They're gonna have a baby?"

"Yes." Zim replied angrilly as he pulled his wig off.

"Yay!" Zib finished his candy bar, "Finally, I'll have someone my age to play with! That's organic," he glanced over at Gir.

"Hehehe, organic." GIR giggled stupidly. Zim just grunted and walked across the room.

"Such a young Irken though would jepordize our mission! If it got loose it'd be far more recogniseable! ...plus I don't like babies."

"But I could play with him instead of having to be around Gir and his taco stickiness all the time!" Zib was assuming his potential playmate to be male, of course, since girls were icky. At least, at this age.

"I'll be clear on one thing, I shall never babysit that.. that... thing!" Zim didn't especially like the idea of Poe having a spawn, hence to him, the spawn would already be a Reject - to him at least.

"Aw, why not? I bet it'll be cute!" Zib giggled, "I guess I couldn't play with it when it was just a hatchling though.."

"On the conta... uh, no you're wrong." Zim turned to face Zib, hands behind his back. "Once we're born we can talk, walk, and so on and so forth you know. It'll just be... small for a while but we grow pretty quickly." he grumbled since he never did grow all that quickly from his birth height.

"Oh, yay!" Zib sat down on the floor, "I wonder who it'll look like. They both have funny antennae.." not that he was one to be talking. Zim fell silent and just crossed his arms as he sat on the sofa again. He didn't really feel like doing anything now, so he did the important job of... sitting. Yup, sitting.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Zib tilted his head, perking his strange hair-covered antennae. Zim just continued to glare at the TV, before snapping out of it slightly.

"Cten and her... mate." Zim sneered. "It's totally jepordizing our mission having more Irkens around! Being untrained and so young!"

"Mate?" Zib looked mildly confused, "What is this.. mate thing? I thought she lived with Poe." Oh boy, he put his clawed foot in it this time.

"Uhhh... you see Zib when... uhh..." Zim fiddled his hands around, not too sure how to explain the term 'mate'. GIR stood up. "Poe 'n Cten's gonna haffa baby so they'd mate!" "...yes, exactly."

"I thought it was a thing, not an action.." He looked really confused, now.

"...it's both." Zim said quickly.

"Oh.. but.. what is it?"

"...the action or the thing?" Zim was lost now.

"Both! I don't get it."

"All right. You know how here on Earth when two humans love each other, they do that marry thing?" thank Tallest for the television.

"Yeah?"

"Well that's kinda what Cten and the Reject is. They... love each other and live together." Zim wasn't especially looking forward to the second half of the explenation.

"And this produces spawn?"

"The... action of mating, yes."

"Ooh," Zib got an idea, "You mean like that clone machine you and Dad put stuff into to make me? That was mating?"

"NO." Zim said quickly, "No, that... that wasn't mating."

"Oh," Zib scowled at his revelation was shot down, "What is it then?"

"Uhhrrmm.. I'll.... explain it to you when you're older."

"Why till then?" Zib was just full of questions, wasn't he.

"Because you're too young to have your mind warped!"

"Oh, fine," Zib scowled and crossed his arms. Gir, meanwhile, was trying to be helpful by flipping to an - ahem - certain channel.

"Lookit Mini-Master!" He screamed and pointed at the screen.

"ARGH!!" Zim yanked the remote from GIR and quickly flipped the channel to the normal TV station, squeedly smooch racing a hundred times a second, then glared at the robot. "GIR, don't be helpful again."

"Huhwah?" Zib turned around, not fast enough to see what it was before Zim changed the channel and looked dully at the TV, "Gir, that's a commercial for a Rotato, I'm pretty sure that's not mating." Zim just growled at GIR who giggled innocently. He pocketed the remote.

"So... what do you want to do.. now?" Zib shrugged idly, his attention already taken by whatever was on TV, some cartoon or somesuch. Wow.. such action and suspense. You could read the praise on Zim's face, as he finally got the drive to go do something, fearing if Zib would ask him more questions, and left the room. Zib didn't even notice, he just sat on the floor, bathed in the glow from the TV.

[To be continued!]