Invasion of the Hormones
Epic Four
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe

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Chapter Four

Some Years Later

Zim glanced at the cupboard, then at the clock. Zib was still asleep, and he knew he was supposed to be up by a specific time, why? Well Zim always loved being in charge of things. He opened the cupboard, and yelled up the elevator.

"ZIB! You get out of bed right now before I send GIR up to lick your face!" Zib was quickly outgrowing his bed it seemed, his ankles and wrists dangling off the end and sides, as he was sprawled out, snoring. He groaned when he heard Zim's voice and stuffed his face into his pillow, before reaching over and retrieving his glasses, setting them on his face mysteriously as ever. He sat up, blinking blearily, before he glanced down and noticed.. something strange.

"What the.." Then the cupboard, his, slammed open and Zim walked in. Zim ain't the patient type, no no no.

"What's taking so long!? How long can it take to just wake up anyway?" he folded his arms, then realised Zib wasn't paying attention to him. "Oh, you're not going about with your angsty-spawn-clone thing again are you?"

"Um.." Zib wasn't paying attention, no, too curious and mildly worried about the buldge in his PJ pants, staring at it dumbly, "I think I.. got a problem."

"...problem? What kind of problem?" Zim walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at Zib, then seeing the 'problem' as well. He blinked a few times. "You're not making a habit of stuffing things down there, are you?"

"What?! No!" He glared at his Mom, then shook his head, "I was having a nice dream about Enid, woke up, and that.. THING was there."

"Well what is it?" Zim leant over and reached his hand over to at least see it, but stopped and stared at Zib. "...what do you mean a 'nice dream about Enid'?"

"Um.." Zib's cheeks flushed, and he quickly shook his head, "It was nothing! Nothing at all!" Zib scrunched back against his pillows.

"U-huh, yeah..." Zim didn't really like the idea of Zib having 'nice' dreams about the Reject's spawn; but he had no control over what Zib dreamt - not yet anyway. He looked back at the problem again. "Well, it must be investigated then!"

"Fine, fine.." 'It' was starting to go away, anyway. He pushed his glasses up, "Maybe it's something I inherited from Dad?" Zim stood up and put a hand to his chin, thinking thoughtfully.

"Well it's not a thing I've ever had happen to me... so obviously. Zib, get dressed. We're going to go give your Dad a visit." Zib slid out of bed and stood, stretching and yawning, and revealing the probable reason why Zim was being so controlling; Zib had started to tower over his Mom, by a few inches, at least.

"Do we have to?" He mumbled, peeling off his PJ top and making his zig-zagging hair-antennae boing, putting his regular shirt on, "Aunt Gaz is such an irritable human.."

"I know Zib, but just put up with her for now. Soon she'll be a slave for the Irken Armada and you'll get pay back for all the things she's done." Zim muttered to himself about something concerning pizza and destroying one of his ships, then started to leave the room.

Zib smirked a bit at that thought as he pulled on his black pants and boots, and finally his coat, all of which seemed to have grown to accomodate him over time. He reached into one of his coat pockets and put in his contacts, the only form of disguise he needed, and followed Zim to the elevator. Eventually the two left the base, leaving Gir to do his... Gir-ish things. Zim didn't exactly walking over to visit Dib, one reason being that by pure dumb luck, Poe and Cten's base was on the way; meaning Zib might want to stop and talk or even worse, invite Enid to join the two on the walk.

He frowned somewhat as he saw the orange house with oddly shaped bushes appear in the short distance. Zib spied the base on the horizon and perked up - his antennae, mind you - and quickly ran his claws through his hair, though he only succeeded in making it scruffier.

"Hey, can Enid come along?" Zib grinned hopefully at his Mom. Zim looked up at Zib, then sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Oh fine... let her come along." As the two approached, they could see Cten was outside. She was, what it looked like, trimming one of the big bushes with... scissors? Ah well. What works I guess. Zib grinned cheerfully,

"Hey, Ms. Cten!" He'd never gotten out of the habit of calling her that, as it seemed, waving, "Where's Enid?"

"Oh hi Zim, Zib." Cten put the scissors away into one of her pockets, then looked to Zib. "Enid?" she glanced back at the other large bush, which was more mis-shapen then the one she was working on. "Enid! Zib's here." there was some rustling sounds from behind the bush, and Enid - complete with her black/blue wig on and contacts leaned out from behind it. She smiled slightly, giving a small wave to Zib.

"Hi Zib.." Zib's grin couldn't get much wider, though his return wave was small and almost, well, shy.

"Hey, Enid.. Mom's gonna take me over to Dad's house, wanna come?" He reached up, scratching the back of his head as he tried not to seem too sheepish.

"Oh well.... Mom, can I?" Enid looked over at Cten.

"Well, I guess your Dad could help me with the pruning.. sure, go oh." Zim, while this was all happening had started walking again. He for one, didn't especially like how Zib got all 'goo goo' like when Enid was in the vacinity, so he did his best to avoid it. Enid smiled and handed Cten the scissors, showing she too, was taller then Cten.

"Thanks Mom." Poe left the house as if on cue, fiddling with the gardening gloves and scowling at them - not a good idea to garden with fingerless gloves, afterall.

"Took me a while to find the extra pair- oh, hi, Zib." He glanced up at the two teenage spawn, glaring just a wee bit, not liking the looks Zib was giving Enid anymore than Zim. Zib frowned slightly, taking ahold of Enid's wrist and pulling her along as he tried to catch up with his Mom,

"Alright, see you guys in a while!"

"Bye Mom, bye Daddy!" Enid was soon heading off along with Zib. Cten smirked at Poe as he watched the two go.

"Mr. Poe, do I sense a bit of hostility about you?"

"I just don't like the way he's been looking at our daughter lately.." He grumbled, taking the extra scissors and attacking a nearby bush to vent his frustration. Cten just shook her head, smilring a bit and continued her work.

"So, uh, how're you?" Zib Enid, before muttering something about stupid overprotective Rejects under his breath. Enid shrugged slightly, scratching the back of her neck. Seems her wig caused her just as much discomfort as the one her Mom wore.

"Well, fine I suppose... so, uh, why are you seeing your Dad?" she glanced over at him with her blueish-grey contacts. "Something wrong?"

"I had some weird medical problem this morning that I probably inherited from Dad's.. humanness." He made a slight face, wiggling his fingers to accompany the term, "We thought maybe he could explain."

"Nothing, really serious is it?" she asked, looking him over as if trying to see if she could spot the problem. Zim kept walking in front of them, somewhat relieved to see the Membrane household getting nearer.

"I don't think so," he mumbled, suddenly becoming quiet as she examined him, before coughing. "Just some weird.. manifestation.. down there," He motioned to his, well, crotch. Enid's eyebrows raised as he pointed to his crotch.

"There?" she was cut off by Zim's sharp cough.

"Hate to interupt, but we're here." he announced, seems the two had followed him right up to the door step without really noticing. He knocked quickly.

"Yeah, it was all-" Zib was cut off by the opening of the door. Unfortunately, Gaz answered, not glancing up from her Game Slave as she did so - heck, even she was starting to surpass Zim in height. Poor guy. She groaned slightly and turned, calling into the house,

"Dib, your weird alien friends and kid are here to see you!"

"Huh? But, Mysterious Mysteries-" Gaz's eyelid twitched, and soon enough Dib replaced her at the door. He looked at the motley crew with a raised eyebrow,

"What, is it my turn to watch him?" Dib asked of Zim, and Zib scowled,

"I'm old enough to take care of myself, Dad."

"No no, we're not here to discuss our parental duties all over again Dib - you'd end up with the smaller ration of the duties either way since you always do..." Zim walked past him, pushing him to the side, yes, even Dib was taller then him now. "This morning Zib awoke to find he had a medical problem, and knowing that the Irken species is known for it's superior physical development, I know that it's a problem he got from your side of the gene pool." he spun around to face Dib, er, Dib's neck really, then looked up at him so they were at least looking at each other now.

"So do explain to me why our spawn woke up with something in his pant area!" Enid glanced at Zib, then at Dib and Zim blankly.

"What.. kind.. of thing in his pant area..?" Dib asked cautiously, and Zib found himself suddenly embaressed. Dib noticed the blush and groaned, covering his forehead with his hand, having a good idea of what it could be, given Zib's age.

"..so what is it, Dad? It's not something.. HORRIBLE, is it?" Zib wondered with a note of worry, and Dib looked back and forth,

"Um, well, you see, Zib, it's, uh.. It's all part of growing up.." He laughed nervously, not being at all prepared to adminster 'the talk' yet.

"...I won't get it will I?" Enid suddenly sounded worried, and scooted away from Zib. "It isn't contagious, is it?"

"Is it?!" Zim looked at Zib in alarm, "If it is we'll have to have him confined to a secured area away from all kinds of living things!" he looked to Dib, his Mother instincts - little as they are - kicking into high gear. "Explain it to us now!" Zib blinked and looked around in confusion as everyone jerked away from him.

"No, Enid, there's no danger of that at all.. At least, I think." Dib blinked slightly, not quite sure how Irken reproduction worked, but he was at least fairly certain Enid was female. "It's not contagious, it's just.. a.. change, that happens to.. young human males.. when they reach a certain age.." Dib stuttered, trying to figure out how to explain it.

"So I won't get it?" Enid asked, glancing at Zib's crotch area with a look as if she was afraid whatever 'it' was, would attack at any moment.

"Now I remember, it's because of you, Enid that Zib got the condition in the first place." Zim glared over at the female, eyes narrowed.

"What, me?" Enid looked lost, how could she have brought it on?

"Zib said he had a 'nice' dream about you and he woke up with that... thing! Explain that Dib! It's her fault isn't it?" Zim looked over at Dib, with a somewhat hopeful look on his face.

"Eiigh.." Zib covered his face with his claws. Dib winced, looking cornered,

"Well.. um.. Girls do tend to cause it in boys, but it's involuntariy.. it means they.. they... Well, the easiest way to put it would be that the boy's.. um..  body, wants the him to.. to.." He blanched slightly and mumbled quickly, looking almost as embaressed as his 'son', "...reproducewiththem."

"WHAT?!" Zim screeched, "Zib wants to reproduce with the Reject's spawn?!" seemed Zim was about to burst a blood vessle, if he had any.

"..I have a name you know.." Enid muttered to herself quietly, now she felt uncomfortable all right.

"Now, now, Zim," Dib waved his hands in the 'calm down' gesture. The last thing Dib wanted was for Zim to go ballsitic in the middle of his living room, knowing the Invader's temperment better than anyone else, "It's not something he has control over.. it's just.. instinct, you know?" Zib picked a pillow up from the couch and stuffed it over his face.

"Instinct?!" Zim pointed at Enid, "Because of... her my spawn's now got a bizzare thing growing in his pants!! I've never had the instincts about that sort of thing! I went to Academy for years with females and nothing like that ever happened!" he then looked at Dib, glaring. "This is all because of your human body.. things!"

"What?! Oh, no, Zim, you're not going to pin this on me! It was YOUR stupid evil plot that started this all in the first place!" Zib groaned and leaned back against the wall, pillow stuffed in his face, unsuccessfully trying to suffocate himself - it wasn't bad enough Dad had to explain his instinctual desires in front of Mom and the object of said desires, but now they were arguing, too - his breathing aparatus being on the top of his head and all.

"Don't you DARE bring that up again Dib! I explained all I wanted was slaves but you being the over dramatic big headed lout you are you had to intervene!" the two continued to squabble like... husband and wife as Enid leant over and pulled the pillow quickly from Zib. Seemed she'd gotten her Father's physical strength at least, since Zib had been holding on tightly.

"Hey," Zib said weakly, looking rather pathetic, his glasses skewed, "Suffocation is easier than trying to will myself dead.." he mumbled, and pulled down on his hair-antennae to block out the sounds of his parents.

"C'mon Zib." Edin held her hand out to him, "Let's go.. at least before your Mom throws things." Zib looked down at her hand slightly, grinning slightly before taking it, then wincing as he ducked the flying Professor lamp,

"Too late for that.." Enid lead him out the door quickly, shutting it before the Professor cookie jar smashed to peices on the door. Now the two were outside, as the fight raged on inside the house.

"...so now what?" she glanced at him.

"I dunno," he mumbled, looking rather embaressed, his antennae-hair-thingees drooping, "I gave up interveneing a long time ago. They usually just let them work it out of their system in a few hours." Enid just nodded slightly, she didn't really remember any time her parents argued, let alone throw objects at each other.

"Well... sorry about making your body go all weird, I guess.."

"I just hope Mom left his laser at home," he muttered, before blinking at her apology, scratching the side of his head, "Uh.. it's alright. Like Dad said, it's not your fault, it's just.. human instinct stuff. Yeah."

"Still... kinda my fault for... why is that?" she looked at him blankly, "What makes me cause your body to kick into instincts?"

"Um.." He glanced up at her, looking her up and down, before looking away quickly and back at the ground, "You're really pretty," he mumbled, almost inaudiably. She blinked a couple times, either she didn't hear him properly, or she's just surprised.

"..I am?"

"Well.. yeah," He said, a little bit louder, looking up at her out of the corner of his eye, "I mean, maybe it's just my heritage but I think you look really nice, in disguise or not. Like a.. really pretty thing." He grinned slightly. Enid blushed slightly, biting her lower lip.

"Aw...." she smiled at him, before scratching her forehead. "Well.... you're kinda... what's male for pretty... nice looking too... really nice." Zib blinked at her dumbly, before his.. Zimmy side kicked in slightly, and he grinned a bit smugly, closing his eyes and straightening his jacket,

"Well, yeah, of course I am! I'm Zib, afterall, amazing human.. Irken.. hybrid.. clone thingee!" Enid laughed slightly, she'd always liked how Zib got full of himself each time someone complimented him, she then put her hands behind her back.

"Oh yes..." she grinned, "Quite overwhealming.." Zib opened his eyes and grinned at her broadly, managing to look charming in a goofy, odd way, staring at her. In fact, maybe staring a little too much, as some *cough* more activity in his uniform pants might prove.  Enid couldn't really help but stare for a small while, before smirking at him.

"Oh come on, I'm not that impressive surely..."

"Of course you are! I would be interested in nothing less than perfe-" He blinked, noticing the direction of her gaze, then looked downward and yelped, turning an interesting shade of red. Enid laughed slightly.

"Aww... you're cute when you blush.." she stated, then to his surprise, gave him a hug despite she was now probably being proded by the said problem. "'N I like it!"

"Nngfh!" Zib announced, eyes widening as she hugged him. "I'm.. flattered.. but.. that's really.. not.. helping.." He said in a slightly higher-pitched voice, going slightly crosseyed. She leant back, but kept her hands on his shoulders as well as her body against his. Seems she was a tad more like her Father then we thought.

"Aw, well how can I help then?"

"H.. help?" He squeaked, breathing unevenly, "I.. I dunno.. Ngh, um.." Despite himself, his arms wrapped themselves around her lower waist.

"Oh come on Zib, must be something a pretty thing such as myself, can do to help you out..." she grinned cheekily as he wrapped his arms around her lower waist.

"I don't even know what that thing is, much less how to.. nngh.. use..." He squirmed, looking into her eyes with a slightly dizzy, dazed expression, glazed over if you will, and trailed off, tightening his grip on her.

"Let the instincts kick in, I guess..." she leant in and once again, to Zib's surprise, kisses him on the lips. Nearby, the spooky chuiuaha sat staring at them, before wandering off. His eyes widened again, scythe-shaped antennae perking. It wasn't long before he was returning the kiss, his one of his gloved hands sliding up into her wig, the other still around her waist, holding her against his hips and pressing as well. In fact, he got so carried away that he completely forgot they were in the middle of a public front yard, with his parents able to simply glance out the window and spot them.

Enid smiled somewhat against the kiss holding onto his shoulders tightly as the two held the kiss, one of her hands then sliding up and strokes along one of his scythe-shaped antennae, running it through two of her fingers gently. Back inside the house, Zim and Dib have thrown any thing that wasn't nailed down, and now out of breath, were slumped against the couch, Dib on it, Zim against it. Zim wiped his brow, panting heavily since throwing a chair wasn't exactly easy.

"Mmf!" Zib said muffedly, never having had that done before, besides an affectionate stroke or two when he was little, shivering and tightening his grip on her. His antennae perked to his touch, apparently hidden beneath the hair growing off of them, which only made them more sensitive. His fingers wandered through her wig to find her own antennae, while inside, Dib looked around the room in weary disbelief, shaking his large head,

"I don't believe this... can't you go somewhere without starting a fight, Zim?" He glared at the Irken.

"Shut up Dib." Zim snapped back, obviously now not in a good mood he clenched his fists together, then realised something. "....where's Zib?" Back outside, Enid gave out a startled muffled moan as she felt Zib's fingers discovered her hidden antennae, and she pretty much lovingly twirled the curled end around his fingers. Meanwhile her own fingers were still stroaking his antennae, twirling the end now and again.

"Last I saw him he was trying to disappear into a pillow and - hey, that Girl Irken's gone too." He glanced over at Zim with a worried look, just as a few questionable sounds coming from the front yard drifted into the living room. Zib attempted to stroke her antennae with a more refined technique, but he could hardly concentrate, what with the dual sensations and all, his claws just ending up being shakey and erratic as he gave off a muted groan of his own, muscles in his hips twitching.

Edin's other hand, which was still holding onto his shoulder had slowly began to descend down to his hip area, just brushing against it by now. Her antennae twitched as he stroked it, the usual thick, strong antennae becoming somewhat limp underneath the itching wig. Zim's eyes widened and he got to his feet and swung the door open, his eyes nearly escaping his head as he saw what he did see, what was happening at the pavement. For the first time in his life, Zim is speechless.

Zib let off a muffled whimper when her hand brushed against him, causing his hips to flat out jerk in response. He didn't hear the sound of the door opening, his antennae being far too tingly to be useful, perking forward much like.. well, something else. He chose the moment Zim emerged to hold onto Enid tightly and part his lips and pressed his tongue against her teeth, not seeming to notice or care if they were a little bit sharp. Dib followed Zim,

"Are they-" he cut off suddenly as he froze, staring aghastly as well, mouth hanging open, eyelid twitching. Zim's right eye twitched, opened his mouth to say something... but still nothing came out. Enid gratiously allowed Zib's tongue, somewhat flat but still, into her mouth and her long segmented tongue wrapped itself around his. The hand that wasn't stroking his antennae, was... well to say the least stroking but not exactly an antennae if you understand what I'm saying here. Zim once again, opened his mouth, this time shaking his finger at the two, but still, his voice had gone on leave. Zib squeezed his eyes shut tightly and started to push against her with more force, when Dib's shocked expression turned into a stern look, and he took a deep breath, managing to keep his own voice at least,

"ZIB MEMBRANE AND ENID.. er.." He glanced at Zim, "Cten and Poe don't have a surname, do they?" His shouting managed to penetrate the fog of instinct and hormones Zib was immersed in, and he blinked his eyes open quickly, looking panicked. Enid's eyes flashed open at the same time, and pulled away from the kiss and looked alarmed at Zim and Dib, the same look that a deer has when it's about to be hit by a big mack truck. She looks a little too shell shocked, since she hasn't even bothered to let go of Zib with either hand yet. Zim's shaking, his fists clenched and just snarling. Think these two lucky that Zim's swallowed his tongue right now.

"Uh... Enid..." Zib mumbled slurredly between pants, tip of his flat, but magenta tongue hanging out, "You might wanna... leggo there..." He started to sway, probably from the lack of blood to his brain, some of it having been redirected and all.

"What's going on here?!" Dib demanded, folding his arms.

"Oh.. slark..." Enid let go of Zib and stepped back away from him, taking on the nervousness and shyness she got from both parents combined, as well as her own since this had never really happened before either. "Uhhhmm..." she mumbled, but just shrugged slightly. Finally, Zim's voice returned.

"YOU GET BACK TO YOUR BASE, REJECT!!" he snarled, pointing at her. Enid blinked, then looked to Zib. "I mean NOW!" with that, Enid was off and running. Zib watched her go, swaying a few more times as his support colum left, and as she ran out of the yard he toppled onto his back, still quite out of it, though despite everything a stupid, dazed grin on his face. Dib winced and covered his ears when Zim yelled, blinking them open to see Zib sprawled out on the grass,

"Uh oh. I hope his combined physiology can handle the surge of hormones..." Zim growled and marched up to Zib and glared down at him, arms folded. He could almost freeze Hell with the coldness in his stare right now.

"You... Zib... you...." he paused, looking for something to at least say at this moment, "...don't be so hormoney!" he shook his fist at him, "I should NEVER have had to see what I just saw happen here today!!" Zib blinked a few times, his arms spread out on the ground,

"Oh, hi, Mom..." He mumbled drunkenly, the Invader's threats falling on deaf antennae, which were still being all.. tingly like. "She kissed me..." He reported, giggling a few times, still lost in a sea of teenage hormones. Dib felt the need to stick up for his 'son', as this was a problem Zim couldn't possibly understand,

"It's not entirely his fault, Zim, most all teenage males -" Dib started, face screwing up slightly, "Your present company excepted, get like that." Zim glared daggers at Dib,

"You do not realise the severity of this problem, Dib. SHE, that... that little... rat is the spawn of a Reject, and I do not want my spawn clone thing in a lovey dovey smoochy hormone mess with her. It's a disgrace!" he then leant down and hauled Zib to his feet, "An absolute disgrace!" Zib was still sniggering to himself, allowing Zim to heft him up, only to flop forward limply onto his Mom and nearly knock him over.

"Prettiest rat I've ever seen," Zib mumbled absently, and Dib shook his head and sighed.

"Well.. what's the worst she could do? As far as I know you Irkens don't have any... stuff."

"Stuff?! You dare call our reproduction purposes stuff?" Zim glared at Dib from under the weight of his 'son', but managed to hold him up. "...well you're right, we don't have your kinda stuff but still! I've seen some disgusting things while observing late night television and she could have done a LOT without that.. stuff!" Dib raised his eyebrow down at Zim. The Irken was somehow less threatening now that he was a head - and by Dib standards, that was a lot - taller than him, and he snickered.

"Never thought I'd see the day when you were an overprotective Mother." Zib just hung onto his Mom in a fashion similar to when he was little, having regressed back into a toddler's mental capacity at the moment.

"I am not overprotective! I'm... oh forget it." Zim scowled and began to move away, Zib's boots dragging along the ground after them. "I'm going to have a talk with that Reject later, mark my words! He should have more control over his spawn!" this sounded highly ironic, seeing the situation Zim was in right at the moment. Dib just shook his head slightly and watched Zim go.

Meanwhile, Enid had probably managed to reached her base by now, much to her parents' surprise. Poe looked up from sheering another bush when he heard her running footsteps approach,

"En?" He stabbed the scissors into the ground and stood up, "What happened?" Cten wasn't around, probably inside trying to find a bigger pair of scissors. Enid came to a stop at the gate, looking somewhat upset now, and a bit out of breath as well. She just stared at Poe sadly as she leant against the fence, that had been made from remains of other fences.

"I… I just…" she wasn't sure if she could tell her Father this or not, but she'd never did have problems before talking with him. Course, they never involved Zib. Poe walked over to the fence and opened the gate, looking down at her with concern,

"You can always tell me, Enid." He smiled slightly at his daughter, before his antennae picked up a rather odd, strong scent coming from her, bristling, "Zib didn't try and do anything to you, did he?" Seems Zim wasn't the only overprotective one around. Enid blushed in embarrassment that her Father could somewhat smell what probably happened, then she shook her head slowly.

"No… he… we you see Daddy we…" she trailed off, then looked up at him, looking somewhat ashamed now. "His Mom and Dad walked in on us…" she said quietly.

"Walked in on you? You mean you two were- En, I don't believe it!" He said, probably loud enough for Cten to hear. He set his arms akimbo, glaring down at her and took a deep breath, preparing to go into rant mode, before taking into account her sad, ashamed look, and softened, sighing, and hugged her instead, "I suppose I have to accept the fact you grow up some day…"  Cten did hear this, since she was by chance leaving the base with propper hedge cutters now. She stared at Poe and Enid, Enid now hugging Poe back.

"His… his Mom yelled at us too…" she muttered as Cten approached. That news made Poe bristle again, growling softly,

"He better not have called you anything…"

"What's going on?" she asked Poe, since Enid obviously wasn't ready to say it again, this time to her Mom. He looked over at Cten, looking slightly helpless. He motioned her over, and when she was close enough, whispered it into the top of her wig, not wanting to embaress Enid more than she already was. To say the least, Cten looked surprised.

"Oh…" she said quietly, then looked at Enid. The question seemed to make Enid muffle a slight sob, well, being called a Reject wasn't something she was really used to... but it still hurt either way.

"Reject…" she said quietly. "…I'm a Reject." Poe hugged her tightly, shaking her slightly,

"No, you're not. Don't even think that," He tried to reassure her, stroking the back of her head and glaring out into the street, muttering to himself, "Zim had better hope he doesn't see me soon… or that spawn of his…"

"I am…" Enid sobbed, "I don't even know what made… made me do it either…! I'm just a… Reject thing!" she couldn't help but cry now while she held onto Poe. Cten frowned, possibly at Poe's muttering but also that Zim would call her daughter a Reject, her mate had lived an entire life being called a Reject but she'd tried to end that, and at least shield her daughter from it, but Zim had to open his mouth at her.

"Honey, you're not a Reject… Zim's just a barbaric Irken who doesn't know what he's doing most of the time, don't let him get to you…" she rubbed Enid's back. Poe sighed and rest his cheek against the top of Enid's hair, rocking her slightly. Ooh, and guess who just turned onto their street and started walking down it. Zib was lagging behind him, looking rather downtrodden and having obviously been victim to a severe tongue-lashing. Poe growled again, tightening his grip on his daughter and glaring daggers at the Invader.

[To be continued!]