Incororating Life
Epic Five
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe

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Chapter 4

Good month later, still in space…

Poe had healed up over time, though he still looked a bit bad, there not being a cleaning stall in the cruiser and all. He looked down worriedly at Cten, who'd been acting ill and what not, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Poe, I keep telling you I know what this is." she replied, from being sat at the back of the Cruiser, Zim still piloting. Poe folded his antennae back, having an idea himself since he'd been through this once before. He just sighed, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"What is it?" Zim looked back at the two, worried about the bigger mess the Cruiser might get into if he had the right idea too. Poe put his head on his palm,

"I think.. that Pimp.. he got her.." he growled to himself, bristling.

"....great...." Zim glanced at the clean floor, then at Cten. "Any idea how soon you'll be?"

"No not really..."

"Well tell me and if we're close enough to a planet we'll land." he turned back to his steering. Poe just stared out the window, looking to be an odd mixture of guilt and.. jealousy? Well, male instinct and all.. Cten stared at him, knowing him so well she knows what he's thinking and rolls her eyes.

"Oh Poe..."

"What?" He seemed slightly defensive, looking back over at her.

"...nothing." she smirked slightly, putting a hand to her tummy area. "I just hope this time it's easier..." she muttered. Poe frowned and hugged her slightly. He leaned his elbow against the window,

"I just wonder how things are faring back on Earth.."

"Better I hope." Cten said, her antennae beginning to curl somewhat.

"If Dib's done one thing to Zib I swear..." Zim grumbled angrilly more to himself.

"Or Enid, for that matter." He glared slightly, then glanced over at Cten, "What are we going to tell her, anyway?"

"I... don't know... the truth is better then lies... but still..." Poe nodded slightly. Maybe she'll like having a little.. eh.. brother or sister, who knows."

"It'd make things easier." she replied, then blinked a few times. Then she kicked the back of Zim's seat.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he glared back at her, but she merely pointed to her stomach. "...oh." his antennae faltered, and he turned back to his driving, searching the dark skies for a planet. Poe frowned again and held onto Cten, holding her tightly and taking hold of her hand.

"Is it such a good idea to land in the middle of an alien planet in a crisis like this?"

"Good thing, cause I don't see any planets." Zim replied as Cten began to make painy noises. Poe looked down at her worriedly and started to move her uniform pants down for her, looking around for nest material. He sighed and took off his coat, setting it on the floor in a circular pattern and picking her up, resting her on it. Zim decided to keep his mind on driving and began whistling loudly. Cten shivered in pain as she was moved, even a little bit by Poe. She arched her back as she started to push, luckily enough this one was easier then Enid's laying. Poe held both of her hands now, sitting behind her and using her head as a chin-rest, not quite as enthusiastic about this laying as he was the last one. Cten then cried out as the egg, this one luckily normal size despite how tall Snab had been... and it fell onto Poe's jacket. At this time, Zim just happened to look back and the look on his face clearly shown he wished he hadn't. He turns quickly back to his driving, muttering about eggs and pimps. Poe looked down, wincing slightly at the goo all over his jacket, not that hat was any worse than all the blood on it. He hugged Cten slightly, not really sure what else to do. She looked down at it blankly, and just put her hands on Poe's arms dully.

"...well that's it then..." she said quietly. Poe nodded slightly and looked down at it.

"What are we going to do with it?"

"I... I can't just abandon it, Poe." she said, leaning down to pick it up in her arms. "Mistake or not, it's mine.." He nodded slowly.

"I know. I wouldn't suggest something like that.." He held up his coat for her to wrap it up in. She took it, wrapping it up then holding it against her chest.

"Now, we just.. do what we did before."

"I'm giving you two the cleaning bill." Zim said, still watching the skies again. Poe didn't seem particularly happy, just really.. sort of numb. He held Cten, though, and stared at the bulkhead on the opposite side of the cruiser as though it held any interest. Cten looked up at him, then back down at the egg and just held it close and shut her eyes. Probably trying to see if this has all been some awful dream.

Meanwhile, back on planet Earth...

Enid stood in front of the Skool notice board, it was after Skool now but she had been there due to her football practice. She was reading the notice of a Skool Prom that was to happen in a month or so, and to put your name down and your associate or 'date' as you wish, so you'd be included.

"Huh." she muttered slightly, before walking off down the hallway. Since Zib was no longer in Skool, would it be all right for him to come with her, that is if he said he would. She frowned slightly as she thought it over. But by the time she arrived back at the base, she had other fish to fry. Really. Since the base was still unable to produce the food for them, she had to learn how to cook, especially for Zib since he ate human food. And by the time Zib arrived home from his usual day at the labs, she was frying some kind of fish over the oven. Zib opened the door and trudged in, his hair-scythes drooping at the sides of his head. He looked exhausted, probably a hectic day at the lab.

"I'm home," he announced half-heartedly and sank down on the couch, not even bothering to take off his lab coat.

"Hi Mini Master!" Gir walked into the room, wearing what looked to be feather dusters over his metal person. Obviously a quick fix to dusting, since he'd clamber over practically everything in the base.

"Heh, hi, Gir." He patted the robot's head absently with his gloved claws, then blinked, his antennae perking when he smelled something drifting in from the kitchen. He stood up and followed the scent, reaching Enid and trying to peer over her shoulder with little success, since she was taller and everything. "Making something?" he said, hopefully.

"Yeah, decided to do fish." she said, holding the pan out to him, before flipping the fish over with a spatchua. "So, hectic day I take?" Enid put the pan back onto the stove as Gir began running around in the lounge.

"Yeah," he slumped a little, remembering, running a claw through his permenently mussed hair, "The Professor doesn't seem to mind putting inexperienced lab technicians in charge of highly combustible chemicals.." He muttered, his job having been upgraded several times over since he first signed on.

"Must have a lot of faith in you then, that or he's stupid." she grinned back kinda, then nudged him with her elbow.

"Nya." He stuck out the tip of his tongue and peeked over the side of her arm to see how the fish was coming. "So, uh, how was skool?"

"Skool... oh, fine as usual... usual punk Girls think they're better then me and act all snobby and stuff." she shrugged it off, not mentioning how she got the best of them during recess. "Oh, and I saw there's a prom coming in a month. You wanna go with me?" she looked back at him as she asked this question, one antennae lifting. "I mean if you want to." Zib blinked up at her and his own antennae perked, and he half-grinned, half smirked,

"Why Enid, are you asking me out on a date?" She smirked back, turning to face him.

"Why yes, Zib. I am asking you out on our first official date."

"Sure, then." He grinned fully, setting his arms around her waist, "It'd be a nice break from going back and forth between the labs and the house." He glanced over at the cooking food, "...so when's supper?" Typical guy. Enid scoffed, pushing his arms off her while grinning.

"Soon, first you go change out of your lab coat. You got a bad stain in an area that looks... wrong." she pointed downwards at his coat, before turning back to the fish just in time to flip it over.

"Aw," He looked down and scowled, "Didn't notice that.." He reached up to his tallish collar and started unbuttoning, shrugging off his coat to reveal his magenta, striped, non-smiley-faced t-shirt. He hung the coat up on something convienent and looked down at his shirt, scowling, "I really need to find something else to wear. I look like a 12 year old.."

"Yeah, and find something suitable for the prom too." she pointed out putting the fish onto a plate before setting it on the already set table. Usual things, knives, forks, salt-pepper, glass for any drink and so forth. "I'm not gonna turn up with you still dressed like that."

"Oh, I will! I'll find the greatest prom suit ever!" He vowed, then added, "...for my size, that is." He sat down on the seat, actually taking off his gloves as well, sitting his elbows on the table(tsk!) and setting his chin in his palms. "So what exactly will this.. prom thing entail?" He'd seen stuff on TV, but the reality was always different.

"Usual." she said before tapping his elbows with her hand as she went back for her own meal. "Dancing, drinking, so on and so forth." He frowned when he was tapped, leaning back in his seat and picking up a fork.

"Drinking? As in imbibing liquid, or imbibing alchoholic liquid?" He raised his eyebrow at her, stabbing a piece of fish with his fork and stuffing it in his mouth.

"Who knows, both probably." she replied, sitting down at her own seat. "But I'm going to stick strickly to the normal drinks, nothing boozey."

"Yeah." He scrunched the area his nose would be, "The stuff smells like dookie anyways.. and who knows what effect it has on Irken physiology."

"Knowing our bodies, probably ten times worse then humans." Enid said as she bit down into some... form of meat that the base had kept in the fridge. Zib nodded,

"Well.. fives time in my case." He took another bite of the fish, looking rather happy, "I think you inherited your Mom's cooking ability, En!"

"Heh, yeah... good thing eh?" she smiled brightly, before sipping her drink. "Or else we'd have burnt food if I'd inherited my Daddy's."

"I think you'd have run out and caught something if you'd inherited your Daddy's.." He teased, finishing off the fish rather quickly.

"Oh haha. Then, burnt freshly killed meat then. Yuck!" she made a face at the idea, her tongue hanging out.

"Ugh, then I'm glad your Mom.." He trailed off slightly, frowning and not sure whether to use 'is' or 'was'.

"My Mom what?" she looked over at him, before sinking her half sharpened teeth into the meat-like food she had.

"Um.. you know, was a Maid." He glanced to the side.

"Oh." she looked at her meat, poking it with her fork. "Yeah, I guess it was good she was a maid... though she kinda quit when she met Daddy 'n stuff."

"Oh, not really," He grinned slightly, "I remember when she'd come and babysit for me, she'd cook great stuff.. and clean." He decided not to mention the fact she'd bathed him on more than one occasion when he was a wee smeet, since that was a bit awkward.

"Clean what, the house or you?" she grinned teasingly at him, her antenane wiggling in a teasing motion. Seemed no matter how old they were, she'd always manage to get a slight jab at Zib somewhere amist the conversation.

"Oh, you nevermind." He made a face at her. "I guess I was a bit sloppy when I was a smeet.."

"Hee, who wasn't?" she shrugged, smiling now. "I remember when I came home one day sMothered in mud, I swear Mom was going to burst something from the trail I'd left in the lounge." Zib snickered.

"Bah, you should've seen my Mom when I came home muddy.. last time I ever went out with Gir and his pig friend, that's for sure." He pushed his fork around on the plate, looking a bit downcast. "Zim wasn't the ideal Mother, but I miss him..."

"Well... he was the one who was there all the time, right?" she glanced up at him, cutting the meat with her claw - without even noticing really. Zib noticed, blinking a bit at her odd method of cutting meat, then shook his head.

"Yeah.. It's nice that Dib's tried to be a friend lately, heck he's being nicer than Mom ever usually was, but still."

"Hmm.." she licked her claw then jabbed the meat with her fork. "Sure he wasn't nice, but he was there when you needed him." she blinked, then looked at him. "How long does it take to get to Earth from Irk anyway?" Zib shrugged.

"I don't know, Mom never said how far away Irk was, or what galaxy it was in, much less the capabilities of the Voot Cruiser.. Given the fact that Earth remains relatively unaware of alien life forms, though, I'd say this was a pretty backwater part of the universe. It could take years.."

"Oh." with that Enid finished her meal off, then put the fork onto the plate not having really used her knife. Zib tapped his fork against his chin, looking up thoughtfully.

"It'd depend on a number of things, namely Irken life cycles.. How long they had to live would affect how quickly they want to get from place to place. A year might be a lot to us, having grown up with Earth time, but to our parents, who knows."

"Mom said Irkens live pretty long compared to Earth years... the Tallest themselves, she said was over 120 in Earth years so..." she shrugged slightly. "Who knows." Zib narrowed his eyes as he pondered, putting the fork to his lip,

"I do recall Mom complaining once about having to spend 6 months trapped in the Cruiser with Gir once.."

"So, six months to get from Earth to Irk." she said quietly, then furrowed her brow. "And a Patroller would obviously be quicker, since it would be on a more important mission then Invading... so, maybe five months... and they've been gone for over five months now anyway..." she glanced out the window up at the sky. "...if they are still alive maybe they're trying to get back home."

"If they're alive, though, how would they get back? Maybe they could get their hands on another 'Cruiser somehow.." He glanced out the window. "You really think they could be alive..?"

"...a part of me still says they're alive somewhere. Another part says to forget them but, heck." she shrugged before standing up and heading to the window. "If they were dead, I think I'd get a feeling they were." Zib followed her, soon standing beside her.

"Logic tells me not to get my hopes up, but." He looked out the window with her, "I can't give up totally.."

"Yeah, I mean.. they're our parents. And I don't think they'd give up without some kind of a fight, especially your Mom." she smiled slightly, then wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "So to answer your question... yes, I really think they're alive." Zib nodded, smiling with a touch of pride, and leaned against her, setting his arm around the small of her back.

"I suppose I do too. Who knows when they'll be back though.. it's a big universe out there."

"Very big... but they made it here once, they can make it here again." she said firmly, stroking the side of his head with her claw.

"Infinite actually, in theory at least, and size is applying a finite thing to an infinant.. mmmh." He trailed off of his science lecture when she stroked his temple, closing his eyes happily. She smiled slightly, her hand drawing up to mess with his hair gently whilst she leant down to his height and kissed him near the mouth, more like on the corner of his mouth.

"Well, my love for you is infinant, does that count for something?" He broke out into one of his goofy, lovestruck grins,

"Oh, of course…" He tightened his grip on her and snuggled into her side, "I wouldn't try describing my feelings for you in finite terms, either," he poked her side with his claw. She wrapped her other arm around him, now hugging him against her.

"Hmm…" she murmered gently. Zib returned the embrace and lifted himself up somewhat to return the kiss as well. Gir took this moment to peek into the kitchen, and broke out in a fit of loud giggles. And, same moment that happened Beka walked in, her eyes flashing pink.

"Hey hey!" she said, walking towards the two, now standing inbetween the two.

"Beka, what is it?" Enid sounded somewhat annoyed now, as the small robot folded it's arms while glaring at Zib.

"My virgin alarm. Clocked on to go off before he does." she said simply, a small glare at Zib.

"Oh boy." Enid muttered.

"Hey, we were just having a moment," Zib huffed indignantly down at Beka, "And I'm an adult, I'm perfectly capable of controlling myself!" Well.. close enough, at least.

"A-hah!" Beka pointed up at Zib, "Just what I meant! You can't even controll yourself fully and I don't want it with my Mistress returns to find her daughter expecting!" Enid sighed, rolling her eyes. The two rearely did have any 'moments' together, and probably never will now Beka had this 'Virgin alarm'.

"Who programmed that into her?" Zib mumbled to himself and Enid, glancing over at her. He sighed and shook his head, "Fine, fine, we'll be good.." he dropped an arm away fron En in resignation.

"Good." Beka gave a sharp nod, then looked back at Gir. "…shouldn't you have a show to be watching?" she headed off after him out the room. Enid smirked slightly, then grinned at Zib.

"Robots…"

"Oy… she's more like a nanny." He reached up and scratched the back of his head, sighing in exhasperation. "I hope I don't have to get her permission to go to the prom.."

"Hehe, be best to ask her. I'd hate to feel guilty about going out with you without permission of my nanny." Enid grinned stupidly at him.

"Next I'm going to have to sign permission slips just to go to work." He mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "I don't think she likes me much.."

"Oh she does." Enid patted him on the head, giving his antennae a quick stroke. "She's just protective." Zib seemed to cheer up the insant she stroked his antennae,

"I never thought I'd have a robotic nanny.. or dog for that matter." He glanced into the living room, where Gir was doing nothing but making googly eyes at Beka, only serving to annoy her. Beka glared back, one eye narrowed as the googly eyed robot kept staring. Enid laughed slightly, walking back to the table and collecting the plates.

"Ah well... I'm sure even Gir has a reason for being here."

"Still… I've noticed even he seems a little lonely without Zim around…" He picked up the silverware and set it in the sink.

"Don't blame the little guy." Enid put them into the sink, before pulling on her rubber gloves what with being forced to use water to wash the dishes. "He's been with Zim longer then either of us."

"Hey, I'll do that, I'm more resistant to water." He nudged Enid away from the plates, "True.. I remember how he use to get jealous because Mom paid me more attention." He chuckled, scrubbing the plate with a.. scrubby thing, then snickered, "I also remember when Cten first told me and Gir she liked Poe…"

"Really? Gir would have been like a brother with you around huh?" she glanced at the lounge when she heard Beka say something like,

"Get that sauce away from me!"

"When I was younger, yeah. I played with him when I was little, but I guess I, er, outgrew him pretty quickly. After a while he became more like some kind of odd pet.." He looked over to the lounge, where Gir had produced a messy taco, out of his head canister probably, and was holding it out for Beka with a cheesy grin. The look on Beka's face shown pure disgust, what with her tongue hanging out. The little robot now looked somewhat hurt, so she sighed and took it from him anyway.

"Poor Gir… and with Beka as the only other robot for company… heh." she smirked as she saw Beka with the taco. Zib smirked as well and turned towards the living room, one hand leaning on the sink lip while his knuckles sat against his waist,

"Who should be chapperoning who, now?" he said in a louder tone, making sure they could hear him.

"Oh haha!" Beka called back as she, even though she didn't want to, put the taco into her head canister.

"Yeah Beka, should we leave you and Mr. Romeo alone for a while or what?" Enid called out. While Beka had turned away, Gir was eying the end of her antennae with a look of pure puppy love, smiling happly, the tip of his tongue sticking out as he clasped his hands together. He could contain his love no longer, and leaped forward, glomping onto the end of Beka's antennae,

"I LOVE YOU BEKA-BOBBY-THINGEE!" ..which was met wth rauctious laughter from the kitchen.

"AHH!!" Beka shrieked as possibly the most sensitive part of her being was suddenly glomped by Gir, and grabbed at his legs and tried to pull him off her head. "Off!! Get off! Ow! No don't suck it stop!! AIE!" He was impossible to pry off, the little lovestruck robot having a death grip on the antennae, his eye-cams upturned happily as he nuzzled the red thingee with his cheek. Zib managed to stop giggling long enough to try and distract the insane little SIR,

"Hey, Gir, isn't that your friend.. um.. Pig outside?" Gir blinked and dropped off of Beka's head, then flew out the window, which thankfully was open.

"PIGGY!" Beka landed on the ground, front first with a CLANG.

"...ow." she patted her antennae bob painfully. Enid walked in, over Beka and to the window to see Gir now chasing a car down the street with a confused looking driver at the wheel.

"Aw Gir, gotta love him, eh Beka?"

"Ugh." she muttered. Zib snickered to himself and went back to washing the other dish, stopping to scratch at his now itchy hands every so often. He blew his bangs out of his face,

"Man do I miss Irken technology.." he murmured, looking up at the ceiling.

"Oooohhh..." Beka wobbled her way into the kitchen, now disoriented due to the glomping and slumped against the wall looking all dizzy. Enid walked back into the room, pondering aloud.

"I wonder what colour dress I should wear... this being the first and last time I wear one..." Zib glanced over at her.

"Something tells me you'd look good in something black." He immersed the dish into the water and suggested with faked innocent and a smirk, "I dunno, maybe leather?"

"Pft, I want to look nice. Not cheap." she said in a dignified matter, grabbing onto her jacket's collar.

"Aw, fine." He started drying off the dish and turned around, "Maybe something dark blue, then? It'd match your eyes, even if I was the only one that really knew what they looked like.."

"Aw, yeah.... dark blue'd be nice... maybe something strappless too... we'll see." she shrugged, then smirked at him. "As for you, deep red tuxedo or black?" Enid couldn't help but grin at the idea of Zib in a tux.

"It'll be hard enough to find one that'd fit me period, much less one in a colour other than black.." He looked down at himself and frowned, feeling silly already and he wasn't even wearing one yet.

"Oh I think Beka could throw one together... she's very handy. When not dizzy." she glanced at Beka who was slowly uprighting herself.

"Hm.." He looked up thoughtfully, "Black's alright I guess.. since I look pretty unconventional in all other aspects I might as well remain conservative in my choice of clothing." He set the plate down, scratching at his wrists.

"Black it is then." Enid said simply. "First thing tomorrow I'll sign our names in, then we'll have enough time to get the fittings done badda bing, badda boom then we head off."

"Alright," He grinned, "I'll be looking forward to it.."

[To be continued]