Chapter Nine - Take the Bad With the Good
Yuki awoke early the next morning, for Dib shook her gently, whispering, "Wake up! Wake up, Yuki, wake up!" Yawning, her eyelids fluttered open, and she sat up.
"What is it, Dib?" She shook the sleep out of her eyes for good, and turned her head back to him.
"I know that this is kind of abrupt and probably not the best time, but...I may not get another chance..."
"Another chance at what, exactly?"
"Well...I love you. I need to show you that I mean it, seriously. I got you something before we left Earth yesterday. Now, Zim's coming, so I'd better get the courage to ask you now..."
"Ask me what?"
"Yuki, will you be my wife?" He pulled out a small black box, hastily opened it, and tried to get the ring on her finger. It had a band made of 14 karat gold and sterling silver; a large, glittering diamond was embedded into it. Zim's footsteps grew louder.
"Yes, Dib. Yes, I will!" The rusted door creaked open, and he pulled her face to his, kissing her for a long time.
"You humans don't stop, do you?" Zim asked, slightly disgusted by the sight. "I came here to try and get you out while I still can. I told everyone that you two are no longer enemies, and came here to officially authorize your release."
"Release?" They both asked, shocked.
"Yes, your release. I called off the invasion, remember?"
Yuki said, "But you attacked us just yesterday!"
"Yeah, well...I just got a little carried away. Sorry. Here are your release forms. You may go at any time now." The two humans breathed a sigh of relief.
"Dib, we can...we can really get married, now. Of course, since we're under eighteen, we'll need parent permission, but I don't think my parents will have a problem with you. I would be glad to see them again, too."
"Yeah. I'd like to meet them myself." Zim walked up to Yuki and stared at her in sympathy.
"What's wrong, Zim? Are you sad that Dib and I are getting married?"
"No, I've gotten over that...it's just..."
"What, Zim?"
"The space station they're at...exploded. They're dead." Tears formed at her eyes, and she cried into Dib's shoulder.
"I'm sorry..." Zim continued, "I knew that you hadn't seen them in a long time."
"It's not your fault. I should be getting back to Earth, though. Could you help me move in?"
"All right. When?"
"As soon as we get back to Earth."
"It's as good as done." They shook hands, forgetting that they were enemies, and departed for Earth. The trip lasted for a short amount of time, and when Dib landed the Voot Runner in the lawn, he carried Yuki across the threshold of the house.
"I know that traditionally it's done after you're married, but I couldn't wait."
"I'm so glad that this mad journey is finally over."
"Over? Who said anything about it being over? It's just begun." Zim, who was helping carry Yuki's possessions in, decided to interject.
"So, when's the wedding?"
"We're thinking in maybe a month or two, just to have time to get ready for it." Gaz walked in, not knowing what they were talking about.
"What wedding?"
"As of today, Gaz, Yuki and I are affianced." Her jaw dropped.
"You're not serious, are you?"
"Of course I'm serious! This is the ring I bought her." Yuki showed her hand to Gaz, the ring shimmering in sunlight. "I proposed to her this morning."
"Dad's not going to let you get married."
"I'm sure he will. Dad!" Dib summoned the floating screen, this time showing Professor Membrane live, rather than a recording. "Dad, can I get married to Yuki?"
"Of course you can, if you get your room cleaned by the time I get home."
"But Dad, I'm seventeen-and-a-half years old!"
"No 'buts'-just do it, and then you can get married." Dib turned red in embarrassment.
"It's okay, Dib. I'll help you. I do want to get married to you."
"Thanks. Okay, I'll do it." Yuki didn't mention her parents again, and he didn't want to bring up anything that would upset her.
"So, Dib, I heard that you want to be a paranormal investigator. How far along are you?"
"I'm doing well. I've been investigating a case of a haunted house, and it seems to hold promise for being authentic...but you're probably not interested in any of that."
"Of course I am. I'd love to hear about your work. It must be fascinating."
"I knew you wouldn't be interested in that-wait, you DO want to hear about it?" She nodded. "Wow! That's...that's fantastic!" He told her of pretty much everything he could think of on the subject, and she hung on to his every word. Instead of Zim's arrival on Earth causing misery to all who inhabited, it had lessened it, and resulted in the easing of pain by many. Due to the threat the moon colony had posed, the Earth's governments were united against it, but ended up allowing him his territory. Even when the threat disappeared, Earth became a planet united. War was almost nonexistent, and life had improved for the better. The one thing Zim expected the least, however...
...was for his worst enemy to be happy.
Yuki awoke early the next morning, for Dib shook her gently, whispering, "Wake up! Wake up, Yuki, wake up!" Yawning, her eyelids fluttered open, and she sat up.
"What is it, Dib?" She shook the sleep out of her eyes for good, and turned her head back to him.
"I know that this is kind of abrupt and probably not the best time, but...I may not get another chance..."
"Another chance at what, exactly?"
"Well...I love you. I need to show you that I mean it, seriously. I got you something before we left Earth yesterday. Now, Zim's coming, so I'd better get the courage to ask you now..."
"Ask me what?"
"Yuki, will you be my wife?" He pulled out a small black box, hastily opened it, and tried to get the ring on her finger. It had a band made of 14 karat gold and sterling silver; a large, glittering diamond was embedded into it. Zim's footsteps grew louder.
"Yes, Dib. Yes, I will!" The rusted door creaked open, and he pulled her face to his, kissing her for a long time.
"You humans don't stop, do you?" Zim asked, slightly disgusted by the sight. "I came here to try and get you out while I still can. I told everyone that you two are no longer enemies, and came here to officially authorize your release."
"Release?" They both asked, shocked.
"Yes, your release. I called off the invasion, remember?"
Yuki said, "But you attacked us just yesterday!"
"Yeah, well...I just got a little carried away. Sorry. Here are your release forms. You may go at any time now." The two humans breathed a sigh of relief.
"Dib, we can...we can really get married, now. Of course, since we're under eighteen, we'll need parent permission, but I don't think my parents will have a problem with you. I would be glad to see them again, too."
"Yeah. I'd like to meet them myself." Zim walked up to Yuki and stared at her in sympathy.
"What's wrong, Zim? Are you sad that Dib and I are getting married?"
"No, I've gotten over that...it's just..."
"What, Zim?"
"The space station they're at...exploded. They're dead." Tears formed at her eyes, and she cried into Dib's shoulder.
"I'm sorry..." Zim continued, "I knew that you hadn't seen them in a long time."
"It's not your fault. I should be getting back to Earth, though. Could you help me move in?"
"All right. When?"
"As soon as we get back to Earth."
"It's as good as done." They shook hands, forgetting that they were enemies, and departed for Earth. The trip lasted for a short amount of time, and when Dib landed the Voot Runner in the lawn, he carried Yuki across the threshold of the house.
"I know that traditionally it's done after you're married, but I couldn't wait."
"I'm so glad that this mad journey is finally over."
"Over? Who said anything about it being over? It's just begun." Zim, who was helping carry Yuki's possessions in, decided to interject.
"So, when's the wedding?"
"We're thinking in maybe a month or two, just to have time to get ready for it." Gaz walked in, not knowing what they were talking about.
"What wedding?"
"As of today, Gaz, Yuki and I are affianced." Her jaw dropped.
"You're not serious, are you?"
"Of course I'm serious! This is the ring I bought her." Yuki showed her hand to Gaz, the ring shimmering in sunlight. "I proposed to her this morning."
"Dad's not going to let you get married."
"I'm sure he will. Dad!" Dib summoned the floating screen, this time showing Professor Membrane live, rather than a recording. "Dad, can I get married to Yuki?"
"Of course you can, if you get your room cleaned by the time I get home."
"But Dad, I'm seventeen-and-a-half years old!"
"No 'buts'-just do it, and then you can get married." Dib turned red in embarrassment.
"It's okay, Dib. I'll help you. I do want to get married to you."
"Thanks. Okay, I'll do it." Yuki didn't mention her parents again, and he didn't want to bring up anything that would upset her.
"So, Dib, I heard that you want to be a paranormal investigator. How far along are you?"
"I'm doing well. I've been investigating a case of a haunted house, and it seems to hold promise for being authentic...but you're probably not interested in any of that."
"Of course I am. I'd love to hear about your work. It must be fascinating."
"I knew you wouldn't be interested in that-wait, you DO want to hear about it?" She nodded. "Wow! That's...that's fantastic!" He told her of pretty much everything he could think of on the subject, and she hung on to his every word. Instead of Zim's arrival on Earth causing misery to all who inhabited, it had lessened it, and resulted in the easing of pain by many. Due to the threat the moon colony had posed, the Earth's governments were united against it, but ended up allowing him his territory. Even when the threat disappeared, Earth became a planet united. War was almost nonexistent, and life had improved for the better. The one thing Zim expected the least, however...
...was for his worst enemy to be happy.