One Christmas Night

SUMMARY: Takes place after 'The Most Horrible Christmas Ever'. What will Zim's, Gir's, Dib's, and Gaz's Christmas be like this year following the events of the eppy? Read and find out...

Note: NOT a romance of ANY kind.

     Upon the failure of his evil mission, Zim realized how futile and bleak everything seemed for him. The stars above shone as if promising hope, an impossible hope, an illusion, like the diffraction of the stars' glow on the soft, welcoming snow. The moon reflected his emotions—mirroring the proud sun's glow, and yet concealing within its shell the coldest, darkest emotions imaginable—and no warmth could penetrate this shell. He felt a sense of self-pity and shame for himself, and knew no remedy. Gir sat cozily inside, probably toasting some marshmallows over a fire. Zim, though immensely aware of Gir's stupidity, sometimes wished for his blissful ignorance, even if as merely a brief escape. His android seemed indefinitely content, and Zim wondered if his ignorance and stupidity granted him that bliss.

     "Why, Gir? What goes wrong? Why must everything go wrong?" He pounded his fist at these words, and soon realized that Gir had long deserted him for the comforts of human Christmas Specials and a warm, cozy couch. For a moment, Zim desired the company of others, even if it meant letting go of some of his pride he clung to so dearly.

     Zim had thought of the possible threat Dib posed that night. After being on the lookout for an hour, he realized that the human must have been spending the holiday with his sister. The Dib-human had appeared to grasp the concept of this 'Christmas'. What he said the night before, on Christmas Eve, about families being together and not looking for a Santa that didn't exist as they thought—it seemed to make sense. Yet, he could not understand why so many humans reacted that way if he was right. How could so many people be so ignorant of human traditions?

     Zim remembered draining the Santa human's memory, and remembered images of eggnog, decorated trees, and buying presents. It didn't at all resemble what Dib said about Earth families. Was the populace actually that ignorant of their own culture, or was it Dib who was mistaken?

     These humans made no sense to Zim. He'd think he'd learned something, and then look back a moment later and see that nothing was the way he thought. He lowered the roof's platform into the base, and sat down on the hard, metal floor. Hitting it with his fist, Zim grunted in frustration as he looked up at the stars, almost hoping to take himself back to his home planet. Zim climbed into his Voot Cruiser, and decided to take it for a spin.

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     Tonight, though Christmas Day, was not cheerful as Dib had planned this year. Scars still dawned his face from Zim's 'Easter Platypus' trick the previous night, and he looked back up at the stars. Zim's arrival to Earth had been a blessing in disguise, or so it had seemed. No one had recognized his inhumanity, thus crushing his dreams in a matter of seconds. Every day he forced himself to think positive, that maybe, just maybe, he'd prove his sanity to the world. Could he fool himself any longer?

     He sighed, and climbed into Tak's ship. Sitting in there gave him an eerie feeling. The craft was so alien, and yet...so welcoming. Nothing of humanity had ever welcomed him in any way. Perhaps that was why he searched so desperately and longingly for any sign of paranormal activity. For a moment, he dreamed of attacking Zim by surprise in this ship, and of the look he'd wear on his face.

     "Why not?" he asked no one in particular, considering a sneak attack right then and there.  It sounded odd talking aloud at this time and place. The silence had been broken for only a moment, yet it gave an everlasting impression. Wanting an escape, he started the machine up and headed toward the alien's residence. On his way there, however, he saw an approaching vehicle.

     "Zim! What are you doing up here?" he yelled, both surprised and angry.

     "I might ask you the same question, Dib-monkey! How'd you get hold of an Irken ship?"

     "It crashed into my lawn, Zim. Now, it's obvious why we're both up here, so let's fight!"

     "You're asking for it, human! Prepare to meet your doom!" Zim piloted his ship upward, and zoomed high above Dib; he soon dove down, firing a laser beam. One of the main engines disabled, Dib resorted to utilizing the emergency power. He tried aiming a laser to Zim's Voot, but it was to no avail. Metal tubes extended from Zim's ship, and locked onto Dib's.

     "The power's being drained...it's not enough to sustain flight!"

     "That's right, Dib...soon you'll be spinning out of control toward your doom. Such an inexperienced pilot, you are; pompous smirks are all you can hang onto. Pathetic, pitiful human. Are you ready to die?" These words didn't make him shake in fear, nor did he make a remark to refute Zim's claims. He was frozen in time, as he watched the power being slowly drained from his ship.

     "What am I doing? I shouldn't be up here fighting Zim! Not now, anyway. Gaz...I didn't say goodbye... She doesn't care about me, but I should've at least told her I cared. It's too late, though. Zim..." he nearly choke on the words about to come out of his mouth, "...you've won." The power levels drained further, and there was only enough for an immediate landing, but Zim still kept the grip on his ship until it was completely drained of energy. 'I'm going to die,'  Dib thought, 'alone.'

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     Zim hadn't intended to ambush Dib when he flew out in his Voot that night. He only had planned on thinking. However, when your enemy, an inexperienced pilot, says that he wants a fight, it's hard to refuse.

     What had made Dib think that he was going to fight him? Was it because the human was going to fight? It was Christmas, too. Dib himself had said the night before that Christmas was about being with family. Why wasn't he with his?

     It was obvious that his decision to attack Zim wasn't planned carefully. He acted foolish, like a child. The Irken hadn't thought much about age, but suddenly realized how young his opponent was. Only about 11 or 12 Earth years. On this night, a night in which humans had set aside for all conflicts and pain forgotten, Zim was fighting to kill a child and make his death as miserable as he could imagine. He wanted to give him time to think about what was going to happen, give him time for regrets, make him feel all his dreams being destroyed right before his eyes, and, most of all, make him helpless and vulnerable.

     No matter how much he loathed this human, no matter how much he would enjoy his suffering and pain, no matter how much he would love to see him die a horrible death, something about this Earth holiday made something inside of him stir. It was pity. Pity for others, even his most hated enemies.

     "No. The war isn't over, Dib. Tomorrow, we shall fight again, but for this day, we stop. I declare a Christmas truce." Zim released his grip on Dib's ship, and allowed a landing. He landed his ship as well, and stepped outside.

     "W-what was that?" the human stammered.

     "A Christmas truce."

     "What kind of trick is this?"

     "No trick. Go home, Dib. You said it yourself—we shouldn't be fighting tonight. Tomorrow, we'll be enemies once more, but for now, regard me as a human stranger and I'll regard you the same."

     "But why?"

     "Stupid, stupid human. It's Christmas." Dib simply stared in disbelief at his enemy's diplomacy. "Take this." Zim handed him a green box wrapped with red ribbons. He opened it, and pulled out a camera. "You'll need to buy batteries, though. I'm not wasting precious Earth-moneys on batteries for an Earth-stink."

     "Thanks." Dib dug through his ship, and found a copy of Crop Circles magazine. Handing it to Zim, he said, "It's not a very good issue, but it's got cool pictures." He powered the ship up again, and readied himself to go home.

     "Merry Christmas, Dib."

     "Merry Christmas, Zim."

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     Dib didn't know quite what had happened. One moment, he was about to die; the next moment, he was receiving a gift from his worst enemy to whom he almost died at the hands of. However, he did not question it long, and felt lucky enough to make it out with his life. Upon reaching his house, he noticed that Gaz was not in. It was rather cold, and he turned the heater on. As he began to make some cocoa, Gaz returned.

     "What're you doing?"

     Surprised at her even speaking to him, he answered, "Making cocoa."

     "Didn't you check the mail?"

     "Why would there be anything in there for us?" She said nothing, but instead dropped a large box onto the kitchen counter. It was marked with their address and his name.

     "My package came in this morning. I couldn't believe that she remembered us this time."

     "You mean..."

     "Yes." She left without another word, leaving Dib to the cocoa and his package. Could it really be from her? After all these years? Letting the hot chocolate fall from his hands and the ceramic mug shatter to the ground, he took the box with him upstairs, and opened it up. Inside were wrapped gifts, and a letter. Putting the gifts aside, he began to read the letter:

     "Dear Dib — I'm sorry for not contacting you for so long, but I've been unable. I had to leave, but I had good reasons. I had to save your life as well as your sister's. The government wanted to experiment on you two, but I couldn't let it happen. It would wreck your lives forever. I wanted you to get an education, have a career, and live your life. Please, write back and tell me everything about your life as it is now. Don't forget that you'll always be loved. — Your Loving Mother"

     A tear splotched the writing, and he imagined what she must've gone through if it could've wrecked his life. Suddenly, he felt gratitude for all the luxuries in his life. He heard a voice say his name, and when he saw to whom it belonged, the letter fell from his hand as his eyes widened in astonishment.

     She called out again. "Dib? Is it really you?"

     "Yes..." At his bedroom door stood his mother. She had long, dark purple hair, had emerald eyes, and was dressed in a forest green shirt along with a long, midnight blue skirt. In addition to the rest of her attire, she wore a long, black coat.

     "I see you have my taste in clothing." At this sentence, she paused for a bit and smiled warmly. Then, she added, "I spotted that UFO in the sky, and saw it land here. Are you all right?"

     "Yeah. It's...mine."

     "Has technology passed me by in my absence?"

     "No. It's a...it's an alien ship."

     "Where did you get it? Surely not in a supermarket."

     "It crashed into the yard."

     "You look so different from how your father described you. He doesn't appreciate you very much, does he?" Dib nodded his head no, then looked back up to her.

     "You're not supposed to know what happened to me. That's why you must keep it quiet."

     "What kinds of things are they doing to you?"

     "Injecting me with viruses and seeing if the vaccines they've engineered work, doing operations on me to see if something they think they've learned about the human mind is right, that sort of thing."

     "That's...that's horrible."

     "Deadly, too. Yes, it is, but I can't get out of it. I managed to convince them to allow me to visit today. Enough about me, though, how have you been?"

     "There's an alien in my class."

     "A what?"

     "An alien named Zim. He's trying to invade Earth." He spoke the words carefully, hoping that it wasn't a mistake telling her this.

     "And you're trying to stop him, aren't you?" Dib nodded. "Good for you."

     "How'd you know?"

     "It's in your blood. Plus, the government is monitoring you."

     "They are?"

     "Yes, I'm afraid so. They think you're a threat, which is ironic. All I hear about is how they think you're going to try to pull some kind of trick on them. Such paranoid fools, they are. Go on, now. Tell me more. Tell me about who you are."

     "I...I study the paranormal."

     "Are you going to make a career out of it?"

     "Yes."

     "Lighten up. This may be the only time I get to see you for the next few years."

     "Well, I'm a member of the Swollen Eyeballs, I was on Mysterious Mysteries, I've saved the Earth a couple times, I saved Christmas this year, and..."

     "And...?"

     "I almost died tonight."

     "How?"

     "I was out to fight Zim in Tak's ship—she's the alien that owned the ship—and he was about to make me crash while I regretted leaving here, but...he called it off. He called a Christmas truce. He, the alien monster bent on the destruction of humanity, called a Christmas truce and allowed me to live. He gave me a camera, and I gave him an issue of Crop Circles Magazine. I'm not exactly sure what happened or how, but something about Christmas got through to Zim. Yesterday he was using everyone's love for Santa to destroy them, but today he let his worst enemy live and even gave me a present. It's not in his character."

     "Christmas usually brings out the best in people. Sometimes...it seems like a miracle. I think that's what they mean by the miracle of Christmas. If you recall World War II, both sides—sides that had fought and killed each other during wartime—called a similar truce. They exchanged gifts, and celebrated together. Enemies celebrated together, not allowing the war to get in the way during the holiday. That's how powerful Christmas can be."

     "Thanks, Mom."

     "I'm afraid I have to go now, Dib. I talked to Gaz earlier, and I think she'd like to talk to you sometime soon. I'd at least like to see you open one of my gifts before I leave, though."

     "Which one would you like for me to open up?"

     "How about this one?" She handed him a small, rectangular object in purple paper. He opened it, and saw that he held a photograph from when he was three, Gaz was two, and his parents stood in the background.

     "Thank you." They hugged, and she almost cried.

     "Don't forget me, and don't forget that I love you and always will."

     "I won't." Just before he could say another word, he saw her disappear into thin air. His eyes opened wide, and he ran out to the hallway. "Mom! Mom! Mom, come back! Don't leave now!" In absolute misery, he trudged down the stairs and sat on the couch. Surprisingly, his father walked in.

     "Dib, I have some unfortunate news." He waited for a moment, expecting a reaction. "Your mother tried to make it here for Christmas, but..." he paused once more, and let out a deep sigh. "...she died in a car crash on the way here."

     "I saw her."

     "What?"

     "She was in my room. I told her about how I was, and she told me about how she had to trade herself for Gaz and I in order save us from being experimented on. She reminded me that she loved me, and told me to talk to Gaz."

     "When was this, son?"

     "Just now, but she disappeared." His father hugged him, and for once, he felt warmth from behind those cold gloves and lab coat.

     "Son, she died over an hour ago. You couldn't have seen her."

     "But I did! I know I did! Why can't you believe me, just this once?"

     "I do believe you. I don't know how, but I do. I saw her tonight, a few minutes before I received the call. Go get your sister. We're going to go on a trip."

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     Zim sat on the couch with Gir, thinking about what had occurred that evening. Why had he called a Christmas truce right when he was about to destroy Dib once and for all? Had something about this human holiday been meaningful to him?

     "Yay! The bunny suit! The BUNNY SUIT! He's wearing it! Hee, hee!"

     "Gir, you've been watching that same Christmas movie all day. Why can't you do anything productive around here?"

     "Noooo. Don't be like Scrooge!"

     "Eh?"

     "Scrooge! He was greedy and didn't like Christmas. Then he blew up!"

     "What?"

     "I don't know. I don't remember what happens." At that moment, Zim wore a genuine smile. Not out of malice, nor evil compulsion or smirk. A genuinely happy smile. "Master! You look funny!"

     "What do you mean, Gir?"

     "You're happy! Merry Christmas! Oh, and did Santa bring me my chair and table made of cheese?"

     "Uh...not...yet..."

     "He must come soon! Soon, or I will explode...again."

     "I'm...sure he will." A light bulb went off in his head. "Gir, why don't you go into the kitchen right now?"

     "I want to watch the movie..."

     "Santa won't bring you that chair and table if you wait out here."

     "Okay!" Gir dashed into the kitchen, anticipating the arrival of Santa. Zim dialed the number of a furniture company.

     "Hello? Yes, I'd like a chair and a table, express delivery. What kind? Made of cheese. No, this is no prank! Zim commands you to send Zim a chair and table of human stink cheese! And hurry!" He slammed the phone on the receiver, and soon a truck arrived. "Gir! Your presents are here!"

     "OH, BOY!" Gir screeched, and brought the chair and table inside. In one bite, Gir gobbled them up, and burped. "THANK YOU, SANTA!"

     "You're wel- I mean, I'm sure that Santa's happy that you received your gift."

     "I love you, Master."

     "I love you too, Gir." The robot leapt up on him, in a tight embrace. "Now let go of me."

     "Okie-dokie!"

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     "Gaz, where do you think he's taking us?"

     "I don't know, Dib, so stop bugging me about it."

     "You can't say I'm crazy this time, Gaz. Even Dad admits he saw her."

     "I know it's strange, but why do you keep pestering me?"

     "She wanted me to talk to you. Gaz, just talk to me for once!"

     "Goodbye." Gaz slammed her suitcase shut and left. She didn't take much: only her Gameslave 2 with several packages of batteries, and the contents of the package from their mother. Dib, on the other hand, had a backpack with his computer, a couple Mysterious Mysteries tapes, and issues of CrazySpooky and Crop Circles Magazine, along with a case packed with his gifts from his mother, an extra coat, and files of information about Zim. Professor Membrane called them once more, and Dib rushed downstairs.

     "Dad, why'd you tell us to pack our possessions? How long are we going to be away?"

     "We'll see. Get in the car." They climbed inside, and were tossed around as their father sped on the roads. The turns were sharp, and the brakes squealed in pressure and strain for every light they passed. Night enveloped them in a swift motion, and a light snow began to fall. However, it was no longer a comforting sight. It brought fear, dread, and other such emotions humanity was responsible for inflicting upon everything it touched, like a contagious disease. Finally, the car turned in a final stomach-wrenching jolt, and their father pulled them out.

     They were at the Institution for the Study of Scientific Stuff. 'Thank goodness,' Dib thought, 'that it's not an institution for the insane.' Walking up the cement pathway to the door, Dib shivered. It seemed unusually cold here, even for Christmas. Led by Professor Membrane, they sat in what appeared to be a waiting room while he went into an office to discuss something with someone. Dib turned around in time to see Gaz prying open a vent.

     "Gaz...what are you doing?"

     "Trying to get out of here."

     "Why?"

     "They're going to try to experiment on us."

     "What? Gaz, what are you talking about?"

     "Now that Mom's gone, they're going to experiment on us."

     "That doesn't make sense, Gaz. Why can't they just pick someone else?"

     "What kind of moron are you? If that wasn't a problem, then why did they want us in specific and settle for Mom when she gave herself up? It's because of genetics. Can't count on Dad sacrificing himself, so it looks like we're next." Dib gulped.

     "I'm coming too, Gaz."

     She looked back at him in what looked like confusion, and said, "Just don't screw up." Tossing the piece of metal to the side, Gaz crawled inside. Her brother had a little harder time, considering the fact that he was going in headfirst.

     It was dusty and covered with cobwebs inside the duct, with an assortment of creatures crawling around inside. Gaz spotted some light at the end, but about halfway through, they came crashing down, right onto a dead body that was in the middle of being autopsied. Dib screamed, his sister pulled him down to the ground, and they darted away. His boots squeaked against the linoleum floor, and he soon heard some men chasing them. Overpowering even Gaz, they restrained the children.

     "I know what you did! I know what you did to my mother! She didn't die in a car accident! She died right here! You're not gonna take me! You're not—" Before he could finish, they injected him with a needle, and he fell unconscious.

     Dib awoke shortly afterward, and found that Gaz was trying to wake him up by hitting his face.

     "Gaz! Where am I? What's going on?"

     "Dib, they're not taking us for experimentation."

     "They're not?"

     "No. We've got a note...it was found in the car she crashed in. This one's for you."

     Dib read aloud: "To Dib—I look forward to finally seeing you. I hope you'll forgive my absence, but it's all for the best. Don't ever forget how loved you are, especially on this day. Should something happen to me in the future, don't let me stall you in your lives. I look forward to seeing you again soon. —Your Loving Mother."

     "There are some presents she got for us in there." Gaz handed him a box, and he automatically opened it, not feeling anticipation or sadness, but just feeling empty. Inside was a box labeled: "Everything You Need to Catch an Alien"

     "How'd she know before she died?" Opening it, he saw lots of equipment of sorts along with a handbook. A card was attached, and he read it out loud: "'I hope this brings you much enjoyment and assists you in your fight against Zim. I know you will use it well. PS—You are well-admired from my end in heaven for your truce.' How could she have known before she died?" That night, on their way home, their father stopped the car.

     "Why are we stopping here?" Gaz asked. Professor Membrane said nothing except for some mumbling, which resembled:

     "It's all my fault." He walked off alone, his hand in a pocket the whole time, holding something. Soon, he was out of view. A few minutes later, a gunshot rang out.

     "Dad!" They both screamed out, running forward. At their feet was the corpse of their dead father, a bullet in his head and a gun in hand. "Oh, no...Gaz, is he...?" She nodded. In silence, he took her hand and they walked aimlessly through the city. By the deaths of their parents, they were united in a silent bond of sorrow, and did not speak or look at each other. They didn't go back home, at least not yet. Instead, they continued to walk, hand-in-hand, searching for a place they'd be welcome rather than alienated on this day. No one would have them.

     Eventually, they came upon Zim's house. Zim was outside on the rooftop, observing the humans, when he spotted the two siblings. 'What are they doing here?' he thought. Noting the miserable looks on their faces, he commanded Gir to follow them and bring them inside. Gir complied happily.

     "Master wants you to go with me!" They didn't acknowledge him. "Come on! I've got muffins..." Still, they kept their eyes fixed on the snow-covered ground, heads hung low, walking in the same rhythmic motion. "Zim wants you to come inside! For cocoa!"

     "What?" Dib looked up.

     "Suuure! He feels bad for you."

     "He feels bad for us?"

     "Uh-huh!" Gir nodded his head up and down quickly.

     "Well, we don't really know where to go...Gaz, would you mind staying over at Zim's house for a little?" She shrugged it off. Gir led them to Zim's base, where he got them some blankets and some cocoa. Zim came down and saw them sipping their cocoa.

     "So..." Zim said, "...Are you feeling particularly down this season?"

     Gaz coldly spoke, "Our Mom died and our Dad committed suicide."

     "You can stay here for tonight, humans, but only tonight! This is the LAST lucky break you get out of me!"

     "Sure. I'm tired. I want some sleep." They slept on Zim's couch, not caring where they were. "Gaz?"

     "Yeah?"

     "Are you serious...Did you really see Mom?"

     "No, I was just lying."

     "Oh."

     "Ever hear of sarcasm?"

     "Oh, I get it."

     "Dib?"

     "Yeah?"

     "Why do you think this happened to us? Why us?"

     "Well...we're just unlucky, I guess." There was a long pause. "Gaz, you miss Mom, don't you?"

     "Yes." She allowed a solitary tear to slip down her face.

     "Don't worry, Gaz. It'll be okay. I'll always love you."

     "Since when did you care about me?"

     "Since when did you care about ME?" They laughed a little, and Dib hugged his little sister tightly. "Don't forget her, Gaz. She really loved us, you know."

     "I won't." She curled up as she slept, and she reminded him of when they were small children.

     "Soon we'll be adults...I'll be a paranormal investigator and you'll be...whatever you want to be."

     "I'll be your assistant. Whenever you go on a rant about something stupid, I'll doom you." Laughing at this, they dozed into sleep, and that one Christmas night was unforgettable. Truly, no one would forget it.