There's always a certain loneliness in this house. It echoes off the walls and stretches from the attic to Dad's basement lab and everywhere in between. It would drive most normal people insane. However, I'm not exactly what most people call "normal".

While it wasn't enough to drive me mad, it was extremely irritating. Dib hadn't come out of his room all weekend, except when I dragged him downstairs by his ear to eat something. Even so, he always went straight back up.

I had begun to slowly form a picture in my mind of what happened. It was more like an unfinished puzzle though, and many pieces were missing. From what I gathered, Zim had been taken away to another planet for one reason or another. Sometime before that, Dib must have seen him sending or receiving a message. Zim's house was torn apart, which meant he had put up a fight before going wherever it was he was sent. Of course, there were still many things left unsaid.

Pulling a soda out of the fridge, I wondered why I cared so much about it. After all, Dib could solve his own problems, right? Besides, why did it matter that Zim was gone? All that really did was make Dib's life easier.

Yeah…that was right. Dib was the only one who saw what happened that night. He could have easily taken credit for Zim's demise.

I wondered why he didn't. It was a thought that was easily shrugged off though. It wasn't my problem if Dib wanted to make things harder for himself.

He could never make up his mind either. Even though he was apparently upset over…what ever it was that happened to Zim, he had freaked out over the thought of finding a way to help him. That fright had returned to his haunted eyes and he had run away.

Dib had been patching his mind back together little by little, but somehow that idea cracked him, it made him remember something he shouldn't have. It sent him soaring back several steps and into his silent spiral once again. He was doing so well too…

It got annoying trying to help him when he couldn't help himself. I had no idea what I was supposed to do for him, or what exactly it was that he wanted from my company. Then again, I've never known that.

He always hung around me, even when his brain was working the way it should. It got really annoying sometimes, especially when he rambled. Several times I told him to go away, but he never listened until I made threats upon his mortal soul.

It was strange. I had gotten everything I thought I wanted from him, but I wasn't satisfied. He was quiet, he was leaving me alone…but why wasn't I happy?

After a large swig of soda I sighed. Why did I feel so bad about this? It's not like there was anything I could do for him. He would have to figure this one out on his own.

Then I saw something out of the corner of my eye that could have very well been the answer to my problems and his.

The door to the garage was open all the way. It had probably been that way for the past week, but I hadn't taken the time to notice it before. Within the garage though, bathed in darkness, was a spaceship. It was Dib's spaceship.

I had completely forgotten about it. Moving into the garage with my soda, I examined the vessel. It was small and blue and the metal was really smooth and reflective. The interior was so small it looked like it was only meant for one person and maybe a small child. It would have to do though.

After only a few moments, I disovered how to open the cockpit. As I made my attempt to climb in though, the ship bucked and kicked and shook me off. I landed roughly on the cement floor, my soda spilling nearby. As anyone could guess, I was throughly annoyed by this.

" Intruder alert!" Dib's voice echoed mechanically among sirens, shutting the cockpit once more, " Get outta here you filthy ALIEN!"

…I was going to kill Dib once this was all over.

I stood up and brushed myself off, trying hard to calm myself. If this thing wasn't going to respond to me, then it would probably respond to Dib. So I did the only thing I could really do in my situation. I went to go get him.

" Dib!" I called out loudly as I scaled the stairs, " Get your stuff, we're going into space!"

As I expected, he gave me no answer. I carefully opened the door and peered inside. I was greeted by darkness and posters of aliens and Bigfoot and any other paranormal creature imaginable. Dib however, was sitting on his bed beneath the dark sheets. It was a pitiful disguise, but in his current state of mind he probably didn't have anything better.

Even in his absence he had managed to annoy me to no end that day. I had no sympathy for him as I tore away his defenses. All it revealed though, was a scared little boy with his knees to his chest and his arms over his head, as though I'd hurt him somehow.

" Dib, since I'm obviously not going to get any answers from you, I'm going to go find Zim." I said, my hands resting on my hips casually, " Maybe he'll be able to tell me what happened that night."

Instead of the look of disgust I was expecting from him, he gave me a face full of terror and urgency. In seconds I was yanked closer to the bed. His cold hand was wrapped tightly around my arm. What really caught my attention though, was his voice.

" NO!" He screamed at me, louder than I've ever heard him before.

Perhaps he was trying to make up for the past week?

I remember I stared for what felt like the longest time. He had finally spoken to me. My eyes were wide in shock, surprise and happiness. I was so overjoyed, I almost could have cried...almost anyway.

Dib didn't look nearly as happy as I felt though. Infact, he seemed to be a total mess. He was trying to hug his knees with only one hand and it wasn't working out very well. I noticed his breathing was a little on the harsher side. I could feel my rare smile fade away once again.

" Don't…" He whispered softly, all of his previous energy gone.

His hands were shaky and his fingers slipped away from me. That let him hug his knees tighter and he rested his forehead on them. I could see him continue to shake and he had begun to silently cry.

This probably should have made me feel bad. It should have made me feel sorry for him, feel sympathetic for him…but it didn't.

" Dib, what the hell am I supposed to do for you then?" I shouted at him, my arms flailing about as his usually did, " I barely even know what's going on! How can I possibly help you out of this? I swear Dib, if this is another one of those 'Zim's taking over the world' things I am gonna…"

My thought died on my tongue. Dib was laughing at me. It wasn't a soft happy laughter though…this laugh was harsh and loud and cruel. It was the sort of laugh that came from someone who witnessed a horrible tragedy when someone asked if they were okay.

It was the kind of laugh crazy people made.

This may have been the first and only time in our lives where I had been just a little scared of Dib. The roles were seemingly reversed for a change. It made me realize fully that this whole situation really…it really was driving him crazy.

Everyone always said he was crazy. He wasn't though…not really…not like this.

Of course, as everything does, the laughter died down to a soft chuckle and then to silence. As had become usual, I was left with no explanations.

I decided very swiftly to change that subject.

" Look, I don't care if you come with me." I explained, " I just need you to come downstairs and open the cockpit. It won't let me in."

Dib shook his head vigorously in his knees and I was left in angry confusion.

" Well WHY NOT?" I shouted at him, knowing he couldn't answer me.

"They'll kill you."

I think I was shocked more by the fact that Dib had spoken again, no matter how softly, than what he said.

" What did you say?" I blinked, eyes pulled wider by confusion.

" They'll kill you." He said, his voice twitching, " They'll kill all of you."

He seemed so frightened, just by the words that came out of his mouth. His scars stood out vividly against his pale complexion.

" …Who will kill me Dib?" I asked, ignoring the fact that he seemed to think there was more than one person standing here, trying to reason with him.

" They will…" He spoke almost softer than I could hear, "They'll…they'll kill you all…everyone…everyone will die…"

I raised an eyebrow. What was he talking about?

" No hope…" he cried quietly, " …none. "

This was odd, even for my brother. I could barely understand his broken sentences and he seemed to be speaking of an apocalypse I'd never heard of. His words sent shivers down my spine though, since he really did sound like he'd finally lost it.

" Dib…" his name slipped out of my mouth somehow.

Dib's fist collided with the mattress suddenly, making me jump back in shock, and he began yelling through tears.

" YOU MEDDLE IN THINGS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU FILTHY HUMAN!" He cried out so loud I thought our neighbors might hear him, " WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU UNDERSTAND, HUH? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN SAVE ANYONE? WELL YOU KNOW WHAT DIB? YOU CAN'T! YOU CAN'T SAVE ME DIB-BEAST! So…SO GO!"

Dib sobbed loudly into his sheets and I tried to absorb everything he had said. Was he talking to me? He had better not have been talking to me after I worried about him so much…

It was sort of different the way he spoke that time. He had called either me or himself a filthy human. That seemed more like something Zim would say to him. It made me wonder if Zim really had.

I did the only thing I could think to do at a time like this. I must admit, it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do to someone losing their mind, but I did it anyway.

I slapped my dear brother square across the face.

His framed eyes met mine slowly. As if to ask why I'd done such a thing. As though he had to ask

" Get a grip." I said harshly, holding a threatening hand high, " I don't care whether you can save anyone. I just need to you go open your spaceship so I can go get Zim…so we can go get Zim."

This cheered him up a little. Only a little though.

" But…" He started softly, " Can't. …They'll come. …They'll…kill…"

There was something he wasn't telling me, or rather, couldn't tell me in proper sentances. It was a little irritating having to piece together his thoughts for him, but it was certainly better than nothing.

" No they won't." I said with a grin, " Not if we get them first."

Of course, I didn't know who "they" were, but if it would get him to shut up and come with me, then there was no problem. It seemed to work too. He followed me downstairs and through the kitchen and even into the garage.

He stopped at the garage door. I tunred around and faced him once again.

" Come on Dib." I said in mock annoyance, " We don't have all day."

Dib stayed in the doorway for a good five minutes or so. His eyes were deep in thought and his feet were planted to the ground. I could tell he didn't want to be here. He wanted to be back in his room, beneath the covers, hiding from his weakness.

" Dib." I said with a sigh, " You don't have to come with me. I can go by myself. I just need you to come over here and open the door."

He did. He walked over more gracefully than I had seen him move in the past week and flipped it open, crawling in before I could.

…I wonder why he wouldn't let me go alone?

(A/N: Thanks for all of the great reviews you guys! : ) The pieces are slowly beginning to come together…Again, you guys all have really good guesses. Please R&R and I'll have the next chapter up soon!)