The long, tedious ride home was quieter than I had expected or hoped it would be. After maybe the first hour or so, Zim and Dib's squabbling had hushed into a cool silence. The silence seemed unnatural and fierce, especially after everything that had happened to us. It was a screaming, beautiful, tearstained silence for those of us too weak to cry and too mad to go insane.

Cramped in a space too small to comfortably sit the three of us, it seemed unavoidable that we would grow sick of each other in only a matter of minutes. I certainly hadn't been looking forward to a long trip with the two of them in tow. Somehow I survived. We all did.

Dib focused all of his efforts on flying us home. I imagine it must have been difficult, considering his wounds. No one really extended a hand to help however. Zim had all but given up on piloting today.

Zim spent the trip staring out the window at the spaces between the stars. There seemed to be something on his mind, tugging his attention away from us and out into the black. The cold distance in his eyes froze the air around us. It could have been hate or despair or even just a mix of the two.

Of course I sat above them in my usual brooding way, not bothering to start conversations with them. The differences in their behavior had really begun to bother me, but I'd never let it show. That wouldn't have been like me at all.

Something had changed and I was unaware of what it was. Previously we had all worked to keep up appearances, regardless of whether it was a conscious action and whether or not we agreed with it. Dad would never suddenly come home declaring his love for us and Dib would never give up his aliens and other paranormal creatures, even if it meant fitting in with the masses at skool. Zim would try to conquer the Earth, but he'd never actually succeed. I think that deep down he may have known he had nowhere to run back to and denial is the sweetest medicine.

Me? I'd never leave my video games for anyone. That statement seemed hollow and false when thought though. I couldn't have been changing. If I was then it was their fault. It was all Zim and Dib's fault. If Dib hadn't made me come out here…if Zim hadn't been stupid enough to be captured in the first place…or maybe if I would stop pinning the blame to someone else's name.

The hum of the ship was calm and monotonous and enough to drive someone crazy. We passed nebulas and planets and shining stars and other beautiful nothings. Beautiful dreams of nothing that most humans couldn't imagine and none but us would see. Humans rarely cared about beautiful nothings. Dib always seemed to be an exception to every rule.

Occasionally he'd point and question something off in the distance, maybe to break the silence or maybe because he simply couldn't focus for too long. Zim was the only one who would pay any attention to him. I may as well have been alone watching a television.

This was the only time I saw any hint of any positive emotion in Zim's face. His features would brighten only just so as he explained the colors and swirls before us. Dib would be awestruck and Zim would grin for only a moment or so. Then something would rip that happiness away from him.

The Earth loomed in front of us, growing larger and larger as we neared. I was looking forward to a good meal, a good game of Vampire Piggy Hunter, and a chance to forget that this had ever happened.

" Go to my base," Zim ordered half-heartedly.

Dib complied without another thought. I wanted to scream at him. He wasn't supposed to do that. He was supposed to be suspicious of him, even if he was badly hurt and even if he had to force himself to focus. What was Zim doing inviting us to his base anyway? He was supposed to keep us away; we were enemies. At least, that's what I thought we were.

After a fast descent that nearly ended us all in a crash landing, we arrived. Dib gracefully avoided a fiery exploding doom and parked us carefully in Zim's front yard. Granted, he smashed some of his hideous gnomes in the process, but I think that may have done the world some good. They were horribly ugly anyway.

We all scrambled to get out of the ship at once, nearly tipping it over in the process. I was almost grateful to be back. Dib actually was grateful to be back. Zim…Zim just stood and stared at us.

"…Bring him inside," Zim said, heading into his broken-down abode.

I watched him go, noticing he didn't seem to care if we followed. With an eyebrow raised I wondered what was wrong with him. This didn't really matter very much though, so I grabbed Dib by the arm and dragged him inside. Not that he had to be dragged.

Light shone at awkward angles through the mysterious holes in the ceiling and walls. It gave the room a surreal look; a look reserved for things of fantasy and make believe. That's really all it ever was.

Zim was several feet ahead, almost in the doorway of the kitchen when his antennae perked in curiosity. He turned his head in several directions; he was looking for something. What it was didn't click to me until I saw it run over and hug its master's knees.

GIR, being its sickeningly adorable self, shoved a familiar bumblebee-like doll in Zim's face. With his metallic eyes glowing red, GIR made the doll reprimand him.

" WHAT did I tell you about running off like that?" The metal tang in the recording echoed, " We mustn't loose sight of the mission!"

Zim had a look on his face that was some odd mix of shock, happiness, and despondence. Carefully, he pushed the doll away, not noticing GIR's confused stare.

" Not today GIR…just…not today," Zim sighed, brushing by his companion. " I have a lot to do and plenty of time in which to do it in. Go watch TV or something."

If GIR was sad, it didn't last very long. It bounced giddily past us over to the long-abandoned couch and turned on the television. GIR sank into the couch comfortably and fell into a dazed haze.

Zim motioned to us from the kitchen. It was just as falling apart as it had been the last time I had cared to show up here. Cupboards still hung off of hinges and there were gaping holes in the walls, not to mention overturned tables. Dib and I entered the kitchen to find Zim absently gazing upon the wreckage of a lie.

He turned to us awkwardly, pretending he had not been reminiscing even though it was obvious, and coughed to draw attention away from his strangeness. Pointing a finger over to the out-of-place toilet in the back of the room, Zim gave us soft orders.

" Load him into the elevator," He said, " You can go too if you want."

I raised an eyebrow at his strange request, but led my brother to the toilet. Dib needed no instruction to climb into the toilet and flush himself down into the depths of Zim's house. It was a really strange method of transportation, but I followed anyway. What was I supposed to do, just go home?

It was a rather slow descent into Zim's labs, irritatingly so. The elevator seemed to inch down the shaft just to grate on my nerves. Looking through the clear glass I saw wires and rooms and technology of all kinds crawling up and away from me.

Dib was waiting for me when the doors opened and let me out. Deep violet lights shone on his pale skin, tinting and tainting him. There wasn't much of a welcome greeting for me from him. It was probably because I wasn't the one he was waiting for.

Several moments dragged on by before Zim cared to grace our presence. The elevator jerked to a halt and he strode off it in a melancholy way, as opposed to his usual maniacal cockiness. There was an awkward silence between the three of us. Zim stared blankly into the purple darkness until he at last spoke.

" Oh right," He said absently. " Computer. Lights on."

Lights outshone our awkwardness, revealing the red room around us. Dib brought a hand in front of his eyes to save them from the glare of the bright lights. Once adjusted to the change in lighting, Dib looked around in awe. I guess it was a part of the base he had never been in. I wouldn't know.

I had to admit though, it was very…different. While the surrounding walls were made of that same strange red metal that coated the rest of his labs, there were two long tables that jutted out from the walls. There was a computer monitor toward the far end, overseeing everything in the room. All sorts of strange contraptions hung from the walls, the ceiling, and just…everywhere.

Zim saw no beauty in this cold metal room and neither did I. He simply pointed at one of the tables and motioned towards Dib.

" Get on," He said.

For once, Dib stopped. He paused and took a look at what he was about to do. The table itself resembled an autopsy table and who knew what those weird things hanging off of the walls were? He appeared skeptical and unsure of himself.

" How do I know you won't try anything?" Dib asked weakly, both physically and mentally. It was obvious he was going to wind up on that table regardless of whether he wanted to or not.

Zim turned slowly toward my brother and gave him a strange look. It was not that it was a particularly strange emotion, but it looked odd painted on Zim's face. It was some kind of sobriety, some sad despondence that clouded his mind.

" What reason do I have?"

It was a simple question with a simple answer. He had none. There was no reason to go after Dib, or to even try taking over the Earth. It must have all been so pointless to him. Why would he want to conquer for an empire that placed him in exile? Dib looked sorry he had asked and crossed the floor, following Zim's pointed finger. There were no questions as he lifted himself up on the metal table.

Zim followed quietly. He didn't flail his arms and he didn't shout and he didn't do anything he normally would. Once at the table, he propped himself up on his metal spider legs and reach for some strange devices.

" Lay down," He said sharply.

Once again, Dib was skeptical. He laid down slowly, watching Zim with nervous eyes.

" What are you going to do to me?" He asked with slight discomfort.

Zim didn't answer. There was no expression on Zim's face as he reached carelessly above him for a strange sort of probe with a sharp needle at the end. With no remorse he thrust the device needle first into Dib's arm, not bothering to even roll up the tattered sleeves. Judging solely by how loudly he screamed, I assume it hurt him a great deal.

Red digital light flooded Zim's face and foreign symbols and strange diagrams filled the computer screen. Pressing a few buttons and turning a few knobs, the diagrams blinked and changed. There was no other real way for me to tell what was going on, seeing as the words were unreadable and the diagrams were strange. I wasn't about to ask either.

I wondered why we were down there, in Zim's lab. I wondered why we weren't home and I wondered why this wasn't all over by now.

There was a great, horrible, whirring noise as the sharp probe began to spin in Dib's arm. Whether he screamed from the pain or that shock I wasn't sure, but it was pretty funny to watch him flail about as the device did its work. Zim didn't seem very concerned either. Carefully, he pulled the probe out of Dib's arm, allowing it to stitch up the wound it had created. He also began to seal the wounds that Dib had received out in space, wounds that would take ages to heal on their own. Soon enough, Dib stopped screaming.

Almost as soon as Zim moved to return the probe to the wall, Dib jumped off of the table with a newfound strength. He searched for battle scars, but there were no longer any to be found. His face had returned to a somewhat healthy color, and he seemed even better off than he had when we first left the Earth.

He swerved around to face Zim, his hair following suit. He held a mock look of disappointment.

" Geez Zim, what did you do to me?" He whined, rubbing his arm. " And couldn't you have put me asleep for it or something?"

Zim looked up at him and gave a simple answer. There wasn't a need for much else.

" I healed you," Zim said as though it were nothing, " I used a duplication program to make a copy of your blood and I used the new sample to give you more blood."

Dib looked very surprised for good reason. His face voiced my thoughts…why would Zim bother? Why would someone who spent so long trying to destroy him try to save him?

Zim didn't look very shocked. He seemed more conflicted than anything really. It wasn't very hard to understand. After all, he was officially exiled. There was no grand mission and everything he had ever known had been a lie. On top of it all, his enemy had saved his life and he had done the same.

" Dib?" Zim asked softly, " …What are we?"

Dib stared at Zim for the longest time. I peered over at the two of them curiously. I wouldn't have minded an answer to that question as well. Dib was the only one of us who could really answer.

" I…I don't know," He said.

Zim took another pause.

" …Are we enemies?" He asked specifically.

This one seemed to stump Dib for a moment or so. If it didn't then it at least kept him quiet.

" I don't think so…" Dib's voice trailed off elsewhere.

Neither of them would look at each other. Dib's eyes were on the ground while Zim's lurked in the corners of the ceiling.

" Then…does that make us…?" Zim couldn't quite find the word for it.

" Friends?" Dib suggested with a laugh, " No."

Zim shifted back and forth on his feet. It was a truly awkward moment for everyone except me. As usual, I was an outsider to their strange little world. That's the way it always was and the way they always were and the way I assumed they always would be. They would lose themselves in their adventures and in their own way they were both victorious. Dib got to be the hero he always wanted to be and Zim was forever the villain.

I know it angers Dib when I put it that way, which may be partially the reason I do. He shouts at me that it's not a game and that innocent lives are in danger. That's really not the case though. No one was ever really in danger with any of Zim's plots because his plots were always horrible and he just wasn't very good at world conquest. Dib claims the world is blind and then he blinds himself to Zim.

Maybe we're all just blind.

" I should leave," Zim said, " I should leave this hideous ball of filth and never come back."

I wasn't fazed at all by this, but a strange sadness crossed Dib's face at those words. I leaned bored against the wall while he stood stiff and frozen to the floor by this revelation. It was a not-so-shocking one, in my mind at least.

" But…why?" Dib asked.

Zim just raised an eyebrow at Dib's sudden concern. I suppose human emotions were a thing far too complex for the Spartan Irkens.

" Why should I stay?" Zim said just a slight bit harsher than necessary, " The Tallests know where I am so I'm a dead Minktoot staying here. Besides, it's not as though I have a reason to be here any longer than I need to. There is no mission anymore."

We knew he was right. We knew that deep down, he was right. It would be better for him if he wandered around space searching for whatever he was looking for than if he remained here. The image of "Zim The Space Hobo" popped into my mind.

Still though, Dib looked like he wanted to reach out and chain him to the wall and MAKE him stay so he wouldn't be alone. That was really the truth of it all. Dib was really a strange person and so far, Zim and I seem to be the only ones that even vaguely understand his crazy antics. He really needed someone there, someone other than me. Whether "there" was trying to kill him or otherwise, it didn't matter. If Zim left Earth now, Dib would have no one.

Sometimes I absolutely loathe being a sister.

" You know, those guys…The Tallest," I spoke up to Zim, " …they seem to hate you. Why would they bother looking for you when they could just assume you blew up on your way back here or something?"

I didn't receive an answer from him, but he did perk his antennae in curiosity. I continued on with my final point.

" Besides, couldn't you just take over the world on your own time?" I pointed out, " Why do you have to be supervised by them? Just do it yourself."

Dib looked absolutely horrified with me. Absolutely, utterly, horrified. I grinned. He'd thank me later, even if I would never hear it. I guess I had a second good deed this year.

Zim was quite the opposite though. His face shifted from careful consideration to a maniacal grin. He turned to face Dib once more and shouted at him.

" Ah yes, I SHALL!" Zim laughed loud and long. " I shall take over the Earth and prove myself a true Inva…uh…WARRIOR! You'd better watch your squishy Earth meats, Dib-human because I'll…uh…DESTROY YOU! YEAH!"

Dib still had his mouth gaping open at me. Twitching for a moment or so he began to whine.

" WHAT did you do THAT for?" He shrieked. " Why did you have to go and give him ideas? Now he'll probably try and take over the world even FASTER."

Somehow his reaction made it even better. Each shake and twitch and angry noises he made me want to burst out laughing. It was an interestingly different feeling, but I had to admit it wouldn't be one that would remain constant.

" COMPUTER!" Zim shouted into the depths of his base, " Turn on your defenses! There are intruders in the base!"

The sadistic grin returned as red security lights lit our faces. I remained unconcerned as Dib began to panic under pressure.

" You'll never get away with anything, ZIM!" He cried out, " I'll always be there to stop you! ALWAYS!"

" Yes, yes that's nice," Zim said with a twirl of his hand and an uninterested look on his face.

I had recently become aware of a strange whirring noise that seemed to ooze from the walls. It grew perpetually louder and louder until it roared even over Zim and Dib's arguing. Dib curiously looked up at the walls, which had begun to shake from the noise. Zim didn't appear to be shocked at all, but a grin creeped its way onto his face.

I'll admit that I was pretty shocked when the giant wormlike tube burst through the wall and sucked us up inside. Zim's maniacal laughter echoed as we tumbled and twirled up the pipe. Dib's incessant screaming ricocheted off the walls and pierced deep within my ears, even after the initial shock had worn off. It was really rather irritating.

The strange ride eventually led to us being spewed out backwards into Zim's front yard. I managed to land gracefully on my feet, but Dib was unfortunate enough to tumble backwards through the yard and collide with a security gnome. Once again he screamed at the top of his lungs as the gnome's eyes glowed red.

By this time I was already out of Zim's yard and watching Dib run and jump around, trying to dodge the laser beams. I suppose I should have tried to help him, but it was much more fun to stand and watched. When he finally managed to escape he was just a bit frayed at the edges and steam rose from his ruined clothes.

I didn't say anything. I simply turned around and began to walk home, knowing that he would follow me. There was no need to turn around and check, it was just one of those things that simply was.

Occasionally he'd speak up about how he couldn't believe I'd say that to Zim and would babble off in that direction. He grew quiet once he realized I wasn't listening, yet again. Finally he said something worth listening to.

" …Gaz?" He said meekly, hoping I'd be listening to him, " …thanks."

I raised an eyebrow and turned around to face him. He sure looked sincere enough, but why would he break the usual order of things?

" For what?" I asked, still not really understanding why he would bother thanking me.

" For…everything really," He said thoughtfully.

It was understood by both of us as 'Thanks-for-helping-me-when-I-was-unstable-and-dragging-me-out-into-space-to-look-for-Zim'. Dib's probably continued into something along the lines of 'Zim-that-ungrateful-jerk-who's-gonna-take-over-the-Earth-ANYWAY-no-thanks-to-you-Gaz'.

" Pfft. Whatever." I brushed it off and turned up toward our house.

Dib followed me quietly into the house. It was empty and lonely and blood still stained the floor. I was willing to bet that Dad hadn't even noticed we were gone. Not that it mattered, of course.

I made my way over to the couch, where I had left my GameSlave 2 and sank into familiar patterns. I was no longer looking up at Dib, but a few minutes later I heard him thump up the stairs.

A few hours must have passed before I heard the door open. I glanced up curiously, knowing Dib hadn't left the house. When I saw Dad looming in the doorway I almost immediately returned to my game.

There were some footsteps and a pause. I'm sure that this is when he noticed the blood on the floor. He took a few more steps and then bellowed up the stairs.

" SON!" He shouted, " What did I tell you about bleeding on the carpet?"

It wasn't so much an angry yell, but one to grab his attention. I'm positive I heard Dib groan and sigh from all the way upstairs.

" But DAD…" He yelled back.

I looked up to see my dad shake his finger at Dib, who now stood at the top of the stairs, not even changed out of his torn clothes yet.

" No buts, Son!" He said, pointing over to the closet, " Now you get those cleaning supplies and you scrub this horrid mess away right now!"

Dib grumbled his way down the stairs and past Dad, who was heading to his lab. Everybody was off in their own world, just it should have been.

Ah, sweet normalcy.

(A/N: Yes folks, that was the last chapter. I'm sorry it took so long, I really meant to have it done by Halloween at least…but here it is! I'm afraid you won't see anymore from me until at least December, because I'm entering NaNoWriMo this year and I will be busy all of this month. So thank you for all of the wonderful reviews and hopefully I'll see you in December because I do have another story planned. : ). )