Woohoo for reviews!

DibMagician: No, they're not magically going to become a family again, but it probably will be a happy ending. I'm a sucker for happy endings. And thanks!

emma: Thanks!

Nolay: Thanks! Haha, yeah my chapters are pretty short.

Dibsthe1: Haha, not likely at all, I know, but I love when those ridiculous coincidences happen in stories. It just makes them better. And thanks!

Invader Zim and every character related to it belong to the all-mighty Jhonen Vasquez. And don't you just love picturing his cringing little face while reading all our horrible goblin-child fics? I know I do. Strawberry however, belongs to me.

I stood outside my home hopping from foot to foot. God it was cold. Why the heck was it so cold? It was only August, but it so cold. Stupid cold.

I looked to see if any of the lights were on. Dib's light was on. That was the only one. Was he home alone? Gaz must've been with him, right? I couldn't go in and talk to him alone; if Gaz was home she'd be listening.

But maybe it would be better if she was listening; maybe I should talk to them both at once. Apologize once and get it over with.

But maybe it would be better to talk with Gaz first. She would be angry with me. Dib would just be sad. Get her yelling over with first.

Or maybe Dib just wouldn't be sad. Maybe he'd yell and scream and cry a little too.

Or maybe I'm just going insane and no one's home. What would happen if one of them walked in and I was in their house? Awake? Not lying on the floor, not drunk for once. Would they recognize me? What if they figured out someone was in the house, didn't come in, called the cops, and I got arrested?

Or what if I just walked in and finally faced my fear? What if I just walked in and everything went back to normal? But how can I go back to normal when Straw isn't here?

But what if Straw came back? But what would make her come back?

But what if-

No, no more what ifs, just walk in the door!

But what if they hate me and I can never come back?

I started to walk away when I heard the door open. I turned and there was Dib standing in the doorway.

"Dad...you can, you know, come in if you want. It's kinda cold outside and you've been out here for awhile. Gaz isn't home. Maybe we could order a pizza or something. I'm kinda hungry."

I took a really good look at him. He was pretty thin. Had I let my son get that thin, and he looked old, way too old for his age. What I had done to him?

"Dib, look, I just wanna-"

"Dad, you can tell me when we get inside. It's pretty cold out here. Now, are you coming in or not?"

Then he smiled and he looked just as I remembered him. And how could I say no to pizza with my son, who I hadn't talked with in years?

"Yeah, Dib, I'll come in. But, aren't you..."

I couldn't finish, but I didn't have to. Dib knew what I was trying to ask.

"Yeah, I'm still mad at you. But how are we gonna get back together if we stay angry?"

Maybe the whole family could never get back together, but it was a start. And maybe I didn't want the whole family back together again. But I couldn't decide that now, they were just maybes and right now the only definite was that I was having pizza with my son.