"Dreams are answers to questions we haven't yet figured out how to ask."
X-Files


Phantasm

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed

Dreams

Dib growled as he landed on the tile of the floor. His eyes searched the bathroom and found no tub. Dib scoffed at this. It was expected that an alien that burned at the touch of water would not have a tub. Dib's eyebrows furrowed as he turned to Gaz. She could be dead for all he knew. A clink sounded and a tub shot out of the wall.

"I've got water!" Gir shouted as he ran into the bathroom.

Dib watched the robot run through the door and toss a water balloon at his head. His expression fell as he sat on the floor, now dripping wet. Gir clapped and Dib sighed. Dib moved around on the floor and attempted to push Gaz into the tub. Gir watched before he walked over and helped lifted her. They both let out a breath of relief once she was safely in the tub. Dib moved to work the handles of the tub. His fist clenched when he saw no faucet.

"This really sucks," Dib mumbled.

"Aw, is the big-headed boy upset?" Gir questioned as his eyes lowered.

"Very," Dib growled.

"I know what will make you happy!" Gir shouted as he took off.

Dib watched a dust trail fade and he turned his gaze back to his sister. The clay was so thick that he couldn't see the rise or fall of her chest. Gir ran into the room and threwa hose into the tub. He quickly ran back out with his arms in the air. Dib picked up the hose and stared into the little black hole. Water shot out and soaked him in the face. Dib dropped the hose back into the tub and sighed. Today wasn't a good day for water.

"She looks like a seed!" Gir observed as he jumped on the ledge of the tub.

"I guess," Dib mumbled.

"Do all humans bathe in water?" Gir questioned.

"Yeah…why?" Dib cautiously asked.

"When I get dirty I go and bathe with Pig," Gir explained as Dib grimaced.

"Do you even need to bathe?" Dib questioned as he noticed the tub was half filled.

"I don't know," Gir drawled.

"Turn the water off!" Dib suddenly shouted.

"Okay!" Gir shouted as he jumped on the hose.

Dib's left eye twitched as he watched the water back up. Gir stood there with a smile as he calmly stood on the hose. Dib quickly ran out of the bathroom and followed the hose trail. He made it out the door and quickly twisted the knob. A sigh of relief escaped him as he made his way back into the bathroom. Water coated the walls and Gir sat on top of Gaz with a dazed look. Dib walked over to the tub and tapped on her shell.

"It echoes!" Gir cheered as he began to bang on it.

"Gir?" Dib questioned.

"Yeah," Gir sang.

"Would you watch Gaz?" Dib questioned. Dib shook his head; he had truly lost his mind if he was going to leave Gaz with Gir. "I'll bring you tacos."

"Tacos! And I want a large Classic Poop!" Gir added as he danced on top of Gaz.

"Fine…but nothing better happen to her," Dib warned.

"Okie dokie!"

Dib sighed and left the bathroom. He had to go to skool and cover for Gaz. It just worried him that he was leaving Gaz with an idiot.

"Stupid Omega!" Zim growled as he kicked a piece of glass.

His red eyes glared at the black spot on his floor. He had originally made the flashlight for deep space missions, but this seemed like a good use. The light had simply blasted away the Omega. Zim only hoped that the thing was dead. He flexed his arm and listened to his joints pop. His Pak has easily repaired the broken bones. Zim grimaced as he stared at his hand. He bent his fingers and watched the movement with interest.

'Gaz could have died,' Zim thought.

"Computer, increase security!" Zim shouted.

Zim marched through the lab and found his storage room. He stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he dug through different projects. His antennae perked up when he found what he was looking for. A grin crossed his face as he thought of what to do. Zim quickly grabbed the small chip and walked back to his lab.

"Hello!" Gir called as he tapped the clay case.

Gir tilted his head as he watched Gaz float in the water. He kicked the water onto her dry side and watched it slide off. The tub water was slowly turning black. He could finally make out her nose and face shape. Gir splashed more water on her and watched as her eyes squinted tighter. Gir giggled as he began to pour more water onto her form. Her hair was looser and was beginning to float in the water. Gir noted that clay was slowly coming off of her.

Gir sipped on his slushy and continued to watch her. The bathroom door slammed open and Zim stood there with his hand on the door. His red eyes took in his surroundings and he grimaced at the water.

"She's floating!" Gir shouted as he pointed to Gaz.

"Why is there so much water?" Zim demanded to know.

"I used the hose!" Gir proudly answered with a slushy filled mouth.

"Very good Gir, but you may go," Zim dismissed.

"Okay!" Gir loudly said as he ran out of the bathroom.

Zim scowled at the water but proceeded to walk through it. He was happy that he had applied paste to himself. Zim stood at the edge of the tub and gazed down at Gaz. Her face was completely serene and she seemed a bit paler then normal. Zim reached down and picked up a piece of her hair. One eye opened in confusion. Her hair was longer; it was to the point of reaching her lower back. Zim reached into his Pak and pulled out a needle. He quickly took a blood sample.

"Stupid Omega," Zim mumbled again as he reached down and wiped some of the black clay off of her face.

Gaz's left eye twitched and Zim looked around the room. The coast was the clear and he relaxed. He took a seat next to her and simply gazed down at her. Zim realized a few things that he wouldn't admit out loud. Gaz was human and as a human, she was frail. Zim could see how frail she really is. He wondered if these bounty hunters or invaders would come for them. It would be impossible to constantly keep her under watch. He weakly grinned at the thought of keeping Gaz under watch. She would surely doom him.

'This Omega proved how vulnerable she is,' Zim thought.

Zim tilted his head and studied her. He could easily manipulate her DNA to make her stronger. That would be the best solution. He shook his head and clenched his fist. That would change her and he didn't want to change her. Zim knew that he certainly didn't want to make her like him, a machine so to say. He sighed and turned his eyes to the floor. It would seem that he would be spending a lot more time with her. Zim wondered why this didn't upset him.

"Dad," Gaz mumbled as her hand twitched.

Zim's eyes narrowed as he watched her. He wondered what was going on in that mind. Zim reached down and took bit of the black clay. It was now a bit runny from the water. His Pak opened and small computer came out of it. He wiped the clay on a small slide and began placed it in the computer. Zim quickly typed a few things.

"Computer, analyze the substance," Zim ordered.

He watched as different combinations took shape and he frowned. It seemed like the clay was left over DNA from the Omega. Zim wondered if this was affecting Gaz in some way.

"One, two, three, four, and...uh...six…"

Gaz softly laughed at her brother's messed up counting. She ran through the house letting her long violet ponytail flow. She bit her lower lip when she saw it was a dead end. Gaz hopped from foot to foot while thinking of where to hide. Her amber eyes landed on the door next to her. She looked to her left and right before she stood on her toes and turned the handle. Gaz grinned as the door creaked open. She quickly walked inside and ran down the stairs to her dad's lab.

"Ready or not! Here I come!"

"Uh-oh," Gaz mumbled as she searched for a place to hide.

Gaz ran to every space and deemed it lame. She then turned around and saw another door. Her amber eyes narrowed as she tried to read the bold red letters.

"Do not enter," Gaz mused as she ran over to the door.

"Gaz! You shouldn't be down here! Are you down here?" Dib called out.

Gaz bit her lower lip and reached to the metal doorknob. She twisted it and giggled when it opened. Gaz quickly slipped inside and left the door open by a crack. She mentally cheered at her hiding spot before turning around. Here face paled and she stared in shock.

Gaz's mouth dropped, as she remained rooted to the spot. An eerie green light filled the room leaving dark spots at random places. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a step forward. She walked amongst the tubes with a feeling of despair. Gaz turned around and closed her eyes. She opened them and came face to face with the thing in the glass.

"G- one," Gaz softly said as she read the label.

Gaz circled the tube with a sickening interest. The thing in the tube looked like a small child. Short violet hair floated in the liquid. Gaz pressed her face to the tube and shuddered at the coldness. She tapped her finger to the glass wondering if the person was sleeping. No response. Gaz's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the floating body. The hands were two small and the feet were curled. Gaz moved away from the tube and walked to the other one.

"D-one," Gaz read.

The boy in the tube was definitely older then the girl in the tube. His ears were missing and his black hair was left down. Gaz noticed that his eyes were open. She stood on her toes to get a better look at the eyes. His nose was sunken in and his eyes were a brown-amber hue. Gaz grimaced and stood back down. She backed up and smacked a desk. A file fell and hit her on the head. She rubbed her head and stared down at the file.

"Project Dib," Gaz softly said.

Her eyes widened in worry and she reached up to the desk. Her small hand patted the desk and she managed to slide another file down. It also fell and bumped her in the head. Her amber eyes widened with worry as she read the words.

"Project Gaz."

Gaz's hand trembled as she reached down and opened the vanilla color file. Her eyes watered as she read some of the notes. The only word she could really understand was the one she heard father say to his friends.

"Clone… of Melissa…Membrane," Gaz slowly said.

Gaz pushed the files away from her and the slid under the desk. She scrambled across the floor and ran for the door. Gaz looked behind her and watched as the girl in the tube floated. It was her, she was a clone. Gaz screamed as she ran from the lab. She stumbled and fell out of the door. Dib yelped as they both crashed to the floor. Her wide amber eyes were filled with tears.

"What's wrong?" Dib questioned as he helped her up.

"Nothing," Gaz sobbed.

"Did the room make you sad?" Dib asked as he moved to open the door.

"NO!" Gaz shouted as she pushed Dib away and slammed the door shut. It clicked and locked.

"Gaz? What's wrong?" Dib shouted in worry.

"Nothing!" Gaz yelled as she ran through the lab.

Dib listened as her footsteps echoed up the stairs. He got up and ran after her. Dib watched as her violet hair vanished around the corner. Her door slammed shut and he pounded on it. He could hear her sobs and wondered what was wrong. Dib bit his lip in worry as he leaned against the door. He couldn't tell dad, or else she would get in trouble.

"Dad," Gaz sobbed as she continued to cry.

Zim's eyes widened as he watched her eyes tear. He grabbed the nearest towel and patted her face. The tears continued and Zim watched as her lip trembled.

"Why'd you make her cry?" Gir questioned as he sat on Zim's head.

"Get off my head!" Zim grumbled.

"You made her cry," Gir sadly said.

"I didn't make her cry," Zim growled and added. "OFF MY HEAD!"

"I'm going to bake a cake!" Gir shouted as he finally jumped off Zim's head.

"Fine, fine," Zim sighed as he motioned him along.

"It's a surprise!" Gir yelled as he ran out of the room.

Zim watched the robot leave. He turned his attention back to Gaz and frowned. She hadn't shown any real signs of waking up.

"Unidentified flying object just detected," the computer informed.

"A UFO?" Zim questioned. "Can you identify it?"

"An Irken Ripper has been identified," the computer responded.

"When did it breach the atmosphere?" Zim asked as he scowled.

"Four hours ago," the computer answered.

"And it was just identified," Zim growled.

"It was identified four hours ago…"

"Then why didn't you tell Zim?"

"You were busy."

'Another Invader,' Zim thought as he gazed down at Gaz.

"Computer, send suit number 13 to the second lab," Zim ordered.

"Suit 13 is in the lab."

"Gir!" Zim shouted.

"Yes my master!" Gir shouted as he dropped through the roof.

"Why were you outside?" Zim questioned as he coughed at the dust.

"I was gathering eggs," Gir answered as his eyes faded to blue.

"Okay…guard Gaz," Zim ordered.

"You said her name!" Gir laughed.

"Just watch the human!" Zim shouted as he ran out of the bathroom.


Gaz gazed into the mirror and slowly pulled her long violet hair into a ponytail. School had finally ended and they would be entering a new year in a few months. She released a breath and noted that her black eyeliner was coming off. Gaz scoffed and fixed her long black shirt. She adjusted the silver sleeves and ran out of her room. Her amber eyes lit up with triumph when she saw no one. She ran down the stairs and checked the kitchen. A note was on the fridge. Gaz ran over to the fridge and quickly read the note. She crumbled it and dropped it to the floor. No one would be home until three.

"Perfect," Gaz mumbled as she ran to door leading to the basement.

She flew down the steps careful of her footing. Each step echoed a warning that she didn't want to heed. Her eyes scanned the lab and noted that her 'father' wasn't around. She smiled and ran to the door that was locked.

"This is it."

Gaz twisted the knob and scowled when it didn't open. She bit her lower lip in anger and pulled at the knob. Gaz searched through the lab and grinned when she found what she was looking for. She pulled the headphones over her head and held the attached the tiny suction cups to the door handle. Gaz then turned the knob and winced as a screech traveled through the house. The handle fell to the floor and she turned the machine off. Her eyes watched as the door opened with a familiar creak. She stood at the dark entrance.

'This might change everything,' Gaz mused as she groped the wall for a switch.

Gaz felt the tiny switch and closed her eyes. Part of her wanted to see everything, and another part wanted to go upstairs and pretend it was nothing but a nightmare. Gaz shook her head and decided she wanted the truth. Light flooded the room and she opened her eyes.

"What?" Gaz growled.

The entire row of test tubes where gone. There was no eerie green light or half formed children. Gaz walked into the room and wondered if she had been delusional. Her hand smacked against metal and she looked to see the desk. That was still here, but there were no vanilla folders. Gaz kicked the desk in anger and watched a drawer slid open. Her eyes softened in fear as she gazed at the vanilla folders. There were rows of them. There were about six different ones.

Gaz reached in and grabbed them all. She set them on the desk and opened the first one she had found as a child. A picture fell from the file. Her eyes widened in shock as she gazed at the picture. Gaz reached up and felt her violet hair. On the back of the photo was written Melissa Membrane. Gaz flipped the photo back and traced the woman's face with her own hands. She then reached up and traced her own features. Gaz proceeded to read the file and grimaced at the different notes she found. Her face turned green when she noted that this clone had turned out wrong.

"G-one was born with deformities," Gaz summarized.

Gaz put the file back and read through the second one. The second clone had been put to death because of mental instabilities. Gaz frowned at it and then tossed it back into the drawer. Her stomach flipped as she read the title on the last folder. This was titled with a birthday and no death date. Gaz figured that this was her file. She held it closed and then flipped it open with an air of determination. Gaz read through the description and her smile fell with each word. She read how she was the clone of this Melissa woman. Gaz scowled as she read how her father had to watch her grow into the one he used to love. He noted that everything was the same except for missing scars, and different memories. Gaz felt her heartbreak as she read that he was guilty. Gaz clenched the file in her hand and growled as she tossed it back in with the others.

'That's why he's never around…he can't stand the sight of me,' Gaz thought of the many times he had turned away to talk to her.

'That's why there's no hugs goodnight,' Gaz mused as she felt her tears fall.

Gaz wiped her eyes and moved onto Dib's file. She read about the failures and the success. She chuckled as she read that there was something wrong mentally with him. He had inherited a defective gene from Melissa.

'Dib has genes from Melissa and dad,' Gaz thought with a small smile.

Her smile fell and she realized something. Dib is like…no…it can't be. Gaz shuddered as she felt herself grow nauseous.

'He's only a brother…we just share the same genes,' Gaz assured as she put the files away.

She picked up the picture of Melissa and scowled at it. Everything looked the same, save for Melissa was much older. Gaz figured it was a picture of the future taken in the past. Gaz closed the drawer and left the room and the lab with the picture in hand. She ran into the kitchen and searched the drawers. Metal glinted at her as she pulled the scissors from the drawer. Gaz held the scissors to the floor as she ran upstairs and to the bathroom. Gaz licked her lips as she gazed at the picture.

"I'm Gaz," Gaz firmly said as she began to cut her hair.

Long strands fell into the sink. Tears formed in her eyes as she gazed at the shortened hair. She would have to go and have it fix. Gaz then stared at the woman's smiling face and bright amber eyes. Gaz turned to the mirror and made her face stoic. She closed her eyes until she could see out of nothing but a tiny slit. Gaz wiped her eyes and figured that emotion wouldn't do well. She cut the picture up and flushed it down the toilet.

Gaz watched the image vanish and turned her gaze to the mirror. She promised that she would make her own image now.

Author' Note:

I'm still in shock that so many people like this fic. It astounds me to no end(sitting dazed)
Invader Stunk: I am pleased to say that fic has been nominated for best IZ fic of 2005.
Leader Rig: Because of this the author has given us a bigger cage(cheers and chokes)
Invader Stunk: Leader Rig is suffering from throat trauma. Somehow Unlikely-to-bear-it managed to strangle him...
Leader Rig: send cough drops(groans)
Invader Stunk: Invader Iza, why are you launching goats?
Author: please leave a review and I've started another fic which I plan to make dark...it will be so dark that you will need a flashlight(laughs)
Invader Stunk: I hope I'm not involved in that...