I don't own Invader Zim

Father's Day

"Core, don't!"

"I know what I'm doing, Via!"

"Dumbass, shut it or you'll wake them up!"

"Bitch."

'Ok, what the hell is going on?' Dib questioned, opening an eye as he heard the two voices floating into the room.It sounded like they were...

'No!'

"Zim, wake up!" The green man next to him groaned, opening an eye briefly before looking at Dib and rolling back over. Then he shot up.

"What's burning?" Zim asked, turning wide red eyes in Dib's direction. Dib felt a panic shoot through him, vaguely replaying the last time something in their home had been burning.

Via, who'd been trying to get a lighter away from GIR at the time, had not been very pleased with that.

"Kids!" Both parents were out of their room as fast as possible.

Via was glaring at her brother, watching him try to cook what could have, at one point, resembled waffles. She was sitting on a counter that was dusted with flour, and yet miraculously untouched by the powdery substance.

Core glared at her, wiping some of the batter from his face. "Remind me why we're doing this instead of sleeping in?"

"Because it's a national holiday!" Was Via's only explaination before she pulled on her headphones. Core rolled his eyes, looking at his sister for a moment before turning back to the wanna be waffles.

She'd been asking Dib if she could dye her hair purple, or blue. Core couldn't actually believe that the dye would take to her hair. 'Scissors barely take to her hair.'

When Dib and Zim reached the kitchen, they found their children safe... with the exception of the mess.

Core turned to look at them, raising an eyebrow before turning back around. "Morning."

"Uh... Morning." Dib managed, looking at his daughter curiously.

"Morning Papa, Daddy." Via said, one ruby red eye snapping open as her pupil fixated on her fathers.

"Hn." Zim managed, ignoring the mess for once and heading for the toaster. Dib smiled at her uncertainly.

"Honey... what are you two doing up so early?" Via pulled off an earphone, exposing a pierced ear to him as she did so.

"Cause it's an Earthen Holiday, Daddy!" Dib heard Core cough from his other side, and looked to the child that was speedily catching up to his height. "Father's Day?"

"Yup." Core said, brushing hair behind his ear and testing the batter for gel. Zim looked at them, raising an eyebrow.

"Come on, Baby, let's let them get a real breakfast going." Zim said, coaxing Via off of the counter.

Her parents were suddenly reminded of why they were scared to have a little girl.

Via glared up from her position, drawing herself to her full height as she pulled her headphones back on. She refused to allow the fact that she was permantly dwaved by her family get to her.

Zim was tugged out of the room, and Dib set to cleaning the kitchen.

"I hate this." Zim whispered, watching as Via curled up against her pillows. His twelve year old little girl, and still so small.

It never helped that her egg had been removed prematurely due to Dib getting sick.

"Hate what?" Dib asked, wrapping his arms around the alien's waist and leaning his forehead against Zim's back.

"This!" Zim said, gesturing to their daughter as he turned around. Dib looked up at him with surprise and... was that pain?

"So you regret having kids?" Dib asked softly, avoiding Zim's eyes. He hugged himself, not knowing what he'd do if his hands weren't occupied.

"No, Dib... I would, could, never regret that. It's just..." Zim looked down at Via once more, remembering when she'd been born, how small she'd been compared to her brother. "They are never going to be able to have normal lives."

Dib rolled his eyes, looking up at the taller man. "And you say we did? I mean, between the Swollen Eyeball and the Irken Military, I wasn't sure if we were going to stay alive long enough to see this, Zim."

Zim nodded, smiling slightly at the memory of how Core had been conceived.

"Their's are going to be worse. Not only are they halfbreeds, by they were born in a way that defyes nature." Zim shook his head, grateful that his genetics had only given them red eyes. "And do you honestly think that once they graduate from school, they'll be able to go with everything. Look at them, Dib."

Zim grasped Dib's arms gently as looked him in the eye. "Core's wanting to go visit Irk when he's older, and use that for inspiration for his art. Via is wanting to find a college for witches nearby. Not to mention she takes oddly after Gaz."

Dib laughed slightly, letting himself fall against Zim as he closed his eyes.

"And look at me, Dib. I'm not cut out to be a father!" Dib looked up at him, raising an eyebrow as he wrapped his arms around Zim's neck.

"I'm looking, but I'm not seeing what you're telling me." He whispered, kissing the egotistic, germaphobe of an alien on the lips.

"So what do you see?"

"A man who tries his hardest for his family. Someone who managed to find a way for this family to even exist. And a father and husband that is loved by everyone in this house." Dib said, lowering himself to his feet again. One of Zim's antenae quirked. But Dib left it at that as he pulled him off to their own room.