Dib felt like he was on top of the world as he walked from the rusted garage that stored Phil's car to the secret bunker entrance. Nothing could bring his mood down. He met an awesome, smart, beautiful girl, who actually listened to him and seemed to care about what he had to say! Dib couldn't ask for anything better than that.

He hummed happily as he walked down the spiral staircase, fantasies about the next time he saw her flitting through his head. It felt like the first time that he looked through a telescope… but only a million times better, and warmer, and just… sweeter. He smiled to himself as he opened the door to the apartment, juggling the sugar he bought and Phil's car keys in his left hand as he did so. Stepping through the doorway brought Dib into the comfortably warm living room, out of the coldness of the concrete stairway. The sound of television filled his ears, and he glanced across the room to see who was watching it.

He felt a momentary stab of anger at his heart when he noticed that it was Zim and Gaz watching the tv, but they were sitting much too close together for his comfort.

They clearly noticed him, Zim's eyes narrowed the way they always did when he looked at him, and Dib silently thought that the feeling was mutual. Before either of them could say anything, Gaz rolled her eyes.

"If either of you start, I am going to scream." She said curtly. Gaz gestured towards the TV with her chin, subtly leaning in closer against Zim's shoulder. "I would like to watch law and order in peace, please schedule your stupid bickering for another time."

"I wasn't gonna-"

"Yes you were, Dib." Gaz turned her attention back to the tv, and Zim smiled smugly at Dib, pulling Gaz in closer and turning back towards the show as well. Dib scoffed to himself, but then remembered his wonderful afternoon meeting Autumn, and his annoyance at Zim flew out the window. Almost.

"Gaz, you will never guess what happened today!" Dib plopped himself down on the chair adjacent to the couch, absentmindedly plopping the bag of sugar onto the coffee table. "I met the most amazing girl!"

Gaz groaned, and paused the television. "I know you're just gonna keep talking, so I might as well not miss my show."

"Rude."

"It's true."

"Whatever. Anyway-" Dib paused as he watched Zim hungrily reach forward to grab the bag of sugar, mildly disgusted at his greedy gluttony, but he shook it off in favor of thinking of Autumn. "As I was saying, I met this girl today, and she is the most incredible-"

"Lemme guess. She listened to you?"

"Well, uh, yeah, but it's more than that!"

"Really." She crossed her arms, and shot Zim a concerning look, but he didn't notice as he was too busy happily tearing into the bag of sugar.

"Really! Okay so, she has the most beautiful red hair, and she's british!"

"Oh my, not british." Gaz said sarcastically.

"Hey don't judge me, asparagus over there can't even speak English!"

"What?" Gaz pulled away from Zim like he burned her. "What are you implying?"

"Ugh, nevermind I don't want to have to think about it more than I already do."

"Think about what." Gaz growled.

"Back to a safer topic," Dib cleared his throat. "She's visiting Point Pleasant, interested about the mothman, which is so cool, and uh, she has a little sister, wants to learn sign language, likes nature-"

"I get it, she's your dream nerd girl."

"Why are you being so rude?" Dib asked indignantly.

"Because we were trying to watch tv! Zim, don't you- woah, okay slow down." Zim paused as he lifted the bag of sugar towards his mouth. "Geez Zim, take a breather. It's just sugar." Zim smiled sheepishly, and nodded to show he understood. Gaz frowned at him, but turned her attention back to Dib.

"So why are you bothering me about this girl?"

"Hey, I mean you're my sister, aren't you excited for me?"

"Dib. If you haven't noticed, we are hiding in an abandoned nuclear bunker decorated in a neoclassical style, owned by the freaking mothman, because we are running from the full force of the United States army. Do you really think that you are somehow going to squeeze a dating life into that?"

"Oh come on Gaz…" Dib pouted. "You don't have to tear me down like that."

"Just… think rationally here, okay?"

"Okay… but can I still tell you about her?"

"Are you gonna take no for an answer?" She deadpanned.

"..."

"Ugh fine go for it."

Dib beamed like a kid who got told Santa was coming to town.

"So she's a photographer, and like I said she wants to learn sign language, which is so cool and sweet! Accessibility and all that."

"Dib, you don't know sign language."

"O-okay maybe not… a lot of it, but I know a few signs! And we could learn together, it would be fun, a-and educational!"

"Wow, educational. I didn't know you were so romantic." Gaz rolled her eyes and gently elbowed Zim to get his attention. "Zim, what do you think? Does that sound like fun to you?"

"What?"

"An 'educational' date."

Zim squinted his eyes at Gaz.

"What is a date?"

"You know what? Nevermind. I don't need you to back up my point, I know I'm right." She said smugly.

"For God's sake Gaz, you don't know what she would find romantic! Just because your ideal date is shitty pizza-"

"Don't insult Bloaties."

"-and a gaming marathon doesn't mean that's what every girl likes. Autumn is… sophisticated."

"Uh huh." She grumbled, sinking into the plush back of the couch.

"Yep! And you should know, that not only did she listen to me, she likes me!"

"Oh, do you like-like her back?" Gaz said condescendingly. Dib chose to ignore that comment.

"She agreed to meet up at the cafe again tomorrow! It's quick to see each other again, but I mean, I don't know how long we'll be in town so-"

"Hey. Stop right there." Gaz said sharply. You better be so fucking careful, do you hear me?" She gestured at Zim with her chin. "Don't forget, if you get caught and get Zim caught, not only will the government probably kill you, I will kill you. Understand?"

Dib nodded and smiled sheepishly.

"I promise that I won't get caught, Gaz."

"I will make your life worse than hell if you do." She lifted up the remote to play the show, when Phil's office door opened and shut, the mothman walking down the hall. Phil smiled brightly as he stepped into the living room, pleased to see that Dib looked happy, and had returned safely, and presumably not crashed his car…

"Dib! How was your day in town?" Phil asked warmly, walking over to sit in one of the two armchairs facing the couch. He glanced at Zim, frowning at the bag of sugar in his hands, before Dib's response caught his attention.

"It was great! I actually met someone!"

"Here we go again…" Gaz grumbled. Phil shot her a pointed look, basically saying 'play nice,' before returning his attention back to Dib.

"That's wonderful, Dib." He said calmly. "I am looking forward to hearing about it, over dinner, okay? Seeing as you did just tell your sister, I see." He chuckled.

"Oh, yeah." Dib said quietly and nodded. "What is for dinner? Can we help you? I feel a little bad that you're doing all this for us… I mean, you're not an airbnb!"

"That's quite kind of you! I would be happy to accept your assistance, but to be fair, I did offer and bring you into my home, you are not obligated to do anything, as you are my guests."

"Of course, but like I said…"

"And I accept! Very kind of you to offer." Phil opens his mouth to say something else, but is interrupted by Gir.

"Phil!" The little robot squeals. "Lookit! I draw more! Lookit!"

Since Phil now knew that Gir was originally given child programming, he leaned into his instincts to treat Gir like the child he presented himself as.

"Ah, let me see!" He said, even allowing Gir to scramble up onto his lap, happily raising his messy crayon pictures for Phil to see. He smiled, murmuring a 'thank you' as he took the paper.

However, just as with the earlier pictures, Phil frowned. The one on top looked like a bed. Poking out from the messily drawn bed was a green face… not smiling, in fact it looked like Gir had purposely drawn the eyes closed, as if the person was asleep. Next to the bed, a small green person, and Gir himself. Standing and smiling in a traditional childlike family portrait manner.

Phil shuffled the papers to look at the next one. This picture was harder to distinguish, just a large flat space of brown, with little green and red splotches placed randomly around the picture. And the final drawing…

The page was completely colored in black. Phil lowered the page so Gir could see.

"Gir, what is this?" Phil asked gently. Gir stared at the picture, and just when Phil thought that he was going to answer, his eyes flashed red briefly, and he turned to look back up at Phil.

"What's dat?"

"What is this drawing, Gir?"

Gir 'blinked', glancing back at the page again, and then back to Phil. He almost looked confused.

"I dunno!" He said cheerfully, beginning to kick his legs happily into the air.

"Right…"

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

"This stupid planet and its stupid bugs and its stupid annoying birds-" Tak grumbled to herself as she rubbed a mosquito bite on her cheek. It was so humid and awful and she just hated it here. But even this shitty planet wasn't as bad as her check ins with her boss. She would gladly sit in the humidity and sun then have to talk to that drunken fool.

With this in mind, she groaned as she begrudgingly hit the call button. It continued to ring, and ring, so she was just about hoping that he had forgotten and wouldn't have to deal with him until he answered, dashing her hopes.

"Whaddya want? I'm busy!" He was leaning heavily on his forearms, his eyes not particularly focused, but it looked like he was trying to squint to see her.

Tak immediately cringed at the sight of him, and his loud and stupid tone.

"Sir, please put a shirt on."

He blinked, and glanced down at himself.

"Hey! 'S not m-my fault that ya called me! I have a, a life y'know!"

"Sir, we scheduled this call."

"Oh. We did?"

"Yes." Tak sighed exasperatedly, tapping her claws on the dashboard of her voot cruiser. Her boss sniffed, and rubbed at his nostrils absentmindedly.

"R-right… So why did we schedule this?"

"You wanted to be updated, sir."

"O-oh, right… right… A-and?"

Tak frowned and slumped into her seat. "Nothing… I still can't get a hold of the damn signal."

"Why'da hell did ya call me then?"

"Because you scheduled this!"

"D-don't talk to me like that!" He growled, not that Tak found it the slightest bit intimidating. She could beat him in a fight in her sleep.

"Forgive me, sir." She ground out between her teeth. "I am just following your orders."

"Don't get snappy with me, T-tak." He leaned forward, almost losing his balance. "Know your place."

"Of course, sir."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but then sighed and slumped back into his seat.

"Tak…"

"Yes, sir?"

His eyes shifted away from her, and he scratched at his desk.

"Am I… Do you think… I-is this bad? What im doin'?"

"Sir, it is not my place to give opinions on your… lifestyle choices."

"Not that!" He snapped. "I m-mean this assign-hic-assignment."

Tak internally groaned. It was not in her job description to console a drunk.

"Sir, you aren't doing anything, you're just stuck being the messenger between me, and the Tallests, remember?" She squinted her eyes ever so slightly as she spoke.

"O-oh, yeah. That's right… Well I mean then, do ya think it's bad?"

"Are you asking morally or legally?"

"Uh… molegally." He slurred.

"That isn't a word."

"Oh, well-" A female voice called out for him, cutting him off as he spoke. "Uh, y'know what Tak? I got stuffs, uh, stuff to do… See ya."

"Sir-" Tak was cut off by him hanging up the phone.

"What a rude asshole." She grumbled to herself. She hated all those stupid, wealthy, stuck up- Okay, take a breath, she told herself. She just needs to do this job, and then she can get paid, and take a well-deserved vacation and forget that she ever had to deal with him. Yes, that sounds nice. A vacation...