A/N: And I bring you all another Tuesday update. To say the very least, I've been tired as hell this past week, but I finally managed to get a slightly better nights sleep this past night. So I guess I'll update now that I'm feeling rested enough to do so. Though, one of my shelves broke and fell to the floor at 3:00 in the morning. Scared the living hell out of me. But aw well...I'll fix a little later on. For now, here by the next chapter of ZADR Orange for you all. Chapter 18. We hope you all enjoy. =3 And remember, feedback is much appreciated, as are faves and the occasional add of our story to people's story alert lists.

Warnings: Extreme OOCness

Rating: M for later chapters

Disclaimer: We do not own Invader Zim, nor any of the characters from it. We do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Zim/Old Man/Computer/Gaz: Notgonnadie

Dib: Me

Professor Membrane: Both of us.

Beta: Notgonnadie

Zim was horrified by Dib's words. "Wha- NO! I was only playing with you!" he pulled away from Dib. "After all this, you still think I'm going to try and destroy this planet? You already know it's a reserve!" he was desperately trying to make Dib believe him.

"Yeah, but only because you're on it right now, and your leader is so madly in love with you! But if you were to ever leave, how do I know it would still remain as a reserve? Your leaders could blow it up at any time if they really wanted to!" Dib argued back.

"Eh, but you- he- GAH!" Zim tugged at his wig where his antennae were hiding. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BELIEVE ME? I CAN'T LEAVE THIS PLANET! EVER!" he yelled, starting to attract a little attention. "I JUST THOUGHT YOU'D LET ME SPEND MY POINTLESS EXISTENCE WITH YOU!" he kept ranting, walking around in circles and tearing at his antennae under the wig.

His eyes watering up in frustration and sorrow, Zim was getting dangerously close to a pond in the park which they had been passing by. "I GUESS IT DOESN'T MATTER TO YOU THOUGH, HUH? I KEEP TRYING, DON'T YOU GET IT? I KNOW IT'S HARD TO TRUST ME! BUT IF YOU DIDN'T...YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME AT ANY TIME AND VICE VERSA! DOESN'T THAT MEAN SOME-" he instantly got cut short from his rant by an old man behind him.

"Ehh? WATCH IT, WHIPPER SNAPPER!" the old man yelled as Zim bumped into him before whirling back around.

"Wha- Ahh!" Zim felt his leg getting caught on the old man's walker as he turned, causing him to trip and plunge over the edge into the pond.

Standing back, Dib could only watch with wide eyes as Zim was swallowed up by the pond water. "Zim!" he yelled in a panic before running over to the edge and diving in after him. As a large crowd was beginning to surround the area, Dib finally re-emerged with an unconscious Zim in his arms, desperately trying to swim for the shore with said Irken in one arm, his skin sizzling and steaming from not having bathed in paste that day.

Feeling a random bystander suddenly take hold of his arm, Dib looked up as he and Zim were both pulled safely in to shore, the bystander helping Dib get Zim onto his back. "Zim!" Dib screamed again, shaking the other and praying to God he wasn't dead. Realizing soon after that Zim was bleeding when he looked down to his hands, covered in the others blood, Dib panicked even more. "Oh God, no..." he wasted no time at all in scooping Zim up into his arms and making a mad dash for the alien's base before anyone could even call for help, knowing that if he let them take Zim to a hospital, he would more than likely be discovered.

"Oh, please hang on, Zim! Just whatever you do, please hang on!" he begged, pressing his cheek to Zim's head, the tears coming now as he had no idea whether Zim would pull through this or not.

His body wracked with pain, Zim could feel his skin melting off as he was only conscious enough to know he was being carried somewhere. But the pain was too overwhelming for him to stay focused for long. Inside, he was raging at himself. If he hadn't gotten so mad at Dib, he would have been paying attention and not tripped like he had.

Bursting through the front door to Zim's base, making a run for the elevator in the kitchen, Dib knew that he needed to get Zim down to his medical bay. "Computer! I need you to bring me down to the level of Zim's base with all the medical equipment! And fast!" he spat out in a rush, holding the Irken close, this situation feeling all too familiar.

"Again? Didn't we just go through this a few days ago?" the computer seemed highly annoyed with all the work it had been forced to do over the past few days.

Not having time for this, Dib merely glared up at the ceiling where the voice of Zim's computer was coming from. "Just do it already! He needs medical attention right now!" he demanded, in no mood to deal with the computer's sarcastic nature.

"Ehhh...I don't really feel like it right now. Could you come back later? Or perhaps, not at all." the computer asked in a truly lazy voice.

"NO! I swear to God, if you don't take me down right now, I will completely dismantle you later on at night!" Dib threatened Zim's computer.

"Pfft...As if. You don't even know HOW. Now go away. I'm busy." the computer merely brushed off his threat as though it were nothing.

"Ehh..." Zim groaned in Dib's arms, eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"Zim!" Dib looked down at the other worriedly when he heard the Irken moan before glaring back up at the ceiling, where the computer's voice was coming from. "That may be so, but I'm certain Zim would know how to. Or I could just tell Gir when he gets back that I've hidden tacos somewhere in all your circuitry and let him tear you apart trying to find them." he said, not having the time or patience to continue playing games with Zim's computer.

"Hmm?" the computer fell silent for a few moments. "Well, when you put it that way...NO!" the computer shouted angrily at him before reaching down two metallic arms to pick them up and toss them out on the sidewalk. "Go bug some other lab!" it said before automatically slamming the front door shut on them.

Eyes shooting wide open as they were thrown out the door, Dib held close to Zim as he landed flat on his back and skidded across the cement a few feet. "Ow..." he groaned, sitting up slowly before blinking wide eyes up at the green and purple house, unable to believe Zim's computer would just throw them out like that when Zim was in such bad shape.

"Damn...I don't have time to spend the rest of the night standing here arguing with Zim's computer. He needs help right now!" he exclaimed frustratedly before trying to think of where he could take the injured alien that would be safe. "I've got it! Dad's lab at home! I-It will just have to do for now!" he said out loud to himself, wasting no time at all in picking himself up off the sidewalk with Zim and dashing off towards his own house, praying that he hadn't already wasted too much time.

Meanwhile, back at the Membrane residence, Professor Membrane had decided to stay home today so he could wait for Dib to show up to scold him about his bad grades. "Hmm...Where IS your brother, Gaz?" he had been waiting impatiently in the kitchen practically all day.

"Uhhh...For the LAST TIME. He's at his boyfriend's house." Gaz growled, tired to having to repeat herself.

"Now, now, Gaz. No need to say such things about your brother. He's just as straight as you are." he chuckled in a light-hearted fashion.

Lifting her gaze up from the game she was playing on her Game Slave III, she couldn't help but glare daggers in his direction. "You have no idea." she said, mostly under her breath.

Not catching his daughter's words, Professor Membrane lifted his head when he heard the front door opening and closing from his spot in the kitchen. "Ah, there he is now." he said before standing from his spot to go meet him before he could head on up to his room.

Running right past Membrane with Zim in his arms to head on down to the lab in a panic, Dib seemed to stop dead in his tracks at hearing his father's voice.

"And just where do you think you're going, son?" Membrane stood back in the doorway to the kitchen, arms crossed as he tapped his foot against the ground.

Slowly turning to face his father, Dib swallowed thickly as he prayed he had just been hearing things. But there stood Membrane, ready to scold him for his bad grades. "D-Dad? Wh-What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised, to say the very least.

"I've been waiting for you to get home, Son. We need to talk about those grades." he said, having yet to notice Dib was part Irken but noticing Zim nonetheless. "Who is this?" he asked, pointing at the disguised Irken.

Taking a few nervous steps backwards with Zim, Dib could only shake his head. "N-Nobody...J-Just a friend...A friend who needs medical attention ASAP! Sorry, Dad, but we'll have to discuss my grades later!" he instantly turned to run out of the room and down into the lab with Zim, setting him carefully on one of the tables in there before running back upstairs to retrieve some towels and any other medical supplies he thought he'd be needing from the bathroom.

Watching Dib shocked, Membrane couldn't believe his eyes. Dib...HIS SON...was in the lab...doing things...REAL SCIENCE! He grinning and followed Dib down into the lab. Dib, however, didn't notice him.

Meanwhile, back upstairs, Gaz merely sighed. "Well, Dad had to figure it out SOME TIME."

Back down in the lab, Membrane walked in on Dib, working hard, making him proud, until he saw and heard the affections his son was lavishing upon the unconscious boy on the table who was moaning, obviously in pain.

Kneeling down near the edge of the table, gently patting Zim's skin dry with one of the towels, and trying to clean as much of the blood off from his wounds as possible, Dib all the while spoke soft reassurances into the other's antennae that everything would be alright, tears streaming down his own face as he was having a far harder time convincing himself that everything would be alright.

"Come on, Zim...Just hang in there a little longer...E-Everything will be alright...I'm not going to let you suffer through this alone..." he pressed his forehead to Zim's, closing his eyes and whispering quietly to the other. "...I love you..." those three words slipped past his lips before he could stop himself.

Having had enough of this, Membrane didn't wait around to listen in on this any longer as he turned to storm back upstairs, fists clenched. Entering the kitchen and seeing Gaz still at the kitchen table, he turned to address her. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Gaz. Your brother IS...gay." he said the word with what sounded like disgust in his voice, looking rather uncomfortable now. "...I should have never lumped you two together." he apologized, figuring he could at least save his relationship with ONE of his kids.

A/N: And there you have it. Your weekly update of ZADR Orange. So for those of you who were wondering where the fuck Professor Membrane was in all this, there you have it. He's kind of an ass and homophobe in this story. But we'll get more into that in a few more chapters or so. XD So for now, just look forward to Chapter 19, which should be up sometime next week. In the meantime, let me take this time to respond to those of you who reviewed.

To Casykirby: Yes. Dib is hurt emotionally. But he's hurt emotionally a LOT throughout this story. Zim's the one who's about to get hurt physically, as I'm sure you can see in today's chapter. But anyways, if you can put up with all the torment we put them through, we hope you'll continue to enjoy this story right up to the very end. =3 You and your friends have much to live for still. Because this story won't be ending for a LONG, LONG time. So thanks for reading and reviewing. =3 We very much appreciate it.

To Invader Ang: Yesh! Had I wanted to, I could have already posted at least 70 chapters here. And yet, we'd still be near the beginning of this story compared to how many chapters there actually will be when this is all said and done. But trust me, you don't want me posting 70 chapters all at once. You have no idea how overloaded your mind would be with information from this story. Notgonnadie and I can't even keep up with it half the time. Weekly updates are best in this situation. You guys have time to take things in slowly and reflect on them before we move on. Besides, the wait is always worth it and makes the update only that much more sweeter. =3 And yes. You be correct in assuming there be some cross-dressing in this. Of course, you may not like the reason for the cross-dressing later on. But we'll see. XD Thanks for reading and reviewing. Here be the next update for you. =3 This chapter be even sadder though. TT^TT Poor Dibbeh's doubting get poor Zimmeh hurt.

To ashxtaz: Well, nobody ever said writing was easy. It requires a LOT of practice as does comic making. You just gotta have the mind set enough to keep working at it no matter what. You WILL improve though if you keep at it. A good way to keep track of your improvement as encouragement to continue is to keep a piece as your starting point, read/look over it and then compare it to your work a little later on. Trust me. You'll see improvements. I can guarantee it. =3 But anyways. Yesh, you may enjoy it over on DA, but I urge you to continue reading here as well. =3 It's less of an overload of information if you read it over here. But we're glad to hear you're enjoying it so much regardless. =3

To Illisandria Carthain: Why, thank you. =3 We're glad you enjoyed the chapter so much. =3 It is different reading the story here and on DA. Personally, I recommend people read it here to get less of an information overload, but I can't really control where and how fast people read it. Though, pretty soon we may be taking it off DA. To remedy our problem about people not giving the proper credit for the story, we've set up a seperate website for the story in hopes people will start paying closer attention to what we have to say. And comments will be taken in a forum so we'll still be able to respond back to you people on it. =3 Here though, it takes so much longer to write out the responses to you people. I could always just PM you guys, but I prefer just responding through the story. Keeps my message boxes here fairly organized. Though I need to give plenty of thought to my responses before writing them out, given I only get the chance to speak with each of you once a week. But it's worth it in the long run. And I know how people like to get shoutouts in the story. =3 Anyways, as for your story, if you'd like to PM us with it once it's posted, do feel free to. =3 I know we're both always looking for good new stories to read on here. And you have tickled my interest a bit with it. 83 So I say go for it. With that said, I wish you good luck in your competition today and look forward to hearing back from you some time soon. =3

To lillybean queen of the i ocean: You certainly don't say a lot. XD But thanks for reading anyways. X3

To SuperSaiyanKiri: Oh, yes. This story be full of drama indeed. XD But that's what keeps you people actually reading it. XD As for the 70 chapters, you have much to look forward to. Trust me. Don't be thinking that we STOP at 70 chapters. By then, we'll only just be getting started with this story. It's much longer than you all could possibly imagine. XD And so long as you continue to read and review, you shall continue to be acknowledged as one of our reviewers. =3 And, no. Your eyes do not deceive you. We have plans for crossdressing Dibbeh much later on in the story. X3 Though you'll have to keep up with the story if you want to see it. Cause we already know we may lose a good portion of our readers a little later on, given the circumstances of the story. We just hope we can keep you as a reader though. =3 Just depends on whether you can put up with us and our randomness for that long. XD But for now. thank you muchly for reading and reviewing. We hope to hear back from you again soon. =3

To Vithian: Oh, trust me. 70 Chapters only accounts for the very tip of the iceburg when it comes to this story. And this may come out to be the most monterous story you've ever read. We're kind of shooting for one of the longest chapter stories out there. Of course, I'll feel much better once we actually reach the ending we're shooting for with this story. XD In the meantime, however, we're very slowly inching our way towards it. Mainly because we just started work on another new story that we might actually post here. XD Maybe...If we feel like it. But this one be one of our top priorities in writing. And you won't have to feel too horribly bitter once it ends. Because we also have plans for a sequel right after it. XD Two actually. This is supposed to be part of a triology we have planned out. XD But let's not get into that until I can confirm we've actually finished writing this one first. ^^; In the meantime, you guys get to enjoy paranoid Dibbeh. And, yes. He really wouldn't be himself if he wasn't at least a little bit paranoid in this story. XD

To ClockwerkOrange: Alright. I'll forgive you for that last comment. But please do keep in mind that the way you word certain reviews can be taken as just complaining. Your last one wasn't worded very well and therefore just sounded like you were pointing out the parts you DON'T enjoy. Try to stay more focused on what you do like about the chapters. And if you don't for any reason like any of it, just don't respond that week and wait for the next chapter to come out. And, yes. This story could have been updated to 70 chapters by now. But posting all that at once would have resulted in a major information overload. Trust me, you don't want that when it comes to reading this story. Notgonnadie and I can't even keep up with what we write half the time. It jumps around way too much for any one person to keep up with. I'm glad to hear then that you are at least enjoying the story, even if you don't like the antennae touchy. Just remember that it is something our other readers do enjoy as do Notgonnadie and I. As for the speed of my updates, like I've said before, updatage is slow for a reason. I don't have the time to update any quicker at the moment, though perhaps if you're all good, we'll update a little faster once we've actually finished writing the story. Just depends on how much time we have on our hands. Here's the next chapter in exchange for the pineapples and please don't take what I say too personally. We DO want you guys to enjoy it. We just prefer not to hear what you guys DON'T like about it. But anyways, thanks for being such a loyal reader and reviewer anyways. (Hug) And we hope to hear from you again soon. =3

To kaoru1174: Yes. Yes, he is indeed. But emo Dib is what makes him so cute in this story. ^.^ Unfortunately, poor Zimmeh has to put up with it throughout the story. Not that it can really be helped though. XD Dibbeh is put through a LOT in this story. It's expected of him that he'll act that way. XD And it's not that I choose not to wait for you people to review. I give you guys an entire week for a reason. If you can't in that time, then you can't. No big deal. I understand that you guys have got lives too. Just update on time when you can, and if you can't, wait for the next chapter to come out. As for the fanarts, please do give them a look. =3 The people who make them work hard on those pieces. Though honestly, I may have to go through and fix the links I put in my profile. ^^; I think I was posting the wrong links the first time around. And a few people deactivated their accounts, which means some of the artwork isn't there any longer. But oh well. I'll do that a little later on. I'm glad to hear you've got plans to be sticking around with this story. We hope they don't change at any point in the story. There are a few chapters I worry about losing you guys at, but we'll see. And we're glad to hear you work so hard to keep up with this story. =3 I know how it can be trying to keep up with a story that doesn't update often. But we'll do our best not to let you guys down when it comes to updating here. Just don't throw the blame at us if you ever get caught slacking instead of doing your homework. XD We don't mean for this story to be so distracting to you guys. Perhaps that's another reason we don't update more than once a week on here. XD Hope this chapter, and what happens to Zim in it, was to your liking though. XD

To CaptainMoronic: Well, hello there. 8D So nice of you to join us. =3 I do believe we've spoken over on DA the past few days, and I thank you for taking the time to read our story and review. =3. We're glad to hear you're enjoying it so much. And we hope you'll continue to enjoy reading our story as it gets updated. And yes, this story be full of many compelling emotions. But they all work together to keep you people entertained. Though we hope it doesn't distract you too horribly much. XD In any case, we do hope you decide to continue reading it here as well. It's much less of an information overload if you do. So we hope you enjoy this next chapter and hope to hear back from you again soon. =3