A/N: And so approaches the start of a new year. Sorry for the bit of a wait on this next chapter, you guys. I needed to take a step back from the fandom for a while after everything that happened in recent months. Figured the new year would be a good time to pick things back up. So lots of love and appreciation to those who read/sent in reviews the past month or so. I appreciate the continued support, even though I was on a bit of a hiatus for a while there. I'm happy to say I plan on picking things back up again tomorrow however and trying to provide more regular updates. =3 So I hope you guys enjoy this quick chapter I have to post, as well as the future ones to come starting tomorrow. ^^

ZADR Orange Chapter 105

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: Notgonnadie

Dib: Me

Enjoy. =3

In its usual, monotonous voice, the computer responded back to Zim's words. "How should I know? Why don't you ask him yourself? He's still in his room." it said lazily, not wanting to have to really answer Zim's question.

Zim sighed. "FINE! Worthless piece of junk...I'll be right back, Dib." he kissed his cheek before heading to the spare room.

Watching as Zim left, Dib sighed out in complete relief, the heat taking over his body leaving just as quickly as it had hit him, causing his legs to shake somewhat unsteadily as he gave in and fell to his knees before attempting to recover.

In Purple's room, Purple, meanwhile, reclined on the bed in his room, flipping through the channels of a small intergalactic television he had brought with him and set up on a dresser across from the bed. When there came a knock on the door, he lifted an antenna curiously. "Come on in!" he called to whoever it was on the other end of the door, though he was fairly sure he already knew who that was.

Zim stepped into the room quietly. "Hey, Pur. Dib and I are leaving for Jack's and Rose's house. Are you going to come with us?" he asked.

Raising his other antenna, Purple sat up in the bed. "Already?" he asked, looking around the room as though in search of a clock. "Does your mate care whether I come...?" he then asked, bringing his gaze back to look at Zim seriously, wanting the truth from the other. "Or would he rather I stayed?" he asked.

"Well, he WAS the one who reminded me to ask if you were going to come. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Zim grinned wide, oblivious.

"Hmmm...Well, maybe...If he really doesn't mind..." Purple said, hesitantly sitting up more to turn off the TV and follow Zim out into the living room.

"Hmm...Do you need a disguise though...? It's pretty obvious that YOU aren't human...But they ARE stupid creatures..."

"But isn't your mate part human? And his parental units too?"

"Well, they are different. But in general, most humans are stupid."

"So then...Do you think I need one to walk to their dwelling place with you and your mate?"

"Hmm...Well, maybe just a hat." Zim nodded assuredly.

"A hat? Well, alright then...If you say so...Do you even have one though?" Purple asked as he followed Zim into the living room where Dib was waiting for them, having moved from his spot on the ground to the couch, sitting with his gaze fixed on his lap.

When he heard Zim returning with Purple, Dib's antennae twitched and he lifted his gaze to look at the both of them.

"Well...I have ONE. COMPUTER! FETCH ME THE HOBO-HAT!"

"The Hobo-hat?" Purple sent Zim a strange look as the computer retrieved the hat for Zim and dropped it into his hands.

Zim held it up to him. "Here." he smiled as he offered the ratty, floppy hat. "It will hide your antennae."

Taking it with a slightly disgusted look on his face, Purple squeezed one eye shut. "Err...Thanks...I think..." he said before putting it on over his antennae. "What about you? Aren't you going to wear a disguise too?" he asked.

"Oh...Well, I don't like wearing mine..." Zim said before glancing back at Dib and sighing, pulling it out and putting it on anyways.

The boy's own focus on his lap again, Purple glanced over at Dib for a moment, a small amount of shaking detectable to him as he watched the hybrid a few moments before returning his gaze to back to in front of him.

Zim sighed. "There. This is my disguise." he smiled a little before turning to Dib and laughing lightly. "Did you get tired?"

Lifting his gaze to look back up at Zim, Dib felt his antennae twitch again. "Maybe just a little...But I'll be fine..." he said with very little emotion in his voice as he slowly pushed himself back up onto his feet to stand.

Zim watched Dib worriedly. "You sure you don't want some help?" he asked.

"I'm fine...You don't need to worry about me..." Dib said, walking past the other to get the door so they could head out already, trying to keep from having any physical contact with Zim until they got there and he could sit down, worried he may not be able to stand were Zim to get too close to him at this point.

Thinking Dib was mad at him, Zim visibly drooped. "O-Okay..." he followed him out of the house.

Noticing this also, Purple came up behind Zim to tug at his shirt lightly. "A-Are you sure you don't want me to stay here?" he asked, in a whisper to the other.

"Of course not. Rose and Jack would LOVE for you to come."

"But I don't think your mate is all too happy about it..." Purple whispered, pointing at Dib's back, which was facing them as they walked. "I think he's mad at you...b-because of me..." he said, his antennae drooping. "And I don't want him to be mad at you because of me..." he said.

"No...It's okay." Zim stated in a way that showed he wanted to drop the subject.

About to protest again, Purple stopped himself, sighing out quietly as he followed behind Zim silently now. "I'm sorry..." he apologized, knowing his being there was putting a strain on Zim's and Dib's relationship.

Intent on just following Dib to Jack and Rose's house, Zim didn't respond.

Not even waiting for either Zim or Purple to catch up, Dib reached Rose's and Jack's house within a matter of minutes before making his way up to the door to knock on it.

Answering the door after a moment or two, Rose smiled at seeing Dib. "Oh, Dib! You're so..." she cut herself off, smile falling away when Dib just shuffled into the house ahead of Zim and Purple, antennae pressed to the back of his head uncomfortably and face flushed. Looking up, she saw Zim and Purple slowly approaching. "U-Ummm...Did something happen?" she asked.

Zim shrugged. "I don't know...He's been avoiding me all day..." he said quietly. "He doesn't like me touching him anymore..." he then said.

"Well, that's strange. Did he say why? Because he's fairly open most of the time about what's bugging him."

"It's because of me! He's mad because I'm here! I know it!" Purple exclaimed, fairly upset now.

"No, Dib's not like that." Zim insisted, clenching his fists. "It's something else. I just need to find out what..." he said.

"Well, have you tried just asking him? Maybe he'll tell you what's wrong with him if you do. It just doesn't seem like Dib to keep something like that to himself."

"Well...No, I haven't...Usually he just tells me..."

Rose sighed. "Well, if you're not going to ask him, then I will." she said, turning to head for the kitchen where Dib had taken refuge, Zim and Purple following behind her. Walking in, she found Dib sitting rather uncomfortably in one of the chairs. "Dib?" she approached him slowly, reaching out a hand to touch him softly. "Dib, is everything alright?" she asked, walking up to stand next to him before kneeling down in front of him, his facial expression less than a happy one, tired if anything. "Hmm? Are you feeling alright, Dib?" she asked, reaching up her hands to feel his face, his cheeks first then his forehead. Dib wasn't responding save for wincing back at the small touch. "Oh, Dib..." she pulled him into a small hug before turning to look back at Zim worriedly. "Zim, he's burning up." she said.

Zim's eyes widened. "I KNEW he was sick! I just knew it!" he whined, tugging on his antennas. "He needs medicine." he said.

"No! I don't want any! It will hurt the smeets!" Dib struggled against Rose a bit, trying to pull away.

Holding him in place however, Rose refused to let go of him. "Calm down, Dib! It's alright! It's alright..." he voice grew soft. "Nobody's going to make you take any medicine...It's alright..." she said, urging him to stand up from the chair with her. "Come on. I'm bringing you upstairs to sleep in the guest bedroom for a while." she said, wrapping an arm around the frazzled Dib to lead him upstairs.

Sighing, Zim wilted. "So that's the problem then..." he said, assuming the problem was that Dib was sick and thought he was going to force him to take medicine.

Hearing the doorbell ring just as she was leading Dib past the door to head upstairs, Rose sighed. "Just one moment, Dib, okay?" she said, letting go of him to get the door. "Oh! Lily!" she squealed happily, pulling her older sister into a hug before kneeling down to greet her two nieces and one nephew, the oldest girl about 16, the younger one about 6, and the little boy about 5. "Blaze! Kira! Come give your aunt Rose a hug." she pulled the giggling young girl and boy into her arms before standing up to hug the oldest girl. "You're just in time. Jack is in the back yard and could use some help getting set up." she said to her sister, Dib all the while remaining hidden behind her, the older girl's eyes glued on him.

"Who are you?" the older daughter asked, staring blankly at Dib.

"Umm...Uh..." Dib suddenly became very flustered, Zim not having told him Jack and Rose were having other people over too.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Rose pulled Dib forward. "This is Dib. Dib, these are my nieces and nephew. And that there is my sister." she said, pointing to Lily.

Nodding her head, the older daughter stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Stella." she said.

Glancing up at Rose, Dib hesitated to take the hand before reaching out to shake it. "H-Hi..." he said, not making eye contact with her.

Stella kept eying him. 'Hmm. He's kind of cute...if a bit chubby.' she thought. "So you're about my age, aren't you? You look like you would be." she said.

"Well, yes, actually. He's 16. Same age as you, Stella."

Stella grinned wide. "Really?" she took her hand from Dib's, crossing them behind her back. "Would you like to sit next to me during dinner, Dib?" she asked.

"U-Ummm...W-Well, I...Umm..." Dib looked up at Rose for help.

"We'll see about that later, hun. Dib is running quite a fever right now, so I'm just going to get him upstairs into bed for a few hours." Rose said, placing her hands on Dib's shoulders and pulling him back towards her.

Stella pouted a little. "Well, alright." she said before grinning. "But I'm still sitting next to you." she said.

His back pressed against Rose, Dib could only blink back at her nervously.

Rose looked down at him. "Come on, Dib. Let's get you upstairs into bed." she said before leading him over to the stairs. "Lily, you and the kids can head into the kitchen for now. I'll be right down in just a few minutes." she said before walking Dib up the stairs to the spare bedroom they had.

Sighing, Zim, meanwhile, was sitting in a chair in the kitchen. "Things are not looking good..." he said, hoping he and Jack could leave soon. He really just wanted Dib to be happy.

A/N: And there you have it for Chapter 105. =3 Until next time~