ZADR Orange Chapter 107

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

Nodding his head at Zim's decision, the clerk pushed forward a paper for Zim to sign. "Alright then, we can knock off $500, which will bring your total to $2100." he said, waiting for Zim finish filling out the form he had passed him so he could add it to the store's records.

Finishing the paper work and pushing the card from before closer, Zim nodded. "I put moneys into an Earth bank about a year ago. There should be plenty to pay for it."

Taking the card from Zim, the clerk headed for the cash register. "Alright then." he rung it up for him before retrieving a small box for Zim to keep the ring in. "Well, here you are." he handed the box and card back to Zim with a smile.

Holding the box close, Zim grinned wider before turning to Jack. "We can go now."

Jack smiled back. "Alright then, let's get going before it gets too late. I still have to barbecue some burgers and hot dogs for Rose's nieces and nephew. And I don't want to be doing that while fireworks are going off. Not to mention, Dib's probably wondering where you disappeared off to by now. Though I'm sure Rose is keeping him well distracted."

Flinching at the thought of fireworks, Zim quickly nodded. "Yeah, let's hurry."

Meanwhile, back at the house, Dib wearily stumbled his way into the kitchen where Rose and her sister were preparing dinner.

Rose looked up from the salad she was preparing. "Oh, Dib, you're up." she said, walking over to him.

Hiding his face in her shirt as she pulled him into a hug and played with his hair a bit, Dib merely groaned slightly.

"Are you feeling better? It feels as though your fever has gone down." Rose said, feeling his forehead again.

"...Yeah...Only because Zim isn't here..." Dib murmured before looking around. "Where is he anyways?" he asked, only seeing Rose, Purple, and Rose's sister and mother in the room.

"He went to go help Jack get something from the store." Rose said quickly. "But what is this about you being better because Zim is gone?" she asked.

"I don't even know...Every time he comes anywhere near me, I feel like my body is on fire. But I don't know why! I've wanted to tell him, but I don't want him to think it's his fault because I don't know why this is happening! Every time he touches me, it's like fire burning the underside of my skin! But when he leaves, everything's fine again..."

"Really, hmm...I'm not sure..." Rose glanced at her sister, mother, and Purple before then leaning in closer. "Have you ever thought it might be because you're pregnant?" she asked in a whisper.

Dib's antennae drooped. "I considered that...But I don't know why it's affecting me now..." he said.

Sitting at the table next to Rose's mother, Purple watched Dib and Rose from afar, able to pick up on their conversation before standing up to approach them. "A heat, like fire whenever Zim comes near you?" he asked, wanting to know whether he had heard Dib right.

Antennae perking, Dib blinked his eyes up at the other. "Yeah..." he said.

Rose looked up at Purple also. "Do you know something about this?" she asked.

Purple turned his gaze on her. "Well...I've heard of it before...But I've never actually seen it. So I could be wrong about this...It's normal for Irkens to enter times of heat every few years...At least, it's normal for non-pregnant Irkens...But I've heard rumors of pregnant Irkens being sent into heat by a certain pheromone their mates may be giving off...Of course, they only give off this pheromone shortly after having mated...And the partner is usually highly more sensitive to the pheromone's effects when pregnant...Or so I've heard..." he then eyed Dib closely. "Have you and Zim mated within the past few days?" he asked, causing Dib to suddenly tense up.

"W-Well, I-I...W-We...Umm..." Dib stuttered out, so horribly embarrassed by the other's question, his face unintentionally turning a dark, red color.

"Oh, Dib..." Rose pulled him into a tight hug. "It's okay..." she pet his head gently and turned to Purple. "Does this wear off? Is there anything we can do to stop it?" she asked.

"Well...If Zim were giving off that pheromone unknowingly, his computer would probably be able to detect it and perhaps administer a shot with a temporary pheromone blocker in it that would hold over for about 12 hours at the most. But otherwise, it would wear off after a few days regardless."

Relieved, Rose sighed. "Well, that's good to know." she smiled wide. "So...Who's going to tell Zim?" she asked.

Looking down at the still mortified Dib, Purple then looked back up at Rose. "W-Well, I could..." he raised his hand. "I-If his mate doesn't mind..." he glanced down at Dib again, though he seemed too shaken at the moment to even respond.

Continuing to pet him gently, Rose hugged Dib close. "Could you? I think it would be best..."

"Sure..."

Save for bringing his hands up to hide his face in, Dib didn't respond before pulling away from Rose to shuffle out of the room quickly and head back to the bedroom upstairs.

Rose sighed. "Poor Dib..."

Purple's antennae drooped. "I-I guess I shouldn't have asked him that question...I can't seem to do anything right in front of him...He's always mad at me..."

"It's not your fault, Purple. He's just confused. He IS still a kid after all."

Tilting his head to one side, Purple sent Rose a rather confused look now at those words. "Hmm?" he lifted an antenna. "But he's...having a litter of smeets...Are you saying he's still a smeet himself?" he asked before glancing in the direction Dib had just left.

"Well, yes, sort of. By human standards he is still a child."

"Oh...Well...Zim didn't mention THAT to me...Is it normal then for your young to have young on this planet?"

"Well, no. It's not...But it does happen sometimes...Dib is in his last stages of childhood before he becomes an adult...But he still has at least four years left."

"Well then...Is he going to be able to handle delivering a litter of smeets? On our planet, it's unheard of having smeets at such a young age. In fact, until they are officially considered adults, it would be illegal for two underage Irkens to mate or for an underage Irken to mate with an adult just for this reason."

"Well...Technically, it's illegal here too...At least for the mating with adults part. But many children still do it."

"So then...Is it possible that Zim could get in trouble with your Earth authorities for this? I know that if anyone back on Irk ever found out about this he could be severely punished for it."

Rose shook her head. "No, everyone who knows Zim considers him to be the same age as Dib...Plus..." she quieted herself a lot. "Plus...Zim has something special planned for Dib." she whispered.

"Oh, you mean that marry thing?"

"Oh, so he told you about it then?"

"Yes. This morning he was looking stuff up on it. So, does this marry thing he's planning allow him the right to mate with Dib even though he's underage? Without having to worry about your Earth authorities punishing him was somebody to find out his real age?"

"Well, I would assume so. You can't really get in trouble for mating with someone you've declared to the world as yours."

"Oh...So it IS a planetary event?"

"Well...Actually, no. But most civilized areas of the planet accept it."

Somewhat confused now, Purple tilted his head to the side. "O-Oh...I guess that makes sense...Kind of..." he said before his antennae perked when he heard the front door opening.

"Rose! We're back!" Jack called from his spot at the front door, Zim happily smiling down at the small box with the ring he had gotten.

Seeing them, Rose squealed. "Oh, you HAVE to let me see it!" she exclaimed.

Lily and Rose's mom gave her an odd and confused look.

Zim giggled. "Well, I'm not sure..." he said teasingly

"Oh, come on! Please, Zim! You have to let me see it! It's not fair if Jack gets to see it but I don't!" Rose begged, grinning wide at him and rocking back and forth on her feet excitedly.

Zim laughed loudly. "Okay. Okay. But you can't let him know."

"See what? Who can't know about what?"

Zim froze. "Uhhh..." he tried to think of what to say.

"U-Uhh...I-It's nothing...Really..." Rose smiled nervously at her sister.

"It certainly doesn't SOUND like nothing."

"W-Well..." Rose glanced at Zim, not knowing whether she should just come out and tell her what it was or not or whether Zim would care if she told her sister about him and Dib.

Not trusting her in the least, Zim glared at Lily. "It's none of your concern." he finally said with a nod.

Looking back at Zim, Rose glanced at Lily momentarily. "U-Umm...Lily...It's really nothing."

"No, really, I want to know what the big deal is."

"Really, Lilly, it's a secret. And if Zim doesn't want you to know, then you should just drop it already. He has a right to his privacy."

"FINE," Lily grumbled before leaving them to their secrets.

Zim glared at her until she was back in the kitchen. "Okay...But don't tell anyone." he opened the box slowly. "What do you think?" he asked.

Watching her sister leave, Rose sighed before turning back to look at the ring, a smile coming to her face at seeing it. Then, in an excited whisper, she gave him her answer. "Oh! It's perfect! I'm certain he'll love it, Zim!" she said, her smile growing wider and wider by the second.

Zim grinned wide as well. "I just have to find the perfect time to give it to him. I really want him to say yes." he said, eyelids slipping partially closed as he gazed at the ring.

"Well, with a ring like that, he couldn't possibly say no to you. And I'm sure you'll know when the perfect time to give it to him is."

"I hope so...I'm not good at timing..."

"Zim...This is something special you're giving Dib...When you look into his eyes, you'll know when the right time to give it to him is...Because the moment will be special too..." Rose smiled reassuringly at him.

A/N: And there you have it for Chapter 107. =3 Until next time~