A week later, word has spread through town of the two outcasts in love. Some thought it was adorable, some were terrified. Zim tried to ignore the gossiping students as he grabbed put up his books. He couldn't wait for Dib to break down completely so he can be rid of Gaz and any emotions people accused him of having. He was about ready to walk off when, "Hey, Zim!"

Zim groaned, irritated but turned around to see what the Dib-stink wanted. Dib and Tak have yet to fully believed Zim wasn't using Gaz, "What do you want now, Dib?"

"So, is everything alright between you and my sister?" Dib asked, smirking.

"Yes, everything is good. Good like a moose."

Dib raised a brow, "Oh really? I mean she's been home just about every night since thanksgiving. She hasn't even mentioned you."

Only during school hours do they continue their act, feigning affectionate kisses in front of Dib. Zim realised he didn't have any idea what humans do when they court. He would later remind himself to ask Gaz about the mating rituals.

"Unlike you and your horrible mate, we don't need to consume eachother's time. I have my independence and she has her's."

"Strange... most people want to spend every second with the one they love, not leave them to their own devices."

"Pathetic humans!" Zim laughed, "Zim doesn't need to rely on his love-pig to entertain himself."

Dib's eyes gleamed in thought, "So you haven't gone out recently?"

"No, we are grateful to spend time with eachother during school. We are both very busy afterwards."

"She wasn't too busy last night to go out. I just figured since she was so dolled up, she must have been going to see you, but if you didn't go out then I wonder who she was with?" Dib rubbed his chin in thought, smiling malicously.

Zim growled, "It's her business. And none of your's."

Zim turned around from Dib muttering under his breath as he went to the cafeteria. He stopped when he saw Gaz already eatting her lunch, talking to a boy in their class. He was about to take his usual seat when the boy laughed. Laughing? Shouldn't he be crying in fear after an encounter with the Gaz-human? Or perhaps she didn't want to scare him. She didn't seem to mind his company.

Hissing, Zim tightend his grip on his lunch bag and stormed over to her table. The boy was about to say something when he saw Zim approaching with fire in his eyes. The boy jumped up, muttering about a forgotten book report. Zim growled and dropped his lunch harder than necessary, making Gaz jump in surprise. She opened her eyes a bit with a raised brow, curiously.

"Aren't you supposed to be sitting over there, away from people and not near me?"

Zim glared at her, "I figured it would be more believable if we start having our lunches together."

"...fine." Gaz huffed before taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"And it might also be more believable if you don't pursue other males. How is that supposed look when Zim's mate is mating everybody else?" He scolded.

Gaz froze, her eyes widening in anger, "What did you just say?"

Immediatly, Zim began to regret the way he phrased his point. Gaz set her lunch down turning to him, "So just because a guy asks me what the homework asignment was last night, that makes me a slut?"

"N-no, I meant people would..."

"You know, if the only way to humilate Dib is to humilate myself, it probally wouldn't be worth it. Deal's off, Zim."

"And if you do break it off, Dib will probally hold it over your head for the rest of you miserable life."

Gaz stopped in thought. She could almost hear Dib saying I told you so. He would never let her live it down. Seeing her mull over this he added, "And what Zim was trying to say was people might get confused to our supposed love if you talk to other males and I show no interest in you what so ever."

"...I guess you're right." Gaz admitted relunctantly.

"Of course I am. I AM ZIIIM!" The alien shouted, triumphantly.

Gaz winced, "Must you always yell? Everyone knows your name by now, you shout it fifety times a day."

Paying her no mind, Zim continued, "Now, in order to pull off this plan, we must make it more convincing. It seems eight hours a day at school together isn't enough time mates are supposed to spend together..."

Zim rubbed his chin in thought before asking, "What do Dib and Tak do when they perform this dating ritual?"

"How the hell should I know? I don't go with them." Gaz skewed her face in disgust.

"Well then, what do humans do during this custom? Is there an offering of animal sacrifices?"

Gaz stared at him in amazement, "Animal sacrifices, Zim?"

"Meals."

"Oh, " Gaz nodded as she understood what he was trying to say, "Yeah, couples usually go out to eat together, but it doesn't have to be meat if that's what your worried about."

"Is there anything else humans do?"

"Going to the movies is something that couples do. Actually, you can do a number of things if both parties have the same interests. Parties, dancing and such things. Not really my cup of tea. But you get the picture." Gaz shrugged, resuming her lunch.

Zim nodded in understanding, "Then we must proceed with the usual routine of courting. Gaz, tonight Zim shall take you to the movies!"

Gaz once again shrugged pulling out a couple of books she had in her lap. She flipped through one and asked, "What day is it?"

"Uh...the seventh I think."

"Crap, I have to return this tomorrow. I haven't even finished it yet." Gaz sighed as she looked over a copy of The Legend of the Wendigo.

Zim remembered something Dib had said, "You didn't have time to read it last night?"

"No, I had another book that was overdue and I had to return it."

"Dib said you were... what was the term he used? All dolled up."

Gaz snorted, "I wouldn't really call wearing a ragged pair of denims dolled up."

Zim narrowed his eyes at Dib who was sitting across the room with Tak, staring at him intently. So the Dib-monkey tried to fool him with the emotion of jealousy. But that must mean he wants his sibling away from him, by stretching the truth. Their plan was working!

"Tonight, Gaz, we shall begin the next phase of our farce." Zim smiled, rubbing his hands together in a menacing manner.

"Alright... But I pick the movie." Gaz hissed as she marked her page with a bookmark.

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"Move it! Shoo! Make way for Zim and his love-pig!" Zim hissed at random people in a theatre to move as he and Gaz, arms full of snacks, tried to squirm their way into the best seats in the middle of the row.

Gaz growled as Zim made a spectacle of the both of them. Finally reaching the desired seats, he quieted down. Gaz sighed in relief as he handed her popcorn, thankful he was finally silent. With any luck he would be too interested in the movie to go on another rant of victory.

"What movie is this again?" He asked, shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

"Shadow of a Doubt, by Alfred hitchcock. The greatest director that ever in the history of Hollywood." Gaz muttered softly as a news short played.

"Greece suffers the fangs of war as nazis pour down the mountains. A stunned people sorrowfully stands by as the invader destroys their homeland."

Hearing the word invader, Zim turned all his attention to the reel. He watched as another country, Britain and Germany fight. Curious he turned to Gaz and whispered, "This invasion is bad?"

"What do you think? People are losing their lives just because a country's leader says the world must be cleansed of non-christains."

"Cleansed how?"

Gaz sighed, "I don't know. All we know is Hitler is a madman, he might just be bluffing."

Zim took this in as he continued to watch. He never took time to study Earth's politics before, but trying to understand it made his head spin. There were so many different things and different wars just on one planet.

"Memories of what was once the glory of France stir the deepest emotions of soldiers returned from prison camps. The once revered battle flags of the republic pass grim review before a still proud people whose hearts bow in submission in this their darkest hour. People reach out their hands in hungry repeal. Dimed eyes of the faithful stare in awe. Famished children, rationed meals. This is France under the conquerer's heel."

Once again Zim felt he needed more information than the black and white footage told him. He whispered to Gaz once more, "Why is your planet invading itself?"

Gaz rolled her eyes but knew she would not get any peace until he recieved an answer. She whispered in a hushed voice, "I don't know about your home, Zim, but Earth is devided by bodies of water. Each land formed it's own culture. Then when humans began to travel over the seas, they discovered a much different world than they were used to. They began to fight over whose ideals were right and saw all other countries as hethans. Since then Earth has been determined to prove which country was the strongest by invading others."

"I see. Earth is like many different planets in one..." Zim mused, "So Germany is the strongest?"

Gaz scoffed, "No. America is. That's our country if you're too stupid to have checked where you landed."

"Then why is America not invading the other countries?"

"Because it's wrong!" Gaz hissed before being shushed by people in front of her. Speaking more quietly she said, "There's no honorable victory in forcing a land to give up everything and be prosecuted just because they have different ways then us. It is best to stay out of other countries' affairs."

"But what if they are wrong? What if such differences puts us in danger? If we don't invade, they will. And in the end it's in the best interest for the country." Zim said, taking a peice of popcorn.

Gaz stared at him. It wasn't her usual glare of contempt but one of shock and horror, a look Zim never thought she could possibly express. Gaz whispered in a small dry voice, "How? How can destroying someone's home, their beliefs, the only way of life they've ever known, be best?"

Zim's eyes scanned her face as he searched for a possible answer. He repeated what the tallest would tell them, "If the land was weak enough to be invaded then it would've collapsed on itself eventually. Invading it will give it a strong structure to build their lives on. They would find a new, more useful lifestyle."

Gaz was silent for a moment before she whispered, "And is this what you believe or is this what you were taught?"

Zim decided to say no more as he sensed her unease of the topic. He turned his attention back to the screen to see Universal Pictures logo play. He focused on the credits, trying to ignore the chill of Gaz pulling away. He always thought she was different from the rest of her species, too smart to believe in their weak ways. But he supposed anybody, human, vortain, or irken would be sentimental of their home planet.

Gaz watched the actors talk over money and of people they never met. She tried to focus as a man started to plot to take a man's place to steal money from his family. But Zim's words echoed through her mind. Was Dib right? Was this spastic, dumb creature next to her capable of destroying her world? She pictured her and her family gaunt and tired, living in poverty as they work for an alien empire. How many would be spared to live that horrible life and how many will be killed out front? She shivered, getting the attention of Zim.

Zim looked over wondering if she was getting sick when something caught his eye. He saw Dib and Tak whispering to eachother as the eased their way into the row behind them. It wasn't until after they sat down did they reckonize the silhoutes in front of them. Zim elbowed Gaz, quickly wrapping his arm across her shoulders. Gaz was about to tear him apart when he signaled behind him. Gaz let out a groan to see her brother and his once communist girlfriend behind them.

Dib leaned forward, "Gaz, what are you doing here? And why are you with him?"

"The same thing you are. I'm on a date. If you don't like it you can leave, we were here first." His sister snapped.

Tak rubbed his arm and whispered that it would be best if they stayed, just to make sure Zim didn't do anything destructive. Even if that meant Dib having to give up a chance to pester Zim.

Forty minutes into the movie, Tak was engrossed in the dark tale as she cuddled against Dib. He, however, was too engrossed making sure his enemy didn't do anything to his sister. Gaz yawned, her head starting to droop. The movie was interesting but she couldn't saty awake, she always gets more lethargic during the winter. It wasn't long before Zim found her leaning her head on his shoulder, her breathing softly. Feeling a small shiver, he took his jacket he had draped over the chair next to him and covered her, a slight fear of her falling ill. It wouldn't do to have the sister of the man determined to disect him die in his arms

Dib was about to lunge, fearing Zim was trying something when the film stopped. People mumbled and demanded for them to start the projector back up.

Tak scoffed angrily, "Great, now we'll never know how that man was connected to Uncle Charlie!"

Gaz woke up from the comotion and noticed the lights turning back on, yawning, "Is it over?"

A thin wispy man stood infront of the theatre, clearing his throat. As people began to leave he spoke above the voices, "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. We are sorry for the inconvienence and promise the show will start back up and you will all recieve a refund."

"But I'm afraid I must inform you of..." The man shook, sobs starting in his speech, "Of a tragedy. America is under attack."

Everybody froze and gasped. Even Zim was in shock. The man started to sob harder, "Pearl Harbor has been hit by Japan. It seems we are at war!"

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*screams* BLOOOOODY WRITER'S BLOCK! UGH! So annoying. I'm sorry this chapter sucked major ass. And I looked up some news reels in 1941. That was the actual dialog. I think I got the movie wrong though, since the war was already a part of the plot, but as I said before, you're going to have to excuse a few mistakes as I am not an expert on history. I always pass history wit A's but I forget everything I learned after I leave the class.