I'm alive! Sorry it took so long! I had planned for this story to be finished by now but my computer crashed. But it's up now. Once again, I'm sorry if this isn't historically accurate.

{}{}{}{}}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Gaz stared at the colorful christmas tree, listening to the joyous music drifting from the radio. Mimi, in a strange content mood, laid infront of the tree working on a puzzle. Neither she nor Tak were wearing their disguises as the professor would not be home for some time, working to aid the war. Gaz could hear Tak laughing as the mistletoe Dib was hanging fell on his head.

"So if you stand under mistletoe than you have to kiss, but what does it mean if it hits you?"

Dib smirked at Tak, "A really long kiss?"

"You're probally making that up, "Tak smiled, "But I suppose there's no harm in carrying out this tradition just to be safe."

Gaz shuddered in disgust as Dib and Tak started to make out once more. Sitting up, she hissed, "Hey! I'm right here you know."

Dib blushed and smiled back sheepishly, "Sorry Gaz. Hey, I got an idea! Why don't you make some popcorn and we can string it together."

"Why do I have to make it?" Gaz complained.

Tak interuppted, amused, "Stringing peices of popped corn kernals together? Now I know you're making that up!"

Groaning as the two began to kiss once more, Gaz collapsed against the couch, defeated. She stared at the grandfather clock and watched as it hit six. Its chimes blended in with the doorbell, filling Gaz with relief. Instantly she got up and went passed a confused Dib and Tak. She nearly smiled at Zim as she opened the door.

"I was starting to think you weren't going to show."

"And spend this horrible holiday alone? Impossible! How can Zim survive this christmas without seeing your pleasant face?" He smiled, shivering in the snow, holding a metal box.

Dib, who had followed his sister, scowled, "Well you saw it. Now leave."

"You can't tell him to leave! I invited him." Gaz hissed as she ushered Zim and Gir in, " Just go back to slobbering on Tak and you won't even know he's here."

Tak's brow raised as Dib came back to the room, Gaz taking Zim and Gir's coats and disguises and putting them up. Before she could ask why he looked so miserable, Gir rushed in, jumping on the couch as if he were home. Tak stared at the SIR unit as he burried himself under the cushions happily before gaping at Dib, "No..."

Dib sighed and comfirmed her fears with three words, "Gaz did it."

"So? You're the eldest, Dib! Go and tell her no!" Tak demaned.

"I can't do that." Dib shrank.

Tak rolled her eyes, "You're too soft on her."

"No, I'm not. I just don't want to end up dead." Feeling Tak's glare on him, Dib sighed and collapsed into the armchair, "You don't know how angry she can get, she's been very tolerant lately."

"You don't know how angry I can get." Tak huffed as Gaz entered the room with Zim on her arm, smiling as he sensed the tension between Tak and Dib, he greeted, "Merry jingly, Stink-monkey!"

Flinching when hearing Zim's voice, Dib got up and looked to Tak, "I'm going to make the popcorn. Tak, you want to help?"

Quickly, Tak leapt to her feet and followed him into the kitchen, "Glady!"

Gaz smirked and looked to Zim, "You haven't been here even a minute and they're already miserable."

"Yes, Zim seems to be on a roll." Zim smiled, proud he could be of use. He could tell by the tired look on Gaz's face Dib and Tak had been unbearable. Something about helping Gaz made him happy. The look of relief in her eyes when she opened the door made him feel... needed. And Zim liked being needed.

At first he wasn't going to come since he felt Gaz only invited him out of pity. But as the day progressed and the festive mood from the humans drifted into his base, Zim thought of all the past holidays he had spent alone. This time of year everyone was happy but him. As humans spent time rejoicing with heir families, all Zim could do was think of Irk and the sense of failure that always sinks in. He didn't really understand what Christmas was about, but he knew it was not supposed to be so lonely. He cursed himself for feeling weak and giving in but as he saw Gaz's reaction he soon turned it to that he was wanted here... Gaz needed him here because she was lonely.

Looking at the colorful tree surrounded by presents, Zim felt the box in his hands get heavier, "Uh, this is for you."

Quickly handing Gaz the box, she stared at it. She glanced at the small card that said 'To Gaz' on it and smirked. Slowly, she opened it and froze as she tried to figure what she was looking at. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. She gently picked up the green stems and stared at the flowers. They looked like roses except instead of petals, large thorns decorated the flower. The largest thorns were tinted black.

Zim stared in anticipation as he tried to read her expression. She looked up from the floweres- if they could be called that and muttered, "They're beautiful. You didn't have to get me anything."

"I said I would."

"Huh?"

"Thanksgiving. You said you liked thorns and Zim said he would engineer a flower of thorns for you." Zim explained as though it were nothing.

Gaz blinked and nodded, looking up from the bouquet, "Oh. Well I like them... I should put these in water."

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

"I can't believe she would just invite that defect without telling us! I thought this was supposed a family occasion." Tak complained as she sat on the counter watching Dib pop popcorn over the stove.

Dib groaned as he realized something, "She's probally trying to make a statement. This is probally how she feels about you being here."

Tak scoffed and crossed her arms, "Well she needs to get over it! I'm not going anywhere."

Gaz came in, carefully holding the bouquet and asked, "Hey Tak, do you have any purified water on you?"

"I usually carry some in my PAK. Why?" Tak hissed, glaring at the human.

Gaz smiled a bit and held the flowers up, "Zim said these would do better if they were in pure water."

Tak made a face at the offending gift, "Why would you want to keep those? I'd throw those disgusting plants away."

Gaz protectively clutched the flowers, "I like them. Can I have the water or not?"

Tak rolled her eyes and jumped down before grabing a vase from the cabinet and taking it to her PAK, filling it with water. Relunctantly, she handed Gaz the vase and watched as she placed the flowers in it. Dib looked at the bouquet before turning back to the popcorn, "Are you sure those are safe? What if they mutate or something?"

"They're fine, Dib." Gaz groaned, leaving the kitchen with the vase. Dib shrugged and poured the ppcorn into a bowl before starting on another pan. Tak looked at him and the content look on his face, "What are you so peaceful for?"

"Did you see how happy she looked?"

"So?" Tak asked, leaning against the counter.

"I'm just saying it's nice to see her happy. She's usually so moody."

"Booze would make an alcoholic happy but that doesn't mean it's good for them." Tak muttered as she ate a peice of popcorn.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Short, I know. I promise more romance in the next chapter. I'm sorry this chap sucked.