Gaz was eating the leftover chinese he'd been hoping to have for lunch when he got home, dropping the thick file folder on the table with a dusty thump. He coughed, waving at the particles that had blown up with the disruption of their resting place.

"So?" She asked before stuffing more noodles into her mouth.

"So, he was just fine." Dib glanced back at the door, even though Dad was still at work. "I grabbed the blueprints I needed, and I'm officially moving in with Zim for a while. He said to send him pictures."

"Huh." She chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Do I still get your room?"

"No!"

"Now you're just being selfish." She raised an eyebrow, and he threw up his hands and left. He needed to finish packing.

Four hours later, he had a cooler full of food, three suitcases, and a bag full of equipment loaded into the car. Gaz had given him a half-hearted wave and was absorbed in a game that had a lot of squishy bloody sounds seeking out of the speakers.

"Good luck."

"Thanks. If Dad comes home in the next week, he knows where to find me… he remembers where Zim's house is, right?" There was a moment of silence. "Well, you know where it is. You haven't really needed me to be a guardian since we were kids. Honestly, even then you were pretty good at handling yourself." He adjusted his bag, and she turned to look at him.

"It's not like you're moving across the country or anything. You left the car on, didn't you? I'll call if there's zombies or whatever."

"Yeah, yeah, you're fine." Dib took a deep breath, shifting his backpack. "I'll text you when I'm all set up."

"Mmm." She was still engrossed in the game, and Dib sighed.

"See you later."

"Right."

He made his way out to the car, turning the key in the ignition and taking a deep breath, taking in the house. It looked smaller, somehow.

"It took you long enough." Zim had his arms folded when Dib arrived, the sun setting casting orange and pink shadows over the base.

"I told you it was going to take a while to finish packing." Dib raised an eyebrow. "I'm staying for longer than a night, I need more than just a toothbrush." He grabbed the first bags, and nodded at the base. "Can Minimoose help?"

"I wanna be the carryin' boy!" Gir clapped his hands together, the fabric of his suit muffling it.

"Uh… hmm." Dib handed Gir one of the suitcases that only had clothes in it. "Bring that into the lab, we'll figure out my room from there."

"What's the magic word?"

"Did the computer get you to- ugh. Please?"

"Okie-dokie!" Gir headed inside, costumed ears bouncing as he moved. Dib rubbed the back of his neck.

"Man, this is going to be weird."

"You spend much of your time here anyways, no? This way I will have you around when I need you." Zim said, turning to march into the house. "Finish with your things, there is something to discuss in the lab. Minimoose will assist you."

Dib fumbled with his bags, sighing in relief as the little moose floated to the open car door, levitating a few of the heavier ones.

"Thanks, Minimoose." He got a squeak in reply, one of appreciation for being recognized.

It took Dib about five minutes to bring everything into the living room, cramming it all into the side table elevator to make it in one trip. Minimoose floated beside him, and Gir clung to the suitcase he'd been given as he hopped on top of a different one moments before the elevator had started to descend.

"I wonder what I'd think back when I was eleven if I said I'd be moving into Zim's base," Dib thought aloud. "Think I was nuts, probably. Man, his head probably would just explode if I gave him the whole story." He chuckled, watching the lights flicker as they moved between floors before the door to the lab opened. Zim was pacing, left antenna flicking when he heard Dib entering.

"You will get room 3B. It's the largest unoccupied one. Tell the computer whatever you need."

"Right." Dib set the bags down, gently prying Gir off the suitcase full of his most important research. He looked around. "3B… that's the one across from the one where you spilled the exploding stuff, right?"

"Mhm, yes." Zim nodded, and Dib picked the bags back up, heading for it.

"Back in just a minute." It was good that over the past two years he'd gotten to know the base pretty well- he found it quickly. He dropped his bags down on the bed, and Gir twirled in place, chucking the suitcase he was holding like it was a discus. It hit Dib directly on the stomach, who doubled over with an 'oof!'

Gir giggled. "Gotchya!"

"Y-yeah, you did." Dib grumbled, picking the case up and setting it on the bed next to the others, rubbing his stomach. Minimoose floated the ones he was carrying down as well, and after he regained his breath Dib headed back out to the lab. He could get the rest later. Zim was still pacing when he returned.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Zim grabbed Dib's wrist, tugging him forward and pressing the palm of his hand to the curve on his stomach. "Do you feel that?"

"Uh, yeah, it's your- oh." There was shifting inside, and Dib grinned. "They're moving again?"

"Yes, and the more it moves, the faster I get drained of energy." Zim grumped. "I normally only have to recharge once a week, but now even with sleep I've had to twice."

"That probably means they're healthy. We're over halfway, after all."

"Forty three percent."

"Huh?"

"My Pak says it's forty-three percent built. It's going to be more than four months." Zim crossed his arms, and Dib rubbed his thumb against the fabric of Zim's uniform.

"So it's a few days longer. At least it isn't nine months, like a human would be."

"It's still longer than I thought it would be." Zim tapped his index finger against his arm.

"I didn't give Dad a timeline. I can probably stay here as long as I need to." Dib's followed the little nudges with his palm. "Oh man, I never made a log about them moving, did I?"

"Not unless you didn't involve me," Zim said, and Dib pulled away, grabbing his phone out of his pocket. By the time he'd looked back up, Zim had produced his wig and contacts from… somewhere. Dib was pretty sure he kept a pair in his Pak.

"Okay, log… I forgot which number this was. Five? Four? I think it was four. Man, I was really slacking on these, sorry. Anyways, they started moving a few days ago! Zim says they're not quite halfway done yet, but that's fine, more time to figure out what's happening. Oh, and I've moved in with Zim, to be able to monitor him from up close, something he's very excited about." Dib grinned before turning the camera to Zim, who had his eyes narrowed.

"You're here because you're more useful to me that way."

"You said it yourself- it's not like I'm not here most of the time I'm free anyways," Dib said. "Don't be such a sourpuss. I will have to unpack, but I actually felt them moving around just a minute ago. Zim says the more they move around, the more tired he gets, so maybe as this gets further along he'll just start laying around. I'll make him easier to keep track of."

"I will not!"

"Didn't the computer say something like that anyways? That you were going to need help by the end?"

"I did."

"Whose side are you on?" Zim glared daggers at the ceiling.

"What? It's true."

"No more vacation days for you!"

"I'm a house, how can I- oh, never mind."

"Okay, Zim, shirt up." Dib shifted so he was standing directly next to Zim, and Zim gave a huffy sigh before pulling the shirt up. The curve to his abdomen was more pronounced now, and Dib noticed little white lines. "Wait, are those stretch marks?"

"Yes, but they're going away as soon as this is done." Zim said. "Right now my Pak refuses to use energy healing them."

Dib knelt down, moving his fingertips over them. "Huh, they're slightly indented into the skin, but on closer look they're just really light green."

Zim pushed Dib's head away. "Okay, enough admiring my form, is there anything else?"

Dib adjusted his glasses, knocked askew by Zim's shove at his face. "I think that's it for now." He held the camera back up. "I have to go unpack, so… end of month two, Dib out."