Forgiveness

Zim watched as Gir danced about in the orbit of space. They were on the outskirts of Saturn's rings and instead of helping collect dust particles like he was ordered to, the little robot seemed more interested in getting his tongue stuck to ice than focusing on the task at hand.

Zim stared at the robot scornfully, retracting his vacuum tube into his suit.

"Gir, enough!" he shouted, fed up with the minion's behavior. He used a large ice block as counterweight to float over. "We need to finish harvesting these materials and get back to Earth. I promised Tak I would only be gone a short while and-"

Ignoring his master's request, the SIR unit responded with a childish, raspberry noise, vibrating his tongue against the cold surface of the ice. He giggled hysterically.

"No! This is no time for play Gir!" said Zim, yanking the SIR unit free. He shot him an unamused glare. "Listen to me and listen carefully. This is important work we do. I plan on bringing these materials back to the base so I get Mimi back online and win over Tak's affection. All I need from you is to collect the dust particles and transfer them to THAT container." He pointed to the one on the Voot. "Do you understand?"

Gir simply stared at him blankly, his numb tongue dangling out.

Zim slapped a palm to his face. "You'll get to play with Mimi when we get back," he enticed, hoping to spark the SIR unit's attention.

Gir immediately lit up with excitement. "Weeeeeoooooo!" Igniting his boosters, the little robot rocketed away to collect the particles.


Back at the base, Zim landed the Voot and made his way down to the lab where he was happy to find Tak right where he left her. She was busy working on some small chip-like device and didn't notice as they walked in.

He inched up behind her, careful not to make any alarming noises.

"So, whatcha doin?" he asked impishly, chuckling as she nearly jumped out of her skin.

She wheeled around to face him. "Must you always sneak up on me whenever I am doing something important?" she asked, shooting him a dirty look.

Zim grinned and flaunted a taunting gesture. "That depends. Are you still planning on killing me?" he asked.

Catching on to his playful mood, Tak hummed reassuringly. "Well, if you must know, I am constructing a new piece of equipment for Mimi. This chip should calibrate her settings to make her more accommodating once she is reactivated."

She turned around to continue her work.

"You WERE planning on reactivating her, weren't you?" she asked.

Zim backed away from the workstation not wanting to spoil the surprise. "Yes, well I uh...there's still a few things that need to be done, so I am just going to...um, be over there on the other side of the lab." He backed away conspicuously. "Yup. Nothing to see back here. Nothing at all."

With his hands pressed behind his back, he disappeared into the lab.

Tak gave a small smirk as she watched him go. She no longer worried about him devising some secret plan to get back at her. He was likely just sneaking off to work on some new project for her. A gift of some sort perhaps. It was all he ever did in his spare time.

Blushing as she worked, she let her face crack a smile. For such a lousy invader, he wasn't all that bad personality wise. She found that he treated her quite well, despite his zealous confidence and obnoxious tendency to boast his ego over even the smallest of things, and as idiotic as it may be, his infatuation with her did make her feel somewhat special. It was nice to have someone care for her for once. Even if it was the world's worst invader.

Hmm, she thought happily, revisiting the moment when they had gotten close together. Maybe he isn't such an idiotic moron after all.

She heard the sound of something crashing off in the distance followed shortly by a loud "GIR!".

She shook her head in amusement.

Then again, maybe not.


On the other side of the lab, Zim marched confidently over to the containment chamber where Mimi was being held. He stepped up to the station's command console.

"Computer! Initiate reactivation sequence code 279Z!"

The machine buzzed to life and he watched as the startup sequence booted up.

"REACTIVATION SEQUENCE INITIATED."

Within seconds, several robotic arms flew down and attached themselves to the top of the canister. A synchronization of fresh ooze flowed down through the tubes and began pumping into the top of the chamber. Once the initial stage was complete, Zim pressed in a few more buttons. The unit began to vibrate. It hummed loudly, indicating that the final preparations were nearing completion.

"Behold, Gir!" he announced to his minion who was standing less than a few feet away. The clueless robot dropped his ice cream and tilted its head up at his master. "In a few minutes I will have successfully created a gift worthy of Tak's admiration and soon her precious SIR unit will be as indestructible as you are. It will become immune to ALL explosions of insurmountable magnitude!"

Gir cast his eyes to the ground. "Aww. But I like being able to explode."

Zim shot him a ruffled look, but before he could respond, an alert popped up on the console.

"Sir. Incoming message from Vort."

Annoyed, Zim glanced over the notification. "Now?" he grumbled, clicking the button to accept.

An image of a 777 appeared on screen.

"Zim! I only have a moment, but I was finally able to finally track down the information that you requested!"

The Irken's antennae perked up. "Well it's about time," he stated rather rudely. "Tell me Vort slave. What is it you have found?"

777's face lit up with excitement. "It turns out, you Irkens CAN, in fact, reproduce biologically. Most have lost the ability to do so, but it is still technically possible. However, the catch is you would have to find a mate."

Unimpressed with the findings, Zim frowned in irritation. "This tells me nothing horn beast! I need to know about the feelings I'VE been having. The reason why I'M interested in such a thing in the first place. I need to know what is going on with ME! With ZIM!"

The Vortian shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you Zim. Maybe there's something else written down somewhere on your home planet, but all it says here that male Irkens used to compete for females and bring them resources to show their worthiness. Maybe it's possible something has triggered those tenacities in you."

Zim stomped his foot in frustration. "Impossible! Nothing takes control of Zim! NOTHING! You hear me prison filth? NOTHING!"

Too distracted with what was happening on screen, the Irken failed to notice Tak approaching from behind.

"What's going on?" she asked, drawn to the sudden commotion.

Zim scrambled to hide the image on the monitor. "Oh, uh, nothing!"

Unconvinced, Tak gave him a dubious look. "Oh really?"

She forcefully shoved him out of the way, but was surprised to see a very small, very tattered Vortian prisoner staring right back at her.

"Oh my...a female Irken," he stated, his eyes going wide. "Well that um...that certainly explains a lot."

Tak eyed the prisoner curiously before turning back to Zim. "And what does he mean by that?" she asked sharply.

Zim rubbed his neck. "Well, I...um..."

Tak approached with an intimidating demeanor, causing him to cave internally.

"You've been telling others about us?" she asked. "About ME!?"

Zim shook his head. "N. Well yes. I mean...uh..." He began to back away slowly.

Sensing the tension between the two, the Vortian decided to back out. "Well this is a bit awkward," he said nervously, hoping to ease the tension. "I'll forward you the files and call back some other time."

The transmission ended and Tak turned to face Zim another precarious look. "WELL?"

He stared back at her uncomfortably. Beads of sweat dripped down his neck. Her icy glare pierced through him as he tapped his claws together in desperation.

"Well, I um...I..."

He backed away slowly, feeling his ego to shrink bit by bit. The mixture of hatred and betrayal was evident in her eyes and as she drew closer, each step caused a stone to collect in the pit of his stomach.

"I was just uh...I was just-" He struggled to explain himself, but it was no good. He felt his back suddenly press against a wall, realizing he had forced him into a corner. He held his hands up in defense. "I JUST WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IRKEN COURTSHIP RITUALS!"

Tak stopped and stared down at him intensely. "That's it?" she asked, wondering if he was really telling the truth. Baring her teeth, she grabbed hold of his uniform. "And what exactly were you hoping to find out?" she asked, yanking on his collar.

Her intimidating demeanor sent a chill down his spine. Zim felt his face heat up. He knew that if he said the wrong thing, he could turn the situation from very bad to worse. Tak may have owed him for saving her life, but she would not hesitate to kill him if he damaged her reputation. And a disembodied head was not something he particularly wanted at the moment.

"I was trying to understand the sensations I've been experiencing," he answered calmly while his pulse was still beating a million miles an hour. "I was working on reactivating MiMi when the call came through."

"Wait, you reactivated Mimi!?" she asked, dropping him instantly. She dashed over to the machine.

Zim grumbled as he pushed himself back up. "Yes, as I was saying..." he explained, struggling to get his voice under control, "I have fused Mimi's outer shell with particles collected from Saturn rings. The result is a titanium alloy, capable of withstanding even the toughest of impacts. You will find the new shell much sturdier than the last."

Tak's hand slid graciously along the metallic surface of the robot. She looked over at him. "You went all the way to Saturn?" she asked curiously.

Zim shrugged in indifference. "Eh, it was no big deal. It was the only planet close enough with all of the materials, and it was easier to gather them in one place than hunt them down separately. I did the same thing to Gir years ago."

He glanced over at his companion who coincidentally had just doused himself in a bucket of chicken grease and ignited a match. The grease immediately caught fire and the little robot engulfed in flame. He shrieked in terror before dashing out of the room.

Zim shifted his gaze back to Tak. "Ya see?"

Running a gloved hand over the shiny new SIR unit, the female Irken looked back at him admiringly. A sense of tranquility washed over her. I suppose I SHOULD thank him for his help, she pondered, realizing that her stubborn pride was keeping her from showing any real form of gratitude. But then again it WAS all his fault Mimi was deactivated in the first place. I shouldn't be required to thank someone for returning what was rightfully mine, should I?

She approached him stoically, smiling as his antennae fell back in submission. She brought her hand up to rest against his cheek, causing a blush to form on his face. She held him there a moment, deciding whether or not to let him know her appreciation.

I suppose I can't be TOO upset with him. Besides, I can always hack into the system and find out what I need to know later.

"Come on," she cooed, leaning forward to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Let's test out just how durable Mimi's new shell really is."

Zim let out the breath of relief as she motioned toward the elevator. He followed her back to the Voot.


Later Dib let out an exacerbated sigh as Zim followed him through the halls of the school. It had been several hours since the bell rang, and not once had the love struck Irken stopped talking about his romantic endeavors with Tak.

"And then she thanked me with a peck on the cheek for reactivating her SIR unit. Oh, and after that, we traveled to the planet of the mole-hill people and saw how many we could annihilate together before time ran out. And then Gir requested we see the universes largest soda can. It was a lot smaller than I excepted, but still pretty impressive. Hey, do you think Tak likes giant things of soda? Perhaps I should supersize one and present it to her as an offering. She would be so happy!"

Dib stopped in the middle of the hallway and brought his fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He let out an exasperated sigh. "Zim. I get it. You're in love. Could you please just SHUT UP about it for ten minutes? Geez, if I knew you were going to be this annoying, I would have never even asked about it the first place."

The Irken scoffed and shot him an irritated look. "You DARE mock the accomplishments of ZIM, human? I'll have you know, I can still destroy you and everything around you if you utter one more callous remark against Tak."

"I didn't...say anything bad about Tak," muttered Dib, somewhat confused. "I was just asking if you could stop talking about all that mushy stuff for a while."

"LIES!" Zim shouted, pointing in his direction. "Nothing but horrible, filthy lies!"

Dib rolled his eyes and went on to shove his books into his locker. "Whatever. So what were you planning on getting her for Valentine's day anyway?"

Zim froze a moment. "Eh? What are you talking about Dib stink?"

"Valentines day?" Dib asked. "You know? The holiday everyone gives out chunks of meat to one another?"

Zim stared at the boy blankly, but still did not respond.

Dib sighed. "The day you and Tak MET?" he stated.

Zim's eyes suddenly widened as the panic settled in. "You mean today is-? And we are-? And I haven't-?"

Oh no.

Sensing the alien was about to have a minor meltdown, Dib held out his arms to try and calm him down.

"Look, relax. It's probably not that big a deal. It's just a stupid human holiday after all. Tak will probably be happy with anything you give her, as long as it doesn't explode or eat her brain or something. If you want, you can follow me to a gift shop on the way home from school. It's a place where you can pick up a few things."

The Irken scoffed. "Pfft. As if your tiny human brain could ever comprehend the greatness that IRKEN gifts require Dib worm. It must be much more than a simple meat slab. A gift for Tak must be impressive! Extraordinary! Remarkable! Especially if that someone is Tak!"

Dib rolled his eyes again. "Well it couldn't hurt to try. Besides, what have you got to lose?"

Zim contemplated the matter, but the sound of the school bell interrupted his thoughts.

Dib grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall.

"Come on space-boy! Or we're going to be late!"


After school, the two boys made their way to the gift shop. Upon entering, the sound of a jingle chimed above them. It rang again as they closed the door, and the black cat who was contently cleaning its paws on the counter, looked up at them as they entered. It ceased its cleansing immediately and hopped up onto one of the nearby bookshelves, staring at them with gleaming green eyes.

Zim looked around the room, wondering what kind of filthy dwelling the Earthling had brought him to this time. The inside of the shop was dark, and the walls around them were painted with a tacky vibrant purple color. He examined the rows of shelves featuring cheap plastic products on the side. There were a few interesting artifacts, but none so impressive to catch his eye.

He looked up at the other side of the room and studied the rows of rigorous bookshelves that lined the walls. They seemed ancient in architecture, and each contained a series of dusty books that looked like they hadn't been touched in centuries.

Dib looked up to the top of the shelf nearest to them where the black cat loomed. It's tail twitched back and forth and it watched him with gleaming eyes.

Suddenly an old woman appeared from behind the curtain.

"Ah, Dib child!" she announced, tossing her hands into the air. She had the appearance of an old gypsy, with her head and body wrapped in various silk garments and her face wrinkled, giving the welcoming appearance of an elderly grandmother.

"So wonderful to see you again my dear," she said, stepping forward with her cane. "Now tell me, what is it you seek this time?"

Dib approached the counter. "Hey Madame Theresa. I just needed to pick up some supplies for catching zombie rats in the graveyard. I was hoping to run some tests on them later."

"Ah yes," she nodded. "I hear there is a full moon out tonight." She went to retrieve the supplies from behind the counter and noticed Zim standing next to him.

"Oh my, and who do we have here?" she asked, lifting up the board that separated them. She stepped out from behind the counter and slowly approached the Irken. "My, my. You are a strange one aren't you?"

She knelt down and reached a hand out to examine him with a curious demeanor. "Such a wonderful specimen. And such healthy green skin."

Uncomfortable that she was getting entirely too close, Zim twitched and swatted the air frantically.

"BEGONE WITH YOU FOUL CREATURE OF PERFUME AND CLOTH!" he shouted , waving his arms around in a panic. "Leave me alone or I will be forced to initiate my mighty fists of pain!"

Madame Theresa smiled and let out a mild chuckle. "Such a proud creature you are. And what brings you to our humble planet I wonder?"

Zim went cold and suddenly felt a chill run down the center of his spine. Had the Dib-human sold him out? Was this whole thing a ploy to expose him and get him captured by the Earth authorities?

He snapped his head back toward the human for answers, but to his surprise, the boy looked equally as confused as he was.

"Wait, you knew he was an alien?" Dib questioned, just as surprised. "But how? I've been coming here for years! Why didn't you say anything?"

"And who would believe a crazy old woman like myself, hmm?" Madame Theresa chuckled. She looked over at him warmly, her wrinkled smile reflecting back at him.

Dib raised a finger to object, but lowered it. She actually made a good point.

Ignoring him, the woman went back to studying the Irken. "Now, now, no need to worry about me strange one," she reassured, noticing the alien was stricken with fear. She took a step back to give him some space. "No harm will come to you hee, but I do sense something is troubling you. What are the answers that you seek?"

Dib stepped forward, interrupting him. "He came here looking for a gift for his girlfriend," he teased, earning a look of disapproval from the Irken.

The gypsy simply smiled warmly. "Ah yes, love. It can be found on all kinds of worlds." She made her way over to the bookshelf where the cat readied itself to jump down. She reached out and allowed it to climb onto her shoulder. "Certainly one of the most beautiful of rituals," she continued, stroking the feline repeatedly. It let out a heavy purr and she scratched under its chin. "But also one of the most challenging. I am afraid you won't find anything of interest here, my dear. I suppose, however, I can leave you with this."

She waved her hands graciously in the air and the boys looked around as some of the chimes began to sway mysteriously.

"Sometimes the greatest gifts are not the ones that are the most impressive," she chanted, "nor the most expensive, but the ones that mean the most to those receiving them."

Zim tilted his head, staring at her in confusion.

Having said her piece, the gypsy went back to the counter and reached under it to fetch Dib the supplies he'd asked for.

"There you are my boy," she added, transferring the bag to the young paranormal investigator. "Now do be careful with those pesky rats my dear. I would hate to receive another phone call from your father demanding to know why you raised the dead."

Dib took the supplies eagerly and dropped some money on the counter. "Don't worry Madame Theresa. I know what I'm doing this time." He thanked the gypsy and then turned to head to Zim. "Come on Irken skum. Lets go."

Zim hesitated to follow suit, his eyes still glued to the woman. He eventually turned to head out the door when the gypsy called out to him.

"Oh and Zim," she called, causing him to stop and turn around to face her. "Earth is not such a bad place to call home my dear. Perhaps you should try and give it a chance sometime."

Zim wrinkled his face in disgust and quickly slammed the door behind him. The old woman chuckled.

The cat purred loudly and tilted its head up to let out a distinct meow as she stroked its fur gracefully. She nodded in response.

"Yes Salem. I do believe they will too."


Back at the base Tak scanned the information presented in front of her in disbelief. She reread it for the hundredth time with her jaw wide open.

SMEETS?! Zim was planning on having SMEETS? WITH HER?!

Feeling dizzy, she stepped away from the console. "I...I can't believe this. This-...this is-"

Her mind ran a mile a minute trying to process it and she caught herself from fainting. No. This can't be real. Not after everything that's happened. This can't be all he was after all along. Why would he want such a thing anyway?

Suddenly the sound of the elevator behind her caught her attention. She wheeled around just in time to find the culprit himself stepping proudly off the platform.

"Tak!" he shouted triumphantly. "I have returned! And you'll be pleased to know that I have figured out the perfect gift to present to you for Valentine's Da-"

The wind instantly knocked out of him, he was forcefully tackled to the ground. She had him pinned within seconds, and he struggled to breathe as she struggled to forcefully hold him down.

"What's this about having smeets Zim!" she yelled, demanding an explanation.

He stared back at her confused. "What are you talking about Tak beast?" he asked, struggling to push her off of him. "I have mentioned no such thing at any point in the past."

Anger burning, she yanked him off the ground and dragged him over to the nearby computer monitor. "THIS!" she shouted, slamming his head directly into the console. "THIS is research specifically on how to impregnate a female! What were you doing with THIS!?"

Groaning, he pushed himself up so he could clearly see what she had presented to him. He read over the files, and after scanning them, the blood drained from his face.

"I uh...it's not what it looks like!" he shouted.

"Oh it's not?" She yanked him back so they were face to face one again. "Well then, do explain to me WHAT exactly IT is because from the looks of it, you were planning on having ME carry on your repugnant bloodline!"

Cheeks burning, he cast his gaze to the side. "Well I um...I don't think that would be such a bad thing," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

The dismayed look on her face told him his attempt at humor had failed. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Tak, that information you found, it was originally retrieved out of curiosity," he explained. "The feelings I've been having... They aren't things I can explain. I ever experienced them before, and I was hoping to find out more information before you discovered what I had been looking into."

He noticed her expression soften a bit, but only before it was quickly replaced with anger.

"And you expect me to believe that, you pompous, lying, conniving little ingrate?!"

She was not willing to let him off so easily, and she approached him angrily, forcing a claw into his chest. "I want to know the truth Zim. Why do you have those files? Is it some sort of experiment you plan on concocting? Some sort of sick joke? What is your real purpose for keeping me here?!"

Hoping she would actually listen to what he had to say, he motioned for her to put him down. To his great relief, she did as he asked.

"Tak," he started, not knowing how she would take it, "I know you may have difficulty believing me when I say this, but I do actually enjoy spending time with you. These past few weeks have been beyond confusing and somewhat torturous with all the pains, but as inconceivable as it sounds, having you here with me has been somewhat...enjoyable."

Tak scoffed and folded her arms.

Ignoring the gesture, Zim continued. "I know how miserable you must feel being trapped here on Earth, and now that were both stuck on this horrible planet together, but I thought that maybe, maybe we could-"

She lifted a finger to silence him, and he felt his heart sank. He hadn't anticipated her rejection so soon, not after how much progress had been made between them.

He watched uncomfortably as she crept toward him in anger. "Zim. Do you have ANY idea what I've been through?" she asked directly.

The question hit him like a ton of bricks. Of course he didn't. How could he? He had no memories of her countless struggles. No recollection of her insurmountable embarrassment. No knowledge of her hardship. Everything he knew was only the small bit she allowed him to know, and that didn't account for much.

He stared at her vacantly, unsure how to answer.

"Unlike you, I wasn't privileged enough to be born in an Irken facility," she explained, bowing her head in shame. "I wasn't raised to be the perfect soldier. I was born on Irk. Naturally. Different from the rest."

Zim studied her expression and only nodded in understanding. He had learned such a thing was possible only recently, and perhaps, she could tell him the rest.

Taking note of his silence, she continued. "I was not given the same opportunities as those born like you. My biological parents had a choice, either care for me until I was ready to enter training, or abandon me and leave me to die. As you may have guessed, they chose the latter."

Tak looked away and took a seat next to him. She cast her eyes to the ground. "For one reason or another, one of the nurses took pity on me and placed me in an incubator until I was developed enough to have a PAK attached," she explained, folding her hands together. "Once the downloads were complete, I was then herded off to join training along with the others. But that was where the real difficulty started."

She lifted a hand to touch the area where the small tube was connected to her forehead. She let out a slight frown.

"Because I wasn't tank-bred like the rest of them, I was never taken seriously by anyone," she continued. "I was either picked on relentlessly, or ignored completely. It wasn't until I grew a few inches taller that I was even acknowledged for any of my accomplishments."

She paused again, trying to suppress the tightness in her throat. "I worked harder than anyone. Trained harder than anyone. I passed every test with almost a perfect score and desperately tried to capture the attention of my superiors. All I wanted was to prove I was good enough, to finally show I was actually worth something to the Empire, and I was so close to finally clawing my way to the top. So close to having everything I ever worked for once and for all. And then you had to come along and take it all away."

Feeling the guilt rise again, Zim shifted his eyes back to the ground.

"So explain to me," Tak stated, demanding he look her directly in the eye. "How could you POSSIBLY know what it feels like to be me?"

Taking note of the vulnerability in her eyes, Zim gulped, but turned away again. He was completely at a loss for words. Sure, he had screwed up her life back of Devastis, but his mistakes were miniscule compared to the mountain of problems she had already encountered from the start. It had been difficult for her just to be taken seriously, by anyone. She hadn't been engineered to be perfect like him. She hadn't been given the same opportunities as the others. And still, she had overcome those obstacles and nearly risen to the rank of invader before his actions had brought her down to the outcasts they now where.

Having nothing to add, and not wanting to upset her further, he sat there silently, tracing away on the floor while avoiding all eye contact. He wanted to reach out and comfort her while she spilled her heart out to him, but in a way, it just didn't feel appropriate. The only other soldiers he'd ever known had all been tank bred, just like him, and he had no way of knowing what it meant to have such an unconventional start to life. He couldn't think of anything useful to say to her, so instead he sat there, lingering in uncomfortable silence as he processed the information she presented to him.

They remained that way for a while, just the two of them facing away from one another and not speaking a word. After quire some time, Zim decided it was best to just get up and leave.

He was only able to take two steps when the tight grip of her claws latched onto the fabric of his uniform.

"I didn't say you could leave," she spoke callously, a light blush forming across her cheeks.

He was curious what she meant by that and looked back at her with a strange expression. She wasn't looking up at him while she held on, and there was something else in her expression that told him there was something more she wanted to say.

She scooted closer to him, close enough that her hands were about to touch. He could sense the tension in the air between them, but she still refused to look his way. Then, to his utmost surprise, she leaned over and pressed her lips to his, inviting him to return the favor back ten-fold.


Author's note: Hello everyone! Hope you are all staying nice and safe indoors during these intense times. No, the Coronavirus hasn't gotten me yet (*crosses fingers*). But on a more positive note, I've had lots of time to sit and flesh out some new content due to this crazy quarantine. To pick out some highlights for this chapter, I really enjoyed writing the scene where Zim and Dib take the side trip to the mysterious gypsy shop. I feel like the old woman would be an interesting character to add to their universe and it sort of explains where Dib hears about some of his paranormal adventures. Also anyone catch the Easter egg reference with the name of the cat? I took it from an old 90's show that used to be on TV when I was a kid (*hint hint*). As always, let me know what you guys think! Stay safe out there!