(A/n- The quotes reguarding the movie are not mine, they are property of James M. Cain, the original author of this amazing story. I advise ya'll, if you haven't already seen this, watch it!! This is based off the 1946, classic black and white film starring Lana Turner and John Garfield. Enjoy!)

"Whatcha watching?!" Zim queried, a camera blinding Dib's view of the screen, the little peephole placed obnoxiously close to his face.

"Move over a little, I can't see." Zim complied, moving over to the side.

Dib looked at the screen then at the camera, "The Postman always Rings Twice." He beamed. "It's just about to start."

Zim lowered the camera, "What's that?"

"About murder, deceit... and plus it's very well acted and schemed."

"Ah, I see." His eyes looked at the screen, then Dib. "Is it about aliens..? Dissection?" Zim looked puzzled and almost queasy. Dib chuckled.

"No, no way... it has nothing to do with aliens. Not this time, anyway." Dib reassured with a teasing tone, but nonetheless it was reassuring. Dib chuckled a little, dispite himself.

Zim sighed in relief, sitting down.

Dib's eyes lit up, "What's with the camera?"

"Oh, this is Gir's, I decided since I'm most likely here for good, I should get into more 'humanly' things." Dib giggled.

"Like home movies?" Dib offered.

"Umm... sure!!" Zim replied with a dumb expression. He would ask Dib more about these 'home movies' later.

"Watch this with me!" Said Dib excitedly. "I think you'll like it."

"Ok..." Zim sighed, placing the camera on a side table, recording them quietly. Soon, they both forgot about the camera and Dib, as well as Zim sat in comfortable silence as the movie started. An affair, a murder, crime after crime, love, a trust broken...

And the funny thing was, Zim was really getting into it. For some odd reason, it struck a chord with him. It made him think a lot about himself.. Dib, his life in general.

Frank: That other girl. She don't mean anything to me.

Cora: She told me you were going away with her.

Frank: Why didn't I? I planned to leave and never come back. Why didn't I go away and never come back? Cause we're chained to each other, Cora.

Cora: Don't tell me you love me.

Frank: I do.

Cora: Oh, but love wouldn't mean a thing to me.

Frank: Do you hate me?

Cora: I don't know. But we've got to tell the truth for once in our lives.

Now that was what hit the nail on the head, Zim thought with a sort of epiphany. Dib was engrossed in it, leaning his head comfortably on Zim's shoulder. Dib tried to explain some things, pointing them out, making brief comments throughout the movie. Zim, merely shushed him, trying to concentrate, Dib just smiled. It was almost eleven, and Gir was already passed out next to them.

They both sighed. The end drew nearer and nearer, and both were slowly but surely moving closer and closer to each other.

"Almost like we're a family," Said Dib softly. Zim looked to Dib, smiling. "Yeah..." Zim replied. Dib leaned in closer, feeling extremely comfortable and at ease, Zim tried to ignore it, but he kind of liked being close to Dib. It made him feel safe, yet unsure at the same time.

The final moments set in, and both were entirely entranced.

Sackett: Suppose you got a stay of execution, a new trial, and acquittal of killing Cora. Then what? Last night, they auctioned off the fixtures of the Twin Oaks. The man who bought the cash register found a note in the back of the drawer. He brought it to me. It's addressed to you. Cora wrote it. It's a very beautiful note, Frank, written by a girl who loved a man very much. I imagine it was written earlier the very night she died. A note of farewell, isn't it?

Frank: She did try to run away that night.

Sackett: And since she had no idea anyone would ever see that note but you, it therefore has in it just enough of a confession to convict you of helping her kill her husband. So, if you were to leave this room because you didn't kill her, you'd soon be right back here again for helping her kill Nick. What's the use?

Frank: Then, then what's gonna happen to me is not because I killed her?

Sackett: No, laddie. For killing Nick.

Frank: You know, there's somethin' about this that's like, well, it's like you're expectin' a letter that you're just crazy to get. And you hang around the front door for fear you might not hear him ring. You never realize that he always rings twice. Sackett: What's that?

Frank: He rang twice for Cora. And now he's ringing twice for me, isn't he?

Sackett: That's about it.

Frank: The truth is, you always hear him ring the second time, even if you're way out in the back yard. Not wanting Cora's spirit to think he did away with her, in the last lines of the film, Frank accepts his fate with one final prayer request. In the climatic ending, Frank asks the priest to make things right with Cora so that she will know that her murder was only an innocent accident: Father, you were right. It all works out. I guess God knows more about these things than we do. Somehow or other, Cora paid for Nick's life with hers. And now I'm going to. Father, would you send up a prayer for me and Cora, and if you could find it in your heart, make it that we're together, wherever it is? (The priest nods)

Dib smiled and turned off the television as it closed to the end. "You liked it?" Though Dib could already tell by the amused, strangely amazed expression on Zim's face, he still wanted to hear the afterthoughts concluding such a dazzling spectacle.

Zim nodded, "It was interesting. I liked it... Humans are alright." He looked at Dib when he said the last part, and they both smiled.

"Hey, it's late, I'm gonna go... I'm beat." Dib said tiredly.

Zim agreed with a slight bow of the head, "Yeah, me too. Hey..." Zim started.

"Yeah, Zim?"

"You think that it will ring twice for us? That we both could get a second chance?"

Dib puzzled on this for a moment, trying to figure out if Zim had another meaning to this. "Yeah, I suppose it will." He trailed off... "Bye Zim!"

"Bye, Stink-Breath!" Zim laughed, Dib merely shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"My breath doesn't stink, yours does!" He said, walking out the front door.

Zim chuckled, but then looked worried. "My breath is fine!" He said reassuringly. But Dib was already gone.

...Swirls...

It. "Time is UP!!" It said uproariously. "You've had enough Time!"

Dib was dizzy, his thoughts and memories seemingly caught in time, but soon it vanished.

Dib tried to keep a little of the good ones, but they all slipped away. In the inner workings of his mind, he tried in vain to get them back. Nothing.

"A question, Mr. Membrane. Answer honestly and bluntly. Do you have any important aspirations or goals you haven't completed in your life? Something that you need to finish, but couldn't because of this unfortunate event."

Dismayed and lost in turmoil, words seemed to dissipate into drivel, and his eyes were locked somewhere, far away.

"Dib... Are you there?" It said in a soft, comforting voice. Dib's mind silenced and he looked up.

"Yeah..." he said, frowning. "What did you say..?"

It repeated the question with a trying patience in its tone.

Dib pondered for a moment, "Um..." A moment later, he realized something.

"Yes, I think that I do. Why?... Am I still alive?" The question naturally came out, and It blinked. "You said my mortal body is keeping me from my soul? Right?? What is this, really? Huh?!" Said Dib in inexplicable light, his mind clearing and his eyes looked upon It with a accusing stare.

It sighed. "You asked what had happened to Zim, yes?"

Dib's face softened. "I did."

"Well..."

Swirls.