The sun finally rose as both Zim and Zee unloaded the last jar of candy, none of which containing Licorice nor any sour candies, especialy WarHeads. When Zee emerged from the buildings dank basement, the sun was just peeking over the horizon and only a yellow-orange blob in the cascaded glass windows. She sighed and shuffled over to the old sofa and plopped down. Never has a couch felt so good. Moments later Zim appeared and stood at the stairs top.

"That was the last of it, but it may not be enough." he informed thoughtfully.

"There are other stores. If not, there are factories." she intoned.

Zim came over and stretched before sitting beside her, "Tired?"

She nodded her eyes half closed. "Now that you're in season, you'll sleep."

"Haven't done that in years." said Zee sleepily.

Both stared off into space as she got nearer and nearer to dreamland.

"I suppose I'll fix up the bedding then, yes?"

"I guess. I'm too tired to do it."

Zim slid off of the couch and wandered over to the pile of things Zee had acquired the night before. "I don't know how to make up the bedding." he admitted with his back turned to her.

Zee sat up slightly, "The nest? Start with one of those blankets."

"Which?"

"Either."
"Okay." Zim took one and spread it out evenly fixing each corner to perfection. "Now what?"

"Place the comforter on top of that, then the shower curtian, then the throw blanket."

Zim followed the directions then cased the pillows and placed them around according to Zee's orders. He then covered the whole thing with another blanket. Once he was done, he turned and found Zee asleep on the stood and watched her, an Irken asleep, watching her chest rise and fall. He came to her side and called her name a few times, but she didn't wake. Finally he lifted her, like abride, and set her withen the circle of pillows. She stirred but did not wake, then she curled into a tight ball. Zim set up the candelabras, as well as the candles, but did not light them. Instead he unfolded the last blanket and curled up against Zee and pulled the blanket over them. He himself needed no deep sleep, but cat naps would of been helpful as well as time with his Zee; his Sporka martner, his metri, his mate.

The moment Zee was fully awake, Zim too has stirred from his nap and rose. Zee yawned and stretched, then looked around. Zim too stretched and both simply sat for a few moments. Finally Zee plopped back down and curled into the fetal position.

"Zim?"

"Mm?"

"Could you find me something? A snack?"

Zim itched the base of his antennae then rose, "What do you crave?"

Zee closed her eyes and replied, "Crunchy, sweet, sticky." was all she said.

Zim shrugged figuring that of all the candies they acquired, something had to fit that description. He tossed back the covers then headed to the basement where the snacks were kept. It was dark and musty, but the candies were safe in their rubber sealed glass jars. He traveled down the rows and rows of jars searching for her desired sweet, but he realized that he knew nothing about any of the candies.

"Fine. I'll just choose something that looks fitting and try it out!" he thought smugly. Of course, after about five candies, he was growing tired of that plan. Finally he returned to Zee who was dissapointed to find that he was empty handed.

"I don't know which candy is to your description." he admitted.

She sighed thoughtfully, "Look for the jar labeled 'Snickers.' she instructed, pronouncing it Sneck-eers.

Zim nodded and returned to the hostage candies and spent another few minutes searching for the 'sneck-eers'. He finally found them and returned with two hand fulls which he dumped into Zees lap. She took one, unwrapped it, and layed back with her arm behind her head and began to snack. Zim sat himself beside her and absently began to clean his antennae like the bug descendant he was. In mid wash, a 'sneck-eer' was thrust before his face.

"Have some. They're good." insisted Zee behind a mouthful of the candy.

"They're yours. You need them." he replied as he took the tip on his antennae into his mouth. Once he released it, the candy was suddenly jammed into his mouth. He almost spat it out in surprise.

"You need it too if you're going to provide for me and your smeets." said she nonchalantly.

Zim felt his face warm. 'Your smeets'. "So uhm..when uh.." he began as he prodded a peanut from between his teeth with his tongue.

Zee tossed aside a wrapper and took his hand. Before he could react she placed it on her belly, "You feel anything?"

"No."

"That's becaus there's nothing there. Wait until I ovulate." she said planly and she let his hand go. Even when she did, his hand remained where it was.

"When's that?"

Zee looked over and raised a browridge. She didn't anwer right away. "As soon as I build up enough sugar reserves." she layed her hand atop of Zims which was till resting flat on her belly, "In other words, when I get fat. When I gain, oh about, "She scrunched her face thougtfully, "five pounds," she rolled over almost rolling atop of Zims hand which he quickly took back, and rested her head against his thigh with her hand tracing swirls onto his lap, "Then you have to work your male-magic." She smiled up at him but then quickly rolled back onto her side with her back to him. "Untill then, feed me, warm me, and stay awhile."

Zim raised his own browridge now, a little confused at her almost bi-polar like actions as he stared at her back only her hand moving to feed her face. He sighed. "Allright. I'll start cleaning the other building then." he said as he stood up.

"Only the ones withen a one mile radius. Starting slow." she reminded without even moving.

Zim began towards the door, but then he returned and nuzzled his face to hers, "Starting slow." he repeated coaxing a low pur like trill from Zee, then stood to begin cleaning what would become their nursery.

"How could anybody rob an entire candy store?" Gaz asked the phone she cradled between her cheeck and shoulder. "Russians? Doubt it. We have a peace treaty with them, remember? Oh really? Why would he do that? Well besides him being the great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of Bush. Well when they start shooting missiles at us, we all know who's fault it is. No. No. Wait yes. What? Midgets? Yeah right. Two midgets rob a Bed Bath and Beyond of their blankets and towls then empty a candy store. What could anybody possibly be doing with all of that? Mutant sewer babies? That's as likely as your Russian theory. Okay, well bye then."

"Zim."

"What?"

Dib looked across the couch at her, his eyes narrowed. "Zim. Two midgets stealing blankets and sugar? After the U.F.O. crash and Zim kills a student? It has to be him!"

"Dib, "she sighed, "Do you even just shut up? I swear to god if you weren't trying to kill him constantly, I'd think you loved him or something!"

"Euch, don't even say that, perv! No! I just can't let him take over my home planet! Especially like this! I though crushing the Earth with Mars was bad, but this?!"

"Yeah? What are you going to do about it? Use your oven mit?"

"Shut up! It's a magical time freezing talisman! And no! I don't know yet. I'll go ask somebody from the Swollen Eyeball!"

"What?"

"Bo-nanna kings."

Before Gaz could sort out what verbal blasphemy he shot at her, Dib was up the stairs and safe in he bedroom with the door locked.

"Okay then. Who should I ask? Darkbooty? No, he's solving the talking kitchen sponge case with Disembodied head. Nessie! Aw yeah, he had me blocked." he grumbled and let his forhead smack on the desk before him. Suddenly his head shot up and he grabbed the neares hovering moniter. He brought up the contacts list and clicked on the one near the bottom.

"SilverShadow!" he called urgently.

The screen lit up and a rectangular sillhuette was all to be seen. After a few seconds it turned revealing a dull silvery outline of SilverShadow. "What is it now MothMan?"

"Did you see the news?"

"Which? I'm viewing several at the moment."

"The one about the flaming city and the homicide!"

She turned away for a moment, then turned back, "Ah yes! That one. What of it?"

"It was caused by a U.F.O! And I know who's behind it!"

"Really now? Did you tell the Government?"

"No, why?"

"Good. If they get any leads, they hoard them all and brush it under the rug. We'd never unravel anything if they got their paws on any information."

"But they do know it involves a U.F.O."

"True, but it's in the middle of the blaze. Nobody can get in and retreive the U.F.O. Or what's left of it."

"Except?"
There was a flash of silver as she smirked, "Except the Swollen Eyeball of course. I don't have the authority to allow you to take one of the fire retardant vehicles though."

"DarkBooty and Disembodied head are in Romania."

"I know. I almost go to go along. Anyway, there is an alternative. You may be able to borrow below the blaze, it will still be fately hot and you'll need to find out how you can locate the vessel. If it's built to withstand speeds greater than light and entering atmospheres, then it still may be intact. Maybe."

"Do you think whatever was in it is still alive?"

"Hard to say. If so, then I can't imagine why it would sit in he middle of hell like that."

"Unless it escaped."

"Or if there was nothing in it to begin with."

"You mean like, a distraction?"

"Precisely."

"Then it may be already loose in the city!"

"That would explain the two dastardly dwarves."

Dib turned, "You're right! Forget the vessel! It was probably disposable anyhow! I need to find Zim and the other alien and stop what ever it is they're up to!"

"Good luck Dib. If you don't mind, I'll continue searching for clues."

"That would be great! I'll track him down!" With that the screen turned black and settled into it's holder while Dib burst down the stairs and out into the city which was still hot and the air was almost to smokey to breathe.

For two hours he rode around the city searching for anything that may lead him to Zim, but the city was eerily void of citizens. Even the animals fled and left only the abandoned cars and businesses. Back towards the outskirts the people went about their day, cautious, but unwilling to leave their life. Now that he was closer to the blaze which was fenced in by large H2O barriers which resembled giant sheets of pulsating glass stretching from the charred road to the peaks of the crispy buildings. Above helicopters sprayed sveral thousand tons of water over the fire in vein, most of which just evaporated. Trucks of sand rolled in and teams of specialists tried to figure out how they'd pour it over and snuff the skycraping enferno.

"I don't see anything! No use questioning the Bed Bath and Beyond employee; her memory was completely wiped and there's no way I can track down the other witnesses. The candy clerk is dead and the cameras were destroyed. He didn't leave anykind of clue behind! He definatly has help of somekind." he said aloud as he stopped before an empty carpet store. "But who would want to help Zim? I doubt he'd share with another Invader. WHO IS IT?!"

As he spoke loudly and gestured wildly a building nearby finally gave way and began to collapse. The desaster crew scattered like roaches and a thick cloud of smoke and debris hurdled towards them and the oblivious Dib. One of them passed Dib shouting incoherantly. Dib stared at the blubbering moron who now spazzed on the ground a few yards before him then looked back and nearly shit himself. A wall, nearly 100 feet tall, of soot, debris and smoke rolled alarming fast down the road spilling into allys and somehow bypassing the H20 exclaimed loudly and tried to start his moter bike which only sputtered and clicked. Already a thick sheet of soot swirled across the road and seeped inside of the moter bike, choking it. Dib could only look back and scream at the top of his lungs as he became frozen to his immobile vehicle and the insuperable wall of death came barreling towards him.