"Wake Me Up When September Ends"
-

--One and a Half Years Later--

-
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
-

The days were becoming shorter, becoming cooler as summer ended giving way to autumn. The calender showed all of the anniversaries, each day would mean something different to someone else. Dib looked at the calender and saw that his anniversary was today. It was the day that he destroyed the one place he would now never know whether he could have belonged. It gave him nightmares every time he closed his eyes. Not while he slept, for he could never remember when that was.

-
Like my fathers come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
-

He tried to remember when he still had hope. That had to of been seven years ago, when he landed on earth. For some strange reason, no matter how hard he tried, Dib could not get mad at his memory of him. In fact, he couldn't even remember his name, though he was pretty sure that it started with a Z. It had been seven months since that woman from the Hotel stopped seeing him, and it had been five months since he started to forget. He though that this had happened before, but he could not remember.

But it was September. He hated September. Well, he did not hate it, he just could not stand to remember what had happened then. So, in his desperate mind to make September not happen, he drank himself into a friendly place he liked to call oblivion, just like he did last September.

And would wait until September ended and it was not as bad to live.

-
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
-

The weather was turning for the worse again. He hugged his coat around him, wishing for the warm degrees of the summer. His hood covered the black mass on his head, but it would not protect him from the upcoming rainstorm. He headed for the light, hoping that the owner there would not be opposed to him asking questions.

"Pretty much killing himself," the man answered his question, pointing towards the staircase, giving him a key. He thanked the man (a major contrast from his former self!) and headed up the stairs. There were only so many rooms in the small place, enough for three renters. One had loud music blaring from the door, which was opened, enough to make him scowl and pass the door without even looking in. It was so distasteful that even if it was the person he was looking for he would have ignored him and gone back the way he came. The next door, as he rested his head against the wood to hear, had a few thuds and giggling from a female. He doubted that was the right room and headed towards the last.

He again rested his head against the door, only to hear nothing. He whipped out the key with his gloved hands and unlocked the door, allowing him to say it only took one try to open the correct door.

The inside of the room was a mess, objects everywhere. It stank of the objects that he had tried to keep himself away from. Lying on the ground, a mess, was the person that he had been looking for.

"Dib," Zim sighed, kneeling down to his former nemeses. "I should never have left. You wouldn't be looking so pathetic now."

Dib did not reply, he just squinted his eyes up at Zim and then closed them, as if convinced he was hallucinating him.

Zim clicked his tongue as he slipped the bottle out of the human's unconscious fingers. "You were mine to destroy," he muttered softly, not much venom in his words. "Mine! But you destroyed my missions, what was left of it, what was keeping me interested. And then you rob me of the satisfaction of making you suffer for it." He picked Dib up, taking off his sunglasses to be able to see the room better, searching for the bed. There was a couch, completely covered in garbage. Zim hissed, bringing out one spider leg to wipe everything off of it's surface. He lied the Dib down on it, looking around for a pillow. He found it (under the couch) and lifted Dib's head to slide it underneath.

He stopped. "Look what you've done to me!" he shouted at the one who could not hear him, dropping his head back on the couch. "Caring! Helping! This is not the life of an Invader!" Zim did not remind himself that he hadn't been an Invader for years, even before Dib had snapped. "This is all of your fault!"

He paced back and forth, only two or three paces each direction, fuming. He then strode over to the mini-fridge and opened it to see only ice. Which is what he was looking for. He scooped it out and ripped of a piece of the curtain, whom he figured did not need it. Wrapping it around the ice, he set it on Dib's forehead. He cursed himself again, right after doing it.

"I hate you," he said to Dib, without much feeling. He then proceeded to get rid of the nauseating fumes.

-
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends
-

He head pounded, trying to stab him with his own brains. Dib groaned, sitting up, feeling sick. His body screamed for another fix, so much so that he acquiesced immediately, feeling in his pockets for it. He froze. There was nothing. He emptied every pocket, at least looking for an empty bag. It was not there. Panicking, he got up to try and find his stash.

"Sit down, worm-baby," came a voice. There was someone standing in the corner who came and pushed him down on on the couch. "Don't look for your "candy" I got rid of it. All of it. And your disgusting rat poison and your flammable drink. All gone."

"What?" Dib was torn between horror, anger, irritation, sadness, and the fact that he recognized this person. The person sighed and pulled back his hood, showing his green face.

"You're a mess," he told Dib. "I could only get close to you with so much water before I got sick of it."

Dib ignored him, remembering the person standing in front of him. "I know you," he managed.

"Of course-" the person paused, apparently aware of how much Dib did remember him. Dib knew he should be placing him somewhere in his memory and it was still there, it was just clouded with the residue of the drugs and alcohol.

"You don't remember me?" the person narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses, but he sounded offended.

"Yes I do," Dib countered. "You are... Z... Zi... Zi..." he trailed off, trying to recall.

"Zim," Zim said. "The alien you tried many a year to expose, but as your entire race is somewhat of a disappointment, it never worked."

It was coming back to him, slowly. He nodded.

-
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
-

"And you... rid me of everything?" Dib tried to process it through his mind. He needed that drug.

"I know addicts have withdrawal with what they have become addicted too," Zim began. "I hope you won't be that much of a trouble, because you are not getting any more of it. You will have cravings, most definitely, irritability, trouble sleeping, fatigue, depression, trouble breathing, dizziness, sore throat, trouble concentrating, restless behavior, troubled dreams, and slow reactions." He paused, looking Dib over. "I know how to fix most of that, so-"

"Fix it?" Dib asked incredulously, I did not ask you to do anything, so if you'd give me my stuff and leave, I would appreciate-"

"There is your trouble concentrating," Zim commented. "But if you are unconscious through most of it I do not have to deal with any of it and you will just have the bad dreams. One out of twelve is a good thing."

"What-" Dib suddenly felt dizzy, as he saw the dark form of Zim walk up to him. He felt his eyes close and darkness sweep over him.

When he woke up, he felt even more horrible then he had before. Eyes still tightly shut, he reached over for his bottle, only to have a glass placed in his hand. He gladly went to pour the liquid down his scratchy throat, only to cough on the tasteless substance.

"What is that?" he managed to croak, spitting it out.

"Watch it!" came Zim's exclamation. "Remember, no hitting Zim with water?"

Dib recalled Zim coming in and stared at the clear substance irritably. Before saying anything, his mind cleared almost instantly, almost so instantly that he could have passed out. He had not felt so clear headed for years, most of the fog was dying and he could recall the past year, and most importantly when Zim had come in.

"Well?" came the alien's annoyed tone.

"Zim," Dib said, looking over at him. He would have to say, despite the still green skin, Zim's disguise was much better then it ever had been. "Why did you come here?"

"Because," he responded simply. "I promised I would."

-
Ring out the bells again
Like we did when spring began
Wake me up when September ends
-

He seemed much better, a relief to Zim. At first, his long sleep was a relief to Zim, but then he was afraid that he had hit him too hard. The human was pale and sick, but he had not asked for anything yet, and for that he was grateful.

"You're alive," Dib said, pulling his legs up in front of his chest.

"Of course I am," Zim narrowed his eyes. "You didn't think that much could happen to Zim in two years!"

Dib narrowed his eyes as well. "Two years...?"

Zim swallowed. He did not remember. That in some ways made it easier to speak with him, but that meant, when he remembered... well, something would happen.

"I visited you when you were in that hotel," Zim waved it off, not recalling what they had called the place. "You were pretty out then, so I don't blame you if you don't remember."

"You don't blame me," Dib laughed. "When have you ever been... so... like this?"

Despite his lack of details, Zim knew exactly what Dib was talking about. There was not much different about him, except him. Zim was the different part of Zim. He wished that it did not have to be so, but it had been the only way to survive on this planet.

"For a while," Zim replied. "I have a pretty sketchy picture of what you've been doing, Dib, especially from your sister."

"My...sister..." Dib looked as if he did remember, but he still seemed lost. Zim was about to name off things about Gaz, but then decided it would be best if Dib remembered if for himself.

"I worked for your father for a year," Zim leaned back against the hard couch.

"Dad?" Dib was shocked. "He's alive?"

"Oh, yes," Zim nodded. "His hands were damaged though, and it took a while for the Professor to gather people to do the work for him. His mind is still as brilliant, for a human, as ever. I could have done very well if I just stayed there, he recognized my inevitable science genius."

"He's alive," Dib chuckled, resting his chin on his knees.

"I said that," Zim frowned. He decided not to dwell on it, considering Dib was still on his withdrawal sequence, it was most likely a part of his trouble concentrating. He sighed and tossed Dib over a package, which Dib brought his hands up and nearly caught it, it landing on the couch in front of him.

"Eat it," he commanded, going over to close the window. The week he had stayed here got rid of most of the fumes, but they were still there. He had scrubbed the entire place clean, but it was still there. He would have kept the window open, but this year the cold was coming quickly and he was starting to feel it. Zim looked back over his shoulder as Dib nibbled absentmindedly at the food he had given him. After this, he would try to get him to sleep. Then, next time he woke up, Zim would take his hand at making waffles.

He missed the days of chase and run.

-
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
-

The patter of the rain outside made the other twitch. Dib was feeling better this time, he had barely woken up when he was told to eat again, a plate of waffles being shoved in his face. He ate them, but he was painfully reminded of Zim's robot. Zim did not say that much, absorbed with his own waffles, but Dib could tell he was thinking about the same thing.

"It doesn't look like the rain is going to be leaving soon," Dib commented, though his throat still was sore.

"Then you're stuck with me for as long as the rain is," Zim replied. "I hope you still have that strong will that you used to, filthy human, for I won't be baby sitting you all winter. I'll be going back."

"To dad?"

"Maybe, Dib," Zim put a small piece of waffle in his mouth. "Maybe."

-
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends
-

He could recall that annoying robot. The high pitched voice sometimes haunted him during the days and nights. He remembered the squeaking from his super weapon, the one he was so close to perfecting. He remembered the bored tone of the voice over the intercom. None of them were living creatures, with flesh and organs, but they were a family, something Zim learned the meaning of during his time on this planet. He missed them with an ache in the place Dib accused him once of not having, a heart. Especially the SIR unit that his Tallests told him was a fake.

Sometimes, Zim had wanted to just shut off his pak, himself hidden in a place that by the time someone found him he would not come to. It seemed such a pleasing prospect that he had almost done it at one time. He was tapped on the head with a sword sheath. She had asked him whether he was just giving up. Of course he was not! He was a proud being of the Irken Empire (though he no longer existed according to them, but she had not had to be reminded of that) and an Invader to boot! He would never give up!

She had nodded, as if pleased with that answer. She left, and he had followed, as so to find out what had happened to her. The tone in her voice nearly made him think that she cared.

-
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
-

He could feel Zim's glare on him intensify as he lit the cigarette. Dib knew it was a bad habit, but trying to ditch three things at once was not working for him. He found the pack under the couch cushions, and since it was the one thing that did not play with his memory, he decided to make it easier on himself and take it up again. Zim obviously did not approve, but he must of understood it on some level, because he did not try to take it away.

"The rain's supposed to let up tomorrow, and be gone for a few days," Zim mentioned. Dib nodded, the smoke refreshing him.

"I'm leaving then."

Dib blinked, looking back over at Zim. He had gotten so used to the alien being there, over however long the time period had been. Why he was here, Dib couldn't get anymore out of him then he had promised to.

"You sure?"

"Yes," Zim sighed irritably. "I can't stand this smoke you are belching. If you are taking it up again, I won't stick around for it. I just hope you have enough common sense to stay away from the other stuff, if you have to be doing this."

"Don't worry Zim," Dib smiled. "I think I know better now. Not about to put myself in that circle again."

Zim nodded, before he realized what Dib had said. "Wait! Zim is not worried!" he scowled, a face commonly seen by Dib. "I just don't want all of my hard work to-"

"I know Zim," Dib said, stopping the other's rant.

"Good," Zim crossed his arms.

"Yes, I know," Dib put a hand on his shoulder. "And you know what?"

"What?" Zim asked.

"Thank you."

-
Like my father's come to pass
Twenty years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Wake me up when September ends
Wake me up when September ends

-

"I'm leaving," Zim put on his sunglasses and put up his hood. "You should leave this town Dib, it'd be good for you." He turned the doorknob and stepped out the door getting ready for a speedy travel, the last thing he wanted was to be caught out in the open with the rain.

"Wait!" Dib called out after him. The Irken stopped, and turned back towards him.

"What?"

"What is today's date?" It was an odd question, but Dib had been sleeping so much recently, it was obvious that he would not know it.

"September seventeenth," Zim told him.

"I'm twenty today then," Dib smiled sadly. "And I can't remember half of my life."

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Wow, only two more chapters left. Green Day has just flown past. Hopefully you readers out there have enjoyed it, or else what point would it have been? Anyways, r&r, like always, and keep alert for the next chapter! Whenever that will be...

Dib: I'm a drug addict and suicidal? Do you even know me?

Me: Er... it is for the fans. No offense to you, but they like it.

Dib: What! Do they know me? I'd never do any of that!

Zim: Zim-what? Zim is going to shoot himself now.

Dib: See, he's the suicidal one.

Me: And this is why I did not let you two comment on this before. The Tallest would be more accommodating. At least Gaz is not here.

Gaz: ...what the- click of a gun

Me: running for the hills