At Your Funeral

She entered the church, feeling completely out of place. She could still tell Zim was behind her, or at least he was when she entered the church. Her brother was up at the front, looking into the coffin. She walked up to him, trying to ignore her father, just lying there. It wasn't right. He had to be doing things, he had to go to work and not come home until late. He had to tell her to listen to her insane brother's ramblings. If he didn't tell her to, who would?

"Gaz," Dib managed, turning towards her. "You almost didn't make it in time. I- I asked them to wait a bit longer, just in case you wanted..." He drifted off as she didn't acknowledge him. How could she? Dad was dead. He was the only one that she could stand on this planet, how could she live without that anchor? Dib was the only family she had left, and as much as she hated him, he was the only familiar thing in this church that she could cling to. She would rather be stuck with her brother then anyone else outside of this church.

"I don't want to see him like this," she whispered through a raw throat. "Dib, I just can't," she closed her eyes and bowed her head down, trying to get the image out of her head. She felt a hesitant hand pat her shoulder.

"That's alright Gaz. Come on, let's go outside."

She allowed Dib to lead her out, just so she could keep her eyes closed and keep the tears inside. There were so many strangers here, she couldn't show this in front of them. Gaz opened her eyes when she felt them walking up hill. She remembered this place, Dib was leading her where their Dad was to buried, and she already knew it. She wondered just how much longer it would take before her whole family was buried here. There had only been the four of them, no more. Now that she could see with no danger of breaking down, she pulled away from Dib, who did not argue. She stared at the hole in the ground that she felt would consume her.

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"Gaz?" he asked, not actually sure what to do now.

"Zim?" Dib asked incredulously, turning to face him. "What are you doing here?"

She looked up at him, reminding him that the Dib was not to know of their deal or he might stop Gaz from helping him tomorrow. He shifted nervously. "Because I wanted to, Dib-stink. Your father was very intelligent and interesting, for a hyuman."

"I doubt that," Dib snorted.

"He was a better man then you'll ever be," Zim sneered back at his enemy.

"You aren't welcome here," Dib growled. "Go to your base and plan some human destruction plan that will most likely fail. We don't need this today."

"We?" Zim questioned. "I think you mean you, Dib-worm. I don't think that your sister minds me being here as much as you do. It is a bit-"

"Just don't interrupt the proceedings Zim. Please just be quiet," Dib turned away from Zim and back towards the casket that was being brought. A deep, ragged breath was taken before he continued. "Please don't mess anything up."

"The only one I'd bother to bother here would be you," Zim crossed his arms. "You, and your enormousness head!"

"My head is not big!" Dib snapped at him, seeming more furious then usual.

"If you ignore it, it might go away," Gaz said.

"I doubt it, something with so much mass couldn't disappear unless by force," Zim stepped up beside Gaz, to get as far away from the Dib as possible and still be at the funeral.

"I wonder what would happen if I ripped off that wig of yours..." Dib trailed off as he looked at Zim's new hairstyle. "What did you do to it?"

"I decided since all of my classmates have gone through their identity crisis teenage angst period, I should get mine over with before the year is over," Zim explained, feeling that made sense.

"Both of you shut up," Gaz muttered as the others finally came up on the hill. Surprising Zim, Dib listened to her, silencing himself as he watched the proceedings. Zim could not help but watch in fascination at a human funeral. An Irken's funeral would not have taken as long, the body just being disposed of and the pak (depending on the status of the Irken in question) would be placed accordingly. Unless it was a Tallest, no procession would occur. Membrane was not a world leader, he was a scientist who had made a difference. Irken scientists would be forgotten. He, and less important people also buried in this area all had and would have something like this for him.

When he died, would anyone notice? Would anyone grieve as the people here would? Membrane's death even managed to get the normally emotionless Gaz to cry, which disturbed him. Would he make that big of an impact? Zim wondered why this bothered him so, considering once he was dead it really wouldn't matter what people thought of him, but... he really wanted to be remembered.

After the random words were spoken, people were lining up to talk to Membrane. It took Zim a few moments to understand what was going on. It was that spirit that humans believed in. Irkens knew better, that there was no life after death, but humans seemed to believe that it was true. He watched as Dib went up, Gaz still staring at the sky as she had when it had started.

"Dad... I don't blame you," Dib said to the closed casket, laying down a plant on the lid. "I don't blame you for leaving. I wish you... could still be here. I wish I didn't disappoint you," he was crying at this point, making Zim feel uncomfortable. "It isn't fair! You could still be here! I promised myself I would accept this, not like Mom... I want to keep the rest of what I have together. Please, I need to keep her. If I loose her... I don't know. At least you can be happy Dad. I will try hard for you not to be disappointed in me. I will..." Dib broke off, not able to say anymore.

This bothered Zim. It seemed that dead, he had a stronger hold on Dib then he had alive. Dib felt as if he had to do something for someone who was dead. It was also something else. Even when he talked to him on the street, Dib didn't seem this upset. It was as if before was a warning for Membrane's death and this was actually him dying. These human emotions confused Zim, but now he was trying to understand. Not like he was before, judging it, trying to understand it as if he would have with the emotions (for learning purposes, Zim told himself, knowing this might help him with a scheme or two in the future). In thinking like that, Zim felt a small amount of pity for him. Going over to Dib, he patted his arm (a bit hesitantly, of course) as he faced the closed casket.

"I'll never understand it," he said to the casket, feeling rather foolish, for there was no point in talking to a dead person. "Almost every human I've met is a complete idiot, but yet there are a few that constantly surprise me," Zim stopped, trying to think of some other things to say. He thought of it as Gaz told him. He owed it to Membrane to be here, so was that the same as what he should say? "I'll watch these children of yours, only because they're more interesting then any of the other people in the Hi-skool. I don't give any favours lightly, so feel honored!" Zim stopped, feeling foolish that everyone else had put some type of thing on the casket and he hadn't. "I don't feel like giving you earth, Membrane, for that was already your's to begin with."

Zim turned to notice Dib looking at him. It was a strange look that Zim wasn't used to.

"I am an alien, you know," he said to the coffin. He walked away, back over to Gaz, thinking about it. He knew why the Dib's eyes had been strange, despite the tears. There was no hatred in them.

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People had started to leave, done now that they had their final words in. Some people stuck around, not able to believe that soon he would be put underground and would never be heard from again. Gaz finally walked up to him, no one else still standing there. She looked at the boards, now wishing to see her father one last time. But it was too late, it would never open again. She wondered of the existence of souls and whether Dad's would have waited to hear their final words before heading towards the one he most wanted to see. She wondered if he had heard Dib's binding words, which she didn't understand; Zim's promising words, which he probably didn't understand and she knew he wouldn't keep. Whether he would hear her words and come back. Dib was not going to try that again.

"I love you Dad," she said, reaching in her pocket. She pulled out her Game Slave, dented from hitting the ground. She set it on his casket, knowing that he would understand. A speck of snow fell on to it's screen from the thick sky.

Now, only if she could.

She watched the case with her father's body go into the ground. In a few days, people would know that he was dead. It would not take that much longer before they found out this is where he was buried, in a graveyard. It was nothing special, nothing made this place stick out so people would know instantly that the famous Professor Membrane was buried here. The only thing that made this place different then any other place that he could have been buried, was that the only person he truly loved in his life rested here. Right next to the crowded hole, was a tombstone. The tombstone that Dib now stood by, as if the memory of the woman under him would give him the courage to continue.

To Peg

A wonderful mother

The love of my life

We will be together always

The most emotional her father had ever been. The time when she had known him.

"Let's go Dib," she said to him, just continuing to walk by, knowing there was no stopping now. She passed by Zim, not giving him a glance. Dib followed her, though he stopped at Zim for a minute. She waited at the bottom of the hill, the first snow of the season piling up. Glancing up, she saw a dark individual staring at her.

"My condolences for your losses," he said in a familiar voice. Then he turned on his heel and left.

I guess one would be happy to be buried by their loved one.

But only the dead know.

Next update will be next month most likely, unless I recieve a huge amount of reviews threatening me to do so sooner. Just do not threaten me please, that is not very nice.