*tablefliprage*(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

That was fun.

Well ladies and gentlemen, I have decided to take this story to a whole new level. I'm not going to work on any of my other stories until this one is finished.

Please leave a review, it motivates me to Update Faster.

and Please remember that I do not own Coraline, or Invader Zim.

Chapter 11 A Special Surprise

It was getting late, and eventually The Other Red called Zim and his new friends out of the theater to go home. Normally Zim would argue and beg to stay longer, but his spooch felt heavy and twisted and he wasn't in the mood to make a fuss.

Yet, another part of him wanted to stay here, ignore the more frightening parts of this world and enjoy himself. After all, the other mother loved him. She said so all the time!

What if Mimi was right? What if this wonderland wasn't safe?

What happened to Alice eventually? The world around her would turn to chaos, yes? Her dream would become a nightmare. Then what?

Would she decide to stay mad and live in the wonderland, or would she wake up and go home to her ordinary boring life?

We all know the story.

But here's the difference. This is Zim's story, and he wasn't Alice.

No...He was Zim.

"Zim?" asked the Other Red, poking one of his antenna. Snapping out of his thoughts, Zim turned to face him and lay his antennae back where the much taller Irken wouldn't be able to touch them. "Is something wrong?" asked the Other Red, his button eyes were piercing into Zim's own, and he couldn't help but feel that Red knew what he was thinking.

"No!" Zim said loudly, trying not to sound worried. "No. My uh, my bruise hurts, that's all. The show was fun!" He pumped his arm enthusiasticly. "Lots of singing! Lots of puppies! And... stuff."

The Other Red suddenly showed a twinge of guilt he patted Zim sadly on the head. For once, his button eyes seemed to look elsewhere, anywhere but at him. "Mother... can fix that," he said,"Actually she has a...surprise for you."

The Other Membranes suddenly looked at each other, their eyebrows furrowing and frowns were clear on their faces. Zim bit his lip as he looked at them, anxiety rising quickly. "Where's Gir?" He suddenly asked. His unease made him more conscious of his surroundings, and he realized he hadn't seen the little robot following them out.

"He must still be in his seat," said the Other Red.

"I-I'll get him," said Zim quickly as he ran back into the theater. It felt colder inside than it had before, but the smell of dog still dominated all others.

Since he had found the wonderland, Zim's concern for Gir had grown. After all, he was the plush toy that Zim had always felt safe sleeping with, and now he was a living being. So of course Zim would worry for the little robot, especially now that he sought the feeling of safety more than ever before.

"Gir!" whispered Zim, "Come on, Gir! It's time to go home!"

Gir, who was still in his seat, only looked up at Zim with a wide blue eyes and a tiny frown of fear and worry. Zim mistook it for sadness.

"Don't worry Gir," consoled Zim. "We'll come back later. Come on; the Other Mother has a surprise for us."

Gir's eyes widened even further as he gave the chocolates to the dog next to him and hopped out of his seat.

"Bye," said Zim to the dog.

"See you soon." It whispered.

Taking Gir's hand, Zim felt that familiar chill up his spine again.

"Don't think about it." He chided himself.

'Mimi was wrong...This is Wonderland.'

Zim's Other family and friends were patiently waiting for him by the door of the theater.

"Hey, there,"The Other Purple greeted, waving down at Zim and Gir.

"Was it wonderful, dear?" the Other Mother had a sweet smile dancing on her lips. This time, the woman was dressed in a fancy black and blue polka dot dress that came up to her knees and lovely black high-heeled shoes. Zim smiled up at the Other Mother, remembering how his real mother would wear fancy things like that. For a split second, he actually missed his true mother, Miyuki and her glowing midnight eyes.

Scrapping the thought, Zim smiled and answered the Other Mother's question.

"It was so cool!" He yelled, his worries pushed to the back of his mind. "They swooped down and pulled me right out of my seat, I was flying through the air-" He let go of Gir's hand and followed his Other family up the porch steps of the Other Pink Palace. "It was amazing!...It was...It was magic."

"You do like it here, don't you, Zim?" asked the Other Mother. She gave him a concerned glance as if she wasn't sure, but Zim quickly nodded her worries away.

"Uh huh," He said as he opened the doors and stepped inside. Odd. It felt colder now than it had before. He waved at the Membranes. "Good night guys! Come Gir," and stepped farther into the building with his Other brothers. Other Mother stayed in the doorway.

Gir and the Membranes were still on the porch, looking guilty and miserable. The Other Mother made a smile gesture at them with her hands, pulling he lips back in what could have been a smile, if it didn't look so much like a snarl.

"Mother?" called The Other Purple from the kitchen.

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Come along...Gir," said the Other Mother in a sweet tone, although when she said the robot's name, it sounded like a growl.

Shivering, Gir quickly ran inside. The Other Mother followed and shut the door firmly behind her. If Zim had been there, listening, he might have heard the click as she locked it.

"What's wrong Gir?" asked Zim as the robot quickly ran passed the him. He never got an answer, for Gir dived into a nearby closet and closed the door on himself. Zim shrugged, dismissing it as more of the robots odd behavior.

"Zim, you could stay here forever if you want to" The Other Mother's voice floated to Zim's antennae. She smiled at him pleasantly at him, and he felt warm and safe.

"Really?" He asked, his antennae waving in curiosity and excitement. All his concerns had gone out like a light.

"Sure!" Other Mother seemed delighted. "We'll sing and play games, and I will cook your favorite meals." She put a hand on Zim's shoulder and led him to his Other brothers into the dining room, where they all stood around the table. "There's just one tiny little thing we need to do."

"What's that?" asked Zim. He settled in his chair at the end of the table, magenta eyes glowing with excitement.

"Well, it's a surprise," said The Other Purple, sitting down at the table as well. The Other Red was standing next to him, his face unreadable.

The Other Mother cleared her throat. "Red, the surprise, please?" she asked sweetly. The Other Red reached under the table and took out a circular box, decorated in blues and purples, with a fancy red ribbon on the top and handed it carefully to the Other Mother, who took it and nodded in approval.

"For you," she said lovingly. "Our little doll," She handed the box to him with gentle hands, and Zim took it eagerly, and opened it.

Sitting inside on a China plate was a spool of black thread. Beside it was a long, silver needle and two large black buttons.

They were so round. So shiny and smooth with four little holes for thread. He stared at them for several seconds, not quite understanding, but then cold, hard realization hit him in the face, and he cried out in horror.

"Black is traditional," said The Other Mother. Zim gasped at her. This was a woman who had taken the image of his real mother. But she was not his mother.

"But if you prefer pink." She continued, her blue button eyes turning pink for an instant, "Or vermillion," The other Purple's buttons changed, "or chartreuse..."The Other Mother's eyes changed again over her smile."Though you might make me jealous," she said in a humerous tone.

Horrified, Zim threw the box at the Other Mother, and she caught it gracefully, giving Zim a sad, questioning look.

"NO WAY!" Zim shouted. He stood up quickly, the chair made a loud scooting noise as it pushed it back. "YOU'RE NOT SEWING BUTTONS INTO MY EYES!"

"Oh, but we need a 'yes' if you want to stay here," The Other Mother slid the box toward him again, giving him and understanding smile "And when you do, we'll all be together as one big happy family, forever and always."

Zim pushed the box back forcefully. "No!" His antennae dropped and flattened against his head.

"Oh come on bro!" said the Other Purple."Its not so bad; it won't hurt," He picked up the needle and touched the tip with his finger. "So sharp you won't feel a thin- OW!" he cried out. The Other Mother had kicked him from underneath the table, and the needle dropped from his hands with a clatter on the table.

Zim knew that the Other Purple was lying, that when someone, especially a grown-up told him something wouldn't hurt, it almost always did.

"There, now," said the Other Mother, picking up the box again and standing up, "It's your decision, darling."

Zim tensed as the Other Mother presented him with the present again, the needle, the spool, and the buttons all back in place on the china plate as if by magic.

"We... only want what's best for you," Her pretty button eyes were pleading and loving, and for a moment, all Zim wanted to do was to make her happy. Fortunately, that moment didn't last long.

"I-I'm going to bed. Right now!" He declared backing away from the button-eyed Irkens, heart hammering in his chest.

"Bed?" asked the Other Mother.

"Before dinner?" The Other Purple seemed surprised.

"I'm really, really tired. yeah," Zim said. He did a fake yawn and stretched his arms to demonstrate. "I just need to sleep on things."

"Well, of course you do, darling," said the Other Mother. Her plans had obviously taken a turn. "I'll be happy to tuck you in," she offered.

"NO!" Zim cried a little to quickly,"No...Er, no, thanks. You've done so much already," He backed away and turned to go up the stairs, only to be blocked by the Other Mother who appeared out of nowhere.

"Ah!" gasped Zim, backing up again. Wasn't she standing behind him just a second ago?

"You're welcome," said the Other Mother, smiling down at him. "And I..." the Other Mother grabbed the Other Purple and Red who were walking over to her, "We," she corrected "aren't worried at all, dear. Soon you'll see things our way," Her fingers brushed against Zim's right eye gently, and he closed it, all his muscles tensing. It was all he could do not to show fear.

"Good night," he said quickly with a fake smile. He went quietly up the stairs and looked back at his Other Family, who were watching him with large button eyes. Or at least he thought they were looking at him.

Zim proceeded up the stairs until he was sure the Other Family couldn't see him anymore, and then he bolted for his bedroom door to his room.

"Mimi was right" Zim whispered to himself, fear sending shock waves through his little body with every heartbeat. "I have to get out of here."

"What's wrong, Zim?"asked the little toy dragonflies, circling over him. The greenish light of his room reflected eerily off their wings "Don't you wanna play?" Frightened, Zim grabbed them one by one and held them securely in his arms so they couldn't fly away.

"Yeah!" Said . "I wanna hug-a your face!" Zim grabbed him as well, and reached over for the next living toy.

"Get a grip, soldier! ack!" the giraffe-tank said as Zim grabbed the poor thing by it's neck.

A familiar voice rang out from the other side of the room and made Zim's antennae perk. "Hey! Where are your buttons, Loper?"

Zim glanced over at his desk and hissed in disgust. The 'friends' in the photo were marred now, with large black button eyes.

"You want to stay, don't cha?" asked Tak, pointing to her button eyes.

Skoodge mimicked her. "Come on, Zim!" He said. "Be cool!"

He stalked towards the table and lifted his claws. "I'm going home tonight, robots." He growled at them. "And I won't be back," He plucked up the photo and put it with the rest of the toys into a toy box. All of them wiggled in confusion.

"Zim don't -"

He closed the lid and pushed the box against his bedroom door, along with a chair, his night desk and some books, all in hopes of keeping his Other Family from checking in on his in the middle of the night or something.

"Go to sleep." He told himself fearfully as he flicked the lights off and kicking off his boots, made a running dive for his bed. "Go to sleep," He pulled the covers over his head and hid there, his bottom lip trembling. He'd never yearned for his real mother this much before. All he wanted was to wrap his arms around her and bury his head in her stomach and cry. He'd never been so...so... scared.

"Tiny little thing we need to do."

"So sharp you won't feel a thing."

"Soon you'll see things our way."

Zim shuttered and took a deep, shaky breath as he pushed farther and farther into his sheets, burying himself as deeply as he could. But no matter what he did, the images of those smooth, round buttons didn't leave his mind. His heart wouldn't slow down; his breathing wouldn't calm.

He missed the little toy robot he slept with in the real world that would make him feel safe and loved.

Where was Gir?

When Zim woke up that morning, he felt completely dislocated. He didn't know where he was; he was not entirely sure who he was. It was astonishing to him just how much of what he was could be tied to the bed that he woke up in, and how fragile that can be.

Funny.

Now in realization, Zim remembered.

"I am Zim, I am home...Only a nightmare," he sighed, relieved. He stretched his arms mightily and heaved a yawn as he pushed the covers away. It had taken him a long time to fall asleep, but now he felt refreshed. Huh. He must have slept in late.

"Merah! Viola!" he called with a relieved smile. But it quickly fell from his face and was replaced by a look of pure horror.

The green and pink light that seemed to emanate from nowhere, the rustling of the toys in the crowded toy box, the smell of sugar and smiles. This wasn't home.

"Oh God, I'm still here?" His eyes darted around his Other room as his squeedly spooch practically tied itself into knots. He pounded his tiny fist against the mattress, groaning in despair for a long time before he gathered enough courage to remove the heavy items he had used to block the door.

"Do not go through little door," He remembered, it was something had said. Of course he was still here. What a fool he was. Right now, this world was real, and Zim had gone through.

"That's it." He growled, doing everything he could to force down fear and make anger and determination take its place. "I'm going home."

He opened the door and padded down the stairs to the kitchen. The carpet was soft on his bare feet, but the air was even colder than it had been last night, and frigidly still.

The Other Red sat on a stool in the kitchen looking forlornly at his hands, which he rested on his knees. But Zim, having already gathered up his manly toughness, couldn't mess it up by letting sympathy into the mix. "Where's the other Mother?" He angrily.

"Out," said the Other Red, looking tired and a little...different, although he did seem pleased to have someone to talk to. "She's fixing the doors; there are some...vermin problems," He paused a moment and looked at Zim. "That Invader Uniform suits you."

"What doors? What vermin?" asked Zim, ignoring the Other Red's compliments, "Are you talking about the mice? Those were the pests at home."

"No, the...mice, are her friends." The Other Red raised his eyebrows and stared at something over Zim's shoulder, but as Zim turned to look, he saw nothing there. "This is the other kind, a black thing, with its tail held high,"

"You mean Mimi, the cat."

"That's the one,"confirmed the Other Red.

A thought hit Zim, and he glared at the Other Red, glad that they were eye level now that he was up on the stool. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

The bigger Irken ignored the question and returned his gaze to his hands. "...She won't be gone often. When she comes back I'm sure she will demonstrate amazing hospitality to you. That way you won't even think of going back,"

Zim wouldn't let fear knot his spooch again. He flushed it all out with determination and squared his shoulders. "Then I'll go exploring and look for the other doors you were talking about." He tilted his head forwards and leered at the Other Red with magenta eyes. "I will go home."

The Other Red sighed and shook his head miserably, letting despair creep into his voice. "No, Zim...There isn't anywhere but here. This is all she made: the house, the grounds, and the people here. She made it and waited. I love you, but you wont be-" a look of embarrassment and fear flickered across his face, and he put his hand on his lips.

He had said too much.

"You love me, right?" demanded Zim. The anger he was feeling now was genuine, but it didn't seem to hold against the new despair raging about inside him. "Tell me, how do I get out? I'm scared Red."

The Other Red placed a finger to his lips. Silence.

Zim's antennae clicked together in annoyance.

"You don't love me at all!" He growled, and the Other Red winced. Zim jabbed a finger at Red's cheek, and then pointed at the yellowing bruise on his own. "If you really did, you'd compensate what the real Red did by telling me how leave! How to get home!"

The Other Red turned his gaze away and looked at the floor behind him. Face etched with guilt and fear. Zim snorted and left him alone on the stool, padding to the living room.

Only..

The doors where closed.

Zim pulled twisted and pulled on the knobs, rattling the doors and shaking them, in hopes that they would open. They held like a solid barrier, impenetrable to a the little Irken. he hissed in frustration.

Ping...Ping...Ping...

He knew those notes. It was the Other Purple's piano. He narrowed his eyes and followed the sound, hissing at everything that moved and balling his hands into fists. It made him feel stronger to growl and show his teeth, and it helped push his fear down.

'Be brave, Zim' he thought, pushing open the door to the study.

The Other Purple was playing a few notes on his piano, and Zim steeled himself. If the Other Red said too much out of love or a simple mistake, the Other Purple would do the same.

"Hey, you!" called Zim, catching the Other's attention. "Where's the Other Mother? I want to go home,"

"Out, and resting..." said Purple quietly. "Don't worry. All will be swell, soon as Mother's refreshed."

He turned towards Zim, and the little Irken gasped. He didn't resemble the real Purple at all. His face looked like bread dough that had begun to rise, smoothing out its bumps, cracks and depressions, and his eyes, once a bright lavender, had darkened until they barely contained a bluish hue.

"Her strength is our strength," said the Other Purple. Quick as a striking snake, one hand on the piano covered his mouth, while the other wagged a finger in his face. That thing was scolding him. The Other Purple had said to much, just like the Other Red.

"Mustn't talk when Mother's not here." He said when it had released him and spun around to face the piano once again.

"If you won't even talk to me, I'm gonna find the Other Membranes and Gir." said Zim "They'll help me,"

"No point," Purples voice deepened and distorted as he faced Zim again, and he used his fingers to pull his face like rubber, into a hideously long frown. "Gir pulled a loooong face... that Mother didn't like."

Zim screamed as the piano's hands suddenly reached for the Other Purple and spun him around forcefully, causing the him to cry out in pain.

His heartbeat was fluttering like a trapped moth, and his antennae were standing straight up. His legs moved on their own, rushing for the door. But they didn't stop there, no, they ran out the front door, down the porch steps, and went bounding across the grounds.

Home. He wanted to go home. He wanted his real mother and real brothers, and, at this point, he wouldn't even mind a little of Purple's cooking.

There was no more denying it; this place was not a wonderland; it was a spider's web, and he had walked right into it.

But he was never going to see them ever again unless he found a way out. He was determined. One way or another he had to escape. Someone would help him...

Right?

Alrighty folks, that's all that I'm going to write for now.

Please leave a review and a HUGE, HUGE, HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE THANK YOU. To OhHowDelightfullyDreadful, the awesomest Irken I know. Actually helped me right this chapter.

YAY! A ROUND OF APLAUSE PLEASE FOR THE LOVELY IRKEN.

Zim: *clap,clap,clap*

Forgive the spelling errors and the grammar. I do not have spell check at the moment and that stinks.

Leave a review and thank you very much.

Zim: REVIEW!