Review Replies:

Invader Neo (it won't show the dots) - uh YAAAH i love pulling cliffies like that...and i almost did one for this chapter =)

Moth Mask - Weeeelll Dib-ghost will probably show up in the next few chapters...a little. I mean it's kind of like these creepy signs but he doesnt actually SHOW UP until later. So just keep imagining what it will be like. :]

Invader Ang - they love to hate things together or hate to love each other? i mean it sounded right the first time but...

Moon Toy - haha GO CLiFFieS, right? :D

Xviera Siramad - Well right...yeah, i did it! *-* But even if this ends ZaDr then i dont think u have much to worry about. i used to be all ZaDf and this would be my first ZaDr if it ends that way so probably nothing intense!

Dark dagers - I'll tell ya- you wont find out much this chapter...at all :) (devious smile)

And here it be! I have nothing to say except that i put up a poll for the ZaDrZaDf contest and it was my first poll so...i guess i did it right?

Disclaimer: I'm going to put my answer for the next 7 chapters: no, no, no, no, no, no...N.O.

"What now?" Gaz growled.

Zim scanned over the contents of the two images on the screen again, but nothing looked different. Zim balled his fists and slammed them on the keyboard, frustrated.

"Zim." Gaz irritably pulled on his arm.

Zim continued to ignore her. Was he truly crazy now? There was always that dim light of a thought in the back of his mind contemplating this; a little voice that would always reel in his problems while he did all these things to ignore it. Zim was and is big on ego, so when this new unrecognizable pain flowed, Zim did everything he could to refuse it. He had tried so hard...And maybe even too hard.

"Zim, don't make me smack you!"

"Huh?" Zim snapped out of it when he heard Gaz's threat. He shook his head and stared back at the screen. "I...I just noticed that your DNA doesn't match the Dib's. The contents in his blood are completely different than a normal human's. But maybe that's just because it's been a while..."

"Or maybe," Gaz narrowed her baggy eyes at him, "you're just wrong, and that's not my brother's blood."

Zim's jaw clenched. The body...the face that he had seen that day months ago was Dib's. May the Tallests forever curse him if that was mistaken!

"No...I'm not wrong. Zim is never wrong, do you not remember?" Zim turned to Gaz. They both studied each other for some time.

"I never really registered that," Gaz replied a bit coldly.

Zim continued to stare her in the face, and, as if he hadn't heard her comment said, "You look disgusting, Gaz-thing; were you not thinking about coming here, instead of wearing yourself out on a meaningless search?"

"Shut up," Gaz growled in between 'a' and 'meaningless'.

"What?" Zim grumbled.

Gaz balled prominently balled her fists and lowered her head. "Shut up. It's none of your business if something happened to my brother and-" Gaz cut herself off when she noticed Zim's mirrored glare. As if the previous conversation had never happened, Gaz watched Zim her eyes as opened slits. "Why do you care?"

"Shut your noise-tube, Gaz." Zim snarled. "I do not."

Another moment of staring occured as the two scowled at each other again, Zim with bared teeth.

"I'm going home," Gaz replied to Zim's silence. She stepped towards the tube elevator, not waiting on Zim to escort her out. "And I'm going to find my brother." That was the last thing Zim heard of her before she left.

As if on Que, Mini Moose floated over. "Squeak."

"Eh?" Zim turned his gaze from the screen to Mini Moose who had something white resting on his antlers.

"Squeak." Mini Moose lowered himself below Zim's head in attempt to show him what he was holding.

Zim took it, and realized it was a piece of paper. He unfolded and saw the message he had received earlier.

"Why are you showing this to me Mini Moose?" Zim asked.

"Squeak...squeak."

One of Zim's dark blue eyes narrowed. "No, that's not true." He felt something tugging eagerly at his shirt, and looked down to see Gir smiling again.

"The cupcakes were goooouuud! Why can't you take me to the candy store, master?" Gir begged to just be taken somewhere again.

Both of Zim's eyes narrowed now. He immediately exploded. "NO! I am not going anywhere, Gir! Why can't any of you hideous beasts understand that!"

Zim shot across the lab to one of his storage closets. He slammed the heavy door shut and locked it behind him. He stormed to the back by a pile of neglected boxes and slammed his back to the wall. He slowly slumped to the ground and forced his contacts out, not caring that they thudded violently on the dirty floor. On the opposite side, Zim heard Gir and Mini Moose whining and squeaking at the door. Who knows if it's really about me? Zim thought as he continued to ignore them.

Zim rested his head on his knees. He thought about what all had happened when Gaz was over here.

Finally, finally she had decided to check for Dib here. Zim hadn't known to expect her or not, but if she did come, it should have been a long time ago. Gaz also looked very tired...and frustrated. The shadows under her usually pinched shut eyes were hard to miss. How could she be so pitiful now when Dib has been in so much danger before?

Zim sighed heavily, then felt something wet leaking from his face. He reached up to swipe some of it off and saw his glove shine with the warm liquid. He turned his hand over as he examined it, and smelled it. It wasn't a salty substance like a human's, but it was still a tear.

Suddenly, they came pouring out, and Zim continued to sob into his knees. He still didn't know why he was feeling this way. He just kept getting angry and sad, and he felt awkward whenever he insulted Dib's life.

So when was he going to figure this out? How many more times before some other hideous emotion bloomed?

After uncounted minutes, Zim's sniffling decreased. He opened swollen ruby eyes and waited for the tears of hate and sadness to finish flowing out. He wiped his tear-stung lids and stared in front of him. That's when he noticed the pile of boxes. Out of curiosity and boredom, he crawled over to observe them.

The boxes seemed vacant at first when Zim picked them up with ease, and Zim peeked in to make sure; he didn't recall tossing empty boxes in the closet. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a small plastic photo album resting in a corner of the cardboard box. He opened it up, still not recognizing this.

Inside, there were clean photos in plastic covers of Zim himself...with Dib.

Zim didn't feel comfortable at first, but he decided he had nothing better to do. He slowly flipped through each page.

There were so many pictures in here, Zim was kind of creeped out. A few were of Zim in his disguise in front of school, including the one of Zim and Dib glaring at each other before Dib kicked him in the…

Zim grimaced.

Anyway, there was one collage of Dib's pictures in front of the Megadoomer that got destroyed. Zim puffed with amusement when he saw a shot of Dib thumb-pointing at the machine behind him. His eyes were pinched shut, head slightly tilted, in a silent laugh. Zim flipped the page again. He guessed Gir must have relocated Dib's camera somehow and taken most of these other pictures. But some of them were so close up, Zim didn't know how he didn't notice.

Zim scowled at a picture of him and Dib. Well, actually two. It was at McMeaty's. Zim and Dib had been forced to act like they were friends so Keef would leave them alone. One side held a picture of Zim and Dib awkwardly playing patty cake. And on the opposite side was of Zim and Dib hugging and watching Keef explode. Zim was still unsettled with how long they didn't realize they were hugging. He gazed away from the book. What does all this mean? Why is he really locking himself in a closet to throw a fit and then end up looking at these pictures? Did Dib really mean something to him?

...Of course not. Zim snapped the album shut and laid it at his feet, staring.

This album didn't mean anything. It was just shots of Zim and Dib fighting and being enemies. There was no reason to feel confused now when it's always been so clear.

It was time to let this go.

Sorry, this was kind of short, but at least it was something right? ^-^ and just to say, Zim is going to have many more mood swings occur in the future! And... I hope you guys enjoyed the image of a half-disguised Zim. I know i did! ruby eyes + black elvis wig= HOT Zimmers B)

One thing I've been meaning to ask: Who knows how to send ur art or whatever to someone's deviantART account? im considering a contest later if anyone is up to it(: