Zanna stared at Dib in shock. "Dib?" Her voice had changed. It was now soft and gentle, with hints of nervousness, no longer the relaxed carefree yet sometimes stern voice.

"Hi." Dib smiled nervously.

"I said, she's coming right now." Zinny muttered.

"What?" Dib looked sharply at her. "Okay, problem."

"I....I thought you were dead." She said, and stared at the ground. Zib frowned.

"Mom, I thought you'd be happy to see dad..." He said, sighing. Then he looked at Dib."What problem?"

"Mom got a ship faster than she meant to." Zinny explained. "Do you have bacon?" She asked Zanna.

"Um, no, I don't." Zanna said. Her heart was racing. Her thoughts gathered. "Who's coming?"

Dib sighed. "Tak. Somehow," he glared at Zinny, who pulled some of the stale bacon out of his pack, "She found me."

Zanna sighed. She was still looking at the ground. "I thought she would of killed you by now..." She whispered, feeling horrible about thinking Dib was dead.

"I told you he was alive, mom." Zib muttered.

"Uh, dad?" Zinny blinked at her watch, her voice rising a notch in anticipation. "Mom just entered the swamp." "Great!" Dib sat down.

Zanna blinked and looked up."Wait, Dib, why did she just call you dad?" The stern part of Zanna's voice was starting to replace nervousness.

"I told you she wouldn't like that." Dib muttured to Zib.

"I hope Mom has bacon." Zinny sat down, chewing the stale meat. "Yours is stale."

Zanna's tail began to swish back and forth fast. A low growl of jealousy came from the back of her throat. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Yeah, um..."

"Dad, Mom's ship landed a few feet away." Zinny looked at her watch again.

"So what are we gonna do?" Zanna said, still growling slightly. Zib curled his tail around himself, not used to hearing the growl.

"I was hoping you had a plan!" Dib said.

"If Mom kills you, can I have your stuff?" Zinny asked, trying not to laugh.

"I've just been on the run for 12 years,Dib!" She said,still growling."I'm tempted to kill that..." Zanna muttered,barely refraining from using any bad wasn't working out how he'd hoped.

"Um, could we try not to use violence?" Dib was starting to sound worried.

"Mom's ten yards away." Zinny reported through a mouthful of bacon.

"Only other option is run." Zanna said, sighing. Zib wandered over to the edge of the water, looking over. "Zib! Get away from there!" Zanna said, and Zib backed away from the edge of the water.

Dib shook his head. "We can't. Tak posted guards everywhere to make sure I didn't escape."

"Five yards." Zinny looked at the mouth of the cave, where she could hear a large group of irkens coming.

Zanna's tail thumped against the ground." Then what?" she said, looking at the river that ran out of the cave.

Zib was staring into it.

"Three."

"Surrender?" Dib suggested nervously.

"Two!" Zinny laughed, imagining what Tak was going to do.

Zanna growled. "I am NEVER surrendering to her!" She said, crossing her arms.

Zib tilted his head, leaning almost into the water. "There's something in there..."

"Just a suggestion." Dib muttered. Zinny was trying not to laugh, unsuccessfully, as Tak walked into the clearing. Zanna growled at Tak. Her tail was swishing back and forth. Zib stumbled back from the water and hid behind Zanna.

"Great." Dib glared at Tak.

"Hi, Mom!" Zinny ran over to her. Tak looked down at her sweetly.

"Nine year olds..." Dib muttered.

Zanna's glare was cold and stern. "Hello Tak. How not nice to see you." She said. Zib took a step from behind Zanna, his scythe hair had fallen in his face.

"What a wonderful welcoming." Tak glared at Zanna.

"Why can't my life ever be normal?" Dib muttered, looking between them.

Zanna was growling. Zib stared up at Tak in fear. "I'm hoping you're not going to interfere." Tak kept her voice cold as she stared at Zanna.

"Bacon!" Zinny grabbed one of the bags and pulled out some bacon.

Zanna crossed her arms." Depends. If your going to try and take my Dib again, of course I'm going to interfere." She growled. Zib whimpered, scared.

"Then we'll see who's the better fighter." Tak took out her irk gun.

"Dad, do you have a camera so I can record this?" Zinny walked over to Dib.

"No. Even if I did, I would never want to remember this."

Zanna's look darkened. "Yes, we will." She said, and she began to transform. Her bellgone self was now the size of a horse, fangs and claws strong as steel.

"I knew something like this was going to happen." Dib sighed as Tak aimed her gun. "I hope they don't kill each other."

"I bet a pound of bacon they kill each other." Zinny smiled. Zanna roared and pounced. Zib ran over to Dib, hiding behind him. He was shaking.

"Tak, Zanna!" Dib yelled. Zanna backed up at Dib's shouting. "Now what do I say?" Dib thought. Zinny looked between them, then grabbed Dib's hand, scared. "Zinny..." Dib looked down at her, worried. Zib was hiding behind Dib, shaking. He'd never ever seen Zanna like this. Zib blinked away tears. Seeing Zib, Zanna's angered look softened, feeling bad.

Tak walked over to Zinny. "I don't like seeing you angry." She muttered, her eyes filled with tears.

"It's all right, you two," Dib said to his kids.

Zanna turned back to her irken self and sat on her knees. Zib sniffled. "W-why are people fighting anyway? Why can't we be friends?"

Tak sighed. "That's harder than you think." Then she looked at Dib. "But I suppose we don't have to come to violence." Zanna nodded in agreement for once. Zib whipped away his own tears, almost knocking his own glasses off.

Dib smiled. "Now what do we do?" Zinny asked.

"I don't know." Zanna said.

Zib smiled. "Group hug maybe?" he said, chuckling.

Zanna giggled. "I don't think everyone's gonna agree on that, sweety."

"Maybe we can come to a compromise." Dib suggested. "Tak?"

She thought for a minute and answered, "As long as Zanna doesn't try to kill me, I'm fine."

"Okay,I won't kill you." Zanna said. Zib yawned.

"Great, then-" Another Irken ship landed. "That's not mine." Tak muttered.

"Then who's could it be?" Zanna stood up. Zib gave a confused look.

"Wait." Tak stared at the symbol on the ship. "I know that symbol..."

"Can't be..." Zanna narrowed her eyes. Zib tilted his head.

Dib grabbed his kids' hands. "Zanna?"

"Zoreick." Zanna growled. But there was also fear in her voice. Zib whimpered and clinged to Dib. Just hearing the name made Zib scared.

"Dib, get the kids away." Tak pulled her gun out. Zinny shivered and clung to Dib. Zanna growled and transformed as Zoreick stepped out of his ship. He was smirking. Zanna hissed. Zib felt his fear turn to anger as he sensed his own mother's fear.