Author's Note: Well, here ya go. Chapter 2. Enjoy. My fans have wanted me to update soon, so I hope this makes y'all happy.

Disclaimer: Jhonen Vasquez and Nickelodeon Studios own everything related to "Invader Zim".

Chapter 2: All for You

The next day came around slowly, and that morning was just as dreary as the rest of the day would be. I got up, got ready, and grabbed the breakfast cereal, trying desperately not to think about the afternoon and night before. I was done with my cereal when Dib came downstairs and poured his own breakfast. I stared at him as he ate, wanting to say something but at the same time wanting to remain cold and ignoring. Finally, he finished, and we both put our bowls in the sink.

"You walking to school today?" I asked him. He nodded, staring silently at the ground.

"What's your deal?" I suddenly raised my voice, "what's your latest plan to catch Zim? Huh? Why are you acting so down?"

He looked up at me, frustrated.

"Because, Gaz, when one's own sister burns them with hot water, it usually bothers them."

"You don't usually act like this when I do something like that," I knew it was a terrible answer, but I only bit my lip.

"Maybe I'm sick of it, Gaz!" he shouted, "and I think I have a right to be angry about this!"

"Don't you yell at me!"

"I think someone needs to yell at you!" Dib countered, "you've been so unfeeling, alwaystaking out your problems on someone else when I'd be glad to talk it out with you-where's my real sister anyway?!"

"She got sick of her brother!" I yelled.

"What did I do to make you treat me like this?" he asked. His voice had dropped a bit, and it was an honest question.

I didn't want to answer. Instead I gritted my teeth in rage, then balled my hand into a fist and punched him in the side of the face. Dib fell, his glasses knocked lopsided, and hit the floor. He sat there staring up me, his own teeth gritted and several tears racing down his face. Though part of me wanted to reach down and help him up, to apologize, I didn't. I turned and headed for the door, grabbing my backpack on the way. I then looked back at my brother, who was still on the floor, his shoulders shaking with furious and defeated tears.

"Get up and stop whining," I said, "It's time for school."

The skool seemed a little more monotonous than usual that day. I couldn't find an obvious reason why, though. It was a crisp October day, and the janitors had recently finished the annual chore of cleaning out the restroom toilets. One thought kept returning to me, though, a possible reason I wasn't feeling myself, and I couldn't forget it. Was I really feeling…sorry for Dib?

My thoughts were interrupted when something ran into me as I was walking down the hall. I looked to see that Dib had bumped into me hard and was glaring behind him as he rubbed the shoulder opposite of the one that had collided with me.

"Do you mind?" I spat.

"Sorry, Gaz," he said, still looking behind him, "Torque punched me for no reason."

"Well, I'd rather not get involved in your personal problems, okay?" I said, though I knew he had been forced into me.

Dib didn't answer. I looked back and saw Torque Smacky was laughing his head off and beaming in pride at the physical offense he had put upon my brother. I knew I shouldn't add more insult to injury, but since I was afraid I was beginning to think of Dib as a person, I began cackling out loud.

Dib shot a look at me, hurt and agitated again.

"Why do you have to be like this?" he demanded.

"Don't give me that look, Dib," I said gravely, abruptly ceasing my laughter.

"Oh, so you can do whatever you want to me, and I can't give you an angry look?"

"Should I punch your lights out?"

Dib was clearly tired of fighting. The bell rang, and he stormed off to Ms. Bitters' class. I watched him for a bit, then shrugged and headed off to Mr. Eliot's class.

Nothing much happened until lunch time. I trudged into the cafeteria with my lunch bag and scanned the room for Dib. He was sitting at the same table he always was. I approached the table and sat down beside him. He was slumped over his food, picking at the meatloaf without even attempting to spy on or even giving a glance to Zim at the next table. I pulled out a sandwich from my bag and my Gameslave 2 from my pocket, taking a bite and starting Level 10.

"Get over yourself," I said coldly to Dib when I grew tired of him being silent. I was used to him rambling on about his latest scheme to stop Zim from world conquest, "don't you have any plans against Zim to rattle off to me?"

"Gaz, why can't you just get off my back? And since when do you care about Zim being stopped anyway?"

"I don't know. Maybe he will end up as some kind of threat. And you're the only one I know who's stupid enough to go after him alone." Though I knew he had no one else to go with him.

Dib seemed to take this as a compliment. "You're right," He rose from the table, "I can't give up on you, my sister, or the rest of the world. Planet Earth!" he shouted as a battle cry, and raising a fist in the air, charged off to Zim's table to warn him he would never take over the world and all that.

I looked down at the table. His lunch tray was still there with the food gone, and I could tell he wasn't coming back. I shrugged, grabbed the tray, and took it over to the trashcan to dump it for him.

The last bell rang that afternoon before I expected. I walked outside with my backpack, planning on walking home rather than taking the bus. I just felt like taking in the autumn air, though that sounded to me like a strange thing for me to want. But just as I walked down the steps, I suddenly felt someone throw their arms over my shoulders.

"Thank you, Gaz!" Dib exclaimed. I turned my head to face him.

"For what?"

"You have renewed my confidence," he said, sliding his arms down to the sides of my shoulders and hugging me tighter, "and now nothing will stop me! Zim will fail!"

"Dib, if your arms don't come off of my shoulders, they're coming off of yours," I said simply.

But he didn't listen. He seemed to think perhaps I was joking or something, and nothing could shatter his spirits now.

"I…love you, Gaz," he told me.

Something deep within me enjoyed him saying it, but I gritted my teeth.

"That's stupid," I responded.

"Oh, come on, Gaz," his arms dropped and he turned me towards him, "you made me happy, and now there's got to be a way to do the same for you."

"Don't even try it."

"Why don't you want to be happy?" he asked.

I couldn't answer. I just stared at him.

"I'm…going home, Dib," I finally said, and turned to leave.

"Well, while we're doing that," he walked off with me, "I do have another plan. You still wanna hear another of my plans?"

I shrugged.

"Well, Zim's got a new 'doom machine', and…" he went on, but I didn't listen. I tried to ignore him, but I couldn't completely. He really thought I was his friend now. I decided I couldn't let him think that. I decided I had to let him know that I hadn't gone "soft". And I knew the perfect way to do that. My weapon of choice was three simple words. Three simple words that hurt like poison; that would finally shatter Dib's spirits.

"I hate you," I said to him.

Dib stopped. I looked back at him, and he just returned my glance. I looked more closely and saw that heart-wrenching look was back in his eyes, the one I couldn't stand. Something deep within me stung. Dib had been shattered by this, all over. I couldn't take it, so I forced my eyes away.

"Gaz?" he asked finally.

"What?"

"Why do you…?"

"Because, Dib," I squeezed my eyes shut, "you're annoying, I'm not the only one who's changed, and I just-I just hate you, so don't bother me!"

I knew I didn't really hate him, no; I actually still wanted to be friends. And I didn't know why, but I let that darker side of myself take over. I could've been nicer, I could've told my brother that I really did love him too; I did love him too, but I didn't tell him.

"Gaz, if there's something really bothering you," Dib said, " I mean there's got to be, because I know you wouldn't normally act like how you've been for the last seven years, Gaz, please talk to me. We can help each other…"

"No! Stop it! Go away!"

I looked back at him. His eyes were starting to get wet.

"Dib, don't embarrass me by crying! Argh!" I turned away. But that wasn't really the reason I didn't want him to cry. It was because if I saw him crying…I'd cry, too. And that would bring down every wall, every blockade I had set up to protect myself from pain.

"Gaz, please just listen. I can help you, and you can help me."

I felt I had to get him to stop. I pulled out my Gameslave 2, turned it on, and whirled around to show Dib that I was playing it, that I had tuned him out, like everyone else had. Dib fell silent.

I tried to focus on my video game the rest of the way home. But I couldn't shake off the new feelings I'd found.

'Just don't listen,' I told myself, 'tune it out. Since when did he mean anything to you, anyway?'

But he had always meant something to me…

'Forget him…' my darker side said, but something within said, 'you can't forget him.'

I was so caught up in it all that I didn't notice I was stepping off a curb. Walking unknowingly out onto a busy street. I was only paying attention to my thoughts until I heard the rumbling of many large tires coming towards me.

Dib's voice rang out, yelling, "Gaz!"

I snapped out of my 'trance' and shot a glance to my right. I didn't have enough time to get away. But just then something slammed into me, knocked me away from the semi truck racing towards me.

I hurtled to the ground a few feet away. Alarmed, I sprang to my feet and looked around. The street was silent now, the semi had passed. It had all happened in a flash. I glanced to the side and saw my Gameslave 2, knocked against the opposite curb and smashed into pieces. But for the first time in years, I didn't care. I was worried about where Dib was. After scanning to make sure no more vehicles were coming, I looked around frantically for my brother. Soon I spotted a crumpled, mostly black shape on the ground where the semi had gone by…

No.

I ran over to the figure and knelt beside.

"D-Dib?"

I looked closer. It was him…lying motionless…

'No,' I thought, standing up, 'these kinds of things aren't supposed to happen to me. I'm in control of my life…complete control…'

I was breathing heavily, trembling, shocked. I reached down and felt Dib's chest.

No pulse.

Dib had pushed me out of the way…

I felt dizzy. Knowing that it was not best to move him, just in case I was wrong about his condition, but knowing I couldn't have us in a busy street, either, I picked my limp brother up and carried him to the sidewalk. Setting him down, I saw a shadow being cast over him. I looked up. A boy in a red uniform with green skin was standing there, looking speechless at Dib. His eyes traveled up to meet mine.

"Zim…" I said.

He nodded. "I saw it."

I began to pick Dib up again, and Zim walked over and shared the load. We hauled him the rest of the way to my house, and I felt like crying, but I held in the tears for whatever reason.

But I knew Zim saw one or two slip out of my eyes.

Author's Note: Well, the long awaited second chapter. Hope you liked it. I finally revealed the "ultimate sacrifice" the summary talks about. I appreciate and love reviews a lot. No flames, please. I prefer constructive criticism if you can find any.