"It's about what I know, Tak." Dib whispered venomlously in her direction.
"Dib, I never meant to hur..." Tak's apolgy was cut short as the tallest came back into the room looking determined.
"Tak... We have talked the issue at hand over, and decided we will remain here for the rest of our 'vacation'." Red started. " However, you may not go back to Irk, I do not care why you were sent here but you are still bannished."
"You can stay here though, if you have no where to go..."Purple offered.
"Here? With Zim..?" Tak's face crinkled in disgust before it showed her anger. ,"NO! I refuse to be anywhere near a failure such as that, and I will not take orders from anyone who associates with him... you are just as foolish as he his!"
"If that's the way you feel, then leave!" Red retorted her anger.
"Yeah... Zim does not allow such offenses in his own home..." Zim said recovering from the gravy. It was the last she could take, huffing and stomping out the door. Dib stood there but eventually his heart got the best of him and he went after her.
Tak was walking down the street, to her voot-cruiser disguised as a bug car, wiping away tears. Why had she been so stupid to do this mission? Every hope she ever had was dashed within less than an hour.
"Tak!... Tak... wait!" Dib called after her, running down the street.
"For what? there's nothing for me here..." Tak replied as she thought 'There's nothing for me anywhere.'
"Would you just stop?" Dib panted as he caught up her. "I wanna know, when were you going tell me you were alien..."
"I don't have to take this..." Tak hissed, heading to the craft before Dib grabbed her arm.
"I think you do... For years I've wondered, what were you going to do to me if you succeeded. Turn me into a brain-dead slave?" Dib asked looking into her eyes.
"Never... Dib, I-I... value you very much. When I was here I valued every second of it because there was someone who understood, it was like we shared the same pak..." Tak confessed, till her voice cracked and she kew that if she talked any more she would cry. Dib sighed, knowing paks were important to irkens before noticing her against the cold november wind.
"Here, you'll get sick if you stand here like that..." He softly said taking off a trenchcoat he had on that looked like the one he had as a child, and draped it over Tak's shoulders. "You have a place to stay?"
"Nowhere..." she shook her head.
"Well...uh... As a member of the human race..." Dib started, standing tall and proud ," I invite a guest to this planet to my own home." He joked making her smile.
Tak didn't even hesitate to think over the offer. Damn the chance that she mightg be strapped to a table and disected, but she dreamt of being this close to him since she had last seen him.
"I'd like that..." Tak smiled.
"Ok, just let me get my ward and we can go home."
Gir and Mimi were playing house, leaving Spike feeling very left out. She eyed the female-like robot angrily, yet was not noticed. She got up and went up to them hoping to be invited in their play, but they only looked at her, before laughing, breaking her cold-blooded heart.
"See what I mean about emberassing families?" Gaz nearly smiled as she cleaned barb-b-q sauce off Zim.
"Yeah...hehe... You can stop now, Zim needs no help from Dib-spawn" Zim snarled as he took the rag from her.
"Wha... Oh about what I said? Look, if he thinks there's something up with us, he'll never le me out of his sight... and we're friends... God I hate admitting that, but you are the best friend I've had since... I dunno, Spike but she can't talk." Gaz explained trying to get him to see it her way.
"Even if he does say you can't see me, why would you listen?" Zim asked not understanding.
"It's... because... it's a long story, let's just say I owe the idiot." Sighed Gaz, not wanting to push away the only family that would have her. At that moment Dib came back and looked at his sister.
"Let's go, Gaz... now!" He called out impatiently.
"Errr, ok already... thanks for the food and stuff... later" Gaz waved at Zim and his 'parents' before Dib took the back of her shirt and dragged her out with him.
"Mimi! Spike! We're leaving..." Dib shouted from outside forcing the two rivals to sit in the same car that Tak was already in.
"Well that was sucessful." Red smiled earning a look from Zim.
"What do you mean, successful? I've seen wars less brutal than that!" Zim cried out, waving his hands about.
"According to Earth holiday movies, it's supposed to be stressful, and whoever can eat the most without having a total meltdown first, wins" Purple nodded with Red.
"Win what?" Zim arched a non-existent brow.
"Something called therapy." Red answered.
Zim's eye twitched as he shook his head. He sighed and decided to take a nice long hot bath (Hey, guys need to relax too). He discovered milk was a good substitute for water. (I saw this thing on Discovery about a girl allergic to water, and they used milk) As he ran the bath he felt eyes watching him. And image of the movie Gir rented, psycho, went through his mind.
"SQUEEK" Came from behind him.
"Aahhhhhh... Oh it's just you mini-moose. Where the hell have you been?"
"Squeeksqueek."
"Hiding? From what?" Zim asked with a perked attenae.
"SqueeeeK" Mini-Moose replied doing a barrel-roll.
"Spike? I don't blame you, that thing's even tried to eat me, the almighty ZIM!"
"Squeekitysqueek."
"You're what? Eeeewww... I mean aawwww... well why not just tell her that?" Zim asked.
"Squeeek."
"We're not discussing my love-life here... we're discussing your's." Zim crossed his arms.
"Squeeksqueek..." Mini-Moose sighed.
"Yeah... but did you se the way Gir treated her tonight? Show her some romance or something like that... Make her think that you're the best she can do... (*slaps Zim*)...Ouch,ok, uh try impressing her with your supperiority, challenge rivals and battle for her heart and stuff." Zim curled his hand into a fist, while petting the flying moose. "And don't worry, if all else fails, I'm going to steal Gaz anyway, so no matter what you'll have her."
"Squeek!" He flew off happily.
The ride home was a quiet, akward one. Mimi and Spike glared at eachother, while Gaz stared out the window,taking in the scenery. Dib and Tak mad small talk to deaden the overwhelming silence. Glancing at the gas-light, he sighed and pulled in a gas station.
"Hey Tak, could you pump the gas as I go pay?"
"Sure..." She nodded getting out.
"You want anything, Gaz? A coke? Snickers bar?" He popped his head back in the car, waiting for an answer. Gaz just kept staring the window, so he went in to pay. Tak entered the car once more and decided to break the ice.
"He's just trying to protect you... Zim may seem stupid, but he's planning something. When Zim wants something, he gets it, one way or another..." Tak spoke softly as she glanced in the rear-view mirror at the young human.
"Christ, you and Dib really were meant for eachother..." Gaz muttered as she rolled her eyes.
"Do you really think so?" Tak's eyes brightened, earning a strange look from Gaz. Coughing and acting cool she said, "Dib and I have many of the same viewpoints... I'd like to think that's what keeps us friends despite our cultural backrounds."
Gaz wanted to smile, but she was still sore. If Dib could have a crush on an alien, why can't she?Wait, did she just think of Zim as a crush? She sighed and petted Spike's head, knowing her dear pet was also somewhat heartbroken. Gir, a player, who would of thought? The car door shut, snapping Gaz to attention as Dib sat in the driver's seat with three nutty buddies.
"I got treats." Dib smiled passing one to Tak and then turning to Gaz, holding out another. But she ignored him, breathing in the crisp fall air that smelt of burning leaves,"I'll just keep this up here if you want it later.."
Gaz was never more happy to see home, and the feeling was shared with everyone sharing the car. Dib was tired, but a little excited to have Tak back, and Tak was trying not to bounce in joy of staying with the siblings.
"Home sweet home..." Dib exclaimed cheerfully and showed Tak and Mimi around the house. Gaz collapsed on the staircase as Spike laid down by her.
"And if you ever want a shower or anything, just help yourself... Do you have any other clothes with you?" Dib asked leading Tak and Mimi into the livingroom.
"Not unless you count the disguise bracelet."
"I think Gaz might have some clothes you could borrow, if you ask her..." Dib trailed hoping Gaz would be in a generous mood.
"C'mon, I'll get you something." Gaz musttered getting up, leading Tak to the attic. When they reached the designation point Tak gazed in awe. Gaz's bedroom was not what you might imagine, no black paint, no black bed, no fire-pit, but a warm looking room. Old dolls were neatly placed on a shelf as decoration, though Tak could've sworn their eyes just moved, the funiture was a white wicker set, including a bookself, end table, headboard, and a tv stand. There was only one lamp in the room, giving it a soft light, that blended in the the quilt on her bed. (No, my room, does not look like this)
"Here, choose what you want... pajama's are in the bottom drawer in the dresser." Gaz said pointing to what was where. Tak gathered the needed items, before seeing a bathrobe and turning to Gaz.
"Mind if I borrow that?" She asked.
"Sure... wait, aren't irkens allergic to water?" Gaz looked at the other female.
"Not really, at first it did burn, but that's natural for a first encounter with something like that... Same with foods like meat." Tak laughed.
"But Zim..." Gaz looked confused.
"You know how Zim is! He freaks out at the first bad experience with something and avoids it like the plague for the rest of his life." Tak laughed again, remembering Zim's screams of pain.
"Yeah..." Gaz smiled. ,"You should've seen it when he went inside that Bloaty's pizza place with the friendly animatronic robots... He nearly pissed his pants." Gaz looked somber for a second before looking back up.
"Here..." Gaz opened the drawer to her end table revealing lotions, soaps, and perfumes. " Anytime you want to borrow these, you know where they are, just don't tell Dib... He always borrows it without asking."
"Thank you, Gaz." Tak smiled and chose cherry blossom body wash and lotion. Even though she hadn't taken a bath yet, Tak felt very relaxed, knowing her relationship with Dib's younger sibling was improving. She left for her bath.
"Oh, Tak..." Gaz called out forcing her to turn around. "Go get him." she giggled with a wink as did Tak.