A Place to Call Home
Story By: inuyashacat13
Summary: After failing for years, The Tallest finally get bored of Zim's meek attempts and decide to take over the Earth for themselves, just for the entertainment. Zim, devastated, begins to question if he ever had a purpose. As for Dib, he's just trying to convince poor Zim, who's has been his longtime friend AND rival, that there's still a purpose for him out there. Like, oh I don't know, saving the world? ZADR. May become Mpreg (but I might just be messing with you xD)
Warning: Contains M/M, some angst, slight romance, drama, some bad words, some suggestive themes, etc.
Disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim, if I did, I'd shove it down nickelodeon's throats until they finally decided to continue it :3
Chapter Eighteen: Lies
A/N: Wow, almost 20 chapters written now x3 I can't believe I've only been writing this story for under a month xD Maybe I should take a break for a little bit before I conclude it to keep you all on your toes ;) xD just kidding :3 I either finish it timely or not at all :D
To Darkdagers: Again, you're the first to review x3 and yess :3
To UberSasukeFan: Yes, they are! :D and yes…he is xD I'm glad :D
To 1337kitsune: D: I thought you'd never return! :C but yay! You're back x3 I tend to be nocturnal too, and thank you! I'm glad Bwahaha, I destroy the fabric of reality :3 Dib is just being a little oblivious at the moment ~ xD
To Invader Ang: Lol, actually I just didn't feel like re-writing anything so…xD I'm glad :D Friday mornings should always be nice And, yes! Cause' he's VERY useful :D
To Ebony3111: lol, but it's not the end :3 things can still go wrong :3 and yes, he is :D so let's hope he does xD
To invader NAV: Haha, congratulations on your physic abilities xD(not your spelling though -_- jk xD) and I LOVE writing about Gir, so there probably will be :3 and…yes…yes they shall… :D
To lumpco: aww, yay :D And that sucks! Though I feel conflicted because I'm happy you're so dedicated to my story, but don't want you to have to wait forever just to read it D: Your reviews always make me feel special
To Mio-Chan's Return: lol, I always save a place for you in my responses~ x3 NO! Zim doesn't like being hit by your shoe! D: and yes! they make the world happeh 8D lol, poor Alec...Alecs? Idk xD Ohhh, looks like Professor Membrane's in for some shit...D:
I give all who've read, reviewed, and/or favorited this story so far my love and this chapter!~
Alec knew Dib was smart…but he could be soo…OBLIVIOUS! It was INFURIATING…though, Alec could understand in the end…because his existence…seemed kind of impossible. However, that didn't keep him from trying to get Dib to realize anyway. Like, now, for instance…
"So you don't think of Zim as a father figure?" Dib questioned as he sat in his library with Alec.
"Well…to me he's more like a motherly figure," Alec replied, straining the word motherly to try and get a reaction out of Dib.
"I… can't really imagine that," Dib finally commented after trying to think of Zim as motherly…and shivering, "Though, he has always worn a lot of pink…so I can see how people could mistake him as effeminate…" Alec stopped listening as Dib continued to ramble and nearly smacked his head into palms.
"How long have you known Zim?" Alec suddenly heard Dib asking, making him quickly focus on his mission again.
"I've been with him my entire life," Alec responded, once again emphasizing words.
"So…since you can remember…he's been taking care of you?" Dib then asked, making Alec nearly give up hope of getting through to Dib.
"No." Alec deadpanned, before huffing and ending the conversation.
"H-hey! Why are you getting angry?" Dib asked as Alec pouted.
"You'll never get it!" Alec growled, frustrated, before running off to go be alone.
Dib was confused. Alec kept getting frustrated with him…but! He had no idea WHY!
"Confused?" a voice suddenly asked Dib, making him quickly turn around on his bed.
"D-Dad! You startled me!" Dib yelped as his father began to chuckle.
"I-I'm sorry…I, shouldn't of just appeared like that," Professor Membrane apologized, though he was still laughing.
"E-Ehem…so…how've you been?" Professor Membrane asked once his laughter had finally died off.
Dib rolled his eyes before replying with, "You already know, don't you?" Professor Membrane mere chuckled at the comment, before smiling.
"Alec's just upset with you because you keep…missing something," Professor Membrane then explained, to which Dib looked at him inquisitively.
"Soo…I've just got to find out what I keep missing to bring him in better spirits?" Dib asked, held tilting slightly.
"Precisely!" Professor Membrane exclaimed, before affectionately ruffling Dib's hair, even though it had no actual effect on Dib. Dib laughed and backed away anyway, however, as if his father was still alive…and not just a ghost only he could see. Dib's eyes suddenly softened as he realized something he had been trying to figure out.
"You know, dad," Dib suddenly announced, voice light-hearted, "Alec sometimes…reminds me of you…" Professor Membrane didn't react for a moment, before he began to laugh kind-heartedly.
"Really?" Professor Membrane inquired once his laughter had ceased. Before adding, "I believe that he reminds me more of…yourself…then I."
"Wha-?" Dib started to question, when his father disappeared again. More like myself? Dib pondered once his father was gone, and why did he emphasize it? Alec's been doing the same thing and…wait… Alec and his father were both emphasizing things…emphasizing things about…Dib shook his head, he was being RIDICOULOUS! They couldn't possibly expect him to believe that-Dib began to laugh. He'd been talking to a ghost and now was thinking about the impossible happening…maybe he really was going mad. Though…stranger things had happened…Dib shook his head again. I…need to stop thinking so absurdly, Dib patronized himself, Zim would've told me if there was anything I needed to know…
Gir was having a good time rolling around on the floor, when he saw Alec trudging towards the exit of Dib's base.
"Alec! Where're you going?" Gir exclaimed happily as he quickly invited himself along.
"On a walk… the people here are annoying!" Alec scoffed, before smiling to Gir, "But you can come along too I guess, if you want."
"Yay! Walk!" Gir squealed, throwing his leash at Alec, who laughed. Sometimes, Alec felt like Gir was his, slightly off-balance, partner in crime.
"So where are we going?" Gir asked as they made it outside, causing Alec to contemplate some things.
"…On an adventure!" Alec finally yelled, causing Gir to jump around with extra enthusiasm.
"What should we look for?" Gir asked as Alec spun him around in childish delight.
"Treasure!" Alec exclaimed, before thinking again, "And Bigfoot! And-and…maybe even the Lock Ness Monster!"
"Yaaayyyy!" Gir shrieked excitedly at the possibility of finding things that he didn't know what they were.
"Let's get going!" Alec then announced as he stopped spinning, causing Gir to jump onto his shoulders.
"Away!" Gir yelled, before Alec began to run in a random direction, laughter filling the air around them.
Zim knew Alec was upset with himself…and he'd been trying to give him some space…but he hadn't seen Alec in hours…and it was worrying him.
"Alec?" Zim yelled as he walked around the base, "Where have you gotten too?" Zim called again and again, until he ran into Dib.
"Lose your little friend?" Dib asked as Zim scowled in reply.
"Yes…I…upset him…and now I don't know where he's gone…" Zim explained pensively, before sighing and looking up to Dib.
"Well…I can help you look for him," Dib responded as he noticed the worry lined deep within Zim's humanly-disguised eyes.
"Thanks…" Zim mumbled quickly, before running off in another direction. Dib couldn't help but feel there was something keeping him from connecting with Zim the way he had before…They obviously still cared for each other…but something was just in the way…something…that Zim was hiding from him…
Gir and Alec had been traveling for a while, when they reached a small river.
"I'm a flying-squirrelly!" Gir yelled as he climbed up a tree over a shallower portion of the river, before diving in.
"Be careful, Gir! Stay in the shallow end!" Alec called as Gir splashed around in the water. You see, since Zim couldn't touch water, neither of them could swim.
"Now I'm a squirrel-monkey!" Gir yelled in reply, completely ignoring Alec's words.
"Gir! You're going to get yourself in trouble!" Alec yelled as Gir played closer to the deeper waters.
"I'm fiinnneee!" Gir yelled back, before taking a step backwards and immediately being pulled away by the strong currents.
"GIR!" Alec yelled as he quickly jumped and grabbed a hold of the little robot, immediately being pulled in the current as well. Gir screamed as Alec held onto him tightly, struggling with all his little might to stay above the water.
"We're going to die!" Gir shrieked as they were pulled under the currents, holding onto Alec for dear life. Alec tried to say something in return, but his body was brought underwater and he was then left gasping for air.
"MOMMA!" Alec finally screamed as his lungs cleared, "MOMMA!"
Zim and Dib had just met back up after unsuccessfully finding Alec, when Zim's wristwatch came to life.
"…MOM!... HELP!..." Zim made out through the sound of water currents, and before Dib could even say anything, Zim was off and out of Dib's base.
Gir had contacted Zim, but Alec was starting to lose consciousness…and he was worried.
"Alec!" Gir yelled as the boy tried to keep his head above water.
"G-Gir-" Alec whispered back, before he was pulled under the currents once again. With determination in his little mind, Gir waited until some rocks jutting out of the water's surface got near, and he tried his hardest to latch onto one and catch Alec and himself on it…but it didn't last long…and he and Alec were once again pulled into the current.
Dib didn't know much of what was going on…but he knew that Alec and Gir were in trouble…and that Zim…looked terrified.
"ALEC!GIR!" Zim screamed as he and Dib reached the location they'd determined Alec and Gir had gone to. When he got no response, Zim flew down the side of the river…until a mixture of black, pink, and green caught his eye and he slowed down.
"Alec! Gir!" Zim yelled as the figures became visible, immediately recognizing Gir screaming out to him. Without wasting any more time, Zim extended his spider-like legs from his pack and rushed over to where Alec and Gir were, and within a few seconds, he was holding Alec in his arms, with Gir still refusing to let him go.
"I-I tried!" Gir wailed as he looked up to Zim, "I tried to save him!"
"Gir…what are you…" Zim started to ask…before checking Alec's pulse and chest, "He-he's not…"
Dib swore he had never heard something as heart-breaking as when Zim screamed over Alec, it was full of remorse, sadness, and regret. Dib hurried over to Zim immediately, though Zim had turned… suspiciously calm.
"Oh, Alec…You're freezing…you know that?" Zim stated as he ran his gloved hands over Alec's face, pushing away some stray bangs, Dib watched Zim in slight horror.
"You should know not to play in the river without any supervision, you don't even know how to swim," Zim chided as Alec continued to remain motionless...silent…
"Alec…you shouldn't be sleeping here…" Zim then stated darkly, "this…shouldn't have…" Zim let his face drop completely.
"This shouldn't have happened!" Zim suddenly cried, hugging Alec against himself while Dib stood frozen where he was, "You wanted to find the paranormal stuff on the Earth…just like your father! You-you loved to play games and…you hated all the stupid humans who didn't have a clue! You…always wanted your father and…you loved him…and me…and…" Dib's eyes widened as red liquid began to fall from Zim's eyes, and onto Alec's hair.
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Zim mumbled as red tears continued to fall, staining his face and sliding down Alec's hair. Dib…had never seen Zim cry before…he didn't think Irkens could…but the sight of it…gave him the lowest feeling in the world…
"Zim…"
END A/N: Ohhh, cliffhanger again :3 Oh god, I made myself cry D: Cause' it was all happy and then…BAM!...I can make myself feel so sad xD awww, I don't even feel like joking now Uwahh, this isn't the end though! It's not time for the curtain call yet! Who knows what will happen…Not even I do D: Good thing I always copy and pastes this next cheerful part…Reviews make my day! Favorites and Watches make me smile! Views are precious! And Constructive criticism is fine, if reasonable, but flames will be shunned! I love you all for reading this! :D
~Kitty