ForceWalker

Chapter 19

Damn, you little tease! For a moment, I actually thought Zim and Gaz were going to go for a bit right there and then! Once again, you little tease!
And I'm very intrigued with Dib and Tak's...relationship, so to put it. What is it going to evolve into?
And I expected the designer to be understanding to the whole situation! Looks like I was right! Ha!

I get called a tease a lot.

LOL, random designer guess. Nice, nice.

Gman2092

Chapter 19

how long til the next chapter? Please say not long...
Ohhh, no midmorning Tango for out lovely young Heroin-...er...Demoness? I dunno, either way, It's awesome. I love it, and I like the mating thing idea whatever. lol do you think there are homosexual irkens? How would THAT work?

Psh, I update every other day, dude.

ANTI-HEROINE. Gaz is the ULTIMATE. ANTI-HEROINE.

O.O

Well . . . I don't know, ask Purple and Red. I'm sure THEY'D know something about it.

:D

cheddarbiscuit

Chapter 19

How do you not know about the Taj Mahal and the Sistine Chapel? I guess next you'll tell me you've never heard of the Mona Lisa. Google them. Google them NAO!
Anyway...
Good chapter. So, we *are* getting DaTr then? Good, I like me a bit of DaTr.

I looked up the Sistine Chapel.

And was frightened and intimidated by all the pictures that came up, so I quickly shut Google in my terror and then reopened it to look up the Taj Mahal. Then I was like, "OMG! THAT LOOKS LIKE THE PLACE FROM ALADDIN!"

Because I was raised off of Disney.

I know wha tthe Mona Lisa is! . . . It's a painting, right?

Just kidding, I know. Don't be dissing meh cause I live under a rock!

Yes, but I'm making any DATR a bit complicated. Because-. Well, you'll just have to see for yourself when the chapter comes up.

I'm painting my room a fuchsia color!

Yay!

Who doesn't like that color? (Because you suck if you do, that's Gaz's fire-color)

Also, I'm slowing my updates to every 2 days. I'm pushing out chapters quicker then I'm writing them up.

Enjoy.


Chapter 20
"Final Details"

Zim had Gaz pinned underneath him.

They were breathing heavily, Zim on his hands and knees looking down at her as she stared up at him. The room was bathed in no light but the moonlight that filtered through the glass doors. Surprised at how tired he was, Zim lowered his head, resting it on the mattress, next to the crook of her neck. Gaz could feel him breathing on her shoulder, her head tilting back to look up past his shoulder towards the ceiling. Zim's body hovered mere centimeters above hers. Just moments ago it had pressed against it.

Eventually Zim rolled off of her, lying next to her instead. He smirked at her, his breath finally returning to normal. "Tired now?"

Gaz glared at him. Then she sighed. "Yes."

"Good." Zim replied, cradling her against him. "Now sleep."

It was some time later when she actually fell asleep.

Zim watched her the whole time.

It was kind of creepy sounding, but he was scared for her. Was she beginning to come down with something? Had she caught something while she was in Dib's care? Insolent fool! How had Zim brought himself to trust that idiotic buffoon with the care of his precious Empress?

Zim had taken the night off tonight, to be there this time when Gaz woke up. Not only had he felt bad leaving her there to go to his conference with the Russians, walking back in to find her in such a . . . compromising position hadn't exactly been a situation he wanted to repeat. At least, not until after he had wed her.

Gaz shifted slightly in her sleep. She was wearing a black nightgown tonight. Her leg shifted, curling over his and she sighed, silently. Zim smiled at her sleeping form, stroking her face gently. Gaz's face twitched but she otherwise did nothing.

He sighed, smiling. "How can a creature like you need Zim to show your world your greatness?"

Of course, he got no response.

Zim stared up at the ceiling and did nothing, smiling, completely content with simply lying with Gaz.

That was, until she woke up.

Gaz's eyes shot open with a gasp, Zim's eyes immediately darting down to her face with alarm. She sat up immediately, breathing heavily, as if she'd just done some sort of greatly strenuous activity.

"Gaz?" He questioned, sitting up and placing a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong? Why have you woken?"

Gaz closed her eyes, placing her hand on her forehead. She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. The shudder that passed over her did not escape from Zim's vision and his red eyes filled with fear and concern. Gaz had worn a silk tank-top and a pair of shorts to bed, not exactly warm clothes. Wondering if the shiver was from some breeze (though he didn't know how that would happen, as his fortress kept everything out, breezes included), Zim got out of bed and reached under it, retrieving a spare blanket. Normally he would've asked the computer to fetch him one but he didn't want to speak, afraid of breaking the silence for some reason.

When he draped the blanket around her shoulders, Gaz stiffened at the touch. Zim wrapped it tighter around her, moving to sit next to her, antenna wilted in confusion and fear. He hated not knowing what was going on! Especially when Gaz did not seem well.

Finally, Gaz's body relaxed and she removed the blanket, lying back down on the bed, her back to him. "It was just a dream. I'm fine."

Zim glared at her. He gripped her around the waist as he lay down again, turning her to face him, one hand cupping her cheek. "If it was enough to wake you, it certainly was nothing."

Gaz looked down at his chest, which was not covered by his standard Invader-issue shirt. Instead he wore what was underneath, since it had been tossed aside at some point in their intimate time. It was a black, long-sleeved, sleek shirt. She looked at it instead of his face.

"It was just a dream, Zim."

"A dream that bothered you," he insisted, getting irritated now. "Gaz, what happened?"

"I don't . . .!" Gaz trailed off in her yelling, shutting her eyes. "I . . . I just want to go back to sleep, okay?"

Sighing at her stubbornness, Zim nodded, kissing her on the forehead. "Very well. Rest assured, we will discuss this at some point, but Zim wishes for you to at least try to get a regular amount of sleep tonight."

Gaz didn't say anything.

Rolling his eyes, still feeling that buzz of nerves inside him, Zim held her closely, and all was silent.

Then Gaz's brow rose and she moved away, giving him a look of disbelief. "Are you humming?"

"Yes." Zim's brow rose back at her. "Why? Do you not like it?"

"I . . . Where did you even hear a tune on Earth you would be willing to hum?"

"It's not from Earth, it's an Irken Lullaby, the only one in existence. When I was a smeet, I was still sleeping, or in hibernation mode, I mean. We grow out of our need for rest and eventually wear back down into needing to again when we grow old. Someone in my section decided it would be fun to play with the Irken Control-Brains instead of the weapons we were given to toy with, and ended up breaking one, making it emit a tune every time it was time to put us all to rest. It took ages to fix and eventually got stuck in everyone's head. It became the first and only lullaby, tune, or music to ever exist in Irken history. It's very catchy though, don't you think?"

"So, let me guess," Gaz smirked at him. "You were the one who broke the Control-Brain?"

Zim scowled at her. "Nobody could prove anything. And it made history, didn't it?"

"I'm sure you're glorifying a disaster." Gaz insisted, laughing as she replaced her head on his chest.

He frowned at her form, but then his gaze softened upon seeing she had relaxed again, running his fingers through her hair. "So would you like Zim to hum or would you prefer silence?"

She sighed, not bothering to open her eyes. But he imagined if they were open, she'd be rolling them at his comment. "You can hum."

Pleased and grinning at her, Zim closed his mouth again, humming to her. He heard her snicker a little at the oddity she must have thought it was, but after a while her breathing slowed and he knew she was asleep.

Zim hummed throughout the night, and she didn't wake up again.


Tak was pleased to find upon waking that her hand was healed.

Black pants and another striped shirt were laid out on her bed again. However, the difference was that there was only one long sleeve. On her right arm, there was nothing. It was a one-sleeved shirt.

She scowled. Humans and their odd ways of fashion.

But she put it on, if not for lack of anything else to where, Tak was far too lazy to honestly give a damn about how she looked. And she probably would be working in her room all day today anyways.

Tomorrow was Zim's wedding.

She only had one day left to crack the codes of his fortress, for at least a little while.

Yesterday, only able to use one hand, Tak hadn't able to get much done. And MiMi couldn't have done it because as smart as her SIR unit was, she had never been trained in the art of hacking. In the end Tak done in three hours what should've taken her three minutes. It was so irritating that Tak had given up early to start again fresh in the morning. Obviously, flexing her hand, it was worth it. She figured that while she did get injuries as a human, they healed quicker then a normal one would.

At least that was something.

She got up, re-opening Dib's computer and picking up where she had left off yesterday.

Dib. Ugh, that unbearable, annoying little boy. Tak scowled at the thought of him and his remark yesterday. She hated this body the Tallest had placed her in, cursing herself for designing the original child-version they'd based her disguise off of. In a way this was all her fault.

And she hated that too.

A knock on her door made Tak wonder if this was going to be a daily thing.

"What do you want?" She demanded, rudely, making a guess at who it was calling on her.

A squeak on the other end made her stop in her typing, looking up in surprise. Definitely not the boy.

"Hello?" Tak said again, warily, a slender brow rising. Then she became suspicious as she got no response, hands curling into fists. "If you don't identify yourself, I'm going to have MiMi break down the door and attack you!"

In response to this mention of action, MiMi stopped looking out the window, tensing and facing the door, poised to strike.

"U-Um, no need to do that!" A frightened voice said quickly from the other side. "D-Dib just asked me to come see if you were alright, since you didn't come down for breakfast this morning!"

Tak's eyes widened in surprise and her eyes immediately went to the clock. The even more irritating little Gretchen girl was right. It was 9am, a few hours past breakfast, since everyone gather around 8. She growled, annoyed with herself for sleeping in. MiMi had relaxed, eyes flicking between her master and the clock, wondering its significance.

"Tell that idiotic excuse for an investigator that it is none of his concern whether I choose to come down or not for morning meals!" Tak snapped. "I'll be working throughout the day, so as to remain undisturbed, so I'll request you send food in hear immediately so that I may continue working."

"Sure! O-Of course!" Gretchen said. "I'll, eh, send Dib your message!"

Tak rolled her eyes as the gentle thump of Gretchen fleeing from her door was heard. She turned back to her computer, irritated as she felt her long hair getting in the way somehow. She got to her feet at once, digging around for something sharp.

She was going to take care of this problem at once, before anything else could happen.


Dib glanced up from his lessons in weapon-handling as Gretchen cleared her throat.

"Oh, hey Gretch," He said. Glancing back he said, "Take five everyone!"

She blushed at the nickname, glowing on the inside as he approached her. "Heh. Hi, Dib."

"How's Tak?" He asked, bringing that glow down to a dim spark.

The smile faltered, but Dib didn't notice. "She says, um . . . Well-."

"Let me guess," Dib's smile became a bit more mischievous. "Something to the effect of 'Tell Dib to leave me alone, it's none of his business what I do'?"

She blushed harder, chin inkling towards the floor, looking up at him through her lashes. "In so many words . . . She also said she'll be eating in her room for today. I'm going to go ask the maid to send up some breakfast now."

Dib made a face, glancing back to the second story of the house, since they were outside again. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Don't bother," He insisted, smiling at her again. "I'll bring it up myself, make sure she's not destroying your house up there or anything just because she's getting frustrated hacking Zim's defenses."

Gretchen's eyes widened in protest, "No! You shouldn't do that!"

Dib's brow rose at her. "Why?"

Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, glancing from her to the house. "Did she . . . say something to you?"

Gretchen bit her lip, speaking hurriedly through her nerves. "Not exactly, but, she just didn't sound like she was in a good mood is all!"

Dib frowned. Gretchen was a bit jumpy. He didn't like thinking Tak was terrorizing people just because she was in a 'bad mood' (according to Gretchen but with Tak you really couldn't know for sure second-hand). "No, I should check on her. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Gretchen watched, unable to do anything as her mouth parted but nothing came out, Dib brushing past her towards the house. She let out a breath, face contorted in worry and discomfort. Why was Dib so concerned about Tak being upset? He didn't like her, did he? She could feel the blood draining from her skin tone, staring after him.

"White with Worry isn't a good color on you."

She spun around, seeing Tip and Tine smirking around them as they sat on a log.

"And frankly," Tine added, for it was Tip that had spoken. She turned a dazzling sneer towards her, eyes locking with her cousin. "Green with Envy isn't either."

Gretchen scowled at them. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please, Gretchen." Tip insisted, shaking his head with a sigh. "It's painfully obvious. But honestly, he isn't interested. And you don't have the time to wear him down."

"Tak's got the advantage," Tine added. "Dib hates her."

"Wait," Gretchen's eyes scrunched in confusion. "Wouldn't that be a disadvantage?"

"Not necessarily," Tine mused, as she played with a sword she'd had custom made for herself. Gretchen was well aware Tine had always been a fan of anything of Gaz's and noticed at once the similarities between Gaz's sword and Tine's. "Hate, depending on the type, can often lead to frustration, which leads to the need for release."

"Teenagers that can't control their hormones normally use something sexual as a release."

"And Tak has just obtained new, human pheromones," Tine finished, a slow smirk appearing on her face. She looked up at Gretchen. "Really, cousin. It's just an inevitable event that those two are going to hook up."

"Their next fight, perhaps," Tip sneered, turning to his sister. "And Tak already wasn't in a good mood, correct?"

They both threw back their heads, laughing. Gretchen's face flushed with embarrassment and anger, hands curling into fists as she stomped her foot on the ground.

"That's not funny!" She insisted, angry tears in her eyes as her lower lip trembled a bit. "He doesn't like her! Just shut up!"

She ran off. Tine and Tip shared a look of uncertainty.

"Should we . . .?" Tine began.

Then they said collectively, "Nah!"


Dib heard cursing before he even knocked. Or at least, the hissing, nasty way it was said sounded like cursing, as he was fairly sure she was speaking in Irken or something, as he couldn't understand a word of what she was saying.

"Tak?" He called, approaching the door.

Another foreign curse. A pause, and then, "I thought I told that obsessive little twit to tell you to leave me alone!"

Dib scowled. A part of him wanted to disagree with her, but, well-.

"It's rude to call people names, Tak. What did Gretchen ever do to you?" After a thump and another swear he demanded. "And what are you doing in there?"

"Valsik*! Ugh! It's none of your concern! Go away!"

Dib rolled his eyes and opened the door (ready to cover his eyes, should the need come, since it was clear Tak had no respect for her human body).

He was surprised at what he saw.

Tak was at the mirror. That was surprising as well, but not the main source for his shock. Since when did she care what she looked like? However, what was truly stunning was her hair.

It was short.

Furious violet eyes shot to his face, narrowing at him. "I told you to leave my presence, Dib. Are you truly so incapable of following orders and respecting privacy that you must barge into my room daily? Is this going to become a habit? Should I just leave the door open from now on, so you don't have to be bothered by opening it?"

Dib rolled his eyes. "Stop being so over-dramatic Tak. By the way, why are you swearing if you're just cutting your hair with a pair of scissors?"

"THIS USELESS DEVICE IS ANNOYING TO USE!" She shrieked, throwing the scissors at the wall, recreating that thump sound Dib had heard. She sighed as MiMi (looking rather nervous and unsure of what else she should do) retrieved them and handed them back over. Tak sigh, going back to the mirror and fixing her hold on them.

Dib snorted. "I would imagine they would be. You're holding them wrong."

Tak froze, her eyes traveling slowly downwards, towards her hand. "Oh . . . No matter, I am finished anyways!"

She was pretty much finished, actually. It was the same cut she had once worn it in, though how she had gotten it so precisely straight (especially holding the scissors wrong) he would never figure out. Tak took the scissors and shoved them in a drawer, ignoring them completely.

"Um," He held the plate out, setting it down next to her. "I brought your food up."

Tak eyed the plate, her eyes flicking to Dib, before turning her attention back to his laptop. "Very well."

All sorts of foreign characters were on the screen. Even if Dib could read Irken, he would never be able to read and recognize the letters that fast. But Tak was typing in things, as if in response to what she was reading. An impressive multitasking skill, Dib noted, watching this for a few minutes.

She spoke without turning around. "Did you have something else to say, or were you just staring so that your eyes could dry out and become the literal sense of the Swollen Eyeball?"

Dib snapped out of his awe then. "Oh, uh, sorry. I was just-."

"Despite your fancy Dib, I actually don't care what you were doing." Tak interrupted, still not bothering to look at him. Well now she was doing three things at once; reading, writing, and making him look like an idiot.

Although really, insulting Dib didn't take nearly as much effort as the other two.

"Right," He said, turning to leave.

Then there was a pause. Then she said, curtly. "Dib?"

Dib turned around at once, looking at her with slight surprise that she wasn't saying his name like acidic and vile, just like it had a bad aftertaste . "Yeah?"

Tak smirked at him.

He gulped.

"Stay the hell out of my room."

Once again MiMi shoved him out in the blink of an eye. He fell on his hands and knees, looking back to see the robotic cat glaring at him, red eyes slits as she sat on the floor. Her tail swished, gripping the door, and slamming it on his face.

Dib sat up, dusting himself off and shaking his head.

Some pet that thing was.


Gaz was getting fitted again.

The dress was something she was surprised to find she entirely approved of. Most people would think it impossible to make a dress overnight, and for them, it would be, but that was simply because they didn't have Zim's technology and resources on hand.

Zim walked in the room as Gaz was changing back into her old clothes, having been waiting outside the door this time. The designer-woman could tell that there was something up, but she didn't ask. Gaz was being helped by the two assistants out of the dress, leaving only Zim and the designer on the other side of the curtain.

The designer eyed him, smirking. "It's bad luck for the groom to see his bride the day before the wedding."

"Ha!" Zim pointed at her, smirking back as if he had made some great accomplishment. "I had my computer look up your human superstitions about weddings and while the dress one is valid, that one is not! It's the day of the wedding, not the day before!"

The woman laughed.

Gaz snorted from behind the curtain. "Stop harassing her, Zim."

Shock and indignation crossed his face as he looked to the dressing room, crossing his arms in a slight pout. "I was doing nothing of the sort! I was simply proving my knowledge in the paranoia of marriage! She was the one who was trying to trick me! "

"It's hardly her fault if you've made yourself seem so gullible," Gaz retorted.

"But-!" The sound of a zipper made him lose his train of thought. So instead he threw his hands up, "Gah! I can never win with you."

"Don't plan on that changing," She replied, smugly.

The designer expected Zim to be cross. However, she was surprised to see Zim smirking and shaking his head, apparently amused but in no way angry. Her brow rose. This was definitely not the man the press had been showing on the news. The man on the news was cruel, vindictive, a narcissistic sociopath. But the man here was arrogant, easily bested by the girl (who was supposed to be innocent selfless and instead was harsh and sardonic) who he clearly loved and rather carefree and easy-going.

Her voice lowered, keeping Gaz from hearing. "You seem to be in an awfully good mood today."

Glancing at her, Zim chuckled, seeing her thoughts written all across her face. He, too, spoke quietly. "I am not really too bad of a person, designer-drone. Gaz clearly likes you, and anyone she likes, Zim likes, or is at least polite to. However, I would appreciate it if that information didn't get out to the public. I have an image to keep up and I would rather pay more attention to my future wife then fixing a mess that could've been avoided by some unnecessary display of cruelty."

The woman eyed him suspiciously. Just what was this guy?

Then she shook her head, shrugging, looking back to the changing room. "If it helps the girl, sure, why not?"

Zim laughed again. "Yes, she grows on you, does she not?"

"She's got spunk," The woman replied. "Not a lot of girls her age have that spirit anymore."

Gaz came out dressed regularly once again. Zim caught no glimpse of the dress, only the black bag that it was in. He took her hands, smiling down at her. "I trust you liked your choice?"

She nodded. "Yup."

Zim placed his hand around her waist, looking at the designer. "The adjustments will be ready by tomorrow?"

"Of course," The woman replied, nodding her head respectfully, as her two assistants did. "Just a few places to tighten around her waist. She's seriously got one of the tiniest I've ever seen."

Gaz blushed, glaring down at her hands as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

Zim smirked, tightening his grip on her as he laughed. "She truly is the diamond of her race. Her looks are just a bonus." When she shifted uncomfortably, Zim laughed again, nodding to the women. "If you'll excuse us, I've got to finish giving my fiancé a tour of our home."

He turned and led her out, snickering as soon as the door shut behind them.

Gaz glared at him immediately. "That wasn't funny."

"Oh, silly Gaz," Zim brushed his hand along her still reddened cheeks. A hand she shied away from, slightly. "You shouldn't feel embarrassed about your beauty. It's simply fact that you are the most attractive thing this planet or any other has to offer."

She shifted uncomfortably, offering no reply to that. It amused Zim all the more. By now he had walked to the hallway with the windows for walls, only black lines separating the squares of glass from one another and made them windows.

He moved, pinning her against the wall, next to one of these windows now. Startled, Gaz stared at him incredulously. Zim's hand roamed her body, sliding from her waists to her hips slowly, his forehead resting against hers as he looked down at her body before flicking up to her eyes, smirking.

"Does Zim need to show you how appealing you are?" He breathed.

Gaz wasn't sure what to do. A pet-peeve of hers was to be called pretty, or attractive, or any of those complimenting words. Terrifying? Hell yes, scream and cower all you want. Deadly? Most definitely, she was more than happy to have caution used around her. But beautiful? Appealing? Sexy? Ugh, what use did those words have on her?

But Zim seemed to be doing a really good job of convincing her otherwise.

It wasn't that Gaz didn't realize she was attractive, or had some self-conscious issues and thought she was ugly. No, she knew well others enjoyed the way she looked, even if they only got to look a moment before she was giving them such a terrifying look that the completely forgot about her looks and only realized how dangerous she was. She didn't like looks like that from people, looks other girls would kill to have. The only one Gaz wanted attention from was Zim, and he didn't give a damn what she looked like so long as he could have her. Or, at least, she'd thought he hadn't noticed.

Apparently though, Zim had noticed. While he liked (loved, she reminded herself) her for more important reasons, reasons he focused on over her looks, he still liked them.

"You need not feel anything less than the most terrifyingly beautiful creature in this universe," he breathed in her ear, a hand brushing against her neck and sliding so it was secured behind it, ready to force her mouth onto hers at any moment of his choosing. He brought his face back to hers, locking red eyes with amber ones. "Remember that."

And then his mouth was upon hers, tongue slipping inside, body pressed against hers as he pushed her farther against the wall with his weight. Her groan was muffled by his tongue, which had once again wrapped around hers and pulled. He seemed to like doing that a lot, Gaz noted. He brought his other hands to her back, slipping it under her shirt and raking his nails gently across her spine. It was enough to get her to arch her back into him, something she knew he had intended for her to do, as he smirked against her lips immediately afterwards.

Then a scream of excitement and a crash brought them apart, Zim's head snapping in the direction of the voice that had come a ways away. Gaz blinked the haze away from her eyes, her head clearing as Zim held her securely, but platonically around the waist, letting her up from the wall as they both waited, Gaz confused and Zim expectant.

"GAZZY!"

Zim caught Gir just before he could tackle Gaz, who leaned back, a brow rising. He protested at being held by Zim, making whining noises as he fidgeted and reached out to her.

"What is it, Gir?" She asked, taking the squirming SIR unit from Zim's hands.

Gir relaxed at once, hugging Gaz with one arm and pointing down the hallway with the other, crying out in complaint. "He mean to me!"

"Who is mean to you, Gir?" Zim pressed, fists at his side as he gave the spastic little robot a questioning look.

He hugged Gaz tighter, burying his head into her neck. Gaz's brow rose and she and Zim shared a look of complete confusion. What exactly had got the little SIR unit so upset?

Pointing dramatically again, but not lifting his head from her collarbone, he shouted. "Lil green man! He not nice to me!"

They both rolled they eyes before locking gaze.

"Do you mean Skoodge?" Zim asked, just knowing already that this was going to be a stupid argument.

"Uh-huh!" Gir cried, pulling away to look up at Gaz with watering eyes. "You not gon' make me stay with him no more, is you, Gazzy?"

"Stop calling me 'Gazzy', Gir." Gaz replied, avoiding his question. Actually, she wasn't sure what to do about this. She highly doubted Skoodge was being mean to him but it was possible. If she wasn't so immune to Gir's stupidity, she might have snapped and just screamed at him a few times. It Invader Skoodge had done the same thing she would hardly blame him.

He nodded vigorously, tongue sticking out of his mouth cheerfully. "Okay, Mistress!"

She sighed as he hugged her again. Well, at least that was better than Gazzy, as Mistress was technically true now. Honestly, with Gir around, who needed to have children? She was already holding him like a baby, her arm underneath his backside and other hand on his back, to hold him. He was certainly small enough and spastic enough to be a child. She smirked at the thought. Noticing this smirk, Zim's brow rose in questioning.

"What're you thinking about?" He demanded, suspiciously.

Gaz placed on her best innocent expression, taunting him all the more as his eyes narrowed once again. "Who, me? Nothing."

"No, Gir is thinking of nothing. You are doing something and I demand you tell me at once!"

"Gir is upset," Gaz countered. "So why don't you worry about finding out what happened with Invader Skoodge instead of interrogating me about nothing?"

Gaz refused to tell Zim anything about her thoughts about Gir being their child (the only child he'd ever get) in her mind. Doubtless he would panic and never allow Gir near her again and that was just mean. It wasn't like she had motherly instincts with him, hell no, they just were always taking care of him because he was such a handful, like parents. And Zim, no matter how much he refused to admit it, acted like a father. Gaz was in no way mother-material but when it came to Gir, she just knew how to handle him, like a mother.

What a weird-ass family we are, she thought, watching a panting Invader Skoodge round the corner, looking winded and tired.

Doubtless he'd chased Gir through the castle for some reason or another. She could just see Skoodge barring Gir from doing something, Gir freaking out and insisting he was going to tell on him, and then the chase that had led them here.

"G . . . GIR!" Skoodge shouted through pants, obviously not seeing the three of them as he dragged his feet, looking at the ground.

Gir squeaked in fear upon seeing Skoodge, hiding his head back in Gaz's collarbone. Subconsciously she moved to pet him, like a cat, stroking his head.

Zim crossed his arms. "Invader Skoodge! What the hell is going on here?"

Gaz's brows rose in surprise, looking at him. She had never heard him swear before. Why was he so irritated about this? And then she remembered what it had interrupted and smirked, adjusting her hold on Gir, as he had begun slipping a little bit.

Nervously, he saluted. "U-Uh, Sir!"

"Well?" Zim pressed, narrowing his eyes at the poor, small fellow. "Zim is running out of patience! Begin with the explaining!"

"Right!" Skoodge said, clearing his throat as he started. "I was watching Gir, sir, as you instructed me to do, when he requested to eat the transmitter. This happened a lot following and each time I refused, he proceeded to get more and more upset."

Gaz could've mouth his words herself, her guess matching Skoodge's story perfectly.

"Eventually, Sir, he snapped at me, burst into tears, called me a 'meany-head' and ran off. I chased after him, but it seems he found you anyways, before I could stop him from disturbing you. My greatest apologies for my failure, Sir, I have no excuse for it." Skoodge finished, hand falling to his side. She noticed he was avoiding looking at her. Strange. Maybe it was because she was holding Gir.

Zim scowled at Skoodge, clearly debating what to do.

Gaz decided to intervene. She pulled Gir at arm's length, giving him a stern look. "Gir, how many times have I told you that you aren't allowed to eat things that are not meant to be edible?"

"Um, 27!" He shouted, pleased with himself. And then his face dropped. "Oh yeah!"

"Exactly," She said with severe finality. "Now I'm only telling you this once, Gir. You are not to run away from Invader Skoodge just because you think that he's being mean. Did he ever hit you?"

"No."

"Kick you?"

"No."

"Scream at you?"

"No."

"Then he's already nicer then Zim," She shot said alien a vindictive smile that he was both irritated with and awed by. Gaz placed him on the floor, truly feeling like a mother scolding her child (it both amused and annoyed her now), and made him face Skoodge. "Now apologize for misbehaving."

"I don't wanna!" He shrieked. And then seeing her glare he said, cheerfully, "Okay!" Gir clung to her leg, glaring at Skoodge. "I'm . . . sorry."

"Good," Gaz amended, shoving him back towards Skoodge. She looked at Zim with a proud smirk. "There. Problem solved."

Everyone but Gir stared at her (meaning only Zim and Skoodge). Gir beamed at his mother-figure, munching on his hand.

So was the ridiculousness of their twisted family.


*Basically translating into: Fuck!

And speaking of which-.

FUUUUUUUCK THIS WAS A LONG CHAPTER!

You're welcome?

Yeah, let's go with that.

The reason I keep interrupting the Gaz/Zim moments is so you feel all the more relieved at their . . . big moment.

Yeah, I'm just calling it that.

This was also used to reintroduce Gir and Skoodge, who have been neglected. My apologies.

Daily Quote:

"You have cool dreams, Echo."
"NO! They're weird as HELL!"
"Aw come on, they can't be all bad!"
"Well granted, some of them are amazing, but it's like being stuck in my own Wonderland on a regular basis. Except it has no rabbits, home appliances with google-eyes that try to pass off as creatures and I'm never trying to get home."

-Speaking with my friend about my mind.

I love my brain. It's imaginative and comes up with amazing ideas sometimes. However, sometimes, I am not so fond of it.

Creative minds are not cool for nightmares.

TILL THE NEXT CHAPTER.