A/N:

Dedicated to PuddingNinja who wanted a ZaGr based fic, maybe there'll be more of these, you never know XD

Zim comes up with a 'brilliant' plan to trap Amy, Dib and Gaz inside his lab so that he can complete another of his genius plans. However, things take a turn when he ends up trapped himself with Gaz. While Dib and Amy are forced to try and free them. Zim and Gaz are stuck and are forced to exchange a few words. Where is this going exactly? Set sometime after the Smurfs crossover which shall be finished soon I promise XD

You know what, the amount of times that I'd roamed down these corridors in Zim's base; I could sketch a scale map in no time. Dib was sure that this time the alien was plotting something to do with using the 'awesome' power of cheese to enslave the minds of humans. I kid you not, cheese. Frankly, I didn't even want to know how he came across this theory, but it would be amusing to watch anyway. This time even Gaz came along to join us. However, she claimed it was only to save time on dragging us out later on, but I figured there were other reasons. Is there any need to go into it? It had been clear that I was a fan of the idea of Gaz and that insane little E.T getting together. Heck, even Zim had asked me for girl advice! But, we kind of know how successful those times were… Not… But lately I'd learned to ease up on them, no matter how annoying it was. They were both just so stubborn, and that was coming from me! But I digress; we were now heading towards a large containment unit of some kind. Well this was new. Cheese related perhaps? Okay, that's something I never thought I'd say. Only in America folks! Dib went to take a step inside but I hastily pulled him back.

"You don't know what it does yet!"

He smiled sheepishly, "Oh, right…"

"Like it's going to work anyway." Gaz muttered, ignoring my caution and marching right inside.

Everything happened so quickly. The minute Gaz stepped inside, something snatched at her arm and hoisted her in and out if sight. Just as the door sealed shut, something silver leapt out and tackled me to the floor. Dib started smacking his fists against the door, trying to free his sister. But there was no way of seeing inside. I was momentarily blinded by the cyan lights gleaming against my face.

"Hi Amy-Cakes!" GIR grinned, waving despite the closeness, "Hey Mary!"

"GIR, open that door now please." I demanded, pushing him off me.

He shook his head, "Masta told me not to."

"Since when do you listen to Zim?" Dib snapped, now trying to prise the door back with his fingernails.

GIR hunched his shoulders, "He was real serious this time."

All of a sudden a screen slid forward from the wall and crackled into view. We had a view of a large metallic room that seemed to have no exit whatsoever. In the centre, a green face with glowing ruby eyes and a wry grin appeared. Zim, naturally, he just had to go for the big dramatics didn't he? Behind him, Gaz was glaring in rage. That must be the inside of the containment unit, but what was going on?

Zim burst into a fit of maniacal laughter, "Hello, worm-babies! Tell me, how does it feel to be trapped once again by the genius of Zim?" he asked, clearly not able to see us as we could see him.

Dib tilted his head, "Trapped? What trap?"

"Insolent Dib-filth, how much I overestimate you. You really don't even know when you're in peril? Right now you are both standing in the most indestructible of containment units; surely you noticed GIR pulling your sister unit inside, naturally you should follow and thus trap yourselves! And you didn't even see Zim's most perfect of hiding places!"

Dib and I exchanged glances of confusion, I cleared my throat, "Uh, Zim, we're outside. It's you two who are inside the container…"

Zim's feelers drooped a little, "What…"

"You hid inside your own trap?" Dib scoffed, "Who does that?"

Zim pointed at the air warningly, "But you did not see Zim, so Zim wins that round!"

I face-palmed, "Zim… get out here."

There was a moment where the little moron vanished from sight, Gaz just staring at him with a mixture of agitation and amusement. Seriously though, how does he even manage stuff like this? How did it make sense to hide inside his trap, then lock himself inside? Okay, his original idea to pull Gaz in so that we'd rush to help her; that was smart. Creating an indestructible container to imprison us; that was smart. Using GIR was debatably smart. But everything else was just insanely stupid! I could see Dib turning a rosy colour where he was trying to stifle his laughter. Admittedly, I was trying not to laugh too, mainly for the reason that Gaz would kill us if he did. Zim returned to the monitor looking deflated and irritable.

"You're stuck, aren't you?" Dib asked, arching an eyebrow mockingly.

"It wouldn't be a very successful trap if the prisoners could get out, would it Dib-stink?" Zim snapped.

I hid a smirk and started examining the exterior, "Is there anyway we can get you out?"

Dib looked at me in alarm, "What? Why? We've got him where we want him! He's totally at our mercy!"

I tapped the screen sceptically, "And so is your sister."

"Oh…"

Zim delivered a smug expression and raised his fist in the air, "Take that human! Now you have to assist Zim!"

"As soon as you get out of there, you are so dead Space-boy!"

Zim started handing out orders to us, nothing new there then. Apparently because this containment unit was so advanced; Zim's words not mine; we had to hack into the main computer and program the doors to open. That didn't seem so hard, Dib had already broken into the house system loads of times before. But that was in another part of the base. I was about to follow Dib when he stopped me in my tracks.

"Actually, could you, you know…" he swallowed thickly as if it was painful, "Keep an eye on them. I don't trust Zim, if he does anything to hurt my sister I want to know about it!"

I nodded, "I doubt he'd do anything to harm her, drama-queen."

"No Gaz-human! Zim apologises! Mercy!"

We span around to the screen in time to see Gaz grabbing Zim by the throat and pining him against the wall. He gasped for breath as her amber eyes narrowed in anger for putting her in this situation. I eyed Dib knowingly.

"Vice-versa however."

He shrugged, "What can I say? I've taught her well."

"Sure you did…" I smirked.

He vanished into the elevator that toon him downwards into the main levels of the base. I clamped my teeth down on my lip as GIR started waving from his hiding spot clinging to the back of Dib's head. Looks like Dib was going to have a little helper if he liked it or not. I returned my gaze to the screen, suddenly aware that even though I could see and hear Zim and Gaz, they could only hear me but thought that I'd gone with Dib. So really, they thought they were alone. Interesting…

Gaz finally decided that she'd inflicted enough discomfort on the alien and released him, allowing him to fall to the ground and gasp greedily for air. She glared at him before storming to the other side of the prison and pulled out her G.S.2, taking seat on the floor and doing her very best to drown out all sight and sound of the situation. Zim watched her cautiously, a strange glint in his eyes that gave the impression that he was unsure of what to do with himself. For a while, they just stayed like that. Zim too took a seat and absentmindedly twiddled his thumbs together. Now if it had been anyone else in there with him, he would have blamed them to no end, but considering how Gaz had made her silent threat very clear, he didn't dare say a word. Oh come on Zim, speak! Agh, this was worse than those crappy soap operas on TV! But after a few minutes of silence, Gaz suddenly snapped her game closed and tossed it across the room, making it bounce harshly off of Zim's head.

"What was the meaning of that!" he demanded.

"The batteries died." She said simply.

"And that is Zm's fault?"

"Everything else is."

He pointed warningly, "I'll have you know that if it wasn't for GIR locking the door so quickly, that this plan would be perfect! So you can hardly blame Zim for this, let alone your gaming device, Dib-sister!"

She arched her brow, "Don't call me that."

He tilted his head, "You are the Dib's sister, so why shouldn't you be called as such?"

She folded her arms and fixed a scowl, "I don't need to be reminded of it every time you talk. And it's not like that's the only way of defining me either. Dib is my brother, unfortunately, but it's not my label."

Zim contemplated her words, "I suppose that the name is a tad insulting to you, considering you have not necessarily done anything insult-worthy…" he shrugged, "You bring a valid point Little-Gaz."

At that name, she glanced up and then rolled her eyes nonchalantly. There was that little nickname again. Zim tensed as if he was about to prepare for an incoming attack, but none came. Instead, he got to his feet and walked over so that he was towering in front of his cell-mate. She looked up expectantly and didn't bother getting to her feet. The alien arched an eye curiously.

"You do not protest to that?"

She shrugged, "Gaz is my name, isn't it? Little isn't exactly insulting, and neither is human; so Little-Gaz or Gaz-human, it makes no difference to me."

"So, if your name is present, you are passive to what Zim calls you?"

Her expression turned to irritation, "My name is my name; but if we're getting technical I'd rather you not call me at all."

He blinked and his antenna flattened against his head like he was disappointed; it took a moment for him to regain composure and he folded his arms expectantly, "Does the Gaz-human have a name for Zim?"

"Zim. What did you expect?" he didn't answer and she clenched her fists in annoyance as he continued to loom over her and thumbed to her side, "Sit or go away."

For a moment, he wasn't sure if it was some trick, but he must have figured that there was nothing she could possibly pull while locked inside the unit. So he gingerly slid down the wall so that he was next to her. She shifted away slightly to create a fraction more distance between them. He swallowed, fearing that she was going to try and strangle him again, but relaxed a little when she leant back against the wall again. His antenna kept quirking and seemed to tilt her way slightly, but she either didn't notice or didn't care to bring it up. Finally, after an awkward silence, she turned her head to look at him sceptically.

"You're an idiot."

"Why do you insult Zim? Zim has done nothing!"

She pointed upwards to signify the circumstances they were in and sighed, "Your voice is irritating me."

"You irritate Zim!" he paused and tapped his chin in thought, "Why does Zim get the felling that we have said that before?"

"Because we have. Remember when you all summoned that ghost, BJ? I blamed you for Dib missing family night and then we had that same insult exchange and then…"

They exchanged unsure glances before turning back to examine the tiled floor. The memory passed behind their eyes. I knew exactly what memory. When the two had argued on that day, they had been awfully close to one another, a fist about to swing. But at the last minute, BJ turned into a pillow which I threw and hit Zim in the back of the head. The force had made him stumble forward and go to cry out in angered surprise, but instead, he stumbled forward enough for his mouth to land perfectly on her lips. That had been a good shot; although I had paid dearly for it after… They finished reminiscing, in disgust or consideration, it was hard to tell. But they were neither scowling or smiling so that seemed a good sign for them.

Zim cleared his throat, "That Amy-worm is troublesome, yes? Not in the same league as the Dib-stink, but troublesome all the same."

She gave a hint of a wry smile, "It's the way she works. Like they way you work is moronic."

He pointed at her warningly, "The way you work is…" he trailed off, not knowing the right word, he was starting to stammer before he decided on: "…Gaz-ish!"

"Yeah, it is." A smirk, that made him widen his eyes in surprise, she gave him a side-ways glance, "What?"

The alien snapped his eyes downwards, "There is no what." He insisted, getting to his feet and taking a few steps ahead so that his back was facing her, "Zim was wondering why the Gaz-human does not smile like the others. The Amy-beast is always amused, smeet-like almost; the Dib smiles with her and often takes joy in believing that he has beaten Zim and as for GIR…" he shuddered, "But with you it is rare. Why?"

I tried not to take insult to that.

Gaz shifted, "I chose not to waste my energy on something that doesn't help me, I guess…"

"Help you?" his antenna lifted in intrigue.

She looked as though she could have kicked herself, "Forget it."

"Why would the Gaz-human need he -"

"I said, forget it!" she snapped, bringing her knees to her chin and glaring at him threateningly.

Zim looked uneasy, like he wished for nothing more than to be on the other side of the world, or even on a different planet rather then be hearing that. But what help could she possibly need, and how was something as simple as a smile be useless? As curious and concerned as I was, it could have been nothing compared to Zim. He approached her with extreme caution and sat down next to her again, giving at least a good half a foot of space between them. Gently, he prodded her shoulder and swallowed hard.

"If the Gaz-human is in need of help; then perhaps Zim could… assist?"

She eyed him, "And why would I want you to do that and what would you have to gain from it?"

He resumed his egotistical aura, "Zim can fix anything! There is no challenge that I have not come out victorious and a simple human matter will be but mere smeet-play!" he flinched at her icy glare and backtracked, "And, believe it or not, Zim can be concerned when he feels it is necessary."

"Oh, don't tell me you see me as a sister figure like you do with Amy, do you?" she scoffed.

His eyes locked on hers and he forced his voice into steadiness, "No, no I do not… Little-Gaz."

They examined one another carefully. Zim tried his best to maintain his composure under her sceptic and calculating stare. When he thought that it was safe for him to do so, he shuffled a little closer; when she didn't change her stance, he took it as a sign to fully close the gap so that their arms were brushing against each other. A hint of the old Zim returned as he took it was a triumph and smiled smugly, resulting in a sharp punch to the shoulder. But he refused to move away and she didn't protest. He still looked at her questioningly, not because of the hit, but because of the previous matter at hand. Finally, she figured that he wasn't going to let it drop and spoke through gritted teeth.

"I don't care what people around me do with their time because it's theirs to waste, just like they don't take an interest in what I do, my time is my time. I don't expect anything from anyone because then there can only be room for improvement. People think I'm a stereotype, which means that they expect the same thing form me, leaving me alone in the process. So why would smiling change that?" she looked at him with an arched eyebrow, "There's nothing to fix, Zim, so thanks but no thanks. I guess it's better that way."

He looked confused by her dismissive tone. She was so blunt and made it sound like she truly didn't care. In a way, he kind of felt the same. People had labelled him as a weirdo in skool and thus expected him to be one, ignoring his strangeness and taking it as proving themselves right. He also had no care for what others did in their time, for he was Zim and that's what was important to him. But now here she was, practically forced into an explanation and he seemed… understanding to say the least. Anxiously, and curious for a reaction, he started to pat her shoulder in, presumably, a comforting attempt. Although she hardly looked like she needed it, but to him it felt like something he should do.

She tensed and started to clench her fists, but relaxed them. As much as she didn't like being touched, she figured that there wasn't anything really that bad about it at that moment. When he picked up on her tolerating him and felt like trying his luck. His arm stopped the rhythmic comforting and started to snake along her shoulders. But he swiftly resumed back to his previous action of patting gently her as she glared at him as if to say 'if you like that arm you'll keep it away from me'. So he figured that close contact was not permitted, yet little gestures were. So instead, he began to eye her hand which was on her bent knees. There was no big attempt to take it in his or to gently caress it like in those cheesy movies. Instead, all he did was simply place his own hand on top of hers. No interlacing fingers, no stroking comfort; just that as it was.

"I'm not your pet you know." Gaz said bluntly, "You don't have to treat me like one."

Zim noticed that she was not moving away, nor was she making him do so either, "To be a pet, that requires possession, ownership; Zim shall admit that it takes some imagination to picture the Gaz-human as property. Being the property owner however…"

A ghost of a wry smile appeared, "Maybe." Her amber eyes studied him, "What are you doing?"

His jaw clenched, thinking that perhaps his luck really had run out and was prepared to remove his hand. But then he noticed that she was actually glancing upwards. The alien's lime complexion darkened at the sight of his own antenna tilting more openly towards her and had subtly started entwining into her violet locks. She didn't look annoyed; in fact she looked lightly questioning. Zim pulled back and smoothed the black stalks down with his free hand. He searched for an excuse.

"It is not of your concern, human!" he said, not quite grasping his usual ordering tone.

Gaz shrugged and leant back against the wall, her hair landing on his shoulder causing his feelers to go on their travels again. She seemed aware of this, but didn't give anything away, instead she allowed it. They sat in a semi-awkward silence. It was strange seeing them together like this. Zim, the loud and egotistical alien; now cautious and almost fearful in an attempt to please someone. Gaz, the strong and independent loner; now giving someone permission to be within three feet of her and looking like she was enjoying it, despite internal self-hatred for it. She twitched her hand, making him flinch his away. Her eyes rolled and her fingers pressed together into what looked like the star-trek greeting gesture and lay it back on her knee, palm upwards. Zim glanced at his own gloved, three fingered claw and took a guess at what she was doing. He returned his hand to hers, this time, due to the altered shape, their fingers interlaced.

"You are somewhat tolerable, I guess." She said coolly.

"As are you, Little-Gaz…" he furrowed his brow, "Wait, should Zim take that as a compliment?"

"Take it how you want." She shrugged, "What're you asking me for?"

"You confuse Zim…"

"It's not hard."

"You intrigue Zim." He corrected himself, he took a breath when she didn't answer and continued, "It was during a terribly awkward conversation such as this that the Dib-worm invited the Amy-human on an outing of sorts… Should Zim offer a similar proposal?"

Gaz arched an eyebrow, "Ask and find out if you should have or not."

"But, I do not wish to ask if it shall not be accepted." He snapped.

"Then you won't get an answer if you don't ask." She replied bluntly.

He growled slightly, much to her satisfaction, "You infuriate Zim!"

"Whatever…" she shrugged.

Her wry smirk caught his eye and his irritation faltered momentarily. Zim's maroon eyes studied her and he seemed to relax a little. His hand tightened a little more protectively around hers. She didn't seem to mind, but she wasn't giving any concept or signal for either to make another move. However, once again the alien felt like testing his luck. With his free hand, he gently pinched her chin to tilt it upwards to face him. Her eyes narrowed warningly, but she didn't protest. The best way to picture the scene was to describe Zim as a curious puppy who had come across a lioness. He knew it was dangerous and she was giving him plenty of warning, yet she knew that he was no threat to her and he in turn was eager to fell the thrill. Slowly, he started to lean in closer. Oh wow, I really should look away now.

All of a sudden, the sealed door slid open, making me jump. Oh crap! Dib must have hacked into the system; they couldn't see me or else they'd know I had been eavesdropping on them! It was more than my life's worth! Just as they jumped apart, I dived into the elevator. They exited and I walked towards them, pretending that I'd just arrived.

"Well, that took a while!" I announced, "You two okay?"

"Pfft! Zim is always okay!"

"Whatever." Gaz shrugged.

Dib rose up from the elevator, covered in oil marks and dust, "There, that wasn't too difficult…" he announced, brushing himself off before looking at me, "Was everything ok -"

I cut him off before he could blow my cover, "Hey, why don't we get out of here before Zim finds those you-know-what's you planted in his computer!"

"But I didn't -"

"Cursed, Dib-monkey! You dare to interfere with Zim's technology?"

"What? No not this time!"

"LIAR!" Zim cried, "You shall pay -" Gaz distracted him by opening her G.S.2 and resuming her game, he pointed quizzically, "You said the fuel cells had burned out."

She shrugged, "And?"

"And? And why did you throw it as Zim?"

"I felt like it." She smirked and started to walk out towards the elevator.

Oh it was like a soap-opera all over again. Stop her you fool! Stop her!

"Gaz-human!" he announced, making her pause but not turn around. He eyed me and Dib standing there and huffed in agitation, resuming to look at Gaz, "Will you?"

She straightened a little. Will you, he said. Sure he didn't ask the full question, and he was still scared of the answer. But he still asked. Even if he had refused to ask her directly while in the container. This was his own way of asking her out. Why did I find myself holding my breath? Gaz turned her head to glance at him. She shrugged and resumed on her way out.

"Maybe."

"You'll maybe what?" Dib demanded, following her into the elevator, "Will you what? What's a maybe, Gaz?"

I caught Zim's eye and grinned, giving him a thumbs up. His eyes narrowed dangerously, but there was a glint of a smile in there; I hoped as I hastily ran for the elevator… Gaz didn't say anything on the way out, and she sure as hell didn't give anything away expression wise. But I knew what I saw and there was no denying it. Victory for Amy! Oh wow Dib was going to flip! But calm it down, one step at a time now. But a few steps had been taken already. Zim had asked, and a… vague but still an answer, had been given. Hmmm…. I wonder where this will go…

A/N:

Looks like I'll have to write more of these now, lol XD Hope you liked it and I hope I kept them in-character, they are very stubborn people to write for! Until next time and don't forget to leave requests if you like XD