Well, I present you with an actual chapter after such a long wait. No clue how long it's been though so you guys get to have the tally. I'm sorry for such a wait. I didn't have the oomph in this story like I did. I have 30 some chaps written but need typed and it's not even done yet.

On another note. I'm not sure if anyone even reads this anymore. Not a clue why I'm even finishing it either. Ah well, it's going up.

Words- Regular speech

Words- Thoughts

Words- Chapters and changes

(Words)- Bez speech

Chapter 22—Oooo… Aliens—

Narrator…

James loved when Rachel thought like she was now. She was just so cute when she was evil. She had explained everything on the lift. The doors of the lift opened as she finished her theory. They both were grinning as they entered the mess hall only to spot Zim and Wren eating.

James straightened his features and bowed to Rachel. "Up for a brunch?" he asked Rachel offering his arm to her. "Even though it wasn't too long ago since we ate last."

"Sure," she replied with a smile and took the arm offered to her.

Zim had followed Wren to the mess hall and luckily she had calmed down drastically. She was seated with a tray in front of her and was poking at her food with her fork. Her ears drooped slightly and she looked deep in thought. Zim looked for something at the food wall and soon found an Irken food tray. He grabbed it quickly and walked over to where the dejected looking hybrid sat.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked motioning to the seat across from her.

She just shook her head absently and took a bite of her meal not even looking at him.

The Irken sat down carefully. He started into his meal slowly letting the other be. Sometimes you just had to let the silence just settle. It was a few quiet minutes until Wren spoke up though.

"What are you eating?"

"Something from my planet," he said and took another bite looking up into her eyes.

"Oh…" she said looking back down to her plate.

He stopped eating and watched her for a second. He was suddenly hit with a thought. Irken food shouldn't be harmful to humans. Maybe, just maybe, he could get her to try just a little bit then maybe she'd stop pushing her food around her tray and actually eat something.

Zim took a little bit of the odd looking veggie mix onto his fork and offered it to Wren. "Want to try some?

"Um…"

"It won't hurt you, promise," he said playfully and poked the fork toward her.

"But…" she started to protest.

"I'm not afraid to eat after you, you know," Zim said rolling his eyes. "Irken Invaders are more impervious to germs and the such from other species. Our paks filter everything harmful to us out."

"Nor am I but…"

"Try it."

"Zim…"

"Try it."

"Zim, what if I…"

"You know you want to try it Wren." Zim said with a grin moving the fork at her. "Go on, you know you want to."

Wren sighed and rolled her own eyes, "Oh fine already."

She took his fork and hesitated a little before taking the bite. Zim smiled at her and watched her reaction. Her eyes lit up and she smiled giving his fork back to him. His ego took a gently stroke that he made her eyes light up.

"It's good," Wren said, "really good."

"Yep," Zim agreed and took another bite of his meal.

Wren gave a sly grin as she picked up her fork. Suddenly she snitched another bite from his plate and started to munch on it.

"Hey," Zim growled playfully. "You have your own meal you know."

"I know!" Wren chirped. "Yours is so good though. And you did tell me to try it."

Zim laughed at her as she gave a Cheshire cat grin. Seconds later she joined in.

Rachel's P.O.V….

I watched Wren and Zim goof off at their table. Personally I thought that they did look like a cute couple. This was slightly weird because Wren was a hybrid and Zim a space bug of some sorts. And also there was the glaring point of Zim being a bloody alien! But, my gut said that I should try to get them together, they'd work well together.

James looked at me for a second and then followed my gaze. "I definitely like your plan Rachel," He said.

"Really?" I asked him smiling impishly.

"Yeah," he replied snatching a little food off my tray. "So, can I help?"

"Not if you keep eating my food," I replied and speared some food from his tray.

"Hey!"

"Fair is fair," I replied sticking my tongue out at him before eating the fork full of mashed potatoes.

(Three kakes are almost up.) Bez said startling me for a moment.

"Well… Where do we meet them?" I asked sighing setting my fork down.

(There is a docking port on my left shoulder.)

"Rachel, why don't you contact the other ship, tell them where to dock. James you can either go with her or wait with us. Rachel can head down when she is done," Wren said startling me a little. She had walked over behind me without me honestly noticing her moving over.

"I'll go with Rachel if that's ok with you," James said and stood taking my tray.

Wren nodded her head once, turned and headed toward the hall where the lifts were. Zim headed after her trying to catch the lift before she left without him.

"Damn," I muttered and crossed my arms over my chest with a slight pout.

"Hm?" James asked.

"Wren never told us where the emergency chute is," I replied. "We could have gotten there faster."

"So? Do you really want to see Wren that fast?" James asked. "I mean, maybe Zim and her might do something in that time…"

"But I won't get to tease her about Zim…" I whined.

James laughed, "Oh well, you can still do that later."

He disposed of our trays and we started toward the bridge. We soon arrived and as we made our way to the comms console we both noticed something a bit different about the room. There was an odd shape forming on the floor behind my chair. Not only that, it was forming while we watched it. Like the floor was bubbling up like tar and sprouting like vines at the same time.

"Weeel," I said, "That's different. What is it?"

"Don't know really. Call Wren?" James asked looking at me.

"Sure," I replied grinning evilly.

I tapped the com at my wrist. "Wren, can you report to the bridge? You might want to check this out."

"What is it Rachel?" Wren asked replying through the com.

"You just have to see it," I said.

"Fine," Wren sighed.

A few minutes later a very frustrated Wren and Zim appeared with one very sorry looking Rouk and GIR.

"What took you so long?" I asked with a smirk.

Wren growled looking at Rouk and GIR. "Well, the pains said they were going to open it to the bridge but it turned out to be the engines room. And then Rouk tripped me and I fell into Zim, which knocked us both to the ground. Which in turn ended up with…." Wren stopped only to growl more.

Zim sighed, shook his head and continues, "and it ended with me landing on top of her."

"What?" I asked laughing. "Is she mad you landed on her or is it something else?"

James by now was laughing so hard his eyes were watering. Wren continued to growl but soon that turned into a snarl. Her tail twitched with frustration and her eyes narrowed. I noticed that her normal canines had been replaced with some very sharp more feline canines.

"I swear you people are all out to get me," She hissed. "And now that I'm up here, what the hell did you want?"

I was still in my fit of giggles and I didn't trust myself to talk. I pointed to the floor instead. She turned to look in the direction I was pointing and for the first time since she got up to the deck Wren smiled.

Wren's P.O.V….

Rachel had called us up to the bridge and I was annoyed by what had happened on the way up here. But what I saw there on the floor made everything better.

Right behind the weapons seat there were swirls of different tones of metal on the floor. Vine like sections would rise every so often before falling, not quite able to stay tall yet. I could tell it was rising higher from the floor. Smiling, my joy grew.

"What is it?

"Bez is making me a Captain's chair." I squealed.

"Awww," Zim said playfully, "no more sitting with me?"

I poked him in the side, "You've been around James too long."

"Oh no, you just might be right," James teased. "Wren might just have found a…"

I cut James off with a glare. He and Rachel were snickering. My tail twitched with frustration. "Rachel, don't you have a job to do?" I ground out.

"Umm….I'm getting there?" she replied and jumping into her chair. She tapped the coms on the panel, "To unknown ship, we are ready for you to dock. The docking bay is on the left side of our ship. Lights will lead the way to the port."

Nodding at the knowledge that her orders were done properly, I walked to the lifts without a backwards glance or even hearing the reply.

"That is good," came the reply, "we will dock shortly."

Narrator….

Zim was still thinking about what had happened earlier and probably should not mention it at all anytime in the future. It had upset Wren for some odd reason and he couldn't quite place his finger on why. It was an accident and that was all it was.

He sighed trying to wrap his mind around the problem while they went back to the wait area of the docking port. Only his mind strayed back to the incident.

*Flashback*

Wren had just realized where they were and had begun to turn to go back to the chutes when Rouk tripped Wren up. She fell into Zim's arms heavily. The force of the fall spun them around and knocked Zim and her to the ground. He had closed his eyes, wincing expecting the hid hard. Fortunately the pain was minimal though there was a soft form below him. Cracking open his eyes seconds later only to find that he was staring down at Wren. She was looking up at him with wide eyes and had an embarrassed blush spread across her nose and cheeks.

"Sorry," Zim mumbled as he blushed too and started to get up carefully so he wouldn't make the situation worse.

He offered her a hand up and as she hesitantly took it, he noticed how small her hands were compared to his. Small and so delicately boned that they shone in the fold of his black gloved hands. But regardless of how small they were they seemed to fit perfectly into his. Part of him wondered if her skin were as soft as it looked.

*End Flashback*

Zim sighed heavily only to receive a look from Wren. "Are you ok?" she asked her tail twitching oddly.

"I'm fine, just a few loose thought," he replied smiling at her but slapping himself mentally.

"If you say so," Wren said with a little wary look.

Soon they reached the docking bay. It was an interesting place. What seemed to be plants lined the walls of the narrow room and one or two seemed to be budding and starting to bloom. The floors were covered in a carpet like material that resembled a ground cover. And along the walls vine like designs seemed to climb.

Wren adjusted her uniform nervously and started shifting from foot to foot.

Zim looked at her, "You know you'll do fine, so don't worry."

"But," she started to reply but stopped her self and looked at the floor.

Zim reached over and lifted her chin with his gloved hand. He looked her in the eye. "No buts, you will do just fine. And even if you don't I'll back you up."

Wren smiled at him, "Thanks."

All Zim did was smile and nod, drawing his hand back.

James' P.O.V….

Rachel and I were taking our time getting where we were supposed to meet the boarding aliens.

"I wonder what they look like," I thought to myself. I mentally shrugged and put my arm around Rachel as we walked.

"Do you think we are in more trouble than we can handle?" Rachel asked a she rested her head on my shoulder.

"I really don't know," I replied. "Hopefully Wren won't screw anything up to bad."

Rachel sighed, "Let's hope, because I really don't want my guts spread all over space."

"Me either."

The lift stopped and the doors opened. We walked out into the corridor. Wren and Zim were there looking a little bored and nervous and looking around as well. Luckily we weren't late in greeting the aliens because Wren was studying a plant and Zim a panel on the wall. All attention was forced on the door though when the ship shook a little. A hiss emitted as if someone and decided to let the air out of a balloon.

"They're here," I muttered and stood to one wall.

The doors cracked open slowly and just as slowly opened fully. A slow ringing click was heard from the other side of the door and several others followed.

Wren's P.O.V….

The door opened more and I stood straighter. I forgot about being nervous completely and the door locked into place.

The creatures that walked through the door were actually ones I knew. Wasn't sure how I knew them completely. Though I had a feeling it was more dealing with my dreams like Bez had been. Part of me worried if my dreams were just dreams or some fucked up memories or something.

As the creatures came forward I noticed that they stood about four an a half feet tall. The torso of the aliens was humanoid but the face had a fox like quality to it. The lower half of the body was a fox's body. They were something like a centaur but with foxes. They ranged from reds in color to a silverish hue. The name given to their species by others is Foxutaurs. Their true names are Sharshans. And by the look of it they were all female.

The leader stepped forward. She had a lean body and sharp gold eyes with short silver hair and fur that glimmered in the ships lights. She looked at all of us as if seeing who was in charge.

I smiled and bowed as best as I could in their fashion, which is to go down on one knee with my other leg out in front of me and bowed my head in respect. I stood to face her again. She returned it in their way.

"Cansou, saysuy span casha?" She asked questioningly to us.

I smiled broadly again because I knew what she had said. Translated it was, 'Can you speak our language?' "If you permit this way then I will speak in your language." I replied and received several smiles.

"Do your comrades understand our speech as well?" the leader asked.

I turned to see and by the look on their faces, none of them had a clue what we were saying. "Not as of yet my friend, but we might be able to cure that soon," I answered turning back to her.

"How is it that you know our language? You speak it as if you've known it forever. No harsh accents like those to try our tongue."

"By chance," I said with a slight shrug.

"Well, it seems that you are well traveled and know of many species if you can speak our complex language."

I laughed. "Far from it my friend, we are only a few days into our space fairing ways."

"Ah," she laughed revealing sharp canines, "you seem to be well space weathered to me though."

"I will take that as a complement for me and my crew then."

"Please do!" she said laughing again. "It's not easy, this life. You seem to take to it like a babe to play."

Within a pause of our laughter I took the moment to motion toward the lifts. "Shall we take our conversation to a place more fitting?" I asked.

"It would be pleasant if we would," she nodded.

"I think our ship has an area that is perfectly suited for everyone." I said. Turning to my friends I said. "We're moving this to the greenhouse."

"Uh….K?" Rachel said, "Could you repeat that?"

"Huh? Oh," I laughed and spoke this time in English, "sorry about that. We're heading to the greenhouse section of the ship."

Rachel just nodded her head and moved toward the lift with James and Zim in tow. I motioned for our guests to follow.

I've noticed the farther I go on, the less I need to change. Or the less I can actually think of to add. A good bit of the time it's the latter. I usually can't think of much to add any more. I need to start writing more too. Can't let this story go down the drain.