Well these chapters are keeping for now. I do have a few more chapters left written. Sorry the last chapter was a bit short since you've gotten used to a nice long chap. Hopefully you'll like this chapter.

Words- Regular speech

Words- Thoughts

Words- Chapters and changes

(Words)- Bez speech

Chapter 34 –-"You bloody little bots!"—

Zim's P.O.V….

I watched as Wren made her way across the bridge to her chair. She sat and called out for any updates. I turned back to my station after a while and started to think. I was immensely frustrated at myself for what I had done to her. And even though she seemed alright after my admission I found myself feeling as if she were not even close to that. Somehow I wanted to make it all up to her.

I tapped a sensory array just to see where we were. Maybe we could have the next few days calm so I could figure something out. Some way to correct my stupid mistake.

Narrator's P.O.V….

The next day…

Rachel had started the tour of the ship early with the mess hall as the first stop. Curtis was taking everything in stride even the odd foods you could choose from. He was amazed at the work that was going on by just a handful of Irkens. There were workers working down every corridor doing something whether it was just patching a small spot or just cleaning a part of the floor.

"Whoa," Curtis muttered and looked down one corridor seeing it actually shift slightly, expanding the corridor another few inches.

"Yes, Bez is amazing," Rachel said with a pat to the ships wall and smiled. "We need to get someone who know him inside and out though. The engineers are good but they usually can't find an entry chute to get to most of the problems. Bez pretty much grows too fast for his own good."

"This ship grows?" Curtis asked shocked. "That's what just happened?"

"Yeah, he's a biological mechanical being. A bio-mech. I believe that Bez was really young when we boarded," Rachel said almost to herself wistfully. She blinked and looked around for Curtis. "Now where the hell did he get to?"

"Where's who?" Curtis asked from behind her.

"Don't do that!" Rachel yelped jumping and turning to him all in one movement. She glared at him sternly.

"Don't do what?" he asked innocently.

"Never mind," she growled out before walking down the hall they'd been on.

Zim's P.O.V….

I was resting in my room after getting off my shift on the bridge. I started laughing at the two SIRs that seemed to have taken my rooms as their own. The maroon one was chasing GIR around in some sort of odd game of tag. CADIE leapt and tackled GIR in one swift movement. They tumbled head over heels for a bit and revealed CADIE to have come out on top. GIR looked slightly irked to have been caught on the bottom.

"I caught you!" CADIE squealed giggling manically.

I shook my head still laughing. "Those two are so alike it's scary," I thought.

Distracting myself I tapped the screen of the vid that I held in my hands. I was at my desk and had been trying to catch up with room assignments that had been constantly changing.

A beep at my caught my attention and my hopes rose at the thought of it being Wren. "Come in!"

To my dismay it wasn't Wren but Rachel that came in. I frowned at her. "What exactly do you want now?"

She grinned. "What makes you think I want anything?"

"That grin," I said plainly, frown still on my face. I caught sight of someone outside the door. "Well, just don't stand out there. Get your asses in here and in a chair."

"Sir, yes sir!" Rachel said with a mock salute and walked into the room to flop into a chair that was across from me.

The other person walked into the room cautiously. Rachel pointed at him and introduced him. "Zim, this is Curtis. The one we picked up with CADIE."

I stood and shook his hand seeing that he wasn't quite sure what to do. "Hi Curtis. Don't worry, I don't bite. That's Wren's job. Welcome to Bez. Have you figured anything out yet?" I asked.

He gave me an odd look, "Wha?" he asked hesitantly.

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "Have you figured anything out about the ship?"

"Oh, yeah. I have. I can't believe Bez, that was his name right? That Bez is a living ship."

"I was surprised at that too until he started talking to us," I said with a smirk.

I sad back down at my desk and steepled my claws before me while looking toward Rachel. "So what do you need? I know it wasn't just to make introductions," I said.

"He needs a room," Rachel said.

"On this level or another?"

"I wouldn't mind it on this level," Curtis said.

I tapped my chin and pulled the vid to my view again. I brought up a list of open rooms. "Um… the only room left on this level is a counselor's room," I said after reviewing the list for a minute or so.

"Counselor?" Rachel asked. "We have a counselor's room?"

"Yes Rachel, a counselor. Like a psychologist or psychiatrist?"

"I could do that," Curtis said suddenly.

"Do what?" Rachel asked.

"Be a counselor," Curtis replied.

"I'm not so sure about that," Rachel said.

"Eh, let the insane help the insane," I said with a grin.

Curtis grinned also and Rachel just sighed. "Fine, fine," she muttered. "But if people start jumping out of airlocks it is not on my head. I'm pointing that all to you two if Wren asks. Wipe my hands clean of this!"

With that she stood up and left leaving Curtis alone in the room with me.

"How did you guys get Bez?" he asked suddenly after a lull in the silence.

"Well," I said. "It is quite a long and boring story so I don't know if you'd want to hear it."

Curtis shrugged sitting down in the chair that Rachel had vacated. "I've got nothing better to do right now," he said with a small grin pointing toward the door Rachel just left out of. "My guide just left."

I chuckled. "It seems this story has been told quite a few times. But once or twice more probably won't hurt."

Wren's P.O.V….

A week later…

Curtis had become one of the best crew members on Bez. That was just plain scary to think about really. He was helping quite a few crew members and was one person that everyone could vent to. He'd offer advice when he could and when someone needed to figure something out on their own, he'd tell them that.

But I, being the stubborn person I was, hadn't visited him at all. I had become snappish in the past two days because of a very bad feeling. I didn't want to reveal this either. So to compensate for not going to talk to Curtis I had started jogging about two days ago to relieve tension.

Several crew members waved at me as I passed them, giving them a smile or wave back. But in the relieving tension department it wasn't working. It only got worse when I spotted GIR running out in front of me. I leapt and missed him but I didn't quite miss CADIE as she ran out behind him

"Damn!" I yelped and fell forward. Of course because fate hates me I landed right in the embrace of someone's arms.

"Well then, I know I'm good looking but I didn't know that I had people actually falling for me," Curtis said flirtatiously looking down at me.

I snorted and scowled at him threateningly. "Don't start with me, I don't woo easily."

A fit of giggles was heard in the hallway. I frowned as I looked about to find the source. I spotted Rachel and pushed off of Curtis straightening my clothes. "And anyway, that was one of the corniest lines I've ever heard and I knew someone who used them a lot. And what the hell are you laughing at Rachel?" I snapped turning to her.

"Well, I'm fucking sorry," Rachel snapped at me before storming off down the hall.

"Damned bipolar person!" I growled and watched as Curtis hurried after her. "I don't need this shit from her."

I muttered under my breath and stormed off to the mess hall. Several crew members scattered out of the way as I stormed into the mess hall. I grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and plopped myself down at a window seat. I took a sip of the drink then set it down before me on the table before scowling at it. I was lost in thought for a while before someone spoke from beside me.

"You know, a cup of hot chocolate is not going to read your mind no matter how much you glare at it. And it won't make the person you're frustrated at spontaneously combust either." They slid into the booth across from me.

"I can always try," I scowled still glaring at my drink. I pouted before looking up to see Zim smiling at me. "And it never hurts to try."

"True, you're right about that," Zim said while snitching my cup for a sip of the barely touched drink. He placed it back down in front of me and smiled. "So what's wrong?"

"I dunno," I sighed, "I guess I'm just tense and a bit tired."

"Then why not go back to your room and rest?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"Because," I started to say and shifted in my seat. "I'm antsy. I just can't seem to sit still for too long."

"Ah," Zim said with a nod. A move that insisted I continue.

I took my cup into my hands and looked at it for a moment before taking a sip of the rich drink. "I just think it is just me though. Everything is really, really nice here but now offense to Bez, I just need to move and explore a bit. I've been over Bez quite a few times and know every inch of him by now."

"I understand, you seem to have a very small attention span," he said with a playful smile at me as he took my cup from my hand, his fingers brushing mine lightly. He took another sip of my drink.

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not," I muttered with a small smile gracing the corner of my lips.

"Take it as you wish," he said with a grin from behind my mug.

I blew him a raspberry and crossed my arms across my chest. I scowled at him playfully. "You're mean," I said pouting at him.

"I doubt the Grashe," Zim said smirking at me while handing my cup back.

"I'm still wondering what the hell that means," I said absently after taking a sip.

"Well, you're going to have to find that out for yourself, because I'm not going to tell you."

I snorted and glared playfully at him, "That is mean then, because curiosity killed the cat."

"Ah, but you're not fully a cat are you Grashe," Zim said while reaching over the table to ruffle my hair.

I laughed and made a face at him while trying to fix my hair, blowing my now mussed bangs out of my face.

Narrator's P.O.V….

Zim and Wren sat talking for about an hour longer before Zim stood saying he had his shift on the bridge starting in a little while. Wren nodded and went back to her room for a bubble bath herself to see if the tension would be relieved by a nice hot soak.

While everything seemed to be going good everywhere else, two SIRs were creating mischief. Having found a room in which they could watch several views of several rooms on many vid screens. Seeing an opportunity to record some really good information they pushed a few buttons until a scene on one particular screen came up.

It had Zim and Curtis in Curtis' room/office. Zim was pacing back and forth while Curtis intently listened to the raving Zim. CADIE grinned at GIR and both pushed the button to record.

Zim's P.O.V….

"So, you like her, she seems to like you, what's the problem?" Curtis asked taking a bite of a cookie while watching me pace.

"I want the relationship! That's the problem"

Curtis looked a bit confused, "You want a relationship… and that's a problem?"

"I want the relationship but it would never work out." I replied with a sigh trying to explain myself better.

"And how do you know it would never work out?"

"Because, we're too different to work it out," I frowned.

Curtis frowned, "If you like her then it doesn't matter."

"It would to me."

"Why would it matter to you?"

"Because in the future she'd probably find someone like her or human and just get up and leave."

"And how do you know that she would do that?"

"It's happened before," I snapped running my hand back along my antenna. "I've seen it happen too often."

"So, you don't want to be hurt like that?"

"Of course I don't," I sighed sitting down in a chair across from Curtis. I snatched a cookie from the plate on the table between the two chairs and started to more or less play with it instead of eating it.

"You have to get hurt a little to learn about love you know," Curtis said softly.

"And what should I know about love? Irken's don't love," I muttered.

"Well buddy, I'm sorry to say, you're in love. It's only a crush for the first four weeks, after than its love and you're in love. You can't change that."

"I'm sure I could try."

"It's not going to change anything. You have to fall in and out of love. You can't change how you feel over night. It doesn't work that way. You're going to have to deal with this out right. You never know if it's going to work out between you two if you don't try," Curtis said soundly.

"So, what am I to do?" I asked. "Where do you start with something like this?"

"Well, you could charm her into your arms. But I don't quite think Wren's that sort of person. You could also take a direct route."

"Oh yes, kissing her senseless would completely show her how I feel. I believe she'd kick my ass if I tried that," I grumbled. "She's already on edge as it is. GIR kissed her once and that didn't work out to well for him, she almost killed him."

Curtis was trying not to grin, "Well, yeah. That probably wouldn't work out too well. She'd lock you in a room with both SIRs and see how long you lasted."

"Most likely. Or just shoot me out an air lock."

"Well, that's too much effort."

"Not for her, she'd cackle as she'd push the button," I said ruefully as I rested my head back along the back of the chair.

"You're probably right," Curtis said laughing.

There was a lull in conversation for a moment as I took the time to eat the cookie I had almost crumbled in my hands.

Curtis cleared his throat and with a grin said, "But you know at this rate, she'll make the first move before you can even think of anything."

"Oh yes, that helps me a lot. Boosts my ego greatly you know," I said sarcastically.

"That's why I'm here! I'm here to help any way I can," Curtis said his grin only getting bigger. "I never said if it was good help or bad help!"

Narrator's P.O.V….

GIR and CADIE looked at each other and giggled. They popped out a small crystal disk from the monitors and ran off down the hallway no one the wiser at what they had just seen.

Only a few moments later they found Wren in her room with a vid screen in front of her and a frown on her face. Her ears were laid back and her tail twitched and lashed almost furiously. Damp hair lay flat down her back as a few dry strands framed her face, curling under her chin slightly.

"Look it what we have!" GIR giggled and jumped up onto her desk waving the crystal in her face.

Wren's eyes crossed to look at the object that was suddenly thrust into her face. She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear her vision. "Ok, now, what is it that you have?"

"It's a video crystal!" CADIE squealed.

"And what's on said video crystal?"

"We dun know," they replied innocently.

"Right, like hell you don't know," Wren said with a roll of her eyes and took the disk anyway.

Carefully she studied it before finally figuring out how to use it. She slid it into her video screener. It started playing at a spot where the two SIRs had started recording a conversation between Curtis and Zim.

Throughout the conversation she frowned and her frown only got worse when it came to Zim admitting he liked her. She had had a feeling that he did of course but why hadn't he just said something?

"I don't care about the race, the age, or whatever else, that idiot thinks I'd care about. How stupid could he be?" she thought frustrated.

Silently she stood up and left the room. GIR looked over at CADIE and pretended to talk into a walkie-talkie. "Shhhh…. Come in Monkee Commander, come in. Mission objective one is now complete. Shhhhh… Over."

"Shhhhh….. Roger Piggy Commander. Moving over to mission objective two. Shhhh…. Over." CADIE replied the same way.

"Roger!" GIR squealed while grabbing CADIE's hand and running out the door giggling.

Wren's P.O.V….

I walked to Curtis' room which also was his office. I tapped the panel by the door which opened to reveal a lounging Curtis with a vid screen in his hand. He looked up and smiled, "Hey Wren. What's up?"

"Hey Curtis, nothing's really going on."

"Whatcha need?" he asked setting down the screen.

"Well, I heard you were pretty good at helping people solve problems and I came to see if that was true," I said and sat down in the chair across from him.

"Well, that's what people are saying. Not that I'm sure if it's really working or not," he leaned forward his full attention on me. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything," I said a little stiffly. "Everything really. Nightmares, life, love, the ship, home sickness, nightmares, stress, green soup, love. You know, the usual."

"Green soup?"

"Yeah, like green jello? I've had nightmares about green soup and green jello before," I said off handedly.

"I have a feeling that green soup and jello aren't what you're wanting to talk about," Curtis said.

"Well, not my dreams about green jello and soup. I've been having nightmares since maybe seven weeks ago."

"Seven weeks?" he asked raising an eyebrow and gave me an odd look. "How can you have them for so long? And what can be so bad that you're having them for so long?"

"Well, I killed three people more than seven weeks ago, or flins, or whatever measurement we're using now. They were the first beings that I have ever killed. If you had done it out of cold blood and lost yourself to the blade of a sword, you'd have nightmares too," I replied coldly.

"Oh," he said softly.

A beep at the door stopped any further questions. Curtis got up to check the door. I started to look around the room and curiosity got the best of me. I snuck over to the vid screen by the chair Curtis had sat at. I picked it up and started to read over it. I smirked and placed it back down without Curtis knowing the wiser.

Curtis turned back around to me and sighed, "Sorry Wren. I forgot about a schedule that I had earlier. Can you come back later?"

I smiled at him. "Don't worry; I forgot that I had something to do too anyway."

With a wave to Curtis as a goodbye I left his room and headed for Rachel's room. I entered without even knocking. "Rachel! I gots a secret!"

She looked up from the counter she was leaning on and gave me a frown, "Wha?"

"I have a secret," I repeated leaning across the counter myself across from her.

"So… I would care why?"

"It's a secret about you! I know someone who likes you!" I said with a grin.

"Again? So?" she asked. "Now, was that your secret? Because I know that now."

"Nope, that wasn't the secret."

"Right," she muttered. "Did you know about the planet we came to?"

I blinked a little confused. "Planet?" All my teasing was wiped from my mind as I tried to comprehend what Rachel was talking about.

"Yes, planet. We came up upon it maybe a half a kake ago," Rachel said as she went back to looking what was in front of her on the counter.

"We came to a planet? Why was I never told?" I whined.

"Well," she said with a grin. "I thought you knew."

"Hell no! I didn't know," I whined more. "No one ever tells me a thing!"

"Yes we do," Rachel said without even looking at me now. "We tell you, you and Zim look good together as a couple but you don't listen to us."

"That's beside the point," I huffed.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Now, what is the secret?" she asked.

I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my face away with a sniff. "I dunno if I should tell you now. You were mean to me."

"Just tell me," she snapped.

"Why should I?"

"Because if you don't I'll personally see to it that GIR and CADIE visit you while you are taking a shower and take a few things. Or something worse," Rachel threatened.

My head snapped towards her and I narrowed my eyes. "You wouldn't dare," I hissed.

"Oh yes, I would," she replied with grin.

"Fine," I muttered.

I opened my mouth, ready to spill my guts when the door flew open. GIR and CADIE flew into the room giggling madly. Curtis ran in after them in hot pursuit.

"You bloody little bots! You'd better not give that to her! If Rachel finds out that I like her before I give her that damned letter, I'll rip your heads off and use them for garbage cans!" he snarled and tried leaping to catch them.

He paused in mid leap as he looked around the room, gaze settling on Rachel and me. "Oh shit, you fucking SIRs are going to pay for this!" he stomped out of the room leaving us and the two robots alone in the room.

CADIE squealed looking at GIR. "Piggy commander, mission objective two is complete!"

GIR skipped over to Rachel and handed her the video screen. "Now it's complete Monkee commander."

"Yay! On with mission objective three!" they both squealed and scampered out the door.

Rachel just stood there looked extremely confused. She was looking from the door to the screen in her hands and then back again. I covered my mouth to keep from busting out in laughter and darted out the door leaving Rachel even more confused than before.

Rachel's P.O.V….

I stood there for a moment just looking at the screen in my hands. I had heard what Curtis had said and right now my mind really wasn't registering much else. I slowly sat down at a stool that was at the counter and sat the screen in front of me. By now I was torn in whether to return the little device to Curtis or to read what was on the screen. Of course my curiosity won out.

Dear Rachel,

I know that this is probably not the best time to say this since you have pretty much just lost your last boyfriend. I don't know why it is or how it's happened, but I believe you have entrapped me in some sort of web because I have fallen for you.

To be truthful I have liked you ever since the first few times we talked back home on the internet. You are sweet and funny and lovely.

I paused and ran a hand through my hair. I shook my head with a small frown disagreeing with him almost completely about the last sentence.

Now that I've seen you in person and have talked to you, I believe I like you even more than before. You're smart and funny, a bit moody at times but that's what I love about you. I love the way you move, and you know how to keep your cool, sometimes.

I smiled at that a little. Resting my chin into the palm of my hand I read on.

I don't know if you would even consider the thought of us together right now, but all I'm asking of you is to just think about it. I would love to know if it at all possible….

The letter ended there abruptly. GIR and CADIE had probably stolen it before he could finish it. I laid the screen down before me thinking all the while. Suddenly I stood up and went to the bathroom and changed into something more comfortable. I stalked out of my room and headed towards the elevator.

Zim's P.O.V….

I blinked and watched as Rachel marched down the hall to the lift. I blinked once more and shrugged at her state. By now I was used to the sudden swing in her moods.

I turned to continue down the hall when I spotted Curtis running towards me. "Have you seen Rachel?" he asked out of breath.

"Uh, she just went for the lift," I said pointing behind me. "I know she was going down to the lower levels. No clue why though."

"Thanks!" Curtis said while running past me toward the lift as well.

I watched him hit the panel and disappear behind the closing lift doors.

I frowned, "Humans, too confusing to ever understand at times."

I turned to walk to my door when I suddenly ran into Wren. She looked up at me with a small grin. "Sorry about that, I should watch where I'm going more often," she said.

I smiled back, "You should just find that klutz gene in your system and delete it then."

She stuck her tongue out at me and she started to fix a few loose strands of hair that fell into her face. "Smart ass."

"Point being?" I asked and smirked down at her.

She rolled her eyes at me but grinned none the less. "I've got to run Zimmy, gotta make sure Rachel doesn't kill anyone."

"What's up now?" I asked finally relieved that I was going to find out what had Rachel in a fit.

"Rachel just got a note from Curtis that wasn't supposed to be seen yet. Now Rachel is mad about something and I need to find out why," she replied not too innocently.

I gave her a look. She sighed, "Fine, I am curious about what the letter said and I'm trying to weasel the info out of her because I didn't read the whole thing before hand while I was in Curtis' room."

I laughed. "That sounds more like you," I said.

"What is that suppose to mean?" she asked pouting.

"Nothing!" I replied with a grin ruffling her hair before turning to enter my room.

Wren just huffed, "Fine then."

Finally, chapter done! It took me long enough to get this done, but I only work on this in my art history class. I know, I shouldn't but I do but at least these are getting done. Lol Until next chapter!