And Chapter thirty seven coming right up. I know that it's summer and these chaps should be rolling out but I'm sorta having a hard time to push myself to type these up. I also know the chapters are winding down to what I've written. Not much written work left to type up. Oh well

Anyway, those fans of Zim and Wren will like this chapter. Hopefully at least. Lol. And remember my reviews. I like reviews. They're like chocolate. I like chocolate.

Words- Regular speech

Words- Thoughts

Words- Chapters and changes

(Words)- Bez speech

Chapter 37—Zim's Question and Many Answers—

Zim's P.O.V….

Weeks later….

'A hundred and ninety-eight people saved and there is still not enough room for them. I can't figure out where to put any of them,' I sighed to myself running a hand over my antenna. I looked up from the vid screen I was working on and looked around the room. The commotion in the mess hall wasn't helping me figure anything out either. So much noise and distraction were causing my attention to travel.

It had been a few weeks since the rescue and after having set more than three people to a room, they were pushing the bounds of patience to the breaking point. There were still people staying in the cargo bay in makeshift cots and Zim felt bad that Bez had to make more rooms for so many people. They hadn't expected to haul so many people back on the ships. But Bez seemed to be enjoying all the attention from everyone that had been rescued. He'd also been trying to convince me that it was ok and he could handle the huge spurt of people.

"Problems?" someone asked resting their chin on the top of my head. An arm snaked around my neck in a loose hug.

"A small one, maybe," I replied moving so I could see Wren's face. "Do you like to sneak up behind people?"

She grinned and sat down across from me. "Only you. If anything, you're my favorite person to pick on."

I rolled my eyes at her but smiled. Over the past few weeks I've started to notice my original attraction to her grow. She was everything I thought about when I had free time and I enjoyed her presence often. Wren was a calm rift in turbulent space even though her moods swung often. Where her anger scared some it amused me. I wouldn't want someone who was a push over and my little space kitten wasn't a push over.

We sat in silence for a while comfortably. I looked her over and saw her shoulder was healing nicely though it still looked bad. Weeks of treatment were doing wonders though there were going to be scars. At that, I wondered if she had any other scars other places. They tell so many stories without any words.

I shifted nervously in my seat wondering if now was a good time to ask her. I frowned slightly still thinking about it.

I caught her glancing at me slightly worried. I smiled weakly at her to show her nothing was wrong. She only narrowed her eyes a little.

"I was wondering if we could talk privately for a while," I said finally.

She frowned looking a little confused, "About what?"

I stood and offered her a hand up. Gingerly she took my hand and stood as well. I finally got a closer look at her shoulder and it looked much better than I first thought. More healed than before and only slightly reddish from the new skin that had regrown.

"I'll tell you when we are alone and don't have so many ears about. I also would like to say that besides your shoulder, which is healing nicely, you look wonderful. Trying out a new style of uniform?"

She smiled and flushed a little. I watched as her ears tilted back slightly to show her embarrassment and her tail twitched to show it too. It was amazing how much she showed her emotions through just her ears and tail alone.

"Thank you I think. But this isn't really a new uniform. The nurse said that it would heal faster if left to the air. And wearing this won't irritate it. So it's strapless and very thin strapped shirts for awhile along with bandaging my shoulder at night to help it heal," she said softly letting me lead her out of the mess hall.

"Ah, it's good that it's healing well though. Many burns and shots like that heal messy. You though, like many other times, have surprises even in healing," I smiled at her leading her to the lift.

"I guess so," she brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "Not as fast as you guys do though. I'm so very jealous of you Irkens and your ability to heal so fast."

"Not everyone can have superior genetically engineered blood and paks to help heal faster."

"True," Wren said wistfully as the door opened.

I lead her off the lift and into the greenhouse part of the ship. It had grown along with the rest of Bez expanding to encompass about six levels and was a few hundred feet across. Several plants had grown with the room. And many of those plants were blooming with blossoms of many hues of blues, purples, and brilliant whites.

While we walked by one group of blue and white striped flowers I picked one. Twirling it between my claws I thought about how I was going to go about asking what I wanted to.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Wren asked taking the flower from my hands to smell it.

"Well, I was just wondering something," I explained stopping mid step turning to her.

"Mhmm," she coaxed looking up at me from behind the flower's petals. Her eyes were sparkling and teasing behind those soft petals and beneath those lovely lashes of hers.

"Well, I was wondering if we could make what's between us final," I murmured taking back the flower from her. I felt like this wasn't going as planned.

She stood there and blinked up at me for a moment. "Zim, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"If you want to that is," I conceded tucking the flower into her hair beside her ears. They twitched slightly and I smiled. I sort of liked her ears; they were as sensitive as an Irken's antennas.

She smiled at me and stood on her toes. She kissed my left cheek lightly as she took my claws into her hands. "I was wondering when you were going to ask me."

Rachel's P.O.V….

I sat down in a chair in the mess hall with a sigh. A tray of food was in front of me and I poked at it. With another sigh I started making a mountain out of my mashed potatoes.

"Is there anything wrong ma'am?" someone asked from beside me.

I looked up to see an Irken dressed in what seemed to be a waitress uniform. "Not really, it's just been too quiet lately."

"Well, with all the excitement around two varst ago, I'd have expected you to have had enough with that," she said smiling while placing a drink down in front of me.

"I guess you're right," I said with a smile placing my fork down and picking the drink up.

We were silent for a few moments when the alarm went off. The waitress started to laugh as I jumped up from my seat.

Curtis' P.O.V….

Red lights started to flash around the top of the room and an alarm screamed. My head shot up from the vid screen I was working on. "What the hell?"

"It's the system alarm system," my new assistant said with a roll of his eyes. "That's a red alert meaning there should either be an unknown ship on the sensors or that there is a ship getting ready to attack."

"Oh, I should have known that," I muttered. "Do I have a station to go to?"

Without looking up Klarl waved to one wall. "Emergency chute is over there and it goes strait to the helm. Just hit the blue button and make sure to jump in feet first. I'm not going to be in trouble if go head first."

Narrator's P.O.V….

Rachel was already on the bridge and in her chair when two chute openings opened on the wall. Wren landed on the floor a few seconds before Zim did. She jumped and pointed at him.

"Ha! Beat you again!" she giggled insanely as she dodged his grab and plopped down into her own chair.

Rachel rose an eyebrow at the sight and looked at Zim.

"What?" he asked sitting down.

"Nothing, nothing at all," she replied.

Zim rolled his eyes and clicked.

Suddenly Curtis sat down on the other side of Wren. "We are definitely going to have to arrange chute races. Those things are sweet."

Wren blinked at him. "Hey…. When did another chair pop up beside mine?"

"I have no clue, I just got here," he shrugged.

A tremor ran through Bez and he seemed to throw a challenge back at the attacker. Wren got very serious, very quick. She growled out her own challenge along with the next challenge Bez threw out. She shouted out orders and inquiries all in one breath; from damage, to shields, to weapons.

"Find out who or what is attacking us!" she barked. "I want their asses on either visual or coms, preferably both!"

"Yes ma'am!" came the resounding reply from the room.

Wren narrowed her eyes and snorted as another tremor ran through the ship. Bez roared another challenge.

"Wren, there are three ships firing at us," Zim said.

"Three against one are not good odds," Curtis muttered.

A wicked twinkle entered Wren's eyes and her pupils narrowed cattishly. "Then I have an idea. Rachel, stay on coms, Zim keep track of the ships. Six fighters head to the ship bays and let's even out the odds a bit."

Zim grinned at Wren, "I like your odds."

"I think they're a bit off personally," Curtis muttered again.

"Alls fair in space Curtis," Wren sniffed then pouted. "And no one asked your opinion to begin with."

"Sorry Curtis," Rachel said with a slight smile. "I agree with Wren on this one. You've not been in the battles we've been in."

Curtis rolled his eyes at them all. "Fine, whatever. Just don't get us blown up."

Two hours later….

Wren looked over at Curtis with a slightly cocky grin. She rolled her hurt shoulder and asked, "Well, did I get us blown up?"

Curtis gave her a slight glare, "No."

"Then there was nothing to worry about to begin with," she said and stood. She walked off the bridge after giving a few orders to those around her.

Curtis stood and gave a sigh. He looked around the bridge noticing that the crew members were busy talking amongst themselves. Even after a battle of two hours none seemed to be exhausted.

Rachel crept up beside him, "What's wrong."

"I don't know," he replied. "Wren seems to be so out of it often. She seems to have everything in order, but…"

"How does she do it?" Rachel finished for him. "I dunno really. But so far she has kept us alive and kept everyone safe. I could, at most, do a bit of what she does but I know I couldn't handle that responsibility. There's just too much there. I'm glad I chose her as Captain."

With that Rachel walked off the bridge without a look back.

Wren's P.O.V….

I walked into my room with the knowledge that Zim was following me the whole way. I went over to the salve the nurse gave me and tossed it to Zim over my good shoulder. "Don't mind helping me do you?"

"Not at all," he replied.

I sat down with a plop on the corner of the couch. Zim pulled one of his gloves off with his teeth. Carefully he rubbed the salve into my hurt shoulder. I winced once or twice because the salve was slightly cold.

"Am I hurting you?" Zim asked noticing my winces.

"No, it's just cold silly. You're not hurting me at all," I said smiling up at him.

We sat in silence for a while as he paused to let the salve warm on his fingers. "That was a good fight," he said softly.

"It was," I replied almost with a purr as he rubbed the now warm salve into the wound. "I'm glad they got away though. I really didn't want to destroy them."

Zim was quiet as he finished with my shoulder. He wiped his hands off on a small towel that I had been holding. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him putting his glove back on with slight disappointment. I liked his hands, they were gentle and even though I didn't mind gloves, his bare hands were more comforting.

"But sometimes you can't help but defend yourself," he said softly running his now gloved hand through my hair.

I sighed without replying to him. I turned around to look him in the eyes. Without question he sat beside me on the couch and let me bury my face into his neck seeking comfort.

Rachel's P.O.V….

I stretched with a yawn as I exited my room. Only to be picked up and spun around so suddenly that it made me slightly dizzy.

"Rachel!"

"Put me down!" I yelped.

I was plopped down unceremoniously on the floor with one Justin Houdlin standing above me.

I glared at him before standing. "What the hell was that for?" I asked brushing my clothes off.

"I missed you!"

"Right…." I said and then started to walk off. "I didn't miss you."

Justin jogged after me catching up with me easily. "You didn't?"

I stopped in the hall and turned to him. "Not really. Do you have a job to be at right now?"

He stood there thinking for a few moments. "Nope! No one assigned me anything."

"Great," I muttered. "Why don't you be… I dunno… a marriage person thingy…"

"You mean marry people?" he asked. "Because I can do that. I was taught twelve different languages, not all human languages, on that planet and around sixteen different ways to marry people."

I gave him a wary look and a glance that could only say 'You have got to be kidding me.' "Then why don't you do that?"

"Ok!" he said hugging me and then ran off.

I sighed and started down to Curt's room, which was also his office. I waved my hand over the panel by the door and a beep startled me.

"Can I help you?" someone asked.

"It's first officer Rachel. Is Curtis free?" I asked.

"Yeah, hold on one second first officer. He just needs to see this couple out," came the reply.

"Alright," I said and lent against the wall by the door.

Curtis' P.O.V….

"Now, make sure to talk about it. It's no one's fault that you can't do what you used to do. You're just going through a slump. You'll be able to perform just as well as you used to," I said ushering the couple out the door.

As soon as they were out of the frame and partly out of sight I sighed and leaned against the open door frame. I heard someone snickering to my right. Looking over to my right I saw Rachel standing there.

"It looks like you need a break," she said.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" I asked kissing her forehead.

"Well… It might be the fact that you looked quite relieved when those two left," she replied. "What was it this time?"

"A couple losing the spark in their relationship," I replied with a quirk of my lips.

She made a face, "I didn't need to know that Curt. I really didn't need to know that."

I just smiled, "So, what are you doing down here at my end of the hall?"

"Well, I was wondering if we could have dinner in the private eating quarters for officers today," she replied.

"Hold on a sec then," I said and turned to my secretary. "Cancel all of my evening appointments."

He looked up at me, "You have other appointments?"

I sighed, "You're the secretary, shouldn't you know?"

"Eh," he replied with a shrug. "Should I? Because the last time I knew people just walked in during the times mentioned."

"Just tell them I'm out then," I sighed.

"Fine, fine," Klarl said. He waved his hand towards us. "Get your date before someone else does."

I just looked at him. I thought of saying something but quickly shut my mouth. I wrapped an arm around Rachel's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "We may as well follow my secretary's orders, shouldn't we?"

Klarl just rolled his eyes, "Just get out of here."

I grinned and Rachel and I started off toward the private eating quarters for the officers.

A week later….

I reclined back into my chair with a vid screen in hand. By now Klarl and I had worked together enough to get a schedule set up because a lot more people were coming for help than before.

Klarl came into my room with a frown. I looked up with a frown too. When he frowns it usually isn't good.

"What is it?"

"You are booked for more than three kakes. All of them with a full day schedules," he replied.

"What?!" I yelped and almost fell out of my chair.

"It's true," he said throwing the vid in his hand on my desk. "I just reviewed them and you have no free days for three kakes."

I groaned and my head landed on my desk with a dull thump. "I don't know if I'm going to survive the next three kakes."

Zim's P.O.V….

I was out cold on my back when the door beeped. I woke with a groan not wanting this to be true. It was too early to be awake now.

"Maybe if I ignore them, they'll go away," I muttered pulling a pillow over my head.

The door beeped again and I growled before getting up. Stretching as I stood I moved to grab a robe from the back of the couch as I passed. Glancing at GIR and CADIE to make sure they were still asleep I opened the door.

Wren stood there in a robe, the one shoulder off because of her hurt shoulder, of her own hugging herself around her waist. I blinked at her as she looked up at me apologetically.

"I'm sorry for waking you up Zim," she smiled weakly. The smiled never reaches her eyes.

"It's ok Grashe," I said with a tired smile as I motioned for her to come in. "What's wrong?"

Wren entered with her arms still around her waist. I closed the door and watched as she sat on the couch. GIR and CADIE looked up at her sleepily before moving over and used her right leg as a pillow.

"I had another nightmare," Wren said finally smoothing down CADIE's antenna. "That's all it was. I haven't had one of those in weeks and I should be used to them by now. I shouldn't even worry about them now because that's all they are, is nightmares. But, it's just that…" she trailed off and looked back down at the SIRs that were snuggled close to her.

I sat down beside her on her left and pulled her into a loose hug. She leaned into my embrace and buried her face in my shoulder.

"I don't know what to do anymore Zimmy," she murmured.

I just buried my face in her hair without an answer. I kissed the spot between her ears lightly without a word. Only after a few moments of silence I felt her shiver. Looking at her tears were sliding down her cheeks.

"Oh Wren, don't cry. You'll get through this and I'll be there every step of the way. I promise."

She looked up and sniffed. "I know," she said with a small, weak smile. She nuzzled my jaw and rested her head on my shoulder again.

We sat there for a little while longer. The quiet was pleasant but slowly drawing me to sleep.

"We should both try to get a little more sleep," I murmured into her hair.

"You don't mind if I stay the night, do you?" she asked softly.

I kissed her forehead. "I don't mind if you stay, but I warn you, my wake up call is not a pleasant one."

She giggled a little. "I don't mind."

I stood up and pulled her up after me. "Do you want me to sleep on the couch?" I asked a little uncertain at what she would say.

She shook her head. "No, it's ok. Could you just hold me? I mean…. I just feel safer when…."

"When I hold you," I finished for her. "Just having someone there always helps." I smiled at her and glowed when she smiled back.

3 weeks later….

Curtis' P.O.V….

"Yes!" I shouted. "No more booked days! No more clients!" I jumped up and dashed for the door.

"Hold it!" Klarl shouted. "Get your ass back here. We just got two more weeks of people scheduled."

"Aww…" I groaned and started to bang my head against the door.

This chap was going to be longer but I decided to split this chapter. There will be a smaller chapter after this one. I hope that you liked this chap though.