A/N: Sorry for the late update. DBQ tomorrow that I'm stressing about, it's nearly midnight and the past two weeks have been a living hell for me. Literally I thought I had back experiences before but NOW, I mean what the fuck. I'm really fucking tired of people using me as their personal punching bag. So yes, life is HELL. They dropped my jeep from ten feet in the air when all I asked for was a fucking brake job, yeah WHO DOES THAT. Then it was totalled, I got under priced and screwed on the new jeep I bought that has a fucked up clutch that just HAD to DIE on me making my dad yell at me which DOES NOT happen. Then I fuck up on a AP exam and everyone's like what the hell is your problem, not like shit's going down in your life. NO ONE HAS ANY FUCKING IDEA OF THE FUCKING SHIT GOING DOWN IN MY LIFE. and I won't tell them because they'll probably say I'm just trying to get attention. I mean what the fuck. The one day my attention isn't centered on their sorry asses and all of a sudden I'm goth and a whore? What the hell? Can I not be left alone for one fucking hour of my life? My brother left for college and didn't even say good bye to me and I've had to go to the fucking hospital again because I...got depressed and found out I have cancer and need to get treated. Clearly, I can't do anything right. So FML and yay more fucking surgery JUST what I want as a kid in highschool.

I own nothing and if I did, you know I'd probably fuck that up too.

It's midnight and I'm not doing review responses this chapter. I love you all, but clearly I need to just go die in a hole and eat ice cream and cake. The world sucks, fuck the bitches. I'm going to sleep before I shank someone in the face.

Narrator's POV.

"Sir!" A young overzealous Vortarian called out, saluting towards a very bored looking Moon. He'd been figuring out problems day after day and now that it was the end of the week, he decided he just wanted a day to himself, just to be let alone.

"Didn't I order you brainless Vortarians to stay in the COMMAND center!" Moon snarled back, rubbing his temples and glaring at the young crew member.

"Yes Sir but-."

"I don't think there's a but in the sentence stupid goat, now leave me! Go bother my whelp of a brother if you have news." The Vortarian falter for a moment, looking down at his clip board and back towards the door, "Did I stutter?"

"No Sir, it's just that Jax isn't exactly himself right now…"

Moon sighed and rolled his eyes, did he honestly have to baby sit that whelp every second of the way. It was already getting old and they'd only been here for about three months. "Does he need a dog treat or something?"

"He's more demanding that you fulfill your duty at bringing him his mistress." This time, Moon laughed and clutched his stomach.

"You're kidding?" He eyed the Vortarian for a moment, seeing how nervous he looked before sighing and sitting up, "Dammit you're not kidding. Tell him I'm working on it."

"It's been over a week sir, he wants to know your plans and progress."

"Well if he's trying to chase his own tail at the moment clearly that's not going to go down very well now is it!" Moon snapped, standing up and smoothing out his frazzled antenna, "Honestly if the dumbass wanted to lick his own crotch he didn't have to go insane to do so."

Now at a loss of words, the Vortarian cleared his throat and paced in place nervously, "Something on your mind," Moon glared at him before continuing with the officer's name, "Tom?"

"W-Well sir," Tom started as Moon nonchalantly glided down the stairs, "You have an umm visitor. And they're not exactly happy."

Moon's antenna twitched upon hearing this and his eyes light up like Christmas lights, "Ah yes, I've been expecting her, is she wearing something nice?"

"Uhh a simple dress, i-it's black?" Tom said in a very unsure voice. He didn't know Moon's clarification of 'nice.'

"Good," Moon smiled, fixing up his coat and smoothing out his antenna again, "Did she seem pissy?"

"Well…another crew member was thrown into a wall…so yes sir she does seem to be in a pissy mood today." Tom murmured, backing away as Moon stalked up within arm's reach of him.

"Anything else I should know?"

"She was stripped of all possible weapons and she's demanding answers."

"Ah," Moon sighed, "She's in heat…wonderful."

"Sir?" Tom questioned. How could he deduce such a statement from a mere description? It did not seem right, unless Moon was far more intelligent than he, which as all Vortarians know is highly doubtful.

"I was a scientist Tom; do not doubt my methods of deducing a situation. Any female with this kind of attitude but still willing to obey is clearly hurting and pissy thus leading me to believe she is in heat, but Jax would be able to tell better than I. He being the insane little whelp he is, can scent when a female is in such a state and depending on how his mental stability is that day, he acts upon it, sometimes leading to very aggressive behavior towards other males." Tom was taking in the information before he felt a hand on his collar ripping him closer to the one person he wanted to destroy the most, but didn't have the 'rack' to do so, "So don't just stand there you buffoon, send her in. I could use a little spice today."

"S-Sir yes Sir!" Tom spluttered, wriggling out of Moon's grip and hurrying away as fast as his little stick legs would carry him. He was lucky today, no physical injuries or extra duties to be carried out. Moon must've been in a good mood upon hearing she had arrived.

Tom scrambled out of the room, giving his Coworkers a wide eyed look that they all knew as, 'do it or die.' And so they went to retrieve the girl Moon's been anxiously awaiting all day, "Let go of me you little fucker!" Tom heard her shout. He sighed, knowing someone was about to get the shit beaten out of them but he didn't really care. He wasn't going to get involved with that mess, he just escaped his boss with little to no bodily harm, he wouldn't be so lucky with this dam.

Upon seeing her he gave a little grin and walked up to her, being at least a head taller it was easier to feel superior, "Moon has been expecting you, are you ready to address him as your master?"

"The day fucking Vortarians grow a pair, I will be ready to call that bastard my bitch and that is all," She spat back, glaring daggers into him, "Now let me in, or get ready to loose whatever you Vortarians take pride in."

"I don't think you really have control in that factor now do you?" Tom insisted smirking at her and leaning in close to her face, "I suggest addressing him as your master if you want to escape with little bodily harm."

"Fuck you," She spat, baring her teeth at him. This inticed him, Irkens were such wonderfully violent creatures and watching such a she cat try to be the man in the situation was amusing. She could try with all her might but at the end of the day, she'd know her place on the fence and it would NOT be at the top.

"Please allow me to escort her in," Tom said to his Coworkers. They exchanged a look before nodding and shoving her into him, "Aw falling for me already? Hope it didn't hurt."

"It won't nearly hurt as bad as when you fall into an endless hell that I'll send you into. Your bed will be bloody picket fence spikes and your pillow will be made out of acid spitting bugs that singe your little horns off slowly and painfully until I can rip them out of your ugly ass face and mount them on my wall over my burning fire place in which I will stuff your ugly little goat mouth with an apple and shove an arrow threw your head. So no it didn't hurt asshole."

"Hmm, no wonder Moon likes you. You two seem to have a lot in common," Tom shrugged quirking an eye brow at the fuming female, "Now come, it's best not to keep your master waiting."

"He is NOT my master!" She snarled, lashing out at him when he went in to grab her wrist.

"Oh yes he is, and if you want to live another day you WILL address him as such," Tom spat back, back handing her before grabbing her wrist and physically dragging her into Moon's room. He marveled at the rage one Irken specimen could hold and in such a tiny body, it was intriguing. But alas that was partly the big ego they all held dearly to themselves. Pathetic. "Sir, I've brought her in."

"I can see dumbass," Moon snapped back, gliding down the steps and stopping in front of his glaring female, "You are dismissed; I wish to talk to my slave alone."

"Yes Sir," Tom answered saluting and walking away.

"Pussy," He heard the female mutter but he didn't react to it, knowing she'd get enough from her master as it was.

"Back so soon?" Moon purred, "I'm glad you heeded my message to wear something nice. It is pleasing to see a decent slave wanting to come back."

"I don't want to come back to your pathetic ass," She snapped back, making Moon's antenna twitch again.

"Ah but you did," Moon purred again, walking up to rather large screen and pulling up a single question, he studied her reaction slowly as he reached towards the continue button.

He was nearly there before he heard her interject, "Wait no! Please don't!"

"And why shouldn't I?"

She bit her lip and looked up at him, a crushed expression on her face, "Because I…wanted to come back."

"And why did you want to come back love? Was it because you know you're attracted to me, because you know power makes a woman want a man or is it because you're desperate and do not see another way out of your predicament?"

"Why're you doing this?" She muttered, looking away and lifting her hand to wipe her eyes, "I have never done anything to you."

"I'm doing this because you did everything to me; you've rejected me so much that I've become obsessed with you just as my retarded cousin has his little pet. You made a mistake by brushing me off like I was nothing love, you must remember I am much more smart than you seem to think."

"But why me?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Moon scoffed, "At any point in time if I choose to switch the situation up, I can nearly control any Irken you've ever interacted with that is still alive, to do my bidding."

"I hardly know anyone."

"You know plenty of people dear," Moon spat, walking smoothly over to her and getting into her face. She didn't back down, break eye contact or shudder in fear, no; she was much too stubborn for any of that. "And they all have some pathetic emotion for you. Emotions are weaknesses for a reason."

"You act as if you're a robot," She growled, squinting her eyes at him.

"I do don't I? Maybe it's because every emotion except for hate and anger was ripped viciously away from me the day Irkens didn't vouch for me and didn't take me back even though I was clearly the smartest scientist they ever knew. They CHOSE to leave me on that ship to die with the Vortarians. And they CHOSE to leave my pathetic clone or smeet with me. If anything they should've taken Jax back and just reprogramed his PAK but no, they decided to let a fucking smeet die."

"Are you saying you care for him?"

"I am saying nothing other than that it was a waste of my precious DNA. And though I may hate him, I am an Irken and even I won't go as far as leaving a smeet behind to die. It is far out of league with the Irken code of conduct. A smeet is SUPPOSED to be treasured."

"You're leaving plenty of them to die now."

"Yes, because they are pathetic whelps. The Irken race needs to die. Don't you see," Moon declare, throwing his arms up in the air as plenty of screens in the room light up with various parts of Irk's long past, "Look love," He grabbed her and pointed her towards the screens, pointing a claw towards certain events, "This is the Irken race in the early stages. Pathetic but there was no difference in power. We were all one in the same." The screen showed times of the past, where Irkens technically were still animals trying to evolve. A mother Irken with four smeets appeared from a den under a mass of logs. She was clearly pregnant again as she waddled out, sending out a plethora of clicks and pops after to command her smeets back to her. All their little antenna shot up as they chirped back and sprinted towards her, all of them huddling under her belly as the male of the party emerged from the den and stretched, looking over at his mate and nuzzling her face. The smeets were all over their father, tugging on his antenna with their little teeth and clambering over his back. But he just sat there with an annoyed look on his face, letting his smeets do as they pleased. The female purred and curled up in a warm area to stretch out, catching her mate's attention. He nudged the smeets off of himself before trotting over to said female and curling up around her, locking an arm around her stomach and licking her shoulder blade a bunch of times. "See, there is no hate, no power," Moon spat, attracting the attention of his slave again.

"Well of course not!" She snapped back, "Their a family, you haven't seen any other interact."

"I've watched countless hours of each document on this; the control brains monitored everything, even if we as Irkens didn't know it. I can find out anything and everything with a simple computer hack. It's pathetic," Moon growled back, pointing to another screen, "This is 3000 years later." The Irkens were walking at this point, and using PAKs, whereas they weren't 3000 years ago. They were hunting with their PAK's, stabbing any animal quickly and dragging it back to a clan looking thing, where many Irkens were huddled. There were hardly any smeets in this time. Most of them were young but not smeet young, they were old enough to learn how to hunt and they still had some of their animalistic features, such as round haunches and larger 'paws'. "This was the most boring time in Irken history." Moon cut in, pointing to another document, "This was a darker time, when Irkens started getting violent."

The screen showed a father Irken slapping his own smeet and yelling at him in a foreign language, the smeet cried and when the mother came to see what was going on, the father simply yelled at her too. It hadn't started getting violent until the mother abandoned the smeet with its father, leaving the father to take out the pain and anger on it. "I-I don't want to watch anymore." This caught moons attention.

"Why, have a soft spot for abused children?"

"I know someone who was abused, and it still healing from the past experiences. I don't want to see what it was like for this little smeet," She said, clenching her eyes shut. Moon glared at her and grabbed her face, forcing her to stare at the screen as the father beat the smeet with a belt and anything else until the smeet was a bloody, motionless lump on the floor. The father did nothing but kick the dead child and throw it into a fire pit.

Moon looked at his slave again to see she was crying, eyes glued to the screen, "This is present day Irk," Moon growled directing her attention to one more screen where there was nothing but war and hate and fear, "I want to bring Irk back to either this stage," He pointed to the two mates on the first screen, "Or to no stage at all. I hope it is clear to you now that Irkens should no longer live. Smeets should no longer be senselessly beaten like that father did to his smeet; there should be no more warfare no more nothing. Don't you get it? I am doing this world a favor by destroying its inhabitance. Did you know the Tallest wanted to take us into a universal war, trying to control every planet within a year instead of throwing invaders out? Do you understand how much blood shed, pain and fear would go along with that?" She nodded and sobbed into her hands not wanting to talk about this anymore, "The Tallest have no right being leader, in fact the first tallest came because people marveled his height and he was one of the strongest Irkens, thus carrying out the title of the tallest."

"Is that when Irk started becoming corrupt?" She asked, her voice cracking a little bit.

"Not even, Irk started becoming corrupt the day the control brains made themselves known to the Irken race. If they had not done so, Irkens would've evolved much like other humanoid aliens, but we would still be primitive and probably enslaved. It's like a yin and yang. I'm just trying to get us back into the yin."

"No you're just doing this for yourself!" She snapped, "You're insane and you know it!"

"I think I'm more of an idealist if you ask me. Now come, stop crying you're making yourself look ugly."

"Wait," She interjected, "I just want to know something."

"Continue."

She started freely sobbing now, "You said…that you wouldn't hurt him. But he's getting sick and…and I don't know what to do!"

"Nothing, you can't do anything," Moon shrugged back, not caring for his slaves lover the least bit.

"But you said you wouldn't hurt him! You have to tell me what to do!"

"And why in Irk's name would I do that?" Moon spat back, whirling around and glaring at her.

"Because I'm doing everything you want! We made a deal!"

"You made a deal with the devil love," He grinned back, "I have not yet hit that continue button. What is going on with him has nothing to do with me, but please don't tempt me to press that button. It would make me very sad to see such a capable young man die because of his own mistress."

"It would NOT be my fault!" She shouted, tugging hard on her antenna while sinking to her knees.

"Ah but it would darling. Remember you hold the power between life and death for him. Whatever choice I choose will be based off of your own actions towards me," He sighed, waving his hand around in boredom, "so lets start with a simple rule you have yet to carry out. I am your master and I wish to be addressed as such. If you don't start by the end of this meeting, then I will hit continue and smile as I watch your lover die. But if you address me properly, he will live for another night."

She bit her tongue and glared at him as he snapped his fingers, making all the previous screens disappear and only the new screen come up. The screen with the question "continue, or cancel" on it.

"Well?" Moon asked, lazily tracing the continue button with his claw.

"Please…master don't hurt him…"

"Good, I'm glad we see eye to eye now, but there is ONE more thing you can do for me love." She gulped and looked up at him, trying to keep her breathing normal.

"Yes…M…Master?"

Moon smiled and beckoned her over to him, which she hesitantly did until he grabbed her necklace and drug her face down right in front of his, "Have I got a mission for you."

Narrator's POV. (continued.)

Vex slowly exited his room, a very troubled look on his face as he walked down the hall with Angel in his arms. He was so worried about Axel, she was having trouble breathing now and her temperature was at 105.9 which was much too high for any Irken. He was just thankful that Angel wasn't as bad, her temperature was only 100.6 and rising, but it had gone down since last Tuesday.

He was quietly humming 'you are my sunshine,' to Angel while entering the 'kitchen' area. Technically it was just a place where they all sat with each other and ate any scraps they could find from previous runs. There's been a shortage of food lately and it wasn't doing anyone any good. Tempers were rising and many verbal fights had already broken out between family and friends. It was definitely not a good time.

However, Vex stopped upon seeing Zim sitting at the makeshift table he put together. His face was hidden in his arms and he was quietly sniffling with low antenna. It perked Vex's curiosity since it was the first time he'd seen him in over a week. He never left his room anymore and Vex had no idea as to why he wouldn't. "Zim?" he piped up, starling Zim who just jumped but didn't turn to address him. In fact his antenna just lowered farther down and he tried to hide his face more, "Is uhh somethin' wrong?" Vex tried again, going over to the other side of the table and sitting down, studying his nephew/son in law closely.

"No," Zim muttered back, he was only in a big black sweater and jeans. It wasn't a turtle neck sweater more of a collar bone cut one with long sleeves so you could just barely see his hands sticking out of them.

"Then why're ya mopin'?" Vex continued, rocking Angel some more when she made a noise of complaint at the lack of movement.

Zim said nothing for a while, but eventually wiped under his eyes and looked up a little bit, "Because I can't do anything right. And I don't know what…what I did wrong."

Vex was surprised at how destroyed the kid looked, he had clear bags under his eyes and his eyes were kind of blood shot, though it was hard to tell with his certain coloring, "What do ya mean? Yer not useless Zim, I mean think of Cari, she doesn't think yer useless."

"I don't want to think about her right now," Zim said back, hiding his face back in his arms again.

"Oh…" Vex grumbled feeling a little bit awkward, "Are ya guys fightin' right now?"

Zim shook his head.

"Is she jus mad at ya?"

He shook his head again.

"Did she threaten to kill ya? Did she give ya bad news?" He shook his head twice.

"Well then what? What's goin' on? Ya know I can't help if ya don't help me understand what's wrong."

Zim paused and sniffled again, his shoulders shaking with him before he muttered something Vex couldn't understand, "What?"

He tried again but still, Vex couldn't understand, "Ok Zim what the hell is wrong! Yer actin' as if she jus randomly broke up with ya! Speak up dammit!" But he knew he'd hit it spot on when Zim looked at him and then back down at the table, starting to cry again.

"I don't know what I did wrong," He said, though his voice cracked a bunch of times.

Now Vex felt REALLY awkward, this was not his place, though it did confuse him, "She broke up with you? That makes no sense. She's cold and little heartless but not that heartless. You guys were lovers since yer early ages."

"Don't you think I know that!" Zim snapped, lowering his antenna more, "She broke up with me and told me I meant nothing to her! I don't know what the fuck I did but clearly, somehow some way I was an asshole to her. But she won't even talk to me anymore and I miss her!"

"Then why don't you talk ta her about it?"

"It's not exactly that easy Vex…"

"True, this is Cari we're talking about. Well Zim I don't know what ta tell ya. It seems strange that out of nowhere she'd jus dump ya an' fer seemingly no reason, but I don't know. I don't know what went down I don't know what set her off, the only advice I can really give you right now is that you need to try talkin' ta her. Don't leave her alone until she tells ya what's goin' on."

"I can't do that, I've always given her space when she's needed it."

"Well yer not her boyfriend anymore, yer a free man. So this is horrible but make 'er a little jealous, make her regret hurtin' ya."

"That's kind of like an asshole move Vex."

"Hey, I never said I was kind," He shot back, smirking slightly, "I'm not sayin' go be with another girl er nothin', just start bonding with the other girls in the group, and ignore her. See what happens."

"She'll slit my throat in the middle of the night, that's what'll happen," Zim muttered, "But I miss her threats too…"

Vex rolled his eyes and sighed, "Well that's my advice, forget forcin' her ta interact with ya, jus nonchalantly make er a little jealous." He was about to continue before Angel finally got annoyed and started crying herself, looking up at her dad with her light green eyes and complaining loudly.

"I think Angel wants attention," Zim muttered, wanting to be left alone now, "You should take her back to Axel." He was relieved when Vex got up to walk away, but all the was crushed when Vex pushed Zim's chair back, making him go with it, and shoving Angel into his arms.

"Yer her uncle, why don't you pay attention ta her?" Zim stared at Vex for a moment before looking back down at her in slight confusion.

"I've never held a child before…I don't want to hurt her."

"I don't give a rats ass if you've held a child or not, this is yer niece and it's about damn time you've acknowledged that." Vex growled back, watching Zim carefully as Angel continued to cry angrily.

"I don't know what to do," Zim said, looking at him for help.

"Bring er more towards yer chest and rock her back an forth, then talk ta her, don't be that awkward cousin in the corner," Vex said back, showing Zim without the baby in his arms.

"O-Ok," Zim muttered, very gently doing what Vex said until Angel stopped crying and was a sleeping lump in Zim's arms, "I-is that supposed to happen?"

"Yup she fell asleep, thank god she did NOT want to sleep when she was with me, so fer that I actually have ta thank you," Vex shrugged back, leaning against the make shift table and watching Zim with a slight smirk. He knew Zim adored her already and it became even more clear when a small smile appeared on Zim's face.

"She's a lot like Axel then huh?"

"More so than ya know," Vex groaned, "But she is a little Angel so I can't complain."

"She's beautiful Vex, she looks a lot like you, accept the antenna of course and the attitude I'm guessing?"

"Oh yeah, she's got spunk, a lot like er momma," Vex said, taking pride in the statement, "Ya haven't visited Axel since she came ya know. She keeps askin' bout ya."

Zim's antenna lowered again, "I ruined her life, why would she want to visit me? Clearly I can't do anything right…"

"Oh bullshit Zim, because ya ruined Axels life, I met her at the academy and we quickly became lovers. Because of you, I got to reunite with the two most important little girls in my life, because of you I know what family is and how ta treat them, because of you I get ta see my little pup smile every day or laugh an' that…that means the world ta me. Because of yer idiocy, ya make everyone's life better including Axel's an' Cari's whether you think so or not. Yer only seein' what ya want ta see, but ya really need ta start focusin' on what's important and that's what matters inside, yer personal values," Vex said putting a hand over his heart, "And though I find it strange that you are technically Cari's uncle and lover since yer related ta Axel and yada yada, I still think of ya as part of my family an' yer no screw up."

"I can't even take over a planet…I just…can't do anything," Zim said, sighing loudly, "But thanks for trying to cheer me up at least."

"Ya know what, the Tallest are egotistical bastards, they look fer self-gain and feed off of peoples pain and life off of putting people down. They're immature Zim an' I must admit when Cari went missin' ya became kinda insane an' I know the mission ta Earth was an attempt to calm down about the ordeal, especially after Blue's death but yer a mature young adult Zim. Their over grown radioactive waste eatin' hoes. And yer a better man than they ever were or have been. Why can't ya see that?"

"Because I was used as entertainment for my whole race, I was disgraced over and over by the tallest and I didn't even realize it. They promised to help me find Cari, but they lied…like she lied when she said she cared about me."

"I don't think that was a lie," Vex interjected, "Did she say it was a lie."

"No…she started crying and told me I meant nothing to her."

"There's a key word in that sentence Zim, stop and think about what you just said, just think about it." Vex said, his eyes narrowing in thought, none of this made sense.

"She just didn't want to be in a relationship anymore, she can't stop thinking about me and she thinks it's gonna end up getting both of us hurt."

"I didn't say argue, I said think," Vex growled, tapping his claws on the makeshift table, "Use that thing in yer head ta analyze what ya jus said."

"I said she started crying and tol-."

"Right there, shut up!" Vex snapped looking at Zim harshly, "Think about those first five words."

"Am I supposed to be deducing something from this?"

"Come on, yer supposed ta be able ta read someone like a book!"

"Yeah when I get suspicious I get observant, I told you Vex she just…doesn't care about me."

"O M G," Vex snapped, slamming his head down on the table and throwing his arms up in the air, "THINK MAN, JUST THINK FER ONE DAMN SECOND!"

"I AM THINKING!" Zim snapped back, feeling even more crushed than before, "There is nothing!"

"CRYING! YOU SAID SHE WAS CRYING YOU BUFOON!" Vex shouted, making the hand motion to choke Zim but hesitating, he wanted Zim to figure this out himself.

"Yes she cried, what's the big deal."

"If you meant nothin' ta her, then why the hell was she cryin' when she broke it to ya?"

"Because she knows it was going to hurt me, and it did."

"Look deeper into that statement; she KNOWS it's going to hurt you, that means she CARES about you because she was CRYING because she knew it was going ta HURT you!"

"Or she just…I-I don't know Vex, what the hell are you trying to tell me. I'm hurting badly enough without your input thank you very much."

"I'm gonna follow her when she goes on the next run."

"That's not creepy!" Zim stated, rolling his eyes.

"No it's called bein' an over protective guard with a suspicion, don't count yerself out jus yet Zim."

"How can I not. I love her so much Vex, but if she doesn't love me back then I don't know what to do. There is no one else that I can attach to, not that I'd want to anyways…"

"Try it, jus a little, I wanna see the reaction. An I know JUST who ya should start bonding to."

"No," Zim said, glaring at Vex as a smirk start spreading across the old man's face.

"Ooooo yeah," Vex smirked, chuckling a little bit, "Demon bitch from hell is going to LOVE the idea of getting under Cari's skin. This is about ta get interesting…"

Liao's POV.

"Lexy!" I shouted; worry lacing my voice, "Darlin' I need ya!" I called out, desperately looking around for my little sister. I needed help and fast, "Lexy! Please I'm sorry if I've been ignorin' ya jus please don't hide from me!"

Still no answer, 'Where the hell did you go!' I seethed as I checked under her bed, up in the attic, out in the barn, in the bomb shelter, EVERYWHERE and she was NO WHERE. "Ok…I'll interrogate her lover boy then," I mumbled to myself, rushing bad inside and now starting the search for Difetto.

"Difetto! I need ta know where my oh so lovely little sister went!" I shouted as I explored each and every room, trying to find him. I wasn't comfortable with them going out alone. Lexy was still too young to date. Sure she's only 400 years younger than me, it doesn't matter, she's still not allowed to date under my wing.

"Lexus if ya don't come out RIGHT now I will ground ya fer a week! Hear me child! A week! No lover boys and no guitar!" I stopped and listened but there was still nothing. Now I was starting to get anxious, where could she be, what happened, why wasn't she here when I woke up this morning. She's a woman and I need her help. I'm freaked out and I don't like the idea of my sister being out with a BOY alone, it made me want to hang Difetto from a tree upside down and make him beg for mercy…not that he could though, "LEXY!"

"What! Can I not take a walk without you breathing down my back every second!" My antenna perked at that and I sprinted out of the house, taking her up in my arms and shouting in relief.

"Where were you!"

"Walking," Lexy snapped, shoving me away and brushing herself off, "Difetto and I were out looking for any signs of life in town."

"You went into TOWN!" I snapped, grabbing her arms, "I told you to stay away from that place!"

"Yeah well it's not like you've been the best big brother lately, why don't you go find Tabitha or something, forget about me some more."

"Wha? Lexy it's not like that."

"Sure it's not Liao, it never is right? You can't do anything wrong can you?" Lexy growled back, antenna flattening as she glared at her big brother, "You should've let Tabitha handle that man at the ball herself, so she wouldn't screw with our lives."

"Hey," I snapped, giving her a hard look, "Lose the attitude right now. You an' Tab are like sisters and talkin' shit about her is jus showin' what kinda person ya are. So cut it out. Right now, I need yer help an' you can be as pissed as ya want at me but you do NOT disrespect me under my roof, are we clear?"

"I didn't ask to stay with you."

"And I didn't ask fer mom ta die, leavin' me ta be in charge of you. Life ain't really fair," Lexy cringed at this and looked away as Difetto took a step back, not wanting to involve himself in the argument.

"Don't talk about mom."

"Then don't disrespect me," I growled back, making her look at me again, "Understand?"

She was silent for a second before nodding and looking away, clearly being depressed about mom now that I've brought it up again. Why is it always me? "Lexy," I said catching her attention, "I need yer help. Tabitha's really sick, she's been like this all mornin' an' I don't know what ta do. I expected you to because yer a woman an' all…"

"So she's probably just sick from last night's dinner," Lexy shrugged, "There's not much else to say."

"But it's different, she's in pain an' I don't know how ta help her."

"Well where is she now?"

"In the bathroom, getting sick which is why I need yer help!" I said desperately, hoping it'd be clearer this way.

"Do we have any 7up and crackers?"

"No, crackers yes, 7up no."

"Give her crackers and make her rest, but not too many and make sure she's not doing anything but resting. That's what mom used to do for me whenever I got sick." I nodded slowly while taking all that in. I loved my mom but she and I didn't exactly see eye to eye and I left at an early age, only coming back when I got the phone call that she was killed in a cruiser accident, leaving my 140 year old sister alone in the house for nearly a week while I worked my ass off to get back to her. Dad was never in the picture, he didn't like me and as soon as Lexy was born he left and was never seen again, so it was just me at my young age taking care of Lexy. And it's been that way ever since.

"Ok, thanks kiddo," I said calmly, backing away and turning to go back into the house. I felt my heart wrench a little bit, Lexy always thought it was her fault mom died, she always blamed herself because she asked her mom over phone to go to the store and get some flour for a birthday she was planning. But mom was distracted on the phone talking to Lexy and she didn't realize when a massive delivery cruiser was running a red light, smacking into her side of the cruiser and killing her upon impact. Yeah Lexy was on the phone with her the whole time during the accident, hearing our mom screams as metal crushed all her bones and killed her. It was not a fun year.

I hurried into the kitchen and retrieved the crackers before hurrying into the bathroom and falling to my knees next to Tabitha, "Feelin' any better."

"No," Tabitha grumbled, leaning her face into her arms over the sink, "I feel like some dropped an anvil on my stomach."

"Ok well, I brought crackers; Lexy says their good fer stomach flu's."

"Thanks Liao but this isn't a stomach flu," Tab muttered, clenching her eyes shut as her head started spinning again.

"What do ya mean?" I asked running a hand over her antenna in concern, I didn't like seeing her in pain.

"Well, there's a plethora of things that it could be, but I want to talk to you about it."

"Ok shoot," I said, biting my lip in worry, what if it was a virus or something, or one of those Zombies laid an egg in her or something!

"I think…"

"LIAO!" My head snapped up upon hearing that. It was Lexy.

"Go ahead and tend to her, I can wait," Tab said, smiling a little bit before resting her head on her arms again, sighing.

"O-Ok, I'll be right back," I said kissing her cheek quickly before slinking out of the bathroom and into the living room where Lexy was sitting, looking a little pissed, "What?"

"Sit down."

"Why?"

"Because I asked you to."

"Lexy can this wait? I need ta tend ta Tabitha."

"No, I need to talk to you."

"About what?" I asked impatiently, "I'm waitin' Lexus; I need an answer right now."

"Do you love her?" I stopped upon hearing that question, just standing there awkwardly, 'do you love her? Do you? Love is a strong word but…do you?'

"I…uhh I don't know Lexy. I really care about her though if that's what yer askin'."

"No I'm asking if you physically love Tabitha."

"I don't know Lexus, I already told ya that. I think I do, but I don't know yet."

"More than me?"

I gave her a look and chuckled a little bit, "What? No ya little twerp, I've loved you fer what like 240 years now? I think I love my little sister a little bit more than my…uhh girlfriend?"

"Then why do you ignore me?"

"Lexy I'm not ignoring ya," I said, walking over and sitting next to her, "True not all my attention is on ya anymore, but I'm not intentionally ignoring you."

"Then why did you leave when you were 150? Why'd you leave me behind?" She asked, looking at me with clear pain running across her expression. Dammit, I knew I was going to bring up some bad memories and questions when I brought mom into the conversation.

"I had to leave Lexy. I would've ruined yer life if I hadn't."

"You didn't have to abandon me with her, you acted as if you didn't care about me and I feel like that's how you're acting now."

"No, no, no," I said grabbing her face and looking directly into her eyes, "Lexy I've always cares about you and I'd never abandon you. I left because I wasn't happy here, but I came back because my baby sister needed me, and I wasn't going to leave her behind." I pulled her into a much needed hug upon explaining this, "I love you Lexy and you seem to enjoy forgetting that."

"Only when you give me reason too," She murmured into my shoulder, clenching her eyes and teeth shut.

I said nothing while holding her face next to mine, just letting her pour out all her problems to me. We sat there for a long time until she stopped sobbing and moving all together, which at that point I knew she'd fallen asleep again. She always passed out after a mental break down.

So I grabbed her up in my arms and stood up, slowly walking back into her room and setting her down in her bed with her GIANT stuffed dog surrounding her. I won that damn thing in a carnival half way across the planet and brought it home to her when I found out mom passed. She hasn't let it out of sight since, not that it COULD get out of sight with its size. "I love you Lexy, whether you want to believe it or not," I mumbled before kissing her forehead and slipping out of the room so she could sleep in peace.

It was a quick corner turn and I was back to Tabitha, sitting with her and rubbing her back, "So what did ya want ta talk ta me about?" I asked, seeing as she was done puking for a minute.

"This," She said, shoving something into my hands. I looked at it and nearly passed out myself. Honestly.

Why is it always me?

A/N: It's long because I haven't updated in a while. Merry freaking Christmas. Does anyone wanna kill me? Please I'd pay you to right now. sorry for ranting, I don't want to talk about it. I just want to get my personal health issues solved first before dealing with the other hell that is my life.

Well anyways I hope you guys are having good lives and enjoying the story. I shall write more later and what do you know nearly a cliff hanger in every single POV. Oh me XD.

Goodnight. And no, none of you will get shanked...for now. :3