Too tired to do anything or respond to anything. Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming, enjoy what I could get out with the lack of creativity I was undergoing. Not to mention the stress and the constant requests and homework and sigh whatever. I'm leaving for vacation for a while, the 20 to december 7 so don't expect any updates during that time. But if you live in sydney austrailia and wish to meet me, well then I'll see you there. :) Or Okland New Zealand.

Night everyone.

I don't own IZ, get over it.

Narrator's POV.

Zim slept silently on his side, curling up around his stomach with all the heavy blankets surrounding him. He was facing the wall as his sides gently rose and fell, soft snores and purrs erupting from his open mouth and throat.

Cari lay next to him, silent and unable to sleep. She shifted positions for the tenth time in the past hour and sighed, concern was weighing heavily on her conscience and it was keeping her from rest. She looked over when Zim unconsciously rolled over, throwing all the blankets on her and stretching out in nothing, purring at the fact that he was no longer in the suffocating warmth of the covers. Cari sighed in annoyance but did nothing nonetheless. Her eyes drifted over Zim's facial features as he slept and twitched from dreams haunting his mind.

She loved him but there was the complicated wall standing between he and her and it started with a capital M. She hated him, but felt some kind of sick bond towards him because of his painful past. Either way, he was preventing her from being with her soul mate and she didn't like it. She wanted to tell Zim, hell she wanted to slap him across the face and tell him that she's not just being a heartless bitch, she's trying to save his life…but if she wanted him to live then she'd have to keep her mouth shut and keep up the act.

Thoughts of how she could get the message to Zim flipped around across her mind, none intrigued her though, they were all too far-fetched. Some were even down right ridiculous, but it kept her mind whirling and it kept her awake. A small growl escaped her throat as she rolled over again her antenna snapping down flat onto her head and her eyes clenching shut. She didn't want this life, nor did she ask for it. If only Zim hadn't crash landed on Earth all those years ago! Her life wouldn't be so upside down and flipped around.

She looked out the far window, it was starting to become dawn, and grey light was flooding into the room making her frown. Why couldn't the day just go away and leave her alone to be with Zim? Not that it ever worked something always came in between them, 'Maybe it really wasn't meant to be then…' she thought, doubts now starting to crowd her mind.

Cari sat up after that, she couldn't take this anymore. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up, walking over into Liao's personal bathroom to clean up a little bit before grabbing some of his pajama pants and pulling them on, wandering back out into the room to search for her other articles of clothing. She spotted a certain one but it just so happened that Zim was cuddling it like a teddy bear that she knew she wouldn't be getting back anytime soon. It made Cari chuckle a bit before deciding to just pull on a shirt instead.

She went and sat at a desk in Liao's room for a while, staring at his books and note books scattered across it before a small thought spun through her mind, 'English,' it made her head pop up in surprise and her antenna rise. "Of course! How could I not think of that?" Cari exclaimed, moving quick to rip a sheet of paper out of a note book and start writing on it.

Irkens didn't know English, since obviously it was not their native language. Higher up in ranking people knew nearly every language, and even studied it but at this moment in time, Irk had a sad confession to make. That sad confession was that half of the planet didn't know how to write, or even read. They recognized the symbols on the bill boards and got hunches from the picture signs, but there was at least 40-50% of the Irken population whom couldn't read. That fact solely relied on one thing. Slavery. Or in some cases just being born into a bad ranking family and having to live the life of a peasant to the empire. Everyone had jobs to do, and their job was not to be educated, but to be strong and skilled in the arts of following verbal commands, growing surplus crops and building large structures from the commands given to them.

This also relied on the PAK. Said PAK gives an Irken it's personality and life style as soon as their either hatched or naturally born (Which is rare and technically treason against the empire. Mates aren't exactly allowed in the first place.) This means that the PAK's given to the Royals and Irkens of war status were more knowledgeable and easier to comprehend. Any otherwise led to difficulties in paying attention, anxiety under pressure, irritability and just an all around bad time in the art of education.

'This is exactly why Irk is separated into the savage side, and the sophisticated side. Though…now we all seem to be at the same level, fighting for our lives against one—no make that two—enemies. The walkers and Moons leading force of Vortarians.' Cari thought angrily while trying to think in only English.

She knew Jax knew English, Tabitha had taught it to him long ago and often spoke in it, making Jax have to learn it. Plus he also used to find books a rather attractive pass time; a good book was like a successful year in life to him, until the PAK virus of course. So yes, Jax knew English, but he couldn't explain it, nor could he translate it from English to Irken. Irken to English was easy for him, English had seemed much less complicated at that point, but any other way was like turning off a light switch in his head and sending him backwards through a maze he'd memorized moving forwards.

Moon on the other hand, probably didn't even know English existed. She's cursed at him in English before, but got no response from it and he often questioned her about the language she was using. She'd tell him begrudgingly, but she knew he wouldn't look it up. And that was for the simple fact that Irkens weren't supposed to have discovered English yet. Earth was technically called the dark planet, since no one really knew of all the 'horrors' that lied there with the acidic water and dying species. So even if Moon wanted to learn, he couldn't because his clone couldn't teach him and he couldn't program it or learn it any other way.

'I love the taste of victory in the morning,' she thought to herself, smirking evilly as she started writing the last few sentences. Her eye lids were growing more and droopier with each passing blink and soon enough, she couldn't remember what she was saying or why the pen was half way across the paper. So within the five minutes of her clever thought bubble, she had successfully managed to pass out on a desk.

Zim's POV.

When I finally woke up the sun was already peaking in through the windows. I felt insanely relaxed and in a good mood which was unusual looking back on the past few weeks.

I yawned and stretched out on the bed before remembering last night, making my antenna stand straight up and my face snap to the side to see if Cari was there. Her side of the bed was empty, making my heart sink a little bit but I felt better when I noticed her at the far desk, sleeping. "Cari," I said quietly, seeing if she was at all awake, not that I really cared but I would like to say goodbye.

No answer came to me, so I sat up and pulled myself off the bed, wincing when slight pain hit my stomach, I was still much to skinny but I'd worry about that later. Slowly, I walked over to the edge of the room and grabbed the pajama pants given to me before turning and slinking over to Cari. She was out like a light with a folded piece of paper clenched in her hand. I wondered what it was for a second before forgetting about it and leaning down to scoop her up.

She was a heavy sleeper so I knew I wouldn't wake her up by carrying her back to the bed, but what I didn't know is why she'd been up so early, it's not like her to not sleep for hours on end from the beginning of the night to the middle of the day.

I kept pondering these thoughts as I gently set her down on the inner wall side of the bed, pulling the blankets over her and tucking her in with a small smile. I knew she still loved me and that was all I needed from her at the moment.

I was about to snuggle back in with her when my PAK started quietly vibrating. It was a nice massage but it also meant an incoming message was coming through. It appeared in my thoughts showing me the pick-up times for all invaders and guards and on what days. Today was the starting date and the first pick up time was in fifteen minutes at the edge of town. I could make it but I'd have to hurry.

So I hurried to get some clothes on and rush to the door, only stopping when the letter on the table caught my attention again. I checked the time before rushing over and grabbing the note off the table. It was in English which was uncommon since Cari usually speaks and writes in Irken now a days. Cari, I'd nearly forgotten about her in my rush.

I quietly walked over to her side and crawled onto the bed, putting an arm on either side of her to support myself while leaning in and gently kissing her cheek. She smelled so good at the moment so I took a second to just enjoy the moment with my mate and kiss her cheeks a couple times, "I love you Cari," I whispered while sliding off the bed, note in hand and rushing to the door.

I tried the handle but the door was locked so I wasted no time in picking the lock with a PAK leg and hurrying out through the living room, "Zim?" A voice caught my attention. I looked back over my shoulder to see Tabitha standing outside her sleeping area and looking at me.

"Yeah?"

"Where are you going?" She asked, taking a couple steps towards me, "You were pretty unstable last night, I don't think you should be going outside just yet."

"Tabitha I am ok, stupid but ok. I'm leaving for war and I have to be in my pick up area within nine minutes," I answered softly, still feeling the need to whisper so I wouldn't break the silence of the morning.

"What, are you stupid!?"

"Yes, I just told you I was," I answered with a small smirk.

"What about Cari!?"

I paused and stared at her, letting the words sink in before sighing, I'd already made up my mind, "Tell her I love her and that I am doing this for her."

"No Zim stop it, you're freaking me out. You can't leave," Tabitha growled, walking a few more steps closer until we were face to face.

I blinked a couple times before giving her a sad smile and pulling her wrists towards me for a hug, "I have to." She was silent for a second before hiding her face in my shoulder blade, I did the same to her, just I let my face rest on her shoulder, I didn't hide it, "I love you Tabitha and I am over joyed that you are still alive and kicking ass."

"Shut up," She muttered, hiding her face again.

"I know," I sighed. I loved hugging her but this time something was different; it almost felt harder to hug her physically not mentally.

"Zim…what if you don't come back?"

"I will come back. If you believe I will, then I won't stop trying until I make it back. Ok?"

"Not ok, I just found you; you can't just up and leave again."

"I have to Tabitha; my ride is within seven minutes."

She sighed, knowing she couldn't change my decision before pulling away slightly and looking at me, "I love you too and I believe in you so don't make me regret letting you go."

I smiled, same old Tabitha, "I won't."

"One more thing Zim," She said hurriedly, I looked back at her and raised an eye brow before she glanced around, grabbed my antenna and told me something that would change my life forever.

I had to leave after that, but now I felt like I couldn't. My life just took a major curve ball and I couldn't just leave Tabitha here now, "I'll be ok, I have Cari and the others," She told me, but I didn't believe her.

"How did this happen?" I asked hoarsely, swallowing a dry lump in my throat.

She gave me a look and put her hands on her hips, "Well what you want me to go into detail or something? It wasn't exactly SUPPOUSED to happen. Just…one thing led to another and before I knew it I was having to worry about talking to Liao about just the same as I am with you."

"But I thought, I mean you we're safe and I-."

"Zim, accidents happen and things…tend to break at times," She sighed, blushing a little bit, "I'll be ok, so if you're going to go, go. Or you'll miss your flight."

"Tabitha I can't just leave you now that I know-."

"It wasn't so hard for you to leave Cari," She said, glaring at me in disappointment, "And she needs you more than I. True, this is a new experience for me, and facing it will be a challenge, but I can hold my own. At the moment, Cari's pretty damn unstable with her emotions and thoughts, but you just keep thinking that you have to go out there and save the world."

"If I don't, how do I know someone else will?" I growled defensively.

"Good question, I'm not the one to answer that for you," Silence followed this and I checked my watch, no way was I making it to the pickup point within five minutes, I'd just have to wait until the afternoon, when the next pick up time was. I looked back up to see Tabitha eyeing me with a soft expression, "I love you Zim, and I think you'll make the decision that best suits you and your situation. But I'd hate to have to break it to a few someone's I know that you've left and may not be coming back."

"You had to guilt trip me…didn't you?"

"If I thought it would save your life? Then yes, guilt tripping is my expertise." She then walked over to me and grabbed my face in her cold hands, "You know you don't have to prove anything right?"

I stared at her silently before shanking my head back and forth, feeling my heart sink a little bit, "I must prove that I can still protect my race and my family AND my species."

"That's a lot of ands to fall on one young man's shoulders." She gave me a thin lipped smile, "Maybe I should go too, two heads are better than one."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT," I snarled, moving at lightning speed to grab her wrists and glare into her surprised orange orbs, "I may not be the start of your accident but I will take the responsibility for it when the real starter isn't here to do so themselves. You will NOT go to fight in any war, you will NOT risk your life seeing as it's not just yours anymore and you will NOT act like it is your duty to do so. You're duty is to stay here and take care of yourself and the others, don't even think other wise."

"Well now we don't sound much different do we?"

"Please," I growled, glaring at her, "We may be very much alike but there is one thing that will always be different between us. And it's what risks were taking to fight for the people we love."

"Then maybe you should look over yours again. Even though it may not be your problem, it's still half your responsibility, just as you said not seconds ago. Every man has his rights, but some just need to get their priorities straight before they move on with their rights."

"You can't possibly think-."

"Am I important to you Zim," She interrupted, crossing her arms again, "Is Cari important, and what about Vex? Do we mean anything to you at all?"

"OF COURSE YOU DO!" I snapped, huffing at her accusations.

"Then stop tryin to be someone you're not. Look at how you're affecting people around you with these…these stupid decisions. Then maybe we will be thinking in the same mind set."

I opened my mouth to argue before pursing my lips shut again. There was a commotion in another room, signifying that someone was up and listening in. I sighed and dropped my raised hand in defeat, "You and everyone else mean the world to me."

"Good, then that means you're staying for breakfast?"

Another sigh of defeat escaped my lips as I nodded and went to sit down at the table, the note on Cari's desk still in hand. I traced my claw over my name many numerous times before shoving it in my pocket and sighing. "You smell funny." Tabitha said, catching me by surprise.

"What…"

"You can't go into war smelling like horse and other things, go take a shower, then I'll leave you alone to make your own decisions like a big boy."

"Look who's talking."

"I have a reason to smell the way I do thank you. I happen to be working around medical supplies a lot now, lest we forget horses, dogs, chickens and other animals that have a very distinguishable scent. Like a stallion goat for instance, which you smell like more than horse but yeah. If you wanna do this, then let me tell you."

"What?" I growled.

"You just brought a knife to a gun fight."

Liao's POV.

I yawned and stretched out on the bed made of old animal skins and furs covering the lovely rock that was supporting my back. I was in the ruins, having part of it to myself and seeing that it was dark out, it must still be nighttime.

'Wait, nighttime? I don't think so,' I thought, sitting up quickly and hitting my head on the roof, did I forget to mention that the ruins have nice medium sized rooms and REALLY high perched beds, this was probably in case of flooding at one time but now it was just a cause for nuisance.

I scrambled to find the edge of the bed and spilled out of it, hitting the ground hard and snapping quietly to myself upon feeling the rough impact. I hated not having good night vision.

My eyes squinted as I tried to look around at my surroundings, I could start making out shapes but nothing else was becoming clear to me, leaving me blind in a maze in a sense. What time was it? How long has Legacy been gone? Was he back with my stuff yet? When did I fall asleep?

I shook off the questions for the moment, feeling around with my hands to find my way around and head down the stairs cautiously. I stepped outside and felt around for a wall until I heard a voice that startled me, "Liao? What're you doing up?"

"Is that Legacy?" I asked quietly, feeling weird about breaking the calm silence of the darkness.

"Yes, are you well? You're stumbling around like an oaf."

"I unlike most Irkens can't see in the dark, so no I am not well. Do you have my duffel? And what time is it? How long have I been down here?"

"I have your bag, it's at my house but I'll get it to you once Shadow wakes up, it's best to let her have her rest for the time being. And I'd say you've been down here at least a day or so now. It's 5:29 in the morning up on the surface of Irk."

"Legacy I must leave," I said hoarsely, "Please you must understand I have to get back to my friend Tabitha, she really needs-."

"Liao, calm yourself. You are freaking out over nothing, as soon as dawn light breaks through the cracks of the earth, then we will go. I will escort you out."

"Can I bring my family down here? To safety?"

"No," Legacy said calmly, making me frown, "You are lucky to be down here as it is. We'll have too many people down here soon, and then the walkers will be able to hear us easier which will lead to us having no way out and being trapped to suffer our fates."

"But I'd only bring it three more people!" I protested.

"That's three more mouths to feed, three more lives to watch over when that isn't my responsibility and three more people who can make noise, leading to a walker flood."

"Legacy, you have a family," I growled, "I do too, how can you just deny us!"

"Our families are very much different; please understand Liao I am not intentionally trying to get rid of you or your family. I am merely protecting my own. Now you must understand that feeling."

"No!" I growled, "I accept everyone in need of help into my home."

"And what if said person turns out to be a threat to the safety of your family? What then? Just say oops better luck next time?" Legacy shot back, his voice becoming cold and hard, "Understand please that I am doing this for the good of my people. You are a stranger to us, and clearly not fit for living in the caves. I will escort you out by noon, but for now I'd get some more sleep."

"Wait," I snapped, clenching my fists, "I've given you some of my background, what's yours?"

"I was cloned to be an invader, but found Irken history much more amusing, so I was deranked and became a history teacher at a young age. Then one night I was mugged by a cave enterance, only to wake up blinded by darkness with a woman standing over me, quietly dressing all my wounds and begging me to wake up. Thus I met Shadow, I fell for her instantly, often finding myself spending more time in the caves and in the darkness with her rather then in the light where I belonged. We separated at one point because of this, but I couldn't stand being away from her so I gave up light, and she gave up darkness. We walk in the grey sections together now and she fell pregnant a few months ago. If that is not the easiest way to describe my life then let me rephrase it, it sucked until I met shadow and started a family. The end."

"You were a history teacher? AP, honors, regular what?"

"All," Legacy muttered back, "I liked AP the best; I got to be myself in that class with those students. Hell I was still working there when this whole mess started. I'm sure most of my class children are dead now, so what's the point?"

"Is that why you asked me for my occupation when we met? For background or was it simply curiosity?"

"I ask everyone that, to see if they still remember their former selves from half a year ago. Or if they've turned to the darker side of the leaf and become savage."

"Then why help me?"

"You were going to kill yourself from what I saw in the sewer duct."

"Why stop me?"

"You were begging for help, and you said you loved someone. Why shouldn't I have stopped you at that point?"

"I don't know I just…I'm so confused right now."

"Then get some rest, I wish to go lay down with Shadow for a while, until I must escort you out but your duffel has been secured hanging on my bed. Do you need an escort back up to your room?"

"I'll find my own way thanks," I said flatly, unhappy with Legacy but thankful for his rash decisions to stop my irrational acts or committing suicide.

"Alright, have a nice sleep and I'll come wake you when the fires start burning, so you can see." I just grumbled under my breath and found my way back up to my room, struggling to NOT hit my head on the stone roofs that were only about two feet away from the ceiling.

'I won't sleep until I get back to Lexy, you can't make me.'

A/N: Random ending... well review, tell me whatever you're thinking. And goodnight, i'm too tired to get giddy about this chapter XD. PLEASE R AND R