Zim'sMostLoyalServant: I like how perceptive you are. The more I'm writing this, the more I'm intrigued by how this is panning out, myself. I especially like how young Joshua is a Medium.

Invader Johnny: Tak certainly is a handful, herself. I know. This should be fun.

Thank you, again, guys! Please continue to leave me your feedback!

Chapter 16- Take a Break

The soft tinkling of a piano sounded from the first floor of their home. They purchased it shortly after moving in and Amelia would play for the children so they fell asleep. It came exceptionally handy on challenging nights, when the children were teething or had fevers. The gentle sound of the piano and their mother's voice lulled them to sleep.

The sound came from their son, who on top of studying the paranormal with his father, learned classical music with his mother. Joshua was an exceptional young man with promise. Dib wanted to put every ounce forward to providing his son with the life he deserved. He and Diana. He was in the middle of writing a letter to Gretchen. The two of them wrote frequently back and forth, more communication than they ever had here. He wondered if that was part of her personality, a matter of comfort. But, either way, he was just happy to be talking, erm, writing to her and really get to know her. He wished he had sooner, he found her to be quite witty when she wanted to be. Perhaps marriage suited her, able to be free from the binds of prior spinsterhood. Anything was imaginable.

"Papa?" He heard the soft feminine voice of his daughter on the other side of the door. He smiled to himself and got up from his desk to open the door to see young Diana, eight-years-old, wearing a pink dress.

"What is it, honey?"

"We're going to sing to Joshua soon, are you coming?"

"I'll be down a bit. Save me a plate, okay?" He leaned down to kiss her forehead, looking so much like Amelia, even down to her facial expressions.

His son turned nine years old today. The little boy had such a ripe personality, truly a fruit of both he and his wife. A passionate learner, and took great interest in his father's work. He had the ability to be anything he desired in life. Dib intended to send him off to the best tutor when he was of age to leave them.

And, as it was on every birthday, Amelia found herself at Dib's doorway after Diana had left to remind him to come down. The past three birthdays, including his own, were a tightened worst.

"Come down, Dib. Joshua is asking for you." Her hands were at her lap.

"I'll be right down. I'm wrapping this up."

She found herself frowning. "Dib."

"Amelia, please understand-"

"When you do it on my birthday, it is one thing. But the children? They're counting on you." The woman huffed a sigh. "Please." The further she studied her husband, he appeared more fatigued than the last. She began bunching her apron in her hands as she pondered a solution to this problem. Dib desperately needed a break from work that he would never openly admit to her, constantly assuring her that he had things under control.

But, he didn't.

"Joshua, play that piece again for momma, okay?" She called out before entering the room. She placed her hand upon his shoulder before sliding it down to his chest. She pulled him away from the piece of paper long enough to take a seat upon his lap.

She bent her head down to kiss him softly, missing the feeling of his lips against hers. The amount of work Dib had taken upon him dampened any chance encounter for the couple to be just that, a couple. He was so wound up from attempting to thwart Zim, he was exhausted from attempting to get the cabinet to listen to any of his ideas, which were solid and sound. Mentally, she was begging for Dib to return her kiss.

"I'm sorry, Amelia," she heard him whisper against her lips. "I've been negligent as a father, as a husband." He bent his head down to rest at her chest. "I'm so…" He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.

"You need to take a break," she said. "Your solution lies in a break with your family. Let's go upstate, they have a festival coming up. The kids will love it, and you'll have an opportunity to relax. My parents can take the kids. What do you say?"

Dib wrapped his arms around his wife. "As tempting as that sounds, I'll lose my job if I take a break. I must get this done. You take the kids, enjoy the festival."

"It won't be much of one without you."

"You make the atmosphere, Amelia," he offered her a smile. "Not me. I'm the killjoy, remember? Diana said so herself." He chuckled softly.

Amelia cradled his head. He closed his eyes as he listened to the sound of her heartbeat.

Her fingers trailed along the scythe of his hair. "Joshua has a surprise for you. You should come down."

Finally, Dib nodded in compliance before looking up at his wife and kissed her apologetically before sliding her off of his lap so they could walk down. Amelia watched Dib depart from the room, feeling the detachment grow between the two. She had hoped this was merely a phase from him overworking himself.

Diana sat beside her brother at the piano, singing to the piano's tune as Joshua played one of her songs. He grinned to his little sister, who reached over with her entire body and turned the page. Dib descended the staircase to watch the two interact and smiled. It reminded him so much of he and Gaz when they were his children's age.

Every year since the passed, Dib lit a candle and prayed that she would come to him. Gaz never revealed herself to him, and he wondered, perhaps, if it was because she was dedicating herself to her daughter and lover who needed her more. But, surely, she had to know that he needed her, too.

Amelia descended the stairs after Dib, looking ahead past her children as something caught her eye. Joshua heard the footsteps and turned in his seat, practically bouncing off as he ran to give his father a hug. Neither of his children were ashamed to show either of their parents' affection. Dib wrapped his arms around his son, holding him to his form.

"Happy Birthday, son!" He petted his son's smaller scaled scythe.

"Papa, I have a surprise for you." His blue eyes lit up, which caused Dib to smile.

"And what surprise might that be?" He asked.

Joshua hurried away from him and back towards the piano, gesturing to the empty seat. Initially, Dib assumed Joshua wanted him to join him at the piano. His son held his hand out to stop his father as he took steps towards it.

Joshua's scythe bounced as he motioned his head from the piano bench to where his father stood. "I've asked her to come!"

Dib's brows knitted together. "Asked who to come?"

"Aunt Gaz! Can't you see her, dad?" Joshua asked innocently. Dib's face fell before squinting to see if he could see any transparency, any hint of a form. Joshua never lost his gift to see spirits. They came to him just as they seldom came to Amelia.

"I can't see her, son," Dib whispered. "We've talked about crying wolf, Josh."

"But dad…"

"He's not faking, Dib. She's here," Amelia said as she held Diana against her. "Can't you feel the eerie chill?"

"She started coming around. Aunt Gaz didn't think you were ready to see her. She says you work too much," Joshua said, looking down at the ground. "Are you angry?"

"Don't be mad at him," a fourth voice said, one that caused Dib's head to perk up. Joshua looked over to where the voice came from, the young spirit medium placed his hand on the transparent lap. "I was taking my time."

Dib felt himself tear up. His body felt the utter exhaustion sink in as his mind worked to process this to make certain that he was not hearing things. He removed his glasses to rub his eyes, tears slipping between his fingers.

"Open your eyes, dumbass."

"Don't swear in front of the kids," he admonished with a laugh. That voice was unmistakable. He opened his eyes to see her, violet curls, wearing the dress they buried her in. She was smiling, something she rarely did when she was living apart from Zinovia's arrival.

"Buck up. I'm here." Dib readjusted his glasses and sat on his knees at her feet, looking up at her. She reached out a hand to flick his scythe, albeit, he barely felt the action. Her skin was translucent, glowing with illusionary static. Gaz was silent in her motions, urging him to sit beside her on the bench. Dib complied.

Amelia called Joshua over to stand by her and Diana to let their father have his moment with one of the people he missed the most. Amelia ran her hand over her son's hair softly. "That was a selfless thing you did for your father," she whispered to him. "I'm so proud of you." Joshua offered his mother a sleepy smile.

"Daddy was sad, so I wanted to make it better." Amelia squeezed her children to her. She felt like she was doing something right with her children.

"Have you seen Zim?" Dib asked.

"Oh, I know all about the bull Zim has been pulling. I told him to lay off, or I would haunt him for the rest of his days. It didn't seem like much of a threat for him."

Dib chuckled. "No, it wouldn't be for him, would it? Do you...resent him at all?"

Gaz took a moment to give her brother's question some hard thought. "No, I don't, Dib." Dib's face was expressionless after that. He didn't see how Gaz could say such a thing, but he didn't see the situation through her eyes.

"Sadly, I have to go. My stays are limited, but I'll be back." Gaz offered him a half smile to him, Amelia and the children before slowly fading away. Dib wiped a stray tear that had managed to escape. Joshua moved away from his mother to be at his father's side, where Dib clutched his son tightly to him, cradling him at the back of his head.

A knock sounded at the door. Amelia looked down at Diana and silently gestured for the young girl to follow her so her father could have a moment. Upon opening the door, her eyes lit up to see her sister standing there. The girls indulged in a chorus of squealing and laughter, embracing the other tightly. It had been years, despite the letters coming weekly.

"Look at you," the girls said in unison, encouraging another round of laughter.

"Gretchen, it's been so long."

"I've missed you, too. Where are the boys?"

"In the parlor. Joshua was just indulging us with a medley," Amelia smiled as she took her sister by the arm and escorted her in the room. "How long are you in town for?"

"I thought we could all go to the festival upstate. I was thinking a few weeks?"

Amelia admired where her sister was currently in life. She spoke freely, unafraid. Amelia was thrilled that she had evolved from her cocoon.

"That sounds just fine with me. I was trying to encourage my husband, here, to come with us."

"Dib wouldn't be coming?" She frowned softly.

"His work is keeping him hostage."

Dib straightened when Gretchen entered the room, looking at her as though he had seen a spirit. Recovering from one surprise, to receive another.

"Hi," he greeted.

"It's good to see you again."

He nodded in response, patting his son on the head as he walked over to the women and picked Diana up in his arms, resting her at his hip. He was elated after knowing his sister was well and allowed him to see her. Gaz always enjoyed being in control and now she had all of it.

Seeing the look on Amelia's face, he didn't argue and attended supper at the table for the first time in what felt like ages. He indulged in listening to his children tell their aunt all they had accomplished while she was away, from teeth missing and being replaced by their adult teeth, to height.

"Since I'm in town for a little bit, why don't we all take a vacation to the festival by grandma and grandpa?" Gretchen addressed the children. They bounced in their seats at the idea, looking to their mother and father for approval.

"Please? Momma? Papa? Can we go?" The children said in unison, to which Gretchen laughed.

"Children, you know papa has a lot of work to do," Dib said, looking up at the sisters. He didn't appreciate them being in cahoots with one another to ambush him. "I would if I could."

"Just for a night?" Gretchen asked.

"Papa, please?"

Dib never wanted to deny his children anything. If only they understood that all of which he was doing was for them. Little did he realize that he was going back on his word of being a supporting father. After he got passed this trial of approval. When things started running smoothly, he would make it up to them. Without warning, he rose from the table and shook his head, Joshua and Diana quieted.

"I have a lot of work to do. I'm sorry. If I don't get this approval, we're done for. If I take a break, I lose everything I've worked for. I would go if I could, but I can't." With that said, he left the dining room to continue what he was working on. From his office, he heard the disappointment drip in his children's voices. Dib lowered his head onto his desk, burying his head in his hands.

He needed a break.

To top him off, he heard the sound of Joshua's voice perk up when Zim entered their household with Zinnovia, their tiny footsteps hurried upstairs and towards their playroom, where their books, blocks, and toys were stationed. If he had an option, he would never allow his enemy within his home. Zim was trying to block Dib from progressing in his seat. However, Dib and Amelia agreed that their children wouldn't be denied their cousin, and especially on his only son's birthday.

He rose from his desk and plucked his coat from the coatrack. Shrugging the item on, he poked his head in the playroom where his niece and children were taking turns reading fairytales. Heading downstairs, he saw Zim at his dining table. He was uncertain what came over him, then. But at that moment, more than anything, he wanted an end put to Zim. Perhaps he was tired, he needed justification for this anger and resentment that balled like ice in his stomach.

Zim stared back at him, sitting in between Amelia and Gretchen. The men exchanged little to no words as Dib shook his head and exited the house, his coat sweeping behind him. Amelia rose from the table, her face fallen like ash. Zim eyed her and coaxed her to sit back down. Gretchen took her hand.

"He's under a lot of pressure," she whispered to Amelia.

Dib stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked through the streets, the grounds wet from the freshly fallen rain hours ago, just before Gaz had appeared before him. His mind was swimming with the pressure that had smothered him. He needed a break, he desired an opening to the blockade that was in front of him.

Rounding a corner, he saw the pub's sign swinging with the breeze that had picked up. He yawned a sigh and thought it better to stop in for a drink, as opposed to roaming the streets too far from home. If this was as close to a break as he was going to get, then so be it. He entered the establishment to see the tables occupied with workers after their shifts had ended. He sat down at the bar front, requesting for a pint. He took no notice to those that rounded the bend of the bar.

"Hey stranger. You look stressed," a sultry feminine voice cooed. Dib picked his head up and wiggled his ring finger at the woman, his gold band glinting in the candlelight.

"Well, I won't look if you won't," a second said. "We don't like seeing such handsome men looking as distraught as you." Dib chuckled a bit, eyeing them cautiously.

"I'm not interested, thank you, though," he managed politely, focusing his eyes at the bar tender and leaving the monetary equivalent plus tip, sliding the currency to the provider of his relief. He took a hearty swig, feeling the satisfaction slide down his throat.

"C'mon, love. Give us a chance."

"The man said he wasn't interested, ladies," came a voice Dib recognized. The voice strung behind him, from one of the tables in the back. "Now scram."

He straightened in his seat and turned around fully to see her get up from the seat, her hips swaying gently with each step she took. He found himself staring for longer than he should have, noticing the smile that formed on her lips.

"This one's mine."

The women glared at her and got up from their places at the bar to head towards the back, seeking their business from the other tired workers. Tak made sure they had left before she took a seat beside Dib.

"What are you doing here with men like this?" Dib asked her. "A woman like you-"

"A woman like me is none of your concern," Tak reminded him, gesturing to his wedding band. "All you should be worried about is how I can help you get what you want."

Dib raised his brows before taking another deep swig of his beer, readying for his second pint. "Whether you're my woman or not, I look at it all the same. You shouldn't be hanging out with the riff raff this late."

"As a matter of fact, my husband does business with some of the men here." She had a cover and would play it to her advantage. If Dib thought she was a single woman, he would spare more feelings and more expense on her than she wanted. "I'm here on behalf of him."

"Your husband?"

"That's right. But, let's discuss what's important here. I have what you want. I've written to some of my contacts, who are very interested in taking on this mission. The more you have on your side, the better."

"If we can make this work. I'm willing to give anything a shot. He took my sister from me, is sitting in my kitchen now with my wife and sister-in-law. He thwarts me in work, what the fuck else do I have to lose?" He sighed.

Tak placed her hand on his shoulder, before trailing it down to his hand. "Shhh. Have faith it'll happen, because it will. Let him think he has the upper hand, it'll make his fall all the sweeter."

Dib eyed his hand, then back at Tak. "Who are your contacts?"

She attempted to think of a quick cover, or how to better explain it. "So far, I have a confirmation from…call him, Mr. Meek."

"He's afraid? That's your bright plan?" Dib asked skeptically.

Tak took the pint from him, he looked at the space where the mug once rested and pouted. She sighed, "don't be fresh. Call him Mr. Meek."

"Perhaps you should rest up before we begin."

Dib shook his head. "Let's just get this started."

Tak shrugged. "Have it your way. We get straight to work. But, there's just one thing before we begin. I need you to have an open mind. We're fighting fire with fire."