Zim had no idea...from his memories he never understood just how small he was...or smeets in general for that matter...Something in him broke seeing that...he was so angry, so horrified...it just hurt...He could never allow that to happen to his smeets.
He could feel Gaz embracing him...he was greatful that she had come back to talk to him... He might never have understood.
"Gaz...thank you."
"Zim... I'm... I'm so sorry."
" Go to Jack Lynn...would you...would you explain..."
"Yeah, yeah I'll talk to her...are you going to be ok? Do you want me to bring her back?"
Zim nodded.
"If...if she wants...yes. Gaz...I do not know why. But I need her. I have a mighty need for her."
Gaz smirked.
"I don't know how it works on your planet ...and apparently you dont either... but Zim, I think that means you love her."
Zim looked confused.
"I know not what this love is."
Gaz sighed, her eyes welling up again. She heaved a shakey breath and let it out. She hated crying.
"Yeah Zim...I can tell from the videos...and I'm sorry for that too. That little guy deserved to be loved...pretty sure you still do."
Zim nodded.
"Im...Im going to check on Gir...I worry."
~~~~~~~~~~Gaz
"Yeah...you do that Zim. Make sure he's ok."
She watched as he got up on shakey legs and went to the kitchen...she almost started crying all over again when she peeked in...Zim had grabbed Gir's limp body, hugging him to himself and crying, rocking the little robot and stroking his head.
Gaz stormed out of his base, roughly rubbing the tears from her eyes onto her shirt sleeves.
"Empathy fucking empathy and they label him defective and toss him out like trash...he was just a baby!"
She went up to Jacks apartment and found the door ajar...inside she heard Jack sobbing. she ran in to see her crumpled on the floor, having gotten dressed in her own clothes, she was hugging Zims top to her face and rocking herself as she sobbed into it.
"Jack?"
"Gaz! Gaz, what the fuck is wrong with me!? Why am I hurting so bad!?"
"shit...Is it because of the hybrid thing!? What hurts!?"
"My heart! My feelings! I feel like im dying!!"
Gaz stopped in her tracks ...could it be?...
"Jack, we need to get you back to Zim."
"Why!? What is that going to do? you heard what he said!"
"Jack, trust me...That...man? Is not going to let that shit happen...he wasnt aware."
"How could you not be aware that you shouldn't do those things?"
"Jack, he didn't even know what his kinds babies looked like. He thought he was born as is!"
Jack looked confused.
"what? That doesn't make sense..."
" Jack...the way he was born...it was horrible, he never experianced an iota of empathy, care...anything...you need to see the videos to understand. He's at home crying into his robot right now."
Jack searched her eyes...she knew she was telling the truth. She sighed.
"Im...im just not ready yet...this is all...this is all so much."
"okay Jack...Ill give you the night."
" thank you...Is...is Zim going to be ok?" Jack looked miserable. Her eyes were bright red and puffy, purple tears streaming from them.
"I'll stay the night there to make sure. You call me if you need anything."
Jack nodded like she was trying to knock her head off of her shoulders and sniffled.
"Th-Thank you Gaz."
~~~~~~~~~~~Jacklynn
god she was hurting...and her stupid antennai kept vibrating and itching. Her heart hurt her stomach hurt and all she could do was fucking cry...she felt so alone...what was this!?
She was curious about what Gaz was talking about, but damnit, she needed time alone. Ehe wouldn't be any good to anyone like this...But she worried for Zim too.
~~~~~~~~~~~Gaz
On returning to Zim, he seemed shattered when he saw that Jack wasn't with her.
"She's worried about you too, she asked me to make sure you're ok...so I'm going to stay the night. I'll take the couch."
"She won't come back...she hates Zim..."
"No Zim, she's almost as much of a mess as you are... I've known Jack my whole life...Ive never seen her this bad."
Zim collapsed on the couch, holding his head in his hands.
"I hurt her!?...How do I fix this?!"
"Zim, I don't think its you that hurt her...I think you're hurting each other right now honestly...You need to ask your people about the courting process of your kind."
Zim nodded, and tried to steel himself, but the tears kept streaming. "I...I need a bit."
Gaz got the feeling that he was afraid to talk to them like this...If he showed emotion to those sociopaths who knew what they would to to him.
.she convinced Zim to play a few video games to get his mind off of things. After a while, he sighed and out his controller down.
"Gaz...I think I'm ready to call."
"Do you want me to go upstairs?"
" If you like...or you could go to the kitchen with Gir. Just, please do not make sound. Here, take this."
He handed her his translator.
She nodded and went into the other room and got settled. She was unsure if Zim was letting her listen, or just didn't want to feel so alone. Either way, she found herself waiting with baited breath.
~~~~~~~~Zim
He took a deep breath and addressed his AI.
"Computer, contact the Tallests."
A few moments later, a bridge tech appeared.
"Invader Zim. Are you giving a status update?"
"There have been...developments I wish to discuss. Please patch through the resident medic for a conference call with The Tallests."
"Just a moment."
Seconds later, he had all three of them on the call."
"Zim! what has been going on, we expected to hear from you earlier." Red said eagerly.
"Yeah, you called us twice last night and then nothing." added Purple.
"What was your experience with simulating mating? Did it get your snorblast to calm? What of the female? what is her status?"
Zim held his hands up to stop the barrage of questions.
" The stimulus was effective...The female is now conscious. She has stableized at 25% Irken...I will patch data through now. Analysis has yet to be completed."
A moment later, the medic looked over the data.
"Good...very good...A new sample should be sent now that she has stableized."
Zim growled.
"What for?"
" We must run our own tests... sequencing DNA... the usual."
" If there are any tests to be conducted, Zim will do them. Jack Lynn is my female and will be my mate."
"Whoa...Zim...what is this about?...Did you receive your pak mod?" Red asked.
"He has not as of yet...my theory is that this has to do with his defective status...he seems to not have his reproductive urges not entirely surpressed... He's experienceing territorial behavior with this female, as well as reacting to her pheromones." The medic piped in.
Zim huffed. " My female was understandably in shock at the news of her new form...she is recouping at the moment and wished to be alone...but being away from her is causing physical pain...what is this?'
"Oh! This has yet to be observed! There is data in the ancient texts of this...by what it says, if you have not claimed your mate and consummated the bond, it will cause you both distress if you have imprinted on one another. So you've imprinted! That is good!"
Zim groaned...Jack Lynn was hurting like this!?
"How do i stop this?"
"Being in close proximity will help. Mating will end it."
Zim nodded.
"What happens if the next steps are not completed?"
"Well...case studies say that either one or both of you could go feral...or it could cause sickness, possibly death."
Zim took this in ...it wasn't good news.
"My Tallests...what is the plan for the smeets that are to be bred?"
All three Irkens looked at Zim surprised.
"Why do you ask Zim? The smeets will be tested of course...after the first batch is deemed worthy, we will have you breed more. The smeets will be sent away for education and training...recieve paks ect."
Zim cleanched his teeth.
"When do you plan on taking them?'
" well, at birth of course."
Zim's eyes widened and he immediately scowled into a snarl.
"Then Zim will not breed."
"Wait...what?"
"You will not take my smeets. If tests are to be run I will run them."
They looked at each other and scowled.
"You dare tell us what we will and won't do?"
"Yes. My smeets will not be clones, you will not take them from me. Irken Law states that an individuals property can not be taken from them. Civil Code 5 documents 6-8. Attempt to take my genetic property and I will go to the Control Brains."
"Zim...fine. We wont touch your smeets. you can run the tests, just please share the data with us. Its imperitive that we know how this goes." Said Red. "Remember, your status depends on this mission."
Zim took a deep breath, he had a win, he wouldn't push it.
"Thank you My Tallest...Today was ordered to be an at ease day for me...I request the next two as well. The events have been... difficult for my female and I. There is much to do and to recover from."
"Zim, we nee-" The medic was cut off by Tallest Red.
"Granted. Take four. Tell your AI to set up automatic transfer of data pertaining to your mission. Have your next status report by the end of your four days."
"Thank you My Tallest. It is understood."
With that, the transmission ended.
~~~~~~Gaz
She listened in, impressed with how Zim handled it...but the news wasnt exactly good...He and Jack would continue hurting and even get worse if they couldn't at least be near each other. Gaz sighed... how to explain this to Jack?
Zim lumbered into the kitchen and went for the fridge. He opened it up and looked inside, bottles clinking as he called out to Gaz.
" You heard?"
"Yes...you did good. The situation isn't great though."
He sighed.
"No. It is not." He stood, two wine sized bottles in hand and what looked like two protein bars. He came over to the table and slid her a bottle and a bar.
"What are these?"
"Nutrient bar and skleck...it is like your earth beer. Brewed from Irken flora. I know not what the Earth food is that Gir brought, but you are welcome to it."
Curiosity had her, she wanted to try the alien food.
"Thanks Zim...its 5 o'clock somewhere I guess."
She opened the bottle and took a sip. She expected it to be weird...and it was, but it was good... like rose water and lavender orangade with heavy undertones of honey...she tried some of the nutrient bar...it was good...but tasted like vegetarian meat mixed with nuts.
They munched in silence for a bit. Zim finally speaking after he finished half of his bar...seems that was as much as he could manage to stomach.
"Jack must be hungry too..."
"Probably. She has some food though"
Zim scoffed at that as he got up to check the cabinets and fridge.
"She has barely any food...Zim saw. She needs protein."
Gaz watched as he took some chicken out if the fridge, he used a scanner to see what it was.
"I can help you."
Zim looked over at her and nodded. "Just tell Zim what things are and how they are cooked...I need to make this for her. Need to provide."
Gaz smirked. She helped him with the information and he looked up some recipes, substituting some irken ingredients for things he didn't have. Before long the kitchen was smelling amazing. Zim made a gorgeous meal of butter poached Cornish hen, a garlic sausage, mushroom and pistachio stuffing, glazed with a reduction of the skleck, some mashed potatoes and what looked like asparagus on the side. Deviled alien quail eggs, and a quick terimisu...It was quite impressive what Gir had managed to stock the kitchen with.
Gaz was literally drooling by the time Zim was done. It had taken a while but it looked and smelled absolutely amazing.
"Damn Zim...who knew you were a chef!"
He smiled sadly. "Thank you Gaz. I hope that it pleases Jack Lynn"
"She's worse off than I thought if she doesn't like it."
She watched as he carefully plated her meal, then packaged it.
"Would you take this to her?'
"You want me to see if she'll come here to eat?"
Zim looked hopeful but shrugged.
"I do not wish to push her...but yes, I would orefer her here."
Gaz nodded and took the food and a bottle of skleck. At this point...she would be upset with Jack if she didn't show up.