Author's Notes: So, for curious Readers out there I do have an ending of this book planned, but it may turn out to be a very long book since it takes nearly a year for Zim to be figured out. With that said bear with me the comeuppance will come!

With that said please enjoy Chapter 15!

(Back with Dib...)

He told them everything...

About their mother, the fact that she was abducted by the same aliens that had taken her father, and that she wanted to go in order to keep them safe from the enemy. He also told them about the enemy, known only to them as Irk. How a transmission intercepted by Darkbootie hinted at the fact that one was on his way now to silence them all. And to his surprise, his children did not scream at him, or blame him in anyway.

If fact to Prof. Membrane's astonishment his daughter Gaz started to cry. "Is she...alive?"

Prof. Membrane shook his head. "I don't know if she still is." He admitted. "But she was…"

"She is." Dib said. "I just know it." He added, rising to his feet, a look of determination on his face. "Is this why you've been distant?" he asked. "Because you thought we'd blame you? That we wouldn't understand?"

"You know that's crazy right?" Gaz snapped. "Of course, we'd understand!"

"Yeah, you wanted to protect us." Dib added.

Prof. Membrane nodded, the relief showing in his eyes. Darkbootie was right; of course, they would understand his reasoning for staying silent. To force their children to hope in nothing was cruel, by not telling them he spared them years of emptiness, and "what if's." At least the lie gave them closure, even if it was fake.

Not to mention it shielded them from the enemy, if they had gone looking for their mother, they might have run into this Irk. Although Darkbootie feared that this Irk just might already be on the way.

Dib seemed to read his father's mind. "Well, if this Irk, or this Zim is coming then we'll be ready!"

"We?" Gaz asked.

"Yeah we!" Dib exclaimed. "Nothing gets past the Membrane family, especially when we're all in it together."

"And since when do we do anything together?" Gaz countered. "We rarely even eat the same meals together let alone fight an army."

"We fought Zombies together." Dib insisted.

"Yeah, Zombies that you rose from the dead!" Gaz pointed out.

Dib huffed. "Come on Dad tell her we should do this as a family." He demanded. "For Earth or at least for mom!"

"Your brother is right Gaz." Prof. Membrane agreed. "This is far too important."

Gaz seemed to agree, but not because of what her father had said. "You're right, we'll do it for mom." She told Dib.

Dib smiled. It was very rare that the whole family was on the same page. He looks to his father hoping to see a mirroring smile, but he only finds a look of guilt.

Prof. Membrane sighed, hesitating, Dib seemed to be more than understanding, but would he understand the rest?

Would he look at his father with a greater indifference than ever before? Or would there be understanding in his eyes like there was now? Would they finally be able to mend the bridge between their hearts or would it crumble completely?

Now was the moment that those questions would be answered. "There's more isn't there?" Gaz asked breaking the silence.

Prof. Membrane nodded. "Dibson…" he whispered. "There is something I need to tell you."

Dib sat down; he could tell that what his dad was about to say was serious.

Prof. Membrane took a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you when your mother was found. We wanted to tell you together, but…"

Dib nodded, he had a feeling he knew where this was going, at least some of it. "This has to do with why I'm different doesn't it?" he asked.

Prof. Membrane nodded; not in the least bit surprised that his son had figured it out. Of course, he had, he was smart, resourceful, his greatest work, his pride and soul. "Back when your mother and I first got married, the doctor told us that we had a less than 1% chance of having children." He began to explain. "We were devastated, of course! Especially your mother, she always wanted to be a mother…"

"So, what we're adopted?" Gaz asked. "Big deal you're still our parents."

"No Gaz." Prof. Membrane said. "This has nothing to do with you." He assured her.

Dib's eyes widen. "I'm adopted?" He asked.

Prof. Membrane sighed. "I suppose we could have adopted, but deep down I knew it wouldn't be the same for either of us." He told them. "Sure, we'd still love our adopted children just as much, but I knew it would make her even happier if they were our own…"

"Dad what did you do?" Dib asked. "What am I?"

Prof. Membrane shook his head. "I decided to clone my DNA." He finally said. "It took several failed attempts before I finally created a healthy strand. And soon I had created a newborn version of myself. I named him Dibson the second."

Dib flinched, as shock took over…he was…he was…

"I increased his brain mass in order to make him abnormally smart, and because the chances of me ever cloning another was slim to none, I ensured that injury would be a hard feat to accomplish. I made his bones thicker, his reflexes quicker, and on June 29th you breathed your first breath of life."

"Wait you mean Dib is a clone?" Gaz asked.

Dib was shaking now, looking at his hands in awe, and somewhat horror. He was a clone…

A copy of his….

His eyes fell on his father.

"I know what you're thinking." Prof. Membrane said, "And yes I had hoped you'd follow in my footsteps, but all those times I pushed you away from the supernatural it was to protect you from the enemy." He told his son. "An enemy that is on his way to deal with us all as we speak."

Dib still couldn't find his words.

"Dib the moment you opened you're eyes I knew you'd be a different person from me." Prof. Membrane insisted. "I never expected you to be a perfect copy, and I never wanted you to be. I just wanted you and me to have something special, a bond like your mother and you with the supernatural."

"So, I'm what exactly?" Gaz asked.

"Well, a little while later you're mother got pregnant." Prof. Membrane told her, his eyes never leaving Dib. "But we never saw you as any different from your brother, you were…no ARE our children, and we love you both very much."

Dib still hadn't said a single word, but he was thinking a lot of words. Like how angry he was that Dad had kept this from him for so long! And how Darkbootie must have known all along and told him nothing! Who else knew? His teachers? His doctors? Probably! He literally was the last one to know!

All this time he was special because his dad deliberately made him so!

Dad…

Could he really call him that now? Wouldn't the more accurate term be creator?

Prof. Membrane could see the wheels turning in his son's mind, he could see those thoughts as clear as day, as if they were written on his face. He stood up, and the next thing he did startled them both.

Dib froze as his father embraced him.

He could remember very clearly the last time they ever hugged. It was at mom's memorial, they wouldn't dare let anyone call it a funeral, even though she had already been missing for three years. It was a large ceremony, and the city had made a large statue in their mother's honor. He, Gaz, and their dad hugged that replica of Annabel Membrane for what could have been hours.

It was the last full group hug they ever shared.

Dib found himself wrapping his arms around his father and returning the hug. It was nice to not have to be the strong one. It was nice to have his father to lean on, to be there for him when he needed it the most.

Gaz got up from her chair, she hated touchy feely moments, but she had her exceptions to the rule, like when it came to Peg who always loved to cuddle. And of course, moments like this, when her family stopped pretending to be individual unmovable mountains and started acting like the broken people they were.

Prof. Membrane sighed as he felt Gaz join in on the hug. "I missed this." He admitted.

"Me too." Gaz agreed.

Dib swallowed, his heart was caught in his throat, but he managed to nod before he broke into tears. He was always the first one to start crying, he was such a cry baby.

Gaz shook her head as her own eyes watered, but none of them moved to break the hug.

Not until much later, when Dib finally pulled away. "I…" He began, his eyes meeting with his father's. "I need time to…process this." He managed to add.

Prof. Membrane nodded. "Gaz and I will be outside if you need…us."

Dib nodded and watched them go, but just before his father walked out Dib added. "I don't hate you; I get why you wanted to wait to tell me with mom." He went on. "And I know we must have reminded you of her a lot, and it hurt to see us because of that."

"I never stopped loving you two." Prof. Membrane told him. "I never stopped searching…"

"I know, and it means the world to me." Dib said.

"To us." Gaz agreed, poking her head back in.

"I just need time, I mean Mom maybe alive, some alien is out for my blood, and now I'm a…" he couldn't finish, but his family understood.

"Take your time." Gaz said. "Dad needs to get me officially apart of this stupid alien club anyway!" She scoffed looking at her dad.

"It's not an alien's club." Prof. Membrane told her. "It's an army of individuals who have sworn to protect the Earth from all supernatural threats including aliens." he said.

Dib smiled; it was the first time his dad actually sounded like him. Finally, they had some common ground.

Prof. Membrane smiled as well, yes finally was certainly the right word. "Take all the time you need." he told him. "We'll see you at the house."

Dib nodded, and watched them go, his eyes never leaving the spot that his father had stood, even several moments after he was gone...

End Notes:

Yes, another one of my famous cliff hangers you all hate me for!

Anyway, thanks for reading and as always, I ask you to leave a comment. The next chapter will be up soon

So, until then...

This is Emily signing off :)

-To Be Continued