Disclaimers: I do not own Invader Zim

Author's Notes: Hey guys it's that time again to take a break from my crazy life and write, I actually got a lot done for my other story (ET: Part 3-Ours) over thanksgiving break. Surprised? Me too!

Anyway, I plan to be done with that book within a week or two. No, I'm not going to rush it, to be honest this series could of easily have been 2 book instead of 3. I just felt like doing 3. I swear it might be just me, but I feel like all my series have to three books or more, it just feels right. Anyway, my Family is still living with me, and my three dogs, 3 cats, and 10 fish. Now if you remember there are 7 extra people too!

In other words, the madness is never ending, I am definitely sleep deprived so I apologies for errors in advance.

Shout Outs: I thank all my loyal fans who read my stories over and over again as if doing so will summon an update. Seriously 150 people have read this story since my last update and according to the stats you're all reading past chapters. That says a lot to me, and I know I'm not the most reliable author, but you guys stay around anyways, and I thank you.

Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!

(Back with Tak…)

[The next day]

He was smarter than she remembered…

Yes, she always did seem to forget that the stupid defective wasn't really stupid at all. "He definitely knows it's me." Tak declared as she spoke to an old friend over her ship's Communications screen. The Ship itself had been made by Tak while she was on Hobo 13. And like many of Tak's things it looked old and dated. However, the pile of junk could outrun any other Irken ship, and also the occasional bounty Hunter. Which was necessary since the Tallest were promising anyone, anything to bring her in.

"I told you engaging him would be unwise." SGT Hobo 678 pointed out the obvious.

"I didn't engage…per say." Tak lied, well partially anyway. The truth was she didn't know what to think of her latest encounter with Zim. The defective was definitely hiding something, but that was hardly new. The defective was always hiding, it was how his kind survived. For all she knew she was reading too much into this.

And yet…

"So, what do you plan to do?" SGT Hobo 678 asked. "You do have a plan don't you?"

"Of course, I do!" She snapped. It wasn't a lie. For you see her plan was to figure out a plan! So, it wasn't lying…per say.

Unfortunately, SGT Hobo 678 didn't see it that way. "If I told you once, I've told you a thousand times; you're too impulsive! It's going to get you killed!"

Impulsive…such a defective term, and yet when it came to Zim the word described her perfectly. Something about him made her forget everything she had been taught. He got under her skin and made her see red no matter how hard she tried to assume control. All she wanted was what had rightfully been hers in the first place, and he had taken it.

"You worry too much." She assured him. SGT Hobo 678 had always put a bit too much devotion in his students. Yes many of the Hobo looked down on him for training an Irken "defective" even if their ways were to train all those who could not defend themselves. Who cared if other Irkens wanted her gone? All that matter is that with her gone there would be one less Irken to worry about.

Tak, however, did not need or want his sympathy. She was Irken and did not want for pity, all she craved was what was rightfully hers.

And she would have it one way or another.

"I have everything under control." She assured him. "I don't even have to engage him, all I have to do is wait, and the perfect opportunity with present itself."

SGT Hobo 678 gave a heavy sigh but offered no retaliation. After all he had learned from Tak that there was simply no reasoning with an Irken. They did what they wanted, plain and simple. So, without any more to add he simply ended the transmission.

Tak was happy for it; it gave her time to start her next plan. Obviously observing Zim from up close had been a mistake, but perhaps from a far she'd have better luck.

And luckily she had just the means to do it. Tak smiled as she pulled a small spy bug from one of her storage compartments. When Tak had first encountered the Swollen Eyeball, they had used Spy bugs to spy on the world around them, which is how they got that picture of her in the first place. And thanks to yesterday's escapades she now knew that these spy bugs were still very much in use.

Which means she could reprogram this one to send her feed directly to her ship, allowing her to watch Zim from afar. And Zim who had no doubt already discovered the Spy bugs would be none the wiser. He would simply think that it was one of the several that watch him and the Dib on a daily basis.

It was the perfect plan; however, it would take some time. Time she may not have.

"The more time wasted the more of an advantage he gets!" Tak hissed.

"Meow." Mimi warned her.

And Tak sighed. "You're right I can't let him force me into an impulsive frenzy." She agreed as she set to work forcing herself to take her time; after all it wasn't the quickest Irken that won the war.

No, it was the most conniving, and deception. It took time, it took patience. And Tak would win this little war of theirs, no matter what!

(Back with Zim…)

He just couldn't understand it… Why him?

What was wrong with him?

"Irken Programing, Error…error…Download incomplete… Download incomplete. Error…error…" The Lab's Computer Brain repeated over and over again like a broken record.

"Maybe if you try one more time!" Gir screeched hopefully.

"What's the point?" Zim mumbled, as he finally detached the computer from his PAK. He had been at this all night now with zero success, and one more time wasn't going to change those odds.

Not by a long shot.

"What's wrong with me?" Zim hissed, punching the counter before him in a fit of rage. "Why can't I be like everybody else?!" It was a questioned that had haunted the darkest corners of his mind for as long as he could remember. Why was he the one who was cursed to be defective? And why wouldn't his Irken pride just let him put himself out of his own misery?

'Because I deserve this.' Zim thought answering his own question. 'I deserve to suffer; I don't deserve to forget. And I don't deserve the mercy of death…'

The sound of a doorbell rings throughout the base. "Dib…" Zim whispers.

Yes, it was definitely Dib, Zim watched as his hacked spy bugs pulled his image up on the computer screen for him to see.

It was only then that Zim remembered that they still has school today, and that his mission still had to be carried out.

"Should I send him away Sir?" The Computer brain asked.

He should say yes. Certainly Zim should allow distance to fix the damage that Dib had caused and yet…

"No." Zim whispered as he turned on his disguise and headed for the elevator. "There is work to be done."

Work! HA! He was kidding himself; Zim wasn't going because of work, he was going because of the promise Dib had made to him.

He rode the elevator up into the kitchen and exited; grabbing his books as he headed for the door.

Yes, if the computer couldn't fix him then maybe…

"Miz please open up!" Dib's voice insisted. "I know you're home!" His voice sounded urgent.

'I've worried him again.' Zim realized, and for some reason that made him open up the door faster. When the door opens both boys are surprised to see the other as equally distraught.

Okay maybe equally was a stretch.

"Miz you look…awful." Dib admitted, only because there was really no way to sugar code it.

Zim wasn't offended, His Irken disguise was program to mirror his own state of mind and appearance, and awful was putting it lightly. "You promised to make me feel better." Zim reminded him. 'So, do it already I can't take it anymore.' He screamed inwardly.

Dib smiled, and to Zim's surprise he embraced him. The truth was Dib had tried calling Miz all night! He even tried to sneak out of his house to go see him, but Gaz and her flesh eating robots wouldn't let him leave. "Why do you think I'm here?" Dib said as if it was obvious.

"Aren't we going to school?" Zim asked only to notice for the first time that the girls were not with him.

"We nearly died yesterday." Dib exclaimed. "Not to mention the cops mistaken us for gangsters." He added. "And now we have not one but two Irkens after us." He scoffed. "I think we've earned a day off."

A day off?

Yes, maybe that's what he need, a day off from being Zim. Yes, surely Miz life was way less stressful then that of Invader Zim.

"What did you have in mind?" Zim asked.

Dib winced, and Zim sensed the question before it comes out of his mouth. "Please don't ask me what's wrong." Zim cut him off.

"If I don't ask." Dib said. "Then how am I supposed to help?"

"Not my problem." Zim snapped.

Dib shook his head, Miz was being more unpleasant than depressed, but the boy could see the truth as plain as day. He put Zim's face in his hands. "How many time do I have to prove it before you get it through your head?" He asked.

"Get what?" Zim hissed.

"You're not getting rid of me." Dib said. "I don't care how difficult you are, because I know you're just putting up walls because you don't like to admit you're vulnerable."

Vulnerable, something Irken inside of him saw red at the sound of such a word, and yet the defective part of him seemed to understand. It was just as Dib had said before.

"That's what being a friend is about, There is a shoulder to lean on, someone who's on your side no matter when you're right or wrong."

"I'm scared." Zim admitted much to Dib's and his own surprise. "I've gotten into some deep trouble, and I don't see a way out."

Yes, A shoulder to lean on that's what Zim needed right now. To hell with Irken Programing, and the hell with the Tallest. The hell with Tak and her quest for vengeance. The hell to Larb and his recent victory getting him all messed up. And most importantly the hell to his defective nature, and letting Dib in when he knew it was a bad idea from the beginning. Oh, he could see it now, this whole Boyfriend thing as Dib called it was all his doing. Zim didn't need to become Dib's everything to distract him.

No, Zim's defective nature simply needed a reason to feel again, a way to win over his programming and take root once more. And Zim had allowed it, because deep down he hated the numbness the programing came with. In fact, he felt so numb at times that he would find peace in the violence of war, because at least in war he would feel something. The rage of battle, the excitement of victory, the thrill of the chase, and the taste of his own blood whenever his enemy managed to land a blow.

Yes, there was peace in the violence, but no matter how violent the war it could not drown out his need to feel, not for long. And no matter what he did somewhere underneath it all his defective side continued to chew at the ropes that held it back. It declared with defiance so great that you couldn't tell it that there is no point in trying.

For too long it had been quiet, well it would be quiet no longer.

"Me either." Dib admitted, breaking Zim out of his thoughts. And it was true, sure Dib had wanted this life. A life of adventure and going head-to-head with a real being of the paranormal. However, now that he had gotten his wish, he's beginning to realize that he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

And Zim was thinking the same thing. Earth an easy mission? As if! Heck the universe hated him! He should have known this entire mission would blow up in his face.

"Want to watch a movie?" Zim asked knowingly.

"Well, nothing good is playing in theaters today." Dib revealed. He knew this cause he'd already looked into the idea. "But I got a whole bunch of old alien invasion movies at home."

"And how's that supposed to help?" Zim inquired as they stated down the road towards the Membrane residence.

"Well, they're all stupid." Dib said.

"Who the Aliens or the movies?" Zim asked.

"Both." Dib answered cracking that smile that always made Zim feel all warm inside.

"If only the Aliens were stupid in real life." Zim admitted out loud.

Dib laughed and grabbed his boyfriend's hand, and to his relief Miz didn't pull away. "If only."

Zim smiled full heartedly now, sure the pain was still there, but the longer he stayed with Dib the less noticeable it became.

'This is only a temporary solution.' His programing warned him. Yes, it was still there, sure there was an error in the downloading, which made its once loud and strong presence even weaker now than before, but it was still here, and as always it was right.

Dib would soon become another painful memory, just as Lard Nar had once before him, and yet…

Zim didn't want to think about how one day perhaps in the near future the human boy who once looked at him with so much love and wonder; may one day look at him with hate. No, he'd save that truth for another day.

For today he was not Zim invader of Earth.

He was Miz, Boyfriend of Dib Membrane, and at the moment he was a hungry boyfriend.

"You better have some decent snacks." He demanded. "Or I will send you out in this cold for food that I am more deserving of."

Dib laughed. "It's not cold, I swear forget December, if you think this is cold you won't last 'til Halloween." Dib suddenly got very excited. "Speaking of we should totally do something together."

"What?" Zim asked.

"It's our fist holiday together as a couple." Dib told him.

"It's our first holiday together period!" Zim pointed out the obvious.

"All the more reason to make it rememberable." Dib added and then with a sly smile he added. "You could dress as a moose."

"I told you to never speak of that again!" Zim growled, which came off as a pout.

Dib laughed. "Aw is my mini moose upset?" He teased, only to surprise him as he kissed him softly on the cheek. "Relax it's just a nickname, couples are supposed to have embarrassing nicknames for each other." It's not a whole truth, and it's not necessarily a lie either.

"You just wait Dib." Zim warned pulling away from the boy in defiance "I'll find an embarrassing nickname for you." He vowed. "And it will be so humiliating you'll never call me that again."

Silence followed the Irken's declaration… It didn't last long.

"Whatever you say." Dib giggled. "My little mini moose."

"THAT'S IT!" Zim declared seeing red.

Dib of course, ran for his life the rest of the way home, as his boyfriend declared his end all the way there. He knows they have to look like two stupid idiots, but he doesn't care. No all he cared about was this moment.

And in this moment he and Miz are okay, and in end that's all he'd ever care about.

Finally, the two boys reached the membrane house; both out of breath, and laughing as they fell inside through the door.

"Truce?" Dib asked hopefully.

Miz punched him in the arm, but nodded afterwards. "I suppose we're even, for now." He added sinisterly, sending a chill down Dib's back. It was moments like this that Dib thought Miz could be really scary when he wanted to be.

"Now where are the snacks? I'm starving!" Miz demanded, getting up from the floor.

And yet, he could be so damn adorable at the same time. Yep, it was official Dib was never going to figure this guy out.

And for the first time ever not knowing was completely alright to him.

Zim couldn't agree more, tomorrow and the rest of the unknown could take care of itself.

For today the only thing he cared about was right in front of him, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

To Be Continued

Author's Notes: thanks for reading and please review! Next update will be soon.

For now, this is Emily Signing off :)