Disclaimer: These characters belong to the Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Jhonen Vasquez.

Based on the Deviantart Hanging out by Cosmixed

May God bless you all.

"I'm home!" Shouted Professor Membrane.

"Dad…" Said Gaz as she rushed and hugged her father, followed closely by Dib.

"Sorry about your brother having to keep it a secret, but I wanted to surprise you dear." The Professor said as he hugged his children.

"That's okay dad, I'm just glad you're back." She told him.

"So how'd the tournament go?" The Professor asked.

"We won!" Gaz excitedly replied.

"Great, let's celebrate with some bloatys. Let me just take a shower." He said as he went up the stairs.

"Sorry about… oof!" Said Dib before he was once again tackled by his sister.

"Okay now you're going to tell me everything…" She said.

"Gaz… come on." Dib stated as he struggled unsuccessfully to break free.

"Gaz listen, it wasn't you she was after, it was Zim…" Dib told her.

"I don't care. She drove me crazy and almost cost me the victory. Now tell me!"

"Actually kids there's no point in showering before going to that grease covered restaurant. So let's just go…" Said the professor as he descended down the stairs.

Gaz released Dib and the three got into the car with Dib taking shotgun. All the while he knew his sister's eyes we're zoomed in on the back of his head. However all he had to do right now was stall. It would all be over come tomorrow.

"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…" Gir's snoring could be heard throughout the top part of the house. However, it didn't bother Zim too much as he ate his dinner.

"Computer!" He yelled. "Run test 585…"

The computer groaned. "Analyzing… unsuccessful, eating mustard does not significantly effect irken growth."

"Grrrr…" Said Zim as he continued to eat. "Run test 586…" He ordered.

"Seriously, I don't need to test that to know that going to skool doesn't help with irken growth…" The A.I. replied.

"Then 587…" Said Zim.

"Fine… unsuccessful, dancing does not appear to effect irken growth." Said the computer.

Zim grew frustrated. It had to be something he was doing. Yet he had basically tested almost everything that he did on earth that he hadn't done on irk, yet all the tests showed that none of them had a significant effect on his sudden growth spurt.

"Alright computer, take a break." Zim said.

"Thank you." The computer said in a rather relieved tone.

"zzzzzzzz… I want a pony… zzzzzz…"

Zim sighed. "I'm going out." He said as he dawned his disguise and headed out the door.

"Ooh and tacos…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Dib sat in the shotgun seat. Knowing the whole time his sister's death gaze was burning into the back of his skull. Hopefully, bloaty's would distract her enough to either forget or at least not kill him. However, he had to use this time to think of a plan…. Yes that was it, some sort of plan that would simply stall her questioning until tomorrow.

But what could it be? She wouldn't try anything while their father was around but that only gave him until they got home. There had to be some way to distract…

"Oh look it's your foreign friend." Said the Professor as they parked on the side of the road near bloaty's.

Dib looked to where his father was pointing.

"Wasn't he your partner in the tournament Gaz?" The professor asked.

"Yeah…" Was all she said.

"Well, maybe we should invite him to go to bloaty's with us." Suggested their father as they exited the vehicle.

"No, dad Zim doesn't eat pizza, it's too greasy for him." Gaz said.

"Oh… a healthy kid… got it." Said the Professor.

"Yeah, but he could still enjoy the games." Dib suggested.

"Of course… well why don't you ask him." Said the Professor.

"Okay…" Replied Dib. "…Be right back."

Dib ran over to where Zim was.

"Listen space boy…" He said when he reached him. "…My father wants you to hang with us at bloaty's so…"

"What!?" Zim exclaimed. "Me!? Hang with you at that grease-infected death trap!?"

"Listen… we're out celebrating the tournament win so…"

"Ah…" Zim interrupted. "…So we are celebrating a magnificent deed of Zim's… well why didn't you say so?"

Zim followed Dib back to the entrance and after going in they went to where Gaz and his father were sitting.

"So, I hear you two really killed it at the tournament." Said the Professor.

"Yes, the Gazlene and I dominated the competition." Zim told him.

"That's nice." Said the professor right before ordering two pizzas.

"Come on Zim, let's play a game." Said Gaz as she slipped out from next to her father.

Zim followed her, leaving Dib and the professor at the table alone.

Well, having Zim here would at least keep her busy. She would have someone else to focus on for the time being.

"So, son… how was the trip?" He asked.

"OH, it was really good… I saw my old guidance counselor there." He said.

"It would seem like Gaz and your foreign friend have formed a friendship of their own…" Said the Professor ignoring Dib's response.

"What?" Dib asked. "Yeah… well they both really like video games so…"

"Of course." The Professor said in a rather weird tone. "Well good to see, I was beginning to think Gaz was never going to find a friend."

"Yeah…" Said Dib. However, he couldn't let himself be distracted right now. He still had to figure out a way to avoid Gaz for the rest of the evening.

And once his sister set her mind to something…

…Well it didn't end well for whatever that something was.

"Dib's refusing to tell me." Gaz told Zim as they played one of the arcade games.

"You want me to… get it out of him?" Zim asked.

"No… I'd prefer to do that myself." She said. "I just don't get it. All this time she was his friend? Who could she be?"

"Who cares?" Asked Zim. "She failed to stop us."

Gaz smiled. "Yeah, she did, but I would still like to know who it was trying to drive me crazy during the entire tournament."

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it." Zim said as they finished their game.

"Zim doubts it will take much to break the Dib-Monkey."

The two returned to the table just as the food came. Gaz took a bite of the cheesy goodness. No matter how good the alien food was it couldn't compare to bloaty's pizza, even if it did not years off her life. Yup it was fun but she was glad to be back.

However, she still had to figure out how to get it out of her brother. One time she had threatened to eat his paranormal gummy bears. Of course she could just beat him, but that was boring.

In any case she didn't have to concern herself with that right now. She could sit back and enjoy the pizza.

Dib's recompense could wait.

"The time has come brother…" Said Gaz as she removed the covers. Only to find that there was no one underneath them. Just awkwardly placed pillows.

"Of course." She said as she began searching the mess that was her brother's room.

He wasn't in there, so Gaz searched downstairs.

"Where are you?" She asked as she checked the linen closet, the bathroom and even the cupboards. However, there was no Dib to be seen.

Finally, she checked the couch area, but still, her brother seemed to have just… disappeared.

Gaz growled in frustration.

"Where are you?" She asked not yelling as she didn't want to wake her father up.

She sighed and sat on the couch. This whole thing was… really draining on her. She spent almost the entire trip worried about her brother, when this whole time he was just hanging with his "friend" and his guidance counselor and then she gets home to discover that he's protecting the same "friend" who drove her crazy the whole time.

Why? Who was she? Why did she seem so important to him?

All these questions ran through Gaz's mind. However, her tiredness overcame her and she gave up looking for her brother.

"He can't hide forever…" She told herself as she entered her room and shut the door.

"…I'll get him tomorrow."

"Ahh-Choo."

The lab may be a bit cold but it was better than being pummeled by his little sister.

Plus he only had to be here tonight. Tomorrow everything would become clear.

Or at least he hoped they would be.

"Where's Dib?" Asked Gaz as she sat down for breakfast across from her father.

"Oh, he went to school early." He answered.

"Of course he did." Said Gaz as she poured herself a bowl of cereal.

She didn't quite get it. Dib had to know he was just delaying the inevitable. She would get him sooner or later and the longer he made her wait…

…The worse it would be.

Dib sat in class.

"Hello, Dib-Stink." Said Zim. "Hmmm…" He said as he looked Dib over. "…I see your sister has yet to pulverize you."

"Ha… ha…" Said Dib.

"Ok class sit down." Said their teacher as she entered.

Dib looked around… she never said when it would happen but he knew it would…

"Ok class we have a pop quiz today. Ten questions…" She told him.

"Dib could hardly focus on the questions… he knew he only had until lunch, that was it, that was the length of time he could avoid Gaz. He just hoped and prayed to God that it would happen before then.

Otherwise… well… he'd heard eating through a straw had its advantages.

*ringggg*

That was it the lunch bell, and Dib made his way to his table. All the while knowing that his little sister was about to emerge. He would just have to take it. Yeah, any more stalling would just make her even more angry.

Dib watched as Zim took a seat in front of him.

That was weird.

"Just wanted a up-close view of the action." Zim said.

"Of course you do." Said Dib.

Almost immediately Gaz entered the lunch room. A certain essense of darkness followed behind her as she slowly walked over to their table.

She sat down next to her brother and revealed a brown bag. She then reached in and grabbed a sandwich.

"Um… what is this?" Asked Zim as she began to eat.

"Yeah… not that I mind but aren't you going to kill me?" Asked Dib.

"Eventually, probably." Gaz answered.

Dib and Zim looked at each other. Both seemed very very confused at this sudden turn of events.

"Well, this is disappointing." Said Zim as he got up and went to his table.

"So, we're good?" Dib asked.

"Don't push it." Said Gaz as she finished eating and left the table.

Dib breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know what happened but whatever it was he thanked God that it did. He finished his lunch in peace and went to the schoolyard.

He still had about 20 minutes before his next class.

"So why didn't you kill him?" Asked Zim as he and Gaz hung out by his locker.

"Because his "friend" gave me a visit this morning." She said.

"What? The coordinator? She's here?" Asked Zim.

"Yup, she was in my home ec class." Gaz answered.

"Well, who is she?" He asked. "Tell Zim!"

"Nope…" she said.

"What?" Zim exclaimed.

"I think it's better if she tells you herself. Apparently she's in your next class." Gaz told him.

ring* *ring*

"See ya later." She said as she walked to her next class.

Zim pondered who this girl could be as he went to advance computers.

This was actually one of his favorite classes. What these humans called advance was practically rudimentary. He could just sit and sail by as his classmates struggled to even turn the device on…

"So enjoyed you weekend?" Some next to him asked.

"Yes, it was quite nice." Zim said without focusing too much on… whoever it was.

"Yeah, must have been nice winning that tournament and all…" She said.

"Yes… it was." Said Zim still not really paying attention to her.

"Even after everything I threw at you." She said.

"Yes… nothing can stop I the mighty Zim!" He proclaimed and then went back to his work.

"Zim…Zim… Zim!" She shouted finally

"What?" He asked as he turned to…

"Hello again." She told him as now they were face to face.

"Yes, hello again fellow classmate…" He said before returning his face to the computer in front of him.

"Zim… it's me." She said.

"Yes, you… um… Sharon is it?" He asked.

"Sha… no… it's me Tak." She told him.

"Tak… Tak… um… oh of course… we um partnered in the last project together?" He asked.

"What… no! Don't you remember what you did to me?" She asked.

"Quiet." Said the teacher causing Zim to focus back on his work.

Tak? He thought. The name sounded somewhat familiar. Eh… she was probably someone who Zim helped get a passing grade or something… who knew?

"Zim…" She said quietly but firmly.

"Listen… Zim does not remember whoever you are sorry but Zim meets many people." He said trying to get her off his back.

"Look at me!" She demanded.

"Wh…" Said Zim as he turned and saw…

"Tak!" He shouted.

"SHS!" Said the teacher.

For a moment Tak had deactivated her disguise but quickly reactivated it just before the teacher turned to them. The other students didn't seem to notice or care as they were all focused on their computers.

"What… you… why are you here?" He asked quietly.

"It was me you bafoon…" She replied. "I was the one who tried to make you lose in arcadikon."

"…oh the coordinator." Zim said after thinking for a moment. "Well you failed ha!" He said.

"Now go cry to your stupid cat sir unit." He told her before returning to his work. The rest of the class went by pretty normally with the two not really speaking to each other. Zim stood triumphant that she had once again failed to thwart him. She had actually made his victory in the end all the more sweet.

ring*

The bell went and Zim headed out of the classroom. It was the last class, so it was time to get back to his base.

And more importantly…

…his mission.

"So she wasn't angry?" Asked Dib.

"Oh, she was, but she was more… like happy that she and Zim had won despite my interference." Tak said as she and Dib sat on the park bench.

"Ah…" Said Dib. "Well, all's well that ends well."

Tak sighed…

"I want to thank you Dib… for not being mad about me and your sister." She said.

"Yeah, I get it. In the end, though I think you just pushed her to do better." Said Dib.

"Yeah… maybe that's what I need…" She said.

"What do you mean?" Asked Dib.

"I just… fail… no matter how hard I try or how much I study… I fail. I failed to become an invader, I failed to take over this planet and now I've failed to even stop Zim from winning a measly gaming tournament." She told him.

"Come on… you were great. You got closer than Zim ever did." He told her.

"Thanks Dib…" She replied.

"Yeah, plus it was really me and Gaz who stopped you." He told her.

"Yeah… I guess it was." She said slightly annoyed.

"You remember what happened when you came to the sausage factory?" She asked.

"Of course, you came in and were all like "no photos please." Dib responded.

"Yeah… you… remember how I said you must be smarter than the rest of them?" She asked.

"Yup…" Said Dib proudly. "…When you couldn't erase my mind."

"Don't worry though, I'm sure whatever your next plan is you'll succeed." He said. "If I stopped every time I failed… well Zim would have taken over the earth by now."

"Thanks." Said Tak. "But that wasn't where I was going with that."

Dib turned to face her.

"You see Dib, for this last year we've been talking… and yes I enjoyed it, but I was also trying to get information on Zim and what he was up too. At least at first…

"Oh… so you were just using me…" He said. Truth be told he was disappointed but hey, he had gotten used to people only being friendly to him when they wanted something.

"I get it… so our hangouts… I guess they're over." He said as he got off the bench.

"What? No…" She began as she too stood up.

"Don't worry, this is just like last time… I understand." He told her.

"No… you don't…." She began to say.

"I'll still be rooting for you to take down Zim…" He told her. "…But for what it's worth… I enjoyed our chats."

"Dib…" She said as she took both his shoulders in her holographic hands.

"What?" He asked puzzled. It was obvious she was telling him that she didn't want to hang out anymore and he was just trying to make it less awkward.

For a moment the two just looked at each other before Tak using a pak leg removed his glasses.

"Be smart."

Then suddenly she leaned in…

Dib could hardly believe as she gave him his first kiss right there in the park in front of… well it was actually pretty empty that day but still in public. It seemed to go on forever even though in actuality it only lasted a few seconds before the two separated.

Dib was speechless, shocked, and pretty every incoherent state of emotion he could be in right now.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow in school?" She asked.

"Uh-huh" Was all that came out of his mouth.

She turned and walked away while Dib just stood there and… eventually pinched himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Thank you for all who made it to the end. Don't forget to leave a review.

May God bless you all.