*BURSTS IN 4 YEARS LATE* HEY EVERYONE I'M NOT DEAD!

Soooo I recently rewatched the movie and remembered, hey, I wrote a fanfic on this! I reread it and went 'Euughhh' at my old writing and decided it was time to rewrite this! I'll be keeping my old chapters up so I can pick out parts I like to reuse and see how far my writing's come!

So far I'm in the middle of rewriting chapter two, not sure when I'll finish (chapter one turned out far longer than I expected,) but it should be in the next month or so? Anywho, enjoy the rewrite as I cry about all your kind and wonderful reviews!

CHAPTER ONE

Dr. Cockroach rubbed at his oversized eyes, groaning at the strain that could only come from a several night allnighter.

He'd been working on this particular project for over a month now, attempt number 137 on offering Susan the ability to control the Quantonium racing through her veins. This time he was working off the basis of a drinkable solution. Unfortunately, it seemed to be proving just as difficult as all the other attempts- too much of this, and it turned too acidic to be safe. Too much of that, and it exploded and he had to start all over.

He'd been obsessing over it, frustrated with the lack of progress to the point of scribbling in his notebook or muttering equations to himself wherever he was, even during mealtime- and he passed up a week-old milk carton! A week-old milk carton!

It was well past time to do something about his self-destructive behavior.

"Hey, Doc?"

"Gyah!" He jolted, spinning around and clutching a hand to his heart, inadvertently flinging his notebook to who knows where. Whatever- it just held failed chemical combinations in it.

"Oh, sorry! Didn't mean to scare you." The giantess winced, a hand partially outstretched in case he needed assistance as she knelt by his door.

"No, no, it's quite alright, my dear." let out a sigh as he straightened, brushing off his labcoat. "May I help you with anything?"

"Oh, no, I was just- well, I was just wondering when the last time you slept was." She shifted into a more comfortable position so as to spare her back the strain of leaning over. "Or even took a break. I mean, you looked pretty spaced out during breakfast...and lunch...and you missed dinner, so…"

"Did I?" He blinked, bringing a hand to his chin as he tried to remember. "I must've been more absorbed in this than I thought."

Susan's mouth twisted to the side, a worried pinch taking over her features. "That's not a good sign. Maybe it's time you take a break?"

"I take plenty of breaks!" He said, affronted.

He hoped this wasn't turning into one of those conversations- 'Doc, you need to take a break' 'Doc, you've got waaay too much caffeine in your system to be doing that' 'Doc you nearly passed out and suffocated in your breakfast!' 'Doc I forgot HoW To BrEaTHe!'- so whiny. The worry was flattering, but unnecessary. Science wasn't for the faint of heart, after all- you needed to take risks, make sacrifices!

"Why, I went out and got some coffee not- not ten minutes ago!" He huffed, crossing his arms.

Coffee was an old friend he'd recently gotten acquainted with since saving the world a month ago. Living at the hidden military base wasn't so bad now that they weren't prisoners- they got better food, could go outside (though they were restricted to the desert around the base most times when not on missions, something about keeping the property damage costs low), could decorate their rooms, could play card games with the soldiers, and, most importantly, could have coffee, the lifeblood of those scientifically inclined.

He glanced up at her, frowning at her expression that wasn't nearly as convinced as he'd like. "...why are you staring at me like that?"

"Um, Doc, you got that coffee like, this morning. It's almost ten now. At night." Susan said slowly, eyeing him as if he was fit to drop at any second.

"Oh." He blinked. "Well, that's not good. I should've gotten more by now, I'm behind on schedule."

"What? No!" Susan spread her hands out to the sides of his door, attempting to physically bar him from leaving in pursuit of coffee. "Noooo, no, no, no. No more coffee."

"Susan, please, I'm a professional mad scientist. I know my limits." He smiled, tugging his lab coat proudly as he turned back to his instrument and chemical covered lab table. "All I need to do is make a few more chemicals, grab some fresh coffee, and I'll be all set to test the new potion for you!"

"Look, I appreciate everything you're doing for me, Doctor, but I can wait. Really!" She reached out and gently used a finger to turn him around, offering a warm smile when he met her eyes. "Go get some sleep. You know, recharge your batteries! Then you can go back to work feeling all fresh and ready to tackle anything in your way!"

"Susan, I appreciate your concern," he patted her finger consolingly before walking around her digit and reaching for a beaker with steaming orange liquid, (goodness, he loved having access to actual up-to-date supplies, not legos). "But I assure you, I'm perfectly fine. I promised I would help you return to a normal life, and I shall."

"C'mon, Doc- you know I don't care about that anymore." She paused, squinting in thought. "Okay, well, no, I do care about being a normal size- it definitely would make visiting my parents easier- but I wouldn't give up being a monster for anything. I like being Ginormica. Me being able to shrink can wait."

He faltered, glancing back at her and then to the beaker in hand.

"Please? For me?" She clasped her hands together, blinking large blue eyes at him.

He fidgeted with the glass, heedless of the liquid sloshing about. "But, this is for you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Doctor Cockroach…"

Oh dear, she was using what Link had fondly dubbed her 'general voice'. It was not wise to make Susan use her general voice- as previous events had evidenced, normally something catastrophic happened. Like a giant spaceship exploding.

"Maybe just a few more minutes?" He chanced a smile at her.

She frowned.

"One minute?"

She arched an eyebrow.

Oh heavens, he'd done it now. He hoped she didn't tie him to his bed like Link and Bob did whenever they had this kind of conversation- granted, it did force him to get some much needed sleep, but it also made getting up for food or the facilities very difficult.

"Okay, I get the picture..." He hunched his shoulders, delicately setting the beaker onto the table and inching away. "Off to bed I go."

"Oh, no. You're not getting away that easy."

He couldn't help the yelp when she plucked him up by the labcoat, carefully lifting him out of the room and depositing him in her hands. "Susan!"

She shook her head at him, standing up and cupping her hands so he wouldn't fall as she walked. "Do you honestly think I'd let you go without supervision? No way you could resist going back to your experiments."

"You make it sound as if I'm a recalcitrant child." He humphed, crossing his arms and turning away to glare sulkily across the quiet room.

"Aww, c'mon," She grinned, bringing him closer to her chest for her best attempt at a comforting snuggle. "If you're a good little monster and get some sleep, you can go and play with your toys tomorrow."

He sent her a distinctly unimpressed look, antennae twitching irritably. "Very funny. Are you going to tuck me in, too?"

She laughed, walking through a door and pressing the button to shut it behind her. "Only if you're a very good little monster."

"Joy." He rolled his eyes, then straightened, peering over her hands and glancing about the room in confusion. "Uh, Susan? I think perhaps you've gotten a bit distracted- this is your room, not mine."

"I know." She padded across the multitude of carpets layering her floor in a makeshift version of a giant sized carpet and pulled out a thin metal slat- used for food when monsters needed to be quarantined- from the wall beside her bed, (which had been updated from a thick metal slab to a thick metal slab with a huge air mattress and a massive blanket). "We're gonna have a sleepover."

"A what?" He couldn't help the heat that rose to his cheeks, antennae flicking nervously. "My dear, I don't quite believe that's in the realms of propriety."

"Relax, it's just one night. Here," She bent down and scooped up two of the carpets, layering them carefully onto the slat. "Your bed, good Doctor." She announced, lifting him over to it and letting him hop off onto the metal. "Sorry I don't have a blanket- well, a blanket your size."

He sighed, offering her a smile as he resigned himself to his fate. "It's quite alright, my dear. I'll just use my labcoat, and this is certainly more comfortable than sleeping at my desk."

"Yeah...we need to fix that habit of yours." She shook her head as she sat on her bed, leaning over to talk with him as he slipped out of the labcoat. "It's not healthy."

He scoffed. "Maybe not for a normal person, but I, my dear, am more advanced than that."

A smile tugged at her lips and she rested her cheek on a fist. "Really?"

"I have the survival capabilities of a cockroach, my dear. This is nothing to me."

"Uh-huh." She rolled her eyes, and he was a tiny bit offended by her unconvinced look. "Is that why your antennae are drooping?"

He glanced up- yep, his antennae were drooping far lower than usual. He flicked them back up and crossed his arms, looking anywhere but her as he tried to ignore the smug smile boring a hole into his skull. "What, that? They just- I was just- distracted that's all. Nothing to be concerned about."

"Right." She laughed, her voice turning more thoughtful as she tilted her head at him. "You know, I think it's pretty cool how your antennae flick around like that. Makes it easier to see what you're feeling."

"Yes, well, it's a blessing and a cuRSE!" couldn't help the full body jolt, instinctively flinging himself away from the unexpected touch to his antennae and unfortunately almost launching himself off the metal slat.

"Oh my goodness!" Susan shot out a hand, scooping him up as he teetered on the edge, pinwheeling his arms in desperation to stay upright, and bringing him close to her chest. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No, no, I- I'm fine, I-" He shook his head, a hand raised to his forehead as the leftover sensation tingled through his antennae. "My goodness, that was bizarre!"

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd...freak out like that." She winced. "Are you sure I didn't hurt you?"

"Quite sure, my dear. It wasn't painful, just...hmm, more of a sensory overload? No one's touched my antennae in quite some time so it would make sense the extra stimulation would have an extra kick, so to speak." He mused, reaching up a hand and carefully examining the delicate appendages.

"Does that happen when you touch them?" Susan asked, bringing him a bit closer to her face to see better.

"Not really, or at the very least its muted. Like how you can't really tickle yourself, I suppose." Having found nothing out of the ordinary, he flicked his antennae back to their normal positions and looked up to the giantess with a smile and extra antennae wiggle for show. "See? All fine."

"Still." She tilted her head, checking to make absolutely sure she hadn't damaged his feelers. "You know, I'm surprised Bob and Link don't poke at your antennae. Seems like they'd have fun with your reaction."

"Ah, yes, they used to do that quite a lot actually." He fixed the cuffs of his turtleneck primly, eyeing the door balefully as he remembered several instances. "Liked to see me jump or shout, though I can't imagine why. I assume they thought it was funny."

"What made them stop?" Susan shifted, leaning her back against the wall and pulling her legs up.

He laughed, unconsciously puffing out his chest as he smirked at the memory. "Simple- I took the fun out of it. Every time they tried, I'd just drop what I was doing and skitter up the wall. And believe me, I can stay up there for quite some time- especially if I've got my notepad."

She giggled at the smug look he gave her, undeniably pleased with himself. "...hey. You think I could try?" She asked after a moment.

"Try what?"

"Touching your antennae again?" She gave a little shrug and offered a lopsided smile at the wide eyed stare she received. "Not to be mean, or try to get a reaction, but it- it's interesting y'know? Like, is it like a cat's whiskers? What kind of things can you use them for? Stuff like that."

He blinked, then gave her a sideways smile. "Turning the tables, are you? The scientist becomes the experiment?"

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that!...But yeah, now that I think about it, that's pretty accurate." She grinned, earning a few chuckles.

"Hmmm, well...alright. In the name of science, why not?" He gave a shrug, turning so she could lower him into her lap as she stretched out her legs. "At least I know I can trust you not to go using this as blackmail."

"Please, that's such a Link thing to do." She smiled as she watched him settle into a cross legged position, stretching out his arms before straightening his spine and squaring his shoulder. "You ready?"

"Yes. Oh! Wait, wait! Hand me my labcoat!" He twisted towards it, waiting with an outstretched hand as she plucked it up and offered it to him. He grabbed it, dug in one of the pockets, and pulled out his notepad and a pen. "Alright, now I'm ready."

"Okay, here goes." Susan bit her lip, concentrating hard on being as gentle as possible as she delicately touched a finger to his antennae. She pulled back when he jumped. "Did I hurt you?"

"Not at all, my dear. Just, getting used to it, is all." shook his head, blinking, then scribbled in his notepad. "That was somewhat like before, but too brief to discover anything of value. Try again, but longer this time. I need a moment to adjust to the sensation."

"Okay..." Just like before, she carefully touched his antennae but made sure to wait a moment before pulling away, eyeing the way he stiffened. "How was that?"

"Hmm, intriguing…" His eyes were closed and he made a thoughtful noise, tilting his head as his shoulders slowly relaxed. Then he popped his spine straight and quickly scribbled down more in depth notes, grinning widely. "Not only are my antenna picking up the physical sensation of being touched, but also sensing your fingerprint as well your scent!"

"Really?" Susan blinked, leaning over as if that would allow her to read his tiny notepad (well, tiny to her at least).

"Yes! Honestly, the ability to sense the ridges of one's fingertip, even one as large as yours, my dear, is fascinating! I remember experimenting with my senses quite some time ago when I was first altered, but this is a whole new level! Perhaps the length of time spent like this stabilized my body's functions enough to allow the mutations to develop?"

"That's pretty amazing, Doc." Susan grinned. His enthusiasm was infectious, and seeing him so utterly delighted simply made her chest feel lighter than air. "Hope I don't smell gross or anything- being this big kinda makes it hard to take a shower."

"Oh no, you smell just fine, Susan. Though I must admit, that sense is rather fainter than touch." He tapped the pen to his chin, large eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Hmm, maybe it just needs to get warmed up? Try it again, Susan, if you please. A bit longer this time."

"Alright." Yet again she brought her finger down to rest lightly on the delicate appendage, only now she slid her digit carefully over the tiny surface, hoping that would offer more time to observe.

Instead, a hard shudder rippled down his body; shoulders hunching and spine arching away as his eyes snapped wide open, the notepad and pen dropped from his hands.

"Are you okay? Was that too much?" Her hands jolted back and then sort of fluttered helplessly around him, wanting to scoop him up but afraid of making it worse.

"F-fine- I'm- I'm fine! Yes. Fine." shook his head sharply, a dazed look in his eyes as a tinier shiver went through him, antennae quivering lightly. "Wow, that was...that was...unexpected…"

"Unexpected how?" She settled for placing her fingers against his back, just in case something happened.

"Unexpectedly nice." He didn't even make a grab for his notepad to write down all the new data, simply leaning back against her fingers with an almost languid smile. "I've never had a massage, but I imagine that was what one feels like…"

"That's a relief." She let out a breath, smiling down at him and shifting her hand to let him recline against her palm. Then a thought occurred to her. "Hey...that made you feel relaxed, right?"

"Surprisingly so." He hummed, blinking half lidded eyes and attempting to muster the willpower to reach for his notepad.

"Perfect." She scooped him into her hand, careful to not jostle him, and gently placed him onto his makeshift bed.

"Susan, what are you doing?" looked up at her, significantly more alert as he sat up on his new perch.

"Helping you get some sleep." She grabbed his lab coat and draped it over him, making sure the rugs were positioned for maximum comfort. "If that helps you feel all relaxed, maybe it'll help you get to sleep faster. I haven't forgotten it's like, 10:30 at night, you know."

"Is it? Completely slipped my mind…" He glanced around as if to find a clock, (there was one in the main room now,) but tugged the labcoat up a bit higher and lay down regardless. "Oh well. I'm willing to try if you are, my dear. I'm afraid you were right after all, I am feeling rather tire- oh…"

He made a pleased humming sound as gentle fingers lightly stroked along his antenna, sinking into the carpet as his body relaxed. "That is...working spec...spectacularly…" He mumbled, eyes already closed and well on his way to sleep.

Susan smiled gently as she watched him practically melt under her fingertips, stretching to click off the lights. "Sweet dreams, Doc."

Only when she was absolutely sure he was asleep, did she climb into her own bed and follow his lead, smiling as she drifted off.