I'm really sorry to hear that this is the last you'll be posting of this story. It IS a favorite of mine, and when I saw you were re-doing it I got really excited. Are you going to upload the other chapters onto the archive? Last I checked there were only 3 chapters over there, and I've been wanting to share this story with my friends who have recently gotten into IZ.
But of course you don't owe your readers anything, since you post your writing for free, and I really hope you enjoy moving onto your other projects. I just have to say I'm really, really sad that you built up the rewrite of the story and then kinda left us hanging. I adore your writing and wish you well! Good luck!

AH! I love this!

Gir is such a precious little child!

bringing in some stuff from that little ghost hunt fic, I love that

I just lost my entire train of thought, Shard was begging to be let out.

I find the changes very interesting, they add a lot more to the story and more depth to the characters

apologies, I'm at a bit of a loss for words right now. Shard's done got me worried which isn't helping to much.

Oh my gosh he has hiccups. I didn't even know lizards could get hiccups skjfahskldfhsfessssdf

sorry I was very distracted by that

I most certainly was not intending for my animals to be included in two reviews in a row, but things happen

absolutely amazing story and I can't wait for more :D

Thank you for taking your time to upload a lot of them again , I really appreciate it ... I love this story, its legitimately one of the best Invader Zim fanfictions ... Excited for the rewrite !

I can't wait to read more!

Please , Where can i read the rest of the old story? I was on chapter 25 and i had been busy with life and the whole thing is not on Archive of our own ... :(

good thing there was people who took screenshots of the fanfic to read it again

“Saving Zim” and “Saving Zim: Epilogue” are some of the best fics I have read for Invader Zim. “Saving Zim” is pretty sad and bittersweet but it somehow manages to bring up the worst case scenarios that Dib and Zim could have done to each other without actually bringing them into reality. It has a certain kindness about it that shines brighter than the darkness. It is a fitting ending to the original series.

The fic starts off anticlimactically, mirroring the way the original series itself ended due to its cancellation… as the characters’ original hopes and dreams are never accomplished. Dib has stopped trying to prove Zim is an alien and Zim’s dreams of enslaving the world have faded away.

As an adult who just turned thirty I know loss of dreams is no small thing, however the moment that led the characters to this point is a game changer. Dib hadn’t just gave up on exposing Zim. In fact he had made a deadly trap that almost killed the alien. But at the last moment the child realized he couldn’t go through with it and released Zim leaving him permanently injured. This reminded me of a scene from “All Quiet on the Western Front” about how hard up close combat was and wishing you could undo the harm inflicted on your enemy.

From this point Dib and Zim start to form a friendship against all odds and the events surrounding it are by far more meaningful than what either one’s personal gains would have been. There relationship forms realistically and does not forget the doubts, misgivings, and nature of aliens and humans. I love how the story explores Zim’s military training and how hard it is for him just to try to trust Dib. Zim’s mind races through the worst case scenarios of Dib lying to him, capturing him, cutting him open to steal his organs, or exposing him to the FBI when Dib is actually trying to save him. While Dib also has his own doubts and fears that Zim will try to kill him, hurt his future family, or try to take over the world if he regains his strength. Watching these characters overcome their fears based on the threats they once made to each other when they were fighting, reminds us that they could have chosen cruelty and destroyed each other but they chose kindness, understanding, and friendship. It leaves the dark undertones of the original series and the horrors of what could have been without actually going there and gives way to showcasing a kindness between the two. It is sweet to see Dib being able to hold/comfort Zim and Zim actually trusting him enough to calm down a little.

I also like:
Bloody Gir: There were so many theories about Bloody Gir that so cool to see him in a key role for the ending.
Clara: She is an awesome Original Character and fits the series very well. She is great for helping bridge the gap between Dib and Zim. Making her an orphan so she could relate to Zim was a good call. While I do ship Dib and Zim, shipping Dib and Clara makes me just as happy. Zim is an alien afterall and irkens are completely sexually repressed. As someone who is asexual I know that can’t just change. Anyway there is something more realistic about seeing Dib mature and form a relationship with Clara while Zim still stays a little childlike.
Professor Membrane: It was good to see him as a good guy for once and not a villain. It was fun to think that he saved Dib and Zim from their baloney state. I feel like in my personal hindsight he would be too smart not to realize at some point that Zim was an alien. I liked how he mentioned the world was always in danger from something or another and that he felt like one alien wasn’t going make that big of a difference. Because he is someone who deals with a lot of extreme stuff everyday his reasoning seemed realistic.
The Fall: It is a good idea and blends in perfectly with the original series.

Nitpicking:
Dib Smoking: I find it hard to believe Dib would ever start smoking. He is suppose to be pretty smart so why would he? His family doesn’t smoke so he wouldn’t have pick it up from them. I guess it does truly make him Dib-Stink though.
Gir: Referring to Gir as Zim’s robot child seems a little out of place just because there is no build up to it. While in the original series Zim has been pretty tolerant of Gir and loves him, he still treats him like his servant. That said it is not a big stretch to make. It would just be nice to see/mention the transition. I know Zim was becoming more soft in his old age.
Replacement Paks: Needing to replace the whole pak seems a little extreme since it seems in the original series the pak was for life. I could be wrong as I am not a hardcore fan. My only guess for why the Pak would need to be completely replaced would be if irkens outgrew their packs, because a baby could not carry a pak large enough to fit an adult. However because an entire house/base grew from an irken drill, I would think its fair to say that a metal paks would have the technology to grow as an irken did. Anyway focusing on Zim needing to replace pak parts seems more legit than him needing to replace the whole thing. Also the Pak corroding due to earth’s pollutant water makes more sense to me than it naturally breaking down from age. I don’t think Zim was suppose to be reviewed again anytime soon as he already was in the trial.
Gaz: It would be nice to see a softer side to her. I noticed Gaz has a slightly different personality in each of your stories. I personally prefer her personality in the beginning of Debacle where she is more caring. To me, Gaz is that person that cares way more about things than they usually let on. In “Saving Zim” she feels a little flat in comparison to the other characters. Of coarse I know she is more protective of her brother after Zim gave him a life threatening injury.
Gary: Since Gary is Dib’s replacement in a way I am surprised his name or at least his middle/last name isn’t Louie in reference to “Bad, Bad Rubber Piggy”. Gary seems like the more troublesome paranormal investigator Zim would have been stuck with if he had actually killed Dib.
Zim’s size: Zim’s size seems to change in the story along with the age he appears to be in his disguise. How tall is Zim suppose to be? I am guessing his height is between 3ft and 4ft in the series as he is one of the shorter kids. The average 8 year old is about 4ft tall. I would think despite the wrinkles Zim still looks like a child in his regular disguise. So anyway if Zim is this small he should probably have a different disguised and taller boots when he goes out drinking with Dib so no one questions it. Like the time he used the old hobo look.

Anyway, great story I look forward to seeing the rest in "Saving Zim: Epilogue".

This is a great story. I'm looking forward to more. I only found this today via a recommendation on a video on Youtube so I never read the original version, are you going to revise the whole fic? I noticed that chapters from 23 onward are still up. Also, any recommendations on fics where Zim is not a completely evil maniac? I have never liked the actual series because of Zim being a megalomaniac and evil character. I have never been able to get behind an evil protagonist. But then I stumbled onto a Youtube video where Zim was sympathetic and just desperate to impress the Tallests, instead of the narcissist egomaniac sadist he is canonically, and there was so many of them! I was immediately smitten with this alternative version of the character and I want more of that!

For a family of blabbermouths, it's amazing how little communication actually gets through

I really liked the conflict between Dib and his father when he's trying to figure out how to help Zim. It shows how Dib clings to the paranormal even when his father simply wants to show him why science is the more reliable path. Empty wishing wasn't going to help save Zim's life and deep down he knew that. Personally, I didn't find this chapter too on the angsty side. It had a little drama sure, but isn't that was these fanfics are here for? Keep up the good work!

(so quick side note before I begin: are you getting my replies to your responses to my comments? I have about 3 authors who send me responses but then never reply to my reply and I suspect ff.n is losing them to the void or maybe I'm not sending them properly? You don't have to respond to any of them of course, I'm just curious because it's happening with every author, I want to make sure I'm not doing something wrong lol)

"Son? Son? Are you all right?"
Dib swallowed, shook his head. His throat didn't want to work. Not even to swallow the coffee that his father had given him. He hugged the still-warm mug to his chest. His father had tried warming him up by covering his shoulders with a throw. He didn't know why he kept shivering.
The nightmare restarted whenever he shut his eyes, and it might be a little different, or it might follow on from another point like hitting PLAY on a movie he had paused. "
:( Poor Dib...

" Zim had not been breathing for fifteen minutes – every second of which he had counted.
There had been no pulse.
He never thought an Irken's skin could be so... grey. "
T_T Zim
*Thumbs up with teary eyes* good angst

" They had no idea at the time what state his brain would be in after it had been starved of oxygen for so long - but Zim seemed to be holding on to who he was. "
Oh...oh he was legally dead for so long...and the modifications to his PAK... Zim's personality shift, is he even Zim anymore?
Is a person with dementia or alzheimer's still considered themselves as their brain deteriorates?

" The night came like a dark fever. It clung and it stayed, a thick miasma that only stubbornly lifted when the shy dawn peeked through the curtains. Zim waned through the night.
Dib didn't know why. "
T_T good heart hurt

T-T Dib's being so attentive and worried through the night

*Continued heartache*

" Zim did not seem to notice the absence of his PAK legs, or the weight difference in their removal. Probably because he had disengaged himself from everything - as a means to survive - or as a means to die.
He saw the estrangement in his friend's life: the permanent loss of everything that personified him. And wondered that, if he were in Zim's position, could he come back from such a blow? Zim was endowed with a strong spirit, coming back from near-punishable defeats with a formidable smile. This defeat entombed the Elite in heavy shackles that he did not seem able to lift. "
Oof T.T heavy, love it. great symbolism

" Irkens were such profoundly delicate creatures. It justified why they relied on their PAKs as a prop for essentially everything. It had sustained them for too long, weakening their natural bodies, and forcing them to rely on external needs to survive. The professor wasn't sure if this was mechanically engineered to dispose of soldiers in due time, or to keep them purposely reliant on whatever governed their society as a whole. "
Ooooooo look at this! I like this! Evolutionary theory! Political conspiracy! Love that!

Loving this in depth look of how difficult it is for Membrane to find meds that are compatible with Zim

Poor Membrane, he really is doing his best to help but Dib's too nervous and sleep deprived to appreciate it

"We /can/ manage it! Science is the answer!"
Something snapped free, some cord of restraint maybe, and Dib buried his face in his hands.
His father kept rubbing his back, hushing him gently, as he once did when he had been six years old on the night of his mother passing. "
Oof u.u poor boys

*Happy sad feelings* Membrane doing work with a sleeping Zim in his lap. His mind going to regrets of the past. Thats... melancholy

" He hadn't been taking this rinauh-drug-things either, and Dib supposed that was also playing a part. "
Oof, yeah, going through withdrawal while also trying to recover from such a huge surgery...can't be easy on the body

" Zim bunched up beneath the blankets. These episodes usually lasted ten or so minutes and were horrendous to watch, but pass they usually did.
"Not much longer now. I'm here."
T-T poor Dib, watching this day after day, hour after hour...it can't be easy

ToT! Zim's waking up

"/What were you trying to tell me?/ Dib pulled the blankets back over him. "
Hmm I'm not sure, possibly that he fears Irk will discover that he's still alive? Or maybe he's delusional and is trying to get back into the good graces of the Tallest by continuing his mission?

Apologies for being a bit late on the review! I didn't receive an alert till now for some reason? But HURRAH, I'm here now, and INCREDIBLY hyped to be reading some of these deleted chapters at last! It's always such a whirlwind to come back to these specific points in Zim's recovery and be amazed at how much he's genuinely changed and grown over the course of this story's timeline.

This particular chapter did a really nice job answering a lot of questions I never really thought to come back and ask after all this time! Such as what happened directly after Zim's collapse and what exactly Dib was thinking during the lot of it. What shocked me most of all was the reveal that Zim wasn't breathing for FIFTEEN. MINUTES. Oh my god. It makes me wonder how much of a miracle it is that the poor fella's functioning now? Membrane really is such a blessing in his life.

It was really interesting to see more depth regarding Zim's condition immediately after the surgery and kind of see that it wasn't as effective a recovery as one might imagine? I can't even imagine how Dib was feeling to think that the PAK surgery was effective, only to have Zim suddenly be slipping away again no matter what they were trying. The moment where he was looking after and talking to Zim during the night was beautifully done, and Zim is luckier than ever to have him, poor lil' bug...

I remember the mentions of epilogue and Zim's overall lifespan, and it's good to see a brief look-back here on what's truly going on with his heart problems and the lifespan he has left. It's still such a painful truth... One I'm still struggling to even realize alongside Dib as this story continues to PAK indeed is repaired, but to what extent, and for how long? This is still something I've yet to fully unravel in this story, but I'm looking forward to the answers that are coming!

I'm curious as of now, but will we eventually see more details on what exactly became of Dib's mother? It's part of this story that I sometimes think and wonder about, but it really does explain the professor's attitude to Zim, and how much he's fought to keep him from suffering the same fate. He really is a great man, and if she were still here, I wonder what she would be thinking now?

Karthia makes another return in its buildup, and I seriously am EAGER for Dib to get our little buddy there at some point! Like him, I wanna hope they can do something more for him, but I certainly have come to expect that it WON'T be easy.
Also, what WAS Zim trying to say there, out of curiosity? Was that some kind of last minute confession he was building up to? Or simply delirium? Another detail I've logged into the back of my mind!

Thank you so much for this surprise update! I hope you're keeping the faith these crazy days, and know I'm thinking so much about you and your family! Stay safe!

I just want to stop by this chapter and say...this is one of my favorite chapters. I often revisit it. I really like the tracheal intubation scene. I don't understand why you say you want to take it out. I love sicks fics though so...maybe that's why I like it so much haha...

I love the part where Zim wakes up. I think this chapter is one of my favorites for Zim/Clara moments. I can really feel how scared Zim must be. He wakes up in a lab feeling weak, confused, and sick. That would be terrifying for any person but when it's added onto the knowledge that he already has a phobia of being dissected and has lost his PAK legs it creates a more vivid picture. I love it so much. My poor little alien. I love the part when Clara tries to leave and he cries for her to stay...ah..my aching heart.
I also love the part where Clara gets Zim to open his PAK. The whole scene with them repairing the PAK is amazing. I love this part and often go back to reread it.

"Or maybe it's because he's been in so much pain, that he just wants it to end? He's at the end of his endurance; he's done with the games, done with the masks and pretences. He knows he's at our mercy. One step from being autopsied. He's afraid of what's to come, should he live or die. So he's complying, only because he doesn't know what else to do. He can't fight. He's too weak, but to lie here and await whatever outcome we choose for him.

It was a sad thought, a sad reality. And he believed this was why Zim was so quietly conforming. Then he looked on over at Clara, saw her using the stethoscope to listen to his heart, her other hand stroking his head, talking to him so patiently and lovingly all the while."

Aaahhhhh it's so chilling but also so comforting. I love how open-ended this question is. I sometimes think Dib's interpretation of Zim is wrong. He tries to make a picture for himself but given that Zim keeps so much of himself hidden inside, Dib will never be completely right. (At least that's how I interpret things)
I love that Dib thinks that Zim is just acting out of fear but the part apart Clara stroking his head raises the question of how much Zim is able to trust them. In the surgery chapter, one of my favorite parts is when Dib asks Zim if he trusts him and Zim eventually says that he does before being practically unconscious again. In that scene Dib claims to trust Zim as well. I think he's partially lying because he often shows how much he distrusts him. However, I think he wants to trust him because he loves him so much. I think this is the same with Zim. He wants to trust them because no matter what he says, he loves Dib and Clara. So in this scene I think it suggests that Zim really is moved by all the caretaking and wants to trust. However, he is also greatly influenced by fear. It's both things I'm sure.

Ah I'm sorry if that didn't make sense. The point is that it really makes me think. I love that part. You write so many good scenes. Saving Zim is such an accomplishment. I can't express that enough.

Oooh getting to read this was the best part of my day. I love the angst. I almost screamed at the last scene. I am seriously still dying for Dib to find out the truth about Zim's mission.

Zim is going through one pain after another, they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and I hope that's certainly the case here.

Good thing that he's not alone.

Invader Johnny Signing Off.