Again another update that took forever. SORRY! Its my job it sucks and its completely ruining my time to write! I work at Sainburys. Now that sucks.

Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim or any of his organs.

A HUGE thank you to:

Snowbluerat for reviewing. I'm glad you think it's awesome. Best compliment I've had all month! Yeah, I had finding obvious mistakes that I should have noticed.

DemonSurfer. Here's another update! Thanks for the review! Sorry this chapter took so long!

DP-shrine-in-closet-girl. Wow thanks! What a comment! I cherish your review! I am very flattered that you find this fic to be one of your favorites. I am honored! Enjoy they next chappie!

The long awaited……….

Chapter 5

Making sure Zim was fast asleep and secure and warm in bed, Dib left and hurriedly walked across the street up to Zim's fence. The whole house was infected with police banners and security barriers. He glanced to his left and saw a cop drinking a hot chocolate drink with a donut in the other hand. Man, he was fat. Dib walked shyly up to him. "Urm, sir? What are the chances of the alien coming back here?"

"Ah, Dib! Good to see you! Sorry 'bout that horrid villain stealing your alien last night! Terrible!" He nodded in salute to him, drink spilling from his jolts.

"Yeah, err, like I said…"

"No chance, really. Maybe your alien'll come back. Never know. That's why we've secured this place, to investigate further."

"Have any of the police actually been inside?"

"Negative."

"Well, why not?" He tried not to sound too demanding.

The cop paused, then frowned considerably. "Waiting for backup forces. Too dangerous."

The boy nodded. He was glad they hadn't gone in and touched any of Zim's private stuff. Maybe Gir was trapped but safe inside?

He was conscious of leaving Zim on his own for much longer. "Well, have you ever thought that this might not be his real base?"

"What do ya mean, Dib?" He asked the famous young man. He took a bite out of his sprinkled donut.

"It's just too obvious. The alien was far cleverer than this! This house here is a decoy! It's not his real hideaway at all! I think I may know just where he might really be though!" He smiled and laughed, trying to look as if he were on the verge of insanity. From the look on the man's face, his lie was going beautifully like a flower opening on the first day of a warm spring day.

"Good Lord!" The cop choked, "where?" He spilled more of his coffee.

"Urm… just south of here… ya know, somewhere in Boston." He lied again, feigning innocence.

"Thanks again, boy!" He picked up his radio transmission. "Men, pick up your stuff! We're moving to Boston! Repeat, this isn't the alien's base, we've been deceived!" He ended the call. "Thanks a lot Dib! You've been a great help to us!" He scoffed the donut down. "How can I thank you?"

Dib thought. He was a little lost on what to ask for. He shuffled his feet on the ground. "Can you update me on the one whom… you know, took the alien?" He swallowed.

"Of course!" He put on a bright smile. "Just log in to our radio signal. The password is jailblog. 'Kay? Better get rid of this stuff!" He gestured to the barbed fences. Dib nodded and helped him take it down. The cop cars stopped by and removed the obstacles. Then all trace of them moved on to the faked location. Of course, there was no guarantee that peace would last here and they'd catch on, but it was enough. Dib raced back home to inform Zim of the good news.

Dib was beaming the whole way back. It felt like he was reversing the mistakes that he had made. Things were gradually falling back into place and making things a little more normal. He wanted Zim to have his life back after what he had done to him. And he hoped the alien could forgive him. When he got home, he disposed of his thin black coat and bounded down the basement steps.

Zim gradually opened his eyes in the evening. He appeared groggy and resentful at first. Dib watched him sit up. He had tried to help but the invader only cursed and sneered at him. He seemed to have recovered some strength back. Several of his bruises had faded already and the cuts and slashes had closed and were healing well. He had another change of bandages before Dib gave him his Irken uniform, boots and gloves. "You'll need these." He informed him quietly, "I'm taking you back tonight."

Zim let a rare smile slip. "Yes. Thank you… I guess. Dib. But once at my base I want you to leave me alone. There are plans I need to work through for world domination, because you and your pitiful human race have made me very angry." He glared at the human bitterly now.

Dib swallowed. After all that he had done for him, he turned on him like this. But it was a sign of his old self again and he assumed that that was good. He tried not to seem fazed by his fixed decision. "Yeah, whatever. Just get these on and then we'll go. Quick before my sister gets home."

Dib turned and pretended to be busy pouring out a flask of what appeared to be water while he discerned Zim out of the corner of his eye. The Irken slipped his pink garment on, then pulled up his pants, boots and lastly adorned his gloves. They didn't look new anymore but sad and forlorn. It had to do. Zim sat on the bed, gaining his breath back after the small effort of dressing. Dib seemed to be a little too caring lately and it worried him. Was he doing it for his own gains?

When Dib saw that he had finished, he stood, threw a blanket over his shoulder and helped Zim leave the succour of the bed and stand on the floor. The small invader let out a whimper of helplessness and frustration. He could barely stand! He involuntarily latched onto the human's shoulder for support. He snorted at his own pathetic efforts. The close contact sent cold shivers down his spine and made him feel dizzy and sick with hatred and confusion. Why was he helping? Why?

"It's not fair!" Zim shouted obtusely.

Dib saw the alien's legs shaking. "Let me carry you. It isn't that far and there'll be less chance of people noticing you."

Zim abhorred the idea and made a face. The idea of being carried anywhere was bad. He grunted with ire. He hated all of this but he so badly wanted to go home.

Seeing as Zim wasn't going to respond, he put a hand under his legs and lifted him up. The alien gasped in surprise. The sudden embrace startled him.
"Dib…" He warned.

"I'm helping you and that's that." He concluded softly, "and besides, I still want to know what went on with the 'hotdog' incident at work." Zim fell silent and just stared. Dib smiled awkwardly. "Nevermind!"

"Don't mention that, ever again!" He finally uttered; voice menacing and consumed with restrained ire.

"Okay." He agreed, though he was disappointed. He had wanted to know why Zim had stopped him when he obviously wanted to poison him.

"Now hurry, earth beast, before I end up smelling like you!" He ranted.

Dib covered the alien with the blanket and walked up the basement steps, hoping the bundle he was carrying wouldn't look too obvious. He was clearly sweating and his hands shook. After stuffing medicines and syringes into his medi-kit and then stuffing that into his pocket, he walked into the lounge and opened the front door. He felt the cool, evening air ruffle his clothes and hair. The wind was gentle and it wasn't raining. He hurried outside and closed the door by kicking it shut behind him. Then he quickly walked up the street. Zim was quiet the whole journey there. Dib glanced around as he crossed the road. A few cars churned past and a passer by walked down the opposite way to where he was heading. No one seemed suspicious. But despite Zim's lightness, he did start to grow heavy in his arms. Dib wasn't particularly strong and so started to run as he neared the alien's deranged house with the glowing walls and the peculiar fluorescent door. Yet this time, the house was dull and did not proudly glow with color. In fact it looked rather dead.

He opened the door, the gnomes deathly still. Their eyes weren't shining red. Everything seemed too quiet and still. He even hoped Zim would utter something to shatter the silence.

Inside, he threw off the blanket and met the Irken's eyes once more. Yet Zim seemed to have visibly got worse through the journey. His chest was abnormally heaving and his creased face was sweating. Dib felt his temperature. He was cold, not hot as he would have expected. "Zim? Are you okay?"

"Yes!" He coughed irritably, "please put m-me down! Please!" The exertion from using words left him panting.

"No, something's wrong." Dib bit his lip. He should have never brought him here.

"Nothing is w-wrong! Please p-put me down!" Dib laid him down on the sofa. "Where is Gir? My r-robot?"

"Shhh. I don't know. But I'm sure he's around. He didn't get caught." He paused and thought. "Shall I take you down to your lab? The computer might help."

"Help w-with what?" He sat up with difficulty. He felt nauseous.

Dib noticed blood leaking out onto the couch. Fresh worry kicked at his heart. Without hesitating, he drew close to the alien and searched for the wound. Zim started coughing again. "Leave me alone!" He retched. He saw the human shake his head.

"I'm taking you down. You need help, Zim. Please understand. You'll die."

"DO I CARE!" He yelled at him. "You've done this to me! You've made my life hell! FINISH ME OFF DIB PIG!"

"NO!" He felt like slapping some sense into him, but it wouldn't have done any good. He picked him up again and felt the tiny Irken elite shaking. He ran to the elevator. Zim surprisingly cooperated.

"Computer, take me to the bottom floor." His words were strained.

"Err, yes, whatever." Replied the computer and the elevator shot downward. Dib remained steady. Blood splattered onto the floor. He felt ill. And before he knew it, the lift made a soft clicking sound when it touched the bottom. The doors slid open and Dib stepped out. The large cerise computer hummed away to the left and there was an apparent bed to the right. Well, it didn't look much like a bed. It was the shape of a banana and had curved sides and it was very thin with no blankets.

"Is this where you sleep… I mean… rest?" He asked.

"Y-Yes." Zim whispered back. Dib gently put him down on it. He took out the kit from his pocket and got out a syringe.

"I'm gonna give you another shot for the pain. It'll make you feel dopey."

"No!" Zim suddenly sounded scared and worried. "Not while you're in my base! You'll destroy it or something! And you'll take advantage and…"

"No I'm not! I'm not going to do anything of the sort!" He defended hastily, "just trust me!"

Zim opened his mouth, then closed it again. What choice did he have?

"Now, it's going to sting." Dib gently squeezed the end, releasing the bubbles trapped within it, then inserted it into Zim's wrist under the glove. When it was done, Zim did his best to relax but the pain didn't simply go away.

"Zim, what did they do to you? Where are the stitches? Why are you bleeding like this?" Dib demanded. Zim scowled at all the questions.

"Wretched creature! Go home!"

"No! Not until you tell me!"

Zim folded his arms stubbornly but a bolt of pain made him cringe. "I'm fine. I need time to heal."

His claws dug into the metal bed beneath him. Dib ran a quick hand through his long scythe of hair.

"Those bloody scientists." He cursed.

"Computer…" He croaked, "make a tranquilizer."

"Commencing…" It said stoically.

Dib felt fear, worry and sorrow. Never had he felt this way for Zim. Ever. Why? He wondered. Why do I care for him so much? He is my enemy, my rival, and my ultimate goal. But we have so much in common. We are both loners. We both want a victory and we are both here together and we are both enemies.

"Tranquilizer complete." The computer stated. A small panel came out and on it lay a small cyan colored syringe with an auburn liquid inside. Dib reached and took it.
"Zim," he turned now to the tormented Irken whose large eyes were clenched shut in a useless attempt to disperse the falling tears, "were do I inject it?" The medicine was obviously alien and was probably not used on a wrist like a human.

Zim tried to see the human through the clenching darkness of his vision. "You can't…" He started.

"Try me."

"…Squeedly Spooch…"

Dib's eyes widened behind his glasses. "What?"

"You… heard me…"

Dib felt foolish hesitating. He knew Zim was counting on him. Who'd have thought that two-hated enemies coming together like this were helping each other out. First the hotdog and now this. Dib coughed to clear his throat..

"Ready?" There was no reply. Dib lifted his garment slightly and injected the long needle into the Irken. He knew vaguely how his body worked and tentatively guessed where the main organ would reside. He hoped his aim was correct. Zim kept his eyes shut, felt the sting of the syringe but remained quiet. When it was pulled out he let out a shudder of breath.

"Oh Irk."

"Well? Did I do it?" He wanted to know. He frowned. "Well?"

"Yeah… well done earth stink…" He was shuddery and weak but he managed a smile. Dib smiled back.

"You need to lie down."

Zim hesitated. The strong pain had almost vanished in seconds. He never doubted Irken medicine.