Author's Note: Hello friends and fellow Zim fans! I do not own Invader Zim or its characters. I wish I owned Zim & Dib though but I don't. Once again, my character is an OC. The love triangle between Erin, Zim and Dib still thrives. So Enjoy!
Story Disclaimer: This is the sequel to I'll Always Be Yours. If you have not read it, I'd recommend that you do because you will get lost and we don't want that to happen. Also, there is more of a romance theme in this one, SO DEAL WITH IT. We will also see what the future is like for our "heroes" and there will many surprises along the way too.
Chapter One
- -
Two minutes to go before summer vacation was to start. Ms. Bitters's class was on edge, staring at the clock, waiting for the little hand to hit the 3 and the big hand to hit the 12. Erin was sitting on top of Zim's desk, while Zim had folded his arms on her lap, resting his head on his arms, a bored expression on his face. Dib was sitting at Erin's desk, since she wasn't occupying it.
"Since there's only two minutes left before you are sent out into the world to learn how summer vacation can ruin your already miserable lives, let me remind you that if you don't apply yourselves now, you'll be doomed to teach horrible children", Ms. Bitters replied.
"Um…what if we're already applying ourselves? Say…to paranormal investigation or whatever?" Dib asked raising his hand.
"Then you'll be married to her", Ms. Bitters said jabbing a clawed thumb at Erin, "And the two of you will have horrible miserable children".
Dib looked at Erin who just smiled back at him. She like everyone else had been focusing on the clock. Dib turned back to his teacher, raising his hand once more.
"Can you see the future?" Dib asked.
"Sorry but due to the skool budget, you're only allowed one stupid question before summer break", Ms. Bitters replied.
When the bell rang, Erin, Zim and Dib were the first out of their class room. The other children were making plans and swapping stories on how they were going to spend their summer break. Gaz was waiting for her brother on the front steps.
"Finally", Gaz muttered as the trio came out of the skool, she then turned and walked away from them, heading home as usual.
"So, what is summer vacation?" Erin asked.
"It's three months out of the entire year where you can do whatever you want without going to skool", Dib explained.
Zim looked at Dib for a moment, as though he just saw him for the first time in his life.
"How come nobody has ever explained this "summer vacation" thing to me before?" Zim asked.
"Because you're trying to destroy the planet and when I mean you can do whatever you want, I don't mean exterminating all of man kind", Dib replied.
Zim crossed his arms. Erin could tell this wasn't going to end very well.
"I'm just going to walk Zim home", Erin said steering Zim away from Dib, "See you at home".
- -
"He thinks he can stop me, well he has another thing coming", Zim muttered.
He'd been cursing Dib during the little walk home. Erin didn't interrupt him, letting him vent for a while. When they reached Zim's base, GIR was waving good-bye to the pizza delivery truck.
"HI!" GIR exclaimed happily upon seeing Zim and Erin.
"Why don't you blow some steam off", Erin replied looking at Zim, "Relax". She took his hand and smiled up at him.
"Maybe you're right. I could use some relaxation", Zim said, he smiled knowingly at her.
Erin blushed, "Well, maybe I could stay for an hour".
SOME TIME LATER.....
GIR was still eating his large pepperoni pizza when Erin awoke from the small nap she had taken. She was lying on the couch with Zim, Zim was still asleep. This had been going for more than a few days now. A small nap here, helping fix small ship parts there. Sometimes, they even took GIR on walks, just so they could be together. But now, with the summer, things wouldn't be so complicated.
But things were…had been complicated. Erin got up slowly and carefully. Having gotten off the couch, Erin walked over to the door. She took a good look at Zim before opening the door and leaving. She'd have kissed him but she had decided against it. He was relaxed, for once. She had been driving herself insane going back and forth but it was the only way to keep some level of peace but for how long could she possibly keep this up?
- -
After getting back to Dib's house, Erin went into the living room. Dib was drinking a soda and watching the news.
"Sorry I'm late. I miss anything?" Erin asked sitting on the couch next to him.
"My dad's on TV. He's been building this time…flux…thing. I think it's used for time travel. Anyway, he's holding a press conference", Dib explained.
"There's not time like the present", Prof. Membrane replied laughing at his own joke as the camera from channel 52 focused on him, "But in all seriousness my new invention will one day save the future. But enough about that, let's see how my assistants are doing with the new super peanut butter I've made for my super toast".
There was a "Please Stand By" signal and then it just went back to regular world news. Dib hit the mute button on the remote.
"That's it?" Dib asked aloud, "That's all he has to say after spending so much time away from me and Gaz? That's…that's just stupid".
"Maybe his new time invention is top secret. I mean, could you imagine what something like that could do while in the wrong hands", Erin pointed out.
Dib nodded. He really wasn't that upset about his dad, it's what his teacher had said earlier in class that was bothering him.
"I wonder what it would be like to see the future", Dib replied, almost saying: "seeing our future". But he decided it would sound too awkward.
"You know that's impossible. Besides, it's great not knowing. It's not like the future is set in stone or anything", Erin said, even though she already imagined a future with Zim.
"But what if something happened and I don't know…wouldn't you want to change it?" Dib asked.
"Okay, then…yes, I'd like to see the future but to be fair changing something would hurt something else, wouldn't it?" Erin asked in return.
"Well, yeah it would", Dib replied slowly, "But-"….
"Why are you so interested in finding out what's going to happen in more than a few years anyway? I thought you had your future all planned out?" Erin asked interrupting him.
"Look, I just want to know if you and I are even going to be friends in like ten years or something", Dib exclaimed.
Erin looked at him for a moment. She had been here on Earth for the past couple of months, living here with Dib and his sister. She had gotten so close to Dib, she could barely see the difference between her feelings for him and her feelings for Zim. Though, her feelings for Zim had lasted a lifetime and she could understand them more.
"I'm sure whatever happens, we'll still be friends", Erin said finally, smiling so to reassure not only him but herself also.
- -
The summer evening was warm. Felt nice too. After eating dinner, Erin had gone out to the back yard and lay on top of the picnic table. She put her hands under her head and stared up at the purple darkening sky. Dib came outside a moment later. He got up on the picnic table, sitting beside her. He had bag of mini marshmallows. Erin got into a sitting position.
"Want some?" Dib asked holding the bag out to her.
"Thanks", she said taking a handful of marshmallows. The sugary goodness melted in her mouth after a second later.
SWOOSH!
A moment later, Zim appeared, driving the voot runner. He was in his human disguise. He lowered the voot runner so it was level with the picnic table.
"I'm taking the voot runner out for a test drive, wanna come?" Zim asked.
"Sure", Erin exclaimed climbing into it and sitting next Zim, she turned to Dib just as the voot runner turned to take off, "Don't wait up!"
Dib watched as they took off. He got up from the picnic table, jumping off it. He went back into the house, slamming the back door as he did so.
"I take it she didn't like the marshmallows?" Gaz asked getting a juice box from the fridge.
But Dib didn't even say a word and stomped off to the living room.
- -
The voot runner took them over the city, they were far up so the city looked like small lights with little ant people.
"Sure it needed new wiring and a new system. GIR actually ate the programming chip and you do not want to know where I found it three days after he ate it", Zim explained, "But I was able to restore most of its parts".
"Zim, I'm pretty sure you didn't come find me to tell me that GIR ate the programming chip for the voot runner", Erin said quietly.
"I was thinking…well, since you've been here for a few months and Dib knows you're an alien…I was wondering if you wanted to…I don't know…move in with me?" Zim asked beating around the bush a little before he could actually get out what he wanted to say.
Erin gapped at him, "Zim, are you sure?" Her voice didn't sound like she was sure either.
"Look, I didn't ask you so we could keep going around in a circle all night", Zim pointed out.
Erin stared down at the bright lights. He could just as easily change his mind as she could. But perhaps…perhaps it was time to see the future for what it really was. She and Dib had no future except to be just friends. She cared about him and if she wanted things to work, she had to use the time she had as wisely as possible.
"I except your offer", Erin replied looking back at Zim.
"I thought you would", Zim said smiling.
- -
"Dib, it's three am. She's not coming home, go to bed!" Gaz growled.
Dib was pacing by the front door. Gaz had come down stairs, having heard the noises her brother was making by standing in front of the door.
"She wouldn't just leave and not come back", Dib replied.
"She's probably with Zim. Now get your butt upstairs or I will drag you", Gaz exclaimed.
Dib decided to take the first option. After getting into bed and just laying down, Dib couldn't go to sleep. His room felt empty. He looked down at the sleeping bag Erin usually occupied. Right about now she'd wake up and ask for a glass of water but she would just go back to sleep without drinking it. Dib rolled on to his other side, facing the window.
"She's probably with Zim".
Dib hated to face it. Gaz was right and if this was so, Erin had found a new home to sleep in.
- -
Author's Note: Hello and welcome! Here's chapter one. Things are changing pretty quickly but I thought I'd keep the story going. For those who reviewed my first IZ fanfic, I hope to see more reviews from you as well as reviews from new readers. With this in mind, please R & R!