-mouth gapes open- Oh. My. God.

A month and a half. A MONTH AND A HALF WITH NO UPDATES!

You guys, I am SO SORRY. Please, pleasepleaseplease, forgive me for this horrendous lack of updates! -grovels on her stomach- I have been SUCH a bad authoress -dies- Please tell me you're all still reading -sad face-

Ok, well, this chapter introduces... -dun dun dun-... PLOT hooray! And for all of you Membrane fans out there... I'm sorry! -hides- I kinda... bashed him. A lot. Please forgive me! -cowers-

The song used for the title is "Let Me Fall" from Cirque Du Soleil. The lyrics were pretty, especially when sung by my idol, Josh Groban. -happy face-

Sorry that the chapter doesn't make much sense. And it's STILL un-betaed, so... Sorry! -grovel grovel-

And now, after a month and a half of silence, I present chapter 12 of "Go The Distance"! ENJOY! -smiles-

---

CHAPTER 12: LET ME FALL

Zim was in there for the rest of the day. No sound passed through the door, no indication that he was almost done with the "procedure." Occasionally, Gir would pop in and out of the doors on his master's orders, always with shining red eyes.

Dib, who was worrying over the girl, eventually dozed off outside the room, leaning against the wall. His dreams, however, were far from relaxing. Still chased by the ghost of his insanity, always eating away and tearing out his heart…

Dib, Dib. It chided. What do you think you're doing? You don't honestly believe that Zim is telling the truth about his mission, do you? When Dib tried to explain about the tears the Irken had shed, his inner voice scoffed. Tears of pearls, my boy. Don't you remember how he's tricked you before? He's simply waiting for you to let down your guard again and he'll leave you all alone. And this time, he'll know you'll try to track him down and go so far away that you'll never find him.

"That's not true…" Dib murmured in his sleep, brow furrowing. "'S not true… Zim'll…"

"Zim will what, Dib-worm?" A voice broke through his unsettling dreams, sounding distant and far away, almost faded. Dib wasn't aware that the real thing was talking to him and grunted a little in his sleep.

"Zim won't leave again…" Dib grumbled, shifting slightly to try and get more comfortable on the floor, yet unaware that he was doing so. "He can't… Wouldn't be… fair…" His words dwindled away to nothing and he was silent once again. Ha, do you actually believe the things that you say? My dear child, he will run away again and you're quite aware of that…

"Wake up, Dib!" That same once again shattered his dream world, effectively waking him up. Startled, the boy shot up off the floor into a sitting position, looking bewildered and slightly scared. Zim was kneeling in front of him, looking dead on his feet. Blinking sleepily, he managed to speak around his sudden yawn.

"How'd it go?" Barely thinking about the motion in his half-awake state, he pulled the kneeling alien into his lap. Zim squeaked in protest but didn't try to move out of the human's embrace.

"It went fine. She should wake up in a few days." He said, mimicking Dib and yawning as well as he got comfy. Then a thought appeared into his foggy mind, making his antenna flatten slightly against his head. "Hey, Dib. Can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm? Oh, sure." Dib mumbled, leaning forward and resting his head on the black-clothed shoulder of the lithe Irken. Still shaking slightly from his dream, he tightened his grip a bit around Zim's waist. By burying his face into the other's upper arm, he didn't see the nervousness flash across the alien's face.

"Why did you kiss me yesterday?" Zim asked quietly, closing his eyes so as not to see the human's face when he answered. He didn't mean anything by it. The ex-Invader thought sadly. Dib was just trying to get me to let him stay... There's no way he truly cares for me in such a way. And Zim felt ashamed that this made his Irken heart constrict painfully, almost as if he wanted this human's affection and (dare he say it?) love.

"Wow, Zim." Dib said, grinning a bit against the black fabric before moving his head off the other's shoulder. "I didn't know you were that stupid." Grabbing Zim's chin, he forced the alien's face to stare right back at his own. Bewildered, the Irken opened his eyes, not quite sure what the gesture meant.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Zim said, too astonished to be insulted by the "stupid" comment.

"You know what I mean." Dib retorted, leaning forward until their foreheads were touching. "Do you forget things so easily?" Too tired to care about what he was doing and saying, he stared the alien right in the eyes. Shocked rubies looked into dark, fathomless gold, getting swallowed up in the molten rush. "I kissed you because I like you, Zim. That's what humans do. If we like someone, we kiss them and hope they like us back."

"B-but I'm an alien." Zim said, feeling his heart speeding up at the other's nearness. And still, he wasn't trying to get away. He didn't want to move away, didn't want to leave the heat and affection the other boy was radiating. Feeling ashamed to admit it, even to himself, he wanted to feel loved and cared for, something that he had never felt before in his 159 years of life.

"And I'm an alien to you, aren't I?" Dib said quietly, taking notice of Zim's reluctance to leave. "If you don't like me, I'll never kiss you again. But I won't ever, ever leave you." Because I can't live without you. Dib thought to himself, trying to convey the emotions inside through his eyes and into Zim's mind. Because I'm nothing without you. You are my everything and I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you. I would've gone crazy long ago and just killed myself. Don't you see that, Zim? I don't want to be alone anymore…

"But you were always… you never said you liked me!" Zim cried almost accusingly, still trying to find a way out of the situation without giving into his own human desires. He so badly wanted to tell the other that he liked him, too.

"That's because I didn't for a long time." Dib retorted. His tone wasn't angry or condescending, just bluntly telling the truth. "But about three years ago, I did start liking you. Right after…" He swallowed thickly and looked away for a moment. "You were banished." Turning back to the other, he let all of the emotions in his eyes show through: affection, caring, love, sorrow, hope, fear. "Please… Don't give me other excuses. Just… tell me how you feel…"

"Dib…" Zim didn't know what to say. A battle was being waged inside himself, one that had perhaps started three years ago. The two sides were his Irken self and his more human self. One wanted to stay clear of the Dib and all that he had to offer. The other wanted to cling to the boy and never let go. Finally, after three years of fighting for dominance, one side won out.

Leaning forward just a bit more, he barely brushed his lips against Dib's, hoping for a good reaction.

Needless to say, the human was shocked. He'd been expecting, more than anything, rejection. But definitely not this. All his life, Dib had been disappointed by those things he believed in. And now the person he believed in most was giving him exactly what he wanted. Closing his eyes, he returned the kiss softly, tightening his grip somewhat so their bodies were pressed against each other tightly.

They stayed that way for a few moments, clinging to each other as if they never wanted to let go. Finally, Dib broke the kiss and leaned back a little, happiness sparkling in his eyes like never before.

"So… does this mean we're…" Unable to go on, he twirled a finger in the air, as if that would provide the rest of the question. Zim didn't understand, tilting his head to the side. Maybe the human was speechless? Coughing a little from embarrassment, Dib tried again. "Are we… g-going out?"

That caught Zim by surprise and a faint orange blush crawled into his cheeks. He was sure that, had he been human, the blush would've spread to his ears and neck. Regardless, he managed to nod a tiny bit, smiling.

Not knowing how to show his joy any other way, Dib leaned forward and kissed Zim again. It was so strange, these feelings. He'd never even felt this way about a girl before, much less an alien. Perhaps it was just the fact that he'd been obsessed with Zim for so long or maybe he had always secretly liked him.

Zim broke the kiss this time and looked at Dib with bright eyes. "Doesn't this mean you have to get me a ring?"

Woah. Back up.

"What?" Dib said, blinking in surprise. Then a bright red blush spread over his cheeks, managing to reach his ears much like Zim had been imagining for himself a moment before. "Oh. No, Zim, that's only for people that are getting… Er… m-married." Gah, this was such an awkward conversation now!

"But Di-i-ib," Zim whined a little, knowing it would make the other feel guilty. "Don't you want to buy Zim a ri-i-ing? Maybe it could be like one of those things Zita and Torque had…" He made a funny face at the mention of the couple. They were too open about their… ahem, sexual escapades. "Promise rings?"

Zim sure knew how to pull Dib's heart strings! The human instantly felt guilty and he gave into the other's demands. "Sure, we can go get some promise rings if you want." Chuckling a little at the mention of their old classmates, he leaned forward and rested his head on the alien's chest again. "Can we do it later, though?" Yawning for the third time that night, he nuzzled the other's body a bit. "I'm still tired… And you are too, from the looks of it.

"Hmph." Zim snorted a bit but his expression softened, realizing how bone weary he really was. "Alright." He grumbled, not sounded as annoyed as he normally would. The entire situation just felt too dream-like, almost as if it wasn't happening. He'd never felt so… needed before. It was a nice feeling, though, and he could only hope that, if this was a dream, he never woke up.

Now the only question was when they were going to sleep… And where.

When Dib awoke the next morning in Zim's bed, he was a little confused as to where he was. Turning on his side, he saw the alien's face, blissful in sleep. A soft grin finally stole over Dib's features as he realized exactly where he was and who he was in bed with. Nothing had happened the previous night, he noted, because they both had their clothes on. Regardless, it had probably been the best night of his life.

Lying there next to Zim gave him some time to think about his current situation, something he had as of yet been unable to do. To start off with, he was in love with his once enemy. How strange fate takes us into her hands and molds us to her liking! Another strange thing, however, was that his thoughts were clear for the first time in days. He wondered why at first but then noticed his glasses were off. Perhaps his head was being pinched by the too-small lenses…

Sighing, Dib realized he should probably go take a shower. Zim would most likely make fun of his stinky self if he awoke any time soon. He was about to move out of bed and get ready for the day when a green hand shot out and wrapped itself around his waist. "Zim didn't say you could go anywhere, human." The owner of the hand grumbled, pulling the other closer to him. Shuddering a little (he was always so cold when he woke up!), he clung tightly to Dib, nuzzling his face into the pale blue shirt the human was wearing for pajamas.

"I didn't say you could pull me back, either, but here I am." Dib muttered, allowing the other to retain dominance for the moment. Besides, cuddling with a pouty Zim was much preferred over facing the world at the moment. "What time is it?"

"Hmm…" Zim checked his internal clock and muttered, "About six thirty. Why?" Grinning cheekily, he looked up. "Got any plans for today?"

"Well, I was supposed to get enrolled at Bria's high school, wasn't I? And isn't it Monday?" Dib said, yet made no motion to get out of bed. He was simply too comfortable. He felt Zim's head fall against his chest and it took a moment for him to realize that he was nodding off. "Oh no you don't!" Dib exclaimed, reaching down and brushing his fingers lightly over the alien's sides. With a squeaking laugh, Zim tried sitting up, but only managed to fall on top of the human. He was being mercilessly tickled and could only gasp in air between giggles.

"D-Dib, haha, stop i-hehe it!" Zim managed to say finally. His ex-enemy grinned and stopped, letting go of the other. Flopping down, the Irken landed with an "oof!" on Dib's belly. Breathlessly laughing still, he was unaware of the human falling asleep himself. Yanking on Dib's famous scythe-lock, he said, "If Zim can't sleep, then neither can you, Dib-worm."

"Five more minuuuutes." Dib groaned, trying to turn on his back and burrow into the pillows. But Zim wasn't having it. Giving the black lock of hair a sharp tug, Zim grinned as the human shot up out of bed, flailing around to get out of the tight grip. Finally he sighed and leaned into Zim's personal bubble, glaring all the while. "You suck, you know that?"

"Yes, yes, Zim is amazing." The ex-Invader replied, letting go of the black strands easily. A question popped into his head and he looked rather surprised. "Hey, Dib. May I ask you another question?"

"I think you just did." Grinning, he ducked down to avoid the alien's half-hearted swipe at his head. "But go on, ask another one or two." Zim rolled his eyes at the comment but did as he was bid.

"Where is your mother? I have only ever seen your father unit but never a mother parental figure." Zim's tone went from playful to serious. It was something that had been weighing on his mind for months now but, with his past relationship with Dib, such a question would be met with a scoff and a, "Wouldn't you like to know?" From the look in the boy's eyes, it seemed he hadn't given it much thought in a long time. Furrowing his brow, Dib looked away for a moment.

"Dad didn't really talk about her. Gaz and I just figured she died in childbirth. I mean, we've never seen pictures of her or anything…" Shrugging helplessly, he turned back to Zim. "I was actually going to see if I could find any files in dad's computer about her… Just for closure or something." Shifting nervously, he looked into bright red eyes. "Maybe… you could help me?" He said hopefully, grinning anxiously. So much had happened in the past twenty-four hours, it just seemed like everything was moving so fast for Dib. One minute he was enemies with Zim, the next they were going out.

Zim nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Yes, yes, I can help you find your mother… I've also been wondering about these 'experiments' Bria was talking about earlier. What kind of things could your father be up to?"

Without even having to ask each other what they were going to do, they both stood up and began to get dressed in separate rooms, getting ready for a day of work. And so much work there was to do: find out who Dib's mother was; look up information on the Professor; and learn what kind of hideous experimentations were going on in Membraneville…

The two worked diligently for hours on end, only stopping for quick lunch/dinner breaks and the occasional bathroom break as well. It had been decided that they would hack into the Professor's computers but that was turning out to be harder than expected. Finally sighing in exasperation and frustration, Dib sat down in a chair next to Zim, who's fingers were flying across an Irken keyboard faster than most humans could type.

"Any luck?" The human asked, looking at the screen hopefully. That hope was crushed when Zim just shook his head, pausing in his movements to look at Dib.

"You should get some rest, human." He remarked, moving a finger out and brushing it above Dib's cheekbones. "You're getting dark circles underneath your eyes."

"I'll be fine." Dib retorted, sitting up a bit straighter. "I've stayed up longer than this watching you, Zim. Don't worry about me." Turning back to the computer, he watched the Irken characters fly across the page, noticing some symbols were repeated more than others. Probably A's or E's or something… He thought wearily, trying to stay awake. Truth was, he had exhausted himself with excitement and kept hoping that something would turn up.

Zim didn't respond right away, still searching for the hidden code into the Professor's files. Eventually, his fingers stopped moving across the keyboard and he frowned in frustration, rubbing his eyes tiredly. While Irkens didn't need sleep, looking at a computer screen for hours on end did tire out one's eyes.

"I'm tempted to look on your filthy internet and just see what kind of information I can find…" Growling angrily, he banged a fist on the Irken keys. "I can break into your Government facilities quicker than a moose can eat a walnut but I can't hack the files of the moron who created super toast?" As suddenly as the anger had come, it melted away, replaced by interest. "I wonder what I might find by looking at the inter-"Without finishing his sentence, he turned to the computer again, quickly typing away. Sites popped up on the screen, some news articles, others about his random amazingness.

"Stop!" Dib cried out suddenly, having seen something worth looking at. "Go back to that one site. 'Professor Membrane Haters Club' or something like that." Zim did as he was told and a malicious grin spread over his face at the links splattered across the page.

"Conspiracies? Forums? A lot of people hate your dad, Dib." Zim said, clicking on the "Conspiracies" link quickly. A long list appeared, even some mentioning his "wife" and the absurd concept of an alien he'd found being sent to Area 51. Moving quickly to the link about Dib and Gaz, Zim watched as a long page unfolded.

Its been whispered in the inner circles of the PMHC about the controversial conception of the Professor's children, Dib and Gaz. Some say that his wife died in childbirth but everyone knows, even those who don't hate him, that he would never be able to keep a wife around.

No, the answer is much more complicated and perverse than most would like to believe. We here at the PMHC suspect that Dib and Gaz are test tube babies, made from the Professor's own DNA. There's quite a lot to support this theory. For instance, the extreme intelligence the two seem to have. While many call Dib insane, it's also very understandable that he's a straight-A student and rarely, if ever, misses class. Even Gaz, who resorts to playing her Game Slave 2 for the most part, is bright and gifted and keeps up her studies, regardless of new levels on her video games.

Another example of the Professor's own DNA being the only prevalent DNA in the two is their hairstyles. It would seem a silly point to make but it has yet to be seen how two children can have such gravity-defying hair without the help of their father's DNA.

But something must have gone wrong in the DNA transfer process. Gaz is as dark as a cloudy night sky, bringing thunder and fire to those who cross her path. Dib, on the other hand, is the epitome of sunshine: always optimistic, trying to save the Earth any way he can (even if he can seem slightly insane at times.) Both are too caught up in their own worlds to follow the footsteps of their father.

Whether it can be truly said that the two are the product of another one of the Professor's twisted mind and even more twisted experiments remains to be seen. But the Professor has never married (as seen by public records) and is in the lab far too often to engage in sexual activities. For now, it is only speculation.

Zim and Dib stared at the screen, jaw's slack. Could it really be the truth? It seemed possible; after all, Membrane had never been the sanest scientist in the bunch. But would he really conduct such an experiment on children?

"It all makes sense…" Dib finally murmured, shock laced in his voice. "Why he always wanted me to study real science… He must have only called me insane to provoke me into giving up the paranormal and following in his footsteps…." His grip on the back of Zim's chair grew tight, knuckles turning bone-white in furious indignation. "Go look up his experiments… The ones Bria was talking about…" Anger was coursing through his veins' all his life, he had harbored the secret hope that the mysterious mother he'd never had would reappear and take him away from his overbearing, yet neglectful, father. Now just a crushed dream, another thing that had eluded his grasp.

Such things can turn you bitter and cynical if you're not careful.

Zim did as he was told, slightly afraid of the way Dib was acting. Hesitantly, he clicked on the link and began to read, timidly reaching back and grabbing Dib's clenched hand. Zim was relieved that the fingers relaxed some ad wrapped delicately around his clawed digits, searching for warmth and comfort.

The Professor has been very open about the experiments he's performing in his nameless city. It's basically a test of endurance: how much pollution to food, water, and mind can a population stand before they wither away? Quite a lot, if the thriving people have anything to go by.

But we have proof of a much more sinister plot in the works. The Professor is a selfish man, surviving on ego and not much else. He's also a genius, albeit an evil one. How does he hide his work form the very people he's experimenting on? Simple: turn them into zombies.

Zombies is meant metaphorically, not in the literal "I'm-going-to-eat-off-your-hands" sense. A few months after he stated his hypothesis ("Human beings have the amazing ability to adapt to any situation.") and gathered the necessary volunteers (families who were in need of some extra cash and willing to live in free housing for a few decades,) they secretly began to rebel against him. To appease his growing fear of losing his scientific reputation, he created an over-the-counter "happy pill." Masking it as a cure for stress, he insured that every adult (and perhaps half of the teenagers) would buy it.

And they did so, finding that, amazingly, the stress fell from their shoulders. But they began to realize that, if not taken constantly, their stress would return tenfold, along with aches and cramps and horrendous migraines.

So Membrane turned the people into living dolls who praised him and loved him, never questioned his reasoning and never again rebelled. He continued to feed them polluted meat, tainted water, and barely breathable air. Under the influence of the Professor's amazing stress cure, the people thrived, became more stupid, and expanded the boundaries of their city. Soon, their idiocy caused them to invent their own products, services, and fast food chains. Poop cola, malls monitored by a man who turns people into real zombies, and MacMeaties; all horrible and perverse.

The secret to the pills is very simple; tiny nano-bots that go straight to the brain and target (specifically) the frontal lobes (used for logic and reason) and the hippocampus (creating new memories.) Thus, this insures that they never question his reasoning and have memories that are rather fuzzy. Depending on the certain person, the nano-bots will concentrate on the place where memories are stored and, if deemed dangerous, systematically have the memories destroyed.

How did we get all this information, you ask? Simple. One of our correspondents, who we'll give the alias of "Lou," has a cousin who lives in the city. He was told of this miracle drug and, being part of the PMHC, hurriedly asked for his cousin, nicknamed "Morgan," to fly over for a visit.

Upon arriving, Morgan was skittish and not altogether pleased with having her brain scanned (which is understandable.) But she allowed us to look at the damaged parts and, when asked, also allowed us to examine the pills. We've lobbied the government several times to look at our concrete evidences but it's now under heavy scrutiny that President Man Bush is under the influence of the miracle stress cure.

One can only hope that a man smarter than our President will take notice of our constant letters and finally give us at least a meeting of some sort. Until then, we'll continue to press on and show the world exactly what Professor Membrane is doing to the people who love him so.

"What… the hell?" Zim said first, shocking Dib out of his slack-jawed trance by the uncommon use of the word "hell." Shaking his head, the human looked at the screen for a moment longer; trying to process what was going on in his mind.

"Oh my God…" Hurriedly turning away from the computer, he squatted down ad tried desperately not to faint. It all made sense, it was all so clear; the meds at the Crazy House for Boys; the constant pressing of being insane, all trying to make him break. It didn't just make sense, it was the complete truth. Dib knew what his father had been up to but was too worried about Zim or too much in denial about his own dad to admit it. He had had a chance to stop this, even if he was only eight when it began, and he didn't. It was all his fault, he could just feel it.

"Dib?" Zim kneeled down next to him, gently prying his hands away from his now tear-streaked face. "Dib, talk to me. Are you ok?" Taking a deep, shuddering breath, the dark-haired boy nodded… Then promptly fell on his butt.

"I-I can't believe…" He let the air whistle out from between his stretched-tight lips and groaned, closing his eyes. "God damn it…" Muttering now, he added, "I left Gaz all alone there, too…" Two big gold eyes looked out from behind large glasses, begging Zim for… something. "What am I going to go?"

"You're going to go to bed, human. This has obviously taken a toll on you." Zim said, trying to act like his normal, bossy self. Regardless of his haughty tone, however, concern was etched all over his face. Hauling the other up, he led Dib into the bedroom and tucked the unresisting human into bed. "Sleep." The Irken demanded, brushing away a strand of hair as those pretty nebula-gold eyes fluttered shut under the emotional stress. "I'll be back later." He whispered before slipping back into the room to look at the rumors about the alien in Area 51.

Zim had a theory and he was going to see how right he was…

---

A/N: Can you guys guess what's going to happen with Professor Membrane and this secret alien being captured? I bet at least half of you know. -smiles evilly-

Yes, no appearance of Bria in this chapter. She's still out cold and will wake up next chapter; you'll be able to see the effects of her amazing surgery and hear the hysterical (in a sad way) phone call to her parents. And perhaps Zim and Dib going to school... If I feel like it. AND TONY GETTING TORTURED! COOKIES AND PRAISE FOR THAT, YES?

Ok, so, about that new character that I'm DEFINITELY going to introduce next chapter... Yes, as some of you have already guessed, he's Irken. But NOT an Invader. I won't fall under the Marty-Stu cliche, no sir, I will not. But hopefully you all like him. -happy face-

PLEASE REVIEW AND AGAIN, I AM SO SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT! -grovels-