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Another night passes before Dib wakes again.

The moment he registers his conscious state, the nonexistent contents of his stomach roils again. He opts for feigning sleep. At least for a little while. Until he can sort everything out.

In sleep, he can forget the fact that his sister and Father are dead.

Gaz, psychotic, game-and-junk-food-obsessed Daddy's girl that she was, had always treated him as more of an insane nuisance than an elder brother.

Professor Membrane, too, had always regarded his son as clinically insane, was never around enough for his children to really get to know him, and constantly expressed his wishes for Dib to come into reality.

But just because his family was dysfunctional didn't mean Dib wished to be without them. On the contrary, despite the ridicule and lonely heartache, Dib loved them. He still loves them!

But none of that matters now.

They're dead, and nothing's going to change that.

In sleep, he can forget that everything he's ever known is gone, that whatever meager supplies they have will probably run out sooner than later.

He may not have liked the people of the Earth much, seeing as they had all called him crazy on more than one occasion—unfortunately, when one is the son of a world-renowned scientist, news of his paranormal exploits travels like that!—but he does feel sorry for them, either unaware or naïve of the oncoming threat until it was too late.

In sleep, he can forget that his mortal enemy is actually caring for him!

It's creepy and weird and frankly so out of character that it makes Dib's skin crawl. But at the same time it sends him reeling.

The alien could so easily have let him bleed to death, but he didn't, and though Dib remembers the conversation with Zim from last night, this only serves to make the boy feel all the more confused. The Irken had sounded genuinely guilty, his whole being practically dripping with remorse, and the incredible sympathy Dib felt at that moment is invoked again.

He doesn't want to admit it even to himself, but in spite of everything and no matter what their past entails, Dib simply can't find it in himself to pin the blame on Zim. Truly, though he'd gone about it in the wrong way, the little Irken had tried to stop the explosion from destroying the planet!

And now, despite the fact that in reality Zim's situation is astronomically more crippling than Dib's, the alien has been tending to him all this time, only looking after himself at what Dib would imagine to be GIR's kind insistence.

Sighing lightly, Dib wills his eyes to open. Call him crazy, but he swears this experience is changing them both for the better.

GIR screams intelligibly, and in the few seconds it takes for the child's vision to clear completely, both servant and master are at his side.

"You gave us quite the scare last night, Dib-monkey," Zim scolds, arms crossed as he taps his foot. "Are you feeling better?"

The boy nods and tries to sit up, but a cold hand stops him. Dib peers up curiously to find GIR, and golden-honey eyes flit to Zim. "What's he doing?"

The android speaks for himself. "Master says you need to stay down till you feel all better! Just like the happy chicken," he steps back and begins doing the chicken dance, "dancin' like this!" After a moment more, he stops his antics and beams at his master and friend. "Then you can dance with me like you did when master went bye-bye that time!"

The twelve-year-old smiles at GIR. He remembers that, all the fun they had together. He admits he's always liked the crazy little sidekick, and his fondness only continues to grow. He even thinks he sees Zim smiling.

"Yes, yes, what he said," Zim says, waving away the exchange with his hand. "Now then," walking toward the would-be door without bothering to don his disguise (having no need for it anymore), he swivels back for an instant, "I'm going out to scavenge for supplies!" He trains his eyes on his mechanical servant. "GIR!"

The little robot's outer circuitry glows red, his eyes narrow, and he salutes his commanding officer. "Yes, my master?"

"Watch the Dib-human! Make sure he doesn't injure himself further! That would only add to our repulsively mountainous problems!"

Somewhere in all of that Dib catches and decodes the underlying message: it's Zim's crazy way of showing he cares. The human shrugs. He'll take what he can get for now; it's not like Zim has much practice in the learned art of conveying affection, after all. Besides, it's not like he himself was entirely civil last night, so he supposes it's only fair…

GIR fades to his usual cheery light-blue, and he grins crazily. "Okay!"

Flopping onto the couch armrest closest to Dib's head, the A.I. leans in to train his eyes on Dib.

The Earth boy, however, has stopped paying attention.

Zim's left by now, but the smirk on the child's face stands. This ordeal really is bringing them closer together than their rivalry ever has or could. Now that Zim is showing his true emotions more openly, is acting more like a human than the Irken himself probably comprehends, the Earthling and invader might truly have a shot at a wonderful friendship.

The idea will take some getting used to—after all, they've been at opposite ends of the spectrum for nearly two years now—but he's already starting to like the new Zim.

He can't believe he's saying this, has never thought he would say this, but…

Perhaps Zim was right. Perhaps they aren't so different after all.