Chapter 9

           Invader Zim

                  Tip woke up with and extreme headache in Zim's arms. It was hard, but eventually she remembered what happened last night. She smiled and closed her eyes again pretending to sleep.

                        "I know you're awake," Zim smiled with his eyes closed

                         "I know you're awake too," Tip smiled

                         "Do you want to go to Skool?"

                         "No,"

                         "Me neither. Not now. Not ever,"

                    Tip's smile grew when Zim said that. They sat there for hours until they got sick of GIR's moans and groans complaining that his head hurt. GIR climbed up on the couch and laid with them saying "My head hurts Tippy," 

                          "Okay," Tip said

                      She got up from Zim and propped GIR onto her hip

                           "What do you want?" Tip asked GIR with a smile

                           "Waffles," GIR said

                           "Okay,"

                      Zim smiled as he watched Tip get the waffle mix out. Tip tied her hair pack then pulled out her apron and struggled to tie it.

                            "Why is this always a pain?" Tip groaned

                       Zim walked up behind her and softly whispered to her

                             "Here," Zim whispered. He laid his head on her shoulder as he swiftly tied the apron around her waist and then her neck. After he did that he hugged her from behind as she put the ingredients in the bowl and started to mix them. Zim was obviously in a love daze from last night. He was happy she remembered.

                              "Haha let go you! I have to pour this!" Tip said playfully

                              "Nope!" Zim hugged her tighter until she couldn't breath.

                              "Oi! You're crushing me!"

                              "You crush me all the time!"

                              "GROUP HUG!" GIR squealed excitedly and hugged both of them

                        Zim took the bowl from Tip's hand and poured it in the maker. He closed the lid then leaned against the counter. He stared at Tip who was leaned against the counter with a smile.

                               "What?" Tip asked Zim

                               "Nothing! Nothing," Zim said then bent down on the floor until he reached GIR's height. Zim started to pet his head.

                                "Good GIR," Zim mumbled softly

                          GIR looked at Zim and smiled. A soft wind blew into the window causing Tip's hair to gently flow in the air. Her face was in shock at Zim's sudden act of kindness to his robot. Now this time Zim asked HER what. She replied "Nothing" with a smile and bent down next to Zim. She gave him a peck on the cheek and said "Softy"

                           Zim blushed and stopped petting GIR's head. Tip giggled and got up from the floor to take out the waffle from the maker. It was a nice morning for the three of them. 

                            After their waffle breakfast Tip cleaned up the table and washed the dishes. GIR put the stuff away. Zim said "I'm going to work on the voot," and walked to where the elevator is. GIR stopped putting the stuff away and followed Zim. Tip put the dishes on the side to try then said 

                                    "Computer? Can you please take me to Zim?" 

                                    "Sure lovely," The computer said sweetly and took her to Zim

                             Tip looked at Zim, who had grease all over him, working on the ship then looked at the ship. It was bigger. Zim expanded it! No wonder why it took years to complete. Inside was all big and not cramped. It looked like a whole new ship! 

                                     "Do you like it?" Zim leaned against the ship with a towel over his shoulder

                                      "Like it? I LOVE it! It's all big and spacious!" Tip said with delight

                                      "Yeah. Now you can walk around in it," He smiled

                               Tip walked over to Zim, took his towel and rubbed some grease off his cheek, and kissed the newly cleaned spot. Zim blushed. GIR softly smiled and said "Aww! She luvs youuu!" and with that said Tip blushed with Zim then put the towel back on Zim's shoulder and walked away back downstairs. A few minutes later she came back up. Her hair tied back. She was wearing a white tank top and jean shorts.

                                        "Let's get to work!" Tip smiled

                                 GIR and Zim smiled at each other then at Tip. Tip walked over to them and started to tinker with the ship along with Zim. GIR was playing the song "Really Don't Care". Zim and Tip looked at each other. Both of them hated pop music especially songs from that artist, but this time they didn't mind much. They actually smiled and hummed along eventually they got tired of pop music though and changed it to "Her Name is Alice". 

                                   Tip and Zim rocked out to the song singing and dancing. GIR did the same. Tip thought of something.

                                          "Hey Zim! Why don't we paint it?" Tip asked Zim

                                          "Paint it?" Zim asked then thought it was a good idea "Yeah...I guess we could do that. What color did you have in mind?"

                                           "Hmm...maybe a nice royal blue,"

                                           "Royal blue...hmm...yeah! That'll work,"

                                    Tip was going to give him one of her world famous bone-crushing hugs when something caught her eye. It was a faded and scratched away black symbol. Tip ran her fingers across it. Zim looked at her.

                                            "Huh? Oh that's my race's symbol," Zim walked over to Tip and put his hands on his hips "Yep. It symbolizes the mighty Irken race. That symbol was created right after the war against the Ka- uh..." Zim gulped "VORTIANS!  Yes yes! Vortians! Eviill vortians! The Irken race won and...imprisoned them!"

                                            "Does your race love war?" Tip asked with her eyes narrowed

                                            "N-No," Zim said "Anyway the symbol is all busted. My Tallest would not be pleased,"

                                            "Then lets paint that too,"

                                     Zim smiled. They worked on the ship the rest of the week. It was ready to be painted by time the weekend came. Tip and GIR went out to buy a bunch of blue and black spray paint. They painted the whole thing blue in one whole day and night. The next day Tip made a stencil of the Irken Army symbol. She tapped it to the side of the ship and spray painted the stencil. Zim was still out buying paint for touch ups. 

                                             "Are you going to leave it like that?" GIR asked

                                             "Yeah why?" Tip asked back

                                             "You should do something creative,"

                                             "Zim wouldn't like that,"

                                             "I think he would!"

                                             "Okay then creative such as what?"

                                             "I don't know. You'll figure it out," GIR said with a smile then walked away

                                       Tip rolled her eyes then stared at the symbol. She ran her fingers over it. Something about it gave her a chill up her spine. She didn't know why.

                                               "Hmm...creative...," Tip mumbled to herself

                                        Tip went to go get her notebook then she came back and started to draw. After she made the design she made a stencil of it. She grabbed a can of blue spray paint then tapped the first stencil onto what looked like the eye of the symbol and started to paint. Then she tapped another stencil on it and painted black. Then she went to the next "Eye" and tapped a different stencil on it. She only tapped and sprayed once for this one. 

                                          Tip stopped painting and removed the stencil to review her work. The right eye said "Invader Zim" and the other eye had a blue and black picture of Zim in a dominant pose. Tip smiled. Zim came in a dropped the bags to the ground.

                                                 "What...did you DO?" Zim asked in shock

                                                  "I got creative? If you don't like it I-"

                                             Tip shut up when Zim walked over and looked at the symbol. He stared at it for a little then covered one side of his face with his hand and laughed.

                                                   "Hahaha my Tallest would die if they saw this! I must be insane because I...kinda like it," Zim said

                                                   "You worry too much about your 'Tallest' Zim," Tip said then started to laugh

                                               Zim and Tip touched up what needed to be touched up with blue paint. After sundown the ship was finished. Zim, Tip, and GIR took a step back to admire their work. Zim wrapped one arm around Tip's shoulders. GIR hugged her leg.

                                                    "You guys did a nice job!" The computer said

                                                Everyone smiled. Zim looked at the attic window. The moon was huge right now.  He tapped Tip on the shoulder and pointed to the window.

                                                      "Roof?" Zim asked

                                                      "Sure," Tip said. GIR yawned "...Just let me put GIR to bed first.

                                                  Tip took the elevator down to the living room with GIR in her arms. Zim went to the roof through the window. He climbed through to the top using his PAK legs. Tip went through the front door and climbed up the house to the roof. 

                                                   Zim held out a hand to her to help her up. She sat beside him with her head on his shoulder. It was kind of cold, but they didn't mind. The sky way filled with silver stars. The moon was huge and it's light made Tip's silver hair shine. There was a hint of magenta showing through Zim's contacts the way the light settled on them. It was peaceful.

                                                    Zim kissed Tip's soft head. Tip smiled. She enjoyed these past few peaceful days, but those days...would soon end.