Weeks progressed and nothing seemed to be getting any better. People were bitter that Zim hadn't been punished yet for fighting with their vortian allies, Membrane would not let up on Dib having children, and Zim seemed to get more and more sick as time wore on.

It was increasingly bad in the morning, it seemed, Zim usually going all night without food, meaning that's where his blood sugar was at its lowest.

"Are you sure no one slipped you anything?" Dib asked worriedly, rubbing Zim's back.

"Positive." Zim said, leaned over almost half in the bed, forehead touching him knees in an attempt to keep the nausea down. "It's just... low blood sugar. That's it. I'll be fine."

"But it's not like you're eating less than normal. Zim, I'm worried." Dib pestered, kissing the back of the irken's neck.

"Yeah, but as long as I can still have sex you're fine, right?" Zim asked under his breath. Instantly though he regretted that, sitting up quick, in time to see Dib's expression drop and a hurt look taking the place of a worried one.

"What was that for?" Dib asked, pulling back a little.

Zim shook his head. "I didn't mean that I really didn't mean that! I don't even know where that came from!" He was doing one-eighty's, unable, it seemed, to control what was coming out of his mouth. Not that he was ever good at controlling it before, but it was almost like a word vomit.

And, just as an 'I'm sorry' was about to spew forth something else erupted from him. Something that much resembled the waffles he'd eaten just an hour ago.

"Zim!" Dib shouted in worry, hand moving once more to Zim's back as he threw up all over the bed. "Zim you're sick! Something's wrong!"

Zim shook his head, unable to say anything around his throat clenching and his stomach trying to push out more than what was actually occupying it. He wasn't sick, he couldn't be sick, irkens didn't GET sick!

"Please, you're the only one I can turn to! Something's wrong!" Dib exclaimed, shoulders almost shaking.

"No, I can't." The vortian before him said. This one was just a little shorter that a ten year old with bright green eyes and pale, almost white skin. She was different from the others in that she was the only one Dib felt was even remotely helpful. She was in the medical profession before being sold into slavery and was doing all she could to learn human biology and anatomy. She said it was actually easy because humans were remarkably similar to irkens, which, she was well trained in.

"PLEASE, Nils. He's getting worse and worse." Dib pleaded. "He says it's just low blood sugar but-"

"Then that's probably what it is!" Nils shouted. "Dib, I can't help you. I like you, but I refuse to help Zim. He's dangerous to this mission. You know if his pak wasn't completely locked the Tallest would easily be able to track him right to us!? Not to mention that anyone he's loyal to ends up hurt. Just look at those scratches on your face!"

"That was an accident!" Dib defended quickly.

"Yeah, and so was the death of the previous two Tallests, along with millions of his fellow irkens. He's a nightmare!" Nils pointed out.

Dib sighed and slumped to the stool. "He's not like that anymore. He's calmed down. Please. He's so sick, no matter how much sugar we give him he just gets worse. He's in almost constant pain and he refuses to admit that something might be wrong. Please just have a look?"

Nils glared at Dib a moment before sighing and nodding, saying, "Fine, bring him to me, I'll take a look at that irken for you. But I can't promise anything. Irkens don't get sick."

Dib nodded with a smile and gave Nils a hug before running off to get his irken.

Zim almost refused. Nils was friends with the other vortians, wasn't she? But Dib talked him into it, eventually just carrying the sick green creature to the med ward on his back.

"Oh relax." Nils said as she went about the med wad, getting what she needed. Zim just glared at her, looking suspiciously around. "We're just going to run a few scans, see if anything in that evil spooch of yours is damaged."

Zim stuck his tongue out when Nils back was turned, but other than that didn't say or do anything. She brought over an all but obsolete sonogram machine. It was the most the humans had, and it would have to do for the vortian since she didn't have access to any of her more advanced equipment. She put the thing to Zim's stomach.

Zim kept his eyes on the monitor, just as the vortian did.

"What's that?" She asked, pointed to a little round thing attached to Zim's squeedily spooch, just below the stomach.

Zim squinted his eyes at it before they widened in shock. He quickly composed himself though. "Nothing... scar tissue."

"You've been stabbed?" Nils asked, narrowing an eye at Zim. "Who could keep you still long enough?"

Zim turned his head to glare at Dib a little.

"Well, I don't see anything that could be causing any sort of pain." Nils said with a sigh, hopping from her stool. "Or the sickness. But I would like to take some blood work, just in ca-"

Zim quickly cut her off, hopping form the bed. "You know what? I'm feeling better. It's probably because it's lunch time, I could use some lunch, tacos are good!" He rambled, smiling widely at Dib.

Dib frowned or a moment, saying, "You can't eat tacos, they're made with meat."

"Did I say tacos?" Zim asked. "I meant nachos. Come on, let's get some nachos!"

"Zim, I really think we should do some-..." Again, Nils was cut off.

"Blood work, yeah, later!" Zim called, wrapping his arms around Dib's arm and dragging him out of the med ward.

All that day Zim had been acting funny, either avoiding the subject of him being sick, him trying not to act sick, or him stuffing his mouth with food so he was unable to talk about it.

"Gosh I'm tired!" Zim said a little louder than was needed when Dib tried to bring the subject up again.

"Gosh?" Dib asked, raising a brow. "Did you really just say 'gosh'?"

"Gosh, you're repetitive." Zim said, smirking at Dib. "Relax, I'm fine, you're fine, we're both fine, can we just get some sleep?" He asked, holding his hands out, a demand for cuddles.

Dib sighed and laid down next to Zim, snuggling up to the alien. "You're weird." He said, his eyes slipping closed. "Just... as long as you're ok. I worry about you."

Zim frowned a little, resting his head on top of the human's as he cuddled back, saying, "I'm fine Dib. Don't you worry about a thing."

Zim waited until Dib fell asleep before prying himself from the human's arms. He had to get out! He had to get out now! There was no way he could let Dib find out!

He put some clothes on and packed some sweets before slinking out into the hall. Dib didn't need this, he didn't need this kind of hassle, not from Zim! The irken had caused enough problems in Dib's life, it seemed.

He quickly snuck his way into the docking bay, needing to duck down random hall ways and take detours and eventually had to crawl the last twenty or so yards through the air vents. He made it in though and snuck over to his ship, which hadn't, to his knowledge, been messed with too much, thanks to the humans want for some working irken technologies. He climbed aboard and sluggishly began his take off. He didn't want to leave. He hated it at the Membrane space station, he really did but he wanted to be with Dib.

"I should be selfish!" Zim said, almost canceling the take off. "I should be selfish and stay! Make him put up with the trouble!" He then sighed and shook his head. No, he couldn't do that to Dib. He'd been arguing with his father constantly about not wanting a child... he couldn't make Dib put up with a half irken one! He couldn't make Dib take care of a pregnant Zim either! No one but the Tallests deserved that!

Not that Zim could go to them either. He had only one choice and that one was only slightly better than the other two.

Finally though he took off, slipping out the shuttle doors with no problems. No one really cared if anyone left, it was only getting in that they were worried about.

Zim flew for a few hours before getting to empire territory. He just hoped no one noticed him before he could make it to an Irken planet. There had to be some back alley abortionist or something!

"Then I can go back to Dib." He said, sighing.

A few more hours of drifting found Zim close to Foodcourtia. He could almost smell the deep fried treats of doom all the way out here, but he took comfort in it, knowing he was closer to his goal. He jumped as a signal flared up on his monitor and he quickly pulled up the ship's schematics, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Damn it!" He yelled. When his ship had been repaired they'd messed with the engine systems. That and he was low on fuel, dangerously low!

He pulled up a map of the area quickly, hoping there was a safe place he could stop and get some fuel, but the only habitable planets within range were Foodcourtia, Judgmentia, and a little back alley planet called Clariala that wasn't safe for any irken to land on. It was a horrible humid planet, infested with bugs that size of voot runners and monsters that could eat an irken in one bite.

Which one could he risk though? On one hand the Foodening was taking place. If he landed there he'd be stuck there for a little less than twenty years. Once he was there no one would be able to get at him until it was over, though of course they'd be waiting to ambush him the moment he made his escape, possible the whole armada would wait for him to get off that planet.

On the other hand there was Judgmentia. Chances were no one would think of looking for him there and if he was lucky he'd be able to fuel up there and could easily be on his way before he was even noticed. On the other hand if an Existence Evaluation was going on then the Tallest would be there, along with an almost planet full of guards there to keep them safe. He would be bound to be noticed, though so far that sounded a whole lot better than Foodcourtia.

Yes, he decided he'd land on Judgmentia. Even if he was caught he could always just escape again. It would be easy! It always was.

"Irk, why don't we just kill him already, why bother with the whole trial nonsense for someone this old?" Purple asked, tongue poking out in disgust at the wrinkled, grey form facing the Control Brains for his Evaluation.

"I know, he'll probably fall over dead the moment the Brains make their ruling." Red said with a small laugh, though trying to keep his voice down. They were supposed to be paying attention, but no one really cared. This old irken was well decorated and had fought in many a battle, sure, but for the past fifty year's he'd sat behind a desk filling out paper work and sending OTHERS into battle He'd lived out his usefulness and his body had all but given up. He'd get a new body if the Brains deemed him worthy but everyone knew they'd rule to have him absorbed into the collective of other irken consciousness.

Purple chuckled as him and Red continued passing forth jokes at the older irken's expense when one of their guards interrupted, saluting respectfully. "Sir's , I've just been told that a ship has entered this sector of the atmosphere."

"But that's supposed to be locked down." Purple said, looking confused. "A trial's going on!"

"They must have snuck through with an emergency patch. Just go blow them up." Red said, waving a hand before continuing on with another joke.

The guard nodded and relayed the message into a communicator on his wrist.

Zim pulled into a fueling station, running his credits into the system so his ship could be refueling while he hopped out to look at the damage.

He opened the engine compartment and immediately frowned. The humans had all but torn the whole thing apart! No wonder it was running like crap!

"This will take hours to fix." He grumbled, putting a knee to the voot to stabilize himself as he all but climbed into the engine compartment.

As the ship fueled up Zim went about repairing what he could with just his hands, reconnecting wires that had been mixed up, tightening connections, twisting knobs, and scowling as he got his hands dirty and spilt engine gunk.

"FREEZE!" Came a bark from behind Zim, making him gasp and jump, his head hitting the roof of the engine compartment hard.

"Shit, what!?" He barked back, turning and putting a hand to his head.

"I said freeze! That means 'don't move'! Not 'turn around and look at me!'" A soldier said, laser pointed at Zim. There was a group of three there, wearing the armor of the Tallests' personal guards.

Wait, then that meant, "The Tallest are here?" Zim asked, pulling his hand down to look at it and see if he was bleeding.

"Are you stupid, you're still moving!" The soldier yelled.

"Then shoot me!" Zim yelled back, turning quickly to climb over his ship and start his escape. But his command was followed swiftly and expertly, the middle soldier shooting him in the back of the knee, sending him toppling to the ground.

"Damn it," He breathed, trying to get up but the pain was too horrible. If it was just his leg or even his ankle he'd have been fine, he could have hobbled to safety. But with the back of his knee injured like that he couldn't move that joint at all without intense pain shooting all up and down his leg and skin tearing horribly with the movement.

"Boys, we'll be getting a big raise today!" The middle soldier said, walking over and hulling Zim up to his feet, making him cry out in pain. "We've just captured the traitor Zim!" The other two chuckled and one moved to the other side of Zim, both soldiers holding him up as they dragged him to what Zim could only picture as his doom.

Zim was detained in a fortress like building, his hands shackled not once, but twice behind his back, along with his feet. His leg had gone numb hours ago with pain killers that a medic had so kindly given him hours ago, one of the side effects being that his vision went blurry from the dizziness, which made him want to puke.

He leaned over in the chair, folding himself in half as he tried to hold himself back, even shutting his eyes to prevent the blurriness from affecting his stomach. That just seemed to make it worse though as the room started to feel like it was spinning, like when you close your eyes on a roller coaster.

He heard the door open and closed but he didn't dare look up from his pants. When he didn't hear any footsteps he could only assume that either the person that walked it was either struck dumb at the sight of Zim all but curled up in the fetal position, or it was the Tallest.

"So, Zim. We spend a little over a year looking for you and you just deliver yourself to us in the end?" Red asked, sounding as superior as ever.

Purple burst out laughing, unable to keep a serious tune as he asked, "Are you some kind of retarded smeet!? How stupid can one defect be!?"

Zim didn't dare open his mouth.

Red's smirk could be heard in his voice, "Did he do us a favor and die?"

Purple sounded disappointed as he pointed out. "No, look, he's still breathing." He then floated over and gave Zim's back a poke.

Zim gave a sick groan, "Shit... don't do that." He mumbled, the skin around the poked site was now crawling and itching with the effects of the drugs, making him want to throw up more. Red grinned evilly and floated over as well, giving Zim's back a poke as well.

"What's the matter, ZIM? Don't like being touched?" He asked.

"Stoooop," He groaned once more, but Red just poked him more, Purple soon following suit.

Breathing got hard as the Tallests teased and tormented him and he tried to keep himself back but in the end he sat up and gave a dry heave of warning. After that though he could feel his stomach clenching and in order to avoid instant death he didn't turn to either one of his sides, the Tallests being there. Instead he tried to lean as far forward as he could as he threw up, wanting to avoid hitting his knees with his half digested food. His efforts only resulted in him falling off the chair.

The Tallests backed up quickly, eyes wide and they stared for a moment as Zim landed in a puddle of his own vomit before breaking out into laughter.

"I don't know what that medic gave you but we MUST give him a raise!" Purple laughed, smacking Red on the back.

Zim rolled over, looking like he was gonna be sick again, but that was just from how disgusted he was.

"I'm sick." He mumbled, pulling at his shackles and twisting his legs, trying to push himself up.

"Sick?" Red asked, crossing his arms. "Irkens don't GET sick."

Zim scowled. "Shut up!" He yelled, feeling his anger instantly flare. "If I wasn't sick I wouldn't FUCKING be here! I would have stayed out of irken territory!"

The Tallests instantly shut up. Zim- Zim had just cussed at them! And what's more, his logic made perfect sense.

Red snapped out of his shock first, scowling. "You're eager to face the brains aren't you?"

Purple crossed his arms and glared. "I think he wants to die, Red."

Zim smirked then. Oh how he smirked. He smirked in that oh-so-superior way that people seemed to always smirk at him.

"You can't kill me." He said with confidence. "I'm pregnant."

Red and Purple looked at each other in confusion. Pregnant, no way. Males didn't get pregnant.

But then, irkens didn't get sick, but clearly there was something wrong with Zim.

Zim watched the Tallests, almost able to hear the wheels in their heads turning. Oddly enough the very thing that landed him in the Tallests' grasp was the very thing that would save him. The Tallests wouldn't get rid of him if he was pregnant because irken scientists were still trying to find a way for their race to reproduce naturally.

The irken race had lost that capability millennias ago. Their race used to be like any other, like the vortians and even humans. Technologically they had been inferior, but they thrived, like ants. They were fantastic engineers and that's why some races believed that the Control Brains picked them to help in their plans to dominate the universe.

Once technology was added into the mix things seemed to change. They were given paks and slowly they began to need them just to survive. Their children began to be born dead, and would need a pak and the shock to bring them to life. Of course at first this turned out to be rather helpful, because that meant that no children were lost in child birth and the population sky rocketed. But then females were steadily losing the ability to give birth, and eventually the males weren't even able to lay their eggs. The whole population became barren. That's when the race had to turn to genetically engineering their young. Many think this was a good thing, because that meant superior breeding, which meant that there were no birth defects to get in the way of universal domination.

But there is still the thought in the backs of everyone's heads. 'Just in case. We need to know, just in case.'

"I don't believe you!" Purple said loudly, crossing his arms.

"Run a scan then. You'll see it. An egg pouch attached to my lower spooch." Zim challenged.

"Huh-uh." Purple said, shaking his head. "You have some kind of plan. I know it. You have a plan to escape that involves us taking you to the med bay."

Red rolled his eyes at Purple's paranoia and went over to a communicator on the wall. "Someone send a medic down here with a scanner immediately."

"My Tallest...." The medic said, amazed as he stared at the picture on the scanner. "There it is. H-he's pregnant."

Zim smirked as he watched the Tallest' face contorted into odd shapes as they experienced denial, shock, fear, then anger. He thought that if they decided to kill him now, he'd probably die happy. But they weren't going to kill him. They were going to keep him alive, they HAD to.