To Which Our Future Holds (A ZaDr Story)

Chapter 4

Dibs wife returned home later that evening while Ash and his father sat at the table reading his book, the events of this morning clearly forgotten. Ash leaped up from his father's lap and ran over to his mother giving her a warm hug. "Hey Ash, how was your day?" She asked ruffling his hair. Dib watched as his son cheerfully told his mother about his day and showing off his amazing book. After casting a glance up to Dib she turned back to Ash "Hey how about you go tell your plushies about your day while me and your father talk" Ash agreed and hurriedly ran upstairs holding his book in his arms.
Dib looked at his wife puzzled and slightly worried "Is something wrong?" He asked feeling concernd.
"Dib, everything has been so chaotic lately.."
Dib nodded "With what happened with Ash, and the person still being out there I understand what you mean"
Grabing a chair and siting down next to her husband Lizzy continued "Listen Dib, I don't want things to get more complicated" She paused for a second to gather her thoughts trying to find the best way to say what was on her mind, "Dib, I'm pregnant." Dibs eyes lit up with awe and a bright smile spread across his face."You are? Sweetheart that's amazing!"
"I I know Dib but I'm worried. With everything that has been going on lately are we sure this is a good time to be throwing another kid into the mix?"
Dib gently held his wife's cheeks lifting her gaze up to meet his. "Listen to me" he said with a proud confidence in his voice "I don't want you to worry about a thing, I'll take care of everything okay?"
Dibs wife smiled and held her husband's hands looking into his eyes, her curly golden hair slid just over her shoulders and her green eyes lit up with a fondness to match Dibs. "Ok I trust you." She told him before she pulled him into a sweet and gentle kiss.

Meanwhile upstairs Ash had thrown open his door, remembering to close it behind him, and ran over to his bed. Ash tossed his book up near his pillow before attempting to scramble onto his bed to join it.
When Ash heard a soft tapping on his window he looked up to see the bright pink eyes of the creature that had watched him from within the woods. Ash looked back towards his door with a worried expression wondering what his parents would do or think in this situation. With a sad whimper he turned back to see that having already opened the window with his pak Zim had his arms folded on the windowsill as if leaning on a counter to greet him.
Ash shook his head at Zim "Daddy said I can't be friends with you anymore"
"Why would he say that?" Zim asked as if taken aback by this response.
"He said that you where lying and that you where gonna hurt me and take me away"
Zim leaned more onto the windowsill his anteni twitching slightly in the room "And why would I hurt you?"
Ash had to stop and think for a second "Well daddy said that you lied about being his friend so your dangerous"
Zim huffed before hopping through the window onto Ash's bed "I didn't lie about being your dad's friend, your daddy probably just forgot."
Extending a flexible mechanical arm
from his pak Zim lifted Ash up onto the bed setting  him down across from himself  "But I remember your daddy, we went to school together. He liked to yell alot, and he believed in ghosts and zombies and vampires"
Zim smiled "So we can still be friends just so long as you don't tell anybody, we got to keep it a secret remember?"
Ash nodded a bright grin returning to his face "I remember"
Zim nodded back to himself with a satisfied smile, clearly content with something more then just his awncer "So now do you want to read the book you told me about?" Zim asked almost as if it wasn't even a question. With a nod Ash snatched his book and comfortably cuddled up to zims side opening the cover and began to read.

Zim closed the cover of the book as Ash lay curled up next to him having been taken by sleep long before the story's end, though Zim wasn't much to bothered as this was the third time he read through it Ash having helped him the first few times. Deciding it was probably time to get back Zim tenderly tucked Ash into his covers and gave him a kiss on the forehead, a gesture he had learnd from Dib, before wishing him a goodnight. Zim climbed up onto the windowsill and extended out his spidy legs "I'll see you tomorrow" he promised before leaping down into the backyard dissapering into the woods just as the door to Ash's bedroom creaked open. Leaving Dib surprised to find his son already tucked into bed with an open window above him, a gentle breeze wafting the curtains beside it. Dib tried to convince himself that Ash had simply put himself to bed, and that he he had just been really tired tonight. But as the worry slithered around in his gut he shut the window and bid the sleeping Ash goodnight, almost afraid to shut the door behind him.

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