To Which Our Future Holds (A ZaDr Story)

Chapter 10

They had been sitting in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time, though Zim wasn't bothered by it like he was by Lizzy. And Lizzy herself felt uncomfortable and upset at herself for upsetting Zim and losing the bit of trust that she had hoped to build between them. With a sigh Lizzy glanced down at her clock shocked with the realization of just how long she had been sitting there. "Ah, it's getting late and I need to get home now" She said as she began standing up "Goodbye Zim."
Zim turned and looked at her his eyes wide "W-Wait!" Lizzy turned back to see Zim leaning forward towards her his eyes pleading "If you're leaving can I come too? I promised someone I would only be out for a little while." Lizzy looked back at him feeling surprised with how he was behaving, she felt bad to tell him no, but she didn't actually know much about his current situation, only that he was found at a park getting harassed by a older man. "Please" Zim asked his voice small and pleading. Lizzy gave him a soft smile "I'll have to ask some other officers, but I'll see what I can do, ok." Zim's eyes narrowed and he pressed himself back into the corner "Ok" was all he said, before Lizzy turned and walked out the door leaving Zim by himself.

Lizzy talked to one of the other officers on duty. Staliz, who she was hoping to talk more to, was off shift now and wouldn't be back to help with Zim till tomorrow. Which didn't give her much hope. "Hey did you figure anything out with the kid?" A female officer asked as Lizzy came over, "No actually not much, though he did say that he wanted to leave because someone was waiting for him. So I was wondering if anyone called in reporting a missing child."
The officer shook her head and glanced at the phone "I took a call on a missing person, but it was a teenage girl not a young boy, and they found her not too long ago, was out with some friends and her phone died so she didn't get her folks calls." Lizzy nodded understanding. "So what are you planning on doing with Zim?" The officer looked down shaking her head "I don't know. We haven't got any calls in for him, we don't have his full name, age, or prints so we can't exactly look him up." Lizzy bit her lip deep in thought "And since he was found by himself at a park, that leaves us without residence or relations." The officer finnaly said looking up at Lizzy.
Lizzy nodded "So as nice as it would be to take him home you really couldn't?" The officer gave a sad nod. "We really don't want to keep him cooped up here at the station, but without his help our hands are pretty tied" Lizzy looked over "And of course you're not planning on just taking him back to the park with it getting dark out."
"Oh no of course not" the officer looked at her startled. Lizzy nodded "This really does make things difficult huh."
"Afraid so."
Lifting herself up Lizzy turned to the officer "Well I have to get home, please call me if anything changes." The officer smiled "Of course, I'll keep you posted" and with that Lizzy grabbed her stuff and walked outside the cool air wafting her hair gently as it carried the dark clouds away promising rain to someone else.
The stars began to peek from behind the clouds as the sun dissappeared beneath the horizon retireing for the night. Lizzy gripped the wheel as she drove home her mind still busy with work and the strange boy she left at the station.

Before she knew it she had arrived home turning the key in the door to be greeted by her husband sitting back on the couch, his mind seeming just as distracted as hers. "Welcome home sweetheart" he smiled "How was work?"
Not wanting to talk about it she looked up at the ceiling "Work was quite chaotic today, where's Ash?"
"I've already put him to bed, you where out quite late today and Ash was getting tired." Lizzy let out a sigh "Yes today's case was quite a handful." Dib gave her a reassuring smile, "That bad huh?" Lizzy nodded "Afraid so, and yet despite everything, I feel like I've accomplished nothing." Dib gave a nod "Don't worry I'm sure you'll get everything worked out."
"I hope so." Lizzy set down her stuff and walked over to the stairs "I'm going to get washed up and say goodnight to Ash I'll join you in bed later" Dib closed his eyes "Actually, I'm going to be down here for a while, you don't have to wait up for me." Lizzy walked up the stairs "Alright, just don't stay up to long, it's already quite late." She called down to him "I won't" he called back "I promise."

Lizzy got out of the shower and dried off her hair, she felt much more relaxed now that she was washed up for the night. Lizzy walked down the hall and opend the door to Ash's room and shivered as she was hit with a cool breeze. "Ash opened his window again? I need to talk with Dib about installing a screen." Lizzy thought to herself as she closed and locked the window. Turning to look at her son, Lizzy gave him a soft kiss "Goodnight my little Ashtion, sweet dreams." She spoke softly to him "I hope that you will be able to live the happy childhood that you deserve." She whispered more to herself then Ash. Turning back to the hall she carefully closed the door so not to disturb her son. Lizzy walked to the master bedroom expecting to find Dib already in bed like usual, but instead the light was out and the room was empty. Remembering what Dib said when she came home, she debated for a while before heading down the stairs to see what was going on.

Dib sat alone on the couch the lights off and the room quiet "Is everything allrigt?" Lizzy's voice echoed from off the stairs as she stood waiting, her hands resting lightly on the rail. "I told you to go to sleep without me" Dib said not bothering to turn and look at her. "I know, you're just usually in bed by now and-" Lizzy stoped as she looked at her husband, his back turned to her and his silence heavy.
Her whole body seemed to chill, a sickening sorrow replacing the relaxation of the night, as she finally realized what was going on from memory of years prior. "It's tomorrow, isn't it?" She asked, a choked gasp her husband's response. "The anniversary of your friends disappearance..."
Dib's muffled voice seemed choke as she spoke, the grief he felt bubbling over and drowning him from the inside out.
"I'm sorry Dib I shouldn't have-"
"No don't be sorry" Dib choked out almost angry "You're not the one who should be apologizing" Lizzy looked at her husband consern in her eyes "What are you talking about Dib?" Dib's voice came out chopped between straining sobs "I'm the one who should be."
"What?" Lizzy looked at her husband shocked with what he was saying "Dib you shouldn't feel sorry."
"Yes I should, this whole thing, the way I am, it's unfair to you and Ash." Lizzy took a deep breath almost feeling as if she should scold her husband for his behavior, but her voice stayed soft and sympathetic "They where your friend Dib, you shouldn't have to feel sorry or apologize for needing time to mourn." Lizzy walked up and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder "I don't blame you Dib, I get that it's hard for you" Dib gripped his hand across his mouth as if trying to suppress his sobs as his voice strained, losing everything to his tears.
"You hurt Dib, you've never mentioned anything about your friend, so there's nothing that me nor Ash could blame you for. We couldn't possibly understand what you are going through." Lizzy let go of her husband's shaking shoulder "Take all the time you need Dib, and we will be right here waiting for whenever you are ready." With that Lizzy turned and walked over to the stairs turning to her husband one last time her eyes reflecting a deep pitty "Goodnight Dib" she said before finnaly leaving Dib alone on the couch his shoulders shaking and his eyes burning as he cried. Dib had leaned over the pain almost physical making his whole body hurt with the memories of years past.

Unbeknownst to him just a couple miles away, locked up in a small room sat an equally quivering child. He sat curled up in a corner a broken camera scattered on the floor as his mind began to strain."I hate this stupid Earth day" he growled pulling himself tighter into a ball, painfull tears falling from his already burning eyes.

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