To Which Our Future Holds (A ZaDr Story)

Chapter 17

Lizzy returned from her work many minutes later, Dib was still holding onto Zim and it appeared they had gone back to bickering with one another.
Dib stoped, ignoring Zim, as Lizzy walked in, eager to hear the news. "Ok, here is what's going on" Lizzy pulled out some papers and went over them. "Normally with cases like this Zim would be re-homed or sent somewhere like a correction facility, to await adoption. However, within my department I was able to find a way to temporarily house Zim with me for the time being." Lizzy turned to look at her husband a serious note to her voice. "But seriously, this is only temporary, and if I deem any other action or choice better you have to listen-" Lizzy stoped mid sentence as her husband gave her a kiss on the forehead, throwing off her flow. "Thank you" he breathed out, she hadn't realized he was holding his breath. "Of course" she whispered the serious tone of her voice gone. Her husband girined widely, everything about him seeming to light up, even despite the fact that he had bloodstains on his both his clothes and his face. Lizzy felt her cheeks get warm as her husband girined, turning she called over to Ash "Come on Ash, it's time to head home!"

Perking up as he heard his mother's voice Ash turned around in his chair setting the book in the seat next to him. "Comming!" He called excitedly before stopping as he looked at his father his face turning into something much less than excitement. "Why does daddy look like that?" His voice quivered.
Lizzy and Dib both cast nervous glances at eachother neither one knowing quite what to say. "I just spillt alot of pink paint and your daddy was just helping me clean it up." Dib let out a relived sigh at Zim's quick thinking "Yea so now we need to go home so we can get all clean" Ash smiled and grabbed his bag "Okay!"

Lizzy unlocked the car and buckled Ash in before stopping Zim and Dib. "Hold on, before either of you get in I'm putting towels down." Zim and Dib cast a glance at one another as Lizzy huffed "I don't want either of you getting blood all over the seats, and Dib, go put your coat in the back."
Zim smirked at Dib who rolled his eyes and placed him on the ground before taking of his trench coat and folding it up neatly and setting it in the back of the car, being carefull not to stain anything. After setting down some towels Lizzy allowed the two to get in the car, and they headed home.
The drive felt long and quiet as the homes blurred past them. Zim sat in the back with Ash while Lizzy drove, Dib in the passenger seat.
Ash glanced over to Zim who stared out the window his gaze was somewhere far off and his claws began to slice further into his already damaged arm. "Doesn't that hurt?"
Zim glanced back over at Ash then looked down at his arm "Yea" he said looking back at Ash "It's supposed to." Ash squirmed in his seat still looking at Zim his face flickering worry "Then why do you keep doing it? If it hurts then shouldn't you stop?" Zim looked away from Ash feeling bad about what he did. "Yea I guess..." Zim pulled his hands away resting them both neatly in his lap. "I'm probably scaring the Ash smeet." Zim thought as he looked down at his glistening claws, stained a deep pink from his many self inflicted wounds.

Lizzy kept her focus on the road as her fingers fidgeted on the wheel "Hey Dib, can we talk when we get home?" Dib turned to look at Lizzy "Yea of course." Lizzy griped tighter onto the wheel "I mean it Dib, we need to have a serious discussion." Dib looked at his wife and furrowed his brow "I said we would" he thought angrily to himself before letting out a sigh and turning away.
"Why did I get so frustrated over that, Lizzy's had just as long a day as I had... she's probably just stressed."
The whole car seemed to fall into silence as everyone gnawed over the events of the day. Each person in thier own way desperately begging for the car ride to be over.

Lizzy pulled up into the driveway the looming silence of the car ride finnaly broken when Lizzy called out, "Were here." while she stopped the car and climbed out. Lizzy paused and looked over the roof of the car to Dib who had climbed out after her, "Dib can we talk?" Dib turned to her "Yea let's just get Zim in the bath, and find something for Ash to do first. Ok" Lizzy nodded understanding "Ok, I'll take care of Ash" she said before turning her back to him "And I'll get Zim" Dib sighed under his breath.

Dib walked through the Door holding Zim, angrily wrapped up in a towel to insure he wouldn't get blood all over the house. Dib sighed feeling far to tired to bother with the furious alien struggling against his restraints.
Lizzy sat on the couch with Ash and turned on a show for him to watch as Dib walked upstairs with Zim to get him all cleaned up.
Lizzy stared at the flashing screen her mind filtering out the noises and flashing colors, "Sometimes I wonder if I dread today more than Dib" she thought. "My already distant husband becomes someone else, sometimes he can't get himself to eat, other days he barely leaves the room, or he'll just up and leave not coming back till the next day." Lizzy mentally sighed feeling bad for her husband "Sure it's nice the few times when he becomes overly affectionate, and actually comes to me for attention." Lizzy paused her thoughts falling onto a less positive note "But even then he refuses to talk to me. In fact the only reason I know he lost a close friend in the first place is because Gaz told me." Lizzy found herself getting more frustrated the more she thought about it "And then this kid just shows up out of nowhere and Dib's behavior has just.. Where does Zim fit into this? Why Won't Dib Just Talk To Me!?" Lizzy questioned in her mind finding herself far more furious than she at first thought herself to be.

Dib leaned over the edge of the tub and turned the shower as cold as he could get it. "Ok Zim I've turned on the shower so you can wash up without anyone suspecting something, I know water burns your skin so I've turned it to cold so it doesn't fog up the room, I'll just be downstairs if you need anything, alright?" Zim nodded and Dib walked out of the room, Zim's large eyes following him as the sound of running water echoed around the room.
"Oh I almost forgot" Dib stoped and turned around reaching his hand into his pocket "Here I made sure to grab your glove, and be sure to just turn off the shower a few minutes before you've finished." Dib set Zim's glove on the bathroom counter and smiled "See You later Zim" he said before shutting the door behind him.
leaving Zim once again traped, alone in a small confined room.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.