To Which Our Future Holds (A ZaDr Story)

Chapter 20

Dib stepped down from the stairs, Lizzy's voice catching him immediately "You were up there for quite awhile, I was getting worried. Is everything alright?" She asked, Dib tightened his grip onto Zim. "Yea Zim was just pretty tired and knocked some things off the counter by accident" Looking down at Zim and away from Lizzy Dib's voice became a lighter more somber note "He was practically already asleep by the time I got there." Dib smiled at the sleeping Zim in his arms "But he's fast asleep now" Lizzy looked at Zim, his hair ruffled and damp, the white T-shirt wrapped around him. "That makes sense I suppose, he's probably had a much longer day than the rest of us."
Dib felt something tug on his pant leg, looking down he saw an anxious Ash gripped onto his leg "Daddy?" Ash whined. "What is it Ash?" Dib asked his tone more relaxed "Is Zim okay?" Ash asked. Dib took a moment to answer before he smiled to reassure Ash "Yea, he's just sleeping right now, and when he wakes up he will feel much better." Ash's disposition didn't seem to change "You shure?" Ash asked "He's not gonna be mad?" Dib shook his head "No I don't think he'll be mad when he wakes up." Ash seemed to relax a bit when Dib got an idea "Hey Ash, how about I put Zim to sleep on the couch and you and me go play outside for a bit?" Ash seemed to light up "Okay!" He cheered then shushed himself remembering Zim was asleep "okay." He repeated much more quietly, but still just as excited.
Setting Zim down onto the couch Dib turned to Lizzy. "You don't mind just keeping an eye on Zim right?" Lizzy smiled "No, of course not. Go have fun with Ash'' Dib nodded and looked at Zim "Thanks Lizzy, just let me know if anything happens ok, I'll come and deal with it." Lizzy nodded "Okay Dib." She half smiled before Dib turned and rushed off with Ash "You ready to find something fun to play?" He asked as they walked into the backyard.
Lizzy turned to Zim who was now curled up on the couch, his chest slowly rising and falling with each gentle breath. "I guess it's just you and me now" She said carefully sitting down next to him.

Feeling uneasy, and not finding comfort on the TV, Lizzy shut it off and turned to Zim with a sigh "I suppose this conversation isn't really going much different than our first one did huh?"
Inspecting Zim a little more closely Lizzy widened her eyes in shock. When looking at Zim's legs she noticed two, almost parallel, scars on his left ankle, and on a single thicker one on his right. "Those are some pretty serious injuries" she whispered to herself, "I wonder where he got them" Looking over to her work bag Lizzy wondered "Should I put that down in my notes?" Debating it for a while Lizzy glanced over to the back door, Dib and Ash's silhouettes barely visible through the sliding glass doors.
They ran around chasing each other in the growing dark, the clouds turning hues of pinks and violet. "I wonder if Dib knows where he got them from'' Lizzy questioned "I'll definitely have to ask him later."

Lizzy hummed a soft tune as she stood in front of the oven, stirring the boiling pot in front of her. Lizzy had decided to cook dinner while Dib and Ash played outside. Zim was still asleep on the couch but she made sure to glance his way every once in a while just to ensure he was alright. After clicking off the oven and pouring out the contents of the pot through a large strainer Lizzy smiled.
Lizzy slid open the glass door and called out from the balcony "Boys, Dinner Is Ready, come and get your food!" Dib and Ash ran up the balcony stairs to meet her. "Go wash up while I set the table" she commanded, getting both boys to nod as they slid past her.

The three of them sat around the table the food ready when Ash turned to his father "Mommy, daddy, is Zim going to eat with us?" Dib shook his head "I don't think so, we need to let Zim sleep for now, and maybe he will want to eat with us when he wakes up." Dib offered. Ash held onto the edge of the table in front of him "When is Zim going to wake up?" Dib smiled, glad that Ash seemed to like Zim. "He'll wake up when he's ready, right now you just need to eat your dinner okay." Ash nodded and grabbed his fork "Okay" he responded before taking a bite of his food.
Turning back to Lizzy, Dib tried to inquire about her question earlier "Ok sweetheart, what was your question?" Lizzy finished a bite of food before turning to Dib "Well it's actually a few questions that add up together."
Dib nodded, "Well then, ask away."
After another bite Lizzy continued "Well, to start off. About how long and how well do you know Zim?" She asked "I don't think you've ever mentioned him before" She added under her breath.
Looking off to the side Dib spoke "Well I suppose I've known him for a pretty long time, and I'd like to imagine I know him pretty well. Why?" He asked takeing another bite of spaghetti.
Lizzy glanced down at her plate "I just noticed he had a bunch of serious looking scars on his legs, and I was wondering if you knew where he got them?"
Dib choked on his fork, his face turning a deep shade of pink. "Dib?! Are you alright?!" Lizzy panicked. Dib waved her off "I'm fine I'm fine" he choked out through coughs. Taking a drink of water Dib let out a deep sigh. "I'm fine. Your question just caught me off guard is all" Lizzy looked at her husband with a peculiar look on her face. "I just asked about his scars, I'd think that would be a pretty noticeable thing to mention."
Dib's face stayed a deep shade of pink as he tried to dodge around the question. "Ah, yea I mean. I-I just don't think Zim's scars are. I just don't think it would be - well, Appropriate for me to talk about right now..." Ash's eyes went wide as he looked at his parents "Zim's got scars just like daddy's?" Ash's eyes sparkled as he waited for a response. Dib's fingers fidgeted with his fork as he looked down at the table "Yea, Just like daddy's" Dib murmured.
Lizzy looked down at her food and ate in silence for a while as she thought of what Dib said. "Dib looks all flustered just like the time I asked him about his own scars, I wonder if they got them the same way, but I suppose that just means it's another mystery left unanswered. I'll just have to try and ask him again later."

After finishing dinner Dib turned to Lizzy, "Hey I'll take care of cleaning up dinner if you want to put Ash to bed" Lizzy smiled "Of course, come along Ash let's get you to bed!" Ash hopped off his chair excitedly "Okay, I wanna wear my star pajamas!"
Dib picked up the dishes from the table and rinsed them off in the sink before neatly putting them in the dishwasher to be cleaned. Closing the dishwasher door and turning it on, Dib turned to look at the couch where Zim was sleeping.
Deciding to check up on Zim before heading to bed, Dib walked over to the side of the couch. Dib noticed that the bandages he'd put on earlier were slightly damp and turning a shade of pink. "Ah I should probably get him a fresh bandage first." he thought. Dib walked up the stairs remembering that he still had a few extra bandages in the upstairs first aid kit.

Lizzy stood in front of the mirror washing off her makeup when Dib walked in behind her "Oh, I was just finishing up if you need the bathroom. And Ash is already in bed." Dib walked over to the shelf "Oh, I'm actually going to be a while, I just came to get Zim a fresh bandage, he's still asleep but I don't think putting a new one on will bother him much."
Pulling a bandage out of the first aid kit Dib turned to Lizzy "I'm sure he'd prefer waking up with a fresh one anyways" Lizzy nodded "Alright then, just come up when you're finished." Stopping in the doorway Dib turned back around and placed a gentle kiss on Lizzy's forehead "Goodnight sweetheart" he whispered softly, Lizzy's cheeks turning a shade of pink darker than her blush.

"Goodnight" she whispered back, although at that point Dib had already left.

Dib walked down the stairs bandage in hand when he glanced over to the couch. Zim lay there his arms folded under his head and his legs curled up to his chest. Kneeling down and carefully grabbing Zim's injured arm, Dib began to slowly unwrap it. "Please don't wake up and kill me for this" He thought.
Dib took off the bandage and felt his heart race, "Wow" he thought as he looked at Zim's injuries, despite only having been asleep for a few hours Zim's cuts had been reduced to thin marks that looked almost as if his injury had been days old. Dib grinned "It always amazed me how fast you could heal, your sleep induced recovery is amazing."
After wrapping Zim's arm in a fresh bandage Dib stood up and smiled, satisfied with himself, "There that should be good, with how fast you heal that should hopefully stay clean for you when you wake up." Giving Zim a soft pat on the head Dib walked off "Goodnight Zim" he whispered.

Returning upstairs Dib threw off his shirt and climbed in bed with Lizzy. "You ready for bed" she asked him politely, "I'm ready for this day to be over" he agreed, taking off his glasses and setting them on the bedside table. "Goodnight" he murmured before switching off the light, and casting the whole house into a calm and blissful darkness.
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