Lady watched as Tramp walked away with Scamp, Annette, Collette, and Danielle. He smiled at her and she returned the look. The pups had been complaining for what seemed like hours that they were hungry. While Tramp took the puppies to get a snack, he told Lady to enjoy the beach alone for a while. He knew how tiring it was to watch over those four rambunctious pups.
Lady swerved between beach towels, food, and sandcastles as she walked along the Hawaiian beach. It was scorching out, and she needed a drink. She was beginning to pant, and she knew that wasn't ladylike. Finally, she made her way to the clear blue water and dipped her paws into it. Sighing, she lowered her head to drink. After a few simple sips, she lifted her head and licked her lips, watching many tanned children squeal and splash through the waves. A couple of yards beyond them were much larger waves, with surfers riding them. Fascinated, Lady sat in the shallow water, away from the children, and watched the surfers. She noticed one young woman and man, with a little girl, all on one surfboard. This was puzzling. Lady knew nothing about surfing, but she certainly did know that surfboards were meant for only one person at a time.
Nani had spent the day catching waves with David, Lilo, and Stitch and was having the best day. They were doing their best to manage an awesome and strangely unique formation on one surfboard. Of course, it had been David's idea, which meant it would probably be disastrous. She was balancing on David's shoulders, a lightweight Lilo on one arm and shoulder and a bit heavier Stitch on the other. For the moment, it was going well. A little too well, which was precisely the reason Nani began to feel nervous. She made a weak laugh when she felt the swell increase under the board. Then, after making it down through the barrel of the wave, an undercurrent hit the tip of the board, sending everyone into the water.
Nani managed to catch Lilo into her arms, and David caught Stitch just before hitting the water. She blew a sigh of relief as she looked from one face to the other around her and burst out laughing.
"That was one awesome formation, wasn't it?!" she questioned, a huge grin on her face. Stitch made a face and nodded a tad, where as everyone else laughed. Nani released Lilo, who wanted to swim with the fish and see some sea turtles. Jogging back to the beach, Nani finally grabbed a towel from their spot to dry off for a bit. Watching everyone playing in the waves, she took a minute to people-watch around her until she spotted a cocker spaniel staring straight at her. Glancing sideways to see if anyone else was seeing this, she smiled warmly at the beautiful dog. Is this dog really looking at me? She decided to take a chance.
Getting up, she approached the dog. "Why, aren't you gorgeous!" She knelt down and scratched the dog behind her ear, noticing the name tag on the collar. "And to have a beautiful name for a beautiful dog… Lady!"
The girl had caught Lady's eye and made her way towards her. When she spoke to her, Lady heard a calm, gentle voice and immediately liked the girl. She wanted to say hello, but she didn't want to scare the girl, expecially since there were so many people around. She did as every dog would and barked, then smiled and wagged her tail. She noticed that the other people that were on the surfboard with her were walking in a different direction.
Nani grinned warmly and loved on Lady. "Why, you're absolutely precious! Now, where's your owners, hm?" She smiled lovingly at her and looked around. She immediately spotted Stitch making his way over, shaking off what water was on him and making another face. He never has nor ever will like water, but will tolerate it to have fun surfing. Nani shook her head and chuckled as Stitch approached. "Ooh, doggy cute! Can Stitch pet?"
Nani looked over at Lady. "Why, if she wants you to, sure! Be nice. She's very sweet!" She kept a secure hand on Lady. Not because she though Stitch would be too excited and hurt her, but just so an unfamiliar creature wouldn't scare the dog. Stitch was very gentle with Lady and also spotted her collar, "Oh! Oh! Dog has name! Lady! Lady, I have name, too! Name is Stitch! Stitch has collar too!" He tugged on his collar and showed it off to Lady, obviously very proud of it.
Lady couldn't help widening her eyes at the strange, blue creature as he reached out a claw-like hand towards her. She squirmed for a minute, but the girl was holding her collar, so she couldn't resist the blue creature touching her. At its touch, shivers ran up Lady's spine and she shuddered. However, seeing the creature talk to the girl, and seeing that the girl wasn't frightened, Lady said defiantly, "Excuse me. Who are you? I've never seen anything like you before." She shook herself from the girl's grip and took a step back.
Nani's mouth gaped open. Lady spoke. She couldn't believe it. She turned to face Stitch, who looked just as surprised. When Lady shook herself free, Nani allowed her hand to fall to her side. Stitch just grinned and clapped excitedly. "Lady! You talk, too! Me? I'm an alien! Alien experiment… But I act like puppy for family!" He grinned again and approached Lady gently, holding his clawed hand out, "Don't be 'fraid. Stitch be nice. Want to be friends with Lady dog."
Lady sat down and leaned back. She saw how shocked the girl looked, and, to be honest, she couldn't say it surprised her. She got this reaction from humans all the time, which is why she chose who to speak to. She would never talk to Jim Dear or Darling. That would put a damper on their relationship forever, and she knew that.
As the "Stitch" started talking hysterically, Lady wondered why the girl wasn't shocked by its speaking. Especially since it was the "puppy for family." And an alien? They existed? Sure, Lady had seen them on those movies Jim Dear watched, but even Tramp had told her they weren't real. "An alien? Really?" she said hesitantly, but not in any way snotty.
Stitch clapped again. "Yes! Yes! An alien! But cute and fluffy!" Nani laughed. "You sure are, Stitch." She glanced at Lady. "Why, I never would have figured you could talk! I'm surprised, but it's a pleasure to know that you can!"
Nani stood up for a moment to stretch her legs. "Hey, how about a nice little walk down the beach coast, hm? It's nice out! And, of course, Lady, you can get to know Stitch, and he can get to know you, too! And if you want to know anything, feel free to ask!"
Lady could see that the girl really loved the ali- uh, Stitch. "Yes, it's nice to be able to talk," she laughed gently. Lady looked at the horizon and saw that the sun was setting. It was beautiful. "It would be nice to take a walk, yes," she smiled. She stood next to the girl, and the Stitch stood on the other side. It seemed friendly enough, but Lady wasn't going to get too close, just to be safe.
Nani rubbed Lady on her head, scratching behind her ear. "Let's get going, then." She smiled before catching Stitch's eye and staring him down to be good. Of course, he always was when he hung out with her. The three made their way down the beach, Nani sifting the sand through her toes and lightly kicking at it. It was such a wonderful and cool evening. The wind was blowing just enough to keep a smile on her face. "Oh goodness, this is such a wonderful evening! Lady, how do you like Hawaii so far?"
"Oh, it's beautiful!" Lady replied as she gazed at the sunset. "So perfect and calm and definitely not the same as my little town!" The setting sun reflected onto the water in perfect symmetry; it was so romantic. She sighed, thinking of Tramp. He and the pups had headed back to the hotel by now for sure. Once nighttime came, she knew she would have to return home to put the pups to sleep. No doubt Tramp was exhausted from taking care of them all day.
Suddenly, Lady realized that she didn't know the girl's name. "By the way," she asked sheepishly, "I think I may have forgotten to ask what your name is!"
Nani overheard Lady's remark. She grinned, "Oh, that would also be my fault! Where are my manners? I'm sorry! I'm Nani. Nani Pelekai. And, of course," she paused and pointed to her side, "this is Stitch, though I'm sure you caught that."
She smiled again before watching Lady's face change when she watched the sunset. She tilted her head to the side. "Tell me, Lady, do you have a family? Maybe one day you'd like to meet the rest of mine, and, of course, I'd love to meet yours!"
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Nani," Lady giggled. "And, um, yes, I know the Stitch." She leaned a little away from the blue creature, still a bit weary. She looked at Nani. "Oh, yes! I have three lovely daughters and one rambunctious son, and, of course, my husband, Tramp. We live with our humans, Jim Dear and Darling, and their baby, Junior. They're back at the hotel now."
Nani laughed before sitting down where they were. "Oh! Well, it would be wonderful to meet them all! And I'm sure your little ones are the cutest!" She looked over at Lady. "How long are you and your family staying here? We should have an outing on the beach again!" She leaned back on her arms to watch the waves and felt Stitch cuddle up against her. She grinned and patted his back. "Of course, maybe that'll give you a chance to get to know everyone in my ohana as well. Everyone is very nice! My sister Lilo would probably love to see your little ones!"
"Ohana?" Lady pronounced, puzzled. "What's an ohana?" She cocked her head and replied, "We're here for 2 more days. It was a short visit, but definitely much appreciated." She sat down next to Nani and felt the water gently hit her paws. "Soon we'll be back in New Haven."
Nani said, "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry! I always forget that some people don't know the Hawaiian dialect. Ohana means family, an-." Stitch got excited and continued, "Oh! Oh! Oh! And family means no one gets left behind or forgotten!" Nani laughed and nodded, "Well, yeah, that's very true. Now, where is New Haven? I'm not that familiar with places, except for the major locations."
Lady couldn't help but laugh at the little phrase. "That's so sweet," she said with a giggle. "Ohana," she said slowly. "I like it." She looked up at Nani and smiled. "New Haven is in Connecticut. It's a small town. Not many people have heard of it. It's nothing like Hawaii, though."
Nani replied, "Ah, okay! Wow! I've never been to Connecticut. We've been to San Francisco and a few other cities, but not Connecticut. How is it there? I'm sure it's quite beautiful and quaint! If you're here for another few days, we should definitely get together! Thankfully, Lilo has a break from her hula classes," she looked over when she said that to see Stitch hula dancing for Lady, "so we're all going to be available. And hey, maybe Lilo and Stitch could give you and your family a little show, hm? Hula is a beautiful dance!"
"It certainly is! It's very suburban and quiet and small. I miss it, but I know when we go back home, I'll miss Hawaii." Ladysighed. "Yes, we must definitely meet again. I've heard all about hula dancing. I'd love to experience it in person!" she said, chuckling at Stitch.
Nani nodded, "Definitely!" She paused momentarily before clearing her throat. "And, before I forget, the rest of my family... Well, they're like Stitch here." She nodded over to Stitch, who was still hula dancing. His ears perked when he heard his name and nodded excitedly. "So, they might look a bit strange to you, but they're very, very nice." She smiled meekly at Lady.
Lady tilted her head in confusion, wondering what Nani meant. Surely she didn't mean they were all aliens! But Lady didn't want to say anything about it. She was starting to feel more comfortable around Stitch, so if on the odd chance the rest of her family were aliens, Lady thought she would be alright. "Sounds great, Nani," Lady smiled. "I'll see you soon, then? I should be getting home now; it's almost bedtime for those puppies of mine." She giggled and sighed.
Nani nodded, "Yeah, they're just like Stitch!" She grinned. "But I promise, you'll be just fine!" Nani stood up, dusting herself off and looked off towards the fading sunset, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure David's at the house with Lilo. Would you want someone to walk you back to the hotel? It's getting dark and I can walk you there, to get you there safely!" She bent down to pick up a tired, yawning Stitch.
"If you want, that'd be great!" Lady replied cheerfully as she stood back up. The darkness seemed to be descending upon them quickly, and she wanted to get home before it was pitch black. "I think it's right over..." she turned in all directions, "this way!" She looked at Nani and took a few steps in the direction of the hotel.
Nani laughed, nodding, "I'm pretty sure that might be the way of the hotels." She paused and squinted to see in the distance, the light fading quickly, "Yeah, I think I can see the lights of the hotel. Would that be the right one? If so, it won't be too long to get there!" She adjusted a sleeping Stitch in her arms. When did he get so heavy?! They continued down the stretch of beach, the lights getting closer. She realized that they were terribly far from the hotel, which was really good.
Lady looked up at Nani as she spoke. "Hm," she said. "I think that's it up there." She motioned to a hotel with palm trees surrounding it and a flashing neon sign depicting its name.
Nani nodded. "Alright," she smiled. "This is definitely a beautiful hotel! Great for tourists." She grinned as she stopped walking. "Well, hopefully I'll see you soon!"
Lady giggled. Then, looking up at Nani, she said, "Thanks so much for today, Nani. It really was wonderful to make a new friend here". She smiled at her. "I'll definitely see you before I leave Hawaii! Goodbye!" Grinning one last time, Lady turned and walked up the stairs to their room. As she bounded up the steps, she could hear little footsteps on the ceiling. Smiling to herself, she knew it was her little angels. She couldn't wait to tell them all about her evening on the beach.