So I guess this is like a sequel to "A bit more than friendship", but this time in Stitch's POV... I really, really wrote A LOT for this one, so I hope you don't get tired xD I guess this is something like a quick break from "If I never met you" and "Bring my Angel back", so don't worry, I haven't left those two... it's just that I've been a bit busy lately with school tests. Hope you like it!
Childish crush
I might have flirted with a few girls some times… well, several girls, actually. You can't tell me that you, at least you boys, don't feel flattered when you see that a girl is paying attention to you when you're trying to get her attention by doing some impressing test of strength or you're trying to show just how agile and skillful you are. The feeling you get is like a valuable prize you've won. That's why I like to flirt with girls. Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm NOT saying that the only thing I live for is flirting. No, no, that's not all. There's coconut cake and coffee too, for example. And my Ohana. And just so many things… it's just that flirting is one of those that make life fun, you know… well, I'm getting out of the subject. I don't want to talk about flirting the whole day.
Well, here's the thing. I MIGHT… I just might flirt with the pretty girls I see around the island, but there's one very especial for me, and I have never really tried to flirt with her, because she's kind of… especial for me. It's not that she's ugly, no. She's very pretty. Beautiful, if you ask me. But I have never tried to flirt with her. Why, you would ask me, if she's the most beautiful girl you've ever seen. Well, I kinda get… nervous, when it comes to her, and her alone. I have no problems approaching other girls, even human girls, to flirt a bit with them (most of times just making big puppy eyes so they think I'm cute and they pet me or give me a snack). But it's different with her. It's different with Lilo.
I don't remember when this whole thing started, but I guess it was since I rescued her from that mangling spaceship. I just had to save her, no matter what happened to me. I finished breaking that glass pod that contained her and stretched my hand out so she could take it. Then I pulled her out and held her in my arms. Not such a great thing, I could have thought back then. I couldn't see shock on her eyes, which I was expecting to see. All what I saw was pure happiness.
-You came back… —she said. It was like she was asking me why.
-Nobody gets left behind. —I replied, convinced that was the reason. I considered her as a very worthy person now. I just couldn't leave her behind and forget about her, after all of the things she had taught me. And then it happened. I think that was it. She didn't say anything else. She just smiled and then dropped it on me. I didn't know what it was, she just pecked my nose with her lips for a split of second and then it was gone as fast as it had come. I couldn't see my face at that moment, but I bet that if I had, I would have laughed at myself. I blinked twice in confusion. It wasn't such a big deal, but it felt so good… like nothing I had ever felt before because nobody had ever given me… whatever it was, but it felt great. Then I remembered we were on a soon-to-fall-to-the-sea spaceship. I smiled a contentment smile. I don't know if the smile was meant for her or it was for me, but I still felt that tickling sensation on my nose.
Several months later, I remembered this. I didn't know yet what it had been. I had learned pretty much about Earth and some gestures and moves that humans use the whole time, but I still didn't know what had been that, so I decided I would ask Lilo. I slid into my cot and forgot of it until next day. Ironically, next day was February 14th, Valentine's Day. That was my first Valentine's ever, so I didn't know what it was about. Lilo was going to have an especial activity at her hula school, as I could see. The heart-shaped cards and candies told me she was going to have something at her hula school.
-Come on, Stitch! We're gonna be late for hula! —she cried, just as she always cried when she had hula classes. I got up and followed her. This was certainly going to be a very interesting day.
When we arrived, I could see that everything had changed inside the hula school. Hearts hung from the ceiling, flowers were everywhere, cookies… even some new kids.
-Girls —Lilo's teacher started —. Remember I told you that you were going to meet today your "secret" friends?
-We were writing letters to kids from other hula school during one month… —Lilo explained me secretly as the hula girls nodded. I kept listening.
-Well, today you're finally going to meet them! —the teacher went on—. Girls, meet teacher Mark from the Kamehameha hula schools in Honolulu and his class.
Almost instantly, a tall thin man entered, and after him about five boys. I'm sure those weren't all of his boys, but well, I don't really know if the other kids had gone to some other hula school to visit the kids in there. Instantly, the girls squealed excitedly. I rolled my eyes. Girls…
-Are you Lilo Pelekai? —one of the kids approached Myrtle. Myrtle turned to him.
-What? Me? No! I'm not weird-lo! THAT —she said, pointing to Lilo —, is Lilo. But want a warning? DON'T get near her! Unless you want her to infect you with her weirdness, of course.
-Uh, O…k… —the boy replied, clearly confused. He started walking up to us then.
-So you're Lilo, huh? —he said smiling friendly. A growl came from the back of my throat. For some strange reason, I already didn't like this boy.
-Stitch! Remember your good manners! —Lilo said with a scolding look on her eyes. I better shut up. —. Yeah, I'm Lilo, and this is my dog Stitch. So I guess you must be Matthew… right?
-Just call me Matt. —the boy said.
-Okay, Matt —Lilo smiled back at him. I felt again the growl coming to my throat, but I kept it back. I have to be good. —. Nice to meet you.
-Same goes for me —Myrtle said as she approached us. That monster! She cannot leave us alone for a second!
-Get away from here, Myrtle —Lilo said in a dangerous tone. Blitznac, she's gonna be on top of her punching her face in a few minutes more.
-Cool off, weird-lo! All I want is to have some chat with this Matt kid —Myrtle says as she hooks her arm into Matt's arm. I smile slightly. Well, this might be the first time I like something Myrtle does.
-Forget about it! He's MY secret friend, not yours! —Lilo exclaims immediately. The frown on her face deepens as she says these words.
-Well, whatever you say. I don't want you to go crazy over this and then hit me as you always do —Myrtle says, as if assuring that the boy heard that. Lilo gasped. —. Or even worse. I don't want you to bite me, because then I'd get rabies.
-Stop it, Myrtle! —Lilo warns, but it's to no avail. Fortunately for us, Moses comes around here and realizes of the soon-to-come problem.
-Myrtle, I think your friend's already here —he says as he pushes Myrtle gently away. Lilo sighs with relief.
-Is all that true? —the boy asks.
-Huh? What?
-Do you bite her and punch her when she gets like that?
Lilo dropped her face in shame.
-Cool. I'd do the same if she weren't a girl.
I slap my face. Lilo lifts her head and smiles at him. This is going to be a long morning…
Later on, after many couple games and other activities, Moses stands up and makes an announcement:
-It's time to deliver your hand-made cards to your secret friend!
The sound of crunching paper and other things comes to my ears as every girl and boy take out their cards and deliver them to their friend. I look at Lilo. She's no exception. She takes out of her backpack a red rectangle with several adorns stuck on it. It's the card she had made for Matt.
-Here's your card —she said as she handed it to the brunette haired boy. He smiles and takes out a heart-shaped card.
-And here's yours —he says as he hands it to Lilo. I've noticed there's something weird about this boy… he likes Lilo way too much, I'd say...
-Wow! This is so cool! —Lilo says excitedly when she sees the inside of the card. —. A couple of werewolves eating people's brains!
-Happy Valentine's Day, Lilo —the boy says as he embraces Lilo. That got it out of me. I had seen them the whole day together and I didn't like it. I growled and tackled him to the ground. I'm not stupid, so I didn't do any harm to him, but still… maybe a little bite wouldn't hurt…
-Stitch! —Lilo shouts when she sees me on the boy. Before anyone else could see what had happened, I jumped off of the boy and sat on the wooden floor, satisfied with myself.
-What…?! —the boy says in shock. I smirk.
-I'm sorry! Stitch must have though you were attacking me or something! He never does anything like this! —Lilo says as she helps the boy to his feet. The boy gets up and then looks at me with a terrified look on his eyes.
The day was finally over. The boys had to go back to their own island and we had to go back home. While we walk through the tropical forest, I feel a little guilty over this. I know how hard is for Lilo to get friends, and I think I just scared away one. We walked silently side by side.
-Stitch sorry —I say sadly. Lilo turns her head at me. To my shock and surprise, she smiles at me.
-Don't worry Stitch. It's okay. If he really wants to be my friend, then he won't stop writing letters for me just because you jumped on him. If he doesn't… well, it wouldn't be the first time I have to see a "friend" leave the island to never see them again —she says the last part with a hint of sadness, but then goes on —. Anyway, I'd be fine if that happens. I've kind of learned not to get too attached to people who will eventually leave you, like tourists or foreign people… except you.
I perk my ears at this and tilt my head to one side in slight confusion.
-Why Stitch?
-Because I know you're never, ever going to leave me, because you're part of my Ohana now.
-Nobody gets left behind… —I say. Then the question from last night pops into my head once more. I have to ask her…
-Oh, by the way… —Lilo says as she stops suddenly and takes off her backpack. I stop as well to see what she's doing —. I made this. I didn't forget you, but I wanted to wait until the day at school was over. I think it'll be fine if I give it to you now.
She hands me a big heart-shaped card with my name written on it. I take it, bedazzled. She made a card for me! Then I open and start reading:
"Thanks for being part of my Ohana. I'm happy to know I have a best friend in you.
Best friends 4-ever till the end!
Love, Lilo
P.S. I've seen you stealing the remains of the coconut cake. Don't worry, I'll never tell Nani or the cake-eater monster. You know, those pieces were meant for him, but it's okay if you steal them. Anyway, you'd be there to protect us if he gets angry because he didn't have his piece of cake."
Simple, but wonderful. How curious is to see the things that I can receive from Lilo, many of them I could have never knew if I had never met her. I smile widely at her.
-Thank you. But… Stitch has no card for Lilo —I remember, automatically getting sad. She hugs me comfortingly.
-Don't worry, it's okay. It was your first Valentine's. You didn't know anything about this before today. It'll be okay… —she says. She pulls me away a bit and for second time in my short life I get another one, this time on my cheek. I look at her confused as soon as I can see her face. Again, whatever it was, it felt wonderful, maybe even better than the first time.
-What? —she asks me when she sees my face. I blinked twice.
-What Lilo gave Stitch? —I ask. My English was even worse by then than now, but she understood my question. She looked at me with amazement.
-You mean you don't know what a kiss is? —she asks, still amazed.
-Kiss? —I asked, even more confused. I still laugh at this today. I knew the meaning of words I wasn't even supposed to know, but I didn't know what this innocent word meant. She scratches the back of her head as she thinks about it, and after a couple of seconds she starts explaining me:
-Well, a kiss… you kiss somebody when you want to show them you care for them. You kiss your aunts, uncles, cousins… you can kiss them to make them know that you appreciate or love them. It's kind of complicated, but that's basically a kiss… I guess…
As I keep my confused look on my eyes, she sighs, approaches me and then does it again, but this time she keeps her lips on my cheek for a few seconds more, like trying to make sure of one thing I still don't know. I'd swear I felt some kind of warmth from that simple touch, something that didn't just stay on my cheek. Then she finally pulls me away.
-That's a kiss. That's the easier way I could get to show you. —then she looks carefully at me —. Stitch, are you blushing?
Oh great, another word I don't know.
-What blushing?
There's a stream near there. She leads me to the edge and I see my reflection. I'm horrified. Why my face is the color of my blood?! I step backwards and then stumble with some rock and fall to the ground. Lilo immediately tries to calm me down.
-Stitch! Stitch, don't worry, there's nothing wrong with you! You're just blushing! —that calms me down a bit, but I still don't know what does that mean.
-That bad? —I ask, still scared.
-No, it's not. You're blushing because you're ashamed of something… —she explains, and then looks at me with a funny look. I really don't know what she's thinking, and I don't know what I'm thinking either. Ashamed? What should I be ashamed of? My cheeks still feel that warmth I felt when she "kissed" me, but it's lighter. Then I remember when she kissed me. The feeling of warmth on my cheek increased suddenly. Now I think I know what made me ashamed, but I'm not sure why.
Lilo had been looking at me with that funny look this whole time, but then she gets up and simply says we should go home. I follow her, again in total silence, but this time I don't feel guilty… there's a very nice feeling I get when I remember that "kiss" she gave me.
There's almost nothing else to tell, except that next day I tried to get a late Valentine's present for Lilo. If only I had known that I was supposed to pay for these… well, I'm getting out of the subject again. That was when I learned what a kiss was, and what blushing meant (which wasn't very nice to do in front of her). She almost never kissed me after that, but I remember she would hug me for almost nothing, especially after that incident I had with my glitch. She would tell me more frequently that she loved me, and she would fight less often with me. I guess that close-to-death experience of mine made her change a little with me. Oh well…
But there was another word I didn't learn until Lilo grew older and turned nine. The new word: crush.
A new boy came to the island, and Lilo seemed to like him a lot. She was ecstatic when she knew he wasn't just a tourist or a passer-by. He was staying here.
-Oh Stitch, he's so handsome! He's so neat! He's so cool! He's so… perfect! —she said when she came back from school. I perked my ears and raised my eyebrows, clearly confused.
-Who?
-Keoni Jameson! He's like the hottest guy ever! Nani thinks I might have a crush on him.
-Stitch doesn't know what crush means.
She turned at me. Her eyes had a dream-awake like appearance.
-Well, a crush is… I don't know… it's like if you were in love, but not actually… you just like that person a lot more than just friends, but sometimes it turns into true love.
She stayed on her bed daydreaming and I stayed growling to myself. I wasn't very sure I was glad to know what the word meant. Lilo had a crush… practically in love with that boy. Well, what the blitznac does he have?! Could he lift 3000 times his own weight?! I doubt it. Does he think faster that a super-computer?! Hahah, try again. Was he bullet-proof and fire-proof?! Well, why not bring here a gun and see? And could he see even when it was dark?! Let's turn off the lights and count how many bones are complete after five minutes of walking in the dark. And over all, was he cute and fluffy?! NO! He was just a stupid surfer boy! Then why Lilo had to put her eyes on him?!
Well, okay, I had to calm down, but it was horrible to see all of the things she said of him. How handsome he was. How much she wanted to go everywhere with him. I wished I hadn't my super-hearing abilities whenever she talked about him. No matter what, he was always perfect, mostly because he knew how to do some easy skateboard tricks. I won't be impressed until I see him fall from a six-feet-tall tree and stand back on his two feet. Great, I'm starting again with this. I could beat easily Finder and Mr. Stenchy because Lilo loved me… more, I'd dare to say. But this was different. I'm not even sure if she liked him more than she liked… me.
Well, you've got your boojibu, so why I can't get one for me? That was my first thought. Maturity isn't the same that intelligence. I could use my super-intelligence to do some immature thing. It was curious to see how much I had started to act like one of them… like a human. I walked on two paws more often. I gestured most of times like them. I even talked like them at times!
Well, I'm getting out of the subject again. About that boojibu thing… well, I did really fulfill that "promise". She was beautiful, she was smart, she had an incredible voice… yes, you know who I'm talking about. Angel. I think I fell in love at first sight with her, or maybe it was just another crush. I don't know, but she had me in Heaven the whole time. It's curious to see how I showed some of the same symptoms with her than the ones I showed with Lilo earlier, but there's one little difference: I flirted with Angel, unlike to what I did with Lilo.
Well, I was very happy with my new-found Angel, but Lilo wasn't… and I noticed it. It was way too obvious! How would you explain that she always tried to keep me away from her? You can't tell it was because she knew Angel was bad. I know how to take care of myself. Such an adorable experiment couldn't do harm to me. Whenever I tried to go with Angel, Lilo always was there to stop me. I even knew it for the way she said I liked Angel. Her tone went darker than usual, and there was a frown on her face.
Then Gantu took her away. I cannot tell I was distraught, because I wasn't. I was sad, yes, I admit it, and maybe just a tad more than just sad, but no more. After that incident, Lilo paid more attention to me. She went more frequently on experiment hunts with me and I was everywhere with her, and she even said she didn't like Keoni like that anymore. Again, we were close friends. We forgot of the subject and had fun like we used to before, thought I did never forget Angel. I never told Lilo of my secret shrine, and it lasted about a whole year. Meanwhile, I grew closer and closer to Lilo. We were already best friends, so where would this bring us to?
She was hurt when she saw the shrine. She dissimulated it, but I could see through her now. But this time she didn't frown. She didn't scream, she didn't cry, she didn't eat a can of raviolis… it was just like she had only nodded and said "okay, I understand. You want to be with her, and that's okay with me", but it wasn't. I could see her upset look when Angel freed me from my containing pod, and just to hide it she hugged me. It didn't feel like a genuine hug, though, like the ones she gives me when she's truly happy. I tried to ignore it, to make myself think that I was imagining things around her, but I knew I wasn't. She said that love can overcome anything… but she never actually said she was happy of having Angel back with us, especially with me. It hurt me too, like a sting… to know that I was hurting her was horrible. After all she was my best friend, she was my Ohana… and I didn't want to hurt her. But I had Angel now. I had told her that I loved her.
-I love you too, Stitch.
Even though I was far away, I heard it. This was one of the times I was thankful of having super-hearing abilities. She thought I wouldn't hear, but I heard her perfectly. She loved me… too. Just what did she mean? It didn't make any sense! Then it hit me. I had just confessed Angel that I loved her. Then maybe she was confessing as well…
I turned my head to see her entering the house, with her back turned to me. I didn't see her in the rest of the day. I walked with Angel during the rest of the evening, and I went back home when everything was dark outside. I found Lilo already asleep. She hadn't even covered herself with her blanket. She had been holding a photo. I took it carefully and gave it a look. It was one of those photos of last Christmas, when she kissed my nose when we stepped under a mistletoe. I could still remember it. I sighed, kind of sadly, and then placed it on the night table. I lifted her and placed the covers around her, and then I went to my own bed. Of course, I was happy of having Angel back with me, but it didn't feel at all as what I had imagined it would feel like. I was sad for Lilo.
The next months, there were just a few more experiments left to catch. For some reason I tried to avoid Angel as much as possible. I spent a lot of time with Lilo, under the excuse that I had to catch the experiments. Actually, I was buying some time for me to be near her, now that I think about it. I just couldn't leave her for a single day. I enjoyed those last months until we caught all of the experiments.
We did a little party at home and everybody was very happy. Then the Galactic Alliance knew that we had already caught all of the experiments and told us to go to the Council because they had a surprise for us. Next day, we were up at six o' clock in the morning (something that wasn't the nicest thing for me) to head for Turo. We got into Jumba's spaceship and then left. To make the story shorter, all of us were offered a prize. Lilo was made the first Earth ambassador, Jumba was offered back the key to his laboratory and Pleakley was made a chairman of Earth studies at the G.A.C.C., and I was offered to be the Captain of the Galactic Armada and command the BRB.
We all were excited at first, but then Lilo's smile turned into a realization face.
-You mean… Jumba and Pleakley and Stitch aren't coming home?
I looked at the hologram of the beautiful spaceship and then back at Lilo. That was true. We weren't going back to the place we had called our home. I stared at Lilo, like wanting to see what her reaction would be. Lilo's face changed slightly and a weak smile appeared on her face.
-Stitch wants to come back to Kauai. Right, Stitch?
Then suddenly everybody was looking at me. I looked around me.
-Oh, uh, Kauai! Yeah… —I said as I closed the device that contained the hologram. Suddenly, I felt sad. Why did they hade to make me chose between this and my home, with Lilo? This wasn't an easy choice. I really wanted to be the Captain of that wonderful spaceship. I would go into battles and missions with this beauty always with me, but it wouldn't be the same without my best friend beside me, making me company and supporting me as she always did. Jumba and Pleakley changed their faces as well, realizing of the same thing that I had just realized of. We would never go back home.
-Maybe everybody wants to go back? —Lilo went on, with a hopeful face.
Everybody immediately agreed, but when the Grand Councilwoman asked us if this was our final decision, we all hesitated and turned to Lilo. The face she made... I could see clearly how she was begging us, but especially me not to leave her.
"I've kind of learned not to get too attached to people who will eventually leave you, like tourists or foreign people… except you…Because I know you're never, ever going to leave me, because you're part of my Ohana now."
The memory came as a lightning to my mind. We were now very close friends. We were attached to each other with a very strong bond. She had grown too close to me. If I left her as all of the other "friends" that had left the island, I would hurt her even more than they had, because she loved me…
-Ih! —I was the first one in replying, and then everybody followed. We all went back home that day. I couldn't tell I was sad, but I often thought of what it would be like if I were the Captain commanding the BRB. Lilo realized of it, and thought I was sad. I didn't want her to think that I wanted to be there more than I wanted to be here, but she caught me off-guard when she entered the dome and I was observing again the hologram I had been given of the BRB. When I saw her, it was too late, but even so I tried hiding my hologram. That was the second time ever I saw her face with such sadness. The first time had been when Angel had freed me from my containing pod, and now this… she was letting me go again.
Later that night, my suspect was confirmed. With Nani behind her, she told us she would be okay. We looked at her confused.
-Prepare your cases and things. You can go —she ended saying. After that, she turned around and went to the dome. There's no need of telling what followed. Pleakley immediately went upstairs, saying he needed to collect a lot of things, and Jumba went to his spaceship to do some last moment things. I stayed there, confused. Nani had gone to the dome with Lilo, but she returned quickly.
-She's tired. She needs to rest —she excused as she went into the kitchen. I walked to the lift to head for the dome. She was there, laying on her bed. She pretended she was asleep, but when I turned off the lights to have some sleep, I could hear her sobbing.
Next morning, everybody was up early. Lilo didn't wake me up this time, but all of the noises ended waking me up. I heard the lift whirring. I got up and got my feet onto the floor. Lilo was there.
She didn't say anything. She only sat on her bed and stared at me, with a heartbroken look as I put my things in a case.
Finally, when I was almost done, I took my Ugly Duckling book from my cot. I gave it a last look and read the few words it had. I had been lost once too, and I had been found by my family as well. I had always kept it open on that page on my bed to remind me whenever I went to bed that I had a family here, that I had a home where I belonged to. Then, for first time in four long years, I closed it and kept it in the bookcase. This was no longer the place where I belonged to.
Lilo remained silent.
Soon, we were outside, about to enter the spaceship. Lilo started giving us things that would remind us of our former home. She started with Jumba, then Pleakley followed. I had been trying to be strong this whole while, but when she called my name, I had to lift my face to look at her. I didn't even let her finish. I rushed to her and tossed my arms around her, almost instinctively. I didn't want to leave my home. I didn't want to leave the things I had known. I didn't want to leave her. I held her in my arms for what seemed an eternity, though it must have been just a couple of seconds. Then I felt her arms wrapping around me as well, holding me close to her.
-I'll miss you too. —she said. I didn't let go until she had to pull me away to look at me —. But you belong out at space, catching bad guys with the Big Red Battleship.
I looked at her confused. She was still trying to make me sure she would be okay! I was admired of how strong she was being, unlike to me. I had been the weak one this time.
-This is a very special necklace —she went on —. I kept it hidden in a sock for three years! —she tried to joke, but it went out as empty as I was. Then she put her arms around my neck. I felt my heart jumping frenetically against my chest, but she was just tying it to my neck.
-It's Ku-Tiki, the god of strength —she explained as she pulled away. "What are you saying? You are the one who makes me strong!" I thought to myself, wanting to tell it so she would hear, but it kept hidden on my mind.
-Promise to never take it off? —she said. I brought my hands to the little wooden figure and held it while I closed my eyes, trying to keep back the tears that I felt stinging in the back of my eyes.
-Promise. —I finally said, opening my eyes to look at her. Then she lifted her camera and backed a few steps away.
-You are Experiment 626. Name: Stitch —she stated. I grasped what was happening. I put the best smile I could and waited until the flash had faded away. I wanted her to remember me smiling in the last moments.
With that same goofy smile, I got into the spaceship, but I headed immediately for a window as soon as I was inside. I watched her with my face stuck to the glass as the spaceship turned on and started to lift. This was one of those times I was thankful of having the abilities I have.
-Aloha —I could hear her say. My eyes could catch the tears forming in her eyes. (A.N. Yes, she was about to cry. Look carefully at Lilo in that scene and you'll see tears starting to form on her eyes as she says "Aloha". I hadn't noticed it until I watched the movie today)
-Aloha —I replied with a trembling voice. I knew she wasn't going to hear me, but I didn't care. I looked out and saw my old home and my family getting further. Did I make the right choice? Why was I leaving, in first place?
I looked a last time at Lilo, getting smaller as the spaceship lifted higher. Even though I wasn't down there, I could see and almost feel the sadness remarking her beautiful brown eyes. I could tell she was heartbroken. I had never seen her so sad, except maybe of when I almost died of my glitch. Then when the darkness of space was finally surrounding us, I detached my face from the glass and dropped on my seat. For first time in that day, I let the tears run down my cheeks and thanked she wasn't watching me.
The day went on quickly. Soon I was on planet Turo, and Jumba and Pleakley heading for their destinies. My sadness was momentarily replaced by happiness and excitement when I saw the real life BRB. I was happy the rest of the day, commanding the ship proudly until night came and I had to go to sleep.
I entered the huge bedroom. You could tell it had been made for Gantu just because of the size of the enormous bed. I took off my uniform and took out from my case my old pajama. I almost never used it while I was on Earth, but I needed to have something familiar with me. I slipped under the covers and tried to close my eyes, but the silence was awful. The only noises I could hear were the computers in the lower level of the ship. I wished I could hear the crickets or the far away rumor of the sea like I did in Kauai, but the only blitznac noises I could hear were the computers and machinery.
I sat up on my bed, realizing I wouldn't sleep anytime soon. The place was terribly cold as well, or at least I felt it cold because I had got used to the warm weather of Kauai. Remembering my old home, I remembered Lilo. I had never slept alone since I had met her, except for that time I escaped to the forest, but out of that I had always slept in the same room she did. I brought my hand under the cloth of my pajama and took out the little figure of the necklace she had given me.
My Lilo… how much I missed her…
A random thought crossed my mind. I hadn't even told Angel I was leaving… and that was when I fell asleep.
The next days were a torture. I missed Lilo terribly. I would have stayed into bed and kept hidden under my blankets depressed if it wasn't for the mission. Much to my horror, when I entered Jumba's lab, I saw a new experiment that resembled a lot to me. I fought him, and just when I was about to capture him, Pleakley appeared.
Before long, we all were locked in a spaceship, heading for a black hole. Hamsterviel was now probably at planet Turo taking over the place. I could finally break out of the glass pod that contained me and then freed Jumba and Pleakley from their handcuffs, but it didn't seem very useful. The black hole was already ahead of us. I tried to change the coordinates, but the blitznac computer didn't let me to do so. I growled. Then Jumba had an idea. I didn't quite understand all of the things he had said, but there was one thing I had understood. If we wanted to make it, then we had to toss something of a certain weight into the black hole. Pleakley remembered the rock that Lilo gave him and asked if it would be useful, but Jumba said it was too heavy. The black hole was nearer now. With no time to weigh it, I bit off a piece of the rock and went out to toss it. There was a bright flash and then we were sucked in.
I still don't know if it was a coincidence or if it was meant to be so, but we arrived just in time to the Head Quarters of planet Turo. I jumped out of the ship as soon as we had landed. Could it be…? Was I seeing her everywhere now, or it was true?
-Stitch!
Bliss didn't fit in my body when I saw that my eyes weren't tricking me. It was her!
I waited there with open arms until she crashed into me. In that moment, I wished I could hold her with all my strength, but that would have suffocated her. By the moment, I just cared about one thing: I had her back! I could hold her in my arms again! I let go of her suddenly. How much I loved staring back into her eyes…
-How did you get here? —she asked. A bright smile shone on her face, making her look prettier than ever.
-No time explaining! —Jumba shouted, and then Pleakley hurried us to climb into the ship. I let Lilo go in first, and then I followed her, ecstatic. I had my best friend back, and along with her, my happiness.
While I was fighting the Leroys, I got caught off-guard. It seemed like they were going to shoot me. I gasped, but soon Angel came to the rescue. She kicked them and helped me a lot by knocking them out. I stared at her, amazed, even though it wasn't the same look I used to give her. I got my composure back soon.
-Takka, boojibu! —I thanked quickly after she blew a kiss at me. My amazement hadn't lasted as long as when Lilo let me go, though. My thoughts went back to her constantly, and soon I was with her, instead of helping my boojibu with fighting all those Leroys… well, actually, I was sent back when the other Leroys did actually shoot me. But the point is that I stayed there, with her.
Then you know what happened. Jumba remembered he had put a shut-off switch into Leroy: hearing Aloha Oe would shut them down. I saw the poster stuck on the wall, and then I had an idea. I grabbed Lilo's hand and brought her there so she would see the stage. A smile appeared on her face.
-Are you thinking what I'm thinking? —she said with a knowing look.
-Rock n' Roll, baby! —I shouted. Unfortunately, Nosy was around there and heard what I called her. My cousins still tease me about this… I just called her "baby"! What's wrong with that? Uh, well… I'm getting out of the subject again. Maybe they're not so wrong after all, anyway… Nosy remarked I had never called Angel "baby", not even to tease her. Okay, back into the subject!
While we were singing, I looked constantly at her by the corner of my eye. It's a good thing I don't have pupils, you know. Then I noticed she looked at me too. I turned aside my eyes and kept singing, but it made me feel funny inside. Finally, the last Leroy had fallen. We had won.
Back in the Head Quarters of the Galactic Alliance, the Grand Councilwoman thanked all of us once more of what we had done… especially Lilo and Captain Stitch.
-No captain… just Stitch —I said, lowering my ears. Lilo looked at me confused, but her eyes went back to the Grand Councilwoman. She didn't get it yet.
-Am I to understand that you wish to resign your commission? —the Grand Councilwoman asked, a bit confused too.
-Yes please. —I said as I handed her back the holographic-vision device. —. Stitch has found place he truly belongs…
I turned around and looked at Lilo, expecting to see any understanding look. She was still confused. I went on.
-On Earth… with Lilo —I finally said, looking at her with a smile. Then she finally grasped it. Her confused look disappeared to leave instead a blissful smile on her face, and then, unexpectedly, she crashed once more into me and hugged me tightly. I returned the hug, feeling again this funny sensation in me, but I let go of her quickly. I felt my cheeks starting to go warm.
-Jumba would like to return to Earth as well —Jumba said when the Grand Councilwoman went with them.
-You what? And what about your lab? —Pleakley asked startled.
-Jumba is finally understanding. Ohana is more important. —he replied as he motioned his hand to us. I walked up to Lilo and she put an arm around my shoulders. I let out a smile as my arm went around her waist, and then we stayed like that, leaning onto each other while the Grand Councilwoman talked to Pleakley.
-Crazy head! I want to go home! —Pleakley finally said after a while.
-That's all I want too. To go home… with my Ohana —Lilo finally said, looking at me while she said the last words. She had only let me go for a few seconds, so I took advantage of the moment and put my arm around her again.
-Ih! —I agreed. The Grand Councilwoman gave a little smile and nodded solemnly.
Soon, we were home again. I could finally breathe the air of the planet I could call again my home. I ran contently across the forest and destroyed (accidentally, of course) more things than I had destroyed in a whole year. There's no need of telling how Nani was after that… I still feel the chills run down my spine.
Lilo gathered all of us to take a last photo of the whole Ohana. I waited for her, and then we all were ready, including Mertle and Gigi. It was until Lilo was beside me that I let my arm go around her back again, and then her arm went around my shoulders. I didn't realize that I had been kind of far away from Angel until I saw the photo… I practically kicked myself when I realized of that… and unfortunately, Nosy was taunting me on that for who knows how many months.
-You know, you were way too close to Lilo and far, FAR away from the hotcakes! —he always says. Generally, I just growl and then he stops teasing me, but I've been thinking about the things he said… he said I might be in love with Lilo.
Can you imagine that? I am in love with my best friend! Could that be possible?
…no, maybe it's not. Maybe it's just a crush that will fade away soon, even though sometimes I think it might be more than just that. By now, let's set it as a crush. A childish crush.
Please, R&R!