I'm Still Here

A/N Another Reuben one shot, yay!

I love writing these but this one was inspired by the song " I'm Still There." from the Goo Goo Doll's lead singer. It's about Rueben feeling that Jumba doesn't care about him or think he's part of the ohana but soon he'll see that even though you're different, ohana is always there for you and care for you.

It was early morning in Kauai but in Gantu's ship, Rueben was feeling a little sad.

Today was the anniversary of the day Jumba had created all the experiments but he was feeling a little down because sometimes he felt like a loser compared to his other cousins.

But Gantu knew that wasn't true because he'd seen what Rueben could do when he felt like it.

He knew that he was different but knew why.

But the captain didn't want to make Rueben's mood worse than it already was seeing he'd built a sandwich master piece of the Eiffel Tower.

"Morning Gantu.

Did my sandwich pals and I wake you?" he said annoyed.

"No you didn't.

Is something wrong?

You...... seem depressed." Gantu said as he looked into Rueben's eyes and saw sadness and tears beginning to well in them.

"W-Why do you even care Gantu?

I....... am just a trog to you after all.

Not like the rest of my cousins.

The odd experiment out." he murmured.

Gantu understood why his friend was acting this way looking at the calendar.

Every year on this day, Rueben always acted unlike himself and locked himself in the galley or in his room along with hearing jazz music from there.

"You're not a loser Rueben.

You're pretty special in your own way, not a trog at all." he thought seeing Rueben leave the ship......

Jumba sighed seeing all six hundred and twenty four experiments having fun at the party in the back yard but for some reason he felt as if he couldn't enjoy the party and Lilo had a feeling she knew why.

They knew Reuben was a part of the ohana now he and Gantu had became good and helped them but it was to do with Reuben.

Jumba had created him differently thsn the other experiments by accidentally giving him some of his DNA by accident and he felt guilty because he knew that Reuben had felt inferior to the other experiments and had tried so hard to prove himself to his father so that he would be proud of him and not ashamed like with Ace who had goodness in him.

Lilo was worried seeing her uncle leave the house.

"I'm.... going on a walk." he said as he left......

He walked through the forest but heard soft crying come from the clearing along with soft jazz music.

He sighed knowing who it was as he watched Rueben psitting on the ground playing his sax sadly.

Jumba then felt a strange feeling he hadn't felt in a long while, guilt as he began to remember creating Rueben and activating him designing him with the same powers as Stitch but was shocked to see he wouldn't destroy anything but make sandwuches but ashamed he'd rehydrated him in his pod and hidden it but he felt bad seeing his creation feel sad on this day.

"I wish I could take back what I did 625.

I was very wrong and never meant to hurt you like that." he thought as he saw somebody there.

It was Gantu.

He'd been worried about Rueben and wanted to make sure he was okay.

But Jumba saw anger in his eyes seeing how much pain Rueben was in on this day every year.

"Why're you here Jumba, so you can hurt him again emotionally?

He may not be perfect but he is in his own ways.

He mightn't want to destroy but he always tried to please you no matter what but you always ignored him, felt he couldn't measure up to your other precious and more powerful experiments.

You call yourself a father." he told him as he saw tears fall from Jumba's eyes as Gantu's words had hurt him than any plasma blaster could.

"I-I know I didn't pay attention to him, ignored him and put him in his pod but I see he's not a failure but I made a mistake back then.

Right now I feel terrible and I need to speak to him, to tell him..... that I care about him , that I-I love him." Jumba said as Gantu saw that he meant it.

"Come with me to the ship.

He'll return later, I know it." Gantu said as Jumba followed him......

It was night time and Reuben walked back to Gantu's ship but still felt blue. He opened the door and walked in but surprised to see Gantu there with Jumba which made his mood even worse.

"W-Why're you here on the one day where I feel crummy for being created?

What did I do to deserve being put in my pod?

Answer me that!" Rueben said angrily heading to the galley to be alone but Jumba followed him but could see the sadness as Rueben was making sandwich master pieces which he normally did when he was angry or sad.

"I-I never meant for you to be put in your pod 625.

I never knew how this day would hurt you.

I knew how hard you tried to impress me when I was too focused on other experiments but I know how much you're hurting.

What I'm trying to say...... is I-I love you." Jumba said as Rueben stopped what he was doing and turned around.

Tears were falling from his eyes at that.

"D-Do you really mean what you're saying?" he told Jumba.

"Ih 625.

I always have loved you even though Jumba made mistake by adding his own evil DNA into mix but it made you able to love and care about others, even those like Gantu which is something a lot of your cousins couldn't.

I'm sorry." he whispered stroking Rueben's golden brown fur as he cried as the tears hit Jumba's thick skin.

Later Gantu saw that Reuben was asleep in bed with a smile on his face knowing that he didn't have to be perfect for his fasther and ohana to love him.

That was all he wanted and hoped nothing would change.

The captain of the Galatic Armada smiled hearing him snore as he left the room with the sandwich light on.......

He knew that everybody had somebody to care about them........