Stand Out

It was a boiling hot day all over Hawaii. The sun was glaring down so powerfully, and the heat was so intense that everyone had to go outside and make the most of it- inside it was like an oven.

Everyone, even Reuben had decided to go for a walk. He had decided that he would head down to the beach and chill out, and had packed a light picnic. He was strolling down a sandy path, dragging a red wagon full of sandwiches behind him, wondering where Gantu was. He usually leapt at the chance to steal one of the bacon and raisin rolls. "Meh. He's probably out there not catching yet another experiment…" he mumbled to himself through a mouthful of baloney.

Truth be told, Gantu had already 'not caught' another experiment- he had given up hours ago. He was sitting under the shade of a tree, watching the beach through binoculars in case the trog eventually showed up. He caught sight of another person looking through binoculars at the other end of the beach. Actually, they were probably easier to call 'quadoculars', because they had been modified for a person with four eyes. He recognised the large, bulky, purple form, and would have chased him to prevent him from capturing the experiment first. But it was simply too hot for him to even draw his trusty plasma blaster, let alone chase those two fugitives across the island.

Jumba and Pleakley were 'enjoying' a day at the beach. Lilo had gone off surfing with Nani and David, and Stitch was chilling out with Angel at the cinema. Pleakley had been under the impression that they would be enjoying the weather, but instead was disappointed to find that Jumba was intent on catching the latest little monster.

"You tell me now, mister! What is it that's so important about this experiment? Why are you still staring through that ridiculous piece of…? Jumba! Are you even listening to me?"

Jumba waved him off impatiently, and carried on staring. Eventually, Pleakley's curiosity got the better of him, and he removed a pair of binoculars from his handbag, staring through one lens. He focused in on the area that Jumba was looking at and his brow furrowed. Lying out on a beach towel was a woman. But she wasn't the typical sunburnt tourist. Her skin was a bright pink colour, and the hair that peeked out from underneath the large sunhat was a deeper pink.

It was obvious to both of them that this 'woman' was an alien of some kind, but what she was doing here was a mystery. Whilst her face remained a mystery, both the men could see that she was a very boojita female. She had long, slender legs and arms, and her body seemed dwarfed by her chest. She was, unlike Pleakley, very up to date with her fashion sense, having chosen to wear a halter-neck bikini that didn't clash with her skin tone. It was lime green with a white floral pattern; very in keeping with the look this season.

Whilst Pleakley could see the appeal of this female to Jumba, he couldn't help but feel a little hurt. He had always though of Jumba as more of, well, a mans man, and he always felt happy when dressed as his wife when they were in disguise together. He slunk off to the mall. He didn't want to stick the rest of today out.

Jumba decided that if the alluring female stayed for much longer, he would go down and talk to her. He scanned the rest of the beach, and then stopped. He had just seen something that made his blood boil. He needed to get down to the beach, pronto.

Reuben had been trying to get a good sun-bathing spot on the beach, when he had noticed a boojita female lying down on a purple towel. Immediately he could tell that she wasn't an earthling, and so he decided to go and check her out. He might get lucky, after all. He had started to make his way over, licking his hand to slick back his hair, when he felt the ground shaking, and noticed competition coming from both directions. He made a break for her; running as fast as he could, his sandwich picnic long forgotten.

Gantu was sprinting down the hill towards the beach as fast as his legs could carry him. He had noticed that Jumba had stared in the same place for a long time, and had looked over, to see a rather gorgeous female stretched out on the beach. Training his binoculars around, he noticed that Jumba had leapt over the dock and was running along. He looked around and saw 625 walking over, looking suave and confident. How dare he muscle in on his big chance? He hadn't had a girlfriend in ages, and had thought his chances totally gone now he was on Earth. Reuben and Jumba, both noticing the competition quickened the pace.

Reuben skidded into view and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Hey there, gorgeous! You don't seem to be from round here and…" but he hadn't finished his line, and the girl hadn't even properly looked up before he was kicked clear across the beach by Jumba.

"Greetings. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the…" but Jumba also found himself knocked away. He landed on Reuben, and they looked from each other to Gantu in disgust.

The female had stood up now, and took off the large sunhat that obscured most of her face. Her cheeks were cherubic and round and her lips were full and kissable. All three admirers wanted to gaze into her eyes, but they were covered with dark sunglasses. "Hello…" she said, a little uncertain of whom she was addressing, "No, I'm not from around here. I'm from the planet Cupidine, and I'm here on a holiday. I came here because I heard that this island is inhabited with alien genetic experiments, and that I would probably see hundreds of 'life forms' that I would be able to talk to. So far, I've only seen you three."

Her voice was sweet, rich and smooth, like chocolate. All three of them were hanging onto her every word. Jumba broke the silence first, bringing the others back to reality.

"Allow me to be introducing myself. I am Dr. Jumba Jookiba, evil genius creator of all 626 experiments on this island."

She gasped delightedly. "I'm so pleased to meet you, Dr Jookiba. My name is Jeeba Bessotria. I can't believe I'm finally meeting the famous scientist who created all of those amazing experiments! I'd love to see some of them!"

Jumba was grinning, and was about to open his mouth when Reuben butted in for him. "Then look no further. I'm Reuben, Experiment 625. It's such a…"

"Quiet, 625! Listen, Miss Bessotria, you don't want to waste your time with these two. Why not take a tour of the island with me?" Gantu had finally got a word in. Jeeba looked up, and was suddenly aware that everyone was staring at her. She removed her sunglasses Jumba's mouth was left hanging open. She had four eyes. Just like him. The positioning could only suggest that she had Quelta Quanian in her blood. He hadn't seen another of his species in decades. Her eyes were sparkling and black like those of an entrancing spider. She blinked in the light, and looked into Jumba's eyes for a second.

"That would be lovely, Mr…"

"Gantu"

"Mr. Gantu. I've only been here for a few days, so I'd love to see more of the island with someone who knows what they're doing,"

"So why are you going with him?" asked Reuben, determined not to be forgotten, and whilst Jeeba laughed, she bent over to lift up her suitcase without really looking at him. Gantu picked it up for her, and held it easily in his mammoth hands.

"Oh, you're such a gentleman," said Jeeba, and they strolled off hand in hand. Reuben shouted "I'll see you later" across the beach, but Gantu pretended to point something out to Jeeba and ignored him.

Jumba turned to Reuben and they surveyed the situation for a while before he spoke.

"6-2-5, I know we are not having great friendship, but we are still having bond of Evil Genius and Evil Genius Creation. We are both trying to win Jeeba, but big dummy is in way. Shall we do something to clear the path?"

Reuben grinned. "Great. And I have a plan."

"But first we are getting one thing clear- it is every man for himself in this game. All is fair in love and war, as earth people say."

They shook hands on it, and began to consider Reuben's plan.

Jeeba was sitting comfortably on a seat in the town, eating a snow-cone whipped up for her by one of the experiments. She really liked Gantu, and he had been telling him about how he used to be Captain of the Galactic Alliance. She had always loved a man in uniform. Back on her planet, everyone was gorgeous, but they all looked the same. This was why her species relied more on hearing to find out who they found attractive.

All that the Cupidines bred with was each other. Except her mother, who had fallen for a Quelta Quanian. She supposed she had inherited this streak too. She wanted variety, and she could tell that the three that had met her on the beach did too. It was flattering that they had taken such an interest in her, and that a former Captain found her to his liking as well. His deep, masculine voice was oh, so attractive as well…

Gantu was grinning as he sat next to Jeeba. She leant against his side, and he felt her figure pressing at him. She was so gorgeous! He reached his arm slowly around her waist and was about to hug her close when his video phone beeped. Grunting angrily, he flipped it open.

"Please excuse me, Jeeba. Yes? 625, what the hell do you want?"

"Well, if you're going to be like that, I won't tell you the location of the experiment you're trying to capture."

"I'm warning you…" He had been about to continue his threat, but Jeeba was looking up at him.

"There's going to be a chase? Will I get to see you capture an experiment?"

Her eyes were gleaming with excitement, and Gantu realised that this could be his chance to prove himself.

"Where is it?"

"Try up in that hut at the top of the volcano. I heard Pleakley telling Jumba that he'd seen it there."

Gantu slammed the phone shut and started running towards the volcano, Jeeba running next to him in full bay-watch style, bouncing up and down and sending shivers down his spine.

Up at the volcano, Jumba and Reuben lay in wait. Reuben was hiding in a bush and Jumba up a tree, the trunk bending under his weight. He had placed a volatile explosive of his own invention in the hut behind the door, and was already rubbing his hands together at the thought of the destructive power of it, looking like a true evil genius. He noticed Gantu running up the path, and grinned as he saw Jeeba running next to him. Everything was going according to plan.

Gantu looked around like a predator, even sniffing the air for the little trog. He then noticed that a bush under a bending tree was rustling. A sly grin formed on his face. Bingo. He ripped his plasma blaster from his belt and shot at it. A yellow blur flashed into the next bush, and was closely followed by another blast. The blur zoomed into the house, and Gantu was about to shoot again when Jumba leapt from the tree to land in front of the door.

"If you are wanting the experiment, you will be having to go through me."

Reuben ran through the back door of the hut, his face flushed gold. His plan was working, but he was pretty sure that there hadn't been so much effort involved. He snuck round to behind Jeeba stealthily, and grinned at Jumba, who was playing his part well.

"Listen to me, you fat idiot, if you think I'm gonna let you stand in the way of me capturing this experiment, then think again."

"But if you are blasting house like big dummy, you will be blowing up entire area!"

Gantu chuckled sarcastically, not believing a word. After all, it was Jookiba he was dealing with.

"And I suppose you're going to stop me?"

"I won't stop you. I am not going to be saving your patooki." Jumba blinked his top two eyes twice, the signal to start moving. Reuben unfurled his extra arms and grabbed Jeeba, sweeping her off her feet. She didn't scream, but she whirled her head around and looked at Reuben dead in the eyes. He should have started to run, but her eyes captivated him. She was so beautiful. Jumba sped past him and grabbed her from his arms, slinging her over his shoulder and running as fast as he could.

Reuben was in a daze, and then he realised what had happened. He turned as Gantu pulled the trigger.

"Oh Blitznak…" KABOOM!

The massive explosion blasted him off his feet. He couldn't see what had happened to Gantu, but he saw that the shockwave had also knocked over even Jumba, who was rolling over and over, his body curled round Jeeba like a protective shell. As he got up, a little shaken, she leapt at him and hugged him, calling him her saviour, her boojeebu, her guardian angel. As she did so, she caught sight of Reuben, his eyes welling up, and remembered that he would have saved her first. Behind her back, Jumba grinned smugly at Reuben, gesturing rudely with his chubby fingers and mouthing "Fair's fair, 625". Then he set off, carrying Jeeba proudly away from the wreckage.

Gantu was gingerly picking himself up from the ruins of the hut, and he said weakly to Reuben "625, what are you… oh." Reuben looked up and said, a little shakily, "C'mon. Let's get back to the ship." On the outside he was sooty and weakened from the explosion. But on the inside he was burning with a fury so powerful he could barely contain it. He would get back at his creator. He would stand out to Jeeba.

Little did he know that Jeeba was actually still thinking about him. She had been taken back to a charming house to meet Jumba's ohana, and was laying down on a bunk bed still taking it all in. Jumba's family were a little odd, but very nice- there was a young earth girl called Lilo and an adorable experiment, 626, or Stitch as he had introduced himself to her by, along with a wolf whistle. The older human, Naani was very friendly, and Jumba's friend, cross dressing one-eyed alien called Pleakley seemed nice enough, although a little quiet. He seemed almost jealous of her, although he did chat to her for a while when she admired his tee.

Jeeba was confused. She really didn't know how to react to anyone any more. Gantu had totally put her life on the line when he caused that explosion, even though Jumba had warned him about it. Jumba was a really lovely man, whom she admired so much for his intelligence and bravery, he had saved her life, and yet there was the other one, 625, Reuben. He had waltzed right up to her and started to chat her up like he didn't have a care in the world. 'Hey there, gorgeous'? He was so adorably full of himself, so confident. He had tried to save her, but had hesitated, possibly thinking of his friend, Gantu's safety first.

Her hearing couldn't help her either. She loved all their voices. Gantu's deep, masculine tone left her weak at the knees, Jumba's heavy accented rumble left her hanging on to his every word, and Reuben's sweet Brooklyn accent made him seem so arrogant and cute.

Jumba lumbered into the room, clambering into the bunk above her. She grinned to see how the mattress strained and sank down in the middle under his weight. He looked down.

"You want I should change beds?" he smiled.

She beamed back. "It's ok; I've just gotten comfy here. See you in the morning."

She turned over and flicked out the lights with a sigh.

The next morning, Jeeba awoke to see two smiling faces looking down at her. Blinking in the light, she looked up. The little girl, Lilo and Reuben's 'cousin' Stitch had brought her breakfast in bed. As she sat up, propped up with pillows and began to eat the scrambled mess of a runny egg and burnt toast soldiers, Lilo started to ask her questions about her life. After telling her about the planet Cupidine and her family, Jeeba started to ask questions about Jumba, Reuben and Gantu. She found out a lot about how Jumba was an 'evil genius', how Gantu was always trying to mess up their lives and how neither of them knew much about Reuben except that he had all of Stitch's powers and that he loved sandwiches.

Then Lilo put forward a more difficult question.

"So, are you Jumba's, you know…"

"Jumba's boojeebu?" completed Stitch.

Jeeba laughed, and replied that she didn't know yet. She quickly changed the subject and hurriedly dismissed them so that she could get dressed. Jumba had sent off Stitch overnight to fetch her suitcase from the wreck of the hut, and to Jeeba's delight it was unharmed. She emerged from the room looking pretty in a blue v-necked top and a short matching skirt, ready to face the day.

She spent the day babysitting Lilo, because Pleakley was shopping with Naani, and Jumba was off 'seeing to something'. However, that evening, Jumba appeared in a smart looking black suit that actually fitted around his bulky form, and with a large bouquet of roses in his hand. In front of an amused Lilo and Stitch, a confused Naani and a horrified Pleakley, he thrust the roses into her arms and invited her to dinner. Beaming, Jeeba said that she would be delighted, and ran off to change. Jumba sank down onto the couch and sighed. He looked up to realise that everyone was staring at him.

"What? Jeeba is prettier than ex-wife, and there are no other aliens on this tiny planet," he grumbled. "No female ones," he added with a small but pointed nod to Pleakley.

A few minutes later, Jeeba appeared in the doorway. Everyone stopped what they were doing to get a better look at her, and even Pleakley had to compliment her. She was wearing a red dress that was quite low cut, but flatteringly so along her enormous chest. She had red heels on, and scarlet lipstick. Gold jewellery glistened at her throat and ears, and her long pink hair was elaborately styled so parts of it rested at the top of her head like a crown, or a halo. She was out of the 'gorgeous' zone, and into the range of 'heart-stoppingly gorgeous'. Jumba picked the head off one of the roses and, remarkably tenderly for someone with such large hands, threaded it into her hair. They set off, arms linked, and to even Jumba's surprise, she retracted two extra arms and put them around his waist. Naani looked a little teary, and Lilo and Stitch were pulling faces and making sick noises. Pleakley sighed. It was so romantic.

At the restaurant they were shown to their seats by an experiment that looked like a butler, and the meal was prepared by a cute little French experiment with a spatula for a tail. It was spaghetti bolognaise, which, according to Jumba, was the most romantic meal on this planet.

Reuben was shaking with nerves. He had peered round the curtains to see Jumba and Jeeba sitting at a table. Jumba was wearing a suit, for crying out loud! Jeeba looked heavenly, and now Jumba was twirling spaghetti around a fork and feeding it to Jeeba. His creator knew how to be romantic from his numerous girlfriends, no doubt, and yet he, as a genetic experiment, had never known love. Until now, that is. He placed on his sunglasses and stepped out onto the stage.

Just as Jumba had his eyes closed, waiting for Jeeba to place a fork of spaghetti into his mouth, he heard the speakers announce that some live romantic jazz would be playing. He grinned- perfect. Jeeba had told him she loved jazz music with a passion. Sitting there patiently with his mouth open, Jumba heard the first notes start to play by a skilled saxophone musician. Jeeba still hadn't put the food in his mouth. He opened his eyes and growled. Jeeba was entranced by the person on the stage. Turning round, his hearts stopped beating. 625 was up on the stage, playing the sax and twirling round and round, sunglasses on in a cool and casual fashion.

He stopped playing and beckoned to Jeeba, who stood up and ran to the stage. He played a final piece, and then threw the sax to the ground, and grabbed hold of her. He clicked his fingers, and a brass band struck up. As they danced, swirling round and round, Reuben watched Jeeba's eyes and nothing else. They were glistening with adoration. Adoration for him. HIM! Not Jumba, but him. The band reached a climax, and he swept Jeeba over, supporting her with three arms like he had done before the explosion. With the other hand, he made the same rude gesture across the audience to Jumba as he had done to him and mouthed "Fair's fair, Jookiba." Then he leant in and kissed her passionately.

"Oh BLITZNAK!" groaned Jumba, smacking his head on the table and into his spaghetti. Jeeba laughed. She was in love.

But for how long? Find out in the next instalment of the Jeeba stories, I'll be there for you, currently in progress!