Samara was standing there in her red get-up with Garrus seemingly calibrating the Avenger he was carrying. I approached with Stitch who was next to my side. Garrus looked down his sights at the alien dog and I just silently waved my hand at him inferring not to push his luck with the unstable alien. Especially in the cargo hold. Garrus lowered the rifle and Stitch was already growling at him. His black eyes fixated on my turian friend with one of his blue paws up and black claws outstretched. Ready to tear into the first part of Garrus's anatomy that moved wrong.

Samara, with her noble look, called out to Stitch by name to get his attention. He still had that nasty look on his face when he looked over at her. She then asked, "Why don't you ride next to me? If it is alright with you Shepard?"

I poked my head out of the parked shuttle already being aboard, answering Samara, "I don't mind a bit."

Getting a wide smile across his face, Stitch happily approached Samara with her looking down at him with a smile of her own. He crawled into the shuttle turning around and made a bowing gesture, inviting Samara into the shuttle. She had that same small smile on her face as she entered the shuttle.

Making a gruff noise, Garrus put back his Avenger and said sarcastically, stepping onto the shuttle, "I think you made a new friend, Samara."

Stitch sat next to her as the door shut automatically. He then made a snappy retort, "Stitch thinks you need to look in a mirror, lobster face!"

A big, wide smile crossed my face having seen a lobster before. I don't know if I was smiling at the insult itself or just the lightheartedness emanating inside the shuttle but whatever the case, I was still smiling. A rarity these days.

Watching the shuttle drop from the Normandy, I wondered how long it would take for me to break up Garrus and Stitch because the former C-Sec officer was going to retort with something. Not very long it seemed.

Moving his three-fingered hand to his holstered Calfax, Garrus said, "A slug from this gun would not damage the inner hull of this shuttle. So there's not really much stopping me from shooting you, is there?"

"You just jealous because Stitch make friends with Shepard."

"Yeah sure, that's it."

I finally decided to intervene. "Alright, knock it off you two." Not because I was afraid of Garrus shooting off his hand cannon or Stitch ripping up the ship trying to attack Garrus. I was afraid that one of them was going to say something and I wouldn't keep from busting out laughing. I could see even Samara's grin was starting to get wider.

That familiar rumble and shakiness came to the shuttle as it entered Patton's Progress's ozone. The shuttle rocked like a small rowboat lost at sea. I had to actually hold on while Garrus and Samera both sat calmly with the intense rocking. Stitch was actually on his two legs enjoying the ride. With all the rocking and hard bumping, it was hard to hear but I think I actually heard Stitch making a maniacal laugh. Who was I to ruin his fun.

I saw out the shuttle window we finally came through the atmosphere with the shuttle coming to a calm and the hard ride being over. It was quite relaxing now, Patton's Progress having much of the same weather conditions as Earth. Minus a few storms and add in a few more months of hot days.

The shuttle landed nicely on the receiving port. I exited first with Garrus behind me. Samara and Stitch just about to hop out when me and my turrian comrade both drank in the sights of Patton's Progress. A very empty Patton's Progress.

Samara and Stitch both jumped out of the shuttle with worry etched on their faces. Stitch was the first one to point out the obvious, "No one here."

My rifle was in hand with Garrus also having a hold of his as well. I took in the sweet smell of Patton's Progress and could tell, as if I had suspected all along, the Collectors had been here.

"Careful Shepard, they might have left a few scouts for recon." Garrus warned. Always looking out for mine and his best interest. No matter what.

The both of us quickly proceeded ahead with Samara and Stitch in the back. Samara had already armed-up her rifle. All three of us progressing with caution and expertise.

Finding a lone living unit, me and Garrus stacked-up on the sides of the door with Samara quickly going around us to a side window. Just barely peeking in to get a better view of the rectangular home. She saw nobody inside telling us so. Still, me and Garrus entered the house with are rifles in front of us and Samara quickly jumping in through the window with a slight biotic barrier around her. Her rifle expertly pointed in front of her. All of us clearing the living quarters in no time flat.

After we cleared the house, we investigated a bit. Garrus entered a small bedroom and looked in the large closet finding a still neatly hung wardrobe. His expertly grizzled voice making the verbal observation, "These people definitely left in a hurry Shepard."

Samara making another observation from the kitchenette area, picking up a photo frame module, "Didn't even have time to pack the photos."

I stayed with Stitch in the living area taking time to look at everything. I found a small device on the table and said, "A holo-journal."

Stitch jumped on the couch in front of it saying, "Still working."

Kneeling down on one knee with Samara and Garrus rejoining me, I said aloud, "Play the first entry."

A small girl popped on screen in front of Stitch and a whelm of tears came to Stitch's black eyes. He uttered out a name in the most broken-hearted voice I had ever heard, "Lilo!"

The small, tan, Hawaiian girl had a sad face as she spoke to the journal seemingly speaking right to Stitch himself, "Lunar cycle 5, Tiber year. So they tell me. Just got unpacked from leaving Earth and the islands. It's so dark right now outside. I - I had to leave…" The little girl almost broke down in tears as Stitch touched the holographic representation of his lost family. The hologram twitch a bit as if to remind Stitch that that's all it was. Just a weak, light display of the small girl he once knew.

The little girl collected herself and began again, "I had to leave Stitch behind. Mom said he would be alright. I wasn't so sure but she said, 'he's tough.' I don't care how tough he is, she's wrong! That hurricane could get him. He can't swim, she knows that! I - can't talk - right…." The entry cut off and I saw there were still two more logged in the journal.

"Play the second entry." I told the machine.

Like clockwork, the little girl appeared again and I was watching both Stitch and her face as if they were having a conversation with each other as the hologram played out, "Lunar cycle 7, Tiber year. I still haven't gotten use to the idea that I left him behind. Nobody gets left behind. That's ohana. I will always remember him. Mom keeps on trying to convince me that we left him behind for his own good. She says it's because she knew he'd find us. If the situation had been reversed he would have left us for the same reason. I know that's totally not true!"

Stitch's cheeks became matted with tears as he again reached for the hologram of this girl he called Lilo. He barely uttered out, "Nobody gets left behind or forgotten."

My own mind traveled to Kaiden. I could feel my eyes beginning to whelm up but I had cried for him years ago. The pain was still there but it was a pain I was use to now. The journal and the one-sided conversation was still striking home with me.

She went on, "Stitch: If you do find this journal or us somehow, I want to let you know I didn't leave you by choice. There's nothing I can say or do to make it up to you!" An overflow of tears and sadness streaming from the small girl 's face as even I had to swallow hard to choke back the discomfort of watching a small girl bawl like she was doing, "Just know that I love you and you will always be part of our ohana no matter where you are or - what's happened! You're still my ohana Stitch! You will never be lost again!"

The entry cut off and Stitch grabbed a hold of my armor nearly driving his claws right through it, leaning his head into me, sobbing hard into my ribs.

I was at a loss of what to do but just to pat him on the head petting him like a sad dog. I looked up at Samara and Garrus who both seemed to be a little saddened for the small alien.

The only thing I could think of to say was, "Play the last entry."

Her face appeared but this time I could hear an Alliance vessel in the background. The whistling of its thrusters was unmistakable. She was yelling to be heard over the ship, "I thought I would record this before moving on to the next colony. They told me not to tell anybody so I'm telling you, we're heading to Fastener's Rest. I hear its safer than this one. All the earthquakes are starting to get annoying! I got to go whoever find's this, bring me my dog Stitch. He's on the Hawaiian islands on Ear…" The log suddenly ended.

"She must not have been able to take the journal with her." Samara finally said.

Stitch was still in my ribs crying when he looked up at me and sniffled out, "We go find her?"

"We go meet her." I fondly corrected.

I picked him up and sat him down on the floor walking out with Samara in front of me. Stitch and Garrus were still in the rectangular living quarters when Garrus asked both me and himself, "What did she mean by earthquakes?"

If I had a credit for every time irony decided to bite me, I think I would be able to retire ten times over. No sooner had Garrus asked, A violent tremor shook the planet. Samara and I jumped out of the small rectangular building running for cover. Seeing cracks in the ground I was worried that there would be a chasm or a crack that I or my team would fall into.

Garrus and Stitch tried to run out of the building but it was no use. I watched in horror as the building was sucked down into a large sinkhole, watching the two fall into a black abyss. Samara and me ran to the precipice stopping at the rim of the drop.

Looking down I could barely see anything as the blackness stared back up at me. All I could do was try to contact him over radio, "Garrus, come in."

Nothing.

"Garrus - talk to me, are you alright?"

I heard him coughing a bit and then I heard him say, "Still in one piece Shepard."

"Good. How's Stitch?"

I could hear him looking for the alien dog when he said, "He's alright too though I'm not too surprised about that. It'd be just my luck I'd fall into a dark hole with somebody I don't like."

I then heard Stitch say something but it was too faint to hear.

"Yeah, right back at you, you little, demon, fuzz ball."

I decided to ask, "Can you find away out?"

"So far I don't see anything. I'll try to find another hole or tunnel to get out from. Looks like I'm stuck with the crazy, blue-furred varren."

Another comment from Stitch.

"Alright. Samara and I will also be searching for an exit for you. Just hold on! We'll get you out of there Garrus, I promise."