The rays of sunlight seeped into the living room from where Stitch slept almost peacefully on the couch. As the rays cascaded on his sleeping face, he turned over to bury his head in the cushion to find darkness. He was having a dream, living in paradise and he didn't want the sun to wake him up from it. However, he didn't get to sleep long as the sound of thumping mingled in with his dream.
He growled as the dream faded away, leaving him in real life where he and his family are still grieving over the loss of the one who they loved dearly. He turned back over to see David wearing his swimsuit and a surfboard under his arm. Stitch sat up and stretched, flexing his limbs and yawning the whole time. When he felt refreshed, he stood from the couch and walked up to David.
David was downing a glass of milk, but paused when he heard Stitch from behind. He put down the glass halfway filled with milk on the counter to glance at Stitch.
Stitch eyed the surfboard. "Going to surf?"
"Yeah. I need something to get my mind off some things." David responded.
"Like what?" Stitch asked as he tilted his head a little.
"A lot. Work has been stressful. Nani is due to have Hale in four weeks. And also, my little sister-in-law's death has been hard for me to deal with too." David said and quickly changed the subject to avoid Stitch from lashing out at the mention of Lilo. "That's why I'm going to surf. Do you want to come?"
Stitch shrugged. "Yeah sure. Can I ask you something first?" David nodded, listening to the experiment. "Do you believe in reincarnation?"
"I suppose so. Why?" David asked, now curious.
"I had a dream. Lilo came back to me, but she was different. She wasn't human, she was experiment. She looked exactly like Angel except with scarlet red fur. She was beautiful." Stitch replied. "Do you think that dream might come true?"
"I don't know Stitch. I mean, she may be reincarnated, but I don't know. Don't get your hopes too high for Lilo coming back alright?" David answered, turning around to gulp down the last of his milk. "Now let's go surf!"
Stitch followed David as he strode to the door. They walked all the way to the beach, where there were no tourists and the ocean didn't particularly look inviting. David turned to the large rock against the lighthouse. A puffy experiment named Cannonball dozed on the rock. David lightly shook his awake. Cannonball's small black eyes opened and smiled at his cousin standing behind the man.
David asked for waves and Cannonball nodded at his request. He leapt from the rock into the ocean, creating a small splash. Stitch and David waited for a few minutes until the sound of rumbling shook the ground. David smiled as waves began rising and toppling back into the water. Cannonball was riding on one of the waves that sent him crashing to his sleeping place, his rock. David thanked him and ran out into the crystal blue waters, disappearing in the maze of waves.
"How is cousin doing?" Cannonball asked.
"Not too good." Stitch answered truthfully.
"Cousin still misses achie-baba?" Cannonball asked, using that name for his friend Lilo.
Stitch nodded. "Very much."
"Achie-baba still loves cousin just as much as cousin loves achie-baba." Cannonball replied gently and went on when Stitch remained silent. "But family also loves cousin too. Cousin should be thinking more about family than grieving over achie-baba."
"I'm trying Cannonball. You just don't understand how hard it is not seeing her at all. It hurts." Stitch replied in a quiet voice, sniffing to hold back the tears.
"Remember cousin Slick?" Cannonball replied. "Achie-baba still here. Maybe, right there." Cannonball reached out his small pink hand and placed it over Stitch's beating heart. "Cousin loves achie-baba just as much as achie-baba will always love cousin. She's always here. Cousin just too blind with grief and tears to realize achie-baba is near to him."
Stitch sighed and smiled. "Thanks Cannonball. But I don't just want to feel her near me, I want to see her too."
"Pi-pic-tures." Cannonball muttered out, trying out the new word. "Mem-or-ries. Cousin see ache-baba there. How long since cousin went to dome?"
"A long time." Stitch chuckled humorlessly. "Since I found her on the bed, dead, I couldn't bring myself to go up there. Every time I do, I see her dead body and the room still reeks of blood. Her blood." A tear began trickling down his cheek. "I can even hear her scream as she was shot."
Cannonball patted Stitch's back, gazing at him with concern and genuine compassion. "Cannonball wish he could help cousin, but Cannonball never lost a buchee-bu before. Soka."
Stitch laughed. "It's alright Cannonball. But believe me, you don't want to know how it feels when you lose the one you hold higher in your heart than everyone else."
For a while, the two cousins watched David riding wave after wave. Stitch stole a surfboard from the shack, but put down a few dollar bills from his hidden arms. He turned and headed out into the ocean. Cannonball plunged back into the ocean, creating waves just perfect for two. Stitch hopped on the board and rode out into the sea.
He paddled up to a wave and stood as it began rising. He held his balance as the wave sloshed him around. His genuine laugh of exhilaration echoed in the sky above him. David watched him with a huge beam, proud of himself that he had managed to make Stitch have fun. His attention adverted to an upcoming wave and he stood on his board, preparing for the invigorating ride.
Meanwhile, Jumba and Pleakley had already awoken and went to check on Lilo. It has been four months since they began their plan on Lilo and she has been improving more and more. There were times when her temperature would either plummet or rise considerably, but they had kept a vigilant eye on her to avoid from losing her again.
The two aliens chatted with each other as they entered the room that contained a sleeping Lilo. Jumba pulled out his key and placed it in the keyhole. A faint click caused him to put away his key, remove the lock, and opened the door. They walked up to Lilo and their eyes opened wide in surprise. Pleakley ripped back the covers and almost fainted at what he saw.
Anybody that knew Angel and did not know of Lilo returning to the living world would've thought Angel had died. For on the bed, wasn't the human body of Lilo, but her experiment body. She looked just like Angel in every form, color, and shape. She was the exact size as Angel was before her upgrades. Her fur was a rosy pink and with a lightly tinted chest. Her ears were the precise length as Angel's slightly pointed bat ears and her antennas were the same length as well. She even had the white V-crest engraved on her bosom.
"Where's Lilo?" Pleakley asked Jumba.
"It is being her Pleakley. It is her." Jumba beamed. "She has fully transformed and according to tests, her vital organs are remaining strong. All that's needed, is for her to wake up which will approximately be forty-eight Earth hours."
"So we can tell the family now?" Pleakley asked. "This secret has been killing me."
Jumba nodded. "Yes, we can be telling family. However, wait until dinnertime."
"But that's like hours from now." Pleakley whined. "I can't wait any longer to see our happy family smiling that Lilo is coming back!"
"Well, please be waiting until dinnertime. Now let's leave Little Girl alone to sleep." Jumba replied as he pulled the covers up to her chin and they both left her.
Of course, Pleakley was too excited with the news to keep it all to himself. He immediately phoned Angel and told her everything about Lilo's progress. This was when Stitch had just arrived from the beach and went in the direction of the kitchen to have a mug of coffee. He was about to enter the kitchen until he heard Pleakley's voice excitedly jabbering on and on.
"I know isn't it terrific news!" He shouted happily. "I can't wait to see their faces when we announce it. Especially Stitch! He's going to be thrilled!"
"Thrilled about what?" Stitch asked as he stepped into the kitchen.
"Gah! Stitch! You little monster, don't scare me like that. I have to go An-, er Angie. Yes and do please put that beautiful dress up for sale. I can't wait to see how stunning it would look on Nani. Yes, goodbye Angie. Take it easy Angie. Alright Angie. Bye Angel… Angie!"
Pleakley quickly slammed the phone back into it's place and grinned at Stitch. Stitch raised his eyebrows as his suspicion and curiosity arose. "Who was that?"
"Angie." Pleakley quickly replied.
"You just called her Angel." Stitch said.
"Angel, Angie. Sound the same don't they?" Pleakley questioned nervously, wishing Stitch would just walk away. Each minute that passed grew increasingly hard for Pleakley to contain the thrilling news.
Suddenly, a wide grin spread across Stitch's face. "Ooh, I know what this is."
Pleakley was flabbergasted. Wow, he figured it out already. What a smart experiment. Pleakley was about to explain his plan for bringing Lilo back, but Stitch beat him with another question. "Pleakley's got a girlfriend?"
"What!" Pleakley exclaimed. "I most certainly do- to. Yes, and her name is Angie. A beautiful um, lady."
"Wow, and here I thought you were going to go out with guys. It's nice to have a girl's affections, don't you think?" Stitch asked.
Pleakley nodded. "I guess so."
"So what is she like?" Stitch asked.
"Who?" Pleakley questioned.
"Angie." Stitch responded.
"Oh she's pretty. Nice. And um, pretty and just nice." Pleakley said lamely.
Stitch looked unimpressed, but turned his attention from Pleakley to fill his mug up with steaming hot coffee. Pleakley watched him as he gulped it down and refilled it a couple more times before leaving the kitchen. He sat on the couch, covering his bare self with a blanket and watched TV. He watched TV for a while until he became bored and restless. He reached for the remote to turn the power off.
Tossing his blanket aside, he sat up, stretching his cramping limbs. He stood from the couch and as neatly as he could, folded the blanket back up and placed it in the linen closet down the hallway. He looked out into the sky, seeing it was beginning to turn dark. Deciding there was nothing better to do, he left the house and climbed into the buggy. He drove for about ten minutes before parking the little red car in Angel's driveway.
He unbuckled himself and climbed out the buggy. He dashed up her porch and rang the doorbell. No one answered. He rang it again and knocked afterwards, but still, there was no answer. He didn't even hear footsteps nor voices. It was just silent. He sighed, concluding she was not home. He thought of Arlene, the female who kissed him. True he didn't enjoy it, but he didn't despise it either. After all, she said she was only being grateful that he allowed her to be his friend. She didn't mean anything more.
He went back to the buggy, this time driving to Arlene's house. He parked the car in her driveway. Before exiting the car, he stared at her house. He had to admit, it was fun being friends with her, despite her huge dislike for the person he loved the most, she was still a loyal friend and he was thankful that she was always there. With a small grin, he abandoned the car and walked up to her porch. He rang the doorbell confidently. He waited until he heard a click from the lock.
He smiled as Arlene swung the door open and beamed at her guest. She stepped to the side, allowing him access to her house. Stitch looked around, finding the room to be dimly lit by the blazing fireplace. The room silent save for the crackling of the flames.
"There are times I like spending a quiet night at home." Arlene explained.
"Sorry if I intruded." Stitch replied.
Arlene shook her head and smiled warmly. "No, you're fine. Come sit with me and have a mug of coffee. My treat."
Stitch smiled. "I don't see why not."
Arlene left him with a smile before leaving for the kitchen. "Feel free to explore if you like!"
Stitch nodded, even though she couldn't see him, and explored her house. First, he went up the stairs, observing his surroundings there. When he reached the top, he noticed it was some sort of a game room. Stitch had learned Arlene loved playing video games, it was her hobby and she was quite good at it. He had learned that when she played against him on the same game he used to beat Lilo.
She wasn't much of an organizer, he concluded. Her controllers were unraveled and left on the floor. The cabinet was a mess, for it held thousands of video games, some old that were out their cases and some new that weren't even opened. Her sofa was a mess too, with little pieces of fruit, popcorn, and even ice cream stained on the seats. He turned his head to the bathroom, and found that in a bit of a disorder as well, but cleaned properly.
He went for her bedroom, even though he knew exploring another girl's room, where their privacy is ensured, was wrong. However, she did say feel free to explore the house, so why not her bedroom? With a fiendish gleam in his eye and a quick twist of his lips, he ventured towards her room. He reached a hand to grasp the doorknob and opened the door. A cold sweep of air rustled his fur, but it didn't matter to him, and he stepped inside.
Her bed was an utter disarray. The sheets wrinkled, twisted together, and practically tossed everywhere. Her pillows dripping wet with drool and thrown carelessly on the ground. Her beauty desk, as the females called it, was mayhem as well. Her small brush still had little aqua strands of fur tied around the bristles.
Wow, wouldn't Pleakley just love her. He thought to himself sarcastically. He could tell straight away she was not an arranging person. Very much unlike Pleakley however, who feels everything has to be impeccably spotless or the world would end. He chuckled to himself before turning to the opposite wall. What he saw, enraptured his attention.
On the wall, hanging by the loop, was a plasma blaster. The similar blaster that could've led to the death of Lilo Pelekai.
"Now what would she need with this blaster?" Stitch asked himself as he began reaching out to it.
"I use it to scare away intruders." Arlene replied from behind him. He turned to see her, holding a mug of coffee. "I had to use it twice already because some thugs try to break in. Fortunately for me, I have that to scare them off. I don't kill them of course, because I am not a murderer no matter how much I loathe the person."
"Makes sense." Stitch agreed as he walked up to her.
"Your mug of coffee is waiting for you downstairs. Follow me." Arlene replied as she beckoned him with her finger to follow her downstairs.
They exited the room and walked down the stairs. Arlene led him into the living room and sat down on the couch, drawing a warm yellow blanket from the coffee table over her. Stitch followed afterwards, tucking the blanket securely around his waist. Arlene leaned over to curl her fingers around the handle of the coffee mug sitting on the table. She handed it to Stitch, who leaned back and savored the beverage.
For a while, everything was silent save for the crackling of the fire. They just watched as the fire burned brighter and as the flames grew taller without having conversation. Though their eyes were glued to the fire, their minds focused elsewhere. Of course, Stitch was thinking about Lilo and all the adventures they had together. Arlene was thinking about the entire situation. With Lilo dead, it opened a huge opportunity for her to comfort Stitch and make him fall in love with her. All she had to do was just be there for him, put her arms around him and allow him to cry on her shoulder, and have him open his heart to her and tell her about Lilo.
Stitch's eyelids grew heavy as sleep began donning on him. He blinked slowly, finding it harder to open his eyes each time they closed. Finally, he blinked one last time before going to sleep. Without his knowing, his head slid from the back of the couch and onto Arlene's shoulder. Arlene slightly jumped in surprise as her thoughts vanished. However, a smile grew on her face afterwards. She reached over for his half empty mug and placed it back on the table. She stood and immediately cupped his face to gently lay him down on the couch.
She brushed a hand over his sweet face, feeling her heart flutter in her chest. She got back on the couch and meekly crawled up to him. She slid into his arms, facing him. She caressed his cheek again before leaning forward to gingerly peck his lips. He didn't move. She carefully guided her arms around his neck and eased into his embrace, thankful he was such a heavy sleeper. She closed her eyes for sleep with a huge smile spreading across her face.
Outside, peeking through a window, was Angel. She had began searching for Stitch so she, Pleakley, and Jumba could tell the great news of Lilo coming back. However, they only had Nani and David together, but no Stitch. Therefore, she checked the places he would normally be. Her last resort was asking Arlene and boy did she get her answer. For she found Stitch and Arlene on the couch asleep, in each other's arms.
Her mouth slightly opened in a quiet gasp. Her ears flattened on her back as she observed the two experiments. They're… in love?