Huff!!! Finally, I updated chapter nine on Fan Fiction!!! And finally I made a comment here!!! Well, I hadn't been able to update it because my computer was having some troubles with the antivirus, so it didn't allow me to update the chapter on my computer. Well, not too much to say about this chapter, this is the longest chapter I've ever done, about ten pages on Word. I really had fun writing it. Hope you like it!!!

WHAT'S THE BEST CHOICE?

Chapter 9

Revenge begins

When the school week began, things turned hard for Lilo and the other girls, because Moses insisted in practicing for the Spring Festival so they could be prepared when the moment bring up.

As well as Lilo, Stitch had have a difficult week, because each time he wanted to talk with Lilo about what happened that night, he never found her well-disposed to talk; when he wanted to talk with her at mornings, he always found her bed empty, and if he wanted to go to the hula school, he always found the doors closed (I know, a door probably wouldn't normally stop Stitch, but he didn't want to put in ridicule Lilo. He didn't trust too much on Mertle's change), and he just waited for them to go out, but hours passed and it didn't seem like they were going to go out, so he always passed for some food because his stomach demanded to have some food.

He used to go to the town to "buy" (that's to say he "borrow" some snacks) some food to calm down his roaring stomach, and he stayed there some hours, wasting some time to wait for Lilo to exit. When he finished his meal, about at 6 o' clock, he used to walk calmly to the hula school. When he reached the school, the doors were still closed, but if he peeked inside, he always would see that the school was totally empty. He knew that Victoria's mom was who picked up the girls to bring them to their houses, but he didn't know if Lilo was already at home, so sometimes he rushed to the Pelekai house or sometimes he just began to walk calmly, making his way to home.

When he reached home, he never asked if Lilo was at home, he just rushed to the dome to see if Lilo was there. Most of times he found her sleeping peacefully on her bed; sometimes he tried to wake her up, but she just moaned and turned to face the wall; other times he just let her sleep. Now today was Saturday, and next day the Festival was gonna be presented.

When he arrived home, he saw Pleackley preparing the dinner, as every night; he saw Jumba watching the TV on Discovery Channel. As he watched the TV, he laughed to see the scientist having troubles on some things that were too simple for him to do. Nani should be at home, but she wasn't, because David and she had gone to dine on some secret place they only knew.

-Oh, hello little monster. Wanna dine now, or do you want to wait? —Pleackley saw Stitch and greeted him as he was moving a ladle inside a pot. A weird aroma was filling the kitchen; it smelt just like if cheese and chocolate, among other unknown aromas, would've mixed together.

-Naga. Meega wait —replied Stitch. Even if he ate almost anything, this time he wasn't very sure about what Pleackley was preparing. Then the bell ringed. Pleackley went to open the door, already with a wig on his head. Stitch began to walk towards the lift. Before the lift began to rise, he heard Pleackley's shrilly voice:

-Pizza!!! Who could have ordered pizza with me preparing the dinner?

-Am not sure. Perhaps bigger girl did. What are you doing?

-I'm preparing a delicious dinner. It's a chocolate pizza!!! —replied Pleackley proudly, and that was the last Stitch heard before he reached the dome. To his surprise, Lilo wasn't there. Finally!!! He had arrived earlier than Lilo. Now he could talk alone with her. "Wait a minute. Am I going to be alone?" he thought scared. Of course, he wanted to talk with Lilo, but he wasn't sure if he did want to talk rightnow with Lilo. He didn't know what to say, or what he was going to do.

As he began to panic, he heard a car outside parking. He peeked on the window and saw a red van stopping and activating the intermittent light. He saw a person exiting the van and waving her hands to the ones that were inside the van. He gulped when he saw the raven haired girl: Lilo had arrived!!! He wasn't ready yet. As he panicked, the lift began whirring, which took him out from his mixed thoughts. He knew it was her.

-What a hard day!!! I'd bet Moses wanna kill us of fatigue. I can't give a step more!

Lilo yawned and dropped on her bed, her face showing a tired expression. She didn't even notice Stitch standing there, with no clear ideas crossing his head. He was panicked.

-Hum…err, aloha Lilo —he greeted. His knees were trembling slightly.

-Aloha Stitch —she said, thinking she was already on Slumber Land.

-Meega…wants to talk with Lilo.

-Uh-huh? About what? —she sat on her bed, staring at Stitch with sleepy eyes.

Stitch gulped. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. He sat on her bed, next to her, and took Lilo's hand, locking it with his two hands. Lilo opened startled her eyes for a moment, but her eyelids were getting heavier and her sleepy expression returned to her face quickly. She was falling each time deeper on the darkness.

-Lilo? Remember night meega kissed you?

Lilo nodded tiredly. Stitch felt his throat drying, so he had again to swallow saliva. He wanted to talk, but his broken English and his dried throat were stopping him to say what he wanted to say. He swallowed loudly. He wasn't going to permit those little problems to stop him.

-Meega…Stitch wants say…I…I…—he felt the words stopping on his tongue.

-What? –asked Lilo as she closed her face to Stitch's. Stitch was getting more nervous.

-I…want…to say…that… Stitch loves…I…love…you —he said, blinking like if he had licked a lemon.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Lilo smiling dreamily.

-Do… you love me? —she asked, her smile lengthening, closing even more her face to his. Stitch stared at her eyes, and then lowered his sight to her smiling lips.

He knew he wanted to cover that wonderful smile with his own lips, and that he couldn't resist too many seconds more.

-Ih. Meega… loves Lilo… a lot… ih…a whole lot —he began to close as well his face to his best friend's.

Now the moment had arrived: he had to kiss her. He saw how she began to close her eyes, and copying her action, he closed his eyes too, waiting for that wonderful, magic moment. Now his lips were a few inches away from hers, and he could smell her shampoo scent. He was feeling now her slow breath on his face, and he knew it: his lips were about to collide with hers. Time stopped, but he couldn't feel yet her lips on his; instead, he felt something soft landing on his chest.

He opened his eyes slowly, wondering why he hadn't felt anything, and as he opened his eyes, he saw it: Lilo had fallen asleep, and now she was leaning on his chest, sleeping calmly. The softness he had felt when he had his eyes closed, that softness was her silky, straight hair, cascading down her head.

Stitch sighed. That magic that had been on the air some seconds ago had dissipated now, leaving instead another kind of magic there.

He tried to move away slowly, trying to keep her asleep, not wanting to wake his angel up; he began to move away, but Lilo began to stretch upon his lap uncomfortably and she wrapped her arms around his sides, hugging him tightly and stopping him completely from what he was about to do. He widened his eyes and dropped slightly his jaw with the surprise, but after a moment he recovered his composure and hugged her tightly as well, causing her chest to be glued to his. She moved once more and raised her arms to wrap his neck now, leaving his arms wrapping her waist, his cheek was glued to hers as well. He began running his hand through her back up and down soothingly, enjoying the moment. If he hadn't kissed her, it wasn't the same, that's true, but it felt almost as good as a kiss would've felt like.

He wished the moment to never end, but after some minutes that seemed like an eternity, he loosened his grip and untied his arms from her waistline, but she kept her arms wrapping his neck. He took her on his arms, cradling her, and lifted her body. He removed the blanket and placed her on the bed; he took the blankets again on his hands and covered his friend's body, but she didn't loose her grip on his neck trough.

"No, Lilo. We have to wait" he thought to himself, and tried to pull away. Finally, Lilo let him go, and sighed. Stitch wasn't sure if Lilo knew what she was doing, or if she was just dreaming. He didn't know it, but he knew he had loved those precious moments when Lilo and he had shared the beats of their hearts.

He thought about all this and climbed to his cot. He tried to revive those moments again as he covered his body with the sheets. As he remembered her face closing to his, he slipped down into the darkness, and the last he saw was her face smiling at him.

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Meanwhile, Hamsterviel cut the communication. He had just talked with Leroy, and the news he gave him were really good. He had told him that he had found the way to make 626 suffer slowly, because he had found somebody that he loved dearly. After he ended with the life of that person, he would make 626 to desire his own death to stop suffering.

-Now that my Leroy will end with the life of that Experiment 626 and with the life of the little Hawaiian girl, I won't have anybody to stop me from doing my evil plans!!! I'll capture all the 625 experiments and I'll use their powers to rule the Universe, and the stupid Galactic Council won't have anybody to save them now!!! –shouted in victory Hamsterviel, and let out an evil laugh.

On a dark nook of an adjacent room, somebody heard the victory shouts. She had heard all what he had said about Stitch and Lilo, and dropped herself inside the glass capsule. A small tear slid from her eyes, making a wet trail through her fur. She had heard as well Leroy talking to Hamsterviel, and even if he had said some words mixed with broken English and some Turian, she had understood everything. She didn't want them to die, especially Stitch. She still loved him, and she hadn't forgotten him. She desired everyday to escape from that horrible place and go back to her home, but each day that passed, she lost some of her hope, until she had almost nothing of hope. She wanted to see his love again, her Stitch… she missed him deeply.

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Stitch woke up as the sunbeams caressed his face. He woke up slowly, stretching to wake up faster. He opened his eyes tiredly and tried to focus his sight. When everything became clear again, he saw Lilo sleeping on her bed. He thought on waking her up. He did nothing but walked approaching to the lift, and went downstairs. On the kitchen, Nani was already awaken and preparing the breakfast.

-Morning Stitch –greeted Nani.

-Morning –yawned Stitch.

-Wanna take some breakfast?

Stitch stared at her during some moments. He thought Nani was more reliable than Pleackley on the meals, so he just nodded.

-OK. Sit down, then —smiled Nani. It was a really strange thing from her to smile at Stitch, but she was happy. Stitch suspected that something happened between her and David, but he didn't take too much care about it. Then he saw a ring glistening on her hand. He knew that meant something, but he just couldn't remember what it meant…

-Morning everybody! —greeted a familiar voice. Stitch whirled his head and he saw her: his angel had already awaken. She looked beautiful like that: her face had got a slight scarlet blush, and her hair cascaded down her back, shining with the morning sun.

-Morning baby —Nani said smiling. Lilo stared at her, finding strange her sister being so smiling. Normally she was on a bad mood at mornings. What was going on?

-Nani? Do you feel okay? —Lilo asked startled. Nani smiled even more and showed the ring on her hand. Lilo remained speechless.

-A-are you two going…?

-Yes, Lilo. David and I are gonna marry —Nani answered to her sister's amazed glance. Lilo didn't know what to do at first, but after some seconds she let out a loud shriek and hugged Nani.

-I can't believe it!!! I'm gonna gain a new brother!!! —shouted Lilo as Nani returned her hug –When is gonna be the wedding?

-Well, I know it's a little bit fast, but it will be the next month —smiled Nani, some tears escaping her eyes.

-That's just so good!!! I can't believe he loves you though the way you cook! I really don't know what are you gonna give him to eat —Lilo smirked as she glanced at her sister.

-Oh, really? Do you think I'm so bad at cooking? —Nani mocked as she began to tickle her little sister's belly.

-N-no!!! Wait!!! Stop TICKLING ME!!!!! HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! —she burst on laughs, begging her sister to let her go. "So that's what the ring means. I couldn't remember" Stitch thought as he saw the two sisters playing on the floor. After some minutes of laughs and tickles, Nani let her go.

-OK, Lilo, wanna take breakfast? Pleackley told me you arrived so tired that you didn't even dine. Aren't you hungry? —asked Nani.

Lilo sighed —True is I don't even remember what I did last night. The last thing I remember is… —Lilo forced her mind to remember something. Stitch perked his ears: he did want to hear if she remembered what had happened between them —…I think last I remember was me dropping on my bed and closing my eyes. That's all. I don't remember if I dined, so most probable is I didn't dine —she concluded.

Stitch lowered his ears "Then you don't remember we were about to kiss, right? I think I knew it; you couldn't have wanted to kiss me that way because you were too drowsy" Stitch said to himself. It was sad for him that she couldn't remember anything about what happened between them, because now he had to tell her again what he was feeling about her.

-OK. Then sit and just wait while I prepare your breakfast —Nani's voice took Stitch out of his thoughts. Lilo took a chair and sat next to Stitch.

-Morning Stitch —Lilo greeted Stitch.

-Aloha, Lilo —replied Stitch, thinking on what moment could be the best to tell her that he loved her.

-OK, here's your breakfast –offered Nani as she put on the table two plates, each one of them contained two eggs and two slices of fried bacon. Lilo stared at the kitchen clock for a moment, and then returned quickly her eyes to the clock.

-Nine and forty-five??? I'm getting late!!! I promised Victoria I would be at her house at ten o' clock!!! —she shouted worriedly and began to eat quickly her breakfast.

-Meega go with Lilo? –offered Stitch.

Lilo gulped down the bacon and nodded —OK, but hurry up!

Stitch smiled and tossed the whole plate on his mouth, drunk all his milk, stared at the glass and gobbled it as well. Then he ate the milk pack that was on the table, and Lilo just smiled a the sight of a milk trail running down his lips.

-Stitch!!! That was the 4th plate you have ate on the week!!! And that was the 6th glass!!!!—yelled Nani angrily.

-Oops. Soka? —apologized Stitch.

-It's OK, Nani. Pleackley will never notice that some of his plates and glasses are missing —Lilo pleaded for her best friend.

-OK, but if Pleackley asks about his incomplete crockery, you'll have to tell him that Stitch ate it —huffed Nani as she sat frustrated on a chair.

-Like if Pleackley could do some kind of damage to us –whispered Lilo and both snickered —I'd be afraid if he were Nani —she murmured at last before open the door.

-I heard you!!! —they heard Nani compelling inside home as Stitch jumped inside the buggy.

-Stitch? What are you…?

-Lilo needs arrive quickly. Stitch take Lilo to Victoria's house!!! —Stitch said happily. Lilo smiled:

-OK. Then let's go!!!

Stitch turned on the motor of the buggy and they began to run down across the road that would lead them faster to Victoria's house. The festival was gonna begin at four o'clock, so they would have a lot of time to do whatever they wanted to. It was barely 10:05 a.m.

Finally, they arrived. Victoria was outside, maybe waiting for them, or maybe she was just doing nothing. When she saw her friends arriving, she waved her hand to them.

-Aloha Lilo!!! Aloha Stitch!!!

-Aloha!!! —Lilo and Stitch said at the same time. Stitch parked the buggy in front of the doorway, and after they jumped out.

-Is everybody already here? —asked Lilo.

-Yep, all of them are here. What do we do first? Do you want to take some snacks?

-No, thanks. Stitch and I have just taken breakfast. I think it would be better if we practice some more times the hula dance we're gonna present tonight.

-Tonight? —asked Victoria as they came in.

-Yeah, tonight. Don't you remember before us there'll be other especial spectacles? If the festival is gonna begin at four o'clock and before us there are gonna be about thirteen shows, I think at that time there'll be already nightfall, right?

-That's true. Okay, I think we can have some practice before the Festival starts. If we have some time, we can go to the beach…

-Aloha Lilo!!! —greeted the choir of girls. Stitch couldn't help but growl quietly. Lilo had just to pat him softly on the head to calm him down.

-Aloha girls!!! —Lilo returned the salute.

After Lilo arrived, they agreed on having some practice before the Festival. Stitch had asked just one time where was Lani, but Victoria had told him that she went out with some friends to the town, and he didn't asked anything else.

They practiced until noon, and they ate lunch. After lunch they practiced once more until 2:00. Then they stopped and decided to go to the beach to have some fun. Everybody had brought their swim suits, and they played on the beach until 3:00, when they stopped playing and went back to Victoria's house, so her mom could bring them to the festival, which was going to be on Mai Puli Beach. They rushed inside the red van, and then they began to make their way to Mai Puli Beach. Lilo asked if Stitch could go with them, and Victoria's mom agreed with the condition that Lilo could take the responsibility in case Stitch did a prank. To her relief, Stitch kept quiet during all the way, although the girls' stirrings.

Finally, they arrived Mai Puli Beach. The festival had already began, but they didn't take too much care about that. It wasn't time for their dance yet, so they could do anything. They bought some snacks and climbed to the attractions there. Finally, after two hours of fun and jokes, somebody on the microphone called them for their dance.

-OK girls, you're being called. Go to the stage —suggested Victoria's mom. The girls nodded and walked towards the stage.

-It's our turn, right? —asked Victoria to one of the guys in charge of the stage.

-No, it was just the first call. Actually, your dance will be in about fifteen minutes —answered the guy.

-OK, we have fifteen minutes. We can go change our clothes meanwhile –said Lilo. Everybody nodded.

-We can go to the beach dressing rooms –suggested Yuki.

-Then let's go —said Mertle as she entered one near there. Every girl took one of the five dressing rooms there, leaving Lilo outside.

-Wanna pass first, Lilo? I can wait outside if you want —offered Victoria when she saw that Lilo was left alone.

-No, it's okay. I can change my clothes on the woods —replied Lilo as she approached to the plentiful weeds, and hid behind a thick tree. Stitch went after her, but she said him what she was going to do and he had to wait over the tree she had chosen. She finished quickly, unlike to the other girls, who were delaying too much. Lilo decided to stay near the tree she had chosen. It was a comfortable place.

-OK Stitch, I'm ready. You can open your eyes now —announced Lilo as she went out, already with her hula costume.

Stitch opened his eyes, and when he saw Lilo, the air escaped his lips, leaving him speechless. The top was a glittering red cloth that sparkled each time she moved, and in the lower part had a cloth sewed that was cut in narrow, white shining strips that seemed like sparkles. She was wearing as well a le'i (the Hawaiian name for the flowers necklace. I don't know how to write it, so if I mistook the word, I'm sorry) with some red flowers that matched with her red top and the blush on her face. The grassy skirt had as well some decorations on the top of it, consistent in little pieces of white, sparkling cloth, remarking her slightly slimmer waist.

She seemed so pretty…so beautiful…

-How do I look like? —asked Lilo as she tried to model, and her voice took away Stitch from his trance. Stitch had to shake slightly his head to get on the real world again. He had just got lost on the sight of Lilo.

-B…be…beautiful —he stuttered out, not because his bad English. It was because his brain was still getting okay from the shock of that sight.

Lilo smiled at the stuttering of her best friend as her face flushed even more with that awkward feeling again. She knew she was blushing because the warmth she felt gathering on her cheeks.

-Thanks… —she whispered, inaudibly for a human hear, but Stitch could hear her voice. Suddenly, he realized they were alone. He turned his head to his sides, assuring no girl had still gone out the dressing rooms… no, nobody was out. It was the perfect opportunity!!! He sighed uneasily as he prepared himself for this…

-Hum, Lilo? —he said, the words were beginning to stop at his throat again.

-What's going, Stitch? —Lilo asked, dropping her face to hide her furious blushing from Stitch. Even if it was beginning to get dark, she knew Stitch could notice it, thanks to his dark-vision. Stitch gulped. He took Lilo's hand and leaded her to a fallen log near there, and he sat there. Lilo was startled, but she imitated Stitch's moving and she sat as well on the log, which was being used now like a seat. When she sat down, she noticed that Stitch deflected his eyes aside, and she noticed that he was staring at a flowers shrub. They were like the flower her mom had on that photo of the hula competence winners. She began to divert her attention to the flowers when she felt Stitch's hand squeezing hers. She turned immediately her head to face him. He seemed to be nervous, and as he stroked her hands, his breath became slightly faster. Finally, he turned his head to face her as well. Lilo could see on his eyes the fear and nervousness look she had seen only when he had been, a long time ago, trying to win Angel's heart. Finally, he began to speak:

-Lilo… meega can't… stand it more… so meega wants to say… meega wants to say that…—the thoughts on his head were disordered, but he compelled his brain to order the thoughts on his mind—Remember night meega kissed Lilo?

She nodded. She felt the needing of smile, but not with happiness, but with nervousness.

-Yes. Why? —she asked timidly as she dropped again her face. Stitch, noticing this, raised his hand and took her chin between his thumb and his index and raised her face, so he could see her face. Lilo trembled at his touch, but left him do what he was doing. Stitch was about to say that he loved her, but it was so hard for him… then he stared at her eyes… those sweet eyes which looked at him with sympathy and even love… he had fallen in love with the look on those eyes that told him all the love she felt for him… then he began to close his face to hers, haunted by those eyes. Why to tell he loved her with words when he could tell her it with acts?

Lilo had gotten nervous too. She didn't know what to say, and the ideas escaped completely from her mind when she felt Stitch's eyes sticking into her eyes… she recognized the same look of his black orbs she had seen that evening before visiting Angel and Elvis… that look filled with love… but this time there was no shame on his eyes… it was sheer love. She felt like melting in that right place when she felt his hand attracting her face to his own… she felt how her face was beginning to tremble, and she didn't know if it was because the cool breeze or if it was because… because… now she could feel his breath on her face… just a few millimeters more and their lips would be touching…

-Lilo!!! —she heard a near voice, calling her with so much force that both of them jumped with the freak. The voice owner was Victoria.

-There you are!!! I had been looking for you for a looooong time!!! —said Victoria as she noticed the two friends sat on the log, near the flowers.

-How long have you been looking for me? —Lilo began to feel like if she had just been awaked up by Nani's yellings.

-We have just two minutes to get in the stage!!! Come on Lilo!!! We have to hurry!!! —Victoria didn't pay attention to Lilo's question.

-W-what??? —Lilo was still on another planet. She couldn't get completely her mind back.

-Have you found her? —Mertle appeared behind the leafy bushes, being followed by the other three girls. Victoria turned her body to see at the new comers and they began to talk between them. Lilo was still getting back her mind, while Stitch was looking confused. He had been so close…!!! He was getting his mind back as well as Lilo, so he couldn't do anything well: he couldn't think, he couldn't walk… he was motionless.

-Hey, where's Lilo? I thought you had said you had found her? —Elena said as she turned her head to everywhere. The others imitated her moving and tried to look for Lilo.

-Lilo!!! LILO!!!!! —Yuki and Teresa shouted, calling for Lilo.

-I think she's already on the stage. I told her we had a short time to get there —said Victoria, pointing to an illuminated place slightly far from there.

-Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!!! –Mertle commanded as everybody nodded and followed her.

"Great!!! Another ruined opportunity. How am I supposed to tell her I love her if she has disappeared?" thought Stitch. He had got back his mind now, and now he could think clearly again. He hit his face against a tree, in a sign of frustration. "Wait a minute…I didn't see her leaving to show in the stage… then where is she???" he realized. Then he caught that smell… it was that smell he knew so good since the experiments began activating on Earth… but this smell was slightly singular… "No, it can't be true. He's on jail, right?" he thought he had caught Leroy's scent, but the he began to doubt "He's at jail, right?"

He heard a soft shrieking from the woods. He thought at first it was some animal, but the shriek repeated, now sounding for longer and it sounded like a… like an anguish compelling. Then he recognized her crying.

-Lilo? Where are you?? –he squeaked out, the panic was taking him now… he sharpened his hearing sense…

-S…—he heard softly—STITCH!!!!! HEL…!!!! —he heard the interrupted cries, sounding with all the possible anguish. Then he began to run towards the place he had heard Lilo… he knew that his boojibu was in danger, and he had to save her at any price now.

-Lilo!!! LILO!!!!!!! —he shouted, totally panicked—WHERE ARE YOU???????

Then he saw two shapes on the darkness. He activated as quickly as possible his night-vision.

-Stitch!!! Help!!! —Lilo yelped as she tried to detach from the captor's arms, who was forcing her to enter on a spaceship.

What Stitch saw panicked him totally… Leroy had his freedom back… and now he had Lilo too.

Quick summary of next chapter: Lilo has been already captured, and even if Stitch tried to stop him, he used everything against Stitch. Now what will Stitch do? He just wanted to tell Lilo how he feels about her and now there happens this... however, she'll find somebody she hadn't seen on a long while and thought she was dead... here begins the problem.