I do not own Lilo and Stitch.

Single and Loving It

Lilo sat on her bed, watching as her best friend adjusted the bow tie around his neck. It was Stitch's first Valentine's Day with Angel, and she agreed to help him make it special. She glanced at the wrinkled piece of paper in her hand. "Are you ready for the Romantic Valentine's Day Must-Haves?"

Stitch turned away from the mirror and flashed a thumbs up. "Ih!"

"Flowers?"

The blue experiment whipped a bouquet of roses out from inside his jacket. "Check!"

"Candy?"

Stitch felt around inside his jacket once more and froze when he could not feel the heart-shaped box. He panicked for just a brief moment before remembering where he had stashed them. He scrambled under Lilo's bed and removed the chocolates. "Check!"

"Romantic location?"

"Check!" Stitch grinned. "Dinner on beach!"

"That also takes care of the romantic activity." Lilo smiled. "What's more romantic than a walk on the beach?"

"Nothing."

"Exactly. Stitch, you're all ready for your date with Angel."

"Good! Thanks, Lilo." Stitch hugged his best friend, grateful that she had helped him with the dinner preparations. With the table all set up at the beachfront (complete with candles and cinnamon candies) and Frenchfry making the dinner, it was going to be a great night.

"No problem, Stitch. I'm glad to help!" Lilo returned his hug. "Oh! We were so busy making your date preparations I forgot to give you my Valentine gift."

She hurried over to the closet and threw it open. She rifled through the other boxes of candy she had gotten from Nani, Jumba, Pleakley, David, Victoria and various cousins. She found the homemade card with a box of red jellybeans and handed it to Stitch. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Ooh!" Stitch tore open the box of jellybeans and downed them in one gulp. "Yummy! This for Lilo!"

He hurried over to his bed and removed a card from under his pillow. He gave it to Lilo and kissed her on the cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"I love it!" Lilo beamed and pinned the card in the center of her corkboard. "Thanks, Stitch."

The elevator whirred, signalling that someone was coming up. A few seconds later the pink experiment appeared in their dome. Angel smiled coyly at Stitch. "Ready, boochi-boo?"

Stitch smiled goofily. "Ih!" He thrust out the flowers and candy. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Aw!" Angel threw her arms around the blue experiment. "Takka!"

"No problem." Stitch handed her the gifts and offered his arm. She accepted it with a warm smile. The two turned to the Hawaiian girl observing them with a happy expression. "Bye, Lilo! See you soon!"

"Bye Lilo!" Angel echoed with a shy smile.

"Have fun!" Lilo waved as the two descended down the elevator. "Be home before sunset!"

"Okay!" Stitch called up before departing with his girlfriend. Lilo collapsed against her pillow with a sigh of wistfulness. She loved Angel, she loved Stitch, and she loved them being together, but she was a little jealous of what they had.

"I wish I had a boyfriend for Valentine's Day," the ten-year-old said moodily. "Victoria is so lucky Keoni asked her to the dance."

It probably would have stung more if she still had a crush on the boy, but that had passed a while ago and Lilo was happy for her friend.

But it didn't help to know that both her best friends were out on dates while she was alone on the most romantic day of the year.

She briefly considered going to spy on Nani's date with David, but decided the consequences that she was sure to receive if she got caught weren't worth the risk.

Deciding that it would only be more depressing if she wasted Valentine's Day alone in her room, Lilo travelled down the elevator chute and shuffled into the living room, where Jumba and Pleakley were watching television. The Plorgonar glanced up as the girl walked in. "Shouldn't a young, single girl like you be out breaking hearts?" Pleakley asked when his niece dropped onto the couch between the two aliens.

"If anyone was willing to have me break their heart, I'd be out doing it," Lilo sighed dramatically. "But no, I'm in my prime and I couldn't even get a date for Valentine's Day."

"Little girl has not even reached prime yet," Jumba pointed out.

"You know I'm ten right?" Lilo asked. "Technically not a little girl anymore."

Her alien uncle patted her head affectionately. "Always little girl to me."

"And apparently to every guy on the island as well," Lilo muttered. "Every time I try to talk to a boy I like, they just smile and say, 'You're a cute kid, you know that?' Will I ever grow into a woman that guys will take seriously? Or will I always have a hopeless love life?"

"Of course you will. In roughly three years," Jumba answered, mildly amused by Lilo's dramatics.

Lilo tilted her head curiously. "What happens in three years?"

Before Jumba could reply Pleakley elbowed him sharply. "You'll find out when the time comes." Pleakley said hastily. "And as for your 'hopeless love life', I'd like to point out that you're ten. In a few years the boys will be lining up to be your Valentine."

Lilo perked up at the mental image Pleakley's assurance brought. "I like the sounds of that."

Pleakley laughed. "Just try not to leave too many broken hearts behind you, alright?"

"I won't," Lilo promised. "So what are we watching?"

"Talk shows," Jumba said in disgust. "Pleakley won't give up remote."

"In this house, you have to fight for the T.V. remote," Lilo said. Without any warning she tackled Pleakley, nearly causing him to fall off the couch.

"Hold it! Hold everything!" Pleakley cried as Lilo attempted to snag the remote from him. "Fighting is not how we solve problems!"

"Sure it is." Lilo grinned and jabbed Pleakley in the side, knowing he was ticklish. The one-eyed alien yelped and dropped the remote, which Lilo promptly picked up. The Hawaiian girl got off of Pleakley and quickly climbed into Jumba's lap. "Got it!"

Jumba chuckled and patted Lilo's head. "Good girl. Very good problem-solving."

"You've corrupted her," Pleakley stated as he collapsed against the couch, rubbing his side.

Lilo giggled as Jumba took the remote from her and changed the channel. "No he didn't. I always fight the person who has the remote. That's just how it works."

Pleakley did not answer, and Lilo frowned in worry. Afraid that she had made him mad, she crawled over to him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I promise I won't do it again."

Pleakley glanced at her sincere brown eyes and shook his head. "Little brat," he muttered and pinched her nose fondly. Lilo grinned and flopped back between her two alien uncles happily.

She realized you didn't need to have a date on Valentine's Day in order for it to be special. You just needed people you loved and who loved you.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!