"Good morning, Lilo." Stich's voice drifted slowly throughout the room.
Lilo rolled over in her bed. "Morning." She replied into her pillow, still half asleep. Expecting to feel Stitch beside her when she moved, she patted the bed next to her finding it completely empty, save for Scrump. "Stitch?" She mumbled in confusion as she remembered that he still wasn't allowed home. "Where are you?"
"Over here."
She looked in the direction of the voice, finding her gaze drawn to her desk. The communicator Reuben had given her had a flashing green light on it. Realizing she must have turned it on when she put it there before bed, she hurried over to the device. To her surprise, Stitch's face was clear on the screen, smiling wildly.
"Your hair." He giggled before she had a chance to say anything.
She looked into the mirror and blushed furiously. Her hair was a complete and fluffy mess. Throwing down the communicator, she brushed her hair in a flash and returned to Stitch.
"Youga didn't have to fix it." Stitch reminded her.
"I know." She said as she walked back to her bed. "But it's embarrassing."
"Meega seen a lot worse."
"Don't remind me." Lilo laid down on her bed, flat on her stomach with her feet in the air. Her blush had not quite faded yet, but she was determined not to take her eyes off of Stitch. "Is Reuben letting you borrow his communicator?"
"Yeah." Stitch nodded his head. "Meega told them they don't need to put up with my now that I'm feeling better. When meega started heading out though, they insisted I stay until we figure something out."
"At least you'll have somewhere to stay." She said sadly.
Stitch heard her emphasize on the word 'somewhere.' He knew she wasn't happy about Nani not letting him come home, but they had to deal with it until he could. "He isa also letting me keep the communicator. Weega should be able to talk any time, even though we can't see each other."
"Really?" Lilo almost jumped out of the bed. There was no way she could last not seeing Stitch again, but if she would be able to talk to him she'd feel a tiny bit better. "This is great! It'll almost be like we're not apart at all. And I can even fit you in my pocket."
Stitch laughed at her comment, imagining a tiny version of himself getting carried around. "I suppose we could always ask Shrink if youga wanted a tiny me."
"No. I like you exactly as you are. You know that."
The two looked at each other through the devices. While it wasn't the same as in person, it felt really nice to be able to talk. Even the silence was comforting, it was just like when they would spend time alone in their room. They would spend hours just doing their own things in silence, and it was always wonderful. However, the silence didn't last quite as long as Lilo wanted.
"Um, Lilo." Stitch finally said, breaking her blissful daydreaming. "Aren't youga going to be late?"
Lilo looked to the clock and saw that she had overslept again. "Oh no. Victoria's going to kill me! I'm sorry, Stitch. I really need to get going."
"Naga problem." He assured her, after which he blew her a kiss. "Love you."
"Love you too, boojiboo."
Closing the call, Lilo quickly got dressed. It was the last day of hula class before regular school started up again. She and Victoria had planned to go together, and with everything that had happened she almost forgot. Thankfully, she'd be able to reach Victoria's in only a few minutes, as long as she ran at full speed. Stuffing her hula outfit in a bag she hurried downstairs, saying 'hi' to everyone as she passed them on her way to the door. Her pace was tarnished by the sound of her sister calling her from the kitchen.
"Yes, Nani?" She asked, sounding a little more annoyed than she meant to.
Nani came into the living room, giving her a half smile. "I just wanted to say something."
"Okay." Lilo kept her hand on the door knob, ready to go at any moment.
"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry about yesterday." She placed a comforting hand on Lilo's shoulder, hoping to get through to her.
Lilo took her shaky hand off the knob, mouth slightly agape. She wasn't expecting an apology, at least, not so soon if at all. "Really?"
"Yeah. I said some mean things and I'm sorry. I know you trust me… you were just scared. Still…" Lilo's hopefulness was quickly shattered as her sister continued. "I truly think it best you and Stitch stay apart. I really do care about him, but I care about you most of all. I just can't accept you and him being-"
"In love." Lilo interrupted.
"Together, Lilo." Nani pulled her hand back. "I know I say it a lot, but I want what's best for you. And I think that would be for you to find a nice normal boy to be with. Like that Daniel fellow." She saw Lilo roll her eyes and knew it wasn't sinking in. "Okay, not Daniel. Just, give it some thought and time."
"Nani…" Lilo thought for a moment that she should argue. Go over again how it isn't possible. It's physically impossible for me to love someone else… I've already told you, saying it again won't change anything. "Never mind. I'm going to be late, I really need to go."
Before Nani had time to give a proper farewell, Lilo opened the door and sped away. It took Nani aback to see Lilo move so fast. She never did really see her use her abilities before, she found it slightly unnerving. Sometimes it feels like you're not my Lilo anymore… Closing the door, she sighed and returned to the kitchen.
"Am I being a bad sister?" She asked out loud to herself.
"Nah." David said, suddenly wrapping his arms around her from behind. "You're doing what your heart tells you. You can never do wrong like that."
"You think so?" Nani turned herself around in his arms, looking to him for comfort. It was tearing her up, knowing Lilo was upset with her.
"I know so." David gave her a kiss on the forehead. "You two will get this all figured out. Just gotta give it some time, like waiting out a big wave for one you can ride together."
I don't know. Despite David's efforts, Nani was still unsure. It feels like this might be the one thing we'll never see eye to eye on. Even so, she gave a smile and hugged him back. He held onto her tighter, and she enjoyed the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her. "What do you think about Lilo and Stitch?" Nani finally asked, realizing she didn't know David's stance on the situation.
After finishing his call with Lilo, Stitch smiled as he joined his family in the living room. The moment he entered, he was bombarded by his niece and nephew.
"Uncle, Stitch. Uncle, Stitch." They said together as Ava jumped on him while Monty began pulling him by the arm. "You gotta see this."
Angel hurried over to save him. "Kids, you need to give Stitch some time to rest. He's still recovering." She went to take Ava off of him, but Stitch waved her off.
"Meega fine, Angel." He looked at Ava in his arm and Monty at his side. "What did youga want to show me?"
Looking to each other with excitement in their eyes, Ava climbed down Stitch and joined her brother. Together, they stood tall and proud near the wall. Ava cleared her throat as if she was about to make an announcement. However, rather than saying anything, she stood a little taller and closed her eyes as she concentrated. Before their eyes, a second pair of arms grew out from her sides. It seemed Ava had gotten something from her father after all.
"I can't do that." Monty said a little disappointed. "But there's more!"
Eager to show off more, the two suddenly turned and started crawling up the wall.
"Be careful." Angel said a little worried.
"We're fine, mom. Don't worry." Said Monty with a slight ring in his voice. Stitch thought it was weird that Angel suddenly seemed fine with them crawling on the walls for a split moment. She had always been one to look out for and worry about the ones she cared about. In a way, she was a lot like a mother to the cousins. The odd calmness quickly vanished as the worry returned to her face.
The two began crawling on the ceiling as the two watched in amazement. To think they were still so young but could already start controlling their abilities. Not all of the experiments had the ability to walk on walls. However, Ava and Monty were born with pads on their hands and feet like Stitch, Angel, and Reuben, allowing them to stick to any surface. Wanting to show off even more, Monty let his hands go, walking completely upside down. Ava did the same with her feet, using only her hands to hang and swing as if she were playing on monkey bars.
"What do you think, Uncle Stitch?" Ava asked as she swung overhead.
"Oh, youga amazing." Stitch saw Angel give him a little glare out of the corner of his eye. He gave a guilty smile before clearing his throat. "But make sure to be careful."
While the kids were having the time of the lives, enjoying their newly discovered ability, Reuben, using his back to open the kitchen door, walked into the room. He carried a large plate of assorted sandwiches. "Anyone hungry?" He asked, not seeing that his children were currently climbing above all of them.
"Sandwiches?" The kids said at once, looking towards the large plate. Like Reuben, they also had the innate love of sandwiches.
Ava lost her grip at the sight of the food and fell to the ground, making everyone gasp in the process. Thankfully, the couch was just below her and cushioned her fall, making a slight 'oof' as she landed. Watching his sister fall, Monty doubled over laughing. Losing his own concentration, he too fell, only he fell straight to the floor with nothing to cushion his fall. Just before he reached the ground, Stitch leapt forward and grabbed him out of the air.
"Thank you, Uncle Stitch." Monty said as he was placed onto the couch with Ava.
"Naga worry." Stitch said, ruffling up Monty's hair. "But youga need to be more careful. Meega not always going to be here to catch you."
"But we like it when you're here." Ava pouted, crossing her arms while looking at him with her big eyes. "Can't you stay forever?"
Reuben placed the food platter onto the table, instantly taking the kids attention away from Stitch. While Angel stopped the two from instantly eating every spec of food, Stitch took Reuben to the side to talk.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Reuben called back as he and Stitch got a little out of earshot. "Listen to your mother now, you two. Save some for the rest of us." He shook his head laughing to himself as the door closed. "Kids. Biggest pain in the world, but I can't help but love them."
"Ih. They're great." Stitch agreed. "Listen. Takka for letting me stay here. And thank you for the communicator. Meega hope I won't have to be a burden for long."
"Think nothing of it, cuz." Reuben said, patting him on the back. "You're family. You're welcome in our home as long as you need. Heck, we wouldn't have a home if it wasn't for you and Lilo." He saw Stitch's face drop a little at the mention Lilo, trying his best to keep a happy smile despite being apart. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say… They were interrupted by a loud knocking at the front door, making everyone look in its direction.
"Are youga expecting someone?"
"No. But I'm pretty sure I already know who it is."
Meanwhile, Lilo was only a couple of minutes late meeting up with Victoria. Thankfully, Victoria had already planned for her usual tardiness and asked to meet up a little early. The two instantly hugged, having not seen each other for a while. They had a lot to catch up on, most of which Victoria was sad to hear about. It was amazing how much could happen in just a short time. She was relieved that Stitch was okay now, but it was still sad that they couldn't see each other. She didn't even want to imagine not being able to be with Keoni. They had grown so close that it was rare to even see them apart now.
In comparison, Victoria didn't have much to say. For the most part she had only really spent time with her boyfriend. They had taken Jam and Snooty out for a little bit of cave exploration, something the two cousins were more than excited about. Being bat like, they enjoyed the dark caverns that littered the islands. After a few failed attempts at taking some pictures, the camera Victoria had brought was quickly packed away to truly spend time together. She and Keoni snuck away for a little quality time, which Victoria instantly started blushing about after mentioning.
Lilo giggled at her friend's bashfulness, it took her back to the days they had first started being friends. She had been so worried about making a good impression, but in the end it really came down to them being themselves. They each had their quirks and it was part of what made them wonderful. Lilo prodded her friend for some more details on their little excursion, but Victoria kept her lips sealed, growing redder by the minute.
Once she managed to get herself cooled down a little, Victoria wrapped her arm around Lilo's shoulder and gave her a little hug while they continued walking. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you two."
"It's okay." Lilo said genuinely. "There wasn't really a whole lot that could be done. We did get ourselves in this mess. We'll get out of it."
"I know you will. You always do." Their friendship meant the world to Lilo, and Victoria felt the same way. "Even so. If I had known I would have liked to be there for you, hang out or something."
"Well why didn't you show up when Daniel asked everyone to hang out?"
"Huh? Daniel asked everyone to hang out?"
"Yeah." Lilo said, surprised at her friends confusion. "He said everyone from photo club was going to hang out, like, three days ago. When I got there only he, Kea, and Kel had shown up. No one else did."
Victoria thought back to the previous week. The last she remembered seeing, or even hearing from Daniel was when the last time they met as a club for the summer. After that, everyone was really busy with their last few weeks of vacation. "I haven't heard from him in a while. Last time I saw him was with you. Are you sure he said everyone was coming?"
"Positive. One hundred percent."
"Well, maybe he just forgot to ask me or something."
"Yeah… Maybe."
Soon, they arrived at their hula class. Thankfully, all the tension that had been bottled up in the building for years was starting to fade. All the girls were becoming great friends, and Lilo and Myrtle were no longer fighting. They were not overly talking to each other, but the mean comments and insults hadn't been spoken once.
It was hard to believe that so much time had gone so quickly. Summer always rushed by so fast. Pretty soon they would all be moving up in division, which was always exciting, but also scary. Having long out grown simple age divisions, they were now in classes based off of skill. They would need to perform a hula of their own creation that showed everything they had learned over the years before graduating to the next level. There was still time before they would need to do this, but Moses was sure they were all ready.
"Is Stitch not joining us today, Lilo?" Moses asked, noticing the absence of their usual audience member. "It's not like you to leave him at home."
Lilo glanced to the spot Stitch would normally be sitting near the back of the hall. It made a small hole in her heart to see he wasn't there. "No. Stitch won't be coming for a little bit. I don't know when he'll be back."
"Is he okay?" Yuki interrupted.
"Yeah, he's not sick or anything right?" Elena continued.
It was surprising to see so much concern for Stitch. Lilo didn't even notice it, but he had been around for so long everyone got used to his presence. They even took a liking to him when he wasn't accidentally destroying everything.
"No…" Lilo began before thinking about how to really put what had happened. The truth would be the easiest, but to do that would mean explaining alien life. "Well, yeah. He was sick for a while. He's better now though. He's recovering. I just don't know when he'll be able to come back is all."
There was a sadness in Lilo's voice that everyone could hear. Only Victoria really knew the truth, but everyone gave their condolences all the same.
Myrtle had different thoughts though. Sick? But they can't get sick. Not like we do. She thought back to what Gigi had told her, but nothing about her and her cousins getting sick by normal means came up. If it's something that could get that mut… could get Stitch sick, then what about Gigi? Concerned for the wellbeing of her friend, Myrtle decided she would need to talk to Lilo about it directly. All for the sake of Gigi, she told herself.
