Hungry. . . That's what my stomach was telling me. Hmm . . . Drinks are good. . . I don't much care fore solid food. . . Never really have. . . I can live on a nourishing liquid for days. . .

I went silently down the stairs to the room in which I'd found the liquid from before. Hmm. . . How to open the containment unit. There was a handle-like thing above my head. . .

It took me ten minutes to figure out how to open that trog-ridden fridge! When I did. . . I relaxed, releasing my limbs from their confining positions.

". . . It keeps staring at me, like it's going to eat me,"

A shriek. I barely hid my limbs in time when the elder native came in, talking into some kind of communications device. I glared at Nani. I still don't like reactions such as hers. I coolly scuttled up the stairs. With my advanced hearing, I heard a voice over the other end of the communicator,

"Hello? Nani? Hello? Are you there?"

'Who's Nani?' Asked 6-2-6. Upstairs, I quickly downed the drink, crushing it against my head when I was finished. . . I'm still the ever-insomniac.

. . . And I still have a feeling that Jumba's watching me, somehow. Don't ask me how, though. . .But Big Monster has a way of doing nearly everything. . . I glanced around the room. There was nothing to do, in 6-2-6's opinion, so he just retreated into the back of our mind and watched our escape memories over and over again. Stitch, however, was curious as to what some of the objects where.

We'd seen Nani. . .the elder native, looking at one of these things downstairs. . .Ah. . .Books. . .

. . . How quaint. We have these in museums.*

'Oyster Farming: Is it for you?'

Nah. . .

'Fire Eating for fun and profit'

. . .?

'Roadmaps of Iowa'

Hmm. . .I ripped out a picture of this one and placed it in a pile or later use. There was another one. . . This one confused us both.  We decided to ask Lilo in our own little way.

Jab, jab, jab. . .Grunt, grunt, grunt. Grunt, grunt, grunt, grunt, grunt! Grunt, grunt, grunt, grunt! She yawned and looked down.

"That's the Ugly Duckling. See? He's sad because he's all alone, and nobody wants him. But on this page, his family hears him crying and they find him. Then the Ugly Duckling is happy, because he knows where he belongs."

"Hmm. . ."

'Definitely something to ponder at nights, now isn't it?' Stitch mumbled to me. For once, I didn't rebuke him. He was right. . . This time. I picked up the book. . .Something to keep, I knew. . . and returned to my bed.

"Want to listen to the King? You look like an Elvis fan."

*** *** ***

Well, you learn something every day. . .Or, at least, every day when 6-2-6 is so bored with the goings on that he never bugs you. I found out that if I use one of my claws to 'read' something, if you will, and if I vibrate my vocal cords just right. . . Well, Lilo showed her sister.

"Nani? . . . Nani? . . . Look."

"We can't go on together, with suspicious minds. . .cious minds. . . can build our dreams. . . on suspicious minds. . ."

There was a pounding at the door. . . Something wasn't right. . . We followed Nani to the main entrance. There was a large native there. . .

. . . There was something in it's tone. . .or it's smell. . . or it's way of conducting things. . . Or a mixture of all three, that just irked me. I snarled, and threw a book.

Thud! (a very satisfying one too, I might add)

"Hey!" I was scooped up with an extremely apologetic, "I am so sorry about that."

"What is that thing?"

"That's my puppy!"

". . . Really?"

The native changed his tone.

"Thus far, you have been adrift in the sheltered harbor of my patience. But I cannot ignore you being jobless. Do I make myself clear?"

". . .Perfectly."

". . . And next time I see this dog, I expect it to be a model citizen, capiche?"

"Uh. . . Yes?"

"New job. Model citizen. Good day."

*** *** ***

I will not go deeply into the experience of 'becoming a model citizen'. . .If anybody wants to try, let me just tell you one thing.

Don't. It's not worth it.

. . . I have to admit, that the dancing, and that guitar thing. . . They were pretty fun. . .

. . . The kissing was just strange, and the less said about the Elvis clothes, the better. And I know hate camera flashes. Got anything to say about it? Oh, and when I attacked the natives on the beach? . . .6-2-6 was still watching 'Happy Memories'. That's gotta tell you something about our mood after.

*** *** ***

"Hey, Lilo!"

It was that weapon's demonstrator, from last night!

"Howzit. . . Nani?"

"We've been having a bad day."

"Hmm. . . Hey, I might not be a doctor, but I know that there's no better cure for a sour face than a couple of boards, and some choice waves. What you think?"

". . . I think that's a great idea."

*** *** ***

. . . The surfboard. Let me tell you, that's a fascinating experience. If it wasn't for the whole, water thing, it'd be perfect. . .But let me tell you, that while I was on the surfboard, all the three of us personas could think of was, 'Where's that music coming from?!' After it was over, though. . . I saw the three natives together. . . They seemed so happy.

Even though they were completely different species, I could somehow see a connection between those three and that 'Ugly Duckling' story.

I tried to include myself. . . I covered myself in sand (something I never thought I'd do). . .But it wasn't the same. Finally, Stitch and I 'asked' Lilo if we could go surfing again. . . It was a little terrifying, and pretty much against my programming, but. . . I ended up enjoying it all the same.

When I had to grab on to the female elder's . . . no, Nani's leg. . . it felt. . . comforting. I felt almost complete. I even stood on my own, on the surfboard, but. . .

Water everywhere! . . .Panic! Panic! I grabbed on to the first thing that came to hand. . . Lilo. . . But then I was dragged down!

Lilo's gone. . . Why am I so saddened by this?. . . It was pretty easy to get rid of Jumba and Pleakley. . . But. . .Water . . . everywhere. . .

Can't . . . breath. . .

*** *** ***

The next thing I was aware of was that 6-2-6 was in control. And we could breath. How could something as insignificant as air somehow mean so much now? We growled a little. . . we were startled!

Oooh. . . That wasn't a good idea. I panted, trying to get a normal amount of air into my deprived lungs.

"David, take Lilo. . .This isn't what it looks like. We were. . .It. . . It's just that. . ."

"I know you're trying, Nani, but you need to think about what's best for Lilo."

'. . .What the. . .?' Surprisingly, that was 6-2-6. Even he felt a little. . .saddened.

". . . Even if it removes you from the picture. I'll be back tomorrow morning for Lilo. I'm sorry."

'. . .What just happened?' I murmured forlornly to the others.

"Nani? Is there something I can do?"

"No, David. Uh, I need to take Lilo home now. We have a lot to talk about, Lilo. Thanks."

. . .

"You know, I really believed they had a chance."

. . . Was he talking to us?

". . . Then you came along."

. . . Yes. Yes, he was. . .

He was right. . . Now that we thought about it. . .If we hadn't been thinking just of ourselves the whole time. . . Nani wouldn't have lost her job, I wouldn't have impeded Nani's job-finding skills, even if she would have already lost it without our 'help'. . . It was all our fault. . .

*** *** ***

*Shameless rip-off from 'Artemis Fowl : The Eternity Code'.