Lullaby

C/By: Kenjaje

Edited/Revised by: raVen

Chapter 2: Kidnapping

"But Nani, Stitch didn't mean to-"

"NO BUTS!" Nani screamed. It was later in the afternoon and Nani had just discovered what had taken place just a few hours prior. Stitch and Lilo were sitting on the living room couch, Jumba and Pleakley were standing on either side and Nani was flaming at all of them.

"Do you know how much this is going to cost? I barely got down the payments on Ms. Hasegouwa's ruined shop, and the hula lessons, and the shore shack, and the yacht…"

"OK OK, Stitch and I are very sorry, but whatever happened, he didn't mean to break the window."

"Eh." Stitch acknowledged, dry and lowly. Though Stitch didn't know exactly what was going on himself, he was framed and he knew it. But no one would believe the little blue monstrosity was innocent, especially not Nani. So the best option for Stitch was to relax and behave for a few days, which never worked.

"You know what? I'll make a bet with you, I bet that you can't catch this next experiment without breaking one, and I mean ONE, thing." Stitch was brought back to attention, he had wondered off for some reason, and suddenly realized that he could have possibly missed an entire half of the conversation.

"Your on! If we win the bet, you have to stop blaming Stitch for every little thing that keeps happening around here!"

"And if I win, not only do we send him to obedience school, but we chain him up in the yard like all other dogs."

"Dog." Stitch thought. "Is that all I am? A dog? What difference is there between me and another dog? We bite, scratch, sniff, and attack old women and mail men, except I'm an experiment from outer space."

Stitch snapped back to reality, and found himself alone. Everyone had gone, and the sun was shining where Nani stood for some time back. Stitch leapt off the couch and landed with a click, then shuffled off to the stairs up to Lilo's room.

Before he opened the door, he heard Jumba humming to himself, and then the sound of Pleakley's vacuum turning on, followed by Jumba's loud screaming.

"I AM WORKING ON VERY IMPORTANT EVIL GENIOUSE TYPE PROJECT, COULD YOU BE KEEPING IT DOWN PLEASE?"

"What?" Stitch heard Pleakley say. Stitch left them to bicker, Lilo couldn't be in her room, and she was probably in the kitchen or in the yard. Not bothering to check, Stitch picked up the controller and played a good long game of Space Hunters 2.

"Stupid Nani." Lilo said, walking down the street. "And Stitch for sleeping right in the middle of our conversation, what was he thinking?" She turned into the beach where the sun was hot and the sand was bone dry. Not many people were there, Lilo felt a bit sad because of that. "Great, I don't even get to take many pictures." Lilo said in disappointment, looking down at her camera. She went down anyway to change into her swimsuit and try to look at some fish. "David always says: 'nothing beats family depression like looking for fish'."

The water was surprisingly cold on her bare feet, after getting in ankle deep, she flopped down hard on the sand. A low mushroom cloud picked up and settled just as fast. She hugged her knees and closed her eyes.

"I wish everything would go well with us." She said to herself. "I wish Stitch wasn't so destructive, Pleakly not so clean, Jumba not so evil, and Nani…" she paused. "What about Nani? She's always attacking Stitch for doing the wrong thing, even when it wasn't him, but if it wasn't him who broke the window? UGH, now I'm making myself confused."

For half an hour she sat, thinking to herself trying to figure out what was wrong with her family. After she left to get changed, she realized all she had done was waste time, she hadn't really come to a conclusion of what to do, or what happened, or who broke the window at all.

"Jumba?" Called Stitch looking through Jumba's door.

"Ah, 626, you have come at just the right moment!"

"Huh?" Stitch came to ask about Ahcie-baba Kino. Whatever Jumba wanted he'd have to go along with it. "Right time for what?"

"I have been researching earth diseases, and have found one that could harm you very much. It is known among earthlings as the common cold. I have looked into your DNA and you are not suited to battle this nasty virus, over a course of a few years, it could be eating you alive. A death that would not be fit for your liking eh?" he said with a laugh.

"Naga…miga suzo naga…" Stitch wandered his voice away; he really had no interest in this virus right now. "Iba ju negaba?"

"I have come up with an antidote that is good for 30 days to keep you immune to it. After that you will be needing a new injection. I am still working on a longer lasting formula." Jumba handed stitch a vile of green liquid. Its viscosity was very low, almost like peanut butter.

"Blegh." He stuck his tongue out after drinking it. "Naga chupa."

"I know, tastes very bad, now why did you come to see me?"

"Oh, ah, Stitch has question." He said, the thought emerging from the back of his mind.

"Do not we all?" Jumba shrugged mockingly.

"Angel talks of Achie-baba Kino." Stitch said, lowering his voice at the word, as if it were an evil incantation. "Naga nota, ju paroosa igata?"

"Cousin Killer? I have no idea what she is talking about. But whatever it is, sounds very evil genius like!" Jumba exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "But really. Am having no idea what she is talking about, are you sure she hasn't gone back to her old self again? Maybe is trying to trick you like before?"

"Naga, boochiboo is good, Stitch knows."

"Then I am to be taking your word for it."

Small shuffling was heard behind the kitchen wall. A tape recorder, with Lilo's voice recorded on it, called out to Pleakley from where the shuffling occurred.

Pleakley was in the kitchen working on another beautiful Pinormus fruitcake, which he thought was very delicate. Hearing Lilo, Pleakley poked his head out the door.

"Yes?" Almost instantly a bag was thrown over his head, "AH!" he cried, and a strong fist knocked him out cold. Out from the shadows came a small creature, bared teeth, sharp talons, and green, satanic eyes. The creature was only two feet tall, with scales covering him head to foot. He hoisted the bag containing Pleakley, and fumblingly walked out through the back door..

Stitch rustled in his sleep once again, he opened his eyes and looked around the room, saw Lilo was still asleep, facing away from him, her covers thrown off from the hot humid night. He grunted with frustration, this was the fifth night in a row he woke up for no apparent reason.

Lilo knew this too; she often woke up an hour or so after him to keep him company. He hadn't told Lilo of his meet with Angel, he didn't know what she would say about that. The last encounter left Lilo angry with Angel, more anger than Stitch could ever muster.

Angel had trapped Lilo inside a capture tube, and had severely beaten her, for what reason they didn't know, but Angel wasn't in her right state of mind at the time. Stitch knew this, but every time he tried to talk about it, Lilo always shut him out. The truth was; Lilo didn't want to accept that Angel was good at heart.

Stitch still lay silent on his mat, but ended up throwing the covers off because of the heat. It was still too hot to stay inside, he opened the window—which was repaired—and stepped outside. The cool moist wind felt good against his bare torso. He stretched out on the hammock, and stared at the stars.

He looked at the constellations to try to name them, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Scorpio, and Angel. "Angel…" Stitch couldn't get her off his mind; he loved her so much. But he was caught still, between Lilo and Her.

Stitch closed his eyes and sang her song as best as he could.

"Acuto chuto, eegata nomata. Naga toe nala, itume taduha." He sighed at the fact that he sung it so horribly. "Dum spiro, sparo Angel." He said, and slowly fell back asleep.

Lilo finally woke up with her hair frayed and spewed everywhere from the mucky night. It was still humid, and she woke with a headache, which wasn't natural for her. She went to her closet full of nicely sewn dresses, all of which looked similar.

She felt sort of gloomy, with a little bit of peacefulness, the dark blue dress would be perfect for today, not too vibrant and not too dull. In a flash she was dressed and on her way to breakfast.

When she got to the kitchen, she saw Jumba at the table. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and he sat impatiently. But as soon as Lilo entered her snapped back to reality, as if he wasn't there in the first place.

"Little girl, have you seen Pleakly around as of lately?"

"No." said Lilo with a sniff "Ugh, I think I'm catching a cold."

"I figured you were, but I need to know something."

Lilo looked at him very oddly. "What's up with Jumba?" she thought, "this isn't like him, and usually he's so carefree…"

"What?" Lilo finally asked.

"Well I have just noticed some strange things that have been happening and I am to be wondering if Pleakly's disappearance has been tied in with all of this."

"Like what? What's been going on?"

"Well…" he started, "It is hard to be explaining, it's just that you and Stitch usually are together but I have not seen you two side by side lately. And Pleakly did not show up at all yesterday and just that morning I was yelling at him for vacuuming. I also must point out that Stitch is feeling very depressed lately."

"Stitch can get depressed?"

"Well, if it is being short term, there is nothing to be worrying about. However if lasting longer then normal, he could be showing signs of aggressive and destructive activity, or it could just be him having to sort through something."

This reminded Lilo of her last encounter with Angel. Her arm and leg still were bruised from Angel hitting her, but what was weird was, Angel said she was sorry before Lilo even saw her.

Stitch was there, of course, in the capture pod right next to her. But after Angel pummeled her, she had screamed "I'm gonna kill you!" But, she was not being seriouse, because she knew Stitch loved Angel horribly, but did Stitch figure she was just mad, or did he think that she would kill Angel?

"Jumba?"

"Yes little girl?"

"Do you think our ohana is breaking?"

"…Honestly, I feel that it is not the family we should be worrying about, but more the conflict within the family. Your sister is not mad at you, but mad at Stitch, Stitch is going through some tough times."

"Uh huh." Said Lilo, sadly. She never wants to see Stitch upset, and this was serious. Stitch was always so relaxed. "So, do you know where Pleakly is?" she asked Jumba to try to keep her thoughts away.

"I have stayed up all night, and have not seen him at all."

"Maybe Houdini turned him invisible?"

"Is possible but not likely, he has been away for the past month, I have only seen 523 in the past three weeks."

"I…" Lilo started "I'm gonna go look for Stitch." She gave Jumba a hug and he laughed a little and pushed her along. She went back to her room to see if he returned, he hadn't. "Ok…" Next she checked out front, under the house where he sometimes went to cool off. Not there either. "I'm gonna need to get Finder." She said dryly.

The soft pounding of Stitch's feet against the grass, and the dirt between his toes made him feel relaxed and refreshed. He was walking back to the clearing to see if Angel was there, but she wasn't.

He'd expected not to find her, and moved on after a short rest. Into the wilderness of Lilo's backyard he went, this was a place where he hardly went before. But for some reason he felt tired of being at the home and that he needed to explore the outdoors.

He climbed the large trees and looked at the birds, then proceeded to the top to scout the sky and the clouds and where to go next. He spotted a large stretch of fallen leaves in a small valley and headed strait for it after touching the ground.

He ran at top speed, and jumped up into the air to do a flip into a small mound. When he landed, half the pile went into the air and fell around him. As he walked through the pile he bumped into something warm and furry.

He expected it to be Angel but it was just a scared bear cub. He sighed heavily and jumped onto his back. The sun was warm and tingled on his sweaty fur. As he lay he sang the song he loved so much.

"Acuto chuto, eegata nomata. Naga toe nala, itume taduha." This time he felt happy while he sang it, his eyes closed and he floated without thought for a moment. Then the song interrupted his clear mind.

He turned his head and saw her. Angel was standing near to Stitch, not two feet away. She came closer to him, shifting all the leaves behind her. As he stood up, she got into his face, and held his hand calmly but nervously. He gripped her hands tight and securely, but she suddenly whipped them free and embraced him tightly.

Stitch gasped at the sudden sign of affection, but didn't question what she did. She did everything as a mystery to him, she seemed to keep her thoughts secret to everyone but Stitch. And even then she didn't tell him her deepest secrets.

"Miga rakuda ju, Stitch." She said behind his ear, and tightened the embracement. Stitch's face turned red, slightly from shyness, slightly from the lack of oxygen, but mostly because he was embracing his one true love.

"Stitch loves Angel too." He said back to her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Stitch never let go." He said, hearing her unspoken words. Silently she cried on his shoulder, not sobbing but letting the tears roll down from her eyes. She was glad Stitch couldn't see her face, she felt ashamed at what was going to happen.

After long seconds and short minutes, Angel stopped crying. She loosened her embracement and gave Stitch a small kiss on the cheek as she let up. Angel backed away, at first slowly.

"Chaka vide, ok?" She said almost tripping over her feet. "Trabi cherupoma, akatta Gantu. Gantue hourab balve."

"Stitch understand, miga toopoe, Stitch tell, don't worry…" He mustered up the courage to ask her the question "What about Lilo?" But before he could, she took off in a sprint, and only left strands of pink fur on Stitch's shoulder.

"Well I would have to say that she was a complete success, given the fact that there were many stakes upon her."

"Yes, she did quite well in luring the trog before, she may have done it again this time."

"If you ask me, (munch) you shouldn't trust her so much. (munch) Just let him do the work, we don't need her anymore."

"We don't need you anymore either, you sandwich-eating good-for-nothing."

"Quiet! You two will keep her cooperating with us, she will do what we say, after all her life is on the line because of my evil genius experiment. 626 will not escape the likes of him, we already have one of their household members now."

"But Pleakly was easy to capture, all he does is clean house!"

"Pleakly was just a warm up you guppy! Now we will see how he fares against my partner, although with his intelligence, Jumba may see it coming. But, none the less, send him loose. We may get lucky."

"Yes, perhaps he'll break more windows…"