CHAPTER FOUR: THE REUNION

Two hours later, Lilo was alone. Pepri smiled. "Time to talk to the little beauty," he said.

He and Shamus climbed up onto the dome, but the skylight was firmly closed.

"Hmm… I think we may need to call in

Tress," Shamus said.

"What? No! Please," Pepri added. "Please?"

"Fine. You do it then," said Shamus. "Go on. Break open the skylight." When Pepri couldn't do that, Shamus blew the whistle numbered 5.

But strangely, not one, but three experiments appeared.

"Hi," said B.T., the evil-looking one. "You called?"

"Yah," said Tress, the big one. "Whatcha

want?"

"Wants help, I'm guessing," said Robber, the green one.

"Yah, that's right," said all three.

"Guys," said Shamus, "I only called for Tress. Not all three of you."

"So we can't watch him break in?" asked B.T. "What's the fun in that?"

"Why not?" asked Robber. "And you might need a lookout… that's Blood Thirsty for ya."

B.T. smiled. "It's B.T., Robber."

"Blood Thirsty sound more bad," Tress pointed out.

"Good point," said B.T. "But I still like B.T. better."

"Guys…" Shamus sighed. "You three are too talkative. Can't you just do something without talking about first for two hours?"

CREEEAAAKKK! Tress had broken open the skylight. "Done! Better?"

Shamus chuckled. "Yes. C'mon, Pepri." Pepri followed Shamus into Lilo and Stitch's room.

"You're not coming 'cause Shamus likes me best," Pepri bragged to the stealing experiments.

"Nah," said Tress. "You no better. Us jus' too make much noise."

"He means that Shamus doesn't like you any better, we just make too much noise, the three of us," translated Robber. "He's right."

"Hmph." Pepri stuck his tongue out at them, and then climbed inside the dome.

"It's so dark," he whispered, tripping over Shamus. "Maybe Dargo's run away to here." Pepri smiled smugly, but then he saw Dargo's pod safe in Shamus's pocket and frowned.

"Lilo." Shamus shook the sleeping girl lightly. "Lilo! Wake up."

Lilo mumbled in her sleep, but didn't wake.

"Lilo," Shamus said again. "Wake up!"

She was still fast asleep.

"Earth to Lilo!" shouted Pepri. When that didn't work, he whispered in her ear, "This is Stitch, Lilo. Wake up."

She did… halfway.

"Stitch?" she cried, flinging her arms around in circles, her eyes still closed. "Stitch? Where!"

"Who's Stitch?" asked Shamus.

"I dunno," said Pepri. "She was talkin' about 'em earlier. He was with Jumba, Experiment 1-5-8, and some guy called Finder.

She misses him to death!"

"Stiiiiiiii-tch?" Lilo said in her half-sleep. "Where?"

"Not here, Lilo," said Shamus quietly, and Lilo opened her eyes.

"Who – who…" Lilo was terrified. "Who… who are you?"

"I know it is not nice to have a stranger in your house," said Shamus, "but I know where Experiment 6-2-6 is."

"You found Stitch?" Lilo was ecstatic. "Where is he? Can you get him back? Now?"

"Not Stitch," said Shamus, "6-2-6. You know, the… the alien?"

"Same thing," said Lilo.

"Whoa! They're the same guy?" said Pepri. "Next thing you're gonna say is Finder's really Experiment 1-5-8!"

"He is," said Lilo.

For once, Pepri couldn't think of anything to say, except, "What?"

"All the experiments have names," said Lilo. She jumped off the bed and reached under, pulling out her catalog of experiments. "See?"

Shamus turned to the first page.

"Experiment 007," he read, "Gigi. Function: Yaps and acts like a dog. Lives with Mertle." He turned to Lilo. "Mertle?"

"She's my…" Lilo tried to think of a word. "Well, she's my friend, but I'm not hers. None of them like me. Except Victoria. One time…"

Not wanting to hear about "one time," Shamus kept reading. "Experiment 010: Felix… Experiment 020: Slick… Experiment 025: Topper… Just like my own." He read on and on.

"So, you know where Stitch is?" asked Lilo, many minutes later.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Shamus closed the book. "He's here."

Lilo frowned, confused. "What are you–?"

"Lilo!"

Stitch ran up to her and they hugged.

"I know you found him for me," Lilo said to Shamus. "Mucho mahalo… what's your name?"

"Oh, Shamus Larp," he said. "But Lilo, you don't understand."

"I do. You went out to find Stitch and gave him back to me. That was real nice, Mr. Larp." Lilo smiled at him.

Shamus smiled back. That was real nice, Mr. Larp. He thought about it. No one had ever called him "real nice" before. Or even "nice," for that matter. "Lilo?"

"Yeah?"

"Call me Shamus. But that's not it," he said. "I told the alien hunters to come to your hula recital and look for 6-2-6. I took him from them. And I cloned parts of him… for my own experiment."

Lilo was surprised. "You… you did?"

He nodded.

"Oh." Lilo smiled. "I still like you, Mr. La– I mean, Shamus."

"I like you too."

For a moment, the silence was broken by nothing. Until…

"I love ya, Lilo!" shouted Pepri, and they all burst out laughing.

"That's just Pepri… I mean, Patch," Shamus added, looking at Pepri. "He's my experiment 13. He hides things in his pockets."

Lilo caught on. "Like Stitch! He hid Stitch!"

"Yah!" said Stitch.

Shamus laughed. "Yep."

"But… then who hurt Finder?" asked Lilo.

"Oh, 1-5-8." Shamus looked worried. "Humerous is very sorry, Lilo. He didn't mean to… to kill him."

Lilo changed moods very suddenly. "Your experiment killed one of Stitch's cousins! I hate you, Mr. Larp!" She started sobbing in anger and hitting him with a pillow.

"Lilo…"

"I hate you!"

"If I could fix Finder," said Shamus quietly, "would you like me again?"

"What, you mean bring him back to life?" Lilo asked incredulously.

"That's right."

"You can't do that!" Lilo almost laughed.

"Yes," said Shamus, "I can. We have nothing to lose. If I can't, it won't hurt 1-5-8."

Lilo thought for a moment. It seemed impossible, but yet… "Okay, Mr. Shamus, you've got yourself a deal!"

"Then there isn't a moment to lose," Shamus said. "We've got an experiment to save!"