It was a rough night. Extremely rough. The wind was loud and cold, and a lingering smell of burnt plastic, metal, and copper stayed in the air. Ever present. A reminder of two things. The first was the mission at hand. Six-two-six had to capture Tarnet and get him off planet. The second. His presence on the island was known. He was in danger. She was in danger. As long as he was with her she would be at risk. And yet he couldn't abandon her. Perhaps it would have been better to leave her there in the night. Follow the signal. Try to get everything over with. Instead he stayed.

Lilac invited him into the ship and he wasn't able to turn the offer down. Maybe she felt bad about him staying outside. Or perhaps it would make her feel more safe. Either way, it brought him a feeling of joy to know that she wasn't so angry at him about his outburst. That she still trusted him and wanted him by her side. After looking at his old photo he could no longer deny why it felt so nice to be by her. It was familiar. Nostalgic. And no matter how hard he tried he longed for the feelings from back then.

So he stayed awake. Laying on the floor. Eyes forever on the bed. A twitch of the ear every now and then when a sound came from outside. But it would be a lie to say this was anything new. Six-two-six's sleeps schedule was less of a schedule and more of guide line. Something on the 'to-do' list that might get done at some point. It wasn't uncommon for either Angel or Reuben to find him passed out somewhere in the ship. A single night without sleep would be nothing.

Eventually Lilac opened her eyes, the morning sun giving a soft warm glow over the interior of the ship. She was quickly fixated on all the little details that she couldn't see the night before. She didn't get much opportunity to explore however.

"Let's get going into town," six-two-six said.

"Time for searching already?" she asked. There was clearly sadness in her words. She wanted to explore, and he knew it well.

"No." He shook his head before pulling out some new clothes. A new suit for him, matching the dirty one he currently wore. And a pair of more casual clothes. A yellow dress and shall that Angel kept on the small ship just in case. They all had a small set of clothes for themselves. Though six-two-six was the only one who kept just his spacesuit. "We did lots of searching yesterday. I think we deserve a bit of a break."

"You mean it?!"

"Yes."

The glee that came on her face was enormous. She wanted to be free of her life at home and now she was actually going to get to do it. Everything she wanted.

"We can go to the park, eat all the food," she began. "I want to go to the museum. And build castles on the beach. Maybe even see a movie in a theatre packed with people!"

"Everything you want. Anything at all."

"Then what are you waiting for!" she pushed him out of the ship. Giving herself privacy to change. "We need to get going. It's already getting late."

He couldn't help but laugh to himself. She really was just a kid. It was a shame that he wouldn't be here for long. Maybe that's why he decided to have a day of fun instead. He should be allowed that right? A small bit of happiness before going back to work and back into space. He'd like to think so. A part of him would like to at least.

"Okay!" Lilac announced as she jumped out of the ship. The dress was a little tight in some places, and loose in others, but it fit enough. "It's time to go!"

The two made their way into town. Like the day before, anyone that saw them paid no mind. It actually made for a relaxing day. No one to get in the way, take them off track, or even really stop them from having fun. Anything Lilac asked for she got. It was fun to indulge in her whims. Refreshing. It had been a long time since he last just thought to do something and did it. For the fun anyway. And even if there wasn't anything the exact same as his old home, six-two-six still found little things that felt familiar. The way the wind blew, how the salt air permeated the food, even the slightly musty smell of a theatre.

Hours went by. The sun was close to it's time to set. They sat on a over turned tree on the beach, eating something similar to the shaved ice he once enjoyed.

"Thank you," Lilac said. "This has been great."

"I'm glad you've enjoyed it." He quickly ate the last of his cool treat. "What else would you like to do?"

"Hmm." She thought it over for a few moments, kicking her feet in the air. "What would you like?"

"Me?"

"Yeah!" She hopped down into the white sand. "We've done everything I wanted. I wanna do what you want. There must have been something you used to do back home."

Six-two-six froze. The sun shone brightly behind Lilac. Nearly blinding.

"Back... home..."

He turned to look out on the ocean. The laping waves gently rolling. Calling towards him. Perhaps it was dangerous. But he found himself on the waters on more than once occasion. Actually enjoying it's slow rise and fall. With the right precautions. Surfing hadn't crossed his mind in a long time. And seeing no one out on the waves gave him an idea.

"Have you ever surfed?" he asked.

Lilac just shook her head. "What's that?"

Six-two-six gave a quick description. How the board would cut and float through the water. The rush as you speed across a swell. Her eyes light up almost brighter than the sun. And it didn't take more than a few minutes for him to carve out a board from a nearby tree.

"Am I actually going to do this?" he asked himself.

And he was excited. More excited than he had felt in a long long time. And Lilac nearly dancing around him as he finished only added to it. Which is what made it even worse. As he stood he saw it.

"Get down!" he shouted, tackling Lilac to the side.

Right where they stood, now in complete pieces, was the destroyed remains of their surf board. Mostly charcoal but some still on fire. A second later and she would have been hurt. The fireball only barely missed. And six-two-six's eyes glared towards the source. Standing not even a hundred feet away was Tarnet. His glowing veins barely visible in the sunlight. And while his dark eyes sent a chill through six-two-six, what disturbed him more was the smile.

"Lilac hide," six-two-six said. He pushed her towards the treeline. "When it's safe you need to run."

"But-"

"Go!"

Whether she wanted to or not six-two-six pushed her. Forcing her to go. Another fireball was sent their way and he quickly knocked it towards the ocean. The sleeves of his suite singed, but it seemed like his fireproof body would prove useful in this.

"Finally," Tarnet's said. His voice coarse and deep. "It took a while. But I finally found you."

"I could say the same to you." Six-two-six close the distance in a matter of moments. He leapt in the air and quickly swiped as he came down. It only met air as Tarnet jumped back. "You should have finished me when you had the chance after taking down my ship!"

"Finished you...?" His smile crept even larger. "Ah. Now this is interesting. I wasn't expecting to have the UGF's dog after me. But I'm glad you're not invincible."

"What do you mean."

"You'll find out."

Both of Tarnet's hands became engulfed in flame. Pillars of smoke slowly rising from them. Six-two-six did a quick scan of the beach. No one was nearby. And if his time on the island was anything to go by, no one would be showing up during their fight. Even so, a long battle would be bad. He didn't want anyone to get caught in the crossfire.

Once again six-two-six leapt for Tarnet. This time aiming towards his feet. Once Tarnet jumped back, he quickly pounced from the ground and ricocheted into his large, fiery body. It was a hard and solid hit, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

"Nice!" Tarnet grunted. "This should be fun."

Before he got himself back up, he swiped a fire filled hand towards six-two-six. A wall of flame engulfing before him. Once it cleared he could see six-two-six standing guard. The arms of his suit nearly disintegrated. A look of annoyance crossed his face but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

The two continued to exchange blows. Neither managing to get any serious damage onto the other. Six-two-six used his strength and speed as his main means of offence. But the fire was still hot. Even if it didn't hurt him, it was still hard to be around. The longer it went, the more fire danced around them. Burning the white sand, leaving shards of glass in it's wake. The heat was becoming more intense.

"Enjoying yourself?" six-two-six asked.

"I am actually," Tarnet laughed.

They both were out of breath. But it seemed like Tarnet had been spending most of the day searching. Draining his stamina. Six-two-six on the other hand spent most of it relaxing.

"I can go all day."

Six-two-six kicked into the ground, spraying a wall of sand up into his enemy's face. Tarnet let out a grunt of anger. Once he cleared his face of the mess he stumbled back in panic. A pair of claws came crashing down along his chest. Blood stained the beach below them while smoke billowed right into six-two-six. His lungs filled, choking his breath. Suddenly his vision blurred and he fell to the ground, a pile of sand splashing up around him.

"No!"

The voice called out far behind him. Even in his daze he could tell it was Lilac. But his body felt heavy.

"Why didn't she run?" he thought to himself. With as much strength as he could muster, he pulled himself to his legs. Once he got his barrings he looked and found two Tarnet's standing over him.

"What?" he coughed. "There's... two?"

"So my smoke does effect you," Tarnet strained to say. His wounds were great, and it took everything in him to hold his chest to stop the bleeding. "It has a fun little property. Causes hallucinations and weakness."

This battle seemed over. Neither having the strength to truly continue and end it. But that wouldn't stop six-two-six from completing his job. Already managing to take a few steps forward, shaking off the minor effects of the smoke. He took a swipe and his hand passed right through.

"Sorry," the other Tarnet said. "Looks like you missed." He gave a deep chuckle. "I'd love to stay and finish this, but we'll have to end it next time. And trust me. This is real."

With that, he chucked a fireball far over six-two-six's head. Sending it straight into the treeline. Within moments the entire underbrush was engulfed. Lilac's scream quickly filling the quiet beach. Looking between the two, it was an easy choice. Six-two-six left Tarnet to get away, rushing to Lilac's rescue.

"Lilac!" he yelled into the growing fire. "Where are you?!"

It was a few moments before he heard her small voice only a little ways away.

"O-over here!" she called out. The smoke was making it hard for her to even see, let alone speak. The cracking of the wood was starting to surround her, making her freeze up. "I'm scared."

"It'll be okay."

Six-two-six pushed his way through the growing flames. The trees were quickly being engulfed. Branches were already starting to fall around him. Flashes of the past were quickly coming to him. But he shook his head before visions of a house fully formed.

"Just don't breath in the smoke!"

As soon as he laid his eyes on her, he quickly grabbed her and ran. Ran as fast as his legs would carry. The day didn't exactly go as he had planned. But at least he was able to get her out safely That's what mattered the most.


"Okay," Reuben said. "We going down there or what?"

Both he and Angel were sitting in the command deck of the ship. It had been far too long since they received any word from their captain. And as per rules they needed to go in after. Time was almost up. They needed to prepare.

"We'll set out in one hour," Angel said. She began hitting buttons on her console, setting coordinates. "With any luck he'll have just-"

Before she could finish, a screen opened on the monitor before them. Stitch's face took up the majority of the frame.

"I made contact with Tarnet," his voice crackled through.

"Where have you been!" Angel shouted. "Why didn't you check in?"

Stitch started recounting the events. Starting with his crash up until the fight on the beach. Keeping the details about Lilac a secret. He didn't want to disclose that information. He'd never hear the end of it. Least of all the notion of it being an actual crime.

Lilac, however, was too curious to know better. As soon as she could she pushed her way into the frame. Wanting to see what Stitch was looking at on the ship's wall.

"Who are you talking to?" she asked. "There's more of you!?"

Angel and Reuben's mouths dropped. Before anything else, Reuben quickly made sure nothing was being recorded locally. He was not going to get in trouble. Not now. Not when he's so close to leaving.

"I guess I left some details out," Stitch said. "This is Lilac. I found her."

"You-" Angel looked closely at the little girl wearing her clothes. "Found her?"

"She was in trouble," he started explaining. "I couldn't just leave her."

"Sure it has nothing to do with Lilo?" Reuben said to the side.

"Shut up!"

"Who's Lilo?"

It took everything in Stitch's power to not yell at Lilac again. She didn't know better. But the other's did. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Doing his best to calm down.

"I've checked in. I gave my report," he said. "if there is any more progress I will report in." His eyes darted to Lilac before finishing. "I'm sorry for being short with you."

And with that the transmission was terminated. Silence held strong for a few moments between Reuben and Angel. Unsure of what just happened.

"Did he," Reuben began, still staring at the monitor. "Just apologize?"

"H-he did," Angel responded. She too was just as surprised. "Why did you have to say her name?"

"Oh come on." He spun in his chair so that he was actually facing her. Tears actually staining her face. A small semblance of her old Stitch managed to break through. "It's obvious she reminds him of her... I didn't really mean to say it out loud."

Before they really had a chance to discuss what had just happened. The monitor came to life again. This time someone else was on the screen. An older tan woman with long dark hair, signs of gray starting to poke through. Her kind eyes looked on both them with such joy.

"Is Stitch not there?" she asked.

Reuben looked to Angel before saying, "sorry, Nani. He's on a mission right now."

"I understand." While she tried to keep showing joy, there was sadness in her voice. "I was hoping he'd be able to come back for..."

"I'm not really sure if he's ready for that," Angel said.

"Does he know?"

"Of course."

Nani looked between the two of them and sighed. "It's been twenty years. It's time for him to come home. She wouldn't want this."

"That's what I've been saying," Reuben cut in. "He has to accept the fact that she..."

He couldn't finish the sentence. Maybe even he hadn't fully accepted it yet. Maybe it wasn't something you could ever really just accept and work passed. Perhaps it would stick with them forever.


Lilac watched as six-two-six sat in the corner, his head leaning against the cold wall. Ever since the communication ended he had stayed quiet. She could tell he was crying, but wasn't really sure what to do about it. It took a couple of tries, but she managed to finally force herself to go to him. His eyes flashed up to her, and she could see pain behind them.

"Who's Lilo?" she asked again and saw him wince. He just stayed quiet so she sat down beside him. "Was she the girl in the picture?" He nodded. "What happened?"

Six-two-six took in a sharp breath. He hadn't talked about it in so long. But he felt like he should. At least Lilac wouldn't be able to judge him. Or hate him for it.

"It was a long time ago," he started. "I lived on a island, kind of like this, with my family. Lilo was my best friend. She rescued me. Even saved my life. I wasn't... a good person back then. But she changed me. Made me good." The words just started spilling from him as Lilac listened intently. "We went on a lot of adventures together. Caused some trouble. Did a lot of good though." A smile crept on his face as all the good times came back to him. "But there was an accident. It was just me, Lilo, and her sister home that day. And we needed some groceries. But Lilo didn't feel like going out. So we left her home alone. She was old enough. It's not like she couldn't take care of herself."

He waited a long time before continuing. Lilac could see the tears shinning in the moonlight.

"There was a fault in the wiring. By the time we got home the house was completely engulfed in flames. I rushed in, trying my best to find her. I could hear her crying from upstairs. Calling out for help."

"But you saved her right?" she asked. "Like how you saved me."

"The ceiling collapsed..." He heard her breath catch. "I wasn't fast enough. I got to the room and saw her. She looked so happy to see me and I was so relieved. I stopped for a moment. And then I watched as it all came crashing down. She died. It was my fault. I ran away soon after. And have been out here ever since."