BECAUSE OF LOVE

Chapter 3

The days passed quickly for Stitch and the whole Ohana. Everyday they hoped that day would be the one when Jumba told them that he had found a solution for Lilo, but the night always came and nothing happened in the spaceship, making them to lose some of their hopes, even though they knew Jumba was doing his best to find a solution, spending the whole days in the ship just to find a solution. He never went out, not even to eat. Pleackley always brought his food to the spaceship so he could eat something.

The whole house had got a dull, even gloomy atmosphere since Lilo wasn't there. Nani tried to visit her everyday before going to work, finding most of times Stitch curled on her lap, looking for some kind of escape. She did or said nothing to him, but some thoughts started to fill her head whenever she saw him curled up that close to Lilo and how he didn't want to let go of her. Pleackley went from time to time just to see if she was awoken, usually bringing some extra food in case she was already awoken, but he always found the same motionless Lilo. He had realized about Stitch's behavior as well as Nani, but unlike to her, he guessed almost immediately Stitch's feelings about Lilo, but said nothing to him.

About Stitch, the very thought of Lilo lying in a coffin made him always run to see her whenever he had those thoughts or nightmares, trying to assure himself that Jumba would find a cure for her. Whenever he was with her, and those thoughts were still there, he would usually climb to the bed she was occupying now and curl up close to her, hoping somehow she moved her arms to wrap him or caress him as she used to do, but she remained always still and motionless. The only sign of life she showed was her irregular, slow respiration. If you didn't notice that, you would think she was dead.

The ninth day had almost come to its end, and the night was falling over the skies. Stitch, as the most of times, was sleeping, curled up close to Lilo and wrapping his arms around her protectively. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and sat up, sweating and breathing swiftly. The same nightmare of all nights… that was what made him awoken that way. He dropped again on the bed when he realized about it, assuring himself that Lilo was still alive as he curled up against her body. A deep sadness overwhelmed him when he remembered… she had now less that a single week left to live, and if Jumba didn't find a solution soon…

"No… take away from you those thoughts" Stitch said to himself. The tears started to sting his eyes, but he tried to hold them, squeezing his eyelids against each other "Lilo is gonna live… Jumba will find a solution for her. Why are you worrying? I bet that in any moment, I'll see Jumba opening that door and shouting that he has found a cure for her… she will not leave us behind…"

He turned his head to the window and saw the sun hiding behind the cliffs and vegetation of Hawaii. After some minutes, everything was engulfed by the darkness, the ground and ferns being only illuminated by the feeble light of the stars and the moon. The ninth day was gone now.

The insides of Stitch started to growl. He stood up, understanding that he needed to have something inside his stomach. Before leaving, he glanced at Lilo a last time. Her face looked like an angel's, being illuminated by the last rays of the sun, and her silky hair shone with the sun fall reflected on it…

"…The amount of days can vary, depending on the resistance of the body…"

He remembered that night when everything started… the computer had said that the amount of days could vary… maybe Lilo would live longer than fifteen days, but… what if she lived shorter than fifteen days? He looked at her again with a scared expression… what if while he wasn't there she died?

He started to walk back to the bed, ignoring his stomach's protests to have some food inside of it. Soon, he was covered again by the sheets, next to Lilo. He wasn't going to let her alone at any second, and after some minutes, he fell asleep again.

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"Stitch opened slowly his eyelids as he groaned. His vision was only a blur, but as the minutes passed, he could focus it… he looked at his surroundings. Why was he at the dome?

"I thought I was sleeping with Lilo" Stitch thought as he jumped off his cot "or at least that's what I think I was doing…maybe Jumba brought me here. I'm going back with Lilo"

The elevator started whirring as he was brought downstairs. He expected to see Pleackley at the kitchen, doing some new experimentation with the food, but there was no sign of life inside the house. Where was everybody?

Soon, he was making his way to the spaceship. As he went closer, he could hear some noises coming from inside of the spaceship. Could be that Lilo?

-Lilo!!! —he shouted joyfully as he ran as fast as possible to the spaceship, but as he ran, a wandering thought crossed his mind. This had happened before, like if he had already lived this…he didn't know it at that moment, but actually, he had already lived this because it was his nightmare of all nights…

His legs moved faster as he accelerated his speed to the spaceship. Finally, he would see his Lilo again, smiling at him and calling him to come to her arms. The joy was overwhelming, and as he closed to the ship, the joy was replaced by bewilderment. Those noises coming from inside… was somebody there weeping?

As his feet brought him closer to the ship, he could hear more sobs coming from inside. He approached to the sluice and opened it. Inside of the ship was his family: Jumba, Pleackley, Nani, David… and there were some experiments too. There was Sparky with his boojibu Angel and their newborn pup. There was Kixx, Slushy, Nosy, Shoe, Ying, and Yang…even Reuben!!! All the experiments who had loved Lilo the most and who had been her bests friends… The Grand Councilwoman was there too? Yeah, it was her. Her slim, unmistakable silhouette stood some meters ahead of him. His confusion grew bigger as he saw that everybody had tears in their eyes, even the Grand Councilwoman, who always had shown her cold, diplomatic side… what the blitznac was going on???

-Hi cuz… We came as soon as we heard about this. Gantu must be there too...— 625, now known as Reuben, approached Stitch and patted his back, as trying to comfort him —I'm really sorry… after all, Lilo was the one who gave me my name, right?

A weak smile appeared on Reuben's face, but Stitch could notice easily that he was at the brink of the tears. He shook off the hand Reuben had on his shoulder and walked away. All this was confusing him very, very much…

-Greetings, Captain Stitch… or should I just call you Stitch? —a deep voice rang right behind of him. He whirled his head just to find The Grand Councilwoman standing there. She tried to sound as solemn as always, but her voice cracked slightly as she talked —my condolences to you and your family. The Galactic Council sends their condolences too… our condolences because of the death of one of the greatest heroes in the galaxy… because of Lilo's death.

Stitch froze. What had she just said???

-No… but Lilo oki-takka… Stitch was sleeping yesterday… she was there, alive… naga true…NAGA TRUE!!!!!!!

The tears started to flow from his eyes as rivers, and his vision became once more a blur. He ran away, trying to escape from all the people around him… he already knew this was his nightmare, and he wanted to wake up, but he knew it wasn't finished though…

His head hit something hard and he fell to the ground. He lifted his head and remained frozen. A navy blue coffin was what his head had hit, and it was now right ahead of him. He approached the coffin slowly. He wanted to run away, to go out of the ship, but his feet motioned against his will. The upper lid of the coffin was opened, and before he could do anything to stop himself, he was there, looking inside of the coffin. His heart broke at the moment he saw the face of the person lying there. Before even peeking inside he knew she was there, but the very fact of confirming her death was more than painful. His insides ached like if they were being shattered by a dagger. He wanted to scream, to cry, to tear everything to pieces…he tried to yell out something, but no sound came to his throat, and felt like if something wrapped around him just like if somebody was trying to suffocate him. He struggled and struggled against it, but it seemed to be useless…"

Stitch groaned when he felt something hard hitting his head and opened his eyes. He realized that he wasn't anymore on the softness of the warm bed; instead he was lying now on the hard, cold floor with a ripped blanket wrapped around the half of his body, from his head to his waistline. It seemed like if he had ripped the blanket as he slept, trying to get some oxygen… maybe that was why he had dreamed he was being suffocated.

He took apart the blanket and sat up in the floor for some seconds… that nightmare had made him awoken again, but this time it had seemed a lot more real than the other times. Suddenly, he felt his cheeks wet and brought his right hand to his face. Soon, he realized that he had some tears trailing down his cheeks. He stared at his soaked fingers in shock. This was the first time he cried because a dream, or in this case, a nightmare… why those nightmares tormented him whenever he fell asleep? Were those nightmares an advice about what was going to happen to Lilo? He didn't know it, but he didn't want to believe that those nightmares were going to become true.

As his respiration turned to its normal speed, he stared at the blanket in his hands. He had ripped completely the blanket that had been covering Lilo and himself. He thought on bringing another blanket, but then he would leave her alone, and that panicked him. What if something happened while he was absent? He looked at her again and tried to calm down… after all, what if she was okay while he was absent? Maybe he was worrying just too much and thinking about the worst, instead of thinking on the good things… but there was still the possibility about something bad could happen while his absence.

"Well, I'm worrying too much about all this… Lilo has been strong always; she will be able to stand longer than what anyone else can believe. Why am I worrying so much?"

Stitch tried to calm down, but he couldn't let aside the fact that something could happen to Lilo while he was gone, and felt like if he couldn't let her alone, but his hunger was growing more intense…

-Stitch!!! What's up? Are you alright?

The sluice opened, and then Pleackley came in. Stitch observed the tray on his hands, and then smelt the unmistakable aroma of bacon and some coffee. His stomach started to growl again, louder than the other times, like if trying to get Pleackley's attention. As Pleackley heard Stitch's stomach growling, he stepped back instinctively, thinking it was Stitch the one who had growled. Stitch noticed Pleackley stepping back and tried to calm him:

-Don't be afraid… Stitch just hungry —he assured as he pointed to his belly with his index finger.

-Oh, that's all… I thought you were about to… well, just to do some scary thing, you know…—Pleackley said as he put aside the tray on a near chair and turned the lights on —here, I brought some food in case Lilo was already awoken, but seems like she's not… you can eat some, if you're hungry. Oh my…!!! What happened on here???

Stitch looked at Pleackley's finger, pointing to the torn blanket on his hands and half of his body. Stitch shook his head as he held it with his hands:

-Stitch had nightmare… meega scared and ripped blanket… accidentally. I'm sorry.

Pleackley smiled sympathetically at Stitch and nodded:

-It's okay. Don't worry… after all you were just afraid. Hey, but you really scared me whit all those yells and screams!!! All what you said was "Lilo, please don't leave me!!!"… and other stuff.

Stitch started to blush as he heard Pleackley. What if he had said another thing while he was asleep?

-What else Stitch said??? Pleechiba… meega wants to know…

Pleackley seemed to think about it, and after some seconds he smiled (almost smirked) widely and continued:

-Well, I think you said "I love you!!!", "Lilo, da boojibu!!!", "Please don't leave me, boojibu" and "I'm in love with you" or something so. Why???

Stitch couldn't help but blush more intensely as he heard each sentence Pleackley said about what he had been shouting. Did he really have said those things? Stitch dropped his face, trying to avoid Pleackley's questioning face and trying to hide his flushed face, but to no avail: Pleackley had already realized that under Stitch's fur, his skin was turning into a deep magenta color (I don't know what his blushing could be like. Maybe if his blood is magenta, then his blushing might be magenta as well).

-G-gaba??? Stitch said, hum… all that? Really??? —Stitch asked. He felt how his cheeks were burning, and knew he couldn't hide it from Pleackley anymore, but even so he tried to deny it —Naga… Pleackley is wrong. Stitch didn't say all that… Stitch d-doesn't love L-Lilo… that way.

Pleackley smiled as he looked at Stitch's useless attempts to hide his true feelings. Stitch had gotten unusually nervous, and that was enough for him to confirm it:

-Oh, come on, Stitch… don't say you don't like her that way. It's too obvious you love Lilo more than just with a friendship love. Do you think I'm really that fool? Everybody around you could tell that you are in love with Lilo! Hah, what a curious thing: I said a little lie and you showed the whole truth because of that lie!!!

Pleackley covered his mouth quickly as he said the last sentence. Stitch frowned as he heard what Pleackley had just said. What did he meant with "a little lie"? Then it hit him: all what he thought he had said was lie!!!

-Grrrr, naga bootifa!!!! Pleackley lied!!!! Pleackley made Stitch scared!!!!! Stitch could have said all the tru…!!!!

Now Stitch was the one who had to cover his mouth with both of his hands before he said something he didn't want Pleackley to know. Pleackley just kept pushing on Stitch: he was decided to make him confess:

-Oh, come on, Stitch… yooou love her!!! —he said, using a lovey-dovey voice.

-No, I don't!!! —Stitch replied as he crossed his arms angrily.

-Yes, you do…

-No, I don't!!!

-Yes, you do!

-NO I DON'T!!!

-No, you don't…

-YES, I DO!!!!!!!!!

Stitch covered his mouth quickly and gave Pleackley a worried face. Pleackley just smiled more widely:

-I knew it…

-Naga fair!!! Pleackley tricked Stitch!!!

-But you know that's true…

Stitch growled and slapped his own face with one hand in frustration. Pleackley giggled at the sight of Stitch slapping his face in frustration, and then, another "great" idea came to his mind.

-Okay, Stitch, I'll trust you…

Stitch let out a relief huff, but before he could do or even think anything, Pleackley continued:

-…I'll trust you if you can say you don't love her that way while looking at my eye.

-Why should I?

-Because if you don't, then I'll know that you cannot deny it and that all what I'm saying is true. I dare you to tell it as you look at me, right at my eye.

Stitch looked at Pleackley with a burning glance of anger, but that didn't intimidated Pleackley, as Stitch was expecting it would.

-Well, I'm waiting for you, Stitch. Do you love her that way, or not?

Pleackley's eye stuck on Stitch's face. Stitch looked right at Pleackley's only eye. He thought it would be easy to deny it, but as he felt Pleackley's eye staring right into his eyes he felt weak. His knees started to tremble slightly, and a cold sweat flowed from his forehead… he wanted to deny it to Pleackley, but felt like if his mouth moved against his brain and wanted to tell the truth. They were so concentrated in intimidating each other that they didn't noticed the sluice opened, and another person walked in.

-Evil Genius has found finally a solution …

Both Stitch and Pleackley jumped in fright as the Russian accent filled the room, but it took them some seconds more to understand what Jumba had just said.

-That's so good, Jumba!!! Lilo is going to be finally safe and sound!!! YAY!!!!!! —Pleackley shouted joyfully as he hugged Jumba. Although Jumba was pretty tired after who knows how many hours of being awoken, he had enough strength to pull away Pleackley and his joyful hug.

-Huff!!! Please, stop this annoying act of wrapping arms around Evil Genius!!! —Jumba grumbled as he pulled away Pleackley.

Stitch just couldn't believe what he had just heard. FINALLY!!!!! Now, Lilo would wake up again and he could tell her just how much he loved her, how much he missed her and how he waited eagerly for having her locked in his arms again and showing her the love he felt for her, kissing her to no end and holding her close to him… finally…

-Come on, Stitch!!! Let's tell Nani the good news!!!!! —Pleackley shouted as he grabbed Stitch by his arm and carried him to home, no one of them noticing that Jumba hadn't still finished with the news, leaving him no more option but following them into the house. Soon, Stitch passed both of them and left them behind, finding that the good news had given him a strength he didn't know he had.

The poor old door was opened with such force it went flying away from its place. Stitch entered and fixed it as quickly as he could: he just placed the door aside and continued his way.

-Hey guys, calm down!!!! What is all that noise??? —Nani's annoyed voice went out from the bathroom. Stitch didn't even hesitate about entering the little bathroom. The following seconds the house was filled with every kind of shouts and screams:

-Ah chootah (Gotta go)!!!! Ika (is)…

-AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! STITCH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?????

-Oops… soka… bootifa underwear…

-You better didn't see anything… why did you entered here that way??? You could have at least knocked the door first!!!

-Emba chua (you said it)… soka… can Stitch open eyes now?

-Stitch, please go out now… I need to put something on!

-Oki-takka…

The door of the bathroom was opened again. Some steam went out along with Stitch, who had his paws covering his eyes. The door slammed closed and Stitch opened his eyes and rested his paws on his sides. "Well, at least she had the towel" Stitch said to himself. He had caught Nani just when she was putting some clothes on, after taking a shower, and it wasn't something nice to catch Nani just after her shower… definitely, it wasn't nice!!!

After some minutes, Nani went out, already dressed. Jumba and Pleackley had just arrived and then Pleackley told Nani that Jumba had already found a solution for Lilo, but before she could process the information, Jumba decided to continue:

-That's being true. There's already a solution, but do not get too excited about it, because it may not work…

Everybody stared at Jumba with questioning glances, but he continued:

-Little Girl is needing certain amino acids and nucleic acids, but am not being able to just inject it, because her heart is damaged beyond measure, so she is needing to have a new heart… that wouldn't be a problem, because I would be making a new one for her with all the nucleic acids and amino acids she is needing. The problem is: the constructive process would be taking too long, and we are not knowing how long she will resist, which leads us to another option, faster, but harder to carry out: to find somebody who wants to donate a heart.

Everybody remained in complete silence. Nobody could say something. Everybody knew how hard was the single fact to find somebody who wanted to donate their own heart, even Stitch had learned now (by a TV program, but still) how hard was to find a donator…

-Jumba, exactly how long would it take you to make another heart for Lilo? —Nani asked with a whisper.

-Am thinking it would be taking about a week or longer, but am not thinking Little Girl would resist that long.

-But Jumba!!! Do you have any idea about how hard is to get a donator??? Lilo might die while we are trying to find one!!!

-Am being sorry, Bigger Girl, but it would be taking too long to make a new heart. It is not an easy thing!!!

-Then there's no hope for Lilo now… she's going to die anyway then —Nani dropped her face and sighed sadly, some tears of frustration and sadness streaming down her cheeks.

A soft whirr was heard, coming from the lift, but nobody realized that Stitch wasn't there anymore until they heard the lift whirring and saw that a certain blue furred, fluffy alien wasn't there anymore.

Finally, the lift reached the dome, and Stitch went out to enter the room. For the first time in almost two weeks, he lay on his cot and remained motionless. He had got so excited, so happy… but unfortunately happiness never lasts for too long. He could demand Jumba to make a new heart for Lilo and make him to stay awake during nights just to accelerate the process, but Jumba was quite tired now, and he needed to sleep at least twenty hours…

"Once more, here's the powerful Experiment 626 with all his blitznac powers and abilities and else, but he cannot help his best friend in anyway… how am I supposed to find a donator??? Why everything has to get so difficult???" Stitch thought as he hit his face against his arm "If only I could do something to make her okay… anything…"

Suddenly, a random flashback came to his mind:

FLASHBACK

There he was again, at Jumba's spaceship in that cold, stormy night when it all began. He could see himself, sitting in a dark corner and taking her by her lifeless hand, crying as he stroked it, and then heard himself whispering something to the girl:

-Lilo… why you? All persons… why you? You are my friend, my boojibu… Stitch wished Stitch was on your place… Stitch would die without you. Please, don't leave Stitch alone… if you do, Stitch will die. Your love keeps Stitch alive… gives Stitch a reason to live… if only Stitch could do something… Stitch would give life only to keep yours here… Stitch would gladly die for you… because Stitch loves you…

FLASHBACK ENDS

Then it hit him.

"Stitch would give life only to keep yours here…"

He stood up from his cot and then walked toward the window, but then he stopped and grabbed the blanket he had on his cot and then went out the dome. He climbed down and when he reached the ground, he started to walk to the spaceship. This was going to be his last night, and the last he could spend with Lilo, even if she was unconscious. Finally, he would be able to fulfill what he had told her that night… unfortunately he wasn't going to be there when she woke up, but at least his nightmares weren't going to come true…

Well, what do you think of this one? Yeah, I know... "It was kinda large" but I was listening the soundtracks of the first movie and I just got so many ideas... well, I see now that Lilo's POV will be necessary. If I ended the story in this chapter, then I would've got a REALLY large chapter and... I don't want to make you tired Well, at least this will be the last week I'll have to go to school, and after it I'll be totally free to write more and do more art!!! YAYZ!!!!!! Hope you liked it, cousins.