A/N: And we're back! Sorry it's taken so long to update. I was temporarily banned from posting because someone reported to FFN that one of my other L&S fics, In a Family Way, had "improper grammar, punctuation and spelling," which is a load of BS, since nearly half the stories I've read around here match that description. Anyway, the story got removed and I got 86ed for a while. Hopefully it won't happen again. If it does, I'm going to post my fics on a friend's website, and I will give out the link to it upon request.

CHAPTER FOUR:
ALOHA, OHANA

"Lilo! Come on! You're going to miss your bus!" Nani shouted up the elevator shaft that morning.

"Be right down!" came Lilo's reply. Nani sighed and started to walk away when Lilo and Stitch descended from their room. As soon as the elevator touched down, Lilo ran toward the kitchen. "Almost ready! First I gotta go make Pudge his sandwich."

"Oh, no, Lilo. Not that fish again!" Nani groaned. "Just forget it. You're going to end up late and Leera's going to end up taking you to school."

"That's okay," Lilo replied, pulling a chair up to the counter to reach the bread. "I'd rather go with Leera than on the bus with Myrtle Edmonds and her cronies."

"But did you ever think to ask Leera how she feels about driving you?"

"I think she likes it."

"Well, maybe she does, or maybe she's just going out of her way to be nice. Frankly I'm surprised she can still fit behind the wheel, as big as she's gotten."

"Actually, I just moved the seat back a little."

Nani spun around to find Leera standing behind her. She blushed and Leera smiled.

"I really don't mind taking Lilo to school. It gives me a chance to get out of the house. Plus it's rather exhilarating to drive a dune buggy."

"Well, as long as it's no inconvenience, I guess Lilo can miss her bus again," Nani said.

"Here, Lilo. I already made you a sandwich to take to your fish friend." Leera handed Lilo a small paper bag.

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome. All ready for school?"

"Yeah. Can we take the scenic route this time?"

"Which one?"

"The one that goes past the cemetery and the yard with that really freaky-looking dog in it that looks just like its owner and the beach where you can see the island Yin and Yang made."

"Sure, we can do that," Leera replied, smiling down at the girl. "Just remind me where those potholes in the road are located. I think it gave the baby a nasty jolt when we went over them last time."

"Okay. C'mon, let's go!" Lilo slung her backpack over her shoulder and ran for the front door with Stitch at her heels. Even though he could not go to school with her, he liked to accompany Lilo and Leera in the dune buggy.

Out in the driveway, Lilo and Stitch were already buckled in and waiting by the time Leera caught up with them. She climbed into the driver's seat and stretched the seatbelt over her belly. Then she put the key in the ignition and turned it.

"Hold it! Hold everything!"

Leera, Lilo and Stitch looked around simultaneously to see Pleakley running down the porch steps toward the dune buggy.

"Leera! What do you think you're doing? I thought we agreed, no more driving Earth vehicles until after the baby's born!"

Leera sighed and took the key out of the ignition. "Fine. We'll take the cruiser, then." She unbuckled herself and opened the door. Pleakley put a hand against it as if to stop her from getting out.

"Oh, no. No driving, period!"

"That's not what I agreed on, Wendy. Technically, I didn't even agree to stop driving Earth vehicles, much less a space cruiser. I only said I'd be more careful."

"Well, this old jalopy here is the last thing you ought to be driving in your condition! Don't you know that bumpy buggy rides have been known to induce labor?"

"So I've heard, but don't worry. We're taking the scenic route. Smooth sailing all the way," Leera assured her husband before buckling herself in again.

"Not the same scenic route with all those potholes down on Cunha Road, I hope?"

Leera's hand twitched over the stick shift. "Mmmmaybe…"

Pleakley sighed and shook his head.

"Awww, c'mon, Wendy. It's just a ten minute drive either way, and I need to get out of the house. You're not going to begrudge your own wife a little freedom, are you?" Leera made a pouty face and batted her eye.

Pleakley sighed again. "No, of course not. Just be careful, okay? And don't take that shortcut over the sand spit. I don't want you coming home and throwing up on the kitchen floor like you did last time."

"I won't," Leera promised, and Lilo grumbled disappointedly.

Pleakley reached in and patted Leera's belly. "You be good, now, you hear?" he said to their unborn child. "You behave, and don't give your mother a hard time. She may be a bit reckless, but don't kick her unless it's really important. Okay?" He stuck his head through the window to kiss his wife's abdomen. Then he lifted his head to kiss her cheek.

Stitch made a small sound of disgust and Lilo echoed it. "If we can't take the shortcut, I'm gonna be late for school," she grumbled, just loud enough for the couple to hear.

"Oh! She's right!" Leera gasped. "Look at the time! See ya later, honey!" The buggy roared to life and backed out of the driveway. Pleakley waved goodbye, then climbed the steps to watch the vehicle's progress from the porch. He kept his eye on the buggy and its occupants until they disappeared down the road.

A half hour later Leera returned home looking a little flushed. The instant she walked through the front door she was greeted by her husband.

"Hey, honey. I fixed you some tea. Are you okay? You look nauseated."

Leera forced a smile. "I'm fine. The baby's fine, too. I think it was that breakfast Nani made. It didn't sit too well with either of us."

Pleakley's antenna drooped. "I made breakfast this morning."

Leera blushed. "Sorry, honey. But I just —" Her next words were cut off as her hand flew up to cover her mouth. She ran past him and into the bathroom. She didn't even have time to close the door. Pleakley walked straight in behind her, cringing at every gut-wrenching sound she made. He closed his eye tight to avoid seeing the breakfast he'd made return to haunt him. Then he knelt beside his wife and gathered her long golden hair up, holding it back while she hung her head over the toilet.

A minute later, Jumba walked by. What he saw out of the corner his leftmost eye made him stop and back up.

"Am guessing Pleakley made breakfast this morning."

Pleakley glared at him. Leera wretched hoarsely, but nothing more came up.

"I vill be taking your word for it, then."

Trembling, Leera flushed the toilet and tried to stand up. Pleakley helped her to her feet and handed her a towel. Leera wiped her face and rinsed her mouth out with water from the sink. Then she splashed cold water on her face.

"You okay, babe?" Pleakley asked her. Leera nodded, but didn't look him in the eye. He put an arm around her, and she leaned against him.

"I think you should go lay down for awhile," he told her, guiding her out of the bathroom and toward their bedroom. Jumba followed. "I told you it wasn't a good idea to drive. Even if you don't get hurt, you could get sick from the ride. Isn't that right, Jumba?"

"That's right," Jumba affirmed.

"And Jumba's a doctor! He knows what he's talking about."

Leera looked back at the larger alien. "I thought you said he was just a mad scientist. Excuse me. I meant evil genius." Her words took on a playful tone and she winked at Jumba.

"No, he's a doctor, too," Pleakley admitted, helping his wife onto their bed. Leera laid down on top of the covers and allowed Pleakley to massage her belly.

"Does it hurt?" he asked her.

"Not anymore, but the baby's squirming. I think its upset."

Jumba stepped up beside Pleakley and looked down at the pregnant woman. "I am thinking maybe it is time for to be examining you again."

Pleakley looked at him in surprise. "What? But you just examined her - what was it? - a month ago!"

"Ah, then she is way overdue for checkup. At this stage it is important for her to be receiving regular checkups. You want baby should be born with grossly mutated body parts? Say, two heads and six toes?"

"Well, of course not! Except for the toes. It's supposed to have six toes."

"Yes, but I was meaning six toes on one foot!"

Jumba grinned and Pleakley frowned at him.

"When you want I should be conducting exam?" Jumba asked Leera. Leera shrugged.

"Any time's good for me."

"Not without me present, it's not!" Pleakley declared.

Leera sighed. "Of course."

A few minutes later, Leera was lying on the bed in Jumba's room, waiting to be examined. Pleakley sat on the bed next to her, holding her hand. Jumba set up the ultrasound equipment and smeared gel over Leera's belly. He then placed the ultrasound scanning device over her swollen middle and moved it around slowly, while his other hand fiddled with the dials on the monitor.

The thunderous sound of twin heartbeats pulsed from the speaker just before the baby's fuzzy silhouette came into focus. Leera smiled when she saw it and looked up at Pleakley, who squeezed her hand affectionately and kissed her on the forehead.

"Little one-eyed one is looking very healthy now," Jumba announced. "Is much bigger now, and development is good. I vould not be surprised if Pleakley Junior is wanting to be born today."

"Well, 'Junior' may be ready, but I'm not," Leera said, propping herself up to get a better look at the monitor. The baby kicked and Leera cringed. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready to give birth."

Pleakley held her hand and patted it. "Aww, sure you will, sweetie. You're a very strong woman. I know you can handle it. And you know I'm gonna be there for you."

Jumba chuckled. "Yes, hubby vill be coming in very useful vhen labor pain is starting. He vill either be panicking or fainting the whole time. Eh, knowing Pleakley, I am putting my money on fainting."

Pleakley grumbled and Leera giggled.

"And if by some miracle he is keeping cool head about his shoulders, he vill be very useful for you to be wailing on for all the months of excruciating pain he's giving you with baby."

Pleakley paled a little and looked down at his wife.

"Oh, don't worry, Wendy. I won't beat you too bad when I'm in labor. Just as long as Jumba supplies me with enough painkillers. Or maybe a local anesthesia."

"How is about trying general anesthesia?" Jumba suggested, giving Pleakley a wink. "Then there vill be no chance of being clobbered by angry wife."

Jumba chuckled until he saw the smoldering look Leera was giving him.

"Don't think that just 'cuz you're not my baby's father I won't clobber you as well! After all, Wendy's not the only one I'm holding responsible for my labor pains. As my doctor, you should be doing everything you can to minimize it. Right?"

Jumba winced at Leera's sharp tone, then very hesitantly picked up a towel and started wiping the gel off her belly, doing so very gently as though trying to avoid setting off a land mine. "Ehhh… right. I vill be doing my best to make sure Pleakley girl's labor is gentle on the all of you. Big Pleakley and Little Pleakley including. Now then —"

Before he could say another word, he was interrupted by a loud crash and a shout from the living room. Pleakley dashed out to see what all the commotion was about, while Jumba helped Leera down from the bed. A moment later, they caught up with Pleakley. In the living room, a tall bookcase near the front door had toppled over, spilling a cascade of books in front of the door. Pleakley approached the mess cautiously, then gasped when something stirred beneath the book pile. A pained groan was heard just before Stitch popped his head out from under a worn copy of Voodoo for Dummies.

He looked up at Pleakley, who stood over him with his arms folded and his single brow furrowed and cringed.

"Eh, bark bark?"

Pleakley opened his mouth to scold Stitch, but before he could utter a single Plorginarian curse word, a voice shouted from just outside the front door.

"Hello? Wendy? Leera? Are you home?" It was Vay.

"Yeah, Mom, we're home!" Pleakley answered, climbing over the books to get to the door. "Just a sec." He grabbed the doorknob and pulled. The door wouldn't budge. Too many books were in the way. He looked back at Stitch, who was already setting the bookcase back up and gathering up the books.

"I guess Stitch got a little overexcited when he saw who was at the door," he said to his mother. He heard her chuckle in response. Stitch had taken a great liking to Vay, and the liking was mutual.

"Uncle Gidgel's here," Vay shouted through the door. "He wanted to be here for the birth." Her words were followed by a heavy pause, and Pleakley sensed that there was something else she wanted to tell him. Something important. As Stitch went to pick up the last of the books, Vay added, "There's someone else who wanted to see you, too. Someone we haven't seen in a while."

The last books aside, Pleakley opened the door. There on the porch stood three Plorginarians: his mother, his uncle, and a stranger. The moment he locked eyes with the mysterious man, one of his hearts skipped a beat.

Stitch watched from the top shelf of the bookcase where he was putting the last books away. He growled at the stranger. Vay stepped forward and hugged her son. Something in her hug bothered him. When she stepped back, she had the strangest look in her eye. She gestured toward the stranger.

"Wendy, this is Kirk Skirmish. Your father."

The revelation crashed down hard on Pleakley's brain, so hard it shook the whole house. So hard everyone else appeared to have heard and felt it, too. It took a moment for Pleakley to realize that Stitch had knocked the bookcase over again.