I do not own Lilo and Stitch.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Celebrate Love

Lilo sat on her bed, watching as her best friend adjusted the red bowtie around his neck. It was Stitch's first Valentine's Day with Angel, and he and Lilo had worked hard to make it as special and memorable as possible. She glanced at the wrinkled piece of paper in her hand. "Are you ready for the Romantic Valentine's Day Must-Haves checklist?"

Stitch turned away from the mirror and flashed a thumbs-up. "Ih!"

"Flowers?"

The blue experiment whipped a bouquet of roses out from inside his suit jacket. "Check!"

"Candy?"

Stitch felt around inside his jacket once more and froze when he could not feel the heart-shaped box. He panicked for just a brief moment before remembering where he had stashed them. He scrambled under Lilo's bed and removed the chocolates. "Check!"

"Romantic location?"

"Check! Dinner on beach!"

"That also takes care of the romantic activity." Lilo smiled. "What's more romantic than a walk on the beach?"

"Nothing."

"Exactly. You're all ready for your Valentine's date with Angel."

"Takka, Lilo." Stitch hugged his best friend, grateful for her help. He couldn't have pulled off the preparations without her.

"No problem, Stitch. I'm glad to help!" Lilo returned his hug. "Before you go, I have something for you. I wanted to wait until we finished setting up your date before I gave it to you."

She hurried over to the closet and threw it open. She lifted up a pile of pants, where a pink homemade card and a box of red jellybeans were hidden. She proffered them to Stitch. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Ooh!" Stitch immediately ate the jellybeans, box and all, downing them in one gulp. "Yummy!" He carefully cradled the card, which depicted him and Lilo holding hands in a crayon drawing, and set it gently on his bed. "This for Lilo!"

He dug out the card he had made for her from under his pillow. He gave it to Lilo and kissed her on the cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"I love it!" Lilo beamed at the rather elaborate drawing of her and Stitch battling heart-shaped alien spaceships and an army of red mummies. She promptly pinned the card to the center of her corkboard. "Thanks, Stitch."

The elevator whirred, signalling that someone was coming up. A few seconds later Angel appeared in their dome. She smiled coyly at Stitch. "Ready, boochi-boo?"

Stitch smiled goofily. "Ih!" He thrust out the flowers and candy. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Aw!" Delighted, Angel threw her arms around him. "Takka!"

"No problem." Stitch handed her the gifts and offered his arm. She accepted it with a warm smile. The two turned to the Hawaiian girl observing them with a happy expression. "Bye, Lilo! See you soon!"

"See you soon!" added Angel, blowing the ten-year-old a kiss, which Lilo caught and placed over her heart. It was their signature farewell.

"Have fun!" Lilo waved as the two descended down the elevator. "Be home before sunset!"

"Okay!" Stitch called.

Lilo collapsed against her pillow with a sigh of wistfulness. She loved Angel, she loved Stitch, and she loved them being together, but she found herself being a tiny bit jealous of what they had.

"Must be nice to have someone for Valentine's Day," she said with a hum. "I wonder what it's like."

She had decided not to go to the annual Kokaua Town Valentine's Day dance. Victoria was off the island with her family, and Mertle and the rest of the girls thought themselves too old for such things, which meant they couldn't get dates and were rather disgruntled about it.

She entertained the idea of spying on Nani on her date with David, but quickly dismissed it. Nani would have her head if she was caught, and the consequence simply wasn't worth watching them make kissy-faces at each other all night.

She rolled out of bed and went down to the first floor. She followed the sounds of the television into the living room, where Jumba and Pleakley were watching a movie. The Plorgonar glanced up as the girl walked in. "Shouldn't a young, single girl like you be out there breaking hearts?" Pleakley teased as his niece dropped onto the couch between them.

"If anyone was willing to have me break their heart, I'd be out doing it," Lilo said dramatically. "But no, I'm in my prime and I couldn't even get a date for Valentine's Day."

"Little Girl has not even reached prime yet," Jumba said with a snort.

"You know I'm ten, right?" Lilo asked. "Technically not a little girl anymore."

Her uncle patted her head affectionately. "Always Little Girl to me."

"Which is why I don't have a Valentine's date," said Lilo with a shrug. "Not that I really want one, but it would be kinda nice, I guess. But all the boys on the island think I'm just a kid. A weird kid. I wonder if I'll ever get asked out a date."

"Of course you will. In roughly three years," Jumba answered.

Lilo tilted her head curiously. "What happens in three years?"

Before Jumba could reply, Pleakley elbowed him sharply. "You'll find out in three years," Pleakley said hastily. "I wouldn't worry about boys now. Like you said, you're only ten."

Lilo set her hands on her hips. "That was supposed to be in my favour. As in ten is old."

"Not old enough," countered Pleakley. "When you're a bit more mature, boys will be lining up to ask you out."

Lilo grinned at the mental image Pleakley's assurance conjured. "I think I like the sound of that."

Pleakley laughed. "Just try not to leave too many heartbroken boys behind you, all right?"

"I'll try," Lilo said innocently. She turned her attention to the television. "What are we watching?"

"Talk shows," Jumba said in disgust. "Pleakley won't give up remote."

"If you want to watch something different, you gotta take matters into your own hands," Lilo said. She twisted around and jumped on Pleakley, nearly sending both of them tipping off the couch.

"Hold it! Hold everything!" Pleakley cried, hooking one arm around Lilo's waist to keep her secure as the other anchored them in place. Lilo wiggled and thrashed, her hands trying to reach the remote pressed between the back of the couch and the palm of his hand. "Fighting is not how we solve problems!"

"Sure it is." Lilo jabbed Pleakley in the side, knowing he was ticklish. The one-eyed alien yelped and dropped the remote, which Lilo promptly picked up. The Hawaiian girl retreated to Jumba's lap with her prize. "Got it!"

Jumba chuckled. "Good girl. Very good problem-solving."

"You've corrupted her," Pleakley stated.

"Noooo, Little Girl was like this when we found her."

Lilo giggled as Jumba took the remote from her and changed the channel. "Sometimes you have to fight the bloody battle for your shows."

Pleakley did not respond, his eye staring straight at the black-and-white monster movie Jumba put on. Afraid that she made him mad, she crawled over to him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I promise I won't do it again."

Pleakley glanced into her sincere brown eyes and his irritation promptly melted away. "Little brat," he muttered, pinching her nose fondly. Lilo grinned and flopped back between her aunt and uncle, sitting snug between the warmth of their bodies.

"Valentine's Day isn't about dates, anyway," she decided. "It's about spending it with people you love, and who love you. And I love you both very much. Will you be my Valentines?"

"Only if you'll be ours," said Pleakley, his eye full of adoration as he wound an arm around the little girl's waist.

"Always," said Lilo seriously, lacing her fingers with his.

"And we will always be being Little Girl's Valentine," said Jumba, tenderly placing his hand against Lilo's back. "Will also be interrogation squad for any potential suitors."

Lilo's face went slack with horror—she was already envisioning the awkward and humiliating questions any boy she brought home would have to endure. "No."

Pleakley burst into laughter as Jumba grinned wickedly at her reaction. "Yes."