Author's Note:

Fittingly enough, I've uploaded this on a rainy day. (At least for me; the weather might be different where you are.)

So, wow, this is it. I'm not gonna lie, this is a day I've been dreaming about for ages now. I had one lecture, took my brother to his gymnastics lesson, got donuts afterwards, played Lego Dimensions with him, watched The Deer Hunter with my mum and stepdad, and I've been dreaming about this day for ages. (Actually, The Deer Hunter is pretty intense, so maybe today isn't completely ordinary.)

Also, the song I was listening to when I finished was "The One and Only" by Chensey Hawkes. Seems unfitting, but something about it seems strangely appropriate.

I want to extend my sincerest thanks to anyone who took the time to read this story, and an even greater thanks to those who left feedback or favorited or followed. The only thing I crave more than to tell stories is to hear responses to those stories, and I'm extremely grateful to you if you contributed to that.

This story has changed a lot over the six years (holy crap) that I've been writing and re-writing it. Some of you have seen a lot of those changes, but just for some fun facts, some events that never made it to paper include:

-Chopsuey euthanizing 89 at the latter's request (this was going to be the opening of Chapter 19.)
-A result of the above; the Grand Councilwoman surviving.
-Bonnie and Clyde doing some actual robberies, as in their debut episode, in order to lure Stitch, Sparky, and Felix into a trap. They would later be caught on security footage, and would have been forced to lay low in Lilo's house once they were reformed.
-The standoff with Chopsuey, in which Clyde is wounded, was going to take place in the lighthouse instead of the forest.
-For the mental battle between Felix and "10" in Chapter 13, I briefly considered having the latter be referred to as Oscar.
-The unnamed Experiments celebrating finding out that 626 is on Earth by having a tickle battle, in which it is revealed that 621 is not ticklish. (It would have later been revealed that he is only ticklish in certain places, namely the armpits of his lower arms.)
-Hamsterviel would have battled with a Doctor Octopus-esque machine.
-Jumba surviving the whole story and reluctantly going to stay with the Pelekais. The earliest planned ending involved Chopsuey ominously watching Jumba sleep.
-Felix, Angel, and Chopsuey were each considered to be killed by the army of L.E.R.O.Y.s before I decided on Reuben.

One last thing before we get to what I know you actually want; what's next after this?

Firstly, I'm going to be going back and editing each chapter (at least up until 17). No, this will not be a major re-write like I've done in the past. All I'm doing is tidying up the story; removing excess dialogue, fixing general spelling or grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, and generally making the full story a much more consistent reading experience. (And also some more deliberate hinting at Felix and Elastico's love.) It won't be like starting a story written by a high school sophomore, and finishing a story written by a second-year university student. Will there be any new scenes? A few. Most notably; an extra scene at the start of chapter 18 which will see 621's fateful meal of chop suey, a few more scenes between Angel and Reuben (including a very intense one during chapter 8), and the nearly-getting-sucked-into-space scene in chapter 8 will be caused by a different Experiment besides Elastico. (I'll leave that as a surprise.)

Also, I have another project already planned out. It will arguably be even more ambitious than this one. There'll be something of a teaser, a "post-credits" bit, if you will, appearing here very soon. I think a lot of you are gonna be excited about it.

Anyway, one last thing; if you're leaving a review on this one, I'd really appreciate hearing what your overall takeaway from this story was, who your favorite character was, what your favorite moment (either with that character or generally in the story) was, and what you'd like me to keep an eye out for as I go about my big "clean-up" of the previous chapters.

Anyway, on with the show.

Thank you all, again. See you real soon.

-Dom

Chapter 20:
Ohana

I

The monsters' home was dim and cold.

It was only metal. The chairs were metal. The tables were metal. The floor and walls and ceiling were metal. There were blank screens everywhere. It was horrifically bare.

Daniel longed for the decor of his own house; soft carpet under his feet, comfy chairs, warm colors on every wall, and framed pictures instead of hideous screens. But he was too frightened to return to his house. He was afraid that he would sit too long and forget that Emma and Ellie weren't home.

He couldn't forget. Forgetting would be more painful than remembering, and remembering was hell.

Take Ellie and run!

Daniel sat against a wall, the four things that he now had to call his arms laying flat beside him. His real arms were on his knees. He tapped his fingers, and small sparks and licks of green fire (plasma, Jumba said it was called) bounced off his knees as harmlessly as bugs. He had grown used to their disappointing temperature against his skin, but took comfort in knowing that it would be anything but disappointing to the monsters. The so-called Experiments.

You'll get your turn.

He heard a door whirring open in the hallway around the corner. For once, Daniel missed that irritating and bored voice that shouted in his ears every time somebody visited his home. He imagined what it might say now.

The sick fucks who slaughtered your family - have arrived.

Instead, he heard other voices.

"I should have known…" A gruff and gravelly voice began. Daniel imagined Carley answering to a general with a voice just like this.
"He's evacuated the other six hundred and fourteen of us,"

"Yeah, all the other pods are gone." This one was meek and sweet, like a higher-pitched version of Phillip's voice. Daniel wanted to strangle its owner for even daring to resemble Phillip in any way.

Several other voices went through Daniel ears, but he had stopped listening to their words and instead for their distance. One of them was a bouncy accent, and her ignored words were dripping with cheek. She spoke, and Daniel heard, make a wish, bud?

Th-Th-That bitch.

The voices, now whispers, were getting louder. They were closer.

Daniel knew he should stand up. He should be ready to do battle, ready to do by himself what these beasts could do as a group.

Or he could just lie down, like he had on the purple-and-red grass back on Turo. He could just wait for the monsters to come. He could even ask them nicely to make it quick if they still hesitated.

Daniel considered it, and thought he might prefer the latter option.

Before he could choose either one, though, a graveled voice rang in his right ear.

"Hello,"

Daniel's back pressed against the metal wall as his head darted right. He was surprised that the voice's owner was a reasonable distance from him, since the greeting had been like a gunshot amidst the silence.

BLAM

It was him; the mohawked one who had shot his dear sweet Ellie. His upper hands were armed, and his lower arms hovered anxiously over the blasters on his hips. Daniel noticed that the monster's rifle was drawn this time, rather than a one-handed blaster like he had used on Turo. I guess she wasn't good enough for the big guns, was she, you blank-faced fuck.

The gun-toting monster looked upon Daniel with a pitying, yet curious and anxious gaze; a look hit might give a homeless man sitting on a street corner. Daniel had expected the stony glare of the thing that had shot his daughter. While this was not as intimidating, it was less satisfying; like a feeble substitute had been sent in the true monster's place.

"...Hello," Daniel said, afterwards realizing he was still sitting down, looking and sounding no more intimidating than he had when he had greeted Emma for the first time.

I will show you fear in a handful of dust.

He had to get up. Had to get on with it, get on with killing...He should find out the monster's name; somehow, Daniel knew it would be more satisfying to kill another fully formed being than a nameless wild animal. But they weren't named; he remembered the doctors Jumba and Hamsterviel saying so. They were numbered, like androids.

"Which number are you?" Daniel asked.

"621…" The monster answered.

I'm going to kill 621, Daniel thought. That sounded much better.

"You must be Number 627," 621 said.

Daniel felt his eyes heating up.

"I guess you could say that…" Daniel lied as he got to his feet. He felt his eyes and his palms heating up, fueled by each word that came out of 621's mouth.

"That's what Dr. Jumba says, but...I'd really rather not be associated with you,"

"Why not?"

Why the fuck do you think, you ugly thing?!

"It's not obvious?" Daniel clenched his fists, trying not to show any fear at his realization.

"You don't remember, then?" He asked. "On the fields of Turo?"

He saw 621's mouth open hesitantly, ready to speak before any words had been given to it. His six fingers tightened on his rifle.

"...I've been on a few planets with fields," The gunslinger replied. "Do you think you could be more specific?"

Daniel took a step towards 621 BLAM his eyes and head burning that he could barely think. He felt his mouth moving, but barely listened to his own words more specific hmph no I doubt that I could I will show you fear in a handful of dust from what I know all these planets and fields are more or less the same to you aren't they make her laugh at that you'd never give them a second thought no matter what…

"I might. Maybe-"

"No! You wouldn't, you insolent bastard. You never have…" Daniel grasped 621's throat, and smacked his rifle from his hands with one of his own lower arms. The marksman looked Daniel dead in the eyes, trying fruitlessly to pry the claws from his neck.

His gagging was musical.

His head was burning; he thought it was going to melt on his shoulders.

Take Ellie and run!

He had to cool it down.

We've gotta go! Mommy, get up!

God, he needed it to cool down just a little bit.

Once upon a midnight dreary.

There.

While I pondered weak and weary.

That would do it.

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore.

Oh, how Emma had loved these words.

While I nodded, nearly napping.

How he loved these words.

Suddenly there came a tapping.

They numbed him to the undulating flesh in his grasp.

As if someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

They numbed him to the fists and claws that struck and scratched at his arms.

Tis some visitor, I muttered, tapping at my chamber door.

They numbed him.

Only this, and nothing more.

They numbed him.

Daddy.

II

Lilo had already seen many things that could be nominated as the most terrifying sight of her life.

The rain-soaked wreckage of her parents' car.

The gigantic Captain Gantu from inside a huge glass container.

Falling from the ship she stood in now while Sparky dived for her.

Chopsuey-621 pointing a blaster at her sister's head.

An army of L.E.R.O.Y.s attacking her home.

But she had to give the prize to 627's initial reaction to Hamsterviel's answer.

The crimson Experiment looked like he had been frozen outside of ice. His body was stiff, and his eyes were cold and blank. He breathed with painful precision, like he was trying to suppress the need to vomit.

"...What?" 627 said, almost inaudible.

"Everything you remember up until you first discovered your powers was programmed into your mind," Hamsterviel elaborated, almost resembling his former, more malignant self.
"When Jumba alerted me to a band of treasonous Experiments, I figured that a new Experiment could resolve the problem most effectively. An Experiment with not only the strength, but the drive, the need to dispose of the traitors. A motivation beyond loyalty to my cause would, ironically, be more reliable in completing the job...As you now see, though, I was wrong,"

627's breaths came out in stammers; he seemed even closer to vomiting.

"Then...Everything I know...My whole life...My family...None of it happened?"

Hamsterviel's answer was delayed again. He was reverting back to his current state; dragging himself through life like a corpse to a ditch.

"It happened, but it happened to me...Granted, it was only my poor little boy, Lukas, who met such a violent end, but I reasoned that, the more severe the tragedy, the better the result…"

As he carried on like a bored teacher who loved his subject but loathed his students, the Pelekais saw 627 losing a struggle to control his breathing. Any second, he would either puke, or lash out and kill Hamsterviel before the scientist could even see him moving.

"There were several other variations made between my memories and your own to avoid arousing yours or anyone else's suspicion. My brave friend Carson, for instance, becomes Carley. My father becomes your mother. My loving stepfather, Alden, becomes Allen-"

"Will you shut up?!" Nani exclaimed, hoping Hamsterviel's silence would do at least a little to help 627's nerves.

The scientist immediately stopped like a scolded dog, but 627's hyperventilation was persistent.

"You…" He whispered. "You made my mom…" He lifted a quivering hand and touched his cheek. YOU UNGRATEFUL SHIT!
"You made me hold my daughter…" He held those same shaking hands in front of him. BLAM!

He brought his hands up to his mouth. The Pelekais thought that he really would vomit, but then they saw that he was touching his lips. What you've done is the kindest and most heroic thing anyone has ever done for me or my Dad.

627 turned and looked down at the bookshelf where he had left his photo album.

Lilo couldn't see his face, but the way his fists clenched at his side told her what he might be hearing.

Hey there, Danny! I've heard so much about you!

I'm so sorry...I'm so, so sorry...

Bet you a lot of people wish they had one.

He could hear laughter; his Emma, his Ellie, their Phillip, and Allen and Carley and all of them laughing at him for being so gullible.

Hey Daniel. This is Emma's new friend Daniel.

Ellie, I think you have the two best Daddies in the whole universe.

Daddy.

627 picked the album up, looking upon it with a look of seething disdain worse even than that which the Experiments had gotten from him in all of their past encounters.

"Is it true?" He asked. His face was burning, but his voice was meeker than even Felix's could be.

"Yes," Stitch answered without hesitation. "I'm so sorry, Daniel…"

I'm so, so sorry...I'm so sorry…

"But it's true,"

627 turned away from them, and stayed there for what seemed to be an eternity.

Everyone breathed silently.

When there finally was sound, it was deafening.

The photo album in 627's hands was devoured in a cloud of repugnant green fire.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS ALL THIS?!" He roared at the wall, but Lilo and her ohana knew that he was yelling at much more than that.

So much more.

"What the fuck is all this stupid shit we're trapped in?!" 627 turned and looked at the Pelekais, holding his arms out and dropping the ashes of the photo album to the floor.

His eyes were filled with tears and scarlet light; it was impossible to tell if he was shouting with fury or grief.

"We all lose, no matter what! People like us; they do good things! They live peaceful lives! They fill other people's lives with happiness, and hold their children close and make sure they know that they're loved no matter how broken or misshapen they might be! And still we get nothing for it but having everything and everyone we love ripped away from us in the worst possible ways! This whole goddamn universe just punishes everyone for being kind!"

627's face was in his hands for only a few seconds, and his audience's abused ears were given a moment to recuperate.

Nobody dared to interrupt him.

Nobody even wanted to.

"And it's filled with people-with things, with fucking tumors and parasites who carry out the punishments! People like Shelby!" He looked straight at Hamsterviel, whose dim red eyes were fixated on his creation, as if hoping for something.

"People like Pig!" He looked at Chopsuey, whose eyes narrowed at the name.

"People like L.E.R.O.Y.!" He looked at Stitch, who looked back with eyes cased in tears.

"People like that fucking drunk who was driving the other car!" He looked at Lilo, who stifled a gasp as she kept her tearful eyes on the crimson Experiment.

"And people like you, Jacques!" He turned back to his creator, pointing a claw at him this time.
"And I know what happened to your little boy! Your punishment for that was that you become just another one of those people!" He began making his way towards Hamsterviel, walking like a drunkard.

Lilo wondered if Shelby walked into the hoverrail station like that. Then she wondered if Shelby was even dead. Then she wondered if Shelby was even real.

"And what fucking sense is there in a universe like that?! Where two people who love each other can't embrace without killing themselves! Where someone shuts their eyes and only hears everything everywhere screaming at them! Where a child's birthday present is seeing their friend beaten to death! Where somebody's life is just a bunch of made-up shit to make their grief more convenient!"

He was right in front of Hamsterviel now. The scientist looked up into his creation's burning and flooding eyes, looking with all the attention and respect of a soldier in front of a fuming general.

"You, Jacques, you fucking wished all of this on everyone here and all the people you created! What kind of universe has someone like you, Jacques?! Someone who builds people with hopes and dreams and loves of their own, and then wished for them to feel every horrible, shitty thing you've ever felt!"

627 clenched his fists, and they were lost in heaping clouds of plasma.

"AND THE MOST FUCKED UP PART IS THAT YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON WHO GOT WHAT HE WANTED!"

627's flaming fist charged at Jacques' face.

The Pelekais shut their eyes and squeezed whoever was beside them, ready for the crush and the splat that was surely imminent.

Instead, to a relief that did little for them given their day's events, there was only the boisterous clank of breaking metal. The Pelekais opened their eyes, and saw 627's smoking fist between a jagged, plasma-stained hole where part of the wall once was, and the broken, tear-stained face of Jacques Hamsterviel.

"I'm not your killing machine anymore," 627 growled; his voice was weak and hoarse, but chilling all the same.
"If you want it, you can do it yourself." He turned and walked with agonizing slowness back to the bed.

Jacques stayed in the wounded doorway for another minute, as if praying that his creation would turn around and actually strike him this time. But nothing of the sort happened, and Jacques turned and left with his eyes to the cold metal floor.

627 dropped to his knees, and the room echoed with his sobs. He did not cry as Lilo had heard him mere minutes ago. Now he was quiet and feeble. And yet he was deafening; not only from his weeping, but from his words that still echoed in her and her ohana's ears.

She wanted to believe that nothing he had said was true. She approached the kneeling 627, and felt Stitch take her hand to come with her.

"Danny?" Lilo rested a hand on his shoulder, and Stitch did likewise.
"Would you like to come stay with us?"

627 didn't move, but he stopped sobbing. Lilo prayed that he would look up, that he would at least nod at the floor. He turned to her, looking up with black eyes tinted with a dry shade of pink. Please say yes, Lilo thought, the house can burn down, the ship can fall into the ocean, the planet can explode, just please let him say yes.

"You...You want me to stay with you?" 627 sniffed as if he were being told a wonderful lie.
"After everything I've…?" He turned to Stitch, who gave him a smile dampened with tears.

627 got to his feet, turned around, and pulled Lilo and Stitch close to him. He said nothing, but gave a long, deep sigh, as if a demon that had possessed him was abandoning his body. He pulled away and looked only as Stitch, holding both of his hands.

"I'm sorry I tried to drown you," He said, soft but clear enough for everyone to hear.

Stitch said nothing; he only kissed 627's nose as gently as he would kiss Lilo.

627 smiled and then went to Angel, and held her hands in the same manner.

"I'm sorry I broke your leg," He said.

Angel kissed his nose, then wiped a tear from his cheek with her antennae.

627 moved on, taking the hands and looking into the eyes of each former nemesis.

"I'm sorry I drained electricity from you,"

Sparky kissed his nose, and his antennae brushed behind his ears.

"I'm sorry I pulled on your trunk,"

Felix kissed his nose, and the end of his trunk stroked his forehead.

"I'm sorry I broke your arm,"

Elastico kissed his nose, then gave it a mellow nuzzle.

"I'm sorry I tore up your ear,"

Bonnie stood on her toes to kiss his nose.

"I'm sorry I electrocuted you,"

Clyde leaned down to kiss the top of 627's head.

"I'm sorry I hurt your family,"

Spooky's watery form caressed his cheek.

627 turned to Chopsuey, who kissed his nose without waiting for an apology.

The crimson Experiment looked down at Reuben, still cradled in Chopsuey's arms, and ran his claws over his friend's furry head. He felt Chopsuey's forehead touch his own. It was warm. It was wonderful.

627 spent only a few moments with Reuben and Chopsuey before turning to Nani, who knelt down to hug him as she would Lilo, who was only slightly taller.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, and she whispered back.

"I'm sorry, too,"

Lilo was the last stop on 627's repentant tour.

"Thank you," He said.

Lilo responded him with a tighter hug. She hoped it would convince him to say yes. For all she knew, everything he had just said to her ohana could have been a farewell.

627 left her, and Lilo nearly pulled him back. He was going to walk out the door with his head down, never to be seen again, just like his creator. 627 and Jacques shared a past; of course they would share a fate, as well.

627 did not walk away from her, but past her to his bed. He picked it up with a single hand, holding it as a waiter would hold a plate.

"There should be at least one pod we can use," He said.

Lilo was chilled with relief.

III

Nani felt the strangest version of guilt she thought there could be.

She couldn't let Lilo watch the cremation, no matter how badly her little sister wanted to. And yet, despite the putrid stench of the plasma-fueled flames, and the sight of one of their ohana shrinking into green dust, she thought that perhaps Lilo should be present.

A few had volunteered to stay inside with her; Stitch, Angel, Sparky, Bonnie, and Clyde.

627's presence was necessary for the plasma.

Chopsuey, Elastico, and Felix sat with them, and Spooky sat right beside Nani. His head rested on her shoulder; he did not feel like water, but soft and cozy like wool.

Spooky said nothing; Nani thought she might hear his deep voice in her head again, just like during the battle with L.E.R.O.Y., but he kept quiet.

She stroked his shapeless form, and he shifted his position on her shoulder. They looked up from Reuben, who was almost gone, and straight ahead at a surfboard sticking up from the dirt between the trees, illuminated by the green fire.

Lei and Akela Pelekai - The Best Anyone Could Ask For.

No matter how much better her life had become in the past few weeks, the mere thought of those words always filled Nani with despair. Despite their sincere intentions, they were perhaps the words Nani hated the most.

Now it was time to add to them.

IV

Lilo couldn't believe that Reuben could fit in such a small box.

As she lowered it into the knee-deep hole in front of her parents' surfboard, she felt eerily like she was holding a birthday present.

Happy fucking birthday.

Lilo banished her old friend's ugly voice from her mind. She didn't need her back.

Lilo, Stitch, and Angel got down to their knees and filled in the hole by hand.

"Queesta," Angel sighed as she shoveled. "Why wait until Reuben nice to kill him?"

Lilo wanted to answer her question, but couldn't think of anything to say. She thought that it might be better not to answer. Instead, when they were finished filling Reuben's grave, she took one of Angel's dirty hands. Lilo felt Stitch take her hand, too.

The three of them stood up and walked morosely backwards to join their ohana.

Lilo brushed soil out of Stitch and Angel's fur with her thumbs. They looked at the surfboard, accompanied only by a small can of black paint, and at its extended dedication.

Reuben Pelekai - Our New Friend.

Lilo looked left and saw Felix and Elastico holding hands just as she held Angel's and Stitch's. Tears ran along the chef's trunk and off the clown's bright red nose. Lilo could see their thoughts of a bakery changing. There would still be a bakery, but it would not be the same. Not even close.

Lilo looked right and saw Chopsuey, his hand joined with 627's. No matter how many times the marksman had been comforted that he had done all he could, he still didn't seem to believe it. Lilo knew he wouldn't believe it tonight, or tomorrow, perhaps not even next week, but she hoped he would. She knew he would eventually, but still felt the need to hope.

The Pelekais stood for Reuben. They were silent for Reuben. They shed tears for Reuben, but they did not cry. They wanted to, but they were too exhausted.

Spooky eventually broke the silence.

"As long as we're here, is there anyone else who we'd like to honor?"

His ohana knew that he had already thought of a few candidates, but they appreciated his suggestion.

"Can we…" Chopsuey began feebly, but never finished.

"It's alright, Chop," Lilo said. "Go on,"

"...Can we put 501 and 502?"

Lilo smiled at him. "Sure,"

She and the marksman stepped forward. Chopsuey picked up the cup of paint, and held the brush up to his disheartening canvas.

"Want name them," He said.

"That sounds like a great idea." Lilo traced the length of his mohawk; the snowy fur ducked under her hand and then stood tall again like wheat in a field.

"Not sure of name,"

"Well, what were they like?"

Chopsuey looked up at the board, giving a slight smile as if 501 and 502 were smiling back at him from the other side.

Lilo wondered how long it had been since he had last seen their faces.

"Very different," He began. "Water and fire. Big and small. Blue and red. But also same. Lonely. Sad…"

"Like yin and yang?" Nani suggested.

"Ih. Yin and yang…" Chopsuey only realized what Nani was implying after he had tasted the words himself.

He painted.

A minute later, he stood back, and his ohana admired and lamented his handiwork.

Yin and Yang - Stay Together.

"Isa perfect, Chop." Elastico stepped forward, Felix right beside him.
"Um, meega thought...Maybe put 89?"

Lilo saw her ohana's faces confused at first, but they soon thawed into approving smiles. Chopsuey and Spooky, however, smiled right away.

"Of course, Ellie." Chopsuey gave him the paint.

"Meega know good name," The clown said as he wrote.
"Think youga will like."

Shortly after, he revealed his work.

Skip - Sleep Well.

"Skip?" Bonnie asked.

"Thought it sound nice," Elastico answered.

"I think it's perfect," 627 said. "...Could I add a name, too?" He held a clawed hand out.

"Sure, Danny." The clown's arm stretched out and rested the can on 627's padded palm.

The crimson Experiment knelt down in front of the surfboard, then held the brush up to the thinner bottom half. He stayed there for some time without so much as tapping the board.

His audience expected that he might write Captain Gantu's name. They feared that he might list the names of the Terrances and their friends.

627 wrote.

When he was finished, the Pelekais saw his dedication, and were not only surprised, but also relieved.

Lukas Hamsterviel - Daddy Misses You.

Lilo took 627's left hand, and Chopsuey took his right.

"Speaking of names…" 627 began, looking ahead at the surfboard. "I suppose I'm Daniel Pelekai now. Right?"

"You wanna keep Daniel?" Lilo smiled at him.

"I like Daniel…" He smiled as well, but kept his eyes on the surfboard.
"Unless you think I should change it,"

"No. I like Daniel, too…"

After that, there was silence. Silence until what little orange left in the sky turned to violet. Silence for everyone riding the surfboard.

For Lukas.

For Skip.

For Yin.

For Yang.

For Reuben.

For Lei.

For Akela.

When the universe had been quiet for a while, and the first stars had appeared, Stitch spoke.

"Lilo…" He began as he walked to the bushes beside the surfboard.
"Would you like to open Reuben's present?" From behind the leaves, he pulled out a plain brown shoebox livened by two lengths of purple string.

Lilo looked to Angel, who only save her a somber smile that pleaded without even realizing it.

"Let's all open Reuben's present," Lilo said.

Everyone gathered around the shoebox.

Lilo let Bonnie and Clyde pull the string loose, and then lifted the lid herself.

For a moment, Lilo thought she saw Scrump. Then she saw herself and Stitch, their skin and fur fabric, their eyes buttons, and his stubbed hand sewn to hers.

Lilo reached for the conjoined dolls, her mind blank as she simply marveled at Reuben's craft. She lifted them out, and the dolls carried more passengers that had been packed underneath them.

Reuben had left them a chain of dolls.

Sparky and Nani held either end, holding it up like a ceremonial ribbon. From left to right, sewn together at the hands, they saw Sparky, Clyde, Bonnie, Spooky, Nani, Lilo, Stitch, Angel, Felix, Elastico, and Reuben. Spooky's doll looked more like a bean bag. Felix's trunk was a rolled tube of fabric. Both of Clyde's hands were fingerless. Angel and Sparky's antennae were floppy strips of fabric that enjoyed getting in their owners' button-eyes.

Lilo still found nothing to say, but she and her ohana had plenty of laughter.

She turned to Daniel, who didn't laugh, but he grinned with a trenchant mixture of adoration and grief.

"Don't worry, Danny," Lilo said between giggles. "We can add you to this, too, no problem,"

Lilo looked at the chain of dolls again, and at the painted surfboard behind it.

She found the energy to cry.

They found the energy to cry.

VI

Having his bed in Lilo's room was strange to Daniel.

As he lay in it, he would shut his eyes and Daddy drift away, then open them and look for the despondent grey metal of Jacques' base. Instead, he would find the cozy wood of the Pelekai house.

It was not a bad feeling. In fact, the discovery of the wood was wonderful each time.

Thank you so much. I needed this.

The bathroom is across the hall. Thank you, Lilo.

If you need anything, you can wake one of us. Thank you, Stitch.

Nani and Spooky are down the hall. Bonnie, Clyde, and Sparky are downstairs. Thank you, Angel.

Here's a glass of water. We have warm nights down here. Thank you, Felix.

There's lots of birthday cake left. You can have some tomorrow, if you want. Thank you, Ellie. There, there, my little Ellie.

If you like...I could teach you a little archery tomorrow. Thank you, Chopsuey.

Daniel felt the incomplete doll chain that his new family (Ohana. Must remember that word. What a wonderful word it is.) had placed beside him. He saw each member clearly through his claws, and had no difficulty putting a name to each face.

He loved seeing faces and names, rather than smears of color and the face of one of his family. Hamsterviel's family.

Whatever.

Daniel drifted away, and soon felt like he was floating in water, totally dry. For the first time in ages (first time ever, don't forget…) he looked forward to sleeping. He looked forward to dreaming of his new ohana and all the things they would do together.

He was ready.

IF IT EVER STARTS AGAIN, YOU CAN STAY WITH ME

"And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting…"

I SAID THAT WAS MY FAVORITE PART, BUT YOU JUST REMINDED ME WHY

"O-On the pallid b-bust of Pallas just above my chamber door…"

I JUST HOPE I CAN BE AT LEAST HALF AS TOUGH AS YOU WERE

"And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming…"

THIS IS EMMA'S NEW FRIEND DANIEL

"And The Lamplight O'er Him Streaming Throws His Shadow On The Floor…"

WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS THE KINDEST AND MOST HEROIC THING ANYONE HAS EVER DONE FOR ME OR MY DAD

Daniel felt a three-fingered hand grasp his own. Its grip was almost crushing, but it was exactly what Daniel wanted.

DADDY

His other five hands were all taken; it was only now that Daniel realized that his other four arms had wandered out of him.

Every hand, even the one that felt like rubber, was as tight as a vise. Daniel squeezed back. His hands were warm, but they were not scorching. Nowhere close. His eyes were also warm in the darkness.

He heard nothing but his own breathing.

"And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted…"

Ohana.