Chapter 22

The plan was ready. It was a simple one, but Sparky was ecstatic- he had made a plan. Trilby would not outdo him. Nosey would distract the guard- it was Spike today. While Sparky would quietly sneak in to free him. Then they would all leave together. They were in high spirits, considering the situation. Experiments being caught all over the island, Lilo and Stitch trapped on the evil mastermind's ship. Troubling news, Jumba and Pleakly were doing their best to save the experiments but they weren't equipped for it. At the moment roughly 30 experiments were safe in the camp. As they passed Jumba's tent they heard shouting. Nosey's eavesdropping skill meant he heard every word. They stood just outside listening to the noise. Peaking in they saw Jumba and Pleakly bent over Jumba's computer. The face of the grand councilwomen clear on the surface.

"What do you mean problems!"

"Well… er… Yes we seem to be experiencing some… Unexpected delays. Something is disabling our cruisers. We can't hit it, we can't regroup. It's up to you to save as many experiments as you."

"We are already! Hamsterviel is being taking most of them. He is using sonic blast of epic proportion to neutralise experiments. I am working on cure… He swivelled the screen toward a headset like piece." I've already started giving them out to experiments. They will do until I find permanent cure."

"Very good Jumba, I heard you caught one of Hamsterviel's minions."

"Actually, your grandness, he is not minion or spy as I thought before. He was designed to 'break families'. Sad power really, how can someone supposed to break families ever be in family. I have locked him up and guarded him. He is too dangerous to let loose and we can't risk Hamsterviel catching him. Truthfully though I feel sorry for the little experiment. He was only following programming."

"Yes… So… Sad." Sniffed Pleakly, he seemed to be crying wiping his eyes.

"Regardless, Jumba, We shall be there as soon as we fix this problem. Until then, try not to get caught."

"Well my one eyed friend we are in big trouble here."

"I miss Lilo and the little monster." He wiped his eye.

"I know is hard. My friend." Sparky and Nosey were thoughtful. The situation they were in seemed hopeless. A few experiments against a huge ship filled with big henchman. It was hopeless head on. What they needed was a plan and a good one. They needed Trilby.

"Man… I hope you know what you're doing. I still don't really trust the guy."

"I think that, just because he is programmed to break families he has lied about everything he ever said. In fact I think his betrayal is the real lie here."

"How could you know that."

"He came to me when I was in a bad place. It's time to repay the debt, whether he is my brother or not."

"If you say so."

They moved through the camp, people swarmed past them. They all seemed in unusually high spirits like it was some sort of festival or tradition. They don't know a single thing about what happened do they? Sparky thought. Sometimes they would pass experiments they would stop and greet, hug, encourage. They were afraid and needed every bit of encouragement. They passed familiar faces. Generally, they passed experiments who weren't very powerful. Yarp, Snooty, Spike Jumba couldn't catch the dangerous ones alone. In the sky, zap watched for danger intruders and such. Jumba had set up warning systems. Camera's even turrets- all hidden so that Humans didn't notice them. Sparky and Nosey gave encouragement and no end of hugs. Hugs were a strong force of good, in this family. Soon they reached Trilby's tent. They were alarmed to see no guard at the entrance, where was Spike? They entered and were shocked to see an empty cell. Spike was lying on the floor he was playing with a spike throwing it up and down.

"What the…"

"Where are they?" Sparky was troubled. "Didn't we see Spike walking past us earlier?"

"Trilby!" they said together.

About a half hour before Trilby had been in his cage wondering. He was so close to snapping. So close to the threshold between sanity and madness. He had to leave before he hurt this family… And Sparky… any more than he already had. He wanted to save Lilo and Stitch, right the wrong he had wrought- for Sparky. But he mustn't know, he had put him in too much danger, dealt to much damage. But how could he do it. The shuttles kept ferrying between the earth and the ship. That's our way in. But the sound, and Jumba's computer had the map he needed to infiltrate the ship. He would do it alone. He sat up, the spiky porcupine- like experiment yawned.

"Must be boring having to guard me," He looked at him suspiciously, his eyes not trusting the calm voice. "I know that look… The evil experiment, the ruination of families. You were there in the tent when everyone found out. Oh… I'm so ashamed, sometimes don't you wish you could go back in time and do it again." Spike was listening he sounded depressed, pathetic, almost apologetic. Could he really be as evil as they say? "I've hurt so many people, Lilo, Stitch… Sparky. Even you um…"

"Spike, they call me Spike," He was listening closely now, his voice was enticing.

"Yes I hurt you too Spike, it is my fault, I wish I could change what I did."

"But you don't work for Hamsterviel right?"

"No I never did, he was my creator though, I trusted him and he betrayed me." It sounded right, he didn't work for Hamsterviel, Spike knew it was true, he was there with Fibber. So what why did he do the things he did? Because he didn't know any better. Because Hamsterviel tricked him. He was evil, not him.

"My name is Trilby, I… I am sorry for what I've done." To Spike it was the most sincere apology he had ever heard.

"Um… Spike… What's it like to be in a family that cares for you?" The question burned in Spike's mind for a moment. He was responsible for his family's fall. Yet… It was Hamsterviel's fault… He didn't know any better. The distrust melted, Spike saw Trilby as misunderstood, afraid, and very sorry.

"Having someone care about you, I have lots of people who care about me, and I care about them. That is what a family is, caring about others. You can only get so far alone, my family is the most important thing. They gave me a purpose when I thought I had none. Well that's not true exactly, I was… Quite destructive before Lilo and Stitch found me and turned me good. It's like they say, 'Ohana means family, no one gets left behind or forgotten'." Trilby had meant to get him talking. It was important that Trilby knew how he talked and his mannerisms. But he felt he would push it.

"That family thing you said, did it apply to Sparky?"

"Oh… That… Well…" He struggled against the irony of what he had said. No one truly knew how Sparky had felt since Lilo and Stitch had that job. Were they really a good family. Really someone should have checked on Sparky, visited him. But they hadn't. He had lectured him on family and he didn't listen to his own words. They weren't a good family, were they? Trilby picked up on the realisation, he pushed harder.

"When I met Sparky he was very unhappy, was that my fault? Was it me who drove your family apart, really? Did I send him away, did I make him do what he did? I'm thinking, no." He was right Spike knew it. They had driven Sparky away, they had driven their family apart. It was his fault. Not Trilby's.

"We… I didn't…"

"Really? You had no idea, did no one notice anything off? Anything different?" The lighthouse had kept growing brighter and dimming. He passed it off as Sparky playing about. "There was something off about Sparky, wasn't there? Did you ever check? EVER?"

Spike listened with growing horror. He did it. It was him. He had just told him about families caring for one another, when after all it was his fault. He was responsible. He got the sudden urge to cry, shout and curl into a ball simultaneously. Trilby was right. He was wrong. It was his fault. Not Trilby's. Trilby witnessed the breakdown with inexplicable satisfaction- his purpose.

"We can fix it, Spike. We can right your wrong. You know we can- together- me and you. We can take down Hamsterviel. Sparky will be happy once more, your family, all back together and happy. We can do it." He lowered into an mock- unhappy whisper." All you have to do… Is open the cage. Then we can right this wrong."

Trilby was right. He could fix this, Spike opened the cage. Spike lent close. Trilby leapt toward him. They tumbled to the floor. Trilby felt one of his spines stab his fur. No pain but his ovals began to fill, dark blue. The fur rustled as it changed colour. Spike was scared at the morphing experiment on top of him. He sent spikes but they bounced right off him. No effect. No dopey effects transpired. Instead Trilby- now Spike. Gave Spike a spike of his own. His tongue rolled out and his eyes crossed. The effects of the Spike sending his brain down several levels. He would be fine.

"Sorry friend. It was for your own good I promise."