Mahina walked up to Jumba's door. A green light shined from beneath the door.

Jumba sat in the quiet, dark bedroom he shared with Pleakley. He clearly expected to be waiting a while longer for Mahina to show up.

At the door, Mahina paused. She wanted to go in. She wasn't used to having the attention of a parent. Usually, in the handful of worlds Mahina visited before here, any parents kept their distance. Even her birth parents kept her at arm's length. If she expressed a feeling, they told her to lock it back up inside. 'Children should be seen and not heard' type of parentings. She could live without parental attention. From Pops...that's a whole other story.

She liked hanging around him. She liked that he had no idea how fragile humans really were, especially the kids. He never said if a thing was too dangerous for her- for others, yes, but those rare cases involved the decaying cells of their ohana.

Sometimes it bothered her. Parents ignoring her just seemed like part of the norm. Parents ignoring, dismissing, and belittling her was just more of the same. When Jumba first adopted her, Mahina expected more of that. Instead he doted on her. All of the little weird things she did, he encouraged her. He joined in.

She stared at the movies in her hand. The horrifically twisted faces, the spooky titles, the 'R' rating. None of it should be shown to a child her age.

But only Mahina knew the truth. She's not seven, she's twenty-seven. These movies were her bread and butter. She needed them, along with all the kids cartoons and movies she could see. She wanted it both ways.

Jumba was the first dad to ever give that to her. Maybe she never acknowledged it before, or thought about her feelings too closely, but they were there. Having a dad be that kind, that understanding, shook something deep inside.

If she ever admitted it, to her diary or her therapist or even in the privacy of her own head, she would say only one thing.

She wanted a dad like that. She'd always wanted a dad like that.

That meant Mahina would give him a few extra minutes to work on his experiments. He wanted it, after all.

Stitch found her that way. Leaning against Jumba's door, holding three dvds in her hands.

"Hi." Mahina whispered. She gave Stitch a little wave of her fingers.

Stitch waved his claw. He looked up at the door. "Jumba?"

"He's working." Mahina said.

Stitch pointed at the door. "We go in?"

Mahina tilted her head. "It- we could ask?"

Stitch came up to her side. Mahina pushed herself up, keeping the movies from falling. "Jumba!"

"...Insert tab 'A' into chromosome 'B...'" Jumba mumbled.

Mahina knocked too. "Pops?"

"Spies!" Jumba yelped.

Stitch pushed the door open. Jumba quickly covered the green glowing device with a plain brown tarp.

"Oh, Mahina, 626. What do you want?" Jumba asked. "I'm busy doing genius work here."

"We're supposed to watch these movies with me." Mahina reminded him.

"Ah yes!" Jumba laughed, nervously. He stood up, trying to block sight of the device from Mahina and Stitch. "And what did you want, 626?"

"Kanja-ooga." Stitch said.

Mahina perked up. "Oh! Oh I know that one!"

Jumba raised an eyebrow. Well no, his didn't really have eyebrows. The vague area where an eyebrow would be raised. "Do you?"

"Yeah! It's- it's cousins, right?" Mahina beamed, knowing she was right from her studying of the language and of the movie. "No...cousins? Stitch has no cousins."

"Well, of course not." Jumba denied. He sat down in his work chair. "We are each one of a kind, the three of us- evil genius scientist and evil genius creation and future evil genius- all alone in infinite universe. Sure, we have maybe found tiny adopted Earth family but we have no, as you say, cousins."

The information bummed Stitch out. His ears flopped down behind his head.

Mahina perked up. Her dad thought she could be an evil scientist someday? She'd seen real evil. These movies and Jumba's actions could never compare. If she could be a scientist like Jumba someday, she'd be proud of herself. That's a worthy goal.

The ground began to shake. Mahina stumbled back, gripping to the door frame to keep from falling over.

"What is this?" Jumba asked.

Pleakley's voice floated up from down the hall. "I'll get it!"

Mahina settled herself on her feet. She heard Pleakley's following shriek:

"Gantu!"

Lilo rushed down the hallway at them. "He's come back for Stitch!" Stitch shifted into his alien form, as Lilo took his upper most arm. "Hurry. We can sneak out the back." She dragged the blue alien away.

Mahina nearly went after them. Instead, she turned to Jumba. The scientist went back into his room. She joined him. "Pops, what are you doing?"

"I got to take care of thing." Jumba replied. He lifted up the containment unit, still under the brown tarp.

"That thing?" Mahina asked.

Jumba looked at her, then at the containment unit, then back at her. "What thing?"

Mahina stared at him, for a long moment. "Stitch and I do have cousins, don't we?"

Jumba's four eyes stared at Mahina. There was a droop to him now too.

Pleakley rushed into the room. They nearly stumbled over Mahina. "Jumba! What's that?"

Lilo shrieked. Mahina tried to chase after them. Jumba grabbed her, spinning her around.

He pushed the containment unit at her. Mahina barely managed to hold them and the movies. "Pleakley, go help Earth girl and 626!"

"But Jumba-"

"Go fast!" Jumba ordered.

Pleakley did chase.

Mahina held the containment unit. She stared at it, feeling the smooth metal beneath the tarp. "Pops-"

"You must take this and hide." Jumba ordered.

Mahina shook her head. "Why is Gantu here?"

"Hide!"

"Does he want these?"

"Hide!"

"How many do you have?"

"Hide!"

"How many does he want?"

During this fight, one pop popped out. Mahina stopped. She watched the little ball roll off.

Reuben.

Mahina looked at Jumba.

Jumba scooped her up in his arms. She squeaked. Jumba brought her over to a nearby foot locker. Carefully, delicately, like she was precious, he lowered her inside. The many objects inside pressed against her back and elbows. She ignored them, holding tight to the orb.

"Not to make a peep, future evil genius, or entire galaxy is doomed." Jumba warned.

Mahina gulped. She checked the unit again, staring at it.

Jumba closed the lid.

Mahina was locked in darkness. She couldn't look away from the unit. Cousins. Her own cousins. She hadn't had cousins in such a long time. Did she even remember what to do with cousins?

She heard the sounds of snapping wood. That's the roof being pulled away. She held tighter to the cousins. They'd have no memory of it, but she'd keep them safe. Her dad warned her about what would happen.

What if Gantu got them now? All of these experiments that could be used for good, instead turned to take over the galaxy? It would happen under her watch.

"Jumba Jookiba." Gantu said.

"Gantu. Not see long time." Jumba replied.

"Where are they?"

"They? Who they?"

"The other 625 experiments."

Mahina winced. No. 624- the other one fell out. 625. Reuben.

"Ha ha ha! You must have me confused with other evil genius scientist." Jumba told him.

"What have we here?"

"Uh, is ping-pong ball. Is Earth sport. Like tennis, but tinier."

"You're a bad liar, Jumba. Where are the other experiment pods?" Gantu snapped.

The weight on the foot locker lifted. The leather squeaked with it. Mahina but back a growl. Gantu had picked her dad up, lifted him high out of their home.

"I never discuss scientific research with big dummies." Jumba replied.

"Then perhaps you'll discuss it with your former partner, Dr. Hämsterviel." Gantu warned.

"Hämsterviel is alive?"

"And he wants his experiments back." Gantu's heavy footsteps faded away.

Mahina wanted to chase him. To hurt him. He threatened her dad, and her 625 cousins and Stitch. He just abducted her dad, and Reuben. She'd be upset about that for a very long time.

But she held onto the experiments. They needed to be kept safe. It's what Pops wanted.

The footsteps faded. Mahina strained to hear the sounds of doors slamming shut.

The foot locker got locked when Jumba closed it. Mahina plucked up a sharp object from inside the foot locker, forcing the foot locker open. She'd fix it later.

In the moonlight, she let the brown tarp fall. The beautiful, compact device still sat in her hands.

Mahina pressed the touchpad.

"Container ready. Select experiment." Came the automatic reply.

"...001?" Mahina asked. "Report."

"Experiment 001. Primary function: Shrinking-"

==M!TF==

"Experiment 427. Report." Mahina asked.

"Experiment 427. Primary function: perfect accuracy."

"Experiment 428. Report."

"Experiment 428. Primary function: echolocation."

"Experiment 429. Repo-"

The door swung open. Mahina turned to it, seeing Stitch.

"Hi again." Mahina waved her fingers at the blue alien.

Stitch stared at the containment unit. Right now, it showed only the dehydrated experiments all floating in a double helix pattern.

The most beautiful thing Mahina ever saw, really.

"Stitch! Where are you!" Lilo called out.

"In here!" Mahina called back. "Stitch, come look!"

Stitch did. He stood beside Mahina, staring at the many experiment pods.

"Wow!" Lilo gasped, rushing in.

Pleakley came in last, panting. "Slow...down...whoa you earthlings are incredibly...fast..."

"What is it?" Lilo asked.

"It's cousins!" Mahina cheered. "For me and Stitch, it's cousins!"

Stitch gasped. "Ooooo! Cousins?"

"Yeah!"

"It's more illegal genetic experiments!" Pleakley yelped.

"You mean there are more besides Stitch?" Lilo asked them both.

"Well, Stitch is number 626. These must be the other six hundred and twenty five!" Pleakley reasoned.

Mahina winced. "624. The big dummy took one."

"He did?!" Pleakley yelped. Mahina nodded. "Oh no! Which one?"

Mahina thought about telling him. Then, well, she knew about this experiment. Jumba was under bigger threat from Hämsterviel's anger. Reuben couldn't hurt a fly- not even if they were on his sandwich. He'd probably just make a new sandwich. So for Pleakley, she shrugged.

"They don't look like him." Lilo went to the desk to look at the experiments.

"They've obviously been dehydrated for transport." Pleakley went over to it. Lilo and Stitch stepped aside.

Mahina stayed.

"How do they work?" Lilo asked.

Pleakley tried to push the buttons. Mahina did instead. The containment unit began to close.

"Well, I'm no evil genius but I'd say if any of these pods get wet, they would instantly rehydrate into one of the six hundred and twenty-five prototype Stitch experiments each with its own unique and highly destructive capability!" Pleakley said. The containment unit closed on their finger. They yanked it out. "But I'm just guessing."

"Where's Pops?" Mahina asked. The others winced. "You chased after him and Gantu, right? I heard the whole thing. Where is he?"

"Gantu got away." Lilo said.

Her hands bunched up. She wanted to scream, or hit, or throw something. A sharp, hot rage went off inside of her like a gun from a bullet. Mahina remembered her training. Seen, not heard. If you make a peep, the universe is doomed. Keep it in, MJ, keep it in.

She smiled politely and calmly at Lilo. "Ah. Okay. We'll get him back. We can use-"

"The other Stitches!" Lilo decided. "We could activate one and go back into space-"

"Hold it! Hold everything!" Pleakley lifted the containment unit up.

Mahina wanted to scream about that too. Without Jumba, that was what Jumba ordered her to watch. If they got out, the universe was doomed. If that happened, it would be her fault. What kind of scientist lets things fall apart like that?

Instead she remembered her training. It meant everything- more than anything else she'd ever been told. No matter how much she loved her parents, she couldn't have an emotion or show a feeling. People took badly to Mahina's feelings.

It made sense. If Mahina showed panic, everybody would start treating her really gently. Mahina hated gently. She wanted to get her dad back. Her dad would let her help- she knew that. He trusted her to watch the experiments, and to make sure they never end up with Hämsterviel.

She'd make him proud. If anyone got in her way- well, Jumba did say a future evil scientist.

"These experiments are highly unstable and very dangerous." Pleakley tucked the containment unit back inside the foot locker. "We're gonna keep these locked up." They brought out chains and alien locks, wrapping the foot locker up. "Safe and dry. And as for you three, you must never- repeat, never- open that container. If those pods were to get wet, it could create mass mayhem and planet-wide panic! Got it?"

"Got it." Lilo nodded.

"Sure." Mahina nodded, knowing she was lying.

Stitch grinned. "Smish!"

==M!TF==

The pizza did arrive, while Mahina was learning about the experiments. She could smell it. They'd ordered a lot. It was meant to feed two kids, two small aliens, and a big alien. Usually that required a lot of pizza.

She wanted to have that pizza with him, pizza and horror movies. That wouldn't happen for a few days. Jumba's a kidnapped victim for the next 48 hours. Universal laws of physics kept her from her dad. If she could've protected the experiments from Gantu while also kicking his big stupid butt, he'd already be on the way to an alien hospital.

Nani rushed over to them. She went to her sister first. "Lilo! Thank goodness you're okay." She wrapped Lilo up in a tight hug.

"Uhh! Stop it! You're hugging me to death!" Lilo complained.

Nani ended the hug. She still held Lilo's shoulders. "Where were you? What happened?"

"Captain Gantu came back and kidnapped Jumba and locked Mahina in a foot locker so me and Stitch hot-wired the spaceship and we chased 'em into outer space which was really cool, but then-" Lilo explained quickly.

"Wait, wait, wait. While David and I went to dinner, you went to outer space?" Nani asked.

"I'm not finished." Lilo crossed her arms, annoyed.

Nani held up her hands, not apologetic but trying to appease Lilo. "Sorry."

Lilo nodded. "So, Gantu got away, and we ran out of power. And then Stitch saved the ship and then we came home and then you came home and tried to hug me to death." Lilo bowed her head. "Now I'm finished."

Nani looked over their heads at Pleakley. "I thought you said I had nothing to worry about."

"They were really fast." Pleakley excused.

"And why are you wearing my favorite T-shirt? It's not even your color." Nani noted.

"What's gonna happen about Pops?" Mahina asked.

"What am I, an astronaut?" Nani replied. "He was abducted by aliens, Mahina."

"I know. They took him right in front of me. He locked me in the foot locker so they wouldn't get me too. You're just gonna let them take my dad?" Mahina asked Nani.

The older woman's eyes widened, her eyebrows raised. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to come up with something to say that wouldn't upset Mahina. Mahina knew she played the perfect card. "Okay."

"We won't just forget about him." Lilo added. She hugged Mahina's side. "He's part of our ohana."

Mahina let it happen for a total of three seconds. She stepped out of the hug, stepping towards the kitchen. "Y-yeah. Good. Okay. I'm gonna have some pizza."

"But-" Lilo tried to reach out. Nani stopped her. "What?"

"Give her some space." Nani assured.

Mahina wanted to tune them all out. As previously explained, Mahina rarely ever got what she wanted even on a day that was meant to celebrate her.

==M!TF==

AN: Mahina has what I call the beginning stages of Morgan's late stage trauma. Like she's got abandoned issues like nobody's business. It's gonna be a fun ride to see Mahina handle Hämsterviel without attacking him.

Thanks to artemisrocks124 for favoriting

Thanks to Mata-NuiXIII and artemisrocks124 for following