The Potters
In General Has A Shadow
Later, it was nighttime at the base. Everyone was then at the kitchen table. Well, except for Ronny. Who wasn't there. There, Lilo was busy getting dinner ready, Will was writing notes, Jamie was reading a magazine, and Jumba appears to be adjusting to be a ray gun.
"Hey Lilo, do you think my lips are too thin?" asked Jamie.
"Jamie, you don't need to change the way you look." Lilo answered.
"Excellent! The mind-control device is near in completion!" Jumba exclaimed, satisfied with his success. Lilo then took away the rifle he was working on.
"Jumba, I told you no weapons at the table." She said.
"You've impeded my work since the day I met you." Said Jumba infuriated.
"Ah come on. You can make weapons at the lab." Said Will.
"Of course, I do have the lab. Only when the Planters attack." Replied Jumba. "Now hand over the device." He said.
"You heard her Jumba, no weapons." Said Robert.
"Guys, I just don't know if I like the idea of Ronny going to a stag party at the VFW tonight." Lilo discussed.
"Relax, Lilo. It's just a bunch of humans sitting around." Stitch reassured Lilo.
"Lilo, can I turn the heat up?" asked Ellie. "It's kind of cold in here." She said.
"Oh, don't touch the thermostat, Ellie. Ronny gets upset." Said Lilo.
"Come on. This thing goes up to 90." Replied Ellie. She barely turned the dial when Ronny bursted into the room.
"Who touched the thermostat?" Ronny said.
"How does he always know?" questioned Connor.
"Brain implant, Connor. Every father's got one. Tells you when the children are messin' with the dial." Told Ronny.
"Whoa, pardon me." Stitch said whilst entering the room. "Hey, Ronny, it's 7:00 and you've still got your clothes on What's the occasion?"
"He's going to a stag party." Lilo answered with her arms crossed.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot you had plans." Said Stitch. "Say, when are you leaving for the party, Ronny." He said.
"In about fifteen minutes." Told Ronny before turning to Lilo as he tried to convince her about letting him go. "And Lilo, before you say anything, I work hard all week to provide for this family. I am the man of the house and as the man, I order you to give me permission to go to this party." He demanded.
"Look, at least promise me you won't do anything stupid." Said Lilo.
"Come on, you're worrying about nothing." Said Ronny. "And besides, nothings affects me." He said.
"Promise me, Ronny." Said Lilo in irritance.
"Lilo, honey, I promise." Said Ronny.
Meanwhile at the VFW. Everyone is having a great time. Then an old man wearing a white shirt, and gray shorts appeared and his name is Mike McFarlene.
"How are you doing Ronny?" asked Mike.
"Real good Mike." Exclaimed Ronny.
"Well you sure are having a great time with your guys." Said Mike.
Then morning arose and everyone is having breakfast.
"Well, you're setting a great example for the team, Ronny." Told Lilo.
"Yeah, a new family record." Said Evile.
"Now, guys, I promised Lilo that I won't do something stupid." Said Ronny.
"And you didn't do something stupid." Said Lilo.
"Look, honey, I did what you told me, and I didn't do something stupid." Ronny informed.
"Well I guess your right." Said Lilo.
"Apology accepted." Said Ronny. "Alright, I'm going to work." He said as he got up.
Ronny went to his workplace, the Watson toy factory. Ronny's boss, Mr. Watson was checking up on his worker' progress.
"How are you coming, Jason?" asked Mr. Watson.
"Well, Mr. Watson, I've been working on the new G.I. Joe line as you can see, the look great." replied Jason as he's holding a prototype of his toy, an army soldier. And Ronny is behind a conveyor belt that had different types of toys going by on it.
"Ronny. How is going?" asked Mr. Watson.
"Real good, Mr. Watson." said Ronny.
"Ronny, I like you. But I need you to be more than just eye candy around here. It's your job to watch for toys that could be hazardous to children. Now look sharp!." said Mr. Watson, and he left. And Ronny continued to do his work. But unbeknownst ton them Stingfly turned on the conveyor belt and placed Planter prototypes on it.
The next day, the news came on. A man wearing a black suit, and a woman wearing a blue anchor uniform, and their names are Bill and Miranda.
"When Toys Attack. Quite a situation we've got here, Bill." told Miranda.
"Quiet a situation we've got here indeed, Miranda." said Bill. "It seems that the Watson Toy, Co. of East Liverpool, Ohio has released several highly unsafe toy products into the retail market." he said. Then they showed footage of the Planter prototypes attacking the city.
Mr. Watson watched the news in his office, ashamed and outraged, turned off the t.v. and turned to Ronny.
"Ronny, I am appalled. You leave me no choice. You're fired!" said Mr. Watson.
"Aw, jeez. For how long?" Ronny asked.
That night back at the base, Ronny told the others the news of what happened.
"I don't believe it. You got fired?" said Pleakely.
"Now, don't worry, guys. I'm still gonna put food on this table. Just as much. So it might get competitive." Ronny informed.
"Okay, who's hungry?" said Lilo. Ronny has his hands to his head, trying to come up with a solution to the situation.
"Aw, jeez. How am I gonna break this to Lilo? If she finds out I got fired, she's gonna blame me!" said Ronny. "Look, I don't want Lilo to worry, all right? So I'm just gonna tell a little lie, okay? Now, not a word to Lilo about me getting canned." he said.
"What's that, Ronny?" asked Lilo.
"Uh-uh, nothing. Uh, oh, the lost-my-job smells great." Ronny nervously said out.
"What?" questioned Lilo.
"Uh-uh, Ani, honey can you pass the fired-for-negligence?" Ronny quickly changed the subject nervously.
"Ronny, are you feeling okay?" Lilo was concerned.
"Heh-heh, I feel great! I haven't got a job in the world." replied Ronny.
"All right, then let's eat." Lilo stated. Then Robert gave Ronny a huff.
The next day, Ronny walks back to the locker room with Will waiting for him.
"Hey, how's the job search going?" asked Will.
"It's terrible, Will. I've already been through two jobs this week." told Ronny.
"Ronny, I know it's a dangerous precedent, but why don't you just tell Lilo the truth." said Will.
"What? That I can't provide for my family? That she's always right?" told Ronny.
"Ronny, you can't keep lying to her about losing your job. Sooner or later, she's gonna find out where you're really going every day." said Will.
"Yeah, you're right. Okay, I'll tell her tonight." said Ronny.
That night, Lilo walks into the room with Ronny.
"Ronny, I'll need the checkbook in the morning. I'm going to the store for some sweet corn." said Lilo.
"Wha, you're spending money on food again?" asked Ronny, "Jeez, Lilo, we just had dinner." he said.
"Well, you know, I enjoyed it so much, I thought we'd eat again tomorrow." said Lilo. "Since when are you so concerned about our food budget?" she asked.
"Well, I just, uh..." Ronny stuttered and struggled, "Lilo, this is really hard for me to say, but, uh..."
"What is it, Ronny?" asked Lilo. Ronny is having a hard time trying to tell her what he needed to say. Unfortunately, however.
"You're putting on a few pounds." Ronny lied defeated.
"What?" Lilo said in a bit angered.
I-It's just... It's not healthy. Heheheh..." Ronny lied again.
"Ronny, I do my workout tapes three times a week. When was the last time you saw your toes?" Lilo reminded to Ronny.
"Gee... Man, I thought you people were supposed to be jolly." said Ronny.
"Ronny, what's the matter with you?" lilo concernly asked Ronny, "Ronny, if there's something wrong, you can tell me." Ronny let out a sigh.
"Lilo, I promise you, everything's fine. You got nothin' to worry about." said Ronny. Just as Lilo left, Stitch walks in and he, and Ronny sat at the table.
"Hey, how'd she take it?" asked Stitch.
"I told her that she put on a few pounds." replied Ronny.
"Stupid." said Stitch as he playfully tapped his head.
"Look, I hate lying to Lilo. It's just... Its the beast way to keep her from knowing the truth." exclaimed Ronny.
"Ronny, you don't have a choice. Your unemployment's gonna dry up soon and she'll probably sense something's amiss when they repossess your stuff, you really oughta think of your family's welfare." Stitch then followed.
"Jeez, Stitch! That's a great idea!" Ronny exclaimed in dignity.
The next day, Ronny was at the welfare offices in hopes of giving him money.
"Okay, do you have any disabilities, past injuries, physical anomalies?" the accountant asked Ronny.
"Uhhh... I did have a broken leg when I was ten." Ronny proclaimed.
Ronny excitedly returns back to the base with his new welfare check. The Potters, the guys, the Experiments, and the soldiers were there at the front door.
"Guys, our money problems are over. We're officially on welfare!" Ronny told everyone.
"Uh, how much are we getting?" asked Robert.
"Uh, let's see. 150 a week." Ronny proclaimed. Ellie takes a closer look at the check.
"Wait." said Ellie, "That's a comma, not a decimal." she said. Ronny lifts his thumb to show how much it really was; 150,000.
"Uh-oh..." Ronny replied.
Back in the base, Lilo was sitting in the kitchen talking on the phone.
"No, no, I haven't seen Ronny all afternoon." Lilo said on the phone. "I was giving a piano lesson." she said. Suddenly, toy suctions hit the side of her chair Lilo was sitting on, exactly a few feet away from her. She then notices Ani behind where she was looking at.
"Ani, why don't you play in the other room?" Lilo told Ani.
Somewhere else in the field, Ronny genually acknowledging how much money the government gave him, whilst Robert lying down on the ground.
"Boy! Who would've thought going to a stag party would get me 150,000 a week from the government?" Ronny excitedly said.
"This is why I don't vote." Robert scoffed.
"Heh. Hey, maybe somebody down there was thinking the same thing too, huh?" Ronny assumed.
"Ronny, you might want to call the Welfare Commission." Robert told Ronny, "That check is obviously an oversight." he said.
"Well, maybe not necessarily." Ronny suggested, "Maybe I'm like their one millionth customer." he said.
"What, you're gonna spend a 150,000 a week?" Robert questioned Ronny.
"Um, yeah." Ronny said a bit nervous.
"On what?" asked Robert.
Back at the base, Ronny was just showing everyone his first purchase with the welfare money.
"Ronny, you bought new equipment for the Potters." exclaimed Lilo in surprise.
"That's right so the Potters can have better training." said Ronny.
"Ronny, how can we afford this?" Lilo questioned Ronny.
"You're not gonna believe it, Lilo! Ronny's getting a-" Finder said, almost blowing Ronny's plan.
"A-a big raise!" Ronny quickly said before Finder finished.
"Ronny, that's wonderful!" Lilo exclaimed in excitement.
"But, Ronny, I thought-" Evil almost blew it again.
"Th-the kind of raise that'll allow me to give my friends a big allowance just to keep their mouths shut." Ronny interrupted again, this time bribing Evile, "Come on, you guys. I'll buy us the most expensive meal we've ever had.
The next day a mail woman came along while Lilo was busying gardening.
"When did you live in this place?" she asked.
"Oh, we've been relocated." Lilo chuckled. "I know it's silly, but Mr. Robert thinks the family needs extra protection now that we're, hehehe... Well, we're rich." she said.
"Does it work?" she asked.
"Well it does keep our enemies at bay." said Lilo.
"Well, congratulations on all your success." she said. then she handed the welfare check to her. "Here's your welfare check." she said.
"What in the world?" she asked. Then a horn suddenly went off. She then gives an angry glare to the right. the Potters were driving their vehicles while Ronny was watching them.
"Hiya, honey." Ronny saluted to Lilo, who only gave him the "look."
"What?" asked Ronny.
In the base, Ronny was talking to Lilo, who wasn't looking at him with her arms crossed. And Robert was there with them.
"Lilo, I know what I did was wrong, but I only did it for you and Ani." told Ronny.
"Yeah, from the American taxpayers." Lilo fumed. "I am so mad I can't see straight." she said.
"You know, I feel like I don't know you anymore, Ronny." said Lilo, "The man I married would never think he could fix a problem just by spending money!" she said. Afterwards, Lilo then stormed off.
"Oh, boy! She's pretty ticked, huh?" asked Ronny.
"Yeah, who'd thought welfare fraud would be one of her buttons?" Robert sarcastically questioned.
"What's the point of having money if your wife's mad at ya." said Ronny.
"Ronny, you may have to return that money to the taxpayers." Robert reminded.
"Yeah, but I gotta make sure Lilo knows I'm doing it." said Ronny. "I need an event with thousands of people. Something that everybody cares about." he said. Ronny was brainstorming for a few seconds and came up with a solution.
"We might need the Potters for this one." Ronny stated.
It then shows the Friday night game.
"Well. There goes the end of the second half, but we'll be back after this special band." said Dan.
"Yeah, and boy they sure do love to play their instruments." said Chris. Just then Ronny and the Potters came with a sign reading "FORGIVE ME LILO"
"Amazing, you can drive a car and yet you told us to?" asked Dillon.
"America's great isn't it?" replied Ronny. Ronny then pulled out play launchers containing the rest of the welfare money. "Oh, boy, I hope Lilo is watchin'." he said, then they started to launch the money.
"Okay, taxpayers, here you go!" said Ronny. The dollar bills began to float swiftly to the benches, quickly grabbing everyone's attention.
"Looks like the fans are getting some gifts from the Potters, Dan." said Chris.
"Yeah." Dan replied, but soon realized, "Hey, wait a second! These are no ordinary gifts! These are some kind of money gifts!" he said.
"I'm being told it's a man, and the Potters throwing cash out of toy launchers." Chris informed.
The launchers were now empty.
"Oh, man, I hope this works." Ronny worriedly said, "Otherwise, I'm gonna have to start launching these." he held up a play cannon the checks in it.
Meanwhile the crowd began storming the benches for the money. Each person hoping to grab enough they can carry. They were even starting to fight over it.
"The crowd is storming the benches!" exclaimed Dan. "This is pandemonium!" he said.
"Have you ever seen anything like this, Chris?" asked Dan.
"A few times on the news, Dan" replied Chris. "I say this is the old 'making amends welfare funds' play." he said.
"I don't care what it is!" shouted Dan. "That guy's ruining a perfectly goof game of football!" he shouted. Then the sirens were heard, but this does not come from the ambulance.
The gang are then put in prison for the incident. Back in their cell, Dillon was sitting on the lower bunk reading.
"Uh, how was your shower?" asked Dillon.
"Uh, I tell you, Dillon, the showers were slippery with soap on the ground." Ronny confessed. "Oh, boy, I really let Lilo down this time." he said down-spirited.
"You think she'll wait for me?" asked Ronny.
"Oh, come on. If every woman dumped her husband just for giving away welfare money to the crowd, no one would be married." told Dillon.
"Yeah, you're right." Ronny agreed as he got on the top bunk.
Back at the base, the others are sitting at the kitchen table.
"My lips are getting a little dry." said Jamie.
"Well, Jamie, dried up lips are just nature's way of telling you you shouldn't have covered for Ronny's lie." said Lilo.
"What does it mean when your armpits sweat?" asked Pleakely.
"Oh, it means you're becoming a man." Lilo answered. "But, hopefully, not the kind who stays out all day and doesn't call. Like my husband who shall remain nameless." she said.
"Lilo." Jumba appeared.
"Hey, Jumba." said Lilo.
"I offer you to give my device back." said Jumba.
"Okay, here you go, Jumba." said Lilo as she gave the device back to him.
The phone began to ring and Lilo picked it up.
"Hello?" Lilo answered. "Oh, no!" she said in shock.
The others arrives at the courthouse where Ronny is being put on trial for his welfare fraud, They sat down behind Ronny and the Potters.
"Lilo." said Ronny. "Aw, man, am I glad to see you." he said.
"Lilo was still mad at him. "I have nothing to say to you, Ronny."
"Wha-I gave the money back. Why are you still steamed?" asked Ronny.
"Ronny, you lied to me, you betrayed my trust." Lilo informed her husband, "Compare to that, welfare fraud doesn't even matter." he said.
"Really?" Ronny questioned, "Aw, let's hope the judge feels that way." he said.
Lilo just scoffs at Ronny's remark.
"This court will now come to order." the African American judge announced as he banged his gabble.
"Well, you know, I figured sooner i cashed the check, the sooner they'd, uh, cash their mistake." Ronny explained to the court, "Look, why are we making a federal case out of this?" he asked.
"Mr. Pelekai." asked the judge. "Don't you think you should have warned the government of such a gross over payment?" he asked.
"Well, uh, I-I was gonna call them. But, uh... My-my friends needed help." Ronny answered. "You know, putting up defenses." he said.
"And everybody learns a valuable lesson." Ronny ended.
"Mr. Pelekai, have you learned a lesson?" the judge questioned Ronny.
"Aw, yeah. Be careful around burglars." Ronny said to the judge, who gave him an unapproved look instead.
Ronny realized that it was finally time to come clean.
"Look, uh, everybody, I feel really bad about what I did. I-I just..." Ronny admitted, "I don't know. I just saw the one chance I'd have to give my family the things they deserve." he said.
"I guessed I screwed it all up. I cheated the government. And worst of all, I lied to my wife." Ronny continued in guilt, "And she deserves better. I'm sorry, honey." he said.
Everyone in the room was touched by Ronny's confession, even the judge.
"Mr. Pelekai, I think your words have touched us all..." the judge said softly to Ronny. "I find you not guilty." he said and then he banged his gabble.
"Aw, wow!" Ronny exclaimed in excitement. "Can you give me me job back?" he asked.
"No." the judge coldly replied.
"Excuse me. Y-your honor." Lilo said to the judge.
"Yes?" the judge replied.
"Look, my husband maybe a bit thoughtless at times." Lilo explained to the judge. "He may even be downright, well silly. But I know he only accepted that money because he wanted to be a good husband and father. But what he needs to remember is that we love him, and no matter what I'll always stand by him. she said.
"Aw I love you too honey." said Ronny.
And the judge took pity on her.
"That was very moving Mrs. Pelekai. Alright he can have his job back." said the judge.
"All right!" Ronny said satisfied.
The next day, everything was to the way it was before. The Potters are relaxing with no trouble at all.
"Heh. What a day." Dillon remarked.
"Oh, it's good to have you home guys." said Lilo.
"Ah, honey, I knew everything would turn out okay." Ronny said to Lilo,
"I sure am gonna miss being rich." Charles said glumly.
"Aw, don't worry." Ronny consoled. "I got a way to get money." he said.
"Not another welfare scam." Will said as he hoped Ronny wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
"No, no, no." Ronny claimed. "Doing hard work." he said.