Normal P.O.V

Lilo put her hand against the glass again, once Stitch and Jumba had left. True, she was terrified at that very moment, however she didn't want this experiment of Jumba's to die. She'd lost Pudge. Maybe this was her chance to save somebody else.

Her young mind was unable to rationalise the situation as well as Jumba or Stitch did; while she was aware of the danger she was placing herself into, she didn't care about herself at that moment. They looked at him and saw a monster, but she saw another being like her friend. She cared about this experiment's safety. But above all, she just wanted to know why he was like this. What had been the turning point that had made him so angry at the world, wanting to hurt Jumba and Stitch?

"BOO!" the creature suddenly screamed in her face, and she jumped in fright. He fell over laughing. "You're such a pathetic little meat-sack. Look at you. I could easily tear you in half with just one finger."

Lilo remained strong and vigilant. She didn't want him to see he was putting her off.

"Perhaps you could," the child told him. "But you know Stitch wouldn't allow that to happen."

"What is... 'Stitch'?" he asked, tracing a claw against the glass, imagining it was her disembodied head he was scratching into. "Why do you keep referring to 626 like that?"

"He's my best friend," Lilo responded. "I named him that."

"Named?" 621 asked her.

"Well... your name is Chopsuey, isn't it?"

He spat in response to that, Lilo instinctively jerking back from the acidic saliva aimed for her face though the glass protected her. "It's Jumba's stupid nickname. I've always hated it."

"Why?"

"Because he just made it up on the spot. It never had any real significance."

"But what if it did? Maybe to you it might not mean much, but maybe to him it meant something special."

621 stared at her. "Are you actually serious, meat-sack?"

Lilo nodded. "Others always thought Stitch was a dumb name. They thought it was a made up name and tried to tell me it wasn't real. But I didn't care. I chose the name because I liked it. It didn't matter what my sister thought. Or anybody else."

She noticed him tilt his head.

"It was a special name to me and that was all that mattered. Did you ever ask Jumba why he called you that?"

"Naga."

Lilo nodded.

"Um..."

He glared at her, but sat down cross-legged. "What now, weakling?"

Lilo went over to the side he was facing and he scowled at her through the glass as she sat down, also cross-legged, facing him.

"You look really strong and scary."

He seemed unsure of how to respond to that and it took him by surprise. Eventually, he grinned.

"I'm far scarier than 626. I mean... look how you react to me."

Lilo was about to ask what he meant by that when he lunged for her again, giving out a ferocious roar. She screamed slightly and backed up, heart pounding. He just laughed again.

"Perhaps all I need to do to kill you is keep scaring you like that," he grinned. "And just imagine... Jumba thinks something like you is better than me."

"Well..." Lilo wiped at her forehead. "Maybe he does that because I'm not the one competing for his approval all the time."

The experiment paused at that, staring at her. He snarled. "What do you mean?"

Lilo shrugged. "He accepts me for who I am. I don't have to be the smartest, or the strongest... or even the scariest, like you. He likes me for who I am."

Chopsuey stared at her for a long while before glaring and crossing his arms. "Easy for you to say that when you've only ever seen the good side of him."

Lilo was curious now, but she was glad she'd finally pushed him on track of what she'd wanted to discuss without just blatantly making it obvious.

"Good side?" she repeated.

He nodded. "Jumba isn't good like you think he is."

Lilo put both hands against the glass. "Why is that?"

The experiment stared at her again. "What makes you think I want to tell you?"

"Because right now I'm the only reason you haven't been de-molkelued yet."

He snorted. "De-moleculed, foolish brat. Goes to show how little you know with that inferior brain of yours."

"I'm smart enough to know it means that you'll be killed and I can tell you don't want that, do you?"

He stared at her at that, but Lilo could see the slight falter. "Jumba wouldn't care if I was dead anyway. He never cared for me to begin with."

"But you don't want to die, do you?"

"..."

He turned away from her but Lilo moved around to face him again.

"How do you know he never cared?"

"Because when 626 was created, that was all that mattered to him," Chopsuey finally spoke after a few moments of silence. "He stopped noticing me, even after everything I had done for him. I tried and tried to get his attention, but it was 'my 626 this!' and 'my 626 that'! Never meega. I was never thanked, not once. He didn't even notice when I left. Too busy with that blasted 'son' of his..."

Lilo stared at him sadly. "Did you ever tell him the way you felt?"

"Oh I tried," 621 sneered. "Multiple times. All he cared about was those minions at his work and getting revenge on them. I even offered to help him, but once he started obsessing over his work on 626 I became irrelevant. He deemed me too 'weak' to carry out his task. So you know what I did meat-sack? I tried to prove myself to him. Everyday. I exceeded his expectations, even with genetic mutation, but whenever I accomplished something big he'd praise me for maybe a second before talking about 626 again. Even when I was the one to break into her computer and inform him of her plans."

"Her?" Lilo asked.

"Gamada... Zenda... whatever her name was."

"Who was that?"

"His ex-wife! Duh!"

"He's never said her name to us before..."

"Gee, why does that not surprise me? I suppose he's never told you the real reason he created 626 either, has he?"

"Real... reason?" Lilo repeated slowly.

Chopsuey pushed his paws right up against her hands on the glass.

"Yes, fleshling. REAL reason."

Lilo quivered slightly. "What... what is that?"

Chopsuey laughed. "Probably because it would be too much for your young inferior mind to handle. I mean... I can't imagine you would even want to be near 626 anymore if you knew what he really is."

Lilo stood up at that. "What do you mean?!"

"That's all you're getting out of me about that brat. I'll let him suffer the guilt of keeping you in the dark because it amuses me... but if you want to know why I hate 626 so much? Well... it's because he ruined my life. I was special to Jumba before he came along. I actually mattered. But then Jumba started to neglect me. He left me behind because I didn't matter to him anymore. I was just a pawn in his little revenge game. He discarded me like used kachaka. So... I told on him. I ratted him out to the police. Funny enough he decided to notice me when that happened! Only when I tried to kill him for what he put me through and when I hurt his precious 'son'!"

Lilo stared in shock. "Neglected you?"

"Yes!" the experiment screeched at her. "That's what he does! Creates us as objects, not living creatures! When he's done with us he discards us! He did it to ALL of us. Even those 700 series mutant things. 626 was the only exception, because Jumba gave him his DNA!"

Lilo looked mortified. There was even more experiments?

"W-what?! What are you saying?"

He growled, pushing his face right up to hers against the glass. "What I'm SAYING is that Jumba only cares about HIMSELF. He's evil. And he's hiding that from you," Chopsuey sneered, ears now flattened back against his head. "And now just like I was, you're nothing but a pawn in his game of deception and lies. You really think you know him, child? You really truly think that he cares about you?"

Lilo's lip started to quiver.

"And as for 626?" he chuckled. "He's evil too. He's just hiding it from you."

"NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Lilo cried. "I know Stitch! And I KNOW my Uncle Jumba! They are NOTHING like what you are saying!"

"Uncle Jumba?" Chopsuey tilted his head. "He's got you calling him that?"

Lilo nodded. "He loves me. And Stitch loves me... I KNOW he does. You don't know them the way I do! You haven't seen the remorse Jumba has felt for what he's done. It's destroyed him and I've seen it!"

"Jumba Jookiba? Remorseful?!"

"Yes, Chopsuey!" Lilo cried. "People change! Maybe they did terrible things in the past, but they are better now. You just need to allow them to prove it!"

621 scoffed. "Jumba proved long ago he didn't need me when he neglected me. Imagine one day he stopped treating you the way he does so now, child. You did nothing to him, but he just suddenly ignores you like you no longer exist. You no longer matter. And when he does notice you, he brushes you off to talk about something else. You would be hurt, yes?"

Lilo nodded sadly.

"You're nothing to me child. But I knew that 626 would suffer greatly if I harmed you, so that was why I did it. I've just had to accept that I will never be anything in Jumba's eyes compared to that blasted creature. So in that case, I would rather just die. He should never have created me and I never asked to be created by him. I never wanted to have to prove myself to my own creator and I should never have had to do so in the first place. He could have been proud of me for being me, but no! All he cared for was 626! It drove me insane and all this time I just wanted revenge... I wanted for him to feel the way I did when he neglected me. But... that will never happen. Because 626 will always be there to stop me. He will always be Jumba's pride and joy and you, meat-sack–! You will only see what you want to see with him!"

Chopsuey turned away from her and sat back against the glass.

"And rather than live knowing I was used by that selfish bastard and that even after all this time he deems me as nothing but 'too far gone,' because he refuses to listen to how much of abuser he was, I would rather just end it all. That's why I haven't tried to break out of here. I can, because Jumba missed an obvious Achilles heel and thinks I'm stupid compared to 626, but at this stage there is no point. Even if I did, 626 would stop me or Jumba would just kill me or dehydrate me again."

Lilo felt heartbroken. She pushed into the glass. "Well... I care about you. I don't believe you're too far gone... and somehow I know that you don't really want to hurt me. You've just been badly hurt so much in your life that you started to hate everybody else around you."

Chopsuey was quiet, but Lilo could see him glare at her out the corner of his eye. "What would you know? You're barely just a hatching."

"Maybe so... but I've been hurt too. Another girl used to bully me so much I wanted to die. I tried so hard to be her friend, and join in with their group... but they all just thought I was a weird freak. Even my own sister didn't want to listen to me. So I turned on everybody too, just like you did. And even though you don't think so, Stitch really was bad once too. Everybody hated him. It took a lot of work, but I got through to him and saved him. He became a better alien because of that. He learned to care."

"..."

"Jumba did too. I don't know what happened up there in space with you guys before I met Stitch... but I promise you they've changed. And even if they still want to turn their backs on you, I won't do that. I want to be your friend."

"Why?" he simply asked.

Lilo shrugged. "Because you're cool. And you look like you could finally use a friend for once. Everybody deserves a second chance and so do you."

621's eyes widened slightly. "Even after what I did to you?"

Lilo shrugged again. "I've been through worse. Maybe... one day you and Stitch could learn to be friends."

He sneered. "Don't push your luck."

"Well... I ended up becoming friends with that girl who made my life not worth living... it took years and years, but... you just have to not give up."

The experiment finally faced her but remained quiet.

"What happened with you and Jumba this morning? He said he was in here trying to talk to you."

Chopsuey laughed. "Talk? Oh yes, he talked to me. Continued ranting on about 626 and why he's so much better than me. That I'm just a long gone hopeless failure and that all I care about is hurting you and 626. Couldn't get a word in without him talking over me, but I didn't expect anything less. Of course, if you don't believe me you're more than welcome to watch the security tapes."

Lilo thought about this. "He... didn't give you a chance to talk?"

"He never has, meat-sack."

"Maybe he just doesn't see things from your perspective. He's worried about Stitch right now because something big is happening to him... perhaps he just needs somebody else to ask him to listen to you and what you have to say. It might just be a case of he doesn't truly realise what he's doing and how much it's hurt you. I... I did that to Stitch before, and it was only when he actually died that I realised how wrong I was. I don't want that to happen to you."

Lilo pressed her hands against the glass again. Chopsuey stared at her on the other side but did the same.

"If I promise to get Jumba to hear you out... can you promise me that you won't hurt me or be angry like you are anymore?"

He stared at her. "I don't make promises with weaklings."

"Then why have you heard me out to begin with?"

He sighed. "Fine... fine. Chi chabada. Whatever."

Lilo smiled. "I know you're not a bad guy. You just haven't been treated with the respect you deserve."

Chopsuey glared at her for a moment. "I would say you're smarter than Jumba at this point considering you actually can see that yet you're just a hatchling."

"I'm almost nine."

"Still a hatchling."

"Promise...?"

"Yes! I'm not going to do anything but if you keep pushing your luck like this I might!"

Lilo smiled at him. "I'll save you, don't worry."

Chopsuey just watched her for a moment before slumping back against the glass.

Stitch's P.O.V

When Lilo finally came out, I was right by her side. She stared at us hesitantly.

We'd heard everything Chopsuey had said.

"Did... did you neglect him, Jumba?" Lilo asked quietly.

Jumba looked down at her before sighing. "Yes, everything he was saying to you is true, little girl. Except for the part about me being 'evil'."

I sneered at that.

"I know what he is meaning – however that is what larger girl is wanting us to be coming clean about. He's made it sound as bad as possible. Well... is bad yes, but I am not evil anymore. Like you told him. We have simply made a lot of mistakes in the past... both 626 and I. And have been suffering terribly for it. All this time I did not truly realise I was the problem and that I was talking over him rather than listening to him. I just saw him as a monster for trying to kill me."

Lilo stared at him. "You heard us, right? Everything?"

"Everything."

Lilo ran forward and held onto Jumba's hand. "Please... please don't hurt him, Jumba! He's really not bad. I don't care what you say about him!"

"He tried to HURT you Lilo...! Tried to kill me!" I said angrily.

"Well maybe you hurt him too!" she snapped back at me, just as angry. "I know you're special to Jumba, but he didn't deserve that neglect!"

Jumba looked away.

"I DID NOTHING TO HIM!" I screeched.

"No, but did you ever stop Jumba from doing what he did to Chopsuey?"

I paused at that. "Naga..." I said, bewildered. "I didn't even know. I was just baby."

"But you've just hated him based on him trying to kill you and Jumba, right?"

"Ih! Of course!" I said angrily.

"So why didn't you both try to understand why he was doing it instead!"

I paused at that. Jumba looked utterly destroyed.

"Because I was stupid, Lilo!" My father spoke up. "And you will find out for yourself why sooner than later. I was stupid and abuseful, because I only had my mind set on one thing... and that cost me dearly. You think I am not knowing my actions were wrong? Of course I am! I have spent all of this time here on Earth with family with it on the back of my mind. I care about my creation – I just didn't realise that perhaps I was the one far gone, not him. I never bothered to listen to why he might be attacking, just presumed he hated 626 based on him being my son, which seemed most obvious at time. Was not recognising underlying reasons of neglect were behind it; I was blind-sided by my ambitions."

Lilo sighed. "Well... I know my Uncle Jumba," she said to him before turning to face me. "And I know my Stitch. You're both good now. You just need to show Chopsuey that, and stop turning your back on him. He's not long gone, Jumba. He's just been treated with so much disrespect he gave up... kinda like I did before Stitch came into my life and changed everything."

She looked back towards the door. "Now perhaps it's time you changed his life."

Jumba sighed. I looked at him sadly.

"You are right, little girl. If we are to be facing past... perhaps best start would be to mend broken ties."

Lilo nodded. "Please..."

Jumba looked at me. I stared back at him.

"What do you think, 626?"

I didn't know how to feel. All I knew was that Chopsuey hated me for being me. But after hearing all of that from him, now I understood better. I'd replaced him. No wonder he hated me so much. Considering I was bad too – worse than him with what I'd done – I began to consider whether or not I could truly hate him anymore. I was still furious at what he'd done to Lilo, but I also knew that Lilo was right as well.

I nodded. "Maybe naga too late to make up?" I said.

"I'm sure that's all he wants," Lilo said to us. "You created him Jumba... surely things can be fixed, right?"

"We will see..." was all Jumba responded. He took my paw, and together we headed back into the room where Chopsuey was.

621 stared at us.

We stared back at him.

Lilo went over to his side by the glass container, putting her hand against the glass beside him.

"I think Uncle Jumba has something to say to you..." she said quietly.

Chopsuey sighed. "Then say it."

Jumba rubbed his arm.

"Look 621, I am terribly sorry for what I put you through. I heard everything you were saying and I am truly remorseful it has come to this between us. Yes, is true I put 626 before you. I was blind-sided so much so that I forgot what mattered to me the most. Was doing this to 626 as well. However... I am not 'evil'. Not anymore. Little girl is right in saying that we've changed. You do not have to believe us, of course, however I will not be dehydrating or putting you through de-moleculisation process."

Chopsuey looked at him warily.

"Is going to take long time, perhaps you may never truly forgive my actions. But be blaming me, not 626. Is not his fault."

Chopsuey just tapped his claws against the glass. "Why'd it take you this long to realise?"

Jumba couldn't answer that. He faced me.

"I don't like you, 626. I never have."

I growled. "Naga even know me..."

"I don't know you, but I know enough about you from him constantly gloating in my face about you..." Chopsuey sneered. "How much better you are than me at literally everything, including just existing..."

I looked away. Nothing was going to fix this.

"But I don't have anywhere else to go. I will probably end up in jail again if I leave Earth, like those other two twats."

Lilo stared.

"That or just dehydrate me and get it over and done with. I'm not going to remain here and listen to you gloat about him again, Jookiba – it's beyond mind-numbing."

"Will not be doing that..." Jumba responded.

"I don't bet on it," Chopsuey responded. "But I guess I can give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Jumba looked surprised. "Thought you would never be doing so, Chops."

"I don't want to, but I'm stuck here and I want to see just how much of a pity party you've both become."

I snarled and he laughed.

"You going to let me out now? I don't have all day."

Jumba stared at me at that. I stared back at him. "If you try anything, you'll be dead before you know it."

Chopsuey smiled, before looking at Lilo. "He really doesn't think very highly of me, does he? But hey... I'm used to it."

Lilo looked saddened.

I sighed and backed off. Jumba said nothing to that, but released the catch on the container and Chopsuey climbed out. I panicked slightly but he didn't do anything, he just looked around the lab.

Lilo went over to him. I think she realised he seemed much bigger out of the container. "Uh..."

"What is it, flesh-bag?"

I growled. He smirked at me.

"I'm... I'm glad you're okay!"

He looked confused, but then locked up when Lilo suddenly hugged him.

I screamed and went for him but he just smirked at me and returned her hug. My heart was racing.

"What do you think I'm going to do, 626? Kill her?"

I panted slightly. Perspiration formed on my forehead and he noticed my tension.

Lilo was quivering. Chopsuey pat her on the back before pulling away and walking over to Jumba, who backed up slightly.

"Funny. A mere hatchling has shown me more compassion in one hour than you have in your entire lifetime..." he poked Jumba in the belly with a claw. "Yet YOU created me."

Jumba was quiet.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go look around for a while. Might be something worth actually studying on this rock. Goodbye, hatchling."

He left the lab and the door swiftly shut behind him. Jumba was tense. I went over and latched onto his leg.

I really wasn't sure if we'd made the right choice at this point.

Lilo however, was smiling.

Chopsuey hadn't returned from wherever he'd gone. Jumba had warned the family about 621 despite what had transpired before. Lilo remained in the ship, looking at his containment cage. I stood behind her in the doorway for a moment before walking over to her.

"L-Leelo?"

She smiled at me before pulling me down into a hug, careful not to hit my leg.

"I'm proud of you, Stitch."

"Why?"

"Because you made the right choice today by letting me talk to him."

I looked away at that. "Do... do you believe him, Lilo? That Stitch is evil?"

"No... of course not," she responded. "I know you better than he does. He just knows what he's grown to know, and that's only bad things about you on account of Jumba."

I nodded. I was so thankful she didn't believe him.

"I don't trust him, Lilo. I want you to be careful around him. He isa naga like meega, or Jumba... just remember that."

"I know..." she responded, holding my paw. "But you were bad once too. I know there is good in him somewhere..." she put her hand to my heart. "Because if you changed the way you did, then I believe he can too."

"You are pure, Lilo," I responded. "Sometimes can be bad thing."

She sighed. "I know what I'm doing Stitch. I just want you to focus on your birthday, and not him, or Nani... or everything else that's happening right now, okay?"

I knew I wasn't going to be able to do that with Chopsuey out there, but this was just another problem to deal with on top of everything else. I couldn't handle any more at that point – so I just wanted to believe her with what she'd said about him.

Lilo had never let me down before. And the time she had it had been a grave misunderstanding on her part. She'd suffered for it.

"You... you tell me everything he does or says to you, okeytaka?" I muttered to her, pushing my mouth close to her ear. "Naga leave my sight either, Lilo. Understand?"

"I really don't think you have anything to worry about, Stitch," she responded, holding my paws tightly. "But I promise."

"Ih..." I muttered. My eyes widened when she kissed me gently, before pulling back to smile. I felt my face heat up at the contact.

"I love you, Stitch."

"I love you too, Lilo," I smiled back at her.

She hugged me tightly. As I looked over her shoulder, I noticed the de-hydrater sitting behind Jumba's desk.