The first thing I saw as I walked up the driveway was a few cars parked there, behind Nani's buggy.

For a moment or so I was startled by that. The wedding was long over, so who could possibly be here? I didn't recognise any of the three cars parked. Pausing for a moment I stopped to stare at them, feeling hesitant to go inside after I felt my anxiety flare up. After sniffing the air I picked up on a few scents I did recognise but couldn't put a name to. They were on the cars.

Did I want to go inside? What was going on in there? Somehow I knew this would involve me because everything always did lately and I frowned. I wished they would just talk to me instead of going behind my back like this and it made me feel very angry. I flipped up my ears and twitched them to listen and I did manage to catch my name being spoken more than a few times.

Of course it was about me. What else was I expecting? As soon as I stepped inside they'd all just go quiet and stare at me like I was the elephant in the room and keep hush about what they were talking about.

Did they not trust me? Even after everything had been out in the open and after ALL I'd been through? The more I stared up at the house, the more angrier I felt about it. I honestly wanted to punch something. Those angry feelings I'd had when Jumba refused to help me with the Metamorphosis changing me surged and before I realised what I was doing my fist was balled and aimed directly for the car I was standing beside. It felt like my body was moving on it's own even though I knew I was in control.

I punched the car. Of course, that resulted in a huge dent in the side door as it nearly snapped clean in half and barely hung on by one hinge, but it also triggered the alarm and that snapped me back around pretty quickly as my anger depleted. My eyes widened in shock as it fully registered what I'd just done.

What the flying HELL was I doing?

Hearing a noise from inside I bolted from view as fast as I could, darting up a tree and clamping my wrist to my mouth to stop myself from crying out in a mixture of horror and shock. A few moments later, I saw Moses, Elena, Aleka, her little brother and two other humans I recognised to be their mothers rush down the stairs, as did Jumba and my family.

I was really screwed now. Jumba would know instantly I'd done this.

"What the–?! MY CAR!" I heard a scream from the darker haired woman.

Jumba stared at this for a moment or so before he looked out and in my general direction.

"EXPERIMENT 626!"

Experiment?! He actually called me Experiment?! He'd only ever called me that ONCE and that was when he'd been addressing me to the council during our trial. I'd NEVER heard him say it otherwise. I didn't know what to make of it but I knew at this point he was SUPER angry with me. The pillow had been bad enough to deal with as had his mood before.

What the hell was I going to do? Now I'd never be allowed back to class, let alone near those girls or Moses.

I didn't have much time to think on that before I was tackled out of the tree and hit the ground hard, landing flat on my stomach. I knew it was Chopsuey. I couldn't hide from them no matter where I went.

He grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me out into the open in front of them. I knew that green jerkwad would be enjoying this. They all went quiet and stared at me.

I could see the looks on their faces without even having to look up—a mixture of shock, disbelief and anger was on every single one of them while the kids just looked scared. The car must've belonged to Aleka's mother as she was fuming.

"He-he– You...!" She put her hands to her head as she looked at the broken door and I could see her almost hyperventilating. "OH–MY–GOD."

Moses looked a little scared. I saw him go to speak but Jumba came forth and leered down at me.

"What POSSIBLE reason do you have for doing this?!"

None. I had no reason. I couldn't even look at my father. "..."

"SIX TWO SIX!"

I felt like I was going to collapse. "I-I–"

They looked a little startled at my voice but surely they all knew I was an alien by now after all this. Elena was cowering behind Aleka.

And then I saw her. My angel, staring at me sadly.

I felt my heart break.

Not knowing what else I could do, I just stepped back from them and turned to walk away. I felt as though I had no choice but to leave. The damage was too great. But before I could react to it, Chopsuey had reached over and grabbed my tail, dragging me back but also exposing it from where it was hidden much to my dismay and I heard the girls gasp in shock. I grunted in pain.

Typical he'd just do anything in his power to make things even worse than they already were for me. I'd been looking so forward to showing them the horns and spines had finally gone... that there was progress. Of course, since I couldn't change it I'd wanted that horrible devil tail hidden when I did do it so at least I've have some normality back.

But no. Now there would be more questions.

I felt numb and embarrassed.

"He is a monster, see this? A living demon! That's why he did it!" Chops sneered, jabbing a claw towards my father. "I told you he's gone whack. You should have dehydrated him when you had the chance, fatso."

"Shut up 621," Jumba sneered darkly at that. Chopsuey scowled angrily in response. He kicked me up the backside hard from behind, booting me forward and I fell against the dirt with an 'oof'.

"W-what's happened to him?" I heard Elena ask softly. "That's Stitch, right?"

I curled up. I felt so broken and wanted to cry but nothing came.

"Yeah, why is he being this way? I always knew something was weird about you!" Aleka also asked, pointing at me. "I had a feeling you could talk too and you don't act like a normal dog! You're too weird to be a normal dog!"

Jumba sighed. Moses finally spoke up.

"Keiki, hush. We know that Stitch has been dealing with a lot recently... but this is a little too much for me to handle, and I have to put an end to this..." He looked down at me sadly. "I'm afraid to let him anywhere near my class now, Mr Jookiba. I'm sorry. After what he did to us the other day, and now this..."

Jumba was quiet but he looked angry. I knew I was going to completely lose the opportunity to go to class with Lilo. I'd given up on the idea while back.

"But WHY can he talk?!" Aleka spoke up again. "He attacked us!"

"Was NOT him!" Jumba said abruptly to that. "He was—"

"Because I'm an ALIEN." I spoke up loudly. I'd had enough.

I saw Aleka's eyes widen. Her hand fell down by her side. Elena and the others reacted much the same, although her little brother was hiding behind his mother's legs. The parents stared at me in disbelief. Maybe they didn't know after all. From what I'd gathered they'd probably all come to talk specifically about what Demon 626 had done and the decision of whether or not I'd remain in the class. Me talking was another issue entirely.

I just wanted to set it straight to them at that point. No more dodging the issue.

"I'm not a dog. Never WAS a dog." I sneered, throwing up my paws. "Attacked because something wrong with me!"

"Are you... a monster?"

I closed my eyes as her words burned me. I could feel myself shaking and that anger started to return again. I wasn't a monster. I WASN'T.

I AM NOT A MONSTER.

My eyes turned red. All I could see was red from that point onwards.

I'M NOT!

Next thing I knew, my body changed before I could stop it. The beanie fell off as I felt those horrible horns push out of my head again, and my features bristled and flared.

They cowered back from me. All of them. Lilo didn't, she just stood there looking at me in shock. Those demon features I'd tried so hard to lose...

Would I ever lose them? Was this the new me now? A godforsaken demon? Maybe I was Demon 626 after all.

"RUN!" I heard a scream. They started to run away from me as I picked up one of the cars and threw it in their direction. Lilo was the only one who wouldn't move. Jumba ended up grabbing her and pulling her into his arms, dodging the vehicle as it landed on it's roof and made the area shake.

"Stitch!" she cried out after me with tears streaming down her eyes. "I-I love you!"

I saw Jumba pull out something and aim it at me.

BANG

My world went black.

Distorted sounds hit my ears and I opened my eyes. My vision was blurred and hazy. I couldn't see anything before me for a few moments and rubbed at my eyes. Eventually my world came into focus. I was sitting on a dirt road. Above me there was a star-filled sky, the ending stages of dusk just visible in the distance. But instead of a deep orange/pink-purple colour the sky was slowly turning blood red. A gentle breeze blew by me, stirring some leaves.

"Gaba leeba..."

I stood up, rubbing my arm but jumped when I felt a small hand take my paw. I turned to see Mitch beside me.

I was confused. What the—?!

How was he here?!

Looking around, I couldn't make out this place no matter how hard I tried. Where the heck was I? This couldn't be limbo... could it? Did I die AGAIN? Was my luck really that bad?

Mitch and I separated only in death... so did that mean I had? Surely not! There was no way! This place didn't even look anything like limbo, not to mention it felt different too. Limbo had a peaceful almost eerie serene silence to it but here was just loud distorted noise. A crunch against the gravel behind me made me jump. Mitch jumped as well, gripping against me as we turned around. I still couldn't understand why he was beside me.

There was nothing there. But then I heard it.

Laughter.

No... no! NO! This couldn't be happening! He was supposed to be dead!

"Ha ha ha ha ha! And to think, you thought it was all over!"

Tears flooded my eyes. I felt like I was trapped in a horrible nightmare.

Demon 626 stepped forth and I could see him now. The horns on his head had gotten even longer and uglier. He grinned at me.

"What's the matter, not happy to see me? Aw, that's a shame. We had so much fun together before."

He circled around us. I yelped out as I felt him slide an arm around my neck and pin me against him. He put his claws up to my neck. He did the same thing to Mitch and the boy started crying.

"Ashi... ashi dabtaka h-hasa..." I choked out. I realised then my English seemed to have gone when I tried to speak it.

"How am I still alive?" he repeated, pushing his cheek against mine. "Technically I'm not alive and never was. I'm just 'data', remember? Your words out of YOUR mouth."

"Stitch detaka! Yuuga detaka denaba!"

"Ah... but you see, I cannot die if I'm not alive to begin with. You can silence me, but since that idiot integrated the cell into your heart, you will never truly be free of me. I am your anger... I am that part of you that you HATE the most, 626. And as I am data, I can do whatever I want to you."

He put a claw underneath my chin and lifted my head up.

"Since you will always have strong emotions, 626—thanks to that kid there— it gives me free reign over you. You figured out that your emotions were tied to the cell, yeah? Specifically your anger? Well, I can give you credit for that. Because as long as those emotions exist within you, then I will as well. The cell itself might be dead for now, true that. But you cannot lose me so easily. I found a way. Because in the end I always get my way."

I felt my heart sink. "N-neesa..." I stuttered. "Dachidi nay... n-nothing..."

"Nothing?" He repeated. "You truly think there was nothing left inside of you for me to access? Your brain is a huge maze, 626. There are thousands upon thousands of pathways in there at my disposal. Jumba's encryption did actually block me, just as they blocked the cell. Yeah... I'll admit it was a tough one. I got pretty lucky with how that green goon managed to open a door for me before. I'd been searching for a path in ever since that day that fat moron blacked out as he encrypted you, since he failed to actually shut me down correctly."

He twiddled his claws. I couldn't figure out what he meant by that but then it clicked. The frequency—that had originally awakened him fully when it had altered the cell.

He continued. "I thought I was dead when you died from that heart attack. I was on my last legs too."

"Aka naga? Naga detaka!"

"Beeeeeeeeeecause..." he drew out, "when Jumbo revived you, he used a defibrillator on you, yes?"

I didn't like where this was going.

"The shocks from that just so happen to revive me. Just barely, mind you, but it worked. I was about to let go and disappear for good. But it was like a new path opened up for me, one that led me straight to your core, 626!" He smirked. "While I don't have a way to control the cell just yet, you can be rest assured I'm working on it. And once I get that going, ding ding! Time's up!"

He grinned at me. I felt my heart sink out of my chest.

So this was it then? I was stuck like this forever and I would never truly be free of this monster in my head? I knew I should have stayed up there in limbo. Nani should have let me go when I'd gone for the cliff. She should have just shot me when she had the chance.

Everybody was going to die because of me. There would never be anyway to stop this.

I could barely focus as his gravelly voice grinded against my ears.

"So 626. You want to know why you keep getting so angry? Why you changed back? Because I'M here, that's why. I will get my revenge just as I said before I would." His voice turned dark and his figure morphed into something horrible, just like a scene straight out of a nightmare. I could hear that same overlay to his voice I'd heard before, like two versions of him were speaking to me at once. "And you WILL DO what you were supposed to do, so start anticipating it." He poked Mitch in the stomach. "You too bud."

I howled. I went to slash at him but my paw went straight through him, and there was a distortion type of effect as though he was pixelated. He really was just data. Though this time around his form seemed different to before. Something seemed to be missing...

He laughed, bearing sharp teeth at me before saluting. And then the monster vanished from sight.

All this time... All this time I'd thought I was truly free of him. That I was back to normal and that my life could go back to how it had been before.

It was all too good to be true.

I thought something was wrong when I got so mad about Jumba not helping me with the Metamorphosis. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't I just be free of him?

Mitch put his arms around me and fell slowly to the ground with me as I slumped down in tears.

What was I going to do? I felt him put his hand to my cheek and looked at him. He wasn't avoiding eye contact with me this time as he had been before when we'd first met, but he looked scared. He was opening and closing his fists repeatedly. I realised I was doing it too after a moment or so.

"Hey..."

"...?"

"It's okay..." he told me gently. "I-I do think we can get through this."

I shook my head but he stopped me.

"I remember what Lilo's parents told us... before I became you again," he said softly. "That you need to let things happen the way they do."

"Aka ba... yuuga iki boh?" I asked. He was me so I knew he could understand Tantalog. Unlike before when I could talk English back to Demon 626 in my head, and Lilo's parents, unfortunately now I found I couldn't and it was much harder. I knew it was because Mitch wasn't inside of me. He really did help me speak. And something about being in limbo had made it easier too. Maybe because I'd actually died then.

Perhaps it was stress making it harder for me. After all, I could barely focus right now and my mind was fogged.

"I-I don't know. Maybe I'm like him... just data too."

I shook my head. I pointed to him. "Hua awazii."

"Do you think I'm a spirit? I could be... I thought this only happened in limbo... we were separated there but you weren't alive."

"Ih..."

He stood up with me and we held against each other close as we started walking up the dirt road. "I don't think this is limbo though, I think this is a dream. Don't you?"

I nodded, although I wasn't sure. If I was dead then Demon 626 wouldn't have been able to bring me here. He'd be gone entirely.

"It has to be 'cuz look,"—he pointed down—"I can walk here."

I looked down. He was right.

"Eegalagoo."

"Mhm."

I tapped my head. I wondered if it was only possible to experience such a thing happening here in whatever state we were in.

"Tinko. Achata da balika shaalthabye nero?"

"Maybe we can..." he told me. "You can... only experience stuff like this in a dream."

"Yenat dabtaka atiki pashta?"

"No... I don't feel alive..." He looked at me. "I-I don't feel anything."

"Naga toto..." I agreed.

We continued walking. He seemed to be in deep thought. "I can... try to hold him off as I did before."

"Gaba?"

"'Cuz that's what I was doing before. When we are one... I don't think he's as powerful. We became each other 'n you didn't end up as him 'cuz of that."

I stared at him. He stared back at me.

"I don't think... it's possible to stop what is going to happen Stitch, but we can try."

"Ashi?"

"I-I really don't know how..." he responded. He gripped my paw tightly. "But... we came back. You didn't stay up there with me."

"Naga."

The wind picked up little around us at that point. I could see a red moon starting to rise in the distance. Mitch watched it too, and I could see it reflecting in his eyes.

"I've seen this before..." he told me quietly. "It means bad things are coming..."

My ears lowered. "Dabtaka?"

"Yeah... back then," he sighed. "When I was starting to die, I saw it a lot in my dreams."

"Weega detaka..." I said numbly.

"I don't know..." he said quietly. "I wrote about that. In my journal... I do remember that. And you read it."

"Ih."

Mitch looked at me and my ears perked up as he spoke again. "When Lilo was talking to us before, about seeing me. I remember that. And my sister showing me those photos. But you know. You are me."

I just looked at him.

For a while I'd started confirming to myself that I was Stitch because of Mitch. From the moment I was born. I was never truly another Stitch, but always the one that had been born with his soul. I was essentially an extension of his personality but how I was raised was different. A new life. And that was why I hadn't felt bad about saying 'dad' to Mr Kuakini before.

He continued. "It still is kinda weird for me too. Knowing that Jumba is my dad as well, like with you, my dad being yours too. If that makes sense." He rubbed at his head anxiously. "You're like me split in two. But I'm glad it ended up this way. If this is the last time we are apart... I'm also glad we could talk like this."

I smiled slightly.

"And I also know we are stronger together now that... you're me. I don't think he will win... but I think it will be one of the worst things we will face. And as long as Lilo is there we can face it together."

"Yuuga meega. Lilo tay boochibu jeesta maka na."

He went a bit red. "We always seemed to be around each other but never really talked... through coming back as you though, it's just... she did so much for me. When she adopted you and saved you. And through all of that it led to me remembering everything from inside you and getting to see dad again... I think... it was some kind of destiny."

"Muto sata," I responded. "Ah rumba."

He nodded at me. "I really love her... she is an angel."

I simply nodded. I didn't need to explain to him how much I loved Lilo, because my love for my angel was his all along. It was equal between us.

The road we were walking down came to an end. All seemed peaceful enough—that was until my heart almost stopped as a destroyed sign appeared in the distance. It was the same one I'd seen in that hallucination of Turo. The GDI sign. As we approached it, Mitch gripped against me harder, looking up and recognising the building I'd previously torn in half.

"No! Not that one again..!" He turned into me. "I don't want to see those bodies again..."

"Meega deeka..."

"Are... are we on Turo?"

"Naga nota... Think... so..."

He was scared because I was. He remembered this too. I hated seeing those piles of dead bodies. It was weird being able to talk to myself about what I hated in those hallucinations.

Split in two was the best way to describe it, as he had.

The area around us became more decrepit as we walked into the centre of Turo. Mitch hadn't let go of my side. The times he had briefly I felt weaker and I realised it was because we were stronger together, just as he had said, since we were one entity.

Suddenly, something whacked loudly against the ground in front of us. Mitch screamed in sync with me and as we jumped back my eyes widened.

It was a body.

The lighting around us was red now, thanks to the moon. It cast an eerie glow over the form on the ground before us, and I soon realised that the entire lower half of the being was missing, entrails trailing out from the open gaping area of what used to be an abdomen although the skin looked like it had been shredded apart with a saw. Inching a little closer I realised the being was a female. I could make out her orange hair despite it being splattered with blood.

I peered harder, and a set of four lifeless eyes stared back at me. Mitch recoiled, as did I.

"G-Gamada..." I muttered shakily.

Mitch started crying. "I... don't want to see her..."

My paw lowered as I stared down. This was the Kweltikwanian I'd murdered—literally bitten in half. I'd done it to thousands of others but seeing her dead hit me the hardest for some reason. As I stared down at the scene before me I realised why my father had never wanted to talk about it. This female had been his ex-wife.

This would have been my mother if he'd used her DNA in me too. Thankfully he hadn't done so as she was evil. Seeing her slain like this at my hands though... it was too much for me.

What I'd done here that day was utterly brutal.

And it wasn't much better looking around—it was a war zone. Bodies and body parts were littered around us and the ground was a sea of colours of different types of blood. Mitch was experiencing that exact same thing I was, but he couldn't stomach it as well as I could and ended up falling down and throwing up.

I went over and held him tightly. "Naga...!" I muttered into him. "Naga nala iba!"

"I did this..." he gasped.

"Lucha kuta meega..." I made him face up to me. "Weega furuso, ih? Naga nala. Naga neeba kweesta!"

"H-How, Stitch?" he cried, tears flowing freely down his face. "I know we were forced but... how can dad still accept me?"

"Naga kaphong, net yuuga meega!" I pointed shakily to myself and then to him, shaking my head frantically. I was crying too. "Jumba a-akata!"

He just cried and held onto me. We remained that way for a while and I looked up at the stars. The blood red sky was starting to get a little lighter.

I wondered how much longer we'd be here in this place, but just as I had that thought there was the sound of the wind picking up around us. The buildings began to break apart and fall away as everything started to fade into a stark bright white. Mitch looked up, looking around at this before looking at me.

"Wh... what's happening?"

"Meega... naga... naga nota..." I said slowly. "Muto kaway hapdelup..."

I had a feeling this was going to be the last time I'd see Mitch like this, when we weren't one being. I think he sensed it too, because he interlaced my paws with his hands tightly.

"Stitch..."

There was distant laughter in the background again. Mitch looked out towards it. "We can't let him win..."

I shook my head. "Yuuga, meega... meega..." I said softly. "Tochamba."

He closed his eyes and put his forehead against mine. Our time here was up.

Around us everything started to disappear into white light, and I felt a strange, warm sensation as if I was being summoned back. Mitch melted away in front of me, and his body started to change as it overlapped into mine. As I looked down I could see his hand reshaping into my paw before setting into mine as the last of his spirit vanished back inside of me.

We were one again. I stood up in a determined stance, eyes narrowed, and I clenched my paw tightly into a fist as the world turned a blinding white around me.

Demon 626 wasn't going to win.

"..."

Slowly my senses began to kick back in. The light had vanished and I could hear distorted voices around me. I opened my eyes slowly.

"...W—oot h—m?"

The voice sounded frantic. My ears started working again.

"I can't believe you would to that!"

It was Nani. The frantic voice belonged to her.

"Would rather have 626 kill you with car?"

"Of course not!"

At that I woke up fully. I was under a blanket but my stomach was throbbing. I tried to move only to feel myself paralysed and freaked out for a moment or so, thinking Demon 626 had taken over. They heard me and rushed to my side.

"Keep still..." Jumba muttered to me.

"Gaba eiek?" I asked, trying to clear my vision. Currently Jumba had at least twelve sets of eyes. I realised we were in the main bay of the ship.

My father sighed. I realised everybody that was there before was behind him at that point. Our secret was finally out.

"626... to put lightly, I had to shoot you."

"..."

"No sugar-coating. You died, but only momentarily. Heart stopped. I brought you back instantly. Was only for thirty seconds at most.

…I felt sick hearing that.

I had died again. Once again under the hands of my father. I turned away from him.

It had explained why Mitch was separated from me in my dream. But... how was Demon 626 still able to speak to me?

Had the death not been long enough to sustain HIS death? Being only thirty seconds? Is that why this time Mitch and I were apart, it was different? In a dreamscape and not in limbo?

God damn it. Everything was too confusing. And I couldn't keep up anymore, it was tiring. At this point I wondered how many more times I would die. It was almost like a game now.

"Have repaired car," Jumba continued. "Thankfully, woman was willing to let incident slide. Took a lot of explaining."

I just couldn't look at him. He knew why, and went quiet.

The others chat quietly among themselves. I could feel the tension in the air. Moses approached my side, and looked down at me sadly. I looked back up at him.

"Stitch naga go to class ever again," I muttered. "Just say it."

He looked startled at that. "For now... it's for the best. You just focus on getting better, okay? I am not mad at you for what you did. Jumba explained it was not you at the time. And how you are with Lilo, I can see that," he told me softly. I just sighed.

I could see Aleka and Elena looking in at me. Lilo wasn't there though.

"Will... he be okay?" I heard Elena ask Jumba quietly, sounding scared.

Jumba didn't answer her. Eventually they all left. At this point, I didn't care anymore about what they thought of me. It was just me and my father.

I heard him sigh.

"Had to do it, 626. I am very sorry."

"Did you?" I responded to that, turning to face him.

He looked angry. "You WOULD have destroyed the house. Or hurt one of us."

I looked away. "..."

"I know, is bad track record now of damage I am being doing to you... but is NOT my fault."

At that I sat up, furious. My stomach throbbed again but I ignored it. "METAMORPHOSIS YOUR FAULT!" I screamed. "STITCH BEING MONSTER YOUR FAULT. WIPING OUT TURO, YOUR FAULT. DEMON 626 YOUR FAULT."

He went quiet. I saw his expression falter.

I reached up to my head and felt those godforsaken horns. They were longer than last time now. I felt tears pool and flood down my face.

"Can't get rid of them..." I sobbed. "Did just before... work so hard to, but back now! What am I?!"

He turned away from me. I jumped out of the blanket, running over to him—tripping as I did so—and climbing up on him, grabbing his collar and pulling him towards me. He looked startled for a moment or so but then went stoic.

"Are you going to kill me, 626?"

I had my claws raised, fully unsheathed to their true length. My breath hitched in my throat at that.

"..."

"Go on. Do it. Have told you I deserve it from start. For everything I've done to you." He told me flatly.

At that I roared. I raised my paw and brought it down across his face, but at that last moment jerked away. The tips got him, and left four big, deep slash marks across his right eyes.

Jumba made a sharp grunt of pain. I fell down, falling backwards onto the ground. All I could do was stare at my father in disbelief.

I couldn't believe what I'd just done.

Nani and David rushed in to us at that moment. They must have heard my screams. Nani saw me and gasped, rushing to my side and grabbing my hand, holding it tightly at seeing both the length of my claws and the blood dripping down Jumba's face. She quickly put two and two together.

"Stitch! Put those away. Right–Now." She seethed.

I could see fear in her eyes as she looked at my claws but she held her stance. I stared back at her for a moment, still in shock before it fully registered. I retracted my claws.

"I'm... not a monster..." I said shakily. "I-Im not..."

She looked shocked at hearing that from me. She stood back slightly with her hands to her mouth for a moment before facing Jumba.

"Jesus..." she said quietly. "David... hurry, get the first aid kit."

He rushed off and Nani went across to Jumba. She reached out to him but he flinched back. "Larger girl, do not be angry with him. Is my fault. I am more than deserving this from him."

I choked. My heart broke at hearing that.

I knew deep in my heart he was right, but he was still my father and I loved him. I was shocked and angry at myself for hurting him. I felt awful.

I know it was small compared to what he did to me. For the abuse he'd put me through and now killing me twice. But it hurt just as bad knowing I'd involuntarily hurt my own father. He'd given so much up in order to make it up to me.

All I could do was cry brokenly. Nani saw this and swallowed, looking pale.

Jumba just put his hand to his head, drawing it back to look at the pink blood pooling on it. "Ayee... this will be sore for while."

Some blood had dripped onto his shirt. He pulled it off and Nani stared in disbelief. I'd seen Jumba's side numerous times before, but she hadn't. She looked astonished.

"Oh my goodness."

My father grunted. "Side was melted during Turo's doomsday."

Nani looked like she was going to be sick.

"How..." she rasped. "How did you survive that?"

He looked at her directly. "I survived because I had to. Was only one that could stop 626."

The woman fell to the ground at that, trying to process it. I think her seeing the damage to Jumba's body made her realise just how close he'd come to death.

And now he had a new set of scars...

...thanks to me.

My father and I avoided eye contact as David dabbed Jumba's wounds clean. My father grunted, and informed him he could do the rest.

"Will you be okay?" David asked him.

"Psh. Is nothing." He sounded blunt.

To him it probably was.

Eventually Nani and David left us. Nani had protested, thinking I might do something else but Jumba had told her straight that I wouldn't.

"Make up," she'd said to us on the way out. "For heaven's sake. This family has already suffered enough this past month as it is. We need to be looking out for each other more than ever right now."

I sighed at hearing that, curling up on the ground with my tail wrapped tightly around me. My father remained as he was for a long time too, just staring into nothing.

For at least half an hour we remained this way. And then finally, my father spoke.

"How is wound."

My ears perked a little. I grunted.

Jumba stood up and walked over to me. I looked up at him. Before I could protest he picked me up and put me down on the makeshift bed again. We stared at each other. Finally be broke his gaze and his hand trailed along my tummy. He'd shot me in the abdomen.

"Should heal up okay. Missed vital organs and arms. But was your heart that was bring problem," he sighed. "You probably inherited my heart condition."

My blood turned to ice at hearing that. Was that why I'd died? It wasn't actually from the bullet?

"Not... not from..." I uttered, but he understood me.

"No. Was not from shooting you. As said, I purposefully missed vital organs. Shock caused heart to malfunction."

I felt so sick... my father hadn't actually killed me for a second time. Sure he'd shot me... but I'd basically attacked him for nothing.

"Why... why didn't you s-sa..." I choked. I could barely speak.

"Because as both you and I know 626, I am DESERVING of what you did to me. Wasn't going to protest or stop you."

"NAGA!" I screeched. I jumped at him and he caught me. I sobbed into his chest.

"Stitch soka! Stitch soka!" I sobbed miserably into his chest. "I'm so soka... Pa!... Paaa...!" I wailed. "Hurt you! Naaaagaaaaaaaaaa!"

Jumba just sighed. He looked like he was about to cry as well. "Hush, little one..." My father ran his hand over my head, trying to calm me down. He held me like this until my sobs lessened to hiccups and I felt him scratching behind my ear.

"Look, 626. Am sorry for pillow incident. As you know, I am overly stressed. Did not mean to take out on you as much as I did. But larger girl is right as were you—we should not be fighting. You are my son and right now my only concern is what is happening to you and whether or not Metamorphosis will trigger again. You've been getting exceptionally angry and today was telling me something is most definitely wrong despite cell being dead." He put his hands to my head and made me face him. "So, what is it?"

I swallowed before giving a sigh. I closed my eyes. "Demon 626 not dead."

His eyes widened. "The back-up?"

"Ih. Evil meega."

"But... but how is that possible? Back-up was being tied to cell!"

"I don't know..." I told him. "Somehow, found new 'pathway'... isa what he called it. 'Cuz data."

Jumba just stared at me. His eyes flickered back and forth, something he did when he was trying to think quickly at once. I tapped my horns, making him look up.

"He did this. Made me grow them again. 'Cuz I got rid of them before."

"How?"

I sighed. I went on to explain about my day with Mr Kuakini, and how his massage had helped. I also explained to him about the mindscape, with Mitch coming out of me in there and how we'd seen Turo.

I told him how I'd seen Mitch literally become me and watched his spirit go into me.

Jumba looked distant. "So... you are really being human."

I nodded. "Mitch."

"I see..." he sounded flat. "Well... even so, you are still alien. Still 626."

"I know. How you feel, though? About Mr Kuakini?"

He shook his head. "You know how I feel about it, 626. I am your father. But if you are him now and that human is confirmed to be your father too... well. Does not make me too happy. But will not stop you from seeing him, as you know. Is weird to think about another human being your father."

"Naga mine, Mitch's."

"And I am yours."

I nodded. He just sighed. "Right now is bigger things to worry about. Let me try massaging you then, hop to it."

I nodded. I lay down across the bed and my father began to massage me. His massages were very different from Mr Kuakini's but I felt myself relax again. He stopped after twenty minutes, and gave me a chance to try changing.

Thankfully, the horns went back in relatively smoothly this time. Jumba watched, finger pressed to his chin.

"I told you boy. Key in changing is not to be stressed. 626 must be fully relaxed."

I sighed. "Okay, okay. Pa right."

"Try tail."

I nodded nervously, focusing on my tail. But to my disappointment, it wouldn't change. I lashed it again angrily.

"Aka choota naga meega cheeta kudo haffu hak!"

"Stop, 626!" My father said to that, grabbing it gently and holding it. "Let me see..."

I pouted. My father ran his hand along my tail and I could feel him pressing into the bones. He inspected the arrowed end.

"I think I might know. Hold on."

I watched him as he stood up and left. He returned a few moments later with a small scanner, and ran the device along it. It beeped a few seconds later, giving him a small readout and x-ray of my tail.

"There is issue, 626." He pointed and I peered over.

"Dagaba eiek?"

"Small blockage near tip."

"Is... is that bad?" I asked.

"Not threatening, no. But in order for Metamorphosis to sync correctly and fully alter, pathway needs to be clear. From brain, right down central nervous system and pathways. If there is blockage can prevent smooth transition. Is not blood, if that is what you are thinking. More like, circuit block. Could be snootonium as is thicker density and sometimes can leak into channels. You are not one hundred percent organic, like human is for example."

I nodded.

"So, once blockage is cleared should be no issues changing back. But blockage like that can only happen if you are constantly hitting certain area or trying to damage it. Snootonium reacts by expanding to prevent further damage, but in turn results in blockage by blocking channels. Does not occur naturally. Which makes me curious as to how it formed in such an odd location. Can be minor thing but can get worse."

I stared at him wide eyed at that. And then my ears fell. I remembered how much I'd actually tried to damage my tail, trying to cut it off and hitting it repeatedly. There was also the time I tried grinding a rock into it.

"626?"

I sighed. "I know... how happened," I told my father. "Was me. Hurt myself, trying to get rid of it."

He looked upset. "What...? Why?"

"Hate it. Hate looking like demon."

He sighed. "Is natural to you, 626," he started, pausing when I scowled at him. "No, listen to me. Not natural as in you are demon, but is natural in that you can change form. Should not feel ashamed about that."

"Makes me ugly... monster," I told him.

"Of course not. I made you way I did because I wanted you that way."

I was stumped. "Gaba eiek? Neesa... Stitch ugly!"

He continued to shake his head. "No! Only you are thinking so. Little girl thought looked cool."

Cool? Me? With this damn demon tail and these monstrous horns?

No. Seriously?

Jumba just nodded at me. "Makes you look very unique. Also makes me wonder about what else you can change."

I just shook my head. "But... I don't want to change pa," I told my father. "I just want to be Stitch."

He gave a nod. "I know, boy. You will always be Stitch so is nothing to worry about."

I nodded. I felt much better though. "How clear?" I asked.

"Put in opposite direction. Is normally up in air, yes?"

I nodded.

"Need to let hang then. Should clear out itself after maybe half hour or so, but you have to keep still."

It was that simple? Really?

My father took note of my face. "Yes, is that simple. Snootonium is thick. Of course, internally is more complex, say if was in your stomach, could not clear without surgery, but tail is spine, as you are knowing and is external so has thinner skin than arms and legs. Therefore Jumba can feel it inside. Plus is longer as you changed it. Shorter would not be able to feel at all. Bones more spaced out."

"Oh..."

He nodded.

And so after that, I sat up on one of the air vents, letting my tail drape down straight and keeping still. After half hour or so had passed, I climbed down.

"Now try."

I did. I concentrated, and to my delight it changed back into my normal, short one. No more pointed devil tip. No more ugly horns.

I was beyond ecstatic.

Finally after all this time, I was no longer a demon. Even if Demon 626 lurked inside of me, I no longer looked like him. I didn't have to see him every time I looked at my body.

"Dougabba pa!"

Jumba scuffed me on the head. "Just no more hurting self again. Come to me next time if get stuck."

I nodded quietly, thinking about how angry I'd got before when he told me only I could change. He picked up on my mood change.

"626, am not angry. I promise."

I looked up at my father. "Even how mad I got?"

"No. I know is that back-up. There has to be some way to get rid of it for good. I am just glad you are in control again."

I nodded. I was too, though it played on my mind heavily that he could take over me again. I wondered why he wasn't able to. Maybe it was due to him being linked up with the cell that could happen, but now the cell was dead, he couldn't. It would certainly explain why his form was different to before.

Jumba rubbed at his eyes. I looked at him sadly and climbed up to him again, before kissing him on the eyes where I'd hurt him.

He sighed.

I climbed down and headed back to the house to find Lilo. At least now I had some good news.

Lilo was sitting with Nani and David in the living room. When I opened up the door, she screamed and ran for me.

"Stitch! Oh my gosh...! I was so scared! Are you okay now?"

"Ih... Stitch fine."

She drew back and her eyes went wide. She ran her hand over my head before flipping me around and I knew she was looking at my tail.

"You're back to normal!"

"He is?" Nani asked, standing up to also look alongside David. "Oh... wow. That's fantastic, Stitch."

I nodded. But then she gave me a 'look'.

"Well? Did you make up with your father?"

I nodded. "Ih... Naanee... I am... sorry," I lowered my head. "About before..."

"It's okay..." Nani said to me, bending down to my level. "We know now it's not you, that's the main thing. We cleared everything up with the others and Moses. They are scared and shaken up, but not mad about it. The car was repaired."

I hesitated.

"Stitch, honestly... I haven't been mad since we made up after the wedding. I promised to be there for you, and I'll stay true to that. I know it took me a long time to realise it, but... I am afraid of losing you. You are a staple to our family."

Nani had no idea how much that meant for me to hear. I smiled at her and felt tears pool. She pulled me into her arms and hugged me, before wiping away a tear.

"We need to focus on moving forward. Even if things are tough."

I was incredibly happy that Nani had a change of heart. For so long, things had been so bad between us. I truly had started to think she stopped caring about me, but seeing how she was now I realised this was never the case at all. Stress changed people.

I'd seen what it had done to her. And now, to my father.

Mr Kuakini as well. His hair turning grey.

I didn't say anything about Demon 626, or what had happened with my heart giving out. I didn't want to cause any further stress or tension. Nani and David sat back down after both giving me a hug. It almost felt unreal that things were back to normal. I was so used to a rift between us.

I realised I should just accept it for what it was. Make the most of it. Because it could change again. And as much as I didn't want that to happen I knew it was likely inevitable.

Lilo took my hand, distracting me from my thoughts. "Come on Stitch..."

I nodded, and we left the living room.

We sat together up in the tree house. It was approaching eight o'clock by that point. It had been a while since we'd been up there together and we were just relaxing back and watching the stars. Lilo had my paw gripped tightly in her hand.

"How was your day with Mr Kuakini? You were gone for a long time."

I looked at her. "Rough..."

"Rough?" she asked, sounding sad. She sat up instantly and faced me. "Stitch...?"

I gazed at her. "I... told him things. Lots of things," I explained. "Got lot of chest."

"Oh..." she responded. "Well, that's a good thing isn't it?"

"Good and bad," I said. "Knows... about me. I'm Mitch."

She nodded. "I thought he already knew that though?"

"Ih, he does. But I confirmed to him. And today... happened again. Like when we meet."

"Huh?"

I sighed. I explained to her about what had happened after my heart had given out after Jumba had shot me. How I'd encountered Demon 626 again with Mitch. She looked alarmed.

"You were with him?"

I nodded. I put a paw to my chest. "Lilo, I am him. We can separate when I'm not alive. Split in two."

She gazed at me. "..."

At that moment, I reached into my vest and pulled out a few pictures, handing them to her. She took them slowly and stared at them.

"Hey...! Is that... is that me?!" she exclaimed.

"Ih," I nodded. She flipped to the other ones. She had been in a few other pictures as well that I'd found after going back over the photo album when at Mr Kuakini's before we'd watched Earth vs. the Spider. One of them was at the hospital on Honolulu, and she was standing with a group of kids in some kind of ward. Mitch was in the photo as well, right beside her while her arm was in a cast. He was on crutches.

"Hey..." she said. "I... don't remember this!"

I gazed at her.

"I-I remember something faint. I know I broke my wrist, but..." her eyes widened. "I was there? Beside him?"

"Ih, Lilo."

She squinted. "Wait... I think..." she trailed off but then she perked up. "I remember now! There was some clown show on Stitch. I had been about to go home but they got us all together in a group to watch it. Wow..."

I lowered my ears, watching her intently and how she reacted. She eventually looked up at me again with a soft smile.

"So... he was right next to me."

I shuffled around to her side and put my claw against Mitch on the photo. "Lilo. That is me," I smiled. "I remember the show. Was very silly, clown made animal balloons. One popped, kid cry really loudly. But then handed you balloon. Blue one. Looked like dog."

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Do you remember that?"

"I... I do now..." she breathed, gazing deep into my eyes.

I gave a nod, putting my paw to her cheek as she began to cry. "But..."

"Shh..." I said, putting my claw against her mouth.

She had no words. She simply leaned forward and hugged me. "So even before I met you... we were kinda together? We just never knew?"

"Ih," I said over her shoulder. "Maybe not meant to know each other when I was human, but now... it ended up this way. Not know why."

She sighed. "I... I just don't think I spoke to you that much..."

"Naga," I told her. "But you were only one that did."

"What?" she drew back, looking confused.

I nodded.

Back when I'd been sifting through the photos at Mr Kuakini's, I'd unlocked more memories. Mitch had been lonely, even before his condition. He had one friend named Chris, but that was it. He got picked on and bullied a lot, similar to how Lilo had been, for his fair skin, ginger hair and freckles. He'd become a bit of a recluse and resorted to indulging in aliens and space, loving those the most. Mitch had also confirmed this to me, allowing me in fully when he'd gone back into me just before. It was like we'd just fully integrated now, both of us knowing and accepting we were one entity.

After that a wave of new memories had resurfaced. It explained why I felt such strong déjà vu at seeing those photos as well.

Mitch and Lilo had been very alike in so many ways. They'd shared the same interests. And while Mitch hadn't taken photos of fat tourists as a hobby, he had liked to collect bottle caps. It was one reason why Lilo and I clicked so well, even before my memories had come back to me. Why I felt about her the way I did and how she could understand me so well whereas others couldn't.

We had just clicked.

I gently explained to her what Mitch had said to me in the Turo mindscape about her. That I thought she was an angel... because he thought that. She'd been the reason for everything that had happened.

"Lilo... I was able to see my father again because of you," I said. "Naga Jumba, he is father ih... but Mr Kuakini. Mitch's dad is MY dad. I came back from dead as Stitch because he wanted it, and Mitch wanted it too. So I became Stitch," I smiled at her.

She looked shocked. It took her a while to find her voice.

"This is so amazing... Stit—Mitch."

"Naga," I shook my head. "I am Stitch."

Something clicked. "And I CALLED you Stitch...!" she gasped. "It's so close to Mitch!"

I nodded.

"Oh gosh Stitch. I think I remember things now. I remember seeing you in the store one time... I remember when you... you died. And the little memorial they had at the Kaiaulu Halau."

I tilted my head.

"You looked so sick though... it was horrible... but... look at you now! A super hero!"

I giggled. She looked intrigued but then asked me something interesting.

"Why did you come back as an alien?"

I paused. I thought about that for a while.

"I wanted to," I told her. "I hated being way I was, riddled with pain," I reached into my vest and pulled out the journal. Mr Kuakini had given it back to me. I handed it to her, thinking it was time for her to finally see it.

"I... saw Mitch turn into me. Change..." I told her softly, "This... should explain everything."

She looked at me curiously, taking it from me slowly and running her hand over it. I sat back and watched her as she read it, taking note of her facial expressions. They varied from shocked, to sad and then disgusted. I wondered if she was looking at the graphic drawings when she made that particular face.

"Oh... you mentioned me here..."

I nodded. It was brief, but Mitch had written about her. He'd described one time she'd spoken to him at the store when there at the same time and it had made him happy. He'd also written something else there too, that I'd held onto fondly once I'd learned what it said.

"...I wish I could get to know you better. You seemed nice, and I was glad you spoke to me," she read softly. "I've never talked to a girl before (other than my sister) and you said you liked aliens too. How cool is that? Maybe next time I'll say hi to you if I see you again Lilo."

She quivered.

Of course, that time never came for Mitch. As a human, at least.

I smiled at her when she looked at me.

"Hi Lilo."

She let out a noise that I could only interpret as a squeak before she cried, tears streaming down her face, and she lunged herself at me for a big hug. I smiled and hugged her back.

She cupped my face in her hands. "Stitch..."

I leaned forward and kissed her gently. She drew back, holding her lips before continuing to read through the journal. She got to the end.

"...I wish I wasn't me..." she read out loud, before flipping the page back and forth a few times to make sure there wasn't anything else. "And that's where it stops?"

I nodded. "I died after that."

She shuddered a little. "No... no, you're here now. That's what matters."

I just looked at her.

"So... Stitch, you wanted to be a cool alien with superpowers. Looks like you got that wish!"

"Even better, Stitch got you too," I told her. "Boochibu."

She blushed, but sighed happily. "Stitch, you still haven't told me what that means!"

I nodded. I gazed at her before drawing in a breath.

"Lilo it means—"

"LILO! STITCH! TIME FOR BED!"

I was gobsmacked...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME...?

The ONE time I go to tell her! I sighed. Thanks Nani. I tried again but Lilo interrupted me.

"It's okay Stitch, you can tell me inside! I have something special I want to show you!"

I was a little annoyed, but I smiled, watching my angel as she stood up and climbed down. I glimpsed up to the stars before following her.