Return Home

…

Jumba went over to the couch and sat down, letting out a long and deep sigh as he reclined backwards. "Jumba, what are you doing?" Pleakley asked, frowning as he walked up to his tall and pudgy friend.

"Jumba is needing break!" Jumba grumbled irritably. "We have been working for HOURS!"

"Actually, it was less than one..." Pleakley corrected. "But…" he conceded thoughtfully. "I guess a break won't hurt."

Suddenly the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Pleakley replied, heading toward the door and opening it up. Who should be standing there but a tall bald-headed African American, dressed in a black suit and sunglasses?

"Ohhhh… C-Cobra B-Bubbles…" Pleakley stammered; though a friend of the family, this huge man was unnerving. "This... this IS a surprise!" the one-eyed alien nervously managed to get out, giving a forced smile.

"Greetings," Cobra replied in a cold voice. "I am here to see Jumba."

"Jumba?" Pleakley exclaimed in surprise. "What do you want with him?" he asked in a worried voice, hoping he wasn't in any trouble.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss the matter with anyone else," Cobra replied simply, arms folded, his face utterly unreadable. "Now, is he here?"

"Yeaaaaaah..." Pleakley answered uneasily, turning his head. "Jumbaaaaa! It's for you!" he called out.

Jumba rose from the couch and came to the front door, putting his pudgy hands on his hips, tilting his head to the side as an impatient tone crept into his voice. "What do you want?"

"I must speak with you about something very important," Cobra said in his usual cold voice. "Is there someplace we can discuss it privately?"

Upon hearing those words, Jumba felt an uneasiness swell up inside him. What did Cobra want to discuss with him? "Ah… let's… let's go to my room," he answered nervously, hoping he wasn't in any trouble.

"Yes. LET'S," Cobra agreed.

"Right this way!" Jumba said, gesturing to the stairs, and turned to walk up, followed by the creepy man in black.

"I wonder what that is all about," Pleakley said, a perplexed expression on his face.

Inside Jumba's Room

"Well this is my room!" Jumba said, gesturing around. "Actually it is mine and Pleakley's room." He chuckled. "You should see Pleakley's face when I don't clean…" He trailed off as Cobra glared at him from behind his dark sunglasses. "Uh… you… wanted to tell Jumba something?" Jumba asked uneasily.

"A short time ago, the government was contacted by the Galactic Federation," Cobra said. "You may recall that we have an understanding."

"Okay…" Jumba said, not sure if he liked this. "So what did they want? Does it have to do with Experiment 6-2-6?"

"Not quite… the Federation is currently looking for your other six hundred and twenty-five genetic experiments," Cobra said coldly.

"What!" Jumba sputtered, losing his composure. "Wh-what makes you think…" He trailed off again as Cobra glared at him. "Riiiiight, " Jumba conceded. "Stitch is 6-2-6. Even a child could guess that."

"The Federation Council learned about your other experiments," Cobra explained. "And naturally they are uneasy. They had tried to find them, but without success. So you see…" he added in a formal voice. "Since the Federation Council can't find the other experiments on their own, they are willing to give you amnesty for your past crimes… IF… you will give them the location of your other genetic experiments."

Jumba cleared his throat, trying to stay calm. Unfortunately, it was a futile effort.

Cobra stared intensely at Jumba through his dark sunglasses. "Jumba… what is it?" he asked in a low insisted voice, leaning forward.

"Ah… what is what?" Jumba asked nervously, sweat dripping down his fatbrow.

"I can TELL you're hiding something," Cobra said sternly, his demeanor became colder. "What is it?"

Sighing, Jumba threw up is hands in defeat. "Alright! FINE!" he answered irritably. "The truth is that I KNOW where my experiments are and I DON'T want them taken away from me even if I got my freedom!"

Cobra removed his sunglasses, and stared intensely at the former evil scientist. "What have you done, Jumba?" he asked in a soft but demanding voice.

"Well you see…" Jumba explained awkwardly, knowing what he was about to say sounded crazy. "Lilo and Stitch are planning on rehabilitating them."

A look of surprise crossed Cobra's face, but then he composed himself. "So they… know… about the experiments?" he asked, frowning.

"Yes," Jumba answered stiffly, his four eyes glowering at the man with a lot of connections.

Repressing a sigh, Cobra rubbed his forehead in deep frustration before continuing. "Well, understand this Jumba: you'll only make it more difficult for everyone, even yourself, if you don't cooperate with the Federation Council. And there is the possibility that others will try to capture your genetic experiments for their own use. Would you rather they fell into the wrong hands?"

Jumba sighed, realizing that he had little choice in the matter. "…Follow me." He gestured to the door.

Jumba walked out of his room and down the stairs, with Cobra following.

"So what is the big secret?" Pleakley called out.

"Quiet, you," Jumba snapped irritably.

"This matter is classified," Cobra told Pleakley coldly.

"Oh… uh…" Pleakley stuttered, taking three steps back. "OK… uh, well, you do… whatever you're going to do."

Jumba grunted in reply as he reached for the front door.

...

Walking down the path that led to the ship, Jumba led Cobra to the ship where the experiments were kept.

"You're doing the right thing, Jumba," Cobra assured him.

"Yeah, whatever!" Jumba remarked rudely, unhappy with the situation. But, suddenly, Jumba stopped; a surprise look appeared on his huge face as he reached the clearing that HAD housed his ship. "What?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Where is Jumba's ship?"

Cobra viewed the vacant area. "You're saying that it was here and now it's gone?" he asked quietly.

"Yes and… and little girl and Stitch were on it…" Jumba confirmed. "But why would they take the ship?" he wondered, scratching his head in confusion. It was then that a sound suddenly rumbled in the sky, and upon looking up, the two saw the ship heading their way.

"Perhaps we can ask them when they land," Cobra commented dryly.

"Yes. Perhaps we will," Jumba replied, annoyed with the hectic situation as moments later the ship made a landing in its area.

Inside the Ship

Stitch had just piloted the ship to the forest area near their house where it had been for a while.

"Stitch?" Lilo called out as she entered the cockpit. "How much longer till…" She stopped in midsentence. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly. "We're here!"

"Uhhhhh-ohhhhh..." Stitch murmured, looking through the window, gulping slightly.

"Stitch, what's wrong?" Lilo asked, looking out the window. Then she noticed something. "Stitch, there's Jumba!" she exclaimed in surprise. "And… isn't that Cobra Bubbles?"

"IH," Stitch answered in his rough voice.

"When we land… we'll have some SERIOUS explaining to do," Lilo guessed ruefully.

Stitch long ears drooped, a worried look on his face. "Ohhhhhh. Naga bootifa."

…...

Lilo, Stitch, Sparky, Reuben and Shifter walked toward the door. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Reuben asked Lilo, clearly uneasy about all of this.

"Yes," Lilo told him humbly. "You, Sparky and Shifter, wait here. Stitch and I will explain everything."

Reuben, Sparky and Shifter nodded. Stitch promptly opened the door and walked outside, followed by Lilo, with Cobra and Jumba about ten feet away.

"What in the galaxies were you two DOING?" Jumba demanded when he saw them, his four eyes glaring at them.

"Well…" Lilo began to say. "It's kind of a long story."

"I wish to hear it too," Cobra Bubble replied in a deep voice.

"Let's just get inside the ship!" Jumba told everyone loudly, gesturing to the ship. "Away from any prying eyes, I mean."

"Okaaaaay… " Lilo said uneasily, throwing a worried look at Stitch, who returned the glance.

Immediately upon entering the ship, Jumba and Cobra noticed Reuben, Sparky and Shifter.

"Heyyyyy, 'Jumba'!" Sparky cheerfully greeted.

"Wh-WHAT is the meaning of this?" Jumba demanded, losing whatever cool he had. "You let out experiment 2-2-1 and activated experiment 4-7-4 without me knowing it?"

"It's not my fault!" Lilo yelled indignantly. "I didn't plan this!"

Jumba scowled, his purple face turning crimson, ready to start shouting again.

"Hey, take it easy, Jumba!" Reuben interjected loudly. "It's not her fault some giant came here and stole your experiments! We HAD to be rescued!"

Jumba froze, his brain unable to process this. "Wh-what? My experiments… a giant…WHAT?"

"Perhaps… we should start at the beginning," Cobra Bubbles suggested calmly. "What happened?"

"W-e-e-ell… Stitch and I were going to check on Sparky and Reuben," Lilo explained in very frank tone of voice. "But when we got there, this dummy head had stolen the cousins."

"Dummy head?" Cobra exclaimed; surprise colored his demeanor.

"A giant alien called Martu," Lilo explained. "He resembled Gantu. They might even be related."

"What would he want with my experiments?" Jumba asked doubtfully.

"To give them to some gerbil-like creature called Hamsterwheel," Lilo explained, shrugging.

"No, it's Hamstervile!" Stitch corrected.

"Don't you mean, Hamsterviel?" Jumba asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah, that was it!" Lilo said; Stitch nodded in agreement.

"White fur, red eyes, stupid-looking 'H' clasp holding up red cape?" Jumba asked, making a little "H" with his hands in front of his chest.

"Yeeeeep," Stitch answered, nodding.

"Is definitely Hamsterviel," Jumba confirmed, sighing slightly as he shook his head.

"Hamster-who?" Cobra asked.

"Hamsterviel," Jumba explained. "He is a renegade scientist, much like Jumba used to be. Not as INGENIOUS as Jumba, but very, very wealthy."

"So yeah," Lilo agreed. "And Stitch and I rescued the cousins!" she added. "Sparky and Reuben helped us and while all this was happening Shifter and a few others got activated by Hamsterwheel."

"Hamsterviel," Stitch corrected.

Lilo glowered at Stitch. Jumba and Cobra stared at Lilo and Stitch in disbelief.

"What do you mean, Reuben helped?" Jumba asked, puzzled.

"I mean he saved me from Martu!" Lilo explained. "That big dummy had me but Reuben fought him off and rescued me. Then Sparky sabotaged the base, enabling us to rescue the other cousins and then we came right back home," she finished, looking uneasily at the two adults that sat before her.

Jumba and Cobra Bubbles stared at them in disbelief. They threw glances at Reuben, Sparky and Shifter who were sitting behind Lilo, also waiting for a response. At long last, Jumba was the first to break the silence.

"You mean my experiment 6-2-5 actually fought? In a battle?" he asked in amazement, his mouth hung open a fraction, his four eyes staring in wonder at his failed genetic creation that sat in a seat next to the others.

Lilo nodded a serious look on her little face. Suddenly Jumba sniffled. "Oh 6-2-5! I… I never though you had it in you!" he said, wiping a tear from one of his eyes.

Reuben shrugged, blushing under his fur. "Yeah, I guess I was pretty awesome," he conceded, unable to process flattery coming from his cruel creator.

"Lilo, you realize you could have been truly hurt?" Cobra asked in a serious voice, looking down at her.

Well… maybe," Lilo conceded reluctantly, and then she frowned, becoming serious. "But I couldn't let that big dummy steal Stitch's family."

"Well… it was a miracle that you both succeeded," Cobra stated, recomposing himself. "But now we must get down to business." He turned to the three experiments behind Lilo and Stitch. "The Federation Council is concerned about the havoc Jumba's genetic experiments' mere existence can cause and wishes to apprehend them before anyone else does."

"Wait…" Reuben interjected, raising his left paw earnestly. "Can't we talk this over?"

"Ih!" Sparky said loudly, nodding his head

"PLEASE! Don't take them away," Lilo pleaded, getting to her feet.

Cobra stared at Lilo his usually emotionless face became sympathetic. He then gave Reuben, Shifter and Sparky the same look. "I'll… see what I can do," he told them dryly. Then he turned to face Jumba. "Jumba, tell me, does this ship's communications have interstellar range?" he asked.

"Of course it does," Jumba answered, rubbing his hands nervously together. "I built it!"

"Well I need to use it," Cobra told him simply.

"R-r-right," Jumba replied, getting to his feet, his voice unsteady.

"What are you going to do?" Lilo asked.

"I'm going to explain the situation," Cobra said, getting to his feet. "The Federation will need to know the whole thing…"

…...

Cobra's car pulled over near the edge of the island where a lighthouse stood. The car door opened and Cobra Bubbles walked out and looked sideways. Lilo got out after him, followed by Stitch, Jumba, Sparky, Shifter, and Reuben.

"We'll just wait here until they arrive," Cobra explained to the other six.

"And that's when the bad news arrives," Reuben commented glumly, his front paws behind his back.

"Don't go worrying yet, Reuben!" Lilo assured him, touching his shoulder. "We just have to convince them that you and the others are fine here."

"She is right," Cobra concurred dryly, throwing a glance down at the blond-furred alien.

Reuben sighed, looking uneasy as Sparky and Shifter threw glances at each other.

They waited for almost a minute before they heard a rumbling sound and looked up.

"They have arrived," Cobra replied dryly as if he weren't bewildered by the alien ship about to land.

Seconds later, the spaceship touched down, and everyone waited in anticipation. Reuben gulped, Shifter grunted softly, Sparky's antennas made a buzzing sound as electrical current traveled through them. Moments later the capsule-like-ship's ramp opened and the Grand Councilwoman of the Galactic Federation regally walked out, followed by two dinosaur-like guards.

"Greetings," the dignified Grand Councilwoman said solemnly, turning to face Cobra Bubbles. "I understand there is a… complication… involving the illegal genetic experiments." She cocked her head, toward Reuben, Shifter and Sparky, who flinched. "What is the problem?"

"Tell her, Lilo," Cobra told the young Hawaiian girl, gesturing her to speak.

Lilo braced herself before answering. "Please, don't take Stitch's family away," she pleaded in a high youthful voice.

Stitch nodded earnestly.

"What do you mean?" the Grand Councilwoman asked gravely, blinking in surprise and wondering what has transpired recently. "And why do you call them family?"

"The experiments are Stitch's cousins," Lilo explained desperately, gesturing to Reuben and the others. "They just don't know the difference between right and wrong."

"And that makes them a great threat," the Councilwoman replied gravely, looking down at Lilo, shaking her head back and forth. "I am sorry… but our laws are absolute about such situations."

"They just need to be loved and understood," Lilo countered earnestly. "Is it fair to judge them for things that they have not done yet?"

"Please, listen to the girl Your Highness!" Reuben pleaded loudly, taking a few steps forward. The Grand Councilwoman stared at him in surprise. "It's not my fault Jumba created me; I never asked to be Mr. Monstrosity!" he begged, putting his paws on his chest before he threw a stare at Sparky and Shifter. "And neither did the others…" he added anxiously.

"IH!" Shifter retorted in a voice as loud as his currently small vocal cords could produce.

Sparky nodded anxiously, clutching his little fists together nervously.

The Grand Councilwoman stared at the three experiments without saying anything, for what seemed to be a long time, before she glanced at Lilo and Stitch, and then threw a glance at Jumba and Cobra Bubbles. She started rubbing her hands thoughtfully as she considered the issue. "Very well," she finally said. "I decree that the experiments will stay on earth under your care!" The Councilwoman pointed at Stitch and Lilo. "And you shall be assigned to rehabilitate them."

Stitch, Lilo, Reuben, Shifter, and Sparky gave a sigh of relief. The Grand Councilwoman turned to Jumba. "Jumba Jookiba…" she began to say, standing firmly before the pudgy scientist, her hands behind her back. "You have fulfilled our agreement. We will now take you home."

Jumba smiled at the news. Then he frowned. He turned to stare the Lilo and the others who were clearly going to miss him. The Grand Councilwoman frowned. "Do you not wish to go home Jumba?" she asked, her dark eyes narrowing slightly.

Jumba pondered this for a moment before answering. "Jumba is thanking you for allowing me to go home…" he answered respectfully. "But… but am deciding home is with my family… and my family is here," he added, looking over at Lilo and Stitch.

At this, Lilo and Stitch smiled with joy and ran over and hugged Jumba, with Jumba returning the embrace. Reuben, Sparky and Shifter stared at the spectacle silently as the Grand Councilwoman and Cobra Bubbles smiled slightly.

"Then it is settled!" the Grand Councilwoman replied gravely, throwing a glance at Cobra. "Now I just have to assure the Council that this is the right course."

"Yes," Cobra said empathetically, knowing the complications of politics.

"Farewell!" the Councilwoman replied, and with a powerful stride, she turned and walked back to her ship, followed by her guards. Moments later there was a roar of rockets. Lilo, Stitch and the others watched as the Councilwoman's ship took off into the sky.

"Well Lilo, do you wish to go home?" Cobra asked, cocking his head toward her.

"Wait! There's something we need to do first," Lilo exclaimed, turning towards Sparky. "Sparky, come with me."

Sparky turned into a lightning bolt, generating electricity as he flew into the air and followed Lilo, with Stitch running after them. Reuben, Shifter, Cobra, and Jumba threw glances at each other as Jumba shrugged his hands, indicating his ignorance.

Lilo ran to through the lighthouse entrance and up the stairs as fast as she could, Stitch behind her, and Sparky flying in the air, the static surrounding him.

When they all reached the top, Lilo looked over at Sparky. "Sparky, this is a lighthouse," she explained, gesturing to the equipment in the huge room. "The beacon up here has been out of commission for years because it ran out of funds. You like creating lots of power, right?" she asked.

"I-i-hhh!" Sparky shouted, soaring in a circle around Lilo before landing again.

"But you blow up things with your power," Lilo reminded him sadly, causing Sparky's antennas to hang low in shame. "Well now you can live here!" she explained her tone cheerful. "And since the lighthouse won't explode when you touch it, you're going to power it up every night!" Her brown eyes focused on Sparky. "Do you want to do it?" she asked hopefully.

Sparky nodded a big grin on his face. "Remember Sparky…" Lilo said in a critical voice, pointing at the electrical alien's face. "You can't go around causing havoc like you did on that gerbil-like, er, HAMSTER-like, creature's place." Her look grew cold. "Understand?" she asked seriously.

Sparky nodded, and Lilo then turned to face Stitch. "Well I guess we can go home now, Stitch," she suggested simply. "We've got several more cousins to deal with."

"Yeah…" Stitch agreed.

…...

Night had fallen upon Hawaii as Nani exited her car, holding her purse under her left arm. Though the wind was blowing it was still a warm night, without a trace of chill. Nani sighed and walked up the stairs to the porch. She reached her left hand forward and turned the doorknob, opening the door and calling out to the others.

"Hey guys, I'm home."

She entered the living room, and then she stopped, a surprised look on her face. Jumba, Pleakley, Lilo, and Stitch were standing a few feet away from her, looking discomforted, with a furry little creature nearby and next to them – a small reptilian creature.

"Aaahhhh… Liloooooo…?" Nani began to say slowly, her eyes darting to the two creatures and the others, her expression full of concern. "Is there something you need to TELL me?" She eyed the two genetic experiments. "And who or WHAT are they?"

"Nani…" Lilo said in a low voice, fiddling with her hands uneasily. "I have long story to tell you."

"Okay…" Nani replied as gently as she could manage, rubbing her hands together, wondering what her little sister was going to say. "I'm listening."

"Do you remember that Stitch's number is 6-2-6?" Lilo asked carefully.

"Yes, what does tha…" Nani froze. "Oh no," she murmured in realization. "Oh NO. Lilo, we – there is no way we can fit that many… aliens in this house."

"Don't worry, that part is covered," Lilo assured her. "We just need to find their one true place. We found one for Sparky today."

"Sparky?" Nani asked skeptically.

"He is an electrical experiment," Lilo explained simply. "He lives in a lighthouse on the island." She glanced at Reuben and Shifter. "We still need to find homes for the others."

"And how am I supposed to support them until you find homes for them?" Nani demanded, trying to stay calm.

"Don't worry, they are dehydrated and stored away," Jumba interjected. "Safe and sound until they are activated."

"Dehydrated?" Nani asked in disbelief.

"No, no, process is not as cruel as sounding," Jumba assured her. "Dehydration is complicated process you wouldn't understand. Basically it converts you into a dormant pod form. Just add water – POOF – you are restored."

Nani scowled, trying to process this. "Lilo… is there something else I need to know about?"

"Well…" Lilo hesitated.

"Spill!" Nani demanded sternly.

"A giant sharkface alien called Martu stole the cousins and Stitch and I went into outer space to rescue them," Lilo explained. "We fought robots and a mad scientist and stuff blew up. It was really cool."

"Ih," Stitch concurred

"You went into SPACE?" Nani exclaimed in stunned disbelief. "Lilo, why didn't you tell me about all this sooner?" she demanded. Her hands rose questionably as she stared intensely at her little sister.

"Well, I just got back!" Lilo retorted defensively, her arms at her sides, glowering up at Nani.

Nani turned to face Jumba and Pleakley. "And you two knew about this all this time?" she asked, pointing anxiously at them.

"Don't look at me!" Pleakley insisted, waving his hands in front of himself defensively. "I didn't know anything until tonight."

Jumba just grinned sheepishly, his hands behind his back.

Nani turned to face Lilo, her face full of concern. "You shouldn't have gone into space," she told her sternly, jabbing a finger at Lilo. "You could have been…"

"Stitch was with me!" Lilo argued loudly, hurt by Nani's words. "And if I was kidnapped by aliens wouldn't you have rescued me?"

Nani sighed, not liking where this was going. "Lilo, this is different," she insisted, gesturing to Lilo with her right hand.

"No, it's not!" Lilo shouted her fists clutched. "Stitch's cousins are family!" Her expression softened as she continued. "They just need someone to teach them to be good, that's all," she added mildly.

Nani groaned, running her hand in her long dark hair as she tried to comprehend this. "I…" she tried to say with difficulty. "I was just afraid that you could have been hurt; that's all."

A pout appeared on Lilo's face. "I'm sorry Nani, I… didn't mean to make you worry," she replied in a low voice.

"Please don't be upset with Lilo…" Reuben interjected, trying to defend Lilo. "She is a very special girl." He looked up at Nani's face. "You should be proud."

Nani sighed, trying to remain calm. "Look," she said in a strained voice, covering her face with her left hand. "Why don't we get a good night's sleep?" She removed her hand from her face as she spoke. "Then we work this out tomorrow, okay?" she suggested wearily.

"Okay," Lilo, Stitch, Jumba and the others replied dutifully, grateful to not get into trouble.

…...

In the passenger bay, Hammerface, Bright Eyes, Droplet and Sandy were in separate cages, sulking. Jumba, Pleakley, Lilo, and Stitch entered the lab.

Pleakley scowled. "These are the other little monsters?"

"Hey!" Lilo exclaimed, glaring up at Pleakley. "They are not monsters! They are COUSINS!"

Pleakley scowled, crossing his skinny arms. "Alright, I'm sorry," he murmured in a sulking voice.

"Alright cousins!" Lilo began solemnly. "Rehabilitating you will take some time. We don't have more comfortable means to contain you until your one true place can be found." She gestured at Jumba. "But Jumba has something that will help."

Jumba held up a device that looked like a metal box with buttons. "This is a stasis inducer. It will put you in a state of suspended animation. You won't feel a thing until we're ready for you."

Sandy growled while the others just glared at Jumba. Jumba put the device near the cages. He pressed in the code and the device generated beam towards the cages, forming an energy field. The genetic experiments froze for a second and then went into a sleeplike state.

"Well… I guess that's that," Lilo commented dryly.

"Ih!" Stitch agreed.

"At least we won't have to worry about their needs or comforts until we can focus on them," Jumba commented positively. "Yes, I guess that's that."

"Now… we need to find a place for Reuben and Shifter," Lilo reminded him.

"Right…" Jumba commented dryly. "A former evil genius's work is never done!"

…...

The next day Nani came down to make breakfast. Entering the kitchen, Nani stopped short. The table was full of various sandwiches, and Reuben was making new ones.

"Good morning," Reuben said kindly. "Did you sleep well?"

"What is this?" Nani asked, gesturing to the food on the table.

"Breakfast," Reuben explained softly.

"…Sandwiches?" Nani asked warily.

"Sure! Why not?" Reuben asked, puzzled.

Nani was speechless. "Hey, what's going on?" Lilo asked, coming up behind Nani.

"I was just making breakfast for everyone and your sister is acting all weird," Reuben explained stiffly.

Lilo smirked, amused by Reuben's misunderstanding of Earth culture. "Ohhh, you made sandwiches! Well, you see Reuben," she explained carefully. "We usually don't have sandwiches for breakfast."

Reuben frowned. "Really?" he muttered irritably.

"But you've worked so hard," Lilo assured him quickly. "So we'll have what you made us. Right Nani?"

"Well… I guess it will be all right," Nani conceded.

A LITTLE LATER

"I have to admit these are very good sandwiches," Pleakley said, taking another bite out of his lettuce cheese mayo sandwich.

"It seems you have a gift for making great sandwiches," Jumba said, taking a big bite out of his Double Decker sandwich.

"Yeah!" Lilo said. "What do you think Nani?"

"Well…" Nani paused for a moment. "They are very good," she admitted ruefully.

"Hey maybe your one true place is at a deli," Lilo suggested. "You could make sandwiches," Lilo said.

"Sounds good!" Reuben answered excitedly, rubbing his paws together.

…...

In KokauaTown, a man was hard at work behind the counter of a deli, cleaning off the cash register. A moment later, with a jingle of a bell, the door opened and Lilo entered, followed by Stitch and Reuben. Save for three other people, who, naturally, threw glances at these strange creatures flanking the young child, the store was utterly empty.

"Aloha, Mr. North!" Lilo called out.

"Greetings, Lilo," he said politely, eying the two creatures. "I'm very sorry, but, well, I don't allow pets in here," he told her nervously, shaking his head back and forth.

"Hey, pal, I'm no one's pet, alright?" Reuben interjected, paws on his hips as he frowned slightly. "I'm a full-fledged individual!"

Mr. North stared in disbelief at the strange creature who could speak fluent English. "What are you?" he finally managed to get out as the others in the deli gaped on.

"I'm what you call an alien from outer space, pal," Reuben answered simply. "The name… is Reuben."

Mr. North glanced at Lilo for an explanation. "See, we're trying to find his one true place," Lilo explained. "Since Reuben really likes sandwiches, I thought maybe he could work here?" she asked.

Mr. North glanced at Reuben and at Lilo. "I… uh… well, I'd… I mean…" he stuttered, unable to process it. "I don't know, Lilo…"

"Well, what if Reuben gave you a demonstration of his abilities?" Lilo suggested. "Then you can decide if he can work for you!"

Mr. North thought of it. "I guess it won't hurt," he conceded, shrugging slightly.

"All right, lead the way; take me to your ingredients!" Reuben said. "And don't go easy on me; I want you to give me your most complicated recipe."

Mr. North looked uneasy but gestured to the kitchen. Reuben jumped up to climb over a chair, hopping over the deli's countertop and moving into the kitchen. "The recipe book is right over there, Mr. Reuben," Mr. North told the genetic experiment as he pointed to the book on the counter.

Since there was no chair nearby, Reuben braced himself and jumped on top. He opened the book and flipped through several pages, looking for the most complex recipe. Gazing intently into the book, he flipped through a few more and then went back a few pages.

"How about this one?" Reuben inquired, pointing to the page.

Mr. North looked at what Reuben had picked and blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?" he asked. "That recipe takes real diligence to do right."

"Look at it this way…" Reuben said, putting a paw on his chest and speaking persuasively. "If I can make it, you get a freaky but useful employee. If not, then I'm gone!"

Mr. North considered that. "Well, I guess… it would be alright. Go ahead."

With a smile, Reuben jumped off the table without difficulty and ran to the fridge. Sprouting out his extra arms, he whipped out some meat, vegetables, bread and sauces and jumped on top of the counter, quickly slapping them down next to the bread that was already there. Taking off to a cupboard nearby, he looked inside, then closed it and looked in another, then another.

"Yeah, this is it," he proclaimed, taking out some spices and racing back to the pile of food. He was moving so fast it was hard to see him as he cut, piled and spread the food remarkably well; and within minutes, he had made a plate with a unique delicacy. Mr. North stared in disbelief at the pristine and delectable sandwich before him.

"Well… what do you think?" Reuben asked, confident with himself, a big grin on his features.

Mr. North cleared his throat as he attempted to contemplate the situation. "Amazing," he said at last. "I'm impressed. You're hired!" he told Reuben, shaking the experiment's paw.

Reuben smiled. "Thanks, sir, you aren't gonna regret this, I promise!" he said happily.

"But first I need to make reservations for your employment," Mr. North said quickly. "Can you come here at 7:00, two days from now?"

"Sure, no problem!" Reuben said with a shrug. "I'll be there, sir!"

With that, Reuben ran out of the kitchen and went back to Lilo and Stitch. "Hey, great news! I'm hired!" he announced.

"That's great, Reuben!" Lilo exclaimed joyfully.

"Tooki oo waba!" Stitch said kindly.

Reuben went over and embraced them. "Thanks, thank you so much," he told them. "It feels great to not be a failure anymore," he said softly.

Lilo and Stitch withdrew their embrace and looked at each other. "Well… two down! And six hundred and twenty-three more to go," Lilo told Stitch, glancing at Stitch.

"Ih!" Stitch replied.

…

The End

Author note: Please review. Also, Tune in for sequels then will be posted at a Future date.