Authors note:

Hi everyone.
I am sorry that you haven't heard from me in a long time, but I have decided to get things back on track while I can.
I know I haven't updated my Reunited story in such a long time, but the truth is, I have lost intrest in it. I don't know whether to continue it or not. If you want me to, just tell me, and I'll try to figure out a way to get it back up and running, but if not, then I'll just leave it. As for The Stitch Files - Yes, I am still going to continue that story, but I just have to figure out what I'm going to write for the next few chpts.
I'm currently producing another fic at the moment, based on 'The Devil's Hand,' because that story inspired me so much that I just had to make up my own.But the decision whether to put it up on here or not remains undecided. I don't want to copy.
Anyway, about this fic.
I have been thinking about the relationship between Nani and Stitch lately, and decided I wanted to write my own fic about how things would be for them if they were alone for a few weeks; the rest of the family on vaction.
A few weeks ago, I fell into a depressive slump while talking to some friends on the phone. I felt like Stitch in some ways - alone, lost inside, and I figured the only way I would be able to get myself out of this depression, was to express it in words.
A bit like WatsonSword, but on a different issue.
Well, thats all I'm going to say here. I don't want to take over the story with one of my never-ending rants.
All I can say is that I hope you enjoy it and that it's not to depressing for you:D

As the beginnings of a storm began to form over Kauai that night, a young woman walked from the front porch of her house, down to her green buggy, which lay in await at the end of her drive.
After a few minutes of digging around in a swift, leather bag, she pulled out a set of keys.
Looking up to the sky, she climbed into the buggy as the first few drops began to fall.
It was unusual for a storm to hit Kauai in mid-summer, or so the woman thought as she began to start up the buggy.

Any passer by would think nothing of this; just another average citizen climbing into an average car, but if they were to do a double take, there would be a reason to stop and stare, as they would see something not so average.

The woman, who was on her way to the nearest vet, an hours drive away, turned to look at a small blue dog sitting next to her. This dog, or what had the outward appearance of a dog, had its arms crossed, and was growing lowly with a solemn look on its small face.

The woman, who went by the name of Nani Pelekai, sighed, and started to back out of the drive onto the road.

The dog however, continued to growl and stare at Nani with a solemn look on its face.

"Stitch, you know you need a check-up. Stop whining, we're not going back now. We're as late as it is."

"But, Nani! Naga need check up! Meega bootifa!"

One's reaction to hearing this; what looked like a dog could actually talk, would most likely be utter shock, but the fact was, this was not a dog of any sort.

Stitch was an alien. An illegal genetic mutant from an alien planet.

Stitch, originally dubbed Experiment 626, had been living with Nani, and her little sister Lilo for about a year now.

He had crashed on Earth, and had used the family, well, mainly Lilo, as a 'shield' to protect himself from two bounty hunters bent on capturing him to take him back into space to serve out a life sentence on a desert asteroid.

Unfortunately, the sisters had had a lot of trouble with the alien; their house had even been blown up due to a fight between Stitch and Jumba, one of the bounty hunters, who also served the role of 'father' to Stitch.
But things had turned out well in the end. The house was rebuilt, and Jumba and Pleakley, another bounty hunter and friend of Jumba, became part of their small Ohana.

Stitch sighed, and slumped down in his seat.

"Just be thankful I'm making the effort to take you."

Nani and Stitch had what you would call a 'rocky road' relationship.

The two often found themselves quarrelling a lot, and since Nani still hadn't adapted to the fact that aliens were now a part of their family, even though she had been with them for a year, she blamed Stitch for accidents and such that often happened around the house.
She couldn't help it. She just seemed to think that he had a connection with everything bad that happened around the house.
Stitch, found this extremely annoying. Ever since Nani had first laid eyes on him, he knew that she didn't like him.
Well, she did, but not as much as the others, and he knew that she thought bad things about him behind his back.

Stitch couldn't understand this.

Why was Nani never as nice to him as Lilo was? He had apologized to her ages ago for all of his wrong doings, from the bottom ofhis heart, but that was now sometime ago in the past.
She had forgiven him, but she had forgiven him the way someone would forgive someone for knocking a pencil of a desk, or for knocking someone to the ground.

She had forgiven him like it was an everyday issue, not from her heart…

Stitch sighed, and stared blankly out of the window, pondering as to why Nani disliked him so much.

"What are you thinking about?"

Stitch looked across to her.
She had a hint of suspicion in her voice, and in her eyes, which she always seemed to have when consulting the little blue alien.

Stitch didn't really want to answer her. She would think he was being stupid, seeking attention, something along those lines.

"Well?"
"Nothing. I'm thinking about nothing."

"Don't lie to me. I can all too well tell when you lie. What are you thinking about breaking this time?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid. I know you're lying."

"Alright then. Want to know what is really bothering Stitch? Though I don't see the point in telling you, cause all you'll do is insult me or something along those lines."

"Why would I do that?"

"Why wouldn't you? You do it everyday. It's not like I'm not used to it."
Nani sighed.

"I'm sick of you blaming me for every little thing that happens in our house. When are you going to stop and leave me alone?"

"When you stop! Then I'll leave you alone."

"Stop what? Leaving the fridge door open? Or forgetting to bring in the washing?"
"When you stop breaking things!"

"I never break anything! I try to tell you the truth, but you don't wanna hear it! You just take it that I've broken something, when I DIDN'T and start insulting me and calling me a 'blue wrecking ball!'"

"Well, that's what you are. Most of the time."

"No I'm NOT! Ask Lilo, or Jumba or Pleakley if you don't believe me! I know that you think I break everything cause I'm the most 'dog like' in the family. I have fur, like a dog, sharp teeth, like a dog, long ears, like a dog. Even a tail! But just because I look like a dog to you, doesn't mean I am one!

"What does this have to do with you looking like a dog?"

"Oh, it has PLENTLY to do with my 'dog like' appearance. I can tell. You treat me like a dog ALL the time. Can't you tell I have feelings? Or do you only consider that I think about bones, and playing fetch all the time?"

"No."

"Now who's lying."

"I am not lying."

"You accuse me; I have the right to accuse you."
"No you don't!"
"And why don't I? Is it because I'm not a human like you are? Is it because I'm from another planet, and I can't have the same rights as you do while I live here? I'm not completely oblivious, Nani. I can tell you dislike me. You always have, since the first moment you laid your eyes on me."

Nani felt extremely uneasy at that moment. She didn't know what to say, except to continuing staring out the window at the road.

A moment later, Stitch spoke again.
"You can't even give me an answer," he said quietly.

Nani sighed again.

"We can talk about this another time Stitch."

"See? Fob me off again, why don't you. This is the only time we've been alone in months, and you don't even want to talk with me about an issue that's been bothering me ever since I moved in with you. No matter how hard I try, I can never be good enough for you to accept me for who I am."

At that comment, Nani felt something break inside of her. Half of her knew that what he was saying was true, but the other half didn't want to hear it. Any of it.

"I may as well go back to Turo. Why stay here if this is how I'm going to be treated for the rest of my life," Stitch mumbled quietly to himself.

Nani sneaked a glance at him, and nearly burst into tears from what she saw.

The little blue alien had a look of hurt, rejection and uneasiness all combined into one on his face.
His ears were drooped the lowest she had ever seen him push them, and heseemed to be fighting back tears, as he stared out of the window with a blank look on his face.

Nani sighed to herself, beginning to have second thoughts.
'He's right. I do fob him off. I judge him. I know him, but I still judge him. What kind of a person am I?'

As she drove, she could hear Stitch talking to himself quietly. It was hard to make out what he was saying, but she could hear most of his comments, though they were extremely quiet.

"All… ever do. Fob me off… everytime, same thing…. All…am to her? Them?… A monster… just a monster... nothing but… dog… doesn't care… me… never will… never will…"

Stitch seemed to shrink down into his seat.
A few minutes later, Nani jumped a little when Stitch let out a small sob.

He let out more and more.

After five minutes of continuous snorting, hiccupping and sobbing, Stitch curled himself up into a ball.

Nani went into shock. Her heart broke in two. She could feels tears beginning to leak from her eyes as she pulled onto the side of a busy road.
Stitch had become deadly quiet.

Nani finally broke the silence.

"…. Stitch?"

He didn't reply.

"…. Are you ok?"

He still didn't answer, so Nani reached across and patted him on the back. He slowly uncurled, but didn't look at her.

"…. What do you care…"

" I… I do care."

Stitch slowly looked up to her. His chin was quivering, and tears slowly leaked from the sides of his eyes.

"… No… you don't. You never have… you never will…"

"I'm sorry… Stitch."

"Forget about it… Nani. I don't… I don't want to hear your voice. Again."
"Stitch…"

"Just leave me alone. From now on. Leave me alone… just leave me alone…"

Stitch shrunk back into a ball.

"… Take me home."

"I can't… the vet…"
"I don't care anymore… about the vet… about you… about anything."

"I understand what you're going through."
Stitch snorted loudly, and even began to chuckle.

"You think you understand what I'm going though? You think you can help? You?"

"Well… I can… I…"

"Now you want to help me? After all you've done to me?"
"Stitch…"
Stitch just shook his head.

"I can't take this anymore."

Stitch opened the car door.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you."

"Stitch! Get back in the car!"

"Make me."

"STITCH!"

Nani started to panic.
If Stitch walked, even a few steps away from the car, he would be placed in potential danger.
The road was overflowing with late night traffic.

Nani kicked open the door, and leaped out of the buggy.

She raced around the other side of the car, to find Stitch standing right on the edge of the road. The rush of the cars was so sudden that Stitch's ears blew wildly with the sudden gusts of wind.

"Stitch! What are you doing? Come away from there!"

"It's all your fault, Nani. You've drove me to this."

Nani started towards him.

"You make one move, I'll take one step."
Nani backed off.

"Please Stitch! You don't have to do this! What about Lilo?"
A look of guilt swept over Stitch's face, but only for a brief second.

"I'll never forget Lilo. Or Jumba. Or even Pleakley. But…I… will forget you."

Nani burst into tears. She began to plead with him.

"Stitch… please… come away from there. I promise things will change. I'll take you straight home. No vet. I'll give you coconut cake and coffee! Anything!"

Stitch snorted.
"Are you trying to bribe me? Do you really think it will work?"

"Please don't! Don't go! Don't leave us! Don't leave me!"

"No Nani. I'm not staying here any longer. Not in this place, where all I get is rejection and harassment. Especially from you. I tried Nani. I tried so hard… so hard to live up to your expectations… to comfort you… I even tried to love you… but all you did was throw everything back in my face. You never wanted me… you never cared for me… if I was hurt, upset…anything… you never gave a damn. Which is why I'm sure you won't give a damn if… I'm not here anymore."

"Stitch, of course I give a damn! Why would I have even taken you in?"

"To make Lilo happy. YOU HEAR ME? TO MAKE LILO HAPPY!… I mean it Nani. I'm not staying here any longer… I can't take this any longer."

"Stitch, please get away from there and get back into the car! We'll go straight home! I promise!"
Stitch just stared at her.

"No. Don't worry, Nani. This problem 'wrecking ball' you've had to put up with and complained about so often will be no longer here in a few seconds."

"Stitch! NO! PLEASE!" Nani cried. "DON'T!"

"Goodbye Nani. Oh, and just remember this…whenever you see the ugly duckling, let it be a reminder to you of the life you took."

"STITCH! NO! WAIT!"

Nani watched in agony as Stitch stepped out onto the middle of the road.
She leaped up to try to save him, but it was too late. A huge semi was approaching. She couldn't look.
Seconds later there was the loud honk of the semi, followed by a loud crack. A second after, she heard a loud bang as Stitch landed on the roof of her buggy.

The hardest thing Nani ever had to do in her life, was go over to the roof of the buggy, where Stitch lay, near death.

His limbs were twisted in every direction possible, an ear was missing, and he was heavily bleeding from his stomach.

"Stitch…"
Nani picked up his limp body, and collapsed to the ground, stroking his head.

She thought she could hear him rasping. She looked down at him through her tears.

"… S… Stitch?"

Stitch slightly raised his head. He was barely alive.
Slowly, in excruciating pain, he spoke his final words.

"… This… ugly duckling… will never… become…… a….. swan…."

With one last, stuttered breath, Stitch died in her arms.
His bright pink blood swept from his wound, through her clothes, but Nani didn't even feel any of this.
She couldn't feel anything anymore.

She cried on and on, into the night… unaware of everything around her.

Then her world went black…