Author’s notes: I know this fic is supposed to take place after the other one. However, when I wrote the other one Leroy and Stitch had not been released yet. And as I write this one, I want it to actually stay in flow with the movies. So for the sake of continuity, we’ll just say that the events of Leroy and Stitch happened during the past four months we weren’t privy to between Stirrings Within and this one. (Even though we really know that isn’t the case) It catches the plot up without me having to rewrite my original fic.

Another point: Gah, my author’s notes are going to be longer than the chapter itself. XD
I just have to get something off my chest one more time. Nobody is forcing you to read this. Please do not feel obligated by me to continue. If you like my fics, thank you so much! I really appreciate it. If you don’t like them, I really don’t care.

Just don’t blame me if you read it when you really don’t want to or have to.
In light of everything that’s happened, I’m thankful for the fans of my writing that I have, but by no means do you need to read it.
Just saying my piece cause I am not out to win any popularity contests.
Now, on with the chapter…

Disclaimer: Lilo and Stitch and corresponding characters belong to Disney not to me. Mea Huna is a creation of my own disturbed mind.

My Place in the World

Chapter Seven:  Hopeless Decent


         We ditched our towels and I quickly pulled on my clothes. Ignoring the gaping hole that was once half our bedroom, we flew down the lift and the hallway after Jumba and Pleakley.

         “Wait!” I called, “What are you talking about? Where’s Mea Huna?”
         “Don’t know that yet,” Jumba replied as we all converged into his lab. He shoved several things off a nearby table, clearing a place for the piece of paper Stitch had brought him as well as his subspace scanner.

            I began to pace, feeling not only terror, but rage welling up within me. Stitch fell into stride with me, stopping me by putting a hand on my arm. I almost jerked away from him for his fingers fell upon one of my bruises. It was now very dark and purple. We exchanged a glance of uneasiness, but at least he stopped my walking a hole into Jumba’s floor.

             “I don’t understand,” I said, swinging into other emotions as my eyes filled up with tears, “What happened up there? Why would anyone want to take Mea Huna? He never hurt anybody. He is just a baby for God’s sake!”

             I collapsed in a nearby chair. Stitch stood at my side, holding my hand in a comforting manner.
            “Why does this sort of stuff always happen to us?” I asked and then had to giggle at my own question. Only someone like me would have these sorts of problems. No one else I ever knew had the crazy Ohana I did.

             Jumba was still bent over his worktable sorting out some things that only he understood. He had yet to elaborate on anything that was happening. The suspense was killing me and I was just short of biting all my nails off. I wanted to know exactly what was going on. Someone or something had stolen my child and that was fighting grounds for me.

            Stitch seemed to understand and brushed my hair aside from where it was sticking to the tracks my tears made down my face. I wondered what was going on in his mind. He seemed so cool and collected. Beneath the surface however, there could be torment. He just didn’t let it show. I knew if he wanted to, he could do more than tear the house down.

           “Ah-ha!” Jumba exclaimed jumping to his feet the best the overweight scientist could, “I think I found what was looking for. Little girl, your experiment…” he caught himself mid-sentence. To him Mea Huna was like an experiment, to me he was my life, “Meaning, your child, has been taken by someone on the Galactic Council. Although why, not so sure.”

           “Well, can’t we make some calls?” I asked frantic again and up on my feet once more.

           “Calling Grand Council Woman is out of the question,” he replied, “Besides, I don’t think she is too happy with someone using subspace channels to get manicure and pedicure appointments.” He shot a glance at Pleakley, who up till now had just been standing there observing and absorbing all the information offered up.

            “Don’t look at me,” he said in defense, “Do you know how hard it is to get a good pedicure here on earth?”
Jumba scowled and said some alien curse words under his breath before turning back to me. He could tell by the look on my face that the pointless bickering was not only upsetting me, but getting us nowhere fast.

             “Grand Council Woman has too much on her plate to deal with this situation,” he continued, “Besides, knowing who might be behind kidnapping. This could be very dangerous.”

             “What are we going to do?” I asked, “If we can’t get the Council to help?” I brushed away some more tears.
Stitch took my hand once more.

             “We go, boojibu,” he said, “We do this ourselves.”
He was right. We had all the help we really needed here on earth. If any of his cousins wanted to come, that would be more firepower in our corner.

             “Then we have to go now,” I said, “We can’t wait around for them to do who knows what to our son.”
              “I’ll warm up ship,” Jumba said.
              “I’ll make the refreshments!” added Pleakley. We all just kind of looked at him.

* * *

               At the moment when I saw that Mea Huna had been taken, I figured it was Angel. Now I had to kick myself for thinking that. She would never stoop so low to do something like that. Sure she had run off into the night, but there were other things on her mind. Something darker and far more sinister had taken my son and that worried me to no end.

              As I feared, it seemed none of the cousins could come along for the ride. I was finding myself left with only one option.

              The communicator buzzed, commenting me with my intended party. There was static on the line as the picture cleared. Before me stood someone I had not seen in quite a while. We both smiled as our eyes met.

              “Reuben,” I said, “How are you?”
              “Hey, Lilo,” he replied, “What’s up?”
              “I need your help,” I said, “There has been an emergency.”
              “I assumed as much. You know, you or my cuz never call just to talk.”
“This is serious, Reuben,” I continued, “My son has been kidnapped. Well, our son.” I pulled Stitch in front of the communication device. He smiled and gave a wave.
               “Aloha, cuz,” he said
               “Aloha yourself,” Reuben replied. Then he turned to address me.

               “Lilo, I would love to help, but what do you expect me to do? I’m only a chef.”
               “With all of Stitch’s strengths and abilities,” I reminded him, “I am running out of options. We are leaving tonight. Ask Gantu if he can intercept our ship.”
               “Woah, hold on there!” Reuben cried, “You want me to interrupt Gantu’s mission plans for your son?”

                I thought a moment. “Well, yes,” I finally said, realizing how ridiculous the request sounded.
                “You’re going to have to find another way,” Reuben said and he was right. I couldn’t ask him and Gantu to abandon everything just to come help my sorry ass. We were in this on our own.

                Reuben, Stitch and I talked a few more minutes and then cut the transmission. I hung up feeling a little dejected. It seemed like no one really cared, even though I knew they did. They just couldn’t do anything about the fact that they had other things to do.
                 The urgency of the emergency was not enough to stop the world, only my own.

                 Stitch didn’t say much about the outburst that he had experienced in the shower. With all that had happened so fast, it had become an after thought. I didn’t ask him about it either. There were far more urgent matters at hand. However, I did file the incident away for further inquiry once things returned to normal. In our current situation, that did not seem like a possibility though.

                 I sighed, looking out the window and wondered where my son was and if he was even still alive. Tears started to fall as I felt Stitch join me where I sat. His arm encircled my waist and his other hand rested upon my shoulder. I felt his warm breath on my cheek as he whispered, “Boojibu, it will be all right.”
            I wondered if he even believed that himself.

            Time was short and many things were against us. I would swear even the universe was against us. I heard footsteps fall across the floor. They were heavy and made the boards beneath them creak with each step.

               “Little girl,” came the voice behind us. Jumba stood at the doorway.
“Time is of essence. We must be hurrying if there is any hope you still wish for. Come, ship is ready.” His voice was steady and soft, not something I was used to hearing from the boisterous doctor.

               I rose to my feet, somberly leaving the room behind. Stitch took my hand and gave it a squeeze, trying to pass a little reassurance to me. For once in my life, things seemed hopeless.

              We passed by Jumba on the way out of the room. Even though the alien and I made eye contact, I couldn’t help but feel his gaze drift down to my arm, the one nearest him. I found myself quickly hiding the bruise from his prying eyes. I knew he wanted to ask me about it, but he only nodded as if he understood it was something that Stitch had caused. Or maybe it was just my overactive imagination giving me the suggestion of his insight.

               Whatever the case, I was not ready to talk to anyone about the incident or the physical retributions of it.

* * * * *

The room was semi-dark as any cell should be, bathed in shadows to hide the dirtiness of the place. Two lone figures stood watching the small captive as he cowered in the corner of his prison. Laser beans snapped with static electricity, blocking any escape the creature might try.  
“Are you sure this thing is dangerous? It looks human,” one figure said, approaching the cage as if to test his theories. He stuck out a long, boney finger to tempt the boy.
Mea Huna growled at him and bared his claws and fangs. He didn’t dare move from where he sat though knowing with wandering eyes that getting past the barrier was futile and any attack on his tormentor would result in consequences he did not desire to endure.
The other alien replied, “I assure you, he is very dangerous.”
“Then what do we do with it? I thought we were going to destroy it.” It almost sounded like complaining.
“Patience,” was the reply, “We don’t know what he is capable of and I think we should study him. For there could be much he could teach us and many possibilities to use his power for our gain.”
“Yea, yea, I say we just kill the little bugger and be done with it.”
“That is why you are not in charge of this operation.”
“Well, Mom always liked you best, didn’t she?”
“Don’t drag Mom into this. You always drag Mom into everything.”
“I’m going to call her.”
“I’m not listening.”
The conversation turned to arguing as they left the room.

                Mea Huna looked up from where he sat in the corner of his dingy cell. He raised his eyes to the small windows cut like slits in the great ship’s hull, mocking him just beyond his reach of escape. A tear started to form in his eye, but he brushed it away. To himself he whispered one word softly,
“Mama.”

* * * * * *

“Everyone ready?” Jumba’s voice asked over the roar of the engines. For about the millionth time in my life, I was buckled in about to blast off into the heavens. It had become routine for me, like frequent flyers on a commercial airline just doing what came naturally.
I was surprised the ship that Jumba had come to earth in all those years ago still worked. It had to be miles past its warranty, as an interstellar vessel and a vacation establishment. Although the bed and not breakfast was long gone, I swear I was still finding flyers on the island for that place.

I held onto my seat and said under my breath, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

                I glanced over at Stitch who sat buckled in beside me and still wondered where his thoughts were at the moment. He had been so hard to read lately and his actions had been somewhat questionable. I hoped he wasn’t experiencing any other glitches in his programming. With our current situation, we couldn’t handle anymore surprises.

I had left a note for Nani, stuck to the refrigerator with several magnets, explaining more or less where we had gone. The extent of the thing read as follows:

Nani,
I realize I have made very rash decisions in the past. When you come home today you will find the house quite empty. I am sorry to run off again, but there is an emergency that came up. I don’t have the time to explain things. It involves my son and I am trying to make responsible choices.
As to when to expect us back, I can’t really say. If you need to talk to me, call Pleakley’s communicator.  

~Lilo
       
                 P.S. I can explain about the demolition in my room...later.


                 It was the least I could do to inform her as to our whereabouts. Honestly, I didn’t even know where we were going. We were just following a vapor trail left by an unknown ship into galaxies beyond our own. I prayed Jumba knew what he was doing and where he was taking us. It all seemed like an over-glorified wild goose chase to me, but the prize was something I was not willing to give up without a fight. I would chase anyone across the cosmos for the safe return of my flesh and blood.
                  I winced inwardly thinking of Nani's reaction to the hole that once was half my bedroom. For once in my life the destruction wasn't mine or Stitch's faults, well, not deliberately anyhow. It wasn't like I was expecting the visitors that ransacked our place.
                   After as many time as Gantu had crashed through our roof, one would thinking Nani would come to expect the damage.
       
             The engines deep in the bowels of the metal bird roared once more and back fired as we took to the air. There was a lurch that shook the entire ship and for a moment, we lost some altitude. Great, I thought, we’re going to have to call in a rental.
But soon we recovered and were on our way. It truly was us against the odds.