The Way Things Fall: Chapter 25

The safe house was cold, damp, and dark. Being hidden underground, there was no natural light anywhere in the small area. As well, ‘house’ isn’t the best term. From the inside it looked like a regular house. A fully stocked kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, and a few bedrooms down a long hall. All of that made up the experiments ‘safe house.’ The Grand Council had the area made after the Hamsterveil and the Leroys were put in prison. They didn’t want to risk them all getting captured again. In the case of a great threat, the safe house would be to house those in danger. In this case, it was Lilo and Stitch.

The elevator ride down into the island didn’t take long. Or at least it didn’t feel like it to Lilo. Her mind was running a mile a minute, making everything seem to go fast forward. After the elevator came to a stop, a scanner popped out of the side of the door. Stitch offered up a plucked hair for it to analyze and the door opened.

“Welcome, experiment six-two-six.” An electronic voice said throughout the space.

Lilo wandered around what would be their new home, disliking how quiet it really was, while Stitch got the main power generator working. There was no television, and no communication devices in the house, save for an untraceable communication monitor linked straight to the Grand Council. Lilo had filled the living room with some board games, but otherwise there was nothing to do but sit around and wait to find out if it was safe or not.

“I hope we don’t have to stay here long.” Lilo said, plopping herself down on the couch.

“Meega too.” Stitch called from the kitchen as the lights suddenly came to life.

“I hope everyone will be okay….”

Stitch returned to the living room, finding Lilo huddled on the couch. It wasn’t very often he had seen her this sad and worried. Normally, he’d know just what to do to make her feel better. However, with things as they were, that wasn’t an easy task to do. Sitting on the couch beside her, Stitch wrapped his arm around Lilo, pulling her in close. He rubbed her side and gave her a soft kiss near her temple.

It was a small gesture, but the comfort helped Lilo a little bit. At the very least, she was able to smile again.

“Weega go lay down.” Stitch offered.

The quiet room wasn’t helping their mood at all. Lilo nodded in agreement, she really needed some rest after running around so much.


A couple of long, hours passed. The silence was near deafening, each and every sound that they made became glorious music to them. The house was still cold, however Lilo was starting to warm with Stitch’s fur. She cuddled deeply into him, wanting to be as close as humanly possible. He truly had become the love of her life. Even now, with her family trapped and in danger, all she could think about was what she would do if it was Stitch they had taken.

Lilo’s heart hurt just thinking about it. He had done so much for her. Looked after her, protected her, been a friend to her, loved her. She really did wish she would have seen her feelings for him sooner. Now she could see how precious time with those she cared about was. With the thought that she might never see Nani, David, Jumba, or Pleakley again, she wanted to revel in the fact that at least she still had Stitch. And she was going to enjoy every moment of it.

“Lilo, oketaka?” Stitch asked, feeling her grip on him tighten.

“I’m fine.” Lilo whispered, barely able to speak. “I just… need to be close.”

Stich complied, wrapping another arm around her, gently caressing her back and side. “Weega be oketaka. Everyone else too.”

“I know.”

Stitch nearly gasped, feeling Lilo’s lips trail up his neck. “L-Lilo?”

Stitch found no reply in Lilo. She only continued trailing up until she finally reached his lips. What she needed more than anything, was to feel love. In the hardest times, and scariest situations, the best cure for her was to always feel love. It reminded her of all the good that would soon come. After a few moments, she found it. Stitch returned her kisses with all the sweet and tender love he could. The silence of the room was no longer present, as all their worries and the world slowly melted.

Lilo smiled as she felt Stitch return her affection in his light touches and kisses. No matter what, he was always there for her, and always made her feel better. She knew that nothing could go wrong as long as she had him by her side. Stitch would always be her crutch as long as she needed him.

After what felt like too short of a time, a sudden buzz and ringing brought them back to their senses. Annoyed at the disturbance, panic suddenly filled them as they realized that it was the communicator that Lilo had brought with them.

“Isa it the Grand Councilwoman?” Stitch asked as they rushed back to the living room.

“If it was, she would use the safe houses communicator wouldn’t she?”

Lilo quickly answered the call, hoping that some mistake had been made, and that the Council had called the wrong number or something. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

“Long time no see, you insufferable little pests.” Hamsterveil’s voice rang from the device. “Normally I’d grow sick at the sight of you two, but nothing could ruin this day for me.”

“How did you call this number? It’s supposed to be a secret.” The hate on Lilo’s face and in her voice didn’t faze the little hamster.

“A simple communication device is nothing for an evil mastermind like myself.”

“Gaba yuuga want?” Stitch asked with disgust.

“Oh, nothing much.” Hamsterveil replied playfully. “Just your complete and utter destruction!” He laughed maniacally before continuing, making Lilo and Stitch roll their eyes. “But where are my manners? I should first give the happy couple a little congratulatory…gift.”

Lilo and Stitch’s hearts stopped. Whether it was because Hamsterveil knew of their relationship, or when he moved out of the camera frame to show what he had, they did not know. However, seeing
Angel bound and lying motionless on the ground with a small puddle of blood around her neck made all their anger flare up.

“Let her go, Gerbil face!” Lilo shouted.

“It’s Hamster face to you! You goody two-shoes you.” Hamsterveil recomposed himself. “You’re free to come and get her. I’m sure you know where we are.” With a small shift he showed the lighthouse behind him. “After all, you lead us to her.”

High pitched laughter rang from the communicator before it finally went silent. All the colour drained from their faces as they realized what they had done.

“It’s our fault that Angel is in danger.” Lilo said, her words sinking with her guilt.

“Ih…”

“So it’s up to us to go save her!”

“But weega have order to stay here. Where isa safe.” Stitch reminded her.

“I know.” Lilo tossed the communicator aside. “But we can’t just sit here like this. Hamsterveil is out there with Angel. Even if we can’t rescue her, perhaps we can be lead to where everyone else is.”

“Yuuga get in butifa trouble if the Grand Councilwoman finds out weega left.”

Lilo stopped and thought about it for a moment. Soon, an idea came to her. “Then we won’t both leave. You’ll go save Angel and our ‘ohana. I’ll stay here just in case the Council checks in on us.” Stitch didn’t like the idea of splitting up. Leaving Lilo on her own felt like the wrong choice, and Lilo could see it written across his face. “Don’t worry, Stitch. I’ll be safe here. This is the safest place there is aside from being by your side.”

“Oketaka. Meega be as fast as meega can.” Stitch still didn’t like leaving her, but they had little choice in the matter. Hamsterveil was all but calling them out, and to leave Angel like that would be asking for trouble.

“Be careful.” Lilo said before he ran off. “It could also be a trap.”

Stitch nodded, and with a farewell kiss, he took the elevator back up to the surface. Once again, Lilo found herself in silence, but this time it was bearable. Because she knew that it would be over soon. If Stitch was on the move, he could do anything. Thoughts of him rescuing all their friends and family filled her mind, giving her solace as she had to wait.


Sitting on top of the Mulan Wok building, Leroy watched as Stitch emerged from the fake man-hole cover. Seeing Stitch look around for danger, he stepped back, not wanting to get caught. It took everything in his power to not leap out and attack. As much as he wanted to, there was an even better prize to be had, hidden just beyond the secret entrance.

With an ever widening grin, he watched as Stitch drove off. Yes. Run off. Stifling a laugh, he quickly jumped down to the street and made his way to the secret entrance, slightly surprised it was an elevator. Ugh. Waiting.

It felt a lot longer to him that it actually was. Waiting always felt like it took forever, especially after his time in prison. Everything was worth it though. Leroy’s heart began to race as the elevator came to a stop. Expecting the doors to open right away, he was disappointed by the scanner that popped out.

With an annoyed growl, he clawed at the door expecting it to tear to shreds.

“Gaba?”

The door stayed completely intact. Not a single scratch could be seen on the shiny metal. Thinking it might just be some sort of fluke, he tried again. And again. And again. No matter what, he didn’t make a mark on the door. His eyes shifted to the scanner, finding it as his only option.

Tearing a piece of fur from his body, Leroy held it up to the scanner. After a moment, a computerized voice responded.

“No authorized experiment DNA found.”

Leroy instantly banged his head against the door, once again not leaving a mark. The amount of effort Leroy was going through made him wonder if all this waiting around was really worth it. I could have destroyed them days ago already…

He raised his claw out of frustration, about to destroy the scanner altogether. If I can’t get in, then no one can. Just as he was about to make his mark, he stopped. A small bit of magenta on his claw caught his eye.

“Angel’s blood.” He laughed to himself.

After lifting his claws to the scanner the door finally opened.

“Welcome, experiment six-two-four.” Reverberated throughout the safe house.

“Angel!?” Lilo called from the kitchen. “Are you and Stitch back already? Is everything… okay…” She trailed off as she reached the entrance, horrified by who had come.

“Naga quite.” Leroy snarled.


Stitch hurried to the lighthouse as quickly as he could. No matter what, he had to make it before anything bad happened to Angel. He wondered where Sparky was, and how Hamsterveil had managed to capture her, but that mattered little. All that he cared about was rescuing the ones he cared about. Not only that, but he still felt uneasy about leaving Lilo behind. Even if she was in the safest place on Kaua’I, it felt like the wrong decision to leave her behind.

Reaching the lighthouse, he scanned the area for Hamsterveil and Angel.

“Hamsterveil?! Where are yuuga?! Give meega Angel!” Stitch called out, receiving no answer.

After a quick look around and in the lighthouse, he found absolutely nothing. Not even a trap to have sprung on him. The entire area was completely deserted. Confused, he returned to the buggy when realization finally hit him.

“Oh no. Lilo!”

Stitch drove back to the safe house as quickly as he could. He hoped that nothing was wrong. That he was wrong, and that he would find Lilo sitting in the living room waiting for him to come back. Or that she would be in the kitchen, making them something to eat to calm his nerves.

What he came back to though, was a sight of pure and utter destruction.

Stitch stood in the elevator door, eyes wide in terror at what was before him. The entire living room area was completely destroyed. Claw marks and upturned furniture everywhere. The destruction led throughout the entire house. It looked as if a small tornado ransacked the place.

“Lilo!” He ran to every room, calling out Lilo’s name every time. Sadly, there wasn’t a single trace of her. It didn’t take long for him to realize that she too had been captured, and he cursed himself for ever leaving her side. At least it looks like she gave them a run for the money. Stitch laughed at the thought, but didn’t feel any better.

Returning to the entrance, he found a note taped to the wall beside the door.

Hello ‘cousin.’

Meega waited a butifa time to see yuuga again. It seems meega just missed yuuga though. Isa oketaka. Meega found a new toy to play with while yuuga away. If yuuga ever want to see yuuga’s boojiboo again. Meega suggest coming to coordinates at the bottom of this page.

Leroy.

Memorizing the coordinates that were left for him, Stitch shredded the note in his hands. Nothing was left once he was done with it.

“Meega ika patootie!” Stitch yelled, punching the wall. His hand stung but he didn’t pay any attention to it. The pain in his heart far outweighed anything he could feel in the moment.

Blaming himself, he once again rode the elevator to the surface. Rather than heading out to save his friend though, he was on a mission to save the love of his life. Nothing would get in his way of saving Lilo. If anyone does. They’ll be sorry.


“You’re not going to get away with this.” Lilo said defiantly, not caring about the blaster currently pointed to her back. “Stitch is going to come for me and then you’ll be sorry.”

After Leroy managed to catch her, they started walking through the forests. She knew that calling out for help would be the end of her. Making her only option to listen to him and keep moving forward.

“That isa the plan.” Leroy giggled. “Only meega naga be soka. Yuuga will.”

“Leroy?!” A voice rang from the communicator in Leroy’s space suit. “What is taking you so long? I have been waiting for over ten minutes!”

“Meega going as fast as meega can.” He snarled.

“Well it is not fast enough! Hurry before I hire a turtle to move faster than you.”

Leroy turned off the communicator with a low growl in his throat. He kept his cool with the thought that it would all be over soon.

“Why do you let him treat you that way?” Lilo asked. Despite what Leroy had done to them, her initial instinct to look after the experiments took over. Even if the experiment was one of the most evil they had ever faced.

“Gaba?” For a moment Leroy was confused by someone having concern over him, but immediately pushed it aside. “Shut up. Yuuga naga trick meega.”

“I’m not trying to trick you-Ouch.” Lilo jutted forward from Leroy pushing her with the end of the blaster. “You don’t need to shove, I’m going.”

“Good.” Leroy growled. You won’t be tricking me with your guise of love and friendship. He felt sick to his stomach just thinking about how all the other experiments acted. A sinking feeling inside of him as he thought about himself being nice and friendly like the others. No. That’s not me. There’s no good inside of me.

Despite his best efforts, even Leroy couldn’t help liking the feeling of someone showing concern for him. Ever since his creation he knew nothing but hate, disgust, and evil. Not even Hamsterveil showed him any respect or adoration. All he ever knew, was to obey and destroy, no matter what.