(A/n) This is what happens when you have a toddler and watch Disney movies. Don't ask me where it came come. It was a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone. This takes place in an AU setting which means Stitch will not make an appearance. I am a big romance writer- I love romance. Considering I am not throwing an OC in here is a testament to how much I love this plot bunny. So criticize and flame it to high hell! I am just a hard working wife and mother taking advantage of nap time.

Chapter One: Pudge the Fish

There were some that looked at her and pitied her.

There were some who looked at her and wondered how a nineteen year old could handle the responsibility of raising a six year old. Yes, she was legally an adult and she was the only family that the six year old had left, but she was still so young herself. Didn't she have dreams of going to college? Seeing the world? Wasn't there anyone else who could take the responsibility off of her hands?

The government seemed to think so judging by how many social workers marched in and out of their house on a monthly basis. Ever since the car accident six months prior that took their parents' lives, Nani and Lilo Pelekai have been trying hard to stay together as a family. They were trying hard not to cry. They were trying hard to not fall apart at the seams. They were trying…

There were days that Nani wanted so badly to curl up into a ball and cry and cry until she was completely empty. There were days that she felt so angry at the world that she wanted to scream and scream until her voice was nothing more than a ragged croak. Yet, she had to be strong, for Lilo's sake. Even if she was bone tired from trying to hold down two part time jobs trying to pay the bills. There weren't many places willing to hire a nineteen year old for a full time position let alone with a six year old child to take care of and raise. It was a slight blessing that their house had been paid off by her parents' life insurance and there was a trust fund that had been set up for them to help them stay afloat. Nani did not want to touch it, she wanted her sister to at least have a chance. Yet, there were those times when she would see Lilo and see how tired she was.

Her six year old sister was just as lost as she was, perhaps even more so. They were both so tired of trying to survive when they could not grieve properly. Everyone was expecting them to move on with their lives already. They didn't seem to understand just how deep the grief ran… It was this choking thing that was a constant in their daily routines. Both sisters were tired…

It was perhaps because of this that, when Lilo came to her that early Thursday morning asking where the peanut butter was, Nani decided to throw responsibility to the wind, for just one moment. She had looked at her little sister with her bag in hand filled with her things: her handmade doll, her hula skirts, and various odds and ends. She could feel the choking sadness in her heart as she turned back to the stove to turn it off. The lunch she had been planning for their new social worker coming to visit today could wait. She wasn't much of a cook anyway. She set about putting things away and back in the fridge and cupboards while looking for the peanut butter jar. When she found it, it was empty. She had heaved a sigh and turned to look at her sister, holding up the empty jar. Already she could see the lower lip trembling and a part of Nani knew that any other time she would have swept away the sad look and told Lilo to feed Pudge the fish something else.

Today was different.

"C'mon Lilo," she said as she moved to set the jar aside to wash it out later for recycling. "Let me make a few calls and we'll head to the store and get more peanut butter." She moved to her sister and ran a hand over her silky black hair. "Don't worry about hula class today. We're going to make sure Pudge gets his peanut butter sandwich and then we're going to have a nice lunch at the diner in town before the social worker gets here. How's that sound?"

The smile she had gotten in return was the first bright one she had seen on her sister's face in weeks. She knew she was doing the right thing. With a plan set in motion, Nani went on to make the phone calls to Lilo's hula instructor and her boss advising that they were taking a personal day for much needed family time. It was something they had not had since before the accident…

Thankfully, the other adults were understanding of the last minute change in plans, and soon they had a morning that was free of any expectations. As Nani hung up the phone, she turned to her sister and told her to grab the bread while she want to grab her bathing suit. They were going to have a good day today.

-o-

As Nani followed her sister into the warm waters, a part of her deep inside let out a sweet sigh in relief.

No worries...

"Nani! Hurry up!" Lilo called as she let out an excited giggle, reaching out to grab her older sister's hand while holding on tightly to the peanut butter sandwich she had painstakingly made for Pudge. Nani could only laugh in reply as her sister tugged her deeper into the clear waters, her eyes searching for her fish.

There were many different kinds, all shapes and sizes, but Lilo seemed to know which one was hers. It was something that she had started to do not too long after the accident. Every Thursday, she would take Pudge the fish a peanut butter sandwich. It was a strange ritual but not one that Nani had ever questioned before. Her sister was a strong swimmer and she knew the waters as well as Nani herself did. Yet, she had never asked the six year old why it was so important that Pudge had to have a peanut butter sandwich.

So, while they were wading out toward the deeper waters, she had asked this very question. Lilo looked at her, a slight frown on her young face as she regarded her older sister. "Pudge controls the weather," she said with all the seriousness that only a six year old could have.

"Ah," was all Nani could say in reply. In a strange sort of way, it made sense. If she believed that the fish that controls the weather is happy then there would be no bad storms. Like the one that took their parents… She could only follow her sister closely, her heart feeling heavy. As an adult, she knew how the world worked, or at least she was learning. Yet, there was a part of her that wanted to believe her sister. If Pudge the fish controlled the weather and was kept happy, than no one else they knew and loved would ever be swept away in a bad storm.

"There he is!" Lilo cried out as she pointed out to the water.

Nani's brown eyes searched the area her little sister pointed to and could make out the silhouette of a bright orange fish with speckles of green on its back swimming its way toward the little girl. It was swimming with a purpose and the moment it reach Lilo it began swimming excitedly around her legs, nudging her hand that held its beloved sandwich. Lilo giggled as she gave the sandwich to the orange fish and waved happily to her friend.

Nani smiled at the sweet sight of it and felt a calm touch her heart. This had been the right thing to do…

The fish had paused in its swimming when it caught sight of Nani's legs at that moment. There was a moment when both sisters and the fish remained bobbing in the waves before it let go of its sandwich and darted straight to for the woman. Before Nani could react there was a sharp bite on her right ankle and she let out a hiss and a curse. A split second later there was yelp of pain from Lilo and, her own pain forgotten, Nani quickly moved to her sister and swept her up out of the water and into the safety of her arms.

"Lilo, are you ok?" Nani looked her sister over, checking to see for any serious wounds. On her left ankle, a circular wound was bleeding over, a distinct spiral shape that seemed strange to have come from a fish bite.

"Pudge bit me," the six year old said, the disbelief could be heard in her little voice. "Why did he bite me?" She was rubbing the tears away from her cheeks as she looked at her sister. "Did he bite you too?"

A flash of white hot anger swept over her as she looked around the water, trying to spot the orange fish. It took a moment but she saw it several feet away in the clear water, its sandwich in its mouth. It stared back at the two sisters, blinked, before turning and swimming away.

"C'mon Lilo, let's get out of the water and get you bandaged up," said Nani as she frowned before turning around, her own right ankle stinging from where the fish had bitten her. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea…

As she made her way back to the beach, there was a distinct rumble in the distance…

"Nani…?"

The sound of her little sister's voice trembling with fear caused her to pause in her steps. There was something behind her…

She slowly turned her head and caught the sight of a curling wave of glowing water hovering just above them before it suddenly came crashing down upon them. All Nani could hear was roaring in her ears as she held onto her sister tightly, trying to fight the sudden pull of the ocean as it dragged Lilo and her deeper into the water...