It was not too long ago that Rupert Jacques von Hamsterviel landed in Kauai after being tricked into an escape pod. Leroy had hoped that the freezing temperatures inside would kill him, yet instead it preserved his body far into the future…and it was probably a good thing that it failed, since Rupert actually ended up saving all of Kauai. Not only that, he actually fell for one of the experiments on the island, became the adoptive father of Myrtle and Lilo's grandchildren, and is now a doctor of a successful clinic.

Of course, there are questions that remain in the back of our minds…how did the Second Invasion of Leroy unfold? How long will the peace between experiments and humans last? And of course, there's always the mysterious Ariel, with whom Rupert seems smitten. Where did she come from? Why is she mute? And could there be…possibly, just POSSIBLY…a happy ending waiting for everyone at the end?

It's anybody's guess…but if I had to guess, I'd say it can happen, as long as everyone works together!

NOBODY GETS LEFT BEHIND

PROLOGUE

A furry white form slowly made his way up the long metal plank that led up into a large, powerfully built spaceship/laboratory. By his side was a teenage girl with long black hair and hazel eyes, a Hawaiian. There was another teenager with them, a Caucasian boy with beatnik glasses and a messy hair that fell around his forehead, with a small ponytail in the back. The girl's red t-shirt with white floral patterns rippled in the night as she led the little albino alien up to the entrance of the lab.

"Well, we haven't been in here in YEARS…why did you want to see it?" She asked of the albino she was leading inside.

"This was Jumba's laboratory during his days on Earth. I just…it's for sentimental sentimentality, that's why." The albino rodent-like alien spoke. He wore a blue vest upon his body and his red eyes glinted in pale light of the moon. He had a vaguely European accent that was rather refined. In another time and place, he probably would have made a great evil mastermind. "Open up the door, Daveigh." He requested of the door.

"All right, let's see…" Daveigh walked up to the door and up to a keypad, entering in a code. The door whizzed open, and they walked through.

The interior of the spaceship revealed yellow-painted walls and many strange machines. There were large canisters of various fuels located on the right, with several computer consoles on the left, all displaying various experimental designs. There was an especially large capsule-stand console in the middle, used to create experiments. There were dozens of buttons and levers on it, and some post-it notes that read "don't touch in event of emergency" or along the same lines.

On the wall was a large strip of photos. They examined it. "Hey…these are all of the original experiments that Jumba made!" Rupert remarked. "That's 001, Shrink…that's 221, Sparky…that one, that's 421 Heartwing, there's his "evil brother" 561, Nightwing…shame about him dying…" Rupert said softly. "Over there is experiment 626, that's 627, Legion…and of course, 628-"

"Hey look!" Ashton exclaimed suddenly. There, in the back, was a very large television set with a DVD and VCR player built into it. There was dust on everything, true, but the most amount of dust had accumulated on a box that was located right next to the TV. The human boy walked over to it. "Should I open it up?" He asked.

"Go ahead, Ashton…but uh, then step back and fast, you never knew with Jumba…" Rupert Jacques von Hamsterviel, the albino Muridean remarked.

Ashton carefully reached up to the wall, grabbing a large pointer stick that was located near a chalkboard. He then lifted up the folds of the box before stepping back quickly…

A few moments passed. Then five minutes. Nothing.

"It's safe." Rupert said. "Let's see what is inside."

They walked over to the box and opened it up. Rupert blinked. "These are…video cassettes." He remarked.

"Should we put them in?" Daveigh asked, looking up at the video player.

"…yes…" Rupert finally said. Ashton put in the first one that got his attention, they were all numbered and had titles. It read "Old Lab Days".

The TV showed an immense amount of static at first, but then the image cleared up to reveal a large and portly alien with flowing black hair, four eyes and purplish skin. He was wearing a white labcoat and was adjusting the camera. "It's up, it's up! All right, this is a PURELY scientific…" He began snickering, and then had to calm himself down. "This is devoted to showing our impressive scientific breakthroughs! Is going to be good stuff, no?"

"Come on, come on, let ME get in the picture!" A slightly annoying voice rang out. It had a rather high-pitched tone to it…

"Brother!" Rupert gasped as his brother appeared in the picture. He had his red cape on, but it didn't have an "H" in front of it yet. He looked like he'd been very cute in his younger days, he had a youthful appearance and his voice had not quite gained a sinister undertone. He rubbed his nose with a pawed digit and then smiled at the camera. "Like mah cape?" He asked, deliberately stressing the words. "It really lets me breathe!"

"Come on, come on, let's show the experiment already!"

Rupert recognized that voice…it was his own. He looked happily at the appearance of his younger self, who was wearing his signature blue vest. He had on gloves at the moment and protective glasses. "We're going to show them all what 052 can do!"

He also had a very large watermelon in his paws. Jumba stood to the side, revealing an experiment that was basically similar in design to 626, only he had buck teeth, pinkish hair and a brown and tan body with stubby brown claws. He had a rather lizard-like tail and was eager to show off.

"Alright…go ahead!" Rupert said, holding the watermelon up.

Coco nodded and jumped forward at the watermelon, whizzing around it. A moment later he jumped away…and the watermelon was now completely made of chocolate.

"To success!" Jacques crowed happily a few moments later, holding up a chunk of chocolate watermelon.

"To success!" Rupert and Jumba repeated, "clinking" their pieces against his.

Rupert began to laugh. Oh, good times…good times…

Then the scene cut to something else…Jumba had invited people from E.G.O to his lab and they were all talking about why they'd gotten into their particular occupations. Rupert was now about to speak.

"I became a doctor because "eet ees going to help me get a foothold on ze world", if you listen to my Mom. And if you listen to my Dad, "it's a necessary step toward running the universe"." Rupert said, imitating his mom and dad in a terrible mockery of their voices. "Honest? I get lots of free time to practice my music, I get to think up ideas like neurological control through musical stimulus…"

"What?" Somebody asked.

"I sing a little song, poof, they're evil. I even wrote it down! Anyhow, the real reason I do this is because I get to spend live with my best friends. What more could a guy about to leave college ask for?"

Rupert's brother was next up. He smiled gently. "I became a doctor because one day I found a blackbird in my garden and it had a broken wing and I put it in a box and tried to bring it into the house-" Then he sighed. "It was eaten by a carnivorous plant that snatched it out of the box, I became a doctor because I wanted to be taken seriously, I wanted respect and fame, and the problem is that there isn't much anymore." He sighed. "When…when did patients stop respecting us?" He asked quietly. "We used to be…we used to be looked up to, even mad scientists, got…got SOME respect, all we needed was a white coat and a doctorate and-and we got taken seriously."

Jumba nodded. "Yes, I used to get lots of people asking for my help just because I was doctor. I would get pies for fixing broken bones. Would get kiss on cheek from little girl for giving band-aid…"

Jacques sighed unhappily. "Patients don't care about their doctors, they think the only reason they got into medicine was the money, they think I'M in it for the money and the worst thing about it is…I'm NOT in it for the money, I can always get money easily from my parents or from a backdoor deal…my behind is in ICE CREAM. I just want people to take me seriously and they don't…and that's a lonely realization."

There was a long period of silence. Then Jumba spoke up.

"I am guessing became doctor for simple reason I like to create things, things that go boom, things that flash, things that sparkle and things that live and breathe! It is fascinating to create life, to play God! Is most amazing thing there is to create life and hold it in hands, is AMAZING. I don't know why people are so afraid of genetic experimentation, is not like I am making weapons of mass destruction…what harm is coming from what I am doing?"

The next scene was one that made him wince. They'd been working on a chemical compound that would accelerate the control of hormones in experiments, and when they'd all crowded around to see Jumba add the proper material to the beaker…

KABOOOOM!

"You stupid, stupid person you! Mah TAIL is on FAHR!"

"How was Jumba supposed to be knowing mixture was explosive synthesis!?"

"WHO is the evil genius here?"

"Oh, you are not evil genius? And here I thought I was working with COMPETENT PARTNER! Instead I have a GERBIL!"

"I AM A HAMSTERRRR!"

Rupert, who had been thrown clear off the table from the explosion, was covered in soot. He blinked his eyes slowly and went "Ooh".

The next scene depressed Rupert even more…now he recognized himself fighting with Jumba…only it wasn't HE that was fighting, but his delusions. Rupert had been suffering from a form of delusional psychosis for years after his brother had died in a elaborate prank that was pulled at the Evil Genius Organization HQ. Driven crazy by his brother perishing in front of him, Rupert had taken on his brother's persona and became far more dangerous than anybody could have foreseen. And now he was raising his fist and shaking it at a bald (save for three hairs) Jumba.

"Just you WAIT!" He shouted, his voice filled with venom. "I'll MAKE them take me seriously! I'LL MAKE THEM!"

With that, he jumped off the table he'd been on and headed out the door. Jumba groaned and pulled his face downwards, sighing.

"Rupert, are you sure you want to-" Daveigh began.

And then it happened. The scene changed in the video, and Jumba was now talking to the camera alone.

"This video was meant to be the first of many showing the wonderful experiences my partners and I had in creating scientific breakthroughs in evil genius workings. Now is painful reminder of past. I have to put it to rest."

Jumba rubbed his fingers through what little hair he had.

"I am disappointed. Not just in Jacques, for dying so early and leaving his brother behind, but also in myself. Because as smart as I am, I do not know anything about fixing the kind of insanity that was thrust upon my dear friend. The worst part is, I believe part of Rupert remembers whom he is…but cannot recall, heart will not LET him recall…is too painful."

Rupert's mouth was getting more and more open as he gazed at the screen.

"By Sude the Creator…I remember it used to be quite a thrill creating new life, doing something that was different. We were making amazing pets that would rub against your leg whilst their tails pulled the underwear out of your enemies, we were making breakthroughs, doing something AMAZING and…and WONDERFUL…and then what did we do? We grew up…we became far more serious. Now I've reached the 6-0-0 series and I'm making living weapons of mass destruction…a far cry from 001, who just changed your size."

Jumba folded his hands in his lap as he sighed. The chair squeaked a little under his weight.

"And today I heard that Rupert is dead. His spaceship collided with an asteroid apparently. Now I do not know what I am going to do."

Jumba lowered his head and took in a deep breath. "To all of my creations, I leave this video for you. Years from now when I am dead, you may wonder "what was he thinking, what went wrong, why did they change?" and being honest…I am not having good answer. All I can say is that back in old days, no matter how terrible things became for me, no matter how rotten day was, I could go back here…and see smiling face of dear friend. And then when that dear friend was lost, I could always come back here and see all of you, the fruits of my labor, my…my children, if you will. So…I want you to know what, even if I myself forget years from now why I continue to do what it is I do, I hope that you will know what kept me going. I leave the future to you."

With that, he reached up and turned the video camera off.

"Rupert?" Daveigh asked quietly.

Rupert's lip was quivering. Tears flowed through his furry cheeks to plop onto the ground.

Daveigh put her hand on Ashton's shoulder. It was time for them to leave Rupert alone. They walked out of the laboratory and left the little hamster alone as he got on his knees and covered his eyes with his paws, the tears falling freely.

Inside the box was a photograph that was situated on top of some videos, covering the titles. It showed a large group of students at an intergalactic school for grades one through twelve, and there in the front row were three smiling faces, three good friends, all cheering at their recent graduation.

And the only remaining person who had been smiling in that picture was now crying just a few feet away.

…

…

…

…he cried for a long time. Then…he felt a pair of big, familiar hands on his shoulder.

He turned around, the last tears dissipating in midair. "JUMBA?!" He shouted.

…nobody was there.

Blinking, Rupert stood back up, then dusted himself off and headed out the door.

He didn't see the large pair of footprints that remained behind, making clear outlines in the dust of the lab…

OPENING CREDITS

Daveigh takes her place on a luau stage, with lights trained on her. She looks around as Ashton takes the bass behind her, Sandy takes the drums, Grey takes a guitar and Rupert nods at her from across the stage.

"Okay…here goes…" Daveigh says.

I lai la
Ua i la
No mala hini ohana!
Welcome cousins, come on by…
Aloha e komo mai!

Daveigh holds her hands to her chest as the camera pans out, showing Stitch, Angel, Bonnie, Clyde, Chopsuey and Carmen in the front row, cheering.

Oh when you're down, you're feeling low
Got nobody by your side…
It can be lonely and you want to only
Find a place you'll need to hide!
Just lay back you'll fit right in,
You can make it all come true!
'Cause there's always hope inside,
And hope will see you through!

Rupert waves from off the other side of the stage nervously as Daveigh motions him over while the other musicians sing out.

Aloha...
You'll find the place that you belong!
Ohana... A family to call your own!
Where you feel at home,
Everybody sing!

Rupert gives it a try, clearing his throat at "everybody sing" before he opens his mouth.

I lai la
Ua i la
No mala hini ohana!
Welcome cousins, come on by,
Aloha e komo mai!

Daveigh nods, then joins in happily.

I lai la
Ua i la
No mala hini ohana
Welcome cousins, come on by!
Aloha e komo mai!

The two holds hands and dance around the stage while the camera pans out to show the large crowd of townspeople who are watching the performance. All the elemental generals, Jay and his family, Eclipse and Esmeralda…and Heartwing and Charlie are working the lights, keeping them on the dancing Rupert and Daveigh. Grey now steps forward, smiling as the guitar hangs below him, the sky blue of the guitar contrasting greatly with his tie-dye pants.

Now you can see, tookie ba waba,
Nothing but these clear blue skies!
Love it has found you, and when it surrounds you
It's just like paradise!
Now the door has swung wide open
Now your heart has taken wings!
Feel that magic in the air
Oh hear your spirit sing!

Grey strums on the guitar as Sandy sings out.

Aloha...
You'll find the place that you belong…

Now ASHTON sings out!

Ohana... A family to call your own
Where you feel at home!
Everybody sing!

Everyone joins in on the singing!

I lai la
Ua i la
No mala hini ohana
Welcome cousins, come on by,
Aloha e komo mai!

"Iki baba!" Stitch calls out, clapping.

I lai la
Ua i la
No mala hini ohana
Welcome cousins, come on by,
Aloha e komo mai!
Aloha e komo mai!

All of the musicians, Daveigh and Rupert included, line up together, singing, whilst the audience repeats what is said back.

Iki tooki nee ha! (Iki tooki nee ha!)
Aka tiki baba (Aka tiki baba!)
Gaba ika tasooba (Gaba ika tasooba!)
Oocha (Oocha!)
Chika (Chika!)

Miki miki gatta! Stitch laughs, punching the air. The shimmering forms of those deceased appear in the sky, sitting on clouds and clapping eagerly at the display.

I lai la
Ua i la
No mala hini ohana
Welcome cousins, come on by!
Aloha e komo mai!

"Miki, miki gatta!" Rupert laughs.

I lai la
Ua i la
No mala hini ohana
Welcome cousins, come on by!
Aloha e komo mai!

Aloha, e komo mai!

Aloha, e komo mai!

The song ends, and the titles are shown as everyone leaps into the air, cheering.

CHAPTER ONE

Rupert had never gone back to the laboratory. He'd shut it up. The memories were far, far too painful. Now he was at his clinic with the son of Stitch and Angel: Sanders Pelekai, or, as he was better known, Sandy had removed his usual sunglasses and had combed the hair on top of his head a little to look nicer, though his tiki necklace still remained on his blue-furred body. He now stood next to Rupert as he looked over the next patient. "Thanks for letting me work with you as your assistant today, Rupert." He said.

"Well I can't do this all on my own." Rupert admitted. He nodded at the patient. "You're free to go, 123. Remember: LAY OFF THE CHOCOLATE."

Experiment 123, Carmen nodded. "Si, si." She let out a horrible racking cough for a moment, then stopped. "Sorry, ees the chocolate. Oh, by the way babe, tomorrow Chops is celebrating 80 years of marriage with me on our Wedding Anniversary. We want choo to come." She told the albino.

Rupert nodded. "Absolutely." He said. "I wouldn't miss it for anything."

Years ago Rupert would have gotten a bloody nose looking at Carmen or Angel, since both were incredibly fine-looking pink experiments who were sexy beasts. Rowr. Now though, he had matured…somewhat. He was happy that Carmen and Chopsuey had lasted so long in their marriage, the two made a great couple.

Carmen nodded at the hamster and left the room. Rupert sighed. "She's lying about that cough…and I sure wish I could go to that party with somebody besides Ashton and Daveigh though…it is supposed to be a "couples" occasion…" He mumbled.

Sandy clapped him on the back. "Hey, perk up, alright? There's someone out there for everyone. Sometimes there's TWO somebodies for everyone." "That's called the Jackpot." He said, snickering.

"Well, you know, there is this nice girl, the mute girl who resembles Angel if she had white fur and heterochromia?" Rupert admitted. "Ariel is her name, she…she is very nice to me."

"Aw, she's a sweetie, that's true." Sandy admitted.

Another patient came in…this time it was none other than Charlie, Stitch's adopted human son, one of several humans whom EVERYONE on the island knew about. The blond-haired, always happy little kid looked nervously around.

"Er, Dr. Hammy…I kind of…um…"

"What is it, Charlie?"

Charlie reached down and lifted up his shorts slightly, showing a nasty cut. Rupert frowned. "Did some bullies do that to you? And call you many nasty names?"

"I was biking by Pitt and his friends and they pushed me off my bike!" Charlie whimpered a little. "It stings…"

"Don't worry, I've got a cream for that. Sandy, check the top drawer of the second cupboard, the blue bottle." He told him.

As a general rule, Stitch and Angel, who governed fairly (if not sometimes strictly) over the experimental population, did NOT like experiments being cruel to humans. It was easy for experiments to look down on other races and make claims of "superiority", but humans were usually exempt from this, since without humans, the experimental population wouldn't BE where it was. Alien species, however, regarded most Experimental Aliens as "nothing more than trogs" and so any Non-Earthling was very badly treated. Legion, a member of the Security Force for the Island, had put it in a rather blunt yet eloquent way to one newcomer to the island and the planet: "No, people have rights, you have…horns…"

Rubbing the cream on Charlie's exposed wound, Rupert nodded and smiled gently as it slowly began to heal. "There. It shouldn't take more than five hours to patch up. Just don't get the wound wet…and try not to go near Pitt or any of his posse." He told Charlie, ruffling the kid's hair before he let him out of the room.

"Ooh, I gotta use the bathroom…" Sandy suddenly said.

Rupert groaned, holding his stomach. "Ooh, now I have to!" He said. "Why did I have to drink all that juice before I came here?"

"You gotta lay off the carrot juice." Sandy told him.

The two soon found themselves in the bathroom…and while Rupert and Sandy had taken stalls, two other people had taken one of the urinals. The serpentine experiment Ranku had beautiful, almost angelic wings and sharp red claws, and a reptilian head with a red gem in the middle of it, with glowing red eyes. He looked rather demonic, yet almost like royalty, vaguely noble. He was half human, his racist mother had abandoned him and his Japanese sister, Hanako, quite some time ago. Hanako had been welcome to stay with her mother since not only was she beautiful but also human in appearance…she'd apparently punched her dear old mom right the face when offered that chance.

As for the second person, HIS name was Grey, and he was an unusual experiment. He was a mysterious being who had never told the public of his past. He had brown hair that was brushed back at the top of his head and black eyes with a green tint upon the bottom. He always wore tie-dye pants and had feet with three thick talons on the front, and his fur was…well, it befitted his name. His ears always hung downward from his head and he had a gumdrop-shaped nose. Now you might think that wearing tie-dye pants would make him a clown. Guess what?

"There's something very important I forgot to tell you, cousin." Grey said to Ranku, snickering as he spoke.

"What did you forget to tell me? Is it related to something from the mission we had?" The white serpent asked.

"Don't cross the streams." Grey giggled out.

"…what?" Ranku asked, blinking.

"Don't cross the streams. It would be bad." Now he was laughing kind of hard.

"…I'm sorry, what is this "bad" you're talking about?"

"Imagine-imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. A total protonic reversal. Important safety tip."

…you'd be right about that guess.

"…are you aware of how we don't talk more?" Ranku asked. "If you want to know whether that makes me…well, "happy"…I'll tell you now, it makes me "happy"."

With that he flushed the urinal and slithered out of the Men's room. Grey began laughing so hard his knees almost buckled. Once he'd finished with his business, he walked out of the bathroom, still roaring with laughter. There was an old Hawaiian saying that went like this: hana io ka haole, "the foreigner does it in earnest". But there was also an old Galactic saying: "Hakamay moraga", which meant "the idiot does it in earnest".

More often than not, Grey was that idiot.

"You know…I think I need to stop hanging around you people…" Rupert stated as Sandy laughed his head off.

"Hey! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Wanna hear me fart the Hawaiian Declaration of-"

Rupert had already run out of the bathroom and back to his office. He sat down behind his desk and, to get his mind off of streams and expulsions of gas, decided to indulge in the one thing all evil villains want…

"Weeeee!" He said, twirling to the right. He stopped the chair, then twirled to the left. "Weeeeeee!"

A frickin' rotating chair. What did you expect, a shark with a laser beam on his head?

Then a knock came at the door. "Who is it?" He called out, stopping the chair and re-righting it.

Grey came in. He had taken a job as being the secretary for Rupert. He didn't mind the pay, he just liked hanging around the furry albino. "It's Stitch." Grey said, looking a bit nervously at his "boss".

Rupert's smile faded.

Stitch had not blamed Rupert for what had happened three weeks ago, when Rupert had delivered his wife's baby…stillborn.

Unfortunately Angel had. She had said that if she ever saw him again, she'd eat him alive. Therefore Rupert hadn't been sleeping well lately, since he was always worrying that she might come and kill him while he was sleeping.

"Stitch says he and Angel are going to Oahu with Hanako and a few other delegates to finally work out a peace treaty and advocate for experiment rights."

Rupert rubbed his chin. He appeared to be triumphant for a moment, and then he spoke. "He said all this over the phone? Why don't you have it in your hand? Or is it on the holo-vid?"

"Actually…"

A floating pod-like machine hovered over Grey and in front of Rupert. An image of Stitch popped up.

"Hello Dr. Hamsterviel." Stitch said.

"It's just-forget it." Rupert sighed. "626, how…how is 624?"

"…she's still not well." Stitch said. "In any case, I'll be going away with her to Oahu. I can't leave her here alone. But I wanted to ask you to look after Sandy while we're away for the next few days. Take good care of him."

Rupert nodded. "I will."

"Also, I'm aware that Chopsuey's wedding anniversary is tomorrow…unfortunate that we have to miss it. Give the two my regards and well-wishes…and also, my present. Could you pick it up from the Storage Facility?"

Rupert nodded. "What is the number of your safe and your password?"

"The number is 0213. The password is "Surprise". It's to celebrate the relationship they've been having for so long. I hope they put it to good use."

"It's not pot, is it?" Grey asked.

"Chopsuey has enough pot. He grows so much it might as well be a cornfield…" Stitch said.

"Is that the only way he supports himself?" Rupert wanted to know.

"…er…" Stitch began.

"Well, a lot of the experiments have stores that they sell merchandise through…online stores, naturally. And with teleportation technology, it can appear to the customer in a matter of moments. Why, even Legion has a store." Grey explained.

"What does 627 sell?" Rupert asked.

Grey shook his head rapidly. "Don't ask me, I don't…er…well, Legion's too kinky for my tastes, I don't ask him what he does for a living, let alone ask him what time of DAY it is!"

"…just think about it." Stitch told him calmly.

Rupert held his chin for a moment. Suddenly a crystal clear image popped into his head: the coneheaded orange experiment Legion was throwing his products up into the air on top of a plush bed as he lay there, completely surrounded by the things he sold.

"Panties! GLORIOUS PANTIES!" He howled, tossing more into the air.

"Grey!" Rupert exclaimed.

"I know, I just had the exact same idea!" Grey said right back.

"You didn't get experiment 621 something from 627'S store, did you?" Rupert asked.

"No. It's something simpler and more elegant. Grey suggested it, actually."

Grey shrugged. "What can I say? I've got the music in me too."

"Anyhow, remember: pick up the present. Don't be late to the party either."

Rupert nodded. "I won't forget." He said.

"Good. Glad we could talk." Stitch said, and his image vanished. The machine itself beeped out "This message will self-destruct."

"Oh foo." Rupert groaned. He leapt up, grabbed the machine, and tossed it out of the window.

DOWN BELOW…

A dragon with purple-tinged eyes and scaly skin like midnight looked over at a red experiment with yellowed teeth, bent antennae and a penchant for cruel acts. The first being was the son of 561, Nightwing, and a dragon of darkness. The second was none other than Leroy, one of the worst mistakes Jumba had ever made.

Eclipse and Leroy were sitting in a car that was parked…and stolen…from the hospital parking lot. Eclipse had folded his arms in "shotgun" while Leroy was driving, putting on a pair of sunglasses. They hadn't actually started the car up yet, but…

"Road trip!" Leroy howled, punching the air. "Any day I get to foil "Stitchy-boy's" plans is a good day for me. Say, how did you like what I did with Angel's kid?"

Eclipse turned to look at him. He revealed no emotion. Then he spoke.

"That was beyond cowardly." He said softly. "Dark though I may be, what you did…it sickens me."

"Oh, you're just too soft-hearted." Leroy muttered. "You should be thanking me for taking initiative."

"Let's just get going." Eclipse mumbled. "It's a hundred and six miles to the airport. We've got a full tank, half a pack of marijuana cigarettes, you have no driver's license, and you're wearing sunglasses."

"Let's punch this s—t." Leroy said, grinning.

Then something small and metallic fell down into the car. They both looked at it.

"Repeat, this message will self-destruct."

"Oh f—k." Leroy snarled.

KA-BOOOOOM!

Rupert and Grey looked down to see Leroy and Eclipse crawling around in the parking lot, covered in soot, car parts and potato oil.

"Now THAT is what I call getting it together." Grey said, holding up his hand. "High five, Rupert!"

"I've got it together forever!" Rupert laughed, slapping Grey's hand as he leapt up. The two then withdrew from the window.

"I'm sorry Angel's still angry with you, Rupert. I can fight her off, but I gotta admit…" Grey brushed his hair back. "I don't know what I'd do if STITCH was fighting me."

"…but you fought against 626 before and you seemed to be winning!" Rupert said.

Grey tilted his head to the side in a "yeah, well…" gesture. "Thing is…er…he was kind of running on anger and adrenaline. If he'd been thinking clearly, he would have beaten me pretty quickly. I tire out faster than normal experiments, and I didn't really undergo any combat training…I mean, SANDY can beat me, he's got pre-integrated combat training installed like much of the younger generation!"

"Oh, that's BRILLIANT!" Rupert said. "When did Jumba and the others start doing it?"

"Oh after the Second Invasion." Grey explained. "Didn't wanna get fooled again! Now do you want I should go pick up the present while you continue treating-"

"No, no, 626 wanted ME to pick it up, I'll do it." Rupert said.

"I really don't mind getting it for you." Grey said. "It's what friends do."

Rupert nodded. "I know, and you're a very good friend. But there are always things that you have to do yourself, and this is one of those. C'est une question d'honneur. Es ist eine Frage der Ehre. Cosompa Rono."

"Oh! It's a matter of honor, huh?" Grey asked.

"It's a matter of honor." Rupert repeated. "By the way, how are you able to understand those languages?"

"Well, it's one of my powers." Grey stated. He looked around, then closed the windows and the door, locking them. He covered the window with the curtains and nodded at Rupert. "I'll tell you this: my powers, as you know, are concentrated from my aura…just my father's powers did."

Rupert rubbed his chin. "Who was your father? You never told me about your parents, your pooketah..."

"A very, very good friend of the family." Grey told Rupert. He sighed and brushed his hair back, the mood necklace dangling on his chest. "Rupert, I feel I can trust you, the same way I trust Stitch, Angel, Chopsuey, Carmen and a few others who I've let in on my secret."

Grey sat down in a chair nearby and leaned back slightly, against the wall. He held his hands behind his back and took in a deep breath.

"My father loved Lilo and her family very, very much. But he was forced to leave the island a long time ago before he could really…well, point is, he swore he'd come back eventually though…and after some…complications…he finally found her and her family again…"

Grey sighed. "He'd made friends with you, Rupert…he'd grown to pity you. He sent you a blue vest, the kind you always liked…"

"The one I still wear when I'm not at the office." Rupert realized who Grey was speaking about, the person that HAD to be his father. "Nick!? How is he? What happened to him? He was a really nice-"

"He's dead." Grey said softly. "He went to find out what happened to you up at the Space Station. Just to mess with my father, Leroy told him what he'd done to you, that you were probably dead. My dad…well…my dad had undergone a change in order to blend in with the experiments on the island…"

Grey sighed. "He fought with Leroy. He almost killed him. Almost. But he spared Leroy's life because he was too horrified at himself and too saddened at losing you. So he ran away, back to the island. He had been given a bad wound, though…and he was so hurt inside of his heart he didn't feel like fighting it. He didn't think any girl or woman would ever be with him, Lilo could never love him the way he did with her, he didn't think he'd ever see YOU again, and he had been transformed into a beast. But Lilo didn't want him to die…"

Grey closed his eyes. "She brought him back to Jumba and they healed him up as best he could. He settled down, had a family…a single son. Me. Then it happened. Leroy got one of his clones to kidnap my father and I. He tortured Dad. He had help from this…this THING…this experiment, this horrible THING. It wanted to destroy my father to keep him from interfering with Leroy's coming invasion, but my Dad had powers too. He…he died sending that thing to Hell and knocking Leroy and his clones unconscious. I was able to escape. I came down to Kauai. I helped stop Leroy."

He opened his eyes again. "The reason I look like this is because of the circumstances surrounding my dad when he came here. In order to blend in, his form took on the appearance of what his inner beast looked like. I am, I suppose, a living descendant of my father's bestial side. But dad also passed on a lot of memes to me…a lot of traits I have I picked up from being around him. I imagine that if I was a human I'd be an almost splitting image of dad when he was young. I AM a splitting image of how his bestial side appeared. So now you know."

Grey got out of the chair. "Stitch was angry at me for a long time because when he looks at me, he only sees my father. I'm a lot like him, but I'm not him COMPLETELY. But because I resemble my dad, he blames me, because my father could have saved a lot of people from being hurt when Leroy invaded. He had my powers and then some. If he'd not gotten kidnapped, if he'd fought back harder, then…then probably all of Hawaii would have been a lot different. I don't know if that would be a good or a bad thing, but I do know that Lilo might have lived longer."

"So that's why 626 was so angry with you that time…" Rupert realized.

"I've been around for quite a while…I think the transformation stopped my biological clock, so now my aging…it's seriously screwed up."

"You do look quite young for somebody who is supposed to be over 60 years old." Rupert admitted.

Grey smiled a little. "When I was born, I was a human and my father showed me to all of the experiments and what offspring they had. I grew to love them like he did, it…it was all so amazing to me! The science used to create them, the magic he and Lilo had in their ohana, the beauty of Hawaii, wonders were all around me, each more brilliant than the last! But when I went up to the space station and my dad died…it all went away…I was…I was forced to grow up quickly."

He sniffled. "I couldn't-couldn't even bury his body because it vanished when he died, but…but at least it feels like part of him went into me…I think it was his heart…"

Grey held his hand over his mood necklace. "This mood necklace was my father's and it's magically charged to help me understand all languages, just like the mood ring is an aura enhancer…even my watch is special, it's capable of sending me to a safe zone, to a different dimension. When I wore those things, when I wear this necklace, I feel his heart is with me. He fights, he laughs, he loves right alongside me. But what also happened when I got these things was the change into a bestial form…what you see now."

"You're more than a beast." Rupert said. "Beasts can't truly cry over any acts of cruelty they do."

Grey rubbed the back of his neck. "You think so?" he asked.

"I know so." Rupert said. "You're your father's son and his bestial side rolled into one, but you're also a sentient, feeling person underneath it all. You're you, not your father. He was a great person, he was a dear, dear friend. But you don't have to be him. You can just be you."

Grey found himself crying a little. "Mah…mahalo, Rupert, that…that means a lot to me…" He said, getting on his knees and hugging the albino. "I miss my old family so much…" He said, voice breaking. "They're all gone, Rupert, they're all gone, and I never even got to see goodbye."

"I know…I know…"

"I wish things could go back to how they were, but they can't…and it's like…it's like I'm something from a different time, something that doesn't belong…I mean, I'm like some freak! My aura changes the attitudes of people who are within twenty feet of me if I'm in a strong enough mood, I can scratch myself behind the ear with my foot, I lick my cuts, I get FLEAS even…I'm scared of myself, Rupert…and I'm scared of the future because I don't know if I belong in this place…"

Rupert patted him on the back. "Grey…I thought I wouldn't belong here either. But if I've learned anything…it's that everything will be alright. You just have to stay strong and keep going."

"…" Grey closed his eyes and hugged Rupert tightly. "I'm glad you're my friend, Rupert."

"I'm glad you're my friend." Rupert said right back. "Now come on…let's go pick up the present and get some ice cream…my treat?"

MEANWHILE…

Stitch and Angel slowly walked down from the plane as Hanako stood behind them. They had landed at the Oahu Airport and were now taking a trip to Hanako's place, the one place they knew they'd be safer at than a simple hotel. No hotel would take them anyway.

As they walked down the street, carrying their things in big suitcases, Hanako suddenly stiffened along with her spiky black hair. They were only a couple dozen feet from her house and some burly-looking guys who had been following them for two blocks were now grinning. She adjusted her reverse-view sunglasses and whispered to Angel and Stitch.

"Racists at 6 o'clock."

"How many?" Stitch asked.

"Three." She said.

They all put their bags down and the three men walked up to Hanako's little group.

"Hey, whatcha got there? New pets?" The leader asked Hanako.

Apparently Hanako recognized him. When she turned around to face him she groaned. "Hello Chet." She grumbled. "What sewer hold did you crawl out from today and to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You didn't think we wouldn't recognize THESE trogs?" the leader asked, pointing at Angel and Stitch. "These two are 624 and 626, they're the head honchos of Kauai's filth!"

Angel growled. The man just grinned. "Aww, whatcha gonna do about it?" He asked, sticking out his tongue.

Bad idea. Angel leapt up and promptly grabbed his cheeks with her clawed hands, biting his tongue in the middle. He screamed and staggered back, knocking the other guy over and onto the sidewalk. The last guy screamed and ran for it. Hanako rolled her eyes. "Jerks." She said, turning around to walk towards her house.

Stitch, however, decided to get the last word into the remaining human who was lying on the floor. "HEY! HOW YA DOIN'?! ENJOYIN' IT? I HOPE SO!" He shouted, kicking with each exclamation.

Satisfied he'd taught the punk a lesson, he walked with Angel into Hanako's house. They placed their things down on the ground and looked at Hanako.

"All right, the first hearing is tonight at 8 PM." Stitch said. "You can drive us there, correct?" He asked.

Hanako nodded. "But keep the windows covered. Sometimes people peep in…perverts."

Sneak Preview Time!

"The Administrative Bodies of Oahu, Niihau and Kauai have called this meeting to discuss the possibility of peace between the human and experimental population of Hawaii's citizenry…"

"If we can CALL them citizens!" A man said angrily. He stood up and made himself clearly visible. He was a dark-skinned Hawaiian with slightly thick hair and a rounded mustache. He looked quite agitated with having the experiments there, and sadly, many of the senators were shouting out agreements.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Head Senator JJ said, banging her gavel…

…

She humbled herself at the top, a more somber expression appearing on her face. "Here, I…I got you some Red Bull."

A familiar form took the Red Bull energy drink from her hand and downed it in one gulp. He poured over the many charts below him, thinking.

"Still tracking the Galactic Federation, huh?"

"You know I always have to keep an eye on them…Rueben doesn't know heads or tails what they're doing half the time, they keep him out of the loop." The voice admonished her. "But still…thank you for the Red Bull."

…

"Clyde, I…um…" She said. Both looked away nervously.

"Er…you know…"

"I know…"

Then they hugged. "And people say thieves never talk!" Bonnie wisecracked.

"Aw, that's so sweet! Maybe I should have the engravers put those words on your tombstones!" A voice called out…