An old friend and a new enemy.

Aladdin woke up, thinking to himself that he must have fallen asleep talking to Helga through the wall. Aladdin pulled his arms close to his chest, trying to cradle his son, but realized his son wasn't in his arms. He thought maybe Lilo took him and he opened his eyes. That's when he realized he was in a completely new room, and his son was gone.

The pain hurt like a knife, having his son taken from him so soon after being with him again.
"AARON!" he hollared, and he sat trying to fight back tears. He didn't even take into account that he had two sleeping roommates on the other side of the room, both of whom he knew.

[OOC: Sowwie, but John would never put Aaron in danger during a task, so you'll just have to bear with me till the task is over ]

''AARON!'' She heard a familiar voice. Opening her eyes. Her vission was blurry but she knew this figure. ''ALADDIN!'' She jumped up and hugged him tight. ''Your still alive!'' Her world was spinning because she stood up too quikly. Holding Aladdin tight.

Lilo's eyes fluttered. Who made these loud noises? "I want to sleep! Shut up!", she mumbled. Then she opened her eyes slowly. Did she fell asleep again? The room changes a lot the last days... Lilo sat up and hold her head. A headache. Wonderful. She sighed. Maybe she should accept these kind of illness, which seems to appear often after the sleeping gas.

Lilo yawned. Did she get some new roommates? She didn't care. After talking to the little baby. She felt alone. Really lonely. The little girl didn't want to see anyone. She layed down again and curled herself to a ball.

"Leave me alone."

[OOC: @Charlotte I totally understand ^.^ Aladdin doesn't yet though!]

Aladdin was overcome with unbearable sadness, and he didn't know if he could get out of this deep depression. He had no one at that moment who loved and cared for him, and he felt alone and hopeless.

Just as he let that thought consume him, he heard his name called. ''ALADDIN!'' He spun around to the source of the voice, recognizing it. Next thing he knew, he was tackled in a hug.

He was taken by surprise, but he kept his balance, realizing it was Jasmine. In that specific moment, she had no idea what that hug meant to him. He held her close, tight in his arms, as if she was his last ray of happiness. "Jasmine.. Oh Jas.." Aladdin said, his voice shaky.

It was in that moment that he realized that she didn't know about it. About Esme. About Aaron. About Lilo. About his attempted suicide.

He held her closer, needing love from someone he cared about. She seemed dizzy, so he held her up with no trouble. He kept his arms around her for stability, but he stopped the hug to look at her.

''You're still alive!'' His brief smile faded ever so slightly. "Yes, I am. Unfortunately. I'm glad to see you're alright though, very glad. You really have no idea how much it means to me that I'm with you again."

That's when he heard an annoyed voice from the corner, and he turned to see Lilo, curled up in a ball, apparently trying to sleep. His anger boiled, and his hands held Jasmine's arms a little harder. "Lilo." He said with pure anger under his breath.

Lilo heard her name. Her name with the voice of anger. A voice she knew. The person with this voice had the right to be angry about her. But she didn't want to see him. Nobody. This time she wanted to be alone in a room. Like before in other rooms. Life is unfair. It always is. Lilo sighed. She didn't move, pretending to sleep. But in her head there are so many voices and noises.

"Aladdin...", she finally spoke. But only this word. Without regret. Without any sense and emotion. Why caring? Why changing, what can't be changed?

Judgment.

Jasmine looked at Aladdin than back at the little girl who he called Lilo. ''Aladdin What's wrong?'' Hearing the hatered in their voices made her shiver. What happened when she wasn't there?
Why were they so mean to each other? Looking back to the little girl.

Aladdin heard Jasmine ask him what was wrong, but it was as if he heard her in his subconscious. He took step towards Lilo, "I don't know how you live with yourself. How can you not hate yourself for what you did to her!" He could tell Lilo didn't want to talk, but he couldn't help it. Whether or not she would respond, it didn't matter. He needed to let out some frustration. He was afraid he might do something irrational and stupid, so he took a step back towards Jasmine and held her arm as comfort.

Lilo looked at him. Her eyes were cold and empty. She hided her true self inside, so she couldn't be hurt by his words.

"It's all an illusion. Emotions are the worst of them.", she said coldly, more to hurt herself then Aladdin. "In the end you are always alone."

She noticed the other girl in the room, but she was to busy with Aladdin and herself to pay more attention to her.

"It's all an illusion. Emotions are the worst of them."
Lilo's voice sounded so cold and distant, with not a hint of remorse in it. In a way this angered Aladdin even further, yet it confused him as well.

Why, a girl this young... Why does she think this way? Aladdin thought.
"Why do you say that Lilo?"

"In the end you are always alone."
This hit Aladdin like a ton of bricks. He squeezed Jasmine's arm, realizing she was right. One way or another, you're always alone. First his mother, and whatever other family he may have lost. Next, Jasmine. Then Esmeralda and Aaron. Such beautiful things in his life, snatched away, making himself destined to be alone.

He looked at Jasmine, looking into her eyes. Jasmine wasn't alone. Jasmine had found love, Thrax. He had lost love, Esmeralda. She had a beautiful future in front of her, while he had nothing.

Lilo was right. In the end you are always alone.

What was going on? What were they talking about? Her.. Who could this person be? Esmeralda? Her eyes widden. What did this little girl do?

Before Jasmine could fins the answers on her questions she saw a spider. A big hairy spider. She screamed. Hiding behind Aladdin. ''Spider!'' She looked arround. Another one. And another one. She remembered she should be scared for the big hairy once their bite could be deadly.

Aladdin's thoughts trailed off as he felt Jasmine shuffle behind him and scream "Spider!"

She was right.

He looked on the wall behind them and saw one, and he was surprisingly uneasy from it. He had lived his whole life a streetrat, and spiders were basically roommates for him. But these spiders were large, and could potentially be poisonous.

"It's alright, Jasmine..." he said as he circled them both around so that he was facing the spider rather than Jasmine, keeping her behind him. That's when he noticed that there wasn't just one spider, but several. Just from his view and peripheral vision, he spotted five.

Just then, a spider sitting in the corner of the ceiling made a large leap for them, and he pulled both of them quickly out of the way.

"GAH!" Aladdin said out of surprise. He quickly jumped on it while it was on the ground, and it was dead. "Ew..." Aladdin mumbled, as spider guts were all over. He took off his vest so he had a bare chest, and he wiped some of it off of his foot. Just then, another spider creeped up behind them.

Lilo laughed coldly. "Why I'm saying that? I was forced to kill the person I nearly told my mom. The only person besides my best friend that meant so much to me. You can't change anything. Nothing."

She turned her head as she heard some screams. Long beautiful hair. It was black. And the woman? Lilo remembered her.

Jasmine.

Something from the past cut her heart in two. She couldn't help herself, but some tears flow down her cheeks. Anger appeared in her eyes, but she couldn't move. Lilo was to surprised and to shocked.

Aladdin suddenly heard Lilo's voice from her end of the room, and what she had to say in response hurt him.

He had known nothing of Lilo, and hearing some background, and a horrible one at that, was slightly eye opening. "I'm..." he looked to her, "I'm sorry..." He wasn't sure what else to say, but he felt that SOMETHING could help them come to amends. Maybe, just maybe.

She looked back at the little girl. Still keeping an eye on the spiders. She looked at the little girl seeing small tears on her face. Jasmine sat down next to the girl. ''Are you allright?'' She asked concerned.

Lilo started sobbing. She couldn't help herself.

Why?

Why does these women had to look so similar?

Why?

Why did their voices sound so similar?

Why?

Why are they so caring?

Why?

Why are their touches so soft?

"WHY?", she yelled at Jasmine, knowing that she hadn't done anything to her.

"Why?", she mumbled quietly, wrapping her arms around her without stopping to cry.

She looked at the girl.''WHY!'' ''What happened to you?'' She asked softly. Pulling the girl close.

Aladdin couldn't believe the change of personality in Lilo. Jasmine walked over to her, and he noticed Lilo crying. He had never seen her show any emotion, and she had always been cold and heartless to him, not a single care or regret for what she's done. But in a way, he felt something for her, something positive.

He walked closer to Jasmine and Lilo, but he didn't want to interrupt their talk either. He wanted to sit down and talk with Lilo, learn more about her. He wanted to forgive, but he didn't know how. And he couldn't do it on his own; oddly enough, he needed Lilo's help to forgive her, to straighten things out.

In time, Aladdin thought.

Lilo shook her head. "No. Leave me alone. You're a ghost. You're a nightmare."
She tried to hide her face, but got closer to Jasmine.
"Jiquelyn... I miss you..."

What happened to this girl? She did not know either let go or stay. Anightmare? She bit her lip Looking at Aladdin prehpas he knew something about this girl.

"You won't leave me again, do you?", Lilo looked at Jasmine with the innocent look of the little girl she once was.

Aladdin was amazed at what he heard and saw. He truly had no idea what Lilo was talking about; Her mind seemed to be fading away into a memory.

When he heard her call Jasmine 'Jiquelyn', he became even more confused. He looked to Jasmine with questions in his eyes, but she looked at him just as confused. Aladdin shrugged ever so slightly, and gave her the look to continue comforting Lilo.

Aladdin had a hunch that Lilo never showed this side of her, even if she was alone. Maybe this was a side of her that she had tried so hard to bury away, tried so hard to get rid of...

He wasn't sure what exactly had brought those feelings to the surface, but it seemed that seeing Jasmine was her trigger. But why?

Seeing the confused expression of Aladdin. He didn't know anything either. She looked back at Lilo. "You won't leave me again, do you?" Seeing the expression of the girl made her sad. She stroked the girl's head. ''Don't worry i am not planning to go anywhere.'' She gave the girl a warm smile.

(OOC: @Jasmine: Did you get my message? I'm sorry I saw yours to late...)

Lilo smiled. "I'm glad.", she pressed herself against Jasmine.

[OOC: Hey Lilo, can you let me in on what's going on with Lilo and why she's reacting like this to Jasmine? Or shall I just have to find out XD]

For the first time since he first met her through the wall two rooms ago, Aladdin saw the nice side of Lilo. The emotional, human side of Lilo. He wished he could do something for her, but he didn't even know what was wrong.

(OOC: Yes i did )

She held Lilo close. Looking up at Aladdin. What had this little girl done to Aladdin to hate the little girl? ''What happend to you?'' She asked it to both of them. She wanted to know what made Aladdin hate this girl. And what was bother the girl. Why she suddenly burtested into tears.

(OOC: @Aladdin: Sowy XD Read our last topic. Lilo told everything Aaron. But I try to talk to you.)

Lilo looked to Aladdin. She felt safe in Jasmine's arms. To safe.

"I'm sorry.", she whispered. "I'm so lonely..."

Lilo hided her face in Jasmine's chest. She was overwhelmed by her feelings. Normally she wouldn't be this open. So careless. What happened? Lilo felt that she always wanted a mother. Her sister and Tzip weren't the same. But Jasmine will leave her too. She tried to calm down and lock her own true self inside her.

''It is allright.'' She looked up at Aladdin. Than back to Lilo. ''I won't leave. As long as the villain doesn't want to change the rooms. your safe.'' She wispered.

[OOC: @Lilo Mkay I shall read it soon ^.^ Also, did Lilo say I'm sorry to Al? If so, I'll post another reply responding to that.]

Aladdin was almost in a trance at the sight of Lilo when he made eye contact with Jasmine. There were so many questions in her eyes, and he knew what she was asking.

He couldn't believe that the girl in Jasmine's arms was the same girl who had such a dark, careless side. Where had this come from?

He looked back at Jasmine, not sure where to start.
"Well..." Aladdin looked at Jasmine with such intensity, trying to tell her everything there was to tell without having to say it all outloud.

"Jas... Esmeralda is..." He looked down and clenched his fist. He whispered the last word so quietly, as if carefully saying the word was like stepping carefully on glass.

"Dead." His face showed pain as he said it. The next part, he said so quietly. "And she... She..." He didn't need to say the rest. He was sure that Jasmine would realize without him having to say it: That Lilo killed Esmeralda.

She listened to Aladdin. Esmeralda.. dead? She couldn't believe it. And she... She looked back at the girl. She killed Esmeralda? Such a broken and innocent girl. Killed somebody? ''I am sorry for your loss Aladdin.....'' Were the only words that she could get over her lips.

Her thoughts were all over the place. Esme was dead. This girl killed esme? The girl who called her Jiquelyn... Jiquelyn... That name... Jiquelyn. Where did she know this name from?

(OOC: @Al: Yeah she was talking to you saying Sorry.)

"I'm okay now.", Lilo pushed Jasmine away gently. "Don't worry. That will never happen again."

She stood up and walked a few steps away from them, leaning at the wall, wrapping her arms around her knees. Lilo stared into nowhere.

[OOC: Okay I read your post with Aaron. So... Tzip was your mom-like figure that you had to kill? But I still wonder who this Jiquelyn person is. I understand that Jasmine looks like her, but... Sorry, I'm just still confused trying to get this straight XD Jas, what's your side of this story between you two?]

Aladdin clenched his hand so tight that it made his hand bleed again, as he fought back tears and screams. He refused to lose control. Last time he did, he tried drowning himself. He couldn't do that; he couldn't leave Aaron.

He looked back at Jasmine to respond, but he just couldn't. He responded with his eyes, just a sad, acknowledging look. He walked a little bit closer to Lilo and Jasmine, looking down upon them both.

(OOC: No, Tzip is still alive. She's the girl/woman who raised Lilo. "Jiquelyn" is the woman Lilo had to kill. The woman who wanted to adopt her and the only one Lilo named mom.)

[OOC: @Lilo Okay, I'll make sure to include that in this entry.]

"I'm sorry." he heard Lilo whisper.
Aladdin couldn't believe what he was hearing. Aladdin just looked at her, and eventually she moved away from Jasmine and isolated herself, it seems that she was lost in thoughts, or in nothing in particular maybe.

Something inside of Aladdin just clicked; He didn't know what, but without thinking, he walked right over to Lilo. He got down on the floor in front of her and threw his arms around her. He held her with such an intense feeling of understanding and forgiveness, and he prayed Lilo would understand too. He had to at least try.

xLilo wrote:

(OOC: No, Tzip is still alive. She's the girl/woman who raised Lilo. "Jiquelyn" is the woman Lilo had to kill. The woman who wanted to adopt her and the only one Lilo named mom.)

[OOC: Ohhh gotcha. Is Tzip good, or is she with the killing committee? Aww poor Lilo... That's really really sad. ]

(OOC: Tzip (Tzipporah) and Lilo were both raised and trained by a man, whose job is to kill people. Tzip is older than Lilo so she helped him raising her. But she was the nice one. More a mother and big sister. She would never have taught Lilo how to kill someone. She escaped with Lilo, because she couldn't bear his behavior towards them. I hope you understand that XD)

Lilo didn't move. She was shocked. He embraced her. She thought he would slap her. But would have never imagined that this could happen.

"No. Please stop it.", she tried to push him away.

[OOC: Gotcha! Thanks!]

Aladdin expected Lilo to flip when he hugged her, maybe shove him or yell at him, maybe both. She didn't respond positively or negatively at first, probably just out of surprise on her end. Aladdin wasn't sure what had made him do it, but he did nevertheless, no matter what she would do back.

When she told him to stop it, he felt her push him just a little bit. He did as she asked and stopped hugging her, but instead just looked at her with legitimate care showing across his face. He still sat close to her, not leaving her side. He wanted nothing more than to learn about the real Lilo, not the girl with the mask that she hid behind. He knew she was in there; And whether or not she would open up and let him in, he wanted to try.

Lilo looked into Aladdin's eyes.

"Why?"

The question that spins in her mind since she woke up in this room.

"Everyone is human, Lilo. It's okay, to let people in. It may feel like you always end up alone, and I believed you when you said it earlier... But you're never really alone. Not here." And he put his hand where his heart would be. "And that means everything. It's alright, Lilo."

"No! That can't be true! They are always leaving me! They always leaving me behind!", Lilo hold her head. "They lie to me! The only way they never leave is to kill them!"

Aladdin was surprised by her words, and he wondered what had happened to make her think and feel that way.

"That's not true, Lilo... The ones who love you never truly leave you. Esmeralda... She has left me. But she's never gone. I'll always remember her, and I know she loved me. That way, she's with me always. My mother was killed when I was little... I don't remember her well and the memories are few, but I know she loved me and wanted to protect me from those guards. She didn't leave me behind, to make me raise myself alone in this world with no one... Sometimes people seem to leave us, to abandon us.. But they don't."

"And look at Jasmine here," And he looked at her and smiled. "I grew up with her, she was the only person I had in this world. I felt left behind and unloved for growing up alone, but I had her. Eventually, we were separated. She was taken away, and I did everything I could to get her back, but I couldn't. I felt alone again, and I went off on my own, never letting myself become attached to anyone ever again."

"And then I met Esmeralda... She had me at 'hello'. And we had a beautiful life together, for the time that I did have her. And although I feel left alone, I know I'm not. And sometimes you have to keep faith in those that you trust. I found Jasmine again, and she's always been here for me since the moment we were reunited. Don't give up on people, especially by killing them. If they're taken away or die by force, that's a different story. But if you're the one killing them... Then you're isolating yourself and making yourself left behind and alone.

I'm not telling you to trust absolutely everyone, but don't be afraid to let people in, or to give second chances." He had certainly been doing that with Lilo, by opening up to her, and bringing himself to his own terms of trusting Lilo and willing to let her in.

[OOC: I'm off to get my choir dress altered, I'll be back in like an hour or so probably! Not sure when exactly though XD]

(OOC: I'll go to bed. See you tomorrow! <3)

Lilo looked at Aladdin, then away. "But I'm alone. Always."
She hided her face. "Why does nobody understand that?"
"Leave me alone! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Lilo had buried her face, and Aladdin felt terribly as she told him to leave her alone.

Aladdin decided to let her be, as people needed to be alone at times. But he left with just one phrase: A very meaningful, welcoming phrase that he meant with all of his heart, inviting her to open up to him, and he wouldn't let her be alone:

"You don't have to be alone." He said with a hand on her shoulder, then he stood up and slowly walked to the bathroom.

She looked at the two. The girl who just fell into her arms suddenly wanted to be alone. Looking at Aladdin he walked to the bathroom. She looked back at Lilo. ''Lilo... It's okay..''
She raised the girls head. ''Even though it seems like the world is cruel and all the people who live in it are cruel. It feels like everybody is going to hurt you. Hurt your feelings or hurt you physical. But if you find the once your safe with.. You won't be alone.''

Jasmine smiled a warm smile. ''Jiquelyn you called me right? '' ''I haven't heard the name for so long...'' She let go of the girl.

Lilo just sat on her back. She was puzzled. Really, really puzzled. What did they say? What did SHE say? Jiquelyn.... Again teardrops flow down her cheeks. A lie.... She had lied. Why?

Why do they always lie to her? Wasn't she worth the truth? Oh, yes! She was only a little girl that understands nothing! She wasn't worth everything...

"I missed you.", but her voice was cold instead of the warm soft one she used when Jiquelyn was with her.

Lilo hided her face again. She was mean. They did nothing to her. But everything was so confusing. Seeing Jasmine and to be aware that she is the one she was missing all the time... The woman that cared for her without asking who she really was. Lilo knew she betrayed her. Even if she was still alive. She had to kill her. It was like a miracle. The little girl wanted to ask how she survived. How her poison didn't work on her. There was again this one word in her head:

Why?

Would she still care for her? Protect her? Lilo shook her head. She had seen so much. To much. She lifted her face. Lilo gave Jasmine a little warm smile. Then she stood up. The dark-haired girl felt lighter. She walked to the bathroom door.

"Aladdin? Are you okay?", her voice was as soft and innocent as a girl's voice in her age could be. "I'm still confused, but... I want to understand. Please? I would love to see Aaron again. I want to change. I really like to try."

But can I really change? I still like this game...

She stared at Lilo. why didn't i reconize her at first... she felt stupid. Lilo proberly didn't even believe her... She remained on her place. Pulling her knees towards her chest she laid her head on her knees. Starring at Lilo. She knew that Lilo didn't just kill esmeralda. There should be anything behind it....

Lilo turned around and looked at Jasmine. She was confused as she first saw her in the little book, but she believed she killed her. So she was sure this couldn't be the woman she loved. Lilo walked a few steps back and touched Jasmine on her shoulder.

"Are you okay? It seems like I slept so long..."

Aladdin had walked into the bathroom and closed the door, sliding his body down the wall and sitting on the floor. He put his face in his hands and sighed. He was so frustrated. With himself, and with the world. Why was everything so difficult and unfair? Lilo was a complicated girl... Why was life so hard on her? She didn't deserve it. Everyone has a right to be happy and loved.

"Aladdin? Are you okay?", he heard Lilo say on the other side of the door. He lifted his head up and looked towards the door.

"I'm still confused, but... I want to understand. Please? I would love to see Aaron again. I want to change. I really like to try." Aladdin got up and opened the door, looking down at Lilo.

"Change isn't easy, Lilo... But I'll be with you every step of the way. I would like to understand too... Do you think we can help each other understand together? And if you ever get the chance to see Aaron again, feel free. Because I know you're good at taking care of him." Aladdin gave her a warm smile.