(See the end of the chapter for notes .)

Chapter Text

“Okay, Connie, how do I look?” Steven asked.

Connie closed her flip phone as her feet dangled over the edge of Steven’s bed. She looked up to see Steven standing at the top of the stairs wearing a bow tie on the same shirt he always wore.

Connie smiled.

“Handsome, as always,” Connie said. “But I don’t think the bow tie is really necessary ...”

“But I want to look formal,” Steven said.

“Then why the star shirt?”

“Because it’s my thing!” Steven put his hands on his hips and grinned. “It says to the everyone ‘Hello world! I’m Steven Universe, the adorable magic boy with a star on his shirt!’ It’s charming!”

Connie giggled.

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” she said.

Connie flipped her phone back open and checked the time yet again. It was 4:45 PM. Connie closed her eyes and sighed.

Steven frowned and sat beside Connie.

“You’re still really nervous about this, aren’t you?” Steven said.

Connie nodded. The more she tried not to obsess over telling her mom about Stevonnie, the more she found herself unable to think of anything else.

Steven touched Connie’s hand.

“I--If it makes you feel any better, I’m nervous too,” Steven said. “I understand.”

“You are?” Connie said. She raised an eyebrow. “You weren’t acting nervous.”

“Because I’m super tough and macho!”

Connie smiled. Steven cleared his throat.

“But seriously ... I am nervous,” said Steven. “Well, I mean, not so much about the fusion thing but ... more just about seeing your mom again ...”

“Why?” Connie asked. “You’ve met my mom before.”

“Yeah, but now I’m meeting your mom after she definitely knows we’ve kissed!” Steven said. He stiffened. “It’s scary ...”

“Well ...” Connie said hesitantly. “Um, look at it this way. You’ve fought Gem monsters and stuff before. Seeing my mom isn’t any scarier than that, is it?”

“Yes, it is!”

Connie couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Heh, trust me, Steven, you don’t have anything to worry about,” Connie said. “She was surprisingly cool about us being together.”

Steven relaxed his shoulders. He exhaled.

“Well ... m-maybe if she really is that cool about this, she’ll be okay with fusion too,” Steven said.

Connie sighed.

“I hope so. I just-- I dunno,” she said, glancing down at the floor.

Steven gave her a sweet smile.

“Hey, hey, I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Steven said. “I mean, the Gems are helping us so I’m sure everything will work out.”

He touched her shoulder; it gave Connie goosebumps. She smiled back, hoping her blush wasn’t too noticeable.

“You really think that?” Connie said.

“Sure,” Steven said. “If there’s anyone who’ll know exactly what to do, it’ll be them.

“Okay, so, you built a robot from nothing before--” Amethyst said to Pearl, sitting next to Peridot on the couch.

“Amethyst,” Pearl said as she placed plates on the coffee table.

“And figured out how Peri’s escape pod works--”

“Okay, Amethyst, we get it.”

“But trying to use the stove is what makes your brain explode?”

Pearl shot Amethyst a nasty glare. Amethyst grinned, showing all her teeth.

Peridot nudged Amethyst with her elbow.

“Hey, come on, quit it,” Peridot said.

“Oh, I’m just kidding,” Amethyst said, waving her hand dismissively. “Pearl knows I’m just joking around. It’s the basis of our entire relationship. Right, Pearl?”

Pearl just rolled her eyes.

“See? She loves it!” Amethyst said.

To Peridot's surprise, Pearl was actually smiling. Peridot shook her head.

Interpersonal relationships on this planet make no sense, Peridot thought.

Pearl stood back and looked at the coffee table, which now had six plates placed neatly on it.

“Well, there’s not exactly much space, but it’ll have to do,” Pearl said. “It’s a shame we don’t have a dining room set.”

“Well,” Amethyst said, “you and Garnet don’t really eat and I’m cool just eating anywhere like an animal, so--”

“Oh, that reminds me ...” Pearl said with her hands on her hips. “I don’t suppose it’s too much to ask for you to display some table manners tonight.”

“Oh.” Amethyst rolled her eyes. “You mean like drinking with my pinkie out and arguing about what fork to use?”

“I mean actually use a knife and fork, at the very least.”

“Ugh! Fiiiine.”

Peridot raised an eyebrow.

“What is fork?” Peridot asked.

“Oh!” Pearl said. “Hang on a moment, I’ll show you.”

Pearl walked into the kitchen and returned a moment later, holding the most horrifying metal torture device Peridot had ever seen.

“What is that?!” Peridot asked.

Pearl tilted her head curiously.

“It’s a fork,” Pearl said. “Humans use it to help shovel food in their mouths.”

“It’s a trident!” Peridot said. “Why does it look like a weapon!”

“Well ... technically it could be used as one,” Pearl said, twirling the fork in her hand.

“So humans just casually insert sharp weapons in their mouths while eating?”

“Basically.”

“HOW HAVE HUMANS SURVIVED THIS LONG?!”

“Mostly cause of us, actually...” Amethyst said off-handedly.

Pearl ignored Amethyst.

“It’s not so complicated,” Pearl said to Peridot. “You just use this to manipulate food into your mouth. Once we serve dinner, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.”

Peridot stared at the fork. Despite its nightmarish appearance, she thought she could see its utility for food consumption ...

“I see,” Peridot said. “I’ll do my best.”

Pearl smiled. She gripped the table and scooted it out to the middle of the room. She dusted off her hands.

“Okay... now, the table is too low for any chairs we have, so I suppose we could eat sitting on our knees like we’re having a tea ceremony,” Pearl said. “Appropriate, since I made tea.”

“‘Sitting on your knees?’” Peridot said.

“Yes. Like this.” Pearl placed her knees against the floor and straightened her back. Her knees stuck out as she rested her hands in her lap.

“So you just ... sit on your knees?” Peridot said, mystified.

“Yes. It's quite comfortable once you get used to it.”

“And humans consider that ... appropriate?” Peridot said.

Pearl seemed puzzled.

“Yes, of course,” she said. “Come on. Try it.”

Peridot glanced at Pearl’s knees sticking out. She shrugged.

“Alright ...” Peridot said, getting up from the couch.

Peridot walked over to Pearl and, after a moment's hesitation, sat on Pearl’s knees. She shifted uncomfortably as she settled on them.

“Seems a bit strange ... but you're right, it is comfortable,” Peridot said.

“Um, Peridot ...” Pearl said.

Amethyst clutched her mouth to keep from laughing. Peridot noticed this and grimaced.

“What?” Peridot said.

“I um ... meant sit on your own knees,” Pearl said. “In that same position.”

“Oh!” Peridot jumped off Pearl and scratched her shoulder nervously. “Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, I--”

“No, no, go back, I like that idea better!” Amethyst shouted .

Peridot blushed as she sat back on the couch and shrunk her head down, wishing she were invisible.

“It’s alright, Peridot,” Pearl said. She smiled. “Just a simple misunderstanding.”

Pearl glanced at the table and stood up.

“I’ll get the tea and the broccoli casserole Vidalia made. I imagine Connie’s mom should be here any--”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

At the same time, Steven and Connie ran down the stairs.

“That must be my mom!” Connie shouted. Her face was pale, discomfort clear in her voice.

“Is everything ready?” Steven said, running up to Peridot and the other Gems.

“Almost,” Pearl said. “I just need to finish setting the table.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll just ... stall. Okay ...” Steven said. Despite how he usually acted, he seemed just as fidgety and uncomfortable as Connie.

Peridot thought Pearl realized this as well since she smiled and placed her hand on Steven’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Steven,” Pearl said. “We’ll handle everything.” She adjusted the bow tie on his shirt. “You look very handsome ...”

Steven returned her smile, his eyes twinkling.

There was another knock at the door.

“We should probably answer that,” Connie said.

“Oh yeah, right!” Steven said.

Connie and Steven ran to the front door. Peridot watched them.

Amethyst met Peridot’s gaze. Her carefree demeanor faded.

“They seemed kinda nervous ...” Amethyst said.

“Yes,” Peridot said.

“We should go help,” Amethyst said, as if she was echoing Peridot’s own thoughts.

Peridot nodded. They got up from the couch.

Honestly, Peridot was a little surprised by herself. She usually made any effort to avoid social interaction, especially with unfamiliar creatures ... but knowing how nervous the two humans were, especially Connie, made Peridot want to help in any way she could.

It felt good to help. Peridot only wished she had realized that before she came here, back when she--

Peridot stopped herself. Connie and Steven were what was important now, not her personal baggage. She pushed those thoughts away as best she could.

Peridot and Amethyst approached the door just as Steven opened it. Peridot tried to move forward, but Amethyst tugged at her hand.

“Shhh!” Amethyst whispered, putting her finger to her lips. “Let’s see how this goes first before we rush in.”

“You mean like ... reconnaissance?“ Peridot asked.

“That sounds way better than saying we’re creeping on them so yeah, let's go with that ...”

Peridot nodded as she and Amethyst kept their distance.

The door swung open and the person who Peridot could only assume was “Mom” stood in front of Connie and Steven.

In some ways, the Mom looked how Peridot had expected. She was taller than Steven and Connie (a common trait for older humans), even a bit taller than Vidalia. She looked quite like Connie, their skin and facial structure visibly similar. Her hair was even long and dark like Connie’s, though hers had small streaks of grey. They looked like Gems from the same cut; if that was the case, perhaps the process of manufacturing humans wasn’t as different from Gem production as she thought.

The “Mom” gave a small smile to Connie and Steven as she stepped inside.

“Hi Connie.” She looked down at Steven. “Hello Steven. It’s good to see you again.”

Steven stiffened and lowered his head, displaying more unease than Peridot had ever seen from him before.

“Um! Hi, Miss-- Dr. Maheswaran! I--It’s nice to meet you, sir--ma’am!” Steven said, his hands fidgeting. “I-I mean I know we’ve met before but um--”

As Steven stammered, Peridot darted her eyes to Amethyst, who was watching the scene intently.

“Is she like a Diamond?” Peridot whispered.

“What?” Amethyst said.

“Steven’s behavior is similar to how lesser Gems act in front of Diamonds. They command authority and invoke fear. Do ‘moms’ do that as well?”

Amethyst considered for a moment.

“If it’s your girlfriend’s mom, then yeah,” Amethyst said.

“I see,” Peridot said, touching her chin.

Meanwhile, Connie gave Steven a gentle bump with her elbow. She looked up at the “Mom” Steven had called Dr. Maheswaran.

“Sorry mom,” Connie said, smiling nervously. “Steven was a little nervous about all this.”

“Ah yes, I see,” Dr. Maheswaran said. She smiled at Steven. “It’s alright, Steven. I don’t want to make you feel awkward. I’m glad Connie is with a nice boy.”

Steven’s cheeks reddened.

“Besides,” Dr. Maheswaran said, “we’re just having dinner. It’s not like you’re asking permission to marry Connie or anything like that.” She paused. “You’re not, right?”

“Ye-- no!” Steven said, sweat trickling down his forehead. “I mean, not that I wouldn’t want to or--”

“Yep, time to interrupt now,” Amethyst said as she stepped forward. Peridot, not asking any questions, followed.

“Hey girl!” Amethyst said with a grin as she walked up behind Connie and Steven.

Dr. Maheswaran stared at Amethyst.

“Heh heh,” Dr. Maheswaran said uncomfortably. “Ah yes. You were ... Amethyst, right?”

“Last time I checked,” Amethyst said, putting her hands behind her head.

Peridot glanced over at Steven and Connie. Steven breathed a sigh of relief as Connie gripped one of his hands. At least he seemed to be able to catch his breath while Connie’s mom focused on Amethyst instead. Peridot decided it was best she assist as well.

Peridot cleared her throat and took a step forward.

“Hello, Dock-tour Maheswaran,” Peridot said.

Dr. Maheswaran looked down at Peridot and, for whatever reason, seemed pleased.

“Ah, you must be Peridot,” Dr. Maheswaran said. “My daughter’s told me a lot about you. It’s nice to meet you.”

Peridot smiled and glanced at Connie. She wouldn’t admit it but she got a fuzzy feeling knowing Connie had even bothered mentioning Peridot’s existence to this “Mom.”

“Yes,” Peridot said. “It is an honor to meet you as well.”

Feeling it was appropriate, Peridot crossed her arms to form a Diamond shape, the traditional sign of respect when addressing the Diamond Authority on Homeworld.

“Oh, um, yes ...” Dr. Maheswaran tried to cross her arms similarly but ended up making an X rather than a Diamond shape. “Is this-- am I doing it right?”

“Um, yeah. Sure.” Peridot coughed, not having the nerve to correct her.

The corner of Dr. Maheswaran’s mouth curved upward. She appeared proud of herself.

At that moment, Pearl approached from the living room.

“All right, the table is set,” Pearl said. “I apologize for the delay.”

“Oh, no, it’s no problem at all,” Dr. Maheswaran replied. “It’s good to see you again, Pearl.”

Dr. Maheswaran made the sloppy X with her arms in front of her chest.

Pearl stared blankly.

“What are you--” Pearl stopped speaking as soon as she saw Peridot and Amethyst behind Dr. Maheswaran, waving their arms and shaking their heads in silent alarm.

“Oh!” Pearl said. “Um ... yes. Right. X’s are wonderful.”

Dr. Maheswaran frowned and dropped her hands, saying nothing.

Amethyst smacking her palm to her face. Steven grimaced.

Connie laughed nervously.

“Heh ... hehehe ...” said Connie. “Boy, I sure am hungry. Why don’t-- why don’t we eat now?”

Dr. Maheswaran’s smiled, but even someone as socially inept as Peridot could tell it was forced.

“Yes, good idea,” Dr. Maheswaran said.

Pearl cleared her throat.

“Yes. Right this way,” she said, gesturing towards the living room. “I’ll bring out the tea in a moment.”

Dr. Maheswaran perked up a little as she walked past Pearl.

“Ooh, that sounds lovely,” she said.

Steven followed her, his cheeks still flushed.

Amethyst walked up to Pearl, glaring at her.

“‘X’s are wonderful’?” Amethyst said.

“I panicked!” Pearl protested.

Peridot frowned.

“I’m sorry,” Peridot said. “It’s my fault for not correcting her ... and showing her the greeting in the first place.”

Connie touched Peridot’s shoulder.

“No, Peridot, you did fine,” Connie said. “It’s not a big deal.”

Peridot smiled at Connie, but was disappointed to see it did little to calm Connie’s nerves.

Connie took a breath and looked up at Pearl.

“Are you sure we can pull this off?” Connie said. “I mean ... telling my mom?”

Pearl wore a serious look on her face.

“Yes, of course,” Pearl said. “I admit we may have made a few mistakes ...”

Amethyst grinned.

“If by ‘we,’ you mean ‘mostly you...’” Amethyst muttered.

Pearl shot Amethyst a nasty look for a fraction of a second before looking back at Connie.

“But I’m confident once we start dinner and we’ve all had a chance to talk calmly, it’ll be much easier to broach the subject,” Pearl said.

Connie clasped her hands together and nodded.

“Okay,” she said to herself. “Okay, good ... we can do this.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Peridot put her hand on Connie’s shoulder.

“I’m ... sure Pearl is right,” said Peridot, trying to display more optimism than she actually felt. “This “mom” seems to find Steven agreeable, at least. And she doesn’t appear to be hostile in any way. She clearly wants to be supportive so I’m certain everything will be fine.”

Despite Peridot’s words sounding empty to herself, it made Connie brighten up a little.

“Thank you, Peridot,” she said before following her mom and Steven into the living room. Pearl walked out after her.

Once they left, Amethyst shuffled up to Peridot with a huge smile on her face.

“What?” Peridot said.

“You know, for someone who thinks they’re bad at talking to people, you’re really good at it when it matters,” Amethyst said.

Peridot glanced away from Amethyst, blushing. Amethyst placed a gentle hand Peridot’s shoulder. It made Peridot’s Gem tingle.

“Good job, Peri,” Amethyst said.

“Yes ... um ... thank you,” Peridot said. “L-let’s go attempt food ingestion.”

“Wanna sit on my knees?” Amethyst said as they started towards the living room.

Peridot cheeks got redder, but couldn’t help but smile back.

“M-maybe later,” Peridot said.

“Hmm, this casserole is delightful,” Mom said, knelt next to Connie at the coffee table. “Don’t you think so, Connie?”

“Oh ...” Connie scraped her fork against the cheesy chicken and broccoli mash on her plate. She smiled. “Yes, it’s pretty good.”

Connie hadn’t taken a single bite of it. She tried not to cringe when she realized that was yet another lie she was telling Mom.

It wasn’t that the food looked bad, because it didn’t. It was just that her nerves were so shot and her stomach was so upset that the thought of eating anything made her want to throw up.

She felt Steven’s hand brush against hers underneath the table. She glanced over to her left and saw Steven smiling. He was still nervous. Even when he didn’t show it, Connie could always tell.

Connie tried not to think about the fact he was nervous because her mom was here. Which was only happening because Connie insisted on telling her mom about Stevonnie. So on top of being anxious about that, she felt even worse for making Steven worry.

Don’t focus on that, she told herself. Just focus on dinner.

She looked around the table. Pearl, Amethyst, and Peridot were knelt on the opposite side of the table. Peridot took hesitant bites of the casserole, inserting the fork in her mouth at an awkward angle that scratched the inside of her cheek. Amethyst seemed amused by this, but didn’t correct her. Pearl, who sat in front of a suspiciously clean plate, brought a cup to her lips and pretended to take a sip of tea; the only reason Connie knew she was pretending was because she had happened to see the cup filled with chewed food instead of tea.

Mom took another bite of the casserole.

“This is wonderful,” said Mom. “I didn’t know you were such a good cook, Pearl.”

Pearl blushed, her cheeks turning a faint blue.

“Well, um, actually--” she started.

Amethyst cut her off.

“Yeah! Pearl did a great job!” Amethyst said. “Didn’t you, Pearl?”

Pearl glanced at Amethyst for a second before an uneasy smile crept on her face.

“Um, yes,” Pearl said. She cleared her throat. “W-well, I try.”

Peridot raised an eyebrow, confused.

“But--” Peridot started.

Without changing her facial expression, Amethyst discreetly nudged Peridot with her elbow. It caused Peridot to almost drop her fork. They shared a look, which was enough to let Peridot know to clam up.

“Yep, she slaved over a hot stove,” Amethyst continued.

“Yes. Right,” Pearl said.

There was a brief pause.

“Some might say dangerously hot ...” Pearl added with a small smirk.

Amethyst snorted with laughter.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Amethyst said.

Mom appeared confused. She glanced over at Connie, who shrugged.

“Sorry,” Pearl said, closing her eyes. “It’s something of an inside joke ...”

“Ah, I see,” Mom said.

Peridot placed more casserole in her mouth. Her awkward use of the fork caused several bits of food to dribble on her chin, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Well, we are inside ...” Peridot said off-handedly.

Mom chuckled at that.

“Cute pun,” she said.

“Pun?” Peridot said, confused. “What’s a pun?”

“Oh, um ... nevermind,” Mom said. She smiled. “So Peridot, I understand my daughter has been teaching you about Earth ...”

Peridot grinned.

“Yes. Connie has been an excellent teacher.” She made eye-contact with Connie. “I’m honestly not sure what I would have done without her lessons.”

Even as nervous as Connie felt, she still felt a warmness in her chest upon hearing that.

Mom gave Connie a gentle smile.

“I’m very proud to hear my daughter’s been so helpful to you, Peridot,” Mom said.

Connie blushed.

Mom turned her attention back to Peridot.

“How did my daughter end up teaching you, anyway?” Mom said. “I’m not sure if she’s ever mentioned how ...”

Peridot smiled brightly.

“Oh, that’s actually a humorous story!” Peridot said.

Connie paled.

Oh god, Connie thought, please don’t mention the impaling. Please don’t mention the impaling!

“So when Steven first introduced me to Connie, she had her sword--” Peridot began.

Connie made eye-contact with Peridot and started shaking her head as subtly as she could manage, screaming inside her head.

Peridot’s eyes went wide. Mom was still focused on Peridot, unaware of Connie’s signal.

“And?” Mom asked after an awkward pause.

“Um ...” Peridot rubbed her temple. “A-and then I said, ‘Wow, that sword is quite impressive.’ And she said, um, ‘Yes, that is correct.’ And then I said, um, ‘Yes.’ And then we became friends.” Peridot looked down at the plate. “T-that’s the story.”

There was a brief awkward silence.

“Oh ...” Mom said. She appeared to be searching for the right thing to say. “I ... suppose that is a humorous story.”

Pearl chuckled and smiled.

“Well, I suppose you just had to be there,” Pearl said with a shrug.

Pearl’s eyes found Connie, then shifted to Steven. She said nothing, but she didn’t have to. Connie knew she was trying to gauge if they were ready to broach the subject. Connie wasn’t sure she was ready. Honestly, she didn’t know if she would ever be ready, but she gave a small nod regardless.

Connie’s heart pounded in her chest. Peridot stared at her. For a moment, it appeared as if she was about to speak, but no words came out.

Pearl took a deep breath then turned her attention back to Mom.

“I’m glad you were able to come have dinner with us,” Pearl said. “I thought it was a nice cause of celebration for the happy couple.”

Steven shrunk down in his chair, his face turning red.

Underneath the table, Connie’s hand found his. He turned and smiled in response.

Mom took another bite of the casserole.

“Yes,” Mom said. “I have to admit they look quite good together.”

Amethyst snickered.

“I’d say so, yeah,” Amethyst said.

Mom frowned and raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

Pearl shook her head and smiled.

“No, it’s nothing, it’s just ... interesting you should put it that way,” Pearl said.

This is it, Connie thought. She could feel her heart beating even faster. She squeezed Steven’s hand tighter; he squeezed hers in response.

Pearl nodded towards Connie.

“It’s a reassuring thing to hear,” Pearl said. “Isn’t it Connie?”

Mom looked from Pearl to Connie. Feeling her Mom’s eyes on her made her breath feel short.

Mom looked concerned.

“Connie, are you alright?” said Mom. “You’ve been really quiet.”

“No, I’m fine, I’m just--” Connie’s voice cracked.

“Connie, it’s okay,” Mom said gently. “I didn’t say anything to upset you, did I?”

“I said I’m fine!” Connie said, raising her voice without meaning to. Mom flinched. For an instant, Connie was afraid she’d be angry, but instead Mom only stared in surprise.

“I mean ...” Connie started, before she abruptly stood from the table. “I--I’ll be right back!”

Pearl’s eyes were wide.

“Connie, what about--” Pearl started.

“I just need some air for a second, okay?!” Connie said, even more defensive.

Connie became self-conscious of everyone staring at her, and without another word, she walked out the front door. A rush of cold air hit her once she opened the door and stepped onto the porch. It took every ounce of energy for her to keep a stoic face.

She immediately felt guilty for acting this way, but it was impossible for her to relax. Her heart felt like a jackhammer. She clasped her hands to her face. She wanted to scream, but she knew that would just make everyone feel worse.

In the living room, she could just barely hear Steven speak.

“I-I’m gonna make sure she finds the ... air okay,” said Steven, not worried that that was the most unconvincing excuse in the history of everything.

The front door creaked open. Connie glanced back to see Steven step outside, quietly closing the door behind him. He frowned, his eyes glued to Connie.

“Connie, what’s wrong?” Steven asked. “I thought things were going pretty well.”

Connie sighed. She leaned against the handrail along the porch. She ran her hand down her face.

“I know,” Connie said. “I know, things have been going fine... okay, well, maybe there was a little hitch when Peridot almost mentioned that time I stabbed her, but still--”

“Connie, you didn’t stab her, that’s not what--”

“Well, that’s how I remember it and that’s how it would sound to Mom anyway, so--” Connie flung her arms up. “Whatever, that’s not the point.”

“Connie, it’s okay,” said Steven. He put his hand on her shoulder; as nervous as Connie was, it still gave her goosebumps.

“Please,” Steven went on. “Just talk to me ...”

Connie exhaled.

“Okay ...” Connie said. “Yeah, things have been going fine ... but that’s ... that’s really not making it any easier to tell her this.”

“But your mom seems really cool about everything so far.”

“Yeah, I know, that’s the problem,” Connie said. “She’s been really wonderful about everything, she’s actually listening to what I have to say and actually likes the Gems and just--” She put her hands to her sides of her head. “What if telling her about Stevonnie just ruins all of that?! What if she just freaks out, takes it the wrong way, and goes back to how she was before?!”

“Connie, calm down, it’s okay--”

“I-- I really like being able to tell my mom things now!” Connie said, her voice getting high-pitched. “I don’t want to go back to the way things were! I like being able to tell her things! I like that she likes you! I just--”

“Connie!” Steven said. He reached up and touched Connie’s cheek. “It’s okay. This isn’t going to mess that up. I don’t think your mom is the type to react that bad.”

“How can you be so sure?” Connie said. Her eyes stung.

“I just ... I dunno! I just figure if she’s your mom, she’s at least a little like you and I know you’d never act like that.”

Connie frowned. That didn’t calm Connie much. Growing up, Connie thought her and her mom couldn’t be more different. She realized they had more in common now than she used to believe, but still ... it was hard for Connie to forget how her mom had acted most of her life before the hospital incident.

“Connie,” Steven said. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”

“How? How can you promise everything is going to be okay?” Connie said.

Steven stammered.

“Because I-- I have you here and everything always ends up okay when we’re together!” he said.

Connie stared at him. Steven looked down, embarassed. Connie actually managed to smile.

“Why do you always find the sweetest things to say?” Connie said.

“Cause I’m Steven?” Steven said with a nervous shrug.

“Heh ... yeah ... I guess that’s why,” Connie said with a chuckle.

“You gonna be okay?” Steven asked.

“Yes.” She placed her hand on top of the hand Steven held to her cheek. “You’re right. Having you around does always make everything okay. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I love you,” Connie said.

Steven’s face turned beet red. It took a moment for Connie to realize she had actually said that outloud. She immediately put her hand down.

“Oh, gosh, I’m sorry,” Connie stammered. “I didn’t-- I was really emotional, I didn’t mean to--”

“I love you too,” Steven said.

Connie’s eyes welled up. She felt like she wanted to smile and cry and scream all at the same time; instead, she wrapped her arms around Steven.

He hugged her back.

Connie had never felt closer to anyone else than she did in that moment. So much so, she barely noticed her and Steven start to glow. She closed her eyes--

--and Stevonnie opened theirs.

Stevonnie glanced down at their hands, realizing they were back.

“AHHH!” they yelped, before clasping their hands over their mouth.

Oh wow, oh jeez, I didn’t mean for that to happen! Stevonnie thought to theirself. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!

Stevonnie wondered which part of theirself was responsible for that thought, Connie or Steven. Honestly, it sounded like something both of them would say in that moment.

They looked down at theirself. Connie and Steven’s shoes laid on the ground nearby, no longer fitting their feet. They could feel Connie and Steven’s shirt clinging against their chest, Steven’s star shirt visible over Connie’s outfit. Their midriff was exposed, along with their pink gem. Steven and Connie’s jeans now looked like shorts on Stevonnie’s tall body.

Steven’s bowtie choked against their neck. It made it difficult to breathe, so Stevonnie yanked the bowtie off. They rubbed their neck.

“So much for looking formal ...” Stevonnie said.

It was hard for Stevonnie to describe how they felt, being back. They didn’t feel like they had ever ceased to be since they retained Steven and Connie’s memories. More than anything, it felt like waking from a long sleep.

They felt guilty because they knew this was not the time for fusion. It was an accident, just like the last two times. They could feel Steven and Connie’s anxiety about the situation all too well ...

But they would be lying if they said it didn’t feel good being back again.

But all those good feelings went out the window once the front door swung open.

Stevonnie looked up just in time to see Dr. Maheswaran walk out on the porch.

Mom.

Well ... one of their moms, anyway.

“Connie, is everything al--” Mom stopped when she saw Stevonnie. She stared in disbelief.

Stevonnie’s heart pounded. All they could do was stare back at Mom. They weren’t sure what to say. It was clear Mom didn’t recognize them. How could she?

Mom screamed.

“HELP! THERE’S SOMEBODY OUT HERE!” Mom shouted back through the door.

Stevonnie moved towards her. Mom recoiled.

“Mom, please, it’s alright--” Stevonnie started, before Mom cut her off.

“Who are you?! Where are the kids?!” Mom said, filled with terror.

Then Mom’s eyes darted to Stevonnie’s hand still holding Steven’s bowtie. Mom’s face went pale.

“Why are you wearing their clothes?!” Mom said shakily.

Stevonnie then realized exactly how terrifying this situation looked to anyone who didn’t know they were a fusion of Connie and Steven.

Oh god, this is bad. This is really bad. This is as bad as it could POSSIBLY be, they thought.

“Uh ...” Stevonnie said.

Before Stevonnie could even get a word out, Mom ran forward and grabbed them by the scruff of their shirt.

“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER?!” Mom shouted, her face inches from Stevonnie’s.

The door swung open again as Pearl, Amethyst, and Peridot rushed out. Pearl held her spear in front of her, but dropped it once she saw Stevonnie. Amethyst put her hand to her mouth.

Peridot simply stared at Stevonnie. Her expression was hard to read, but unfortunately Stevonnie had other things to worry about right now.

Pearl allowed her spear to dissolve as she grabbed Mom’s shoulder.

“Dr. Maheswaran, stop!” Pearl said, but Mom wouldn’t let go.

Mom looked more furious than Stevonnie had ever seen before, even in Connie’s memories.

“This monster did something to the kids!” Mom said.

The sentence cut Stevonnie like a knife to the heart. They felt their body start to shake.

A monster. That’s what they looked like to Mom.

A monster.

“Dr. Maheswaran, they are the kids!” Pearl shouted.

Mom looked at Pearl as if she was insane, shaking her head.

“What are you talking about?” Mom shouted.

Stevonnie finally managed to speak. When they did, their voice noticeably sounded more like Connie. Deep inside theirself, they could feel Connie speaking through their mouth.

“Mom, it’s me!” Stevonnie said. “I’m your daughter--”

“YOU ARE NOT MY DAUGHTER!” Mom screamed.

Stevonnie’s eyes went wide. They clenched their fist. Without realizing they were about to do it, Stevonnie’s gem began to glow as a pink bubble materialized around them. The force of its formation pushed Mom back. She staggered and fell against the porch.

Mom looked up and stared at the pink bubble. Her eyes fell to the Gem on their stomach. Her mouth was agape.

Stevonnie couldn’t stop theirself from trembling. Their eyes burned as tears began to trickle down their face.

She hadn’t recognized them.

They didn’t even look human to her. They forced a sob down. The bubble around them disappeared.

Mom got to her feet, her eyes never leaving Stevonnie.

“Is that ... really you?” Mom said.

It took everything they had not to diffuse right then, but Stevonnie forced theirself not to.

Stevonnie didn’t want Mom see this “monster” turn back into Connie and Steven.

Unsure what else to do, Stevonnie turned and ran down the steps of the porch.

Stevonnie heard Mom shout “WAIT!”

“Wait, Stevonnie, come back!” Amethyst yelled.

Stevonnie glanced back to see Peridot and Pearl start after them, but they didn’t slow down.

Stevonnie kept running once they reached the bottom of the steps. Tears clung to their cheeks as their bare feet hit the sand.

They weren’t even sure where they were going. They just wanted to be as far away as possible.

Stevonnie could feel Steven and Connie’s turmoil inside theirself. Stevonnie wished they had never come into existence. If they hadn’t, Connie and Steven never would have seen Mom so angry at them, never would have had to go through this.

It was all Stevonnie’s fault.

And now they truly felt like a monster.

This ... may not have gone optimally, Peridot thought once she was able to calm down enough to think.

It was a bit of a shock for Peridot to see Connie and Steven fused together, but not an unpleasant one. She was past the point where she would have found something wrong with it.

Honestly her immediate thought upon seeing the fusion was bemoaning the fact that there was now another person on this planet taller than her.

They looked pretty good together, if Peridot was being honest.

Dr. Maheswaran’s response was ... somewhat different, from the looks of things. As soon as the fusion ran away, she panicked.

“What was that?!” Dr. Maheswaran asked. “How could that person use Steven’s bubble? Was that ... was that really them?!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Pearl said, placing a gentle hand on Dr. Maheswaran’s shoulder. “Please calm down.”

But Dr. Maheswaran was shaking, still reeling from what had happened.

Peridot barely noticed as she looked down the steps, the fusion already out of sight. Peridot could tell they were very upset by Dr. Maheswaran’s reaction. She imagined the fusions sadness on both Steven and Connie’s faces ... and once she thought of that, she decided she wasn’t going to let them go through that alone.

But before she could start down the stair, Amethyst grabbed her wrist.

“Wait!” Amethyst said. “You should stay here.”

“What?!” Peridot said, turning towards Amethyst.

Amethyst glanced over to Dr. Maheswaran and sighed. The tone of her voice was serious.

“I think Pearl could use your help with Connie’s mom right now,” Amethyst said.

“But Connie and Steven--”

“I know, I know,” Amethyst said. “But we’re not the ones who need to talk to them.” She nodded towards Dr. Maheswaran. “She is.”

Peridot frowned.

“I ... suppose that makes sense,” Peridot admitted. “But what about--”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go and just keep an eye on them, make sure they don’t run too far,” Amethyst.

Peridot blinked. She threw her hands over her head.

“Why are you the one making all these intelligent plans all of a sudden?!” Peridot said. “That should be my department!”

Amethyst gave a sly smile.

“Aw, don’t worry, Peri.” Amethyst ruffled Peridot’s hair. She whispered in a sultry tone. “Even if you’re not the smart one anymore, I’ll still like you for your body.”

Peridot felt her cheeks become hot. She could only stammer nonsense in response.

Amethyst smiled, pleased with herself.

“But seriously,” Amethyst said, dropping her smile, “it’ll be alright. You should help Pearl. You’re kinda better at talking to people than she is.”

Peridot was astonished Amethyst said that.

“Are you insane?!” Peridot said. “I’m not--”

“No, you’re totally good at it. And, you know, not just in comparison to Pearl.”

Peridot folded her arms. Her cheeks turned a faint blue.

“Come on, you calmed Connie down earlier,” Amethyst said. “And you talk to Steven and Connie all the time. You’re better at this than you think you are. You got this, Peri.”

Peridot smiled despite herself.

“I’ll ... try,” Peridot said.

To Peridot’s surprise, Amethyst leaned forward and kissed the Gem on Peridot’s forehead. It sent a chill down Peridot’s entire physical form.

“That’s my girl,” Amethyst said.

Peridot’s mouth hung open. Amethyst just grinned.

“Now hang on, I’ll be right back,” Amethyst said. “I’ll find the kids.”

Amethyst lept into the air as her Gem began to glow. Her physical form was engulfed in white light. In an instant, she had shifted into a purple bird and started to flap her wings into the distance.

Peridot glanced over at Pearl and Dr. Maheswaran. The doctor was staring at Amethyst as she flew out of sight.

“Did ... did Amethyst just turn into a bird?” Dr. Maheswaran said.

“Yes, but that’s not important right now,” Pearl said casually.

Peridot approached them. When Pearl noticed Peridot, she leaned in close.

“I’ve been trying to explain things,” Pearl whispered. “I think she’s still reeling from the whole thing.” She caught eyes with Peridot. “Is Amethyst going to look for Stevonnie?”

Peridot nodded.

“Okay. Good,” Pearl said. She sighed. “This isn't how I'd hoped we’d have to do this ...”

“I know,” Peridot said.

They turned their attention to Dr. Maheswaran. She rubbed her temple. Her eyes stared ahead, unfocused on anything specific.

“So ... that person was Connie and Steven?” Dr. Maheswaran said.

Pearl nodded.

“Yes, fused together,” Pearl said. “Just like how the other Gems and I fused to form Alexandrite when we first met.”

Dr. Maheswaran gave a short nod.

“I-- I had no idea, I just-- I didn’t know you could do that with humans,” she said.

Pearl gave a sad smile.

“Well ... neither did we,” Pearl said with a chuckle.

Dr. Maheswaran didn’t laugh back.

Peridot tried to think of something helpful to say. The distant look on Dr. Maheswaran’s face tugged at something inside Peridot. That look of desperation, of not understanding anything around her ...

It reminded Peridot too much of herself.

“It’s safe,” Peridot said.

Dr. Maheswaran looked at Peridot, her brow furrowed.

“If you were ... concerned about that,” Peridot said. “The process isn't dangerous.”

Dr. Maheswaran’s expression didn’t change. She only gave a small nod.

“Yes, that’s right!” Pearl said with a reassuring smile. “It’s entirely safe. There’s nothing wrong about it at all. It’s the ultimate connection between Gems who truly care about each other.”

This was an extraordinarily different definition of fusion than Peridot had been taught, but she did not contradict Pearl. In truth, she prefered Pearl’s explanation than the one she had heard her entire life.

“Ultimate connection?” Dr. Maheswaran said, confused.

“Yes, it’s ... essentially giving all of yourself to another to--”

Dr. Maheswaran glared.

“Are you saying my daughter’s been doing the alien equivalent of--” Dr. Maheswaran started.

Pearl waved her hands in front of her face, stammering.

“N-no, not at all! It’s-- no, I promise it’s nothing like ...” Pearl blushed. “Like what you’re probably thinking. It’s innocent! The truth is there really isn’t a direct equivalent to it for humans. It’s ... essentially becoming a different person with someone else.” Pearl frowned. “Does ... does that make any sense to you?”

Dr. Maheswaran frowned.

“No ...” Dr. Maheswaran said. “It doesn’t. The only thing I do understand... “ Her expression softened, her voice quivering as she spoke. “... is that I basically called my daughter a monster ...”

Dr. Maheswaran walked away from the two Gems to the top step of the porch and sat down. She put her face in her hands.

Pearl looked on sadly. She put her hand to her mouth.

“I ... I don’t know what else to say,” Pearl whispered to Peridot.

Peridot looked at the doctor. Without even planning to do so, Peridot stepped forward and sat next to Dr. Maheswaran on the steps. Connie’s mother did not look up.

“It’s ... stressful being surrounded by things you don’t understand, isn’t it?” Peridot said.

Dr. Maheswaran put her hands down. Her eyes were red, but Peridot saw no tears.

“You know ...” Dr. Maheswaran said quietly. “When I was Connie’s age, I thought one day when I got older, I would just know everything. I would just understand the world and have all the answers, just like how I thought my mother did.” She shook her head. “And that’s not what it’s like at all. And now this ... I can’t even get my head around what's happening and I’ve hurt my daughter because of it. What kind of mother would call her child a thing like that?”

She hung her head down.

“I ... I don’t know what I would even say to her now ...” she said.

When Peridot had first seen Dr. Maheswaran, she had compared the doctor to a Diamond, strong and commanding respect. But now she looked so vulnerable and nervous ...

Despite herself, Peridot chuckled.

Dr. Maheswaran glared.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“I’m sorry,” Peridot said, stopping herself. “It’s simply ... you sound a lot like Connie.”

“What?”

“Earlier today she was saying things quite similar to what you’re saying now. I ...” Peridot shrugged. “There’s a lot about human behavior I don’t fully grasp ... but I think she worries as much as you do.” Peridot looked in Dr. Maheswaran’s eyes. “I think that she would ... understand how you felt. She would forgive you if you said you were sorry.”

Dr. Maheswaran blinked, then gave a sad smile.

“You know, I think you’re probably right,” Dr. Maheswaran said. “She’s a sweet girl ... much kinder than I was at that age.” She glanced down at the ground. “I’m just not so sure if I’ll be able to forgive myself.”

Peridot heard footsteps. She turned and saw Pearl walk up to Dr. Maheswaran, a nervous frown on her face.

“We’ve ... all done things we regret, Dr. Maheswaran,” Pearl said. “At least you’re trying.”

“Yes,” Peridot said. “Connie even said you’ve been trying and doing an optimal job.”

Dr. Maheswaran was surprised.

“She said that?” the doctor asked.

Pearl and Peridot nodded.

Dr. Maheswaran sighed.

“I’m glad she knows that,” Dr. Maheswaran said. “I’m so proud of her. I ... I just want to tell her I’m sorry. I want to understand this.”

“I can relate to that feeling,” Peridot said. “I’m certain you will if you keep trying.”

To Peridot’s surprise, Dr. Maheswaran smiled.

“Thank you,” Dr. Maheswaran said. She looked from Peridot to Pearl. “You know, you’re both very good people.”

Peridot raised an eyebrow.

“‘People?’” said Peridot.

“Well ... Gems, I mean,” Dr. Maheswaran said.

“Oh ...” Peridot thought about everything she had just said, how ... optimistic she sounded. It was unlike anything she would have said before. She couldn’t say she felt like a good Gem. She couldn’t considering what she’d done in the past ...

But she certainly felt different now.

She gave a hesitant smile.

“Thank you for that, Dr. Maheswaran,” Peridot said.

Dr. Maheswaran smiled back.

“Please ... call me Priyanka,” she said.

There was a fluttering of wings as Amethyst swooped from above, still in bird form. She perched on Pearl’s shoulder, who was visibly caught off-guard.

“Okay, they’re fine,” Amethyst said. She pointed with her wing. “I saw Stevonnie sitting by the beach that way. ”

Priyanka nodded and stood up.

“Do you want us to come with--” Pearl started, but Priyanka cut her off.

“No. Thank you, but ...” Priyanka clutched her own arms. “This is something I need to do myself.”

Pearl appeared uneasy for a split second, then nodded.

“Alright,” Pearl said. “I can respect that.”

Priyanka turned and gave another smile to Peridot.

“Thank you again for all your help,” Priyanka said. She walked down the steps.

The purple bird looked at Peridot and curved its beak in a way resembling a smile.

“So ... was I right or was I right?” Amethyst said.

Peridot blushed. She couldn’t argue with Amethyst. Despite Peridot’s reservations, she actually was better at this “social interaction” thing than she thought.

Pearl reached out and gently touched Peridot’s shoulder. She did not instantly recoil how she did before when anyone touched her.

“We’re so proud of you,” Pearl said.

Peridot looked away, feeling her blush intensify. She was not used to this level of praise.

The purple bird on Pearl’s shoulder gazed as Priyanka reached the bottom of the steps and stepped onto the sand. She twisted her head back to Pearl’s ear.

“Sooooo we’re totally still going to follow her, right?” Amethyst said.

“Oh, of course,” said Pearl.

Stevonnie sat on the beach, their arms wrapped around their knees. Their eyes welled up, but they didn’t allow theirself to cry anymore.

They should be better than this, Stevonnie told theirself. They shouldn’t have to put Connie and Steven through any more pain.

Stevonnie watched the tide rise and fall as waves crashed against the sand. The moonlight shimmered against the water. It was a beautiful scene. It was the kind of place Steven and Connie should be happy together.

Well ... if they were together and not Stevonnie.

Stevonnie frowned. They rubbed their eyes. They tried to ignore the sadness they felt that was almost certainly from both Steven and Connie. Sadness and loneliness.

Stevonnie gave a bitter laugh.

“It always seems like we end up feeling alone when I’m around, doesn’t it?” Stevonnie whispered. “Kind of ironic. I’m ... sorry you two have to put up with me.”

If Steven and Connie were there right now, they’d be telling Stevonnie they were being ridiculous for thinking that. They’d insist they enjoyed being Stevonnie. Stevonnie could almost hear the words coming from their mouths.

But it didn’t change how Stevonnie felt. They hung their head low.

A moment later, Stevonnie heard the crunch of footsteps against the sand. They twisted around to see Mom standing there, her eyes wide.

Stevonnie could only stare at Mom as she shifted her foot awkwardly in the sand.

“Um ... hi,” Mom said. Her voice was shaky and nervous, completely unlike how she sounded normally.

Stevonnie twisted their head back around, gazing back at the water.

“Hello, doctor,” Stevonnie said, wincing at the bitterness in their own voice. They hadn’t meant to sound that harsh, but seeing Mom just made her words echo in their head all over again.

You’re not my daughter.

To Stevonnie’s surprise, Mom crouched down next to them. Her eyes were fixed on Stevonnie. She sighed.

“I ... suppose I deserve that,” Mom said, frowning. “Listen, Connie--”

“It’s Stevonnie.”

Mom paused.

“Right ... Stevonnie,” Mom said. She ran her hand nervously through her hair. “Sorry. I’m still getting used to this.”

Mom closed her eyes and took a breath.

“I’m ... sorry for before. I really am,” Mom said. She leaned in closer to Stevonnie. “I--I had no idea what had happened. I just ... I had no idea who you were and I saw the kids clothes and-- I just thought something terrible had happened! I--” Mom lowered her voice. “I ... I never would have said those things if I knew you were them.”

Stevonnie clutched their knees. They couldn’t bear to look directly at Mom. Knowing they had made her panic just made it even harder.

“I guess I can understand how scary that must have been,” Stevonnie said.

“Yes,” Mom said.

Stevonnie frowned.

“It ... still hurt us, you know,” Stevonnie said.

Mom bit her lip and nodded slowly.

“I know ... and I’m so sorry, Con-- Stevonnie.” Mom gazed into the sea along with Stevonnie. “I know I haven’t been a very good mother today ...”

Somewhere inside Stevonnie, they felt Connie turn Stevonnie’s head to finally look at Mom. They could see a tear trickle from her eye. The vulnerability in her face reminded Stevonnie of theirself.

“Don’t say that,” Stevonnie heard theirself say. “You’re a great mom! You’ve been doing such a great job! That’s why I--”

Stevonnie paused, only then realizing Connie was speaking through their mouth. Not that Stevonnie minded; it was just an odd feeling to have part of their mind take over their body for a second. They continued.

“That’s why Connie was so worried,” Stevonnie went on. “S-she didn’t want to mess up how awesome you’ve become and how cool you’ve been about Steven by mentioning ... well ...” Stevonnie shrunk their head down. “Me.”

Stevonnie lowered their voice.

“She just ... she just didn’t want to disappoint you.”

Mom looked straight at Stevonnie, wiping the tear from her cheek.

“That’s ridiculous,” Mom said. “I would never feel that way. No matter what happens, Connie is my daughter and I’ll always be proud of her. I care about her.”

Mom hesitated, then touched Stevonnie’s shoulder.

“I care about you,” Mom said.

Stevonnie caught eyes with their mother.

“You really mean that?” Stevonnie said.

Mom gave a weak smile.

“Of course,” Mom said. She paused. “And I ... I really do want to understand this. I did have some questions though, i-if that was alright.”

“That’s fair,” Stevonnie said.

“And if I say anything over the line, don’t be afraid to tell me.”

“Alright,” said Stevonnie with a laugh. They smiled. It felt good knowing Mom was going to such effort to relate to them.

Mom clasped her hands together.

“Okay ...” Mom said. “This fusion thing ... it doesn’t hurt Connie, does it?”

“No, not at all,” Stevonnie said.

“Does it hurt Steven?”

“No.”

Mom got silent for a moment. She cleared her throat.

“Y-you can’t get pregnant from it, right?” she said.

“MOTHER!” Stevonnie shouted, their voice cracking to the point where they sounded exactly like Connie. Their cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

“I felt like that was a legitimate question.” Mom’s cheeks flushed. “So you’re sure you can’t--”

“NO! OH MY GOD!”

“Okay ... okay,” Mom said. “I just needed to hear that ...” She grimaced. “Oh god, is Steven going to remember I said that?”

“I don’t think anyone is ever going to forget you said that!” Stevonnie said.

“I’m sorry!” Mom said. “Okay ... okay, new question.” She straightened up. “How does Connie feel about doing this? Is she ... comfortable with it?”

Stevonnie considered for a moment.

“It’s ... kind of hard to say,” Stevonnie said, conscious of Connie speaking through them once again. “Every time we’ve done this, it’s been kind of an accident. And it feels good but ... sometimes it feels a little lonely.” Stevonnie gave a weak smile. “I don’t think either of them are ready to be me for a really long time or anything. It’s a hard thing to get used to. I don’t think they’d feel quite the same way about it Garnet does.”

“Wait, Garnet? What does--”

“Long story,” Stevonnie said.

Mom appeared perplexed, but nodded as if she understood anyway.

“I see,” Mom said. “Thank you for answering my questions, Stevonnie.”

Stevonnie smiled nervously.

“Actually, I had a question for you,” Stevonnie said.

“What is it?” Mom said.

“So um ...” Stevonnie hugged their shoulders. “I know I’m not Connie, but ... are you okay with me still calling you Mom?”

Mom stared at Stevonnie. Stevonnie put their hands up.

“B-because if you’d prefer I call you something else, that’s totally okay,” Stevonnie said. “I understand this is a little weird, so if you want me to--”

Before Stevonnie could react, Mom wrapped her arms around Stevonnie. They could hear their mom sniff.

“You can always call me Mom,” she said, overcome with emotion.

Stevonnie couldn’t help but smile as Mom held them ...

Inside their head, Stevonnie heard a voice that was unmistakably Connie’s.

Hey, this isn’t weird for you or anything, is--

A voice like Steven’s popped in their head in response.

No. No... I-It feels kind of nice, actually ...

Stevonnie sighed. Poor kid. Stevonnie didn’t want to bring his feelings about his mom to the surface with this.

Connie didn’t either.

“Thanks for this ... Mom,” Stevonnie said. They felt theirself glow white. They looked at their body. They tried to hold it together, but they could feel theirself become unwound.

Mom recoiled, her eyes going wide.

“Is everything alright?! Stevonnie, are you--”

Stevonnie smiled.

“I’m fine ...” they said. “I just think it’s time to let Steven and Connie be themselves again.”

Mom put her hand to her mouth. To Stevonnie’s surprise, she almost seemed sad.

Stevonnie shook their head. They glowed even brighter.

“Hey, don’t be sad,” they said. “I never really go away, you know ...” They forced a big smile, the kind Steven would flash. “Maybe next time I’m around, we can go buy some clothes that actually fit.”

Mom gave a sad smile. Stevonnie wasn’t quite sure, but they thought they could see tears in her eyes.

“Stevonnie ...” Mom whispered.

Stevonnie was engulfed in light now, but they were still entwined enough for them to say, “Yes?”

“It was ... it was nice to meet you,” Mom said.

Before Stevonnie felt theirself separate, they smiled and crossed their arms in the shape of an X, just like Mom had done earlier. Mom chuckled when she saw the gesture and returned it.

“You too, Mom ...” Stevonnie said.

Stevonnie closed their eyes.

You too.

A moment later, Connie was lying on the beach sand. She clutched her head. Her eyes popped open.

“Steven!” she shouted immediately.

She looked to her right to see Steven sitting up. She crawled closer to him. He shook his head and smiled at her.

“Boy ... that was some hug, huh?” Steven said.

Connie snorted with laughter.

“I guess so, yeah,” she said, chuckling.

As the world slowly came back into focus, she remembered everything that had happened.

Mom!

She turned and look to see Mom staring at them. She wiped a tear from her eyes, but she was smiling.

Connie could think of nothing to say at the moment. Everything Stevonnie had said covered most of the concerns she kept inside. But she felt like she had to say something to her Mom.

“Mom, I--”

That was all Connie got out before her mother walked over and put a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay, Connie,” Mom said. “I think I get it now ...”

Connie glanced down at the ground.

“I’m really sorry, I--”

“It’s fine,” Mom said. “Thank you for showing me this. I’m proud of you.” She glanced over to Steven, who was standing a few feet away. “Both of you.”

Steven’s cheeks flushed red as he coughed awkwardly.

Connie smiled at her mom.

A moment later, Connie heard a familiar voice yell “Awwwww!”

Connie looked past her mom to see a large, conspicuous purple rock suddenly on the beach.

Steven caught eyes with the rock.

“AMETHYST!” Steven yelled.

“Ugh!” The rock glowed white for a fraction of a second and shrunk into Amethyst’s normal shape. Once she did, Pearl and Peridot were revealed to be standing directly behind her, looking guilty.

Amethyst turned to Pearl.

“See, I told you I should have turned into a lighthouse instead. That’s way less suspicious,” Amethyst said.

“Oh, a three-hundred foot lighthouse would have been less noticeable?” Pearl said, indignant. “They don’t just spring up overnight, you know!”

Pearl glanced over and remembered that Connie, Steven, and Connie’s Mom were all staring at them. She grimaced and laughed nervously.

“Oh um ...” Pearl said. “We can explain.” She smiled. She bumped Peridot with her elbow. “Peridot, explain.”

“We were spying on your private conversation,” Peridot said.

“I MEANT LIE, PERIDOT!” Pearl shouted.

“Oh ...” Peridot thought for a moment. “We were um ... not doing that.”

Amethyst clutched her hand to her mouth, trying not to laugh.

“Yep, totally checks out,” Amethyst said, snickering.

To Connie’s surprise, Mom snorted. She pursed her lips together, stifling the laugh for just a moment before laughing fully. Connie couldn’t remember a time when Mom had laughed as hard.

“This was ... this was an interesting dinner,” Mom said between breaths.

Amethyst and Pearl approached them. Peridot followed closely behind, her hands fidgeting as she gazed out at the water.

Immediately, Steven stepped in front of Pearl. He furrowed his brow, then reached out and wrapped his arms around Pearl’s legs.

“Thanks for the help, Pearl ...” Steven whispered.

Connie glanced at her mom, then back to Steven. She had known how he felt when they were Stevonnie, when they had hugged Mom. She didn’t want to force him to talk about it, but she knew the events were related.

Pearl was startled for just a moment, then she smiled.

“T-thank you,” Pearl said. Her voice was shaky as she gently touched the top of his head. She let it linger for a few seconds before she cleared her throat. “But really, you should be thanking Amethyst and Peridot. They helped way more than I did.” Pearl shifted her eyes to Peridot.

“Especially Peridot. She was the one who really took the initiative to speak to Connie’s mother after you two left ...”

Steven smiled at Peridot as he unwrapped his arms from Pearl’s legs.

“Thanks, Peridot,” Steven said.

Peridot smiled awkwardly as Amethyst ruffled her hair.

“Yeah! Homegirl really outdid herself this time!” Amethyst said with a laugh. “I always said she was way better at this talking thing than she thought! She’s always really good at helping people!”

“Y-yeah,” Peridot said, quietly. “Sure.”

Connie narrowed her eyes as she looked at Peridot. To her shock, Peridot didn’t look alright at all, even with Amethyst touching her. She was smiling uneasily and the look in her eyes made it seem like she was miles away. Connie frowned.

No one else seemed to notice.

“Well, I suppose we should head back,” Mom said. “It is a school night, after all.”

“Oh um ... yes,” Connie said. “Right behind you ...”

Mom, Steven, and the other Gems started walking away, but Connie lingered. So did Peridot.

Peridot wasn’t looking at Connie. She was staring out at the ocean.

Connie approached Peridot. Peridot still didn’t look at her. In fact she hardly seemed to notice Connie was there.

Connie could hardly hear it, but under Peridot’s breath, she muttered, “Not good enough ...”

“Peridot ...” Connie asked. “Is everything ... okay?”

Peridot flicked her eyes over at Connie, then back at the water.

Then Connie remembered who was under the water ... who Peridot was probably thinking about.

“It’s nothing,” Peridot insisted. “Nothing at all ...”