(See the end of the chapter for notes .)

Chapter Text

Connie’s parents had both been… fine. That was all Steven could really describe them as. When they had arrived, Connie’s mother was heading out the door to the hospital. She greeted her daughter and Steven, followed by giving Connie a warm embrace.

As she dug through her pockets for the keys to her car, she asked if Connie had a good time staying the night at Steven’s. Connie had lied and said that it had been fun.

She then asked Steven how he and the Gems were doing. Like Connie, Steven lied and said they were doing fine.

And after that, she had gotten into the car, started it, and with one last goodbye, drove out of the driveway and down the street. Steven and Connie watched the car, until she turned a corner and was out of sight.

They both stood there in silence, before Connie asked, rather suddenly, “Has Mom met Lion before?”

Steven thought for a moment before answering. “Hmm. I don’t think so… But… I don’t really feel too confident in my memory right now.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean.”

With only another momentary pause, Connie went inside her house, while Steven opted to stay outside with Lion to ensure that he didn’t wander away. But Lion didn’t move from the spot he had warped them in on. In fact, despite the fact that he still looked upon the world with the same disinterested gaze he always had, Steven couldn’t help but think that Lion knew that something very bad was going on.

He was smarter than the average lion, after all.

After a few minutes, Connie returned, her bookbag strapped to her back. Steven asked how her Dad was doing and she answered simply that he was fine. He was finishing his breakfast and had wished her a good day at school.

“And… that’s all?” Steven had asked.

“That’s all he said,” Connie confirmed. “He didn’t really act that strange or… anything.” She sighed. “And that’s probably the strangest thing.”

Steven pondered all this as Lion teleported the two of them to Connie’s school.

Despite their odd behavior, Pearl and Amethyst had stilled seemed like themselves. The only weird thing was that they couldn’t remember Garnet, but did remember Spinel, even though Steven was… fairly certain that he had never met Spinel before.

It was a bit harder to judge Connie’s parents, mainly because, of the times Steven had interacted with them, it had either been very briefly, or when something not that good was happening. Like Connie suffering from “reconstitution flaw” or finding out about Stevonnie in an… unexpected way. With that in mind, if there was any change it was that they were friendlier now.

Steven quickly shook that thought from his mind.

It wasn’t that the Maheswarans weren’t friendly. They were, it’s just that… Gem business was still fairly new to them. While it was easy for Steven, someone who had been raised around the Gems, to think of everything they do as normal, the Maheswarans were still getting used to it. And what experiences they did have… weren’t the best.

It made Steven think about a conversation he had with Connie a few days ago. She had said that, what she wanted from her parents most of all, was for them to say that they were proud of her. Not that they weren’t proud of her, she had been quick to stress, but most of that pride came from her non-Gem activities.

More than anything, she wanted her parents to see that what the Gems were doing was good and necessary and that they were glad Connie was assisting them.

Whatever happened, her parents now seemed more relaxed and accepting of Gem Business. And more likely to say they were proud of what she was doing with the Crystal Gems.

They stopped suddenly, Steven having to brace himself to avoid being pushed forward and over Lion’s head.

They came to a stop across the street from the school, a smattering of trees doing a well enough job of obscuring them (and Lion) from the kids that were gathered in front of the school.

Connie silently slid off of Lion and adjusted her bookbag.

“Alright,” she said. “Time to try and focus on class.”

“Don’t worry, Connie,” Steven replied. “While you’re in class, I’ll be trying to find out what I can about Spinel.”

“Right,” Connie nodded. “Maybe by the time school lets out, you’ll have discovered enough and we can start making a plan… Just, be careful.”

Steven put on the best smile he could manage. “I will. You just focus on… you know, school stuff.”

Connie smiled easily. “If you insist.” She then grabbed his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “Once school’s out, I’ll head straight to the temple. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”

Steven nodded. “Okay, Connie.”

She slowly released his hand, before starting to make her way towards the school. She stopped though, just before moving past the shady trees, and turned back towards Steven and Lion.

“Don’t do anything reckless, Steven.”

Steven blinked at her, before slowly responding, “I won’t, Connie.” His confused expression relaxed into a small grin. “What do you think I’m going to do?”

Connie glanced away. “Nothing, I just don’t want anything to happen to you…” She looked back at him, an awkwardly bashful smile on her lips. “Especially not before we get to have our talk…”

“Talk?”

“You know… About the… kiss… and whether or not we’re… dating now?” Connie’s cheeks flared red and Steven could feel his face redden in response. She quickly turned away, back towards the school. “Sorry... “ she muttered. “I guess now’s not really the time…”

“N-no, it’s alright, Connie,” Steven said, sliding off of Lion. He quickly walked over to her side. “I mean… we… probably do need to…” He quietly trailed off as a new, unnerving thought quickly erupted in his mind. “Connie,” he said slowly. “Do you remember which one of us asked the other for the date?”

Connie was quiet for a moment before answering, “No. I don’t… Why?”

“The gaps in our memories both start at different times, but they both end at the same time. With the date.” Steven explained. “So… assuming we’re right that Spinel was controlling us… does that mean she set us up on the date?” Steven asked uncertainly.

Connie visibly shuddered at the thought. “I-... Maybe, but why would she? I mean…” She shook her head. “No. Best not to think about that now…”

The school bell rang; the students who had been gathered in groups socializing were now beginning to head to their first classes.

“Class is starting soon…” Connie said, looking back at the school. “I need to get going.” She paused for a moment, her gaze still lingering at the school, before promptly turning and wrapping Steven in a tight hug.

Steven returned her embrace and, for several seconds the two just stood there, holding each other close. But as the seconds pressed on, Connie slowly drew away.

“Have a good day at school, Connie,” Steven said carefully, still gently holding onto her hands.

“I’ll… try to, Steven.” She slowly pulled her hands free from his grasp. “You be careful around Spinel. And… remember Garnet.”

Steven nodded back at her solemnly.

“During the time we’ve lost, we probably forgot about Garnet just like Pearl and Amethyst have. So right now… You and I might be the only ones on the planet who still remember her. We… we have to make sure we don’t forget her again,” Connie said, her eyes wavering as she spoke. “No matter if anyone tries to make us forget.”

She turned and began to move past the shady trees, but not before giving Steven a last fleeting wave as she moved around the thick tree trunks and left him there alone.

Lion yawned, resting his head against a nearby tree.

Steven grinned.

Okay, not quite alone.

The yawn turned out to be indicative of Lions mood. Once they were back at the temple, Lion immediately made his way back to his spot underneath the stairs. He didn’t even wait for Steven to get off his back before he laid down, rested his head on his paws, and soundly fell asleep.

Steven carefully slid off Lion’s back and, with a quick pet of Lion’s mane, began to walk up the stairs towards the beach house.

As he entered, the sweet smell of baked goods filled his nose and he saw Pearl at the sink busily washing bowls and various utensils, a freshly baked pie sitting on the kitchen’s central island.

The Gem turned as Steven shut the door behind him. She dried her hands on a nearby washcloth and greeted him, “Hello, Steven.”

“Hi, Pearl,” Steven returned, trying his best to sound like nothing was wrong, but knowing that he probably wasn’t doing a very good job.

Though, Pearl made no indication that she noticed. “Did Connie get to class alright?”

Steven nodded. “Yeah, she did.” He felt a lump in the back of his throat that made it a little difficult to talk.

This conversation was completely unnerving to him. Not because Pearl was acting strange, but because, like Connie’s parents, she seemed completely relaxed in a situation where you just shouldn’t be relaxed. Not helped by the fact that, especially without Spinel here, Pearl seemed… completely normal. She spoke normally, sounded like her usual self, and moved around with the same gracefulness she always did.

But everything wasn’t normal.

And to his continued dread, Steven and Connie seemed to be the only ones who realized that right now.

“Are you alright, Steven?” Pearl asked. “You seem a little-” she stopped mid-sentence as she raised her hand to her mouth. “Ah, of course.”

“W-what?”

Pearl sighed. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you figured out what I wanted to talk to you about.” She crossed the room, laying a hand on Steven’s back and leading him over to the couch with her. “Sit down please, Steven.”

Steven did so, Pearl sitting down next to him.

“So,” Pearl began. “I was thinking last night and… well, now that you and Connie are, uh… what’s the word? Dating? I think we should have… er, a talk.”

This… certainly wasn’t what Steven was expecting. So much so, that Spinel was briefly replaced as the most pressing concern in his mind.

“What do you mean? What kind of talk?” Steven asked.

“A talk about… uh, one moment, Steven.” Pearl leaned over and pulled a thick guidebook from underneath the coffee table. Steven noticed that several pages were saved with bookmarks that stuck out the top. The cover looked well worn and, judging by how the people on said cover were dressed, it was likely that the book was at least thirty years old.

As Pearl quickly moved her finger through the bookmarks, looking for just the right one, Steven could read the title of the book: “ What’s Happening to my Baby?: The Mother’s guide to Teenagers ”.

Steven gulped. This was going to get awkward. He could already tell.

“Now I’ll admit I’m learning myself,” Pearl said, opening the book. “But after looking through this book last night, I believe I have a fairly good grasp on what you’re going through right now.”

Steven fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. He had seen enough daytime television to know when “The Talk” was coming. He knew that he would have to endure it at some point, but he’d just hoped that Pearl wouldn’t be the one giving it…

“Now then, Steven,” Pearl started as she quickly began scanning the page with her finger, “When you’re alone with Connie, how would you say you feel?”

Steven could feel his cheeks blush. “H-how I feel?”

“Yes. What kind of emotions do you feel when you’re alone with her?”

He was silent in response. The truth was of course, that his feeling for Connie were… complicated right now. On one hand, Steven felt the same about Connie as he always did, which admittedly was a little muddled itself. One the other hand though, the revelation that Spinel might have set up their date was still gnawing at the back of his mind. While he was only missing two days worth of his memories, Connie was most likely right when she said that that they had completely forgotten Garnet temporarily. And while the fusion was now safely tucked back into the folds of his memories like she should be, Steven couldn’t help but ponder if any other of his long-term memories had been altered.

Like say… His relationship and the feelings he had for Connie…

“My feelings? Well… I… like Connie. She’s my friend.”

Pearl nodded. “Alright… And would you say that-” She looked down to a spot on the page that she had saved. “That you ‘experience tightness in your chest and breathlessness’ when she’s around?”

“Uhh…” Steven really didn’t like where this conversation was heading. “Maybe…?”

“Hmm, I see…” Pearl said again as she began to flip ahead several pages. “You two have known each other for almost a year now…” She traced her finger across the page as she looked for her next point. “Now Steven, have you and Connie… Ahh, here we go.” She smiled easily as she turned to face Steven. She began talking very carefully and directly, “Have you and Connie ever ‘made out’ before?”

For a moment, Steven truly wished that Spinel was back, anything to end this painfully awkward conversation.

“P-Pearl, I don’t-... I don’t think I’m ready for this…” he sputtered out.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Pearl waved off Steven’s concern. “The book informed me that you were likely to be uncomfortable during this talk. But this is very important to your development.” She tapped the corner of her mouth as she looked back the book’s pages. “Though I wish I had more lead time for when you and Connie started dating.”

Steven could feel sweat beginning to trickle down the back of his neck. “I… I don’t even know if Connie and I are … dating, or anything like that…”

Pearl laughed softly. “Steven, please. Spinel’s been saying for weeks now that you two have grown so close. She even said that the two of you reminded her of Rose and Greg when they first got together.”

That comment… piqued Steven’s attention. Fighting through the embarrassment that was still engulfing him, he asked, “Not like you and Mom?”

“No, no. Not at all,” Pearl replied quickly. “Rose and I were close, but not like she and your father were.” She sighed as she leaned back against the couch. “After the war, Rose did her best to keep a smile on her face, for Amethyst, Spinel, and myself. It was good seeing them together…”

Steven looked down at his feet. This didn’t feel right. Pearl was talking so…

Casually. Relaxed. Just like the Maheswarans…

“But enough of that,” Pearl said. “We still have a bit more to go over, I think.”

Steven felt his stomach churn. He had enough on his mind already. He didn't need this added to the list.

“Now, I don’t believe you answered my question,” she said. “Have you and Connie ‘made out’?”

Steven gritted his teeth as he swallowed hard. He was going to have to bear his way through this. “No, we haven’t.” he said simply.

“Okay,” Pearl responded. “According to the book… Hmm… It doesn’t say anything about protection for kissing.”

Or, perhaps all the gritted teeth in the world weren't going to be enough for this.

“Please, Pearl!” Steven cried out as he wrapped his arms around his very red face. “Today was the first day Connie and I kissed! We haven’t… done anything else. Can we please save this for another time?”

“Tsk, tsk. Now, Steven,” Pearl lightly chided. “What we’re going over is important. For example, how about…” Her eyes were scanning the page as she started to speak again, only for her to suddenly choke on her words. Steven saw that Pearl began deeply blushing and, after he glanced down at the page she had stopped on, he understood why.

Pearl quickly snapped the book shut and held it tightly in her hands, as if she were afraid it would open again on it’s own.

“Ah, well um… perhaps that part is best left to Greg…” she said hurriedly.

“Yeah… Right.” Steven quickly agreed.

They were both quiet for a moment. Steven felt like he should say something, but he didn’t really know what.

Finally, after several long moments of silence, he asked, “So… where did you get that book, Pearl?”

“Spinel and Amethyst found it a few days ago,” Pearl answered, obviously feeling relieved that their conversation was moving on. “While the two of them were reorganizing some of the piles in Amethyst’s room, they stumbled upon it. If you can call what Amethyst does to those piles organizing…”

“And… you wanted it after they found it?”

“Well… kind of,” Pearl began to explain. “I’ve given Amethyst a list of things she’s to temporarily hand over to me if she finds them in her room. For… investigation.” She grimaced. “It wouldn't be the first time we’ve found something dangerous in her room.” Pearl looked down at the book’s worn cover. “I read through it a little and… it made me think of you and Connie and how… close you two have gotten recently.” She sighed heavily. “I suppose I should have let Garnet handle this…”

Steven bit his tongue with the shock he felt from what Pearl had said. However, before he could say anything, Pearl had corrected herself. “I mean, Spinel. I should have let Spinel handle this.”

Despite that however, an idea was already forming in his head.

“Garnet? I… heard Spinel mention her a couple days ago. Who is she?”

Pearl looked at at Steven, a small, sad smile on her face. She placed the guidebook on the table and folded hands her in her lap. “I must admit, even after you asked about her yesterday, Garnet had... completely slipped my mind. No wonder Spinel was annoyed last night. She and I had a… heated talk last night after you and Connie fell asleep.” She paused, before continuing, “What happened to that ruby and sapphire…” She seemed to catch herself. “Oh, right. You don’t know about…” She sighed softly. “I suppose it’s about time you heard this. It is an important time for the Rebellion. And for Spinel… And since, our first talk didn’t go quite like I’d hoped, maybe this one will be better,” she added hopefully.

Pearl paused for a moment, before continuing.

“It was during the darkest days of the Rebellion, Steven. Homeworld was gaining ground rapidly and, for a moment, it looked like everything we had fought for was going to be for naught.” Pearl spoke heavily, as if she had gone over what had transpired many times. “Spinel was accompanying Rose and myself on a mission into the Noble’s Court on Earth.” A smirk appeared on Pearl's lips. “Though, unlike us, Spinel wasn’t there to fight. Only to get us around the guards.” She chuckled lightly as she cover her mouth with her hand. “I’m sure Spinel’s told you she was one of the Rebellion’s best infiltrator and spies, right?”

Steven nodded quickly. “Oh. Yeah, all the time.”

“Of course,” Pearl grinned. “She’s certainly proud of what she did during the war.” Her grin slowly faded. “What happened on that mission, though… In hindsight, I’m still somewhat surprised Spinel kept helping the Rebellion…”

“What happened?” Steven asked.

Pearl paused again, before she continued, “Rose had decided that a vital strike had to be made. Not at Homeworld’s forces, but at their morale. We had to show them, as well as our own demoralized forces, that the Rebellion still had a chance at winning the war.”

Steven nodded intently. He found himself being drawn into Pearl’s story.

“For the most part, the plan went well. Spinel had done her part expertly and the three of us didn’t run into anyone until we got to the court proper. But… once there…” She looked down at her folded hands. “We knew Blue Diamond herself was going to be in court that day. That’s the very reason why Rose chose then to strike. But what we didn’t know was that she was receiving an audience with a sapphire and the squad of rubies that had been sent to escort her.” She turned back towards Steven, a sad expression on her face. “This sapphire was very special, Steven. She possessed the rare ability of future vision. This allowed her to see glimpses of the future and… it’s that reason the plan didn’t go as hoped…”

Steven had already heard this story before. Or, a version of it anyway. Garnet had told him the story of Ruby and Sapphire’s first fusion during his last birthday. He remembered that Rose and Pearl were the cause of it in a way and, of course, Garnet hadn’t mentioned Spinel being there.

Because she wasn’t there, Steven mentally reassured himself.

“We were in our positions to attack, when the sapphire told Blue Diamond her prediction,” Pearl continued. “She revealed our plans, saying that we were going to attack and that seven gems would have their physical forms destroyed, but that during the attack we would be captured and the Rebellion would end.”

Steven gasped. Again, he still remembered this from Garnet’s telling of the tale, but it was still exciting story, nonetheless. Regardless if parts of it were wrong. “So, what happened next?” he asked.

“We still went through with the attack,” Pearl answered. “Spinel tried to argue that we should pull back and regroup, but Rose was adamant that this was going to be our only chance. ...So we pushed ahead. The plan was to attack the highest ranked nobles at the court, the idea being that this would show that the Rebellion was strong enough to strike at the highest tier of Gems.” She snorted. “What happened instead probably ended up being better for the Rebellion in the long run…” Her face twisted into a sad grimace. “And just saying that makes me feel horrible…”

“Why? What happened?”

“During our attack,” Pearl began slowly, “one of the rubies that had been sent with the sapphire to protect her… well, I’m not really sure… In the chaos of the fight, I didn’t really get to see what happened, only the results.” Her sad smile returned. “They fused, Steven,” Pearl said, speaking very carefully and deliberately. “That ruby and that sapphire fused together. I know you probably don’t think much of it now, but back then, the idea of two different Gems fusing was… unheard of, even for those in the Rebellion. They… They were a completely new experience.”

Steven gulped uncomfortably. Judging by how Pearl was speaking, he didn’t like where this story was going…

“Unfortunately, that experience was cut… tragically short. After they fused, all the attention in the court turned towards them. Rose and I used that as a distraction so we could escape. We reunited with Spinel, who was still in position and had a prime view of everything that had transpired.” Pearl sighed heavily before she continued. “In those early days, Spinel was so reserved. Even when we were at base, she tended to keep to herself. But seeing that fusion… She changed something in her. As Rose and I approached, Spinel came in close to us and whispered one thing, ‘Garnet’.” She grinned softly. “That what she called the fusion. Garnet.” Pearl cast her eyes down at her lap. “However, that joy was short lived. Whereas we saw a brand new experience in Garnet, all Blue Diamond and her court saw was a mistake. The quartz soldiers pounced on her immediately and held her down. Blue Diamond demanded an explanation, but Garnet couldn’t give one. She was just as confused as everyone else. So… right then and there, Blue Diamond ordered Garnet’s gems shattered.”

Steven gasped with genuine shock. Even though this wasn’t what happened, he could still picture it perfectly in his mind. Garnet held against the ground, several large figures looming over her and Garnet looked terrified…

“For whatever it was worth, the shattering was over quickly. One moment Garnet was there and the next… she wasn’t. But after… after it was done, Spinel turned to Rose and said that we needed to go back down there. That…” Pearl failed to hold back a wheezing breath as she raised her closed fist to her mouth. “That we needed to gather the shards of Garnet’s gems so that Rose could heal her…” She wiped the corners of her eyes, stemming the tears before they could begin. “But all Rose could say was that she couldn’t… She couldn’t heal them…” She sighed again, this time softer. “That was the first time Spinel had ever seen a Gem get shattered. It… stuck with her. And if she’s bringing up Garnet, then it must bothering her again.” Pearl glanced towards the warp pad. “I should have gone with her… If the lab was abandoned, then it would have been a good time to talk.”

Steven was silent.

“But that was a turning point for the Rebellion. The idea of fusion with two different Gems had started to sweep across both Earth and Homeworld. When Rose lent her voice to this new type of fusion, we won over a lot of support. But… Poor Spinel…” Pearl looked back down at her lap. “The whole experience devastated her and occasionally, she has… darker periods when she can't stop thinking about it…”

Steven remained silent.

“I’m sorry, Steven,” Pearl said, resting an easy hand on Steven’s shoulder. “It can’t be easy to imagine Spinel like that. She’s usually so easy-going and relaxed.”

“No, it’s okay, Pearl,” Steven replied. “It was… interesting to hear.” He forced as sincere a smile as he could muster. “It told be a lot about Spinel.”

“Well I’m glad you got something out of it,” Pearl said as she patted Steven on the head and rose to her feet. She walked briskly over to the kitchen. “Hmm… Do you have anything planned today, Steven?”

“Umm… Not really…” Steven responded slowly.

“Then would you mind taking this pie to the barn?” Pearl asked as she lifted the pie off the counter and brought it over to him.

“A… pie? Why?” Steven asked confusedly. Pearl handed the pie and it’s plate to Steven. The baked good still felt warm in his hands.

“That’s the next type of food Amethyst is trying to tempt Peridot with,” Pearl sighed. “I’m not sure how I got roped into helping her though…”

“Oh… Yeah, right. Um, yeah I will,” Steven answered, as he glanced down at the pie. It looked and smelled very tasty and while Steven didn’t doubt the Amethyst would want some of it, he hadn’t thought Peridot would.

Amethyst and Peridot were starting to spend more time together… Maybe this isn’t something Spinel influenced and I really just can't remember Amethyst trying to get Peridot to eat… Or maybe their whole relationship is Spinel’s doing, just like-...

Steven quickly cut off the line of thought. For now, what Spinel had created wasn’t important. He needed to focus on finding out more about Spinel and where she came from and why she was here.

“Okay, Pearl,” he said steadily. “I’m going to head to the barn now.” Steven started walking towards the warp pad.

“Alright, Steven,” Pearl said as she waved at him. “Tell Peridot and Lapis I said ‘hi’.”

Steven stepped quickly onto the warp pad, pie in hand. He saw Pearl beginning to head out the door.

“Where are you going?” Steven asked.

“Just a quick patrol around town,” Pearl answered. “After that, I’m going to try and find that lab Spinel headed to; keep her company and see if she wants to talk.”

Steven silently gulped. “Be careful.”

Pearl chuckled. “Not to worry, Steven. I’ve seen Spinel in low spirits before. We’ll be fine.”

Steven said nothing else. He closed his eyes and could begin to feel himself being lifted off of his feet as the warp pad activated underneath him.

He kept his eyes closed during the actual trip. Usually he relished the chance to gaze at the stream of light that transported them and occasionally poke his head out from the stream and look at the vastness of warp space.

But not today. Steven kept his eyes closed in order to focus his scattered thoughts.

He had no doubt that Spinel had already gotten to the barn and exerted her influence over Peridot and Lapis, both of whom could wreck a lot havoc. Peridot with her extensive knowledge of Gem technology, and Lapis with her-

“Oh, no. No…”

The thought hit him hard. A mind-controlled Peridot, Pearl, and Amethyst could be dangerous enough, but Lapis? At least near water, she was on an entirely different level from the others. Steven had already gotten a glimpse of that before, and while Lapis hadn’t meant any harm to Earth or the beings that lived here… what if she had?

He knew that Lapis would never do something like that, but if… if Spinel had gotten to her…

Steven gulped as his feet touched down on the warp pad near the barn. As the stream vanished, Steven could see the comforting sight of the barn in the distance.

At least it’s still standing, he thought to himself.

Steven stepped off the warp pad and began to walk towards the barn. There didn’t seem to be anyone around and Steven didn’t hear any anything troubling. Like say, the ocean slowly being siphoned away.

No. Try not to think about that. Even if… something is wrong with Lapis, you can just- “W-woah! What’s going-?!”

Before he even fully knew what had happened, Steven found himself being swooped up into the air, the a pair of arms wrapped tightly around his middle. He tightened his grip on the pie, so as not drop it.

“Hey, Steven!” a somewhat familiar voice greeted.

“L-Lapis?” Steven asked uncertainly as he glanced over his shoulder and saw the just the barest amount of the Gem’s profile.

“Do you know any other Gems that can fly?” she asked with a small laugh.

“Erm, no…”

“Then I guess it would have to me, wouldn’t it?” Lapis answered lightly. Steven felt the arms around his middle squeeze just a little more. “Sorry, I'm just… in a really great mood. Since we started working on opening that storage cube, you guys have been dropping by the barn more often.” She giggled lightly. “I love it. I love having all my friends around.”

Steven said nothing in return. The two of them were circling the barn as Lapis began to descend.

“Come on,” she said, as if this whole flight had been Steven’s idea. “Let’s get down there. I’m sure Peridot and Amethyst want to see you too.”

Lapis gracefully landed in front of the barn and gently set Steven back on his feet. He then quickly turned so as to get a good look at the Gem.

She seemed as she always had, from her bare feet, to her dress, to her flowery hair. But what was a little off was her expression.

In all the time Steven had known her, Lapis had never had a grin on her face quite as wide or joyful as the one she wore now. It reminded him uncomfortably of Spinel’s grin…

“What’s wrong, Steven? Do I have something on my face?”

Steven opened his mouth to answer, however a voice from the barn filled in for him, “Ah, give him a break, Laps. He’s probably still reeling from his talk with Pearl.” Amethyst walked from out of the barn’s entrance, a cheeky smirk on her face. “She did give ya, ‘The Talk’, right, dude?” she asked as she seemed to notice the pastry in Steven’s hands. “Ooh, Sweet! Pearl made the pie!” she said excitably.

“Oh. Yeah, she did,” Steven replied simply.

Amethyst grabbed the baked good from Steven. “Hehe. This’ll be the one for Peri.”

“Wait, hold on. What kind of talk did Steven and Pearl have?” Lapis asked, holding her head askew.

“Hehe. ‘ The Talk’.” Amethyst answered, smiling smugly and still investigating the pie. “Steven and Connie went on their first date yesterday. I overheard Pearl and Spinel talking about it in Pearl’s room last night.”

Lapis covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped with surprise. “That was yesterday?! Why didn’t anyone tell me?” She quickly turned towards Steven. “I’m so sorry I missed it, Steven! Things have just been so hectic here at the barn lately I completely forgot to ask when you and Connie were going on your date…” Her saddened gaze looked away. “I’m sorry, Steven…”

“Uh… That’s okay, Lapis,” Steven said, getting a better handle on sounding natural. “I kinda forgot about it too until Connie came over.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Amethyst confirmed. “So don’t feel too bad about it, Laps.”

Lapis looked unconvinced, however. “Still, though… I had all these great tips I’d gotten from Camp Pining Hearts. And now…”

“You don’t have to worry,” Steven said. “The date went really well. Connie and I even… er…” Steven found himself too embarrassed to continue despite his desire to put Lapis at ease.

“You and Connie… what, Steven?” Lapis asked.

“Ooohoh~ I know what you’re talking ‘bout,” Amethyst said grinning. She leaned in close to Lapis and in a fake whisper said, “They kissed. Like, on the lips.”

“Oh. My. Stars,” Lapis said slowly, her eyes growing wide with shock. “Steven… You didn’t…” She placed both of her hands on either of her cheeks. “Oh my. It took Percy and Sophie three seasons before the kissed…”

“Well, Connie and I have known each other for about a year now…” Steven replied.

He wasn’t sure what he was doing, drawing this conversation out. To see if Lapis was fine? Well, “fine” wouldn’t be the word Steven would use, but at least she didn’t seem to be in a mood to flood the Earth.

“That’s true,” Lapis conceded. She sighed before continuing, “I'm just really sad that I missed it. That’s a big moment, Steven,” she smiled softly. “Did you two at least have fun?”

“Yeah, we did. We went and saw a movie,” Steven said.

“Aww… That’s so sweet,” Lapis cooed. She smiled happily. “I’m glad you and Connie are finally taking this step. No one should have to be like Chief Councillor Antoine.”

“Yeah…” Steven responded. There was a beat of silence before he went on, “So… is Peridot around?”

“Oh yeah! The pie!” Amethyst exclaimed as she turned and ran back into the barn. “Hey, Peri! I got something you gotta try!”

Lapis laughed lightly. “Those two,” she said. “Come one, Steven. Peridot was just about to start phase two of her plan, so it’s good you dropped by now.”

“Phase two? For what?”

Lapis began to walk into the barn. “Geez, Steven. That date with Connie must have really been something.” Lapis offered no more explanation, so Steven followed behind her silently.

The barn was as it always had been, save for a simple, folding metal table that now stood in the center of the barn. Strewn around the table were various bits of… stuff. Cut wires, small scraps of metal, what looked like half a car engine…

And standing at the table was Peridot, her back facing Steven as he approached. Amethyst stood next to her, sliding the pie over towards her.

“Hey, Peri,” Amethyst said with a sly grin. “Got’cha something.”

Peridot turned, placing the tool that she had been using in the table and said, “Amethyst, now’s not really the ti-” Peridot was cut off by Amethyst suddenly tackling her to the ground and kissing her rather… energetically.

As Steven watched the display, her heard Lapis laugh again. He turned towards her and saw that she was slowly shaking her head. “One of these days, she's going to poof Peridot by doing that.”

“Okay, so I lied. I got ya two things,” Amethyst said with a huge smirk, still laying on top of Peridot.

“Amethyst, please!” Peridot gasped, as Amethyst got off her a little. “Can’t this wait until…” Her eyes quickly dashed to Lapis and Steven as her cheeks began to flush. “...until later?”

“Dot, there ain’t gonna be a later once you start the next thing in your plan,” Amethyst retorted. “Not for awhile, anyway…”

It was now that Steven felt his eyes drift up onto to the table and see what Peridot had been working on. It looked like an old computer tower, the kind Steven had seen Peridot digging through and commenting on the “late-blooming Earth technology”. Though, Steven could see several modifications that had been installed into it. For one, what looked like a small screen had been put into it’s side and, underneath that, an equally small keypad, consisting of nine keys. And the last visible modification was a small indention just a few inches away from the screen. So overall, not very innocuous.

Amethyst had finally gotten off of Peridot and was helping her to her feet, though not before sneaking another kiss on Peridot’s cheek, which caused Peridot’s entire face to blush brightly.

“Amethyst…” Peridot groaned, embarrassed, but still clearly loving the attention. “I… appreciate your enthusiasm.”

“That’s certainly one word for it,” Lapis said as she walked further into the barn, Steven silently following her.

You need to act natural. Whatever Peridot’s building could have something to do with Spinel. I need to gather information so Connie and I can start to work out a plan later today.

“So, Peridot and Amethyst are kissing now.”

All three pairs of eyes turned towards him.

Act more natural then that!

“Uh, yeah,” Amethyst replied dully. “What else is new?”

“Er, uh nothing! Just uh… pointing out a…” Steven stumbled over himself.

“Ooooh… I see what this is about,” Amethyst said as she beckoned him over. “C’mere, dude.” Steven did so, though once he was close enough, Amethyst grabbed him in a tight bear hug. “He’s a little self-conscious,” she said, as Steven tried to push away from her in order to regain his ability to breath. “He got his first kiss from Connie on their date yesterday.”

“Steven! You didn’t!” Peridot cried.

Amethyst finally deemed to let Steven go and, after catching his breath, he responded, “Yeah… I did. Er, we did. Kiss, that is.”

“What?! B-but the tips-!” Peridot sputtered.

“I already told him,” Lapis said easily. “We missed out chance to give him our tips.”

“No, we haven’t,” Peridot insisted. “Some tips might still applicable on subsequent dates.” She turned towards Steven. “You and Connie haven't exchanged friendships bracelets, right?”

“No…”

Peridot sighed with relief. “Good. When you do, make sure you bracelet has only one primary color.”

“Okay… Why?” Steven asked.

Peridot rolled her eyes as if that was one of the most foolish questions she had ever heard. “Because on Camp Pining Hearts, when Pierre gave Sophie a friendship bracelet with more than one primary color, she rejected him and it!”

“Just because it had more than one primary color?” Steven asked.

“Well… no,” Peridot admitted. “Also because he had cheated at the dodgeball tournament and refused to admit it to the councillors. But still, there’s no reason to take any chances.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” Amethyst said. “Steven’s got charm to spare. He’s got that funky-flow, yo.” She laughed. “Or at least that’s what Spinel’s always saying.”

“Hehe, true,” Lapis replied grinning. “Though, to be fair, Connie’s got plenty of charm of her own.”

“She does,” Steven agreed, trying again to implant himself naturally into the conversation. “Connie’s pretty… great.”

Lapis nodded in agreement. “She’s so sweet. You’re lucky to be dating her, Steven.”

Steven was about to correct her and say that he wasn’t sure if he and Connie were dating, however Peridot spoke first, “Before this conversation goes any further, I’m afraid I have to finish my work on the passphrase guesser.”

“Passphrase guesser? Passphrase for what?” Steven asked.

Once again, all eyes were on Steven as he mentally chastised himself for not acting more natural.

“For the storage cube, dude,” Amethyst responded. She raised an eyebrow as she continued, “You sure you’re alright? You’ve been acting weird ever since you got back from your date.”

“Oh, yeah. I am, just… got a lot on my mind,” Steven quickly answered. “You know… with the dating and… stuff.”

“Aww, what’s the matter?” Amethyst said in a faux cutesy voice. “Can’t get your girlfriend out of your mind?” She laughed as threw her arm around Peridot and brought her in close. “Yeah, I know what that’s like.”

“Amethyst…” Peridot said, her face beginning to glow brightly once more. “I really need to finish. If I don’t before the fuel cells in the cube give way-”

“Yeah, yeah. I know…” Amethyst groaned as she released Peridot from her grasp. “But do ya have any time for… pie?” she asked with a smirk.

“Maybe… after phase two,” Peridot responded with a weak smile.

Amethyst pumped her arm in victory. “Yes! I’m holding ya to that, Peri.”

With a fleeting look towards Steven and Lapis, Peridot turned back towards her device and resumed her work.

“How much more work do you have to do, Peridot?” Steven asked.

“Not much. It’s really more just touching up now,” Peridot answered as she opened a panel on the device and began to poke around in it. “Are you going to stay for the start of phase two, Steven?”

“Sure. I am.”

She glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. “Good. The more who are here to witness my unbound genius, the better.”

Amethyst silently rolled her eyes as she turned her attention back to Peridot and the tinkering she was doing.

No one else spoke, so Steven decided to use this opportunity to take a look around the barn. He walked away as casually as he could muster and began to quickly cast his gaze to every corner of the barn. But much to his dismay, everything looked normal, just as it had at the temple. The tractor, the paint cans, the couch and TV in the loft…

Everything looks like it’s supposed to… There’s no sign Spinel was ever-

His eyes caught on a notebook that was laid against a wall in the corner. Steven paused, taking a look over at the table where Peridot, Amethyst, and Lapis were still gathered, before carefully approaching the notebook. It was fairly nondescript, no markings on the outside or anything like that. Inside however, were many pieces of paper, all of them scribbled on in symbols that Steven didn’t recognize.

Wait, no. I do know what this is. This is Gem Language.

Now that he saw it, there was no mistaking it. This was the same language that Centi had used when she had tried to communicate with him. Not that the revelation helped Steven that much. He couldn’t read any of it.

There has to be something useful in here… Just anything…

“Hey, Steven. What do you have there?”

Steven jumped as he slammed the notebook and quickly turned around to see Lapis standing behind him.

“O-oh, Lapis,” he said. “I was just…” He gulped.

It’s just Lapis. No reason to be afraid…

“I just found this notebook and I was wondering what was in it,” Steven answered easily.

“Oh, that’s just the notebook Spinel brought over a few days ago,” Lapis said.

“What’s in it?” Steven asked.

“Lot’s of things, though mostly locations for old Homeworld bases,” Lapis replied. “Apparently, Spinel found an old database computer and transcribed it’s contents into that notebook.”

“Why?”

Lapis smirked. “Old habits die hard. She spent so much of her life hunched over a terminal transcribing notes, it wouldn’t surprise me that she still does it on instinct.”

“I see… So is the notebook being used for anything?” Steven asked.

Lapis thought for a second, and then answered, “I don’t think so. Spinel left it here and hasn’t come back to get it.”

“Then can I take it back to the temple?”

“Um, I suppose. But why do you want it, Steven?” Lapis asked.

“Well, I… I’m trying to learn Gem Language,” he answered smoothly. “And this is full of… uh, language.”

“Oh, okay,” Lapis replied. “But shouldn’t you get, like Pearl or Spinel to teach you?”

“I asked Pearl but she said there wouldn't be much point. But… I still want to learn. So that, even before I can heal her, I can talk to Centi.”

It wasn’t a lie. Steven had already been turning this over in his head since his failed attempt to heal Centipeetle. Even if he couldn’t fully heal her or her crew, he could still partially heal them, albeit for a limited time. He was sure they’d enjoy the company and it would be nice if he could communicate with them more easily than through pictures.

Lapis smiled with a mixture of sadness and care. “Oh, Steven… You really are one-of-a-kind.” She patted Steven on the head. “Go ahead and take the notebook. And if you need any help, you can come to me. Anytime. Alright?”

He nodded in response. “Alright, Lapis. Thanks,” he smiled.

“It is complete! It’s time to begin phase two!”

Both Steven and Lapis looked over at the table where Amethyst and Peridot still stood. The green Gem had her arms folded across her chest and a triumphant look on her face.

Lapis chuckled lightly. “Looks like Peridot’s ready for the next step.” She looked over at Steven. “Let’s see how this works.”

Steven followed Lapis back over to the table, the notebook tucked under his arm. Peridot was handing Amethyst something as they approached.

“-and here. Use the GEM,” Peridot said.

“Oh yeah. Your powerup doohickey,” Amethyst replied as she took the small device and affixed it over her gem. “How do I turn it on?”

“Summoning your weapon should be sufficient.”

Amethyst did so, and as soon as her whip was pulled from her gem, her eyes grew wide with excitement.

“Ah, yeah, Dot. I can feel it working!” she exclaimed as her whip disappeared from her hand. “This is so cool!”

Peridot grin grew more pleased as she spoke, “I’m glad you approve of it, Amethyst.” Her gaze turned towards Lapis and Steven. “Ah, there you two are. Are you ready to behold my genius at work?”

“Always, Peridot,” Lapis said simply. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Very good. The Cube?”

“Oh, right. Just a second,” Lapis said as she quickly summoned her wings flew to loft and then quickly flew back, a small, unadorned cube in her hand. “Here,” she said, handing it to Peridot.

“Thank you, Lapis,” Peridot said, taking the cube and placing it next to her machine on the table. “I just need to link the cube to my passphrase guesser…” She took a cable and attached it to a port on front of her machine and then attached the other end… somewhere into the cube’s back side. “Perfect. Now we just need to power the guesser and then it’s automated guessing sequence will begin.” She turned back towards Amethyst. “Alright. I’m ready when you are.”

Amethyst readied herself like she was about to do something, but then hesitated.

“Are you sure about this, Peridot? I mean… It won’t like…”

“N-no, of course not,” Peridot responded. “I will be completely fine. And the process should only take between twelve and thirty hours.”

“Alright…” Amethyst responded uncertainly. “But, just in case…” She leaned over and kissed Peridot on the cheek. She lingered there for a moment before pulling away, “Like, I dunno how much influence you have over it, but be careful, alright? I don’t wanna lose ya.”

Peridot visibly gulped. “Yes. I don’t want to lose you either, Amethyst. But this needs to be done…”

“Yeah, I know,” Amethyst sighed.

“And besides. If any damage is done to my gem during this process, then Steven can always heal me,” Peridot said gesturing over towards the young boy.

Amethyst gave a small smile. “Yeah, that’s true.” She sighed again. “Alright, ready?”

“Indeed.”

Amethyst readied herself. Steven noticed her hand curl into a fist and then, before Steven even really knew what was happening, Amethyst punched Peridot in the chest.

No… Through her chest…

Steven could see Amethyst’s arm go right through Peridot’s chest and out her back.

For a moment, the two of them just stood there, Amethyst and Peridot looked like they were both unsure and horrified at what was happening, and then…

Peridot’s form disappeared in a puff of smoke and Amethyst quickly scrambled to catch her gem before it hit the ground. Once she did, she just looked at it in the palm of her hands, her lips quivering as she spoke softly, “I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Peridot… I didn't mean to hit you that hard…”

Steven was frozen in place, unsure what had just happened or… why it had happened. He felt just a little quessiness in his stomach.

“Amethyst…” Lapis said softly as she took a few steps towards her. “We need to put her gem in place.”

Still looking at the green, triangular gem in her hands replied, “Y-... Yeah. Right… Here. You do it.” She slowly handed Peridot’s gem to Lapis, who took it gingerly and then walked towards the table with the machine.

Without a word, Lapis placed the gem into the slot on the machine next to the screen. Steven heard a “click” as the gem snapped into place and the screen flared to life, flashing several symbols that Steven didn’t recognize.

“S-so now what?” Amethyst asked, as she took off the GEM and very noticeably tried not to look at Peridot’s gem.

“With a gem as a power source, Peridot said that it should run stably enough that we shouldn't have to mess with it,” Lapis answered. “We just need to wait.”

“Great… My favorite…” Amethyst moaned as she turned away. “I’m… heading back to the temple. I’ll… see ya guys later.” She walked out of the barn without another word, her head hanging low.

There was silence for several seconds, broken only by the steady hum of the machine before Lapis spoke, “Amethyst took that harder than I thought she would,” she said, her eyes on Peridot’s gem. “I mean… I know this isn’t ideal, but with the time limit we have on the cube… What choice did we have?” She then seemed to realize that she wasn’t alone, as she turned towards Steven, who was still frozen in place and tightly holding onto the notebook. Lapis’s gaze softened immediately as he began to talk to him, “You alright, Steven?”

Steven slowly nodded. “Y-yeah. I’m good.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah… Um, I’m going to head out too… Got uh… Got some studying to do.” He held up the notebook and tried to put on a casual smile.

Lapis smiled easily in return. “Alright, if you're sure. I’ll be here. Watching over-” She glanced over her shoulder. “Watching over Peridot.”

“Okay. Bye, Lapis.” Steven began to walk out of the barn.

“Bye, Steven. See you later.”

As soon as he was out of view, Steven broke into a run in the direction of the warp pad. He wanted get away from the barn, away from the image in his mind. Of Amethyst and Peridot standing there, both of their expressions frozen in a mask of horror.

Steven nearly tripped over the warp pad when he arrived at it. He fell to his knees on it, holding the notebook tightly and trying his best to keep some semblance of composure.

Nows… Nows not the time… You need to go through the notebook… See if there’s…

Peridot had only been poofed. As soon as the machine was done, she’d be taken out and then she could reform. No problem.

Unless the machine damages her gem.

“And besides. If any damage is done to my gem during this process, then Steven can always heal me.”

That’s true too. After all, Steven had gotten his healing spit back under control.

Is that why you couldn’t heal Centi? Because you have it “under control”?

Steven let out a choked cry, a single tears beginning to run down his face.

For several minutes, he just stayed there, trying his best to regain himself.

If Spinel were at the temple, he needed to look natural.

Finally, he began to slowly get back on his feet and, without even opening his eyes to look at the stream, let the warp pad take him back to the temple.