"Are you guys sure you want to make this move? I mean, isn't it a bit too soon? You all still seem so hurt?" Greg questions as he sits with Garnet in front on his van watching Amethyst and Steven play.
"He's still a gem, or at least part. Rose is no longer here, but she's left Steven with us. I think it's time for him to learn about his gem heritage," Garnet says as she adjusts her shades.
"I understand that, but are sure y'all are ready to take care of him on a daily basis? Pearl hates me, I don't want her taking it out on Steven."
Garnet doesn't say anything for a while. It's not like she hasn't thought about it. Pearl and Amethyst are extremely hurt by Rose's .. well, her 'death', and though Amethyst will eventually learn to accept Steven, Pearl is another story.
By all means, through the many viewed possibilities, Pearl always ends up loving Steven. There's some where she hurts him due to her love for Rose, but no matter what, she always ends up loving Steven. They all do.
"She's going to love him, she already does. She'll protect him with her life," Garnet says.
Greg nods his head but her words do little to ease the sinking feeling that's overwhelming him. They all suffered a great tragedy when Rose decided to give up her form to birth Steven, but he'll never resent Steven for that. He tried to talk her out of it, but she had her mind made long before she let him know about it. He didn't want her to do it, He didn't want to lose her, but he had no choice. And every time he looks at Steven, he sees Rose and even though it breaks his heart, it mends it at the same time.
"Nobody could change her mind," Garnet says snapping Greg from his thoughts.
"You've come to understand that, like I have. I tried to talk her out of it, but her mind was already made up. There was no fighting it."
"There was always a way to fight it, but eventually, love conquers all, and that is precisely what happened." Garnet stares off to watch Amethyst chase baby Steven around in the sand as Pearl stands nearby also watching the two but brooding at the same time.
It's going to take some time for the hole in their hearts to be filled. Rose was the first person to accept her for who she wanted to be and who she is. Not to mention she didn't question her motives for wanting to stay fused. If there was one thing everyone knew about Rose was that she saw the beauty in everything but, what everyone didn't know was that she thoroughly understood the concept of love, just not the concept of being in love.
Rose meant a lot to all of them. To Amethyst, she was the one person that accepted her for who she is and made her feel safe in her home but to Pearl, she meant the whole world. Rose was the first person to believe in Pearl and give her purpose. During the was Pearl literally sacrificed herself for Rose. She didn't care about her own well being, all she knew was that she had to protect Rose.
Garnet turns back to Greg and smiles slightly. "We'll never be completely ready to take care of Steven without being hurt, but by the time the house is finished, we will be prepared to accept him into our hearts and home." She reaches up to adjust her shades. "Believe me, taking Steven in is not only so we can teach him how to use his gem powers and learn about his gem heritage, but it is also that that, like his mom, Steven can teach us too."
It may take some time to heal the gaping hole that Rose left behind, but Garnet has a sneaking suspicion that Steven is exactly what's needed to feel the hole, plus some.