Rose could be regretting this decision, Pearl thought as her hand hovered above Steven's gem. It would be best to do it, she reassured herself as her fingers grasped the edge of Rose's gem. It won't hurt him much, she conceded, as she pulled the gem from his stomach in one swift move.

Steven screamed, as loud as if she had stabbed him in Garnet's arms. She ignored the hideous sound as she stepped out of the van, leaving Steven to Garnet and Amethyst to deal with. She stared at Rose's gem and waited for her to reform. It only took a moment for her to realise that the back side was wet and sticky. Much more than the sweat she had expected to coat it should feel like.

She flipped Rose's gem over and shrieked, dropping it into the snow. Instead of the smooth pink surface that she had expected, the gemstone was coated in thick, red blood. The redness coated almost all of the backside, except for a few spots where skin was halfway detached and Steven's pale skin was visible. A few clumps of warm flesh fell into the snow with a hiss.

In horror, she raised a hand to hover before her mouth, only to drop it to her side as she noticed the red that coated her palm.

The van was silent.

Pearl turned around to face the van. The door was only cracked slightly, but that still should have been enough for Steven's wailing to escape into the winter air. Carefully, she took a few steps towards the van, Rose's gem not forgotten, but not in the forefront of her mind either. She pulled the door open, and looked inside into Garnet's lap.

Steven's small body was still. His eyes were closed and his chest didn't seem to be moving. In the gap of his jumper, where Rose's gem had been was a large, bloody hole. His body had apparently tried to heal it, as skin tried to cross the hole in jagged lines. Blood leaked out of it still in small lines, pooling across Garnet's palms.

Amethyst stared blankly at the child, a mix of fear and confusion on her face. "Is little Greg-"

She didn't get to finish as Greg yanked the door open, Rose's gem in his hand as he pushed Pearl aside. She fell into the snow as he grabbed Steven from Garnet's prone fingers. "H-He…" He didn't finish. He lifted his head accusatorily and searched their faces. Garnet's face was nearly unreadable, but Pearl knew that her eyes were full of confusion and guilt, but not enough for Greg to condemn her. His gaze nearly slid past Amethyst, who was so confused at the sight of Steven's still form that he didn't even bother. His eyes shifted to Pearl, and in them was accusation as sharp as knives.

"You kidnapped my child and killed him." He said flatly.

Pearl took a step back. "N-no, I-"

"You killed Steven." He interrupted, taking another step foward to match hers.

Pearl stepped back again, her balance disappearing as she stepped on Rose's gem. She fell to the ground, her clothing quickly absorbing the cold water as the gem slid several feet behind her.

"You killed my son, Pearl." His eyes felt like burning pokers on her skin. "You should've just killed me instead."

Behind her, she could feel the bright pink light that accompanied a reforming stone and then could feel the soft fabric of Rose's dress as she stepped forward. Pearl turned to look up at her. Her eyes were shaded by her hair, preventing Pearl from seeing where her gaze landed. Steven. Pearl didn't need to ask for confirmation, as she whispered in shock. "Steven?"

Her eyes shifted from Steven, to Greg, to Garnet, and then finally to her, realization setting in as she looked at Pearl's blood stained hand. She gasped, her hand raised to cover her mouth before she looked down at her gem. The Rose Quartz gem was encrusted in dried blood, a flap of Steven's skin escaping from beneath it.

Rose looked back at her, and in that moment, Pearl could swear that Rose would have killed her, if Garnet and Amethyst hadn't held her back.