A/N: I know that 9/11 was two days ago, but this idea came to me yesterday, and I had to write it.

I don't own Steven Universe.

Steven ran to Connie's house, his arms spread out like wings. He pounded his fist against the door. "Connie! Connie!" he called. "There's something that I wanna show you!"

He waited a few moments for the door to open. Unable to contain his excitement, he began bouncing up and down. Before he could blow, Connie finally opened the door. "Steven?" she asked sorrowfully, peeking from behind the door.

"Connie! Connie! It's really cool! I found this rock on the beach, and it had-"

"Steven, how could you be so happy on a day like this?"

"-a funny looking face and- wait, what?" he asked when he realized what Connie had just said. "Why would I not be happy?"

"Today is 9/11," she answered.

Steven placed his hand on his chin. "Yeah, September 11, 2015. So?"

"Don't you even know what happened on this day fourteen years ago?"

"No, I was only born almost twelve years ago."

"You didn't at least learn about 9/11?"

"What about 9/11?"

Connie hung her head low. "It's when many people died because of terrorists," she said grimly.

Steven's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?!" he cried.

Connie came out from behind the door and sat down on the front step. Steven sat down beside her. "Can you tell me what happened?" he asked softly.

She hesitated a bit before explaining. She told Steven how the terrorists hijacked the planes and crashed them into the World Trade Centers, also known as the Twin Towers. She told him how the towers eventually collapsed almost two hours after the crash. She told him about a third plane crashing into the Pentagon. She told him how the fourth plane never crashed at its intended spot because the passengers fought the hijacker, causing the plane to crash in a field in Pennsylvania, no one surviving. "Almost 3,000 people lost their lives that day," she said sadly. She rubbed her eyes, taking off her glasses.

Meanwhile, Steven had tears pouring down his face. "Th-that's horrible!" he sobbed, trying to wipe his tears.

Connie nodded. "What's worse is that my mom's brother, my uncle, worked at one of the World Trade Centers. He was at the top floor of the north tower. When the crash hit, my mom called him to ask if he was alright. He was at the time, then he ushered people down the stairs, trying to make sure everyone would make it. He didn't want anyone taking the elevator because he thought it would be too dangerous.

"He was halfway down, then he called my mom, but the tower collapsed as she picked up. He was found in the rubble hours later, but he died before he even arrived at the hospital. A few of the people he helped survived, though they had broken bones and fractured ribs. They told people his story, of how he tried to make sure everyone would be out safely, how he decided to stay behind everyone else to make sure no one stayed behind."

Connie turned to see Steven bawling his eyes out. Knowing how sensitive he was, Connie understood why he was crying so hard. Besides, this was the first time he heard the story. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

Steven sniffed answered, "Yeah, I'm f-fine," he lied. "I-I think I need time alone."

Steven slowly walked back to the temple, hands in his pockets and head low. He paid no mind to everything around him; he didn't hear Lars mock him, he didn't see Onion digging through someone's garbage, and he didn't acknowledge Kiki and Buck waving at him. He couldn't stop thinking about what Connie told him. His innocent mind was filled with terrible images of 9/11: the crashes, the towers collapsing, and all the people who died. It wasn't fair for them! They didn't do anything to deserve this horrible end.

The thought played over in his mind as he walked up the steps to his home.

"Yo, Steven!" Amethyst greeted him as she carried various foods and a carton of milk to the counter. "'Sup?"

Steven didn't answer. This was very unusual for the happy-go-lucky boy, and it did not go unnoticed by Pearl, who was sitting on the couch next to Garnet.

"Is something the matter, Steven?" Pearl asked him. Again, Steven didn't reply. "Come on, Steven, you can tell us what's wrong."

Steven just grunted and muttered, "9/11."

The atmosphere in the house immediately changed. The three Gems tensed up, and Amethyst dropped the food and milk she had, a huge mess scattered on the floor.

"You... you know what happened?" Amethyst asked softly.

Steven looked up. "You guys heard of it?"

Pearl nervously turned to Garnet, who nodded stiffly. Pearl turned back to Steven, took a deep breath, and said, "We witnessed it."

Steven gasped. Amethyst sat on the coffee table in front of the couch as Pearl began to explain their story. "You see, when your father showed us what happened to the two towers, your mother immediately went to try and help the humans there. When we arrived, the Pentagon was hit. Garnet and Amethyst went to help survivors there while your mother and I went inside the World Trade Centers to try and help the people get out. I was able to get about thirty people out and your mom got out around forty.

"I was about to go back in the south tower when it collapsed. Your mother went into the north tower while I searched for survivors. Many people I found were dead or died shortly after I found them. About thirty minutes later, the north tower collapsed. I found Rose there, her bubble surround herseld along with three men and one woman."

"What about Garnet and Amethyst?" Steven asked.

"We searched for survivors at the Pentagon," Amethyst replied.

"We only found seven people who survived that crash," Garnet added.

Starry-eyed, Steven exclaimed, "You guys and Mom are heroes!"

Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst were shocked. "We hardly saved anyone," Pearl said.

"But you helped people when they needed help, and that makes you 9/11 heroes!" He wrapped his arms around his three caretakers, who hugged him in return. "I love you guys," he told them.

"And we love you too, Steven," Garnet said.