Chapter 2 Reunion

The sun hid behind the dark clouds, making any plains to go outside canceled for everyone who wanted to go out to the beach or just sit in the sun eating a doughnut. The thunder sounded in the distance slowly getting closer. The rain had not started to come down yet but as the sky got darker Steven and Connie knew it was only a matter of time. Well Steven knew it would only be about twenty minutes until it started. Before they left to get his dad at the carwash Garnet had told him to hurry because the rain would start in about twenty minutes.

The thunder grew closer, as they got to the carwash. "DAD!" Steven yelled.

"Yeah, Steven that you?" he said emerging from the van.

"Yeah, it's me and Connie."

"Hello Mr. Universe" she said waving.

"Hey you two, Shouldn't you guys get back inside? It's going to be pouring soon." He said scratching his head.

"I have something to show you." Steven said grabbing his hand.

"Ok where is this thing you need to show me?"

"It's at the temple. Come on before it starts raining. "He said pulling him to the temple.

"Ok ok hold on let me lock up the van and carwash." Steven waited none to patently and when his dad was done he and Connie pulled him to the temple right as the rain started.

Connie saw her mom pull up. "Come on Connie I'm taking you home. It's raining and i don't want you to get sick." Her mother said.

Connie sighed. "I'll see you later Steven, Bye." She said leaving.

"Oh thank goodness you got here before the rain started. Where is Connie?" Pearl said hugging Steven.

"Her mom came and got her, so she didn't get sick." He said following her inside to see Garnet and amethyst where sitting on the couch. "Hey Gregg." Amethyst said. "hey." Garnet said.

"Steven why did you bring you dad here was the van broken, or leaking?" she asked him.

"No i have something to show him." he said walking to the temple doors. Pearl ran after him. "What are you doing you can't let him in there it's too dangerous." She said standing in front of the door.

The other gems stood up from the couch and stood behind Steven.

"Garnet can you help me?" Pearl asked. Garnet just stood there. "Steven knows what he's doing. Besides, Gregg will be fine." She said.

Pearl didn't move. Steve opened his mother's door and smiled. "Ok he's here. We all are actually."

"Who are you-"Pearl said and heard Gregg and the other gems gasp and felt a hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes went wide as she heard a voice all too familiar say, "It's ok pearl." She turned around as tears left her eyes. She couldn't believe it. She covered her mouth and fell to the floor, uttering one word. "Rose." Steven put his hand on pearls shoulder where his mothers had been not moments ago. "Pearl?" He said. "Are you ok?" She only nodded. Looking up at rose she stood up and hugged her. Pearl began to cry. Steven looked at his dad who was in awe. He was seeing rose for the first time in years."Rose is that really you?" He asked her.

Rose smiled. "Yes and no. Like i told Steven i am only partially here. I put some of myself in here so that i may help him if he ever needed it. And as it seems you all needed me." She looked down at pearl who was still hugging her. "Pearl, since i am a part of my room i have also become a part of the temple. I am thankful for everything you have done for Steven. I know you don't think it wise to let him on missions until he learns to use our gem, but he needs to practice. And even though it means he could get hurt it he also has the three of you to keep him safe. "Pearl nodded and went over to Steven and hugged him. Gregg went closer to rose. "I missed you so much." He told her. She smiled grabbing his hand, which was a few inches out of the temple, lacing her fingers in his. "I missed you too." She said, as Gregg went to hug her. They hugged for what seemed like hours, before he pulled away and looked at Steven.

"Come here Steven." He said and held rose with Steven, at their side. Like a real family. One that was whole.

Steven looked at his parents. "I have an idea." He said pulling his phone out. "How about I take a family picture?"

Rose smiled. "That sounds like a great idea."

Steven smiled and looked at the gems. "Come on guys your family too." The other gems came over to them and Steven took the picture once they were all settled. He looked at the photo and showed it to everyone before putting his phone away. Before everyone could move Steven heard lion roar and appear into the living room.

"Lion. Your back from wherever you were." He said running over to him and hugging him.

Rose gasped and without warning took a step out of the temple toward lion. "Is it really you?" She asked standing in front of lion out of the temple. Steven looked at her as everyone gasped. "You're out of the temple. But you said you couldn't leave the temple. How are you out here?" Steven heard pearl saying frantic.

But rose wasn't listening. She held her hand out as flash backs came to her head. The war, her finding pink diamond and peals gems and escaping. All those years of her healing her diamonds gem. All of those memories came flooding back. Her hand rested on the side of her gems mane. "I'm sorry i couldn't heal you, my diamond." She whispered as a tear left her eye.

Pearl stepped closer to the two. "Rose that's not pink diamond, you told me she was shattered, and that only her sword-"Pearl stopped and realized then that if pink diamond had been crushed then her sword would have gone with her. Pearl shook her head in disbelief. "Rose. What happened to pink diamond?" She said sternly, angry that rose had lied to her.

Rose looked at pearl. "I'm so sorry, my pearl." She said and it felt as if pearls gem had shattered. "I was only protecting you. Pink diamonds gem was broken. She was changing and she didn't want you to know. She had me promise not to tell you." Rose said and felt Steven hug her. "I forgive you for lying mom. I would have done the same."

Pearl looked at rose. "Then what happened to pink diamond? Did her gem ever heal? Surly you tried to heal her with your tears?"

"I did try for many, many years, but it was useless. Her gem only healed a little bit."

Then where is she?" Pearl almost screamed. Wanting to know what happened to her leader.

Rose's eyes filled with tears as she looked at lion. "She is right here." Pearl slowly backed away from rose and ran outside. Gregg looked at everyone. "I'll go see if she is okay." Rose looked at Garnet and amethyst. "i can't believe you lied." Garnet said and rose expected her to get angry and spit up. But instead she took off her visor and looked at rose with all three of her eyes. "But i forgive you. Even though i never got to meet pink diamond and wasn't there when you lied to pearl to protect her. I forgive you. Because sometimes we need to protect the ones around us and if it means lying we would do anything to keep them safe." She stepped in front of rose and smiled. Remembering the first day she met rose after she had fused. And rose and told her it was ok if she wanted to fuse, unlike the Homeworld gems. Steven looked at his mom. "Is her gem ever going to be fixed?"

Rose closed her eyes. "I don't know. I stopped healing it long before i had you. I don't even know the state it's in." She admitted.

Steven looked at lion. "Where is the gem? I don't see it."

Rose looked at lion asking with her eyes if it was okay. Lion closed its eyes and bowed its head giving her access to its forehead. Rose apologized silently before destroying her form. Making pink diamonds gem fall to the floor. Steven picked it up and showed his mom. "It looks like it's almost fixed, just a small scratch. Here try to heal it." He said handing the stone to his mother. She just stood there. "I don't know if i can. I tried for years, and I'm not sure i can cry right now. "Steven frowned and lowered his hands looking at the big gem.

"Steven. Don't you have your mothers healing powers? "Amethyst who had been quiet this whole time said.

"Oh yeah." He said and set the stone on the ground. He licked his hand and set his healing spit on the gems crack.

Nothing. Steven lifted his hand and saw the scratch was still there. He looked at his mom. "It's alright Steven. Here gem has been broken so long there was no guarantee that it would ever-"she looked at pink diamonds gem and watched as it started to glow. She looked at Steven and smiled. He was watching the new gem glow.

Rose heard the door open and saw pearl and Gregg enter the house. Pearl came over to Rose and bowed her head. "I'm sorry i got angry at you. I didn't realize how hard it had been on you to keep this secret. I know now how important it was for you to keep it quiet now. I'm sorry rose." She said looking at her. Rose smiled and helped rose up. "I will always forgive you, pearl. It was hard to keep it quiet, but it meant you would be safe, and had i told you we would not be here now, and nor would the others." She said looking at garnet, amethyst and Steven. She looked back at pearl and smiled. "Steven fixed her gem." Pearl smiled. She looked at the glowing gem. She was going to see pink diamond again? And Steven, he had healed the gem. She went over to Steven and knelled on the floor next to him.

Rose looked at Gregg and smiled. She looked at the temple and felt her mind fading. She had been out to long. She moved back to the temple door opening her door. Making sure only Gregg saw her she stepped back in. He came to the door. "Rose. Is it time to go again?" She nodded. "I have taken a risk leaving the temple like that. If i was gone too much longer i might have disappeared for good, but as long as i stay in here I'll be able to come back. When pink diamond takes form tell the gems that if she needs to talk to me have Steven open my door. It's not safe if i talk to her outside the temple. For now i need to leave. I'm feeling weak from staying outside to long." She looked at Gregg and knew his heart broke when she left him the first time, and now it was happening again. She lifted his chin and kissed him on the forehead. "Don't be sad. I'll come back and see you again. I promise." She said seeing him smile. He nodded.

"Okay. I'll come back and see you too." He watched her door close and tried to hold in the tears, as he went to the others waiting for pink diamond to reveal herself.

Rose pov

After rose's door closed, she hoped Steven would understand. She wasn't even sure if she was able to leave the temple at first, but after she saw lion, she had to, but she stayed out there too long. She should have gone back into the temple as so as she realized what she had done. She closed her eyes and remembered what happened all those years ago. She wished she could go back and prevent it, but she knew she could not. And if she ever could she wouldn't, because then pink diamond might not have been here as a lion. She would rather pink diamond here as a lion, instead of shattered.

Rose let a deep breath out; she hadn't realized she had been holding, even though she didn't need to breathe. Rose made a chair appear and sat down, using her gem to re-watch the battle that happened all those years ago.

"My diamond." She said watching the whole scene over and over. "I wish i had been able to heal you all those years ago. Instead you got hurt, cracked badly and i wasn't able to do anything. I had promised you to tell pearl you had fallen in battle, had been shattered. The madness took you away too soon. Pearl, and i loved you so much and i hurt her to keep you safe. And know she knows the truth. I'm sure she doesn't want to be friends with someone like me, someone who will hurt her even if it means to keep her safe.

Rose felt a sharp in her chest and placed her hand over the place where human's hearts are. "What's wrong with me?" She said and tried to stand up, but that made the pain worse and rose fell to the soft cloud ground. She felt her form shimmer, and retreated to her gem.

Steven pov

Steven looked at his mom to see her standing in her room at the temple. She was speaking to his dad and was upset about something. He wanted to run to her, to calm her down. He didn't like seeing anybody even his mother sad. He turned to head toward his mother, but felt garnet grab his shoulder and lightly shake her head. He nodded once and knew what garnet was doing. She didn't want him to interrupt his parents talking.

Garnet knew what rose was telling Gregg and would tell Steven when the time was right.

Steven watched as the bright pink light dimmed. A shape appeared out of the light reviling her form.

Pink Diamond.

"Wow." Steven said looking at the other gems, who had all stood and were waiting until the glow completely disappear.

He looked back at the fading light. Slowly he saw her take form.

She had long pink hair that almost touched the floor. With a darker pink dress that made her look royal but plain and simple enough to make her seem normal. But Steven knew she wasn't a normal gem. He watched as her gem was placed at the center of her chest like amethysts.

The light faded completely and pink diamond opened her eyes. She looked at Steven then Gregg, Amethyst, Garnet and lastly Pearl.

She walked over to pearl. "Pearl?" She asked cupping her cheek, needing to bend over to get a good look at her. Steven realized she was taller than garnet by a foot.

"Wow, she's tall." He said getting a glare from pearl.

"Steven!" Pearl yelled at him.

Pink diamond laughed. "oh my pearl, i have missed you." She said smiling and hugging her.

Pearl hugged her back. "I've missed you too my diamond." She said as they pulled apart. She looked at Steven. "And this must be the Steven who has roses gem and was able to heal me. Am i correct?" She said sitting on her knees. He nodded. "Yeah that's me." He said smiling.

Pink diamond smiled. "Then i owe you my thanks. You healed be and freed me from that form. I thought i would be trapped like that forever. I am grateful that you healed me Steven, Especially with what you have been through.

"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked her confused.

"I mean your mother giving up her form to have you. She was a good gem. It is sad that she is gone."

She finished.

Steven shook his head. "She isn't completely gone. I just talked to her. That's how i knew what to do to heal you. Don't you remember her standing here and telling you she was sorry she couldn't heal you?" He asked her looking at her healed gem.

"No i don't, my memories as that beast are fading now that I'm healed." She said placing her hand over her gem and closing her eyes. She opened them a few seconds later looking at Steven. "Where is she? I want to see her." She said and Steven knew she meant his mom. He walked over to the temple doors, opening his mom's room. "She's in-"He stopped and ran into his mother's room. "Mom?" he said as he picked up her gem. He hugged her gem, hoping she was ok, even if she was only partially here. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw pink diamond. "May i see her?" She asked. He nodded handing the gem to her. She smiled. "Now it's my turn to fix you my dear friend." She kissed his mothers gem and stood up taking her out of the temple. He stood up and ran after her stopping when she stood in front of the temple doors. Watching the door to his mothers room close, Pink diamond spoke. "What i am about to do is something that will allow you to see your mother, but is forbidden for any gem to do. But since i am not on homeworld and rose means so much to all of us, i will do it. But tell no one." Steven, Gregg and the gems nodded. "We promise." They all said together. Pink diamond bowed her head and set roses gem in front of the temple doors. She closed her eyes and sat there quietly.

Garnet quietly pushed the others out of the house.

Steven looked at her. "What is she doing to mom?"

Garnet sighed. "Steven. The reason she told us it was forbidden, means we cannot speak of it. But don't worry you will see what she is doing in a few hours. For now let's just get you something to eat."

"Awe." He said as Garnet picked him up and set him on her head. "Ok. Can we go to the Pizza's?"

"Of course." Garnet said as they all went out.

When they finished eating, well amethyst and Steven, they went back to the house, Garnet seeing that it was time.

She smiled and set Steven down on the ground. "Now, i want you to close your eyes, no peaking and wait until we tell you to open them. Ok?"

He nodded. "OK."

Garnet went into the house leaving everyone outside, but only Steven with his eyes closed. She walked out of the house with pink diamond and told everyone to keep quiet. As she walked behind pink diamond she smiled at the surprise that pink diamond had for him.

"Alright Steven. Keep your eyes closed and turn around." He did so.

"Now open them." Came another voice.

Steven's eyes opened, as tears fell down his cheeks. "Mom?" he hugged her and looked at her, realizing she was outside. "Wait how are you outside? I thought you couldn't-?"

"Pink diamond used the gem on the temple door to bring me back. I don't have a room in the temple anymore but that only means i can stay with you and your father. I can live with you in the beach house, Steven. And best of all now we both have a gem, so i can stay here with you forever."

He smiled as tears left his eyes and spent the rest of the day with his mom and dad, while the gems helped pink diamond with something she said was important.

As the moon came up rose was walking Steven back to the beach house with Gregg. Steven passed out like a baby having spent most of the day doing almost everything there was to do in beach city with his mom and dad. They even visit Connie.

When she got back to the house she set Steven in his bed.

Sometime later Steven woke up and looked around, not seeing anyone. He got out of his bed and looked around but saw no one. He went to the temple doors and looked at his mom's gem, or where it had been. "Still is." He said going back to bed having realized it was a dream.

He lay in the bed until he cried himself to sleep, only to have someone wake him up.

"Steven? Are you ok?" he heard the gem say with a voice he knew. 'But that means...'

He opened his eyes to stare into pink ones.

"Pink Diamond?"Steven said seeing everyone in the room but one. "Where-?" Pink diamond pressed her finger to her lips to silence him. Pink diamond opened her other hand revealing rose's gem. Steven looked at diamond and started to cry. "Is she okay?"

Pink diamond nodded. "Yes but she is weak. I need you to do something Steven. I need you to get an ancient goblet from an old crystal castle. It is underground now, but should still be standing. Deep under the castle is a chest containing the goblet. It is made of pure crystal and contains enough power that if it should fall into the wrong hands, it won't end well. I need that goblet for your mother. She is too weak to keep her form long. I need to fuse the cup with her gem so that she can become strong enough to kill a diamond." She sighed thinking deeply about something, and both of them looked at Roses gem. "The gems are leaving in the morning, and will pack everything you need. But this mission is not going to be as easy as your other one. This mission will test your love of your family and friends. So anything you see will not be true. For now get some more rest. I will keep rose safe until you return, And Steven?" He looked at her."Thank you for saving me. "They both smiled and Pink diamond stood up.

"Wait." Steven said.

Pink diamond looked at him. "Yes?"

"Would it be ok, if i-?" He sighed.

Pink diamond smiled. She went back to Steven and handed his mothers gem to him. "Yes."

He smiled and held his mothers gem close.

Pink diamond left Steven to sleep with his mother's gem, watching as she came out to hold him while she too slept with him. Pink diamond smiled leaving the temple with the other gems to tell them what they were up against.