The fence gave way as his van clattered along the beach. Greg felt a tightening in his chest as he remembered the last time love had led him to drive through that fence. He wiped his eyes and kept the accelerator floored.

The van finally gave out as he approached the temple, and Greg jumped clear, looking back to see the others emerging.

He could the baby crying as he led the way up to the entrance to the temple; as he entered the cave, he ran face-first into Garnet.

"Greg-" she began, but Greg cut her off.

"Now you listen!" he yelled, the others close behind. He gestured to the blonde woman. "This is Barbara. She's here to explain to you what a baby is, and why you can't just take it away from its parents. And here's Kofi, and here's Mayor Dewey, and here's Richard Fryman, and we're here to make you give my son back, because you can't raise a baby! You're not even human!"

Garnet waited for a moment, then stood aside, gesturing toward the interior of the cave. "We know," she said, lowering her head.

As she moved, she revealed her two fellow Gems. Amethyst held the baby in her hands, here eyes wide, desperately grinning at it. Pearl simply sat in the corner, her head pressed against her knees, rocking back and forth. "The smell..." she murmured, her eyes unfocused.

Greg ran to the boy and pulled him from an unresisting Amethyst.

He sat cross-legged on the crystal circle on the floor, placing the boy on his lap and un-shouldering his guitar. Stroking the boy's cheek, he strummed a chord, and began to sing:

"Dearest boy

I want you to know

No matter what, no matter where you go

Dearest boy

I swear I will

Carry you on my shoulders, never let you go

Dearest boy

You don't need to cry

As you get older, you'll have too many reasons why

Dearest son

Remember this tune

In the whole wide world, there's no one like

You"

As he finished the song, he found Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, and all of the parents in Beach City gathered in a circle around him.

"I'm sorry, Greg," Garnet said. "We found Rose's message when we returned. But you have to understand-"

"You miss her," Greg said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I know. I miss her too. But this isn't her, it's both of us."

Amethyst poked little Steven's leg. "So he's not made of light?" she asked.

Barbara knelt and lifted the now-calm baby as Greg put his guitar away; she wiped his face as she rocked him gently. "No," she said, "He's made of love," - and for a moment, looking up at Garnet, Greg thought he saw a glimmer of reflected moonlight just below the Gem's reflective, expressionless visor.

Greg stood and Barbara handed him his son. Garnet reached out and placed her hand on Greg's shoulder.

"What does he need?" she asked.

Greg looked around at the cave, the lone door, and the strange crystal lens on the floor which the Gems used to travel to places Greg could only imagine.

"Well... he needs a house," he said. "And he needs to live with other humans. And he needs his father."

Garnet nodded. "You'll help us build him a house," she said, "But he'll never be human, not entirely. He's a Gem. I know Rose told you what Gems are capable of; in ancient times, we lay this planet low. He can't stay with you forever."

Greg closed his eyes, clutching the boy to his chest. "I know," he said. "We can't hold on to them forever." He opened his eyes and glared first at Garnet, then more pointedly at Pearl. "And no more fence! He needs to be a part of this world. You all need to be a part of this world. You gave up so much for it, and she gave up everything for him. He needs to be a human from Earth. And you need to do more than hide on this beach."

Pearl clutched her own forearm nervously, looking away and nodding. "No more fence," she agreed, her voice hoarse.

Greg looked at the three Gems, then down at his own son. "Like you-oo-oo-ooh" he sang softly to the infant as Steven's tiny eyes began to close.

"Oh," Greg said, suddenly remembering, "And Pearl, I need you to fix my van."