A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for putting up with the long wait but I needed to get a good and grasp of where I wanted to go with these next chapters and I also needed to restart chapter 5 because I wasn't too happy with it. I have gotten a lot of good praise (MrGopher77, Shadowgirl20, and so many more) and I really feel this story will be successful, but success takes time and work. I'm not going to screw you guys over with messed up and rushed writing. No. That's gross. I won't settle for that and neither should you guys. SO... If I ever take longer than a week to post something, then y'all already know I'm doing some serious chapter "reconstruction". Now before I shut up and stop rambling, please leave in the reviews or PM me if you guys think these chapters are a bit too short. If they are, I can combine chapters? I don't know but let me know.


CHAPTER 4: The Truth is On the Beach

I began to shake and I closed my eyes to stop any runaway tears from falling. I lifted my hand to wipe away tears but I accidentally knocked over a tall stack of DVDs. I pursed lips, cursing myself. I kept my eyes down as my skin began to crawl under their eyes. The room was quiet as the foursome stared at me with inquiring eyes. I didn't dare to stare back.

"Rocky? Do you want to come down?" Steven said hesitantly. I only shook my head yes and waited as he came to collect me on the ground. When he finally saw how messed up I was, he took a hold of my hands and glanced at the three women for a second before whispering between us.

"It's okay. They won't hurt you, they're good people. Trust me." he smiled reassuringly. I nodded as I got up. I wished I could return the smile but I couldn't. He led me slowly down the stairs and to the woman standing up at the kitchen counter. I looked up to see they were both taller than me, but the purple one being just below my breast.

I looked down at Steven and returned my gaze with another smile. "Okay! Guys, this is Rocky. Rocky, these are the Crystal Gems!" he said motioning towards them with both hands. I gave them the same inquiring stare they all have given me. "Well, does the Crystal Gems have names?"

I questioned while crossing my arms.

"Yes we do," said the tall and pale one. "I'm Pearl." she motioned to herself. "This is Garnet." she said motioning to the taller one with the oddly square afro. It was a bit peculiar, but it worked for her. She nodded her head once in my direction. "Greetings." I nodded back but kept my eyes on her until the purple one came around the counter, licking powdery cheese off her fingers.

"And this...this is Amethyst." Pearl said in disgust. "What? No special introduction for me, huh? Whatever, I'll do it myself," she said walking over to me. I wanted to step away but I didn't want to be rude either. "What's up." she said holding her slobbery hand out. I found myself cursing myself again when I grabbed it and shook as well, earning a shudder of disgust from Pearl, and pleased smiles from Steven and Garnet. "What?" she said looking at Pearl, "You're the one who told me to be more well mannered." Pearl just shook her head and directed her attention back to me.

I wiped my wet hand on my shorts. "Well, it was very nice to meet you all and thank you for helping me but I have to go now, so.." I was backing up towards the door when Garnet spoke up. "Don't you want to know what happened last night?" she walked over to me. I automatically looked down at my feet, feeling tiny. Not only because of our obvious height difference, but because she was pretty intimidating.

Not wanting to displease her, I did what she said and she lead me to the window seats. I sat down in the corner and folded my legs against my chest as Garnet sat a foot in front of me, Steven and Amethyst taking the floor and Pearl sitting on my opposite side. "What attacked me last night?" I asked quietly. What I really wanted to ask was not appropriate at the moment as I was supposed to be learning about last nights events.

"You were attacked by a squirrel. It latched onto your face and suffocated you with it's underbelly until you passed out. Steven was worried about you and insisted we helped you, so we brought you back here to nurse you back to health." she said.

"Just a squirrel, huh?" I said. "Then if it was just a squirrel that suffocated me, Garnet, why did Steven tell Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream to leave? Why did Steven sound so scared and worried?" I questioned her. Her thick lips parted in surprise as Pearl tried to fill any plot holes in Garnet's story. "Oh well, you see, Steven was just watching out for them. They are highly allergic to, uh, squirrels? And Steven was obviously worried for your well-being." she stuttered a little too much for me.

"You're both lying to me. I'm new here so you will not know this about me, but I will let you know now: I don't take too kindly to being lied to. I think I deserve to know the truth and if you won't tell me, then you are just wasting my time." I say a little more stern than I wanted to be, but I needed to get my point across.

They all looked away from me, clearly not wanting to tell me. I couldn't believe it. I was suddenly hit by a wave of ire and I stood up. "Don't tell me then. Because I will find out by myself one way or another and when I do, I'll-"

"IT WAS A BABY GEM MONSTER THAT ATTACKED YOU LAST NIGHT AND KNOCKED YOU OUT! ROCKY, I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T HELP YOU LAST NIGHT! I COULD ONLY SHIELD US FROM SO MANY WITH MY BUBBLE AND I DIDN'T WANT TO HURT YOUR FACE ANYMORE THAN IT WAS AND I'M JUST SO SORRY!" Steven blabbed all at once.

"STEVEN!" Pearl yelled at him as he cringed. "I'm sorry! She needed to know!" he tried to defend himself. "Steven's right. Like she said, she was gonna find out eventually." Amethyst defended as well.

"She clearly is not the right state to know anything about gems yet-" Pearl began but I cut her off.

"Hold up, what about about a bubble?" I asked with an unwanted shaky voice. They all stopped and I used that to my advantage. "And gem monster?! I knew it wasn't a squirrel! Because squirrels don't latch on to your face and suck the oxygen from you!" I spat. They all looked really distressed as I was flipping out.

I stood up and made my way to the door when Steven stopped me. "Rocky, where are you going?!" I spun around on my heels and looked down at him. "Steven, I can't be here right now because I am clearly about to have a panic attack and I don't think you or anyone else in this house can calm me down," I said digging my fingers into my hair, pulling it from the roots. "Because and with all do respect, they aren't normal people, and are they even people to begin with?!" I say my voice cracking at the end.

I finally took one look at the three women and fell in a heap against the wall next to the door. I heard Steven sit down in front of me and place his hand on my shin. "You don't have to be people to be normal." I turned my head away from him and shut my teary eyes. "And besides, normal is boring." Amethyst said. "And we aren't people. We are gems, like Steven mentioned before." Garnet said. I laughed dryly. "Yeah, I know exactly what you are. Or Steven at least..." I said grimly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I honestly didn't see this coming at all actually.. I always thought I was the only one."

"Rocky, what are you talking about?" Steven asked.

"But since my mom was clearly a gem, she couldn't have been the only one of course.." I say absently.

"Is she implying what I think she is implying?!" Pearl said, clinging to Garnet's arm.

"Implying what, that I'm a gem?" They all gave me various looks of surprise, weariness, utter shock and even happiness. I take a deep breath. I get up on my feet, staying against the wall. "Yeah, I am a gem. But I'm only half. And I suspect that you are too Steven?"

All Steven did was stare at me with stars in his eyes once again while Pearl had a few things to say about that. "You are half human half gem?! That literally can't be! Steven is the only child like that in this world and-"

"No he isn't. I just told you I was too and why would I lie about something like that?" I say getting defensive.

"Then if you're not lying, prove it." She said turning her pointy nose up at me. I growled under my breath at her and lifted up my shirt in the back slowly. Realizing Steven was still there and no doubt wanted to see, I was wearing a bra underneath and I was conscious of him seeing it. I turned around and said, "Steven's a little boy and I'm wearing a bra. He looks about ten or eleven and I doubt you guys want him to lose his innocence.."

They all turned to him and he looked at us with pleading eyes. "Steven, we need you to go somewhere and close your eyes. And no peeking. Rocky, is our guest which means you need to follow through with her wishes. Especially this one." Garnet said, making herself eye level with the small chubby boy. "Oh, okay. But I already know she's telling the truth!" he winked at me and proceeded to turn his back towards me. I made a face began to ponder if he placed this must trust in me to just be a suck up, or because he genuinely cared. I smirked, thinking it was the latter of reasons.

I then presumed to lift up the back until the dark red-violet gem was exposed. I shivered from skinny fingers running along my gem and turned around instantly for them to gasp. "It's true.." said Garnet.

"Oh. MY. GOD!?" exclaimed Amethyst.

"This can't be!" Pearl said retracting her hand and clinging to Garnet once again.

"SHE'S JUST LIKE ME!" Steven said and jump on me, giving my torso the biggest hug ever. I didn't know how or why but in the moment my arms seemed to rule over me, making me hug him back. "We have another half human and half gem in Beach City! And since Rocky's older, who knows what kind of cool stuff she can do with her gem!" he said with a hopeful demeanor whereas mine was confused. What did he mean, do stuff with it?

"What?" I cocked my head to the side. "Oh yes. Since Rockelle has been living for a longer time with her gem, she could most likely pose as a glance into the future on what Steven will go through or what he will be like when he is her age, speaking on gem terms." Pearl analyzed. I stood there still confused as to what the heck they were talking about but I decided to keep my mouth shut, and wait for someone to answer my question.

"But Pearl, Rocky is not Steven and Steven is not Rocky. All gems are different and who knows if Rocky's abilities are similar to his or not." said Garnet, readjusting her futuristic looking glasses. "Well, instead of acting like she isn't standing right here in front of you, try asking her yourselves." Amethyst said and walked over to the couch and plopped down. "Well then. Rockelle, since you are older than Steven, what type of special abilities does your gem have?" Pearl eagerly asked me, grabbing my hand.

Buying myself a little more time for reassurance that they were not asking what I thought they were, I answered her question with another question. "Well, that depends.. what can Steven do with his? I-I mean it's been a long while since I was his age and I've, um.. come so far…" I lied. I put my head down and rubbed my temples as I internally shed a tear from my irrational choices and the future consequences. But as I expected, they believed me. Pearl nodded and smiled at me, which was a huge change in her attitude towards me minutes ago but unfortunately for her, mine remained the same. "Steven! Show her what you can do!" Amethyst stood up on the coffee table and yelled encouragingly at a smiling Steven. "Okay, here I go!" Steven said replacing his smile with a determined look as his gem began to glow a bright and rosy pink. I stood there, eyes wide as I watched his gem generate a pink shield with a rose in the middle and a thorny vine spiraling from it all to the end of the shield. I internally shed more tears as I realized what I have gotten myself into.

They think I can make my gem work.

I began to sweat and I could tell I was beginning to look sick at the severity of my predicament. These people think I am some type of expert and that I have all the answers to being a human and a gem and I don't. I didn't even know you could make your gem glow let alone make something come out of it! I didn't know but what I did know was that I needed a game plan. And quick. But it was too late when they looked at me expectantly.

I couldn't lie to them anymore than I already have and a choice wasn't really clear to me at the moment. I just decided to listen to my fight or flight instincts. "He can do more than just summon his- wait! Where are you going!?" Pearl screamed after me. I ran for the door and swung it open and ran down the stairs as fast as I could without falling down the wooden staircase. Once I reached the end of the staircase, I kept running straight for the town.

Even though I didn't know where I was, I just kept running in hope that I would find something that I could use to give me hints. I couldn't hear the city life itself due to the sounds of the tide and the calls from the Crystal Gems that seemed to follow. I found the city and ran past the Big Donut where Sadie waved at me. I didn't wave back at her and I knew I would have to apologize to her later for that.

I pasted Fish Stew Pizza where Jenny did the same to me and I tried to ignored her. I was caught off guard by her yelling something at me when I heard a car's tires screech and stop in front of me. Luckily for me I stopped too, but fell on the lid of Kiki's car. I shared a scared look with Kiki, Buck and Sour Cream as they asked if I was okay. I didn't answer them out of shock and remembering I was being followed, I snapped my head back to see Steven and the Crystal Gems stop running and stare at me in confusion. I looked at Steven's troubled face and my eyes began to water. I got up fast and took off again, ignoring the people behind me.

Once I made it past the 'WELCOME TO BEACH CITY' sign, I looked behind me to check for people. I gave myself a chance to breathe but I still speed walked home. I opened the door with the key I had in my pocket and as soon as I closed it, I slid down to the ground and placed my head in my hands. "What... in the world have you gotten yourself into, Hastings." I said to myself as began to let the tears in my tired eyes fall freely now that I was alone.

Or so I thought...