A/N: I love the responses I'm getting for this story. You guys are awesome. PedroComics even made me a cover! I am still in shock. You can see the full size on his page at pedrocomics at deviant art. This site hates links so I can't seem to post it here.

Peridot, with her eyes narrowed, and her tongue stuck out to the side, zeroed in on her target. She hunched over it like she was soldering a circuit board rather than putting the icing on a cookie. Every year Pearl let Steven pick out a design for the gingerbread cookies. He usually chose to bake stars along with her gingerbread gem men. This year, he had convinced her to let Peridot join them, and pick out a shape of her own. To Pearl's dismay, she chose an alien head. At first, they all looked like large teardrops on the pan, until she dotted their eyes, and squirted one indifferent line for their mouths.

"Weird little creatures." Pearl scoffed.

Peridot held the icing tube away from Pearl as if she would snatch it away to stop the ingredients from turning into little green delectable monsters.

"I think they look cool," Steven said.

Pearl shook her head and placed the last gumdrop button on one of her own creations. She stepped back to admire the small army of gingerbread gem men all lined up in formation. "Perfection." She said. They all had tiny drops in different locations to show their gem placement. There were tall pearls and short rubies, sapphires and quarts. Each one wore icing the color of their gem to match.

His were easy, and he was the first to finish. Steven would take a handful of drops and scatter them on each star. Wherever they happened to land was perfect to him. Peridot placed black gumdrops for the eyes on her aliens. She dropped a little black drop at the base of the head and two small red ones on either side. Steven chuckled. She was fashioning them all bow ties.

Peridot looked up at him still a little self-conscious. But when she saw his grin, she returned a sheepish smile. Amethyst was sitting across from them on the bar stool, her face eclipsed by the cookie dough bowl. She licked the remains and set the bowl down with a few spots of dough stuck near her lips.

"Hey, those look tasty." Amethyst said licking a dab of dough near her cheek.

"A part of this batch is for Greg and Steven." Pearl said. Her glare was enough to fend off Amethyst's appetite.

"Fiiiiine, I'll wait."

Pearl pulled out a plastic container. She started to load it with each variety of cookie they had made. Peridot curled her fingers and held her hands close to her chest when Pearl put hers in. She watched to make sure she wasn't being too rough and break one of her creation's bowties. The tall gem put the lid on and locked the cookies inside. Steven couldn't wait until his dad opened it. The gingerbread smell would hit him like a surprise cookie bomb. He would share these cookies every year with him. His dad would always act surprised when he showed up with them. He liked that part the best.

Suddenly something that sounded like a tornado siren shook the living room. They all jumped and turned towards the sound. On the couch, vibrating, was Peridot's tablet. Steven had no idea how the green gem had managed to rig it to make it sound ten times as loud as it's size. It did remind him of someone. Peridot hopped over to the couch with a jittery giggle and turned the alarm off. She sat down with the bottoms of her feet together. "It works!" She cried.

"What on Earth was that?" Pearl asked.

"That's almost as bad as a wailing stone," Amethyst said with a groan.

Peridot was too engrossed in the screen to answer them. Steven walked over and sat beside her. The display was a wall of gibberish to him as Peridot had found a way to force the tablet to support gem software. It was all in the gem language. She pushed a button, and the screen changed to a camera feed. Jamie was the unlucky target on the opposite end. Peridot scowled and pressed a button shaped like a speaker.

"State your business." She demanded.

Jamie was standing near Steven's mailbox. He held up his hands in surrender. "Uh, mail?" He peeped. Peridot was skeptical. She looked back at Steven to see if he believed him.

"That's Jamie. He's cool. He delivers our mail. Just tell him it's okay, and he can deliver the mail."

"Steven is that you?" Jamie asked through the camera.

Peridot pushed another button, "Uh oh. Wrong one." On the other side of the camera, the drone started to make a whirring sound. The drone's plates scraped and clanged as it unpacked its hidden equipment. It was likely the light canon numbered among it. "Cloddy thing!" Peridot was smashing some other buttons. He couldn't discern their functions by the icons.

"Shut it off!" He shouted.

"I'm trying!" Peridot slammed her hand down on a large button in the right-hand corner "NYEH!" The screen went black. A silence fell across the room. Steven and Peridot looked up at Pearl. The tall gem's features fell, and she crossed her arms. Amethyst gave her a side glance.

She sighed, "I'll go see if our mailman is disintegrated." Pearl tossed her scarf on and went out the door.

Peridot powered the tablet back on and sunk into the couch, "Sorry. I guess I still have a few bugs to work out. The button for stand down was not coded correctly." She hid behind the screen and peered over the top of the device so that Steven could only see her eyes and the peak of her hair.

"It's okay. I'm sure everything is fine. Light cannons are pretty loud so we would have heard it if it had gone off."

"Nah P-dot made those robots. He's space dust." Amethyst said. She slipped out of the bar stool and made her way into the kitchen.

Peridot glared at her and then stuck her nose back into the tablet to recode the button. Amethyst made crunching sounds from the kitchen. Steven knew that the fact that she was picking on Peridot was a good thing. It had only been a couple of days since Amethyst had come back with them raving about Peridot's ability to fly, given that a sled was underneath her at least. Even Pearl had thanked Peridot for saving him. They were all becoming used to having the feisty gem around. When he had asked Pearl this morning about the baking, he dug in expecting to have to fight for an inch of ground, but she caved like butter. He hadn't even needed to whip out the puppy dog eyes. He wasn't sure what to make of Garnet. She was quiet, even more than usual. She was either working on something or knew something he didn't, both were likely.

Steven had to admit that the only one that hadn't become familiar with Peridot's presence here was him. The other gems lived in the temple. They made themselves known and used the house as he did, but Peridot spent most of her time with him. Even as close as he and Connie had once become she had never actually roomed with him. It wasn't that Peridot was too close, it was that she wasn't close enough despite the proximity they shared. It made the house feel like purgatory at times.

The only thing that dispelled that feeling were the looks she sometimes shot him when no one else was looking. They were like little messages that were only for him. She would slide them to him throughout the day if only to let him know she was still there. He wanted to return more than the sly winks they traded or the quick kisses they stole when the gems were gone. He had even grown so bold to plant a few on her even when they were present but not looking. The faces that Peridot made when he took the risk was what spurred him to continue even trying them. But what enticed him the most was her tireless energy. Her hands tinkered with machinery, her eyes combed the internet for information, her fingers coded software for the drones. Yet, even in her quiet moments, a restless spirit seemed to drive her. At night, mingled with the amber glow of the fire, was the shine of the tablet's surface reflecting off of her visor and the drum of her fingers creating a world for Pierre and Percy. At times he ached for a world of his own.

The sound of footsteps on the deck reminded him he was still stuck in this one. Pearl had returned. Amethyst dashed out of the kitchen and into the temple before the door opened. Pearl shut the door behind her. If Peridot could have brought the tablet closer to her face at that moment, she would have, and gladly worn it as a new visor.

"He wasn't hurt, but I think the drone scared him off. That means we didn't get our mail. I know you ordered some more pants, Steven. Now I have to go down to the post office and pick them up."

"It was an accident. I swear. It won't happen again!" Peridot said.

"Right." Pearl snarked. She went into the kitchen and grabbed the cookie container. "Here you are, Steven. You can take these to Greg."

Steven got up and took the container from her. He hugged her, "You're the best Pearl. Thanks for letting Peridot cook with us."

"Of course. You're very welcome." She hummed. She squeezed him back holding onto him longer than he had her.

He grabbed his black wool coat, and he caught Pearl smiling when he put it on. It faded as he said, "Ready Peri?"

"Ready," Peridot said. She jumped up and met him at the door. She still had her sweater on. The boots came and went, but the green gem had not parted with the sweater except when Pearl had offered to wash it for her.

"Peridot is going with you?" Pearl asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. She hasn't met my dad before."

Pearl raised a finger trying to find a reason to protest, but she let it go with a wave. "Ah...well, you two have fun and be safe." Baking pans and bowls clattered behind him as Pearl searched the kitchen countertop. Steven closed the door, but he could hear her say, "Where is the...wait. AMETHYST!"

Beach city had appeared like a sleepy city from the top of Brooding hill. But as soon as Steven and Peridot hit the street, he found that it wasn't the case at all. Children were playing and having snowball fights. On the beach, people were setting up a stage for an event. Whatever it was, it required a big bonfire. Usually, he would be the first to check it out and then drive all his friends and the gems to attend it with him. But it was becoming too cold, and Peridot seemed like a warmer option.

"You know, I can't believe I didn't think of this before," Steven said. The cookies were tucked safely under his arm like a briefcase of money. He knew that his dad's pearls of wisdom didn't cost anything, but he liked having something to give back. Peridot was still carrying her tablet and making adjustments to the drone's coding.

"You said this dad has a vast knowledge base on Earth subjects. I'm sure he can give you the advice you're looking for."

"He's never let me down before." He said.

Peridot's eyes returned to the tablet. She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't see the approaching street lamp. Steven took her by the arm and pulled her out its path. She looked up at him surprised and then over her shoulder at the lamp.

"Thanks, Steven." She sighed and gazed at the blob of code on her screen as if it was an unruly child, "I have to get this right. I almost hurt one of your human friends."

"Jamie will be fine. He has to come back. It's kind of his job. I know Pearl will smooth things over with him and explain that it was just a misunderstanding. She's good at the sort of stuff."

Peridot didn't seem convinced. They reached the end of the street and on the other side was the car wash and his dad's van. The van wore a thick layer of snow on its roof like a hat. No other place resonated with him like this corner of Beach city. He had spent so much time here as a kid; the wash was practically a second home. Sometimes it was even more home than the temple. He could come here when he wanted to get away, and it was just the two of them, Steven and his dad. It didn't seem to resonate with Peridot so much as it rattled her. She had been so caught up in fixing the drone. The importance of meeting Steven's dad for the first time had evaded her until now. She surveyed the scene as if it held a stage for her execution. She lowered the tablet to her side surrendering to whatever verdict The Dad would exact.

"Hey, he's not going to shatter you."

"How do you know?"

"He's going to love you."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I…" He turned his gaze to the van faltering on the edge of his last word. He could feel the small gem's eyes on him. "I know him."

Peridot deflated, "I'm done for." She went to cross her arms, but Steven pulled them away and took her hand in his. She squeezed it back and clung to him as close as she had wanted to herself. They crossed the street together. The curtains were drawn across the windows of the back doors on the van. Steven pressed his ear next to one of them. There was a gentle hum inside from the generator. His dad had bought it to power a heater and any other devices he decided to add to the van. He grabbed the back door handles and threw them open. A trapped wave of heat crashed over both of them.

"Surprise!" He yelled into the empty cabin.

Peridot squinted, "I don't see-"

"Surprise!" Greg shouted as he came around from the side of one of the open van doors.

"GYAH!" Peridot shot into the air. When she landed, she held her tablet out in front of her as if making a sacrificial offering that could replace her.

"Dad!" Steven spun around and threw his arms around him. He was wearing his white sweater with the cherries on it and jeans.

"Heya Schtu-ball. What's brought you to see your dear old dad? I was just locking up the wash for the day." He hugged Steven back. Peridot was behind him trying to compose herself. Greg noticed her, "Oh, I'm sorry if I scared ya."

Steven didn't waste a second. With a bow and a flourish of his hand, he introduced the small gem that was attempting to manifest invisibility powers. "This is Peridot. She's the newest crystal gem. I wanted her to meet you."

Peridot raised a hand, "It is an honor to meet you Dad, creator of Steven. Your craftsmanship is unmatched." She looked back at Steven with a pained expression. He gave her a reassuring nod. He liked it when she tried too hard, which was most times. She tackled everything with an infectious intensity. If there was an off button on her, he hoped never to find it.

Greg laughed, "You can call me Greg." He ruffled Steven's hair, "Yeah I like him too. It's a pleasure to meet you. How do you like Earth so far?"

"I love it." Her eyes hadn't returned to him. Instead, Greg followed them back to Steven.

"Here Dad. I brought you some of Pearl's gingerbread cookies for us to share." Steven all but shoved the container into his arms.

Greg cradled the bowl, "Wow. This is a surprise. You know how much I love these." He popped the lid open and leaned down bringing his nose close to the cookies, "These smell great." He moved a few of the treats around and pulled an alien head out, "I haven't seen one of these before."

Peridot clawed at her chest, "That's one of mine."

Greg took a bite eating the bowtie and one of the eyes. Peridot was watching him as if he was Gordon Ramsey and her existence hinged on his next words. He chewed and swallowed and gave her a humoring smile, "That one is my new favorite."

Peridot grinned, and she pumped her fists into the air, "Victory! I have conquered this winter challenge!"

Greg cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm showing Peridot everything you do during winter and for Christmas," Steven explained.

"What is this Christmas, Steven? Is that the last tier of the trials?"

He chuckled, "I'll have to tell you about that one later."

Greg passed out some cookies to both of them, and Peridot eyed hers. She took a few testing bites to judge the hardness and then bit into it. Steven sat down in the open back of the van and took a chunk out of his ruby cookie. His dad sat beside him and put the container between them.

"Slow day huh?" Steven asked.

"Oh no. Everyone wants to get that ice salt off their cars." He chuckled, "I don't need the revenue from the wash anymore, but I think of it as a kind of public service. You have yours, and I have mine." He scooped up a star cookie, "So tell me Peridot, what has Steven been showing you?"

"Hrrrnnngghh" Peridot stalled, and her cheeks darkened.

"The challenges. Tell him what you've accomplished so far." Steven interjected.

"Oh, right. Ahem." She arched her back, "I have mastered snowball gladiatorial combat. I have learned how to forge fire, I am a roaster of human confections, racer of the sled, and grand chef of ginger." She puffed out her chest and spread her arms out, "Finally, I am adorned in the garb of a winter champion."

"That's quite the resume you have there." Greg looked between them, "The sweater suits you."

Peridot held her hands together in front of her, "Wow, thanks."

"So how have you been? It sounds like you've been busy." He asked Steven.

"Okay, I guess. I had something to ask you. I wanted your advice." He leaned up against the van wall and propped his knee inside.

"Alright, shoot."

"It's about something the gems have been wanting me to do."

"Is it about the driving thing? I told them I would teach you if I thought you needed it but you have those warp pad things."

Steven glanced at Peridot as she pulled an alien head out of the cookie bowl, "No, Dad. It's not about the driving thing. It's about my human friends. They think I'm spending too much time around gems and not enough around other humans." He pulled the arm off the pearl cookie in his hands, "You know a lot of my friends have kind of moved on or moved away."

His dad patted his leg, "I know Connie was a big hit for you. She didn't want to go, but she's too smart of a girl to stay hanging around Beach city. You and the gems have been more than capable on your own, and she's young." Steven frowned and his shoulders sagged. He had never thought of his and Connie's time together as just hanging around. Even if he hadn't been able to give her what she wanted, she had still been his best friend. Didn't that count for something? "Hey, and you're young. What's happening with you now is what most kids go through. I know I had to go through it too."

"So this is a normal human phase?" Peridot asked.

"Yeah. Look, I know the gems are worried about you, but they're always worried about you. This will pass, and you'll make new friendships or rekindle old ones." Greg held out a hand to Peridot, "Peridot here is a great example. You may have lost a few friends, but you got a new one already."

A hint of a smile rose on Steven's cheeks, "I guess you're right." He and Peridot traded glances. Her visor was on, but he could see those blue eyes pierce right through them and reach him. In them was a spark of admiration and mischief yet to be carried out.

"But I'll throw in a bonus nugget of Dad advice. There's a concert going on tonight at the beach. A lot of people will be there. I know for certain that your friends Sadie, Buck, Jenny, and Sour Cream will be there. You should go."

"How do you know they will be there?"

He laughed, "Because they're the band that'll be playing. You've been gone for a while working on that cluster thing, Steven."

Steven gasped, "They made a band?!"

He nodded, "Yup, it's called Rising Tides. Guess who can play any role they need? If you go, you can meet up with your old friends and talk to one of them about joining the band." He shrugged "You can even meet some new people."

Steven couldn't believe it. The closest he had ever come to being a part of a real band was Steven and the Stevens. This would be the real thing. It would give him an excuse to hang out with them all the time. They could spend afternoons writing songs together and practicing.

He bolted up and stuffed the remains of the crumbled pearl cookie into his mouth with both hands. "I have to go talk to Sadie right now!" He managed with a full mouth. He swallowed, "I could be a backup singer, or if they don't have a bassist I could do that!" He rolled out of the van and to his feet. Peridot stumbled back.

"Hold on there." His dad said, holding up a hand, "Before you go I got one last thing I wanted to talk to you about." He scratched at his arm, "Peridot, could you give us a minute alone?"

"May I inspect your vehicle cleaning machines?" She said as if bartering a deal.

"Uh, yeah?"

She nodded and left to allow them some privacy. Greg got out of the van and leaned a hand against the door. He watched Peridot disappear into the inside of the wash tunnel, "So have you told the gems yet?"

Steven stuffed his hands into his coat, "Told them what?"

His dad turned back to face him with a sly smile, "Guess that means you haven't."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Pfft c'mon, Kiddo. That girl...uh gem. She's hair over heels for you." Steven blushed, "And by the looks of it, you don't think she's too bad yourself."

"How did you know?"

"Steven, I was a musician," He said as if brandishing credentials. "Trust me. I told you about Connie before she even asked you out, didn't I? Gem or human, it doesn't matter. I'd recognize a pair of googly eyes on anyone."

"She wasn't googling me."

"Not yet she wasn't. I mean you haven't…? Right…?"

"Dad! No."

His dad let out a sigh, "Okay."

"I like her though...a lot." He confessed with a shrug.

Greg pulled him into a hug, "I'm happy for you Schtu-ball. You're growing up too fast for me." His dad went quiet for a moment. He had gone silent like this a few times in Steven's life. Now it made him sad knowing what brought them on. "She seems nice. Does she make you happy?"

"Yes." He said at once resting his chin on his dad's shoulder. He felt a pat on his back.

"That's all that matters then." Greg pulled away and rubbed the back of his head through his thick mane of hair. "And if you need any advice on that then I got you covered there too. You know you're mom..."

"Dad."

"Ok, ok." His dad held up his hands. He grinned, "Tell the gems whenever you're ready. They don't always need to know everything. You get to keep a few secrets. Just none from your old man, got it?" He added jabbing a finger toward Steven.

"Got it." He answered smiling.

"Alright. I don't want to hold you up. Talk to Sadie, and maybe you can even be a part of tonight's show. Love you, Kiddo."

"Love you, Dad."

Steven found Peridot inside the wash tunnel. A panel was open on one of the machines, and there was a flash from the tablet's camera. She had been using that feature often ever since he had shown her that it worked like the camera she had used before.

She jumped back when he entered, "Oh, I wasn't..."

"You're fine. I wanted to tell you I'm ready."

"Right." She shut the panel, "Me too actually."

Peridot went back to say goodbye to his dad and grab a star cookie for the road. They crossed the street and Steven waved goodbye. Peridot copied the gesture. His dad waved back and gave him a wink. Steven led the way back towards the temple and to the Big Donut. Peridot came up beside him.

"I assume you had a stimulating conversation?"

"Heh, you could say that."

"I would like to see you play in this band. I have been researching music, but it would be good to have a live example to observe."

"You've been researching it?" Steven asked.

She waved a hand, "It has come up a few times in my related studies."

"Oh."

The two of them made their way to the opposite end of the street. They passed the Big Donut once on the way to the car wash. Steven had thought about peeking in and saying hello to Sadie before, but he didn't want to do it with the cookies. He walked in with Peridot trailing behind him. Sadie was leaning on a counter decorated by a border of elves making donuts. There was a Christmas tree in the corner of the store. It was about time to put up the tree at the temple. Yet another trial for Peridot to complete. He had a feeling she would enjoy that one as well.

Peridot had gone over to the tree. She flicked one of its needles and watched an ornament jiggle, "Oouuu hehe."

Sadie was peering deep into her phone with one hand supporting her cheek. Steven noticed she looked off center behind the counter. Whether or not it was conscious, Sadie was holding Lar's spot. She looked up and smiled, "Hey, Steven. Come to get one of the Christmas donuts?"

"Nope, I came to see you." He said.

She smiled and stuffed her phone into her pocket giving him her attention. "Who's your friend?" Peridot was now standing in front of the Lion Licker cooler and pulling up a picture of a lion on her tablet.

"That's Peridot," Steven said.

"Hello." The gem answered preoccupied. She opened her mouth wide and bared her teeth mimicking the growling lion on her screen.

"What did you want to see me about?" Sadie asked.

Steven took up his usual spot near the display case, "My dad told me you and the other guys started a band. Rising Tides?"

"Oh yeah! I forgot that we made it while you were away for awhile. I thought I told you about it. Are you going to come see us tonight?"

"Well, actually, I wanted to ask you about joining. I don't know what you guys have already, but I could be a backup singer or a bassist or…"

"Jenny is on the bass guitar," Sadie said.

"Singer then?" He asked, "You've heard me sing plenty of times. I did that show for you that one time."

Sadie put her hand to her chin, "Steven...I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but the band is full." His heart crashed into the rocks like a misguided wave.

Peridot swung around. Steven tapped the display glass next to Sadie, "So you guys don't need anything then?"

"Well, it's not that we couldn't use…"

Peridot cut her off, "Then what is it?" She asked throwing each word like a dagger one at a time. Steven looked back at her. Her feet were spread apart, and her hands were curled into fists that flared out at her sides. She looked away from Sadie for only a moment so she could read Steven's face. In hers, the veil of anger parted to reveal a matching wound. Then it was gone, and she was glaring at Sadie again expecting an explanation.

Sadie sighed, "I'm sorry but when the band was made we considered letting you join. You're really talented. It wasn't anything against you personally, but you're younger than all of us. We all decided that we wanted to go for a more mature tone. We didn't think that would be a fit for you."

"Oh." He rubbed his cheek as if he had been slapped, "I get that."

"How could all of you make such a miscalculation?! Steven is a superior choice to any CLOD you could have found to join your musical squad!" Peridot thundered, "He has proficiency in most of your human instruments and an innate talent that can't be ignored."

Sadie's jaw dropped. She looked to Steven to say something, but he didn't. He was as shocked as she was.

Peridot's arms were rigid by her sides, "Maybe you should call yourselves the DECLINING CLODS!" Peridot stomped over to the door and stabbed a finger toward the Lion Licker cooler, "and those don't even look like lions!" She stormed out into the cold. She tried to slam the door behind her, but it would only glide to a close. She raised her hands in the air and walked towards the temple, "RARRGHH!"

Steven looked over at Sadie, her mouth was open to say something, but it didn't come.

"She's still new to earth," Steven muttered. He didn't think that covered everything, but at this moment he found it hard to care.

Sadie pursed her lips and swallowed, "She seems like a good friend. I'm sorry Steven. I really need this. The others approaching me to be the lead singer was the best thing that's happened to me in a while. I want to be a part of something. You're a crystal gem, and you've got the gems. But what do I have? Do you understand?"

Steven understood more than anyone. All he had wanted was to belong, to be the right fit. The gem in his gut felt heavy. It made his insides turn. "I understand Sadie. Don't sweat it. I'll show up tonight and watch you guys rock out."

Sadie slapped the counter, "Great! I know everyone will be happy to see you there."

"I need to go and uh…" He gestured a thumb toward where Peridot had gone, "Check on her." He needed an excuse to get out of there. Any reason to distance himself from her so that he could have a chance to think.

"Okay...see you tonight. We have some T-shirts made too. I'll give you one after the show tonight."

Steven backed out of the shop and waved, "See you then."

He grimaced. The weight of his gem only increased, and he felt as if he was cracked. His chest seized with a cry that refused to come. He blew out a cloud of steam into the frigid air instead. All he could think of was those pink blossoms. The way they drifted away in the wind. Every time he reached for one they crumbled to dust.

The parking lot was empty. He looked around. The corner of Peridot's blonde hair stuck out around the side of the building. Peridot was huddled there. She hadn't gone home as he thought. He walked across the lot to her, but she didn't look up at him. He slid up next to her and leaned against the wall.

"I'm not apologizing," She grumbled.

"I didn't want you to," He said, "Are you okay?"

She looked at him as if he was being ridiculous, "What? Am I okay? What does that matter? Aren't you upset about what they did?"

He stared out toward the lighthouse, "They're my friends. I should support them."

"But what do you want?" There was that question again. He didn't have an answer then, and he didn't have one now.

"I want to go see them tonight," He said. Peridot crossed her arms. She didn't believe him. She was right, but what else could he do? "Will you come with me?"

"Absolutely not. I'm going home."

She started for the beach, and he followed. When they returned home, Peridot went off by herself. She shut herself in the bathroom closing the door behind her with a click. He made sure to tell Pearl where he was going that night. In the meantime, he went upstairs and read a book. It was the second in a series Connie had turned him on to right before she left. He tried to keep his dad's words in his head, to trust that everything would be okay tonight. He would go and see his friends and hang out and meet new ones. Even if he couldn't join them on stage, that didn't mean he couldn't try to go and have a good time.

When it was time to go, he went to his closet and pulled out his light pink button up. He took off his star t-shirt and tossed it to the floor. Peridot came out of the bathroom and froze in the middle of the living room. She stared at him until he put his new shirt on. When he smiled at her, her cheeks turned a deep shade of evergreen. She looked away pretending something else had caught her eye. He descended the stairs and was almost out the door with his coat in his hand when Peridot told him to wait for her.

"Maybe I will find something salvageable to observe in their music," Peridot said as they left the house.

"I'm glad you've come around." He answered.

"I...I wouldn't make you go by yourself."

They walked across the snow-covered beach toward the beacon of roasting wood. They had to push through the crowd to get closer to the fire. His dad had been right, a lot of people had shown up. They must have advertised. Steven had been the last person to find out in all of Beach city. On the stage, Sour Cream was already sitting behind his drums. Buck was connecting his guitar. Sadie and Jenny were in position. Sadie waved to him from the stage, and Buck shot a finger gun at him. They were all wearing the band's t-shirt. It was a tidal wave that was carrying a jumbled mess of instruments in its wake.

He recognized a few people hovering near the fire. One stood out more than most because he was the only one sporting a suit.

"Steven, it's good to see you." Mayor Dewey said waving him over.

"Hey, Mayor Dewey. I wouldn't miss this." He said. He had to talk louder to beat the crowd.

"He's been talking about this nonstop for weeks." He said with a chuckle, "This is pretty good publicity too. I told him it was too cold to hold something like this." He held up a hand to the fire that was burning close by, "Then he comes up with this idea. Bright kid."

Steven nodded, "I think it's about to start." He looked down at Peridot beside him. She smiled at him. He leaned over to her, their cheeks almost touching, "I'm glad that you feel better. You know it's not so bad. They look great up there." She gave him a wink. He tilted his head not quite understanding, but the music started to play.

Jenny and Sour Cream started them out with a good beat, and Steven couldn't help but tap his foot along. Buck entered with a catchy riff and Sadie holding the mic in both her hands started to sing. He had forgotten how great of a singer she was. The crowd became hypnotized by the tide. They bobbed their heads up and down with the beat. He wanted to join them, but he didn't feel a part of them. There was a space on the stage that called his name. He wanted to know the words before Sadie sung them so he could join in but he couldn't.

A fumbled note made his ear twitch. He thought it might have come from Buck, but if it had, he was playing it off. His face looked as confident as Garnet behind those shades. But then another note twanged. This time Steven knew for sure, it had come from Buck. Then Sour Cream missed a beat, so only the crowd was left to make it. Steven bit his lip. Maybe the fumbles from Buck had thrown him off. But the spell on the crowd broke as Sadie's mic emitted a high pitched whine that made more than a few cover their ears. The song was collapsing into a discordant heap. The entire band's instruments were rebelling against them. He could hear the murmurs of confusion grow in the crowd.

He turned to see if Peridot saw this too. There was a hint of a smirk pulling at her lips. A movement near her fingers stopped. She returned his gaze, and Sadie's mic stopped hissing and whining.

"Peridot…"

"What?"

The band had stopped altogether, and several of the staff ran out onto the stage to check the equipment. Buck held his guitar out at arm's length as if it might unhook it's strings and beat him with them. Sadie was on the verge of tears while having no success in hiding behind the mic stand. Jenny put her instrument down and rushed over to help her.

"What did...did you do that?"

"You want me to stand by and watch them hurt you?" She shot back, "I won't do it."

"How could you…"

"How could they abandon you?"

"I'm angry about what they did but I never-"

"Then tell me! Say it! Get angry." She grabbed him by the arms and pulled him close so that their faces were inches apart, "Don't hide what you're feeling. Don't hide it from me." Tears dripped from beneath her visor. He didn't know why she was crying. He looked around to see if anyone was staring at them but they were all distracted by what Peridot had done. The world around him was spinning, and his jaw ached at trying to keep it all together. He flinched as he felt something damp against his skin. His fingers went up to his face. He touched the tears that were on his cheek as if prodding a wound he now realized he had sustained hours ago. When she tugged him toward her and embraced him, her hand on the back of his head and the other against his back, something inside him broke. He buried his face into her neck and sobbed hard. Despite the number of people around them, it was like they were standing on the beach alone. It was as if Peridot had made a bubble around them, to try to protect him.

"I wanted to be a part of them. I just wanted to have my friends back but…"

"But they didn't want you back." She finished for him.

"I'm alone." He whispered to her so that only she could hear

"I thought I was too." The side of her face was pressed against his, their tears intermingling against each other's cheeks. She ran her hand through the back of his hair to calm him.

He pulled away to look her in the eyes, "I didn't want to hurt them. I didn't want you to sabotage the show. They don't deserve that."

"It happened to me. I couldn't stand to see it happen to you. Now they will-"

"Sabotage the show?" Mayor Dewey stepped up to them, and they broke apart. He had heard the end of their exchange, "You're a gem. You did this?" He pointed to the speakers that were now sparking. The crew was trying to repair them, but chunks of the crowd had already started to walk away. Sour Cream was watching them leave, and he put his head down against one of his drums.

Steven wiped his face. The concertgoers around the Mayor had overheard him. His voice tended to carry. Everyone was now turning to the small green gem.

"This girl sabotaged the show!" A voice called out behind Dewey.

The band came up in front of the stage as the words spread quickly through the crowd. The anger in the mob grew like a rising wave. Sadie was crying, and her face was a mix of betrayal and embarrassment. Peridot stood firm. There wasn't an ounce of regret that weighed her down.

Mayor Dewey was positioning himself between them and the crowd like a dam. He raised his arms up to keep them from spilling over, "Now hold up, there must be an explanation for this. We don't have to jump to conclusions."

Peridot shrunk away as another voice boomed from the crowd, "She's one of those crystal gems. Gem freak."

"She doesn't like music!"

"First they stole our water! Now it's our music!"

The crowd's rage threatened to topple the Mayor. Peridot's resolve was starting to crumble. She hadn't expected this kind of response. She raised her hands up to her chest and let out a whimper that only Steven could hear.

Steven stepped in front of her, "I did it!"

"Steven, no!" He felt a hand on his back.

The crowd leveled their gazes to him. Buck took his shades off as if looking at him with his own eyes would make him believe. Jenny hugged Sadie like she was protecting her from seeing a violent wreck. Sour Cream had already left the stage.

"I did it. I messed with the equipment."

Mayor Dewey blinked in confusion, "Steven? You? Why?"

"Because..." Dewey's face was contorting itself trying to understand. Not all the faces in the crowd were angry at him. Some of them couldn't believe that Steven would do this. They wouldn't believe him. They would blame Peridot as the likeliest culprit. He had to make them believe. He ignored the tug on his arm and steeled himself.

"Because...Rising Tides SUCKS!" There was a roar of surprise behind the Mayor. He wouldn't be able to control them now.

Steven summoned his shield, and the crowd fell back with a gasp. Then he ran. He ran until his heart thudded in his chest. The light from the bonfire dimmed until it no longer lit his path. Tears stained his cheeks, and the clamoring of the crowd faded away. The lighthouse loomed above him, its light since extinguished. In the moonlight, the limbs of the temple statue cast shadows of large serpents on the snow. Their nubby heads poised to strike any that came near. He collapsed to his knees in the snow. He stretched out his arms and cried for the serpents to take him. But he knew they wouldn't. Movement from within the house stirred at his call to help him instead. Their nest was his.

A small voice behind him called out, "Steven...wait…"