All Greg heard was his own sobbing and the sound of the waves going up and down, up and down across the sand. His heart felt as if it had been shattered like Pink Diamond.

Rose didn't deserve this. She cared about her partner so much, she refused to tell him the harsh reality just to spare him some suffering. She respected every wish he had and had enjoyed, or at least pretended to, every human activity he had introduced her to. She didn't deserve a worthless, helpless man-child like Greg. They say good people always die young, though. It's completely true.

Yet she patiently waited outside the van until he was ready. Another quality that made her perfect; she didn't pry into your deepest emotions and stuff; she just waited it out and made everything better. Rose was a goddess. Greg was a filthy street rat.

"Greg?" Her voice called from beyond the vehicle's walls. "I can hear you, I know you're in there."

The human desperately tried to breathe and dry away his tears. His now red eyes would tell her too much alone.

"I'm coming in, okay?" Rose asked.

"Okay." Greg sighed. At that, his huge pink and white girlfriend burst through the door.

"Greg, what's wrong? Why were you crying?" The gem locked him in a suffocating hug. Though this time, he didn't mind being crushed, as long as it was by his beloved Rose. "Don't tell me you weren't!"

"Yeah," Greg admitted, "You caught me red handed, I guess. Just... please don't worry about it right now, okay?"

To his surprise, Rose kept on digging. "No Greg. I might listen to that if you weren't just sobbing hysterically. Stars, they must have heard you up in space! So can't you just tell me what's wrong, darling?"

Greg drew a blank. He would'nt rat out Garnet now. Not ever, nor would he blame Pearl or Amethyst. Heck, Amethyst probably didn't even know either. He groaned, hugging her back. He could feel Rose's tense body relax. He just had to say something, anything.

"Rose... I'm just nervous, okay? I don't know what I'm doing. I can barely do anything for myself. I don't know how this whole gem birth thing is gonna work. For all we know, it might be full human or full alien or something. I just..." Rose, although she hid it, wasn't buying his story. He just had to hint. "How do we know... you're even gonna make it through this?"

"You..." Rose sighed. "I guess I should have figured you'd find out. I didn't think this through... I'm sorry."

"Did you... know when we decided?"

"I hate to say it, but yes."

"Then... why didn't you feel comfortable telling me if you felt comfortable telling the others?"

Rose's pupils shrank. Her grip on Greg loosened, and he pulled away enough so he could see her eyes. That beautiful, joyful glint was gone.

"I... I can't answer that... Why didn't I?... You deserved to know more than anyone else... After all, you're the one who probably expected to have me by your side to help raise the baby... I'm so, so sorry..." Rose averted her gaze, an act she had never done to him before. She had never had any reason to feel ashamed around Greg. Around the Crystal Gems. She was just as confused and hurt as he was.

"No... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have rushed into this without making you really... consider if this was okay with you. With us."

"It's... okay, but it's not. The idea of creating a new being, so much better than I could ever be... it's so amazing and... just the thought is enough to get you through the day, no matter how much you suffer for it. But... it's not okay hurting everyone I love without even knowing. And... they love me enough to hide it." Tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Well... maybe it'll be worth it all at the end of the day." Greg mustered a sad smile, and ran his thumb under her eye to get rid of her annoying tears.

"You know... maybe it will be."