Hey, everyone. Mystery Critic here back with another chapter of Gift Of A Rose. I really don't have much to stay this time around, so I'll just get right to it. I apologize if this chapter runs a bit slow, but I just need you to bare with me. Also, I'm sorry I haven't been doing much writing lately. I've been in a bad place, and combine that with writer's block, it's not good. I do not own Steven Universe, nor any of the rights affiliated with it. Anywho, sit back and enjoy chapter six, everybody.

Chapter 6

Connie's P.O.V

Four years later…

I wake up in Steven's bed once again, as I have ever day for the past few years. I look over at the calendar and see it will be my seventeenth birthday in a few days. I slide my legs over the side of the bed and stand up with a stretch and a sigh. I walk down the stairs and into the bathroom, taking my clothes off and stepping into the shower. I clean myself up and stand under the stream of water for what seemed like forever, letting the scalding water relax my tense muscles. I step out of the shower and grab a towel, wrapping it around myself as I stare at myself in the mirror.

'I really have changed a lot over these last few years…' I think to myself. I grew about a foot and a half taller, my hair was longer, and my breasts grew out, as well as my hips and butt. I squeeze my ass and chuckle.

'I can't believe I actually have a bubble butt.'

I look in the mirror and get angry at myself for laughing when we still have no idea how to get Steven back. I slam my first into the mirror, pulling it back from the broken mirror as I see Rose's reflection in the cracked glass. She walks up to me and places her hand on my shoulder, grabbing my hand when she sees the blood. She kneels down and places her face above my hand and a few tears drop from her eye onto my hand. As soon as the tears make contact, the blood starts disappearing and the cuts healing up.

"Is that better, Connie?" She asks, pulling me into a hug. I hug her back and nod slowly, tears falling from my eyes. I kiss the gem on her belly and whisper into it.

"Can you hear me, Steven? I miss you so much…" I sniff as tears flow freely down my cheek. I look up at her and an idea comes to me. I look back at the mirror, then down at my hand, and up at her gem.

"Rose, that's it! I thought of a way we can get Steven back while keeping you here, too!"

"Connie, it isn't possible…" She says, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Your tears!" I scream.

If we split your gem in half while in a bucket of tears, maybe it would heal the halves into two whole Rose Quartz gems!"

Her eyes go wide and her hand goes to her chin, thinking it over.

"That just might work, Connie…" She says, looking down at me.

"But we'll have to be careful, precise, and alone. We have to do this without letting anyone else know."

"What are the chances of it working?" I say nervously.

"Honestly? I don't know, but I'd say pretty good." She says, smiling at me.

"Come on, Connie. Let's go and get things ready."

"Yes, ma'am." I say, rushing off to grab a bucket. I grab one from the clutter in the closet and rush back to Rose.

"Here you go, Rose."

I hand her the bucket and she smiles, walking outside with me following her. She picks me up and jumps up onto the top of the cliff. She sets me down and looks at me, sitting on the grass.

"Are you sure you want to help me with this, Connie?" She asks, looking at me concernedly.

"There's a good chance this won't work, and you'd lose Steven and me forever."

"It's been four years, Rose…" I say sadly, looking down.

"I miss him so much, I'm willing to try anything at this point."

"If it doesn't work, can you live with knowing Steven is never coming back?"

"I'll live knowing I tried everything to bring back the boy I love."

She smiles and nods, picking up the bucket and beginning to cry into it. We sit there and wait for the bucket to fill about halfway up, then she whistles for Lion to come to her.

"Lion will be here to guard you in case the Gems get a little… Rowdy." I nod with a gulp and Rose pulls her sword out of Lion's mane, handing it to me.

"Alright, I know your accuracy is spot on. So, poof me, then cut the gem clean in half. I trust you, Connie. I know you can do this."

"I'm sorry for this, Rose." I say, thrusting the sabre through her chest. She disappears in a poof of pink and her gem falls to the floor. I look at Lion as if asking permission, and he growls and nods. I turn back towards Rose's gem and toss it into the air. As it comes back down, I swing the sword down on it, cutting it clean in half. The two halfs fall into the bucket and I flop onto the ground, sighing in relief that I did it. I look into the bucket of Rose's tears, waiting nervously for something to happen.

"Connie, have you seen Rose?" Garnet asks, making me turn around in shock. Lion stands in front of me and the split gem in the bucket.

"Why is Lion doing that?"

"Um… Rose is… In here…" I point to the bucket and Garnet stumbles back in horror.

"You poofed her?!" She snaps, materializing her gauntlets onto her hands.

"No, wait!" I yell, throwing my hands up in front of myself.

"It;'s not what it looks like! Rose and I agreed to do this. Her gem is split in half in a bucket of her tears. I had an idea that if we split her gem in half, it would heal into two separate Rose Quartz gems, one of her, and one of Steven. She even said it had a very good chance of working!"

Garnet lowers her hands and her gauntlets disappeared. She walks towards me and Lion growls, his eyes beginning to glow.

"Take it easy, Lion." She says, patting his nose.

"If Rose said to might work, then I trust her."

She sits next to me and we stare into the bucket, waiting for something, anything to happen. All of a sudden, she smiles with a gasp.

"Look, the gems are starting to form!" I look into the bucket and see the two halfs slowly forming into two separate gems.

"It's working!" I scream in excitement.

"It's really working!"

We watch in amazement as the two gems continue to regrow until finally, they form into two Rose Quartz gems. We each take one out of the bucket and hold them in our hands.

"This one is going to be Steven. I just know it." I say, clutching it to my chest. I bring it to my lips and give it a kiss, then whisper into it.

"Steven, if you hear me, you better come out right now. I'm here, and I'm waiting for you."

All of a sudden, both of the gems start to glow. They float out of our hands and a pink aura surrounds both of them, then erupting in a flash of light. When the light clears, there are two very tall figures standing side by side. Steven and Rose are both back, but Steven doesn't even look like Steven anymore. He's somehow grown to Rose's height, with his black curly hair the length of his father's, an enormous built body, and bit of a mustache growing in.

"S...Steven…" I mutter, tears flowing down my face. I run up to him and wrap my arms around him as best as I can, screaming as I run.

"Steven! You're back! I can't believe it, I missed you so much!"

Steven's P.O.V

I look around as I slowly open my eyes, for what feels like the first time. I see Connie run up to me screaming my name and crying about how much she missed me. She wraps her arms around me, and nuzzles into me, her height barely coming up to the top of my stomach.

"W...Where am I?" I ask, my voice much deeper than I remember.

'Is that really my voice? How did Connie get so small?'

Connie stays glued onto me and I kneel down and wrap my arms around her, pressing her close to me.

"I missed you so much, Steven…" She says, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I missed you, too, Connie…" I say, not letting her go.

"I'll never leave you again…"

"You promise?" She asks, her voice squeaking. I smile and brush her hair out of her face and wipe her tears away.

"I swear, Connie. Nothing will ever keep us apart again."

She smiles and wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me passionately, all of her happiness pouring into that one kiss. Garnet walks up to me and wraps her arms around me, tears running down her cheeks. I've always looked up at her, but now I'm looking down at her head as I hug her back.

"You've gotten big, Steven…" She says, her voice cracking.

"We've all missed you so much…"

"I missed you, too, Garnet…" I say. I'm hugging them both when I turn to see my mom standing a few feet from me, looking at me with happiness.

"Mom…"

I walk over to her slowly, her eyes level with mine.

"Hello, Steven. It's great to finally meet-" I cut her off by pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. She chuckles and hugs me back, rubbing my back like a mother would.

"Steven… I love you, too…"

After hearing those words, I hug her tighter, tears flowing out of my eyes as I don't let go. Connie walks up behind me and wraps her arms around my waist as she hugs me tightly. I pick her up with one arm and hug her close, as if she's a teddy bear, still keeping one arm around my mom. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I hear three voices belonging to Amethyst, Pearl, and my dad, scream my name as they see me. I turn to them and smile, letting go of my mom and putting down Connie as I put my hand in the air to wave to them.

"Hey, everyone."

Well, there's chapter six, everyone. Yep, STEVEN'S BACK! I hope you all enjoyed it. I'll update my other story as soon as I can, or this chapter, or post a new story's first chapter. There's two other new stories I'm working on. Anywho, I hope everyone will continue to read and follow. Also, share these stories with your friends, I can always use more fans. This is Mystery Critic, signing off.