The beach house was deaf to the anxiety filled yells right below it. Well…deaf to all but one inhabitant. Lion stirred from his slumber when he heard the ruckus going on outside.

In the vocal battle Greg was leading one to none, and the gems were struggling to form a decent defense.

He huffed in annoyance; he was exhausted and already had his fill of screaming for one day. "What're they going on about now? Steven's okay so what the problem is?" he thought. He knew he would win the argument because he had the loudest voice. The only setback was that he couldn't speak their language.

"L…Lion"

The furry being heard his master's strained voice. He leapt up to the bedroom and saw the most inspirational thing. Steven, as weak as he was, was sitting up on his bed using every ounce of energy to stay upright. Lion gently nudged him with his muzzle to get him to lay back down, but he stopped him.

"Lion…I can hear them…Please…help me down…"

Lion was surprised. He thought he was knocked out, but then again that's just like him…whenever there's a fight he wants to stop it. But he knew that Steven needed rest and even if he were to ride on his back, the jarring motion would probably cause more pain to his already fragile body. He didn't want to, but he had to use force. Carefully, he used his paw to push him back down on the bed.

He groaned in pain. In tears, he begged, "Lion…I know they're talking about me…worried about me…I have to let…them know I'm going to be okay."

Something in Steven's words trigged some untapped powers within the cotton candy king. His eyes began glowing, but this time it was a shade of gold.

"Lion? Are you okay?" questioned Steven.

He didn't get any vocal response. Instead Lion climbed up on the bed and touched his forehead with Steven's. Immediately, Steven was out like a light. After a few moments, the golden glow from Lion's eyes faded. He had to blink a few time so his pupils could adjust.

"Whoa…wait what?!"

Lion was shocked at his newly found vocal ability. But it wasn't Lion per se, it was Steven's voice. Lion/Steven looked at his body on the bed. Needless to say he was thoroughly confused. "Wait, I'm talking but my body's not moving? What's going on?!"

"You're inside of me" a second voice answered.

"What? Wait…Lion!? Is that you?! What happened?!" Steven asked.

"A new power. I was able transfer your conscious into my mind. Now we both share my body" he explained.

"This is just like how I went into my gem and saw mom! Wait…I mean" Steven realized his mistake, he was supposed to keep that information secret.

"It's alright Steven. I already know. After all, Rose created me."

"Oh, right. So how are you able to do…this?" Steven asked.

"Your mother designed it that when we met each other, a mental link would be established. Of course you didn't know anything about it, but whenever you needed help your mind would subconsciously summon me. Like it did when you wanted to return to Beach City to protect your friends" Lion explained.

"Okay…but what about my body?" he asked.

"Your gem will sustain your physical form, just like how the crystal gem's gems provide the energy for their bodies."

"…you really need to tell me all of these things you can do" he replied.

"Kinda hard to do that when I can't talk like you. But you seem to understand me anyway. Plus, isn't this better? It's like when you play on your electronic devices and you get excited when you solve a mystery."

"That's true, but a couple hints wouldn't hurt" he said.

"Another time, for now let's focus on stopping the fight."

"You're right, let's go!"


Lion/Steven hopped down to the lower level of the house and bust through the screen door. Now that they were outside, the volume of the yelling match intensified. But it was mainly Greg's and Pearl's voices.

"You have no right to keep him from us! He needs us!" exclaimed Pearl.

"I'm his father! I have every right over him if it means keeping him safe! I realize now that I used poor judgement in thinking you guys were capable of taking care of him, but it sounds like you need him more than he needs you!" Greg retorted.

"Why you…! We do keep him safe!" she shouted.

"Like the time you were about to take him up to space for fifty years and almost having him blow up in that spaceship?!" he countered. Pearl faltered.

That's the thing about fights, you pick a weak spot and you keep on jabbing at it. And in this instance, Greg was an expert at it. That's when Steven/Lion intervened.

"STOP IT!" he roared and bounded down right in the middle of the group.

"L-lion?!" stammered Pearl. "Lion can talk?! Since when could he talk?!" Pearl's state of mind was already frazzled after all the day's events. Garnet and Amethyst were more surprised that she didn't faint more so than Lion being able to talk.

"No no! This isn't Lion talking…well I mean technically his lips are moving, but I'm in control of them. Gah! That was confusing! It's me, STEVEN! I'm inside Lion's head!"

Once the initial shock wore off, Lapis recognized the young gem's voice. "Steven? How did you get in there? …Oh no. Did something happen to your body?!" she asked.

"No no, my body's okay! I heard yelling and I wanted to come down and stop it, but I couldn't because my body is still weak. That's when Lion unlocked a new power and transferred my mind into his body. My body is fine; my gem is taking care of it" he explained.

After the explanation Garnet said, "…You never cease to amaze me. Steven, we're sorry about all this. We didn't want you to worry…"

"Well, too late for that. I hate it when you guys fight! What are you guys even yelling about?" he demanded.

No one said a word. They felt as though they just got caught doing something wrong.

Lion growled in frustration and took over speaking. "Oh C'MON! You guys woke us up with your pointless bickering and now you don't want to talk?!"

"It wasn't pointless…" said Greg.

Lion/Steven looked at him as he continued, "Steven, I don't want you around the crystal gems anymore."

Steven was stunned. "Why?"

"Because you almost died because of them! I mean, who in their right mind would let child face off against that monster Jasper?"

"…The same person with the right mind to let me go back to them in the first place…" he replied.

Greg didn't have a comeback. He realized he was just at fault for his son's death as they were.

"Guys…I know you're worried about me. I know you're scared and confused about everything…but we have to stay strong and stay together. Dad, you let me go back because you knew I could help them survive. They even told me to go back when the ship landed, but I wouldn't listen. Even before I offered myself to Jasper for Lapis, Amethyst was shielding me. Then afterward, even though I couldn't see them, I could hear her and Pearl fighting to get to me."

"Yeah, and Garnet held them back!" he retorted.

"Because I was the only option that would work" Lion/Steven countered.

"What about fusing into Alexandrite?!" he inquired.

"Dad, fusing is hard. Everyone has to be on the same page and not only that, the dance itself takes a while. You know that from watching them get ready for dinner with Connie's parents. Jasper wouldn't just sit back and wait around for them to get stronger" the combined duo remarked.

"Well what about her controlling the water?!" he asked pointing to Lapis.

"Her mind was imprisoned." Lion/Steven stated.

Lapis was shocked when he said that.

"What I meant was that her will to fight against them was broken. For a long time she was a prisoner, then when she's freed and gets home, she becomes shackled again. That broke her spirit and just that alone will render her, or anyone else's, powers useless. She even told me not to go against Jasper and Peridot because she didn't want me to end up the same way" he clarified.

Lion/Steven turned to the teary eyed Lapis when he heard her cry. "I'm sorry Lapis. I didn't mean to make you upset."

Wiping the tears from her eyes she said, "It's not that. Everything you said was true. If hadn't been so paralyzed with fear…"

"There's no need to fear now" Lion/ Steven said.

"What?! Steven, more home world gems could come after you!" said Greg.

"I don't care" he responded with authority. "The reason I did all those things was because I wanted to protect my family and our home. That's exactly what Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst were going to do, protect the Earth and everyone on it, including you."

Greg looked at them and guilt started to creep into his mind.

The Lion/Steven stomped his right front paw on the grassy tundra and declared, "What we have right here…is made out of love! There may have been some bumps along on the way, but we learned from those lessons and grew better together. And I'm not going to let one bad time erase all the good times we've had together and the many more we'll have later. Dad, we can still make music together. Amethyst, you can still be play buddy. Pearl, you can still teach me how to be strong in the real way. Garnet, one day I'll be a leader just like you so please continue to mentor me. And Lapis, we'll help each other."

Everyone was speechless and impressed at his maturity, but Greg was still adamant. "But, this isn't fair! None of these bad things should be happening to you!"

"Who said life was fair?" Lion/Steven responded.

True that.


"Look, bad things happen to good people. But just because it happens doesn't mean we can't be victorious in those circumstances. I just finished this story Connie gave me about a cowboy named Little Robbie. He worked on a cattle ranch with his dad and seven older brothers. But his siblings didn't like him very much because he was his dad's favorite, even though he was so…strange by cowboy standards. He wasn't physically strong or gruff. Instead he relied on his intelligence and was always positive. One night he had a dream where his brothers would treat him with the highest respect. Needless to say when Robbie told them that, they didn't like it. Because of their jealously, they tricked him and sold him to bandits. Even when he was held captive, he never gave up hope that everything would turn out okay.

"One day the bandits dropped him off in the middle of the nowhere. So he traveled for days and came across this town called Rainbow Cliffs and got a job at a local saloon. Soon he became the co-owner because of his hard work and out of the box ideas. That is until the saloon owner's wife got jealous of Little Robbie's promotion and accused him of stealing, even though he was innocent, and was thrown in jail. That's when he started to doubt. "Why is all this stuff happening to me?" he asked himself. But then he remembered what his dad told him, "Words make us what we are. If we say bad things are going to happen and believe it, then they'll happen. Same thing with sayin' good things. So I don't wanna see no stinkin' thinkin'!" He quickly banished those negative thoughts and started saying and believing that everything would be alright. And it was! The warden saw how the inmates respected Robbie and how he kept things in order when he wasn't around. So he decided to release him and make him co-warden."

"Then one day at the town meeting, the local meteorologist predicted that in three years, a dust storm would hit Rainbow Cliffs and the surrounding areas and cause a severe famine. And he was never wrong. This worried the mayor and all the townspeople. But the warden suggested that Little Robbie could have an idea to help them get through this since he was so innovative. So they brought him in and he suggested that since the years prior to the storm will yield abundant harvests, why not save a little bit each time? That way we'll have more than enough to get by. Everyone loved the plan and the mayor made him vice-mayor of Rainbow Cliffs and put in him charge of the operation."

"People came from all over the countryside to buy food from Little Robbie. Some of those people were his dad and his brothers. When they came Robbie recognized them, but they didn't know who he was. A lot changes in ten years (even grew a sweet mustache). They all treated him with reverence because he was an important person. Just like he dreamed they would. After a while he couldn't hide it anymore and said, "It's me, Little Robbie!" His dad was ecstatic because his brothers told him he was killed by bandits. But his brothers couldn't even speak because they were afraid he'd get revenge for what they've done to him. But he said, "Don't worry, and don't beat yourselves up for what you did. The most important thing is that I'm able to help people, including you guys." So they reconciled and moved to Rainbow Cliffs to start a better relationship."


Everyone absorbed the story that was spoken to them.

"So even though all that bad stuff happened to Robbie, he was still okay in the end, and even helped out his enemies because he never gave in to stinkin' thinkin'. Same thing with us. I know that first war bad, but some good things came out it. Earth was saved, you guys found Amethyst and saved her from that place, mom met dad, I have a great family and Lapis is my full-time fun buddy, not just summer time" Lion/Steven finished.

They all nodded in agreement; they couldn't deny the fact that Steven has brought a new spark into their lives.

But Greg still wouldn't relent, "But…but"

That's when Lion/Steven pulled him close and whispered something into his ear.

When he was done, Greg collapsed to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably. Lion/Steven merely held him as he said "I'm sorry" over and over.

Feeling compelled to do something, the gems went over and embraced them as well. After a few minutes, everyone released themselves from the hug.

Greg stood up, wiped the tears out of his eyes and the dirt off his body and said, "Steven, I-I'm sorry. Please forgive your old man for being a scared idiot!"

"There's nothing to forgive. You were just mad at the situation. I love you dad." With that they embraced again.

Then he looked over to the crystal gems and said, "Guys, I'm sorry…for the things I said. I was way out of line. I know you always protect him and-"

"Greg" Garnet interrupted. "We understand. Like I said, your anger is justifiable."

"But I shouldn't have condemned you. Anger is a neutral emotion, and instead of using it as motivation to help with this problem, I had a temper tantrum…just like a little kid."

"Regardless, everything you said was true. And I can promise you this, all of us will make sure that nothing like this never happens again" assured Garnet.

"You got that right!" exclaimed Amethyst. Greg nodded his head.

Then Lion/Steven held his paw straight out. The gems didn't know what he was up to, but Greg did. He put his hand on top and motioned for the rest of them to follow suit.

"Alright on three we throw our hands to the air, like a windmill! Ready? 1…2…3!" They did as they were told, although Garnet, Pearl and Lapis did it in a jerkier motion.

"FAMILY FOREVER!" he roared, which turned into yawn. Everyone smiled.

"Heh, alright buddy. I think you've done enough for one day. Let's get you to bed." Greg said and Lion/Steven sleepily nodded in agreement. They all walked back inside the beach house and Lion's eyes started to glow gold again. He connected with Steven's forehead and after a few moments, he opened his own eyes.

"Oh, thank goodness" said Pearl and Lion frowned.

"One day, I'm going to set her straight" he thought and leaped back down onto his cushy bed.

Greg went over to embrace his son, but frowned. "You guys put him in bed when he's still wet?"

The gems looked down and Amethyst said "Sorry"

Steven looked at his dad, and he sighed. "It's okay, honest mistake. C'mon bud let's change you outta those clothes." Steven nodded and closed his eyes again.

Pearl looked through his wardrobe and found his pjs and a clean pair of underwear while Greg and Garnet carefully took off his clothes.

Lapis and Amethyst watched from afar, neither of them trusting themselves to touch his fragile body.

Garnet tossed Amethyst his damp clothes, but she missed his pants. They clanked against the floor. "What the?" she reached into his pocket and pulled out his mangled phone.

"Sheesh…I wonder if the phone store has a protection plan against…" Greg was about to finish his joke until he saw Garnet staring at him. "Uh…accidental mishaps! Yea! That's what I was going to say."

"Don't worry Greg, I'll repair his communication device." Said Pearl.

"You sure about that, P? Jasper really did a number on this thing" asked Amethyst as she held up the pulverized phone.

"I can handle it" she replied snatching it away from her.

Once Steven was all dressed, Greg and Garnet carefully tucked him in.

He opened his eyes halfway and smiled. "Goodnight…guys. I love…you" he sleepily said.

"We love you too Steven" they all said and he closed his eyes for a peaceful sleep.

"…He's right y'know." Garnet stated and everyone gave her their attention. "He's just like Little Robbie, always positive. I know without a shadow of a doubt that he'll be the one to put an end to this upcoming…situation. And he'll do it in his own Steve-ly way."

Everyone returned their gazes to the sleeping bundle underneath the covers and smiled.

Greg let out a yawn and said, "Well, I'm gonna head out. I'll have my van right next to you guys in case something happens" and the gems nodded.

He left and Amethyst followed suit to put his clothes in the wash. Garnet opened the door to her room; she needed to meditate to try to clear her mind.

That left Pearl and Lapis alone with Steven. "…Um, Lapis? If you want…you can rest in my room. There's plenty of water" Pearl offered.

"No. I'll stay here" she acutely declined.

Secretly, Pearl wanted to watch over him by herself, but it was clear that Lapis still harbored some ire towards them.

"Well…she holds Steven in high regard so I guess that's enough" she thought, then said, "Alright…well…come get us if something happens."

"Mh hm" she responded.

Pearl went through her door, and gave one last glance before closing it. Now Lapis was alone with nothing but the sounds of their snores to keep her company. She just stared at him, still trying to wrap her mind around everything. A boy whom she only met for a few hours that one summer day knew more about her than anyone else on home world.

"Steven" she whispered as she stroked his hair. She was going to watch him like a hawk to make sure he would be okay.


Meanwhile, all the way on the other side of town, another girl was frantically trying to call her best friend to make sure he was okay after receiving that disturbing voice mail.


Look at the little king using his skills like a boss! But Connie's still left in the dark. What will she do to make sure Steven's ok? Stay tuned to find out.

I guess that wasn't too long of wait, right? One day off my normal schedule. I was really rolling on this chapter, I think this is the longest one I've written thus far.

And I'll let you guys guess what Steven whispered to his dad.

I hope I'm getting better on those paragraph breaks, sorry if you guys got confused on who was talking.

Also, I want to apologize. In an earlier post, I had my own personal ideals in this chapter. Then it was made to known to me that fanfiction is different than full on journal type writing. Fanfiction is about keeping things in relative canon and continuity, even if it is an alternate universe so that the audience still feels some connection to the show. It was not my intent to push anything on anybody nor to make anyone uncomfortable. Again, I'm deeply sorry. But it's all a process and that's what reviews are for. Don't hesitate to let me know whenever I cross that delicate cannon line, to some degree anyway. It's still my story and I enjoy throwing new twists and turns(just wait in five chapters:)

I'm truly grateful that you guys have stuck with me on this journey. Many thanks!

If anyone wants to read to the original, I'll be happy to send it to you.

Steven Universe belongs to Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network, the only thing I own are my imaginative capabilities.