CHAPTER TEN

The house was dark and quiet when they stepped out of the temple a few minutes later. "Well, I'm gonna go take a shower before I go to bed," Steven said, turning to face Peridot. "What about you, what are you planning on doing tonight?"

Peridot looked up at him with wide-eyed innocence. "I thought I might read some fanfiction. For tomorrow," she said, a small smile appearing on her face as she watched him blush and squirm. "Are we going back into the room tomorrow?"

"Erm..." He shook his head and tried to think clearly. "I guess it depends on how things go."

She nodded a little sadly. "I suppose the gems will wish to spend the evening celebrating our successful mission."

"Yeah." He sighed and pulled her in for a hug. "I'd really like to though."

"Mmm." She tilted her face up and gave him a small kiss. "Me too. Perhaps I can adjust some of the settings in the drill," she said, mostly to herself. "If I divert some of the coolant to the drill head, I can increase the speed of our descent..."

Steven smiled at the thoughtful look on her face. "'Kay, well, I'll see you in the morning. Love you."

"Uh huh," Peridot said absently, now completely distracted by her mental calculations, and it wasn't until she heard the bathroom door close that his words registered. "Wait, Steven!" She ran across the room and skidded to a halt in front of the door. "I love you too!" she shouted. Then she skipped back across the house and pushed her door open. "Gah!"

"Hey," Garnet said mildly. "Good date?" Next to her, Amethyst waggled her fingers in greeting.

"What are you two doing in my room!?" Peridot hissed furiously.

"Uh, Celebrity Dance Parade is on." Amethyst pointed at the television screen. "Duh."

Peridot stared speechlessly at her for several seconds. "Uh, excuse me!? You can't just come into my room and watch my television without asking me!"

"Sorry. We didn't think you'd mind," Garnet said apologetically.

"Yeah, what's the big deal? You let us watch it the other night," Amethyst protested.

"That doesn't mean I gave you permission to let yourself into my room every other night!" Peridot burst out. "This is my room! Watch television in the house! Watch television in your room!"

"I don't have a television in my room," Amethyst argued.

"You have a dozen!" Peridot shot back. "I saw them when we were retrieving the escape pod!"

Amethyst hesitated and then corrected herself. "I don't have a working television in my room."

"I don't care!" Peridot finally snapped. "Get out! Now!"

"But-" Amethyst began, looking longingly back at the screen.

"We're going," Garnet hastily cut in and dragged Amethyst out of the room before Peridot could throw something at them.

The door slammed shut behind them and Amethyst scowled and shook herself free. "Well that's just great," she complained. "Now we've missed the end of Johnny's routine. How come you didn't see that coming?"

"I did," Garnet reminded her. "You just ignored me."

"Yeah... well..." Amethyst blustered. "Ah forget it." She stomped over to the TV and leaned over to switch it on. "Can you at least see if there's an ad break so we don't miss-hey!"

Garnet put the remote back down and pointed at the bathroom door, where they could now hear the sound of Steven singing over the running water. "Steven will be done shortly, we can't stay in here."

"So now what?" Amethyst whined.

Garnet shrugged. "Ask Pearl to help fix some of those TV's in your room?"

"But it'll be too late then! We'll have missed the rest of the show! And the first dance-off's tonight! And-"

"Tonight's dance-off will be between Julia and Ian," Garnet said abruptly. "Julia gets through by three votes to two."

"What!?" Amethyst stared at hr in open-mouthed horror. "Ian!? You're kidding. You have to be kidding me!" Suddenly her eyes narrowed. "You are kidding me, aren't you?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," Garnet said cryptically, heading towards the temple doorway. "But if you ask Pearl nicely, you can find out soon enough."

Fifteen minutes later, Steven emerged from the bathroom, completely oblivious to everything that had happened while he'd been in there. He looked over in the direction of Peridot's room, where a strip of light shone below the door, and smiled to himself. Part of him was deeply tempted to go and see her one more time before he went to bed, but he really was very tired now, and he had just enough self-awareness to know that if he saw her again now, he wouldn't want to leave, and so he turned away and climbed the stairs to his room and slipped between the sheets. But still, he couldn't help wishing she was there, and as he closed his eyes and began to doze, he wondered how it would feel to be able to fall asleep with her in his arms...

"But this is what you wanted."

Steven bowed his head and stared miserably at the pompoms on his shoes as Blue Diamond continued to lecture him.

"We're tired of your excuses, Pink. This Rose Quartz can't hurt you. You can't be swayed by a few unruly gems."

He opened his mouth to speak, but Blue held out her hand to stop him. "Enough!" Her voice softened and she tilted his chin up so that their eyes met. "You must understand. You... are a Diamond. Everyone on this planet is looking to you..."

He sighed and waited patiently as she continued her lecture for a few moments longer, and then she straightened up and followed Yellow Diamond out of the room, leaving him alone. For a few moments longer, he continued to stare at his shoes, then he stiffened when he heard a noise behind him. It seemed he wasn't alone after all.

He tried to turn around, but he was frozen in place, and all he could do was watch as the point of his mother's sword burst through the center of his torso and the pink shards of his gem fell to the ground-

"Steven! STEVEN!"

His eyes snapped open in the darkness, and he flung out an arm to ward off his unseen assailant. A muffled yelp reached his ears and he belated realized he wasn't being murdered, only woken up. "Sorry!"

Peridot peeped warily over the edge of his bed. "Are you awake now?"

"Uh, yeah." He blinked a few times and shook his head to clear it. "I think."

"I didn't mean to wake you- well, I did," she corrected herself, sitting down next to him. "You were making strange noises and I was concerned. Were you having another nightmare?"

His hands skimmed across the surface of his gem. "Yeah, I suppose I was," he said slowly.

"Then I shall begin preparing the hot chocolate," she announced. He opened his mouth to protest, but she'd already hit the light switch, forcing him to shield his eyes with a hiss. When he lowered his hand, she had already put the kettle on and was spooning cocoa into mugs, and so, with a sign of resignation, he got up and went downstairs to join her.

"So." She placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of him. "Tell me about it. Was it the same as the other one?"

"Which one?" he asked without thinking.

Peridot tilted her head and looked at him in confusion. "The... one where you tried to poof me and I turned into Pink Diamond and shattered and then you were Pink Diamond. Why?" she asked, her eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion. "How many other nightmares have you had recently?"

"Just a couple," he mumbled, dropping his gaze to look at the melting marshmallows in his drink. "Three. Four, if you include that one."

"Steven!" she cried in dismay. "Why didn't you tell me!? I would've made you hot chocolate!"

"I forgot," he admitted. "The others weren't really nightmares anyway, they were just, y'know, weird. Like, the second time was when I had a nap at Dad's, I don't really remember it much at all, just that I was Pink Diamond and I was talking to Pearl and then she turned into Pink Diamond too. And then last night, I was Pink Diamond again," he continued. "And I was watching Yellow Diamond colonizing a planet or something and I was pestering her 'cause I wanted my own colony."

"And what about this one?" Peridot asked warily. "Was it another Pink Diamond one?"

"Yeah." He took a sip from his drink and tried to focus upon the details which were already rapidly fading from his mind. "I was Pink Diamond and Blue Diamond was telling me off because I didn't want Earth any more because of the rebellion. And then someone- well, I guess it must have been Mom- came up behind me and stabbed me and shattered my gem."

Peridot bit her lip and looked down at her hands, wrapped around her own mug of hot chocolate, several dark green spots still visible on her skin. "Do you think these dreams could be something to do with your exposure to corruption?" she asked, looking back at him with concern. "Perhaps you should listen to your dad's song again."

"I don't know." He shook his head helplessly. "I mean yeah, the first one spooked me 'cause it was similar to the dream, but the others didn't feel the same. It was more... they felt more real," he tried to explain. "I dunno, maybe it's some of my mom's memories or something, like maybe the corruption did something to my psychic powers and let me unlock them."

"But then why would you have a dream in which Pink Diamond was asking for a colony? Presumably that was before Rose Quartz was created," Peridot pointed out.

"Someone else's memories then?" he tentatively suggested. "I mean, it's not like I've never had Diamond dreams before."

Peridot frowned. "I don't know, but I don't like it," she said decisively. "Nightmares, corruption, memories, whatever they are, they shouldn't be interfering with your hiber- sleep," she quickly corrected herself. "I really think you should talk to the other gems about this, Steven. Even if they can't verify the earlier dreams, Garnet and Pearl at least can tell you a little more about Pink Diamond and how your mother shattered her."

"Eugh." Steven pulled a face. He'd never really asked all that many questions about the shattering of Pink Diamond, mostly because it seemed to upset everybody, including him. But she was right, he shouldn't be seeing Pink Diamond every time he fell asleep. Not to mention, the last time he'd had Diamond dreams was when Blue Diamond had been on Earth. Garnet had said they'd come to check on the Cluster eventually, and while he was fairly sure Blue Diamond wasn't back in Korea right at that moment, sobbing over Pink Diamond's palanquin (partly because the dreams weren't showing the present, mostly because he wasn't in floods of tears), what if this was a sign? "All right, I'll talk to them," he promised. "After we've dealt with the Cluster."

Peridot nodded with satisfaction and took another sip from her hot chocolate. "Good. It may turn out to be absolutely nothing to worry about," she said, trying to sound like she believed it. "I'd just feel better if the others were aware of this development."

"Yeah, me too," Steven admitted. He finished the rest of his drink, then placed the cup by the sink and gave Peridot a kiss on the forehead. "G'night, 'Dot. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Steven. Sleep well," she replied, superstitiously hoping her words would be enough to make it happen.

But when she'd returned to her room and switched off the lights, Steven lay awake for another half an hour, until he finally gave up, reached for his phone and opened the music app. It couldn't hurt to put his father's song on while he slept. Just to be on the safe side.

xxx

Once the final checks were completed, Pearl and Peridot climbed back down the ladder and joined Steven and Amethyst. "Well, the drill's all ready to go," Pearl announced. She twisted her hands together nervously for a moment before she realized what she was doing and forced herself to stop. "Soooo... you can go whenever you're ready to go, I suppose."

Amethyst held up a hand. "Ah, but first – code names."

"Not the ones from Parks and Rec," Steven said at once. "You did that on our last mission."

"Ugh, all right, Mr If-I-had-To-Pick-A-Killjoy." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "In that case, I will be Puma. You will be Tiger. Garnet will be- where is G, anyway?"

"Right here," Garnet said on cue as she leapt out of the tunnel that lead to the control room and landed beside them.

"Your code name is Lion," Amethyst told her.

"Grr," Garnet said solemnly.

"Pearl, you are Cougar," Amethyst continued. "And Peridot..." A smirk slid across her face. "Your code name is Leopard."

Peridot scowled and folded her arms across her chest. "Hilarious."

"Amethyst, that was mean," Steven said quietly.

"It was just a joke," she said defensively. "She can be one of those weird, hairless cats instead if if bothers you that much."

"I think," Peridot said firmly, "that I would just like to be referred to by my name for this mission."

"Then that's settled," Garnet said before things could escalate any further. "Puma, Cougar, head down to the control room. Peridot, Tiger, good luck."

Peridot gave her a thumbs up and began climbing the ladder, but Steven hung back for a moment. "So... not that I think we'll have any problems, this isn't the first time we've done this, but I don't suppose you've got any helpful future vision advice in addition to that good luck?" he asked hopefully.

Garnet gave him a quizzical look. "Do you really want me to look into your future right now?"

He laughed sheepishly. "Uh, no, I guess not, not really."

"I'm sure you'll both be fine," she assured him. "Now go save the Earth! Again."

He gave her a wave and scrambled up the ladder to join Peridot in the cockpit. "Oof, I swear there was more space than this last time," he muttered, trying not to smash his knees against the control panel.

"There was," she reminded him. "But you insisted upon growing up."

"Sor- pft!" He spat out a mouthful of her hair and tried again. "Sorry. Couldn't help it."

"Well... I suppose I must admit I do find your new form much more pleasant. Ow."

"Sorry," he said again and tried to move his elbow out of the way. "Ouch. Ah jeez. Maybe you should just sit on my lap."

Peridot giggled and gave him a playful swat on the arm, but before she could reply, there was a crackle of static from the control panel and Garnet's voice echoed though the confined space. "Drill Crew, this is Ground Control, just a reminder that we read you loud and clear."

Steven jumped and hit his elbow on the wall again. "Ack!"

"Uh, received, Ground Control. " Peridot fanned her heated cheeks and stabbed at a few buttons on the control panel. "We are ready to begin penetration."

There was a slight pause, and then Garnet spoke again. "Then you may proceed," she said over the sound of Amethyst's laughter.

Peridot's blush deepened, but the moment the drill started up, her demeanor became completely professional as she focused upon the task in hand. Steven kept quiet and watched her work for several minutes, not quite daring to move in case he bumped into her and sent them spiraling off course, but it was dark and hot and cramped, and the silence became unsettling. "Don't suppose you happened to bring some tunes along again?"

"Oh! Yes, sorry, I completely forgot." She leaned over and flicked a switch, but this time, instead of the cheesy elevator music, a bouncy pop song began. "It's linked to my tablet, so you can choose something else to play if you'd like."

The speakers crackled and Amethyst's voice sounded. "Play Hotel Gold!"

Steven smiled. "Actually, I had something else in mind."

And when the song finished, his father's tune began to play. "Good choice," Garnet said approvingly.

"I know the Cluster isn't corrupted, but I thought it might, y'know, keep them calm," he explained with a quick glance in Peridot's direction. "And any gem mutants, if they're around." And me, he added internally. He was far more cramped and uncomfortable than he'd been the first time. And was it his imagination, or was it hotter too? A bead of sweat ran down his face and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. "Eugh."

"Is the temperature-" Peridot began, but then there was a banging noise above them and they both looked up sharply before exchanging looks. "That must be a gem mutant," she said, and handed him a controller. "Could take care of it while I ready the grabber?"

"The... grabber?"

"Yes, didn't I mention it?" She pulled a level and he watched in amazement as a mechanical claw unfolded from the side of the drill. "Last time we were down here, you were upset at having to abandon the gem mutants, so this time I installed a device to bring them aboard so they could be safely bubbled- eep!"

"You're brilliant," Steven declared, and kissed her again. "The absolute best."

The gem mutant began crawling across the windshield, and he swept into action and blasted it. At once, Peridot swung the claw around and caught the gem shards. The grabber retracted and a few seconds later, there was a clatter and she pulled at a handle, revealing a small compartment containing the gems. "Would you like to?" she asked, holding the fused shards out to him.

"Sure. Can't hurt to get a little last minute practice in." He raised his voice slightly. "Guys, I'm sending you a bubbled gem. Can you let us know if it arrives safely?"

"Of course," came Garnet's reply. He bubbled the gem, tapped the top and waited. "It's here," she said a few seconds later. "Good job, you two."

They encountered a few more gem mutants, but nowhere near as many as they had the first time, and they were far less aggressive. It seemed his father's song really did calm them down, just as it had in Peridot's corruption state. Still, after the fourth gem mutant, Steven found himself sweating profusely from the exertion. "Is it me, or is it really hot in here?" he asked, fanning himself with a hand.

"Oh! Yes," she exclaimed. "No, it's not just you, I adjusted the internal cooling systems and diverted coolant to the drill head in order to accelerate our rate of descent. Is it too uncomfortable for you?" she asked anxiously. "I can change the temperature it if it's too hot for you."

"Hmm... how much faster would we be if keep it as it is?" he checked.

Peridot took another look at the control panel. "At our current rate of descent, we'll arrive approximately thirty minutes ahead of schedule."

"Then let's carry on," he decided. He could put up with the heat if it meant getting back an hour earlier. "I'll just take off my shirt," he added slyly.

"Just your shirt?" she teased, moving closer to him.

"Well... to start with."

He moved to close the gap between them when a crackle of static made them both jump. "Hey, uh, Tiger, Peridot, this is Puma reminding you once again that we can hear you loud and clear."