A/N Hey I'm really sorry for the delay it's been really hard to write lately but I'd like to say I'm back to hopefully weekly updates :)

"Pearl… What are you going to do?" Lapis asked, as she slowly watched the girl heaving over the toilet.

"Steven is going to be here soon… I can't just say no…" Pearl's voice echoed through the room, from her speaking over the toilet.

"How about this, I can take care of Steven." Lapis happily said back. Faking her emotions, because inside she was sad looking at Pearl. Willing to do anything to help, and she knew that Pearl would let Steven come over no matter what today. After those words, Pearl wore a concerned face as she looked up.

"Lapis… Greg doesn't even know about you living here again. I had to tell Steven to not talk about you." Pearl's words cut deep into Lapis' internal thoughts. The idea on which she was still some creature that couldn't be talked about.

"You're in no shape to look after him. Answer the door and once he leaves, you go back to sleep." Lapis said a little bit more determined. Lines and patches of black were held underneath Pearls eyes.

"Fine…" Pearl said after a long sigh. Soon enough lapis was helping her up towards the sink. Washing her face up with a damp rag, that hung off the side of the counter.

Yesterday was spent cleaning for the most part, learning where things went. Today Pearl was going to show her how to properly cut up vegetables but that seemed a little unlikely now. A noise came crashing through the house signaling visitors. It was the door bell.

Immediately Pearl's eyes shot open, as she tried to make her way to the door. Barely done cleaning off her face, and it was obvious how damaged she was. Her steps were slow and lacking in their usual precision. Her breaths were heavy with each step taking a whole chest full of air. However her mind was determined to not show Greg weakness.

Walking beside her, Lapis linked their arms trying to take off some of the pressure. Till finally the door was just in front of them, to which Lapis left to hide. The laundry room right beside them was an easy spot to just shut the door and wait and listen.

Small noises of the door scraping off its hold before silence of its movement. The bubbly voice of Steven echoing through the house and through Lapis' mind. Noise that made a movement everywhere it went, and mostly in the muscles of people's lips, causing smiles. Steven had always been great at making people smile. As she caught herself smiling she had to try and listen in on the other voices.

"Steven I'll meet you in the kitchen… soon." Pearl said, clearly sounding weak. To respond to that was a whisper of a voice that Lapis couldn't make out. Clearly Greg didn't want Steven to hear either. Soon enough both of them were whispering to Lapis' frustration. "Well we'll be fine, I can still take care of him better than you ever could." Pearl said breaching their whispering voices.

"Alright, alright chill, I'm just worried y'know. Hey buddy I'll see yah tonight alright?" Greg yelled the last part across the house which received an 'alright' as well. As soon as the door scraped once more, Lapis slowly opened her door. Which only held the breath of moving air and the turn of the nob.

The sight ahead of her was Pearl slumped over by the door, her forehead pressed into it. Her hands both wrapped tightly hiding away the handle beneath her thin bones. Eyes of worry as they purveyed around her, till they locked with Lapis. A bitter sweet smile they both shared in that instance, that wasn't shared with the other guest.

"Pearl are you alright?" Steven said, standing in the hallway with a look of fear. As soon as Pearl had noticed that Steven saw, she mirrored his fear.

"Steven… I'm perfectly fine, it's just that… I don't feel too well today." Pearl said slowly pushing herself off the door.

"That doesn't sound very perfectly fine…." Steven said lowly back, clearly worried.

"Hey Steven, because she doesn't feel very well today, I'm going to look after you. Are you alright with that?" Lapis asked slowly walking between the other two. He seemed to be trying to look around Lapis to get glimpses of Pearl.

"Will she be alright?" Steven asked.

"For goodness sakes Steven of course I'll be fine. I just happen to need a little rest." Pearl said, standing tall with a smile on her face. Lapis was jealous of how well Pearl could fake being fine, Lapis always knew she wasn't fine and that she couldn't hide it well.

"Yeah so are you alright with hanging with me today?" Lapis asked, watching every motion of his face, trying to pick it apart in her head to figure out what each movement meant. That was it though, he was a kid and most movements were pretty simple.

"Okay." Steven said with a smile on his face.

"Alright but can you do me a favor and go into the living room, I need to talk with Pearl a little bit." Lapis said to which Steven nodded and ran out into the Living room.

"Why'd you do that?" Pearl asked with her head slightly tilted and her eyes half closed showing her tiredness. Lapis let out a small sigh regaining her composure.

"Well I'm going to help you get to bed real quick."

"What?" Pearl said and before she could finish Lapis had already wrapped Pearl's arm over her shoulder. "I really don't need any help, I'm fine, really Lapis." Pearl kept saying, but the further they got the more weight she let rest on Lapis. Lapis was determined to help her out through this and after they completed the stairs it became easy.

"I also have one more thing I want." Lapis said slowly opening the door and bringing her to the bed.

"Very well what is it?" Pearl asked to which Lapis responded. Pulling Pearls body around to face her, she ducked her head forward. Bringing their lips together for brief contact feeling the heat emanating from each other. "Lapis! You could get sick!" Pearl dramatically said before she sat down on the bed.

"It's a good night kiss." Lapis said back before turning around to leave for downstairs. She wore a smile as she ran her feet quickly down the stairs.

As she walked into the room that held another human she noticed that he had already dragged a few of his toys out along the floor. What do I do? Do I just sort of leave him there till… or what does he just guide himself? Steven noticed the antsy Lapis standing in the hallway like area.

"Hey Lapis, are you going to play too?" Steven asked with his voice bouncing off the walls. Okay I've done that before…

"Sure…" Lapis said slowly approaching the carpeted area, sitting down and there were four toys out. A brown stuffed bear, a green stereotypical alien, a blue robot and a grey kitten.

"Do you want to be professor snuggles?" Steven asked holding up the bear. Slowly Lapis brought her hands forward and grabbed the soft plush animal.

"Sure…"

"You remember all their names right?" Steven asked and at Lapis' confused face it seemed that he knew what to do. "Well yours is professor snuggles, he is the best for snuggling and the robot is Doctor Robot, he's evil but no one knows it yet." Steven whispered that last part as if to shield it away from the other toys. "That's mittens and the last one is Bob."

"The Alien is Bob?" Lapis asked going over all the names in her head. The shame was that half of them were already lost. Mittens and Bob and snuggles and robot right? Lapis asked herself going over each one a few more times.

"Yeah, isn't it fitting?"

"I guess so…" Lapis responded and soon enough her phone had a slight buzz that ran along her side. Pulling out her phone and she wasn't surprised in the slightest to see who it was.

A quick text message from Pearl. "Has Steven eaten yet? Is he feeling alright? Did you make sure that he had a good day? Has he made any new friends at school? What'd he learn in class last time?" Lapis took a deep breath reading it over.

"Go to sleep… I'll handle this and I'll tell you all about his day tonight." Lapis texted back which only held Steven's curious eyes. The young boy looked as if he was trying to steal some glimpses of it quite quickly.

"Well Pearls just checking in on us… I told her we were fine… By the way have you eaten yet today?" Lapis asked to which Steven shook his head. Shit I messed up… of course I should have asked that first. "Alright how about… while I make us something to eat you watch some TV or keep playing with your toys?" Lapis asked slowly getting up from the floor.

"Or I could tell you about the story so far so that when we play together you'll be caught up." Steven excitedly said back to Lapis. God I want to smoke… Lapis thought as listened to the young boy.

"Sure…" Lapis said back hoping that the story wouldn't drag on too long.

"Well it starts off with the fact that Doctor Robot and Bob were both scientist that actually ended up making the other too." Soon enough Lapis had an endless stream of words flying at her as she went through the cupboards. Opening the fridge and it had an endless supply of vegetables but without knowledge of which ones went together well it was useless.

"Alright real quick… What do you want for breakfast?" Lapis asked slowly looking over everything frantically, growing impatient.

"We could just have like and orange and cereal?" Steven said clearly slightly confused at having to answer that.

"Sounds good," Lapis said pulling down raisin bran from the top of the fridge. Then milk from inside along with two oranges that were laying in there.

"What do you think should happen next?" Steven asked Lapis bringing her away from her confused thoughts and into some new ones.

"I don't know?" Lapis said back. She had brought out bowls and spoons and everything and Steven was taking care of himself. Pouring his own food and milk, all that remained was the orange. Do I cut it or peel it…

"Come on anything, what would you like to happen?" Children like to have orange slices so they can fake smiles with them right?

"I don't know I lost my imagination years ago." Lapis said back in a dead voice of emotions. From her peripherals she could tell that Steven looked worried.

"How?" Steven asked and Lapis had to hold back her smile as she looked over at him. Dead in his eyes, unmoving.

"Bob stole them from me along with all my memories and emotions." Lapis said and after that she had finally let loose a smile. Which simply left Steven with his mouth open in surprise before it transformed into a smile.

"You know you really had me worried there!" Steven shouted back.

"Yeah… same here." Lapis said slightly under her breath as she set the orange on the cutting board and stared it down. Grabbing a knife and noticing how much her hands shook without the recent consumption of nicotine.

"Lapis… I don't need to have an orange… We can just have cereal today…" Steven said as Lapis stood there with the knife shaking over the orange.

"It's alright Steven, anyways I want one too." Lapis said plunging it down, straight through the center. Soon enough she was cutting it into fourths and placing the second one down.

"I just don't want you to get cut like last time I was over…" Steven said to which Lapis ignored once again cutting them down into fourths. Large slices of orange were shoved over to Steven's side, and as they ate them she noticed the large drops falling off them.

They ate together and Lapis once again listened to more of Steven's story, slightly amazed at all the odd ideas that were coming from him. It was also amusing to think of Pearl trying to play along with these stories, then again it'd probably be easier for her to do anything over Lapis. Once they were done Steven headed off to the bathroom after washing his hands. I need a smoke… This is my last chance…

Quickly running to the front and raiding the jackets she found herself a cigarette and a lighter. It took a moment but soon she had it and knew this was her only chance she'd have before Steven would be taken home much later in the day. It was Saturday which meant he'd be here till Greg was done at work and could swing by. Nine hours…

Opening the door quickly and forcing herself outside with the lighter in hand. Igniting the paper full of tobacco as she closed the door with her back, then she began taking in short breaths. Walking a few steps away from the door to get along the side of the building. I need to go back inside. She thought within a few breaths.

Once again scrapes of the door were heard causing Lapis' eyes to shoot open. Keeping herself along the side of the building she realized she had no time. Taking in a few deep breaths to get the last of her cravings.

"Lapis you know if you wanted to play hide and seek you should have said. I heard the door close and besides we're not supposed to play outside…" Steven said. With the smoke entering her lungs in large amounts she began to cough. Soon enough the foot-steps running towards her. "Lapis?" Steven asked as he stood there watching Lapis curled over coughing.