(Alright. First off, hi everyone. Let's start this on a good note, this will be kinda long. Sorry it's been so long. My family and I were in the process of moving and we still are. And that's a really freaking rough and busy ride first of all. Good news though is I've been without the internet for like three weeks so...I've done nothing but write. You're likely to see three to four chapters in this week alone. (Although I am STILL without internet.)
Second of all, honestly it was consistent whining for updates that killed my motivation to want to write. Like okay, I don't mind a review that ends with something like "hope you update soon!" but when I get just a review that just says "update" or something to that effect, or a private message, no less, some that are passive aggressive...like no, it doesn't make me want to write. I was considering cancelling this story out of anger but it wouldn't be fair to my readers that hadn't harassed me and acted like decent people. Plus, I adore this story and I have a clear set goal in mind for it. A handful of jerks are nothing compared to the sweet reviews I get (yes I read them ALL). I know I suck responding sometimes (it's usually because I just can't articulate how happy every one of them make me), but I love each and every one of them.
So for the final and most exciting note...this story will have a sequel. "A Bridge Of Two Worlds", and it is definitely nothing like this fic. I mean yes it's a continuation on how this one will end but it's an entirely different and I am honestly so excited for it. (I just hope canon doesn't deviate it too much...) Where this fic focuses on "healing", its sequel focuses on how to learn to move on from tragedy and resume a life you had before something awful destroyed it. It focuses heavily on building new relationships rather than the ones that I've covered here. I don't want to ramble about it too much, just...be excited. Trust me.
I've cut off a few chapters from my list and I might cut more. They're cute filler, sure, but I want to stay plot heavy. I want to cover all the arcs to come, especially since the next arc, which is the final arc, is about ten chapters. I might cut more if two chapters can be condensed into one, we'll see.
Sorry this is long, BUT LASTLY yes I have a su multimuse rp blog (capping at 420 followers jesus), so if any of y'all want to write with me, catch my tumblr ificould-begin-to-be
On with the show~)
The next few days were full of tension and silence. Even the children had a hard time playing and enjoying themselves when two of their guardians were so miserable. It was something Steven hadn't seen since...Sardonyx.
The group of gems sat in the living room as they tried to occupy themselves with building a card house, but their eyes kept drifting to the upstairs where they knew the brooding warrior lay, and the temple door where Amethyst was somewhere sulking.
"At least Jasper forgave me for passing her over to Garnet," Lapis mumbled as she stacked a card onto their growing castle. "But she still won't talk to me. Or...anyone."
"Not even me!" Peridot scowled. "Who doesn't want to talk to adorable me?"
"I think the amazing thing is how...quiet she's being," Pearl mused as she scrutinized the castle for a place to slip in her card. "Can't even tell there's anyone up there. I mean with how she acts when she's angry, I was certain the house would be in splinters by now."
Garnet shook her head. "She's completely shut down. Honestly, that's worse." She cast a worried look up to the bedroom. "I think...I would rather her be breaking things." This felt ominous."At least it'd be similar to her normal behavior."
"And Amethyst isn't doing any better," Pearl sighed. "She won't let me in her room and even when she does, she doesn't seem too interested in talking to me. She just...makes sculptures out of her garbage heaps and then destroys them. I don't even think...I've seen her eat."
"She's not even eating?!" Steven shrieked. "Amethyst isn't eating, Jasper isn't breaking things—it's like we entered another universe here! We can't let this go on!" Steven jumped to his feet and started up the stairs. Lapis sighed after him.
"Steven, it's no use!"
"Jasper!" He stood at the stairway and eyed the large gem cautiously. She had her back to him and showed no reaction to him calling her name. Cheeto Puff was perched on her owner's side and she looked over at Steven, her flat ears telling him she was scared as well.
"Hey Jasper!" The boy hurried over to her but she still didn't turn. "Guess what? We're making a card house downstairs and it's taken us a few hours and it'll DEFINITELY annoy Pearl if you destroy it...? Hint hint?"
The warrior kept her back turned, expression impassively set on the window. Steven could see her blank and tired looking reflection in the window. Cheeto mewed in distress but Steven wouldn't be dismissed so easily.
"Hey c'mon you wimpy warrior!" he teased as he jumped on her and pretended to headlock her. Surely the insult would jab at her? "We never got to finish our match! Rr! Let's finish it!" He squeezed lightly around her neck but Jasper knocked him off.
Steven huffed and pondered for a moment. Then he smirked as he jumped at her, scribbling his fingers over her sides. "Hey Jasper, tickle fight!" There was no reaction, not even a smile. This time when she knocked him off it was more aggressive and he tumbled off the bed.
Steven sighed as he picked himself up off the floor. "Okay...I...I'll be with the others then. They're really worried too, you know." He cast one last glance back at her. "...People care about you," he told her, and started down the stairs. He didn't see the way she sagged even more into the bed.
"No luck I imagine?" Pearl sighed. Steven shook his head despondently.
"I'm gonna try Amethyst."
"Oh Steven, I already tried that," Pearl sighed.
Peridot hopped up to join her brother. "Maybe approaching her together will help persuade her!"
Steven and Peridot made their way to the temple door and Steven knocked nervously. "Amethyst, hello?" No response. He knocked harder. "Amethyst, it's Steven. Your favorite person ever?" he tried. The door didn't budge. "Amethyst? Ameeethyyyst..." He crossed his arms. "You know I'm just gonna keep bugging you."
Finally, the door slid open. Steven slapped his sister a high five and hurried inside. It didn't seem...that different from usual. Garbage was everywhere, as it always had been. Amethyst was in the middle of it all, brooding as she tossed paper balls into a small rusty garbage can. Ironic she had a garbage can...
"What do you want Steven?" the gem asked tersely as she narrowed her eyes on the kids.
"We just..." Steven glanced back at Peridot who somewhat timidly hid behind him. "We were worried about you is all."
"Well don't be," Amethyst brooded back as she stacked several cans on top of each other.
"Okay, that's...reassuring..." Steven cast a worried glance to his sibling, and the two of them jumped when Amethyst slammed her fist into the pile of garbage. As Steven glanced closer he realized the garbage undeniably resembled a sculpture of Jasper she had made. That Amethyst just tore right into.
"Maybe we should go," Peridot whispered nervously from where she perched behind her brother.
Steven shook his head. "I'm not leaving. We've got to put an end to this." He seemed wary to approach the purple gem however. She was like a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off, and he didn't want her to go off on him. The way she was just attacking the Jasper-sculpture freaked him right out.
"Amethyst, what's gotten into you?" Steven exclaimed. "This is insane! Why are you so angry with Jasper? What did she ever do to you?"
Amethyst's fist halted in mid punch as she stared incredulously at Steven. "What did she ever do to me?"
"Well—okay, that might have been a stupid question," Steven began awkwardly. "She did try to kill us all, but...that goes for Peridot and Lapis too actually. Since then though, what has she done? Why did you just attack her? We were all having so much fun and then you-"
"You mean you and Jasper were having so much fun," she cut him off bitterly.
"Is that what this is about? Because I was having fun with Jasper?" Steven shook his head. "Amethyst I invited you to play with us! I wanted you to train with us and have fun and you just started a fight! I don't get it. I play with Peridot and you don't freak out. And Lapis."
Amethyst had her back turned to two of them now. It hunched forward as she glared at the wall. "She said awful things about me."
"Yes but you started it!" Steven snapped back. He was getting annoyed as well by her inability to own up to what she had done. "I know she did bad—but you did worse! You started it by attacking her and saying awful things to her! You both were bad and you BOTH deserve whatever Garnet gave you!"
The chillingly murderous glare Amethyst cast over her shoulder instantly made Steven realize he had said the wrong thing.
Garnet and Pearl were more than startled to see Amethyst's door slip open long enough for a purple arm to sling out and throw the children. They both gasped and ran to make sure the kids were alright.
"Amethyst!" Garnet yelled as she slammed her fist against the large door. "You open the door right now!"
Steven put a hand on her arm. "Garnet, forget about it. We're fine, and you're just gonna make her angrier." He helped his sister up and brushed the dirt off of them both. "We didn't make any progress in there. I think...we just made things worse," Steven sighed.
"Well..." Pearl glanced to the front door, where they could make out two retreating figures. "Lapis has at least managed to get Jasper to leave the bed. Maybe she can help things with her."
Lapis was disconcerted by Jasper's behavior as they made their way outside. She wasn't griping about the harsh sun in her eyes or the squawking seagulls. She wasn't even trying to eat the butterflies that were stupid enough to fly up to her. It was as if someone had completely beaten the warrior's spirit right out of her. She supposed that was in a sense true.
"Come on Kitten, you're worrying me," Lapis sighed as she looked back to her utterly listless mate. "This isn't you. Why aren't you growling or glaring or punching things? Where's my adorable pissy kitten gone?"
Jasper wordlessly gestured to the literal kitten digging in the sand.
"Not that one!" Lapis huffed. "I mean...you! This isn't you at all. You're not talking or swearing or being a jerk and flicking sand at me." Jasper merely turned away. "Did what Amethyst say really get to you that bad...?"
Jasper's jaw set tightly at the memories. It wasn't like she wasn't accustomed to cruel insults, and they did ring some truth to them. She was just a soldier that would never belong here. She refused to believe she meant anything to The Crystal Gems, and she found herself fighting tears at remembering Garnet holding her and speaking to her as if she were family. Damn, why couldn't she had just beaten her and be done with it? Pain and punishment would have been so much easier to swallow.
Lapis sighed when she saw Jasper's shoulders quiver slightly. She lay down in the sand and gently tugged on her girlfriend's arm, coaxing her down with her. "Alright, how about I just hold you for a while? Hm?" She nuzzled Jasper's gem nose softly, trying to encourage a smile.
Jasper clung tightly to Lapis, but her glassy eyes still reflected nothing but pure emptiness.
Lapis's eyes slid shut mournfully as she allowed a single tear to slip down. "Oh Kitten..."
The duo was being watched by two equally frightened figures behind a bush. To see their friend like this was such an unwelcome, alien sight.
"Sh...she didn't even clip a crab to Lapis's butt," Peridot whispered in soft horror. "Oh this is so bad, Steven! We gotta do something! Maybe appeal to her nature...we could initiate combat!"
Steven shook his head. "No I tried to start a sparring match and a tickle match AND tried to cater to her love of destruction by mentioning our card house! And it was just...useless. She just isn't the same Jasper."
Peridot sighed. "Well a chastising from Garnet is pretty scary and unpleasant and all in all super embarrassing, but...this is a bit of an overreaction, even for a gem as dramatic as Jasper."
Steven shook his head. "I doubt it's because she got in trouble, or even all of it having to do with what Amethyst said. There...there's something deeper going on. We have to think of some way to get these two to make up and be friends!"
"How, Steven?" Peridot asked wearily. "It's Lapis and Jasper all over again—without the romantic partner aspect. They're both hurt and both are too stubborn to make the first move. And both of them have...really violent tempers. If we try to do the song thing we did last time I think the outcome will be the same. Destruction, and maybe someone will shatter for real this time."
She had a point there. They'd kill each other. "Neither will talk to the other first, you're right. If only we could make them talk to each other..." A light bulb lit. "Wait, that's it! That's what we have to do!" He gripped his sister excitedly. "I know what to do now! Wait here, okay?" He had run from the bush before Peridot could manage a response.
Safely away from the group behind a tree, Steven turned back to make sure no one was watching. Peridot was looking around for him and Lapis and Jasper were curled up in the sand. No one had any idea, this was perfect. Deep down Steven felt a seed of turmoil. Was this...crossing some moral line? No, of course not! He was helping them make up. It was just a little push that they needed.
"Kay...how did I do this last time?" He shut his eyes and willed his spirit to transfer...
Golden eyes opened, staring skyward. Steven turned over as he felt a wisp of blue hair tickle his face. Lapis was sleeping peacefully. Maybe he could just slip out without her noticing...
"Jasper?"
Crap. Steven's new warrior body tensed rigid as he reluctantly turned back to Lapis and forced on a tense grin. "Hey, uh..." What were the names Jasper used for Lapis? All kinds of sea themed ones. "...Fish."
Lapis raised an eyebrow and she gave a snicker. "Wow, creative. You feeling better, Kitten? You look a little less mopey."
"Yeah! I'm...I'm cool." Steven winced. "Er, I mean...I'm hungry, actually." Okay well, gems didn't get hungry but Jasper did love eating. "I think it'd cheer me up more to get a snack."
Lapis felt something was off, but she didn't think much of it. Jasper wasn't herself right now anyway. Oh if only she knew the extent... "Alright...hurry back." She leaned in and Steven squeaked as he felt her hand slide down-no-no!
"OKAY!" He shoved Lapis away and started bolting up the beach. "I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" He nearly tripped onto poor Peridot.
"Ack! Jeez Jasper, I know you're sad but that's no reason to almost run me over! What's got you in such a panic?"
"Peridot, it's me!" Steven waved his large hands to her, voice hushed.
"...Yeah, I know," Peridot drawled. "But that doesn't-"
"No, it's Steven!"
"WHAT?!"
"SHH!" Steven shoved Peridot down into the bush with him. It was hard hiding his—her-enormous body. He glanced over the brush but Lapis was turned the other way looking toward the ocean. "I said it's Steven."
"Are you crazy?!" Peridot whisper-screamed. "This was your perfect idea? How did—how'd you even manage this? Is taking over someone's body another one of Rose Quartz's amazing abilities?"
"Uh...yeah I guess." Steven shrugged. "Mine anyway. It's perfect since we know neither would ever make up on their own!"
"Are you insane?" Peridot hissed. "It isn't perfect! It—it-you're going to get in SO much trouble, Steven! You have to turn back now!"
"I will after I talk to Amethyst!" Steven growled. "I can't just leave before I've completed my main objective and I can't go back to Lapis yet! I got my butt squeezed, who KNOWS what she'll try to squeeze next!"
Peridot shook her head. "I have a bad feeling, Steven."
"Well, tell it to go away because this is gonna work." Steven winked. "They'll make up and then this whole mess will be over and we'll all be a family again! I have to hurry though, Lapis thinks I'm just getting a snack." A beefy hand pat the small gem's head reassuringly.
"Steven!" Peridot cried after him. "This is a bad idea!"
Ignoring the well warranted warnings of his sibling, Steven walked through the temple door. He slammed his head off the door frame, forgetting he wasn't a few feet tall anymore. To his luck at least Amethyst had left her room and was busy with a bag of chips. She wasn't even eating them, she was just crushing them and throwing them to the floor.
"Um, hey Amethyst," Steven began awkwardly.
Amethyst didn't look up. "What the hell do you want?"
"I just...wanted to talk to you. I wanted to apologize."
The glare she gave him was less murderous and more skeptical. "What?"
"Well, I..." Steven shifted to sit next to her. His eyes kept darting away, too afraid to meet her own. "I wanted to apologize for...all the awful things I said to you. They were out of line and I shouldn't have said them even though I was so angry. I just...well!" He pat his chest. "You know how it is, temper got the better of me."
"Uh...yeah." Amethyst was giving him the side eye. "Right. ...I guess we both kind of freaked out. Although...maybe I was a bit worse. I guess I shouldn't have antagonized you in the first place." She crossed her arms guiltily. "...Sorry."
It was working! Things were going great! Steven hugged her excitedly without thinking and Amethyst yelped as she was suddenly encompassed in Jasper's large arms.
"Bleugh!" She shoved away from her. "Gross, I'm gonna smell like your girlfriend now. What's gotten into you? You're acting weirder than usual!"
Steven tensed as the beads of sweat began to pour down. "Huh? No! I'm not! I'm fine! I'm acting Jasper!" He winced at his wording.
"Acting...yeah, whatever." Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Just go away? I'm pretending to eat chips here."
"Alrighty!"
"...Alrighty?"
Steven froze. "Um, I mean..." Panic began to sit in. His heart pounded hard. He trembled. Amethyst had slowly moved from her spot on the couch and was just glaring at him.
"You're acting reeeally weird, Jasper. Like...really weird."
No, no! He was losing her! Crap, crap! Oh what Jasper say or do? She liked to destroy things. She swore a lot, didn't she?
"No, I'm not! Hey..." She liked breaking boulders with her fists. "Why don't we go destroy some rocks?"
Amethyst stared. "Huh? Rocks?"
"Yeah, we can beat some boulders! Beat em into f...fu..." He started to sweat more, frozen to the spot as he fought to struggle out the heinous word. "Beat 'em into f...fucNOICAN'TPEARLSAIDGOODBOYSDON'TSWEAR!" he abruptly wailed, and slapped a hand to his mouth in horror. "I-I mean..." Cover blown.
Amethyst's mouth hang agape. "St-Steven?!"
Oh no, no no! Steven held up his hands to try and show he meant no harm, but the gem backed up as if he was a poisonous snake."Yeah, it's me—but I didn't mean to hurt anything! I was just trying to help...you two get along."
"That...that's not how you help!" Amethyst cried. Her fists clenched in fury. "You're making it worse! You don't do that! You...I'm telling Garnet!" She whirled away from him.
The pronouncement of certain doom. "NO!" Steven cried. In Jasper's body he lunged towards the gem and caught her foot as he desperately wailed. "No, please don't tell Garnet! Amethyst ple-e-e-ease!"
"Get...OFF me!" she snarled and slammed a foot into his face, leaving a dark footprint on the warrior's cheek. Steven cried out and pinwheeled backwards, pulling a coward's move and slipping from Jasper's body.
Regaining his own consciousness the boy bolted to his feet. "Waaa-aah! This is so bad!" He had to get out of there! If Garnet found out; stars if Jasper found out... He bolted to his feet and started running blindly from the temple, bowling poor Lapis over and sending both on their back.
"Steven?!" Lapis held the child, who instantly burst into tears. "Oh Steven, what's wrong?"
"I'MINSOMUCHTROUBLE!" He tried to claw away from her but Lapis held firm. She held a squirming and fussy Peridot enough to easily be able to handle a distraught Steven.
"Calm down, calm down. Talk to me." Lapis sat down with him as the boy cried. "Why are you in so much trouble?"
Watery eyes looked hopefully up at his water guardian. Maybe she would realize he had no bad intentions and she'd see from his side of things? "I...I wanted Amethyst and Jasper to make up so I...I gave them a boost." He could tell she was waiting for more. "And-and I took over Jasper's body."
Well there went Lapis's concern. She stood up abruptly, causing Steven to fall hard on his haunches. "What? You were...oh god...how long were you Jasper?!" Lapis shrieked, hands to her hair.
"O-only for a few moments!" Steven assured her. "It was after you guys did...couple stuff."
The bluenette relaxed momentarily, but her features hardened again. "You still possessed my Jasper. Why?!"
"I wanted to make her apologize!" Steven sobbed. He hoped his tears would move Lapis, but oh no, there was no sympathy in that woman's eyes. "I was just..."
"You POSSESSED Jasper to use her to apologize?!" Lapis yelled. "You intentionally manipulated my girlfriend?!" She held up a hand before the boy could protest. "Don't even try to tell me you didn't mean harm, what did you think this would do?! You controlled her to do your bidding! Steven, that's something Homeworld would do!"
Steven's face crippled in grief, more than distraught at the realization. He had done something bad. Something that Homeworld would have done. The tears returned with a vengeance. "Lapis, please don't turn me in!"
"Do you honestly think that Jasper doesn't deserve to know what you did to her?!" Lapis turned away, a hand to her forehead as she pierced him with a disappointed whisper. "I can't believe you would do such a thing, knowing everything she's been through..."
"Don't tell Jasper!" Steven begged. "Lapis, she'll kill me!"
"TOO BAD!" Lapis's grip was like a vice as she began to quickly march them back to the house, while poor Steven begged and tried to dig his feet into the dirt. Through his tears he saw his sister shaking her head sympathetically at him and mouthing 'I told you.'
"Lapis, please! Jasper will KILL me! I-I don't know if I can poof! I don't think I can poof!"
"Maybe you can possess Jasper and save yourself," Lapis drawled sarcastically. Finally moved by the pitiful sobbing she turned to him with a sigh. "I don't really mean that Steven, I'm just...I'm just SO angry with you! And so upset you would make me so angry to say such things! Now come on!"
The door opened and Steven was met with a very, very angry guardian. Golden eyes pierced him almost murderously. ...At least that was a little more like herself. Silver linings. "GARNET!" Jasper shouted as she stomped off.
"No-nonononono!" Steven scrambled back but Lapis caught him. The child was left under the angry stares of his three guardians—and soon, two more that bore through him with a look of disappointment. "Garnet, I'm sorry-y-y-y!" Steven wailed out.
Pearl shook her head. "Oh Steven, how could you..."
"Steven Quartz Universe..." Garnet began and poor Steven shrunk down into the floor at the ominous address of his full name. "Did you willingly possess Jasper's body and use her to lie to Amethyst?"
Steven whimpered as large tears trickled down his cheeks as angry eyes glared at him from all around. He was cornered by all of his guardians. "I just wanted to help," he finally sobbed out, knowing there was no excuse for what he had done.
"That's not how you help Steven," Garnet told him. She picked up the trembling child—and then suddenly she pushed him to Jasper. Both looked startled. "He possessed you," Garnet pointed out. "I feel it's only fair that you handle him. With mortal limitations remember," she warned. She trusted Jasper with Steven, and as the warrior was now one of his fellow guardians, felt this was for the best.
"What?!" Jasper's stupefied gaze stared down at the terrified child she held at arms length, seemingly just as surprised as him. "I...well..." The anger in her eyes was now replaced with nervousness at the task she was given.
"You're one of Steven's guardians now," Garnet reminded her, moving to clean the mess Steven and Amethyst had made in their scuffle.
"I am?" She stared again at the child that looked like he was about to faint with fear and she was almost nervous to hold him. She supposed she had grown to unconsciously care as deep for the kid as she did Peridot and had looked after him. The idea of being seen as a guardian was quite foreign but a role she had seemed to haphazardly stumbled into.
"I trust you," Garnet said simply. The response felt like a boulder of emotion had slammed into the giant warrior.
"B-but I don't trust me!" Jasper croaked out. She had utterly no idea what she was doing.
Garnet placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You'll be fine. Being a guardian isn't all cuddles and kisses and playtime," she reminded her. "Sometimes it's laying down the line when they do something very, very wrong." She frowned down at Steven and he shrunk more in Jasper's arms.
"Yeah, I know. I have a kid, sorta." Peridot felt like her kid, but...She hadn't really done the unpleasant discipline part yet.
"You can use my room," Garnet told her, opening the door. Steven cast a pleading glance back to the fusion but she turned away and the door snapped shut. The boy was absolutely white with terror. "...I don't wanna die," he whimpered.
Jasper rolled her eyes but she supposed she couldn't blame the boy for thinking that was going to happen. He didn't have fond memories of her being angry with him. Maybe this would be a good way to reassure him that...he didn't have to be afraid of her. Well, so to speak... "You aren't going to die, brat," she huffed. "Take it like a warrior."
Steven covered his face as he sniffled into his hands. "I...I guess anything so you won't hate me."
"I don't hate you," she forced out. Her eyes narrowed further. "But I'm not happy with you. At all." She sat down and continued to just stare at him, unsure eyes meeting two terrified, tear filled ones. "Uh..."
She had no idea what to do. She was a war general and her idea of punishments on miscreants involved a great deal of physical pain, not the type she would inflict upon a child. Even with Peridot she didn't have a chance to...parent? Whenever Peridot didn't do what she was supposed to, Jasper screaming at her made her burst into tears and with the child's disabilities, she didn't want to go further than that.
She supposed she was somewhat trained to deal with someone as vulnerable as Steven. She had sparred and played with him and naturally knew she had to be more gentle than she would with any other gem, and she always managed not to hurt him, even when she bumped him with her helmet during sparring.
"Let's...uh...just get this over with I guess." She looked almost a nervous as Steven did, but if she was a guardian, well...she had to do a guardian's duty.
It was a long painful minute and when it was over Jasper had a wailing little ball of misery and soreness in her lap. Jasper leaned back slightly, mouth tense to keep it from trembling as she just looked helplessly down at the weepy mess on her knee. That was a lot more emotionally difficult than she thought it would be. It was perhaps the first time in her life she felt awful for inflicting pain. Then again, it was the first time she had intentionally inflicted it on someone she cared for.
Jasper's hand drifted down to the child's back, resting there comfortingly. She wasn't well versed in the comforting aspect, but Peridot at least gave her a little bit of experience. Her other hand timidly smoothed through his hair slightly.
"I'm sorry..." Steven hiccuped out, hugging her knee as tears drenched her leg and the floor. "I'm s-so..."
"Sorry?" Jasper drawled. "I can tell." She uprighted the boy gently and just let him cling to her for as long as he needed. The child clutched to her like his life depended on it, jumping up so he was clinging to her neck and shoulders. She cupped a large hand around the back of his head. That seemed to calm him a little. He nuzzled into it.
"I guess all this has been hard for you, huh?" Jasper guessed. "You were a wreck when Lapis and I fought so I don't imagine this is much easier."
"I'm just sick of everyone fighting!" Steven sniffled. "I hate it, I'm tired of it! I just want us all to get along!"
"Life ain't that simple, kid." Jasper shrugged. "If that were the case there wouldn't have been a war in the first place." She frowned. "Regardless of how you felt, what you did was wrong. How would you like someone possessing you? It's not the best feeling, especially if you wake up with a footprint on your face."
"I know!" Steven sobbed. "I-I'm sorry—I'm not Homeworld! I'm not!"
That caught Jasper off guard. "Wha-?"
"I didn't mean to be like Homeworld!"
"Whoa, whoa—what? Okay slow down." She tilted his face up with a thumb and grimaced at the tears and mucus that wet her hand. This was a disgusting process. "You're nothing like Homeworld, what the hell?"
Steven sniffled harshly. "Lapis said what I did was something Homeworld would do; controlling someone to do their bidding."
Jasper rolled her eyes. "Ah, the little guppy has a flair for dramatics." She chewed her lip. Well, Lapis did have a point. Mind control was not past Homeworld's capabilities. "Look brat, what you did was really wrong, but I know you'd never try to hurt anyone."
"Really?" Steven sobbed softly.
"Duh! You just fuc—er, screwed up really bad. But...we all do that." She sighed as her mind drifted to Amethyst. "Obviously..." Hardening herself again, Jasper shook her head. "Just don't ever do anything like that again," she warned.
Sniffling, nodding, Steven rested his cheek against her broad chest. "Wh-what was it like?" he asked quietly. "Was it really scary?"
"It was confusing," Jasper drawled. "I blacked out and woke with a freaking footprint on my face." She touched her swollen cheek. Amethyst could really pack a hard kick.
"I...I'm sorry," he sniffled, head bowed guiltily. "Do...do you hate me now?"
Jasper snorted. "If I did I wouldn't be holding you, you know. Besides..." She gave this wry little smile. "Trying something new called forgiveness. ...We'll see how that works out. And if I'm...a guardian?" That still felt so weird to say. "I'm not allowed to hate you."
Steven's red face flushed deeper, a smile on his lips as he looked at the warrior. Jasper averted her eyes, face a darker orange as she puffed out her cheek and set the boy down on the ground.
"There. You should probably let Garnet know I didn't kill you. And Peridot. She's probably scared out of her wits too." She rose to stand but was caught off guard as the child jumped on her again and hugged her tightly.
"'M sorry..." he sniffled into her, cheek rested on her shoulder. "Love you..."
Jasper froze, her eyes wide as she turned to look at the boy, stunned. Something tugged within her heart, a hopeful feeling...but she pushed it back. The boy was feeling vulnerable right now. He probably didn't even know what he was saying.
"...Go on then," Jasper finally said as she plucked the boy off. "I'm gonna clean the footprint off my face...And you have a few more apologies to make." She started out the door but Steven didn't seem keen on following.
"How did it go?" Garnet asked as Jasper walked out of the room.
Jasper snorted. "I mean...as well as it could? The kid bawled his eyes out and I felt like...a bully."
"How did he take to you afterwards?"
'Love you... The warrior was quiet for a long moment and then she shrugged. "He...he obviously would have wanted anyone to comfort him. He was sore and miserable. He's still in there, afraid to come out and face you." She smirked.
They watched as the door opened, but it appeared no one seemed to be there. Looking closer, anyone could see the bob of brown curls that pulled away guiltily when he realized he was spotted. Steven hid behind the door frame, tears anew filling his eyes.
Garnet smirked at Jasper. "Watch this..." Stony faced, she crept up behind the child. Seeing her, he tried to get away but she grabbed him. She held the guilty, tear dripping boy at arms length and her expression remained pensive.
"I..." He sniffled and directed his eyes down. "I was..."
She looped an arm around him and held him against her and then pulled up his shirt, blowing a raspberry against the boy's stomach.
Steven's eyes widened as he screamed and his tears immediately became from laughter as he kicked in his surrogate mother's hold, legs and arms pinwheeling desperately. "AHAEEEE-GARNET!"
Garnet chuckled as she let Steven's shirt fall back into place. Teary guilty eyes met her own as Steven threw his arms around her neck and softly sobbed out apologies. Garnet shushed him and mumbled forgiveness, passing Steven over to slender blue arms.
"Hey Guppy." Lapis's nose mushed affectionately against Steven's. He smiled through his tears.
"Thought that was Jasper's name for you..."
"It is but it fits you better. Small and adorable." She squished his cheeks together, making his lips go 'pfffth!' "And very mischievous."
"Hehe..." he giggled shyly. "Mischief is what makes little Stevie so precious."
"Can't argue there. For the record, you do a terrible Jasper impression," Lapis winked at him and handed him over to Pearl for a hug. Steven was passed down the line of family members for hugs, and Peridot squeaked as she was passed the teary boy.
"Heavy! Really heavy!" She buckled under his weight but hugged her brother tightly anyway. "You okay?" she whispered in his ear. "I was so worried!" She wasn't going to bother reminding him that she warned him. What was done was done and she didn't want him to dwell. "When I saw Jasper was the one carting you off I almost lost my form!"
Steven giggled slightly. "Yeah, I almost passed out too... But I-I'm fine. I'm gonna fear chairs for a few days probably, but nothing too horrible."
"Steven?" Garnet's voice spoke up. "You still have to apologize to Amethyst."
Oh great. Amethyst was standing there, but unlike the gentle eyes of everyone else, she...didn't appear too forgiving looking. "A-Amethyst, I'm really sorry I lied to you. I thought I was helping but I know I wasn't now. And...it was really bad what I did."
"Hmm..." came the noncommittal grunt as the purple gem turned away.
"Amethyst," Garnet warned.
"Alright fine, I forgive you." Amethyst gave Steven a halfhearted hug. "I just...don't want to be around here any longer than I have to." Pointedly refusing to look at Jasper, she made her way back to the temple door and into her room.
If there was a flicker of emotion Jasper refused to show it. She hardened herself back up and turned to her mewing kitten on the stairwell. "...I'm gonna feed Cheeto."
The rest of the group watched, disheartened as things just went back to how they were before. Jasper went back upstairs and Amethyst went back to her room.
"Same old, same old," Pearl sighed."I'm beginning to think things are just...going to stay this way. Honestly if any of us were to get along with Jasper I assumed it would be Amethyst. They're so much alike..."
"We can't force things," Garnet responded and gave Steven a look to make sure he got the message. "We have to let them work things out on their own." They all looked back to the temple door and staircase. "...Whenever that will be."