Chapter 25

Weeks had passed since the crystal gems had put an end to the False gem's terror. Yet the city still suffered from the wounds she had inflected upon it.
Pearl had to spend hours of her days cleansing the city and it's people of radiation. Each cleansing left her exhausted had feeling sick.
Garnet managed to heal the crystal heart and thus, brought power back to the rest of the temple.
With the heart slowly regaining it's pulse, the gems could focus on repairing the damaged temple. But the damages were not merely physical.
The gems all felt an emotional weight on their shoulders.
It had taken so much to defeat the False gem, and they knew the only reason they succeeded was from the help of Steven's friend Tibbets.
The False gem had shown them something that frightened them greatly; she had shown them their mortality.
Now their strengths and abilities were being questioned by those that they swore to protect.
The city had been placed under martial law with the U.S military setting up checkpoints all around the city.
It was clear that the powers that be were clearly dissatisfied with the job the gems had done.
Even with this unwelcomed development, the gems still remembered their mission; to protect Steven. Out off all of the gems, Steven was the one hurting the most.
He had fallen into a deep depression. He felt like he was lost with no way out of the darkness he had fallen into. He needed help, he needed to feel warm, to feel welcomed, to feel wanted. The temple did not feel like a home anymore. He didn't know who he was anymore, or what he was.

Pearl wobbled tiredly into the temple, exhausted from cleaning up more irradiated land. Garnet and Amethyst were taking a short break from rebuilding the temple.

"How is he?" Pearl asked with a motherly concern in her voice.

"He hasn't said a word all day," Garnet stated worriedly.

"We tried to get Connie over here, but the with the military curfew...that wasn't gonna happen," Amethyst stated sadly.

Pearl rubbed her eyes tiredly. After all they had done, they were still being treated like side show freaks.

"I'll go talk to him again," she stated firmly. "He needs our support now more than ever."

Garnet nodded her head.

"Agreed," she stated flatly. "Amethyst and I will get back to repairing the temple."

Amethyst groaned and pushed herself off of the couch.

"Back to work," she sighed.

After take a few moments to collect herself and to curse the False gem for destroying the crystal temple winery, Pearl made her way up to Steven's room.
She didn't know what she was going to say to him, but knew that he needed help in this very difficult time. She peeked her into his room.
The lights were dimmed down and the air was stale.

"Steven, my I come in?" Pearl asked softly.

Steven didn't respond, he just curled up in his blankets.

"I'll take that as a yes," Pearl sighed sadly.

She tiptoed her way to the side of Steven's bed. She could see the rusty chain of Tibbets' grandfather's dog tags in his hand.
Pearl sat down next to him and rubbed his shoulders tenderly. She knew the pain he was feeling all to well. He was feeling the loss of a very dear friend, maybe even a brother. Pearl remembered the way she felt when Rose died. It was the worst pain she had ever felt. Steven turned his head up to her with an empty look in his eyes.

"Pearl...how did you deal with this?" Steven mumbled quietly. "When Rose died? Because I feel like I'm gonna be sick."

Seeing the pain Steven was in, Pearl laid down next to him.

"I kept telling myself that Rose wouldn't want me to feel this way over her," Pearl sighed sadly. "Tibbets wouldn't want to see you like this over him, now would he?"

Steven's shoulders began to shake as tears rolled down his face.

"No...he wouldn't," he sobbed. "But I can't help it, I miss him so much."

Pearl felt tears of her own trickle down her face. She had never seen Steven so sad, and it was tearing her apart watching him suffer.
She put her arms around him and pulled him in close to her.

"I know it hurts Steven, and I hate to have to say this, but the pain never goes away," Pearl said firmly. "The only thing you can do is let time dull the pain."

Steven whimpered with the dog tags jingling in his trembling hand. Tibbets was the closest thing to a brother he ever had, and he felt as if someone had just punched a hole right through his heart.
Steven felt Pearl close his hand around the dog tags.

"You saved him, Steven," she spoke softly. "I'm sure that he is smiling down on you."

"Will I see him again if...when I eat the big one?" Steven asked somberly.

Pearl let out a sob and pressed her forehead against him.

"Please don't talk like that!" she begged with tears. "I can't lose you again!"

She felt Steven press back against her softly.

"I'm sorry, Pearl..." he mumbled flatly.

"No, I'm sorry," Pearl responded. "I'm sorry for all of the lies and deceit. I just wanted to-"

Steven rolled over and held tightly on to her.

"Keep something like this from happening," he sighed.

"I had no right," Pearl stated, ashamed of herself. "Rose wouldn't have wanted me to lie to you. I should have known better! I just hope that you can forgive me after all I've done."

Steven was silent for a moment, then he looked up into her eyes.

"Will you read me his books?" he asked tiredly.

Pearl smiled and ran her hand through his hair.

"I-I would love to," she sniffled softly.

Steven yawned and patted her on the shoulder.

"Not right now though...I'm tired. Maybe tomorrow?"

Pearl yawned as well, she was completely exhausted. She leaned her head against Steven's pillow and watched him fall asleep.
It was going to be a long journey forward, but now Pearl had a way to make things right again. Her eyelids felt like led as exhaustion weighed down on them.
With the child she loved as her own in her arms, Pearl slowly fell asleep. History wasn't going anywhere, and right now, Pearl had her little Steven back.
While Tibbets had shown Steven the horrors of the wars, he had also shown him a powerful new concept; fighting for something you care about.
Steven cared for the gems, and their love was worth fighting for.

"I love you, Pearl."

"I love you too, Steven."

The End?