Warning: This chapter is more of an aftermath than an episode and it's kinda short.
Pearl warped back, nearly jumping when Steven desperately ran towards her.
"HAVE YOU SEEN HER YET?!" He pleaded.
Pearl shook her head, "I'm sorry Steven, but I have no idea where she could be..."
Steven's hope dropped and he sniffled, "But she's never been gone for days!"
"I know..." said Pearl sympathetically, "I'm sure she'll be back soon, we just... have to wait a bit longer."
"But who's gonna hug me and kiss me goodnight?!" Steven whined, "Doesn't she know I miss her?!"
Garnet walked in through the front door, Amethyst trailing behind her, "Still no sign of her?"
"No..." Pearl replied sadly.
"Awww man!" Amethyst rolled her eyes, "She's still not over that… something that she's been bothered about?"
Steven sniffled, eyes welling up with thick tears, "I... I don't understand she'd leave us like that... I-I don't know what we did..." He covered his face and wept.
The four of them stood in the living room, Steven still crying quietly... ... ...
"... Who wants to go on a road trip?!" Greg barged in through the door, stopping when he saw his melancholy son and the Crystal Gems.
Greg stepped back, "... Is this a bad time?"
"No. I just haven't found Spinel yet," Pearl confessed, rubbing her arm.
The man's eyes stretched wide, "In two whole days? You'd think she'd be back by now."
"Yeah..." Steven mumbled, wiping a tear from his eye.
Greg picked him up in his arms, "Well hey, schtu-ball. She'll come back soon. She always have, right?"
Steven slowly nodded.
"And what about this 'road trip' part?" Garnet asked.
"Oh yeah," Greg turned to face her, "I gotta drive over to the state Keystone. I met up with some guy on an internet message board who's selling these car wash brushes for real cheap! I just gotta meet him in Keystone to pick 'em up."
Steven cringed, "I don't like those brushes, they feel weird on your fur."
"Well, do like motels?"
"What's a motel?"
"A motel's sorta like a hotel, but it'll have a pool and free ice. Not to mention, this one is next to the Best Diner In The World!"
"You two have fun with that." said Garnet, "Pearl, Amethyst, and I will keep looking for Spinel. We'd have a better chance of finding her."
"Three heads are better than one." Amethyst agreed.
Pearl nodded, straining a smile "Yeah, that probably sounds best. So uh... see you two later!"
"Please find Spinel!" Steven pleaded, "I can't stand her being gone!"
Greg tried to smile, "Y-Yeah, good luck."
Steven remained curled up in the bed. Even though he was tired from the few-hour-long trip to the motel, he still could not get Spinel out of his mind.
"Hey Steven!" Greg walked into the room, holding a pizza box, "We got pizza!"
The boy meekly looked up, and his father knew something was wrong. He placed the box on the other bed and sat down next to Steven, rubbing his shoulder, "Hey... something on your mind?"
"It's just... Spinel left without telling me. She's... never done this before. She's never left without telling us or be silent for no reason. Did I do something? Did the Gems do something? I just... don't know why she was so mad... I miss her."
"Oh schtu-ball..." Greg looked for the words to say, "Sometimes people need alone time. Heck, I had moments where I just leave the house when I was angry with my parents. Trust me, Steven. Spinel will come back, and everything will be fine."
Steven lifted his head, eyes gleaming from the light, and slowly nodded, "Alright."
Greg grabbed the pizza box and opened it to reveal the food.
"Square pizza, weird, huh?" Greg chuckled.
Steven took a slice, taking a bite, "Yeah, sure is."
The next morning...
Amethyst laid strewn on the couch, eating on a bag of chips. Apparently she had given up on trying to look for her missing teammate.
Suddenly, she heard the warp activate, expecting Pearl, Garnet, or both to appear... only for a familiar pink, pigtailed Gem to be standing in place. Spinel let out a sigh, as if she finally had let something go and opened her eyes, seeing her teammate on the couch.
Amethyst dropped her bag.
Spinel's pigtails drooped behind her, "... A-Amethyst, I'm sorr-"
"SPINNY!" The purple Gem screamed excitedly as she leapt towards the pink Gem, landing on the ground with an 'oomph'. Amethyst began to cry about how much she missed Spinel while the pink Gem was trying to escape her grip, trying to apologize through the other Gem's tears and shouting.
Sometime later...
"So... you just found someplace private because you were just frustrated about what was happening?"
"... Yes."
Amethsyt took another chip and ate it, "Man, two days and a half. That's long, even for you."
"I know," Spinel sipped her chamomile tea.
They heard a loud gasp.
Amethyst and Spinel turned to see the door... and there Steven stood, eyes wide with shock and arms shaking, staring directly on the pink Gem. Greg came from behind, him also letting out a gasp.
"Spin-"
"SPINEEEEEEEEL!" Steven wailed out as he ran over to her.
Instantly, Spinel fell to her knees and embraced the crying boy tightly, Steven nuzzling into her shoulder. "Oh sweetheart... I'm so sorry for leaving..."
"Geez Louise, where have you been?" Greg asked, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
Spinel didn't respond, only continuing to hug the poor kid. Amethyst also heard the warp activate, and this time, it was Pearl and Garnet. They looked forlorn until they saw Spinel hugging Steven.
"Spinel!" Pearl shouted, rushing over the pink Gem, her voice almost shaking from her shock, "Where have you been?! We've been looking everywhere for you!"
Spinel's face dropped to deadpan, "... Nowhere special."
Now, before you get confused, Spinel did not EXPLICITLY state she went to the Garden. They still don't know where she went.
Man, I made Steven a mama's boy...