8 pm the night of the attack

Lapis quickly stops crying, Peridot is fading, and the EMTs won't get here fast enough. Lapis immediately starts chest compressions. She learned CPR years ago but never thought she would have to use it. She focuses mostly on compressions, only stopping to breathe for her every 8 seconds or so. She can't stop for any reason, Peridot is going to live tonight. She can feel her ribs break underneath her hands.

The EMTs and police finally show up as Lapis collapses, they take over the compressions, taking Peridot away on a gurney and time seems to catch up from the slow-motion earlier, they arrest Jasper who is taken away, handcuffed in an ambulance. Everything is moving too fast for Lapis to comprehend. Before she knows it, she's showered changed and already in the waiting room of the hospital.

Lapis is barely listening to the surgeon as she explains what they did to Peridot, Lapis doesn't care, she's been waiting for hours, all she wants to do is be by her side. "Can I see her?" she asks, cutting the surgeon off,

"I'm sorry miss, what?" the surgeon is astonished, her mouth agape.

"Can I, see her?" Lapis says firmer this time. The surgeon suddenly understands Lapis isn't interested in the details, she closes her mouth.

"Yes, you can follow me to her room, she is coming out of anesthesia, she will be out of it for a while," Lapis nods, not really listening to that last part. The surgeon opens the door and Lapis bursts into tears as she runs over to her side.

"I'm so sorry Peridot this is all my fault," Lapis's hand entwines with Peridot's, it's cold against hers. Lapis wishes she could take this whole weekend back. Maybe none of this would have happened. She suddenly remembers that Peridot is the reason she took her power back. Peridot made her feel safe, for the first time in two years. Peridot is Lapis's reason to move on.

Lapis became a bird that day and she's ready to soar through the sky with Peridot. She loves her, and that's all she can offer, all she can do. She knows that it's enough.

Peridot touches her chest carefully after Bismuth finishes the story, she looks back over at Lapis with tears in her eyes, "She was there?" Peridot asks herself softly, fuzzy memories come into her mind of the ceiling, "She saved my life," she says this as tears drip down the sides of her face.

"Yes she did," Bismuth says reaching out to wipe the tears from Peridot's eyes. Bismuth pauses for a moment, deciding whether or not to say it, "She told me she loves you. She said that after everything that night, she couldn't see a future without you being a part of it," Bismuth lets the words fall out, it feels like the right thing to do

Peridot lays there wordlessly falling after Bismuth said it. She realizes that even after everything, Peridot gave, and Lapis gave back. She's falling for everything Lapis was and is. Falling for her smile her laugh, the moments they shared, she looks back upon the first time her eyes laid upon her, to the first time Lapis spoke, to the moment Peridot saw her break. Peridot realizes she would do anything or be anything for her. It's hard for her to believe it's only been three days. To Peridot it felt like an eternity, but life is short, Peridot knows this now, she's not interested in following the rules of society because she too loves Lapis, without any second question or thought. Peridot doesn't know Lapis, but she has the rest of her life to find out. Lapis wakes, feeling Peridot's eyes on her. They lock eyes and make an unspoken agreement; To love each other unconditionally and without question. Peridot was never one to believe in things like soulmates, but if she had to pick one, it would be Lapis.

—-

Peridot recovers slowly but surely in the hospital. Doctors and policemen buzz about the room, day in and day out. Peridot's colleagues come to visit her, Amber Diamond even sends a card. Peridot's mother, Zircon flies in. Zircon is a well-established lawyer in Colorado and will be representing Peridot in a court case against Jasper. Lapis's situation is a bit more complicated. Zircon's twin sister works with Lapis and the rest of Jasper's web of victims. Jasper will spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Lapis and Peridot move out of that apartment building, and into a small house by the countryside, their drive to work is long, but they don't mind, they like the scenery. Steven moved in shortly afterward, he began a career in psychology, happy to be spending time with his sister once more. He moves out his sophomore year leaving Lapis and Peridot to be alone once more.

Peridot finally grows the courage to ask Lapis to marry her, they have a small ceremony under a setting sun with all their loved ones present. They both got a pretty hefty chunk of change from the lawsuit, they put it away, to start a family one day. Babies are expensive.

Pumpkin is doing just fine, she chases birds and mice around the property, loving all of the space where she is free to roam.

Peridot got a promotion at NASA and finally is able to work a full-time job there, leaving the CVS job and the data analysis behind, although Ms. Diamond still sends e-mails, requesting assistance with calculations from time to time, She finally admits that Peridot was one of her finest workers. Peridot and Bismuth still game on the weekends.

Lapis found an integral fossil on her property, this boosted her paleontology career and allowed her to quit serving. She and Peridot eat at that diner every Friday night. Lapis sees a therapist now, attempting to move on from all that Jasper did to her and the night with the gun. Lapis finally found her bird, her reason to fly. Peridot is not only her reason to fly, but she is her wings too.