Lt. Colonel Diamant sat on the bench facing the mirror of her vanity as she brushed her long silvery locks in preparation for bed. There was a court hearing tomorrow. But it wasn't hers, it was Steven's.
The boy had been in the hospital for two days and then taken into federal custody. Multiple assault charges, aiding and abetting known fugitives, destruction of government property, the list went on. Many of the charges Blue shared with him. But unlike Steven, Blue was bonded out. He was sent to the Youth Services Center near Crystal City. This would be his second day there, it was two days too long in Blue's opinion.
The issue wasn't money or counsel, White pulled an attorney from the Authority legal department to assist. The problem was custody, Steven was a minor. He would need to be remanded to a legal guardian. That would typically be the parents. But Steven's father was a resident of Delmarva, not Virginia. The preliminary ruling was that Steven was considered a flight risk, and he couldn't leave the greater DC area. That meant he could be held in a juvenile detention center for weeks before any trial.
As Steven's maternal grandparents, Blue and Yellow could take custody of him, but they would need a special power of attorney. Counselor Zircon arranged for a meeting at the federal courthouse downtown with Greg Universe early the next morning. (Both Blue and Yellow were curious, to say the least. This man was married to their daughter and was raising Steven.)
The colonel stood, she was still sore, her wounds still bandaged and healing. But they weren't even close to life-threatening. She was recovering at an accelerated rate, what would have taken weeks to heal was taking days. It was a miracle, Steven had pulled her from the very jaws of death.
She had been clinically dead for roughly five minutes, but somehow Steven reversed nearly all the damage done. Linna had no words, she barely remembered anything, she just remembered waking up in the hospital with Melena in an absolute state. The doctors in the trauma unit actually had to give her wife a dose of Xanax before she calmed down.
The only other time she'd seen that woman so frantic was when Carissa first went missing. People often said that General Diamant is made of stone, but Linna knew that that was the furthest from the truth you could possibly be.
Blue scrutinized her Air Force dress blues hanging up on the outside of the closet (She didn't want any last-minute snags to hold her up tomorrow). There was a soft knock at the door, "Afina, did you find my phone?"
It was typical, Blue could never keep track of her phone. Usually, she would set it down somewhere close by and simply forget where she had left it. She had sent Afina to find it for her before she settled down for the night.
"You know, I honestly don't know how you manage to lose your phone so much." Yellow's voice drawled close to her ear, her warm breath dancing across Blue's cheek.
Blue jumped at Yellow's sudden appearance. She placed her hands on strong shoulders to steady herself. "You startled me!"
"I'm sorry, I was just checking in on you." The general placed the phone on the vanity and gently held Blue's wrists.
"Did you tell Afina-"
"To go home for the night? Yes, she'll be here early tomorrow in case you need help." Yellow was wearing a thin olive-colored t-shirt with camo pants that was standard of the US Marine Corps. Blue could feel the corded muscles in her shoulders and neck as she trailed her hands across the general's back.
"How is the injury on your… lower back?" She stopped just above the waistline of her pants on the right side and gave the austere woman a soft, mischievous smile. Yellow was actually shot in the posterior, but pride and stubbornness made her swear up and down that it was her "lower back."
"It's fine." She said with a slightly exasperated tone and pulled Blue closer. "I'm more interested in how you are doing."
"I'm sore, but it's nothing an aspirin can't help with. I'm anxious about tomorrow. Steven, I can't let him sit in that detention facility." Blue buried her face in Yellow's neck. She was warm and smelled like soap and coffee. (God, how this woman drank too much coffee. It had always been the case ever since Blue had known her.)
"We've done everything we possibly could. For now, we'll just have to wait and see." Melena gently carded her hand through soft, silver locks.
Linna continued to stroke the marine's back, the pair just holding each other. How hard was this for poor Melena. Linna couldn't fathom why her wife even bothered with her. Especially after how she had treated the poor woman over the past decade.
They had been a pair for years now. When Melena had met Linna, the two of them were only a couple years out of basic training. They just clicked, together they were stronger, they could achieve anything so long as they were together. Linna never imagined the two of them would spend the better part of 14 years at each other's throats.
But the Irish woman could see the light at the end of that long dark tunnel.
Somehow, they were both still here, and after some soul searching, Linna was still in love with Melena, despite everything. She just hoped that Melena felt the same way…
The general cleared her throat, "I should… I should let you get some sleep."
The tone of Melena's voice was clear, she didn't want to leave, but she didn't want to push the boundary that had been put up over a decade ago. But Linna was finally ready to break said boundary.
"Don't go, stay with me." Linna pulled back and rested her forehead against Melena's so she could look into her beautiful gilt-colored eyes.
"You... want me to stay?" A deep blush colored the general's cheeks.
"I've been thinking about this a lot recently. I love you, with every fiber of my being. I've said this far too infrequently over the past few years, and I regret that." Linna moved, so her lips were brushing the shell of Melena's ear.
"But, I'm ready to love you again, the way you deserve to be loved if you're willing to give me another chance." There was a pause, and Linna could feel her wife's heartbeat through the thin fabric of her silk bathrobe.
The response was enthusiastic, to say the least. Melena picked Linna up in one smooth motion and gave her a mouthful of a kiss while she carried the Irish woman over to the bed.
Gently Melena set Linna down as the pair parted. The general draped herself over Blue and began to untuck her shirt from her pants.
Blue began to gently bite Yellow's neck as she flipped the blonde on to her back. The general suddenly went rigid and barked out in pain.
Blue pulled away, her eyes wide in concern, hands resting on Yellow's chest. "Is everything alright!? I didn't mean-"
"No-no, it's alright, darling, that wasn't you!" Yellow carefully rolled over on her side, and Blue followed suit. Her hand carefully rested on her back-side.
"Oh! Oh, Melena, I'm sorry, love, we'll just have to be mindful of your ass." It might kill the mood, but Blue was counting on getting a rise out of Yellow.
She wanted to see her wife's smile and her beautiful eyes light up. Linna wanted Melena unfettered from the stony barriers that she frequently put up to protect her bleeding heart. Barriers, no doubt raised in part due to Blue, a pang of guilt crept through her chest. (Linna had so much to make up for.)
"I was shot in the lower back!" The general said roughly in indignation. But Blue knew she had gotten exactly what she wanted when Yellow began to grin despite her tone.
"Love, it's just you and me here right now," Linna was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. (God, how she missed teasing and loving this woman!)
"We both know you were shot in the ass!"
Blue laughed even harder as Yellow pinned both her arms to the bed, and not much was said after that.
… … … … … … … … …
Greg Universe was a wreck, to say the very least. He was in a borrowed mocha-colored blazer with a red tie. Mr. Smiley was kind enough to help Greg out, but the poor carwash owner couldn't wear the entire suit; Harold Smiley was a good six inches taller than he was.
The old rocker tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his borrowed shirt and then wiped his sweaty hands on his good jeans. (The pair of jeans with only a couple of holes in them.) He hadn't been sleeping and was just worried sick. It was only two days ago he got any word about Steven, and he was in the hospital! Then he was being put in a juvenile detention center?!
A complete stranger had called and explained what happened. Then the woman on the other line said her name, Bianca Diamant. It sent chills right up Greg's spine. Rose had warned him about this woman; if for whatever reason she contacted Greg about anything, he was to say nothing.
Greg knew that Rose was involved in some illegal activities, but she never shared with him exactly what she was doing. "Crystal Gem business is not your business, babe! It's dangerous, you don't want to be implicated in anything! "
That was about 13 years ago when Rose said that. But now? Greg didn't have a choice but to get involved. He couldn't help but feel that Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were somehow responsible, how could they drag Steven into this mess?! The mess they made!
Greg Universe was sitting in an oak-paneled meeting room with an expensive but well-used conference table. There was a coffee maker in the corner, and the old rocker had poured some into a paper cup. Still, he was too anxious to actually drink any. It sat steaming on a brown paper napkin in front of him. Footsteps could be heard against the marble tiles down the hallway.
There was a sharp but polite knock on the door, the blinds rattled on the glass panel as the door was opened.
"Mr. Universe?" An average-sized woman walked through the door with a leather briefcase in one hand and a massive pile of papers in the other. Greg stood, and the woman shook his hand briefly before introducing herself.
"I'm Jaylin Miller, I've been hired as Steven Universe's defense attorney." She had robin-blue eyes and glasses with circular frames and short wavy, mousy-brown hair that fell on her forehead.
"Er, nice to meet you. Listen, I don't mean to be rude or anything but, when can I see my son?" Greg couldn't help himself, he could feel hot tears in his eyes.
"My son, he's been missing for over a week now. I just need to see him." He was worried about the others too, but the Gems' seemed entirely out of reach.
"Don't worry, Mr. Universe, you'll get to see your son before you leave here today. I have my own boys, I can only imagine what you're going through. We're about 20 minutes early; actually, we're waiting for the Diamant family." The attorney gave a soft, reassuring smile as she sat down.
Again, a shiver went up Greg's spine. He didn't know what the connection was between Rose and the Diamants', but he knew his late wife avoided them like roadkill. "I'm really confused, Mrs. Miller, what do they have to do with the situation?"
"Glad I showed up early. Okay here's the deal, this is a DNA test that was done on Steven Universe, and it was shown to match Lt. Colonel Linna Diamant. It's a 25 percent match, that makes the Lt. Colonel your son's maternal grandmother." While the woman spoke, she plucked a manilla folder from the stack of papers she set on the table and handed it to Greg.
The man's head was spinning, how could this be possible? "How-"
Sharp footsteps could be heard just outside, and a heavy-handed knock rattled the door. "Looks like the Diamants' are early too. Deep breath Mr. Universe, you look pale. Here, you may need this…"
Greg breathed in then out as he took the handkerchief that was offered to him. He wiped his eyes and nodded to Mrs. Miller that he was ready. "Come in!"
Two women were at the door. The first one to enter was in a dark blue Air Force uniform with various ribbons and citations displayed on the left side of her blazer. She had long silver hair that was meticulously pulled back into a twist with a flight cap cocked to the right. She smoothed out her skirt before she sat down opposite Greg. She had vivid icy-blue eyes, and there was something terribly elegant and graceful about the way she moved, her presence commanded respect.
The second woman to enter was far more intimidating. She was wearing a US Marine Corps uniform, and she looked like she was made of stone. She had a dark blue jacket with the eagle, globe and anchor insignia pinned to the standing collar. Stark white dress pants and black shoes with a high polish. (Greg could see the room reflected in them.) This woman had taken off her cap before entering, she had shorter spiky blond hair and sharp amber eyes that seemed to almost glow.
"Mr. Universe, this is Lt. Colonel Linna Diamant and General Melena Diamant." The attorney introduced the pair, and Greg reached across the table to shake hands, first to the colonel and then to the general who gripped his hand so hard he winced a bit.
"Gently, Yellow…" The colonel murmured to the marine.
Greg let go and flexed his hand, "Hi there, I'm Greg Universe, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise, Mr. Universe, I just wish it was under better circumstances. We have much to discuss." It was Linna Diamant who answered, and honestly, Greg was relieved. The way the marine general was looking at him, well, he wasn't quite sure what he had done to gain her ire.
"Well then, now that we're all here," The attorney organized some more paperwork in front of her and brought out some ink pens. The old rocker wished Pearl was here right now, she was so much better at this sort of thing…
"Let's start from the beginning. This began a little over a week ago, correct?" The lawyer sat back down, "We've got just over two hours before Steven's hearing, so we have to get all of our ducks in a row."
… … … … … … … … …
Yellow sat on the edge of the bench in the hallway; her wife was sitting next to her, their fingers laced together. "It could have been worse."
The general was trying to sound confident, but she knew she fell short of her mark. Blue looked at her and shook her head. They had achieved what they set out to do, which was to gain custody of Steven, so he didn't have to sit in a detention center until the trial almost two months from now.
However, the laundry list of charges the US Attorney's Office levied against the boy was long. They were lumping him in right along with the Crystal Gems' and looking at charging him as an adult.
"God, I hope White has a plan because they are throwing the book at him!" Blue let her head fall back against the wall behind her. Greg Universe was currently in the room a little ways down the corridor, Steven was being fitted with an electronic ankle tag. The same model and make that Blue was presently wearing, this was a mess.
Yellow herself was being investigated, but it was unlikely that any indictment would be brought against her. The general wasn't involved in the prison break in South Carolina. It was the only reason why Blue and Yellow were even able to wrangle custody of Steven; the general didn't come into play until the end of the incident.
Counselor Miller stepped out of the room and briskly walked over to the pair. "Ladies, they're almost done in there. Greg just wants a little time with Steven before they part ways. Then he'll be handed off to you."
"Thank you, agent Zircon, now I know why White handpicked you for this job," Yellow said with a sigh. Zircon class Gems were lower-level Gems like Pearls, but their abilities were more empathic in scope. They were fantastic at reading people and their body language, which was why many of them ended up in the legal department of the Authority.
"My pleasure, Yellow Diamond." The woman nodded as she adjusted her glasses.
Voices echoed down the hall, "You ready champ?"
Yellow watched as Steven and Greg Universe stepped out of the small room with a bailiff in tow. The poor boy looked utterly dejected. He had dark circles under his eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Greg stopped and held the 12 year-old by the shoulders as he knelt.
"Listen, buddy, this will all work out, okay? You can Skype with me every night, and I'll come over and visit every Sunday, it's just a three-hour drive!" Steven nodded again and launched himself at his father, holding him around the neck.
"I love you kiddo, this is all going to work out, you'll see. And look, Blue's here! She told me you and her were pretty tight." Blue stood at the mention of her name, a soft smile spread across her face.
"Blue!" Steven bolted over and wrapped his arms around the colonel's waist.
"Steven! Love, I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to see you!" The woman leaned down and gave the boy a kiss as she spoke softly into his ear.
Yellow finally stood as Greg approached carrying Steven's belongings in a hotdog shaped duffel bag. "Ah, well, I guess this is it then. All of his stuff is in here, and if he needs anything from home, you can give me a ring."
Yellow liked that she made this man squirm. He got her little girl pregnant after all, but he wasn't a bad person. The general's expression softened as she spoke, "We'll take good care of Steven. Whenever the mood strikes, you can come over and see him, he's been through enough trauma as it is, we don't want to keep you two apart."
"Thank you, you didn't have to do this, ya know." Greg held out the duffel bag, and Yellow took it.
"We couldn't bear Steven sitting in prison when none of this was his fault." It was an honest response, and an understanding passed between the pair.
"Young man, it's been a long day, and a driver is waiting for us. Are you ready to go?" Yellow's mezzo-soprano voice clipped through the marbled hallway.
"Yes, ma'am!" Steven said, puffing out his chest a bit.
"Good, give your father one last good-bye hug, and then we'll be on our way."
… … … … … … … … …
It had been two days since the hearing in DC. It was blessedly quiet for once, no running, no surprise ambushes in the middle of the night, no looking over their shoulders, just taking things day by day.
But Blue noted that Steven had been strangely subdued. She couldn't blame him, his entire world had been flipped upside-down. Blue was becoming a bit concerned, however.
Steven wasn't eating, and his natural inquisitiveness and enthusiasm seemed muted. He just sat around the guest room and moped. Yellow said to give him space, but she had spent far less time with the boy then Blue had.
The Irish woman had been sitting and watching the rain in the sunroom of their stately home. She sighed as she looked into her mug and noted that she was out of tea. Blue got up and walked through the double doors into the living area and then through the swinging door into the kitchen. Afina was cleaning up some dishes from lunch and dutifully putting them into the dishwasher.
"Afternoon, Mrs. Diamant," Afina said in her wispy, soft voice.
"Hello Afina, how is our young ward today?" Truth be told, Blue hadn't seen him since last night.
"He's doing well enough, but," The willowy woman paused and pursed her lips.
"But?" Blue asked as she poured another mug of chamomile tea.
"He hasn't eaten breakfast or lunch today." Apparently, it was becoming enough of a concern that Afina was now mentioning it.
"Alright, then." She set her mug down and raised her eyebrows at Afina, who gave her a knowing nod.
Blue then strode down the hallway, past the master bedroom, past Carissa's room to the guest room. She softly knocked on the door and peeked her head through.
"Steven, love? Everything alright?" She knew everything was not alright, but she didn't know any other way to breach the subject at this point.
Steven was lying on the bed facing away from Blue, he half turned to answer. "Y-yeah, everything is good."
"It doesn't seem like everything is good, is there something I can do?" Blue sat opposite Steven on the bed and placed her hand on his back.
"I just wanted everything to go back to normal, and it's not." The boy released a heavy sigh and rolled over on to his back.
"It's difficult to mend what's been broken sometimes. Everything is wrong, and you don't know if things will ever be put right again." Blue leaned on one elbow as she rested her arm across his waist. Steven just nodded, tears rolling down his face.
"You know, someone brilliant told me recently that when you go through tough times, you're allowed to be sad, and you're allowed to cry, but you're not allowed to give up." Blue's eyebrows canted up as warm brown eyes gazed back at her.
"Blue?"
"Steven?"
"That guy sounds like a dork!" Blue picked up a nearby pillow and hit Steven with it, and the pair laughed until they were out of breath.
… … … … … … … … …
It was late when Yellow rolled up the driveway in her Escalade. There was so much going on at work, and she was making sure all the reports were appropriately filed after everything that had happened. Then there was the investigation into Aquamarine's activities… A dark and dangerous look fell over the general's face when she thought about that Gem. She almost killed Blue and her grandson.
Yellow shook her head and stepped out of her vehicle. Usually, she would have taken the side path to the guest house, but she wasn't staying there anymore. The austere marine smiled to herself as she fiddled with the platinum wedding ring on her left hand. She looked fondly at the clear blue diamond as it glinted sharply in the low light of the garden.
The general hadn't felt this good in a long time. There was still a lot to work through, they'd probably need to get some counseling, but Melena wanted to be with Linna. She'd do just about anything to make that happen. That was for the future, however, right now, they had to clear up all the charges the US Attorney's office filed against everyone, and there was news.
Yellow stepped in through the side door and was greeted with raucous laughter coming from the living room. Steven's was the loudest, but Blue's laugh could be heard mingling just behind the boy's. The general set her cap down on the side table and her bag on the floor. Then she carefully stepped into the central part of the house.
Blue and Steven were sitting in front of the living room couch with controllers in their hands playing video games. There was a mess of pizza and soda cans on the living room table. The only light in the room was the 50-inch television.
"What have you two been doing today?" Her voice incredulous but soft. (Yellow's voice was rarely soft.)
"Yellow, you're back! Want some pizza?" Steven jumped up from the floor and leaned on the back of the couch, greeting her with a wide smile. The general had been somewhat worried; the boy was particularly despondent for the past couple of days. It was good to see him back to his usual rambunctious self.
"Steven brought out his Switch, he needed help with a level in Mario Maker 2. Though I think I'm more of a hindrance than of help." Blue looked up at Yellow from the front of the couch; a gentle knowing smile played across her face. She was glowing. (She was stunning.)
"You're not that bad, Blue," Steven said, jumping down from the couch onto a pillow on the floor.
"Hmm, you should ask Yellow for help. She's better at this than I am." Blue winked up at the general.
"I can certainly give it a try," Yellow said as she crossed her arms.
"Okay, but I gotta go first!" The boy abruptly jumped up and dashed for the bathroom. "Sorry, everyone, sorry, I'm dying on the inside!"
Blue laughed and patted the floor next to her, inviting Yellow to sit. The general walked around to the front of the couch and arranged a cushion on the ground before settling in. The Irish woman wrapped her arms around Yellow, and the pair kissed.
"How's your ass?" Blue murmured cheekily against Yellow's lips.
"It's fine," Yellow growled as she buried her face in soft silver locks.
"Well, I hope so, it's one of my favorite parts about you," Blue said while biting the marine's earlobe.
"How was work?" Blue finally asked as she reluctantly pulled away.
"It was terrible, but there is news. We're meeting at headquarters tomorrow, at 10 o'clock sharp. Everyone is going to be there. When I say everyone, I mean everyone." Blue looked questioningly at Yellow as she traced the marine's collarbone with gentle fingers.
"The Crystal Gems are going to be there. I don't know what sort of horse-trading White had to do, but she managed some sort of deal." Yellow gave a tired sigh and rested her hand on Blue's hip.
"Okay, I'm back!" Steven announced as he ran back into the room and plopped down on the floor near Blue.
"Alright, what are we doing, young man?" The general said sternly. (But not too sternly.)
"This level is called: Robbing Boo's Bank!"
All Yellow could do was smile as she watched Steven animatedly explain the game. At the same time, Blue rested her head on Yellow's shoulder.
