The Universe Twins

-A Garnet mom-swap fanfiction-

Disclaimer: So I'm excited to say that I'm still continuing this, and haven't abandoned it yet. I feel very accomplished! Having said that I hope you all had an amazing end of year! This year is gonna be incredible for all of us I can feel it now!

This chapter is another songfic, this time it will be Brigitte Wickens cover of "Feeling Good", and it will be that way until Kate Micucci blesses us with a cover of this classic Nina Simone hit!

As always thank you for reading and supporting the fanfiction!

Chapter 7: Greg's Big Gig

Ronnie and Finn were facetiming on their laptops, thanks to Cy and Connie, Finn was able to at least figure out how to open up the video chat. "So how has typing practice been going bro?" Ronnie asked somewhere from the background as his screen was currently facing his ceiling in his bedroom.

"It's been going great; I was able to read two consecutive words the other day… in a book!" Finn was absolutely proud of himself, his dedication to making his dyslexia more manageable was paying off incrementally.

From the background he could hear a door being forced open loudly, "Ronnie! Where's my special towel?! I know you have it! Give it back!" Finn recognized the voice as Ronnie's step-brother Dan who was throwing a tantrum fit for a five-year old. "Ahh! My eyes! Pull up your pants! I can see crack!" Finn then could hear scurrying towards the bed as Ronnie's face returned to view.

Finn felt sorry for Ronnie but then got an evil idea, "Ronnie, face me towards Dan, you're gonna love this!" Without a second to spare Finn mooned the camera on his laptop, and on queue he could hear the disgusted wails coming from the poser step-brother, and that was followed by a quick slam of the door. Finn quickly pulled the back of his pants up before Ronnie returned the camera to face him.

Ronnie seemed delighted by the silence that followed his step-brother's removal from the room, "He hates butts, and that's just because Rebecca DiSanto said he has no butt, and the whole class laughed at him."

Finn chuckled whilst saying, "I have no idea who that is, but she's my new friend! Man, I hate Dan! By the way what special towel is he talking about, or do I not want to know?"

Ronnie started to burst out into a raucous laughter that caused his head to fade in and out of focus on the screen, "Oh wow, yeah! His towel. Oh, geez hold on it's really funny!" He took a deep breath to stop laughing so hard, "He has this lavender-scented towel that he sleeps with, it's really a baby blanket, but it's so small in comparison to him that he calls it a towel."

Finn couldn't believe his ears and started rolling on his bed howling with laughter. It was enough to get Cy's attention as in the next second she instantly appeared at the top of the ladder to their shared loft, "What's so funny, Finn?" She noticed Ronnie on the screen and waved gleefully at the bigger kid who blushed maddeningly then awkwardly waved back.

"You- do you-" Finn took a deep breath between howls to catch himself, "Do you remember Ronnie's jerk step-brother Dan?"

Cy rolled her eyes and responded, "Sadly, I can't forget that loser! He's such a wad!" It then dawned on her that the laughter might've been at Dan's expense, "Wait! Tell me Dan's secret! I assume that is what this is about?"

Ronnie recanted the story about Dan's special towel to Cy who simply was jaw-dropped the whole time, "A blanket, and he calls it a towel?" Now she and Finn were both dying from laughter, "So much for the cool guy persona! What a tool!" The three all laughed until they were blue in the face.

From down in the living room, they could hear the front door open as a familiar voice traveled through the house, "Kids! Where are you? Rose and I got a surprise for you two!?" It was their father Greg.

"Oh shoot, I wanted to talk to you about last night's documentary 'Leopard Prince: Malice, Fraud, and Deceit'…" She sighed, "Oh well, at least we'll see you on Halloween, right?" Ronnie nodded, "We're still waiting to hear from Connie's mom if she can go trick or treating with us but I hope she can." With those final words the twins waved goodbye to Ronnie as the call was finished.

Cy and Finn, both perplexed, got down off Finn's bed and walked out towards the ladder. They looked down from the lofted bedroom with similar unease, as the last time Rose and Greg had a gift for them was definitely odd to say the least: Greg wanted to surprise the twins on their sixth birthday, and there was a llama involved. Granted they were obsessed with llamas at that age, but they really didn't like talking about the incident.

"Kid's I found a flyer for a local talent venue, and Rose told me about the response you all had to your impromptu concert," Greg presented the flyer as Finn dived off over the banister of the loft onto the couch.

Cy started to climb down the stairs before changing her mind, deciding instead to just slid down the banister, but she was slow on her ascent, "Hold on a minute," she was focused like a laser just inching down the banister as Greg approached to assist his tiny daughter, "Wait! No! I got this dad!" She was so convicted to gently and slowly sliding down the banister that a whole minute had passed before she'd dismount it. She had the most serious face once on the ground again, "I am a boa constrictor, slow, graceful, and elegant!"

"Well now that that's over," Rose picked the conversation back up, "I was thinking we should all get together and be like a mega-band-aid!" Her obvious mix-up hadn't dawned on her as she smile at the twins who just stared at her sideways.

Greg chuckled and put an arm around Rose, "It's just a band, Rose. Remember when we used to all jam together in the temple? You, me, Bismuth, and Amethyst. Oh, and how could I forget Garnet, she was the lead singer," he blushed, "well if we had become famous, she'd have been the lead, but…" the moment was starting to get a bit tense, "now is your chance to fulfill your moms dream of being rock stars! Even if it's just for a small venue, what do you think, kids?"

Finn was very skeptical, while the allure of being a rock star sounded nice, he was a bit self-conscious about going out on a stage. He'd never really performed in front of anyone, let alone a crowd of people he knew. Finn had never even so much as show off any skateboarding tricks to his sister or father or the gems. Greg could see the uncomfortable shift in his son's demeanor, and put his arm around him lovingly. "Dad, I don't know how to feel about this? Actually, I feel kinda sick to my stomach thinking about it," Finn frowned patting his belly.

"If you don't want to do it, that's fine, but didn't you have fun with everyone the other day at the Arcade?" Greg asked looking directly into Finn's heterochromatic eyes.

Finn shuffled his feet a bit thinking about how much fun he had with the older kids and Rose, "Well- that was like, for fun, ya know? This," he took a deep breath, "is like a real concert… with lights, cameras, people in seats- what if I mess up?"

Cy approached her brother with a big smile, taking his hand in hers, "There's always time for band practice, and besides it's in a few weeks," she consoled her brother by stroking her thumb over his hand, "Right Rose?" She looked back at Rose who nodded 'yes'. "You know what we should see if Amethyst wants to join too! She plays the drums really well!"

Greg wasn't paying attention to Cy's comment and was more focused on Finn who still seemed a bit precocious about the whole thing, "You don't have to do this if you don't feel like it, Finnie, but try… for your sister? She seems excited."

Finn shrugged, then took in a sharp inhale, "I'm gonna try! If it's not for me, it's not for me." Cy exploded in sheer enthusiasm and vigor, bouncing around the room like a loose rubber ball, until Rose scooped her up underneath her massive arm that is.

The first part of the project was to get together the band, and first in their sights were Sadie and Lars who as luck would have it happened to be on break for lunch at the Big Donut when the twins, Greg, and Rose had approached the town bakery. "Oh, sorry guys, we're closed for lunch, but come back in a half an hour, okay?" Sadie informed the four as she locked up the front door. Lars, as usual, was leaning on the window, attempting to look cool, and trying way to hard at that. He had a toothpick in his teeth that looked to be chewed down a bit for some reason.

Greg shook his head at the working duo and began to proposition the two, "We're actually here because the kids and Rose are starting a band, and we want you two involved." Lars was taken aback by the comment that he almost swallowed his toothpick, but coughed it up in the same moment.

Sadie blushed fumbling her work keys in shock as she pocketed them, "A band, huh? Wow, that sounds cool, but you- you don't want me Mr. Universe." Lars was shocked at Sadie's answer.

"Sadie! Come on, you and I both know you have an amazing singing voice, if anything I should be the one who turns down the offer because I have no idea what to even contribute," Lars rambled. "Besides it would be cool to be in a band, we haven't done anything cool except that thing at the arcade the other day, and this could be exciting, we could get famous!"

Sadie's blush diminished completely from her face as she thought it over, "Well, I guess I can squeeze band practice between my shows and the Big Donut!"

Talking up the others didn't require much work, as soon as they all heard the word band they collectively said yes. Jenny even called Kiki in to cover her counter shift at Fish Stew Pizza, and now the band was united.

Greg offered the garage at the Car Wash for band practice until they could find more legitimate practice spots than once a week at Buck's and Sadie's basement. Sadie's mom wasn't even the issue, it was Sadie who didn't want her mom to know about the band, so she'd offer weekend mornings when her mom was out. Sunday's would end up being longer sessions as her mother Barb liked to do her errands and then would treat herself to lunch usually bringing Sadie home a platter for herself.

"She'd a thoughtful mom, but she just gets way to enthusiastic whenever I show interest in something," Sadie was explaining to Greg and Cy that evening at the car wash. They had just brainstormed and did a nice jam session; wherein, Cy managed to do something with her mouth that sounded like an elephant, but it definitely added a nice 'oomph' to their first song's ending.

Greg pulled out what appeared to be a day planner, "Okay, so we'll practice at your house on Saturday and Sunday mornings, Buck takes the three forty-five to nine pm sessions at his house on Friday's and we'll practice here on weekdays."

Cy chuckled at her father's excitement, "Dad, don't keep yourself from the car wash too much that'll ruin you. We can always practice some days on the beach in front of the temple. Isn't that right Rose?" Rose was just sauntering over from having finished chatting with Sour Cream, Finn, Jenny, Lars, and Buck. Greg was about to chime in and ask her how she was feeling about all of this, but then-

Rose smiled and nodded, unsure what she was agreeing too, but also not to bothered as Cy's request was probably mundane. "Oh Greg, this was a fabulous idea! I can't wait to get an um… what did you say earlier, an alba...?"

Everyone laughed amused at Rose's attempt, "I think you mean an album, right Rose?" Greg ribbed her slightly, winking at her.

The crew was pretty stacked: Sadie was main vocals, Lars, Jenny, and Finn on backup vocals, Cy on beatbox, Sour Cream on his synthesizer, Buck on piano, and Rose rounding them out with a smooth bassline. "Why am I singing dad? Can't I just do some stage work with you?" Finn was asking Greg at the following day's rehearsal. He pulled his dad aside to discuss changing his position, "C'mon I really can't sing, besides Jenny and Lars make Sadie sound great!" He looked down at his feet.

"Buddy," Greg kneeled down to be at his son's eye level, "you have a beautiful voice! You're fantastic, just have more confidence in yourself, and between you and me, Lars is definitely a weaker singer that you by a landslide. Heck I think Jenny's just alright too, but your voice is so great with Sadie's. Just give it a shot, remember for your sister, plus it's not like we have any clear directions just yet." Finn looked up from the floor to meet his father's gaze. In turn Greg beamed with pride at his boy.

Finn sighed not wanting to disappoint his dad, "Okay, but when we start talking about shows, or anything big- I wanna come back to this talk about being a stage hand."

"Deal."

Practice was more organized today at the car wash, everyone had more of an idea and an eagerness behind them. All except for Finn who still wasn't quite feeling it, and Sadie who seemed to come off a little nervous as a frontwoman, "Let's take five guys!" Greg said after an hour of runtime, "Sadie can you talk to you outside?" As the rest of the group was huddling around Cy who was making some twangy noises come from her mouth as Sour Cream was showing off his synth skills, Sadie walked out of the garage with Greg, and the two took a sidebar away from everyone else. Sitting on the grass together Greg took a deep breath, "It's a beautiful day isn't it Sadie?"

Sadie just looked up at the white clouds rolling in over the bay, it wasn't sunny, but still warm enough that the birds hadn't began to migrate, "Yeah, it is."

Greg took another deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth, "Take a nice deep breath with me this time Sadie," he demonstrated first, "in through the nose and out through you mouth. Fill that diaphragm up with calm bay air," again he took and inhale and Sadie followed his lead this time, they then exhaled together. "So, tell me what's up? I know your holding back on me."

Sadie flinched a bit upon hearing that come so casually from Mr. Universe, her band manager, but then again her only other experience with a manager was very rare and that manager was definitely not as chill. "I'm kinda afraid to let the band down, it's the first time I've been apart of a group effort, and I'm kinda a big deal in this new dynamic."

Greg scratched his beard pondering his response.

"When I was growing up, I had no friends, and kids in school used to ignore me," Sadie began, "thinking about how far I've come I'm afraid of being ignored again." Sadie sighed feeling a little lighter after talking her insecurities out.

Greg stopped scratching his beard, "Well, first of Sadie I don't think you have to worry about your friends not wanting to be your friends, as my kids love you unconditionally, and the others all seem to take the time to really be your friend. Yesterday I saw Jenny braiding your hair between sets, you and Sour Cream are always laughing about something silly, Buck is always smiling at you with a big thumbs up every time you get up the mic, and Lars is always cheering the loudest for you! Second, you set the tone for the band with your presence, and the band follows your lead, so if you're not all prepared mentally to perform then the whole band isn't prepared mentally to perform." Sadie smiled and looked at Greg, she took a deep breath in and then out, again, "I actually have an idea to get you ready for the next set, or rather to start it off

It took about a half an hour for everyone to be caught up to speed, as Finn ran home to grab a drink really quick, and to use the bathroom at home. He wasn't a fan of going in other places aside from his own house.

Sadie took to the mic ready to play this time, and now was feeling herself:

(Start playing song, and start reading at 00:04 mark.)

"Birds flying high you know how I feel," Sadie was so much more expressive, and soulful now given the chance to shine while singing one of her favorite songs. The change was noticed immediately by everyone. Sour Cream literally forgot to play, and just watched baffled by Sadie's full vocal capability. Buck stopped playing as did Rose who were also watching mouth agape; "It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life for me, yeah!" Cy began to put down a slow, breezy, and low whistle tone, "And I'm feeling good!" Sour Cream and Buck managed to recover in the pocket of the music, and started to fill a backtrack. Greg was recording an audio file on his phone to save the song for the potential album, and he already knew it was a one take deal. "Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean, Sleep in peace when day is done, that's what I mean, And this old world is a new world and a bold world for me-" Sadie starting moving around the stage, playing it up with Jenny who followed her next line of 'feeling good' with a nice backing 'ooowooo'. Cy stopped whisting as Sour Cream had sampled enough for a sick layer under the instrumental, she then started to do an aria in the background! It was insanity, Cy never attempted such a thing before in her life, but everyone was astounded nonetheless as she continued to go higher until Sadie came back in. "Stars when you shine, you know how I feel, Scent of the pine, you know how I feel, Oh, freedom ("Freedom", Finn echoed in a surreal otherworldly tone) is mine, and I know how I feel. It's a new dawn," Sadie stopped.

Jenny brought it back, "It's a new day!"

Finn then continued overtopping Jenny in tone, "It's a new life!"

Sadie then jumped back in, "It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life," Jenny the jumped back in with her overtone vocals of 'oooooh yeah yeh ooaah yeh yeah oowoah'. Everyone stopped except Sadie, "And I'm feeeeeeeling gooooooooood!"

(Pause you should be at two minutes and forty-seven seconds if it aligned properly)

Lars wasn't the first to applaud this one, this time it was Rose's turn. Rose who for most of the performance had her face in her hands, but it was apparent why now, she was transported by the song to a place of pure emotional outlet, "That was so beautiful," she stopped clapping to wipe her eyes, yet they wouldn't stop producing tears.

"And I got that all recorded! No need for a second take, that was fantastic!" Greg announced holding up his phone triumphantly, and everyone just kinda stared at him for a bit. Except Rose who was still bawling her eyes out, "We have out first song for the album right here!" He was absolutely ecstatic with the results, and told them all to take another five while he went to go work on finding a burner cable so he could get the song put onto the album immediately.

Rose stopped her waterworks with a sniffle as they all huddled together. "Man, Sadie you got some killer pipes! I'm mesmerized by your soulful existential singing, it brings me such an overwhelming feeling of rebelliousness I only feel when my step-dad doesn't support my music," Sour Cream gushed as he screamed up into the air! "I'm gonna be a musician/dj, you watch YELLOWTAIL!" He started to grow red from straining his voice, "excuse my rebel yell, I get so impassioned by music!"

Buck was impressed by the angsty teen getting his emotions out there, "No that was so rad. We should all scream out to the sky, after all we are a band, and what are bands known for?"

"Really good hair?" Cy chimed in.

"Matching outfits?" Sour Cream took a guess.

"Number one hits!" Jenny blurted out.

Buck sighed, "No- bands are known for being rebellious! They teach us kids how to rock, and how to roll!" His tone only went up maybe a decibel, but it still felt like Buck was yelling.

"Oh well then-" Rose cleared her throat, "Sky I hope you like the sound of my yelling voice!" Rose exclaimed first, a modest effort at that…

Everyone laughed, but then they all took turns screaming at the sky.

"I want my dad to stop being a weird mayor!" Buck barely yelled.

"I hope we all stay friends, forever!" Cy exclaimed jumping for joy.

"I wanna go to the mall before practice tomorrow! I hope y'all don't mind!" Jenny yelled making this quirky band moment feel even more real. After all they just did this on a whim.

"Can I come with you Jenny!?" Sadie shouted towards the sky as Jenny enthusiastically nodded yes.

"I don't know what to scream about, but it feels so good! Ahhh!" Lars let loose like the others.

"That's okay Lars, I don't know what to scream either! Either… either… either…" Finn yelled then softened his voice down with each 'either' to sound like a cave echo. Once again everyone laughed just enjoying the silliness of each other.

Finn was sheepishly awkward when speaking next, "Ya know, I kinda came up with a cool band name while we were doing that song just now… but you guys will probably think it's lame… it's pretty stupid."

"Nah man, speak your mind," Jenny encouraged him with burst of positivity.

Finn blushed a bit before clearing his throat to speak. In his silence everyone was begging him to say the name, "Okay… well, what if we were… umm… Sadie and her Seven Wonders." Finn tensed up expecting them to hate it.

"I like that, a lot actually," Sadie looked at everyone else for approval, and in turn they all nodded, "Yeah it feels right, Sadie and her Seven Wonders."

Rehearsals continued into the next day with constant retakes and numerous cuts. There was something off about the music today, Sadie was confident and so was Finn, but there was just something not working out. Greg couldn't put his finger onto it before nine pm had hit, so the day was more practice than any actual recording.

Greg was walking the kids home talking about the odd thing he just couldn't put his finger on, "Everyone was on time, but there's this odd noise in every recording I have. Here listen," he played for the twins one of the songs they recorded today called 'Spooky Kids', and immediately they could hear something that sounded like whining along with Jenny's voice and Finn's voice, "Wait that's Lars's voice making that sound… I think?"

Finn cut in immediately, "Are you sure, dad? I literally stand right next to him and he sounds fine to me when we rehearse." Finn knew his dad wasn't too keen on Lars's voice, yet even he couldn't help but hear the nasally whine, but more nasally on the recording, "I don't get it? How? He sounds fine in person."

Greg was just as baffled too, "I can't imagine why he sounds worse on film, but if this persists, we'll have to make other arrangements I guess."

Cy stopped in her tracks, "You're not gonna kick Lars out of the band are you, dad?!" Cy pleaded with her dad, "Noooo without him the band name doesn't make sense!"

"Well, if he can't play an instrument then I'll have him as a stage hand for the venue," Greg stated quelling his daughter's worries.

"Uhh dad, the name will make even less sense if I'm not on stage," Finn chimed in.

They all stopped at the base of the beachfront temple, "You mean your not gonna perform either! What the heck bro, first Lars, now you!"

Finn was about to say something but then felt deflated in his rebuttal. He was having a great time with the band, so maybe he could try the venue and then decide to stay or go. "Calm down, I'm not getting rid of Lars, and Finn if you still feel that way come show day then yes."

Cy couldn't believe what she was hearing, "We only have been practicing for a few days and were already discussing that band breaking apart! What the heck!" She stormed up the front steps and slammed the screen door as she went inside.

Greg scratched his beard, "Oh boy… this was supposed to be fun, and also a boost for Cy. I guess deep down I wanted to start the band for her, but just kinda dragged you in it bud. Man, I'm sorry Finnie."

"Dad, you don't need to boost up Cy anymore, she's come a long way already, and I don't just say that as her brother, but as her best friend too. Heck, she might have a boyfriend actually… umm… I'm not entirely sure," Finn began but was cut off by his father hugging him.

Greg sighed deeply, "I guess you kids have been changing and I have to just accept that as you keep getting older. Now what's this about a boyfriend? Should I be concerned?"

Finn laughed as their embrace ended, but his father's hand remained on his son's shoulder, "Nah, she's got a pretty solid taste in boys, so far-"

"What does 'so far' mean?" Greg did a facepalm, "Oh boy tell me she's only had one boyfriend and this is the one you're unsure about."

Finn rolled his eyes at his dad, "She's got a good head on her shoulders. Goodnight dad!" He started up the stairs, stopping at the top to look back down to say one quick, "I love you!"

"I love you too Finnie!" Greg waved off his son ad he headed back to the car wash and his van.