Immediately once Steven returned after dropping Connie off we were back to working. My song was left by itself in secret and I quickly joined in. Steven and I both had shovels in our hands and were trying to dig up all of the old Gem junk from the crash while the actual Gems were simply using their hands. It was a hot day and we had been outside for a long time, there were so many pieces that we couldn't see because of the sand.

It's amazing and sad how good the sand and the ocean are at hiding trash. "Do we really have to get every piece?" Steven asked, as sweat continued to fall down his forehead. Amethyst was digging through the sand like a dog and picked up a piece the size of Steven. While Garnet picked up a piece that was twice as tall and as wide as she was.

"Yes." Garnet said with a hand on her hips. "Having a wrecked Gem ship lying around is too dangerous. We got to take care of it." She looked down at the bundle of debris. "All of it."

Pearl began to walk over. "And we need to start looking for Peridot's escape pod too." She placed down different pieces of rubble near Amethyst's and Garnet's. "Assuming she even made it to Earth."

"We've got lots of work ahead of us." Garnet said and Steven placed down a his piece in a bag. I noticed a piece in the sand and bent down. I grabbed it with two hands and pulled. Almost immediately a giant piece came out of the sand and I fell on my butt.

"How-?!" I yelled angrily as I patted the sand off my shorts. I was wearing the clothes that Pearl had made me. Steven walked away to a different section and all of us continued the long work ahead.

By the time we had returned it was already night fall. My body was very sore as I laid down on the bed. The Gems had decided that I needed a bad as well and made a bunk bed, Steven was on the bottom while I was on the top. It didn't take long for us to get used it to. After all we have been living with each other for a few months now.

"The calluses on my hands have calluses." Steven groaned. "The working man's burden is truly a heavy one." I was about to say something to him but there was a loud thud on the window. I moved over to the end of the bed near the window and saw a pepperoni pizza sliding down the window. I knew there was a pizza place near Beach City but I never had the chance, nor the guts to go down. Social interactions were not my fortay, especially with other humans.

"Pizza rain!" Steven exclaimed and looked up towards the clouds. "But no pizza clouds." I held back my laughter. "Woah!" Steven jumped out off his bed and motioned me down. "Come on! I have some people I want you to meet!"

"But…" I thought back to a moment I like to call the incident, where I hurt Steven… though he doesn't remember it. "Alright…" Steven and I walked outside and two people walked over to us. I hid behind Steven nervously, which didn't work that well since he was shorter than me.

They seemed like they were both teenagers. The first had light brown-coral skin and dark brown hair. He wore a pair of sunglasses, so I couldn't tell his eye color, an overly large red button-up shirt with unbuttoned cuffs, a white shirt with a yellow lightning bolt design, dark blue slim-fit jeans, and cyan and blue sneakers with white soles. The other had pale skin, almost paper white, with platinum blonde hair styled into a point, ice blue eyes and a long, angular face. He wore a grayish-blue hoodie over a light gray undershirt, orange phat pants, and bright sea-foam green tennis had a concerned expression on his face. Both of them were tall.

"What are you guys doing here?" Steven asked recognizing the teens. Well Steven and I were both technically teens but they were more of older teens, young adults. I guessed them to be around eighteen. "And why are you making it pizza rain?"

"I wanted to see you laughing, in the pizza rain." The one with the shades said with a monotone voice.

"Is that a reference to something?" Steven asked.

"Come on, it's time to hang out." Shades said, pointing away from the beach house. "You can bring your friend too."

"You can't hang out at night! Night is for dreaming!" Steven said surprised.

"Night's whatever you want it to be. Time's an illusion." The other teen said still holding the pizza. Steven hmmed.

"Aren't you done working for the day?" Shades asked happily.

"Yeah okay! Let's hang out!" Steven said happily.

"Nice." Shades said.

"But first we need to deliver the rest of this pizza to Mr. Smiley." He said, there were only three pieces left. Steven and I followed them to a convertible. It was mozzarella-yellow in color and was decorated with pepperoni and mushrooms as an art pattern. It had it's top retracted and there was a license plate in the front of the car that said 'PIZZA' but the plate in the rear was blank. There was another teen in the driver's seat. She wore large gold earrings, a pale cream colored shirt, a dark brown leather jacket with a beige fur-trimmed collar, lavender shorts (previously long pink pants), and mint-colored flats. She had brown skin and wire her hair in a puffy bob hairstyle.

"Hey we have another one!" She said happily as we climbed into the car. Steven took the passenger seat while I took the middle between the guys from before. "I'm Jenny, that's Sour Cream, and that's Buck!"

"I'm Suha…" I said nervously blushing. "Nice to meet you…"
"Are you like Steven's cousin?" Jenny asked me.

"Well, no… I"m just… living there now…" I said and she passed back a different box of pizza. Sour Cream and Buck too a slice and I followed suit. She asked Steven to hold the rest of it. As we drove off I was looking down at my hands the whole time, I couldn't help but feel awkward around them. I didn't even realize it but we were already on a different road, the wind blowing through our hair.

"Woohoo!" Jenny yelled happily. "The wind in your face! That's what I'm talking about!" Buck leaned forward near Steven's seat.

"Breathe in Steven, this is the smell of freedom!" Steven did just what he said and took a deep breath.
"Freedom smells like pepperoni!" Steven said happily and Jenny laughed.
"That's just the car!" She said.

"You know what food definitely smells like freedom? Fish." Sour Cream said.

"Why fish?" Steven and I asked, though Steven was much louder.

"Uh oh, here we go." Jenny said.

"I just don't get what's wrong with wanting to be a DJ? But my step-dad was all on my case again saying "Muh Muh Muh Muh…" I just don't want to be a fisherman! Everyone knows you can't rave in a raincoat step-dad!"

"At least he only bugs you about one thing, my dad has to say something about everything I do. Just because I'm the Major's son! And I'm like "You can't tell me what to you! I'm the Major's…." wait…"

"Please! You're just walking in cake with that talk! You guys don't even know what bad is until you have a sister! I don't know why I have to spell it out, that I'm the evil twin and she's the good one! Don't ask me to help you with your homework, I'm at some metal concert!"
"Family stuff is trickly." Steven said and they all agreed, I remained silent just listening in. "A few months back, my Dad and the Gems grounded me from TV." The teens all let out some like of supporting lines. "And then I found out that the Gems are alien rebels and there are other Gems that want us dead because they think we're traitors. And they tried to take me hostage because they think I'm my Mom. And… maybe… I kind of am?" Steven took a deep breath. "I wish I could talk to Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl about it, but I think they kind of blame me for my Mom not being around…"

No one said anything, I had already heard this from Steven but it was still hard to hear. Jenny turned off the radio. "That's heavy…"

"I guess…" Steven said.

"But you always seem to upbeat, you're a real champ Steven Universe." Buck said pulling his shades up, showing his brown eyes.

"I'd do fishing in a heartbeat if it meant not dealing with, that!" Sour Cream pointed outside and Jenny stopped the car freaking out.

"What?! What did I hit?! What is it?!" She yelled only to notice that Sour Cream wasn't looking at her.

"Glowing…" He said and we all looked at a green glow in the distance.

"We gotta check it out." Buck said.

"I'm down." Sour Cream said.

"I'm down with that." Jenny said and changed her gears, going into the fields. I could see that something made an impact onto the field creaming a square and then a diamond, with a circle inside of it and something green in the middle.

"That's as bright as like… six hundred glow sticks!" Sour Cream said as we got out of the car and walked closer to it. But the time we got to the pit, I gasped and looked over at Steven. He nodded his head, we saw the green Marble from before. It had dents in it from the impact and was surrounded by rocks.

"Peridot's escape pod…!" Steven said and took a deep breath. "Alright! Everybody stand back! This is a Gem machine and could be extremely dangerous-" He didn't notice that Sour Cream was walking forward with a stone about the size of Kiki's head. "What're you doing?!" Sour Cream threw the rock down and yelled "Boom!" The teens walked down towards it. "Woah! Stop! Peridot might be in there!"

"Peri what?" Buck asked and I walked down with them.

"This biz is empty!" Jenny said. Buck laughed.

"It's so busted." He said and Steven slid down. He picked up Jenny easily and placed her farther away.

"You need to relax!" She said placing her hand up in a stop motion. "It's not doing anything!"

"It's not just the pod! It means Peridot is out there somewhere! Trying to hurt the Earth!" Steven exclaimed.

"Not cool! Earth forever!" Buck said and picked the pod. Sour Cream bent down and grabbed more rocks.

"Here come the rocks!" He said and threw a bunch at the pod, they just rolled off. Jenny took out her phone.

"Steven, come take a selfie with me and this thing." Jenny said.

"No Jenny I'm serious!" Steven said.

"So. Am. I." Jenny said and the guys moved the pod around so that the opening where a Gem would sit was facing us. "Sour Cream, what about you?"

He shrugged. "Sure I'm down with forever."

"Buck?"

"Nah, I'd like to experience the moment for what it is sometimes, plus the lighting is weird."

"Okay… Suha?" They looked over to me and I jumped.

"Wait… you want me… in your… photo?" I asked blushing.

"Of course! Anyone that's cool with Steven is cool with us! We'll post it about our new friend Suha!" Jenny said and placed me near the front. "Steven… last call!" He didn't say anything. "I got funny stickers!"

Jenny started taking different photos. One with just Steven, her and Sour Cream, the three of them and the she moved me over towards Buck. "Alright you two, say cheese!" Buck took off his glasses and put an arm around me. I felt some stress fall off out me and gave her a big smile. "There's a smile!" Then she moved everyone together. She smiled happily. "These are so good!"

"How do we look?" Steven said pulling me into a pose near the opening.

"You guys look great! Look, they right there, I want to take one more-" She gasped. "Steven, Suha, get in it!" We looked at the pod nervously. "Just for a second! One picture!" There was a second where we just looked at it once more and then we climbed in. "Okay…. Ready! Three! Two-" Steven and I took out peace signs and then all of a sudden it turned on. "Oh my gosh! Steven! This is so cool!" Jenny placed her hand on the glass and suddenly Steven brought his hands up and they turned green. We immediately moved forward and I fell back. Next thing you know we were out of the pit and on it's head. "Woah! Steven! How are you doing that?!"
Steven turned us around to face them. "I think it listens to what my hands do! I really shouldn't be playing with this! I have to take this back to the temple immediately! "

"No way! You just got it working!" Jenny said. "Let Suha have a try!" I nervously moved forward and placed my hands on the glass. Next thing you know all of us were messing around with the pod and I found myself having a lot of fun. Every couple minutes Steven and I traded spots, it was a lot of fun and I couldn't help but feel happy I listened to Steven and went with them. Steven ran forward and tried to jump over the haystack only for it to miss and us to fall on the found.

"We're okay!" We called.

"It's not actually so bad if you give it a little-" Steven pushed the side and a black curtain came over it. The pod powered up and we started floating in the air. There was an electric pulse and it sent the teens to the ground.

"Guys?" We yelled and a weird liquid was floating up, we held our breath only to realize that for some reason we could breathe. There were green and white things that were floating up in it. The pod let out energy gems and Steven accidentally touched the side making a flare go up in the shape of a diamond. The pod started chasing the teens around and there was nothing we could do about it.

"Steven! Suha! What's going on!" Jenny yelled.

"Guys! Can you hear me?!" Steven yelled and the Gems appeared a few meters behind the teens, standing in battle formation.

"They think we're Peridot!" I said gripping Steven in fear.

"I knew it! That flare led us right to the escape pod!" Pearl said, her spear drawn.

"What's going on here?!" Amethyst asked angrily, her whip in her right hand. The teens waved their hands and asked for help.

"We'll save you humans!" Pearl yelled and aimed two spears at the pod, I pulled Steven down and we dodged it. "I can't believe it! Peridot's still inside!"

"She's probably weak from the landing! Don't hold back!" Garnet said taking out her gauntlets. They ran over towards us as the teens yelled "No!" Amethyst's whip twisted around the pod. "You've got a lot of nerve taking refuge here! Of all places!" Garnet grabbed the whip and pulled the pod closer.

"Garnet?" Steven and I said in fear.

"I don't know where you get off asking defenseless humans in your beat-up escape pod!" Garnet yelled, pulling it even closer. I grabbed Steven and closed my eyes, my heart felt like it was racing a thousand beats per second and my body was shaking in hear. This is how I die? I could feel tears go down my face as Steven yelled.

"Garnet! Can you hear me! It's me Steven! Garnet!"

"And if you think you're safe here?! I got news for you! You lost!' Garnet pulled as in punching distance and her gauntlets appeared in her right hand, she held it back about to punch the ship.

"Garnet! Garnet! GARNET!" Steven yelled.

"Stay off our planet!" Garnet yelled and aimed a punch at us.

Steven held me in a hug and just as I thought it was over I heard Jenny yell "STOP!" There was a pause. "Steven and Suha's in there…" Another pause, I felt the pod being pulled forward and there was a crack and we fell in the green liquid.

"Steven! Suha!" Pearl yelled and Steven stood up. I was still in shock so I stayed on the ground, my arms clutching my knees and my head down.

"What were you doing in there?!" Amethyst yelled.

"You found Peridot's escape pod and you didn't come get us immediately?! I'd escape this from Suha because she's new but Steven!" Pearl yelled angrily.

"Dude, we almost wrecked you."Amethyst said.

"Steven… Suha… this is unexceptable. I'm very disappointed in you." Garnet said. At this point I was already crying, both from shock, fear and being disappointed in myself.

"You're right… I'm sorry…" Steven said.

"Cut them some slack!" Jenny yelled and the teens ran over towards us.

"It's not their fault!" Buck said helping me up. I still couldn't face them.

"Just let them be DJs!" Sour Cream yelled.

"Wha-?" Pearl asked confused.

"We just wanted them to have some fun. I don't know what's going on with aliens trying to abduct them and him being his own mom. But it sounds like Steven's got a lot on his mind. I don't even know Suha and I can tell she's not doing so well either."

"I'm sure what you're making them do is important but everyone needs a break one and a while!" Jenny said.

"They're just kids!" Buck said simply.

"Maybe… we have been a little hard on them…" Pearl said looking at Garnet.

"They did just break us out of space jail." Amethyst said also looking at Garnet.

"Steven you're ungrounded from Steven." Garnet said and Steven ran over and hugged her. Garnet walked over with Steven on her leg and placed a hand on my head. "Suha, I know this has been hard on Steven, and I can't be sure how you're doing. You don't know us that well and I'm sure you're scared. I'm, no we're all sorry."

Garnet picked me off the ground and I put my arms around her neck. I wiped away my tears as we took some more photos. Once we were done I felt a hand on my head and saw it was Pearl. I must've looked really shocked because she looked away embarrassed.

"Sorry…" Pearl said and I gave her a small smile.

"Alright! All of you together!" Jenny said and Garnet place dme down. Garnet bent down and Steven and I got in the middle, with Amethyst on Steven's side and Pearl on my, also crouching down. I looked around.

'It's not easy living with them, but I can tell it's getting better.'

"Cheese!" We said together and the photo was taken.