Hello! I'm so sorry for the late update! This doesn't count for March's update, please expect another update at the end of March. Today's chapter is Greg-centered and gives us a little look into some of the new changes that are going to differentiate this AU from canon. We've seen many already, so I hope you enjoy the twist I threw in at the end!

Special shout-out to Roxas and Dimonds! Chatting with you guys always gives me so many ideas!

Moving was a sign of change. For Greg, moving was a sign of change for the better. He had moved away from his family the first chance he got. Sure, life was a little harder afterward, but he was free. All of Greg's decisions, all of his choices, were his to make. And for a young man whose home was a van, that was enough. Then, Steven had been born. He loved his son dearly. Nothing brought him more joy than seeing Steven laugh at his stories or play with his toy ukulele. Nothing made him happier than seeing his son live. Steven had freedom and a family that cared about him. Or, Greg thought they had. That's why, when the gems approached him with their idea of raising him, he hadn't objected. Steven was half gem. He would need to learn about his gem and how to control his powers when they manifested. And Greg knew that Steven would be better off in a house, regardless of how much Greg loved having his son with him. He wanted the best for his son. And maybe he had a hard time that first year Steven moved in with the gems, but he did his best not to let his son see how much it hurt. Greg couldn't count how often he woke up and said good morning, only to realize he lived by himself again. He made up for it by visiting the Beach House whenever he could and assuring Steven that he was welcome to visit the car wash whenever he wanted. Moving meant a change for the better. Greg would do whatever he could to make things better for his new family; that's why he had no issue helping his sons and Peridot move into the barn.

The older man had fallen asleep on the couch while taking a small break from moving junk out of the barn. When he woke up, he almost didn't recognize the place. The barn's main floor had been cleared out of all junk, and it looked like a studio apartment. There was a fully equipped kitchen in the back of the barn. The couch he had slept on was pushed against the wall underneath the left loft. Across from him was a tv, and the area underneath the right loft had two bookcases against the wall, with a desk sitting between them. They were filled with books and his sons' knickknacks from the house. Greg stood up and walked into the middle of the barn. He could see that both lofts had been furnished with two twins beds, one bed each for the current residents. "Wow… I'm amazed they were able to do all this in one night!" Noticing no one else was in the barn, Greg headed outside to look for the others. He was greeted to the sight of his sons gathered around a chalkboard, with Peridot gesturing to it.

"We definitely have enough spare parts to make a drill, but I'm going to need drill heads and a few more tools." Peridot turned to Twoie with a look of determination on her face. "I know that the barn is above the Cluster, but I would like to go to my base at the Kindergarten and double-check the coordinates. It'll make directing the drill easier if I have a set location for the navigator."

Twoie nodded before turning to Ven. "If I remember correctly, there are still gem mutants hanging around the Kindergarten. We should probably accompany Peridot in case they attack her like they did in our time."

Ven stared at him blankly, then shook his head in disagreement. "I will go with Peridot, but you should stay here." At Twoie's look of confusion, Ven summoned a pink prism before making it disappear. "You do not have the same powers in your new state and have no experience in using them. I fear that you will have a hard time preventing yourself from fighting if we are attacked."

The young man froze. "O-oh… You're right." Twoie rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Greg noted the stutter in his son's voice. Something was wrong. "Uh, Steven? Could you go with them? Between you and Ven, the gem mutants shouldn't be a problem."

"No problem! We've got this!" Steven grabbed Peridot and Ven by the hands and dragged them towards the warp pad at the edge of the property. He finally noticed Greg standing outside of the barn door as he was walking away. With a big smile, Steven dashed over and hugged him. "Morning, Dad! What did you think of the barn?"

Greg smiled as he hugged his son back. "It's amazing! I can't believe you guys were able to make it look so good!"

Steven grinned with pride. "Right? I was so surprised when I woke up! Ven, Twoie, and Peridot made it really feel like home. I'll show you around later, okay? We're going on a mission!"

The older man laughed as Ven waved at him before Steven dragged him and Peridot off again. He turned to see Twoie watching them leave. "Hey, Two-ball. How are you feeling?" Greg could see the hurt in his eldest son's eyes.

"I forgot that I'm not part gem right now." Twoie tightly gripped the area above his shirt, wilting from the realization. "What do I do now? I'm just a liability like this, but I don't want to fuse with Ven either. I'd just be using him, and he deserves the chance to have his own experiences."

Greg placed a hand on his son's shoulder. Twoie's words were scaring him. Why did he think he was a liability? He could still fight, even without his gem powers. Greg knew that Steven often accompanied Connie to her sword-fighting lessons. Even Steven's and Twoie's stories gave him the idea that Twoie was a competent fighter. "Hey, now. Don't talk like that. You're not a liability just because you don't have gem powers. Look at Connie; she's not a liability, and she doesn't have powers."

Twoie whirled on his father, brushing his hand off his shoulder. "Yeah, but that's because she's amazing! Connie is strong and talented. She's a great fighter with a sword, and she has Lion to help, but me? The only thing I was good at was using my powers."

"And you're not amazing?" What had happened to his son? What did the gems do to him to make him believe that his only worth was his powers? If Twoie didn't see how amazing he was, then Greg would make him see it. "Twoie, you have the biggest heart I've ever seen. You are always willing to help anyone in need. You care so much about your family that you died for Steven!" It felt surreal to acknowledge that Twoie had died because he was standing in front of him. But his new pink coloring was enough of a reminder of what he had lost. The father noticed his son flinch as he mentioned his death. Greg knew that Twoie would continue having trouble with the new development, but he would never be alone through it. "And you fought gem after gem to protect the earth. You fought in a war to save the earth from being taken over. You are so amazing." Greg hugged Twoie close. "You might think you're nothing special, but you're wrong. You are one-of-a-kind. Even Steven and Ven are different from you, and you're all the same person." He heard his son sniff, and seconds later, Greg could feel his son's shoulders shaking. Twoie cried softly as he hugged him tightly. "I love you, Twoie. I'm so proud of you and everything you've done. Your life has been so hard, so please don't make it harder by beating yourself up for no reason."

The two stood there for a moment, taking comfort in each other. One a father who had lost a son and was so thankful to get him back. The other, a son who had sacrificed everything for his loved ones and was finally beginning to heal. Eventually, Twoie and Greg broke their hug. Twoie wiped his face with his hoodie's sleeve. "Thanks, Dad. You're the best."

Greg was just happy to see his son smiling again. A real smile, not the brave face he put on for his family. "I'll always be here for you. I've finally realized that my stance on gem stuff was wrong. Gem stuff will always be a part of you, Steven, and Ven. If I want to be involved in my sons' lives, then I need to be there for all of it."

Twoie's smile became even wider. "Does that mean you'll still visit often? I know the barn is a lot farther from the car wash than the Beach House was."

The older man nodded. "It's not too far a drive. Besides, most people drive to and from work. When I'm done for the day, I'll drive here to the barn, and then I'll leave earlier to open the car wash." Greg rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "It just means I can't sleep in like I used to. No biggie."

He was surprised when Twoie lunged forward and wrapped him in another hug. "I'm so glad. You don't know how much I wished we could live together like a real family!"

Greg's eyes widened in shock, and he pulled back from the hug. "What do you mean by that?"

Twoie winced when he realized what he accidentally blurted out. "I-I didn't mean to say that." He held his hands out in apology.

The older man figured that Twoie wasn't going to elaborate further. "I'm not mad or anything; I'm just surprised. If you wanted to live with me again, I would've let you move back into the van with me, or I could've made arrangements to stay at the house with you and the gems." He didn't notice Twoie's face scrunch in pain as he continued. "I know they didn't want me living with you guys because of the temple and all of the gem stuff, but I'm sure we could've worked something out."

"That's not what I meant." Greg looked at his son in surprise. Twoie curled in on himself slightly as though he was expecting to get yelled at. "I just… I've always wanted to live like a normal family. You know, go to school, live in a house, have family dinners. Living with you, and then later with the- the gems… I never got the stability I wanted. I've always felt like an outcast."

The single father felt tears spring to his eyes. "Oh, Steven." At the sound of his real name, Twoie looked up. There was so much fear and sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Greg stepped forward and placed his hands on Twoie's shoulders. "Growing up with my parents was awful. Everything I ever wanted to do was considered a waste of time. It was like growing up in a prison. My decisions were made for me, and my interests were ignored and replaced with what they wanted me to like. I wanted you to have what I didn't, freedom." Greg sniffed and wiped some of the tears from his eyes. "I guess I gave you too much freedom, huh?"

Twoie chuckled. "Yeah. I get it, though. You wanted me to have a better life than you had. I've never doubted that you love me, Dad." He looked at his father with curiosity. "I think that's the most you've ever told me about my grandparents. Do you think you could tell me more about them later?"

Greg smiled. "Of course! I don't have many happy stories about them, but I don't mind telling you about them. I could tell you some stories about your Uncle Andy, too! He's a little better than the rest of the family, though he can be a bit rude sometimes."

That made Twoie laugh again. "Let's wait until tonight when Steven and Ven are back. I know they'll want to hear about them as well. For now, I need your help with something."

The older man nodded, though he was confused. "Sure. What do you need help with?"

Twoie flashed him a nervous smile. "Making a new friend. Lion!" Greg was even more confused as a floating pink portal appeared out of thin air before a pink lion jumped out of it. What did Lion have to do with whatever thing they were about to do? Lion took one look at Twoie and whimpered sadly. "Hey, buddy. I'm okay, promise." Twoie chuckled as Lion walked around him, checking to make sure that Twoie was actually okay. "We're alike now." Greg never thought a lion could glare, but that was undoubtedly what Lion was doing. "I really am okay. We're not living at the Beach House anymore, though. We live here now." Lion looked around, then nodded. He purred as he nuzzled Twoie's side. "Thanks, Lion." Twoie brushed his hand through Lion's mane. Greg saw his son flash him one last look before he took a deep breath. Whatever was about to happen, Greg would be there for his son. "Could you do me a favor? I need to go inside your mane for a moment."