Note: Takes place three days after "Greg the Babysitter"
You don't work as a florist without learning to pay attention to the seasons. Like right now. The air was cooling, the daylight hours weren't as long anymore, and some of the kids were starting to get antsy about school starting. Definitely late summer.
In which case, best to get the flowers switched out.
But first, better check on the tea. Hmm, not boiling yet but getting there.
Anyway, some silver artemisa and blue sedum should do nicely. Did they still have some in the back? Marcus checked the greenhouse room to make sure. Yep, perfect!
Ding-a-ling-a-ling!
Oh, better answer that!
After smoothing back his thinning hair, Marcus swiveled around with an star-swooning smile and wheeled his way into the store with his typical flourish.
"Welcome to Flores and Gardening! How may I be of...," the man's question trailed into confused silence at the sight of Garnet, whose curvaceous figure struck a rather fitting complement to the blues and light greens in the display. The subtle unease that radiated off her made Marcus think twice about taking her picture.
The shop owner recovered with a smooth ahem and schooled a concerned yet no less charming smile. "Miss Garnet! A pleasure to have you here visiting us, although I would have expected you to have company like last time. I hope our little sparkplug hasn't been causing trouble."
Garnet remained silent for a time, as if debating whether to tell, then shook her head. "Not...intentionally."
Marcus finally surrendered his businessman's façade in place of a frown and furrowed brow. Garnet took a step forward.
"It's about Amethyst. We haven't seen or heard from her since she left to check on Amber and Peridot at the barn a few days ago."
"Ah." Marcus stroked his soul patch thoughtfully as he leaned back in his wheelchair, "and you were hopin' to get a hold of our little lemon drop, ask her if she's seen our residential sour grape." At Garnet's succinct nod, he shrugged his shoulders apologetically. "Lo siento, but she left this mornin' to see that kid with the pointy do."
"Peridot."
Marcus snapped his fingers as if to say 'bingo'. "That's the one! Been hanging out a lot lately, those two," he stroked his chin some more, eyes distant, before shaking his head, "anyway, if you want a hold o' her, you best try the barn."
Garnet nodded. "Thank you, but I thought one of you might have some clue to where Amethyst could be instead."
Oh. Well hello, unexpected twist for today.
Rubbing the back of his head and then his nape, Marcus pursed his lips. "That figures," he threw his hands back with the face of a man who had his hands all tied, "Mío is all out today 'cept for yours truly."
Humming, the red-and-purple fusion looked off to the side, contemplative about her next move. "I see," the faint worry behind her stoic tone did not go overlooked. She faced Marcus again. "Thanks you," then she turned to leave, "Sorry for taking your time."
Suddenly, Marcus started waving his hands in the air like a maniac, trying to get her attention. "Whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa! Not so fast there, Señora Doble." He waited for Garnet to stop and look back at him. "Now correct my old man ears if they're wrong, but I couldn't help detect a bit of frustration when ya said 'intentionally'."
The visors didn't show, but Marcus bet fifty dollars that all three of the eyes underneath it widened at his observation. That slight parting of her mouth confirmed enough. With a wave of his hand and a comforting smile, the florist gestured to the door at the end of the hallway.
Once again, Garnet pursed her lips. For a moment, the fusion seemed as if she would decline, but then with a resigned sigh allowed Marcus to lead her outside.
Seated out on the back porch of the shop a few minutes later, the flower shop owner in his wheelchair and Garnet in a purple lawn chair, the pair watched the Sun's illusory movements, the white clouds soaking the blue of the sky like big cotton balls. Neither of them made a sound for a while aside from the occasional sip from their cups of peach mango tea.
At last, the Crystal Gem leader set her beverage down on the cheap plastic table between them before interlacing her fingers and setting her chin on them. She regarded the sky with a critical gaze.
"Amber told Amethyst."
Marcus leaned forward, face curious. "About her birthright or about Beta?" The middle-aged man felt the fusion's eyes on him, a silent yet curious stare that more commanded than requested he share everything he knew. The Peruvian tsked as he leaned back. "Señorita, you gotta remember. You, Perla, and Rosa weren't the only veterans living amongst humans."
He shrugged his shoulders in a 'what can you do' way. "Consderin' her position, our little starlight needed some way to vent her feelings about the war." He subconsciously rubbed the top of his left calf while his eyes drifted off into space with a dark sadness, a look Garnet recognized and related to all too well. "Then again, who doesn't?"
The sound of fists tightening simmered into the rising heat as Garnet looked away. Although her face remained impassive as ever, Marcus didn't miss the Crystal Gem leader's sharp inhale.
"Amber's not used to talking to us. I get that. But..."
Marcus nodded and continued for her, voice gentle and empathetic. "But you don't get how she could just go behind your back and steal your obligation to tell Amy the truth." The Flores patriarch took another sip then returned his gaze to the sky. The sun had almost reached the noon position. He looked back at Garnet with a soft expression.
"If you wanna rant about how Sparky took away you guys' right to tell her, I ain't gonna judge."
What comes next happens so fluidly that Marcus needs a moment to register it. Once he does, he realizes 'it' turned out to be Garnet defusing into her component selves, Sapphire left calmly sitting in the fusion's place while Ruby hops to the ground and proceeds to pace back and forth with crossed arms, grumbling all the while.
Well at least she wasn't burning holes into the ground like at Keystone Motel, as Greg once told Marcus and Uma during Stevonnie's face-off with Kevin. Still, the crimson stone looked significantly ticked, evidenced by the steam literally flying off her ears.
"...can't believe her...just telling her without telling us...now she probably hates us, too...it's like Rose all over again..."
Ruby's voice started to crack at the end, as if she were about to cry. Not cry out of frustration, just cry. Marcus felt his insides ache at how helpless she sounded. Before he could think of any comforting words, Sapphire abandoned her chair, walked up to her partner, and grabbed her shoulders to stop the pacing. Ruby stared back, wide-eyed more out of nervousness than shock.
Sapphire took her lover's face in her gloved hands. "You know that's not true. As much she has a right to be upset at us for keeping the truth from her, what she truly hates is the way we've treated her, not us."
"Even after all the stuff we put into her head about her being the only 'good' Gem to come out of Alpha?" Ruby did not retort this statement. Just stated it in a resigned tone, as though admitting a painful truth. Which she was.
Sapphire rightfully flinched away and clenched her hands like Garnet had, head tilted down.
Bad choice of words. Ruby blushed and shifted her gaze to the concrete. "Sorry."
"No." Sapphire was quick to regain herself. "You're right. We've based our treatment of her off of our own assumptions, many of which sprang from our experiences from the war," her hidden gaze reverted to the ground as well, "not to mention the bits of Homeworld still in us."
"Maybe we just didn't wanna be reminded of what happened to all those Quartzes," Ruby offered, "We didn't wanna think about how she could've turned out."
Sapphire sighed, acquiescing to reality. Sometimes she questioned whether Rose ever noticed how the Quartzes that betrayed Homeworld felt, whether she ever did anything to alleviate their anguish.
The blue seer knew the truth, though, and that was what hurt the most. Yet she also knew this truth: Amethyst was and would always be a Quartz, no matter what anyone else said otherwise. And if the futures Garnet had seen regarding Amethyst and her emotional state were any indication, then the full weight of the whip-slinger's heritage might come full circle sooner than the others feared.
"We can't deny the truth, no matter how much we dislike it. Besides," the former aristocrat looked back to Ruby, "that sort of treatment is what Amber's life once entailed, too. Is it any wonder she told her?"
Feeling her anger crumple inward, Ruby curled her arms in even further to cradle herself. Stars, she felt lower than the dirt she came out of. How could they ever forget that part of their lost friend's life?
Well, Rose did.
Negative thoughts of their departed leader coaxed tears that Ruby hastened to wipe away. "So what, do we hijack a time machine so we go back and threaten our past selves into being nicer to Amethyst...and maybe to Amber, too, while we're at it?"
Despite everything, that half-serious reverie got a halfhearted chuckle out of Sapphire. Ruby felt a weak smile creep up despite herself and rubbed her nape bashfully. The red Gem then noticed Marcus merrily lounging back, eyes trained on the heavens. Ruby knew better, though, and she knew Sapphire knew, too.
"Uh, sorry about that," the red brawler apologized with a blush.
Marcus turned to the lithomorph with a questioning hum, only to wave a dismissive hand. "Oh please, giving women space while they have an emotional vent session is one of my specialties."
Ruby found herself chuckling a little, thankful for Marcus' penchant towards jokes.
Sapphire hummed back in likewise amusement, still smiling. "Regardless, thank you for that. At least when we see either of them again, it will be with a clearer head. And if you see Amber—"
"Tell her we won't roast her too much for telling Amethyst about where she and Jasper came from," Ruby continued with a smile, which suddenly switched to a smirk, "although we're definitely gonna grill her about not telling us about telling her." If the rest of them had to be held accountable for keeping secrets from each other, so did that little cheeseball.
Marcus snickered at that promise of admonishment and flashed a hearty thumbs-up. "I'll be sure to pass on the message. Or warning, depending on your preference."
As he spoke, Ruby and Sapphire rejoined into Garnet, who returned the gesture with a genuine smile. "Thanks. And Marcus...," the fusion's face became somber, "If you see a large, orange Gem with white hair and red stripes, stay clear of her. She has no interest in humans, but she isn't the type to concern herself with collateral damage either."
"Watch out for big, scary beef mama. Got it."
Garnet gave one final thumbs-up and smile before launching upward. Marcus watched her disappear out of view before turning his head to the horizon and tending back to his drink.
He batted no eye as a violet tabby stepped out from the shadows of the greenhouse behind him and hopped into his lap, where she curled into a ball, bushy tail hiding her morose expression.
"Thanks," she murmured feebly.
Marcus stroked her back. "Don't mention it."
Calm settled around them.