Yowie wowie! It's been a while since I've updated this (or ...any of my stuff, for that matter), hasn't it? My deepest apologies for that. All of this stuff with the coronavirus + Steven Universe finally coming to an end after so many awesome years + self-quarantining driving me nuts + a host of other things = my head hasn't exactly been in the best of places. ...So, somehow, my brain is slowly kicking back into writing mode, meaning updates shall return! So, I'd like to say Thanks so much for hanging in there on this.
Now, just a slight recap of what happened last chapter: Bayley wakes up after getting attacked by a Gem serpent with no memory of how she managed to get our of its coils. After a talk with Roman, Bayley, along with Sami and Becky, all find out that Rosey Paws is in fact a Gem Beast herself. And seeing the three youths all of accepting of Rosey Paws and her new form has Roman pleased and feeling in the mood to give a Gem lesson.
And now, here's the long time coming end of the 'Can I Keep Her' arc. I hope you all enjoy it, and I hope it was worth the freakishly long wait. =)
(Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for any Falcon Punched feels or blood sugar spikes. I only write I feel works for the chapter.)
Having taken care of the Gem serpent, Seth and Sasha made their way back home to see if everything was okay back there.
"Thank goodness we were able to stop that serpent before it made its way to the town," Sasha said.
"Indeed," Seth agreed. "It would've been a disaster if it made its way into town."
"I guess the big question now is what caused those two serpents to break out of their bubbles," Sasha pondered, looking at the encased light green Gem Seth was holding.
"I'm not sure. Unless we may need to double-bubble these, I don't know what could've caused this to happen," Seth wondered as he looked at the Gem.
"I guess this is something we'll have to figure out when we get back home," Sasha said.
Nodding, Seth and Sasha began their walk up the hill. Having reached the house, the two Gems headed inside to be treated to-
"So, you mean to tell me that your cousin, uncles, and dad have all been alive for a long time?" an amazed Becky asked.
"Well, Roman's technically one of my uncles, too, but yeah. They've all been alive for a long time," Bayley nodded.
"And you guys are all like superheroes?" Becky asked, looking up at the dark-haired man.
"That's one way of looking at it," Roman chuckled at the younger girl's curiosity. "We've been protecting this town from the monsters you saw for a very long time."
"That's so cool," Becky said, a smile on her face. Turning to look at Bayley, Becky asked "Bayley. Why is it that you never told us about your family before?"
"Well, Becky," Bayley began. "The thing is …my family likes to keep what they really are a secret so that they won't run the risk of scaring humans. It's for everyone's sake that they don't know about what me and my family really are and what we do."
"Oh, I see," Becky nodded in understanding. "I'm guessing that's why you haven't told me or any of the others about all of this."
"Well, I actually already told Sami, but that's because it was a situation like the one we had just a while ago," Bayley admitted. "Outside of him, and my real dad, to my knowledge, you're the only other human that knows about what we really are."
"And I'm guessing you guys'll want me to keep your secret?" Becky asked.
"It would be for the best if you kept this secret," Roman nodded.
"I understand," Becky nodded. "Well, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."
"Thanks, Becky," Bayley smiled before giving the other girl a hug.
Smiling at the sight before him, Roman said "Do you have any other questions for today, Becky?"
"No, sir, not today," Becky shook her head. "If anythin', I feel like I need to let all of this info sink in."
"That's understandable," Roman nodded before he turned to Bayley. "How about you, Bayley? Do you have any questions?"
"Yeah, I do," Bayley said. "I know this may get a No, but ...can I keep Rosey Paws as a pet?" Looking up at the Gem, who had since been joined by Seth and Sasha, she continued. "I can tell that you're probably gonna say No, but can I please keep her? She's a stray, and you saw what she can do, Ro. I don't think it'd be a good idea to let a fellow Gem just roam around alone. So, ...why not let me keep her and let her join our family?"
As the three older Gems listened to Bayley's speech and then saw her pet the cat-Rosey Paws-that had climbed up into her lap, they shared a look that seemed to mirror the same thing.
"Yes," Seth nodded.
Looking up in surprise at the answer, Bayley said "Wait. Really?"
"Yeah," Seth said.
"To expand on what Seth said, yes you can keep the cat. With all of the reasons you pointed out, it only seems right. Besides, little Rosey Paws is going to need someone to help keep it fed and clean. And someone to love it," Roman said with a smile.
"Wow, I don't know what to say, except...Thanks a lot, guys," Bayley smiled as she could hear Rosey Paws give a happy meow.
"Aww, that's awesome, Bayley," Becky smiled. "Looks like the stray Rosey Paws has finally found a purrfect home."
"It sure seems like it," Bayley agreed as she laughed at Becky's pun. Holding Rosey Paws up, Bayley smiled before saying "Welcome to the family, Rosey Paws."
Hearing what the child just said, Rosey Paws let out a happy "Myaa!"
The talking among everyone went on for a bit longer until it was time for Sami and Becky to leave.
"Well, what a day this has been," Sasha said later that night.
"I'll say," Dean agreed. "I mean, what are the odds that we had to deal with two Gem serpents breaking out of their bubbles?"
"Fairly high, which is odd," Seth said. "Nothing's broken out before, so I wonder what could've caused the serpents to escape."
"Who knows? All I can suggest we do is reinforce the bubbles and hope this doesn't happen again," Roman suggested.
"That sounds like the best thing we can do to prevent something like this from happening again," Seth agreed as he rose from his seat with Sasha and the others following him.
As the Gems downstairs went about ensuring that there wouldn't be any more cracked bubbles in the future, Bayley sat on her bed as she watched Rosey Paws wander around her bedroom. It still surprised the ponytailed brunette that her day began with her finding this stray cat and ending with said stray cat-that is also a fellow Gem warrior-becoming a member of her family. 'Welcome to our family, Rosey Paws. It's going to be awesome having you here with us,' Bayley thought with a smile.
And after the unintentional hiatus, we have reached the end of the 'Can I Keep Her?' arc. Looks like we got the answer to that question in Rosey Paws joining the family. So sweet. Now, I already have an idea in mind for what the next arc'll be, so hopefully, I'll be able to start working on it soon. So, until my next update, don't forget to R&R please. =)
(Like I said up top, Thanks so much for hanging in there on this story. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy out there. Don't be a Covidiot. Always wash your hands, cover your coughs and sneezes, maintain a safe distance between yourself and others while you're out in public, and make sure to wear the appropriate type of mask when out in public if you're required to do so. ...And, sorry if I sounded like a naggy parent there. ^^, *sends out love to you all out there* )
