Connie sat in her room quietly talking with Steven on the phone: "Yeah. And then she forced Lapis to fuse…. Yeah, I know, I know it's crazy, but what can I do? They won't talk to each other at all!... Of course you can come over tomorrow,
you're the only company I have right now." The warp suddenly came up and Connie whispered, "Got to go."

She ran down to see Peri. "Peridot! Peridot! You're back! Where have you been?"

Peridot gave a nervous laugh, "Oh, just looking for that meddlesome pearl!... For three days straight!" Connie bit her lip. Peridot sighed, "Where's Lapis?"

"She's been in her room this whole time…" Connie explained. Peridot frowned and tilted her head, "Why is the ground shaking?"

The door suddenly slammed off its hidges and Connie gasped in fear. Jasper walked in silent and glared down at Peridot, "You're back."

"Heh, heh, yes! Yes I am! I was looking for Pearl and I-" Jasper walked past her and to the temple door. She roughly knocked on it, "Lapis, you can come out now, I need to talk with you!" She said with a forced smile and
sing song voice.

"No! I'm not coming out and I am not fusing with you again! You're insane!" Lapis yelled from inside.

Jasper gave a growl when suddenly, Doug walked in. He looked around at the open door frame and then at the gems, "Um…. Is this a bad time?"

"This is the worst time, Doug. Now go away." Peridot huffed, shooing him away. Connie ran to him and hugged him, "Dad! I packed my stuff!"

Peridot frowned, "What?"

"Oh, er, Dad's going to the Keystone state, to get some flashlights, even though they really burn… and I'm joining him at a motel… and staying a few nights at his house after that…" Connie murmured, heaving her backpack on.

"I'm coming too." They turned to Jasper.

"Er, t-that's okay, it's not too great." Connie struggled out.

The temple door opened and Lapis walked out, "... I'm sure it's fine. Can I come too?"

Connie glanced at her dad for help. "Er… Well…" Doug started. Connie glanced between the two, they both looked so lost and broken…

"Of course you two can come." Connie smiled weakly.

"And what, I'll just stay here?" They all looked at Peridot, "Ok, I'll just stay here! Have fun."

They were finally at the motel after a long and a silent car ride. Connie ran to the bed but hesitated before jumping in, "Dad? Do you think there's any bed bugs in here?"

Doug looked up after Lapis had sat down on the bed silent and Jasper had brought in all the luggage. "I'll check." He walked up and checked for bugs while Jasper started at Lapis, as if daring her to turn around.

"Good news everyone, we officially have no bugs!" Doug grinned. His phone lit up and he smiled, "Gotta go, get those flashlights! If I'm not back in a hour," he said, opening the door, "call me."

"Got you on speed dial!" Connie smiled. "I love you!"

"Love you too!" The door shut and Connie glanced at Lapis and Jasper. "You guys okay?" There was silence until, "You know, I'm never forgiving Peri, right?"

Lapis gave a sigh, "You have to, Jasper, she made a mistake, move on."

"Urgh!" Jasper yelled, grabbing her wrist and pulling Lapis around to look at her, "Can't you just face me anymore?!"

"Stop being so dramatic! I know why you did it!" Lapis snarled, "I know part of you fused with Peridot so you could make me jealous!"

Jasper looked defeated, "I…. you… LITTLE BRAT!" She shoved Lapis aside and slammed out the door. Lapis glanced at Connie, "Sorry…"

Connie went outside in her swimming suit and saw Jasper pacing back and forth, muttering, "Stupid Peridot. Stupid Lapis!"

"Jasper?" Connie whispered. The hulking gem suddenly picked up a large rock on the side and threw it at the pool, "How do you like that?!"

The pool suddenly hurtled the rock right back into her and Lapis' face formed, "You need to focus! Pearl's out there, looking for Connie! You-"

Jasper gave a growl and slammed down to sit on the concrete.

"Um… anything you should maybe talk about to Lapis?" Connie whispered.

Jasper glared at her, "No."

"You sure?"

"Yes!" Jasper picked Connie up by the waist and threw her into the pool. The girl gave a suprised giggle as she cannonballed into the water. A fist wrapped around her made out of water and put her back on the surface. The water went out
of her hair and suit and it patted her on the head. It pushed her to the motel door and she got it's point. She opened the door and saw Lapis had her head hanging limp with a dark look in her eyes. Water seemed to flare around her as it went back
and forth in her aggression.

"Lapis? Are you alright?" Connie asked tentatively.

"C-Connie! I didn't notice you come in.. I'm alright." Lapis said in a high voice. "Just… fine." The water went into ice for a moment and then melted back. Connie slowly got on her bed and whispered, "Thanks for drying
me off."

Lapis gave a small nod, "Yep."

"Er… want to watch some TV with me?" Connie asked. Lapis gave a small nod, "Sure…"

The TV flicked on and Connie looked at it with little focus, "Did she always force you to fuse into Malicite?"

Lapis started in surprise, "Huh? Oh… not at first…" She looked at Connie with nervousness but then smiled weakly, "Come on, let me show you something."

Lapis lead Connie to the pool and Lapis checked around for Jasper. All they saw was a large dent that went a few feet down, Jasper must have pounded it out of anger. As for the gen herself, she was gone. Connie looked around worriedly, "Where
did she go?"

"Wherever she is, we both know she can protect herself." Lapis whispered, collapsing into a sitting position with her legs curled up underneath her. Connie walked up beside her at sat down. Lapis gave a sigh and the water from the
pool lifted up.
It widened and went down around Connie and its mistress like a dome. The past seemed to appear around Connie and she twisted around in amazement. They were in the strawberry battlefield with all the strawberries gone, not yet grown. Connie glanced beside
her and gasped. Right beside her was her mother, how tall she was compared to her little daughter… She then heard Lapis speak, "The first time we did fused… it was my first time ever trusting my light to anyone," Connie saw a young Lapis
with her hair in a bun and a silk blue dress ran in and lightly twirled right into Jasper's arms. The big gem lifted her. "I was scared, and that was what first made Malachite so unstable, and made her… horrible." The present Lapis whispered.
They vanished and Malachite appeared… She faded away and for a moment… it was still…

Connie glanced at Lapis and softly asked, "What happened after that?"

"Jasper felt the power and strength of Malachite, and… well, she felt like she was the most powerful being in the world." The world appeared again and they were now in a cave, the Temps old home. Young Lapis warped in and at that
moment, Jasper came out of the temple door. "In secret, she often begged me to fuse again," Jasper walked up and grabbed Lapis' hand, saying something in desperation. Lapis pulled away and sadly shook her head. "but I always refused…
Then, she started forcing me to."

Connie was shocked. How could Jasper do that? "How did you get her to stop?"

Lapis gave a tiny smile and glanced at her, "You stopped her, Connie. When Jasper met your dad, she started to calm her obsession, seeing as Yellow started to love him. And… when you came, she stopped all together, knowing there would
be no one to stop us if Yellow wasn't there. Besides, we all wanted you to grow in a happy home. I'm sorry you had to see what you did."

Connie bit her lip, "Oh… it's okay."

They suddenly heard Doug's voice calling out for his daughter and Lapis let the water flow back into the pool. Connie ran to her father while Lapis walked over without the usual greeting. Doug glanced between them, "Is something wrong?
Where's Jasper?"

"Don't know." Connie sighed. Lapis walked back in the room without speaking

"It okay, sweetheart." Doug said, walking to his car. They both hopped up on the hood of the car and Doug gave Connie her dinner. Connie opened her box and frowned, "Where's the vegetables?"

Doug glanced at the pasta and gave a laugh, "Not all pastas need vegetables, treat yourself."

Connie twirled her fork around and then whispered, "Will Lapis and Jasper be okay?"

"Sometimes, people who care about each other can hurt each other…" Doug sighed.

"I hope they can work it out…. if only Malicite was made of trust, then we wouldn't have this problem!" Connie huffed.

"Everything will be better in the morning." Doug promised. "We'll all go to the best breakfast in the world at the diner tomorrow."

Connie smiled softly, "... I don't think breakfast can fix this…"

"Eh, it's worth a shot." Doug grinned, nudging her.

The next morning, Jasper and Lapis were already fighting while they waited for breakfast.

"You told Connie?! Are you nuts?!" Jasper cried.

Lapis' eyes flashed in anger, "You're the insane one! You forced me to fuse!"

"I did it to stop Pearl-"

"That wasn't Pearl and if you could've just stopped being lazy and arrogant, maybe we would've done it better!"

"Oh, what? The slow way?!"

Connie and Doug watched with nervous faces. The waitress quickly served their plates and rushed away from the feud. Connie hestatly ate.

Jasper shoveled down food and Lapis picked at her food. Jasper glared at her, "You're not eating."

"So what?" Lapis snapped.

"You like eating!" Jasper growled.

"Quiet! You barely know me anymore!"

"I know you like the back of my hand! I know you've always been a whiny, scared brat who had so much power when fused but never wanted to use it!"

"You're obsessed!"

"STOP IT!" They turned to Connie who's eyes were burning with anger. She ran out of the dinner in sadness leaving Jasper and Lapis to look at each other.

Connie sat on a hill behind the diner when Lapis and Jasper ran to her.

"Kid, you okay?" Jasper asked.

Connie gave a laugh, "Am I okay? Am I okay?!" She snapped her head to them in anger, "No! No, I'm not okay! Home's been awful! Here's been awful! To be honest, I didn't even want to bring you until I thought you might make
up! I don't understand!" She looked at the ground. "Is it- is it me?"

"What?... Connie, no… no, no, no, no!" Lapis whispered, "It's us!"

"... It's not your fault, kiddo." Jasper sighed. "I was just being stupid and angry."

"I don't think you're stupid!" Lapis blurted out, tears in her eyes. "I was angry enough to hurtle a rock at your face!"

Jasper smiled softly, "There it is."

"What?"

"The passion." Jasper answered, taking Lapis' hands and they started to walk in a slow dance. "The passion is the thing I like the most about you. Malicite would be nothing without it."

"More of the reason I should keep it hidden." Lapis sighed. She then glanced up with a look of curiousness, "Do… Do you think… we could make a peaceful Malicite? If I wasn't scared and you weren't angry and we were… happy as
we are now?"

Jasper looked suprised but then grinned, "One way to find out." She twirled Lapis suddenly and dipped her. Connie gasped in suprise as Malicite appeared before her. The fusion didn't look evil, she looked confused. "Is…. Is
this who I've been meant to be this whole time? I feel so right… I feel so…" She looked down at Connie and smiled softly, "Nice to see you again, kiddo… Like the real me?"

Connie stared up, dumbfounded.

Malicite laughed, "That's okay…." She then smiled softly, "If Jasper could forgive Lapis and Lapis forgive Jasper after all these years… and I'm here, who's to say she won't forgive Peridot?" She then vanished, leaving
Lapis revealed to be hugging Jasper and Jasper looking shocked. Connie shook her head to get out of her trance and ran to them.

"I loved her." Was all Connie whispered.

Doug walked out and saw the happy scene. He tilted his head, "Well, well, ready to go home?"

"Ready." Lapis and Jasper said together. Connie grinned.

Connie opened the door and called out, "We're home!"

Peridot jumped in suprise and saw Jasper and Lapis next to each other. "Ah! You're home!"

Connie nodded, "... Malicite showed up too."

Peridot gave a squeal, "What?! Jasper, did you-!"

Lapis held her hand out to stop her, "She didn't."

Jasper walked stoically on and Peridot sputtered, wanting an explanation. "Not now." Jasper grunted. Lapis sat down beside Peridot and whispered, "She'll come around… she has to me."

I got a review saying I needed to be more original, so tell me what you think of this more original chapter!