Connie happily hummed a little tune as she skipped up to the barn with her pink sweater, blue jeans, and a duffel bag on her arm. She was so excited to spend the night with Pearl and Amethyst! But, when she got there, no one seemed to be home… "Pearl? Amethyst! I'm here!"

No answer.

She glanced around when she suddenly noticed a green garden beside her. The girl walked through it, seeing all sorts of fruits like strawberries, some apple and peach saplings planted here and there, and even a watermelon patch! She heard a light humming and saw Pearl tending to some strawberries nearby.

"Oh, Pearl! Hi!" Connie beamed, running up for a hug. Pearl accepted it with surprise, but then smiled.

"How are you, Connie?" She asked, looking down at the girl. Connie saw Amethyst in the background sitting on top of a tree.

"I'm good! Did you guys make all this?" Connie asked in shock.

"Yes! We did!" Pearl said proudly, Amethyst leaping down to her side.

"It's kinda like a Kindergarten, when you think about it." Amethyst smiled, plucking a strawberry off. "Okay little buddy! Who's ready to rock and roll?"

The two full gems stared at it, smiling. When the fruit did no rocking, or rolling, their smiles fell.

"Oh, did you guys think it would come out… talking and moving?" Connie asked in surprise, trying to hide a smile.

"Uh, yeah. It came from the ground." Amethyst answered matter of factly.

Connie gave a sad sigh. "Sorry guys, that's just not how that works…"

"What? But we…" Pearl trailed off, looking around at the field. She shook her head in sadness. "Oh… I just thought it would be lovely to have someone new in our little home."

"Yeah. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it was… kinda nice having another person around, even if it was Garnet. We used to be friends so…" Amethyst trailed off with a shrug. "It just feels weird without a third person.."

"I agree with you." Pearl sighed, taking her hand. "I often feel the same, sometimes even about…"

She saw Amethyst's grimace and decided not to say Rose, knowing how much it upset Amethyst that Pearl had constantly talked about her and even loved her before.

"I just wish it would've worked!" Pearl sighed, looking sadly down at the strawberry. She then glanced at Amethyst with a look of defeat. She then smiled weakly. "But we've still got each other, and I wouldn't trade you for anyone!"

"Aw shucks." Amethyst mumbled with a blush, walking off with Pearl to the barn.

Connie looked after them with a sad smile, glad they got along so well now. But, she knew that even though they had each other, they still missed having a team. She glanced down at the watermelons sadly. "They just wanted the fruit to become thier new roommate and friend, if only they could somehow live." Then, it hit her suddenly. "Wait! I can make them live!"

The girl bent down and picked up a watermelon seed with care. She wet her lips and gently kissed the seed before planting it into the dirt, praying it would work.

The next morning, Amethyst ran through the garden with Connie not far behind her.

"You gotta see it, Connie!" Amethyst cried. "You said we couldn't do it, ha, you dummy!"

Connie laughed and slid to a stop, happy to see that a watermelon had grown, not just any watermelon, but one shaped like a kitten.

"Isn't she the most adorable thing?" Pearl smirked with pride. "We made her, she's our cute little Meow-lon!"

The thing meowed up at Connie happily as Pearl cut her lose for her stem, and then the kitten suddenly ran up to the girl and started rubbing herself on the girl's leg.

"Oh! Um, how odd!" Connie laughed nervously, seeing Amethyst and Pearl looking surprised that their new family had not chosen to stay with them. The girl fibbed quickly. "Must be the watermelon treats in my pocket!"

"This isn't right." Pearl muttered softly, bending down to the kitten. "It's supposed to love us! We brought her to life, we should be like Diamonds to it!"

"Man, this blows." Amethyst groaned in disappointment. "I don't get what we did wrong."

Connie tried her best to shoo and shove the kitten away. "Go to Amethyst and Pearl, kitty! Come on, please?" The kitten suddenly leaped into her arms and purred.

Amethyst looked slightly angry while Pearl looked upset, both have their arms crossed.

"I think she like me because… I was the one who made her." Connie admitted softly, stroking the little thing.

"Oh, of course." Pearl muttered. "Yes, it's reasonable that she'd… she'd love you more!"

"Well, we've got a whole patch full of love!" Amethyst grunted in retaliton. "They might not be alive, but they're still our creations, isn't that right you guys?"

They stared at the patch and Amethyst sighed.

"Aw, come on! I thought maybe they'd wake up by now or something." The Quartz groaned. "Man, why can't they have faces like Connie's does?"

Pearl looked at them sadly as well, before Connie suddenly picked one of them from the ground and placed it down, taking out a trowel.

"Look! I know how to give it a face!" Connie cried, trying to make them feel better. "I'm used to doing this with pumpkins, but watermelons will work the same way!"

The kitten watched confused as Connie suddenly stabbed the trowel into the pet's own kind and started carving out a happy mouth. The confusion faded into horror when Connie made eyes, and then hollowed it out, dumping the seedy remains of her sibling. The girl that the kitten loved so much was a plant murder! The red juice running down on her face and hands said that loud and clear.

The kitten hissed in fear at Connie and jumped into Pearl's arms, suprising them all. She purred contently after glaring at Connie.

"Aw yeah! She totally like us now! Welcome to the family, cool cat!

Connie ran up but the kitten hissed loudly, making her stop. She glanced at the trowel and quickly threw it away, realizing the problem.

Pearl squealed with glee, cuddling the melon. "She's our best friend now! We won't let that twerp anywhere near you, little one!"

They all suddenly heard a car's engine power down and realized it was coming from the barn. They all ran over in worry and then saw a middle-aged woman, looking shocked at the barn outside of her prestige white car.

"What is this?! Some dumb teenagers trespassed on private property! I'm calling the police at once, then I'll let him know about this-!" A teal spear suddenly snatched the phone out of her hands and onto the ground.

"I can't let you do that, human!" Pearl cried, running up to the woman. "I'm sure we can work something out, there is no need to call the town soldiers!"

"Yeah, don't try nothing!" Amethyst growled, taking out her whip.

"Madam, may I ask why you're here?"Connie asked, walking up beside Pearl. She then realized that the woman kinda looked like herself, the same color skin, and a slightly lighter shade of her own hair. She was wearing a white coat too, was she a doctor?

"I'm Dr. Sharma. I don't know who you are, but you can't have this barn!" The doctor sniffed, glowering down at Connie.

The girl got the strange sense to fear this woman, and yet already somehow could relate to how authoritative she was, almost like her own mother. "But, it's their home!"

"Yeah! So step off, nerd!" Amethyst growled while the melon kitten hissed a warning.

"Well, that's uncalled for." The woman growled, glaring at Amethyst. "All I want is you to get of this property! It holds a lot of memories for me and I need to see it's owner at once!"

"Was it yours once?" Connie asked in surprise. "Did you use to live here?"

"Well, no." The doctor admitted with a blush. Her eyes narrowed angrily. "But this place just means a lot and I- Just get me the owner, I'm not in the mood for twenty questions, I just came to find someone."

A few minutes later, Doug drove up in his car with all the other Temps in the back. They all piled out to see this strange woman who had come to their barn.

"What do you want, lady?" Jasper growled, immediately leaping in front of Connie.

Lapis flew over with Peridot on her back and they practically incased the woman, leaving her no room to escape.

"Whoa, you look somewhat like Connie!" Lapis gasped, flying up and touching the woman's hair, making her flinch.

"Young lady, this better not be another time-traveling fiasco!" Peridot muttered to Connie. She then glanced the woman up and down. "No, she's not exactly like you, she just looks similar."

"Who are you people?!" The doctor growled, pushing out of the group. She suddenly bumped straight into Doug, leading her to fall to the ground. She glanced up and looked surprised. "Doug?"

Connie noticed at once that her father was blushing in nervousness and was surprised. Her father knew this woman? Why were they staring at each other like that?

"P-Priyanka!" Doug gasped in surprise. He helped the woman up to her feet and surprisingly pulled her into a gentle and caring embrace.

"You… look the same." The doctor softly said, looking at him up and down as they parted.

"So do you…" Doug answered in a whisper.

"Okay, can anyone explain what's going on right now?" Jasper grunted loudly, interrupting a long stare.

"Everyone, this is Dr. Priyanka Sharma." Doug announced, turning to the confused gems. "She and I grew up together as, um, friends."

Connie noticed the woman narrow her eyes at the word and looked at the girl's father.

"She had to move away after graduating a year early from being a senior with me to go to med school, w-we haven't seen each other in years."

"Dad, why have I never heard about her before?" Connie asked suddenly, stepping forward. "She seems very important to you."

"Wait, did you say… dad?" Priyanka asked. The woman looked at the girl, almost like she was upset she was even there. She looked back at Doug in suprise. "Y-You have… a daughter."

"Yes, I do." Doug muttered softly.

"Right. Well, I feel bad for interrupting you and your daughter and…" She glanced at the five woman who were still huddled around Connie. "um, whichever one is your wife. I better just do what I came to and then leave once we get these two trespassers away from the barn."

Doug arched a brow in confusion while the doctor quickly ran to her car, and then back with some sort of bundle in her hands.

She shoved a leather jacket with a white fur trim on the collar into Doug's arms. "I found this a few months ago while moving into a new apartment… I never returned it, or got to thank you for lending me it that night… Um, may I ask who is your wife?"

"Thank you for the jacket… But Priyanka, my wife passed away when Connie was born." Doug mumbled, putting on the coat.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Doug." The doctor whispered, clasping her hands. "I had no idea…." She glared at Pearl and Amethyst suddenly after a moment of silence. "Doug, those two were trespassing when I arrived! Certainly you can call some officer over here and get this sorted out."

"Oh, no. They live here." Doug grunted, used to the woman changing subject when it came to her feelings.

Priyanka wrinkled her nose in surprise. "Live here?"

"They were my wife's family and needed a place to stay." Doug answered.

"But this was were we always played together, and studied together, and had our first..." She glanced at Connie and then shook her head. "I know it isn't my family barn, I know it belongs to the Mahaswarans, to your parents, but I can't believe you just let these two dest-!"

"Maheswarans?" Connie asked suddenly. She glanced at her dad in confusion. "Dad, if grandma and grandpa owned this barn and they were Maheswarans, does that mean…?"

"Yes." Doug sighed softly. "I changed my last name to Universe."

There was a silence as the rest tried to process this.

"Yeah… I kinda figured." Connie smiled suddenly with a laugh. "I mean, I wanted it to be true, but Universe is a sorta uncommon name!"

"You're not mad?" Doug asked, surprised.

"Well, I am!" Priyanka suddenly interrupted, forcing herself into the touching conversation. "I can't believe you just threw away your family home and your name like that! Now no one will take you seriously, and for what? Some pipe dream of being a rock star?!"

"That's exactly why!" Peridot cried proudly. She then stomped up to the woman and flared up at her. "You've done what you came for, human. You may now leave Doug and Connie alone! They don't need any-!"

"Peri, please don't be rude." Connie muttered, though she also felt the doctor was invading into her home.

"I'm just upset you did all this, without even thinking of your family!" Priyanka glared at Doug.

"We are his family, lady." Jasper muttered menacingly.

"No, his family of… not you people!" Priyanka growled, as if insulted. "The one that I remember! They used to have wonderful parties for every, single holiday with a huge meal and play games and then there was always a dance at the start..." The woman seemed embarrassed at how upset she was and gave a cough. "It doesn't matter."

Connie shoved away her doubts of the woman and gave a sigh, knowing that to the doctor, it clearly did matter. She then smiled. "If you'd like, we can do all that here! We've got plenty of food! I know Dad's the only one you really know at the moment, but at the end, we'll feel just like a family!"

"Knowing this kid, yeah, she'll get you in the family whether you like it or not." Jasper chuckled, eyeing Amethyst and Pearl.

"Please, Dr. Sharma? Please?!" Connie begged, giving one of her charming grins that always convinced people. "It'll be so much fun!"

"It would be nice to catch up." Doug said softly.

Priyanka gave a long sigh and then finally gave her answer, glancing at Doug. "Fine!"

Doug looked after her with an expression of worry as Priyanka walked to her car to get some things.

"Do you think it'll work?" Connie asked her father hopefully. "Do you think she'd be comfortable with Pearl and Amethyst staying?"

"I don't know, those parties meant an awful lot to Priyanka, but I hope it does." Doug answered.

"This is dumb! We shouldn't have to prove anything to that nerd!" Amethyst growled, stomping up to Connie.

"Yes, I agree whole-heartedly." Peridot said, walking up to Doug and Connie.

"But Dr. Sharma grew up with Dad and was practically his family, my family! So, your family too!"

"Gems don't have families, kid." Amethyst whispered coldly. She then smirked. "Normal ones anyway, so you're stuck with us! Now, what's the plan, family woman?"

Connie giggled as the gems hugged her and she started to plan.

Connie, Pearl and Peridot all picked berries together while Amethyst happily shook fruit out of trees.

Priyanka and Doug were in the barn, preparing games and a small dance floor with things from Amethyst's mountain of treasures, and caught up, laughing happily, and thankfully healing what time had hit.

Lapis got into apple trees as Amethyst dealt with peaches and shook all the apples out of one tree simply by ruffling her wings in the branches.

The little melon kitten happily batted the round things around, occasionally getting on top of one like it was a ball of yarn.

"This is gonna be so good." Jasper said to herself, toasting watermelon seeds over an engine of some sort while blue and red lights flickered beside it. Peridot and Pearl had found them somewhere near the barn.

The gems then laid a sheet out on the grass for a picnic dinner, and weighed it down with small pebbles, after Lapis and Pearl had been convinced they didn't have any life in them.

After an hour or so, Priyanka and Doug walked out of the barn to see the gems all hard at work.

The woman smiled, seeing Connie with the help of Lapis make some berry juice. The girl was so kind and welcoming, Priyanka would love to just once to call her family like she had at the old parties with Doug's other loved ones.

She glanced over to see the engine and lights suddenly gasped in horror, running up to it.

"Priyanka, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Doug cried, running after her. The gems gathered around to see the woman turn red in the face.

"This! Your mother's old squad car that she loved so much! You strangers just tore it apart!" Priyanka yelled in anger at the gems. "It was a treasure! Doug is all this town has left to remember her by now! They waited for him to take his mother's place at the station for years, that's how much she meant to the town! Didn't any of you know his mother lived and breathed to protect this city?!"

"Wait, you don't even like that job, dad!" Connie gasped, turning in surprise. "That's why you wanted to be a star, to get out of her shadow! But you had to take responsibility for her job."

Doug weakly nodded. "Right on, honey."

"... I guess we both lived in our moms' shadows for a while." Connie muttered in surprise.

"You! Make something that actually looks digestable!" The doctor ordered Jasper. She swiveled to Peridot and Pearl. "And you two will dismantle this ugly contraction at once!" She then stomped off. "I need to go cool down!"

"Privinka, please!" Doug chased after her while the Temps gathered around Connie.

"Alright, that was pretty rough." The girl admitted. She then made a fist and raised it up to the sky. "We must make the greatest party ever to cheer her up! Like… Like all the best parties from the world mashed into one!"

"Hm… it may be chaos…" Peridot whispered. She then smiled. "I love it. Let's go, party gems!"

Lapis, Connie, and Meowlon waved goodbye as the other gems drove off in the supremo to picked up supplies for the greatest party ever.

I split this into two parts because it's so long! I'm sorry, I've been busy, but winter break is finally here for me! So, do you guys like the newest additions to the cast? Meowlon and Priyanka have been planned for a few months now and I'm so happy you get to meet them!