The temple was absolutely covered in snow and ice from head to foot, huge flakes had been falling for hours.

In the warm house though, Connie watched the scene with delight. "It's so beautiful outside!"

The Temps were all in with her, Jasper hunkered on the couch while Peridot read a small leather book. Doug was there too, with Priyanka leaning her head on his shoulder. After about a month, the two had reconnected, they weren't anything too serious yet, but they still loved each other's company.

On the floor, Lapis laughed as Meowlon tried her best to catch a little mouse made of snow while Amethyst laid on Pearl's lap, hair spread out, smiling.

"Thank you so much for inviting us two over, Connie." Priyanka smiled gratefully. What she really meant was thanks for inviting her over. She was a new person in Connie's life, who was with her father, and it took a lot for the girl to let her in to her heart.

"Of course! It's snowing like I've never seen, it's magical." Connie whispered, cuddling up to Jasper on the couch who promptly put her hair over her shoulder so the girl could lay comfy.

"It's not the most magical snow you've seen, that's for sure!" Doug chuckled.

Peridot glanced up, looking surprised. "Oh clod, I forgot about that! It was a storm just like this one, and Connie was so tiny!"

"Aw jeez, do we gotta tell that story? We weren't really at our best then." Jasper muttered.

"What story?" Connie gasped, sitting up at once.

Pearl meanwhile went to the oven while Doug exsplained how since Vidalia was out, she had let the father and daughter stay at her place on one of the coldest weeks. The gem took out some frozen cookie dough and kneaded them into balls before placing them in the oven to bake.

She sat back down to see Connie had grabbed her father's gutair, which he had brought just in case. "Dad! Don't forget! We have a deal!"

"What deal?" Priyanka asked with a laugh, seeing the girl shove the gutair into his hands.

"You'll see!" Connie cried.

The man blushed and started to play...

I could never be, I could never be, I could never be ready for this…

On a cold day just like the one on the beach house, a single father rushed home with a bag of groceries in one hand and very large car seat in the other. He dropped the bag and quickly went to work unbuckling the many restraints that kept his precious cargo safe. He undid a small blue scarf and the little baby with poofy brown hair giggled up at him.

I could never be, I could never be, I could never be ready…

Doug happily prepared Connie a bottle, not realizing she had climbed up onto the top of his comfy hair. He was horrified when he did find out.

Things start, and things end. And isn't it lovely in theory…

Doug sat Connie down on the couch and gave her the bottle, letting her grasp at it. He quickly felt the chill of the cold and turned on the heater nearby with his foot, not wanting to disturb the girl.

But, I could never be, I could never be, I could never be ready…

In seconds, she had finished the bottle and drifted off to sleep after giving the sweetest yawn Doug had ever heard. The man smiled down at his little treasure as he placed down the bottle, right onto a picture of Vidalia and a young Sour Cream along with Yellowtail, the boy's new step-father. They all looked so happy, they were all together. Doug gave a sigh, wishing Yellow was there with them. He then drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Doug awoke to the sound of his baby crying and jolted up. "What's wrong?! Do you need fed? Dipper changed? Burped?"

The baby struggled out of her blanket and revealed that all her buttons on her blue onesie were undone.

"Oh! I see." Doug smiled, buttoning it back up. "You're all cold from getting unbuttoned, here you go.."

The girl suddenly fussed again, pulling the buttons off again.

"Does your gem need to… breathe?" Doug whispered in confusion. He sighed and buttoned up the onsie, leaving her top two buttons undone to let her rather large diamond show. "How's that, pumpkin?"

The girl giggled, just as there was a sudden knock at the door.

Doug answered and was suprised to see the Temps. "Oh. I haven't seen you three in a while…"

The gems all looked solem, Jasper staring stone-eyed ahead, Lapis having her arms crossed and eyes narrow, and Peridot looking down at the ground.

"Where is she." Jasper demanded.

"Um, you could've just said hi?" Doug muttered.

The gems looked at each other before looking back to Doug.

"We want to see the child, now." Jasper grunted, pushing past Doug.

Connie saw Jasper and gave a happy gasp, reaching for the woman. Jasper grimaced and sat down beside the baby. "... So. Have you become accustomed to the world yet, weakling?"

The girl looked up confused. She then smiled.

Jasper frowned. "Don't do that, I asked you a simple question, answer me!"

"She won't respond, she can't talk yet." Lapis grumbled, sitting down on the other side of Connie. The baby crawled over and reached up for the gem. Lapis slowly picked her up. "... She really gave up her life for this…. thing."

"That thing is my daughter, and you three should treat her like she's a person. You can call her Connie, that's the name Yellow and I picked out." Doug smiled sadly after glaring.

"Connie…" Lapis muttered softly.

The baby giggled happily.

"I want Yellow back..." The water gem mumbled. "But since she isn't coming, I suppose I'll just have to love you in her place, don't think too much on it."

"Well I won't!"

They turned in surprise to see Peridot glaring down at the baby.

"She took away my Diamond, so I'll never forgive that disgusting creature!" The gem hissed, making Connie whimper.

"Okay, Peri, settle down." Jasper grunted.

"What? I'm saying facts! That child is nothing but a trouble to me, and it'll never be anything more! It is weak, pathetic! It possesses no glory or brains, or beauty as my diamond once did! It just looks like Doug!"

"Do not call my daughter that!" Doug growled in anger.

Connie whimpered louder. Why was the triangle lady and her daddy upset? These three always came to see her, so why were they always sad or angry when they did? She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? The baby suddenly started to huff, upset, and gave a little cry.

"Oh what? You have something to say?" Peridot growled. "Go on, say it! Oh wait, you can't, you're just a silly human nobody!"

The girl suddenly gave a shriek in anger, her gem giving off huge sparks of destabilizing power and a bright yellow glow. The Temps and Doug gasped in shock.

"Yellow!" Jasper cried, immediately snatching up the child. "Guys, she's trying to reform!"

"What?!" Doug gasped, quickly grabbing his daughter back. He definitely did not trust the gems with her organic body yet. "Oh my gosh, honey, are you okay?! What's wrong?!"

"My Diamond wants to speak to us! Give me the child!" Peridot demanded, trying her best to grab Connie back, but Doug would have none of it.

"That doesn't make much sense." Lapis whispered, flying up to look down at the baby. "Connie isn't Yellow, I thought Yellow said she'd just be gone when her baby was here, it isn't her, right?"

"Of course it's her!" Peridot nearly yelled. "My Diamond, please glow if you can hear me!"

Connie didn't glow again, she merely looked at Peridot in confusion.

Doug was about to go into the kitchen when suddenly he pinned to the wall.

Connie started to wail in surprise and Doug looked up to see Jasper staring down at him coldly. "Sorry buddy, we know you're very protective of her and we don't want to have to hurt you because of it, so I'm just gonna knock you out real quick."

"Wait, wha-?!" Doug suddenly fell into darkness from a swift punch to the head.

"Oh my gosh! You knocked my dad out and then kidnapped me?!" Connie cried in horror, scooting away from Jasper.

"Yep. We thought it was the right thing to do at the time, even the knocking out part." Jasper smirked. She glanced at Doug. "Did you know I had always wanted to do that? The look on your face was priceless, man."

"You always wanted to kidnap a child?!" Priyanka asked, looking horrified.

"Nah, always wanted to knock Doug out. He was such a wimp, I knew the face would be priceless."

Lapis smiled nervously. "We never really got a chance to apologize for that, so… we're sorry."

"It's fine now, but at the time, it was the worst feeling in the world waking up alone…"

Doug gave a moan a few seconds later, glad that Jasper had only punched him enough to make him black out, not entirely collapse. He then jolted up in fear, realizing he didn't hear his baby girl. He then realized with a shock that the gems must've took her, and even worse, they forgot the car seat! "CONNIE!"

The man quickly put on his coat and ran out to get in his old junky car, then saw it was gone too. "No… no, no, no!" He scrambled for his phone to call the police only to find it gone, they took his phone?! "TEMPS!"

"Do you think he's really mad at us?" Lapis asked in worry, watching Doug chase after they from behind and cradling Connie.

"That doesn't matter. He's no longer the child's guardian, we are it's only hope." Jasper hissed from the front seat, driving wildly. "She's a powerful gem, not some weak human like I assumed."

Peridot looked back with worry seeing Connie in Lapis' arms. She quickly threw Doug's phone in the backseat and watched Connie look up at her with confusion, as if asking why they had taken her.

"… So, this baby is Yellow." Lapis breathed in surprise, eying the gem. The water gem then looked frightened. "Wait, what if she regrets that she fused?! She's now trapped as this fusion forever! That's so awful!"

"Oh geez, I didn't even think of that!" Jasper cried in horror, quickly grabbing her destabilized from her gem. "Wait, would this thing even work on her?! And what if Yellow was just wanting to let us know she's fine? What if she wants to stay fused? Fusions are kinda nice to stay in if you find the right person, Lapis." She quickly grabbed Connie.

"Hey! I haven't spoken in a while and I want-"

Lapis glared up at Jasper, ignoring Peridot completely and stealing the baby back. "Not here, not now!"

"Why can we never talk about it?! We haven't fused in months, ever since Doug showed up and now the brat's in the way too!" Jasper growled. The car started jerking around every time they flashed back at each other.

"Look out!" Peridot suddenly shrieked.

Jasper glanced back and they all screamed in horror as they plowed straight into a snowbank.

They panted in the cold, Lapis having hugged Connie so tightly that the baby could barely breathe for a split second. The girl then started crying heavily. She wanted to be back with her dad!

"Give me that precious thing, now! She's housing Yellow Diamond, and I must apologize for all I said earlier to her!" Peridot hissed, snatching Connie away.

Doug meanwhile was far away in the snow, still chasing after them. He sucked in cold air, feeling tears prick his eyes. "C-Connie! I should've never let them touch you in the first place!"

He suddenly heard giggling and turned to see a little boy (the mayor's son) talking to a little girl, one of Kofi Pizza's daughters, if memory served Doug right. He looked beside them and saw a dog with a leash, then back to Buck and Jenny who had a sled. "A dog sled… of course! Kids! Hey kids!"

"Stop crying, please! I don't understand why you are so emotional!" Peridot moaned, Connie still sobbing in her arms. She looked down at her gem and the other Temps looked worriedly at each other. "Are you upset that you're trapped, my Diamond? Don't worry… this horrible life form won't bother you once I…"

"Peridot..?" Lapis whispered, seeing the small gem suddenly grab Connie's diamond as the girl suddenly stopped crying, looking up in confusion.

The world seemed to grow darker and colder as Peridot slowly pulled at the diamond.

A whimper in pain suddenly hit the cold air. The gem immediately stopped, though unsure precisely why.

When the searing pain stopped, Connie opened her eyes and looked up solemnly with calm but sad eyes. That had hurt, really hurt. What had she done wrong? Why was she punished just for being there?

"This isn't fair!" Peridot hissed, tears coming to her eyes. "I miss her so much, and it's all this thing's fault so… Why can't I do it?"

"Crystal Temps protect the Earth." Lapis answered softly. "Connie is, to put it simply, part of the Earth.

"But my Diamond, I still want her back! I still don't want this human here instead!" Peridot whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Why did she leave us? W-What does this baby have that I didn't?!"

"It can grow up," Jasper answered after a long pause of silence. "It can… learn, get stronger, or weaker, become sick or bursting with life, but I think Yellow wanted it mostly because… it can change. Gems can't do that, we can't do that."

Lapis took Connie who cooed up at her. The water gem stroked the baby's brown locks and gave a sigh. "This isn't about Yellow Diamond anymore though, it's not about the war, or my past, or," She glanced at Jasper with a regretful look. "even us... Our whole world has to be this little human, and she'll grow up with a safe, happy, and healthy family from now on. Connie is Connie, agreed?"

Jasper nodded, finally letting go of her thoughts of fusion. This baby, their baby, she wouldn't need Malachite in her life, so then neither would Jasper, it was simple. Malachite would never be let around the child until it was safe, at least she hoped.

Peridot still looked at Connie with sorrow but slowly nodded. "I won't like it, but I will protect the child with everything I have."

Connie gave a giggle.

Peridot frowned. "I'll never love you. Don't get hopeful."

There was a sharp knock at the window and they looked over to see Doug, furious at them. They watched a dog sled hurry back home behind him.

Jasper opened the door and Doug crawled in.

He wasted no time in snatching Connie into his arms and kissing her rapidly, making the baby giggle. "Thank the heavens you're alright, sweetheart." He then glared up at the gems. "I ought to arrest you!"

"We're sorry." Jasper replied bluntly. "We thought Connie was her mom and I'll admit..." Jasper glanced at Peridot who shook her head, then turned to Lapis.

"We were wrong." Lapis finished, rolling her eyes. She sighed. "We're not, uh, motherly types at all, so you'll be the one to mainly raise her when she's growing up. We don't know how to raise a human girl…"

"Nether do I." Doug admitted, cuddling Connie. "Much less a human-gem hybrid."

"Then we'll just have to do it together." Jasper grunted. She smiled at Lapis who smiled at Doug who gave the same look to Peri.

The small gem frowned at the man and the baby. "I still hate her for now, and I will despise you my entire forever-going life."

"Nah, one day, you'll give in to our charms!" Doug smirked while Connie playfully stuck out her tongue.

Connie in the present time happily crunched on sugar cookies as the story ended.

"Woo, we were totally wrong about a lot." Jasper smirked, cuddling Connie.

"Especially the changing and growing! You've all grown so much from what you were." Connie whispered happily.

"I guess we have!" Lapis realized with a grin. The day she had decided to care for Connie was the day she got through her deep depression of Yellow's passing, and moved on to finally accepting it. She was afraid that she may have never if Connie hadn't changed her mind.

"I was a jerk back then." Jasper grunted plainly. The room went quiet and she chuckled. "I mean, I took joy in human and enemy gems' pain, kidnapped Connie, called her so many things, forced people to do things.. they just didn't want to, I'm really glad I turned out this amazing in the end."

The room laughed.

Lapis saw the girl was drifting off and sat down beside her. "I think it's time for some little sweetheart to go to bed!"

"Aw, okay!" Connie sighed. She kissed her father goodnight, and hugged the Temps each.

"Sorry I became too attached, Peridot. I know that wasn't part of your plan with not loving me and all." Connie winked, giving Peridot a squeeze.

Peridot gave Connie a gentle peck on the cheek. "I'll always protect you and love you, not because you were my Diamond, but because… you're our baby, always have been, always will be."

Connie climbed up to bed and the Temps waited till she was snoring. The rest of the night, the gems and humans whispered stories of their past to one another. All the gems trusted one another with every secret, all but the smallest gem who sat quietly in the shadows before climbing the stairs to watch her child sleep soundly through the night, determined to keep one secret to her shattering point. Connie would never find out, Peridot promised herself, Connie would never find out what she'd hid to keep her little one safe…

Sorry, this one isn't that origanal, it sticks to the plot too much and is uncreative, but I loved writing it all the same! Next chapter, Connie will finally come to see the one who's been chasing after her mother for so long: Pink Diamond. Are you ready for it?