And just as I promised, a new chapter up and ready for all of you.

next chapter will take a little longer since I've been planning for some cool things in this story, and basically brainstorming up how I want to go forward with everything.

But just like usual, leave a review telling me what you thought of this chapter and what you'd think will happen next.

Enjoy!

Eyes opening I began to see the same blur take over my vision, but unlike before I felt a sharp pain take over my body as I tried to move.

Wincing in pain quietly, I grabbed hold of my left arm, but to my surprise a thick cloth like material was covering it.

Slowly lifting myself up I started looking around to see where I was. Squinting my eyes I saw three differing colours stand ahead of me as neither of which had noticed me, each however talking aloud worryingly.

"How could have one those things get so close to the city? Let alone inside of it!" Pearl's voice called out as she failed to contain whatever worry she felt.

"I don't know!" Shrieked Amethyst's with the same sound of worry escaping her mouth, but surprisingly a low aggressive growl was let out slightly as she began to change from worry to anger.

"We should just get out there and 'poof' some of them for some payback." She sneered threateningly, leaving a strong emphasis of one key word.

"No." Garnet said flatly causing Amethyst to quickly grow silent, this though gave Garnet enough to to speak up once more.

"Before we do anything more I feel like we have some explaining to do." Just as I heard this, I felt a strong gaze fall on me before a collective gasp could be heard among the two others.

"Matthew!"

"Matty!"

Called out both other Gems, feeling pulled back from the sudden attention I couldn't help but try squint to just try see the three.

"Hey..." I said softly, feeling cornered I tried to lift my left hand to my neck on reflex, but instead was met with a strong burning pain flaring up.

"Agh!" Taking hold of the side of my arm I reeled back in pain as each Gem let out a worried gasp.

"Matthew!" Pearl cried out, reaching me first as she held onto my arm, supporting it as she tentatively looked over it and the bandages.

"Matty, hows your arm?" Amethyst asked with a similar look of worry, this was changed quickly to that of deep thought.

"Are we going to have to do that thing were we chop it off?" She said to herself as my body and mind tensed up at the very thought.

"Amethyst, that's called an amputation." Pearl retorted in a matter of factly tone, this made me look between the two as I my own worries began to rise up.

"And it's completely unnecessary, aside from some burns and bruises along his arm it should heal with some time." Hearing her say this caused me to let out a sigh of relief, then just as quickly I winced in pain as pearl began to tighten my bandages.

"Sorry about that." She said with an apologetic smile. Looking down at her, then to my bandaged arm, the same haze as before began to take hold as I tried to remember what had happened before.

"Thanks, it feels a lot better." I said to Pearl appreciating the fairly well done medical care.

"But how'd I get here anyway..." I said asking myself, trying to recall what had happened the night before, my mind tracing its steps as the fog in my mind began to clear.

"All I remember was going out for some pizza..." I trailed off each gem looking at me.

"Then getting wrapped up in trying to find-" Eyes widening at the sudden realization, a flooding sense of worry took over as my body shot up as I suddenly stood up.

"Kiki!" I shouted out, but not without the sudden surge of pain trailing down from my arm to my leg which my this point had also been lightly bandaged, reeling back in pain gritting my teeth as I fell back onto the couch.

Reaching out to my burning sides I clenched tightly, the surge of pain gradually lessening as I felt a hand placed on my back as if for support.

"Don't push yourself Matthew." Garnet said from across the room, looking down at me calmly as Pearl supported my reeling body.

"Kiki is perfectly safe, Steven is making sure she gets home safely, and Amethyst and I made sure no Gem mutants were left in the city." She said walking up to me, leaning down as she did so looking at me with a proud smile.

"And you made sure no one else got hurt from our carelessness."

Just from hearing this I couldn't help but look away slightly, where instead of pride or my own shyness taking place, a sense of failure took hold.

"But things would have turned out different, even if you were just a single second late." Hearing this each Gem was left wordless, none knowing what to say to me, but none of them had to say anything as I spoke up again.

"I was pretty much helpless to keep either Kiki or even myself safe..." I trailed off looking at each Gem around me.

"But what happened last night reminds me of that time on the beach where you saved me. No matter how much I wanted to help I knew I would just get in the way."

"Last night was no different, all I could do was run away from that 'Thing' with Kiki, and even when I chose to stay and to try fight it off..." trailing off, taking a look at my arm and leg I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

"This happened." Placing a hand softly on my bandaged arm, emphasizing my injured arm I took a strong look at Garnet, weak smile forming as she held a concerned stare with me.

"For the past week I've been stuck thinking if I could have been more useful, what more could I have done to change my situation." While saying this agitation crept up on my face as yesterday played over again for me, how I couldn't keep Kiki or even myself safe, how just in time the three women around me saved us both, how little I could do.

"I've thought about leaving Beach City entirely..." Looking to each gem I felt the unease of each.

Their faces showed what they couldn't say, that they didn't agree with me, and I knew the people who I had met would agree with them. Sadie, Kiki, Peedee, and Steven all ran though my mind first, the thought that if anything else could happen I wouldn't be ready to help, them or even myself.

Looking up to Garnet as her eyes hid behind her glasses, but even then I knew what I had to do.

"And I thought that, if I left..." I said as a smile took over as Garnet looked to me with surprise; a memory from before rising up.

"I'd be leaving the people who'd need my help." Looking up to Garnet I could only smile, her previous words echoing in my mind.

'Everyone who needs you will be waiting'

As a surprised look formed on her face she quickly turned to pride as a shared smile formed on her own face.

"Wait? Does that mean you won't be leaving!" Amethyst cried out, her face shining with excitement.

"Yeah." I simply replied, looking down to Amethyst then to Pearl, who by this point also held a smile all the while making a single clap and leaving her hands in place.

"Hurray." She lightly cheered, deeply contrasting Amethyst's own excitement, who by this point was literally bouncing around the room.

During the light celebration I didn't notice the footsteps make their way to the front door before they opened widely.

"What's going on?" Steven asked, looking around at the four of us, Amethyst by this point hanging off of a wooden support beam looking down to him.

"Not much really." I said nonchalantly, the light and cheerful mood of the room leaving me relaxed considering the state of my own body.

"It's just that, I'm pretty sure that I'll be staying here for a long while." Saying this caused Steven to look to me with happiness.

"Really!" He exclaimed, jumping in place his excitement began to mirror that of Amethyst's with her quickly noticing. Jumping down from the wooden beams above landing in front of him she looked to him with equal excitement.

"Yeah! Even after all the times he nearly died he still wants to stick around us, isn't that awesome!" She shouted out, this causing the rest of us to come slightly back down from our jovial cheers.

"Oh..." Steven said looking the most worried, his gaze traveling to my arm then to door.

"That seems to happen a lot." Holding his gaze to the door for an extra second he turned to look at me with an half hearted smile, looking to the middle distance between us as if remembering other time this could have happened.

"Hey don't worry about this." I told Steven while motioning to my arm and leg, looking to Steven I couldn't help but smile remembering what I had just told the Gems earlier.

"I have a job here that needs to be done, and if anything else..." I trailed off looking to each of the Gems as each smiled as I did so, then bringing my sights back to Steven.

"I'm really starting to like it here." I cheered my smile growing larger.

"Thanks." Steven said lighting up, his sullen mood disappearing as a thankful glow shone instead.

As the quiet acceptance of my situation hung in the air Steven couldn't help but to look at my injured arm and leg obviously bothered by them.

"Well, I should really fix those now." Looking to Steven I noticed him pointing to my injuries with a confident smile, then with my own confused smile I looked to him as I could only say one simple word.

"What?"