Garnet hated this part of the job. She walked down the street, hands in the pockets of her jeans, wearing a leather jacket to protect her from the cold. This attire, along with her usual sunglasses, would make anyone think she was part of some greaser street gang... and she might as well be. For the part of the job that Garnet hated was the part where she had to pack up her police uniform and turn it into the station. The police woman was let go.
So one would guess that calling Garnet a police woman would be false information now. She had no badge, no uniform, no gun; everything was taken away. Of course she understood why. She didn't report an immediate crime scene to her superiors, and even went so far as to let the prime suspect get away. Everyone at the precinct loved Amethyst, but that love didn't extent toward her girlfriend.
Even so, the eyewitness account from Sadie Miller helped to clear Peridot's name. A few questions and a lie detector test on Miss Miller improved Peridot's standing, but that still didn't clear her completely. When Garnet mentioned that Peridot was the daughter of multi-millionaire Yellow Diamond, however, they quickly changed their minds. Peridot was pronounced innocent on the spot, and she was never spoken of again. Then the attention turned to Garnet and her criminal actions of assisting a suspect. Even if Peridot got out of going to jail, the court had to punish someone.
A few days of a background check left Garnet with a clean slate. Given that her actions were a lot less punishable than Peridot's, the court decided that the most they could do was strip Garnet of her rank. Oddly enough, she was okay with this. She knew the risks, but she wanted to take them anyway. Friendship was worth a lot more to her than a salary. The question now was: How will she provide for Ruby and Sapphire? She needed a job, and quickly. While she was walking down the street, Garnet saw Rose exit a general store with a bag of what she assumed to be supplies for the night's dinner. She guessed that Greg must be at home with Steven. She quickened her pace, raising her hand in greeting and speaking before Rose turned to leave.
"Hey Rose."
Rose stopped mid turn to walk back toward her home. She turned back toward Garnet, that same genuine smile on her face. Garnet loved that smile.
"Oh hello Garnet." Rose greeted enthusiastically, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Almost didn't recognize you without the uniform. Are you off duty?"
Garnet grinned. "You could say that." She walked up beside Rose and they walked beside each other, continuing Rose's trip home. "You could also say that they put me on permanent leave."
"Really?" Rose asked in disbelief. The way her mouth hung open, how her free hand immediately went to Garnet's shoulder to try and comfort her; Garnet appreciated it. "I'm so sorry, Garnet. Was it because you protected Peridot?"
Despite everything, Garnet decided sarcasm was an appropriate choice. "No. It was the other rich girl with a gun."
"Please don't tell me you're upset with her." Rose was worried for Peridot, as well as Garnet's feelings toward her. That was predictable of the land lady, but Garnet thought it was also cute.
"Nah." She said, shrugging. "I chose to help her. It's all my fault for aiding and abetting a suspect; but, if given the chance... I'd do it again."
"I'm sure she appreciates that." Rose said warmly, taking her hand from Garnet's shoulder. "If you're looking for a new job, I could always use some help handling my rent ledgers. It gets busy trying to take care of Steven as is."
"You would do that for me?" Garnet couldn't believe her ears. Rose smiled and nodded.
It was that easy? Garnet had just gotten fired from her job as a police woman, and here Rose was just... dropping one in her lap. She would be able to provide for her family, to help Ruby and Sapphire through college when they graduate high school. They were about to go back for the second half of their semester anyway, so the timing was almost perfect too, since the school paid for their lunches. If Garnet took the job that was offered to her, she would be able to save money early. She would be able to act as a guardian to her sisters.
She stopped walking. Rose stopped as well, concerned for her friend. "Garnet?"
Garnet didn't say a word. She didn't have to. Rose watched as a tear rolled down her friend's cheek from under her sunglasses. Garnet brought her fingers to rub at her eyes under her shades, unable to control the shaking in her shoulders. Rose couldn't believe what she was seeing. The usually cool and collected Garnet, actually shedding tears. Her sisters meant that much to her. Perhaps she didn't think she would be able to find a job so quickly and easily, especially since it was her career as a police officer that she was fired from. Most employers would see Garnet as criminalistic. If she was unfit to protect the city, then she would be unfit to be part of it. She was fully prepared to apply for welfare so that Ruby and Sapphire could follow their dreams. She had no idea that something so miraculous could just stand right in front of her. Rose was a saint.
"Oh Garnet..." Rose placed her bag of groceries on the ground. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Garnet's torso, pulling her into a hug. For a few moments, Garnet allowed Rose to hold her, to comfort her. Then she mirrored the action, placing her arms around Rose's neck, sighing.
"Thank you."
"My mom had a sister?" Peridot couldn't believe what she had just heard from Lapis. Her mother, Yellow Diamond, had a sister. To be completely honest, it wasn't that much of a shock. Sometimes this information just slips, and there's no helping it. So instead of being mad, Peridot was curious, especially about a certain keyword in Lapis' sentence. "What do you mean had?"
"She died a couple of years after you were adopted." Lapis explained. She had finished treating Jasper's hand and now just held it, if to give her girlfriend a bit of comfort. "Lung cancer."
"That's awful, but why is Jasper so riled up about it?"
"She was my mother."
Well now Peridot just felt like an ass. She stared, her mouth agape at Jasper. Her eyes were tired, and gone was the sharpness that they usually held. Lapis placed her other hand on Jasper's leg, gently squeezing. Her touch brought a small smile to Jasper, and she turned to face Peridot. "We're cousins. Technically."
"Oh my god..." Peridot couldn't think of what to say. With the information given, she could pretty much put two and two together. Jasper got so upset over Yellow Diamond hiding her condition because her mother must have done the same thing. Lung cancer can lead to jaundice, or having blood come up with one's coughs. YD's condition must be more serious than she specified. Peridot stood from her chair, trying to act composed, but the tone of her voice betrayed her to Lapis and Jasper. "I'm so sorry, Jasper, I... I have to go."
Before Peridot could turn to leave, however, Jasper reached across the table and gripped Peridot's wrist in her uninjured hand. "Hey now, I know what you're thinking."
"Then let me go!" Peridot struggled against Jasper's grip, even going so far as to try and pry Jasper's finger from her wrist with her other hand. Of course she knew it was futile; Jasper had a vice like grip. But Peridot was not about to sit around and do nothing if there was even the slightest possibility that her mother could be dying from cancer.
"And what if you're wrong, huh?" Jasper knew Peridot was smart. Through experience, she knew that her employer's daughter could understand a situation easily, and that was exactly why she had to stop Peridot here. "Despite what I believe, I reacted on my experiences alone. Don't just go up to her and tell her to get chemo. Hell, as rich as she is, you think she would've gotten treatment already!"
Peridot stopped struggling, instead thinking back on the conversation she had with her mother. She knew it, she knew that Yellow Diamond wouldn't shave her head just because of a dumb prank!
"She did get treatment..." Peridot concluded out loud. "In Italy. She must've gotten her therapy there. Her hair is so short now."
Slowly, Jasper released her grip on Peridot's wrist. Lapis had stayed quiet up until this point. "So Miss Diamond's got a buzz cut now? I'd love to see that."
"Not cool, Lapis." Jasper scolded her girlfriend, who shrugged. Oddly enough, however, Peridot chuckled.
"That's... that's funny." Peridot sighed and sat in her chair again, leaning back to balance on the chair's legs. "She does look a little silly. After seeing her with all that hair she loved taking care of, it's, uh... pretty funny to see her like that."
"Are you okay?" Jasper asked. Really, she wouldn't blame Peridot if she were to start yelling and swearing until her voice was hoarse. Why was she so calm now?
Peridot nodded. "Oh I'm just great. I already lost two of my parents, what's one more?" She leaned forward again, practically slamming the front legs of her chair on the tile. "I mean, it's not like I saw my dad kill my mom, then kill himself. It's not like I was actually starting to feel like Yellow Diamond was a motherly figure in my life when she gave me advice and accepted my choices. I'm totally not tired of losing everything I've ever loved."
"I lost my mom too, Peri." Jasper stated, trying to calm her friend down. "And you know how Lapis feels about leaving her mom with her dad."
"I know, I know." Peridot said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And I'm so, so sorry for your loss. Honestly, you have more right to be upset because you're actually related to her but I... I can't lose my mom again."
"Maybe you won't." Lapis said. "I mean, we're just spit balling, aren't we? Maybe it really is just her blood pressure and there's nothing to worry about."
Jasper crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. "God, I hope so."
"You guys have alcohol, right?" Peridot asked as she leaned forward, resting her head on her crossed arms. "I think I could go for a drink."
Jasper smirked. "Yeah, but you're still underage, you know."
"Well so is Lapis."
"Just get the fucking booze, Jasper." Lapis said, rubbing her temples once more. "She needs it, I need it, we all need it."
Jasper looked Peridot up and down, as if thinking about whether she should provide alcohol to this underage girl or not. When her eyes rested on the purple bruises on Peridot's neck, however, she nodded. "I guess we could. We have something to celebrate, after all." Jasper stood and opened the cabinet beside the fridge, pulling a bottle of champagne from it.
"What do you mean celebrate?" Peridot asked, slightly offended. "I just found out that my mom just might have cancer. How's that cause for celebration?"
Jasper didn't say a word. She just turned back to the table, a smug look on her face, and bent down to whisper something in Lapis' ear. Lapis' eyes widened and she studied Peridot over. A smirk came across her lips and Jasper took her seat beside her girlfriend.
"You're right, Jasper." Lapis said, resting her chin in her hand. "This does call for celebration."
"What are you guys talking about?" Now Peridot was just confused instead of mad. She knew Lapis wouldn't egg her on like this if they were talking about her mother, so what could possibly need to be celebrated. Before anyone else had a chance to speak, a knock came to the door of the guest house.
Lapis quickly stood from the table. "I'll get it! Jasper, honey, pour Peri a nice big glass, would you?"
"Of course." Jasper didn't waste any time with the cork of the bottle. As Lapis left the kitchen to answer the door, Jasper pulled the cork from the glass bottle with a loud pop, with just her fingers. She reached back into the cabinet and grabbed a wine glass, filling it just below the rim. She was sure to tip the glass so that there would be more of the liquid and less fuzz. Jasper placed the glass in front of Peridot just as Lapis walked back into the kitchen with Amethyst.
"Oh Jasper, dear." Lapis called in a sing song voice, practically dancing to Jasper's side, grasping her arm. "Our second important guest has arrived."
Peridot beamed at the sight of her girlfriend, her smile wide as Amethyst took a seat beside her. "Hey Ame, how's my mom?" She asked, and Amethyst took a hold of her hand, shrugging.
"She's cool, as far as I can tell. Didn't have another episode while I was talking to her, if that's what you mean."
"That's good." Peridot sighed in relief, leaning her head on Amethyst's shoulder. "I don't know what I'd do without her."
Amethyst smiled and kissed Peridot's head. "I'm sure she'll be fine, babe. What I'm wondering is why your friends are apparently trying to get us drunk." Amethyst said, gesturing to the glasses of champagne in front of herself and her girlfriend. Why she and Peridot had their little conversation, Jasper took it upon herself to fill a glass for Amethyst as well.
"We're celebrating." Lapis said, raising her own, smaller glass after Jasper had filled it. "To your... relationship."
Peridot and Amethyst shared a look of confusion, then Peridot spoke. "Uh, we got together like, a week ago."
"Oh Peri, you misunderstand." Lapis replied. Once Jasper took her seat after pouring her own glass, Lapis stood and sat in Jasper's lap. "We're not celebrating just your relationship, are we honey?" She asked, looking up at Jasper. Jasper shook her head.
"Of course not. It's great that you two found each other, but that's not enough to call for champagne."
"Then just tell us what's going on!" Peridot demanded. Amethyst was quick to catch on, however. She chuckled and grabbed her glass of champagne, raising it along with Lapis and Jasper.
"You're damn right."
"I swear, if my life were any more like a fucking sit com..." Peridot groaned out. "Can someone just tell me what's going on?"
"You got laid, you little slut!" Lapis finally burst out, throwing all formalities aside. "You come in here with that huge hickey on your neck and you're really wondering why we're screwing with you?"
Peridot's expression changed drastically, from utter confusion to sheer embarrassment, her face practically exploding in a deep blush. Her eyes darted back and forth between Jasper and Lapis, and then to her girlfriend. Amethyst just smirked. "You're cute when you blush, you know that?"
Peridot opened her mouth, lifting her finger as if readying herself to go on an angry rant, but she paused. Instead, she took a deep breath and shook her head. "You know what, no. My mom already knows, I'm too far to be embarrassed now. Yes, Amethyst and I had sex last night, and I don't give a damn if everyone knows."
"You go, girl!" Jasper called out, taking a swig of her champagne. One by one, Lapis and Amethyst drank from their glasses to toast the sexual events that occurred the night before. Peridot hesitated, of course. The only drops of alcohol that had ever touched her lips was when her birth mother allowed her to taste from her beer. Truth be told, Peridot would rather forget those times. That wasn't her life anymore. Now, with the eyes of her closest friends and girlfriend on her, she wanted to move on, and live her new life. Peridot lifted her glass.
"I'm never letting society fuck me again. That's Amethyst's job."
"Here here." Amethyst cheered, clinking her glass against Peridot's. The rich girl smiled, and tilted the glass to her mouth.
Author's Note:
The next chapter will definitely be longer. I already have something in mind for what I'd like it to be about. SPOILER WARNING: We're seeing a new character.
Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and how it turned out. In case it wasn't clear, Jasper's mom IS Pink Diamond. I didn't mention her name in here because in reality, it's easy to change subjects and I'd like to keep that realistically. At least, that's how my life has always been. Full of changing subjects. You probably already knew it was her, though, and if you didn't... whoops.
I've also decided to make a new story. It's based off of a conversation I had with someone on Tumblr, whom shall remain nameless unless they give me permission to give out their name.
Be on the lookout for my brand new Garnet x Jasper story, "Soft Knuckles." As always, so long for now.