Garnet woke up with a snap. She stood up quickly, looking left and right, quickly summoning her gauntlets. There was nothing though. The bubbles were all intact and nothing alive was in the room with her. She banished the gauntlets and hummed quietly to herself. She rolled her shoulders and stretched. She must've fallen asleep-that would explain the soreness in her neck.

She rubbed her eyes under her visor before walking into Steven's room. It was dark outside. It had been early evening when Garnet had gone to her room. It was times like these that she was glad that her reputation for disappearing for missions would probably help her avoid a lecture from Pearl.

Pearl had recently taken a great interest in lecturing Amethyst on her unpredictable hours.

"It said in the Healthy, Happy Baby book, that children need stable routines and relationships to feel safe and secure. So you need to be here for most of his meals and here for bed time."

Amethyst had begrudgingly begun to stay around the house more often. Even when Steven wasn't there, she tended to stick around waiting for her new friend to come back.

Pearl wasn't here. She wasn't on the couch, or near Steven's crib or on her rocking chair. Steven must've been fed, burped and not expected to need anything for an hour or so. Pearl was so precise with Steven's scheduling that unless an emergency occurred, she knew what Steven needed before Steven knew he needed it. Garnet walked in further, noting the slip of paper on the fridge.

I'm going to the grocery store to buy more formula for Steven. I'll return in approximately 30 minutes. If you need me, get Garnet. If Garnet isn't there then get Greg.

Pearl.

Amethyst was here then. Somewhere goofing off, hopefully very far away. So that meant that Steven was asleep and that he and Garnet were alone. Perfect. Garnet could watch him while Pearl was gone. Pearl didn't mind. If anything, Pearl loved it if Garnet was watching him. Amethyst tended to goof off more than watch. Last time, Pearl had come back to find Amethyst covered in baby wipes and her hair white with baby powder-apparently she had tried changing Steven. Steven had needed two baths that night.

Garnet silently crept up the stairs. She made her way to Steven's crib, settling herself on the edge of it, letting her hand swing above his little chest. He was indeed fast asleep.

Pearl must've given him a bath tonight, his skin was still rosy and he smelled like honey. Garnet couldn't resist letting one of her fingers stroke his chubby cheek. He was so precious. He couldn't do much yet, but even the little he could do fascinated Garnet. Every tiny kick, punch, hiccup and twitch he performed while he slept made watching him wonderful. Steven shifted slightly and suddenly Garnet's finger was in his mouth and he grabbed it with his tiny fist with a surprising grip and began to suckle.

Garnet froze. She had always been very careful about letting Steven touch her. She didn't want him to get hurt. In doing so, she had never realized how strong he was. His little pink fist curled tightly around her index finger on her right hand, pulled at her with strength she didn't know infants possessed.

Perhaps, she had underestimated Steven. She had assumed that he was weak, which he mostly was, but certainly not as weak as the average human infant. He was part gem too.

Garnet's hand not captured by Steven slowly began to wiggle under his back. Her gem pressed into his back and she felt his heart. It wasn't faint, as she always thought it would feel like, but strong and persistent. Every inhale, his delicate ribcage lifted and fell with surprising steadiness. He was quite solid for something so small.

Gradually, she detached her finger from Steven's grip and placed her other hand on his stomach. She could feel the movements of his body, she could sense the vitality in every breath, gurgle and heartbeat he produced. It was truly amazing. Now, more than ever, she wanted to press his body against hers and marvel him even closer. She felt a tremor pass through both arms, but she began to lift him despite the racing fear pounding in her chest.

Pearl always lifted Steven's body and head. She had explained that infants had little control of their necks at this age and that their parents helped them until they were strong enough to lift their own heads. Garnet hoped that her gems weren't too cold, as she cradled Steven's fuzzy head in her hand. Surely, but slowly she lifted him. If she had shape shifted a heart, she knew it would be pounding. Beads of sweat appeared on her temple as she lifted Steven higher and higher.

She could do this. She really could do this. She nestled Steven in the crook of her arm and pressed him into her chest. His tiny chest moved in sync with her own as she allowed herself to breathe. Steven turned towards her and a line of drool smeared over her top as his mouth fell open.

Garnet smiled and she hadn't smiled so hard in such a long time that she was sure that her cheeks might collapse under the huge grin on her face. A bubbly feeling rose up in her and she began to shake with muffled laughter.

She had been pining over this for a month and how easily had she done it. She had been worried this whole time that somehow she would hurt him. She was just so big and he was just so small. But as he sat comfortable and still asleep in her arms, she knew for certain-that she would never ever be able to hurt this little boy. He didn't even know it, but she was already wrapped around his little finger.

The door to the house opened and Pearl walked in with a plastic grocery bag. She was humming quietly under her breath-something she hadn't done since before Rose's death. She had only just set the grocery bag down on the counter when she saw Garnet holding Steven. Pearl's jaw drop and she grinned beautifully. She did a tiny dance on her tip toes before hurrying up the stairs.

"Congratulations Garnet." She whispered, placing her hand on the fusion's shoulder. "How does it feel?"

"Like…like the first time we were fused." Garnet whispered. She had used 'we' because she wasn't alone in that moment. Sapphire and Ruby were beyond excited. She could feel Ruby's relief and Sapphire's joy and she felt tears appear in her eyes.

"Just wait until he wants you to pick him up," Pearl whispered, quickly kissing Steven's smooth brow. "It'll feel like nothing you've ever felt before."

Pearl stepped down the stairs gracefully and began emptying the grocery bag.

"Why don't you feed him tonight?" Pearl suggested, taking one of the bottles from the cupboard and pouring the formula into it. Garnet nodded silently before turning her attention back to Steven.

Garnet could hear Rose's voice in her head, the day that she had unwillingly admitted her doubt of being able to protect Steven:

"You won't hurt him, Garnet." Rose had repeated, sounding surer than the last. She was entering the last few months of her pregnancy and she had been spending more and more time with them all.

"You don't know that. Anything could happen."

"Perhaps. You are the one with future vision, but I think you of all people should know that we are the ones who make our futures. You'll never hurt him, and some day you might want to-human children can be exhaustively ignorant and reckless, but you'll never be able to. Of that, even without future vision, I am certain."

Garnet hadn't really understood how Rose could be so certain. But it was that certainty; that absolute trust that Rose had in her comrades and friends that had won a revolution against Homeworld. Garnet knew now, that she had been right; there wasn't a thing in the world she would ever allow to hurt Steven. She would go the ends of the Earth trying to protect their baby boy. She would fight for him and believe in him, with the same ferocity she knew Rose would have. He deserved that from her.

"I promise Steven." Garnet whispered, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "You'll never know harm if I'm standing and able."

A/N: Sorry for the general lateness, I had to help with my cousins wedding. But I'm back and I finally have internet! Wanted to thank all the people who reviewed and favorite, it means a lot to know that people are just as excited about Steven Universe as I am. Hopefully we all survive Stevenbomb 3.0!