Steven had been put to his nap an hour before. Pearl had fed him his most favorite lunch-a tiny bagel sandwich with strawberries and cream on the side. She had been in such a good mood, that she hadn't even scolded him when he got cream all over his highchair. Amethyst had snuck him her leftover grape Popsicle while Pearl cleaned the kitchen up and Steven had been so excited he had gotten most of it on his shirt. It had been one of the most delicious things he had ever tasted-next to donuts and cookie cats of course. After lunch Garnet had helped change his shirt and kissed his belly until he had squealed for her to stop. She had played a quick game of 'spaceship' and placed him in his playpen for a quick nap. He even got three kisses before he fell asleep. It had been perfect.
When he had woken up though, it had certainly not been perfect. For one, Pearl wasn't there to pick him up. Pearl always knew when Steven woke up and usually she picked him up like clockwork. Recently, Pearl had taken to peeking over the edge of her play pen and playing peek-a-boo with him. Steven loved it when Pearl was silly like this. She didn't often do this, especially when Amethyst was around, so it was a rare treat.
But she wasn't there. Neither was Amethyst, who usually climbed into his play pen if Pearl wasn't around and kissed him until he was fully awake. Neither was Garnet. Garnet always hugged him when she saw that he was awake, but no Garnet hug right now. Steven rolled over onto his tummy and sat up, trying to look through the mesh of his pen. He stood up when he couldn't see anything and stopped at the two, short strange figures standing in his house.
One was squat, muscly and red, with hair kinda like Garnet's. She was pacing the floor, swinging her little arms as she did. The other was a petite, thin blue being who watched the pacing quietly, her hand holding her head.
"Calm down." The blue one said, her voice unfamiliar but soothing.
"What if he doesn't like me?" The red one whispered furiously. "What if he freaks out?"
"We've watched Steven react to strangers before. He usually just tries hugging them." The blue one replied calmly. "We need to work on that."
"Still, we look like Garnet, but we're not her. What if he freaks out?" The red one groaned, squatting down to grip her hair.
"He might, if you act like that." The blue one said with a shrug.
Steven sat down in his play pen. Who were these people? What were they doing in his house? And what had they done with his Garnet? He recognized few of their words, but he knew Garnet's name very well. The red one seemed to know where Garnet was. Steven stood up again, hoisting his tiny leg up to the edge. He would ask her where Garnet went. The red one was too preoccupied with her strange mumbling to notice his approach. Steven was too preoccupied to notice that the blue one was watching him with a subtle smile.
Steven managed to get out of the pen rather quietly. He confidently crawled towards the red one. He was rarely afraid of anybody. Even if the gems weren't there, he was confident that they would never let any harm come to him. Steven placed his tiny hand on the red gem's fluffy hair.
"Don't move." The blue one whispered, suddenly next to Steven. "If you flinch, he'll cry."
"S-s-sapphire." The red one whined, shaking slightly as Steven placed another hand on her hair. Steven placed more of his weight on the red ones head and began to climb onto her. He babbled incoherently (his version of interrogation), pushing her slightly when she didn't answer him.
"Ruby." Sapphire smiling at Steven stopped interrogating Ruby and looked at her curiously. "He's looking at me. H-he's looking at me."
"R-really?" Ruby asked, shifting slightly as Steven's weight lessened, as he began to move towards Sapphire. Since the red one didn't seem to know where his Garnet was, maybe this other one knew. He put on his best 'please' smile and approached her.
"He's smiling at me!" Sapphire whispered excitedly. She presented her hands to him, as Garnet had done hundreds of times before. Steven stumbled to her and took her tiny hands with his own tiny hands. He noticed the gem on her hand and looked at it curiously.
"Ruby you can move now." Sapphire whispered. Ruby sat her head up with wide eyes and crawled closer to Steven and Sapphire. Ruby hesitantly placed her hand on his warm back and stroked it.
"He's so soft." She whispered a red blush on her cheeks.
"He's so strong." Sapphire grinned. "He keeps looking at my gem."
"He likes looking at our gems all the time so what?" Ruby shrugged, lightly patting Steven's curly hair.
"But look at his little face." Sapphire leaned in kissing Steven's wrinkled brow. "He's really concentrating. Show him your gem too!"
Ruby did as Sapphire asked of her. She still rubbed Steven's back, but stuck her hand with her gem right next to Sapphire's gem hand. Steven gasped, looking between both the gems in awe.
"What's he thinkin' about so hard?" Ruby asked, mirroring Steven's concentration.
"Garneh!" Steven yelled, pointing at Sapphire's gem and the Ruby's with a wobbly finger. These were Garnet's gems. Steven knew this because he constantly admired her hands. They weren't the same color like normal, but he knew Garnet's gems better than most.
"What?" Ruby asked him. "Are these Garnet's?"
Steven nodded so hard his knees locked and Ruby quickly held him around his chest as he tumbled forward.
"Whoa there, Steven. I know the dress looks soft-." Ruby dodged Sapphire's swatting hand. "Wow, he is really light. You should try this; it's like lifting a feather or somethin'."
Ruby bounced him lightly in her arms and smiled when Steven began to giggle.
"See, I told you he would like you." Sapphire grinned; watching in delight as her beloved practically glowed with glee.
"I guess you did." Ruby shrugged, nudging into Sapphire's shoulder playfully.
"Not in front of Steven." Sapphire immediately leaned back; very aware of Steven's innocent gaze on them and Ruby's intentions.
"Didn't you once say that humans needed to see healthy relationships so that they could make them when they're older?" Ruby said, scooting a little closer to Sapphire. Ruby set Steven in their laps. Steven watched as they began to cuddle a little closer. He laid down on Sapphire's lap and began to play with the sash on her dress.
"I know he can't talk yet Ruby, but he can mimic. I know for a fact that he will show Pearl what he's learned as soon as she gets back." Sapphire scolded.
Ruby sighed, but stopped persisting. "Fine. But if I can't kiss you, then I'll just kiss YOU!"
Ruby dived for Steven who squealed delightedly. She began to kiss and nuzzled into his belly. As soon as Ruby put her head near Steven and he pursed his little lips and kissed her cheeks, which made Ruby laugh. Sapphire laughed with her, relieved that the future she had wanted had come true. She had had so many discouraging visions when they had decided to watch Steven separate, rather than as Garnet. They had split before to watch Steven, but that had been when he was so small, he had fit in Sapphire's miniscule hands. Ruby had been too nervous to hold him and her discouragement had settled uncomfortably in Garnet's mind. Even though Garnet had accomplished picking up their little boy, Ruby had been itching to do it with her own hands.
And of course as soon as they were separate, Ruby had gone off pacing and worrying. Sapphire had been worrying too, just a lot quieter. She had been going through each and every possibility, trying to prepare for whichever future became the present. Then Steven had peeked over the playpen and Sapphire's breath had stopped. He was just so big now. Of course both of them had been partially aware of Steven's growth, through Garnet's eyes, but to see him with their own eyes had been wonderful.
When Steven escaped from Ruby's kissing wrath, he wobbled over to Sapphire's dress. He still couldn't really walk just yet, but he was very good at falling. He crawled into her arms and kissed her lips very quickly.
"Hey! How come he can kiss you, but I can't?" Ruby scoffed, poking Steven's belly, making him giggle ecstatically.
"You get to kiss me all the time. Steven can kiss me as much as he likes." Sapphire leaned forward and Steven-still eyeing the playfully angry Ruby, kissed Sapphire once again. Ruby pretended to fling herself into a tantrum with each kiss and Steven began to bounce on Sapphire's lap with laughter. They continued doing this for some time, until Sapphire caught a quick glimpse into the future.
"Ruby, they'll be back in a few minutes." Sapphire whispered, steadying Steven's hips as he stood upon her lap. Ruby sat up, trying to hide the disappointment in her eyes.
"We see him every day." Ruby muttered into her knees. "But it's different when we're us."
Sapphire nodded in agreement. Though she loved forming Garnet and being Garnet with Ruby; it really wasn't the same.
"He loves us though. When we are Garnet and when we're not." Sapphire whispered, kissing Steven's pudgy cheek. She stroked his face with her finger. Steven grabbed her hand and marveled at the gem. He kissed it and smiled at her. He did the same with Ruby and Ruby furiously wiped the tears out of her eyes when he looked away.
"Love Ru an' Saph." He grinned. Sapphire hugged him, trying not to cry either.
"Did you hear him? He said our names! H-he's a genius!" Ruby exclaimed, bouncing on the tips of her toes. Sapphire snickered at that-Ruby sounded just like the multitude of human parents they had encountered as Garnet through the years.
"He is, isn't he?" Sapphire said, nuzzling Steven's soft head with her cheek. She picked him up, bringing him over to his playpen and floated up to place him within it.
"Can I have this dance?" Sapphire asked, holding her gem-less hand to Ruby, who grinned and kissed it lovingly.
"You don't even need to ask." Ruby pulled Sapphire closer, kissing her arm with each little pull. They began to hold each other close, Ruby finally kissed Sapphire on the lips. Ruby picked Sapphire up, throwing her a little in the air and began to twirl her around. Sapphire giggled and Ruby joined her.
Steven watched in awe a huge purple light filled the house. He sat in his pen a little confused, hearing the echoes of his two new friends laugh disappear. He whined aloud, upset that they had left him alone. He was about to stand up when Garnet appeared.
"Garneh!" Steven gasped, hurrying to her open arms.
"Nice to see you too, Steven." Garnet whispered smiling as Steven began to babble excitedly. She didn't have to be a baby whisperer to know he was retelling her about his little adventure with his new friends. She laughed as he pointed to both his palms and began to mimic Ruby and Sapphire's behavior.
"Well, I'm glad you liked them. We were worried you might hate us. Mostly Ruby though." Garnet said, kissing him on his nose. Steven grinned and kissed her right back.
Behind them, the warp pad activated and Pearl and Amethyst appeared bickering. From what Garnet could hear Amethyst had compromised the mission by picking up a trinket she had wanted.
"What part of please don't touch that, did you not understand?" Pearl shouted.
"All of it I guess?" Amethyst shrugged, sticking her tongue out and holding her trinket away from Pearl.
Steven sighed relieved that all his family was back. Though he missed his new friends, he was so happy that Garnet was back he really didn't mind. He was sure they would be back to play with him soon enough though.
A/N: I couldn't resist after Keystone Motel. They're just too cute. Thanks to everyone who favorites and follows! And special thanks to all those who take the time to review-it's very much appreciated.