Beach City, modern day:
Greg put the milk back into the fridge and looked at the small calendar hanging next to it. Sighing, he crossed off another day with the red pen hanging by a string. "Day fifty-three, here we go..." he muttered.
After cooking the scrambled eggs, he shifted everything onto plates and took them out to the patio, settling two plates down in front of Priyanka and Doug, who whispered tired thanks as he turned to collect some cutlery.
They slowly ate, the dark shadows under their eyes betraying their collective moods.
The beach was empty, the Diamonds retreated to their ships, the newly built giant colourful arms hanging in the air nearby, gleaming and polished.
Garnet and Bismuth came out, leaning against the railing with sighs.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed, and with a yell, Amethyst and Pearl appeared above the sand. They crashed to the ground, leaving a deep furrow in the sand as they skidded towards the water.
Garnet jumped the railing, Bismuth right behind her as Peridot and Lapis came outside to see what the noise was about.
Amethyst sat up, Pearl beside her, groaning slightly.
They found themselves wrapped into Garnets arms as she openly sobbed onto both of their shoulders. "You're back..." she whispered. "You're home..."
Bismuth tackled them from the other side, tears streaming down her face almost comically as she lifted all three Gems off of the ground. "I knew ya could do it, Pearly!"
Amethyst and Pearl mentally shook themselves and furiously hugged their friends in return. "We're back!"
On the balcony, the rest stood nervously.
"Where are the kids?" Priyanka whispered, her hands moving to Doug's with concern.
Greg place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I once saw Pearl stick my whole van in her head. The kids are probably in there, safe and sound." he nodded at the happy group of Gems on the sand. "They've known each other for thousands of years. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl have probably never been apart this long. Give them a moment to celebrate."
After a few minutes, Bismuth let them back onto the ground. She used the front of her apron to wipe her eyes as Garnet held onto the two a bit longer.
"Garnet... I need to take the kids out." Pearl said gently, patting the fusions back comfortingly. "You two will need to play catch."
Garnet sighed and finally stepped back. "Okay, I'll catch Steven. He owes me fifty-three days of hugs anyway."
Pearl chuckled. "You're... not going to let him go for at least a week, are you?"
"Nope." Garnet said simply.
As Bismuth held her arms out, Connie appear in the air and fell into them with a giggle. "Uh... Hi, Bismuth." she said nervously.
Bismuth grinned. "Heya, little Miss Diamond-Stabber!" she gave the blushing girl a quick hug before placing her on her feet.
"Connie!"
Connie turned to see Priyanka and Doug running down the stairs. Priyanka jumped the last two and dashed across the sand.
"Mum!" Connie ran forward, crashing into Priyanka arms with a sob. Doug quickly reached them and joined the hug, the three standing there shaking slightly as they cried and whispered to each other.
Greg walked down the stairs, eyes on Pearl as she turned to Garnet. A white flash of light, and Steven fell into the Gem's arms.
"Steven!" Garnet cried, holding him tightly.
"Garnet! I missed you!" Steven hugged her furiously.
Suddenly, Garnet shifted and unfused. Ruby and Sapphire quickly wrapped their arms around the boy again, Ruby crying.
Steven didn't miss a beat. "Ruby! Sapphire! I missed you too!"
Bismuth reached down and affectionately rubbed Steven's hair. "Hey there, Meatball."
"Bismuth!" Steven laughed happily, tears in his eyes.
A blur of blue, and Lapis was there, joining Ruby and Sapphire as she hugged Steven from behind. "I was so worried!" she sobbed.
Peridot stumbled and landed face-first in the sand, spluttering and spitting sand out as she quickly scampered over on all fours. "Steven, you clod! Never scare us like that again!" she yelled, throwing her arms around both Ruby and Lapis and burying her face into Steven's shoulder.
After a couple of minutes, Steven squirmed. "Guys, Steven needs to breath now."
Reluctantly, Ruby and Sapphire peeled away. The two immediately went to hug Amethyst and Pearl, who greeted them happily.
Finally, Pearl glanced over at Greg, standing beside her patiently. "Peridot, Lapis... It's Greg's turn."
Steven's head turned slightly as he tried to catch a view of his father. "Dad!"
Lapis and Peridot slowly released their grips, and the boy quickly turned and jumped into Greg's arms. "I missed you!"
Greg fell to his knees, tears in his eyes. "I'm so glad you're safe..." he whispered, arms tightening around his son.