Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe ou—

"Garnet?"

Garnet leapt a solid five feet in the air.

"Oh stars," said Rose. "I'm sorry, Garnet, I didn't mean to startle you."

You shouldn't have been able to.

"It's alright," Garnet said.

Rose tilted her head, eyes filled with concern and compassion. "How are you doing?"

Terrible.

"Fine," Garnet said.

Rose's eyebrows went up. "Do you want to talk about it?"

No. All they'd been doing for nearly two days straight was talk about it.

But Garnet sighed, pushing those stubborn voices aside, and sat down on the beach. With a spread of her skirts, Rose joined her.

"Pearl and I have finished searching the Kindergarten," Rose said. "We're almost certain there aren't any more of those… fusions left."

Garnet nodded. Peridot had said as much herself, but none of them had been feeling particularly inclined to trust her.

We should have been searching too, thought Ruby.

We couldn't have. We needed to take some time for ourselves, thought Sapphire.

But we should have had to. We owed them that. It was our fault they were

Garnet breathed in.

"There's nothing more we can do for them," Garnet said, though there was the ghost of a question in her words.

"No," said Rose. "Besides bubbling them, I don't think there is."

Of course there isn't. Of course not. Healing tears wouldn't give them the choice they had been denied—

and breaking them apart wouldn't be any better.

They're just stuck that way.

Warm hands enveloped Garnet's, gently pulling her forward and out of her thoughts. "Garnet," Rose said, very gently, "are you sure you want to be fused right now?"

Twin flares of heat and cold surged through her, but before the anger could get out-of-control, Garnet noticed her hands were glowing, her body was shaking. She wrestled to calm down, and managed to solidify.

"Yes," Garnet said.

Rose still hadn't let go of her hands. "It's alright, you know. You don't need to force yourself if you're not feeling comfortable."

"No— I mean, yes— I mean—" Yet another breath. "I want to be fused right now, even if it's hard. I need to be. I don't want… I don't want Homeworld to take this away from me."

Rose smiled, and slowly, released Garnet's hands.

"That's my favourite thing about you," she said.

Garnet grinned. "Being a fusion is my favourite thing about me, too."

"Not that," Rose laughed. "I meant, how proud you are. How you always stand up for yourself and your ideals."

"That's what I admire about you, too," said Garnet.

"Mmmm," Rose hummed, her smile fading.

What's wrong? Garnet nearly asked aloud.

They'd known each other for so long that she didn't need to. Rose Quartz closed her eyes and said, "It's just, I've been thinking… My ideals didn't protect those Crystal Gems."

It was Garnet's turn to reach out to her, placing a hand on Rose's shoulder. "It's not your fault. It was their decision to fight. They knew the risks, and they took them."

Rose glanced down at the sand, that old guilt haunting her. "I just… wish I'd found them sooner."

"You couldn't have known," Garnet said.

"I could have searched more," said Rose. "I could have looked in different bases— there must have been written records, somewhere— there had to have been some sign—"

Garnet closed her eyes against the burn of tears, because that was the same thing she and Ruby and Sapphire had been telling themselves again and again and again.

She pulled Rose Quartz in and buried her head in her shoulder, feeling the soft curls flowing around her head. "We've found them now," she murmured. "They're at peace. As much peace as they can ever find."

A shudder ran through Rose's body, and she pulled Garnet in too, holding her close. Tighter and tighter the embrace came, until the space between them vanished entirely.


The day after the picnic, Steven warped to the Temple. He didn't know if there was going to be any classes that day. There hadn't been any since Peridot's arrival, or even any sign of Garnet at all. It still seemed important to check.

Besides, he didn't really feel like spending much time around the Palanquin, or rather, around Pearl.

He didn't find Garnet at the Temple. But he did find some giant... shape, out on the beach.

It was red, and blocky, and so large that his mind struggled to identify what it was, exactly. He began to skid down the sandy hill for a closer look, and was only just recognising its vaguely humanoid shape when it sat up, spun its head around 180 degrees, and looked right at him with four bright red eyes.

"Hello, Steven," the fusion said, in a soft, booming voice.

Steven dug his heels into the sand and fought the urge to back-peddle. "H-hello."

Which Gems was she? Not Pearl-ssi— there was no oval on her forehead. It was hard to judge beyond that. But there were still familiar traits Steven could pick out. Her skin was a warm pinkish-red, like the setting sun. Her hair was a maroon so deep it bordered on black, all tight, thick curls that formed a cloud around the fusion's head. One set of her eyes were framed by glasses. Not cool, impassive shades, but old-fashioned tortoise-shell rose-tinted glasses that looked like they belonged to a librarian.

"Rose Quartz?" Steven asked. "Garnet?"

The fusion let out a musical laugh. "Strawberry Quartz. A pleasure to meet you."

Then there was a hand held out to Steven, attached to a previously unnoticed second set of arms jutting out from the back of the shoulder blades. Suppressing a shudder, Steven reached out a hand to shake one of the fingers.

This apparently wasn't what Strawberry Quartz had been intending, because instead, she just picked Steven up and brought him close. Steven screamed. The fusion didn't seem to notice.

As terrifying as that was, the fusion didn't hurt him. It was like being briefly enveloped in a huge hug. Then the hand was spread out, creating a platform for Steven to stand on, held right before her face.

"It's… nice to meet you too?" Steven ventured. Her four eyes stared owlishly, and Steven wondered how it felt to re-meet someone. "I didn't know Strawberry Quartzes were… well, a thing?"

"They weren't, until me!" Strawberry Quartz leaned in close, and said in what would have been a conspiratorial whisper, "I chose it myself. It seemed to fit."

It did, actually. It wasn't just the color, or the freckles across the fusion's face that resembled white strawberry seeds. It was the plump shape of her body, and the big fluffy sweater she wore. She even smelled vaguely fruity. It was weird.

Finding himself with all sorts of perverse interest in the mechanics of fusion, Steven made himself ask a more relevant question. "So, uh, Strawberry Quartz-ssi. Why are you... here?"

"On this planet? In this universe?" Her eyes twinkled.

"I meant like, here, now. Is everything okay? Is there some sort of threat?"

Strawberry Quartz's amusement faded. "Some sort of threat? No. Is everything okay? Also no."

Steven's eyebrows creased. "So… why are you fused?"

The hand platform drooped as Strawberry Quartz sighed. "I was lonely."

"...what?"

"That's not an entirely accurate explanation." With a free hand, Strawberry Quartz adjusted her glasses. "I— or more specifically, my components— were worried, uncertain, and hurt. They sought comfort, and I am the result."

This was not how fusion was supposed to work. While Steven was willing to accept that he may have been taught some incorrect things about fusion, the basic concept was still the same: it was a tool. Gems of the same type would fuse as an aid in battle. Ruby had fused with Sapphire to protect her. Amethyst and Garnet had fused into Sugilite to move the Palanquin. It couldn't just make you feel better.

But Steven could guess the reaction if he voiced this confusion. Instead he said, "Guess you were all… pretty upset by the Kindergarten stuff, huh?"

Strawberry Quartz didn't answer. Her lip was a thin line.

Steven bowed his head. That had been a pretty stupid question.

"You were upset too," said Strawberry Quartz.

"Of course I was!" Steven cried, indignant. "Peridot was hurting those things!"

"Those fusions."

"Y-yeah. Those fusions."

There was judgement in Strawberry Quartz's eyes— but also, Steven thought, some measure of approval.

She said, "You protected them. Thank you."

"No problem," Steven mumbled.

He caught her nod out of the corner of his eyes. But then Strawberry Quartz continued, "However… we should talk about how you protected them"

Steven waited for her to talk, wishing that he was on the ground.

"You ordered Peridot to stop," Strawberry Quartz said.

"Yeah," said Steven. "It was the fastest way to convince her, and it would be easier than having to track her down if she ran away, and nicer than beating her up."

The set of eyes behind the glasses closed. The other set continued to stare, piercing, at Steven.

She said, "I appreciate that. You acted on impulse, and that impulse may have saved us trouble down the road. But ordering Peridot around like that will bring trouble of its own. If the only thing stopping her from doing cruel things are the orders of a superior, then what will she do the next time she's given a poor order? Or when she has no instructions to follow at all?"

Steven's stomach roiled uncomfortably. But along with guilt, there was frustration and indignation. Why was he being lectured here?! He'd been helping!

"Are you really saying," Steven demanded, "that it's always wrong to order someone around?"

Strawberry Quartz hesitated. "...Most of the time. In some rare situations, it may be necessary."

"Well, then, how am I supposed to know when it's one of those 'rare situations'?"

"There's… no easy answer to that, I'm afraid." Suddenly, Strawberry Quartz's light voice sounded very tired. "But it's something you should always consider carefully. To take someone's choice away from them is a heavy thing."

The image of Pearl, frozen still, paralysed with uncertainty, rose in Steven's mind.

"... Okay. You're right," he said. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

Steven considered how Peridot— a Gem who could barely go a sentence without tripping over herself to praise him— would react to him apologizing. His eyebrows raised briefly at the image, but he nodded.

And just like that, the seriousness that surrounded her evaporated. "Well, now that that's settled," she said, "let's go do something fun!"

"Like...?"

Strawberry Quartz paused, one set of eyes closing. Then they flashed open. "Swimming!"

That was a genuinely good idea. It was summer. He lived in Beach City. Why not enjoy it?

It took him a few minutes to warp back to the Palanquin and grab his swim gear. Pearl, upon learning that he wasn't having a lesson after all, decided to accompany him. To his surprise, so did Lapis. She even shapeshifted on a bathing suit of her own.

By the time he'd returned to the Temple, the beach was full. Amethyst and Biggs were rolling around in the massive waves Strawberry Quartz could make simply by splashing her massive hands. Pearl-ssi was standing in the shallows, smiling, laughing even, as the waves hit her in the chest. Steven didn't even know she could look so happy.

It was a little awkward at first but… It was a sunny day, the temperature was perfect, and it seemed that for once, everyone was just too tired to be tense around each other.

Well, Lapis was as wary of the Crystal Gems as ever, but that mostly seemed to be expressing itself in a competition to create more impressive water tricks than Strawberry Quartz.

Soon Steven was swept up in the fun. He hardly even registered when, after a few hours, he popped up from the surface to find Strawberry gone. In her place were Garnet and Rose, throwing Amethyst back-and-forth as a literal ball. He just raced over to join in.


Even from the lot of It's A Wash during midday, Greg could always tell if someone was warping in to or from the Crystal Gem Temple. It was kinda hard to miss that sizeable pillar of light shooting to the sky. Before, he had taken careful notice of it to keep track of when the Crystal Gems came and went. These days, he mostly would only pay attention if Steven's lessons were ongoing.

That was why he was so surprised when, as he looked up from the hubcaps he was hubbing, he saw his son sprinting to the beach with Pearl in tow. They seemed to be in for some beach summer fun, and Greg wished he could join them, but he had a lot of work to do.

The last time Greg had closed the car wash for an extended break, it had been for Steven's week long captivity. This time, he'd only closed shop for an extra two days. Moving the Palanquin from Korea to Beach City Adjacent had been a little abrupt, so it took all hands on deck to settle things down. It would have taken even much longer if it weren't for the Crystal Gems' help.

Wow, things sure have changed, mused Greg as he hosed down another car. Who would have thought the 'murderous rebels' not only had a point, but would make for such good teachers and babysitters?

He couldn't believe how crazy his life sounded sometimes.

But at the end of the day, it felt real good to do something as normal as washing cars. It helped clear his mind. Also, he felt kinda bad for all the dirt and grime that had accumulated on all the cars of Beach City while he was gone. Even if there weren't that many cars in the first place.

He finished up on the hubcaps of the yellow convertible he was currently washing, and straightened up to stretch his back and legs. Old age hadn't been kind to his joints. He was just about to grab the hose when he heard a 'fwoomp!' and a 'thud!' behind him. He turned around, only to jump back in surprise.

Lapis Lazuli was only a few inches from his face, staring at him so intensely, it was practically a glare. The fact that she was dressed for some beach summer fun didn't help at all.

"C-Can I help you?" Greg hesitantly asked.

She only narrowed her eyes and continued to stare at him, not blinking even once. He chuckled nervously and looked away, sweating under her gaze and wondering if he'd done anything to offend her. He desperately hoped that he hadn't.

She may not have been with them for very long, but he liked Lapis. Maybe not as much as Steven and Pearl did, but well enough. She was... something like a distant cousin-in-law to him. Heck, he probably liked her more than most of his actual blood relatives. Then again, Gems didn't have an innate understanding of that kind of thing, and he had never been really sure about where he stood in her eyes.

He glanced at Lapis again, only to wilt even more under her continued scrutiny. After a few more seconds, she finally blinked and turned her gaze towards the ocean at a distance.

"Pearl is unhappy," she curtly said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're making her feel useless."

"I'm sorry?" Greg blurted out, confused. Then Lapis's words sank in. "Wait, what do you mean I'm making Pearl feel useless?"

"Just exactly that." Lapis looked at him again, eyebrow raised. "You do know that she actually feels better now that there's a monster living nearby, right? It gives her something to do. You don't let her do anything anymore, and that's making her feel terrible." She shrugged and glanced towards the ocean again, where Pearl and Steven were. "You have to fix this."

"But I—" Greg started, but Lapis cut him off by summoning her water wings.

"Anyway, I just came here to tell you that," she said with another shrug. "Bye."

"Lapis, wait!"

The sudden rush of air forced Greg to close and shield his eyes. When he opened them again, Lapis was gone, just like that. It strongly reminded him of a popular broody superhero he used to read about in comic books. "Guess I'll just have to figure things out on my own, then."

"WHOOOOAAAA!" someone cried out from a distance. Looking around, Greg saw the older Fryman boy gawking at him from across the street. The boy scrambled towards the car wash, all while glancing between the flying blue speck in the sky and Greg. "Was that one of those magical ladies living on the beach?"

"No," said Greg, grabbing the hose again to pick up where he left off. "She lives with me and Steven. Sort of."

"I have so many questions!" the boy loudly shouted, his eyes bulging out as he grabbed his head and made explosion sounds. He whipped out a tape recorder from one of his pockets and pointed it towards Greg. "My name is Ronaldo, president of the Beach City Explorers. If you don't mind giving us a few comments, Mr. Universe, I'm sure the public would like to know more about these magical ladies."

"Oh lay off, Ronaldo. Can't you see he's busy working?" chimed in the owner of the yellow convertible Greg was working on. Her name was Jenny Pizza, if he recalled. Or maybe that was her sister. Hard to keep twins straight.

Ronaldo seemed aghast at her assertion. "But the truth—!"

"—can wait until later. Now get out of the way so Mr. Universe can finish rinsing my car. I need to finish my deliveries before our sesh."

Greg chuckled as he listened to the two teenagers rib each other. They seemed good company, and they shared a couple anecdotes about a roleplaying game they were doing as they waited for him to finish rinsing and drying the car— or the 'Pizzamobile' as they had fondly called it.

Once that was done, Jenny paid for the wash and said, "Mr. Universe, if you'd like to come in for an interview with us, you're welcome to drop by our headquarters in the lighthouse any time."

"Uh, thanks?" Greg scratched the back of his head. "I'll think about it."

Jenny smiled at him, before turning back towards Ronaldo. "C'mon, Ronnie. We're gonna be late for our playdate."

"Don't call our dungeon crawls a playdate!"

"If my Bard has to save your Wizard Knight's sorry ass all the time, I can call our games whatever I want." They both got in the Pizzamobile, with Jenny giving Greg one final wave before driving off. "Bye, Mr. Universe! Thanks again for the wash!"

"You're welcome!" Greg waved back, his professional smile feeling quite genuine on his face. He chuckled to himself. "Those kids were funny. They could be good friends for Steven if they get a chance to hang out some."

He was in the middle of putting away the hoses, brushes, and buckets, when his phone started ringing and vibrating in his pocket.

"Everyone seems to be looking for me today..." he grumbled, wiping his hands dry on his jeans and fishing out his cellphone. He glanced at the name on the screen. "This is... unusual." He tapped the 'answer call' button and put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hello. This is Doctor Maheswaran. Is this Greg Universe's phone?"

"Yes, it is. This is Greg Universe speaking."

"Oh, thank goodness. I was worried I'd called the wrong one again. Anyway, I was wondering if we could have a little chat..."