Hey, guys. Ellis here.

Have things been getting interesting for you all?

Part 12, ladies, gents, and those in between!

They both raced outside Amethyst's room to find everyone else gathered around what appears to be the living room. The other gems looked up when they saw them. Penelope went up to Garnet first.

"Sorry about hitting you. I wasn't really… all that there…" She apologized.

"It's okay. I understand." She smiled, adjusting her shades.

"I'm glad. You're a pretty cool Gem." She commented, making Garnet blush.

"Oh, stop!"

"I'm serious! I never met another Gem that can use fist-type weapons like I can! Can you teach me some tips next time?"

"I think I can manage to teach you a thing or two sometime." She grinned.

"Cool."

Bismuth laughed, "Glad to see that you're back to normal, Pinky. You had us nervous there for a bit."

"Yeah…" She drew out, nervously.

Steven came up to her now and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes?" She prompted.

"I just want to apologize for what I said about your parents… and your Aunt… I didn't know that you were…" He paused.

"Abandoned. Yeah, looks can be deceiving, after all." She spoke, dryly, "I'll accept your apology. However, I'll never forgive you for what you said."

"Right… How about we start over? I'm Steven Universe. Gem hybrid and member of the Crystal Gems. My weapon is a shield. My mom is Rose Quartz."

Her eyes widened. His mom was the Rose that Jasper was talking about? That means she's... She closed her eyes. She might have to have a talk with Jasper later.

"Penelope Pink. I'm also a Gem hybrid, but I was abandoned so I have no idea who my parents are. My weapon is my gauntlets. I grew up in Empire City as a lab rat at first, then escaped and got adopted into the mafia up until two years ago. Now I live just outside of Beach City, with a garden and my Aunt, hunting the occasional corruption. I can also play a mean accordion." She said that last part proudly.

"Hold up! You were in the mafia?! When was this?"

"Let's see... I was eight when it happened so... Four years I was with them."

"Couldn't you have gone to the police?"

"And go back to being slapped on the operating table, where the scientists can finish what they started? Over my dead body! Those idiots wanted to remove my Gem to make me into a 'normal human being'. Uh, NO! I'll live, thank you!" She snapped.

Steven looked shocked as did the rest of the Gems. She frowned not wanting their sympathy. Bismuth was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry, but that's really messed up." She said.

"You're telling me." She said, dryly.

"While I agree that you have made the right decision in your situation, joining an organized crime group would not be my first choice of options…" Pearl stated, gently.

"Well, there aren't too many options when you're an eight-year-old runaway in Empire City. Either you become a street rat that ends up in human-trafficking or join a gang where you can at least get protection from the cops who are bribed by said gang. Either way, you learn to grow up, grow a backbone, and to what you can to survive." She explained, "Keep in mind that I was also abandoned and had no one, not even other Gems, to help me at the time. I pretty much had no other choice."

"Well… what was it like? The Mafia?" Steven asked, curiously.

"Lots of drinking, drugs, violence, and hookers all with its members in fancy, expensive suits. Trust me, it's nothing special. I didn't really enjoy it." She responded, nonchalantly shrugging.

"Then, how did you get adopted?"

"Long story short, I tried to pickpocket their Boss. It was... interesting."

"Oh... What's a hooker?" Steven asked, innocently.

Penelope just stared at him for a good long moment. She glanced at the other Gems to find Pearl in horrified suspense. She flashed an evil grin at her, which made her worry more before she turned back to Steven.

"Yeah, come back to me on that when you're older. You're still just a little boy." She gave him a teasing smile.

"Hey! No fair! I'm fourteen!" he argued.

"So, am I. But, I have seen some stuff that no normal child should ever have to find out at my age. I'm merely sparing you the details of said stuff until you're older." She simply stated, which made Pearl sigh in relief, "In any case, I have something to ask of all of you."

"Oh? We'll be happy to help any way we can. Ask away!" Pearl said with a delightful cheer in comparison to how she was a second ago. Penelope, silently, nicknamed her 'Mama Bird'. It brought a smile to her face.

"Obviously, you all capture for corrupted Gems and, according to Amethyst, have managed to semi-heal one before it got corrupted again. My question is what else can you tell me about corruptions?" She asked, hoping for a lead.

"Not much, I'm afraid. Corruptions were once Gems like us. Both Rose, as well as Steven here, have attempted to reverse the effects, but had very little success." Pearl explained, disappointed.

"We can, possibly, heal the physical damage with Steven's healing powers, but we believe that most of the damage is in the mind, not the Gem," Garnet added.

"That actually makes more sense…" Penelope commented, thinking about her own dealings with Biggs.

"If I may, what got you so interested in Corruptions?" Pearl asked.

"Well… you see…" She began and gave them the same story she gave Amethyst. Most of them were shocked when she mentioned Biggs, especially Bismuth.

"You found Biggs?! Where is she? Is she okay?" Bismuth rattled off the questions, startling Penelope a hair.

"Yeah, like I said, I was hunting her corrupted form when it happened. She didn't look too good, though. That might be the corruptions' doing. As for where she is… I don't know. Auntie and I were trying to recreate the process with another corruption, but it went berserk and set Biggs free! Auntie was chasing them and she lost Biggs! She was still herself when I bubbled her, but now she's corrupted again… I'm sorry…" She apologized, feeling guilty for letting it happen.

Bismuth sighed, "Hey, hey! It's okay! It wasn't your fault! I was… I've been gone for so long that I'm a little uneasy right now. I thought she was shattered earlier. So, thank you."

"For what?" she asked, looking up at the big Gem.

"For giving me some hope. Yeah, she's corrupted and everything, but she's still out there and she's alive. That's gives me hope for not just her but my other comrades as well. And you're trying to help heal them! So, thanks, Pinky. Tell you what. I'll make something specifically for you if you succeed."

Her eyes began to sparkle, brightly, "Really?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm pretty good at making things. It'll be a pleasure to do 'bismuth' with you." she grinned.

Penelope laughed, "That's a good one!"

Amethyst whispered in her ear, "That's the third time she's made that joke today."

"Well, it's the first time I heard a good joke in… Actually, this is my first good laugh at a joke…" She replied, smiling sheepishly as Amethyst stared at her in astonishment.

"…Challenge accepted." Amethyst said, grinning.

"I wish you great luck, my friend. It's hard to get me to laugh at jokes."

"You will be after I'm done with you!"

"That's what she said," Penelope smirked as everyone else stared at her in shock. Except for Steven, who was too young to get the joke. Pearl fainted.

"Dang, Pinky, got any soap for that mouth." Bismuth retorted.

"I did, but there was none left when I was done using it. Besides, I warned you in advance that I knew too much." Penelope pointed out.

"I saw it coming," Garnet commented.

"I don't get it. Is Pearl going to be okay?" Steven asked, confused.

"She'll be fine. She's just in shock." Garnet assured.

"You'll get it, eventually." Penelope promised, "Back to the topic of corruption, though. Any thoughts?"

They all thought about it for a minute, before Garnet spoke.

"If the song is the key to the cure, it has to be a pretty specific song to work. I think that you were singing was pretty close to what that song was, but it sounds to me that one you were singing was incomplete, in a sense. Perhaps, if you completed the song it just might work." Garnet suggested.

"It was just something I made up to keep me from feeling lonely at the time. It wasn't supposed to be a real song." She explained, flashes of the past rushed back to her, "It wasn't meant to be completed…"

"That incomplete song nearly cured Biggs!" Bismuth reminded her.

"I know! I just… I don't think I can complete it." She admitted.

"What do mean you can't finish it?" Bismuth asked, confused.

"I've been alone for so long! I just recently met you gems! Just the other day, I was just told that I was a Gem hybrid and not some abnormal kid with a pink rock attached to her body. I..." She choked, "I don't even know who I am, anymore!"

"That's ridiculous!" Bismuth yelled, "Who are you?"

"Penelope Pink." She answered without hesitation.

"Then, that's who are. No one else can tell you what can and can not be! You got to make your own self, sister! And honestly, you're fine just the way you are." She spoke softly now, "You'll be just fine. You got this!" She winked.

Her eyes twinkled brightly up her, "That's my line."

Bismuth laughed, "I like you!"

"Same." She grinned, "Thanks."

"Hey, us Crystal Gems have to stick together, am I right?"

She merely laughed. After awhile, she headed back home, surprising Steven and the Gems with her newfound abilities. These pass couple of weeks were the most she ever enjoyed herself. Heck, she had more fun with aliens than she did with humans and that was saying something. She wished these days would last forever.

If only things were that simple.

I love how Bismuth was the only one that told Steven to just be himself. I wanted to incorporate that with Penelope by having Bismuth throwing Penelope's words back at her.

Please share your thoughts with me, before the end comes.

Later,

Ellis Alpha