CHAPTER 24: GIVING HER A CHANCE

"Garnet? Is everything alright?" Jet asked as she touched her shoulder.

"Steven… he isn't in his room… he disappeared…" Garnet stated as everyone else stopped chuckling.

"What?!" Angelite almost cried as she began to look around.

"W-we have to find him! He can't be very far!" Peridot said as Angelite flew up in the sky, trying to spot the young child from above.

"Garnet… you don't think it's Yellow Diamond isn't it? S-she can't have passed through without being noticed…" Peridot muttered as the fusion gem looked at the beach house.

"I don't know Peridot… but we have to act quick before-" Garnet tried to say before being interrupted by a voice calling her.

"Guys!" Steven called as he descended the ladder, a large figure following him.

Needless to say, Garnet, Amethyst, Peridot and Jet remained frozen as they tried to understand if what they were looking at was real. In front of them, stood Steven, and beside him, the warrior who tried to destroy them, the one who separated Ruby from Sapphire, the monster who still hunted Peridot's memories and the sad reminder of what Amethyst should have become. Only Jet seemed to be more surprised than angry, in front of her stood a gem she has never seen before, but as they approached, she suddenly noticed something, something that made her understand why all of her comrades has summoned their weapons, on the foreign gem's chest, there was the symbol of Yellow Diamond.

"That… gem…" Jet murmured as Steven and Jasper stopped approaching.

"She came here alongside Peridot, but they are not the same, while Peridot had and still have good inside her, there's nothing but a blind faith in the Diamonds and an exaggerate amount of rage in her, she wanted to fuse with Lapis and destroy us all… I don't know how she got out… but we can't let her hurt Steven…" Garnet said gritting her teeth.

"You bet we won't! She doesn't have one of those shock thingy with her, she's outnumbered…" Amethyst said, her whip ready to slash.

"T-this can't be r-really happening! S-she was broken!" Peridot muttered holding her blaster right in front of her, pointed at the giant Homeworld warrior.

"It doesn't matter… she doesn't stand a chance against us!" Jet said angrily as she summoned her halberd.

"Guys wait!" Steven said putting himself in front of Jasper.

"Steven! What are you doing! Get away from her!" Garnet yelled as Jasper instinctively summoned her helmet, this however, only worsened the situation, until something that made all of them remain speechless happened, Steven turned around and talked to the massive gem.

"Jasper please, could you put away your helmet? It's… really making everyone really nervous…" Steven said scratching the back of his head, Jasper hesitated for some moments, after all, these gems were still her enemies and she was sure they would have tried to attack her, but she was also sure Steven wouldn't permit them to hurt her.

"Fine…" Jasper said sighing as she made her weapon disappear, which made Garnet, Peridot, Amethyst and Jet giving each other a confused look.

"Steven… how did Jasper escape her bubble?" Garnet asked, her gauntlets still summoned, even if she slightly lowered them.

"Ehm… well… you know how it is, I was just walking around in your room and, hehe, funny story, I… let her out…" Steven said trying to avoid the puzzled gazes of her comrades.

"WHAT?! ARE YOU INSANE?" Peridot yelled angrily.

"No I just-" Steven tried to talk but was cut off.

"YOU COULD HAVE DIED! THAT CLOD IS CAPABLE ONLY OF DESTROYING THINGS! WHAT DO YOU EXPECTED TO HAPPEN?!" Peridot cried again, her concern more than evident, she never snapped like that.

"Steven… what you did was very irresponsible, you know how much pain that gem brought to the life of all of us…" Garnet said pointing at Jasper, who lowered her head, maybe for the first time, feeling something that may have been considered to be shame.

"I know it was irresponsible and dangerous!" Steven yelled back, surprising them all.

"What are you talking about Steven?" Jet asked, perplexed by Steven words.

"I know that I could have died down there…" Steven said lowering his gaze, rubbing his arm.

"W-why did you do it then?! Why did you do such a stupid thing?!" Peridot cried in disbelief.

"For the same reason I kept helping and caring about you!" Steven answered as Peridot's eyes became wide.

"W-what?" The green gem muttered.

"I always thought that we all have good inside of us, maybe we can't show it because we're too scared of what could happen…" Steven said looking at Peridot who now looked almost ashamed of her words.

"Or maybe…" He said as he turned around and gently took Jasper's hand with his much smaller one.

"Maybe it's just because you never had the chance to experience something like love, or compassion, all what Jasper have felt for the entire course of her life was pain, rage and hatred, and those were the things she was rewarded for feeling, so she thought those things were good… but… I show her something else…" Steven said smiling at Jasper who couldn't help but to smile back.

"Steven…" Garnet said before the young, caring boy turned around showing a sad smile.

"I know what Jasper did in the past… but I think that she changed… I can't force you to accept it as a certain fact… but I ask you to give her a chance… I heard Jet and Peridot saying that everyone deserves a second chance… and I think it too, I think that there is good in her, and I think that even after what she did, even my mom would have given her a second chance, knowing how much of a good person Jasper can be… trust me guys, I've seen it…" Steven said as Garnet lowered her gauntlets, making them disappear.

"Garnet! What are doing?" Amethyst asked getting to her side.

"I'm doing what Rose would have done and what her son already did…" Garnet said looking at Jasper.

"W-what?" Peridot asked as Garnet turned towards her.

"I'm giving her a chance…" She replied calmly.

Everyone made their weapons disappear, Steven sighed in relief, he managed to make his family understand his reasons, he knew that it wouldn't have been easy but he wouldn't permit someone to hurt Jasper, he believed she changed, and he wanted to show everyone that good can be found inside of anyone, even the ones who display nothing but darkness… still… there was something strange… something missing… Lapis and Pearl were not there… but when Steven realized that it was already too late… he heard someone screaming his name from above and then… when he raised his gaze… he saw them, flying towards him, a glowing, great scythe in their hands.

"Steven!" Angelite cried as she reached the beach, keeping her eyes fixed on the Homeworld warrior, if a glare could kill, than Jasper would be already dead.

"Lapis! Pearl! You're here!" Steven said approaching the fusion.

"What is she doing here?!" Angelite asked in disbelief.

"Listen I know this looks bad but it's not! I let her out!" Steven explained waving his arms, trying to distract the raging fusion from Jasper, who began to step back as Angelite stepped forward.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Angelite yelled furiously.

"P-please just let me explain, I-" Steven tried to speak but was cut off.

"THERE IS NOT EXPLANATION FOR SUCH AN IRRESPONSIBLE ACT STEVEN! DON'T YOU KNOW SHE COULD HAVE KILLED YOU?! AND ALL OF US?! DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHAT SHE DID TO US? WHAT SHE DID TO ME?!" Angelite spoke as tears began to stream down her upper pair of eyes, Steven could tell they were Lapis's ones.

"Lapis please! I know that you're angry b-but you have to listen to me! She changed! I-" Steven tried again but it was a worthless effort, he could see that in front of him there was the manifestation of Pearl's grief and frustration, and Lapis's anger and hatred, they couldn't see or hear.

"DON'T BEGIN WITH THAT STEVEN! YOU PERFECTLY KNOW THAT SHE'S NOTHING MORE THAN A WAR MACHINE! SHE WON'T EVER UNDERSTAND US, SHE WON'T EVER BE ABLE TO FEEL LOVE!" Angelite cried one last time before her tone became much more quite yet darker.

"I'm disappointed in you Steven… what would your mother think of you…" The fusion said as everyone remained mouth agape.

"S-she would be proud of-…" Steven tried to say before being cut off.

"PROUD?! PROUD OF WHAT?! PUTTING US ALL IN DANGER?! IF SHE WAS STILL HERE SHE WOULD HAVE HANDLED THIS BETTER THAN YOU! BUT SHE'S GONE BECAUSE OF YOU! NOW MOVE!" Angelite screamed angrily, Steven was shocked by such a statement, he couldn't believe Pearl and Lapis could say such a thing to him.

"Guys..." Steven said as tears began to stream down his face.

"It doesn't matter… I'm going to end this!" Angelite said before jumping towards Jasper, her scythe ready to strike.