CHAPTER 26: LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT

"I… for what it's worth… I'm sorry… for what I did to you the first time we met… I may not understand you… but… if your parts really care so much about each other… then… I guess it wasn't right to separate them…" Jasper said, avoiding eye contact with the fusion, who was more than surprised to hear that, guess Steven really changed her…

"I'm glad to hear that too…" Garnet said giving the warrior a small smile… and Jasper did the same.

"So… uhm… should I-" Jasper asked scratching the back of her head awkwardly, the only one she had made some kind of bond with had just disappeared, and now she remained with many of the gems she hurt.

"Steven will be back shortly… you should join us… we have to discuss something with all the others…" Garnet said gesturing Jasper to follow her towards Amethyst, Jet and Peridot, who instinctively hid behind the cluster gem.

"So we are actually giving her a chance…" Peridot stated, sighing heavily.

"Peridot…" Jasper called her, making her jolt from behind Jet.

"Listen… I know that what I have done is despicable… I hurt you and all of Steven's family… I actually thought it was the right thing to do, after all it was what I was made to do… but now, after what Steven has showed me, I understand that the way I lived my life before was wrong and I don't want ever to go back… I'm sorry…" Jasper said keeping her gaze low, after all, she still felt shame in apologizing, in admitting her faults, it just wasn't in her nature, it still hurt her pride, but it was the right thing to do.

"Well… I do appreciate your apologies… and if there is something Steven showed me is that compassion is a way better way than hatred, I guess I'll give you another chance too…" Peridot said as Jasper gave her a slight grin.

"Same here, wait, just if you say 'I was a real jerk'" Amethyst said as Peridot and Jet snickered and Garnet shook her head, trying to hide a little smile.

"Fine, I was a real jerk…" Jasper said crossing her arms as Amethyst burst into laughter.

"Alright man, you're forgiven now…" Amethyst said as Jasper rolled her eyes.

"And, I don't think I've ever seen you…" Jasper said eyeing Jet.

"Well, Steven and the others found me, or maybe it's better to say that I've found them after Yellow Diamond released me from the Kindergarten…" Jet said, Jasper's eyes becoming wide as they fell on her gem, which she noticed was made by fragments.

"Are you… a cluster prototype?" Jasper asked in confusion.

"Yes, apparently I am…" Jet replayed, feeling a little ashamed, she thought Jasper would have discriminated her, after all, on Homeworld quartzes were high ranked gems, and well, she was some kind of messed up experiment, but Jasper's response just made her grin widely.

"Well, you seem pretty tough to me, and if you are strong enough to fight and protect Steven, than you shouldn't be ashamed of your origins, I'd like to do a friendly match with you some day…" Jasper said chuckling.

"Alright, if you want so much to get on the ground…" Jet said as both of the gems grinned to each other.

"Gems, we have to discuss something important… regarding our common enemy…" Garnet said as all of the gems became serious.

Meanwhile:

"Lapis!" Steven called as he noticed the blue gem who was sitting on the cliff, her face hidden in her knees.

"Go away…" Lapis replayed coldly, hugging herself even more tightly.

"Lapis…" Steven murmured softly as he kneeled behind her.

"Please… just… stay away from me…" Lapis said, trying to held back tears.

"Lapis please… just look at me…" Steven pleaded placing a hand on her shoulder, she felt her flinch under his touch as he began to hear her sob quietly.

"S-Steven…" Lapis muttered, trying to choke her sobs, but as she felt a pair of arms embracing her, she couldn't hold back any longer, she turned around and hugged the young boy as tight as she could.

"Please Lapis, stop crying, it's alright…" Steven said holding her.

"No it's not! I could have killed you and all my hatred towards Jasper, my anger, my gried took control and made Pearl say something she didn't mean to say! I'm… I'm so sorry Steven! Please don't hate me!" Lapis said, her sobs by now uncontrollable.

"Lapis… it's true, you could have hurt me but it doesn't matter, you suffered so much because of Jasper and you were so angry that you couldn't think… but I could never hate you…" Steven said raising her face with his hands and giving her a warm smile.

"We're beach summer fun buddies aren't we?" Steven said as Lapis gave him a huge grin.

"We sure are!" Lapis said, but after some moments her smile faded away.

"But… why did you do it Steven? After all what she has done to you… after all what she has done to me…" Lapis said as shifting her gaze to the ground.

"Lapis… because of the same motive I decided to help you… even after what you did to me, my friends, my dad…" Steven said as Lapis gave him an ashamed look.

"I'm… I'm sorry…" Lapis said as Steven hugged her again.

"You already told me that enough times Lapis… I'm sorry if what I did hurt you but I had to… Jasper may have looked a pure evil being to all of you… but I just can't see someone as unsalvageable… maybe it's silly but I think that everyone deserves a second chance, because if someone did terrible things, than many horrible things must have happened to them too…" Steven said as Lapis smiled, even if he was such a young boy, Steven really was wise.

"You're right Steven… I would be an hypocrite if I blamed you for what you have done… but… it's hard to think she'll be around…" Lapis said as Steven held her hands.

"I know… but I'll be there to help you ok?" Steven said as Lapis nodded, being near Jasper would have been something hard in the beginning, but knowing that Steven would have been there to help her, made her understand that everything would have gone fine.

"Come on…" Steven said as they both got up and walked down the cliff, until they reached the others.

"Lapis…" Jasper tried to speak but became silent as the blue gem held her hand up and shook her head, 'At least she didn't crush me under the ocean' Jasper thought to herself.

"Guys, I'll check on Pearl, I have to know she's alright." Steven said running towards the house.

"As I was saying… Yellow Diamond and her pearl will reach us before we manage to destroy the cluster… that's why I came up with this plan… but I'll need your help, of all of you… or else we won't be able to stop that monstrosity." Garnet said as all of the gems listen to her plan.

Meanwhile:

"You defective wretch… everyone was right about you… you don't deserve to be near to him again…" Pearl murmured as she kept sobbing, curled up on the ground of her room.

"You-" Her insults were interrupted by someone knocking at the temple's door.

"Pearl… please, open the door!" Steven called her from outside.

"G-go away… you should stay away from me! The only thing I'm capable of is hurting you!" Pearl cried

"Pearl we both know that's not true! Open the door!" Steven yelled as slowly, the temple's door opened, he didn't have the time to react, Pearl already lunched herself towards the young boy and tackled him to the ground, embracing him and sobbing in his hair.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Pearl kept saying as Steven hugged her back, he knew she didn't mean all those terrible things she said, it was all their anger and hatred that made them say them, but, he still have some doubts, after all, he always had some doubts about the gems blaming him for his mother's disappearance.

"Pearl… d-do you hate me? For what I did to mom?" Steven asked looking her straight in the eyes.

"Steven… I… I guess it's the time to tell you how I really felt… I… I loved your mother, more than anyone else, and her choosing Greg over me was the most painful thing that has ever happened to me, I blamed him and you for her disappearance, but, deep down I knew it was only Rose who made that decision, you didn't want her to disappear and Greg didn't want her to disappear, I just… needed someone to blame… but as you grew up I understood her choice… you're a wonderful human and even a more amazing gem, just like your mother wanted, you're kind, brave, compassionate and you always put the other's needs in front of yours… I couldn't be prouder of you and I know that your mother feels the same, wherever she is… I'm sorry if I hurt you Steven… I love you and I'll always love you… no matter what…" Pearl said as tears streamed down both hers and Steven's face.

"I love you too Pearl…" Steven said smiling as they hugged each other tightly.

Ahhhh the feels, hope it was not too cheesy for you guys, but you know, I'm a sentimental guy, we hope you enjoyed this chapter and the story so far, thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows and we'll see you, in the next chapter! Bye bye!