The bell jingled as Steven opened the door to the pizza shop. Jenny was wiping off the tables and smiled when she saw the boy. "Hey, Steven! What's up? You here for some late dinner?"

Steven held up his coupon card and grinned. "Yep, if you're still open! I have a coupon for a free pizza, and I'd like to share it with Jamie and Cordelia!" When he handed the coupon to her, she looked it over before asking Steven, "Who's Cordelia?"

Another jingle of the bell alerted them both, as Jamie opened the door for Cordelia to pass through. She nodded and gave him a "thank you" before looking around curiously at the inside of the pizza shop. It was professional, but cozy, and quite neat compared to some restaurants she had been to. There was a charming atmosphere to the whole place, and it did well to calm her nerves. Steven gestured to her with a smile, "This is Cordelia! She's from out of town."

Jenny's eyes widened as she smiled, leaning on the table she had been wiping. "Really? Cool! Welcome to the town, Cordelia. I'm Jenny. My daddy owns this place."

Cordelia tilted her head down as a slight bow. "Thank you, Jenny. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'll get your order now, just take a seat anywhere you like," Jenny added as she headed for the counter, lifting the divider. She shouted with a lazy tone, "Dad, we got customers!" As she disappeared into the kitchen, Steven, Cordelia, and Jamie could hear Mr. Pizza respond loudly, but incoherently.

Steven turned to his companions. "Let's go sit!" He gestured to a table by the window. They followed him without objection.

Jamie pulled out one of the chairs for Cordelia, and she propped her suitcase against the wall behind it. "Thank you, Jamie," she said with a small smile as she sat down, resting her hands in her lap. "Of course. Anything for the lady," Jamie replied with a small bow of his head before he took the seat opposite her, folding his arms over the edge of the table. Steven sat facing the window, smiling at the both of them.

The lazy day outside was coming to an end, and the lights of the dusk cast shadows all throughout the town with a dim outline of everything that the inhabitants knew. There was no one left wandering the streets at this time, and the only sounds left were the waves breaching the shore and the gulls searching for something to eat. The beautiful shades that covered the quaint buildings seemed almost out of place in the eyes of those seated in the small diner, but the atmosphere melded with the view to create a sensation akin to that of a dream.

Steven grabbed the sides of his chair and lightly swung his legs under the table, careful not to kick either of his friends. Not many people came into town to visit, so he had many questions already buzzing in his head. He started, "So, Cordelia, how long are you staying in Beach City?"

Cordelia's eyes fell to her hands in her lap. As she answered, she looked up. "Well, I-I suppose...forever."

Steven gasped and splayed his hands on the table, leaning upward. "Really? So that makes you our new neighbor! Welcome to Beach City, Cordelia!" The boy grinned, excited to have another addition to the small town.

"Welcome, Cordelia," Jamie echoed as he tilted his head with curiosity. "Mayor Dewey didn't say anything about you coming. Do you have a house yet, or an apartment?"

Cordelia shook her head. "Not yet. I...left home without making very many plans." She tucked a loose lock of her raven hair behind her ear again. "But, I'm sure I'll find some means of accommodation. I have savings that I can live off of for a while, so a hotel should do just fine for now." She looked out the window, ending her reply there.

Steven frowned a bit, humming thoughtfully. "There's a hotel just down the street. It's not very busy, though.." He looked at the suitcase leaning against the wall, then looked back at the quiet woman. "Is that the only suitcase you have?"

Cordelia glanced briefly his way, nodding. "Yes..."

Steven leaned back in his chair. He looked to Jamie, and Jamie looked back at him. Steven knitted his brows together, pressing his lips closed. Jamie made the same expression. A moment of silence passed like this before Jamie broke eye contact and asked casually, "So, Cordelia, are you still interested in the acting job..?"

The young gem looked at Cordelia nervously.

Cordelia met Jamie's eyes. They were clear and curious, unintrusive yet warm. They reminded her of a child's gaze; she felt as though anything that came from her mouth wouldn't lead him to judge her, and that whatever she said would leave an impression on him. The feeling made her still-pounding heart flutter. She smiled. "I am. Are you still interested in hiring me, now that you know I don't have a permanent address yet?"

Jamie nodded quickly, leaning forward, his hair bouncing with the movements. "Of course! I mean, right now it's just me and Steven doing all the work. You're the first person who's even considered the position since our last play."

"Oh? And what play was that?"

Steven answered, "The Tale of William Dewey!"

Jamie elaborated, lifting one of his hands to loosely gesture to thin air. "It was a play depicting the establishment of our beloved town, as well as the adventures of the founder, William Dewey. Quite an exotic and exciting tale, full of drama and genuine storytelling." He clenched his hand into a fist at the end, his eyes sparkling as he spoke of the enormously successful work that had launched his acting career.

"Oh, my. That must have been exciting," Cordelia commented. "How many roles were there, if just you two had to act it out?"

Steven counted on his fingers. "Well, I was Captain William Dewey, and Jamie was the first mate, Buddy, and Pearl, and Garnet, Amethyst, the Giant Woman…"

"So many..! How long was the play?"

"About three or four minutes, I think."

Cordelia asked Jamie, "How did you manage so many roles in such a short time?"

Jamie smiled and shrugged, closing his eyes. "Well, when an act demands actors, one must create oneself again and again to bring the play to life…" He opened his eyes. "I used some props and shadow puppets, as well as some improv costumes." Jamie pumped his fist enthusiastically, chuckling nervously. "We had a low budget, but we made it work!"

"Yeah!" Steven agreed.

Cordelia smiled. "Well, I'm excited to be working with such skilled actors! This should be exciting."

Jamie scratched his head, stretching his mouth to one side a little as he added, "Of course, we'll have to check with Mayor Dewey. I think. This is my first time hiring someone, and he's very...particular about the arts."

"Aaw, Jamie, how could he say no to Cordelia? She's an editor, so she has to be good at pretending to be other people! Right?" Steven asked the woman in question. She seemed surprised by the inquiry.

"Ah, well, I…" Cordelia trailed off quietly. She took a breath, "Well… Before I answer that, there's something I would like to know."

Jamie and Steven both waited, listening, when Jenny suddenly called, "Pizza's here!" She brought the circle of baked dough to their table with a smile. "Enjoy!"

Steven grinned. "Thank you, Jenny!" As happy as he was at the presence of pizza, Steven couldn't shake the feeling that he knew what Cordelia was about to ask. He wasn't exactly sure he was prepared to answer her, either.

"Hey, Cordelia? How long ya stayin' here?" Jenny asked, hands on her hips.

"Well, I don't really have a plan, but it's possible I'll be staying here permanently," the woman answered with a quiet voice. Jenny grinned.

"Really? That's great! Oh, gosh!" she exclaimed, bringing her hands up in front of her chest in an excited posture. "We should totally throw you a welcoming party!"

Cordelia blinked. "A party? For me? Here?" she asked to clarify, eyes wide.

"Yeah! I mean, you're brand new in town, it's only fair that we throw a party! We're not exactly the biggest city on the block, so having new people here is a pretty big deal! What do you say?" the teenager asked.

Steven immediately jumped on the idea. "That's a great idea, Jenny! We can have food, and play games, and blow up balloons- and Cordelia can meet everyone in town! It'll be awesome!"

"I don't…" Cordelia looked down at her hands, holding them tightly. She felt pain as she squeezed harder.

"Please, Cordelia? We'll even make it based on things you like, if you want!" Steven prompted. At Jenny and Jamie's questioning looks, he explained. "If you like plants, we'll bring plants! If you like balloons, we'll bring balloons! And if you like chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and green sprinkles, we'll bring chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and green sprinkles! Just name it, and we'll bring it," he assured her confidently.

Cordelia didn't look at anyone at first. Her hair fell around her face, hiding her eyes from Steven and Jenny, but Jamie saw the anxiety in her expression and said, "We don't have to hold one, if you don't want the attention. We can just let people meet you naturally."

At Cordelia's silence, Steven was briefly worried that he had scared the woman into thinking he was pressuring her into something, but that worry evaporated when she answered calmly, "If that's what you all want to do, then I'd be honored to be the guest and subject of the event." She lifted her head, wearing a small, content smile as she pushed her hair over her shoulders.

Steven almost sighed with relief. Jenny grinned, "Great! What kinda party do you want?"

The woman cleared her throat quietly, putting her words together. "Well… I suppose…" Something seemed to click into place, and she smiled. "I love gardening. And music, I love listening to music." Her eyes softened. "That would make me very happy."

"Music and gardening it is!" Jenny declared in a proud manner, before her father yelled, "Stop horsing around and get to work!" The girl groaned, starting to turn away. "Lemme know when we're holding this. I /definitely/ want to be there." She returned behind the counter to face her father.

As soon as Jenny had left, Cordelia started, "So, what exactly happened on the street earlier..?"

Steven and Jamie had both taken slices of pizza and were just about to bite in, but they paused at the question. "Oh, that?" Steven began to explain, "That was Peridot's escape pod. She's a gem we're looking for."

"Peridot...gem..?" Cordelia tried to process his words, but it didn't seem to make any sense.

"Yeah, a gem. Like me!" Steven lifted up his shirt to reveal the round gem on his belly. Cordelia's eyes widened and she leaned forward with unmasked interest.

"The gems- Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and me- we protect this planet from things. They've been here a long time, and my mom was one, too, but she…" Steven hesitated, then continued. "She's not really here anymore. This is her gem. And there are other gems, too, from a planet called Homeworld."

"You mean, they're aliens?" Cordelia was holding the edge of the table and leaning towards Steven with an expression that held back no curiosity in what the boy was saying. She didn't seem at all disturbed or disbelieving; in fact, she seemed fascinated.

Steven nodded, taking a small bite from his slice of pizza and swallowing. "Yeah."

Jamie watched as Cordelia leaned back in her chair, staring down at the incomplete circle of pizza as she turned the thoughts over in her mind. He took the silence to ask, "So Steven, what exactly were you doing with that escape pod?"

The gem swallowed half of his pizza. "Pearl is trying to use it to find Peridot whenever she uses a warp pad."

"I'm guessing she thought it would sniff her out like a dog sniffs out its owner?" Jamie proposed with a smile. Steven laughed a bit, more to indulge Jamie than to enjoy the joke. Cordelia was listening now, silently, patiently.

"She accidentally activated it. Garnet wasn't too happy about that. They've both been kind of tense lately," the boy explained. He let his eyes fall to his pizza, the worry becoming obvious in them. "Pearl did something a while back that really upset Garnet, and now they're not talking."

"That sounds tough," Jamie said sympathetically. "Garnet is the most mature person I know."

Steven nodded. Cordelia leaned forward again and asked, "Steven, if I may, do you mean to say you live with those...gems?"

Steven nodded. "Mm-hmm! They're my family. Kind of. It's a little complicated."

"So that means you have amazing and dangerous adventures every day?" she continued.

Steven nodded again, a small, curious frown tugging at his brow. Jamie added, "He's practically the reason why Ronaldo exists."

Cordelia paused, glancing down, then went on, "Do you think you would tell me about that?"

The gem blinked. Then, he smiled brightly. "Sure!" he declared.

The woman mirrored his smile, seeming just as excited as he was. "I would love to hear about it! It sounds like you live such an interesting life, and I would love to gather some inspiration for my own stories!"

Jamie smiled at that, while Steven's eyes were practically sparkling. "That sounds great! I can tell you all about the gems, the places we've been, anything you want!"

Cordelia and Steven talked excitedly for the rest of dinner. Jamie watched and listened to Steven's stories as the boy went on about the many adventures he had had with his family, and he often caught Cordelia's look of pure fascination and unbridled excitement. She only commented or asked a question when Steven had concluded his last story, and she took bites of her pizza slowly and in small amounts, completely absorbed in the tales the gem was telling. Despite Steven's limited vocabulary and childish expression of events, Cordelia seemed to understand the inexplicable and relished it all.

While Jamie felt relief and surprise at Cordelia's positive reaction, as he idly observed her smile and her shimmering seafoam eyes, another feeling tugged at his gut. It was something he hadn't felt in months, and he tried to put his finger on it as he stared down at the pizza in his hand that disappeared more with every bite. As the characters next to him chatted on, he dug into his memories to find the sensation that was making him feel so unnerved and yet so self-aware. IT disturbed him, and he felt the need to attribute it to something in his past.

He looked to Cordelia again to reignite the feeling, only to find her and Steven looking at him expectantly.

"Do you think we can get everyone to come to a beach party tomorrow, Jamie?" Steven asked.

"Oh..." Jamie sat up a little straighter, blushing slightly as he realized how much of the conversation he must have missed. "Uh… Yeah, sure! I'll tell them about it when I make my morning route," he offered with a smile.

"Huh? Wait, Jamie, you're still the mailman?" Steven asked, surprised.

Jamie scratched his head, mussing up his perfect hair slightly. "Ah, yeah, well, you know, old habits die hard. I haven't really quit being a mailman."

"That's great! That means we can still see each other when you deliver my mail!" Steven grinned.

Jamie hadn't thought of it that way, but he smiled more at the thought. "You can bet on that!"

Jenny approached them with a smile, removing her work apron. "Hey, guys, hate to break up the party, but we're closing up now. And it looked like you guys were having a blast, too." She added, with a disapproving frown, "I had to scrape the pizza racks. Eugh." She made a disgusted face.

Steven swallowed his last bite of pizza, getting up and pushing his chair in. "That's okay, Jenny. We're having a beach party tomorrow to welcome Cordelia, and everyone's invited!"

"That sounds great! What time should I be there?" Jenny asked, picking up the empty pizza platter.

"Five o'clock! We're gonna have a great party!" he announced excitedly, walking with Jenny to the counter, where she threw the plastic platter in the trash.

Jamie watched as Cordelia took hold of her suitcase again. "Um, Cordelia?" he began, almost gingerly. "Do you want me to walk you to your hotel? I can carry your bag for you, too, if you'd like."

The woman observed him for but a brief moment before resorting to an appreciative smile. "You don't have to do that, Jamie. I'm sure you're just as eager to go to your bed as I am." Her calm demeanor dropped in an instant as her eyes widened. "T-To my bed, I mean.," she quickly stammered, her cheeks flushing. "Me to my bed and you to…" She frowned and whispered, "Drat…"

Jamie laughed a little and scratched the back of his head, relieved to have the tension broken. "How about I play the gentleman for tonight? I mean, it's on the way to my place anyway, so I don't mind at all."

Cordelia sighed softly, then finally dampened her efforts to regain her composure by simply smiling and laughing quietly. "I would like that very much, Jamie. Thank you, and, I apologize."

They both started for the door, following Jenny and Steven, and Jamie frowned. "Apologize?"

The wheels of the suitcase clattered over the wood floor of the pizza shop as Cordelia pulled it along, answering. "For any inconvenience I may have caused you, and also for my behavior. I am not used to being the topic of conversation."

"Oh, you have nothing to apologize for!"Jamie assured her with a smile. "You've been nothing but a joy. We're glad to have you here." Cordelia smiled a bit in return, surprised by his blatant endeavor to reassure her. "Thank you..."

Once they were outside, Jenny closed and locked the door, yawning. "I'm beat. I'll see you guys tomorrow, a-ight?" the teen bargained.

"See you tomorrow, Jenny!" Steven affirmed. Jamie and Cordelia nodded, and Jenny smiled tiredly at them. "My daddy may have let my sister off the hook today, but she's not gettin' away from work tomorrow. Count on me being at that party, and with an awesome present for you, Cordelia!"

The writer blushed and thanked Jenny softly, adding that it wasn't necessary, but Jenny wouldn't hear of it. She left the group to head for the back of the shop, to get to the pizza delivery car that was awaiting her nightly ventures. Steven sighed.

"Well, even with all the fun we had, it couldn't last forever," the boy uttered, his head bowed and his eyes closed.

Jamie shook his head, mimicking the young gem's stance. "Indeed it could not." He opened his eyes, smiling victoriously as he raised a hand. "But a new day awaits us, and we must yet face the long night for our eyes to gaze upon the sweet morning sunlight once more!"

Steven gazed up at him with inspired hope in his smile. "You're right! We can make it, if we believe in ourselves!"

"Never let your fears overcome you, Steven, and you will always see another sunrise!" Jamie finished in a bold voice that made Cordelia smile and giggle softly. She found herself admiring the way they spoke so passionately of such an idle situation. A small town certainly did have its quirks.

Jamie and Steven high-fived each other. "Acting!" they whooped in unison.

After Steven bid them both a good night and headed for the beach, Cordelia smiled at Jamie. "You two seem to be very close," she assessed.

"Oh, Steven? Yeah, we are pretty good friends," he confirmed with a smile. He looked to her, holding out his hand. "Want me to take that?" he offered, glancing down at the suitcase.

"Ah- Thank you." She surrendered it to him, and even through the gloves she could feel that his skin was very warm.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Not a few moments after their walk had begun, Cordelia came up with a question. "Jamie, if I may ask…"

The mailman looked to her. "Mm?"

Cordelia held her hands in front of her, keeping her eyes forward as she pondered, "Has Steven's family always been in this area?"

"For as long as I can remember."

"And have they always been this...exciting?"

"I think so."

"I see." She turned her wondering eyes to him, and the sheer curiosity in her calm gaze struck him. "How did you handle living near such invigorating souls?" she asked.

Jamie looked up, then to the side, letting his eyes run over the faces of the buildings that they passed and down the alleys that split the walls apart. "Well, I never really thought of it as being too strange… They've been here longer than I have, and even though I don't know what's going on with them most of the time, I don't like to question it. They make our lives interesting, and they're pretty entertaining themselves once you get to know them." He looked forward, down at the sidewalk running under their feet, as he continued thoughtfully, "Besides, Steven's my buddy. I owe him a lot. And his family has protected us from dangerous creatures in the past, so I guess the best thing that I can do for them is to just...accept them."

As they passed an apartment building, they could hear soft piano music drifting through the walls from the other side. When Cordelia didn't answer, Jamie pondered, "You handled that news pretty well, though, considering what happened with the escape pod."

Cordelia blinked, coming back to the present. "Ah- Well…"

He finally looked to her. "You weren't at least a little doubtful?"

"I won't lie; I was shocked at first." She released a small laugh as she adjusted the fastener of her cape. "I was terrified, actually. I thought I was in a dream. I still might be... But, as you said, no one knew I was coming here, so there's no way that could have been a set up. Besides…" She trailed off, looking away.

Jamie leaned forward to try and get a better look at her face, or perhaps to get her to look back at him. "Besides," she resumed. "Steven does seem like a very nice boy. And his stories were spectacularly original. Even if he isn't telling the whole truth, I can tell that this place is going to be full to the brim with inspiration."

Jamie smiled as she poured out her thoughts. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I was worried you might have been scared into abandoning this town."

"Abandoning it? Hardly!" She grinned at him as she recalled the event: "An alien vehicle and two incredible women fell from the sky and you act as if it was the most normal thing in the world! There's no way I could leave without getting to know this town first." She shook her head, smiling with invigorated ambition. Jamie couldn't help but do the same.

"I'm really glad you came here, Cordelia. I think you're going to like Beach City," he guessed, "and you'll like the people in it. You seem so passionate about your work."

"I think you're right," she agreed. "This isn't the place I thought I would end up in, but I think it's just what I might need."

As they continued walking towards the hotel, Jamie noticed that night had begun to fall and the stars were coming to light. "Ah… Do you see that?" He pointed as Cordelia looked at him and followed his finger. "There are so many stars above this town," she said with an admiring tone.

Jamie lowered his arm, watching with her as the lights gradually lit up the sky. "There are. It's gorgeous, especially just before dawn."

Cordelia smiled softly, finding herself speaking before her mind had even had time to come up with the words, "Have you ever stayed up an entire night just to see the stars at their brightest?"

"All the time," he nodded gently. He shivered slightly at the sudden but mild drop in temperature. Jamie turned his head to smile at Cordelia, finding that she was doing the same. They laughed together, and suddenly, they were standing in front of the hotel. Cordelia turned to Jamie, sliding her hand over her hair to let it tumble past her shoulders.

"Well, here it is. Thank you for escorting me, Jamie." Cordelia accepted the suitcase handle from his hand, and as their fingers touched, they looked at each other simultaneously, with the same vague yet persistent question in their eyes, the same tug in their guts.

"...Of...of course. Anything you need," Jamie replied quietly, releasing the handle as their eyes remained locked. "Just let me know."

"Thank you…" Cordelia nodded slowly. Then, she broke eye contact to turn and step up to the hotel door.

"Eh- Cordelia?" Jamie called after her.

The woman stopped at the door and turned to face him. The wind gently blew her hair over her shoulders to cover her lips, and she pushed it back with a hand again. "Yes?" she answered.

"Do you want me to come to you again tomorrow? I mean, uh," Jamie glanced at several spots on the ground forming his words. "I'll take you to the welcoming party, if you want. After you get settled. It's the least I could do for someone who may be my coworker soon."

Cordelia smiled graciously. "I would like that very much, Jamie," she spoke with a touch of gentleness, as if she understood his anxiety. "I enjoy your company. You, too, seem like a very nice man."

Jamie blinked, then blushed, smiling bashfully.

"Goodnight, Jamie."

"Goodnight, Cordelia."

When Cordelia was safely inside, Jamie put his hands in his pockets and started for home. It didn't take long for a grin to break out on his face and a skip to quicken his step. He wasn't exactly sure why- maybe it was the erasure of the worry concerning his next work- but Cordelia's presence made him feel calm and hopeful. 'She's so sure of herself,' he thought as he unlocked the door and stepped into his home, 'I feel like everything from now on is going to be a breeze. This town really does bear wonders every day.'

When he turned off the light and lied in his bed some time later, he thought about what Cordelia had said when they were collecting her papers:

"I want you to keep my identity a secret for now. I don't want anyone here knowing that I'm the editor of the Spirit Morph Saga."

And when they were in the pizza shop:

"I...left home without making very many plans."

It made him wonder what the circumstances of her leaving had been, but then, it really wasn't in his place to stick his nose into other people's lives.

He stared at the picture frame on his bedside table for a few moments, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through his window blinds. It was the only light left penetrating the room and it fell directly on one of the faces in the frame. Then, he turned onto his side, away from the image, and closed his eyes.

'Whoever this mysterious woman is, I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, no matter what she's running from.'

Author's note: I apologize for any delays. My hands hurt. A lot. I've been taking breaks to ice them but I really wanted to publish this so here you go. Chapter four may take a little longer, but I will try to have it in before August 7. Thank you for reading!

EDIT: My hands are still recovering, but I'm in the process of finishing the next chapter. I've come to realize that while I'm writing and editing chapters, the quality of work seems to be going down as I look back and see errors or missed opportunities. Because of this, the next update may not come for a few more days, or a couple of weeks. I am currently aiming to publish the next chapter before the end of the month, and then publish steadily after that. I want to make this as great as possible, and to do that, I need time. I hope you understand, and I hope you're looking forward to the full body of this story! There's so much more to come! Have a good day!