AN: Ok, I'm still getting used to the mechanics of this website, I've only ever uploaded stuff on Wattpad before, so this is a new experience for me. Thank you to all the people who have favorited & followed this story so far! I would love to hear from you guys, so please review and tell me what you think! :)

"3,000 YEARS?!"

Garnet nodded solemnly as she told Aqua and Topaz just how much had changed since the end of the gem war. Steven had left to visit his dad and his friend Connie for the day, leaving the crystal gems alone with their new "friends".

"If you guys were stuck in that block of ice for 3,000 years, then how the heck did the ice hold up for so long?"

"As long as my ice isn't under direct heat, it can stay solid for eternity if necessary. It probably would've if you guys hadn't found us."

Amethyst nodded in understanding before walking out to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

"Quick question though; Where are Aqua and I going to stay?"

"Until we can figure something out, you're going to have to stay here for the time being."

Topaz sighed before shrugging in indifference.

"Alright then, we'll try to not be an inconvenience to you in the meantime." She turned to follow Amethyst into the kitchen and Aqua gave Garnet & Pearl an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that, she has a hard time trusting people."

"So do we, we just need to give each other time to adjust, it'll work out in the end." Garnet said while giving her an understanding smile, before Aqua could say anything, the front door opened & Steven came rushing inside.

"Hey guys, I'm back! And I brought Connie with me, she wanted to meet the new gems, I hope that's ok."

Aqua stood up and gave Connie a friendly smile.

"That's fine, I'm Aquamarine, that's Topaz."

"My name's Connie, nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too." Aqua said while shaking her hand in greeting, Topaz waved to her from her place at the kitchen counter.

"So Steven, looks like you're going to be sharing your room with us for a while. Hope that's ok."

"Great! It'll be fun, I promise!"

A few hours after Connie had gone home, the gems had asked Aqua & Topaz to help them with a mission that they had been working on, which consisted of them sitting in a raft while searching the ocean for a fusion that was apparently hidden beneath the waves.

"GAH! This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"What's the matter Pearlgy? You tired?"

"I don't get tired, I get results."

"Remind me again why we're out here?" Topaz grumbled as she & Aqua sat in the small raft with Pearl while Amethyst held Steven's legs as he looked around under the water.

"We're searching for a fusion that's hidden somewhere beneath the ocean Topaz, we've been over this!"

"In case you've forgotten Pearl, my powers are electricity-based, so I'm really no help at all in this situation!" Topaz grumbled as Steven's legs started kicking violently.

"Was the sign for 'pull me up' one wiggle or two?"

"Amethyst stay focused!" Amethyst just shrugged before letting go of Steven's legs & letting him fall into the water.

"For all we know, Lapis & Jasper's fusion could be right under our noses!"

Steven resurfaced in front of Pearl with a gasp and spit a fish out of his mouth.

"This is why we wear lifejackets!"

"Oh! Are-are you alright?!"

Garnet suddenly appeared in the water before he could answer and pulled him up into the raft with her.

"Nothing."

Aqua laughed as Steven flopped around like a fish out of water.

"Oh it feels like we've been searching for light-years!" Pearl groaned before collapsing in defeat.

"Uh, light-years measures light, not years." Amethyst said while pressing down on Steven's chest, making him spit out another fish.

Pearl sat up and growled in annoyance. "And I'm sick of these life diapers!"

"Safety is no punchline Pearl!"

Garnet nodded in agreement. "Safety is our job, we must find Jasper and Lapis. As it stands, their fusion is a ticking time bomb!"

"Is Lapis gonna be ok?"

"She had control when she used her power to drag their fusion into the ocean, but a fusion like theirs is unstable, bound together by anger & mistrust. If that bond snaps, their anger will take over and destroy."

Aqua noticed that Steven looked like he was about to pass out.

"Don't worry Lapis, we won't let you sleep with the fishes." He yawned before collapsing next to Topaz and seemingly falling asleep.

"We're gonna have to keep looking. But first, let's bring Steven home."

"Wh-wha? No, I'm fine! Let's go fishing, first one to catch something wins!" Steven stood up on wobbly legs before almost walking off the end of the raft, making Garnet have to catch him by the ankle.

"No way little man, I think it's bedtime for you!" Topaz chuckled as he fell asleep while still hanging by his ankle.

"We should be out there searching! Not in here not searching!" Pearl whined as they walked through the door.

"Sleep is a curse, and yet a curse I need to live. Steven universe." Aqua shook her head as Steven quoted himself and turned to listen to Garnet.

"Steven isn't like us, he needs rest."

"Don't you guys need rest too? You look exhausted."

"We look awesome."

Aqua noted that in fact, they looked half-dead & ready to collapse at any moment. Steven sighed before walking over to grab a few pillows.

"Look, you can't really knock sleep until you try it, and maybe we can throw a little fun into the mix with a slumber party!" He exclaimed while dropping the pillows on the floor.

"Fun?" Aqua backed away slowly as Pearl's eye began to twitch.

"Yeah, all of us together, peacefully dozing off. It'll be like there isn't a vengeful fusion boiling the ocean with hatred!" Topaz snickered at his choice of words while Garnet nodded in agreement.

"Steven's right, you should stay here and relax, but I'm going. Because I'm always relaxed."

Aqua was not convinced at all as Garnet gritted her teeth.

"But Garnet, you couldn't possibly search the ocean by yourself! Let me- let us help you! We're a team!"

"Speak for yourself, I'm staying here." Topaz sat down next to Steven on the floor while Garnet placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder.

"No, right now you're a party, a slumber party."

Aqua joined Topaz & Steven on the floor as Garnet began backing away towards the warp pad.

"Steven, put these gems to bed. Don't stay up too late. There's snacks in the fridge. Bye." She nodded as she disappeared through the warp pad.

After setting everything up according to Steven's instructions (and Steven himself changing into pajamas) everyone sat down to begin the slumber party.

"Now, before we get this slumber party started, would anyone care for a slumber companion?"

"I'm good!" Amethyst waved him off before face-planting on the pile of blankets and snoring loudly.

"Pearl?"

"I'll pass on the slumber pals."

"Ok. Aqua? Topaz? How about you?"

"Eh, what the heck." Topaz shrugged before taking one of the stuffed animals, Aqua nodded before taking one as well.

"Alright, sleep it up guys!"

"Oh, right." Pearl said before awkwardly crossing her legs.

"Is this right?"

"No, you should lay down."

"Ah, I get it now." She moved to lay on her stomach while placing a pillow under her arm.

"Am I doing it?"

"Well, that's way better than before, but close your eyes all the way."

Pearl closed her eyes while Aqua decided to try this 'sleeping' thing too & moved to lay down on her back while Topaz decided to lay on her side.

"OK...alright...I'm sleeping now, I'm sleeping."

"You can't talk while you sleep!"

"How's this even supposed to work?!" Pearl groaned in annoyance.

"It's easy! You just lie down, get nice and comfy, don't move, and don't think about anything." Steven explained while demonstrating by laying on his stomach and closing his eyes. Aqua & Topaz gave each other a look before following suit.

It wasn't long before Steven started making strange noises in his sleep, Aqua distinctively heard the word 'Lapis' before he woke with a start, causing her & Topaz to sit up in alarm.

"Are you ok?" Pearl asked as Steven stood up and backed away.

"Oh man, I fell asleep & had this weird dream; I opened the door and Lapis was there and–"

"Well that doesn't make any sense. Lapis is fused with Jasper at the bottom of the ocean."

"We know that Pearl." Topaz sighed before laying back down on her side while still listening to the conversation.

"You've never had a dream before, have you?"

Pearl thought it over for a moment. "Uh, I don't think so."

"Well Pearl, dreams don't always make sense. When you dream, the thoughts in your head get all mixed up into a weird movie, and they're really hard to explain, which is why they're boring to listen to."

Steven went on to explain a dream that he had at one point in time, something about the big doughnut and his dad's van, and something about a lion, Aqua didn't quite catch all of it as she drifted off to sleep in the middle of the story.

She woke up a few minutes later to the sound of Amethyst and Topaz laughing at something.

"Wha? What's going on guys?" She looked up to see that Pearl was dreaming, and her dream was being projected from her gem, which seemed to be the cause of Amethyst & Topaz's amusement.

The dream seemed to consist of her spending time with another gem (which she suspected was Rose Quartz) and saying how she wanted to travel the galaxy with her, that is until 'Rose' turned around to reveal a human face that Aqua didn't recognize and Pearl sat up in shock.

"Pearl?"

"Y-yes Steven?"

"I had another dream about Lapis." Steven seemed quite shaken up about this & Aqua placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, that's ok, dreams aren't real! They're just mixed up movies!" Pearl seemed to be trying to convince herself more than Steven, but he didn't seem to care.

"But I...I-I think I was talking to her."

"Wait, how do you know?" Everyone was interested now and listened intently as Steven explained.

"I don't but, I could just feel it. She was yelling, and she was really freaked out."

"What did she say? Is she still in control?"

"I...I don't know."

Pearl stood up & began to pace around the room.

"Steven, you could be using your dreams to connect with her mentally!"

"Can you do it again? Maybe Lapis can just tell you where they are." Amethyst asked while Steven thought it over, Topaz nodded in agreement.

"That would certainly make things easier on us."

"You just don't want to go back out on the ocean." Aqua said matter-of-factly, Topaz stuck her tongue out at her and turned to listen to Steven.

"I guess I have to go back to sleep. Quick, Pearl, tell me about your dream so I can fall asleep!"

"M-my dream?!" Pearl shuddered.

"C'mon Pearl, it's for the greater good!" Amethyst teased, Topaz & Aqua snickered as Pearl groaned in annoyance.

"If I must."

Before Pearl could even begin to explain her dream, Steven fell asleep & began snoring loudly (much to the amusement of the other gems in the room)

The four gems watched as Steven began tossing and turning in his sleep, he mumbled Lapis' name a few times before finally sitting up in shock & flinging himself into Pearl's arms.

"Steven, it's ok. We're here."

"Did you see her?" Steven took a moment to breathe before nodding in affirmation.

"Yeah. She's still fused, a-and she's still in control, but I don't know for how long and-" He paused when the front door opened and everyone turned to see Garnet walk through the door.

"This is a weird party."

"Garnet!" Steven cried before running over to hug the fusion.

"Steven, you're still awake." She said as more of a question than a statement.

"Amethyst was on a skateboard, and then dog copter meowed at me & was just not interested in what I had to say at all - and I might have some issues I need to work out - but, Lapis! She's still out there and she's still-"

Garnet shushed him before kneeling down to look him in the eye.

"I know you're worried, but there's nothing we can do right now. So let's take it easy." She said while carrying him over to the pile of blankets and setting him down between Amethyst and Topaz.

"I'll show you how it's done!" She cracked her knuckles before walking a few steps away & face planting on top of the blankets.

"That's pretty convincing."

"Garnet?"