It was the same day when Steven received a text from Peridot.

"im coming over"

If Steven was being honest with himself, he didn't feel like having company. But, he braced himself and told the Gems.

Peridot arrived looking drained, with her shoulders hung low and darkness under her eyes. Steven greeted her and took her to the living room where everyone else was waiting for her. Peridot sunk into the couch.

"Wassup, boo? How you livin'?"

Peridot shook her head. "I'm trying all I can to make this work..." Pearl nodded in a wide arc. "How dare she say that I don't try hard enough... That really hit me, you know?"

Garnet scooted closer to her. "Tell us all about it, sweetie."

Steven found himself not wanting to listen, but he had to be supportive for Peridot.

"The way she just pulled me off of her, and yelled at me to shut up, like I was some pest... She's always been like that." Anger was a particularly ugly look for Peridot and she spoke in a bitter tone. "The times when she's gotten upset with me, she's always looked down on me-more than just physically, you know-like she expected better out of me. She said she expects a certain compliance out of me."

Amethyst said, "Uh-uh, you better not take that."

"It's barbaric to say the least," added Pearl.

Garnet nodded.

"Right?" said Peridot. "Excuse you, but I expect a certain compassion out of you."

"Did you tell her that?" said Amethyst.

"Of course!"

"Good. She needs to get it through her head that you are not to be taken lightly. And you are a Gem and you deserve to be treated as such."

"Like, I get that you have trust issues, but you and me and where we are now? This is not a battlefield."

"Is that her excuse?" Pearl sneered.

"I know that she sees it that way."

Amethyst ranted, "We've been though that junk, too. What's she tryna do? Use that to-what?-compensate for something she ain't got? That compassion, maybe?"

Peridot shifted. "It's not like she's completely mean-spirited. But, I can't stand that she has to look at everything as a fight to be fought. I mean, sometimes it's... it... But, a lot of the times it's just frustrating."

Garnet hummed. "We can't disregard someone's behavior just because we've had similar experiences. She may have experienced them differently. I'm not defending Topaz, but we can't discredit that reality."

"I don't think I can discredit what a conflict we had yesterday." Peridot snarled. "She said, do you even care about what we have?"

"She didn't," uttered Pearl.

"She did. And-huh!-get this-then she said we wouldn't have this if it wasn't for the sacrifices she made."

"Oh, shut up," slugged Amethyst. "You wouldn't have anything at all if we didn't save your stinkin' life."

"And then I said to her," Peridot continued, "Your sacrifices? What about my sacrifices? What about what you... put me through last year? Was that for us?" Then she spoke quickly, "And it just-it just makes me ill to even remember it..."

It made Steven sick, too.

"Oh," she said, turning to Garnet, "and then you showed up." She paused and nobody said a thing as Peridot set her sights on her. "You were the last one she wanted to see. And, honestly, me, too. I knew what was going to happen. And it did happen. And it only made things worse."

Steven, to his misfortune, pictured it.

"I'm sorry," said Garnet. "But, she threatened Steven. And I will not tolerate that."

Peridot sighed. "I know... It was so stupid. It was all so stupid. She doesn't see any of you on her side. Not one bit." She waved a hand at Garnet. "She hates you the most. Let me tell you, I haven't see that kind of hatred come out of her since Jasper."

"They know each other?" marveled Amethyst.

She nodded. "Oh, yes." She kept nodding. "Oh, yes..."

"At least we don't have to worry about them teamin' up."

Peridot grimaced. "That would never happen."

"Ok. Sorry..."

"And I know what you're thinking: is there anyone she doesn't hate? She doesn't trust anyone but herself, and me, of course. She hasn't a choice if she wants me around. And I like having her around, too, but sometimes she gets uncontrollably frustrating and I don't know what to do!

"Like, just earlier, when she finally came back after Garnet had left. She clomped her way in, all miserable and exhausted from wasting so much energy. She sat down on the bed, away from me. I could just feel her bothered by my being there, especially at my desk. She probably blamed me for everything that'd happened."

Peridot used a dumb voice, "'Turn it off.' ...I said, excuse you? 'I wanna sleep. Turn it off.' You never had an issue with it before. 'I want it off. Now.' That made me so mad. I told her to shut up. But, she got up and jerked out my power cable and tore it in half."

"No," said Amethyst assertively, "you're not gonna take that. Bunk that. Go jump in a grave. She can't just-"

"Amethyst," said Garnet. Amethyst saw Peridot and swallowed herself.

"Anyway," Peridot said, shifting, "she told me to just go somewhere so she could sleep."

"Pitiful," said Pearl, shaking her head. "What a jerk."

"To say the least," admitted Peridot, looking at Amethyst. "But, I'm at my wit's end. I don't know what to do. I'm here now, and that's all I can muster to think about."

"Sounds tah me like she even looks at you like an enemy."

"I didn't... mean to make it sound like it's so bad-"

"You just went on a tirade about her."

"I mean, I didn't mean to make it sound like this happens all the time! It doesn't."

"But, she still treats you like garbage."

"It's not-! A lot of things happened and she was angry..."

"And that's when she bullies you."

"Topaz needs to value you, Peridot," Pearl interjected. "She needs to value you or you walk. She has no right to treat you that way because she's mad. Give her that ultimatum. And if she's not willing to put in the effort then... you walk."

"But," said Peridot. "I'm all she's got."

"Peridot," said Garnet. Peridot looked up at her like a child. "If this behavior from Topaz is a continual problem, I strongly urge you not to see it that way. I urge you against making unnecessary sacrifices. Your happiness is important. And happiness is not one-sided in a relationship. It can't be forced, either. If one is unhappy, so is the other. Don't let the belief that you are the only one she has tie you down to an unhappy relationship." She rested her hand on Peridot's shoulder. "We are always here for you. Topaz, too. If ever she needs us."

"R-really?..."

"Despite any conflict between us, Earth is her home now and she is a Gem. The Crystal Gems will defend her and her freedom like all others who choose Earth as their home."

Garnet was strong and serene in her sincerity and it was warming, and it reassured Steven that Peridot would always be safe no matter what happened. He supposed it was that quality that made her a great leader.

"I've said my peace," Garnet conceded. "I think it best if you stay here for now."

"Yes," said Pearl, hugging Peridot. "Stay as long as you need."

Peridot then looked to Amethyst, who reassured her by nodding, then to Steven (which was the first time since she got there). He smiled and nodded.

"Whatever you decide, Peridot" said Garnet, "let it be Topaz who has to come to you. Not the other way around. Let her know you're not to be taken lightly. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Peridot nodded weakly.

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

Peridot shook her head. Weakly.

Garnet rose. "Let us know if you need anything."

Later, in the afternoon, Steven and Peridot went up to see Lapis. Peridot's and Lapis' reunion was a little awkward at first, but nice. They spent the afternoon relaxing and watching old TV shows and it was exactly what Peridot needed. "I'm going to stay here for a little longer," she told Steven when it was almost dinner time. "I'll probably see you tomorrow."

Steven told her that was ok and gave her a hug and told her he loved her. She still seemed dazed. Steven couldn't blame her.

Contrary to how he felt this morning, Steven was glad Peridot was here. He knew she was sad right now, but at least he didn't have to worry about her. Too, on his way home was the first time he didn't ignore the thought of whether or not he was afraid of Topaz, or that he was afraid she would physically hurt Peridot. It was all a sickening thing to reify.

Pearl made tortellini for dinner.

...