Three days.

It had been three days since the two were taken in by the crystal gems, and Peridot made work the primary focus of all of those days. The technician had been itching to see the damage done to her beloved pod, and to her horror, the dismantled mess on the floor had confirmed her worst fears.

Pearl had taken apart the entire machine in order to track her using the warp system-all of its tubular insides and wires had been taken out and were laid across the living room floor. Her fury couldn't even being to match what the gems had expected, as she mouthed incoherent words and phrases while grabbing clumps of her hair as she assessed the clutter. Not only did she have to repair the ship's core, but she had to somehow figure out how the machine will move again-all using the simple tools of a car mechanic that Pearl had handed to her as she fervently began to pick up the pieces. It was shameful really, that such a a task could only be achieved by human tools, even though they are in the hands of an experienced computer geek.

So of course Peridot found reason to be upset- and upset she was; for over three days. Her heart and soul went into fixing and inspecting every nook and cranny that was in some need of repair, or moved restlessly just to keep her distracted from Pearl's gaze. The gems had been keeping a close eye on her as well, after all," one doesn't simply become integrated into the household of one of your previous enemies'," though it was mainly Pearl who kept watch since both Garnet and Amethyst found little interest in her, and were much more easily comforted by Garnet's future vision then the pale gem. She was the most paranoid of all the gems, and it made the green alien uneasy; she was the most observant- if anyone would figure out her plan-it would be her. In Peridot's mind, it was a little obvious that the pod was being mended with extra features, such as the singular, lazer beams were now redirected and can shoot more continuously, but having offered," there are a lot of hazards when one travels the galaxy," Pearl was satisfied, and continued to observe.

There was something reassuring about the process; to work with something from her home planet, it filled her with calm that eventually stopped her disparaging words towards to the home's residents, leaving only the clinks of her instruments. But on the other hand, Peridot knew that this would not be an easy fix; it would take her a week just to put everything back- she didn't know how long it would be before the pod was even capable of flight. Such uncertainty did make her feel discouraged, even more so then the thought of not being rescued. She had already been trapped on Earth for at least a month, and already in that time she had faced more threats from humans, gems, and storms than she ever did on Homeworld. Not to mention the longer she stays on earth, the more the likelihood of being discovered increases. But with such crude instruments...it was hardly easy for the green gem. But she never let her insecurities surface, retaining her look of focus and shooed away her deep inner thoughts, trading them in for a technical debate as to whether or not she should try to fix a gem destabilizer, or use its contents for the pod.

Other than Pearl, Peridot had not really seen Lapis or Steven either. After the gem's return, the water nymph spent most of her time with Steven, going away together for hours at a time, returning to the house with the young boy gleaming, excitedly mumbling something to Lapis, who laughed as a result before disappearing at night and rejoined him later in the morning. While Peridot wondered what the two had been doing for two days that required such a strange schedule, she never asked nor did she further indulge her curiosities. As long as no one interfered with her repairs, Peridot paid no mind to them; any distraction from her work would only further delay the project- and time was the only thing that the resolute alien had cared for.

She never realized just how much time she spent on the living room floor, until she happened to look up to see that no one was around one night. Her eyes darted to the corners of the kitchen, the room where Steven's bed was, and around the warp pad, but the spaces were completely empty. Who knew where everyone had gone, but it was more surprising to see that even her guards had vanished. It might have been that they had a mission to go on, but to be left to her own devices...Peridot didn't think it to be a very wise decision- she expected that it would take longer to gain their trust. But it might have been the boy gem's doing, since he was also the one to initially convince his guardians of her apparent innocence.

" If that's the case, then I really do feel sorry for them." An unconscious half-smile crept up on her lips, and her arms crossed her chest as she looked down to the pod with sly eyes. Maybe it would be easier than she expected; maybe they will reveal their secrets- their strengths- their weaknesses. To Peridot, there was no honor in a fight- the best way to win is to be sharp, deceitful...trap your enemies without having to lay a finger on them. There is an art in being so clever that it confounds others, and who better to demonstrate such abilities then the technician herself? However, if she is to succeed, she must also fully convince the water gem as well, whose entrance was sounded by the creaking of the door.

Slamming closed, Lapis's winged form cast a shadow in front of her; Peridot could only tell it was her from the shadow since the house enveloped her with darkness. Her friend was not with her- yet another surprise- and she didn't seem as cheerful. An exasperated sigh specified no malice or anger, but more of tiredness as her footsteps echoed in sequence with her movements, which had implied that she was now sitting down on the couch across from Peridot. Though the couch exhaled from the added weight, there wasn't any noise; the two did not exchange any words between them, even as the green gem turned on the viridescent light of her screen and hovered it over herself, her suspicious gaze following Lapis's form out of the corner of her eye.

It was quite awkward at first; Peridot was not fully aware of anyone previously when her concentration was not ruined, but now mindful of her company, she couldn't quite focus on putting the parts together when she wondered what the blue gem had wanted here. " Ahh great, stupid clod Lazuli..." she mouthed silently, feeling her frustration grow as the two pieces she held wouldn't come together. Consciously, the gem wasn't sure what about the water nymph had irritated her so, but it might have been Lapis's indolent stare.

"How long will it take?" Finally a voice other than her inner one had entered the space.

"What?"

"The pod...how long will it take to fix?" The voice insisted.

Peridot thought about not answering at all, since it would only interfere with her concentration, but decided it better than to make the air tense with disregard. It not as though Lazuli had been a pain to her before and earned her disdain.

" A week just to put everything back, two weeks to fix it completely."

Lapis scoffed as she shifted her eyes to the warp pad, a disinterested look plastered to her face as she spoke," Not long at all." Her arms rested on the back on the sofa.

Once again, the silence returned, with the green gem becoming more irked by her presence. What was the point of sitting there, staring at her and then looking around? It wasn't productive, and there was no real purpose for it. Why did Lapis persist? Was there something she wanted? Something like a smile appeared on her face, at least from what she could tell from the moonlight piercing through the door, which annoyed her further. What was this gem doing? A long pause in Peridot's mind was broken with," Why was she smiling?" Chin up, and finally turning to face her, the green gem growled," Grown tired of the Steven?"

Not her intended question, but better to say something instead of staring in the dark.

" No, why?" Lapis questioned, her elbow coming to rest on her knee, and covering her mouth in a interrogating fashion.

" You didn't seem worried about our departure until this moment." Her free hand waving at the air, going back to busy herself with her controls.

" I was only wondering." Another pause ensued before she pose another question," Why do you call Steven that?"

"What? You mean," the Steven?"

" Yeah, why do you call him that?"

Peridot felt her frown return, and her brow knit as she looked back to Lapis." Why else, he is not a complete human, from what Jasper had exclaimed, and he is not a full gem. He is some oddity, unique to itself." She was right after all, that's what Steven was, a half gem-a half human. Even she was surprised when she saw the boy on her space ship, he looked exactly like a human- but no human can summon a shield. And to Jasper's confusion, he had the gem of an ancient, rebellion leader, one who's name had been all but erased in Homeworld. Her fingers scratched at a bit of dirt on the metal," He is a strange creature, all powerful yet not at all."

" Do you hate Steven?"

The green gem didn't pay attention to the seriousness in Lapis's voice, so answered causally," He is the same as the crystal gems... a nuisance."

There was something brusque about Lapis's words, like how a fly's buzzing finally ticks of a listener to the point of action; the water gem seemed to have disliked her answer, as the fingers on her spare arm curled and gripped the couch cushion, swinging her arm out to throw the object right at Peridot's face. She yelped out in surprise, then threw the cushion aside, a dis pleasured look aimed at the screen door.

"Tch-you really care for him don't you?"

Disregarding, Peridots remarks, she sternly replied," Don't even think about hurting Steven."

" Think about who you're talking too." Peridot stood up to her full height, to try and make herself feel important after getting smacked with a pillow, brushed the dirt from her legs and barked," Im the one who is going to fly us home! Home to that dysfunctional, uncivilized, inefficient place you call home-wor-"

This time the coffee table was the subject of Lapis's wrath as it was thrown onto the rambling gem, knocking her down. She had also gotten up from the sofa, and was advancing towards the stumbling alien, who was still trying to retort with," Lazuli! Why you..."

" How dare you?!" A watery hand grasped at Peridot's clothes, lifting her up by them; she was now a head taller than the water gem. But despite Lapis's threats, the gem didn't cease her slander.

" Your disruptive, unproductive homeworld is a shameful excuse for our history, our legacy! It can't even compare to the current homeworld, with its unfit technology and its barbarian gems! Its an eye sore for a planet and good riddance too since its-...its.."

The blue gem was still.

It seemed like Lapis wasn't listening, but the trembling water/wing hand said otherwise. She had tilted her head down so that her eyes were covered by her bangs, but Peridot could still see her nose crinkle and mouth bend to an unpleasant grimace, her other water hand also moving to grip the startled gem's shirt. Contemplating it seemed, but she didn't know what she would be contemplating about; maybe how hard she would need to punch to destroy the technicians form. However, there was no further action from her. Frozen by Peridot's words, Lapis was unable to do much else except hold her adversary up.

Confused, but relieved, Peridot forced her composure to return, and allowed cold eyes to glance down at the form holding her, and exclaimed," Leave."

Lapis kept her hold for another minute before dropping her where she stood, the green gem landing with a thud that could wake the entire house, and walked out the door; quietly stopping the door from hitting the frame by placing her hand behind her and touching above the handle, closing it shut. Her back was still to the green gem, even as she opened her wings and jumped off the balcony, flying off to who knows where.

Peridot was as much stunned as she was aggravated. Coming in and sitting nonchalantly, then getting hostile which led to her childish outburst, what does she know? All that was said was true; the previous homeworld was primitive, an unpolished place where everything was solved with violence, where efficiency was traded in for luxury, for honor. It couldn't even compare to the powerful, single minded homeworld that exits today; an ignominious other half that was best left to erode away under the crust of the revolutionary homeworld, unseen and unknown. Why did she defend-no cherish- such a degrading place, even with the atrocities that were committed here on earth by no one other than her leaders? Does she really value that pathetic excuse for a kingdom, that abominable disgrace? To her, her home was undefeatable, cold, with purpose-with reason. Yellow Diamond's homeworld, it lived with motivations- goals, sacrificing for the prosperity of all as a collective unit- not just for individuals, but for all of gem kind. How could Lapis see any ugliness in this place- in her home? Who does she think she is?

There was no way for Peridot to understand. The whole skirmish seemed illogical, foolish even. Like a child who fights to protect a measly little sand castle that would only be demolished by the waves anyway. Despite being thousands of years older than her, Lapis acted like a child- a tantrum throwing child gem that didn't know how to give up what is gone. The whole reason her scheme will work is because Lapis refuses to abandon the notion that her beloved home is still there- the water gem's irrationality bothered her, even as she sat back down to work on her pod- it was irritating her.

But why so much?

" Peridot?" A small, young voice called out tentatively. She looked up to the source, and saw her stout roommate peer out from his bed. Peridot hadn't realized that Steven had been sitting there this whole time- how did he evade her eyes when she last scoured the room?

" What is it?" Her tone was harsher than she intended, causing the half-gem to flinch. Her hands plunged back into the insides of the machine, trying to focus her rage on the inanimate object.

" Shouldn't you...apologize?"

" What?! Why?" Peridot also hadn't expected that from him. She had only just grasped that he had watched their entire dispute. What did he think when she mentioned that she disliked him?

" Well, you did say something mean. She seemed really upset..."

" That isn't any of my concern. I don't choose who or what she gets upset about." She answered briskly.

Steven hung about on his bed for a moment, then slowly slid off and stepped down the stairs, pausing at the last step; offering a placid look that seemed to inquire something. Peridot did not remove her gaze from her hands, but knew he was still staring. She wasn't sure what he wanted, but decided that he was requesting to come forward, and slid herself a small amount to her right to make room. Correct in her assumption, Steven gingerly stepped over the tools and tubes of glowing blue liquid once he saw her move, and quickly took a seat next to her, eyes aimed at the wrench in her disjointed hand. Surprisingly, Peridot didn't feel complete anger or annoyance at his proximity. She would have if he had asked her a million questions or began to touch her instruments or poke at her floating digits, but he remained quiet by her side, fiddling with his hands. Its not that she wanted his company, but lingered more on the reason of,"why not?" As long as he behaved, she found no logic in dismissing him, especially since he was the one who let her stay.

Her fury had disappeared, replaced with an untroubled thoughts, mainly questioning just what the boy gem had in mind. There was another long silence before he finally spoke.

" Its her home you know."

" That doesn't phase me."

" Was it really that bad?"

" The place she speaks of was in complete chaos. Incredibly incapable at anything but violence."

" She might think the same thing about homeworld now."

With the last phrase, Peridot paused from her business, but still did not look down at him.

" She is as inefficient as the world she comes from."

At this point, she finally managed to stare at him from the corner of her eye, her tone soaking with assertiveness. " She doesn't know anything better." Steven gazed down at his hands, clearly contemplating what to say next; nervous as he was, he was still able to reply with his own confirmation," I don't think its all about being efficient."

Peridot paused, but let him continue.

" Lapis...she saw it as beautiful. It was her home, and she felt happy that she could go back. She told me how she was really happy that you're taking her back...but of course she would like it more than the homeworld now. Its like...if someone had a better homeworld and came to you and said that your homeworld stinks, you know? Even if its not efficient... what matters was that it is the only thing that she knows and cares about. So for you to say that to her...it makes her feel bad. And you two shouldn't fight...its not healthy!"

He stood up on his short legs and pointed one of his stubby fingers at her, confidently adding," If you two don't get along, then it'll make it weird when you're on the ship! You two will just sit there, and not to talk to each other... and you won't be able to play games with each other...or listen to funky space music because you two aren't getting along..." He listed off each of the things on his fingers, trying to imagine more as he gaped at the ceiling, but hummed instead, finally content with the list he had. He shifted his stare down to Peridot, who had once again been paying with the wrench in her hand, tapping it against one of her palms.

Maybe what he said was true, it would be incredibly difficult to drive home with an unhappy passenger, especially one as unpredictable as Lapis. If they were both going to go together, they might as well be on the most neutral terms as possible, or else they would only cause unnecessary trouble. Peridot still did not completely understand Steven's reasoning as to why Lapis was so distressed, but decided that it would be better to apologize now before she gets dragged into another, more damaging fight.

She released a sigh and stood up, stretching her arms above her head before heading to the door, murmuring," why do I have to be the one who apologizes? She was the one who threw the coffee table..."Steven smiled lightly in her direction, and followed suit, waiting at the top of the balcony as Peridot descended the sea board stairs to the beach.

The blue form near the waves did not move from her position, facing the whipping waves. The turmoil in the sea mimicked her twirling inner thoughts, no doubt a reflection of her unstable emotions. Peridot knew she would not take kindly to her presence, but figured that she would listen either way. If she is sucked under the water, the boy gem will report it to his guardians. At least that was comforting.

Lapis did not turn to her as she approached, but mumbled hoarsely, " What do you want?"

She didn't sound very friendly, her viper tongue coating each individual word with anger. Careful not to answer disdainfully, the green gem waited a moment before giving a reply. With the most audacious tone she could muster, she growled:

" I do not think it's wise to sit here and argue. We are both stuck here until I can get everything fixed- so it would be best to live among-st one another with as much equanimity as possible. Even though you are clearly the one at fault, I shall take responsibility and apologi-"

Wrong word.

Unfortunately, Peridot's apology resonated with more arrogance than culpability, which caused the water to rush past Lapis's legs to rise up and smack the green gem down into the sand. Once the water receded, the green gem resumed with muttering and hissings of," Lazuli! You-tch- water clod you-arggghh!"

Clearly, the blue gem would not take her apology, so Peridot was about to embark back to the house before catching a glimpse of a waving Steven, who now stood on the balcony railing. She replaced her visors that had been knocked of her face, and squinted to see the gem holding some large, white poster board. In neon green writing, she read the words out loud in a perplexed modulation:

" Im- sorry- Lapis. I- should- not- have- said- what- I- said-"

"Oh"

"The Steven is helping me gain Lazuli's forgiveness."

At the comprehension of what the green lettered words were for, she announced more certainly," I- know- we- have- our- differences. But- I- want- us- to- still- be- friends-"

"Excuse me?" That was not Peridot's intention. She had not wanted friendship-she wanted good terms. And now the boy gem had made her say even more unnecessary things. This wasn't her motive at all. " Why that little clod-he-"

" Are you really sorry?"

Lapis's voice broke Peridot's trance, but still refused to look back to her. The apology was yet to be accepted, but at least she was willing to answer without hitting her down with the surf; which meant that she had softened- but only a touch. The work still needed to be completed, and it would only waste more time to explain that she merely wanted to say her sorrys and be on her way and have nothing to do with being friends. She wasn't repulsed by the idea, but for now it was-inefficient.

So she replied with:

"Yes."

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