A/N: Hello… so been awhile, am I right guys? Look, I'm not going to sugar-coat it or make any excuses for the absence of updates or chapters as I planned for the story. To be quite honest, it is only out of respect for you readers that I'm making this statement. To keep it brief, I had a few roadblocks since the last segment. I was dropped from my college due to an attendance issue, I got hit with my fun routine of depression and medical issues., and finally I just wasn't in the mood to write. However from time to time I would work on drafts for different ideas I wanted to tell in this story but ultimately decided that while they wouldn't fit this style or flow that I want for Redux, it was probably an interesting idea for an epilogue for after that main story is all said and done. Mostly, these are just things to kinda fill in the blanks on certain parts of the story that I got questions about from fellow writers, such as; "How did Steven and Amethyst get together?" "What was it like for Steven's year on Homeworld with White Diamond?", etc. Honestly, I rather focus on the main plot before interjecting bits and pieces just to clear up a few questions. However, it also doesn't really help motivation when no matter how many times you ask people to check over your week, or just give an opinion, you always turn up empty with constructive criticism. I mean I know most of them have lives outside of this, but like if I have to wait a week for someone to say

"Oh, I forgot to read." and then they still refuse to read the material, then I rather you just say "I don't want to read it." I would appreciate the honesty, rather than trying to protect my feelings.

(Went on a bit of a tangent there, huh?)

Anyway, another thing I want to mention. You know how I said that this was the last chapter before we focus on Steven's time on Homeworld during the Diamond Festival? Well, in order to avoid having this one chapter be like a 15k word segment, I'm going to just cut it up into 3-4 chapters, this one being primarily the transition from this arc to the next, and the next 2-3 being pseudo-canon events that would take place between the two. Hopefully I don't make you wait too long.

Anyway, sorry for the wall of text that you'll more than likely skip, let's just return to the story.

"I don't get it." Pearl said as she knelt by the bed. Her cyan eyes held a hint of worry and confusion as she gazed upon the sleeping form of her longtime comrade. "It's been over a week and yet she is still unconscious."

"I'm worried as well." Steven affirmed as he stood next to his surrogate mother. The concern for his partner's safety was evident in his voice, though he tried to hide it with a straight-face demeanor. " Jasper said when a Quartz overclocks themselves, it usually results in them reverting into their gems for a couple of days, 4 at most. However, simply going into a coma isn't part of the process." Steven reached out and cupped his palms around one of Amethyst's hands, hoping that somewhere in her comatose state, she would feel him. "It's all my fault she ended up like this."

When he arrived on the scene that night, it was like a scene from a war documentary. Purple flames coated the farmland like a napalm blanket. Craters littered the area like it was hit with an air strike. However, the chaotic scene before him faded when he saw the limp body of Amethyst resting in Jasper's arms. It took a lot for him to not start crying when she didn't wake up after healing her. When his eyes laid upon Lapis' unconscious body, the hybrid felt rage sweltering inside him. Not because she was the catalyst, but because he chose to ignore a serious problem when he had the chance to nib it in the bud.

Steven was very much aware of the blue Gemstone's overzealous affection towards him, but he believed that if he simply rebuffed her and reaffirmed that they were and will always be "just friends", then she would eventually stop her advances and just focus on Peridot. That was until he found out what she had done to Jasper.

To say he was disgusted was an understatement. To see just how vindictive and merciless Lapis had tortured and broken the once proud Quartz soldier was vile. It didn't help that when he confronted Lapis about it, she was shocked to see his displeasure with her actions, even justifying it without a hint of sorrow in her voice. The smile she gave him when she went into detail about how often she did it and what her favorite methods haunted him even now. At that moment, he was ready to just poof her and leave her in a bubble for the rest of her days. What ultimately stopped him from doing it was one simple, yet heartbreaking line;

{"…she deserved it. I wanted to show you my devotion, my worship, my love…" It was the first time during the conversation that she appeared ashamed, even hurt. The water tentacles she summoned were slowly retreating away from Steven's shield. Her eyes were clouded by tears. "…Was it not enough, My Diamond?!" She asked desperately. "What else can your Angel do to make you finally understand that there is nothing I wouldn't do to please you?!"

"Lapis…" Steven said in disbelief. He knew that Lapis could take things too far, but this was beyond anything he could have thought she would be capable of. The fact that she honestly and truthfully did it for him was devastating. "… for the last time, I am not your Diamond. I am not your god. I…" He paused as he was still trying to come to terms with the whole revelation. Jasper might not have been the kindest person he ever met, definitely wasn't a saint, but she didn't deserve the amount of suffering he put her through. Whether intentionally or not, he was to blame for the state she was in now. Steven dropped his shield, and turned his back to Lapis, taking a look at the large, shivering, orange ball of anxiety that was his former enemy standing on the Warp Pad. She still wouldn't look him in the eye. "…I don't even think I can call you my friend anymore, Lapis." He solemnly stated before he walked away from the crying Gemstone.

"Steven…" The blue Gemstone's voice squeaked. It was as if Steven shot her in the back. She reached out, allowing one of her tendrils to slither across the ground after him. "…Please, don't say that. You don't know how much that hurt me." The water appendage wrapped around his ankle, causing him to stop in his trek. She didn't apply any pressure to him as she slowly coiled it up his leg, over his waist until he was partially enveloped in her watery embrace. Steven didn't move, or even fight against her, but he refused to spare a glance at her disheveled form. "We're Beach Summer Fun Buddies, right? You promised to be my friend no matter what, right?! So how could you just walk away after saying such a terrible thing like that?! After All I've Done And Sacrificed For You!" Lapis shouted through her cracked voice and blurry vision. "After all I've done for you, you are just going to walk away like it all meant nothing?!"

Steven knew he wasn't wrong for saying what he said. It was Lapis that didn't understand that there were limitations to friendship, and she more than overstepped her bounds. So why was he crying? Why did he feel bad for her? Why couldn't he bring himself to look her in the eye and just reaffirm his stance?

"I stood beside you no matter what came our way, Steven! When the Diamonds arrived on the beach that day to take you to Homeworld, who threw herself in between them and this weird city you love so much?! Me! When you were in danger of being hurt by that worthless excuse of a Quartz, who sacrificed themselves to protect you, until it literally drove them insane? ME! When your stupid friend died and you couldn't even get out of bed, who came by every day to check on you? And you have the nerve to-!"

"Connie Wasn't My Stupid Friend, Lapis!" Steven yelled, causing Lapis to stop the tirade in its tracks. His skin burned with his pink aura as he fought the urge to turn around and silence her for good. "What gives you the right?! What would possess you to say such an awful thing?! I never asked you to do those things, Lazuli! And to say I never once thought about you, constantly throwing yourself in harm's way for me, that wounds me. Your commitment to me was always in the back of my mind. It is why I trusted you to help Jasper, because I felt you would understand what it was like to be broken and abandoned by those you trusted." Steven turned his vibrant pink-eyes to the Gem in question. Even behind the still, yet shocked expression, he could sense the fear she had for him, despite his defense of her. He felt it was appropriate. After all, he was the one that made her that way in the first place. "But you… perverted that trust. You used it to not only abuse someone, but justify it as a grand mission sent to you, by me of all people. Just thinking about it makes me want to retch. I knew you could be cold to people you don't like, but this is just twisted. What you did would put you beyond White Diamond in levels of cruelty!"

'Ooh! Such high praise for a Lazuli Gem.' White Diamond's voice said in his mind. Her tone conveyed an air of glee. 'Honestly, you should consider her as a consort, rather than the overcooked Quartz you're fond of.'

Steven gripped his throbbing temple, as he tried to ignore the comment and the pain growing. He could feel the horns trying to break through.

"So what? As if you are any better." Lapis said, venom dripping from her lips. "Might I remind you that you were the one that tried to shatter her first before dropping her off here? Why pretend to care for her now? It's no secret that you hate her for what she has done to not only you, but the rest of us."

"I… I don't…It's not about whether or not I like her or not Lapis. It's about the fact that you willingly put another Gem through a fate worse than Shattering." Steven countered. "What about Peridot?! Are you telling me that she doesn't deserve your cruelty, even after what she did to us before she changed?!"

At that moment, the blue Gem's eyes darkened. "First of all: Don't you dare bring My Peridot into this! She has more than made up for what she did in her misguided loyalty to Homeworld. Second: You're deflecting. You can't even deny that you hate her. If you can, then look me in the eye and say it right now."

Steven wanted to prove her wrong at the moment. He wanted to turn around and affirm that he no longer held any hatred in his heart for the orange Quartz soldier anymore. But if he did, then he would be a liar. And to him, that was somehow worse.

"It doesn't matter whether or not I hate her. I'm sure it goes without saying that Jasper hates my existence, even if she refuses to speak up about it. But Amethyst cares about her and trusts her. That's enough for me." He admitted with a sigh.

"So the truth finally comes out. It's always Amethyst. You literally would stop everything for that overcooked mistake if you could."

"Don't you-"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HER!" Jasper shouted, to the shock of Steven. The larger Gem expression was reminiscent of the days when the Crystal Gems fought her.

"Oh look at that." Lapis said, unphased by the outburst. "Still got some bite left in you, Tiger? Guess I didn't do a good job defanging you. Or is it that the mention of your Purple Diamond has inspired some false bravado?"

"Purple Diamond…?" Steven asked aloud.

"Oh, you didn't know? Oh well ain't that a treat. You see Steven; the being of our mutual hatred has sworn her love and loyalty not to you, but your stupid girlfriend." Lapis laughed as she exposed the details. "Honestly, I don't know what is so fascinating about Amethyst. She's sloppy, deformed and ultimately weak compared to her peers."

"One more word Lapis, one more fucking word…" Steven warned. His headache was becoming nearly unbearable.

"The same could be said for that reject you call your companion." Jasper shot back, causing a twitch to begin in the water Gemstone's eye.

"Careful now, the only reason I haven't punished you for talking out of turn is because our Diamond here would get in the way."

"Do what you will to me, but you keep Amethyst's name out of your mouth, Lazuli."

"Hmm…" Lapis pondered her options at the moment. She still had Steven in the hold of her tentacles. He was impaired, controlled if she went and silenced the orange Quartz permanently. After all, she would only be continuing her Diamond's mission. And if she wanted to, she could just freeze Steven and let him cool off while she dealt with her "competition". A smile crept to her lips. "You wanna know something, Steven? I liked the old you before. Back when you were strong and knew when it was time to take action. When you became a leader that was ruthless to your enemies and generous to your allies."

"I still am, Lazuli." Steven countered.

"No you're not. You're weak, naive. You're so concerned about hurting someone's feelings, you forgot that the same hesitation is what got Connie killed. As much as you don't want to hear it, you need me as much as I need you. You lost your edge, softened as you tried to go back to those earlier years where you felt you could talk away the hurt and the pain. That's not how the universe works, Steven. I thought you realized that." Lapis sighed as she untangled herself from the hybrid, before turning around and walking away. "Apparently I was wrong. Maybe when another one of us dies, the right mindset will cement itself into you."

'Couldn't have said it better myself, Lazuli. Seriously, I reconsider your options. She's perfect, even in my eyes.'

Steven stood there in shock from his former friend dressing him down. What hurt most about it was there was a good amount of truth to her sermon. Talking didn't solve everything, and even after all these years, the pain from losing his best friend still didn't go away. But bringing Connie up again was the final nail in the coffin for the young man.

"Lapis?!" Steven called out, causing Lapis to stop in front of the barn door. She cocked her head to the side, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "…I believe it would be best if I don't see you anymore. If I do…" He was fighting tears as his knuckles clenched as his skin began to glow. "…I'll probably shatter you."

Lapis just smiled as she faced-forward, despite the tears in her eyes. "I doubt you would, but if it came to that, then I welcome having my life ended by your hands, My Diamond." With nothing else to say, she entered the Barn.

Steven stepped on the Warp Pad as he took one last look at the farmland. With a calming breath, he warped away with Jasper. While traveling through the light stream, he was pondering on Lapis' words.

Steven looked at Jasper. "Was what Lapis said true?"

Jasper scoffed at the question. "She's the only reason I'm here now… She's the only one that gives half a damn to come by and see me weekly… She's the only way I was able to deal with staying here with the witch." The orange Quartz took a breath before continued. "To say I love your consort would be an understatement. She is the only one I wake up to see. When I see her breathe, I try to match. I… worship Amethyst." She admitted. "I'm just glad it's over."

Steven pondered it for a few moments. "Have you told her about this? Both your treatment or your feelings?"

Jasper sighed. "I figured it wouldn't matter. If I told her about Lapis, she would have gone straight to you. I doubt you wouldn't have believed me over her unless you saw it for yourself."

"I see…" Steven sighed.

"And no, I haven't told Amethyst about my feelings. I would rather not bother her about it, considering her loyalty to you. Though I didn't see how she can remain so while you sleep around with your fellow disgusting humans."

"She told you about Sadie?"

"She tells me a lot of things about you. Whether or not I want to hear it."

"I didn't realise. Can we keep today's events between us? I rather not have Amethyst worried."

Jasper huffed. "Just know I do it for her sake, and not yours."

Steven felt it would be best if they refrained saying anything else until they got situated at the temple.}

"Have you decided what you are going to do about Lapis?" Jasper asked, breaking Steven from his thoughts. He had hardly noticed her sitting on the opposite side of the bed. She never left Amethyst since she was unconscious.

"No." He said frustratingly. "I know I have to do something though. She's… dangerous. We've seen what she has done to you when she had the chance. No telling what she will do next now that Amethyst has crossed her as well. While I'm more than likely going to discharge her as a Crystal Gem, I'm not sure how exactly I'll go about it."

"Honestly, if it were my decision, I suggest using those bubbles you Crystal Cruds are fond of and imprison her." The orange Gemstone offered. "She is clearly too dangerous to be left without restrictions."

"As much as I don't want it to be the case, I must agree." Pearl affirmed. "Lapis has shown that she is unstable. I know she was once your friend Steven, and I know that part of you still hopes that she can change, I must reiterate that she is too powerful and too unpredictable to just shove in a corner to be forgotten. And while I don't wish to add anymore to your stress, I feel like we need to do something about Amethyst as well." Pearl let out a sigh.

"'Do something about Amethyst…' For what reason?!" Jasper demanded, getting into Pearl's face, bending her nose slightly with her gemstone. "Might I remind you idiots that if it wasn't for Amethyst, I wouldn't even be here." The orange Gemstone turned her accusatory glare at Steven, who was taken about by Jasper's shift in demeanor. "Not that any of you so-called "Saviors" give a damn."

Pearl took a calming breath while Steven's eyes found the wooden floor more interesting. After a few seconds of silence, the porcelain Gemstone spoke as she gazed upon her still sleeping friend. "Let's not forget, she is the one that instigated the altercation, Jasper. While I agree with you that Amethyst has done a lot of good by defending and reforming you, we can't overlook the fact she went out of way to cause a conflict with Lapis. Even though she is my friend, she should have trusted Steven's judgement on how he handled the matter." Her blue-eyes looked at Steven's. "Even if it was a decision that I didn't fully agree with."

"Yeah…" Steven sighed. "…Once she awakens and has recovered, we'll discuss the matter further. No need to add on to her stress right away. And if we are being honest here, it's my fault that she felt she needed to take matters into her own hands. Lapis was someone I should have dealt with more… actively, rather than just leaving her alone."

"Some leader you are." Jasper quipped with an air of frustration as she returned to her seat. "You have a talent for making things worse. I thought you learned a long time ago that simply 'talking it out' won't solve anything. Then again, what do I expect from the Offspring of Pink Diamond?" Those words cut the hybrid deeply. "Stupidity must run in the family. To think I once respected your mother…"

'Never have I agreed with that abomination of a Quartz more than now.' White Diamond said in the back of his mind. 'Though, she will be wise to watch her tongue when mentioning my lineage.'

Pearl's eyes glared at her, but chose not to respond. She felt Steven had enough on his plate, and starting an argument wasn't appropriate at this time. "You shouldn't shoulder that blame on yourself, Steven. You just did what you felt was right in the moment. We all make mistakes."

"Yeah…" Steven placed Amethyst's hand back on the covers before walking down the stairs. "…But it seems like my mistakes tend to get my friends hurt quite often."

"Steven…"

"I need to talk to Garnet. Could you… just stay with her until I get back?"

"Not that you had to ask, but sure."

"Thanks Pearl."

Just as Steven was about to reach the door to the temple, he was stopped by the Warp Pad activating in front of him. Once the prismatic light beam dissipated, Peridot appeared at the center of the transporter.

"Steven." She said, worry evident in her voice. "You need to see this."

In the living room, Jasper, Pearl and Steven sat around Peridot as she pointed to the holographic projection on the wall. "As you can see here, these are Amethyst's scans on the left and these are the scans of a Quartz after nearly reaching the Burn Out phase. Note the burned-out cracks in cleavage of the gemstone. That is a clear indication that the Gem's light energy has collapsed and is no longer able to sustain it. Thus the requirement for Quartzs to hibernate and retreat into their gem in order to recover without having to use their physical form."

"We know all that, you defect." Jasper interjected, causing the shorter lime-green Gemstone to jump a bit. "But that doesn't explain why Amethyst is still asleep after a week."

Pearl and Steven groaned simultaneously at the orange Gemstone's display.

"I'm sure she is getting to that, Jasper. Just show some patience, please." Pearl stated.

"Patience?! Your comrade is over there laying on the bed, unresponsive for over a week, and you want to be patient?! How the hell did you pieces of dirt win a Galactic War with a mind as dumb as yours?"

"Since when did you care about your comrades?" Pearl rebuffed, rolling her eyes at the uncivil display. "Last time I checked, you were known to frequently use and abuse those around you without a second thought, just as long as you had something to gain from it. What would you know about camaraderie?"

Jasper's eye twitched as she walked toward the slender Gemstone. "Let's get one thing straight here; I lost a great deal against your washed-up rebels. Soldiers, status, even my body was Corrupted because our Diamond decided that a species of flesh was more important than her own. And another thing…" The orange Quartz towered over Pearl as her teeth clenched at the white Gem's neutral demeanor. "I am not your ally and I'm certainly not your friend. Amethyst is the only one I have an ounce of respect for on your stupid team and I don't see that changing anytime soon. So, it would probably be best if the porcelain doll kept her mouth shut before I close it permanently."

Pearl let out a frustrated sigh. "And like that, you continue to make me question what Amethyst sees in you. Because from what I can see, you're not worth her time."

"Keep it up. I'll definitely show you something." Jasper quipped.

"Alright. Alright! Enough!" Steven shouted, interjecting him between the two ladies. "This is not the time for fighting. Look, we are all concerned for Amethyst's safety here, right? So, what is bickering over the past going to do about anything now? If yall want to butt heads and hash it out, be my guest. But right now, I would appreciate it if you two could wait until after Peridot finishes telling us what she needs to say. Is that cool?"

Jasper looked between Steven and Pearl before chuckling. "Careful with your offer there, Steven. I don't want you to have to get a new maid after I finish breaking this one."

Pearl's patience with Jasper was all but dried up by this point, as she reached for her Gem to summon her weapon. "I'll show you who's a maid…" She growled.

"Enough!" Steven shouted as his skin became a vibrant pink, causing everyone in the room to jump back a few steps. "Either end your nonsense now or I'll end it for you both. Do I make myself clear?!" His eyes, which glowed in a white-pink aura, stared down both Gems in front of him.

'Thank you. Their senseless bickering was getting quite bothersome, Young Diamond. Though might I suggest a more direct display of power?'

'Quiet. That includes you too.'

"Y-yes, My Diamond!" Both Jasper and Pearl said in fearful unison. Even Peridot chimed in too out of fright.

"Good." Steven said, calming down enough to revert back to his normal state. "Sorry for the interruption, Peridot. You were saying something."

"N-no apologies needed, My Dia- I mean, Steven." The green Gem cleared her throat. "As I was saying, Amethyst's situation is unique. Thanks to your quick actions, you were able to stop the Burn Out from occurring. Normally it would still require a Quartz to retreat in order to repair any damage to the Gem Matrix. However, Amethyst never did that. She just remained asleep. At first, I thought it might be caused by her having, what Jasper referred to as, her Flare being absorbed, or you, Steven, your extraordinary healing abilities on her. But based on my findings, neither was the case. So, instead of just scanning her Gemstone, I did a full body check and I found something… interesting to say the least." Peridot explained.

"And… what did you find?"

"Well, it's something I never encountered before in my entire life." Peridot changed the slide to show a scan of Amethyst's abdomen. "There's two organic parasites growing in her pelvic region."

Pearl and Steven's eyes did a double take as Peridot zoomed in on the "parasites" in question. Jasper lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "Parasite? But we are Gems. We can't carry parasites in our bodies. How the hell did Amethyst get one in her?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure about why or how, but based on some research, this is the only conclusion I could re-!"

"STEVEN QUARTZ DIAMOND UNIVERSE!" Pearl shouted as tears began to well up in her eyes. "How, in your mother's name, could you let this happen?! Of all the things to come out of your relationship with her, this is one thing, the one thing I hoped would never come to pass. Oh my stars, this is your mother all over again."

Jasper and Peridot were taken aback by the tone Pearl was using on Steven, and how he didn't raise his voice. Rather, he sounded like someone that got caught in the worst possible position. "Look Pearl, I'm sorry, but it is not exactly like I was planning on it to happen. Besides, Amethyst told me she could control it."

"That's not how it works, Steven. Gems can't control whether or not it happens, it's just like when humans do. Oh, how did I not see this coming?"

"Could one of yall explain to us what's going on?" Jasper interrupted. "Because from the way it sounds, you guys know more about the parasites than we do."

Pearl looked at Jasper, and without considering the consequences blurted out: "Steven got Amethyst pregnant!"

Jasper's mouth went slack. Her eyes went over to Steven, who was looking down at the ground for what had to be the 20th time today. "No… You didn't."

"Excuse me Pearl, but what does pregnant mean?" Peridot asked.

"It means that right now, Amethyst is carrying my children. Just like my mother did when she was pregnant with me." Steven bashfully admitted.

"Wow!" Peridot said with an inappropriate amount of enthusiasm. "Those that mean that you two did that, what was it called, "human fusion ritual"?"

"Um… yes. We did."

"Well, congratulations are definitely in order." Peridot said as she prepared to put away her equipment. "Oh just wait til Garnet hears about this. She is going to-"

"YOU FUCKING FAILURE!" Jasper shouted as she rushed at Steven, grabbing him, and pinning him to the wooden wall, knocking over several pictures down. "How could you do this to her?! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!"

"J-Jasper… look I'm sorry-"

"It wasn't enough that you had her love. It wasn't enough that you had her body too. You just had to take her life as well!" She emphasized her point by slamming him in the wall, causing a few large cracks to appear in the wood. "Fix Her, Now!"

Pearl quickly summoned her sabre and pointed it at Jasper's chest, having poised herself to protect Steven. "Put. Him. Down." She commanded.

"I'll put him down alright. 6ft deep in the ground-!"

"Jasper… please, stop." A voice from upstairs demanded, causing everyone to turn towards the source. Amethyst was sitting on the bed, holding her head as she smiled down at her friends in the living room. When she looked over at the screen, tears began to well up in her eyes. "I appreciate the concern but shouldn't we be celebrating instead of yelling about who's fault it is?"

Pearl, Jasper and Steven looked between each other for a moment. The orange Quartz dropped the hybrid as the pale Gemstone disengaged her weapon. Steven picked himself up, and made his way over to Amethyst, leaning onto her in a tearful hug. The purple Gemstone let out a soft chuckle as she rocked him from side to side.

"Oh, don't start crying on me now. I just got up." She whispered in his ear.

"Did you know?" Steven asked.

"This is all news to me, Little Dude. You're not mad about me lying, right?"

"I'll leave your scolding to Pearl." Steven chuckled, rubbing the water from his eyes. "Honestly, I'm both happy and sad right now."

"Ditto, but we'll figure it out. I'm not sure exactly how but whatever we do, we do it together."

"Right. I love you, Amethyst. And I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't start. Whether we wanted it to happen or not, it was a group effort. Besides, I'm just happy you're not mad at me."

"Same here. Though I don't know how Dad's going to react to the good news."

"Wouldn't be the first heart attack we've given him. He'll be fine."

They both shared a laugh as Pearl and Jasper watched from the stairs.

"Do they have to be so… sappy about it?" The taller Gem asked, rubbing a tear from her eye.

"Oh hush. Don't ruin such a beautiful sight." Pearl remarked, before blowing her nose into a tissue. "Besides, you're just jealous you aren't getting hugs from Amethyst."

"I swear, you know how to push your luck."