"So, they will be all gone? Forever?" Steven asked.

"That is what discontinued means, sorry, Steven." Sadie said.

"Awww. Sucks." Steven said, sighing, "Alright, can I get…" He did some quick math. "Um, fifteen? Kiki, help me out here."

Kiki sighed "Yeah, ok, but you better finish our run."

"I will, I promise." Steven said.

Steven handed over all the money he had on him and Kiki fished out the rest of the money from her wallet.

Sadie packed up fifteen ice cream Cookie Cats into a bag. "Well…enjoy your run guys," she said. "And try not to wake Lars on your way out."

"Course not, Thanks, Sadie." Steven said, taking the bag and giving the table Lars was sleeping at a wide berth as he and Kiki headed out.

"We gonna to run, now?" Kiki asked.

"Yeah. All the way to my house. Race you." Steven said, with a grin taking off.

"Steven!" Kiki said, exasperated as she ran after him.

Steven silently cursed his shorter legs as she easily overtook him.

She opened the door to his house and slammed it shut again almost as quickly. "Nope." She said.

"What's happening? What's going on in there?" Steven said, breaking into a sprit "Can I help?"

"Nope. They are fighting some monsters." Kiki said, "you don't think they can get out here, do you?" She asked.

Steven didn't answer as he opened the door and ran in. "Can I help?"

"Steven!" The three gems cried at the same time. A whip wrapping around the green and black monster closest to him and poofing it into nothing.

"Neat! What can I do?" Steven asked. Watching as Ruby ripped another apart by prying its jaws too far apart.

"Stay back." Pearl said simply, stabbing a third one with her spear deftly.

The door opened hesitantly. "Ah, Can I do anything?" Kiki asked.

"Stay back." Pearl repeated.

"Aww." Steven said. Wishing for the millionth time his powers would work. "They are kinda cute."

"No way, Steven. These things are ugly. They have eyes in their mouths." Kiki said, "how do they eat?"

"Well…maybe they just like looking at their food close up?" Steven offered.

"Guys. No gems." Amethyst said, poofing another monster.

"Stupid monsters. Stupid babies. Stupid Mother." Ruby said, stomping on one, struggling to poof it.

"Uh…" Kiki pointed to one "one's getting into the fridge."

"No!" Steven said running over "I need that to eat!" Ruby kicked the one she was jumping on into the wall and ran over to help Steven chase the monster away into Amethyst's waiting whip.

The gems made short work of the monsters. "We'll have to leave to find the mother." Pearl said "where the children are, the mother is never far behind, we don't want her coming through the town."

"Yo, Steven, you buying your Cookie Cats for the month?" Amethyst asked, pointing at the bag filled to the brim.

"Oh…no." Steven sighed, "they are discontinuing them - that means getting rid of them forever." He added for the gems benefit. "I bought enough so everyone can have one last Cookie Cat."

"Steven! That was very thoughtful of you!" Pearl said beaming.

"Yeah. Where do you get these Cookie Cats?" Amethyst asked.

"The Big Donut…or at least I used to." Seven said.

"Come on guys." Amethyst said waving to the gems and heading out the door, the gems hurried after her with a quick wave to Kiki and Steven.

Steven sighed once more. "I had hoped they would have a little longer before they needed to head out."

Kiki grinned "Yeah. Let's get your Cookie Cats in the freezer."

"Yeah, and then we can actually finish our run."

"I think you've had enough pain today. We can put it off for tomorrow. Thanks for coming with me though."

Steven shrugged "I don't mind. I don't have any better way to train."

They put the Cookie Cats in the freezer and cleaned up the kitchen from the monster attack until the door banged open.

"Yo, Steven! We stole your favorite ice cream!" Amethyst shouted.

"We did not steal it. I paid for it." Pearl said, holding the bag of cookies above the other two's heads.

"You guys are the best!" Steven said, running over "You really bought all of these for me?"

"Of course, Steven. We love you." Ruby said, and Steven tackled her into a hug, a pink light filled the room, and Steven pulled away, lifting up his shirt ready to have his hopes crushed again, but no. It was really happening. His gem was glowing.

"Ruby? How do I do it? How do I summon my weapon?" He asked.

"You just get really mad!" Ruby said, eagerly. "Just really want to punch someone!"

"But I don't want to punch anyone here!" Steven protested "I didn't even want to punch the monsters!"

"Steven, calm down." Pearl said, "don't force it."

"Yeah, dude, just want it to happen." Amethyst said.

"But I do want it- I want it more than anything." Steven said as the light faded into nothing again. "So why won't it happen?"

"Hey…it's ok." Kiki said awkwardly "you're going to get there."

"Yeah. Maybe I should go over the petal thing again." Steven said, ignoring Amethyst scowl.

"Of course, Steven. As many times as you need." Pearl said.

"Hey...mind if I tag along?" Kiki asked.

"Hey, that might make it fun!" Steven said, as Pearl put the bag of Cookie Cats away in the freezer.

"All that talk of petals doesn't help." Amethyst said.

"Speak for yourself, Amethyst," Pearl snapped.

"No one knows how Steven's powers work, except Steven." Ruby said. Trying to play peacemaker between them.

"Except I don't know how my powers work either." Steven grumbled.

"Hey, I'm curious about the petals," Kiki interjected.

"Well, come on then." Pearl said.

The tree never changed, in Steven's mind at least, he knew Pearl had watched it grow from the tiniest sapling. But to him it was as unchanging as her. Her words were barely different from the last time they had stood on his hill. The words were as confusing, and -though he would never say it- useless to Steven as the last time they had stood here, although Kiki seemed impressed hearing the speech for the first time.

"Thanks Pearl." Steven said. "I think I'll ask Amethyst."

Amethyst was lying on an inflatable piece of pizza tied to the docks, "how goes the petals?" She asked as Steven came over; Kiki having left for work.

"Didn't help." He said.

"Never does. You just gotta let it come to you Steven. Don't push it. It happens when it happens."

"That doesn't help, Amethyst."

"Whatever, you got a better idea?"

"No," Steven reluctantly admitted.

"So don't stress it." Amethyst said.

Ruby was painting. It was her favorite pastime. Steven came up to her slowly. "Did you have to figure out how to summon your weapon?" He asked.

"No," Ruby said, "I knew how to when I was made."

"So why don't I?" He asked.

"Well…I mean, you're half human. But even Amethyst didn't know. There are lots of possible reasons, Steven. But you're getting closer every day."

Steven sighed. "Not fast enough."

Ruby wiped off her paintbrush and faced him. "Why not? What's so urgent?"

"Well…I mean. I need to go on missions with you. You guys need help, and I want to help. Pearl says missions were easier with…my mom."

"Sure. Easier. A Diamond is like that. But we don't need her, we've been fine. Pearl is…biased. She loved Rose, and she wants you to love Rose. Take your time, Steven."

"I don't…love her, I mean, I don't think I can love someone I never knew. Not how I love you and the other gems, and my dad and the Pizzas and everyone…is that bad?"

Ruby shrugged. "Pearl and I don't agree about Pink. I don't think it's bad at all."

They were silent for a second.

"So…how do you summon your weapon anyway?" Steven asked.

"Oh, I mean…like I said. I just get mad. I don't know how Rose did it. She didn't talk about stuff like that. Some gems don't even have weapons Steven, maybe you should try focusing on something that comes easier to you."

Steven was lying on the couch, his shirt pulled up to his chin, staring at his gem in frustration. None of the gems could help him, but it was what Ruby had said that really haunted him "I don't know how Rose did it" was that what he had been missing all these years? If he could just speak to his mother…maybe everything would make sense.

But he couldn't talk to his mother, he barely knew the first thing about her. No one ever wanted to talk about her, the Pizzas had never really met her. Vidalia had been Amethyst's friend, never really talking to Rose. She said she had found her intimidating.

Amethyst barely could form a full sentence about Pink - She never called her Rose- her emotions seemed like they were about to explode out of her if she thought about Pink for more than a few seconds. So, no, Amethyst didn't want to talk about her.

Ruby hated Her - she went back and forth between calling her Rose and Pink - She had never said that to Steven. He just knew, he knew every time the world 'Rose' left his dad's or Pearl's mouth. The scowl, the clenched fist, she could barely control her hate. Steven didn't understand what his mother did that was so bad.

Pearl loved his mother - he knew that, he knew she was the only one she hadn't lied to about who she was. But she rarely talked about her either. Not when the other gems were so against it. But when she did - it was almost always with a smile.

His dad was the only one who tried to keep the memories alive for him. He flipped through photos they had taken together. He told him about how they had met, and the good times they had shared. But Steven couldn't help feeling like whenever he asked deeper questions…his father simply didn't know. He couldn't help but think that no one had truly known his mother…so how on earth could he know her?

He wanted to know her, to understand her, how did their powers work? Why had she had him, knowing they would never meet? Why had she loved his father? Why did she make the crystal gems? The simplest of answers were beyond his grasp.

"What's he doing?" He heard Amethyst ask from where she was eating trash in the kitchen.

Pearl paused in handing her an empty egg carton "I don't know."

"Wanna ask?"

"I feel you're going to anyway."

"Well, we don't keep secrets anymore, right?" Amethyst said, pointedly.

Pearl sighed. "No, we don't keep secrets anymore."

"Yo, Steven. What are you doing?" Amethyst yelled.

"Nothing!" He said, pulling his shirt back down over his stomach.

Amethyst opened her mouth to interrogate him farther, but before she could Ruby burst through the door. "Guys! We've got company!"

Pearl pulled her spear out of her gem in a flash. "Sorry Steven, your muffins will have to wait."

"That's ok." He said, "Can I help?"

"Of course, Steven," Ruby said. "Guard the house."

The three gems darted out the door before he could reply.

"Guard the house?" He grumbled "She could have just said sit there and do nothing."

He sat up, "I'm not just going to sit here - guard the house, could mean guard it from outside the house, make sure nothing gets to it." He grinned and hopped off of the couch, running outside after the gems.

They were caught in a battle with a giant centipeedle, Pearl held its mouth open with her spear. The other two were battling its front legs. Pearl's spear snapped in half, and she jumped back, narrowly missing the spray of acid that landed on the sand.

"Don't get hit!" She yelled.

"Thanks for that, Captain Obvious." Amethyst yelled, ducking under a leg as the creature turned its attention on the smaller gems.

"Over here!" Yelled Steven, running out onto the beach. "Leave them alone!"

"Steven! No!" Pearl yelled. Steven didn't stop. "Fight me!" He yelled.

The Centipeedle turned on him, and he realized just how terrifying it was, mouth opened, green acid dripped down on the sand in front of him, it sizzled away. The legs seemed bigger than he was. He gulped. "I'm not afraid of you."

Its leg whizzed down towards his head, and he ran backwards. He turned to face it again. "I'm not afraid of you!" He yelled again. Its monstrous face lowered towards him. Its eye fixed on his trembling body.

It spat at him, and he found himself jerked to the side, landing face first on the ground. "Get behind the hand, Steven!" Amethyst yelled, pulling her whip off of him.

He didn't move, staring at the monster, at Pearl and Ruby risking their lives for him. Amethyst grabbed him by the neck of his shirt "Steven! Move!"

She dragged him behind the hand. Pearl and Ruby joined them. "Care to Dance?" Ruby asked Pearl.

"Of course." She answered, taking Ruby's hand.

"What?" Steven muttered, not sure if the day could be any stranger.

Pearl and Ruby danced well together, Ruby doing a simple waltz and Pearl adding extra twirls to her side.

"Hurry it up guys." Amethyst hissed looking over the side of the hand. "It's- spitting!" She ducked, grabbing Steven's arm and pulling him down with her. As the hand melted over their heads. Steven moved away from the melted stone. "Aren't they going to help?" He asked, Incredulous they were still dancing.

"They are." Amethyst said, gulping as the monster crept towards them. "Hopefully in time."

A flash of light consumed Pearl and Ruby, leaving in their wake a single gem, slightly taller than Pearl, and much broader. They had broad arms and legs, two pairs of eyes and Ruby and Pearl's gems.

"Who are you?" Steven asked.

"Rhodonite," She answered. "Lovely to meet you. Now if you could excuse me for just a second." A gauntlet appeared on her hand; she pulled Pearl's spear from her forehead. She slammed it down on the gauntlet. "I've got some work to do." She said, holding up her new hammer, she tossed it over her shoulder and jumped over the remains of the hand. "Over here big guy!" She yelled.

"Who is that?" Steven asked, again.

"Rhodonite." Amethyst answered, sounding bored.

"How?" He asked, as Rhodonite ducked under one of the monster's legs and slammed her hammer on its underbelly. The impact made it sway backwards but it was back on her in an instant, clawing at her with its leg, she jumped away again, the fastest he had ever seen a gem move.

"We can mash together. Be a whole new gem."

"Wow." Steven said. Rhodonite was circling now, waiting for something, drawing its attention away from the two of them, back towards the ocean where it could do no harm, she darted back and forth in front of it, missing beam after beam of acid by inches each time.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool, I guess. Just wait until you meet Opal."

"Who's Opal?" Steven asked, but Amethyst didn't answer, they watched together as the monster stopped for a moment, as if out of breath and Rhodonite leapt into the air, over the monster's mouth, coming smashing down with their hammer right on the top of its head. Rhodonite bubbled the monster and then broke apart and Ruby and Pearl gave each other a little bow and a smile.

"That was awesome!" Steven said running out "You totally saved us!"

They smiled and Ruby wrapped Steven into a hug. "Fusion is pretty awesome." Ruby said.

"Can I fuse?" Steven asked, pulling away.

"I don't think so. I think you need to be light."

But Steven wasn't listening as a pink glow spread over them again and a shield hung in the air.

Story Update: I am planning to begin posting every other week starting in January. On the weeks I am not posting this story I will be posting another story for the Hunger Games fandom. I wrote the majority of it before I started this story. If anyone is interested in reading it, please note it is rated M and is for adults.

Puppy Update: For those wondering, my puppy is named Togo. (After the dog that pulled the sled before Balto took over.) He is sixteen weeks old, Half Terrier and Half Pomeranian, very energetic and very cute.