"You think the Gem's will like the beard?" Steven asked Connie. He tested his new look in the Dondai's rearview mirror with a grin. They merged onto the highway and Steven rolled down the windows.
Connie snickered in regards to the question. "I think they'll be surprised, except for Garnet of course. They will just be happy to see you, unshaven and all."
"I'm glad you could come back with me. Everyone will be happy to see you too. You're almost too busy with passing this new bill to even come home. A vacation is just what we both needed."
Connie stretched her arms as much as she could in the car then rested an elbow out the open window. "It's well earned. If I had to stay seated next to Congressman Budgewont for one more day I was going to run off to Homeworld with my hair on fire. Budgewont is the most infuriating man I have ever met."
Steven sneered at the mention of the older man. Connie often had ranting stories about the Delmarvan congressman. Steven had never met congressman, but he was sure he knew everything terrible there was to know about the man, from his hindering every progressive bill Connie presented, to the strange toothy laugh Budgewont subjected everyone to. "He's just jealous he didn't get the record for youngest elected official in Delmarva history."
"And I don't rub it in his face enough." Connie grumbled.
"We'll send him a post card from Beach City. Something that will get under his skin, like us making out in front of the sunset or some other form of human affection." Steven offered.
Connie laughed out loud. "Oh, we can make it more cheese. We'll have the picture taken on the high rise in Little Homeworld since Gem's scare him."
"Female's in the workplace, tax breaks for the poor and progress in general scares him." Steven pointed out.
"Good, you pay attention." Connie said.
"I'm a therapist. I would hope I pay attention." He said with a wink. "But enough about work! We should look ahead to Beach City. There are loads of people to catch up with. I haven't seen anyone in person since our wedding last year."
"And I'm sure we will hear about that," Connie said.
Steven leaned back in the driver's seat, the road stretched out before them. He smelled a trace of sea salt on the air. It caressed the nostalgia in him. "What about you Lion? What will you do when we get home?" he asked out the open window. Connie laughed when Lion yawned from his resting place on the car's roof.
Steven released one hand from the wheel to wrap around Connie's shoulder. He gave her an affectionate glace and hummed their song. She rolled her eyes and smiled, but soon joined in the tune.
Nomatter the distance,
Nomatter the time,
I'll remember your face,
I'll remember this rhyme.
I'm blessed with your grace,
Your voice like a chime.
As you may go, on your journey through life,
the road stretches on, filled with heartache and strife,
know I'll always be here, waiting for you.
And I know, you'll be there waiting too.
They both giggled, Connie leaning her head into his arm. Lion huffed loud from the roof again, and Steven could almost hear the pink animal roll his eyes.
The Welcome to Beach City sign greeted them just before twilight fell. The eastern coast shimmered in the distance as the sun set. Lights popped to life on the peninsula. Steven could hear the frivolity from the boardwalk even from such a distance.
"New Gem tech?" Connie asked as they drove through town. The streetlamps had been replaced with crystal rods that gave a gem like glitter to everything they illuminated.
"Oh yeah, Pearl told me about that over the phone. Major Nanefua is really interested in Gem tech. She has been updating the infrastructure with it. It cuts the city's electric bill down to almost nothing."
"One more thing to pitch in front of Budgewont and the rest of congress." Connie said and jotted down notes in her workbook.
Steven recognized some faces on the streets, while others were strangers. Most waved as they passed. Steven assumed the town's folk either recognized the car or noticed the large pink lion on the roof. He drove around the corner of the cliff that overlooked the sea. The watchful eyes of the Temple gazed thoughtfully beyond the horizon, as it had done for millennia. Steven spotted his dad seated before the waves playing his guitar. Steven tapped the horn to announce their arrival.
"Guys! You made it," Greg said with a big grin. He stood with exaggerated effort and rushed to hug them both once they got out of the car. Lion jumped down and landed on top of all three of them. "Gak! Good to see you too Lion."
"You ok, dad?" Steven brushed his Greg free of sand after he help him up.
"Hey, I'm not that old yet!" Greg began to protest but yelped in pain when his back gave an alarming crack. "Nothing to worry about, that happens sometimes. But more importantly then that, look at you Stchu-ball! You finally take after your old man with the facial hair?" he stroked his own beard that had gray strands peppered throughout.
They carried on into the house, Steven shouldering all their bags. He was surprised the house was in order and cleaned. Steven assumed Pearl had something to do with that. "So, I saw Connie on the news yesterday. You really gave that other guy an earful on the podium." Greg said after pouring a bag of chips into a bowl in front of them.
Steven laughed. "Yeah, I felt embarrassed for Budgewont even from the next state over. When he mixed up the laws and said the wrong State name after insisting Connie didn't know what she was talking about was classic."
"What about you Steven? How is the traveling therapy working for you?" Greg asked.
Steven patted Lion on the head. "It's great. With Lion's help I have been able to council loads more people that can't afford to travel. It also makes it easy on people without health insurance, me and Lion can come right to them. Connie has been working really hard to pass a bill regarding better funding for mental illness, but…" He glanced at Connie who only rolled her eyes.
"Budgewont?" Greg guessed.
"It's like talking to a xenophobic eggplant." Connie said.
"I keep offering to have him over for dinner just to talk to him," Steven said with a shrug.
Connie visibly shuttered at the thought. "He's scared of you Steven. You're part Gem, remember?"
"Please, I brokered peace for the Diamonds who were intergalactic dictators. I think I can handle dinner with a congressman." Steven countered.
The front door burst open. Lion jumped from surprise and Greg almost dropped the pitcher of water in his hands.
The three colorful woman stood gawking at Steven. Amethyst broke the silence. "Dude! Your hair is trying to eat your face!" she exclaimed with a purple finger pointed at Steven's beard.
"Ah! Look at you two!" Pearl squealed as she rushed past the doorway and grabbed Steven and Connie in an embrace. Amethyst squished them in a hug from the other side, and then the whole group was lifted off the ground by Garnet.
"Right on time," Garnet said, and kissed both Steven and Connie on the head.
"So, you saw us coming Garnet? Even after I took the wrong exit twice?" Steven said.
Amethyst answered for Garnet. "Yes, but it was Onion who saw you drive in and spread the word everywhere. He and his gang basically run Beach City."
Pearl sighed. "And somehow he got ahold of a Warp Whistle. Now he can activate Warp Pads and travel anywhere. I haven't caught him yet."
"Dude, there is so much we need to show you!" Amethyst insisted. "Peridot almost blew up Little Homeworld last week, and you can still see her outline burned into the wall."
"Oh, Steven!" Pearl blurted. "Yellow and Blue pearl have both started as art teachers with Vidalia at the school! They want to take it on the road, maybe even back to Homeworld!"
"First they need to rest," Garnet told the group after letting them all down. "And Steven and Connie, you might as well take up Greg's offer to have the bed while you're here. He won't take no for an answer."
"She's right as usual, even before I could offer," Greg agreed.
"We'll be staying for a few weeks, so there's plenty of time to see everything," Connie promised.
Amethyst started to laugh again. "Oh, and are we going to talk about how Connie crushed that one guy's soul on TV yesterday? If humans could poof, he would have. You just need to stop talking in that big government building and fight the guy. He wouldn't stand a chance and you'd make a point out of him."
"Now Amethyst, that is hardly fair," Pearl said. "Connie would destroy him in a fight, there would be no need to even have one."
"She needs to crush him," Garnet clarified. "He stands in the way of Connie becoming president in 33 years."
The reunion stalled when the Galaxy Warp activated above their heads. "Expecting anyone else?" Steven wondered.
"It's probably more Gem's from Homeworld for the new semester," Pearl assured, though she pursed her lips as she hesitantly added, "Or it's Onion with more space rocks…I really hope not. The last batch had extraterrestrial microbes that ate organic fibers, mostly consisting of cotton, wool…and everything human clothes are normally made of." She shuttered as if assaulted by a flashback of the event.
"It was really funny," Amethyst snickered.
"It was awkward," Garnet corrected. She looked up towards the roof with a sudden urgency. Garnet had seen something in the future. "That…isn't likely." She noted.
Before anyone could question her cryptic words, frantic footsteps came down the path from the Galaxy Warp room. Whoever had warped into the house stumbled through the upstairs bedroom and down the stairs in a pink blur.
"Steven!" was the last thing Steven heard before the flailing arms of Spinel wrapped around him and tackled him to the ground in a very painful hug.