Steven Universe: Mom Swap AU

Qua Cola in Ocean Town

36 days until final report.

"And that's everything," Amethyst sighs, "Steven is alive and he's in Ocean town."

Greg sighs, sitting outside his car wash under the sunrise, cooking eggs on a waffle iron, which, while not easy, techinally works.

"And frontal assault doesn't work?" Greg inquires.

"We tried," Pearl sighs, "And it doesn't."

Greg sighs, and asks, "I only have one other question. Do they love Steven?"

"What?" Amethyst inquires.

"Do they love Steven?" Greg demands, "Is he happy?"

"I would say so yeah," Amethyst replies.

Greg sighs and gets into the driver seat of his van.

"What are you doing?" Pearl asks.

"If they love Steven," Greg explains, "Then they'll listen to reason..."

Lapis, Peridot, Jasper, and Sea meet in the strawberry field to discuss the inevitable date that approaches. Their final report to Yellow Diamond.

"Are you sure about this plan Jasper?" Lapis inquires, "It's risky."

Jasper nods, "Steven isn't Rose. This is the only way."

The four nod in agreement. The night sky and silent and still above them as they agree on Jasper's plan.

"Well we better head back," Peridot explains, "Steven could get up for a midnight snack and wonder where we are."

"I'll be right behind you," Jasper replies.

Lapis and Peridot nod and leave, Sea concerned, pretends to do so but actually uses the warp stream to conceal herself behind the wall of light.

As soon as she thinks the others are gone, Jasper vomits from stress. The strain of protecting Steven, of this plan Jasper has chosen, so to much for her to bare. She feels she has to face it alone. In her eyes, she is the leader. She's the one who got attached. She's the one who got Lapis and Peridot into this situation, so she has to be the one to get everyone out of it.

This is a twisted and malformed view. Steven, Jasper, Sea, and the others, they're family. Jasper doesn't have to stand alone. Not anymore. Not like Homeworld.

Jasper wipes vomit from her mouth muttering to herself, "I knew I shouldn't have eaten."

"Jasper?" Sea asks, revealing herself.

Jasper jumps, shocked, "Sea? How much did you see?"

"Jasper," Sea inquires, "Are you OK?"

Jasper sighs, "Sea, we're going against a Diamond with this. If this goes wrong..."

Sea takes Jasper's hand, having grown more confident on Earth, "Jasper, it's going to be OK. We can do this. Together."

"Yeah," Jasper sighs, "I hope so..."

Meanwhile Marty finally arrives. He approaches the house where the townsfolk tell him Steven is staying. He knocks on the door late in the night, only for Lapis to answer, "Oh. Hey. We don't usually get humans around here."

"I'm here for Steven," Marty explains, "His dad sent me."

Steven wakes up, overhearing a conversation, and pretends to be asleep to listen in.

"Steven's dad?" Lapis inquires, "OK keep your voice now. Steven was told Greg is dead."

Steven wonders what this means. His dad is alive? Amethyst was telling the truth. He truly can't trust the gems with anything.

"Hey look," Marty explains, "I'm taking the kid and getting payed."

Marty pulls a gun, "And I don't think it's gonna be a problem if I happen to shoot a few space rocks."

Enraged, Lapis bends the ocean to her will over Marty's head, holding him in a water bubble with a deathly glare, "Listen to me you deadbeat peice of human garbage. We love Steven. We raised Steven. Everything I have done has been to protect Steven. If you think I'm going to let you take Steven to a man none of us know because of some worthless blood tie you can forget it. You're going to leave, or you'll be leaving in a coffin."

Lapis releases Marty, who is left gasping for air, horrified. Steven continues to fake sleep. He begins to wonder if he should forgive Lapis for lying. That reasoning does make sense. He doesn't know if Greg is a good person so lying to him to protect him, while still very wrong, is at least forgivable.

It's in this moment Steven realizes, that while he doesn't trust the gems fully, they still love him, and he still loves them. Trust can be repaired. He's afraid of what he has to do next, but he knows that trust is a two way street. He knows...

He has to tell Jasper about his powers...