Elastic Hearts

Dismayed Family, Caring Friends

~~ Meanwhile on Earth ~~

Peridot's P.O.V

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE?!?!" The annoying Pearl yells, squawking furiously.

I roll my eyes in annoyance and survey everyone else's reactions around the room. The fusion Garnet is impassive and stern as expected, whereas the Amethyst is appearing to be more than a tiny bit frustrated. Her and the Pearl are up in each others faces, arguing over Steven's sudden disappearance. I am partially sad, though less than before when the initial shock originally hit me upon stumbling into Steven's empty room. Bismuth has her back against one of the Temple's many walls and is frowning. Lapis then completes the picture by having a sad but also happy grin on her face. My guess is that she's happy Steven's pursuing his most heartfelt emotions, but at the same time, sad that he left without saying goodbye.

"P, you gotta understand this" Amethyst sighs, pinching her nose and taking a step back, "Steven's 19 now. He's getting closer and closer to being a full human adult. It's around this time when he's allowed more freedom to be able to do what he'd like".

"Even if that's the case, Amethyst, do you remember when we found him drifting outside the Warp Stream?!?!" Pearl shrieks, "My baby almost died that day and I never want that to happen again! What if if does happen and I'm not there to save him?! Do you have any idea what that would do to me?!"

"Yes, I do" Amethyst growls, glaring at the raging gem, "I would feel no better if I knew that it would've been my fault should that ever come to pass. But, what you're apparently missing all together, is that my Stee-Man can handle himself. I mean, look at all he accomplished! Curing the corrupted, forging a bond between us and Homeworld, keeping this family together. The list goes on and on, but he's done more than enough to be able to handle a simple Warp Stream".

"WOULD YOU CLODS SHUT UP FOR ONE SECOND?!" I yell at them.

The two gems immediately halt their back and forth arguing and turn to look at me. Both are wide-eyed and have expressions of fear, though Pearl takes the cake by looking ready to lay some eggs, if you get the joke. Huffing in indignation, I stand up from my spot on the couch and stomp over to the small and tall duo.

"Look, we all get it. Each of you care about my Pebble in the most deepest of ways that nobody can compete with. But please, either take your fighting elsewhere where it won't liquefy my hearing passages or shove it up your backsides, alright?" I grumble angrily.

"I don't need anything coming from you too, Peridot. It's bad enough that you haven't micro-chipped Steven so that we can find him" Pearl says, crossing her arms.

"I have micro-chipped Steven, but unlike your helicopter-style parenting, I'm not going to obsessively hover over him and make him wear a helmet if we go out on a mission. That's just stupid" I reply, eyes half-lidded.

Amethyst then saunters over to me, placing a caring and understanding palm upon my shoulder. Her and me share a brief grin before the irritating pencil nose gem starts rearing her ugly head again.

"Well pardon me for actually caring about the safety of my only son!" Pearl fumes, tapping her foot furiously against the floor, "Besides, say he does needs me. How will Steven get a hold of me if he's thousands of light years away?"

"Please. You are aware that Steven has access to all of Homeworld's extensive communication equipment, right? With that being the case, he can contact us in any way he so chooses" I smirk, letting the snarkiness in my voice sink into Pearl's overly hysterical mind.

The former servant looks like she wants to protest once more, but out of the blue, Garnet walks past Amethyst and I and stops Pearl with the 'hand on the shoulder' technique too. I frown and give a confused glance at Amethyst, who shrugs and shakes her head, not knowing how Garnet could sneak up on like that.