A/N: Fun fact: This was started early. Like, before 'We Need To Talk' early. Now, it's written pre-Beta but Post-Bismuth.

It happened before he even realized.

He was alone for the moment. Peridot and Lapis were back at the barn, Amethyst said she was going to train in her room, Pearl was probably sorting things in her fountain, and he wasn't sure where Garnet was besides 'not here'.

Steven rummaged through his drawer, and came across the tiny hourglass he'd grabbed a few weeks ago during the mission to the Sea Shrine. He'd tucked it away for safekeeping, but took it out to twirl it in his fingers.

"Hey, little guy." The glass felt cool under his fingers, despite being tucked between socks for the past month, and still smelled of salt. "Just you and me right now." Steven climbed on top of his bed, and looked at the temple door, then at his mother's portrait. His hand dropped to his gem, and he sighed softly.

"I wish I knew you. There's so much-"

He was on the beach. It was dusk, the last rays of sun reflecting off the water the way Dad always loved.

"Wha...? How did I-"

"Hello!"

He'd only heard that voice twice before- on old videotapes.

Steven slowly turned around, and saw his mother. She was smiling.

"What are you doing here?" She paused. "Didn't you see the fence? Don't want to get hurt, do you?"

He stared.

She was larger than life in every way she'd been described. He barely reached her gem, and she was tall and wide and...

Her gem that was protruding out just enough that... that...

Steven rolled the little hourglass around on his palm, not quite ready to look up to her face yet.

"Oh, don't be shy, I promise I won't hurt you." She squatted down, dress pooling around her ankles, and he took a deep breath.

"Hi."

"What's your name?"

"Steven."

"Steven? Oh, what a coincidence, I-" She was smiling, but it slowly fell as she caught sight of what he was holding. "Is that-"

"The glass of time." Steven curled his fingers around it. "Pearl and Amethyst and Garnet and I were on a mission, and I grabbed it. I guess it was the right one, if I'm-" Steven couldn't finish his sentence, pulled off the ground and into the tightest hug of his life.

She was soft, but also just off human texture in the way all the gems were- skin carved of soft marble that was like a hotel couch pillow, too hard and too soft at the same time.

"Oh stars, I never thought I'd- I wanted to talk to you so much but I can't, it just wouldn't work that way and I love you so much and- oh, you're crying..."

"M-mom..." Steven tried to wrap his arms around her but she was too big, and he could feel his gem clinking against hers with nothing but the cloth of his shirt to separate them.

Rose slowly pulled back, hair heavier than he'd expected as it dragged off his shoulders, and she tugged up his shirt.

"Oh..." Her eyes glittered, and she set three fingers on the gem, slowly turning them before sliding them off unto his skin. Her fingers were cool. "It worked..."

"Yeah." Steven swallowed.

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen. I lived with Dad until I was thirteen, though."

"How is Greg? Is he still at the car wash?"

"Yeah, and he's rich now! Marty sold his song to be a jingle so he's got a ton of money."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Her eyes glittered in the twilight, but she kept touching his gem. "I can't believe... can you use my powers?"

"Mhm. I left the sword in Lion, though-"

"Oh, he found you!" She ruffled his hair. "He was my favorite of the pack, and I knew I needed to leave you at least one. Does he still chew on anything?"

"Yeah, I had to hide one of my shirts in his mane because he wouldn't leave it alone!"

His mane. With Bismuth.

"Did you find the tape?"

"Yeah, and... and Bismuth."

Rose's expression sobered up fast. "Did she hurt you?"

"She... she was really cool, but when she showed me the Breaking Point... why didn't you tell anyone? Yeah, she was wrong, but wasn't she one of your best friends?"

"Toxic ideas can spread fast. If she'd gotten the Breaking Point to the others, they would have shattered innocent Homeworld soldiers."

"Couldn't you convince her? She..." Steven grabbed at his shirt. "Every time I meet a new gem, they think I'm you."

"New gems? But, there hadn't been any new gems on Earth-"

"Homeworld came back. They sent Peridot and Jasper, and Jasper really really hates you, and-"

"Oh, no..." Rose's already pale face went white. "Steven, if I'd known they would come back- I thought you'd be safe-"

"Well, Peridot is nice now! She tried to kill me, but we got around that when we worked together to stop the Cluster."

"Oh, Peridots are always so cute. I never saw that many, but Pearl had such stories."

"She really misses you." Steven said quietly.

"Is she alright? I know with how she felt, it wouldn't be easy."

"Actually, she is starting to get better." Steven kept toying with the hourglass. "She went to a show with Amethyst and me and met a girl and got her phone number."

"A human show?" Rose grabbed Steven's hands, curling his fingers around the ball. "Steven, it... I'm so proud of you."

"It was her idea."

"But you must have encouraged it! She's never wanted anything to do with humans. Steven, while I love Greg more than anything, I wanted you for this. To help us understand humans, and for a human to know about Gems. You're amazing."

"I... I... but everyone thinks you're so great! I can't..." Steven's gaze dropped. "I can't be you."

"Steven... you don't have to. You're incredible because you aren't me. You're a human and a gem. You're an entirely unique experience." She paused. "Can you... fuse?"

"Yeah, with Connie and Amethyst!"

"A human? That's..." She held his hands tighter. "Oh, you're incredible!" She laughed, and it sounded like bells and the ocean breeze. "I can't wait. I never imagined I'd actually be able to talk to you, and you're so cute and you... may I see?"

"See what?"

"My- your powers! What can you do? Garnet can only see a few weeks forward, none of us know how this would work."

"Well..." Steven tucked the glass into his pocket, easily summoned his shield, then leapt up, pulling out a spiked bubble as he slowly floated down. Halfway down, Rose jumped and pulled him into another hug. She smooshed her cheek against his. She was still cold.

"You'll do it. You're my son, mine and Greg's, and although I'd never thought you'd have to see Homeworld, you can handle anything." Slowly, they landed on the found, bare feet and pink sandals alike, and she pulled herself back just enough to set her hands on his shoulders and look him in the eyes. She knelt down, hair blowing in the wind. "We'll do it together. I'll always be there with you, and for you."

"But it doesn't feel like it!" Steven pushed back a little. "I just... you're a war general, you were the leader, and now everyone expects me to be you, to do what you did, and I... I can't be you, I mess up and you expected me to have some great destiny-"

"Steven, listen to me." She tightened her grip on his shoulders. "The only thing I expected of you was that you would be a human being. I loved the idea that you'd help bridge the gap between gems and humans, but if you lived a full happy human life and never developed any powers I would have been more than happy." Her eyes watered, and a thick stream of tears dropped out. "You helped reform a homeworld gem- which I know isn't easy. You go on missions, and you can fuse with another human! You're already greater than anything I wanted."

Steven's eyes welled up with tears. "I... you..."

"Steven, I love you. I hope you know that."

His vision blurred, and he grabbed at his shirt.

"Mom..." He didn't have any words left but to grab and lift her up in another hug, getting a small gasp and a laugh, wet tears getting his hair damp.

"You've got Quartz strength too!"

"Heh, yeah... thanks."

She set a hand in his hair, ruffling it with a huge grin on her face as he dropped her down to the sand with a loud 'THUMP'.

"I just can't believe you're here."

"Rose! I wanna show you something!"

"Is that Amethyst?" Steven craned his neck, but Rose pulled him up against her chest, his chest against hers.

"You should go. I don't know what the repercussions would be if they saw you." She gave him a kiss on the forehead, lips just firm enough that it pressed in on his skin. "I'm glad you came. I'm so proud of you, Steven."

Steven pulled out the glass, and swallowed, tears watering in his eyes again.

"Thanks. Thanks, Mom."

She opened her mouth to say one last thing, but he'd already held up the glass and disappeared in a flash of light.

The house looked the same, and when Amethyst walked out of her room to grab some food she looked the same too, so he hadn't changed the present.

A single tear hit the small glass of time, and he wiped it off and hugged it close to his chest before tucking it between his socks again.

Just in case.

A/N: Comments/reviews are my lifeblood, please leave some feedback and I will love you.