"…eridot, this is Peridot broadcasting on all channels with a message for Yellow Diamond. Please respond. The fusion experiments are progressing nicely but I've run into some trouble. Both my escort and my informant have completely disappeared. I don't know if commander Jasper or the traitor Lapis are still alive. Furthermore, my ship is completely trashed and the escape vessel is now in the hands of rebel leftovers from Rose Quarts' army. I need help. Please send anyone, send everyone! I...I want to go home."

"Heh, I told her she couldn't handle the cluster project." Onyx laughed. Today was her day to listen to and coordinate broadcasts from all gem controlled worlds. What luck that she would be the one to pick up Peridot's transmission from earth. "Should have listened to me, Perri." she said before replaying the message a few more times to really savor the desperation in her stuck up colleague's voice. The last bit when all of her smugness left her was especially priceless. Maybe she would send the transmission to Agate or Melanite for a good laugh, after all command didn't need to hear this just yet.

000

Greg's head hit the cold metal of the roof again as his van skirted over another pothole in the road. His fingernails dug into the steering wheel as he watched the speedometer raise five then ten miles over the speed limit.

He had been on edge ever since the news report on TV showed the flaming wreckage of the hanger, naming the gems as responsible for the carnage. When, after an hour of waiting, they had finally showed up in the motel parking lot with his van he had acted purely on instincts going into autopilot mode. He stuffed Steven in the car leaving their bags in the motel room and sped off. Now he was fleeing with three fugitives wanted for various acts of wanton destruction. Thank god none of the gems had been captured on video or he would've had to have left them in the parking lot. There was no shame in knowing when to bail.

Steven was crushed between Amethyst and Garnet in the back seat of the van. Despite the cool morning air pouring in from the van's open window a bead of sweat ran down the back of his neck. That news report on TV had made the gems seem like monsters…like…like terrorists. But that wasn't them…right? No, it couldn't be. They were the crystal gems! They defended humanity and protected the weak and yet...their refusal to speak about the fire at the hanger was not encouraging. It was out of character and…eerie. Finally Steven couldn't take it anymore he had to say something, anything just so long as there was noise.

"Man, heh, I'm feeling a little hungry. How about you Amethyst? Hungry?"

Amethyst looked over at Steven and gave him a half-hearted smile. She seemed a million miles away. "Sure dude, food sounds good…but let's wait until we're back at the temple okay?"

"Right." Steven Said. "You guys were gone for so long dad and I ordered victory pizza but then…you know, the whole explosion thing."

Silence.

"Sooo, did we figure out what Peridot was up to? Did she get away again?"

Pearl gave a startled look at the mention of the former gem but otherwise said nothing. She hated the green menace just as much as the others but she could almost empathize with her desperate attempts to go home. That struggle to get some place where you're not just accepted but loved. Staring out the passenger side window she watched the rising sun. I did the best I could. I made the right choice...didn't I, Rose?

Amethyst and Garnet exchanged uneasy looks. In the rush to escape back to Beach City no one had told Greg or Steven what had actually happened in the hanger hours before. Steven had no idea that an army of homeworld gems were probably on their way right now hell-bent on wiping out humanity, that Pearl had made the decision to leave Peridot in the explosion, probably killing her, or that they had, in part, been responsible for an act that now alienated them from the very species they were trying to protect. Steven was going to find out eventually so there was no harm in keeping him in the dark for just a little longer. Ignorance, in this case, was bliss.

"Y-you guys didn't really blow up that hanger did you? T-the news report said some humans were injured or…killed?" Steven winced knowing this was the wrong question to ask, but he had to know, to be reassured.

More Silence.

"Look I'm not judging you guys I'm sure that you did what you had to do but you need to talk to me. I'm a crystal gem too you know."

*zzzt, zzzt*

Almost relieved that he wouldn't be getting an answer Steven dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His heart skipped a beat when he saw who was calling him. For the first time in weeks Connie was trying to talk to him, the timing couldn't be coincidence. Apprehension building he slid his finger across the screen and put the speaker to his ear.

"Steven? Steven? Are you there?"

Steven's voice caught in his throat and for a moment their kiss played through his mind. He could smell the night air heavy with salt water and feel the butterflies fluttering in the pit of his stomach.

"Steven? Steven I know you're there I can hear you breathing. Just say something." There was a desperate edge to Connie's voice that snapped Steven back to reality.

"Connie? Where have you been? I've been waiting to hear from you for ages."

"Steven? What in the hell is going on? I came downstairs this morning and my parents were huddled around the TV. Something about an attack just a few miles from our house." Connie hesitated for a moment almost as if she were mentally preparing herself for some big hurdle. "Steven, the report on TV. That gem they were talking about just a few days ago. Did you guys have anything to do with this?"

Steven bit his lip. How could he tell her? Technically the gems had left him behind. They were the ones who attacked the Kennedy Space Center. He didn't have anything to do with it! He let the words run through his mind before he realized he couldn't go that route. Honesty was the best policy or at least it was according to Pearl. "Y-yeah that might have been us."

"What!?" Connie screamed. In that one word Steven could hear the absolute disgust and shock he knew she would harbor. "S-Steven how could you do that? The news report said that people died. Did…did you kill people?"

Steven could feel his stomach drop at the question. It didn't matter that he wasn't there, it didn't matter that he had not been the one to destroy the hanger. That one question could never be taken back and it would forever define his relationship with Connie.

He could practically hear the tears running down Connie's cheeks now. "Steven? I-I thought I knew you I thought you were a good person but this...Steven I-I just...I can't..."

He knew he should say something, defend himself, rage about how the crystal gems did what they had to do to protect the earth from invasion but the words caught in his throat.

"Goodbye Connie." He said as he hit the end call button.

000

Agate stared out her window into the vast emptiness of space. She was currently stationed on an orbital gem ship bound for the homeworld warp which hopefully would take the ship as close to earth as possible. She stretched her lanky arms and began polishing the 12 inch amber colored blade affixed to her wrist. The message Onyx had sent her had been good for a laugh at first. It was nice to hear the high and mighty queen Peridot practically in tears begging for a ticket home. Now, however, the message was a source of annoyance. Once high command got a hold of it she and the other "war gems" were dispatched to retrieve Peridot and "protect the cluster" whatever that was. There was also mentions of Rose Quarts but Agate stopped listening at that point. Ancient history was so boring.

"Next stop Earth, I guess." Agate Yawned.

Hey, thanks for reading and sorry about the delay in chapters but yeah, school and tests suck.