merry christmas to all and a happy Thursday night to the rest! thought I'd update this as a gift to you all. hope you're enjoying yourself with family and friends! cheers!

The snow had fallen fast and thick, coating the entire town of Beach City into a heavy, white blanket. Steven had woken up early to peer out at the lavender sky and the white landscape before him, and it had taken all of his willpower to not run out and jump barefoot into the snow.

Now, though, the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds. A rushed conversation from Connie told him she too would be in for sledding, with her school being closed. He could barely keep himself contained as Garnet coaxed him into his snow gear and Pearl cooked him a nutrious meal. Amethyst sealed some hot chocolate into a canteen for him, and Pearl set eggs down in front of him, "If you're going to be spending all day outside, you need a healthy meal."

Steven eyed the eggs, and then eyed Pearl, "Reeeally?"

"You've got to eat your breakfast to grow big and strong." Garnet said out of the corner of his eye, and then Amethyst thunked down on the counter in front of him, reaching to help herself, "Yo, dude, I'll eat these myself."

"No!" Steven grabbed the plate and lifted it higher, and then Pearl swatted at Amethyst playfully, "Let him eat."

Steven dutifully began shoving eggs into his mouth, downing them with orange juice and stealing hurried glances at the clock. He couldn't stand the idea that he was losing time out there in the snow because of breakfast.

"Relax. You're gonna make yourself sick, dude." Amethyst said, watching as his cheeks bulged with eggs and juice. He swallowed hard, grimaced, and then reached for another bite, "I'm—fine."

"Slow down, Steven." Garnet said, trying to sound soothing, while Pearl cleaned up the kitchen. He had just set his fork and empty glass down when a car honked outside.

"I wonder who that could be..." Pearl began, as Steven leapt off of the barstool, grabbing his gloves and pocketing his canteen before giving them a wave, "Sour Cream and Jenny and Buck and Lars and Sadie are coming with me and Connie!"

"Do you have your hat?" Pearl called, and Steven patted his jacket before Amethyst showed up, thunking it on his head, "Have fun, little dude!"

He adjusted it and gave her a smile, and then the car honked once more. Without delay, Steven grabbed the door knob and floored it down the steps, sprinting through the snow to the old jalopy minivan.

"I hope he's safe." Pearl voiced aloud, and Garnet adjusted her glasses, "He'll have a good time."

"Garnet, you don't think—" "P," Pearl turned towards Amethyst, who gave her a reassuring smile, "He's gonna be fine. He's a good kid and he's got good friends."

She seemed to a relax, even for a moment.

(._.(-_-(^-^)-_-)._.)

It was a few hours before sunset when Connie and Steven walked through the door. Connie coaxed him to lie down on the couch, and Amethyst rolled off the countertop, "Yo, what happened?"

"Steven—" Connie began, before Steven pulling the hat away from his mouth and showed his bloody lips and nose, saying in a tear-filled voice, "I got hurt!"

Amethyst looked towards Connie for an explanation, who filled in the gaps, "He...well, I don't remember exactly how he did it. But he split his lip and hurt his nose."

Steven was hiccuping now as Garnet and Pearl emerged from their rooms, Pearl rushing to his side, "Steven!"

Meanwhile, Garnet was already pulling out the medkit as Connie sighed, "It was a sledding accident...and a stray snowball."

"Doesn't your spit work?" Amethyst asked, and Steven shook his head, "It didn't this time."

"Well, no matter." Pearl said, wringing her hands, before Garnet walks up beside her. "We've got bandaids and ice."

As the day grew darker, and after Connie was driven home and Steven was assuaged with all of his wounds, Amethyst plopped down beside him in front of the fireplace.

Pearl came around to place a grilled cheese in front of the two of them, and then, "I'm sorry, Pearl."

She paused. "Steven, why are you sorry?"

"I shouldn't have gone today. I got hurt. You didn't want me to get hurt." His tears began to form. "Now I can't go sledding again."

Amethyst took a bite of her sandwich as she looked between the two of them, and Pearl finally kneeled beside him, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Steven...you can still go sledding. You just got a little hurt, that's all."

He sniffled, and Garnet materialized behind Pearl, "It's all good, Steven."

He wiped his eyes, and Pearl tapped her chin, "Y'know, this does remind me of a time of a certain someone."

Behind Steven, Amethyst's face reddened, "Hey, hey, hey!"

Garnet smiled. "I'd forgotten about that. Pearl, are we thinking the same thing?"

"I believe so. Steven, you aren't the only gem to get hurt." Pearl said, wiping away his tears, and he eyed her, "Who else?"

"That'd be me." Amethyst said, finishing up her sandwich with a big smile. Pearl chuckled. "Didn't think I'd forget, did you?"

And with Steven's eyes wide, they began to tell a story.

(._.(-_-(^-^)-_-)._.)

Rain's falling. It seems as if though it's always falling, even though Pearl knows that's not true. Earlier on in the day Roe and Garnet had left, with Pearl earnestly asking to go along. Both had said no, but Rose had laid a hand on Pearl's shoulder and asked her if she wouldn't mind watching Amethyst whilst staying back. And Pearl, per usual, wasn't paying attention to what exactly she was asking, and of course nodded in agreement.

Now, a few hours later, she watches from the steps of the warp pad as Amethyst runs back and forth in her shorts and big t-shirt, white hair a flying halo as she zooms by in the rain. It's as if the rain doesn't bother her.

It probably doesn't. Pearl thinks, and then grimaces. She doesn't care at all.

Hair's a mess, her shirt's stained, and her legs are covered in sand and salt water. Yet she grins and runs and plays anyways.

Pearl heaves a sigh. She could practice, she could organize her swords again, but that won't keep her properly occupied.

Amethyst runs by for the fifth time, and Pearl leans out, grabbing the edge of her shirt, "Where are you going to?"

"Well, it's a game." Amethyst says, turning and breathing hard. Pearl lets go of the shirt as she begins to explain, "Every time the water goes out, I hafta run out as far as I can. And then, when the water goes in, I hafta go as far in as I can."

Her face brightens, "Wanna play?"

"No."

Amethyst takes a step back, and then runs back towards the water. Pearl eyes her. She's not about to take part in some silly game.

Her mind drifts to her own...growing up, away from Earth. Rigid. No room for flexibility...or games.

Amethyst runs by again, grin wide, and then she turns to Pearl, "Why don't you climb the rock?"

"The...rock?" She raises an eyebrow in confusion, and Amethyst points to the cliff hanging over the cave. "The big rock."

"We don't climb that. It's not for climbing."

"Why not? We climbed all the time."

Back in that Kindergarten. Pearl thinks bitterly, and then clears her throat, "No climbing."

"But why not?"

"I don't know!" Pearl says suddenly, making Amethyst jump. "But we just don't climb it!"

"I'm gonna climb it."

"No, you're not." Pearl frowns. "You're not going to."

"Who's gonna stop me?

"Why, you little..." Pearl squashes the rest of her insult away and instead glares at Amethyst. "It's just the rule, okay? "

Amethyst pouts, and before they can react, the warp pad behind them shimmers. Rose and Garnet appears, and Amethyst throws herself at Rose, "You're back!"

She laughs and kneels, enveloping the small purple gem into a hug. Garnet glances between both Pearl and Amethyst and makes a smirk, "Seems like you two got along."

Pearl grimaces. "I guess you could call it that."

(._.(-_-(^-^)-_-)._.)

The next day, Rose and Garnet leave once more. Amethyst has abandoned her water game, and instead sits beside Pearl on the warp pad steps.

She must be bored out of her mind. Pearl thinks, but yet Amethyst stays silent. Perfectly still.

It's two hours into this when Amethyst finally speaks, "So, can I climb the rock now?"

Pearl smirks. Of course...this is why she's behaving this way. "No, Amethyst, you may not climb the rock."

She sits still on the step beside her. Her shirt's still stained and her hair's a mess, but she's calm. A few minutes go by.

And then, "How about now?"

"Still no."

Amethyst sighs, putting her chin in her hands, balancing them on her knees, "Why not?"

"Because it's dangerous and you could fall."

"I'm not gonna."

"And why do you think so?"

This question stumps her, and she's got no other response than, "I'm good at climbing!"

"No."

"But—!" "If you fall, don't come back to me."

Amethyst pauses, and then she flys off the steps, "Fine! I won't hafta come back crying, because I'm not gonna fall!"

Pearl reaches out, about to sang the edge of her shirt and call her back, but then relents.

Fine. She thinks bitterly, watching as the figure rounds the corner and disappears. Go and learn a lesson.

When Rose and Garnet come back, Pearl and Amethyst are sitting on the steps. Amethyst can barely keep still, "Rose! Rose, Garnet, I climbed that big rock today!"

"Congratulations." Garnet smiles, and Rose sweeps her up, "That's incredible!"

"I didn't go too high up." Amethyst admits, but then she brightens, "But I still tried!"

"That's what counts." Rose says, and then glances towards Pearl, "Did you watch her?"

"I—" Pearl opens her mouth, but Amethyst runs her over, "No, she sat in here."

Rose gives Pearl a look, who promptly reddens and looks away sheepishly.

(._.(-_-(^-^)-_-)._.)

The next day, when the two are gone, Amethyst is already on the rock before Pearl has a chance to stop her.

Alright, that's fine. Pearl thinks, perhaps a bit too pinched. I can catch up on organizing, and work on my room a bit.

She keeps the door open as she works, and barely notices the dark clouds gathering. It's only when she hears a boom of thunder does she think to look out, seeing the rain pounding down so heavily she can barely look out two feet past the warp pad.

Where's...Amethyst? She thinks slowly, trying to gauge the possibility of her whereabouts. By the rock? She would've come back, right?

She makes it through three more swords before letting them drop back into her pool of water, sprinting out the open door, "Amethyst?!"

Nothing. Not even a chance of a response. All pounding rain and booming thunder. Pearl shields her ears and closes her eyes when thunder and lightning happen, and then she runs outside, "Amethyst!"

Where could she be, where could she be, she should be back already...the thoughts run rapid fire through her mind, but yet she pushes past them and forces herself to make it to the back of cave, the sky dark and making it hard to see. But there's no sign of her.

Thunder booms again, closer now, and Pearl bites her lip. Oh no. She's...she can't be lost. Rose'll...

That's when she sees a bush in front of her shuffle. Instantly, she's on her hands and knees in the mud and grass, clawing through it.

Deep in the leaves, lying on her side, and hunched over her leg, is Amethyst.

"Pearl...?" She murmurs, turning weakly. Pearl gives her a reassuring smile, "It's me."

Lightning flashes behind her, and Amethyst winces. Pearl gently scoops her out before Amethyst whimpers, "My...my leg."

"What?"

Amethyst begins crying, "It hurts, Pearl. It really hurts." Thunder pounds and she cries harder. "I kept calling for you, but you didn't hear me."

Pearl feels cold. Amethyst is soaked to the bone, her clothes waterlogged. Her mind races again. How long could she have been out here?

"I'm here now. And we're going to make it all better." With delicate hands, she unravels Amethyst from inside the bush and carries her into the cave, and then into her own room. Here, with the light, she can see just how bad in shape Amethyst is in. Her clothes are covered in mud, her hair's tangled with twigs, and one side of her body seems to be covered in bruises and scraps.

She's holding one wrist delicately while avoiding putting weight on another ankle. Pearl feels her heart sink. I'm awful.

But she goes into that motherly mode of hers. "Alright, let's get you patched up."

She begins to wrap up Amethyst's arms and her various scrapes, and then helps her into a dry set of clothes. When that's done, she goes to work on securing her wrist and ankle, and giving them proper support.

Amethyst stays quiet it through it all, and then, as Pearl's finishing up and pulling the twigs out of her hair, "I'm sorry."

Pearl stops, "Why are you sorry?"

"Because..." Amethyst wipes her eyes with the back of her uninjured hand and wrist, "you didn't want me to climb that wall. And I did."

"No." Pearl comes around to the front of her, putting her hands on her shoulders. "I should be the one apologizing."

She wipes away Amethyst's tears with the edge of her thumb. "I shouldn't have left you out there alone. I should've been out there watching you."

She pauses for a minute, and then adds, "And cheering you on."

"Really?" Amethyst sounds incredulous, and Pearl nods, giving a smile, "Of course. When you're in a family, you support each other. And cheer each other on."

"I thought you didn't think I could climb."

"I knew you could. But...I guess I was just being selfish by not telling you."

Amethyst wipes her nose with the back of her hand, giving a sniffle. "Huh."

"What's to say, when you get better, we go climbing that big rock together. Would you like that?"

Amethyst nods, grinning wide, "Yeah!"

(._.(-_-(^-^)-_-)._.)

And so, when Garnet and Rose return a few hours later, they find Amethyst in blankets, curled up next to Pearl and sleeping. Pearl looks up at the two of them as they materialize, "Yes?"

"Did you two hang out today?" Garnet asks, and Pearl looks down at the little purple gem, sleeping soundly. "Not how I expected, but...yes. I suppose we did."

Rose and Garnet smile, Rose clapping her hands together, "I knew you two would get along!"

"It just took...a little push." Pearl admits, and then she eyes Rose, "Are you alright?"

Rose wipes a tear away, "I'm just happy, is all."

"Save those tears, m'lady." Pearl says, and then pulls back a corner of the blanket, showing Amethyst in a shirt and shorts, her various cuts and bruises showing. Rose eyes Pearl, who sheepishly adds, "A bit of a climbing accident."

But she kneels regardless, wiping the tears of happiness from her own face, and gently placing a finger on each of Amethyst's wounds. Instanteneously, they begin to heal and fade. Her wrist and ankle stop swelling and instead begin to look normal once more.

Amethyst herself winces, and then stretches, curling up closer to Pearl. Pearl, much to the others' surprise, wraps an arm around her.

"Shall I take her back to my room?" Rose whispers, and Pearl roses onto her feet, gently scooping Amethyst up into her own arms protectively, "I can do it."

(._.(-_-(^-^)-_-)._.)

"Yo, Steven...speak."

"Amethyst, he's not a dog!" Pearl scolded, and Steven grinned. "Woah."

"What?"

"You really tried climbing the rock?"

Amethyst scratched her head. "Yeah. It was...stupid of me."

"But it was good for both of them." Garnet said, and Pearl smiled. "It...really was."

Then her face changes, "Goodness, I hadn't realized how late it's gotten. Steven, you should really be in bed."

"But-" "No buts, mistah." Amethyst teased. "Get your sorry butt up into your bed."

Steven trudged up the steps, stopping every so often to turn and look back at them. Amethyst continued to wave him along, and then, "Is anyone gonna say goodnight to me?"

"If you're lucky." Amethyst replied, and then grinned at the other two gems. Steven barely had enough time to react before they were up there with him, sweeping him up and squishing into a big group hug, laughing all the way.