AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi! Just so you're aware, since Stevonnie is typically considered agender, I use they/them pronouns when referring to them, which can get grammatically confusing at times (sorry in advance!). Also keep in mind Steven and Connie are in their mid-30s here, though I'm going to assume Stevonnie, being a fusion, doesn't physically change with age. Thanks for reading! Will post more in the future! ^.^

Even though I'm always with you, I miss being able to see your face, Steven murmurs to Connie in the void. Midnight stretches around them with only his analog watch silently ticking on the bedside table. They look up at the ceiling, watching the reflections of the waves dance across the wooden beams.

Have you tried looking in a mirror? Connie teases, her voice tired as usual. The corner of Stevonnie's mouth twitches into a smirk. They ran their hand through their thick hair, closing their eyes. Through this plain of mentality, they conversed and operated along with the driving voice of Stevonnie, the personality that emerged from the result of their fusion.

Steven halfheartedly chuckles and sighs. You know what I mean, you nut. It's not the same.

The spouse has been fused for two years; a "perma-fusion" as Garnet, another fusion of the Crystal Gems, once put it.

Her grin fades,I know, I miss your face too. There's a long pause, the breeze flutters through the open windows, swaying the curtains. Let's take a walk. Get sand between our toes. It's not like we're falling asleep anytime soon, anyways.

He pretends to mull this over. Truthfully, he was thinking the same thing. I'll race you there, Steven laughs. Ha, fusion jokes.

Stevonnie likes to listen to them talk. The way they communicate is as if they never grew up; they merely grew together. This late at night, Stevonnie lets them converse uninterrupted for hours. Sometimes sharing jokes and flirts, other times just existing in the silence. Either way, it was love in it's purest form.

Stevonnie leaps out of bed and tiptoes out the door, careful not to let the door squeak too loudly. Even though they're technically an adult, made up of two other adults, Pearl still babies them about getting a good night's sleep. She may have a fit knowing they were awake so late, let alone that they were awake this late most nights...

~ Two and a half years ago ~

Connie was always a strong fighter, and a stubborn one at that. Since her training sessions as a teenager with Pearl - an equally as stubborn of a teacher and fencer - Connie had surpassed abilities even Pearl struggled to master. After almost 25 years of swordsman training, Connie and Pearl had grown into great friends, and even greater opponents.

Steven sat off to the side of the Ancient Sky Arena with Amethyst, both passing a box of fry bits back and forth. It was a beautiful August day, barely a cloud in the sky. The team had just come back from a mission the day before and were eager to relax.

This gem arena was described by Pearl to be the first battleground for the rebellion. It stretched as far as a baseball field, or what's left of it did. The edges around it lay crumbled, only a few lone pillars remain untouched. The four diamond emblem, representing each specifically colored ruler of Home World, was branded in the stone wall above the corridor. To this day, Pearl keeps her back to the emblem at almost all times, half-subconsciously defiant and half out of habit due to the physics of the space. The stone slab of a bench Steven and Amethyst rested on baked them under the bright, morning sun. Steven fanned himself weakly with his hand as he watched Pearl and Connie face off in the center.

Connie took her stance with Rose Quartz's, the former leader of the Crystal Gem rebellion as well as Steven's mother, pastel sword, embellished with a faint rose vine on the handle. It blooms into an ever-glowing blade, which no matter the damage it's dealt, has never been in less than the most perfect condition. Connie's curly dark hair was pulled back in a long, bumpy braid that swayed against her back as she walked. It fell off her shoulder as she crouched into her fighting stance.

Pearl wielded her signature spear. It was the length of herself, maybe longer. She neatly pulled it out of her gem, a white pearl on her forehead. The spear was a matching teal with a never-dulling shear point, accompanied by a corkscrew blade around the head. She was dainty but poised and agile, especially with her weapon. She's mastered every maneuver possible with it; it was an extension of her. As she faces the sunlight, her gem sparkles on the floor in front of her feet.

Amethyst leaned over to steal the greasy fry bits out of Steven's hand, then said, "My money's on your wife."

"Ha!" he replied, grinning at the idea of betting on a friendly fencing match, "though she has been perfecting her agility recently," he said matter-of-factly, eyeing his gorgeous bride. He noticed how Pearl's pale blue complexion brings out the beautiful golden tones in Connie's dark, Indian skin. Their eyes met and they traded a wink.

"Yeah I think Pearl's got her there. You can't be more flexible than a string bean." They shared a stifled laugh. The string bean in question glanced over, noticing the squeals from the bleachers, then chalked it up to childlike banter and got in position.

"Prepare to meet your maker, Pearl!" Connie taunted, playfully.

Pearl's pupils dilated. "My diamond! She's coming!? Quick! Steven! Get Garnet!" she yelled, grasping her head, shaking in terror.

"Woah woah woah! Pearl, relax," Connie consoled, reaching her hands out as if to tame an agitated puppy, "No one's coming to Earth. It's just an expression. You're okay."

Pearl stared at her student for a long moment, then lowered her hands to her chest, defensively. "What...righttt, Of course," her voice shook as she straightened herself up. She kept her hands close to her chest, defensively, "A diamond would have no reason to be visiting Earth anyway, hehe." They each took their positions facing each other, only slightly frazzled. Steven leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

Connie broke the silence, "Ready?"

"Oh yes I am ready," Pearl said smugly, "ready to...kick your butt! Ha!" She was overly proud of herself for coming up with that jab. Connie rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Nice comeback, Pearl!" Steven called out, supportively. He gave an apologetic smile to Connie when she shot a spicy look his way. "You've got this, hun!" he winked with a thumbs up. This made his wife blush.

"OK. On your mark," Pearl started. Connie focused back.

"Get set." She tightened her grip.

"Go!"

Connie lunged at her. Pearl evaded swiftly to the left as Connie's sword smacked the ground. Pearl came up behind the young fighter, as Connie collected the weight of her sword, then swung the butt of her spear at her back. Connie gasped and rolled off to the side. They're weapons meet between them, and Connie takes the opportunity to knock Pearl backwards. Unfortunately for her, Pearl steadied herself too quickly for Connie to find an opening.

Clangs and clashes echoed around the arena, as well as the opponents gasps and grunts. Amethyst tucked her feet in under her, crisscrossed. "Knock 'em dead, Pearl!" she shouted, jokingly.

Connie shouted back, blocking another launch, "Hey!"

"What?" she shrugged, "She won't actually knock you dead." She her crumb-covered hand up to her mouth to make sure she was heard, though she was loud enough in general that even her whisper (well, who are we kidding, Amethyst never whispers) would shatter glass. They returned their attention to the combat without any further questioning.

The battle continues between teacher and student. A half hour goes by and neither member takes any fatal blows, though their opponent sure tried to give them. As of now, they faced each other with swords crossed, each pushing with all their strength, but to no avail. They were equally matched.

"Giving up yet, Connie?" Pearl teased, smoothly, as if the pressure in her arm and shoulder had no effect on her.

"Not a chance!" Connie gave back, her voice minutely cracking. She broke out of the hold and backed up, reassessing the area and her target. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of her neck.

"It appears as though you've grown weaker since the beginning of this fight," Pearl observed aloud, "You wanna know how I knew this?" She stuck her weapon on the ground beside her, one hand on her hip and the other twisting the neck of the spear gently.

Connie raised and eyebrow, panting.

"Because you've forgotten rule number 37: Never show the enemy when you're weak."

She smirked, bashfully, a piece of hair falls down into her face. "I never forgot. Perhaps I'm simply misleading you into thinking you can let down your guard."

"Well, well, well. Look at you. You've grown into a clever swordswoman," she replied, in her pearly pristine tone.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Connie said, "I have a fight to win."

"Oooh! So you think! Ha!" They launched at each other again. Connie whipped the sword around and again it was met by Pearl's spear. She kicked the weapon out of the way and held it to the ground with her foot, then pointed the business end of her sword in Pearl's face. For a moment, Pearl stuck her hands up in a surrendering position, but then dropped to the ground, lifted her weapon with her foot and caught it, all before back hand-springing away from Connie.

"You never taught me that move!" Connie called to her, frustrated. She almost had her.

"I can't give away all of my secrets, can I?"

Connie hmphed. Pearl allowed her to make the first move this time, so Connie charged in at her after a moment of recollection, searching for a tactic once learned long ago.

Pearl once said that the best side to attack is the side they aren't expecting, Connie thought to herself. Once she reached her teacher, she picked up her sword and swung it where she knew the spear would be. However in one swift move, she dodged Pearl's weapon and shoved the end of it in her sternum.

She had delivered the first serious blow to Pearl (who secretly usually lets win purposefully for Connie's confidence, however this time she got her without any assistance). The pink butt of the weapon hit Pearl square on, though was defused by Pearl dropping her spear and bringing her hands to her chest. It wasn't enough to pop her light-form, thankfully. She held the bruise in her hand, stumbling backward, but gave Connie a look of respect and pride.

Connie grinned. Each match was over once an opponent was pinned to the ground. She walked forward, sword hanging by her side. Pearl sank dramatically to her knees, knowing the fight was coming to a close, and honestly would be happy losing if it meant they could all spend a quiet time by the beach afterward. "Oh I can't go on!" she cooed, teasingly. "I've been defeated by the Pearl Vanquisher, Connie Maheswaren!"

"Oh come on, Pearl!" she chuckled, embarrassed, watching Pearl throw the back of her hand to her head, spin, and fall to the ground, twitching and thrashing as if she were auditioning her for Hamlet. Steven and Amethyst laughed hysterically at her ridiculous display.

Connie steps up to Pearl's limp body on the ground and puts her foot on her chest. "Challenger defeated!" she boldly exclaims, mocking Pearl's holographic practice double from her training sessions, "Level one complete!"

Pearl got a laugh out of that. There was a serene quiet echoing through the arena. The warmth of the sun, though intensifying the already sweaty heat, felt more like a hug. A breeze drifted the rest of the sound out into the world, where movement kept going, but here, stillness. No one there dared to break it. The world stopped just for them to enjoy each quiet moment that passed.

Quick footsteps brought the motion of the universe rushing back. A whoosh wakes up the nappy bunch, and everyone looks up toward the stairs. Peridot reached the landing at the top from the other side, her short stature barely able to look over the railing. Lapis Lazuli gracefully landed behind her, just as frazzled as her partner. Peridot screeched, "Guys! Come quickly! It's Jasper!"

The name set everyone on guard. Immediately, the group launched into action, following the green and blue gems to the warp pad. Jasper, Steven thought, What could she possibly want now? As the fiery gem she was, she passionately sought out any and all threats to Home World, and especially to her diamond, Yellow Diamond. Deep down, she vowed vengeance on the Crystal Gems, for they are to blame for the shattering of Pink Diamond, her original diamond. Peridot, having formerly worked with her before joining the rebellion, recalled once that Jasper, though loyal as she was, never uttered the name "Yellow Diamond" with as much conviction and care as she did with Pink Diamond. Although they pitied Jasper for her perpetual mourning and loss of her faithful leader, she lacked the grasp on reality and the empathy for life on Earth that the Crystal Gems held.

Back in Beach City, Garnet slid back in the sand, wiping a bead of blood off her cheek, then jumped back into battle. Lapis, being the aqua gem that she is, rushed over to the water and formed it into a ginormous hand. It's massiveness laid waste to the beach as Jasper evaded every hit.

"Leave now!" Pearl projected across the beach. She stood tall, with her spear off her hip, with a look that dared Jasper to try something. "You have no business here!"

Jasper's raspy cackle flooded the sands, "I'm here on a mission, you small-minded weaklings."

"We don't care!" Connie spat, "Either return to your Home World willingly, or I'll have to kick your ass back there myself!" She's all in all a sweet girl, though she had her moments when she was just a downright badass. This was one of those beautiful times, Steven thought to himself, ogling his wife from a distance. He crouched in the sand dunes while he listened to the conversation.

Jasper stepped forward and winked, "Try me, little human!"

They shared a determined nod. Then Connie and Pearl flanked either side of Jasper, and charged at her, both tightly wielding their weapons as if they were afraid to drop them. They swung, she glided back. Garnet threw her fist, Jasper ducked and grabbed her ankles. She pulled the breath out of Garnet as she flung her against the rock wall of the cliff. It was as if Jasper anticipated and rehearsed each deflection in advance. No one could lay a finger on her.

"Garnet! Are you okay?!" Steven exclaimed as Garnet regained her balance.

"I'm fine!" she growled, more frustrated at Jasper's swiftness than at Steven. "I think what we really need right now is Smokey Quartz. We could use the extra power."

"On it!" Steven couldn't say he wasn't excited about this, even under the circumstances. He found the idea of fusion so mystical and effortless, yet powerful; the epitome of teamwork. Smokey Quartz was his fusion with Amethyst, and she made everything humorous. Like Amethyst, Smokey Quartz was easy going and light-hearted. They even joked that Smokey was much more of Amethyst than Steven. The only thing he had in common with her was his shield. No matter, he loved it either way, and Smokey Quartz was the first of the Crystal Gems to defeat Jasper.

He looked over his shoulder, "Ready, Amethyst?"

No one was there.

"Amethyst?" Nothing. This was when everyone on the beach realised, Amethyst was MIA.

Steven turned back and cried, "Garnet! Where's Amethyst?"

She scanned the beach and found nothing. "She must be back at the Arena. Steven! Find her!" Garnet shouted, then turned back to Jasper, "And don't come back until you do!" He imagined a grin in her voice.

Steven checked behind him, seeing the silhouette of Garnet striking her fist against the cliff wall, forming her gauntlets. He climbed the stairs to the beach house and leaped to the warp pad.

In the Sky Temple Arena, it sounded like a hundred Connies and Pearls were dueling it out. Each steel on steel clash echoing through the space was deafening. Steven was on top of the East staircase landing, overlooking the scene. Over a hundred Ruby soldiers were surrounding the lone Amethyst. The red gems were half her size, but outnumbered her. The arena was a sea of red, with a bobbing purple gem struggling to stay afloat. She took them out by twos and threes, but they multiplied. Steven rushed down to her side.

A ruby fusion prepared to launch an attack from behind while Amethyst was distracted. As their fist wound back, Steven jumped in the line of fire and raised his shield, the blow rebounded off it's pink light-form. Like his mother's sword, this shield resembled that of swirled vines and ruffled petals of a rose. Steven could see the outline of each knuckle through its transparency.

The impact sent the ruby falling backwards. She regains her footing and snarls. Steven sneers back, then winks at Amethyst. "We were worried about you!" he yelled over the chaos. He deflects a few more normal-sized rubies from both sides.

"I was right behind you guys but then-" she cut off to crack her whip at a ruby charging at her, "then their ships landed over there and I couldn't get back to the warp pad." While she shouted this over her shoulder, her arm is taken down by a ruby with it's gem where her left eye should be, while another jumps to wrap her arms around Amethyst's neck.

Steven see's this and frisbee's his shield to slice the gems off his friend. "I've never seen this many rubies!"

"Me neither!" Amethyst replied, straining to get another ruby off her legs. Steven kicked the gem in the shoulder repeatedly until it peeled away. The two Crystal Gems stood back to back, both facing off with one short enemy after another.

Forever passes in the blazing heat with little impact on the rubies. It's not so much the strikes against the pair that wore them down, but the sheer number of them. They didn't have any clue why so many of them decided to attack right now. Was it a mission ordered by their diamond? Are they teaming up with Jasper? Or are they just coming on their own, for their own personal reasons? The answers to these questions were relayed in shouts and growls and hi-ya!'s and any other miscellaneous grunts accompanying the rubies' violent assaults - none of which useful. The rubies grew in numbers and the pair dwindled in force. Steven began to notice that they were completely surrounded.

With what little energy he had left, Steven grabbed Amethyst by the arm and pulled her back quickly toward the bleachers, where just two hours ago, they shared pleasant chit-chat and snacks together, enjoying the summer breeze. They trampled through the path of least resistance until they reached the steps. He worried, with the rest of their family, and most importantly his wife, not back yet, that they may be struggling against Jasper's immense skill and strength, or more of his recruitments came and they're outnumbered, or they've been kidnapped! Steven, calm down, he consoled himself, Whatever reason they have for taking so long, I'm sure everything is still okay. They've got this. He wondered if Pearl, Connie or Garnet were thinking the same thing about him and Amethyst as well.

Steven and Amethyst began to climb the bleachers backwards, still fighting off the persistent rubies. At least now, they had one free side of them clear. As they neared the top of the stadium, they slowed down. They overlooked the raging red sea, out of options and out of places to run.

Steven looked over to Amethyst and exclaimed, "Get close to me! I have an idea!" She did as she was told, keeping a tight, defensive hand on her jewel-studded whip. Steven paused a moment, faded his shield away, inhaled sharply, then whipped his hands out. A pink, impenetrable, bubble formed around him and his friend. With no time for Amethyst to think, the ball started to roll back down the bleachers. "Push, Amethyst!" Steven yelled a little too loudly, expecting the bubble to be just as noisy as the scene outside it. She went beside him and the pair pushed through the crowd of rubies. All were either knocked out or stumbled down on top of their comrades, creating a domino effect. The bubble wobbled side to side, but never slowed down. The two created a ruby-bricked road, and this was the only time this entire battle that they saw a look of terror on the remaining rubies' faces, none of which were fast enough to avoid getting run over. The two Crystal Gems looked to each other with a marvelous grin spreading on each of their lips, then triumphantly laughed their way through a hundred ruby soldiers.

The arena, now decorated evenly with fallen bright red rubies, soon had little sign of life, aside from a distant butterfly that landed on a far pillar. "That was totally awesome!" Amethyst cheered in the quiet space. "I think we're safe!"

Steven took a deep breath for the first time in hours. "Thanks, Amethyst. Couldn't've done it without you." Steven replied, offering up a high-five, to which she gladly returned. He unbubbled themselves, stopping to look around at the carnage. Self-pride bubbled up at his core, but a question still burdened him, "Why do you think all these rubies came here?"

They began to walk back to the staircase. Amethyst ran her hand through her hair, unsure, "I dunno, man. Maybe they just got bored?"

The tall husky man laughed. Even as an adult, Steven has maintained his enthusiastic childlike laughter. The rest of the gems relished his bright and loving aura. "I'm not sure they'd go through all this trouble just to entertain themselves," he replied, then said, matter-of-factly, "But, a valid guess nonetheless."

Amethyst playfully punched his shoulder. She'd always been more of a sister to him than anything else. "Well then what do you think their deal was, dork?"

"To be honest, it seemed so random, yet... coincidental for them to come right when Jasper was here. They must've been on a mission together, no doubt about it."

"I just hope that the others handled the Jasper side of it well."

"Me too…" Steven began worrying, and subconsciously his pace increased with every thought of the horrendous carnage they may be walking into. Lone - or even shattered - gems scattering the shoreline; blood trailing to the bodies of their friends. Who knows what awaited them.

Amethyst noticed her friend's nervousness, having trailed behind him. She caught up to Steven and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, dude. I'm sure they've got everything under control and we'll be laughing about it later tonight."

Steven displayed a brave face; he tried to believe her. He hoped it was true. "You're right, I'm sure everything is okay."

"Hey Pearl!" Steven greeted. The house was silent, with the sun sinking into the orange skyline. All of the lights were off except for a lamp in the living room. Bright citrus sunlight warmed the floor from the bay windows.

"Woah the town is a mess! Taught Jasper a lesson, did ya? Nice!" Amethyst congratulated. Neither Pearl nor Garnet said a word, or even glanced their way as they walked into the house. They kept their backs turned, facing the couch. Peridot sat with Lapis on the edge of Steven and Connie's loft, looking over the scene, which was hidden from view. Lapis clutched Peridot's comforting hand.

"Pearl?" Steven asked, concerned. Pearl wrapped her arms around herself and dared not answer. "Garnet?" He looked over to the tall one, who kept a stern face, transfixed on whatever was around the corner of the stairs. Steven cautiously stepped over to them, Amethyst shortly behind.

"Steven," Garnet started, in her calm voice, still not moving. Steven stopped in his tracks, still unable to see what they were looking at. He tried to peer between them but to no avail. The peaks he got were of the edge of the coffee table and a half glass of water.

"Where's Connie?" he asked. The two gems tensed up, Lapis and Peridot looked at him wearily. "What happened?" His voice cracked.

"Steven.." Garnet repeated.

Steven saw the strain in her eyes and knew something was wrong. "Did Jasper take her?!" He began to panic, eyes wide - he had lost his already fragile composure. "Where is she?!" He picked up the habit of nervously running his hands through his hair from Pearl. "We have to find her! Right now!" He ran toward the door.

"Steven!" He froze at this, "Connie isn't with Jasper. Jasper left," Garnet paused, then held her breath, "She's right here."

She was hesitant to move out of the way, but Steven walked through her regardless. Pearl reached out a protective hand which she retracted once it was too late. In front of him was his wife, lying lengthwise on the couch with a throw pillow under her head and the thick blanket from their bed over her. The only visible part of her was her face, glowing in sticky sweat and sea salt. Her hair gathered around her pillow. Her eyelids drooped heavily as she blinked at her husband, who stood awestruck in front of her. Steven sat on the coffee table in front of her, unable to speak. All he thought to do was hold her hand.

Without breaking eye contact with Connie, Steven uttered, "What happened?" He wanted answers, and it didn't matter from who. He wouldn't take his eyes off of her, afraid she'd disappear if he did.

Pearl saw the pain in his face, and stayed frozen,with her hand guarding the entrance to her mouth. She kept her eyes on the floor as she piped up, clearing her throat, "She got too close. And we were too far away. I couldn't stop it." As she spoke, Steven looked over to Connie's blanket, wear a tiny red spot became more present. He rested a hand on top of it a little too quickly, gripping at it, as if to push it back inside her. It kept growing. It slowly claimed the size of his entire left hand. Connie moaned, and her too cold hand landed gently on top of his. It felt as soft as a butterfly. Another hand reached for his cheek and wiped a tear off with her thumb.

Steven tore away and threw the blanket to her feet. A feminine gasp from behind him echoed around the room. Garnet had left the blanket over her for two reasons: 1) to prevent her from losing any more body heat, and 2) to keep her wounds hidden from Steven; obviously the latter wouldn't matter now. The underside of the blanket was drenched in red, Connie's clothes were an even deeper maroon. A clean slice went through her abdomen and grazed an artery connected to her heart.

Unexpectedly, Steven didn't grimace. He said nothing. Instead, he furrowed his brow at the length of the cut. From what he could see, it stretched diagonally from her left breast to the other side of her naval.

Garnet reluctantly stepped forward, "Jasper somehow got a hold of Rose's sword. She was too fast."

The same pink sword Steven watched Connie defeat Pearl with that morning now laid sprawled across the floor by the kitchen. Blood stained the tip and trailed the path it took there. Steven fixed on this out of the corner of his eye, seeing the chaos that occurred when he was away. He got an idea and stood, hovering over her mid-section. His wife saw momentary light come back in his eyes. "My spit should help right?!" He looked back at the other gems, now noticing Amethyst had joined the blue and green pair above him. There was no answer; Pearl exchanged a glance with Garnet. "That'll fix you right up. It'll heal you!" He smiled down at Connie, who attempted and failed to return it sincerely.

"It may be too late," Garnet muttered.

Steven turned to her defiantly, "We have to try!" he spat, cheeks stained with tears. Pearl flinched. Garnet waved off her sunglasses, revealing the pain in her eyes.

Steven leaned over his wife's chest, licked his hand and pushed it in the deep wound. He waited a moment.

Nothing.

He licked his other hand, covering it in his saliva. Then he slapped it down, both hands side-by-side, as if giving chest compressions. Connie's breath hitched under Steven's strength.

Still, nothing.

"Why isn't it working?!" Steven exclaimed. After all those years, Garnet nor Pearl nor Amethyst nor anyone had ever seen Steven this infuriated. On missions, fighting corrupted gems, or up against gems from Home World, not once was he ever overcome with this level of frustration. In this moment, with his dying wife underneath him, he was beyond outraged - he was consumed by fire. He swallowed the air out of the room. With baited breath everyone waited for something - anything - to happen amidst the flowing blood, waited for it to slow down, to reverse on itself, to do something.

But the most painful part was watching it do nothing. And knowing that it would continue to do just that. Nothing.

Garnet came beside him and cautiously laid a warm hand on his arm, which was moist with a cold sweat. Steven pumped his wife a few more desperate times but it was too late. At this point, it was actually hopeless. He turned to Garnet and gave her a look that devastated her; the look of exhaustion, of pure terror and anxiety, a visible ache behind his eyes that no amount of consolation would cure.

Connie once again lifted her hand weakly on top of Steven's blood soaked ones, his eyes wide with tears streaming. He looked at Connie fearfully, as she returned a reassuring smile, as if to say, "It's okay. Everything is okay." He wanted to believe that so badly.

Everyone in the room watched as Connie used the last ounce of her strength to lift up her head, hold Steven's face in her soothing palms, and kiss him. He knelt onto the floor, soaking in every last moment of this embrace. "I love you," Connie uttered, slowly pulling away.

"I love you so much." Steven couldn't breathe. Pearl teared up; Garnet and Amethyst followed. Peridot and Lapis remained unmoving.

They all watched as the light drained from Connie's eyes. The sound of a pin-drop would have resembled that of a volcanic eruption. Her last breath was low, it rumbled around the room. And then, like before, there was nothing. She was gone.

The next sound that followed still shakes the gems to this day. A blood-boiling scream originating from the floor in front of the couch exploded. Everyone flinched, not knowing what to do or how to help. Steven cried and yelled and screamed and panicked, as if he were drowning. A block of cement was tied to his ankles and he was being pulled down to the ocean floor, gasping for air. Gasping for Connie.

It's my fault, Steven thought, I should've been here with her. I could've saved her. It's over and now she's gone. He hiccuped. She's gone.

Steven clutched at her body and held it close. Unbeknownst to him, Garnet had unfused, and Ruby and Sapphire emerged beside him. Sapphire stood behind him and Ruby sat on the low table. They said nothing at first, hoping that their presence was enough to calm him down. It did little to help, but clandestinely Steven appreciated the gesture.

"We loved you, Connie," Sapphire murmured, only truly audible to Steven and her girlfriend. Like Steven, Connie was family - even more than that, she was a daughter to them.

"We've always loved you," Ruby added, leaning closer to Steven, who sat motionless on the rug.

"Thank you for taking care of our Steven," Sapphire continued softly. In all actuality, she hadn't foreseen this happening. In the midst of the intensity of the fighting, she never saw Connie's death, not even an inkling. She thought this odd but decided against bringing it up.

Steven was too wrapped up in himself to hear them. The loss burned him too deeply to express anything back but periodic whimpers. He didn't let Connie's hand go at all - he refused to leave her side.

Minutes passed and all sound was swept out of the room. All Steven could hear was the lack of heartbeat in Connie's once so lively chest. She was always bubbly, loud, perpetual - constant and consistent. Her aura resonated a beautiful hum, a song that followed her everywhere. Steven had heard it since the first day they met. This loneliness brought a whole new meaning to the word 'silence'.

Steven threw himself on her, unable to keep afloat anymore. He was drowning fast and all he wanted was to stay with her. Keep her close. He laid his head on her chest, praying for sound again.

All of a sudden, a vibrant glow grew between the couple, though Steven didn't realize it at first. It rumbled through the beach house, shaking the picture frames almost off their hooks. The others took notice, looking around, unsure. Ruby looked to Sapphire, who in all her years had only ever been ignorant about the course of events once before: the day they met. And right now, this was the only other time Ruby could recall seeing her so concerned, curious, unaware. Ruby slid to the side, not entirely sure what to expect, while Sapphire remained motionless.

"Whoa," Amethyst uttered. The others drew back. Steven glanced down, stunned to see this white orb growing. The light was near blinding. Only a few moments in, it blew across the room with the force of a tidal wave, nearly enough to knock them over. It washed over the gems with a familiar warmth, with Steven and Connie at it's core. They rose away from the couch as a shining apparition that danced above the floor. Before everyone's eyes, they molded together, bending and contorting to the light's will.

The only one who had any idea what this was was Sapphire; and whether this was even possible or not was unsure - to her, to anyone, but most of all to Steven, who hovered aimlessly in mid-air as nothing more than white consciousness. Naturally, he panicked, but kept it internal for he saw no real threat. He only saw his deceased wife moving with him, through him. Soon, they weren't separate beings at all, and as Pearl would describe later, they momentarily weren't beings at all, but a brilliant entity.

This orb within seconds that passed by like centuries began to take on a human-like shape. Long curvy legs sprouted from the bottom and matching arms on top. The silhouette of a strong nose and full lips were paired with cascading hair that fell down their back. As it got more defined, it was clear what the gems were looking at.

There was no question about it - it was Stevonnie.

Once they were planted back on the ground, the light faded back to oblivion. Stevonnie gasped, as if jolting awake after being asleep. They stood in the middle of the room, eyes wide and hands out to catch their balance. "I'm alive?" They spoke to the soundless space. I'm alive! Connie cheered. She awoke in the familiar void where her and Steven's consciousness resided. Her rapture was greeted excitedly with Steven's ecstasy. The love and bliss in his eyes could be seen for miles, even if he couldn't actually be seen.

Stevonnie smiled, brilliantly. All around were shocked faces, all in various forms of curiosity and questioning. But Steven was just happy to be in the presence of Connie's bubbly self again. He was gleeful and confused, but too enveloped in joy to question a thing. Stevonnie laughed consequently from the couple's giddiness.

Their laugh was boisterous, and contagious. It was as if despair itself had retreated back into Pandora's box, never again to return to the human world. Garnet was the first to giggle with them. She hugged them close and soon everybody else approached Stevonnie to extend their own appreciation and love. Silently, they all relished in each part of Stevonnie that was contributed by Connie. The tan skin, the blue crop-top, the long dark hair, the curved but gentle nose: even Stevonnie themself was happy to feel Connie's presence inside them.

Even though Connie was so close to death a moment ago, she had never felt so alive.

~ Present ~

The conversation had come up only a handful of times - the question of unfusing. Would they ever unfuse? Was this Steven's way of getting to say good-bye? Was this going to last forever? Would he be able to let her go if it doesn't?

These questions became the elephant in the room after quite some time. Steven was not one to get angry, so instead he would reply to them with nothing, or close to nothing. After feeling the anxiety and heartbreak of not being able to save Connie, not being here for her, watching her die at the hands of someone else and lie barely awake, slowly bleeding to her death in his arms; he simply refused to think of letting her go. Although Connie was still there with him, a piece of him died that fateful day. He couldn't live in this world alone, without her.

Garnet was usually the one who would begin this conversation, "I know you feel like you need to be there for her, Steven.," she always knew who she was talking to, "I'm just not sure what effect this will have on the both of you in the future. In all my years, I've never seen anything like this happen."

"It doesn't matter," he'd reply as sweetly as possible, his voice almost entirely breaking through the threshold, "What matters is right now, and right now she is here,"

"You can't avoid this, Steven."

"I'm not!" he defended, pausing to recollect himself. "I promise, this is working and everything is okay." His voice almost begged this of her.

It hurt Garnet, as well as Connie, to hear the pain in Steven's voice. "Are you sure?" she asked.

They nodded.

"Okay." Garnet would leave it at that.

Stevonnie attempted to smooth over the otherwise dry atmosphere. They became a staple of the household. They wouldn't admit it, but they soon began to feel as though they were nothing more than a vehicle, that their existence was only purposeful for Steven and Connie, for keeping Connie alive. They had as little answers as anyone else did, but Stevonnie was comforted by the fact that they were useful.

Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst got used to having Stevonnie around, and dropped all mention of the word "unfuse". From that point on, Stevonnie was inseparable.

Stevonnie sways in the wind, overlooking the waves that tumble up to shore and kiss their toes. A salty wind flows beneath their hair, and moonlight swims between each wave. They stood, penseful. You're my best friend, you know that? Connie sighs.

Who? Me or Steven? Stevonnie jokes. All of them chuckle.

Well Steven, but you're my best friend too.

Thanks.

A peaceful pause, then...

You're so important to me, Connie, Steven utters, And you, Stevonnie, you're both really important to me.

Connie and Stevonnie smile, blushing, and simultaneously whisper, We love you, back.

They remain in the sound of a slow breeze and the whir of waves. Connie was reminded of a passage from one of her mother's favorite books - one she had read numerous times. The narrator Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby remarked where he felt in life, "I am within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life." She ponders this a moment.

I am within and without, she thinks aloud.

What did you say, hun? Steven asks sincerely, having been distracted by relaxation.

Oh, nothing.