Connie hasn't spoken a word in twenty minutes. She's not quite angry anymore, but she refuses to speak first on principle.

Her mother is the one in the wrong.

She's prepared for the drive to Beach City to be quite awkward as a result.

Connie buckles in, and her mother turns on the ignition.

They've barely left the driveway when Dr. Maheswaran's phone buzzes. Several times.

"Would you get that for me, Connie?"

Connie looks at the screen.

"You got a bunch of texts. Since when did you have Kofi Pizza's number?"

Silence.

"You're not expecting me to read those while driving, are you?"

Connie rolls her eyes and unlocks the phone.

"It says 'This is Garnet. Here's the weather. Up north the temperature can get as low as negative 2, and it ain't getting better. You're gonna need something warmer than a sweater.'"

A pause.

"Is there something I'm missing?" Priyanka asks.

"Garnet can see the future... sort of. Point is, we need to turn around and get some gear."

Dr. Maheswaran smirks. "No we don't. I have coats and scarves for all three of us in the trunk."

Connie forgets to be angry for a second. "... Why?"

"Well, you've already been on one cold-weather mission; it wouldn't hurt to be prepared for another. And since you had a spare coat tucked away just in case, why shouldn't your father and I as well?"

Connie appears too shocked to voice any concerns, so her mother keeps speaking.

"These Gem missions are important to you, and I suppose to the safety of the world, but your safety is more important to me than anything else. You know what you're doing more than I do, but that doesn't mean you have to do it alone."

"Oh, so I know what I'm doing when it comes to fighting alien monsters, but not when I'm dealing with my friends."

"Friends, yes. Boyfriends are another matter."

"Steven isn't my- well, he might be now, but we never really got to talking about it until today!"

"And how long have you been searching each other for provocative bones?"

Connie's cheeks redden, and she looks away. "See, there's a bit of context to that..."

She doesn't clarify. She can't; her mouth locks up in embarrassment.

Heart mother seems to pick up on her mood and sighs. "Connie, listen. I'm not mad at you our Steven, and you aren't really doing anything wrong. I'm just a bit concerned that Steven might be pressuring you into things. Not intentionally," she quickly amends. "But, well, Connie... please don't take this the wrong way."

"Oh, I already am."

Her mother lets out a noise somewhere between a sigh and a groan, then takes a deep, 'suck it up' kind of breath. "I've noticed that when it comes to Steven, you tend to lack a sense of objectivity."

All embarrassment is forgiven and replaced with sheer indignance. "... What."

"I understand he's one of your first friends, and he can be sweet and charming, but I can't help but realize how much he's dragged you into his life. And now you're letting him "share" your body and mind?"

"Steven isn't the kind of person to control someone like that!" Well, she could stand not to mention that thing with Lars...

"It doesn't matter what he's like if you just... go along with things."

"Like how I just went along with what you and dad wanted me to do? At least with Steven I had a choice."

"Steven doesn't know what's right for you."

"Steven was the first thing in my life that ever felt right!"

Shocked silence. Connie covers her mouth with both hands. She definitely didn't mean to say that. She doesn't have to look her mother in the face to know how much that must have hurt to hear.

Her mother says nothing.

"Steven never makes me do anything I don't want to," Connie begins, quietly. "I always have a choice with him. That's more than I could say about you for a long time. I... it isn't like that anymore between us. Not really. But I used to feel trapped with you and dad. I knew you loved me and wanted me to succeed, but sometimes... it felt like you only cared about what I would be in the future, and that's all I thought I was worth, too. I tried to do that with Steven and... he wouldn't let me. He was the first person who seemed to care about just... Connie, as she was, right in front of him. He was proud of me, and interested in me, and I didn't want to give that up." A pause. "I never will."

To Connie's surprise, her mother only had a sad chuckle to offer. "No wonder you tried to run away. I... I wanted to think that you did it on his whim, but... I was in denial."

It isn't an apology. It was very close to one, though, and Connie's resolve to remain stone-faced begins to crumble. The silence this time is pensive, not strained or awkward.

Her mother pulls the car over into an empty parking spot, and opens her mouth to speak several times, but it's more than a minute before she says anything.

"I haven't done right by you."

That's closer. Not quite, though.

"We wanted more children. We tried many, many times, but I couldn't carry..." Tears run down her cheeks, and she stares off into the distance, collecting herself. "It was almost too late by the time you came around. You were our miracle, Kahaani."

Connie flinches upon hearing her "real" name. She usually associates its use with some sort of reprimand.

"You remember what that means, right?"

Connie once again rolls her eyes, though more out of general annoyance than any kind of contrariness. "Story. Because I have a story that the whole world will know."

Her mother nods sadly. "But I was misguided. All the lessons and scheduling and activities... I never gave you your own voice. Despite that, you went out there and had experiences and grew and... I would have been proud to call you my daughter regardless, but you've become someone greater than I could ever imagine. I'm sorry I held you back, and I'm sorry I took so long to see who you really were. This story that you have is yours to tell, and Steven and and the Gems and... Stevonnie are a part of it. I said I'd try to keep an open mind, but I've done a poor job of that. I hope you can forgive me."

It's more of an apology than Connie had expected. In fact, it's probably the longest string of words- that didn't include some kind of criticism- her mother ever said to her.

She doesn't say anything. She can't. Now understanding the foresight her mother had shown in parking the car, Connie undoes her seatbelt and launches herself at her mother, wrapping her deceptively strong arms about the woman's chest.

She hopes it'll be enough of an answer.

*

The two Maheswaran women must cut quite the comical figure, on the beach in winter gear. Dr. Maheswaran moreso, as she's entirely flabbergasted by the Temple.

"They... live in a statue of Alexandrite?"

Connie giggles. "I think Rose Quartz is in there, too. I'm not sure what she'd be called. And that little house she's holding is Steven's room."

"I get the feeling I won't understand the answer to the question I want to ask."

"Probably not."

She sighs. "Let's get this over with."

They stride briskly up the beach, ascend the (rather well-constructed) wooden steps, and knock politely on the door.

It opens, and Priyanka nearly falls over in shock.

She'd expected Garnet, Amethyst, or Pearl to answer the door.

Instead, she's looking at a tall, bulky Gem with a mane of grizzled hair. Her skin is primarily bright orange, but her left forearm is a more reddish shade. Stripes of the same color are banded across her face and left tricep, but she also sports a few odd spots of sea green.

She wears a sleeveless bodysuit, her torso covered in a darkish shade of brown, the collar trimmed black. Black leggings shift seamlessly to dark brown at the calves, and eventually form a pair of boots.

"Connie," the big Gem addresses, in a rough, but not hostile voice. She makes eye contact, and Priyanka notices the rhombus - shaped crystal she has for a nose. "And you must be Connie's Greg."

It takes a few seconds to parse that- this Gem doesn't seem to understand the concept of parents.

"I'm Priyanka. Nice to meet you." She offers a hand.

The Gem looks confused, then extends her arm in mirror. "Jasper."

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Jasper looks to Connie. "Is there some protocol that I'm missing here?"

Connie can't help the giggles that follows. "It's how we greet people on Earth. Take her hand in yours- use your other hand- and gently move it up and down."

Priyanka attempts a bit of small talk. "Uh... you don't have a star."

"I'm not a Crystal Gem. I'm less about protecting the Earth and more about not letting it get fu... screwed up any more than it already is."

That bit of culture clash out of the way, Jasper beckons them toward the Warp Pad.

"Your garment and amphibian effigy are on Steven's resting pallet. You can retrieve them when we come back from the Great North."

"Wait, you're taking us? Where is Garnet?" Priyanka asks. "I've been told that she would be the one to ask about fu-"

"-ture Vision!" Connie interrupts, loudly. "I mean, Garnet obviously thought Jasper would be the best guide. Because of Future Vision."

Connie gives her mother a frantic look, one that Priyanka interprets to mean that fusion is NOT to be mentioned.

Jasper, however, seems to be quicker than Connie has given her credit for. She eyes Priyanka, and the doctor is reminded of her own mother reprimanding her. But before she can say anything, the pad lights up and she becomes weightless.

Jasper reaches out a beefy arm and snags her before she can fly away, though Connie seems to be used to the effect and anchors herself... somehow.

"Asking a Crystal Gem about fusion won't get you the full story, anyway. Just a bunch of half-truths."

"And you would know the full truth?"

"I know the naked truth. Without the fluff, pomp and circumstance. What fusion is really about."

Connie can't stop herself from asking. "And that would be..."

"Power."

Connie scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Of course it is."

"Now Connie," Priyanka begins, "it's important to understand the basis behind different philosophies."

The pad deposits them in the snowy wasteland of the Great North.

Priyanka is too glad to step off. "Please continue, Miss Jasper."

Jasper smiles at the address. It... probably isn't meant to be as scary as it turns out.

"Fusion works on the merit of two being better than one. Two fighters, synchronized against one threat. All that skill and knowledge together in one body. It doesn't matter if you're fighting something bigger than you, or you just want to reach something you couldn't otherwise. Fusion has a purpose, and that underlying purpose is power."

"That's wrong!" Connie interrupts. "Fusion is about the relationship-"

"And a relationship is a power dynamic. What's the goal you're both working toward? Who leads? Who talks more? Who acts more? Who puts more into it? Who gets more out of it? What do you put your time and energy into doing for each other? Doing to each other?"

By this time, Jasper's rasp has gained a harsh, desperate edge, and she's nearly yelling as spikes grow in from the green marks on her body. "What keeps you there? What, or who stops you from leaving? No matter how you want to dress it up, fusion is about your power and their power, and how you use it with, for, or against each other!"

Priyanka is so shocked by the vehemence with which the Gem speaks, that it isn't until it's over that she realizes that she's been knocked to the ground, and Connie, sword drawn, is standing determined in front of her, facing down the tall, spiky... thing that Jasper has turned into.

The tension is thick enough to slice, but Jasper seems to have enough presence of mind. She looks over herself, at her position, and then back to the two humans.

"Sorry." Despite the gravel in her voice, she sounds sheepish.

Jasper settles down onto her rump, folding her legs and forming a circle with her claws.

Being a practitioner of meditation is probably the most surprising facet of this Jasper's character, but it seems to work. Within minutes, the spikes retract, the claws shift into hands, and even the green blemishes on her skin fade momentarily.

When Jasper seems satisfied that she won't hulk out again, she gets up.

The walk continues in silence, save Connie sheathing Rose Quartz's sword, but after a time, Jasper begins to talk again.

"It's funny. If you want the power of fusion, you have to make yourself vulnerable. You're part of something that knows you, knows how you feel at your lowest, and then someone else knows it, experiences it, and you know what they're like at their worst, and... " She trails off, her hand brushing against a spot of green on her arm.

"Jasper," Connie begins, "you know you don't have to talk about this."

"I want to!" Jasper snaps. "That vulnerability is what gives fusion its meaning. Knowing there's somebody there with you, feeling the same thing, experiencing the same feelings. There's a comfort in that. A connection that you can't get anywhere else. And when someone misuses that, you can tell. It's so easy to come out scarred. I'd know. I've seen how it looks fromboth sides, and If Stevonnie was anything like Ma- ... like what I did and what I had to go through, I wouldn't stay silent about it."

She turns away in a huff, moving a bit faster and forcing the humans to quicken their pace to keep up.

"If I didn't know any better," Connie comments in a whisper, "I'd say she's offended."

The march goes uninterrupted for a few minutes, before an odd whistling sound catches their attention. Jasper slows, beckoning for the humans to stay behind her. She leads them around a small, rocky hill, the whistling sound louder and more defined, coming from the other side. It's almost musical in nature, punctuated by a sharp impact of something against stone.

The other side of the hill ends in a sheer cliff face, and Connie catches a flash of luminescent pink as something flies into it, shaking the entire hill as it lodges itself into the rocky wall.

It's one of Steven's shields, nearly twenty feet in diameter, and halfway buried in the gouge it created. Connie barely has time to blink before it sparkles out of existence, but almost immediately another shield slams into the rock face. It's not quite as large, but goes in even deeper.

Connie looks in the direction the shields came from, past some chopped-down trees, and sees a tall, bulky figure. She runs toward the clearing, staying out of the shields' thrown trajectory, followed by Jasper and then her mother.

*

Priyanka blinks.

And then she blinks again.

That man vaguely resembles Steven.

At least, he's wearing Steven's clothes. And nearly bursting out of the seams.

Steven had accidentally made himself younger earlier today, so it stood to reason he could make himself older. Still. She never would have expected him to be as tall as Jasper. Not to mention the beard. And the rippling muscles. And the ringlets of bouncy curls that fall to his thighs.

She looks to her companions for any clue what to do. Jasper is impressed and nearly ecstatic- it's almost cute. Connie is also taking in the sight with awe, but judging from her blush and the expression on her face, this is an entirely different kind of appreciation.

She gently pushes her daughter's jaw shut. "Be careful, you'll catch flies."

Connie glares at her in equal parts embarrassment and indignance.

"Steven, look at you!"

They both turn to Jasper- or where Jasper was a moment ago. Before they know it, the boy and Gem are tangled up in each other, Steven in a headlock with his arms wrapped around Jasper's waist, attempting to lever her off.

Eventually, he summons a bubble around himself, throwing Jasper high into the air.

When she lands, she's laughing and smiling and even though they've barely spent half an hour together, Priyanka knows this isn't right, and she looks to Connie to confirm and yup, she's also disturbed.

"Jeez, Steven how long have you been hiding this one?"

"I dunno," he responds. "I just sort of did it?"

His voice is deep. Way deep. Priyanka had no idea Connie's face could achieve such a shade of red. And the way she's biting at her lip, it'll start bleeding soon.

Well, she knew she and Doug would need to update that Birds and Bees Talk pretty soon.

Jasper has gotten Steven into another hold, and Steven finally taps out so she can let him up. The remnants of his rumbling giggle die out instantly when he sees that Jasper isn't the only one here to find him.

"Oh. Hi, Connie."

He really has no right to look as awkward as he does. And while Connie has the right to look as... smitten as she does, Priyanka isn't so happy about it.

"Connie. I'm... I'm really sorry about what I said. I didn't- I mean I did mean it but I shouldn't have said it. That is, at that time. I wanted to say it, but we had just started being... whatever and I didn't want to ruin it and it was too soon and now it's-"

Connie, having edged closer during the ramble, snatches one of his flailing arms, wrapping both hands around his wrist. "Steven."

He looks down at her, eyes still glistening with tears.

"You haven't ruined anything," she continues. "To be honest, part of me already knew how you felt. It was just a bit of a loop to hear you say it. And, well, the feeling is mutual."

Steven's elongated limbs shroud themselves in pink light, and as his massive physique returns to normal, Connie is pulled into his embrace. When the brilliance fades, the two are nearly motionless, foreheads touching.

"You really mean that?" Steven's voice is a mumble.

Connie groans in faux exasperation. "Yeah. I love you, too, ya goober."

Connie moves her face even closer, but Priyanka clears her throat before their lips can meet. She tries not to laugh when Steven finches away. Holding hands, the two return to her side.

Steven toes at the snowy ground sheepishly. "Uh... Hi, Dr. Maheswaran. Sorry I yelled at you."

"It's fine. I sort of deserved it. I was presented with something entirely new and while I tried to hide it, my first reaction was... fear. And it shouldn't have been. I wasn't being fair to you, or to Connie, and I'm sorry for not trusting you. The both of you."

Steven grins. "Apology accepted."

Priyanka takes a deep breath. "And, if you don't mind, I'd like to apologize to Stevonnie as well."

Steven and Connie nod to each other, and then, much to Priyanka's surprise, Connie grabs him by the cheeks and brings her lips to his.

Jasper chimes in with an ecstatic "Woohoo, get it Rosebud!"

Priyanka sighs, but ultimately she can let them have their moment. However, when fifteen seconds pass with no sign of glowing gems, she clears her throat.

"Sorry," Connie says as she pulls away, without a hint of remorse. "Guess I got a little carried away."

Steven at least has the decency to blush a little.

"Well, you can go ahead and carry yourself back over here," Priyanka responds, resolving to make sure the updated Talk spends ample time on the topic of contraception.

Steven gives her a thumbs-up. "Good one!"

His approval fills her with shame.

The fusion this time is near instant. Steven picks Connie up into his arms and swings her around twice, the pink light nearly blinding.

When it fades, Stevonnie is on the ground, groaning.

Priyanka, alarmed, squats down at their side. "Jasper! Help me get them on their left side!"

The Gem is quick to obey, concern etched in her rough face, but Stevonnie speaks up.

"Relax, mom. You don't have to crowd me."

They roll over onto their back and kip up with a muttered "ow."

They look especially mismatched, with Connie's coat transformed into a sort of puffy jacket over Steven's shirt, neither of which cover their midriff. Even more strangely, Steven's jeans don't fall below Stevonnie's knees, but Connie's snow pants cover them from the calf down like leg warmers.

"We have to start figuring out the rules for how clothes work," they muse, looking over their oddball fashion choice.

Though... it probably isn't a choice, is it?

"Are you alright?" Priyanka asks. "What..."

"It's Connie's time of the month and I'm along for the ride."

"Oh," Priyanka cringes. "I guess Steven isn't too thrilled about that."

"Not really, but the whole thing was his idea. He's just being a baby about it." They poke their own cheek playfully, and then grimace. "He was just caught off-guard." "Uh-huh, sure. We'll keep telling ourselves that." "Jasper has punched us in the stomach before and it didn't hurt this bad." "Oh, now we're just exaggerating."

"Stevonnie, please," Priyanka interrupts. "Allow me to say my piece before you get into this again."

"The floor is yours."

"Okay." She takes a breath. "I wanted to talk to you specifically because, well, I haven't always been comfortable with Steven and Connie's relationship. And seeing the embodiment of it, of everything I thought was wrong with it- I was wrong. I was closed-minded. I broke a promise I made to Connie, and I hurt you in the process. Both of you. All... of you. So, I'm sorry."

Instantly,a pair of strong arms wrap around her shoulders. "We forgive you."

She gives them a tight squeeze in return, but they flinch away, quickly breaking out.

"Hey, easy on the abdominal pressure! Cramps, remember?"

Stevonnie looks like they're about to be ill.

"Sorry. I forgot. Steven must be having a pretty rough time in there."

"Oh, he is," Stevonnie confirms, "but he'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Her face must be one of disbelief, because they give her a soft glare before they continue. "You really think he wouldn't? A good 40% of Steven's psychological profile is a martyr complex." "Rude!"

"... That is a valid point," Priyanka agrees.

"I came out here to have a good time and I'm feeling so attacked right now." "You came out here to angst and chop trees down." "Feeling even more attacked!"

*

The ride back to Steven's house (room?) is less rocky with Stevonnie there to hold on to, but Priyanka's legs are still shaky when she steps off.

Stevonnie starts to shrug off their more insulated articles of clothing, but quickly stops themself. "Huh. The clothes probably won't unfuse if they're not on me."

Priyanka turns away from the pink flash that's becoming all too familiar and heads out the door. "Magical adventure notwithstanding, It's still a school night, so I'll be in the car when you're ready to go."

After disrobing from her winter gear and replacing it in the trunk, she starts the ignition and turns the radio on, tapping her hands along to a song in Hindi. About halfway through, the door to the beach house opens, and Steven leads Connie down the stairs, her winter clothing bundled up in her arms. He lays the chivalrous act on a bit thick, even bowing to her when they reach the bottom steps before giving her a small peck on the lips. Connie responds by taking his cheeks in her hands and deepening the kiss.

It lasts until Priyanka honks the horn.

A red-faced Steven glances nervously in the direction of the car, but otherwise seems content.

Connie buckles in, looking very much like the cat that ate the canary, and Priyanka makes a mental note to triple down on that talk.

The ride back home is uneventful, except for a point where Priyanka idly begins singing along to a song on her Hindi station, and Connie joins her.

She can't remember the last time that they'd sung together like that.

She'd missed it.

Doug greets them at the door, sporting an apron and chef's hat. "There you two are! I made curry! Extra spicy, too!"

Connie rushes ahead excitedly, and Doug takes the opportunity to embrace his wife. "So where have my two ladies been all day?"

"A mission, of sorts."

"You actually went with them on a gem mission?"

"Of sorts," Priyanka repeats. "It was more of an educational one."

"Really? What did you learn?"

Priyanka pecks him on the cheek. "Our grandchildren are going to be gorgeous."

Doug freezes.

"Curry, you said?" Priyanka continues with a grin. "I hope you didn't use too much paprika like last time."

Doug stands by the door, his brain desperately struggling to reboot. Finally, he manages to utter a single word.

"Grandchildren?"

*-Deleted Scene-*

Priyanka knows what it was like to be a teenager, especially around the portion of her cycle when she's the most hormonal. But darn, these kids are kissing just a little too much. She's getting ready to honk the horn at them when Jasper makes her way down the beach house steps, seemingly to ask them a question.

She's no good at reading lips, but Steven and Connie point Jasper in the direction of the car.

Priyanka narrows her eyes. She'd just come to the consensus that she shouldn't be so suspicious of them, but something is off.

In any case, it's not like she expects Jasper to beat around the bush. She lowers her window.

"Did you need something?"

"Steven tells me you're more knowledgeable about the workings of the human body."

Oh, no.

"Can you explain to me what exactly this time of the month thing is?"

A bright pink flash catches her eye. Stevonnie clutches their stomach, meets Priyanka's glare with a guilty look, then proceeds to leap several hundred feet into the air and just... hover there.

Well, damn.

*

Thanks for coming along for this unplanned, poorly thought-out journey of mine. Hope you enjoyed.