This fic is part of a series of three one-shots detailing how Steven and the Crystal Gems have been handling themselves after the events of my fic Steven Universe: Return of Cinnabar. However, this fic is totally readable without reading that fic. For the context, Connie has returned after a week-long mission with scars riddling her body. It's been a very stressful time for the Gems, and they almost died several times. The person who hurt Connie is dead.

The van rolled to a stop, its chassis settling as Pearl held the break. Shifting into park after a moment's pause, she took a deep breath. Her eyes flicked to the sight outside the window: Connie's house. It was late, very late, and the end to an exhaustingly long day.

"Pearl?" Connie's voice spoke up, calling Pearl's attention with a snap. She turned to the girl sitting in the passenger seat and put on a smile. A smile was good, Pearl thought. It'd help comfort her.

"Yes, Connie?" she answered. Connie squirmed in her seat for a moment, dipping her head back to remain in the dark. Pearl's smile weakened. She's scared, Pearl thought. Of how her parents will react,

To all the scarring.

"Do you think, my mom—" Connie paused, unable to complete the sentence. Connie could handle all the monsters, planet ending crises, and grievous injuries in the world, Pearl thought. Her mother and the idea of not getting to see Steven and the Gems anymore? That terrified her.

"Your mother won't be a problem," Pearl began, fingers tightening against the van's steering wheel. She gave Connie another smile. "I'll make sure of it."

With that, the two left the van. They stopped at the front door, inches from knocking, when Pearl paused. Connie had shivered, the cool night air chilling her through her torn and tattered training clothes. She shifted the dress in her arms, a gift from Pearl, closer to keep her chest warm.

"I've got you," Pearl said with a smile. She reached up to her gemstone and, with a flash of light, a blanket appeared. Connie gave a quiet but grateful thank you as Pearl tucked it over her shoulders.

She took a moment, standing under the bright porch light, to look over Connie one last time. At this point, Pearl had practically memorized the map of scars that her student had gained in the last week. Yet, every time she gazed at her, Pearl couldn't help but be taken aback. Her skin was like fresh snow, trounced and stepped through, sullied.

It left Pearl with a spark of anger, a flicker of a flame in her chest. The flame cried out in rage, demanding to be fed, given in to, so it could track down and destroy who had done this.

Pearl took a deep breath, allowing the smoulder to burn itself out. It was too late, anyway. The one who hurt Connie was long gone.

"Anytime." Pearl knocked on the door, pausing as a sound rang out.

"Come in!" It was Connie's mom, Priyanka. All at once tension rose. As willing as they were to face her, Pearl and Connie were silently hoping they would arrive at the house with her having already gone to bed. It was silly, in hindsight. Connie had been gone for a whole week. Of course, her mother would be awake for her arrival.

Pearl pursed her lips and gripped the door handle, stopping only once more as she opened it fully and allowed Connie to enter first. When Connie didn't move, however, staying in place and squeezing the dress tighter, Pearl sighed.

"Come on, we'll go in together," she said, offering a hand. Connie nodded, gripping Pearl and holding on tight, hugging her hip as they entered the home.

A rush of heat hit the two, the warm air from the house both comforting and also somewhat choking them. Pearl shut the door behind her.

Connie's mom stood before Connie and Pearl, her back to them. She turned a step, still not looking at the two, as she began to pace around the room.

"Yes, yes, bring her in. I'll see to her condition in the morning," she said, eyes pointed away as she paused at a wall. Her voice was prim and proper, almost clinical. It sounded like she was talking to someone who wasn't even in the room. Nodding once, then twice, Priyanka turned again, never giving the two even an inch of eye contact.

Pearl furrowed her brow. Was this how Mrs. Maheswaran cared for her daughter? By not caring? Well, she was going to give this so-called mother a piece of her mind.

"Ma'am—!" Pearl barely got a word in before Connie intervened, tugging at her skirt to catch her attention. Pearl looked at the girl. "Yes?"

Connie shook her head, placing a finger over her lips as she shushed Pearl. She then pointed back to her mother, who turned and began to pace in the opposite direction. All at once, Pearl saw the cell phone pinned to Priyanka's ear. After that, the clipboard that was held in her hands.

Doctor Priyanka Maheswaran was still on the clock it seemed.

"If she has any kind of anaphylactic shock to what I've prescribed her, give her 500 mics of adrenaline, then call me immediately." Connie's mom tapped her foot, still not looking at the two as she listened to the person at the other end of the line.

Pearl stood straight, her cheeks tinged blue with embarrassment. She had been so ready to get into a fight with Connie's mother, she was on the cusp of just starting one. Pearl would wait though. The real fight would come soon.

"No, don't give them an antihistamine! We don't even have any on hand!" Priyanka grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. Saying a few more words under her breath, she finally ended the call with an exasperated sigh. She turned. "What gives those nurses the gall to question me, honest—?"

Silence overtook the living room as Priyanka's eyes fell upon the two. Her focus locked onto Connie, breath freezing for a moment in shock.

Silence gave way to screaming.

"Oh my dear goodness! CONNIE!" she shouted, the clipboard she held clattering to the ground. Connie winced as the cry pierced her ears. She stood strong though. She was used to her mother's yelling. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

In a flash, Priyanka stormed onto her daughter, falling to her knees and pulling her close. Pearl took a step back in shock, the sudden burst of speed from Connie's mother surprising even her.

"Who hurt you, who would dare hurt you!?" Priyanka's concern ignited, turning to rage in a moment. She pulled the dress from Connie's grasp and tossed it to the couch, her hands immediately examining the numerous faded scars on her daughter's face. "I swear, I will track them down to the very ends of the Earth and—"

Just then, the blanket wrapped around Connie's shoulders fell away, revealing more scars across her arms, legs, and even on her chest. A hand went to her mother's face, shock and concern returning as she leaned back. Tears began to build in Connie's eyes.

"Mom, I—"

"Doctor, she—" Pearl began.

Priyanka's attention snapped to Pearl, her face turning from shock to pure anger with a blink. It left Pearl stunned, the sheer level of her rage getting to her for a moment.

"You." Priyanka's voice was cold and low, a stark contrast from the hot red fury her eyes revealed. She stood up and Pearl stepped back. "You and your family. You were supposed to keep Connie safe!"

"Mom, they—"

"Get behind me, Connie! Now!" she barked. Connie obeyed, rushing with her head turned down. Pearl's hand extended out towards Connie as she retreated, and then, at that moment, her senses returned to her.

"Connie—" she began.

"Don't you dare even say my daughter's name!" Priyanka snapped, stepping between Pearl and Connie. "You don't deserve the privilege."

Pearl growled, her fists tightening. For a while, Priyanka's anger was at least somewhat justified. Now, she was pushing buttons.

"I will not be ordered on what to say by some ungrateful thinks-she-knows-it-all human!" Pearl snapped back, her own anger flickering in her chest again. "You cannot believe what we've gone through today!"

"Today!? You think I care about today!" Priyanka took a step forward. "I care about tomorrow, and about every day after that! Do you even care about how Connie will live the rest of her life with this!?"

Pearl's teeth gritted, her anger pulling her away from trying to spot Connie behind Priyanka.

"I have thought of nothing in the last week other than keeping everyone around me alive," she began, the memories of the last few days playing in her mind. "Protecting their lives, protecting Connie's life!"

"And yet here she is! Cut up like a chopping board!" Priyanka screamed, throwing her fists down. "You want to tell me that you seriously protected her!"

"Why you—"

"How can I think for even a second that you care about my daughter!" Priyanka's finger snapped forward, pointing to Pearl's face with a fury driven tremble. The last crack of her voice reverberated throughout the house. Pearl could swear the floorboards were shaking from it.

An air of finality took the room, one that demanded everyone else stand down, to give up. It was almost choking, the dead quiet that followed the echo of Priyanka's voice. It practically ordered Pearl to fold.

Pearl, however, never liked taking orders.

"Don't you dare question how much I care about Connie!" she roared, stepping forward once then twice. Priyanka backed up, shock overtaking her. Pearl's aura completely enveloped the room, drowning out the previous quiet finality.

What came next happened in a flash. Priyanka was mid-blink and mid-breath, given no time to finish either. In one instant, Pearl's arms were tightly wrapped around her sides. In the next, a sword stood firm in her hand, its tip less than an inch from Priyanka's nose.

"I—"

"I would put my life on the line for Connie!" Pearl declared, fierce words cracking the room like lightning. "I did put my life on the line for her! And I would do it again and again and again every single day of my life!"

Priyanka took a step back, practically leaping away. A cocktail of fear and anger stirred in her chest, two opposing flavours begging her to run away and stand her ground all at once. So, instead, she was frozen in place as Pearl's tirade continued.

"Until there's nothing left of me to do so!" she screamed. "Because I would do it for her! Because I would—"

Pearl froze, her eyes going wide in a moment. Anger drained away from her, leaving only momentary shock in its place. Priyanka, standing across from her, was practically mirroring her expression. Their attention was taken by the same thing and, for a single moment, it was the center of their worlds.

"Connie," Priyanka mumbled, looking at the sight before her. The girl had rushed back into the room, flew straight past her mother, and landed into a tight hug around Pearl's waist. Her skin shuddered and shook, her whole body wracked with tears.

"P-Pearl, please," Connie stammered out, taking a sharp breath. "P-Please, please stop fighting."

"Connie," Pearl muttered, her hand patting the girl's back in comfort. "I don't understand, what's wrong?"

For Priyanka, the sight of Pearl was like night and day. A few moments ago, she was snarling, impassioned. Her voice cracked with a fury that Priyanka thought would shatter the room.

"I can't, I can't stand any more fighting!" Another sharp breath from Connie. "If you keep fighting— I'll never get to see Steven again. I'll never get to see you again, Pearl!"

Connie buried her head in Pearl's side, ugly hacking sobs overtaking her.

"Shhhhh," Pearl began, falling to her knees and pressing Connie's forehead into her shoulder. Her hand moved across Connie's back in tight circles. "It's okay. Things will be okay."

Now? Now, Pearl's voice was gentle and smooth. Her words practically sounded like the notes from a piano, their cadence soft and their timbre almost like butter.

"How!? How will things be okay!?" Connie's voice cracked through her tears, her face still pressed into Pearl.

"No matter what, Connie, I promise you'll still be able to see us," Pearl assured. "I'd never let that be taken away from you."

An empty promise, Priyanka thought. She could keep Connie here as long as she wanted and Pearl's family couldn't do anything about it, short of kidnapping. Pearl's words were nothing more than a creature comfort.

But, Connie needed the comfort.

"Really?" Connie asked, hesitant. "You— You would?"

"Yes, really," Pearl said with a weak smile and a small laugh. After a moment, Connie followed along. Pearl tightened her hug, her weak smile becoming a heavy frown. "I know I'll need to see you again as well, for my sake."

Taking a step back, Priyanka was left with only her thoughts and the sight of the two talking in quiet. Pearl's mouth moved silently as the doctor's mind processed. Pearl wasn't just comforting Connie, Priyanka realized. Connie was doing the same for Pearl.

The two were comforting each other.

Pearl's eyes drifted to Priyanka, as her attention could finally encompass something other than the upset girl in her arms. It took a moment, but Pearl quickly realized that the girl's mother was staring at her and Connie, thoughts racing on their own without a brake in sight to regulate them. A sigh escaped Pearl's lips.

"I should go," she said, her focus returning to Connie. "I've overstayed my welcome a good few times over by now."

Connie's grip tightened around Pearl, as a shudder rolled up her skin. Her scars were beginning to act up again. It had been a few hours since Pearl reapplied the salve.

"Do— Do you have to?" Connie whimpered, gritting her teeth through the pain. "You could stay?"

"I don't think your mother would approve," Pearl replied, pulling away. Her hands remained pressed to Connie's sides. A quick glance returned to Priyanka. "Scratch that. I know she wouldn't."

Connie was upset, Priyanka thought. And she rushed to Pearl for comfort. Not to her, not to her mother. And when Pearl was angry, Connie calmed her, did what she could to make sure she wouldn't do anything she'd regret. Not her, not her mother.

Pearl reached up to her gemstone and produced a small tub of gel and a few wraps of gauze.

"Apply this twice a day wherever it hurts and rewrap the gauze at least once every three days," she began, her voice clear but warm. Connie nodded along, taking the supplies in her hands. Smiling, Pearl continued. "The pain should go down with time, but you might need to soak in Rose's fountain a few more times."

Connie's posture faltered, confidence draining away for a moment. Before Priyanka could say anything, Pearl responded.

"I'm going to make sure that this is as quick and painless as possible," she assured, her hand lifting up Connie's chin. "If you see any signs that things are slowing down, even if you feel something isn't going perfectly, please, call me and I'll be right over."

A small smile returned to Connie's face. A weak laugh followed.

"How am I supposed to do that?" she said with a giggle. "You don't have a phone."

"Well, I guess I'll have to acquire one, then."

Why, Priyanka thought. Why Pearl? Why them? Why her daughter? Why everything?

Why does she care so much about Pearl? Was it because she put herself at risk to save her?

So then, why is Pearl so willing to put her life on the line for Connie? It couldn't just be to satisfy Priyanka's request to protect her daughter. Pearl wasn't in the business of pleasing her in the slightest, Priyanka thought.

So what then. What was it?

"I should go," Pearl said, standing up.

Connie gave a slow nod, her lips going flat with a solemn resignation. It made Pearl pause.

"Here." Pearl leaned towards the couch, picking up the dress Priyanka had thrown earlier, and handed it back to Connie. A smile returned to the girl's face. "You should hold onto this. Hang it up, after you get a chance to rest."

"Will do, Pearl," Connie replied with a laugh, laying the dress over her arm. She gave a mock salute, one which Pearl returned. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Connie." Pearl patted her shoulder as she walked off, stepping past her mother and returning to the dark hall behind her. Priyanka watched as she retreated deeper into the house, hoping, expecting even, for a goodnight of her own. When none came, Priyanka turned back.

It was only her and Pearl now, with no Connie to distract them. Tensions would spark up soon, they could tell.

Pearl could tell.

"Goodnight," she threw out, turning to the door.

"Wait!" Priyanka called, bringing Pearl to a pause. A lingering silence took the room as the lone Gem cast one eye back on the doctor. "I— I want to ask you something."

"Hm?"

"...Why? Why do you care so much about Connie?" She had to know. Priyanka needed answers. "Why did you do so much, put your life at risk, to save her?"

A quiet took the whole house now, a choking drowning quiet. Pearl turned fully, facing Priyanka. Another pause, more silence.

"I care about Connie for the same reason you do." Pearl took a deep breath, bringing a weak assuring smile to her face.

"I love her."