AN: And we've reached the final chapter! Thank you all for joining me for the ride. And thank thank thank thank you to lilybug02 for the gorgeous fanart she made for this story. I'm obsessed and I've looked at it every day since she posted. You can find it at lily bug-02 dot tumblr dot come slash post/190254392940/lost-or-found-chapter-1-raincheck8-steven

You listened with attentive care,
And reassured my mind;
That loving hearts are still alive,
With purpose and design.

Deep inside I've locked way,
Emotions yet untold;
As time goes on, and bonds grow strong,
They will all unfold.

So thank you, friend, for taking time,
To demonstrate your love;
It's yet another blessing that,
I'm undeserving of.

Excerpt from "Bonds of Friendship" by Craig Burkholder

Epilogue

In the weeks and months that followed, Spinel spent every day with the diamonds, passing her days in relatively tranquil contentment sharing stories, playing games, and enjoying their company.

As Spinel grew to know the diamonds more intimately, she knew to go to certain diamonds for different needs. She loved them all, but they were very different from each other. Just as they were getting to know Spinel a little better underneath the mask of needing to entertain, Spinel loved them in turn for their unique qualities underneath their desire to make up for their mistakes with Pink.

Blue Diamond was kind to Spinel and sensitive to her emotional needs. Spinel loved her for her compassion and gentle nature. Of all the diamonds, Spinel felt safest with Blue, coming to her when she needed someone who would be understanding and forgiving if Spinel wasn't having a good day and her fear was threatening to overtake her. Blue knew what it meant to cry, and she was the last person to judge when Spinel couldn't bear the burden of insecurity any longer. Blue Diamond had long since stopped trying to rescue Spinel and bother her with questions of what was wrong. Her little pink friend came to her willingly when she didn't pry, asking to sit with her or lie in her hair quietly without speaking. Just being with Blue was enough for her. Spinel liked to spend one-on-one time with Blue in her extraction chamber, swimming in the giant pool or singing with her, soft duets that would echo pleasantly in the marble halls. Sometimes Blue would sing to her, her soft voice a gentle lullaby that Spinel could close her eyes and melt into.

White Diamond was a kind matronly figure to Spinel, but she never became easier to read. Spinel and White were like two orbiting moons, never touching, both too afraid of vulnerability and abandonment to let their barriers down enough to truly, fully understand each other. Spinel came to White for advice and insight, but she was never a first-choice pick to go to with her feelings. White's manipulative tactics and condescending nature had waned harmless and benign over the years, but they nonetheless sent the message clear as day that Spinel couldn't let her guard completely down with White just yet. That didn't mean Spinel wasn't happy with her, though. The promise they had made assured Spinel that she didn't have to try so hard around White and the other diamonds, knowing they wouldn't leave her alone again like Pink had, no matter how badly she may screw up. Since that talk, Spinel found herself needing to physically hurt herself a little less. She still felt an unbearable pressure to be a good enough friend. But she was also encouraged by White's open display of affection and assurances that she was still loved no matter her imperfections. If White Diamond of all gems could love her, Spinel couldn't be that bad, she reasoned.

Yellow Diamond was an invigorating presence, the first to laugh at Spinel's jokes and the one Spinel wanted to take with her on any ventures outside the palace. Spinel felt grounded with Yellow when she wasn't sure the other diamonds liked her at all. Yellow had a sense of humor that assured Spinel that she had one diamond friend who never seemed to get tired of her silly antics. Yellow even seemed to appreciate some darker humor, too, which pleased Spinel, as her jokes matured with her.

It was Yellow that talked Spinel into visiting the palace training yard for the first time. The place was vacated of all gems except jaspers and other quartzes - those who truly loved fighting and honing their combative talents. Small sparring arenas had replaced the militant barracks of the army training area, and gems were allowed to participate in harmless civil sparring matches with their weapon of choice and with a referee safeguarding gems' safety. Spinel had turned heads the first time she came in with Yellow Diamond, and nobody quite knew what to make of her when she sauntered over to the practice yard, picked up a featureless scythe from the rack, and got in line to spar. A spinel, coming to fight?

Their confusion was quickly put to rest when they saw her in action, though. Of course, Spinel was trying to show off for Yellow, but when she won her first match against a dazed basanite, she couldn't deny the feeling of pride swelling in her gem. She met Yellow Diamond's eyes with a triumphant grin, feeling giddy when Yellow returned her equally wide smile. She couldn't wait to tell the pearls she had found her hobby.

Tournament's were frequently held for the entertainment of other gems and to give gems like Spinel who enjoyed a good tussle for fun a reason to come to the training yard. This was the only time gems were allowed to land blows hard enough to dissipate one's form. Any cracks to a gem would immediately disqualify a participant, and gems had to stick to one weapon the entire tournament. With the diamond's encouragement, Spinel decided to enter.

She was surprised at the diamond's enthusiasm, but they all seemed to agree that Spinel's strength was a pleasant surprise to them all, and that most importantly, Spinel looked happy. Fighting was another way of putting on a show, and stars knew Spinel loved to entertain. But Spinel loved it most because it gave her distance from Pink. Turning away from the purpose Pink had made her for – it didn't matter how – made Spinel feel just a little freer from her influence and her memory. Spinel was more than just cute and funny and a good entertainer. She was strong and fierce, and that was something Pink could never have programed her with.

The day of the tournament, all of the friends Spinel had made showed up to cheer her on – the pearls, a few of the palace guards Spinel had been friendly to, and the diamonds, of course. The sight of them all sitting together to cheer for her nearly made Spinel lose her composure before the tournament even started. Nobody expected her to win – least of all Spinel – but the fact that they had come at all made her feel like a winner already. The diamonds told her they loved her before she went on for her first match, and the giddiness she felt at hearing those words echoed in her thoughts throughout the day.

Spurred on by the surprising amount of encouragement she received, Spinel surprised everyone by managing to make it into the finals. Her success had gained her quite a following. Gems hooted and hollered for the underdog fighter who, for them, was a shining icon of a free gem with no prior fighting experience who showed everyone that any gem could be anything they wanted. Spinel didn't quite know how to react when a flustered ruby she had never met came up to her during a break between fights to shake her hand and thank her for being an inspiration for free gems. Suddenly Spinel not only belonged to three diamonds, but for an entire community of gems wishing to escape the roles that had been written for them. Spinel was no different – ripping open a path away from Pink's memory with a scythe in hand and a stand full of new and unexpected friends loving and supporting her into her new self.

Her final opponent was a formidable ocean jasper, incubated in the deepest recesses of one of White Diamond's colony where she was known to send her strongest warriors to be made. Pure strength and power against Spinel's speed and versatility. Spinel was giddy off of so many earlier victories and of the pride shining in all three of her diamond's eyes whenever she caught a glimpse of them beaming in the stands. Distracted as she was, she barely registered the hit when she ducked a blow from the jasper's war axe too late. The mighty weapon bore down on her in one swing, cutting through her middle with a gasp from the stands and a puff of smoke as Spinel's gem clattered to the floor.

The cheers for the victor were drowned out as the diamonds and pearls rushed to Spinel's side in worry. They carried her home with care and took turns watching her gem until she reformed to make sure that she didn't wake up alone. Even the pearls fussed over her reforming, concerned for their roommate and why she was taking so long. Days passed and Spinel still didn't come out.

Spinel herself gave herself a lot of time to think about what form she wanted for herself. She had hated her form so vehemently when she first came to her new home, that her natural instinct was to change everything about her appearance. Neat, tidy hair - a pleasing form to please her diamonds. Simple, happy colors to brighten their day. Cute, round features, for innocence. A gem that faced up, like a good gem was supposed to have.

Except Spinel didn't want her old form back. Even as her consciousness rested in her gem mulling over the idea, she knew that every particle of light in her being abhorred the idea of regressing back to her old self. And no matter how much she tried to reason with herself why the form she had wasn't enough, her thoughts couldn't help but be pulled back to the diamonds. She thought of their smiles directed at her, their loving support, their forgiveness of her when she scarcely knew how to forgive herself. She loved them, and part of her was loathe to change the form they had gotten to know each other in. This was the form she had found friendship in. This was the form she had found love in. This was the form she was slowly but surely learning how to love herself again in.

She wasn't done. As she thought about the parts of her that she was inclined to change, she found herself defending their need to stay. She liked her long, messy hair, because it gave Pink Pearl more to work with when she let her dress it. She liked the way Blue Pearl drew it – long and whispy and probably prettier than it actually was. She liked purposely leaning over in Yellow Pearl's face to tickle her with it, just to get a laugh and a rise out of her. The light in her friend's eyes was worth the frayed ends and unkept knots. She liked her darker colors that were uniquely hers – not at all reminiscent of anything Pink would have given her. She liked her pointed shoulder pads because, as Yellow Diamond pointed out, they matched hers. She liked her angular feet and pointed edges because White had pointed out how they made her look daring and fierce. She even liked her gem facing the wrong way, because, like Blue, Spinel had permanent scars of her pain that deserved to be honored and remembered as a part of her story.

Spinel had been found all along. And she knew exactly how she wanted to reform herself.

All three diamonds were with her when she finally reemerged, her heart shining like a beacon between them, illuminating the worry on their faces and the nervous anticipation in their eyes. Spinel's light shifted once, twice, and then solidified into her chosen form. The diamonds waited with baited breath.

"Starlight?"White asked slowly as Spinel finally turned to look at her, "Your face…" Spinel grinned, showing off the face that was now free of the angry black tear marks that had streaked down her cheeks.

"I don't need to cry about it all the time anymore,"Spinel said by way of explanation, looking around between the three diamonds with a shy smile. Her gaze dropped self-consciously to her mostly unaltered form. "…Do you like it?" Relief flooded her when she saw how their eyes shone with happy tears.

"It's perfect, darling,"Blue said with a delighted smile. Spinel turned to White, bouncing a little in her excitement.

"White, White, look! I have heels! We match now!" White beamed at the happy little gem who immediately stretched her foot all the way up to White's eyeline just to show off the small blocked heel Spinel had given herself, similar to the heel of White's sandal. White earned a giggle when she pushed the tiny pink boot back and Spinel fell over backwards with a comedic flop. Spinel looked up from her place on the floor at the three diamonds smiling down at her and felt her gem warm at the sight. She was home again. Here, underneath the smiles of three diamonds who she loved and who loved her back.

The only things that had changed were her shoes and face, but Spinel felt like a new gem - happy and confident for once in a form that, for all intents and purposes, was still wrong for a spinel. But it was right for her, and it was the form that the diamonds had befriended her in, so Spinel decided she loved it, too. The pearls were ecstatic to see her as herself again, too, although Yellow Pearl's sarcastic "You made us wait a week just to change your makeup?" could have convinced Spinel otherwise. They gladly filled Spinel in on everything she had missed while she was out. Pink Pearl gushed excitedly over Spinel's slightly longer pigtails, and Blue Pearl spent the day drawing her three friends while recanting the events of the tournament. Spinel had to hold down tears when the pearls told her how they had taken turns with the diamonds watching over her while they waited for her to reemerge. She couldn't help gushing as she wrapped all three of them tightly in a hug. For the first time in 6,000 years, Spinel had been missed by someone. Multiple someone's, even. Spinel was wanted.

Weeks passed. Steven had visited the palace twice more since their last interaction. His latest visit had fallen just before the tournament. She guessed at least five months on Earth had passed since the injector incident. Spinel didn't talk to him, and he didn't make her. 'Steven was a better friend than she deserved,' she told the diamonds each time they asked, and she still had a long way to go until she had earned the right to call him a friend. She would call him when she was ready.

He left gifts each time – small trinkets from Earth, but they were thoughtful and sweet. Paint for Blue Pearl, bobby pins for Pink Pearl, a pocket mirror for Yellow Pearl, and pink scrunchies with small heart charms on them for Spinel. Pink Pearl had to explain what these were, and showed Spinel how to tie them around her already magically cinched pigtails. They were functionless, but Spinel loved them nonetheless. He had left a note with them: "Let me know when you're ready to hang out." Spinel secretly kept the note in her gem. She'd read it on her bad days, which were becoming less frequent. It was a reminder for her that her company was still valued, even by someone who had every right to hate her. Even on days when she felt too ugly and awkward and broken for the diamonds, Steven at least still wanted to hang out with her.

"I don't understand why you don't just call,"Yellow Diamond said bluntly one day after Steven's third visit that Spinel pointedly skipped, "He says he's waiting for you 'when you're ready.' What does that even mean?"

"It means what it sounds like,"Spinel replied simply. She was curled up in the crevice of Yellow's helmet, taking a break from the waters of Blue's pool by relaxing languidly with her head resting against her hands. She missed Yellow's disapproving look.

"What's keeping you from talking to him, darling?"Blue questioned, her cheek resting in her palm.

"Nothing, it's just…He can talk to me if he wants, but I don't have any right to bother him if he's busy. He's done enough for me, anyway."

"Why Starlight, he wouldn't be so busy that he can't spare a few hours with you, otherwise he wouldn't come visit at all,"White pointed out matter-of-factly.

"He comes for you guys, and to visit the friends he made here,"Spinel reminded her flatly.

"You two seemed to be getting along so well, though. I thought you had put the past behind you,"Yellow commented.

"It is behind us. It's just…all that savior of the galaxy stuff? I thought it was all just a bunch of hot air, until I actually got to know him. Now I know he's even nicer than the stories say. He's just way too good for me. I still have so long to go before I'm not so…." She gestured vaguely in the air, her eyes lowering to her bent knees.

"Not so what?"Blue pressed.

"I don't know, me." Stupid, annoying, clingy, insecure, volatile, destructive, bad bad bad. She hadn't in a while, but Spinel found herself pulling her pigtails down hard over her face, suddenly ashamed to see the concern in her friends' eyes that she didn't feel she deserved.

"You're judging yourself too harshly again, Starlight,"White gently reprimanded her, "Steven is delightful, it's true, but so are you. Your radiant light already shines so brightly. Why not share it with him as you have with us?" Spinel glanced in White's direction, slowly releasing her pigtails.

"This is different. I hurt Steven real bad, and he still forgave me. I don't think I'm capable of something like that yet." I still can't even forgive Pink for what she did, she wanted to say. But she didn't. The diamonds were learning to be more sensitive, but Spinel had long since learned to just not bring Pink up at all if she didn't want to be the victim of something insensitive they didn't mean to say.

"Has he even seen your new form, darling?"Blue asked, her brow drawn low in concern.

"No… Why?"

"I just wonder if you're not being too hard on yourself. You do tend to downplay your own merits, sweetheart,"Blue said gently, reaching up to stroke the little pink gems's cheek, "The fact that you don't have these marks anymore…You yourself said that you don't need to cry about Pink anymore. Haven't you shown that you are more capable of forgiveness than you think?" Spinel shrugged noncommittedly. So much for not bringing the topic up. Blue had a point, though. Even if she was forever changed by what Pink did to her, didn't it mean something if Spinel was able to forgive herself, even just a little?

"I guess…" White leaned in, distracting Spinel from her thoughts.

"Come now, Starlight. You wouldn't deny him this sweet face, would you?"White cooed, gently petting Spinel's head with a manicured finger, "You are simply too adorable not to be shown off." Spinel fought White's finger with a teasing smile, stretching her arms wide above her to push away the finger and laughing when she immediately lost the game of tug of war. White claimed her victory by gently scooping Spinel up into her hand from her perch on Yellow's head, lowering her arm down so that Spinel was eye-level with all three diamonds.

"In all seriousness, Starlight. Blue is right. You mustn't be so hard on yourself. You are already such a good friend to us - worrying over us, making us laugh, loving us. Why not use us as a determinant for whether or not you are ready to see Steven? You have grown so much since your first day here, after all."

"I have?" She was surprised to see all three of her diamond friends nodding with knowing smiles.

"You're trusting us more, darling,"Blue offered, adding her hand to cup against White's.

"You're finding things and people to love,"Yellow added, joining their hands around Spinel.

"Your true smile is shining a little brighter every day."

"How is that stuff supposed to make me a better friend?"Spinel asked, confused, "That all sounds like stuff you guys have done for me."

"Because we get to witness your growth! And you witness ours! Are we not shining examples of a perfect transformation from ruthless rulers to adoring companions? Are our impeccable standards for polite conduct not revolutionary?"

"What White is trying to say," Yellow interrupted, "Is that there's nothing that makes us happier than to watch you shine a little brighter every day."

"Would that not be the best repayment you can give Steven? Showing him how happy you are, and making him happy knowing that you're happy?"Blue asked.

"…I guess I never thought of it that way." Spinel looked down at her pointed shoes, lost in thought. Was that all there was to being a good friend? Supporting and celebrating your friends' growth? The diamonds sure seemed to think so.

Spinel wondered then why her cheerleading hadn't been enough for Pink. Spinel thought she had supported and stood by Pink in everything she did, but maybe Spinel didn't love Pink as much as she loved the sense of security she gave her. Maybe she never really supported Pink as much as she distracted. She knew Pink wanted a colony – had Spinel ever sat with her and let her cry like Blue did with Spinel, or did she rush to try to fix her grief with a smile? Did she ever talk openly to Pink like she did with Yellow? Did she ever try to work through the mistakes and bad times with Pink like she had with White, or did Spinel default to fixing everything with a fake smile to cover up her friend's sadness? Spinel suddenly wondered if she had ever helped her friend actually grow into the diamond she wanted to be, or if she had even known how. Spinel was, after all, still learning how to support the diamonds heal from their own pain.

Spinel wasn't sure what to make of this. Maybe…maybe she still needed to learn. Maybe that was something Steven could help her understand.

"Do you guys really think I'm ready? Should I call him?" A beat, and then all three diamonds answered at the same time.

"YES!"

Yellow beat them to the mobile communicator tucked in her gem. A call was set up before Spinel had a chance to realize what was happening. She immediately hid behind White's fingers with a nervous squeak, her eyes and pigtails still visible from the floating yellow display. Steven picked up within a few minutes, his confused and slightly panicked face immersed in the screen's golden yellow light.

"Steveeeen! Spinel requests a playdate with you immediately!"White sang by way of greeting. Spinel sunk lower behind her fingers so that only her pigtails stuck out, too embarrassed to even look at the screen after that greeting.

"Heeeey, I thought we agreed to only call for emergencies. You guys scared me…,"Steven answered with a nervous chuckle.

"Steven! Did you hear me? Spinel is ready to visit! She"- Spinel interrupted White before she could get ahead of herself by stretching her hand up to cover White's mouth.

"Hey Spinel,"Steven said with a small laugh at White's expense. Spinel used her other hand to meekly wave at the screen. Steven wasn't able to see her face clearly from where she was hiding, and Spinel decided she was fine with that right now. She was sure her face was burning in embarrassment.

"Hey. Sorry it's…been a while,"she said a little slowly.

"That's okay." The other diamonds were staring at Spinel unsubtly, expectant smiles already plastered on their faces as the little gem shifted uncomfortably under all the unexpected attention.

"Um…I guess I was wondering if it was still okay if I came to say hi for a little bit. It's okay if the offer's not on the table anymore. I know it's been a while. Or if you don't want me to"-

-"Of course it's okay,"Steven interrupted with a smile, "You're always welcome."

"Um." She glanced at the diamonds for help, but they only nodded, encouraging her to continue on her own. "Are you…free to hang out this week? I mean…just a little bit. I don't want to bother you if you're busy."

"You're not a bother. I have plans the next few days, but I'm free this Saturday afternoon." Saturday. This was happening. They finalized the details and a very flustered Spinel waved goodbye after promising to meet him in three day's time. The diamonds whooped and cheered for her when she hung up, further embarrassing the little gem as they bounced her a little in their hands until she couldn't help but laugh along with them. Stars knew she wouldn't have been able to do that without their encouragement.

Three days passed in a blur. The diamonds fed her love and encouragement every day, reminding her that they were proud of her, and that she would be just as good of a friend to Steven as she was to them. These were not the same diamonds who berated, and denied, and withheld their love from Pink with the belief that they were doing her any good. They knew better now, and they were making up for lost time. Spinel's diamonds loved and supported her with a ferocity that Pink had never known. Spinel almost felt bad for Pink, thinking about how she would never get to see how much the people who had once made her so unhappy had changed so much, all to honor her memory. Spinel was grateful to be theirs - grateful to witness their change and be a part of it, and grateful to have such stalwart role models. They made Spinel want to be better – for herself, for her friends, for a future Spinel was only just starting to visualize as a reality with new friends other than Pink in it.

She stood at the edge of the warp pad three days later, an unnamed uneasiness forcing her legs still as she felt the eyes of all three diamonds worrying at her back. Spinel turned around slowly to look at them. They were smiling, but it didn't quite reach their eyes. The sight gave her pause.

"You'll come back soon, right darling?"Blue asked, the first to speak.

"Of course,"Spinel assured her with a smile, "It's just going to be a few hours, remember? Steven's just taking me to Funland."

"If you need anything, you'll call us, right? We'll come pick you up right away,"Yellow reminded her for the third time. Spinel smiled weakly and tapped her gem.

"I've got the communicator you gave me right here, Yellow,"she reminded her.

"Don't have too much fun, Starlight. Stay safe. How long did you say you'll be?" White asked with a worried sigh, her hand on her face, "Oh Starshine, we miss you already..."

"I'll miss you too, but what are you guys worrying for? Earth is hardly dangerous without me around, and I can take care of myself."

"We know you can, little one,"Yellow said with a weak smile, "It's just…bittersweet. Another piece of her, running off to Earth…" Spinel stared up at them, feeling the weight of Yellow's words hit her. They hadn't known that sending Pink to Earth meant she would never return to them. They still struggled to let Steven go home any time he visited. This was hard for them, she realized. Watching another loved one run off to Earth, not knowing if Spinel was going to come back to them or if they were going to lose another piece of their family to Earth once more.

"If you guys are that worried, I promise I'll be back by three hours."

"Don't limit yourself on our account, star,"White tried to reassure her, "Go have fun. We'll be waiting here for you." Spinel could feel a frown tugging at the corners of her lips at the choice of words.

"You don't have to wait…,"she said slowly. Please don't wait for me the way I did. I would never wish that pain on you guys.

"If she comes back,"Blue sighed, and Spinel could tell Blue was using all her self-control not to cry, "Oh, she'll probably have so much fun with Steven you won't even want to come home…"

"I would never,"Spinel said emphatically, her tone uncharacteristically serious, "You guys are everything to me. I'll be back, no matter what. You should do something fun together while I'm gone so you don't have to wait."

"Starlight…"

"Please. For me? Please don't wait. Do something fun while I'm gone,"Spinel pleaded lightly. Her eyes fell on White, begging. The giantess managed a weak smile for the little pink gem, a long finger coming up to gently rub against Spinel's bare cheek. Spinel wrapped an arm around it, keeping her there for a moment as she leaned into the pad of White's finger.

"We'll try. Just hurry home, love,"White said, "We'll be here." Home. The word made Spinel's throat tighten as she looked up at the three diamonds forcing smiles for her just like she had done for months for them. Her legs carried her automatically, guided purely by instinct. Instead of moving toward the warp pad, Spinel turned and walked toward the diamonds. They were already kneeling on the ground, so Spinel didn't have to stretch herself too far. Blue just managed to catch her landing as she held her hand out for Spinel. The little pink gem bounded from each diamond – Blue, then Yellow, then White, pressing a kiss against each of their respective cheeks. She stopped at White's shoulder, smiling at the slight pink tint staining White's otherwise flawless smiling face when Spinel kissed her.

"I love you guys so much,"she whispered, smiling tenderly at each of them in turn. They smiled back at her, leaning in close. Spinel took the initiative to stretch her arms wide around the three necks, holding them tightly together for a group hug.

"I'll come back home soon. I promise."

She almost didn't want to leave now, but she knew she would lose her nerve if she didn't go. Reluctantly releasing them from her hug, she allowed White to gently lower her to the ground. She didn't hesitate this time as she stepped up to the warp pad. She turned one last time to wave and tell them she loved them one more time. Their tearful smiles were the last thing she saw before she beamed away.

Spinel could hear the rhythmic rolls of ocean waves outside as she stepped off the warp pad. The windows to the diamond base had been let open, allowing a cool sea breeze to blow in, carrying with it an unexpected fragrance of salt water and sand. It had been so long, Spinel had forgotten how Earth was so unlike the stagnant stillness of Homeworld. She breathed in the fresh sea air wafting from the windows, clear and bright and free of the foul odor of biotoxin. The last time she was here, she may as well have been a different gem.

Steven was waiting for her by the entryway to the diamond base, thumbing through his phone. He looked up when she beamed in and nearly dropped the device.

"Spinel…" For a moment she forgot why he would be looking at her like that. Then she remembered he hadn't seen her face since she reformed. She grinned, showing off a wide smile free of the black tears he had met her in. She was wearing happiness now and she wanted Steven to see it. Her first real friend.

"Thanks for waiting for me." He could only stare at her, struck dumb by the miles of change evident since their last meeting. A stillness settled between them, calm and understanding and proud. His face broke into a huge smile wide enough to match the radiance shining in hers. He rushed for her, and this time she received his hug with open arms, feeling bold enough to coil her arms around him two, three, four times. He smelled of earth and sunshine, his warm arms wrapped all around her like a wall of protection against her deepest insecurities. She was safe here. She released him reluctantly with a bright smile, beaming at the pride and happiness for her shining in his eyes.

"Come on. I've got to be back in a few hours,"Spinel said, pulling Steven forward in her eagerness, grinning from ear to ear, "My friends are waiting for me to come back and I don't want to worry them." Steven grinned in turn, walking shoulder to shoulder with her out the door as they began filling each other in on everything they had been doing. They would make sure she wasn't late.

AN: Thank you all for your comments and feedback! I have a lot of hobbies that I have to rotate with my limited free time, and writing is a rare long-term investment for me. The fact that I've been inspired to keep writing this for over three months goes to show how much I love this character. I haven't finished a multi-chapter story in over six years, so this is a big personal accomplishment for me (even though this was only seven chapters hehe). Given that it might be another long while before I start another short project like this, and my only other fandom consists of maybe three people total, I really do appreciate any and all feedback you can give before you go. Thank you all so, so much. You can find me casually lurking around the fandom and occasionally posting art at ladylore97 dot tumblr dot com