Steven's P.O.V
I'm standing, but from what I can remember, I was most certainly lying on the ground a second ago. But no, here I am standing in an infinite realm of darkness and bad feelings. I'd call this a nightmare, but I just fell asleep in one. I clench the sides of my head in frustration and begin pacing back and forth. How did Connie get inside? What is she gonna do with me? Will the Gems find me? Connie better not hurt them! Because, if she does, I'll make sure both her mother and father won't recognize her when I'm through.
I let go of my head and shake with anger. Connie just had to ruin my wedding day, didn't she? Why did I not see this coming? Being a good leader means anticipating when bad things will strike and how to deal with said bad things. You see, this is why I'd still prefer Garnet to lead the team, Future Vision and all.
"It's not your fault, my sweet boy. Not every person is born to be perfect" A soft voice rings out from behind me.
At this rate, I'm already through with people sneaking up behind me when my back is turned, so I spin around and summon my shield to defend myself. Who I find is the last person I'd expect and last person I'd like to see at the moment.
"Hello, Mom" I say, looking right at Rose Quartz, my voice devoid of any real happiness.
She stands almost right in front of me, adorned in her usual white flowery dress. When Rose hears my voice and the words from me, her smile drops and she clasps her hands together in front of her. Glad that I didn't have to see that smile any longer. It's the one of a liar, a murderer, and a coward.
"What is wrong, my baby boy?" Rose asks with what sounds like genuine concern, "What's the matter?".
I scoff and laugh, surprising her.
"What's wrong, huh? Hmm, let's see if I can run back it. I finally found the love that I always wanted in my life, but then the crazy stalker girl from my childhood invades my wedding, drugs my soda, and now I have to stand here and look at you!" I growl, arching my eyebrows at Rose.
A tear forms in her left eye, but I don't give it much thought.
"Why must you be so harsh with me, Steven? I'm your mother and I love you with all my Gem!" Rose says, opening her arms for a hug while tears come running out of both her eyes now.
She comes forward for the hug, but I step back and let her tumble to the ground, waiting for her to look up so I can reveal what I know about her.
"You don't even know me!" I snap at her, "Why would I love you back after everything you've done? You lied to the Diamonds and ran away from the only family you ever had, just because you thought that they couldn't change. You created lies about yourself and tricked loyal gems into following you and your rebellion! You shattered thousands of gems, Mom! People who were only fighting for what they believed was right. You dared to smile, laugh, and play when hundreds upon hundreds of deaths were on your hands! You abandon Dad, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst, who were the closest you could ever get to a second family! I nearly died trying to clean up your mess!"
Rose breaks down into tears and I can't say that I feel any sympathy whatsoever for her. It's truth, after all and it's just plain and simple. Nothing more to be said about it. Rose is just sitting there crying now and it's quite frankly embarrassing, so I turn around so that my back faces her and look ahead into the darkness beyond.
"T-That was so long ago, S-Steven. It doesn't matter anymore" Rose sobs, standing up and wiping some tears from her face.
I shake my head and snort at her.
"Really? Because it sure felt like it mattered when Jasper, Eyeball, Bismuth, and the Diamonds wanted me dead for your crimes. I was caught up in a mess that I never created or even heard of. Thankfully, I was able to solve it, though" I muse staring straight ahead while knowing that Rose is staring right at my back.
She goes silent, probably to prevent any more crying.
"When wake up, I'm going to find Connie and save those I really love. I'm not going to abandon them to suffering and tragedy. And you know, I used to want to be like you. Now I wish you were more like me" I say, starting to feel my body wake up.
The surrounding void of nothingness begins to fade away, meaning that I'm finally coming to. In the midst of all this, I get one last glimpse of Rose before she vanishes like everything else.
I'm awake and very much angry, half of it fueled from Connie's scene in my room and the other half from my rant with Rose. I'm laying down, a very bright overhead light shining right into my face. I try to move, but find that my wrists and ankles are being held down by metal restraints. I shake and struggle back and forth to wiggle out, but this proves to be useless. With my options of moving out of the question, I scan my surrounding environment. It's mainly dark, giving me an abandoned apartment kind of vibe, and certainly smells like it too. The whole place reeks of moldy cheese and aftershave. I turn my head to both sides as much as I can and when I'm facing to the right, I squint and feel like I can make out a silhouette standing in the corner.
"Hello, Steven" The silhouette says, his voice vaguely recognizable, but still enough that I know who it is.
"Hello, Jeff" I reply, "Fancy meeting you here. Could you perhaps explain what's going on here?"
Jeff sighs, the look on his face clearly indicating that he doesn't want to be here.
"Connie needs you. I'm just here to keep an eye on you until he comes along" The boy blandly summarizes, footsteps approaching from outside.
Before I ask who this 'he' is, a door opens from behind Jeff and, lo and behold, Kevin appears.
"Steven Fucking Universe" He spits, trotting over like he owns the place.
"You bet, Kevin. A lot of ladies do love fucking the Universe" I grin at him, the man sneering and punching me across the face.
"Being a smartass isn't tolerated here, asshole" Kevin growls, "You're on our turf, so you gotta place by our rules".
"Ours?" I say with a questioning glance.
"Yes, ours" Connie replies, casually walking into the room.
She trots over and runs her hands over my cheeks, touching the place where Kevin struck me. She huffs slightly and turns around.
"Kevin, what did I say about controlling your temper?" Connie says angrily, "I said that I wanted him 'unharmed'. Does that ring any bells?"
"Hey, not my fault if you like someone who fights back" Kevin retorts, crossing his arms.
Connie just sighs and turns back to me.
"You'll have to excuse him. Kevin and Jeff are merely hired help" Connie purrs, leaning close to my face.
"Where are the Gems?" I growl at her.
"Oh, them? Poofed and locked away. Well, all except for Jasper and Bismuth. They got what they rightfully deserved. A shattering" She replies, her voice sluggishly arrogant.
I feel something break inside of me after I hear Connie say those words. She shattered Jasper and Bismuth!? What is wrong with her?! And when I hear Connie laughing about it with Kevin and Jeff, even though Jeff's sounds more forced, I know what I'll have to do.
"Anyway, it won't matter for much longer. I'm off to shatter the rest of them right now. Kevin and Jeff will bring you when I'm finished. Then, we can begin our new life together" Connie says, closing the gap and sealing her lips onto mine.
There's nothing I want more than to break away and get some mouthwash, but I'm hosed for the moment. And, to make matters worse, she cups my cheeks with her hands and goes deeper with the kissing. I'm praying to the Diamonds for her to stop by it feels like there's no end in sight. Then, fortunately, she stops, pulling back with a trail of saliva running down her mouth. She smiles, stands up straight, and blows a kiss at me before turning around and walking out the door. Jeff closes said door behind Connie, leaving me, him, and Kevin alone in the room again. I then think of a way to escape, cause if I don't hurry, my wives will end up no better than the sad fate of Jasper and Bismuth.
I struggle slightly in my bonds, the action catching Kevin's attention as leers down at me.
"Hehe. Struggle all you want. It means nothing" The man sneers.
I then whisper something incoherent and when Kevin leans in to try and hear what I said, I grab him with the free part of my hand and bash his head against the side of my restraint. He falls over quicker than I expected and hits the ground unconsciously, my Diamond strength coming into play. Then, something really unexpected happens. Despite the fact that Jeff watched the entire thing happen in front of him, he comes over with the key to my restraints in his hands.
"You don't have much time, Steven" Jeff says, working furiously, "Connie will shatter the Gems with no regret. You've gotta get there and stop her, no matter the cost".
Once he's finished speaking, my restraints have all been unlocked. I then sit up, swing my legs over the side and stand up, looking at Jeff curiously.
"Why exactly are you helping me?" I ask, unsure of his motives.
"I don't like Connie anymore than you do" He replies, "She promised that she'd help me find a girlfriend and wouldn't hurt anyone along the way. But at this point, I don't believe in her promises anymore. And I especially don't like taking part in anything this shifty".
"I need a favor, then. Get out of here as fast as you can and bring the police back here, especially Mr. Maheswaran. And hurry, I don't know how long Connie can be subdued" I say, getting an immediate nod from Jeff.
"Certainly" He replies, zipping right out of the room.
I let a smile cross my face, glad that he could help, and open the door that he just left through. The hallway beyond goes straight on ahead and branches of to the left and right at the end. I run all the way down and go to the right, feeling like it's my best option. There are two doors on each side of this hallway, so I look real carefully and find one with a faint light on inside. I can also see what appears to be a shadow inside, which confirms for me that this is the right door. I summon my shield and, with one strong punch, I bust the door down. Inside the room, Connie stands facing a table, the poofed Crystal Gems laid out across it. Connie holds a bat, looking ready to shatter one of my newlyweds, but my sudden break-in startles her so much that she drops it.
"Steven..." She trails off before the pounding of footsteps can be heard from behind me.
I look behind me and charging right into my face is a very pissed off Kevin. He tackles me back into the table, throwing punch after punch in my direction. Many hit my chest and while I try to hit back, his blows are so fast and tough that it's hard to try and match them. I then feel something break and a very sharp pain in both my chest and lung. I begin to find it hard to breathe, my heartbeat sounding in my eardrums.
But then, Connie comes from behind and whips out a butterfly knife, slicing Kevin's throat open. Blood spurts out as soon as the knife leaves his skin, much of it splattering on my face and shirt. Connie smiles, dragging the body over to the corner before coming back to stand over me. With lust in her eyes, she pulls her shirt off, unhooks her bra, pulls down her pants, and slides her panties off. After flicking her shoes and socks off, Connie mounts me and runs her hands up my neck and puts her face near mine.
"Ready for me to make you mine~?" Connie whispers as she begins removing my shirt.
"This isn't right, Connie" I say, trying not to touch or even glance at her chest.
"Oh, Steven. It's not wrong if you enjoy it" Connie grins, lowering herself down and licking up my neck.
She then also simultaneously starts grinding furiously against me, smearing some of Kevin's blood onto her chest, stomach, and face. I do my best to look away, but Connie then forces me to look and her and forces her lips onto mine, straddling me with both her legs on either side of me. I then feel something dripping onto my belly button and see that her entrance is right where the dripping came from.
"Oh...you're making me really wet, Steven~" Connie pants, "Want to see more~?"
"Frankly, I think we've seen quite enough" A new voice says, making Connie freeze in place.
Standing right behind her, with their arms crossed furiously, are her parents, Mr and Mrs. Maheswaran. Mr. Maheswaran is in his police uniform and Mrs. Maheswaran is in her regular lab coat, both looking like they just came from work. When Connie turns around and sees them, her expression goes from joy to fear.
"M-Mom....D-Dad?" Connie stutters out of fear.
Mr. Maheswaran stomps forward, slaps Connie hard, and then yanks her off of me with a nice firm yank. He then forces Connie up and towards her mother, who slaps her even harder when she is within arms reach.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, CONNIE?!?!" Priyanka shouts, scaring her daughter.
Connie trembles and remains silent, prompting Mr. Maheswaran to unleash his fury on her as well.
"YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE, YOUNG LADY!!! SO MUCH!!!" Doug screams, causing Connie to flinch.
"D-Dad...P-Please.." Connie begs.
Her dad slaps her again in response.
"Shut up! You are not my daughter! My daughter would never murder someone and she certainly wouldn't assault them either!" Doug seethes.
Mr. Maheswaran then forces Connie forward and out the door, where a handful of his police officer friends stand waiting. Two of them take Connie, one putting a towel over her body while both restrain her arms and force her to move. Soon, she's out of sight and that leaves the two Maheswarans to shift their attention towards me. Priyanka rushes up to me while Doug inspects the poofed gems.
"Steven? You're gonna be alright. Just talk to me" Priyanka assures, her caring eyes providing me hope.
I try to speak, but all that comes out is a mouthful of blood.
"Oh my goodness!" Mrs. Maheswaran remarks, moving to try and lift me up.
At that point, a bright series of lights glow in the corner of my eye. When I turn to look, I'm overjoyed to see that the gems have reformed. Garnet, Amethyst, Peridot, Pearl, and Lapis all seem dazed at their surroundings, but those confused expressions quickly turn to ones of fear, panic, and despair once they see me on the ground.
"STEVEN!!" They all scream, running up to me.
"The two of you start carrying him!" Priyanka orders, pointing to Garnet and Lapis, "We need to get him to the hospital now!!"
The fusion and ocean gem grab me by my ankles and shoulders and do as she says, carrying me out the door and down the hallway. The others follow Mrs. Maheswaran as she runs ahead and leads the Crystals Gems down the staircase and out of the front of the building. Ambulances and police cruisers crowd the area. In the state I'm currently in, I vaguely see Connie getting shoved into a police cruiser and that cruiser taking off down the street, but my attention shifts when I'm then lifted inside the back of one of the ambulances and placed on a gurney. The Gems and Mrs. Maheswaran pile in, the latter yelling at the ambulance driver to take off. I feel the vehicle speed away, but all I can think about now is that Jeff really might've saved me today.
Cause without him, I could've been doomed.
Connie's P.O.V
I don't know what's worse. The handcuffs chafing me, the fact that my parents disowned me, or that I wasn't able to save my Biscuit from those perverted rock ladies. I mean, Steven is my everything. I promised to be his knight and be there for him no matter what. But Pearl, my teacher and the one who taught me that, has turned against me. It's clear now more than it's ever been before. I can't trust anybody. What broke my heart, though, was that I couldn't say goodbye to Steven. I was so pissed at seeing how badly Kevin treated my Biscuit that he got what he deserved. Death. I only hope that now I can send Steven a "Get Well" card from whatever prison I'll be thrown into. Maybe I'll visit him again once I'm let out and then he'll see how much I love him. No, no, what am I thinking?! I'm not going to let them keep me away from him that easily
It's the blackest of night outside the police cruiser, rain pouring down like the tears of Heaven. Or, in this case, the tears of myself. I sob into my hands, the weight of all that's happened crushing me like a trash compactor. I-I just can't believe this is what tonight turned out to be! I was supposed to get Steven to love me, elope with me, and have us run away together to spend the rest of our lives continually making love! But, no, my parents and the police had to ruin it! They're all against me too!
"Hey, shut your trap back there!" The police officer driving growls, banging his hand against the separating glass window.
"Screw you!" I scoff, wiggling my hands back and forth in the handcuffs.
I'll be out of this soon and Steven and I can be together. I know we can! Making sure that the driver isn't watching me too closely, much less the person on the passenger's side, I pull, tug, and wiggle, flattening my hand out to try and fit through the cuffs. The police cruiser comes to a halt when it reaches a red light, causing me to look up, down, and do whatever I can to keep tabs on both the cops in front of me. I grit my teeth and yank as hard as I can, drawing some blood from around my wrists. Nevertheless, it pays off and the handcuffs slide off, the problem now being escaping these cops. But I have a plan in motion for that.
"I tell you, Randy. Kids these days aren't getting any better than we were back in the day" The passenger side police says, glancing ahead.
"Things were different then, Davis" The driver replies, looking over while keeping an eye on the traffic lights, "We didn't know what was right from wrong when we were kids. Smoking, alcohol, all that typical shit. Our parents were taught that it wasn't harmful and passed that same logic down on us. Our children, though, have been taught the right way of how that crap's bad for them, yet some still choose to ignore it. It's their loss, sure, but it still pisses me off".
"Yeah, you got that right, man" Davis says, nodding and glancing over at his partner.
They delve off into deeper conversation, but I shut them out and focus on trying to get the car door open as stealthily and quietly as possible. There's the little nub at the end that, if pulled up, can unlock the door but could also set off the car alarm. Oh wait, that's only when it's parked and shut off! Whew, well that's a relief! Now I know what to do! I grasp the tiny nub and force it up, hearing the door lock click. The officers are still too deep in conversation to notice, so I take advantage of it and open the car door, setting the handcuffs on the seat next to me. I then quickly step out and crouch down, moving behind the car so that the officers can't see me. Next, I pound on the trunk, getting their attention aimed where I previously sat. From the officer's wide-eyed expressions, I'd say they quickly put two and two together.
The driver's side door and the passenger side door open a second later, the men climbing out and rushing to the open part of the backseat. While they're distracted, I sneak around the left side and get into the driver's seat unnoticed. With no time left to fuck around, I then shut the driver's side door, lock all doors, and shift the vehicle into drive. Once all that gets going, the officers rush back towards the front of the car and even try to get back in. They get to be annoying so, with the shotgun laying on the floor of the passenger seat, I fire one shot at Davis, work the pump, and turn the complete opposite way to fire at Randy, the original driver. Both men fall over from the shock and impact of the bullets, hitting the ground like a couple of crumpled soda cans. Both front windows are shattered from the shots, but I ignore it and put my foot on the gas. Swerving the car in a completely around, I drive directly down the street. If I know my mother, she'll take Steven directly to her office, about fifteen miles west of my location. I'll just head there, grab my honey bun, and take off to wherever he wishes us to go.
It'll be just fine.
Steven's P.O.V
The pain I feel is beyond words. It hurts, aches, and pulls so hard that I can't think straight, my brain getting close to shutting off and leaving only my eyes to rely on. But what I see, though, is truly heart wrenching as well. My beautiful gems are breaking down in tears, it almost looking like they're shattering from the inside. Peridot and Amethyst are kneeling down and gripping the edge of the stretcher I lay on while bawling their eyes out. Lapis and Pearl have tears streaming out of their eyes like waterfalls from Rose's fountain, hugging Garnet while the fusion is also drowning in sadness. She's staying fused together too, which surprises me because I thought Ruby would be all angry right now and Sapphire would be the sad one. Looks like I'm wrong though.
"Steven? Steven! Hold on just a little more, young man! We're almost there!" Mrs. Maheswaran says, appearing above me in my peripheral vision.
I try to tell her something, like that I'm glad, but all I can get out is what sounds like a combination between a squeal and a squeak. After hearing that, Peridot and Amethyst just cry harder.
"W-What's wrong with him, Doc?" Amethyst sobs, looking up from her kneeling position.
"I can't quite tell for sure, Amethyst. But what I can say so far isn't very promising. By the sounds of his ratcheted breathing patterns, I can conclude thus far that during whatever brutality he faced previously, Steven had one of his ribs broken and bent backwards. This caused a hole to be made in his lung and blood to starting to rush in, which will making him suffocate" Priyanka replies gravely.
I nod weakly and start to heave from lack of oxygen.
"Oh shit, shit, shit! He's not gonna make it! Mary, get me one of those in that drawer now!" Mrs. Maheswaran orders.
The nurse, who's out of my line of sight, grabs what Priyanka asks and the doctor herself sticks me with the tool, the sharp end going right in where my lung is at. A piercing increase of pain shoots through my chest for a brief second, but then fades away about five seconds later. Looking down, I see some blood spurting out the top end of the tool, dripping onto my chest. It hurts, but at the same time, I'm beginning to breathe slightly better. I then feel the ambulance come to a stop and hear people bustling around. The back doors to the vehicle open not much later and Dr. Maheswaran, after asking the Gems to get out of the way, goes to the foot of the stretcher and pulls me out. I go down a ramp and out into the cold, rainy night. With the help of some nurses and side hands, my stretcher is quickly pushed through the front doors of the hospital and down the fluorescent lit hallway. My gems run beside the nurses and doctors, worry and fear for my condition dominating their facial expressions. I let my head fall back, though, and with all the lights we pass by, I really start to feel my mind go into a hazy state of confusion.
I then feel a bump near my head and the sound of doors being banged open. The ceiling takes on a more unique form and it's then I know that we've reached an operating room. Hands then make their way underneath me and lift me up, taking me off the stretcher and placing me onto the operating bed. Once the hands retract, I see that it was the Gems that helped, which make me smile knowing that they're always there for me.
"Hush now, love" Lapis coos, stroking my hair in between her warm fingers as she tries not to continue crying, "You're going to be just fine."
I do my best to nod, watching as Priyanka and some other strangers in lab coats frantically move around me. One male doctor comes forward and hands Priyanka a scalpel, which makes me sweat with nervousness as she lowers the small blade towards the damaged area.
"Wait!" Pearl cries out, halting Dr. Maheswaran's movements, "Isn't there some kind of pain reliever you can put him on?"
"No time, Pearl" The lady frowns, "If we wait much longer, his lung might collapse from that puncture wound. I won't let that happen."
"But what if you just realign the rib and use some of his healing spit?!" Pearl squawks anxiously, "He has healing spit from his mother! It should fix the fracture and the hole in his lung!"
Priyanka grips the scalpel tightly, her eyes flitting back and forth in deep thought. After what felt like only a millisecond, she sights and lowers the scalpel.
"Fine. But it better work, otherwise this poor angel is gonna pay the price from your lack of health knowledge" Dr. Maheswaran grunts, grabbing a syringe alongside the scalpel.
She then uncaps the plastic tub and holds it close to my mouth.
"Try to spit in here, Steven. As best you can" Priyanka ushers.
I wink at her, then collect some saliva at the back of my throat, expelling it a second later right into the syringe. It's sparkly surface tension means that it's definitely healing spit, but Dr. Maheswaran doesn't wait for clarification. She gets right to it, plunging the scalpel in, cutting a hole right where the pain is most searing and reaches in. The pain reaches a searing hot level and it burns so bad. Tears start to drip out the corners of my eyes. I try to scream, but it only comes out as a bad coughing fit, which causes more blood to spurt out. The gems yell at Priyanka to stop, but the doctor pays them no heed and tenderly grabs the broken part of my rib. She then yanks it back into place, sticks the syringe inside and releases some on both the lung hole and the top of the fracture line. The liquid seeps in fast and soon works its magic, healing up the puncture wound and the fracture.
My breathing goes back to normal and the gems, upon seeing this, heave a collected sigh of relief. Dr. Maheswaran then uses the last of my healing spit and drips it over the scalpel area, watching as it heals just as quick as the other two wounds. The doctor herself then sighs in relief and goes to set the tools down, taking out the probe that helped me breathed. I can safely say now that, except for a slight sense of tiredness, I feel all healed and back up to strength. My wives then come surging forward and crowd around my bedside. I can tell they want to kiss me with all the relief they're feeling, but they still hold themselves back.
"Thanks the stars that you're ok, Steven!" Peridot exclaims, holding my hand ever so gently, "I don't know what I'd do without my Pebble".
I smile and stroke the back of her hand with my thumb.
"I love you, Peridot" I croak, looking her dead in the eyes before glancing around at all my wives, "I love you all."
Garnet is about to say something when her smile drops to a worried frown. I then feel nervous seeing her like this and just when my fusion bride picks up Peridot and Amethyst to throw them over the bed, the wall of my operating room explodes. My operating room was on the outermost part of the building, which means that a window was built into the wall itself. Now, that very same wall crumbles and crashes inward, a dusty police cruiser coming in nanoseconds later. Small bits of wall and window chunks settle on the ground, the blue vehicle coming to a stop mere feet away from my bedside. Lapis and Pearl were caught underneath the cruiser but, thanks to their slim forms, the two tall Gems could easily wriggle their way out. Garnet, Amethyst, and Peridot shake off the suddenness of the crash and get Pearl and Lapis to their feet, all five of them going into battle stance when everyone is up. The driver's side door to the police cruiser opens a second later and a voice rings out.
"Get out of here, you cold-hearted sex leeches!" Connie shrieks, stepping out of the car with a shotgun pointed at the Gems.
The five hold steady, though, and glare at Connie with steely gazes.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Connie" Pearl surprisingly speaks up, "I taught you to be better than this. To be a knight and a protector for Steven, not some obsessed stalker!"
"She's right, Connie!" Priyanka chimes in, "And as your mother, I raised you better than this! Now, put that weapon down and we can discuss this!"
"What is there to discuss?! I know what I want and he's right over there!" Connie yells, gesturing over to me with her head, "There's nothing else to it. I'm 19 now, Mother, so I don't have to do a fucking thing you say!"
Connie then walks over to my bedside and climbs on, her backside pointed directly into my face. The Gems are ready to surge forward, but Connie keeps the shotgun trained on all of them equally.
"May this be a lesson to all you worthless fucking assholes! When I say I love Steven, that means back the fuck up and stay the hell out of my way! You don't touch him, you don't look at him, and you don't even breathe in his direction. Now here's what's gonna happen the days going forward. I'm taking Steven with me in that police cruiser and we're leaving! You'll never hear from us or even see us again! I'm gonna marry Steven and have my way with him every night of the next six years! We'll have many kids and make a loving family! And the best part is, you won't get to see any of it!" Connie screams, ranting on.
I see an opportunity in front of me and while she is distracted, I grab on the back of the shotgun and yank it out of her grip. It gets easily released and now I have my finger on the trigger. Connie turns around in surprise, but when she goes to reach for the gun, I have the barrel pointed right in her face. She goes completely still, as does everyone else in the room.
"Don't make me do this, Connie" I say in a low tone, "I don't want to kill my best friend."
"You don't! I love you!" The girl insists desperately.
"But, why? Why do you love me?" I ask firmly, "You never showed interest until now and now you've completely lost yourself. What made you become like this?"
"They all said I was crazy, Steven" Connie replies, "They all said that there was no way I had a friend with magical powers. They said there was something wrong with me and they said that every time they beat me up. Boys and girls from my college loved bashing my head in with their kicks, almost as much as they loved jeering me every time I left the campus hospital. The more they did it, the more I came to see how wrong they were. How they were just scum that dared to insult the one person above all others who chose to be my friend. The one person who I cared about so much that I fell in love with. And now that these pests were interfering, I had to eliminate them. I had to eliminate everyone who would try to disrespect and take my Steven away from me. Those boys and girls died and college became an afterthought since you were my only thought. I came back here hoping to have an easy chance to have you since those gems would still be family. But they weren't! They were kissing you! They were fucking you! So I had to remove them too! Don't you understand, Steven? This is how much you mean to me! Please don't kill me."
I stare at her long and hard, the two of us gazing into each others eyes while trying to look for something in the other's. Neither of us do. And without a word, my finger pulls the trigger, the recoil and loudness of the weapon causing me to drop it. It goes right through Connie's right eye and comes out the back of her head before hitting the wall behind her. Blood then spurts and drips out of the open wound, the girl herself gasping in surprise before falling forward onto me. Her body then tumbles onto the hard floor as I caress my temples from the loudness of the gun and try to get the haunting expression she just had out of my head. The Gems surge forward, Garnet and Pearl putting away their weapons and coming up to hug me while the other three keep a watchful eye on Connie's body for any signs she might still be alive. As I clench onto them, I release some pent up tears, letting it all out as Pearl and Garnet get onto the bed with me and rest their heads on both of my shoulders.
"Thank you" I whisper, my tears staining my cheeks as Garnet puts a finger to my lips to shush me.
"Always" Pearl replies, kissing me tenderly on the cheek before Garnet kisses the other one.
"What do we do with her?" I frown, glancing sadly at my former best friend.
"I'll deal with her" Amethyst sighs, "I'd rather one of us do it than have you carry that burden."
I go to accept, but then look over at Priyanka, wondering how she feels about what Amethyst said.
"Ok" The doctor sullenly drones.
Amethyst then nods and hefts Connie's body over her shoulder, walking out of the hole in the wall. After Ame has left, I usher all the Gems close, Dr. Maheswaran leaving out the door. I then ask them the question that would probably be the last thing they expected me to ask today, something I've been stewing on ever since the wedding ended.
"How would you feel about going on our honeymoon?" I smile weakly.