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Chapter 14
Slight Clarity
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The next day wasn't so bad, but also very boring. Sure, helping other gems fix their homes in Little Homeworld was a good aft to do, though Peridot gets very bossy. Luckily, others helped in the small rebuilding and it had gotten done quicker, especially with their special abilities that they're getting the hang of. 

Spinel mainly did the heavy work and she couldn't help but scoff at a certain smaller gem. 

Nelly colored on a piece of paper, tongue hanging out in concentration and happily looks up when a small juice box is handed to her by Lapis. 

'Why isn't she doing any work?' Spinel rolls her eyes and hammers in the last part of a frame to a door. She leans back on the wall and sighs. 'I really need to contact to the Diamonds. Gosh, I must be worrying them after not calling for so long.' 

"Thanks, Spinel! We've got the rest of it!" Bismuth winks down at her. 

The gem gives a thumbs up in reply before making her way to a more secluded area. She knew a few gems were still afraid of the Diamonds, so this had to be private. 

This time, instead of static, the Diamond Authority symbol showed and that brought a relief to Spinel, knowing her call was going through. Unfortunately, it still took a very long time for anyone to answer. "What is going on? Are they really that busy with this last planet?" 

Something rose in the back of her throat and in her chest. Worry and panic.

'What if something happened?! And I wasn't there to help! Is that why they weren't answering-' She starts to hyperventilate until one of the Pearls face appear.

Pink Pearl. 

"Is everything alright?" Spinel finally spit it out. 

Pink Pearl forced a smile though it did the trick to calm Spinel down. "Of course, Spinel. Are you okay?" Desperately, she wanted to say something, yet the glares were piercing her backside and dangerously dared her to say something.

"I'm just worried. Are the Diamonds okay?" 

Pink Pearl chuckled softly and shuts her eyes in show fake reassurance. "Why wouldn't they be? They're just enjoying the presence of the one their making peace with." If only her words were reality, instead of what had happened days ago. All of this stress and fear began to build up too much and Pink Pearl could feel a very tiny movement on her cracked eye. 

Spinel took notice and grew very concerned, "Are YOU okay?" 

"Why wouldn't I be?" 

'She's avoiding everything I'm asking and nothing clear.' Spinel knew Pink Pearl wasn't fully aware of everything sometimes. It was harder for the Pearl to grasp onto certain things that went on in the present. Such as Steven himself. Maybe that was bothering her again. "Pearly." 

Pink Pearl bit her lip and the words began to form. 

"SPINEL! Guess what?!" Nelly skips over and stops to blink at the screen with Pink Pearl's face. The smaller gem's mood switching to an apprehended frown. 

The pearl freezes and her eyes widen at Nelly, immediately the video feed shuts off by the pink pearl. 

Spinel sighs deeply, "Nelly. Seriously, can you just leave me alone?" 

Nelly giggles softly and shakes her head, "Nope! Someone should never ever be alone, but I can be quiet if you want." In her sleeve covered hands, she held a paper and hide the drawing she had on it. The best art she had ever drew and worked hard on. "I made you something which you were supposed to guess, but I guess it can't be a surprise." 

Spinel walks off and her eye twitches at the squeaking behind her. 

Nelly puts the drawing away for now and skips up to stay very close to Spinel, trying to take a hold of her hand. 

"Do you know how annoying and so unworldly you're bein'?" Spinel snarked. 

There was a quick tension of silence as Nelly hung back slightly. "I know…... but in other words I'm friendly and optimistic because I want to be. I don't have to live up to your expectations." 

Spinel spun around at the raised voice of Nelly, making her mind go blank at the sudden out of character of the smaller gem. 

The smaller gem's eyes shrunk and she covers her mouth, "I-I'm sorry. I-I-I didn't mean to-"

"Nelly." Spinel takes a step and grows very concerned as Nelly covers her face, seeming to brave herself from a hit. "What are you doing? Hold on a sec. Do you think I'm going to hit you?" Spinel's expression changed to one of guilt and worry at her own actions. She didn't even consider that maybe Nelly has been through hard times like everyone else. 

The small gem stares down at her sleeve covered arms, lost in thought before shutting her eyes and hugging herself. "N-no. I…..I need to go somewhere." Nelly walks past Spinel with her heart pigtails drooping back. 

"Nelly-" Spinel is cut off by Lion showing up and easily placing Nelly on his back. With a quick jump, they go through a portal. "Agh….way to go, Spinel." Spinel's hands run down her face. 

~°◇°~

You sigh stressfully and throw your head back against the couch. Your arm covers your eyes and hum in exhaustion. 'Don't get use to this. I won't be staying for long.' 

Suddenly a heavy weight lands on you and you grunt at the impact. 

"Nelly?" The said gem clung to your shirt. Immediately, your arms wrapped around her small form and cradled her close. "What happened? Did anybody hurt you?" 

Nelly shakes her head and lets out a very shaky breath. All that came out were whimpers as she tried to talk. 

You run your hand over her head and her hair, "Nelly, she's not going to hurt you anymore. She's gone for good and will never ever come back." You smile down at her warmly, "You know I'm here to protect you now." Unfortunately, she still shook.

Something happened while the little gem was out and you would never tolerate anyone if they did hurt her. Though she did sometimes get flashbacks and certain things can trigger it. Even after all these cen-....years. 

"Will your favorite donuts help? I'll even grab candy and a new animal plushie for your collection." 

Nelly sniff and nods while getting off you to sit on the couch. Quickly, she goes inside her sweater with only her pigtails sticking out. 'Nothing can get me in here. Cari, always said so.' 

You sigh quietly and place a kiss on her head, "I'll be as quick as I can. Alright?" You see the sweater move as a nod. With haste, you make your way toward the door and nearly ran into someone standing right outside. 

Spinel. 

~°♡°~

"Spinel! Hey." 

Spinel smiles slightly, "Hi, (Y/n).....um….is Nelly here?" She wriggles her hands nervously then frowns, "I said said some things that I didn't mean and well, she took off before I could apologize." 

With a glance back at the smaller gem, you hum in thought, "Alright-- but she won't really respond much until I get back unless you can try." You smile faintly and brush Spinel's arm, "Keep her company, will you? I'll try to rush back." 

Spinel gulps and stares in at the opened door to the home. She feels the pink lion nudge her forward. "Alright, alright. I'm going." Her steps are cautious as she makes her way to Nelly after closing the door. As Spinel say down, the atmosphere shifted to an awkward silence. 'Oh golly, what do I say?' 

"Knock-knock." Spinel jokes softly. 

Nelly doesn't do or say anything for a minute then her muffled voice breaks the silence. "No one's home right now." She sounded exhausted and….heartbroken? 

This caused Spinel's mood to drag down again, only to force herself back up to help Nelly. "By golly gee, I hoped to make it before they left." Spinel taps her chin and pretends to think and shrugs, "Ah well. I guess they didn't want their special package that was supposed to be delivered." Spinel takes a peek toward Nelly to see she moved a little bit closer to her. 

'What else can I do? Something to peak her curiosity. I know I'm curious to almost anything and everything, especially something new.' Spinel examines the way Nelly seemed protected in a ball inside her sweater. 

"You know, I think I'll take this package to my castle AND wait for them to come back. Maybe sit in front of the glowstick bonfire and sip from the finest grape juice in a box. I wonder if they would LOVE to join me?" This time, Spinel seen Nelly nod a tiny bit. 

In a quick stretching motion, Spinel picks up Nelly in her arms and zips up to your bed and throws the blanket over them. Nelly is placed a foot away in front of Spinel as she criss crosses her legs and taps her gem. A handful of glow sticks are now in her palms and she easily bends them all at once, illuminating the makeshift fort from dark to faint colorful light. 

The glow sticks are placed between the two gems as a two juice boxes are now in Spinel's hands. 

"We're both safe now, Nelly." 

Nelly pops her head out with a cute cartoonish pop and her pigtails are pushed back by the blanket. Her sleeve covered hands take the juice box as she slowly sips, but still not looking at Spinel and casts her gaze to her arms which….hid away something. 

"I'm not you." 

Spinel waits for the smaller gem to continue. 

Nelly puts away the juice box and starts to play with a few glow sticks, "I might've looked like you before, but if I could, I would change my appearance. No matter how much I try, these--" She lightly tucks on her heart shaped hair. "--never go away. It did once, but only for it to quickly re shaped back again." 

"Why don't you just poof? It's easier to change your appearance and quicker." Spinel says confused. 

"I'm different than a regular gem…..that's why the others would sometimes pick on me." 

"Really?" 

Nelly nods, curling up with her knees under her chin. "Being part organic is fun, but…..not when it comes to poofing or any type of injury to my gem. Just like a human, I can get badly hurt. I'm a mix between gem and human dna. I have this and I also don't have that. It's…. complicated. No one understood or accepted me. Except for (Y/n), her cousin, and C--...just them." 

This all grew very confusing to Spinel and if brought questions she wanted to ask, but she knew the smaller gem wasn't in the best place right now and Spinel grew worried that she might trigger something again. Though there was one question that she needed to ask.

"Who hurt you?" 

Nelly stopped making a flower shaped glow stick and stared at her sleeve covered arms. Her throat seemed to close a little and making it hard to gulp. 

It was silent. 

A minute passed, then maybe 3 minutes.

"Momma." Her voice cracks as heavy tears start to form. 

Spinel gives a long vacant stare at Nelly. She couldn't help it, but she could now actually see how she; herself, looked after breaking in the garden. 

A tear cascades down the side of her cheek and falls to her pink arm. No one had been there to hold her. No one had been there to comfort her. No one had been there for so many years for her. She was alone. 

'Someone should never ever be alone.' That's what Nelly has said earlier. 

"I-I-I….I didn't ask t-t-to be m-made." Nelly tries to wipe away the neverending tears. "I was-was made to replace M-Momma's real daughter." She tries to keep her voice steady. "I-I thought she was my momma the whole time." She sniffs and smiles very faintly. "We always had so much fun. Until she started to act….different. Treat me badly and half of the time…..I never did anything. Except getting yelled at; 'Why don't you act like her?', 'You're not her.', 'Do it right. Act like Helen."

Spinel snapped her attention back to Nelly when she noticed the gem's lips quivering. 

"I didn't really understand until it was too late. I loved her so much and I trusted Momma so much that….." Nelly keeps trying to wipe away the falling tears. "Back then, I never knew about part of my abilities as part gem. Like strength. So I couldn't escape the trash bin, especially one that had a lock."

You walk into the kitchen after coming back from the store and place the donuts down along with a stuffed penguin and an Ube Roll Cake from the Spacetries bakery. Your eyes take a sad glance up at the room above you. Knowing the two gems were up there. Silently, you climb up the ladder to the exposed bedroom and take a seat at the edge of the ladder. 

Nelly was finally telling someone else what had happened and you were still very, VERY angry at what that woman did to the smaller gem. 'How can someone be so cruel and lock a small child in a waste bin, then leave?' It explains why you can be overprotective of the ones you care about, well, part of it. Though if Nelly wants to go off to do her own thing, then you wouldn't keep her from it. 

You could faintly hear Nelly's desperate and heartbreaking wails in a attempts for that so called "Momma" to come back. "Momma! Momma! I love you, please come back! M-Momma….." You remember holding her in your arms after Car--....after Nelly was taken out of the trash bin. Her cries turning to hiccups.

Spinel fell in disbelief at Nelly and she felt tears fall subconsciously. "Nelly…." 

Nelly inhaled deeply and let's it out in a shaky breath. "I'm alright. It happened a very long time ago and I know she can't hurt me anymore, but it still hurts." She giggles softly and sniffs, "I usually need to let it all out sometimes instead of holding it in. I'm just happy to have someone there to comfort me." 

'That must be (Y/n).' Spinel thought. 'How can she take that all so well, unlike me.' 

"I always have my heart on my sleeve. Literally and figuratively." Nelly pulls back her left sleeve just enough to show a small bubblegum pink, heart shaped gem on the bottom of her wrist. It's covered back by her sleeves.

Spinel began to wonder why, at a certain point, did Nelly stop the sleeve from going nothing further away from the gem. "What's under your sleeves?" 

Nelly freezes then plays with the glow sticks again. "Maybe another time." 

Not wanting to push her luck, Spinel decided to change the subject. "Do you still want your package?" 

The small gem looks at Spinel to see her arms open and she breaks into a cheerful grin, launching herself to hug Spinel. 

Spinel's arms wrap around Nelly closely, coiling a few times to bring her closer. The two Spinels hugged in a comfortable moment and Spinel glances down at Nelly, "What did you want to show me earlier?" 

"Oh!" Nelly wiggles and struggled to pull out something, so Spinel untangled her arm. "This! I drew it for you!" Nelly happily holds it up and seeming proud with stars in her eyes. 

The paper is taken from her grasp and Spinel takes a look at the picture drawn on the front with crayons.

Immediately, her expression turns to one of a small and tender smile. Spinel hums, "It looks horrible, but…..I like it. Really, really, REALLY infinity like it." 

Nelly laughs and wraps her arms around Spinel's neck. 

Spinel puts the drawing away in her gem and hugs her back. 

Suddenly, the blanket is tossed up and you shout, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" 

The two squeal in fright. 

You snicker then laugh which caused Spinel to huff. "Well, we were having a great moment with counseling. How's about you join, hm?" 

"Eh. I think I'll pass, besides there's donuts and pastries waiting just below us." You grin and pat her head before making your way back down the ladder. Completely avoiding the talking session. 

"DONUTS?!" Spinel and Nelly say enthusiastically, now both with hearts in their eyes. "Come on, Cutie Puff." Spinel scoops Nelly up and swings down to the kitchen. 

You take a bite from the purple cake roll and nearly choke on it from laughing as Nelly and Spinel attack the donuts. Especially when Spinel kept holding the donut box way from Nelly and she playfully attacks Spinel's head.

While going to take another bite with a bigger piece of the cake, it's suddenly flicked onto your face and you gape at the whipped topping and purple crumbs around your mouth. Parts of the pieces falling to the floor. 

Spinel bites had lip and tries to hold back a laugh, only to let it a snort at her own actions of flicking the cake into your face. Not a second later, she bursts out laughing and slapping her knee. "I think ya missed your mouth, Sweetheart!" 

Nelly is laughing in her sleeved hand and the other holding the stuffed animal penguin. 

Your face held an unamused expression, but inside, it was actually funny. "Oh, you're going to get it now, Bunches." Without turning to the fridge, you take out the can of whipped cream. 

Spinel smirk and holds a hand on the side of her face, "Aw. I was just playin'. Besides, you've gotta catch me first." She flips her pigtail to the side with sass then laughs while running in place like a cartoon then taking off. 

You take off after her. 

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From outside the tiny beach house, laughter could be heard along with your slightly warning voice. 

"Spinel, don't you dare. Put those eggs back in that fri-IDGE!!! SPINEL!!!!" 

Spinel grins mischievously as she cracked a few eggs and let the yolks plop onto your head. Her face, clothed, and hair covered in whipped cream and flour. "Sorry. Didn't hear ya." 

That started another chase between you two while Nelly watched and ate a bowl of mac'n'cheese.