Steven stood at the bottom of a crane, only half thinking about the work he needed to do. His thoughts were preoccupied by his nightmare. He couldn't imagine why she'd return if it were not something relevant to the dream, he’d had them before. 

They were with Lapis, but for her it was easier, he knew where she was, and what had happened to her. He could communicate with her. But Spinel, was for some reason closed off. 

Whatever it is, he thought,she doesn't want people to know. 

This made him worry even more. The thought of a Gem suffering so much that they couldn't even share it. And Spinel no less..she deserves a friend right now more than anything. 

Steven couldn't help but think that his initial dismissal of her may have caused her to come back. 

Or, it could be something much worse.

He shook the thought from his head as the warp pad glistened signaling a new arrival. Spinel stepped out looking rather worn, her arms drooping slightly lower than usual. 

Steven's eyes brightened for a short moment at the sight of his pink friend, until he noticed the exhaustion emanating from her. 

He dashed from his place to meet her and she slowly, really slowly, raised her hands to brace herself. Her movements were small and took a while to translate to the rest of her body, but she still managed to do so, despite the amount of effort required. Steven stopped himself before reaching out a hand. He tried to hold his tongue. 

"Spinel, something is wrong with you. I can tell." He said, his voice almost cracking with concern. The Gem shrugged and laughed, a wince of pain streaking across her face for a short moment. 

"Well, yeah! There's a lot wrong with me." She jested before heaving a sigh. Suddenly a loud crash came from the crane, a piece of iron landed on the ground a few feet from them. Spinel shrieked and coiled her arms around herself, enveloping herself into a ball, startling Steven. 

"Sorry about that!" Peridot screamed from atop a floating trash can lid.

Spinel's grip was tight as it could be as she tried to hold her gem together through her sudden and uncontrollable fear and pain. Her eyes teared up and she stared down at her gem as it began rotating to face her horrid crack to the world. 

"No, no no no no!" Spinel gasped as her body began to glow. Steven stared at the ball of limbs as it glowed bright, Spinel's limbs began to collapse as she couldn't hold on to the strength anymore. 

Steven stared at her. He stared at her gem and the deep crack within it. His eyes grew wide with knowing terror. He could barely tear them away from the enormous crack to see Spinel's face, contorted with horror. 

"Spinel..." he reached toward her, took a small step, the gem stepped back, for some reason all the emotions the weak gem felt were tied up in fear. She took another step back. And without a word, began running. 

Steven stood frozen in place as he watched Spinel run from him. His mind raced but his body wouldn't move an inch. 
Why was her gem cracked? Why was it cracked so badly? How long had it been like that? How could she even hide it? It didn't matter.
It needs to be fixed. 

Courage and unfounded compassion forced Steven's feet to move and soon he was chasing the broken gem through New Homeworld. 

Spinel was exhausted, she couldn't run anymore, the crack was worsening and her body began to fall limp, stretching out as she tried to climb up the hill. She had to hide. She had to rest. She stopped at a building far on the outskirts of New Homeworld. It was unfinished and empty. 
She turned her head, hoping not to see Steven chasing after her. And entered the dark empty building. 

Steven rushed against all he could think of as Time itself to find Spinel, he stopped at an unfinished building, a rope like piece of Spinel's arm peeked out of the dark doorway, and he could hear soft sobbing within. He paused at the doorway, peeking into the darkness.

"Spinel?" His voice reverberated along the walls.

"Go away." Spinel said through heavy sobs. Steven followed the extended arm until he heard the crying grow louder, Spinel sat slumped against a wall in the shadows, tears rolling down her face, she turned her head away from him. 

"Spinel, it's okay. It's going to be okay." Steven said softly, kneeling down to meet her level. The gem still refused to look at him, keeping her head low. He looked down at the nearly shattered gem on her chest, almost afraid to touch it, a crack splintered off of the large one in the center, forcing him to think quickly. 
Steven pressed his face into the gem, landing a kiss on it's broken surface and holding it there until he could barely breathe. 

The gem began to glow under his lips as the cracks lessened in size. He refused to lift his lips until the cracks ceased to exist entirely. And when they had, he lifted his head, peering into Spinel's teary eyes. 

Spinel was speechless, and in her moment of speechlessness she gently grabbed Steven's shoulders to push him away from her. The boy barely budged, but reluctantly sat back from her. 

Spinel touched the gem on her chest tenderly, half expecting it to completely shatter upon the delicate impact. It was solid and hard, as if she had just emerged from the ground. 

"I...don't understand." She mumbled, her voice cracking with relief and sorrow and guilt. 
Steven stared at the gem, almost at a loss for words. 

"I didn't think you liked me...at all." At this Steven let his mouth fall open in astonishment. 

"What do you mean? Of course I like you!" 

Spinel's face twisted into a look of confused anger.

"After what I did to you? To your planet?" She stood up now, pushing Steven aside, her movements sharper and more coordinated.

"You should hate me! I thought you were just being nice, just being nice to me so I wouldn't hurt you! Why did you do this? I don't understand!" Spinel yanked on her hair pulling it in front of her face to cover the tears welling in her eyes. 

Now Steven stood, holding his hand up apologetically before speaking, knowing that Spinel could easily misinterpret him like last time. 

"Spinel, I don't hate you, I never did. I was nice to you because you are worthy of a friend. I didn't think you'd be upset at me for healing your gem." 

"Upset?!" Spinel nearly shrieked, losing her composure. "I'm not upset! I don't get it?! I hurt you and then I left you and now I'm back and broken and I remind you of all the terrible things I've done and you still healed me, why did you do that?" 
Tears began to roll down her face as she suddenly flopped to the ground again, her arms coiling around her in a three fold hug. 

"I don't deserve this..I don't deserve to be here. I don't even know why I came here..I guess, I just thought it would be nice to see you one last time before they-" her voice faltered and her throat suddenly closed, her lips twitched with concern as her hands bolted to cover her mouth. Spinel's eyes drifted up at Steven, who still stood dumbfounded, staring at her. 

"Before who, Spinel?" He knelt before her and she turned away from him, her fists clenching her face tightly. 

He reached for the terrified Gem, lightly touching her shoulder, she flinched, before softening under his touch. 

"Is someone making you keep a secret, Spinel?" 

At this, she turned her head, tears rolling down her face. Steven inched closer to the gem, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her close, holding her to himself, fearing what would happen if he were to let her go. He knew at that moment that Spinel had come here to say her goodbyes. 
She had come here to die. 

He reluctantly and gently loosened his grip, resting his hands on the one covering her mouth and pushing it down slowly. Her head raised, a look of confusion and shock slipping across her face. Their eyes met, and Steven gave her a gentle smile. 

"I know what to do." The boy stood, still holding Spinel's hands as he helped her up. 

"We need to find pearl." He said determinedly.