"Ugh, man thanks guys. I appreciate the help." I said, looking over at the others as we walked back into the barn. "I wonder how Steven and Peridot are doing..." I muttered, pulling my phone out of my back pocket. I checked it, and noticed Steven texted me a couple times.

Steven: We're at the shore now!

Steven: We found a little friend to take home with us! :D

Steven: Scratch that last message. Peridot just got pinched by a crab :/

Steven: We're heading back to the barn. Is it clear???

Lapis: Yea its all good u can come back now :)

"Okay, looks like they're headed back now." I told everyone. "Welp, that's our cue. We'll see you tomorrow morning." Pearl said with a small smile. "Okay cool! Thanks again guys, bye!" I waved, and they all began to walk to their motorcycles. The dust from their bikes driving off flew through the air, and as soon as it dissipated I could spot two figures walking toward me. Once they got close enough, I knew it was Steven skipping beside a trudging Peridot. I then remembered what Peridot said about me resting, so I turned on my heel and quickly walked back into the building. "Say hi to Steven for me, Pumpkin!" I shouted, speed-walking up the stairs.

Peridot's POV:

My index finger ached from the piercing pinch of that little fucking beach bitch. I kept my thumb pressed against it, because it seemed to relieve the pain somewhat. "We're back!" Steven shouted in an enthusiastic tone, and I looked over at Pumpkin sitting on the floor, as if she were waiting for us. "Is Lapis still resting?" I asked her, and she nodded with a smile. "Good. Steven, can you stay here with her for a moment?" I asked the boy, and he quickly nodded. I nodded back, then quickly headed up the stairs.

I spotted Lapis lazily laying on the bed, her face mashed into a pillow. She must be asleep, I thought. "Lapis...?" I asked in a very quiet voice, and I was startled as she hummed in response. "O-oh I thought you were asleep! Sorry..." I said, looking to the side. Lapis then slowly rolled over onto her back and looked at me with tired eyes. "Nah, just resting. Don't worry about it. How was your time with Steeevenn?" she asked with a grin. "Well...besides getting harassed and attacked by a crab, it was pleasant." I replied, walking towards the bed. "Well, that's good. I've just been here...resting...being lazy...wallowing in my own sickness..." she murmured, and I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

"I'm exhausted." I groaned, flopping onto the bed beside her. "Good. You can go to bed early with me." Lapis replied, her eyes remaining closed and she wrapped both of her arms around my right arm. She nuzzled her chin into the spot where my shoulder and neck connected, and I sighed. I stared up at the ceiling, feeling relaxation take over my body. Tomorrow is my birthday...I'm going to be 18 years old. An adult. How scary is that? Then again...I have gone through things that most adults wouldn't normally...

"I'm gonna head back to the beach house, guys!" Steven shouted from downstairs. "Okay! Just close and lock the door behind you so Pumpkin will be okay!" Lapis called after him. After a moment, I heard the door close, and silence washed over the room. The silence was then broken by the sounds of Pumpkin putting Moana back on the TV. "Don't stay up too late!" I yelled, and Pumpkin yelled 'okay' back in her high-pitched voice. I felt myself slowly drifting off to sleep, consciously trying to keep my thumb on my index finger. Fucking crab...

. . . . 

-The next morning-

My eyes fluttered open, and I lifted my arm to immediately shield my eyes from the sunlight pouring in through the window. After I blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness, I slowly sat up. I ran my fingers through my messy blond hair, and looked over to my side. "Lapis?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking around the room - she wasn't in here. I scratched my forehead, and reached over to my sidetable to pick up my visor. I put it on and widened my eyes a bit, looking around one more time. Nowhere. Hm. She's supposed to be restingggggg....

I noticed that my phone wasn't on the sidetable, and I looked below it. It had fallen onto the floor, so I bent over to grab it with a groan. As soon as I sat back up in my bed, the terrifying sound of a balloon deflating and flying around the room echoed my ears. I screeched, clearly startled by the eerie sound. Pumpkin stood there with her fingers to her lips, looking like she previously had that now deflated balloon in her hand. "Oops." she muttered, staring at me. "Good morning, Peri." I heard Lapis's voice, which relieved me. 

I looked over at her and gasped as I spotted a tray of food in her hands. I stared down at the food, then back up at Lapis in awe. "Y-you didn't have to do this, Lapis...y-you're still sick, ya know!" I protested, feeling a blush form on my cheeks. "Uh, I actually feel much better this morning. So it's all good. Happy 18th birthday, Peridot." she replied, grinning at me. I smiled, feeling all giddy inside. She handed the tray to me, and I took it - hesitantly, of course- and stared down at it, my mouth practically watering. "Holy crap this looks delicious! I can't believe you cooked this!" I said, then taking a bite.

OH MY FUCKING GOD MMMMSNNDNFDDNBFCF. "Compliments to the chef..." I said, smirking at Lapis. She chuckled, looking to the side and folding her hands behind her back.

Lapis's POV:

Pearl cooked that breakfast.

Peridot's POV:

After I finished eating my food, Lapis told me to get dressed and ready. I assume we're going out then? I put a plain white t-shirt on, and slipped on dark blue skinny jeans. I then put on my leather jacket and gelled my hair. "'K, what're you planning, Lapis?" I asked, walking down the stairs slowly. I then jolted back in surprise as everyone yelled 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY PERIDOT!!' as I took my first step on the bottom floor. Steven, Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet stood around a table with two fairly big presents and one small present. Pumpkin held a bunch of green balloons and Lapis stood next to her, her arms stretched out in a presenting manner. "Wh-what?! F-for me?!" I stuttered, feeling my cheeks burn much hotter than earlier. 

"No, for me." Lapis said sarcastically, giving me a lazy smile. "Of course for you! Surprise!" Steven yelled from the back, and I giggled. "Oh my stars, you guys! This is amazing..." I said, walking up to Lapis, and pecking her on the lips. "Well, it was Lapis's idea..." Pearl added, and I raised my eyebrows. Lapis scratched the back of her neck, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Of course with some help..." she muttered. "I love it. Thanks, Lapis." I said in a soft voice of sincerity. "C'mon, P-dot let's open these presents upppp!!!" Amethyst shouted with a grin. "O-oh!" I approached the table, and couldn't choose which one to open first. 

The first one I noticed was a fairly big wrapped present on top of a bigger present, so I finally decided to open the smaller one first. I began to gently unwrap it, not wanting to seem obnoxious. "C'mon, Peridot, RIP IT UP!!!" Amethyst shouted, hopping up and down. I sighed and let a smile stretch across my face, then I thought fuck it. I eagerly tore open the paper, and it revealed a cardboard box with a loose lid. I opened the lid quickly, and pulled out a brand new t-shirt that looked extremely similar to the shirt I wore the day I joined (coughwaskidnapped) the diamond authority. My original shirt was a tank top with a small green alien on it, and this new one was the same color and had an alien, but it had sleeves. 

"That one's from me!" Steven said, raising his hand with a huge grin on his face. "Wow thanks!" I replied, smiling at him widely. "I love it! The alien is awesome!" I said as I held it up, examining it. I moved on to the next present, and placed my hands on it. "Who's this one from?" I asked, looking over at everyone. "That one's from me." Lapis said, putting her hands in her pockets. I then looked down at it, and noticed it was just a box with a lid, but a red ribbon was tied around it. I pulled the ribbon and untied it, letting it fall as I lifted the lid. I peeked in, and immediately slammed the lid back onto the box, my face burning a bright red. I heard Lapis snort and break into a fit of laughter behind me. "L-LAPIS D-DON'T YOU THINK I SHOULD'VE O-OPENED THAT LATER?!" I asked in a screechy voice. 

"Nah, thought I'd make you wait to use it all day." she said, smirking. I groaned, covering my face with my hands as I heard Amethyst's laughter and Steven and Pumpkin's confused noises and questioning. "What's in there?" Pumpkin asked, lifting the lid slowly. I practically tackled her hands, keeping the lid closed. "N-NOTHING, SWEETHEART." I hastily replied, feeling sweat form on the back of my neck. "Okay! Jesus..." she walked away, shrugging at Steven. Steven shrugged back and I let out a breath of relief. "I-I'm gonna see wh-what this one is." I said, even though my mind was racing with dirty thoughts around the present from Lapis. I approached the smallest one, and the box was literally the size of a credit card. "That one's from us." Garnet said, referring to her, Pearl, and Amethyst. 

I nodded and opened it gently, and looked inside. I arched an eyebrow as I noticed it was a key. I took it out of the box and examined it carefully. The button thingy that was chained with the key had a Honda symbol on it, and I gasped as I realized it was a vehicle. "Wh-wha?" I looked at them with surprise, and they smiled at us. "Come with us." Pearl said, nodding her head toward the barn entrance. I speed-walked to the entrance, but couldn't contain myself, so I began to sprint outside. I then spotted a green motorcycle parked right next to Lapis's. I gasped loudly, feeling my excitement shoot through the roof.

"Th-that's MINE?!" I asked in a high-pitched voice. "Yup." Garnet replied, and my eyes were wide as saucers. I squealed, running to it. "iT's bEauTifULllLLlLL!!!" I sobbed, looking at it more closely, feeling the leather seat and the handlebars. "Sick, right?!" Amethyst added, and I laughed excitedly, grinning. "We all chipped in some cash to purchase it for you." Pearl explained. "Thank you soooo much, guys. Really." I said in a serious voice, and everyone nodded happily. "Annnnd I have one more present for now..." Lapis said. "R-really?" I asked, not believing that there could possibly be more. "Y-yeah...so...back when I led my real mother's gang, the Rubies who rescued you from the scene found something..." she muttered, looking down. She pulled out a necklace - well more specifically a dogtag necklace. She held it out to me, and I looked at it with confusion. 

I took it, and studied it closely. It read 'PERIDOT 4XG' on it, and then I looked down at my own dogtag necklace, which said 'PERIDOT 5XG' on it. "M-my mom's gang role..." I said, staring down at the old necklace. "Sh-she must've dropped it when...y-you know. I thought you'd might wanna have it...s-since you guys were so close and all..." Lapis explained, looking to the side and scratching her cheek. "L-Lapis...this is so meaningful. I never thought I'd find anything like this from my mother..." I replied. "Well, that's the other thing...the room that you stayed in, was previously your mother's work room. So before they moved you into that room, I had them search it and clear it out. But the Amethysts found a note she had been writing, I guess. I never opened it, because I admit...I didn't really care at the time. But I never bothered to throw it out or get rid of it." she said, looking a little unsure about something.

"Wh-what about it?" I asked, unsure of where this was going. "I realized that I'd been holding onto it, and I finally opened it last week. Peridot...she wasn't going to kill you like Yellow Pearl said. Sh-she..." Lapis explained, looking down. "She what?" I asked. "For your birthday, I wanted to give you the satisfaction of knowing that she actually loved you very much. S-so here's this." Lapis held out a small folded note, and I shakily took it from her. I stared up at Lapis, and she gave me a weak smile. I then looked back down at the note, and slowly opened it, extremely nervous of what it said on the inside. 

My Dear Penelope,

I hope you know that I will always be thinking about you while you're gone. Your father will take good care of you, and don't worry about me. I just have a lot of business on my hands that I unfortunately cannot put aside. Therefore I wouldn't have been able to take full care of you. Keep this note to remember me bye, and I hope to see you again one day. I always will tak

The rest was unfinished, but I teared up reading it, and I was so confused. "Wh...my father? Bye? What...what was she planning?" I asked in a shaky voice, trying to hold back tears. "Pearl and I pieced it together, and realized that your mother was protecting you. What Yellow Pearl told you back there, was most likely some lie that your mom made up. In reality she was going to send you off to live with your father, and probably fake that she actually killed you. Otherwise...the other diamonds may have killed you on their own." Lapis explained. "S-so...my mom wasn't actually gonna kill me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. 

"No, Peridot. She loved you very much, and didn't want you anywhere near the danger. She must've made that note to send it to you on your way to your father's." Lapis replied. "I...I don't know what to say." I muttered, staring down at the note blankly. I was in shock, and still couldn't believe the object in my hand, and the message it revealed. Lapis looked at me with a soft expression, and I hugged her tightly. She was frightened at first, but then gently hugged back. After some silence, I realized everyone was still standing there, and I pulled away. "Uhh, heheh..." I scratched the back of my neck as I looked at them.

Amethyst stood there with a smirk, crossing her arms, Pearl had a small smile with her hands folded, Garnet stood in silence, Steven had stars in his eyes, and Pumpkin had a large grin on her face. "I have one more present." Lapis stated, and I looked over at her with wide eyes. "You what?! There's more?!" I asked with utter shock. "Of course there is. Peridot you've done so much for me, how could there not be more?" she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Wh-what is it?" I asked, filled with curiosity. "That'll be saved for later." the bluenette told me, smirking. DAMMIT I HATE TO ADMIT IT BUT I'M IMPATIENT. 

"Now, Peri. We won't worry about that right now. We all decided to chip in on something you want to do." Lapis explained, and I arched an eyebrow. "What I want to do?" I asked. "Yeah, like is there anything that you've actually been wanting to do for a while...or something you just have a sudden urge to do right at this moment?" Amethyst asked with a chuckle. I thought deeply for a moment, biting down on my bottom lip. "Hmmm..." What have I been wanting to do for a while...well...there's something that everyone in this gang has except for me. Well, and Steven and Pumpkin. 

"I've been wanting to get a tattoo." I replied, and Lapis showed an expression of intrigue. "Really? A tattoo?" she asked, and I could see a small smile eagerly trying to peek out. "Yep. You guys all have one, and I kinda wanted one too. Something meaningful, maybe." I explained. "Sounds lit! We should go now!" Amethyst said, turning to Pearl and tugging on her arm as if she were her mother. I mean, I've always thought tattoos looked pretty cool. Lapis has a beautiful one on her back, and she recently got some pretty ocean-water type designs across her left shoulder and down her arm. 

Steven told me that Pearl has some roses down her right hip, and Amethyst has two teardrops under her left eye, and Garnet has this FREAKY-LOOKING eye tattooed on her forehead. "Alright, let's get Peridot a tattoo." Pearl said, smiling at me. I smiled back eagerly, and balled my fists out of excitement. "You're gonna go through a lot of pain." Garnet deadpanned.