The sun was sinking low on the horizon as the day ended. From their position on the statue’s hand, it was a beautiful sight. The rays reflected off the ocean, lighting up Rose’s face. If you were to ask Pearl, it was a more beautiful sight than the sun setting over the ocean. She had seen that enough times to grow bored of it after so long, though it did offer quiet and tranquility over the human world. She watched Rose smiling at the ocean, one arm over her swollen stomach. Over Steven.
Pearl did not resent Steven. He did not choose to be born. It was not his fault, and she would never- consciously- blame him for what was going to happen. Greg was another story. It was his fault she was leaving them. He was taking their leader away, just like he had taken their fence and security that came with it. It was all his fault, and she would always hate him for taking her away.
Rose’s voice snapped her from her angered thoughts, soft and warm as always as her eyes drifted from the simple beauty of Earth to her loving Pearl. “Pearl?”
“Yes Rose?” she asked after a moment, hoping she hadn’t been caught staring at her. She probably had been, and Rose would probably tell Garnet and it would end up with her being scolded because she thought she was trying to change her mind when really all she wanted was doing was appreciating what was going to be lost before too long.
“I want you to promise me something, for when I’m gone.” Rose’s eyes drifted back to the water, orange and blue with reflections of the simple light that splayed across it. Pearl followed her gaze, watching the sun slowly sink lower.
“Anything Rose,” she breathed after just a single moment of slight hesitation. Rose had never left her wrong before, and she wasn’t going to start now surely. Pearl never regretted following Rose for a single moment, and she wanted to let her go out with at least one thing constant in their lives since Greg had shown up.
“I want you to watch him for me. Care for him for me. I won’t be there to hold his hand for his first day of school, or kiss his scraped knees, or even hold him once, and I want you to do that for me. He needs someone to protect him, to teach him, a-and…” A fat tear bubbled in the corner of Rose’s eye as she talked, slowly rolling down her cheek. She had to stop for a moment to try and steady her voice, and Pearl took the chance to wipe it away while she could.
“I promise you Rose. I’ll take care of him for you, because you want me to.” Tears bubbled in the corners of her own eyes and she wrapped her arms around the larger woman tightly, not wanting to let go for fear of losing her too soon.
She was the first person to hold him. She was beside her, holding her hand through it all, and Greg fainted. The little body was in her hands first, still glowing and pink. His piercing scream echoed through the temple, a little fighter already, and she instantly fell in love. She cradled him close, letting the tears run down her cheeks freely as she gazed upon what was left of their leader. Just the little gem tucked inside of a screaming baby boy, but he was her baby boy. He was Pearl’s, and even if he was Greg’s too, she had made a promise and Pearl kept her promises. Especially to Rose, and she would let her gem get cracked- get smashed before she let this little one get hurt.