Fire and Ice 2: Small Miracle Chapter 1
This is just a sneak peek of the next story I’m gonna post to AO3. I’m not going to post all of it here because it’s explicit, but this chapter is okay.
“I don’t know why I even suggested this. I didn’t think they’d be so…wild. Hey, slow down and let me catch you!” Amethyst said, chasing Flare, one of Garnet’s gemlings. Pearl had been trying to give them a bath in the sink and the little Ruby had gotten away. They were babysitting the litter of five while their mothers (all three of them: Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet) were having a much needed break.
“That’s exactly why you don’t see me and Bismuth having a litter. At least not right now. They are a lot of work; you should consider yourself lucky you can’t have any. At least it’s one of the Rubies. Imagine how much trouble you’d have chasing down—Snowy! The shampoo is not to be squirted all over your sister!” Pearl said, trying to pry the bottle of shampoo out of the tiny hands of an angry little two-eyed Sapphire who had covered her pink Sapphire sister in it. The blue gemling was chirping angrily and didn’t want to give up her new toy. The tiny pink gem was squealing and her other sisters, another Ruby and an Almandine Garnet, were splashing each other and getting water everywhere and just generally making a bigger mess.
The short purple gem finally caught the tiny Ruby. “Much as I’d like one. You think Snowy is a handful; just imagine what an Amecub would… HEY! Flare, no biting! Bad gemling! If you don’t knock that off right now I’m gonna bite you right back and see how you like it!” She snapped.
“You will do no such thing and she’s not a bad gemling! They’re all teething; they’re going to chew on things! Bring her here, Garnet left me some of her toys so—no Sophie, the soap is not for eating, give me that—she can bite on those and not on us or one of her sisters. There’s already enough trouble with Snowy biting everyone, we don’t need Flare thinking it’s okay,” Pearl said.
“It hurt,” Amethyst complained, dropping the squirming Ruby into the sink, which made all her sisters start chirping loudly.
“Don’t you have somewhere else to be a nuisance?” Pearl asked.
“Not today. I’d like to go down to Quartz Quarters out in town and visit Carnie and the rest, but I told her I was babysitting and she made plans with Skinny and Sharky,” Amethyst said, munching on the bar of soap Pearl had just taken from Sophie the pink Sapphire. Quartz Quarters was the place her fellow Amethysts and the Beta gems built once they had relocated to Earth. They lived there after acclimating their human charges and were now just happy raising their new cubs and taking on odd jobs.
“Then can you at least get me a towel so I can dry the little ones off?” Pearl asked.
“Alright,” Amethyst said. As soon as she was off to fetch the towel, Sophie started making gestures and chirping very loud. Pearl wasn’t sure what she was doing, but Garnet had claimed the gemlings understood what they said and Sophie’s future sight was possibly better than her mother’s so maybe she was trying to tell her something.
“What is it Sophie?” Pearl asked the gemling. Sophie kept on gesturing, but Pearl couldn’t understand her. “I hope your mother comes home soon, she knows what you’re trying to say.”
“Maybe she’s just hungry,” Amethyst said, coming back with several towels.
Pearl handed the tiny pink Sapphire to the purple gem. “Dry them off and I’ll go get one of the bottles Garnet left in the fridge. And Amethyst, don’t you dare do what I think you’re thinking about doing!” she warned.
“I wasn’t going to do that! I learned my lesson last time!” Amethyst protested. She started drying Sophie off. This was the first time she had much contact with the tiny Sapphire. She had held her before and had played with her a little, but Ruby and Sapphire were extremely protective of her because she was a runt and rather delicate and Amethyst liked to play rough and had been known to do stupid things around gemlings. Like the time she pretended to breastfeed Lapis and Peridot’s gemlings; she was still in trouble for that.
Once she had dried her off, the purple gem brought the Sapphire close to her face. Sophie stared at her intently with her one eye. “Heh, you’re pretty cute, you know that? You look just like your Mama Saffs, except pink,” Amethyst said. Sophie licked her nose. “And you’re so little. You fit right in the palm of my hand. We’re both runts, aren’t we? I like you.”
“If she’s ready, put her in the playpen until I can feed her and dry the other ones off. Sabby looks really impatient, but luckily she can’t climb out of the sink yet,” Pearl said.
Amethyst smiled. “Remember how we used to give Steven baths when he was little?” she asked, picking up the Almandine gemling and drying her next.
“I remember me giving him baths while you did things like eat talcum powder and play around with bubble bath until I’d throw you out,” Pearl said.
“I’ve changed, I’m a responsible gem. I’d never do anything like that now,” Amethyst said.
“No, you just ate the bar of soap I had, and setting very bad examples for the gemlings. I already told Sophie that wasn’t to eat!” Pearl snapped.
“I want a gemling,” Amethyst said. “I told you, I’m responsible, I’d take good care of her, like how I helped take care of Steven. Please can I go adopt an abandoned Amethyst cub from the hatchery the Peridots built out in town?”
“I can’t tell you that. I would really prefer if you didn’t, but it’s not my decision. Immature as you act, you’re an adult gem and even if I was part of the decision and could say no, knowing you you’ll go ahead and do it anyway. But don’t expect me to take care of her all the time. And you can’t reconsider once you have one, they’re not toys,” Pearl said.
“I know what I want. I’ve wanted one since Lapis and Peridot had theirs. Peri tells me there’s always a number of gemlings whose mothers and sires never came back for once they hatched,” Amethyst said.
“Just one question: Where do you expect to keep a gemling? You’ll lose her in your room,” Pearl asked.
“Meh, I could build a nest. And I’m gonna get a hatchling, they won’t move around that much for a while, won’t even have their eyes open yet,” Amethyst said.
“Good thing Garnet has already gemling-proofed the house,” Pearl said. Of course, she didn’t think to Amethyst-gemling-proof the house though, she thought.
