Lapis and Peridot

And dad, you might think she's a criminal...

[Lapis' POV]

This was bad. This was bad. This was really really really really bad. My wrist hurt as if it was broken. The pain was excruciating. My ribs were throbbing, my legs trembling, my head aching... What had gotten into me? What had possessed me to stare Jasper in the eyes and spit out the words, "Go ahead. Destroy me. Poof me into my gem. I don't care?"

The moment the words left my tongue I knew I had made a mistake. How bad the mistake would turn out to be, I had no idea. Mentally I cursed at myself; I shouldn't have let my defiance control me. For a second, Jasper was taken aback. Her eyes widened and her weight shifted back just a teeny bit. The next instant she remembered who was the captor and who the prisoner.

"You DARE!" Jasper hissed. "You dare speak to me like that, you brat!" There was a moment of silence, silence filled with a tension so strong I figured I could cut it with a knife. "Fine." I shivered as Jasper's mouth stretched into a grotesquely wide smile. "You want me to destroy you?" Her tone sent shivers down my spine, it was so filled with cruelty and menace and the promise of my doom. She took a few steps towards me and I retreated until I hit the wall, where I stopped, trembling. "I'll do it gladly." Now I was stuck, trapped, thrown against the wall. I didn't see any way I could get out of this one alive... I really messed up, didn't I. Jasper's hand formed a fist and she drew her arm back, eyes glittering coldly. I flinched and dropped to the ground. Jasper's punch hit the wall with a clang and she hissed in pain. Okay, that was a bad idea, she was just more angry now...

After a few seconds, Jasper drew her hand back for another punch. One of her arms went to my throat and she held me in place against the wall, the other arm was poised above her head. I flinched and closed my eyes, ready to be destroyed... Oh, why had Peridot opened that barrier... why did my captors have to be a brute and a robot... why was I always the prisoner...

"Jasper!" A voice suddenly split the air. Speak of the Diamonds, was that Peridot? It sounded like her, only more... high-pitched. Almost as if she were scared. "What are you doing, Jasper?" I opened my eyes just a crack. Yes, that was Peridot. She had gotten her voice under control now; perhaps I had just imagining the voice change. Jasper's choke-hold got a teeny bit less constraining as she replied.

"I'm doing what this little brat told me to do," Jasper replied in a voice that could cut through rock. "Destroying her. 'Poof'ing her." I just had to speak up, didn't I... I was such an idiot... I closed my eyes again. At least I didn't need to breathe in order to survive.

"Jasper don't!" Oh my stars. Was Peridot protecting me? "If you destroy Lazuli, she might decide not to come out of her gem, and then how will we make it to the correct location? The "Crystal Gem"'s base?"

Jasper and I stared at Peridot.

I gasped as Jasper released me, reaching up to rub my sore neck and then remembering with a wince that my wrist was broken. My vision went fuzzy with pain, but I tried to pull myself together and concentrate. What's going on here? Has Peridot decided to be on my side? OH STARS, WHAT'S HAPPENING?

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Jasper was roaring at Peridot. "THIS IS OUR PRISONER! ARE YOU PROTECTING A PRISONER!?"

"No." Peridot's voice was cold, stiff, and sounded as if she was fighting to control herself. "I'm being logical."

"WHAT'S LOGICAL ABOUT STOPPING MY HURTING THE PRISONER ?" Jasper gave a vague arm gesture around my area. "THIS IS MY PRISONER! I HAVE A RIGHT TO TREAT HER AS I LIKE, AND THE PRISONER PRACTICALLY INVITED ME TO DESTROY HER!"

"Jasper. You're getting overexcited. I'm being logical and you know it. Besides-" and for a minute she looked almost scary- "she's not your prisoner, she's mine. I'm in charge of this mission and for that matter, I'm also in charge of YOU."

"PERIDOT..." Jasper seemed to be trying to calm down a little, apparently seeing that Peridot wasn't going to respond to her shouting. Meanwhile, I was huddled against the wall. My eyes flicked from one of my captors to the other as they argued. After a moment my eyes flicked to the exit, where the cell wall was still open. I could escape now!

...but I had nothing to escape to.

The realization hit me. My home was gone. Homeworld wasn't how it used to be. I couldn't live there anymore! And Earth, well, that wasn't my home either - the only good thing on it was Steven, but... Even if I escaped from this space hand... I would just die out there. I slumped against the wall, my hand dropping to the ground. Owwww. That was stupid. I was stupid. And hopeless. Thinking, I looked back up at my arguing captors. Their mouths were moving but my thoughts were so hard at work that I could barely make out their words. Maybe if I cooperated they would give me a pardon, a chance to try and live on the Homeworld... Slowly I tuned my mind in to what they were saying. Peridot had gotten rid of all visible emotion (not that there was much in the first place, but now she didn't even look angry) and was speaking in a monotone to Jasper.

"It's agreed, then. You'll leave my prisoner alone, and in return, I will allow you to deal with her if I have any trouble."

Jasper just grunted in response.

"Very well." Peridot was apparently finished with this conversation. "Leave now, Jasper. Do as you like. But don't touch Lazuli. I will need her to help me get to the rebel base." Jasper grunted again and left in a huff, stomping with each step. Peridot turned to follow her, but stopped after exiting my cell. She opened her finger-screen and tapped in a few buttons. The yellow field on the exit appeared, trapping me in once more. I had the feeling that Peridot was avoiding looking at me - but why? As she turned away, our eyes met involuntarily.

Was it possible that she felt sorry for me?