Jasper x Fem! Reader (NOT FINISHED, may continue at a later date)

Chapter 35: Anger and Bargaining

       It doesn't get better. At least not as quickly as you had hoped. Two weeks should have been enough time, right? Wrong. After you admitted just how bad it felt to no longer have Jasper by your side, you found yourself thinking about the quartz a lot more often. That was supposed to be a good thing. Releasing all of your feelings and actually giving the elephant in the room the attention it deserved was supposed to be a good thing. A way to let go. Wrong again. The more you thought about the quartz soldier, the angrier you became with her. With yourself. And with the gems responsible for poofing her in the first place. Why did she have to try and fuse with that monster? Hadn't she known what would have happened? Or did she just not care? You scoffed, rolling your eyes. Of course, she didn't care. She was obviously only thinking of herself in the moment. She probably didn't even stop to think about how I would feel! Or Storm! Or my mom, or everyone else that was stupid enough to care about her. You glanced over at your phone that had begun to ring, the device vibrating harshly against the wood of your coffee table. You picked it up, your eyes roaming the screen. You sighed, hitting decline before tossing it to your side. Your mom had been calling your phone at least three times a week, and every time you had ignored her. It was also obvious that she was getting other people to try and contact you, but you read their messages and declined their calls as well. You knew your family was worried about you, but you didn't know how to tell them what happened. You couldn't say that Jasper was dead because there was still a chance she could be brought back. Wish I was dead, you thought with a sigh, standing to your feet. Storm looked up at you curiously before she began following you towards the front door. You smiled softly, your heart throbbing at how worried she had been about you lately. You were extremely appreciative of the feline for keeping you company since Jasper wasn't there. You honestly didn't know what you'd do without your furry friend. "Stay here, baby. I'm just going to go for a walk", you told the cat, bending to pat her head gently. She purred before turning around and hopping back onto the couch cushions. You twisted the doorknob and pushed, walking out onto your porch. You didn't bother locking the door behind you before you retreated down the steps, your feet touching the soft sand of the beach. "Why did Steven have to heal me", you mumbled, pulling the sleeves of your hoodie down. "I would have been in a lot less pain. I would have been in a lot less pain if I hadn't cared about her in the first place!" You groaned, throwing your head back in frustration. Your (e/c) eyes stared up at the clear blue sky, watching as fluffy white clouds drifted across it lazily. I could have done more that day. But my stupid legs didn't want to move. I was frozen in place. Frozen in fear and shock, and for what? On top of that, Steven shouldn't have jumped in. It wasn't his fight in the first place. Jasper was right about one thing — the Crystal Gems don't know how to do anything but fuse. You tilted your head down again, noticing that you had absentmindedly walked in the direction of the temple. "Speak of the devil...", you mumbled upon seeing Amethyst sitting on one of the stone hands protruding out of the sand.
"Heya, (n/n)!" You gave the quartz a small smile, walking over to the thumb and sitting on it.
"Hey, Amy."
"Whatcha up to", she inquired, turning her head slightly. You shrugged, looking down at your feet. "You look tired, sis...stressed almost. Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm just peachy", you said sarcastically, heaving a sigh. Amethyst flinched slightly at your tone before hopping off of the fingers she was sitting on. She walked to your side, leaning against you.
"Okay, sorry. I shouldn't have asked. That was kind of a dumb question." You hummed in agreement, pulling your hoodie sleeves down again. "Is there anything I can do to like...make you feel better? Or at least take your mind off of it for a while?"
"How about unbubbling Jasper", you said softly, crossing your arms.
"C'mon, (y/n), you know I can't do that", the gem said, running her stout fingers through her hair.
"And why not", you snapped, turning to look at her. "You asked what would make me feel better, didn't you?"
"Anything else but that", Amethyst groaned, flopping down into the sand. "She's dangerous, (n/n)."
"Jasper is about as dangerous as a declawed kitten", you said chuckling quietly. "To me anyway. I don't know how'd she feel about the people who practically forced her corruption."
"You think we were the ones that caused her corruption", the purple quartz exclaimed, sitting up to glare at you. "She corrupted herself. We didn't tell her to try and fuse with that monster!"
"Well, it wasn't like you stopped her either! None of us did. You forced her hand — what else was she supposed to do when all you guys do is fucking fuse", you yelled back, standing to your feet. "That's about the only thing y'all are good for anyway", you growled, narrowing your eyes. Amethyst's indigo eyes widened for a moment before she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. You rolled your eyes, flopping down into the sand with a frown across your lips.
"Let's say I did unbubble Jasper. What would you even do once she reformed?" You thought for a moment, burying and unburying your fingers in the sand beneath you.
"I'd...try and talk to her. She's still gotta be in there somewhere, right? If I could get through to her, maybe it'll reverse her corruption." Amethyst shook her head, crossing her arms lightly.
"That won't work. Yeah, you might end up getting through to her, but that won't heal her. Corruption is — complicated. All I know is that it takes some of Steven's healing spit or tears to reverse it, even just a little bit." You sighed, clenching the loose grains in your hands.
"Well, even if it won't take away the corruption I could still try and tame her, ya know?" The Crystal Gem stood in front of you silently, her arms still crossed. You could tell that she was in deep thought, her eyes never leaving your face. "Please, Amethyst? I'd do anything to just try." The quartz grumbled, leaning against the stone hand in the sand again. You made the biggest puppy dog eyes you could, looking up at her.
"I don't know, (y/n)...it could be dangerous. Not to mention how angry the G-squad and P will be."
"Please", you begged, crawling over to her. "I already said that I'd do anything! And you guys could even watch from afar to make sure nothing goes wrong", you said, squeezing her arms. "I won't ever ask for anything again if you do this for me, I promise." Amethyst hummed, a smirk playing across her lips before her indigo eyes met your (e/c) ones again.
"And you said you'd do anything, huh?"
"I mean, yeah, but nothing weird", you said, your face contorting into a scowl again. Amethyst chuckled, patting your head before pushing herself off of the stone thumb behind her.
"No take backsies. You already said you'd do anything. I'll be back", she called behind her as she walked back towards Steven's house. What did I just agree to, you thought, gulping quietly as you watched her lavender hair sway behind her.
Amethyst and the rest of the gems came out of Steven's house several minutes later, the youngest running up to you. "(Y/n), are you sure you want to do this", Steven asked frantically. You simply nodded, looking up at Garnet who had placed her hand on the boy's shoulder.
"I assure you it'll be fine, Steven. I wouldn't have let Amethyst take the bubble from the burning room if I thought (y/n) would be in danger." The youngest of the Crystal Gems gulped, looking up at the fusion nervously before looking back at you.
"Are you absolutely positive, Garnet", Pearl's soft voice asked, her pale hands clasped over her chest. The fusion nodded once, adjusting her visor. You smiled softly, quickly standing to your feet as Amethyst approached you. She slowly handed you the light purple bubble and you took it carefully in your hands, your eyes softening at the sight of Jasper's gem.
"Let's go over here. We wouldn't want her to see the temple immediately after being unbubbled. She might cause a scene", Garnet said calmly, walking down the beach towards your house. You followed her slowly, holding the bubble in your hands. Steven and Amethyst walked on either side of you and Pearl quickly caught up, walking beside Garnet. The fusion stopped by the side of your house, gesturing for you to come to her. You walked up to her, looking up at the maroon gem. She gave you a small smile before patting your head. Garnet then gently pushed you into your small backyard, pulling the other gems behind her around the corner of your house. "We'll wait here. If anything goes wrong, we'll deescalate the situation."
"Good luck", Steven whisper-shouted, clinging to the edge of the wall. Garnet shot you a thumbs up, Amethyst gave you a grin and Pearl gave you a small smile. You swallowed quietly, backing up slowly so that you were standing in front of your screen door out on the sand. You put the bubble on the ground, blowing out a breath before popping it and taking a step back. Jasper's gem stayed put in the sand, unmoving and dim. You bit your bottom lip, clenching the ends of your sleeves. C'mon, Jasper... You gasped, watching as the orange quartz began to glow softly, floating off of the ground. The bright light blinded you, making you shield your eyes momentarily before you heard low growling. You blinked a couple of times to regain your sight, seeing that Jasper was facing in the direction of the gems. She huffed, seeming to be sniffing the air as if she sensed them.
"Jasper", you called loudly, making the quartz freeze in place. She turned abruptly to you, growling lowly before roaring and approaching you. You pressed your lips together, clenching your fists slightly. The corrupted quartz soldier was now facing you, her huge form looming over yours. Her breath was warm and rustled your (h/c) hair. "Do you...remember me", you asked quietly, lifting your right hand slowly. The quartz growled before snapping at your hand, causing you to snatch it back to keep it from being torn off. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the Crystal Gems come out from behind the wall a little, summoning their weapons. You glared at them before looking back up at Jasper, reaching your hand out again. "Come on, Captain. I know you remember me — I'm in their somewhere..." Jasper continued to growl as you moved closer to her, taking steps back as you approached. You finally rested your (s/c-t) hand against her face, cutting her loud roar off swiftly. You placed your other hand against her face, burying your fingers into her mane before smiling softly. "See? I'm not going to hurt you. I promise", you said softly. The quartz lowered her head slightly and you pressed your forehead to hers, tears running down your cheeks. "I love you..." Jasper whimpered before howling loudly, tackling you. You screamed in surprise, letting out an 'oof' as your back hit the ground harshly. The gem above you placed her paws on each side of your torso, nuzzling your neck. "Whoa, watch the horns", you said with a chuckle, pushing her back gently. She whimpered again before licking your face, making you laugh. Jasper's tail wagged quickly, picking the sand up behind her and creating a small tornado. You squeezed the quartz's neck, kissing her gem. She made a noise similar to a bark plopping all of her weight down onto you. You groaned, feeling your skin across your abdomen strain. Jasper must have sensed your discomfort because of how quickly she got off of you before nudging your hoodie up with her "nose". She whimpered at the sight of your bandages, lapping gently at the skin around them. You blushed softly before slowly moving to your knees, smiling warmly at the gem. "Don't worry about that, I'm okay." Jasper whimpered again before you scratched under her chin, making her tail wag excitedly again. You giggled, pressing your face into her chest after she had sat down. She kept nuzzling you and licking your face, occasionally almost knocking you over from her excitement. She was like a puppy who hadn't seen their owner in a long time, which was undoubtedly very cute. You were about to call for the gems, feeling confident in your progress with Jasper, but the sound of Storm meowing loudly caught your attention. The feline was scratching at the screen door, her seafoam green eyes wide. You smiled brightly, the first one you had given in a while, before jogging over to the door. You opened it, letting Storm out. She slowly walked over to Jasper, her thin tail swaying behind her. The quartz cocked her head to the side, glancing down at Storm. The cat meowed, rubbing her body against Jasper's front legs. Jasper then flopped down into the sand, getting a better look at the feline. Storm stood on her hind legs, placing her front paws on the corrupted soldier's chest. Jasper's tail began to wag again before she began panting like a dog, pressing her gem to Storm's pink nose. You gripped your chest, smiling warmly at the two. Nothing in this world can ruin this moment for me, you thought, just before your phone began to ring from inside. You groaned, rolling your eyes before quickly going inside to get the device. You were actually considering answering the phone this time since you were in a good mood. You picked up the slender machine, putting it to your ear. "Hello?"
"Cuzzo! What's up?" You smiled at the sound of TJ's voice, leaning against the couch arm.
"Nothing much. What about you?"
"Chillin', chillin'...say? Why haven't you been answering your phone? Everybody been worried about you." You sighed softly, closing your (e/c) eyes for a moment.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry. I've just been busy, is all."
"Understandable. Where's Jasper? I've been calling her phone too, but she hasn't been picking up either. It goes straight to voicemail!"
"Well, Jasper can't —" You were cut off at the sound of Jasper howling loudly, making you jump. "I'll call you back", you said quickly, hanging up and throwing your phone to the side. You ran back outside, the sight before you absolutely horrendous. You gasped, collapsing back onto the patio steps. You held onto the railing, covering your mouth to stop yourself from throwing up. Jasper whimpered loudly, backing away from the disaster she had caused. "No, no...it was an accident, baby. It wasn't your fault", you said, quickly walking up to the quartz. "You just don't know your own strength right now, okay? It's okay", you cooed, reaching out to her. Jasper reeled back, roaring. You continued your approach, tears in your eyes. She was obviously frightened and devastated about what she did but you wanted to fix it. You didn't want to lose her again. You continued walking towards the corrupted soldier, making her howl again before she pulled her leg back, bringing her claws down onto your arm. You yelped, holding the bleeding limb to your chest. Tears stung your eyes, but you ignored the pain. Your main concern was Jasper.
"(Y/n)!" You looked up at Steven and the rest of the Crystal Gems that had come from behind the wall, their weapons at the ready. Jasper turned around, spotting them. She growled loudly, charging at them just like she had in the Beta Kindergarten.
"Don't", you screamed, but it was too late. Amethyst had already wrapped her whip around the other quartz's body, holding her in place. Garnet and Pearl charged at her, a huge explosion following their attack. You opened your eyes, hyperventilating as you fell to your knees. Jasper had been poofed and put into a bubble again. Steven and Amethyst ran up to you, examining your arm.
"I can help! The cut isn't that deep", Steven reassured, licking his palm.
"(Y/n), I'm — I'm sorry", Amethyst said softly, rubbing your back. You swallowed, biting the inside of your cheek harshly as Steven healed you yet again. The metallic taste of your blood filled your mouth as your body trembled.
"I — I didn't foresee this outcome", Garnet said quietly from behind you.
"We'll...get rid of the body", Pearl said softly. Now, you were broken completely. You didn't know what you would do now, or later, or ever again. Jasper was gone again and Storm was too. The feline had been crushed. Her body was bent in awkward angles when you saw her. You couldn't even bring yourself to turn your head to see where Garnet and Pearl would bury your precious pet.
"It gets better, huh", you said weakly, your body limp. Steven and Amethyst shared a glance before looking back at you worriedly, obviously not knowing what to say. You chuckled softly, that chuckle soon turning into full-blown laughter. It was the only way you could keep yourself from crying.