Chapter Text
Steven rolled the bubbles containing his father and his second cousin out on the porch. "Now, I'm going to let you both out of your bubbles, and when I do, you are not going to start fighting again, got it?"
Steven dispelled the bubbles "Now, will you please kindly explain why you ruined a perfectly good family dinner by fighting, in front of my children no less?" "He started it" said Greg.
"I started it? You're the one who hopped into a van and-" "What did I just say about starting to fight again!?" Steven snapped, coming in between the two men.
"I just...couldn't stand it! After Greg left...everyone did" said Andy. "And it didn't occur to you that everyone else leaving may have been a coincidence!?" Greg responded.
"Well, I- you see the timing was..." Andy stammered "Rrrgh! I was the only one who tried to keep things how they used to be! I knew what it meant to really be a family! And look what it got me, NOTHING!?"
"You could have met someone and started your own family" said Steven "heck, you have a plane, did it not occur to you to visit the family yourself? You just went and travelled the world, kinda like how my Dad left to travel the entire country."
"What!? I...he...no, you're right, I have a plane, I could have visited anytime I wanted...I could have known about you" said Andy. "Look, there's nothing wrong with remembering the past, especially if the past is as good as you make it out to be, but to cling to it is just not healthy, you could be blocking yourself off from a present that might be just as good. I mean, I get it, lord knows how I wish I could go back to the eighties or nineties, but I can't, I got to live in the right now, and, to be honest, I'm perfectly content with the right now, even if I'm reaching the age where new music is starting to sound like crap to my ears."
"I guess, I guess I could have changed too, along with everyone and everything else" said Andy. "Well, it's not too late, you've got new family, me, my aunt who's younger than me, my wife and kids, you name it." said Steven.
"And...I probably should have kept in touch with my favourite cousin" said Greg "you must have missed me so much." "I did. But my aim is getting better!" said Andy who noogied Greg "and I guess I could take it easier on your multicoloured friends, there, after all, they were your wife's family!"
"Well, we weren't technically married..." Greg admitted. "What do you mean you weren't technically married!?" "Yeah Dad, technically because you and mom had me, even without being married, you two are legally a common law marriage."
"How do you figure that?" asked Greg. "Connie read to herself aloud when she was studying for law class exams" said Steven. "Oh yeah, I remember your wife telling me that property law" Andy admitted "say, what does she do? She a lawyer or something?
"No, she's a law professor, head of her department, actually" said Steven.
Steven then bought the two old men back inside "These gentlemen have something they would like to say, everyone" Steven announced. "We're sorry" both men said remorsefully.
Dinner resumed at the table as Andy tried opening up to others at the table. "Well, erm, Lapis and Peridot...I guess it's okay for you to keep the barn. Legally it ain't even mine anymore to begin with" Andy admitted.
"Thank you" said Lapis "we will make sure it's well taken care of." Greg was talking to his sister where he was sitting "Thanks for that graduation gift, Greg. Finally got it" said Samantha.
"Snail mail is the one thing that never changes in this country" said Greg. "Don't I know it" Samantha chuckled. "So, you gonna start your own detective business?" asked Greg.
"Not yet, gotta complete the last month of my internship" "Well, you're gonna be one heck of a private investigator, after all, you found me!" said Greg.
As Steven and Connie looked on at everyone, Connie turned to Steven "That was nicely handled, Steven." "You heard us out there?" asked Steven. "Yeah, kinda, you and Andy have one thing in common, you're both pretty loud." said Connie.
Connie saw a notification on her phone "Brace yourself, Steven, winter weather is coming." "Yikes! This week's gonna be a doozy!" said Steven looking at Connie's phone.