Work Text:
“It was so nice of Jamie to let us babysit, huh Jasper?” Greg commented one day.
It had been a few years since Jasper finally left her hideout in the woods and reintegrated into society, meeting and starting a relationship along the way. There were a few bumpy roads at first, but at this point they managed to have a healthy, stable relationship. One that they both, especially Jasper, needed.
Said former Quartz soldier took a look at the brunette one-year-old sitting in front of her. She wasn’t really sure how to feel about this, about Diana.
Usually when Jamie was busy, he’d hand Diana over to Andy so that she and Betty could play. However, Andy was also busy at this time and while they seemed to be doing alright with Betty, Jamie did not trust the Famethyst to handle Diana. Peridot also had a class to teach at Little Homeschool, so she was unavailable as well.
Jasper hadn’t met the baby girl before, a pregnant Lapis visited her one last time to make amends. While she accepted the apology(and vice versa), there were some things Jasper still had yet to understand.
For starters, she would never get why someone as powerful as Lapis Lazuli would just give up her form like that only to leave behind what she considered to be a drooling, crying, dumb small mass of human meat. What would she have thought about it years ago? The great, powerful Lapis that held her down as Malachite, reduced to a baby. It was almost ironic.
And now that baby was looking up at her in awe, which made Jasper slightly uncomfortable. Did Diana recognize her?
“Why is she staring at me?” she asked, looking down at the smiling infant.
“She’s a baby.” Greg explained. “Babies stare at new people.”
New people... that means she didn’t know her, Jasper realized.
“Maybe she’ll like you more once we spend time with her.” he said.
“I don’t know if I’m any good with human children.” she told him. Upon hearing Jasper’s voice, the infant started laughing, which surprised her.
“See? Look, she’s already starting to take a liking to you. Don’t worry, you got me to help you.” Greg assured her. “Raising Steven gave me loads of experience. We got this.”
Jasper smiled a bit. Leave it to Greg to always remain positive. Diana waddled over to Jasper and sat down on her knee. She bounced it up and down and the baby girl laughed some more.
“She really does like that, doesn’t she?” Jasper commented.
Diana laughed again. She continued bouncing the baby on her knee for a little bit, the girl giggling and smiling at the funny lady making her bounce. But then Greg noticed a putrid smell.
“Uh, Jasper?” Greg interrupted. “Do you smell that?”
“Smell what?”
“Oh boy...”
After a quick diaper changing(and Greg explaining how it worked), Diana started to get hungry.
“Here comes the plane!” Greg explained, holding the spoon of baby food in the air in front of Diana’s face. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t budge. “Come on...”
Diana just stood there and stared.
“Jamie said this was her favorite kind...” he muttered, looking at the jar he was holding. “Do you wanna try?”
“I don’t think I could do any better.” she grumbled.
“She seemed to like you earlier.” Greg pointed out. “There’s no harm in trying.”
“Hmm...” she looked at Diana, then back to Greg. “Okay, I’ll try.”
He handed her the jar and spoon and Jasper went in front of the baby. She held the spoon in front of the child. “Here comes the ship...”
When she once again heard the sound of Jasper’s voice, she began to laugh again. The orange Quartz took the opportunity to put the spoon in her mouth.
“Why am I so funny to her?” Jasper mused. “Shouldn’t I be scary? Children usually are.”
“You’re not that scary.” Greg assured her. “Maybe some find you intimidating, but that’s not something to be ashamed of.”
“Of course, I was meant to be intimidating.” Jasper replied as she put another spoonful into Diana’s mouth. “I was a soldier. That helped me out in battle, but not childcare. But somehow this one doesn’t think so. I’m not used to that.”
“Is it a good feeling or a bad feeling?” Greg asked.
“I don’t know...”
A few hours passed by, mostly uneventful. Diana behaved well and didn’t cry too much, except for one incident where she got scared of a seagull and Jasper had to chase it away, with Greg comforting the crying child.
Soon enough, Diana had fallen asleep against Jasper’s chest, making her unable to move. Greg had leaned against her and were currently enjoying the night time beach sky.
Jasper looked at the blue, teardrop shaped gem on the baby’s back, thinking of Lapis.
“I don’t want any kids.” she commented.
“Don’t worry, I don’t think I’d want another anyway. Not now.” Greg replied. “Babysitting is enough for me these days.”
“Do you think I’d make a good babysitter?” Jasper asked, looking at the sleeping Diana.
“Well, all kids are different.” Greg said. “But for Diana? Yes.”
Jasper smiled, glad that today turned out fine.