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Chapter Text

Steven was pulling into Beach City, it had been a hot minute since he had last been there and he was in the highest of spirits to get home to Connie. He looked up in his rearview mirror and saw that Rebecca was looking disappointed.

"Hey, Rebecca, everything alright back there?" asked Steven. "Yeah..." said Rebecca. "Still upset that Lapis won't be staying in the lighthouse like you wanted?" asked Steven. "Yeah..." 

A few hours earlier, Steven was speaking with Lapis. "Changed your mind, huh? You okay with bunking with Peridot now?" asked Steven. "Yeah, you know what? I think I am" said Lapis "somebody's gotta make sure she keeps out of trouble." 

"Heh heh heh, you got that right" Steven chuckled. Peridot was laughing too "Ha ha ha! What are we laughing at?" she said obliviously.

"Anyway, I know Rebecca's gonna be disappointed by this but, tell her I'm sorry and that she can visit any time she wants" said Lapis. "Can do, Lapis, can do" said Steven.

"Hey, look, I know you wanted her to be close by and all, but that barn is very close to a warp pad" said Steven "it may not be what you were hoping for, but you can go see her anytime you'd like."

"I can?" "Yeah, I mean, you'd have to let me and Mommy know you're going there beforehand, but yeah" said Steven. "Okay" said Rebecca.

"And remember, no TV for three weeks when you get home" said Steven "you volunteered for that punishment, so you've got to take it with no complaints, got it?" 

"I know, I know, I shouldn't have run off with Lapis and made you and Mommy worry" said Rebecca.

"I'm glad you understand that, Rebecca. And for what it's worth, I'm kinda proud to see you take responsibility, you really are growing up, Rebecca. In more ways than one" said Steven.

Steven pulled up by the Beach House and came inside with Rebecca and were greeted by Connie, who immediately hugged her daughter and then kissed her husband.

"I've been looking forward to that" said Steven. "Even though I had the kids to keep me company, this house just isn't the same without you in it" said Connie. "Aw, shucks, Connie, you're making me blush" said Steven.

"Did someone miss me?" "You know I did, babe" the married couple hugged each other but were interrupted by Amethyst gagging "Jeez, save the mushy stuff for when I'm not here, jeez!" 

Amethyst then opened the fridge "Hey, what happened to my cake!?" "That was supposed to be cake?" asked Connie "well, I threw it out anyway." "Awww, I was trying to get the cake's ingredients to ferment" said Amethyst. 

"That's not how cake works, Amethyst" Connie groaned. "Mommy! Mommy! Look! Joshua's hugging me!" said Rebecca, as little Joshua was doing exactly that.

"Oh! Oh!" said Connie scrambling for her phone "stay just like that you two! I've gotta get a picture of this!" Connie quickly got a picture of the display of sibling affection "my parents are gonna eat this up!"

After taking some time to settle in and talk with Connie about everything that had happened while he was away and spending some time with the kids, Steven decided to go to The Big Donut for a snack.

But when he got there, he was greeted with the disappointing site of Sadie locking the store up "Oh shoot! Closing time already?" asked Steven.

"Oh, hey Steven, haven't seen you for a while, you missed all the earthquakes" said Sadie. "Oh, I didn't miss the Earthquakes, I kinda sorta put an end to it before things got real bad" said Steven. 

"I was too busy settling back in at home, must have forgotten its closing time earlier on weekends" said Steven "hey, do you think you could just get one donut from the display case as a favour for me? I'll pay for it."

"Sorry, but I already set up the alarm" said Sadie. "Ah, that's fair" said Steven. "But you should definitely come by tomorrow" said Sadie. "Oh? and why's that?" asked Steven. 

"The workplace lawsuit corporate had been facing had been dropped, so tomorrow, we're baking fresh donuts again" said Sadie. "Wait, fresh donuts!? They haven't baked fresh donuts here since 98!" said Steven. 

"Well, if you'd like a good taste of nostalgia, pop by the store the moment it opens and you try the first freshly baked donut of the day" said Sadie. "Hmm, might have to take you up on that offer" said Steven.

The next morning Steven woke up around 6:55 AM, Connie nuzzling up against him as she slept. Steven slide out of his bed ever so quietly as to not rouse Connie from her slumber.

He felt bad about her waking up without him next to her, but decided to make it up by picking up an extra fresh donut for her to make up for it.

Steven got out the door, not even feeling the need to drink coffee, the prospect of a fresh donut was enough to energize him.

"Alright, got five minutes before the Big Donut opens, today's gonna be a great day, oh yeah!" Steven leapt with excitement, he leapt a little too well, before Steven noticed, he was floating very high in midair!

"I've heard of being an early riser but this is ridiculous...uh, little help?" asked Steven. 

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"Okay, Steven, calm down" said Steven "so, I've got a new gem power...and this one lets me fly! Cool! Now, how do I get down?" Just then, a white stain appeared on his shoulder. 

"Oh! Come on, really?! Is there nowhere safe from you shithawks!?" he shouted to an overhead seagull. "Huh? Steven, is that you?" he heard Connie's voice call out. "Uh...yeah, I'm up here" Steven shouted back.

Connie poked her head out the window, looked around and looked up and saw Steven floating in midair above the lighthouse "Hey, uh, funny story, this morning I was headed over to the Big Donut because they were baking them fresh again..."

"You were gonna get me one, right?" asked Connie. "Well, yeah, but anyway, I was so excited I was literally jumping for joy and...now I'm floating." "Well, get back down, I want my fresh donut" said Connie.

"I can't, I'm stuck up here!" said Steven. "Gee, Steven, you could have come to me if you wanted to join the Mile High Club. You've done so several times in the past" Connie joked. "Not funny!"

"Oh, hold on, I'm getting a call from my mom" said Connie "Hi mom? Oh, you want to know how to get pictures from your phone to your computer? Oh! Yeah, sure, I can help! Yeah, that picture of Joshua hugging Rebecca was cute, I thought you'd like it."

"Why does weird stuff always happen when I get a new power?" Steven lamented. Suddenly an airplane was flying near Steven "The captain has turned on the seatbelt sign, looks like we got Superman in the sky ahead of us." 

"Me, Superman? Okay, maybe this isn't so bad after all...if I could actually control which direction I'm flying" said Steven. "Sorry, Steven, I was just helping my mom with something" said Connie. 

"Nah, it's fine. Listen, do you think you can get a ladder up here?" asked Steven. "I don't think they make them that high" said Connie. "Stupid, penny pinching, corner cutting, ladder industry" Steven grumbled. 

He then noticed Amethyst leaving the house "Amethyst! Hey! Amethyst! Up here!" he called out. "Yo, Steven, you up early or something? Where you at, my man?" asked Amethyst, not noticing Steven was right above him. 

"Amethyst, above you" called Connie. "Huh?" Amethyst looked up and there was Steven floating in midair. "Oh, there you are Steven, floating up and about" said Amethyst before going back inside. 

"Amethyst, wait!" Steven shouted down. "Wait, CAN Steven fly? Nooo, I'm thinking about Lapis" Amethyst then went back out "Yo! Steven! When did you learn to fly!?" 

"I didn't! It just happened, can you help me stop!?" Steven called down. "What? You think I'M the expert at flying!?" Amethyst retorted. "I think we should get Garnet for this one, Amethyst" said Connie. 

"Yeah, that's using the ol noodle, Con-Con" said Amethyst. "Alright, Steven, hang tight, we're gonna go get Garnet, so stay where you are" said Connie. 

"Not much else I can do" said Steven 

After contacting Garnet, she looked at Steven and tried to assess the situation. "Well, Garnet?" asked Connie. "Hmmm...." Garnet responded.

"What are you all doing? Steven's falling! He needs our help! I'll catch you Steven!" Pearl freaked out, running frantically back and forth trying to find a good place to catch him.

"I wouldn't exactly call this falling, Pearl" said Steven "I think it'll be a while before I reach the ground but, I'll give you an "A" for effort!" Garnet then ran inside and came out with Connie's phone and dialled Steven's number.

"Hello?" asked Steven. "Good, now we can communicate without shouting and won't risk waking the children" said Garnet. "Ah! Nice idea, Garnet. No wonder we picked you as godmother" said Steven. 

"Oh, stop, you're making me blush!" said Garnet. "So, what happened, Steven, how are you in the air?" asked Pearl. "I think it's a weird new power, could mom fly like superman?" asked Steven.

"She couldn't fly, although that one comic book artist during the nineteen thirties thought she could" said Garnet. "Oh yeah, that guy...Joe...something" said Amethyst.

"But you know what's happening, Garnet, right?" asked Connie. "Rose could regulate the speed of her descent" said Garnet. "She could also control how fast she fell!" said Amethyst. "That is what I just said" said Garnet.

"Wait, so, I'm not floating...I'm falling!?" Steven exclaimed. "At a snail's pace, but yeah. Don't worry though, when you hit the ground, you won't feel a thing." said Garnet. "But you should try falling a bit faster" said Pearl. 

"I uh, I don't know how to do that" said Steven. "Well, don't worry, I'm sure you'll figure this out, Steven" said Connie. "So what do we do?" asked Amethyst. "Just try and keep him company until he figures things out" said Garnet.

"You think he'll be okay?" asked Connie. "Oh, he's been through worst when he was in the drill, going down to The Cluster. I'm sure he'll be fine" said Pearl.

Meanwhile up in the air "Oh great, now I gotta pee" Steven groaned. 

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The gems decided to keep Steven company until he found a way back down, Amethyst threw up a can of soda for Steven and then some chips, which hit a seagull instead. "Ooo...sorry" Amethyst groaned.

"Ah, it's fine, I think it's the same seagull that crapped on my shoulder" said Steven "if anything, you were doing me a favour." Steven and Garnet then played checkers, with Garnet leaping up as Steven held the board.

Garnet noticed an opportunity to capture all his pieces and does exactly that. "You're using your future vision to cheat, aren't you?" Steven said, glaring at her, but Garnet was already on the ground but jumped up again and said "yes"

Afterwards, Pearl began drawing lines in the sand, and Steven was guessing what she was supposed to be drawing "Hmmm...a pine tree...no! Spear!" said Steven. Pearl gave him a thumbs up in response.

Just then the alarm on Steven's phone started to buzz. Amethyst was already thrown up to check on him "Yo, why's your phone buzzing. "Oh crap! The Big Donut's about to open and I'm not even halfway down yet!" said Steven.

Amethyst jumped up again "Oh well, more for me!" "Amethyst, don't you dare!" Steven growled "come on, guys! You gotta let me down!" he said through his phone. "Maybe we should weigh him down" Garnet suggested.

Pearl jumped up and but a heavy jacket on Steven "Um, heavy jackets aren't literally heavy, it just means they give you extra protection in the winter!" Amethyst then leapt up and gave Steven a bowling ball.

"Yeah, it's heavy, but it's not doing the trick, a little more?" asked Steven. He then gasped and saw Garnet holding a fishing boat "Ah! No! Garnet wait!" but Steven was surprised as the boat felt weightless as he was.

"Oh, come on!" Steven grumbled. The gems then climbed aboard and nothing happened. Amethyst even turned into the Purple Puma for added weight. "All we have left was this alarm clock" said Amethyst. 

The time read 7:25. "Cruud, it's too late, Big Donut's probably not even open...sigh, I guess I won't get the first freshly baked donut today...go ahead Amethyst, you've earned it" said Steven.

All the gems got off the boat "Aw man, Steven, I was actually hoping you'd get down just in time so that we could race and see who'll get there first and the winner got the first donut of the day...this feels like a hollow victory" said Amethyst. 

"Thanks Amethyst" said Steven, respectfully. Steven did a flip, causing everything else to come off him "No donuts for me, I guess...I don't even know how long I'll be up here before I hit the ground"

Steven then thought about it "Worst part isn't even the donuts, what if I'm up here for years as life passes me by, the kids are going to grow up, probably even have kids of their own and I'm gonna miss everything that happened in-between..." 

Steven imagined his kids as adults with a sad expression "will I even be alive by the time I get down? Like, I die of either thirst or starvation from being up here so long that I won't even see the kids as adults, and Connie would be a widow..." 

He imagined a scenario where is skull lands on the beach "Steven! Noooo!" his imaginary version of Connie cried out "Oh Steven, you were the only man for me, you were always so modest about your very excellent performance in the bedroom, and your size which would put other men to shame!" 

"He was the best Daddy ever! He was not only Daddy of the year, he was Daddy of the forever!" said Steven's imaginary version of Rebecca.

"Oh Steven, every argument we've had, you were always right, and I was wrong!" said Imaginary Pearl. And then a corporate CEO said "I would have never cancelled the production of Cookie Cat if I knew it would lead to this!? Why must rich people like me cause so many problems!?" 

Suddenly, a sudden updraft woke Steven up from his daydreams "Huh? Oh hey! I'm falling at normal speed!" said Steven, before reality hit him "Oh crap! I'm falling at normal speed!" 

"GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!" Steven called as he was falling. However, his calls went unheeded as he continued to fall.

"Yeah, but if I had a jet pack, he could just put it on upside down" said Amethyst. "Unfortunately, that's not how actual jetpacks work" said Connie "like, if this were a cartoon, it'd probably work."

"Grrr...why must cartoon reality be so much better than reality reality!" Amethyst grumbled. Steven was beginning to panic "Why do these things always happen to meeeeeeeeee!?"

Chapter Text

"Aaaaaah! Gotta find a way to stop floating before I turn into a human pancake!" Steven screamed "gotta call the gems! Ah! No!" as Steven reached for his phone, it slipped out of his grasp "I hope the mobile service provider covers fall damage!"

Steven then roared in frustration "Why do my powers keep coming and going!? I was so happy to be home and...wait, happiness...my powers are tied to my emotions!...nah, that sounds stupid!"

Suddenly, Steven began falling even faster "Aaaah! No, I mean not stupid! Not stupid!" but he kept falling at the faster speed "okay Steven, you do this, happy thoughts, think happy thoughts like your life depends on it because it does!"

Steven tried concentrate as hard as he could on something happy "Okay, no negative thoughts, just happy ones, how hard could that be? Donuts? No, not getting any, nothing fresh at least. The Beach? No, that's where I'm gonna die...my mom? Nope! Feelings waaaaaay to complex on that regard!"

Steven began pounding on his head "Come on, come on, think, think, think! Is there any happy thought or memory that can get me out of this!?" Just then, a memory popped into his head.

It was a memory of yesterday when Little Joshua came up to Rebecca and put his arms around her "Look Mommy! Joshua's hugging me!" Rebecca said. Connie got all ecstatic instructing Rebecca to hold the pose as she took a picture to send to her parents.

"That's it! My family! Connie, Rebecca, Joshua! They're the ones who make me happier than anything else in the world!" Steven realized as his fall began slowing down "though, I have to admit, that should have been the first thing that came to mind...oh well, I love my family! That's all that matters!"

He then thought of the gems, throughout various memories at other points in his life "And I can't forget the gems either, I've been a jerk to them in my late teens, and since I've started my career as a crystal gem...but they've never given up on me, they never abandoned me, no matter what I said to them..."

He then remembered the good times he had with his father "and Dad too, even though I found out how irresponsible he was, he wasn't exactly a bad father, we had a lot of fun together, and he loves my kids just as much as I do...I've got so much to apologize for, when I get down, I'm gonna have a word with each one of them." 

Meanwhile in the Beach House, the gems were still in mid-discussion "But if he can't control is power-" said Pearl. "He'll be alright" said Garnet. "How is this alright!? My husband is stuck in the sky!" said Connie. 

"By now, Steven realizes that his powers are tied to his emotions, which he feels is kind of stupid and cliched" said Garnet "He's used a combination of happy and sad memories to get him down safely and he'll come through the door and give his wife and kids a hug. And after acquiring his donut, he'll have an open heart to heart with me, Amethyst and Pearl." 

And, as Garnet predicted, Steven burst through the door "Everyone! I made it down!" "Told ya" said Garnet. Steven saw Connie with Rebecca who had just gotten out of bed and hugged them both. '

"I'd hug Joshie too, but he's still asleep, I bet" said Steven. "Sure is" said Connie "he's a growing boy, but he's still cranky when his sleep is disturbed." 

"Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, I've got so much to-" "Hey, save it for later, if we're lucky, there may be some fresh donuts still" said Amethyst "race ya?" "Oh hell yeah!" said Steven "bring it on Amethyst, but no shapeshifting, fair and square!"

"Of course, where'd be the fun in cheating?" Amethyst said in return. Steven and Amethyst ran down to the porch and got ready to race "3...2...1...go!" said Steven.

Both Steven and Amethyst made a mad dash for The Big Donut! The two were neck and neck, whoever wins would get to be the next in line and whoever loses pays for the donuts.

When they turned the curve and reached The Big Donut...they stopped and saw the Big Donut was closed "Huh!? It's not even open!?" said Amethyst.

"Wow, I thought I was late" said Steven. "Late? We always open at 7:30 on Sundays" said Sadie. Steven and Amethyst looked at each other "We both get the first fresh baked donuts" said Steven.

"Meh, I don't mind tying, it's a better outcome than that hollow victory" said Amethyst. Steven and Amethyst waited for several minutes as Sadie came out with two donuts.

"Here you are, two frosted donuts with sprinkles, freshly baked" said Sadie "one for our number one customer, the other for my BFF. My treat!" "Thank you, Sadie" said Steven and Amethyst in unison. 

"Hello delicious one" said Steven as he reached for the donut but nearly lost his grip on it "Ow! ow! ow! ow! Whoa, I've forgotten how hot these things get when they're freshly baked" said Steven.

Everyone in the store, including Steven, laughed.

Chapter Text

Sour Cream left his home and waved goodbye to his mother, Vidalia "Later Mom! Yeah, this is going to be sick!" he then went over to Steven who was loading various DJ equipment onto a cart wagon. 

"Thanks for helping me with this, Steven" said Sour Cream. "Hey, no prob!" said Steven "you and your mom are like family to me and my dad, I'm happy to help!" 

"Heh, I remember when I was really little, I used to think you were so cool, I kinda saw you as my idol." said Sour Cream. "Oh trust me, if you knew what I was going through, you'd have that twice about that" said Steven.

"Still though, thanks again for helping me out" "Hey, I kinda always wanted to be a roadie, carrying heavy things, driving off the more...enthusiastic fans, or just offering moral support" said Steven "if you need it done, I'll do it!"

"Heh, I think I just need you to carry stuff or now" said Sour Cream. "You're the DJ" said Steven with a nod going inside the garage and coming out carrying another box of "DJ Gear" with only one hand.

"Hey, why not let me help you" said Sour Cream offering to take the box but was suddenly surprised by its weight "holy crap, I forgot how strong you are!" "Would you believe it's not from exercise?" Steven joked.

Ever since he had that epiphany during that time he was falling after floating in mid-air, Steven had been in higher spirits. He had deep heart to hear conversations with the gems, and he'd been getting along so much better with Pearl. 

Also, aside from his side-gig as Deputy Mayor of Beach City, he had decided to be more active in his community, generate some more goodwill in his hometown.

Of course, he never forgot about his family, he could never neglect them even if he tried. Today he was helping Sour Cream prepare for his massive rave tonight, just one of the things he had been doing to be more engaging in his community. 

"So, this should be the last of it, and thanks again" said Sour Cream "I wish my step-dad could understand my passion like you do. You seem to get it, man." 

"I don't know how long though, I think I may be getting to that age where I start getting out of tune with today's music, and quite honestly, I don't know how to feel about that" said Steven "I just hope I don't wind up a crusty old curmudgeon."

"I dunno, your dad seems pretty chill" said Sour Cream "maybe you'll end up like him!" "I don't know whether you're trying to cheer me up or insult me" Steven replied with a joking chuckle. 

Just then, Yellowtail, Vidalia's Husband, Onion's father and Sour Cream's Step-father came home with a suitcase full of fish for some reason and noticed all the equipment and began chiding him in his usual mumbling dialect. 

"I still don't know what the heck he's saying" Steven thought to himself. "No, I can't be back before 10:00, I've got a show tonight, Yellowtail!" Sour Cream said in an exasperated tone. 

"How the hell does Sour Cream or Vidalia understand what this dude is saying?" Steven thought to himself. Yellowtail continued to chid Sour Cream in a heavy dialogue that Steven couldn't make heads or tails of.

"It is too a viable career! 80% of Germans make their living deejaying! Why can't you just accept that I don't want to be a fisherman like you!?" Sour Cream argued, stomping off in frustration.

Yellowtail paused to causally tip his hat to Steven and then stormed inside the house. Steven, noticing how upset Sour Cream was, decided to go see what's up.

"Hey, SC, everything okay?" asked Steven. "Yeah. I just can't deal with my step-dad getting on my case all the time. Why would I want to bring home fish when I could bring home sick beats?" said Sour Cream "If he has to "muh muh muh" about it so much, he doesn't have to come!"

The two passed by the Car Wash and Sour Cream stopped the cart "Ugh! All that arguing messed with my stomach! I gotta use the bathroom!" Sour Cream rushed off. 

Greg then came rushing out of the Car Wash "Wait! Don't leave! Waxing is free!" he said "oh! Hey Shtu-ball! Whatcha up to?" "Oh not much, just helping Sour Cream set up his rave for tonight" said Steven.

"Oh hey, like a roadie! You know, even when you were a moody teen, you've always been like an older brother to him, even when you were clearly annoyed with him, you still played with him when he asked, even if you were reluctant to do it"

"Heh heh, yeah, but those days of pissed off and angry Steven are no more! Anyway, how's work?" asked Steven. "Oh, not too busy...same-old same-old" said Greg. "Aw, I'm sure business will pick up, Dad" said Steven.

"Yeah, and until then, I've got ways of keeping myself entertained" said Greg, but just afterwards, Greg's boyfriend, Leslie came out of the van, seemingly wearing only a bathrobe "Oh, hey you, how did you get dressed so fast?"

"Um, excuse me?" said Steven. "Oh! Steven! Uh, heh heh...me and your father were just...uh" Leslie stammered. "Nope. Unfortunately, I know exactly what you two were doing, and I'd rather not hear about it" said Steven.

"Yeah, I get your point, uh, but nice to see you again" said Leslie. The awkward silence that followed was interrupted by a yellow bus pulling. 

Chapter Text

As the big yellow bus came to a complete stop Greg was in awe "Guys, don't tell them about the free waxing! Just look at the size of that thing!"

"Given what I think was happening between him and Leslie, that'd better be the bus my dad is talking about" Steven thought to himself. Out of the bus came an elderly looking man dressed in leather, although he was old, he appeared to be about Greg's age, or at least how old Greg was until his age was reverted back to thirty due to the presence of Steven's kidney in his body. 

"Marty?" said Greg. "Yeah, I think it is, what's he doing here?" said Steven. Steven had met Marty once before, he was around thirteen going on fourteen when he first met him. 

"Is that the guy you told me about on our first date? Want me to get rid of him?" asked Leslie. "Nah, it's okay, I got a hose" said Greg. "I'll say" Leslie whispered. 

"So, still working for that dingy old car wash huh? Even with all the money I gave you from that royalty cheque?" said Marty "Eh? Say, you haven't changed a bit since I last saw ya, good to see you're at least taking care of yourself, Star Child. But, as you can see, so have I."

Marty gestured towards the bus behind him. Marty had become a big producer in the music biz...well, technically the advertising business, and he had garnered much success in the industry. 

"Uh, yeah, hey Marty, you've met my son, Steven, before" said Greg. "Oh yeah, how ya doing, squirt? Well, I guess I can't call ya that anymore. Look at you being a grown man" said Marty "what have you been up to?"

"Uh, well, I'm married now and I've got two kids" said Steven. "No fooling? Wow, you really are all grown up" Marty chuckled "and who's this guy?" "Oh, that's Leslie, my new boyfriend" said Greg.

"Ha! To think those jokes I made back in the day turned out to be true" Marty smirked. Steven and Leslie both gave Marty dirty looks, not that he noticed. "Yeah, so what're you doing here?" asked Greg.

"Well, I ain't here for a car wash, but we do have some more unfinished business" said Marty. Just then, Sour Cream came out of the Car Wash restroom "Sorry, Mr. U, I totally clogged your toilet and- Dad?" 

"Sour Cream!?" Marty replied. The last time Marty had come to Beach City to meet Greg, Sour Cream had been conceived, since then, while Marty did visit Sour Cream on occasion, it wasn't too often that it happened. 

"Wh-what are you doing here?" asked Sour Cream. Marty hid the envelope he was about to take out "Oh, uh, SC! Hey! Just look at you! When did you get so tall?" "Nine years ago" Sour Cream answered. 

"Whoa!" Marty chuckled and cleared his throat "Sorry I've been gone so long, kiddo! But you know how the music biz can be, riiiight?" "No, but you can tell me" said Sour Cream. 

"Well, you see, the music business is like a beehive or a music factory where..." Marty began. "Man, I can't believe those two are related" said Steven "I mean, aside from the resemblance." 

"Well, Steven, kids are not their parents, they may get one or two things from them, but they're their own people in the end" said Greg. "Yeah, I guess so...but that dude rubs me the wrong way" said Steven.

"Ugh, indeed, I think this dude's trapped In the eighties, more so than the generation that literally grew up in the eighties" said Leslie. "Yeah, eighties were overrated, now the nineties, those were the days" said Steven. 

"Also in the biz, they make it really hard for you to have any free time" Marty continued "You gotta work long hours every day and on weekends!" 

"Hey, Sour Cream, sorry to break up the father son reunion but should I haul all your equipment to the warehouse while you talk with your dad?" said Steven. "Equipment? Whoa-ho! What do we have here!" Marty noticed the cart wagon Steven was pulling. 

"Just getting ready for this semi-annual rave thing I do in Beach City" said Sour Cream, humbly. "A rave you say..." Marty said with a glint in his eye as he thought to himself. 

"Say, SC, I have a great idea! I've decided to stay in Beach City and hang with you to...make up for lost time! And while we're....chilling, I'll promote your little engagement!" Marty offered. 

Steven, couldn't understand it, but he had a gut feeling that Marty had an ulterior motive to this father son bonding, but Steven didn't want to say anything because he knew how much this meant to Sour Cream.

Marty handed Sour Cream a shiny black card "What's this shiny card with all your contact info listed on it?" "Just a little thing we pros in the music biz call, a lamented business card!" said Marty. 

"...This is so legit!" Sour Cream excitedly commented. "I don't have the heart to tell him that there's something very illegit about all this" Steven thought to himself.

"Man, you're so lucky to have a dad in the biz! Throwing a cool semi annual rave thing is a classic father son bonding experience!" said Marty. "Even more classic than fishing?" asked Sour Cream.

"Just you wait, kid! We're gonna cram nine years of bonding into this thing!" said Marty. 

Chapter Text

Sour Cream took his father to see his DJ setup, but he did not look impressed. "This is it? It's so...puny! What is this, a rave for ants!?" Marty chided. "Well, I saw a couple of ant colonies nearby so, it could be" Steven joked.

"Aunts, Uncles, Music's for everybody" said Sour Cream. "Well, it wasn't for my grandpa...or at least, so I've heard from my dad" said Steven.

"Heh, yeah, so Greg told you about him, huh? He was a real piece of work" said Marty "anyway, SC, you wanna reach people, right?" "Yeah" said Sour Cream. "You want to hold them in your little hand, right?"

"Uh...I guess so" "You want to squeeze 'em until their eyes pop out?" "Uh, you lost me a little" said Sour Cream. "Yeah, you might wanna turn it down a notch" Steven added. 

"What I'm saying is, if you wanna draw a crowd, you can't play out in the sticks, ya gotta go where the people are!" said Marty. 

Marty then lead the two to the Beach of Beach City "Now this is more like it, we'll set it up right here in the sand!"

"Uh, didn't you run a show here before? You know, with my dad? And it kinda bombed? Like, two people showed up?" asked Steven. "Okay, can I real talk with you for a second?" Marty pulled the two in for a huddle.

"Okay, real talk, I made a lot of mistakes before when I was your dad's manager. And, real talk, I was a jerk, but, real talk, I've learned a lot from myself and the music business since then, So I can tell you with certainty that things aren't gonna be like last time, real talk"

"Wow, Yellowtail never real talks with me" said Sour Cream. "And, besides, that first show turned out for the best, I mean, your moms were the audience" said Marty "Well, Steve's mother at least, Vidalia was too young at the time, I may have been a jerk back then, but I was a jerk who at least played by the rules!" 

"Well, credit where credit is due, I suppose" Steven shrugged. "Anyway, that's how a professional works, now hold on, gotta work my magic" said Marty as he dialled his phone "Yeah, Marty here, talk to me, yeah, I know I called you!

Later that evening, Marty had his hands over Sour Cream's eyes "Okay, ready? BOOM!" He removed his hands and Sour Cream was in awe of this poster advertising Sour Cream's Show. "Why am I glowing?" asked Sour Cream.

"That's right, nothing less for my soon-to-be famous DJ, but wait, there's more!" said Marty as he presented this high tech setup being wheeled out of Marty's bus by roadies.

"Wow! I've only seen this gear on the internet, is this really for me?" asked Sour Cream. "It's for us, cool cat!" said Marty "and Steven, take this." he gave Steven an official roadie badge "Welcome to the big leagues, kid."

"Not a kid, but thanks!" said Steven. He immediately got to work and lifted a seemingly heavy box with ease "Wow, I better remind myself not to piss him off" Marty commented on Steven's strength. 

Later that night, everything was set up, Steven did the mic check as the curious crowd gathered around the stage, in the middle of the crowd was a bonfire that Marty set up.

"Wow, cool bonfire, it's burning great, where did you get the wood for it?" Steven asked Marty. "Oh, some old shack behind city hall" said Marty "who's gonna miss it?"

*210 years ago* 

Beach City's founder, William Dewey stands next to his friend, Buddy Budwick, both men wiping sweat off their brows as they looked upon the shack that they built together.

"Well, Buddy, old chum, it's finally finished, the first structure of our new town! Someday a fine community will grow from this shack!"

"Okay Sour Cream, ready when you are" said Steven. Steven got off the stage as Sour Cream took centre stage. "Okay, so I'll just get started" said Sour Cream.

"No no no, you've got to hype them up, let me show ya" said Marty as he moonwalked onto the stage and took the microphone "How ya feeling Beach Cit-taaaaay!?" as the crowd roared in applause. 

"I've never been properly hyped before, thanks dad" Sour Cream whispered. Marty winked as he cleared his throat.

"You know, I've always been someone with good taste, so you gotta believe me, this show is special to me, it's personal" said Marty "because I want introduce you to a fresh raw experience a whole new flavour!"

Sour Cream looked at his father was a smile on his face "I want to introduce...a brand new soda!!!" "WHAT!?" Sour Cream exclaimed. "GUACOLAAAAAA!" said Marty as an electric billboard behind Sour Cream glowed green showing a picture of an Avocado wearing sunglasses.

"That's right, Guacola! The world's first Guacamole soda! Each can comes with the powers of three whole avocados!" said Marty "Now come on, Beach City, are you ready to get your guac on?"

Marty started throwing cans into the crowd. "Guacola!? An avocado soda!? I thought this was for me!" said Sour Cream. "What? No, it is, but I've got a deal with Peppy Cola and I needed a DJ to help promote it" said Marty.

"Made from concentrate!? Are you serious? You used your own son to push some crappy product that's not even gonna sell!?" said Steven. "What? Dude, avocados are popular with young people" said Marty.

"On toast or chips, not as a soda, take a look for yourself!" said Steven pointing to a retching crowd. 

Ronaldo was trying to dip a chip in the soda and tried eating it "It's not even good on chips!" "S-so it's an acquired taste" said Marty. "Dad, I can't believe you used me like this, I thought you wanted to bond" said Sour Cream.

"Look, I really needed this deal with Peppy's Guacola! This isn't your show! The soundstage, the roadies, this bitching bus? You wouldn't have this if it weren't for me! Now play!"

"Look, this product launch is based off an ill-conceived idea, perhaps try the product yourself before getting behind on it!" said Steven. Marty took another look at the crowd and growled as he realized Steven was right.

"Fine! Show's over people!" said Marty as he stormed off stage, and the roadies took DJ equipment away. "Here, give this to your dad! I only came here because I was legally obligated to give your dad this!" he handed Steven an envelope and left on the bus. 

Sour Cream just stood there as a disappointed crowd was still recovering from the crappy soda. "I can't believe Dad did that. Maybe I should cut my losses and fish for the rest of my life" said Sour Cream.

"Oh, don't worry, I had a feeling something fishy was going on, so I called somebody in case things went south" said Steven. "MUH MUH MUH MUH!" a familiar voice mumbled in the distance. 

Yellowtail came by, speeding on his fishing boat. "Uh, why did you call my step dad, you know he doesn't support me" said Sour Cream. "Check again" said Steven.

On the bow of Yellowtail's boat was Sour Cream's home made setup. "WHA-!?" Sour Cream exclaimed.

"Yeah, he took some convincing, but once I showed him a video of one of your past raves on my phone, he changed his tune!" said Steven. "Wow...thanks Steven" said Sour Cream. 

"I'm not the one you should be thanking" said Steven. "Yeah..." Sour Cream ran up to the boat "Thanks Yellowtail." "Muh muh muh muh (thank me later, you've got an audience at your hook, reel 'em in!)" said Yellowtail.

"Hey guys, let's get a real party going!" said Sour Cream. The crowd all nodded and surrounded the boat as Sour Cream began playing. 

"Thanks for agreeing to do this" said Steven to Yellowtail. "Muh muh muh muh muh (Eh, I can't say I approve of his career path, but at least he has SOME sense of direction)" said Yellowtail. 

"Hmmm, I wonder what's in this envelope? A cheque? Nah, it couldn't be" said Steven.