Chapter Text
It wasn't like she could just bury what had happened tonight and forget all about it. Something like this was too shocking to cover up and forget about. It wasn't something she could keep to herself either. She needed to tell her husband. How would be a different story
The moment she saw her patients earlier that day, she knew something was up. She didn't comment or say anything. It wasn't her place, it was her place to help them. No matter how many arms the one had. It was her job to treat anyone who needed help, and that's what she was going to do.
Her mind flashed back to seeing one of them for the first time, there was no way she'd be able forget that image. It was seared in her mind forever. It had been moving, making sound, yet no pulse or heartbeat. It was the strangest case she'd ever seen.
All she wanted was to be a good mother and protect her daughter. Keeping her safe from sharp objects seemed like an easy enough thing to do. Yet it wasn't. She was out swinging a sword without her knowledge.
She didn't want to control every single aspect of Connie's life, she just wanted her safe, have her build good skills for later in life. Yet now her eyes had been open to her faults. It'd been 2 hours since she'd gotten back from the hospital, Connie was in bed.
Priyanka waited up for her husband to come home, and went through all of the information she'd learned. She thought back to the first dinner. Knowing what she knew now made the terror of Alexandrite helped to disappear.
She dunked her hands into the warm soapy water and scrubbed at the plate. Washing dishes was just calming, she couldn't explain it, but it was. Then she heard the front door open, her husband came in.
Doug wasn’t planning on coming home late, it had just happened. Walking home, he found his wife in the kitchen, washing dishes. He’d known her long enough to know that something was wrong. “Hey,” he said making his presence known and slowly started towards her. “Everything okay?”
The doctor looked over at him and gave a small smile. "You're home! How was work?" She just wanted to stall for time.
“Work was fine, but you’re upset about something, aren't you?"
"I-I'm not upset over anything," Doug raised an eyebrow. "I just have a lot on my mind right now," she recovered knowing he wasn't believing her.
"Okay... Like what?" He leaned against the counter slightly.
"Are we too controlling?"
"Controlling? Why would you say that?"
Priyanka shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "I-I just, Connie feels the need to go behind our back and not tell us things.
A sense of alarm sprung up in him, "What do you mean not tell us things?"
"I just feel like we've been too protective, It's just made her not trust us and hide things from us. Did you know Connie's been taking sword fighting lessons?"
Doug knitted his eyebrows together, "What? No…” That had to be some kind of joke. He knew his daughter. At least the thought he did.
“She learns when she goes to hang out with Steven-”
At Steven's name, Doug clenched his fists, "I knew there was something with him. Connie's never going to-"
"Durja," she reached out and grabbed his hand, shaking her head. "Don't you see, that's exactly what she feared. Why she felt the need not to tell us. Steven's friendship is important to her, we can't take that away from her."
"Pri, I understand that but if she's hanging out with Steven, he's the one who's been influencing her that it's okay to sword fight, she'll get hurt. It's not safe-"
"Stop. I-I know, there's a lot of things wrong with this, but it's important that she has this. Steven and his family, they're not like us. At that dinner, when we first met them, we learned the basics. Learned what Gems are and the - uh- fusion slightly. Connie has been dealing with that stuff since she first met Steven."
"That's exactly why she shouldn't-"
"I trust Steven. I trust him to look after Connie." After the hospital and the words that spilled out of Steven's mouth, she had to. "He'll protect her. Steven's half Gem. He has a shield and uses it well. When paired up with Connie they're like an unstoppable force. Connie tells me that Pearl has been teaching her, that Pearl has been doing it for thousands of years. She's being trained safely."
Doug shook his head, "Okay, fine, just... How do you know all this?"
"Those two saved my life today. I came home, and- I found this sword. Naturally, I confiscated it then had to go back to the hospital. Steven and Connie followed trying to get it back. The patients I had today were weird. 4 arms, multi-colored. I was going to treat them anyway. But Connie and Steven showed up, and tried to take the sword. They weren't patients, they were Gem monsters. Connie and Steven fought together to stop them, they saved me."
“Why didn’t you start off that way? You’re not hurt are you? Is Connie?”
“No- I’m fine, we’re fine. But that’s the point, that we’re fine, because she knows what she’s doing.”
“Alright… So you think this is something we should support?”
“Yes, as much as we can. I don’t want to have her keep secrets from me- from us. That’s more frightening to me. This way we can keep on eye on her too, know she’s safe. She’s really good, Durja... I’m proud of her.”
“Alright, then we’ll support her. I’m still not the fond of the idea, but I trust you, I trust her.” He wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
She sighed and leaned into him closing her eyes, “I feel like she’s growing up so fast. That I’m losing her.”
Doug kissed her temple, “She’s always going to be with us, she’ll be in our hearts, even when she’s not here.”
Priyanka laughed softly, and buried her face in the crook of his neck. “Again with the cheese.”
“Ahh, I couldn’t resist... “ He smiled at her. “But seriously, she’s always going to need you in her life, you’re her mother.”
“I know, but… I’m afraid, that with all the rules there’s already been, she’s going to want to get out as fast as possible, never glance back. In the end, she’d be able to get on fine without me. I mean, you’re wonderful, and you never need your mother.”
“Priyanka, stop. By the time I stopped all contact with my family, I didn’t need them, I had you. You were what mattered to me. They were suffocating, and in the end, it was their final word that I don’t go back. You’re a good mother. My family didn’t accept anything I did and here you are, embracing this sword fighting thing as best you can. Connie will always need you in her life. Trust me.”
She sighed, and looked back up at her husband, “You’re right… It’s just… It’s been a long day. “
“Then let’s get to bed,” He gave her a kiss. “Unless there’s more you wanted to tell me?”
The doctor thought for a moment, she felt like she was forgetting something. She glanced back up at Doug about to tell him that she couldn’t remember, then she saw his glasses and remembered. “Oh! Connie doesn’t need her glasses anymore.”
“What? How does that happen?”
“Connie told me Steven healed them. That he has healing, spit?” She said with slight uncertainty trying to remember if that was the case. It was a strange thing to happen, but that meant that they wouldn’t have to get new glasses for Connie anymore.
“Healing spit? What did he spit in her eyes or something?”
She laughed slightly and shook her head, “I’m sure that didn’t happen. I’m sure she just go some of his saliva in her system,” she gave a shrug.
There was a moment of silence as Doug thought about it. It made enough sense, but how did it get into her- it was almost instantly that the couple looked at each other then, coming to the same conclusion on how Connie go Steven’s spit.
He moved in a flash heading up the stairs with his wife following behind. He didn’t care it was 11:30 and Connie was probably asleep by now. “Kahaani?” He called up as he ascended the stairs. Sword fighting lessons he could get used to and accept. But kissing boys? Not a chance.