It's Becoming Crystal Clear (Jasper x Reader)

Chapter 17: Dog Days

While Jasper and Garnet were having their little session, you went back home to make yourself more presentable and to have a small breakfast. While you were there, you decided you ought to call to explain why you'd be coming in late to work.

"Hello," you said into the phone.

"(Y/N)?" Mr. Mulligan responded in his strong Irish accent. "Is that you?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to let you know I'll be in today, I'm just running a bit late. My girlfriend" (you found devilish delight in using that word) "had a crisis this morning. It was an emergency, so I-"

"Don't you dare come in today! I saw the news last night. Take a vacation. I've taken plenty o' days off in my time, and I've never been tanglin' with serial killers, monsters, evil robots, and alien abductions all in one night."

"Thank you, sir."

"Eh! None of that 'sir' business! And get yourself some help if you need it."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I have all the help I could need. I'll be in next week if you're sure."

"Only if you're ready. Gotta go, customer coming in. Bye bye then."

"Okay, bye!" you said smiling. You hung up.

Almost immediately, the phone started ringing again. You picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hi (Y/N)!" said Steven's voice. There was a fair bit of noise as the phone was handed over.

"Uggh. Dude, can you pick Jasper up?" Amethyst asked.

"Oh no..." you muttered, feeling like a parent getting a call from the school principal. "What's happened? Did she do something?"

"Nah, she's just being really weird. She said she was going to go sit by the water, but now she won't go outside and keeps saying 'there's something out there.' We've looked. There's nothing. But she's insistent."

"I'll be right over," you said, hanging up. You hoped Jasper's corruption wasn't making her unmanageably paranoid.

When you arrived, you approached with caution. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Lion was napping under the deck. You entered the house and found Jasper pacing anxiously while the other gems watched. Her face lit up when she saw you. She ran over, sounding like a herd of elephants, and scooped you up.

"(Y/N)! You believe me, right? There's something out there! You must've heard it."

"Jasper, calm down!" you said with a laugh. "If you put me down, we can both go out and check around. I didn't notice anything, but I believe you."

You held her hand and led her out the door. She froze almost immediately, pointing down at the boards of the deck.

"Down there."

"Well, Steven's lion is under there. But I assume you knew that."

"It's hard to overlook a lion. What do you take me for? Just listen."

All seemed silent. But after a moment, you did hear a small, high-pitched sound. You both went down the stairs and then underneath. The sound was clearer now. It was a whimpering.

"Uh, Lion?" you said. He opened one eye. "Could you..?" You waved a hand, indicating for him to move. With a groan, the pink beast rose to his feet and walked slowly off down the beach. As he did, the source of the sound was revealed. Right behind where he had been lying sat a small puppy. It looked like a Rottweiler, maybe just over a month old. It was dirty, trembling, and appeared malnourished.